august 2011 anchor newsletter

A publication of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church ● Williamsburg, IA

No. 8 ● August 2011

Vision Statement: ...to be a church where you can SEE Christ

Women’s Potluck Lunch,

Thursday, August 4th at 12:00 Noon All women are invited to bring a dish and come for an hour of

great food and fellowship. Children are welcome as well as friends

and co-workers, so we hope everyone can join us.

Everyone is invited to come to church dressed casual

on this Sunday, July 31st for all our services. We

hope you and your family will make plans to come

back at 11:45am for a church-wide potluck. Meat,

drinks and dessert will be provided, so bring a side-

dish or salad to share. After our meal, we will have

the bouncy house, snow cones and games outside.

Howard G. Hendricks, Chair of the Center for Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological

Seminary, says there are three stages of attitudes towards the Bible.

1. The “caster oil” stage – when we study the Bible because we know it is good for us, but it is not

too enjoyable.

2. The “cereal” stage – when our Bible study is dry and uninteresting, but we know it is nourishing.

3. The “peaches and cream” stage – when we are really feasting on the Word of God.

I would have to agree that my reading and studying of the Bible went through these stages. At first I did it because I

thought I was supposed to. Much of the time my early reading of the Bible was very superficial and often confusing. Then it got a

little more interesting. And now I really enjoy digging into the Scriptures. I enjoy doing this for my message preparation, but also

more in my personal study as well.

The main turning point for me was learning the Inductive Bible Study (IBS) method in seminary. I do not remember how

many IBS classes I took, but students were required to take a certain number of IBS classes. I had at least one for a New Testament

book and one for an Old Testament book. Then I had other classes that used IBS to dig through other books of the Bible as well.

Learning IBS changed the way I read my Bible and has become natural for me now. Matter of fact, it is hard for me to turn off the

IBS process in my mind as I read the Scriptures.

In August I will be using my message time on Sunday mornings to share with you some tips on how to get the most out of

reading your Bible. The Bible can be tough to understand at times. It was not meant to conceal the message of God, but because the

newest writings are still several thousand years old, it can take some work to fully understand the message.

My hope is to help you move towards stage 3 where you read the Bible and feel encouraged and uplifted. When I really

take time to read with this method, I finish reading and truly feel that God has spoken to me.

So I invite you to join me as we work together at Unlocking God’s Word. Please bring your personal Bible on Sunday

mornings and you may want to have something to write with as well. If you do not have a Bible I would recommend buying a New

International Version (NIV) or a Message paraphrase by Eugene Peterson. If you need help getting a Bible please let me know.

God is waiting to speak to you through his Holy Scriptures, but we often need some help finding the right tools to unlock his Word.

Join me in rediscovering the power of God’s Word to feed our souls.

By

Rev.

James

Parks

Cavemen starting “Game Plan for Life” by Joe Gibbs

In August, the Cavemen men’s group will be

starting a new small group study and invite all men to join

the group. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays of

each month from 7:00-8:30pm. In August we will meet at

Pastor James’ house, 704 W. Welsh Street.

On August 8th we will get together to start Coach

Joe Gibbs’ Game Plan for Life. Joe Gibbs is a three-time Super Bowl

winning Head Coach of the Washington Redskins and owner of a three-

time NASCAR championship team. Coach Gibbs believes success starts

with knowing God is your head coach. If God is our head coach, His

playbook for life is the Bible, and He will not put us in the game without

a game plan. Check out more at www.gameplanforlife.com.

If you are interested in this men’s group, please contact Pastor

James or show up on August 8th at 7:00pm. After the Fun Day, we will have time to chill with just

SPUMY! From 2:00-4:00pm, we will “officially”

welcome our new 7th graders: Lucas Ahrens, Caley

Courneya, Sidney Feckers, Austin Imhoff, Dayne

Gustafson, Ethan Jacoby, Zach Kapparos, Chyanne

Kruse, Madison Mohr, Emilee Reif, and Gavin Richie.

Hope to see everyone this Sunday, July 31st!

http://www.gameplanforlife.com

Serving Christ

outside our doors!

Love Offering for

August: “Ingathering”

Sunday Café, starting August 14th We are not only enjoying Shake It Up Café VBS, but our children

can continue carrying out God’s recipes into September. On

Sunday mornings from August 14th-September 4th, kids K-6th

grade can come and experience the continued fun lessons of

Shake It Up Café from 9:30-10:15am! Each week will be a

different activity from Bible storytelling, crafts, science and

recreation. Kids can gather in our new Children’s Corner in the

Fellowship Hall. Nursery and preschool can also enjoy fellowship

and activities in their classrooms during the 9:30am hour.

