Dear Sisters in Christ in the Northeast Zone LWML,

Greetings to you during this Lenten season, a time to ponder our Lord’s great love for us which took Him all the way to the cross – so that we, through our faith in Him, find forgiveness of sins, peace, joy, and eternal life.

Several important items:

1. Zone Prayer Service – Saturday, March 24 – at Trinity in Willoughby. Hopefully, you have posted the flyer announcing the Prayer Service in a prominent place in your church and are encouraging your ladies to attend this inspiring event with you.

2. Zone Spring Rally – Saturday, April 28 -- at Grace in Thompson. Guest speaker is Jackie Rychel, volunteer Missionary to Haiti. Gifts from the Heart will be monetary donations to help feed the children in the tent city in Haiti. LWML Ohio District President, Joy Dougherty will be with us that day. We will be electing officers and voting on a small Bylaws change. (The proposed Bylaws changes are enclosed in this mailing.) Please post the enclosed flyer to notify your ladies of this coming event.

3. LWML Ohio District Convention - June 22-24 in Cuyahoga Falls. The deadline is March 19th to send me names and addresses of your delegates and alternates. (fatherlepere@sbcglobal.net or 440-953-8350) Registration and Housing forms can be found in the ODE and on the website.

As you know, the LWML Ohio District Convention will be held June 22-24 at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls. That is close to home (just 50 minutes from my home in Mentor). I hope that means that lots and lots of us from the Northeast Zone are planning to attend this convention. What an opportunity!
Anyone from your congregation is welcome to register and attend the convention. All the information and forms can be found in the Spring 2012 ODE and/or on the District website: www.lutheransonline.com/lwmlohiodistrict, as well as right here on our zone website.

Anyone wanting a "taste" of the convention but unable to attend the entire convention is welcome to come to the Opening Service that Friday evening, June 22. There is NO COST if you just attend this worship service.

Delegates to the convention are the ones who have "voice and vote." That means that the delegates can speak to the issues, make motions, and vote. Each of our units has the privilege of sending 2 delegates to the convention. I hope your group is planning to send delegates. Names of delegates need to be certified by the Zone president. It's always good to have names of Alternates just in case the delegate is unable to attend.
*****Therefore, please send me the following information by March 19: (email: fatherlepere@sbcglobal.net or call me 440-953-8350) *****
Name of your Unit: (such as Faith Women's Guild)
_______________________________
Total members attending your meetings and events: ____________
DELEGATES to the LWML Ohio District Convnention
Delegate Name_____________________________ Alternate Name ___________________________________
Address __________________________________ Address ________________________________________
Phone ____________________________________ Phone _________________________________________
Email ____________________________________ Email __________________________________________
Delegate Name______________________________ Alternate Name ___________________________________
Address __________________________________ Address ________________________________________
Phone ____________________________________ Phone _________________________________________
Email ____________________________________ Email __________________________________________

Thank you for getting this information back to me promptly!

A Message from the our zone counselor, Pastor Jimmy Riley

Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” (John 14:6) This statement made by Jesus is my life’s ambition. It is what some call a “life verse”. It is the reason God has placed me and you where we are at. Let’s take a brief look at this statement:

“Jesus answered” – the incarnate Word of God (Jesus) spoke these words to Thomas’ in his quest for the answer for eternal life (not knowing the “way”).

“I am” – God’s name YHWH – the One who was, is, and will be at the same time. This is the infinite God of the universe. He is the Creator and re-Creator (life and new life) with only His word.    

“the Way” – no other way. Only through Jesus Christ is there salvation. All roads do not lead to Christ. Christ is the road (way) to eternal life – all others are detours that lead away from eternal life.

“the Truth” – the only truth. Don’t believe the devil’s lies or manmade half-truths. It is not man’s wisdom, works, decisions, or any other so-called “truth.” His Word (Jesus) is truth.

“the Life” – one does not have life until grafted into the One who is life. There is no such thing as “my” own life – that only to leads to death. “My” life is not my own. I belong to the One who is the Life.

There is wealth of insights in this brief passage of the Word spoken by the Word Himself, who indeed is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

May the Lord of our salvation bless you as WWJD (Walk With Jesus Daily)!

Rev. Jimmy K. Riley is the Associate Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church of Painesville, Ohio. He is a certified DCE of 18 years. He has served our Lord as a DCE at Mt. Olive - Corpus Christi, Texas; Trinity - Jefferson City, Missouri; St. John – Seward, Nebraska; and Zion – Painesville. He was ordained as a pastor at Zion June of 2009.

His wife is Barb Riley, who is a certified Lutheran teacher. She teaches computer at Our Shepherd Lutheran School and is the Ohio District Rep for Concordia Publishing House.

Jimmy and Barb have two children: a daughter, Jamie, who will be a Sr. at Concordia University – Nebraska (Seward – both mom and dad are alumni) studying to be a teacher; and a son, Joshua, who will be a Sr. at Fairport Harding High School and a student at Auburn Career Center studying CISCO programming and networking. 

Mite Goal: $210,000

Mite Giving through March 31,2012: $198,866.20

***Short of goal - $11,133.80