The E-pistle. October Worship Themes

Transcription

1 The E-pistle ST. PAUL S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OCTOBER 2017 October Worship Themes Sunday, October 1 World Communion Sunday Genesis 1:24-31 What does God Look Like? As we continue to discover God in the first chapter of Genesis, we begin to uncover our authentic selves. Sunday, October 8 18th Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Healing the Broken Image As we look around us it seems we see brokenness everywhere: broken families, broken careers, broken politics, and on and on, Why so much brokenness? And is there hope for healing? Sunday, October 15 19th Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 4:6-7 Breaking the Cycle Too often we find ourselves or loved ones caught in bad cycles: cycles of anger, abuse, addiction or others. How can we break the cycle? Sunday, October 22 19th Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 8:13-22 How to Fix the World I ve heard it asked, Why doesn t God just fix the world? Have you considered God is fixing the world as we speak? Maybe we just need to understand what fixing the world means. Sunday, October 29 The Tower of Babel Pastor Lisa Brown Preaches

2 A Note From Pastor Jason Learning from My Experience at the Leadership Institute As many of you may know, in the last week of September I was part of a team which attended the annual Leadership Institute (LI) at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood Kansas. Lisa Brown, Kit Oase, and Raymond and Sue Quaresma were the members of our team. This trip was an awesome learning experience for me and the other members of our group. The first day of the conference we split up to attend different seminars. There were over 1,500 people at the LI, and in my first two seminars there were somewhere between fifty and one hundred people. The first seminar I attended was entitled Building a Disciple Making Ministry. As I entered the room I had a strange experience. As I scanned the crowd hoping to find a familiar face, I found no one. I was in a roomful of strangers and my introvert genes kicked in. I immediately became a bit uncomfortable and I felt withdrawn. There were several friendly greeters around the room trying their best to help us feel welcome, and many friendly smiling faces of other participants. I was also smiling: friendly on the outside, but feeling a bit apprehensive on the inside. I found a seat near the front and struck up a conversation with a couple new people at our table. They were very nice, but I didn t have as much in common with them as they had with each other. So my side of our conversation faded, and they began to talk of topics familiar to them. As my feelings of isolation grew, I realized that this must be how a new person who first attends our church without knowing anyone must feel: uncomfortable, apprehensive, and isolated. As I remember, the seminar was ok mediocre at best. Then I went to my next seminar, The Connected Life: Small Groups that Build Community, and as I walked through the door I met one of my old friends from seminary. I felt an instant connection as we caught up on each other s lives before the seminar started. As I remember it, this seminar was very good! In reflecting on my experience, I began to wonder how my feelings of isolation vs. connection affected my experience of each seminar. Did my apprehension at the first seminar cause a more negative reaction? Or did my sense of connection give me a better attitude and make me more receptive at the second one? Upon reflection, I believe that my attitude did indeed affect my experiences! These observations I made about my experience at the LI resonate with what I have already learned. When I first arrived at St. Paul s I asked the congregation to tell me how they first came to St. Paul s, and why they choose to stay. Most people first came to St. Paul s by being personally invited by someone else who already attended usually either a parent or friend. And everyone reported that they have chosen to stay at St. Paul s because they feel a sense of connection! They feel they are wanted. They feel like they contribute to the greater good. They feel like they belong at St. Paul s. I have found the same answers to these questions in all the other churches I have served. People who have a personal connection to the people of a congregation stay in church, and become dedicated members. If we think about it, this is exactly how Jesus built the church from the beginning. Jesus personally invited each disciple to follow him, and then he spent three years with his small group of disciples building personal relationships with them and strengthening their connections with each other! So what can we learn from all of these observations? We human beings are connectional creatures. Our relationships to God, our church, and each other give our lives meaning and improve our life experiences. If we are truly dedicated to bringing new people into relationship with Jesus Christ at St. Paul s, we must become students of how to make connections with others, and how to help people find purpose and meaning in our church. In more technical churchy language, we need to become students of evangelism and discipleship. But I like to think of it all in much simpler terms: we need to become students of the art of making friends, and growing friendships.