Pizza With The Pastors

Sunday, August 28th at 11:30am Anyone interested in learning more about

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church is

invited to attend Pizza with the Pastors on

Sunday, August 28th at 11:30am.

Pizza with the Pastors is an informal gathering to get to

talk with Pastors James and Helen. If interested, this can

lead into our new member process here at St. Paul’s. The

other membership sessions will be offered in September.

Session One will focus on the history and theology of the

United Methodist Church. This session will also discuss the

leadership structure of our church. Session Two will focus

on discovering your spiritual gifts and where we can use

them in the church. Session Three will be an overview of

the mission and ministry of St. Paul’s UMC. Childcare will

be provided for these sessions.

Please RSVP to Teresa Fleming at 668-2288 for the

Pizza with the Pastors by August 22nd.

Looking Ahead to Prodigal God Starting September 11th our congregation will focus on The

Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. Through Sunday morning

messages and small groups we will search the parable often

called the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) for our

place in the story. Through this study we will learn more about

ourselves and our God.

Be watching for the small group sign-ups. We hope everyone

in our congregation will be a part of this 6-week series. You may

want to regroup with your 40 Days of Community small group

from last year or this would be a great time to try a different

small group. This also would be a great time to invite someone

who does not have a church family to join you in a small group or

on Sunday mornings. If you are interested in leading one of these

small groups, please contact Pastor Helen.

Working Effectively with Volunteers

Thursday, August 11th 6:30-8:30pm at Coralville UMC No matter what size your congregation is...large, small or

somewhere in between...it is important that leaders know how to

work effectively with volunteers.

The East Central District Leadership Development Team is

taking advantage of the fact that Doug Anderson, Executive Director

of the Rueben Job Center for Leadership Development, will be in

Iowa in August for staff training events. Doug brings extensive

experience, having served as pastor of small, medium , and large

congregations and a District Superintendent of a district in Indiana

that boasted the largest number of small membership congregations!

This event will offer many practical tips for working effectively with

volunteers for the sake of God’s mission in the world.

Make plans to join this event for a couple hours at

Coralville UMC, 806 13th Avenue, Coralville on Thursday, August

11th from 6:30-8:30pm. RSVP to the church office if you would like

to attend this event. There will be a carpool leaving from the church

at 5:45pm.

SPUMY may be at your door August 24th!!! Be on the lookout for SPUMY teenagers the night of

August 24th as they search for bigger and better items

around Williamsburg from 6:30-7:30pm. You may have

visitors at your door showing you an item and asking if

you can trade them for something bigger or better. Feel

free to say no, but if you do participate consider the item a

donation to a night of safe fun!

Women’s Bible Study

“The Gospel of John”

Starts Monday, August 22nd and

Tuesday, August 23rd at 9:30am Ladies, join us for a Max Lucado study as

we enter a typical day in the company of

Jesus; witnessing miracles, watching him

offer hope to the hurting, seeing his com-

passion for sufferers. We will see him

comfort grieving friends, raise the dead and speak the truth.

Through John’s eyes and pen, we are privileged to witness

the ministry of the Savior. John’s gift to us is a record of

tender moments and heaven-powered miracles. Choose to

attend either Monday or Tuesday (childcare is available only

on Monday mornings) through the fall.

Watch for more information from the Finance Committee on how you can “Get in the Game!”

SAVE THE DATE!! Along with the Williamsburg

School District, St. Paul’s will be hosting an evening

program here at the church. There will be a special guest

speaking on Cyber Bullying. The program is Wednesday,

August 31st (time to come) so plan to be here.

Watch this month

for items you can

bring in for the

Ingathering kits.

The ANCHOR is a publication of

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church

803 Clearview Drive, PO Box 559,

Williamsburg, IA 52361

Phone: 319-668-2288

Website: www.stpaulsumcwilliamsburg.com

Lead Pastor: Rev. James Parks

● Email: [email protected]

Associate Pastor of Discipleship:

Rev. Helen Parks


Director of Congregational Care: Teresa Fleming


Administrative Assistant: Sonja Parsons


Facility Manager: Jason Kersten


Discipleship Assistant: Jennifer Schwenke


Coordinator of Children’s Discipleship: Tina Schafbuch


Choir Director: Steve Manning

Organist: Sue Heitmann

St. Paul’s UMC office hours:

9:00am to 3:00pm Mon. - Fri.

