The Messenger. Monthly Newsletter of Hillcrest United Methodist Church July 2017

Transcription

1 The Messenger Monthly Newsletter of Hillcrest United Methodist Church July 2017 Trash and Freedom by Julie Lininger Our dog, Jake, has been getting into our trash more frequently than normal these days. We used to periodically experience coming home to trash strewn all over the kitchen floor, but lately, he s dumpster diving even when we re home. Our solution has been to put the temptation on the counter, out of harm s way. But sometimes we forget. Maybe he s getting into mischief for attention s sake. More likely, he is drawn to the smells wafting from that white plastic container. Warning: I m jumping thoughts now! As I began thinking about the July newsletter, I naturally focused on the topic of freedom. My mind went to Galatians 5:1, which says, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. I looked up the original Greek word for freedom: eleutheria (pronounced: el-yoo-ther-ee'-ah). According to Strong s Concordance, used in this verse it means liberty, especially a state of freedom from slavery. For the Christians in Galatia, to whom Paul was writing, slavery meant living under the yoke of the Mosaic law; specifically, the rite of circumcision. In this community of believers, there were both Jew and Gentile converts. Some Jews were insisting that the Gentiles be circumcised before converting, and this created a theological dilemma within the church. Paul was expressing to them that their salvation their freedom from sin did not require following the Mosaic law; it required faith in Jesus Christ alone. The same holds true for us today. Christ set us free, not only to be free from sin, but to live freely. I thought about this as I was cleaning up the trash in the kitchen last week (see first paragraph). Jake seems to be bound by instinct, drawn to the trash by those tantalizing smells. What smells, I asked myself, am I repeatedly drawn to that keep me from living freely as a Christian? My first answer was worry. I ve noticed an increase in this nasty habit of late. Worry is like a heavy yoke around my neck. As Corrie Ten Boom said, Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. That is certainly not freedom! Why does worry smell so good to me? It is instinct, something that s a natural part of my personality? Maybe. It is part of the abundant life Jesus came to give? I don t think so! According to Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus told me not to worry and promised I repeat, promised that He would care for me. As always, He has provided a solution for me: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33) My worried thoughts can be replaced by His promises. My anxiousness can be relieved through thankful prayer: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6, 7) Jake may be instinctively drawn to those trash smells, but I don t have to live that way. I think it s about time the Lord and I get rid of the trash.

2 THE MESSENGER PAGE 2 This n That Susanna s Kitchen Our next day of serving is July 3. Questions? Contact Henrietta McCaul at New Copier After approximately 13 years of faithful service, the copier in the church office has been replaced. The margins for the newsletters and bulletins can finally look even. And I am so happy! The new copier isn t hard to operate, but if you need some help, please let me know. Personal copies are still 10 cents per copy. Many thanks to Gari Lewandowski and Harry Sims for their input and patience through this process. Julie Lininger Wanted The Ministry Council is seeking a few more people for a vision team to help discern future paths for Hillcrest Church in the 1 to 3 year, 3 to 5 year, and 5 to 10 year time frames. If you would be interested in serving and would like more information, contact Pastor Mike. Our July Caregivers Support Group will meet on Thursday, July 27, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Pastor Mike s office. Anyone is welcome to come. Cathy Bloss July Special Days Celebration July birthdays and anniversaries will be celebrated Sunday, July 2, in the HeBrew Café after the worship service. Everyone is welcome as we eat cake and sing to those of our congregation with special days in July. Cake Schedule: July: Mary Herschberger August: Bill Moore September: Cathy Bloss October: Jo-Ann Smeltzer November: Rene and Dave Wenger December: Bev and Larry Slaughter If there are any questions, please see, call, or Tracy Donati: , tldon78@aol.com. On the last Wednesday of every month, except for December (the third Wednesday), The Lerner in downtown Elkhart offers a free lunchtime concert. Doors open at 10:00 a.m. and the show starts at 11:00. The July 26 show will feature GoProv. GoProv is improv comedy on the go. Based in Goshen, Indiana, GoProv has been performing improv comedy in the Michiana area for the past nine years. GoProv will use audience suggestions to create comedic scenes. Everything is made up; the only thing that is real is the laughter. For more information about LunchtimeLive!, you can go to or call The Lerner at

