WE NEED THE POWER TO FORGET

Transcription

1 First United Methodist Church Dates to remember: March Chimes deadline Friday, Feb 19th Ash Wednesday Services, Feb 10th, 7:30 pm, Chapel Easter Sunday, March 27th Inside this issue: We Need the Power to Forget Prayer Concerns, Thank you Rainbows & Rhymes, Walk to Emmaus Children s Ministry, South Carolina, Psalm E-Pistle 6 Scouts & Lenten Breakfast Schedules 7 February 2016 WE NEED THE POWER TO FORGET by Pastor Gary CBS has a new show on television this fall called Limitless. A FBI consultant is given a special pill each day that grants him special brainpower. For a long time psychologists have told us that we use only a fraction of the potential of our minds. Many of us have vast latent mental resources, if only we could discover ways of harnessing them. No doubt, the idea we could enhance our ability to instantly recall important facts would be invaluable to our personal and vocational lives. Imagine being able to remember every detail about a book you studied or retain the name of every person you met. Memory courses remain popular today because there are many benefits to a retentive mind. As important as a good memory may be, however, I want to suggest the power to forget is equally valuable. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13 writes Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (NLT). With the dawn of a New Year we need to consider his admonition. Perhaps Paul learned that in some things and in some places it is better to forget. One of the places where forgetting is a blessing is when we consider our past accomplishments. When I was a newspaper reporter, one of my editors would always tell us What do you have for me today? While I may have written three page one stories yesterday, what was most important is what I had ready for today. It is a terrible waste of life to rest upon one s laurels, no matter how satisfying they may be. It is far better to forget past achievements if in remembering them we become too easily contented. Consider too the importance of forgetting our hurts. We know a great deal about the trials the Apostle Paul faced. When he wrote Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead he did so with vivid memories. Few people, in the long record of history, have tried more diligently to build a better world and have been more rebuffed in their efforts. He was often beaten, many times jailed; his character was assailed and his sanity questioned. He was tried and convicted in courts where even the judges believed him innocent. No one ever had more cause to reflect upon the past with bitterness and resentment. But here in his letter is his firm resolution: I am forgetting the past and looking to the future. If we forget the right things, it can well be our greatest asset. The people who make life what it ought to be are those who never allow past achievements to lure them into complacency. They refuse to let hurts dampen their spirits. Allow these words to be our motto for 2016: I am forgetting the past and looking to the future. Youth News 8

2 Page 2 First United Methodist Church seeks to make disciples for Jesus Christ. We seek to relate people to Christ, connect people to the Body of Christ, and reach out in love and concern to the world. Food for the FISH Pantry Current Needs: Peanut Butter Jiffy Mix Cereal Spaghetti & Macaroni Crackers Donations can be left at any of the FISH Food containers or grocery carts throughout the church. Thank you for your generosity! PRAYER MAKES A DIFFERENCE! Please remember to pray: For all connected to our church family who are confined to home or nursing homes For our TV Audience (9 am Worship) For veterans, public servants, police/fire/medical personnel For our nation, Christ s Church universal United Methodist Church, Sugar Creek Cluster For our congregation, our pastor, staff and the Rainbows & Rhymes families Prayer concerns: Jane Titus, Gary Meek, Melba Rivenbark, Fred Foxworthy, Jerry Bannon, Don Carpenter, Frances Smith, Olivia Stevens, Rev. Bill Parks, Barbara Odle, Janet March, Jim Hutcheson, Beth Wilkinson Redenbaugh, Our missionaries: Chris & Anna Pratt, Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) in Orlando, FL THANK YOU On behalf of all of us at Trinity Life Ministries, thank you all for your prayers and support the church gives us! The way God works in and through this program and the men who have the opportunity to be here is absolutely wonderful! Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Levi Nice and the Residence of Trinity Thanksgiving is over and the Lord blessed us this year with a record turnout. We have such caring and wonderful people in our community that are willing and ready to help serve and make this possible. It is so great to see everything come together, with all the volunteers that donate their time in getting it ready and all the food coming in throughout the days to prepare and serve. We served around 241 meals inside and around 745 meals between take out and deliveries. It was great to see all the people fill the room and have a great time with fellowship, good music & good food. We would like to thank everyone that helped make this year another success. Thank you to Pastor George Smith for the wonderful sermon, the great singers, Terry Smith and Troy Thompson performing to make the atmosphere even better. To the advertisers to get the word out, the florist with the beautiful center pieces and the center pieces from the residence at Whitlock Place, the wonderful fall decorations from Rainbows & Rhymes Preschool there at the First United Methodist Church, the volunteers that gave up their time on Wednesday and on Thanksgiving and all the people and businesses donating money and food. We would like to thank the anonymous people that donated so much food and anyone that gave without us knowing your name or address! Once again we would like to thank First United Methodist Church, for the use of their facilities and the help of their congregation along with the volunteers to prepare and serve this meal for so many people on Thanksgiving Day. We are both truly grateful to everyone that had a part in this dinner. Thank you, so much, everyone and we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Mark & Sheila Zachary Chairpersons of the Community Thanksgiving Dinner

