TRINITY TIDINGS – Monthly Newsletter
September 2010
If you have information that you would like to share in our monthly newsletter, contact the church office prior to the deadline, the 15th of each month.
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Women’s Fall Retreat
Saturday, September 25, 2010/ 9 am – 2 pm
Trinity UMC, Chesaning
Be sure to save this date on your calendar (store it on your cell phone calendar too!)
Theme – “A Spiritually Healthy Heart.” Living the life of a believer & guarding your heart will be the topics of discussion.
Our guest speaker will be Vicki Bryant, owner of His House Christian Gift Shop in Owosso (along with her husband Dan). Vicki is also the author of 3 books – Such a Time as This, About Face & A Transforming Journey: From Common Ground to Holy Ground.
Read more of Vicki’s story on the web at www.hishouseowosso.com
Get the word out to women of all faith & invite them to this special event. Cost of $15 will include lunch. Advance tickets will be $10, if purchased by September 10. Call the church office for your reservation today, 845.3157.
Sunday School/Intentional Faith Development/Sunday Christian Education Time
starts September 12 at 9 a.m.
Preschool – Third Grade will start with choir in the chapel from 9 – 9:15 and then go to class until 10:15 a.m.
Intentional Faith Development/Christian Education time for the rest of us will begin at 9 a.m.
I hope to see everyone participating in our Christian Education ministry in some way. I appreciate all those who have volunteered so far to be a leader/teacher/assistant. You do not need any type of formal training to be a part of this ministry. If God is calling you to be a part of Trinity’s Christian education ministry, please contact me at church 989-845-3157 or home at 989-845-6288. In Christian Service, Erin
Sunday School Teachers for 2010-11
Preschool – Teresa Laskowski and Janice Wille
Kindergarten thru First Grade – Jan Hathon and Chelle Fulton
Second and Third Grade – Janene Rider, Marcy Tarrant and Nancy Rowe
Fourth and Fifth Grade – Kelly Swartzmiller and Jill Shorkey
Sixth Grade – Karla Spencer, Scott Spencer, Dawn Adams, Suzanne Palmiter
Seventh and Eighth Grade – Mark Russell and Lisa Martin,
High School – Sue Bridges and David Sincissen
Adult Study – “Being a Christian” – led by Jeff Murdoch (see note below)
“Being a Christian”
United Methodists are different from other denominations. This doesn’t mean we are better, it simply means that we are different. But how are we different? What makes us what we are? What do we believe and why is it our purpose to “transform the world and make disciples for Jesus Christ?” These are some of the questions that will be discussed and hopefully answered in a six weekAdult Study class to be taught by Jeff Murdoch beginning September 12. Using the book “Being a Christian in the Wesleyan Tradition” by the Rev. John O. Gooch, the class will take a look at belonging, believing, growing and living as a Christian disciple in the United Methodist tradition. Both adults new to United Methodism and lifelong United Methodists will gain a better understanding of our core beliefs and what it means to be Disciples of Christ in the Wesleyan way as the class looks at our heritage of strong social witness.
“It’s never easy being a Christian,” says Gooch. “In fact, it’s hard work. But it is the task to which God calls us in the world.” Belonging to our church, believing what we do, growing in our faith, and living as Christ would want us to live are what makes us different and what calls us to make a difference in the world. Learn how all of this will help you to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ. See you Sunday, September 12, 9:00 am,, at our Adult Study class Being A Christian in the Wesleyan Tradition.
The first Hospitality Hour for Fall will be October 10th. We sill have a church wide “Birthday Party” – a cake for each month. Sit at your birthday month table and enjoy cake with other church family folks with the same month birthday. Anyone who would like to make a birthday cake, please contact Lee Oliver, 845.3350.
Dates to Save
September 19 – Teacher Dedication during services and presentation of bibles to 2nd graders
September 26 – Flint District Fall Youth Rally to be held at Meyers Lake – open to our 6th -12th graders
October 10 – CROP Walk at 1 p.m.
December 11 – Rehearsal for Christmas program and Christmas Crafts
December 12 – Christmas Program
MAKE ME A SERVANT
Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana- L.A.R.R.I.- 2010 Mission Trip
This summer we were able to be the “hands and feet” of Jesus as we served persons affected by the floods of September 2008 in Gary, Indiana. Eighteen persons from Trinity UMC participated in the weeklong mission trip. We traveled from Chesaning, Michigan to Crown Point, Indiana on Sunday, June 19 to work with the organization, LARRI to rebuild and restore hope to the communities that were affected by this natural disaster.
