Johnny Brower

As First Methodist Mansfield continues to identify itself as a church that is “in the city, for the city,” we have made a bold move to take our Easter Sunday services and move them to a neutral site: The Center for the Performing Arts in Mansfield.

Easter is the Super Bowl of church services! You pull out all the stops and give the very best you have in worship. We also have a tendency to use this service as a big commercial for the church. As many people return to the church or visit for the first time, we want them to see everything the church has to offer in an effort to get them back in the building again.

This isn’t necessarily a bad goal. I am so proud of our church, it’s programs and resources, but I can’t help but wonder if we let our desire for people to stay engaged with our building distracts from our ultimate desire that people connect with the life-giving message of the RESURRECTION.

So this year, in an effort to reach as many people with the good news of Christ’s resurrection, we will not have church at church. We will celebrate the new life we are promised through Christ at a location where “church people” and “non-church people” gather as simply people.

The story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most amazing story ever told. In a world too often defined by despair, at Easter, God comes to us in hope, the hope that life wins. Easter was defined by God to be a new beginning, a beginning where the Easter story becomes the foundation of what life can be.

So whether you attend church every Sunday or have never stepped foot in church before, we would love to celebrate the ultimate expression of God’s love for us with you!

Check out EasterInMansfield.org for service times.

This year, my wife and I are hoping to simplify and enhance different areas of our family’s routine. One of the resources we are trying in response to that challenge is a service called eMeals.

eMeals is meal planning made simple. For $58 per year (less than $5 per month) eMeals will provide:

• 7 dinner meals including side dishes
• delicious and healthy recipes
• an organized grocery list
• savings

We’ve been using eMeals for a couple weeks and have really enjoyed it! A full review will come later, but for now, here are some of the perks of this service for our family:

We are getting new recipes to try. If you’ve been cooking your own meals for any amount of time, you eventually end up in a rut. Cooking and eating the same things over and over again can get dull. While the meal plan we signed up for is nothing exotic, it has added a few recipes to our arsenal that we have really enjoyed!

It has helped us save time and money! My wife is the meal planner and grocery shopper. She has been rocking it since we got married! But recently she went back to work full time to help us save for our pending adoption. With less time and energy to hunt for deals and plan an efficient weekly menu, eMeals has come through in the clutch. She has been able to spend less time and energy on planning meals and continue to save us money because eMeals will base your menu on the sale items at your grocery store of choice!

Has anyone else used eMeals or any other menu planner? What was your experience?