September SonBurst Newsletter

Transcription

1 September SonBurst Newsletter 900 Indianapolis Ave., Mooresville, IN Phone: (317) Fax: (317) / Facebook: Mooresville First United Methodist Church Going GREEN: How Do YOU Want the Sonburst? Choose one of three ways to let us know how you want to receive the Sonburst: 1. Call the church office and tell us (317) us: info@mooresvillefumc.org Senior Pastor s Note Dear Church Friends, A few years ago Newsweek magazine carried the story of the Memorial Service held for Hubert Humphry, former Vice President of the U.S.A. There were many people that came to the service, but one man who came was shunned and ignored. The person that was over looked was former President Nixon. This happened a short time after the Watergate experience. Then President Carter came into the room. He saw Nixon standing over against the wall all by himself. He went over and Prayer Committee: Prayer Is Powerful! Prayers should be an informal and to the point conversation with God just speak to him as you would to a friend or family member. Prayer is both asking and receiving, speaking and listening.and yes, that takes time. Sometimes God s answers to our prayers are not clear to us, but we must never doubt that God hears our prayers. In order to receive specific answers we need to pray specific prayers. Often, when we think that God has not answered when He is saying, Wait. 3. Sign up online for the enewsletter: Go to: Select Current Events tab then select Go Green. You will need to enter in your address twice on two web pages. greeted Nixon with a warm smile and handshake. To the surprise of many, the two men embraced and Carter said, Welcome home, Mr. President. Welcome home. That simple, but profound gesture and hospitality speaks volumes about what Christian love looks like. When people return to our church after being away for awhile, greet them and say, It is good to see you today! ~ Pastor Dennis Never forget that PRAYER IS POWERFUL. The devil smiles when we get too busy to talk to God, but he trembles when we DO pray. Remember, that it is God who answers and He always answers in a way that He knows is best for us because God is good all the time and loves us dearly. Is there anything that your prayer team can pray with you about today? There is a listing of Prayer Team Members in the Prayer Corridors beside the sanctuary. ~ Prayer Committee September 2011 Inside this issue: Mortgage Payoff 2 Treasurer s Flash 2 SAWs - New Ministry 2 Parish Nurse Notes 3 Wellness Awareness 3 Thanks from Kerr s 3 Thanks from Harmon s 3 Lay Leader Article 4 Henderson Mission 4 WWW Flier - Page 1 5 WWW Flier - Page 2 6 New Women s Study 7 Study of Paul 7 Book of James 7 Small Groups List 7 Purpose of Testimony 8 Worship News 8 Thanks from Payton s 8 Youth News Notes 9 Youth Calendar 9 Middle School Musical 9 Contact Youth Leaders 9 5th-6th Grade Youth 9 Preschool Update 9 Pool Party Fun 9 McGavran Message 10 September Calendar 11 Carnival Dinner Thanks 12 SonBurst Newsletter September

2 Mortgage Payoff Campaign We give prayers of thanks as the congregation continues to offer new pledges and contributions to the campaign to pay off the mortgage! Finance Committee This image reflects the total of cash and pledges as of August 20, Treasurer s Flash: Not to be misconstrued as Flash the Treasurer A new additional format! Treasurer s Flash is very short, while Off the Treasurer s Chest is more in depth. 1. Are you seventy and one half or more years young? 2. Have an IRA? 4. Can act before the law is set to expire on 12/31/2011? 5. Check with your tax pro or read IRS bulletin # Want to make a donation for any church purpose? New Ministry: SAWs (Servants At Work) First UMC mission committee was approached in July with an opportunity to help a mother of two in Mooresville who is wheelchair bound and unable to leave her home due to lack of a ramp. A few men from First UMC came together and helped other volunteers from the SAWs organizations build the ramp in one day. All materials were paid for in full by SAWs. Servants At Work (SAWs), is a non-profit, all volunteer ministry aimed at providing the handicapped, the elderly and infirmed individuals with access to their world and allowing them to remain in their homes. SAWs is an ecumenical ministry that welcomes and encompasses many churches, denominations, faiths and organizations. Volunteers come from all walks of life and every vocation imaginable. Both men and women help to provide freedom to those who would otherwise be trapped in their homes by their financial circumstances and their physical challenges. SAWs is primarily funded by Second Presbyterian and St. Luke's United Methodist Churches of Indianapolis and through other gifts and donations, but they need willing hands to do the work. There are also many opportunities, other than building, They need help in the areas of administration, marketing, information technology, grant writing, etc. If you would like to volunteer to help on a regular basis or as a part of a local group on an as needed basis, please call Pam Taber at This is the ramp built by our team of volunteers in July. SonBurst Newsletter September