3 THE MESSENGER PAGE 3 Primetimers Thursday, July 20 11:30 with noon Good day all you Primetimers. I have exciting news for you. We have a wonderful couple (Corrie and Ken Bartell) to entertain us at Primetimers this month. They took a cruise down the river in Europe and are going to share their fun times with us. Pictures, laughing, telling us of their fun adventure... I hope you'll be sure to come and be with us. We will have good food and great fellowship. It still costs $2; bring a dish to pass. What a deal in these times! It helps when you sign up, but if you forget, come anyway and bring a friend. We will never turn you down. God bless to all. Sincerely, Primetimers Helpers Hillcrest Community Childcare Ministry We are still taking registrations for the preschool year. Children need to be 3 or 4 by September 1, completely potty-trained, and up-to-date on their immunizations. We do have openings in our Latchkey Program for the summer and the fall. For more information on either of these programs, please call Teresa at A huge thank you goes out to all who helped put up the awnings in the playground. Our children are enjoying their play in the shade this summer! Teresa Irelan HCCM Director Lifestyles Class Sundays, 10:30 a.m. How can our daily life styles reflect our faith walk with Jesus Christ? Do we answer God s call to serve Him, even though it may require learning new ways of thinking, believing, and relating? In our summer study, we are learning of people in the Bible whom God called to lead. In spite of the uncertainty, doubt, fear, hostility, and rejection, God s faithful people ultimately found deep gladness because they answered His call and lived obediently. They helped assuage some of the spiritual hunger in their world. We each have been given work to do. Maybe we chose the work or maybe the work chose us. Are we willing to make the vow to the One Who Made Us, the One Who led us to this work? Join us in the Lifestyles Class to fellowship and discuss, through the Scriptures, how we can answer God s call, whatever it may be. We can do anything He calls us to do by trusting in His promise to Jeremiah: I am with you... declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 6:19). The Lifestyles class meets in the HeBrew Café classroom at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday and is facilitated by Patty Moore. Why not join us for a Sunday to find out why this class has grown! Independence Day Lesson for Church Life Be light in the darkness As fireworks brighten the sky with light and color, the church is called to display the Gospel s unique light in a dark world. Our word dynamite and the Greek word for power as in, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1:8) share a root. Through God s power in us, we share Jesus dynamically! with others. Heidi Mann taken from newsletternewsletter.com

4 THE MESSENGER PAGE 4 July s Mission of the Month St. Jude Children s Research Hospital The mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St. Jude is known worldwide for its expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancers. The institution is dedicated to saving children's lives by finding the causes of catastrophic diseases, improving treatment, and developing cures. St. Jude is internationally known for its treatment of all pediatric cancers but is particularly esteemed for its treatment of brain tumors, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and retinoblastoma. St. Jude oncologists are also experts in gene therapy and pediatric stem cell transplantation. The late entertainer Danny Thomas founded both St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and ALSAC, the hospital's fund-raising organization. ALSAC assumes all patient treatment expenses not covered by third-party insurers and all expenses when insurance is not available. No child is ever turned away from St. Jude because of an inability to pay. Thank You, The Missions Committee Ambassador Training/Refresher Course On June 11 and 18, I preached about Jesus sending His disciples out into the world to do the works that He was doing, how we are ambassadors of Christ entrusted with a message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:16-21) and how we need to be prepared for anything that comes our way while doing this work (Matt. 9:35-10:23). Being an ambassador for Christ seems like a pretty big job, so it makes sense that we need some new training or refresher training for being an ambassador for Christ and the Gospel. Over the next few weeks I ll be offering some sermons I hope will better equip us to be the best ambassadors that we can be. Pastor Mike Scoutmaster Minute by Ronn Foster As I write this month s Scoutmaster Minute, I ve decided to take my mind off of summer camp for a quick moment and address the name Scoutmaster Minute. The Scoutmaster Minute is an end-of-the-meeting ritual where I (or occasionally an Assistant Scoutmaster) deliver a quick (less than a minute) tale of wisdom to the Scouts. We hope that, at some point, the messages resonate with each Scout and help them throughout life. This past meeting I focused on a core Scouting value: a Scout is Trustworthy. What is trustworthiness? Defined, it is the ability to be relied on as honest or truthful. Being trustworthy is so much more than this simplistic definition. Trustworthiness affects one s reputation. Will a Scout be remembered as a man whose handshake is his word? Will he buckle under pressure? Even the smallest decision can have lasting effects. Consider honor in every decision you make.

