God is Still Speaking... As I look at it... MAY Brookings United Church of Christ Brookings, SD ISSUE

Transcription

1 Issue 5 MAY 2015 ISSUE 5 Brookingsucc.org th St. South Brookings, SD Brookings United Church of Christ Brookings, SD th Street South As I look at it... God is Still Speaking Brookingsucc@brookings.net Whoever you are, wherever you are on life s journey, you are welcome here As I Look At It The past several months have been filled with some very exciting developments. Developments that if we hold fast to them will bring us meaningful opportunities in the near future. For example the United Church of Christ, Brookings is to be commended for its fearless stance in voting unanimously to become an Open and Affirming congregation. This is a declaration to all that within BUCC all are welcome to share in the life and ministry of our congregation, but the call for us is to walk the walk. We have most certainly talked the talk, but now the question is can and will we walk the walk. Will we go out of our way to put out the welcome mat for all who would come our way? Personally, I do sincerely hope that this is a yes, because both Peg and I have been impressed with the inclusive way we have observed you welcoming the strangers that have come our way. It is not easy to welcome into fellowship someone that has a different view of life than you do. The assurance is that if we do, if we bring all to the table without expecting many of them to change to fit in we will grow in our understanding of the skill and the needs of the faith community. I look forward to welcoming all whom our Redeemer would send our way. MAY 2015 Rev. Wade Schemmel Pastor buccpastor@swiftel.net Office Phone: Cell Phone: I have also become aware of a disturbingly large number of Brookings residents that are living under the poverty line. We as a community of people are very generous, and demonstrate a basic care for one another that manifests itself in many food items being given each week. I would hope that as we care by bringing food we would also start to care by engaging our political officers in a conversation about the causes of poverty. I would hope that in our Redeemer s name we would become a force to be reckoned with, as we search for ways to enable all to live fully in our community. To be honest I do not know what the future holds. What I do know is that God has not written the first page for this congregation. We are just in the I introduction. The story of the life and ministry of the United Church of Christ of Brookings is just taking shape. My friends, the best parts are still to come. I would say to any who wonder what our future holds, and who might be questioning if we have one, hold on, God is just beginning. Namaste wjs

2 Terri Logan at her baby shower provided by the church with the help of her oldest son. New Church Sign installed on the outside of the Church on 8the Street also informing the community that we are now on Facebook. Members art work of their interpretation of their faith in clay on display at the back of the church. We are envisioning a new cutting edge form of ministry, but we need your help and to pull it off. We are in need of a video camera that we could use on Sunday morning to record the service and then we could use a group of people that would like to take on that ministry of our church. Any who could respond to this urgent need please call the church office.

3 Moderator s Report MAY 2015 What a wonderful Sunday we had May 3 rd, the sun was shining and members came together to do cleanup on the church s yard. While the amount of work done on the churches yard would have taken days for one individual to do a quarter of the work, the members got together for a couple of hours and completed most of the work. There is still work to be done with the flower beds but the committee will see which flowers bulb this year. The memorial garden is looking beautiful and will soon have the waterline it needs allowing for easy watering. Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat The outside of the church, due to the hard work of the members, looks just as beautiful as the inside. God has given each of us many gifts and even if you could participate in the cleanup throughout the year you will be given a chance to give your gift to the church. This is a side piece: The traditional Sunday school is coming to an end at the end of May; we are asking the parents of children to volunteer a Sunday during service to do arts and crafts, baking or doing something to help the church. This will allow structure with the children during the summer service. The signup sheet is in the back of the church. By: Kristi Prunty Moderator 17 See below: Continued: Ministry Team Meet 11 Nursing Home 1:45 and 2:30 1 (CWU) May Salad 11:30am-1pm 2 NOTES FROM THE APRIL CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING 3 Fellowship 11 My Neighbor Offering :30 1 pm Birthday Breakfast 10 Harvest Table went very well with help from sixteen members and friends of the church. An anonymous donor in the grocery checkout line paid for $177 of the groceries. Over $300 was raised at the movie to help Brookings Child Protective Services. Dave Huebner volunteered to chair the Empty Bowls committee. Additional volunteer committee members are Kathy, Darlene, Pastor Wade, Peg Schemmel and Sue Hay. The council thanked Dave and Julie for their generous gifts of time and talent to create the bowls each year. The youth will be planting a tree in honor of Earth Day and Arbor Day on Sunday, April 26. The youth would also like to help with the Memorial Garden, Habitat for Humanity, and the Humane Society. The new Ministry teams are working pretty well, although a couple of the teams are a little short on members. Ruby is working on updating the ministry team duties and will distribute the new draft to the council members. The church will host a diaper and wipes baby shower for Rachelle Starling on May 17 th. Mowing of the church yard needs to begin soon. The Home Commission will work on those arrangements. The Home Commission will check on options for installing the street address for the church somewhere outside where it will be easily seen. Church yard cleanup will be Sunday, May 3 rd after church. Church Women United will have their salad luncheon at BUCC on Friday, May 1. Darlene asked for help since she won t be able to be there. The annual meeting of the South Dakota Conference of the UCC will be on June 5-7. It will be hosted by Peace UCC in Sioux Falls. We will wait until August or September for the next 5 th Sunday event. The My Neighbor offering will be May 3 rd The Strengthen the Church offering will be May 24 th. The Memorial Garden policy and plaque order form drafted by the Memorial Committee were approved. Ruby Wilson, BUCC Council Secretary All Church Clean Up and Potluck 10 Communion Special Support for Terri Mother s Day! 17 Fellowship 11 Rachelle Starling Diaper Shower11 Senior. High Recognition 11 24/31 Fellowship :30 1 pm Council Meeting 5:30 pm :30-1 pm Night Out 5:30 pm 27 11:30-1 pm BBP Open House 4-7pm 14 Faithful Crafters 2 pm Faithful Crafters 2pm 29 Faithful Crafters 10: to 11:30 30

