FIRST UNITED FIRST UNITED

METHODIST CHURCHMETHODIST CHURCH

Ministry TeamMinistry TeamMinistry Team

Ministers

The Worshiping Congregation

Pastor

Chuck Rager

Christian Education Director

Renee Meyer

Administrative Secretary

LaVerne Schimpf

Custodian

Ginny Volberding

Newsletter Editor

Karen Nenstiel

District Superintendent

Cindy Karges

Bishop of Great Plains

Conference

Ruben Saenz, Jr.

Ogallala, Nebraska 69153 www.methodistchurchogallala.com

The MessengerThe Messenger

First United Methodist ChurchFirst United Methodist Church

Pastor’s Page 2

Did You Know….? 3

Meetings This Month 3

United Methodist Women 4

Missions Outreach 5

An Activity Page 6

Young People’s Activities 7

Newsletter Deadline 8

Stewards for October 9

IN THIS ISSUE

T o tithe means to give ten percent of one’s in-

come to the church. Many people give an of-

fering to the church, but not all people tithe or

give ten percent of their income to the church.

This month our Finance Committee is launching the

Step-Up Campaign. You will be encouraged to consider step-

ping up in your offerings and grow toward the tithe. Brochures

will be available that illustrate various giving levels to the

church. This brochure will also list some of the numerous

ministries that are done by your church, and you can be

PROUD to be a part of the church that does so much! Hope-

fully you will examine the brochure, see what step of giving

you are currently on, and consider growing a step or two and

moving toward the tithe.

Please pray and consider participating in the Step-Up

Campaign and growing toward the tithe now.

See You Sunday,

Rev. Chuck Rager

Page 2 October, 2017

“Cornerstone”

A cornerstone harkens

back to God’s

pronouncement in Isaiah

28:16 that he “has laid as

a foundation in Zion … a

precious cornerstone.”

Ephesians 2:20 declares

that Jesus is the

cornerstone of the

household of God. The

letters IHC and XP are

abbreviations for “Jesus”

and “Christ” in ancient

Greek.

Christian

Symbols

Did you know that we have a Bi-

ble Study that meets on Tuesday

mornings at 9 A.M. in the Fellowship

Hall downstairs? You are welcome to

join us. It is not too late to join us for

fellowship, sharing, laughing and

learning. You do NOT need to be a

Bible scholar.

Did you know we have a Youth

Group that meets on Wednesday

evenings at 7 P.M. in the Fellowship

Hall? Youth group is open to young

persons in grades six and above.

Now is a great time for young people

to join Youth Group.

Page 3 The Messenger

Board of Trustees on Wednes-

day, October 4, 7:00 p.m.

Finance Committee on Thurs-

day, October 5, 5:00 p.m.

Administrative Council on

Wednesday, October 18, 7:00

p.m.

Meetings This Month

“Autumn …

the year’s

last, loveliest

smile.” ~~William Cullen Bryant

Did you know we have Sunday

School classes for ALL ages? Ages

two to through two hundred have

classes available for them. Sunday

School meets at 10:15 A.M.

Did you know that you can sign

up to host the fellowship time after the

9 A.M. service by calling the church

office?

Did you know that you are a part

of a great church? You Are! We’re

glad you’re here!

Pastor Chuck

World Communion Sunday,

October 1, 2017

Reformation Sunday, October

29, 2017

Reformation Day, October 31,

2017

Special Days This Month

tober 7. Please call her at 284-4555.

Pastor Rager will have the pro-

gram at the General meeting on Oc-

tober 12 at noon in Fellowship

Hall. Circle one will host.

Mona Radcliffe

UMW President

. . . to the following persons who worked and/or

furnished food for the Charles Walker funeral luncheon

on September 16, 2017:

Marge Blaase Norma Schrack Rhonda Duba

Shirley Rankin Shirley Parks Davanne Moul Rose Holechek

Twila Haney Phyllis Reed Donna Messersmith Karen Knudsen

Judy Cross Lynn Paumer Julie Neill Doris Keller

Laura Sexson Karen Nenstiel Barbara Nootz Jean Slagle

Janean Lindauer Ferne Sutton Pam McBride Shirley Schlem

Janie Garska Jonnie Peterson Dorothy Glenn Bea Hatch

Judi Adkins Doris Hickam Bonnie Taylor Connie Heinis

Marlene Kosmicki Teresa Davis

Thank You . . . .

