Glad Tidings - Congregational United Church of Christ, Neenah
Transcription
Glad Tidings - Congregational United Church of Christ, Neenah
Glad Tidings Congregational United Church of Christ Neenah / Menasha January 2016 What 201 taught me… (or reminded me about what I already knew) As we have been in the process of building of the 201 st New Habitat House in the Fox Cities, I’ve been hearing from those who have worked on the house that they learned so much. Even those who have done their own home repairs reflected on how they learned to do things better. I’ve had that experience myself. I intentionally tried to work on a few days when we would be doing something I had never done before because I knew I would learn something. But, now that the build is over and the house dedicated and the family is moving in, I’m realizing that building house 201 has taught me more than some handy building and home fix it techniques. Here’s my list of what 201 has taught me: 1. That I have limitations and that’s okay. There are a lot of other folks who don’t have the same limitations that I do and the other way around and when we all work together, there are no limits to what we can do collectively. 2. That positive interactions can brighten up even the darkest (and muddiest, and wettest, and messiest) of days. 3. That there really is good in the world and when you hold all the good up against all that is not, it really is a light that the darkness can’t put out. Good. Wins. Every. Time! 4. That no matter how important the task is, no matter how critical it is to get something done, relationships come first. (Okay, the Habitat people would say that safety comes first but I’d have to put that as a close second or maybe a tie). It really is okay to stop and chat for a while. 5. That the work we do today may very well be making a huge impact in someone’s life years from now. When Habitat was started through a group from our church back in 1993, they maybe didn’t know that their work would eventually lead to over 200 new homes, plus many more lives impacted by the other programs that Habitat now does like home repair, home renovation, financial , not to mention the countless lives that are impacted through the many volunteer hours. If you think that the little bit that you do to do good in the world doesn’t matter, think again. 6. How easy it is to talk about our church (or Habitat) when you have rolled up your sleeves and have gotten involved. 7. How much people really do want to know about the things that you are excited about. 8. That Habitat for Humanity is incredible. 9. That CUCCNM rocks! 10. That God is good…. all the time! (Continued on next page) What have you learned from your experience with 201? Pastor Lynne Ps… anyone interested in 301? Pastoral Relations Committee The Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) exists to provide support to the pastor and to help maintain and open and healthy relationship between the pastor and members of the congregation. Through the work of the Pastoral Relations Committee, we follow the Apostle Paul’s instructions to “Help carry one another burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. (Galatians 6:2,10). Our PRC meets quarterly but is always available to be in conversation with the members of the congregation as a method of fostering a healthy manner of relationship within the church. Should you ever have anything to share with the PRC, contact any of the members: Dan Balogh, Bob Nault or Ann Pabst. The next PRC meeting will be on Thursday, January 21 at 7:00 pm 01/02 01/03 01/04 01/04 01/10 01/10 01/14 01/15 01/15 01/18 01/18 01/19 01/20 Sue Knuth Alan Gear Tammy Heinrich Don Kloepfel Teagan Janness-Jording Sara Toeppler Dave Peperkorn Alison Heiser Liz MacKelvie Jean McKnight Tim Kellnhauser Dean Katzman Adam Anderson 01/20 Erv Hemb 01/22 Andy H-M. 01/23 Becky Nichols 01/24 Wayne Gibson 01/24 Megan Peters 01/24 Cory Hacker 01/26 David Rumpf No January Wedding Anniversaries We would like to wish all a happy birthday or anniversary. If your birthday or anniversary was omitted or you would rather not have it published, please contact the church office. 2 Long time member Lee Forman past away on Nov 25th in Ft Myers Florida. Services were held in Florida on Dec 1st. