February 2018 GRACE NOTES

Transcription

1 Grace United Methodist Church 601 N. 4th St. Pekin, IL Grace Café January 27, 2018 (Always last Saturday of the month.) 11AM-12:30 PM February 2018 GRACE NOTES Printed January 23, 2018 Food Pantry: February 15, PM Inside this issue: (Page #s Listed) Pastor s Note 2 Radical 3 News 4 Fine Arts Series 5 News 6 Bible Readings 7 UMW 8 Thank Yous/Prayers/ Financial Peace 9 Grace Café /Pantry 10 Lenten News District Event 11 News 12 Birthday Calendar 13 Events Calendar 14 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

2 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:4-7 JOURNEYS WITH JOEL I miss my mother. She passed a little over three years ago. She was always a good listener. I would call her when I was having a tough time or when something good happened, and she always listened. I particularly loved talking to her when I was on longer trips in the car. She wanted to know everything that was going on in my life. I could have used mom this last year. As I looked at 2017, it was unusually stressful. I miss mom, but I still have someone to talk to who always listens, always cares, always understands, always has my best interest at heart and who has just the right answers at just the right times. They are not always the answers I want to hear, but in my experience when I listen and act on those answers, they are best in the long run. Of course, I am talking about God who is always listening when I toss and turn unable to sleep at night, when I spend long times on my knees seeking and praying, or when I breathe one of those quick prayers in the car on my way to the office. I have been thinking a lot about stress and anxiety lately, and I realize that God does have answers even for the most stressful and anxiety-producing situations. We all get anxious at times. It is a part of life, but it doesn t have to control life. Max Lucado has written a wonderful study entitled Anxious for Nothing based off the scripture at the top of the page from Philippians 4. Starting February 18 th it will provide the focus for worship and Bible study during Lent this year. Studies are listed at the bottom of this page. AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS Amahl and the Night Visitors was a huge success. The total attendance and involvement was over 430. Many persons were moved. The hope of all involved was that through this wonderful story and music, lives were touched and faith strengthened. A huge thanks to Dr. Rimington who oversaw the general production. Each of the performers did a great job and walked the extra mile to make it special. I had amazing help with the set design and building. All that worked on costumes, props, publicity, and clean-up are the unsung heroes that made it all possible. Thanks also to all of you who came. With about 80 people who helped in one way or another, I cannot thank everyone personally but thank you all for a wonderful job. It is a blessing to be the pastor of such a committed, talented and hard working congregation. You are the best! Pastor Joel MAX LUCADO S ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING STUDIES THIS LENT! SIGN UP NOW! Why let anxiety, anxiousness, and stress control your life when it doesn t have to? God has help. Join us in a Bible study based off Philippians 4:4-7. There will be sessions beginning Sunday, February 18 at 9:10 A.M. for couples who have younger children (during Sunday School), Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M. Also, we will arrange for other times as needed. Please call the office to register so we can know how many study guides to order and if childcare is needed. 2

3 Current Events: With 2018 here, our youth ministry had at least one surprise come our way. We had an unexpected change of plans for our summer mission trip. Following a call from YouthWorks about their shutting down of our previous site and some research into a new destination, we will now be heading to Queens, NY, rather than Dallas, TX. It was very much out of the blue, but we are excited for what God has in store in this different adventure. The new year has been a great start for our youth ministry though. While we were forced to cancel our annual lock-in over Christmas break due to the weather, we had a great time spending a few hours at Elevate in Peoria on the 13th, and also had a meeting to prepare for our Sr. High winter retreat. It s been a great start to the year, and we re excited for all that 2018 has in store! What are we learning? For Radical we have continued our Apologetics series, which is focused on exploring arguments for different points in Christianity. For some students this is to help them understand why Jesus is worth following; for others, it helps them be able to defend their faith so they can more confidently share it with others. This has led to some great discussions about a variety of topics, including most recently, the Trinity, knowing who Jesus is, and the reality of the resurrection. As for our Jr. and Sr. High Sunday School class (which we now refer to as Church Group Time, we ve been in the midst of a discussion on dating relationships. Emphasis is given to letting God s Word inform them on how to date in a way that honors God and protects their hearts. This is helpful whether they are looking to date now or simply for down the line; it has been filled with good dialogue among those who have been a part of it. Radical Upcoming Events 2/4 SUPER Subs Fundraiser Be sure to order yours! 2/11 Mission Trip Meeting 12-2pm for Trip Participants 2/16-2/18 Sr. High Winter Retreat to Timber-lee 3/2-3/3 Jr. High Retreat to CIY Believe Thank you for your prayers and support of our students and ministry! God Bless, Trent Moberly Coordinator of Youth Ministries Grace United Methodist Church tmoberly@pekingrace.org (309)

