UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND September 2018

Transcription

1 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND September 2018 Bismarck-Mandan Area United Church of Christ 1200 E Highland Acres Rd ~ ~ bisucc@midconetwork.com ~ ~ Like us on Facebook September 2018 A GLOBAL MINISTRY CHURCH Honesty & Hope Walk Together by Rev. Gretchen Deeg, Senior Pastor As we look towards fall and wrap up our summer worship series on the Minor Prophets, I have been reflecting on the discipline of reading the Bible book by book. Typically in our worship services we follow the Revised Common Lectionary, which follows a three year rotation of scripture readings. There is great value in following the Lectionary, including reading the same scriptures on any given Sunday morning as our sisters and brothers in other mainline churches. At the same time, in our practices this summer I have (and I hope you have too) rediscovered messages of the Bible which can only be conveyed by reading an entire book and even section of books at a time. The journey through the Minor Prophets (also known as the Book of the Twelve ) though took us through despair and, with memories of Jonah, spit us out with the choice to stay in despair about the world or embrace reality balanced with hope for the future. The Minor Prophets are not arranged in chronological order; yet, they most certainly are intentionally arranged. A reading of these books first threw us into the ugliness of the ancient world and, by extension, the ugliness of our own world. Near the midway point, we came up for air with the satire of Jonah and Micah s teaching of how to move from judgement to hope. The second half placed upon us visions for the future interwoven with the trails of nations. Never in the books are the struggles of Earth s people trivialized. The pain of being refugees, oppressed, homeless, or victimized and the weight and consequences of being oppressors, hoarders, or abusers were always acknowledged with sometimes painful honesty. These ancient prophetic writings named the struggles of life while at the same time calling us to be voices of honesty and hope. As we move beyond the prophets, may you carry with you the mantel laid at our feet by the prophets to face reality with honesty and be voices of truth and hope in the world. OUR LIFE TOGETHER Starts Sept. 9! Sunday School and Wednesday Kid s Bible School classes start up again on Sunday, Sept. 9 and Wednesday, Sept. 19! Don t forget to register. See page 6 for details. Kick-Off Sunday We re kicking off the start to a new program year with the return of our choir, start of Sunday School, Bibles for our children, and a kid-friendly luncheon on September 9! Survey Results Are In The Vision & ONA Survey Results have been compiled and a summary can be found on page 3! Worship with us every Sunday at 10:00 AM Bible Study: Mon at 6:30 PM & Fri at 6:30 AM

2 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND SEPTEMBER Vision Statement Adopted January 2016 The Bismarck-Mandan UCC is a thriving church transforming our lives and community: Where all are unconditionally welcomed, affirmed, accepted and loved; Where the good in every person is recognized and their talents are encouraged to be shared; Where children, youth, and adults learn that God is love and all are welcome to freely explore spirituality in a safe and nurturing environment; Where we can bring our personal needs and struggles and count on support from our church family which is the loving family we all deserve; Where powerful messages inspire and challenge us to be caring and compassionate to all in our church, community, and world, seeking opportunities to put our faith into action with courage to go beyond what we think we can do; Where we embrace the still-speaking God and live in today s world. LIVING OUR VISION HIGHLIGHT Where we can bring our personal needs and struggles and count on support from our church family which is the loving family we all deserve. Being the loving family of God includes playing together! Last month 45 of our members donned our new UCC t-shirts and filled the seats behind home plate at the Larks Baseball Game. We had a great time playing together and growing as the loving family of God! Hello everyone, Council Corner by Mike Stein, Moderator The days are getting shorter and the nights are cooling off. This is one of my favorite times of the year. I like driving through the country side and witnessing the Fall Harvest. It is exciting watching 3 combines in unison coming down the field. We had a very productive July meeting. One of the main items we discussed was the Buffalo Supper. This is tentatively scheduled for October 20 th. We have a great group of people behind the scenes putting all of this together. We are hoping for another great turn out because the entire proceeds will go to the Charles Hall Youth Services. Another item we discussed was the Youth Director position. We reviewed a variety of different options for this position. We also continued to work on the Sabbatical for The Chair of the Trustees gave us a financial update for the first part of the year. As we move into the cooler months of Our lives seem to click into a whole new gear. The long summer days are now behind us. We are now involved with more daily activities and organized events. When you gather with family and friends, please tell them about our church family. Let them know about the wonderful things the UCC church is doing. Let them all know that everyone is welcome at our church. Take care!