In the wake of Hurricane Ike, winds and torrential rains caused devastation to nearly 20,000 home owners near the Calumet River. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided early relief. LARRI was formed in response to a longer-term disaster relief program.
When I looked at our group on Sunday morning a week before we left for the mission trip, I thought how peculiar we looked: a Christian Education Director and expectant mother with small children as missionaries? How could God use a dental hygienist, retired skilled-trades engineer, a waitress pursuing a degree in human services, a special education teacher and pianist, a state trooper-bomb squad guy, a radiation therapist/slash devotional leader for a week, a foster mother, licensed contractors and youth to bring hope to a devastated community?
Are you familiar with the expression: “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called? If you are His, then you are called. Not because of who you are or what you can do, but because God can and will do His work through you (quote borrowed from a devotional from Girlfriends in God.) As the week unfolded, it became apparent why each person was on this trip, especially the Sincissen children whom I considered “the least of these.”
Six-year-old Ben was ready to assist me with devotions beginning on Sunday evening. At 7:00 AM Monday, Ben was holding play dough in his hands for a devotion revealing, “What is Hidden Inside.” Due to a mishap with red food coloring, my hands turned blood red which served as a startling depiction of Jesus’s hands as we listened to the Newsboys popular song, “IN THE HANDS OF GOD.” My red-stained hands reminded me that day of Jesus’ sacrifice for me.
We drove to Munster, Indiana for our orientation from LARRI and to receive our assignments for the week. Later that afternoon, I saw Erin and the Sincissen children accompanying their daddy to a job site. They waited patiently in the truck for hours while David was working inside with Rick and Karen Bekemeier. I was impressed how 6-year old Ben patiently passed the time with his crayons and activity books. Even 16-month-old Hannah had exceptional patience as she napped, played and snacked with her mother and brother.
Our team was divided into work groups of four or more. I was serving with John Potts, Austin Brown, and Kathy Jones. We were assigned a job to clean a basement on Monday. The homeowner was a woman who had one child and worked as a day care provider. There were children’s bicycles downstairs. The shop-vac didn’t work very well, so we substituted with brooms and dustpans. The homeowner provided a mop and bucket, which belonged to her husband who worked as a janitor. We wore masks as we cleaned the floor with Pine Sol and took turns slopping the floor with a rag mop while Austin Brown pushed the squeegee toward the drain that also needed repaired. The basement had new drywall that had been primed and painted and a new central air system had been installed by professional contractors working with LARRI.
It was fun working with Austin Brown and John and Kathy. Austin taught me some fun things about my cell phone while we were waiting in between jobs. During our lunch break, I shared one of my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with Joe, our LARRI supervisor from Chicago. We took a bathroom break at CVS and bought a box of strawberry fruit bars to share with both of our supervisors, Joe from Chicago and Fabian.
We went to the YMCA to shower after our workday and to get ready for supper. The spaghetti dinner smelled so good that night but I started developing a migraine headache. I blamed it on caffeine withdrawal and the use of Pine Sol in an un-ventilated area. I was unable to eat the delicious dinner that was prepared by Tina and Linda, and I drank some Diet Coke and took a nap. My team prayed for me while I rested. When I awoke, my headache was gone and I was able to lead our evening devotion with Ben’s help. We all had different experiences that day and we shared with each other what we did.
Dave Sutton had taken most of the youth to a park to move sod. The bathrooms at the park had been vandalized and burned. The youth worked hard all day and some of the kids had blisters on their hands and evidence of too much sun. Monday required a lot of patience on the part of everyone as we learned to work with the organization and perform tasks.
On Tuesday morning it was evident why Ben Sincissen had come on this trip. Our assignment was unloading one of the storage units for the homeowner. A five-year-old boy named Harold was with his daddy that morning and was eagerly awaiting the opening of the storage pod. Harold’s bicycles and other toys were inside that outer-space unit. Ben jumped out of the truck and the boys immediately became friends. Harold asked Ben, “Are you strong?” Ben answered, “Yes.” Little Harold lifted up one of his bicycles and the boys played together as brothers as the adults unloaded the rest of the family’s belongings. Harold’s mother told us how shortly after the flood, she would cry every time that it rained.
