The Pillars. September Pastor s Message

Transcription

1 Rev. Karen Burtner Graham The Pillars September 2017 The mission of the New Concord United Methodist Church is to make and develop disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Pastor s Message I spent some of my summer thinking and preparing for this fall. In addition to worship planning, of course, there were other ministry matters that required my attention. I ll share them with you now. One concerns the direction of our children and youth ministry. I had a very helpful consultation with Kaye Wolfinger, the director of young people s ministry for the East Ohio Annual Conference. One of her pieces of advice was for us to slow down a bit when it comes to hiring a new youth director, and take time over this next academic year to do some visioning and planning, and to implement some small things over the year that we can do, and do well. For example, she suggested that we continue to offer children s Sunday School, but to not get too focused on the number of children attending. Develop some other ways to encourage discipleship in children that better fit the needs of their parents. So continue, she said, with our children s church ministry and our children s choir. She encouraged us to think about offering one day VBS programs on school holidays and to offer it to the community. We could pick 2-3 school holidays and really have fun with this. I like this idea do you? When it comes to youth ministry, she said if, as the pastor, I was willing to be involved this academic year, along with some other adults, she thought a program that maintained relationships with our youth and offered some discipleship/mission opportunities would be just fine, without trying to fix things by hiring a youth director. She reminded me that the church really needs to buy into children s and youth ministries and not just think that it s someone else s job. We talked about using this academic year for both confirmation and youth fellowship and to spread it out over the school year, so that maybe once a month the focus would be on confirmation, and the other week of the month it could be a broader youth program/event. I assured her I was willing, and so I will be inviting parents and youth to my house on a Sunday in September to get this conversation going and to think about how to structure the upcoming year.

2 As far as young, or younger adults go, I ve already had a conversation with someone in our congregation who is willing to start pulling together a group of adults with at home or school age children, and to talk about how church fits into their lives, and what kind of programming or groups or opportunities they want. Kaye and I agreed that this needs to be driven by those who want it, and not something that I as the pastor, or a leadership committee at the church can do for them. It most likely wouldn t start as a Sunday School class, but if those who participate feel a sense of connection with each other, a Sunday School class may develop from it. Again, it is important for us, a congregation, to not get boxed into thinking that ministry has to have a certain format. What happened in the past was good of course it was and for some that format is still effective. But maybe not for the newer generations. So we just have to be patient, and try some things, and not get discouraged. We can do that, right? She gave me a book to read and suggested I get others in the church to read it, too. It s called Not Safe For Church: Ten Commandments for Reaching New Generations, by F. Douglas Powe, Jr., and Jasmine Rose Smothers. I ll read it first but am already thinking I ll start with Staff-Parish Relations and Church Council as a way to introduce the ideas to the congregation. So that s what I ve been thinking about. I will of course share these suggestions with other folks/groups/leaders in the church, and see what kind of affirmation there is. I hope there s enough to act on at least some of them. Looking forward to what comes next, Pastor Karen New Ministry Ideas As was shared with the congregation after Annual Conference, our Bishop has asked every congregation to engage in at least one new, bold, courageous mission/ministry beyond the church s walls. Folks present in worship on that Sunday were asked to think about this and to come up with ideas. So let s hear what they are! Please send recommendations to Pastor Karen or to Heather Coen, our Church Council chairperson, before the Council s meeting on September 18. This will give Council some time to talk about them and then select one or two to be brought forward to our Charge Conference on November 12. Your ideas matter. And your input is vital as we work together to live out our vision. You may Heather at: heathercoen@yahoo.com, or put something in the Church Council mail at the top of the steps by the church office.

3 Study Opportunity Two sessions of Adam Hamilton s Creed: What Christians Believe and Why will be offered this fall. A Tuesday morning session will begin September 19 at 10 a.m. and a Tuesday evening session will begin that same day at 7 p.m. Each session will last 6 weeks. You may contact the church office to sign up and to order a study book (regular or large print.). This opportunity is for everyone folks who are newer to Christian faith and folks who want a refresher course, to simply understand more of what they might already believe. Youth Ministry Pastor Karen invites all youth, 6 th -12 th grades, and their parents, to meet at the parsonage (171 Highland Drive, New Concord) on Sunday September 17 at 5:30 p.m. We ll have some food, we ll have some fun, and we ll talk about how we want to move forward with both confirmation and youth fellowship during this school year. Please bring ideas and calendars! Coming Up September 10, 2017at 4 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church in Zanesville will hold a Memorial Service in Honor of Police, Firefighters, and Emergency Response Personnel. This will be a solemn service involving choirs from multiple local churches. Imagine: A Clean Community on September 13, This is an evening with David Sheff, award winning journalist and author of Beautiful Boy: A Father s Journey Through His Son s Addiction. The event will be held at Secrest Auditorium, 334 Shinnick Street, Zanesville. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with exhibitions and refreshments in the basement. The lecture and panel discussion will take place 6-8 p.m. in the auditorium, with booksigning at 8 p.m. in the lobby. On The Same Page Muskingum is partnering with the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board to promote Sheff s book. Check with your local library branch, or Walls of Books (in Zanesville). For ticket registration, visit: The New Concord Addiction Awareness Coalition is promoting this event.

