Messenger. Plant Faith, Nurture Disciples, Grow in Witness & Service. Volume 50, Issue 3 MARCH 2015

Transcription

1 St. Paul s Messenger United Methodist Church Plant Faith, Nurture Disciples, Grow in Witness & Service Volume 50, Issue 3 MARCH 2015 Sunday, March 29 Inside... News and Updates March Worship Schedule Church Family Opportunities for Prayer Opportunities to Serve Mission Projects Sunday School Info UMW News Small Groups Join Us... 8:00am 9:05 10:15am 10:15am Chancel Choir Cantata Kids will process with palms Fellowship Time See below for details No Sunday School today Chancel Choir Cantata Kids will process with palms Holy Week Schedule Thursday, April 2 Maundy Thursday Worship with Communion at 7:00pm Friday, April 3 Sunday, April 5 Ecumenical Good Friday Service Held at Bethany UMC ~ 1110 Echo Lane Easter Celebration Services Celebrate the Risen Christ at 8:00 and 10:15am Sunday Worship: 8:00 & 10:15am Sunday School: 9:05am Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs: 9am 2pm Fri.: 9am noon St. Paul s United Methodist Women present their annual March Madness Direct Vendor Event Saturday, March 21 Turn to page 7 for all the details! On March 29 Palm Sunday & Cinnamon Roll Sunday come together. Bring your friends & family to Fellowship Hall to enjoy rolls, fruit, coffee, milk & juice. Gluten-free refreshments available. There will also be crafts for kids! Come join us!

2 PAGE 2 MESSENGER VOLUME 50, ISSUE 3 March Worship Schedule Senior Pastor Retired Pastor Rev. Diane Rew Rev. Howard Ott Cord. of Discipleship Min. Lisa Srenaski Office Administrator Tracy Dahlin-Hakenjos Bookkeepers Chancel Choir Director Organist Bill Bradshaw Sharon Wolosek Merle Colburn Vashni Seitzer, SPC Childcare Coordinator Christine Kelley Emilie Smith Custodians Our Staff Scott Raymaker Sunday, March 1 2nd Sunday in Lent, Communion Sunday Scripture: Mark 8:30-37 Sermon: Not Too Tight! - Rev Diane Sometimes we forget, and we think that our life is ours to do with as we please and we hold on to things pretty tightly. Jesus reminds us that we must loose our lives in order to save them. Music: 8:00 Vashni & Aria Seitzer 10:15 Dale Johnson Sunday, March 8 3rd Sunday in Lent Scripture: John 2:13-22 Sermon: Time to Clean House? - Rev. Diane Let is the season where we are encouraged to do a good house cleaning. Reflecting on what to keep and what to throw away. In our scripture for today, Jesus does some serious cleansing. Music: 8:00 Worship Band 10:15 Chancel Choir Sunday, March 15 4th Sunday in Lent Scripture: John 3:14-21 Sermon: For God So Loved... - Dave Atkins Our lay speaker, Dave Atkins, helps us to take a closer look at, likely, the most familiar verse in all of scripture: For God so loved the world Music: 8:00 Guitars 10:15 Chancel Choir Contact Us The St. Paul Messenger is published by St. Paul s United Methodist Church, 341 Wilson Avenue, Green Bay, WI Phone: (920) Fax: (920) Website: office@stpaulsumcgb.com Editor: Tracy Dahlin-Hakenjos Please submit written material for the APRIL Messenger by noon on Friday, March 13, 2015 Sunday, March 22 5th Sunday in Lent Scripture: John 12:20-33 Sermon: No Turning Back - Rev Diane I remember reading a reflection on this passage years ago, that declared this as the point of no return for Jesus. The place where he hit the wall and shared with his disciples this news that there is no turning back on the way to the cross. Music: 8:00 Handbells 10:15 Chancel Choir Sunday, March 29 Palm Sunday, Chancel Choir Cantata The Chancel Choir will present the cantata, Upon This Rock: The Passion, The Questions, The Call by Pepper Choplin. This cantata is told from the perspective of Peter and his experiences with Jesus. Paul Blair will play the part of Peter and Dale Johnson will play the part of Jesus. The choir is directed by Merle Colburn and accompanied by Vashni Seitzer. Music: 8:00 Chancel Choir 10:15 Chancel Choir

