The Epistle. May Worship Themes

Transcription

1 The Epistle ST. PAUL S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH May Worship Themes MAY 2016 Sunday, May 1 6 th Sunday of Easter/Stephen Ministry Sunday Holy Communion Chancel Choir Singing An Offering The Practice of Radical Hospitality Matthew 10:40-42 Sunday, May 8 Ascension Sunday and Mother s Day Chancel Choir Singing O Lord, I Pray The Practice of Passionate Worship Colossians 3:15-17 Sunday, May 15 Day of Pentecost Wear Red Celebrating Baptism, Confirmation, and Welcoming New Members Chancel Choir Singing Joyful, Joyful, Sing Praise The Practice of Intentional Faith Development Colossians 1:9b-12 Sunday, May 22 Trinity Sunday/Camp Sunday Mission Bells Ringing The Practice Risk-Taking Mission and Service Matthew 25:31-40 Sunday, May 29 2 nd Sunday after Pentecost The Practice of Extravagant Generosity Luke 21:1-4

2 Mark s Missive In May, St. Paul s will be focusing on the themes of a very influential book written by Bishop Robert Schnase of The United Methodist Church s Missouri Conference. The book is titled. Each week, we ll look at one of the five practices: Radical Hospitality Passionate Worship Intentional Faith Development Risk-Taking Mission and Service Extravagant Generosity These foundational practices are critical to the effectiveness of congregations. Their presence and strength demonstrate congregational health, vitality, and fruitfulness. By repeating and improving these practices, churches fulfill their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. To make the most of the material, we will also be holding follow-up conversations each Wednesday evening at 7:30 in the Fireside Room to explore these practices in depth and imagine the implications for the future of our church: Date Practice (Topic) Facilitator Wednesday, May 4 Radical Hospitality Mark Wharff Wednesday, May 11 Passionate Worship Lisa Brown Wednesday, May 18 Intentional Faith Development Marlene Colby Wednesday, May 25 Risk-Taking Mission and Service Patty DeRoos Wednesday, June 1 Extravagant Generosity Jay Holmes I hope you will be with us on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings as well. Here s hoping our time and effort will make us a more fruitful congregation! Blessings,

3 Dear Fellow Followers of Christ, On Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter, we will celebrate the power and presence of the Holy Spirit by wearing the color RED to worship. It is traditional to celebrate the birth of the early church; which we read about in the Books of Acts Chapter 2. One of the surprising things about Pentecost is the courage the disciples had when they had received the Holy Spirit. Peter was the one who denied that he knew Christ before the Crucifixion. In fact, he was the one who always seemed to be saying and doing the wrong thing. But after Pentecost, Peter changed. It was as if the Holy Spirit had given him a new life. The Season of Pentecost is an opportunity for each of us to experience growth and new life in Christ. The past four months three of our youth: Karson Condit, Makenna Condit and Hallie Trzcinski have faithfully participated in the confirmation sessions with Pastor Mark and myself. During each session we have explored Jesus story, the Church s story, our Wesleyan story, and our own personal story. It has been a very intentional time of faith formation and spiritual development a time of growth and new life in Christ. On Sunday, May 15 th, our confirmation candidates will be presented to the congregation. I would like to share with you a little bit about each one of them before they are received as members into the life of St. Paul s and the United Methodist Church: Hallie is fifteen and a half years old, a sophomore at Sierra High School. This school year she has been very active as a team player with football, track & field and with the SHS performance band. Hallie describes herself as artistic, caring, optimistic, polite and sincere. She has been made in the image of God. Karson is thirteen years old, a 7 th grade student at Walt Woodward Elementary School. He is an avid athlete in the areas of baseball, basketball, golf and soccer. Karson describes himself as accepting, honest, independent, reliable and thankful. He has been made in the image of God. Makenna is fourteen years old, a freshman at Manteca High School. A three-sport athlete participating in baseball, basketball, and tennis. Makenna is also the freshman class secretary and school publicity commissioner. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Makenna describes herself as accepting, enthusiastic, honest, thankful and trustworthy. She is made in the image of God. It has been a pleasure to work with these three amazing young people. I hope you can join us on Pentecost Sunday to welcome them into the Body of Christ at St. Paul s. God provides the Holy Spirit to give us the confidence and courage to live boldly as followers of Jesus. May each of us continue to grow and experience new life in Christ. Living and following with you! Pastor Lisa

