September Messenger - First United Methodist Church of Pekin
Transcription
September Messenger - First United Methodist Church of Pekin
September, 2016 First United Methodist Church 1315 Court Street Pekin, IL, 61554 www.fumcpekin.org facebook.com/fumcpekin Vol. 16 Issue 09 309.347.3155 Worship: Saturday 5:30 p.m. Casual, Sunday—8:15 a.m. Traditional, 10:50 a.m. Contemporary CONNECT—AUGUST 28, 6:30 P.M. August 28 is the final preview service before our official launch into weekly gatherings on September 18. We will talk about how we can prepare, and grow, and plan for what is to come. Join us! Weekly Connect Worship Sunday, September 18 6:30 p.m. Like us at: https://www.facebook.com/connectpekin Isaiah 43: 19 “See, I am doing a new thing says the Lord! Can you see it?!” What people are saying about CONNECT… “I want you to know I took communion tonight for the first time in five years. Thank you for giving me a safe place to do that. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it.” "FUMC has been everything I didn't know I needed. Not only have they said "yes" to me, but they also said "thank you" and "welcome back." For a person who's flame was about to flicker out, just those simple words started what has become a bonfire in my soul. Thank you God for the power of "yes" and leading me to such an encouraging place." “P.S. Loved the small groups at Connect.” “Even if my parents say no, I’m still coming.” (For the record, we do not recommend this approach, however we appreciate the enthusiasm GREATLY!) Invite someone new and bring them! 2 Snack Pack Fundraiser July 17, 2016 “…Well done, good and faithful servant…” -Mathew 25:23 Dear Church Family, I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation for a job well done. Thank you so much for your labor of love with the 2nd Annual Snack Pack Fundraiser. There is a saying ...“we’re better together”, which basically means that even though each one of us are gifted in some way, and could accomplish many things on our own, the real difference is when we each take that God-given ability or talent and work as a team for His glory! Your willingness to partner with our sister church, Grace United Methodist Church and to use our combined gifts and abilities has strengthened the mission and ministry of this program throughout the entire community. Together, we were able to raise an astounding $3,792.11! That will allow us to make over 2000 bags to feed the children in poverty at both Dirksen and Willow Schools. I am hoping that through this fundraiser each year, we not only raise funds to help feed the children, but also help community awareness of the problem and surround the children and families in Pekin with God’s love. If you have suggestions on how to make this event even better next year, don’t hesitate to email me at: [email protected]. Again, thank you for helping our church make a difference! What a blessing you are to this church, but beyond that, what a blessing you are to the kids we serve, to the community we live in, and of course, our precious Lord and Savior! With Sincere Gratitude, Kara Bushong 3 New Studies Starting Soon There is… Something for EVERYONE… Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. September 14-October 19 on Wednesday nights...at Pekin First! Women’s and men’s studies, marriage studies, themed children’s activities, BOTH youth groups’ meetings, parenting studies, controversial topics, Wesleyan discussions, whole church studies, great food, amazing fellowship, and communion with the living God. Mark your calendars for September 14 at 5:15 pm., and make it a “repeating weekly” event. God will be here. We hope you can join us too! Three Simple Rules (Pastor Judy) Half Truths (Pastor Jim) Keep It Shut (Deb Funk) Living in the Names of God Bible Study (Gretchen Sidell and Julie Ozog) October 26-December 7 Just Walk Across the Room (Pastor Jim) Sundays at 9:30 am. September 18-October 23 Wednesday Night Meals We are trying a new approach to maximize our small but mighty Wednesday night kitchen staff. Here is what we are planning… 1st Wed. of every month—Potluck (categories determined by last name and rotating) 2nd and 3rd Wed. of every month—The awesome kitchen team will cook a delicious meal for us…(Thank you!) 4th Wed. of every month-Take out style. We will bring in some type of take out such as pizza or gondolas for quick and easy prep and clean up! Also, in order to get everyone through the line we will begin serving at 5:15 pm. Watch the bulletin and Wednesday night announcements to know what’s up next! Half Truths (Pastor Jim) Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul (Terry Wrigley ) October 30-December 4 Just Walk Across the Room (Pastor Jim) Sign up in the fellowship area, send a Facebook message, or email [email protected]. 