The Children’s Ministry Team will be painting a mural Friday night and Saturday (1-2 May) at the Pathways Facility.

The team will also be hosting a planning session on Sunday (May 3) immediately after the morning service. On the agenda will be a discussion of ministry opportunities for children this summer. Contact Rachel Crouch or Kathy Graham for details. Lunch will be provided.

Pathways is hosting a Ladie’s Tea & Dessert Party on Monday, April 27th at 7:00PM. Bring your favorite dessert and/or mug or tea. Also bring your ideas, since this will double as a planning session for the upcoming Mother’s Day Weekend Service Project at Harford Family House! Contact Ali Caiazzo for details.

It’s spring cleaning time at Pathways. Join us this Saturday, April 11th, beginning at 9AM as we thoroughly clean and spruce up the space God has blessed us with.

Pathways’ 6th Annual Stakeholders’ Dinner will be held from 6-9 PM on Saturday, April 18th. Along with sharing a great meal, we’ll get to celebrate some of what God has been doing in the past year, and look forward to some of what we believe God has in store for the rest of 2009. And as always, we’ll try to break the world record for the fastest business meeting ever, when we approve our 2009 Spending Plan and elect Trustees for the coming year.

Cost is $5.00 per person, or $12.50 for a family of 3 or more. Please RSVP to Stan Graham so that the caterer will have an accurate count. See you there!

This Friday, April 3rd, is our First Friday Fast. Pathways sets aside the first Friday of every month to fast from those things we have come to depend upon – like food, internet, texting, TV, etc. Doing this as a community, we draw strength and encouragement from one another, and with God’s help, we are able to ‘break free’ from the bonds of this world. As we free ourselves from worldly bonds, we are able to cling more completely to God. Fasting, like worship, is learning to rid ourselves of false-gods, and cling to the True God instead.

It is for freedom that Christ set us free! – Galatians 5:1

This Sunday (March 29th) we will observe our 5th Sunday Feast. In the tradition of the early church, we will sing, pray and eat together. Communion will be served at table along with the meal. This is a family event, so there will be no childcare. As always, bring enough food for your party, and a little extra for our guests. The service starts at the usual time, so think ‘brunch-type’ foods for a meal at 10:00 AM. See you Sunday!

Following the devastation of hurricane Katrina, volunteers by the thousands offered helping hands to displaced and devastated residents all along the Gulf Coast. Nearly four years later the work lingers, but the number of volunteers continues to dwindle as the images of the devastation in Gulfport, Biloxi and New Orleans fade from our memories. Our friends at the Mid-Maryland Baptist Association have not forgotten, and have organized a mission trip to help with ongoing recovery efforts.

Join us for a week of mission work on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast! We need volunteers in three primary areas:
1. Construction; We are in process of helping with several total rebuilds for those who lost their homes in Katrina and are still waiting for help.
2. MInistry; We will supply Vacation Bible School for area churches in need.
3. Meal Preparation; because we will need to eat!

Cost is $250.00 per person, all-inclusive (lodging, meals,and local transportation). Travel to and from the Gulf Coast by car, or by plane into the Gulfport-Biloxi Airport is in addition to the above cost, but flight arragments can be made through the MMBA offices.

To sign up, call our staff at (410) 290-7156, or sgn up online at www.wecare.org

If it tastes good dipped in chocolate (and really, what doesn’t?) or chesse – bring it! The ladies are having a fondue night at the Pathways’ space on Monday, March 23, at 6:30 PM. Bring something to dip and someone to share the experience with, sit back, relax and enjoy good company and good chocolate.

We’re hosting a baby shower for Heather Black on Sunday, March 15th at 1:00 PM at Sarah Gebhardt’s house. Directions will be available after services on Sunday.

One of the perks to this new website Jason put together is the ability to add (and delete) content quickly and easily. That means we can put up news, information, devotional content… anything, really. Hopefully, we can keep the site fresh with content that blesses and enriches your life with God.

In that vein, here’s a quote I just came across by Brian McLaren. It’s particularly apropos in light of the upcoming series on Timothy. Mull this one over, it’s worth the time…

“Jesus comes with saving love for the world. He creates the church as a missional community to join him in his mission of saving the world. He invites me to be part of this community to experience his saving love and participate in it.”

That, my friends, is what Pathways is all about…