4 FRIENDSHIP CLUB will not meet in February Offering Envelopes The 2018 offering envelopes have been moved to the office. If you have offering envelopes from previous years, please DESTROY OLD ENVELOPES AT THE BEGINNING OF Some envelope numbers have been reassigned, and we would not want to accidentally credit your giving to someone else. We also encourage automatic withdrawal giving to eliminate all paper envelopes. If you are interested in doing this, please call the office, The new time schedule will begin Sunday, January 28: 8:15-9:00am: Pastor Joel and Rev. Donna will lead this service. (Think Saturday Night with a little contemporary thrown in.) But its primary target is those who like an early service, so it will be adapted to meet the needs and desires of those who attend. 9:10-10:10am: Sunday School. 10:20-11:15am: Contemporary: strong focus on reaching those outside the church 10:45-11:40am: Traditional: strong focus on traditional elements and pageantry; i.e., Acolytes etc. Annual Leadership Summit Saturday, February 10 from 9am-Noon All elected church leaders, members of the Church Council, ministry team areas, committees, and designated groups of Grace UMC. If you do something at Grace UMC which is some act of ministry or service, then you should plan to be part of this inspirational and organizational gathering. 4

5 2nd Annual Winter/Spring Fine Arts Series FIRST ANNUAL EDYTH JUDSON HANDBELL FESTIVAL Sunday, February 18, :00 pm Gary Ford Family Life Center Handbell players from around the Pekin-Peoria area will gather on Sunday, February 18, churches have committed to the festival which means there will be approximately 75 players performing. Over 175 bells will ring a joyous sound during the combined pieces that the groups will play. In addition, each group will perform one number of their own for the audience. You will not want to miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear the glorious sound of these handbells. BRADLEY CHORALE Sunday, April 8, :00 pm Grace UMC Sanctuary The third event will be a performance by the world famous BRADLEY CHORALE. This group has performed all over the world including Italy, Spain, and Scandinavia. They also perform around the United States each fall and spring on tour. The group is directed by Dr. John Jost, who is in his final year as the director of the chorale. Our concert is part of their spring tour so they will be at their best for this performance. QUAD CITY FLUTE ENSEMBLE Sunday, April 22, :00 pm Grace UMC Sanctuary The final event of the series will be a performance by the QUAD CITY FLUTE ENSEMBLE, directed by Professor Janet Stodd, who is the flute instructor at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. This is a nationally recognized ensemble that has performed throughout the United States and beyond. You will not only hear the common flutes but also experience the full flute family including the piccolo, the alto and tenor flutes as well as the bass flute. This will be a great experience to hear some instrumental music of all genres. 5

6 SNACK PACK NEWS: Our church packs weekly for Willow School s snack packs unless there is a school holiday. Anyone is welcome to join us in this worthwhile activity. The established packing groups are the GUMC Men s group, the Journey Sunday School class, and both of our youth groups Jam Time (younger) and Radical (junior high and high school). We pack the sacks in the Family Center or Hospitality area, unless there is a schedule conflict. Men s group packs on Tuesday at 8: 15 a.m.; Journey class packs on Sunday at 9:15 a.m. JamTime youth pack on Wednesday at 5:00 pm; Radical youth pack on Wednesday at 5:45 pm January Packing Date Packing Group Packing Date Packing Group April 2 Men Spring Break 10 JAM 10 Men 17 Radical 18 JAM 21 Journey 25 Radical February May 6 Men 1 Men 14 Radical 9 JAM 21 JAM 16 Radical 25 Journey 20 Journey (large pack) March 13 Men 21 Radical 25 Journey Thank you, Congregation, for all of your monetary and food donations; your generosity is appreciated so very much! I want to share a purchasing option that I ve learned by working with Brenda Nelson, our pantry and café leader. Dollars can purchase much more food if we can purchase through the food banks where supplies are also purchased for our Food Pantry and Grace Café. We can get 3-4 times more by purchasing through these agencies. If you would rather donate to this rather that shop yourself, please enclose your donation in an envelope noting it for the SNACK PACK program. Please contact me if you have any questions about this idea, more details of our products or packing, or any other information. Our Radical youth will be doing a rummage sale this spring on April 14th as a fundraiser for our 2018 mission trip. Please keep us in mind as you clean and organize this winter and spring. It would be a big help if you could set aside items to donate to our sale. Thanks for your support! 6

