The Front Pew. The Stone Column. Volume 8 Issue 6 June In This Issue

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1 In This Issue The Front Pew Volume 8 Issue 6 June 2018 Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Back Cover Stone Column Celebrations & Contact Info. June News & Looking Ahead General Info. June Calendar Anniversary Pics Christian Education Church Family The Stone Column Last month's royal wedding took place the day before Pentecost Sunday. That didn't stop Rev. Michael Curry the Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop from giving a Pentecost inspired comparison of love and fire in his wedding homily. He quoted French theologian, scientist and mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And, on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire. I didn't realize it at the time, but I had heard and seen Curry earlier - and had even posted something on Facebook with him and other religious leaders offering the declaration; Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis. Less than a week removed from his famous sermon in England, Curry was in Washington D.C. at a candlelight vigil and prayer service adding his voice again to the Reclaiming Jesus declaration in what he said was not a protest march. "We are not a left-wing group; we are not a right-wing group. We are a Jesus movement. This is a procession of Christian people. This is what they did on Pentecost. This is a Pentecostal moment," said Curry who was still on fire about love at the vigil. Love your neighbor. Love the neighbor you like and the neighbor you don t like. Love the neighbor you agree with and the neighbor you don t agree with. Love your Democrat neighbor, your Republican neighbor, your black neighbor, your white neighbor, your Anglo neighbor, your Latino neighbor and your LGBTQ neighbor. Love your neighbor! That s why we re here! The declaration acknowledges the perilous and polarizing times our nation is facing, "We believe the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are now at stake." It is an unambiguous call to following Jesus first and foremost and challenges Christians to renew their focus on the foundational statement of faith, "Jesus is Lord." It lists six affirmations or "we believe" statements each followed by, "the resulting rejections of practices and policies by political leaders which dangerously corrode the soul of the nation and deeply threaten the public integrity of our faith." Curry hopes the declaration will, "help Christian people, people of goodwill, to find their voice, to reclaim and renew the faith that Jesus has given us, and to find a way to live that faith both in our personal lives and in the public square." Let us join the procession of fiery love in this season after Pentecost, making it extraordinary. Peace & Blessings, Eric

2 Page 2 The Front Pew St. Luke s United Methodist Church Mailing Address: 206 Scheurmann St. Essexville, MI Telephone: (989) Pastor: Rev. Eric A. Stone pastor@stlukesumcmi.org A/V Coordinator: Andrew Felch av@stlukesumcmi.org Church Accountant: Donna Gross accountant@stlukesumcmi.org Christian Education Worker: Contact Information Office office@stlukesumcmi.org Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Staff Information Fax: (989) The Front Pew is a monthly newsletter for St. Luke s U.M.C., created by the combined efforts of many members of the congregation. Although we strive for a consistent level of accuracy, there is always a possibility of error. If you know that any information is missing or incorrect, please contact the church office at: (989) so corrections may be made. Gloria Gonzales christianed@stlukesumcmi.org Music Director: Melissa Rookus music@stlukesumcmi.org Office Staff: Volunteers office@stlukesumcmi.org Organist: Vicki Ahlberg-Ives organist@stlukesumcmi.org June Birthdays 3 Jodi Shaw 4 Linda Wehrman 5 Philip Jezierski 6 Manila Sanders 7 Meghan Felch 8 Ted Lind, Sr. Julian Stone 9 Jared Greshow 14 Andrea Jump Colleen Tomczak 15 Frank Jackson Janessa Hilger 16 Katherine Bruck 19 Jessica O Dell Marie Pierce 21 Dave Maillette 22 Neal Felch 25 Josh VanTol 27 Joe Todey 29 Emily Frasik 30 Kenton DeShaw June Anniversaries 1 Peter & Charlotte McGrath 2 Donald & Marjorie Holsinger Ted Lind, Jr. & Jenna Briggs-Lind 7 Brent & Cora McKeon Robert & Marie Pierce, Jr. 8 Jason & Angie Lewis 9 Bob & Remy Holmes 12 Ken & Shari Schott 13 Eric Lewandowski & Janelle Lind 16 Bill & Hope Bertelsen 20 Ray & Kerri Meeks 21 Andy & Brenda Kemp Dave & Judy Maillette 26 Bob & Ruth Harvey

