A Newsletter Published by First United Methodist Church – Emporia, KS

October 8, 2008                                                                                            Volume LIV – Issue 18

United Methodist Men Work Together

United Methodist Men have been working hard on the parsonage that Pastor Gammill lives in.  Many hours and many volunteers have donated their time and talents to repairing, painting, winterizing the furnace and just caring for Nancy’s home.  Thank you to all of them.  If anyone is interested in becoming involved with the United Methodist Men, please contact the church office.

“You Raise Me Up……”

Not On Our Watch - Tents Of Hope

Half Time Adult Study, “Not On Our Watch”, is about the genocide in Darfur.  It’s a story of suffering in overwhelming proportions, including the systematic slaughter of 2000,000.  Many hundreds of thousands now live under the constant threat of attack as refugees.  The world’s response has been tragically slow.  Our Adult Study group has discussed this in terms of social justice as Disciples of Christ.  There is an event called Tents Of Hope that we’ve taken on as a community project.  It’s an international effort to raise awareness and shelter for Darfur refugees.  Our children, youth and other groups will paint them with images of hope.  Our Tents Of Hope artwork will be displayed on Nov 7-9 with thousands of tents from around the world on the National Mall in Wash. DC.  Then, they’ll provide shelter, and perhaps some hope, for Darfur.  $1500 needs to be raised.  The Adult Study group is committed to giving financially, as well as time and effort; we ask any who are able to please give.  

United Methodist Women

United Methodist Women will be taking their Fall Mini-Mission Trip touring Youthville and Asbury Park in Newton on November 12th.  They will leave the church by bus at 9:00am and return to the church at 3:30pm.  Lunch will be at Asbury Park at a cost.  Everyone is welcome to join them so please plan to attend.  Call the church office for reservations or you may call Mary Buckbee at 342-6715 with any questions.  It should be a fun and informative trip.

A Moment for Mission

The 31st annual Bishop’s Round-up is scheduled for November 15 at the Lawrence fairgrounds.  Plan to attend to help and to appreciate where your donations are going.  This year we will again be collecting for round-up with the usual school, health and layette kits.  Non perishable food items collected will stay locally in our food pantry or with the Salvation Army but will be counted in our contribution to Round-up.  We plan to concentrate on the health kits and flood buckets.  Please check the narthex and your bulletin for information starting October 12. 

We are looking for ideas for our Christmas Charities projects.  Do you work with a group or organization that could benefit from gifts at Christmas?  In the past we have helped such groups as The Farm, SOS, various foster organizations and children’s charities.

Because we are a church in mission we will be helping the Half Time study group on their upcoming project, Tents of Hope.  Please watch for more information from Half Time and discover yet another way you can share in mission work here at home, in Washington DC, and in Darfur.

                                                              Teresa Schrock

MORE GOOD READING

     We were saddened by the recent death of Tim Russert, moderator of Meet the Press, and we can learn something about his own journey from his book written about his father “Big Russ” given to our church library by the Thursday Morning UMW Circle, in memory of Eula Mae Holloway.  In Big Russ & Me, Father and Son; Lessons of Life the author states that it had been an eventful and deeply satisfying journey, no matter where his career took him, his fundamental values still sprang from the special bond he shared with his father.  Readers will laugh, cry and identify with the lessons of life taught by the indomitable “Big Russ”.  

     We now have a copy of Piety & Politics, The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom, personally autographed by the author Reverend Barry Lynn, where he writes “this is the struggle that must be won.”  In his book he argues that politicians need to stop looking to the Bible to justify their actions and should consult another source instead:  The U.S. Constitution.  The author states that the founding fathers of our nation knew what it was like to live under state-imposed faith and they drew up a model for the new nation that would allow absolute freedom of religion, and that the Religious Right has placed the separation of church and state at grave risk.

     We’ve been given a beautifully illustrated book which gathers together some of the most enduring and best loved prayers used by Christians throughout history.  Eerdman’s Book of Famous Prayers is an introduction to a vast treasury of great Christian prayers, such as “Canticle of the Sun” from Francis of Assisi,  “A Plea for Forgiveness” from John Wesley, Mother Teresa’s “Daily Prayer” used by workers at her Calcutta Orphanage, and “Where Are You Leading?” a prayer from Florence Nightingale.  There is also a short biographical sketch of each person. 

                                                                        Jean Brown, Librarian

Super Sunday Reminder

The next Super Sunday is October 12.  Committees will have lunch in Fellowship Hall and meet directly afterward.  Worship Committee will meet during lunch. Holy Hospitality, Spiritual Growth and the Nursery committees are not meeting but all committees are reminded to please come to the visioning process that will be in Fellowship Hall during the Sunday School hour at 9:30.

Communication from Haiti

A few weeks ago we provided UMCOR school supplies from the warehouse in Port a Prince for schools on La Gonave.  Some items needed were not among the supplies.  The school superintendent brought a list of articles needed for the 9 schools this morning that totals $1,060.00 US.  Chalk, colored chalk, blue and red ballpoint pens, and Elmer’s glue are included.  Enrollment in ALL schools will be greatly reduced this year as people in Haiti do not have funds for tuition.  We have purchased school books to be sold at reduced price with funds then used to purchase more if needed.  We have no funds designated for school supplies.  Any church or individual who would like to provide funds for us to purchase the listed supplies can send a donation to our Advance and email us the amount.  Make check to Lawrence Central UMC Advance #982465-6, in the memo line write in – School Supplies/Edgerton. Then mail to: Lawrence Central UMC, 1501 Massachusetts, Lawrence, KS 66044.  Many know UMCOR-Haiti included our mission on La Gonave in a request for emergency funds from GBGM.  GBGM awarded about a fourth of the request and UMCOR-Haiti will assist us to use funds we already have plus our share of the grant to purchase food at significantly reduced prices.  Distribution will be for only those identified with nutritional needs/signs of malnutrition.  We are currently identifying people in each community…which is difficult for people to understand.  95% are hungry and eat only 2-3 times a week.  A French speaking individual with some organizational skills would be very welcome right now. 