3 February 2016 We are back in the swing of things from having a great Christmas Break. The kids showed up eager to see their friends again and start learning. We ve added a few new things to the classroom to jazz things up. Included is a brand new sensory table. We ve been long overdue for one and the kids were thrilled to see it filled with rice and tools. Yes it makes a giant mess but that s ok! The kids actually get to help sweep it up after work time is complete and we love that! Leslie WALK TO EMMAUS We are offering a Parents Night Out on February 13 th from 6:00pm 9:00pm. Parent s can drop their children (aged 1-12) off and let us do the babysitting. We will offer fun, games and pizza. Cost is $15 for the first child and $10 for each additional child. You can contact me for more information or to sign up. As always, we truly appreciate the love and support our programs receives from everyone. We are so blessed to have you! The Walk to Emmaus gets its name from the story in Luke 24:13-35, which provides the central image for the three-day experience and follow-up. Luke tells the story of that first Easter afternoon when the risen Christ appeared to the two disciples who were walking together along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Like Christians and churches who are blinded by preoccupation with their own immediate difficulties, these two disciples sadness and hopelessness seemed to prevent them from seeing God s redemptive purpose in things that had happened. And yet, the risen Christ came near and went with them, opening the disciples eyes to his presence and lighting the fire of God s love in their hearts. As they walked to Emmaus, Jesus explained to them the meaning of all the scriptures concerning himself. When they arrived in Emmaus, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened. They recognized him as Jesus, the risen Lord, and they remembered how their hearts had burned within them as they talked with him on the road. The Walk to Emmaus offers today s disciples a parallel opportunity to rediscover Christ s presence in their lives, to gain fresh understanding of God s transforming grace, and to form friendships that foster faith and support spiritual maturity. While Emmaus provides a pathway to the mountaintop of God s love, it also supports pilgrims return to the world in the power of the Spirit to share the love they have received with a hurtful and hurting world. There are two walks coming up this Spring. Men s Walk April 7-10, 2016 Women s Walk April 14-17, 2016 If you are interested in attending any of these walks, please contact the church office at Page 3 Preschool 3-5 year olds Monday - Friday 8:30 11:30 am & SPECIAL CHARGE CONFERENCE WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 3rd, 7:45 p.m. in the Sanctuary WHY: This is a required meeting for Lay Servant Certification Conducted by Rev. Chris Renick, an elder in the West District of the United Methodist Church

4 Page 4 CHILDREN S MINISTRY NEWS... Don t forget- We have Sunday School at 10 am every Sunday between our two church/worship services and Children s Bible Study on Wednesday nights at 6:00 7:30. We have a lot of fun in our classes and our dedicated teachers come each and every week to help our kiddos grow in their faith. Children are NEVER too young to learn of God s love for us. We are in search of loving and caring volunteers who may be interested in working with our elementary aged children. We have a few opportunities for next year to share your spiritual gifts. You do not need to be a biblical scholar or education specialist to help. You only need to love kids and care about teaching them about Christ and His love for us. Everything you need is provided, including the lessons and instructions for presenting the lessons. If you think helping children learn about Jesus is something you might be able to do, contact Paige. *This is not a commitment. Just an information gathering time for both, you and Paige. What is Lent? Lent is the season of fasting and self-denial observed by many Christians in the days preceding Easter Sunday each year. The word Lent comes from a word meaning lengthening days, with the Lenten season consisting of forty fast days as days lengthen in early spring. Since Easter s date moves each year based on the lunar calendar, Lent s dates vary from year to year. However, each year it begins on Ash Wednesday, which occurs sometime in February or early March. (This year it s February 10.) Where did Lent come from? Lent is neither commanded nor implied in the Bible. Instead, it is a tradition that developed slowly over the first several centuries of church history. During the first three centuries of the church Christians often prepared to celebrate Easter with a short preparatory fast of one, two, or more days. At about 190 AD the church father, Irenaeus, knew nothing of any Easter fast of forty days, but did mention Christians fasting for shorter periods of time before Easter. These early, pre-easter fasts were used to mark the time between the death of Jesus and his resurrection, and to prepare one s heart for Easter Sunday. How the short pre-easter fasts of the first three centuries evolved into Lent is not entirely clear. Some early Christians in Egypt held a forty day fast beginning January 6 in imitation of Jesus own time of fasting. Those preparing for baptism on Easter in Rome would fast for three weeks prior, and something similar happened in other places at different times of the year. By the fourth century, as Easter came to be seen universally as the primary occasion in the year for baptism these customs coalesced everywhere into a standard forty-day season of fasting immediately before the Easter festival. (taken from SAVE THE DATE!!! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Bible School dates have been set for June 19- June 23. As you are making summer plans, keep this in mind. We hope to see lots of returning kiddos and to grow our program and add lots of new faces. Have your kids invite their friends! We have chosen a theme called CAVE QUEST.

