United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 United Methodist Church Learn God ~ Love God ~ Share God ~ Serve God May 2016 Church Staff Rev. Brenda Whitford Lead Pastor Rev. Liz Whitford Associate Pastor pastorliz@centurylink.net (608) Amy Loeffelholz Business Administrator amyloeffelholz@centurylink.net Deb France Administrative Assistant plattevilleumc@centurylink.net Adam Abing Custodian Ellen Carnahan Sunday School Superintendent ellen.carnahan@yahoo.com Nancy Fairchild Organist nfairchild2@gmail.com Deb Putnam Mallow Ringers Director putnamd@uwplatt.edu Dean Goninen & Josh Byrnes Redeemer Directors dean@lifelineav.com brewcrew2808@gmail.com Susan Schlager Parish Nurse smschlager@yahoo.com (608) Mariah Umhoeffer Nursery WORSHIP HIGHLIGHTS May 1 Abundant Life John 20: :30 Special Music TBA 11:00 Beyond Belief Communion at both services May 8 Letting them Go Acts 1:1-11 Gifts for Mothers 8:30 Special Music Mallow Ringers 11:00 Beyond Belief Band May 15 Where Power Really Comes From Acts 2 selections 8:30 Special Music TBA 11:00 Beyond Belief Band May 22 Rules for Methodists: Do No Harm Galatians 5: :30 Special Music Jil Henning 11:00 Beyond Belief Band May 29 Rules for Methodists: Do Good Matthew 5: :30 Special Music David Schoonover 11:00 Beyond Belief Band Baccalaureate will be held at the Lutheran Church of Peace. Watch the bulletin for date and time Lancaster St., Platteville, WI (608) plattevilleumc@centurylink.net

2 United Methodist Church Page 2 24 days of my Spiritual Renewal Leave were spent in Florida, many of them in south Florida. Although the weather was bad (only 6 of the 24 days were beach worthy), I did try to walk along the ocean shore many days, although oftentimes in a sweatshirt. The jet stream flows next to the coast in south Florida, so even though the temperatures were unseasonably cold, the water was still 78. I liked to walk along the water s edge, in sand when the waves were out, but when the waves came in they crashed above my knees. I began noticing my footprints. Every time I took a step I left a footprint, but then a wave would come up and wash it away. Every step produced a new footprint. Every wave washed it away. Over and over again, I made footprints in the sand, and all it took was one wave and the steps disappeared. One of those days when I was walking along the beach, noticing my footprints, thought about sin. We sin. Jesus forgiveness washes over us like a wave and covers us. We sin again, and Jesus covers us again. We try to be good, but we sin, and Jesus covers us. We do something purposefully that is not very nice and we are sorry. Jesus covers us again. Just like those footprints in the sand, the wave of Jesus love covers us. This reminded me of a song our Beyond Belief band is learning: And an old hymn: No matter the bumps, no matter the bruises, no matter the scars, still the truth is the cross has made, the cross has made you flawless.* Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.* I don t know why God loves us so much that Jesus came to take away our sin, but God does and Jesus did. We try to love God, we try to love people, and we fall short. But just like those waves washing over our footprints in the sand, Jesus love washes away our sin. It s pretty wonderful! I ll see you in church, where we remind each other of Jesus amazing grace! * Flawless, by Barry Graul, Bart Millard, Ben Glover, David Garcia, Mike Scheuchzer, Nathan Cochran, Robby Shaffer, Solomon Olds, 9t One Songs; My Hope Is Built by Edward Mote & William Bradbury, Public Domain, used by permission, ccli

