july 2011 update

“Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World.”

By Pastor Geoff Helton

We were created for community. Even in a small church like the United Methodist Church of Ephrata, it is very easy to feel unknown. Without a life of healthy, interdependent relationships, we are ill-equipped to answer the most important questions in life: Who am I? Who is God? What am I doing here? How is God at work in my life? Apart from relationships that encour-age and challenge us, we can struggle to grow as disci-ples. That is why we’re starting small groups.

A small group is a transformational community that studies the Bible, prays and participates in God's mission together for the purposes of God's transform-ing work. Small Groups have been proven throughout the history of the church to be the best way to develop deeply committed disciples of Christ.

The purpose of small group ministry is to help peo-ple grow as disciples of Christ by providing a safe and supportive environment, led by the Holy Spirit, where group members encourage and challenge each other to deepen their faith and live out their calling in the world. I’d like to invite you to say “yes” to the amazing journey that God has planned for you.

In the August newsletter there will be more infor-mation on the launch of our church’s small group min-istry. Please look for that information and prayerfully consider participating in this life-giving and life-changing ministry.

THE UPDATE July 2011


Being transformed through Christian Community God designed people for community and the Chris-

tian Life is not meant to be lived alone. Each of us has a desire "to belong" somewhere. Seeking community is often what brings many of us to The United Method-ist Church of Ephrata. It will be the relationships that we build that keep us coming back.

At the United Methodist Church of Ephrata, we understand that worship celebration on Sunday is up-lifting, a time to celebrate God, and an important part of our spiritual growth, but it alone will not bring about life transformation.

It is in small groups that life transformation occurs. Even Jesus did not do it alone...He created community by gathering the 12 disciples. The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, also understood the importance of a small community of fellow Chris-tians to encourage, support, and challenge our faith as I noted in last month’s front page article.

We were created for connection – with God and with one another. Yet each of us must take our own path, one where God is leading us to grow deeper in faith and become more like Him each day. The Chris-tian Church has called that path the journey of disci-pleship, a journey in which we are growing to be more like Christ by knowing, loving, and serving God and others. Our small group ministry is meant to help each of us as we take our Journey.

JULY 2011 SUNDAY, JULY 3

Food Bank Donations Worship Service - Communion: 10:00 AM

MONDAY, JULY 4

Independence Day Holiday - Office Closed TUESDAY, JULY 5

Quilters: 9:00 AM No Grief Talks Support Group This Month

SUNDAY, JULY 10

Worship Service: 10:00 AM Elmer Johnston to Preach

TUESDAY, JULY 12

Quilters: 9:00 AM

SUNDAY, JULY 17 Worship Service: 10:00 AM

TUESDAY, JULY 19

Quilters: 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 20

Update Deadline: 12:00 Noon SUNDAY, JULY 24

Worship Service: 10:00 AM Chet Dorsey to Preach

MONDAY, JULY 25 UMW Brunch at Tura Yount’s: 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

TUESDAY, JULY 26

Quilters: 9:00 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

Update Folding: 9:00 AM THURSDAY JULY 28

Community Dinner: 5:30 PM SUNDAY, JULY 31

Worship Service: 10:00 AM

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for the kind words and notes of

support at the time of the remembrance ser-

vice for Eleanor. She loved her church fam-

ily, friends, and home in Ephrata. We know

she was glad to return. You are and have

been a blessing to her and to our family for

many years. God bless you all.

Rawson and Margaret Mordhorst

TOWNHOUSE TO BE SUBLET BY THE

MONTIELS

Located at 1225 – 2nd Ave NE in Ephrata

GREAT NEIGHBORS!

Available July 1, 2011 (this date is flexible)

Beautiful three bedroom, 2 ½ bath townhouse

with hardwood floors and custom cabinets.

Also has an attached single car garage and a

fenced back yard with an herb garden.

The rent is $1200 a month and is available for

showing anytime!

If interested or you know of someone who

might be, call 409-789-9178.

Our church’s soup kitchen ministry, Community Dinners, will have a meal on Thursday, July 28th at 5:30 PM. Please contact Camille or Christy Price to see how you can help our church share God’s love in this practical way.

Other News

In May our church began taking pictures for a new church photo directory. Alan and Mary Fulk graciously agreed to be our photographers. If you have not yet had your picture taken, there are still several options, so please contact us at the church office (754-4664). We can use a picture from previous directories, use another picture that you supply and, if necessary, arrange to have someone from the church take your picture.

The Church’s Staff-Parish Relations Committee is now accepting resumes for our Nursery Attendant Position. We’d like to express our thanks to our current Nursery Attendant, Cassidy Goeden who will be moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington.