5 February 2016 Page 5 SHARE THE LIGHT You are the light of the world.let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 Join us as we share light and hope with our brothers and sisters on the sea islands of Charleston, SC. Our 28 th work mission trip to the low country will be Friday, June 3 Sunday, June 12. Regardless of your skill ability or experience, we have a role for you on our team. Watch for the time and date of our March organization/ registration meeting. Questions? Please contact Cynda Mellish at clmellish@gmail.com or COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES It s that time of year again! We have the opportunity to bless our college students with a Valentines care package. If you would like to donate, please drop off at least 12 individually wrapped treats to either the church office or Andy s office by Sunday, February 7 th. If you have a college student(s) that you would like to receive a care package, please contact the church office at with their name(s) and address(es). GOD S LOVE Could we with ink the ocean fill, were the whole sky of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretch d from sky to sky. Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai PSALM 23 by Pastor Patty Psalm 23 seems to be the verse that many people love. It seems to be the words that almost everyone has heard, whether religious or not, because it is quoted so frequently. The theme of this particular well used verse gives us the understanding that God is a caring shepherd and dependable guide. Whatever our individual circumstances, we understand that He is our hope for eternal life and security. Many people feel a need to read or hear Psalm 23 during a life crisis but actually it can be comforting in our everyday life adventures. There are days that when we choose to sin we might find it comforting to read Psalm 23:3, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name s sake. When we allow God to guide us, we will find contentment no matter what we are doing. The psalms we know and love are the ones that come into our minds when we need them. Just when we need a word from the Lord, psalms is there to inspire us, comfort us, or correct us. Psalms 23 shows us confidence and trust. I suggest you choose a chapter from the Book of Psalms that speaks most directly to you and then read that particular chapter every day until it is part of you. Psalm 23: 5, 6 reminds me of what I was taught when reading the words in a class lesson several years ago. It was explained that in ancient Near Eastern culture, at a banquet, it was customary to anoint a person with fragrant oil as a lotion. The hosts were expected to protect their guests at all costs. God offers the protection of a host even when enemies surround us. God, the perfect shepherd and host, promises to guide and protect us through life and to bring us into his house forever. May you feel God s love and protection throughout DATES TO REMEMBER Ash Wednesday Wednesday, Feb 10th 7:30 pm service in the Chapel Easter Sunday Sunday, March 27th

6 Page 6 E-PISTLE from Bishop Mike Statement About Religious Freedom and Rights for All The following statement was composed and signed by the religious leaders of the mainline Protestant denominations in Indiana, and it was released in newspapers around the state this past weekend. I helped to compose it, and of course I signed it. It is shared here so that you will know what we have said about the important need to protect religious freedom and also to provide equal civil rights for all. It is an honor for me to work with these colleagues and to share this statement from all of us. We are also fortunate to live in a state where our state constitution has a clear and strong statement protecting the free exercise of religion. That foundation should allow us to claim our religious freedom and to be generous in protecting the civil rights of all our citizens. As leaders of Christian communities of faith in Indiana we share a common concern for the free exercise of religion within our state and also for assuring that the rights and dignity of each individual are protected. The passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last spring highlighted a very real tension between these two important values. We cherish the strong affirmation of religious liberty and expression that is embedded in our state and federal constitution, including Article 1 of our state Bill of Rights which says in part, No law shall, in any case whatever, control the free exercise and enjoyment of religious opinions, or interfere with the rights of conscience. Throughout the history of our state we have demonstrated capacity to affirm that essential freedom even as the blend of religious groups and the diversity of our population within our state have changed over time. For the sake of clarity in our state law and within our public interactions, we believe that it is right and appropriate to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the state civil rights code that already contains protections based on race, age, gender, disability, military status and religion. Doing so will mean that all Hoosiers, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will be assured the freedom to work, have a home, use public accommodations and business services with access to the same opportunities and same fair treatment all citizens enjoy. We believe that doing this is consistent with the value we share to be and continually create a hospitable and welcoming community for all. This is also consistent with our common Christian call and commitment to care for and serve our neighbor following the example of Christ. We believe that strengthening the anti-discrimination provisions of our state statutes does not weaken or diminish the opportunity for the free exercise of our religious faith grounded in our state constitution. Therefore, as the General Assembly of our state reconvenes in January, we call upon all members of the faith community, the LGBT community, civic and business leaders to work with us, to support and encourage our legislative leaders and our governor to rise to the difficult but achievable challenge of adopting this change to the state civil rights code while reaffirming the free exercise of religious faith throughout Indiana. Bishop Michael Coyner, Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church Rev. Sara Dingman, Transitional Synod Executive, Synod of Lincoln Trails, Presbyterian Church USA Bishop William Gafkjen, Indiana-Kentucky Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Rev. Phil Hart, Consulting Conference Minister, Indiana-Kentucky Conf, United Church of Christ Rev. Richard Spleth, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana Rev. Alan Thames, Executive Presbyter, Whitewater Valley Presbytery, Presbyterian Church USA Bishop Catherine Waynick, Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis It is an honor for me to work with these colleagues and to share with them in such a statement.

