May Volume 36, Issue # 5

Transcription

1 May 2016 Volume 36, Issue # 5

2 Reflections on the Post-Easter Retreat and the Upcoming Renewal Leave Dear Motley UMC Friends, In this month s Breeze, I want to share some reflections on my recent post-easter retreat and my upcoming renewal leave this summer. The two events seem to have a common theme that feels significant for my life s journey and our life together. First of all, Dianne and I had a wonderful experience at the Sonscape Retreat for pastors and spouses March 29-April 5 in Divide, CO. The retreat provided us with some much needed time and space for rest and renewal for our bodies, minds, spirits, and our relationship. We enjoyed a few outings surrounded by natural wonders and a few afternoons for quiet reading, prayerful reflection, and much needed sleep. We also enjoyed sharing meals, learning sessions, and fun evenings with three other ministry couples with whom we shared the week. The retreat house had beautiful large windows from which we could see and take in the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains along with an artistic, rustic cross in the middle of the living room where we gathered daily with the other retreat participants. It made quite an impression on me when a retreat leader said, Our God is that big and he loves us that much. We were invited into a new journey and experience of life and ministry through silence, solitude, and Sabbath. We were challenged to build a new model of life and ministry based on two key elements: A deep intimacy with Jesus A balanced life of work, worship, rest, and play. The retreat gave us a rare opportunity to step back and look at our patterns of living and make some new commitments. Dianne and I made a commitment to set aside a day each month for a Sabbath day together that would give a reset from our usual pace and routine. By now, I trust you are aware that I will be on a renewal leave from June 26-September 19. United Methodist pastors

3 are encouraged to take a spiritual growth leave from time to time for rest, recreation, travel, study, and connecting with nature and family to prepare them to return to their appointments reinvigorated for another season of pastoral service. As I approach the 25th anniversary of my ordination and some other personal milestones, it seems right to pause to reflect on these last 25 years and prepare for the next half of my life. I am very excited about the gifts this season will hold for my family and me and for my future pastoral leadership among you. I am also very grateful for the blessing of support I have felt from the leadership and people from the two churches. The centerpiece of this time will be a Wesley Pilgrimage in England in July. Dianne and I will be journeying to significant sites in the lives of John and Charles Wesley and the Methodist revival. We will be learning, praying, reflecting and living in Christian community with other United Methodists and other Wesleyan Christians. I trust that this time will help us to claim our Methodist heritage in a deeper way, rediscover its story and practice, and provide a dynamic experience from which we can grow and sharpen ourselves as Wesleyan Christians and as leaders in the unfolding Methodist movement. In addition to the Pilgrimage, we will be seeking opportunities to connect with our children and extended families, reading from our growing book lists, and fasting from the patterns of our ministry life that have become deeply ingrained across these last 25 years that have simply flown by. During the renewal leave, you will be ably served by Pastor Bob Ford. Pastor Ford was director of Northern Pines Camp for 16 years and lived in our community as Pastor of Motley UMC from He and his wife Carol are eager to get to know us and shepherd us through this season. My absence will provide the two churches a time to build their spiritual leadership capacities and enter into a time of experimentation in anticipation to our next season of ministry together.

4 COMMUNITY C.A.R.E. MEAL Tuesday, May 24, :30-6:00 pm Trinity Lutheran Church th Street Staples, MN (218) This is the last community meal of the season bring your family and friends and enjoy this home-cooked meal and fellowship! There is no charge. May UMW Gathering Wednesday, May 11 When: 1 pm Where: Church Library Program : Linda Townsend Devotions: Bernice Thomson Host: Gayle Quinn All women of the church are invited. Please join us.

5 Coffee, Metal Art & Dark Chocolate Fundraising to support our Haiti Mission Team Partnership and the projects with the people of Haiti has begun. More information about the specific projects the team plans to develop while in Haiti this fall will come in future issues of the Breeze and Sunday bulletins. Items available for purchase or order on Sundays May 1 & 8 include: Four varieties of coffee organically Haitian grown beans, handpicked from heirloom trees $10-$12 per 12oz. bag Many choices of metal art recycled from 55- gallon oil drums $5-$48 Two types of certified organic & fair trade 70% Cacao (dark chocolate) $4 per 2 oz. bag Coconut Nativity stable with 13 hand-molded & painted clay figures - $36 These items are wonderful gift ideas for Mother s or Father s Day, birthdays, anniversaries or even Christmas of Treat yourself, family or friends to these delightfully unique items. Purchasing these products is a win-win for all you enjoy the taste and beautiful artisanship of Haiti, financially support our mission team, and help our sisters and brothers of Haiti to a better life. JASPER'S THEATER TRIP Men's Club is currently in the process of planning a trip to Jasper Theater. The date will be August 11; details to follow.

