APRIL Holy Week service times

Transcription

1 3266 Lakeview Drive Suamico, WI Office phone: (920) Website: and find us on Facebook SUMC Pastor Jerry Cho Mon., Tue., Wed., and Thur.: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Cell phone: (920) wijerrycho@gmail.com SUMC Administrative Assistant ~ Tina Johnson Mon., Tue., Wed., and Thur.: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm APRIL 2019 Holy Week service times Ecumenical Maundy Thursday, at SUMC, April 18 th at 6:30 pm Ecumenical Good Friday, at St. John s Lutheran (253 Cty Rd. J in Ltl Suamico), April 19 th at 6:30 pm Easter Sunday is April 21 st with SUMC services at 8:00 am and 10:30 am Dear brothers and sisters in Christ at SUMC, Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus! You may have heard that the Special General Conference of the United Methodist Church had voted for the Traditional Plan, which upholds the UMC s current stance on homosexuality: incompatible with Christian teaching. But, that ruling is going to be viewed at the Judicial Council of the UMC at the end of April, because some parts of the Traditional Plan have been deemed unconstitutional. It is reported that almost two thirds of U.S. delegates have supported the One Church Plan, which is more inclusive of LBGTQIA+ people. Therefore, I would say that we will have to wait and see what all this controversy may mean to our Suamico church. I understand that neither the Traditional Plan nor the One Church Plan would satisfy 100% of our congregation. It is my personal belief that Jesus would welcome all kinds of people by saying, Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden. I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) As Jesus accepts us as we are, we also need to accept people as they are. The other night at our Adult Bible Study group, I heard a woman say, When I had a serious health problem, our church folks prayed for me and supported me. Our church folks are like my second family. As family in Christ, we don t exclude or shun other family members. We invite and welcome all who want to be a part of God s loving family in our church. After many months of construction, our new sanctuary is about ready to become our new house of worship. On Palm Sunday, we will have our first Sunday service in our new sanctuary. Our new sanctuary will be a new place of worship, hymn singing, prayer, and fellowship for all people who love the Lord, our God. I want to thank our congregation, our Building Committee, and subcommittees, the Schuh Construction Company and contractors for their excellent job. Our Suamico Methodist Church will remain as a church of Open Minds Open Hearts Open Doors. Happy Easter to you all! Your brother in Christ, Pastor Jerry 1

2 Graduation time is coming soon! A number of persons in our church family will be graduating from high schools, colleges, tech colleges, grad schools, military training, etc. We would like to know who you are! Your church family joins in congratulating your achievement. Please call the church office, (920) if you or a member of your family is graduating this year. We would also like to know your plans for your next step, if you are willing to share. Thank you! Education News Faith Finders (Sunday School) classes are available age 4yrs grade 6, Sundays 9:15-10:15 VBS: Time is marching on! Summer will be here and with it, the opportunity to offer children in our church and community the fun and faith building experience of Vacation Bible School. The need for a director and co-director is! Support in filling this role is offered. Please, consider the call for this area of ministry in our church. Contact Pastor Jerry at the church office, ; to ask questions or volunteer! Faith Finders: will be observing the Lent/Easter season with stories and activities based on the happenings of Holy Week and Easter. Faith Finders will NOT meet on Easter Sunday, but the Easter story will be celebrated during this time. Come bring your ideas & enthusiasm! ~ Everyone is welcome! ~ Monday, April 8 TH at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall. We will be planning for the celebration of our new sanctuary taking place on Sunday, June 9 th New Members Information If you have questions regarding the United Methodist Church or membership here with Suamico UMC, please call the church office (920) or Pastor Jerry (920) to set up a time to chat. Book Club gathers next on April 7 at 5 p.m. The book is "Shadow Cipher" from the York series by Laura Ruby. This young adult, sci fi/fantasy is a tale of an alternate reality for New York City, with the youth characters trying to solve an ancient cipher and save their city. There are 4 copies of the book to share among the group, as well as copies at the library. Please call the church office, (920) for more info. Book Club is always fun and a great way to get acquainted with new friends (and new readers are always welcome!) 2