This food distribution will affect only a portion of the more than 20,000 on south La Gonave.  Some churches and individuals are donating funds to be used in the future.  We are trying to develop a relationship with retailers to sell food at reduced prices with us matching their funds to make it possible for more to buy food yet not hurt retailers.

Those who know Haiti know the value system and ethics are different and it is difficult to identify those trustworthy or ABLE to think about others before themselves.  We ask for prayers for discernment and justice in all we do. 

Most school enrollment will be far below normal as without food they also have no funds to pay tuitions.  Methodist schools still owe teachers in most schools for two months of last year.  We have also been told no meals will be served in the Methodist schools except at Terra Seche.  We have been told that World Vision will do a pilot program at Terra Seche. 

We continue to attempt to access emergency foods from other agencies and appreciate all assistance and contacts that any may have.  South La Gonave is a much “forgotten” place and needs many “squeaky wheels”.

World Vision, Concern International, Food for the Poor and USAID are agencies distributing food in Haiti and some on North La Gonave.

Rays of Hope for Haiti is a neat web site… they have a “bucket” program where they provide the bucket that can be filled with whatever and they will ship it for $5.00.  Buckets of needed school supplies would be cool!  Check it out for the future…pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, scissors, rulers, and glue and chalk would fit nicely in a bucket.  They DO NOT need crayons, glue sticks, erasers, individual pencil sharpeners, construction paper or legal pads.  The next shipment is late October.  Thanks for letting me bring these needs before you.  We continue to work on water projects and community development and management…there WILL be a time when the island will have the ability to help itself…but not after 4 hurricanes in a row.

Peace, 

Flint Hills District Office

Children’s Corner

Fall Half-Time  

Wednesday evening Half-Time is in session until October 22.  A family dinner is served at 5:30 followed by classes for all ages from 6:00-7:30pm.  Come join us.

Celebration Choir 

What a joy it is to sing for the Lord!  Our children’s choir, grades 1-6, has begun practicing during the Half-Time program.  We will then be singing on the third Sunday of each month.  Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Join us for an old-fashioned Hayride on Saturday, October 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Richard and Norma Mayes Ranch.  We will ride in style atop a comfy hay wagon, enjoying the autumn weather under the stars.  No evening is complete without a bonfire and singing, of course – and if you want s’more fun…you are in luck, because we’ll also be making…s’mores.

It should be loads of fun, so grab your sweater and a roasting stick, and make plans to join us for a wonderful evening outdoors.

(Richard Mayes, 1927 road L, see the map in the church bulletin or call the church office for directions.)

 Preschool News

Happy October from Friends Together Preschool!  We finished up our unit on Apples and the Farm by making our own apple pies.  Yummy!  This month we will be exploring Spiders and Creepy Crawlies.  We will be learning about the letters, Ff and Gg, the number 4, and the triangle shape.  Parent/Teacher conferences will be on Tuesday and Thursday, October 14th and 16th, in the afternoons and evenings.  Please mark on your calendars the dates of Sunday, November 2nd through Thursday, November 6th for the Usborne Book Fair.  This will be a great time for you to find some high quality books for the special children in your life as Christmas presents, birthday gifts, or “just because”.  We will be using the money we raise to purchase more equipment and materials for the children to work with and explore.

Youth News

Treat or Treat

On Sunday, October 26, FUMC youth will be trick or treating for non-perishable food items.  Some food will stay here in our food pantry and some will probably go to the Salvation Army.  The need for food is huge right now and supplies are low.  This is a great way for us to help people who are hungry.  Costumes are optional, but dressing up does make it a lot more fun!  We will meet from 4:00-7:00.  Adult drivers are desperately needed.  Please contact Barb.

Round Up

The annual Bishop’s Round-Up for Hunger will be at the fairgrounds in Lawrence on Saturday, November 15.  Donations of food, clothing, school kits and health kits will be brought in.  We will help unload and sort these items.  When that is done, agencies that need these supplies for the people they serve will come and we will help load their vehicles.  This is a great conference event and it is amazing to see what is accomplished in a day.  Please plan to join us.

Help For Darfur

Last week, we spent some time looking at the critical situation in Darfur.  The people there are not only living in extreme poverty, but are also faced with the constant threat of senseless violence and destruction.  People are homeless, hungry and dying.  As Christians we are called to care for all of God’s creation.  We need to respond to this situation.  Some time in the next couple of weeks, we will have a chance to do that by helping to paint a tent that will be used to raise awareness of this situation and then to help give shelter to these displaced people.  For more detailed information, please see the accompanying article in this issue of the Heartbeat.

Come Be a Part of FUMC’s Future

Beginning Sunday, October 12 and continuing for 5 weeks, all of our youth and adult Sunday School classes; members of all committees and all others interested, are invited to Fellowship Hall during the Sunday School hour (9:30) to participate in the visioning process that has begun in our church.  Coffee and snacks will be available.  Please come help guide the direction of our church for the future.