Monroe United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 March 2018 Middle High School Youth will participate in 30 Hour Famine on March 16 & 17 Monroe United Methodist Church th Street, Monroe, WI (608) Easter Camp children in 4K - 5th grade on Saturday, March 17 9:00am - noon Details about both events are on page 5 New Members Class Adults interested in joining Monroe UMC are invited to the next new members class on Sunday, March 11. Join us at 12:30 for a light lunch and casual conversation. The formal part about membership begins at 1:00. If you re unable to make it to this class, please contact Pastor Randy so you can join at another time. Maundy Thursday service at 6:30pm My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Good Friday 7:00 pm community worship service I am statements Jesus made in the Gospel of John. Easter Sunrise at 6:15 at Greenwood Cemetery Easter Worship at church 8:00, 9:30 & 10:45 Worship for Lent and Easter March and April will be the most important worship for the year as we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the beginning of March, we will follow our regular schedule of communion at the first service on the first Sunday, the second service on the second Sunday, and the third service on the third Sunday. Wednesdays in Lent will see our mid-week services as Pastor Randy concentrates on the Psalms associated with Jesus s death. March 7 is Psalm 16, March 14 is Psalm 41, March 21 is Psalm 118 (get ready to sing a portion of it in Hebrew). Palm Sunday is March 25. Maundy Thursday is March 29 and we ll commemorate the Last Supper with the Lord s Supper. The service begins at 6:30 p.m. Randy will conclude his look at the psalms with Psalm 22. Good Friday is March 30. We will host the community service at 7:00 p.m. Area clergy will all talk about the I am statements Jesus made in the Gospel of John. Easter Sunrise will take place at Greenwood Cemetery again at 6:15 a.m. We ll rejoice with loud Alleluias and communion. Bring a chair. Easter Worship a new you will happen according to our traditional schedule, 8:00, 9:30, and 10:45. Rich Rubietta will lead worship on May 6 while Randy and Karen are in Italy celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. Rich is a pastor from Illinois who blends music and preaching. Set your clocks ahead to Daylight Savings Time before worship on March 11. Children s sermons will follow Sunday School lessons, so March 4 is how Mary anointed Jesus feet; March 11 is the healing of blind Bartimaeus; the Last Supper, and the Palm Parade. Pastor Randy s sermons will continue the old/new theme he started in February: heart, King David, and renewed followers of Jesus. 1

2 Pastor s Page Easter is the day of resurrection. Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered. Easter is the day our debt to God was paid in full; we deserve to die because we offend God, but Jesus took our place. Easter is more than new life from eggs and bunnies; Easter is eternal life from the risen Christ. It is the fullness of life Easter is a preview of what our lives will look like. Easter is a gift of full life, more than just our bodies, but everything that makes us who we are in God s image. It is a glimpse of our new body, eternal and untouchable by sin, disease and death. Easter is confronting our worst enemy death with the overwhelming victory of Jesus Christ. It is God s declaration that death is swallowed up in victory and has lost its sting. Easter is proof that God puts Jesus far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come (Ephesians 1:21, NLT). It distinguishes Christianity from all forms of leadership in government, business, and sport. It distinguishes Christianity from other religions. It is unique and uncompromising. It answers the greatest problem known to humanity: death. The war is decided while we still fight the final battles. Easter is a gift of resurrection for us, too. It raises us from a life of sin and death, just as Jesus was raised from the dead (Ephesians 2:4). Easter is trusting God in today s worst situations, when we re surrounded by threats, fear, and death. It s conviction and hope in our worst moments (and nothing is worse than an innocent man dying on a cross) because God can redeem anything for his glory. Instead of seeing ourselves drowning in sorrow, we can have the power to understand, as all God s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is (Ephesians 3: 18, NLT). Happy Easter! March 11 Committee Meetings Mon. March 12: 6:30 Trustees 7:30 Finance Tues. March 13: 6:00 Missions Mon March 19: 7:00 Ad Council Out and About with Pastor Randy Pastor Randy will preach at Monroe Health Services (Manor) and Aster on the Wednesday, March 28 during Holy Week. The service at the Manor begins at 10:00 and 11:00 at Aster. He will preach at Pleasant View the Tuesday after Easter. If you know a resident in any of these residences, be sure to join him or her for this time of worship. If you would like to sponsor a lily in honor of a loved one, please fill out a form from the Welcome Center and return it to the office by March 26 th. You can supply your own lily or have us order one. The flowers ordered by us will cost $7.00 for a 6 pot and be delivered to the church. If you are having us order flowers, please attach your payment to the form. You may either take them home after services on Easter Sunday, or leave them in the Sanctuary. 2

