The First Word January 2018 First United Methodist Church, Racine

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The First Word January 2018 First United Methodist Church, Racine 745 Main Street, Racine, WI 53403 262-633-7632 racine1umc@tds.net www.1umcracine.

1 The First Word January 2018 First United Methodist Church, Racine 745 Main Street, Racine, WI Jakes Voker Pastor Liza Michna Administrative Assistant Jeff Fernholz Treasurer Sue Mills Financial Secretary Fred Ganaway Church Council Chairperson Chuck Bragg Trustee Chairperson Judith Schulz Church Historian Sue Mills Parish Visitor Nancy Cook Organist Jeanne Whiteside Media Coordinator Family Ed & Nurture Coordinator Joy McClelland Custodian ON EXTENSION MISSION TO THE WORLD How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, Your God reigns. (Isaiah 52: (7 -ESV). And he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16: 15 - ESV). God s love for and desire to share that love with all of creation has been and continuous to be the primary message of the Hebrew Bible in all generations. In order to make His love more visible and accessible to all, not some, God sent His Son, The Christ-Child, into the world. The world over acknowledges the Son s coming in human flesh during Advent Season and celebrates his birth on a day known as Christ-Mas! Upon arrival on this planet earth, Christ s life and work re-echoed God s unconditional love for all people and creations irrespective of moral and socio-economic status as well as geographical locations. The Son summarizes God s sole purpose for sending him in the world as thus:. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10 ESV). In order words, knowing and having a relationship with God s Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, leads to living a life of abundance and full of meaning. This is the Gospel- Good News! Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Having come to know this truth, Jesus in turn entrusts all true believers as well as would be believers and instructs them to take and share this salvific message with all people in every corner of the world! (Matt. 28: ESV). This is the Mission and ministry to which The Church of which Jesus Christ is the Head, (Colossians 1:18); you and me/ all Christians, are called be partners!! We are God s appointed Missionaries to take the Good news everywhere God s Spirit would lead us. Generations after another, Faithful and dedicated Christian men and women have responded to our Lord Jesus Christ call upon them to GO! There are many different ways and forms that people have responded and continue to do so even today. For examples: There are those who upon receiving the call of Jesus Christ would sacrifice the ease and comfort of their lives and travel to places, some very remote and dangerous, to be hands, feet, eyes and the embodiment of Christ presence in whatever the needs might be. This is known as Mission of Presence! Others would prefer supporting the missional needs by providing needed funds and kinds to help meet the prevailing needs. I refer to this as being in mission by Extension. Let s be clear that none of these means of participation outweighs the other, but rather supplement one another. This is exactly how the local Church, including Race 1 st UMC, partners with Christ in mission.

2 As a congregation, we participate and respond to various missional needs in our local community, district and annual conferences, as well as internationally. Many of us participate in the efforts by supporting the cause either with our prayers, talents, time or money without ever going to visit the mission site. The recent Spaghetti Dinner to support Jabez School s expansion project in Ganta City, Liberia is a typical example of being in mission through Extension. Your gifts enable those of us that are able to respond by both extension and presence to reach out and serve. As I write this article, I and two other persons are preparing for a three weeks Mission of Presence trip to Jabez School beginning Thursday 11 th thru Monday28th January This trip is made possible by the missional giving of all whose hearts were touched by our Lord s call to partner with him in meeting the Jabez School s needs for improved and expanded educational facility in the Ganta Community in which it is located as a mission of presence. Finally, thanks for your faithfulness and dedication to partnering with Jesus Christ on his redemptive mission in your community, conferences and the world for the transformation of lives to the glory of God! Until then, you all have a belated- Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year in Jesus name. MERRY CHRIST-MAS & A HAPPIER NEW YEAR!! In Mission together, Rev. Jakes Pastor SCRIPTURES AND THEMES: 01/2018 Epiphany 1st Sunday /Holy Communion 01/07/2018 Psalm 72: 1-7 Isaiah 60: 1-6 Ephesians 3; 1-12 Matthew 2: 1-12 Theme: Expectant Faith- Expects Peace and Joy Epiphany -3 rd Sunday/ Ecumenical 01/21/2018 Psalm 62: 5-12 Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 1Corinthians 7: Mark 1: Theme: Responding to the Call Connie Ziegler - Guest Preacher Epiphany -2 nd Sunday / Human Relations 01/14/2018 Psalm 139: 1-6, Amos 5: Corinthians 6: Matthew 12:18-21 Theme: An Injustice for One, Is an Injustice for All Lisa Jones - Guest Preacher Epiphany 4 th Sunday 01/28/2018 Psalm 111: 1ff. Isaiah 43: Corinthians 8: 1-18 Mark 1: Theme: New Beginnings God s Grace Offers Fresh Starts Cheryl McCrary - Guest Preacher

