Forecaster. In This Issue: What If No One Came to Visit? Worship. Mission. Conquering Challenges with God s Mighty Power

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1 July 2015 Volume 27, Number 7 In This Issue: Vaca on Bible School What If No One Came to Visit? Forecaster Calendar Financial Report It s Vaca on Bible School Time Conquering Challenges with God s Mighty Power We are ge-ng very excited for the upcoming VBS at Salem. The dates this year are going to be Sunday July 26 through Thursday July 30 from 6 p.m. 8 p.m. each evening. We have decided to use the 2015 curriculum en tled Everest. We think this will be an excellent curriculum for the students as each day the themes will e closely together and focus on a truth of God s power. In addi on our giving project for VBS this year will connect them to the true tragedies happening in Nepal at the base of the real Mount Everest to give them a true life connec on. The team has just started ge-ng together but there is s ll room to help out if you are interested. Joe Dunnwald Addi onally you will be seeing sign-ups for some dona ons we will need to make sure the experience is outstanding for our youth. We are hoping to u lize our new facili es and reach kids with our VBS. The outreach team is helping to get the word out and there are flyers at the welcome center if there is someone you would like to invite. Let s all work together to help our children experience the power of God! Contact Amy Schilling or Joe Dunnwald for more informa on. Mission Blood Drive Leadership Board Report

2 Page 2 Deb Black Director of Care Ministries at the Salem UMC God blesses us so that we might bless others Ephesians 4:28 What If No One Came To Visit? We have been told that the church is not just a building. The church is the people. You and I and lots of others who believe in Jesus make up the church. The church building is a place where believers can gather to be nurtured, grown, and prepared to go out and do God s work. Everyone in the church - the body of Christ, the believers - has a purpose for their lives. And God has placed gi s, talents, and abili es in each one of us in order to accomplish that purpose. (Ephesians 4:8-16) The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. This task includes making new disciples, but it also includes enriching the lives of those who may have been disciples for a long me. Because God calls all members of the church to many different ministries, God calls some of the most caring and compassionate to nurture and strengthen those who may need it most: the elderly, sick and homebound. A er bea ng breast cancer and bacterial meningi s, I found myself being by my best friend s side during her fight with lung cancer. I believe it all was part of God s plan to groom me into the caring ministry, as a care receiver then a caregiver. Through the years, God has blessed me and provided in ways I could never have imagined. He has gone before me, preparing the way for each step that has led me to be on staff at Salem UMC as Director of Caring Ministries. Have there been special people that God used to shape your life? Do you ever consider how much they gave for you and how willingly they shared the gi s that God provided to them? They were faithful to bless you with what God had given them. Shouldn t we do Deb Black the same? Does your love for God mo vate you to minister to others in His name and for His glory? Does your rela onship with Him inspire you to give freely so that others can know His salva on, comfort, and joy? Only you can stop God s goodness from flowing through your life and into the lives of others. Let s count our blessings and look for opportuni es to shine His light and love into other s lives. Then watch how God works. Soon you ll see that it truly is much more blessed to give than to receive. Our care ministries at Salem include visi ng those in the hospital, homebound or shut-in, serving Holy Communion to them, anoin ng and praying. All the while offering compassionate care and encouraging a sense of belonging and connec on. Please pray that God will con nue to guide each one of us in His wisdom and truth. That He will be honored and glorified through Salem s Caring Ministries. If God is nudging you to be His hands and feet in this manner, please see me and let s talk. Put yourself in someone s place: What if you could no longer read the Bible? What if you were homebound and isolated, but you wanted to con nue growing spiritually and remain an ac ve member of a church? What if you needed prayers and encouragement from friends, whether new or old but what if no one came to visit? In His Service, Deb Black