Editor: Sonja Parsons

Deadline for news for the September

ANCHOR is August 23rd. Email info to

Sonja or drop it off at the Church.

Vital Statistics Worship Attendance

June 26 175

July 3 Park service

July 10 261

July 17 188

July 24 247

It’s not very often that we get the unique

opportunity of having 4 generations in

our church family. We praise God for

the joy of passing on our faith from

generation to generation. L-R: Phyllis

Caskey, Kate Belland (holding Kinley

Grace Belland), Sherry Pope

Graydon Michael Mills Tenley Rose Heitman Sybilla Luella Kahler

World Prayer Focus

“Breastfeeding” Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. WHO

(World Health Organization) recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six

months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary

foods for up to two years or beyond. With a deficiency of food and nourishment in lower-

income countries, it’s important that these women are educated about the importance of

breastfeeding. WHO continues to highlight the need to protect, promote and support

breastfeeding for infant and young child survival, health and development.

Through knowledge and prayer

we can change the world.

Joys

Baptisms:

Kinley, daughter of Blair & Kate

Belland on July 10th

Births:

Graydon Michael to Mike &

Megan Mills on July 2nd.

Tenley Rose to Andy & Brittni

Heitman on July 9th.

Sybilla Luella to Matt & Brittany

Kahler on July 13th.

SPUMY

NEWS

The ANCHOR (USPS 100-090) is published monthly by St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 803 Clearview Drive, Williamsburg IA 52361

Periodical Postage Paid at Williamsburg, IA

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The ANCHOR, PO Box 559, Williamsburg IA 52361

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Williamsburg, IA Shake It Up Café is here and it’s time for our kids to become

chefs-in-training! We know this is going to be an awesome year

for our children, youth and adults that are experiencing our 2011

VBS! We look forward to our Shake It Up Café Songs being a

part of our contemporary services on Sunday, August 7th.

9:30am-VBS Worship Songs during EZ Worship

10:30am-VBS kids present Shake It Up Café Praise songs at

the beginning of worship.

Café Sundays start August 14th at 9:30am!

On Sunday mornings from August 14th-September 4th, kids

K-6th grade can come and experience the continued fun lessons

of Shake It Up Café from 9:30-10:15am! Each week will be a

different activity from Bible storytelling, crafts, science, recrea-

tion and snacks. Kids can gather in our new Children’s Corner

in the Fellowship Hall before heading to each week’s activity.

Nursery and preschool children can enjoy fellowship and

activities in their classrooms during the 9:30am hour.

Coming soon! Wednesday night 611 starts September 7th

and Sunday Morning Club starts September 11th!

Sunday, July 31st 2:00-4:00pm—SPUMY Siesta After the

Church-wide Fun Day, we will have time to chill with just

SPUMY. This will be the time we “officially” welcome our

new 7th graders: Lucas Ahrens, Caley Courneya, Sidney

Feckers, Austin Imhoff, Dayne Gustafson, Ethan Jacoby, Zach

Kapparos, Chyanne Kruse, Madison Mohr, Emilee Reif,

Gavin Ritchie. Hope to see everyone this Sunday!

Monday, August 1st-Thursday, August 4th—Volunteering

at VBS Shake It Up Café All volunteers gather for prayer

every day at 8:40am in the sanctuary. You’ll be done helping

with VBS around 11:30am. It will be a blessing to experience

VBS with the kids while serving in Jesus’ name!

Wednesday, August 24th 6:11-8:00pm SPUMY Bigger &

Better Event After snacks, teams will compete to see who

can bring back the biggest and best item after a 1 hour scaven-

ger race! Parent drivers are needed for this event, so be sure

and check with your parent to see if they can drive.

Coming soon! 611 on Wednesday nights starts September 7th

with a meal at 5:45pm and Senior High and Junior High small

groups at 6:11pm! Sunday Morning Club starts September 11th

with the youth class at 9:30am!

“You are young, but do not let anyone treat you as if you are not important. Be an example

to show the believers how they should live. Show them with your words, with the way

you live, with your love, with your faith, and with your pure life.” 1 Timothy 4:12

august 2011 anchor newsletter

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