From the desk of Pastor Steve...

Transcription

1 From the desk of Pastor Steve... Without a doubt all of us miss our office administrator Dale Free. She did a great job of keeping track of all those little details that I am not so good at. One of her main jobs was the Newsletter. There was a time when we would send out 500 paper Newsletters. At that time the main purpose of the Newsletter was to reach out to those who did not attend LWC. We wanted them to know what was going on at the church and welcome them to join us. During this time of transition we have taken a really hard look at how we communicate information to the congregation and those who do not attend regularly. We realize that younger people find their information through social media, web pages and . So we have revised our paper bulletin and now use a weekly in its place. We also created a new web page, All of our announcements can be found there. We also post more announcements and links on Facebook. Our church calendar is also on our web site. Over the next month we will be updating our web page. The purpose of our new web page will be to introduce people to LWC. It will include links to our next steps page, newsletter and weekly , but it will primarily be a way for people who are interested in coming to LWC to check out the church before they attend. We are also compiling a Welcome to LWC bulletin to give to our guests on Sunday mornings. As we have made these changes, we have been asking ourselves, What is the purpose of the newsletter? We think we have the answer. For several years now we have called the newsletter Inside LWC. We really think that this title describes the new mission of the newsletter. The purpose of our newsletter will be to keep the congregation up to date on things happening in the church. With this in mind, we are making a few changes. You will see a lot less promotional information in the newsletter. Big ads for different events will be replaced with a paper copy of our nextstep.lamontchurch.com web page. We are also adding a few things to the newsletter. Starting this month we will include a brief financial report. It will not be a detailed report, but will give an overview of how we are doing. Detailed reports are always available in the church office. We are also going to begin sharing information about our leadership team, board action, Dirt Roads Network, and other inside information. In this newsletter for example, you will find a note from Pastor Kara about friend day promotions, a note from Pastor Andrew about our facilities plan, and a note from me about our church safety team. We hope to better inform the congregation of all the things happening at the church. We would love your input on the newsletter. What other information should we include? How can we best help you be in the know on the things going on around here? Please send comments and questions to me at stevemcvey@outlook.com. I know change is hard, but it is sometimes necessary. The new newsletter may take a while to get used to. We believe if we do it right, it will be a helpful change. I look forward to hearing from you. Pastor Steve

2 nextsteps.lamontchurch.com Friend Day: Time to Tailgate! Sunday, October 14, LWC will be hosting a Friend Day with BBQ, games, hayrides, photo booth, relay race, cake walk and more. Dress in your favorite team jersey or fan gear and invite someone to tailgate with us. If you would like to help by baking a dessert for the cake walk or bring a tailgate side to share, sign-up online. Time to Tailgate Schedule: Worship Service, 9:45am Tailgate, After service Lunch and Games, Noon- 2:00pm Children s Ministry Team Over the next few months the LWC family is going to be seeking God s direction with our family ministries. This includes our children s ministries on Sunday morning. We are looking for volunteers to help serve in these ministries over the next two to three months as we plan. This would include helping teach Sunday School and God Followers. Volunteers would not serve every week. We are hoping to have several people step up while we seek God s direction for these ministries. There will be a lunch meeting for all those interested on September 9, right after church. If you would like to be a part of this team, sign up online! Church Planter s Boot Camp Dirt Roads Network and LWC are hosting a Church Planters Boot Camp, October 5-6. The event will be held here at LWC and is free to anyone from LWC interested in church planting. Rolling Hills and Rocky Roads Race for Haiti Missions Saturday, October 13, grab a friend or two, lace up those tennies, and join us for a FUN fall run/walk. Yummy snacks and drinks will be at the finish line! Guarantee your t-shirt by registering on or before October 1st. Money donations will help support the SONflower House, a teaching and medical services center in Zorange. Anyone wanting to help with preparations on or before October 13, can call Jan Kraft at Thank you! Ladies October Fellowship All ladies are invited to join the evening fellowship time scheduled for Thursday, October 18, 6:30pm, at Melissa Harlan s. We will share snacks, a devotional, and great fellowship. Invite a friend and come out for this time of encouragement! Men s Breakfast Our Men s Breakfasts resume on September 8, at 8:00 a.m. here at the church. Pastor Andrew Hurlburt will lead the devotion. We will also have a brief discussion about our facility management plan. All the men of the church are invited. Flu Shot Clinic The Greenwood County Health Department will be providing our community with Flu Shot Clinic on October 19, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please bring your insurance card. For questions call Be sure to head to nextsteps.lamontchurch.com to keep up with events, service opportunities, and information that you need to know happening at LWC!