3 United Methodist Church Page 3 GENERAL CONFERENCE General Conference, the once-every-four-years official meeting of our denomination is taking place in Portland, Oregon, May 10 th -20 th. Delegates will come from all over the world! There are many highly charged decisions that will be made this year, so you are encouraged to pray for the delegates. You can follow along with what is happening on the General Conference website: GC2016.UMC.org. There is also a General conference 2016 app for your smart phone or other mobile devices available on Google Play or itunes. Every four years General Conference makes changes to our Book of Disciple that affect how we make disciples at the local church level. Pray for them and stay informed. The Power of Camp is... MISSION COMMITTEE The Mission Committee will be collecting three different types of health kits that will be taken to Annual Conference in June. There will be a Men s Kit, a Women s Kit and a Kids Kit. The kits will be given to Northcott Neighborhood House, United Methodist Children s Services, Harbor House, and Solomon Community Temple, all United Methodist Health and Welfare Ministries in Wisconsin. Watch the bulletin and the table by the office for a flyer about what to put in each kit. This is an opportunity for you to make a significant difference in the lives of people in Wisconsin. CAP CLUB NEWS The Cap Club met Tuesday, April 12 th, where we discussed the people we are currently visiting along with many others who we feel could use some company to help dealing with day to day issues or just need someone for company. If you know of someone needing a visit from the Cap Club, please contact the church office or one of the Club members. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 14 th anyone interested in attending our meeting is welcome to join us. In a world where it is hard to be a kid, AND it is hard to be a parent, let church camp be your partner in faith and the development of your child. Lifelong Friendships Outdoor Adventure Time to Unplug Positive Christian Role Models Exciting Worship Meaningful Conversations With over 50 camps to choose from, one will be right for you and your child! Come enjoy a fun, faith-filled adventure all in one great place with caring staff. Contact your local church or call the United Methodist Camping Office at or visit Join the celebration in Platteville on Tuesday, June 21 st! Make Music Platteville is a city wide celebration of music. To participate as a musician or sign up as a venue: go to Make Music Platteville. This festival is free and open to all ages, all abilities, and all styles of music. For more information contact: Nancy Fairchild or nfairchild2@gmail.com

4 United Methodist Church Page 4 PLATTE RIVER REGIONAL MINISTRY Grades 4-6 Join us for Youthsters on Friday, May 6 th at 6:00 pm. It s will be awesome! We are playing Slip-n-slide kickball! slip-n-slide kickball and ultimate Frisbee, have another fun science experiment with Mr. Nate, do a devotion in Colossians 1:13-17, and have ice cream sundaes. Remember ANYONE in 4 th through 6 th grades can come!!! Stay tuned for pictures on the website, Facebook, and next month s newsletter. Don t worry this is not the last Youthsters we will continue to have fun even without Pastor Liz! Watch your mail for the next postcard for Youthsters! Campus Ministry Thank you to all who helped with finals bags for Pioneer Wesley. Whether you donated cookies, helped pack, or even thought about helping, you are being great sources of Jesus love! We gave bags out to 25 students, and they all loved the cookies along with all of the other goodies inside! As the school year ends and summer begins, we ask that you please keep them in your prayers as they continue their journeys. IT S NEVER EASY SAYING GOOD-BYE As you already know, May 8 th will be my last Sunday with you. I have decided that I need to venture in different areas of ministry in order to figure out where I best fit. This summer I will be completing my Clinical Pastoral Education at the University of California Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. In this setting, I will be experiencing what it is like to be a full-time hospital chaplain. When fall comes, I will be focusing completely on school in order to graduate a semester early. In January, along with getting school credit, I will be traveling to Nsumia, Ghana, Africa in order to learn more about the African culture, and make connections after we had supported them through Engineers without Borders. After this, I will finish my discerning and will, God willing, be commissioned as a provisional member of the Wisconsin Annual Conference, taking my next step in becoming an elder in the church. I want to thank you so much because not only have you helped me grow as a pastor, but you were also the congregation that allowed me to take the steps to become a pastor in the beginning. I will always cherish the time that we have spent together. Love you always!