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN JANUARY 2 Connie Boehm 7 Tracie Feest 16 Garfield Voker 24 Daphne Schnaare 25 August Grulich 29 Joy McClelland HAPPY ANNIVERSARY IN JANUARY 4 Bill & LaVerne Fawcett 14 Jayne & Jerry

Simply write your name on the date you wish to provide altar flowers and you will be contacted by the church office for details. OFFERING ENVELOPES FOR 2018 are on the sanctuary table.

HOT MEAL PROGRAM First Church is responsible for the Hot Meal at St. Luke s Episcopal Church on Monday, January 22.

3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN JANUARY 2 Connie Boehm 7 Tracie Feest 16 Garfield Voker 24 Daphne Schnaare 25 August Grulich 29 Joy McClelland HAPPY ANNIVERSARY IN JANUARY 4 Bill & LaVerne Fawcett 14 Jayne & Jerry Dresen 21 David Piggins & Carol Christensen ALTAR FLOWERS 7 Fred & Debby Ganaway THE ALTAR FLOWER CALENDAR FOR 2018 has been posted in the north foyer. Simply write your name on the date you wish to provide altar flowers and you will be contacted by the church office for details. OFFERING ENVELOPES FOR 2018 are on the sanctuary table. If you do not see a box with your name on it, select one of the extra boxes and record your name and box number on the sheet provided. HOT MEAL PROGRAM First Church is responsible for the Hot Meal at St. Luke s Episcopal Church on Monday, January 22. If you can provide a casserole, please sign on the sheets located on the sanctuary tables. Please deliver you casserole to St. Luke s by 4:30 pm on January 22 nd and thank you for your help with this important outreach ministry. OUR FOOD PANTRY ITEM For January our food pantry item is paper grocery sacks and/or toilet paper. Bring your contributions to church any time and place them in the crates near the church entrances. Thanks for helping supply the food pantries. LOOSE CHANGE OFFERING FOR JANUARY will benefit the Racine Literacy Council. The Racine Literacy Council is a volunteer-based organization that provides adult literacy programs in Racine County and works to educate the community about the importance and impact of literacy. In , 279 adult learners were served by 133 trained tutors. Place your loose change or more in the small brown envelopes found in the pews and place it in the offering plate. USHER SCHEDULE January 7 Jeff Fernholz August Grulich Ricky Castro January 14 Chuck & Jean Harmon Jan Rosellini January 21 Chuck & Jean Harmon Dave Johnson January 28 Roger & Betty Oakley August Grulich If you are unable to be a greeter/usher on your assigned day, please contact someone from the usher list to substitute for you. Thanks. Others, who might like to serve the church in this way, please contact the church office. LOST AND FOUND ITEMS We have recently found somethings left behind after service. The items are on top of the coat rack in the main entrance hallway.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Each Sunday Faith To Life Bible Study Morning Worship Fellowship Time Keith Griffin Pokemon League Casa de Dios Worship Service Each Monday OFFICE CLOSED Casa de Dios Bible Study

January 13 Controlling Community Violence Wednesday, January 17 Youth Group Monday, January 22 Hot Meal Program 9:00 am 10:00 am 11:15 am 1:00 pm 5:00 pm 6:30 pm Noon 6:00 pm 7:30 pm Noon 6:00 pm

! All the children, readers and musicians did an amazing job!

