March 2015 Update - Lawrence Free Methodist Church

Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
THE UPDATE
News | Information | Events
“What if you’re
wrong?”
Some years ago, Christian recording artist
Nichole Nordeman wrote a song that recalled a
conversation she once had with a skeptical friend
who was armed with many of the usual
arguments against Christianity. In her lyrics, she
responds to the skeptic in this way:
What if you’re right, and He was just another nice
guy—what if you’re right?
What if it’s true? They say the cross will only make a
fool of you—and what if it’s true?
What if He takes His place in history with all the
prophets and the kings
who taught us love and came in peace, but then the
story ends—what then?
Then in the chorus, she turns the question
back on her friend:
But what if you’re wrong? What if there’s more?
What if there’s hope you never dreamed of hoping
for?
What if you jump—and just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you catch you by
surprise?
What if He’s more than enough? What if it’s love?*
Continued on next page…
Holy Week 2015
The traditional celebration of Holy Week begins
with Palm Sunday on March 29. We will observe our
normal Sunday worship schedule on Palm Sunday
(traditional/blended worship at 9:00 a.m., contemporary
worship at 10:35 a.m.).
On Good Friday (April 3, 7:00 p.m.) we will
gather for our traditional Tenebrae service—a
service of diminishing light, featuring music and
Scripture readings that draw us into the story of the
trial, the suffering, the crucifixion, and the burial of
Jesus. This service will also include communion.
Finally, on Easter Sunday (April 5) we will
celebrate the resurrection of our Savior with two
identical, blended worship services at 9:00 a.m.
and 10:35 a.m. After each worship service, there will
be an Easter egg hunt for children on the church lawn.
We hope you will take advantage of these Holy
Week services and that you will invite friends,
coworkers, and neighbors to come to church with you
on Easter Sunday. At worst, they’ll turn you down—at
best, they’ll come with you, and they might even begin a
lifelong journey with Jesus.
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
Continued from previous page…
ADULT DISCIPLESHIP
MINISTRIES
Ms. Nordeman’s lyrics remind me of something
C. S. Lewis said: “Christianity, if false, is of no
importance, and if true, of infinite importance; the
only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” If
the resurrection of Jesus truly happened, it is the
single most significant event in history, and every
human being is given the opportunity and
responsibility to respond in one of two ways. In 1
Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul concedes that if the
resurrection of Jesus did not happen, we have been
fools. “But,” he adds, “Christ has indeed been raised
from the dead” (see 1 Corinthians 15:19-20). It is
true.
On April 5, Easter Sunday, it is likely that our
worship center will be more full than it usually is.
Some of the additional people will be family
members here for the holiday, of course, but many
will be people who are not weekly church attenders.
Some may be here simply because it’s what they do
on Easter and Christmas, perhaps because they
view Christianity as “moderately important.” Some
will be here because you invited them to come.
Some may come simply because they’ve decided it’s
time to reconnect with God, and Easter seems like
a good time to do it.
Whatever reasons bring people into our worship
center on April 5, it is our prayer that all who enter
will leave knowing beyond any doubt that what
happened in a grave outside Jerusalem over two
millennia ago is definitely not merely moderately
important, but rather, the single most significant
event in human history. And we pray with you that
it will become the most significant thing in their
personal history as well.
Equipping men and women to
walk with God, make disciples
and serve Christ for a lifetime
Primetimers
Primetimers met on February 10 for a potluck
luncheon. It actually turned into a salad
luncheon, due to a shortage of main dishes, but
the salads were very tasty. They were 20
Primetimers, one office staff member, and our
guest speaker, Robert Baker. Robert told about a
planned low-income senior rental housing effort
called Cedar Wood Housing Project.
Our next meeting will be a potluck luncheon
at noon on March 10. Please note that there are
changes in who should bring what: If your last
name begins with A-E, please bring a dessert; F-L,
a salad; and M-Z, a main dish.
Our March speaker will be Aimee Roberts.
Aimee is the owner of “A Helping Hand Home
Care”. Her company provides in-home care so
individuals can remain in their own homes, with
assistance from a caregiver. This service is
something that each one of us may be in need of,
and we will be provided with information we may
wish to pass on to others. If you are 50-or-better
you will want to attend this luncheon. If you have
questions you may contact Ernie Dyer at
785-841-2990 or 785-393-3846, or via email at
[email protected].
