HOW TO CONTACT PASTOR ROSS:

Transcription

1 St. John s United Church of Christ The Herald Rev s Ramblin s February 2017 Living Faithfully In the Faith & Values section of last Sunday s paper, Rev. Robert Saler poignantly posited that every Sunday morning (these days), pastors (and religious leaders) have to stand up in their pulpits and decide how they are going to speak honestly to the pain of a divided nation. These divisions run through the center of congregations, just as much as they run through the center of the American people as a whole. And certainly, many pastors (and religious leaders) have stories of being told that the church should stay out of politics and focus on religious matters. In response to this dilemma on January 22nd, I related my remembered story of a cloister of Philippino nuns struggling with how to respond to the Marcos regime. (See me if you ve never heard it before.) Since then, I have read and discovered a variety of articles and opinions about this issue. However, this following one, based on Paul s first letter to the Church of Corinth (I Corinthians 12:4-26), struck me as most illuminating and helpful. It is from a sermon by Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) Seattle, WA entitled, Division, Diversity, and Oneness in the Parish. There is one Spirit, but a variety of gifts. There is one Lord, but a variety of ways that people serve. There is one God and Father, but a variety of ways the people work for God s Realm. God gives different gifts to different people. Some, a passion for peace; others, a passion for political freedom. Some, a passion for life and its sacredness, others, a passion for forgiveness and mercy. Some, a passion for a more closed interpretation of the Bible, others, a passion for a more open interpretation of the Bible. Some, a passion for evangelism, others, a passion for justice. All of these people are working for the common good....continued next page HOW TO CONTACT PASTOR ROSS: Office hours: M-TH 9-Noon Office phone: has a message recorder that is checked each weekday morning. For pastoral emergencies or urgent church related issues call my home phone, , and leave a message if I m out.

2 continued from cover... Each and every one of these people...are inspired by the one and same Spirit, the Spirit who gives to each person their unique and different perspective. For just as the human body is a unified whole, composed of millions of different parts, so is Christ and his body. The human body is miraculously complex, with 60 millions cells, with 36 million heart beats every year, with 300 billion red cells produced every day, with 60,000 miles of blood vessels in each body. Just as the human mind cannot fathom the complexity of its own body, so it is with us, with the body of Christ. Our minds cannot comprehend the complexity of the body of Christ. Christ is a living body, composed of billions of parts, miraculously complex, with billions of members, located in millions of different settings, with thousands of different languages, with thousands of unique cultures and billions of expressions of the true faith...throughout all the centuries of recorded time. The human mind cannot begin to fathom the complexity of the body of Christ, anymore than the human mind can imagine the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in one s own physical body. If you have these gifts, if you have these passions in your heart, these workings, these ways of serving God s [realm]; but you don t have love inside of you for your brothers and sisters who think and feel differently than you, you are nothing. The greatest gift that God has for you is love. Love for people who don t think like you. Love for people who do not share your point of view on specific issues. You are to make love your goal, your aim, your greatest purpose for life. Let us, therefore, be unified in prayer for one another as we strive to live into the purpose of St. John s missions and ministries by being TRUE to the gospel through loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves! In Christ s service, Pastor Ross TEA CUP SUNDAY Bring your prayer concern on Sunday, February 5th and place it in the big, yellow tea cup at the back of the sanctuary. Be sure to take one in return. SIGN UP FOR COFFEE HOUR! No need to be elaborate; coffee and donuts are great! It s a great way to fun and fellowship, and help is always available. If interested, sign up in the kitchen or see Roxann with any questions.

3 WOMEN S FELLOWSHIP MARCH BOOK CLUB EVENT Women s Fellowship is planning a ladies book club event on March 21 st at 6:00 pm. We will be reading Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline (available at Target, Barnes & Noble, and the library). We encourage participants to read the book and come ready to discuss it at the meeting. All ladies of the church are welcome to attend. A light supper will be served that evening, so if you d like to join us please be sure sign up to help us plan for food! A sign-up sheet will be available in the back of the church in March. Thank you, and enjoy reading! Susie Vehling & Barbara Hancock You are most cordially invited to the 3rd Annual St. John's Valentine's Day Dinner and Dance It's February and you can just feel all the love in the air! That must be because St. John's 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Dinner and Dance is just around the corner. The youth and mission trip members of St. John's would like you to be their guest at this great event. We will be having a delicious dinner, wonderful dancing with some possible dancing instruction and, of course, the silent auction and the basket raffle! You really do not want to miss such a fun evening and a great opportunity to support our youth in raising funds for their mission trip to Guyan Valley, West Virginia. Tickets are $10 and can purchased from any youth group member or at the table in the narthex. Prime Timers Prime Timers plan to meet at noon on Monday, February 27th at Jockamo Pizza in Greenwood, weather permitting. Watch the Sunday bulletins for updates. GENESIS CIRCLE PRESENTS LADIES GAME NIGHT Genesis Circle is sponsoring a game night with prizes for all the ladies of the church. WHEN: Friday, April 21st, 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Fellowship Hall Snacks provided. College Support Ministry The next College Care Package collection will be Sunday, February 12. We have 8 students: 2 guys and 6 gals. Please have your items to the library between 10:00-10:20, sign the card, and the parents will do the rest! The theme for this collection is Valentine s Day. Questions, call Lori Houston, Thank you!

