Our purpose is to provide a nurturing Christian home in which all may grow in faith and service. Help Wanted: Sunday School Volunteers

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1 Phone: Fax: Check out the Newsle er online at: Worship Schedule See Calendar and front page for worship mes Office hours: Mon. thru Fri. 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Pastor:... Reverend Howie Baird Coordinator of Lay Ministries:... Judy Christy Choir Director/Organist:... Marjorie Myrold Choir Accompanist:... Carol Lamberson Youth Leader:... Mark Schlasner Bookkeeper/ Office Assistant:... Tanya Murphy The Wesley Witness A publica on of Wesley United Methodist Church. Published 12 mes each year to keep members and friends informed of programs of the church and to report news about the Wesley family. For our Prayers --- In Care or Assisted living facilities: Dave & Jean Beach, Joan Bristol, Kent Cable, Carol Clark, Velma Fruetel, Ellen Gray, Virgil Haake, Darlene Hinsz, Beulah Hodges, Dean Hruska, Charlene Kotts, Verle Ralston, Shirley & Phyllis Sand, Emolyn Skinner, Lois Weisser, Billie Dixon s mother(in Bismarck). Check out our new website! The address is the same at and like us on Facebook to keep up with what's going on at Wesley At Home: Ole Dahlen, Alice Darling, Marlo Gade, Pat Klokstad, Marie Koth, Coleen Nygaard, Carolyn Strand, Kyle Whitcomb s mother, Marijo Whitcomb s mother and father. We offer Christian Sympathy to the family and friends of Karen Griffin who passed away July 25 and also to the family and friends of Kent Cable who passed away July 30. If there are joys or concerns that you would like to have included in this monthly prayer list, please them to judy.gfwesley@midconetwork.com. If you are interested in being part of a Monday morning prayer group that will get meet at the church to pray for joys and concerns expressed in worship on Sunday mornings or shared on prayer request cards, please talk to Pastor Howie, Judy Christy or Penny Millspaugh Help Wanted: Sunday School Volunteers Sunday School begins September 20, 2015, and planning is underway. We have several ways that you might be involved from weekly helpers to occasional volunteers. Please pray about the way you can support our Sunday School ministry with your time and talents. Wesley Worship Schedule 9:00 Coffee Fellowship 9:30 Worship Church Office Hours M F 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Immediate Needs: Helper (aids the lead teacher during the Sunday School hour) for: ο Preschool class, ages 2-5 (not attending Kindergarten) ο 5th-6th grade class Substitutes for all age groups Wesley Camp-out and Picnic at Turtle River State Park There is still time to join us for the Wesley Camp-Out at Turtle River State Park on August 14-15, please add your name to the sign-up sheet in the lobby. You are also welcome to come just for the activities on Saturday (by the swim area) such as a potluck picnic and games. There will be some fees for camping and park entrance. Call the church office for more details. Our purpose is to provide a nurturing Christian home in which all may grow in faith and service.

2 Birthdays 1 Jerry Griffin Spencer Ness 2 Shannon Galegher 3 Olie Dahlen Mikayla Harlow Tucker Harlow Casey Weekley 4 Chad Machart 5 Geraldine Elliot D ann Mitchell Olive Sandness 6 Judy Christy 7 Debbie Scheevel Quinn Varian 8 Lorraine Ellingson Kayla Anglin Tracy Wicken 10 Daryell Ferguson 11 James Lamberson Patrick Lamberson 12 Gregory Porath 13 Susan Jose Landon Rutherford 15 Janette Yaeger Samantha Young 16 Patty Reed 18 Mary Ferguson Sally Nordlie Jennifer Cole 19 David Aarvig Andrew Gores 21 Cash Register Rachel Spicer MacKenzie Vodden 22 Brian Holm 23 Devin Taylor Jessica Warns 24 Brian Clow Jeff Steckman 25 Berniece Holm 27 Arthur Hillman 28 John Holm 29 Carla Hess Zakri Ness 30 Jackie Saddler Kelsey Tretter Lois Weisser 31 Colleen Nygaard Anniversaries 2 Jim & Sue Rue 4 Eric & Rachel Polries 8 Olie & Vivianne Dahlen 9 Jake & Holly Moen 10 Julie & Tim Sturges 11 Jan & Mark Hoffmann 12 Stacey & Steve Searle 17 Dave & Jean Beach Carla & Richard Hudson 20 Jane & Kenneth Gaffrey Danielle & John Holm 24 Cynthia & Matt Jossart 25 Bill & Tammy Harlow 28 Karen & Mark Bjornseth 29 Lorraine & Odney Ellingson John Jarman & Carol Windels Thank you to everyone who attended Fun in the Son or helped in any way. There were children in attendance each night as we ate a meal together, sang songs, heard Bible stories, played games and made craft projects. The theme for the week was Jesus is my friend and was reinforced through all of the activities. On Thursday, the children were given back packs with a few school supplies to help them start the new school year. Thank you to those who contributed to the fund that allowed us to purchase these supplies. If you volunteered in July and still have a blue Fun in the Son t-shirt, please wear it on the 18th if you can help that day and then return it to the church (washed). Thank you! We will be getting back together with the Fun in the Son families on August 18 and would like to provide them with some non-perishable food items. If you would like to donate, these are the items we are looking for: canned beans, canned tuna, macaroni & cheese (individual cups or small boxes), granola bars without nuts, individual boxes of cereal, individual fruit cups or applesauce. Please bring your donations to the church by August