4 “Living in the Names of God Bible Study” by Judy Squier (led by Gretchen Sidell and Julie Ozog) In Living in the Names of God, Judy Squier opens the door to eighteen of the Hebrew names of God. This Bible Study will take you beyond Judy’s personal experiences into the lives of biblical characters and – even better – into your own life. As you honestly work through the questions, you will find that the God of Oh-So-Many Names has been intimately involved in your life in ways you never realized. This study will last 18 weeks starting on September 14—October 19, then resuming on January 11—March 29. This study is available on a “drop in” basis for people who are not able to come every week, but want to have a small group to join when they are able to come on Wednesdays! FORWARD MOVEMENT WITH STAFF Our new staff members are already making an impact as they hit the ground running with passion and energy. In the interest of everyone getting caught up, here are our recent additions: Michael Berg – Youth Director; Michael was our intern last summer, and that went so well that we hired him for our staff team! He is already pumping great energy into our High School and our Middle School youth ministries. Kara Bushong – Children’s Director; Kara grew up in our church, is passionate about FIRST UMC, and has jumped in with both feet going full speed. In a short time, Kara had to get the hand-off from Heather and help make sure our fall children’s ministries of Sunday School, Children’s Church, and Wednesday Experience (WE) are ready to go after a summer break. She’s off to a GREAT start. Tyler Bishop – Choir Director; Tyler will be joining us in a few days and we are eager to receive the gifts God has given him. PARKING LOT PARTY You’re invited to help us prepare for the Friday Night “Grand Slam” Parking Lot Party. 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on September 9th Please pray for our entire staff team as we work hard to open up to God’s Holy Spirit, seek His wisdom and inspiration, and then let the grace flow! We will be needing help in the mid to late afternoon hours with parking lot preparation (chairs, tables, games) & food preparation. During the event we will need help with hospitality, game monitors, door prize table and clean-up. Feast at First September 3 Serving 11:00—12:30 Please indicate on the sign-up sheets when you come to worship what time-slot you are available to make this party a Grand Slam! Please call Kathy in the church office, 347-3155 if you would like more information. 5 Marigold Weekend We have a great opportunity to offer grace to hundreds of people who will be passing through our parking lot during Marigold weekend (2nd weekend in September). We need many of us to serve in our hospitality tents to speak to people, pass out water, provide band-aids or diapers and find ways to let God's grace flow! If God is tugging at your heart to have a lot of fun while offering grace to many people, we have a place for YOU! Please sign up when you come to church. FRIDAY Friday Night “Grand Slam” Parking Lot Party: On Friday night from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. we will have music by the band, Cornwolves, free hot dog meal, inflatable games, free prizes and lots of fun and fellowship. Volunteers will be needed to help with food, set up and clean up, hospitality, game monitors and much more! We would love for you or your business to be a sponsor. Your sponsorship will be acknowledged with signage and announcements at the event. Sponsorship levels are: Single: $100 Double: $250 Homerun: $500 Contact Val Moehle or Barb Cullen. Donations for the Free Prizes at the Friday Night “Grand Slam” Parking Lot Party. See Carol Williamson or Lisa Beyer if you would like to provide a basket or make a donation. The Cubs vs. Cardinals “Pitching Penny Contest” continues. Drop your spare change in your team’s bucket and remember if you put your pennies in the other team’s bucket – they count negative! Win ner will be announced at the Friday Night “Grand Slam” Parking Lot Party. ALL WEEKEND Hospitality Tent—free bottled water, diaper changing table, first aid supplies Prayer Alcove—Our church family will be here to pray. Free Parking SATURDAY/SUNDAY God’s Gals Bake Sale (while items last) Parking Lot Donations: Monetary donations