3 Volume 8 Issue 6 June News Page 3 Godspell! Movie Night Friday, June 15th. Dig out your bell bottoms, tie dye and superman shirts and sing-a-long with this 70's classic! Based on the Gospels of Matthew, Luke & John, revisit the parables of Jesus with a musical twist! There will be face painting and love bead stringing beginning at 6:30 p.m.; with the movie starting at 7:00 p.m. Popcorn and beverages will be provided. This is open to all, so bring your friends and Make A Joyful Noise! Please join in celebrating the retirement of the Rev. Duane M. Harris, Sunday June 17, Service begins at 11:15 a.m. at Auburn U.M.C. There will be a pulled pork and potluck luncheon at 12:30 p.m. Potluck items prepared by Auburn U.M.C. RSVP requested but not required. Call Open Prayer Meeting every Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. those participating in Open Prayer have experienced much to be thankful for comfort when in need, healing of mind & body, and building strong bonds of friendship based in Christian love. Come, consider spending some time in Open Prayer. Looking Ahead Breakfast Book Club Saturday, July 14th at 10.am., in the café. The next book selection is : Angel in Aisle 3 by Kevin West This is the true story of a mysterious vagrant, a convicted bank executive, and the unlikely friendship that saved both their lives. Books are available to borrow & return to the Church Library. All are welcome! Come enjoy breakfast and thoughtful conversation. Time to clear the clutter! The dates are set for our annual church wide rummage sale! Set-up will be July 30th through August 1st. The sale begins on August 2nd and runs through the 4th. Any questions please contact Brenda Kemp.

4 Page 4 General Info The Front Pew Trustees Corner Trustees have been busy with spring activities now that warmer weather has arrived. Spring cleanup was a great success thanks to all of the helpers who cleaned windows, pews and spruced up the building. We really can t do all of this work without your help. Ceiling tiles that were stained were also replaced after roof leaks were fixed by Kawkawlin Roofing. A new projector for the sanctuary has been installed and the picture is brighter and easier to read. The church lawn is fertilized and hopefully there will be fewer dandelions. We will also soon apply grub control to prevent any damage. Keeping the plantings around the church trimmed and weeded is a constant project, but we have a very dedicated trustee who spends many hours doing this work. We will soon have new lines marking parking places and are looking at replacing the parking lot surface. This is an expensive project but our parking lot surface is crumbling and the drains are sinking. We have installed new handicapped parking signs. The Hart Street parsonage foundation drains were plugged with roots and water was leaking into the basement. Trees were cut down around the foundation and Dependable Sewer cleaned and replaced the drain. To complete the work, trustees will clean up the area and replace the window wells. Top soil and grass seed will be put down. Trustees will replace a shower enclosure and refinish some of the wooden window frames at the parsonage this summer. A backyard fence section recently came down with a wind storm so that was repaired along with replacing some broken and missing boards in other fence sections. The Thompson St parsonage continues to be rented. The rental agreement with the current tenant is in effect until next spring. Trustees are exploring options of selling one of the parsonages and would welcome any input on this issue. There is a lengthy process to get this done, but we are continuing this effort. Karla Morgan, Trustee Secretary Finance Update as of April, 2018 Income: $66, Expenses: $67, Deficit: ($1,079.30) Plans are being made to repurpose the Michiga (black) 50 th anniversary t-shirts. Return your shirt(s) to Ruth Felch. Anyone interested in working on lap blankets and/or pillows, please talk to Ruth.