The Church’s Nursery Attendant works approximately 3 hours (8:30-11:30) during the school year and 2 hours (9:30-11:30) during the summer. The Nursery Attendant watches infants and children under Kindergarten age during our Sunday school hour, our worship service and often during special worship services (such as Christmas Eve, Good Friday, etc.). The Attendant is also responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the room and the toys. The church is looking for a reliable, responsible person with initiative to care for nursery age children. The church requires that all applicants be 14 years or older (if under 16 we require that applicants have passed the child care workshop offered by the Hospital). Applicants must be willing to receive First Aid Training , AED training, and undergo a background check. Please drop off a cover letter and resume to the church office by August 15, 2011 to be considered.

Nursery Attendant

Position Now Open

UMW Brunch Mark your calendars and plan to attend the annual UMW Summer Brunch at Tura Yount’s home (19580 Brae Burn Drive, NW, Soap Lake) on July 25th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon. This brunch is for all United Methodist Women and the Maternity Closet volunteers. Please meet at the church by 9:45 AM to carpool. These two hours are set aside each year to bring us together for fellowship and good food, but also to show our appreciation to the women that staff our Maternity Closet every Monday. Ladies are asked to bring a receiving blanket or any other layette item for the Layette Project. Donna Jancura assembles layettes for the babies of needy new moms who give birth at the Moses Lake Hospital. A mini report on the book, Hospital by the River by Dr. Catherine Hamlin, will be presented by Dolores Pheasant. Dr. Hamlin, now 87 years old, was a Christian Missionary doctor in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, who spent a lifetime doing fistula surgery there. Hostesses for the brunch are Vivian Plew, JoAn Isaman, Dolores Pheasant, and Vivian Winters.

The Kid’s Summer Enrichment event that our congregation held on June 1, 2011, was judged successful because of the comments from kids and parents. They expressed amazement at our desire to “giveaway” books, games, videos and toys. Our church was putting “radical generosity” to the test. The book “Conspiracy of Kindness” by Steve Sjogren shows how this is one way to show the love of Jesus to our community. Another name for this is “servant evangelism.” We do this at the Food Bank, the Maternity Closet and our Community Dinners. We also fund the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund so that he can assist people passing through our town that may need help of some kind. At our Kid’s Summer Enrichment, books sent love from our congregation to our commu-nity. The children who participated were excited. The parents expressed appreciation. Our volunteers who helped that day were happy to see our generosity bring joy to the kids. Of course, we hoped for more children. We had 41 leaving with a bag full of four books, one game or video, one toy, puzzle or a stuffed animal. They also enjoyed our cookies and punch. So we have leftovers. The Witness Committee will meet to decide what we will do with these leftovers. We had a great drawing: nine scooters, one Family Day Pass to the Grant County Historical Museum, one Family Splash Zone pass (family of four), and two movie tickets to the Lee Theater. Winners in the drawings from our church family were Harrison Ketchel, Cameron McKnight and McKinley Fulk. Helpers were: Vivian Plew, Marilyn Grass, Linda Bryant-Smith, Cammy Hatch, Marilyn Bluhm, Shirley Pederson, Louise Sivula, Mary Holleman, Bob Miller, Roberta Osborn, Mike Dell, Beverly Dell and Marlene Albee. Those who helped with the set-up and take-down were: Tom Pheasant, Lonny Holleman, Bob Bluhm, Denis Plew, Pastor Geoff and Meagan Helton. Also, Beverly Dell made 76 book bags to give the kids to put their “treasures” in to take home.

PAGE 4

KID’S SUMMER ENRICHMENT

Above, Machelle Miller and her daughter Annette,

looking at the books. Annette enjoyed the day so much

that she sent us the thank you note on the right!

More children and adults that enjoyed the day!

FUN WAS HAD BY ALL AT “OUR BIG GIVEAWAY” ON JUNE 1st

NEW HEALTH PROBLEMS

Ed Hoople Hazel Scobey

Joan Archer Sally Johnson

Steve Pederson Dave & Family

Wilma David Clees

Marlin Ann Colliander

Bill Gardner Neal

Lauren Tom Price

Norman Wilkinson Theresa Gervin

Ron Whitman

BEYOND OUR WALLS Irene Armstrong

Opal Burck

Louise Gallaway

Bill Lowry

Bill Turner

Helen Ruth

Don & Arline Callan

Louise Moore

Lenora Walters

Jim & Ruth Walker

Linda Morris

ONGOING HEALTH

PROBLEMS Bob St. Clair Jr. Dee Gray

Bob St. Clair Sr Jean Stetner

Bill Black Lee Ann

Cami Krumm Rafael Montiel

Patsy Meyer-Odell Jim Walker

Prayer Requests “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing

songs of Praise” James 5:13

One of the most wonderful gifts we are given is the gift of prayer. We can pray for

one another in times of need as well as times of celebration.