3 Your Church Family... PAGE 3 Thank you for all our presents. Kaydance loves her toys & pjs. We love the dishes & pots/pans ~ they make preparing meals easier. The lamp looks nice in the bedroom. The gift cards were very helpful. We have fun playing the games. The sweaters are nice for work & I love looking stylish in my boots and hat. Thank you for making our Christmas amazing! Katie, Will & Kaydance (Family# 56) The Pipe Organ Committee would like to thank all who have contributed to the rebuilding of the pipe organ. The console is currently in Chicago being brought in to the 21st Century and we eagerly await the return of its glorious voice to our worship services. Thanks to Jim Kellerman, Polly Strosahl, George & Mary Rather and Bonnie Morton for preparing the monthly meal at N.E.W. Community Shelter, and to Darren, Lisa, Derek & Landin Van Ess for serving. Also, thanks to George Rather for doing the shopping and Suamico UMC for providing the dessert. A total of 192 meals were served. Congratulations to Tyler & Christine Kelley on the birth of their daughter, Marigold Pearl Kelley on January 22. Our sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Barb Doherty who passed away on February 10. Rev Diane will be on vacation March If you have a pastoral emergency during this time, please contact Pastor Yeng Yang at Thank you so much to the congregation for your prayers, calls & cards. All were greatly appreciated. Prayer is indeed powerful. Jacque Steeno Tracy will be out of the office March chaperoning her son s high school band trip to New York City. Inez Gulbrandson will be covering the office during this time. In Feb I started my career at WLUK. It was a perfect position for me; but because of the catastrophic recession six years ago, I lost that job. The station was just sold and the new owners want the position re-instated. So exactly 33 years since I first started, I m returning to the television stations (thankfully with my wife s understanding and support). Going back full-time now? Some might call me crazy...i call me grateful. However, being grateful also applies to my short time at St. Paul s. I m truly grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this wonderful church community. It has been challenging, but the members & staff made the experience a delight. My kids are members of the church, so you will certainly see me around. Let me know if I can be helpful in any way. A heartfelt thank you to everyone. Bob Elliott Welcome to St. Paul s! We re glad YOU are here! If you would like more info on our church, the ministries/opportunities available here, membership, Sunday School, youth, etc., we d love to share with you! Greeters are in the Narthex area on Sunday for assistance and you re also welcome to contact the church office or speak to Rev Diane. Welcome!

4 PAGE 4 What Did We Do In FEBRUARY?? * Work began to remodel the chancel area * Held the annual Lumberjack Dinner * Hosted a homeschool Valentine dance * Worshiped together on Ash Wednesday * UMW held their quarterly unit meeting * Recalled the life of Barb Doherty * Newcomers gathered to learn more about St. Paul s and the ministries and opportunities here * Celebrated the ministry of EPH and our involvement as a partner church St. Paul s has a number of active prayer groups. ALL are open to anyone who would like to participate. If you would like more information, please contact the church office or the person listed after each ministry. PRAYER TEAM The Prayer Team meets every Tuesday at 9:00am in room 107. In addition to praying for those who were lifted up on Sundays and the prayer requests the church has received during the week, they are also a covenant group. If you re looking for a small group that supports and encourages each other while praying and studying the Bible, then join us! Contact Kathryn Ault at * Served as a polling location on election day * UMW circles held their monthly gatherings * Recognized Boy Scouts on Scout Sunday * Hosted a piano festival * Served the monthly meal at the N.E.W. Community Shelter * UMW continued a mission project to collect needed items for area schools * Prayer Shawl Ministry continued to comfort people in powerful ways * Care Team continued to bring joy and comfort to those unable to join us in worship, as well as served Communion to them * Jail team, together with Gideons, provided Bibles and devotional materials to inmates * Collected items for Salvation Army & Ecumenical Partnership for Housing * Extended our beautiful building for scouts, TOPS, EPH, a Destination Imagination team, and the Neighborhood Assoc. PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY This ministry meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 12:00 2:00pm in the narthex. They knit and/or crochet prayer shawls. The shawls are given to anyone who needs one ~ for illness, grieving a loss, etc. Contact Jacque Dahlin at PRAYER CHAIN This group of people prays for urgent requests. When a call is received by the church for an urgent issue, the prayer chain is activated and the members of the chain pray right away for the concern. Contact the church office at PRAYER REQUESTS Do you have a concern or a joy in your life? We would be privileged to pray for you. Prayer requests are always welcomed. You can write them on the request sheet as you enter the sanctuary, speak with a pastor, or contact the church office: or office@stpaulsumcgb.com.

