Holly Calvary UMC. December 27 Community - Wide Blood Drive Please see article on page 6. January 8 Christmas Un-decorating 12:15 pm

Transcription

1 Holly Calvary UMC N. Holly Rd., Holly, Michigan Ph Website: hollycalvary.org Sunday Morning Worship: 9:30 & 11:11 am Sunday School for all ages: 11:00 am Pastor: Rev. Clifford J. Schroeder III Ph voice or text January 2017 Newsletter Coach s Corner: A View From the Locker Room Get in the Game Sometimes the first thing we lose sight of is the most critical element in achieving our goals. December 27 Community - Wide Blood Drive Please see article on page 6 January 8 Christmas Un-decorating 12:15 pm Jan 11 Apr 5 Bible Study The Epic of Eden Please see article on page 4 Jan 11 Feb 15 Bible Study Unvarnished Truth Please see article on page 4 January 15 Human Relations Sunday Special Offering January 22 In-Gathering Sunday January 28 Young Adult Night 7 pm January 29 UMW Luncheon February 7 Tools for Ministry Please see article on page 8 I love going to big box home improvement stores. The tools or toys as my wife says, oh what a wonderful sight. All I need is a small hasp for a repair project, but I quickly become caught up in the dreams of how I d like to lay out my woodworking shop. I begin exploring the tool section and calculating the cost. Ultimately my attention returns to my task. Finding a small object in a giant place, with each aisle, like a small canyon, is sometimes like finding a needle in a haystack. So, I scan the store for some customer service. My first encounter is with a small group of employees who are conversing with one another. My request is responded to as an intrusion into their agenda. I am pointed in the general direction of hardware [a direction I already knew]. I tried to flag down two other employees, but the demands on their time obviously outweighed my need for assistance. I made my way to the front of the store and approached the customer service desk. After nearly fifteen minutes of waiting for the severely understaffed desk to work through the long line to my position, the service representative made a call for someone to meet me in the hardware aisle. I moved to that location and waited another ten minutes for assistance to arrive. Frustrated and aggravated, I left the store. Hometown hardware store here I come! I arrived in the door of the hometown hardware and was promptly greeted; was asked how they could be of assistance; and was led directly to the product. And all of this was done with friendliness and a smile. Sometimes employees and/or businesses lose sight of the purpose. They lose sight of why they are in business and whom they are committed to serving. Often times churches do the same thing. They become caught up in the frantic pace and demands of church programs and meetings. They become so centered on things and events that they lose God s Kingdom Vision. If we become an isolated, self-serving, self-centered organization instead of a body centered in the transforming Christ, then we are not living as friends of Jesus, but are rather betraying Him. No matter how unintentional, we silence the very One we seek to proclaim. We can blame anyone from members of the congregation, to the pastor, to the denomination. Yet, blaming yields no positive effect for Christ s kingdom. When we clear away all the veils that skew our view, we are left with one truth. We must look at ourselves through the eyes of Christ and seek to experience the change Christ can work in us. We cannot transform the world.not a single life until we first allow Christ to transform our hearts to hunger for his vision. We are a team the living body of Christ Jesus. The success of the team counts upon every member of the body going out and executing their calling in Christ. Like a finely tuned sports team, the victory is not achieved by the superstars, but rather by every player executing the call of their position at every point of every competition. So long as you have breath in your lungs, God calls you to use the gifts, talents and passions He has placed in you to show and tell others about his love, sacrifice, and promise for them. 1 Christ transforms! Love Wins! God Loves You, And so Do I! Pastor Cliff