3 Page 3 : Season A er Pentecost (Ordinary Time) In July we con nue in ordinary me. This is a me when the scripture readings do not relate together. Rather, we follow a con nuous or semi-con nuous track of scripture readings and they all stand on their own. Therefore, even though we will read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospel reading each week, they do not relate inten onally to one another. We will focus on the readings from Samuel in the Old Testament and build the worship services around them. Lec onaries are ancient, however, the revitaliza on of the current lec onary is usually traced back to the Second Va can Council: The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God s Word. In this way a more representa ve por on of the holy Scriptures will be read to the people over a set cycle of years (The Documents of Va can II, Walter Abbo, ed. [Piscataway, N.J.: New Century, 1974], p. 155). Come and worship! July 5 Sixth Sunday A er Pentecost 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 David Anointed King of All Israel Psalm 48 (UMH 782) The City of Our God 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Paul s Visions and Revela ons Mark 6:1-13 Rejec on of Jesus and Mission of Twelve Holy Communion Come and! Sundays 9 a.m. Contemporary 11 a.m. Tradi onal July 12 Seventh Sunday A er Pentecost 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem Psalm 24 (UMH 755) Who Shall Stand in God s Holy Place? Ephesians 1:3-14 Spiritual Blessings in Christ Mark 6:14-29 The Death of John the Bap st July 19 Eighth Sunday A er Pentecost 2 Samuel 7:1-14a God s Covenant with David Psalm 89:20-37 God s Servant, David Ephesians 2:11-22 One in Christ (Members of the Household of God) Mark 6:30-34, The Disciples Rest; Jesus Teaches and Heals (Sheep without a Shepherd) Holy Communion July 26 Ninth Sunday A er Pentecost 2 Samuel 11:1-15 David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba Psalm 14 (UMH 746) There Is No One Who Does Good Ephesians 3:14-21 Prayer for Strength Through the Spirit John 6:1-21 Jesus Feeds Five Thousand and Walks on Water

4 Page 4 July 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday a.m. Wednesday Morning Bible Study Salem Offices Closed July 4 Observed Independence Day 2 9 a.m. Contemporary 10 a.m. Adult Sunday School 10:10 a.m. Fellowship Time 11 a.m. Tradi onal 6 7 9:30 a.m. Prayer Room 7:30 p.m. Outreach Team Mee ng 8 10 a.m. Wednesday Morning Bible Study 9 9:30 a.m. Sarah Circle 5:55 p.m. Rachel Circle a.m. UMM Breakfast Mee ng 14 9 a.m. Contemporary 10 a.m. Adult Sunday School 10:10 a.m. Fellowship Time 11 a.m. Tradi onal 13 11:30 a.m. Golden Links at Pizza Ranch 14 4:15 Staff Mee ng 5:15 p.m. Building Commi ee Mee ng a.m. Wednesday Morning Bible Study 16 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Blood Drive (see page 8 for more informa on) Food Bank Sunday 19 9 a.m. Contemporary 10 a.m. Adult Sunday School 10:10 a.m. Fellowship Time 11 a.m. Tradi onal :30 a.m. Prayer room 5:15 p.m. Leadership Board mee ng August Forecaster ar cles due a.m. Wednesday Morning Bible Study 4:30 p.m. Salem Visi ng Friends Mee ng 23 6:30 p.m. Scrapbooking a.m. Contemporary 10 a.m. Adult Sunday School 10:10 a.m. Fellowship Time 12:30 p.m. Cards & Fellowship 10 a.m. Wednesday Morning Bible Study 11 a.m. Tradi onal 12:00 p.m. Summer Sing Vaca on Bible School 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday 7/26 7/30

