Volume 41, Issue 10 October 10, 2014 Beacon October Events Reflections From John I find it fascinating that the very first words spoken to human beings created in the Image of God are, “Be fruitful…” We tend to receive such as a directive to populate the world with children. But I am convinced that God always wants to teach us of the deeper things about life, employing the world He has created as a teaching tool to do so. Rather than an either/or approach to things He says, we do well to understand a both/and approach to be in order. Our God is interested in the world going on; yes, He desires our world to flourish with human beings created in His Image. His charge to us to be fruitful includes both the directive to have families and to embrace the Great Commission (“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations …”), fulfilling God’s desire and purpose for us, as those created in His Image. We are to be His ambassadors of reconciliation, helping Him to reconcile broken relationships of all kinds, be they between God and His children or between us and one another. That’s a tall order, and we can be forever grateful that He’s promised us His Presence and His guidance empowering us to be faithful. As His Church family, we become wise as we become willing to believe what God says to us. We do well to ask ourselves, “Are we being fruitful?” That’s a good question for us as individuals AND as a community of faith. I thank each one of you who has been serious about our exploration of the five practices of fruitful congregations. To all of you who have graciously invested yourself in providing leadership in this regard, THANK YOU! We have explored areas of Intentional Faith Development, and Radical Hospitality thus far, and as you receive this we will soon be looking into Risk-taking Mission and Service, Passionate Worship, and Extravagant Generosity. Our reasons for delving into these areas of ministry have revolved around a sincere desire to be faithful and fruitful. God longs for us to be those kinds of people. His WORD is clear: Unless the LORD builds the house, the laborers labor in vain. (Psalm 127:1) We dare not miss the essential significance of our need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order for us to truly be fruitful. Jesus was emphatic: “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit…Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me…He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 1-5) No, I don’t think Jesus enjoys pulling the rug out from underneath us, poking holes in our self-sufficient pride. Without a doubt, human beings are capable of remarkable accomplishments. But Jesus wants us to be well aware that when it comes to those things that matter --- Eternally --- we cannot be fruitful without Him. He loves us enough to make sure we do not miss that fact. Invite Jesus, the King of kings and LORD of lords, to fill you with His Spirit, enabling and empowering you to be fruitful. As He makes good on His Promises to each one of us, we, as His Church, will be fruitful in our intentional faith development, radical hospitality, passionate worship, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity. And the world will become a better place! Wednesdays at 6:00 pm in the Parlor Beginning Wednesday, September 10 Books are available in the church office. P a g e 2 B e a c o n Music Ministry Notes Sunday, September 28 in the Sanctuary, 9:00 – 9:30 am Joyful Joyful Raymond Wells in recital Devotions and Improvisations on familiar hymn tunes Sunday, October 19, 4:00 pm in the Sanctuary Lonnie Reed, tenor, in recital We are please to welcome Lonnie Reed back to PFUMC. We all enjoyed his fabulous singing at the hymn festival this past March. He will be giving a full recital, including a wide variety of music. We will also be featuring two students from our Fine Arts Academy at intermission, and there will be a reception following the concert. A free-will offering will be received to benefit the Fine Arts Academy scholarship fund and the CROP Walk. Friday, October 24 6:00 pm Fellowship Hall $5 per family for pizza, popcorn, games, fellowship, and fun Bring your friends and come to the Fellowship Hall for a night of pizza, popcorn, games, friendship, and