The Methodist. A Publication of The Seward United Methodist Church 1400 North 5 th Street Seward, NE July 2011 Vol.

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1 The Methodist A Publication of The Seward United Methodist Church 1400 North 5 th Street Seward, NE July 2011 Vol. 7, Issue 7

2 Radical Hospitality JUST4THEFUNOFIT! Join our adult fellowship group and mark your summer weekend calendars NOW! Saturday, July 23 House to House Patio Parties 4:30 p.m. (appetizers) Marc and Marty Guthrie s home 6:00 p.m. (sandwiches/salad) Lee and Connie Doehring s home 7:30 p.m. (dessert) Karen and Vern Yelden s home UMW MISSIONS WORKDAYS July 23, August 20 8:30-12:30 We need people with portable sewing machines, we are making and tying twin and baby quilts, pillow cases and school bags for Haiti. Questions? Call Phyllis at BLUE VALLEY COMMUNITY ACTION PANTRY Collection item for July 3 is Paper Towels THANK YOU Joys for God s healing hand over Samuel DeBoer, grandson of Richard and Julie DeBoer. Thank you for all of your prayers! To Seward United Methodist Church: Thank you for your wonderful donation to Blue Valley community Action. Your generosity is very much appreciated. Sincerely, Blue Valley Staff & volunteers Thank you so much for the gifts for graduation. I really appreciate it and as so glad I have been part of such a good church family over the years. It has made a great impact on my life. Thanks again, Bobi Albrecht

3 Vital Faith Formation Small Groups have long been a staple of the Methodist movement, though in the early days they were called 'class meetings.' According to Linda Bloom of the United Methodist News Service "Anyone living in New York in the late 1700s with an interest in joining John Street Methodist Episcopal Church was required to attend a weekly class meeting. After six months of learning about Christian doctrine from class leaders, hearing the testimonies of regular members and making their own professions of faith, those who had been admitted on trial might be recommended for full membership or continued as probationary members. Even at its earliest stages, it was apparent that the spiritual vitality and sect-like quality of New York City Methodism and, for that matter, the entire denomination, were bound up closely with the Wesleyan class meeting, Small which was referred to by some 19th century Methodist writers as the soul of Methodism, writes the Rev. Philip F. Hardt, a member of the United Methodist New York Annual (regional) Conference." Groups to Form It is in small groups where connections of faith can be made with other believers, and where deep friendships can begin to develop. Small groups are an opportunity for those who participate to grow in their faith, be strengthened in their walk by and with other Christians, and have a safe place to ask questions and seek answers together. The Seward United Methodist Church will be implementing small group ministry this fall. Small groups usually consist of between 8 and 12 members and the meeting times & locations are left up to the group. Sometimes there is a designated 'leader,' and other times the members take turns in leading the discussion. In some churches, each small group participates in the same study, using the same format. In other churches, each small group does their own thing. Some groups meeting during the day, others in the evening - but most meet weekly. Some groups are all women, others are all men. Some are composed of single persons, and others are all couples. Some groups are all generation-specific, while others are multi-generational. What our groups will look like has yet to be determined - but one thing is sure, we need this opportunity to develop our faith with each other. Small groups most definitely include fellowship (and sometimes food!) - but its so much more than a social time...it is intentional faith development. On Sunday, July 10 and Sunday, July 17 Pastor Doug will be leading an informal 'chat' in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 a.m. to get feedback about your thoughts and ideas regarding a small group ministry for our church. Please plan on attending one of these two meetings. In August, we will begin signing up to participate in small groups, and we will kick off this new ministry in September. Please join us!

4 Miscellaneous For information on how to donate to the relief fund for victims of spring storms and flooding, visit our church website ( and/or our facebook page. Both locations have a link that will take you to the appropriate website. KIWANIS HAMBURGER FRY July 29th & 30th 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. PAC-N-SAVE PARKING LOT Bring the whole family for a great meal. Pass the word on to friends and relatives. See you there! Potato Bake Utica Senior Center Sunday, July 10, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Free Will Offering Potato Bake with a variety of toppings, Salads, Desserts, Coffee or Tea Heartwarming Worship Worship Schedule Sundays at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. Fellowship following the 10:30 service Sunday School following the children s message at the 10:30 service. CAN T BE IN WORSHIP? Watch us on Cable 13 at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday and 10:00 a.m. on Thursday mornings. Praise Service July 17, :30 a.m. Sunday, July 31, 2011 One Service Sunday 9:30 a.m. Write down your favorite hymn and drop it in the offering plate. Hymns will be drawn from a hat Sunday morning Old Fashioned Hymn Sing

