FROM THIS SUNDAY’S LESSON:

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.”

Romans 3:21-28

Lessons for May 11, 2008

*Isaiah 40:10-11, Acts 21:1-21, John 24:25-30

CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK (May 5 – May 12)

MONDAY

TUESDAY

*Lutheran Coffee Chicks 7pm at Kidd Coffee (on Tylersville Rd.)

*Teen Praise Band 7pm

WEDNESDAY

*Men’s Morning Bible Study 7am @ Perkins on Tylersville Road –Go to www.Royalredeemer.org for more

information.

*Women’s Bible Study @ Noon in Narthex

*Experiencing God begins 7-8 pm in Annex

THURSDAY

*Praise Team 7pm

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

*Network 9am-Noon

SUNDAY

9:15 Traditional Worship

10:45 Contemporary Worship with communion

9:15 SUNDAY SCHOOL

10:45 SUNDAY SCHOOL

“Grace” Adult Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45

*Children’s Choir 4pm – 4:45pm

MONDAY (May 12)

*Spiritual Life 7-7:45pm

* REMEMBER IN PRAYER:

NEW REQUESTS (complete names on Prayer Chain in bulletin)

*For Ruth G., who is suffering complications following surgery. Pray for strength and healing.

*For Kevan V. and family, his mother died. Pray for comfort.

*For Julie F. who is having surgery. Pray for healing and strength.

*For Helen R., Jeannie O’s grandmother, who is in hospice care. Please pray for peace and comfort.

*For Connie G., Jennifer’s mom, who needs prayers for strength and healing.

*For Jason D. who is in the hospital after suffering a diabetic seizure. Suffered head injury and needs

help managing the disease.

*For Jim H., friend of Gary & Jackie S. has cancer.

*For Mark struggling with employment concerns. Pray for God’s strength, peach and resolution.

*For Lori G. and family, whose aunt, Nola, passed away last Saturday.

*For Derek & Erin R. and family, pray for strength, courage and peace for the impending birth of their

son, Zachary David. Due to a terminal condition, he will pass into God’s hands soon after birth.

*For Trevor, has bone and lung cancer. All his friends are praying for him to have a long life.

*For Judy H., whose husband suddenly died from a heart attack. Pray for comfort for family and her.

*For Carl, friend of Abby W., who is in ICU and not doing well. Pray for strength and healing.

*For Don S., friend of Scott & Sue, who had surgery for a blood clot in his brain. Pray for strength and

healing.

*For baby Anna S. is back into ICU due to pneumonia. Pray for strength and health.

*For Debbie O. who was diagnosed with breast cancer and needs prayers for health, healing, and

strength.

*For Mia Mc., born prematurely at 28 weeks and is suffering serious life threatening problems. Pray for

health and strength and for her parents. Submitted by Debbie D.

*For the friends and family of Don F., Marilyn S.’s brother, who passed away. May God grant them

comfort at this difficult time.

*For Patty W. who is going through cancer treatments for 4 weeks. Pray for health and strength.

*For Tim M. for God’s guidance in his life.

*For the friends and family of Bob M., Ernie M.’s brother, who passed away.

*For Joyce H., friend of the Freebergs, who is sick with cancer that is spreading.

*For Valry W., Lisa W.’s sister, who needs continued prayers while in therapy to get movement back in her arms and hands. Thank you for all your prayers!

*For Chuck R. who needs prayers of strength in these difficult times.

WHAT’S GOING ON AT RR? and in the Neighborhood

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We are blessed to have a number of events upcoming and need to communicate them well, as well as watch our time in worship. Any announcements need to be coordinated through the Communications Director a/k/a Diane Donovan or Pastor Joel by the Thursday before.

Just a reminder, children should not be up in the Praise Team area due to safety concerns. If the children want to sing with the last song, they may stand in front of the railing. Thank you for you consideration regarding this matter.

Senior High Wii Party

Senior high youth are invited to attend another Wii party to be held on Sunday, May 18^th from 5:30-7:30pm. Come and join us for food and fun!

Junior High Activities

The Junior High Youth are gearing up for summer. They will be holding two car washes at PNC Bank. The first fundraiser is planned for June 7^th from 10am-Noon. The second car wash will be held at the same location and time on July 19^th. We are looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and will make you “SHINE”. Hope to see you there!

Landen Church Softball League

Wanted: Co-Ed softball players to sub & people to cheer for church softball league. Games are Friday eve. at 6:20 or 7:30. It’s not too late to join us for some fun and activity! Contact Mike Doherty at 759-9107 or Dave Hoffmann at 777-5710 or david.hoffmann@eds.com if you have any questions.

Empty Nesters

We are starting a new study for empty or near empty nesters. We will begin with a Beth More study, “A Woman’s Heart” on May 14^th at 10-11:30am. A sign up sheet is posted in the narthex. Please invite a friend and give yourself a gift of time in the word!