3 BUILDING COMMITTEE UPDATE from Building Committee Chairman The building committee has been busy wrapping up last minute details before moving into the new sanctuary. It is almost done, with the exception for final inspections and outdoor jobs like landscaping. I wish to thank everyone who has helped us along this journey. It has been a great time and has gone by so fast. I would like give a special thanks to the whole building committee and the volunteering they ve put in during countless hours of work. I want to make a last plea for items that would go into the time capsule as well. March 31st will be the last Sunday worship in the current sanctuary. We will worship in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, April 7 th, while we move in and test out the equipment in the new sanctuary. The first worship in the new sanctuary will be April 14 th, along with the Youth Group s Palm Sunday Brunch. June 9 th is the tentative date for the consecration of the new building. We are hoping to celebrate and have a meal. In addition, we hope to have in attendance previous Pastors to SUMC, Sue D Alessio our D.S. and hopefully the Bishop will be able join us too. 100% with Current Active UMCOR Responses UMCOR is in close connection with the annual conferences responding to severe weather in the midwestern United States. The Great Plains Conference was awarded a $10,000 solidarity grant and we are beginning assessments on how to best support relief efforts as they develop. Assessments are ongoing in the Iowa conference and UMCOR is supporting them with Emergency Response Team Train the Trainer courses. Once weather permits, assessments will also begin in the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Mountain Sky conferences. UMCOR awaits reports from other partners as they work with other district and state response teams. Meanwhile, recovery efforts in the Alabama-West Florida Conference continue after the March 3 rd tornado outbreak. In Lee County alone volunteers are assisting by providing pastoral care, overnight shelters, food supplies and financial support. UMCOR sent a trailer of supplies and issued a $10,000 solidarity grant immediately after the storm. UMCOR continues to provide supplies as requested by the district Disaster Response Coordinator. Please continue to pray for those affected by the storms, your donations to UMCOR are helping people both locally and globally. Get involved with SUMC and attend the next Church Council meeting on Thursday, April 11 at 7:30. Meetings are open to all church members, and SUMC committee chairs, or a committee representative, attends every meeting. Church Council makes decisions on issues requiring a vote, and everyone present at the meeting has a voice. 3

4 Stewardship service hours In February, our congregation gave 496 hours of service between our church and the community. This brings our total for the year (so far) up to 823 hours. (2019 year end goal is 6,000 hours.) May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more. And nothing but happiness come through your door. Irish blessing I thank you, God, for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is. ~ EE Cummings Articles, committee updates, and blurbs make wonderful additions to the SUMC newsletter; May newsletter deadline is Sunday, April 21st *** Be sure to include all contact info: names, phone numbers, addresses *** "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." - Isaiah 40:1 Do you need a ride to an appointment, the store, running some errands? Perhaps you need a little help with cleaning or getting meals prepared? If so, the SUMC Caring Ministry Team would like to help you. Please contact the church office (920) and they will put you in touch with someone. April MISSION OF THE MONTH : E.P.H. (Ecumenical Partnership for Housing) SUMC sponsors Barnabas 2. Our current family is a mom, son and daughter. They have been helped almost two years and are looking for an apartment on their own. Please continue to pray for them. After their move, the unit needs to be cleaned and restocked with basic supplies for a new family. As SUMC Unit Coordinators, are seeking someone to transition into, and take over their role of Unit Coordinator(s). A coordinator s responsibilities are to inventory the unit, arrange for church volunteers to clean the unit (sometimes paint), and restock basic food and grooming items. A welcome meal is also delivered. The first Tuesday of the month, Coordinators meet at First United Methodist in Green Bay from 4-5 pm. Please let Pastor Jerry know you are willing to help in this local mission of Give them roots and Create Wings. THANK YOU for supporting UMCOR with your checks and Noisy Can donations in March. 4

