IN THIS WEEK’S UPDATE
• Joyride
• Elder Board Monthly Update
• Monthly Financials
• ISO Contractor
• Food Bank Mobile Market
• Last Week's Insights
SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2026
This Sunday, we’ll continue delving into Paul’s letter to his friends in Philippi. This week we’ll focus on joy, on church, on…okay, ya’ll, Paul is crazy! That’s what we need to talk about. This guy is a complete lunatic . . . or he is onto something. Either way, I think I want what he’s got. This weekend we’ll look into that. Let’s bring excitement, warmth, kindness, and, while you are loading all that up, let’s bring a friend or two and learn together how to live life (and die death) to the absolute fullest.
ELDER BOARD MONTHLY UPDATE
Join us this Sunday, April 26, for a brief update from the Board of Elders following the service. The update will include information on the status of the co-pastor search and financial results for the first quarter.
We will gather in the auditorium approximately 10–15 minutes after the service ends. No childcare will be provided, but children are welcome to attend with their families. Please plan to pick up children promptly so our Kidcrest staff and volunteers can join us.
WOODCREST FINANCIALS
Please download the PDF for more details. Thank you.
SEEKING QUALIFIED CONTRACTOR RECOMMENDATIONS
The Elder Board is requesting your help if you are, or have experience with, a licensed, insured contractor who may be interested in submitting a bid for the Kidcrest space remodel. Please submit the company name/contact person and phone number along with your recommendation to board@woodcrest.org.
FOOD BANK MOBILE MARKET
Woodcrest volunteers served 135 families on a sunny, breezy afternoon last Tuesday. We received an unexpected assortment of items from huge bags of mango-habanero Boom Chicka Pop, Neutrogena skin care products, to live Aloe vera plants. We also distributed potatoes, apples, milk sliced ham, and soft drinks. Our team has a great time serving and getting to know our neighbors! Save the date to serve at the next Mobile Market on Tuesday, May 19.
LAST SUNDAY'S INSIGHTS
Matt Gordon began a new series in Philippians by inviting the church to slow down and breathe. Instead of rushing through the book, he framed it as a place of rest, a kind of spiritual reset, where weary people can sit in the current of God’s grace rather than constantly striving.
Highlights
• Philippians shows that joy is possible even in hard places, because Christ is bigger than prison, suffering, uncertainty, and loss.
• Matt traced the message of the book through four big ideas: Christ above us as our identity, Christ behind us as our example, Christ before us as our goal, and Christ beneath us as our strength.
• He emphasized that church unity is hard because real churches are made up of very different people with different preferences, burdens, and opinions, yet the call is to fight harder for unity than for getting our own way.
• From Philippians 1:1–11, he showed that Christian love should grow in both affection and discernment, producing a community marked by encouragement, service, generosity, patience, and spiritual fruit.
• He reminded the church that God is still at work in his people, and because of that we can give one another grace, trusting that “he who began a good work” will keep carrying it forward.
Recap
The message was both an introduction to Philippians and a call to become the kind of church that reflects its heart. Joy is not found in a life without pressure, but in a life anchored in Christ. As the church learns to love well, serve one another, and stay united through differences, it becomes a living picture of the gospel.
OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF
• Check out Kidcrest, our children’s ministry HERE
• The Loop: sign up for our student ministry newsletter HERE
• Watch services at WoodcrestWorldwide.org
• Engage on Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• Download the Woodcrest App: CLICK
• Last, but definitely not least: Set up a recurring donation