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Pastor Lynne will be on vacation Jan 9th - 18th. If you are in need of pastoral assistance please call the church office 725-4873 Please keep the f o l l o w i n g members and friends in your p r a y e r s : Bruce Janda (eye surgery), Lee Forman Family upon his death), Clo Shumann (back surgery), Sherry Bayer, Joel Toeppler, Barb Peperkorn, Dean Curtis, Sandy Pozolinski Lebo, Steve Furstenberg and Bill Gear. Spiritual Life Musical Greetings for 2016!! January Lectionary January is a month that I need to say ”Thank You” to a lot of people for their dedication and help throughout the month of December. December is the month to celebrate Christ’s birth, but it is also one of the busiest months in the choir room. A BIG thank you to everyone involved in the Christmas Musical “On Our Way to Bethlehem”. What a wonderful celebration of Christ's birth and the wonderful talent we have in our church! Thanks to everyone who was willing to share their time and talents. It was such a special treat to have such wonderful musicians. I also want to say another special “Thank You” to the adult choir for all their help in making the Christmas Eve service such a wonderful experience. Every year so many of you are willing to come and sing, and your voices add so much to the Christmas Eve service. Thanks! Adult Choir Rehearsals will begin on Wed. January 6th, 6:30 pm I hope to see many returning faces as well as welcoming any new. All are welcome to come and January is a great time to try out the choir. January 3rd Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12 Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1:(1-9), 10-18 January 10th Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-,21-22 January 17 Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 36:5-10 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 January 24th Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 January 31st Jeremiah 1:410 Psalm 71:16 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 God’s Blessings, Sherri Jischke Music Coordinator Church Office Holiday Hours Glad Tidings Articles Due January 15th Office will be closed January 1st PANTRY SUNDAY----LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE! December/January FOOD PANTRY Item: Beef Stew Food pantry items are used by our church as a "give away item" at our next Community Table. We will be collecting items in hopes that there will be enough for each guest to get one item. Please place above items in the shopping cart in the center hallway. They will be distributed at our January 26th Community Table meal. 3 Spiritual Life New Member Inquiry and Orientation Sunday, February 7 Following Worship Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, January 31 11:00 am Following an Abbreviated Worship Service If you’re interested in learning more about our church and considering becoming a member, come join us for a light lunch, orientation and a time to ask your questions. Please RSVP at the church office ([email protected] or 725-4873) by January 31. Child care will be provided! New Member Reception This is not going to be our usual Congregational Annual Meeting. Sure, we’ll receive the annual reports and adopt a budget like we always have but plan on some celebration and fellowship. We will share a potluck meal so get ready to bring your favorite dish to share. Sunday, February 28 During 10:15 am Worship Plan to attend worship and help us welcome in our newest members! Pastor’s Office Hours and Locations We’re putting some “New Beginnings” things in action! One of the ways that we’ll be “reaching out to the neighborhood” a bit more is to actually be working in the neighborhood a bit more. Pastor Lynne will be having some office hours in various locations out and about. She’ll still be at the church most mornings (Monday – Thursday) so feel free to drop in there. But, afternoons, you are just as likely to find her in area coffee shops. Come on by those places as well and join her for a chat. We’ll try to keep the times and locations posted in the weekly announcement flier and on Facebook. If ever you want to get in touch with Pastor Lynne to find out where she is so you can visit, call her cell phone 920-809-2178 or send her a text at that number. Ash Wednesday and Lenten Services It starts early this year! Ash Wednesday is February 10, 2016. We’re going to try something a bit different this year for the Ash Wednesday and Lenten Services and Potlucks. In order for our younger members to participate, we’re going to have the dinner at 5:30 with the services to follow shortly after 6 pm. (The key will be to get the pot luck started on time!) Choir rehearsal will begin at 6:45 pm. Ash Wednesday Service February 10 6:00 pm (or a little after) Confirmation Update After a short break for the holidays (no class held on December 23 or 30) the confirmation students will jump right back into things with class on January 3rd. They had a wonderful time at the Knock-Knock retreat held at Pilgrim Center in November. Thank