5 Page 5 July Birthdays and Anniversaries 1 Joe Dunnwald 2 Sandy Pra 3 Bud Carnahan 3 Orrin Ward 4 Sharon Ernberger 4 Nancy Rawson 5 Nate Houstman 6 Steph Meyer 7 Dave Clark 12 Diane Talbo 15 Charles Mar nec 17 Donna Borntrager 21 Jakob Hansen 21 Jody Link 21 Fran Mar nec 22 Laura Munier 24 Dave King 25 Charlo e Schilling 26 Marilyn Schade 28 Russ Plough 3 Marilyn and Orrin Ward 7 Kristy and Mike Flack 8 Carol and John Thompson 10 Sue and Gene Mihal 16 Lori and Mark Hixson 19 David and Debra Fritz 21 Sandy and Mark Minger 24 Roberta and Gary Sweet 28 Kimberly and Ben Mourer SALEM'S RECORD OF GENEROSITY IN SUPPORT OF OUR MINISTRY GOALS THROUGH APRIL 30, 2015 BUDGET GIVING Actual Budget Offerings given toward Opera ng Budget $ 80,593 $ 86,279 Other Income $ 100 $ - Total budget income $ 80,693 $ 86,279 BUDGET EXPENSES YTD budget expenses paid $ 86,725 $ 86,279 TOTAL BUDGET INCOME OVER/(UNDER) EXPENSES $ (6,032) $ - SALEM RISING - CAPITAL CAMPAIGN GIVING Received Pledged to date $ 196,986 $ 195,326 Thank you for your financial support of the ministries of Salem UMC. Your generosity helps Salem fulfill the vision of "connec ng people, building community, transforming lives, through Jesus".

6 Page 6 United Methodist Women Sarah Circle will meet at 9:30 a.m. on July 9 with Dorothy Higdon as our hostess. She will also lead the study on Chapter 11 of our study book, Strong Was Her Faith Scripture: Luke 1:26-36 Rachael Circle will meet on July 9 at 5:55 p.m. for fun, fellowship and something chocolate. A light meal will be provided by Linda Jandik. We will have a brief business mee ng in which we will discuss and organize garage sale details. Our Bible study, "Anonymous" by Cindi Wood con nues with week 4, "The Woman at the Well." Our mission focus this month will be school bags. The school bags will be available in the Mission room with a list of ar cles to be purchased. School supplies will be going on sale soon, so now is a good me to start Sharon Busch, President shopping for needed items. We will be collec ng school bags through August. For more details please see the mission ar cle (page 7) from Joni Salazar. East Central District UMW Mission Study Day La n America: People and Faith Friday, August 14, 2015 at new Horizons UMC, st Avenue, in Coralville, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Lunch provided by the La no Congrega on of north Liberty UMC. Adults lunch $7. Children $5 for lunch and cra s. To register contact Lynn Calvert at: lyksmc@aol.com, or (See page 7 for informa on about the Children s Mission Study the same day, me and place.) Women s Care Group Women's Care Group will meet the third Sunday in July (7/19) a er the tradi onal service for a potluck lunch. Salem United Methodist Men With the Fourth of July holiday falling on the first Saturday of the month, we ll hold our Saturday Sheryl Hansen & Kristy Flack We will be discussing projects for the fall, so bring your ideas! Contact Kristy Flack or Susan Lillard Men s Breakfast Mee ng on the second Saturday, July 11, this month. Prayer Shawl Ministry With summer schedules being very busy we have decided to take a break un l September when we ll go back to mee ng on the fourth Thursday of each month. See you in September! Jan Bothwick Salem Visi ng Friends Salem Visi ng Friends con nues to reach out to our shut-ins. Our group will be mee ng on July 22nd, at 4:30 p.m. at Salem. Mark your calendars Sandy Minger and plan to a end. If you are unable to come, please Sandy Minger with a report that can be shared at our mee ng. Thank you.