2 The Bible This book contains the mind of God, the state of mankind, the way of salvation, the condition of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy; its precepts are binding; its histories are true; and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand focus, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a Paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. Praise Corner Making promises is easy. Keeping promises often proves to carry the cost of our attention, time, and resources. We often make promises because our heart gets connected to something or someone. However, keeping those promises requires commitment, sacrifice, selflessness, and love for neighbor (no matter who they might be). When Holly Calvary hosts the Family Promise Shelter, as we did in the third week of December, we are keeping a promise to the families we host. It is a promise to keep them warm, fed, rested, and safe. It is a promise to care for, listen to, and love without judgment or even speculation. It is a promise to come alongside the families, the Day Center workers, and the many other churches who are a part of hosting families. My friends, we have opened our hearts wide. Each time we have hosted, more workers have come on board to be part of God s hands reaching out to those in a time of need. It is exciting to see how God has stirred our hearts. It s exciting to hear personal testimonies of how God has shaped us as we have served. To God ever be the glory! Praise Corner What do the following persons have in common? Elijah Schroeder, Dave Ray, Corbin Bronson, Steve Ruth, Samantha Yonts, Ben Bronson & Joe Homrich. You ll find one or more of them operating the sound and projection center every Sunday morning. They work hard to keep sound levels balanced, mics active at the right times, and projection well timed. It takes a strong, well trained, and committed crew to foster our worship experience. Their ministry begins early on Sunday, before most folks arrive. It also often includes setting up the projection cue, performing mic maintenance, and attending a midweek practice. Perhaps the greatest sacrifice is trying to worship while being responsible for fostering the worship. I praise God for your continuing commitment to sacrifice and serve. Be sure to stop by the sound booth and Thank this great team for all they do. And, if you think you might be interested in joining the team, let Joe know. The team is always open. God Loves You, And So Do I, Pastor Cliff God Loves You, And So Do I, Pastor Cliff 2

3 MINISTRIES OF THE CHURCH Mega Kids had a Happy Birthday Jesus party on December 14 th. We performed the Christmas story, we sang Christmas songs, decorated cookies, colored Christmas cards for our Family Promise Families, made a Christmas ornament, and ate lots of pizza! Thank you to everyone who came and helped! We did not be meet on December 21 and 28 due to the Christmas holiday. We will resume on Wed. Jan 4 th. Remember! If Holly Schools are closed, there will be no Mega Kids! A special thank you to my faithful volunteers! Ellen Pease, Marianne Nickels, Chrystal Jeremiah, Carolyn Gmelich, Heather & Mike Swantek, Rachel Ray, Janet Jenks, Mary Jane Winohradsky, Elijah Schroeder, Jean Elmer, Sharri Hallett and Nancy Parsons. I could not do this job without my great helpers! If you have any questions, please contact Barb Nickels at From the Ground Up - Kid s Worship! Each week at the 11:11 am service we offer Kid s Worship using a special Children s Church curriculum. This is a great opportunity to invite a neighbor child or bring a friend and join us. We are in need of assistants or teachers so please prayerfully consider helping out, even if it is just for one week! Contact Lisa Lindsay at BORG Youth Group Adonai, Yahweh, Jehovah, Ancient of Days, El Deah, Yahweh Bore, Elohim, Jehovah Shammah, El Roi, El Shaddai, El Elyon, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Sabaoth, Qanna, El Chuwl, Rapha... ever wonder why God has so many names? We are exploring the names for God found in the Old Testament as a road map to God s character. What do God s various names mean? What do they say about God? What do they say about us in relation to God? Come join us, we meet Thursday afternoons, 3-4:30, to try to answer these questions, play games, and, of course, to eat! An Hour of Prayer Ministry James 5:13 AMP states Is anyone among you suffering (ill-treated, afflicted)? He must pray. In The Word for Your Today devotional, by Bob and Debby Gass; It s amazing how long we put up with things before we decide to pray about them. We complain to our friends. We wonder why God doesn t do something. We wrestle with the situation in our minds, yet we fail to take advantage of the simplest solution there is prayer. You are invited to An Hour of Prayer ministry Tuesday mornings from 11 am to noon. It is held in the youth room. Everyone is welcome. Call Mary Jane Winohradsky with any questions at

