Hola Kelsey Family,

Pastor Cheri, at First UMC Corpus Christi, asked me to ask you to consider being a reading buddy. FUMC has a weekly schedule of readers who go to Allen Elementary School. Reading days are Tuesday and Thursday, and they've added a second time slot for a particuarl ESL class. Volunteers must register through the CCISD website to participate. If you have more questions, email Pastor Cheri at cheldstab@ccfumc.org. This is a great way for us to be a blessing to our community and partner with one of our other United Methodist congregations.

Recently, our men's group agreed to help make something happen: Steak Night! We're inviting all men of the congregation, young and old, to join us every first Monday of the month. You bring your choice of steak and our grill masters will cook it to perfection. Sides and drinks will be provided. And get this, since this is a new effort, the men's group decided they will provide everything at our first gathering on Monday, March 2nd. 

Lent begins next week. Our friends at St John's are hosting their annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. Stop by and say hello and support their ministry. It's all you can eat! We will host our Ash Wednesday service at 7pm. Pastor Tom will lead our time of worship because I will be in San Antonio for Nathan's graduation from Basic Training. Would you tell Tom "Thank you" for stepping in for us--I did!

Stay blessed...john

P.S. We have a special Valentine's treat for you after worship this weekend. And don't forget about the UWF Galentine.

This week, we talked about pointing to Jesus. Now, there's more to evangelism than that, but that's an important of it. Many of us, though, aren't always comfortable with evangelism. We aren't even sure if we really know what it is or how we do evangelism.

Don't let what you fear about evangelism keep you from letting God use you. Here's a resource for you to consider. It's an online article (4-minute read) titled "5 Essential Qualities of Effective Evangelism. As you're learning about sharing faith (pointing to Jesus), there are some crucial qualities to keep in mind. 

Our eyes and our lives are constantly being formed. But John the Baptist reminds us to stop pointing to the chaos and start pointing to Jesus. Behold the Lamb! Remember that your focus and your witness shape not just your life, but the world around you.