received at the Parking Lot will be divided between the Salvation Army Rust Transitional Center remodeling project and the Pekin Hospital Medical Mission Team. 6 Snack Pack Ministry It’s a new school year, and therefore it’s time to start making snack packs for the kids at Dirksen School! If you feel God calling you to participate in this program, there are many ways you can help. Donate Food! Food donations can be left in the baskets labeled “snack pack” by both entrances. The items need to be individually packaged items. The items most needed last year were: 100% fruit juice boxes, Yoohoo drink boxes, mini Chef Boyardee cans, EasyMac bags/cups, single serving cereal boxes, breakfast bars, granola bars, and microwave popcorn. Donate Money! Monetary donations can be made to the church with “snack pack” written on the memo line. Volunteer at the church! Come and help pack bags following second service on the following Sundays in the church dining room: Sept 4th, Oct 2nd, Oct 30th, Nov 20th, Dec 11th, Jan 15th, Feb 12th, Mar 12th, and April 9th. Volunteer at the school! Dirksen would love it if someone would offer to help pass out the bags each week. This happens on Fridays unless it’s an early dismissal week, and then it’s on Thursdays. Shop! Go to the store with a list of food items needed and purchase food each month with the program funds. Inventory! Keep track of what we have, and what we need. Lead! Be the leader on packing days. (listed above) Kara will act as the mentor for anyone willing to take on the important roles of shopping, maintaining an inventory, and being a leader on packing days. This will allow the program to continue to run smoothly as Kara takes on her new role as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator. Her heart is still very much connected to this program, and she will still be very present. There just may be days where there are other commitments that she needs to tend to, and we want to be sure the ministry gets the full attention it deserves! Please contact Kara at: (309)241-7799 or [email protected] with any questions or if you are wanting to help. Thank you for everything you have done for the kids at Dirksen School. God’s grace is flowing out of us and into the community in the most amazing ways! 7 Children’s Ministry Notes: First of all, I would like to thank everyone for welcoming me warmly as the new Children’s Ministry Coordinator. Heather and I are working very closely to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible for the kids. I am very excited about the upcoming year as new curriculum and programs begin in September. Sunday School will begin on Sunday September 4th. The K-5th grade curriculum will take an interactive approach to teaching the kids about Jesus Christ through small groups, large groups, presentations, music, guest appearances, and more. The curriculum is called “252 Basics” and is based off of the Luke 2:52 – “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. All of the lessons focus on at least one of the three basic concept areas from this verse to help kids grow in wisdom (I need to make the wise choice), faith (I can trust God no matter what), and friendship (I should treat others the way I want to be treated). Each month there is a different theme to help keep the kids interested in learning about God. The theme in September is “High Wire – Daring to Trust”. Please encourage your kids to invite new friends to join us as we have fun while learning how to put our confidence in Jesus! The 6th-8th graders will get to explore the Bible and how it relates to topics very real to their everyday lives in a non-judgmental or threatening atmosphere. We will also be offering a brand new opportunity for our K-3rd graders on Wednesday nights from 6-7pm. (cont.) We have formed a club called “Cross Training” where the kids will spend each month on a different topic such as basketball, cooking, drums, etc. Throughout the month they will learn about the topic in a variety of ways with the focus on teaching the kids how to find Jesus in everything they do. There will be different tasks the kids have to complete, and at the end of the month they will earn a “badge” to put on the Cross Training chart. There will be prizes along the way, interaction with the JR. Youth Group, and fieldtrips in order to experience all of God’s wonderful creation! ~ Kara Back Packs and Supplies On Thursday, Aug. 11, a team of volunteers traveled to Goofy Ridge to deliver school supplies. Backpacks were passed out to 20 children. The backpacks were filled with school supplies, snacks, and fresh fruit for the children to take home with them. Dinner was also served to everyone who attended. Thank you to everyone who generously donated school supplies to make this mission trip possible. Goofy Ridge volunteers included: Lloyd and Marilyn Orrick, Judy Graden, Sharon Harris, Kelly Helmick, and Kay Appell. Left over supplies were delivered to various schools. 