The Lamplighter. March 2018 Salem United Church of Christ Higginsville, Missouri

Transcription

1 The Lamplighter March 2018 Salem United Church of Christ Higginsville, Missouri Dear Friends, Not long after I arrived at Salem Church nearly four and a half years ago, I wrote a Lamplighter article that described my usage of the phrase Vision of God. Considering that I continue to use that phrase both in sermons and in newsletter articles, such as when I shared the translation/interpretation of the Beatitudes that I shared last month, and considering that some may not recall why I use the term, I thought it would be worthwhile to remind us all. I originally heard the phrase from my mentor from my seminary days. He used it in a conversation that we were having, and it made sense to me. It still does. The Bible refers many times to the kingdom of God, or to the kingdom of heaven, or simply to the kingdom, as a way to describe God s reign in the hearts and lives of Jesus followers. Long ago I concluded that the term kingdom has a good many problems. First, but not most important, is our tendency to relate kingdom to place. When we think of a kingdom, we think of kingdoms we know of on earth. The obvious problem with that, of course, is that God s kingdom does not have a place per se. God s kingdom is in the hearts and minds of God s people, but even when we know that, we still want to draw analogies to what we know. So we begin to think of God s kingdom in terms of place and miss the universality of the idea that Jesus developed. Another problem is that kingdom also implies power and control in our world. Kingdoms in this world are always about privilege and power, about the rule of one or the few over the many. What God is doing in the world, however, is never about control. Whatever else God is and does in us and through us, God does not control us, God does not coerce us, God does not compel us. God persuades us. God encourages us. God gives us the freedom to choose and does not abrogate that gift in any way. Similarly, God s use of power is never power over, but power for, if that makes sense to us. God does not force God s power on us. Instead, God s power works in us and through us for justice, for forgiveness, for mercy, and so on. God enacts and demonstrates responsible uses of power for the sake of justice, not for its own sake. God s power works for the peace, wholeness, health, and well-being, for shalom, of all the earth. A third, less obvious yet related problem is that we equate or at least correlate kingdom to empire. Again, empire is about control. It is also about hierarchy. In a sense, of course, God is above us, and yet Jesus invites us to share in God s life, in God s shalom, as if we were friends, sisters, and brothers with Jesus. In my opinion, one of the defining characteristics of Jesus disciples is that Jesus does not call us servants, but friends (John 15.14f.). In the Vision of God, hierarchy is meaningless. God reigns in the lives of Jesus followers, and God s reign is absolute, and yet we still can choose what to do and how to do it. Among the people of the earth, however, what we have instead is friendship, familial relationship. You might ask, then, if there are so many problems with the term kingdom, why would Jesus use it. It seems to me that kingdom fit Jesus context. It was a concrete term that people then could understand almost innately. Their whole world was defined by hierarchical, kingdom/empire types of relationships. The essence of kingdom was in their bones and in every aspect of their many ways of life. Jesus could use the expression and everyone, from the slaves to the wealthiest people in his audience would know precisely what he meant. We, on the other hand, do not have that sort of understanding, and, therefore, I think that Vision is a more effective term for us. When I use Vision, I hope that we will think of relationships, of new ways of living and seeing the world through the eyes of God. I do not want to eliminate the idea of God s reign in creation, but I want us to think of it as something dynamic and personal that still has the ability to effect change in systems and cultures. I think of it as a big picture idea, of looking at God s work in creation in a long view. I invite you to think about this idea that I have been using in our midst for a long time now, and to speak to me about it if you have any questions. Grace and Peace Tommy 1