5 SPRC Corner Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Like many others, I was distressed by the UMC decision made last week. As soon as I saw the article in the news I reached out to Pastor Jerry, our women s retreat leader from last year, as well as our Lay Leader, friends and family. I prayed. I read scripture. I prayed. I was surprised by the vote, I had many emotions. I needed some time to digest and continue praying, reading and discussing. As the global UMC continues to figure out their stance on issues, I felt God say to me that we need to keep the faith. That our faith is not built on doctrine written by man, and that our salvation comes from Jesus by His Grace alone. That the biggest thing for us to hang on to during this transition time is our relationship with Christ. Our direct communion with Him. Our prayer life. Our love for our families and each other. And really, isn t that always the most important thing? A friend put it beautifully when I asked her about her feelings on these issues and how they pertain to the Moravian church (my home church in Ephraim where 4 generations of my family have worshipped.) She said that over the years her journey has been a process of change and bigger understandings through study, prayer and interactions. She said that she begins with the premise that her views could be in error, and that if she is wrong, she would prefer to err on the side of love. I pray we can all do the same, whenever we are sharing our views and opinions, on this, or any topic. I am reading an outstanding book called The Tension of Transition. I have mentioned this before and it is still true, our church is in transition. First, we had a change in pastors and then many staff members. Now we are navigating the new building nearing completion and the impending move from the old sanctuary. To some this is exciting. To others it is sad. To others it is ambivalent. To some, being in the new building will be fabulous. Others will feel loss. The greater UMC is in transition now with how to go about the business of being Methodist and what that means from a denominational standpoint. To some this seems necessary. To others it is not. To others it is a victory. To others it is a failure. We must all recognize that many will have differing feelings. Each of us and our families are also facing transition of some kind. This could be job related, health related, domestic or familial. So many things go on in all of our lives that contribute to our current states of mind. We bring all those things together in church, where, as a group, we face other transitions. I pray we allow each other the space to express ourselves and be received in love. I pray we can talk, share and come up with compromises that honor each other and our care for each other. It is OK to disagree, yet, we must do so lovingly, respectfully, kindly. My childhood pastor, gave this benediction every Sunday: Go in peace. Render to no-one evil for evil. Support the weak, the afflicted, the poor. And may the Grace, love and understanding of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be and abide with you now and throughout all of your days. Amen. Faithfully, SPRC Chair S.P.R.C. What is that? Staff Parish Relations Committee is the Human Resources department of the church. This committee hires staff, negotiates salaries and interfaces between the church staff and congregation in many ways. We are a resource for church members, or staff, to contact us about issues or concerns. "Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer! I must get out and breathe the air deeply again." - Gustav Mahler 5

6 : It s time to clean out the closet, basement or that shelf in the garage! Outdated / worn out electronics hide! Get them rounded up and bring to the Green Bay Animal Rescue s (GBAR) Electronic Recycling Fundraising Event on Saturday, April 6 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. being held at the National Guard Armory at 800 N. Military Avenue in Green Bay. For more information visit: Adult Fellowship Dinner Adult Fellowship will be gathering at River's Bend on Thurs., 25. All adults are encouraged to join this gathering. Gather 6:00 pm with table seating 6:30 pm. Come and enjoy the company of your church family in a relaxed setting. Reservations are due Tues., April 23, by noon. Reserve your spot by contacting the church office (920) Looking ahead: May 30 - Hotel Seymour Seasoned Seniors Seasoned Seniors wrapped up a wonderful 2018/2019 season in March. Thank you to all who came to celebrate the "Old Fashioned Holidays this past year." We averaged in attendance of church and community members. A very special thank you to our volunteer staff who worked many Wednesday nights and Thursdays to make Seasoned Senior luncheons festive, fun and delicious, and to those who lended a hand with the door prizes. We will see you all back here again in October. It is oh so important to add the dates & times of your meetings / gatherings to the wall calendar in the hallway by the church offices: it keeps us all on track with everything going on within our SUMC church and Fellowship Hall. (and keeps our website up to date then too) Booyah Sunday on April 28th is the last booyah of the season Booyah is ready to eat after 9:00 am, so come over and enjoy a Booyah Brunch! It s best you buy a couple carry out quarts too because this booyah s gotta last till the October! Don t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth with a treat from the UMW Ladies baked goodies table baked goods, dried spices and handy-crafts! There might also be frozen BOOYAH from March in the kitchen freezer (if you need to have booyah before April 28th): one quart ($6) & two quart ($12) containers. Three quart ($18) pails availbe by calling Donna Schneider ( ). Heat and serve it tastes just like it was made today! 6