7 Page 7 Mission July Mission Focus School Bags The school supplies will start going on sale. This is a perfect me to fill up the school kits for UMCOR. The average cost for all supplies is $11 but it can cost less if you are a careful shopper. UMCOR School Kits help to care for the most vulnerable people during mes of crisis. In some countries, children don t have books or school supplies. Many have no schoolrooms; classes are held in inadequate or half-destroyed buildings, tents, or even the open air. These school kits may be these children s only educa onal resources. One of the truly transforma onal ways we can empower children is by making school supplies available for children. School kits are simple, yet profound gi s to children who might otherwise be significantly limited in their ability to fully engage in their educa onal experience. School kits are a physical statement of love and concern that says, We pray God s fullness for your life! Please pick up a school bag in the mission's room and fill it up with the supplies: 14 x 16 cloth bag, 24- count crayons, eraser, ruler, pencil sharpener, 3 pads of wide Paper, blunt scissors, and 6 pencils. Joni Salazar Flood the Run is August 15, 2015 In Ellis Park in Cedar Rapids Flood the Run is a wet and wacky, family-oriented, non-compe ve 2.7 mile run to support Ma hew 25 and the Salva on Army. Everyone is guaranteed to have fun and get wet as they run the human car wash, maneuver the sniper zone, wind thru the obstacle course, and zoom down the 100-foot slippery slide! Form your church team now! Register at Let the Children Come! Children s Mission Study will be held at the East Central District Mission Study Day on Friday, August 14, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Coralville New Horizons UMC. Children ages 5-10 are invited to come with a parent or guardian for their own specially designed ac vity me learning about La n American Culture. Barb Oakland will be the leader. $5 fee for lunch, snacks and cra materials. Reply by August 1 to Lynn Calvert at or lyksmc@aol.com. (See page 6 for informa on about the UMM Mission Study Day that will be held in conjunc on with the Children s Mission Study Day.) Please join our Mission's Team. Let's help our church and community together. Call Joni Salazar at

8 Page 8 Salem Blood Drive Summer is a busy me for everyone, so busy that many people they do not have me to donate blood. Even some very regular donors get too busy. That s just one reason that Salem hosts a summer blood drive each year. Every dona on can help save up to three lives. Dona ng blood is probably the easiest way to become a lifesaving hero. Be a hero, and help keep the supply of blood in Eastern Iowa adequate this summer. This year we will host a blood drive on July 16 from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center team will be here and will set up in Fellowship Hall. Dona ons will be used in both local hospitals. A er dona ng you ll be given a snack and juice and take a few minutes to rest and share some conversa on with other donors. Please plan to contact the Salem office at to sign up for a me to donate. I ll also have my clipboard and a schedule in hand the first two Sundays in July, so please seek me out between and a er services to sign-up. Some facts to consider as you plan to sign up (or try to think of reasons not) to donate. 17 percent of non-donors cite never thought about it as the main reason for not giving, while 15 percent say they re too busy. The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they want to help others. Shortages of all blood types happen during the summer and winter holidays. Sharon Vavra The rarest blood type is the one not on the shelf when it s needed by a pa ent. There is no subs tute for human blood. If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages could disappear for the foreseeable future. Blood drives hosted by companies, schools, places of worship (like Salem) and civic organiza ons supply roughly half of all blood dona ons across the United States. Someone needs blood every two seconds. 38 percent of the U.S. popula on is eligible to donate blood less than 10 percent do annually. About 1 in 7 people who are admi ed to a hospital need blood. One pint of blood (the amount of one dona on) can save up to three lives. You re afraid of needles? Consider how that one needle poke compares to the injuries or surgical incision of the person who could need and receive your dona on. At Salem we all know fellow members whose lives have been saved by blood donors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We ll also need some volunteers to help provide cookies/snacks and to act as hosts and hostesses to serve the snacks to our blood donors. If you can help out in these ways on the 16th, please let me know Blood Drive Bonus This year a 2015 Navy Blue Jeep Patriot has been provided to Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center. All presen ng donors at Donor Centers and Mobile Blood Drives (like Salem s), through 9/5/15, will be entered in a drawing for the vehicle. Rules and details at:

9 Page 9 Summer Sing on the Rise! Our shut-ins love it when we visit and sing Christmas carols, so, instead of just wai ng un l winter, we are planning a SUMMER SING for them. Please join us a er the 11 a.m. service on Sunday July 26 and Sunday August 30. Due to lack of par cipants we had to Deb Black cancel our Summer Sing date in June. Let s see if we can get a group together for July and August. Our shut-in members would really enjoy it and so will everyone who takes part. If you are interested, please contact Deb Black at In Gra tude The family of Donna Newhard truly appreciates all the outpouring and acts of kindness shown to us, by you, the members of Salem United Methodist church. Whether it was a kind word, a gi of flowers, food or a dona on to our church, every kindness is greatly appreciated. A special thank you to Pastor john Louk for your support and kind words at Donna s funeral. During Donna s long months of care, our sincere thank you for your visits to Rev. Dave Higdon and Rev. Joan Erbe and all our fellow members of Salem. The luncheon was prepared so nicely. It was a very nice gathering a er Donna s funeral. We felt welcome. The church members prepared a lovely meal and your efforts are greatly appreciated. In Donna s final hours the scripture readings and prayers of Deb Black were so comfor ng. Donna was a kind and gentle person and she peacefully joined our Loving Savior. We will miss her smile and her caring ways. God Bless You. Donna s loving husband, Roger Newhard To My Salem Family, I cannot say thank you enough mes. Lee and I really appreciate all the prayers, visits, phone calls, and the food brought in. I m feeling be er, but s ll cannot bear weight on my le foot. Yet. May God bless all of you. Kathy Walker To the people of Salem, I wanted to take a moment to thank each and everyone of you for my gradua on card and for being beyond friendly and welcoming me to your church. From the first day I came with Ann, I felt like part of the family already. I am so thankful that God put the people of Salem into my life. I love it here, and to have your support and encouragement means the world! I look forward to becoming a full member at Salem soon. Much love, Morgan Exline Dear Pastor John Louk and Salem Family, Thank you. Thank you for everything. If I wasn t brought here and welcomed in, I honestly don t know where I d be somewhere not good probably. Thank you for being my second family, my Christ family. All the love, Ka e Lee

10 Page 10 Report of the Leadership Board Mee ng Notes Following the subcommi ee mee ngs at 5:15 p.m., the full board met at 5:55 p.m. LB Chair Anna Dunnwald opened with prayer and led the mee ng. A brochure of the Builder s Call of the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church, featuring Salem United Methodist Church, was shown to the Leadership Board. Building Commi ee Update Linda Curson reported that the Building Commi ee received two bids for the construc on of a garage for the church. The Commi ee recommends the acceptance of the quote from Staub Construc on for a 24 x 20 unit which includes cement flooring, electricity, and white siding/trim. The bid is for $18,744. The majority of the funds are available from the interest on an annuity. Kathy Wickham made a mo on to approve the bid. Judie Hintzman provided a second. The mo on passed on a voice vote. Approximately $13,400 in rebates are expected to be received from the construc on project from such sources as Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy. The Building Commi ee recommends that the rebates be given to the Kitchen Commi ee for use in the remodeling of the kitchen. Sharon Busch made a mo on to approve the distribu on of these funds in this manner. Don Feldmann seconded the mo on and it passed on a voice vote. The building project is winding down and we are nearing the end of our construc on loan with NXT Bank. The church plans to sign our mortgage loan in July. We have been approached by a couple of financial organiza ons offering lower interest rates so NXT Bank will reconsider their proposed interest rate for our mortgage. It will be a 20year mortgage but the church hopes to pay it off in years. The final punch list has not been completed. Some areas that s ll need a en on include the storm run-off area of the property, a small sec on of the roof, locks, and flickering lights in the sanctuary. The number of tables and chairs available for Sunday morning fellowship me was discussed. Some white tables and chairs will be set up for a few weeks and the usage will be monitored to determine if addi onal tables and chairs need to be purchased. The District Office is dona ng a conference table and chairs to Salem. The Trustees are organizing the transport of these items to the church. They will be set up in one of the classrooms on the lower level. The signage and locks on the family restrooms off of Fellowship Hall were discussed. The church has been approached by a member of the congrega on with a request for camp scholarships for two children to a end a non-united Methodist Church camp. The Leadership Board will consider the possibility of including a camp scholarship line in the budget in the future but decided not to fund scholarships to non-united Methodist camps at this me. Finance Report Linda Curson reported on the income and expenses for the first four months of the year (January April). Expenses were less than income for April but we are s ll slightly behind the proposed budget due to higher expenses earlier in the year. However, overall we are in good shape. The income for the building fund comes in on a varied schedule. Mortgage payments will be paid from the building fund. Hospitality Brian Schooley plans to meet with recruits for the hospitality team this week to convey expecta ons and begin training. Trustees The recently developed facility use request form was discussed. For groups that have recurring events, the form can be completed just once. * The mailbox will be moved closer to the new front door of the church for easier access in the near future. * We s ll have an organ and a piano stored at the Ecumenical Center. The piano will be moved to the church. The organ will be transported to the city dump. * A rusty door off of the parlor will be considered under rou ne maintenance of the church. * The Leadership Board will decide what to do with some ques onable items that previously were stored in the POD unit.

