A home of belonging, growing in outreach and diversity to build community in Christ HANNA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Transcription

1 THE Hopper Street Herald A home of belonging, growing in outreach and diversity to build community in Christ Jan/Feb 2019 HANNA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH A home of belonging, growing in outreach and diversity to build community in Christ Office Hours: 1-4 p.m., Wednesday & Thursday Church Office: Pastor Jim Denton s Cell: hannaumc@frontier.com Website: hannaumc.org Worship Service, Children s Church, Hospitality Time Sundays, Beginning at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Classes Sundays, 10:35 a.m. Discipleship Classes (In Our Fellowship Hall) Mondays, 10 a.m. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Thursdays Sparks (K-6th grade): 4-5:30 p.m., Fellowship Hall Fuzes (7th-12th grade): 5-6 p.m., Youth Room

2 Reconciliation We live in a particularly contentious time. There are deep divisions and hostilities in the world, our nation, our denomination, and occasionally even in our families. If we are really honest with ourselves, sometimes we are divided in our own hearts and minds as well. We argue, fight, and turn away from each other in disgust when we make no headway in bringing people around to our way of thinking. Our relationships are the casualties of these conflicts and broken relationships can be as painful and deadly as any physical wound. In the worst cases there can even be physical harm from war, domestic violence or self-harm. I m convinced that the Evil One celebrates every wedge that is driven between people and especially the wedges that separate us from God. On the cross and in the tomb, Jesus won the war against all of the evils in the world and, most importantly, over the evils in our own hearts. Reconciliation is not just one of the blessings we receive from Jesus but is in fact at the very heart of Jesus (and our) mission in the world. Romans 5:10 says, 10 For if, while we were God s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! This tells us that reconciliation is not a result of our salvation but is the method of God saving us. We are reconciled, then saved! This reconciliation is not just between individuals and God but is also between people. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 says, 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin [a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Becoming the righteousness of God does not only mean avoiding our own sin, it means being ministers and ambassadors of reconciliation. In Christ, while we were God s enemies, he forgave us and reconciled us to God, let us be reconcilers, forgivers, and relationship builders with our enemies. Jesus tells us to be reconciled to one another (Matthew 5:24). Stand up for your beliefs, but believe most of all that in Jesus, all of our conflicts are forgiven and healed by the cross. The love of God and neighbor is God s goal for each human and as Christ s ambassadors let that be our goal in this very contentious world. Peace, Jim

3 Hanna Circle Soup Sale The Hannah Circle will be selling quarts of soup on Jan.20, February 17, and March 17. Cost is $5.00 per quart. January s soup is Chicken Noodle. February s soup is Vegetable Beef. March s soup is Beef & Noodles. Please fill out the insert in the bulletin or call the church office to order your soup. Deadlines are the week before the soup sale of each month. $100 will be given from each soup sale to support a mission. January s mission is the Women s Care Center in LaPorte. February s mission is the Hanna Food Pantry. Thank you for your support. PRAYER CHAIN PHONE CONCERNS TO NANCY BURNS, If Nancy doesn t answer, leave a message, and contact Judy Carter, December 22 BLOOD DRIVE 23 units of blood were collected at our Dec. 22 Blood Drive. This superseded the goal, which was 21 units. Thanks for your continuing support for this extremely important cause. Greater Gifts Worship Series January 13 Baptism of the Lord Sermon: You Are Beloved Scripture: Luke 3:15-22 January 20 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon: Gifted for Others Scripture: 1 Corinth. 12:1-11 January 27 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon: Being Needy Scripture: 1 Corinth. 12:12-31 a February 3 4th Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon: Love Scripture: 1 Corinth. 13:1-13 To the Family & Friends of: Donna Guntrum October 31, Ivan Shay November 1, Keith Mills November 3, Rich Lute November 5, Ken Moberg November 12, Shelby Baske November 14, Marilee Koontz November 16, Helen Hagan December 9, Harry Edwards December 23, Jean (Giggy) Mullins December 25, Dean Wolf December 29, 2018.

