Portico Swap

Have you ever wanted to go to a yard sale where everything was free?

Portico Swap is an opportunity for you to rid your house of any items you no longer have a use for. Clothes, shoes, accessories, household items, decor, lawn and garden items. (Sorry, no large items or furniture.) Put your items in a garbage bag marked with your name and bring them to the Palace any Sunday night in March.

On April 6, everything will be sorted into categories and the Portico community will be able to “shop” for free (sorting will take place Friday, April 5 at noon, let Keysha know if you can help). Contributors will have first dibs from 8am to 10am and from 10am to 12pm, everyone will be admitted. The Salvation Army recently lost all of their donated items in a fire. At noon, all left over items from Portico Swap will be packed up and donated to them.

Contact Keysha McDonald for more details.

Art Project

All Hands On Deck for an Art Project!

The Portico Church creative team has some exciting things planned for March and we want you to be a part of it. We are looking for volunteers of all ages (yes, children are encouraged to participate) to help with an art project at The Palace on Saturday, March 9. Paint will be involved so wear something you don’t mind getting messy, but don’t worry, no painting experience is required.

The project will take place from 10am to 4pm and need volunteers to fill 30 minute shifts during that time. We ask if families with children participate, that they sign up for shifts BEFORE 2pm.

Other Needs:
-Help build an 8X11 foot frame for the canvas (needs to be finished by March 7th)
-Fill up paints (needed by 9:30am on March 9th)
-Wash out brushes and keep things clean (needed by 10:00am on March 9th)

Sign up here on Facebook!

If you have any questions contact Keysha McDonald 372-5341.

ULM Baseball Tailgate

Portico is going to support our favorite coach, Justin Hill, and his ULM players who will play South Alabama of live TV. We will tailgate before the game in Portico’s new tailgate spot and sit together at the game. If we have more than 20 people sign up in advance, we can get the group discount on tickets for only $3. The tailgate will cost $7 for adults and kids eat FREE! Come join us for food, playground fun, and most importantly an awesome baseball game!

Sign up & pay by April 21 in the lobby on Sunday nights.  See Leslie or Cody Bauman for more details.

When we don’t know how to pray…

I had a chance to do some studying tonight for this coming Sunday.  I am so taken by the implications of 8:26b which says, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Have you ever been in a place when you really didn’t know how you should pray?  Man, I sure have!  Well, the above verse puts forth an almost unfathonable idea.  In those moments when I simply don’t know what to say to God – when I can’t even form words to express the agony that sometimes invades my soul – the Spirit of the Living God prays on my behalf!  May that truth encourage you.

I have three requests for you this week.

1. Read and re-read Romans 8.
2. Invest in someone.
3. Gather with us at The Palace at 6p Sunday.

Randy

Beyond What’s Written on a Piece of Paper

I am such a rule follower. Sometimes to a fault. Sometimes that tendency causes me to lose common sense.

Last fall, when getting school supplies, I searched the 5th grade list of supplies and bought the items listed there. I did notice that pencils were not on the list, but thought there must be some other provision for 5th graders. I was wrong. The afternoon of the first day of school, Connor said “Mom, you didn’t pack any pencils!” How could I have missed that? I searched the list again and saw that they weren’t listed there. But I should have known! The child needed pencils for school.

Oh, that I would open my eyes and see what’s beyond what’s written on a piece of paper.

It is a silly example, I know. But it made me ponder, to think about hearing what’s not being said. About seeing what’s not being shown. About being more intentional in my relationships with people.

We do that in life, too. Busy with life. Busy checking items off our list. Just busy. Oh, that we would open our eyes and see what’s written beyond the surface of our relationships, beyond a simple greeting . . . beyond an “I’m fine” to seeing God calling us to meet a need.

Jesus was intentional. He didn’t have to go through Samaria when traveling to or from Judea or Galilee. As a matter of fact, all other Jews went out of their way to avoid going through Samaria. But Jesus did it on purpose. He knew what awaited him there at the well. The woman at the well was never the same again.

When he was told that Lazarus was sick, Jesus knew that time was of the essence. But he was intentional about when he arrived at their home. He wanted God’s glory to be revealed.

While walking with Jarius to his home to heal his daughter, Jesus stopped along the way to talk with the woman who touched his cloak and was healed. It didn’t make sense to the disciples and others around him, but it was intentional.