5 PAGE 5 ALL ladies are invited to join us for ANY United Methodist Women (UMW) event ~ circle meetings, unit meetings, etc. You do not need to be a member of UMW, of St. Paul s, of any church just come and enjoy! Hostess: Lynn Berndt Inez Gulbrandson Susanna Circle Monday, March 2 at 7:00pm Fellowship Hall Leah Circle Thursday, March 5 at 1:00pm Fellowship Hall Hostesses: Mary Rather & Kathy Gaffney Program: White Elephant Auction Devotions: Becky Engebretson Program: Curt Benjamin: Essential Oils and the Bible Questions: Contact Inez Gulbrandson at Ruth Circle Tuesday, March 3 at 9:00am Freeman s Restaurant 113 S. Military Ave. Program: Sue Gilman Prayer and Self-Denial Questions : Call Sue Gilman: or Loretta Delvaux: Devotions: Mary Lou Nelson Questions: Contact Kathy Gaffney at Team Meeting Thursday, March 26 at 6:30pm in room 107. Our March Madness event is coming soon! Saturday, March 21 9:30am 2:00pm See the list of vendors, and all the details, on page 7! Birthdays 3/4 Marge Curran 3/9 Jean Helein 3/9 Anita Kivisto 3/9 Rev Diane Rew 3/19 Lyn Unterburger 3/22 Arlene Finlan 3/26 Melody Specht Reading Corner January First: A Child s Decent Into Madness and her Father s Struggle to Save Her by: Michael Schofield Category: Nurturing for Community At age 6, January Schofield was diagnosed with one of the most severe cases of child-onset schizophrenia on record. Michael Schofield takes us on his journey with his daughter as they face seemingly insurmountable obstacles and daily challenges with her care and his unwavering commitment to save her from the edge of insanity while doing everything he can do to keep his family together. If you d like to participate, pick up a reading list in the library, read a book from each category & return your completed form in July for recognition! Many books on the Reading List are in the adult library, just off Fellowship Hall. Questions? Becky Engebretson at

6 PAGE 6 Preschool 3-4 year olds participate in a curriculum called, Grow, Proclaim, Serve! In March, we will learn more about how we prepare for Easter. We ll have Bible stories, art, games, music, snacks, and much more. Carol Carpenter leads this class, with help from Katrina Miller. Music is led by Becky Engebretson. Youth: Grades 6 12 We r having a fun yr of SS! This year, we re combining classes and alternating teachers every 6 weeks to give you a taste of both traditional and contemporary studies of the Bible, relevant topics of the United Methodist Church and teachings that will help you learn more about your faith. During Lent, we ll be exploring Renegade Gospel by Mike Slaughter. Central to the Christian faith is a man who denies all our pre-conceived notions about what God should look like. Joining his movement will mean coming to terms with the real Jesus ~ the rebel Jesus. Jesus didn t come to start a religion. The rebel Jesus came with a renegade gospel to start a revolution. All youth are invited to join us! We meet downstairs in the youth room. Led by Dawn Smith and Dave & Kim Atkins 3/8 Kaitlynn Wagner 3/10 Robb Kirk 3/11 Edison & Eden Wojtyla 3/23 Lydia Cousineau 3/26 Emily Krull 3/27 Liam Brady 3/28 Jamira Olson Elementary During February, Children in grades K 4 will be walking with Jesus. Our study, The God We Know will continue as we study the I Am sayings of Jesus found in the gospel of John. Designed around a travel theme, kids will walk with Jesus, learn more about his identity and his mission, see the sights he saw, and create a keepsake souvenir for each week s journey. We ll be using the same study series in our adult class. We hope your entire family will join us! We gather in room 115 at 9:05am. Teachers will vary throughout the different rotations. Our 5th 6th grade class is a Bible-focused, hands-on exploration geared toward tweens. We meet in the old computer lab and are led by Jennifer Cousineau. All 3rd 6th graders are invited to join us on the 1st Sunday of every month for Bibles Basics This get-together is for 8 12 year olds who have a Bible & want to learn more about how to use it & apply it to their everyday life! We ll have fun, engage in conversation and put what we learn into practice. Brunch will be provided. Our next session will be Sunday, March 1st 11:15 1:00 in Fellowship Hall For more info or to RSVP, contact Lisa at or lsrenaski@gmail.com

