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Weekly NewsletterFriday Dec. 2, 2011
Friday Oct. 14, 2011
Friday at LUMC January 20, 2012 A Word from Pastor Rodney How strong is your faith in God? When you pray for God’s work in your life or for God’s help in some situation that you are facing, do you really believe that God will respond? Jesus said, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.” (Mark 11:22-24) I like to think my faith in God is strong and my belief in God’s promises is unwavering. But I admit that when I pray, I don’t always have full confidence in God’s answer. I finish my prayer and I hope that God will answer, but doubts still linger. I have no problem believing and hoping, but belief without any doubt is a hard state to be in. The following devotion titled “Bring your red umbrella” is a good picture of the faith that Jesus speaks of in Mark 11:22-24. When severe drought hit a small farming community in the Midwest, a local church called a prayer meeting and everybody showed up. Crisis has a way of getting our attention! As the pastor stood before his packed church he noticed an 11 year old girl sitting in the front row, beaming with excitement. Lying next to her was her bright red umbrella poised for use. The beauty and innocence of this sight made him smile as he compared the faith of this child with that of the rest of the people in the room. You see, the rest of them had just come to pray for rain- she had come to see God answer! One of the dangers of praying, is praying, yet not really expecting anything: “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that…he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). You say, “So how do I get more faith?” By filling your mind with the Scriptures! “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). When you immerse yourself in God’s Word an amazing thing happens; faith takes root and begins to grow. And faith is what makes your praying effective. But what if your prayer lines up with God’s Word, yet the answer is delayed? Keep praying and believing! “Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36). So when you pray for rain, bring your “red umbrella!” Pastor Rodney What’s Happening This Week at LUMC? Thursday, January 19 6:30 PM Worship Ministry Team 7 PM 101 Education Planning Friday, January 20 7:00 p.m. Bible study at Judy and Dan Jones’ home Many of our young people and adult chaperones will participate in a teen retreat Saturday, January 21 MIHN Sponsor Week starts: Sunday, January 22 Chapel Worship 8:30 AM Sunday School for all ages 9:20 AM Sanctuary Worship 10:30 AM Sermon: Pastor Rodney: Bible Study at Robin and Judi Brideau’s home 5:00 PM No Youth Group Monday, January 23 Ruth’s Clothing Closet – 10---11:30 AM Open Endowment Committee – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 24 Wednesday, January 25 Lunch Bunch – 12 PM Praise Group 6:20 PM Children’s Choir – 6:20 p.m. Teen Choir, Chapel—6:30-7:30 PM Sr. Choir 7:00 PM Cantata Rehearsals Choir Rm. 7:45 PM – 8:30 PM Thursday, January 26 Church Council 7 p.m. Your chance to sing in the LUMC Easter Cantata! COME AND JOIN THE SR. CHOIR FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT! Senior Choir is singing a Cantata named "No Greater Sacrifice" by Shackley/Martin for Easter this year!
