CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 112 Hall St., Watertown WI (920) Jeff Meyer Pastor.

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1 CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 112 Hall St., Watertown WI (920) Jeff Meyer Pastor October, 2018 New Heights Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Last night (September 19 th ), I had the blessing of watching the movie, I Can Only Imagine, with my family. It is the story of Bart Millard, the lead singer of a Christian group named Mercy Me, who wrote and sang what everyone pretty much agrees is the greatest Christian single of all time (and my personal favorite song), I Can Only Imagine. Bart overcame great hardship. His mother abandoned him and left him to be raised by an abusive father. After suffering a career-ending football injury, Bart wandered into a Music class and found out he had a gift. Bart went on the road with the group Mercy Me chasing a record deal until a manager called him out for running from something. To go back and deal with whatever he was running from because there was something Bart was hiding and was afraid others would know that was affecting his music and performance. Bart went back to his home; and, by the grace of God, his father had found Jesus as well. They worked things through and came to peace with each other to the point that Bart wanted to be the man his father was at the end of his life. Not long after his father s death, back on the road with Mercy Me, Bart was inspired to write the song, I Can Only Imagine. If you have never heard it, go somewhere to listen to it right now and experience the hope and inspiration it provides.

2 2 It speaks of the day when we all go before Jesus; imagining what it will be like when we get there and what will we do. It speaks of the hope that carries us all as Christians and as the church through this fallen world and hard life it speaks of the hope that we are to reveal and offer others by the grace of God. In the midst of this mission and vision process, I would like to ask all of us to take a moment to pray and think about what it will be like one day when we are all together in the eternal Kingdom of God with Jesus. What it will be like to not only be with those we love and know, but also the other souls that are there because of the donation you made in the plate on Sunday, because you invited one of them to worship, because you prayed for them and helped them when they needed it the most through the ministry of CUMC. Think of what it will be like when all of us here at Christ UMC come home to the Kingdom of God one day and see all the people that are there because of the ministry of Christ United Methodist Church and what that will be like because, as your Pastor, I Can Only Imagine In Christ, PJ OUR MISSION STATEMENT We are called and empowered by Jesus to love, to serve and to witness. -Mission statement of Christ United Methodist Church Discerning God s Mission and Vision for Christ United Methodist Church Sermon Series: CUMC and the Kingdom of God September 23 rd : Part 1: Mission vs. Comfort September 30 th : Part 2: Vision vs. Control October 7 th : Part 3: Priorities vs. Preferences October 14 th : The Mission and Vision of Christ UMC Mission and Vision Potluck Lunch Meetings October 14: After the 10 am service at approx. 11:15 am November 10: 11:30 am on Saturday December 1: Tentatively 11:30 am on Saturday Please plan to attend all three meetings. Each is a step in the development of the Mission & Vision at Christ UMC.

