Volume XXX
No. 3
Irregular Publicaon
March 12, 2015
The Heritage Herald
Hol y Week – the da ys between Palm Sunda y and Eas ter Sunda y – is the theologi cal
clima x of the Chris tian yea r. Hol y Week doesn’t glitter like Chris tmas, but wi thout
Easter Sunda y, Chris tmas wouldn’t exist a t all . Please plan now to pa rticipa te in the
following Heri ta ge Hol y Week tradi tions during this very special time.
Sunday, March 29: Palm Sunday Services at 9 and10:30AM
Monday, March 30: Prayer Vigil in the Sanctuary 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sign up for your 30
minute space in Hospitality Hall or at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/508044BAEAD22A46-holy
or stop by as you are able.
Thursday, April 2: Maundy Thursday Foot washing service and communion, in the tradition
of John 13, 7:00 PM in the sanctuary.
Friday, April 3: Relive the passion of Good Friday in the Sanctuary at 7:30 PM with a moving
dramatization of the Faces at the Cross featuring the Chancel Choir.
Saturday, April 4: An Easter Celebration for the children at 10:00 AM. This annual event
includes crafts, games, mission opportunities and of course a huge egg hunt. This is a
wonderful family event for kids of all ages. It is open to all so be sure to invite your friends
and neighbors!
Easter Sunday, April 5: Come celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior at 8:00
(communion), 9:30, and 11:00 AM with the Chancel Choir and Heritage Handbells.
Volume XXIX
Page 2
From Your Pastor
Dear Heritage Family and Friends;
I want to start this note by thanking each of you who came out to support our Heritage youth by
underwring their acvies in mission and ministry for the year at the annual Youth Aucon, Dinner, and Variety
Show. The ﬁnal tallies are not in yet, but it looks as i f this year’s event will ea sily be the most successful ever…
helping Amy and her leadership team accomplish all of their goals for the year.
There were a lot of people working REALLY hard to make the enre event fun and successful, but I would
be remiss not to give a special shout-out to Amy Gerend for her fantasc energy and leadership. Very few of us
truly understand the hard work and long hours that go into making that event happen, but we can make a point of
seeking Amy out and telling her how much we appreciate her.
Your support of the Aucon event is just one of several signiﬁcant ways that the people of Heritage have
“put your money where your mouth is” and demonstrated that youth ministry really ma=ers to us.
I’d go so far as to say that, based on these results, you have said, “It ma=ers A LOT!”
Through your on-going, weekly giving you are also supporng Amy’s parcipaon in the three-year
leadership development program known as Youth Ministry Instute (YMI). This is a unique opportunity that
connects Amy with seminary-level teaching in understanding the Bible, church history and systemac theology. YMI
also sends her to naonal seminars (covering all expenses), provides her with an experienced coach to work with
one-on-one, and sets her up with quarterly retreats with other youth leaders in the area.
The purpose and mission of YMI is to prepare youth leaders more intenonally for the crically important
work of shaping the faith lives of our middle and high school youth and to transform the “revolving door” nature of
the youth director posion in churches.
And even though Amy is just starng her second year with YMI, I think it is working. People close to our
youth program noce a new vitality and excitement. Kids are coming to youth group more regularly. They’re
bringing their friends. They’re geDng involved with mission acvies both here locally and outside Kansas City.
Most importantly– and I say this based on meeng with the current conﬁrmaon class recently and talking with
them and answering their quesons – there is a renewed spark of enthusiasm for walking the walk of Chrisan
discipleship among our youth.
You know, in a sense, our work here is really simple. And yet in another sense it is mind-bogglingly
challenging. Because when it comes right down to it our work at Heritage United Methodist Church is to change the
world. We change it through our changed hearts and minds and through the changed hearts and minds of our
youth and our children that reach out and beckon to those around us with a vision of a world fueled by the
uncondional love of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for allowing me to travel with you on this amazing adventure of transformaon!
Abundant blessings;
Pastor Russell
Page 3
The He ritage He rald
Finance Facts as of February 28, 2015
YOUR MINISTRIES FINANCIAL UPDATE
Februa ry 28 ,2015
Februa ry
Yea r to Da te
INCOME: ALL SOURCES
$49,667
$119,575
EXPENSES:
$55,511
$108,876
Surplus (shorPall)
$(5,844)
$10,699
Oﬀerings fell oﬀ a bi t in Februa ry from the end of the yea r’s gi vi ng peak. However, expenses ha ve been less
than budget resulng in balanced opera on for the yea r. All bills ha ve been paid including 100 % of our
Mission Sha re. Your generosity connues to support the minis tries and programs wi th enthusiasm. Tha t’s
wha t vi tal congregaons do.
