MESSENGER THE. First United Methodist Church. The Brotherhood For Greg by Debra Hatch IN THIS ISSUE

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1 First United Methodist Church FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Ministry Team Ministers The Worshiping Congregation Pastor Chuck Rager Christian Education Director Renee Meyer Administrative Secretary LaVerne Schimpf Custodian Ginny Volberding Newsletter Editor Karen Nenstiel District Superintendent Kay Alnor Bishop of Great Plains Conference Ruben Saenz, Jr. IN THIS ISSUE Pastor s Page 2 Did You Know? 3 Meetings This Month 3 United Methodist Women 4 Christmas Angel Store 4 Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh 5 An Activity Page 6 Youth Activities 7 October Baptisms 7 Heritage Sunday 8 Newsletter Deadline 10 Stewards for November 11 Ogallala, Nebraska THE MESSENGER The Brotherhood For Greg by Debra Hatch He walked the beach at Normandy, the Military man, he knelt and plucked the seashells that were scattered on the sand. He closed his eyes and listened as he held one to his ear, he heard the final exhale of a soldier who'd died here. He felt the heavy debt he owed sink deep into his chest, he wondered why the fates took them while he had been so blessed. He wept inside their losses and hung his head in shame, he d never know their stories, he couldn t ease their pain. He felt himself unworthy to walk this hallowed earth, where so many of his countrymen had died before his birth. His blood had never soaked the ground of any foreign shore, he felt he was not fit to honor those who d gone before. He gazed upon the seashell that was cradled in his palm, he heard the faintest whisper, he felt the strangest calm. The cool wind off the ocean blew a voice across his cheek, it said Good morning, stranger, might I have a chance to speak? He knew the voice at once although he didn t know its name, it once had been a friend of his, a brother, just the same. It said, I m glad you re here again, you know I stayed that day, and it has been so many years since you have gone away. We ve stood together many times since history began, we ve fought and died, and lived to laugh in oh so many lands. Sometimes we both survived the day to greet the coming night, sometimes we gave ourselves away and left the rest to fight. We ll meet again, we always do, with different names and eyes, I ll be the friend you like at once, although you won t know why. The kinship of the Brotherhood can never be denied, it walks with every soldier, it carries on with pride. When you step into a uniform, you don t wear threads and seams, you carry all our lives with you, and live our unborn dreams. You wear the symbol of our gift, the greatest we could give, so show your honor every day in way in which you live. H walked the beach at Normandy, the Military man, he carried home the seashells that he d plucked from off the sand. He carried home the hopes of strangers that he d known before, he carried all their dreams with him, and he kept them ever more.

2 Page 2 N o v e mb e r, Christian Symbols LOOKING AHEAD: 1. Sunday, November 6, we will honor the Veterans in attendance at our Sunday morning service. 2. Sunday, November 13, at the 9 A.M. service we will dedicate Memorials received this year. 3. Sunday, November 20, we have two baptisms at our 9 A.M. service. Keys A key symbolizes the church s authority to forgive sins in Jesus name. In Matthew 16:19 (ESV), Jesus says to Peter, who would come to represent the Christian church, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 4. We will do the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh project again this year. See details in this newsletter. 5. Our next Sing-a-Long at Wel-Cov and Indian Hills is Sunday afternoon, December 4. Wel-Cov is at 2:15 P.M. and Indian Hills is at 3 P.M. 6. Charge Conference is Sunday evening, December Everyone is welcome. 4, at 7 P.M. 7. Sunday School Christmas program is on Sunday, December 11, during the 11:15 service. 8. Christmas Eve services are at 5 P.M. and 7 P.M. 9. Christmas is on Sunday and we have one service at 9 A.M. that day. 10. Your support of our church is greatly appreciated. See Me Sunday, Rev. Chuck Rager

