The Communicator. Sharing Christ s Love Through Service

Transcription

1 United Presbyterian Church 302 2nd Ave. SE Jamestown, ND CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED The Communicator United Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, ND Volume 44 No.2, February 2017 Sharing Christ s Love Through Service UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 302 2nd Avenue SE Jamestown, ND Phone (701) website: presbyterianchurch@daktel.com FALL-SPRING WORSHIP HOURS Sunday School 9:00 AM Worship Service 10:30 AM SECRETARIAL HOURS 10:00 AM-2:00 PM Monday-Thursday For corrections or additions to the newsletter please call the church office FEBRUARY WORKMONTH FAMILIES Chairpersons: Hornung, Deb or VanDyke, *Lynn & *Pam or Bossingham, *Delbert & *Ruth (Delbert) or (Ruth) Johnson, *Harry & *Dianna Korynta, *Larry & *Jenny or Jenny cell ( ) Martin, *Bob & *Gail Reimers, *Dale & *Mary Ellen Szarkowski, Tyler & *Marcy Thompson, *Maris Wermager, *Cindy Worm, *Paul & *Sandy Worm, *Troy *Member **High School Student Installation of Elders and Deacons Bob Martin, Mary Reed and Diane Weispfenning were installed as Elders and Tiffany Dauer and Colleen Nelson, were installed as Deacons on Sunday, January 29. We are thankful for the work that is done by all of our church officers. New Member Introductions Our newest member, Ellen Boyar, shares her background and interests with us on page 4. Souper Bowl of Caring Souper Bowl of Caring collection will be taken Sunday, February 5, This benefits the Salvation Army and/or the Community Action Food Pantry. Non-perishable goods and a monetary offering will be collected. Youth Connection Our Christian Education Coordinator, Joel Ruby, shares updates and upcoming activities for the youth on page 6. Youth Group meets on Wednesday evenings and Joel has some exciting trips planned for the youth. You won t want to miss them! Did You Know? Did you know that on our website at there is a printable monthly calendar provided for upcoming events. Just click on Calendar (located in the menu at the top of the homepage) and scroll to the bottom of the page. Pastoral Care Pastor Bob will be on vacation February If you need pastoral care during this time please contact the church office.

2 February 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat It s winter, and as I looked through the window I smiled. The winter is characterized with the cold and the harsh, the bitter and desolate; but for United Presbyterian Church, winter is when through the cold and bitter, we realize the warmth of our fellowship and the comforting presence of our congregation assuring one another that even in bleak trials, we shall overcome; and like winter, all these will pass. That is why, in every moment, in everything, give thanks, because in the Apostle Paul s letter to the Romans chapter 8, verse 28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. How are we to understand this oft-quoted verse in light of the trials and tragedy s that we encounter? Is Paul saying, Whatever happens is good"? No. Is he saying that suffering and evil and tragedy are good? No. Is he saying everything will work out if we just have enough faith? No. Is he saying that we will understand why God allowed tragedy to come? No. What, then, is Paul saying? Ray Pritchard answers He is erecting a sign over the unexplainable mysteries of life, a sign that reads, Quiet. God at work. How? We re not always sure. To what end? Good, and not evil. That s what Romans 8:28 is saying. One of the beliefs of Christianity is that God is actively at work in your life! One way we experience God at work is through the fellowship that is continuing to be developed as active church members. As we invest time in one another during ordinary times we are preparing ourselves for the tough times. We develop as a community of believers as we journey with one another. As I think of the phrase one another it reminds me of this particular verse in the Gospel of John chapter 13 verse 34-35: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Doesn t that verse remind you of our mission Sharing Christ s Love through Service. I thank you for all that you have done to further our mission. There may be some travails along the way, but just like this winter, this too may pass. May God give us the grace to continue and to make us smile this winter through 5 SS 9:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM Confirmation 6:30 PM Souper Bowl of Caring Collection 12 SS 9:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM Confirmation 6:30 PM 19 SS 9:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser Confirmation 6:30 26 SS 9:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM Confirmation Class 6:30 PM NO Wednesday 8 NO Wednesday 15 NO Wednesday 22 Wednesday Resumes 6:00 PM 2 Christian Nurture 6:15 PM PW Circles 1:00 Joint Session/ Deacon Meeting 6:00 PM MIP Class 8:00-3:00 Boardroom Pastor Bob Boyar Happy Valentine s Day 2

