Sunday Morning Worship Service Bulletin

Evangel Heights UMC Beacon

EVANGEL HEIGHTS UMC BEACON A Stephen Ministry Congregation January 27, 2019 Church Office 574-234-8379 Website: www.eheights.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/evangelheightsumc Rev. Dr. Patrick Somers, Senior Pastor, Ext 106 or pat@eheights.org Night Emergencies 574-273-0655 Kathy Canarecci, Office Manager, Ext 101 or kathy@eheights.org Becky Baker, Minister of Families, Ext 102 or becky@eheights.org 574-286-5248 Howard Eckdahl, Minister of Music, Ext 111 or howard.eckdahl@gmail.com Carol Robison Sunshine Disability Ministries, 574-291-5951 Brooke Holdeman, PDO, 574-344-0338 or pendlbrooke@gmail.com This is the second week of discussion related to The General Conference Session set for Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis. Last week we outlined the first of three resolutions going before the General Conference, The One Church Plan. This week, The Connectional Conference Plan as put forth by the COMMISSION ON A WAY FORWARD S REPORT to the GENERAL CONFERENCE: [Before you read below, this plan may be difficult to follow. It s helpful to know that currently our Conferences are set up geographically (like the Indiana, Michigan or Northern Illinois Conferences and a Jurisdiction comprises a regional cluster of Conferences such as our current North Central Jurisdiction).] The Connectional Conference Plan reflects a unified core that includes shared doctrine and services. This plan creates three values-based connectional conferences that have distinctive definitions of accountability, contextualization and justice. A redefined Council of Bishops focuses on ecumenical relationships and shared learning. Episcopal oversight, accountability, elections, assignments and funding occur within the College of Bishops of each connectional conference. Five U.S. jurisdictions are replaced by three connectional conferences, each covering the whole country, based on theology including perspectives on LGBTQ ministry (i.e. progressive, unity, and traditional). Because this plan would require significant change to the structure of the denomination, it would, if passed, first go before the church s Judicial Council. Additionally, Annual Conference sessions across the country would have to vote on the amendments to the Book of Discipline as early as this summer, 2019. Selection of which new Conference to join would be done by the Annual Conference, and even local churches over a period of three years, before such a plan could be implemented. The entire document covering all three plans can be found at UMC.org, click Who We Are at the top of the page and select General Conference 2019. That will give you an overview. Select English Version to read the entire document. Please remain in prayer for the delegates and for the United Methodist Church. Thank you, Pastor Pat

The Family Huddle Ohana means Family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Something new is happening in the Fellowship Hall, during the Sonkids Sunday School Some of our little ones find it hard to separate completely from Mom or Dad on Sunday mornings, which has some of our parents hanging out to lessen the anxiety as the kids participate in Sunday School. Our parents desired to have some adult time so they took it upon themselves to create a little huddle in one corner of Fellowship Hall. They are visually present and yet they are able to share life, through conversation and Bible Study. It is much like our multi-generational Sunday School from last summer. It is flexible allowing for the needs of parent and child. It is God s hand building healthy, secure families here at Evangel Heights. Praise the Lord!

CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 20 THROUGH JANUARY 26 Sunday, January 27 8:45 a.m. Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 am 2:00 Family Brunch and Games Noon Healing Service (Chapel) Monday, January 28 6:30 p.m. Missions Committee (Lounge) Tuesday, January 29 10:00 11:30 a.m. Staff Metting 11:15 a.m. Intercessory Prayer Group 6:30 p.m. Michiana Youth Ministries (LOG) Wednesday, January 30 10:00 a.m. Zoo is Coming PDO 11:00 a.m. Pastor s Bible Study 5:30 p.m. Al-Anon 6:30 p.m. Prayer Group Thursday, January 31 8:00 a.m. Broadway Breakfast 10:00 a.m. Zoo is Coming PDO 9:30 a.m. District Meeting 6:00 p.m. Bell Ringers Practice 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal Friday, February 1 6:30 p.m. Friday Night Bible Study (Crystal Clear home)