During devotions that evening, Ben lifted up his brother Josh, Zachary and his new friend, Harold in prayer. Things were getting a bit smoother on Tuesday. Our teams were working well together. Kathy Jones and I got to sand and prime two closets for a pastor and his wife that had suffered water damage in their basement and through their roof. Pastor Nichols seemed to recall the day of the flood with great sadness as strong winds dropped a tree on a neighbor’s house and a HumVee. Water rose to nearly 5 feet in a matter of hours. Mrs. Nichols was also sad as she remembers losing her personal belongings and many pairs of shoes. Pastor Nichols was very interested in who we were and why we came. He was thankful for volunteers who served from Christian organizations.
Kathy Jones taught me how to do a careful job when painting the closets with great patience and careful brush strokes. Kathy had worked with her husband in his professional painting business before she went back to school to become a special education teacher.
On Tuesday evening, our group performed a skit called “The Waiter.” Austin Brown had reluctantly agreed to take the lead role as the waiter. Dave Sincissen played Jesus and Rick, Karen, Tina and Lydia, Jillyan, and Austin Fesler youth played the role of the customers who came to the restaurant. Allyson read the scripture lesson. Dave Sutton played the role of the impatient boss. Some people said the casting was perfect! Caitlyn and Austin Fesler had started to get to the Ohio youth group and we had started sharing prayer time together. Rick invited their group to see our skit. We prayed over a nervous Austin.
Our team did a great job, especially in front of such a large audience. I shared a few words after the skit with both groups and we listened to a song by Audio Adrenaline called: “Hands and Feet.” Ben was again by my side and was lifting his hands dancing with me. Hannah also came to the front and hugged Ben.
The children were beautiful.
What happened next was ordained by God as we accepted the Ohio group’s invitation to worship with them in the sanctuary. With our arms around each other, God poured out His Holy Spirit on His people and we were celebrating and sharing the Kingdom of God on earth. For me, this was the greatest moment of the Mission Trip. We triumphed in singing, “He Has Made Me Glad.”
After worship we were “wired and tired” but filled with the Holy Spirit. We were One Body of Believers from that time on. Our Wednesday morning, our team was blessed to hear Kathy Jones play the pipe-organ in the church as her personal devotion to the LORD. We were enjoying wonderful breakfasts of French toast, pancakes, and ham and egg casseroles every morning. Each day, we packed our lunches in the morning and left for our work sites by 8:00 am. Our schedule varied slightly each day although we had an established routine.
The rain on Wednesday morning was a stumbling block for me. I started complaining about eating “manna” everyday for lunch. Of course, I was making fun of the Israelites who grew weary of wandering in the wilderness. Austin Brown was working with the youth group, and I was frustrated that we didn’t get to finish painting the closets for the Nichols. The rain was flooding the streets and Kathy Jones was afraid she couldn’t get through the water with her Vibe. We were getting just a small taste of what the folks in Indiana had experienced through the downpour. The youth ended up unloading drywall in the rain and we didn’t get started on our project until after noon. Kathy and John were frustrated too but coping much better than I was.
Back at the Crown Point church, a rummage sale was being held in the fellowship hall and all of our belongings had to be moved to the basement. Erin, Tina and Linda did this with the help of the fine folks at the church in Crown Point. It turned out to be a pretty good day after all. Karen, Rick, Austin and Dave Sincissen ended up painting with us in the basement of the Baker’s home in Gary, Indiana.
Some folks were a bit irritable that evening and the YMCA showers provided some good humor for us as we washed away our blues and sweat from the day. We ended having a great Bible study together as Tina read from the book of Ezekiel in the Chapel, and we prayed intercessory prayers with Tina, Dave, Kathy, John and Linda, Ben and me.
On Thursday morning, Dave read the devotion by Max Lucado about Dancing without music. We introduced the song “LORD of the DANCE” to the youth, which they really enjoyed. That morning, I decided to declare a fast so that the cooks could have the day off. After seeing the look on Dave Sutton’s face, I said, “I was just kidding about fasting, of course.”
Tina and Linda served me quarter-sized pancakes and mini measuring cups of orange juice and coffee, which I thought was pancake syrup that morning. I thought the small portions were for Hannah or Ben, but the cooks informed me it was in response to my request for “fasting.” They did allow me to have “seconds.”
Karen Bekemeier went with Dave Sutton and the youth to the EEU Ranch in Hobart to paint the fences. EEU was the name of the Exceptional Equestrian Unlimited Ranch. On Thursday evening, our entire group was invited to watch the therapy classes with the horses and the special kids at the ranch. We ate pizza together for dinner and Tina and Linda enjoyed a little “down time” from kitchen duty. We were all pretty tired that night and I admit, devotions were pretty half-hearted but I invited everyone to pray and spend time with the LORD. We had a lot to be thankful for.