3 FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS Marcy Szarkowski 2 Vicki Enger 2 Gabriele Matzke 6 Carrie Orn 6 Kayla Allen 15 Mike Allmer 16 Jason Connolly 17 Don Williams 18 Ruth Bossingham 22 Diane Weispfenning 23 Porter Orn 24 Paul Worm 24 Janet Miller 28 February Anniversaries Steve & Terry Koehn 14 Pastor Bob and Ellen Boyar 14 Deacon dialogue... The Deacons are a group of men and women from our congregation that have a heart to serve those in our church and community. The Deacons organize a variety of activities by which they share the love and joy of Jesus Christ. The service of deacons in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is to lead the church in its ministries of compassion (distributing aid, caring directly for the poor, the sick, refugees, and prisoners), and justice (working for equity) in society. DEACON S CONTINUOUS MISSION PROJECT: What a great opportunity for us to continue our community outreach. We will be partnering with several churches to collect personal hygiene items for the Salvation Army (throughout the entire year). Our items of choice are bar soap, tooth brushes and tooth paste. A collection box will be located by our food pantry cart for your convenience. We sincerely appreciate your support with this project. Please help us help those less fortunate than us. On behalf of the Deacons thank you for all your generosity!! There are several activities lined up for the next few months. The Deacons will deliver Valentine treats to shut-ins in February; the annual Soup and Bread Luncheon will take place on Sunday, March 5 and Pat and Jonelle Lindbo will teach us how to make Norwegian Lefsa later that month. Watch the Sunday bulletin for more details. Those currently serving as Deacons include: Kathy Buchholtz Tiffany Dauer Bill Hines Dixie Lee Tony McIntyre Janet Miller Colleen Nelson Bev Schaack Kim Thoele Maris Thompson Pam Van Dyke Cindy Wermager Giving Hearts Day February 9, 2017 is Giving Hearts Day. Giving Hearts Day is the most charitable giving day of the year. It is a day when a group of nonprofit agencies get together to raise money. Giving hearts day has three tiers of giving. Tier one is Business Sponsorships. Alpha has to raise $4000 for this first tier. Tier two is what we are asking you for. The second tier is the tier of donations from the general public on February 9, Tier three is matched dollars from the Dakota Medical Foundation. If tier one and tier two are both $4000 the Dakota Medical Foundation will match $4000 dollars. Giving Hearts Day is a great way to turn a smaller donation into a bigger donation. Please consider giving $10 or more on Giving Hearts Day. Alpha is looking to expand their world in technology. How do I donate? You can write out a check now and pre date it February 9, 2017 and give it to Tiffany Dauer or you can drop off your check on February 9 th at Alpha Opportunities at 1521 Business Loop East Jamestown ND. You can also mail your check to Alpha, just make sure it is there before or on Giving Hearts Day. Alpha s mailing address is PO Box 824, Jamestown ND, put Attn: Tiffany Dauer on the envelope. If you would rather give online you can place your donation at and you can search for a charity there. I m telling you about Alpha Opportunities because I work for Alpha, but there are a lot of other local charities participating. Any money given to local charities stays local! 10 3

4 Elder Spotlight Diane Weispfenning Diane was born in Cooperstown, ND, living in ND all her life. She grew up on a farm in the Sheyenne Valley, lived in Oakes and now Jamestown. Her baptism and Christian education began in a small, rural Norwegian Lutheran church, founded by her great-grandparents and other neighboring families. She was confirmed in Trinity Lutheran Church. After graduating from Cooperstown High School, she received a degree in Medical Technology from UND, and in 1999 she received a Masters Degree of Management from the U of Mary. She worked as a medical technologist and managed the lab at the Oakes Hospital for over 20 years before joining the Oakes Hospital leadership team as chief operating officer (COO), later becoming part of the shared hospital leadership team for Oakes and Lisbon. Diane says that she found