3 Volunteer Spotlight for March Library, Prayer Committee, Prayer Chain This month we honor the dedicated people who help with the library, are members of the prayer committee and the prayer chain. Prayer is such an important part of our worship experience, we thank all who pray for our church, its staff and members. Also, thank you to the people who keep our library current so we have a great place to find reference materials or reading material. To honor and thank these dedicated volunteers for all they do, we will be serving cake between services on March 25, Apportionments Paid at Home and Globally In 2017, Monroe United Methodist Church paid 100% of its apportionments to the Conference. Likewise, the Conference paid 100% of its apportionments to the General Church. Bishop Hee-Soo Jung wrote this commendation: My brothers and sisters, thank you! Let us celebrate and sing, rejoice and be glad. Together, we have done a wonderful thing! Because of our commitment and generosity, lives have been saved, people have been given hope, and the loving grace and power of Jesus Christ have been shared around the world. God is doing amazing things through us, and we should be joyful. I want every pastor in our Conference to share the good news with the whole congregation: Wisconsin Conference paid its General Church apportionments in full, 100%, for In fact, we paid our commitment to Africa University at 105%! Many in our Church live under a myth about apportionments. They feel these are merely administrative costs, or pay insurance, or overhead, or salary support. And while a very small portion does go to these costs (less than 6%), the vast majority fund life-saving, faith-raising, hope-giving mission and ministry locally, denominationally, and globally. In Wisconsin, we have camps and campus ministries and mission teams funded through our apportionments. We support health and welfare ministries, young clergy education and development, clergy and laity training, new congregational development, and a host of mercy and justice ministries. Our Boards of Ordained and Lay Ministries are funded. We also support many mission projects. Globally, we help The United Methodist Church be early on the spot in times of natural disasters and human suffering. We are connected to our General Council on Finance and Administration, United Methodist Communications, Discipleship Ministries, the Commissions on Archives and History, Religion and Race, and the Status and Role of Women. We have been richly blessed, and superbly resourced by many of these agencies. We are in ministry, together. I openly acknowledge that for many of our churches it is a struggle to pay apportionments in full. It has been a sacrificial struggle for the Conference to make apportionment payments to the General Church a priority, as well. But we know that there is no greater, or more faithful way, for us to be in ministry together than to celebrate our connectional identity and recommit to our Wesleyan roots by funding first the works of justice, mercy and truth. We may argue over theology, and we have vastly different understandings of the meaning of scripture we may even debate the structure and future of the denomination, but what doesn t change is our commitment to be a witness for Christ in the world. That is what paying apportionments is: our witness of the love and grace and power of Christ in the world. When we all do our part, God blesses us and the Holy Spirit works through us to do amazing things. And so, once more, I thank you. When Do We Say Enough? As Christians, we may differ in our understanding of God s will, but there are some very clear messages from our scripture. War, violence, killing, injuring others, vigilantism, and revenge are aspects of our brokenness and separation from God. We are called to be peacemakers, loving mercy, showing compassion, standing for justice, and doing all in our power to spread God s love. Few people debate these things. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; This is the beginning of Bishop Hee-Soo Jung s Soul Food article. The entire article can be found at Micah 4:3 3

4 Music News Divine Intervention rehearses at 5:45 on Monday Chancel Choir rehearsal Wednesdays at 7:15 Bell Choir rehearsal Wednesdays at 8:00. Volleyball Fridays 7:00 Join us to play or just watch on Friday nights at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited. See Bryan Versnik, Todd Carter, or Craig Cummings for information. Young Adult Group 20 s & 30 s join to discover Grace in their lives. Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 6:30pm at Suisse Haus, they will study Max Lucado s Grace over appetizers on the 3 rd Tuesday of the month. RSVP Betsy at betsyb@sttclaregreencounty.org Faith Stitchers Our next meeting is Thursday, March 15th at 2:30pm. New members are always welcome! Contact Lynn Zimmerman with any questions 4ever29@tds.net Fellowship Community Support Groups & Events This Month A Breast Cancer Survivor Support Group meets Wednesday, March 7at Wisconsin Bank and Trust at th Street from 6:00 7:00. Contact Kris to learn more kriswis@tds.net. The Caregiver Support group sponsored by the Monroe Clinic meets on Thursday, March 8 from 6:00 7:30 in Café Room 3. A Parenting Support Group meets at St John s Church March 12. A different topic each month to help parents of any age child. Discussion starts at 5:00, social time begins at 5:30. Led by Green County Human Services. Call if you need child care. The Memory Café meets at Behring Senior Center on Wednesday, March 14 from 1:30 3:00. Those will memory or mobility limitations should come and you re welcome to bring a family member with you. Loaves and Fishes has its free meal on Sunday, March 25. The meal is at Grace Lutheran Church off the square from 4:00 6:00. Morning Light Circle will meet on Wednesday, March 14 at 9:00am in the library. Peace and Friendship Circle will not meet on Tuesday, March 20 at Shirley Erickson s. 4 Troop 180 Pancake Breakfast Saturday, March 10 th from 7:00am - noon Enjoy a great pancake breakfast and support the Scouts! Camp Sunday Get the scoop on all the camping choices at the Wisconsin camps on Sunday, March 11. There is something for all ages and all levels of adventure - in a tent, a tree house, or a modern motel style retreat. For decades our church has helped hundreds of individuals and families cover part of the cost of going the camp if there is a need. Your contribution to the Camp Scholarship Fund will let the church continue this great program. See you on March 11. A retreat for knitters and crocheters to spend time together sharing their skills and fellowship with other stitchers. Contact Melissa Borth for more information melissa.borth@gmail.com April Lake Lucerne Camp Registration Fee: $160 for two nights lodging, meals, workshops and materials. More information and registration at: wiumcamps.org/retreats

