The Messenger Vol. 4

The Messenger Vol. 4 COME & WORSHIP 8:00 & 11:00 Traditional 9:30 Praise Worship February 26, 2017 No Love Lost Luke 15:25-32 Ash Wednesday March 1, 2017 Broken Hearted Humility Psalm 51:1-10, 16-17 March 5, 2017 Know Who You Are Matthew 4:1-11 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 Our mission: Connect people in a growing, engaged, active relationship with Jesus Christ February 22, 2017 Hello friends, The season of Lent is upon us. We and many others of the Christian faith will have gone through the ritual of Ash Wednesday, having had ashes placed on our foreheads. In some ways it is an odd tradition of marking someone. Ashes are a symbol of penance made sacred by the blessing of the Church. Their symbolic purpose is to help us develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. The ashes are usually placed on a person s forehead in the sign of the cross. Those who receive the mark on their foreheads know within themselves that they have been marked, but they cannot see the mark themselves unless they look at their own reflection. Others who see us clearly see the ashy stain that is upon us, and only understand that it is the mark of the cross connecting us to our faith. There may be two reasons behind this theory that informs our understanding. One is that while some of our sins (or our sin) is invisible to us, it is seen with great clarity by others. The Scripture that informs this understanding is found in the gospel of Luke which says: 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, 'Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? 43 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye. (Luke 6:41-43) This also explains why it s so easy to see the small beam sticking out of our brother s or sister s eye, but doesn t allow us to recognize the two by four stud sticking out of our own. Another explanation that may make some sense is that while others only see our sins openly visible to them, we can only know and come to understand our sin by looking at ourselves. It s also an invitation to do that internal inspection of ourselves to discover the truth or who we are, or in other scriptural terms: 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." This scripture points to that revelation in Christ that comes when we draw closer to Jesus so that the light of Christ shines on us and our sins may be revealed in a way that compels us to seek God s grace and repent. One of the obvious questions to ask is, When we look in the mirror of self-examination and we see a reminder of our sin before us, what change does that inspire us to make in our lives? I think this question is among those that require us to examine whether or not we take seriously our relationship to Christ. It might also mean that we get it backwards and do ourselves a disservice when we decide what we are going to sacrifice before Lent. It seems to me that Lent should be a time of self-examination and reflection where we determine what will best be sacrificed that will give honor to God. I m not sure that giving up chocolate or bread honors God. On the other hand, giving up being angry, or jealous, envious, bitter, and other things that are a vexation to the Spirit those are things that, if given up, can honor God. Some people may never know or notice that we ve given up bread or chocolate. On the other hand if others notice that we re not as angry, bitter, envious, jealous, or impatient, then there s something in our actions that could honor God. The way we treat others are some things to think about giving up forever and not just for forty days. Anyway, what have we got to gain, but to be connected in a growing, engaged, active relationship with Jesus Christ? Shalom and an Introspective Lent, Pastor Ron 10700 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203 Phone: 913-631-2280 Email: info@shawneeumc.org Website: www.shawneeumc.org

In the next month, we will learn more about Jesus life by studying the healing of the ten lepers, having dinner with Zacchaeus, the Last Supper and praying in the garden. Our Bible verse: John 13:34 I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you must also love each other. A prayer for our families: Gracious God, you see us and know us and you love us dearly. Help us to share Your love with others. In the name of Jesus. Amen. CHILDREN S COUNCIL NEWS SUMC Children's Ministry is now on Facebook! Follow @SUMCkids for upcoming events, the monthly memory verse, and service opportunities. Our next event will be the monthly Children's Council meeting on February 27th at 7:00PM. We will be discussing ideas for new, exciting events and planning out the calendar for the year. NEWSLETTER NOTICE: Please read The newsletter is always published the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Items for the newsletter are always due by 9:00am on Monday of that week. We cannot guarantee that items will be published if they are received after the due date and time. This reminder also serves to encourage people from all areas of the church to submit items that will open up the lines of communication and inform our readers about your area of ministry, your committee meeting highlights, Sunday School class functions, Bible studies, etc. We also welcome feature articles from people that love to share about their faith. There are times we have so few items to publish that in the future, when there is not enough to fill 4 pages we will forgo the newsletter for that week. Let s fill these pages with all the wonderful things that are going on at Shawnee United Methodist! We have a dynamic ministry and we want people to know about it! Take the lead if you are a committee chairperson or leader/ teacher of a ministry area...let us know what you re doing! From the Library...a quiet Ministry Book Review by Susan Opper The Maker s Diet by Jordan S. Rubin deals with a man s journey from near death to health and vigor when he changes his eating patterns to a diet based upon biblical teachings. Rubin suffered from Crohn s disease which left him severely malnourished due to malabsorption. A picture of him looks as if he is a concentration camp survivor. However, after incorporating a diet espoused by the Old Testament laws of nutrition his health turns around. He believes that our gut is one of the most important factors in our health. 100 million nerve cells reside there, the same as in our spinal cord and he believes that the gut determines how we feel. Eating proper foods such as non-scavenger fish and cloven feet animals are outlined in Biblical teaching and have a scientific basis for health. Cloven feet animals have a second stomach useful for purifying food. Scavenger fish and animals tend to deal with the decaying aspects of those that they feed upon and may have high concentrations of waste. Fermented food and probiotics are also mentioned as healthy additions as well as exposing ourselves to dirt by working in our gardens so that we may increase our exposure to good bacteria. Rubin provides a good background on nutrition and raises the awareness of the knowledge of early biblical insight into health and hygiene. CONNECT! NEW YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY AT SUMC! SUMC has a new ministry - Connect! Connect serves young adults from 18-40. The goal of this ministry is to connect young adults with each other, with the local church, and with God. The first Connect event is Thursday, March 2nd at 6:00PM. We will be meeting at the Applebee's in Mission to pray and discuss the future of this exciting new ministry. DIRECTORY UPDATE We are in the final phase of preparing the directory of our church friends and family. The deadline for updating information is Friday, March 4. If you or someone you know has recently moved or changed phone numbers or email addresses, please call the church office by that date. If you have questions, please call the church office, or Vickie Hammons, 913-631-8959. UMW COLLECTNG FOR BLUEJACKET-FLINT UMW is collecting healthy snacks for the Special Ed and first graders at Bluejacket-Flint such as Cheez-its, Goldfish, Teddy Grahams, granola bars, peanut butter crackers or other healthy snacks, in individual packages. They are also in need of jackets, coats, gloves, sweat pants, socks, underwear, etc. UMW would appreciate any contributions. Collection box is outside the Chapel.

Sunday, February 26 12:30 in Fellowship Hall Bring a potluck dish for your family and then some to share with the community. Our hosts will be the Sojourners Class. Everyone is welcome! PENNIES FROM HEAVEN We d like to thank everyone that gave money to the Pennies in Heaven jar in 2016. This was our first year of giving and we collected $388.49 to be donated to Children s Mercy Hospital. We are already starting out great for 2017 and our wish is to make it to $500 by the end of the year. Thank you for your generosity! Collection jars in Sunday School classes. SUMC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2017 The Shawnee United Methodist Church Foundation through the Scholarship Committee will be accepting applications for the 2017 Fall term for institutions of higher learning. Recent high school graduates and current college enrollees who have not previously received a SUMC scholarship are eligible to apply. Applications can be picked up in the church office, and are to be delivered completed with Letters of Reference and place in the Scholarship Committee box by Friday, April 14 by the end of the business day (4:30pm). Questions, please contact Homer Ritter at 913-579-6739 or email Ritter2352@gmail.com. AMBASSADORS The Ambassadors, a senior adult group, will be meeting Monday, March 13, 2017 at the Shawnee United Methodist Church located at 10700 Johnson Drive. The potluck luncheon begins at 11:30AM. Our speaker will be Charis Sawyer from Johnson County Community College and the topic will be THE AGING BRAIN. Bring a covered dish, table service and $2.00 donation. Bread and beverage will be provided. Remember to bring pop tabs. A free will offering for the community service will be accepted. The Johnson County Health Department Nurses will check blood pressure from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. All senior citizens are welcome. Firsttime visitors are not expected to bring food. For information, call Fred Henik at 913-631-5804. NEEDED: GIFT BASKETS, GIFT CARDS, AND BIDDERS! It s time for the annual Shawnee UMC Youth theme basket silent auction! All groups and individuals are invited to donate a themed auction basket and/or gift cards for everyone to bid on! Please let Chris know ASAP. Be creative with your basket: sports, games, cooking, devotional, crafts limited by your imagination only! Do you have a credit card that earns points that can be redeemed for gift cards? It s the perfect opportunity for you to make a donation that doesn t cost you anything, but will benefit the Youth tremendously! Baskets and gift cards will be displayed and open for bidding on Sundays: April 9 th during all three services. Come browse the auction and find the perfect item for you and then at 12pm there will be a Mexican buffet for everyone. All proceeds benefit Youth Mission Trips. Interested in making a donation? For more info, or to let us know you ll be donating an auction basket contact Colleen Brinkley (cobrinkley@sbcglobal.net or 913.568.6153) or Chris Lehew, Director of Student Ministries (chris@shawneeumc.org or 913.631.2280). YOUTH MISSION DAYS and YOUTH WEEK Signup for Mission Days and Youth Week is available in the gym. Mission Days is July 17-21 during the morning and early afternoon hours where we work for a couple hours at places like Harvester's, Shawnee Community Center, Della Lamb, The Ronald McDonald House and Brookdale Assisted Living Center. In the evening we will be helping at Vacation Bible School. No cost for Mission Days except to buy a youth shirt $10. Youth Week is July 24-28 and we have a week of fun before returning back to school. We play mini golf, got to a T-Bones baseball game, go to Comedy City, have a swimming party and have a lock-in with a movie night on the last night. Cost for the entire week is $50. Sign up as soon as possible.

