FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH S. N I P P S T., J O HNSON, KS OUR MISSION IS TO BRING GOD TO PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE TO GOD MAY JUNE, 2009

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1 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH S. N I P P S T., J O HNSON, KS OUR MISSION IS TO BRING GOD TO PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE TO GOD THE MAY JUNE, 2009 Messenger UPCOMING EVENTS: May 31 Retirement Party for JC Chapman All-Church Carry In Dinner May 31 August 16 (Sunday s) Vacation Bible School, Sunday s at 9:45 a.m. Church Inside this issue: From The Pastor; Memorial Day Celebrations; Prayer List; UMW; Scholarships; Capital Campaign Retirement Party; KFC News; Our Graduates Preschool News; UMW News; Where Everyone Gets Along; Church Camp Recipes; Cookbooks; Staff Vacation Bible School Sunday 9:45 a.m. May 31 Aug. 16 Join us each Sunday for fun Bible stories, crafts & games May & June Calendars Insert

2 Page 2 FIRST UNITED METHODIS T C H U R C H THOUGH THE EARTH GIV E WAY To whom do we turn when a crisis comes? It may depend upon the nature and severity of the crisis. By definition, a crisis is that which overwhelms our ordinary coping mechanisms. In a crisis we need extra help. In Psalm 121, the Psalmist asks rhetorically, I lift up my eyes to the hills where does my help come from? And then he answers, My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Timothy Dudley-Smith writes in a hymn based on Psalm 121, I lift my eyes to the quiet hills in the press of the busy day; as green hills stand in a dusty land so God is my strength and stay. The green hills are testimony to the faithfulness of God. The serenity of the hills are in contrast to the stress of life. God is the one who can give such serenity. It is not incidental that the Psalmist strongly describes God as the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Jonah similarly describes God to terrified sailors, I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land. (Jonah 1:9). Both Jonah and the Psalmist are saying God is a powerful God who gets things done. Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea and then the sea would grow calm. And it did, and the narrative (Jonah 1:17) tells us that the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. Paul exclaims, If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). The force of this statement isn t just that God is on our side. It is in realizing the absolute power that belongs to God. No one, no thing is His equal, therefore nothing can really oppose or threaten us when God is our protector. In Psalm 46, the Psalmist asserts, God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Derek Kidner commenting on this psalm, notes that the two things which are most immutable and impregnable, the earth and the mountains, are threatened by that which is most restless and menacing, the sea. (Derek Kidner, Psalms Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 174). Kidner then comments that this verse begins to contemplate the end of the whole created scheme. How are we when our world seems to be crashing down around us? How are you when your sense of order is rocked? What the Psalm importantly asserts is though the earth give way we have no cause to fear. Our God is our security. So again, let s ask, to whom do we turn when a crisis comes? We turn to God. To be ready to turn to God is important. To know how to turn to God is important. That God is a very present help in trouble, Kidner says implies that he is ready to be found. Isaiah 55:6 says, Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Could you withdraw money from a bank account you never established, or in which you never made any deposits? No, of course not. In order to call upon God in a time of need we must have developed a friendship with Him. We must seek Him. We must desire Him. We must put in time with Him over the long haul, day to day. How will we know that God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble? We ll know because we have made it our habit to know Him. Finally Psalm 46:10 says, Be still, and know that I am God. Again Derek Kidner comments, Be still is not in the first place comfort for the harassed but a rebuke to a restless and turbulent world: Quiet! in fact, Leave off! It resembles the command to another raging sea: Peace! Be still! (Derek Kidner, Psalms Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, p. 176). Think about this: the ultimate comfort comes when the storm has been silenced. God shows up and removes the danger. He restores order. Monday, May 25, 2009 The church office will be closed