movie fun. We will be ordering the pizza and popping the corn but would love it if you would bring a bottle of juice, a plate of cookies, or finger friendly veggies/fruits. Please RSVP to [email protected] or return the bottom of this form to the church office. Plymouth 1st United Methodist Church V o l u m e 4 1 , Is s u e 1 0 The Season of Learning Wow! Where did the summer go? It seems like only a couple of weeks ago we were congratulating our graduates. Now we’re blessing the backpacks and sending the kids back to school. Yes, it’s the season to get back to learning. So the big question for the month is, what class are you going to take? Just like students returning to school, it’s time for all us church members to return to our classes. That’s the thing about being a committed Christian, there’s always more to learn. So what’s it going to be? How are you going to go back to school? One way is to join one of the Sunday morning classes. If you’re going to make the drive to church anyway, why not get here a little earlier and spend some time in fellowship and discussion about some aspect of how God is in our lives. In addition to all the children and youth classes, there are also several classes for adults. There’s a class for parents of young children, and another for parents with tweens and teens. There’s the Journey through the Bible class. Plus one of my favorites, Movie and a Message. All of these classes are open to all levels of biblical expertise. If you can’t do a Sunday morning class, we have offerings during the week. On Monday morning, the Monday Morning Women’s group meets. I’m teaching a Disciple 1 class on Monday evenings. Wednesday is another day with several class options. On Wednesday mornings, there are both Men’s and Women’s prayer breakfasts. In the evening Pastor John P a g e teaches a class, and there’s a men’s Bible study as well. If you want to try a shorter term commitment, there are several small groups of people that have taken it upon themselves to host a 4 to 6 week class on an area that interests them. In the past such books as, “They Like Jesus but Not the Church ,“The Celebration of Discipline”, and “Chasing God” have served to be the basis of these short-term classes. If there’s a topic or book that interests you, let me know. I’m sure other people would be interested as well, and we could start one of these classes. So now, that I’ve told you what’s available, let me explain why it’s important that you attend a class. Mainly because we want you and your experiences there. All these classes work best when there’s a dialog among a number of people attending. Everyone brings different thoughts and experiences to the conversation, and it’s through discussing those experiences that we learn and grow. Now I bet you thought I was going to say you had to go because you needed to learn more about God. Well, while my hope is that you will take in information while you learn, I’m really more excited about what you can give the rest of us through sharing and talking. So why don’t you come join the rest of us students, and let’s start sharing… Mondays at 7:00 pm in the Parlor Beginning Monday, September 8 Books are available in the church office. 3 P a g e 4 Growing a Christian life takes more than just one hour a week sitting in the pew for worship. It’s about a life that has been transformed by the Word of God. How can we be transformed if we are not spending time studying His Word? Room L04 PFUMC challenges everyone to spend an additional hour each week in Bible study, Small Group, Sunday School Class, or a Christian accountability group. If you are not a part of a group contact Amy Triebwasser at [email protected]. Room 104/106 Room L09 Room 302 Game Room Room L08 Grow, Proclaim, Serve! Grow Your Faith by Leaps and Bounds incorporates Bible stories, activities, crafts, media, and games into a full faith experience for children. With Grow, Proclaim, Serve! children will develop the skills to unlock the Bible message and grow their faith by leaps and bounds. Nursery Room 312 (newborn to 2 year old) 2 to 3 year olds Room 313 4 year old—K 1st—2nd grade 3rd—4th grade 5th—6th grade Rm 311 Rm 306/308 Rm 307/309 Rm 108 Beginning of God’s People Know that the Lord is God– he made us; we