St. Peter's United Church of Christ
Inman, Kansas

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March 2020 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 12, 2020 at 12:00 AM

�??Suddenly, they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.�?� Luke 9:30, NRSV �??If I could have a beer with Jesus. Heaven knows I�??d sip it nice and slow�?�I�??d be sure to let him do the talkin�??. Careful when I got the chance to ask�?�Ask him how�??d you turn the other cheek. To save a sorry soul like me. Do you hear the prayers I send. What happens when life ends. And when you think you�??re comin back�?�What�??s on the other side? Is mom and daddy alright? And if it ain�??t no trouble tell them I said hi�?��?� If I Could Have a Beer with Jesus, Thomas Rhett I was reminded of the country song whose words I reference above as I was preparing for confirmation class a few years ago. �??If I Could Have a Beer with Jesus�?�, hit the country charts back in 2012 and brings up a topic that we all might want to think about. If we could sit down with Jesus for an hour, what would we talk about? What are the questions that you would want to ask? If you could meet face-to-face with Jesus what one question would you ask him? Questions are good things, God expects us to question things in the world and in life. I have three questions in mind for us to consider. The questions get harder as I move down the line. So here is the first question; �??What one question about God, Jesus, your faith, your denomination, religion, etc., would you like to have answered or at least have a better understanding?�?� I think this is a fair question and it may shape discussions of other topics as well. Their second question will be, �??if you could meet face-to-face with Jesus what one question would you ask him.�?� This question I think might be just a bit harder than the first, but still isn�??t what I feel is the hardest of the three questions I am going to ask. But it is a bit more focused than just what would you talk with Jesus about. The final question is along the same lines as the Jesus question, but I am upping the ante here. The third question is, �??if you could meet face-to-face with God what one question of God, what would that question be?�?� A much tougher question because you only get one shot so you need to make it good. I am challenging each of you to answer these three questions. No, you are not required to answer the questions; it is strictly optional. However, I hope you take up my challenge because it might give you some insight into where you are with your faith. In review here are those three questions again: 1. What one question about God, Jesus, your faith, your denomination, religion, etc., would you like to have answered or at least have a better understanding of? 2. If you could meet face-to-face with Jesus what one question would you ask him. 3. If you could meet face-to-face with God what one question would you ask God. Answer one of the questions, answer two of the questions, answer all three of the questions, or answer none of the questions. The choice is yours; if you do decide to answer any or all of the questions you may e-mail your questions to me at ureche1@aol.com or leave them in the office or the offering plate. You can sign your questions or you can remain anonymous. I am looking forward to hearing from many of you and helping to find answers to your questions. Pastor Dennis Please pray for these people on their designated day in March 1) Verla Thomason 2) Jim and Donna Toews 3) Lamont, Kelly Turcotte, Aoife, Loki 4) Pastor Dennis Ureche and Diane Miller 5) Peggy Watts 6) Marcelyn Wittorff 7) Lois Wright

Kathy Zimmerman 9) Norman Achilles 10) Scott and Connie Achilles 11) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 12) Phyllis Armstrong 13) Kara Ayers, Elian Dorantes, Maya 14) Adolyn Bartels 15) Rosetta Bartels 16) Dan and Fay Binder 17) Cody and Ashley Bornholdt 18) James Bornholdt 19) Tim and Terri Bornholdt 20) Steve and Theresa Buller 21) Richard and Beverly Castleberry-John 22) Gary Ely 23) Gene Ely 24) Gladys Erksin 25) Tim and Cindy Fay 26) Norma Friesen 27) Shirley Friesen 28) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 29) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 30) Gretchen Kimble 31) Kendall, Becky, Kristen, Tanner Revised Common Lectionary Readings for March March 1 Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5: 12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 March 8 Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 John 3:1-17 March 15 Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42 March 22 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 March 20 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8:6-11 John 11:1-45 ************ Virginia Bosworth, Dean Brungardt, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Gretchen Kimble, Brianna Krull, Bill Maurer Sr. Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene and Karen Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Betty Bengston, Virgil Bengston, Geoff Lambert, Kru Harris, John Stilwell, ************** Paula Holt Family and Friends Peggy Watts Family and Friends, Mary Barg Family and Friends Communion Sunday, March 1 ************ Acts -Catching up with the Spirit Matthew L. Skinner Lenten Study Wednesdays, March 4- April 8 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Soup Supper at 5: 45 p.m. Choir at 7:30 p.m. *********** Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, March 5 2:00 p.m. *********** World Day of Prayer Friday, March 6 Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 8 ************ Women�??s Fellowship will lead Morning Worship on Sunday, March 8 in honor of UCC Women�??s Week *********** Rev. Dorothy Nickel Friesen Author of The Pastor Wears a Skirt Sunday, March 8 3:00 p.m. Open to the Community Free admission with reception to follow and book signing by author Presented by St. Peter�??s UCC Social Ministry and Hospitality Teams *********** Pleasant View Home Worship Service Thursday, March 12 6:30 p.m. PVH Chapel ************ Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, March 14 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ********** Tuesday, March 17 ************** One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Sunday, March 22 ************* Church Council Wednesday, March 25 8:30 p.m. ************ March Birthdays 3 Gretchen Kimble 5 Vicki Lindenberger 9 Connie Achilles 10 Tim Fay 15 Tim Bornholdt Mike Luty 17 Roy Schierling 24 Aoife Turcotte 27 Jessica Stucky 29 Karen Schierling March Anniversaries 31 Jess and Jessica Stucky *********** Palm Sunday�??April 5 Easter Sunday�??April 12 Earth Day, 50th Anniversary�??April 22 St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED March 2020 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

February 2020 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 12, 2020 at 12:00 AM

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From the Pastor�??s desk: �??He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God�?� Micah 6:8, NRSV This passage from the prophet Micah is one of my favorites. It is one of the two or three passages from the Bible that if I were to be stranded on a desert island, I would want to have access to. As we begin, our entry into the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday on February 26 this passage speaks to me as I begin my journey through Lent, because it talks about doing and loving and walking. You might be saying to yourself, �??Yes, Pastor Dennis, it does say those things, but what does Micah have to do with Lent?�?� Excellent question I say and I hope to answer that question in the next couple of paragraphs. The Christian season of Lent is the forty days (not including Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday that lead up to Easter. In the early church, this period was given to fasting. The fashion in which one fasted varied from area to area. The website CERC gives us this brief history of the early �??rules�?� surrounding Lent. In Jerusalem, for instance, people fasted for 40 days, Monday through Friday, but not on Saturday or Sunday, thereby making Lent last for eight weeks. In Rome and in the West, people fasted for six weeks, Monday through Saturday, thereby making Lent last for six weeks. Eventually, the practice prevailed of fasting for six days a week over the course of six weeks, and Ash Wednesday was instituted to bring the number of fast days before Easter to 40. The rules of fasting varied. First, some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: �??We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs.�?� However, over the centuries the �??rules�?� for fasting have evolved until we have come up with ways to make the fasting easier. Some traditions now define that one�??s fasting take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. Others have declared that instead of fasting one should give something up for Lent, make a sacrifice if you will. For example, no chocolate, no soda, no Brussel Sprouts and so on. Sundays also became exempt from the period of sacrifice, meaning one could have or partake in whatever one was giving up on Sundays. So now that we have a better understanding of the history of Lent let me explain what I had in mind when I quoted Micah earlier. Micah says, �??He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God�?�. Micah is calling for us to do good in the world and to do that good with love and kindness and to do it alongside God. For me what Micah is calling us to do, especially during this season of Lent, is to do something we would not normally as part of our life do. My suggestion is for Lent this year add something to your life rather than take something away. Continued Add a prayer or a meditation to your daily routine. Write a note to someone you haven�??t written to in a while, volunteer somewhere. When you do something for forty days, it begins to be a habit and a part of your life that may carry on beyond the season of Lent and bring some good into the world. More good then will be gained by giving up chocolate for forty days. A couple of years ago for Lent I decided I was going to say good morning, good afternoon or just hello to as many strangers as I could each day. In the beginning, this was an activity that felt foreign and strange, hard to do. I also got some very strange looks from people, but I also got a few smiles and good mornings back at me. This activity that I added to my life for Lent a few years ago has now become a regular part of my life. Yes, I still get those strange looks from time-to-time but that doesn�??t stop me from continuing to do it. My hope is that I have touched someone when I have done this. Maybe it was someone that was having a bad day and my good morning was the first good thing that happened in their life that day. I haven�??t decided yet what I will add to my life this year for Lent, I will come up with something and I know that I will feel better for having added something of value to my life rather than by giving up something. I also know that by adding something to my life I am doing, according to Micah, what the Lord requires of me. My challenge to you during this season of Lent is to add something to your life and carry out what the Lord requires of you. Pastor Dennis Acts -Catching up with the Spirit Matthew L. Skinner Lenten Study Wednesdays, March 4- April 8 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Soup Supper at 5: 45 p.m. Choir at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to order a copy of the book for the study, please let Pastor Dennis know before Wednesday, February 12. ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for February February 2 Micah 6:1-8 Psalm 15 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Matthew 5:1-12 February 9 Isaiah 58:1-9a Psalm 112:1-9 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 Matthew 5:13-20 February 16 Deut 30:15-20 Psalm 119:1-8 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:21-37 February 23 Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 2 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 Please pray for these people on their designated day in February 1) Norma Friesen 2) Shirley Friesen 3) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 4) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 5) Gretchen Kimble 6) Kendall, Becky, Kristen, Tanner 7) Phyllis Knackstedt