Jesus was intentional when he sought out John the Baptist to baptize him. He was intentional when he walked that Roman road carrying a cross. He demonstrated this throughout his walk on this earth. There is so much to learn from our Lord and Savior.

My friends, let us be intentional as we gather next week at Unveiled. We will come together for a time of praise and worship. Let’s be intentional in our response to Jesus. Let’s be intentional in our relationships. Let intentionally throw all that binds us aside and truly worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Looking forward to being with you next week.

Patricia Cameron

Unveiled Coordinator

Unveiled: Worship

Tuesday, February 26th

7:00 p.m.

Portico at the Palace

220 DeSiard Street

Monroe, LA

Dragon Boat Racing: Coming Soon

We’ve been contacted about doing the Dragon Boat Races again this year.

Here’s what we know so far:
– The race is Saturday, May 18th in Monroe
– 21 people are needed to participate
– The church will help offset some of the cost

Please contact Leslie Bauman at clbauman@gmail.com if you are interested in participating. You are not officially signing up. We just need to know if you might want to have fun paddling a really long boat down the bayou with some of your church friends.

Unveiled: Moving Forward in 2013

Women of Unveiled,

We are so grateful for those of you who have been involved in some way in the Unveiled ministry. We hope that it has been a blessing and will continue to bless women throughout our community.

You can help us as we move forward into 2013. We’ve developed a survey and ask that you spend a few minutes to give us your opinions, feedback and/or suggestions.

The link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/unveiled

It is very brief, and we would greatly appreciate your feedback.

Thanks and look forward to hearing from you!

The Unveiled Team

Patricia Cameron, Lindsey Eberts, Melissa Hill, Melissa Roose, Shakara Steele, Sara Strader

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit. — 2 Corinthians 3:17

Oh Glorious Day

So, tell me I’m not the only one who does this. I was riding along yesterday and a song came on the radio and, as I listened, I cried like a girl! (No offense intended, girls.). The song was somebody’s current remake of the old hymn, Oh Glorious Day. The chorus goes like this:

Living, He loved me.
Dying, He saved me.
Buried, He carried my sins far away.
Rising, He justified freely forever.
One day He’s coming.
Oh glorious day.

The Gospel – I’ve not gotten over it.

Randy

P.S. Invest!

Tonight: Palace Gallery Presents

In honor of Black History Month, Grambling State University Students will be showing at the Palace Gallery. These students capture and exemplify the great heritage and contribution African American Artist have made to the Arts over the years. Their works shows unique interpretations of life, culture, and their own experiences. In order to promote and honor the great things going on in our community, the Palace will be showing some of the Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum’s collections containing artifacts and works of Art from all over the delta regions. We are excited to host such a great establishment and their art. Please feel free to stop by, ask questions, appreciate and learn more about Northeast Louisiana Delta African American Heritage Museum.  Please join the Palace in celebrating the rich African American arts heritage in our area, Thursday February 7th, 5pm-9pm.

Students Showing:

·         Landis Anderson, a senior from New York City, is currently
pursuing a double major in Art and English at GSU.

·         Anjelica Hardy, a senior who lived in New Orleans before
being displaced by Katrina, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts
with a concentration in Studio Art at GSU.

·         Mia Murray is from Los Angeles, California and is a senior
majoring in Art Education at GSU.

·         Lendell Roberts is a senior from Miami, FL and is pursuing a
B.A. in Art with concentration in Digital Art.

·         Jonathan Miles is a senior from Bastrop, Louisiana pursuing
a B. A. in Art with a concentration in Studio Art.

Volunteer Staff: Cycle Four

The Portico Church is powered by individuals who have surrendered their lives to the Kingdom of Jesus.  In His Service, they courageously spend their time and use their giftings to further His mission of bringing people from Death to Life. Each aspect of The Portico Church is made possible by everyday people giving generously to see that mission fulfilled.

If you are interested in learning more about how The Portico Church is at work to bring Death to Life or you are ready to plunge into volunteering in this work, then the upcoming Volunteer Staff Cycle is for you.

The Volunteer Staff Cycle is a 4-week experience taught by our Elders that explains the history, mission and function of The Portico Church. During the course individuals will learn what their unique spiritual gifting is and how they can join the volunteer work force that makes The Portico Church go.  Brunch and free childcare will be provided.

To register, please email Chris Ramsey