March 3^rd – The Cherry Orchard at Thunder River Theatre Company – 7:30 pm -  Join us for this production as we begin our 2^nd annual partnership night with Thunder River -  This is a great opportunity to strengthen our relationship with and support for the local arts community. Reserve your tickets through Kate Friesen at Westcott_friesen (at) hotmail.com to get the discounted price of $17.50/ticket.  Deadline for this price:  Monday February 27^th.  Also, if there is interest, a group may gather for dinner or appetizers before the show. Parents, we’re happy to help organize a group babysitter.  Let Gretchen know ASAP and we’ll see what we can do!

March 4^th – “Life Goes On” – Rev. Gretchen Haley; We begin our reflection on “Mission” with this worship service responding to The Cherry Orchard.  Chekhov is known for his dark humor reflecting on the meaning of life in the face of loss and change.  We’re grateful to have TRTC’s Valerie Haugen and Lon Winston joining us to consider what gives the capacity to go on given the struggles life can present.

“The Cherry Orchard” is a Russian classic that is as important today as it was a century ago when first performed at the famous Moscow Art Theatre. This comic-drama presents themes of cultural futility: the aristocracy to maintain its status, the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its newfound materialism, and the rise of the middle class.