2 March 2018 The Lamplighter Page 2 Special Days in March March 2 World Day of Prayer March 4 Third Sunday in Lent March 7 6:30 p.m. Lenten Service March 11 Fourth Sunday in Lent Daylight Savings Time Begins One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Dedicated YOM Pie and Cake Auction March 14 6:30 p.m. Lenten Service March 17 St. Patrick's Day March 18 Fifth Sunday in Lent Children s Sunday March 19 Salem Souper Supper March 20 First Day of Spring March 21 6:30 p.m. Lenten Service March 22 Homebound Communion Out of Town March 23 Homebound Communion In Town March 25 Palm Sunday Holy Week Begins 3:45 p.m. Salem leading Vespers at Meyer March 28 Please call church office with Easter Flower information March 29 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service March 30 Good Friday 6:30 a.m. Men s Community Easter Breakfast at Salem Please have Easter Flowers to church by noon Women s Fellowship Circle Schedules for March Esther Circle Wednesday, March 7, 10:00 a.m., at Vida Mehrhoff s apartment, Vida Mehrhoff hostess. Mary Martha Circle No meeting in March. Ruth Circle Wednesday, March 7, 2:00 p.m., at Fay Tilly s home, Fay Tilly hostess, Annie Fiegenbaum program. Eve Circle Tuesday, March 6, 7:00 p.m., in the Salem Board Room, Sharon Hoefer hostess, B.J. Salyer program. DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 11 CHURCH INFORMATION Tommy s tlfaris@ctcis.net Tommy s cell phone: Church Telephone: Church salemucc@ctcis.net Church Website: salemucchigginsville.org Fax number: PASTORAL VISITS OR PRAYERS Anyone who would like a pastoral visit or are in need of prayers, please call the church office, (660) TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE Transportation is available to any worship service. Please call the church office to make arrangements, (660) OUR FRIENDS AND CHURCH FAMILY IN CARE FACILITIES Listed below are our members and friends (at the time of printing of the Lamplighter) now residing or recovering at our local and surrounding community nursing homes and care facilities. A card or visit from a church family member would be a delightful surprise! Meyer Care Center, 1201 W. 19th St., Higginsville, MO Barbara Bottemuller Wilma Dieckhoff Mary Kirchhoff Glenn & Shirley Nowack Pat Pence Anna Marie Rinne Louise Salyer Warner Schelp Robert Cobb Souder Earl Struchtemeyer Bob Tankesley New Haven Living Center, 609 Golf Street, Odessa, MO Myrna Fette Lutheran Good Shepherd Home, 202 SW St., Concordia, MO Winnie Knehans Jake Stoecklin Ann Nuelle Country Oak Village, 101 Cross Creek Drive, Grain Valley, MO Viola Meinershagen Riverbend Heights Rehab & Health, Lexington Nursing Home, 1221 South Highway 13, Lexington, MO Mark Gieselman Addington Place of Lee s Summit, 2160 SE Blue Parkway, Lee s Summit, MO Roberta Summers (Apt. 212) (Roberta s mailing address is Roberta Summers, C/O Carrie Tunison, 1207 SE Brookwood St., Lee s Summit, MO )

3 March 2018 Tyler Kaiser Karen Luehrman Alyce Stephenson Marissa Nowling Baylee Lou Thomas Alfred Dieckhoff Kevin Berry Taylor Collier Sabra Starke Gloria Gash Tiffany Short Adam Rauch Adam Catts Chloe Fischer Samuel Vincent-Benne Brian Wiley Nancy Rinne The Lamplighter Best Wishes for March Birthdays go to Kay Hoflander Wanda Niemeier Wilma Dieckhoff Lane Borchers Jacob Bartlett Derek Cole Wayne Miller John Baggs Gracie Augustine Aubrey Homfeld Pat Pence Sherri Siegfried Robert Aversman Blair Bergsieker Dylan Akin Betty Nieman Lester Homfeld Jeremy Nevels Emily Bergsieker Cassidy Brockman Earl Struchtemeyer Mary Homfeld Craig Homfeld Renee Fiene Carol Lefman Ellynore Salyer Maddy McDowell Clayton Lettau Stella Barnes Corey White Carolgene Romans Emmalee Thaller Page NEWS FROM YOUTH ON MISSION GIVING TREE PROJECT: Youth on Mission again invites you to be a part of our giving tree project which offers our campers talents to you for your chosen donation. We would like to offer our talents to make your life a little easier ALL YEAR LONG. Do you have a task that needs to be done? Our campers will complete it for you and you may make a donation to Youth on Mission with what you think is an appropriate donation. Call Delbert Goetz at and he will find a camper to do the work! MARK YOUR CALENDARS for our YUMMY annual Pie and Cake Auction to be held Sunday, March 11th! The auction will begin at 12:30 p.m. after a luncheon of sandwiches, etc. provided by the Youth on Mission. 3

4 March 2018 The Lamplighter Page 4 From the Church Records Financial Report: General Fund Balance 1/01/18 Current deposits Current expenses Current Fund Balance 1/31/18 Building Fund: Current Fund Balance 1/01/18 Current deposits Current expenses Current Fund Balance 1/31/18 $17,570 $11,784 $16,881 $12,473 $14,440 $ 765 $ 970 $14,235 O.C.W.M. (Member Contributions for Jan.) $225 8:30 a.m. January Attendance 10:30 a.m Average Total Average 113 MARCH SOUPER SUPPER SCHEDULE March 18th (Sunday) First Presbyterian March 19th (Monday) Salem UCC/Immanuel Lutheran Church partnering March 2Oth (Tuesday) First Baptist Church March 21st (Wednesday) St. Mary s Catholic Church/New Beginnings partnering March 22nd (Thursday) Grace United Methodist Church 83 JOHN KNOX VILLAGE AND MEYER CARE CENTER BIBLE STUDY John Knox Village and Meyer Care Center have a weekly Bible Study