Friday was a good day. I got to go with the youth to the ranch and Jillyan Poag, AKA “Twitch” instructed me how to paint the fence. I enjoyed getting to know her. Rick Beckemeir gave nicknames to many of the youth. He called Lydia “Propane” and Ally “Brunswick.” Austin Fesler was dubbed “Fester.” We played some Christian rock music for the horses that are used to listening to classical during their rest times. We continued to look for Jesus in the faces of those we served. I had remembered how Pastor Nichols served us a cold bottle of water each day.
It was apparent that Sue from the ranch had been touched by the mission team. We had a group prayer when we finished working and the kids were ready for the long-awaited day at the beach. I reminded Dave Sutton that it was time for “Moses” to take us to the “Promised Land”: a day of recreation and relaxation on the beach of Lake Michigan to reward our hard work. Rick warned the youth of his extreme volleyball serve while trying to remain “humble.”
The beach house was beautiful but all the furniture was being removed. It would serve as a place to change into our bathing suits and a place to shower at the end of the day. Dave and Erin Sincissen shopped for burger and hot dogs to have a cook out for everyone. Some of the others went shopping in Crown Point for their rest and relaxation time.
It was another wonderful day. We had our devotion on the beach that day. The story was about a girl swimming in a dangerous current and how her father rescued her that day when she was only six years old. How many times does our Heavenly Father rescue us when we choose to go our own way and get over our head?
We continued to celebrate and I asked each person to write a praise or prayer from our week together. They are anonymous and are as follows:
“Pray that we will be able to work and be a blessing to someone.”
“My prayer is that I hope we can carry this action of servant-hood into our daily lives.”
“I am thankful for our team and the wonderful people at First United Methodist Church at Crown Point. More blessings than I can count. New recipes to try at home. “God loves You and so do I!”
“My praise is that I was able to do something to really help several people. I felt enriched by meeting them and listening to them.”
“I am enjoying our fellowship. “ J
“Praise to God for no one getting sick or injured too badly.”
“Especially thankful for the generosity and helpfulness of the Crown Point Church especially Julie and the janitor and Robin. Also for the good behavior and hard work of the young people. From the teenagers to Ben and Hannah!”
“I hope that the whole fence gets painted at EEU. Not just the part we painted, but the whole farm. I hope someone else comes to do that.”
“Praise for me and hopefully everyone else having a super-fantastically, wonderful week!”
“Praises for getting to know somebody and finding out that you really do have a lot in common.”
“Thank you, God, for Ben and Hannah being on our mission trip. They have delighted my soul.”
“Praises for Rick’s meal grace about “Walking Tacos.”
“Praise for staying at the church instead of the beach house.”
“I pray the fence on the ranch gets finished one day soon and thee shelters fixed up well. Also, that we will all stay as close as we’ve become on the trip minus the bickering.”
“Pray for an attitude of Christ as we’re exposed to and encounter new situations and people.”
“Thanks to Dave Sutton for setting up “OUR” Mission trip. Thanks for the work, fun, fellowship. Thanks to the youth ~ great work, great behavior.”
“Prayer: That we would take this “whole” experience (the good, the bad, the frustrating) and learn from it. Consider and contemplate, meditate on what God wants us to do with our encounters and experience.
“Praise”- The chance to get to know our youth better. To see, and appreciated each one in their own individuality and personality.” AMEN
I would like to offer this prayer in response to the mission trip:
“Heavenly Father, we are so humbled that You would call us to anything. You have all the power needed for every job, and yet you ask us to join You. Thank you, Lord. Please make our hearts willing to say “yes” to everything you want us to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Your Servant, Susan Bridges
Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry
Three years ago, Trinity participated in a small group study called The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. That study along with Operation Inasmuch gave our church a distinct direction for ministry and missions. Under the leadership of Pastor Mark Johnston, we launched another small group study called The Five Practices of A Fruitful Congregation, which included radical hospitality, extravagant generosity, and risk-taking missions. These practices have helped us grow as a congregation in our personal discipleship and in service to others.
Doug Fields, author of Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry by Zondervan Publishing House, has identified five purposes found in the New Testament that lay the foundation for all a purpose-driven youth ministry. They are: evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry and are connected to the Great Commandment spoken by Jesus, “ ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39)
Worship and ministry resonate with the Great Commandment while purposes of evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship are associated with The Great Commission: “Therefore go 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 I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ( Matthew 28: 19-20.)