you to Kerri Ahlborg and Mary Janness for accompanying them and some of our other middle school youth. Mark your calendars for Confirmation Sunday, May 1st! Still keeping the concept of an interactive experience, we’re going to change things up a little bit and get “messy.” This will be a family friendly, kid (of all ages) engaging, hands on way to begin our Lenten Season. The service will begin in the Sanctuary as soon as folks finish up with the potluck dinner 4 Ministry of Faith Development Y’all Come Youth Group January 6th 2016 6:30p – 7:45p It’s a celebration of Jesus’ birthday! Again this year the Youth will be collecting birthday items during the month of January to donate to the Christine Anne Center. We’ll be asking for donations of cake mixes, frosting, candles, party hats etc… Anything Birthday Party related will be collected!! National Youth Event NYE is scheduled for July 26-30th this year in Orlando Florida in a Disney Resort. Please see the UCC website for more information. http://nye.uccpages.org/ Right now we know that registration opens on January 20th. If your child is thinking about attending this NYE then a way for them to help make funds to support the trip would be to help with the Winter Carnival. All money raised by the Winter Carnival will be split between Camp Scholarship and NYE. Beer and the Bible What??? Beer and the Bible m eet s o n Jan 19th at 6:59 pm at Waverly Beach in Menasha. Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of every month. This lively discussion is very informal and lay led – there is no right or wrong answer. Join us at 6:59 (or come at 6:00 and eat dinner first.) ** Please Note B & B is moving to from the 2nd to 3rd Tuesday of the month. NO Sunday School Jan 3rd Coming to CUCCNM a Winter Carnival. Mark your calendars for Saturday February 20th 12:00 to 6:00. There is a bulletin board in the hallway for sign ups for the Winter Carnival. The purple sheets with stars are to volunteer your time and the blue sheets are to donate some items. The carnival is fast approaching , and we could really use some help planning and getting ready. We still need some chairs for some of the sections and all sections still need helpers. We are also in need of some silent auction items and other donations to help with this event. The next meetings will be (all from 5:30 -6:30) December 30th at Waverly Beach, January 13th & January 27th at church. Please join us and help plan this family fun day. Souper Bowl of Caring On Sunday, February 7th, 140 million Americans will tune in to the Super Bowl football game. There will be parties with abundant food, friendship and fellowship. At the same time, there will be people worrying about staying warm, finding shelter and a warm meal. Please join the young people of this congregation and around the country as they demonstrate God’s love by loving their neighbors through the Souper Bowl of Caring. It’s a simple, yet significant act of caring for others. The children will be collecting cans/boxes of soup or Drop $1 (or more) in the soup pot as you leave worship. Camp AweSum Youth and Young Adult Mission Opportunity For youth currently in 8th grade or older and young adults under the age of 25. Camp AweSum Family Camp provides families who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorders to attend a safe, supportive week at a camp setting. Our youth and young adults are invited to spend the week at one of the weeks of Camp AweSum at Moon Beach to help provide respite care and support to the families. Although we do not have a firm date for this year’s Camp AweSum experience, we are expecting it to be in July or August. The cost is $100 which will be given to Moon Beach as a donation. Fundraisers will be done throughout the year to help cover the costs of transportation. If you would like more information about our Camp AweSum experience, please contact Pastor Lynne and let her know. 5 Ministry of Stewardship Dear Members, As you read this communication, your Ministry of Stewardship is working diligently on a budget for 2016. Having to submit this note early in December for publication in January, details are far from certain. It appears that we will have a sizeable deficit in 2015, but it should be well short of the $30,000 projected last January. We all can thank individuals who made additional financial contributions and contributions of time and talent that led to reduced expenses. Pitching in together reminds us of the church family we truly are. Over the last several years, we have had to utilize the Permanent Opportunity Fund (POF) to cover annual deficits in our budget. Based on pledges to date, it appears 2016 may be no different. Our predecessors have generously endowed us with these gifts in order to preserve this congregation into the future. 