A Joint Newsletter of St. John’s Episcopal Church

& Union Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ

2017

Easter Lily Memorials

In Memory of my mother Mary Gomez

From Lollie Lebario

In Memory of Our Loved Ones

From Ruth Casey

In Memory of Ray Harvey and J.R. Kerr

From Duane and Pam Kerr

In Memory of our Parents

From Cliff & Jackie Rockhold

In Memory of Jeff Hoyt

From Bill and Janet Hoyt

In Memory of Hugh and Elizabeth Crouch;

Robert and Emma Green; Alta Johnson;

From Carnell and Sara Green

In Memory of Arthur J. Crouch;

Leonard Crouch; Robert Green Jr.;

Eunell Pouncy;

From Carnell and Sara Green

In Memory of Crystal Hermansen and

Dylann Wilkinson

From Debbie and Dennis Braithwaite

In Memory of Fern and Si Realing, Ruth and

John Magnuson

From Chuck and Wilma Realing

In Memory of family members

From Carolyn Carollo

In Memory of Our loved ones no longer with us.

From Jack and Angie Bennett

In Memory Laura Makie

From The Makie Family

In Honor of Family and Friends

From Lois Beard

In Honor of our Loved Ones

From Gene and Kay Carmody

In Honor of Anthony Lebario

From Lollie Lebario

In Honor of Jonathan and Jennifer Caspersen,

Luke and Jonah Caspersen

From Bill and Janet Hoyt

In Honor of Blessings and Praise for

this wonderful day!

From Forrest and Gay Fry

Bird House Sale

Starting Sunday May 7, 2017 during UCC Coffee

Hour, decorative bird houses will be on sale.

Proceeds will go to UCC Capital Fund Drive.

Pastoral Ponderings Easter never happened. It happens over and over again… always

This past weekend was the remembrance of Jesus’s death on a cross and the celebration of his res-urrection. For many, Good Friday and Easter are a once of year sort of thing. Each spring we dust off our winter blah and remember, and then it’s back to life as usual. Or is it?

Truthfully, Easter doesn’t seem to make much difference in the world. The violence and injustice that brutally arrested and killed Jesus still exists. The hatred and fear that led religious leaders and political leaders alike to feel so threatened that death seemed the answer is still very real. Just watch the news.

But here’s the thing that we celebrated on Easter morning: God didn’t let the violence of the world stop the power of grace. God didn’t allow the troubling questions and fear stop faith. God didn’t even allow the desertions, denials and betrayal of Jesus’s closest followers stop love.

What we celebrated Easter morning at an empty tomb is the fullness of God’s mercy and love. What we witness to every morning is the truth that God’s faithfulness is a sure thing, especially when our faithfulness fails.

Violence doesn’t get the final say so. Death is not the end of God’s vision for a world in harmony – with each other and with the divine. Despair is overcome with new life and new possibility. That’s the promise of Easter, and that promise is new every morning.

What that means is this: When the powers-that-be say “no” to life, to love, to possibilities, God says, “Yes!” When our own understandings of reality say “no, it’s done. It’s over; I’m finished.” God says, “Let me surprise you. There is more. Yes! This is just the beginning. Do not be afraid.”

This is the heart of our faith. The story of the cross and empty tomb shape us as followers of Christ. This story gives us hope and direction and even courage in the face of the world’s crazy. This story gives us hope and direction and courage to begin again, and again, and again. Easter never hap-pened. Easter happens always, new each morning! Alleluia!

Let us live with hope, compassion, mercy and possibility. After all, we are an Easter people!.

Blessings always, Pastor Jenny

Devin Hart 1

Kathy Wiekhorst 2

Sandy Johnson 5

Angela Allen 8

Robyn Owens 8

Bill Fleming 13

Harold Walker 15

Jessica Robidoux 20

Lauren Westling Cullen 23

Craig Wolffing 26

Lun Wengert 31

Does someone’s drinking bother you? Al-Anon can help. Meetings are held in Green River at 96 N. 1st E St., Green River, Wyoming on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm.

WEEKLY CHURCH EVENTS:

Sundays 9:00 a.m. Worship Mondays 8:45 a.m. Coffee Group Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. Craft Group 6:30 p.m. Quilting Group

Check office calendar for scouts

and other regular groups.

Kurt and Angela Allen 22

Buck and Jan Leonard 27

Tuesday, May 2: 6:30 p.m. WWCC special lecture

Sunday, May 7: 9:00 a.m. Worship & Communion Monday, May 8: 6:00/7:00 p.m. Diaconate/Trustees

Tuesday, May 9: 10:00 a.m. Vacation Bible School Mtg

Thursday, May 11: 6:30 p.m. Faith Formation Meeting

Sunday, May 14: 9:00 a.m. Worship & Faith Exploration

Sunday, May 21: 9:00 a.m. Worship & Fellowship: Graduate Recognition

10:45 a.m. Council

Monday, May 22: Congratulations GRHS 2017 Graduating Class

Sunday, May 28: 9:00 a.m. Worship & Fellowship

Monday, May 29: Happy Memorial Day – Office Closed

FLAMING GORGE DAYS

JUNE 23-24 We are once again participating in Flaming Gorge Days! YEA!!! We have the same two spots along the street (4 and 5), right by the basketball competition. This year we will be serving cinnamon rolls, sloppy joes and nachos, as well as beverages and some sides.

VOLUNTEERS can sign up in 2 hour increments from 8 a.m. – 4p.m. both days. Set up be-gins Friday, June 23, 7 a.m. Sign-up sheets are at church in the fellowship hall or you can call/text Kathy at 875-7269 or 389-8073

ICE: Please help us keep overhead down by making ice now. If you don’t have space to store it, we do! The Hoyt’s freezer is already in the fellowship hall for our ice deposits.

