FAITHnews - Eldridge United Methodist Church · with Pastor Courtney One of my favorite TV shows as a teenager is called Gil-more Girls. It’s a story about a single mother named

FAITHnews

CONVERSATIONS

with Pastor Courtney

One of my favorite TV shows as a teenager is called Gil-

more Girls. It’s a story about a single mother named Loralei and

her daughter Rory. They love snow so much that when the first

snow arrives every season they go for a walk in it, even if it’s in

the middle of the night. However, there’s one winter season

when Loralei falls out of love with the snow. She’s the owner of

an Inn, and she’s losing business because her patrons are

snowed in at home. She steps in a giant ice puddle and a tree

falls on top of her Jeep. She gets so frustrated at this thing she

once enjoyed that she begins kicking and screaming at the

snow. Determined to help her fall back in love with snow, Lo-

ralei’s boyfriend Luke makes an ice skating rink for her in her

front yard. Loralei’s joy returns.

I think all of us can relate to Loralei’s situation. We are

experiencing one of the harshest winters we have ever had in

Iowa. This has disrupted many of our daily routines and caused

plans to be postponed or cancelled. What a metaphor for our

faith! Often our lives are going along smoothly and then a life

event comes along that distracts us from our path - a broken

friendship, the loss of a loved one, an unexpected career

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ELDRIDGE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | FEBRUARY 2019

Continued on page 2

ELDRIDGE UMC 604 S. 2nd St. Eldridge, IA 52748 563-285-4314

PASTOR Courtney Dake [email protected]

CYFM DIRECTOR/ TREASURER Brenda Sorensen [email protected]

OFFICE MANAGER/EDITOR CJ Albertson [email protected]

Deadline for the MARCH 2019

issue of FAITHnews is

February 20th, please!

Tim Reickard - surgery on broken hip

Family of Helen Miller

Cindy Johnson (Jeff Cronkleton’s sister) - cancer

Homeless/Poor suffering from the extreme cold

David Kintigh - rehabbing ‘shattered’ knee

Leona Lightner - upcoming shoulder surgery

Jeff Spear (Ramona Wild’s son) - stroke

Ramona Wild - recovering at home from falls

Deb Fordham, Terri Dockery, Jim Green and all

others bravely battling cancer

Earthquake, Fire & Tornado victims in parts of

our country

Immigrant children separated from their families;

All victims of bullying and abuse

The men and women of the Armed Forces who

protect our country and our liberty

Please pray for . . .

CONVERSATIONS (continued from page 1)

“We even take

pride in our

problems,

because . . .

. . .we know that

trouble produces

endurance,

endurance produces

character,

& character produces

hope.”

change. All of a sudden we are searching for that peace and calm that

we had just been experiencing.

Romans 5:1-5 says, “Therefore, since we have been made

righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with God through

our Lord Jesus Christ. We have access by faith into this grace in

which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory.

But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we

know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces charac-

ter, and character produces hope. This hope doesn’t put us to shame,

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through

the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Next time you experience a season of winter in your life re-member that spring is coming. Every life experience is an opportunity to grow in the love and grace of God. We have hope in a God who is faithful and will pull us through. So curl up with cup of cocoa and wait out this winter. Praise God spring is coming!

Romans 5: 3-4

Birthday &

Anniversary Club

2018 Contributions = $1,849

New Club Members:

Birthdays

Dan Esbaum

Donna Eudaley

Anniversary

Dennis & Donna Eudaley

DATE GREETER ACOLYTE USHER LITURGIST KID TIME TREATS A/V PIANO

2/3*

Trish &

Jess

Kim & Levi Lehman

Megan Coffman;

Taylor Crain

Prochaska Family

Ephram Huscko

Steve Sorensen

Karen Apple; Sondra Bulazo

David Sorensen

Kathy Dawson

2/10 Gary &

Bea Abbas

Megan Coffman;

Taylor Crain

Frank & Marcia Rowley

Dan Esbaum

Pastor Courtney

Rowley; Kim

Lehman

Keith Riewerts

CJ Albertson

2/17

Dana Blake; Kelly

Cronkleton

Megan Coffman;

Taylor Crain

Stacy & Dietrich Muhs

CJ Albertson

CJ Albertson

Kelly Cronkleton; Vicki Shaw

Keith Riewerts

Sally Riewerts

2/24

Mike & Vicki Shaw

Megan Coffman;

Taylor Crain

Norma Nielson; Joyce Orcutt

Vicki Shaw

Susan Ames

Judy Kilzer; Sara Sack

Keith Riewerts

Linda Reickard

McCAUSLAND UMC is once again having its . . .

SOUP SUPPER Sunday, Feb 24

5-7pm

Enjoy a variety of SOUPS, SANDWICHES, DESSERTS and BEVERAGE

* FREE WILL OFFERING *

If you are unable to serve as designated, please try to trade with someone else on the chart and then

NOTIFY THE OFFICE of the change. If you are having difficulty making your own arrangements,

please call the office (563-285-4314) as soon as possible for assistance.

2018 Monthly Stewardship & Finance EOY Update

General

Operating Fund

Trustees (Building)

Fund

2018 Pledges: $158,591.00

Anticipated 2018 Growth: $ 10,700.00

TOTAL $169,291.00 ($14,107/mo) $15,268.00 ($1,272/mo)

Received in 2018:

January $13,668 $ 885

February $13,895 $ 680

March $21,407 $ 865

April $14,592 $ 835

May $11,247 $1,035

June $11,230 $1,815

July $14,518 $1,240

August $11,958 $ 760

September $ 9,083 $ 615

October $17,450 $4,108

November $10,330 $ 580

DECEMBER $16,630 $ 905

Percentage of 2018 pledges received: 94% 95%

NOVEMBER Income

- Expenses

$21,864.96

$22,137.66

Net LOSS: $ 272.70*

* APPORTIONMENTS were PAID IN FULL for 2018!!

