Looking Ahead: New Church Address. Pastor s Perspective

Transcription

1 T R I N I T Y U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H I D A H O F A L L S Trinity United Methodist Church 237 N Water Ave. Idaho Falls, ID Phone TrinityUMCIdahoFalls@gmail.com Return Service Requested NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Idaho Falls, ID Permit No Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Door s February 2019 Pastor s Perspective Sunday Schedule: 9:00am Sunday School for All Ages 10:15am Worship for Everyone & Looking Ahead: March 5 th - Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner and Races March 6 th - Ash Wednesday March 7 th - Thank You, Dedication & Spaghetti Dinner at Church (more info inside) March 13 th - 15 th Northwestern Leadership Institute (NLI) in Boise March 15 th - RCCM Lenten Lunches begin March 29 th - & 30 th Lamb of God Oratorio at the Rexburg Tabernacle April 21 st - Easter May 19 th - Spring Handbell Concert New Church Address TrinityUMCIdahoFalls@gmail.com Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Creator of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. Dear Siblings in Christ, Ephesians 4:1-6 CEB Below is an excerpt of a recent blog from our Bishop, Elaine Stanovsky, in which she speaks about an experience when she was 16 of having a gay friend and how that helped her to better understand her own faith and responsibility to reflect God s love. She writes about this topic as we United Methodists prepare to hold a special called General Conference in St. Louis, February At that meeting 78 pieces of legislation will be considered; all of these will relate to 3 different plans that will determine the future and structure of the United Methodist Church. The basic question is about how we interpret scripture: will we be a church that values inclusivity, or will we be a church that values purity above all? Folks have been making decisions about how to interpret scripture for a long time. The church had to reinterpret scripture when we realized that slavery was wrong, and when we realized Jim Crow laws were wrong, and when we allowed women to be ordained. One day I was on the phone you know (or maybe you don t), the one-and-only-heavy-blackdial-phone that sat in the living room, where anyone in the family could hear your side of the conversation and speculate about the other side. I was talking to a 16-year-old boy from a neighboring church on youth council business. We were both sexually inexperienced, but through youth ministry, we had become aware of the emerging struggle of lesbian, gay and transgender people to be understood and accepted. Somewhere in the conversation, Michael said, I think I might be gay. And I don t know if there is a place for me in the Church. Michael didn t find his gay identity outside the Church. He didn t come to the church as an invader or a reformer, trying to change the Church. He grew up in the Church. He was baptized in the Church. He was formed and shaped by the Church. And as he began to understand himself as a sexual person, before he had been in a sexual relationship, it was within the church that he searched to find his place in God s good creation. I didn t know how to respond, but I knew that in the Church we embrace one another, and we stay in relationship, and we walk together. So, I found Michael some gay Christians to help him find his way. And I knew from that moment on, that I would work in the Church to understand and to welcome, and to learn from brothers and sisters who did not fit the sexual norms I had grown up with, but who loved God, wanted to serve God, exhibited life-giving loving relationships in their lives and were members of the household of the Church.

2 I hear people claim that the movement for full inclusion of LGBTQ people is a secular movement, driven by outsiders who want to control the Church. I don t know many secular people who care very much about what the Church thinks or teaches. But I know lots of LGBTQ Christians like Michael, whose sexual identity unfolded right alongside their Christian identity, as they grew into adulthood as members of the Church. I do not know what the outcome of General Conference 2019 will be. If the One Church Plan passes, there is a large chunk of the church, which has been preparing to form their own denomination for some time, who will leave. If the Traditionalist Plan passes, most the Annual Conferences in the Western Jurisdiction, which Trinity is in, will leave the United Methodist Church as our bishops and clergy are driven out of the larger church by having their ordinations One of the many things Pack 6 did in January was to build a tarp shelter. I found myself talking to them about the difference between a house and a home. A house is a building for human habitation. A home is a place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family. A shelter is a place that