First United Methodist Church

Newsletter

MARCH, 2013

Volume 17, Number 3

Rev. Dr. Kenton D. Van, Pastor

SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30 WORSHIP SERVICE 10:30

Message from the Pastor

March madness is here. That may seem like an odd way to introduce a church newsletter article. Normally

the term ‘March madness’ applies to basketball. However, I think it is also descriptive of the Church as

well. During the month of March we are in Lent. Lent – the season of self reflection, repentance and spe-

cial devotion. This year March ends with the celebration of Easter. In the midst of a society which teaches

us to put self first and grab all you can get, the Christian church has a season to deny yourself and put oth-

ers first. If that is not enough, at the end of that season the Church proclaims that a person came back to

life after having been dead for three days! March madness indeed!

When God enters our lives, he turns all of our basic assumptions upside down. Jesus continues to be a radi-

cal revolutionary. If we listen to his teachings and seek to follow him we will often be at odds with the so-

ciety around us. People will see us as odd – maybe even mad. The wisdom of the world is made foolish-

ness before God. God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom. Let us continue in our ‘March madness’

that Christ may be proclaimed and the Gospel lived out until Christ comes again.

Grace and Peace,

Ken

In this Issue

*Message from the Pastor *Beacon Month *Expression of Sympathy

*Thank Yous *Birthdays/Anniversaries *FFiHName Volunteer of the Month

*Lenten Soup & Scripture *Camp Chippewa *Member Spotlight

*Lily Information *Next Steps Team *Church Calendar

First United Methodist Church 301 S. National, Fort Scott, KS 66701

(620) 223-1950

Lenten Soup and Scripture…luncheons will continue through Lent on Wednesdays at noon at the locations listed. A light lunch will be provided with free will donations accepted. This year the reflections are focusing on the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The schedule for the Wednesday luncheons are as follows:

March 6 First Christian Church March 20 First United Methodist Church

March 13 First United Methodist Church March 27 First Presbyterian Church

LILY INFORMATION

If you would like to have an Easter lily in the chancel for Easter Sunday please purchase one at a retailer of your

choice. The form below is provided for you to complete to let us know if you are purchasing the Easter lily in honor

of/or in memory of a loved one, or if you are making a donation to World Service. Please have the Easter lily de-

livered to the church by Thursday, March 28. The office will be closed on Good Friday. The completed form

may be placed in the offering plate or returned to the church office. Deadline to have your lily gift or your gift

to World Service included in the Easter Sunday bulletin is March 22.

I am giving ___________ lily (ies) in honor/memory of

____________________________________________________________

Your name ___________________________________________________

*****************************************************************************

I wish to make a World Service gift in honor/memory (circle one) of

___________________________________________________________

Your name __________________________________________________

*****************************************************************************

Bobbe and I wish to voice extreme

gratitude and thanks for all of the

visits and prayers from our wonderful

and caring church family since my

disablement as the result of back

surgery in June 2012. We wish to

extend a special thanks to Tom Brak-

er and the youth for the beautiful

fleece blanket they delivered.

Dan Ward

I was pleasantly surprised when

the youth group brought me a Val-

entine lap blanket. It brightened

up my day and meant a lot to me!

Thank you.

Jeannine Seal

March-Beacon Month

One ministry of the Mission Committee and the First United Methodist Church is to

help the needy. Thereby, we continually support The Beacon. March is one of two

months during the year we collect items for The Beacon. We ask for your help to

line the sanctuary the five Sundays in March with the needed items. Items needed

include:

Non food items—paper towels, toilet paper, and diapers (size 5-6)

Canned goods—vegetables, fruits, and soups

Breakfast cereal (can be large bags-they will break them down)

1 pound bag of dried beans

Macaroni and cheese

Various food items and paper goods

Cash is also welcome.

