From the desk of Pastor Steve...

Transcription

1 From the desk of Pastor Steve... I have been the pastor of LWC for almost 18 years. In that time, we have seen God do some amazing things. We have been stretched by Him in many ways and have seen miracle after miracle. In light of that, my next statement may seem overblown, but it s not. I have never seen anything like the move of God we are experiencing right now! A few weeks ago, Andrew and Kara Hurlburt, pastors from Seagrove, North Carolina, visited the Lamont area and preached the morning message. It was a powerful time. If you missed the message, I encourage you to listen to it online. At the start of the message, Andrew and I explained how God brought us together on Thanksgiving Day, It is the belief of the leadership team that God is calling Andrew and Kara to Lamont. We sense that God may be calling them to plant a church in a couple of years or become a permanent part of the LWC leadership team. The challenge is that we have absolutely no money in our current budget to bring them here. This will be a huge step of faith for them and for LWC. As God is calling the Hurlburt s to Lamont, He is also calling Mark and Sarah Adams to plant a church in Emporia. Mark envisions calling it Embrace Church. Planting a church takes time, and the exact timeline is yet to be determined. In order for them to do this, LWC will need to establish leaders to replace them. We believe that this should be done as soon as we possibly can, with the real challenge being children s ministry. As Mark and Sarah have prayed about starting a church in Emporia, they were contacted by some friends who have served with them in the past. Steve and Cassie Thompson are currently transitioning out of a ministry position in Corralitos, California. I first met Steve when he was in high school in Ohio, before I came to Lamont. Andrew and Cara Hurlburt with children Molly, Reese, Cade & Maggie (l to r) Cassie & Steve Thompson with children Mathias (Matty), Oliver, Beniah (Ben) and Emily (l to r) (Continued next page)

2 (continued from page 1) Steve and Cassie are considering coming to Emporia to help Mark and Sarah start Embrace Church. Steve is seeking full-time employment to provide for his family. They are still seeking God s will for them, and no final decision has been made. Steve and Cassie will visit us the week after Easter. Steve Thompson will bring the morning message on April 8. Following the service, we will have Lunch On Us. It will be a great chance to get to know them. While all this is going on, God has also been challenging me to widen my personal vision. I am starting a rural-church planting network. I m calling it the Dirt Roads Network. The network will begin with a focus on rural southeast Kansas. As the network grows, we will establish a residency program for pastors who are called to rural America. We will also start a national collective of rural-church planting networks. The network is currently poised to start a new church in the very near future. I am absolutely aware that this is a lot of things happening at once. I want to be clear that this is not some plan that I put together. Each one of these things--the Hurlburt s, Embrace Church, the Thompson s, and the rural network--are all things God has brought to us in a very clear way. One of our brainstorming sessions with Steve, Pastor Mark, the Hurlburts, and the Sturgeon s. I am writing you this letter to invite you to join your LWC family for a prayer retreat on April It will be held here at the church. Child care and meals will be provided. We want to follow God. We believe that God speaks to all of us. We want every LWCer to be there as we seek God s face. The leadership Board had a prayer retreat last month. As we ended that time together, we strongly felt that the whole church needed to be in prayer with us. These are huge shifts taking place in our vision. We must seek God s will together. Please make every effort to come to this event. I am also asking our leaders and church family to join me in a time of prayer and fasting leading up to the all-church prayer retreat. I welcome your questions. Please call me, invite me over, me. We want your prayerful input. In Christ, Pastor Steve

3 SUMMER YOUTH CAMP This summer our youth will be attending camp at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, OK. The camp is called NTS (Never The Same). Camp will be July To find out more about this camp, visit This camp is for students who will enter 7th grade in the Fall thru students who are graduating 12th grade this year. Online registration is now available at bit.ly/ntscamp. You can only register and pay fees thru that site. We will not to handling any part of the registration and payment process through the church. The early-bird fee is $332 until May 6. After that, the fee is $352 until July 1. Late registrations between July 2-15 will cost $377. There can be NO registrations after that date. Upon registering, you will need to pay a $150 deposit online. Note: We usually have a little financial assistance available on an as-needed basis. If you know you will need help, contact Pastor Mark at markadams@lamontchurch.com as soon as possible so that he will have time to arrange something. School Supplies Project It s been almost a year since we handed out over 170 bookbags full of school supplies to Madison area students. We had a pool party and provided a meal. It was an amazing God-sized dream of unconditionally caring for our students. It cost us about $5,000 and a lot of hours worth of work, and it was worth every bit of it! The stories have been my favorite. A mom told me how she had recently moved to the area with almost nothing. She wasn't going to be able to afford to get her kids school supplies to get them started. She thanked me over and over. But I didn't do it. God did! New families, foster kids, and stories we will never hear! So, we believe God is calling us to do this again. Our goal this year is to raise $8,000 so we can do this for Madison again, and do it in Gridley this year for students who attend school in Gridley. Can you help? Would you prayerfully consider giving $1, $10, $100, or maybe even $1000 for this? You can give online at give in person at the church, or you can mail a financial gift to PO Box 593, Lamont KS,