4 SERVING IN MAY Coffee Fellowship May 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 Spaghetti Luncheon Scholarship Fundraiser Social Concerns & Memorial Committees Wranglers Worship Committee Discipleship Committee Liturgists Bea Lingenfelter Luan Bland/Makenna Condit Marlene Colby Ed Burroughs Pat Silva Ushers Ed & Norma Burroughs Evelyn Moore, Jerry Hartwell Susan Oase, Jim Chapple Tom Savage, Colleen Lockhart Joel & Susan Groskopf Bob & Judy Wissel Jim & Jeanne Murchie Darryl & Margie Shaw Kathryn Karnes, Kirk Kammeraad Robert & Jean Phillips May 1 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 17 May 18 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 24 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 Virginia Pitt Jean Innerarity Kristen Frisk Jerry Tucker Tom Handley Patricia Paulin-Dosher Larry Burns Nadean Costa Garren Genilla Marly Goodwin Sandra Duncan Joel Groskopf Katie Kennedy Shirley Newland Pastor Mark Wharff Matt Lance Colleen Lockhart Molly DeRoos Kendra Contente Phil Hall Thomas Reich Jerry Hartwell Jason Genilla Dick Durham Natalie Weber Cassie Trzcinski Tony Bergman Marian Pistochini Dear St. Paul's Family, Words can not express how grateful we are for all the love, support, and strength you gave us after you learned of the tragic death of our grandson Joel Talbot. The out pouring of cards, phone calls, hugs, prayers, flowers and food, certainly helped us get through the dark days. Thank you, Noel and Leoma Negley St. Paul s: A most appreciated thank you for the continued messages of love and get well wishes. Lorraine Tokheim Dear St. Paul s: I want to thank everyone for their prayers, calls, cards, and words of support and encouragement during my health issues. It means so much to me. Anita Handley

5 UMW Meeting & Annual Recognition Luncheon May 5th in the Fellowship Hall All are invited to join us Thursday, May 5th for our Annual Recognition Luncheon. Our business meeting is at 10 AM, followed by our Salad Luncheon. During our luncheon, two members of St. Paul s will be awarded special mission pins for their service to St. Paul s. The names of those receiving the award are kept secret until announced at the luncheon. Men are encouraged to attend, as there is plenty of salad to share and many times a man is named as one who is awarded the special mission pin. Hope Circle Wednesday, May 11 at 1:00 PM at Prestige Senior Living Harmony Circle Thursday, May 12 at 10:00 AM in the Fireside Room THE PURPOSE of the UMW Reading Program: To expand understanding of and participation in God's mission; To increase sensitivity to all human beings their needs, interests and concerns; To encourage critical thinking about issues facing humanity today; To grow in understanding of scripture as it relates to Christian faith in contemporary life; To enhance self-knowledge and to act from that knowledge; To strengthen involvement in local and global Christian mission This month s recommended reading I AM MALALA: the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban Malala Yousafzai 368 pages When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education, almost paying the ultimate price. Instead, the 16-year -old s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. Editor s comment: Many of you have already read this real-life account by Malala. For those of you who have not, now is your chance to check out this informative book that gives insight to this remarkable young woman and it paints a picture of Pakistan from an insider s point of view. I highly recommend this book. Happy reading Luan Bland

