United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 Learn God ~ Love God ~ Share God ~ Serve God January 2016 Church Staff Rev. Brenda Whitford Lead Pastor (Renewal Leave) Rev. Elizabeth Whitford Associate Pastor pastorliz@centurylink.net (608) Rev. Dr. Elmer Colyer Interim Pastor ecolyer@dbq.edu Amy Loeffelholz Business Administrator amyloeffelholz@centurylink.net Deb France Administrative Assistant plattevilleumc@centurylink.net Adam Abing Custodian Ellen Carnahan Sunday School Superintendent ellen.carnahan@yahoo.com Nancy Fairchild Organist nfairchild2@gmail.com Deb Putnam Mallow Ringers Director putnamd@uwplatt.edu Dean Goninen & Josh Byrnes Redeemer Directors dean@lifelineav.com brewcrew2808@gmail.com Susan Schlager Parish Nurse smschlager@yahoo.com (608) Mariah Umhoeffer Nursery WORSHIP HIGHLIGHTS January 3 How Then Should We Live? Pastor El Preaching John 14:1-7, Corinthians 15:1-8, 12-14, 18-20, :30 Special Music John Putnam, Soloist Communion both services January 10 The Tyranny of the Urgent or the One Thing Needed Pastor El Preaching Luke 10: :30 Special Music McKenzie, Soloist & Mattea Scanlan, Cello Janaury 17 Pastor Liz Preaching Matthew 25: :30 Special Music Piano Duet Nancy Fairchild & Elizabeth Duewer January 24 A Fire, a Storm and a Heart Full of God s Love: The Life of John Wesley Pastor El Preaching Romans 1:8-17, 5:1-2, 6-11 Ephesians 3: :30 Special Music Zoe Meir, Clarinet January 31 Grace upon Grace: Salvation According to Wesley Pastor El Preaching 2 Corinthians 1:12-14, 18-22, 5:11-6:2 8:30 Special Music Connor Feyen, Oboe 1065 Lancaster St., Platteville, WI (608) plattevilleumc@centurylink.net

2 Page 2 Thank you! I do not know how to begin to thank you. Fifteen years of ministry has taken a toll on my body, mind and spirit and I do not have the energy or spirit that I used to have for ministry. You could have thrown me away and simply asked for a new pastor. Instead you have invested in me. I do not take your grace lightly. You have given me ten weeks! Ten weeks to travel, to read my Bible (the goal is all the way through!), to read professional books, to pray, to journal, to listen to God, to wrestle with God, to walk where Jesus walked. I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around what an incredible gift this is that you are giving me. In addition, many of you have contributed monetarily to my Israel trip. I am so very grateful! It is true that the Renewal Leave isn t costing the church anything, but you could all still be complaining about it. Yes, it s allowed by the Discipline and encouraged by our Conference. It will be good for you when I return full of energy. I am so grateful that you see this as a positive thing for all of us! Recently I began thinking about this Renewal Leave in terms of Summer Vacation as I did when I was teaching. Good teachers don t really take the summer off. They spend time reflecting on what went well and what needs to improve in their classroom. They do research, read journals and take additional classes to further their education. They begin making plans for when they return. I am seeing my Renewal Leave this way. Although I won t be working, everything that I will be doing will make me a better pastor, just like summers made me a better teacher. While I am gone, I know you will you give Pastor El a warm welcome. Listen, learn and continue to grow. Help in whatever way you can. Continue to Learn God, Love God, Share God and Serve God. And when I come back, we will enter the next phase of building the Kingdom of God together! God bless you, and thank you so much!