that is led, on a rotational schedule, by the Ministerial Fellowship. Liz Lindsey (Presbyterian) will be leading during the month of March, Dale Felder (Ministerial Fellowship Chairperson) during the month of April. The Bible Study is held every Wednesday, 10:15-10:45 a.m. in the Gathering Room. WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: Church Women of Higginsville and Corder presents World Day of Prayer. The program will be presented by Marcia Ritter Being Grateful for Family History. This event will be held Friday, March 2, 1:30 p.m. at Grace United Methodist Church, fellowship time will follow the meeting. HARVESTERS SCHEDULE First Assembly of God Church of Higginsville hosts a Harvesters Community Food Network distribution of food on the third Thursday of every month. The work day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends approximately at Noon. After the food is distributed, volunteers are asked to stay and help clean up the area. Anyone willing to help is asked to call , (First Presbyterian Church), and leave your name, phone number, and mailing address. Wear comfortable clothes. TA TRUCK STOP-CONCORDIA COUNTRY PRIDE: Travel Centers of America-Concordia, MO-Country Pride Restaurant is now starting a Church Program! We are offering 10% of your ticket price to be donated back to your local church. All you have to do is come in to dine with us, eat, and inform your server that you would like to participate in the program, give your church s name, your name, and we will take care of the rest! Come see and enjoy our new buffets and get one of our Buffet Punch Cards buy 5, get 1 free! BLUE SPRINGS TERRACE BREAKFAST BUFFET Blue Springs Terrace is having their Thirteenth Annual Breakfast Buffet, Saturday, March 24, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. They will serve a variety of homemade food. The address is 312 S.W. 19th Terrace, Blue Springs, MO. 4

5 March 2018 Page 5 The Lamplighter CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING January 18, :30 pm The regular meeting of the Salem Church Council was held Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm in the Board Room. The members present were Keri Borchers, Pastor Tommy, Felicia Leonard, Janice Hoefer, Delbert Goetz, David Starke, Kevin Berry, and Peggy Pragman. President Keri Borchers called the meeting to order. Pastor opened with devotion from Psalms 62 and prayer. Minutes were read and approved. Felicia gave the treasurer s report with balances of $17,570 in General Fund and $14,440 in Building and Grounds Fund. The Pastor s mileage of 218 miles for $ was presented for payment. Motion was made and seconded to approve the treasurer s report. Motion to pay bills also made, seconded, and approved. The Pastor mentioned in his report the month of Dec. was very busy as usual. Homebound communion was served Dec. 14 and 15 with much appreciation for those who cannot attend church. The Service with communion was well attended and beautiful as always. Sadness entered our busy Holiday season with the loss of two members. Funerals for Grace Schemmer on Dec. 22 nd, and Mary Louise Fisher on Jan. 3 rd. Our church has had more than we would like to see in recent years. Evangelism committee is gearing up for this year s Souper Suppers. There will only be four nights each month because the Central Christian Church has withdrawn from participating and no other congregation has been able to take their place. First Baptist has changed from Thursday to Tuesday evenings so that the suppers are on consecutive evenings. In March the suppers will be a week earlier, due to the last week of March being Holy Week. Ash Wed. will be Feb. 14 th and we will have a joint service with the Central Christian Church and also the First Presbyterian Church. The service this year will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, and details will be announced as the time gets nearer. On Sunday the 14th of Jan., Tommy reported a very busy day. In addition to regular calendar events, there was a 100 th birthday celebration for Louise Salyer from 1:00-3:00, Vespers at Meyer Care Center at 3:45, a community Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration at the Presbyterian Church at 3:00, which he had to leave early to be at Meyer s. Our members support the vespers service with their attendance and he does not like to disappoint them. That day about fifteen attended the brief service. YOM will have the ham and bean lunch Sunday the 21 st, and later that day, the Rev. Rick Oberle will be installed as the pastor and teacher of Columbia UCC. Tommy hopes to make it, but not sure that he will. Crystal and Tommy will be on vacation Jan. 22 through Feb. 1 st. He will be away on Jan. 28 th, which is the day the Council set for the annual meeting. Providing the sermon that day will be the Rev. Bob Atkinson. Correspondence: Thank You was read from the Higginsville Ministerial Fellowship of $ for Heat and Hunger (Christmas Eve offering of 2017). Also read, a Thank You from UCC Conference for OCWM contributions. Staff thank yous were also read from Lindsey, Crystal and Tommy, Sarah, and Jamie for their Christmas bonus. A request was read for funds from Senior Center, last year s amount was $150 in Jan. Motion was made, seconded, and approved to do the same. Request for funds was read from Emmaus Home, last year gave $100 in March. Motion was made, seconded, and approved to wait until March. Request for funds was read 5 from Show-Me Christian Home, last year gave $150 in Jan. and August. Motion made, seconded, and approved to send same in Jan. Christian Ed: Delbert reported Children s Christmas program a success. VBS was discussed, 2 possible choices were talked about. Kid s Sunday in March. Family Event, movie fun night Feb. 24 th, and possible Christmas float again. Building and Grounds: David: Padlocks were replaced. David has been working with several companies and contractors and he will have an estimate for the Kitchen remodeling project to present to the congregation for voting at the January s Congregational meeting. There will be only the one project presented this year. We have approximately $26,000 in memorial money designated to kitchen. Cemetery: Kevin reported meeting held prior to Council meeting and Dennis reported on planning a clean-up day sometime in early spring for the cemetery and that there is money in the fund for beautification of the cemetery. Several things were discussed. Kevin reported meeting to be very informative. Memorial: Peggy reported no meeting. Stewardship: no meeting. Evangelism: Felicia reported the collection at the grocery stores, in place of the turkey run walk was a success. A collection of $ plus a member donating $265 gave a total of $1, Also the Auto Workers Union at Claycomo donated 32 turkeys. A total of 53 turkeys and 36 hens were taken to families for holiday dinners. The remainder of $ will be a good start for next year. Worship: Janice reported no meeting. Ushers: Kevin reported are good. (continued on page 6)

6 March 2018 The Lamplighter Page 6 (January 2018 Council Minutes continued from page 5) Unfinished Business: Tommy presented more information about on-line giving. There was more discussion about this project, but no motion made at this time. Council held more discussion about voting practices, but at this time decided to leave things as they stand. Annual meeting will be held Jan. 28 th 2018 at 12:30 p.m., after the dinner following the 10:30 service. After discussion about the information received of the concern of the property tax on the copier, a motion was made, seconded, and approved to pay the property tax on copier. Credit cards are now active. New Business: Alumbaugh service contract of $970/per year was presented. Motion was made, seconded, and approved to pay the amount. A request from Northwest Community Services was read asking for the use all kitchen facilities for teaching cooking techniques and learning social skills. After short discussion, with the possibility of the kitchen project being passed the council voted to deny the request. Joint Ash Wednesday service, (Salem, Central Christian, and Presbyterian) will be held at the Presbyterian Church Feb.14, 7:00p.m. Announcements: Next Council meeting Date: February 15, :30p.m. (V.P. in charge) There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned by saying the Lord s Prayer. Respectfully submitted Peggy Pragman, Council Secretary NEWS FROM BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Vacation Bible School VBS will be much earlier this year! We are so excited to try this earlier date! We are working on the theme for this year. This years theme will be Babylon, Daniel s Courage, Live the Adventure. VBS will be held June 3rd-6th 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Mark your calendars! Please come and join us! We are in need of volunteers!! If anyone is interested in helping, please let us know! Each volunteer will get a free VBS t-shirt and have the opportunity to spend time with some great youth from our church and community! You can call the church office (660) or contact June by call or text (660) Children s Sunday We are planning another Children s Sunday for March 18th during the 10:30am service. We asked the kids what kind of service they wanted to have. The answer was very funny! They want to have a Pajama Service. So March 18th is a come as you are service. You can wear pajamas, or casual clothes, or work clothes. Whatever you feel like doing! The kids will absolutely love to see you all in pajamas or whatever you choose to wear! Salem UCC Contributions to Missouri Mid-South Conference UCC January-December 2017 CUE Seminary support (Lenten offering) $ 1,839 Hurricane Harvey Relief $ 785 O.C.W.M. Member Contribution $ 5,056 O.C.W.M. Budget amount. $ 3,250 One Great Hour of Neighbors in Need $ 1,665 Strengthen the Church $ 100 Neighbors in Need $ 924 Christmas Fund $ 1, Total $15,160 Are available in the back of the Sanctuary. THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone that supported the Souper Bowl Sunday collection for the Food Pantry. We collected $1619 to assist a worthwhile cause in our community. We truly appreciate your generosity! High School Sunday School Class 6