4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Each Sunday Faith To Life Bible Study Morning Worship Fellowship Time Keith Griffin Pokemon League Casa de Dios Worship Service Each Monday OFFICE CLOSED Casa de Dios Bible Study Each Wednesday Kiwanis Club Luncheon Choir Rehearsal Young Adult Dinner & Discussion Each Saturday Sack Lunch Program Wednesday, January 3 Youth Group Sunday, January 7 FFRANK Breakfast Saturday, January 13 Controlling Community Violence Wednesday, January 17 Youth Group Monday, January 22 Hot Meal Program 9:00 am 10:00 am 11:15 am 1:00 pm 5:00 pm 6:30 pm Noon 6:00 pm 7:30 pm Noon 6:00 pm 9:00 am 9:00 am 6:00 pm 4:30 pm A Special Thanks to all who came out for our Christmas Eve Service & Our Candle Light Service. We had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Jesus together!! All the children, readers and musicians did an amazing job!! Santa s Breakfast ******************************************* If you d like something in the February newsletter Please send your information in by January 19 th Send it to racine1umc@tds.net or give me a call At (262) Thank you The First Word is published monthly by First United Methodist Church 745 Main Street, Racine, WI Phone: racine1umc@tds.net or pastorfumcr@tds.net Office Hours: Tuesday thru Friday, 8:30 - noon Pastor Jakes S. Voker Editor Liza Michna Merry Christmas!!

5 Annual Conference 2018 is Coming June 15-18! The 2018 Annual Conference is scheduled for Friday, June 15 Monday, June 18 at the Madison Marriott West. The theme is One With Each Other. Additional details and registration information will be available in the coming weeks Speakers Opening Worship: Bishop Modesto Mamani, Bishop of Bolivia Bible Study: Mr. Thomas Kemper Ordination Service: Bishop Eduard Khegay, Bishop of Russia Memorial Service: Bishop Hee-Soo Jung Submit Award Nominations by April 15, 2018: Nominations for the annual clergy, laity, and youth awards are due by April 15, Learn more hereabout the Harry Denman, Love in Action, Perry Saito, Thelma W. Gregg, Francis Asbury, and Lois C. Olsen Ministry of Memory Awards. Childcare During Annual Conference: will be available during the 2018 Annual Conference. Childcare registration cost will be $10.00 per day, per child. Parents will choose the day or days you would need childcare provided, and are required to pick up their child and be responsible for meal times. Our hope is to cut back on unnecessary childcare expenses, as providers are being paid when parents do not bring the children after reserving a spot. Abuse of this opportunity may result in a premium fee in the future. Camp in the Community Coming to Annual Conference: A new option for parents attending with children from grades one to six, Camp in the Community is being offered in partnership with Wisconsin United Methodist Camps for Annual Conference Throughout the weekend, trained camp staff will provide supervision for youth, while engaging in enriching "camp-style" activities, including games, crafts, experiential bible study, singing, swimming and more. The Camp in the Community program focuses on providing structured and stimulating activities, as well as building a community of peer campers and college-age staff role models. Cost per camper is $10.00/day. Like the childcare program for younger youth, parents remain responsible for meal times. This program will be available Friday Sunday at noon (more details to be provided at a later date). Start Gathering for Ingathering 2018: The Wisconsin Conference will be collecting Ingathering items again at Annual Conference. This year s list includes items for the UMCOR Cleaning Kits, Midwest Missions Distribution Center Hygiene/Personal Dignity Kits, as well as Wisconsin Conference Hospitality Kits. All kits need to be kept separate. The Hospitality Kits will be shared by Wisconsin ministries, including Harbor House Crisis Shelters in Superior, and Northcott Neighborhood House, United Methodist Children s Services, and Solomon Outreach in Milwaukee. Remember These Upcoming Events There's a lot going-on over the next few months, including Human Relations Day, the North West District Conference, the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, the Spring Women's Retreat and the Discover...Mission, China 2018 later next summer. Human Relations Day: Celebrate this Special Sunday on January 14, North West District Conference: Rev. Cathy Townley will be the learning leader at the conference on Saturday, January 27, Register by January 18 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration: Bishop Melvin George Talbert is the guest speaker for the service onjanuary 14 th, It will be held at Brown Deer UMC: 5736 W Brown Deer Rd, Brown Deer, WI.The event will also be livestreamed for those who cannot attend. Spring Women s Retreat: The retreat will be held April 27-29, 2018 at Lake Lucerne Camp and Retreat Center. Deadline registration is April 1, 2018.

