The Circuit Rider A comprehensive report on the ministry of Lebanon First UMC TRUTH! Volume 34, Number 2 March 2019
Pastor s Today we are all on the go. Maybe it is work, family obligations, appointments with doctors whatever! We all have calendars we have to keep because if we don t write it down we are likely to forget it! To stop and take time to smell the flowers often seems impossible. After all, we are living in a time when fast is the norm! We have fast food, drive through, online shopping, microwave meals, insta-pots, instant Google searches, instant news, instant downloads, instant messaging, instant replay, express lanes, one minute devotions. Instant gratification! We are all tied up in a fast paced life, but there are things we can do to create slow down moments in our everyday life. It is important to disconnect and appreciate the things around you for a few moments every once in a while. Appreciate life, take some deep breaths, think of the bigger picture and realize that it is OK to step out of the fast paced society and enjoy a slow moment while thinking about the bigger picture. You may have noticed we recently changed our Benediction Response. We are going to be singing different Benediction Responses in the future, but right now it is Sanctuary and we will be singing it through Easter. But let s talk about this song for a minute. Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I ll be a living sanctuary for you. To be a living sanctuary for God s presence: that image always touches me. How can we be a living sanctuary? I think this would 2 Pastor s message continued on page 3...
...Ponderings continued from page 2 be a great focus for us for Lent. So, first we need to define what is sanctuary? Wikipedia states that sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. A secondary definition is a place of refuge or safety. I have a book, Sanctuary: Creating a Space for Grace in Your Life, that talks a great deal about this. Terry Hershey, the author, states sanctuary is a way of life. It is not necessarily a specific place. He says we all have a sanctuary, even if we can t name it or can only imagine it. It is a space of freedom where we do not owe anyone and where no one owes us. It is a place where we can be replenished and renewed in order to live lives that are grounded and whole-hearted. It is a place where we are reminded of what is truly important. Sanctuary does not make us a better person, or even a better Christian. It isn t meant to solve problems or to find answers. It is not complete removal from life we don t go from life to sanctuary and back again. Sanctuary simply allows us to dwell in this life as it is! Sanctuary is where you go to cherish your life. It is where you practice being present. John Wesley would ask us, How is it with your soul? How is your heart, your mind? Hershey states, Sanctuary, like anything else that s truly important, involves making certain choices which include being open, available, curious and willing to be surprised by joy. I would encourage you to use these in your Lenten journey. Ponderings continued on page 4... 3
Pondering from page 3 Take some time each day during Lent and find a spot, a few minutes, and reflect on these questions as part of your Lenten Journey. Maybe do some journaling (I know, not everyone s forte!) What nourishes you what do you love? What sustains you gives you balance and equilibrium? What inspires you keeps the fire going or keeps you from being stuck? What satisfies you gives you comfort or small pleasures? Where do you give back where do you find meaning? What makes you love life gives you joy and pride? What are you grateful for where does your belief reside? Take time this Lenten season to find sanctuary! Blessings, Kim John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 4
Fat Tuesday Pancake & Sausage Community Dinner, March 5 th Lent begins Wednesday, March 6 th Ash Wednesday Service, March 6 th, 6 PM Daylight Savings Time Spring forward Sunday, March10 th St. Patrick s Day Dinner, Saturday, March 16 th Palm Sunday, April 14 th Maundy Thursday Service, April 18 th, 6 PM Good Friday Service, April 19 th, 7 PM Lebanon First UMC Community Children s Egg Hunt, April 20 th Prayer Vigil, April 20 th, 7 AM-7 PM Easter Sunday Service, April 21 th, 9:30 AM Fat Tuesday Pancake & Sausage Community Dinner March 5 4:30-6:30 pm It s almost a tradition now: a community dinner that everyone can enjoy, a pancake and sausage dinner! If you haven t signed up to help, please do! There will be a lot of fun cooking, serving and socializing, even a little eating and clean-up as well. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Free. Bring your neighbor or friend! Sunday March 10 5
YOUNG AT HEART Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Proverbs 25:11 In our March fellowship meeting we will enjoy sharing our Star word in discussion with the other members. Pastor Kim gave each persona word printed on a star in the January Worship Service. Our instructions included letting this word be a star to guide us to the Christ Child. Here are a few suggestions you can use in your discussion or feel free to plan your own story in sharing: Have you had an occasion to use your word in conversation? Has your Star word bought to your mind a memory or an experience in the past? Has it reminded you of something you ve read- a poem, hymn, story, a Bible verse, a movie or TV show? What new insight did your Star word give you concerning your faith in God? Sharing ideas, experiences and our faith in conversation with each other gives us the opportunity to witness to others in words and deeds. Young at Heart will meet Wednesday, March 13 th, at 10 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Hostesses will be Dee Hermanson and Evelyn Gregory. Bring a friend! Bring a neighbor! But, come and enjoy! Psalm 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. 6
We ve planned two programs for Senior Stretch during the month of March that will stretch our minds. On March 14, Chaplin Doug Stewart from Memorial Hospital East has agreed to speak to us about death and dying. What should we do to ensure our last days are as we would like them to be, how do we begin to plan for this, and how do we include our families in these plans. On March 28, Louis Schlaefer, R.PH, who owns Prescriptions Plus LTD in Lebanon, will stretch our knowledge about prescribed medications as well as over-the-counter meds that are advertised, and all types of herbs. Are they good for us and will they work? We will gather at 12 noon for exercise followed by a light lunch at 12:30. All are welcome. St. Patrick s Day Corn Beef & Cabbage Dinner Saturday, March 16 6:00 PM Fellowship Hall St. Patrick s Day Dinner March 16 Although we are having it a day early, it will still be fun and tasty! Find your green, kilt, or shamrock and come and enjoy the meal. We have signup sheets so we know how much food to purchase. It will be a traditional corn beef and cabbage with Irish soda bread and other great Irish food. It will be a fun evening. Festivities begin at 6 PM. Best part---the church will smell so good on Sunday morning! 7
Where did Good Friday get its name? The source of our term for the Friday before Easter, "Good Friday," is not clear. It may be a corruption of the English phrase "God's Friday," according to Professor Laurence Hull Stookey in Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church (p. 96). It is the common name for the day among English- and Dutch-speaking people. It is a day that proclaims God's purpose of loving and redeeming the world through the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a day that is good because God was drawing the world to God's self in Christ. As seen in John's gospel, particularly, God was in control. God was not making the best of a bad situation, but was working out God's intention for the world winning salvation for all people. We call it "good" because we look backward at the crucifixion through the lens of Easter! Source: UMC.ORG Must RSVP for preparations. Lenten Study "A Bead and A Prayer" by Kristen E. Vincent A 5 week study learning to use Prayer Beads to assist in your prayer life. 2 class times available: Daytime: Tues., 2 PM Evening: Thurs., 6 PM Cost: $15 Includes book & prayer beads. Sign-up in the Fellowship Hall or call the office: 537-6622. Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace... 8
Van Ministry We are in the process of creating an attractive wrap (like a paint job) designed to make our existing 18 passenger van stand out when used to move young people. When finished, it can be in our parade, used for festivals, Trunk or Treat and other such events. In the mean time, we are working on a use plan for the handicapped assessable van so that when we purchase it, we will be ready to operate. If you have any kind of input, please share with Bob Homan, Pastor Kim or Mike Bennett. TRUSTEES REPORT By Joe Zimmerlee The renters in our church rental house have asked to have their yearly lease renewed. We will be doing that sometime during this month. A committee is currently searching for a suitable small, handicapped accessible bus for church and community use. The updating of the kitchen is currently under review. We spent $17,500 of Trust Funds in 2018 to cover repairs, maintenance, and equipment. Also, with the up and down market, we were down about $13,000 at the end of the year. As noted in previous Trustee Monthly Updates, major updating and repairing the organ was done in 2018 at a cost of $15,900. That bill was paid for out of Trust Funds. We recently needed some minor repairs to the organ at a cost of $450. Many of us really appreciate the contributions of the organ music to the worship service. If you could provide some financial help to reimburse the Trust Funds, it would be greatly appreciated. 9
Altar Flowers Needed! There are open Sundays in March and May! Please, sign up to donate flowers for Sunday Worship in 2019. The cost is $30 per arrangement. You may take the flowers with you after Sunday worship. King s Closet Sale Day 2nd Friday of every month Next Sale: March 8 9:30 AM - 2 PM 507 W. St. Louis Prayer Group Your joys and concerns from the Connection Cards are addressed each week by the Prayer Group. The group meets Mondays, at 10 a.m. All who are earnest in prayer are invited. 12 Chair Yoga Led by Edna Jeffries Certified Yoga Instructor Mondays, 2:00 PM There is a chair yoga class in the Fellowship Hall, Mondays at 2 PM. It is open to the community.
Sunday School For all ages! Every Sunday morning, 11 AM Mustard Seed Toddler-Kindergarten (Room 207, Upstairs) Bible Adventure Club 1st-6th Grade (Room 201, Upstairs) Sojourners Adult (Room 101, Downstairs) Disciples Adult (Parlor) In a Nutshell Adult (Room 102, Downstairs) Lebanon First UMC Community Children s Egg Hunt April 20 th Our church will be hosting an Easter Egg hunt Saturday, April 20 th. We need your help! We will start collecting Easter candy, plastic eggs, chocolate rabbits etc Sunday, April 7 th. More to come! Community VBS 2019 Roar! Life is wild, God is good June 24-28 Interested volunteers are asked to attend a March 18 meeting to begin planning for this summer s community vacation Bible school. Contact Deborah Kuth: lebstjoepa@gmail.com for more information. This year Ecumenical VBS will be hosted by St. Joseph Catholic Church, June 24-28. The theme this year is ROAR. VBS is open to children going into Kindergarten through 5 th grade. 13
January Summary Attendance & Offering Average Worship Attendance: 72 Sunday Offerings: General: $11,070 Ministries: $1,445 On-Line Giving: General: $ 2,967 Ministries: $ 275 January Totals: General: $14,037 Ministries: $1,720 2019 Monthly Budget: General: $19,074 Manage your offerings Set up and manage recurring giving. Make one-time contributions. View your online giving history. Get started today! Visit our church website: www.lebanonmethodist.org Donation Suggestions for March: Mar. 3 Hearty soups Mar. 10 Cereal or breakfast bars Mar. 17 Paper products Mar. 24 Boxed dinners Mar. 31 Canned vegetables Cash donations are always welcome. Please indicate Lebanon Matthew Ministries so we may aid people with more than food. Your donation will be divided in half between the Food Pantry and the Christian Care Coalition. The CCC gives assistance for power, water and other bills. 14
Faith and Good Works United Methodists insist that faith and good works belong together. What we believe must be confirmed by what we do. Personal salvation must be expressed in ministry and mission in the world. We believe that Christian doctrine and Christian ethics are inseparable, that faith should inspire service. The integration of personal piety and social holiness has been a hallmark of our tradition. We affirm the biblical precept that "faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead (James 2:17). Mission and Service Because of what God has done for us, we offer our lives back to God through a life of service. As disciples, we become active participants in God s activity in the world through mission and service. Love of God is always linked to love of neighbor and to a passionate commitment to seeking justice and renewal in the world. Nurture and Mission of the Church For Wesley, there was no religion but social religion, no holiness but social holiness. In other words, faith always includes a social dimension. One cannot be a solitary Christian. As we grow in faith through our participation in the church community, we are also nourished and equipped for mission and service to the world. Obtained from UMC.ORG Our Wesleyan Heritage 15
MARCH BIRTHDAYS BIRTHDAYS: Mar. 7 Bruce Vunesky Mar. 8 Bill Gregory & Pat Johnston Mar. 15 Deb Miller Mar. 18 Hermie Hermanson Mar. 25 David Renfro Mar. 26 Rob Miller *** Published by permission only Upper Room March/April Edition Now Available! Pick up your copy today! The Lebanon First UMC CONNECTION LINE Church Worship was cancelled, Feb. 10th. Did you hear the news?! Stay connected to church activities & prayer requests! Three ways to connect; voice mail, e-mail or text. Sign up today! For more information, call 618-537-6622 office@lebanonmethodist.org 16
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Holy Folders Thursday, Mar. 28 9:30 am Fellowship Hall Annual FUMC Lebanon LAB Rats MS Trivia The date is set, the questions are being prepared and the event will happen. April 6, 2019 at St Joseph s Fellowship Hall at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:15). Get a team together, join a team, donate an auction item or sponsor a round lots of ways to help! Contact Mike Bennett at 537-2525 for more info! Hand-crafted Jesus Crosses Created by Mark Clem Available Now! 18
April 2019 Circuit Rider Articles Due: Wednesday, March 20. To: Kim Vunesky (kimvunesky@gmail.com) The Circuit Rider is a monthly publication of Lebanon First UMC, Lebanon, IL Reverend Kim Hagedorn Content: Those who seek the Truth. Production & Information Manager: Allyn Wiechert Content and Story Coordinator: Kim Vunesky Assembly: Holy Folders Proofs and Consultation: Kay Korte For more information, call 618-537-6622 office@lebanonmethodist.org www.lebanonmethodist.org www.facebook.com/lebanonfirstumc 19
See you Sunday! 9:30 am Worship 10:30 am Fellowship 11:00 am Sunday School First United Methodist Church 603 West St. Louis St. Lebanon, IL 62254 (618) 537-6622 office@lebanonmethodist.org www.lebanonmethodist.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Label Non-Profit U.S. Postage Paid Permit #19 Lebanon, IL 62254