6 MOTHERS DAY Mother's Day is the annual celebration of motherhood on the second Sunday in May. Many people honor their mother, female guardian or mentor by giving gifts, treating them to a meal, and spending time with them. The holiday also honors other types of mother figures, such as step-mothers, foster mothers, and grandmothers. The effect of motherhood upon the community is also a source of interest on the day. Some Catholics associate the holiday with the Virgin Mary. The holiday places third in the amount of cards sent. Civilizations have been holding celebrations of motherhood since ancient times. The ancient Greeks celebrated the Mother of the Gods, Rhea, with festivals in the spring. The English tradition of Mothering Sunday allowed workers the day off in order to visit their mother church, the one they were baptized in. This day off turned into an occasion for family gatherings, as work schedules would make it difficult to spend much time with each other during the week. Since Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the same day and contain similar themes, the two have mixed together. But today's Mother's Day owes thanks to Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis, who worked hard to establish a Mother's Day tradition. Jarvis went on to begin a letter writing campaign and organize Mother's Day Work Clubs that focused on local cleanliness and health. She chose the carnation to be Mother's Day's symbol. Mother' Day was officially established in 1914, but Jarvis became distressed with the nature of the holiday in the 1920s due to its escalating commercialization. She started traditions by holding Mother's Day commemorations in her church in honor of her own mother. Mother's Day - Motherhood Facts There are around 4 million births per year and 2 billion mothers worldwide. More phone calls are made on Mother's Day than any other day. The youngest woman to give birth was a five-year-old Peruvian girl. The oldest woman to give birth was 63 Mothers had about 7 to 10 kids in the 1700s. This went down to 3.5 in the 1950s and today it is down to two. While many mothers in past centuries commonly gave birth as a teenager, the average age of first time moms is now 25. ** See more at: St. Paul s Scholarship Committee has brainstormed ideas of how to raise the money needed for the scholarships. I shared with the committee what Noel and I have done for many years when it came to presents on Mothers Day, Fathers Day, birthdays and Christmas. We have asked our children to donate to a local charity or to a Scholarship fund. This seems to work for everyone involved and the funds do so much good rather than adding more stuff for us! Please consider this idea when it comes to special days in your life. Blessings, Leoma Negley

7 WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS Respectfully submitted by David Bland On Fire Pentecost Pentecost is a Jewish festival that falls on the fiftieth day of Passover. In biblical times, Jews from all over the Roman Empire gathered in Jerusalem for the festivities of Pentecost. On the Pentecost after Jesus resurrection ten days after Jesus had ascended into heaven the apostles and other believers were gathered together in one place, when they were suddenly empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. They went out into the crowds and attracted attention by preaching in the native languages of all the people present. This created quite a stir. Peter seized the opportunity to address the crowd, preached Jesus death and resurrection, and won several thousand converts. These events are recorded in Acts 2:1-41. Accordingly, Pentecost is celebrated by Christians as the birthday of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Since the Jewish Pentecost is the fiftieth day of Passover, the Christian Pentecost is the fiftieth day of Easter. Pentecost Sunday represents an ending as well as a beginning: the end of the Great Fifty Days of the Easter Season (Pentecost means the 50th day in Greek) and the beginning of the commemorations of the early church. Pentecost also gives us an opportunity to ask ourselves the question, What is our community on fire about? For the early church, Pentecost was the second most important part of the Christian year after Pascha or Easter. Originally, it commemorated both the Ascension of Jesus and the descending of the Holy Spirit, but became two distinct celebrations by the end of the fourth century. (As Christianity became legal, there was no reason not to have as many celebrations as possible.) Although tongues of fire is the most commonly used image, metaphors for the work of the Holy Spirit are many water, wind and doves. One of the traditions from Italy is the dropping of red rose petals from the ceiling of the church to recall the flames of Pentecost. Indeed, Pentecost is a time for the dramatic in worship wind sounds, red fabric draped in exciting ways above the congregation, percussive sounds growing in intensity or even delicate wind chimes ringing as the air moves in the sanctuary. Pentecost is not the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit made His first appearance in Genesis 1:2! Rather, Pentecost is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh to give birth to the Church *A UMC.org Feature By Marcia McFee. McFee is a director of music and worship. She served as director of worship for the 2008 and 2012 General Conferences. ** ST PAUL S UMC Manteca stain glass depiction.