3 T h e Me s s e n g e r Page 3 Did you know that if you have friends and family who live outside of this area they can join us in worship via the internet? We livestream our 9:00 a.m. service every Sunday morning. We have people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and many points in between that drop in and worship with us. Evelyn Lovercheck takes bulletins to Indian Hills Care Center and watches the service on the BIG screen with the residents there. WORSHIP STREAMING DID YOU KNOW? We just upgraded our connections, routers and phone lines in the balcony during October so our broadcast is better than ever! Tell your out of town friends and relatives that all they have to do is go to our church website and click on the link that says Watch Us Live, and they can worship with us every Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time. I believe they will be impressed with the quality of the pictures and sounds that our technology is able to produce, especially after our recent upgrades. Pastor Chuck Meetings This Month Board of Trustees on Wednesday, November 2, 7:00 p.m. Finance Committee on Thursday, November 3, 5:00 p.m. Missions Outreach Committee on Wednesday, November 9, 5:30 p.m. Administrative Council on Wednesday, November 16, 7:00 Heritage Sunday Review What a GREAT day we had on Heritage Sunday, October 9th. It was wonderful to have the Bishop and Maye here, and the Bishop was so generous in his praise of all that this congregation is doing in ministry. He was very impressed with you. The Banquet was wonderful, and the meal was delicious. A Big THANKS to everyone who helped make this day the truly great event that it was. A special thanks to Jo Teaford for organizing all the things related to the banquet. She had lots of wonderful helpers, and Jo was a SUPERB leader and organizer. Thank you all and God Bless You. I am so proud to be your Pastor. Pastor Chuck Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 A.M. on Sunday, November 6 Turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday night

4 Pa ge 4 November, 2016 United Methodist Women in Service and Mission The nominating committee thanks all who agreed to take their office or position for another year. That made it an easy task for them, again thanks. November is the month when we give our Thank Offering. It can be given to your circle chairman or given at the general meeting November 10. Mona Radcliffe UMW President United Methodist Women November meetings WORLD THANK OFFERING UMW General Thursday, November 10 12:00 noon luncheon and meeting in Fellowship Hall Circle 1 Thursday, November 17 9:00 am (B. Johnson) Thank You to the following persons who worked and/or furnished food for the Great Plains District Clergy luncheon on October 17, 2016: Jennifer Blackman Twila Haney Betty Kupper Karen Nelson Bev Armour Rose Holechek Sharen Terry... to the following persons who worked and/or furnished food for the dinner preceding the Link Union concert on October 25, 2016: Barbara Nootz Jean Slagle Milly Schwasinger Ruth Hermance Mona Radcliffe Judi Davis Bea Hatch Chris Snyder Thanks also to the Missions Outreach Committee for providing and serving coffee and treats for everyone after the concert. Making Preparations for the Christmas Angel Store Circle 3 Thursday, November 17 2:00 pm Hess Lounge Circle 5 Monday, November 21 6:00 pm Hess Lunge The Christmas Angel Store will mark its 17 th year of service to families in the community, on Saturday, December 10. The Store, sponsored by the Missions Outreach Committee, aims to assist families who need a little help with gifts and Christmas spirit. The store will be held at the Arterburn Youth Cabin on Saturday, December 10, beginning at 10:00 a.m. As always, the success of the store depends upon contributions and help from many volunteers. If you would like to donate, gifts may be brought to the church. To make a monetary donation, please mark Angel Store on the memo line of your check. To volunteer or to get more information, please contact MOC Chairperson, Gigi Berol ( ). Our Christian love and sympathy to the family of: Marlene Brown, who died on October 14, 2016.

5 The Messenger Pa ge 5 Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh 2016 The Finance Committee is leading our annual effort again this year that will allow us to honor/remember special persons AND raise funds for our church. The project is called Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, and your participation is vital to its success. We will be decorating the two evergreen trees in front of the church on the west side with blue and white Christmas lights. You may sponsor a blue light bulb in memory of someone who has died, and you may sponsor a white light bulb in honor of someone who is still living. The suggested donation to sponsor each light bulb is ten dollars ($10). It is our intent that each light will be in memory or in honor of one person. What a marvelous scene we will have on the trees in front of our church when the lights are illuminated the week of Christmas, and what an awesome sight to come to church on Christmas Eve and see the fully lit trees in blue and white splendor! The more bulbs that are sponsored, the more awesome will be the trees. We hope to see more white lights in honor of living persons this year. Also, all the proceeds will be applied to programs within our church. The wise persons came to honor the new born Christ child and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to him. You can follow the wise persons model and give these gifts to our church in thankfulness for the presence of Christ in your life and in our world today. There will be an insert in the Christmas Eve bulletin notating who has sponsored bulbs and a list of the persons names who are being honored and remembered. Please complete the registration form and return it to the church office by December 7, I/we would like to dedicate these lights for the 2016 Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh trees: Please indicate: Give a gift of love this Christmas~~ honor a friend or loved one with a gift to your church s Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh project Number of bulbs sponsored Given by Please use additional sheets of paper to add more memorial lights. Return all forms and donations should to the Church Office by December 7, 2016

6 Answer: B (See Psalm 103:2, ESV.) Pa ge 6 November, 2016 An Activity Page for Younger People A Bible Quiz Fill in the blank to complete this verse from a psalm of thanksgiving: Bless the LORD, O my, and forget not all his benefits. A. people B. soul C. heart D. children