4 GriefShare begins Wednesday, September 13 th at 7 p.m. It will be hosted here at the church in Room 207 (off the overflow). This program will run for 12 weeks. If you ve lost someone close to you, or know someone who has, please call us to find out more information about our weekly GriefShare seminar/support group. We know it hurts and we want to help. Cost is $15 for the full 12 weeks scholarships may be available, if needed. M.O.P.S. (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) will begin a new year with an open house on Thursday, September 14 from 9:30 11:30 a.m. The group meets here at our church in room 108. All mothers and their pre-school children are welcome to come by on the 14 th to learn more about the program and to meet other mothers! As a church we are glad to sponsor this vital outreach ministry by providing financial support as well as a place to meet. It would also be great if some folks from our congregation would be willing to help with child care. It means being available once or twice a month on Thursdays, from 9-11:30 a.m. The mothers can t enjoy their programs and activities without consistent child care. If enough people are willing, the responsibility can be shared, and each volunteer would have more weeks without being on duty. So please give this your prayerful consideration, and let the church office know so we can pass on the information. The Guernsey Gospel Jubilee Association presents the 24 th Annual Fall Gospel Sing on September 15 and 16. The Sing begins Friday evening at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. The Gospel Sing will be held at Spring Valley Campground, 800 Dozer Road, Cambridge. For more information call or visit The UMW Retreat, Happy Trails will take place on Saturday, September 16 from 9 a.m. 3 p.m. The Beverly UMW will be sponsoring the retreat this year. If you would like to attend, please call the church office and Corey can get you a registration form. Even if you are unable to attend, you can still help; please bring in your used eyeglasses and cases. There is no cost for the day!

5 A Multi-Church Presbyterian Women s Horizon Bible Study will begin Thursday, September 21 st. The study will be on the book Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews. The study will meet the 3 rd Thursday of the month for 9 months from 11 a.m. -12:15 p.m. The first meeting will take place in the Parlor of College Drive Presbyterian Church. The hosting church is likely to rotate since it is open to the community. Please call to order your study book; price is $10. We will enjoy a Membership Celebration Sunday on October 1st. In both services we will recognize all church members, with special attention given to those who have been members of NCUMC for 50+ years. This will be a wonderful time to gather with each other to celebrate the long-time commitment of our membership. Pastor Karen will preach on Faithful Participation. We will celebrate World Communion, and we will renew our membership vows. There will be a HeBrews reception between the two services, and a reception following the 10:30 service. Plan now on attending! Darryl Strawberry, former baseball player and addict, will be in New Concord on Saturday, Oct 7 to share his Christian witness. The event will take place in the elementary school park on Main Street, starting at 1 p.m. Organized by Scott Thompson of Friendship Baptist Church, the purpose of this event is to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to invite people into a saving relationship with him. The New Concord Ministerial Association has met with Scott, and is willing to help with promotion. Pastor Karen and the other clergy will serve as counselors during and after the altar call. There is a mission trip to Henderson Settlement being planned for October, keep your eyes open for more information. Come back to Sunday School! It s that time of year again, the time for Sunday School to start back up. Rally Sunday is September 11 th. We will take time during the service to dedicate those serving the youth.

6 We want to celebrate two new members to our congregation. Welcome, Glenn & Claretta Baker! Since the Bakers are not included in your directory you can reach them by calling , or by mail at 6376 Skyline Drive Cambridge, Ohio College Scholarships were awarded this year to Trey Bennett and Donny Ingold. Trey is a junior at Ohio University in Athens, majoring in nursing. Donny is a sophomore at Muskingum University, majoring in biology. Both young men are excellent students. Each received money from the earnings of the Ray Young Memorial Scholarship and the Lyle & Mary Welker Memorial Scholarship. These scholarships are invested through our Endowment Fund. We give thanks for the Young and Welker family s support of higher education. Choir Rehearsals How good it will be to have our choirs performing again in our worship! Each choir director welcomes new singers/ringers! Each choir also practices. Here are the rehearsal days/times for each choir: Children s Choir: Wednesdays, 5 p.m. Hand Bell Choir: Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Aldersgate Choir: Thursdays, 7 p.m. In addition, the Traveling Country Christian Choir will begin rehearsals for its Christmas Cantata on Tuesday, September 26 at 7 p.m. here in our church sanctuary. Under the direction of Betty Ward, this choir also welcomes new members. The choir will perform at our church on Sunday, December 3, at 4 p.m.