Last Week s Beacon Follows

EVANGEL HEIGHTS UMC BEACON A Stephen Ministry Congregation January 20, 2019 Church Office 574-234-8379 Website: www.eheights.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/evangelheightsumc Rev. Dr. Patrick Somers, Senior Pastor, Ext 106 or pat@eheights.org Night Emergencies 574-273-0655 Kathy Canarecci, Office Manager, Ext 101 or kathy@eheights.org Becky Baker, Minister of Families, Ext 102 or becky@eheights.org 574-286-5248 Howard Eckdahl, Minister of Music, Ext 111 or howard.eckdahl@gmail.com Carol Robison Sunshine Disability Ministries, 574-291-5951 Brooke Holdeman, PDO, 574-344-0338 or pendlbrooke@gmail.com What will happen to the United Methodist Church on Feb. 27, 2019? The answer to that question lies in the 2019 General Conference, set for Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis. The conference will focus on one issue, the denomination s decades-long struggle with issues around homosexuality. Three proposed plans will be deliberated by 864 delegates reflecting Methodism from around the world. Those three plans go by the names: The One Church Plan, The Connectional Conference Plan and The Traditional Plan. This week we provide a summary of the One Church Plan directly from the COMMISSION ON A WAY FORWARD S REPORT to the GENERAL CONFERENCE: The One Church Plan provides a generous unity that gives conferences, churches, and pastors the flexibility to uniquely reach their missional context without disbanding the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church. In the One Church Plan, no annual conferences, bishops, congregations, or pastors are compelled to act contrary to their convictions. The plan maintains the leadership structure of The United Methodist Church, including the Council of Bishops, the General Continued on page 2

Conference, and the annual conferences as one body and one church. It offers greater freedom to many who desire change but do not want to violate The Book of Discipline. Voting is kept to a minimum except where it is helpful. There is no mandate that requires local churches, conferences, or pastors to participate in a vote that divides, segments, or separates. The United Methodist Church remains in connection, upholding unity of mission without uniformity of practice. The plan grants space for traditionalists to continue to offer ministry as they have in the past; space for progressives to exercise freely a more complete ministry with LGBTQ persons; and space for all United Methodists to continue to coexist without disrupting their ministries. The One Church Plan removes the language from The Book of Discipline used in the United States that restricts pastors and churches from conducting same-sex weddings and annual conferences from ordaining self-avowed practicing homosexual persons. It adds language that intentionally protects the religious freedom of pastors and churches who choose not to perform or host same-sex weddings and Boards of Ordained Ministry and bishops who choose not to credential or ordain self-avowed practicing homosexual persons. This plan provides United Methodists the ability to address their missional contexts in different ways. Summaries of the other two plans will be provided in the next two weeks. Please be in prayer for the United Methodist Church and the delegates who will gather in St. Louis in February. The entire document going before the delegates can be found at UMC.org, click Who We Are at the top of the page and select General Conference 2019. That will give you an overview. Select English Version to read the entire document. Thank you, Pastor Pat

The Family Huddle Welcome to the first addition of The Family Huddle! To huddle together as family is to find the place to confer, consult, and share, as we flourish in relationships with each other and in Christ. That is the goal of this new page of the Beacon: a way for us to communicate with each other and keep up with our ever growing family, inside and outside the Church. The church is the light of Christ (yellow) and the home is the heart and love of the family (red) and when we work together we create amazing energy (orange) that strengthens our families, churches and commuity. Think orange: It s about your family and the church family joining together to form a strong bond as we walk through life together. I am excited to see where God will move us, as we worship nurture and serve together! -Becky Baker Minister of Families The Family Huddle Bulletin Board Family Brunch & Game Day! SonKids Growing in Mission The Sonkids are embarking on a mission to make life a little better for those who are homeless. To kick off their mission, the kids (with the help of Mom & Dad) will be making cookies for a Bake Sale. The Bake Sale will be on February 10th during the 10 o clock hour. The proceeds will purchase the first trial size toiletries and the Blessing Bags mission will be assembled by the kids during Sunday School. The Blessing Bags will benefit those who come to Broadway Christian Parish and Miller s Vets It s a potluck kind of day for our church family. On January 27 we will have a brunch from 11am to 2pm. Bring your favorite breakfast casserole, soup, fruit, veggies ect, as well as your favorite game to share! ITS GONNA BE FUN!! Beverages will be provided. FOOD GAMES FUN FRIENDSHIPPING DOING IT TOGETHER! Church & Family Partnering Together

Indiana North District Lay Servant Academy Are you being called by God to serve? If you re asking the question, then the answer is YES! Evangel Heights United Methodist Church 114 N Ironwood Drive, South Bend, IN 46615 February 2, 2019 through March 2, 2019 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (five Saturdays) Find out what God is calling you to do. Come learn to lead, assist your pastor, and provide support for the missions of your church. Many of the classes are being lead by people you know: Pastor Carl Hetler, Pastor Kerry Clear, Michael Rhoades and Carol Robison. Please see Carol Robison for more information or more details. The Basic Course is required for all subsequent classes. Pick up your registration form in the church office. Basic Course This course is required for first time attendees. Discover and employ your personal spiritual gifts as God intended. Consider the importance of servant leadership. Led by Michael Rhoades Book: Lay Servant Ministries isbn 978-0-88177-626-3 $11 United Methodist Polity Learn the structure and organization of the United Methodist Church. Led by Pastor Mike Settles Book: The Method of Our Mission isbn 978-1-42676-717-3 $23 Beginning Preaching Begin to learn tools to create faithful sermons. Led by Pastor Kerry Clear Book: Go Preach isbn 978-0-88177-384-2 $15 Advanced Preaching Dig deeper into the skills learned in Beginning Preaching. Led by Pastor Carl Hetler Book: From Pew to Pulpit isbn 978-0-68706-660-5 $11 Leading in Prayer Grow in confidence and skill in Prayer, both public and personal. Led by Peg TenHave Book: Let the Whole Church Say Amen! isbn 978-0-6870-9077-8 $15 Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts Understand your gifts and how the church can use them to fulfill its mission and ministry. Learn what it means to be a spiritual leader. Led by Mike Grib Book: Each One Minister isbn 978-0-88177-375-0 $10 Living Our United Methodist Beliefs Explore the special gifts of theology, witness and organization of the United Methodist Church. Led by Carol Robison Book: Living or Beliefs: The United Methodist Way isbn 978-0-88177-571-6 $13 Please contact Denise Parker with any questions at dparker3434@gmail.com or (574) 361-7243. NOTE: Students are required to purchase their own materials prior to class. Materials are available through Cokesbury.com, Amazon.com, and other online retailers.