11 Page 11 Leadership Board Report Con nued from page 10 SPRC The Leadership Board endorsed a recommenda on from the SPRC to allow July 2 to be considered as a paid holiday for Sharon Vavra, Administra ve Assistant. Work con nues on the Administra ve Assistant job descrip on. Another Set of Eyes ministry appraisal will be conducted at the next mee ng. Flyers for Camp Hope, an organiza on that pays the fees for children of incarcerated parents to a end United Methodist church camps, will be placed on the tables in Fellowship Hall to inform the congrega on of this opportunity. Closing Anna Dunnwald closed with prayer. The mee ng adjourned at 7:30 p.m. About the Leadership Board Mee ngs Salem Leadership Board mee ngs are open mee ngs. Anyone can come to the mee ngs. (At the occasional me when personnel issues are discussed the board does appropriately go into closed session.) Visitors to the LB mee ngs do not par cipate in discussions (except by invita on), and do not have a vote at the mee ng. If any persons, in addi on to the Leadership board members, wish to make a presenta on, or address the mee ng, they are asked to contact the LB Chair or Pastor John in advance about being included on the agenda. Everyone is always encouraged to talk to the LB members about ques ons and concerns. If your ques on cannot be answered readily, it will be brought to the full Leadership Board. Everyone s input is wanted and welcomed. The Leadership Board is made up of 12 members, each serving for three years. The LB contains three subgroups for preliminary work, though the official Trustees, Stewardship and SPRC consist of the en re Leadership Board as a whole. The 2015 Leadership Board members (listed in their subgroups) are as follows: Trustees: Don Feldmann, Troy Oltman, Charlie Thomas, Kathy Wickham. Stewardship: Dalene Bateman, Sharon Busch, Dave Jandik, Roger Lindo. SPRC: Ronda Drahozal, Anna Dunnwald, Judie Hintzman, Brian Schooley. Anna Dunnwald is the 2015 Leadership Board Chair. Chrysalis Ties Nancy Rawson Tim and I are collec ng men s neck es (worn out, out-of-style, no longer wanted/needed) for the upcoming Chrysalis flight. We write Jesus is the e that binds on them in puffy paint for the youth. The flight will be held over Labor Day.but it would be nice to have them by mid-august. For those not familiar with Chrysalis, it is an experience of Chris an spiritual renewal and forma on for youth that begins with a three-day short course in Chris anity. It is an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ in a new way as God s grace and love is revealed through other believers. Nursery A endants Needed Deb Black If you are at least 16 years of age and have the qualifica ons to offer and provide for the emo onal, physical and social needs of young children during the me they are in our church nursery, please contact Deb Black at d.black@salemchurchcr.com

12 The Forecaster 07/ rd Avenue SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Salem s mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transforma on of the world. connec ng people, building community, transforming lives through Jesus Salem s Sunday Morning Schedule for Summer 9 a.m. Contemporary Sanctuary 9 a.m. Nursery Available -infants thru 4 years old Lower Level 10:10 a.m. Adult Sunday School Class Lower Level 10:10 a.m. Fellowship Time Fellowship Hall 11a.m. Tradi onal Sanctuary 11 a.m. Nursery Available infants thru 4 years old Lower Level Salem Office hours: Monday 9 a.m.to 4:40 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed standard holidays)