3 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND SEPTEMBER JACK S FOOD PANTRY by Dawn Archer Food for people in need, no questions asked. CURRENT NEEDS: Canned Meats, Soups, Vegetables, and Fruits, Baked Beans, Pasta or Rice, Ramen, Mac-n-Cheese, Crackers, Cereals, Peanut Butter, Raisins and Treats for Kids (i.e. pudding cups, fruit chews, juice boxes etc.). DONATIONS: Accepted at UCC Monday Friday (9a 1p), Sunday mornings, or by appointment. THANKS to our donors and volunteers! FINANCIAL STATUS January 1 to July 31, 2018 Revenue General Offerings Actual = $ 77,683 Other Income (Dedicated, Earned) Actual = $ 18,014 Expenses Actual = $ 92,181 Total Revenue = $ 89,160 Total Expenses = $ 92,181 NET ACTIVITY = $ -3,021 SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION PARTNERS IN 2018 East Timor Education Fund $ 945 Charles Hall Youth Services $ 365 Our Church s Wider Mission $ 2,905 One Great Hour of Sharing $ 863 Strengthen the Church $ 473 Neighbors in Need $ The Christmas Fund $ Total Shared Ministry $ 5,551 Vision & ONA Survey Summary by Kirby Kruger, Vision & ONA Committee Chair Thank you to everyone who completed the survey mailed last October. Your responses and comments were carefully considered as the Vision & ONA Committee compiled and interpreted the survey results. There were 51 respondents to the survey. The committee remains open for further conversations and questions. Please reach out to any of us to schedule a time to meet: Kirby Kruger, Dale Carmen, Dawn Archer, Marcia Patrie, Travis Tolstedt, Suzie Bartosh, Gayle Klopp, and Harold Karch. First major theme is in relationship to living and growing into our vision. On average, 64% of the respondents felt we were living into our vision, less than 1% of the respondents said we were not living into our vision, and the remainder said we are living into some of our vision or that we could improve. 90% felt that the scriptures convey the message that God is Love. In general our congregation feels that we are somewhat diverse in our make-up and we are at least friendly to or fully embracing others across affinity and ideological lines. Lay leadership is strong and ideas for ministry are the duty of our church and not just the minister. Most of the respondents indicate that Rev. Deeg and the leadership of our church are welcoming and we include people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The majority of respondents are at least aware of family members of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) people in the congregation and over 50% feel families are open about LGBT children or family members or are visible advocates. Nearly 88% of the respondents are aware of LGBT persons in our congregation with the majority of these respondents believing that LGBT members are visible and active in the life and leadership of our church. When scoring our survey results using an instrument from the national church, we score high suggesting that we should continue to move forward with our discussions about affirming our vision of including and affirming all who want to worship with us and/or be a part of our congregation. Furthermore, the survey results suggest to our committee that our congregation may be ready to discuss becoming opening and affirming as a step in continuing to grow into our vision. We hope to continue the conversation One-On-One with you!

4 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND SEPTEMBER Threads of Love by Camille Grothier Neighbors in Need by Marcia Patrie, Stewardship This we believe-no child should go to bed hungry, is a statement of our National church office and is truly one we can all connect with. On October 7 th,as part of World Communion Sunday, there will be a special mission offering- Neighbors In Need, which will go towards helping this message come true. Neighbors in Need is one of 5 offerings that we take up throughout the year that is above our regular general fund giving making us a 5 for 5 church. This act of generosity is something we should be proud of, but knowing you it isn t a surprise- we are a congregation with a big heart. Since the expansion of the guild to include all crafters, we have had a blast and a half meeting together with the Knitters in the congregation. You ve heard the phrase and a good time was had by all which accurately describes our dual sessions-you just MUST treat yourselves and come join us to fully appreciate just how much fun this is!!! The shawls that have been made and donated are at the back of the sanctuary and they are just beautiful. Remember to take one of these Prayer Shawls to someone you know who is in challenge and can benefit from the love and prayers that were woven together with the yarn as these shawls were fashioned. Our quilters have not let any grass grow under their feet either. We are still working on quilts for Charles Hall and others, and the work just gets more and more beautiful. At our next fundraiser (date to be decided), we will also have a dynamic handmade scrapbook available with loads of pictures of these works of art for your perusal thanks to the wonderful dedicated work of Connie Schwartz. God s blessings are surely with the work of these knitters and quilters hands and we ask God s blessings also to be with the recipients of these works of Love. Mission Trips Puerto Rico February 2019 Volunteer alongside our UCC brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico to rebuild the communities devastated by 2017 s hurricanes. This trip is filling up fast, so contact Pastor Gretchen ASAP with interest. Maah Daah Hey Trail June 2019 Join UCC members from across North Dakota as we perform trail maintenance, camp together, and deepen our spirituality through service in Creation. Ongoing Classes Friday Morning Bible Study A group for the early risers! This dedicated group meets every Friday at 6:30 am in the church library for Bible study and fellowship. All are welcome. Monday Evening Bible Study Using video clips from The Bible Project, this class is for both entry-level and experienced Bible readers. Learn more about the historical and literary context of each book as well as its relation to today. Meets on Mondays at 6:30pm starting Sept. 10. United Church Youth (UCY) A group of middle & high school youth. Gathers throughout the year for education, service, and fun. See page 6 for upcoming events. Wednesday Kid s Bible Class A class for Pre-K to 5 th graders. This Vacation Bible School style kid s class meets the first and third Wednesday of every month. Sunday School Classes for the youngest kids to high school aged are held on Sundays. See the youth page for details. Confirmation Contact Pastor Gretchen if you are interested in affirming your faith. Have an idea for a class? Contact Pastor Gretchen ( ) or Christian Ed