5 Christian Education Join me in welcoming Ann Ermy to our Christian Education team. Ann graciously stepped up to help me out while I am working full time. She also volunteers her time Sundays as the 4th & 5th grade teacher. Ann is energetic and has a heart for children's ministry. I am so thankful she is a part of our staff. The pantry painting is underway! We decided on the color scheme of white, red, and black accents. The kids chose to decorate each side of the pantry with a dove and the cross and flame. Easter Camp will be March 17 from 9:00-12:00. Registration sheets are at the Welcome Center and in the CE hallway. Join us for crafts, lessons, games, and a snack. The youth group have generously offered their help and I am thankful for the extra hands. YG (Youth Group) meets Sundays and Wednesdays 6:00 8:00 unless otherwise noted. Thanks to the devotion of our youth, we had great success in baking and selling cinnamon rolls in January. We are grateful to Steve and Nancy Schulz, Nicole Cummings, Harlen Jinkerson, and Anders Nelson for their hard work and leadership. We also thank our church family for their unending support. We were able to replenish our funds for Samuel Isaac Gomez Rodrigues our 15 year old brother in Ecuador. God is good!! March 16th and 17th we will be fasting for famine. The 30 hour event will help us understand what it feels like to do without, while we are raising funds to help alleviate hunger and its costly effects. Parents should look for regarding the fast and everyone else can expect to be hit- up for donations. A table will be set up in the Narthex between services for those who wish to donate or would like to know more. Celebrate the lives of these incredible young people who have birthdays in March: Alisha Bennett 16th Birthday March 1st th Street Monroe Jason Carpenter 14th Birthday March 7th W4819 Pembridge Trail Monroe Tanner Aebly 17th Birthday March 25th 1295 State Rd 11 South Wayne, th th Madison Katzenberger 18 Birthday March 25 N1153 Clarno Road Monroe Brenna Aebly 13th Birthday March 27th 1295 State Rd 11 South Wayne,

6 Friends in Faith Ministry Bluebirding in Wisconsin Along the Bluebird Trail Don t miss our next Friends In Faith Ministries presentation on Tuesday, March 6 th at 1:00pm when we will be hosting Carol McDaniel, president of the Lafayette County Bluebird Society with a program entitled Bluebirding in Wisconsin Along the Bluebird Trail. Sign up for this spring-time boost at the welcome center and bring a friend. The presentation is free and refreshments will be served afterward. A Sweet Time Together It doesn t have to be Valentine s Day for United Methodists to celebrate the love of God with sweet treats. Tuesday, February 13 th was the day we gathered at Culver s restaurant here, in Monroe, to enjoy warm fellowship and friends old and new! With hugs and laughter and sighs we caught up on challenges, families, and plans. Where else can 90 minutes bring such joy and satisfaction but in the company of our church family? There is truly nothing like the love of Christ! Monroe Library Delivers! Are you interested in books, movies, or magazines, but cannot make it to the Monroe Public Library due to physical limitations or illness? You may be eligible to receive library materials delivered to your door. Call to set up an initial interview so they can get to know you and what you might like to read. They will gather materials for you based on your preferences. Volunteers will deliver the materials on a monthly basis so you can read, watch and listen. Need a Ride to Church? Just a friendly reminder to those who have problems getting transportation to and from church on Sunday mornings: The Monroe Taxi is available to do just that. And our church will cover the cost. Simply call the cab at after 8:00am and tell them you need a ride to the United Methodist Church for 9:30 or 10:45 service, according to your preference. Last call for return trips home is at 1:30pm. They will take you to and from church worship with no cost to you. This provision includes wheel chair rides; just give 4-5 days notice if possible. Don t forget, this service is also available to you for other church events such as ladies circle, Bible studies, and Friends In Faith Ministries. We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to encourage the Taxi Company in continuing the service. 6 Please celebrate the lives of these Saints in our midst by sending birthday greetings or stopping for a visit. Harry Vale 91 st Birthday March 17 th th Avenue, Monroe Joy Rohde 87 th Birthday March 19 th 1221 E. Main St., Stoughton Gladys Kesler 92 nd Birthday March 20 th W3256 County SS, Monroe Jackie Hennager-Schmitz 88 th Birthday March 27 th th Street #16, Monroe Betty Karlen 86 th Birthday March 27 th th Street, Monroe