3 Free Six Week Positive Parenting Class for Parents of Teenagers Session 1: Factors that influence teenager s behavior Session 2: Encouraging desirable behavior Session 3: Managing problem behavior Session 4: Dealing with risky behavior Session 5: Implementing positive parenting strategies Session 6: Problem-solving for the future Class Dates: Oct. 16, 23, 30 and Nov. 6, 13, 20 Class Time: 6:30pm to 8:00pm Location: St. Paul s UMC Fireside Room Facilitator: Joseph L. Thomas, Program Manager Hosted By: St. Paul s Family Ministries and St. Paul s Preschool. Any questions, please contact Pastor Lisa SAFE Halloween Carnival Tuesday, October 31 st 5pm to 7pm St. Paul s UMC Fellowship Hall Candy Donations Are Now Being Received Halloween Carnival Meeting Sunday, October 8 following worship in the Fireside Room. Anyone wishing to volunteer to help with the carnival is invited to attend.

4 Coffee Fellowship Oct 1 Oct 8 Oct 15 Oct 22 Oct 29 Memorial & Social Concerns Discipleship Committee Board of Trustees Choir Stephen Ministry Ushers Oct 1 Jim Chapple, Evelyn Moore Paul & Sue Banicki Oct 8 Oct 15 Oct 22 Oct 29 Oct 1 Oct 8 Oct 15 Oct 22 Oct 29 Bev Casby, Kathryn Karnes Ed & Norma Burroughs Glenn & Deanna Phillips Mary Lingenfelter, Susan Oase Joel & Susan Groskopf Rick & Judy Wentworth Jim Chapple, Joan Rodriguez Bob & Judy Wissel Liturgists Bill Crothers Kit Oase Pat Silva Luan Bland Keith and Jacob Kubik Oct 1 Oct 3 Oct 7 Oct 8 Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 12 Oct 15 Oct 16 Oct 24 Oct 25 Oct 26 Oct 27 Oct 29 Mike Holmes John Massie Peggy Marshall Pat Johnson Cody Ruckman Megan Talbot Sarah Rhyne Katie DeRoos Ann Evans Jillian Rhyne Marlene Thompson Daniel Talcott Betty Wolfe Makenzy Bergman Sean Bergman Jim Murchie Glenn Phillips Lynae Brown Lisa Traughber Sarah Perkins Molly Perkins Liza Perkins

5 The first three anthems that the choir learned this fall focused on the theme of Jesus name. On September 10th we sang All Hail the Power of Jesus Name. On the 17th we sand At His Nam written by Joel Raney. The words to this anthem are beautiful: The might oceans roars The wind stands still The eagle takes the sky The might nations cry A newborn baby cries A flower grows The rushing rivers yield A broken heart is healed The mountains stand in awe The seasons change The sunlight floods the sky The storm clouds hurry by Our guilt is washed away Our spirit s feed The gates of heaven open wide He welcomes us inside At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess Him, The king of glory now. Every voice lift him up! His power and majesty proclaim, Every knee shall bow down at His name. The anthem for October 1st was The Majesty and Glory of Your Name: by Tom Fettke. His name transcends the earth and fills the heavens. O Lod, our God, little children praise You perfectly, and so would we Alleluia! We hope that the words to our anthems bring joy and comfort; that no matter what we are going through we can pray to God in Jesus name and He will take care of our every need. Anne Talcott Prayer Group each Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. in the Library All are invited to attend.

