Following Jesus: We Love, Grow, Serve & Share The Tidings Gig Harbor United Methodist Church Newsletter April 2015, Vol.31 (4) Join us for worship this Join us for worship this Join us for worship this Join us for worship this Holy Week Holy Week Holy Week Holy Week PALM/PASSION SUNDAY PALM/PASSION SUNDAY PALM/PASSION SUNDAY PALM/PASSION SUNDAY Mark 11:1-11, Mark 15:1-47 Sunday, March 29, 9am & 10:30 am Alleluia Children’s Egg Hunt MAUNDY THURSDAY MAUNDY THURSDAY MAUNDY THURSDAY MAUNDY THURSDAY Remembering the Last Supper Hand Washing and Communion Thursday, April 2, 7:00 pm GOOD FRIDAY GOOD FRIDAY GOOD FRIDAY GOOD FRIDAY Remembering the Crucifixion Candle Lighting and Tenebrae Friday, Aril 3, 7:00 pm EASTER SUNDAY EASTER SUNDAY EASTER SUNDAY EASTER SUNDAY Celebrate the Resurrection And New Life: Too Afraid to Tell Mark 16:1-8 Sunday, April 5 Worship& Celebration, 9 &10:30 am Breakfast Served by Youth, 9:30-10:3oam Open Table Ministry Meals Served to All The church kitchen is under construction but Open Table meals will continue to be served every third Monday of the month from 5:30 - 6:30PM and the fourth Thursday of the month from Noon to 1:00pm. In April, supper will be served on the 20th and lunch, later that week, on the 23rd. Come join us for food and fellowship. Bring a friend - all are welcome for supper and lunch! Discovering God’s River Within April 30-May 2 God empowers you through spiritual gifts to bless others as God’s love and grace flow through you like a never- ending river. That river flows through the unique channels of your life, your personality, passion for the needs of others, abilities, and forma- tive live experiences. Pastor John Reinmuth will be leading this work- shop on spiritual gifts and the uniqueness of your SHAPE on Thursday and Friday evenings, April 30 and May 1 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM, and Saturday, May 2, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM. For copyright reasons, Pastor John has re-titled the workshop “Discovering God’s River Within” from “Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life.” Over 200 people from GHUMC and other churches have attended this workshop. So save the dates. Detailed information and a bro- chure are available at the church or will be sent to you on request. Contact Pastor John if you have questions, 253-265-2016.
Transcript
Following Jesus: We Love, Grow, Serve & Share
The Tidings Gig Harbor United Methodist Church Newsletter April 2015, Vol.31 (4)
Join us for worship this Join us for worship this Join us for worship this Join us for worship this Holy WeekHoly WeekHoly WeekHoly Week
The church kitchen is under construction but Open Table meals will continue to be served every third Monday of the month from 5:30 - 6:30PM and the fourth Thursday of the month from Noon to 1:00pm.
In April, supper will be served on the 20th and lunch, later that week, on the 23rd.
Come join us for food and fellowship. Bring a friend - all are welcome for supper and lunch!
Discovering God’s River Within April 30-May 2
God empowers you through spiritual gifts to bless others as God’s love and grace flow through you like a never-ending river. That river flows through the unique channels of your life, your personality, passion for the needs of others, abilities, and forma-tive live experiences.
Pastor John Reinmuth will be leading this work-shop on spiritual gifts and the uniqueness of your SHAPE on Thursday and Friday evenings, April 30 and May 1 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM, and Saturday, May 2, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
For copyright reasons, Pastor John has re-titled the workshop “Discovering God’s River Within” from “Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life.” Over 200 people from GHUMC and other churches have attended this workshop.
So save the dates. Detailed information and a bro-chure are available at the church or will be sent to you on request. Contact Pastor John if you have questions, 253-265-2016.
Who Will You Believe?
In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the truth…" And later, in John 18:37 Jesus says that anyone who has any relationship to truth, "… listens to my voice."
In response to this, Pilate (the politician with a good heart but a job that calls for ex-pediency, clarity, conciseness and concrete-ness) asks, "What is truth?"
To this question, Jesus, who only moments before had clear ideas about truth, says nothing. He went silent. So Pilate washed his hands of both Jesus and the truth, did what was expedient and handed him over to be beaten and killed.
The Bedouins say, "Truth may walk through the world unarmed." And the English, "Craftiness must have clothes, but truth loves to go naked." Maybe this is why, in the Gospel of John, the risen Jesus leaves his clothing behind in the empty tomb.