Mark your calendars for…. Thursday, January 26th – Church Council – all invited and encouraged to attend! Church retreat: Saturday, January 28th from 3-6 PM Saturday, February 4th – Women Build, a program of Habitat for Humanity, 9:30 AM – all welcome – a part of the UMW meeting Monday, February 27th – Courageous Huddle for men – 7:00 PM ♱♱♱♱♱♱♱ Please pray for … Prayers are requested for 16 youth and 5 chaperones from LUMC who will head up to Monadnock Bible Conference Center Friday evening and will return after lunch on Sunday. They will be attending Encounter 2012, a weekend that will help students “discover who they are in their relationship with Christ and how they can live out their faith in real and meaningful ways…Encounter is a great opportunity to propel students forward in their relationships with Christ and each other.” Our youth will have the opportunity to hear a dynamic speaker, sing with an awesome praise band, engage it group devotions and workshops. On top of that, they will have lots of
Superbowl Subs Super Bowl Subs are available again this year. Take all the hassles out of your Super Bowl Party and order subs for your guests or if you are having a quiet day watching the big game…order subs with your own choice of condiments! Order blanks (yellow) are on the table in the New and Old Narthex. Please complete your order and return with payment to the Office by January 29th. Subs will be available after the
Electronic Giving to LUMC Available
♱♱♱♱♱♱♱ LUMC Youth Group schedule- January January 22 kids will be returning from Monadnock Retreat so there will be no youth group this night! January 29 Pizza Lunch in the fellowship hall right after worship, sledding on the church hill, hot cocoa to top it off! Snack. February 5th Sunday morning: make subs for Super Bowl Sunday (need to be at the church around 7am!) Sunday evening: no youth group (Super Bowl!) February 12th 5:45-7:30pm Leaders: Weldons and Lynn Pierce February 17th Friday Lock-in (we will have supper, a confirmation lesson, a movie/discussion, Nerf gun war, games, and end with a breakfast on Saturday morning) February 19th (no youth group due to Lock-in) February 26th 5:45-7:30pm confirmation and game Legacy Bricks Available: LEGACY BRICKS for the Memorial Friendship Garden (located outside alongside the entrance to our sanctuary) are available for purchase to honor or memorialize a loved one. Contact Nancy King to order a 4x8 “($50) or 8x8” ($100) brick. Donations are accepted until the end of April and the bricks will be installed and dedicated in the summer. ♱♱♱♱♱♱♱ January Sermon Series: Courageous Living We all want to live Courageous lives and make a difference in the lives of others. This series focuses on the power God gives us that will enable us to live courageously at work, in our family and in society. God’s gifts of the Power of Forgiveness, of Love, of Legacy and of God’s Word will enable us to have a positive impact in the world. ♱♱♱♱♱♱♱
The Central Massachusetts District CHURCH LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS FOR LAITY AND CLERGY @ Blackstone Valley United Methodist Church 61 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, MA 01588 January 28, 2012 from 8:45-3:00pm Schedule 8:45am-9:15am - Registration and fellowship (continental breakfast) 9:15-9:45am- Worship 10:00am-11:45am- morning workshops 12:00-1:00pm- Lunch 1:15-3:00pm-afternoon workshops MORNING WORKSHOPS Leading Church Staff First Impressions: Hospitality and Worship Pastor Parish Relationship Committee Stewardship and church finances Clergy Financial Planning Sunday school AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS Church council Trustees Lay leadership Children and Youth Ministry Lay member to Annual Conference “Grow your church” basics *you can sign up for two workshops, one AM and one PM Cost $10- includes materials, continental breakfast and lunch Make checks payable and Send them to: CMA DISTRICT 53 Birchwood Drive, Holden, MA 01520 REGISTER BY: JANUARY 25, 2012 Course descriptions AND selection of workshops: Please check MORNING AFTERNOON ** Sponsored by the Central Massachusetts District on Lay Ministry ♱♱♱♱♱♱♱
