Newsletter Westby United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 w NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH August 2017 Issue Our calling is to reach all people with the life-changing power of God s Love and Grace available to all through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Newsletter Westby United Methodist Church August 2017 JOURNEYS LEAD TO UNEXPECTED CHANGES The Pilgrims Journey is Our Journey by Pastor Jim Aniol During the week of July 17th during my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) class we discussed the Pilgrims Journey. This is a very appropriate topic to discuss during CPE because all of the students are on a very intense personal journey where we are working in hospitals, hospice centers and nursing homes providing care to patients and their families. I hope that as you read about the Pilgrims Journey you will see yourself at one of the points on this continuum as we continue our sermon series Journeys. We need to also realize that everyone is at different point in their journey, and some people never choose to leave step 1. Other people are blessed, they find a mentor, and companions during their trial which helps them to continue and complete their journey. May God bless you with such people. The Pilgrims Journey was first identified by American mythologist, writer, and lecturer Joseph John Campbell who was best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. Psychological studies tell us that all human beings are pilgrims on a developmental path where we seek wisdom and maturity. The pilgrim in all of us is that part of us that is seeking inner transformation. As we are transformed by our journey, our final gift to the world is our sharing with others what we learned on our journey. There are two realms in this journey, the Ordinary World where we usually live our lives, and the Spiritual World. Some people never enter the Spiritual World because it requires that we challenge ourselves and look into ourselves. If you want to learn more about the Pilgrims Journey you can watch part of Bill Moyers interview of Joseph John Campbell, it is called the Power of Myth on YouTube. STAGES OF THE PILGRIMS JOURNEY where are you on this journey? 1. The Ordinary World sometimes we become aware of something in our lives that makes us feel that something is missing. Most of the time we cannot identify what the problem is, we just know that something is amiss. For some, this is the midlife crisis. If the discomfort is great enough the pilgrim moves to step 2.

2 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 2 2. The Call to Adventure some external or internal pressure causes the pilgrim to face the beginnings of their life changing journey. 3. Struggle with the Call the pilgrim feels fearful of moving into the unknown journey and contemplates either staying at this point or moving on. 4. Meeting the Mentor the pilgrim comes across or is assigned a more seasoned person who gives him or her training, equipment, and advice that will help the pilgrim to reach within to find a source of inner courage and wisdom. If the pilgrim can apprentice at this time, the training will be more productive. 5. Crossing the Threshold the pilgrim uses the new training and moves into a new region, the Spiritual World with unfamiliar rules and values. 6. Companions for the Trial as the pilgrim moves down the path towards transformation they meet others that are travelling on the path who will encourage the pilgrim to continue the journey, these people share the gains and losses of the journey. At seminary, each class becomes a cohort, when one member drops out the cohort is never the same. 7. The Approach the pilgrim and his or her companions prepare for the major challenge of entering the Spiritual World. 8. The Ordeal, Death or Rebirth the pilgrim confronts their greatest fear and deals with and mourns the death of some part of their former life. In loss, there is rebirth and new growth that allows the journey to continue. If the mourning period is extensive the journey will end here. 9. The Reward the pilgrim takes possession and ownership of their new life. 10. The Road Back the pilgrim prepares to leave the Spiritual World and must now deal with worry, indecision and second guessing about the treasure of their new life. 11. The Resurrection after a period of intense testing and having resolved the worry, indecision and second guessing the pilgrim becomes certain of their transformation. The conflicts that have existed at the beginning of the journey have all been resolved and the pilgrim leaves the Spiritual World. 12. Return with Gifts the pilgrim now returns to their family, community, and world with the new gift and is ready to offer the gift to the world. The transformation that the pilgrim has gone through allows him or her to become part of renewal in the Ordinary World. Where are you on this journey spectrum? Where were our Bible heroes at in their journeys when we heard of them? Who helped them on their journeys? I pray that you enjoy your journey, and that God blesses you along the way. Blessings - Pastor Jim Help Wanted or can someone help with the bulletins? The weeks Pastor Jim is at I will need some assistance in the printing of the bulletins for Faith and Westby. I will still be putting them together each week but will not be driving into Westby and up to Faith to print. So if you can assist us for Sundays August 13 & August 20 please call me at the parsonage or me. I will leave instructions how to print Duplex at each church this week. And I am always available by phone. Thank you for your support! Christy Aniol Parsonage Aniol.christy@gmail.com

