Newsletter. Sigourney United Methodist Church Richard Pippert, Pastor

Transcription

1 CHURCH OFFICE 210 E. Spring Street Sigourney, IA Phone: PASTOR'S RESIDENCE 405 E. Spring Street Sigourney, IA Phone: Newsletter Sigourney United Methodist Church Richard Pippert, Pastor cell phone: October, 2013 The Least, The Lost and the Last I have been thinking about the words of Bishop Trimble that appear in an article beginning on page 9 of The Newsletter, in which the Bishop reflects on his ministry in Iowa. If you have read anything by Bishop Trimble, the article s author writes, you know that he is known for inviting people to be encouraged, For over years this has been a part of his mission statement to encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential. So, I ask each of us, Have we as individuals and as a church risen to our highest potential? I sure know that I haven t! But, along with Wesley, we need to be moving onto perfection in other words reaching our highest potential! On September 1, I preached a sermon entitled The Ministry of Hospitality D1NT. (If you were in church, I hope you remember what D1NT means!) My sermon was based on the scripture passage in Hebrews 13:1-2 which states, Keep loving each other like a family. Don t neglect to open your home to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. This year our small group study and series of sermons will be Bishop Schnase s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Several years ago, Sigourney UMC did a study on this material, but I believe there is still much that we can learn about being a Fruitful Congregation. Perhaps you remember that one of the areas of focus in the study is Radical Hospitality. In my September sermon I mentioned that hospitality is NOT the job of a committee or 2 or 3 people, but RATHER HOSPITALITY is the responsibility of each one of us. We need to make sure that EVERYONE is made to feel welcome in our church. We may NOT agree with what others are doing, but I believe that Jesus welcomes the Least, the Lost, & the Last. The mission of the United Methodist Church for some time has been Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors. I believe that this means we are to be a welcoming and hospitable church! Ours is not to judge but rather to be welcoming and accepting of our neighbors. It is all in our attitude! Continued on page 4 Worth $10 The Newsletter you are holding may be worth $10. In an effort to encourage readership, the editor has planted the names of three individuals in the text of various pages. Each name will be in a box. If you find your name, bring that page to the church office and you will receive a new ten dollar bill for your efforts. In This Issue October Events... 2 Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations... 3 Least, Lost & Last and Women s News... 4 Operation Christmas Child Kicks Off... 5 The Homeward Stretch & UMYF News... 6 Friendship Company Kicks Off Be Encouraged: Bishop Trimble A Loss in the Family... 12

2 Page 2 Upcoming In OCTOBER Printed below is a list of meetings and other events taking place in October. Please post this list at home. Ladies, please see also the Women s Page for activities of interest to women. Wednesday, October 2: Friendship Company from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 6: Worldwide Communion Sunday. Special offering to be received. Wednesday, October 9: Dinner for Friendship Company families following Friendship Company. Trustees meeting at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, October 13: Kickoff for 5 Practices small group studies. Wednesday, October 16: Church Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, October 20: Special offering to be received for Golden Cross Sunday (delayed from earlier) Deadline for turning in Ingathering Kits. Monday, October 21: Sigourney UMC Church Conference at 6:30 p.m. in the church dining room. Wednesday, October 23: Worship Committee meeting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, October 27: Special offering to be received for Christian Education Sunday (delayed from earlier) Coming in November: Sunday, November 10: Consecration Sunday. Worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. followed by catered luncheon. Sunday, November 24: Community Thanksgiving service. Location and time TBA. World Communion Sunday World Communion Sunday, which we will observe on Sunday, October 6, calls the church to reach out to all people and model diversity among God s children. The offering we receive helps support scholars serving marginalized women and children, provides mentoring programs for seminary students and aids chaplains journeys into one-on-one ministry. It provides World Communion Scholarships, the Ethnic Scholarship Program and the Ethnic In- Service Training Program. It often enables firstgeneration students to attend college. It equips racial and ethnic minority students in the United States and around the world to transform the church and their communities and assists minority people seeking second careers in church-related vocations. Sigourney UMC Church Conference Monday, October 21 is our 2013 Church Conference in the church dining room at 6:30 p.m. This meeting is our church s annual opportunity to meet with Southeast District Supt. Lilian Gallo Seagren and to look Don Borts ahead to New church officers will be elected, 2014 salaries will be approved, and a major church property repair will be discussed. All church members are asked to attend. Special Offerings Scheduled In addition to the Worldwide Communion Sunday offering, two other offerings delayed from earlier will be received in October. They are Golden Cross Sunday on October 20 to support health projects in Iowa and Christian Education Sunday on October 27 to support camp and retreat ministries, scholarships for Christian education, and video and curriculum resources. Consecration Sunday Our 2013 Consecration Sunday worship services and catered luncheon will take place on Sunday, November 10. Please watch your mail for more information about this special day. Church Financial Report At the end of September we will be 75% of the way through 2013 and will have spent 75% of our 2013 budget. With one Sunday remaining in September, budget income received to date is $139, or 67% of income anticipated for the year and 89% of income anticipated through September 30. Attendance/Giving for September S. School Worship Budget Income August $ September $ September $ September $ September $ September