3 Page 3 Welcome Rev. Dr. Elmer M. Colyer! Rev. Dr. Elmer M. Colyer is Professor of Systematic Theology and Stanley Professor of Wesley Studies at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, where he has taught for the past twentyfive years. An ordained minister in Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church, Colyer has served churches in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Iowa and Illinois. He has been involved in the renewal of the church throughout his thirty-five years as a pastor. Dr. Colyer is the author/editor of four books and numerous articles and book reviews. He is a past president and co-founder of Christian Theological Research Fellowship. Colyer has received many honors and awards, particularly for his work as a theological educator, including the following awards: 2009 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD (U. Wisconsin/Platteville) 2002 DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR AWARD (U. Wisconsin/Platteville) 2001 WILLIAM LOMAX AWARD for excellence in teaching/advising (U. of Dubuque) El, as he prefers to be called is an avid bike racer. At the end of 2008, El was ranked the #1 amateur Time Trialist in Iowa and the #2 fifty-three year old amateur Time Trialist in the country by USA Cycling. Colyer won the 2015 USA Cycling Iowa State 40K Time Trial Championship. At 59 years old, he is one of the oldest cyclists to ever win a USA Cycling State TT championship. Arising out of his passion to see others flourish, El started Colyer Coaching as a way to share what he learned about holistic and individualized training for bicycle racing with others. Pastor Brenda will be on renewal leave through Sunday, March 6 th. She will not be checking , nor returning phone calls so that she can focus on her spiritual growth. Pastor Liz and Pastor El will be available for pastoral emergencies. Susan Schlager, our parish nurse will be assisting with visiting. Please contact the office if you have any other pastoral needs. Please welcome Deb France as our new Administrative Assistant. Deb started working at the church in December. She resides in Livingston, WI with her two cats, Steve and Lucy. She is a member of the Catholic Church in Highland.

4 Page 4 PLATTE RIVER REGIONAL MINISTRY Grades 4-6 Youthsters will meet again on January 29 th! You won t want to miss this exciting evening filled with slime and balloons!. We had a wonderful time last month caroling at Park Place. We sang a mix of well-known Christmas hymns and favorite Christmas Carols. We also gave each resident a snowflake ornament. After caroling we walked back to church and enjoyed delicious homemade hot chocolate and cookies! In February we will be taking a field trip to an exciting place. Watch for more information! Going to be a freshman or older? Like meeting new people? Like helping people? Excited to travel to a new place? MISSION TRIP 2016 is for you! While we do not know where we are going yet, each year is amazing no matter where we go! The cost will be $500. There will be fundraising opportunities to help cover the cost. Talk to Pastor Liz if you are interested in learning more! Campus Ministry Thank you to everyone who helped with the finals bags for Campus Ministry! The students loved them!! We had a wonderful semester of meetings on Tuesdays at campus for Bible Study and dinner, and Saturday lunches with homework. As a congregation lets make sure and welcome all college students you see in worship. Pioneer Wesley will continue gathering next semester. We would love for the congregation to help us again with Saturday lunches. If you are interested in making lunch for 5-8 college students, please Pastor Liz or sign up on the sheet in the lobby. We are looking for some experienced adults to join Pioneer Wesley for our Mission Trip this year. Pastor Liz is not able to go this year as she will be in school for the summer. The tentative dates for our mission trip will be approximately May 15 th -22 th. Please let Pastor Liz know if you would like to participate!

5 Page 5 SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS As we start the new year, our Sunday School classes will be learning the stories of Jesus ministry here on earth. Our children are trying to model that ministry by caring for others. Through their mission project, the Ulithi Atoll Typhoon Recovery, the children have raised over $3000 this Fall to help the Ulithi people rebuild after a devastating typhoon hit the islands last April. Shortly after the first of the year, our church will send a check for whatever has been collected so far to Ulithi, to boost their recovery program. The children will continue to collect their weekly offerings, and host coffee fellowship and bake sales each month to continue that ministry work. Our next coffee fellowship and bake sale will be the morning of Sunday, January 10 th. A big thank you to the congregation for supporting the children s ministry! Please continue to encourage and contribute to their project. Our children will also be establishing pen pal relationships with the children from Ulithi Atoll. The island children go to school, and learn to read and write English. We will be corresponding with them about life in southwest Wisconsin, and learning about their lives and culture. Our Youth Sunday School Class raising funds for Ulithi Atoll at Christmas! Buy A Troll to Save Ulithi Atoll On Christmas Eve, Pastor Brenda and some of the children from the 5:00 pm service shared a Christmas Video Greeting to the people of Ulithi Atoll. You can watch the video on our Facebook Page or on YouTube at