Page 4 October, 2017

United Methodist

Women September

meetings

UMW General

Thursday, October 12

12:00 noon

Fellowship Hall

Circle 1

Thursday, October 26

9:00 a.m.

Mona Radcliffe

Circle 3

Thursday, October 19

2:00 pm

Hess Lounge

Circle 5

Monday, October 16

6:00 pm

Hess Lounge

United Methodist Women in Service and Mission

The Great West District UMW

fall meeting will be in Grant October

14 starting at 9:00 a.m.; cost is

$10.00. We are very lucky to have

the meeting so close, so hopefully

Ogallala will be well represented

with many members present. Mona

Radcliffe would like a count by Oc-

Our Christian love and sympathy to the family of:

Charles Walker, who died on September 12, 2017.

PLEASE HELP: The UMW members in charge of pantry and kitchen

supply have requested your help in collecting plastic containers (like cot-

tage cheese, butter, whipped topping, deli meats, etc.) to be

used for distributing leftovers after funeral/special occasion

dinners. They need clean containers with lids, please.

Just leave them on the table in the kitchen. Thanks.

The Messenger Page 5

The Missions Outreach Commit-

tee is holding its annual Hygiene

Drive for the Keith County Food

Pantry. Every year we collect items

such as diapers, deodorant and

dental floss. Items that cannot be

bought with food stamps are in

need, just as food is needed. The

box in the Hess Lounge will be there

through October. We appreciate

your support for this.

Our on-going Bless the Badge

is going strong. Due to the very

generous support this mission re-

ceives, we are able to show our lo-

cal emergency staff how much we

appreciate them and to let them

know they are prayed for. Special

thanks to Judy Cross and Penny

Benda for chairing this effort.

Mark your calendars for Decem-

ber 9 for the Christmas Angel

Store. It will once again be held at

the Arterburn Youth Cabin for those

in need of assistance with gifts for

their family. During the local

“Christmas in July” events, the UMC

Missions Outreach Activities Are Underway

Christmas Angel Store was one of

the recipients of collected funds

from shoppers. We also were

blessed with new bikes from the

employees of Adams and Pinnacle

Banks. These bikes will then given

out to kids on Angel Store day.

Please contact a Missions member

or bring your gift/monetary donation

to the church office if you feel called

to support our Angel Store. Be-

cause of you, we are able to help so

many families enjoy the celebration

of Christ's birth.

Don't forget that the MOC still

have some short-sleeved UMC t-

shirts for sale. Contact Gigi for in-

quiry.

What a blessing to have such a

supportive congregation!! Because

of your generous hearts, the Mis-

sions Outreach Committee is able to

help others, both inside & out-

side our church walls.

With a grateful heart,

Gigi Berol

Missions Outreach Chairperson

Ogallala First UMC rejoices in welcoming new members who joined the congregation

on Sunday, September 24. New members are shown above (from left to right) with

their sponsors: Marcie Ferretti (sponsor, Roberta Rager); Adeline Ford (sponsors,

Roger and Shirley Rankin); Louis C. and Malinda A. Hoak, (sponsors, Mona and

Gerold Radcliffe). (Photo by Jeff Peterson)

Page 6

“Autumn carries

more gold in its

pocket than all

the other

seasons.”

~~Jim Bishop

October, 2017 Answer: E (See Matthew 18:22.)

A Bible Quiz

A. 7

B. 70

C. 77

D. 70 x 7

E. C or D, depending on the

translation

How many times does Jesus say we should forgive others?

An Activity Page for Younger People

The Messenger

through prayer and the assurance of

God’s presence. Teach this tradition-

al prayer to a young person in your

life — and find comfort in it yourself:

God in heaven, hear my prayer.

Keep me in thy loving care.

Be my guide in all I do.

Bless all those who love me

too.

Amen.

If indeed childhood was ever

carefree, it’s hardly so now. Some

children face bullying, while others

deal with rough home lives. Many fret

over their performance at school and

in sports. News of dangers and trag-

edies makes parents want to shelter

their kids from worldly harm.

Whether real or imagined, child-

hood anxieties are best confronted in

the same way as adult anxieties:

SonShine Singers will meet for rehearsal

on Friday, October 6,

at 4:00 P.M.

and will perform

Special Music on

Sunday, October 8

in the

9:00 worship service.

Page 7

A Chi ld’s Prayer for Protect ion

All young people from 6th through 12th Grades

are invited to come every Wednesday night

from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. for Youth Group activities. Bring your friends, too!