But who will you believe when it comes to things that really matter? Do you trust the naked? Do you trust the unarmed? Do you trust the graceful, the silent, the modest, the reverent? Do you trust those who are clear, concise, con-crete and expedient? Do you trust the mystics or the ambiguous? Who will you believe when it comes to the im-possible? Who will you believe when it comes to resurrection?
This is the question facing Thomas. His answer: “No one.” He trusts no one with the truth. Not 10 of his closest companions, fellow followers of Je-sus, because he knows that the Christian church is not a simple organization
Over the years, Thomas has become a symbol in popular Christianity for disbelieving and doubt, for stubbornness and obstinacy. “Doubting Tho-mas,” we call him. These very qualities make him a patron saint for some: those who are intellectually rigorous, and who want to know the truth in all of its fullness, those who want to experience the
truth and not just know about it. Sometimes, however, this desire for the truth con-sumes us to the point of wanting to be right more than wanting to behave rightly or justly. Shame on us when we puff ourselves up or get defensive and angry at one another and cling so tightly to our own
ideas or experience that we resist those glimpses and fragments of the truth that others give us freely as gifts. They are treasures entrusted to us.
Thomas is the only disciple who asks to touch the risen Jesus. And though scripture doesn’t tell us if he ever did, his insistence on it got him an invitation to touch. And of all the places that Thomas could have touched, he insisted on placing his hands on the wounds of Jesus Thomas wanted to lay hands on Je-sus’ suffering. For Thomas Jesus’ suffering was the measure of his truth.
There is wisdom here. Those things to which you will commit and for which you will sacrifice and suffer are the deepest truths of your life. Ask yourself this, “Does your commitment to and sacrifice in our church reflect its power and truth in your life?” And on the other side, our willing-ness as Christians to be present in the suf-fering of others and to touch with our own hands the place of another person's deepest pain and loss is the measure of our
troth and fidelity.
While the other 10 disciples received peace and holi-ness from Jesus, Thomas asked to touch the wounds and see the place of his pain. And when he did, he found his faith and his God residing there.
One of Your Partners Along the Jesus Way,
Pastor Jim
Who will you believe when it comes to things that really matter . . . Who will you believe when it comes to the impossible? Who will you believe when it comes to resurrection?
Let’s Go To The Movies! What a fantastic night it was here at the church for our first Friday Night J.A.M. (Jesus and Me) event! As
the kids arrived, they chose their “car” (cardboard box) to decorate from HOSANNA! Custom Cars. They deco-rated it with headlights, steering wheel, brake lights and a license plate. Dave Meis, Leann O'Neill, Lauren Meis and Emily Muske were the mechanics at Grace Garage that helped build those custom cars! Then the kids put their orders in at the Snack Bar where Blanche Riggins filled bags with drinks, candy and popcorn.
The kids sat in their cars and watched Veggietales: Twas the Night Before Easter on the drive-in movie screen. The children experienced the true meaning of Easter and had lots of questions about Good Friday and that glorious Easter Sunday!
It was a special evening for parents too! House cleaning, date nights, fancy adult family dinners and some shopping were some of the most popular fun ways parents spent their evening. Overall, what a fun and creative evening it was for families, kids and volunteers… Friday Night J.A.M.
will be a quarterly event!!! Be on the lookout for ways you can be part of one in the future.