8 Will you pray this prayer with me? Family Faith Foundations “You say goodbye and I say hello.” Who is singing along to this familiar tune from The Beatles? I attended a workshop a few summers back and heard a pastor say he sings Beatles songs as his personal worship…it always stuck with me. This past summer has been a lot of goodbye and a lot of hello. Isn’t it the eternal conundrum to know we are in a perpetual state of hello and goodbye and every hello is, in fact, a goodbye and every goodbye is, in fact, a hello? Let’s all breathe out a collective sigh of relief and breathe in a great deal of grace as we recognize a lot of hellos and goodbyes have happened. As we enter into fall, we say goodbye to shorts, flip flops, lazy days of summer, summer jobs, free schedules, lack of routines, college students, our sanctuary as it has looked for many, many years and the list goes on. We say hello to new teachers, new schools, new committees, new commitments, new activities, new schedules, new routines, new worship opportunities, new leadership, new looks and so much more. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us...There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens. (cont.) Abba Father, Daddy, we are entering into an unknown story up ahead, and yet we are entering into a story we know you know the final pages of…prepare our hearts and our souls and help us to model for our children and families the peace which results from drawing near to you, no matter the circumstance. Help us to say goodbye with love, hello with hope, and to make it worth it in between. Amen. ~ Heather DONATE YOUR EYEGLASSES One of the foundations of Jesus ministry on earth was a ministry to the sick. Not only was Jesus the Great Healer, showing compassion, kindness and gentleness to the afflicted, but he also called on his disciples to heal and visit the sick. In our world of modern medicine, insurance and sophisticated medical delivery systems, the church and we as disciples have a tendency to step back from these commands. We, at First Church, however, have an opportunity to partner with Pekin Hospital as it embarks on its annual Medical Mission Trip. This time to Dominican Republic. One of the challenges in developing countries is access to common medical services that we as Americans take for granted such optometry services and eyeglasses. Through September 11th, we will be collecting your unwanted prescription glasses and new and used reading glasses for the Pekin Hospital Medical Mission Trip. Please place them in the box in the South Entry. 9 GOD’S GALS UMW NEWS WHEW!! What an exciting array of opportunities to serve in Mission throughout September!! Sept 10 & 11-Marigold Bake Sale Please place donated items in the church kitchen so that volunteers can set up, price, and package on Friday, Sept. 9th at 9 am. We also need volunteers to work at our sale on Sat. & Sun. NO rummage sale items. -Please save your treasures for the Bazaar. Sept 12-UMW District Gathering 8:30 am-2:30 pm at Washington Crossroads UMC. Reservations for lunch ($10) by Sept. 7 to Sally Smith (309)444-8516. Gifts to donate for Cunningham: women’s ankle socks & gift cards for Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Wendy’s, Steak & Shake, KFC and Jimmy John’s. Gifts for Neighborhood House: toothbrushes & toothpaste. Four of our members will present a workshop on God’s Gals Membership during the morning session. Cunningham Fundraiser In 1895 Joseph & Mary Cunningham deeded their farm property in Urbana, IL, to United Methodist Women, to be “kept in perpetuity” as a home for needy children. For 121 years we have kept that covenant at Cunningham Children’s Home. Much has changed in that period of time, but we are still saving children’s lives and providing them with tools needed for a future of hope. Join us on Saturday, September 17 to hear Judge Joseph Cunningham share the story of how this all began. Spaghetti supper at 6:00 pm. (Spaghetti, salad, bread & dessert for $8) Judge Joseph Cunningham’s program at 7 pm. All proceeds will go to Cunningham, and donations would be greatly appreciated. Don’t miss this inspiring