Vicki Lindenberger 9) Mike and Dorothy Luty 10) Mike and Kimba McCormick 11) Randy and Darcel Miles, Aisjha 12) Ellen Neufeld 13) Ray and Jeanne Osborn 14) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 15) Lenore Postier 16) Loren and Denise Postier 17) Elva Rump 18) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 19) Gene and Karen Schierling 20) Roy and Shivawn Schierling 21) Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 22) Jerry and Ruth Sisson 23) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 24) James and Sophia Stephens 25) Freddi Stowe 26) Jesse and Jessica Stucky, Haley 27) Allen Thiessen 28) Merle and Karen Thiessen- Virginia Bosworth, Dean Brungardt, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Gretchen Kimble, Brianna Krull, Bill Maurer Sr. Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene and Karen Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Nort and Nancy Warner, Peggy Watts, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Kent Smith, *********** Berneta Jung Family and Friends Dilbert Stucky Family and Friends Helen Neufeld Family and Friends Meribeth Neufeld Family and Friends, Clark Joseph Myers Haslanger Family and Friends *********** February Birthdays 1 Karson Michael Schierling 5 Diana Rump James Stephens 11 Suttyn Grace Harris 15 David Neufeld 21 Gene Ely February Anniversaries 12 Mike & Dorothy Luty 13 Roy and Shivawn Schierling 18 Tim and Terri Bornholdt 24 Randy and Darcel Miles Todd & Janell Harman Communion Sunday, February 2 ************ Guest Speaker Heidi Hawkinson Penny Sunday, February 2 ************ Casual Sunday February 2 Everyone is invited to wear work clothes to church and to stay after to help with Ground Hog Dinner preparations ************ Inman Museum Soup Lunch Sunday, February 2 Community Building, Lambert Park Free Will Donations appreciated Serving a variety of soups and desserts St. Peter�??s UCC 78th Annual Ground Hog Dinner Monday, February 3, 2020 All you can eat meal served family style: Sausage, Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Corn, Rolls, Applesauce, and Pie Serving times: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cost: $11.00 per adult, $5.00 for children (ages 5 thru 12) and 4 and under are free ************* Women�??s Fellowship Kitchen Clean Up Day Thursday, February 6 9:00 a.m. No regular meeting ************* Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, February 8, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ********** Guest Speaker Sunday, February 9 Jane Heide ************* BOCE will meet Sunday, February 9 following Morning Worship ************* Valentines Day Friday, February 14 ************** Youth Group at St. Peters Sunday, February 16, 4:00 p.m. ********** Presidents Day Monday, February 17 ************ American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, February 21 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Call 1 800-733-2767 or go to Redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment *********** Ash Wednesday February 26 ************* United Church of Christ National Youth Event July 22-25, 2020 Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana Open to young people who have completed grade 6 thru 12 grade. If interesedt please let Pastor Dennis know. *********** Mark your calendars now St. Peter�??s will host Inman VBS July 12-16 Volunteers are needed! *********** Church Council�??3 year term Elders Deacon Trustees_________ Devin Schierling�??2021 Ruth Sisson�??Financial Sec.�??2021 Randy Miles�??2021 Ellen Neufeld�??2022 Jeanne Osborn�??Memorial�??2022 Roy Schierling�??2022 Dan Binder�??2023 Matt Harris�??Treasurer�??2023 Cody Bornholdt�??2023 Nominating Committee�??2021�??Tim Bornholdt, Phyllis Armstrong, Tim Fay Worship Team -2 year term Hospitality Team- 2 year term Allen Thiessen 2020 Karen Thiessen 2020 Rosetta Bartels 2020 Jerry Sisson 2020 Kara Ayers 2020 Carmalee Winebrinner 2021 Fay Binder 2021 Connie Achilles 2021 Ashley Bornholdt 2021 Janell Harman 2021 Ellen Neufeld-stays on Social Ministry Team -2 year term Congregational Life Team-2 year term Shirley Friesen 2020 Shivawn Schierling 2020 Beverly Castleberry 2020 Dorothy Luty 2020 Verla Thomason 2020 Cindy Fay 2021 Diane Miller 2021 Merle Thiessen 2021 Carmaleee Winebrinner 2021 Open _______________________________ Board of Christian Education-2 year term Auditing Committee Brenna Harris 2019 Church, BOCE, Men�??s Fellowship and Women�??s Fay Binder 2019 Fellowship, Memorial Treasurer Karen Schierling 2020 Diane Miller 2021 Rachel Harman 2020 Terri Bornholdt 2021 Freddie Stowe 2020 Terri Bornholdt 2021 Diane Miller 2021 Diane Bartels 2021 Pastor Relations Committee Historian Rosetta Bartels Adolyn Bartels Todd Harman Open _______________________________ (Will be filled before April Congregational Meeting) St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED February 2020 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

January 2020 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 12, 2020 at 12:00 AM

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From the Pastor�??s Desk "Don't speak unless you can improve upon the silence."�??Old Quaker saying Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river? Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air �?? An armful of white blossoms, A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies, Biting the air with its black beak? Did you hear it, fluting and whistling A shrill dark music �?? like the rain pelting the trees �?? like a waterfall Knifing down the black ledges? And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds �?? A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet Like black leaves, its wings like the stretching light of the river? And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything? And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for? And have you changed your life?�?? The Swan by Mary Oliver �??Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.�?��??Proverbs 3:5-6 �??For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:�?��??Ecclesiastes 3 As the clock hits midnight on December 31 a new year begins and an old year ends. We turn our page of life from 2019 to 2020. Even more we see the dawning of a new decade. For me, this will be my eighth decade on this earth. I know some of you have been around for many more new years and decades than I have. A new year and a new decade, a time to reflect on what we have done; a time to reflect on what we hope to do. While it is important to look back down the road of life to see where we have been, I think it is more important that we look down the road ahead to see where we might be going over the next year, five years, and ten years. While it is very important to think about our own, individual futures, I am focusing in this article about the future of St. Peter�??s United Church of Christ. What might lie ahead for our congregation and the people who call it their worship home? There few things that we can be sure of, there will be those that leave us through death or other means. However, there can be as well new life, through birth and new people joining us in this place to worship. If God and this congregation are both willing I will retire at the end of 2025 after serving here at St. Peter�??s for just over 13 years. Five years may seem like a long time, but it really isn�??t. Once the calendar turns to January 1 2020 it will only take 2,191 days to reach December 31, 2025. What will we as a church do with those days? By the end of 2020 I hope that we will have a plan, a roadmap of where we want to go in the future. How are we going to do this? Well a plan begins appropriately enough with a plan. The hard part is putting together a plan for the PLAN. It is my hope that at our Spring Congregational meeting I will have a plan as to how we will construct our future PLAN. I am not sure what this planning process will look like, but I am working on it. I do know that there will need to be hard questions asked. We as people don�??t always like questions and we dislike hard questions even more. Hard questions require us to dig deeply into our feelings and emotions. Deep into places where we don�??t like to go. However this work must be done. Jesus had a plan for his followers to carry out. We find it in Matthew 28:16-20, it is called the Great Commission: Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, �??All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.�?? This is our Great Commission as well. Regardless of what plan we come up with, this commission from Jesus must be a part of it. We are Jesus�?? disciples today, we are called to go and tell the Good News of Jesus Christ. As we begin planning how we will tell the Good News to those who haven�??t heard it there is one thing that is unchanging. That one thing is found at the end of this passage, �??And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.�?� Jesus tells us that he will always be with us, that we will never be alone. If we believe that Jesus is always with us then we also believe and know that God is always with us as well. We do not and will not make this journey into the new decade and our new future alone. We will have God, we will have Jesus, and we will have the Holy Spirit; leading us, walking beside us, and behind us pushing us into the future. Friends, we will also have each other. I ask that you come with me on this journey into a new future for St. Peter�??s. I can tell you with certainty that it won�??t always be a smooth or easy trip. But, it is a trip that must be taken. As followers of Jesus we are called to go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Our role is to find the best way to do that. I am looking forward to the trip. Peace and Blessings, Pastor Dennis Please pray for these people on their designated day in January 1) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 2) James and Sophia Stephens 3) Freddi Stowe 4) Jesse and Jessica Stucky, Haley 5) Allen Thiessen 6) Merle and Karen Thiessen- 7) Verla Thomason

Donna and Jim Toews 9) Lamont, Kelly Turcotte, Aoife, Loki 10) Dennis Ureche (Pastor) Diane Miller 11) Peggy Watts 12) Marcelyn Wittorff 13) Lois Wright 14) Kathy Zimmerman 15) Norman Achilles 16) Scott and Connie Achilles 17) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 18) Phyllis Armstrong 19) Kara Ayers, Elian Dorantes, Maya 20) Adolyn Bartels 21) Rosetta Bartels 22) Dan and Fay Binder 23) Cody and Ashely Bornholdt 24) James Bornholdt 25) Tim and Terri Bornholdt 26) Steve and Theresa Buller 27) Richard and Beverly Castleberry, John 28) Gary Ely 29) Gene Ely 30) Gladys Erksin 31) Tim and Cindy Fay Virginia Bosworth, Dean Brungardt, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Gretchen Kimble, Brianna Krull, Bill Maurer Sr. Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene and Karen Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Nort and Nancy Warner, Peggy Watts, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Lisa Grace *********** Revised Common Lectionary Readings for January January 5 Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 147:12-20 Ephesians 1:3-14 John 1: (1-9), 10-18 January 12 Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 Acts 10:34-43 Matthew 3:13-17 January 19 Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-11 1 Cor 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 January 26 Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 4-9 1 Cor 1;10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Communion Sunday, January 5 ************ B.O.C.E. will meet Sunday, January 5 after Morning Worship *********** Choir Rehearsals Resume Wednesday, January 8 7:00 p.m. No practice on Wed. Jan 1 *********** Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, January 9 2:00 p.m. Make a note of the date change! We collected $176.86 from the Thanks Offering this year. We will decide the recipient at our January 9th meeting. Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, January 11, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ********** All teams are asked to submit a written report for the Annual Congregational Meeting Reports are due before Tuesday, January 14 ************* Church Council Meeting Wednesday, January 15 8:00 p.m. ************ Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday, January 26 Following Morning Worship Lunch will be provided by BOCE ************ January Birthdays 2 Dottie Erker 12 Rosetta Bartels Diane Miller 15 Crystal Schroeder 18 Lamont Turcotte 22 Isaac Sisson McClain Roy Harris 23 Auxana Fay Whatley --- 30 Chris Stevenson January Anniversaries 1 Loren and Denise Postier 23 Cody and Auxana Whatley ************* 2019 Christmas Program a Success! There were doubts about exactly how this would come together, but, thanks to an amazing cast and crew, the production �??peaked�?� at exactly the right moment in the service on Sunday, 12-15-19, and it was amazing. Thanks to our actors: Karson Schierling, Kash Schierling, Kella Schierling, Jessica Schierling, Devin Schierling, Kru Harris, Suttyn Harris, Matt Harris, Mac Harris, Todd Harman, Aoife Turcotte, Loki Turcotte, Raymond Osborn, and Rachel Harman. You are an amazing group with whom to work, and I appreciate your families�?? dedication to pulling this together. Special thanks to those who volunteered or were drafted at the last minute due to others unable to get to church because of the icy roads. BOCE and friends filled in where needed: Fay Binder, Brenna Harris, Karen Schierling, Rachel Harman, Dennis Ureche (kudos on building the mountain!), Freddie Stowe, Dan Binder, and Shivawn Schierling. Our music was coordinated by Ellen Neufeld and Jessica Schierling. It�??s been a long time since I put music into one of my Christmas plays, and it worked splendidly. A/V assistance was provided by Rich Castleberry and Janell Harman�??sorry for the microphone confusion; both of you rose to the occasion to make it work! Thanks to Scott Achilles for setting up the microphones for us. Diane Miller, Writer/Producer/Director St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED January 2020 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

December 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 11:55 AM

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�??But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.�?� 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 �??Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.�?� Matthew 5:4 �??The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.�?� Psalm 34:18 �??Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, �??See how he loved him�?� John 11:35-36 The idea behind a Blue Christmas service is to hold a quiet, contemplative service as an alternative to the more traditional gatherings, as well as care for those who are sad or struggling while those around them are caught up in celebrating. They are also known as Longest Night Services and both tend to be held around 21�??22 December. This year St. Peter�??s will hold this service on Sunday, December 22 at 3:00 p.m. in our sanctuary. This service is held because people within our congregation may be struggling with different kinds of pain and loss during this time of the year. As well many people in our local community have said in passing that they are not feeling the Christmas spirit this year. A Blue Christmas service provides an opportunity for people to hear not about the baby in the manger, who can be dismissed as irrelevant, but about the God of love who comes to us in the middle of the mess and pain we know in our own everyday lives and the lives of those around us. Our Blue Christmas service has been put together especially for those of us who are not feeling particularly merry and bright right now. This service is somewhere to come if, despite all the decorations, the cards, the music playing in the shops, the concerts and parties and the advertisers who want you to believe that you can buy happiness, you don�??t really feel very much like celebrating. Somewhere to come if the idea that a Merry Little Christmas is all you need for your troubles to be miles away has a decidedly hollow ring to it. I hope that you�??ll find this service is a safe place to be transparent with yourself and with God, a safe place to admit that maybe you�??re not ok at the moment, that maybe what you�??re really feeling is sad, discouraged, or even angry. A place for you to be real with your struggles and your questions. Those of us feeling a little blue at this time of year can feel edged out and forgotten as everyone else seems caught up in the mad frenzy of their own preparations and celebrations. This service will, hopefully, give you comfort and hope in knowing that you are not alone. You may find some music to listen to during the service, but we won�??t sing, there�??ll be a Bible reading, and a short message. Candles will be lit, and time spent in prayer and silent reflection. If you are finding yourself struggling to get into the Christmas Spirit, I hope that you will join me on Sunday, December 22 at 3:00p.m. Peace and Blessings, Pastor Dennis Please pray for these people on their designated day in December 1) Dan and Fay Binder 2) Ashley and Cody Bornholdt 3) James Bornholdt 4) Tim and Terri Bornholdt 5) Steve and Theresa Buller 6) Richard and Beverly Castleberry-John 7) Gary Ely