8 The theme of GC2016, Therefore go, is based on the Great Commission set forth in Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (NIV) THE COMMUNICATOR or better known as Dave Bland. Who makes decisions for The United Methodist Church if there is no one person in charge? Good question. The only body that can set official policy and speak for the denomination is the General Conference. General Conference is the top policymaking body of The United Methodist Church which meets once every four years. The conference can revise church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and plans and budgets for church-wide programs. economic issues. It also approves The General Conference is an international body of nearly 1,000 delegates that meets every four years. General Conferences are held in years divisible by 4, such as 2008, 2012, 2016, etc. The delegates are elected by annual conferences (at annual conference sessions) to attend General Conference. They represent all annual conferences around the world. Half of the delegates are laity (non-clergy members), half are clergy. Bishops attend the General Conference but cannot vote. Different bishops serve as presiding officers during the conference. Other bishops cannot speak unless permission is specifically granted by the delegates. During General Conference, delegates discuss and vote on petitions and resolutions proposed by individuals, agencies, annual conferences, and other groups within the denomination. These actions result in a revision of the Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law, and Book of Resolutions, policies of the denomination on current social issues. It is at General Conference where delegates wrestle with today's issues in light of scriptural teachings and the church's understanding of that teaching. Here is where the church's official stands and church policies are made regarding such issues as human sexuality, abortion, war and peace, as well as determination of ministries and funding. Mirroring the U.S. Congress, General Conference's legislative work occurs in various committees, which review thousands of petitions and recommend them for action by the full body. Church and Society 1: This committee will receive all petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Board of Church and Society and the Social Principles, with the exception of paragraphs in The Book of Discipline dealing with "The Nurturing Community" and "The Social Community." Church and Society 2: This committee receives all petitions and resolutions relating to The Nurturing Community and The Social Community sections of the Social Principles. Conferences: This committee shall receive all petitions and resolutions relating to the composition and activities of the General, jurisdictional, annual, provisional, missionary and district conferences. Discipleship: This committee receives all petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of Discipleship Ministries go to this committee. Faith and Order: All petitions relating to "Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task," "The Ministry of All Christians" and the meaning of ordination and conference membership. Financial Administration: This committee receives all petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, and the United Methodist Publishing House. The budget and recommendations prepared by GCFA are submitted to this committee for study and review. When GCFA presents its report to the General Conference for action, the committee presents its recommendations and may propose amendments. General Administration: This committee receives all petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the Connectional Table. The Connectional Table report is submitted to this committee for study and review. After the Connectional Table presents its report to the General Conference for action, the committee presents its recommendations and may propose amendments. Global Ministries: All petitions and resolutions relating to the work and concerns of the General Board of Global Ministries go to this committee. Independent Commissions: This committee receives all petitions and resolutions relating to commissions and ecumenical concerns. The commissions include Archives and History, Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, Communications, Religion and Race, the Status and Role of Women, and United Methodist Men. Ecumenical concerns relate to the denomination's membership in or relationship with the World Methodist Council, the World Council of Churches, other councils and consultations of churches, and the American Bible Society. Judicial Administration: All petitions and resolutions relating to judiciary concerns and investigations, trials and appeals are handled by this committee. Local Church Ministry: This committee receives all petitions and resolutions relating to the organization of the local church and its membership, programs, boards, councils, commissions and committees. The committee also considers petitions relating to local church property. Higher Education and Superintendency: This newly combined committee receives all petitions and resolutions pertaining to higher education and ministry, which deals with petitions concerning seminaries, ordination and clergy, and superintendency, which handles petitions concerning district superintendents and bishops. Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters: This committee handles legislative proposals affecting central conferences. See more at:

9 Re-formation of the Reconciling/Inclusive Church Process St. Paul's Church Council approved at their April 19, 2016 meeting the re-formation of our reconciling congregation process started in Many of you remember that in 2013 and 2014 we began the process of studying how St. Paul's might become an all inclusive church, one that states in our mission statement that we believe all persons are children of God and that all are welcome in every aspect of our church. During 2015 due to the many activities of our Centennial Celebration, the process of moving forward in the inclusive church process was put on hold. We now are ready to restart that process. The Steering Committee for this re-formation is composed of Pastors Mark and Lisa, Al and Bea Lingenfelter, Marge Patzer-Hall, Andrew Price, Kit Oase and Lisa Goodwin. A few frequently asked questions: 1) What does being an inclusive church mean? A fully inclusive church makes a Christian statement in words and actions that our church welcomes all of God's people in all aspects of church life. 2) Don't we already do that? We do in our hearts as we seek to follow Christ in our personal behavior. It is less clear to those not part of St Paul's, for example for those from other religious traditions seeking a new church home or to those who dress, or speak differently than most of us, or to those whose economic status or gender identity is different. 3) How do Jesus' words guide us in this effort? Jesus gave his disciples two commandments, love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. 4) Don't we already say in our mission statement that we are a church of open hearts, open minds and open doors? Yes, those words are an excellent start. It would be very clear to others if we broadened our statement. For example Living Faith UMC in Putnam states: "(Our) church celebrates that all persons are created in God's image and are of sacred worth. We are a faith community that welcomes persons without regard to age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, family configuration, religious background, economic status or developmental and physical ability. (Our) church welcomes the full inclusion of all people in the life and ministries of our congregation." Watch for more info. Getting the News to You Your church would like to deliver news and information to you in the fastest way possible. With that in mind, the May issue of St. Paul s Epistle will be hand-delivered to those who normally receive the newsletter by mail at church this Sunday, May 1. Undelivered copies will be mailed First Class the next day. You won t need to wait until Sunday if you receive your Epistle by prior to the weekend. In fact, St. Paul s communication strategy relies extensively on electronic mail. If you do too, your church would like to keep in touch. Please send an with your name in the message body to this address: office@stpaulsmanteca.org Graduate Recognition Sunday is June 26 th! We will recognize the accomplishments of all our graduates in the Worship Service. If someone in your family is a member of the Class of 2016 (graduating from kindergarten, 8th grade, high school or college), please contact the Church Office via at office@stpaulsmanteca.org or by phone at (209) to let us know the name of the school, the degree earned (where applicable) and future plans for your graduate(s).

10 HOLY ROAMERS MAY OUTING PROGRESSIVE DINNER Saturday, May 21st Please join us for our May activity, which is a progressive dinner. Last year s dinner was so much fun, so hopefully we can enjoy this one as much. We need to know how many are coming. Please see or contact Luan Bland luansplace@comcast.net no later than Sunday, May 8 th so we know how much food to prepare. The main course will be served at the Camellia Gardens club house. We need host/hostess for Appetizers, Salads and Desserts. We need people to sign up to prepare various foods that will be served. The recipe for the main course, Chicken Divan, will be provided, but for appetizers, salads and desserts it will be up to the host and chefs to decide on the menu. Please let Luan Bland know which of the items you are willing to sign up for. The schedule will be as follows: Appetizers Salad Main Course Dessert 5:00-5:30 p.m. 5:45-6:15 p.m. 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Camellia Gardens Clubhouse) 7:45-8:15 p.m. St. Paul s United Methodist Church 910 E. North Street Manteca, CA office@stpaulsmanteca.org Return Service Requested Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors All are welcomed and received in Christ s love. Church Office Phone: Fax: Pastors: Mark Wharff & Lisa Brown Preschool Office Phone: Preschool Director: Belinda Berry