The Messenger Vol. 17

Transcription

1 The Messenger Vol. 17 Our mission: Connect people in a growing, engaged, active relationship with Jesus Christ. Shawnee United Methodist Church October 2017 From the Pastor... I love seeing all of those pumpkins sitting in our yard. What an outreach into our community that we can all participate in. Since we have so many pumpkins in our yard, the following story from preachingtoday.com caught my eye. There are heads growing on Tony Dighera's farm, and they're not made of lettuce. They're called "pumpkinsteins," and they look a lot like the Frankenstein creature that actor Boris Karloff made famous more than 80 years ago. "It's so new, and it's so unique that demand has been off the charts," Dighera said. "A lot of people thought I was nuts. When I first started doing this I think every farmer in the world looked at me like I was a complete lunatic." Dighera carefully builds a strong mold that encases the pumpkin yet permits air to reach the growing gourd inside. The pumpkin variety has to be just right. They can't be too big or they'll burst from the molds. Too small and the pumpkins won't fill the molds. Dighera still recalls the first time they squeezed that pumpkin head into the mold and it worked. Out came a re-formed (or should we say "de-formed") pumpkin that looked like Frankenstein's head. Dighera doesn't know whether he has a thriving pumpkinstein until he removes the nuts and bolts from the mold and successfully removes the pumpkin. But don't expect pumpkinsteins to boot jack-o'-lanterns off the porch completely. They're not cheap. It costs 100 bucks to squeeze those pumpkins into a mold and reshape them into a monster. The world constantly pressures the believer to conform to its image! Don t let the world press you into its mold! The mold in this story is like the sin in this world. The Apostle Paul warns us of this kind of influence in our lives. Romans 13:13-14 tells us, Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit. So, the question remains...what is molding your life? Shawnee United Methodist Church Johnson Drive Shawnee, Kansas

2 Signup to have your photo taken for our new directory. Photographers will be at SUMC on October 24, 25 and 26, and November 2, 3 and 4. There are several ways you can schedule your photo session: Click on the photo above to go to LifeTouch link. Sign up in the Narthex on Sundays. Go to our website, Call the church office Monday-Friday, For question contact: Pat Hooper at Mary McCoy at Vickie Hammons at Lynda Hurt at We re going to start having a monthly prayer service on the 2nd Saturday evening of the month. It will be a half hour service, beginning at 5 pm, and located in the Chapel. Everyone is welcome! You may come and just listen, or pray quietly where you sit. There will be time for silent prayer, scripture reading, a short devotional or two, and guided topics to pray for as a community. The Prayer Team Ministry will organize these services for everyone to enjoy. The first service will be in November on Saturday, November 11, at 5 pm. We will look forward to seeing you there. Prayer Ministry Team has a new night of the month for meetings. We will be changing from the second Monday night to the first Tuesday night of the month. We will still meet in the Chapel at 7 pm for one hour. The next meeting will be October 3. The November meeting will be November 7. If anyone is interested in joining us, please feel free to come to the meetings. If you cannot come to the meetings, but would still like to be a part of the prayer team ministry, receiving prayer requests and praying for those on our weekly prayer lists, please talk to Julie Italiano or Earl Smith. We both have prayer stoles and name tags on each Sunday morning, or you can call the office and leave a message for us. Prayer is God s idea. Prayer is a gift to us, and I believe a blessing to God as well. Let s enjoy God together. All photos taken during this time will be sent to your household by the end of November. Portraits make the best Christmas gifts! Time is approaching for the Shawnee United Methodist ANNUAL NUT SALE. We will be taking orders on Sunday, October 8, 13, and 22 in the Narthex after each service. We will have the same variety of nuts as in the past years. The prices for this years crop are reasonable, especially when comparing to your local grocery store. Fresh nuts make baking so yummy, and don t forget a small gift of nuts for a neighbor, teacher, best friend. We will also have gift tins again this year, so if you re looking for a special thank you gift we encourage you to try our gift tins. Nut delivery to the church will be mid-november for pick up. Thank you so much for your past support and hope you will once again order which supports our Shawnee United Methodist Men mission projects. If you have any questions or want to place an order, call Bob Behee, rbehee@gmail.com UMW Unit Meeting Thur, October 12 7:00pm Fellowship Hall October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. We will have a representative from the Susan G. Komen foundation to speak about breast cancer and research. Please let the church office know if childcare is needed.