3 Page 3 Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations Radical Hospitality Passionate Worship Intentional Faith Development Risk-Taking Mission and Service Extravagant Generosity These are the Five Practices of vital, fruitful congregations. These ideas aren t secret or new, but they are the practices that can lead to excellence and growth in the life of our church. And they are the practices we will be focusing on for five consecutive weeks beginning October 13, 2013 and, because of the Consecration Sunday events in November, we will end on November 24. Just imagine what can happen if everyone in our congregation will spend five weeks just thirty-five days reading, praying, discussing, and focusing on these Five Practices. God can change individuals, entire families, and our whole church changing the difference we can make in and beyond our surrounding community here in Sigourney. You are invited to participate in this exciting emphasis in a variety of ways: Sunday morning worship October 13, 20, 27, November 17, & 24 At-home devotional readings using the book Cultivating Fruitfulness Study Groups Be a part of a 5-week study Call or Sigourney United Methodist Church at or sigumc@windstream.net for more information. OFF THE SHELF Mike Sitzman, with C.R.O.S.S. Ministries, stopped by our church this week to pick up extra library materials. These books will be delivered on a mission trip to Nigeria. This Christian relief organization is based in Osceola, IA, where they operate a thrift store and partner with local relief agencies across southern Iowa and northern Missouri. Their mission is to reach out into the world with the love of Christ, by caring for the physical and spiritual needs of those oppressed by poverty and despair. They collect medical and other supplies to distribute internationally, and they coordinate and lead volunteer teams to serve in Haiti and Africa every year, with plans to go to Israel next year. Local partners of C.R.O.S.S. Ministries are Keokuk County Health Center, Manor House, UI Family Care, Sigourney Care Center, and Keokuk County Public Health. Sue Mohr, Church Librarian

4 Page 4 The Least, The Lost and the Last Continued from page 1 In the September 1 sermon I shared a story told about baseball s great Yogi Berra, which provides an example of showing hospitality. (I sure hope it is a true story!) Even though I am NOT a YANKEE fan, the story is still a great illustration about making people feel welcome. It seems Yogi was invited to a banquet for youth and their fathers. The boys had all been given baseballs, gloves or bats as gifts except for a table of boys from a local orphanage. When Yogi asked why these boys had no gifts, it was explained to him that the promoters of the event felt they were being blessed just by being invited to participate in the banquet. So Yogi invited himself to sit at the table with that group of boys. When the program was ready to start, Yogi was reminded a spot was reserved for him at the head table. His response was that he would remain seated with his friends. Who do we sit with and welcome to our church? Can you picture the great Yankee Yogi sitting with those boys from an orphanage? Isn t that great? It reminded me of the 50 th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King s I have a Dream speech. I can remember, oh but vaguely, the concern around the speech some 50 years ago. Then recently I attended the Lee Daniels The Butler movie. When I think about the events surrounding that movie and what is happening in our country today I believe we have a lot more work to do with race relations, getting along with our neighbors, and above all hospitality! Kay Witte So, let s get to work and begin right here in Sigourney by reaching out to the Least, the Lost, and the Last. The Hebrews 13 scripture passage in the Message Bible reads: Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you This portion of scripture concludes So, let s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This insider world is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the city about to come. Let s take our place outside with Jesus share what you have with others. One of the commentaries I used for the scripture from Hebrews had a neat idea called D1NT. Does anyone remember what D1NT means? It stands for Do One Nice Thing or D1NT for short. It was designed to help people feel better on Monday by doing at least one nice thing for someone to start the week. It s a simple concept really. Start the week by doing D1NT. But, let s try to remember to do it throughout the whole week as well! I close as Bishop Trimble does, Be Encouraged. Pastor Rich Women s News For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. Matthew 18:20 NRSV, October Scripture from UMW Bible Verses for 2013 October General Meeting UMW General Meeting in October will be held at Deer View Manor on Thursday, October 10 at 1:00 p.m. Guest speaker will be shepherdess Julie Ulin. Margaret Hollingsworth will be the hostess. Iowa Conference UMW Annual Meeting Mount Vernon UMC is the site of the Iowa Conference UMW Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 5. Time TBA. Mission Education Event The UMW Mission Education Event is scheduled for Marshalltown on October