7 Page 7 PLEASE SUPPORT BOY SCOUT TROOP 318 It's easy and all you have to do is register. Enroll your Kroger Plus Card. When you shop & swipe, we earn! Plus Cards accepted at Kroger Ruler Jay C How to Sign Up for Kroger Community Rewards Go online to Click on Sign In if you have already registered your card online or click on Create an Account if not. Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering zip code, clicking on favorite store, entering your address and creating a password, agreeing to the terms and conditions. You will then get a message to check your inbox and click on the link within the body of the . Click on My Account and use your address and password to proceed to the next step. Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information - input your Kroger Plus card number - update or confirm your information. Enter NPO number or name of organization BSA-TROOP 318, select organization from list and click on confirm. To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization s name on the right side of your information page. Do you use your phone number at the register? Call , select option 4 to get your Kroger Plus card number. Members must swipe their registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to their registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count. LENTEN BREAKFAST SCHEDULE Women's Breakfast Schedule 8 am breakfast; 8:30-9:45 program Childcare provided Men's Breakfast Schedule 7:30 am breakfast; 8:00-9:00 program Feb 13 New Ross Christian Feb 13 First Baptist Church Feb 20 Whitesville Christian Feb 20 Harvest Fellowship Feb 27 St. John's Episcopal Feb 27 First United Methodist March 5 New Market UMC March 5 Whitesville Christian March 12 First Baptist March 12 Grace & Mercy March 19 Woodland Heights March 19 Waynetown Christian

8 First United Methodist Church 212 E Wabash Ave Crawfordsville, IN Ph: Gary Lewis, Sr Pastor gary.lewis@inumc.org February 2016 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN DATED MATERIAL Patty Bymaster, Asst. Pastor patty.bymaster@inumc.org Andy Hayward, Dir of Youth ahayward@cvfumc.org Paige Livesay, Dir. of Children s Ministries plivesay@cvfumc.org Leslie Peacock, Dir of Rainbows & Rhymes lpeacock@cvfumc.org Sherrie Lacy, Admin Assistant slacy@cvfumc.org Marsha Smith, Choir Director Cindy McCormick, Organist Randy Neideffer, Maint Sunny Lollar, Custodian Service Times 9:00 a.m. First United Traditional Worship Methodist Church in the Sanctuary seeks to make & disciples for Jesus Christ. 11:10 We a.m. seek to relate people to The Christ, Gathering connect in the people Fellowship to the Hall Body of Christ, 10:00 a.m. and reach out in love and Sunday concern School with to classes the world. for all ages! 9:30-11:00 a.m. Take-Up-A-Cup in the Library & Narthex YOUTH NEWS Hey all! So things have been moving right along these past couple of months. We ve made it through the holiday season and haven t experienced the mid winter slump that has happened in the past. This winter, we ve actually gained some momentum! Our leaders are doing a fantastic job at building relationships with their students, which is helping our momentum through the cold months. Our students are engaged in what they are learning/exploring, which is very good to see. This month we ll be going on our annual ski trip to southern Michigan. This year we ll be trying out a different resort than we have in the past. We ll also be having our Sooperbowl Party (Spelling changed so we don t violate copyright ) after we have a small group time before. Please keep our ministry in your prayers as we have many moving parts and we need God to stay at the center of it all. Pray for our small group leaders that they may experience the peace that comes with remaining faithful through planting and watering seeds. Pray for our students to step boldly into a life of faith that causes others to catch fire from their enthusiasm.