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6 THE MESSENGER PAGE 6 July Birthdays 6 Corrie Bartell 20 Fannie Miller Antonio Purciarele Nancy Rowe 8 Henrietta McCaul Sara Van Wormer 10 Tracy Donati 27 Sharon Chism 12 Donna Simmons- Mast 12 Marie and Carl Young In the Know 28 Chris Ferro Anniversaries Please let the church office know if your special date was missed. Your Presence June 4 June 11 June May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what is right. Peter Marshall, 20th century preacher, pastor, and Chaplain of the United States Senate Did You Know? The County Fair Some say the concept of the local fair can be traced back to Biblical times when promotion of the town s marketplace was incorporated into religious observances. During the Middle Ages fairs came under the regulation of regional officials and churches became gradually less involved. By the 1500s, fairs grew more and more commercial in many parts of Europe. Banks were frequently represented in the fairs to provide financial services for major transactions. The American county fair developed in the early nineteenth century when agricultural reformers in the northeastern United States organized local exhibitions to promote modern farming. In 1917, the song When s He s All Dolled Up, He s the Best Dressed Rube in Town featured an extensive county fair scene. Early in the 1920s the best-selling children s series, The Bobbsey Twins, devoted an entire adventure book to the cause, The Bobbsey Twins at the County Fair. According to the Elkhart County Historical Museum, the Elkhart County 4-H Fair started in 1851 on Goshen, Indiana's, courthouse square. The Elkhart County fairgrounds consist of 384 acres with 60 buildings and over 300 permanent RV sites in addition to 600 temporary RV sites. This year s fair dates are July

7 THE MESSENGER PAGE 7 Police Appreciation Day El Refugio Church We had a great day building relationships with the Elkhart City Police with about 50 people in attendance. Tim Neese, the mayor of Elkhart, was also there. Please pray that we will be able to continue to strengthen our presence in the Latino community as a church who shows God's love. We also had a great turnout for our first Thursday night Ladies Bible Study. Nine ladies attended. We are focusing on how to strengthen our relationship with God to better serve our families. Upcoming event: July VBS: Discovering Jesus Lisa Collio Refuge Baptist Church Multiplying Disciples of Jesus Ladies Bible Study Kids Day Staff Parish Relations Committee Did you know... that Anna Vukmirovich, who is providing our music for the summer in our 9:00 a.m. worship service, will be heading to college in August? Therefore, the Staff Parish Relations Committee welcomes any referrals from the congregation for a full-time pianist, song leader, or someone who can perform both. Compensation will be based upon qualifications. Ask your friends, neighbors, or fellow employees if they may know someone. Please contact Patty Moore with any referrals ( and phone number are in the Church Directory), and pray for God s guidance in the search to fill these important roles. Thank you. Patty Moore, Chair

8 THE MESSENGER PAGE 8 HILLCREST WOMEN S MINISTRY Women s Ministry Board: Nikki Behne and Cathy Bloss, co-leaders; Terri Longacre, board member; Martha Sims, advisor Our Women's Ministry prayer: Father, thank you for helping us to grow closer as a sisterhood in your service. Help us to be compassionate and to support each other, to accept our differences gracefully, and to show appreciation for the contributions of others. Remind us to be aware of the impact that our small services may have on others. We ask your blessing on our sisterhood. Amen. Circle of Friends Stamping Ministry Summer is here, and we are stamping away!! We have been working on many new cards, including new wedding cards. We also have several new Happy Birthday cards and are working to bring you new designs for other occasions. Our cards are also now being displayed in a nail salon. Hopefully this will bring us more sales. Please keep our cards in mind if you have a special event coming up. Perhaps we have a card that will meet your needs. Marilynn Anson L.I.F.T. (Ladies In Fellowship Together) 1st Tuesday of each month 9:00 a.m. Perkins Restaurant (107 North Pointe Blvd., Elkhart) Due to the 4th of July holiday falling on the first Tuesday of July, the L.I.F.T. group, will meet for breakfast on the second Tuesday, July 11. All ladies are welcome. Our June breakfast included 20 ladies. Hillcrest Women s Book Club Thursday, July 27, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Hillcrest Narthex Flight Patterns by Karen White (2017) Our July selection was recommended by Good Reads. Flight Patterns tells the story of a woman coming home to the family she left behind and to the woman she always wanted to be. Georgia Chambers has spent her life sifting through other people s pasts while trying to forget her own. But then her work as an expert of fine china especially of Limoges requires her to return to the one place she swore she d never revisit. It s been ten years since Georgia left her family home on the coast of Florida, and nothing much has changed, except that there are fewer oysters and more tourists. She finds solace seeing her grandfather still toiling away in the apiary where she spent much of her childhood, but encountering her estranged mother and sister leaves her rattled. Seeing them after all this time makes Georgia realize that something has been missing and unless she finds a way to heal these rifts, she will forever be living vicariously through other people s remnants. To embrace her own life mistakes and all she will have to find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets she was forced to keep. Artistry in Bloom Tuesdays from 10:00 noon Fellow painters, crafters, friends, and helpers: We invite you to our class on Tuesday mornings. Stop by for a visit to see if you would enjoy it, also. We will help get you started. Carol Hartranft and Carole Julian