7 Opportunities to... get involved PAGE 7 It s time to enjoy the famous St. Paul s Pasties! Friday & Saturday, March 6 7 Volunteers are needed in order to make this sale a success! If YOU would like to participate in the fun, contact Char Dunlap at or Anita Kivisto at To Order: Contact Becky Engebretson: or bengebretson@new.rr.com. COST: $3.75 each Pick Up: March 7 from 10:00am Noon. Save the date and save your money! United Methodist Women are holding their 5th Annual March Madness Saturday, March 21st 9:30am 2:00pm Free Admission! Featuring: Avon, 21 Gifts, Tupperware, Pure Romance, Escape to Tranquility Massage, origami Owl, Pampered Chef, Stampin Up, Wild Tree, Scentsy, Norwex, Dove Chocolates, Tastefully Simple, Pink Zebra, Paparazzi, Jamberry Nails, It Works!, Steeped Tea, Info on Organ Donation There will also be a wonderful silent auction! Sloppy Joe Plate: $5 Questions? Call Becky: Each year, Rev Diane and our lay reps travel to the WI Annual Conference meetings in June. Along with decisions, updates and other WI United Methodist business, there is a collection for a UM Ministry ~ this collection is called the Conference Ingathering. This year s Ingathering is Health Kits The St. Paul s Missions Team has decided to collect items for this project over the next 5 months, focusing on a different item each month. During March, the items needed will be Washcloths and Soap Regular size washcloth; soap must be 3oz or larger The following months will be: April: Hand Towels May: Nail Files & Nail Clippers Donations can be place in the large gray bin in the narthex. Thanks for your support!

8 Opportunities to... get involved PAGE 8 Do you enjoy visiting with people and brightening their day? Do you have a few hours each month to give to someone else? The CARE TEAM would like to add some additional people to their team. Each member of the Care Team makes 2 3 visits per month to members and friends of St. Paul s who are homebound or in nursing homes. The team then meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. If this a ministry that would be meaningful to you, please contact the church office. The following update was received from EPH: According to the Brown County Housing and Homeless Coalition, as of December 31 there were 81 families listed as homeless in our community. And those are only the families we know about through the various community organizations which serve the homeless. EPH and our partners served 19 of those families in December, which include 40 children. We are a partnership, and you are a most valuable part of that partnership, making our mission happen one family at a time. Thank you for your gracious and loving heart. For more information on EPH, contact Lori Ver Boort, EPH Board Member and Member of of St. Paul s, at IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WOULD LIKE A VISIT from the Care Team, please call the church office or speak with Rev Diane. There is currently a job opening on the SPUMC staff for a part-time financial manager. Bob Elliott, who had been in the position since October, has accepted a full-time job at WLUK. Sharon Wolosek is filling in temporarily until a replacement is found. If you would like more information on this hour per week position, a full job description is available in the church office, on the church website or from Rev. Diane. Do you love to work with children? Are you looking for a way to share your enthusiasm, gifts and faith with the youngest among us? We are looking for Sunday School teachers AND helpers for our Pre-K & K 4 classes. This is a 1 HOUR per week commitment and we can work with your schedule. Please contact Lisa at or lsrenaski@gmail.com for more info.

9 Opportunities to... get involved PAGE 9 St. Paul s will be hosting an Imagine No Malaria Walk Saturday, April 25 Watch for more details coming soon! Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates and events that you won t want to miss! Watch for more details in upcoming bulletins, newsletters, and on the church website. April 2 April 3 April 5 April 22 April 25 Maundy Thursday Good Friday Easter Sunday Mission Dinner Imagine No Malaria Walk The Melodies of Compassion (all of the loose change in the offering plates on Sunday mornings) will be designated as follows: Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Imagine No Malaria Love Life Heifer Project EPH New Faith Hmong Please give generously and let YOUR loose change make a Melody of Compassion! St. Paul s prepares and serves dinner to those in need at N.E.W. Community Shelter (301 Mather St.) on the 1st Friday of every month. Would YOU like to serve? The shopping is done and the menu is provided. It s an easy job that makes a big difference in the lives of those in our community. If you would like more info or would like to sign up to help, contact Jean Hessil at Thank you to all who have pledged or contributed to the parking lot project. To date, $27,565 has been pledged. If you would like to pledge to this project, pledge cards are available in the narthex or contact the church office. Are you looking for an easy way to participate in the life of YOUR church? We are always looking for Sunday morning volunteers to serve as greeters, ushers, Communion servers, sound system techs, projectionists, nursery helpers, coffee fellowship hosts. There are lots of ways for YOU to help ~ just contact the following coordinators for more info or to sign up! Greeters: Susan Regnier, Ushers: Paul Anderson, Liturgists: Inez Gulbrandson, Communion Server: Church Office, Projectionists: Church Office, Sound Techs: Kris Engebretson, Coffee Fellowship: Anita Kivisto,

