Argos United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 Argos United Methodist Church From Pastor Heather Our Heritage of Faith and Mission In 1836, Rev. Stephen Marsters was sent by the Methodist Episcopal Church as a missionary to Marshall, Fulton and Kosciusco Counties. He traveled on horseback through the wilderness up the newly built Michigan road to the unincorporated community that would become Argos. Rev. Marsters burned with zeal to establish a church. If I had but four logs to begin with, I could build a church, he said, meaning that he was looking for four faithful disciples whose hearts shared his passion for God and others. He found the four three women and one man. The little group met regularly in a member s home for worship, prayer, and scripture study, often without their pastor since his territory was large, the roads were few and a slow horse was his only mode of transportation. Despite the challenges, God worked mightily through these ordinary people. As they shared the love of Jesus and their stories of faith with their neighbors more and more people accepted their invitations to come and see for themselves. By the end of the year, four had grown to forty. This is God s work of building the kingdom of heaven on earth: Christ is the cornerstone (Acts 4:11), his Word is the ground on which to build (Matthew 7:24), the apostles and prophets are the foundation (Ephesians 2:20), and each disciple is given a spiritual gift to use for the mission (1 Peter 4:10). The four logs your pioneer ancestors laid down their lives to become the first course of construction of the Methodist movement in Argos. God s mission continues today and the Methodist emphasis on grace and transformation is as relevant and needed today as it was 181 years ago. So I ask you to pause and consider: Have you allowed the love of Jesus to fill your heart so that it burns with zeal? Have you identified the role that God has equipped and called you to fill in his disciple-making mission? Are you actively working with God and his church to see hearts and lives changed in Argos and the world? I am always available to help you take your next step to join the adventure. We shall be amazed at what God can do! Shalom, Heather

2 PAGE 2 September 2017 Greeters: Sept. 3 & 10: Judy Justus & Diann Parsons Sept. 17 & 24: Gene & Janice Cooper Visitor Greeter: Janet Gochenour Ushers: Walt & Isabelle Gordon & Max & Joyce Gibbons Offering Counters: Dave & Darleen PowerPoint: Tracey Leeper Worship Leaders Acolytes Nursery Sept. 3: Dave Shivers Patsy Singrey & Phyllis Shivers Portia Wampler Sept. 10: Connie Leeper Patsy Singrey & Phyllis Shivers Jane Mechling Sept. 17: Jerry Gates Monte & Barb McCollough Kathy Casper Sept. 24: Kathy Casper Monte & Barb McCollough Connie Lemler Children s Church Sept. 3: Kathy Casper & Jessie Dixon Sept. 10: Jessica Dixon & Janice Cooper Sept. 17: Cindy Taber & Elizabeth Beatty Sept: 24: Tracey Leeper & Tausha Kline In order for our services to run smoothly, it is important that all positions are filled. If you are unable to fulfill your obligation, please find someone to take your place. Fruitful Congregation Journey Do to a conflict for the leader of Fruitful Congregation Journey it has been three instead of two months since we last meant with other churches who are in this program, and we are excited about getting back together. Our next meeting is Saturday, September 9. Special prayer request this month is that we will all make attending the next meeting important, and come away from the meeting revived and ready to move forward. Please continue to pray for the group and our church. Pray: for us to have honest conversations, for us to be open to the Holy Spirit, new ideas, differing of opinions, for us to have courage and grace, and that we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us. Come Join Us For The Next Prayer Walk, Wednesday, Sept. 6 At 5:30. We Need You Ever get the feeling God wants you to try something new? Then here is an opportunity for you! You could host those people using our food pantry on Tuesdays, 9:00-11:00 a.m. or Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Bring some light snacks, drinks, and visit with our food pantry guests. If interested, call Barry Wampler or contact the church office for details.