6 Blood Drive in Motley Tuesday, May 24, 2016 At Motley United Methodist Church From 12:00 noon 6:00 pm Redcrossblood.org To Schedule: Call Janet: Show N Go It's that time of year again, on the last Thursday of each month, at 9:30 am, you show at the church and leave for a day of adventure. Please join us on May 26. Just show up, and we ll go! If you have any ideas about places to go, please contact Linda Townsend. PRAY FOR AMERICA National Day of Prayer Thursday, May 5, 2016, 12 noon Staples Government Center Council Chambers Join with faithful people in Staples/ Motley area in praying for our nation

7 Sign up for AARP Smart Driver Class Contact the church office to sign up for defensive driving class with Russ Holland. Next class is May 18 from 9 am to 1 pm. There will also be classes in June and July,. Smorgasbord at Swan Valley Lutheran Church. Sunday, May 1, the Swan Valley Lutheran Church will be having a smorgasbord with meatballs, ham, potatoes & gravy, salads, lefse, cookies, bars, and cupcakes. There will be quilts and other prizes. A free will offering will be collected. Summer Swimming Lessons: Motley area kids 7-12 years old and 48 inches tall can sign up for swimming lessons being held June 13 24th. There will be a bus leaving from MotleyUMC at 1:30 pm and the lessons will be 2-3 pm in Staples. Call community center ( ). First 50 to sign up can go and the cost is $3 per child. Cards for Sale by Circle of Friends for 50 cents. Mother s Day is on May 8 th, so pick up your cards today from the Circle of Friends.

8 You are invited to view An Act of Love at 3:00 PM Sunday, May 1, 2016 at Park United Methodist Church in Brainerd and to join us for a meal afterward. This documentary film follows the story of Rev. Frank Schaefer who in December, 2013 was stripped of his credentials as a minister in the United Methodist Church after being convicted in a church trial for officiating the wedding of his son to another man. This story chronicles not only the challenges his family faced, but also identifies an issue which the United Methodist Church has been and will be wrestling with in May, 2016, at its General Conference in Portland, OR. There will be an opportunity for discussion after viewing the film. We are also fortunate to have Faye Christensen present as a delegate to General Conference. FYI: The Finance Committee is envisioning a short mortgage debt reduction campaign from May 8 to May 29. A brief presentation will be made to the congregation during our worship celebration on May 8, and you will be receiving more information in the mail and in upcoming bulletins. As you will be hearing: Good things are happening, now is the time to make a difference. Good Deeds and Needs Team will be serving Root Beer Floats to the Motley Students On May 26th, we will again be serving root beer floats to the classes at the school in Motley. Talk to Sherry Frisk or Linda Townsend if you would like information on how to become involved.

9 Motley UMW will be assembling Health Kits Before Annual Conference for distribution by UMCOR. Kit details below if you want to help or donate. Contact Liz Curren for details on how to help. Health kits provide basic necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of human conflict or natural disaster. Health kits are also used as learning tools in personal hygiene, literacy, nutrition, and cooking classes. Health Kit Materials 1 hand towel, 15 x 25 inches to 17 x 27 inches; (Kitchen, cleaning, and microfiber towels not acceptable.) 1 washcloth 1 comb; Comb needs to be sturdy and longer than 6 inches long; No pocket combs or picks please; Rattail combs and combs without handles are acceptable with a minimum of 6 inches of teeth. 1 metal nail file or nail clippers; No emery boards, please. 1 bath-size soap 3 oz. and larger sizes only; No Ivory or Jergens soap due to moisture content; Do not remove from original packaging. 1 toothbrush; Adult size only; Do not remove from original packaging. 6 adhesive bandages; ¾ inch to 1 inch-size; Common household Band-Aids. 1 plastic bag; One-gallon size sealable bag only. $1.00 to purchase toothpaste All items must be new. Do not wash any of the items as they will be considered used. Please remove all packaging, unless otherwise specified. All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items, nothing more. Do not include any personal notes, money, or additional material in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment. UMCOR is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before they are sent. Do not put single dollar bills in each kit. Collect all money for toothpaste and shipping, then place it in a separate envelope and send along with the kit donations.