3 This month, we will be studying David. We will be learning about David the musician, David and Goliath, David and Jonathan, David and Abigail, and David dancing and celebrating that he has a place to worship God. Bible Memory Verse The Lord sees into the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 AMBASSADORS The Ambassadors, a senior adult group, will be meeting Monday, October 9, 2017 at the Shawnee United Methodist Church located at Johnson Drive. The potluck luncheon begins at 11:30AM. Pastor Shane will be joining us to talk about his life experiences and background. Bring a covered dish, table service and $2.00 donation. Bread and beverage will be provided. Remember to bring pop tabs. A free will offering for the Shawnee Community Services will be accepted. The Johnson County Health Department Nurses will check blood pressure from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. All senior citizens are welcome. First-time visitors are not expected to bring food. For information, please call Fred Henik, From the library... a quiet ministry Are you still thinking about Pastor Shane's sermon, "From Generation to Generation"? The current library cart selections include books on parenting and being with children, including Stormie Ormartian s, THE POWER OF A PRAYING GRANDPARENT. An amazing bargain is waiting on our Take One, Keep and/or Leave One shelves outside the library: Parts One and Two of the Great Courses's "The Historical Jesus", lectures by Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman, accompanied by study guides. This is in audiotape form, but still worthwhile for the cost! Check out the hallway display, "Faith and Football" for books such as Tony Dungy's QUIET STRENGTH, Brenda Warner's (as in Kurt Warner), ONE CALL AWAY and THE BLIND SIDE by Michael Davis, as well as DVD's like "Facing the Giants" and for kids "Kurt Warner's Good Sports Gang". Reading Group News We are reading MRS. TOM THUMB, by Melanie Benjamin and/or REMEMBER DIPPY by Shirley Reva Vernick this month. We will meet on Thursday, October 26 at 1:00 in the church parlor. Thank You... Merriam Park and Ray Marsh Schools received several bountiful deliveries of school supplies, thanks to you. They are very grateful for our church's help. Be looking for another collection in January. ---The Lectionary Group O c t o b e r : 0 0 P M F e l l o w s h i p H a l l C o m m u n i t y d i n n e r Our host this month is the United Methodist Men. Please bring a potluck dish for your family and some to share. Drinks and tableware will be provided. Did you know The Genesis Sunday School Class began 30 years ago this month!

4 Friday, October 6 8am-6pm Saturday, October 7 8am-2pm The Garage Sale time is almost here and we are really excited! Check our the information below about drop off times, the BAKE SALE and the BIG BREAKFAST! DONATION DROP OFF Bring you clean items to the Gym. No large appliances or computers, please. DROP OFF TIMES Tue, Oct. 3-8:30am to 4:00pm Wed, Oct 4-8:30am to 7:00pm Thur, Oct 5-8:30 to 4:00pm (we will be pricing that day and would appreciate if your items are brought to the gym by 10:00am that morning) If you need pick-up or have questions, please call Janet Chalk, BAKE SALE Bring you baked goods to church Thursday, October 5 to the Gym. Pies and cookies are our most popular items. Please mark your product (what it is). If it contains nuts, please indicate as such. THANK YOU! If you have questions, please contact Sandy Daley, MEN S BREAKFAST Saturday, October 7 7:30am to 11:30am Fellowship Hall This is an annual FAVORITE!! Bring your family and then stick around and peruse our GARAGE SALE in the Gym. Shawnee Community Services will be picking up the remainder of the sale items on Saturday at 2:00pm. Can you help us clean-up? That would be wonderful if you could! Thank you for all you do to make this time a beneficial event for our community.

