The Pillars. October Pastor s Message

Transcription

1 Rev. Karen Burtner Graham The Pillars October 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 enjoy reading fiction. Great classical literature as well as more popular literature. Serious novels. Fun novels. Dramatic stories. Humorous stories. Mysteries. And every now and then there's something in a work of fiction that speaks to me theologically and leads me to connect the author's words with scripture, with the spiritual life. Here are some recent examples. I re-read Sue Monk Kidd's novel, The Secret Life of Bees every year. The narrator, Lily Owens has escaped with Rosaleen, the black woman who has helped raise her after Lily's mother was killed. They end up in a town in South Carolina, and are taken in by three black bee-keeping sisters. Here is an excerpt I always find moving: I hadn't been out to the hives before, so to start off she (August) gave me a lesson in what she called 'bee yard etiquette'. She reminded me that the world was really one big bee yard, and the same rules worked fine in both places: Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates, while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved. (Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees, Penguin Books, 2002, p. 92) I just finished reading Alexander McCall Smith's novel, The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe, which is in his The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. The stories are set in Botswana. Precious Ramotswe is the main character, the owner of the detective agency. In this particular book, her assistant and recently promoted to partner, Grace Makutsi has some challenges with young Charlie whom Mma Ramotswe has hired to work in their office. This is the scene I want to share with you: From her desk, Mma Ramotswe watched them fondly. At heart, Mma Makutsi and Charlie were probably rather more alike than either would care to admit.the sight of them working together, rather than arguing, pleased her. Why can't we all be like that? She thought. Not just this office, these two people, but everyone, everywhere the whole world? She gazed out of the window. One day, she hoped, peace would break out, and friendship too. It would break out and ripple across the world, ending corrosive enmities and hatreds, bringing men and women together across the globe. Muslims and Christians and Hindus and people who said that there was no God at all. And they would hold hands and hug one another and realise how small we were and how little time we had, and how silly it was to spend that time fighting and arguing and destroying the trust that otherwise exists between people. Oh, let that happen one day, she thought; let that happen. (Alexander McCall Smith, The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe, Anchor Books, 2014, p. 202) There's a lot of anger and arguing and swatting and corrosive enmity and hatred in our world right now. And it's on the rise and it concerns me deeply. I trust it concerns you, too. This is not how we are called to live as God's people it just isn't. And as Christians we have a responsibility, I believe, to call hatred out for

2 what it is, and to not go along with talk and actions that harm, oppress, and demean others. These novelists have their way of putting it. Of course the New Testament has its way: Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear...put away from you all wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 4:29-5:2) As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15) May these words resonate within us. May they be our witness to an angry world. And, may the vision of a calmer, more loving, more peaceful, more understanding world come to fruition. In a similar vein to the words of Mma Ramotswe, I offer this prayer: Let it happen, dear God. Let it happen. In Christ's peace, Pastor Karen Thank You The Mission Team would like to thank everyone that donated clothing items for the local schools. This ministry is a very real way of being Jesus hands to our community. We received this from New Concord Elementary: Dear Friends at United Methodist Church, It was like Christmas when Kelli walked in with the bags of goodies supplied by your church! Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness in providing this need for our students at New Concord Elementary! We appreciate it more than we can say! Elaine, for the New Concord Elementary family Church Family News Congratulations to Aubrey and Bill Erbach on the birth of their son, Anthony Gordon Erbach on September 8 th. After spending almost 3 weeks in Akron Children s Hospital, baby Anthony was finally able to come home to his family here in New Concord, where he joins his parents and his siblings, Billy, Kenzy and Dany. Happy Grandparents are Tom and Cathy Haynes, and proud great-grandmother is Genny LePage. Our Christian Sympathy is extended to Bill and Jean Gingerich, Joan Hoon, and Natalie Ross, each of whom had a sibling recently die.