CELEBRATING CRYSTAL CLEAR S 90 TH BIRTHDAY! A lunch will be served at noon on Sunday, February 3 to celebrate the 90 th birthday of Crystal Clear. All are welcome. Please circle the attendance pads at church during worship or call the church office if you plan to attend. CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 20 THROUGH JANUARY 26 Sunday, January 20 8:45 a.m. Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Service Monday, January 21 NO PDO Martin Luther King Jr. Day 6:00 p.m. Veteran s Support Group 6:30 p.m. Finance Committee Tuesday, January 22 PDO BEGINS 9:00 a.m. Worship Design 11:15 a.m. Intercessory Prayer Group 6:30 p.m. Michiana Youth Ministries Wednesday, January 23 11:00 a.m. Pastor s Bible Study 12:30 a.m. MOSAIC 5:30 p.m. Al-Anon 6:30 p.m. Prayer Group Thursday, January 24 8:00 a.m. Broadway Breakfast 9:30 a.m. District Meeting 6:00 p.m. Bell Ringers Practice 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal Friday, January 25 6:30 p.m. Friday Night Bible Study (Crystal Clear home)

EVANGEL HEIGHTS UMC BEACON A Stephen Ministry Congregation January 13, 2019 Church Office 574-234-8379 Website: www.eheights.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/evangelheightsumc Rev. Dr. Patrick Somers, Senior Pastor, Ext 106 or pat@eheights.org Night Emergencies 574-273-0655 Kathy Canarecci, Office Manager, Ext 101 or kathy@eheights.org Becky Baker, Minister of Families, Ext 102 or becky@eheights.org 574-286-5248 Howard Eckdahl, Minister of Music, Ext 111 or howard.eckdahl@gmail.com Carol Robison Sunshine Disability Ministries, 574-291-5951 Brooke Holdeman, PDO, 574-344-0338 or pendlbrooke@gmail.com PASTOR S THOUGHT When I started in ministry over forty years ago churches followed the Lectionary, the prescribed Scripural readings for any particular Sunday or Holy Day. In the decades that have passed, mentors taught me another way, preaching in series something I have done for over 35 years. There are strengths and weaknesses in both approaches. Sometimes the lectionary may seem a bit arbitrary. And preaching in series will often tempt a pastor to preach a constant drumbeat of favorite passages. The Lectionary, simply put, is a systematic look at the whole of God s Word, divided into three years. Following it avoids the human temptation to gloss over those passages which may be more difficult. This Sunday I will return to using the Lectionary. Some churches use the full Lectionary, reading from the Psalms, Old Testament, Epistles and Gospel. My approach will be more selective, choosing one or two passages, as we continue to apply God s Word to our lives. I believe this practice will keep your pastor fresh. I pray it will keep you on your toes, too! In Christ, Pastor Pat HELP LOAD A FREIGHT CONTAINER FOR GHANA! On January 16, help load the freight container at Beacon warehouse at 61501 S. Bremen highway. Start at 9:30 and finish by 3:30. Not heavy lifting, but hands needed. Thank you, Randy Brooks, Missions Chair (574) 340-2414 CELEBRATING CRYSTAL CLEAR S 90 TH BIRTHDAY! A lunch will be served at noon on Sunday, February 3 to celebrate the 90 th birthday of Crystal Clear. All are welcome. Please circle the attendance pads at church during worship or call the church office if you plan to attend.

Preparing the Sanctuary for Future Leaders and Generations Preparations are underway for changes to our Sanctuary. Here is an outline of what will happen over the next few months that the Trustees have envisioned over the past eight years. We have been blessed by many special gifts and memorials in anticipation of these projects, $43,152 so far. Thank you for your vision and generosity! 1. The chancel will be enlarged. The platform will be expanded forward providing more room for choir, bells and special occasions. In order to do this, a front pew on each side will be removed as will the current pulpit and lectern in order. Moveable items will take their place to provide maximum flexibility 2. The area for receiving communion will be enlarged to allow more comfort in kneeling at the communion railing (which will remain) and provide more space to walk behind those who are kneeling. 3. The glare from the three main windows will be addressed. Many have expressed difficulty in seeing anything that takes place at the front of the Sanctuary. It is likely a shade will be affixed outside the windows, providing protection, and still allowing full view of the symbols. 4. The soundboard will be updated. This involves replacing the current soundboard with one that is digital and creating a dedicated power source to eliminate background noises and interference. 5. Sound will be integrated. The entire Sanctuary will receive a make-over in speakers that will allow the listener to hear everything more naturally. The existing Loop hearing system will remain intact. 6. A camera for streaming/online viewing will be added. Instead of using an ipad or phone with limited sight/sound quality, a dedicated camera for uploading our services to the internet with integrated sound capability will allow for significantly improved online viewing. We will be able to minister more effectively online. 7. Two screens will be added to the front of the Sanctuary (an additional one in the overflow area). These screens will be placed as far left and right of the Chancel as possible and be contained in cabinets that identically match the existing woodwork of the Sanctuary. We have contracted with the same woodworkers who produced the organ speaker cabinets. If the screens will be used during a worship service, they will be exposed. If the screens are not being used during a service, they will be lowered into these cabinets. Shown above are renderings first published in the July 1 Beacon, 2018 and that have been on display in the narthex since last summer. The final plan has the screens another 6 feet wider apart from each other, creating a more spacious view of the Chancel than shown.

Marianne Deethardt on Friday, January 4. Please be in prayer for the Deethardt Family, especially Phil. A memorial service will be held at Evangel Heights Church on Saturday, April 27. Time to be determined. Karen Jackson, the mother of Adam Jackson of our congregation, on Thursday, January 3. Services were held on Thursday, January 10 at Coalbush UMC. Please hold the Jackson Family in your prayers. Rand Healy passed away on Friday, January 4, Sherri Healy s brother. Please hold Sherri and her family in your prayers during this time. Dear Evangel Heights Friends, We have the opportunity to assist a member of our fellowship who is in need of a kidney transplant. If you or someone you know has ever thought of sharing the gift of extended and enhanced life by becoming an organ donor this is a time to explore that possibility. You may call Carol Robison, 574/291-5951, who is serving as intermediary for the family. She will give you the contact information necessary for the beginning of your journey. Your anonymity will be respected. A blood test will be given locally before pursuing further testing. This testing will take place locally at no cost to the potential donor. Transplant surgery will be in Indianapolis. Whether or not a potential donor is a match, the hope the possibility brings to the family is a blessing. We ask everyone to be in prayer for the right (or left) kidney to be found for our friend. Thank you for your prayerful support. Blessings, Carol Robison

CHILI COOK-OFF FUNDRAISER You are invited to a special event to help raise funds for The Ripple Effect choir's performance at Carnegie Hall, Dec. 2019. On January 26, chili enthusiasts in the area will be bringing pots of their special homespun recipes to St. Peter's United Church of Christ to be judged by the public. At the end of the evening, the Top Chili Dog will be awarded a prize! The $10 suggested donation at the door includes limitless chili, cornbread, beverage, dessert, dinner music (provided by The Ripple Effect with special guest Art Gorman!), and the opportunity to participate in a silent auction. St. Peter's United Church of Christ is located at 915 N Ironwood Dr., South Bend, and the doors open 4:30-7:30. For more info, please contact Sherry K at 574-291-9044 or sherry@sherryk.com (preferred). Luke 3:15-17 New International Version (NIV) 15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 13 THROUGH JANUARY 19 Sunday, January 13 8:45 a.m. Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Service Monday, January 14 1:30 p.m. Dorcas Circle 1:45 p.m. Tanglewood Service 2:00 p.m. Nurture Committee 7:00 p.m. Lay District Committee Tuesday, January 15 10:00 a.m. Staff Meeting 11:15 a.m. Intercessory Prayer Group 6:30 p.m. Michiana Youth Ministries 7:00 p.m. God Sightings at Robison s Home Wednesday, January 16 9:30 a.m. Ghana shipping container (details on page 1) 11:00 a.m. Pastor s Bible Study 3:00 p.m. Hearth Worship Service 5:30 p.m. Al-Anon 6:30 p.m. Prayer Group 6:30 p.m. Trustees Committee Thursday, January 17 8:00 a.m. Broadway Breakfast 6:00 p.m. Bell Ringers Practice 6:30 p.m. Friendship Bible Study 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal Friday, January 18 6:30 p.m. Friday Night Bible Study (Crystal Clear home)