CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 112 Hall St., Watertown WI (920)

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1 CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 112 Hall St., Watertown WI (920) Jeff Meyer Pastor July/August, 2018 New Heights Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results." I am going to come out and say that for several decades many local Christian churches arguably could have been defined as insane. In an effort to promote comfort for its existing membership, many churches resisted change. They kept to the same schedule, music and order of worship. They kept and, in fact, vigorously protected ministries, events and traditions merely because they existed. Any new people that happen to visit or were so bold as to regularly attend worship were expected to adopt the same preferences as the current members and not to promote any change. I will never forget what a member of one of my previous churches said to me after a single mother and her family joined the church: he said he wanted the church to grow, but not with these people!. Yet, the membership honestly expected to change by growing. In other words, churches said they wanted to grow; however, what they meant was they wanted to find people just like them to join the church. Which is why they thought by doing the same things they had always done repeatedly over the last several decades, they

2 2 could grow as a result. What they and many churches to this day fail to recognize, as I stated last month, is that growth, by definition, is change. The question for churches today is not whether to change that has already been answered. In today s rapidly changing world, churches are all changing in that they are either growing or they are dying. The question is whether churches actually hear and answer God s call to grow by making disciples of Jesus Christ. Thus, the question is not whether to change; the question is how? That is the question we are going to begin answering by developing a mission and vision statement this fall. Aspirations and goals are all well and good, but the mission statement clarifies what the overall objective we seek, by God s grace, to carry out at Christ UMC and the vision statement clarifies how. How God wants us to carry out that mission in this context here at 112 Hall St. in Watertown, WI. In August, I will be outlining how we are going to go about this process of developing a mission and vision statement. However, this summer, why don t you all take some time to talk; not about whether we should change, for we are going to change by either growing or dying. What I believe we should do is go to God and ask through our relationship with Him how He wants us to change, so we change by growing in making disciples of His Son Jesus Christ. In Christ, PJ OUR MISSION STATEMENT We are called and empowered by Jesus to love, to serve and to witness. -Mission statement of Christ United Methodist Church Confirmation 2018 On Sunday, June 3 rd, six youth officially joined our church family. Congratulations to these young people. Evelyn Griffin Ethan Johnson Danielle Krakow Jessica Meyer Caleb Parent Taylor Walter Communion Dates Changed Pastor Jeff is taking some vacation time off this summer. Ordinarily, Communion is held the first Sunday of each month. Because of the dates he has chosen to be gone, our Communion services will be on Sunday, July 8, Sunday, July 29 and Sunday, September 2. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

3 3 Meals-on-Wheels July It is our turn to deliver meals to the shut-ins in our community from July The sign-up sheet is on the Blessings Table in the narthex. Please sign up where you can help or contact Annette in the church office. Coming This Fall - All New High School Age Sunday School Class Sunday mornings beginning at 8:45 a.m. in the Prayer Room taught by Rob Lund. Sunday School begins for Youth and all ages September 9th! - All New High School Youth Group featuring faith, food and fun. Sunday Nights 6:00-7:30 p.m. beginning September 16th! You, the Youth of Christ UMC, are not just the future of the church, you are the present! That is why Christ UMC created these new ministries, so you would feel valued and important! Come, experience God in a safe, fun and real place this Fall at Christ UMC! Summer Sandwiches Continues! Our Summer Sandwich lunch distribution continues on Tuesdays at Clark Park through August 28 for a total of 12 weeks. Lunches are given out from 11:30-12:30. Please feel free to join us for making lunches from 9:30-10:30 or at Clark Park to enjoy one with us. We have had rainy weather the first 2 weeks and our numbers are down. We are seeing a slightly different group than in past years. All participants are grateful for your generosity in making this possible. Books to Grow On and Community Garden produce (spinach, so far) are another great reason for families to join us. Thanks to everyone working on those Mission projects also. S.O.S: Support Our Students Our July 8 Mission Sunday Recipient Historical: This is the 8th year that the Shared Community Mission Group has expanded upon a program started at the First Congregational UCC church. Working together, we have been able to help more children whose families are unable to purchase the items that their children need for school. The program thus far: families with 156 children families with 181 children families with 223 children families with 240 children In 2015, we provided school supplies to almost 300 children! We have seen our numbers decrease; but still, about 250 children received the help they needed to begin school in both 2016 & Together, we help children get ready to learn. Member congregations and others from the community donate school supplies or money to purchase school supplies. We set up a large school store where children are accompanied by their parents and a church volunteer to select a new backpack and selected supplies that are listed on their school s required list.