10 Volunteer as a MotleyUMC Host? You may have some questions before you decide to become a host at MotleyUMC: What is a host? A host is someone who makes visitors to MotleyUMC or a MotleyUMC event feel welcomed and helps them establish a connection to our church and community of faith. Is this new? This is something members of MotleyUMC have been doing without being asked for years, it is part of who we are. Then why do we need this? When things get hectic our hospitality can become haphazard and inconsistent. We might forget to collect and/or write down the information that is critical to following-up and establishing a connection with a visitor. Hosting is the first step in assisting newcomers to assimilate (fit-into) the church as members. Don t the Church Greeters do this already? They certainly try, but they can get busy. Hosts will have a procedure to follow so they can capture all the information needed to establish a connection with that person. How does this work? When a greeter welcomes someone who is a visitor or new to our church they introduce them to one of the hosts assigned to that service or event. The

11 greeter will then return to greet the next person. The host gets the visitor a name tag and does what comes naturally to a member of MotleyUMC. They provide the hospitality and friendship that makes Methodism and our church so special: making introductions, and being interested. Is there anything really new? Not much, but we want to become much better at recording the personal information and expectations of visitors. With this it will be easier to assist them in feeling comfortable at our church, and self-discover how they might participate. How would this work at a large event? We cannot provide hosts for every visitor at a large event like the Chicken Dinner or a concert, there are just too many visitors. Hosts will take turns circulating; welcoming folks and looking for those who may want to know more about MotleyUMC. What help will I get? When you volunteer as a host you will be provided information explaining the goals and procedures for welcoming visitors, including some general and specific ways of establishing a dialog. Most of all you can take pride in being a welcoming ambassador for Jesus and for The Motley United Methodist Church. If I am interested in becoming a MotleyUMC host, what should I do? You should contact John Miller or Marilyn O Regan. You can reach John via at johnmiller@motleyumc.org, at church, or by phone at You can reach Marilyn via at pato@scicable.com or at church.

12 SCHEDULE Week of: May 1: Robin Kramer; Sherry Frisk; Richard Carlson May 8: Larry & Gwen Adams; Dee Thompson May 15: Greg & Linda, Ron & Nancy Townsend May 22: Loren & Kathy Morey; Dave & Kathy Rowe May 29: Steve & Margie Solem; Marie Macheel; John Rardin May Anniversaries 11 - Larry & Jane Hager 11 - Ron & Carol Kramer 13 - Don Strain & Sharon Stone 20 - Bryan & Tina Kavanaugh 23 - Greg & Diane Ciesluk 23 - John & LaDonna Peterson 31 - George & Pat Toschak May Birthdays 4 - Pat Toschak 5 - Tom Michalson 6 - Sarah Ciesluk 9 - Rowland Joiner 10 - Jenny Hoffman 11 - Judy Hittle 13 - Elayne Welle 14 - Debbie Greig 15 - Carly Bell 15 - Bruce Quinn 16 - Phyllis Colvin 17 - Delores Johnson 19 - George Toschak 23 - Hannah Eischeid 26 - Tina Kavanaugh 31 - Janet Greig Counter Schedule May 1: Jomyla Choate & Linda Townsend May 8: Sherry Frisk & Cara Swartz May 15: Judy Hittle & Sharon Sandberg May 22: Margie Solem & Marie Macheel May 29: Donna Farber & Darcee Bell

13 TENT RENTAL The Men's Club at Motley United Methodist Church has scheduled tent rentals for the summer, and is looking for some younger men to help with tent set up and take down. Please contact Greg Townsend if you are available to help. (218) Thank you! Re: Sale of Staples UMC Parsonage First, a big thank you to everyone that contributed housewares for the pastor s use when he stayed at the parsonage! However, the parsonage has been sold with closing scheduled for May 27, so we need to clear the items out. If you wish the return of your donated items, please come pick them up on Thursday, May 12th, or Friday, May 13th. The parsonage will be open for pickup from 12 noon to 3 pm on these days. Any items not picked up will be sold in a rummage sale on June 17 & 18 at Lois Moe s in Motley, or donated to the Staples & Motley Thrift stores. The Staples and Motley UM churches will split any proceeds. If you have any questions, please call Terrie Brown (218) or Lois Moe (218) Thanks! On May 30 th, Memorial Day, the Motley Area Historical Society will be holding a pie and ice cream social at the Motley United Methodist Church. There is no charge, this is a purely social event to gather, have coffee, pie & ice cream, and to look at information/displays that the Historical Society will be sharing on that day.

