MAY 2018 • Pastor’s Message • AmazonSmile • Session Notes • Committee Chairpersons • Deacons Corner • Worship Committee • Lectionary Readings • Buildings & Grounds • Presbyterian Women • Women of Faith • Christian Education • Bulletin Board • Birthday List • Book Club • May Calendar THE PROVERB “Called by God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit to worship, grow and serve.” KETTLE MORAINE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH N66 W32690 Highway K, Hartland, WI 53029 Telephone: 262-966-2410 Website: www.kmupc.com E-mail: [email protected]STAFF Minister: Rev. Mahew Lee Secretary: Stephanie Flessert Handbell Director: Emily Guderyon Choir Director: Stephanie Flessert Custodian: Sue Weber So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” (1 Kings 19:19-20) The missions of a church is following God’s call to serve the world according to God’s will. And missions is vital for every congregation. In fact, I have often said that a church without a mission is no longer a church. Why? Because without a mission we have broken away from God’s call and God’s will. Instead we are following our own will and shaping our own sense of call. There is always a temptation to fall away from God and follow our own will, and many churches have gotten stuck in that trap. Nearly every one of them follows the same pattern. No longer following God’s calling and will the question becomes: whose will and calling will we follow? In response, there is always more than one person in the church who believes they have all the right ideas. Obviously one church cannot go forward in two or more directions, and so conflict often ensues shortly after. So what does following God look like? Let’s take a look at the 1 Kings story from above. First of all, it means taking your life in a new direction. Elisha left many things behind to follow God. We don’t know much about Elisha before becoming a prophet, but we do know he was a farmer. Going from a farmer to a prophet is a definite change in direction. The New Testament tell us we are all called to follow, but it doesn’t say we are all to become prophets. So don’t quit your job. The change of direction we are called to is
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THE PROVER - Amazon S3you.” (1 Kings 19:19-20) The missions of a church is following God’s call to serve the world according to God’s will. And missions is vital for every congregation.
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MAY 2018
• Pastor’s Message
• AmazonSmile
• Session Notes
• Committee Chairpersons
• Deacons Corner
• Worship Committee
• Lectionary Readings
• Buildings & Grounds
• Presbyterian Women
• Women of Faith
• Christian Education
• Bulletin Board
• Birthday List
• Book Club
• May Calendar
THE PROVERB “Called by God through Jesus Christ in the power
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was
plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the
twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around
him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my
father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with
you.” (1 Kings 19:19-20)
The missions of a church is following God’s call to serve the world
according to God’s will. And missions is vital for every
congregation. In fact, I have often said that a church without a
mission is no longer a church. Why? Because without a mission we
have broken away from God’s call and God’s will. Instead we are
following our own will and shaping our own sense of call.
There is always a temptation to fall away from God and follow our
own will, and many churches have gotten stuck in that trap. Nearly
every one of them follows the same pattern. No longer following
God’s calling and will the question becomes: whose will and calling
will we follow? In response, there is always more than one person
in the church who believes they have all the right ideas. Obviously
one church cannot go forward in two or more directions, and so
conflict often ensues shortly after.
So what does following God look like? Let’s take a look at the 1
Kings story from above. First of all, it means taking your life in a
new direction. Elisha left many things behind to follow God. We
don’t know much about Elisha before becoming a prophet, but we
do know he was a farmer. Going from a farmer to a prophet is a
definite change in direction. The New Testament tell us we are all
called to follow, but it doesn’t say we are all to become prophets.
So don’t quit your job. The change of direction we are called to is
Page 2 - The Proverb May 2018
to live our lives toward a new purpose. Galatians 5:13 tells us, “For you were called to freedom,
brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one
another.” Another way of saying “flesh” here is trying to fulfill our own selfish desires. The Triune
God has called to freedom from that. We are called to the service of others. Jesus said it in the
sermon on the Mount: “Let you light so shine before others, that they will see your good works and
glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Our following God through good works and service is
one of the distinguishing markers of Christians.
The second thing 1 Kings tells us, is that God’s calling does not come from us but God. Elisha would
have kept plowing the field had Elijah not thrown his cloak over Elisha’s shoulders (the symbol of his
role as prophet). Becoming a prophet was not Elisha’s idea. But it also wasn’t Elijah’s. God told
Elijah to appoint Elisha as the next prophet (1Kings 19:16). The direction we are to follow comes from
God. But in the New Testament, God choses to work through the Holy Spirit who is found working in
worshiping community. Acts 4:31 says, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had
gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the
word of God with boldness.” The Holy Spirit come to us through Christian community and leads us
forward in faith.
The mission statements of churches are most often developed by invite of the congregation as a
whole. A part of the proceeding is prayer, maybe song or scripture reading or devotion. The
community of faith is engaging with God’s Word as a group. During the discussions as to what the
mission statement will be, many ideas are spoken and challenged. But then there seems to be an ah-
ha moment, when the mission statement is declared and everyone falls into agreement. The words
can come from anybody and there may be some minor discussion over a word or two, but it indeed
breaks into the community. The words of the statement hold the church in unity … as one in Christ
Jesus. And the statement speaks to what God is calling us to do here in this time and place.