3 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 3 Pastor Jim s Schedule: Monday Driftless Regional Ministry office (9 am 5 pm) Tuesday Bland Bekkendal Hospice & Visitations (7 am 5 pm) Wednesday Westby UMC (9 am 11 am) & Visitations Thursday Sabbath, Emergency Only Friday Clinical Pastoral Education Class Saturday On Call (9 am 12 pm) Sunday Worship Services (8 am 6 pm) August Birthdays Aug. 1 Betty Purvis & Tom Sharratt Aug. 3 Adrian Hoff Aug. 7 Stella Muller Aug. 9 Sheila Jubera Aug. 13 Jacoby Oney-Siam Aug. 14 Chase Brown & Maranda Oliver Aug. 16 Graham Berg & Baylee Oliver Aug. 20 Aaron Berg & James Purvis Driftless Regional Ministry Office: E2286 Hwy. 82 in De Soto Contact Information: Cell Phone Parsonage Phone ** Aug August Anniversaries Aug. 4 Jennifer (Drake) & Jeremy Vermeer Mission of the Month Eastyn Skala and his family The Westby Methodist Mission of the month for August is Eastyn Skala and his family. Since we are having the Eating for Eastyn Breakfast Benefit on Aug. 5, it was decided to have Eastyn and his family also be our mission of the month. Eastyn Skala began his battle with cancer in December of 2015, at age 18 months. At that time, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor called ependymoma. The tumor was the size of a tennis ball and was located on his brain stem. Eastyn had surgery to remove it, but this caused him a setback which made Eastyn like a newborn. He wasn t even able to hold up his head. After 6 weeks of recovery, Eastyn s next stage of the battle was 33 rounds of proton beam radiation. This radiation damaged some of his brain. Now he doesn t have a sense of balance. Eastyn has a MRI every three months to check and see if a new tumor develops. The MRI in May 2017 found another tumor on Eastyn s spine, in the middle of his back. This tumor has been removed and now Eastyn has started another round of proton beam radiation. It will be 30 rounds this time. Since December 2015, Eastyn has had five hospital stays including several surgeries and various procedures. Eastyn s neurosurgeon has reminded his family that this journey is like a marathon meant to be taken one step at a time. Eastyn s family would greatly appreciate any help that we can provide.

4 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 4 Westby United Methodist Church - Board Meeting July 12, 2017 Present: Pastor Jim Aniol, Jean Shore, Verna Drake, Kelly Bjornstad, Tim Gaskell, Christy Aniol, Ardith Hoff, Cindy Brown, Jane Gaskell and Linda Weilnau Opening Tim Gaskell opened with prayer. Approval of Minutes - The June minutes were ed to the board members and published in the July newsletter, so they were to be read by each member before the meeting. Kelly Bjornstad and Jean Shore motioned to approve the minutes. Motion passed. Treasurer s Report - Verna Drake provided the June 2017 and Year-to-Date financial reports. Verna said that this month s water and electrical bills are still high and no adjustments have been made to the water bill for the road workers using our water. Verna is going to talk to the city again about the water bill. Verna also noticed that the temperature control unit on the north wall of the fellowship hall was set to be on, which had the fan running constantly. It needs to be set on auto so that it only runs when a certain temperature is reached. It was decided to leave the ceiling fans running on low in the fellowship hall to help with the musty smell. We may want to consider getting a new water heater and possibly replacing one of the furnaces for the fellowship hall area. Kelly Bjornstad and Ardith Hoff motioned to approve the treasurer s report. Motion passed. Old Business: Building Usage Policy (need to review and possibly change) It was decided that we need to determine fees for community groups who may want to use our facilities. There are currently no set fees, except a security deposit. Pastor Jim will contact Pastor John Dumke from Our Saviors Lutheran Church to find out what their fees are. It was determined that we will need to discuss this topic again after we know what other churches in the area charge for fees. Driftless Regional Ministry Picnic July 29 (Westby provide main dishes & sides) We will pass around a sign-up sheet to get an idea of who will be attending the picnic and what they plan on bringing. New Business: August Board Meeting Date Pastor Jim will be at classes in Dubuque the first half of August and will not be available for board meetings until after Aug. 23 rd. It was decided to not have a board meeting in August. The next board meeting will be Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 6:00 PM. Breakfast Benefit (Aug. 5) Verna Drake reported that most of the major items have been donated by area businesses (Kwik Trip and Sam s Club) and some families from the Westby Day Care. A few businesses still need to get back to Verna in regards to possible donations. Verna said that some of the day care staff will provide temporary tattoos and a coloring station for the children at the benefit. A motion was made by Ardith Hoff and Verna Drake to add a suffix savings account to the Westby United Methodist Church account at WCCU (account #49331), with Tim Gaskell and Verna Drake as signees, and to have this suffix account activated for at least 3 months. Motion passed. Cemetery Committee Annette Shaw needs to withdraw from the Pleasant View Cemetery Committee. Cindy Brown is also on this committee and she indicated she is willing to show interested people around the cemetery. Annette was also the treasurer for this committee. Verna Drake said she will be willing to take over the treasurer s position. Pastor Jim will meet with Annette to become more

