Thursday, May 1, at 12:30 pm is a special day for United Methodist Women. We’ll have a salad lunch followed by a presentation by Sara Broers of Mason City. Sara suffered for years from a debilitating disease which her faith pulled her through and has led her to speaking engagements to share her story, “Pulling Up the Bootstraps”. All are invited for food, fellowship, faith and fun. We’ve also invited women from other churches so join us by calling your reservations to the church office by Tuesday, April 29 at 334-3689. Please come and bring a friend!

Seven High School Seniors from our church will be graduating in May. We will have a special recognition for the Seniors at the 9:00 am worship service and a cake reception right after the church service in Wesley room and hopefully on the front patio of the church (pray for nice weather). This will be a time for you all to congratulate our seven seniors and wish them luck in the future and let them know they will be in our prayers as they start this new phase of their life. Those graduating are: Caitlin Adams, Amy Cabalka, Chris Dunne, Dawn Nowell, Alisha Peterson, Angela Peterson, and Ben Shafer.

A big THANK YOU to all who attended our annual Pancake Supper. We served around 175. A special thanks to all our volunteers who helped: to Bill Stamper for picking up and delivering the grill from the Masonic Lodge and returning it; to Bob Cook for “mixin” up the batter, to Ed Armstead and Tom Greenley for “cookin” good pancakes; to Ken Coulter and Nat Bly for their “waitressing skills” in the dining room; also thanks to Ken for donating the gas for the grill; to Lori Derr for her “artistic talent” in making the outside posters for the sandwich board; to Lisa Wood, Mason Wood, and the middle school kids who helped in the dining room. Very good comments were given on their good work and friendliness towards the diners. Good Job! I also want to give my “thank you” to the Mission Committee members who pitched in and made this supper a successful and pleasurable time for all.

Our next project will be the Relay for Life event. Karyl Hand is chairperson for our church and we hope to have a good participation from our church family in this. It is to be held on June 7th, so mark your calendars for this very worthwhile event. Many in our church family have in some way been touched by cancer, so we hope to have a good representation of Methodists at the Relay.

I would just like to mention a few projects that we give monetary donations to from the proceeds of our Pancake Supper, Fellowship Coffees, and the Ice Cream Social, including the Basket Sales:

Larry Kies Missionary: $1,000 (yearly)
Food Pantry: $200
Bishop Palmer’s Eye Camp Campaign: $150
Hill Crest Family Services (Dubuque): $200
KNWS Christian Radio: $100
CWS Tools & Blankets: $200
Youth for Christ - Backbone Chapter: $200
Relay for Life: $100 (initial entry fee)

Thanks again for your participation in all of these projects knowing that all of us are making “a difference in other people’s lives when we lend a helping hand no matter how small.”

Bev Coulter, Missions Team Chairperson

As we enter the month of May, we would like to thank the many people who volunteer their time and talents. Teaching Sunday School is a big commitment and it would not happen without people who are willing to volunteer. So we would like to thank those who have not only shared their time each Sunday morning but also helped by preparing lessons, helping with the After School Club, or leading our children by example. We know many of you have sacrificed to be involved, but the reward of touching a child’s life can be so fulfilling. Below is a list of the volunteers (hopefully we didn’t miss anyone). Thank you to everyone.

Jane Adams - Adult Sunday School & Video Library
Nancy Bailey - After School Kids Club
Emily Barker - After School Kids Club
Kurt Barker - High School Sunday School
Melody Barker - Jr. High Youth & Sunday School
Tony Barker - After School Kids Club
Teresa Barske - 3rd - 5th Grade
Michael Beebe - High School Sunday School
Norma Blumenshine - After School Kids Club
Sandy Brown - Banners and Bulletin Boards
Jim Brown - Youth Hand Bells & Music
Fayla Cannon - After School Kids Club
Bev Coulter - Adult Sunday School & Library
Bonnie Davis - 3rd - 5th Grade & A.S.Kids Club
Phyllis Davis - After School Kids Club
Kimberly Derr - Preschool
Lori Derr - Crafts & Power point
Julie Flickinger - Adult Sunday School
Jake Freeman - After School Kids Club
Dave Hand - Sound System
Karyl Hand - After School Kids Club
Barb Jones - After School Kids Club
Everette Jones - After School Kids Club
Sue Knott - Adult Sunday School
Jason Lang - High School Sunday School
Megan Lang - After School Kids Club
Amy McGraw - Crafts
Scott Miller - After School Kids Club
Kinda Pennington - Preschool
Michelle Pennington - Preschool
Jessie Peterson - After School Kids Club
Sarah Rothman - Jr. High Youth & A.S. Kids Club
Bill Stamper - Adult Sunday School
Jerry Wells - K-2nd Grade
Lisa Wood - Jr. High Youth

Another opportunity to give over and above your tithe is to the Peace With Justice Offering. This offering will give The United Methodist Church a voice in advocating peace and justice at home and around the world. Just designate your gift as you share.

We just want everyone to be aware that we will be sealcoating the parking lot sometime during May or June, depending on schedules and the weather. Pertaining to the parking lot, we are asking that anyone who wishes to use the lot during the week when going to a destination other than the church, we are asking that you please inform the church office. We have had some problems with cars being left for long periods of time, also there has been some serious vandalism.

Also, there has been some discussion concerning an area in the pews that will accommodate wheelchairs. There are various thoughts on the idea and anyone who has something to contribute on this subject, please inform one of the trustees: Ed Armstead, Jerry Barske, Phyllis Davis, Jerry Earles, Jim Jorgenson, Jason Lang, Ron Melick, Judy Price, Virginia Sleeper, and Jan Timmons.