Our mission statement calls us to worship, grow, and serve. Shortly after I started here, I asked
several if that statement is still accepted throughout the community. The answer was always an
immediate “yes”. Our worship growth and service is our proverbial cloak around our shoulders. It is
our calling to follow God’s calling and will here at KMUPC. I asked about the main areas we live out
our worship, growth and service, and the accepted response is with music, prayer, mission (reaching
out in the name of Jesus), and fellowship. I would like to go forward and list the activities we do, and
the focus we have in doing them, so we can distinctly understand how God is made known in our life
together. That way, we may also be more acutely aware that God is at work among us.
Not many of us are called to leave family and friends, like
Elisha, to serve God. Still, God wants all of us to follow and
to “live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has
assigned to us, just as God has called” (1 Corinthians 7:17).
As I’ve often experienced, serving God can be thrilling and
challenging no matter where we are—even if we never leave
home.
In Christ’s mission,
Pastor Matt
Page 3 - The Proverb May 2018
Kettle Moraine United Presbyterian Church is now on AmazonSmile.
About AmazonSmile
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile? Follow this Link to get to the KMUPC account: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-6045567 To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. You can follow this Link to get to the KMUPC account: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/39-6045567
How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details.
Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile?
Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.
ROOF REPAIR: The front of the church roof has been replaced and is paid for. We are continuing to save to fix the remainder of the roof, in 5 to 10 years.
WAYS TO HELP: if you are interested in serving on our committee, which is planning to meet on a quarterly basis, or if you have a skill that you would be willing to share on an as needed basis (plumbing, carpentry, masonry, electrical work, painting, repairs), please contact Wally or sign up on the sheet in the narthex.
LAWN MAINTENANCE: Members and friends are invited to sign up to assist with our yard / lawn maintenance, which includes mowing and picking up sticks, debris, etc.
If you could sign up to mow once or twice per season, it wouldn’t be a lot of work for any one person. If you use our church property for hunting, please sign up for 3 times. Wally will provide a training session on use of the mower and what is required in a cutting session. Please contact Wally for more information. A clipboard with calendars is in the narthex. Sign up when it is convenient for you to help.
Watch for date to be announced!
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN will meet on Monday, May 7 at 9:30 a.m.
Presbyterian Women want to thank everyone who donated baby items. Because of your generosity we will be making up 7 layettes and delivering them to:
The Hope Center, Hebron House, The Women's Center,
Evangelical Child and Family Center, Joy House,
Hartford Pregnancy Center and Palmer Street.
We are truly blessed with many caring and generous people in our congregation.
Next Meeting: Thursday, May 17 at 12:30 p.m.
Bring a sandwich. All ladies are welcome to attend meetings.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE: To be determined.
Next Meeting: Thursday, May 10 at 6p.m. in the Fellowship Hall
SUNDAY SCHOOL: Sunday School Classes are done and will resume in fall.
At our April Christian Education meeting this week it was decided we would return to 10 a.m. for children's Sunday School in September. Since it will be during the church service, we would like to have more teachers so all are able to attend worship regularly. The more teachers we have, the more people reach out to our children and teach them the faith--and that makes a big difference in a child's faith journey. Please prayerfully consider helping out with Sunday School next year and if you're interested in teaching, please talk to Sam Salzman, Laura Lee or Pastor Matt.
THANK YOU NOTE: A big thank you to the youth and adults/parents who put on the Spaghetti dinner and Bingo on April 14th. A good time was had by all. The spaghetti was delicious and the Bingo was very fun! A special thank you to Heidi/Tom/Mary Kemos, Sam/Jaime Salzman, and Laura Lee. This was the youths’ idea and they donated a lot of the prizes. The night was a perfect example of the multi generational program our church is excited to implement. Our youth showed their affection to our many generations by planning, making and serving the food plus calling and announcing the numbers. We love our youth! Thank you kids of KMUPC! ADULT CLASS: OUR NEIGHBORS’ FAITH: Visiting Islamic Society of Milwaukee West Interfaith Dinner, May 21st at 7 pm: Tour, Presentation, Prayer observation, Dinner at sundown. Address: 16670 Pheasant Dr., Brookfield, WI 53005 Telephone: 262-395-4873 / Email: [email protected] Contact person: Outreach Committee: Chair- Sr. Bushra Zaibak / 414-899-7988 Look for signup in the Narthex or see Pastor Matt.
Monday, May 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the home of Marti Boyd: 1081 Evergreen Trail, Oconomowoc, WI 53066. (Marti’s home does not show up on google maps: it is located down from The Pine View nursing home. Leaving church, take right onto K travel, 3.3 miles, go left on Brown St ( Hwy P north), 1.5 miles to right on E Lisbon Rd, 3rd right is Spruce Court, 1st right on Evergreen Trail, straight down to #1081 located in a cul de sac, gray stone front entrance.) Book is “All Is Relative” by A.J. Jacobs. There are many copies in all formats in the library system. Please let Marti know if you are attending.
LOCATION KEY
CR Choir Room FH Fellowship Hall LL Lower Level
MR Meeting Room N Narthex O Church Office
PO Pastor’s Office PWP Presbyterian Women Pavilion S Sanctuary