5 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 5 acquainted with the plot layout and which ones are taken. It was mentioned that we may need to clean out an over grown area so those plots could be sold. Business from Board Committees: Trustees The weeds are an issue due to amount of the rain recently. Verna Drake will provide a sprayer and spray so Chase Brown can spray the weeds when he mows. There are also some rogue bushes which need to be removed. SPRC No report. Worship Thank you to Jean Shore for filling in with playing the piano when Jane Gaskell has been gone. Education - VBS starts on July 16 and there has been a good response from the congregation for food donations and helpers. Lay Leadership Ardith Hoff mentioned the possibility of a lay service in the fall, perhaps on a Sunday that Pastor Jim would not be available. Missions The July mission of the month is Stuff the Bus. There is a box in the narthex for people to place their school supply donations. Pastor s Report: Pastor Jim will be at a mission trip in the Madison area on Aug. 13, so we will need a substitute for that Sunday. Pastor Jim will see if the DisChords might be available to do the service that day. Minutes submitted by Linda Weilnau, acting Secretary The DisChords Sunday, Aug. 13 On Sunday, August 13, The DisChords will be performing and leading our worship service since Pastor Jim will be at. The DisChords is a six piece, bluegrass gospel band from the area. They will be providing their message in song. You can find out more about this group at their website: Vacation Bible School News We have been building our faith during our Faith Builders VBS. We ve learned that God is with us, God made us for a reason, and that God will always love us over the last 3 weeks. Wow God! We sang some amazing worship songs about our Maker. Lego mini movies shared the parables of the Wise and Foolish Builder and the Good Samaritan, and also about Jesus in the garden, on the cross and the empty tomb. Legos of all shapes and sizes were used for games and crafts. Kids built their own big houses, small houses, and towers to the ceiling --- with a good foundation. Legos were used to make picture frames and friendship bracelets to share with others. Lego Jello blocks and Rice Krispy Legos were a big hit during snack time. We made thankyou posters for city workers and the road construction workers that use their building talents to make our towns better. Thank you to everyone who helped on Sunday nights with making and serving food, registration, crafts, photos, music and games. Thank you to our awesome crew leaders. And thank you to everyone that donated food, Legos or money. We have some amazing kids with a heart for God and the plans He has for them.

6 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 6

7 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 7 Lesson 2 (by LaVonne Barlow)

8 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 8

9 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AUG 2017 Issue 9 Events at Other Churches: New Hope UMC Steak Fry Aug. 10, 2017 Are you ready for a juicy steak grilled to perfection? Well you are in luck! The New Hope UMC will be hosting a delicious steak fry on Thursday, August 10th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the New Hope UMC (E2290 State Highway 82, Red Mound, WI). The cost of the meal is $12.00 and includes a 10 oz. sirloin steak grilled to order, baked potato, baked beans, bread, coffee, relish try, and coleslaw. Plus, you will be able to take a delicious treat home with you by stopping by the bake sale they'll be having. Ten percent of all the proceeds from the event go towards a local mission. So come on out for a delicious meal, great fellowship and fun with your family, friends, and neighbors! Retreat UMC Brat Fry & Corn Roast Aug. 12, 2017 Nothing says "summer" around here like enjoying a deliciously grilled meal with your family and friends! Luckily, we have an opportunity for you to enjoy such a meal without having to go through all the work! Coming up on Saturday, August 12 th from 4 to 7 p.m., the Retreat UMC will be hosting a brat fry and corn roast at the Retreat UMC Fellowship Hall. They'll be serving delicious corn on the cob, brats, hot dogs, chili dogs, potato salad, and of course pie and ice cream! Carry-outs will be available as well in case you wish to enjoy the meal in the comfort of your own home. There is no set cost for the meal either, but a freewill donation will be taken so you may give whatever your heart desires. Come on out and help us celebrate this wonderful summer with great food, fellowship, and fun! Hope to see you there!

10 NEWSLETTER WESTBY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH JUNE 2017 ISSUE 10 August Save the Date Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 9:00-11:00 AM - Westby Pastoral Office Hours 3 Pastor Jim s Sabbath Day 4 5 8:00-10:30 AM Eating for Eastyn Breakfast Benefit 6 9:30 AM Sunday School - Adult 10:00 AM Fellowship 10:45 AM Worship Service (Communion) :00-7:00 PM Steak New Hope :00-7:00 PM Brat Fry & Corn Retreat 13 9:30 AM Sunday School - Adult 10:00 AM Fellowship 10:45 AM Worship Service The DisChords Pastor Jim s Sabbath Day 20 9:30 AM Sunday School - Adult 10:00 AM Fellowship 10:45 AM Worship Service :00-11:00 AM - Westby Pastoral Office Hours 24 Pastor Jim s Sabbath Day :30 AM Sunday School - Adult 10:00 AM Fellowship 10:45 AM Worship Service :00-11:00 AM - Westby Pastoral Office Hours 31 Pastor Jim s Sabbath Day Blessings Poured Out = Praises Turned Back to God