4 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Our VBS Director Jessica Sloan is hard at work preparing for VBS. Contact her at if you want to help. You can visit to explore ways to help with decorating. Please be looking for cardboard boxes, newspapers, spray foam (Great Stuff insulating foam sealant). Sing & Play CDs will be available for sale at the church in early April. Be watching for those to help your kids start getting excited about VBS and hit the ground running at worship time! Reminder: We are also now collecting donations to pay for t-shirts for everyone at VBS. Dear LWC church family, We want to thank you for your cards, calls, and prayers in the sudden loss of our precious daughter Angie Kuhn. It is impossible to express in words how indescribably painful this loss has been, but your compassion helped sooth the hurt. We would be grateful for your continued prayers as we adjust to life without her. Thank you again. Larry & Janie Beckley

5 Friday, April 27, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, April 28, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (lunch at 11:30 a.m.) Meals and childcare included (freewill offerings will be accepted to help defray the cost) RSVP to or Please come help us seek God s will

6 April 1-7 Happenings at LWC April 2018 April 8-14 Sunday 4/1: 7:00a Sunrise Service; Breakfast at LWC afterward No Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service Monday 4/2: 12:00p Care Team Meeting Tuesday 4/3: Wednesday 4/4: 6:30p Women s Bible Study-Sue Lingenfelter s home 6:45p Unleashed Youth Group Thursday 4/5: 10:00a Women s Bible Study- Lamont church 12:00p Women s Fellowship lunch at El Lorito-Emporia Friday 4/6: Saturday 4/7: 12:00p Church Board lunch with the Thompson s at LWC Sunday 4/8: 9:30a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service -Communion -Thompson s to speak -Lunch On Us Monday 4/9: Tuesday 4/10: Wednesday 4/11: 6:30p Women s Bible Study-Sue Lingenfelter s home 6:45p Unleashed Youth Group Thursday 4/12: 10:00a Women s Bible Study -Lamont church Friday 4/13: Saturday 4/14: 8:00a Men s Breakfast-Lamont April April Sunday 4/15: 9:30a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service 5:00p Newsletter deadline Monday 4/16: 7:00p Church Board Meeting Tuesday 4/17: Friday 4/20: Saturday 4/21: Sunday 4/22: 9:30a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service Monday 4/23: Tuesday 4/24: 6:00p Madison Community Meal --Sauder Center Friday 4/27: 6:00p-9:00p All-Church Prayer Retreat at LWC Saturday 4/28: 9:00a-2:00p All-church Prayer Retreat at LWC Wednesday 4/18: 6:30p Women s Bible Study-Sue Lingenfelter s home 6:45p Unleashed Youth Group Wednesday 4/25: 6:30p Women s Bible Study-Sue Lingenfelter s home 6:45p No Youth Group Thursday 4/19: 10:00a Women s Bible Study -Lamont church Thursday 4/26: 10:00a Women s Bible Study -Lamont church April July Monday 4/29: High School Graduates Commission Service Tuesday 4/30:

7 April Birthdays 4/2 Karen Edwards 4/2 Luke Turner 4/3 Monica Helsel 4/4 Laverne Lynes 4/5 Les Harlan 4/5 Melissa Harlan 4/7 Bethany Unruh 4/8 Paul Kesler 4/8 April Hill 4/9 Peyton Hoag 4/11 Grace Mirante 4/11 Hannah Hatch 4/13 Eric Johnston 4/13 Brandon Williams 4/13 Allyson Martin-Turner 4/14 Marlea Harlan 4/14 Easton Rich 4/14 Naomi Dennis 4/17 Chris Murphy 4/19 Hayden Clark 4/19 Greg Helsel 4/20 Juanita Ketley 4/20 Alyssa Pyle 4/24 Lydia Hines 4/24 Landon Metzen 4/25 Reneé Sampsel 4/27 Aubrey Thomsen 4/28 Dan Kraft 4/29 Dan Crespino 4/29 Kaitlynn Smith 4/29 Gaia Fiorini 4/30 Christian Buster April Anniversaries 4/9 Kevin & Yvonne Lutz 4/13 Michael & Dale Free 4/19 Ty & Katie Rich 4/29 Gavin & Paige Beyer 4/30 Glenn & Crystal Jamison

