A comprehensive report on the ministry of Lebanon First UMC. Philippians 4:6-9 The Message (MSG)

Transcription

1 The Circuit Rider A comprehensive report on the ministry of Lebanon First UMC Philippians 4:6-9 The Message (MSG) 6-7 Don t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I d say you ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Volume 33, Number 3 April 2018

2 Pastor Kim s Ponderings Recently, I was asked what determines when we celebrate Easter Sunday. Before you read any further, do you know the answer? Easter Sunday is held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox, the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator (the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth s equator) from south to north ( In other words, Easter Sunday is tied to the transitions of nature so the date moves from year to year. There are a lot of reasons why it was set up this way. Here are two I like: first, Easter is connected to a change in the seasons. Something new is happening. The world is on the brink of change and will soon look different. Second, Easter doesn t have a specific date. That connects with the church s view that every Sunday is a celebration of Easter. It isn t just once a year that we celebrate Jesus resurrection. Sundays are not counted during the season of Lent for this reason. Each Sunday is considered a little Easter. Easter is the way we live our faith, ask our questions, offer our prayers, gather as the body of Christ, serve in and through our shared ministry, mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Bible never says celebrate Easter on one specific day. Instead, it encourages disciples to live Easter s good news of new life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ every day. The greatest way we can do that is to do what the first disciples did. They gave testimony to how they saw the Lord. 2 Pastor s message continued on page 2

3 Ponderings continued from page 2 Jesus appeared in all kinds of places in locked rooms, along the road, in the midst of fear and doubt, injustice and despair, to people who longed for meaning, purpose, wholeness, and faith, and certainly in the joys of being found, healings, people being fed, the discovery of God s way and will. Where do you see Jesus? How are you experiencing new life in this Easter season? The good news of Easter tells us that wherever we look, regardless of what day it is, Jesus is there, waiting to be seen, waiting for our eyes to open and see new life and new possibilities. As you look through this edition of the Circuit Rider newsletter, I hope that your eyes will be opened to the wonderful ways God is working through us and calling you into new life and encouraging you to be a part of sharing it in your own life and in our life together. God s new life is at work in us and around us! When I see the breadth and impact of our ministry, I can t help but say, I have seen the Lord! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! See you in church! Pastor Kim 3

4 March 25 Palm Sunday 9:30 AM March 29 Maundy Thursday 7:00 PM March 30 Good Friday 7:00 PM April 1 Easter 9:30 AM Easter Morning Fellowship Easter celebration continues in the Fellowship Hall after the worship service. Please join your church family for hot cross buns and beverages. Everyone is welcome! EASTER MORNING TRADITION 4 An empty cross will be available Easter morning outside the church to decorate with fresh flowers. Bring your favorite spring flower and add it to the cross. Take time to snap a selfie by the cross. What a wonderful tradition to display our love for Our Lord!

5 Sunday School Who Me? For years I watched fellow church goers rip away from their coffee and doughnuts to get to Sunday school. Why? I often wondered. I had not gone to Sunday school in literally 50 years. What was so appealing about Sunday school? One Sunday last fall I attended adult Sunday school. What it boils down to is the classes are more like small groups. You share your life, your heart, your joys and concerns in an intimate sitting. You pray for one another; you love one another; you learn about God; you share your faith walk and, you know what; you learn something about yourself. So Sunday school, who me? Oh yes! By: Church Observer Sunday School is For Everyone! Every Sunday morning, 11 am Children (Education Wing, Upstairs), Peg Gerdes. Sojourners Room #101 (Downstairs), Mike Bennett. Disciples Parlor (Next to Sanctuary), Kay Korte. Wired Word Room # 203 (Upstairs), Jeff Thornton. Wired El Rey Sol, 7 pm, Jeff Thornton 5

6 Adult Sunday School The Disciples' Sunday School Class When the Disciples' class was given a choice of books to study, the favorite was Max Lucado's Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World. Using Philippians 4:4-8, Max examines Paul's wise words, which gives us a road map on how to achieve God's peace in our lives, no matter the circumstances past, present or future. If you'd like to join the class, please know you will be welcome by kind, caring friends. Everyone is searching to know God better and apply His Word into our daily living. Please contact Kay Korte, if interested. Here is a sample of Max Lucado's mile markers to the road of peace and calm: Celebrate God's goodness. Ask God for help. Leave your concerns with Him. Meditate on good things. 6 The Sojourners Sunday School Class This group of adults is studying the Bible in chronological order. We are currently in 1 Kings. After we finish 1 and 2 Kings, we will see how 1 and 2 Chronicles ties in with Kings. Our goal is to use what we learn from the Old Testament to better understand the ministry of Jesus, the disciples and apostles. We are sometimes able to use videos that are relevant to the subject matter, and we stop and discuss the way these events affect our lives today. Anyone is welcome and wherever we are in the study is a good place to start. Mike Bennett

7 Wired Word on the Move! Sundays, 7:00 pm El Rey Sol Mexican Restaurant The Wired Word evening class has moved to a new location! All are welcome to join in on the Wired Word class at El Rey Sol (123 & 127 W. St. Louis Street, Lebanon). Wired Word is a discussion class of current events and Christian response. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, succinctly described the plan of discipleship in what he called The General Rules. As Christians, we are to: (1) do no harm by avoiding evil of every kind; (2) do good to all people; and (3) attend upon all the ordinances of God like participating in worship, taking Communion, reading the Bible, praying, and more. UMC.ORG The Lebanon First UMC CONNECTION LINE Stay connected to church activities & prayer requests! Three ways to connect; voice mail, or text. Sign up today! For more information, call office@lebanonmethodist.org 7

8 February Giving Summary Sunday Offering: General: $ 8,683 ARP: $ 735 On-line Giving: General: $ 2,537 ARP: $ 200 February Total: General: $11,220 ARP: $ 985 Monthly Budget: General: $19,500 ARP: $1,687 February Average Attendance Worship: 70 Adult classes: 15 Children: 4 Manage your offerings Set up and manage recurring giving. Make one-time contributions. View your online giving history. Get started today! Visit our church website: The SPRC will be asking everyone to complete a survey soon. We are seeking your input with a church assessment: how you feel your spiritual needs are being met, how effective our ministries are, etc. Please take the time to thoughtfully complete the anonymous survey and help us move forward in His grace. More information to follow. Lynn Gale, SPRC Chairperson 8

9 Lunch Bunch Spring has arrived!! The spring Lunch Bunch date is Wednesday, April 4. We will meet at the Foundry, at 11:30 AM for a time of good eating, fellowship and caring for one another. All ladies of the church are invited. If you are interested, please call Ann Zimmerlee, , so she can give Stephanie an approximate number. Thank you. YOUNG AT HEART He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouts of joy. Job 8:21 If you meet a person who doesn t have a smile, give him/her one of yours. So goes the old saying. April may be designated as Good Humor Month. To the Young at Heart, every month is a time of appreciating a sense of humor, as in enjoying a funny story or a good joke. James Rhodes wrote the little two-line rhyme: A hearty laugh healthy for women and men, So even a little chuckle is good every now and then. Laughter becomes more important as we age. Our sense of humor serves as a shock absorber, softening the ride over the bumpy ground of life. We need to help others laugh or smile. We can do so by sharing a funny story from our childhood, passing along a compliment, or inviting someone to go for a cup of coffee (or inviting someone to Young at Heart). If you have a funny story or joke you d like to tell at our April meeting, come prepared to share your good sense of humor. Young at Heart will meet at 10 am, Wednesday, April 11 th, In the Fellowship Hall. Our hostesses will be Shirley Malone and Evelyn Gregory. All seniors and retirees are invited. A joyful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22 9

10 UMW CUNNINGHAM QUILT SHOW April 13-14, Friday & Saturday Cunningham Children s Home, Urbana IL. LOCAL MEETING, Monday April 23, 1:00 p.m. PROGRAM: Mary-Metzger Harris Hostesses: Evelyn Gregory and Ellen Schilling MISSISSIPPI RIVER DISTRICT SPRING MEETING By Casey Andrew Saturday, April 28, 9:30 a.m. Union UMC 721 East Main St., Belleville God is unchanging in His love. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. Don't let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He's still on the throne. Billy Graham 12

11 Thursdays, April 12 & 26, Noon Fellowship Hall A light lunch is served. All are welcome! Invite your friends and neighbors! Senior Stretch: April Programs April 12 th - Betty Ford will present the program, Letters From Home. April 26 th - Bring some old items for appraisal by Dan Hance. He will conduct the program, Old Rooster s & Hen s Antique Road Show. By Janet Eckert 13

12 Trustees' Report, April 2018 An AED unit and cabinet has been ordered. This will be placed upstairs in the Sanctuary. A new larger TV screen has been installed in the Sanctuary for the choir. The new speakers for the Sanctuary have arrived. You will be able to hear the difference soon! Thank you to Allen Gerdes and Bob Homan for sharing their expertise and time. Donations by church members made the new screen and speakers possible. Volunteers Meeting Community VBS 2018 Greater Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church The theme this year is Shipwrecked. It is a program in which the children will learn that Jesus cares for them and will always be there to rescue them, even in their darkest hour. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 4, at 6 pm at GMOMB. The address is 423 W. Dee St. If you are unable to attend but are interested in helping, please either send a rep or contact Teresa Riddle (Youth Leader). Her contact info is: (618) or teeriddle1@gmail.com The church s number is (618)

13 Matthew 25:40 Ministries Update During the month of February, the Lebanon Matthew Ministries Food Pantry served 41 households totaling 86 people. Thank you for supporting the Food Pantry and the Community Care Coalition. Please know that those we serve appreciate your kindness and caring! Peace and Blessings, Donna Weil Food Pantry Coordinator How You Can Help... Donate food items every Sunday at church. The Food Pantry collection list (below) are suggestions from the Food Pantry. If you would like to make a monetary donation, consider designating it to the Lebanon Matthew 25:40 Ministries. Money given to LMM will be divided equally between the Community Care Coalition and the Food Pantry. The CCC helps local families by assisting them with electric bills, water bills, and rent. Your monetary gifts make this assistance possible. Food Pantry April Collection Apr. 8 Canned Fruit & Juices Apr. 15 Pasta sauce & Spaghetti noodles Apr. 22 Oatmeal (single serving size) Apr. 29 Dish soap (small bottle) 15

14 Circuit Rider May Edition All articles are due April 18. to Kim Vunesky: or bring to the church office. Holy Folders Friday, April 27, 9:30 am Fellowship Hall King s Closet Sale Day Friday, April 6, 10 am to 2 pm 507 W. St. Louis 2018 Flower Calendar (Back wall of the Sanctuary) 16 There are plenty of dates open in both April and May months! Remember, honor, celebrate a loved one or event. Sign up now to donate flowers for Sunday Worship in The cost is $30 per arrangement.

15 NEW MINISTRY I am beginning a new ministry in song. I plan on taking it to various churches and any other group that will have me!! This is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time, but many jobs got in the way. Now that I retired from Midwest Sheet Music, I have more time to pursue this endeavor. I have a few churches lined up already, but want to start my ministry here, in friendly territory. SPRC has granted me permission to take it on the road on a few Sundays during the summer, when the choir is on vacation. I ask your prayers as I go about this! I feel it important to use my voice while I still have it, and share my witness. Christ has given me so much to sing about. I pray the voice will stay with me for a few years, and your prayers will be a big help! Stay tuned for the kick-off date! Thanks in advance, Dick Boyd Thank you everyone who donated candy and items for the LFUMC Community Children s Easter Egg Hunt. A full report concerning the hunt will be in the May issue of the Circuit Rider. Ministry to children in our community would not be possible without your loving support. Once again thank you! GSS Team 17

16 Multiple Sclerosis Trivia Night When: Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 7 pm Doors open at 6:15 pm Where: St. Joseph s Catholic Church 901 N. Alton St Lebanon, IL Cost: $15 per person or $120 per table with eight people at each table All proceeds go to the Lebanon LAB Rats Team for the O Fallon MS Walk. For more information or to reserve tickets, Mike Bennett at rep62254@sbcglobal.net or call LEBANON LIONS & CUB SCOUT PACK 28 SPAGHETTI DINNER THURS., APRIL 12, 4:30-7:00 PM ST. PAUL UCC CHURCH HALL ADULTS $8.00 CHILDREN (2-12) $4.00 (Under 2 free) 18

17 For more information, contact Jane Cotts DONATION DRIVE 2018 Donate your clothing and household items to help raise money for Lebanon Matthew Ministries All items will be sold to SAVERS S. The proceeds will help fund the food pantry and community care. City Hall Parking Lot Saturday April 14 8 am-12noon Donations will be received in advance inside City Hall from April 2 nd April 13 th during normal business hours. The list of acceptable items is on the back of this sheet. The Circuit Rider is a monthly publication of Lebanon First UMC, Lebanon, IL Reverend Kim Hagedorn Content: Those who trust God and serve Him Production & Information Manager: Allyn Wiechert Content and Story Coordinator: Kim Vunesky Assembly: Holy Folders Proofs and Consultation: Kay Korte For more information, call office@lebanonmethodist.org

18 See you Sunday! 9:30 am Worship 10:30 am Fellowship 11 am Sunday School First United Methodist Church 603 West St. Louis St. Lebanon, IL (618) ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Label Non-Profit U.S. Postage Paid Permit #19 Lebanon, IL 62254