"ANYONE WHO THINKS sitting in church can make you a Christian must also think that sitting in a garage can make you a car." - Garrison Keillor

ON MARCH 14 the message at the morning services will be “You’re Invited,” based on Joshua 5:9-12 and Luke 15:11-32. Remember to set clocks forward one hour for Daylight Saving Time!

WE HAVE A TRANSITIONAL PASTOR! Last week our committee brought in Rev. Rick Hull for interviews and off-site preaching. Everyone was so delighted with Rick, and he with Sandia, that our Session offered Rick a contract, and he accepted. Information on Rick’s background may be found under "More Information" on this page. Rick and his wife Barbara will be introduced to the congregation on Palm Sunday, and he will preach on Easter. Welcome, Rick and Barb!

NEW SERVICE. Try our new 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening contemplative service. Instead of the sermon from Sunday morning it features reflection, prayer, silence, acoustic-led singing, creative arts, and a weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper. During Lent we’ll explore Biblical and ancient expressions of prayer. Childcare is provided. Room 214.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING. We will collect this worldwide offering on Easter Sunday. (Children bring their boxes on Palm Sunday.) Proceeds support 10 projects for displaced/distressed people around the world. Details in bulletin inserts over the next few weeks.

HOLY WEEK WORSHIP SCHEDULE:

• Palm Sunday, March 28 – Children sing and process with palms at 9:30 & 10:45 services.
• Maundy Thursday, April 1 – 7:00 p.m. Faure’s Requiem, communion. Childcare for babies through age 5.
• Good Friday, April 2 - 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Sanctuary open for prayer.
• Easter Sunday, April 4 –
       6:30 a.m. - Sunrise Service (in outdoor amphitheater)
       8:30 and 10:45 a.m. - Worship with Choir, Bells, Brass
       9:30 a.m. - Contemporary Worship (in FLC)
       No classes for any age.

NEWSLETTER SURVEY. Please take the time to complete and turn in your paper or online survey. If you already responded, thank you! Please be patient while we get this system in place—we need at least 500 households on e-mail reminders to be cost-effective, and we don’t have that many yet, plus system set-up will take some time. Please click here to complete the survey.

NEWCOMERS are welcome at SPC! Please make yourself at home. If you want to know more about our approach to following Christ, please consider attending an INQUIRY CLASS on the Sundays of April 11 and 18 at 9:30 a.m. NEW MEMBERS from previous classes will be received on Monday, March 15, at 7:00 p.m. Please click here to sign up. Childcare is provided.

PRAYING FOR SANDIA. Each Thursday morning a group gathers in our Prayer Room (just down the hall from the reception desk) at 9:00-10:00 a.m. to pray for our congregation in its journey ahead. Another prayer time is held on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. All are invited to join in. For information contact Diana Pooley, 872-2206.

FROM THE PULPIT:  Let me share a quote with you:
     “I believe that the church is at its best when it is committed to discipleship, embracing in personal relationships, joyfully celebrative in worship, and opportunistic in mission. I am enthusiastic about reaching out to families, and making the gospel both practical and inspirational for the faith of all generations and stages of the Christian life.”
     It’s from the application Rev. Rick Hull submitted to our transitional pastor search committee, and it immediately caught their attention. As they went about their search—carefully considering numerous applications, contacting and interviewing promising candidates, talking with references—their initial hunch about this particular application proved accurate. They found Rick not only an unusually experienced transitional pastor, having served two large churches in this capacity, but one with enthusiasm, warmth, and vision that matches Sandia Presbyterian Church.
     The search committee brought Rick to Albuquerque, interviewed him, and heard him preach. Thoroughly impressed, they brought both Rick and their wholehearted recommendation to the SPC session (our board of elders) this last Monday night. After getting to know Rick and hearing the search committee’s report, the session voted unanimously to invite Rick to become our transitional pastor, and he accepted (remember, a permanent pastor is called by a vote of the whole congregation; a transitional pastor is hired on the congregation’s behalf by the session). On Tuesday Rick met with the church staff and began this important working relationship.
     Between now and Palm Sunday (March 28th), the day we introduce Rick in person, you’ll be hearing more about him and his delightful wife Barbara. For now, we’ve put introductory information on our church website and in the previous newsletter. At this point we want the congregation to know that many prayers, much hard work by our impressive search committee (chair Don Blanton, Sara Bartholomew, Karen Chalmers, Jason Galloway, Martha Peercy, Ron Spanswick, and Tim Steider), and God’s faithfulness have brought us a transitional pastor with the experience, energy, humor, and vision to help us take the next step on our journey. God is good!    - David Casson