working in rural healthcare her calling. Bill and Diane have been married for 40 years. They lived in Jamestown for a short time before moving to Oakes where they joined the Presbyterian Church. They raised two sons; Ryan, who lives with his wife Anna and their children in Blaine, MN; and Mike, single, and living and working in Bloomington, MN. Later, Diane followed Bill to Jamestown when he began teaching at Jamestown College (now UJ), accepting a new position as Sr. VP of Mission, Compliance, Quality, and Risk Management of four hospitals; based out of Valley City. Now, Diane assists in caring for their grandchildren and her mother when help is needed. She noted, The blessing of family is my greatest joy! She likes to cook, read, and garden. She finds the clerk s position on the session to be interesting and rewarding. 4 New Member Introductions Ellen Boyar Ellen was born and raised in the Philippines where she got her basic education until she got her first degree, BS Psychology, from the Lyceum University, Philippines. Along this line, she pursued her Master s Degree in Public Management from the Development Academy of the Philippines, while working at the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, an engagement she had for twenty-one years where she held various positions and retired as Director of the General Administration Office. As a people s advocate, it was not surprising for her to enter the realm of caring as she finished yet another degree which is BS in Nursing from the Mindanao State University, and became a Registered Nurse, while still in the Philippines. Currently, she is a Sales Associate at JC Penney at Buffalo Mall. As a new member of the United Presbyterian Church (UPC), whenever she can, she volunteers in various UPC projects. However, through all these, one that gives her the best and most fulfilling role was that where she modestly plays the silent helpmate to Pastor Bob. With a skillful hand and a caring heart, Ellen contributes dutifully her humble share as God s worker in any way she can. Our Church Leadership Elders Diane Weispfenning, Clerk of Session Class of 2017 Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Delbert Bossingham Angie Allmer Bob Martin William Parries Pat Lindbo Mary Reed Elizabeth Sherfy Lynn Van Dyke Diane Weispfenning Jackie Tarpinian Deacons Class of 2017 Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Janet Miller Kathy Buchholtz Tiffany Dauer Kim Thoele Dixie Lee Bill Hines Pam Van Dyke Tony McIntyre Colleen Nelson Maris Thompson Church Leadership Team Pastor: Rev. Robert Boyar ( ) rab316.bb@gmail.com Commissioned Ruling Elder: William Weispfenning ( ) Administrative Assistant: Sharon Watson ( ) presbyterianchurch@daktel.com Financial Secretary: Tammie Skari sfamily@daktel.com Organist/Choir Director: David Morlock ( ) Treasurer: Mary Reed Financial Update (General fund activity as of December 31, 2016) General Fund Revenue for December $31, General Fund Expenses for December $20, Excess Income/Loss for December $11, Year to Date Revenue $223, Year to Date Expenses $179, Year to Date Excess Income/Loss $ 43, We thank you for your continued support of United Presbyterian Church! Per Capita Payments: We encourage all members to pay their per-capita as a gift above and beyond their annual pledge. Our per-capita is based on $44.00 for each active member of our church. To submit a check for percapita, simply write Per-capita on the memo line of your check. 9

5 Session Highlights February 2017 Elder of the Month for February is Pat Lindbo Home Communion Elder for February is Pat Lindbo The Session agreed that Mark and Dixie Lee with Mary Reed as alternate will continue collecting the offering following worship services and place the money in a locked, designated drawer in the church office. Bob Martin/2 nd, to approve the following 2017 Session Committees: Property and Finance, Personnel, Kitchen, Worship, Christian Nurture, Church Growth & Outreach, Membership, Mission, Care Ministries, Stewardship, Financial Review, Social Media/Web-site, Sanctuary Circle, Project, and Nominating. MOTION CARRIED Mark Lee will chair Property and Finance, Dale Reimers will chair Personnel, Yvonne Wegner will chair Kitchen, Bill Parries will chair Worship, Elizabeth Sherfy will chair Christian Nurture, Jackie Tarpinian will chair Church Growth & Outreach, Diane Weispfenning will chair Membership, Mary Reed will chair Mission, Angie Allmer will chair Care Ministries, Dixie Lee & Elizabeth Sherfy will co-chair the Sanctuary Circle, and Jackie Tarpinian will chair the Project. Open chair positions include