Gene Ely 9) Gladys Erksin 10) Tim and Cindy Fay 11) Norma Friesen 12) Shirley Friesen 13) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 14) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 15) Gretchen Kimble 16) Phyllis Knackstedt 17) Vicki Lindenberger 18) Mike and Dorothy Luty 19) Mike and Kimba McCormick 20) Randy and Darcel Miles, Aisjha 21) Ellen Neufeld 22) Ray and Jeanne Osborn 23) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 24) Lenore Postier 25) Loren and Denise Postier 26) Elva Rump 27) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 28) Gene and Karen Schierling 29) Roy and Shivawn Schierling 30) Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 31) Jerry and Ruth Sisson Virginia Bosworth, Dean Brungardt, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Kandy Keuler, Gretchen Kimble, Brianna Krull, Bill Maurer Sr. Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene and Karen Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Peggy Watts, Marcelyn Wittorff, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Gladys Huber, Garin Nichols, Abby Rishel Barnett, Faith Baxter, Lisa Grace *********** We Mourn with You: Dorothy Hewett Family and Friends Jory B. Konrade Family and Friends Glenda Bohn Family and Friends ************* Revised Common Lectionary Readings for December December 1 Isaiah 2:1-5 Psalms 122 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44 December 8 Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalms 72:1-7, 18-19 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 December 15 Isaiah 31: 1-10 Psalms 146:5-10 James 5:7-10 Matthew 11:2-11 December 22 Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalms 80:1-7,17-19 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 December 29 Isaiah 63:7-9 Psalms 148 Hebrews 2:10-18 Matthew 2:13-23 Advent Study Sundays thru December15 following Morning Worship Light of the World: A Beginners Guide to Advent In Light of the World: A Beginner�??s Guide to Advent, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the story of the birth of Jesus. Join her as she traces the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the visit from the Magi. These stories open conversations around connections of the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, the role of women in first-century Jewish culture, the importance of Mary�??s visitation and the revolutionary implications of Mary�??s Magnificat, the census and the stable, and the star of Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt. ************* Soup and Sandwiches will be served before the Advent Study A sign up sheet to volunteer to bring soup or sandwiches is on the bulletin board. Communion Sunday, December 1 ************* Annual Christmas Program Practices: Sunday, December 1-during Sunday School Sunday, December 8-during Sunday School Sunday, December 8-during Children�??s Church (costume fitting) Sunday, December 15-during Sunday School If you (adults are needed!) or your child would like to participate in the program, please contact Diane Miller. ************* Angels Needed The Worship Team is planning to decorate the Sanctuary with angels for the upcoming Christmas Season. Every family is asked to bring at least one angel to be displayed. Any questions can be directed to anyone on the Worship Team. Women�??s Fellowship Meeting Thursday, December 5 2:00 p.m. St. Peter�??s Women�??s Fellowship is participating in a White Elephant Gift Exchange at their regular meeting on Thursday, December 5, 2:00 p.m. The participants are asked to each bring a gift to exchange. The gift needs to be something used from your home. You are not expected to buy anything new for this activity. Please make sure your gifts are wrapped. The more unusual the wrapping the more fun. Do not put any names on the packages. Any questions can be directed to Diane Miller. ********* Women�??s Fellowship will also be taking their Annual �??Thanks Offering�?� at the meeting on Thursday, December 5th. ************* The Fifth Annual Community Parents Night Out will be held at Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church, Saturday, December 7, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Games, crafts, activities, food and a fun time will be provided for your children. Pizza will be served at 5;30. No charge! Please contact Barb at 620-543-6863 or bj.reeves@live.com by Monday, December 2, to register your children. Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, December 14, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café *********** Christmas in Inman Saturday, December 14 Vendors will be in the Fellowship Hall-4:00 to 8:00 Live Nativity �??6:00 to 8:00 p.m. ******* The Inman Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers to portray characters in the Live Nativity on Saturday, December 14, in conjunction with the �??Christmas in Inman.�?� The Live Nativity time is from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Character time frames are 30 minutes If you would like to volunteer, please contact Barb Tuxhorn at the City Office. ************ St. Peter�??s UCC Annual Christmas Program Sunday, December 15 during Morning Worship ************** St. Peter�??s UCC will host The McPherson Community Brass Choir Sunday, December 15, 4:00 p.m. Open to the Community. No admission charge. If you know someone who would enjoy the choir and Christmas music please, invite them! *************** Church Council Meeting Wednesday, December 18 8:00 p.m. ************* Pleasant View Home Worship Service Thursday, December 19 6:30 p.m. --PVH Chapel ************ American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, December 20 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1800-733-2767) or go to Redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment. Gene and Karen Schierling will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, December 21 St. Peter�??s UCC will be hosting a Greeting Card Shower for the celebration. Everyone is asked to bring an anniversary greeting card for Gene and Karen to the Church Office. The cards will then be given together. ************* First Day of Winter Friday, December 21 ************ St. Peter�??s UCC Choir Christmas Cantata Sunday, December 22 Morning Worship ************* Christmas Fund Offering Sunday, December 22 Morning Worship ************* Blue Christmas Service Sunday, December 22 3:00 p.m. *********** Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service Tuesday, December 24 10:30 p.m. ************ PARTRIDGE & INMAN YOUTH met In November for a time of fun and learning. Our scripture for this month was 1 Chronicles 16:34, �??O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.�?� To remind themselves of all that we have to give thanks for, the kids made colorful trees, wrote things they are thankful for on the leaves and glued them to the trees. St Peter�??s kept one tree, and we brought one back to Partridge so that the adults in the congregation could add their �??thankful leaves�?� to it. ************* December Birthdays 4 Raymond Osborn 5 Aisjha Miles 7 Donna Toews 14 Kara Ayers 15 Kathy Zimmerman Kristin Knackstedt 17 Elva Rump 19 Devin Schierling 25 Fay Binder 28 Kru Harris December Anniversaries 21 Gene & Karen Schierling 31 Devin & Jessica Schierling ************* St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED December 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

November 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 11:55 AM

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�??In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary�??s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, �??Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.�?� Luke 1:39-45 �??In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, �??Do not be afraid; for see�??I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.�?? And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, �??Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!�??�?� Luke 2:8-14 Advent and the season of Christmas are fast approaching. Once again, we will be gathering to learn more about the events leading up to the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. This year we will come together for soup and sandwiches following worship beginning Sunday, November 24 and continuing until December 15. We will be using Amy-Jill �??AJ�?� Levine�??s , Light of the World: A Beginner�??s Guide to Advent as our guide. After all, no matter how old we are or how many times we have hear the Advent stories, aren�??t we all just beginners in our faith journey. Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies. In this study, AJ brings her knowledge, her storytelling skills, and her love of the Gospels to the story of the birth of Jesus. Looking at four different chapters in Luke and Matthew, she unearths deep connections between the Jewish traditions and the events of Jesus�?? birth. She also helps set the cultural (context) stage by drawing out how the Gospels address the political tensions in the early first century. AJ points out the importance of Matthew and Luke as they tell the story, and how the points made in the first two chapters of each Gospel can be heard throughout the remainder of the text. She regards the distinct versions that Matthew and Luke provide not as inconsistencies, but as variations on a theme, for the story of Jesus�?? birth cannot and should not be reduced to just one perspective. During our four Sundays together, AJ will guide us through the stories we have come to know so well and hopefully bring a new light to shine on them for us. Beginning in week one with the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. In the �??The Meaning of Memory�?� we will examine not only the story of Elizabeth and Zachariah, but several other couples that suffered from infertility. With the �??The Promise of Potential�?� in week two we will examine Gabriel�??s announcement to the virgin engaged to Joseph, and Mary�??s appropriate confusion. Because it�??s not every day that we have angels speaking to us. Week three finds us looking at �??The Journey to Joy�?� where we will travel with Mary and Joseph as they make their way to Bethlehem and Jesus�?? birth. Finally, for our last week, we look at �??The Gifts of the Gentiles�?�, where we not only find out how we, as Gentiles, fit into all this but we met the Magi and King Herod as well. As we move through this study, we will see how AJ considers the different characters in the narratives. As well as their place and importance in the story, as she looks to help us understand what these stories would have meant to those who first heard them, as well as what they might mean to us today and to faith communities near and far. I look forward to finding new meaning the old stories that we know. I hope that you will join me. Peace and Blessings, Pastor Dennis Advent Study Sundays, November 24 thru Sunday, December15 following Morning Worship (note the different date and time) Light of the World: A Beginners Guide to Advent In Light of the World: A Beginner�??s Guide to Advent, author, professor, and biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine explores the biblical texts surrounding the story of the birth of Jesus. Join her as she traces the Christmas narrative through the stories of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, and the visit from the Magi. These stories open conversations around connections of the Gospel stories to the Old Testament, the role of women in first-century Jewish culture, the importance of Mary�??s visitation and the revolutionary implications of Mary�??s Magnificat, the census and the stable, and the star of Bethlehem and the flight to Egypt. ************* Soup and Sandwiches will be served before the Advent Study Watch for a sign up sheet to volunteer Please pray for these people on their designated day in November 1) Ray and Jeanne Osborn 2) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 3) Lenore Postier 4) Loren and Denise Postier 5) Elva Rump 6) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 7) Gene and Karen Schierling

