November 2014 Message from the Pastor I can t tell you how happy I am here at Colby UMC. I am at the end of my forth month, and each week I feel more at home. This is such a welcoming and supportive community. My time here has been filled with firsts and I am incredibly grateful for my first opportunity for baptism and reception of a new member. I hope this is the first of many to come. Thinking and planning for this Sunday s service has had me thinking about what membership means, and what a church community really is. Descriptive words like family, community, congregation come to mind, but also relationship words like supportive, caring, loving, welcoming, and again, family. In many ways we are a family, sharing our concerns and working together to fulfill our group responsibilities, just like a family. Just like a family we have needs for hard work, sharing and financial support. No one likes taking about money in church, but just like a family, we need to be responsible about money. One of the biggest tools to managing money is a budget. Unlike a family, the income of a church is dependent on voluntary contributions rather than predictable wages or salaries, which makes budgeting very hard. Imagine running your family with unpredictable income. How would you be able to commit to a major purchase, utilities, or rent? This is why we ask for your pledge commitment for giving to the church. Pledging gives us a way to predict and plan for income so we can make responsible decisions about how money should be used. During November, you will be hearing more about stewardship, a fancy word for your participation in the care of Colby s programs, staff, missions, outreach, and our buildings. Not all of us have the same resources to share. I think of time, talents and money as resources. Each of us needs to look at our own situation and choose our own priorities. Every gift is an offering to God, not just the ones that go into the offering plate. As we welcome Laurie Anderson into membership on November 2 nd, listen to the words of the commitment she is asked to make and remember your own membership or confirmation. Will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness? Each of those is important, and all are needed to keep our community growing and working to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the World. I hope you will make your pledge this month, and consider increasing your pledge from prior years. Your gifts are the fertilizer for our church growth. Blessings, Pastor Brian Contents: Message from Pastor... 1 Worship Schedule... 2 Children & Youth Ministries... 2 Bazaar Buddies... 3 United Methodist Women... 3 Thank You!... 4 Prayers of Joys & Concerns... 6 Birthdays & Anniversaries... 6 Calendar... 7 and more!
Date November 2, 2014 21st Sunday after Pentecost All Saints Sunday Holy Communion November 9, 2014 22nd Sunday after Pentecost November 16, 2014 23rd Sunday after Pentecost November 23, 2014 24th Sunday after Pentecost November 30, 2014 1st Sunday of Advent November Worship Plans Scripture & Highlights Read: Psalm 34:1-10, 22 (UMH #769); 1 John 3:1-13; Matthew 5:1-12 Sermon: Blessings Today and Tomorrow Read: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 Sermon: When Judgment Comes Read: Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 Sermon: Darkness or Light; Strongbox or Garden Read: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100 (UMH page 821); Ephesians 1:15-23; Mathew 25:31-46 Sermon: Are We Not Sheep? Read: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 (UMH page 801); 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Sermon: God and Santa - What Is On Your List? Have you missed a Sunday? Catch up with Sermons Online The audio of our Sunday sermons and children s messages are now being recorded and posted online. Share them with friends, or can catch up on weeks you missed by going to Colby UMC s website www.colbychurch.org and clicking on the SERMONS tab, then launch media player. Thanks to John Mueller and Bernie Hargrave for making this online ministry happen! Adult Sunday School Beginning this Sunday, November 2nd, Adult Sunday School will start at 9:15am and go until 10:15am. Youth Group! Colby s Youth Group meets on Sundays at 12 noon and Wednesdays at 6:30pm-8pm. Hope to see you there! Keep an eye on Facebook and check with co-leaders Laurie Anderson and John Mueller for details. 2
