There was lots of joy and praise and excitement at Copper Hill United Methodist Church this Palm Sunday morning. Two sixth-graders, Hunter Prevost and Christopher Collins, had completed basic beliefs class with Pastor Kelvin Jones and were ready to be confirmed. Five additional new members were ready to reaffirm their faith and join the local church, Dottie Plunske, Ronald Prevost, Paul Mandirola and Ruth and Christian Robison.
After the reading of the Palm Sunday story and the singing of traditional hymns for this special Sunday, Hunter and Christopher joined Pastor Kelvin in sharing a liturgy of the cross. Pastor Kelvin had written it as a complement to one of the projects of the basic beliefs class, the making of a wire cross. Time spent making the cross had helped class members to have time to talk about the meaning of the cross.
Each confirmand and new member had a sponsor from the congregation. When all the sponsors and new members were gathered at the front of the church, the front was filled. Robert Loomis, lay leader, did not remember more than four people being received into membership at one time and today we were receiving seven. It was a day of celebration. As part of the liturgy, Pastor Kelvin took water and sprinkled it into a crystal bowl, reminding the new members and the congregation to “Remember your baptism.” The sponsors and the congregation in turn promised to encourage and support the new members in their membership covenant.
The celebration continued as the ladies’ and children’s choir, under the direction of JoAnne Jones, sang and signed an upbeat song for the Easter season, “My Redeemer Lives!” The joy of Easter had certainly touched Copper Hill United Methodist on this Sunday morning.