4 Top Left: Lenten/Easter Tree Bottom Left: BUCC serving Harvest Table March 30 (Making Cole slaw) Top Left: New Spring Banner Top Right: Seder Meal 2015 Bottom Right: Easter Morning Breakfast Bottom Left: Children s Message, Easter Top Right: Welcome Back Priscilla Bottom Right: Sunday School

5 Celebrate! Birthdays in MAY January 1 Jihong Cole-Dai 2 Dennis Dokken 3 Mary Ward 5 Justin Weimer 7 Kim Dokken Linnae Huebner 8 Darlene Dokken 10 Ruth Harper 18 Nancy Marshall Christina Weimer 20 Trevor Gloege 25 Lorin Bromeling MAY Anniversaries: 12 Wayne & Darlene Ward 17 Jim & Ruby Wilson 18 Chris & Sue Hay 21 Jihong & Phyllis Cole-Dai Ministry Teams 2015 July Stuart & Melissa Apland Kathy Apland Jihong Cole-Dai Steve & Kristi Prunty Dennis & Darlene Dokken February August Chris & Sue Hay Clarence & Darlene Bauer Kyle & Tiffany Eide Larry Rogers & Ruth Harper Matt Chang & Brandy Donaldson March September Chad & Laura Gloege Susan Helvig Dave & Julie Huebner Christina & Justin Wiemer Shanta Messerli If anyone has any concerns or possible conflicts, Please contact the church office Or at brookingsucc@brookings.net. Thank You! Special dedication of food items~ April October Jim & Joanne Satterlee Leonard & Norita Henneman Don & Nancy Marshall Scott Meyer & Taylor Mertz Steve & Jean Chappell May November Jim & Ruby Wilson Helen Anderson Brenda & Carl Kline Doug & Mary Ward Raul & Marisol Galvan-Murillo June December Tom & Susan Rosen Loye Holmes Randy & Marlene DeBoer Wade & Peg Schemmel Linda Langner During each month we collect food for three special ministries that distribute food to those in need. These include Feeding Brookings The Food Pantry and The Harvest Table. There are receptacles and carts to receive each of these offerings. That food will be dedicated each 3 rd Sunday and will be distributed shortly after that. Help us to have nice full bins to share and dedicate. HARVEST TABLE: A warm-no-cost meal served every Monday night from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the First United Methodist Community Life Center, The meal is offered for anyone in the community looking for good food and fellowship! If you have questions, contact Vonda Kirkham, Harvest Table Director, If you have participated in the weekly Harvest Table, you know that it is more than a hot meal for those in need. They also distribute food stuffs and supplies for families to get through the week, such as soap, toothpaste, diapers and baby wipes to name a few. The number of people being served each week has grown significantly over the last few years. In July 285 people were served a hot meal, grocery items were distributed to 145 households, 110 packages of diapers and baby wipes were handed out to families all at no cost to the families. The cupboards are BARE!! The Harvest Table is desperately in need of supplies. Non-perishable foods, (canned goods, pasta, rice, peanut butter, beans, cereal, baby food, formula, fruits and juice, canned meat and other pantry staples), personal care items (soap, toothpaste and brushes, shampoo, mouthwash), baby supplies (diapers and baby wipes are especially needed), paper goods (paper towels, toilet paper). The needs run the gamut. If you need it for your house, the Harvest Table probably needs it as well. If you aren t sure what is most needed, money is always the right size and color. With your tax-deductible donations, the Harvest Table staff can shop for what is needed the most. FEEDING BROOKINGS Bags of food are distributed every Thursday from 4:00 5:00 p.m. at the Ascension Lutheran Church rd Street MAY food item of the month: Pasta & Rice (box Helper meals) 217 4TH Street BROOKINGS, SD IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Crackers Canned Fruit Carrots (canned) Cereal Spag. Sauce Egg Noodles Refried Beans Instant Oatmeal Tomato Sauce Pantry is open: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 1:00-4:30pm

6 OUTREACH COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS: A special thank you is extended to all who assisted the church in the Child Abuse Awareness months activities. We donated twenty-six (26) tied blankets and twenty-four (24) hygiene bags to be distributed by the Child Protection Services on April 18thm Earth Day Planting by the Youth Group, April 26, The tree is a Red Maple. What a beautiful day to celebrate with the youth. On the 5th Sunday of August, Christine Krogsman and guest will discuss the programs of Child Abuse and the Foster Care program. If you have any question or ideas for their programs, please bring them to this meeting to have an opportunity to receive some answers and understanding of the work of the Child Abuse and Foster Care program All members of the church and the community are encouraged to attend this informative meeting,. Immediately after church and the coffee fellowship. By Marlene DeBoer Strengthen The Church Offering Sunday, May 24th, 2015, Pentecost Sunday, we will be collecting The Strengthen The Church Offering. This offering is used to give Extra support for churches that are expanding their ministry in New and exciting forms. Children s Message on April 26, All got involved and enjoyed taking their selfie pictures during the worship service. Watch the bulletin board in the future to see the final editions of the photos.