Virginia Sleeper, Trustee Chairperson

We are inviting each of our members to be a part of the special offering for Cancer Research that will be highlighted by our own communities’ “Relay for Life” that will be held on Saturday, June 7th from noon to midnight. This special offering is needed to raise funds to support a “team” of volunteers from our church that will be walking around the track at the Middle School. This is an annual effort for our community and other communities to raise funds that truly can make a difference in the eradication of cancer.

Cancer seems to touch every family and we want to do our part in the healing and the preventing of this disease. Please consider giving to this most worthy cause. An envelope is included in this newsletter to help you to do your part. Also if you would like to be a part of this effort and on our “team”, please let the church office know. A sign up sheet is available at the information table in the church entry way. But if nothing else please consider giving to this special offering. Just make out your check to the First United Methodist Church and designate Relay for Life in the memo. We will then give one check to the cause the day of the event. Thank you for your help.

I received my care package with the calling card and would like to thank my church family for thinking of me. I really appreciated the package. It’s always good to hear from home. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and thoughts. My new address is: ABE Brock Puffett Box 32 USS John C. Stennis CVN74 FPO AP 96615-2874

God Bless,
Brock Puffett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just wanted to let the church know that I received my care package. Thank you all very much, it was very much appreciated.
Benjamin K. Rothman
A Co,1-133rd INF (FWD) SGT, IAANG

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to our church family for your prayers, cards & phone calls and to Rev. Bailey when Nels had his surgery. It was truly appreciated. God Bless!

Nels & Joann Wehner

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to Rev. Bailey, Linda, Marie and the church family for the lovely gifts on “Administrative Professionals Day.” They are all very much appreciated. Smiles!!!

Melody

5-4-08 “In the World But Not of It”
John 17:1-11
This is Jesus’ final prayer with all of His disciples together. He gives God, the Father, all the glory and honor and then prays for his 12 disciples. He prays for them, though they are in the world, that they might remain protected from the evil of the world and that they might be one. He still prays for us today that same prayer.

5-11-08 “The Work of the Holy Spirit”
John 16:5-15
Jesus, in leaving the disciples, encouraged them with the hope of the coming of the Holy Spirit that would be sent when Jesus left to be with the Father. The Holy Spirit works in the believer’s life to bring them the knowledge of sin, of truth, and empowerment.

5-18-08 “God our Heavenly Father”
Matthew 6:26 & Matthew 7:9-11
On this “Trinity Sunday” we will look at the Creator - God as our Heavenly Father. Jesus talks about God being our Father over and over. In fact He tells us when we pray to call God...Father who art in heaven... What does this mean to us?

5-25-08 “Letting God be God”
Psalm 131
So much of life is learning to let God be God. He who is the creator of the universe is the one who asks us to quiet our souls in His presence and to lean on His understanding. We are not called to figure everything out for our selves. The universe is God’s business! Let God be God!

Many of us take better care of our cars then we do our mothers and yet we only expect our cars to last 5 or 6 years but we expect our mothers to last for a lifetime.

Maybe we need a maintenance manual for mothers so we would know how to take care of them at least as well as we do our automobiles. Here are some items that might be included in such a manual:

We are to be a church family that reaches out to others so this summer we will be giving 20 tickets to the food pantry that they can hand out so others can share a meal with us on Wednesdays With the Word in July. The meals have always been a free will donation and people have been very generous. Since we will have more community participation I was hoping you would be willing to offer your time (helping prepare meals and cleaning up), talents (cooking), and/or financial support to help on a Wednesday in July and hopefully you will join the activities we have planned too. It would not have to be every Wednesday evening but maybe you could help one time. Thank you ahead of time. Please contact me if you would be willing to help out in any way.

We have had a Senior Breakfast for many, many years but because our church service is at 9:00 am now the education team felt it would be better to make a change as they couldn’t find the right time to have a breakfast. Instead we will provide a cake reception for our senior’s right after the church service in Wesley room and hopefully on the front patio of the church (pray for nice weather).

The Early Out Wednesday After School Kids Club has been a great mission for our church. Next year there are 15 Early Out Wednesdays. The people who have been working with this do a great job but there have been schedule changes and job changes and different things happening that means we will need more helpers. There are usually two early outs a month and it would help so much if you would be willing to take a month and help out or even take one time. If you are willing to help out...it isn’t hard...tell me what month would be the best for you. We don’t want to burn people out and this program does make a difference in children’s lives. Please pray about this and let me know if you are willing to help. I know God will provide. We will start Wednesday, Sept. 10th.

Pray for all youth graduating from High School and for those being confirmed into the church during this month. Pray God will always lead them and that they will seek His will for their lives. Pray for safety and protection during celebrations and that God would be guiding decision the youth make.

Pray for all the Moms and Grandmas who are raising and caring for our youth. Pray they would seek God’s guidance through prayer and reading the Word to know how to guide our youth. May they seek to know God’s plan and purpose for each young person. May they be an encouragement to them and call forth the gifts of each child.

Pray for our Pastor and his family for health and wisdom, for rest and joy to fill their home; pray the same for Melody and family, Linda and family, Everett and family, Marie and family, Jim Brown and family, Dave and family and pray for all volunteers at the church for music, Sunday School, after school, etc. who help make our church a ministry to our community.

Mark your calendars:

May 17: Mission work day at Pictured Rocks camp.
June 28: Youth Group Car Wash.
July 13: Pool Party.
August: To be announced.

May 2008 Sunday Helpers Schedule:

May 2008 Acolytes: Josh Barske & Austin Rasmussen

If you have a news item that you would like posted here, send it to us!