5 United Methodist Church Page 5 SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS Our Sunday School classes will be over in the next few weeks, but the lessons learned this year will help our children form a firm faith foundation. We began the year with the Creation story, learned about the life and teachings of Jesus, and finished with stories of the early Church. So far this year the Sunday School children have raised over $1, for the Ulithi Atoll Typhoon Recovery project. The islands of the Ulithi Atoll were hit by a devastating typhoon in April of 2015, and the islanders have been struggling to survive ever since. Our children have been donating their Sunday School offerings, raising money by hosting the Coffee Fellowship every month, and writing to the children of Ulithi. We are helping them to rebuild their homes and churches, and provide emergency food and water during this time of crisis. On Sunday, May 1 st, the 6 th grade - HS Sunday School class will host the last of the Ulithi Atoll Project fundraising Coffee Fellowships. This is your chance to help our kids make a difference in the real world May 22 nd is our last day of Sunday School, and the day we recognize our Sunday School teachers during worship services. If you see one of these teachers, please say "Thank You" for working with our children all year! PreK - 1 st grade: Debby Schroedl Sarah Fosbinder Ellen Carnahan Tianna Gile Blake Noel Madison Loeffelholz 2 nd - 3 rd grade: Dianne Edgette Lynette Buttles Makayla Loeffelholz 6 th - High School: Amy Loeffelholz Adult: Alice Clifton PSALM 23 PARAPHRASES: 4 th - 5 th grade: Susan Schlager Lisa Mumm Kelsie Simmons Jason Simmons Dave Carnahan George Krueger Spencer Olds The 23rd psalm is a metaphor for how God cares for us. The confirmation class changed the metaphor to make the Psalm more meaningful for them. Enjoy their writing is this issue and future issues. The Lord is my Music Teacher I shall not want. He makes me rest my voice when I am sick. He leads me to music that calms me down when I m upset, and he restores my soul He tells me to make good choices, To make my loved ones proud. Even through fits of anxiety, I do not fear. For he is with me. His scores and his baton comfort me. He provides me with opportunities, In front of my h8ters He honors me as his student, And he encourages me until I feel I can do anything. His kindness and encouragement Shall follow me through my days And I shall stay in the class of the Lord, forever. By Jocelyn Gile

6 United Methodist Church Page 6 UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Tuesday, May 3 rd : General meeting at 1:30 pm in the Wesley Room Program: Mother s Day Giving, by Carol Lange Host: Katie Cottingham United Methodist Church Friday, May 6 th : May Friendship Luncheon Lunch: 12:00 pm Tickets are $5, available at Hidden Quilts, through the church office, Elizabeth Duewer or Carol Lange. Thursday, May 19 th : Rebekah Fellowship Meeting in the Wesley Room Coffee: 9:00 am, Program: 9:30 am, by Dee Gray Hostesses: Doris Tatge and Donna Stephens UM SUMMER CAMPS The warm weather has turned our thoughts to summer activities and camping. How about one of the GREAT UM camps? The UMW will pay $50 towards the campership of each youth attending a UM sponsored camp. There are camps for people of all ages and a big variety of camps. The UMW will provide up to $200 for a family to attend a UM sponsored camp. Contact Katie Cottingham ( ) if you are attending one of the camps. Hope we have some youth who will be attending. NUGGETS FOR NORTHCOTT Thank You for the interest in and generous contributions to Northcott. I know they will be put to good use by the staff and the people who live in the community surrounding the neighborhood house. In late April, I went to Milwaukee for a UMW Conference Team meeting and attended the annual meeting of the Northcott Results of your generosity! Neighborhood House. I will keep you updated with the current needs of the center. There are containers in the hallway for Moolas for Harbor House in Superior and for Campbell s labels for Northcott. Thank you again for your support of United Methodist Missions and for your generous and giving hearts. ~Carol Lange, President of the SW District UMW THE PLATTEVILLE THRIFT SHOP The thrift shop was started by the Church Women United of Platteville over 40 years ago. We continue to support families in need in the Platteville school district with low cost clothing, heating assistance, rent assistance, scholarships and assistance in others areas. Our volunteers are an integral part of making all of this possible. We are in need of more volunteers at this time for vacation and illness coverage. There may be openings coming up for once a week/month for a 4 hour shift. Since we have reorganized, volunteers no longer work at the cash register, but restock shelves. It is a fun, low stress job. Please contact Susan Schlager ( ), or your current board representative, if you are interested in helping out.