2015’s deficit will be funded from the principal of the Congregational Enrichment Fund, as will any 2016 or future budget deficits, until the CEF is depleted. The Finance Committee will use our best estimate of income from your pledges and history of giving to propose a balanced budget for 2016. If this cuts into our mission too deeply, our POF policy allows us to propose a budget with a deficit up to $30,000, which would require approval with a 2/3 majority vote at the January annual meeting. It will be our goal to honor both the needs and desires of the current congregation as well as those who have endowed us with the financial resources for a fruitful future. We anticipate holding a preliminary budget hearing on Sunday, January 10, 2016 after worship, and a second hearing on January 24, and welcome your input and comments. A final vote will be taken at the annual meeting January 31. Yours in Christ, Steve Stoll, Chair, Ministry of Stewardship Ministry of Service Our January Special Offering will support Samaritan Counseling Center of the Fox Valley. Samaritan Center provides psychotherapy that connects mind and spirit so individuals, families, organizations and communities can thrive. In 2015, Samaritan Center helped 1,000 people thrive -- including “Isabel.” Every time Isabel comes for a counseling session, her Samaritan therapist takes her hands, looks into her eyes and tells her the beauty and strength she sees there. Isabel cries every time. She is moved and inspired by an adult who sees the soul inside her and encourages her, rather than assuming the worst about her. That’s what Samaritan Center does – cares deeply for clients, integrating each child’s and adult’s unique spirituality in his or her counseling. Some 40 percent of the kids and adults Samaritan Counseling Center serves are low-income and struggle to access care elsewhere. YOU make their care possible through your gifts this month. Thank you! M 6 Our Wider Church Dear friends and colleagues in Christ, I write to you to share an exciting new initiative we are calling Shift! The time has come to relinquish our age-old lament over declining membership and diminishing resources. Why? Not because we've stumbled into some new quick fixes, but because God invites us to "Shift" our focus away from church scarcity toward spiritual abundance. Why do we continue to dwell on what we lack rather than fix our eyes on changing lives through the ministry of Jesus Christ? If we are to faithfully "Be the Church" in this 21st Century, we will need to stoke anew the fires of passion for the Gospel. It will require a Shift from a focus on "maintenance ministry" (preserving our buildings and budgets) to a focus on "mission ministry" (transforming lives through the power of love). Over the past ten months our Wisconsin Conference staff and Board of Directors have begun to establish a vision that inspires us toward an intentional building of collegial relationships, exploring collaborative ministry, developing conference-wide networks and resources, and embracing the need for "adaptive" change. This vision is rooted in the story of our faith ancestors in our relational care for one another. We are launching this vision with an initiative called Shift. The name itself suggests the necessity for change, in order for the United Church of Christ to be relevant and thriving in the next generation. At General Synod this past summer, General Minister and President Rev. John Dorhauer charged us with this crazy mandate - "Prepare to fail!" In other words . . . think outside the box . . . take some risks . . . let the Holy Spirit inspire your congregation to launch some new ministry that will bring goodness and grace to the world, and renewed energy and vitality to your congregation! I have already invited our Conference staff to do some shifting. Our current mission is clear and compelling - to equip, support and resource the local church and the pastors of our Wisconsin Conference. We are asking ourselves daily - What must we let go of in order to dedicate ourselves to this mission? How can we silo less and collaborate more? How can we can we create "congregational connectivity" that shares best practices and creative ideas? What new models and expression of "Church" can we explore and guide? This initiative is a response to what we are hearing - the recognition that all of our congregations will need to adapt and change as we wrestle with the notion of how to Be the Church of the future. The Shift initiative is an invitation for