Meet and Greets with Pastor Brian You have all been getting to know Pastor Brian, now he would like to get to know you! We have scheduled the following Meet and Greets to be able to talk with Pastor Brian in a small group setting. Wednesday, November 12th, 10:30am at Warren & Suzy Barcalow s 7285 East Raintree Lane, Port Orchard Tuesday, November 18th, 2pm at Jerry & Jennifer Sather s 8471 East Caraway Road, Port Orchard Wednesday, November 19th, 7pm at Jack & Jeanne Munro s 4090 Arvick Road SE, Port Orchard Please sign up either at church or by calling the office to reserve your place. Space is limited. November UMW Meeting You re invited to come to the United Methodist Women s (UMW) meeting, Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm. The meeting will be held upstairs at the church. Refreshments provided. The UMW meetings are an opportunity for women at Colby United Methodist to strengthen our community of women and support each other in fellowship. The purpose of UMW is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. If you ve never been to a UMW meeting, please join us. If you come regularly, please join us. If you come once in a while, please join us. If you have any questions, please give us a call. Phone numbers listed below. If you need a ride next Wednesday, call Deanna. Zula Bedell Deanna Bedell President Vice President 360-871-0963 360-871-6221 or 360-265-8595 (cell) Dorcas Circle meets the last Saturday of the month, November 29th from 9:30am - 2:00 pm. Bazaar Buddies Will Be On Break Until February 2015 3
Colby United Methodist Church would like to send out a big Thank You! to the Hargraves and Munros for providing us with new kitchen stoves! Another big Thank You! goes out to Bernie Hargrave, Bill Irish, and Jerry Sather...the Trustees who installed those new stoves. You are all so wonderful! From Warren Barcalow: Dear Friends, I would like to thank you for your marvelous support and good wishes at my birthday party. Just expressing my gratitude gives me goose bumps. It was a thrilling day for me. ~Warren A Prayer for Those Affected by Ebola Gracious God, we call you the Great Physician. We pray your healing power to touch those bodies that now shake with fever, ache with pain, and are too weak to sustain the demands of life. Gracious God, we know you are a Mighty God. Grant access to medical care for the most vulnerable in West Africa. Protect doctors and nurses who kneel at the bedsides of the sick and the dying. Provide resources in places of lack. Guide churches and church leaders. Empower all who work tirelessly to be Christ s hands and feet. Gracious God, we believe you are Hope for the hopeless. Hold parents who ve lost children. Gently father and mother children who ve lost their parents. Make your presence known to those who are dying alone, in the streets, in wastelands, without friends or family. Speak tenderly to all who feel abandoned by the world s governments and systems of power. Give strength to our friends in West Africa who feel that life more abundantly is an unfulfilled promise. Gracious God, we know you are the Light overcoming darkness. Why should we be afraid? Help us, O God, to trust in your unchanging nature in times of uncertainty. Grant us peace that Ebola or anything in this life that would threaten to undo us, is not impossible for you. Hear our prayer. Amen. Excerpted from, A Litany in Response to UMCOR s Call to Pray for Those Affected by the Ebola Epidemic by the Rev. Frederick Yebuah for The United Methodist Board of Discipleship. 4