Jack Link is the Feeding Families in His Name Volunteer for the month of March. He has been a volunteer since the first meal was served May 11, 2011 (20 months ago). He regularly mans the drink table and helps clean up. He is willing to do whatever is needed. His steadfastness and willingness to serve is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Jack. Submitted by Jean Tucker

March Birthdays: 3-Margie Majors; 4-Geoff Clark; 5-Melodee Knopp; 7-Alice Ramsey, Ryan Hunziker; 10-

Curtis Shankel; 11-John Mowrey, Elizabeth Grantham; 14-Gary Camp, Jeremy Ruddick; 15-Chris Allen; 16-

Marilee West; 17-Amber Hunziker, Christa Chaplin; 18-John Clayton, Jim Stevens, Jill Fritter; 19-Brent Teg-

ethoff; 20-Shannon Fletcher, Noah Wolf; 22-Don Tucker, Marty Schmidt; 23-Phil Hammons, Charlotte

Swaim; 25-Chuck Russell, Steve Denton, Dan Ward; 28-Janet Braun, Susan Foster; 29-Ron Sharp, Dan

Reedy, Charlie Springer; 30-Lisa Ward; 31-Keith Gibson.

March Anniversaries: 4-Bill and Margie Majors; 8-Trenton and Sarah Moots; 9-Steve and Stephanie Den-

ton; 13-Doug and Tracy Altic; 27-Perry and Peggy Bloesser.

CAMP CHIPPEWA 2013 The 2013 Camp Chippewa camping brochure is ready for you to browse and choose camps! You can visit

their site at www.campchippewa.org. There you will be able to download the brochure and the 2013 camping calendar. The camping forms are available on the site, as well as camp policies and FAQs. Online registra-tion should be availble. However, if it is not available by this time you can mail your registration and payment

to Camp Chippewa. If you have questions about the site contact Marla in the church office.

We Express Our Sympathy and Support To…

the family of Maurice Fletcher who passed away on

January 27, 2013.

“We believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting…”

Thank you to the following who

worked, provided food and/or

money for the meal served to the

Maurice Fletcher family before

the funeral service.

Charlene Sipe, Cindy Foxx, Jack-

ie Warren, Jeannine Seal, Shirley

Culbertson, Nancy Swanwick,

Carol Newcomer, Marlene Brak-

er, Margie Majors, Maurine Dun-

shee, Landia Antonetti, Sharry

Rains, Charlotte Swaim, Joyce

Todd, Alice Ramsey, and Betty

Reed.

What’s Up with the Next Steps Team?

Here’s the scoop . . . both discussion and action are in progress. The action involves providing additional opportuni-

ties and settings for worship with come-as-you-are Saturday night services during Lent. Each worship service will

feature different musicians, in a relaxed setting (Fellowship Hall). Watch for more information, plan on bringing a

friend and come see what the buzz is about.

The discussion involves determining the specific mission of Fort Scott First United Methodist Church. Where is God

calling us as a church at this point in time? A church mission statement implies that God is calling us to a mission, a

purpose, a goal. It implies that all those who make up the church are called by God to be part of the mission; to share

their love, unique gifts, talents and resources to accomplish the mission. A mission is only a mission if it resonates in

the hearts of our people and it is integrated in everything that we do. In churches with missions, everyone who at-

tends can describe the church’s mission in one or two sentences and the mission is easily determined by visitors. We

can get to that place.

This discussion includes everyone who calls Fort Scott First UMC their home church. The Next Steps team is not at-

tempting to set the mission for the church. It is asking each individual to share what our church means to them and

from that information help our church to elucidate its vision and mission. In March we will be asking each church

member to prayerfully determine the basic mission of our church and to sum it up in one or two sentences. Forms will

be available and completed forms can be put in the offering plate or mailed to the church office. Responses to this

request and possible future questionnaires will help solidify our mission and determine how we will work out the de-

tails to fulfill our mission.

The four following resources may help get thoughts going:

1. Matthew 22.36-40 (paraphrased): The greatest commandments are these: You shall love the Lord your God with

all your heart and all your mind and all your soul, and your neighbor as yourself.

2. The United Methodist Conference Great Plains’ mission is “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transfor-

mation of the world.”

3. An earlier group within our church worked to put in writing the mission of our church and it is as follows: “The

mission of the First United Methodist Church of Fort Scott, Kansas, is to share the good news of the life, death,

and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to exemplify the love of God in service, fellowship, friendship and hope!”

4. Our local church membership vows include our pledge to faithfully participate in our church’s ministries by our

prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.

God has a mission, a purpose, a goal for all those individuals and churches who love him. Welcome to the call of God

and his ministry.

