Volume 14, Issue 4

Stay In Love With God

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Morningstar UMC seeks to share the light and love of Jesus Christ to all we encounter. Morningstar will be a community where each person is offered opportunities and challenged to grow in his/her relationship with God throughout his/her life. As we grow in our love of God, we will increase our growth of healthy relationships by encouraging people of all ages through accountability, study, prayer, fellowship, and service. The more our congregation grows in these primary relationships (with God and our neighbors), we will see ourselves reaching out into the local community, region and world through acts of service – sharing the light of Jesus Christ in hands-on, meaningful ways, and inviting others to experience God’s love for themselves.

Casual for Christ - Feel free to come as you are! Connect for Real - Make authentic relationships with those around you. Contribute Ourselves - God has given us gifts to use to for His Kingdom. Care for All - All are welcome to join us in worship and the journey of faith

Contents

Our Vision

Our Values

3 Pastor’s Letter

4 Help Our Youngest Stay

in Love With God

4 Youth Mission Trip

5 Men’s Retreat

5 Young Adult Bible Study

6 Ministry Opportunities

at MUMC

6 Connection Cards

7 Vespers Services

7 Park Food Pantry

8 April Calendar

9 Servant Schedule

10 Contact Information

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Stay in love with God. Well, duh, right? Don’t we all want to

do that? The question, though, is not about desire but about practice. We want to stay in love with God, but how do we do that? John Wesley laid out a plan for staying in love with God. He called it “practicing the ordinances of God.” In plain English, that means practicing spiritual disciplines. We are supposed to practice spiritual disciplines as individuals and as a congregation. Wesley’s spiritual disciplines (ordinances) are listed in our Book of Discipline as the public worship of God, the ministry of the Word (either read or expounded), the Lord’s Supper, family and private prayer, searching the Scriptures, and fasting/abstinence (p. 78). Look over that list. What practices are already parts of your life? Which practices do you need to start? Wesley believed in living a balanced life. If we simply practiced these spiritual disciplines (also called works of piety), we would only be growing toward God and we might develop a holiness complex. Wesley encouraged Methodists to equally engage in works of mercy (which fall under the first two General Rules- do no harm, and do good- which we explored in previous editions of The Beacon). We need both works of piety and works of mercy in order to fulfill the Great Commandment- to love God and to love our neighbor. Staying in love with God is cyclical because it requires both works of piety and works of mercy. The closer you grow with God, the more you are propelled to love your neighbor. The more you engage with your neighbor in acts of mercy, the more you are drawn to God. Ultimately, God is the object of practicing the General Rules. We do no harm and do good so that we will stay in love with God. God is what we aim for– the object of our affection. That is why Wesley called these practices the means of grace, for they are the means to God. St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo in the 4

th century, perhaps said it best in his Confessions – “Our

hearts are restless until they rest in you.” So let’s put our faith into practice. Let’s love God and our neighbor by practicing Wesley’s General Rules. As a congregation, let’s commit to the opportunities in these pages to live out our faith and carry out the mission God has for us.

I will see you in worship!

Grace and peace, Pastor Jay

Stay In Love With God

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Help Our Youngest

Stay in Love with God

Our Sunday morning

Christian formation leaders work very hard and our elementary teachers and assistants need a break af-ter working all year to help our youngest stay in love with God. This month, a clipboard will be passed in worship which will invite you to consider being a teacher or assistant this summer. Please sign up and help our children grow in their relationship with God. There are two other possibilities for helping our youngest stay in love with God. We are planning our 3

rd annual Music and Arts

Camp for June 10-13 from 6-8 pm. We have an easy curriculum (no arts experience needed), but we need people who are willing to help teach. West Olive Faith UMC has also invited us to help them with their summer ministry outreach to neighborhood children (dates and times TBD). If you can help with either of these ministry opportunities, please contact the church office. What a great way to do good!

Youth Mission Trip

Spring has officially begun. We’re in the final months of

school, and summer will be here before you know it! Morningstar UMC has had a practice of offering a youth mission trip every other year. Our last mission trip was in 2011 when we went to Washington DC. Youth (and adult chaperones), here’s a great opportunity to do no harm, to do good, and to stay in love with God- all at the same time! Mark your calendars now for Sunday, July 28 through Friday, August 2. We will be traveling to Beulah Holiness Camp in southern Illinois for their Mission Blitz. Youth and chaperones will stay on site in cabins. Daily plans include Bible study, mission projects, sightseeing, and worship. Although the actual cost has not yet been determined, we’re told that this is a low-cost and close-to-home mission trip, so we hope many of you will participate. Registration for the mission trip will be done for our group through the IGRC camping office. You can find out more by visiting www.igrc.org/camping. If you plan to attend, please contact the church office by Monday, May 13.

