T HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE MESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER ESSENGER SEPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER EPTEMBER 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 Visit us at gcumc3.org or Find us on Facebook: “Gibson City UMC” Pastor—John Tennyson Church Phone 217-784-5452 Church Email [email protected]Saturday • 5:30pm—Casual Worship Sunday • 8:45am—Traditional Worship Sunday • 11:00am—Contemporary Worship Sunday School—10:00am Wednesday Night Youth Group Wednesday Night Youth Group Wednesday Night Youth Group Wednesday Night Youth Group Summer is over and it’s BACK TO SCHOOL! We hope that everyone had a blast this summer! Our Wednesday Night Youth Program, GIG (Growing in God), will kick-off on Wednesday, September 20 th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. We will have a bounce house and many fun carnival type games for the kids to play along with snacks and drinks. Parents are asked to meet in the Sanctuary at 6:30. We will take just a few minutes introduce the leaders this year and walk through some important information. We are looking forward to seeing the kids again on Wednesday Nights!! We are always looking for volunteers to make this program possible. Please contact April Rotramel if you are looking for an opportunity to get involved. Wednesday Night Fellowship Wednesday Night Fellowship Wednesday Night Fellowship Wednesday Night Fellowship Wednesday night Fellowship programming will resume on September 27th. Join us at 5:30 for a delicious meal, followed by small groups and youth fellowship at 6:30 to help our young people grow in love with God, respect for each other, and knowledge of scripture. Nursery staff will be on hand to help watch little ones (through age 2) starting at 6:00. Here is the Wednesday night schedule: 5:30-6:30 Fellowship Meal 6:30-7:30 Youth Programming (PreK-High School 7:30-8:30 Sanctuary Choir 2017 Rally Day 2017 Rally Day 2017 Rally Day 2017 Rally Day Please join us on September 10th as we kick-off a new year of ministry at GCUMC! We will start the morning with a combined worship service at 10:00*. After the service we plan to eat! A congregational cookout! A variety of grilled meats and drinks will be provided, so we invite you to bring your favorite side dish or dessert. We will have fun and games planned for all ages! This would be a great opportunity to invite your friends to introduce them to GCUMC! Parents, we will also have a place set aside for you to register your children for the upcoming Sunday School Season, which will start the following Sunday, September 17th. * Our Saturday Night Light Service will be held as scheduled, at 5:30pm on the 10th. NAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAY NAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAY NAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAY NAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAY All Saints Sunday is November 5 th . All church members who have died in the last year will be recognized. GCUMC extends this day of remembrance to any family who has lost a loved one in the last year. If you have a deceased loved one which you would like to have honored and remembered, please submit their name to the Church Office no later than Monday October 23rd. Growing in God
Wednesday Night Youth GroupWednesday Night Youth GroupWednesday Night Youth GroupWednesday Night Youth Group Summer is over and it’s BACK TO SCHOOL! We hope that everyone had a blast this summer!
Our Wednesday Night Youth Program, GIG (Growing in God), will kick-off on Wednesday, September 20th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. We will have a bounce house and many fun carnival type games for the kids to play along with snacks and drinks.
Parents are asked to meet in the Sanctuary at 6:30. We will take just a few minutes introduce the leaders this year and walk through some important information. We are looking forward to seeing the kids again on Wednesday Nights!! We are always looking for volunteers to make this program possible. Please contact April Rotramel if you are looking for an opportunity to get involved.
Wednesday Night FellowshipWednesday Night FellowshipWednesday Night FellowshipWednesday Night Fellowship Wednesday night Fellowship programming will resume on September 27th.
Join us at 5:30 for a delicious meal, followed by small groups and youth fellowship at 6:30 to help our young people grow in love with God, respect for each other, and knowledge of scripture. Nursery staff will be on hand to help watch little ones (through age 2) starting at 6:00.