12 9:00am Worship Contemporary 9:00am Adult Sunday School 9:00am Children’s Church 10:00am Hospitality & Coffee 10:30am Worship Traditional 10:30am Sunday School for All 10:30am Middle School D-Group 6:30pm Youth Group
13 1:00pm A.A., Sund Room 2:00pm Staff Meeting, L 5:30pm Kitchen Remodel Team, L 6:30pm Disciple Bible Study, L 7:00pm Couples AA, Sund Room
14 3:00pm LPMT, FH 4:00pm Open Table Planning, L 5:30pm AA, SS2 6:00pm Youth Confirmation Class 6:30pm Finance Committee, L
15 Tidings Due1:30pm D-Group@Church5:30pm Healing Service Committee
6:30pm Choir Rehearsal, FH6:30pm Ad Board
19 9:00am Worship Contemporary 9:00am Adult Sunday School 9:00am Children’s Church 10:00am Hospitality & Coffee 10:30am Worship Traditional 10:30am Sunday School for All 10:30am Middle School D-Group Noon Mission & Social Cncrns, L 6:30pm Youth Group
20 1:00pm A.A., Sund Room 2:00pm Staff Meeting, L 5:30pm Open Table Meal Served 5:30pm Kitchen Remodel Team, L 6:30pm Disciple Bible Study, L 7:00pm Couples AA, Sund Room
21 1:00pm UMW Tea & Program, SR 4:00pm Open Table Planning, L 5:30pm AA, SS2 6:00pm Youth Confirmation Class 6:30pm D-Group at Garchow’s
26 9:00am Worship Contemporary 9:00am Adult Sunday School 9:00am Children’s Church 10:00am Hospitality & Coffee 10:30am Worship Traditional 10:30am Middle School D-Group 10:30am Sunday School for All 6:30pm Youth Group
27 1:00pm A.A., Sund Room 2:00 Staff Meeting, L 5:30pm Kitchen Remodel Team, L 6:30pm Disciple Bible Study, L 7:00pm Couples AA, Sund Room
28 5:30pm AA, SS2 5:30pm Peninsula Art League, FH 6:00pm Youth Confirmation Class 7:00pm Sisters & Brothers Cancer Support Group, SR
2 4:00pm Pieces of Love Quilters, FH 6:00pm Thursday D-Group, SR 7:00pm Maundy Thursday Worship Service 7:30pm A.A., Sund Room
3 7:00pm Good Friday
Worship Service
4
10:00am Scrap Happy Quilters, SS3 Group@Church
6:00pm Trustees, L 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal, FH
9 1:00pm Great Decisions, SR 5:30pm Relay for Life, FH 6:00pm Thursday D-Group, SR 6:30pm SPRC, L 7:30pm A.A., Sund Room
10
11 10:00am Alzheimer's Support Grp, SR
Tidings Due Group@Church
5:30pm Healing Service Committee Meeting, L
6:30pm Choir Rehearsal, FH
16 4:00pm Pieces of Love Quilters, FH 6:00pm Thursday D-Group, SR 7:30pm A.A., Sund Room
17
18 10:00am Prayer Shawl Ministry, FH
Group@Church 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal, FH
23 8:00am Associated Ministries, SR Noon Open Table Lunch Served, FH 1:00pm Great Decisions Class, SR 6:00pm Thursday D-Group, SR 6:30pm Membership Outreach, L 7:30pm A.A., Sund Room
24
25
Group@Church 6:30pm Choir Rehearsal, FH
30 6:00pm Thursday D-Group, SR 6:30-9:00pm Discovering God’s
River Within Workship FH 7:30pm A.A., Sund Room
Please visit our website at www.ghumc.org for
updates to our calendar of events and activities.
FOOD BACKPACKS 4 KIDS Donations Needed
Cans of soup, tuna and Tuna Helper, medium boxes of cereal, peanut butter
Place your donations in the basket located inside the church foyer.
Be Kind to Animals Event May 6, 7:00pm GHUMC Fellowship Hall
We are stewards of this planet. Sometimes we forget this. We have a problem in Pierce County. It is an animal welfare problem. We have citizens of this county who come to the Gig Harbor area and dump off unwanted pets. The poor, frightened crea-tures either starve, or they are eaten by our large coy-ote population.
Spring is here and the problem will only grow. There are puppies and kittens being born soon, as they get bigger, they will join the group of unwanted pets that will be dumped off here.
There are at least 8 different animal rescue groups in this area. The public needs to be informed of the groups and what type of animal they will take. This church has a plan to focus public attention on the problem of animal welfare in our community.
May will begin with Be Kind To Animals Week. The Sunday services on May 3 will emphasize the need that Christians have to consider the welfare of the animals we share this earth with. On Wednes-day, May 6, at 7:00pm we will hold a community meeting in Fellowship hall. Representatives from the area animal rescue groups will be here to speak on the work they do in animal rescue.
We hope to inform this community so that the abandoned animals will have a better chance at life. Hopefully we can inform the public so that the problem will eventually disappear.
For more information contact Diana Landahl.
Kitchen Remodel Congregational Update Meeting
As you may have noticed, the kitchen remodel is well underway. As with most remodel projects, there have been a few issues that had to be resolved before moving forward. But we are there; the demo-lition work is complete, the new exit door, serving window, storage closet, and gas line are all complete. Now, we are preparing for the big push to get us to a projected June 9th completion date. During the All-church conference last year, it was requested
that the committee conduct an update meeting dur-ing the process. The congregational update meet-ing is scheduled for Sunday, April 12th @ 11:30am (after 2nd Service). We hope to see you there.