La tel y, you ha ve not hea rd much about the Capi tal projects eﬀort tha t was called “Something for
Everyone” (SFE). Tha t program refurbished the sanctua ry, provided video a nd audio upgrades and the new
pa rking lot, s treets and sidewalks a t Heri tage House. Those projects cos t $224,093. As the projects were
completed, use of the Li ne of Credi t had been extended to about $90,000. Your connued support for those
improvements has now paid down the Church’s Line of Credit to $60,075. Wi th your constant a=enon you
will ha ve the remaining debt paid oﬀ in no me. Keep i t up!
The Treasurer and Finance Commi=ee a re happy to provi de a ny addional informa on about budget
performance da ta you need. Just ask Meg Ma ﬃ= mwma ﬃ=@a=.net or Ji m Atwood jat8882340@a ol.com.
Easter Lily Order Form
The worship commi=ee is planning to have Easter lilies at the Easter Sunday services. Now is the me to decide how
many plants you would like to purchase.
During Easter, we invite you to share with us the beauty and joy of this holy me by purchasing Easter lilies to decorate our sanctuary. The cost is $12.50 each.
Please make your check to Heritage United Methodist Church and put it with your completed form in the bin on the
secretary’s desk in the oﬃce no later than March 23 rd.
In honor of: _________________________________________________________________________
In memory of: _______________________________________________________________________
Purchased by: ______________________________________________________________________
Number purchased: _________________________________________
Paid Amount: ___________________________ □ Cash
□ Check # ________________
Easter lilies may be picked up aXer the Easter services.
Quesons: Please Dawn Beck in the church oﬃce 913-897-6446 or [email protected]
Or Sharon Pappas at [email protected]
Stories of Guatemala
Rays of Hope
“The dusty dirt road from Galilee is once again clogged with Passover
pilgrims eager to enter the walls of Jerusalem and put their journey
behind them. The day is sunny, as it is so oXen this me of year. The
travelers push past date palm plantaons and the former winter
palaces of Herod the Great in the lush oasis of Jericho.”
The following passage was taken from the Bill O’Reilly and Marn
Dugard book Killing Jesus. This happened to be my choice of reading
material for my recent trip to parcipate on the Team 1 Mission trip to
San Juan Cerritos, Guatemala. What seemed to be a somewhat random choice turned out to be anything but that when we made our
way through a palm oil plantaon to the school where we would be spending much of our me that week. ShaXs of light
sliced through the trees in the palm grove outside the school. The sight was alluring, ethereal, mysc, and peaceful all at
the same me. It was also a reminder to me of Jesus’ sacriﬁce more two thousand years ago - as well as the reason our
group had journeyed to this small village - to be a ray of hope in the world.
My ﬁrst thoughts as we arrived at the village was how much this might have been like the circumstances that greeted Jesus
and his followers when they arrived in Jerusalem on his ﬁnal fateful trip to celebrate the Passover. The area was alive with
acvity. Excited shouts of joy and welcome ﬁlled the air. Yet suﬀering and despair were everywhere. We would learn
about this ﬁrsthand as we accompanied the administrator of Fundacion Herencia Viva’s* Scholarship Program on her
mandatory home visits to those seeking to gain a scholarship from her organizaon so they could connue their studies
beyond elementary school. Without these funds to replace the meager amounts they could earn to help with their family’s
ﬁnances that opon would be impossible for them to consider. Several of these children had fathers that had abandoned
them and depended solely on the money their mother or grandmother was able to make doing laundry or preparing food
to sell. The anxiety and nervousness of the families was palpable. They knew how important this visit was for the future of
their loved one.
The situaon of the families of the potenal scholarship students was not unique. The needs in this village were
widespread. Like you would have felt had you been in our place, we wanted to help them all. In fact thanks to your
generosity and the Pumpkin Patch proceeds we were able to do just that. At least in small ways. We were able to leave
them with toothbrushes and toothpaste, books, school supplies, and help them in a major way come closer to realizing
their desire for a kitchen area**, storage room, and small oﬃce for their school. Things that would beneﬁt their enre
community.
Most importantly we could impact them the same way Jesus impacted those he came in contact with during his me on
Earth; by showing them love. It is amazing how me together reading stories, tossing a Frisbee, coloring, jumping rope,
and working on puzzles can transcend language barriers and sll enable people to communicate with one another. At least
in the most important ways. By showing love in acon.
Thank you for everything each of you did by making it possible for members of our team to be rays of light in the lives of
the families in the village where we served.
Heritage 2015 Guatemala Team 1
*Findacion Herencia Viva is the group that organized the work our team would be doing during our me in Guatemala. You
can learn more about them on facebook at Fundación Herencia Viva - The Living Heritage Founda'on.
** Not really a kitchen the way we think. More of a blocked oﬀ area to contain the open air ﬁre used to heat a thin gruel
they could enjoy during their “lunch” break.