4 The Chili Cook-Off was Great! Thank you so much to everyone who came out for our youth group Chili Cook- Off on January 22nd. We had an amazing meal with 16 chilies, tons of toppings, and even a non-chili gluten-free option! If you missed it this year, we missed you too, but there is always next year! Although you might not want to wait until next year to ask for the winning recipes from Barb Hancock, Jennifer Tijunin, and Sonja Simpson! Congratulations chefs, and thank you everyone for filling our hearts and tummies with love.

5 IN MEMORY Robert Smitty R. Smith May 15, December 30, 2016 Larry E. Volz February 27, January 23, 2017 Julian Mansfield Madeline Tijunin Ethan Heckman Brady Coon Michael Collins To My Wonderful St. John s Family, To My Friends at St. John s, Thank you so much for my Christmas package. I can use all of the personal items in my gift sack. Thank you for putting so much thought into my gift and for the time you put into shopping. Happy New Year, Rosemary Beeson A big thank you for the wonderful meals, visits, prayers, and love we received during Smitty s illness. Thank you also to Becky Sorley, Phil Schairbaum, Pastors Ross and Don for their visits and prayers, and the beautiful funeral service for Smitty. Thank you to those who served as pallbearers, and Tony Marlin for his special words. You all touched my and Denise s heart. Love, prayers, and blessings, Bonnie Our Dear St. John s Members and Friends, We thank you for helping us to celebrate our 75th wedding anniversary open house with your presence, cards and phone calls. A special thanks to Kay LaGrange and her team who put it all together and made it a glorious occasion. We thank God for allowing us to get to this milestone. We are also thankful for the visit of the spirited carolers. It s always a joy to us to join in with these beautiful hymns. Happy New Year to all and God bless each of you. John & Lollie Rieck

6 MEMORIAL GIFTS Kenneth Dobbs given by: Mr. & Mrs. Wendell Adams Mr. & Mrs. Art Miner Alma Powell given by: Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Kistler Bob & Kay LaGrange Claudia & Greg Schenkel Windy Sexton given by: Mr. & Mrs. Art Miner Ruth Smale given by: Mr. & Mrs. Art Miner Mr. & Mrs. Don Good Robert Smitty R. Smith given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ron Brothers Mr. & Mrs. Bob Brunnemer Robin Ford Mr. & Mrs. Art Miner Mr. & Mrs. Dave Ruehrschneck Mr. & Mrs. Wendell Adams Mike & Carolyn Hayes Lynn & Jean Wehner REMEMBER OUR SHUT-INS Ed & Millie McClain Heidi & Rick Martin Al Tavenor Bob & Kay LaGrange Sheryl & Tom Brink Marilyn & Dick Ellis Marcia Hauser Vi Hauser Kathy Guignard Jane & Jerry Kreiger Ken Kreiger & Family Richard & Sharon Martin Susan Smale Joann Rodarmel Crystal Janteen Bruce & Lori Houston Wayne & Phyllis Lewis Tony & Stacy Marlin Joyce & Rick Thompson Gene & Susie Marlin David & Linda Eudaly Marguerite Nierman Rick & Janice Stanley Joe & Peggy Pearson Scott, Denise & Bryce Jacobson Mary Ann Weis, Stacey Raftery, Rob and Jenny, Ben and Harrison Weis Joan Davidson Norena Niles Larry & Barb Hancock Linda Shadday Fred & Tami Vest Dennis & Linda Pieper Virgil & Carol Elkins Bill Tavenor Louise Plummer Mr. & Mrs. Jim Heidergott Karen Plummer Mr. & Mrs. Bob Kleeman Mr. & Mrs. Don Good Mr. & Mrs. Edward Hughey Van & Phyllis VanLue Phyllis Epperson given by: Virgil & Carol Elkins Larry Volz given by: Mr. & Mrs. Ron Brothers Marcia Hauser Mr. & Mrs. Bob LaGrange Jean Bailey David Banta Brown County Health & Living Ctr 1200 N SR 135 Rm 227 B 55 Willow St. Greenwood IN Nashville, IN Rosemary Beeson Mrs. Marian Childers Aspen Trace Senior Living Rm U.S. 31 South, # SR 135 Indianapolis IN Greenwood, IN Elnora Chandler Mrs. Marlys Connallon Beatrice Miner 4717 Macy Dr 3626 Candy Cane Drive 1380 E County Line Rd S, 405 Greenwood IN Indianapolis IN Indianapolis IN Mr. & Mrs. John Rieck Pat Schneider Mrs. Marjorie Wagoner 6104 S Irwin 271 Village Lane Apt Beech Grove Lane Indianapolis IN Greenwood IN Martinsville IN 46151