Roy and Shivawn Schierling 9) Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 10) Jerry and Ruth Sisson 11) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 12) James and Sophia Stephens 13) Freddi Stowe 14) Allen Thiessen 15) Merle and Karen Thiessen- 16) Verla Thomason 17) Jim and Donna Toews 18) Lamont, Kelly Turcotte, Aoife, Loki 19) Pastor Dennis Ureche and Diane Miller 20) Peggy Watts 21) Marcelyn Wittorff 22) Lois Wright 23) Kathy Zimmerman 24) Norman Achilles 25) Scott and Connie Achilles 26) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 270 Phyllis Armstrong 28) Kara Ayers, Elian Dorantes, Maya 29) Adolyn Bartels 30) Rosetta Bartels Virginia Bosworth, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Kandy Keuler, Gretchen Kimble, Bill Maurer Sr. Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene and Karen Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Peggy Watts, Marcelyn Wittorff, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Krista Smalley, Morgan Morris, Cash Schierling, Alan Peters, Dean Brungardt ************** Steve Jonas Family and Friends, John Glenn Family and Friends Revised Common Lectionary Readings for November November 3 Daniel 7:1-3,15-18 Psalms 149 Ephesians 1:11-23 Luke 6:20-31 November 10 Hag 1:15b-2:9 Job 19-23-27a 2 Thess 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38 November 17 Isaiah 65:17-25 Mal 4:1-2a 2 Thess 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 November 24 Jeremiah 23:1-6 Luke 1:68-79 Col 1:11-20 Luke 23:33-43 Daylight Savings Time Ends Sunday, November 3 Remember to set your clocks back �??fall back�?� on Saturday evening. ************* Communion Sunday, November 3 ************* St. Peter�??s UCC Will remember our loved ones who have passed away within the last year at a special All Saints Day Service Sunday, November 3 Morning Worship If you have someone you would like remembered please contact the Church Office. **************** St Peter�??s United Church of Christ Women�??s Fellowship Biannual Inman Community Women�??s Luncheon Thursday, November 7, 2019. Our theme this year is �??Life is Short, Eat Dessert First.�?� We will gather at 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall and begin our dining at 12:00 noon. The guest speaker will talk about heirloom jewelry and family keepsakes, how to restore, preserve and repurpose items from our family heritage. You may want to wear or bring a family treasure, something handed down to you that is important to your family�??s history. We are inviting all the women who are part of the community area churches. If you know someone who might not be reached by this invitation please invite them. No cost to attend. ************ Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, November 9, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café Veterans Day Monday, November 11 *************** Pleasant View Home Gift Day Thursday, November 14 Come join us for homemade chicken noodle soup, ham sandwiches, homemade pie and ice cream. Serving from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Live auction starts at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds will be used to purchase a new generator. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Pastor Dennis. Sign up sheets are posted for ice cream servers, or to bring bread, crackers, coffee, butter and pies. ************* Youth Group Meeting St. Peter�??s Sunday, November 17 4:00 p.m. All youth, grades 5 thru 12 ************ Church Council will meet Wednesday, November 20 8:00 p.m. Make a note of the change of date and time ************* Happy Thanksgiving Thursday, November 28 ************* A meal train has been set up for Theresa and Steve Buller at mealtrain.com/8dr6qn This website has complete information, instructions, requests, address for delivery and more. There is still a real need for help. Any questions can be directed to Terri Bornholdt. *********** November Birthdays 3 Hayley Rae Stucky 8 Marcelyn Wittorff 21 Adolyn Bartels 22 Kelly Turcotte 27 Matthew Sisson 29 Dinae Barefoot and Brenna Harris 30 Gary Ely November Anniversaries 5 Jim & Sophia Stephens 23 Rick and Beverly Castleberry ************** Christmas Decorating Volunteers Needed! Volunteers will need to be able to help decorate sometime after Thanksgiving and before Sunday, December 1. If you would like to volunteer please contact anyone on the Worship Team Ellen Neufeld, Cindy Fay, Allen Thiessen, Jessica Schierling, Rosetta Bartels or Kara Ayers ************** Mark Your Calendars for December Advent Study Sundays, November 24-December 15 following Morning Worship Soup and Sandwich Lunch ************* Women�??s Fellowship White Elephant Gift Exchange Thursday, December 5 2:00 p.m. *********** Christmas In Inman Saturday, December 14 Live Nativity Vendors in the Fellowship Hall ************* Annual Christmas Program Sunday, December 15 Morning Worship ************ Pleasant View Home Worship Thursday, December 10 6:30 p.m. PVH Chapel ************ American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, December 20 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. ************* Christmas Cantata Sunday, December 22 Morning Worship ************** Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service Tuesday, December 24 ************ Christmas Day Wednesday, December 25 St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED October 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

October 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 11:55 AM

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Can you believe it October is here. The year is 75% over and it�??s time to start the rush to 2020. Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here, followed rapidly by Christmas. However, I don�??t want to move things along to quickly so I will focus on October for this month�??s article. October is a month of change. We lose about 60 minutes of daylight between October 1 and 31, with later sunrises and earlier sunsets. The leaves begin and for the most part complete their color change during the month. Cooler temperatures are also ahead, with the average high temperature dropping 13 degrees during the month and the low temperature dropping 11 degrees. Finally, at the end of the month our big fall holiday hits, that being Halloween. Shoppers say they will spend an average $86.27, down just slightly from last year�??s record $86.79. That works out to $8.8 billion in total spending, down from last year�??s $9 billion. This year�??s total is expected to be the third-highest in the survey�??s 15-year history, after the record $9.1 billion set in 2017. A total of 172 million people plan to celebrate Halloween�??68 percent of those surveyed�??down from 175 million last year.1 What if we could funnel that amount of money to some of the human needs we have in this country. Halloween is a holiday that some Christians choose not to celebrate, because of its pagan origins and others because of its dark, ghoulish imagery. However, other Christians choose to participate in the festivities, either through school functions, community events or what has grown in popularity over the past few years at churches, that being trunk or treat. This event has activities at church for the whole family with treat or treating happening in the parking lot or big field with kids moving from car trunk to car trunk, collecting goodies, in a safe and family environment. Despite the fact that some Christians boycott Halloween, the holiday does have a Christian history. Hallow is the same word for �??holy�?� that we find in the Lord�??s Prayer and e�??en is a contraction of �??evening�?�. The word Halloween itself is a shortened form of �??All Hallows Eve�?�, the day before �??All Saints Day�?�. This holiday, properly understood and celebrated with all of its fun trappings, can be a way for us to deepen our understanding of faith. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. On October 31, the tribes would celebrate the festival of Samhain. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead, including ghosts, goblins, and witches, returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.2 When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider, traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow�??s Eve or �??holy evening.�?� Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died. It is a celebration of the �??communion of saints,�?� which reminds us that the church is not bound by space or time. Continued�?� Many of the customs we now associate with Halloween are also derived from ancient celebrations. For example, the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually started in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go door-to-door collecting food and materials for a village feast and bonfire. Those who gave were promised prosperity; those who did not received threats of bad luck. When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them.3 Does your family carve a pumpkin to place on your porch for Halloween? If so, then you can once again thank the Irish for the tradition. Actually, the custom began with a turnip. People would hollow out the turnips and place lighted candles inside to scare off the evil spirits. When the Irish came to America, they discovered the pumpkin as a larger substitute for the turnip. And so, we now carve pumpkins instead of turnips for Halloween. So, how does your family celebrate Halloween if at all? Ultimately, Christian participation in Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level of Halloween participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from the world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing. Halloween provides the Christian with the opportunity to accomplish both of those things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a message that is holy, set apart from the world; it's a message that is the very mercy of a forgiving God. What better time of the year is there to share such a message than Halloween? Blessings and peace. Pastor Dennis 1https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/social-media-influencing-near-record-halloween-spending 2http://www.allaboutgod.com/history-of-halloween-christian-perspective-faq.htm 3http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/A123/christians-and-halloween Please pray for these people on their designated day in October 1) Marcelyn Wittorff 2) Lois Wright 3) Kathy Zimmerman 4) Norman Achilles 5) Scott and Connie Achilles 6) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 7) Phyllis Armstrong

Kara Ayers, Elian Dorantes, Maya 9) Adolyn Bartels 10) Rosetta Bartels 11) Dan and Fay Binder 12) Cody and Ashley Bornholdt 13) James Bornholdt 14) Tim and Terri Bornholdt 15) Steve and Theresa Buller 16) Richard and Beverly Castleberry-John 17) Gary Ely 18) Gene Ely 19) Gladys Erksin 20) Tim and Cindy Fay 21) Norma Friesen 22) Shirley Friesen 23) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 24) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 25) Gretchen Kimble 26) Phyllis Knackstedt 27) Vicki Lindenberger 28) Mike and Dorothy Luty 29) Mike and Kimba McCormick 30) Randy and Darcel Miles, Aisjha 31) Ellen Neufeld Virginia Bosworth, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, John Glenn, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Kandy Keuler, Gretchen Kimble, Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Peggy Watts, Marcelyn Wittorff, Abby Rishel-Barnett, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Lois Hickey and Family, ********** Helen Havercroft Family and Friends Hilda Vogt Family and Friends Erma Jane Wiens Family and Friends Verna Lee Penner Family and Friends Kay Hildebrand Family and Friends Zona Mary Homeier Family and Friends ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for October October 6 Lam 1;1-6 Habakkuk 1:1-4,2:1-4 2 Timothy 1:1-14 Luke 17:5-10 October 13 Jeremiah 29:1,4-7 2 Kings 5:1-3,7-15c 2 timothy 2:8-15 Luke 17:11-19 October 20 Jeremiah 31:27-34 Genesis 32:22-31 2 timothy 3:14-4:5 Luke 18:1-8 October 27 Joel 2:23-32 Psalm 84:1-7 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14 Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, October 3 2:00 p.m. Remember to bring your favorite dessert recipes to be able to make choices for the Community Luncheon in November. ************ World Communion Sunday October 6 ************ Neighbors in Need Special Mission Offering Sunday, October 6 Neighbors in Need is the UCC�??s annual offering to support ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States, including the Council for American Indian Ministries. ************** Inman Museum Open House Sunday, October 6 1:30p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free will donations To introduce the theatre premier showing of old photographs and slides that have been digitalized thanks to a grant from the Kansas Humanities Council. Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 6 5:00 p.m. All animals are welcome to come and receive a blessing ************** Inman�??s 3rd Charity Quilting Retreat Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. St. Peter�??s UCC Fellowship Hall The goal is to bring together any and all who like to sew for exciting fun and fellowship while sewing as many quilt tops and children�??s quilts as we can. Quilts will go to Mount Hope and Children�??s Mercy Hospitals. Bring your sewing machine and walking foot and scissors and thread of a neutral color All material and batting, rotary cutters and mats, and irons and ironing boards are provided. Please RSVP so that we can have the room set up for the number of sewing machines we will be expecting to arrive. We have a couple of extra sewing machines if you need to reserve one. RSVP to Terri Bornholdt 620-242-8818 or terri.bornholdt@gmail.com Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, October 12, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ************ 4H Sunday Sunday, October 13 Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. All members and families of 4H are welcome ************** St. Peter�??s UCC will welcome special Guest Speaker Heidi Hawkinson Penny Sunday, October 13 Morning Worship The Community Choir will perform at Pleasant View Home Thursday, October 17 6:30 p.m. Reception will follow performance ********** Church Council will meet Thursday, October 17 7:30 p.m. ************ Kansas Oklahoma Annual Conference Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 ************** Fall Congregational Meeting Sunday, October 20 All teams need to submit a report to be included in the Book of Reports for the Congregational Meeting. Team reports need to be in to the Church Office by Wednesday, October 9. The Book of Reports will be available for Sunday, October 13, and October 20. All members please make plans to attend. Decisions on combining the Special Accounts Funds will be on the agenda. Dinner for the Congregational Meeting will be Potluck. All youth, grades 5 thru 12 Youth Group Sunday, October 20 Partridge UCC, 4:00 p.m. Pastor Dennis will provide transportation. Plan to leave about 3:15 p.m. Please RSVP to Pastor Dennis or the Church Office. ********** Be someone�??s hero, donate blood American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, October 25 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Call 1-800-733-2767 or go to Redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment. *************** Season of Creation Sunday Sunday, October 27 Morning Worship Kairos will be in the Hutchinson Correctional Facility Thursday, October 31 thru Sunday, November 3. A Prayer Vigil sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board. You can also help with this ministry with a monetary donation. Please contact Allen Thiessen for more information. *********** If you have a loved one that you would like remembered during the All Saints Day Remembrance on Sunday, November 3 Morning Worship please contact the Church Office. ********** A meal train has been set up for Theresa and Steve Buller at mealtrain.com/8dr6qn This website has complete information, instructions, requests, address for delivery and more. There is still a real need for help. Any questions can be directed to Terri Bornholdt. *********** Marcelyn Wittorff has been moved to Harvest House at PVH. She is still really struggling. All cards, thoughts, prayers and other kind gestures have been so appreciated and are still welcome. Thank you, Carolyn and Larry October Birthdays 1 Abby Rischel Barnett 2 Janell Harman Tristian Stevenson 3 Cindy Fay 4 Carmalee Winebrinner 7 Dan Binder 10 Matt Harris 11 Todd Harman 12 Allen Thiessen 13 Ellen Neufeld 14 Drake Stevenson 16 Loren Postier 17 Sophia Stephens 18 Mike McCormick 22 Lois Wright Karen Thiessen 25 Ashley Bornholdt Laura Bartels Stevenson 30 Cash Jensen Albers October Anniversaries 27 Merle and Karen Thiessen ************** Mark Your Calendars Coming in November All Saints Day, Sunday, November 3 Daylight Savings ends Sunday, November 3 Women�??s Fellowship Community Luncheon Thursday, November 7, 11:00 a.m. Veteran�??s Day, Monday, November 11 Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 28 St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED October 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch Can you believe it October is here. The year is 75% over and it�??s time to start the rush to 2020. Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here, followed rapidly by Christmas. However, I don�??t want to move things along to quickly so I will focus on October for this month�??s article. October is a month of change. We lose about 60 minutes of daylight between October 1 and 31, with later sunrises and earlier sunsets. The leaves begin and for the most part complete their color change during the month. Cooler temperatures are also ahead, with the average high temperature dropping 13 degrees during the month and the low temperature dropping 11 degrees. Finally, at the end of the month our big fall holiday hits, that being Halloween. Shoppers say they will spend an average $86.27, down just slightly from last year�??s record $86.79. That works out to $8.8 billion in total spending, down from last year�??s $9 billion. This year�??s total is expected to be the third-highest in the survey�??s 15-year history, after the record $9.1 billion set in 2017. A total of 172 million people plan to celebrate Halloween�??68 percent of those surveyed�??down from 175 million last year.1 What if we could funnel that amount of money to some of the human needs we have in this country. Halloween is a holiday that some Christians choose not to celebrate, because of its pagan origins and others because of its dark, ghoulish imagery. However, other Christians choose to participate in the festivities, either through school functions, community events or what has grown in popularity over the past few years at churches, that being trunk or treat. This event has activities at church for the whole family with treat or treating happening in the parking lot or big field with kids moving from car trunk to car trunk, collecting goodies, in a safe and family environment. Despite the fact that some Christians boycott Halloween, the holiday does have a Christian history. Hallow is the same word for �??holy�?� that we find in the Lord�??s Prayer and e�??en is a contraction of �??evening�?�. The word Halloween itself is a shortened form of �??All Hallows Eve�?�, the day before �??All Saints Day�?�. This holiday, properly understood and celebrated with all of its fun trappings, can be a way for us to deepen our understanding of faith. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. On October 31, the tribes would celebrate the festival of Samhain. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead, including ghosts, goblins, and witches, returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.2 When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider, traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow�??s Eve or �??holy evening.�?� Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died. It is a celebration of the �??communion of saints,�?� which reminds us that the church is not bound by space or time. Continued�?� Many of the customs we now associate with Halloween are also derived from ancient celebrations. For example, the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually started in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go door-to-door collecting food and materials for a village feast and bonfire. Those who gave were promised prosperity; those who did not received threats of bad luck. When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them.3 Does your family carve a pumpkin to place on your porch for Halloween? If so, then you can once again thank the Irish for the tradition. Actually, the custom began with a turnip. People would hollow out the turnips and place lighted candles inside to scare off the evil spirits. When the Irish came to America, they discovered the pumpkin as a larger substitute for the turnip. And so, we now carve pumpkins instead of turnips for Halloween. So, how does your family celebrate Halloween if at all? Ultimately, Christian participation in Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level of Halloween participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from the world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing. Halloween provides the Christian with the opportunity to accomplish both of those things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a message that is holy, set apart from the world; it's a message that is the very mercy of a forgiving God. What better time of the year is there to share such a message than Halloween? Blessings and peace. Pastor Dennis 1https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/social-media-influencing-near-record-halloween-spending 2http://www.allaboutgod.com/history-of-halloween-christian-perspective-faq.htm 3http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/A123/christians-and-halloween Please pray for these people on their designated day in October 1) Marcelyn Wittorff 2) Lois Wright 3) Kathy Zimmerman 4) Norman Achilles 5) Scott and Connie Achilles 6) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 7) Phyllis Armstrong