Page 8 October, 2017

Sunday,

November 5,

2017

We are thankful that November

is a month full of activities here at

Ogallala FUMC. We want to let

everyone know what’s coming up!

If you have ideas, pictures or

articles to submit for the November,

2017, issue of The Messenger,

please have them turned in no lat-

er than Monday, October 23,

2017. Earlier submissions would

definitely be accepted and appreci-

ated!

Submissions may be made to

the Church Office, or you may e-

In Holy Communion

reminder that Christians around the

globe share the same meal in re-

membrance of Jesus.

In 1936, a group of pastors

launched World-Wide Communion

Day. Amid the Great Depression,

they were looking for a way to meet

people’s spiritual needs and unite

Christians in their dedication to

Christ.

The observance, now known as

World Communion Sunday, is held

on the first Sunday of October. For

eight decades, it has served as a

MONDAY,

OCTOBER 23

mail them directly to the NEW news-

letter e-mail at:

ogallalaumcnews@gmail.com.

Thanks so much for your help!

You’rx nxxdxd!

Evxn though my typxwritxr is an

old modxl, it works quitx wxll—

xxcxpt for onx kxy. I havx many

timxs wishxd it workxd pxrfxctly. It’s

trux that thx othxr kxys work grxat,

but just onx kxy not working makxs

a hugx diffxrxncx.

Somxtimxs our church sxxms

likx my typxwritxr — not all thx kxy

pxoplx work. You may say to

yoursxlf, “Wxll, I’m just onx pxrson. I

don't makx or brxak thx church.” But

it doxs makx a big diffxrxncx

bxcausx a church, to bx xffxctivx,

nxxds thx activx participation of

xvxry pxrson.

So, thx nxxt timx you think your

xfforts arxn’t nxcxssary, rxmxmbxr

my typxwritxr and say to yoursxlf,

“I’m a kxy pxrson in thx congrxga-

tion, and I’m nxxdxd vxry much.”

Oct. 1 Greeters Bev Johnson, Jim & LeAnn Ayres

Fellowship Pam Abbott

Nursery Collette & Grace VanBorkum

Children’s Moment Jonnie Peterson

Ushers Group 8: Lloyd Johnson, Pete Knudsen, Bud Haney,

L.D. Walker, Ted Slagle, Jim Hixon

Oct. 8 Greeters Ken Hagge, Ken & Edna Meyer

Fellowship Lyle & Barbara Nootz

Nursery Rose Holechek, Bev McMahon

Children’s Moment Pastor Chuck Rager

Ushers Group 9: Buck Markussen, Eric Troxel,

Parker Reil, Hunter Reil, Ryan Holechek

Oct. 15 Greeters Jim & Becky Plate, Herb & Karen Knudsen

Fellowship Sharon York, Pam McBride

Nursery ? ? ? ?

Children’s Moment Penny Benda

Ushers Group 10: Cena Graves, Dave Sheldon

Todd Neill, Dave Baltzell, Sharen Terry

Oct. 22 Greeters Norm & Rhonda Duba, Cliff & Shirlee Knispel

Fellowship Pastor Chuck & Roberta Rager

Nursery ? ? ? ?

Children’s Moment Carmen Troxel

Ushers Group 1: Jeff Peterson, Lonnie Peters,

Craig Draucker, John Stulich, Jim Persinger

Oct. 29 Greeters Jim & Dorothy Glenn, Buck & Judy Markussen

Fellowship Cara & Elliott Pickering

Nursery ? ? ? ?

Children’s Moment Bea Hatch

Ushers Group 2: Steve Shull, Burrell Albee

Terry Johnson, Jerry Speck, Richard Johnson

Nov. 5 Greeters Roger & Judi Adkins, Barbara Draucker

Fellowship ? ? ? ?

Nursery ? ? ? ?

Children’s Moment Ginny Steinke

Ushers Group 3: Dennis & Teresa Davis, John & Sharon York,

Todd & Kim Peterson, Wendell & Ramona Upright

If you would like to have your name added to the rosters for any of the service

opportunities listed above, please contact the church office.

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The Messenger Page 9 The Messenger Page 9

STEWARDS FOR OCTOBER, 2017

ADVICE FROM A PUMPKIN

Be well-rounded.

Get plenty of sunshine.

Give thanks for life’s bounty.

Have a thick skin.

Keep growing.

Be outstanding in your field.

Think big!

~~Ilan Shamir

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Our Vision: “To be a dynamic church, sharing and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ”

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