The Messenger Monthly Newsletter of Hillcrest United Methodist Church February 2015 Quadragesima There s nothing like a little Latin pop quiz to get you going. Quadragesima is the feminine form of the word fortieth in Latin. This early designation gave way to our English word Lent, which, drawing in turn from its Germanic root for long became spring as the days begin to lengthen. Ultimately, spring and Lent would find their separate paths as seasons of climate and spiritual change. However, let s return to the Latin for a moment and its emphasis/imagery of the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing to engage in the Gospel mission. Whether it was the Spirit s guidance or forceful directing, Jesus steps into a 40-day odyssey that has captured the imagination of church. Hunger and temptation are the familiar shapes most of us associate with Jesus wilderness encounter. The disciplines of fasting and self-denial remind us of how overstuffed and manipulative we can be as we seek our way in the church and in the world, those being largely indivisible in the mind of Jesus day. Even more challenging is the Gospel of Mark s brief description and inclusion of the wild beasts and angels. Read carefully and it seems as if Jesus had back-up (Mark 1:13). So, I got to thinking, my somewhat angelic company, why not emphasize a more corporate, Markan, approach to Lent this year. I ve been trying to wrangle a time to facilitate an exploration and discussion around the early church, our church (UMC) and the beliefs we hold around spiritual and denominational rituals and responsibilities. A kind of membership renewal, check up and/or check in. The early church used to have all baptisms on Easter. This great day of celebration followed a Lenten season of preparation. So, whether you are new, on the way, or need to reflect on how you got where you are, let s join together and share the journey. Key dates: Ash Wednesday February 18; Palm Sunday March 29; Maundy Thursday April 2; Good Friday April 3; Easter April 5 Our study - Lent: The Long and Winding Road Dates & Details TBD See you soon, Michael
THE MESSENGER PAGE 2 February Birthday Party February birthdays will be c e l e b r a t e d S u n d a y, February 1, in the HeBrew Café after the first worship service. Everyone is welcome as we celebrate those of our congregation with February birthdays. Cake will be served as we sing Happy Birthday to those born in the second month of the year! This n That Scout Sunday Celebration Sunday, February 8 Combined Service at 10:00 a.m. Church Conference meeting at 11:15 a.m. Scouts/church carry-in at 11:30 a.m. Calendaring event at the close of the meal What is a Church Conference? An all-church conference meeting (all members invited and allowed to vote) typically addresses a single issue that requires a full church vote. It is presided over by the District Superintendent, unless otherwise directed, and must be publicized at least 10 days in advance through at least two means (oral and written). Why are we having one? Our Church Conference will address the issue of selling the parsonage in order to preserve long-term expenses for upkeep and maintenance as it has not been in use for some time. The proceeds, with guidance from the Conference, will be used to address current and emerging financial needs in the church. Please plan to attend this important meeting. Although only Hillcrest members may vote, everyone is welcome as we share our hopes and plans for effective ministry together. February 11. Scouts and Church Carry-in February 8 11:30 a.m. Please bring a dish to share and tableware. Questions? Contact Tracy Donati at 269-641-5972 Hillcrest Community Childcare Ministry If you participated in our recent fundraiser, I want to thank you and let you know that the money for this is due Our daycare is full except one opening in our one-year-old daycare class. We also have some openings in our four-year-old preschool class. If you know anyone interested in starting midyear, we would love to fill up our new four-yearold class. Preschool is not open on February 13 and 16 due to Presidents weekend. The daycare will still be open these days. Teresa HCCM Director
THE MESSENGER PAGE 3 Primetimers This letter is from Real Services regarding our recent donation. Please take a moment to read it. See you in April! God bless, Nancy Rowe, Henrietta McCaul, Jane Hershberger The JOY Group (singles 50+) We will meet for lunch at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, February 12 Questions? Contact Henrietta McCaul at 264-1688. Susanna s Kitchen The next serving date is February 2. Questions? Contact Henrietta McCaul at 264-1688.
THE MESSENGER PAGE 4 February s Mission of the Month Susanna s Kitchen As most of you know, Hillcrest is very familiar with Susanna's Kitchen. Our very own Henrietta McCaul is on the board. On the first Monday of every month, we have volunteers who work at the kitchen. For those who are new to Hillcrest, Susanna's Kitchen came from a "think group" at Grace United Methodist Church in February 1982. Volunteers for kitchen help came from each UM churches in the area. A start-up date was set for July 7, 1982, with soup and bread being the first menu items. Susanna's Kitchen moved to First Congregational Church, 431 South Third Street in Elkhart around 2005 in order to continue this important ministry when its former location could no longer provide space. Susanna's Kitchen provides a hot lunch for 60-100 individuals each work day. There is never a charge for the food. For the last six years, Susanna's Kitchen has hosted a coat giveaway, providing many in the area a warm coat for the winter. Please help in the month of February to continue this very important mission. All loose change in the offering plate and any designated envelopes will go to help Susanna's Kitchen. God Bless! Missions Committee Adult Learning Opportunity Lifestyles Class: Everyone is invited to attend the DVD Study, The Trouble with the Truth, by Rob Renfroe. The author says, The culture wars are symptoms of a deeper problem: there is trouble with the truth. And as long as there is trouble with the truth, there will be trouble with us. What we believe to be true matters, because truth is how we answer life s big questions. Who are we as human beings? What is the purpose of life? How should we as individuals conduct our lives and treat each other? How do we live together as a community of diverse people? Join us 10:30 a.m. in the HeBrew Café classroom as we discuss these issues and try to find answers that only our Creator can provide. Patty Moore, facilitator During the Middle Ages, when few people were able to write, many documents were signed with an X. Signers kissed the letter to affirm their sincerity in the same way they kissed the Bible when taking an oath. The letter X wasn t selected at random. It was the sign of St. Andrew, who was crucified on an X-shaped cross. The X implied a sacred promise to fulfill one s obligation in the saint s name.
THE MESSENGER PAGE 5 Women s Ministry We are excited to say that there are five groups for 2015. Circle of Friends will be led by Marilynn Anson. It is a big job for her to tackle alone because of all the card designing that is necessary. Thank you, Marilynn, for your willingness to lead the group without the help of Marie Swift. If any ladies are interested in joining that group, please contact Marilynn to be sure of seating capability; 264-5629. The other four groups remaining active are The Three S s (quilters), led by Laura Miller; Stitched With Love (prayer shawl ministry), led by Judy Mell; Hillcrest Women s Book Club, led by Diane Lewandowski and Carol Montgomery; Sisters in Christ led by Patty Moore. Only Patty s group has a change. They will be meeting on the third Tuesday of the month at the participant's choice of 10:00 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. All other groups' times remain the same. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ARE LEADING GROUPS! The new Women s Ministry Books will be ready soon stay tuned!! The Theme for 2015 is: A sister who walks with the Lord walks in His light. We are planning to tie that theme into the Tea Party, which will be held on May 16 at Das Dutchman Essenhaus Restaurant; we will have a private dining room. Judy, Beth and Lorraine all work full-time. Two of us have mothers in Assisted Living. All of us have homes and other activities we are involved in. Phyllis is graciously serving as an Advisor to the Board, but, in that role, we are hesitant to ask her to do too much of the actual work. The role of the Advisor is not that of a worker bee. With that last paragraph being the facts of the leadership team, we have decided that it is best for us if the Tea Party is held somewhere other than the Hebrew Café. If we let someone else do the set up, food prep, tear down, and clean up, we will not have to do that. We are pretty sure that most of the women who attended the last two Tea Parties have no real idea as to how much time and physical labor went into making that happen. We apologize that we are not able to give the level of time that Debbie and Diane were able to give, but, please remember that they did not work outside the home. They simply had more time. The present leadership team wants to bring in our table decorations and door prizes, have a nice program, and enjoy the event just as much as the ladies who attend. There might be concern about money for this. I offer assurance that between the ticket sales and money that is already in a Women s Ministry Fund, we will be able to afford to do the Tea Party in this manner. We plan to continue sending birthday and anniversary cards to the ladies of the church. Julie has given us a list of birthdays. We will rely on the Messenger for Anniversary dates. We hope we don t miss anyone and will do our best to communicate in a timely manner. Forgive us if we don t know or are off date especially if your date falls early in the month. If Julie doesn t have it, we don t know it, either. As with all things in the church, we ask for your constructive input and welcome anyone who would like to help us do the work. Beth, Lorraine, and I are willing to listen to what you have to say, but, please direct your comments to us so we can consider your opinion. Sincerely, Judy Mell
THE MESSENGER PAGE 6 Stamping Ministry Well, our group finally got started this past Tuesday. We had a great time of laughter and card making. It felt good to be back together. We felt the loss of Marie, but we are making cards in her honor and are glad we can do that and also bring in funds for our mission focus. We have several new cards designed and ready for your perusal. Come and take a look on Sunday morning to find a card that you can use for that someone special, whether it be birthday, anniversary, new baby, or maybe thinking of you. We will soon have a card for every event and gathering. Again, thanks for your support this past year. We truly look forward to keeping our stamping group going. We are trying to meet each week or every other week. If anyone is interested in joining our group, please let me know. We wish everyone a good 2015! Marilynn Anson Sisters in Christ, as part of the Hillcrest Women s Ministries, invites all ladies of Hillcrest and the community to a Women s Bible Study: Jeremiah Daring to Hope in an Unstable World by Melissa Spoelstra Third Tuesday of the month February through October Beginning Tuesday, February 17 10:00-11:30 a.m. or 6:30-8:00 p.m. HeBrew Café Classroom Cost of Participant Book: $10 Facilitator: Patty Moore See sign-up sheet on the narthex bulletin board. Deadline: February 8 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease, Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:21-23 WOMEN S MINISTRIES MONTHLY SCHEDULE Circle of Friends Every Tuesday, 1 p.m. Marilynn Anson s home The Three S s 2nd Monday, 1p.m. Laura Miller s home Stitched With Love 2nd Monday, 6 p.m. Judy Mell s home Sisters in Christ 3rd Tuesday, 10 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. HeBrew Café classroom Hillcrest Women s Book Club 4th Thursday, 6 p.m. HeBrew Café Are you in need of fresh mercies today? Then get ready to embark on a journey to find God s promise of hope for your life and your circumstances. I dare you to hope! Melissa Spoelstra Love is I John 4:7 from God