4 Visitation Ministry OUR VISITATION MINISTRY NEEDS YOU! Looking for individuals; willing to share an hour of their time, visiting our homebound persons from our church. Our goal is to have everyone on our homebound list visited once a month by a volunteer. Please contact Fred Kilgour at if you would like to help. Thank You to everyone who participated and helped make this Family Promise week a success! Prayer Quilt Ministry Have you received a prayer quilt, or know someone who has? Then you are aware of how much it means to the recipient. Maybe you have thought you would like to help make quilts, but can t sew or quilt. Or maybe our quilting time is held at the wrong time of day to fit your schedule. The good news is that you don t have to know how to sew or quilt or come in! There is an easy way you can help. We are in need of money to buy material and batting; both are getting very expensive, even on sale. See or call Mary Jane or Julia if you have questions, would like to help or give a donation. We meet at the church the third Monday of each month at 1:00 pm and would love for you to join us. Wednesday 12pm (lunch and Bible study) January 11- April 5, 2017 Join us for a great new Bible study, The Epic of Eden Understanding the Old Testament. Wednesday Night Bible Study 7 8:15pm January 11 Feb 15, 2017 Join us for a great new series: Unvarnished Truth Let our faith be moved from thinking about it to acting on it. Week 1 One Great Creator Week 4 - One Great Savior Week 2 One Great Purpose Week 5 One Great Commitment Week 3 One Great Problem Week 6 One Great Task 4

5 GROUPS G.I.F.T. Circle (Growing In Faith Together) Thank you, also to everyone who donated food and paper products to our pantry ingathering on December 18th. We have helped out 26 families with their food needs since the last gathering in November. Thank you to everyone who participated in our Christmas card delivery this Christmas season. The money collected will help keep our pantry stocked in the weeks in between our ingathering collection days. Our next meeting will be Sunday, January 15 th at 12:15 in the lounge. We will be organizing our next pasty sale. The tentative date is Saturday, February 11 th. More information to come. If you have any questions, please contact Barb Nickels at Love in Christ, G.I.F.T United Methodist Women U.M.W. met on Dec. 5 th at the church with 10 women in attendance. We will take a few months off and meet again in March. We would like to thank everyone for the wonderful donations of cookies for the Cookie Walk. Thank you, too, to everyone who came and bought cookies. We so much appreciate your support whether you baked, bought, cleaned up or shopped at the craft sale! We hope to see you when we meet again March 6, Andrea Maynard, President & Harmony Walz Holly Methodist Men All Holly Calvary men and friends are invited to come to our monthly meeting on Saturday, January 7 at 8 AM at Villagers Restaurant in Holly. We will discuss current projects, purchases, and other business. Contact Ron at Young Adults Happy New Year! 2017 is here! The Young Adults are planning on taking a trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts in January. More details as they become available. Love in Christ, Sharri and Douglas Hallett Ambassador Girl Scout Troop Our Girl Scout troop has been meeting in the church since We are now seniors and graduating this year! We are sponsoring the Michigan Blood Drive on Tuesday, December 27 th at our church from 2-7 p.m. Our troop will receive $10 for each person that attempts to give blood! We need 21 people to attend to get any money, but we would like to fill all 40 slots. We are raising money to go to Mackinac Island for our end of the year, end of Girl Scouts event. Please help us and sign up for an appointment at and just come and walk-in! It only takes an hour and you can save a life! 5

6 ANNOUNCEMENTS United Methodist Special Sunday Just a reminder about the UM Special Sunday coming up on January 15, Human Relations Day is when United Methodist communities come together to invest in those in need of hope and an opportunity to thrive. Your gifts on this special Sunday support after-school programs, prison outreach, gang intervention, youth development and other ministries in communities across the United States. Please be in prayer about how you can help. Together, we can make a difference. Save Lives. Give Blood. Pass the Word. Our next blood drive will be Tuesday, December 27 from 2-7 pm in Calvary Hall. We partner with Michigan Blood to save lives in Michigan. This drive will be a fundraiser for a youth or children s team/class from the Holly area. Call Ellen Pease, Volunteer for Holly Calvary at to donate, volunteer at our drives, or ask questions. SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS! If you shop at VG s, please save your receipts! If we can save $150,000 in receipts, VG s will donate $1000 to our Mega Kids program! There is a box in the narthex to put them in. Also, if you shop at Kroger, please sign up with the Community Rewards Program! 1% of all you spend comes back to our program! If you need help signing up, please see Ellen Pease. SAVE: Box Tops for Education, Labels for Education, Who likes free money? Mega Kids & Holly Schools do! Collect Box Tops for Education and Labels for Education for local schools for cash and school equipment. Put them in blue pocket on the bulletin board in the hall. Thank you for your participation. Sponsors: Ellen Pease, Brenda Trimmer, and Barbra Nickels 6