opportunity!! Sept 17-Spaghetti Dinner—Cunningham Fundraiser (see next article) We need volunteers to help cook and serve the meal. Men’s Club will be in charge of clean up. Dessert donations and silent auction gift baskets are welcomed; contact Sharon Ross (370-3190). Sept 24 & 25-UMW Weekend Heather Robertson will be our speaker at 8:15 & 10:50 worship. To volunteer to usher, contact Bobbie Dean (303-3024). Let’s all support God’s Gals with our attendance! CHARGE CONFERENCE AUGUST 24TH By the time you are reading the Messenger, we will have held a special Charge Conference to receive and act on the report of the Vision/Study Committee’s recommendations to move toward the future we believe God has in store for us! We’ll publish the results very soon. Also at the Charge Conference we’ll be acting on a Trustee request for an Endowment Fund loan from principal for the purpose of finishing the sanctuary project. 10 Pastor’s Article I’m always the last one to submit my newsletter information. Always. Almost always I begin preparing by reading what everyone else has already turned in. Tonight, after worship, I did that… came in and read what staff and volunteers had prepared. WOW! I was both enthused/inspired/energized/motivated, AND I was exhausted. What a great place to be connecting to God and to each other. God’s Holy Spirit is moving in and through us in so many ways. I hope you get the sense that I got, as you read the Messenger. The sense of: WHAT A FUN PLACE TO BE, WHAT A MEANINGFUL PLACE TO INVEST MY ENERGY, WHAT A POWERFUL PLACE TO SEE GOD’S HAND AT WORK IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY PEOPLE! That’s it! Enjoy. Pekin First United Methodist: where the Spirit flows. See you here and all around town as we live out our faith lives together. Yours in Christ, Jim Peoria Chiefs Game August 5, 2016 Phenomenal. Just phenomenal. It was so incredibly hot on August 11th, but still Bill Cullen, Eric Wrigley, Dave Davis, Jerry Flier, Dick Flier, and Lindsay Bushong worked ALL DAY to remove the stumps from the parking lot. Fantastic job guys. Thank you for serving the Lord and His church! Well done. Another step forward for the Lord and His Kingdom. COLLECTING NEW SOCKS Sponsored by the Outreach Committee We will be collecting men’s white cotton socks again, for the 8th Annual “Stand Down for Homeless Veterans”, being held at Dozer Park on 10/8/16. Baskets are available at both church entrances for your donations, and they will be delivered Oct. 2. Thank you! 11 Our Stewardship of Giving THANK YOU for committing to God first, by offering God the first portion of your income. Giving to God is always a spiritual issue, meaning, the way we give reflects what is happening in our souls, and what is in our souls dictates how we give. When we give to God FIRST, before expenses, before our wants and desires, our souls are strengthened AND our church flourishes. We’ve had an incredible couple of years so far because of your faithfulness to your God. Somehow, we’ve added a church van, put in air conditioning on the lower level, painted and fixed many rooms, purchased a Smartboard, added more new windows beyond what the estate gift was able to purchase, updated some equipment, refurbished an office, added staff… and on and on. Wow! Where does the money come from? Well, we believe that people love to give to God when they can SEE THAT IT MAKES AN IMPACT, when they can TELL THAT THE MONEY IS BEING MANAGED WITH INTEGRITY, and when they ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH. To us, the results show us that YOU are excited about the forward movement of our church, that you trust that we are being good stewards of your gifts, and that collectively all our gifts are advancing God’s Kingdom through Pekin 1st UMC!! Hallelujah. Our Business Manager, Cathy Duffy, keeps meticulous records, and they are available for you to see upon request. Cathy works closely with our Finance Committee and our Trustees, keeping us all updated on how we are utilizing the precious treasures you put in the offering plate week by week. Thank you for your dedication and generosity! Our Stewardship of Attendance Date 5:30 8:15 10:50 Total Aug 6/7 64 108 117 289 Aug 13/14 68 116 103 287 Aug 20/21 63 118 120 301 2016 Average attendance 277 2015 Average attendance at this time of year 259 Thank you for making worship with the Body of Christ a priority in your life! With the multitude of options these days, it’s easy to be so busy fitting everything into the schedule that we start to feel that we are too tired and too busy to fit worship in. What??!! Too busy to offer God ourselves; He who offered Himself completely to us? And we are too tired? Too busy? It is truly heartwarming to see more and more people making worship a priority by attending one of the 3 (soon 4) worship options at First UMC when our preferred worship time doesn’t fit the schedule. Well done! Good and faithful servants. Hebrews 10:25 “Don’t neglect meeting together as some are in the habit of doing!” 