Thank you for all of your support!
One Great Hour of Sharing Sunday, May 10
Together, we reach children, families and commu-nities who have experienced devastation in the wake of disaster. Look for more information in the May 2015 Tidings and upcoming Sunday Bulletins.
Address Update Bonnie Taylor would love to get cards and letters
from her church family. Her mail is now being re-ceived at her daughters home:
Bonnie Taylor C/O Mary Dawson 708 166th Ave SE Bellevue, WA 98008
General Conference—Volunteers Needed
Every four years, the United Methodist Church holds General Conference where delegates from all over the world attend. In 2016, General Conference will be in Portland, Oregon. To pull off this confer-ence successfully, we will need thousands of volun-teers. If you are interested in volunteering, you can register at www.westernjurisdictionumc.org/gc2016.
Save the Date
A Bakeless Bake Sale is on the Way! Coming May 17th and 24th. Watch for more in-
formation from the United Methodist Women as the date draws closer.
Celebrations In April Happy Birthday SAUL, Dennis 04/01 HOLLETT, Bonnie 04/02 HUNT, Anne 04/03 WINTER, Laurie 04/04 JEWELL, Andrea 04/05 RITCHEY, Elizabeth 04/05 HOGHAUG, Georgia 04/06 KOEHNKE, Nan 04/08 KROTZ, Nicki 04/09 MIKESELL, Lavern 04/09 WHEELER, David 04/10 MCCOLLEY, Pearlita 04/13 PETERSON, Joy 04/13 SIDERIS, Tony 04/14 BUCHANAN, Becky 04/16 BROCKMIRE, Dan 04/17 DESHLER, David 04/17 MITCHELL, John 04/17 MCCOY, Sam 04/21 MARTINELLI, Wanita 04/22 MORTON, Patty 04/23 HAWORTH, Jessie 04/26 HEAD-CORLISS, Maya 04/27 EMENS, Delmer 04/28 HANLEY, Irene 04/28 EMENS, Michele 04/29 CONNELLY, Ralph 04/30 WEIR, Sandy 04/30
Anniversaries BEYERS, Phil & Pam 04/02 DEMICHELE, Lynne & Marty 04/03 TOBEY, Jason & Teri 04/12 LUDLOW, Scott & Nancy 04/14
Children’s Corner
Director of Children’s MinistriesDirector of Children’s MinistriesDirector of Children’s MinistriesDirector of Children’s Ministries
There are two raised bed gardens at the church that are looking for caretakers. You can plant vegetables for your own personal use and/or contribute your harvest to the Open Table or Thursday Friends of Trustees lunch program.
If weeding and watering are activities that you enjoy, help is needed with those tasks as well. Please call Laurie Winter at 253-858-5057 of the office, 253-851-2625, to leave a message for Joanne Saul if you’d like to help or take over one of the garden plots.
UMW Tea and General Meeting April 21, 2015 at 1:00 pm
The April UMW Tea and General Meeting will feature a hands on activity. Due to popular request we will once again have a workshop on making prayer necklaces. The design for the necklaces was created by JenniYeoh, President, Pacific Northwest Conference of the UMW. The necklaces are not dif-ficult to make and are suitable for gift giving. In-structions and assistance will be provided. There is a $5.00 fee to cover costs of the necklace supplies.
You don’t need to be a member of the United Methodist Women to participate. Please contact Laurie Winter for more information.
GHUMC United Methodist Women Annual Rhododendron Luncheon May 9, 2015 at 12:00 pm GHUMC Fellowship Hall
April Showers Bring May Flowers-and opportunities to celebrate Spring with UMW. This year’s program for the an-nual Rhododendron Luncheon will be a presentation by histo-rian and storyteller, Tames Alan, who will introduce us to life in service Downton Abbey.
The UMW Rhododendron Luncheon is a salad pot-luck. You are asked to bring a special salad to share. Beverage and rolls will be provided. For more infor-mation contact Laurie Winter at 253-858-5057.
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #6
Gig Harbor WA 98335
Gig Harbor United Methodist Church
7400 Pioneer Way
Gig Harbor WA 98335
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
___________________________
GIG HARBOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Ph: 253-851-2625 Fax: 253-851-3382
www.ghumc.org [email protected] Church office hours: M—F, 9am– Noon, 1-4:00pm