September 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 11:55 AM

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�??So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.�?��??Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 17-19 �??Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.�?��??1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 �??Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.�?��??Proverbs 10:12 �??Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;�?��??Romans 12:9 Love and hate: we as people of God have a conflicting relationship with these two emotions. This is because we are human, and God has given us free will to choose how we are to live. We are people who hate as well as people who love, despite what the God, Jesus, the prophets and apostles tell us what we should do in the Bible. Today, in America, hate appears to be winning. Hate can be defined as, �??intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.�?� I believe the key word here is fear. In the United States today, there is a great sense of fear of the other. We don�??t trust those that are not like us, those we don�??t know; even the police appear to be in fear of the communities that they are called to protect and serve, which has led to even greater fear in our cities as well as deaths. The writer of Proverbs reminds of this, �??Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences.�?� (Proverbs 10:12) �??Love covers all offences�?� is a very lofty thought but is it really achievable? And if love is achievable, how do we here in Inman, Kansas, where we appear to be insulated from the hate that appears to be sweeping the rest of the country (or are we really) make a difference? How do we change hate to love? We do it one person at a time, starting here at home using the definition of love that the Apostle Paul gives in 1 Corinthians, �??Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.�?� (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13) We can follow Paul�??s call of how to love here in our town, and then we can carry that same message outward to others that we interact with as we go out into the world. When we touch someone in a loving and positive way, that person touches someone else, and so on. Before you know, it we have a love movement going on that can begin to conquer the hate that is reigning havoc over our world. I don�??t think I need to go into detail on how Jesus came to earth to teach us how to love one another. We should already know that. If we don�??t, we can turn to the Gospels to find examples of Jesus loving the other. This love lead to his ultimate sacrifice: giving his life for us in love so that we may have the grace and eternal life that awaits each follower of him. The theme of the entire Bible is the self-revelation of the God of love. In the garden of Eden, God commanded that "you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). We are not prepared, then, when God looks for Adam after his sin, calling out "Where are you?" God seeks Adam, not to put him to death, but to reestablish a relationship with him. God, the Lover, will not allow sin to stand between him and his creature. God personally bridges the gap through his son, Jesus Christ. The Old Testament charge was to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). But Jesus gave his disciples a new command with a radically different motive: "Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12). Paul affirms that "the entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 5:14). Once we have received God's love as God�??s children, God expects us to extend that love to others. In fact, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 John 4:8). Love is the motivation for evangelism. Christ's love compels us to become ambassadors for Christ, with a ministry of reconciliation. As ambassadors for Christ, we can build bridges to span the deep chasms of hate in the world. Hate is a strong thing; however, I believe it can be overcome with love. I agree with John Lennon and Paul McCartney in their song, Let It Be, And when the broken-hearted people living in the world agree There will be an answer, let it be For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see There will be an answer, let it be Peace and Blessings, Pastor Dennis ************* Dear St. Peters Choir, Thank you so much for ministering to us with music. What a joy to worship and fellowship together. Please accept this token of our gratitude (donation to music fund.) Peace, Pastor Sheridan and Partridge UCC ************ A meal train has been set up for Theresa and Steve Buller at mealtrain.com/8dr6qn This website has complete information, instructions, requests, address for delivery and more. There is still a real need for help. Any questions can be directed to Terri Bornholdt. Please pray for these people on their designated day in September 1) Shirley Friesen 2) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 3) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 4) Gretchen Kimble 5) Phyllis Knackstedt 6) Vicki Lindenberger 7) Mike and Dorothy Luty

Mike and Kimba McCormick 9) Randy and Darcel Miles, Aisjha 10) Ellen Neufeld 11) Ray and Jeanne Osborn 12) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 13) Lenore Postier 14) Loren and Denise Postier 15) Elva Rump 16) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 17) Gene and Karen Schierling 18) Roy and Shivawn Schierling 19) Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 20) Jerry and Ruth Sisson 21) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 22) James and Sophia Stephens 23) Freddi Stowe 24) Allen Thiessen 25) Merle and Karen Thiessen- 26) Verla Thomason 27) Jim and Donna Toews 28) Lamont, Kelly Turcotte, Aoife, Loki 29) Dennis Ureche (Pastor) Diane Miller 30) Peggy Watts Virginia Bosworth, Steve and Theresa Buller, Janie Gormley, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Gretchen Kimble, Kairos Prison Ministry, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Peggy Watts, Marcelyn Wittorff, Reinecker Family, Brianna Krull, Rosetta Bartels, Gene Schierling, Abby Rishel-Barnett, Tim Fay and Family, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Helen Havercroft, Harry Family and Friends, Amy Michaels Family and Friends ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for September Sept 1 Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalms 112 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1,7-14 Sept 8 Jeremiah 18: 1-11 Deut 30: 15-20 Philem 1:1-21 Luke 14: 25-33 Sept 15 Jeremiah 4: 11-12, 22-28 Exodus 32:7-14 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 16: 1-13 Sept 22 Jeremiah 8: 18-9:1 Amos 8:4-7 1 Timothy 2: 1-7 Luke 16:1-13 Sept 29 Jeremiah 32:1-3a,6-15 Amos 6:1a, 4-7 1 Timothy 6: 6-19 Luke 16:19-31 St. Peter�??s UCC Fall Schedule will resume Sunday, September 1 10:30 a.m. Sunday School will resume on Sunday, September 8, at 9:30 a.m. Thanks to all that have provided brunch ************* Communion Sunday, September 1 ************ On Sunday, September1, the Moundridge community is hosting a softball game and home run derby to show love and support for Lorie Schmidt-Eichelberger. Lorie has been diagnosed with a recurring form of breast cancer. The evening will begin with a free will donation supper at 5:00 p.m. A light-hearted adult softball game between Inman and Moundridge will start at 6:00 p.m. Come join the fun with friends and community to support Lorie Eichelberger and her family. ************* Choir Rehearsals will resume on Wednesday, September 4 7:00 p.m. Welcome Back Abby! ************ Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, September 5 2:00 p.m. ******** The Peterson Farm Brothers are 3 brothers from central Kansas who create social media content to promote agriculture. Their YouTube videos have received over 50 million total views and they have a large online following. The Peterson Brothers will be speaking to the community on Friday, September 6, 7:00 a.m., at the Inman Community Building. Sponsored by the Inman Chamber of Commerce and the ICF Leadership Funds. Sunday School Classes Resume Sunday, September 8, 9:30 a.m. ********** Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, September 14, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ************ The Inman Lions Club will sponsor a Hamburger Fry to benefit Danny Parr, on Saturday, September 14, beginning at 5:00 p.m., at the Inman City Park Community Building. ************* Church Council will meet Thursday, September 19,7:30 p.m. Joint Youth Group to Begin September 22, Partridge Community United Church of Christ and St. Peter�??s United Church of Christ have agreed to team up to start a youth program. The program is open to all youth from grades 5-12. Our first gathering will be at St. Peter�??s on Sunday, September 22, 4:00-6:00 p.m. This first meeting will be a get acquainted meeting, along with getting some ideas as to what the youth would like to do. Meetings will alternate between Partridge and Inman, with some occasional field trips. Feel free to invite a friend or two to join the group. If you have questions or ideas please talk with Pastor Dennis. ************ First Day of Autumn--Monday, September 23 ************* Pleasant View Home Worship Thursday, September 26, 6:30 p.m. at the PVH Chapel. ************ Endowment Sunday September 29 Women's Fellowship Breakfast Join Women's Fellowship for their Annual Santa Fe Days Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Eggs, pancakes, sausage, cinnamon rolls, and beverages will be available for a free-will offering. Proceeds support Women's Fellowship projects and charities. ************ Sunday, September 29, 2019: Smoky Valley Bluegrass Band in concert at St. Peter's UCC, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Reception follows in Fellowship Hall. Free admission; funded in part by a grant from Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and National Endowment for the Arts. ************* Check out the enclosed poster for all the activities and times. For those of you getting this by email, your Santa Fe Days poster is being forwarded by email from Diane Miller--Coordinator September Birthdays 2 Dennis Schroeder Kella Rose Schierling Hailey Spears 13 Shirley Friesen 18 James Bornholdt 24 Tanner Knackstedt September Anniversaries 30 Pastor Dennis Ureche Ordination ********* Mark Your Calendars Coming in October Women�?? Fellowship, Thursday, October 3, 2:00 Communion, Sunday, October 6 World Communion Sunday, October 6 Neighbors in Need Offering, Sunday, October 6 Blessing of the Animals, Sunday, October 6, 5:00 Quilting Workshop Thursday and Friday, October 11 and 12 Men�??s Breakfast, Saturday, October 12, 7 :00 a.m. 4 H Sunday, October13 Guest Speaker, Heidi Hawkinson Penny, Sunday, October 13, Morning Worship Community Choir performs at PVH, Thursday, October 17, 6:30 p.m. Church Council, Thursday, October 17, 7:30 p.m. KO Conference Annul Meeting, October 18 and 19 Fall Congregational Meeting and potluck luncheon, Sunday, October 20 Blood Drive, Friday, October 25 Creation Sunday, October 27 ************ St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED September 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch ST. PETER'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST JANUARY-JULY 2019 BUDGET VERSUS ACTUAL INCOME JANUARY- JULY ACTUAL JANUARY- JULY BUDGET DOLLAR DIFFERENCE FROM BUDGET PERCENT OF BUDGET NON-SPECIFIED CONTRIBUTIONS 64,868.35 71,481.65 (6,613.30) 90.75% SPECIFIED CONTRIBUTIONS 5,653.23 TOTAL INCOME 70,521.58 71,481.65 (960.07) 98.66% EXPENSE JANUARY- NOVEMBER ACTUAL JANUARY- NOVEMBER BUDGET DOLLAR DIFFERENCE FROM BUDGET PERCENT OF BUDGET TOTAL EXPENSE 62,675.38 73,097.89 -10,422.51 85.74%