7 Order your Scripts This is a fundraiser for our church. We can order gift cards for most major department stores, discount stores, restaurants, gas stations, plus CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Wendy s, Meijer, Subway, Marathon, Walmart, Target, VG s and more. A retailer lists can be found at Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Gift cards can usually be received within a week. Here are your ordering choices: 1. Fill out an order blank (plus your check/cash) and give it to volunteer, Ron Pease, on Sunday. Gift card lists & order blanks are in the church hallway across from the Sunday School rooms. 2. Place an order by phone with Ron directly at For questions and additional assistance talk to Ron, our volunteer, at the scrip table in the hall on Sundays after the 9:30 am worship, or contact him at or epease3088@gmail.com. Thanks! FEATURES Library Corner Papa was a promise Keeper! - by Rose Grindheim Sims is a book about Rose and her family. Rose is born in America after her family emigrated from Denmark. She was close to her Papa, who was a man of faith, strength and integrity. Both search to find God and find Him together. This is a story about sacrifice and commitment to follow God as the family faces life together in a new land with old European customs. They endure tornadoes, poverty, the Great Depression, and World War II. Through many joys and hardships, Rose grows in strength by watching her Papa, her real life example. The Great House of God, A Home for Your Heart by Max Lucado How can you not enter 2017 without Max Lucado. His humor, wisdom and love of the Word, will motivate you to search out God and make Him the #1 priority in your life. In this book Max walks us through the Lord s Prayer and uses it to illustrate the House of God. He writes an explanation of what is the house of God and how we can make each aspect of our lives a house for God. This is a must read book and can be read on your own or used with the study guide in the back of the book for a small group. Love your sister in Christ, Judy Wood 7

8 News from Jim Diegel I lost some more weight in the spring. The Special Olympics is having a hot dog bake sale. More information will come later in the spring. Happy New Years to everyone. Jim Diegel P.S. My guitar playing is good. Two CD Players If you or someone you know needs a portable cd player-radio system to listen to Holly Calvary sermons, please contact Ron or Ellen Pease at Hello Holly Calvary- I have only been here 16 days and am deeply touched by your hospitality and generosity. I appreciate your words of encouragement and stopping by to introduce yourselves during this busy time of year. I look forward to serving you in the years ahead. I wanted to take a moment to commend you all for your dedication and participation to your food pantry. I know it may seem small and even overlooked or forgotten, hidden behind a closed door; but believe me when I say, it is a large and thriving ministry in your church. I have had the pleasure of opening that door 24 times to those who are in need and helping them get two bags of groceries that had them smiling and thanking me repeatedly. Their genuine gratitude and joy are visible in their voice and expression. The children are an extra blessing and they enjoy the crackers, juice and snacks you have provided. Thank you so much for giving me the keys to this wonderful room and allowing me to help serve those who come to Holly Calvary. May God continue to watch over and bless you as you seek to serve and build His kingdom. In His Service Lesley Crossroads District UMC Board of Laity presents: Tools for Ministry Tuesday, February 7, 2017, at Flushing United Methodist Church 413 E. Main Street, Flushing, MI Registration: 4:30-5:00 PM Dinner: 5:00-6:00 PM Worship Service: 6:00-6:30 PM Tools for Ministry Training Sessions 6:45-8:15 PM Tools for Ministry is a great training opportunity for those looking to improve their ministry skills. Some sessions offered will be: Staff Pastor Parish Relation Committee, Care and Nurture (for Stephens Ministry), Digging Deep for Mission Impact Mission Insite 101, Reaching the Un/Re-churched and Spiritual Self-Care. Don t let this opportunity pass you by. 8