Heritage 2015 Guatemala Team 2 - Salomon’s Porch 2 Day Medical Clinic, 4 Day House Building
As our medical team approached the clinic in the mountain village Monday morning, we didn’t know what problems we
might encounter. As doctors and nurses in the US, we have conﬁdence in our work, backed up by teams of professionals
in the lab, nursing, x-ray and pharmacy departments. But here we are in Los Encuentros in the Guatemalan highlands, and
we will be relying on our wits and basic equipment. Will we be prepared to make diagnoses, render treatment and guide
ongoing care? Do we have the right knowledge to do our dues properly? There are tropical infecons here that we’ve
only read about in textbooks. Some of us haven’t treated kids or delivered babies since nursing or medical school. Are we
geDng in way over our heads?
At mes like this, I (Harish Ponnuru) think of my favorite psalm, Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength, an everpresent help in trouble. It is hard for any of us to put our trust in God, but there are so many mes that we need to do so.
I ask God for help and guidance daily, but the proof of that help is never more tangible than when I go on medical
missions. This me was no diﬀerent and God worked through all of us!
Over the next few days we saw 272 paents in the medical clinic, nursing home and in random encounters when people
needed help. There were diﬃcult moments to be sure, but we made a diﬀerence for many, and made friends with even
more.
On our way home from our second clinic day, driving on a mountain road, we were ﬂagged down by a family who needed
help with a mentally unstable and violent man. It turned out that this young man, Samuel, started having hallucinaons at
the age of 18 and reacted with great violence. As a consequence, his family had placed strong chains on his legs and
placed him outside of their home. There he laid for 15 years, exposed to the elements, his family fearful to approach him
even to feed him. Schizophrenia is a terrible illness in the United States but even worse where it’s not understood in
Guatemala.
Happily, we were able to come back the next day. We cared for Samuel, providing the family with medicaons that will
help him. We gave him water, cut his hair, talked to him gently, and bandaged him. He allowed us to wash his sun
exposed arms, legs and feet with cool water and several of us were reminded of how Jesus washed the feet of his
disciples. Despite Samuel’s violent past, he never once liXed a hand against us, but looked into our eyes calmly.
When we ﬁnished, our team linked hands with Samuel’s family, and I led a prayer for him. We are all God’s children and
that day, God decided that his child Samuel needed us to be on that road - at that moment - to be his instrument!
Through us God planted a seed of hope! Solomon’s Porch, the organizaon that facilitated our mission, has commi=ed to
regular aid for Samuel and his family.
The rest of our team was busy all 4 days at a building site on a steep mountain side in Chuiquel. AXer the 2 clinic days we
joined them. We were working on the foundaon of a block/concrete house for Silveria and her 8 children, her grandchild
and another grandchild on the way. The house features concrete ﬂooring, an indoor toilet, sturdy bedding (raised oﬀ the
ground), a fuel eﬃcient stove that vents to outside air, and a clean water supply. These are such basics to us, but will be
very meaningful to the health and well-being of Silveria’s family in the future. She was so grateful to us, that she
slaughtered her chickens to feed us lunch the last day. This grand gesture was unnecessary; as she knew that we brought
our own food daily. It moved us to see the depth of her gratude. God again planted a seed of hope to this family through
us!
We couldn’t have done all this without the love and support of our families, our friends, this church, all
the vitamins, Salomon’s Porch and all those who prayed for us. Thank you! We are grateful to all of
you!
This is a picture of Freddy, a young man with cerebral
palsy, who moved many of us with his sweet nature.
Solomon’s Porch has commi=ed to geDng him
needed medical care.
This is Silvera and some of her family at the building site. Linda, our interpreter, is on the right.
The Heritage Herald
Page 6
UMW BOOK CLUB
Love to read, come join the UMW book club.
We meet the ﬁrs t Thursda y of the month in member's homes to dis cuss the chosen book.
Here is a list of our upcoming tles.:
April - "Sum It Up" by Pa t Summi=
Ma y - "Beaded Hope" by Ca thy Li ggi=
June - "Seeing Gra y in a World of Bla ck and Whi te" - Adam Ha milton
For ques ons , conta ct Barba ra Douglas a t: [email protected]
UMW ANNUAL PLEDGE BREAKFAST
•
•
•
Sa turda y, Ma rch 21s t from 10:00 to 11:30 in Hospi tality Hall
Potl uck brunch
Along wi th food & fellowship, we'll be reviewing the previ ous yea r and
discussing the yea r ahead.
RSVP by Ma rch 18 to Ka thie Newell , 913-327-9021.
WE WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU WOULD JOIN YOUR HERITAGE UNITED METHODIST
WOMEN'S MISSION!
