Suamico United Methodist Church (SUMC) 3266 Lakeview Drive Suamico, WI 54173 Phone: (920) 434-1168 Email: suamicoumc@gmail.com Website: www.suamicoumc.org December 2017 Newsletter December s Office Hours Pastor Eric s office hours: Tuesday 9:00-3:00 Wednesday 12:00-3:00 at La Java on Lineville Road 6:00-9:00 pm at church office Thursday 9:00-3:00 Pastor Eric will be out of state on the VIM mission trip December 29 th - January 8 th Tina s office hours: Tuesday 9:00-3:00 Thursday 9:00-3:00 The church office will be closed on Tuesday, December 26 th but open on Wednesday, December 27 from noon-3:00 and normal hours on Thursday December 28, 9:00-3:00 Accompanist Needed Suamico United Methodist Church is still looking to hire an accompanist/pianist for our choir, congregation, praise group, along with other musical groups. If you know someone, or a group, that may be interested, please call the church office (920) 434-1168. Our SUMC Media Team Needs You! Our Media Team is in need of "clickers" and "developers". Clickers turn on the computer and click through the slides on Sunday mornings. Developers are the people who put the presentation of the slides together, using the information shared on Google. If you are interested in joining our team, please call the church office (920) 434-1168. SUMC Worship Team opportunity The worship team is looking for someone to join our group, and make prayer selections for Sunday s worship services. If this is something you feel you are called to be involved with, please call the church office (920) 434-1168. Stewardship Thank you one and all for giving of your time during 2017! Our service hours goal for 2017 was 5,500 hours but with the October service hours of 1,136 we are now at 5,857 total hours and that doesn t even include what we can do in the months of November and December. How outstanding is our congregation to be out in the communities and living God s word beyond the red doors. 1
Fall Dinner Thank you once again to all for your donations of food, money, help in preparations, set up, serving and clean-up. What a successful event! The final profit for missions was $2,800. The Mission Committee will designate the mission areas for 2018 at their December meeting. Please let us know if you have an idea or attend the meeting to share your mission concerns. Book Club Book club s next meeting is on Sunday, December 3 at 6:00 pm, please call the church office (920) 434-1168 for directions to our meeting! We will be discussing "Be Frank With Me" by Julia Clayborn Johnson. If you haven t stopped in at club yet, what s holding you back? Come meet some fun readers, chat, and snack and enjoy the fellowship. If you haven t gotten around to reading the book, don t let that stop you from joining us everyone is always welcome! Booyah Sunday Our next booyah Sunday is Sunday, January 14th. Fresh, boneless, skinless, chicken booyah will be available at about 9 am. Carry out for $6 per quart or eat in for $2 a bowl. We also have hot dogs and beverages for sale. United Methodist Women will have desserts, homemade breads, hand crafted items and baked goods to purchase as well. On Saturday, January 13th, the booyah team will be here bright and early at 4 am if you d like to come in and help with prep work. Women s Retreat The annual Women s Retreat looks a bit different this year! We re trying something new and hope all the ladies of the church can join us. We ll host the event here this year on February 9 and 10, 2018. There will be a Friday night kickoff supper and Hymn Sing. This will be a great opportunity to get to know our guest speaker. Then on Saturday, there will be a workshop in Fellowship Hall, presented by visiting pastor/speaker, Dawn Volpe from the Ephraim Moravian Church. She is a wonderful leader and will be speaking on Forgiveness. Morning snacks and lunch will be included for participants on Saturday. Stay tuned for sign-up sheets and prices to be posted soon! We expect the list to fill quickly so please check your schedules now. please call the church office (920) 434-1168. Education Sunday Dec. 24 th - No Faith