3 After taking a break in July, United Methodist Women Executive Board members will meet on August 5 to begin planning for fall activities and beyond. Circle groups will start meeting again in September. Be sure to watch the September newsletter and weekly bulletins for details. UMW is hosting an All Church Picnic that will be held Wednesday, August 5th at Lincoln Park. All are welcome! Please bring a dish to share and come to enjoy the fresh air with good food and good fellowship. Then come back to Wesley for worship and children s activities at 6:30 pm. Also, save those pop tabs, there is a container in the narthex for them. Please have them in by August 1 to be turned in. We also save printer cartridges and send them off to be reimbursed for them. UMW District meeting is on September The theme for this year has been Welcomed by God, Welcoming All. It begins with supper and Spiritual retreat on Friday evening and continues Saturday with worship, guest speakers, lunch and more. Crafters are looking for Scrabble games if anyone has one to donate please bring it to the church or contact Mary Ferguson for pick-up. Thank you! A note from the Pastor Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. Psalm 39:4 It s hard to imagine. Another summer is almost over. This summer my youngest turned 4, my oldest turned 11, and just a few months before, my middle one turned 6. It feels like just a few years ago Megan and I were sitting in our little apartment in Sioux Falls, recently married, wide eyed and ready for the wild, crazy ride that was ahead of us, and now, 18 years later, I m wondering when the world will slow down. I feel a bit like Steven Tyler must have, when in the early 1970 s he penned the great lyrics to Aerosmith s song, Dream On, Every time that I look in the mirror, all these lines on my face getting clearer. Of course, there are those among you who look at me, and my family, and probably long for those days. You ve been there, and now you have entered into a different season of life. The point is, no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, life just keeps on marching forward. Time, as they say, slows down for no one. In many ways, it is the great equalizer. No matter who we are, what our status is, how much we have or have not, where we live, what we do, what we eat, how much exercise we get, life, as Psalm 39:4 says, is fleeting. All that being said, Psalm 39 is not a Psalm of lament, or a Psalm of sorrow. Rather, it is a Psalm of hope. In it, the author jumps back and forth between the recognition of how fleeting life is, along with the understanding that our hope in this short, crazy life is found only in God. As one commentator puts it, Psalm 39 articulates despair and hope simultaneously. In so doing, it portrays the way life really is: terrifyingly short, yet awesomely wonderful. 1 Continued on page

4 I wonder if part of my own lament the passage of time as my children grow and I feel as if I ve missed another summer to play with them and love on them is that I so often forget to remember how awesomely wonderful life is when we have God on our side. I was visiting some folks just the other day who have been through some very difficult things in life, yet in each one of their pockets they carry a little cross. They carry that cross every day as a reminder that God is always with them. How awesome is that! To know that God is always near, even in the times of struggle. Life is terrifyingly short, yet awesomely wonderful. My prayer for each one of us is that in that short time we are given, we will make the most of it, serving our God first, loving our families second, and worrying about the rest last. In doing so, perhaps when we come to the end we will discover that we have truly lived the life worth living, and that God, even more then we realized before, is the God of hope, peace, love, and joy. Peace, 1 Craigie, Peter (1983). Psalms In Leader E. Keck (Convener and Senior New Testament Editor), The New Interpreter s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes: Vol & 2 Maccabees, Introduction to Hebrew Poetry, Job, Psalms (p. 837). Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press Wesley s 3 rd Annual Worship in the Park Sunday, August 30, 10:00 am at University Park Then stay for a picnic lunch. Burgers, hot dogs, beverages, and place settings will be provided. Please bring a side dish, salad or dessert to share. Come and join us for worship at one of the shelters at University Park. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on during the worship service. And parents, we will also be close to the splash park, so if kids want to play in the water afterward, feel free to bring swimsuits and towels for them. Potato Bowl Parade/Float on Saturday, September 12. Let us know if you would like to help decorate the float, or walk with the float in the parade. Homecoming Sunday, September 13 one worship service at 10:00 am followed by a potluck meal. September United Methodist Women District meeting here at Wesley, UMC. United Methodist Women Picnic UMW will be hosting an All Church potluck picnic at Lincoln Park on Wednesday, August 5 at 5:30 pm. All are welcome! Please bring a dish to share and come to enjoy the fresh air with good food and good fellowship. Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the quilting room on 3rd floor. Everyone is Welcome! For questions, call Helen DeMaster at