3 KROGER REWARDS Each quarter, our church receives a check from the Kroger company for Community Awards Program. We receive a certain percent of the sales from those in our congregation who have signed up to participate in this program. We received $ for the first quarter of this year, and $ for the second quarter, making a yearly total so far of $ This money currently is going to the general budget. Thanks to those who are participating in this program, and keep shopping! If you haven t signed up yet to participate, here is what you need to do. In order to get credit for Kroger purchases you must have a Kroger Plus card. The card needs to be registered online at After accessing the website, follow the instructions for signing in and registering. Then select Argos United Methodist Church (Non Profit Organization Number 48037) so that your card will be linked to AUMC. After registering your Plus number with Community Rewards, use your card whenever shopping at Kroger and all purchases will be credited to the AUMC account. If you wish to register and need help, please call the church office at and Kathy will help you. PAGE 3 MOBILE FOOD VOLUNTEERS SEPTEMBER 15, :00-12:00 A.U.M.C. will be hosting a Mobile Food Pantry sponsored by the Food Bank of Northern Indiana on Friday, September 15 under the carport. At least volunteers are need to help with this project. Some jobs involve some lifting, but other jobs don t. If you can help, please contact Kathy at the office, Our busy bees and funny frogs are ready for preschool! A new year of preschool is about to begin at Little Discoveries Preschool on August 30th! I am so excited to have Val Harley join our preschool staff this year. She brings so much experience and wisdom as a teacher but also a passion for God and reaching our community for Him. I love that you will be even more connected to the preschool ministry with Val as our Pre-K teacher as well as a member of this church body. Thank you SO much for helping out with donations from our Lend us a Hand door! We have had an overwhelming response from the church and really appreciate all your support. I also want to thank everyone who donated veggies and bought veggies so preschool families who need financial assistance can be helped. It takes a partnership to make this a great preschool and a light to the community. I am excited to have people from the church being a prayer partner for each child again. Thank you to those of you doing that! You are making a difference in the lives of these precious children. I hope you will let them know you are praying for them throughout the year. Please join us in praying for what God wants to do in and through our preschool ministry this year. In His Love, Cheri Hacker, Interim Director

4 IDEAS FOR RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS Dear Strangers, I remember you. Eighteen months ago, when my cell phone rang, you were walking into Whole Foods prepared to do your grocery shopping, just as I had been only minutes before you. But I had already abandoned my cart full of groceries in the entryway. My bother was on the other end of the line telling me my father had taken his own life early that morning. I started to cry and scream as my whole body trembled. I fell to the floor, my knees buckling under the weight of what I had just learned. You could have kept on walking, ignoring my cries, but you didn t. You could have simply stopped and stared at my primal display of pain, but you didn t. Instead, you surrounded me as I yelled through my sobs, My father killed himself. He s dead. I remember one of you asked for my phone and whom you should call. What was my password? You needed my husband s name as you searched through my contacts. I remember that I could hear your words as you tried to reach my husband for me, leaving an urgent message for him to call me. I recall hearing you discuss among yourselves who would drive me home in my car and who would follow that person back to the store. You didn t even know one another, but it didn t matter. You encountered me, a stranger, in the worst moment of my life, and you coalesced around me with common purpose to help. In my fog, I told you that I had a friend who worked at Whole Foods, and one of you brought her to me. And I even recall as I sat with her, one of you sent over a gift card to Whole Foods; though you didn t know me, you wanted to let me know that you would be thinking of me. That gift card helped to feed my family when the idea of cooking was so far beyond my emotional reach. I never saw you after that. But I know this to be true: Because you reached out to help, you offered a ray of light in the bleakest moment I ve ever endured. You may not remember it. You may not remember me. But I will never, ever forget you. From Reader s Digest November 2016 by Deborah Greene SAVE THE DATE What: Cooper s Fall Party When: Saturday, September 30 Time: 5:30-6:30 Food ( bring a dish to share) 7:00-10:00 Bonfire, Hoedown, Hay Ride Where: Cooper s Farm Old US 31 South Hosts: Gene & Janice Cooper ARGOS UNITED METHODI ST CHURCH FRESH PRODUCE FOR PRESCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS Again this year the Preschool Committee is asking that you donate any extra fresh vegetables, fruit or flowers that you might have by bringing them to the church on Sunday mornings. The items will then be offered for a free will donation, with the money going to help with preschool scholarships. Everyone will profit from this project. Some will be able to see their extra produce get used, those who don t have gardens will be able to enjoy the fruit of others labor, and most importantly it will be possible for some children to attend preschool who wouldn t be able to otherwise. MISSION S FALL SALAD BAR Wednesday, September 27 11:00-1:00 Volunteers are needed to provide salads and desserts, and to work at the Salad Bar. Don t forget to invite your friends and neighbors to come and eat. Thank You A big thank you to all who purchased the homemade greeting cards. Thanks to your purchases, I am able to donate $186 to the church s facility fund. Blessings, Joyce Gibbons