3 Note from Cheryl Howard, parish nurse May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 Stress is everywhere and we look everywhere for relief. I have written many times about the detrimental effects of stress on your mind and body- how cortisol levels become elevated and cause long term damage to our bodies, or how stress does not allow us to make best decisions or how stress can have an impact on our spiritual growth. Here are some stress facts: The most common causes of stress are- money, work, economic outlook, family and relationships. The least stressful career- bookbinder! The most stressful career- airline pilot and firefighter. The least stressful place to live- Salt Lake City. The most stressful place to live- Detroit. A research study found that playing violent video games actually eased stress!! One of the best and most reliable stress busters is prayer and meditation. Do you lay your stress at the feet of God? Do you share your stress with a prayer partner (sharing with everyone who will listen will increase your stress). Do you purposely distract yourself from the stress? Do you reframe the stress as a challenge? Do you look for the opportunity to grow closer to God as a result of this stress? Try leaning on the Rock. In God s Care, Cheryl Wellness Awareness It is time to talk about flu shots!! It doesn t have to be chilly out for it to be flu season. Although flu season can run into March, it typically can start in August, and warmweather flu might catch people by surprise. Flu can hit preschool children, especially, pretty hard. So parents should consider flu vaccinations for the preschoolers, if the kids are old enough. And at the CDC, Dr. Timothy Cunningham says old enough starts pretty young: ``Flu vaccinations should be given annually, beginning at The top anti-oxidant foods (reduce risk for cancer and heart disease and slow the aging process) are: beans, berries, artichokes, apples and russet potatoes. 6 months. Children younger than 9 years that have not been vaccinated should receive two doses. Parents who also get vaccinated reduce their risk of infecting their kids. It is recommended for pregnant women, elderly, immunocompromised, those living in crowded living conditions, anyone working around other people, elderly, those attending church! OK, it is encouraged for everyone to get the flu shot. Please let me know if you have any questions. Need a non-prescription solution for hot flashes? Try steeping 1 tbsp of dried sage in one cup of hot water for 15 minutes to make a tea. If you don t want to drink the tea, it works if you put the tea in a spray bottle (after cooled) and spritz your neck! Thanks from the Kerrs We would like to thank our church family for all the prayers and visits during Jim's stay at Millers and during the recovery time from surgery on his knee. Your prayers are greatly appreciated! We hope to see everyone soon. ~ Jim & Ginny Kerr & Family Thanks from the Harmons Thanks to everyone in our beautiful church family! We so appreciate all the cards, visits, meals, thoughts & prayers. We could feel the prayers & your love. God bless you all, ~ Love, Randy & Karen Harmon SonBurst Newsletter September

4 Do you lean on God in good times and bad and in all decisions? (From Unbinding the Gospel by Martha Grace Reese Chapter 4) In an Anne of Green Gables book I read as a girl, Miss Cornelia, a staunch pillar of the Presbyterian church, asked one of her friends about another woman s health. Oh, Susan said, I m afraid she s going to have to rely on the Lord now. Oh, no! Miss Cornelia replied, Surely it isn t as bad as all that? If you read the article above you might have suspected that Miss Cornelia was inquiring about the health of the mainline church. Well you know, it is as bad as all that; People, families, churches, denominations and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz don t make radical shifts in trajectory easily. It would take a miracle to turn things around. Isn t that what God promised to do through us? Doesn t Jesus tell the disciples that they will do greater things than John the Baptist (Lk. 7:28)? Doesn t Jesus tell the disciples that after he left and the Spirit came, that they could