3 This LWC October 1-7 October 8-13 Monday 10/1: Happy Birthday Megan Dickenson and Emily Kilgore! Happy Anniversary Joseph and Miranda Bauer! Tuesday 10/2: Happy Birthday Deb Harlan and Korie Watts! Wednesday 10/3: Happy Birthday Madilynn Rodriguez! 6:30p Women s Bible Sue Lingenfelter s house Thursday 10/4: Happy Birthday Ty Rich! 12:00p Women s Fellowship El Lorito in Emporia Friday 10/5: 8:30a-5:00p Church Planter s Boot Camp. Saturday 10/6: Happy Birthday Tamera Branstetter! 8:30a-5:00p Church Planter s Boot Camp. Sunday 10/7: 9:30a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service with special speakers John and Danielle Freed. Happy Birthday Makenna Engle Monday 10/8 Happy Anniversary Jared and Fallon Dale! Tuesday 10/9: Happy Birthday Avery Miller and Julia Pyle! Wednesday 10/10: 6:30p Women s Bible Sue Lingenfelter s house Thursday 10/11: Happy Birthday David Morgan, Glenn Jamison and Steve McVey! Saturday 10/13: Happy Birthday Tony Buster, David Jesse and Julie McKenzie! 8:30-11:00a Rolling Hills & Rocky Road Race for Haiti. October October Sunday 10/14: FRIEND DAY!!! 9:45a Worship Service with tail gating following the service. Monday 10/15: 7:00p Board Meeting Tuesday 10/16: Happy Birthday Janiece Isch! Wednesday 10/17 6:30p Women s Bible Sue Lingenfelter s house Thursday 10/18: Happy Anniversary Roy and Lisa Ballard! October July Monday 10/29: Tuesday 10/30: Happy Birthday Jeremy Raaf! Happy Anniversary Andrew and Kara Hurlburt, and Todd and Julia Pyle! Friday 10/19: 2:30-3:30p Flu Shot Clinic Happy Birthday Kim Hatch! Saturday 10/20: Happy Birthday Aaliyah Trester & Steve Owens! 8:00a Men s Breakfast Happy Anniversary Craig and Jerrie Schreiner, and Greg and Janean Rawlings! Sunday 10/21 9:30a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service Happy Birthday Dale Isch, Sue Lingenfelter and Aubrey Pyle! Wednesday 10/31: 6:30p Women s Bible Sue Lingenfelter s house Monday 10/22: Happy Birthday Peggy Marlar! Tuesday 10/23: 6:00p LinC Sauder Center Happy Anniversary Charlie and Cathy Gowen! Wednesday 10/24: 6:30p Women s Bible Sue Lingenfelter s house Thursday 10/25: Happy Birthday Alexis Berndt! Friday 10/26: Happy Birthday Greg Rawlings and Leah Sheck! Saturday 10/27: Happy Birthday Cassie Thompson! Sunday 10/28: Happy Birthday Derek Jesse! 9:30a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service Ushers and Greeters USHERS Gary Edwards, Al Brown, Craig Schreiner, and Phil Unruh Greeters Todd and Julia Pyle