3 Coming Up World Communion and Membership Celebration Sunday will be observed on Sunday, October 1 at both worship services. In addition to joining with Christians around the world in Holy Communion, we will be honoring every member of NCUMC, with special recognition to those who have been members 50+ years. A reception will be held in the church parlor after each worship service. Darryl Strawberry, 4-time World Series champion, will be in New Concord on Saturday, October 7! The event will be held in the New Concord Pavilion from 1-3:30 p.m. Free Admission. Darryl will share his Christian witness, how he turned his life around from drug addiction, abuse, and jail time. The event is sponsored by Friendship Baptist Church. The clergy of the New Concord Ministerial Association has endorsed the event, and will be present to listen and to speak with those whose hearts are touched by Darryl s Christian witness. Pastor Appreciation Day is Sunday, October 8 th! We will use this day to give special honor to Pastor Karen s 30 years as an ordained elder. There will be a reception in the Parlor from 9:30-10:30, between services. Be sure to stop in and congratulate Karen on her 33 total years of ministry and thank her for continuing to do the Lord s work. Henderson Settlement items may be brought to the church fellowship hall starting October 8 through the morning of October 11. Household items need to be able to fit in a box. You may visit: for more information about what items are needed and acceptable. Highway Clean-up has been scheduled for Saturday, October 21. We are responsible for 83 south from Main Street to I-70, plus all four on/off ramps. This is a big project and so we need lots of volunteers! The more helpers we have, the less time it takes. We ll meet in the church parking lot at 9 a.m. You will be given instructions, vests, and gloves. Trunk-or-Treat will again be happening on Sunday, October 29 from 2-3 p.m. 11 People out of in our upper parking lot. Please decorate your car and bring candy to distribute. All children are invited to wear a costume and receive treats! Invite your friends and neighbors, too. Donuts and cider will be served. Youth Ministry Six youth and four parents met with Pastor Karen at the parsonage on September 24 th to engage in conversation about the direction we want to head this year. So, in addition to enjoying pizza and ice cream, the group shared ideas and came up with a working yet still flexible plan. For now the group will meet twice a month (as schedules allow). One session will be devoted to Confirmation for youth 6 th 8 th grade. The other will be an activity/project/program for youth 6 th -12 th grade. We will meet at the church on Sunday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. October s schedule: October 15 Introduction to Confirmation; October 29: help with Trunk-or-Treat at the church, and then have our own youth program/activity afterward (different time frame). All youth are welcome to participate!

4 Hurricane and Disaster Relief Our congregation responded with an outpouring of generosity this past month. Responding to appeals for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, U.S. Disaster Response, and Sierra Leone Mudslide, we donated $6,066 to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief). A huge thank you to everyone who contributed! If you d still like to donate, you may. Make out and send your check to New Concord UMC, and earmark it with one of the following: Fund EOC 1310 Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund EOC 1320 Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund EOC 9046 Support EOC United Methodist Volunteers in Mission Advance UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response Advance UMCOR International Disaster Response Our church treasurer will then send a check to the East Ohio Conference for the total amount donated. Since more hurricanes and disasters have occurred after Harvey and Irma, the Advance for U.S. Disaster Response and International Disaster Response are the best ways to contribute. Monies received will be used when and where needed most. Trustees With an 80% majority vote, Church Council agreed to accept Parnell s bid of $65,000 to redo the lower parking lot. This option provided the longest-term solution. $15,000 will be used out of designated funds, the rest will need to come out of our Endowment Fund. We are inviting people to contribute so we can either reduce the amount needed from the Endowment Fund, or pay it back. Work will begin this month. Other matters have also been addressed: The kitchen refrigerator has been repaired. A dead ash tree at the parsonage was cut down and the lumber hauled away. Special thanks to Charlie Neptune and his tree crew for taking down the tree, and to Collin Linnabary, Joel Linnabary, and Brian Bennett for taking care of cutting up and removing all the wood. The wood was hauled to the Linnabary s property, and Collin is willing to deliver free firewood to those who need wood for heating (not just those who want it). We also need someone to remove snow at the church this winter: sidewalks and steps. Church has a snow blower. There is compensation. Please contact Tammi DeMattio, Trustee chairperson. Nominations and Leadership Development Committee Nominating Committee is meeting this month to prepare a leadership roster to be voted on at our Charge Conference. So this is something for everyone in the congregation to care about and to give their prayerful consideration. There will be openings in every area of church ministry. Is there some avenue of service you ve always wanted to be part of? Is there some new area of ministry you d like to explore? Here are some possibilities: Co-Lay Leader; Church Council chairperson; Worship Committee chairperson; Class members of Staff Parish Relations, Trustees, Finance, and Nominations, Missions, Worship and Memorial Committees. Plus being part of ministries like Hospitality, Education, and Fellowship. If you have a strong interest in serving in a particular way, please contact Pastor Karen. She chairs this committee, and it genuinely helps the process if the committee already knows what people are willing to do. Thank you!