5 CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS Pastor Shane began the September Council meeting with a devotion from Ephesians 4: reminding all to speak the truth in love. Increasing communications is an emphasis of the Council. Pastor Shane reminded all to show respect for one another and to make sure to consider how your ministry directions and decisions may affect others. The acquisition of a new mobile application called echurch was approved. Look for more details on how to download the app and stay in touch with everything that is happening at SUMC. The Youth requested assistance with the pumpkin patch, cooking dinner for Sunday Night Live, and mentors for youth. The Finance Committee provided an update on the budgeting process and the stewardship campaign for Pastor Shane provided more details on his strategy to revitalize SUMC. Guest Quest - Reaching, Receiving, and Retaining New People Each month, since the first month of Guest Quest, the attendance at services has outpaced We continue to grow and have more and more people visiting the church. Over the last 3 months our attendance averaged 41 people more than last year over the same time period. Much of this is due to increased invitations, the work improving facilities, and the welcoming and follow-up ministry. Creating a welcoming space is critical to receiving people and retaining new people. One way to do that is to create a Welcome Center. The Church Council has approved redecorating the parlor to create such a space. The goal is to complete before Christmas---the Guest Quest invitation event. How can you get involved? PRAY not just for this remodel, but also for the entire initiative. Please also consider a monetary gift. The total cost is estimated to be approximately $25,000. You can make checks out to SUMC with Parlor Reno in the memo. Interfaith Hospitality Network s next rotation will be starting December 10 at St. Andrew Christian Church, West 127th Street in Olathe. Our last newsletter announcement explained that we will no longer be a host church but will now be a support church. St. Andrew was previously a support church for us and now they have agreed to be a host. They will also be supported by St. Paul's United Methodist. The three churches have been working together for many years to help homeless families regain their stability. We are pleased to be able to continue our support for the IHN program. Watch for the table in the narthex the middle of November so you can reserve your volunteer slot. For those of you who would like to become volunteers the next training session will be at Heritage United Methodist Church, Quivira, Overland Park on September 30, 2017 from 9:30 to 11:30. Seasoned volunteers are welcome to renew their training at that time as well. We have been a part of this mission since it's inception in Johnson County thirteen years ago. If you would like to know more about it look at the web site at jocoihn.org. If you want to know more about our church's involvement call the Primary Coordinator, Marilyn Davis, at or send an to mkdavis320@gmail.com. DIABETES GROUP Did you know???? - There is an active diabetes group at SUMC led by our own Melissa Magwire who is a diabetic educator. We are a great, active and fun group!! Please join us if you are interested in knowing about Diabetes. OCTOBER - On October 18, we will be talking to a nutritionist from Hy-Vee. If you are interested, please call the church office. NOVEMBER is Diabetes Awareness Month. The group will be giving snacks at the church that are yummy and healthy. DECEMBER - If you have neuropathy of any kind, you will be interested in hearing about his. More in our December newsletter. Now that the flood buckets have been assembled and delivered to hurricane Harvey victims, let's continue our caring by assembling Hygiene Kits for where they are most needed These are valued at $12.00 and are easily assembled by individuals and/or families that might want to complete several. Copies of the needed items and how to assemble them will be available in the office for a period of 2 weeks or just go directly to the UMCOR web site. I suggest that you watch the assembly demo so that we assemble them exactly how UMCOR directs us. There will be a container in the chapel area to collect these.questions? Contact Kay Reid at church or at Please have these complete and placed in the marked container by Sunday, October 15th. Thank you for your help!