Beulah Holiness Camp Beulah Holiness Camp in Eldorado, Illinois, has celebrated

over 100 years of worship and we are thrilled to become a part of the camp’s family while participating in Mission Blitz this summer! From the camp’s website: “Beulah Holiness Camp Meeting is an interdenominational Christian Association established for the purpose of getting sinners saved, backsliders reclaimed, and believers sanctified wholly.”

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Works of Piety + Works of Mercy =

1 Amazing Retreat

In practicing both works of piety and works of mercy, we can stay in love with God. And the

Men of Morningstar are offering men young and not so young the opportunity to do both in the same day through their retreat on April 13th.

The retreat will be based on the movie Courageous, which will be shown at the retreat. Courageous, released in 2011, follows four men whose calling is to serve and protect as law enforcement officers...and as fathers. The men always give their best on the job, but coming home is a different story. Protecting the communities they love is second-nature. Raising children who honor and glorify God? That’s courage.

Public worship of God, the ministry of the Word, and prayer are all works of piety that will take place during the retreat. One of the greatest works of mercy you can do is tell all of the men you know about this awesome opportunity to stay in love with God.

This retreat is open to all men, not just men in the congregation of Morningstar. This is a great chance to invite friends, family, co-workers, men from your bowling league, your barber, and even your mail man to learn more about God. You can pick up registration forms at the church OR you can direct men to the Morningstar website where they can download their own registration form and read more about the retreat.

What are you waiting for? Be courageous and share your love of the Lord with the men in your life so that they can do the same at the retreat! Registration is only $10 and ends April 10th, so don’t hesitate– sign-up today!

Staying in Love with God…Through Study

Our young adults (college-aged and young professionals) are crazy-busy. Work, classes,

and families can pull us in all different directions and we can’t always make it to worship or the church’s other Bible studies. Young adults have an opportunity to break out of the mold by par-ticipating in our online Bible study every Thursday night at 9:00 pm. Stay home in your pjs, have coffee at Starbucks, or hop online in your dorm room to participate in a great Bible study with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Contact Pastor Jay for more details on how you can get involved!

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Love God...by Sharing Your Faith

The verses known as the “Shema” from

Deuteronomy are very familiar to members and regular visitors of Morningstar UMC, as they are how each worship service begins. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” The command continues… “Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.

Bind them as a sign on your

hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Before you go and get these words tattooed on your hand or forehead or start getting out the paint cans to write these words on your house, there is another great way to share these words with others– family, friends, co-workers, and all those you encounter...and it’s as simple as giving them a card. We have created connection cards for our new sermon series “Running on Empty” so that you can tuck one into your bill when you pay at a restaurant or pass it on to a friend who may be going through a hard time. Your life may be the only Bible some people ever read, but you can provide others with the opportunity to hear the Gospel by inviting them to worship at Morningstar. It’s as easy as handing them a card.

Ministry Opportunity

Every week at Morningstar, no less than 13

people help to make a difference in the life of the church by carrying out a variety of duties from being an usher during worship to providing a special children’s message. These volunteers allow worship to run smoothly and help others to feel welcomed at Morningstar. We are looking for more people to help us in a few of these ministries:

Coffee Hosting Church Cleaning

Chatting with a visitor over a hot beverage before worship may just make that visitor decide to come back for another week and continue to hear the Gospel and see it lived out through the actions of the congregation. Keeping the house of the Lord neat and tidy and preparing it for worship on Sunday helps everyone to feel more welcome at Morningstar. If you are interested in either opportunity, please contact the church office for more information.

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Park Food Pantry

Our partner in ministry, Park Food Pantry, has

several immediate needs. Bringing in just one item makes a difference to those in need in the community. Consider picking up an extra item to donate whenever you make your next trip to the grocery store and imagine the impact you will make in doing good by sharing your excess with others. Presently their immediate needs are:

Canned Fruit Peanut Butter

Let bringing in a food item be a form of worship for you. This simple work of piety also serves as an act of mercy for a neighbor in need.

Items for Park Food Pantry are collected throughout the month and donated on the third Saturday of every month.

