Make plans now for all of Heartland's Easter-related offerings:

Good Friday Services
Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m.
Childcare is available for infants through 5th grade.

Easter Services
Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 23, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
Regular Children's Ministry programs will be offered for all services. No regular programs for Middle and High School students, however.

We encourage people to consider worshipping on Saturday night to free up space for visitors on Easter Sunday.

Justin McRoberts is a highly respected singer/songwriter who has carved out a niche for himself in the independent music scene. He is a rare artist who can blend artistry, honesty and humor.

He will be sharing at the 9 and 11 a.m. services, Sunday March 30 and at New Community on Wednesday, April 2nd at 7 p.m.

Click here for more information. To visit Justin's website click here.

Did you know that Heartland now has a "Girl Band"? That's right, step back boys. On April 7th in the sanctuary at 6:00 PM we are debuting Women of Voice for our April Women At the Well series.

Please join us for an evening of appetizers, great conversation, and a concert of original and familiar music as we discover our voice in song. For those of us who call Heartland home, this is a great opportunity to invite other women for an evening of encouragement, good fun, and music. Childcare will be provided. Click here to contact Lori Roy for more information.

Be seen. Be heard. Be hungry.
Sign up for our 30 Hour Famine lock-in to be held from Friday, April 4th at 7 pm until Sunday, April 6th at 7 am. Register by 3/28/08 by clicking here. Cost is $15 and includes a 30 Hour Famine t-shirt and a pancake breakfast to end our lock-in.

It's time to sign up your kids for the best week of Children's Ministry of the whole year!  We want two hundred kids from four-years-old to those kids who have completed fifth grade to come the Heartland June 23-26th from 9:30 to noon to have a blast and learn to fall in love with Jesus.  Registration forms available on the web site or the information booth at Heartland.  Click here for more information and to download the registration forms.

Heartland kids have wonderful teachers who use a creative God centered curriculum to help your kids fall in love with Jesus. Are you curious what your kids are learning? First of all the doors are always open if you want to observe a classroom or the Great Adventure. Secondly, you can read about our curriculum on line.  Great Adventure's virtue for the month of April is Joy: Finding a way to be happy, even when things don't go your way. The memory verse for the month is Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: rejoice! Philippians 4:4  http://www.252basics.org/

Great Beginnings Basic truth in April is "God loves me".  The Bottom line is "I can love God".  And the Bible memory verse is I love you Lord  Psalms 18:1  http://www.myfirstlook.org/

Also, be on the look out for Small Talk the family handout that goes home on Sunday with your Great Beginnings Kids and Fridge Door for Great Adventure kids.  Both handouts will help your family continue to talk about and learn what kids heard on Sunday morning. 

Begin planning for family fun in the Ozarks at Tan-Tar-A Resort this summer! The Ozark Family Adventure (OFA) is family vacation experience to help families move closer together and closer to God.

Week #1 July 21-24; Week #2 July 28-31

OFA is offering a pre-payment plan for those who would like to spread their payment out over several months. Click here to contact Missy or call 913.341.5820 x102 or for more information.

There has been a great response to our Crown Financial Small Groups. Sixteen new leaders are ready to lead small groups. In addition, four groups are open to adding new people as they start the Crown study. 97 people signed up for small groups in the last few weeks and nearly 75% of those are getting involved for the first time. Click here if you would like to get connected to a small group or other discipleship experience.

Welcome to pray168... a week of non-stop prayer! That's right 24-7 for 7 days. 168 Hours.

Join us as we learn to say please AND thank you to the God of all creation!

The emphasis will be on: Our Church, Our City, Our Nation, Our World.

Will you sign up and pray for at least 1 hour? The sign up boards are in the atrium near the big stairway. Your prayers do matter. Your prayers will make a difference in the lives of others.

Your prayers will make a difference in YOUR LIFE. All you need to do is show up. When you arrive, you will pick up an orientation page. That page will introduce you to the room and give you some ideas/suggestions about prayer. After that, it's up to you... a self-directed time of communication with God. (Don't worry... you won't be called upon to pray out loud!) 

Pray168 will take place onApril 6-13, 2008 (6 a.m.-6 a.m.) In the Gallery at Heartland 

Such is the state of our lives when we fall out of balance. All our tires lose air at various seasons in our lives but the goal is to avoid structural damage. For me, my tire has everything to do with our burgeoning family. Elise and I now have virtual twins as Brianna and Mia are just four months apart (note: we just adopted Mia from China two months ago. Click here to read more.) And I must say that I've never felt more blessed and stressed in my entire life; never has more been required of me. Our lives are full, but they are clearly not our own. This is not the season for exercise. This is not the season of lattes. This is not the season of date nights - unless American Idol counts. In short, this is not the season of Dan.

The support of this community has been exceptional. I have noticed, however, a very interesting trend. I cannot count the number of times people have encouraged us with the verse that says, "God won't give you more than you can handle." A good word that I have readily agreed with many times. In fact, I have even repeated it to others myself. But recently the thought occurred to me, "Where exactly is that verse?"

So I looked it up.

Turns out it's not in there - the Bible, that is. It's an aphorism, but not a verse. Ranking right up there with "hate the sin, love the sinner" (which is Gandhi) and "God helps those who help themselves" (which is, um, Foxworthy). The only verse that comes remotely close is "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Cor. 10:13)

You see, not only is the phrase not in the Bible, it is also not true. God doesn't want to give us more than what we can handle. He wants to give us what we can't. He wants us to so helplessly fall in a crumbled heap before Him and cry "UNCLE!!!" (or, better yet, "Abba!!!") God isn't looking for us to "handle" all of this... He's not asking us to be God, but to just let Him be - through the touch of friends...the timely Scripture...through desperate prayers...sleepless nights...and holy nudges.

He's looking for the flat tire, not the full tire - saying "Come to me all of you who are jalopies."

Or at least I hope He really does, now that Elise and I are pregnant again.

Heartland Community Church
Overland Park, KS 66207
913.341.5820