do greater things than he could do (Jn. 14:12). Doesn t Jesus tell the disciples that what they agreed on together in prayer God would do for them? (Matt. 18:19) We re the disciples! We must do the only realistic thing we need to look the facts in the face, to pray that God lets us continue to love and honor God, and ask God to guide us step by step, to do whatever things we re each supposed to be doing for Him. How is it going under your own steam? Is it time to try to hand things over to God? Things change when people surrender time, choices and decisions to God; are you ready to try it? There really IS a God! And we each need to decide if we re going to let God work through us and do miracles that accomplish amazing, unexpected things among us. Romans 8:28-29 New International Version (NIV) 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. We must hand ourselves over to God in clear-headed, accountable, non-naïve prayer. If you would like more information on how you can be a prayer partner, contact Beckie Underwood, prayer chairperson (prayer@mooresvillefumc.org). ~ Steve Klinger, Lay Leader Henderson Mission Trip: September Dear Church, We invite anyone who is interested in joining us for a fun, rewarding trip to Frakes, KY to help a family/families associated with the Methodist Henderson Settlement. Our main project is to place siding on a mobile home and give it twelve new windows. The date of our excursion is September 25th through September 30. You have your choice of dorm-style housing or private housing. Dormstyle housing is $32.00 a night. Private housing is $42.50 a night. Meals are included. ticipating the project to take us three to four days to complete. We work during the day and have fun playing games and socializing in the evening. This is a good way to help others while fellowshipping and having fun at the same time. If you have any questions or are interested in going, please contact Jeff Gilbert at or come to the next Henderson meeting on September 12, at 7:00 pm in the church parlor. Thanks, The Henderson Group a MARK of discipleship... We are flexible, you may come for one night or all nights. We are aninvolvement with missions & ministry SonBurst Newsletter September

5 What is a Disciple of Christ? Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. ~ Matthew 28:19-20 What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Below is a list of disciplines that Christ practiced - where do you excel? Where do you need to grow? 1. You have a personal relationship with Christ. 2. You are accountable to a small group. 3. You are serving others both in missions (outside church) & ministries (within church). 4. Demonstrating stewardship of your time, talent, resources, & relationships. 5. You are personally making disciples. September 2011 WITNESS WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE NO MEALS First WWW October November 2011 Fall Break NO WWW December T giving Break NO WWW Last Day of Classes for WWW Classes Resume on January 4 for WWW Building a community of believers WITNESS WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY Come and join a small group each Wednesday there is something for whole family! Christmas Middle School Kid s Program A Band of Shepherds For Middle School Grades 5th-8th Leader: Anne Gatts DESCRIPTION: When tax-payers at the Bethlehem census get rowdy, The Dead Shepherds rock band is brought in to entertain them. As Christmas Eve progresses these hopeless head-bangers audition a new singer who tells of the promised Messiah, are visited by rapping angels and transformed musically upon meeting the Christ Child. September / December 2011 WWW Activity Schedule There are NO meals for WWW this year. 6:30-7:45 p.m. ALL children, youth and adults attend their class

6 Going Deeper in the Word Leader: Rev. Dennis Payton Room: Parlor Adult Choir Leader: Brooke Fitzwater Room: Room 143 Sharing Your Faith Leaders: Rev. Mike & Mickey Beck, Steve Klinger & Dave Nance Room 140 Maintaining Healthy Lifestyles Leader: Sue Klinger Room: Room 110 Adult Studies 6:30 7:45 p.m. Following the Lectionary Scriptures from the Sunday morning sermon, we will answer four basic questions: 1. WHAT? (Exegetical) Basic background information about this Scripture: what are the important things to know about the language and setting of this Biblical passage? 2. WHERE? (Theological) Where is God in this passage? Where are God s will and activities being expressed in this passage? 3. SO WHAT? (Pastoral) What does the passage mean to me? What does it mean for my relationship with God and other people? 