Here is the Wednesday night schedule: 5:30-6:30 Fellowship Meal 6:30-7:30 Youth Programming (PreK-High School 7:30-8:30 Sanctuary Choir
2017 Rally Day2017 Rally Day2017 Rally Day2017 Rally Day Please join us on September 10th as we kick-off a new year of ministry at GCUMC! We will start the morning with a combined worship service at 10:00*. After the service we plan to eat! A congregational cookout! A variety of grilled
meats and drinks will be provided, so we invite you to bring your favorite side dish or dessert. We will have fun and games planned for all ages! This would be a great opportunity to invite your friends to introduce them to GCUMC! Parents, we will also have a place set aside for you to register your children for the upcoming Sunday School Season, which will start the following Sunday, September 17th. * Our Saturday Night Light Service will be held as scheduled, at 5:30pm on the 10th.
NAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAYNAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAYNAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAYNAMES NEEDED FOR ALL SAINTS DAY All Saints Sunday is November 5th. All church members who have died in the last year will be recognized. GCUMC extends this day of remembrance to any family who has lost a loved one in the last year. If you have a deceased loved one which you would like to have honored and remembered, please submit their name to the Church Office no later than Monday October 23rd.
Growing in God
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Pastoral Statement on Violence and Pastoral Statement on Violence and Pastoral Statement on Violence and Pastoral Statement on Violence and View of White Supremacy GroupsView of White Supremacy GroupsView of White Supremacy GroupsView of White Supremacy Groups
As glaring beheld in Charlottesville, VA, the blind prejudice and violence of white supremacy and neo-Nazism groups is heinous and evil. The result of such malicious bigotry is the anguish and suffering of the innocent. As God’s people, we grieve for the families who have lost loved ones and all who were injured by such callous discrimination.
The gospel of Jesus Christ couldn’t be more evidently clear: Followers of Jesus are called to be the voice and visible witness to God’s love for all people, without exception. We affirm the sacredness of every human life, again: without exception. The teachings and commandment of Jesus Christ to “love thy neighbor” demand that respect, equality, and safety be given to all of humanity. Any form of hatred, bigotry, and callous disregard to the sacredness of life is blatantly antithetical to the gospel and teachings of Jesus.
As your pastor, I agree with Bishop Bruce R. Ough, President of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, when he states: “We share collective responsibility, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to create non-violent communities where people with different political and religious views respect each other” and “where no person feels endangered on account of their social, racial or cultural identity”.
Rev. John Tennyson, Pastor, Gibson City UMC God Is Calling: Lay Leadership NeededGod Is Calling: Lay Leadership NeededGod Is Calling: Lay Leadership NeededGod Is Calling: Lay Leadership Needed Connecting with God in small groups and thru education is vital to the life of the church in children and adults.
We are trying to find more than one set of teachers for every age group on Sunday mornings and on Wednesday nights. If successful, this would mean no one teacher would be responsible every week, but could alternate within the team.
Please consider serving as a teacher to our children, either on Sundays or Wednesdays. We need teachers for the upper elementary, middle school, and high school classes.
~ Pastor John~ Pastor John~ Pastor John~ Pastor John
Wednesday Night Fellowship MealWednesday Night Fellowship MealWednesday Night Fellowship MealWednesday Night Fellowship Meal Wednesday Night Fellowship Meals will start on September 2tth. In order to keep these meals going, we have asked various groups in the church to share the responsibility of serving the weekly meals. Each group will take one week at a time and will be serving 2-3
times per year. Wednesday night help would include cooking, serving, and clean up. If you are interested in helping on a weekly/monthly basis and aren’t already a part of one of the groups, please let the office know. If you are not available on Wednesday nights and still want to help provide supper, meals could be prepared in advance, and cooked by other team members on Wednesday.