==================================================================

YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED

The Next Steps Team asks for your help in discerning the mission of Fort Scott First United Methodist Church. After

prayerful consideration, in one or two sentences, please state the basic mission God has given our church, here and

now. (Not what it used to be or what it might be in 20 years.)

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

During March, put this form in the offering or mail to the church office.

Thank you for your prayerful input!

Meet Helena Ramsey:

Submitted by Jan Hedges

Helena Evelyn Greenfield Ramsey was born in Bourbon, Missouri, near St. Louis, on August 2, 1920. Her parents were Dwight and Mar-cella Greenfield. She was second oldest of seven children. Her sib-lings were Grace, Julia, Doris Marie, Frank, Barbara, and Robert. The family moved to Kansas when Helena was two years old.

Helena grew up on a farm near Garland, Kansas attending grade school in Garland and high school in Fort Scott. She remembers the county test students had to take at the end of eighth grade to enter high school. While they were waiting to enter the room to take the test a girl walked in and sat down by her. Zada Belle became her best friend in high school and her lifelong friend.

After graduating from high school, Helena attended Fort Scott Junior College for two years. She taught school for three years, two in Garland in a one and two room school and the third year in Uniontown.

Helena married James Lynne Ramsey (Lynne) from Uniontown on April 26, 1942. Lynne worked as an electronic engineer for the Federal Aviation Agency, six years in Kansas City and the rest of his career in Washington, D.C. They lived in Arlington, Virginia and moved back to the farm near Garland after his retirement.

It seems that Lynne had two left feet when it came to dancing and wouldn’t take dance lessons with Helena while they lived in D.C. She told him she thought he would get more promotions if they went to the social activities and he would dance with her. It wasn’t until they moved to Fort Scott while Lynne was working for Mayco Ace Hardware that he had a change of heart. Helena says he came home from work one day and said I have a big surprise for you. When he told her he had signed up for square dancing classes she nearly fainted. They actually became quite good and yearly danced at the Square Dancing Convention in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Over the years they had opportunities to dance in the Pentagon, Canada and Paris where their daughter lives.

Helena has four children Mary Ramsey, Fort Scott, John Ramsey, Topeka, Martha Bruneton, Charlard, France and James who lives near Garland. She has five grandchildren. Stacey lives in Fort Scott and she “fulfilled my dream of becoming a nurse.” Three granddaughters and one grandson lives in France. She has nine great grandchildren.

Learning to sew at the age of ten, Helena became an accomplished seamstress. Her high school Home Economics teacher, Mildred Skitter, helped her perfect her skill. She says she loves to sew and made several square dance outfits for herself and Lynne. She even won County Champion at the fair two years for her sewing accomplish-ments; one year a red and white square dance outfit with matching vest and tie for Lynne, the second year a com-

plete outfit of white suit and red blouse. Helena served on the Bourbon County Fair Board for ten years.

Helena was an active member of the Kansas Wildflower Society for a number of years and had meetings at her home. She and Lynne had a wildflower area for people to walk through and admire the flowers. They also had quite a reputation for attracting purple martins. She even remembers telling Dick Hedges, when she became his neighbor in Fort Scott, that he needed to move his martin house if he ever wanted to have purple martins.

Being active in church was part of Helena’s life. She was a Sunday school teacher, active in United Methodist Women and was church librarian in Fort Scott for many years. She especially enjoyed this job because she was able to see all the new books and order the literature for the church.

When asked about a special event or memory of the church, she said it was always a joy to be able to go to church. In a very solemn voice she stated: “I feel blessed to have the freedom to go to church. I don’t think we should forget how many people don’t have that freedom.”

Helena is currently a resident of Guest Home Estates.

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Dates and times of

activities may

change. Watch the

bulletin for updates.

