WHAT ABOUT MARCH 2019 In This Issue: Pastor s Perspective HA Summer Camps Calendar Ministry Schedule Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning by Pastor John Mochel What follows will certainly destroy any chances I might have had to hold political office. Thus, I am announcing that I will not be on the ticket in 2020. Who knows where I will be in 2030. Eight hundred and sixty-four delegates from around the world are gathering in St. Louis, MO, on February 23-26, to attend the special-called session of the United Methodist Church General Conference. General Conference is the top policy-making body of the UMC and is the only voting body who can speak for the denomination. The delegates will examine paragraphs in the United Methodist Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and consider different expressions of church unity. The United Methodist Church is officially considering allowing the ordination and marriage of homosexual and transgender people. Already, in open violation of their Book of Discipline, many pastors in the UMC have come out as other than heterosexual and many pastors have performed homosexual weddings. It seems that the UMC might be following the path of the UCC, ELCA, and the Episcopal Church. Brooklyn EFC 46916 296th St Beresford SD 57004 Website: brooklynefc.org brooklynchurch@vastbb.net (605) 957-4372 Senior Pastor March 10th John Mochel 201 S. 11th Beresford, SD 57004 Home (605) 763-2423 Cell (605) 351-6630 jmochel@bmtc.net It is important to understand that the official statement of what a denomination believes does not necessarily express the beliefs of everyone in that denomination. This is obvious to anyone who pays any attention to these things. Sometimes the position of a denomination does not even represent what is taught in individual churches. However, why is the UMC considering this path? It is because of something that has always been the case in the church of Jesus Christ. I write this as a warning to us in our church. We are subject to the same temptations. God s people are constantly tempted to follow the way of the world. We were forewarned. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 2Timothy 4:3-4 If Satan can deceive God s people, he cripples the gospel. For 2,000 years the effort to get Christians to believe lies has been one of his principle attacks on the Church. (Continued on page 2)
(Continued from page 1) It is no surprise in our society which is obsessed with sex and sexual immorality that this issue has become a major battleground. Sexual immorality and homosexuality have been aggressively and openly advocated in our country since the 1960s. First, the American Psychological Association was won over. Homosexuality went from a sin, to a disease, to a choice, to an identity. The media and the huge entertainment industry then carried the crusade into the wider culture, promoting the acceptance of aberrant sexual behavior in news, TV shows, and movies. Then politicians added their influence as soon as it ceased being politically dangerous to do so. Now these issues have become a principal area of self-righteous virtue signaling. You cannot survive in the Democratic Party without worshipping at the LGBTQ altar. It is no surprise that churches are carried along. In evangelical churches, we would be fools to think that we are an exception. Our young people in particular are trying to distinguish the truth from lies and often struggling to do so. I have had conversations with high school and college students, Is homosexual behavior wrong? What about sexual sin? Many do not know. This has always been hard for teenagers to figure out who they are as they struggle with identity and self-image. Today it is many times more difficult. Our youth are being taught that their sexuality is their defining characteristic and that they ought to consider that it might be different than what God says it is. Or, rather, that the Bible offers them little help on the issues. On the contrary, the Bible is clear. There are two genders, male and female. (Genesis 1:27) Marriage is between a man and a woman. (Genesis 2:24-25, Ephesians 5:22-33) Any sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful and invites God s anger and judgment. (Mark 7:21, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, 7:1-2, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:3) Homosexuality in particular is described as sinful and wrong. (Romans 1:24-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:9-10, Jude 1:7) This is just barely a sampling of what the Bible has to say on the issues. All of this is not to say that homosexuality is the worst sin. It is not. The ancients considered pride to be the most dangerous of the sins. I would agree. This is not to say that LGBTQ people are not loveable or redeemable. Most certainly they are, as much as I am. It s just that this is the sin that our society insists is not sin. In fact, our culture is insisting that we all applaud their sin. I hope we will not. Here is our modern moral challenge at the beginning of the 21st century: Shall we take our moral teaching from The Big Bang Theory (TV show) or from the Bible? H I D D E N A C R E S S U M M E R C A M P 2019 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. -John 8:12 Join us this summer at Hidden Acres as we study the themes of light and darkness in the Bible. We ll learn how to follow the light of the world and walk in the light! DON T FORGET A $20 DISCOUNT IS ADDED TO EACH REGISTRATION RECEIVED BY MARCH 31, 2019 DATES AND COST INFO AT THE WELCOME DESK & ONLINE register online at hacamps.org
sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6:30p Fellowship Hall Reserved District Conference, Des Moines 6 7 8 9 6p Guess Who? 10 DST Begins 11 12 2p Coffee Servers at Bethesda 7p Deacon Board Meeting 13 14 15 16 17 24/31 18 8-10p Navs, Brookings 25 26 19 20 SPRING! 21 9a Ministerial 6:30p Navs sdsu DTS, Sioux City 27 1p Compassion Ministries 28 22 23 29 30 Sportsman s Retreat March 29-31 Birthdays: 1 Talisha Fahlberg 1 Dayshon Adams 1 Katie Mochel 2 Allan Charrlin 5 Peter Fahlberg 6 Teresa Knutson 8 Sandra Carnes 9 Karl Leikvold 13 Rena VanHofwegen 15 Ben Adams 19 Hannah Bird 23 Aaron Fader 28 Ellie Monen Anniversaries: 18 Shawn & Sandy Sheffield 29 Mark & Karla Bovill
MARCH APRIL March 3 AM: Exodus 8:16-32 Flies Plague PM: No Evening March 10 AM: Exodus 9:1-12 Sick Cattle, Boils Plagues Daylight Savings Time Begins PM: Evening March 17 AM: Exodus 9:13-35 Hail Plague PM: Evening March 24 AM: Exodus 10:1-20 Locusts Plague PM: Evening March 31 AM: Exodus 10:21-29 Darkness Plague PM: Evening MARCH MINISTRY Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17 MARCH - APRIL WORSHIP MINISTRY Date Greeters Nursery Story Time Music/Testimony Scripture Reader 3/3 Allan & Jan Charrlin Whitney Hancock Colleen Buss Missions Moment Allen Sveeggen Etta Wyatt Jon Delay 3/10 Chris & Michelle Delay Nancy Mochel Michelle Delay Maye Fahlberg Lindsay Zylstra Gabby Adams Dakota Buss 3/17 Norman & Karen Erickson Alyssa Monen Sandy Fahlberg Testimony Karen Erickson Emily Booth Isabel Delay 3/24 Reid & Marilyn Jensen Rachel Smith Marilyn Jensen Randy Schmidt Sandy Fahlberg Dakota Buss Matthew Hoffman 3/31 Karl & Robin Leikvold Sarah Wergin Barb Koth Missions Moment Renae Hoffman Jon Delay Katie Mochel 4/7 Dave & Marsha Nelson Lindsay Zylstra Nancy Mochel Nicole Wyatt Marilyn Jensen Isabel Delay Etta Wyatt 4/14 Allen Sveeggen Nicole Wyatt Alyssa Monen Testimony Reid Jensen Matthew Hoffman Gabby Adams 4/21 Dennis Ward Rita Adams Sarah Wergin Lindsay Zylstra Barb Koth Katie Mochel Emily Booth 4/28 Shane & Lindsay Zylstra Hannah Bird Lindsay Zylstra Missions Moment Robin Leikvold Etta Wyatt Andrew Bovill Song Leader: Peter Fahlberg Sound: Brady Holm Keyboard: Doreen Fahlberg Ushers: Karl Leikvold, David Nelson, Allen Sveeggen, Dennis Ward Song Leader: Garet Wyatt Sound Tech: Ben Fahlberg Keyboard: Connie Twedt Ushers: Cameron Wyatt, Shane Zylstra, Mark Bovill, Reid Jensen