belong to him. We are his people, the sheep of his own pasture. Psalm 100:3 Abraham and Sarah Isaac Is Born Twin Brothers Jacob’s Ladder 4 yr olds—K Rm 311 1st—2nd grade Rm 306/308 5:30 pm Area 56 is a place for 5th & 6th Graders to experience meaningful Bible Study, Life Changing Fellowship, Outrageous Games, Important Service Projects, & Wacky Snacks P a g e 5 DONATIONS FOR FIRST STEP First Step is a safe house in Wayne County for battered/abused women and their children. Jennifer Hartke Hetzel, a daughter of this congregation and Chair of First Step, will speak at our "Pearl of Great Price" catered dinner on October 17th. Come to learn about the broad scope of their care and ministry. Donations for First Step can be brought in through October 17th. Especially needed are new underwear for women and children and personal hygiene items. First Step is always grateful for gift cards as well, so they can purchase items in bulk. Mason Family Farm 10582 N. Territorial Rd Please contact Amy at [email protected] with ?’s or to PLEASE BRING: *Chairs for around the campfire *Extra wood for the fire! *If your last name ends with…A-G ~ dessert H-O ~ appetizer P-Z ~ apple cider or other family friendly beverage P a g e B e a c o n 6 Financial Update for August 2014 Income = $ 84,342 Expenses = $ 55,940 YTD Income = $ 629,986 YTD Expenses = $ 576,858 Kroger Reward points earned $111.15. Don’t forget to shop at both locations for reward points! Sunday Monday Tuesday 9 am Sunday School 9:30 am Monday Morning 10:10 am Worship Women Bible Study 11:30 am Fellowship Time 5:30 pm FUSION youth 5 World Wide Communion 6 BSF leaders 11:30 am 60+ lunch 7 pm—Disciple 1 7 BSF 6:50 pm Evangelism 12 CROP WALK 13 14 5:30 pm— 5 Practices 5:30 pm FUSION 7 pm Disciple 1 19 20 5:30 pm FUSION 7 pm Disciple 1 Rummage Sale Rummage Sale Rummage Sale 26 5:30 pm - 5 Practices 5:30 pm FUSION 27 28 5:30 pm FUSION DONATION DEADLINE Please have all of your pledges and donations in for the year 2014 no later than December 30, 2014. The church office will be closed December 25, 26, & 31, 2014 and January 1, 2015. If any donations are received for the year 2014 in January 2015, it will be applied to the new year of 2015. We need to do this in order to balance out our records and send out annual statements promptly. If you should have any questions, please contact Susan Henry, Financial Secretary in the church office. Thank you. 21 7 pm Disciple 1 Fund-raising Collection Request Form There is a form that will need to be completed for ALL fund-raising efforts at the church. The Fund-raising Collection Request forms are located in the office, the office of Susan Henry, Financial Secretary, and on the church website under “Members.” Completed forms should be given to Susan who will pass them on to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee will review the requests and either approve, deny, or approve with a change to a different date. This process will avoid numerous fund-raisers going on at the same time and allow an organized approach within our church calendar. Thank you, Susan Henry, Financial Secretary V o l u m e 4 1 , Is s u e October 2014 1 0 Wednesday Thursday 6 am Prayer Breakfast 5:45 pm Jubilate Choir 6 pm Cherub Choir 6 pm Bible Study 6 pm Impact Band Practice 7:30 pm Chancel Choir 1 Friday Saturday 5:20 pm Holy Yoga 6:25 pm Prayer Meeting 7:30 pm Festival Bells 2 3 4 10 11 18 7 pm—Staff parish 8 9 2:00 pm Knit & Crochet 6pm—Bible Study 7 pm Christian Ed 15 16 17 1 pm—PFUMC Quilting 7 pm Church Council 6—Women at Risk Dinner 23 2 pm Knit & Crochet 24 6pm—Bible Study 22 6 pm Finance 6pm—Bible Study 25 Rummage Sale 29 30 31 Halloween LEARN TO KNIT Fall is finally here, and it’s time to get knitting! If you want to learn to knit, refresh your skills, or just be part of the fun, come and join us on Wednesday evenings starting on November 5th. We will be meeting in room 302 from 6:30 - 8:30pm. If you are a new knitter, please bring a skein of light colored, medium weight yarn (i.e. worsted weight), and a size 7 or 8 needle. I recommend a medium length, straight needle, either wood or metal. If you are a seasoned knitter, bring your projects with you and show us what you have been doing. If you have any questions, call Ruth Cook at home, 734-451-9485; or my cell phone, 734-718-1114 P a g e 7 P a g e 8 B e a c o n PEARL OF GREAT PRICE (Stop Human Trafficking) CATERED DINNER ~ $15 (child care available) 6:00 p.m. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH Every single one of us is God's "Pearl of Great Price" for whom He paid it all through His precious Son Jesus. Millions of other precious "pearls" are buried in the dark places of human labor trafficking and sex trafficking. Men and boys, women and girls have no choices because they are victims of trafficking, with abuse and threats on their lives, as well as on the lives of their families. And it happens even in good families and safe neighborhoods like ours. We can do so much more than wring our hands over these heinous sins. Come to learn how we can help prevent trafficking, help in rescuing, and help in after care and building new lives. EVERYONE can do something!!! Although every organization needs funds to do their work, there is so much more we can do as well. Mission Opportunities for the WHOLE Family! We had wonderful support for the NOAH Project making bagged lunches as we’ve kicked off Family Missions this year, and now we want to highlight some other opportunities you have to serve TOGETHER this fall! Saturday, October 4th: Hands4Detroit (an outreach & mission event by the Detroit Renaissance District of the UMC; sign-up your family individually at http://www.hands4detroit.org/ for specific tasks/times) Sunday, October 5th immediately after church: Mission Fair (a chance to see displays from a host of organizations and to talk to your kids about opportunities to serve both in and outside the church … all while enjoying snacks and prizes!) Becoming educated about and participating in stemming the riptide of human trafficking is PFUMC's major new mission emphasis. The lives of your children, grandchildren, or every child you know may be at stake. Come find out what you can do to protect them. (We are planning events for the teens at a later date.) Fine food prepared by master chef Andrew Lehman Gathering music by Barbara Theurer Program music by our Impact Band Boutique in the Parlor, items made by rescued women (think Christmas) WAR, International (Women At Risk, International) First Step Tickets on sale in the great hall or call Marge Rousseau (248-348-1804) Think about your friends and extended family members who also need to protect their children and teens and invite them. Sunday, October 12th at 2PM: CROP Hunger Walk (sign up on the sheet at church to walk with other families to raise money and awareness for Church World Service and their mission to end hunger both locally and abroad) Saturday, November 1 st at 8AM: Rake N Go with the Plymouth United Way (meet at the church with gloves, rakes, and other yard tools and head over as a group to a homeowner in need of help; even the youngest can take a turn putting leaves in provided yard bags! Stay as long as the family is able and willing!) Monday, November 17th: Guest Week (Rotating Winter Homeless Shelter) at PFUMC (opportunity to help make and serve dinner for the guests coming to the church for the night; includes time to socialize and play board games with our guests) V o l u m e 4 1 , Is s u e 1 0 P a g e 9 Mission and Ministry Fair immediately following Worship on World Communion Sunday, October 5th 2014 Plymouth/Canton CROP Walk “In everything I have shown you that, by working hard, we must help the weak. In this way we remember the Lord Jesus’ words: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 CEB Sunday, October 12, 2014 at 1:30 pm God placed a call on my heart to explore international ministry. With the help of Ron and Pam Fair, I connected with the Rafiki organization and completed the Rafiki mini-missionary training in their Florida facility during the spring of 2012. In the summer of 2012, I served at the Rafiki orphan village in Kenya, Africa. What a privilege to serve as a teacher to so many fine Kenyan children. Then, in the summer of 2013 I had privilege to serve at the Rafiki orphan village in Malawi, Africa and serve those fine children of Malawi and be where Ron and Pam Fair were serving for about 16 months. I will continue to listen for God's direction and look forward to more