—Doug Heacock
* “What If ” by Nichole Nordeman, from the album,
Brave, ©2005 Birdboy Songs, admin. by Capitol
CMG Publishing.
Easter Flower Sales: lilies, tulips, hyacinths and daffodils for $10 each. Watch the lobby and the
bulletin for sign-up sheets on March 15 and 29.
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
MOVE: SPIRITUAL
LIFE SURVEY
access at home. The survey link has been emailed
to all whose email addresses we have in our
database, and is also listed at the end of this
article.
Your spiritual growth is of vital importance to
our church, whether you are just beginning to
explore the Christian faith, or you are a long-time
follower of Christ. We want to do everything we
can to help you on your spiritual journey. That’s
why we need your help. If you call LFMC your
church home, we strongly encourage you to
participate in the Reveal Spiritual Life Survey!
Your input is crucial to the role our church
plays in your spiritual development. Your
responses are anonymous and are compiled by an
expert third-party research organization that
compares our responses with others’ responses.
This survey is an important tool to help us
understand our church’s role in your spiritual
maturity. Thank you in advance for your time and
contribution to this tool that will help us
understand and plan our church’s role in your
spiritual life!
This survey, which asks questions about your
spiritual life, will be available online to you
through March 9. The survey must be completed
in one sitting and requires about 35-40 minutes to
complete. A computer will be provided for use at
the church for anyone who doesn’t have Internet
You’ll find the Reveal survey here:
http://www.revealnow.com/slsurvey?uid=7111
Pastor Carolyn returning to teaching at KU; reception March 8
Carolyn Heacock resigned her position at LFMC in February to take a teaching position at the
Applied English Center (AEC) at the University of Kansas, where she teaches English to international
students. Carolyn was the senior member of the pastoral staff, having served on staff at LFMC for more
than 15 years.
Prior to her tenure with LFMC, Carolyn taught in the Spanish department
at KU, and then worked at the AEC as an ESL teacher and language specialist
for many years. In the summer of 1998, following the departure of a student
ministry pastor, Carolyn stepped up to coordinate student ministry as a
volunteer until she joined the staff part-time in the fall of 1999. She was
appointed to be pastor of student ministry in January 2000. In the years that
followed, she accepted a variety of leadership roles, in children’s ministry,
student ministry (again), family ministry, assimilation, missions and social
justice.
In those roles, at various times, Carolyn has recruited and trained
hundreds of volunteers; baptized over 150 children, teens, and adults; and led
nearly 20 missions trips to five different countries, involving nearly 100
different teens and adults.
There will be a reception after each worship service on March 8, to honor Carolyn and thank her for
her many years of faithful leadership and service in our church.
Carolyn and her husband Doug have attended LFMC since they were married in 1983. (Doug
continues to serve on the LFMC staff as Director of Media and Contemporary Worship.) Carolyn will
continue to help lead our student ministry for several months on a volunteer basis, and intends to
continue to volunteer in various ways at LFMC as time permits. We thank her for her leadership and her
hard work over so many years—she will be missed.
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
Junior Camp
It's time for summer camp! Ok, not exactly but it is time to register for Jr. Camp!
Jr. Camp is a summer camp for children finishing grades 3-5 this spring. Located at Rock Springs Ranch
near Junction City, KS, the camp has horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, archery, elective classes like
crafts and much, much more! Morning and evening chapel times will provide children with inspiring
worship and relevant messages.
Jr. Camp is a wonderful, safe environment for kids to begin to explore new hobbies, make new friends,
take on new responsibilities, and connect with God on a deeper level.
DETAILS
Who:
Kids finishing grades 3-5 this spring.
Dates:
June 22-26.
Earlybird registration:
$230 if registered by March 15. ($100 deposit due with registration form; final
payment due by June 7)
Registration after March 15:
$240 if registered after March 15. ($100 deposit due with registration form;
final payment due by June 7)
Questions:
Allie Klopenstein at [email protected] or 785-842-2343.