5 A note from Natalie Join us on Wednesday evenings this summer, thru August 12, for supper, worship and children s activities. Supper will be served at 6:00 pm in the dining room. August 5 supper will be the picnic at Lincoln Park. Worship will be in the chapel at 6:30 pm with activities for children age 3 5 th grade in room 105 during the worship time. Both will be minutes. If you are willing to help lead the children s activities for a Wednesday please contact Judy Christy (judy.gfwesley@midconetwork.com) or Jessica Zerr (jessmzerr@gmail.com). We will have the lesson materials ready to go, we ll just need a couple adults each week to lead the lessons. We d also love to have youth as helpers. The children s lessons will be based on the Dr. Seuss sermon topic for the upcoming Sunday. The meal will be catered and a free-will offering taken, but a couple people will be needed each week for serving and clean up. If you are willing to help, sign-up on the sheet in the Lobby or contact Judy Christy at the church office. Thank you for participating in the Noisy bucket offering on July 19. The funds donated helped to purchase school supplies for the children who attended Fun in the Son July Thirty-nine children received backpacks with school supplies on July 23. As we begin the month of August, I d like to share what I ve learned here at Wesley through my internship so far. I ve enjoyed worshiping with all of you on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. I ve learned what it s like to coordinate a reflective Wednesday-night prayer service. I ve had the pleasure of getting to develop relationships with the people of Wesley UMC beyond Sunday mornings. This has happened through meetings, home and hospital visits, and the events we ve held this summer, including the Ice Cream Social. Another ministry opportunity that I ve gotten to be a part of was the Fun in the Son event at Richard s West Park. This was a chance to bring the Church out into the community and interact with families who we normally wouldn t see. During July I also got the chance to attend the Young Preacher s Festival at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. This conference not only provided practical advice about how to preach, but also showed me why we preach. The sermons that are given every Sunday morning are important because they bring God s Word to God s people. They are a chance to provide words of comfort, strength, and encouragement as we learn what the Bible has to say to us as modern Christians. As I prepare for the two sermons that I will give in August, I would also encourage you to prepare for every Sunday s sermon as well. You can pray throughout the week that God would guide the preacher as the sermon is being written. Another important way to get the most out of Sunday s message would be to pray that God would speak to you and the entire congregation through the upcoming sermon. This isn t a prayer that s reserved for Sunday mornings as you re driving to church, but all weekend long. It is my prayer that we would continue to see God at work in our church whenever we meet, for the rest of the summer and into the future. Blessings, Natalie Buck 8 5

6 There are many ways that you can participate in the life and ministries of Wesley Church! How can I Help? 1. By Sharing your Prayers Prayer Focus for August: Teachers & Students and a new school year (See back page for additional prayers) 2. By sharing your presence, time & talents This month, we say Thank You to: - All who have helped with Sunday morning worship by serving as Welcome Teams, Lay Readers, Communion Preparers and Servers, Sound Board Monitors, Nursery Helpers, and by providing special music for our Sunday worship services. - Natalie Buck for leading the Wednesday evening Taize worship service and musicians Pastor Howie, Carol Lamberson & Kellie Burgess. - Those who serve on Church Council, Board of Trustees, Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Finance Committee, Memorial Committee, as lay leaders, and in all other leadership roles within our church. - Quilters for making quilts to donate to RRVCA s Shelter House. - Everyone who helped with or attended the Ice cream Social & Pie Contest on July 12. Congratulations to Pam Cote for winning the Pie Contest! - Everyone who helped with the Fun in the Son program at Richards West Park. - and those who: - are working as part of a Safe Sanctuaries/Safe & Sacred Spaces policy and procedures task force. - are helping plan and lead children s activities for WOW! (Wesley on Wednesday) this summer. - are part of the MCCI self-study task force. - help provide, prepare, serve and cleanup for Sunday coffee fellowship and provide cookies, other treats or coffee. - polish brass offering plates, candle holders, etc., and fill the oil candles. - count the weekly offering. - care for and water the plants inside and outside the church building. - take care of the garden areas around the church. And thank you to the many others who share their time with our church and community in ways that we do not always know about. 3. By sharing your gifts, such as - food items for Fun in the Son reunion for August 18 (see list on page 11) - Additional contribution to the general fund of Wesley UMC. - Batting for the Quilting Group. - UMCOR kit supplies see list on the newsletter calendar. - Funds for church building updating/ repair projects. Are there are other projects or activities you would like to see - Men s jeans, new or slightly used, for happen? Judy about the UMC Free Mobile Thrift store in that too! Watford City. - Coffee mugs with lids, back packs or small suitcases, sheets & towels for the Northlands Rescue Mission. Offering Received Prepaid Pledges 13, , January 11, , February 18, , March 21, , April 21, , May 19, , June 20, , July 16, , August 21, September 20, October 19, November 22, December 31, Total 258, , SUNDAY WORSHIP ATTENDANCE July 5 60 July July July Contact Judy Christy, Coordinator of Lay Ministries, at or judy.gfwesley@midconetwork.com for more information or to volunteer. Also watch for signup sheets in the church lobby, or announcements in the weekly bulletin. Training will be provided as needed. Volunteer Needs for this month: - Wednesday nights Meal hosts (August 12) - Wednesday nights Children s activity leaders or helpers - Sunday worship Welcome Team - Sunday worship Lay readers 6 7