Easter Celebra'on Mission Project Spring Baskets
At our Eas ter Celebraon on April 4 we will be puDng together Spring Baskets for our friends a t Maha ﬃe
Elementa ry. In order to make tha t happen we need dona ons of items to put in the baskets. Bri ng your
donaons in the month of Ma rch and put them in the bin in Hospi tality Hall.
Cra yons
Frui t sna cks
Jump ropes
Si dewalk chalk
Dona'on ideas for baskets
Ma rkers
Pla ydough
Bubbles
Wa ter balloons
Bounci ng balls
Small col oring/a cvi ty books
Volume XXIX
___
Page 7
Look What’s Happening In Children’s Ministries!!!
THANK YOU!
A big thank you to everyone who helped make Movie Da y possible! It is alwa ys a fun da y wi th lots of yummy
sna cks ! Special tha nks to Bob Hazel ne for the delici ous popcorn and Susan Mi ze and Jennifer Ba rlows for all
thei r ha rd work planning and making the event happen!
CHILDREN’S WORSHIP SERVICE REHEARSAL SCHEDULE FOR MARCH
DANCE REHEARSALS
Sun., Ma rch 22 from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.
Sun., Ma rch 29 from 12 to 12:30 p.m.
SINGING REHEARSALS
Cherub Choi r Age (4 yr. olds – 1st grade) – Wed., Ma rch 11 & 25 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.
Sera phim Choi r Age (2nd – 5th grade) – Wed., Ma rch 11 & 25 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
WE NEED CANDY AND SMALL TOYS/PRIZES!
Once again we will be ha ving our annual Easter Egg Hunt and will be inving the communi ty. The Easter
Celebra on will take pla ce on Sa turda y, April 4 from 10 to 11:30. We will need to ﬁll lots of eggs whi ch
means lots of candy and small toys . If you would like to dona te please drop i tems oﬀ in the oﬃce. PLEASE BE
SURE CANDY IS INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED, CAN FIT IN A PLASTIC EGG AND PEANUT FREE (NOT MADE NEAR
ANY PEANUT PRODUCTS). TOYS NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIT IN AN EGG.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – SAVE THE DATE
Vacaon Bible School will take place June 8 – 11 from
9:30 to noon. Registraon forms will be available soon!
Join us for ‘G-Force – God’s Love in Acon’!
ITEMS NEEDED FOR VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
If you have any of the following or are out shopping and can purchase any of the following please drop them by the
church.
Paint (Tempera)
-Neon Green
-Bright Blue
-Hot Pink
-Safety Orange
-Black
Duct Tape
-White
-Orange
To Donate (or loan) from around the house:
-pool noodles
-PVC pipes (at least 2 feet long)
-checkered ﬂags/racing signs
-all types of old sports equipment (can be returned)
-old ﬂat sheets solid colors (donate only)
- buckets
-plywood scraps (at least 2 feet by 2 feet)
-appliance boxes
- hula hoops
-orange safety cones
-mini-trampolines
-inﬂatable baby pools (most likely destroyed)
- sponges
-black plasc sheeng or large black plasc bags
Good Coupons for Michaels and Hobby Lobby or Home Depot!
If you have any quesons or suggesons for our Children’s Ministries Team don’t hesitate
to contact Susie Bond at [email protected]
Non-Prof it Org.
US Postage
PAID
Olathe, KS
Permit #951
Address Service Requested
Want on or off the mailing lists?
Call 913-897-6446
or email melissab@herit ageumc.org
“Scrip” GiB Cards on Sale
Missions Team Fundraiser
Orders Due: April 12 Pick Up Date: April 19
Order forms available in Hospita lity Hall with comple te lis t of retailers. Drop completed forms and che cks in church oﬃce.
Heritage United Methodist Church
Heritage Staff
Pastor, Russell Brown
Music Ministries, Becky Waters
Adult Discipleship and Missions,Cindy Svec
Youth Ministries, Amy Gerend
Children's & New Member Ministries, Susie Bond
Caring Ministries, Kenda Worsfold
Childcare Coordinator, Katie Loper
Preschool Director, Cathy Lancelotta
Office Administrator, Melissa Barker
Office Assistant, Dawn Beck
PASTORAL EMERGENCY
Sunday Worship Services
Ext. 1
Ext. 5
Ext. 7
[email protected]
becky [email protected]
cindy [email protected]
Ext. 6
Ext. 3
amy [email protected]
[email protected]
Ext. 8
913-829-0510
913-897-5516
[email protected]
[email protected]
cathy [email protected]
Ext. 4
[email protected]
Ext.2
913-553-0092
[email protected]
9:00a.m. and 10: 30a.m.
Children’s & Youth Sunday School
10:30 a.m.
Adult Sunday School
Varies by class.
Next Newsletter Deadline
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Heritage Herald
an irregular publication