6 Please Note Women of St. Paul s Our Retreat Leader for the Feb. 2-4, 2018 United Methodist Women s Retreat at St. Francis Retreat Center, San Juan Bautista has changed. Mary McCormick Maaga has a PhD with distinction in Religion and Society from Drew University in New Jersey. She also received a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. Dr. Maaga was a lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Stirling, Scotland and an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. October 15, 2017 sign up deadline and $100 deposit due 2 nights lodging, 6 meals included -$260 semi-private; $330 private Contact Pat Kilpatrick for reservations or to apply for scholarships (209) Sponsored by St. Paul s United Methodist Women

7 at 6:30 PM

8 ALL ARE WELCOME and ALL MEANS ALL In case you missed the Meet and Greet potluck. The Potluck was a great time of fellowship getting to know Jason and Tammy. Special thanks to Natalie Weber and her family for the beautiful creative flamingo decorations. Yes, METHODIST S love to eat. THE COMMUNICATOR or better known as Dave Bland.

9 ALL ARE WELCOME and ALL MEANS ALL NOTES FROM THE CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING that you might be interested in. (Thanks to Judy Karnes as recording secretary). For more info contact person noted. Andrew Price Food Pantry (for Patty DeRoos) They are supplying bags to residents in French Camp, Lathrop, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton, and Salida. Many are participating in the hot lunches provided on Fridays in the Fellowship Hall, including homeless people. Each week there is a time of meditation and prayer before opening at 1:00. Two Afghan families continue to join in this time. Andrew Price MICA collected $4,700 for gift cards for MUSD students. The International Day of Peace was 9/21. MICA, the Police Department and the City Council supported this effort for the second annual gathering. Kit Oase The Manteca Bulletin is running a blurb in Saturday s edition telling about the message and activities at St. Paul's. The ad has been updated using the logo from St. Paul s Centennial Celebration, updated by Lisa Traughber. Kit Oase Five people (Pastor Jason, Pastor Lisa, Kit Oase, Raymond and Sue Quaresma) attended the Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, lto attend a conference on 9/26-9/28. Kit Oase Blood Drive Delta Blood Bank is now Red Cross Marilyn Larson volunteered and said that her late husband, Larry received blood transfusions from this program. Gary Colby would also like additional times to donate. Working on an additional date. Frona Winter 11/19 UMW Sunday Sun Hee Kim will be the speaker, and women will cover all areas of worship that day. Pastor Jason Tuesdays at 6:30 we have a half-hour Communion service with music and scripture. Pastor Jason Introduction to Alpha with Nicky Gumbal program to possibly be offered. There would be round table groups of 4 members and 4 seekers, who would meet for 9 to 11 weeks and a weekend retreat. It is for the un-churched to learn about Christianity and faith development. There are several series the original, a newer film series and a series for youth. It is free, books and lessons downloaded and CDs. Possible times would start 1/7/18 until the week before Palm Sunday. Could be used in Confirmation Pastor Lisa said there are about eight 8th through11 th graders, possibly adding 7 th graders. The idea is to train a smaller group and offer in the Fall to a larger group, September to Advent. Need to create a Focus Group who would get excited about it. Pastor Jason Anatomy of Peace for Choir and SPRC now, may be offered again later. Pastor Jason Upcoming activities 1. Charge Conference 2. Budget 3. Nominations 4. Pledge drive 5. Special Giving at Christmas offering card with pledge, prayers for the church and self, service to the church. Spiritual giving. THE COMMUNICATOR or better known as Dave Bland.