I am almost done facilitating The Workbook of Abiding in Christ for the second time. It is an eight-week session in which participants follow a workbook, agree to spend 20-30 minutes a day on each lesson (7 days a week), reflect and record thoughts, and then meet for one and a half hours each week. The author, Maxie Dunnam, is a Methodist minister, and came up with the idea of using a workbook to learn how to pray and live a life of prayer approximately 20 years ago. As he indicates, it was a work of the Holy Spirit. One of the many things I have learned on this journey is that prayer and spending time with Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, are one and the same thing. Prayer is God s idea, for it draws us near and close to God s heart, which is full of love for us and all people. It allows us to spend time in God s presence, discuss our conundrums, give our thanks for life and our many blessings and to ask for help for ourselves and our loved ones. It is also the vehicle for getting to know God, and God desires that very much. Prayer can be a solitary thing between you and your God. Private prayer is necessary and good. But there is another truth as well. Two or more together, praying in Jesus name, can experience Jesus in a special way. God is in us, as individuals, but also in us as pairs, threesomes, groups, and entire churches. Having someone to pray with you, or share your prayer concerns with, is a powerful experience. The prayer team ministry at Shawnee UMC would like to offer our prayers and support to each of you, personally, by providing you with a prayer partner, should you want one. Or, we can help you by telling you how it can work if there is someone you would like to partner with that is not on the prayer team. The benefits of this and how it can work will be shared in a Prayer Partner discussion meeting on Sunday, March 19, after the 11 am service. We will meet in Fellowship Hall and a light lunch will be provided. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Italiano at babyelephant9@juno.com or call the church office. Our Weekly Prayers Our members: Kathy Madison Dennis Brown & Family Lauren D Amato Steven Cansler JoLayne Mullins Lisa Giles Jesse Philley Charlie Clark Jane Hursh Deanie Brown Jerry & Dee Anne Harnden Virginia Kennett & Family Our friends: Dennis Newsome Terry Irwin Michael Koehler Sandy Rickey Sheryl Kronshage Steve McCrary Mick Rydquist Jennifer Carmichael Carolyn Bush Hayden Hockett Beckett Avery Chimane Jonscher Michael Welborn Diane Drew Family of Kimberly Schwant Joe Saddler Linda Tabberer Marlene Venero Dr. Jay Rapley Thalia Segarra Betty Maxey Jean Bailey Our homebound members: Doris Cathey Harriet Guthrie Clena Wilson Floreine Crumrine Beth Crane Willa Schumacher Dorothy Christiansen Vera Goebel Thank you! Thank you for your prayers and caring these difficult days. We appreciate all your cards, visits and encouragement so much. We were blessed by Pastor Ron, Joshua, Chris, Harry and Dominick, Connie and Lynda and each one of you that reached out to the Kennett families. Thank you, for all the wonderful food contributed and served at the lovely lunch by the UMW, it was a special time. Gratefully, Virginia Kennett The Funeral Reception Committee would like to thank all those that helped with the Kennett funeral luncheon. Your help was much appreciated. Darrel LaRue Jack Richter Virginia Hubbard Donna Lee Jess Clark Flora Whisler Betty Cansler Prayer Tip...Before you get out of bed in the morning, pray the Lord s prayer. It s truly the Lord s prayer, and will give your day a good start.

Sunday, February 26 - Sunday, March 12, 2017 Sunday, February 26 - Scout Sunday 7:45am Prayer Time, Conference Room 8:00am IHN Cleaning, Annex 8:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Praise Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30am Children s Sunday School (ages 2-6th grade) 9:30am Adult Sunday School 10:30am Youth Brunch Bunch/SS (Jr./Sr. High), Gym 11:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Adult Sunday School 12:30pm Community Dinner, Fellowship Hall 4:45pm Youth Praise Band Rehearsal, Gym 5:30pm Youth SNL, Gym Monday, February 27 7:00pm Children s Council Meeting, Room 308 Tuesday, February 28 10:00am Lectionary Bible Study Class, Room 304 1:00pm Congregational Care Ministry Meeting, Room 304 7:00pm Stephen Ministry, Room 304 and 306 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball, Gym Wednesday, March 1 - Ash Wednesday 11:30am Imposition of Ashes (walk-in) until 1:30pm, Sanctuary 3:00pm Music Lessons w/ Chris, Gym 5:45pm Hand Bell Rehearsal, Room 306 6:00pm Lectionary Bible Study, Parlor 6:30pm Ash Wednesday Service, Sanctuary 7:30pm Chancel Choir rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:00pm Bible Study Group 1, Annex Thursday, March 2 10:00am UMW Executive Meeting, Room 304 1:00pm Prayer Quilt, Room 307 7:00pm Prayer Shawl, Parlor 7:00pm Bible Study Group 2, Annex 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible Study Friday, March 3 10:00am Friday Prayer List 9:00am Funeral luncheon set-up, Fellowship Hall/Kitchen Saturday, March 4 8:00am Trustees Meeting, Room 305 9:30am Abiding in Christ, Chapel 9:30am Gideon s Meeting, Room 307 12:00pm Funeral Luncheon, Fellowship Hall/Kitchen Sunday, March 5 7:45am Prayer Time, Conference Room 8:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Praise Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30am Children s Sunday School (ages 2-6th grade) 9:30am Adult Sunday School 10:30am Youth Brunch Bunch/Sunday School, Gym 11:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Adult Sunday School 4:45pm Youth Praise Band Rehearsal, Gym 5:30pm Youth SNL, Gym Monday, March 6 All Day Cross-Lines Hot Lunch, Cross-Lines 7:00pm SPRC Meeting, Library Tuesday, March 7 10:00am Lectionary Bible Study Class, Room 304 4:00pm CONALD Meeting, Library 7:30pm Open Coed Basketball, Gym Wednesday, March 8 3:00pm Music Lessons w/ Chris, Gym 4:30pm Staff Meeting, Room 304 5:45pm Hand Bell Rehearsal, Room 306 6:00pm Lectionary Bible Study, Parlor 7:00pm Chancel Choir rehearsal, Sanctuary 7:00pm Bible Study Group 1, Annex Thursday, March 9 10:00am UMW Unit Meeting, Fellowship Hall 7:00pm Bible Study Group 2, Annex 7:00pm Keystone Class Home Bible Study Group Friday, March 10 9:30am Hand and Foot, Fellowship Hall 10:00am Friday Prayer List 7:00pm Keystone Dinner, Fellowship Hall/Kitchen Saturday, March 11 8:00am UMW, Fellowship Hall Sunday, March 12 All Day IHN Week, Annex 7:45am Prayer Time, Conference Room 8:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 9:30am Praise Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30am Children s Sunday School (ages 2-6th grade) 9:30am Adult Sunday School 10:30am Youth Brunch Bunch/SS (Jr./Sr. High), Gym 11:00am Traditional Worship, Sanctuary 11:00am Adult Sunday School 4:45pm Youth Praise Band Rehearsal, Gym 5:30pm Youth SNL, Gym ATTENDANCE February 12, 2017 February 19, 2017 8:00am 40 8:00 a.m. 52 9:30am 45 9:30 a.m. 44 11:00am 85 11:00 a.m. 103 170 199 Sunday School 85 Sunday School 100

YOUTH LIVE Jr. and Sr. High students, join us each Sunday morning for worship at 9:30am in the Sanctuary and then Brunch Bunch @ 10:30am followed by Sunday School at 11:00am in the Gym. Watch the calendar for dates that we do not have these activities. You can find our calendar on our website, www.shawneeumc.org. The Youth are on a roll memorizing scripture. We need more gift card to help them keep it up. $5 cards from places like: Sheridan s, Starbucks, 1/2 Price Books, Dunkin Donuts, etc. would be appreciated. If you feel this is a way you would like to support the youth, please drop them off in the church office and put in Chris Lehew's mailbox. Thank you so much! YCW (Young Christian s Weekend) 2017 Schedule The schedule for YCW is on the church website: www.shawneeumc.org Go to Media then to Youth Forms & Info.