4. NOW WHAT? (Homiletical) This prompts us to reflect on how our life can live out what the passage is saying to me today. Choir practice for 8:15 AM Sunday morning worship is a wonderful opportunity to come together, and worship the Lord through music, and connect with friends at the same time. We always love it when new people join the choir, so if you like to sing and have fun worshiping the Lord with friends, please join our choir. Pastor Dennis is challenging us to dream about what God is calling First UMC to be in the years ahead. An essential part of the dream has to do with understanding and being concerned about unchurched and nominally churched individuals. As a response to this call, this class is focused on how to equip you to share the Good News to our family, friends, co-workers, and community. This class will be led by a four member team that will use material from Lee Strobel's best-selling book, "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary," Adam Hamilton's book "When Christians Get It Wrong," and "Unbinding the Gospel." Come and discover how you can respond to Christ's call to all people to go and make disciples! We know that our bodies are temples--the dwelling place for Jesus. Why then do we struggle to maintain a healthy body? What is your struggle? There is so much information, but what are the facts? Join this small group as we learn what a healthy lifestyle looks like, what the scriptures tell us about healthy living and as we set health goals and support one another in achieving our individual goals. This class will also include occasional presentations by health care professionals. Let us help and encourage one another in maintaining healthy lifestyles for life! Nursery Leader: Shelly Duncan Nursery 6:20-7:45 p.m. From 6:20-7:45, for children 0-3 years old. Leaders: Lydia Rychtarczyk & Anna Allman Room 117 Pre-School 4th Grade 6:30-7:45 P.M. 4 years old through 4th grade, we will join together as a group for a time of Bible study and crafts. Middle School Kid s Musical 6:30-7:45 p.m. A Band of Shepherds Middle School Christmas Musical (grades 5-8) Leaders: Anne Gatts MEETS in Sanctuary Hey middle school kids grades 5th-8th it s your time to shine! This year s Christmas musical is designed just for you. Based on Luke 2:1-18, A Band of Shepherds really rocks! We will be rehearsing during WWW beginning September 7th and we d love to see you there. There will be speaking parts, solo and chorus parts so there is something for everyone. Questions? Contact Anne Gatts at agatts@sbcglobal.net or Senior High Youth 6:30-7:45 P.M. Jr-Sr High Youth Interim Leader: Katie Esterline Meet in youth room Youth will be meeting in the sr. high classroom for Bible study for topic-based studies. DIRECTORS OF MINISTRY WWW Director Tammy Payton Jr.-Sr. High Youth Interim Katie Esterline Children s Song Director Anne Gatts Children s Director Lydia Rychtarczyk Nursery Director Shelly Duncan Indianapolis Road Mooresville, Indiana Church Phone: Church Fax: www@mooresvillefumc.org

7 New Women s Bible Study Hebrews 10:24: "Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds." Wouldn't it be awesome if we came to expect outbursts of love for each other every time we came to church or met one another at the grocery? Many words of encouragement can be found in the Bible, but God gave each of us the ability to console and encourage and this is a gift from God to be used for His purposes. We can learn to encourage others from the overflow of God's encouragement to us. Join other women on Sunday evenings beginning Sept. 18 at 4:30 in room 140 with a brief walk in the park followed by a study of the scriptures Encouraging One Another." God did not leave us to face life alone. He is with us always and His desire is that we care about others. See you in September! Call Sue Klinger with questions Small Groups for Adults Questions? Contact Tammy Payton AdultEd@mooresvillefumc.org Group Name Time Location Leader Start Date Description of Study Sunday Groups Booster Sunday 9:45 AM Room 110 School Seekers Sunday School 9:45 AM Room 111 Friendship Class 9:45 AM Room 113 Women s Bible Study Richard Kellum/ Lois Curry Diana Sparr/ Cathy Mosier Jim Harris/ Karen Yeager Meeting now Meeting now Meeting now Journey to the Cross: study of Jesus in the Four Gospels Invitation to the New Testament by D. Silva & E. Powery (a Disciple Study) DVD study: with Ray Vander Laan 4:30 PM Room 140 Sue Klinger Begins Sept. 18 Encouraging One Another Tuesday Groups Prayer Group 7:30 AM Chapel team leaders Meeting now Praying for our church & community Quilters 9:00 AM Room 111 team leaders Meeting now Bring needle and thread Sewing Ladies 9:00 AM Parlor team leaders Meeting now Bring your sewing machine Wednesday Groups Prayer & Share 11:30 AM Downtown