S.U.M. News · 7/4/2018 · Thank you for your thoughtful, generous service to them. Sincerely,...
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S.U.M. News July 2016 Thoughts from the Pastor Well, Annual Conference 2016 is now over, and Robin and I begin year 17 of living and serving in Shreve. When we first arrived, I said it was a great joy to be here. It still is! In some ways it doesn’t seem like a long time, but when I think about all the living that can happen in sixteen years, I get a different perspective. Sixteen years is enough time to go all the way through elementary school, junior high and high school, then on through college to complete a four-year degree! Students graduating from high school this year were tiny children when we first arrived! (This paragraph needs more exclamation marks!) Speaking of Annual Conference, for the past few years, on Wednesday afternoons, the bishop has moved the usual business off the calendar to make room for leadership development sessions to help pastors and delegates become better followers of Christ, so we can in turn help the folks back home become better followers of Christ. This year’s session was led by our current Conference Lay Leader, Greg Rentsch. Being a lay leader means, of course, that he is not a pastor, but a lay person. Which is great because over the years I’ve found— and I hate to admit this—that often lay people do a better job than clergy of being down to earth and practical when it comes to grasping how we ought to be living as Jesus’ disciples. What Greg had to say was not new or startling, but it was very important. The kind of stuff we all need to revisit on a regular basis and maybe consider more seriously than we ever have before. Greg framed his presentation around these three questions: 1) “Do we know what our mission is?” 2) “Are we more focused on membership growth or the growth of disciples?” 3) “Where are you on your discipleship path?” He took us back to the “Great Commission,” Jesus’ last words to His disciples in Matthew 28: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That’s our mission, and EVERYTHING we do in the church, even if it’s hosting a chicken dinner, should take Jesus’ commission into consideration. We can set our focus on many things: how many people are in worship, how much money we have or don’t have, what kind of programs we have or don’t have—but our primary focus always needs to be on doing what Jesus told us to do, making disciples who follow Him. And we need to turn our focus inward as well as outward. Where are you on your own discipleship path? Are you stagnant or growing? Are you aimed at obeying everything Jesus commanded, or picking and choosing? How much of Christ is in your Christianity? Let us ponder these things before the Lord! Pastor Bill Shreve United Methodist Church Box 525, Shreve, Ohio 44676 Church Office: 330-567-2051 Parsonage: 330-567-2295 Church Home Page Address: http//www.shreveumc.org E-mail Address: [email protected] Bill Lawson, Pastor
Transcript of S.U.M. News · 7/4/2018 · Thank you for your thoughtful, generous service to them. Sincerely,...
S.U.M. News
July 2016
Thoughts from the Pastor Well, Annual Conference 2016 is now over, and
Robin and I begin year 17 of living and serving in
Shreve. When we first arrived, I said it was a great
joy to be here. It still is! In some ways it doesn’t
seem like a long time, but when I think about all
the living that can happen in sixteen years, I get a
different perspective. Sixteen years is enough time
to go all the way through elementary school, junior
high and high school, then on through college to
complete a four-year degree! Students graduating
from high school this year were tiny children when
we first arrived! (This paragraph needs more
exclamation marks!)
Speaking of Annual Conference, for the past few
years, on Wednesday afternoons, the bishop has
moved the usual business off the calendar to make
room for leadership development sessions to help
pastors and delegates become better followers of
Christ, so we can in turn help the folks back home
become better followers of Christ. This year’s
session was led by our current Conference Lay
Leader, Greg Rentsch. Being a lay leader means, of
course, that he is not a pastor, but a lay person.
Which is great because over the years I’ve found—
and I hate to admit this—that often lay people do a
better job than clergy of being down to earth and
practical when it comes to grasping how we ought
to be living as Jesus’ disciples.
What Greg had to say was not new or startling, but
it was very important. The kind of stuff we all need
to revisit on a regular basis and maybe consider
more seriously than we ever have before. Greg
framed his presentation around these three
questions: 1) “Do we know what our mission is?” 2)
“Are we more focused on membership growth or
the growth of disciples?” 3) “Where are you on
your discipleship path?” He took us back to the
“Great Commission,” Jesus’ last words to His
disciples in Matthew 28: “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.” That’s our
mission, and EVERYTHING we do in the church,
even if it’s hosting a chicken dinner, should take
Jesus’ commission into consideration. We can set
our focus on many things: how many people are in
worship, how much money we have or don’t have,
what kind of programs we have or don’t have—but
our primary focus always needs to be on doing
what Jesus told us to do, making disciples who
follow Him.
And we need to turn our focus inward as well as
outward. Where are you on your own discipleship
path? Are you stagnant or growing? Are you aimed
at obeying everything Jesus commanded, or picking
and choosing? How much of Christ is in your
Christianity?
Let us ponder these things before the Lord!
Pastor Bill
Shreve United Methodist Church
Box 525, Shreve, Ohio 44676
Church Office: 330-567-2051
Parsonage: 330-567-2295
Church Home Page Address:
http//www.shreveumc.org
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Bill Lawson, Pastor
Church Committee Schedule Finance Committee: Tuesday July 21, 7:00 pm
Other committees are on summer recess, unless you receive a postcard or email advising you of a meeting.