provides temporary protection from bad weather or danger. In that moment I said that when you build a shelter, always strive to make it more like a home, not a house. Even though a shelter is temporary protection from danger, it is important to welcome people into it like family. When things are rough, the people underneath the shelter with you are in the same circumstance and in that moment, you are de facto of one group, a family. revoked in church trials. If the Connectional Church Plan passes, the larger church will be rendered unable to function as it struggles to pass dozens of constitutional amendments. (We couldn t even manage to ratify the 5 amendments that passed overwhelmingly at General Conference 2016.) I do know one thing though! When Sunday March 3rd comes around, the community of Trinity will gather in our beloved building to celebrate worship as the body of Christ; and I will be with you. I pray that the Holy Spirit will descend upon General Conference 2019 and bring new life, beyond what humans have imagined, to the United Methodist Church. Blessings, Reverend Ruth Cub Scout Pack 6 - Sam Bays Pack 6 just had it s Pinewood Derby. Our Webelos/AOL are gearing up for Winteree with Troop 6. On the horizon is Scout Sunday on February 10th. If anyone has a fun vacation story or souvenir from Latin America, I d love to share it with Pack 6. Also, this is a good time to join Pack 6 as a youth or volunteer. Sam Bays Sharing the bounty! Membership Notes A Celebration of Life was held for Marjorie Wheeler who died on January 6th. She was an Idaho Falls native who was a member of Trinity for many years, active in a number of committees and with UMW. There is still time to buy Restoration Bricks The last date to order engraved bricks for this year is Feb. 28th. As of the middle of January we have 141 bricks spoken for. This has been a fund raiser for the renovations, a good way to remember loved ones, or put in stone a saying for the following generations. Girl Scout Troop 713 News - Nancy Stewart Cookie season has started with preordering and delivery in late February. Booth sales will start in March. The girls are having fun working on badges and a journey for the month of February. I am also going to ask for the Troop's help with our Spaghetti dinner on March 7. Grocery Cart Wish List for February! - Linda Milam During February, the grocery cart parked near the sanctuary doors could especially use the following items: canned vegetables (green beans, carrots, tomatoes, corn); canned soup (any type of condensed soup); canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, Spam); or toothpaste. Please, no glass containers, home canned foods or items from bulk food bins! All items will be delivered to Regional Council for Christian Ministry for our missions: The Community Food Basket and Soup Kitchen, and FISH. Thank you for sharing your good fortune. Around the Church Trinity Meals Scout Brunch will be extra special this month! We will celebrate Scout Sunday on the 10th and then enjoy a Dutch oven brunch. (Don't wait to get in line; the potatoes always go fast.) Donations are welcome. February's pot luck lunch will be on the 24th. It is a wonderful time to join in fellowship and enjoy a great meal! Soup Sundays In February we will have Soup Sunday after church on February 3rd and 17th. Please call the office ( ) to sign up to bring a crock pot of soup, or surprise us and just bring one. Crackers and rolls are also welcome. This will be our hearty contribution to fighting off the chill of winter. Page 3 Page 4

3 Scouting Troop 6 News - Robin Stewart The scouts are preparing for several activities in the coming weeks. The Annual Merit Badge Scramble, sponsored by St. Paul's Troop 382, started in January and will continue in February and March. The boys will be working on up to four merit badges, which are taught by counselors throughout the area. If you'd like to become a counselor for an activity or hobby you have either a vocation or profession in, let me know and I'll help you get certified, and add you to the list for our great youth. The troop is also getting ready for the annual Winteree, the district winter camporee. The Winteree will be held at Krupp Scout Hollow, and features both traditional and LDS troops. The boys will be demonstrating and learning traditional scout skills, as well as their prowess in log sawing, canoe races (over the snow), and the ability to construct a traditional klondike sled from raw lumber, lacing and rope (no preassembled kits please!!!) in 45 minutes, and then, hauling a load (usually a competing troops adult scouter) they will race the Krupp scout obstacle course. The scouts are scored on team work, construction, and speed. At night, the scouts will participate in the Winteree honor trail, with each of the 12 points of the scout law represented. To finish off the weekend, the scouts will work a search and