Contact us at: 402-391-0820

www.sunsethillschurch.org sunset@sunsethillschurch.org

Sunset Hills Church 9416 Pacific Street Omaha, NE 68114

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come

and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly

and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead

and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you

will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

Matthew 28:6-7

Sunset Hills Church

April 2020

Newsletter

Pastor Paul Ponders It’s been a crazy month of March! COVID-19 has spread throughout the world with the World Heath Organization (WHO) identifying the spread as a pandemic. To make things worse, our IRA’s are showing less and less hope for our retirement by the day. Pandemics are behind some of the most terrifying movies out there. In some ways, what’s going on seems like a movie-but our 2-hour admission keeps going on and on. Maybe we’re in a bad dream but we don’t seem to be waking up. A word popped into my mind today. It appears several times in scripture but is most noticeable in the 91st Psalm. The word is pestilence. Maybe that doesn’t scare you. Let’s try this; PESTILENCE! Now tell me that doesn’t run a shiver down your spine. Yes, a pandemic causes us to tighten up our germ safety protocol. It messes with our public gatherings and vacation plans. It even causes a never-before-seen run on toilet paper! There’s really nothing wrong with these behaviors because we need to do all in our power to protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors as much as we can. We don’t want the virus, and we don’t want to spread it to others either. But I don’t really think we need to panic! The Lord gives us Psalm 91 as a powerful reminder that scary things happen in this world, but God is near! Jesus does the same thing in Luke 21 as he warns the disciples against what will soon come upon them (and yes, he too uses the word pestilence.) He warns the disciples, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing nigh v. 28.”

(Continued on Page 2)

Prayers for Health, Healing, and Strength

Jane Ray - Recovering from surgery for broken knee

Mary Engleman - At home in Hospice care

LeRoy Anson Amber Dale Nancy Quinnette

On-going prayers of well-being for shut-ins and military personnel

Upcoming Sermon Schedule

April 5 Blind Bartemaeus and the Fig Tree Mark 10 - 11 April 12 Resurrection Sunday Woman, why are you crying? John 20:10 - 19 April 19 Let’s Go Fishing Matthew 4:19 April 26 Answer Your Phone Ephesians 4:15 - 16 May 3 A Call to Persevere Hebrews 10:19 - 25 May 10 Celebrating Mothers

(Continued from Page 1) Paul, seeing the coming persecution for himself and the early church, talks with the church about trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness and sword. He writes, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither life, nor death… nor anything else in all creation, [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 8). When times are scary, no need to worry. It’s not in WHO that we trust. It’s not in our Finances that we trust. It’s not even toilet paper that we trust. We trust in God. Again, Jesus says, “Trust in me, trust also in God (John 14:1).” Let’s take as many precautions as we can. But let us also be available to family, friends, church, community with the comfort that can only come from God. This may be a very ripe time for us to witness God’s love for all of us as we help others. We know where we are going. If we have to take a risk to let someone else hear the good news in their suffering, may God use us all! God bless us in these crazy days.

We will have a Maundy Thursday Service at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 9. Please plan to join in on our live stream.

Please note that the church office will be closed on Good Friday, April 10 and on Easter Monday, April 13.

Offerings/Tithes/Pledges During this uncertain time of COVID-19, please know that the church office will remain open, if possible. All offerings, pledges, tithes should be mailed to the church and a weekly deposit will still be made. Thank you for being flexible and adjusting to a new normal for awhile.

Summer Series: “He Did What?”, Questions from the Bible

Pastor Paul This summer I propose to do a series on your Questions from the Bible (OT and NT). Are there passages that stump you? Stories you just can’t believe? Do you have, “Now why would God do it that way” moments? In the next several weeks, I would love to get challenges from you about understanding the Word. Please submit your question along with the particular passage from which your question has arisen. I will do my best search and message to help us in our quest to get to know God more and more. This should be fun, or interesting to say the least.

The 2020 Region EXPO, scheduled for April 24 and 25 in Fremont, has been cancelled. The decision was based on CDC requests that no meetings of 50 or more meet for the next 8 weeks. For the safety of our people and the communities in which we live we wanted to take this precaution. ABC/NE Region Office Leadership Team

February Income $14,807 February Expenses $18,339 YTD Income $28,630 YTD Expenses $34,348 February Pledges 97% YTD Pledges 96%

SHBC Financial Scoreboard

3 Joanne Kelley 3 Casey Weber 5 Gabi Cortez 7 Alan Whitebread 8 Riley Ann Rhedin 8 Kaylee Rich 11 Amber Dale 19 Junior Gade 20 Linda Hedrick 22 Ada Diew 28 Telly Woods 29 Jess Mikkelsen

4 Steve & Cindy Combs 39 Years 6 Jim & Linda Hedrick 46 Years 17 Ron & Denise Lenhart 38 Years 21 Rev. Jason & Diane Workman 8 Years

March Attendance Giving

1 90 $6,295.00

8 86 $3,379.00

15 84 $2,468.25

22 — $4,150.00

29 TBD TBD

To My Church Family,

Thank you to all of you for remembering me on my 100th birthday. I was thrilled to see some of you at my party.