Retired Men’s Luncheon July 14, 11:30 am We meet the second Thursday of the month at “Farmer Boy” Restaurant, 2448 Cleveland Road, in Wooster. If you are available at that time, and “wish” you were retired, we’d be glad to have you join us, as well. Questions, contact Fred Lendrum at 330-567-2651 or the church office for more information.
Vacation Bible School July 10– July 14, 6:30 pm till 9:00 pm.
Dinner Served at 5:30 Closing is Thursday at 8:40 pm
Men’s Prayer Breakfast July 16, 7:00 am We extend the invitation to all men in the congregation. Join us for a time of fellowship, prayer and enjoy breakfast, as well. Contact the church office for more details.
SERVE Wednesday, July. 20, 5:30 pm A free meal for the church family and community. In addition to providing a meal, this event provides a time of fellowship for those who might enjoy a meal with others.
Summer Helping Hands: Monday June 27 Helping Hands
will be meeting in the Old Fellowship Hall.
Early Morning Prayer 5:00 – 6:00 AM WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. Join us for a few minutes or the whole hour. Pray alone or with a group of friends. Pray sitting, kneeling, standing or wandering. Enjoy a slice of quality time with the Lord!
Enjoy your freedom Because many Americans have never known other circumstances, it’s easy to take our liberties for granted. The Israelites knew firsthand the oppression of slavery. Yet when God finally led them out of Egypt, they had problems adjusting to their newfound freedom. Fearful and rebellious, the Israelites grumbled against their leaders, Moses and Aaron, saying they would’ve been better off as slaves in Egypt. Our freedom as Christians cost Jesus his life. But we, too, often find it easier to fall back into sinful habits. In Galatians 5:1, Paul offers this encouragement: “For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (NRSV). We’re no longer bound by sin and death. That “independence” is worth celebrating every day!
JUNE MEETINGS
Church Family Notes
Thank you to everyone who helped with cleaning my front porch and cleaning my windows on April 23. Wilma Yockey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Work Day Team, Thank you for your dedication to the elderly in the congregation. Tom and Dorothy Armstrong have benefited from your working hearts and hands for a few years now. This April 2016 windows were washed and mulch was spread at the Armstrong home. Thank you for your thoughtful, generous service to them. Sincerely, Armstrong’s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Church Family, Thank you so much for your prayers and expressions of sympathy for my dad. I can’t tell you what your love, support and encouragement have meant to me. Your faithfulness to the Lord is a real blessing. Know that being part of the Shreve Methodist Family makes such a difference in the lives of its people. God bless each of you!!!! In Christ’s love, Carla Lendrum & Family
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Dear Friends at Shreve UMC, Many, many thanks for your faithful ministry partnership over the years. And special thanks for the love & support you showed Mom during the time of Bob’s homegoing. The meals, visits, cards, and calls are much appreciated. God Bless each of you. Rachel Coleman
Our condolences go out to Joni & Jeff Schonauer upon the death of Joni’s brother,
Douglas Martin Sause from Searcy, Arkansas. He passed away on April 16.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We also extend our sympathies to Bonnie Sheeter and her family upon the death of her husband Bob Sheeter who passed away on May 29.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sympathies go out to Brenda Kohli upon the death of her mother LaVinna Mosser who passed away on May 30 in South Carolina. Sympathy is also extended to Crystal McClintock, granddaughter and Emma, Landon and Noah McClintock great great grandchildren. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Outreach Office continues to meet many needs in the Shreve Community because of the generosity of this church. At this time, the office is in need of Bibles for both adults and children. If you would like to help with this need, monetary donations can be placed in the offering plate. Make checks payable to the church and specify that the donation is for “Outreach Bibles”. I can maximize your donation by buying Bibles by the case from a book distributor so you do not need to purchase the Bibles. Thank you for your continued support of this vital ministry. If you have any questions, please contact Peggy Gray or leave a message with the Outreach Office.
Helping Hands will be meeting the last Monday of the Month throughout
the summer. They will meet July 25 & August 29.
Come sew and enjoy fellowship! Any questions call Edie Robertson.
VBS INFORMATION
S.U.M. News 1-96
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2016201620162016
Greeters
3 Scott & Katie Wiggam 10 Al & Karen McFarland 17 Greg & Cheryl Gordon 24 Scott & Rhonda Boothby 31 Benny & Deb Martin
Acolytes
3 Allison Moody 10 Wyatt Rohr 17 Lexi Starr
24 Adam Wolf 31 Tyler Zimmerly
Lay Leaders
3 Carla Lendrum 10 Laurel Sidle 17 John Weaver 24 Aaron Boothby 31 Barb Long
Ushers: Bill Beaverson, Fred Bowen, Jim Bowen, Roscoe Burgan, William Burkholder
Nursery
3 Luke & Rebecca Rohr 10 Gary Sidle & Lisa Haberbusch 17 Sheila Wells & Rhonda Boothby 24 Elsie Burkholder & Ruth Sprang 31 Jeremy & Renee Burnison
Explorers
3 Meghan Wright 10 Beth Acker 17 Jen Zehnder 24 Christi Franks 31 Matt Diffenderfer
Believers All Month Matt Diffenderfer
Tech Support 3 Rosemarie Daley, Dennis Daley, Ashton Franks 10 Jeremy Burnison, Laurie Sidle, Todd Gordon, 17 Dennis Daley, Jeremy Burnison, Luke Daley 24 Jacob Sidle, Abigail Daley, Seth Franks 31 Carlos Visocky, Luke Daley,