6 Young Adult Discipleship

7 COAT DRIVE The United Methodist Women are seeking coats and jackets in good condition to donate and all sizes are welcome. We will donate the washable items to Cross-Lines and non-washables items will go to Shawnee Community Services. The portable closet is outside the entrance to the choir room. Thank you for considering this request. We will be continuing this ministry throughout the winter months. If you have any questions, please call Dee Nelson at or PAPER PRODUCTS NEEDED The United Methodist Women are collecting Paper products and sanitary goods this month for Cross-Lines. Please place in designated box outside the back of the Chapel. SCHOOL SUPPLIES NEEDED The Lectionary Class is asking for donations of school supplies for Merriam Park and Ray Marsh Schools. Anything grade school related (remember wide line paper only) is greatly appreciated, as well as Kleenex and hand sanitizer. There is a box allocated in the hallway by the Chapel. We will collect until the end of September. Thank you! BOXED AND BAGGED FOOD ITEMS The United Methodist Women are collecting boxed and bagged food items for the Cross-Lines food pantry. Collection bag in back of the chapel. Thank you. SAVE THOSE PULL TABS The Ambassador Group has been collecting aluminum pull tabs for many years. Thank you for your support in this project. These are periodically taken to Ronald McDonald House. This spring we took 14 pounds to the House. They are always very glad to get them. Their sales of the pull tabs helps them with their mission of housing and feeding parents and children that have patients or are patients in Children's Mercy Hospital. This is a wonderful way to help keep families together during hard, stressful, and financial times. Please continue to save those aluminum tabs. They also want old keys too, so bring items to either Ambassadors or leave them in church office and they will be picked up. THANK YOU! HEALTHY SNACKS FOR SPECIAL ED & FIRST GRADERS The United Methodist Women are collecting healthy snacks for the Special Ed and first graders at Bluejacket-Flint such as Cheez-its, Goldfish, Teddy Grahams, granola bars, peanut butter crackers or other healthy snacks, in individual packages. They are also in need of jackets, coats, gloves, sweat pants, socks, underwear, etc. UMW would appreciate any contributions. The collection box is outside the Chapel.

8

9 1 WORLD COMMUNION 7:45am Prayer time 9:00am Traditional 10:00am Discipleship 10:30am Youth BB 11:00am Praise 4:30pm Family pumpkin patch 4:45pm Youth Praise band practice SUMC Calendar for October 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 6 Cross-Lines Hot 8:00am UMW Lunch - all day Garage Sale 6:30pm Library Committee Mtg. 7:00pm SPRC Mtg. 8 CHILDREN S SABBATH 7:45am Prayer time 9:00am Traditional 10:00am Discipleship 10:30am Youth BB 11:00am Praise 4:30pm Family pumpkin patch 4:45pm Youth Praise band practice 5:30pm Girl s PJ Movie 15 7:45am Prayer time 9:00am UMW Refreshments 9:00am Traditional 10:00am Discipleship 10:30am Youth BB 11:00am Praise 4:45pm Youth Praise band practice 5:30pm Youth SNL 22 7:45am Prayer time 9:00am Traditional 10:00am Discipleship 10:30am Youth BB 11:00am Praise 12:00pm Community Dinner 1:00pm Young families meet w/ Pastor Britt 4:45pm Youth Praise band practice 5:30pm Youth SNL 29 7:45am Prayer time 10:00am Consecration Sunday - ONE WORSHIP SERVICE 4:00pm Trunk or Treat 9 11:30am Ambassador s 1:00pm Outreach/ Mission Meeting 16 1:00pm Esther Circle 23 7:00pm Children s Council mtg. 3 9:00am UMW Garage Sale setup 10:00am Lectionary 7:00pm Prayer Team Ministry mtg. 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball 10 10:00am Lectionary 4:30pm Staff Mtg. 6:00pm Stephen leaders meeting 7:00pm Stephen Ministry 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball 17 10:00am Lectionary 7:00pm Finance Committee mtg. 7:30pm Open Coed basketball 24 10:00am Lectionary 1:00pm LifeTouch Photo sessions 7:00pm Stephen Ministry 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball :00am Lectionary 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball 4 9:00am UMW Garage Sale setup 3:00pm Youth Music lessons 5:45pm Bell Rehearsal 6:00pm Lectionary 6:00pm Worship Committee mtg. 7:00pm Chancel Choir 11 3:00pm Youth Music lessons 5:45pm Bell Rehearsal 6:00pm Lectionary 7:00pm Chancel Choir 18 1:00pm Mary Ruth Circle 3:00pm Youth Music lessons 5:45pm Bell Rehearsal 6:00pm Lectionary 7:00pm Chancel Choir 7:00pm Diabetes Group 25 1:00pm LifeTouch Photo sessions 3:00pm Youth Music lessons 5:45pm Bell Rehearsal 6:00pm Lectionary 7:00pm Chancel Choir 5 9:00am UMW Garage Sale setup 1:00pm Prayer Quilt 7:00pm Prayer Shawl 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible study 7 7:30am UMM Pancake Breakfast 8:00am UMW Garage Sale 8:00am Trustee s Meeting 12 10:00am UMW Executive Mtg. 7:00pm UMW Unit Mtg. 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible study :00am UMM 19 1:00pm Prayer Quilt 7:00pm Church Council mtg. 7:00pm Prayer Shawl 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible study :00pm Reading Group 1:00 LifeTouch Photo sessions 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible study :00am Early Birds Circle 9:30am Gideons 7:00am UMM Sheep Dog Seminar 11:30am UMM Luncheon SUMC SAINTS 8 th grade boys basketball FALL SCHEDULE All games are played at Okun Fieldhouse at Johnson Drive