Rev. Dennis Monthly Going Deeper in the Word 6:30 PM Parlor Rev. Dennis Meeting now Sharing the Faith 6:30 PM Room 110 Beck, Klinger, & Nance Meeting Now Adult Choir 6:30 PM Room 143 Brooke Fitzwater Meeting Now Maintaining Healthy Lifestyles Thursday Groups High Street Connect 6:30 PM Room 140 Sue Klinger Meeting Now 7:00 PM Snyder s Home team leaders Study of Paul Meeting now Home Bible Study 7:00 PM Beal s Home Rev. Gene Young Begins Oct. 7 We will be hosting a study of Paul starting October 6 at 7PM and meeting every other week. The study will be lead by Rev. Gene Young using a book by Charles R. Swindle named "A Man of Grace and Grit, Paul" as a guide. Books will be available to purchase for $15 either at the first evening or you may contact Cindy Beals or Mark Husk and we can get you one ahead of time. The study will be at our house. The address is 6714 E. Watson Rd. in Mooresville off St Rd 144 and Centenary. Feel free to pass along an invitation to anyone that may be interested. Contact Cindy or (work) Mark or (work). The Book of James Study A Life Lesson: The book of James by Max Lucado can be called a book of logic, a "bare-knuckled, bare-boned" message that Christianity is so much more than words and Sunday worship. Each lesson has a Scripture passage, an inspirational reading, questions to answer, space for journaling, and a prayer. This group is meeting at Dave Snyder s home and meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 7:00 Business people gather for lunch downtown Studying the sermon in depth: exegetical, theological, pastoral, & homiletical Learn how to share your faith to family, friends, co-workers, & community Fun & fellowship while preparing special music for 8:15 AM Sunday worship Learn how to care the temple of the Holy Spirit our bodies! Meets 1st & 3rd Thursday night; The Book of James by Max Lucado A Man of Grace and Grit, Paul by Charles Swindle SonBurst Newsletter September

8 The Purpose of a Testimony Hello church sometimes you read wisdom from someone and think, I can t put it any better. Such is the case with this devotional I received from Pastor Greg Lawrie Enjoy! ~ Steve Klinger, Evangelism Chair THE PURPOSE OF A TESTIMONY But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 When you tell other people about what God has done for you, you are sharing your testimony. A testimony is when you share your story of how you came to faith. Every Christian has a testimony. Some Christians have dramatic testimonies where they tell of being delivered from a life of drug addiction or crime or some sordid deeds. Other Christians don't have testimonies that are quite as dramatic but they are just as significant. I like to hear how people came to Christ, but I don't like it when people go into gory details about their past. Then there are testimonies where people tell how much they have given up for Jesus. They'll say things like, "I gave up this and that for Jesus. I have made such sacrifices for the Lord. I have done it all for Him!" Your testimony is not about what you gave up for Jesus. It's about what He gave up for you. Don't share what you have done for Jesus. Share what Jesus has done for you. Jesus is the one who has done the work. It is Jesus whom we are proclaiming. A good, strong testimony will lift up what Christ has accomplished. The fact of the matter is that all of us were sinners hopelessly separated from God, traveling in the same boat on our way to hell; and the same gospel came and transformed us. That is the testimony we all have. ~ Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie Aug 2, 2011 Worship News September 11 is Grandparents Day! Come worship with us as we recognize these important people in our lives, both present and past. Also, in another part of the services we will take a moment to reflect on the 10 year anniversary of the tragic events that occurred in our country back in ~ Jeff Lawson, Worship Chairperson Go! Into Your World: Practical Application Points for Personal Evangelism This week we are looking at biblical approaches used for engaging people in evangelism. Yesterday we read about Philip's Questioning Approach. Today let's look at: The Testimony Approach (2 of 5) In John 9:1 25, a blind man, after a radical encounter with Jesus, was able to see. This man, blind from birth but healed by Jesus, was brought before the Pharisees to give an account of what had happened to him. He didn't have all the answers to their questions, but there was one thing he did know, "I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). Do not underestimate the power of a personal testimony. No one can argue with a changed life! Practice giving your testimony the account