7 United Methodist Church Page 7 TRUSTEE BUILDING UPDATE Hello Church Family, First of all, we hope this month finds you well and enjoying the dabblings of spring. We want to update you on all the changes going on throughout Jesus s church! Soon the parking lot will be sealed and new lines painted. New exterior doors have been installed on the lower level for visibility and accessibility for some of our new missions. We greatly appreciate the donation towards this project. Both Ruby s Pantry and Family Promise will be moving lots of larger items in and out of the building. The new doors will allow us to not only help these groups, but hopefully open them to others as well. To go along with the new entrances, new exterior lighting has been installed to aide in visibility, security and energy savings. The fixtures remain on in all hours of darkness and are triggered to brighten when motion is detected. We will also be pursing the possibility of removing some of the older trees on the property that are dying or no longer aesthetically pleasing. We will, however, plant some new ones in various places throughout the grounds. We will also be looking into adding some youth friendly spaces outside. Basketball hoops, volleyball/badminton nets and even playground equipment are some of the ideas! Now we move to the interior of his church. New signs will be added to label all rooms appropriately as well as one added to the main entrance with the office hours. We will also be designating storm shelter areas throughout the building that correspond with our room signs. Making our building easy to navigate is just a small part of making new disciples. There is new fireplace as well as mantle being installed in the Fireside room as a gracious memorial. A flat panel TV will be installed for instructional use or overflow capabilities (let s hope)! Smoke detectors have been installed throughout the building as part of the recommendations from the safe sanctuary group as well as carbon monoxide detectors in the office area. We have ordered a room divider for the lower level classrooms that will allow us to divide one of those rooms into two. This will provide better utilization of the building during certain times, for example, during Vacation Bible School. We continue to try to de-clutter and organize the limited storage areas we have. Shelving has been added to the fellowship hall closet and soon to the resource room. Smaller chair carts were built to aide in storing the new chairs. This will also allow them to be transported in the elevator to the upper level when needed. In the sanctuary, a new audio mixer has been purchased and installed due to software failing in the current one. The new mixers is more user friendly as well. There are surely some things we missed but hopefully every change you encounter is a change for the better. We appreciate all the time and effort everyone puts into helping us be the church! God Bless! ~Nate Fosbinder & Dave Carnahan, Trustee Representatives RUBY'S PANTRY IS COMING TO PUMC! Food distribution is the first Thursday of every month. Our first distribution is May 5 th. Serve God by volunteering for Ruby's Pantry food distribution. There are many opportunities to help. Contact Deb Putnam at putnamd@uwplatt.edu BARELY SENIORS Thursday, May 12 th, 2016 Potluck at noon in Fellowship Hall Table service and beverage provided Barely Seniors bring dish to pass Program: Pastor Brenda will share her adventures on her trip to Israel. Barely Seniors will be taking the summer off. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 8 th, 2016

8 Platteville United Methodist Church Learn God ~ Love God ~ Share God ~ Serve God Platteville United Methodist Church 1065 Lancaster Street Phone: platttevilleumc@centurylink.net Plattevilleumc.org Non-Profit Organization U.S Postage Paid Platteville, WI Permit No. 97 Return Service Requested If you would no longer like to receive this newsletter, please contact the church office to take your name off the mailing list. Thank you! VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL July 25 th - 29 th 9 am - noon Be part of this powerful event! Meet SNAPPY the Crab! Be a VBS volunteer and make a difference in a child s life. Contact the office for more information!