NO. 16
A Note From Pastor Eric
Easter Reflections: The Power of Resurrection and the Call to Reach Others
He is risen! He is risen indeed! What a powerful statement that I heard so many times on Easter Sunday! This Easter, we were reminded again of the transformative truth of the Gospel. As the Apostle Paul proclaims, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). The resurrection is not just a moment in history but a reality that gives power to our faith, purpose to our lives, and urgency to our mission. The same power that rolled the stone away and raised Christ from the grave is the power that now lives in us (Romans 8:11). And with that power comes responsibility. Easter isn’t just something to celebrate once a year; it’s something to live out. It’s a springboard into the mission field where God has placed us—in our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and communities. Jesus said in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” After His resurrection, His first message to the disciples was one of commission, which we are now the messengers of. How incredible is that! This month, I challenge you to carry Easter forward, not just in memory, but in movement. Who in your life needs to know the hope we experienced on Easter Sunday? Who in your neighborhood is hurting, lonely, or seeking? The harvest is plentiful, and now is the time to go. Let’s love our neighbors not just in words, but in actions and deeds—checking in, offering help, inviting them to church or a small group. Let’s pray for opportunities and the courage to speak the name of Jesus with kindness and confidence. Let’s be a church not only known for our Easter Extravaganzas and events but for our everyday demonstration of the risen Christ. Let’s continue to be a light in our community, bringing hope to those around us.
Christ is risen, and because He lives, we are sent!
Pastor Eric
Want to know more about
Our NEXT STEPS Gathering & Lunch is for everyone, whether you want to make an initial connection with Christ and His Church, reconnect, or strengthen a connection you’ve had for years. NEXT STEPS is an interactive gathering that will help each attendee personalize their growth pathway. It serves as a great introduction for anyone who is new to the Violet family. However, it also offers resources that can help anyone grow in their walk with Christ and spread God’s love in our community and world.
This session is offered May 18th at 12:30 PM. The lunch provides a casual opportunity to meet some of Violet's pastors and ask any questions you might have.
To help us be faithful stewards of church resources as we make arrangements for food, we request that you register by the Wednesday before the gathering. Late registrations and walk-ins are always welcome.
Click here to register
Grief is a journey, and we all go through it at some point in our lives. It is never easy losing a loved one, and I know this all too well.
My name is Laurie Walsh, and in the last several years, I have lost my husband, my brother, my mother-in-law, as well as many other close relatives. After losing my brother and watching my mom grieve for the loss of her son, I felt the Lord lead me to do something to not only help her but also to help others who have lost those near and dear to them. It was then that we went and spoke with Pastor Brian to see what we could do to help those who are grieving not only in our church but in our community. Pastor Brian then searched and found Grief Share. Grief Share is an adult-based, Christ-centered program that guides individuals after the loss of a loved one, whether it be a family member or a friend. It is a 13-week session with three parts: Video Session, Small Group Discussion, and a Participant Guide. It will not take away your grief; however, it will help you navigate through losing your loved one. If you are struggling in your grief, I recommend that you try Grief Share. We do two 13-week sessions on Wednesday evenings every year, one in the fall/winter and one in the winter/spring. If you would like to know more about Grief Share, please feel free to reach out, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Please join us every Tuesday night from 6-7PM in the VioletCafé as we meet to pray.
Come serve with us on May 9th! Volunteers are needed to help warm food at Violet and also to transport to and serve food at Stowe Mission of Central Ohio.
Volunteers are needed for the following: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Warm food at Violet 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM - Transport food to & serve food at Stowe Mission
My prayer is that the Women’s Ministry at Violet will be faithful and fruitful in supporting our church’s mission to love God, love others, and make disciples! We hope to complement and support the work of our pastors, which will, in turn, help to strengthen our congregation and community. In that effort, we have a few new projects in the works and hope you will join us. These are great opportunities for you to get involved and share God’s love alongside your sisters at Violet.
