Geneseo Voice. Lenten Worship Schedule 2018 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Lenten Community Worship 2018 SUNDAY SERMONS

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1 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3 Geneseo Voice MARCH 2018 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: WORSHIP ASSISTANTS, PRAYERS, CELEBRATE COUNCIL SUMMARY & STEWARDSHIP REPORT CHILDREN S PAGE 4 PASTOR S PAGE 5 NEWS & EVENTS 6 CALENDAR 7 SUNDAY SERMONS March 4th Guest Preacher Guy Mitchell March 11th Communion Sunday (UMCOR Sunday Special Offering) The Son of Man Must be Lifted Up Psalm 107:17-22 John 3:14-21 March 18th For This Reason I Came Psalm 51:1-10 John 12:20-28 March 25th Palm Sunday Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord Psalm 118:1-2, Mark 11:1-11 March 29th Maundy Thursday Will You Lay Down Your Life for Me? John 13: Lenten Worship Schedule 2018 We will begin Lent with an Ash Wednesday prayer service on February 14th at 6:00pm at Geneseo UMC. Lenten Community Worship 2018 During Lent, you are invited to join our community in worship and fellowship every Wednesday as we join Dysart United Methodist Church and Zion Lutheran Church of Dysart in a weekly Lenten community midweek worship. Lent: A Journey of Love Building Community. Lent is an opportunity for spiritual and personal examination, a time to study our relationship with God and others, a time to improve those relationships and make them more meaningful. But our desire for a deeper connection to God, one another, and all of God's creation has to compete with the rest of life. Our spiritual practices go up against our everyday lives, busy schedules and family demands, emotional trials and more. Each of the following Wednesdays will begin with a community meal at 5:30pm followed by a service of worship at 6:30pm. (All of the following events will be held at Dysart UMC in Dysart on the corner of Tilford Street and Iowa Street) Wednesday, February 21st - God Loves Us Genesis 9:8-17, Pastor Linda Butler preaching. Imagine yourself surrounded by promise and look for signs of it in the world around you. Wednesday, February 28th - The Blessing of Generations Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Pastor Linda Butler preaching. Think about the ways you yourself create signs of promise. Wednesday, March 7th - Contemplate God s Glory Psalm 19, Pastor Harry Wach preaching. Challenge yourself to be more mindful of our words in these contexts this week. Wednesday, March 14th - God s Love is Steadfast Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22, Pastor Harry Wach preaching. Spend an entire day being thankful for everything that happens, no matter what happens. Wednesday, March 21st - God s Love Is on Our Hearts Jeremiah 31:31-34, Pastor Linda Butler preaching. Make a list of what you hold most dear.

2 GENESEO VOICE PAGE 2 MARCH WORSHIP ASSISTANTS March Altar Flowers - Sheryl Brandt Coffee Servers (March 11th): Jacque Moffitt (chair), Deb Reding, & Pat Hill Greeters & Ushers: Bob & Pat Hill (whole month) Acolytes: Nora & Sean Mitchell Communion Assistants (March 11th): OPEN Instrumental Leaders: Song Leaders: 4 - Guy Mitchell 11 - Paul Lindeman Tech Desk: Youth Group Meals: 7th - Guy & Kate Mitchell 21st - Tammi Neuendorf Sign-Up Sheets for 2018 are available in Fellowship Hall. MARCH CELEBRATIONS BIRTHDAYS 5 - Marissa Freemon 7 - Tricia Freemon 9 - Brian Jaquith 9 - Tammi Neuendorf 11 - Sarah Hill 12 - Braydon Adams 13 - Sharon Fackler 16 - Madison Howard 18 - Elsie Mitchell 18 - Mallory Hill 20 - Valerie Ryan 24 - Austin Reding 24 - Chris Olson 31 - Jeff Salasek ANNIVERSARIES 4 - Joe & Sheryl Brandt 17 - Ron & Deb Mumm 22 - Bill & Jackie Spain 29 - Dwaine and Tricia Freemon 29 - Paul & Donna Lindeman PRAYER REQUESTS Continued Prayer Support Sandy Boomer, living in Sunrise Assisted Living Herald & Elsie Mitchell, for good health and good rest Prayer Map Area Living With Cancer Betty Murphy, friend of Diana Sash GENESEO UMC SUNDAY SCHOOL Sunday school at Geneseo UMC is for ALL ages! March s Sunday School Schedule: March 4th, 18th, 25th (Communion Sunday will be March 11th)