August 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 10:20 AM

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�??Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.�?��??John Wesley�??s Directions for Singing is found in the front of some Methodist hymnals �??Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.�?��??Psalm 147:1, NRSV �??The visiting of church structures, both large and small, has always been one of my traveling delights. After observing the distinctive architectural characteristics and aesthetic features of a new sanctuary, I generally find myself browsing through the church hymnal. �?�Experience has confirmed the conviction that next to the Bible, the hymnal is man�??s most important aid in worship of the Almighty.�?��??Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories Hymn singing is a very important part of our weekly worship experience. John Wesley felt that hymn singing was so important to the lifting of one�??s praises to God that he came up with a list of rules for hymn singing. Congregational singing is important not only because it draws the congregation together in unity in worship by lifting praises to God in community and unison but also because well-chosen songs teach scriptural truths in a form other than reading or preaching and serve to further reinforce those truths. The center of our singing God�??s praises in unity is our hymnal. We here at St. Peter�??s for several years having been using exclusively, The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration as our guide. For the past few years I have been on the hunt to find a new hymnal for our use to add to what we have been using. The struggle with this search is that there is no �??perfect�?� hymnal to be found. In addition, the cost of securing enough hymnals to place in our pews is prohibitive. In mid-May of this year an opportunity presented itself that I found hard to pass up. The Reverend Phil Hodson of Fairmount UCC in Wichita let it be known that his church had 104 copies of the UCC�??s New Century Hymnal (NCH) available for anyone that was interested. The cost for these hymnals was the amazingly low price of FREE! The reason for these hymnals being available is because Fairmount has started sharing worship space with Pilgrim Congregational Church in Wichita. Pilgrim already had enough copies of the NCH and didn�??t need the additional copies that Fairmount had. Fairmount and Pilgrim�??s surplus became St. Peter�??s windfall. I want to make a few points very clear. First, I am not replacing the hymnal that we currently use. I am adding to our worship experience by introducing hymns that may be new to us that are found in the NCH. Secondly, we will continue to use our current hymnal, especially for the singing of our �??old favorites�?�. Keeping in mind that these �??old favorites�?� didn�??t start out as such. I believe that we will find hymns in NHC that will soon become favorites of ours. My final point is this. I promise, here in writing, that for the rest of my tenure at St. Peter�??s we will not take The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration out of the pews. These two hymnals, The Hymnal for Worship & Celebration and The New Century, will be used together to bring, what I hope is a better worship experience through song. The NCH will be in the pews on September 1 (when we return to our 10:30 a.m. start time). Beginning on that sate there will be a mixture of hymns from both hymnals. Some weeks it will be hymns from just one hymnal, other weeks it will be a mixture. Hymn selection will be, as it always has been for me, led by the spirit based of the message being addressed each week. The praise of God through music begins in scripture which is given to us by God. I will let God continue to guide me each week to choose the best hymns to enhance God�??s Word. As I was working on this article, I wondered just how long some of the hymns that we sing have been around. So, I put together a little quiz together to see if you could match the year a hymn was written with its title. You will find that quiz as well as the answers elsewhere in this newsletter. I will close with these words from the protestant reformer, Martin Luther, whose hymns are among our favorites, �??Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through music.�?� Peace and Blessings, Pastor Dennis *********** Hymn Quiz�??match the hymn to the year it was composed 1. O Come All Ye Faithful a. 1776 2. Joy to the World b. 1871 3. Leaning on the Everlasting Arms c. 1719 4. How Firm A Foundation d. 1887 5. Jesus Loves Me e. 1787 6. How Great Thou Art f. 1860 7. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God g. 1885 8. Amazing Grace h. 1529 9. Blessed Assurance i. 1779 10. Silent Night j. 1873 11. The Old Rugged Cross k. 1818 12. Rock of Ages l. 1913 ************ St. Peter's is invited to join Partridge UCC in their annual revival services. They usually have a full week of evening services. Everyone is invited to the revival services if you would like to attend. Pastor Dennis will be delivering the sermon on Tuesday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m. But, right now we need music. It could be choir, women, men, a solo, duet, or maybe a group. Abby has offered to form a choral group if enough are interested. If anyone would like to participate with music contact Pastor Dennis ASAP please! and thank you! *********** August Birthdays 3 Cody Bornholdt Katie Bornholdt Albers 9 Richard Castleberry 22 Verla Thomason Norma Ray Friesen 25 Carolyn Pauls 26 Jessica Schierling 30 Freddie Stowe August Anniversaries 3 Jerry & Ruth Sisson 8 Dan & Fay Binder 16 Scott & Connie Achilles 17 Ray and Jeanne Osborn Dennis & Crystal Schroeder 21 Kendall & Becky Knackstedt ********* Please pray for these people on their designated day in August 1) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 2) James and Sophia Stephens 3) Freddi Stowe 4) Allen Thiessen 5) Merle and Karen Thiessen- 6) Verla Thomason 7) Donna and Jim Toews

