This may be the most memorable Holy Week in church history. Most churches will be closed for Easter, yet worship services are still happening via internet technology and homemade altars for private communion observances. Regardless of the pandemic’s destruction, we still have reason to celebrate the One Who conquered death once and for all on that first Easter morning.

Making memories

How will you make this 2020 Holy Week memorable? May I make a few suggestions?

1. Take time to read the story of Jesus’ Passion Week in the four gospels. You’ll get different details from each author’s perspective: Matthew 21-28, Mark 11-16, Luke 19:28-24:53; and John 12-21.
2. Write your own thank-you letter to Jesus for his sacrifice. You won’t find adequate words, but the effort to express that thanks will be a blessing to Jesus.
3. Find a way to express thanks to people in your community who are making sacrifices right now during this pandemic quarantine: healthcare workers and pharmacists, restaurant workers, delivery people, grocery store clerks/stockers, truck drivers making deliveries of food and paper items to stores, mail delivery workers, and others. So much of our world is still functioning in spite of the fact that many of us are staying in place at home.
4. Google a video or written presentation of the Stations of the Cross to help you walk through Jesus’ journey to the cross on Good Friday.

Sign up for Tuesday’s Free Training

I’d love for you to join me this Tuesday, April 7, 2020, for a FREE online training event about spiritual gifts, 10:30am-12:00 pm CDT. We as Christians today are blessed to enjoy something that people in Jesus’ time did NOT have: spiritual gifts. Each person who has put their faith in Christ as their Savior and Lord has been endowed with special abilities with a unique purpose. In this training you will be encouraged to think outside the box on what you may think you already know about spiritual gifts. Click the link here to find a registration form from Proven Way Ministry. After you complete the form, you’ll receive an email from Sharmon Coleman or Proven Way with a Zoom link and a handout and another link for an online tool to determine your spiritual gifts. Getting a deeper understanding of the meaning and purpose of your spiritual gifts will inspire you to put them to work in a world that so desperately needs them right now! Hope to see you Tuesday!

Set a New Goal

I also want to encourage you to use this unique time in history to set a goal to accomplish something you never thought you could. It could be a little goal such as cleaning out a drawer or a big goal like starting to write that book or compose that song that you’ve never made time to do. Goals push us forward and renew our hope on many levels. And we all need extra hope during these weird days of pandemic quarantine. Besides, accomplishing that one goal will probably spur you on to another goal. If you need a little accountability, write that goal in the comments below and I’ll check in with you later to see how you’re doing.

Your efforts to reach a new goal will be a blessing to our God–becoming more like the person God created you to be is always a blessing to God. I’m celebrating that one of my goals occurred last week when a bunch of friends helped my book reach a #1 ranking in the Amazon Kindle book category “Hot New Releases in Christian Church Leadership” (see photo below). If you haven’t gotten a copy of my new book, God Chose a Woman First: Discover the Keys to Resilient Confidence through the Voices of Biblical Women, It is now available in both paperback and as Kindle ebook. I hope you’ll consider purchasing one now. It has now earned its THIRD National Award. Woohoo! If you’re looking for an encouraging story to read for Easter, see my chapter on Mary Magdalene in my book.

Another Encouraging Word

If you missed my Facebook Live presentation last Tuesday, it is now available on my Facebook page @womensministrycoach. You’ll find it in the videos. Let me know how you like it. Leave a comment on the Facebook page. I hope to do more of those in the coming days–some Bible studies and leadership training sessions. I’d love to hear your ideas of what topics you think are needed.