7 VALENTINE S DAY DANCE BASKET DONATIONS Basket raffles are really fun to win, but they are also fun to make! If would like to contribute a basket for our Valentine's Day Dinner and Dance we would LOVE to have it. It can be any theme and can be dropped off in Janna's office anytime before Feb. 9th. It s a great way to help support our youth and send them back to West Virginia for their mission trip this summer! YOUTH GROUP BOUNCES TO NEW HEIGHTS! Sometimes when it is cold outside you need some fun to chase the grey away. The youth group will be bouncing away at Sky Zone on Feb. 26th! It is going to be super fun! We will be bouncing around and even competing in a trampoline dodge ball game. So bring a friend to church with you on Feb. 26th, eat lunch with us right after church and then we will all bounce down to SkyZone around 1pm. If you can, bring $10 with you to help cover the entrance fee and have your parents pick you up at Sky Zone around 2:30.

8 PRESCHOOL S PIECE OF THE FEBRUARY PUZZLE Love is in the air! Preschool is a place that is full of love! If you ever need a pick-me-up, come down to one of the preschool rooms. There are hugs all around and constant reminders of, Love You. Our Bible verse for the month is, This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 This is a great reminder to all of us that we should love each other, no matter what our differences are. God commands that we should show love to ALL! God loves us through all our good times and our bad times! Show a little love today! This month we will be concentrating on the letters of O, P, Q, and R. We will continue to work on our numeral recognition and counting. During our Jesus Time, we will continue to learn Bible stories about Jesus early years in His ministry. We will focus on the theme of Community Helpers. We try to invite many different types of occupations to come and share with our preschoolers what their job is. We will have a nurse, chef, and a firefighter coming in. We are hoping to have a police officer, a veterinarian, a dentist, and various other professions to come and visit. Let me know if you have an occupation that you would like to share with us. We conclude our Community Helper unit with our What Do You Want to Be Dress-Up Day. The children come to preschool dressed up in what they believe they will be when they grow up. It s a very fun and interesting day. Also, this month we will celebrate Groundhog s Day, Valentine s Day, and Presidents Day. We will explore Dental Health since February is the month for that. We will also have our Pajama Day! It s one of our favorites! We ALL get to wear pajamas to school, eat breakfast-type snacks, bring whatever we sleep with, and have FUN! It s going to be a busy month with our Lunch Bunch program. There will be 4 Lunch Bunches this month. Our themes will be: February 3 - Nursery Rhyme Land, February 10 - Ocean Fun, February 17 - Princess & Pirate Pajama Pizza Party, and February 24 - Community Helper Revue. There will not be any preschool on Monday, February 20, in observance of Presidents Day. Preschool Registration is going on now for all church members and families that has children already enrolled. We will open up registration to the community after Presidents Day. Registration brochures and forms are located in the Church Office. Share the good word about your preschool to others! Thanks! Teddy Bear Portraits will be sending a photographer to our preschool on Friday, February 24, to take our student s and staff s portraits. A representative of Teddy Bear Portraits will return on Friday, March 3, for our families to preview their child s portraits and order portraits if they wish. They will start at 9:30 on each Friday. We will be using the Knack Room for these two days. Be sure to check out the preschoolers artwork and pictures from various preschool activities! We are very proud of our preschoolers! Take a look at our Giving Tree and see if there is anything on there that you would like to donate to the preschool. We greatly appreciate all your donations!

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10 St. John s United Church of Christ 7031 S. East St. Indianapolis, IN Phone: February 2017 CHURCH STAFF Rev. Ross Tyler, Senior Pastor, Pastor.StJohnsUCC@gmail.com Rev. Dr. Donald Crismon, Minister of Visitation Janna Meyers, Program and Worship Ministries Director, ProgramsandMinistry.StJohnsUCC@gmail.com Kim Stine, Secretary, Secretary.StJohnsUCC@gmail.com OUR MUSIC STAFF Debi Burns, Sanctuary Choir Director Kay LaGrange, Bell Choir Director Dr. Rebecca Sorley, Organist OUR PRESCHOOL STAFF Beth Larimore, Preschool Director/Teacher Miranda (Randi) Brickley, Teacher Cara Ford, Assistant Teacher Preschool.StJohnsUCC@gmail.com CUSTODIAN Mike Knose