A Joint Newsletter of St. John s Episcopal Church & Union Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ

Transcription

1 A Joint Newsletter of St. John s Episcopal Church & Union Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ 2017

2 Easter Lily Memorials In Memory of my mother Mary Gomez From Lollie Lebario In Memory of family members From Carolyn Carollo In Memory of Our Loved Ones From Ruth Casey In Memory of Our loved ones no longer with us. From Jack and Angie Bennett In Memory of Ray Harvey and J.R. Kerr From Duane and Pam Kerr In Memory Laura Makie From The Makie Family In Memory of our Parents From Cliff & Jackie Rockhold In Honor of Family and Friends From Lois Beard In Memory of Jeff Hoyt From Bill and Janet Hoyt In Honor of our Loved Ones From Gene and Kay Carmody In Memory of Hugh and Elizabeth Crouch; Robert and Emma Green; Alta Johnson; From Carnell and Sara Green In Memory of Arthur J. Crouch; Leonard Crouch; Robert Green Jr.; Eunell Pouncy; From Carnell and Sara Green In Memory of Crystal Hermansen and Dylann Wilkinson From Debbie and Dennis Braithwaite In Honor of Anthony Lebario From Lollie Lebario In Honor of Jonathan and Jennifer Caspersen, Luke and Jonah Caspersen From Bill and Janet Hoyt In Honor of Blessings and Praise for this wonderful day! From Forrest and Gay Fry In Memory of Fern and Si Realing, Ruth and John Magnuson From Chuck and Wilma Realing Bird House Sale Starting Sunday May 7, 2017 during UCC Coffee Hour, decorative bird houses will be on sale. Proceeds will go to UCC Capital Fund Drive.

3 Pastoral Ponderings Easter never happened. It happens over and over again always This past weekend was the remembrance of Jesus s death on a cross and the celebration of his resurrection. For many, Good Friday and Easter are a once of year sort of thing. Each spring we dust off our winter blah and remember, and then it s back to life as usual. Or is it? Truthfully, Easter doesn t seem to make much difference in the world. The violence and injustice that brutally arrested and killed Jesus still exists. The hatred and fear that led religious leaders and political leaders alike to feel so threatened that death seemed the answer is still very real. Just watch the news. But here s the thing that we celebrated on Easter morning: God didn t let the violence of the world stop the power of grace. God didn t allow the troubling questions and fear stop faith. God didn t even allow the desertions, denials and betrayal of Jesus s closest followers stop love. What we celebrated Easter morning at an empty tomb is the fullness of God s mercy and love. What we witness to every morning is the truth that God s faithfulness is a sure thing, especially when our faithfulness fails. Violence doesn t get the final say so. Death is not the end of God s vision for a world in harmony with each other and with the divine. Despair is overcome with new life and new possibility. That s the promise of Easter, and that promise is new every morning. What that means is this: When the powers-that-be say no to life, to love, to possibilities, God says, Yes! When our own understandings of reality say no, it s done. It s over; I m finished. God says, Let me surprise you. There is more. Yes! This is just the beginning. Do not be afraid. This is the heart of our faith. The story of the cross and empty tomb shape us as followers of Christ. This story gives us hope and direction and even courage in the face of the world s crazy. This story gives us hope and direction and courage to begin again, and again, and again. Easter never happened. Easter happens always, new each morning! Alleluia! Let us live with hope, compassion, mercy and possibility. After all, we are an Easter people!. Blessings always, Pastor Jenny

4 Tuesday, May 2: Sunday, May 7: Monday, May 8: Tuesday, May 9: Thursday, May 11: Sunday, May 14: Sunday, May 21: Monday, May 22: Sunday, May 28: Monday, May 29: 6:30 p.m. WWCC special lecture 9:00 a.m. Worship & Communion 6:00/7:00 p.m. Diaconate/Trustees 10:00 a.m. Vacation Bible School Mtg 6:30 p.m. Faith Formation Meeting 9:00 a.m. Worship & Faith Exploration 9:00 a.m. Worship & Fellowship: Graduate Recognition 10:45 a.m. Council Congratulations GRHS 2017 Graduating Class 9:00 a.m. Worship & Fellowship Happy Memorial Day Office Closed WEEKLY CHURCH EVENTS: Devin Hart 1 Kathy Wiekhorst 2 Sandy Johnson 5 Angela Allen 8 Robyn Owens 8 Bill Fleming 13 Harold Walker 15 Jessica Robidoux 20 Lauren Westling Cullen 23 Craig Wolffing 26 Lun Wengert 31 Sundays 9:00 a.m. Worship Mondays 8:45 a.m. Coffee Group Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. Craft Group 6:30 p.m. Quilting Group Check office calendar for scouts and other regular groups. Kurt and Angela Allen 22 Buck and Jan Leonard 27 Does someone s drinking bother you? Al-Anon can help. Meetings are held in Green River at 96 N. 1st E St., Green River, Wyoming on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm.