Finders We are still in need of one more teacher to help in Sunday Dec. 31st - No Faith Finders the 4-6th grade classroom. Come join in on a Sunday Classes resume Jan 7 th, 9:15-10:00 am in the morning to see just how much fun we have bringing Education Wing of the Fellowship Hall. the Word of God to the children of our church. Coming in with the new year, Adult Sunday School classes will resume. And watch for adult small growth groups as well. We re doing a live children s nativity at 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve, with any children present who want to participate. We will need adults or youth to help get children costumed and in the right spots on the chancel. If you want to be involved, please call the church office (920) 434-1168. New Member Information Nights Pastor Eric is hosting New Member Information Nights, the second Sunday of each month, from 6:30-7:30 at the church. This is an opportunity to get questions answered about the United Methodist church and membership with this Suamico congregation. No sign ups needed, just drop in. 2
SUMC Lay Leadership 2018 Church Council Chair - Kay Waugh Secretary - Megan Kallman Youth rep - Trustees - Amy Hess Finance - Scott Kring Treasurer - Julie Gridley Financial Secretary - Dale Waugh Education - Julie Scheel Worship - Vicki Gooding Youth - Niki Petit Missions - Barb Lockwood UMW - Donna Schneider Building - Dominic Petit Member Care - At large members: Chuck Ellis (2018) Judy Schroeder (2018) Orv Goddard (2020) Trustees Chair - Amy Hess Vicki Gooding (2018) Rodney Knutson (2018) Kelvin George (2018) Brad Johnson (2018) Jesse Nickel (2018) Dennis Lockwood (2018) Ken Voelz (2019) Roberto Molina (2019) Brian Kamps (2020) Worship Team Team leader: Vicki Gooding Stephanie Hahn Joyce Treml Dawn Hahn Jay Hahn Michael Lund Ziegler Tina Johnson Laurie Fahr Lucien Petit Staff Parish Relations Committee Chair - Marcia Ellis (2020) Co-chair - Derrick Westbrook (2019) David Longsine (2018) Mike Karnowski (2018) Paula Millikin (2018) Julie Scheel (2019) Dale Waugh (2020) Missions Team Team leader: Barbara Lockwood Diane Goddard Tina Johnson Ruth Ann Voelz - Seasoned Seniors Kim Kendall - Mental Health Initiative Judy Schroeder - Project Patricia Donna Schneider - United Methodist Women Duane Howell - EPH* rep Amy & Andy Hess - VIM** Team Kay & Dale Waugh - VIM Team *Ecumenical Partnership for Housing **Volunteers in Mission Education Team Outgoing team leader: Jean Johnson Incoming team leaders: Mary Nelson, Julie Scheel & Terri Reed Paula Gonnering Jeff Gonnering Jane George Kari Hardy Hospitality & Member Care Team Team leader: Dawn Hahn Peg Docter Alice Byrnes Valerie Allen Pastor Eric Lay Leadership Chair - Pastor Eric Diane Longsine (2018) Debbie Erdman (2018) Julie Gridley (2019) Lee Christianson (2019) Andy Hess (2020) Nicky Johnsen (2020) Lay Leader: Dominic Petit Lay Member to Annual Conference: Jay Hahn Building Chair - Dominic Petit Jay Hahn (secretary) Julie Gridley (treasurer) Scott Kring (finance) Dawn Hahn Stephanie Hahn Stacy Kring Joyce Treml Ken Voelz Millie Wiedemeier Chuck Ellis Dale Waugh Kay Waugh Brad Johnson Finance Chair - Scott Kring Treasurer - Julie Gridley Financial Secretary - Dale Waugh Trustee Rep - Vicki Gooding Kim Westbrook (2018) Brad Millikin (2018) Karen Bender (2019) Jane Greenwood VanAsten (2020) Youth Group Team Team leader: Niki Petit Dominic Petit Jesse Nickel Mariann Bolen Jean Johnson (treasurer) 3
October 2017 Year-to-Date YTD Budget General Fund Giving Pledged $8,691 $100,793 $95,041 Unpledged $2,569 $21,393 $23,765 Other General Income $525 $300 Other Specified Income (Memorials, etc.) $200 $8,097 $0 Total General Fund Giving $11,460 $130,808 $119,106 Expenses Payroll (Pay, Benefits, Taxes, etc) $8,515 $86,095 $98,167 Trustee (Utilities, Insurance, etc) $1,376 $20,277 $20,687 Apportionments $1,326 $19,219 $19,750 Other Expenses $999 $6,223 $8,450 Total General Fund Expenses $12,216 $131,814 $147,054 Finance Committee Fun Facts (October 2017) 1. General Income received = $11,460 (October) $130,808 (Year-to-Date) 2. Income needed for Expenses = $12,216 (October) $131,814 (Year-to-Date) 3. Expenses out-paced Income in September and the Finance Committee is keeping a close eye on income and expenses to remain financially healthy, heading in to 2018. 