Cabin Leaders:
Camp is incredibly fun and enriching for the cabin leaders, too! If you are a
children's ministry leader, volunteer, or parent who would like to apply to be
a cabin leader, contact Pastor Allie. (Note: All cabin leaders must pass a
background check.)
Easter Egg Hunt on Easter
Sunday, April 5
For children through the 6th grade,
immediately following both worship
services on Easter Sunday!
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
Family Worship
It is important for children to be a part of worship. They need to see their parents worship. They
need to see the church body participating together in a church service. For this reason, the children in
K-6th will be in the church service on 5th Sundays. March 29 is not only Palm Sunday but it is also a 5th
Sunday. The children will participate in the worship service through the waving of palm branches and will
then stay in the service with their families. It will be a family-friendly service with a special children’s
bulletin and application for children. Parents will receive more information in the coming weeks but if
you have questions, please contact Pastor Allie at [email protected].
March in DU
As followers of Christ, “I can trust God no
matter what” is a phrase we all say. And for the
most part we sincerely believe it and live it out.
We trust God to provide for our basic needs, for
our safety, even for our health and well-being. But
there are certain moments when trusting God
seems just a bit more difficult—often those are
the times when we’re forced to wait.
Throughout our life, we will face times when
we’re not where we once
were, but we’re not yet at
our final destination.
Instead, we’re somewhere in
between. Put simply: we’re
waiting.
And it’s in the waiting
that our faith is tested.
Which is why allowing
God to develop patience in
us is important. Not only is
patience a Fruit of the Spirit,
it is a foundational way that we can reflect God’s
character. From the very beginning God has
shown patience with people. When Adam and Eve
broke God’s rule, He could have killed them on
the spot. Rather, He showed them grace. Yes,
there were consequences, but God had a plan for
their rescue. All throughout the Bible we see God
showing patience in order that more people could
come to know and believe in Him.
God’s patience is continually focused on
relationships with people. Even after we sinned,
He still pursued us. He sent Jesus, His own Son,
to make a way for us to be with Him. He waited
time after time for people to repent and make
things right.
Something He still does today.
When we demonstrate patience, we are less
likely to hurt our relationships with others. We
are more likely to trust that God has something
better for us in the future. And when we trust
God with our future, even when
we’re “in-between” on life’s journey
and asking Him “Are we there
yet?” we can have patience
knowing that His plan and His
timing are always better than our
own.
The Bible is full of stories and
principles that help us realized the
importance of discovering how to
be patient.
We’ll start the month with one of
the best examples of what happens when you’re
not patient; you lose something of value. In
Genesis 25:24-34, we discover the story of Esau
sacrificing his birthright for a bowl of stew.
Because Esau was impatient, he lost something he
could never get back.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t
wait, think twice. Don’t let your lack of
patience cause you to make a decision you’ll
regret. Think twice about what really matters and
wait patiently.
Continued on next page…
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
For week 2, we head over to Exodus 32:1-35 and
find the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai.
Instead of obeying God and waiting for Moses to
come down off the mountain, the entire nation of
Israel grew impatient. They built a golden calf and
began to worship it instead of worshiping God.
Their lack of patience had some severe
consequences.
March 2015
would be the King and their waiting would be
over. When Jesus was found guilty and crucified,
they must have felt so defeated. They didn’t know
at the time that God had something different in
mind, something better for the whole world.
Bottom Line: Remember that God’s plan
is bigger than yours. When you’re having a
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t
wait, think about what’s true. It’s easier to
wait when you remember all the times God has
helped you before. You can trust Him, knowing
that He’ll help you wait.
For week three, we’ll look at 1 Samuel 1:6–2:1
and the story of Hannah. She had waited years for
a child. Rather than become frustrated and angry
toward God, she prays and tells Him all about it.
When God answers her prayer, she gives her son
back to God. He honored her waiting and blessed
her with even more children.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t
wait, talk to God about it. It’s important for us
all to remember that talking to God about how
we feel about waiting will help us stay patience
through whatever circumstance we might face. He
may not change our circumstance, but He’ll give
us the strength to keep waiting well.