14 Getting to know you... Rick Vanden Avond - Rick discovered Motley UMC during Holy Week 2015 and has been with us ever since. He is single and is a native of Green Bay, WI where his mother and three sisters live to this day. Rick is employed by Morey s and works in the production department. Inspired by the Food Network, Rick has learned to cook anything and everything and loves doing it. Rick also loves drag racing and closely follows the NHRA series and NAS- CAR. We are very blessed by Rick s faithful attendance and support of the church, and are very glad to have him as a member of this congregation. Welcome, Rick! Marlene Prodahl - Marlene stopped by our church three years ago wanting to know what time our church service began. She has become a very active member of our church since her first visit. Marlene was born and raised in Foley, Minnesota. She and her first husband John, raised five children, plus fostered two little girls and cared for a baby. In 1980 she and her husband started displaying items at the Silo Flea Market in Motley. There they met Eugene Prodahl and he became her husband's best friend. John was known for his fish carvings and has a carving on display at the Historical Museum in Minneapolis. When John passed away she later married Eugene. Marlene has many interests: cooking, gardening, embroidery, flower arrangements and reading. You can see her green thumb for growing things at the garden plots near the food shelf, she had a beautiful garden last year. She also keeps the plants and bushes around the church looking nice. She was once told that they would drive a hundred

15 miles for one of her apple pies. Marlene always has a smile for everyone she meets, we are blessed that they moved to Motley and that she is now a member of our church. Welcome Marlene! Richard Carlson - Richard moved to the Lake Alexander area after retirement. From he was in the peace corps on a Pacific Island. For 21 years he was the City Administrator for the city of Little Falls. Following his retirement from the city of Little Falls he went back into the peace corps for five years: 3 years in Africa and 2 years in Moldova. Richard and his wife Nancy have three daughters and four grandchildren; you will often find them babysitting. He has good stories to tell about his time spent with them. After moving to the Motley area they went to several churches; Motley UMC was the most welcoming and he liked the pastor's sermons. Richard serves on the finance committee and is on the cleaning crew at the church. When Richard was small he attended the Baptist Church. A little girl was always pinching him in Sunday School. His mother suggested that he go to the Congregational church with his grandmother, who lived with them. While sitting next to Grandma in church, he took his first communion; he felt like he had found a place in the church. The Motley United Methodist Church has become home to Richard. He loves the choices, the piano and organ, the music is very uplifting. The sermons are great and the friendliness of the church family. He enjoys going to the Sunday School following the church service. Richard you have become an asset to our church, welcome to our church family!

16 BEQUESTS You don't have to be wealthy or famous to leave a meaningful legacy and have a lasting impact. By planning your estate now you can help to ensure that whoever or whatever you hold dear continues to thrive into the future. As you plan your financial affairs, we hope you will consider making a bequest or other charitable gift to our church. A gift to the Motley United Methodist Church will help ensure that it continues into the future and fulfills it's mission of "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." Ways to Give: There are a number of ways you can make the Motley United Methodist Church a part of your legacy. Below is a brief overview of some of the ways you might consider: General Bequest: You can specify a dollar amount in your will that will be given to the church in your name. Remainder Bequest: You can specify that a portion of your estate be given to the church after other gifts have been made. Gifts of Contingent Interest: You can specify that the church receive a portion of your estate if certain primary beneficiaries are no longer living. Life Insurance: Including the church as beneficiary is a simple and very effective way to continue supporting the church after you are gone. Real Estate: A gift of real estate entitles you to a charitable income tax deduction up to the property's fair market value. These gifts are also exempt from capital gains taxes. You might also consider a "remainder interest" that would allow you to use your property until you are gone. Although bequests are normally fully deductible as charitable gifts for federal estate tax purposes and in most cases state death tax purposes, you should always consult a qualified consultant before making any bequests. Motley United Methodist Church's Finance Committee