8 Stay after church on April 8 for lunch on us! Chicken Tetrazzini & salad are on the menu. Deadline Sunday April 15 SPECIAL GUESTS On Sunday, April 8, we will be joined by guests Steve & Cassie Thompson during the morning service (more about them in Pastor Steve s letter in this newsletter). They will be speaking to us and then joining us for Lunch On Us that day. Please plan to be here if you can. please be praying that God will reveal his plans to us as we seek Him together. The Church Board will have lunch with the Thompson s on Saturday, April 7 at noon. CHILDREN S MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES We are in need of teachers and helpers for all of our Sunday morning children s ministries, which include Nursery, Pre-K Sunday School, Grades 1-4 Sunday School, Wiggle Worms, and God Followers. The people who have been doing these ministries have been very faithful, but it s time for others to have the chance to serve. If you are able to meet any of these needs, please contact Pastor Mark or Pastor Steve as soon as possible.

9 Our new Nursery Director Chelsea Williams is seeking adult volunteers and perhaps a few teen workers for the Nursery. If you would like to be part of the Nursery Team one Sunday a month, contact Chelsea at or at chels7485@gmail.com Kansas Kids Camp July 30-August 2 Theme: Treasured Key Scripture: Deuteronomy 7:6 This camp will focus on how God treasures us because He created us! Speaker: Faith Hansard Location: Westminster Woods Camp, Fall River, KS Registration will be available beginning April 15 Watch for more details! GRADUATION RECOGNITION EVENTS We are doing something new to celebrate our graduates this year. On Sunday, April 29, we will have a Commissioning Service for our high school graduates. Pastor Mark will be in touch with parents for information. We will celebrate kindergarten & 8th grade graduates on May 20. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

10 There are a group of ladies who like to meet for lunch in Emporia once a month. If you would like to join them, meet them at noon on Thursday, April 5 at El Lorito. You can contact Gena Ott at if you would like her to save a seat for you. Or just show up; there is always room for one more! Trip registration is closed, but donations for materials for the team to use in Haiti are always welcome. Questions about what the team will be doing? Contact Jola Casey at evanandjola@gmail.com. Lylah Jae Smith March 13, 2018 Emporia, KS 8 lbs oz., nd child of Jeff & Kaitlynn Smith

11 Youth Group Snacks in April 1st Wednesday - Alana Engle 2nd Wednesday - Gena Ott 3rd Wednesday - Volunteer needed 4th Wednesday - Katie Rich 1st Sunday: Chelsea Williams & Janice Brown 2nd Sunday: Julie McKenzie 3rd Sunday: Rachel Buster & Lindsey Fankhauser 4th Sunday: Lyn Blubaugh Ushers Ryan Engle, Chris Dietel, Harvey Lingenfelter, Henry Ott, Mark Ott & C.E. Murphy Greeters Brian & Melissa Landis

12 From the desk of Pastor Steve Special Guests: The Thompson s Easter Celebration All-Church Prayer Retreat at LWC APR 2018 The Lamont Wesleyan Church newsletter, Inside LWC, is published each month as a communications aid for our church family and friends. We hope you find this newsletter informative and useful. Important: We use a bulk mail permit for mailing our newsletter, which means we do not receive address changes from the post office. This means that it s very important that our records be accurate. If you receive this newsletter via an address that is not a complete mailing address, please let us know as soon as possible. If you have moved, please let us know your new address if you would like to continue to receive this newsletter. Also, please check the calendar each month and notify us as soon as possible if we have missed your birthday or anniversary. It is our sincere desire to recognizes those important dates in the lives of our LWC church family. If you have any information to submit, please contact Dale Free by at office@lamontchurch.com or by phone at Submissions for Inside LWC need to be given to Dale by 5:00 p.m. on the 2nd to last Sunday of each month. P.O. Box 593 Lamont, KS th St. in Lamont Sunday Service 11:00 a.m.