Learning in CommunityLearning in CommunityLearning in CommunityLearning in Community It’s back to school for our seminarians, too! Wait; neither of them took a summer a break from classes! In June Susan Schultz completed Sacramental Theology, which also marked the halfway point in her Master of Divinity degree through Asbury Theological Seminary. She completed Church History 2 in August, which is Christianity’s story from the Reformation (the beginning of Protestantism) to present. Our story is very interesting! This Fall she is enrolled in Greek I, online. During the Summer, Sam Horsch continued work on his Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology. By working at the Museum of the Grand Prairie for the curator, he has been able to complete his course in Contextual Education. This Fall, he will be returning to Boston to study subjects such as: History of the Bible, Hebrew and Islamic poetry, Chapel Choir, Constructive Theology, and Global Christianity. Please keep these developing theologians in your prayers, as they seek to learn and grow in service in God's kingdom.
LET’S GET FIRED UP . . . for KIDS. On June 8, 9, and 10 over 900 clergy, and lay delegates and guests of the Illinois Great River Conference (IGRC) gathered at the Peoria Civic Center to worship, participate in the celebration of Holy Communion, transact appropriate items of business and receive information. The conference was kicked off around the theme LET’S GET FIRED UP . . . for Kids based off Acts 2: 1-3.
Throughout, the conference focus centered on our stated purpose of continuing our mission; “Making disciples of Jesus Christ for transformation of the world by equipping local congregations/churches for ministry and by providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church.
Rev. Dr. Terry Teykl who has found great power “in the name of Jesus” was a rather prominent figure throughout the conference. His warm, humorous style makes him “one of the most sought after speakers and seminar leaders in the country.” He had a presentation at each of the 2 noon workshops, was the featured speaker at Friday’s Morning Manna, and Saturday morning Community Prayer Breakfast held at the nearby Bethel UMC hosted by the Conference’s United Methodist Men. He is the author of several books and has 30 years experience in ministry. He began a church with only 8 people committed to prayer, this church; Aldersgate UMC grew to a membership of more than 1,000 in 5 years. His motivation is to teach people how to pray with purpose and understanding while making it exciting.
Some excerpts from one of the noon Dr. Teykl workshops;
• Pray intentionally, confidently
• “the church exists for non-members, not for you, you are already there …you already have your boarding pass” go to “them” wherever that might be …whatever the need might be … Teykl says “God spreads grace like a child spreads peanut butter, everywhere”
During the Friday Morning Manna, He said “If you get a group of people praying on the same scripture, there is power, especially when you pray in the name of Jesus,” When you are agreeing about it and are on the same page, inviting the Holy Spirit to take charge, great things happen.”
He shared how prayer changes things, using three stories from his years in the ministry.
“This how you pray: in Jesus name … and I want to know about it,” he said.
On Good Friday 1988, a parishioner named dale was going to quit church, He had issues of rage and had a gun. Teykl said he asked to pray (for prayers) for Dale “in the name of Jesus” and the rage left him. He gave Teyl his gun, saying “I don’t need this anymore.” Teykl says he still has the gun as a reminder of the battle we face as people of prayer.
“We are at warfare,” Teykl said. “There are spiritual forces that torment the people of God. But when you pray ‘In the name of Jesus,’ even those forces take note.”
There was Amy, who always cried when she heard the name of Jesus. She told Teykl, “I gave my soul to the devil in return for being able to ‘shoot up’,” she said. “It was only because of someone who rescued me that I am here today and when I hear His, Jesus’ name, I cry.”
Teykl said it has affected his own, his then 43-year-son who had a stroke. As the son was being prepared for surgery, Teykl prayed for the well-being of his son “in the name of Jesus”. The doctor came out to talk to the family after surgery and said, “I was not able to find the tumors that caused the stroke. And the doctor then asked, “Will you pray for me?”
In noteworthy action the conference launched a $2.5 million “Our Conference … Our Kids” campaign for spiritual care programs of the five child welfare agencies in the conference, namely, The Baby Fold, Chaddock, Cunningham Children’s Home, Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and Spero Family Services (formerly the United Methodist Children’s Home).
Eight elders and a deacon were ordained and joined two whose orders were previously recognized as full connectional members. Six provisional elders and a provisional deacon were commissioned.