6 Page 6 UNITED METHODIST WOMEN United Methodist Church UMW NEWS: No General Meeting for January. No Rebekah Fellowship Group in January. A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who contributed food or other items, volunteered, attended, ate lunch and/or purchased items at the Christmas Fair. Thank you for helping make it a time of Fellowship and making the Fair a success. Christmas Stocking Every December, the UMW takes an additional offering for a special place or group that is in mission to help others. For the last two years they sent the money to the Chaplaincy Ministry in Madison, which has helped many families in times of health issues in the Madison hospitals. This year it was decided to send the money to Northcott House in Milwaukee. It has been there for many years, but we have been told it is in dire need of help. For years we collected Campbell soup labels for them. Hope our contribution helps in some small way. CHURCH WOMEN UNITED LUNCHEON Church Women United will hold a Soup, Salad and Socks* luncheon on Monday, January 18 th at St. Mary s Parish. Lunch will be served from 11:45 am to 1:15 pm. Tickets are $5.00 and will be available at Hidden Quilts on Main Street or at church on Sunday, January 3 rd and 10 th and at the church office during the week. Limited tickets will be available at the door. Purchasing tickets early helps with the count for food preparation. *When collecting donations for homeless and families in need, socks are the least likely to be donated. They are a matter of survival in this climate. Therefore, we are asking people to donate a new or slightly worn pair of socks. Barely Seniors Potluck and Program Thursday, January 14 12:00 pm Table Service & Beverages Provided Barely Seniors please bring a dish to pass. The program, More Stories of Southwest Wisconsin, by James Hubbard, UW-Platteville Archivist. It will cover an assortment of historical mysteries and stories concerning SW Wisconsin with a focus on Platteville and its people.

7 Page 7 GRIEF SUPPORT There has been interest expressed for a grief support group. Several members of our congregation have experienced significant losses in the past year. This group is a safe place for people to do the work of mourning and reconciling losses with people who have gone through similar experiences. The group can provide emotional, spiritual and physical support in a nonjudgmental environment. Receiving support and understanding along with sharing with others, encourages growth and rediscovery of who you are now. The hope is to start this group the end of January on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening and meet for 12 sessions. Please contact Susan Schlager or the church office if you are interested and indicate what day and time works best for you. If you have a friend from outside of the church who is interested please invite them. ~Susan Schlager RN, Parish Nurse ( ) ~Church office GARDEN OF GOODNESS Thanks to everyone who helped plant, weed, pick and deliver to the Food Pantry, Family Advocates and shut-ins. A special thank you to Dick Bonin who has been tilling the garden for us each spring and fall. We are in need of more interested volunteers for this valuable and well appreciated project. This is a nice way to learn a bit about gardening from those who are more experienced, a great way to get a little exercise, an opportunity for fellowship, and a wonderful opportunity for high Debbie schoolers to get service hours. We Schroedl already have one high school student busy who has expressed an interest in working helping with the garden. Please in the contact Susan Schlager ( ) if you are interested in helping. garden! ADOPTED FAMILIES The Mission Committee extends a huge thank you to everyone who contributed Christmas donations for our 16 adopted families. This included 520 food items and useful products, plus money to purchase additional items. Also, it was wonderful to see our Christmas tree surrounded with 90 presents for our adopted families. Your generosity was much appreciated!

8 Platteville United Methodist Church Learn God ~ Love God ~ Share God ~ Serve God Platteville United Methodist Church 1065 Lancaster Street Platteville WI Phone: platttevilleumc@centurylink.net Plattevilleumc.org Non-Profit Organization U.S Postage Paid Platteville, WI Permit No. 97 Return Service Requested If you would no longer like to receive this newsletter, please contact the church office to take your name off the mailing list. Thank you! The Redeemer Super Bowl Sunday Soup Lunch Fundraiser February 7, 2016 Redeemer Redeemer will play at the 11:00 service. Free-will offerings will help support the Redeemer ministry. Please feel free to donate even if you cannot attend the lunch. Carry-outs will be available after both services. Serving will begin after the 11:00 am service.