Committee chairpersons – if you did not submit a year-end report for the church conference in November, please provide one to the Pastor by the end of January. –––——— Men’s Retreat We will be holding a Men’s Retreat February 10-12th at –––——— RUTH’S CLOTHING CLOSET Thank you for donating to our Clothing Closet. At this time, we do not need any clothing. Please hold your spring and summer until a later date. All proceeds from the Clothing Closet go to support our MINH host week. We are open on Mondays and are in great need to help to set up for selling and sorting and breakdown. Please contact Wendy Koski if you can help. We welcome you to our worship and fellowship this Sunday. Your very presence is a blessing. If you would like to become part of our Church family, have any questions or concerns, please contact the pastor at 978-537-1356 or lumc.pastor@verizon.net if you are visiting with us, please fill out the Pastor’s Note Card in the pew and sign our guest register in the entrance of the Church. You are invited to stay for a time of refreshments and visiting with others after the 10:30 Worship! Sunday Bulletin Info for the weekly Sunday worship bulletin must be sent to the Church Office by Wed. 9:00 AM and should be e-mailed to: lumc.office@verizon.net and lumc.communications@verizon.net Information/Announcement for LUMC Communications If you have information/announcements for the LUMC church family, here are the channels for getting your information in church communications. (E-mail is the preferred method for receiving information for church communications). LUMC Messenger should be sent to Nancy King (ncastlleking@verizon.net) by the 15th of each month and copied to the church office (lumc.office@verizon.net and lumc.communications@verizon.net). If you need photocopying done for meetings, ministries, etc. please contact the Office Staff and they will be happy to make your copies. Your copy can be emailed to the Office or dropped off in the Office and they will contact you when the job is done. Pop Tops and Soup Labels Jugs If you are looking for the Jugs for the pop tops and soup labels, the Jugs are in the Old Narthex, along with the Upper Room and other printed material. Addresses Needed The Office would like to have the addresses of all college students and military personnel so that we can send greetings from LUMC. Please turn the addresses into the office. Friday @ LUMC Information for Friday at LUMC should be sent to Joanne Stanley (stanley4877@comcast.net) or Jana Harrison (janaharrison1@hotmail.com) and copied to the church office (lumc.office@verizon.net & lumc.communications@verizon.net). All information should be received by Wednesday at 9:00 AM. Please Pray for Our Church Members and Friends, Persons on the LUMC prayer list will appear for four weeks (unless there is a request that the name appear longer). An expanded list is published in Friday at LUMC. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. ...For their prayer reached heaven… 2 Chronicles 30:27 Prayers for our Leominster Church Members Shirley Furey, Denise and Steve Dinsmore; Betty Gallant; Tammy Weaver; Mark Scott; Kristine Paul; TC; Barbara Gulliver, Marie Wesley, Marcia Schutt and Family; Joan and Karen Camp, Joseph Annor; Belinda Scott; Connie and Jose DelRio; Douglas and Liz Lurie, Bill Gravalese, Belinda Scott, family of Florence Raffles, Clay Swenor, MaryLou Crohan, Anna Lavoie, Janice Swenor; Bonnie; Rev. Jo Kim , Jacob, Anita Rosen, Gloria LeGay Friends and Family of Congregation Fortunato Family, The Bell Family, Keith Lemons, Terry and Dan Potts; Shawn Schlemer; Kia Dodge; Shari McCarthy; Billy Canada; Ralph Elliott; Lisa Arnie Rill, The John Piamondon Family; John LaCorcia; Donna Tibodeau; Joann; Candy Bergeron; Dorothy Sunderland (Connie DelRio’s mother)l Connie DelRio’s sister; Brian Fryes, Jared Bradley, Linda, Mary & Leo, Chris, Constance, Deanna, Fred Deppe, Dorothy Kocher’s family, Ida Gray’s sister and family, Janice Spaulding, Steve Gilpatrick Assisted Living Residents Mary Angelopoulos, Arthur Wheeler, Lucy Prince Special Prayers for Our Service Men and Women Sgt. Steven Olesen (Claire Lincoln’s grandson), Sgt. Mike Grimm (Patti & Dave Grimm’s son), Christopher Sanginetti (son of Susan Sanginetti), Pvt. Mark Kauffman, is the son of Lynne Ayars, Pvt. William Allen, Jr. (Ida Gray’s Grandson), 2Lt Timothy Dube, son of Jerry and Silvia Dube Leominster United Methodist Church 77 Hall St. & Merriam Ave., Leominster, MA Tel: (978) 537-1356 Rev. Rodney Dobbs, Pastor Website: www.leominsterumc.org The Mission of Leominster United Methodist Church is to worship and serve God by demonstrating the love of Christ locally and globally by accepting, nurturing, outreaching, and witnessing together for the glory God. |
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