3 3 Thursday Bible Study for Women On Thursday, October 25, we begin a new women's bible study entitled Faithful, Abundant and True. It will be held at JoAnn Meyer's home at 9:30 am, with breakfast being served. It is a 7-session study from Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Kay Arthur. Here is the description of what we will be studying: God is faithful. His provision is abundant. His promises are true. Recorded live at the Deeper Still event, women can use this versatile study guide for a retreat or as a 7-session Bible study with two weeks each of Kay, Priscilla and Beth followed by a panel discussion with all three teachers. This study was made to fit into women s busy schedules and only requires minutes each day. - Kay Arthur teaches from basically the entire book of Hebrews! Hebrews is both an example of God s faithfulness and a challenge to believers to be faithful in difficult times. - Priscilla Shirer teaches from Ephesians 3:20-21 on God s abundance. A fundamental basis for every believer is the absolute reality that God can do whatever he chooses to do. God s ability empowers our faithfulness. - Beth Moore teaches on the topic of discernment in these difficult days, It is absolutely essential that we learn to trust the Holy Spirit to enable us to determine what is true and what is false. The cost of the materials for the class is $20. If cost is an issue, please let me know; there are funds available to cover your supplies. Please RSVP on the Blessed to Be a Blessing Table at church or contact Sarah Walter or JoAnn Meyer so that we know how many books to purchase. Sunday School NEWS! Sunday school is off to a great start! Our hallways and our bulletin boards are decorated and there are pictures on the hallway walls of our first events of the year! Make sure to go and check them out! Our teachers and our students are having a wonderful start to the school year and are learning so much about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! If you haven t already come to Sunday school this year, please consider joining! We have Sunday School for ALL AGES! Upcoming Events for Sunday School Sun. Oct. 7th: Preschool to Grade 5 perform at 10:00 service (handbells) Sun. Oct. 28th: Preschool to Grade 5 perform at 10:00 service (flagging) Sun. Nov. 11th: Preschool to Grade 5 perform at 10:00 service (handbells) Sun. Nov. 25th: Preschool to Grade 5 singing & flagging at 10:00 service Sun. Dec. 9th: Preschool to Grade 5 perform at 10:00 service (handbells) Sun. Dec. 16th: Entire Sunday School has CHRISTMAS PROGRAM at 10:00 service

4 4 SUNDAY FUNDAY! 3 rd to 5 th grade class: Middle School Class: Oh When the Saints go Marching in! We had so much fun at our Sunday School launch! We ate a delicious meal prepared by Sarah Walter and then played lots of games! Here are some scenes from our first month of fun! Preschool/Kindergarten class: High School Class: 1 st and 2 nd grade class: There are also adult classes: Co-Ed Adult Class in the prayer room and the Women s Study class located in room 205! All we need to make Sunday School even greater is you and your family and friends!

5 5 on how to cope with suffering and adversity and patience, love, forgiveness and acceptance. We will divide the book into two parts. On October 18 th, we will discuss Day 1: The Nature of True Joy and Days 2&3: The Obstacles to Joy. On November 15, we will discuss Days 4&5: The Eight Pillars of Joy. The Book Club will meet on the third Thursday of October and November at 6:30 p.m. Please sign up if you are interested. -Jan Detrie Fall Book Club The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World Nobel Peace Prize winners, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, both have survived more than fifty years of exile and the violence of oppression in their lives. Yet, they are two of the most joyful people on earth. How have they managed to find joy in the most difficult times? Join Jan Detrie as we read the five days of conversation between these old friends and great spiritual leaders, wherein they share their perspectives Volunteers needed for Choirs We d like to start up our Chimes Choir on Tuesday, October 2, at 6:30 p.m. We need people, middle school through adult age, who d like to have some musical fun. Music is color coded, as this is a beginning choir. Let Vicki Larsen or the church office know if you are interested or sign up on the Blessings table. Also, we really need at least one more person to ring for the Handbell Choir. Rehearsals are held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Must be able to read music.

6 6 Turkey Dinner - Nov. 6 Our annual Turkey Dinner is Tuesday, November 6, from 4:00-6:30 p.m. Cost of tickets are: Adults - $10 in advance/$11 at the door; Children (6-12 years of age) - $5; Children 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the church office or Breselow s Family Market. Everyone will need a ticket. Tickets will be available mid October. The menu includes: roast turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy, dressing, green beans, jellied cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, apple or pumpkin pie and beverages. Carryouts available. There will be a Craft Fair and Quilting Craft table in conjunction with the Turkey Dinner. If you plan on selling your crafts, please contact Sarah Walter or the church office. PJ S & POPCORN MOVIE NIGHT! You won t want to miss this INCREDIBLE event! (license rules prohibit us from advertising the name of the movie..but that was a big hint hint!) Join us on Friday, November 16, for our first PJ S and POPCORN event! A light dinner of hot dogs and chips will be served at 5:30 p.m, followed by our movie at 6:00 p.m. We will supply the drinks and the popcorn! All we need is for you to wear your most comfy pajamas and bring your pillows and your blankets and all of your friends! If you have any questions or would like flyers to give to your family and friends, please contact JoAnn Meyer! See you then! Concert Opportunity! TENTH AVENUE NORTH is performing in Madison at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 1 st! JoAnn Meyer and Sarah Walter are organizing a group to go and see it! The tickets cost $23. Right now, we have 10 tickets reserved. If you would like to attend, please get this slip and your $23.00 to Annette at the church office. The first 10 to respond will definitely have a spot! We may also have the opportunity to purchase more if we get over 10, as long as the concert does not sell out. Please see JoAnn or Sarah for more details! YES! I want to attend the Tenth Avenue North concert on Dec. 1 st in Madison at 7:00 p.m. Name Number attending X $23.00 Amount Enclosed $ Please return to the church office!

