The Messenger Vol. 9 COME & WORSHIP 8:00 & 11:00 Traditional 9:30 Praise Worship May 15, 2016 Proof of God John 14:8-17; 25-27 May 22, 2016 More Stuff Mark 4:1-9 Sunday School All Ages 9:30 a.m. Youth & Adult 11:00 a.m. Church Staff Ronald King Pastor Connie Perry Office Administrator Lynda Hurt Administrative Assistant Chris Lehew Director of Student and Young Adult Ministries Phyllis Stauffer Coordinator of Children s Ministry Joshua Hearn Organist/ Music Coordinator Scott Fears Chancel Choir Director Lance Winkler Praise Worship Coordinator Tammy Page Child Care Coordinator Harry Moyer Building Supervisor Dominick Italiano Custodial Assistant Pastor Ron contact info: Work, 913-631-2280 Cell, 913-620-4535 Home, 913-422-7432 Email: PastorRon@ shawneeumc.org Hello Friends, May 11, 2016 Now that Easter is over, some of the radiance has worn off of the day. The brilliance of tradition that brought a lot of people out to church on Easter Sunday morning has faded. People have now pretty much settled into their old routines once again and have disappeared from the church until the next special day. For some, that is the norm. There are others of us who continue to be faithful, even if it isn t a High, Holy, Day in the life of the church. And, if we look at the landscape of what it means to honor Christ by being loyal to the church with our presence (a part of the vows we took when we became members of the church), then that, too, has changed over the years. Where as before, to be loyal to Christ meant being faithful in attendance at least 3 to 4 times a month, it now means being faithful in attendance only 1 to 2 times a month for some people. I don t think that the culture will change that rapidly, or revert back to the way it used to be. But there is still a factor that perhaps we haven t considered in the midst of those who come and go in the life of the church. It is a statement that Jesus made and still rings true today. He said: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Of course, what that means is that we should be in the business of praying that God will send to our congregation those who are willing to labor for the harvest of Christ s kingdom. I m not sure we re doing that praying, I mean. Or we re praying another prayer the prayer of a pious old gentleman of an earlier generation who used to get up regularly at prayer meetings and pray: Use me, O Lord, use me in some advisory capacity. 1 I think a lot of us want to be used in an advisory capacity because we don t know how to become laborers for the harvest of Christ. And I ll be honest the thought of becoming a laborer and not an advisor can be a bit intimidating, especially for those who have never labored in that way before. And yet, our Church Council is embarking on a journey called Guest Quest. According to those who have used it, when fully utilized, Guest Quest can increase a church s Sunday morning attendance by more than 50 percent. Guest Quest is an instructional resource to assist churches that want to improve their hospitality, invitation, follow-up and follow-through with new people in worship. Participating in Guest Quest can help congregations become more vital and reshape their ministries based on the Vital Congregations initiative of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The key is for congregational ownership in the process. And why wouldn t we take ownership in something that would help us develop a closer relationship with the Christ, while helping us to accomplish God s mission for our church to connect people in a growing, engaged, active relationship with Jesus Christ? I wonder might happen in our church and in our world if we all began to pray that within our own field, we might find laborers for the harvest. Who knows? We might discover the there is truth in that old saying: We should pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on us. Blessings and peace, Pastor Ron Our mission: Connect people in a growing, engaged, active relationship with Jesus Christ 10700 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203 Phone: 913-631-2280 Email: info@shawneeumc.org Website: www.shawneeumc.org
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Family Movie Night Friday, June 3 rd from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We will be watching a Veggie Tales movie while we enjoy popcorn, pizza, and cookies! Vacation Bible School is July 18 th 22 nd - 6p.m. to 8p.m. Join us at the Surf Shack as we catch the wave of God s amazing love. The kids will encounter God s awesomeness through Bible stories and learn how we are meant to experience an epic adventure each day. Our Bible verse for Vacation Bible School is Remember that the Lord is great and awesome! Nehemiah 4:14b A Blessing for Your Child May you know God s forgiveness. May you forgive others as He has forgiven you. Amen. SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE The Scholarship Committee of Shawnee United Methodist Church will be accepting applications for scholarship awards for the Fall term of school. These scholarships are available to members of SUMC. Applications forms are available in the church office. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at the close of the business day. For questions, contact Homer Ritter, 913.579.6739 or email, Ritter2352@gmail.com. Book Group News Join us in the parlor on Thursday, May 26 at 1:00pm to discuss A WILDER ROSE by Sue Albert Wittig. Did you know that Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter Rose was a well-known writer and world traveler in the 1920's and 30's? This book tells about her adult life and time spent with parents Laura and Almonzo on their farm in Mansfield, MO. Was she involved in the writing of the LITTLE HOUSE books??? We will also share memories of reading the LITTLE HOUSE books. Next month THE RELUCTANT MIDWIFE by Patricia Harmon. ROUND ROBIN BRIDGE Calling all bridge players! The seasonal wrap-up for the Round Robin Bridge will be 12:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 14 at the Duncan s, 21019 W. 61 st. Street