THE MESSENGER PAGE 8 Your Presence January 4 91 January 11 82 January 18 98 January 25 74 Congregational Giving General Fund Building Fund In the Know February Birthdays 1 Fay Keck 17 Peggy Replogle Ron Laughman, Sr. 24 Adam Behne Bill Moore 25 Terri Longacre 10 Terry Replogle 26 Reece Heinbaugh 12 Bev Slaughter Carter Louiselle 13 Beryl Nord 14 Rick Donati 16 Janet Mull January 4 $ 2,933.00 $ 176.00 January 11 $ 2,435.00 $ 266.00 January 18 $ 3,398.00 $ 196.00 January 25 $ 1,768.00 $ 86.00 Total $ 10,534.00 $ 724.00 Anniversaries 14 Nancy and Jerry Rowe Please let the church office know if your special date was missed. Loves me not? A girl asked a boy if he loved her, and he replied, Yes, of course. Would you die for me? the girl wondered. After a brief pause, the honest lad said, No, mine is an undying love.
THE MESSENGER PAGE 9 Serving in Worship Date Time Scripture Readers Greeters Ushers Communion Children s Sunday School ages 3 years to 6th Grade February 1 9:00 Phyllis Osborne Laura and Dan Miller Cathy and Bruce Fortin Nancy and Jerry Rowe Laura Miller 10:34 Cathy Bloss Trent Evans Cathy Fortin February 8 February 15 February 22 9:00 Lorraine Whitmer Laura and Dan Miller Jane and Mike Hershberger 10:34 Cathy Bloss Diane Lewandowski 9:00 Chuck Vredingburgh Laura and Dan Miller Nancy and Jerry Rowe 10:34 Cathy Bloss Terri Longacre 9:00 Darlene Stone Laura and Dan Miller Beryl and Allen Nord 10:34 Cathy Bloss Cindy Moore Nursery Attendants HeBrew Café Trustee for the Month Volunteers Hosts: Volunteers Jerry Rowe Commandment #11 During the 17th century, an archbishop traveling through Scotland met theologian Samuel Rutherford but kept his identity secret. Rutherford invited the man to stay with him. When Mrs. Rutherford gathered the servants on Saturday to prepare for worship the next day, the guest joined in and was asked a basic question: How many commandments are there? When the guest replied 11, Mrs. Rutherford said, What a shame it is for you, a man with gray hairs, in a Christian country, not to know how many commandments there are! The next morning, Rev. Rutherford went out in the woods to pray and heard his guest doing likewise. When he discovered the archbishop s identity, Rutherford invited him to preach that morning. The archbishop s topic? The 11th commandment, based on Jesus words in John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another (ESV).
Hillcrest United Methodist Church 4206 East Bristol Street * Elkhart, Indiana 46514 E-mail: humchurch1@frontier.com Web site: www.hillcrestelkhart.com STAFF Pastor: Michael Heinbaugh 260-255-9128 (cell) michael.heinbaugh@inumc.org.com Administrative Assistant: Julie Lininger humchurch1@frontier.com Music Coordinator: Joan Troyer joantroyer@gmail.com Welcome Center and Ministry Council Chair: Bernice Simms Trustee Chair: Jerry Rowe Finance Chair: Bruce Fortin Staff-Parish Co-Chairs: Bob Whitmer, Mike Hershberger Hillcrest Community Childcare Ministry: Teresa Irelan, Director 574-266-7427 hccmdir@frontier.com WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHEDULE 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 10:00 a.m. HeBrew Café fellowship 10:30 a.m. Adult Studies 10:30 a.m. Nursery & Children s Activities 10:34 a.m. Contemporary Worship CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. MARCH NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: February 20 Upcoming Events: Susanna s Kitchen Monday, February 2, 10:30 a.m. Fruitful Practices Monday, February 2, 6:30 p.m. Radical Hospitality Wednesday, February 4, 6:30 p.m. Finance Thursday, February 5, 6:30 p.m. Trustees Monday, February 9, 7:00 p.m. JOY Group Thursday, February 12, 11:30 a.m. Ministry Council Monday, February 16, 6:30 p.m. INSIDE THIS ISSUE Quadragesima 1 This n That 2 REAL Services letter 3 Mission of the Month Adult Learning Opportunity Women s Ministry 5, 6 Calendar 7 In the Know 8 Serving in Worship 9 All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn t hurt. Charles M. Schulz 4