7 7 Welcoming of Our New Members On Sunday, September 23, we welcomed 6 new members to our church family. Be sure to welcome them when you see them. They include: James & Fay Claas Rob & Sarah Fredrich Jerry & Joan Snyder Mission Sunday October 14 UMCOR Disaster Relief will be our mission project for October. Our area, and others across the U.S., continue to recover from hurricanes, floods, fires and other natural disasters. UMCOR has been described as the Methodist Red Cross. This is how UMCOR describes itself: UMCOR responds to disasters of great magnitude that overwhelm a community s ability to recover on its own. Through UMCOR, United Methodists extend loving care to suffering people throughout the country and the world. UMCOR works in partnership with United Methodist Churches and other local partners to address immediate relief and achieve sustainable recovery. In its holistic response to disasters, UMCOR: - Offers disaster preparedness training - Provides essential relief supplies - Supports long-term rebuilding efforts - Assists communities as they adapt UMCOR provides funding, training, expertise and facilitates partnerships to achieve programmatic goals. While UMCOR is not a first-response organization, we stand ready to accompany communities in need over the long haul of their recovery until a new normal is established after a crisis. Please prayerfully consider donating to UMCOR: place money in the offering cup or add a donation to your envelope and indicate disaster relief on the front. Thank you so much! Your Mission Committee As I was looking for information about UMCOR for this month s newsletter, I found this reassuring message from our Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who also happens to be the President of UMCOR: In times of tragedy, people sometimes wonder why God allows pain and suffering, destruction and devastation, bad things to happen to good people. But it is important to remember, God doesn t act in such a fashion. It isn t that God did this, or God allowed this to

8 8 happen, but that we are living in God s creation a creation of great beauty, awesome wonder, and incredible power. Our God is a God who created and established a natural order, God fashioned the laws of physics, the wonders of the universe and gave us the means to explore and understand through biology, geology, astronomy, and the other sciences. No one understands the forces of nature better than our creator God, and no one understands the height of joy and the depths of despair better than our heavenly parent. When we rejoice, God rejoices with us, and when we are torn by tears and grief, God grieves and cries with us. But God so loves our world, that Jesus was given to establish once and for all time that what happens to us on earth is not the whole story. The ups and downs of day-to-day are nothing to compare with the glory God intends. God gave us a Messiah to grant us eternity, and God gives us to one another to help us day by day. Summer Sandwiches 2018 This summer, the Summer Sandwiches Crew spent 12 Tuesdays, as your representatives, feeding the hungry at Clark Park in Watertown. Those families came for varied reasons; not only to eat, but to share their lives with us and others, to enjoy God s beautiful creation, to receive books for pleasure and to learn, and to share in the bountiful produce from the Community Garden. It was our privilege to be able to offer that to them; and, as always, they were so grateful for our efforts. This summer was puzzling, as the turnout was very unpredictable. We made lunches per week. Four weeks, we ran out of food, and four weeks, we had many left over. All leftover lunches were taken to the Watertown Food Pantry for distribution. (Leftover produce went to the Watertown senior Center.) We hoped that the lower participation was due to improved employment, but it is impossible to know. The other two lunch programs saw similar lower numbers. We made a total of 1160 lunches in 12 weeks. Thank you so much for my dependable crew, many of whom came to help almost every week! The volunteer numbers were also down, but we did a great job! Thank you! Thanks also for the donations of bags, napkins, peanut butter, jelly, other products, and money to purchase food items. Your support for this program has been greatly appreciated for 9 YEARS! Ann Nienow, Missions Mission Planning Begins for Christmas Season! I can hear it now Why are they rushing us into Christmas already? Well, some of you may choose to begin thinking about it because, before you know it, the Samaritan s Purse shoeboxes will arrive. Once we receive them, we have to fill and return them by mid-november so they can be sent along their way, often to a far-off destination. So, you might want to keep your eyes open for small, fun items to send, or useful things like crayons,