Lamont, Kelly Turcotte, Aoife, Loki 9) Dennis Ureche (Pastor) Diane Miller 10) Peggy Watts 11) Marcelyn Wittorff 12) Lois Wright 13) Kathy Zimmerman 14) Norman Achilles 15) Scott and Connie Achilles 16) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 17) Phyllis Armstrong 18) Kara Ayers, Elian Dorantes, Maya 19) Adolyn Bartels 20) Rosetta Bartels 21) Dan and Fay Binder 22) Cody and Ashley Bornholdt 23) James Bornholdt 24) Tim and Terri Bornholdt 25) Steve and Theresa Buller 26) Richard and Beverly Castleberry-John 27) Gary Ely 28) Gene Ely 29) Gladys Erksin 30) Tim and Cindy Fay 31) Norma Friesen Virginia Bosworth, Steve and Theresa Buller, Janie Gormley, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Kandy Keuler, Gretchen Kimble, Kairos Prison Ministry, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Peggy Watts, Brianna Krull, Rosetta Bartels, Karen Fay, Arlene Sherwood, Marcelyn Wittorff We Mourn with You Family and Friends of Gina Broadbent Family and Friends of Dick Swedersky Family and Friends of Audrey Peterson Family and Friends of Wilbur Martens ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for August August 4 Hosea 11:1-11 Ecc 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21 August 11 Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 Genesis 15:1-6 Hebrews 11:1-3,8-16 Luke 12:32-40 August 18 Isaiah 5:1-7 Jeremiah 23:23-29 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 August 25 Jeremiah 1:4-10 Isaiah 58:9b-14 Hebrews 12:18-29 Luke 13:10-17 St. Peter�??s UCC Worship Team invites you to contribute to Morning Worship during the summer. You are invited to share something important to you thru music, poetry, devotionals, skits, etc. A sign up sheet for each Sunday during the summer has been posted on the bulletin board. If you have any questions please contact the Church Office. ************ Don�??t forget to sign up for Brunch Last day for brunch is Sunday, August 18 ************* Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, August 1 2:00 p.m. ******** Communion Sunday, August 4 ************ Communion Class Often children participate in communion on Sunday morning without really understanding the reasons we have communion or what it all means. All children, or interested adults, are invited to a Communion class on Wednesday, July 31, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or Wednesday, August, 7, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The same material will be covered in each class. We will learn about communion and even make a loaf of bread. Any questions please contact Pastor Dennis. *********** Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, August 10 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ************ Church Council Thursday, August 15 7:30 p.m. ***************** St. Peter's United Church of Christ will offer a "Blessing of the Backpacks" on Sunday, August 18, during Morning Worship. During the service, students and adults will be asked to come forward with their school bags, backpacks, briefcases, etc. to receive a blessing for the coming school year. *********** American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, August 23 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Please call 1-800-733-2767 or go to Redcrossblood.org to make an appointment. There is always a real shortage of blood during the summer months! Please make plans to donate. ************* A meal train has been set up for Theresa and Steve Buller at mealtrain.com/8dr6qn This website has complete information, instructions, requests, address for delivery and more. There is still a real need for help. Any questions can be directed to Terri Bornholdt. ************ The Board of Christian Education�??s Annual Cook-off will be held on Sunday, August 25, following Morning Worship. This year�??s categories are chicken and cupcakes. All entrees should include chicken and any kind of cupcake is acceptable. Entrees must be plated and ready to judge by 11:00 a.m. Entrees will be judges be presentation and taste. All spectators are asked to bring a side dish. Brunch will be a buffet of contest entrees and side dishes. To enter the contest please contact Brenna Harris 620-242-3878 or Fay Binder 620-960-1057. *********** Joint Youth Group to Begin September 22, Partridge Community United Church of Christ and St. Peter�??s United Church of Christ have agreed to team up to start a youth program. The program is open to all youth from grades 5-12. Our first gathering will be at St. Peter�??s on Sunday, September 22, 4:00-6:00 p.m. This first meeting will be a get acquainted meeting, along with getting some ideas as to what the youth would like to do. Meetings will alternate between Partridge and Inman, with some occasional field trips. Feel free to invite a friend or two to join the group. If you have questions or ideas please talk with Pastor Dennis. Coming in September Communion, Sunday, September 1 Women�??s Fellowship, Thursday, Sept 5, 2:00 Men�??s Breakfast, Saturday, Sept 14, 7:00 a.m. Church Council, Thursday, September 19, 7:30 p.m PVH Worship, Thursday, September 26, 6:30 p.m. Santa Fe Days, Saturday and Sunday, Sept 28 ************** Fall Worship Schedule will resume Sunday, Sept 1 Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m. Thanks to everyone that provided brunch during the summer. First day for Sunday School will be Sunday, September 8, at 9:30 a.m. ******* Choir practices will resume on Wednesday, September 4, at 7:00 p.m. Welcome back Abby! ****** Santa Fe Days will include the Women�??s Breakfast on Saturday, Sept 28 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and a bluegrass band is scheduled to perform on Sunday, September 29, 3:00 p.m. *********** Dear members of St. Peter�??s A big thank you for the flowers and card sent to me on my birthday. I have been listening to your Sunday services on tv and miss you all. This is very nice home to be here. Lenore Postier We just received another check from Dillons Community Rewards in the amount of $78.If you haven�??t signed up please do so. We have 15 households participating. It is easy to participate. Just go to your Dillons app and from the drop-down menu under Savings and Rewards choose Community Rewards, then select your organization. St. Peter�??s number is JJ086 or you can type in St. Peter�??s. Any questions please contact the Church Office or your local Dillons store. ************* Answers to Hymn Quiz from Pastor Dennis article 1. O Come All Ye Faithful�?? b. 1871 2. Joy to the World�?? c. 1719 3.Leaning on the Everlasting Arms�?? d. 1887 4. How Firm A Foundation�?? e. 1787 5. Jesus Loves Me�?? f. 1860 6. The Old Rugged Cross�?? l. 1913 7. How Great Thou Art�?? g. 1885 8. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God�?? h. 1529 9. Amazing Grace�?? i. 1773 10. Blessed Assurance�?? j. 1873 11. Silent Night�?? k. 1818 12. Rock of Ages�?? a. 1776 ************ Dear Pastor and Members A heartfelt thanks for everything! ($305.00 donation) Yours in Christ The Soup Kitchen Ellen Neufeld was a delegate from St. Peter�??s UCC to the 32nd General Synod in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 21-25. This is her report from the convention. It was published in the KO Conference Newsletter the week of July 10. The Conference newsletter is available on the KO Conference website. The newsletter contained several articles from Synod, including one from Conference Minister Edith Guffey. This is Ellen�??s article. Milwaukee, Wisconsin was a very welcoming city to the UCC delegates to the National Synod. Everyone I encountered during the entire seven days was friendly, helpful and considerate. Kudos to the organizers of this event and the citizens of Milwaukee! I attended two �??Be the Church Conversations�?� on Friday, June 21. The first one was entitled �??How is the UCC Different from Other Denominations�?�. I found it to be very interesting and informational. I realized I should have taken a polity class on the UCC before coming to synod! The autonomy of the local church was emphasized. A list of 10 points describing the UCC was handed out. I picked up numerous copies and will share with the Women�??s Fellowship Group when I give a presentation to them on August 1, 2019. The second conversation was entitled �??How Can Churches Prepare for Climate Change Discussion as a 2020 Election Issue?�?� I received many suggestions to use in approaching my congregation about this issue. One was a Youtube session by Katherine Hayhoe, an evangelical minister�??s wife, and the other were book suggestions, The Green Boat by Mary Pipher, God is Green by Robert E. Shore-Goss, and Grounded by Diana Butler Bass. The leader encouraged us to engage young people to bring this issue to the congregation. As was stated, �?? The earth has a fever. We need to make it better. We need to do this for you and well as the younger generation.�?� I was assigned to Committee 5, which reviewed a proposed resolution regarding the use of plastic foam and a resolution in support for the energy innovation and carbon dividend act of 2019. Spirited discussion was had on both resolutions and both passed with minimal amendments. The leader of our discussion emphasized from the beginning that time was a social justice issue and that we need to pay attention to how we use it and share it. When approaching our congregations about the plastic foam issue, it was suggested to have a knowledgeable person speak to the congregation about a trash to treasure program and how to recycle. Training is the name of the game. The church needs to be aware of the issue and the environmental concerns facing our planet. We can�??t afford to have the earth filled with trash and ignore the problem. Participating in the interfaith protest march to the Milwaukee ICE office on Monday, June 24, was the highlight of the Synod. We peacefully walked down the sidewalks of downtown Milwaukee holding posters, singing and chanting. Once we arrived at the ICE office, Rev. Traci Blackmon led us in song and chants and gave an inspirational message. Lines of fellow delegates marched in front of the ICE office, across the street and on the side street. It may have been a hot and humid afternoon, but no one doubted the importance of what we were doing. All of the worship services were beautiful in their own way. The music was thoughtfully chosen; the speakers brought home their points. The most inspiring service, however, was the service of holy communion on June 23, 2019. The choir was inspirational, singing many beautiful anthems while communion was administered. The preacher for the afternoon service, Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister, Justice and Local Church Ministries, stirred our passion as she encouraged us to do our heart and soul work by bringing out all the colors of the world. She said �??God is calling us to shine! We live in God�??s creation and we need to act like it!�?� My favorite remark of her�??s was �??Justice is what love looks like in public�?�. She gave us so much to think about and act upon, not only within ourselves but in our churches. I would be remiss if I did not mention all the diversity within the UCC. It was absolutely a glorious sight to see all the people from different races, genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations come together as one. As a white, heterosexual, 60+ aged female, I was definitely not in the majority. I was enlightened and saddened to hear people speak about oppressions they endured, most of which I had never encountered. Yet each of us has experienced discrimination in some way. Not one person is immune. What we all need is empathy and the will to rectify the discrimination. As Rev. Blackmon said, �??We are blessed when we care.�?� As I drove home from the airport on Wednesday, June 26, I was thrilled to see that wheat harvest had started. I was home. Life is slower here in Inman, Ks. Our congregation is in a small farming community. Many issues addressed at synod will not be a topic of conversation in our church. Yet we do have concerns shared by other congregations, like attracting young people, keeping Sunday School going, having a youth program, serving an aging congregation, ministering to those in our area of the world. I came home confident in knowing that St. Peter�??s UCC is a relevant congregation in Inman, KS and, with God�??s help, will be shining for many years to come. Off to White Memorial Camp! Thanks to everyone that participated in the Annual Variety Show. (if you have pictures you would like to share please email them to me. bev) St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED August 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

July 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 10:10 AM

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�??What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?�?� �??The one who treated him kindly,�?� the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, �??Go and do the same�?�. �??Luke 10:36-37, The Message �??For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, �??You shall love your neighbor as yourself.�??�?� �??Galatians 5:14 �??Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.�?� �??Hebrews 13:1-2 I am writing this while at the United Church of Christ General Synod 32. Y�??all have gotten through two Sundays without me at the helm. Trust that I will be back in the pulpit on June 30. The Reverend Traci Blackmore delivered the message during Sunday�??s community worship here. During her message she said, �??The Kingdom of God is not coming, it is already here!�?� I know you have heard me say this many times, however, it is nice to be affirmed that my message is a good one. Diane had this to say in response to my Facebook post of Traci�??s quote, �??OH, you've been saying this for years. Now Traci has stolen your idea!�?� I am not sure that she stole my idea or not, however, it is nice to be affirmed by someone who has the status of Traci. During my absence I know that the folks at St. Peter�??s have been doing God�??s work with the idea that the Kingdom is here and now. You see I do hear about things that happen while I am gone. And I say to all of you, I am proud of you! The first Sunday that I was gone I heard that towards the end of worship a family that was in need showed up at the church. This family was stranded on their trip to the state of Oregon. They were also obviously different that y�??all. You lived out the three verses that I quoted above and helped them get back on their way with $418.00 in cash and a meal. You treated them kindly, loved them as yourself, and showed them hospitality. As Jesus said, �??Well done good and faithful servant.�?� Then on Friday, June 21, St. Peter�??s welcomed the Wisconsin Children�??s Choir. The Hospitality and Social Ministry Teams worked together to make this event go very smoothly. I have heard from the group that they felt welcomed from the moment that they arrived. Margaret Harberger Hadley had this to say on Facebook, �??We made some great new friends last night/this morning.�?� I also heard that the attendance at the St. Peter�??s concert was the largest that they had so far on their tour. Once again, �??Well done good and faithful servant.�?� This is what being a believer in God, a follower of Jesus, and a Christian is all about. Loving others kindly (He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?-Micah 6:8), love others as you love yourself, and show hospitality to all. I look forward to being back in worship with y�??all on Sunday, June 30. I do miss you. So, until we see each other again, keep doing what you have been doing and our little corner of the world will be a better place. Peace and Blessings, Pastor Dennis Please pray for these people on their designated day in July 1) Dan and Fay Binder 2) Cody and Ashley Bornholdt 3) James Bornholdt 4) Tim and Terri Bornholdt 5) Steve and Theresa Buller 6) Richard and Beverly Castleberry-John 7) Gary Ely