5 Volume 8 Issue 6 Page 5 June 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 F.A. = Families Anonymous S.P.R.C. = Staff Parish Relations Committee F.H. = Fellowship Hall N.A. = Narcotics Anonymous U.M.M. = United Methodist Men U.M.W. = United Methodist Women 9:00 a.m. U.M.M. Krzysiak's :30 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m. Fellowship Do-All Cleaning Day 12:00 p.m. Golden Friends 10:00 a.m. Stampers & Scrappers 5:00 p.m. Open Prayer 6:00 p.m. Church Council Michigan Annual Conference 10 Graduation Sunday :30 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m. Fellowship Michigan Annual Conference Do-All Cleaning Day 6:00 p.m. Trustees 7:00 p.m. SPRC 10:00 a.m. Stampers & Scrappers 11:00 a.m. Staff Meeting TBD UMW Field Trip Movie Night 6:30 p.m. Crafts 7:00 p.m. Godspell 8:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. F.H. in use 9:00 a.m. U.M.M. 17 Father s Day 9:30 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m. Fellowship 11:00 a.m. Coffee w/ Pastor Monday Thursday Vacation Bible School 5:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m :30 a.m. Worship 10:30 a.m. Fellowship Do-All Cleaning Day 10:00 a.m. Stampers & Scrappers 11:00 a.m. Staff Meeting

6 Page 6 The Front Pew Thanks to all who participated in our 50th Anniversary Celebration!

7 Volume 8 Issue 6 Christian Education News Rome Paul and the Underground Church. Vacation Bible School June 18th through 21st from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Registration and light meal begins at 5:30 p.m. All ages are welcome from nursery through 5th grade. We will have an exciting time discovering what it was like to be one of the very first Christians. There will be singing, crafts, and time to learn about Rome, Paul and life as an early Christian. You may register on our web site: stlukesumcmi.org, or pick up a registration form at the Welcome Center. Page 7 We are still looking for family (class) leaders, marketplace workers, apprentice trainers, music leaders and kitchen staff. We will also need people to dress in character to help with the Bible lesson. There will be a sign up sheet at the welcome center or you can see Kelli Stojic or Gloria Gonzales. Thank You! Thank you to all of the people who have helped out with Church School this year, including Cheri Jezierski, Angie Lewis, Jenny Jackson, Edythe Juve, Missy Campanaro, Brenda Kemp, Maria Jezierski, Brenda Scramlin and Pastor Eric Stone. Our church school programs and activities are how we guide our young children, teaching them to grow in their faith and Christian beliefs. We also have programs to help adults to build on their faith and strengthen their beliefs. As we have finished this section of our program, would you think about ways that you could contribute to church school programing for the upcoming year. Maybe you would like to assist in one of the classrooms, or maybe you have an idea for a study for adults. Please talk to Gloria Gonzales if you have any ideas for the fall church school programs. Church camp brochures are available on the foyer table. There are scholarships available. More information may be obtained in the church office. We are in need of a volunteer to coordinate our Sunday nursery schedule, and keep the nursery toys and area disinfected. Contact Gloria Gonzales, our Christian Education Worker, if interested.

8 St. Luke s United Methodist Church 206 Scheurmann Essexville, MI Return Service Requested 2018 Phone: (989) Fax: (989) office@stlukesumcmi.org s t l u k e s u m c m i. o r g Our Vision Nurturing the world with God s love. Our Mission Called by God to reach out and welcome all. Our Church Family Congratulations to our 2018 graduates! High School College Seminary Yvonne Bertelsen Mikayla Bertelsen Mikki Mallory Stephanie Bruck Katherine Bruck Katelynn Ellerman Kara Francke Grad School Hailey Friend Tyler Francke Carleigh Rowley Courtney Shank Lauren Ouellette Julian Stone Carleigh Rowley Justin Barriger would like to hear from his church family. His new address is: 275 Mic helle Lane, #305, Groton CT 06340