We’ll close out the month with week four as
we look at Mark 11:1-11; 14:43 – 15:47. The world
had been waiting for a Messiah, a rescuer. And
when Jesus had finally shown up on the scene, His
disciples were ready. They figured this was it. Jesus
hard time waiting, remember that God has a plan
for you life bigger and better than you could ever
imagine.
While we’re discovering what God has to tell
us about patience, we’ll be memorizing Psalm
27:14: “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don’t lose
hope. Wait for the Lord.”
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait in our own
power. Our hope is in God. He will give us the
strength to remember that it’s worth the wait.
It’s important to remember that learning
patience doesn’t happen in a moment; it takes
time. As we talk to kids about how they can
reflect God through how they show patience, it’s
important to remember that this is something
they’ll be developing for the rest of their lives, and
something we, as adults, can probably use some
work on ourselves.
By Dan Scott ©2015 The reThink Group. All rights
reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
Durley Camp
Greenville, Illinois
June 14-19
for students completing 6th-8th grades
Join teens all over the Midwest for fun
activities, late night games, making new
friends and an opportunity to encounter the
living God and learn what it means to truly
LIVE!
Cost: $245 if registered by March 15; $275
after March 15. The cost includes camp
registration, $15 for the snack shop, and
transportation. More information and the
registration form are available in the lobby
and the Teen Center, and at lfmchurch.org/youth. If you have questions, please email Carolyn Heacock at
[email protected].
Teens in the Worship Center on Easter Sunday
On Easter Sunday, April 5, the teens will be worshiping with the adults in the Worship
Center at the 10:35 a.m. worship service.
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
Missions News Flash
Early on the morning of Monday, Feb. 23, we
received a report that Rev. Phyllis Sortor, our
missionary in Nigeria, was abducted from the Hope
Academy compound in Emiworo, Kogi State,
Nigeria by several persons. The U.S. Embassy has
been notified, and the State Department and the
FBI are working with local authorities to find and
rescue her. We are calling on the U.S. church to join
together in prayer for Phyllis' safety and speedy
release.
Bishop David Kendall, for the FMC in Nigeria
Update from Across the World
Adam and Rebecca, along with their two elementary-aged children, live in what the Free Methodist
Church calls a “creative access country,” so if you find this article somewhat vague, there is good reason.
(Adam was able to call while in a more open country attending a conference.) They wanted to update us
and ask us for prayer in three main areas:
New Jobs
Adam, a teacher, recently received a promotion to the head of his department and since that
promotion he has been given an incredibly unique position for a westerner. Rebecca had been teaching
college business writing courses, but when a need arose at the school their children attend, she switched
to teaching elementary science there. Adam notes, if that school shut, many families would be in a bind.
Her current teaching position will not be a long-term change, but she’s enjoying it.
New Opportunities and Relationships
Through a new program, they have seen many opportunities to connect students and business
professionals of varied backgrounds. They have also been blessed with opportunities to show hospitality
to many around them and build relationships.
Fruit
They ask for prayer for the current situation of their country and region even if you don’t know where
they live. Adam shared that this is the most fruitful year they’ve seen yet and at the same time, their area
of the world, and their government in particular, is cracking down much more than when they arrived
there many years ago. The fruit of God’s work through them is evident! Pray that it would continue.
Please, as always, also pray for their family as a whole.
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Lawrence Free Methodist Church
March 2015
Sunday services and programs
E-mail contacts
9:00 a.m. Blended Worship, programs for
nursery and preschool
Bill Bump, Senior Pastor
[email protected]
10:35 a.m. Contemporary Worship, programs
for nursery through senior high teens
Larry Baldridge, Pastor of Discipleship
[email protected]
Nursery available 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Allie Klopenstein, Pastor of Children’s Ministry
[email protected]
Church Office Information
Bethany Harvester, Administrative Assistant
offi[email protected]
Office hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to noon and
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: 785-842-2343
Fax: 785-842-2351
E-mail: [email protected]
Doug Heacock, Director of Media and
Contemporary Worship
[email protected]
Vanessa Thomas, Director of Choir and Blended
Worship
[email protected]
Web: http://www.lfmchurch.org
The Update
Lawrence Free Methodist Church
3001 Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66047
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