Trinity UMC. To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Transcription

1 To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Trinity UMC Trinity United Methodist Church 838 North 25th Street Fort Dodge, IA facebook.com/trinityumcfortdodge August 2018 Another baptism! We welcomed Amelia Mae Pratt into the Trinity family on July 8th. Amelia is the daughter of Eric and Amanda Pratt. Siblings Evan, Linnie and Gretta surprised their parents with a special song for Amelia. We look forward to watching and helping Amelia grow in her relationship with Christ. ***If you would like to receive the monthly newsletter via , please contact the office at ***

2 5 9:30 Worship 12 9:30 Worship 19 10:00 am 26 9:30 Worship 8 10:00 am Coffee with Friends 22 9:15 am Ruth August 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 12 pm Stewart family in F.H. 2:00 pm Sunday Before Dark 6:00 pm 4-H Worship at Kennedy- All day activities :00 am Retired School Personel Quilters all day Quilters all day Quilters all day 5:30 pm- Finance Committee Quilters all day 1 2 5:30 pm Worship Committee mtg. 6:30 pm Praise Team practice 15 6:30 pm Praise Team practice Circle 5:00 pm Rachel Circle 6:30 pm Praise Team practice 29 6:30 pm Trinity Singers practice resumes 8:30 am Women s 9 8:30 am Women s 1:30 pm UMW Guest Day 16 8:30 am Women s 23 8:30 am Women s 30 8:30 am Women s 6:30 pm Praise Team practice 31 5:30 Worship 5:30 Worship 9 am-1 pm Sheston Baby shower in Gathering Room 5:30 Worship 5:30 Worship

3 You are invited to an Open House Reception for Glen and Marj Thompson in honor of their 75th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 1st from 2-4 pm at the Friendship Haven Celebration Center. Angel Tree In August One of Trinity s projects is providing kits for UMCOR. It is that time of year again when we look for the Christmas tree outside the Gathering Room in the middle of the summer. Please take an angel home with you. Each angel has a list of supplies needed to make up the kits that will be sent to the Thanksgiving Ingathering and then distributed to those in need. There will also be angels with supplies for our own Christian Education Program. Please be generous. If everyone takes an angel off the tree, sign your name next to the clipboard, next to the corresponding # that matches the number on the angel, and bring it back with the list of items, we will have plenty of supplies to make the kits. If you are not able to shop for kits, envelopes for cash donations will also be available on the Angel Tree. Please place the angel and the items in a ziplock bag, if possible, and put them in the box under the Angel Tree by Wednesday, September 5th. Cash or check donations should be placed in the offering plate or brought into the church office. Thank you from the Missions Committee. FINANCE UPDATE Year to Date 06/30/ Receipts General fund $ 105, $ 124, $ (19,110.10) Additional 2018 receipts needed to date if all 2018 Budgeted Ministry is to be carried out. Additional responsibilities: 2018 Annual Apporionments $ 29, Trinity UMC General expenses $ $ 30, There are other non-planned incomes such as memorials, bequests, and various givings designated for special needs and purposes. They will be noted in another manner in our newsletter and an appropriate Thank You given. A complete copy of the financials can be looked at or made at the office.

4 Difference Makers: Lydia My maternal grandparents, who were very religious, named their only child (my mother), Ruth. My parents decided to do the same with two of their seven children: my living elder sister is Lydia, and, of course, there is yours truly. Herein, I will discuss how the Lydia in the bible exemplifies what it means to be a difference maker. We do not know much about Lydia than what we obtain from Acts 16: Lydia is a region in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Lydia is also a woman from a place called Thyatira, which is in Turkey (modern Akhisar). It is not clear whether the woman s name refers to her birthplace or is a typical given name for a girl. Also uncertain is whether she was slave or free. Apparently, she had a high social status from selling and trading in purple fabric. She was well known, and as the head of her household, it is presumed that she probably was a widow or divorcee of means. Lydia is attributed with being Paul s first convert to The Way in Europe. She was not a practitioner of Judaism per se, but she was, indeed, a spiritual person. Hence, when she met Paul, her heart was already open (or prepared by God) to receive and believe his message. Lydia was so receptive to his preaching that she chose to get baptized as well as to baptize her entire family. Subsequently, she was quite hospitable to Paul and his coterie of staff and believers. As a matter of fact, scholars of this historical period suggest that her home served as the initial meeting place, i.e., the first church in Philippi. What a terrific transformation story! Lydia, the first European Christian disciple! Certainly, Lydia was a difference maker by her acceptance of these strangers in her midst. She demonstrated Jesus notion of satisfying the needs of others and the prophetic utterances about opening one s home to strangers and the needy as well as to one s familiars. Having such a good reputation and being generous, Lydia provided refuge and solace for those seeking to worship God and learn about the burgeoning new faith. She was a gracious host, and many of the women in the area came to her home to join her in prayer. ************************************************************************************** Planning ahead Attention UMW! The NC District s Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 15th from 9:00 am 2:00 pm in Garner, IA. This is an important meeting for all women to attend, particularly UMW officers. Mark your calendars early and please plan to be there. We were recently given another very generous gift from the estate of Bernard and Florence Hayden: $72, Also bequeathed were two burial plots at North Lawn Cemetary.