9 SERVICES OFFERED AT HOLLY CALVARY Weekly Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Daily at 10 am meeting I Came to Believe AA study AA 12 &12 Study AA Big Book Study JANUARY BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES 1 Judy Prose, Steve & Sheri Ruth, Dale Lage 14 Joshua Nickels 3 Jessica Schultz 16 Pat Harlow 4 Zachary Heath 17 Godfrey Blair, Greg Blair, Jennifer Pilarski 5 Shirley Brendel, Glenn Carpenter 18 Rachel Ray 6 Scott Dingwall, Carolyn Gmelich 19 Jeff & Michelle Smith 9 Kevin Nickels 21 Konner Dunklee 10 Edgar Maynard, Dennis Reed 24 Dave & Gail Wallace 11 Pat Falkner 25 Charlie Jenks 13 Barbra Nickels, Mattilyn Maynard 31 Guy Winohradsky 9

10 Firm Foundation Worship Service 9:30 AM Kids' Worship & Sunday School BORG Youth Sunday School Adult Sunday School classes January 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat New Year's Day Holy Communion Group "I Came to Believe" study Epiphany Explore the Bible in a An Hour of Prayer Ministry Year 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM U.M.W (United Methodist MEGA Kids Women) 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM 6:30 PM 8 9 Firm Foundation Worship Service Group 9:30 AM Kids' Worship & Sunday School Calvary Hall & kitchen reserved BORG Youth Sunday School 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Faith Pathways Adult Sunday School classes 6:30 PM Trustees Solid Ground Worship Service 7:00 PM 11:10 AM Worship Committee Christmas UN-Decorating 7:30 PM 12:15 PM 15 Newsletter articles due. Firm Foundation Worship Service 9:30 AM Kids' Worship & Sunday School BORG Youth Sunday School Adult Sunday School classes Solid Ground Worship Service 11:10 AM G.I.F.T. Circle (Growing In Faith Together) 12:15 PM 22 In-Gathering Sunday Firm Foundation Worship Service 9:30 AM Kids' Worship & Sunday School BORG Youth Sunday School Adult Sunday School classes Solid Ground Worship Service 11:10 AM 16 Martin Luther King Day Group Prayer Quilt Ministry 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM SPRC 7:00 PM Group Stewardship Committee 7:00 PM Firm Foundation Worship Service Group 9:30 AM Kids' Worship & Sunday School BORG Youth Sunday School Adult Sunday School classes Solid Ground Worship Service 11:10 AM UMW Luncheon 1:00 PM "I Came to Believe" study An Hour of Prayer Ministry "I Came to Believe" study An Hour of Prayer Ministry "I Came to Believe" study An Hour of Prayer Ministry 31 "I Came to Believe" study An Hour of Prayer Ministry Explore the Bible in a Year 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM MEGA Kids 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM Bible Study - Unvarnished Truth 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM Explore the Bible in a Year 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM MEGA Kids 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM Bible Study - Unvarnished Truth 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM Explore the Bible in a Year 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM MEGA Kids 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM Bible Study - Unvarnished Truth 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM 5 Stephen Ministry Supervision BORG Youth Group 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Praise Team rehearsal 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Chancel Choir practice 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Solid Ground Worship team rehearsal 8:30 PM 12 BORG Youth Group 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Praise Team rehearsal 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Chancel Choir practice 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Solid Ground Worship team rehearsal 8:30 PM 19 Stephen Ministry Supervision BORG Youth Group 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Praise Team rehearsal 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Chancel Choir practice 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Solid Ground Worship team rehearsal 8:30 PM 26 BORG Youth Group 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Praise Team rehearsal 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Chancel Choir practice 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Solid Ground Worship team rehearsal 8:30 PM Holly Methodist Men's breakfast meeting 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM M.V.I.T. (Ministry Vision Implementation Team) 9:00 AM Young Adult Night 7:00 PM 10