3 CELEBRATIONS May Birthdays 1 Dandi Amerin, Pat Graham 3 Jordan Trujillo 4 Greg Edmisson 6 Lorenzo Cruz, Jade Helmle 7 Shaneise Crow 8 Diane Floyd, Melvin Winger 10 Krista Nairn 11 Marla Floyd 13 Cassie Teeter 14 Quentin Morris 15 Monty Teeter, Ruth Olivas 16 Bob Edmisson, Vance Whittington 18 Cyle Peterson, Grace Brown 19 Karin Kullot 21 Elizabeth Wright 22 Chris Floyd 24 Margaret Winger, Everett Persinger 25 Ron Cockrum, Dirk Cockrum, J. Scott 26 Harold Crawford 27 Tom Tucker 28 Velta Teeter, Rob Fields 29 Leah Thompson 31 Margaret Josserand, Heath Tucker May Anniversaries 16 Melvin & Mona Winger Rob & Terri Fields 20 Don & Phyllis Hasty 22 Doug & Diana Daniels 24 Dalyn & Michele Figgins 26 Matt & Michelle Canny Lacey & Seresa Parton 28 Arby & Linda Rector 30 Joel & Linda Nicholas 31 Steve & Amanda Sierra Jim & Charlene Garrison June Birthdays 1 Myles Shirk 2 Emma Helmle, Deniese Barber 3 Charlene Garrison 4 Julie Gerard, Andrew German 5 Mona Winger, O.W. Josserand, Kenny Tilley 7 Mandy Shirk, Rochelle Eslinger, Caren Kerr 8 Aaron Anderson, Craig Figgins 9 Brian Nicholas 11 Creed Peterson 12 Denise Garrett, Brad McKinney 13 Luke Pauls 14 Carol Anderson, April Conaway 17 Janice Barton 19 Brant Peterson, Greg Fiss 21 Cooper Adams, Niki Nicholas 22 Jaclyn Black 23 Regan Martin 24 Betty Frier, Wayne Barber, Brian Ramsay 25 Rena Cartwright THE MESSENGER 28 Amanda Sierra, Vernon Butt June Anniversaries 4 Moran & Jeanie Tomson 5 Mark & Denise Garrett, Matt & Lori Overturf, Marty & Carol Garrison 6 Leon & Janice Barton 7 Charles & Emma Helmle, Jason & Jennifer Rios 11 Vernon & Leilah Butt 12 John & Cassie Teeter, Greg & Denise Garrison 13 Martie & Diane Floyd 14 Glenn & Charla Pauls 16 Rob & Terri Fields, Gary & Brenda Kendrick 18 Larry & Jo Scott 20 Bill & Karen Seyb 23 Ron & Barbara Kendrick CHURCH FAMILY PRAYER LIST Page 3 24 John & Stephanie Dickson, Dan & Karin Kullot SUNDAY, JUNE 21 May 3 J.W., Chance, Hope & Destinee Toole May 10 Dr. Bill & Violet Troup May 17 Penny Tucker May 24 Bill Umberger May 31 David Walker & family June 7 Kimberly Walker & family June 14 LaVere Walker June 21 Judith Whipple June 28 Roger, Shari, Tyson & Keltin Wiens CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS! BEN SEUSER COLE EDMISSON MATT MORRIS KRAIG THOMPSON ERIC GERARD Capital Campaign Update Thru : Received to Date: $178, Goal: $220, Needed to meet Goal: $ 41,330.00

4 Page 4 FIRST UNITED METHODIS T C H U R C H For JC Chapman Sunday May 31, 2009 All Church Carry In Dinner Following Worship KIDS FOLLOWING CHRIS T BY WILL KENYON All youth are invited! Invite your friends to the KFC End of School Party on May 17, from 5pm to 8pm. There will be snacks, games and fun for all! For the summer, KFC will meet on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. The summer dates will be June 14 and 28 and July 12 and 26. The time for KFC during the summer will be 5pm to 6:30pm. KFC will start back up weekly on August 9. Youth Sunday was a resounding success on April 26! Around ten youth participated in leading the worship service at Johnson United Methodist Church. Our Youth that helped were: Aubree Summers & Nellie Njue- Greeters; Prelude, Offertory, and Postlude music-jenna Black & Haley Floyd; Praise Music- Nellie Njue, Jenna Black & Haley Floyd accompanied by Phyllis Hasty; HUGS-Keltin Wiens, Jenna Black, Rita Njue, Haley Floyd & Aubree Summers (the congregation donated $94 during the two sessions of HUGS in the worship service); Call to Worship-Dakota Limon; Ushers-Nellie Njue, Aubree Summers, Jenna Black & Keltin Wiens. Children s time-jenna Black & Haley Floyd. The message used SpongeBob Squarepants as an illustration of how we are the arms and hands of Jesus to help others. Scripture-Keltin Wiens; Sermon- Associate Pastor Will Kenyon. The message was a call that we are all part of the body of Christ, and we are called to use our God-given gifts for the furthering of God s kingdom. Pastor Will, Youth Coordinator Our Senior Graduates: Logan Cook Brian Cruz Matthew Morris Ben Seuser Our 8th Grade Promotion Students: Dakota Limon Abbey Martin College Graduates: Emily Hasty, Tabor College: Bachelor of Arts in English & Bachelor of