4. In comparison to 2016, we have increased income and decreased expenses for 2017. 5. We are truly blessed; $1,264 was raised for Missions (5th Sunday Giving) & $3,122 was collected from Fall Dinner. 6. Don t forget to use smile.amazon.com for your holiday online shopping. Proceeds to General Fund. _SUMC $crip Do you eat out? Buy groceries? Does your husband need new socks or the kids shoes for school? Well then, why not shop with Scrip! You can support our new church building fund, without spending any extra money. Through the Scrip program, we have access to over 700 merchants! You can find a complete listing at www.shopwithscrip.com, or and there are printed lists at church. But wait, you ask, how does this work? The church buys gift cards at a discount, but you get the card for the full $ amount that you paid. The percentage of discount is profit back to the church to help towards the new building fund. Tell us what you need ordered, you pay us for it, and we order at least every third Sunday of the month, you will then have the card(s) the following Sunday. At Sunday worship you can purachse the following cards: Festival The Pig Woodmans Meijer Subway Four-Way Home Depot Fleet Farm Walmart Sam s Club Kwik Trip PaPa Murphy s Barnes & Noble ShopKo Shell Target CVS Dunkin Donuts Menards JoAnn Fabrics Walgreens Taco Bell Marcus Movie Theaters We really do have something for everyone! Thanks for shopping, Donna and Kay, program co-coordinators. What s happening at Neighboring Churches and Community A Night in Bethlehem on Wednesday, December 6th, 5:30-7:30 pm New Hope UM Church (1950 Dickinson Road, De Pere) is hosting an opportunity for everyone to explore the city at the time of Jesus' birth at your own pace. During this 2-hour Christmas program, you ll wander through the Bethlehem marketplace and discover life when Jesus was born. At each stop you ll have an opportunity to create keepsakes and interact with shopkeepers who share the Christmas story. You and your family are welcome to arrive at any time, however keep in mind that our village shop keepers are usually in bed by 7:30 pm! A meal will be provided. This is an interactive style family worship that everyone is welcome to attend. 4
Missions Patricia Project Our next sewing date is December 5, 9:00 am to approximately 3 pm in Fellowship Hall. Join the fellowship, bring a dish to share for our delicious potluck lunch and the good works of purpose preparing reusable sanitary pads for young women in Africa. No special skills are required! There will not be a bonus Patricia Sewing Day on December 12. Vida Nueva: the missions budget is donating ten $10 movie tickets as gifts for the high school youth for Christmas. There are other needs for the holiday season so if you are interested in learning ways to help, please see Pastor Eric. Salvation Army: Red Kettle Bell Ringing has begun! Please check the SalvationArmy.org web site for places and hours to volunteer. The Salvation Army is our partner in the Ecumenical Partnership for Housing mission. If you ring, please document your service hours for our church too. EPH: A Christmas tree and ornaments have been delivered to the family to help them celebrate the holiday. United Methodist Women (UMW) United Methodist Women warmly welcome all the women of our church, and friends, to the Annual Christmas Potluck, on December 12 at 5:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Sharing food, friendship, stories and carols of the season is an annual tradition to spark your Christmas spirit! Please bring a dish to share. Everything else is provided. We hope you can come! UMW collects General Mills Box Tops for Education, as an ongoing mission please feel free to help us, by dropping your box-tops in the basket on the donation shelves across from the Pastor s office, in the education wing. Seasoned Seniors December s Seasoned Seniors