5 Building Committee Report As requested by those who voted for the proposed building renovation project at our Charge Conference in April 2017, a new design has been prepared by our architect, David Haught, which includes an option for the expansion of fellowship hall. He prepared several designs to the Building Committee over the summer, and at its August meeting the committee agreed to present one of the expansion options to the congregation. So what s next? As before there will be several presentations/conversations with Building Committee members between now and November 12. A poster displaying the options with and without fellowship expansion will be available for viewing in the church narthex area (outside the sanctuary doors). Our annual Charge Conference was already set for Sunday, November 12, and so this is when the building renovation project will be presented for an official vote. The District Superintendent will guide us during the process. She has recommended that the options be presented for vote one at a time rather than both options being on the same ballot. So the one with the expansion option will be voted on first. And if that fails, the original option without fellowship expansion will be voted on. There will, of course, be the choice of No on both votes. The Building Committee hopes that church members will avail themselves of the opportunities to learn about these designs and their financial implications, and come prepared to make an informed decision on November 12. All members of the church are eligible to attend and vote at the Charge Conference. October Worship October 1 is World Communion and Membership Celebration Sunday. Please join us for this special day! We ll share in the sacrament of Holy Communion with Christians around the world and we will honor and recognize those who have been members of our church 50+ years. Everyone will be invited to share in a reaffirmation of membership vows. Pastor Karen will begin a 4-week sermon series on the Letter to the Philippians starting October 8. October 8: Philippians 1:1-11, October 15: Philippians 2:1-18 October 22: Philippians 3:1-14 October 29: Philippians 4:1-14 Joyful Confidence Joyful Cooperation Joyful Commitment Joyful Contentment Musically, there will be a children s duet on October 8, and the Bell Choir will ring on October 15. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9

6 October 2017 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 Psalm 42 2 Exodus 18: Philippians 1: Psalm 19 5 Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, Holy Communion Membership Celebration Trustee on Call: Adam Cook 7: Boy Scouts 10: Apostles Creed Study 7: Apostle s Creed Study 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GriefShare 6 Philippians 3:4b-14 7 Matthew 21: : Aldersgate 11:30: Private Party - FH 8 Psalm 119: Exodus 24: Philippians 3: Psalm 106:1-6, Exodus 32: Philippians 4: Matthew 22:1-14 9:30: Clergy Appreciation Day Reception to honor Pastor Karen Trustee on Call: Danny Ingold Collection for Henderson 6:30 Nominations 7: Boy Scouts Collection for Henderson 10: Apostles Creed Study 6:30: Lion s Club 7: Apostle s Creed Study Collection for Henderson 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GriefShare Leave for Henderson 9:30: MOPS 7: Aldersgate 5: Private Party - FH 10: Private Party -FH 15 Psalm Exodus 33: Philippians 4: Psalm Exodus 33: I Thess. 1: Matthew 22:15-22 Trustee on Call: Bonnie Thompson 7: Worship Team 7: Boy Scouts 10: Apostles Creed Study 12-3: Private Party - FH 7: Apostle s Creed Study 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GriefShare 6:30 Nominations 7: Trustees 7: Aldersgate Private Party - FH 22 Psalm 63: Exodus 40: Rev. 18:1-10, Psalm 90:1-6, Deut. 34: I Thess. 2: Matthew 22:34-46 Trustee on Call: Brian Bennett 7: Finance 7: Boy Scouts 10: Apostles Creed Study 1:30: UMW 6:30 Lion s Club 7: Apostle s Creed Study 5: Children s Choir 6: Hand Bell Choir 7: GriefShare 9:30: MOPS 7: Aldersgate Private Rehearsal - Sanctuary Private Wedding Private Party - FH 29 Psalm 119: Numbers 33: James 2:8-13 Trunk-or-Treat Trustee on Call: Torie Briggs (6:30 Nominations Tentative) 7: Boy Scouts

7 August 28: James Young So Sorry We Missed You! October 2: Kathy Alten Max Atkinson October 3: Paul Hudson Mary Ryan October 5: Chelsie Karling October 7: Rhonda Forrestal October 8: Mollie Gerlach October 9: Dixie Gregg Mary Jo Moody October 12: Yvonne Danison Deloris Hunt Cheryl Miller October 13: Madison Sutphen Niki Wolfe October 17: Paul Garrison October 20: Bonnie Riggle October 22: Pamela Griffith October 23: Terry Griffith October 24: Tammi DeMattio October 27: William Fisher Mya Stamm October 28: Ayla Bell Bill Erbach October 29: Gregory Gerlach October 30: Wesley Ellsworth Rosemary Sawyer We are still mailing a lot of Pillars (82 in September)! If you would like to receive it by , please the church office ncumcoffice@frontier.com or call Corey at Benefits to receiving it by you get it before the beginning of the month, you will be helping us save postage and paper, you have access to all the hyperlinks & you get it in full color! There are still dates available for the Mission Candle! October 8: Dr. Kevin & Kathy Alten October 18: Dean & Kristi Marling October 21: Eugene & Wanda Yocum 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.

8 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 October 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