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This past Wednesday, we had “Pizza with the Pastors” and had a wonderful turnout, plus some great pizza! On Wednesday evening, we had our first of two “Pentecost Worship Nights.” It was a beautiful spirit-filled evening leading up to Pentecost and the ordination of our new deacons. Lots of “great stuff” is happening at PWC!
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A Spiritual Reflection
for Your Weekend
by Henri Nouwen
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Receiving the Affection of Jesus
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Do not despair, thinking that you cannot change yourself after so many years. Simply enter into the presence of Jesus as you are and ask him to give you a fearless heart where he can be with you. You cannot make yourself different. Jesus came to give you a new heart, a new spirit, a new mind, and a new body. Let him transform you by his love and so enable you to receive his affection in your whole being.
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Join us for Sunday Worship at PWC
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This Sunday, May 17
@ 10:00 a.m.
Ascension Sunday
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Make the in-person commitment to be there on Sunday!
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Praise and Worship Never Ends…..It Must Be Lived!
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This Sunday, May 17
9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
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Please contact Helen Dipree for more information about the Children’s Ministry @ [email protected]
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Upcoming
Memorial Services
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Please remember those in our community who have passed away, as well as their families.
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+ Dick Wilhelm,
Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m.,
Queen of Heaven Cemetery
+ Billy Templeton,
Sunday, May 17 at 12 p.m.,
PWC
+Tom Cutera,
Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m.,
PWC
+Bonnie Solmundson,
Saturday, May 23 at 10 a.m.,
PWC
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Pentecost Worship Night
This Wednesday, May 20
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Mark your calendar for this sacred event
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The Diaconate Ordination of:
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Bill Larew
Mike Hewett
Jenny Diaz
Rod Taylor
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Sunday, May 24
@ the 10:00 a.m.
Service Pentecost Sunday
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Please keep these soon to be deacons in your prayers as they begin their ministry as a deacon to the PWC community.
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Please wear RED
on Pentecost Sunday, May 24
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Red is the color of the Holy Spirit!
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Mark Your Calendar:
Memorial Day
Luncheon Honoring
Veterans
Wednesday, May 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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Blood Drive @PWC
Monday, June 22,
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
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To schedule your appointment or for more information, please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org and use Sponsor Code: PraiseandWorship
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Pastoral Counseling is available at PWC
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Fr. Mike Lessard is available for pastoral counseling on Wednesdays & Thursdays at PWC. Please call the church office to make an appointment at 480-649-0300.
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Important Children's Ministry Information
We will not meet on Pentecost
Sunday, May 24.
Our final meeting for the school year is on
Sunday, May 31.
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There will be no meetings in June, July, and August. We will start back up in early September.
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The church office will be closed on
Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day.
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At PWC
your tithing & generosity allow us to minister to so many who come through our doors with their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs.
Thank you for your tithing and
commitment to PWC!
From pastoral counseling to grief support, to bible study and adult education, to providing food through Matthew’s Crossing for families who are economically struggling, to Marriage Enrichment and our funeral ministry -- your consistent giving makes a difference, a big change in people’s lives!
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Here are the different ways you can tithe to PWC:
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• Mail in your gift to: Praise and Worship Center, 2551 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, AZ 85225.
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• Sign up for monthly giving with a credit card or voided check. Just call the office at 480-649-0300 or stop by the office.
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Blood Pressure Checks take place at PWC on the first and third Sundays of the month
from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Our medical team is providing the blood pressure checks.
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Arrive to Sunday Service Prepared to Hear God’s Word Proclaimed
The reading for this Sunday, May 17, the Feast of the Ascension is: Acts 1:1-11. Here is a reflection on the passage.
The Feast of the Ascension can feel bittersweet. Jesus, after His Resurrection, gathers with His disciples one final time and is taken up into heaven before their eyes. The disciples stand there looking upward, almost frozen in amazement and uncertainty. Yet the Ascension is not about Jesus abandoning His people. It is about mission, hope, and the promise of His continuing presence.
Before ascending, Jesus tells the disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)
The Ascension marks a turning point. The disciples can no longer cling to Jesus physically. They must now become His witnesses in the world. The mission of Christ becomes the mission of the Church.
This speaks directly to Christians today. Many people wish they could have physically walked with Jesus, heard His voice, or seen His miracles firsthand. Yet Jesus entrusts something extraordinary to His followers: through the Holy Spirit, believers become the visible presence of Christ in the world. Christians are called to reveal His love through mercy, truth, compassion, forgiveness, and courage.
The two angels ask the disciples:
“Why are you standing there looking at the sky?” (Acts 1:11)
This question challenges every Christian. Faith is not meant to remain passive or inward-looking. The disciples cannot stay on the mountaintop staring upward. They must go into the world and live the Gospel.
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The same temptation exists today. It is easy to remain comfortable in prayer, reflection, or private belief without allowing faith to shape daily life. The Ascension reminds Christians that discipleship involves action:
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- bringing hope to discouraged people,
- serving the poor and forgotten,
- witnessing to truth in a divided culture,
- loving family members patiently,
- and living with integrity even when it is difficult.
At the same time, the Ascension gives tremendous hope. Jesus ascends not to disappear, but to open heaven for humanity. Christ brings human nature into the presence of the Father. The destiny of believers is not despair, meaninglessness, or death, but eternal communion with God.
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Even though Jesus is no longer physically visible, He remains present through the Holy Spirit, Scripture, prayer, the Church, and the sacraments. Christians do not walk alone. The Ascension assures believers that Christ reigns over history and continues to guide His people.
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The Feast of the Ascension therefore calls Christians to live with both confidence and mission:
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- confidence because Christ is Lord
- and mission because the world still needs witnesses to the Gospel.
- In what ways am I being called to be a witness to Christ in my daily life?
- Do I sometimes “stand looking at the sky” instead of actively living my faith?
- How can I rely more deeply on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance?
- What gives me hope in the promise that Christ has opened heaven for us?
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Pray for peace in our world. See you on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for service.
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Love,
Fr. Dale & Pastor Mark
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Please do not reply to this email;
the sending address is not monitored.
Please reply to: [email protected]
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Chris Pfund PhD, MBA, BSN, RN
President Homestead Health
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phone: (602) 755-4508
fax: (602) 691-0283
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Homestead Health is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to helping adults live safely and independently at home. We offer a range of in-home and virtual medical services, including concierge medicine, palliative care, transitional care, and geriatric care management. We believe everyone deserves access to compassionate and affordable healthcare.
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