SIMPLY SISTERS
This is an opportunity to connect and form relationships with other ladies at Violet who may attend regularly, but also with ladies we haven’t seen in a while, who need someone to reach out and let them know they are missed, seen, and loved! This is a 2-3 month commitment where we reach out with cards and letters of encouragement, make phone calls, pray for that sister, and take intentional time to meet and talk face-to-face at least once or twice. This can be as easy as just sitting together and worshipping together in church on Sunday. Our hope is to make connections with ladies across the age spectrum, from youth to our senior saints. Please let me know if you will join us in this outreach program – we need you! Here’s the plan: May-June: Our focus is the ladies in the Violet Youth. Psalm 78 highlights the importance of preserving and transmitting the narrative of God's faithfulness and actions to future generations. We have a responsibility to actively participate in this process. We have coordinated with Keith Hurt regarding making connections with the girls, sending those cards and letters of encouragement, sharing scripture, and praying for them. We also have a luncheon planned for June 1st where we will do a fun craft and a fun game that includes a little friendly competition between the youth and us older gals. July-September: We are making connections with the large population of adults (20’s-40’s) – again with cards and letters of encouragement, sharing scripture verses, praying for them, and meeting together in person one or two times. We have a luncheon planned on October 5th to actually cook/bake together, relax, talk, share, laugh, and do a simple craft. October-December: We are connecting with our beautiful senior sisters! We will continue with cards and letters, sharing scriptures, and praying for these sisters. Our annual Christmas Luncheon will be December 14th – a celebration of Christ's birth with all the sisters we’ve connected with throughout the year! Our hope is that by year-end, the many new and lasting connections we’ve made will have multiplied and sparked new friendships that will continue to grow! “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” Psalms 145:3-4 NIV
(Continued on the next page)
(Continued from the previous page)
WALK, TALK, PRAY!
Starting May 7th, at 5 PM, we’re walking and talking on the trails in our local metro parks and will end with prayer before heading back home!
May 7th - Blacklick Park, Reynoldsburg
May 14th – Pickerington Ponds, Pickerington
May 21st – Chestnut Ridge, Canal Winchester
May 28th – Blacklick Park, Reynoldsburg
Please text me (614-557-3598) or email me (karenlynn8966@yahoo.com) for details on where to meet and walking trail info. If you would like to help with organizing and communicating info on the walks, please let us know!
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
In addition to passing out shoeboxes for the annual Operation Christmas Child project through Samaritan's Purse, this year we are planning several “drives” for mass collection of shoebox items (pencils, crayons, coloring books, small toys, etc.). The goal is to have a big shoebox packing party together in November. Operation Christmas Child is an amazing opportunity to share God's love and make disciples! If you would like to help organize the collection drives and packing party, please let us know! We need you!
Please join us in prayer that these opportunities for outreach and connection will help us in our mission to love God, love others, and make disciples.
In His Love, Karen Bramlish, Women’s Ministry Leader 614-557-3598 karenlynn8966@yahoo.com
Overflow Senior Sunday: A Spiritual Rite of Passage
Our culture is missing out! Many other cultures have distinct rites of passage to help mark the transition from childhood to adulthood. Without these rites of passage, our young adults are often confused as to which phase of life they are in. Overflow Senior Sunday serves as the transition from our children’s and youth ministries to the adult ministries of our church. Our goal is not to repeat the recognition of the academic accomplishments of our students. Instead, Overflow Senior Sunday marks the completion of one phase of our students’ spiritual development and invites them to join the adults of our church in community and serving. Overflow Senior Sunday begins with a breakfast meeting with the graduating seniors and their families. Pastor Keith leads the group in a look back at the students’ time in youth ministry and an gives invitation for them to get connected in the youth adults group. Pastor Eric then reviews the vision of our church and invites the graduates to help as we seek to reach our community for Jesus. Pastor Rick concludes our time with a Biblical challenge for our graduates, and a prayer of blessing over them. During both morning services on Overflow Senior Sunday, we conclude our time with a slideshow featuring our Overflow graduates. We then present the graduates with Bibles that have been signed by our youth leaders and pastors. A few of the adult small groups also present our graduates with personalized gift bags. We then invite our church family to come and pray over the graduates. Many graduates and their families have communicated that they treasure the Bibles and this opportunity to receive a personalized blessing from our church family. May we continue to be a church that equips and deploys young adults for Kingdom work! See you on Overflow Senior Sunday! – Pastor Keith
Click here to register
Join us on Wednesday, May 14th from 5:30 to 8:15 PM for our final Jr. High event of the school year.
We will meet at Violet and then go to Blacklick Woods Park for food, games, and much, much more!
If it rains, we will picnic in the shelter area at the park.
Cost: $5
Click here to register
Hey High School Group, Let’s Go To Dinner Together! We will meet at church on Sunday, May 18th at 5:45 PM to go to Budd Dairy Food Hall for dinner. They feature 10 counter service restaurants under one roof! They offer Filipino Street Food, Mediterranean, fried chicken, cheesesteaks, sushi, gumbo, tacos, rice bowls, cheesecake, and more!