5 Page 5 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry Begins September 29 It s that time again! Friendship Company kids and their helpers will be busy the entire month of October gathering toys, candy, and toiletries, and filling wrapped shoeboxes for Christmas gifts. Millions of these boxes will be shipped all over the world by Samaritan s Purse for Operation Christmas Child. Last year Sigourney UMC mailed an all-time record number of 136 boxes for world-wide distribution by Operation Christmas Child. Since 1993, more than 94 million boys and girls from over 130 countries have been the joyful recipients of shoebox gifts! You can help by picking up a wrapped box or two from the south entry way beginning Sunday, September 29. Then please fill them with toys and other supplies and return them to the church no later than November 3. Your help will make such a difference in the lives of the children who receive your boxes. Thank you in advance for your help in this very important mission! John 3:16 provides the inspiration behind Operation Christmas Child, the unique worldwide outreach of Samaritan's Purse. Each year, we share God's love with millions of poor, sick, and suffering children by handdelivering shoe boxes filled with toys, school supplies, candy, and other gifts. These Christmas presents not only bring great joy to precious girls and boys, they also open hearts to hear about God's greatest gift--his Son, Jesus Christ Franklin Graham, President Samaritan s Purse There are many ways in which you can support Operation Christmas Child locally. If you prefer not to pack individual boxes, you can choose from these additional options: Provide multiples of individual items on the list (such as a dozen toothbrushes, combs, crayons, yo-yos, etc.) Provide cash for the purchase of items that are needed to fill boxes Donate toward the cost of postage ($7.00 per shoebox) Furnish Christmas wrapping paper Donate your time during Friendship Company in October to help the children fill shoeboxes We are truly thankful for your prayers and support, providing joy to children who have far less than we can imagine! Martha Richardson, Merla Morse & Cyrena Buschmann Suggested Gift Items for Shoebox: Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch a Sketch toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky, etc. School supplies: pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, coloring books, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, etc. Hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc. Other: hard candy, lollipops, mints, gum, sunglasses, flashlights (with extra batteries), ball caps, socks, T-shirts, toy jewelry, hair clips, watches, small picture books, etc. Do NOT include the following: Used items War-related items: toy guns, knives, etc. Chocolate or perishable food items Liquids: shampoo, liquid soap, lotion, bubbles Medicines: vitamins, cough drops, ointment Breakable items: mirrors, china dolls, snow globes, etc.

6 Page 6 Missions Updates by Bev Bucklin long life, great blessings, and a future with hope! Did you know that there is no one else just like you? And only you can do the things God has called you to do. THE HOMEWARD STRETCH What a joy it will be to take a truckload of kits to the Thanksgiving Ingathering in Mt. Pleasant on November 2nd.! We have already surpassed our goal of 200 kits (they are packed in boxes and ready to load). We still have more kits to pack, plus, I m hoping that many more kits will be completed by Sunday, October 20th (deadline for turning in kits). If you haven t had a chance to help with this project, there is still time to do so. It takes all of us working together. I will let you know the final total in the November Newsletter. We say a terrific THANK YOU to everyone who s taken part in this mission project. Bev Bucklin, Church Mission Chair Hungry for Christ UMYF Youth Group NEWS By Jaci Jarmes "For I know the plans I have for YOU, declares the LORD." Jeremiah 29:11 Did you know that God has created you for a purpose and a plan? Did you know that He has good things in store for you -- Sunday, October 13: Youth Group 12 noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, October 27: Steven Curtis Chapman & Laura s Story Concert in Cedar Rapids Sunday, November 3: Youth Group 12 noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 16 Homeless Night & Soup Supper Sunday, December 1: Youth Group 12 noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, December 15 Christmas Program In addition to these large youth group meetings, we will be starting small Bible study groups that will meet during the week. I DECLARE God s incredible blessings over my life. I will see an explosion of God s goodness, a sudden widespread increase. I will experience the surpassing greatness of God s favor. It will elevate me to a level higher than I ever dreamed of. Explosive blessings are coming my way. This is my declaration.