5 CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES! May 22 nd, the 2017 Class of Green River High School will graduate. We have two graduates from our church family who will be receiving their diplomas: Lacey Hart and Krystal Simpson. Please join us Sunday, May 21, during worship and coffee hour as we honor these two young woman. Educate Girls, Change the World Ted Speaker and Girl Rising Global Ambassador Shabana Basij-Rasikh will be at WWCC, Tuesday, May 2 nd at 6:00 p.m. You re invited to Room 1302 for a powerful presentation by this young woman who was born and raised in Afghanistan. Because of Taliban rule, she dressed as a boy to escort her older sister to a secret school with dire consequences if they were caught. Shabana is now a leading advocate for girl s education and was recently named one of National Geographic s 2014 Emerging Explorers as well as CNN International s Leading Women of Monday, April 24 th, at 6:00 p.m., WOW will show the documentary Girl Rising in Room 1302 at WWCC. FLAMING GORGE DAYS JUNE We are once again participating in Flaming Gorge Days! YEA!!! We have the same two spots along the street (4 and 5), right by the basketball competition. This year we will be serving cinnamon rolls, sloppy joes and nachos, as well as beverages and some sides. VOLUNTEERS can sign up in 2 hour increments from 8 a.m. 4p.m. both days. Set up begins Friday, June 23, 7 a.m. Sign-up sheets are at church in the fellowship hall or you can call/text Kathy at or ICE: Please help us keep overhead down by making ice now. If you don t have space to store it, we do! The Hoyt s freezer is already in the fellowship hall for our ice deposits. POP and other beverages: To avoid having odd sizes, or pop and beverages not listed on signs, we will be accepting cash donations to go towards the purchase of pop, Gatorade and water. You can make a donation through your Sunday morning offering. Just be sure to mark it FGD-pop. Thank you so much! Looking forward to seeing you at our celebration - either by buying some yummy food from our booth or by working with us! Kathy Wiekhorst

6 WOSHIP CD S. If you just can t make it to worship, but still would like to hear the music, prayers and sermon, there are CD s available in the gathering area by the UCC guest book. If you d like to receive a CD each week, please let the office know and we will make that happen. (A huge thank you to Ray Curtis for this ministry!) Bird House Sale Sage View Hospice Room Saturday, May 6 from 10 a.m. 2:00 p.m., Sweetwater County Hospice will have a ribbon cutting and open house at Sage View Care Center in Rock Springs. This room will be for hospice patients that need more care than can be offered at home. The ribbon cutting will take place around 10 o clock. Starting Sunday May 7, 2017 during UCC Coffee Hour, decorative bird houses will be on sale. Proceeds will go to UCC Capital Fund Drive. Vacation Bible School Summer is fast approaching, so now is the time to begin plans for VBS. We will meet Tuesday, May 9th at 10 a.m. in the Conference Room. We ll choose curriculum, set the dates and begin strategizing about leaders and helpers. Always fun! Come join us. Faith Formation Team Teachers, would-like-to-be teachers, parents, anyone interested in helping our children grow in the faith are invited to a FF team meeting Thursday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. We ll meet in the conference room to discuss organization, curriculum and vision as we look to the future. Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Celebration (formerly known as "Annual Meeting") Beloved Community. Believing Hope. Embodied Action. June 8-11 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. We've renamed the event "Annual Celebration," because the event is so much more than business! It is an opportunity to worship, laugh, sing, connect, and experience Spirit with one another. We guarantee that you'll come away from Cheyenne with renewed energy for embodied action! Each church is encouraged to send their pastor and two lay delegates. Please let Judy Graham or Pastor Jenny know by May 21 if you d like to represent Union Congregational Church at this year s celebration. Narcotics Anonymous Mansface Church is home to the local NA chapter. Sunday night meetings are always an open meeting which means if you or a loved one is struggling with a drug addiction, you are welcomed to come. They meet at 8:00 p.m. in the Sunday School rooms.

7 St John s Episcopal Church 350 Mansface / P.O. Box 400 Green River, WY mansfacechurch@sweetwaterhsa.com St. John s April Worship Schedule May 7 Fourth Sunday of Easter 11:00 Holy Eucharist Service Leader: Rev. Walt Seeley Reader: Angie Bennet May 14 Fifth Sunday of Easter 6:00 Morning Prayer Service Leader: Chuck Realing Reader: Terry Warren May 21 Sixth Sunday of Easter 11:00 Holy Eucharist Service Leader: Rev. Walt Seeley Reader: Debbie Alverez May 28 Seventh Sunday of Easter 11:00 Holy Eucharist Service Leader: Rev. Walt Seeley Reader: Lollie Leboria The next Vestry meeting will be Sunday, May 7th after the church services.

8 Please remember these families in your prayers: Jose Alvarez, Margo, Jack, Kyle, Tim, Evie Grace Huebner, Kasyn, the Porter family, Marion, Kenny, Nathan and Briana Wolfe, Debbie and Kendra who are in need of a new home and jobs, and friends and family who need God s strength and love. Wilma Realing 19 Joshua Shafe 24 Liz Warren 24 Ruth Lauritzen 27 Chris King 27 Thursday Night Book Study The Thursday evening Bible class is studying the gospel of John. The class is led by Rev. Walt Seeley. We meet at 6:00 p.m. for a light supper and are usually home by 8:00 p.m. All are welcome. Rick and Bev Wagner 11 Labels for Education Program to End After 42 years, the Campbell Soup company will be ending their Labels for Education Program. This collection of labels has benefits schools in our area as well as outreach programs that St. John s is involved with. From their website: As of August 1, 2016, only UPCs with the Labels for Education logo will be accepted and redeemed for points into registered schools bank account. We have begun the process of removing the logo and expect there will be a limited number of products that contain these labels in stores through August 1, Once all Labels for Education logos have been removed from the products, UPCs will no longer be accepted. The banked points schools have accumulated will not be affected. St. John s thanks all of you who have clipped and saved these for so many years. You might check your cupboards for any that might still be on cans. Again, thank you for your support.