the Stewardship Committee, Financial Review Committee, and Social Media/Web-site Committee. Chairs were asked to check with members of respective committees to see if they want to continue to serve and look for others to serve on their committees. Rev. Boyar will be on vacation from January 31, 2017 through February 16, Rev. Mindy Meier will lead worship on Sunday, February 5, She will serve communion. Bill Weispfenning will lead worship on February 12, Ordination and installation service is planned for January 29, 2017, during morning worship. Deacons will meet with the Session for our annual joint meeting at the February meeting. Diane Weispfenning made a motion/2 nd, to approve forming a group to discuss and recommend Core Values for UPC. MOTION CARRIED Rev. Boyar will ask a few members of the congregation and anyone else who wants to be in this group. Rev. Boyar reported that the Jamestown Ministerial Assn. is working on Lenten Services. The theme will be Jesus is Lord, and services will be held in various churches. Elizabeth Sherfy made a motion/2 nd, to move $1, from the Mission Fund to the Youth Group Fund, to place $ in the Mission Fund from the surplus of 2016, and to place the balance of surplus from 2016 into the Reserve Fund. MOTION CARRIED The Worship Committee recommends, to have an Ash Wednesday service on March 1, 2017 at 7:00 PM, to have a Maundy Thursday service with communion on April 13, 2017 at 7:00 PM, to have a Good Friday service for our church family on April 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM, and to have an Easter breakfast served at 9:00 AM on April 16, 2017 with worship services at 10:30 AM. MOTION CARRIED The Christian Nurture Committee recommends, to approve a Youth Group to start meeting Wednesdays, beginning January 18, 2017, to hold Vacation Bible School in June, 2017, to encourage our Sunday School teachers to attend Nurtured Hearts Training when it is offered at Trinity Lutheran Church, Jamestown, ND, and to have Confirmation Sunday on May 21, MOTION CARRIED The next meeting will be a joint meeting of Elders and Deacons on February 23, Diane Weispfenning, Clerk Women s Ministries Connecting women to God and one another When Faith and Hope Circles meet on February 23rd, we will be studying Lesson six in our guidebook Who is Jesus. Another challenging study! We are looking ahead to March. On March 5th we will observe Celebrate the Gifts of Women Sunday. Presbyterian Women will participate in the worship service and will host the annual "Soup and Bread Meal" following the service. Mark your calendar and plan to be a part of this special day. Lesson 6 WHO IS JESUS according to the Book of Hebrews? How many times have you read the 19th book of the New Testament Hebrews? Never? That is probably what most of us reading this would say but we challenge you to at least read the first 6 chapters and Chapters 12 and 13 to prepare for the UPW lesson for February. The Bible researcher Dr. Walter Martin said he believed it was written by a Hebrew to other Hebrews telling Hebrews to stop acting like Hebrews! The author of Hebrews (and no one knows who the author is) was addressing his sermon (because Hebrews is neither a Gospel nor a letter) to three groups of people: 1) believers in Christ, 2) unbelievers who had knowledge of and an intellectual acceptance of the facts of Christ, and 3) unbelievers who were attracted to Christ, but who rejected Him ultimately. We hope some of you will be prepared to share your ideas at Circle in February of how Hebrews speaks to us now. Edie and Jackie Confirmation Class 2017 What are we confirming in the Confirmation Class? We are confirming their baptisms. When they were baptized the children s parents professed their own faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The parents also, along with the congregation, promised to raise the child in the Christian faith so that in time they would profess their own faith in Jesus Christ. We are working together so that Thomas, Zoe, Jozelyn and Karla can articulate their own faith. Confirmation Sunday is set for May 21, Please pray for the confirmands. This year s class includes Thomas Allmer, Zoe Bennett, Jozelyn Ford, Karla Sherfy and is led by Pastor Bob Boyar and Joel Ruby. Home Communion for Shut-Ins Communion is brought to those unable to attend church. If you would like to receive Communion, please call the church office at Next Communion will be served Sunday, February