rescue scenario, rescuing a helpless adult who has suffered a debilitating injury while out in the wilds of Labelle. We're all looking forward to it. Sunday, February 10th marks the 2019 scout week, when Troop 6 hosts the annual Dutch oven brunch. The scouts will be serving assorted goodies from their ironware, which will be served after church for the congregation - and any visitors that appear. The scouts will be accepting donations for their scouting, but its really our way of thanking the Trinity congregation for hosting all scouting. Beginning in February 2019, Scouting will hopefully include a girl troop for scouting. If any girl/parents wants to help start a new girl troop - which will be separate from Troop 6 but will be linked via our committee, please contact Robin, Nancy, or Rev. Ruth and we'll be glad to help start this exciting development in scouting - It's going to be great. Thanks again for all the support Trinity gives scouting - It's important to our youth. Thank You & Dedication of Renovations - Pam Traughber Celebrate the completion of the Restoration Project (which we have been involved in for a looooong time) with a spaghetti dinner on Thursday, March 7th at 6:00pm. Enjoy tours of the fabulous new features in the wonderful rooms which have been updated to make Trinity more usable and accessible to congregation and community members. (I am so looking forward to my new view!) Kids Time for all ages - Each Sunday during the 10:15 Worship Service we want kids to volunteer to be acolytes and lay readers for worship. Please sign up and speak to Rev. Ruth. In February we will learn about the miracles that Jesus performed during his ministry. Some of the children will help tell about one of Jesus miracles during worship on Feb. 3. We will also learn how God heals our hearts. Gary Rose 2/2 Trudy Esparza 2/3 Sheryl Schaffer 2/8 Steve Holaday 2/8 Diane Croson 2/11 Roger Haga 2/13 Savannah Jensen 2/14 Youth Activities - Betty Anderson Please call me at the office if you would like to volunteer to be on the kitchen crew or donate food. Confirmation Class - Sundays until Easter at the Parsonage at 3:00 pm a great group of youth, very dedicated adults and Rev. Ruth meet together. All youth from 6th grade through high school are invited to participate. Note: No Confirmation Class on Feb. 3 because of the Superbowl, or on Feb. 24 because of Special General Conference. February Birthdays & Anniversaries Kristy Campbell 2/15 Ruth Byron 2/16 Leroy Meyer 2/17 Nancy O Brien 2/21 Ruth Oar 2/22 Tim French 2/23 Savon Mower 2/25 Josh Borland 2/25 Kathy Borland 2/28 For additions to or corrections on birthdays please contact Pam in the church office Page 5 Nativity Set Display What a lovely display of Nativity Sets (Manger Scenes) we had for everyone to enjoy! Many were on loan but some belong to Trinity. There were 18 in all and each was different. Some came from different cultures and some were hand made. Such a wonderful variety. Thank you so much. A Thank you for Christmas Celebrations - Betty Anderson A big thank you to all the children, youth and adults who gave of their time and talents to make the Christmas Eve Service 2018 so special. The theme What is God Like? using photos of our church family with narration and music conveyed the meaning of the birth of Christ who came to earth as a baby. There were 28 children and youth, and many adults who assisted. Special thanks to Tommy Lew, the photographer, and Don Rohde and Rev. Ruth for the technology to put the program all together. Page 6

4 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 3 11:30 Soup after Church 10 SCOUT SUNDAY 11:30 Scout Brunch Dutch Oven 3:00 Confirmation Class 7:00 Pack Comm. Meeting 17 11:30 Soup after Church 3:00 Confirmation Class 24 11:30 Pot Luck Lunch 4 11:00 Soup Kitchen Mission 11 10:00 F.I.S.H. 7:00 Girl Scout Leaders Gp 18 Presidents Day Church Office Closed 11:00 Soup Kitchen Mission 25 7:30 Troop 6 Committee meeting 5 7:00 Trustee Meeting :00 Administrative Council 26 6:30 ADAH Meeting Ruth and David at General Conference :30 Finance Committee 20 6:30 Gather at the Table 27 6:00 Susannah Circle 7 9:30 UMW Executive Committee Meeting 6:30 Choir 8:00 Serenity Seekers 14 Valentines Day 9:00 Steering Committee 1:00 UMW Unit Meeting 6:30 Choir 21 10:00 News Letter Crew 6:30 Chancel Choir 8:00 Serenity Seekers 28 1:00 Ethel Clark Circle 6:30 Chancel Choir 8:00 Serenity Seekers 1 Church Office Closed 8:00 PEO (CM) Breakfast Meeting 9:00 Community Partners 6:30 Dinner & A Movie Chariots of Fire 8 Church Office Closed 15 Church Office Closed Newsletter Articles Due 22 Church Office Closed 2 9 5:30 AA Women s Retreat Ruth and David at General Conference Mar 1 Office Closed 9:00 Community Partners 12:00 PEO Meeting 6:30 Dinner & A Movie Mar 2 February Please have your articles for the February newsletter submitted to: donrohde@aol.com no later than Saturday, February 15th, so we can get the newsletter out in a timely manner. Thank you! Don Rohde-Editor donrohde@aol.com Page 7 Page 8