7 Friendship Company starts October 2nd and you are invited! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Hey kids! It s time for another great year at Friendship Company. All kindergarten through sixth graders are invited to join us for songs, games, crafts, snacks, and Bible stories. Our theme this year is What s in the Bible? We will follow VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer and a boatload of new friends on a groundbreaking journey through the world s most amazing book! So, if you are looking for some fun and want to make new friends, we hope you will join us at Sigourney United Methodist Church after school on Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our first meeting day will be Wednesday, October 2. We will meet the K-6 children at the elementary school flagpole at 3:30 p.m. and walk with them to the church. All children should be picked up from the church by their parents at 5:00 p.m. What is Friendship Company? Friendship Company is an after-school faith-based program for K-6 grade. It takes place at Sigourney United Methodist Church on Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. from October through March. Friendship Company provides kids with the opportunity to learn about God, interact with caring, Christian adults, and hopefully make some great friends in the process. Children will enjoy crafts, recreation, music, snacks and Bible stories. This year's theme is "What's in the Bible?" Young people will join VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer on a journey through the world's most amazing book and will discover for themselves what God's word says. FRIENDSHIP COMPANY MEETING MONTHS: October November December January February March As in previous years, we will be filling shoeboxes for the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project Friendship Company Director is Kay Witte Questions? Please contact Kay at Or church office at Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Matthew 19:14

8 Child s Name: Friendship Company United begins on October 2, For more info, please contact Sigourney UMC office ( ) or Kay Witte ( ) Friendship Company United Sigourney United Methodist Church 210 East Spring, Sigourney IA Registration Form Date of Birth: Grade: Allergies or Other Concerns: Parent/Guardian Name: Address: Phone Number: Would you like more information about the church? Emergency Contact: Who do you authorize to pick up this child? Work of Cell Number: Phone: By signing and returning this form, you are also giving your permission for your child(ren) to go with their groups on limited field trips. You will be notified in advance about these trips. We insist on everyone wearing seat belts when traveling in a car. I will provide a snack at least once during the semester. I can help drive if the group takes a field trip. I would like to volunteer for Friendship Company occasionally As a church organization we would like to use photos of Friendship Company for advertising and publicity purposes. I grant Friendship Company the right to take photos of my child(ren) and to use such photographs for advertising and publicity purposes. I understand that these photos may appear in publicity about Sigourney United Methodist Church and may include but is not limited to use on the church website and newsletter. I do not wish for my children to have their picture taken or for Friendship Company to use their photos for advertising and publicity purposes. Parent or guardian signature Please return this form with your child to Friendship Company at Sigourney United Methodist Church on Wednesday, October 2.

9 Page 9 Reflections on his episcopacy Bishop Trimble calls his five years a privilege As the fifth anniversary of his being named Resident Bishop of the Iowa Area approached recently, Bishop Julius Trimble reflected on his time thus far as Iowa s United Methodist Bishop. It feels great to be called Bishop of the Iowa Annual Conference, Bishop Trimble said. And to know that I ve had the privilege of serving for five years. While he lives in the Des Moines area, Bishop Trimble said it s been his pleasure and a surprising blessing for him to travel throughout the state of Iowa in the course of his ministry as Iowa s Episcopal leader. The bishop remarked on the significant diversity he has experienced in his travels to Iowa s various United Methodist Church communities, in terms of socioeconomics, in approach to ministry, and with geography, culture and traditions. He commended the faithful in Iowa whom he s come to know. Hard-working people, said Bishop Trimble. People who help their neighbors and know how to respond to disaster. Bishop Trimble s introduction to Iowa came during the aftermath of the 2008 floods and subsequent tornadoes. The United Methodist Church s response to those and other natural disasters since give him pause for reflection and gratitude. The way in which we have responded, not only to disasters or tragedies in Iowa, but the way in which we ve responded to our neighboring states, whether it s the East Coast or whether it s Katrina, or whether it s the southern part of the country, or whether it s across the seas in Malawi or Nigeria, it s been a joy for me to be part of the United Methodist faith community in Iowa, Bishop Trimble said. At the moment of his 2008 election in Grand Rapids, MI, after a long process leading up to the final ballot, Bishop Trimble was visibly moved by the announcement, dropping his head into his hands. He has not forgotten the sense of humility and gratitude that came over him upon hearing the news. I said, Lord have mercy, Bishop Trimble recalled. In addition to demonstrating what had been an arduous process of election, he said his response was also one of disbelief. (There was) almost unbelief that I was being asked to serve in such a capacity for the Church, he said. I love being a United Methodist pastor, and I still consider myself a pastor. When I think back on Grand Rapids, I think about God s grace and mercy, said Bishop Trimble. He has considered it a great joy to work with staff and leadership of the Iowa Annual Conference. Upon the announcement of one who is to become a bishop, previously elected bishops approach the newly elected and escort them back to the community of elected bishops. When his turn came to take this walk, Bishop Trimble said the experience was surreal. It really felt almost as if, is this really happening? And I m watching it happen, he said. The Bishop considers his wife of more than 30 years, Racelder Grandberry-Trimble, to be the person most supportive of him in his ministry. And while he knew his wife was present in the room, in the dreamlike aftermath of the announcement being made, he said he found himself asking surrounding bishops where she was. I couldn t see myself making any kind of transition without her being by my side, said Bishop Trimble. When he first arrived in Iowa in August of 2008, Bishop Trimble described himself as a, baby bishop. When you re elected a bishop you realize that your life has changed, said Bishop Trimble. You now belong in one sense to the whole Church, he said. This is daunting but also Continued next page