5 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND SEPTEMBER Ministry & Fellowship Groups UCC Choir Craig DeVos, Choir Director Thank you for working so hard during the choir season. Thank you for singing this summer also. Our first rehearsal for the season will be on Wednesday, September 5 at 7:00 PM. We always have room for more members so if you like to sing, just come to one of our rehearsals and we will be glad to have you join us. Choir is always way more fun than work. I will once again provide the ice cream and chocolate sauce after our first rehearsal. You can bring something too if you d like or just come and eat ice cream. Mayflower Circle This women s fellowship group meets every second Thursday of the month at noon. Mayflower Circle leads various ministries throughout the year including funeral luncheons, annual rummage sale, numerous fundraisers, and others. Join us this month on Sept. 13 th at noon or contact Jane Thomson to learn more. Knitting Group Knit, purl, tell stories, and have a great time with this group of knitters. Bring your own project or knit a prayer shawl to be blessed and gifted to another. This group will meet on Sept. 11 th & 25 th at 1 pm. Threads of Love All are welcome to come join us at our Tuesday gatherings from 2 to around 6 pm. Experience or even participation sewing, quilting, crocheting, knitting are NOT required we LOVE to fellowship with any and all. Hope to see you soon! Primrose Worship Team Have a passion for serving those in care centers? This team preaches and leads worship services at Primrose Retirement Community on College Dr at 12:30pm on various Wednesdays throughout the year. Talk with Dale Carmen with interest in joining this group of worship leaders. Note from Trustees by Dave Archer, Trustees Chair Mid-Year Budget Report As of the end of June, total income was 52% of the budgeted amount and general offering income was 51% of budget. To meet the budget goals, assuming giving is distributed evenly through the year, we should be at 50%, so we were just slightly ahead of our budget. For expenses, total expenses were 48% of the amount budgeted, so we have spent just a bit less than what was planned. While it is important to keep expenses low it is important to also invest in the future. An example of this was refinishing the basement floor, an investment that has really improved that space which is used for many things, including Sunday school activities. With giving and total income slightly above target and expenses below target, net income was ahead of projections. Although the trustees passed a negative budget for the year, it is good to see that we were ahead of projections at midyear. We are optimistic that giving will continue ahead of expectations and expenses will be held in check, allowing us to end the year without a loss. If you have any questions about the budget, please don t hesitate to contact me or any of the other trustees. by Camille Grothier We have thoroughly enjoyed the services of various members of this committee to date. Many thanks to Ken and Dale, Lesa, Laurie, and Joann for their commitment to serve since the first of this year. Many thanks, also, to those who offer to serve periodically-like Murr Kramer who teased our palettes recently with her Orange Pineapple Cake which prompted many raves from our church family. As a reminder: If anyone wishes to offer treats on one Sunday of their choosing, just call the Fellowship Committee Member responsible for that month and let him/her know. Their name and number will be on the sign-up sheet in the kitchen. Until next time-enjoy!!! Torah and Beyond Sept. 10 Dec. 17 Mondays at 6:30 PM Teachers: Rev. Gretchen Deeg, John Sauter ית שא ר ב (in the beginning) This year s Adult Education is going back in time to when giants were verbally painted around campfires and sea monsters roamed the writings of the ancient people. We re going back to the ages of the gods, the birth of monotheism, and the first carvings of the commandments upon the hearts of God s people. The Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, is the groundwork for everything Jesus does and says, which is why we re taking this year to study it in depth and see where it leads our lives. Starting on Monday, Sept. 10 at 6:30 PM we re going to start (in the beginning) with the Torah and branch out from those first five ית שא ר ב books into histories, wisdom, and poetry of the Old Testament. Meets every Monday, Sept. 10 Dec. 17 at 6:30 PM with the exception of major holidays. The pace of the class will be determined by the group. Bring your own Bible.