6 At the beginning of this month, it was impressed upon me to make some forward progress with the youth program. In particular, and with the encouragement of the church body, I felt compelled to revive the youth group, and bring about a climate of service and joy, as we continue to serve those in our congregation. Although the goals for our youth group are in the process of being formed, there are some ideals that will help us along the way. I hope this time with the youth will be one that encourages careful study of God s word, embracing the mission of our church, and exploring who we are as believers and imitators of Christ. Whatever happens, we are excited to be on this journey together. Since so much can happen in such a little amount of time, I have also decided to keep abreast in the happenings of the youth groups in our Presbytery. I want to promote unity with them, and because of this, there are some important future events to keep in mind. Being in close correspondence with the Youth Connection Team, I am excited to look forward to several trips with our youth. This February, the youth groups in our Presbytery will venture to Detroit Lakes and Park Rapids, Minnesota to get away from the noise of busyness, and take the time to rest physically and spiritually. It is fitting that this retreat is called RestFest. The next retreat is the Crystal Springs trip with the other youth groups which occurs annually. This year s theme will center on praising God through the medium of music, art, and performance. It has been dubbed, Sing, Shout, Make Music, quoting from Psalm 96. This will be an exciting undertaking, and one that fits a main interest of mine. Looking ahead to summer, several trips have been planned by the Youth Connection Team for missions work, and VBS for our church. Both the high school and middle school groups will have mission trips this summer, so it may be something to look forward to with you that have youth in 7 th to 12 th grade. Although I expect to foster good and healthy relationships in the youth group during our Wednesday meetings, I look forward to the times when youth get to explore beyond their borders, and search for God near and far, no matter the challenges or struggles that busyness and life tend to bring. We will surge ahead in the meantime, trust God, and pull for the victory, which we know is found in Jesus Christ. May you also be expectant of that victory as well! Peace! Joel 6 New Consecration Sunday Report This year started a new stewardship program called New Consecration Sunday Program. It centered on the spiritual aspect of giving rather than coming from a strictly financial or obligatory point of view. The Stewardship Committee is pleased to report that it was a great success. Your positive response to this program was greatly appreciated. The final totals for New Consecration Sunday were $183,647 in estimate of giving cards (pledges) compared to $160,150 last year. This is an increase of 14.67%. We thank you for your continued support of this church and ministry. The Stewardship Committee: Kathi Bates, Dixie Lee and Mark Lee Save the Dates March 1 7:00 PM Ash Wednesday Service Voluntary imposition of ashes will be part of the service. Jamestown Ministerial Association Lenten Series begins in March. A lunch will be served before the service. The following are the dates, times and locations of these services. March 8 Noon Trinity Lutheran Church March 15 Noon St Paul's Methodist Church March 22 Noon Church of the Nazarene March 29 Noon United Church of Christ April 5 Noon St. James Basilica Good Friday Service at United Presbyterian Church at noon. No lunch will be served. Session Request The Session requests that you consider serving on one or more of the many committees that are a part of the life of the church. The following are mission highlights of two committees that you might like to look into: Care Ministry In January, after considerable discussion it was decided to replace the Stephen Ministry Program with a Care Ministry, doing basically the same activities, providing the same services with volunteers. This meant we would keep the current Stephen Ministers and add more care givers from the membership. Mission Committee We continue to be active in a number of mission activities. The Board of Deacons is also active in mission outreach and some of their efforts are as follows: Bdecan Ministry, Chogoria ministry (Kenya) University of Jamestown student involvement, Community Action Food Pantry, Deacon Special Offerings, Habitat for Humanity UJ student involvement, Pastor Discretionary Fund, Presbyterian Youth Triennium, Relay for Life, SAFE Shelter, Salvation Army including Bell Ringing, Tri-Church Fellowship, University of Jamestown and Youth For Christ. 7