5 THE MESSENGER Page 5 PRESCHOOL NEWS BY CHERYL BERENS, DIRECTOR The month of April has flown by for the Preschool. We have finished up our alphabet! That was exciting for all of us. We have been studying Spring: the flowers, sunshine, rain and the bugs. Each student has planted some seeds and is eagerly watching them grow. We also learned about Easter, dyed some Easter eggs, and had great Easter egg hunts. The students have been working hard preparing for the Spring Program that is on Friday, May 1st. May will bring lots of outdoor fun. I hope to have a water day and outdoor games for the students to practice some gross motor skills. Should be lots of fun! UMW NEWS, BY CHERYL ADAMS, PRESIDENT We will break for the summer months. It is always a good time to start thinking about those Bazaar projects. Bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th. Ideas could include (but not limited to!): Cross-Stitch Angels Stained Glass Ceramic Items Pillows Table Runner Afghan Wood Items Baby Blankets Shopper Bags T-Towels Wall Hangings Dolls Quilts Aprons Throws Dessert for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months Theme Dinners for 2, 4 or 6 Travel Package WHERE EVERYONE GETS ALONG Peter Hermann, who spends half the year in Bisbee, AZ, wrote to the local paper expressing his appreciation for the small town. He told of a man who s a fixture on Bisbee s main street. The man is accompanied by three pets: a mouse who sits on the back of a cat, who sits on a dog. To Hermann, that scene speaks of Bisbee s wholesome, accepting attitude. It is proof positive, that everyone gets along in Bisbee. That reminds us of Isaiah s words: The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. ~Isaiah 11:6, NRSV Sign Up For Church Camp! If you need a brochure or registration / health history forms, contact the church office, , or go online to: or to download and print your forms. A new camp opportunity for 7th-12th grade is Three- In-One Camp at Living Water Ranch, north of Manhattan. Check with Phyllis Hasty for details.

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7 THE MESSENGER COMMUNITY GARDEN PLANNED FOR SPRING One of the outreach missions the Trustees decided to do with a portion of our unused property, was to make a Community Garden on the corner of Long & Ellsworth Streets. Following are some basic pieces of information about the Community Garden: For those who would like a garden plot: Garden spaces will be offered to the public, approximately 20 x 20 in size, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Approximately 14 plots will be available. Each gardener will be asked to sign an agreement specifying that they will keep their portion weeded and harvested. The church will provide a fence around the perimeter of the entire garden, and a central water line. Each participant will be asked to pay a start-up fee ($20) for a drip irrigation kit and a portion of the watering. This will be announced to the public in both English & Spanish. For our church to offer this outreach ministry: Workers are needed to put up the fencing, install the central irrigation line, and to till the entire lot. Pastor Don is also looking for one or more church members to supervise this project. If you would like to help in any way towards reaching the goal of starting the garden for this Spring, please contact Pastor Don or the church office. PRAYER FOR THE COURSE OF OUR ACTIONS Dear God, We seem to be such busy doers. There s our to-do list and honey-do list. When a friend is in sorrow, we tell them to let us know if there s anything we can do. Even Saint Paul tells us the faith without works is dead. Yet Sometimes we re so busy with the works we forget about the faith. Help me, O God, to keep in touch with you, the wellspring of my faith. Let me allow you, and not me, to be the real source of my actions. Let the source of my actions determine the course of my actions. Amen. -Peggy Ferrell PEACE WITH JUSTICE S UNDAY SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2009 Missionary Rick Jost found a simple way to make a difference solar ovens. Motivation for what we do is the crushing poverty in Haiti, Rick said. It brings many people to tears when they see how these people live. Peace with Justice Sunday witnesses to God s demand for a faithful, just, disarmed and secure world. Drinking dirty water and cooking over open fires because one has no choice are justice issues. By building and taking solar ovens to Haiti, Rick and other United Methodists help poor families pasteurize drinking water and cook healthy meals in a safe environment. The Haiti Solar Oven Project is possible because of the special offering received on Peace with Justice Sunday. To learn more about Peace with Justice Sunday and to donate online, visit PWJS.

8 Got A Recipe??? Anyone who wants to share a recipe please FAX, , mail or drop it by to the church office. We d love to share it with everyone and let YOU get the great compliments! UMW CENTENNIAL COOKBOOKS are still available to purchase! $15.00 each; or $20.00 (if mailed-includes postage. Contact the church office, First UMC Staff: Pastor: Don Hasty Associate Pastor: Will Kenyon Secretary: Shari Wiens Treasurer: Mandy Shirk Custodian: Victoria Garcia Music Coordinator: JC Chapman Nursery: Wendi Adams Preschool Teacher: Cheryl Berens Youth Coordinator: Will Kenyon Community Developer: Jose` Olivas Recipes from the Kitchen PERFECTION SALAD Judy Arnold 4 c. water 2 TB vinegar 1 c. sugar 2 TB whole cloves Combine and boil for 5 minutes. Strain & pour over 2 boxes of lemon jello. Add & chill: 1 c. minced pimento 1 c. celery, chopped fine 1 1/2 c. sweet pickle 1/2 c. nuts (chopped fine) (Judy served this salad at the Lenten Luncheon. It is Ruby Arnold s recipe.) CREAM CORN LIKE NO OTHER 2 (10 oz) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 c. heavy cream 1 tsp. salt 2 TB granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 2 TB butter 1 c. whole milk 2 TB all-purpose flour 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot. Want to visit with the Pastor? Please call Pastor Don at the church office, or him at: revdonhasty@hotmail.com FIRST UNITED METHODIST C H U R C H 202 S. Nipp St. P.O. Box 179 Johnson, KS RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE P A I D JOHNSON, KS PERMIT NO. 1

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