6 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND SEPTEMBER Youth News (Sunday School meets every Sunday at 10:10 am) SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS ~ Dawn Archer 3 and under ~ Kerri Kraft Pre-K to 1 st grade ~ Autum Eisenbraun 2 nd & 3 rd grade ~ Tove Mandigo 4 th 6 th grade WED. KID S BIBLE SCHOOL TEACHERS ~ Paulette Whitmore ~ Cecilia Tolstedt Pre-K 6 th grade by Paulette Whitemore (Bible School meets the 1 st & 3 rd Wednesday of every months from Sept. May at 6 pm) We will practice our faith through ~ Songs ~ Games ~Scriptures ~ Stories ~ Art ~Prayer ~ Baking goodies in the kitchen ~ Making tie blankets ~ Making and Painting projects ~ Going on community field trips (with parental consent) ~ Having guest speakers We will have opportunities once a month to show hospitality & to open our hearts to others in our community, such as the Humane Society, the soup kitchen, the less fortunate, the sick, Charles Hall, etc. Of course we will enjoy a snack together - time to share, to listen and to learn from each other. Please join us for what we hope will be an exciting year of growing in Faith and sharing our love. Our first project to make will be bird feeders. See you September 12 th at 6 pm. September First Day of School Sept. 9th Kick-off Luncheon to follow October Deliver Trick or Treat Flyers Oct. 21 st Pick-up Trick or Treat So Other s Can Eat- Oct 28 th November Assign Christmas Program Nov. 4 th Program Practice Nov. 11 th & Nov. 18 th No Sunday School (Thanksgiving Break) December Program Practice for Christmas Group Sunday School / Project Days Dec. 30 th Jan. 20 th Feb. 17 th Mar. 24 t April Palm Sunday - Apr.14 th Easter Egg Hunt - Apr. 21 st Deliver so others May eat Fliers - Apr. 28 th May Pick up donation from Donate so others May eat May 5 th Mother s Day! (Project Day) May 12 th LAST DAY OF SS (Clean-up Project) May 19 th Ice Cream Social to follow service Middle & High School Kids United Church Youth (UCY) Planning Adventures Your ideas and input are important! Contact Pastor Gretchen with a time to meet.

7 UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST BISMARCK, ND SEPTEMBER Member Musings Some of the God Thoughts That Come From our Hearts by Dr. Herbert Wilson Everyone has their own ways of worshiping a higher power. Everyone has their own ways of petitioning that higher power for what they want for what they want for themselves, for their loved ones and for their community. And, finally, everyone feels most wonderful when they are able to voice their thanks in prayer to that higher power. Northern Plains Conference NEWS Worship acts, quiet and vocal petitions, and sincere thanksgivings can be voiced in virtually as many ways as there are people on earth. Communing with God is a private, multicolored affair. It takes many paths. Nevertheless, we of the Christian faith, have certain similar basic beliefs which warrant expressing in unison, as a whole people. We like it to be as a group, tied to one another by word, song, and study. To do this is to feel whole to feel we are part of something that is called humanity. In short, we want to feel there is some sense to our being. We are part of something that strives to relate to each other. We like to accept that we are something more than mere cogs in a wheel. In summary, we are anthropromizing the One we have lifted up, calling him (or her) our brother and friend. We call out with dozens of names. We think of the Deity in myriad ways. No one can criticize this universality. The United Church of Christ, the Bismarck-Mandan representative of that denomination which began with the Pilgrim Immigrants over four hundred years ago, has been my choice of a worship center for many years. It accepts all individuals,whatever may be their faith, or non-faith. The wise rule holds: not to discuss, or force on anyone, your particular way of approaching the Almighty! What are your reflections upon faith, testimonies of God at work in your life, or encounters with the Holy? Submit your musings to the church office for possible inclusion in upcoming newsletters. Clergy Continuing Education Boundary Awareness Training All clergy and licensed lay leaders are required to attend one of the following boundary training sessions: October atbismarck UCC November 2-3 at Plymouth UCC in Fargo Each session begins at 6pm on Friday with an evening meal and will end at 3pm on Saturday. Watch furture newsletters for registration information. NPC Council October 13 at 10:00 AM Location TBD All Northern Plains Conference committee members are members of the Council and requested to attend. Happy Birthday to our beloved members and friends! May God s gift of life be a blessing to you and may your life be a blessing to others all year long. 02 Sue Pearson 03 Mary Knutson 09 Michael Schmidt 09 Maiah McCowen 13 Denyka Sauer 13 Susan Stockert 14 Eden Kraft 23 Maria Roller-Schlecht 26 Chad Akovenko 30 Ruby Jackson