luncheon is going to be in celebration of Hanukkah -The Holiday of Lights. We will be enjoying latkes (potato pancakes and apple sauce), baked chicken with challah (braided bread), and sweet lokshen kugel (noodle pudding). Come join us on December 14 th at 11 am. We ll spend some time learning about the menorah and how to play the dreidel game. Youth Group Come join us on Wednesday nights 6:00pm! Save the Date... February 23-25 is our Winter Retreat at Camp Uni. Please keep that weekend open. Advent and Christmas Advent begins on December 3 rd. This year s focus will be from Mary's perspective; based on the book "Not A Silent Night" by Adam Hamilton. Copies of the book are available in the church office for you to borrow. Please see the newsletter s December calendar for Christmas Eve service times. Pastor s Pencil Preparing Ourselves for the Incarnation of God in Jesus As we move into Advent, God calls his people to prepare. The four weeks of Advent - with hymns, carols and Advent wreaths - is a relatively recent practice. Traditionally, Advent was seven weeks long, and its purpose was penitential - which means looking at our lives, seeing where we fall short of God s call to holiness of life, and then amending our ways. Advent also gave people time to meditate on the holy mystery of the Incarnation, when God become man. What s unique about the Christian Faith is not the Crucifixion, not even the Resurrection (there were Greek and Roman gods that died and rose) but the Incarnation - the belief that God, in all his splendor and majesty, became man in Jesus Christ; and not in a superficial sense - like Joseph donning his many colored dreamcoat - but in an all-the-way to the bones kind of way. Christians believe this so firmly, that in ancient Christian tradition, and still in the Catholic and Orthodox churches today, Mary is called the Mother of God, because she gave birth to Jesus who was truly God. 5
And yet, Advent is not a somber season. It s a season of giving, sharing, and generosity. It s not a season to focus on sins of commission - like breaking one of the Commandments - but rather sins of omission - when we fail to give to our less fortunate neighbors out of hardness of heart; when we fail to be generous out of fear we won t have enough money; or when we fail to love our family and friends, because we are holding onto grudges that are within our power to release. During this season of Advent, I challenge all of us to conform ourselves more closely to Jesus, who is the model of generosity. He was not afraid to humble himself, even to the point of death on a cross, so that we could receive the greatest gift of all - forgiveness and the chance to begin again with God and our neighbor. Blessings on your Advent preparations, Pastor Eric DECEMBER 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday November 30 Brownies @ church office 1 Brownies deliver to the shelter 6 pm Youth group lock-in 2 4 AM booyah prep Lock in ends 6 am 3 Advent begins 4 5 6 7 8 9 8:00 & 10:30 Worship 9:15 Faith Finders & confirmation 9:00 am Booyah 6:00 pm Book Club @ Vicki Gooding 6:30 Book of Matthew study 9:00 Proj. Patrica 6:00 Praise Team 7:00 Choir 6:15 Building Committee 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 8:00 & 10:30 Worship 9:15 Faith Finders & confirmation 6:30 New Member Info night 6:30 Book of Matthew study 5:30 UMW Christmas party 6:00 Praise Team 7:00 Choir 6:30 Worship Arts Team 5:00-9:00 Season Senior prep 8:00-2:00 Seasoned Seniors 6:15 Finance Team 6:15 Missions Team 7:30 Church Council 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 8:00 & 10:30 Worship 9:15 Faith Finders & confirmation 6:30 Book of Matthew study 6:00 Praise Team 7:00 Choir January newsletter articles today 1st day of winter 24 9:00 am worship 5:00 pm worshipchildren s service 9:00 pm worshipcommunion 25 Merry Christmas 26 Church office is closed 27 Church office is open Noon - 3:00 28 4:00 Brookview Meadows service Church office normal hours 29 30 31 9:00 am worship ~ Pastor Eric will be out of state on the VIM mission trip December 29th - January 8 th ~ 6