Love God…by Leading God’s

People

Morningstar UMC hosted their first

Vespers service at The Meadows at Mercy Creek on Sunday, March 17. Members of Ladies’ Bible study came and led the residents in singing hymns, prayers, Scripture reading, and a homily. Thanks to those who came out to lead God’s people in worship! As Pastor Jay noted in his letter on page 3, public worship is a work of piety. For the residents of The Meadows at Mercy Creek, attending to worship with their home congregation every Sunday is not always a possibility. This simple work of mercy, doing good for our neighbors, is a great way for you to stay in love with God and help others to do the same. Three Simple Rules for Christian Living by Jeanne Torrence Finley reminds us that “Worship is more about one’s spirit and the truth of God’s power and presence than it is about locations...and about turning one’s heart to God.” We must also remember that the church is not a building, it’s not a business– the church is the people living out their lives for Christ. Want to get involved? It’s easy! Pastor Jay has some Vespers service outlines that you can use to build the service. Put a team of people together who can lead songs, pray, and share devotions. Existing church groups are welcome to lead, as well as new groups. If you’re interested in helping with Vespers, please contact the church office. Our next service will be on June 16 at 3:00 pm.

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April 2013

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

2 1:00 Sit-N-Knit

3 Family Night

5:30 Meal 6:30 Worship 7:00 Classes 7:00 Youth

Handbells & Choir

4 6:00 Chancel

Choir 7:00 Handbell

Choir 9:00 Online Bible

Study

5 10:00 Ladies’

Bible Study

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9:00 Christian Formation

10:00 Prayer Time

10:15 Worship 11:30 Band

Rehearsal 11:30 Fellowship

Meal 1:00 N.O.W. 2:00 Church

Council

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7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

9

1:00 Sit-N-Knit 6:30 Ladies’

Bible Study

10

Family Night 5:30 Meal 6:30 Worship 7:00 Classes 7:00 Youth

Handbells & Choir

11

6:00 Chancel Choir

7:00 Handbell Choir

9:00 Online Bible Study

12

10:00 Ladies’ Bible Study

13

14

9:00 Christian Formation

10:00 Prayer Time

10:15 Worship 11:30 Band

Rehearsal 3:30 Home

Sweet Home Meal (Team #2)

15

7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

16

1:00 Newsletter Articles due

1:00 Sit-N-Knit 6:30 Ladies’

Bible Study

17 Family Night

5:30 Meal 6:30 Worship 7:00 Classes 7:00 Youth

Handbells & Choir

18

6:00 Chancel Choir

7:00 Handbell Choir

9:00 Online Bible Study

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10:00 Ladies’ Bible Study

11:30 Friday Fellow-ship

20 12:00 Park Food

Pantry Donations Collected

21

9:00 Christian Formation

10:00 Prayer Time

10:15 Worship 11:30 Band

Rehearsal

22

7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

23

1:00 Sit-N-Knit 6:30 Ladies’

Bible Study

24

Family Night 5:30 Meal 6:30 Worship 7:00 Classes 7:00 Youth

Handbells & Choir

25

No Activities 26

No School 10:00 Ladies’

Bible Study

27

28

9:00 Christian Formation

10:00 Prayer Time

10:15 Worship 11:30 Band

Rehearsal

29 7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

30

1:00 Sit-N-Knit 6:30 Ladies’

Bible Study

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April 07 April 14 April 21 April 28

Offertory Music

Youth Choir Youth Handbells Chancel Choir Youth Choir

Liturgist Tom Howe Betty Haag Michelle Giermann Eva DeVore

Children’s Message

Stephanie Soon Dave Venter Pastor Jay Adam Drake

Acolyte Jordan Kao Ellen Wang Hannah Schneider Joey Westpfahl

Media Technicians

Joe Kao John Weter Mark Immke Dean Westpfahl

Ushers

Dave Wright (H) Kim Kao

Tricia Todd Sharee Wright

Dean Westpfahl (H) Michelle Giermann

Georgia Griffith Larry Haag

Jim Snow (H) Sue Fetters

Mike Schneider Bill Sheets

Mark Immke (H) Mary Ann Altine Regan Jimison

Jeannine McNemee

Greeters Tricia Todd Larry & Betty Haag Betty Bickerstaff Mary Ann Altine

Coffee Host Joan Burger Dave & Pam Venter Eva DeVore Lori Immke

Offering Counter

Ruthann Sheets Tom Howe Betty Bickerstaff Dean Westpfahl

Newcomer Callers

Bill Sheets Ruthann Sheets Georgia Griffith Bill Sheets

Church Cleaning

Dave & Pam Venter John Weter Lori Immke Dave & Pam Venter

Servant Schedule for April 2013

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Morningstar United Methodist Church

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:00am -3:00pm

Office Telephone: (309) 452-6255

Website: www.mymorningstar.org

Worship with us on Sundays at 10:15 am

Contact Information

Rev. Jay Regennitter, Pastor pastor@mymorningstar.org

Pastor Stephanie Soon, Deacon & Pianist music@mymorningstar.org

Alyssa Rathbun, Administrative Assistant office@mymorningstar.org

Adam Drake & Hailey Crozier, Nursery Ministry Staff nursery@mymorningstar.org