5 ARGOS UNITED METHODI ST CHURCH LIBRARY This month s book is It Happens every Spring by Catherine Palmer & Gary Chapman. Word travels fast at the Just As I Am beauty shop. So when a simple homeless man appears on Steve and Brenda Hansen s door step, the entire shop is set abuzz, especially when Brenda lets him sleep on their porch. That s not all the neighbors are talking about. Spring is blooming outdoors, but an icy chill has settled over the Hansens marriage. Steve is keeping late hours with clients, and the usually upbeat Brenda is feeling the absence of her husband and her college-age kids. Add to that the unsavory business moving in next to the beauty shop and the entire community gets turned upside down. Now Brenda s friends must unite to pull her out of her rut and keep the unwanted store out of town. But can Steve and Brenda learn to thaw their chilly marriage and enjoy the hope spring offers? SHEPHERD S PANTRY New volunteers would be appreciated to help on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings. If you would like to volunteer contact either Patsy Singrey at or the church office. Pantry hours: Tuesday 9:00-11:00 & Thursday 5:30-6:30. Items that are needed at this time are: canned pasta, baked beans, and shampoo. Remember, each person is encouraged to bring one item each Sunday. Come Join Us For The Next Prayer Walk, Wednesday, September 6, BUDGET Amount needed each month to make budget is $14,022. The amount collected in August, was $13,318. SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS 2 Jon Leeper 20 Patsy Singrey 3 Noah Ortiz 21 Brandon Shafer 4 Bailey Hester 27 Tausha Kline 7 Warren Casper Heather Foley Bill Smith 10 Phyllis Shivers 11 Eli Snyder 15 Joyce Gibbons 16 Shelly Shafer Kellie Shei Michael Williams PRAYER CONCERNS Barb Callahan Bonnie Grossman Julia Umbaugh Charlotte Lambert Lisa Willard Suzie Heck Erin Beatty SERVICE PERSONS Jeremy Hinkle John Cooley Scott Wagner Chad Wagner

6 ARGOS UNITED METHODI ST CHURCH Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 CLC in use John 6 Walk 7 Barry & Portia 8 9 7:50 Leave for FCJ 6:30 Care Team 7:30 N.A Janet 13 Service 14 Dale & Janelle 15 9:00-12:00 Mobile Food Panty 16 7:00 Preschool 6:30 Worship 7:30 Finance 7:30 N.A.- Darleen Clara 20 Service 21 Tom & Barb :00 Trustees Patsy 27 11:00-1:00 Mission Salad Bar Service 7:00 Council 7:30 N.A. 28 Gene & Janice 7:30 N.A. Portia :30-10:00 Coopers Fall Party

7 Methodist Monitor 570 N. Michigan Argos, IN Phone: September! The end of summer, the beginning of fall. Summer flowers start to die off, fall flowers start to bloom. The leaves on the trees are not all green; reds, browns, yellows, and oranges start to appear. The sun is rising later, and the sun is setting earlier. Signs of change are in the air, and there is nothing we can do about. God is in control. There are some things in life that we can not control, and that is a good think. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we were in control. Some want it hot, some want it cold. Some prefer summer, some prefer fall. Some like long days, and some like shorter days. God is in control, and that is a good thing. Why not let God be in control of all aspects of our life? If we let God have control, life will be easier for all of us. There will still be bumps, but with God in control they won t hurt as much. See you in church Sunday!