7 The Messenger Pa ge 7 The SONSHINE SINGERS will present special music in meets on Wednesday, November 2, and Wednesday, November 16, at 7:00 P.M. in Fellowship Hall the 9:00 worship service on Sunday, November 13. Rehearsal will be on Friday, November 11, at 4:00 p.m. Use It All Up About two-thirds of Americans say eating Thanksgiving leftovers is more important than eating the actual holiday meal. That s one of the few times people hope food is left on the table. When it comes to giving out blessings, God doesn t want any leftovers to remain. In Genesis 12:2, God blesses Abraham so he will be a blessing to others. Charles Stanley writes: A hoarded blessing is never enjoyed as richly as a shared one. Using your gift to meet someone else s need glorifies God by demonstrating his grace at work in your life. Don t let his generous provisions end with you. Pass them on and discover the joy of a never-ending cycle of blessings. October Baptisms Thou hast given so much to me, Give one thing more a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleaseth me, As if thy blessings had spare days, But such a heart whose pulse may be thy praise. George Herbert On Sunday, October 23, Pastor Chuck baptized two children into the church family. Marissa Fay Juarez (picture on left) is the daughter of Luis and Heidi Juarez. Marley Stella Spencer is the daughter of Kristani Mitchell. The congregation of Ogallala First United Methodist Church welcomes Marissa and Marley as they grow in stature and in faith.

8 Pa ge 8 November, 2016 Heritage Sunday Celebration on October 9, 2016 Members and friends of Ogallala First United Methodist Church had reason to celebrate on Sunday, October 9, as they marked 130 years of Methodist/ United Methodist ministry in the community. The congregation has been worshipping in the current sanctuary for 65 years. Bishop Ruben Saenz, Jr., newly appointed to the Great Plains Conference, was the speaker for they day, so Pastor Chuck got to sit back and relax! A special dinner, held at the Quality Inn, followed the worship service. Diners were treated to special music by pianist Lisa Albee, a group of volunteer adults and the younger group of Son- Shilne Singers. Longtime members of the United Methodist Church were honored with certificates and pins. Thirty-four members were recognized for years of service, fifty-one members in the year group and four loyal stalwarts who have been a part of the Church for 75 years or more. Great fun was had by all!! Sunday, October year members Everyday Miracles When Joan Luise Hill s son survived a dire medical diagnosis, two friends recognized that divine intervention had occurred. Hill wasn t so sure, though. How could I have experienced a personal miracle in today s world? she writes in The Miracle Chase (Sterling Ethos). Wasn t that something that only happened in the Bible or to someone else? Then one day, during a visit to the park, Hill learned a lesson about everyday miracles. There s a white rainbow! shouted her 5-year-old son. She told him it was just a jet trail, but the boy replied, Not to me. It s beautiful. That was an aha! moment for Hill. Why couldn t a rainbow be white? she asks. Maybe it was time to shift my thinking. Perhaps there are rainbows all around us; but since we only see them a piece at a time, we mistake them for something else. Miracles happen. We may not always notice them, but they exist, and the choice to recognize a miracle is up to each of us.

9 The Messenger Pa ge Years of Methodism in Ogallala, Nebraska year members Celebrating Our Heritage! Forgive and Let Go Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was said to never hold grudges. One day someone reminded her of an offense that another person had committed against her. Don t you remember? the friend pressed. No, Barton replied. I distinctly remember forgetting that. Forgiving and forgetting are not precisely the same. While God declares that he ll remember [our] sin no more (Jeremiah 31:34), it s tough for humans to completely forget harm done to us, even when we want to forgive. On the other hand, like Barton, we can consciously choose not to ruminate on an offense, as a cow does its cud. We can opt not to bring up past hurts during present disagreements, and we can intentionally not recount someone s sin to a third party, hoping they ll take our side. In the process of choosing to forget the wrong done to us, surely we ll also find it easier to forgive. Election Day Tuesday, November 8