5 We are in the midst of summer, and yet plans for fall programming are underway. We are looking forward to a women s retreat with Triple Threat Ministries, Inc. Their ministry is to encourage, enable, and educate women to be the creation that God intended for them to be. More information about that will be coming in future weeks. We will be encouraging all of our members to become involved in a small group that is focused upon spiritual formation. A Beth Moore Bible Study will be offered this fall for those interested as well. Our church is a good place to be, and we have much to celebrate, but we should always be on the lookout for ways to move from good to great. Keep your eyes and your ears open for more information and in the meantime...see you at church! WHAT S NEW IN BRIGHT BEGINNINGS?? We have been really busy at Bright Beginnings. We have rearranged our classrooms. Please stop by and see the changes that we have made. We have been on walks, played outside, played inside in our indoor gym area, and made many crafts. We have also been learning about Noah s Ark and the promise that God made to us. On the 4th of July make sure and find us in the parade!! Our float theme is Growing in the light of The Son, our Hero. JOYS AND CONCERNS Please remember those with on-going health concerns through the month of June: Ruth Wehrs, Dale Borcher, Pete Yost, Connie Atkinson, Wanda Miers, Jim Henry, Logan Craig, Linda Marshall, Roger Hans, Shirley Herrold. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Erik Anderson, grandson of Harlan and Mary Lue Gahm, who passed away. Congratulations to Sarah Broeker and James Hall who were married at the church Friday, June 10, Our thoughts and prayers are with Tammie Ferris and her family upon the death of her brother on Saturday, June 24. Please continue to pray for all those whose lives have been affected by flooding and spring storms.

6 Seward United Methodist Church 1400 North 5th Street Seward, Nebraska Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Seward, NE Permit No. 62 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors Phone: ; Fax: Website: Doug Griger, Pastor; Every Member, Minister REMEMBER Call the Church ( ) or Pastor Doug if you are going to be hospitalized and wish to have the Pastor visit. Due to privacy laws, hospitals cannot disclose information. AUGUST MAILBOX DEADLINE IS Friday, July 29 Submit your news by Friday, July 29th. You can articles to the church at or call Cindy, office administrator, at Local Church Activities Chair persons for July are: Rosie Westerhoff ( ) Tep Reeder ( )

7 The earth is the Lord s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24:1 The Bible calls us to care for the earth and everything in it. As Methodists, our Book of Discipline s Social Principles explicitly address the care of God s creation and our role in protecting it. Specifically it says: All creation is the Lord s, and we are responsible for the ways we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect.. The staff and congregation of Seward United Methodist Church already take many steps to show that we value God s creations, both in our homes and in our church building. We have the opportunity and obligation to put our faith into action and improve our stewardship in this area. Doing so not only fulfills our calling to be responsible consumers of God s resources, but it also allows us to use our financial resources and gifts for missions, Christian education, and other programs which we are called to undertake, rather than for purchasing office supplies and paying utility bills. Look for monthly tips in the newsletter of how we can continue to meet our stewardship responsibilities toward god s creation.

8 Gracious Generosity A WIN-WIN SITUATION We have all heard of the phrase win-win situation. It can be described as an instance in which both parties to a transaction benefit. A donation to the SUMC Foundation is a good example of a win-win situation. Your donation benefits a variety of worthwhile SUMC causes, such as scholarships, youth mission trips, music program, and renovation of church property. Similarly, the donor benefits because he/she is eligible to receive a tax deduction. The methods to make a donation are many and varied. Donations can consist of cash, harvested crops, land, stocks, fine arts, or life insurance. Gifts may be in the form of an outright gift, bequest in Last Will & Testament, or annuity or trust which could provide the donor with income for the remainder of his/her life. Donors are encouraged to consult with their attorney or tax consultant in order to maximize their deduction. May - BY THE NUMBERS Offering Received in March General Funds: $20, Trustees Funds: $2, Average Worship Attendance for May: 229 Mission Share/Apportionments remaining in 2011: $33, Coming this fall Beth Moore s Stepping Up Bible Study A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent Keep watching for more information!