of how Christ changed your life out loud to someone else. Keep it brief and make sure it is not about what you gave up for Christ, but what Christ gave up for you! There is power in your personal testimony! Use today's free resource to compile and condense your own story into a "One-Minute Message" so that you will be prepared to share it with others. For your convenience, download it to your mobile device (iphone, Android etc.) for viewing anytime. Visit this website to discover how you can download it: 02.html Have Pastor Greg's devotions blessed you? Write and tell him! Greg@harvest.org to Sign up for daily devotional, visit this web page: If you would like learn how to share your testimony with others; contact Steve Klinger: sklinger531@gmail.com, or Pastor Dennis: dennis@mooresvillefumc.org Thanks from the Paytons We appreciate the cards, visits, food, and prayers while I recovered from surgery. Your thoughtfulness is a blessing to us! ~ thanks, Dot & L.D. Payton SonBurst Newsletter September

9 Youth News Notes (7th-12th) School is back in full swing and so are we! In September, sr. high (grades 9-12) will have their first 1st Saturday Breakfast. The 7-12 grades will have a fun night during Labor Day weekend, September 4th. We will also have a 3rd Saturday Mission for all youth on September 17th. Upcoming is also the Youth Group Fall Retreat on October Sign-up for the retreat will begin on September 18th. Keep up-to-date with the youth calendar and youth website by following the links on our church website: Youth Calendar September 3 8:00-10:30 AM - Saturday Sr. High breakfast 4 5:00-7:30 PM - 7th-12th Grade Sunday Fun Night 11 5:00-7:30 PM - 7th-12th Grade Sunday Regular Youth 17 8:00AM-1:00PM - 3rd Saturday Mission 18 5:00-7:30PM - 7th-12th Grade Sunday Regular Youth (Begin Fall Retreat Sign-up) 25 5:00-7:30 PM - 7th-12th Grade Sunday Regular Youth Middle School Musical Hey middle school kids grades 5th-8th it s your time to shine! This year s Christmas musical is designed just for you. Based on Luke 2:1-18, A Band of Shepherds really rocks! When tax-payers at the Bethlehem census get rowdy, The Dead Shepherds rock band is brought in to entertain them. As Christmas Eve progresses these hopeless head-bangers audition a new singer who tells of the promised Messiah, are visited by rapping angels and transformed musically upon meeting the Christ Child. We will be rehearsing during WWW beginning September 7th and we d love to see you there. There will be speaking parts, solo and chorus parts so there is something for everyone. Questions? Contact Anne Gatts at agatts@sbcglobal.net or Contact Info for Youth Leaders With the promotion of Rev. Kurt to Wabash First United Methodist Church effective August 15, there are new plans in the making for the 7th-12th Grade Youth. During this interim time, we have three young adults who have partnered with Rev. Kurt on several youth activities & mission trips who are leading youth. They are: Katie Esterline -- (317) skesterline@gmail.com April Shover -- (317) april.shover@gmail.com Ben Esterline -- (317) baesterline@gmail.com If you have questions about the youth program during this interim time, please contact them or youth@mooresvillefumc.org Activities for 5-6th Grade Youth 5th and 6th grade youth meet each Sunday from 4 to 5pm for great games and fun discussion! Check the Mooresville First United Methodist Church Youth online calendar at for up -to-date information on events, dates, and times. Our first big event will be the annual Youth Fall Retreat on October 14th-16th at Camp Indico-so!!!!! Preschool Update Pool Party Fun Our preschool starts on September 6th. We anticipate that the school year will be great. Thank you Church for your continued support in this awesome Children's mission. ~ Lydia Rychtarczyk. Thank you for helping make First UMC s Annual Pool Party a great success! We had over 170 guests! It was great to see our Preschool families! Lots of door prizes, yummy snacks and lots of fun! We re looking forward to next year! Thank you again! SonBurst Newsletter September