Gene Ely 9) Gladys Erksin 10) Tim and Cindy Fay 11) Norma Friesen 12) Shirley Friesen 13) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 14) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 15) Gretchen Kimble 16) Phyllis Knackstedt 17) Vicki Lindenberger 18) Mike and Dorothy Luty 19) Mike and Kimba McCormick 20) Randy and Darcel Miles, Aisjha 21) Ellen Neufeld 22) Ray and Jeanne Osborn 23) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 24) Lenore Postier 25) Loren and Denise Postier 26) Elva Rump 27) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 28) Gene and Karen Schierling 29) Roy and Shivawn Schierling 30) Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 31) Jerry and Ruth Sisson Virginia Bosworth, Steve and Theresa Buller, Janie Gormley, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Gretchen Kimble, Kairos Prison Ministry, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Peggy Watts, Brianna Krull, Jace Ward, Rosetta Bartels, Kandy Keuler, Ron Keeler, Reinecker Family, We Mourn with You Family and Friends of Diane Cummings Family and Friends of Marcella Martens Family and Friends of Lindy Wray ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for July July 7 2 Kings 5:1-14 Isaiah 66:10-14 Galatians 6: 1-6, 7-16 Luke 10:1-11,16-20 July 14 Amos 7:7-17 Deuteronomy 30:9-14 Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 10:25-37 July 21 Amos 8:1-12 Genesis 18:1-10a Colossians 1:15-28 Luke 10:38-42 July 28 Hosea 1:2-10 Genesis 18:20-32 Colossians 2:6-15 Luke 11:1-13 St. Peter�??s UCC Worship Team invites you to contribute to Morning Worship during the summer. You are invited to share something important to you thru music, poetry, devotionals, skits, etc. A sign up sheet for each Sunday during the summer has been posted on the bulletin board. If you have any questions please contact the Church Office. ************ Don�??t forget to sign up for Brunch Sign up sheets are on the bulletin boards. ************* Independence Day Thursday, July 4 ************** Communion Sunday, July 7 ************ Inman Vacation Bible School Registration is now open July 7-11 5:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Bethel Mennonite Church Ages 4 thru 6 grade Register online at Inmanvbs.org This year�??s Offering Project for VBS is Mt. Hope Sanctuary in McPherson Sunday night: Batteries, sizes AA, AAA, C, D, 9volt Monday: hair brushes, hair ties, scrunchies, bobby pins, and alcohol-free mouth wash in 8-12 oz. bottles (Crest ProHealth) Tuesday: Insulated drinking cups with lids, insulated water bottles with lids and standard size pillows, twin size sheet sets for boys or gender neutral (they have plenty for girls) Wednesday: Snack size packages of fruit snacks, crackers or cookies Thursday night is the offering night to replenish the treasury for VBS in 2020. ************* Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, July 11 2:00 p.m. Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, July 13 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ************ Church Council Thursday, July 18 7:30 p.m. ***************** Coming in August Women�??s Fellowship, Thursday, August 1, 2:00 Communion, Sunday, August 4 Men�??s Breakfast, Saturday, August 10, 7:00 a.m. Church Council, Thursday, August 15, 7:30 p.m. Red Cross Blood Drive, Friday, July 23, 12:00 p.m.to 6:00 p.m. ************* A meal train has been set up for Theresa and Steve Buller at mealtrain.com/8dr6qn This website has complete information, instructions, requests, address for delivery and more. There is still a real need for help. Any questions can be directed to Terri Bornholdt. ************ July Birthdays 6 Charlie Pauls 14 Phyllis Armstrong 15 Phyllis Knackstedt July Anniversaries 8 Pastor Dennis Ureche and Diane Miller 15 Matt and Brenna Harris ************ Special Thank You The Hospitably Team and the Social Ministry Team came together to welcome the Wisconsin Children�??s Choir on Friday, June 21. The group of 10 singers, director Margaret Hadley, accompanist Jason Kutz, and chaperones were welcomed by St. Peter�??s UCC. The church provided a meal for everyone on Friday evening, a reception after the performance, overnight stays at members homes, and breakfast the next morning before the group headed out to their next performance in Iowa. The choir had performed two different shows in Colorado before coming to Inman. The church welcomed appx. 50 people to the show, most from the community. One couple drove from Wellington, Kansas to watch their granddaughter perform. Most everyone attended the reception following. We also sent them off with a free will donation. So, thank you to everyone that participated in any way. Great evening of music and wow! what a choir! ************** Another Special Thank You! Thank you to everyone that gave money to a family in need on Sunday, June 16. A family of 5, father, mother, 2 little ones, with another on the way, and a grandmother were stranded and in need of help. They were traveling to Oregon for family and ran out of money to complete the trip. St. Peter�??s sent them off with a free will donation of $418.00 and a meal. Thanks for helping! Independence Day July 4, 1987 marked the 25th anniversary of the Fireworks displays in Inman. In 1963 a discussion between Ralph Howard and Robert Bartels culminated in the decision that Inman needed a fireworks display to celebrate Independence Day. They called on all Inman merchants soliciting donations for the project. The response was excellent and the fireworks were ordered. The display was held on the High School grounds with a large crowd in attendance. The following year the Inman Merchants Association and the City of Inman provided funds for the event and the Inman Volunteer Fire Department agreed to take charge of the actual display. This event expanded each year and was eventually relocated at the City Pasture one mile east of town and one half mile north. For the past several years, the Inman Merchants have operated a fireworks stand to raise money for the celebration. The 1987 display consisted of 264 exploding shells in a span of 22 minutes. Chuck Franz and Otis Friesen organized the event, with Bob Schroeder ordering the fireworks. Preparations for the display took a crew of 12 men about 4-5 hours. In addition to the aerial display there were several hanging ground displays including Donald Duck, two pin wheels, a sign that read �??Happy 100�?� and a water fountain. During the week preceding the 4th, volunteers sold fireworks at a tent north of town near Wen�??s One. Some of the volunteers worked eight hours straight and others stayed overnight to protect the merchandise. According to The Ledger �??the Inman fireworks display was the topping on the cake during the continuing celebration to Inman�??s 100th birthday party.�?� ****************** Article copied from A Centennial History, 1887 to 1987 (A copy of the book is in the history case) *************** Just for Fun! This picture is also from A Centennial History. The picture is actually from Memorial Day (not the 4th of July), but is shows Pastor Don Bosworth and a Mrs. Johnson playing God Bless America on her harmonica. St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED July 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

June 2019 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 11, 2020 at 10:10 AM

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�??For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.�?� Galatians 5:1 �??There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.�?� Galatians 3:28 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever. 1 Corinthians 7:21 �??For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.�?� Titus 3:3 January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation proclamation, calling for an end to slavery in this country. On December 18, 1865 the practice of slavery was officially abolished in the United States with the ratification of the thirteenth amendment to the US Constitution. However, slavery still continues today. I am not talking about the practice of owning others to do our work. I am talking about the idea that we are slaves to things that own us. Many of us today are not truly free, even though we may think we are. Yes, all of the Biblical passages listed above are from Paul�??s writings. Paul wrote much about being slaves, and his writings remind us that if we truly want to be free, we cannot let anything take our freedom away, we must claim it, and live it out. You might be saying, I am not a slave, nobody owns me. To which I would agree, nobody owns you, however something may own you. There are many things in this world that may enslave us and keep us from a full relationship with God. There are addictions that we are slaves to, alcohol, drugs, physical things, and yes even food that threaten our lives. God has called each of us to live our lives within a right relationship with God. This means that we must exercise our freedom and take control of our own lives; not let someone or something take control and make our decisions for us. That is very hard to do for most of us. We from a young age have had others making decisions for us and we sometimes feel that is an easier way to go through life. I believe that Paul�??s words from Galatians 5:1 make a great statement, �??For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.�?� Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that we may be free to fully serve God by living a life that Jesus taught us to live. Paul goes on to say in his letter to Titus, �??For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.�?� That I believe is an excellent assessment of our lives when we don�??t have a good, strong relationship with God and Jesus. Jesus has given each of his followers an outline for living a good and free life. We need to take that outline and make a plan for how we are to live our lives. Doesn�??t matter how young or old we are, it�??s never too late. Someone once said about making a plan to become the person you want to be, �??Plan the work and work the plan.�?� Remember that a plan is just that a plan, there is room for adjustments to any plan. And, there will be times that our plans will need to be adjusted. Remember we are not carrying out this plan alone, we have God, Christ, and other Christians in the world (and here in Inman) working with us. Remember these words from Paul in Galatians 3:28 �??There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.�?� Blessings and peace. Pastor Dennis Please pray for these people on their designated day in June 1) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 2) Lenore Postier 3) Loren and Denise Postier 4) Elva Rump 5) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 6) Gene and Karen Schierling 7) Roy and Shivawn Schierling

Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 9) Jerry and Ruth Sisson 10) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 11) James and Sophia Stephens 12) Freddi Stowe 13) Allen Thiessen 14) Merle and Karen Thiessen 15) Verla Thomason 16) Jim and Donna Toews 17) Lamont, Kelly Turcotte, Aoife, Loki 18) Pastor Dennis Ureche and Diane Miller 19) Peggy Watts 20) Marcelyn Wittorff 21) Lois Wright 22) Kathy Zimmerman 23) Greg and Heather Thiessen, Taylor, Brooke 24) Norman Achilles 25) Scott and Connie Achilles 26) Adam and Katie Albers, Cash 27) Phyllis Armstrong 28) Kara Ayers, Elian Dorantes, Maya 29) Adolyn Bartels 30) Rosetta Bartels Virginia Bosworth, Steve and Theresa Buller, Janie Gormley, Gretchen Kimble, Kairos Prison Ministry, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Nort and Nancy Warner, Peggy Watts, Brianna Krull, Virginia Prather, Kara Ayers family, Jace Ward, Reinecker Family, all of those affected by recent unsettled weather conditions, We Mourn with You Rachel Held Evans Family and Friends of Dale Becker ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for June June 2 Acts 16;16-34 Psalms 97 Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17 John 17:20-26 June 9 Acts 2:1-21 Psalms 104:24-34, 35b Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17, 25-27 June 16 Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31 Psalms 8 Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 June 23 1 Kings 19:1-4 Isaiah 65:1-9 Galatians 3:23-29 Luke 8:26-39 June 30 2 Kings 2:1-2,6-14 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 Galatians 5:1, 13-25 Luke 9:51-62 Summer Worship Schedule begins Sunday, June 2 Morning Worship at 9:30 a. m. followed by Brunch Brunch sign up sheets are on the bulletin boards. Autumn Schedule resumes on Sunday, September 1 ************ St. Peter�??s UCC Worship Team invites you to contribute to Morning Worship during the summer. You are invited to share something important to you thru music, poetry, devotionals, skits, etc. A sign up sheet for each Sunday during the summer has been posted on the bulletin board. If you have any questions please contact the Church Office. ************ Communion Sunday, June 2 ************ Women�??s Fellowship Thursday, June 6 2:00 p.m. ************** Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, June 8 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ************ A Strengthen the Church Offering will be taken on Sunday, June 9. Through this offering, your church will contribute to the continued expansion and revitalization of the United Church of Christ. As called for by the General Synod, 50 percent of your offering stays in your local conference, and 50 percent is sent to the national work of strengthening the church universal: through grants towards new church starts, inspiring youth and young adults into leadership, and equipping pastors for ministry in the 21st century. If you would like to give to this fund, please use one of the envelopes or make a note on your offering. Church Council Thursday, June 20 7:30 p.m. ***************** American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, June 21 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Please call 1-800-733-2767 or go to Redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment. ************** Wisconsin Children�??s Choir Friday, June 21, 2019 7:00 p.m. with reception following Directed by Margaret Hadley and accompanied by Jason Kutz, this choir of 12 singers, ages 13-18, from the Madison, Wisconsin area are touring the country to share the joy of music. The performance will include traditional choral music with sacred compositions as well as a cappella pieces. We hope you can join us! Free will donations appreciated. Thank you! Tuesday, June 25 62 Anniversary of the United Church of Christ ************** Brunch on Sunday, June 30 will be a Fiesta In honor of the Conversational Spanish class recently offered at St. Peter�??s by Kara Ayers, the Social Ministry Team will serve several Mexican foods at the June 30 brunch. Invite a friend and bring your appetite. **************** A meal train has been set up for Theresa and Steve Buller at mealtrain.com/8dr6qn This website has complete information, instructions, requests, address for delivery and more. There is still a real need for help. Any questions can be directed to Terri Bornholdt. ************ St. Peter�??s UCC Annual Variety Show Sunday, July 21 If you would like to be in the show please contact Connie Achilles. June Birthdays 1 Loki Turcotte 5 Gage Patrick Sisson 7 Cassie Sisson Spears Peggy Watts 9 Gideon and Honoria Stevenson 11 Merle Thiessen 12 Diane Bartels 16 Barry Sisson 18 Kendall Knackstedt 26 Kash Eliot Schierling 27 Lenore Postier 28 Max Harman 30 Scott Achilles Darcel Miles June Anniversaries 7 Doug and Lori Wright 9 Lamont and Kelly Turcotte 15 Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 28 Mike & Kimba McCormick 30 Tim and Cindy Fay ************ Independence Day, Thursday, July 4 Communion, Sunday, July 7 Vacation Bible School starts, Sunday, July 7 Women�??s Fellowship, Thursday, July 11, 2:00 p.m. Men�??s Breakfast, Saturday, July 13, 7:00 a.m. Church Council, Thursday, July 18,7:30 p.m. ************* Inman Vacation Bible School Registration is now open July 7-11 5:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Bethel Mennonite Church Ages 4 thru 6 grade Register online at Inmanvbs.org This year�??s Offering Project for VBS is Mt. Hope Sanctuary in McPherson Sunday night: Batteries, sizes AA, AAA, C, D, 9volt Monday: hair brushes, hair ties, scrunchies, bobby pins, and alcohol-free mouth wash in 8-12 oz. bottles (Crest ProHealth) Tuesday: Insulated drinking cups with lids, insulated water bottles with lids and standard size pillows, twin size sheet sets for boys or gender neutral (they have plenty for girls) Wednesday: Snack size packages of fruit snacks, crackers or cookies Thursday night is the offering night to replenish the treasury for VBS in 2020. ************* St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �??stpetersuccinman@gmail.com Pastor Dennis Ureche�??ureche1@aol.com RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED June 2019 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

St. Peter's United Church of ChristInman, Kansas

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St. Peter's United Church of Christ
Inman, Kansas