Why? A Reflection on Christmas Another Christmas will come and go. For some it will be a festive time when families and friends reunite and celebrate and rejoice.

6 Why? A Reflection on Christmas Another Christmas will come and go. For some it will be a festive time when families and friends reunite and celebrate and rejoice. For some, it is a poignant time where through distance or death loved ones can no longer meet. For a few, it is a desolate and despairing time that contrasts a joyful season with a less-than acceptable life situation. For some, it is primarily a religious celebration; while for others it is about reindeer and snowmen and sleigh rides and Santa and for most of us it is a wild hodge-podge of all these things rolled together. A significant number of people look as forward to Christmas being over, as to Christmas coming. Indeed, our American culture in the United States allows Christmas to take over just about everything starting around Halloween. The concept of a quiet, contemplative Christmas where Silent Night is more than a nice idea appears impossible to many even those who celebrate primarily because of the birth of the Christ child. There is simply too much going on. For this reason, I offer a simple gift. I want to give you an hour. Sometime in the next few days leading to Christmas, you have my permission to withdraw, find a quiet space, take a hot mug of something soothing or tasty, and sit to ponder one question and one answer. The question is: Why? Why Christmas? Why did God do it? Why does God continue to do it? We certainly don t deserve it. We haven t earned it. We break covenant as often as we keep covenant (and if we are honest, we probably break it more often than not ). We are not too kind to one another most of the time; at best, we ignore most of the people we don t know. We don t do a very good job being patient and tolerant. Our generosity is too often the exception rather than the rule. We are not always forgiving of those who irritate or annoy us. Why did God grant us this amazing gift of salvation? Were two dirty, illiterate, unwed teenagers to show up at our church on Christmas Eve, how would we respond? We like to think that we would receive them with open arms; but truth be told, if we were that ready to receive them, we would already see them in our pews. Right beside the prostitutes and the astrologers and the shepherds and the tax collectors and those with physical, emotional, and spiritual ills. How many of us would leave the comfort of our homes to seek out a baby in a barn born to strangers? Why did God do this? Why did God do this in such a perplexing way? The answer is simple, but not easy. God loves us. God loves us, no matter what. We put conditions on love; God does not. We draw the line and say no more, we re finished! God does not. We look to see who is deserving, and who is worth it. God does not. God so loved the world God so loved the WORLD. God so LOVES the WORLD. It is simply impossible for us to truly wrap our heads around this, but it is the core of all truth: God IS love. Let us not waste time trying to figure out how to despise those whom God loves. In this Christmas season, simply receive the gift but know that it comes with strings attached. For those whom God loves carry a huge responsibility to share this love with everyone we meet, every day of the year. May you be blessed to be a blessing this Christmastime, and in the New Year to come! Grace and Peace, Bishop Hee-Soo Jung

7 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 745 Main Street Racine, WI First United Methodist Church The Vision statement: To provide a community for people to experience God and find inspiration for daily living. The Mission statement: To welcome and encourage all to live faithfully through Jesus Christ in ways that impact them and others. A perfect church for imperfect people

The First Word January 2019 First United Methodist Church, Racine

The First Word January 2019 First United Methodist Church, Racine 745 Main Street, Racine, WI 53403 262-633-7632 racine1umc@tds.net www.1umcracine.org Family Ed & Nurture Coordinator Joy McClelland Custodian