in Shawnee. Their phone number is (913) 422-0342. All interested players are invited to take part: members, visitors and guests. We will have hamburgers for lunch provided by the Duncan s. Bring a snack to share and please contact Warren Livingston at (913) 631-6818 or email at whlivingston@gmail.com by May 7 if you can come so that we know how many are coming. See you there! From the Library...a quiet ministry Barry Bear has some recommendations. ALLY THE BRAVE, written by Kate Dellett when she was just 11 years old, gives thoughtful insights into the problem of bullying in this story of fifth grader Ally, who is willing and ready to stand up for others who are bullied. Kate Dellett is a granddaughter of our church's Judy and Fred Dellett. THE STORY OF JESUS, by Fiona Boon, is a board book that tells about Jesus' life in bright illustrations and rhyme. "Twelve men joined Jesus, as He began to teach, Some were fisherman who had left their nets on the beach..." These books are both new to our library. Check them out! Missing: a CD, "Christmas", with Francesca Battistelli's, since December. It was checked out, but no name was left on the card. If you find you have it, please return it to the library desk. The Library Committee is hoping you plan to read "s'more" this summer-and we plan to encourage you. You will soon find out how! Saturday, June 4th 10:00am to Noon Fellowship Hall Please SAVE THE DATE! All women of our church and guests are invited to a Spring Tea given by the United Methodist Women at Shawnee United Methodist Church. Hats and gloves and tea attire or other favorite couture will be appropriate for the event but not required. Come enjoy tea party treats and hear tea history, traditions and more. We would appreciate knowing if you will be able to attend by May 30th. Call Lynda in the church office, 913.631.2280 with your RSVP. Thank you and we look forward to serving you. The Tea Ladies
PRAYER TEAM MINISTRY PRAYER SERVICE The Prayer Team ministry is planning a special Prayer Service Sunday, June 12 from 5:00-6:00pm in the Chapel. This will be a time for anyone who would like to come and pray. One theme for this prayer service is Leadership in the Church and Family. We will have times of silence and opportunities to offer petitions to God. Please come and be blessed in the presence of our Lord. If you have questions contact Barbara Frederick, 913-669-0687 or Abuena King, 816-769-7191. Weekly Prayer List Please pray for our members: Kathy Madison Bob Waller JoLayne Mullins Kallie Pankau Please pray for our friends: Dennis Brown & Family Curt Dixson Charles Self Nancy Morando Linda Houser Dennis Newsome Terry Irwin Jeanne Hoffman Gloria Benson Greg Gonzales & Family Michael Koehler Michael Welborn Sandy Rickey Maria Hernandez Donna Alfaro Mary Fern Woods Larry D. Brown Teresa Sullivan Becky Olson Steve McCrary Mary Fetzer Lana Blankenship Rick Nelson Mick Rydquist Please pray for our homebound members: Doris Cathey Harriet Guthrie Clena Wilson Virginia Hubbard Donna Lee Jess Clark Darrel LaRue Jack Richter Vera Goebel Floreine Crumrine Beth Crane COMMUNITY DINNER Our next community dinner is Sunday, May 22, at 12:15pm in Fellowship Hall at Shawnee United Methodist Church. EVERYONE IS WELCOME! The host for this month s dinner is the Maranatha Sunday School class. Please bring a potluck dish for yourself and your family, and then some to share with visitors. If you are a first-time visitor, no need to bring food, just come share our table! If you have questions, please contact the church office, 913-631-2280 or Teri Waters at tdwaters@kc.rr.com. Your participation and support are greatly appreciated! Giving Online Now Active On Friday, May 6, the Shawnee United Methodist Church went active with Giving Online from our website. Now, persons who log on to our website can give electronically with nothing more than a click of the mouse. The site is totally secure. There is a GIVE ONLINE button located on the front page of our web site. There are three ways to give once you click on the Give button. You can Register as a first time user and save your information for future gifts Quick Give which requires no Login information, or you can Schedule your gifts regularly by setting up an account This feature is new to members of our online community. Now if people forget to give before they go on vacation, they can resolve that by giving on line. Additionally, what some people may not know is that we get over 1,000 visitors a month to our website with an average of about 40 persons a month listening to and/or downloading the sermons. Because of our website, we are now in ministry with people beyond the pews who now have an opportunity to receive spiritual support from our church from where they are, and perhaps to give their financial support to our ministries. Trustees Continue Improvements It s been a little over a year (about 16 months) since we officially concluded our Capital Campaign, Believing Together. While the work has proceeded slowly at times, the trustees continue to make headway in completing the tasks they ve been charged with. We ve accomplished a significant amount of work to the church facility. Of the things we ve accomplished, they are: Paid off the previous mortgage so we re currently debt free Replaced the flooring in the gym and painted the walls Installed a new sound system Restored the stained glass windows Installed a new air conditioning unit Replaced the room divider in Fellowship Hall, Replaced the Southeast entry door to the Narthex on Johnson Drive Replaced the carpet in the chapel. (see photo) The Trustees continue to move forward as they are still replacing ceiling tiles in all of the classrooms, hallways and gym. Very soon, they will be moving their work into the sanctuary to complete work there and replace the carpet. They have done all of this work while continuing to work on other projects in the building and at the annex. The trustees wish to thank each of you for your patience and continued support as they faithfully work to complete the tasks that were set before them.