3 GENESEO VOICE PAGE 3 OPPORTUNITIES The clipboards in the fellowship hall offer several way to be involved in the weekly life at GUMC. These include Ushering/Greeting, Acolytes, Altar flowers, the Sound System, and Coffee Hour Hosts. We all look forward to the 1st Sunday of the month when we gather at the Lord s Table followed by a time of socializing, connecting, and getting better acquainted with new attendees. We also enjoy the coffee and cookies. Each coffee hour needs three persons a leader (chairperson) and two apprentices. There are openings even two open months. Please consider how you might answer the call. Questions? Call Pat Peckham coordinator YOUTH GROUP NEWS & EVENTS Youth Group Wants Youth & Meal Volunteers! Youth in 5th through 12th grades are always invited to participate in Geneseo UMC s Youth Group! Our leaders are Caitlynn & Terry VanDyke. We meet every other Wednesday night from 6:00-7:30pm, with a meal provided at 6:00pm. Our next few meetings dates are March 7th & 21st. Please contact the church office to let us know if you have any questions. We are also looking for volunteers to provide meals to the Youth Group on their meeting nights! Meals are served at 6:00pm. If you d like to volunteer and/or help out, there is a sign-up sheet at Geneseo UMC on the Fellowship Hall sign-up table! CHURCH COUNCIL SUMMARY & STEWARDSHIP REPORT Council Meeting Summary, February 13 Pastor Wach and eight members attended. Robert Hill presided. Pastor Wach will participate with leadership of the Lenten Services/Meals of the Dysart Ecumenical Association to be held at the Dysart UMC. Geneseo UMC will assist with hosting the March 7 event. Jeff Salasek, Trustee chairman, reported that a new water heater has been installed at the church. Supplies to replace the hail damaged building roofs have been ordered. Work will begin in early spring. Insurance monies received will cover all needed repairs to church buildings. Spahn and Rose of Jesup and Essential Elements are the two companies signed to do the repairs. SPRC committee is in the process of hiring a Technical intern. A Security/Safety Committee has been organized. Members are Mike Chingren, chr., Frank Maassen, Bob Hill, Deb Mumm and Aniqua Prouse. The purpose of the committee is to identify potential areas of concern regarding safety and security issues. December 2017 Stewardship Report $ 79,565 General Fund Balance 1/1/ Special giving receipts +8,423 Operating revenue/offerings -0 Special giving disbursements -9,503 Operating expenses $ 78,535 General Fund Balance 1/31/18

4 GENESEO VOICE PAGE 4 CHILDREN S PAGE

5 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3 PAGE 5 A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR S DESK I am Giving up Watermelon for Lent Well, we are a few weeks into this year s Lenten Season. So what does that mean? For some, we are using this season before Easter to find a deeper understanding of our faith. Some of us have traditions that have been with us since we were young. We may have the tradition of fasting or abstaining from certain things during the Lenten Season as a show of our sacrificial love for God. I can remember some of my childhood Lenten experiences. In our house we were asked what we were giving up for Lent. To be truthful, I didn t want to give up anything. So, I would come up with some answer that didn t cause me any pain. I tried to give up watermelon one year, but nobody bought it being winter and all. Another time I gave up Coca Cola, which was easy because at the time I liked Pepsi a lot better. All in all, it became a game more than a religious or spiritual experience. Later in life, I saw more clearly the value of fasting and abstaining from certain things to make room for a change in the focus of my daily routine. But even then, I must admit to being a light weight when it came to being sacrificial in my fasting. I found instead another way to walk through this holy time of Lent and make the most of it. I found that I could take a common Scripture and make it my Lenten theme. I know that others may read volumes consuming God s Word. But for me, it has been more meaningful to take a simple verse and live it for the 40 days. Allowing each day to bring more meaning. This year s is from Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation. During the first days of Lent, this verse spoke to me of how to approach the Lord in prayer. In later days, I began to think about my requests. What am I saying to the Lord? As I write this, I am wondering what the Lord hears in my voice. Does God hear faithfulness or worry? Am I learning to begin each day acknowledging God and sharing my hopes and dreams and trusting God for the outcome? The Lenten Season is a holy time of preparation. That preparation may include sacrificial fasting or abstaining from things we like, or any other activity that draws us closer to God. The celebration of Easter is more meaningful if we have walked with Our Lord during this Lenten Season. Blessings Pastor Harry Please Note: Pastor Harry will be on vacation from February 15th through March 5th. If you should need immediate pastoral assistance, please contact Rev. Linda Butler at Dysart UMC in Dysart or Rev. Todd Holman at St. Paul UMC in La Porte City. Rev. Linda Butler: Office , Cell phone Rev. Todd Holman:

6 VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3 PAGE 6 NEWS & EVENTS UMCOR Special Sunday Offering March 11th We cannot all be present when disaster strikes. However, on March 11, we will equip others to go. Let us join thousands of others across the United States by participating in a United Methodist church-wide special Sunday with offering. Together, we will help fund the critical disaster-relief efforts of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. Unlike other causes, UMCOR receives no funds from the regular United Methodist Church budget. Our generous gifts help cover the agency s administrative costs so UMCOR can continue to guarantee that 100 percent of all other donations go toward specific relief projects. The examples are many helping rebuild after hurricanes in the U.S.; offering assistance after mudslides in Sierra Leone; and continuing to help survivors of floods and other natural disasters that happened before UMCOR Sunday allows The United Methodist Church to respond when disaster strikes. Please prayerfully consider how God would have you cheerfully and generously show God s love around the world with your gifts. March 11th Daylight Savings Time begins! Don t forget to Spring Forward! Easter Garden ordering is here! Easter Lilies $10.00 each, and they will be delivered to Geneseo just before Easter and can be taken home after Easter services on April 1st. Order forms will be available in the Sunday bulletin or you may contact the church office with an order. Please include payment with your order. Make checks payable to: Geneseo UMC. Last date for placing orders is March 11th, Thank you for helping to create a beautiful Easter garden! HOLY WEEK AT GENESEO UMC: Sunday, March 25th - Palm/ Passion Sunday - 9:15am Thursday, March 29th - Maundy Thursday Service - 7:00pm Sunday, April 1st - Easter Sunday 7:30am - Easter Sunrise Service 8:00am - Easter Breakfast (free will donation) 9:30am - Traditional Worship (Please note time difference from regular weekly worship) 10:30am - Children s Easter Egg Hunt (toddler 5th grade) The church / worship schedule is always available on the church Google calendar which can be accessed through our website IOWA UMC CAMPS ARE READY FOR YOU! The 2018 camping year had arrived, and it s NEVER too early to register for Iowa UMC Camps. Fun and laughter await you at one of our three United Methodist camps Wesley Woods, Okoboji, and Pictured Rock. Make new friends, experience new adventures, sing songs around the campfire, and have the time of your life! Iowa UMC Camps can be a life-changing experience where God speaks to youth in many different ways, and you can be sure you ll have an incredible adventure in a Christian environment. The Iowa UMC Camps Teams are waiting for you! Check out the possibilities in the 2018 Adventure of a Lifetime! catalog (on the fellowship hall sign up table) or go online at Complete a registration form, give it to Pastor Harry or church office. Geneseo UMC will provide financial assistance for any children associated with our church. See Pastor Harry if you have any questions. Visit the website or contact each camp s site for more information:

7 Pastor Harry s Office Hours: Mondays & Thursdays 9am to 1pm Wednesdays 9am to 12 noon Also available by appointment Church Secretary Office Hours: Mondays & Thursdays 9am to 1pm Tuesdays & Fridays Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :15a - Worship 10:15a - Sunday School for all ages 11 UMCOR Sunday Special Offering 9:15a - Worship & Communion 10:15a - Coffee Fellowship (Easter Lily orders due) Daylight Savings Time Spring Forward 18 9:15a - Worship 10:15a - Sunday School for all ages 25 Palm Sunday 9:15a - Worship 10:15a - Sunday School for all ages Meeting Night 6:00p - Individual Committee Meetings 7:30p - Church Council Meeting Monthly Newsletter articles DUE H O L Y W E E K 7 6:00-7:30p - Youth Group Community Lenten Worship (all activities held at Dysart UMC) 5:30p - Meal 6:30p - Lenten Worship 14 Community Lenten Worship (all activities held at Dysart UMC) 5:30p - Meal 6:30p - Lenten Worship 21 6:00-7:30p - Youth Group Community Lenten Worship (all activities held at Dysart UMC) 5:30p - Meal 6:30p - Lenten Worship Maundy Thursday :00p - Maundy Thursday Worship 30 Good Friday

8 th Street Buckingham, IA Phone: Pastor Harry s Contact Information: hjwach@mchsi.com Sunday Worship at 9:15am Sunday School (all ages) at 10:30am Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. SPECIAL MESSAGE: We d like to update our communication efforts with you! If you no longer wish to receive this publication from us, OR if you wish to continue to receive this publication from us via , please contact the Geneseo UMC Church Office. Geneseo United Methodist Church th Street Buckingham, IA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED