Sugar Creek United Methodist Church - Clover...
Transcript of Sugar Creek United Methodist Church - Clover...
A place for beginning, becoming, and belonging!
Sugar Creek United Methodist Church
Do you make a mean pot of chili (white or red)? Then make sure to enter the Sugar Creek Chili Cook-Off. Don’t make chili? Come be a taster, and vote for your favorite chili. We just ask that you bring a dessert to share. Contact the Church Office if you plan on entering the Chili Cook-Off ([email protected] or 483.2270 #3).
Sunday, October 1 12:30 p.m.
Weiner Roast & Hayrack Ride Wednesday, November 8
5:30pm—8:00pm
Don’t miss out on the fun! There will be hot
dogs & marshmallows to roast, hot chocolate
and caramel apples too! Don’t forget to bring
your lawn chairs, and to wear something warm
for the hayride. Hope to see you there!
Wonderful Wednesday
Spooktacular Dinner Join us October 25 at 5:30 p.m. for a spook-a-rific, fun-filled meal prepared by the Wonderful Wednesday Kitchen Crew. Look for more details in the October church bulletins.
October 1 2 p.m.—4 p.m.
Open to all 6th—12th grade students and their parents!
GAMES|FOOD|ACTIVITIES|FUN!
Questions? Contact James Furlong
970-294-6567/[email protected]
The greatest gift you can give someone is your time, your attention, your love, your concern...love never fails.
October is Pastor Appreciation month. This
is the perfect opportunity to let Pastor Paul
know how much we appreciate him. OCTOBER 9
UNITED METHODIST MEN Monday, October 9
6:00 p.m.
The men of Sugar Creek will meet at the Chatham Café in Chatham (414 N. Main Plaza) at 6:00 p.m. We have a guest speaker, Steven Schmidt, Founder and Director of Love Packages in Butler, IL. Schmidt will share the story of how his ministry ships hundreds of tons of Christian literature, Bibles, other books and magazines to mission stations around the world. All men are welcome!
Looking for a small group opportunity?
Join us on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 a.m.
at Chatham Cafe in Chatham (414 N. Main
Plaza). Everyone is welcome!
connect encourage grow
Chair Yoga Mondays at 10:00 a.m.
Chair Yoga emphasizes on
breathing, mild stretching
and relaxation. The cost is
$10 a session, and you pay
when you come. Open to
everyone!
Sunday, October 4 Mike & Pat Lucas in honor of their 47th wedding anniversary (10/3).
Sunday, October 8 Tom & Paulette Hale in honor of their 47th wedding anniversary (10/3).
Sunday, October 15 Gene & Wanda Meurer in honor of their 55th wedding anniversary (10/7), and Gene’s 80th birthday (10/12).
Sunday, October 22 Chuck & Jessica Sharp in honor of their 38th wedding anniversary (10/20).
Sunday, October 29 Chuck & Lois Frazee in honor of Helen Frazee’s (10/30), Charles Frazee’s (11/8), and Laura Pickrell’s (10/27) birthdays.
November 9 @ 7:00 PM This is a FREE concert at Sugar Creek (A love offering for the group will be taken). Look for more info coming soon! To listen to their music, and learn more about This Hope, check out their website at www.thishope.org.
Christmas at Sugar Creek
VENDOR FAIR
Saturday, November 25 10 AM—3 PM
Come start your Christmas shopping with us!
BOOK & CD SALE
The Sugar Creek Youth are collecting gently used books, and CDs for the Vendor Fair. If you have books/CDs you would like
to donate please drop them off at the Church by November 19.
Get Rid of Your Stuff for a Good Cause!
The Rummage Sale is set for Saturday, October 14 from 8 AM—Noon. Do you have items you would like to donate for the sale? Feel free to drop donations off in the Fellowship Hall. Please note—we will not be able to pick up large items. Proceeds from the sale benefit missions.
JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST!
The Missions Team will be serving biscuits & sausage gravy breakfast during the 9:15 Fellowship Time on Sunday, October 15.
All proceeds benefit Missions. Plan to come to church hungry on that Sunday!
KINDNESS is never wasted!
Helen Frazee is Turning 102!
Let’s help Helen celebrate her 102nd birthday on October 30 by sending her birthday wishes. Cards can be sent to:
1st Jim Lund
4th Cheri Hoots
6th Rosalie Mottar
7th Don Jones
9th Forrest Sexton
10th John Kessler
10th Mary Kane
12th Gene Meurer
13th Adrian Chism
15th Christine Lindsey
18th Ed Gregory
18th Jennifer Kessler
18th Tyler Burge
19th Charse Kessler
25th Susan Burke
26th Zara Lund
27th Laura Pickrell
30th Tom Dozier
30th Helen Frazee
30th Jennie Ayers
31st Jane Pond
Helen Frazee C/O River Birch Senior Living
4012 Cockrell Lane Springfield, IL. 62711
OCTOBER
MEETINGS
Caregiving Team
Monday, October 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Nominations Team
Tuesday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m.