7 March 2018 The Lamplighter Page 7 We provide hope to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Uganda through the vehicles of soccer and education. In the summer of 2000, our daughter, Jessica, worked for Group Workcamps as a summer staff member. She and three other college students traveled many miles, setting up camps for groups like our own Youth on Mission. These four young people became good friends as they worked together, and in fact, two of them, Mike and Abby Warneke, ended up marrying each other a few years later. They now live in Cabool, MO, Abby s hometown, with their three boys; Abby is a teacher, and Mike is the executive director of Fields of Dreams Uganda. Mike s journey to this position is a story in itself: he worked for Group Workcamps for some time, served churches as a youth minister, but found his life s work while visiting Uganda with another organization in After much prayer and planning, Fields of Dreams Uganda (FODU) became a reality in I encourage you to visit their website listed above to more fully understand the history and growth of FODU and watch the video Mike and Jonathan Ssebambulide, the Uganda National Director, have prepared. I am sharing this information with you, my church family, as Jessica (Knipmeyer) Keltner, Aaron Knipmeyer, and I prepare to travel to Uganda this summer. Mike and his family have become dear to our family throughout the years since the summer of 2000, and we have caught his passion for Fields of Dreams Uganda for several reasons. For one thing, many of the children of Uganda are orphans: years of civil war decimated the family structures that once were a strength for them. FODU s ultimate objective is to help increase the opportunities of the children we serve and we think the best way to do that is through education. This has been addressed in numerous ways again, please read the about us section of the website the issues they have encountered seem endless. One measure our family has supported are the hygiene kits for girls; it s hard to imagine, but young women are often unable to attend school during their menstrual cycle, as they have no supplies. FODU has distributed thousands of kits, dramatically reducing mature female absenteeism. In other cases, Fields of Dreams Uganda has provided school supplies, technology, electricity, education grants, and much more. The two things I believe make FODU unique and worthwhile, however, are their emphasis on sports and their efforts toward sustainability. At first, the whole sports focus confused me a bit, until I understood the importance of soccer in Uganda. The kids love soccer! Lacking supplies, they make their own soccer balls from wadded up grocery bags wrapped in banana leaves. Mike first fell in love with the kids there, playing soccer with them, using this type of ball; he soon recognized their ability to play the game could open educational doors for them. Further, the innate values inherent in sports and respectful competition offered inroads to their lives. He and other volunteers took soccer supplies to Uganda, helping form teams and coordinating their first annual Hope Cup competition in 2014 which continues today. Most importantly, however, the FODU mission has never been about what they can do for the people of Uganda. Instead, it has been about offering hope so Ugandans may recognize and create a maintainable future for themselves. It is about a working partnership to develop long-term solutions to the societal problems they face. It is NOT a quick fix, so our trip will not be about doing a weeklong workcamp it will be about learning and becoming aware of their needs and identifying ways we can help facilitate their efforts. On each of the 5-6 trips Mike makes each year, he takes people around the regions FODU serves. Each trip has a different focus on ours, July 20-31, we will take part in Integrity workshops, Music, Dance & Drama competition, and Rotary International partnerships in the northern region. Quite honestly, I don t yet know what that will entail: we will have 6 conference calls with our travel partners, starting in March, that will let us know more. Our children and I are beyond excited at the opportunity to be a part of this program. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about Fields of Dreams Uganda, I would love to come speak to your clubs and organizations. I want to share FODU with you, my church family and community please know I will not be there to do fund-raising for my trip. Instead, I want to communicate FODU s slogan: Hope is a basic need. I love this phrase more than I can express, as it articulates a truth I have found as a teacher, counselor, a Christian and simply as a human being. Thank you. 7 --Judi Knipmeyer