10 Sunday Volunteers... PAGE 10 March1 8:00 9:00 10:15 Liturgist Brian Foxworthy Mary Blair Ushers Ken Paitel, Linda Kurtz Dan Gage, John Dunlap Ken & Zona Graetz Darren & Lisa VanEss Greeters Lee & Vicky Harmon Mary Ann Koeller, Connie Shaw Sound/Projection Kris Engebretson, Kris Engebretson, John Wilson Coffee Fellowship John Gilman March 8 8:00 9:00 10:15 Liturgist Carol Lahey Paul Blair Ushers Paul Anderson, Dontay Johnson Jim Sorenson, John Wilson Kari Alvey, Darren/Lisa VanEss Connie Shaw, Jacque Steeno Greeters Jim & Marilyn Reynard Bill & Kathy Gaffney Sound/Projection Kris Engebretson, Kris Engebretson, Coffee Fellowship George Rather March 15 8:00 9:00 10:15 Liturgist Mary Rather Warren Clark Ushers Ken Paitel, Christy Faymonville Dan Gage, John Dunlap Ken & Zona Graetz Chad & Dawn Smith Greeters Hans & Susan Regnier John & Lori Larson Sound/Projection Kris Engebretson, Kris Engebretson, Coffee Fellowship Lyn Rotter March 22 8:00 9:00 10:15 Liturgist Jacque Dahlin Lori Ver Boort Ushers Jim Sorenson, Betty Rogers Merle Cwiak, Connie Shaw Tom & Wanda Matuszewski Dave & Jesse Atkins Greeters Jack & Shirley Byler John & Liz Wilson Sound/Projection Kris Engebretson, Kris Engebretson, Coffee Fellowship Anita Kivisto March 29 8:00 9:00 10:15 Liturgist Chancel Choir Cantata Chancel Choir Cantata Ushers Paul Anderson, James Hansen Jim Sorenson, Merle Cwiak Steve Olson, John Olson Lee & Vicky Harmon Greeters Hans & Susan Regnier Hans & Susan Regnier Sound/Projection Kris Engebretson, Kris Engebretson, Coffee Fellowship Cinnamon Roll Sunday/ Palm Sunday Fellowship There are many opportunities for YOU to say, YES! and fill in some of the blanks this month and in the months to come! Contact the church office: or office@stpaulsumcgb.com.

11 Reflections... PAGE 11 Lenten Reflections: During a recent children s time I asked the children if they ever pray. They answered a resounding yes!. I then asked, Where do you pray? And they provided a number of great answers: in church, in Sunday school, at the dinner table, in my bed, in my garden, with my grandma. And that names just a few. So where do YOU pray? I ask the question, because sometimes, I think, we can get hung up on what to pray and how to pray and why we pray. And those are all great questions.ones that we explore regularly in classes and workshops on prayer. But we might do well to make sure that those questions about what and how and why don t take the place of praying! So this Lenten season, if you have a discipline of prayer. Keep it up! But if you DON T.. start today. Decide WHERE you will pray. Right now. In your bed? In your car? In a special chair in your home or office? Every time you walk past that place you will be reminded: Have I prayed yet today? Here is a prayer to start. It is the text of a song used in our Ash Wednesday service. A number of us are praying it. Every day. Why not join us? Prayer of Being: Words and music by Mark Hayes Be in my life, be in my breath; be in my walk, be in my rest. Be in this humble heart of mine; be ever present in my mind. Be in my hands, be in my feet; be in my eyes and in my speech. Be in the smile I give away; be in each healing word I say. Be in my work, be in my play; be in the struggles of each day. Be in my joy, be in my pain; be in my loss, be in my gain. Be in my thoughts, be in my song; be in my spirit all day long. Be in my dreams all through the night. The prayer of my heart forever shall be; I in you and you in me. Lenten Blessings, Rev. Diane

12 Exciting News Opportunities for YOU! ST. PAUL S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 341 WILSON AVENUE GREEN BAY, WI RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage P A I D Permit No. 444 Green Bay, WI Sunday School Info Make a Difference