1

5:00 Fellowship Hall is

in use

2 8:00-Noon-Girl

Scouts Powder Puff

Derby-Fellowship Hall

6:00 Contemporary

Service-FSHall

3~Beacon Sunday

~9:30 Confirmation

Class

~Communion

~Sandwich sales

fundraising event

after worship

~5:00-UMYF

~6:00 Bible study

4 5

~9:00-Noon Quilts to

Comfort and Fiber

Fellowship-Parlor

~7:00 Staff-Parish

Relations meeting-

Parlor

6 *Work Session

~10:30 F.S. Manor

~11:30 H.S. Youth-

Lunch at Braker’s home

~Noon Lenten Soup &

Scripture-First Christian

Church

~1:30 Reading Group-

Parlor

~3:30 Parlor in use

>FFiHN

7

3:00-5:00 T.A.S.K.

4:00-9:00 Quilting-

Fellowship Hall

6:30 Bible study

8

9

6:00 Contemporary

Service-FSHall

10~Beacon Sunday

~One Great Hour

of Sharing

~Daylight Saving

Time begins

~9:30 Confirmation

Class

~FUMC Praise

Team

~Fundraising meal

after worship-

Fellowship Hall

~5:00-UMYF

11

1:00 XYZ Club-Fellowship Hall

12

9:00-Noon Quilts to

Comfort -Parlor

13 *Work Session

~10:30 F.S. Manor

~Noon Lenten Soup &

Scripture-First United

Methodist Church

~1:30 Reading Group-

Parlor

~3:30 Parlor in use

>FFiHN

14

1:30 Miriam UMW-

Parlor

3:00-5:00 T.A.S.K.

6:30 Bible study

15 ~April newsletter

items are due

~11:30-1:00 Friendship

Soup Lunch-Fellowship

Hall

~1:00 D.A.R. meeting-

Bridal area

16

6:00 Contemporary

Service-FSHall

17~Beacon Sunday

~St. Patrick’s Day

~9:30 Confirmation

Class

~5:00-UMYF

~6:00 Bible study

18

5:00 Potluck meal for

KWU choir students–

Fellowship Hall

7:00 Kansas Wesleyan

University Choir Perfor-

mance

19

9:00-Noon Quilts to

Comfort and Fiber

Fellowship-Parlor

20 Spring begins

*Work Session

~10:30 F.S. Manor

~Noon Lenten Soup &

Scripture-First United

Methodist Church

~1:30 Reading Group-

Parlor

~3:30 Parlor in use

>FFiHN

~6:00 Memorials &

Gifts Committee-

Pastor’s Study

~7:00 Admin Brd meet-

ing-Parlor

21

No T.A.S.K. today

6:00 UMM-Fellowship

Hall

22

Lily information sheets

due today

23

6:00 Contemporary

Service-FSHall

24~Beacon Sunday

~Palm Sunday

~HOCROC hosting

reception

~9:30 Confirmation

Class

25

1:00 XYZ Club-Fellowship Hall

26

9:00-Noon Quilts to

Comfort -Parlor

27 *Work Session

~10:30 F.S. Manor

~Noon Lenten Soup &

Scripture-First Presby-

terian Church

~1:30 Reading Group-

Parlor

~3:30 Parlor in use

>FFiHN

28 ~Easter lilies to be

delivered to the sanctu-

ary by today

~3:00-5:00 T.A.S.K.

~7:00 Maundy Thurs-

day Service

29 Good Friday

Office closed

7:00 Good Friday Ser-

vice

30

31~Beacon Sunday

~Easter

Dates and times

of activities may

change. Watch

the bulletin for

updates.

March 2013 *Each Wednesday-9:00 to Noon-Work session at

the church

>5:30-7:00 p.m. (FFiHN) Feeding Families in His

Name meal served in Fellowship Hall

Here’s your March, 2013 Newsletter from….

First United Methodist Church

301 South National

Fort Scott, KS 66701

Phone: (620) 223-1950

Fax: (620) 223-6802

E-mail: pastor@firstumcfsks.org OR

secretary@firstumcfsks.org

Uniting for ministry through the Bourbon County Cooperative Parish

Church Office Hours:

8:00 a.m.-Noon and 1:00-3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday

8:00 a.m.-Noon Friday

During June, July and August 8:00 a.m.-Noon Monday through Friday

NON PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Permit No. 16

Fort Scott, Kansas

66701-1397 New website is currently

under construction!

www.firstumcfsks.org

The people of the United

Methodist Church—

Open hearts

Open minds

Open doors

First United Methodist Church

301 South National

Fort Scott, KS 66701-1397

Return Service Requested