5 Trinity Restoration - Nancy Stewart January has been busy with the electricians finishing the interior work; drywallers hanging sheetrock, taping, and texturing the walls and ceilings; and plumbers installing our new water heater and drain for a washer in the boiler room. Late January work included tile in the bathrooms and painting on the new walls. The final work in February will include flooring, cabinets, toilets, and sinks. The completion of the interior remodel has been pushed out to March and we are anticipating having working bathrooms for our Spaghetti Dinner to dedicate our restoration work at 6 PM on March 7 in the Mary Dawson Hall. Our General Contractor, Alan Clark, has started removing the loose concrete from our three structural columns in Mary Dawson Hall. These columns required new concrete around them to ensure structural integrity. Column repair has been made possible with a matching 1:1 grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust Foundation. We have received the final change orders covering: column repair, exit lights, carpeting stairs and landing into Mary Dawson Hall and Kitchen, suspending drywall ceiling in several areas, disposal of asbestos contaminated windows, spray texture and ceiling trim in six rooms for ~ $15,000. We have updated the heater control in the Parsonage, completed the year end walk through. Most of the rest of the Trustee work in January, has been supporting Trinity Restoration. Don Rohde is analyzing and documenting our spending and contingency needs in his spreadsheets, and presents the information to the Trustees, Steering and Financial Committees. Page 9 The roof work is finishing up with the addition of four scuppers and downspouts on the towers and mid level roofs to minimize frozen ice chunks falling on the membrane roofing material for $2,500. We have been in contact with Partners for Sacred Places concerning the roofing material used next to the shingles on the apex roof and the north and south towers. The current change orders are within $100 of our current projected funds if all the committed pledges are fulfilled. Thank you to everyone for your donations and ongoing pledges. With your help we are making this a financially viable project for TUMC. New Roof viewed from across the street. Trustees Corner - Nancy Stewart We have committed to painting two areas in the church as part of the restoration (not included in the formal scope change). Robin Stewart has worked with Trustees to install updated internet and phone capabilities in our remodeled rooms. Thank you, Robin, for your time and talent. F.I.S.H. See F.I.S.H. article below. The Year at FISH - Bev Kemp, FISH Chair Thank you to all of you at Trinity for the generous support you have provided to FISH during In addition to your financial support, you have donated hundreds of volunteer hours. The FISH office has been housed in our building for decades and will continue to be after the restoration is complete, allowing us to dedicate funds to direct assistance to our client. During 2018: Regional Council for Christian Ministry Community Food Basket/Soup Kitchen - Dave Manson introduced Jessica, their new operations manager. Baby food and formula was provided to 266 families; over 1.6 million pounds of food was provided and 4000 individuals per month were served. The warehouse is a community resource as the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Cornerstone Church and others are able to store goods and materials there. In January, there was a nonprofit organization shopping opportunity for office supplies donated by Staples. Due to the government shut-down, food stamps will be issued once in January and there will be no more until the shut-down ends; food agencies are gearing up for a massive demand in February; the Community Food Basket needs to clear warehouse space for 100 pallets of food. Dave announced that all staff are now fork-lift certified! We provided school supplies to over 800 students at a retail cost of $36,750. That represents 11,025 lb of supplies that were purchased, packed and delivered to the schools. We provided about 800 hygiene kits, mostly to Dept. of Labor clients; and provided medical prescription coverage in the gap before FreeMed can provide that service. Clients were provided with $4,000 in goods from Deseret Industries including everything from school and maternity clothes to pots and pans. Little Church in the Pines - over 200 people attended services on Christmas Eve. Other items on interest: February 2 - Clothing Give-Away and Service Agency Information Sharing at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 270 N. Placer, from 9-1. The event is sponsored by New Day Lutheran Church, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and the INL. RCCM board meeting