Women's Weekday Bible Study

The women’s bible study will continue until May 14th! Please come and try us out for the next few weeks and see if you like it. Bring your lunch and join us for some fellowship. Come and relax with us while studying His Word. We will be starting back up in the fall with a new book. We meet on Wednesday @Noon.

Drew’s Big Give

A web site has been created to keep you updated. www.drewsbiggive.com

Here is what's happening:

• clothing, toys, etc.:  Once our five families have what they need, the remainder will be distributed to local agencies, who are better equipped to distribute.
• Kroger gift cards will be distributed by a team of people recruited by Jeannie and Shannon to seek out and surprise Kroger shoppers -- continuing the Big Give
• Other gift cards will be distributed to the five families we have identified.
• Pastor Joel will distribute a $100 Visa card to a family in need.
• Furniture:  we will continue to receive and distribute donations, and continue the storage space and pod donation for as long as possible.  We will also seek another venue (hopefully donated) to serve as a furniture donation center.

Drew's Big Give Keeps on Giving!  

GRACE, AN INVITATION TO A WAY OF LIFE

A Sunday Adult Sunday class began April 9^th during both worship times. This class is taught by Tom Van Milligen in Pastor’s office. These studies in Grace will help you make the connection between grace as a remote biblical concept and grace as a lifestyle—a reality you experience day in, day out. Please feel free to join us.

SUPPERS OF SEVEN

Suppers of Seven is starting its next rotation. Visitors, newcomers, regular attendees, and all members are all welcome to participate in this ADULT fellowship group. Call Sue Mundt (777-7057) if you would like to join or need more information. The next supper rotation is May/June/July.

SNACK SHACK

The snack shack officially opened Sat., May 3^rd. We will need 8 ou. waters, coke, diet coke, pepsi or diet pepsi. We will not be selling any meltable chocolate candy this year; it’s too hard to keep with our soaring summer temp. However, Air Heads & Star Bursts would be welcome. Hours are Noon – 4:00pm in Sat. and Wednesday from 6-8pm, May – June. Look for the sign up sheet on the bulletin board. Volunteers are needed to man the booth. We provide instructions, change & keys. Questions? Contact Rob or Fred Freeberg 539-4692

Beattyville Giving Challenge: Stimulating God’s Economy

Starting in May, households will receive checks from the federal government as part of its attempt to stimulate the currently sluggish economy. As citizens of the Kingdom of God as well as citizens of countries, Christians see the world not only in terms of profit and loss, but also in terms of justice and mercy – particularly, how those who have resources look after those who do not. In other words, we are called to use our wealth to tend to the household (which is, in the Greek language of the New Testament, the “economy”) of God. So the team that has been promoting the First Sunday Service and Offering opportunities presents this challenge to the congregation of Royal Redeemer: use part of the economic stimulus check you will receive to give lift to a ministry which has enabled many people at Royal Redeemer to help the poor.

For the past several years, teams of people led by Gary and Linda Darlage have taken trips to Beattyville, KY, to assist with home renovations in Kentucky’s poorest county, bringing these homes up to minimum state standards so that families could continue to live in them. The impact of these trips on both those who give and those who receive has been enormous – and the numbers of people who come to serve has increased. Recently, the ministry’s leaders have begun working on a dormitory to house visiting volunteers – like those we send. In addition, this 30’x40’ structure will house outreach facilities to care for the community. Though this dormitory will not directly alleviate suffering, it will increase the capacity of the Beattyville ministry, like a retaining pond would increase a farmer’s ability to gather the water necessary for his crops. We believe that using a portion of our President’s economic stimulus to help complete the dorm would lead to many more people seeing the love of Christ acted out; many more teens seeing what the confirmation of their baptism means; many more adults seeing that faith makes a difference; many more children taught the habits of service that will result in incalculable returns for the Gospel. As Royal Redeemer takes steps of faith toward engaging in God’s heart-changing work, we have committed a sizeable amount to support a youth pastor. Did you know that off-site ministry projects such as the Beattyville trip have been shown to be the single most influential factor in teens’ embracing the life of Christ as their own? Our participation in completing this dorm and outreach facility is a great way to continue the momentum of youth ministry here.

The only question is, how much can we give? If the average household receives $1500, and merely one third of Royal Redeemer’s households commit one tenth of their check to stimulate Christ’s work in Beattyville, we could send a team of volunteers with $8000. If every household rises to this challenge, we could conceivably send almost $25,000.

Hands-On Ministry Team

            - Rick Barker, Tom van Milligen, Pastor Joel

NEW MEMBER CLASSES OFFERED IN MAY

If you are interested in becoming a member of Royal Redeemer, New Member Classes will be offered this May. To become a member you must take 3 classes:

-The Lutheran Faith taught by Bob Frank will be offered Sunday, May 11^th at 9:15 and Sunday May 18^th at 10:45.

