The Methodist · 6/10/2009  · The Methodist A Publication of The Seward United Methodist Church 1400 North 5 th Street Seward, NE 68434 June 2011 Vol. 7, Issue 6 Vacation Bible

The MethodistThe MethodistThe Methodist A Publication of The Seward United Methodist Church 1400 North 5th Street � Seward, NE � 68434 June 2011 � Vol. 7, Issue 6

Vacation Bible School

June 20-24 � 9-11:30 a.m. Registration form inside

The Methodist Mailbox

JUST4THEFUNOFIT!

Join our adult fellowship group and

mark your summer weekend calendars NOW!

SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 4th

James Arthur for Tuna Fish Jones Concert

JULY (date TBA) Outdoor cookout with

Marc and Marty Guthrie! Come and Enjoy!

SUNDAY EVENING, AUGUST 28th

The Poor House Wine Tasting Room in Friend, NE.

Radical Hospitality

Thank you to Jean Algya and Phyllis Hronik for making the

Easter banner for our celebration during this Easter Season!

Thank you for allow-ing our girl scouts troop to meet on Tuesdays at the church this year, and the use of the room to hold our meetings. We truly appreciated your generosity and support of our Girl Scout Troop! Girl Scout Troop #20290.

Thank you to the following for attending the presentations of our Confirmation students. Evelyn Hastings, Bruce and Sue Dickinson, Don and LaQuita McKibbin, T.J. and Virginia Fraser, Bruce and Elaine Heidbrink, Jeannie Jeary and Cindy Mavis.

Thank you for the cross. It is really cool. I thank the whole congregation for supporting me. Thanks again,

Caleb Griger

The Methodist Mailbox

Join our adult fellowship group and

UMW MISSIONS

WORKDAYS

June 18, July 23, August 20

8:30-12:30

We need people with portable sewing ma-

chines, we are making and tying twin and baby

quilts, pillow cases and school bags for Haiti.

Questions? Call Phyllis at 402-643-6077.

BLUE VALLEY COMMUNITY

ACTION PANTRY

Collection items for June 5 is

PEANUT BUTTER

Heartwarming Worship Worship Schedule

Sundays at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. Fellowship following the 10:30 service Sunday School following the children’s message at the 10:30 service.

CAN’T BE IN WORSHIP?

Watch us on Cable 13 at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday and 10:00 a.m. on Thursday mornings.

Risk-Taking Mission

SUMC will not be changing

hours for the Summer

Church Schedule. Worship

Services will remain at 8:15

and 10:30.

Worship Committee

The next Praise Worship

Service is June 19, 2011 at

the 10:30 service.

JUSTICE WITH PEACE SUNDAY June 19,2011

A Churchwide Special Sunday of The United Methodist Church

Your generous gift on Peace with Justice Sunday support:

*Peace with justice ministries in the conference board of church and society; and *Peace with justice work in the United States and around the world, related to the General Board of Church Society.

Giving to Peace with Justice Sunday helps to

remove unjust systems and equip the victim-

ized to live more fulfilled lives.

“We cannot keep quiet if there is

something wrong.”

Miscellaneous

CROSSES

SUMC is look-

ing for people

to donate

crosses no lar-

ger than 8” X

10” for our dis-

play of crosses.

This will be lo-

cated in the North hall-

way leading to the fel-

lowship hall. Please

bring your cross

to the church

office.

Thank you!

HELP NEEDEDHELP NEEDEDHELP NEEDEDHELP NEEDED The United Methodist Women need good Christian gentlemen willing to help set up and take down tables & chairs for funerals etc…Please sign up at the Welcome Center or contact Jeannie Jeary at 643-2344. Thank you!

There is a family looking for housing for

a mom and three older children sometime

this summer. For more information, call

the church office. 643-4156.

Our Local wig bank is in need

of gently used scarves and hats

to be given to patients under-

going chemo or radiation.

Scarves and hats can be

dropped off a Awe Salon in

Seward.. Thank you!!

Seward WigSeward WigSeward WigSeward Wig Bank ScarfBank ScarfBank ScarfBank Scarf and Hat and Hat and Hat and Hat FundraiserFundraiserFundraiserFundraiser

For information

on how to donate

to the relief fund

for victims of

spring storms and flooding,

visit our church website

(www.sewardumc.org) and/or

our facebook page. Both loca-

tions have a link that will take

you to the appropriate website.

Please let the church office know

if you are interested in volunteer-

ing in the nursery on Sunday

mornings. We are need of 3 or

4 individuals to help share the

responsibility. Help Needed

JOYS AND CONCERNS

Please remember those with on-going health concerns through the month of May: Erik Anderson, Ruth Wehrs, Dale Borcher, Pete Yost, Connie Atkinson, Wanda Miers, Jim Henry, Samuel Lee DeBoer, Logan Craig,

Linda Marshall.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Barbara Brazelle who passed away May 20, 2011. A memorial Service will be held at the Seward United Methodist Church on June 25, 10:30 a.m. with a luncheon to follow.

We keep Grace Halder in our prayers for safety, knowledge and fun while attending a Church Leadership camp for two weeks in June.

Thank you for the Baptism of Ayla Rayne Chess on May 22, 2011.