Most meals are around $12-$15.
We will be back to church at 8 PM.
Do you have friends who eat food? Why not invite them!?!
Click here to register
Crossings Camp in Kentucky offers one of the best Youth Summer Camp experiences in the Midwest. Each day students will choose activities including swimming, zip-lining, basketball, fishing, the “blob,” team challenges, volleyball, soccer, line dancing, dodgeball, crafts, great worship, and teaching. These are just a few of the things that our students can expect to experience at Crossings Camp!
Registration is open but limited to 55 spots. After these spots are filled, we will be placed on a waiting list for additional spots as other churches release them.
We are looking for a few parents who might be interested in coming to camp to invest in our students.
Click here to register
Super Summer is our student leadership program. It is held at Cedarville University from June 24th to 28th. Super Summer is for students who have completed 7th-12th grades and Purple School is available to older students. To be eligible for Super Summer, students must maintain a godly testimony, attend at least 70% of youth gatherings, serve for 24 hours in the church, complete an application, an interview, and complete an Leadership Interviews Assignment. **The final registration date is May 2nd with a $180 deposit of ($315 total).
Super Summer Recap Video
During the month of April, VioletKids learned that we are set apart because of God! As we studied the events that led up to Jesus’ death on the cross, we learned that we can stand strong in truth, celebrate the truth, believe the truth, and share the truth.. Our April scripture memory verse says, “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15).
We saw many of our VioletKids families at Easter Eggstravaganza at Sycamore Park in Pickerington! It was a fun time of hunting for eggs, playing, fellowship and lots of sunshine! Thank you to everyone who came, invited family and friends, and had fun with us! During our kids’ Good Friday service, VioletKids took an interactive journey through the events that led up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Kids traveled to different classrooms that were staged to show what each event that Jesus experienced may have looked like, while completing fun activities along the way. It was a great night of learning, connecting, activities and worship!
If you have a heart for babies, littles, or school-aged kiddos, there is a place for you on the children’s ministry team. Through our weekly Bible stories and classroom activities, it is our heart that the kids who come through the doors of our church would feel welcomed, loved, accepted, and that they belong here! When you choose to invest in a child’s life, you are choosing to partner with God in His Kingdom work. If we are willing to help these kids feel welcomed, loved, and accepted, then we are paving the way for them to freely come to their own relationship with Jesus! Our children’s ministry verse is 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” We want VioletKids to know that they are “never too young” to have a relationship with Jesus and live out their faith! If this news excites you in any way, or you are feeling led to join the church in this mission, I would love to connect with you and see how you could be a part of this team. We really are better together! You can reach me by email at chelseap@violetchurch.com.
Chelsea Poole Children’s Director chelseap@violetchurch.com
Events & Volunteers Our Community Outreach event in April was so much fun! I am thankful we had a beautiful day as so many people joined us at Pickerington Sycamore Park for our Easter Eggstravaganza event. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this such a successful event! Months of planning went into making sure we had tons of candy and eggs, as well as welcoming faces to pass out an Easter Book, Craft, and invite to Violet. We are already looking forward to next year!
If you have any questions or would like to talk more about where you can serve, please reach out to me. I would love to help you get connected to a serving opportunity.
Thank you, Jamie McCleese
Event & Volunteer Director jamiem@violetchurch.com
EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA 2025
RECAP VIDEO
Click here
Marketing & Communications
Are you someone who attends Violet events regularly? Do you enjoy being part of the warm community here at Violet and engaging in meaningful gatherings? If so, we encourage you to document your time spent at these events through pictures and videos! Capturing moments allows us to create lasting memories, share the joy of our experiences, and showcase the welcoming atmosphere of Violet Baptist Church. By documenting your time at Violet events, you are not only preserving cherished memories for yourself but also spreading the spirit of togetherness and connection to others. We invite you to share your captured moments with us by sending your photos and videos to rachels@violetchurch.com. Your contributions will not only enrich our church’s visual library but also serve as a testament to the incredible experiences you've had while being a part of Violet events. So, grab your camera or phone, snap some shots, record snippets of your favorite moments, and share them with us. Let's celebrate and document the joy, connection, and shared experiences that make Violet events so special.
Thank you for being a part of Violet, and we look forward to seeing the moments you capture!
Rachel Stone Marketing & Communications Director
Links
website
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator