ST. JAMES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Transcription

1 ST. JAMES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2945 Main Street, East Troy, WI Rev. Lorrin Radzik Following the Cross September 2015 Pastor s Ponderings 10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters, 12 What I mean is that each of you says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas, or I belong to Christ. 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? [ ] 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17 Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! The passage above is one that I ve been praying over and reflecting on this past month as I think about our congregation. Take a few moments to reflect on the words that Paul has written to the church in Corinth. Divisions in the church deeply concerned the Apostle Paul, so much so that the first preserved letter we have from him to the church in Corinth begins with a message that continues throughout the rest of the letter. Paul tells the church in Corinth: Be united in the same mind and purpose that which is consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Beloved, for some time we have been searching for the mission and vision that God has for us at St. James UMC. For some time there have been rumblings of divisions among us. The fact of the matter is this: each of us is God s beloved child, brought into the family of God through baptism, and called here to St. James by God s love to serve together. God has brought us together and made us into a family, with all its joys and difficulties, challenges and blessings. And as a part of the family of God we are called to serve in mission here in East Troy to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. How we decide to live out that mission is up to us. How we use the gifts God has blessed us to transform our community and share the good news of Jesus, inviting others into relationship with him with is the work of the church and the work of God s family today and always. This is what each of us is called to do as disciples of the living God. At St. James, we are at a crossroads, and it is time for us to gather together as a body and as a family of God to talk about our mission, vision, and goals for the coming years. On September 20 th, the church leaders have scheduled time to gather with all the members of the church as one church, brought together in Christ s love for one another, to discuss the ways in which we will decide to transform the world with God s love. Together, we must talk through and set aside some of the divisions that hold us back from fully engaging in Christian love with one another as a Church of Jesus Christ in East Troy. Together, we must focus our work as a church so that we can share a common witness in our community and reach out to those beyond our doors to those who are desperately in need of God s transforming love. Beloved, we have the greatest news in all the world and it s our job, as disciples to do the sharing. Please plan to join us on September 20 th for an open discussion about our direction, goals, and mission at St. James UMC following the worship service. We hope that this time will be a time of sharing information and listening to the needs and desires of the people who call St. James their church home as we seek to be united in mind and purpose, as the Apostle Paul instructed the church in Corinth: to share in the work that Christ has called us to do, making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Pastor Lorrin

2 September 3 rd September 10 th September 17 th September 24 th EAST TROY MANOR WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER Brad Balgord No one needed per manor Brad Balgord Pastor Lorrin We are really in need of more people to help with our Nursing Home Worship on Thursday mornings at 11:00. Thank you! ********************************************** SECOND HELPINGS Gus s Drive In, 3131 Main Street, East Troy, furnished the August 17, 2015 Second Helpings meal of delicious broasted chicken. Our appreciation, gratitude and thanks to Gus for his generosity. Thanks also to Darlene Katzman for organizing this outreach and her crew for set up, serving and clean up. The special meal was enjoyed by 109 guests. What a wonderful blessing it was!! The Davis team will serve the September Second Helpings meal. The remaining months of 2015 are all filled. A monthly sign-up sheet for 2016 will be printed soon. Please encourage your committee to participate. Keep this in mind as the New Year approaches. May God Bless You, The Second Helpings Team ************************************************* EAST TROY FOOD PANTRY Don t forget to bring your items for the food pantry each Sunday! These items are always needed no matter what month or season, they are: Laundry soap, dish soap, sugar, flour, and cookies. The theme for September is: Good Hygiene the items needed this month are: Tooth Paste, Tooth Brushes, Mouthwash, Shampoo, Liquid and Bar Soap. OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Another exciting shoe box season is about to begin! Please help St. James United Methodist Women fill several shoe boxes for delivery around the world. It's not too early to get involved in the excitement, as school supplies are now on sale. We have red/green boxes to fill, NO need to save shoe boxes. A suggested list is in a brochure on the Narthex ledge. ****************************************************************** FRANK S PIGGLY WIGGLY SHOPPERS We received a total of $ from the second quarter ending June 30, We receive one cent for every dollar you spend, minus tax, liquor or postage stamps. The third quarter will end September 30. Please continue to bring your receipts to the church and place in the correct drawer in the container by the microwave. No late past due receipts can be used. Sincerely, United Methodist Women & Circle of Hope ************************************************* OPEN FORUM FOR THE FAITHFUL Do you want to know more about what is going on behind the scenes at St. James? Do you have some ideas for ways we can be a more cohesive congregation so we can better serve God? Do you have any questions or concerns about our present or future status? The 2015 AD Board/Finance council would like to enlighten you! Please join us on Sunday, September 20 th at 10:30 a.m. Grab some coffee and a snack and return to the sanctuary for this gathering. At this time, we will review our church mission statement, discuss open leadership positions for 2016, present an overview of our current financial situation, construct some goals for 2016, and open up the meeting for questions and/or comments. We hope to see everyone there!

3 BIBLE STUDY OPPORTUNITY RALLY DAY POTLUCK & UPDATE Each year, the congregation at St. James UMC sets aside a Sunday in September for Rally Day. This year, our Rally Day celebration has been moved to accommodate the Walworth County Fair and will take place on September 13, Come and join us for a morning of inspiring worship at 9:00am and bring a brunch dish to share for our potluck after worship as we celebrate all that God is doing and will do in us as we continue to grow in our faith and learn more about God s love for one another together. There will be no Impact! on September 13, as originally announced we ve decided to celebrate with a brunch potluck immediately following worship instead and to save Impact! for another time. See you there! ************************************************* The Covenant Bible Study is designed to include three 8-week modules: Creating, Living, and Trusting where we can get to know God and each other better as we dig deeper into the bible and God s great love for us by talking about the theme of Covenant a special relationship that binds people together and binds us to God. Participant books for this study are $20 for each module. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex for people who are interested in participating, please note AM or PM next to your name. Times and locations for the bible study groups will be built around and determined by those who show an interest, but we plan to have one daytime and one evening group to accommodate interest for a variety of people and schedules. Please see Pastor Lorrin with any questions and sign up to join us as we grow in our faith and explore God s Covenant with us and our Covenant with one another. ********************************************** UNITED METHODIST WOMEN United Methodist Women will meet on Wednesday, September 9 at 1 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Hostesses are Jean Malmstrom and Grace Adams. Information on Samaritan s Child will be presented by Sarah Burris. Dolores Rich, mission chairperson, is in charge of this program. All women of the church are invited to attend the United Methodist Women meeting. YOUTH GROUP Youth Group will be busy this Fall. Check out the schedule below! You know you don t want to miss late night conversations, games in the church, and lots of learning, worship, and fellowship too! Our new student pastor will also be joining us. See you there! September 2015 September 13, 2015 Rally Sunday 9:00 a.m. Worship September 13, 2015 Youth Group 6:30-8:30

4 Worship in September September 6 September 13 September 20 September 27 Your Faith Has Made You Well: Wholeness in Christ Won t You Be My Neighbor? Wisdom from Above: Welcoming Others and Learning to be More Like Jesus Maintaining our Saltiness: Living as a Disciple ********************************************************************************************************************************************** RED BIRD MISSIONS (below is a letter from Red Bird Missionary Conference, Inc.) Dear Friends in Christ, I am writing to thank you for the extra time and effort you took to send us box tops for education and Campbell Soup labels. We appreciate all of the help that you have provided through your prayers and support. Your help has allowed us to continue our mission, To minister to the spiritual, physical, educational, and economic needs of people and to equip them to fulfill their God-given potential. Our commitment to sharing God s love extends through nine Kentucky counties and one in Tennessee. Please keep us in your prayers and we will pray for you. May God bless you! In God s Service, Shirley Ann Walker, Treasurer Psalm 146:2 I will Praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. ******************************************************************************************* PRAYING FOR OUR SOUTHEAST DISTRICT CHURCHES The Southeast District has begun a new practice of praying for local churches and their pastors each week throughout the year on a rotating basis. You may have noticed this addition to the prayer list in your weekly bulletins during the month of August, and each month, the whole month s list will appear in the monthly newsletter as well. During the month of September, we pray for the following churches and their pastors in the Southeast District of the Wisconsin Annual Conference: Brown Deer, their pastor, Paul Armstrong and their 274 members. Brown Deer UMC is located at 5736 W. Brown Deer Rd., Brown Deer WI 53223; August 31 -September 6. Burlington and English Settlement, their pastor, Ebenezer Insor and their 291 members. Burlington UMC is located at 8 57 W. State St., Burlington WI 53105, and English Settlement is at Plank Rd., Burlington WI 53105; September 7 - September 13. Caldwell, their pastor Karen Scheel, and their 54 members. Caldwell UMC is located at 8504 Caldwell Rd. Mukwonago WI 53149; September 14 September 20. Cambridge Regional Shared Ministry Cambridge: Willerup, Jefferson: Immanuel and Servant Community--their clergy, Brian Cook and Kevin Niebuhr, and the 280 members and worshippers. Willerup UMC is located at 414 W. Water St., Cambridge WI 53523, and Immanuel is at 201 E. Racine St., Jefferson WI 53549; September Cedarburg: Community, their pastor, David Blackmer and the 370 members. Community UMC s mailing address is PO Box 617, Cedarburg WI 53012; September 28 October 4.

5 This all-church member fundraising event needs your help and support. What YOU can do! Donate baked goods (Kathy Anderson and Jean Malmstrom co-chairpersons) Prepare a themed basket for the silent auction (October 1-3) Come and eat at the Corner Café, Saturday 9-2 (Nancy Zess, chairperson) Donate clean clothes and household items for rummage and auction (Ruth Howard, Ruth Grimm, Lois Crubaugh co-chairpersons) Donate gently used books, paperbacks and children s books for the Book Nook, (Judy McFarlane, Chairperson) Donate plants and plant accessories for the Greenhouse (Ruth Ebert, Chairperson) Come and buy! Babe s Boutique (Dolores Rich, chairperson) Hamburger Haven open on Saturday (Darlene Milne, Chris Rossmiller, co-chairpersons) Donate clean, resaleable items for the Auction (John Milne, chairperson) Donate pies for Saturday s Corner Café (Jan Stubbs, chairperson) Come and buy! Come and buy! Come and buy! ANNUAL RUMMAGE AND AUCTION Please support this ALL MEMBER fundraising event! OCTOBER 1, (NEW TIME) 3 P.M. 7:30 P.M. OCTOBER 2, 9 A.M. 1 P.M. OCTOBER 3, 9 A.M. - 1 P.M. AUCTION, OCTOBER 3, 10 A.M Main Street East Troy, WI St. James United Methodist Church

6 Take a Moment... To Grow Closer to God! Shaped to Serve God has made each of us a unique individual shaped to serve and to glorify Him! Last month I talked about our faith family. Jesus established this ongoing community of faith, hope and love when he established his church. Additionally, Jesus chose us to carry out his work here on earth. Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15). Disciples have great faith, know God s will, have God in control of their lives, and hear God through prayer. One of the struggles in a Christian life is, How can we be sure God is in control? We ask Him to control our lives and reveal His purpose; and yet, at the end of the day, for many of us, we are back in control. What about His purpose for us? How do we know that we are serving him as He planned for us. Well, God is not playing games with us. He wants us to understand His will, His purpose, and His plan for our lives. God.... invited you into this wonderful friendship with His Son, even Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9) Little information comes from the Bible on techniques on how to know God s will. But there are numerous verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus. God s will is a relationship. The better you know Him, the less confusion you will have about what His will is for you. It is like a marriage or living in a family unit. The more we know about our spouse, or our family and friends, the more we will understand their love and hope for us. Because we know them, we know how to live in a relationship that receives love and forgiveness. Rick Warren shares that if you want to know God s will, you need to admit that you need guidance. Psalm 25:9 says, He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. This is the first step in getting God s will for our lives. The second step is to ask God in faith for directions. If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. (James 1:5) There are two keys to knowing God s wisdom. First, you ask the right person God. Then you ask with the right attitude, expecting God to answer. God honors faith, and he promises wisdom for the next step of our lives. The wisdom we seek from God isn t delivered by UPS. We can t buy it on Amazon. It doesn t show up on Facebook. When we ask for God s wisdom, we need to take the time to listen. Job 33:14 says, God does speak sometimes one way and sometimes another even though people may not understand it. The question is, How do we understand it? How do we tune in so that we hear God s voice? God speaks to us through the Bible. It is our guidebook for life. We need to read God s word every day. If we don t have a daily devotional time, God is getting a busy signal when he wants to speak to us. God speaks to us through teachers. Pastors, Sunday school teachers, our faith family, significant people in our lives. God uses these means to meet our needs the ticket, though, is that we need to be listening. God speaks to us through impressions. When we feel an impression or a thought, we need to realize that every impression or thought has to match God s word. God speaks to us through our circumstances. God uses circumstances that come into our lives to help us live a life of significance. Challenges are faith builders. They make us strong and lead us in ways we don t always understand. Following God is not always easy, but it will bless our lives in ways we cannot imagine. Praise be to God! Judy McFarlane

7 PRAYER MINISTRY REPORT The Prayer Ministry of St. James United Methodist Church has been praying over your prayer requests and just wanted to make you aware of the work which has been done on your behalf over the past several years. The two report years for 2011 and 2015 are only partial years as either an earlier report had picked up some of the information or the present calendar year is not yet completed. Below is the number of prayers which were said to help you, your family, friends, and acquaintances and prayerfully has brought comfort to those prayed for. Year Prayer Said Respectfully, Tom & Chris Rossmiller, Joyce Reed, John & Darlene Milne ********************************************************************************************************** HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES IN SEPTEMBER TO: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WISHES IN SEPTEMBER TO: September 2 September 4 September 14 September 14 September 15 September 15 September 16 September 18 September 21 September 21 September 22 September 22 September 22 September 23 September 24 September 25 September 27 September 30 September 30 Terry Saffran Brittany Rabe Mary Stobber Grace Adams John B. Milne Kim Golliher Jim Gitz Nova Kyburz Katrina Arnold Wyatt Klumb Jack Boeing Adam Milne Beverly Pinch Jim Neumann Ruth Grimm Avery Adams Tom Roberts Darlene Milne Kelly Kmichik September 6 September 8 September 11 September 18 September 26 Mark & Carrie Triebold Kenneth & Nova Kyburz Steve & Denise Hubbard Jack & Marcia Boeing Jason & Angie Adams

8 STRAIGHT FROM THE ARK! A Mission of St. James United Methodist Church Our mission at Noah s Ark Christian Day Care is to provide a safe, fun and spiritual environment for children. We are a state licensed not-for-profit religious organization. Every day the children choose structured activities and also participate in prayer time. Our role is to present a well-rounded curriculum that focuses on the child and includes social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development under professional and personal care. All the children receive the highest quality Care in a healthy, safe, spiritually filled environment. Report from the Director September is always a fun and exciting month for all of the children at Noah s Ark! The children all had a blast during the last week of summer vacation! We will all enjoy extra time with our families during Labor Day weekend. Our center will be closed on Monday September 7th. All the children are so excited to get back to school and see all their friends they missed during the summer. I would like to thank all the St. James UMC members who have helped the daycare by donating items needed, spent time fixing or improving things, being on our Daycare board and all your simple meaningful words of encouragement. Enrollment Toddlers: 4 Preschool: 6 School-age: 11 Total Enrolled: 21 Themes for the Week August 31-4 Back to school September 7-11 Teddy Bear Week September Johnny Appleseed September Fall Colors Please like us on Facebook at Noah s Ark Christian Daycare

9 ~ September 2015 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Girls Scouts 2 Choir practice 3 East Troy Manor 4 5 meet 6 p.m. Worship 11 a.m. in Fellowship Office Closed Hall 6 Worship 9 a.m. w/communion Nominations Committee meets 10:30 a.m. 13 Worship 9 a.m. RALLY DAY First Day of Sunday School during worship Potluck a.m. Youth Group meets 6:30 8:30 p.m. 20 Worship 9 a.m. All Church meeting Forum of the a.m. 27 Worship 9 a.m. Outreach & Witness meeting 10:30am Crafters meet 9 11 a.m. SPRC p.m. 15 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Second Bunch for Lunch Helpings meal Meets 5:30 p.m. AD Council/ Finance meeting 7 p.m. 28 Crafters meet 9 11 a.m. AA meets in Fellowship Hall 7:30 p.m. United Methodist Women meet 1 p.m. Choir p.m. AA meets in Fellowship Hall 7:30 p.m. 16 Red Bird Circle Heritage 1p.m. Mary-Martha Circle meets 1 p.m. in cry room Choir p.m. Worship Staff meeting 7:30 AA meets in Fellowship Hall 7:30 p.m. 23 Choir p.m. Circle of HOPE meets 7:30pm AA meets in Fellowship Hall 7:30 p.m Choir p.m. AA meets in Fellowship Hall 7:30 p.m. Knitters meet p.m. 10 East Troy Manor Worship 11 a.m. Knitters meet p.m. 17 East Troy Manor Worship 11 a.m. Knitters meet p.m. 24 East Troy Manor Worship 11 a.m. Knitters meet p.m. 1 Rummage Sale from 3 7:30pm 11 Office Closed 18 Office Closed 25 Office Closed 2 Rummage Sale From 9am-1p.m Rummage Sale from 9am-1pm AUCTION Starts 10 a.m.

10 St. James United Methodist Church 2945 Main Street East Troy, WI ***************************************************************************** SEPTEMBER Following the Cross Published monthly by St. James United Methodist Church, Editorial Committee Rev. Lorrin Radzik and Maureen Loehe, Administrative Assistant Deadline for October Issue: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 (No late articles can be accepted) (Submit to church office) Phone # (262) Church Office Hours Monday Thursday 9:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Friday - Office Closed Worship Hours Worship Sunday a.m. Sunday School 9:00 a.m. during worship (September May) Our website is: easttroyumc.org