As chairperson for the youth council, I would like to invite parents and youth leaders to read through the book which is available at our church library. As we consider these ideas and seek God’s wisdom, I hope we will catch the vision of moving from a “Holy Huddle” to a fruitful youth ministry.
PDYM (Purpose Driven Youth Ministry) can help us discover “Why our youth ministry exists” and give us a model for creating our own statement of purpose. Doug Fields shares Saddleback Church’s statement of purpose for youth ministry where he and Senior Pastor Rick Warren minister: “Our youth ministry exists to reach non-believing students, connect them with other Christians, to help them grow in their faith and to challenge the growing to discover their ministry and honor God with their life.”
If you would like to be part of the youth council and ministry team at Trinity, please contact Susan Bridges at 845-7420 or Pastor Mark Johnston at 845-3157 during regular church office hours. We generally meet on Sunday afternoons immediately after the second worship service at noon or at 4:00 pm before the senior high meetings. Be part of a team that equips our students to use their spiritual gifts in ministry.
Save The Date!
September 15, 7 pm
The U.M.W. speaker that evening will be Katie Peterson – Deaconess Church & Community worker from God’s Country Cooperative Parish in the upper peninsula. The Parish covers 250 square miles from Engadine to Paradise to Grand Marias, seven churches in all. Come and hear how they work together combining their resources and energies to bring hope and faith to this vast parish. So, be sure to save the date and join us for an evening of enlightment.
Applying Bible Principles to Stewardship
How rich are you? Most of us would respond to that question with a recitation of our material possessions. We would list bank accounts and their contents, stocks, bonds, houses, vehicles, and other so-called assets as tangible evidence of our wealth.
But is that how rich we are? Not really. Adrian Rogers said this, “If you want to know how rich you are, add up everything you have that money can’t buy and what you’ve sent on to heaven. That’s how rich you really are.”
There are two ways to send money on to heaven, or as the Bible phrases it, to “lay up treasures in heaven.” One is to give to the work of the Lord. As we do that, particularly through giving our tithes and offerings here at Trinity United Methodist Church, we make deposits in what one writer described as the “Bank of Heaven.” Another way to accomplish that goal is to
give to meet the needs of other people. That’s the admonition provided by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, when he instructed Timothy, “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God. . . .They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share.”
Compared to many people in the world, all of us, to one degree or another, have been richly blessed by God. That’s why we need to apply Paul’s counsel to our lives. As we follow his instruction, giving in the name of the Lord Jesus to meet the needs of others, we “lay up treasures” for the coming age.
One of the primary reasons God provides material blessings to us His children is that we might through those material provisions minister in His name to other people. According to Matthew 25:40, when we do that, even to what Jesus described as the “least” of His brethren, it is as though we have done it unto Him.
As one writer expressed it so well, “Investing in the lives of others and growing in our relationship with God are spiritual treasures. They are not subject to destruction or thievery. They are fully protected. Their value never diminishes.” Or as an anonymous poet wrote, “Shall the great Judge say, when my task is through, that my soul had gathered some riches, too? Or
shall at the last it be mine to find that all I had worked for was left behind?”
As you consider your true wealth and what really counts for eternity, think about this: How much better to be a poor person who is spiritually rich than a rich person who is spiritually poor.
How rich are you?
Mission News
* Haiti Relief – As of may 1, 2010 the people of the Detroit Conference have given $546,598.28 to relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. The work goes on and so
do the prayers for our sisters and brothers in Christ.
* Michigan NOMADS, a program offers persons with recreational vehicles the opportunity to share their time and skills in United Methodist projects, including
churches, camps, mission agencies, disaster areas and local neighborhoods throughout the United States. To find out more about NOMADS go to their
website: www.nomadsumc.org.
*** Trinity UMC has many people who like to camp and who are involved in missions. Consider
checking out the NOMADS and tell me what you think about it.
Your fellow camper, Pastor Mark
Fall Youth Rally
Sunday, September 26, 2010
2:00 pm – Registration
2:15 – 5:30 pm – Rally
Myers Lake UMC Campground, Byron, MI
Featuring . . .
SCUMY Praise Band of Swartz Creek UMC / KING’S YOMEN – Professional YoYo performers
Fun games / Video games / Hay Rides / “Koegel” Hot Dogs /Potato Chips / Yummy Donuts / Pop / Water
Sign up with Jacob Hughes or Sue Bridges