Education Team
Monday, October 9 at 6:00 p.m.
Trustees
Tuesday, October 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Leadership Team
Tuesday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Missions Team
Tuesday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m.
Make It Your Goal To Love And Encourage One Another!
1st Dave & Lois Dickey
3rd Tom & Paulette Hale
3rd Mike & Pat Lucas
3rd Todd & Heather Lowary
5th Kevin & Shantel High
7th Gene & Wanda Meurer
16th Richard & Donna Cleeton
19th Brian & Suzanne Daugherty
20th Chuck & Jessica Sharp
22nd Tom & Linda Stelte
28th Ray & Pat Nichols
29th Bob & Pat Gruen
29th Thad & Angel Lael
General Fund
Contributions
Expense
Missions & Benevolence
Conference Obligations
Program Expense
Salaries (Pastor & Staff)
Utilities, Cleaning, Moving
Total Expense
Net Income (-loss)
Building Fund
Contributions
August 2017
$22,330
$1,379
$2,136
$1,928
$12,795
$3,183
$21,421
$909
$4,959
Year to Date
164,766
$12,125
$17,088
$11,420
$89,561
$27,692
$157,886
$6,880
$18,189
YOUR MONEY
FUNDING GOD’S MINISTRY “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart is also.”
October’s Stewardship Scripture: It’s our way of encouraging everyone to become a better steward. Giving is an act of faith.
Sharing our joy in Christ Jesus by Reaching out to show God’s Love.
Gold Star Mission 500 Cairo to St Charles, IL
SGT Brian M Romines was just twenty years old when he was
killed in action on June 6, 2005. He was from Simpson, Illinois.
On September 20, Jim Lund began his 514.5
mile bike trek in memory of SGT. Brian M.
Romines (IL. National Guard). Jim along
with a team of Illinois military members, from
Cairo to Chicago rode in memory of thirty-
four fallen Illinois Air and Army National Guard heroes who lost
their lives since September 11, 2001. This endurance ride was to
raise funds and awareness for the families who lost loved ones
while in service to our country.
Thank you to everyone that helped Jim reach his goal of $1,000,
and for all the prayers! To learn more and see pictures/videos of
the four day endurance ride, please visit www.goldstarmission.org.
Sunday, November 5
All Services
All Saints Sunday is a time for remembering loved ones we’ve lost in the past year.
Sugar Creek is preparing for Confirmation
Classes. Do you have a son, daughter, or
grandchild (6th—8th grade) that is ready for
the Confirmation experience?
On Sunday, October 29, we will have an
important orientation meeting for both parents
and confirmands at 5 p.m. at the church. Please
contact the Church Office if you have any
questions ([email protected]/217.697.4643).
The United Methodist Men have chosen Asbury Children’s Supper Hour as their quarterly project. They are collecting the following items: Canned Goods:
Peaches, pears, mandarin oranges,
Pineapples, carrots, green beans,
peas
chicken broth, honey, spaghetti
sauce, thin spaghetti noodles, and
canned chicken
QUARTERLY PROJECT
Let all that you do be done with Love. 1 Corinthians 16:16
[Christ] is the head of the body, the church: he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have first place in everything. – Colossians 1:18, NRSV
From his devotional book titled, Wonder of the Cross, Chris Tiegreen writes the following for September 23,
2011, which prompted me at the time to reflect on both Christians and churches risking all for Christ.
“Groups of Chinese students regularly leave their homeland on a march to Jerusalem. Why? Because the route
goes through strongholds of every major religion in the world and the students’ passion for telling the story of Jesus is
strong. They know that many of them will die from persecution along the way. They know that they aren’t allowed to
turn back, even if their family members need them. Regardless of health and hardship, they will continue until they
reach Jerusalem or die. In their lives, Christ is supreme.”
Chinese students journey through the strongholds of all the major religions in the world to Jerusalem because of
their burning desire to tell the story of Jesus. They go, knowing they will have to leave their homes and families behind,
they will be persecuted along the way, and many of them will die for their faith. What determination . . . what motiva-
tion . . . what inspiration these Chinese students demonstrate! They “will continue until they reach Jerusalem or die.”
Why? Because Christ is supreme in their lives. They put Christ first in everything! Oh, if only we would display such
passion . . . such desire . . . such motivation that we are willing to risk everything – even our lives – for the supremacy
of Christ.