the local church to enter into an exciting dialogue and an opportunity for the Wider Church to partner with you. Our 2016 Annual Meeting will focus on paradigm Shifts in the local church. We will even invite congregations to commit to exploring one major "Shift" over the coming year. The Wisconsin Conference is preparing to support your congregation in a myriad of ways: coaching, programming, mentoring, cohort groups, staff guidance, collaborative networking and many resource materials. Over the next month we will develop a conversational resource piece for your congregation. In January we invite your leadership board and pastor to begin a discernment process aimed at discovering ONE area of ministry in which you have the passion and potential for a Shift. Some examples include: a fresh approach to spiritual formation, a deeper commitment to community based ministries and justice work, new models for staffing, governance and pastoral leadership, spiritual gift inventories, congregational wellness programs, and new mission initiatives. This is an exciting time in the life of the Wisconsin Conference. God calls us to be bold in our faith and courageous in our vision for the Church of tomorrow! Autumn blessings, Franz Rigert 7 Help Needed Ministry of Stewardship 2016 Contribution Envelopes 2016 Contribution Envelopes are ready for pick up. Please let the church office know if you no longer want envelopes or if you would like to receive them. Church Books Close Dec 31st A preliminary budget hearing will be held on Sunday, January 10, 2016 after worship, and a second hearing on January 24. The M in i st r y o f St e w ar d sh ip welcome your input and comments. A final vote will be taken at the annual meeting January 31. Church Books will close Dec 31st. Financial gifts to the church for the year 2015 must be received by financial secretary Thursday, Dec 31st. Thank you, Melanie Nault Save the Date Annual Meeting Jan 31st The Ministry Council is looking for a secretary. This person would need to attend monthly Ministry Council meetings (usually held on the 4th Thursday of the month) and Congregational meetings. The main responsibility is to take notes and distribute them but the Secretary is also an elected officer of the church and a member of the Ministry Council. If you are interested in this position please contact Linda Stoll ([email protected] ) or Bruce Janda ([email protected].) Church Information 1511 Nicolet Blvd. Neenah Wi 54956 920-725-4873 Website: www.cuccnm.org Church Office [email protected] Annual Report It is going to be that time of year soon and the deadline for submitting those articles is coming up quick. Please have your annual report articles in to the church office by January 8th. Pastor Lynne Spencer-Smith [email protected] Christian Education Director [email protected] Communication Coordinator: [email protected] Time & Talent Coordinator [email protected] Treasurer's Corner Wider Church Contacts: November Giving Income $ Interest + Rents Other Income Total Income $ Expenses Difference $ Year to Date 27,088 $ 166,809 351 976 - 921 27,439 $ 168,705 17,321 186,255 10,118 $ (17,549) 8 www.ucc.org (United Church of Christ) www.neaucc.org (Northeast Association ) www.wcucc.org Wisconsin Conference www.uccfoxvalley.org Fox Valley UCC congregations Spiritual Life 2011 “Needlers” Please join us in the church lounge the 1st Wednesday and 3rd Friday of the month at 1:00pm. (Jan 6th and 15th) This is for anyone working on a needlework project (knitting, crocheting, etc.) or wanting to learn to knit. Some will be working on Prayer Shawls. Questions, contact Laurie Kleist. News from Lake Edge Lake Edge has enjoyed a great Holiday Season, but low enrollment is creating some challenges. Please keep us in your prayers and we move forward. Ministry Council Moderator: Linda Stoll Vice Moderator: Bruce Janda Secretary: Treasurer: Dave Zernicke PLAN AHEAD FELLOW GARDENING FRIENDS: There will be another plant sale in May. Save plant containers and fill with annuals or perennials from your collection in spring. Or save and bring any empty plant containers to the church in spring. The sale will probably occur the second Sat. in May. You, your containers and your plants will help make the sale a success. Last year the sales in May and June sale netted about $1,300. With good PR we hope the one day sale will bring in an equal amount. Book Club Book Club will meet at noon at Neenah Perkins on January 10th to discuss Inside the OBiens by Lisa Genova. Anyone is welcome to join. Ministry of Faith Development Jenn Abing Ministry of Service: Kris Anderson Ministry of Spiritual Life Cindy Wolf Ministry of Stewardship