4 Church Council Minutes November 19, 2018 Trustees Garner Inc. cleaned the carpet in the Fellowship Hall. Bill Hunsley and Matt Mertz made some repairs to the fence around the church parking lot. The same fencing isn t available for purchase anymore. Missions $230 was collected in an offering on Sept. 30 for the Honduras mission. Hannah Circle Circle paid the shipping costs ($470) for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. The ladies have paid the shipping costs the last 2 years. Circle will donate $1,000 toward the new playground equipment, and $1,000 toward a new projector. These donations are being made in memory of Shirley Castle and Dorothy Neill. Ladies hosted the Lion s Christmas Dinner on December 4. UM Men Men donated $50 to Hope Mission for meals for the home- less, and $50 to the Hanna Food Pantry. Old Business The Historical Society appreciates being able to use the Fellowship Hall for their Village Christmas. 11 children and quite a few adults attended on Nov. 17. Our youth (Fuze) had the Christmas tree decorated in the hall and the South Central Leos made hot cocoa for the event. An Account of Your FAITHFULness November 4 - December 30 Date Attendance Offering Missions $1, $ , , , , , , , , Average offering needed weekly to meet budget: $2, Fellowship Hall Rental: $ Donations to Multimedia Fund: $5.00 Donations for New Playset: $ Donations for Poinsettias: $ Christmas Offering: $ BIG THANKS! to everyone who donated bears and outerwear. These items were given to the children at Stepping Stone. to everyone that supported Operation Christmas Child. to all who helped decorate the church inside & out this Christmas. to Guse Tree Farm for donating the wreaths & garland. to Bill Garner for heading the luminary project, and all who helped light the town with the Christmas Eve Luminaries and gather them on Christmas morning.

5 See All the People Worship Series I will be drawing on Discipleship Ministry s theme See All the People. This is a message of reaching people and moving church into the community. Jesus went to where the people were: synagogues, homes, roadsides, etc. Yes, people gathered around Jesus, but He always went to them for them to be able to gather around Him. Jesus truly saw all the people; and as a result, the people were always with Him, gathering around Him and seeking Him out. If we move church out into our community to bring people to know Christ, we need to pay attention to the way Jesus responded to these crowds. In the first week of the series, the pressing crowd is mentioned alongside Jesus encouragement for his first disciples to go fishing. The image of the fish breaking the nets is analogous with the people pressing in on Jesus. The second week recalls a great crowd of Jesus disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon (Lk. 6:17). They were expecting Jesus to heal them. This image powerfully shows the crowd relentlessly reaching for Jesus, that they might touch him and receive his healing power. In the third week we put ourselves in the shoes of the crowd listening to Jesus sermon. The message of loving enemies was (and is) so against our nature that it causes us to pause and question ourselves as division threatens our long-standing and God-given identity and relationships. Week four, Transfiguration Sunday, presents the dramatic scene of Jesus transfiguration as he stands with Moses and Elijah. Jesus, Peter, John, and James then descended the mountain, and Jesus healed a boy with a demon, to the astonishment of a great crowd (Lk. 9:37). We need one another and we need the love of God. We know that wherever Jesus goes, a crowd is sure to follow. Are we ready to go to the people? If we go to them, to all of them as the Body of Christ, then they and we will experience the Lord doing great and wondrous things. February 10: Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon Title: The Pressing Crowd Scripture: Luke 5:1-11 February 17: Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon Title: The Expectant Crowd Scripture: Luke 6:17-26 February 24: Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany Sermon Title: The Questioning Crowd Scripture: Luke 6:27-38 March 3: Transfiguration Sunday Sermon Title: The Astounded Crowd Scripture: Luke 9:28-43

6 SUNDAY WORSHIP MINISTERS' SCHEDULE NOTE: If you are unable to serve, please find a sub at least a week ahead. If you are able to help, please sign up on the bulletin board in the Sanctuary. Thank You!! FOR JANUARY Ushers: Steve Fuller & Ed Castle, Glenn & Rita Wallace, Scotty Marks & Bill Garner, Dave & Anna Jones Readers: Heather Styborski & Craig Creutzburg, Jodie Funkhouser, Elaine Shurte, Mike Hagan Fellowship Hosts: Guse Family (6) Hosts Needed: Jan. 13, 20, 27 Nursery Ministry: Lorry Hagan, Becky Rodman, Angie Swanson, Marla Bolakowski Children s Church: Denise Tabor (6 & 13), Paula Clindaniel (20), Tracy Becker (27) Communion Stewards Pam Creed & Kathy Mack FOR FEBRUARY Ushers: Monte & Paula Clindaniel, Mike & Lorry Hagan, Jon & Kathy Mack, Ed Castle & Allen Garner Readers: Carol Heckman, Bonnie Guse, Allen Garner, Steve Fuller Fellowship Hosts: Brenda Bolakowski (10) Hosts Needed: Feb. 3, 17, 24 Nursery Ministry: Brenda Bolakowski, Liz Serynek, Carrie Cusick, Luann Marks Children s Church: Kris & Anna Jones (3), Heather Styborski (10), Denise Tabor (17 & 24) Communion Stewards Needed Items are received every Sunday in the Fellowship Hall, on the table next to the walkway. Thank you for supporting the Hanna Food Pantry. January 6 Toilet Paper 13 Spaghetti 20 Spaghetti Sauce 27 Saltine Crackers February 3 Toilet Paper 10 Paper Towels 17 Kleenex 24 Cereals *Items may be purchased in bulk; Pantry will separate. Any Information for the MARCH - APRIL NEWSLETTER Please give to Denise or to hannaumc@frontier.com by February 19. THANK YOU!!