In Christ’s Love,

Charlotte Lowrance

Dear Sunset Hills Family,

I’m not sure who is involved in the generous gift for my 90th, but I wanted to thank you for it.

So sorry I missed out on the cake and decorations. I didn’t have time to be there, as my family had other plans for me.

I love you all and feel so blessed to have you as friends.

Love,

Pat Martin

Stewardship Ministry 2020 Team April News (Ron Reed) We will schedule a meeting for the team when the Covid-19 gathering ban has expired. Until then, please know if you need to serve in your capacity that Denise is at the building from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to let you in. If you have needs or questions please contact Wade for the grounds ministries at huskerfan489@gmail.com, Cindy for kitchen ministry at canson2@cox.net, Bob for the financial ministry at rbslechta@cox.net or myself for the building ministries at ronreed2003@gmail.com. Many hands serving together in this 2020 year will make short work of an overall huge effort to satisfy God’s needs for His church family. Thanks to each of you who serve Him on the Stewardship Ministry Team.

All-age Adult Sunday School News for April (Ron Reed)

The study of The Promises of God is a timely one for all we are going through. This 6-part DVD presentation by Dr. Charles Stanley will begin right after the Covid-19 gathering restrictions are cancelled and it is once again safe to meet. We look forward to resuming our Biblically-based studies.

Men’s Group Study April News (Ron Reed) The Men’s Group Study will begin the study of Marcus J. Borg’s, Evolution of the Word once the Covid-19 gathering restrictions are lifted. Interested newcomers have the time to order a copy of this book on Amazon Smile. Please enroll with Sunset Hills Baptist Church in Omaha to receive Amazon Smile’s donation when you make any purchase from Amazon Smile. It would be great to have others join us as we grow our faith in Biblical study and fellowship with other Christian men.

Thank you to those who have given to the America For Christ Offering, our total so far is $1,697 (as of March 27). Due to just having our live stream service, we would like to offer our congregation the opportunity to mail in any other AFC Offering contributions to the church. Please mark that your giving is for the AFC Offering. The Mission/Outreach team would like to thank

those who will be sending in an AFC Offering, in advance. - Traci Gilmer

Mission Opportunity The Salvation Army is helping to feed families in the metro who are being affected by COVID-19 and the closing of schools. We have five distribution sites we will be serving over the next four weeks. The schedule is as follows:

Castelar Elementary, Omaha - Mondays 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. - 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20 Jefferson Elementary, Omaha - Monday 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. - 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20 Prairie Wind Elementary, Omaha - Monday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20 Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs - Fridays 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. - 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17 Wilson Middle School, Council Bluffs - Fridays 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. - 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17

You will need to arrive approximately 20 - 30 minutes prior to your shift. Also note, we are providing gloves to wear during your shift. If you are interested in helping, please contact Shawn Bonge (shawn.bonge@usc.salvationarmy.org) to sign up.

Shawn Bonge, Divisional Director of Volunteer Services

(402-898-9526 - office) (402-510-5623 - cell)

Executive Council

The Executive Council conducted a special meeting of the full congregation after worship on March 8. The Council proposed to amend a church by-law under Section 3, Pastor/Staff Relations Ministry. The change moved the facilitation of fair and just compensation for the worship leader, pianist and custodian to the Pastor/Staff Relation Ministry. That ministry already handled the pastor and secretarial staff compensation decisions. The desire was to place the responsibilities for compensation for all paid staff under the same ministry. The amendment was approved on a voice vote with no opposition.

The Council also met after worship on March 15, one day ahead of its regularly scheduled March meeting, because of the growing coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. It was confirmed to close the church building indefinitely for all meetings because of the restriction at that time for no more than 50 people in one place. When that limit was reduced to 10, it was decided to have Sunday worship with essential personnel only, streamed live over the church's website.

The Council has continued to communicate, mostly via email, throughout this pandemic so that church operations can run as smoothly as possible. Whether the April 20 meeting will be held is yet to be determined.

Terry Anderson, Moderator

All Holy Week activities; Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday will be live

streamed only.

Please call the church office if you have any questions or concerns.

402-391-0820

Something to Think About and to Help You Cope with Uncertainty

Question: This Coronavirus thing has really thrown me. I feel like I've lost all sense of

certainty. No one knows what will happen next. How do we stay sane when we don't know

what's lurking around the corner?

Answer: It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty. We have lost our illusion of

certainty. We never had it to begin with. This could be majorly unsettling, or amazingly

liberating.

This tiny virus of 125 nanometers* has sent the entire world into chaos. All of our plans are

up in the air, markets are going crazy, entire countries shutting down, and we have no clue

what the future holds.

But that is always the case. We never know what the future holds. We only think we do,

and keep getting surprised when things don't pan out the way we expected. Now the mask is

off. We have to admit our vulnerability.

What will happen next? We don't know. Our experts don't know. Our leaders don't know.

Only God knows. And that is the point. Only God knows.

Close your eyes and feel the uncertainty, make peace with it, let yourself be taken by it.

Embrace your cluelessness. Because in all the confusion there is one thing you know for

sure. You are in God's hands.

Keep calm. Panic and fear are also contagious. Take every precaution as advised by health

authorities. Wash your hands well. And every time you do, remember whose hands you are

in. ~ Aron Moss

*A nanometer is one billionth of a meter.