Steve Stoll At Large: Dan Balogh Cheryl Humleker Chuck Luebke Communication Coordinator: Church Historian: Jeff Stewart Church Cancellations Should Sunday services need to be cancelled due to inclement weather a decision will be made by 7:00 am. Notification will be posted on the website, Facebook, the church telephone answering machine, and television channels 26 and 5 (WFRV). (Attempts will be made to list on other stations but we have specific instructions for these two.) Should an evening program (youth group, choir, etc.) be cancelled the decision will be made by 4:00 pm and notification will be posted in the same manner. UN-Hanging of the Greens after worship on Jan 3rd More hands make less work ! 9 “An AED (automatic electronic defibrillator) is available in the east hallway across from the church office. In the case of an emergency, call 911 first. Time and Talent Upon receiving the schedule, please review it to ensure you are available when scheduled. If you are unavailable, please use the contact information to find a replacement for yourself. Please notify the Clo Shumann [email protected] and church [email protected] with the schedule change. Thanks to all for your continued support and service as volunteers! Clo Shumann, Volunteers Coordinator Sunday Date 01/03/2016 01/10/2016 01/17/2016 01/24/2016 01/31/2016 Host Don Kleist Pat Bezella Ann Pabst Dar Schuff Marcy Fry Liturgist Linda Stoll Cheryl Humleker Sue Knuth Pam Zielinski Signa Meyers Greeter 1 Maribeth Diem Kerry Fox Dean Katzman Liz MacKelvie Ann Pabst Greeter 2 Laurie Kleist Terri Flesburg Pat Katzman Marcy Fry Dorothy Samu Head Usher Steve Stoll Gary Bezella Ginny Stutzman Cindy Wolf Jack Fry Usher 2 Alan Gear Dorothy Samu Dave Zernicke Nancy Winkler Connie Regazzi Usher 3 Marty Abing Mark Marek Erv Wegner Pat Mahoney Kelsey Wadleigh Usher 4 Jenn Abing Victoria Skye Wendy Remmel Maribeth Diem Depositor Steve Stoll David Reynolds Bruce Janda Pam Zielinski Cadey Katzman Roy Rosenberger Acolyte Luke Abing Henry Balogh Ally Hillis Owen Huycke Izzy Hagenow Nursery 1 N/A Sam Chaffin Alanna Smith Laurie Kleist Cindy Wolf Nursery 2 N/A Abigail Jischke Denise Stewart Audrey Mosebach Abigail Jischke Communion Preparation Terri Flesburg N/A N/A N/A N/A Projectionist N/A Kevin Shumann Kevin Katzman Interested in serving as a Worship Host? There is a need for someone to serve on the second Sunday of the month as well as people to be on a list of substitutes. Contact Laurie Kleist or the church office if you would enjoy serving as a worship host. Looking for help in the Nursery If you are interested in helping, please contact the church office. A background check and training to be completed before you can be scheduled. 10 Kevin Shumann Kevin Katzman Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 1 Church office closed New Years Day 3 4 5 6 NO Sunday School 10:15am Worship 11:30 am 11:30 am Staff Meeting 7:00am Discussion Group 11:00am Bible Study 1:00 pm Needlers 6:30 pm Adult choir Confirmation 6:30pm Youth Group Min. of Spiritual Life Hanging of the Greens 10 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15am Worship 11:15 am Preliminary Budget Hearing 12:00pm Book club , Perkins, Neenah 11 12 13 11:30 am Staff Meeting 7:00am Discussion Group 11:00am Bible Study 6:30 pm Adult choir Confirmation 5:30 pm Carnival Meeting 7 12:00 pm Clergy Study 8 Annual Report articles Due 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 14 Sat 2 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 9 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 15 Glad Tidings articles Due 16 1:00 pm Needlers 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 17 18 19 20 21 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15am Worship : Kids Sing 11:30 am Staff Meeting 7:00am Discussion Group 11:00am Bible Study 6:59 pm Beer & Bible, Waverly Beach 6:30 pm Adult choir Confirmation w/ Mentors 7:00pm Pastoral Relations, Uncorked 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 22 23 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 24 25 26 27 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15am Worship 11:15 am Budget Hearing 11:30 am Staff Meeting 7:00am Discussion Group 11:00am Bible Study 6:30pm Finance 6:30 pm Adult choir Confirmation 5:30 pm Carnival Meeting 28 31 11 30 6:30 pm Ministry Council 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15am Worship 29 7-8:30pm Horizon II AA Congregational United Church of Christ of Neenah / Menasha 1511 Nicolet Blvd. Neenah, Wi 54956 920-725-4873 www.cuccnm.org [email protected] January 3rd Un-Hanging of the Greens January 10th and 24th Budget Hearings January 31st Annual Meeting 12