4 4 Invitations to participate in the event are available through each of the member churches and specialized programs to help low-income families in our community, including three Summer Sandwiches in the Park programs, Mary's Room, Hometown Mission, Watertown Food Pantry, Personal Essentials Pantry, Bread and Roses and Loaves & Fishes community meals programs. This year we again will invite community resource agencies to set up information tables on Tuesday, August 21, with information on city resources, such as the Watertown Health Dept., Watertown Cares Clinic, Watertown Family Center, Head Start and churchbased programs including Mary s Room, Loaves & Fishes, Bread and Roses and the Food Pantry among others. This year, the SOS program will again be held at St. Henry Parish Center at 300 E. Cady Street on Monday, August 20, in the late afternoon. Exact time to be determined. * For Families who are members of SCMG churches. They are helped to select items; They should have invitations from their church with this date specified. At CUMC, the office will have these invites for families affiliated with our church. Membership is not required, but participation in our activities is needed. Tuesday, August 21. Late afternoon. Time to be determined. * EVENT IS OPEN to those with invitations from any of the above resources. Volunteers assist children and families in selecting items that are needed for school. Remaining supplies will be boxed up and delivered to the schools in the Watertown Unified School District, Head Start, St. Henry, St. Bernard and Good Shepherd schools. The list of required items is always changing--just look at a school supply list at your area stores! For example, most kids now need multiple sets of ear buds (tiny ear phones for we older folks!) to use during classes with their computers. Dry erase markers are expensive, and multiple ones are on the lists for many kids. These often cost $ each. It doesn t take a math wizard to see that families can t afford to send these items to school, in addition to paying class fees (yes, many public school kids have to pay fees for certain required classes.) CUMC has been a huge supporter of this program, both financially and with volunteers. To help with money, use the Mission Sunday cup on July 8, or put cash or a check in an envelope specifically marked SOS or School supplies, or purchase supplies and bring them to church. To volunteer on distribution days, contact Ann Nienow. Books to Grow On Thank you for the donations of books and money. We are off to a good start around 150 books handed out the first week at all three parks. Due to your generosity, we have ample books for the summer. That being said,

5 5 we can always use more baby and toddler books, especially concept books like colors, shapes, numbers and ABC s. We are nearly out of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series books, Captain Underpants and Dork Diaries. Kids also like I Survived books only three. Otherwise, we have lots of great picture books, easy readers and interesting non-fiction books. Thank you again for all your support! Jan Detrie Mission Sunday August 12 National Justice for Our Neighbors The United Methodist Church has taken a stand in support of keeping families intact as immigrant families apply to remain in the United States. There have been many good articles on the national and state Methodist websites that explain our denomination s position on these matters. The Mission Committee has chosen to designate the organization National Justice for Our Neighbors to receive our Mission Sunday donations for August. This organization has been recommended by the United Methodist Church for support. The National Justice for Our Neighbors network supports 17 sites across the country, located in 12 sites and the District of Columbia. Altogether, those sites operate about 50 legal clinics. The clinics have served nearly 5,000 clients this year, 1,800 of whom are from Mexico. Clinics help immigrants apply for asylum, lawful permanent residence or citizenship, said Rob Rutland-Brown, executive director. The general outcome we seek for our clients is helping families be together, helping people escape from violence and helping people to work here lawfully, he said. Even with free legal services, clients often have to save up funds to pay the U.S. government s application fees. In some cases, clients are eligible for a fee waiver, and Justice for Our Neighbors helps with that, too. The ministry receives financial support through Advance # If this issue has touched your heart, please give generously through your envelope (tell us where your money should be directed) or by putting money in the cup in the offering plate on Sunday, August 12, or any Sunday in August. Thank you. Summer Midweek Concerts Mark your calendar and invite others to join us on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. July 4 July 11 July 18 July 25 August 1 No Concert Dan Holmes The King s Countrymen Gary Beal & His Traveling Salvation Show Professions of Faith

