From Pastor Mary Beth

Transcription

1 From Pastor Mary Beth Dear St. Paul s Family, I feel very grateful for you especially, these days, as you support me in taking my upcoming sabbatical. I so appreciate your recognition of how vital it is for ministers to engage in a season of rest and renewal. This, as you know, is what keeps us pastors spiritually healthy, able to do the work of ministry in the church and in the world. As of this writing, I will begin my sabbatical in just a few weeks! (May 29-August 20). I will spend most of my time with the monks of the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, Nebraska praying with them and on my own, receiving spiritual direction, and listening for God s still, small voice as I rest my body and soul. As for you, church, you also will get a sabbatical! You will get time off from leadership as usual, as you pray and worship together, listening for God in your homes and in our pews in a slightly different way. Our St. Paul s Sabbatical Working Group has worked diligently and faithfully to come up with what this time will look like for you: Date Preacher Lay Leader June 4 (w/ communion) Rev. David Telfort Ann Reiter June 11 Faith Stories (Cip Garcia) Ann Reiter June 18 Ann Reiter June 25 Past Moderators Ann Reiter July 2 (w/ communion) Rev. Dr. David Ruhe July 9 Madelyn Ostendorf /Train Ride July 16 Musical Favorites July 23 Rev. Rich Pleva July 30 August 6 (w/ communion) August 13 August 20 Outdoor Potluck-Team Building (Lisa Winnie) Rev. Joan Fumetti Cip Garcia Megan Thomsen Ann Reiter Ann Reiter

2 If you have questions about what will be happening in worship during the sabbatical, please contact either John Roosa ( , ) or Lisa Winnie ( , from the Sabbatical Working Group. As for pastoral care while I am away, Mike Burkhart, along with the rest of the deacons, are ready to care for you! This is a wonderful group of folks who are very gifted for making visits and meeting you spiritually. Mike and the deacons will make regular visits to our homebound folks. If any pastoral need arises, please don t hesitate to contact Mike ( , mburkhart54@yahoo.com). If it is a pastoral emergency (e.g. death), Mike will contact either Rev. Carla Werre or Rev. Marcus Badgley (my amazing colleagues!), who are ready to cover funerals or anything else that is an emergency situation. Once again, I thank you for your prayers and love during my time away. I am ready for this extended time of listening deeply to God. And, at the end of the sabbatical, I believe that we all will have re-connected to the Holy Spirit burning within us, the same Spirit who prays in us all, without ceasing. With love and gratitude, Pastor Mary Beth Pastor s Forum Join Pastor Mary Beth for her forum class! She is teaching Adam Hamilton s Moses: In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet. The class will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:00pm for the month of May. All are welcome!

3 Sunday School Teachers Celebrated On Sunday, May 7, St. Paul s honored and celebrated our amazing Sunday School teachers ( ) during worship. We are so grateful for you Ann Reiter, Michelle Ringgenberg, Wes Mathes, Sharra Storm, Brenna Saxton, Jess Olsen, Jess Frey, Carl Duling, Pat McDermott and Chris Mowrer. Thank you for your faithful and lively ministry to our children and youth!! Youth Sunday on May 7! Thanks to all our youth who participated in our youth Sunday on May 7! Thanks especially to Madelyn Ostendorf, who preached once again for us; and for Emily Scott, who led us in music. We are so proud of all of you, and thrilled to see God at work in your lives.

4 St. Paul s Spring Fest! Our church s first annual Spring Fest was held on Sunday, May 7! This was one of our visioning goals for the year. There was a cupcake walk, a badminton net, croquet, ping pong, and bean bag toss game. We were entertained with karaoke. There was hotdogs and popcorn and lemonade! It was a great time to appreciate and enjoy each other and the wonderful weather! Thank you to the Spring Fling committee, you guys did a great job! May 6 Rummage Sale at St. Paul s! Our church once again be participated in Madrid s city wide garage sale on May 6 th. We raised around $270.00, 25% of which will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. (We had also raised an additional $ in a previous designated offering for Habitat). Thanks to all who helped make it happen! Madrid Kids Summer Lunch Program 2017! The Madrid Kids Summer Lunch program was a great success last year, so much so that the program is happening again! Lunches will be served at Jensen Park from 11:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 & 29; July 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27. Carol Truckenmiller and Tracy Walter will co-lead the program. They are looking for groups to provide and serve each of the meals. Each group should bring their own knives and serving utensils, in addition to drinks (milk, lemonade and water). Each group will be eligible for reimbursement up to $150. For now, each group should plan for 80 lunches (number may increase). If you d like to sign up to serve food or lead activities, you can do so by using Sign-Up Genius, OR you can contact Carol Truckenmiller (dctruck@hotmail.com, ); Tracey Walter (ptwalter@mchsi.com, ); or Sue Barker (suebarker04@gmail.com, ). Praise God!