10 THE COMMUNICATOR or better known as Dave Bland. LAUGH! For everything there is a season,... a time to weep, and a time to laugh. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4a, NRSV Humor expresses God s joy. Humor does not discriminate. It targets families, single adults, youth and mature audiences. Used effectively, humor can open hearts to the truth as laughter relaxes people and gets their attention. Check out these fun. Though they're geared for youth, any young-at-heart child of God can play. A child watched her exasperated mother sift through and delete a long list of junk s. This reminds me of the Lord s Prayer, the child said. What do you mean? the mother asked. You know the part about delivering us from . Humor relieves tension. A 2008 fire in Charlestown, W. Va., caused $300,000 damage to the Oakland Church, but it did little to dampen the spirits of church leaders. Debris was scattered around the sanctuary near the pulpit, and a tattered wall stood as evidence of the fire's path. As they surveyed the damage, the Rev. H. Kent Tice said, "Well, I think Joe wanted a new drum set." The church, located across from a housing subdivision, also operates a restaurant. One leader joked that the special of the day was barbecued chicken. Humor shows humanity. While some people are uncomfortable with humor and feel its use in church is irreverent, we need not view humor and religion as antagonistic. Humor reminds us of our fragility, weakness and humanity. It helps us to learn humility. Children laugh 400 times a day, and adults chuckle an average 15 times a day. Why can t some of that levity happen in church? The Butterball Company set up a Thanksgiving hotline to answer questions about cooking turkeys. A woman asked if she could use a turkey that had been in the bottom of her freezer for 23 years. You heard me, 23 years. The Butterball expert told her it would probably be safe if the freezer had been below zero the entire time. The expert then warned that even if the turkey were safe to eat, the flavor would likely have deteriorated. The woman said, "That's what I thought. We'll give the turkey to our church." Humor teaches. If Starbucks marketed like most churches, it wouldn t be a global success. By turning church marketing on its ear, you encourage viewers to rethink how they welcome church visitors. More than 300,000 people would not view a straightforward analysis of how churches market themselves. A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait. Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, Ryan, you be Jesus! Take care. Make certain that your jokes do not offend or hurt anyone. Avoid humor that uses discriminating or vulgar language or targets a group of people. Harmful humor also includes jokes that ridicule beliefs and values. You can use humor to express a concern without reinforcing stereotypes, attacking opponents or putting down people s rights to their own beliefs. Tailor your humor to the audience. Young adults might appreciate a humorous story about Facebook, for example. An older generation might prefer the comedy of Henny Youngman. Neither may get the joke of the other generation. D

11 WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS Respectfully submitted by David Bland What are the approximate dates of the lives of various Bible characters?" This article is meant to be a quick reference for those looking for a chronological list of Bible characters. Because the Bible does not give exact dates, all the years listed here are approximate. Also, please note that we ve based the pre-flood dates on the young-earth creationist model. Before the Flood Adam (4000 BC 3070 BC) Seth (3870 BC 2958 BC) Noah (2943 BC 1993 BC) From the Noahic Covenant to the Sojourn in Egypt Abraham (2241 BC 2066 BC) Isaac (2141 BC 1961 BC) Jacob (2081 BC 1934 BC) Joseph (2004 BC 1894 BC) From the Exodus to the Babylonian Captivity Moses (1526 BC 1406 BC) Joshua (1495 BC 1385 BC) Samuel (1105 BC 1030 BC) Saul (1072 BC 1010 BC) David (1041 BC 971 BC) Solomon (1011 BC 931 BC) Isaiah (769 BC 686 BC) Jeremiah (646 BC 561 BC) Daniel (620 BC 535 BC) From the Return from Exile to the Prophet Malachi Ezra (500 BC 444 BC) Nehemiah (485 BC 420 BC) Malachi (460 BC 400 BC) From the Baptism of Christ to the Revelation of John John the Baptist (5 BC AD 27) Jesus (5 BC AD 30) Paul (AD 5 AD 65) John the Apostle (AD 5 AD 95) Recommended Resources: The Great Lives from God's Word Series by Chuck Swindoll and Logos Bible Software.

12 Holy Roamers October Outing For our October outing we are planning a luncheon after church on Sunday, October 29th. We plan to have lunch at the new Boathouse Restaurant in the new River Islands community west of Lathrop. So circle the date on your calendars and we will provide more details later. We welcome newcomers and guests to all our events. Please direct questions to Leon Sucht via leon605@comcast.net or phone ( ). Holy Roamers Outing Wednesday, November 2:00 PM We will attending the Fallon House Theater in Columbia to see a performance of Irving Berlin s White Christmas. We have reserved 21 seats at this time, but can add more if needed. See Judy Karnes ( julenk713@comcast.net to sign up for tickets. Tickets are $26.00 each, payable to Judy. All money must be received before October 31st. St. Paul s United Methodist Church 910 E. North Street Manteca, CA office@stpaulsmanteca.org