10 Our Missionaries: The McGavran Family Serving in Indonesia AKA: Life in the Left Lane Greetings once again First UMC! This time from the other side of the world! We have been back in Salatiga for just over 2 weeks. We returned to a new home, and it is like a palace! It is rather big and spacious. Just perfect for Don and my space issues! We have space galore now! And the best part of all...an upper balcony that looks at the mountain! Awe, God's creation...such beauty. We like to go up and sit there in the early mornings and just enjoy the view and solitude. It is awesome. So, as far as being back, it is a good feeling. After 2 weeks of unpacking, hopefully for the last time in 5 years, we are feeling more and more settled and at home. Most of the unpacking is done, thankfully. Don and I hung some wall hangings over the weekend, which really makes a difference. As always, you are always welcome here! this goal. And I must say, he is doing an amazing job, as I listen to him talk about various things. I know God has gifted him to do exactly what he is doing! I will be hosting the national staff in our new home near the end of August; I really look forward to this first entertaining function. I have plenty to keep me busy as I seek to settle into my own routine. My ministry of hosptitality is a top priority. I am also supervising a staff member working on her BA degree in counseling, which is something I expect to enjoy a lot. I am striving to work out regularly and improve our eating habits. It is quite the challenge to decrease all the foods that are unhealthy for us! Brittany and Hunter are both already on the go doing school work and lots of fun thing with friends, and I predict both will be in a sport soon! Brittnay is trying out for volleyball and Hunter soccer. I will be starting a new Beth Moore Bible study in September as well, and that is something I very much look forward to. Our travel back was uneventful, and that is something to praise God for. Our jet lag was not too miserable, for which we are also grateful. Some of you may not realize; we are 11 hours ahead of you, until you are no longer on daylight savings time. Then we will be a full 12 hours ahead. That is a bit strange. We are slowly getting our education in the Muslim life. Right now is the celebration of Ramadhan. I don't fully understand all the aspects of this ritual, but someone told us it it like rolling Thanksgiving, Christmas and 4th of July into one celebration. Of course it is a time of fasting for them. They do not eat or drink from sun up to sun down. So during these weeks they break fast around 6PM or so and then wake up around 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM to eat before sun up. They will go around their neighborhoods beating on pots and pans, anything, yelling in Indonesian, wake up. We hear this once in a while, but our house is not as close to the road now, and our neighborhood now is not as populated as our first neighborhood here. When Idul Fitri comes, we all have a week off of school. I don't fully understand Idul Fitri, but it is not only Muslim; it is culture. So, whether you are Muslim or Christian, if you are Indonesian, you celebrate Idul Fitri, although in essence it is a Muslim religion based celebration. We have a lot to learn about this faith; I expect it to take quite some time! What strikes me about it now, is that they go through the motions of what is expected, prayers at the mosque 5 times a day in particular, and otherwise, their God has no active part in their day/life. It appears to me that what they do has to do with their after earthly life, not so much their life here on earth. As I said, we have a lot to figure out and learn! We are enjoying several welcome functions for us as the new superintendent family, and Don has had a very positive start as superintendent. It is a wonderful time for us to see him reach Contact the McGavran s Don & Vicki McGavran C/O Mountainview International Christian School Jl. Nakula Sadewa Raya #55 Salatiga Jateng Indonesia Facebook: Don McGavran Facebook: Vicki K. Young McGavran jambovicki@gmail.com While living far away from friends and family is not something we enjoy, we do like it here and it does feel better than the first 5 months when absolutely everyting was new. We are pleased that our language studies were not lost while in the States. I have been a bit surprised at just how much I recalled once back. We have a lot to learn of course in regards to language attainment, but as we say, palan, palan...or slowly, slowly! At least now it feels feasible to me! We would still really appreciate your prayers for language learning. I don't know if you'd remember, or maybe I didn't write about it, but as we were preparing to move to Indonesia back at Christmas time, I realized one day that the Lord was trying to give me a gift and I was not so sure I wanted His gift. It seemed small and I just was not so sure it was the gift I wanted. After all, there were others that appealed to me because they looked a bit more attractive. And I realized that as I was grieving the loss of many things in this upcoming move; I was not so sure I wanted the gift the Lord was trying to give me. And once I realized this, I knew that a small gift on the outside did not mean it was inferior to the big