7 Membership News Briana McIntosh and Les Moore welcomed their son Killian born on February 17. Miriam Babula s new address at Aster is 616 8th Ave. #106. Joy and Del Rohde s new address in Stoughton is 1221 E. Main St., Stoughton Del has moved and Joy will join him when she comes home from New Glarus Home. We grieve with the following families. Please keep them in your prayers. Bernie Ringhand, 95, passed away on February 10. She had just celebrated her 75th wedding anniversary with Walt. Funeral arrangements are pending. Jerry Nethery passed away on February 19. He is survived by his wife Joyce. Jerry s funeral will be at church on Monday, February 26 at 11:00am. Susan Loeffel s brother Jim Hamilton died on February 9 in South Carolina. Remember to Greet One Another Two of the best ways to make others feel welcome in our church is to initiate the greeting during worship and after worship. Remember the Circle of Ten rule introduce yourself to anyone sitting within ten feet of you during worship. If you don t know them, reach out your hand and give them your name. They may be a visitor or a longtime member. Either way, you re on the way to making a new friend. The 3-minute Rule instructs us to spend the first three minutes after worship is over greeting people we don t know. There is plenty of time to greet our friends, whose names and phone numbers we already know. Studies of how visitors become involved in church indicate that the greeting they got after the worship service was an important determiner in returning to a church. Missions Thank you to our youth in Confirmation Class as well as everyone who contributed. The food and funds both go to Green County Food Pantry. Red Cross Blood Drive Monday, March 26 th 11:15am - 5:30pm United Methodist Committee On Relief One of our five special missions is UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). UMCOR is active throughout the world in responding to disasters. Through their connections with local churches and already contributed flood buckets at distribution centers, UMCOR was able to respond quickly to those hit by the hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico last summer. The only time each year that UMCOR collects for the operating costs of their mission is on UMCOR Sunday. All other contributions go directly to disaster relief. We will take a collection for UMCOR Sunday on March 18. If you would like to contribute, please mark your donation UMCOR Sunday. For more information about their work go to The Food Pantry has two new people taking up the helm. Levi Reincke and Bob Ellefson are taking over for Maynard Heins. Thank you to Maynard all of his hard work and dedication. Say Hi to Levi and Bob when you come down to volunteer or drop off food. The pantry received 194 lbs of food from MUMC in January. Green County Food Pantry is at th Ave., Monroe. Food Pantry hours are : Mondays 2:00-4:30pm, Wednesdays 9:00-11:00am (If a Monday is on a holiday, the pantry is open on Tuesday.) 7

8 Good News! th Street, Monroe, WI (608) Pastor: Randy Booth mumcpastorrandy@tds.net Education Director: Chandra Deprez - mumcce@tds.net Elder Ministry Director: Jane Gaulrapp mumcfriends@tds.net Financial Secretary: Lorie Kline - ext. 564 Choir Director: Julie Shipe McClain juliesm@uwalumni.com Office Manager: Terry Tackett - monroeumc@tds.net Treasurer: Anita Best - ext. 564 Youth Director: Jane Gaulrapp mumchsyouth@tds.net Custodians: Fred &Anne Bauman Ad Council: Jen Carter Finance: John Daane Missions: Noah s Ark Preschool: Renee Pivonka Open Door Ministry: Prayer: Randy Booth SPRC: Family Promise: Linda Nack Trustees: Wayne Schwartz NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 56 MONROE, WI Return service requested March 2018 Contents Pastor s Page 2 News 3 Fellowship 4 Christian Ed. 5 Worship Schedule Sunday 8:00, 9:30 & 10:45 am Sunday School begins at 9:15 Youth 5 Friends in Faith 6 Missions 7 Member News 7 The next Good News deadline is March 18. Office Hours 8:30 am - 4:00pm Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6 Our church exists so that all people might find the Way, know the Truth, and experience the Life! Through discipleship, ministry, fellowship and worship we strive to bring the joy of knowing Christ to our members and community. 8