7 SUMC manages and maintains the Barnabas House through the EPH program. Barnabas House is one side of a duplex in Green Bay, with St. Paul s Episcopal Church in Flintville managing the other side. If you are a homeowner, or rental property owner and thinking of selling, but want to avoid the hassle of putting it on the market, perhaps your home or rental property could become a Pathway to Self-Sufficiency! EPH is addressing the problem of safe and affordable housing through for homeless families, who are having a difficult time finding safe and affordable housing. The Pathway to Self-Sufficiency strategy includes purchasing a single-family home ($80,000 or less) or a duplex ($150,000 or less). EPH s preference is for three-bedroom homes/duplexes, but two-bedrooms would be considered. EPH has had success in the past purchasing properties from within our partnership congregations and parishes. We have a realtor who provides free services to complete all the necessary paperwork involved on the purchase of a property for use within our ministry. If you would more information about your home/rental property becoming a Pathway to Self-Sufficiency, please contact the EPH Executive Director at executivedirector@ephgb.org. EPH is in need of usable electric stoves; if you have (or know of) a usable electric stove, please contact the church office (920) to arrange for pick up. The only time to look down on your neighbor is when you re bending over to help. ~ Amish proverb April is a busy month for our youth group. Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 during the school year Youth group is always happy to have new faces join us! Please let the youth in your life know they are welcome to attend Summer Youth Group Mission: Our summer mission trip to Pennsylvania has 2 openings. Please pray for a meaningful and successful trip for all our youth. We have 45 people going! Youth Group Rummage Sale May 3 rd and 4 th - items can be dropped off in the old kitchen of the church basement, on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. No electronics accepted, but other items are appreciated. We can use some extra helping hands, especially Friday the 3rd while the youth are in school. As usual, we ll have food to purchase so stop by for lunch and then shop till you drop. Our line up for April is April 3 Baptism talk April 10 Session Four: On Fire Book (Chapter 7) April 17 Breakthrough movie at Marcus East April 24 Senior Night: Seniors to share their advice, tell us what they re doing Shopping with SUMC $crip We ve got a card for everyone! A percentage of Scrip comes back to the SUMC building fund from the cards sold! When many of you purchase Scrip cards it really adds up! (With no additional cost to you.) There are 700+ retailers at and printed lists also in the church. Let the office know what you want. Many choices are kept on hand for you to purchase at worship services too! Then hang on to those used gift cards and recycle them in one of the jars in the church entry or the donation shelf in the hallway by the church offices. Collected cards get recylkced, not in a landfil! Do NOT cut up the cards though, just leave them intact for donation. 7

8 All-you-can-eat: In SUMC Fellowship Hall on Sunday April 14 th from 8:30 am 11:00 am All proceeds support Youth Group activities Pancakes, Home-made French Toast, Sausages, Scrambled Eggs, and Applesauce. Beverages include: Orange Juice, Coffee and Milk Adults - $8.00 Children under 10 - $5.00 Children 2 and under free For more info:church office (920) or visit our website: * Collection baskets for all donations are on the shelves by church offices. * U.M.W.: Coming soon: the annual Ecumenical Brunch hosted by the UMW is set for May 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. The Veteran's Assistance Foundation is joining us as the speaker this year. This not so well known organization in Green Bay has been providing much needed services for veterans since A tasty meal, friendship with women from sister churches, and valuable information about a very important entity, are all part of the gathering. All are cordially invited! U.M.W upcoming dates: The Northeast District Retreat, is at Camp Lucerne, May 3 rd and 4 th. The Director of Development of United Methodist Children's Services in Milwaukee, will be the speaker. This organization is one of those supported by our local UMW. May 4 is open as a drive-in day for those needing a one day event. Registration is due by April 15. More information about these and other events are available at wisconsinunitedmethodistwomen.org or by contacting the church office (920) Medicine Bottles 4 large bags of clean medicine bottles is on its way to the Free Clinic in Milwaukee. Thanks everyone! P.A.C.E. Pulaski Pantry is in need of toothpaste, anit-perspirant and deoderant for the month of APRIL. 8