5 Getting to Know You One of our Visioning Goals is to nurture all of our wonderful members and friends of St. Paul s. One of the ways we want to do that is to get to know each other better! Maybe you ve been around for fifty years, or maybe for fifty minutes, but either way, there are things we don t know about you that we d like to! Three things we don t know about.. Megan Thomsen 1. I m an introvert 2. I grew up on a cranberry farm 3. I played polo in college Patrick McDermott 1. I was born and raised in Shenandoah, Iowa. I was the first baby of the year 1973 at the community hospital. 2. I spent a year in Ireland earning my masters degree in history from the University of Dublin, Trinity College. 3. I was the class 3A state champion in the 800 meter run in 1991 and a 2-time team state champion in cross country. Judy Nelson 1. I have stepchildren and a grandson who live in Pittsburgh PA 2. We have a Finnish sauna on our property which we used a lot in the past years 3. My first secretarial job was at Monsanto (St. Louis) Lisa Winnie 1. Girls are rare in my family, I am the only girl out of 4 siblings. Of all my siblings there are 9 grandchildren of which only 1 is a girl. On both my parents side of all my 22 cousins there are only 5 girls. 2. I prefer any pasta dish over chocolate 3. I sing very well in my own head

6 Getting to know. Chris Mowrer 1. I had plastic surgery on my nose 2 weeks after my wedding ( reconstructive due to an accident) 2. I love kickboxing and go 3-4 times a week 3. I played trumpet in high school and in college. Now I d love to take piano or violin lessons Julie Mathes 1. I have an older sister who lives in Montezuma IA and older brother who lives in Fort Worth, TX. 2. I had shingles when I was 5 years old 3. I have worked at Principal Financial Group for 32 years Janice Kirkpatrick 1. I like to do Jigsaw puzzles 2. I like to watch movie westerns 3. I like to go to church to be closer to god There are still forms to fill out, let us get to know you too!! Strengthen The Church Offering, June 4, 2017 Taken on or near Pentecost, this offering is used to envision and invest in the Gospel. We help churches work together in visioning who they are and who they can be in 2017 and for years to come. As we know, the shape of Christianity is changing. The ways the church can have an impact on the world around us are multiplying! With your help, we can live into the United Church of Christ s vision for a just world for all. Investing in the future of Christianity and the church is investing in the vision of what God is calling us to do, together.

7 St. Paul s Gift Exchange The Gift Exchange has been going on now for over 2 months and here is has been happening since getting it started. Gifts: *household misc help and tasks *meals provide meal, bake cookies, bars, cake or pie when need arises *cooking a meal or multiple meals *baking/cooking teaching how or other misc needs *fixing a meal *leather stamping or art work, an offer to teach this skill *all around offer for help on projects or tasks, handyman type things *3 guitar lessons (30 min. each) *provide rides to doctor or pick up groceries *drive to doctor appointment *provide rides *drive you somewhere up to 4 hours round trip (time investment) *yard work: raking leaves, trimming bushes, planting flowers, pulling weeds, etc. *mow a yard *birding or questions about birds in general *going for walks or hikes Needs completed: *helped move from one apartment to another at the Madrid Home *rides *help with basic cooking tips We are always looking of ways to help members of our congregation. Our congregation is full of wonderful people who want to be of service! To help us build even more of a data-base, please contact Megan ( ) or Ann ( ) and we will try to match up needs and gifts from our matching lists. Or we will be glad to answer any questions you might have. Any other excellent ideas to add to our lists?

8 The month of May is St. Paul s turn to collect donations for Greater Love, below is the list of items requested. Please put donations in the shopping cart in the Narthex. Mixed Vegetables Apricots Mixed Fruit Ketchup Mustard Paper Towels Pineapple (chunks, crushed, sliced, Tidbits) Toilet Tissue Kleenex Tooth Brushes Kids Tooth Paste Egg Noodles (No soups or Green Beans)

9 Happy Birthday to all who have birthdays in May June and July

10 St. Paul s Contact Info: Pastor - Rev. Mary Beth Mardis-LeCroy Phone: pastormarybeth@gmail.com St. Paul's UCC Church: Church Phone: Church stpaulsucc@iowatelecom.net Church Administrator- Michelle Ringgenberg Phone: dmringg93@gmail.com Facebook:

11 United Church of Christ Statement of Faith original version We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father, and to his deeds we testify: He calls the worlds into being, creates man in his own image and sets before him the ways of life and death. He seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. He judges men and nations by his righteous will declared through prophets and apostles. In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, he has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to himself. He bestows upon us his Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races. He calls us into his church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be his servants in the service of men, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory. He promises to all who trust him forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, his presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in his kingdom which has no end. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto him. Amen. United Church of Christ Statement of Faith adapted by Robert V. Moss We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, who is made known to us in Jesus our brother, and to whose deeds we testify: God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image, and sets before us the ways of life and death. God seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. God judges all humanity and all nations by that will of righteousness declared through prophets and apostles. In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator. God bestows upon us the Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races. God calls us into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory. God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in that kingdom which has no end. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God. Amen.

12 May/June/July 2017