10 Page 10 very humbling, he continued, because you don t belong to a congregation or even to an annual conference, but to the whole Church. That never became more real, Bishop Trimble said, than when a few months after his election he was invited to go to Nigeria as part of a conflict resolution team. I didn t feel like a baby bishop very long, he said, Because I was being asked on behalf of the whole Church to go to a part of the world where we had a growing United Methodist presence, but where we had need for a stronger connection between the Church and new United Methodists in Africa. In addition to Mrs. Trimble and his family, Bishop Trimble said the people he has worked with at the Iowa Annual Conference, the College of Bishops in the North Central Jurisdiction, his predecessor Bishop Gregory Palmer, and other bishops have all proved to be both wise council and prayer supporters for him. One amazing thing, he said, are the connections that have come to him in Iowa as time has gone on, and also the number of supporters he has had, both clergy and laity, who have made a commitment to be in prayer for his leadership I am inclined to say that if there have been good things that have happened as a result of my leadership, the Bishop said. They re only as a result of being connected to people who were supportive both by their prayers, by their council and by their willingness to participate in that leadership. Bishop Trimble is known for inviting people to be encouraged. This sentiment is integral to his personal mission statement, something he has held for quite some time and was articulated upon his election in Grand Rapids. That mission statement goes back well over years now, said Bishop Trimble. My mission statement is to encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential. This statement is something he looks to expound upon in writing in the future, for the purpose of breaking it down into more detail. The key word is, encourage, Bishop Trimble said. But there s also emphasis on, all people, not some people. His view of his personal mission to encourage people is not limited based upon such things as categories, titles or education, but all people that he comes in contact with and God places him in relationship with. And I m encouraging them not as a just well-wisher, said Bishop Trimble. I m encouraging them out of my faith tradition and experience, and that is Jesus Christ. Bishop Trimble said encouragement of others is not to follow him, or sign on to a particular program. But to rise to whatever God s plan is for you, he said. I want to be an encourager for you to rise to your highest potential that God has for you. This mission has almost taken on a life of its own over time, the bishop said. I give God the credit for that, said Bishop Trimble. He has seen evidence of it from Nigeria, to his time at Garrett Seminary, as well as the first time he saw the, Be Encouraged, message in the signage at the Des Moines International Airport, officially welcoming travelers on behalf of the United Methodist Church. That brought tears to my eyes, Bishop Trimble said. Because I think that s what we ought to be about. This has taken various forms, he said, whether it s Be Encouraged or Open Hearts-Open Minds- Open Doors. I m glad that I ve stuck with [that] and that people are taking it on, he said, noting that it is displayed in a welcome sign at the Iowa Annual Conference Center in Des Moines. Bishop Trimble pondered taking the mission of encouragement and reaching highest potential and transferring it Beth terfehn from the personal level to the Iowa Annual Conference itself. I think we can reach up to our highest potential if we really take serious the Gospel mandate to put others before ourselves, said Bishop Trimble. Quick to note that he himself has to wrestle with this on a daily basis, the Bishop called for the faithful to always remember those on the margins. I think as we begin to really pay attention to the most vulnerable of God s children in our midst, if we find ourselves in ministry with those who are often oppressed, overlooked, unlucky, lost, he said. Then I think we can reach our highest potential. Recalling the Radical Hospitality outreach of recent years, Bishop Trimble urged the faithful to not look upon this as a transitory effort. That should really be a sustaining thread Continued next page