10 SUNDAY SCHEDULE 9:00am Traditional 10:00am Discipleship 11:00am Praise Sunday, October 1 Humble Thyself! Philippians 2:1-13 Sunday, October 8 Getting Past the Past Philippians 3:4b-14 Sunday, October 15 The Cure for a Stiff Neck Exodus 32:1-14 Sunday, October 22 Seeds of Righteousness 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Sunday, October 29 Shared Lives 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ON OUR WISH LIST... We are in need of men and women to administer the care and beautification of our church property. Our Garden Angels have worked hard over the years to improve the curb appeal of our beautiful stone church and they ve done such a lovely job, but we really need more people to help! You don t have to have a green thumb...just a desire to take care of our little piece of the kingdom. Many hands make light work, so if we can pull together a team, it won t be a huge commitment. Please call the church office, and let us know if you would be willing to help. It would be greatly appreciated! Thank you. STAFF Pastor Shane Britt Pastor Connie Perry Office Administrator Lynda Hurt Administrative Office Assistant & Communications Chris Lehew Director of Student and Young Adult Ministries Phyllis Stauffer Coordinator of Children s Ministry Joshua Hearn Director of Music Ministry Scott Fears Chancel Choir Director Lance Winkler Praise Worship Coordinator Tammy Page Child Care Coordinator Harry Moyer Building Supervisor HOSPITALIZATIONS If you have a family member or know of a friend in our church community that is in the hospital for surgery or emergency circumstances, please call Pastor Shane or the church office. He would love to come pray with you. If someone is in the hospital for non-emergency reasons, please call the church office, and one of our congregational care team members will be happy to visit, or Pastor Shane, if that is preferred. PASTOR SHANE S REGULAR WEEKLY SCHEDULE Monday-day off (but sometimes just an off-day! ); occasional ministry meeting/event and seminary class/study Tuesday-working in office in morning and afternoon (but my door is open so feel free to pop in and say hello) Wednesday-working on message outline for Sunday in morning, so unavailable; in the office in the afternoon Thursday-working in the office in the morning (but my door is open so feel free to pop in and say hello); Visitations in afternoon Friday-Finishing message prep in the morning, so unavailable; Visitations in afternoon Saturday-Off but with occasional ministry meeting or event Sunday-Regular services in am; visitations in afternoon Schedule is subject to change depending on appointments, visitations, etc. Feel free to call the office to schedule an appointment or just stop by to say hello! NEWSLETTER INFORMATION The Messenger will be published on the first day of each month unless the 1st falls on the weekend. In that case, it will be ed on the Friday before. All items to be published in the newsletter are due 7 days prior to the publication date. There will be hardcopies available in the church office and the Narthex. Our congregational care ministry team will ensure that our homebound members receive a hardcopy. Dominick Italiano Custodial Assistant