5 United Methodist Women Guest Day We will have a UMW Guest Day on August 9th at 1:30 pm. Our speaker will be Sara Hatley from AFES. We will learn what we need to do to help this program continue to meet the needs of our community. Sarah Hatley, the program director for the Community Christmas program, shows off the folder she s using to organize the event. Formerly Operation Christmas, the program will be hosted by the Athletics For Education and Success (AFES) in their building. Operation Christmas, a 66 year old volunteer program in Fort Dodge that provided toys, clothes and other gifts to those in need, announced in October of 2017 that it would be its last year. Charles Clayton, executive director for the AFES program has announced that AFES will be taking over the project, which is now being called Community Christmas. When they decided to close it down, we decided that if nobody else would, we would take it over, he said. We didn t want to see it go. Sarah Hatley, program director, said the focus will shift a bit this year. Our focus will be just on the kids as we start this new program, she said. ************************************************ TORNADO DISASTER RELIEF We are collecting monetary donations for the town of Marshalltown, which was recently hit by a tornado in July. We have been in contact with Hope United Methodist Church in Marshalltown, which has members that were directly affected by the tornado. This money will go to the church for them to distribute to these families as they deem appropriate. We are also collecting items for the IAUMC Disaster Relief Committee to distribute throughout the state. The items they are requesting include: plastic totes with lids (all sizes), children s diapers of all sizes, laundry detergent, and personal hygiene items. We will continue to collect money and items for the next few weeks. Gladys Long Ilene Smith Rowena Bastian Joe Lennon Doris Ross Harold Jones Linda Pingel Jon Olson Joann Whittington Ramona Weins Amy (Perkins) Smith Ruth Williams Betty Schneider Clif Ellerbeck Diane Larson Jan Carpenter Men & Women TUMC College Students Prayers requests are updated on a regular basis. Please let us know if there is anyone you would like added. Thank you and have a blessed month! Give a call Show you care!

6 Robbing Peter to Pay Paul This phrase, rob Peter to pay Paul, harks back to a period of time when money was to be paid to the church at Rome (St. Peter). Members of a church in London (St. Paul) claimed they were unable to pay the tax to Rome because they needed to support their home church. Thus, the saying refers to this situation. When we think of the start of the early church, we usually associate its founding with the scripture, And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). So why is it that the major portion of the New Testament is written by Paul, and not Peter? It is questionable whether Peter knew how to write; it is believed that Silas cribbed things for him. As a matter of fact, scholars are not even sure if the second Epistle of Peter was actually written or communicated by the apostle: that it is pseudepigraphical, meaning written by someone else pretending to be Peter. Are we still robbing Peter and giving to Paul? For a bit of time, Peter and Paul did not even get along. Peter believed men who were non-jews had to be circumcised and follow the dietary laws. Paul felt that Gentiles did not have to abide by those two rituals. In Galatians 2:11-13, Paul mentions this dispute with Peter, although the book of Acts 15:7-11 seems to suggest that it was amicably resolved and they eventually reconciled. But clearly Paul is more central in articulating theological themes that have become foundational in the Christian tradition. Poor Peter! He still cannot catch a break! ********************************************************************************************* The Essential Paul This Adult Sunday School Class will examine the life of Paul and his letters. This eight-week session will focus on his Letter to the Romans. However, we ll also investigate the personality, overall theology, and missionary journeys of the apostle. Of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, thirteen of them are attributed to Paul. That s nearly half! In the process of this study, we will also discuss how his perspective relates to the ministry of Jesus. In addition to the bible, the major text for this Pauline study is: Paul and the Romans by Denise L. Stringer. Start Date: September 9, 2018 End Date: October 28, 2018 Time: 8:30-9:20 a.m. & 10:40-11:30 a.m. Instructor: Dr. B.

7 LOOKING AHEAD We will get back to our fall schedule beginning on Sunday, September 9th. That means the startup of our fall programs. Some start dates are still to be determined, but here is a tentative schedule of events starting in September: Sundays: 9:30 am- worship service 10:30 am- Sunday school all ages 4:00 pm- High School youth group Wednesdays: Thursdays: Saturdays: 3:15 pm Middle School Youth Group 5:30 pm Wednesday Nite Live (starting date to be determined) 6:30 pm Trinity Singers Practice 6:30 pm Praise Team Practice 5:30 pm Worship All other regular activities remain as they have been throughout the summer. AS YOU HARVEST If you find that you have extra produce as you do your gardening, don t forget our produce table located in the hallway by the Gathering Room. If you would like to donate your extra tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, etc., you can put them on the table for others to enjoy. These items will be available for a free will donation. Trinity Singers Do you like to sing? Join our choir, Trinity Singers, and experience the joy of worshiping our Lord through the beauty of music. Practices resume on Wednesday, August 29th at 6:30 p.m. The choir is open to all individuals from 7th grade adult. Come and make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Help Wanted: Volunteers to help out during our Worship at Kennedy Day We need help running games and activities, setting up, tearing down, serving the meal, participating during worship. Please contact Rachel ( ) or call the church office ( ) if you can help out! Our Trustees chairman, Scott Lundgren, doing what he does best a little bit of EVERY- THING! Thanks Scott, for all your hard work. If you are in the hospital and want a personal visit, please call the church. Hospitals no longer contact the church on your behalf so we need your help. Thank you!

8 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Ft. Dodge IA Permit No. 448 Return Requested Worship at Kennedy Sunday, July 19th 10:00 Worship service followed by a meal. After the meal, we will have an afternoon of fun and games! Menu: Chicken or hot dogs, chips, beans, macaroni salad, desserts and beverage. (free will donation) Activities: Bingo, dunk tank, bounce house, cake walk, lots of carnival type games for the kids, watermelon eating contest, bean bag tournament, karaoke, badminton, talent show, and much more!!! Bring your family, friends, neighbors Join the fun!!!