6 6 Fireside Christian Concert We have 27 tickets for the Christian concert featuring Triumphant Quartet on Tuesday, October 9, We need to have a final count by September 9. Please be at the Fireside by 5:00 p.m. for the fish and chicken buffet at 5:30 p.m., with the concert to follow at 7:30 p.m. Sign up on the sheet on the Blessings Table or contact Annette in the church office. This is a great meal and concert. Cost of this event is $36. Another Successful Pig Roast! At our June 6 th Pig Roast, we were able to serve 229 people, only because of the generosity and hard work of many people. While it would be impossible to name everyone, special thanks go to Lee and Pam Schuhmacher, Sarah Walter, Bev Walter, Adam Walter and Joe Wall, along with the dedicated volunteers who set up, cleaned up, prepared food, served our guests, sold tickets, donated food and funded Porky's Club. The profit of $3, was used to pay one month's apportionments (which includes a sizable amount to international missions) and to support local missions through our Mission Committee. Everyone was a winner. And, everyone who had the meal received a tasty feast at a good cost. Thanks to all! Circuit Corn Roast Picnic Sunday, August 26, 2018, is the date of our annual Corn Roast Picnic to be held at Riverside Park upper pavilion at noon following our own church service. Our church is responsible to bring the corn, paper plates, napkins, plastic silverware, container for butter for the corn. Everyone is to bring their own table service. Sign-up sheet will be on the Blessings Table. The annual Praise Band Concert will also be going on during our picnic at the park. July Birthdays 3 Addilee Skrobak 5 Doug Stuart 6 June Mechelke 7 Sally Flegner Anna Vander Galien 10 Audree Hostetler Lance Mutter 11 Lauren Turtenwald 12 Mike Detrie Kayla Wendt Talyn Brigowatz 13 Debbe Robinson 14 Sally Rumary 16 Jennice Penza 17 Jerry Herzog 18 Randy Franks 21 Fay Martin 24 Ralph Behlke Miranda Krakow 25 Reggie Reimer 28 Lisa Griffin 29 Lorraine Dittmar

7 7 Summer Worship Hours Sundays 8:00 a.m. - Outdoor Worship 10:00 a.m. - Worship in Sanctuary Midweek Concerts Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. thru Aug. 1 Summer Office Hours Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. August Birthdays 1 Kevin Wolf 2 Janet Wolf 4 Caleb Parent Jessica Meyer 8 Ted Durant Jill Dantuma 16 Val Uttech Kyler Matamoros 18 Tonia Mindemann Wendy Cooper 19 Kris Krakow 20 Kristin Unertl 21 Loraine Ackatz 23 Jo Seibert 24 Lisa Durant 25 Tom Borbe Kristin Walter Tyler Bartz Madilyn Brigowatz Mathias Unertl 27 Concetta Brennan Laurie (Wolf) Peterman 29 Cailee Franks BIRTH Quinn Elise Nienow, daughter of Mike & Jodi Nienow, was born June 5, BAPTISM Zoey Jane Kreuser, daughter of Matt & Brianna Kreuser, was baptized on May 20, July Prayer List Please include Pastor Jeff and his family and three other families or individuals from the list below in your prayers each day. Randy & Colleen Franks Family Helen Foulke Evelyn Folyer Dave & Sally Flegner Doris Fincutter Nancy Fessenbecker Judy Farmer Carol Erickson Donna Else Geraldine Elftman Ted & Lisa Durant Don Drost Deanna Drost Al Drost Lorraine Dittmar Kaitlyn Dittmar Allen Dittmar Doug & Linda Dietzel Mike & Jan Detrie Ed & Jill Dantuma

8 8 August Prayer List Please include Pastor Jeff and his family and three other families or individuals from the list below in your prayers each day. John Danielson Bob & Kate Crupi Gloria Cowen Gordon & Wendy Cooper Family Pete Colletti Steve & Bernie Cassata Polk & Elizabeth Burleson Ryan & Cortney Brigowatz Family Dennis & Patricia Breselow Family Concetta Brennan Family Gregg & Terri Breese Family Sandy Braunschweig Brandon Braker Ron & Connie Brake Family Shirley Bradow Duane & Mary Bower Tom & Ruth Ann Borbe Seth Bezanson Ed & Dawn Bergren Ralph & Mitch Behlke