FEBRUARY at the

FOOD PANTRY

-Canned FRUIT -Canned MEALS (ravioli, mac ‘n cheese, beef stew, etc.) -Side Dishes (mac ‘n cheese, jello, pasta packages, applesauce, etc.)

The SPPR Committee meeting has

once again been rescheduled to this

coming Tuesday night (the 12th) at

6:30. Unless conditions are impossi-

ble, we WILL hold the meeting.

Please try to come but if conditions are

‘scary’ we understand if you just can

not make it this month.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! Pas-

tor Courtney will lead a six-week Len-

ten Bible Study beginning at 6:30 pm

on Wednesday, March 13th and con-

tinuing the following five Wednes-

days—March 20 & 27, April 3, 10 &

17—at the same time. (If this time

doesn’t work for you, Pastor will be

leading the same study at McCausland

on the corresponding Tuesdays at 1:00

pm — Feel free to attend either one.)

Pastor is still selecting the book, so

more details are to come.

2/01 Courtney Dake Shari Carter-Steiner

2/03 Carol Faeth Keith Riewerts

2/07 Nate Loussaert Blake Shuppy Bryton Shuppy

2/08 Trish Reisener

2/12 Emma Windt

2/13 Aundrea Crain Owen Gentz Rachel Sorensen

2/14 Joan Brandon

2/15 Cole Gay

2/16 Pam Loussaert Alauna Gentz

2/21 Rheta Allen

2/27 Carol Haugland

2/07 Randy & Ana Kinney

2/10 Doug & Ethel Reynolds

2/28 Troy & Andrea Petersen

announcements

Don’t forget that we’re collecting used

crayons, pill bottles and, of course, the

last Sunday of each month is “Food

Pantry Sunday”.

CYFM Update

Given the bitter cold weather in late January, we were only

able to meet twice for Wonderful Wednesdays. However,

the kids were able to update the bulletin board with a theme

that is very apropos (see photo, right). We also kicked off

our Marvel Movie Madness by watching “Captain America:

The First Avenger”. The next movie will be “Captain

America: The Winter Soldier” showing at 2:00 PM on

Sunday, Feb. 10th. All are welcome! For the younger

kids, we will be showing Veggie Tale hero movies at the

same time.

Also in February, the youth will be working on redecorating

the nursery. The “before” pictures are shown right, and

look for the “after” pictures in the March newsletter …

pending no more cancellations due to weather!

Thank you to those who turned in names

of your kids you’d like prayed over, and to those who will

be praying. Prayer warriors, I will be sending you the name

(s) of the child(ren) to pray for within the next week or so

along with a February prayer calendar. It’s not too late to

turn in names! Just contact Joyce Orcutt at (563)285-8988,

(563)940-5565, or [email protected].

CHIMES —

Practice will resume in mid-March in preparation for play-

ing during Easter worship on April 21st.

SOCCER SHOES anyone? If you know of any-

one in need of soccer shoes, we have some to give

away! Just contact Brenda Sorensen if you’d like

a pair or two of those shown below! (Sizes availa-

ble are listed beow the picture, adult only).

3, 4, 5 1/2, 6, 10, 13 4, 5, 6 1/2, 7

Feb. 10th @ 2 PMFeb. 10th @ 2 PMFeb. 10th @ 2 PM Kids Against Hunger

On Saturday, Feburary 23, the North Scott Clergy

Group will be hosting a Kids Against Hun-

ger packaging event at the North Scott High School

cafeteria from 10:00 am to noon. The goal is to pack-

age 54,000 meals for people in need of food and nutri-

tion around the world . I’d like to reserve an hour time

slot from 11:00-12:00. Please email

([email protected]) or text (940-6516)

Brenda Sorensen by Feb. 9th if you’d like to join us at

this event.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

EUMC serves at Food Pantry

2 2pm Helen Miller funeral

3 Communion Sunday 9:00/10:10 Worship / Sunday School

4 Office Closed

6:00 Lion’s Club

6:30 HiSET(GED) Mentoring

6:30 PFLAG mtg

5 10:00 Bible Study

6 9:00 Yoga

6:00 WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

7

5-7 Compass “BYOS”

8

9 7am Men’s Breakfast in Argo

10 8:00 Choir Practice 9:00/10:10 Worship / Sunday School 2:00 “Iron Man” (see Article)

4:00 Choir Practice

11 Office Closed

6:00 Lion’s Bd. 6:30 HiSET(GED) Mentoring

12

10:00 Bible Study

6:30 SPPRC Committee

13 9:00 Yoga

10:00 Pastor to Grand Haven

6:00 WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

14 6:30 Finance / Admin Council

15

16

17 8:00 Choir Practice 9:00/10:10 Worship / Sunday School

18 Office Closed

—

President’s Day

(No School @ North Scott)

6:30 HiSET(GED) Mentoring

19 10:00 Bible Study

.

20 9:00 Yoga Deadline for MAR. FaithNews sub-missions

6:00 WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

21

Pastor to Colum-bus Junction

(all day)

22

23

24 Food Pantry Sunday 8:00 Choir Practice 9:00/10:10 Worship / Sunday School

25 Office Closed

6:30 HiSET(GED) Mentoring

26 10:00 Bible Study

27 9:00 Yoga

6:00 WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY

7:00 UMW

28