9 Friends of Patricia: The Friends of Patricia will gather on April 2 to continue working on current projects for Community Service. Please join us from approximately 9:00am to 2:00pm. We will break for a potluck luncheon about noon. PILLOWCASES for FOSTER CARE CHILDREN Imagine you are a child being removed from your home or you are moving between foster homes. The police officer or case-worker hands you a black garbage bag to put your belongs in and take with you as you go. Our Seasoned Seniors brought children's print and brightly colored pillowcases to our December gathering. The Friends of Patricia sewers then attached cords or ribbons for tying the pillowcase closed. 80 pillowcases drawstring bags were presented to the Brown County Foster Care program at the March Seasoned Seniors gathering. These pillowcase bags in turn will be given to foster children to keep as their own, in place of black garbage bags. Something simple that might bring a little joy to these children. Thank you to all who donated pillowcases and Friends of Patricia for preparing them for distribution. Reusable cloth tote bags (originally made for UMCOR school bags)are now being sold for $10 to add to the UMCOR donations. They are great for shopping, crafts, or books; while helping eliminate plastic from the environment. There are several fabric selections to choose from, so stop in the church office see what is avaaible! Hygiene Items are always collected: small hotel products, and samples of personal toiletries or hygiene items. These items are donated to the Golden House. This is a shelter for women needing to escape domestic abuse in Green Bay. Thank you for helping others. When God s people are in need, be ready to help them. - Romans 12:13 9

10 April 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 8:30 Moving Day: Piano, pews and organ 6:00-8:00 Scouts 2 9:00 Staff meeting 9:00-3 Friends of Patricia 5:30 Praise Band 6:00 Choir 7:00 Handbell Choir 3 Youth Group 6:00 Bible Study 6:30-8:00 Group 6:00-8:00 Scouts 4 12:00 brownies for the shelter due to church :30-2:00 Brownie troop 6:30-7:30 Scouts 7 8:00 & 10:30 Worship in Fellowship Hall 9:15 Faith Finders and Confirmation 5:00 Book Club 8 6:00 Worship Comm. 6:30-8:00 Scouts 7:00 Celebration Sunday Task Force planning meeting 9 10:00 UMW 5:30 Praise Band 6:00 Choir 7:00 Handbell Choir 6:00-8:00 4-H and scouts 10 Youth Group 6:00 Bible Study 6:30-8:00 Group 11 7:30 Church Council :00-1:00 Bread making and Palm Sunday Brunch set-up 14 PALM SUNDAY 8:00 & 10:30 Worship 9:15 Faith Finders No confirmation 9:00-11:00 Palm Sunday Brunch 15 8:00 Piano tuning 6:00-8:00 Scouts 16 5:30 Praise Band 6:00 Choir 7:00 Handbell Choir 6:30-8:00 Scouts 17 6:00 Choir at SJLC Youth Group 6:00 Bible Study 6:30-8:00 Group 18 6:30 Maundy Thursday service at SUMC 19 6:30 Good Friday service at St. John s Lutheran in Ltl Suamico 20 National Volunteer Recognition Day 6:00-7:00 Scouts 21 Easter Sunday 8:00 & 10:30 Worship No Faith Finders No confirmation 22 6:30-8:00 Scouts 23 5:30 Praise Band 6:00 Choir 7:00 Handbell Choir 6:00-8:00 4-H 24 Youth Group 6:00 Bible Study 6:30-8:00 Group 25 Pastor Jerry out of the office at Walk to Emmaus Retreat 6:00 Adult Fellowship: River s Bend 26 Pastor Jerry at Walk to Emmaus Retreat 8:00-2:00 Booyah prep 27 Pastor Jerry at Walk to Emmaus Retreat 4:00-10am Booyah prep 10:00 Fellowship Hall: baby shower May s newsletter items due today 28 Pastor Jerry at Walk to Emmaus Retreat 8:00 & 10:30 Worship 9:15 Faith Finders and confirmation w/rehearsal 29 6:30-8:00 Scouts 30 5:30 Praise Band 6:00 Choir 7:00 Handbell Choir GOD is striding ahead of you. He s right there with you. He won t let you down; he won t leave you. Deuteronomy 31:8 5:00 am Booyah prep 9:00 Booyah starts serving 10