9 9 pencils and toothbrushes. What a great way to get your kids or grandkids involved in giving, rather than just making lists of what THEY want. Do they even realize that many children around the world have NEVER received a gift, and don t know the Christmas story? This is their chance to bring the glory of Christ s birth to a family--a lifechanging experience! Start thinking about it now, because we often run out of time as the weeks fly by! We will also be doing our Mitten Tree and Christmas families, and we ll let you know more information closer to Thanksgiving. Thank you! Parade of Homes Tour We have been notified that our program, Weekend Food to Go & Grow, done in conjunction with the Shared Community Mission Group, has been chosen to receive half the proceeds of the Parade of Homes fundraiser! For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it will be held on Sunday, December 2, from 1-5 pm. Several homes, decorated to the hilt for Christmas, are opened for ticket holders to enjoy. The Watertown Main Street program sponsors the event and receives the other half of the proceeds. Advance tickets will be available for a reduced cost. If this is something you have not done before, this is the year to start! For many, it is an annual event done with friends. Please consider setting this date aside on your calendar to benefit such a worthy cause! Cookie Walk Planning Meeting I know 80-degree weather hardly makes one think of Christmas, but you ve probably noticed the stores are beginning to display Christmas items already! That s a hint that, ready or not, fall is coming, along with Turkey Dinner and Cookie Walk. This year s Cookie Walk will be held on Saturday, December 8 th. It takes many hands to pull off a successful event. To ensure our success, there will be a planning meeting Tuesday, October 16, at 1 p.m. Please come and share your ideas and talents with us. In addition to planning for the Cookie Walk, we will also be discussing the Cookie Mixes in a Jar and setting a date to assemble them. Our plan is to prepare them in advance and offer them for sale this year at the Turkey Dinner. We hope to see you on the 16 th! Beth Stuart, Cookie Walk Chairperson

10 1 October Prayer List Please include Pastor Jeff and his family and three other families or individuals from the list below in your prayers each day. Tom Winton Karen Williams Al Williams Bron & Becky Wentzel Family Mike & Kayla Wendt Family Bill Welch Mike & Sarah Walter Jimmy & Nancy Walter Brad & Kristin Walter Family Beverly Walter Tony & Jenny Walter Family Adam & Heather Walter Family Ed & Carla Walsh Joe & Kay Wall Wanda Vredenbregt Arnie & Jan Van Hoosen Ryan & Laura Vander Galien Family Mark & Val Uttech Family Pat & Kristin Unertl Family John & Wendy Ullsvik October Birthdays 1 Mary Gerke Nathan Lord 3 Bev Spangler 4 April Mutter 7 Joyce Hughes 10 Mike Nienow Alex Rumary 11 Glen Hostetler 13 Carla Walsh 14 Jeremy Yenser 16 John Ullsvik 17 Taylor Walter 18 Denise Strandell 20 Ken Thiede Bev Walter 26 Elizabeth Burleson 28 Lena Brennan 30 Katey Higgins Vicki Larsen Worship Hours Sundays 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Worship 8:45 a.m. Sunday School Office Hours Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.