missionary opportunities. I was privileged to work with the fine orphaned children of Malawi . - Jeannie Martin Jeanne’s testimony reminds us that mission work starts by simply making ourselves available to God’s call. As members of a community of believers, God calls us all to faithfully love and serve others. This fall during our 5 Practices study, we will be reviewing God’s call for us to partake in risk-taking mission and service. As part of this study, the Missions Committee invites every member of our church (young and old) to participate in the Mission and Ministry Fair being held directly after Worship on Sunday, October 5th in the Fellowship Hall. Please plan to stay after service for 30 minutes and learn about the more than 30 organizations that PFUMC has partnered with to provide each of us an opportunity to be blessed by showing Christ to the world. Soup Kitchen Ministry Are you interested in helping with a future soup kitchen? Future dates are: 10/12 and 12/14 at Baldwin in Pontiac. To sign up, email Melissa at mmhenderson@ameritech,net, call 455-4227, sign up on the kiosk at church, or on this website: http://www.signupgenius.com/ go/8050d4eada6283-soup P a g e 1 0 B e a c o n 60 + NEWS GREAT BEGINNING FOR 60+ 60+ had a very auspicious September beginning of the 2014-15 season. Almost all the usual suspects arrived, along with a number of new ones (we hope will become regulars), Chef Cheryl provided her usual bodacious lunch, and we were enlightened and informed by our very knowledgeable guest speaker Cynthia Khan. Cynthia was born into a Christian family of Hindu background. Her husband, Khurram, was also raised a Christian with a Muslim background. His grandfather became a believer when he heard a street missionary speak the words from Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”, and he asked for and was given a Bible to study in his own language. Cynthia and Khurram also lived in Saudi Arabia where sharia is the ruling law and women are completely repressed, she being subjected to wearing the required black clothing which totally covered women when in public. However, because she was not a Saudi, she was spared having to completely cover her face. From Saudi Arabia where Cynthia was a teacher and Khurram was an engineer, they were called to mission work for Christ and in 1994 immigrated to America to pursue that call- ing. While they are free here, Christian family members and friends are living in potentially dangerous circumstances since Pakistan in recent years has also come under sharia law. During her talk Cynthia gave us helpful information about how to sensitively and meaningfully dialogue with a Muslim as such opportunities may become more and more frequent for many of us. Cynthia’s love for Christ is inspiring, as is her love for and mission to bring Christ to others, especially Muslim women. She is the Women’s & Youth Ministries Director of POBLO International an organization originated in Dearborn whose mission is to make disciples for Christ, both abroad and at home. One of the projects is outreach to refugees and immigrants through Friendship Centers offering hospitality and friendship, English as a second language, sewing, computer and citizenship classes. Cynthia is helping to set up and train volunteers for a center in the Living Word church, our neighbor up the street. You can learn more about her work and POBLO by visiting their website at www.poblo.org. Next month we look forward to our guest Bob Nelson who will present a program about he and Nancy’s dream trip up the Danube and down the Rhine last May. Reservation sheet is in the great hall or you can call Mary (248-374-0369) or Sandy (734-459-5471). See you October 6th! O C T O B E R 10/1 Ron Fair Dr. John Robertson 10/2 Chloe Dobson Morgan Dobson Karen Peckrul Jimmy Wilbur 10/4 Diane Anderson Nick Berlanga Isaac Schmitt Jarret Swales Jeff Townley Raymond Weston 10/5 Sandra DeWitt Madison Rivera Anthony Sayers 10/6 Michael Aznavorian Lynda Moore 10/7 Jami Lukasik Sarah Pushies Judith Rumpel 10/8 Karen Krot Elizabeth Lajoie Alexis Panizzoli Patricia Richter 10/9 Michael Wilder 10/10 Susan Aldrich Bradley Blunden Jonathan Blunden Melissa Henderson Sara Hubbard Doris Kuhns Stephen Nyquist 10/11 John Anderson