gift; as a matter-of-fact, it could be much better than that big gift! And so I moved away and now our gift is fully unwrapped, and I want to say, Wow! This is awesome! I'm so glad I accepted the Lord's gift! We are all doing well here. We miss you, our home church, and we miss our friends and family as well, but we are where the Lord has led us, and you know what? There is no better place to be! We covet your prayers as we continue to settle and minister here at Mountainview International Christian School. We thank you for your financial and prayer support. It was such a joy to worship with you for a time. You minister to us while we are there, and it means a lot. Our inner tanks get refilled, enabling us to go another 2 years away. The Lord did many amazing things while we were there. I hope to share some of those things with you in the months to come. Much love to you, our home church! Vicki, for all of us.don, Tyler (at Trine University), Brittany and Hunter-Gene SonBurst Newsletter September

11 September 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Pre School Teacher Work Day 6:00 Pre School Meet the Teacher Night Band Practice 2 6:00 Wedding Rehearsal 8:00 AA 8:00 Alanon 3 8:00 Sr High Breakfast 3:30Wedding 4 8:15-9:45-11:10 Worship 9:45 SS 4:00 AA 4:00 Youth Leader meeting 5:00 Jr & Sr Youth 5:00 Youth 5 Labor Day Office Closed 7:30 AA 6 7:30-8:30 Prayer 9:00 Sewing & Quilting 6:30 Mission Meeting 7 6:30 Classes for all ages & Adult Choir 8 1:00 Likely Club Band Practice 9 6:00 Wedding Rehearsal 8:00 AA 8:00 Alalnon 10 8:00 Men s Breakfast 2:00 Wedding 11 8:15-9:45-11:10 Worship 9:45 SS 4:00 AA 4:00 Jr High Youth 5:00 Sr. High Youth 12 7:00 Sewing Guild 7:30 AA 13 7:3-8:30 Prayer 9-11:30 & 12:15-2:45 Pre School 6 Lay Leadership, Trustee 7 Finance, Adult, Ed, Prayer Team meeting 7:45 Prayer-8 Ad council 14 6:30 Classes for all ages & Adult Choir 15 Set Up for Rummage Sale 6:00 Staff parish meeting Band Practice 16 Set Up for Rummage Sale 8:00 AA & Alanon 17 8:00 Youth Mission 9-3 UMW Rummage Sale 18 8:15-9:45-11:10 Worship 9:45 SS 4:00 AA Jr High Youth 4:30 Women s Study 5:00 Sr High Youth 19 7:30 AA 20 7:30-8:30 Prayer 9:00 Quilting 1:00 Asbury Meeting 7:00 Girl Scout Leader meet 21 6:30 Classes for all ages & Adult Choir 22 7:00 Worship, Stewardship & Technology meeting Band practice 23 8:00 AA 8:00 Alanon Rehearsal for Evening Worship Service 24 7:00 PM Evening Worship Service 25 8:15-9:45-11:10 Worship 9:45 SS 4:00 AA Jr High Youth 4:30 Women s Study 5:00 Sr High Youth 26 7:30 AA 27 7:30-8:30 Prayer 28 6:30 Classes for all ages & Adult Choir 29 Band Practice 30 8:00 AA 8:00 Alanon H e n d e r s o n M i s s i o n T r i p SonBurst Newsletter September

12 Carnival Worker s Dinner Thank You! This ministry marks its 8th year! The workers appreciate and look forward to this dinner every year. Gary Bohlander, owner of Poor Jack Amusements, said that their company splits employees between the State Fair and Old Settlers each year. The workers always ask if they get to come to Mooresville! Thank you to everyone who helped with this important ministry. Those who donated food, gave the workers an amazing feast to enjoy. Volunteers worked tirelessly in the kitchen preparing the food and cleaning up afterwards. Gary and Ruth Bohlander, along with the employees of Poor Jack Amusements are always touched and grateful to see our youth helping with the dinner. The Bohlander s gave our Youth Group $ as well as a wonderful Thank You note from all those who helped serve the dinner. HD LIVE! A New Worship Experience Fun, music, skits, testimonies, and more HD Live! (a new worship experience) Saturday, September 24th at 7:00 PM, in the First UMC sanctuary Bring your neighbors, family, and friends! This is a great opportunity to invite the people who aren t interested in church, but they would enjoy spending time at a fun event with you! Wendell Thaler from the Lion s Club provided eye screenings. Cheryl Howard, Sue Klinger and Scott Klinger provided blood pressure checks and counseled them regarding any health concerns. Also, distributed at the dinner were Hygiene Packs compliments of VBS kids who put them together as part of a service project. We also gave out fun Christian T-Shirts for them to wear and enjoy. Thank you for making it possible to provide this ministry every year! If you have a service or an idea of something that would be helpful to the workers for next year, please call us! If you ve never volunteered at the Carnival Worker s Dinner, join us next year, it will touch your heart. ~ Lydia Rychtarczyk and Kim Webster 900 Indianapolis Rd. Mooresville, IN Office: (317) Address Service Requested SonBurst Newsletter September