7 September Worship September 3: Holy Communion Scripture: Exodus 12:1-14; Matthew 18:15-20 Sermon: Passed Over? In this seminal story from Exodus, the Hebrew slaves are passed over by the angel of death, the 10 th plague that beset the Egyptians. With this as our background, we ll consider and celebrate that when it comes to God s love in our lives, none of us is passed over and that all of us are welcome at Christ s table. September 11: Rally Sunday Scripture: Exodus 14:19-31; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35 Sermon: Remembering, Forgiving, Living We ll consider each scripture text individually, and after some preaching on each one, we will have time for personal response. The Aldersgate Choir returns to our 10:30 worship service! We will dedicate all those involved in Christian Education teaching/learning. September 17: Scripture: Exodus 16:1-15; Matthew 20:1-16 Sermon: If Only Like the Hebrews in the wilderness, all of us have experienced the if onlys when we look at our current situation and think about how it might be different if only we d done this or that, or if only this or that had happened to us instead. God may weary of our if only complaining, but fortunately he still listens and provides for us. As he gave manna to the Hebrews in the wilderness, so does he bless us. We know this, if only we pay attention. September 24: Bible Presentation Sunday Scripture: Exodus 22:21-27; Matthew 22:34-46 Sermon: Asking and Answering Good Questions On this Sunday when we present Bibles to our third-graders, we ll revisit this well-known gospel account of a lawyer asking Jesus a question, which commandment is the greatest? and of Jesus asking his disciples a question, What do you think of the Messiah? Good questions deserve good answers. And we get them.

8 September 2017 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Each Sunday 1 Romans 12: Matthew 16: :30 Contemporary Worship 9:30 Sunday School 10:30 Traditional Worship 3 Psalm 83:1-4, Exodus 4: Revelation 3: Psalm Exodus 12: Romans 13:1-7 9 Matthew 18:15-20 Trustee on Call: Greg Gerlach Holy Communion 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: Aldersgate Choir 11-3: Private Party - Rooms 211 & Psalm Exodus 12: Romans 13: Exodus 151b-11, Exodus 14: Romans 14: Matthew 18:21-35 Trustee on Call: Tammi DeMattio 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GriefShare 9:30-11:30: MOPS 7: Aldersgate Choir 17 Psalm Exodus 15: Romans 16: Psalm 105:1-6, Exodus 16: Philippians 1: Matthew 20:1-16 Trustee on Call: Collin Linnabary 5:30: Youth at Pastor Karen s 7: Church Council 10: Apostle s Creed Study 7: Apostle s Creed Study 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GreifShare 7: Trustees 7: Aldersgate Choir 24 Psalm 119: Exodus 16: Philippians 1: Psalm 78:1-4, Exodus 17: Philippians 2: Matthew 21:23-32 Trustee on Call: Brent Riggle Bible Presentation 10: Apostle s Creed Study 1:30: UMW 7: Country Choir 7: Apostle s Creed Study 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GriefShare 9:30-11:30: MOPS 7: Aldersgate Choir

9 September 4: William Marling Jon-Erik Nicholson Rebecca Ritchey Kimberly Slack September 5: Kay Hudson September 6: Rita Mitchell Julie Richards James Taylor September 7: Shane Forrestal Lynn Welker September 8: Kelli Bennett September 9: Joshua Haynes September 13: Loas Gerlach Joyce Girod Deborah Winner September 14: Gail Requardt September 18: Jim Ault William Gingerich Leonard Martin Don White September 19: Dennis Moffitt September 20: Ellouise Coleman Rob Ellsworth September 23: Robert Slack September 28: Kevin Alten September 29: Kathy LePage We are still mailing a lot of Pillars! If you would like to receive it by , please the church office ncumcoffice@frontier.com. Benefits to receiving it by you get it before the beginning of the month, you will be helping us save postage and paper & you get it in full color! There are still dates available for the Mission Candle! We light the Mission Candle in Memory or Honor of someone we love. Stop in the church office to sign-up and leave your $10 donation. September 10: Jim & Pat Taylor September 17: Mark & Megan Atkinson Josh & Heather Coen September 19: Lance & Kelli Bennett Rick & Chris White September 23: Harry & Jennifer Sutphen September 28: Charlie &Betty Neptune Michael & Jessica Perrin September 29: Brian & Teresa Bennett Please accept our sincerest apologies if your land mark anniversary date was misprinted last month. If this happened to you, please call the office and let Corey know. We want all of our information to be correct! See someone that we should include on our birthday or anniversary list? Just give Corey a call!

10 Sunday Services 8:30 Contemporary Worship Service 9:30 Sunday School 10:30 Traditional Worship Service Office Hours Monday-Friday 9:00 3:00 Office Staff Rev. Karen Burtner Graham, Pastor Mrs. Corey Elliott, Secretary Mrs. Chris White, Treasurer *Please have articles in by September 20 th For the next issue of The Pillars Karen s Office Hours Monday- Thursday 10:00 2:00 Monday Thursday afternoon/evenings visiting, office appointments as needed, meetings Fridays Day off Saturday Working at home, available by appointment Contact US Phone Fax ncumcoffice@frontier.com Rev. Karen s revkncumc@frontier.com