10 Pa ge 10 November, 2016 Love in Action YOUR CHURCH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24. AND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 If you have ideas, pictures or articles to submit for the December issue of The Messenger, please have them turned in no later than Friday, November 18, This is a little earlier than the usual deadline because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Earlier submissions would definitely be accepted and appreciated! Submissions may be made to the Church Office, or you may e- mail them directly to your newsletter editor at: umcnewsletter@qwestoffice.net. Thanks so much for your help! Safeway Cards Available Safeway Community Giving Cards are still available. This is a way of helping your church raise money simply by doing your normal grocery shopping at the Safeway store. Each card is sold for $5.00 and is pre-loaded with $5.00 of purchasing power. You may reload the card at any time and as often as you like. Talk to Teresa Davis ( ) or any Finance Committee member for more information about the Safeway cards. Cards are available for purchase in the Church Office anytime during regular office hours. Fiddler on the Roof, the 1964 musical about an Orthodox Jewish family navigating cultural change, includes a duet by the main character, Tevye, and his wife, Golde. As they watch their daughters marry for love, they contemplate their own arranged marriage. Do you love me? Tevye sings. After first deflecting the question, Golde recounts the many things she s done for or with him during 25 years together cooked, cleaned, endured hardships, raised a family. She concludes, If that s not love, what is? When Jesus speaks of love, he uses a word that might be better translated as serve. Above all, love is an action. Sometimes we feel loving; sometimes not. But Jesus calls us always to act lovingly. And in the end, serving is the best way to show our love. Answer Key to Puzzle on Page 6

11 Sunday School program First Sunday of Advent Dedication of Memorials Honoring Our Veterans The Messenger Pa Pa ge ge 11 STEWARDS FOR NOVEMBER, 2016 Nov. 6 Greeters 9:00 Roger & Judi Adkins, Barbara Draucker Fellowship Penny Benda Nursery 9:00 Judy Cross, Kelly Smith Acolyte 9:00 TBA Children s Moment 9:00 Jonnie Peterson Ushers 9:00 Group 1: John Stulich, Lonnie Peters Craig Draucker, Jeff Peterson, Jim Persinger Nov. 13 Greeters Fellowship Nursery Acolyte Children s Moment Ushers Nov. 20 Greeters Fellowship Nursery Acolyte Children s Moment Ushers 9:00 Dennis & Teresa Davis, Lyle & Barbara Nootz Carmen Troxel 9:00 Shelly Reil 9:00 TBA 9:00 Pastor Chuck Rager 9:00 Group 2: Steve Shull, Burrell Albee, Terry Johnson, Jerry Speck, Richard Johnson 9:00 Brian & Claudia Stevenson, Cena Graves Herb & Karen Knudsen 9:00 Ken & Chris Snyder 9:00 TBA 9:00 Penny Benda 9:00 Group 3: Dennis & Teresa Davis, John & Sharon York, Todd & Kim Peterson, Wendell & Ramona Upright Nov. 27 Greeters 9:00 Judy Cross, Ted & Jean Slagle Fellowship???? Nursery 9:00 Ryan & Rose Holechek Acolyte 9:00 TBA Children s Moment 9:00 Ginny Steinke Ushers 9:00 Group 4: Roger Rankin, Pete Peterson, Phil Armstrong Ken Meyer Dec. 4 Greeters 9:00 Don & Shirley Bassett, Doug & Linda Fuller Fellowship Larry & Shirley Schlem, Doris Keller Nursery 9:00 Collette Van Borkum Acolyte 9:00 TBA Children s Moment 9:00 Carmen Troxel Ushers 9:00 Group 5: Jim Glenn, Mike Samuelson, Gerold Radcliffe, Todd Benda Dec. 11 Greeters Fellowship Nursery Acolyte Children s Moment Ushers 9:00 L.D. & Sherri Walker, Bev Johnson Ted & Jean Slagle 9:00 Shalee Krajewski 9:00 TBA 9:00 Jonnie Peterson 9:00 Group 6: Larry & Shirley Schlem,Lyle & Barbara Nootz, Chuck & Nancy Graff, Larry & Doris Keller, John & Sheila Turner If you would like to have your name added to the rosters for any of the service opportunities listed above, please contact the church office.

12 F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H P. O. B o x N o r t h S p r u c e S t r e e t O g a l l a l a, N E P h o n e : ( ) or ( ) F a x : ( ) P a r s o n a g e : ( ) E - m a i l a d d r e s s e s C h u r c h O f f i c e : u m c o g a l l a l q w e s t o f f i c e. n e t R e n e e : u m c o g a l l a l a _ r e n e q w e s t o f f i c e. n e t P a s t o r C h u c k : u m c o g a l l a l a _ p a s t o q w e s t o f f i c e. n e t JUST FOR FUN! T h e M e s s e n g e r F i r s t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h N o r t h S p r u c e P. O. B o x O g a l l a l a, N e b r a s k a NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID OGALLALA, NEBRASKA Permit No. 74 R e t u r n S e r v i c e R e q u e s t e d Our Vision: To be a dynamic church, sharing and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ Our Mission: To love God, love each other and extend that love beyond our church