Abigail Lewis Ava Marble Kimberly Mason Mercy Okai 10/12 Margaret Hakala Susan Henry 10/13 Elizabeth McCully Marsha Mursch—Nardone Ryan Rowe 10/14 Amy Brown Donna Edwards Jonathan Nardone 10/15 Katherine Lawrence Tina Powell Ryan Siegler Agnes Szeromski 10/16 Brandon Hoard Jean Miller B i r t h d a y s Monte Shettler Sarah Smith 10/17 Karen Burton Sandra Goga Denise Gomrick Caitlin Russell 10/18 Danielle Goud Jacob Kast 10/19 Charles McIIhargey 10/20 Mary Ruth Bird David Lehmer Annemarie Linares Holly McManimon Andrew Newsome Tessa Quinlan 10/21 Doug Foss Megan Hakala Kyle Zander 10/22 Fern Edgar John Grenfell IV Alexander Harden Susan Novak 10/23 Vicky Berlanga LeAnna Christenson Martha Daigneau David Neil Jr. Laura Pollack 10/24 Chuck Green Richard Wilson 10/25 Keith Cox Lily Linares Lorraine Dermyre Elizabeth Ferrill Don Keski-Hynnila Lynn Pruitt Katelin Thomas Julia Triebwasser 10/27 Patricia Green Michelle Paulsen Andrew Wilder 10/28 Pharold Haist Carole Thomas 10/29 Erik Bird Timarie Freeman Kathleen Herald Linda Muse Elizabeth Pruitt Paige Quinlan 10/30 Cindy Blake Dennis Bullock Robert Wright IV 10/31 Marisa Berlanga Jonathon McDonald V o l u m e 4 1 , Is s u e 1 0 P a g e 1 1 Prayer concerns Beverly Booker Pat Carne Sandy Fine Timarie Freeman Janice Groat Sandy Hackett Gary Krueger David Loveland Alex Magee Vince Maiorana Carol Meszaros Marsha Nardone Justin Atkinson Kevin Clafton (Strobridge) Linda Erickson Danielle Gomrick Nathan King Austin McCall (Triebwasser) Andrew D. Piggott Evan Ray (Ramsay) Dan & Ashley Schmitt Marshall Gartner (Henderson) Bob Nulty John Paul Nancy Remick Glendora Rice Esther Richards Earl Rickard Kathleen Salla Jean Scheppele Peter Slazinski Barbara Stinebaugh Garrett & Sarah Sutphin Meredith VanValkenburgh Sanford Burr Calvin Gress Joann Gress Pharold Haist Harriet Hotchkin Mel Litke Rev. Bob Selberg Helen Sorensen Ned Stirton Carol Thomas Paul Worley Carolyn Anulewics, friend of Chuck & Jan Migyanka & Jan Kavulich Deb, Marcia Van Oyen’s sister-in-law Herb Head, brother of Kathy Berliner Janie Aylsworth, sister of Janet Robinson Jim C., friend of Tammie Todd Mary, friend of Michelle Best Nolan Wertz, nephew of Jeff & Natalie Mclaughlin Sandy Cook, friend of Wes Kappler Scott D., friend of Tammy Todd Shirley Morgan, friend of Linda Piggott Kris & Sarah Kappler Churches in Russia & Poland bâÜ wxxÑxáà áçÅÑtà{ç |á xåàxÇwxw àÉ à{x ytÅ|Ä|xá Éy M ]tÅxá cxÜáÉÇ fÜA? {|á yâÇxÜtÄ ãtá KBEJ [tÜÜ|xà [Éàv{~|Ç ? {xÜ yâÇxÜtÄ ãtá KBEL WÉÇtÄw c|zzÉàà? uÜÉà{xÜ Éy WxÇÇ|á c|zzÉàà Ñtááxw tãtç KBEI gtÅÅ|x gÉww? áàxÑ á|áàxÜ `|v{xÄÄx ? {xÜ yâÇxÜtÄ ãtá KBFD Uxààç TÇ~ÜtÑÑ? á{x Ñtááxw tãtç KBFD Dear Church family, I am blessed to be covered in prayer from my church family. Over the past few months my battle with cancer has been difficult, but I have known that I have a great support system from my family and my church friends. I fell covered with prayer. I appreciate all the cards, the Men’s and Women’s prayer breakfast extra prayers, pastor visits, the beautiful prayer shawl, and the love and support from each and everyone one of you who are praying for me. I know that still I have a long journey ahead of me, but with the support from my family and my church friends I am learning to Trust and obey God. He will take care of me! Thank you. With Love, Janice Groat WE’RE ON THE WEB! WWW.PFUMC.ORG Beacon & Calendar deadlines: Plymouth First United Methodist Church 45201 N. Territorial Rd Plymouth, MI 48170-6528 (734) 453-5280 Fax: (734) 453-0375 E-mail articles by 5 pm on the 10th of the month to [email protected] or [email protected] Dated Material—Please do not delay. Periodical postage paid. Postmaster please send address corrections. USPS 34-050 Mailed: Once Monthly PERIODICALS SUNDAYS, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 ~ Radical Hospitality Oct. 12 ~ Risk Taking Mission & Service Oct. 26 ~ Extravagant Generosity Nov. 9 ~ Passionate Worship A free will offering will be collected for the meals. Dinner in the Fellowship Hall. Sign– Sign–up at Church today. Space is limited. Children and Youth are included! Sign them up today. They will have their own discussion and activities after dinner. Nursery is available upon request.
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