times have changed to 10:30 AM on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. In addition, the RCCM Board voted to provide health insurance covered to 3 employees. Lenten Series will be offered again, on the Fridays of Lent beginning on March 15 thru April 12. The series will be at a different church and with a different minister each week; there will be a soup and bread lunch offered at 11:30 or 12:30 with a service at noon. Financial assistance was provided in areas as diverse as purchasing birth certificates to register children in school to paying for appointments at the Community Family Clinic. FISH volunteers delivered food backpacks to feed children over the week-end who receive free or reduced lunch and breakfast at school during the week. We provided consumables like toilet paper and laundry soap to Promise Ridge along with a weekly delivery of fruit for the residents. None of this would be possible without your continued faith in our program and we are grateful for your support. You are truly appreciated for helping to put smiles on hundreds of faces each year. In 2019 the largest community need FISH is asked to serve will be for gasoline vouchers, Community Care Clinic visits and follow-up medications. Page 10

6 Trinity Methodist Church of Idaho Falls - Profit and Loss - January - December 2018 Income 8000 BUILDING & PROPERTY 4000 Pledges & Regular Giving 157, Custodial Supplies Loose Plate Giving 3, Church Maintenance & Repair 6, Interest Earned Utilities 5, Rent - Facility - Room Use 2, Natural Gas 4, Weddings Property Insurance & Workmen's 10, Schaumleffel Foundation 10, Repairs - Parsonage Maintenance 6, Other Income 1, Capital Fundraising Expenses Pass Through Deposits 1, BUILDING & PROPERTY 34,387 Income 176, ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS 9002 Wages - Staff Payroll 49,925 Expenses 9010 Employer Payroll Taxes 3, WORSHIP 9020 Interest Expense Worship Supplies Office Supplies Copyright Licensing Permit & Bulk Postage Honoraria Postage Senior Pastor 9080 Copier Expense 1, Senior Pastor Salary 38, Paper Parsonage Utility Allowance 5, Telephone and Internet 2, Senior Pastor Medical Ins. 15, Accounting 4, Sr Pastor Pension 8, Publicity & Advertising Sr Pastor - Professional Exp 1, Conference Delegates Pastors Moving Expense Conference & Continuing Education Senior Pastor 70, Conference Apportionments 2, WORSHIP 72, ADMINISTRATIVE OPS. 66, PROGRAM & FELLOWSHIP Bank Charges Christian Education Comm. 61 Expenses 176, Devotional Materials Sunday School Supplies 1,126 Net Operating Income Vacation Bible School Youth Ministries 250 Other Income 6130 Church Picnic Designated Giving-Internal 153, Coffee Hour Supplies Designated Giving - Pass Thru 2, PROGRAM & FELLOW. 2,623 Other Income 155, MISSION ACTIVITIES Other Expenses 7010 Regional Council Pass Through Expense - Internal 153, MISSION ACTIVITIES Pass Through Expense - External 2,092 Other Expenses 155,975 Net Other Income 0 Net Income 0 Trinity Methodist Church of Idaho Falls - Balance Sheet - As of December 31, 2018 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Floral Tributes $ 137 Liabilities Jack Wallace Estate Gift $ 39,285 Accounts Payable $ 5,432 Memorials $ 706 Payroll Liabilities $ 2,115 Mission Trip Senior High $ 327 Current Liabilities $ 7,547 NIRDA $ 50 Long-Term Liabilities Organ/Piano Tuning & Repair $ 820 Extension Society Loan #1 $ 95,000 Other Designated Funds $ 50 Extension Society Loan #2 $ 40,000 Pastor's Moving Fund $ 2,200 Long-Term Liabilities $135,000 Stained Glass Repair $ 97 Liabilities $142,547 Stephen Ministry $ 719 UMCOR Designated Funds $ 485 Equity Vacation Bible School $ 48 Designated Funds $ 312 VIM - Honduras $ 3,287 Bell Choir $ 4,792 Youth Ministries $ 953 Bereavement Committee $ 860 Designated Funds $ 87,236 Brick Purchase Fund $ 3,250 Endowment Fund Equity $245,257 Camp Scholarships $ 227 Matching Grant - Sacred Places $ 6,896 Capital Reserves $ 26,837 Retained Earnings $ 4,586 Chancel Choir $ 806 Schaumleffel Foundation Annual $ 3,467 Christian Education $ 10 Trinity Restoration Fund $198,672 Christmas Fund $ 14 Net Income $ - Compassionate Care Fund $ 711 Equity $546,114 Dinner Group Donations $ 165 Diverse Community Group $ 87 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $688,660 Trinity United Methodist Church - Pledge sheet for 2019 With the financial resources that God entrusts to me/us, I/we desire to join with fellow siblings in Christ at Trinity United Methodist Church to be a blessing to this world that hungers for God s grace. I/we would like to share these resources by: (1) Offering $ per week/month (circle one). OR (2) Offering % of my/our income, which currently equals about $ per week/month (circle one). Name(s): (If, at any time, you wish to increase, decrease, or cancel your estimate of financial support, please notify Pam, our Financial Secretary, in the church office at ) Page 11 Page 12