31 pastors representing 894.75 years of service were recognized in a service keynoted by Dr Terry Harter’s Our Continuing Journey: a retiree’s journey. Dr. Harter is one of the retirees with 47 ¼ years in the ministry and is currently serving as Superintendent of the Sangamon River District.
Our IGRC Bishop, a new Bishop; demonstrated exemplary competence and leadership throughout the conference was recognized and thanked by the delegates with a standing ovation. Thank you for the opportunity to serve and to share!
September Mission Socks September Mission Socks September Mission Socks September Mission Socks ---- TelecareTelecareTelecareTelecare Our Mission Socks Collection for September will take place the weekend of the 16th/17th. Money collected from that will benefit Gibson City Telecare. Chime Choir Members NeededChime Choir Members NeededChime Choir Members NeededChime Choir Members Needed The chime choir is starting up again for the fall. If you would like to join the group, please contact Sue Shields at 217-249-4135. PS—Chime Choir isn’t just for adults. If you have a Middle School or High School student who is interested in joining, please encourage them to do so! Food Pantry HelpFood Pantry HelpFood Pantry HelpFood Pantry Help Our next Saturday to help at the Food Pantry at the Hospital is September 23rd. Please contact the office to sign-up.
Joan Bedel 2 Bob Link 3 David Littlefield 3 Dana Martin 3 Austin Rotramel 4 Joel Hood 5 Ashley Morris 6 Katie Quinley 8 Jared Clark 9 Kay Bell 10 Mark Sauer 10 Zander Wier 10 Ember Minard 10 Roger Main 11 Chad Rosendahl 11 Aleka Seneca 11 Tom Borton 12 Gail Anliker 13 Carey Davis 13 Megan Moody 13 Kaitlyn Whitehouse 13 Lucas Clinton 14 Marjorie Davis 14 Susie Dueringer 14 Ethan Freehill 14 Wayne Snyder 14
Gage Minard 15 Samantha Endsley 16 Danielle Jones 16 Patrick Morris 16 Kevin Knerr 17 Rick Ertel 18 Karleigh Kietzman 18 Merle Jones 19 Todd Littell 19 Libby Shields 19 Fran Davis 20 Lauren Blackford 20 Kathy Bennett 21 Tim Shields 21 Avery Baird 23 Glenn Riddle 24 Roger Arends 24 Melissa Jamison 25 Mary Rhodes 25 Wes Leenerman 26 Bonnie Dewey 27 Patricia Goembel 27 Kent Steinman 28 Doug Schultz 28 Brandon Boma 29 Jordan Nagle 29 Craig Kummerow 30 Carl Dewey 30
Nursing Home Residents Manor Ruth Fisher Judy Peters Jane Hill Phil Lutz Annex Mary Rosebraugh Sonny Boundy
Paxton Health Care Michael Morano Bill Dueringer Health Concerns Delmar Bedel
Cathy Breeden Dusty & Nancy Davis Ruth Fisher Doris Gerber Doug Hager Phil Lutz Mike & Judy Morano Barb Murrell Connie Tennyson
Servicemen and women PFC Colton Young AB Cody McCoy PFC Glenn Mehl III
Weekend Sat 5:30
Sun 8:45
Sun 11:00
July 29th & 30th 17 105 16
August 5th & 6th 22 141 19
August 12th & 13th 20 128 34
August 19th & 20th 25 195 33
PPPPRAYERSRAYERSRAYERSRAYERS, B, B, B, BIRTHDAYSIRTHDAYSIRTHDAYSIRTHDAYS, A, A, A, ANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES
Jan—July 2017 Offering for Budget $175,020.79
Jan—July 2017 Operating Expenses $219,847.40
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Day Years Doug & Rhonda Eckerty 10 29 Ty & Kara Royal 12 25 Tom & Sue Briggs 15 54 Doug & Gayle Hager 20 65 Kenneth & Bonnie Farmer 20 3 Gary & Debra McCullough 27 43 Kent & Julie Steinman 28 21 Patrick & Ashley Morris 29 4