Sunday, May 15 30, 2016 Sunday, May 15 Senior Recognition Sunday 7:45am Prayer Time, Conference Room 8:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 9:00 UMW Refreshments, Narthex 9:30am Praise Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Children s Sunday School (ages 2-6th grade) 9:30am Adult Sunday School (Maranatha, Keystone, Genesis, Sojourners) 10:30am Youth Brunch Bunch/SS, Gym (Jr./Sr. High) 11:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Adult Sunday School (Equip) 12:00pm Youth Council & Mission Trip Meeting, Gym Monday, May 16 7:00pm Esther Circle Tuesday, May 17 10:00am Lectionary Bible Study Class, Room 304 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball, Gym Wednesday, May 18 1:00pm Mary Ruth Circle, Fellowship Hall 5:45pm Bell Rehearsal, Room 303 6:00pm Lectionary Bible Study, Parlor 6:30pm Youth End of School Year Bash, Gym 7:00pm Bible Study Group 1, Annex 7:00pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:00pm Diabetes Group, Room 308 Thursday, May 19 1:00pm Prayer Quilt, Room 307 4:00pm Foundation Committee Meeting, Conference 7:00pm Church Council Meeting, Room 304 7:00pm Bible Study Group 2, Annex 7:00pm Prayer Shawl, Parlor 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible Study Friday, May 20 10:00am Friday Prayer List 5:00pm Fellowship Hall & Kitchen in use 6:00pm Wedding Rehearsal, Sanctuary Saturday, May 21 - Armed Forces Day 9:00am Early Birds Circle, Room 307 10:00am Gideon's Meeting, Room 308 11:30am Wedding, Sanctuary Sunday, May 22 7:45am Prayer Time, Conference Room 8:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Praise Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am 9:30am Children s Sunday School (ages 2-6th grade) Adult Sunday School (Maranatha, Keystone, Genesis, Sojourners) 10:30am Youth Brunch Bunch/SS (Jr./Sr. High), Gym 11:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Adult Sunday School (Equip) 12:15pm Community Dinner Monday, May 23 7:00pm Children s Council Meeting, Room 308 Tuesday, May 24 10:00am Lectionary Bible Study Class, Room 304 7:00pm Stephen Ministry, Rooms 304 and 306 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball, Gym Wednesday, May 25 4:30pm Staff Meeting, Room 304 5:45pm Bell Rehearsal, Room 303 6:00pm Lectionary Bible Study, Parlor 7:00pm Bible Study Group 1, Annex 7:00pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary Thursday, May 26 1:00pm Reading Group, Parlor 7:00pm Bible Study Group 2, Annex 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible Study Group Friday, May 27 10:00am Friday Prayer List due Saturday, May 28 Sunday, May 29 7:45am Prayer Time, Conference Room 8:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Praise Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Children s Sunday School (ages 2-6th grade) 9:30am Adult Sunday School (Maranatha, Keystone, Genesis, Sojourners) 10:30am Youth Brunch Bunch/SS, Gym (Jr./Sr. High) 11:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Adult Sunday School (Equip) Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day, OFFICE CLOSED ATTENDANCE May 1, 2016 May 8, 2016 8:00 a.m. 57 8:00 a.m. 44 9:30 a.m. 78 9:30 a.m. 56 11:00 a.m. 65 11:00 a.m. 66 200 166 Sunday School - 120 Sunday School - 117
YOUTH NEWZ CALENDAR Sun, May 15 Senior Recognition Sunday; graduating Seniors will be recognized in all 3 services. Youth Council Meeting, 12:00pm LAST DAY FOR MISSION TRIP SIGN UP - If you plan to go on the mission trip there will be a meeting with the Kingdom House person at 12:00pm in the gym. This meeting will be for information about our mission trip to St. Louis. Wed, May 18 End of School Year Bash, 6:30pm, Gym STOCK SALE PURCHASES check out the table in the Narthex on Sunday, ask a Youth or contact Chris Lehew, chris@shawneeumc.org for information about how you can support our youth in mission with a stock purchase. GIFT CARDS NEEDED! The Youth are in need of $5 gift cards (like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, QT, Walmart, itunes, Jack in the Box, Dairy Queen, etc.). They are used if a youth brings a guest, memorizes scripture, wins a game, or meets an attendance challenge. You may drop off gift cards in the church office. Put in Chris Lehew s mailbox. Thank you for your help with this ministry. Check us out on Twitter, Instagram (ShawneeUMC Youth) and our website, www.shawneeumc.org