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Joy and Thanksgiving The gift of friendship If you have a prayer request, please contact: Ev Small (360) 871-2045 or Diane Bishop at dianeb@wavecable.com Health Concerns Prayers of healing for Carl Hill Prayers for Greg Bishop diagnosed with colon cancer Prayers for the Munros dear friend Alice Bresler, in Florida, her husband Walt, and Alice s medical team as they go through her treatment for a brain tumor Prayers for Pastor Brian s father, as he is dealing heart issues For Laurie s partner Kathey recovering from shoulder surgery. Prayers for Dustin in Nebraska, who is 20 years old, diagnosed with Stage 4 non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, undergoing intense chemotherapy. His mother, Chris, is a friend of Dedra. Prayers for Duana Dugan s friend Sarah Watkins and her young family as she battles breast cancer. Prayers for MaryCathern, Adam, and their whole family as Adam is critically ill with end stage liver and kidney disease Bill Clarke s cousin John s wife Cheryl battling multiple myeloma Continued prayers for the Leonard s toddler grandson, Brody, who is in a period of watchful waiting regarding his a brain tumor Prayers for healing and comfort for those in need Prayers for everyone affected by cancer Wisdom and Courage to seek and do God s Will All church leaders, here at Colby and everywhere National & World Concerns Pray for tolerance and peace throughout the world Wisdom and guidance for our elected leaders Peace, Strength, and Encouragement Prayers for the students and faculty of Marysville s Pilchuck High School Prayers for the friends and family of 16 year old Chase Bauer who committed suicide this week. Prayers for Connie Fessler s niece, Melanie and the whole family dealing with her husband, Randy s passing Prayers for Marion Hill s grandson Mitch and his wife Nichole as they are going through a difficult pregnancy Prayers for Ev Small as she resumes her normal life routine Please keep the UMW in your prayers as they prepare for the Holiday Bazaar Children and families going through divorce to have peace and strength All of our young adults struggling to find God s way Family relationships that are strained Thanksgiving & Protection All active duty military, including Rusty Hoffman & Aaron Hoff 6 Birthdays & Anniversaries November Birthdays 3rd Diane Bishop 7th Bill Irish 14th Allan Barger Cheryl McCallum 18th Elaine Rogers 19th Edie Peckham 22nd Sarajane Rants 25th Jerry Sather Duana Dugan November Anniversaries 1st Bruce & Janie Hinds 3rd David & Debbie Frost 6th Joe & Marie Dick 15th Don & Elaine Rogers 26th Brian & Margaret Nelson Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can. -John Wesley Calls, Cards, and Casseroles At some time or another, everyone needs some extra care. As a congregation, we seek to support one another through times of illness, hardship, and grief. Everyone can be a channel of God s blessing through congregational care. Jennifer Sather coordinates these efforts. Please let Jennifer know if she can call on you to offer care. You may specify if you re able to send cards, make phone calls, offer rides, visits, short respite care, and/or meals. Contact Jennifer at (360) 871-0244 or jsather0244@wavecable.com
November Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 2 3 4 5 6:30pm Youth Group 7pm UMW 6 7pm Trustees 7 9:30am 4pm Colby Holiday Bazaar 8 9:30am 2pm Colby Holiday Bazaar 9 10 11 12 10:30am Meet & Greet at the Barcalow s Veterans Day 6:30pm Youth Group 13 14 15 9am Men s Breakfast 16 17 18 2pm Meet & Greet at the Sather s 19 7pm Meet & Greet at the Munro s 6:30pm Youth Group 20 7pm Church Council Meeting 21 22 23 24 OPEN 25 OPEN 26 CLOSED 6:30pm Youth Group 27 CLOSED 28 CLOSED 29 9:30am Dorcas Circle 30 7
Colby United Methodist Church SE Harvey & Southworth Drive SE PO Box 4299 South Colby, WA 98384 November 2014 Colby United Methodist Church PO Box 4299, South Colby, WA 98384 Phone: (360) 871-3365 Pastor s Email: colbyumc@gmail.com - Admin Email: colbyunited@gmail.com - Website: www.colbychurch.org Pastor: Brian Nelson Editor & Production: Duana Dugan The Staff of Steeple notes reserves the right to edit submitted articles for clarity and to fit available space. November 2014 Meetings & Upcoming Events 2-30 Sundays Youth Group 12:00 pm 5 Wednesday United Methodist Women (UMW) 7:00 pm 5-26 Wednesdays Youth Group 6:30 pm 6 Thursday Trustees Meeting 7:00 pm 7 Friday Colby Holiday Bazaar 9:30 am 4:00 pm 8 Saturday Colby Holiday Bazaar 9:30 am 2:00 pm 12 Wednesday Meet & Greet at the Barcalow s 10:30 am 15 Saturday Men s Breakfast 9:00 am 18 Tuesday Meet & Greet at the Sather s 2:00 pm 19 Wednesday Meet & Greet at the Munro s 7:00 pm 20 Thursday Church Council Meeting 7:00 pm 29 Saturday Dorcas Circle 9:30 am 8