11 Page 11 through our witness here in the Iowa Annual Conference and across the globe, he said. One example the Bishop offered was the ministry relationship among some pastors in the Iowa Annual Conference with Methodists in Malawi. I think we can really reach our potential if we pay attention to what it means to care for our neighbor, said Bishop Trimble. And not try to restrict the definition of, neighbor, but really care for our neighbor as the Gospel calls for us to do. Asked what members of the United Methodist Church in Iowa can do to encourage him in his ministry as bishop, Bishop Trimble responded that he was encouraged by invitations to be in community in worship, by feedback on outreach programs and also by unsought expressions of support. I think if folks continue to extend the invitation for me to be in places of worship, I will be encouraged, he said. Consistent response from the pews on the effectiveness of Imagine No Malaria, along with support for the program was another instance the bishop offered as a something that lifts him up. Whether it s making sure there are nets for every bed at JSS (Junior Secondary School in Nigeria) or there are books in the libraries at the Banyam Theological Seminary, said Bishop Trimble. That encourages me. The personal touch of regular written communication is something he has appreciated through his upbringing via his mother. When people periodically just send me notes, little cards, whether they found out when my birthday is, he continued. Or at Annual Conference, some of the young people, the diakonos, will write a funny note and send it. I m always encouraged by those expressions, Bishop Trimble said. Connecting with people and encouraging them has been and will continue to be a priority for Bishop Trimble. I would say I m encouraged when I get invitations to be in community in worship with folks, he said. And unsolicited expressed words of affirmation, and I m praying for you and wishing you well. From September 2013 issue of The Iowa Annual Conference Reporter For the full audio interview with Bishop Trimble, visit About Bishop Trimble Julius Calvin Trimble was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is the fourth of six children born to John Trimble (deceased) and Marybelle Pryor Trimble, both of Montgomery, Alabama. Julius is a graduate of Illinois State University. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary. Ordained deacon and elder in the Northern Illinois Conference, he served two churches in the Chicago Area before transferring to the East Ohio Conference in In 1996, he became the District Superintendent of the Cleveland District (Ohio). From 2003 to July 2008, he served as Senior Pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Warrensville Heights, OH. Julius was a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 2000, 2004 and He was elected Bishop by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in Grand Rapids, MI in 2008 and assigned to serve the Iowa Area. Currently, Julius serves as a member of the United Methodist Immigration Task Force and as chairperson of the Africana Hymnal Study Committee authorized by the 2008 General Conference. Recipient of many honors and awards, Bishop Trimble remains a Life Trustee of the St. Luke s Foundation of Cleveland. He received the Outstanding Alumni Award in 1998 from Garrett- Evangelical Theological Seminary and the 2007 Bishop James S. Thomas Social Action Award from the Methodist Federation for Social Action at Lakeside, OH. He continues to promote faithbased response to domestic violence and has encouraged the establishment of mental health ministries at the local church and conference level. Julius Trimble married Racelder Grandberry- Trimble in 1979, and they have three young adult children: Cameron, Candace and Julius Thomas. From the umc.org website

12 Page 12 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father s house are many rooms; If it were not so, I would have told you. We express our condolences: To the family of Richard Weber who went home to be with the Lord on August 11, Richard is the father of Joyce & Terry Farmer. To the family of Don Morrison who went home to be with the Lord on August 25, Don is the brother of Marsha & Terry Steinhart. I am going there To prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me Beyond time That you also may be where I am. You know the way To the place where I am going. John 14:1-4 New International Version What s better than the first day of a long-awaited vacation? The excitement of reaching our destination, the anticipation of fun-filled adventures, the freedom to relax and lay down our burdens for a while we ll pay good money for that. But it s a fleeting pleasure. Before our bags are even unpacked, the clock has already begun counting down to when we ll have to return to the pressures of everyday life. It won t always be so. One day, we ll lay down our burdens for good. When we reach our ultimate destination, God our Father will welcome us. Our loved ones, long gone, will gather to celebrate. And every day of this breathtaking adventure will be like the first because time will no longer rule over us. The best vacations are just a shadow of what God has in store for his children Newsletter Newsletter Reprinted by Permission