12 SANCTUARY UPDATES IN FULL SWING We ask for everyone’s patience while we work hard to refurbish the sanctuary. We ask that everyone continue to come to worship, as is our custom, but please come down the stairs instead of up! We’re closing the sanctuary for 6 weeks, while we fix and clean the walls, hang a new dossal cloth behind the cross, add new carpeting, and put in new seating. We believe that we will greatly appreciate the new look which will still “feel like home”. 13 Women’s Retreat Dear Family and Friends at Pekin First, October 21 we will gather again as women. Encounter grace. Laugh together. Shed some tears. Find a new friend. Enjoy time with an old friend. Invite someone new. Thank you so much for rewarding me with the church scholarship!! It is so humbling to have such a loving church family to help support me at Illinois State University. I also wanted to thank you all for sending me care packages throughout my freshman year. Freshman year was such a huge adjustment for me and having a little reminder of home every semester was such a awesome feeling. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing church family who love, cares and supports me. God showed up so big at our last women’s retreat in May, and we are so excited about how He is showing up in our planning process. Grab your spot at the table by signing up in the fellowship area or emailing Heather at: [email protected] (Facebook event coming soon. ) Thank you again, Jenna Rittenhouse September Birthdays 1 Robert Henneise 9 2 Jeff Jensen 10 Armande Basso Dylan Feaster Clarabelle Willock 3 Betty Woolard Samantha Wright 4 Marcia Richardson 5 Margaret Alexander Charles Bowen Suzi Greer Ward Musgrave Mable Trueblood 6 Katie Gaitros Joe Sloter 7 Cyndy McKeown 8 Connor Hammond Cathleen Key Betty Nash 9 Adam Anderson Carol Burlingame Hannah Rademaker Henry Tassart Jody VanOrder Harry Wockley 11 Sam Dunn Sharon Messmore 12 Leeah Booth Tim Bussone Ryan Clark Megan Ferguson April McGinnis Billie Reid Kay Steingraber 13 Landen Bell 14 Barbara Maxwell Benjamin Mickle Bobbi Prather Robert Starrett 16 Wayne Rowe Greg Scoles 18 Jim Boyd Deborah Helmick Scott Hudson Jennifer Weitzel 19 Michelle Norris Arla Scarcliff 20 Daniel Fahnders 21 Carrie Jones 22 Nona Davin Tim Jans Larry Woltzen 23 Dorothy Alexander Sean Delahunt Melody Willock 24 Alan Graden 15 Jim Funk Mitch McCafferty 16 Breanna Bardwell Lillian Germain 25 Logan Pescaglia Denise Wood 26 Brett Moehring 29 Max Rittenhouse 30 Laura Bowen James Rinkenberger Sharon Rose 14 Prayer List Ruth Allen Bob Anderson Derrick Anderson * Dorothy Berkley Kim Birkmeier Afton Booth Alice Brackney Carl Christian Chrosniak Dan Ken Clymer Kay Curtis Esther Davidson Dustin Davin Nona Davin Deanne Kevin DePeugh Deztin Justice Disney Dylan Jack Evans Jennifer Flesner Lois Francisco Pat Garlisch Glenn Gerbracht Jack Gould Pat Grimm Kenneth Hall Vi Hamburg Chad Hammond Dane Hanslow * Greg Hasler Lou Heinhorst Kitty Henry Clarence Hermann Bob Holland Amanda Hubbart Linda Hughes Ivey Don & Mary Beth Jackson Ann Jarvill Patti Jockisch Mr. & Mrs. Johnson Ted & Bernadine Just Kalan Michelle Knowles Corine Krueger Ralph Krueger * Janet LaJennesse Jeff Lane Earl Laumeier Mike Leonard Leslie Sheryl Lewis Darryl Little Lori Luke Mary Angie Meadows * Duane Metzler Ray Miller Rosemary Miller Ruth Moore Vivian Morrison Patrick Nelson Kelsey Orr Janet Parker Gunnar Parrill Lynn Peters Jim Plunkett Betty Rademacker Don Rademacker Judy Randolph Jon Ray Ryan Shorty Sanders Max Schimmelpfenning Scott Gretchen Sidell Brittany Simpson Cherie Simpson Tanya Simpson Nancy Skaggs Janet Skinner Louise Spalding * Lynn Strange Helen Strode Terry Svendsen Florence Swanson Tory, John & Jay’sson Alice Trueblood Mabel Trueblood Vanessa Kathleen Joan Wallace Molly Walsh Michael Watkins Norman Weidner Judith Wilkinson Anthony Williams Ada Wilson * indicates new to the list Military: Bradley Baerwalch Brandon Gebhardt Boyd Harmon Matthew Matthew Hurd Kevin Lawler Joshua Olsen Steven Stalker Tory Swearingen Please call the church office, 347-3155, to add or remove a name from the list.