POP and other beverages: To avoid having odd sizes, or pop and beverages not listed on signs, we will be accepting cash donations to go towards the purchase of pop, Gatorade and water. You can make a donation through your Sunday morn-ing offering. Just be sure to mark it FGD-pop. Thank you so much!

Looking forward to seeing you at our celebration - either by buying some yummy food from our booth or by working with us!

Kathy Wiekhorst

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!

May 22nd, the 2017 Class of Green River High School will graduate. We have two graduates from our church family who will be receiving their diplomas: Lacey Hart and Krystal Simpson. Please join us Sunday, May 21, during worship and coffee hour as we honor these two young woman.

Educate Girls, Change the World

Ted Speaker and Girl Rising Global Ambassador Shabana Basij-Rasikh will be at WWCC, Tues-day, May 2nd at 6:00 p.m. You’re invited to Room 1302 for a powerful presentation by this young woman who was born and raised in Afghanistan. Because of Taliban rule, she dressed as a boy to escort her older sister to a secret school with dire consequences if they were caught. Shabana is now a leading advocate for girl’s education and was recently named one of National Ge-ographic’s 2014 Emerging Explorers as well as CNN International’s Leading Women of 2014.

Monday, April 24th, at 6:00 p.m., WOW will show the documentary Girl Rising in Room 1302 at WWCC.

Narcotics Anonymous

Mansface Church is home to the local NA chapter. Sunday night meetings are always an open meeting which means if you or a loved one is struggling with a drug addiction, you are welcomed to come. They meet at 8:00 p.m. in the Sunday School rooms.

WOSHIP CD’S. If you just can’t make it to worship, but still would like to hear the music, prayers and sermon, there are CD’s available in the gathering area by the UCC guest book. If you’d like to receive a CD each week, please let the office know and we will make that happen. (A huge thank you to Ray Curtis for this ministry!)

Bird House Sale Starting Sunday May 7, 2017 during

UCC Coffee Hour, decorative bird

houses will be on sale. Proceeds will

go to UCC Capital Fund Drive.

Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Celebration (formerly known as "Annual Meeting")

Beloved Community. Believing Hope. Embodied Action. June 8-11 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

We've renamed the event "Annual Celebration," because the event is so much more than business! It is an opportunity to worship, laugh, sing, connect, and experience Spirit with one another. We guar-antee that you'll come away from Cheyenne with renewed energy for embodied action! Each church is encouraged to send their pastor and two lay delegates. Please let Judy Graham or Pastor Jenny know by May 21 if you’d like to represent Union Congregational Church at this year’s celebration.

Sage View Hospice Room

Saturday, May 6 from 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Sweetwater County Hospice will have a ribbon cut-ting and open house at Sage View Care Center in Rock Springs. This room will be for hospice patients that need more care than can be offered at home. The ribbon cutting will take place around 10 o’clock.

Vacation Bible School

Summer is fast approaching, so now is the time to begin plans for VBS. We will meet Tuesday, May 9th at 10 a.m. in the Conference Room. We’ll choose curriculum, set the

dates and begin strategizing about leaders and helpers. Always fun! Come join us.

Faith Formation Team

Teachers, would-like-to-be teachers, parents, anyone interested in helping our children grow in the faith are invited to a FF team meeting Thursday,

May 11 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll meet in the conference room to discuss organization, curriculum and vision as we look to the future.

St John’s Episcopal Church 350 Mansface / P.O. Box 400

Green River, WY 82935

mansfacechurch@sweetwaterhsa.com

St. John’s April Worship Schedule

May 7 Fourth Sunday of Easter

11:00 Holy Eucharist

Service Leader: Rev. Walt Seeley

Reader: Angie Bennet

May 14 Fifth Sunday of Easter

6:00 Morning Prayer

Service Leader: Chuck Realing

Reader: Terry Warren

May 21 Sixth Sunday of Easter

11:00 Holy Eucharist

Service Leader: Rev. Walt Seeley

Reader: Debbie Alverez

May 28 Seventh Sunday of Easter

11:00 Holy Eucharist

Service Leader: Rev. Walt Seeley

Reader: Lollie Leboria

The next Vestry meeting will

be Sunday, May 7th after the

church services.

Please remember these

families in your prayers:

Jose’ Alvarez, Margo, Jack, Kyle, Tim, Evie Grace

Huebner, Kasyn, the Porter family, Marion, Kenny,

Nathan and Briana Wolfe, Debbie and Kendra who

are in need of a new home and jobs, and friends and

family who need God’s strength and love.

Wilma Realing 19

Joshua Shafe 24

Liz Warren 24

Ruth Lauritzen 27

Chris King 27

Thursday Night Book

Study

The Thursday evening Bible

class is studying the gospel of

John. The class is led by Rev.

Walt Seeley. We meet at 6:00

p.m. for a light supper and

are usually home by 8:00 p.m.

All are welcome.

Labels for Education Program to End After 42 years, the Campbell Soup company will be ending their Labels for Education Program. This collection of labels has benefits schools in our area as well as outreach programs that St. John’s is involved with. From their website: “As of August 1, 2016, only UPCs with the Labels for Education logo will be accepted and redeemed for points into registered schools’ bank account. We have begun the pro-cess of removing the logo and expect there will be a limited number of products that contain these labels in stores through August 1, 2017. Once all Labels for Education logos have been removed from the products, UPCs will no longer be accepted. The banked points schools have accumulated will not be affected.” St. John’s thanks all of you who have clipped and saved these for so many years. You might check your cupboards for any that might still be on cans. Again, thank you for your support.

Rick and Bev Wagner 11