7 It is a wonderful way to start your day by reading the Bible! But some days do you feel like you can t take time to read the Bible verse for the day? It only takes a moment to read the thought for the day and think and pray about it as you go about your day; whether doing dishes, making the bed, or driving to the store or work. FROM THE UPPER ROOM: Week of February 1 Isaiah 49:13-18 God will never forget me. Matthew 28:16-20 How can I create beauty today by sharing the good news of Jesus? Deuteronomy 31:1-8 Scripture can be an umbrella in every storm life brings. Week of February 4 Exodus 14:9-18 God calls me to accept the help others offer. James 2:14-18 I will do what I can, then trust God to do the rest. Psalm 40:1-5 God always works for good. 2 Corinthians 13:5-13 Even in times of stress and frustration, I can extend grace to others. Luke 16:1-13 God is always with me. 2 Chronicles 3:1-17 God will establish and strengthen us as we serve others in love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 We can share with others the love God shows to us. Week of February 11 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 I can find joy in every circumstance because Jesus is with me. Luke 5:1-11 In what new way is God calling me to serve? Psalm 46:1-11 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Matthew 1:1-6, Because of God s love, I am worthy and good enough. Ezekiel 47:1-12 God s love is like a mighty river that nourishes my spirit. Psalm 111:1-10 When I serve others, God can multiply my efforts. 1 Samuel 26:1-12 God is my refuge and source of help. Week of February 18 Matthew 13:1-8 I will begin and end this day walking with Christ. Philippians 3:1-14 How can I follow my faith instead of my worldly desires? Matthew 6:25-34 God cares about the details of my life. Philippians 4:4-9 Spending time with God can refresh my soul. Mark 12:41-44 No matter how little I have, I can always show God s love to others. 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 I have an important role in God s kingdom. Matthew 1:18-25 The birth of Jesus promises that God is with me every day of the year. Week of February 25 Psalm 126:1-6 Today I will think of all God has done for me and let my gratitude inspire joy! Mark 9:14-29 God listens when I confess my doubts and gives me strength to keep going. Exodus 16:1-15 Today I will turn to God with even my smallest needs. Matthew 18:1-3 God embraces my questions Food Pantry Grace Café February 15 January 27 March 15 February 24 7

8 UNITED METHODIST WOMEN FEBRUARY HAPPENINGS MIRIAM BAKE SALE February 11, 2018 ALL PROCEEDS SUPPORT BOOKS AND BAGS FOR KINDERGARTENERS AT C.B. SMITH SCHOOL Your generosity has allowed us to visit the kindergarten classes at CB Smith, listen to them read each month, give them each a book bag, and provide two to four books for each child during the year. Reading is the doorway to the future for these children. The Grace readers are making a difference in the lives of children. We thank you for your help. Barb Berardi is the new president of United Methodist Women here at Grace. Thank you, Barb, for your willingness to serve in this capacity. 8

9 The Grace Office Staff greatly appreciated your Christmas cards, baked goods and other gifts of love during the holiday season. We hold each act of kindness close to our hearts and wish you peace and love in the new year. Financial Peace University will present Change the WORLD! at Grace UMC on Sundays from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, February 11th through April 8, Learn how to plan, save, and GROW TOGETHER. Contact Sally: or or register at https//fpu.com/ The church office makes routine calls to area hospitals to find out if any of our congregation has been admitted. Please remember to list Grace United Methodist Church as your church if you are admitted to the hospital so we can pray for you. If you would like to add someone to our list of prayer concerns, please call the church office at Please keep the following Grace members and friends in your prayers: Norma Anderson, Helen Beard, Tim Campbell, Loia Davis, Tony Fulk, Sidney Graffis, Jennie Matheney, Joe Parish, Iris and Robert McCray, Pat Moser and son Jeff, Rosemary Rushford, Ronny Yopp, Janice Scherer, Tracy Turner, Julie Wallace, Dorothy Vanderheyden Barb Harper 9

