Houlton United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 The Flaming Times October 2018 Houlton United Methodist Church By the power of God s Holy Spirit, we are bridging the gap between young, old, the broken, the lost and Jesus Christ so that Christ s love is experienced, Christ s teaching is understood and Christ s healing is a reality. Faith Is the Victory: Polycarp, Rees Howells, and HUMC ~ Pastor Victor Han ~ It was February 2, 156. The bishop Polycarp was tracked down to his hiding place, but he made no attempt to flee. Instead he offered food and drink to his captors and asked permission to retire for prayer, which he did for two hours. On arrival, he was brought before proconsul who said, Swear, and I will release you; revile Christ! Polycarp answered, For 86 years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me? Angry Jews and Gentiles then gathered wood for the pile. The fire was lit, but as the wind drove the flames away from him and prolonged his suffering, a soldier put an end to his misery with a sword. Rees Howells was born in October 10, He was affected by the Welsh Revival. He and his wife were later missionaries in Africa. In the meantime there many trials of faith and deliverances. The following story is one of them. The time came for Rees and Elizabeth had to go to London for missionary training. But the thing is that they didn t have not enough train money to London! Now the time for the train had come. The Spirit then spoke to him and said, If you had money, what would you do? Rees answered, Take my place in the queue at the booking office So he stood in the queue. There they were passing by the booking office one by one. The devil kept telling him, Aha, look at you! You have preached much about Moses with the Red Sea in front and the Egyptians behind, but now you are the one who is shut in! Rees answered, Yes, shut it, but like Moses, I ll be gloriously led out! When there were only two before him, a man stepped out of the crowd and said, I m sorry I can t wait any longer, but I must open my shop. Then the man put 30 shillings in Rees hand. What a glorious reward for those who trust in God!

2 People say, To see is to believe. But for Christians, To believe is to see. St. Augustine right said, Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. Some of you may wonder why I shared those the stories of Polycarp and Rees Howells together which seemed to reach opposite conclusions. But in fact, both stories teach us the very same lesson: The faith is the victory. It may take some time to see the victory, but it does always come in God s time. For Polycarp, it came a little bit late. Actually, it didn t come until he died. But can you imagine what would happen right after he died a martyr? That glory, that joy, that victory he would have with our Lord Jesus Christ we can only imagine! Nowadays I sing this song day and night: Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory that overcomes the world! Let us be still and trust in the Lord. And we will be gloriously led out! Yes, faith is the victory indeed! Praise the Lord! 2 From My Library to Yours: Roadmap to Renewal: Rediscovering the Church s Mission (Douglas Ruffle) It was in the spring of 2013 when my family and I embarked on a journey of Death Valley National Park. After all of the sightseeing, we were heading to the next destination. Unfortunately, we got lost in the middle of nowhere. To make things worse, it was getting dark. It was also something wrong with our rental car, which couldn t travel more than at 40 miles an hour. A 2-year-old baby, Abe, kept crying all the way. It was nightmare. By God s grace, after midnight we were able to arrive in the town to find a hotel. Not only are we lost on our personal journey, but also the church sometimes gets lost on her journey that she needs help to arrive at the destination God desires. This book provides the practical guidance we need to learn how to rediscover our church mission from A to Z from reality check, to selecting a leadership team, to establishing vision, and to realigning mission, goals and objectives. Here is another good news: Dr. Douglas Ruffle, the author of this book, is coming to our church for training on October 7 th. I am always amazed how timely God orchestrates all this as our church is at a crossroads and discerning next steps. I strongly recommend this book and also encourage to get the full benefit from the upcoming training. May God bless your journey always!

3 HUMC Missions for October Our Sharing the Harvest mission offering will be given to the UMCOR relief effort to help those affected by Hurricane Florence. Here is an update from UMCOR: Local partners and volunteers have responded to the needs of those affected by Hurricane Florence in unprecedented ways. ERTs are active in both the South Carolina and North Carolina Conferences, partners have delivered supplies and kits throughout the region and local churches continue to assist with damage assessments and relief efforts. Local partners in North Carolina are responding to damage caused by Florence while continuing their recovery efforts from Hurricanes Matthew and Irene. Moreover, The North Carolina Conference has also held several successful supply drives. Long-term recovery volunteer teams are still needed in response to previous disasters, providing opportunities for those wishing to assist immediately as ERTs continue to assess the specific needs from Hurricane Florence. The South Carolina Conference has requested and received two tractor-trailer loads of materials from UMCOR with more shipments anticipated. The conference also continues to work with local Emergency Operations Centers and local churches to conduct assessments. Partners are working with the Salvation Army to distribute UMCOR Cleaning and Hygiene Kits. Disciple Classes and Bible Study The theme this year is: Remember Who You Are. We will be studying the Old Testament Prophets and Paul s letters. There are two disciple groups studying the same lessons meeting weekly at Houlton UMC. W.O.W. (Women of Witness) Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. Women are invited to join this disciple group they study, pray, and seek to grow in faith together. Even if you missed the first classes, you are welcome to join at any time during the year and invite your friends. Wednesday Evening Disciple Group (for men and women) 6:30 p.m. It s not too late to start this study series. Please join us. Everyone is welcome! Let s study the Word of God together and grow in our knowledge of God and fellowship one with another. 3

4 October is Pastor Appreciation Month 4 If you would like to leave a word of encouragement and appreciation for Pastor Victor and family, there is a basket on the side table for your cards and notes. Senior Ministry at HUMC Each month we will honor one of our seniors with cards, telephone calls, and visits. In October, we recognize: Rhoda Veysey, ( ) 26 Maple Lane, #7; Houlton, ME Pictorial Church Directory Every Sunday until the task is completed, Peggy Robinson and Mary Taylor will be taking individual (or family) pictures of the congregation in the vestry after each service. These photos will be used when we update our church directory in February, Having your picture with your name in the directory will help new people in the congregation to be able to place names and faces together and to feel known and welcomed here. Have you had your picture taken yet? U.M.W. (United Methodist Women) Would you like to participate? We would like to include all women to participate in fellowship of the United Methodist Women. Please sign your name, tear off this portion, and return to the church office or to Jeannie Thibodeau if you are interested in our community of faith. We need your help and ideas to further the mission of our church locally and worldwide. Yes, I would like to participate in United Methodist Women Fellowship or learn more about it. (Name)

5 Concert at Gardiner Nursing Home 5 In September the HUMC young people gave concerts at the Gardiner and Madigan Nursing Homes.