17 Preparation for the Chicken dinner begins four weeks before the date of the dinner. It takes many hours and many hands to make it a success; with your help we did make it a success. Thank you to all that helped with monetary donations, food, desserts, set up, breaking bread, food prep, frying chicken, tickets, serving, waiting tables, and clean up. Thank you to Carla and Burt Scripture for keeping the kitchen running smoothly. Thank you to Gary Timbs for tickling the keys to the enjoyment of all. We could not have done this without you, our church family. We served 240 and made about $2600. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you. Robin and Sherry 25 th YEAR ORDINATION CELEBRATION On June 12, 2016, the Motley and Staples congregations will be helping Pastor Greg celebrate 25 years in the ministry. The combined Staff/Parish Relations Committees have met and started to discuss details. We hope to have one service at Motley UMC for both churches with a meal following the service. Pastor Greg s father and other family and friends will be in Minnesota, in June, for the graduation of Greg and Dianne s youngest daughter, Sarah. These guests will help make the 25 th year celebration very special! We have a date! Now we need to make plans. If you are interested in helping plan the meal or other preparations, please talk to Chris Rosvold or Sharon Sandberg. Thank you for your help!

18 May Parish Health News Healthy Choices Today I would like to enlist your help in addressing a growing health concern that I have for you and your pastor. Your pastor and many of you are at high risk for diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Clergy are placed in our care as laity by the conference and we are tasked with aiding them in ministry. We all must be involved in self-care and care of the pastor as he/she is oftentimes more concerned with our health than his/ her own. We must encourage time to exercise regularly and eat healthy food by providing healthy alternatives to the usual church fare of doughnuts and bars at every Sunday fellowship time and committee meeting. You may think that it s only once a week, it is no big deal to have a treat but in reality, the pastor visits parishioners homes as well as attends many committee meetings at church and elsewhere during the week. At all of these occasions a treat is provided and even encouraged. It isn t long before the pastor is a few pounds overweight and then a short time after that his/her blood pressure is climbing and so is the blood sugar. Before you know it, the pastor has health issues that weren t there before because of the stress of the position as well as the lack of physical exercise and added sugar (inflammatory) and simple carbohydrates (that go directly to the waist). We cannot make people eat healthy but we can make healthy alternatives available. We should be making healthy choices too and modeling that for our children. Having fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables with a

19 yogurt dip or a high fiber granola available on Sunday morning is a place to start. Avoid the doughnuts and look for healthy snack recipes online at danielplan.com/healthyhabits/snacksandhorsdouevres/ which can be amended to use for large groups or even for small committee meeting treats. Help care for yourself as well as the health of your pastor. Be role models for your children and make health a priority for all. We are, after all, responsible for our own healthy choices whether it is to walk a couple miles a day, lift weights a couple times a week, eat balanced healthy meals with lots of fruits and vegetables and healthy snacks and sleep 7-9 hrs.at night. We have free will to choose our path. Make it a wise one. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; I Cor.6:19 Judith Lightowler, MS, RN, CLM North Star District Parish Nurse metlight@eot.com (218)

20 Motley United Methodist Church rd Ave S. P O Box 119 Motley, MN :00 am Worship Service 10:10 am Coffee & Fellowship Pastor: Gregory P. Ciesluk Cell: (218) PastorGreg@motleyumc.org Secretary: Chris Rosvold (218) or (612) crosvold@motleyumc.org Sherry Frisk: Breeze Editor (218) sherrymillerfrisk@gmail.com (Mother s Day - May 8 th ) Mother's Love Her love is like an island in life's ocean, vast and wide A peaceful, quiet shelter From the wind, the rain, the tide. 'Tis bound on the north by Hope, By Patience on the West, By tender Counsel on the South And on the East by Rest. Above it like a beacon light Shine Faith, and Truth, and Prayer; And thro' the changing scenes of life I find a haven there. Author Unknown

21 Soundbite for 2016 and Beyond: Go Take Your Faith on the Road Be Christ for Others Do Something on Earth for Heaven s Sake Our Church's Vision: To become a growing, difference-making, enthusiastic, and faith-filled Christian community. The Gospel Imperatives: Growing in Love of God and Neighbor Reaching New People Healing a Broken World Our Guiding Principle: Do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can. Our Church s Mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Check us out: Church Website: On Facebook: Coming Soon