8 March 2018 The Lamplighter Page 8 VESPERS AT MEYER CARE CENTER: Tommy will be leading Vespers at Meyer Care Center Sunday, March 25, at 3:45 p.m. Our Salem members at Meyer really enjoy the fellowship you bring when you join them in this service. Please consider sharing your time. EASTER FLOWERS: We will appreciate having spring flowers in church again this Easter. If you wish to place a flower in memory of someone, please notify the church secretary ( ) by March 28, so she can print it in the church bulletin. Be sure your name is on the flower that you bring. Please leave it in the Fellowship Hall on the stage by Noon on Good Friday, March 30. Suggestions of spring flowers are: Tulips, Daffodils, Hydrangea, Azaleas, Lilies or check with your florist. Thanks! (The flower committee will place the flowers in the sanctuary.) 2018 CHURCH CAMP: Camp MoVal s 2018 Brochures/ registration forms are available outside the church office. Early Bird registration date is April 1, MMS-UCC WOMEN S RETREAT: Registration Form/Brochures for this retreat are available outside the church office. Registration must be mailed by Friday, March 31, MEN S HOLY WEEK BREAKFAST SCHEDULE: Tuesday, March 27 First Presbyterian Church 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 28 First Assembly of God 6:30 a.m. Thursday, March 29 First Baptist 6:30 a.m. Friday, March 30 Salem Church 6:30 a.m. Saturday, March 31 St. Mary s Catholic Church 7:00 a.m. WOMEN S HOLY WEEK BREAKFAST SCHEDULE: Friday, March 30 First Assembly of God Church 7:00 a.m. Saturday, March 31 Immanuel Lutheran Church 8:30 a.m. MAUNDY THURSDAY: Maundy Thursday service with communion will be March 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. GOOD FRIDAY COMMUNITY CROSS-WALK SERVICE Friday, March 30, the community service will begin at 11:45 a.m. by gathering at the Caboose with a short prayer. At Noon the cross will be carried down Main Street where it will end at Grace United Methodist Church. At that time, a devotional service will be offered to commemorate Jesus saving act on the Cross. The Cross Walk is open to all who want to participate. Those who feel uncomfortable carrying the cross can walk along and sing or meet us at Grace United Methodist for devotion. 8 ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING More than we can imagine! It is easy to feel overwhelmed when we look at all the areas of need in God s world: there is hunger, sickness, and injustice in so many communities. It is easy to feel there is nothing we can do to help. We can feel trapped by hopelessness and fear that what little we can do won t have an impact. But there is hope! Better yet: we are that hope! As the Apostle Paul writes, by the power at work within us, God is able to accomplish abundantly more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We are the agents of transformation that God uses to transfigure this world (Archbishop Desmond Tutu). Wishing and dreaming of a better world means nothing if we don t realize that God gives us community to practice love and compassion. We cannot only care for ourselves, but we must also care about those around us, both near and far. Our gifts become part of a loving legacy in ways we can t foresee. Our gifts become blessings to people we don t know and blesses in ways we can t expect. We can make a difference beyond what we can imagine. An envelope is enclosed in this Lamplighter for you to return to the Church on March 11. Please make your check to Salem UCC One Great Hour of Sharing. Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire. St. Catherine of Siena

9 Salem United Church of Christ 1500 Main Street Higginsville MO Non-Profit Organization POSTAGE PAID Permit NO. 104 Higginsville MO Return Service Requested The Lamplighter The Lamplighter Is a monthly newsletter of : Salem United Church of Christ Rev. Dr. Tommy Faris Keri Borchers, President 1500 Main Street Pastor Church Council Higginsville, MO Sarah J. Berry Mark Gross, President (660) Secretary Board of Elders Fax: Doris Jane Stoner Judi Knipmeyer, President salemucc@ctcis.net Organist Board of Christian Education Early Worship Jamie Smith June Howell 8:30 a.m. Music Director Christian Education Coordinator Sunday School Anne Iles Lindsey Rolf, Volunteer 9:15 a.m. Youth Music Director Assistant Church Secretary Worship Lowell Grumke 10:30 a.m. Custodian March Salem United Church of Christ Higginsville, Missouri 9