10 GRACE PANTRY & CAFÉ Grace Café began in We began serving a meal on the last Saturday of each month. Only about 6 people came for the first one, and that included volunteers. We now serve close to 150 meals at the Grace Café and give a sack of groceries to families attending. About six months later, we began the Grace Food Pantry. We started with food in the back room on three shelving units and in two freezers. When people came to the pantry, they would come one at a time in the back room to get one or two sacks of food. Since that time, we have moved to the current pantry in the new building. We now give out multiple sacks of groceries to approximately families representing about 300 people each month at the Food Pantry. None of it can be done without VOLUNTEERS to share in the work. COME AND VOLUNTEER AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE AS YOU WISH! 2018 Food Pantry Dates 2018 Grace Cafe Dates 4-5:00 PM 11 AM- 12:30 PM (last Saturday of month) Located in the GF Family Life Center; enter through double doors off Henrietta St. Located in the GF Family Life Center; enter through double doors off Henrietta St. January 11 January 27 February 15 February 24 March 15 March 31 April 12 April 28 May 10 May 26 June 14 June 30 July 12 July 28 August 16 August 25 September 13 September 29 October 11 October 27 November 15 November 24 December 13 December 29 10

11 Pancake and Sausage Dinner before Ash Wednesday Service Jam Time is having a pancake and sausage dinner before the Ash Wednesday Service, February 14, Dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:30pm. There will be a free will offering. Please RSVP to the office ( ) with the number planning to attend. The RSVP headcount will help us plan how much food to buy. Ash Wednesday Service and The Season of Lent Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14, Each year we plan a special worship service at 7:00 P.M. to begin our Lenten discipline together as a congregation. At this service, we are reminded of our human mortality by the imposition of ashes, either on the forehead or on the back of the hand, in the sign of the cross. ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING Lenten Bible Study Three different Bible study times to choose from! Starting Sunday, February 18 and Tuesday, February 20 Why let anxiety, anxiousness and stress control your life when it doesn t have to? God has help. Join us in a Bible study based on Philippians 4:4-7. There will be sessions beginning Sunday, February 18 at 9:10 A.M. for couples who have younger children (during Sunday School), Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M. Also, we will arrange for other times as needed. Please call the office to register so we can know how many study guides to order and if childcare is needed. Offer Them Christ! Sunday, January 28: District Leadership Event at Crossroads Church UMC in Washington, IL Music begins at 1:40 pm 2:00 2:45 pm, Worship with Chris Coleman 3:00 3:45 pm, Session I 4:00-4:45 pm, Session II 5:00-5:30 pm, Communion Pre-registration is not required but helps in planning. Register at Illinoisriverdistrict.org Everyone is welcome to attend. 11

12 PLAY BALL! Anyone interested in playing softball on the Grace UMC men s team should plan to attend a meeting at noon on Sunday, January 28, in the Hospitality Area. WANTED: 8TH GRADE STUDENTS: CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 2018 Grace Church will be starting their 8th Grade Confirmation Class soon. If you have an 8th grader or know of one that is interested in attending, please call the church office at Would You Like to Help with Grace UMC Wednesday Meals? The meal is served from 6-6:30 pm, and you can usually plan for around 50 people. We have cups, paper plates, napkins, plastic ware, and lemonade mix available at the church for you to use. We encourage you to come a bit early to set up and have the meal ready to serve by 6 pm. Please stay for some cleaning after the meal. It is helpful if you clean any dishes you may use, wipe down the counter, take out the trash, and wipe down the tables. There is a budget available for purchasing food items if you would like assistance. Please contact the Church office or Michelle Hunt for help accessing these funds. For meal ideas, please look at the recent sign ups or contact Michelle Hunt. Thanks again for supporting our ministries here at Grace! Location: Hospitality Area at Grace UMC. There are two ways to sign up to help. You can go online at or you can pick up a flyer to fill out by hand at one of the tiered news stations in the hospitality, elevator and chapel areas. Thank you for your continued support of the Wednesday evening church meal. 12