As the fall season begins and new church ministries start, Charge Conferences are held, stewardship campaigns
are conducted, and church leaders are sought, it’s a good time for us to reflect on the risks we are willing to take to
follow Christ. As Christians and as Christ’s church, we are called to put Christ first in everything, which means taking
risks. However, I believe many Christians and churches today no longer take risks because they no longer put Christ
first. Some may disagree, saying, “Of course, we put Christ first.” In response, my question is this: “Do our actions
show it?”
It’s not enough that we say, think and believe we put Christ first. We also must show it with our risk-taking
actions. Read carefully the following additional thoughts from Tiegreen. He writes: “Is [Christ] first only in our think-
ing and our beliefs? Or is He first in our lifestyles? There’s a difference. Intellectual faith in the deity of Jesus requires
little risk. Lifestyle faith in the deity of Jesus requires everything. Our spiritual opposition knows that too. Satan and his
forces will do whatever they can to keep our faith in our minds and out of our lives.”
Indeed, there is a difference in proclaiming Christ’s supremacy with our words and demonstrating Christ’s
supremacy with our actions. This is true for the lives of both Christians and churches. The longer I reflect on this differ-
ence, the more I’m convinced that many Christians (myself included) and churches (SCUMC included) are putting
Christ first more in our thoughts and words, and less in our actions and lives.
Truly putting Christ first in our lives means taking risks. If we’re not sure we’re putting Christ as “Lord over
all,” we only need to consider when we last took a great risk for the sake of sharing the Good News. Even more,
consider when we last risked everything (family, home, work, etc.) to follow our passion for Christ and embark on a
life-changing journey of faith. If our answer is “never” or “it’s been a long time,” then we need to start taking risks for
Christ today!
If SCUMC is serious about putting Christ first in everything and having Christ Lord over all, then it needs to
take risks – great risks! It needs to start doing real risk-taking ministries and missions. It needs to be willing to risk
everything, including the familiar and comfortable way it has conducted church ministries and missions in the past. It
needs to risk all for Christ to fulfill the “Great Commission” of going and making disciples of Jesus Christ, and to
accomplish “Our Mission” of bringing people to Jesus Christ through worship, connection and service.
For this to happen, SCUMC needs church leaders willing to risk all for Christ in their personal and church lives,
and to embark on a life-changing spiritual journey of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. In short, our church needs
bold risk-takers to advance God’s Kingdom here “on earth as it is in heaven.” Are you one of these risk-takers? If so,
SCUMC needs you! Just a thought.
Pastor Paul
Risking All for Christ
Remember to always put GOD FIRST in your relationships, marriage, and your home. Because where there is Christ your foundation will always remain solid.
Stress. Anxiety. Fear. These words capture well the state of mind of many of us in America today. We
have witnessed dramatic market losses, the collapse of the world’s largest insurance company, and many bank-
ruptcies and mergers. Every day seems to bring another piece of economic uncertainty.
A recent survey found that over three in four Americans are stressed about the economy and their personal
finances. Half were worried about providing for their family’s basic needs. Over half of respondents reported
feeling angry and irritable, and reported lying awake at night worried about this. The report concludes that, “The
declining state of the nation’s economy is taking a physical and emotional toll on people nationwide.”1
Increasing consumer debt, declines in savings, lower income growth, and a volatile stock market are all a
part of our economic insecurity. We have lived in a society that tells us “you deserve it now,” whether or not we
can afford it or really even need it.
All of us have struggled with these issues at one time or another. They are important issues that we cannot
ignore. This is why, over the next four weeks, we will be having a churchwide study and worship emphasis,
including a four-week sermon series, called Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity. During
this time, we will explore what the Bible teaches us about financial management through corporate worship and
small group study (visit www.sugarcreek.org for details). We’ll hear expert advice and stories about what others
have learned by working through financial challenges. Each week we will provide you with some practical tools
you can use to assess your financial situation and develop a financial plan with a biblical foundation.
At the conclusion of the emphasis, we will have the opportunity to make personal commitments of our
offerings to God through our church in the coming year. We will consecrate these commitments on Sunday,
November 12, and celebrate them on Sunday, November 26, in the worship services.
I hope you will join us in the coming weeks as we look at how we can manage our financial resources and
truly experience simplicity, generosity, and joy.
Schedule of Events:
Wed. Oct. 11 Faith in the Midst of Financial Crisis
Small-Group Study Begins
Week of Oct. 15 When Dreams Become Nightmares
Week of Oct. 22 Wisdom and Finance
Week of Oct. 29 Cultivating Contentment
Week of Nov. 5 Defined by Generosity
Small-Group Study Ends
Sunday Nov. 12 *Consecration Sunday
Sunday Nov. 26 *Celebration Sunday
*Consecration and Celebration of Next Year’s Ministry Commitment
1 “Eight Out of Ten Americans Stressed Because of Economy,” by Madison Park, from CNN.com, October 7,
2008; http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/10/07/economic.stress/index.html.