-Spiritual Life at Royal Redeemer is taught by Pastor Joel and will be offered Monday, May 12^th from 7 pm – 9 pm and Sunday, May 18^th 12:00pm – 2 pm.

-Network Class – a chance to find out how you are “wired” to best serve Royal Redeemer with the gifts God has given you – will be Saturday May 10^th from 9 am until 12 pm. There will be a makeup class on Wednesday, May 18^th 7 pm – 9 pm.

There are sign up sheets in the Narthex if you are interested in these classes. For more information call Pastor Joel at 779-4740.

LWML Ohio District Convention

Women from Northwest Ohio have been busy getting things ready for the LWML Ohio District Convention and look forward to welcoming you to the Ramada Inn at Holiday City near Montpelier, Ohio, June 20-22. Reverend Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer of Concordia Ann Arbor College will be the Saturday morning Bible Study leader at the Convention. His study will be based on the convention theme, “The Lord is my strength and my shield.” Psalm 28:7. Key note speakers are Dr. Allen and Sandra Schmidt who will share their experiences in Hong Kong and Asia. Spiritual growth, fellowship, and opportunities to share God’s love are just a few of the experiences you will have at the Ohio District Convention. You can get more information at http://www.lutheransonline.com/servlet/lo_ProcServ/dbpage=page&mode=display&gid=20071943433810988901111555&pg=20080054224630731301111555

VBS . . . COMING SOON!!!

Please mark your calendars -- Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church will be holding Vacation Bible School this year on June 16-19^th in the mornings. This ministry is open to children ages 4 through 5^th grade. Since space is limited, it is very important that those who are interested register now!

Dates for registration:

Royal Redeemer members – April 1 – April 26

Royal Redeemer Pre-School families – April 26 – May 11

Open registration – May 13 – May 30

Register online at: www.vacationbibleschool.com/royalredeemerlutheran.

Campers must be potty trained four year olds up to campers entering the fifth grade. Please contact Adrienne Fowler with any questions, 234-8533.

JOHN BENHAM ORDINATION

John’s ordination will be Sunday, June 1^st at 3:00 pm. Everyone is invited to attend. There will be a reception following. They would love to see some of their Royal Redeemer Family there!

Beth’s email is babsqt@aol.com and her phone number is 919-237-1716.

ICHTHUS 2008 – listen.live

The dates for this year’s Ichthus Festival are Thursday, June 12^th – Sunday June 14^th. The website is up and running with info and schedules. You can access this website at www.ichthus.org. More information about this Senior High event will be in a future Newsletter and E-updates.

Adult Education Opportunities – Sunday/Weekly/Monthly –

The Lutheran Coffee Chicks

The Lutheran Coffee Chicks has meetings on every other Tuesday. This group of women meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at 7 pm at Kidd Coffee on Tylersville Road. You can call Robyn at 235-3016 or Eve at 779-4845 if you’d like more information.

CARE AND SUPPORT GROUP

Are you struggling with a loss or change in life?

death/grief

illness

difficult life changes

care giving for aging parents or others

etc.

If so, know that you are not alone.

This group is a place where you can:

say how you feel and not be judged

be angry and know that it’s ok

discover resources for help

laugh

cry

gain perspective

be assured of confidentiality

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

If you’d like to find encouragement, support, and understanding, the Care and Support Group meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7:00 at the church.

Contact: Tawn Matthys (607-2369, tawnmatthys@gmail.com) or

Barb Hall (892-0408, Barbhall@fuse.net) …if you have questions or would like more information.

Men’s Morning Bible Study

A group of men who meet at Perkins Restaurant on Tylersville Road at 7 am on Wednesday mornings. This group is open to all men and their friends. They study and discuss different books. We started a study from a new book, A Man’s guide to the Spiritual Disciplines, by Patrick Morley. It highlights twelve habits that will strengthen your walk with Christ, including: experiencing God in creation, letting the bible change your life, learning the power of prayer, grasping God’s greatness through worship, gaining strength through Sabbath, thriving because of fellowship, succeeding through wise counsel and more! Contact Dave Hoffmann if you have any questions.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES:

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK
Tuesday: Jere Crawley, Eve Zerler

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday: Mitchell Houston

Saturday: Gary Darlage

Sunday: Erik Smith

Monday: Caitlin Miller

ANNIVERSARIES THIS WEEK
Tuesday: Marvin & Holly Cox 

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Monday:

UPCOMING WORSHIP & THEMES:

May 11, 2008 – Mother’s Day – Mindful Motherhood

May 18, 2008 – What A Difference!

May 25, 2008 – Why Worry?

MINISTRY LEADERS/STUDY LEADERS/YOUTH LEADERS!!

Please send in your updates (monthly would be great) before the deadlines.

June’ss Newsletter is now being planned. If you have any ideas for Father’s Day, picnics, activities for families please send them in. Have something planned for the church? Please send anything you want to be included to the office at RRCommunications@fuse.net by June 20^st! Thanks!