Bless the young men and women who have now finished their High School years as 2011 graduates. Walk with these graduates as they move forward. May they know and believe that Jesus is the way, the Truth and the Life. Be with them as they open a new chapter in their lives and pray that they listen for your guidance. We gathered together to worship our creator through the service of confirmation on May 1, 2011. Our family has grown! We congratulate our Confirmands and may we all seek to fulfill the vows made and renewed on that day. Our prayers are with the family and friends of Jerry Lee Taylor, son of Jean Algya, who passed away on April 25, 2100.

It seems that with June 1st many breathe a sigh of relief...the

mad dash of May is complete, and now the lazy—hazy days of

summer are stretched out before us like a long winding path

that leads somewhere, but we’re not sure where. Perhaps that

is how our summer will unfold. We do know a few of things that will happen between

now and Labor Day week-end, but we don’t yet know exactly everything that we will do,

how we will have changed, or who we will have become by then—for our experiences will

change how we perceive the world, and how we are perceived. It is comforting to know

that God is fully aware of who we are and who we will become at all times and in all

places. I don’t believe that God created us as a clock maker makes a clock. The clock

maker finishes their work, winds the clock and sits back and lets it do its thing. God did

not create us to be stagnant beings. We were created to grow and evolve...each day be-

coming closer and closer to God. Our spiritual growth is a 365 day

endeavor. There isn’t a day on the calendar that we cannot grow

closer to God. Don’t give in to the misguided belief that it’s ok to

“take the summer off;” God certainly won’t...why should we?

Phone: 402-643-4156; Fax: 402-643-4159 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sewardumc.org Doug Griger, Pastor; Every Member, Minister

REMEMBER…Call

the Church (643-4156) or Pastor Doug if you are going to be hospital-ized and wish to have the Pastor visit. Due to privacy laws, hospitals cannot disclose information.

MAY MAILBOX DEADLINE IS MAY MAILBOX DEADLINE IS MAY MAILBOX DEADLINE IS MAY MAILBOX DEADLINE IS Monday, June 28Monday, June 28Monday, June 28Monday, June 28

Submit your news by Monday, June 28. You can e-mail articles to the church at [email protected] or call Cindy , office administrator, at 643-4156.

Local Church Activities

Chair persons for June are:

Sue Imig 643-9747

Janni Hanson 646-2060

Vital Faith Formation

If you know someone Who needs a ride to church or are willing To be a driver please call the church office. know. (402-643-4156)

NEWS FLASH FROM BRIGHT BEGINNINGS

It has been a cool spring! The children have really enjoyed riding in the stroller and playing outside whenever it is not raining! Shannon has kept our friends in the childcare very busy. Seeds and flowers were planted for Mothers Day; pictures have been painted and a lot of stories have been read! Monica and the preschoolers did a lot of learning as

well! The preschoolers created artwork for our bulletin board, learned about the calendar, and sang a lot of new songs! We have had our last day of pre-school, and are looking forward to another great year in August! Bright Be-ginnings will have a float in the 4th of July Parade this year. We would like to hand out seed packets with information about our programs. Can you help us by donating inexpensive packets of flower seeds?

NEEDS FOR

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Ribbon no wider than 1/2 inch

SUMC will not be

changing hours

for the Summer

Church Schedule.

Worship Services

will remain at

8:15 and 10:30.

Worship

Committee

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS

We are now enrolling children for Pre-school for the Fall session, beginning in August. We also have room for more friends in our Bright Beginnings Child-care. For more information contact Monica at 402-642-2141.

SUMMER

PRESCHOOL

CAMP

Ages 3 through 5

July 11-15 Let’s All Be Mad Scientists

July 18-22 Shake, Rattle and Roll

July 25-29 Who’s On Noah’s Ark

For registration call 402-642-2141

A little seed drops, a shoot starts up, and a tree will grow. Its

roots will soon reach far down in the soil and will flourish in

years to come. The tree will stand strong

and firm and will brace itself against the

storms and from the earth will draw its life.

Like the tree, the Seward United Methodist

Foundation wants to grow its “seed” endowments and provide

for the “life” of our local church and beyond. As the widow with

her “mite” in the Book of Mark, God really likes it when we

give gifts for his glory from our hearts as well as our wallet. Be

your gift large or small, be proud of your part in growing the

Gracious Generosity

May - BY THE NUMBERS Offering Received in March General Funds: $28,940.52

Trustees Funds: $900.00

Average Worship Attendance for May: 249

Mission Share/Apportionments remaining in 2011: $37,911.00

FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

DID YOU KNOW? You can have your church contributions electronically transferred to the church? Included in this newsletter is the form for this process. A voided check and this authorization is all that is needed to make this process painless!

DID YOU KNOW? Our church has a Pastor’s Discretionary Fund? Contributions designated for this allow the pastor funds to assist people who come to the church in some kind of financial or personal difficulties. To

contribute to this, all you need to do is indicate that the funds go to

this account. This is just another way our generous members reach

out to those in need.

We need your input!

The Seward United Methodist Church has formed a Vision Team with the purpose

of creating a strategic plan for our church and church family over the course of the

next 10-15 years.

Please take a few moments to share your answers to the following questions.

We really appreciate your willingness to provide us your feedback as we look for-

ward to the future of our church.

What do you feel are our church families greatest assets?

What do you feel are our church's greatest challenges?

What would you like to see the Seward United Methodist Church doing in the

next 15 years? What do you want our church to be known for?