4 Church News and Updates Outreach Events Update from Pastor Kara LWC has made a renewed commitment to pray for our community and surrounding areas, seeking God s heart to reach young families and individuals for the Kingdom. To help more effectively reach out, we have assembled an Outreach Events Team, with Pastor Kara Hurlburt giving insight and leadership to the group. LWC s FRIEND DAY, scheduled for Sunday, October 14, is the first event that the team is planning. The Time to Tailgate theme of the day has taken shape and promises to be a creative time of tailgating with food, games, and lots of fun to follow. The service will begin at 9:45 with special programming for the children. Subsequent events will include an outreach meal at Thanksgiving and plans for a Beast Feast with special speaker. As time unfolds, and prayer continues for this ministry, we eagerly anticipate the doors the Lord is going to open for us to reach into our community and surrounding area to love people and bring them into a relationship with Jesus. Dirt Roads Network Awarded Grant DRN was awarded the Kansas Leadership Center s 2019 Leadership Transformation Grant this month. This grant will allow several LWC board members, board apprentices, and ministry leaders to receive intensive leadership training over the next year. This training will also be offered to the leadership teams of Radiant Life Church, Embrace Church, and the Iola branch of Dirt Roads Network. For more information about the Kansas Leadership Center visit kansasleadershipcenter.org. Safety Team Update by Pastor Steve Did you know LWC has a Safety Team? Several months ago LWC hosted a Church Safety Seminar with Carl Chin. Over 20 churches joined us as we spent a day learning about the importance of protecting congregations. Shortly after the seminar LWC formed a leadership team. Paul Kesler, Eric Hatch, Todd Pyle, and David Morgan were asked to lead this ministry. Over the last few months the team has worked to make LWC a safer place. Here are some of the things we have done, or are in the process of doing: Outside lighting around the perimeter of the church is being updated. This includes lights on the north side of the church as well as the playground area. Video cameras have been purchased and will be installed in a number of classrooms and offices. An emergency response plan is being formed. When completed it will be shared with the congregation. The safety team now actively patrols the church grounds during services. Doors that are less than secure are being repaired or replaced. A children s ministry check-in system is being planned. A full fledged emergency response kit is being acquired. A big thank you to the Safety Team for working so hard to make LWC as safe as possible.

5 Financial Update Summers can be tough for churches financially. Expenses often go up for things like VBS, camps, and increased electrical bills. Additionally, offerings often go down as people miss church for vacations. All things considered, this has been a good summer for LWC. Our savings account balance as of August 31 was $38, Our checking account balance was $9, The petty cash balance was $3, For a total of $51, If you would like more detailed reports, contact the church office. Income Lamont Wesleyan Church Profit and Loss June - August, 2018 Total 1000 Regular Offering $ 63, Total Income $ 63, Expenses 6000 Denominational Support $ 7, Salary $ 39, General Operating $ 16, Ministries $ 4, Total Expenses $ 68, Net Operating Income $ (4,951.57) LWC Facilities Update from Pastor Andrew In the book of Haggai, the Lord uses a prophet to let Israel know two things about the House of the Lord. One of those was, they had let His house remain in a state of ruin and the other was, they had failed to plan ahead. The Lord tells them to, give careful thought to their ways. When it comes to the buildings and facilities the Lord has given us, what we consider the House of the Lord, we want to give careful thought to our ways. We should have a strong desire to take great care of it and keep it in great shape. We should also always be giving careful thought to the future and how we can best plan to move the church forward in the days to come. I tell you that to tell you this: We are coming up with a new maintenance plan to keep LWC in great shape. We will have an online and handwritten maintenance log that anyone in the church who sees an issue or necessary repair can write it down. There will also be regular routine maintenance walkthroughs to check for issues. If it is something small that can be taken care of in a short amount of time, I will be doing that. If it is a two-man job or bigger, I am compiling a list of willing people and their talents who can help on those jobs. Finally, for the largest jobs, we will hire professional help as necessary after appropriate church leadership action has been taken. There will also be two work days each year planned where the whole church comes in for a day of small jobs, big jobs, and fellowship. In this way we believe we will keep LWC looking attractive for our Father and all who choose to enter. Remember, we get only one chance to make a first impression, and part of our first impression will be what people see when they pull up and walk in the doors. As far as planning for the future, a team has been put together to explore options that would lead the church forward in several areas. Those areas would be preparing for future growth, providing adequate and safer youth and children s space, better adult teaching space, more efficient heating and cooling zones, as well as better water runoff. This is not something that can happen in a day, but we have gotten the ball rolling and will be working consistently. Join us in praying for the Lord s divine guidance and direction in this area.

6 From the desk of Pastor Steve Local Service Opportunities Oct 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. For more information about these events and service opportunities, go to nextsteps.lamontchurch.com. 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 the church office by at office@lamontchurch.com or by phone at Submissions for Inside LWC need to be submitted 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.