Wedding Anniversaries

July 5 Ken & Gail Slininger

July 24 Ray & Eleanor Hoople

July 31 Herb & Maggie Reynolds

Birthdays in July

July 2 Mary Mantz

July 7 Camille Price

July 7 Ray Ryan

July 8 Denis Plew

July 8 Louise Sivula

July 9 Bob Bluhm

July 16 Eleanor Hoople

July 17 Dolores Pheasant

July 18 Ralph Boyden

July 18 Hazel Scobey

July 19 Samantha Downing

July 19 Louise Ingebrigtson

July 19 Rhoda Stearns

July 23 Gerald Smits

July 26 Donna Jancura

July 26 Cameron McKnight

July 30 Vonna Wendt

For Grieving Families

Family & friends of Verna Irving

Family & friends of Edna Blair

Family & friends of Lana McClintock

Family & friends of Tiffany Anderson

Treasurer’s Report

As of May 31, 2011

Income $ 52,567.71

Expense $ 50,333.97

Total $ 2,233.74

Congregational Notes

There will be no Fun and Fellowship and no Men’s Fellowship in July and August.

The Grief Talks support group will not meet in July.

There will be no choir until this Fall.

PAGE 7

WORSHIP SERVERS— July 3, 2011

Assistant of the Day: Darryl Pheasant Ushers: Gayle Price & Tura Yount Greeters: Darryl & Allison Pheasant Liturgist: Cammy Hatch Sound Tech: Thomas Pheasant & Ken Slininger Coffee Hour: Marilyn Grass Lead Counter: Denis Plew Assistant Counter: Georgia Bassuer

Flowers: Carlos & April Montiel Activity Time: Linda Bryant-Smith


Assistant of the Day: Mike Dell Ushers: Denis & Vivian Plew Greeters: Shirley Pederson & Ann Chandler Liturgist: Linda Bryant-Smith Sound Tech: Thomas Pheasant & Ken Slininger Coffee Hour: Beverly Dell Lead Counter: Shirley Pederson Assistant Counter: Linda Bryant-Smith Flowers: Cami Krumm Activity Time: Christy Price


Assistant of the Day: Alan Fulk Ushers: Tom & Dolores Pheasant Greeters: Marj Burkhart & Alan Fulk Liturgist: Marlene Albee Sound Tech: Thomas Pheasant & Ken Slininger Coffee Hour: Mary Fulk Lead Counter: Kathy Buhl Assistant Counter: Marj Burkhart Flowers: Ann Chandler Activity Time: Meagan Helton


Assistant of the Day: Herb Reynolds Ushers: Joan Jensen & Joan Warner Greeters: Tom & Vonna Wendt Liturgist: Camille Price Sound Tech: Thomas Pheasant & Ken Slininger Coffee Hour: Maggie Reynolds Lead Counter: John Morris Assistant Counter: Georgia Bassuer Flowers: Ray & Eleanor Hoople Activity Time: Carla Ryan


Assistant of the Day: Denis Plew Ushers: Bob & Vivian Winters Greeters: Jenni Bates & Cammy Hatch Liturgist: Margaret Treiber Sound Tech: Thomas Pheasant & Ken Slininger Coffee Hour: Vonna Wendt Lead Counter: Mary Mantz Assistant Counter: Margaret Treiber Flowers: Herb & Maggie Reynolds Activity Time: Mary Fulk

PLEASE NOTE

Dick and Jackie Driver have a new

mailing address:

514 Americas Way, #1920

Box Elder, SD 57719

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

Paid

Ephrata, WA

Permit No. 5 Fax: 509-754-1433 - E-mail: [email protected]

The United Methodist Church of Ephrata

117 C. Street NW, Ephrata, WA 98823 - (509) 754-4664

Things really slow down here at the church during

the summer. But you’ll soon see info on exciting programs and activities

beginning this fall!

Our front page article explores the role of small groups in the

Christian life and the life of the church.

Update Deadline July 20, 2011 12:00 noon

Get your articles and announcements in!

Thank you for supporting the work of the church through your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness as we pursue our mission:


July 2011

Be sure to look for the pictures and read about the success of our Kid’s

Summer Enrichment Event on pages 4 & 5!

july 2011 update

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