9 THE MESSENGER PAGE 9 Serving in Worship Date Scripture Readers Greeters Ushers Communion Media July 2 Lorraine Whitmer Corrie and Ken Bartell Linda and Chuck Vredingburgh Diane and Gari Lewandowski Rene Wenger July 9 Wayne Rowe Corrie and Ken Bartell Martha and Harry Sims July 16 Janice Dean Corrie and Ken Bartell Nancy and Jerry Rowe Tracy Donati July 23 Marci Morey Corrie and Ken Bartell Patty Moore Wayne Rowe July 30 Nikki Behne Corrie and Ken Bartell Bev Slaughter Bernice Simms Itty-Bitty Builders HeBrew Café Tuesday, July 11, 10:00-11:00 a.m. Note the change to the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Since some of our projects overlap, we re going to try sharing the play space with Hillcrest s painting ladies until further notice. We ll be continuing work on our miniature garden scenes. If all goes well, these will be offered for sale at Hillcrest s Cookie Walk in the fall. All tools and supplies will be provided. It s easier than you think, and no experience is needed. Just bring your inner child, and come play with us! Questions, suggestions, whatever: Martha Sims, simsville3537@comcast.net, or Either we trust in God, and in that case we neither trust in ourselves, nor in our fellow-men, nor in circumstances, nor in anything besides; or we do trust in one or more of these, and in that case do not trust in God. George Müller, 19th century Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England Fish Fry News The annual Hillcrest Fish Fry will not be held this year. Ministry Council made the decision June 19 after considering the availability of personnel to manage the fund raiser. Council members hope that all church members and workers can maintain happy memories of a well-organized event that drew hundreds to eat fish on a September Saturday evening. The event also provided funds for a selected charity and church expenses, particularly the mortgage on the community center. Much appreciation is due Patty Moore, Wayne Rowe, and Bruce Fortin who were chairpersons and provided leadership that assured success. Last year's Fish Fry was dedicated to the memory of Cathy Fortin, who had been a part of the leadership team. Celebrate the good that has come from the dedication of all Fish Fry workers in the past which is probably every member of the church and think how we can be inspired in new ways to serve God. Janice Dean, Ministry Council chair

10 Hillcrest United Methodist Church 4206 East Bristol Street * Elkhart, Indiana secretary@hillcrestumc.comcastbiz.net Web site: STAFF Pastor: Mike Butler m.h.butler@comcast.net 9:00 a.m. Pianist: Anna Vukmirovich the 10:30 Worship Leader: Dan Vukmirovich Administrative Assistant: Julie Lininger secretary@hillcrestumc.comcastbiz.net Ministry Council Chair: Janice Dean Trustee Co-Chairs: Gari Lewandowski, Harry Sims Staff-Parish Chair: Patty Moore Hillcrest Community Childcare Ministry: Teresa Irelan, Director hccmdir@gmail.com WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHEDULE 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 10:00 a.m. HeBrew Café fellowship 10:30 a.m. Contemporary Service and Adult Studies 2:00 p.m. El Refugio Church CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. AUGUST NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: July 21 Looking Ahead: Susanna s Kitchen Monday, July 3, 10:30 a.m. Trustees Monday, July 10, 7:00 p.m. SPRC Tuesday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. Ministry Council Monday, July 17, 6:00 p.m. Primetimers Thursday, July 20, 11:30 a.m. Brentwood Service Sunday, July 23, 1:30 p.m. Caregivers Support Group Thursday, July 27, 1:30 p.m. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Trash and Freedom 1 This n That 2, 3 Missions Scoutmaster Minute Calendar 5 In the Know 6 Ministry Updates 7 Women s Ministry 8, 9 Serving in Worship 9 I have been driven to my knees many times because there is no place else to go. Abraham Lincoln 4