6 Every first Sunday Houlton UMC brings a service to Gardiner Nursing Home and every second Sunday to Madigan Nursing Home. The service time is 2 p.m. and you are welcome to join the group. The residents love to sing along and talk and receive visits especially from the young people. Below is the group at Gardiner. 6 Ongoing Meetings for October Adult Bible Study Sunday at 9:15 a.m. in the church library. Chancel Choir Practice Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in choir room. W.O.W. (Women of Witness) Bible Study meets every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Backpacks for Kids meets at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays to prepare backpacks for the week. Wednesday night Disciple Group Bible Study meets at 6:30 p.m. every week. Gardiner Nursing Home Bible Study every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. Prayer Fellowship Fridays at 10:00 a.m. If you feel called into prayer ministry, please come pray with us. CYFS Practice Singers can choose the practice time that fits their schedule but should attend at least one of the two: Saturday 12:30 1:00 p.m. or Sunday after service.

7 Dates to remember on the October calendar 7 Joint Communion Teams meet Sunday, October 7 at 12 noon at Houlton UMC to go visit our homebound in Hodgdon and Houlton. Mindset for Renewal Training Sunday, October 7, 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Houlton UMC. Every year our Bishop recommends at least one book to our churches. Rev. Dr. Doug Ruffle s Missionary Mindset was the book of the year The author be doing a seminar at our church for the district on October 7. Dr. Ruffle will share a word of encouragement and some practical assistance for our local churches in looking to the future and making ministry plans. This training is open to both clergy and laity. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. It is a timely topic for our church. Finance Committee Meeting Tuesday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. Social Saturday October 13 from 1:00 3:00 p.m. for children and youth. Service at Madigan Nursing Home Sunday October 14 at 2:00 p.m Joint Houlton-Hodgdon Church Conference Sunday, October 14 at Houlton UMC, a time to celebrate and give thanks for what God has done among us this year. Houlton SPRC will meet with DS at 3:00 p.m.; Hodgdon SPRC will meet with DS at 4:00 p.m. at Houlton UMC. Joint Church Conference meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Laity Sunday October 21 Sunday School Teachers Meeting Sunday, October 21 after the service. Family Worship and Love Feast Fellowship Potluck Sunday, October 28. Please join us for Family Worship, as all generations celebrate and worship together. Family Worship will be followed by our Love Feast Fellowship downstairs in the dining hall. Please plan to bring a favorite dish or dessert to share and stay for a meal together and a good time of fellowship. W.O.W Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Please join us for study, prayer, and fellowship (and laughter).

8 October 1 October 2 October 5 October 6 October 7 October 9 October 19 October 22 October 24 October 25 October 27 October 30 Happy Birthday! Mary Cowperthwaite Marcus Russell Mandy Howe Kaye Trickey Bob Lyons Adam Tonzi Danny Milton Doug Hatfield Annabelle Flewelling Arlene Friel Jon Ross Lucas Anderson Rachel Mead Linda Husted Marie Lynn Elizabeth Anderson 8 Happy Anniversary! October 7 Bob & Dawn Matthews October 22 Carl & Patty Crawford October 26 Jon & Leslie Ross Listen to Sunday sermon online, following the link on our homepage, or by following Houlton United Methodist Church on Facebook. Like / Follow Houlton United Methodist Church on Facebook to receive updated announcements and reports about church events taking place during the week.

9 OCTOBER 2018 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Houlton United Methodist Church Southern Aroostook Men s Gathering at Littleton 6:30 pm W.O.W. 10 a.m. Backpacks 8:30 am Disciple Group 6:30 pm Gardiner Bible Study 2:00 pm Prayer Fellowship - 10:00 am Adult Class 9:15 am Joint Communion Teams - 12 noon Mindset for Renewal Training 2 5 p.m. W.O.W. 10 a.m. Finance Committee Meeting 6:30 p.m. Backpacks 8:30 am Disciple Group 6:30 pm Gardiner Bible Study 2:00 pm Prayer Fellowship - 10:00 am Adult Class 9:15 am Madigan Service 2 pm JOINT HOULTON- HODGDON CHURCH CONFERENCE 5:30 p.m. W.O.W. 10 a.m. Backpacks 8:30 am Disciple Group 6:30 pm Gardiner Bible Study 2:00 pm Prayer Fellowship - 10:00 am Social Saturday 1 3 p.m.. Adult Class 9:15 am Sunday School teachers meeting after the service W.O.W. 10 a.m Adult Class 9:15 am Family Worship & Love Feast W.O.W. 10 a.m. Backpacks 8:30 am Disciple Group 6:30 pm Backpacks 8:30 am Disciple Group 6:30 pm Gardiner Bible Study 2:00 pm Prayer Fellowship - 10:00 am

10 The Flaming Times October 2018 Houlton United Methodist Church 57 Military Street (corner of Military and School Streets) Houlton, ME (207) SECRETARY: Kathy Miskelly PASTOR: Rev. Victor Han Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9-noon HOULTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 57 MILITARY STREET HOULTON, ME 04730