Announcements

Community/Church Announcements:

  February 2008

  • Every last Thursday of each month, a game social is held for all to come in the East Room at 1:00 p.m.
  • Please join us for our Round & Square Dances on the first Friday of each month from 8-11 p.m. in the East Room! Our next one will be February 1st!
  • The Session, through its Commemorative Garden Committee, is responsible for all policies and decisions regarding the use of the Garden. Unfortunately because of maintenance necessities, no memorials may be left in the lawn. However temporary memorials are allowed. Please contact Jim Carter for more information    (786-2169).

  

A note to the Congregation:

Dear church family: Our family feels so blessed to have had such a wonderful mother and grandmother. We miss her very much but know she walks with the Lord. Our thanks to you for the loving support and prayers. The reception, following the funeral service, was a time to share memories with family and friends. The Deacons prepared a delicious meal and we are very grateful. Special thanks to Rev. Kim for her spiritual guidance during a most difficult time.

~Fondly, the family of Mary Spohr, Betty James, Mary Kibler and Larry Spohr

Meetings at the Church:

  • ·         65th Annual Meeting –The 65th Annual Meeting of the Corporation and Congregation of the United Church of Warsaw will take place on Sunday February 3rd immediately following worship.  This is the rescheduled meeting date from Sunday, January 20th.
  • First Tri-Board Meeting, February 10th, immediately following the Pot-Luck Brunch.

In order to encourage better understanding and communication within the leadership of the church, we will have our first Tri-Board Meeting of 2008 on Sunday, February 10th. This meeting will take the place of the normally scheduled Board/Session meetings in February. We will gather immediately following worship.  The schedule for the afternoon is as follows:

At 11:45 we will meet in the East Room for the following:

Potluck Brunch (please bring a dish to share)

  Worship and Orientation

Benevolence

Trustees

Session

Goal Setting for 2008

Communion

Dismissal, with the Mizpah Benediction

Please plan to join us for this important new beginning.

The “snow-date” for the meeting is Sunday, Feb 24th,  immediately following worship.

  • The 200th Anniversary Committee will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Conference Room.

Lenten Study Series

Thursdays beginning February 7th

7 pm in the East Room

“Wrestling With Angels”

This six- week series tackles the tough, real-life questions that can lead to a deeper understanding of God.  Each DVD episode features ordinary people sharing their experiences of struggling with these questions, with reflection and commentary by well-respected contemporary Christian authors and speakers.  We will view the DVD segment for the day and then have a time for discussion.

The six topics are as follows:

“How do I know what to do?”

Discern God’s will in confusing times (Tony Campolo)

“Why Me?”

If You are so good, why are things so awful? (Phillip Yancey)

“Why don’t my prayers get answered?”

(Richard Foster)

“How do I forgive and get on with my life?”

(Lewis Smedes)

“How can I question and still believe?”

(Madeline L’engle)

“Why is loving so hard?”

(J. Keith Miller)

You will find no clichés or easy answers in this series-just the opportunity to honestly engage these six important questions in an atmosphere of respect, compassion, and support. Please join us for this excellent Lenten study series.

 

 

 

January 2008 

Christmas time is such a beautiful season even though it goes too quickly. Our church looked so lovely that it doesn’t seem possible it’s already time to un-decorate! We will be having a church workday on Saturday January 5, 2008 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Come join us for fellowship as we work together!

  • “To have missed the caroling, I might be glad. To have missed the cookies, I might have been sad! I’m enjoying the cookies while I eat, one everyday for a week.” Thank you Cookie Makers!
-Hope Rase
  • Family Service in January – A Youth Ministry Celebration

Sunday January 27th-The focus of our family service in January will be youth ministry, and will include contemporary music and worship.   Worship leaders will include Andrew and Addie Silbert, and musicians from Houghton College.  Please invite all the young people you know to join us for this celebration of God’s love and grace.  How blessed we are to have so many young people seeking community with our church family!

Presbytery Commissioner -Our church is in need of a Commissioner to attend the Presbytery meetings (5 scheduled meetings each year plus extra meetings as scheduled).  If one person is unable to do this, we could have a small team of commissioners who share the responsibility.  If you are interested in this type of ministry, please speak with Jim Carter (786-2169).

December, 2007
  • Come help get our church building ready for the beautiful season of Advent and Christmas! We will be having a workday on Saturday, December 1st beginning at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome to come and enjoy working together to prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth!
  • We have purchased a special selection of Care Notes that deal with issues specific to the holiday season, including such topics as “Living With Loss While Others Are Celebrating”, “Feeling Depressed At Christmastime,” “Facing The Holidays When A Family Member Is Seriously Ill, ” Celebrating the Holidays Despite Being in a Healthcare Facility,” and “Your First Christmas After a Loved One Dies.”  You will find the Holiday Care Notes in the Care Note Display across from the main entrance to the connection (near the East Room).  Please feel free to take the Care Notes for yourself or for someone who may benefit from them.  If you like the Care Note ministry and would like to make a donation towards the purchase of future Care Notes, your generosity is greatly appreciated.
  • The dark days of winter and the holiday season can be a difficult time for people, especially those who are dealing with loss, isolation, or health concerns.  Please pay attention to those in your circle of care who may struggle during this time of year – especially neighbors and friends – and make sure that all who are facing difficulties have the support they need.  Contact Pastor Kim at 786-3868 if you know of anyone who is in need of pastoral support.
  • Our church will host the Community World AIDS Day Service on Saturday, December 1st. Prior to the service at 5:30 pm we will have the opportunity to watch the award-winning DVD – “A Closer Walk”. Please join us for this important event
  • The Personnel Committee and Session are pleased to introduce Addie Silbert as the new Administrative Assistant for our busy church family. Addie began work on November 12th, and is already finding her way around and helping to see that all forms of communication flow efficiently and effectively through our church office. You will read more about Addie later in the Newsletter – please take the time to welcome her to the United Church family.
  • College Students: We are anxious to update the records we have for our college students and our military personnel. If you know of anyone who is related to our church who is either in college (at home or away from home) or serving in the military, please provide the church office with their contact details. We want to make sure we can keep them in our prayers, and keep in touch with them.
  • Assisted Living: Rev Kim is compiling a master list of all those who require regular pastoral care, especially those who are currently home-bound, in nursing homes, hospice, hospitals, or assisted living facilities.  If your or your loved one has not yet received a visit from Rev Kim, it may be because she does not know you are in need of a visit.  Please contact the church office (786-3868) to let her know of any people who are in need of a pastoral visit.
  • Food Pantry: Each month on Communion Sunday we will celebrate the ministry of the Food Pantry by having a special collection.  The week prior to the collection we will list in the Bulletin any specific needs the pantry has.  Of course you are welcome to bring your contributions at any time, but we will take a special collection on Food Pantry Sunday.  There will be a box to collect your donations at the doors when you enter the sanctuary.  During the first hymn, the children and youth of the church will bring the gifts forward and put them before the communion table.  In this way we hope to make the contributions visible, and help our children to learn about this important ministry of our church and community.
  • Publicity Policy: In order to insure the best communication and coordination possible, all publicity related to church sponsored activities must go through the church office prior to publication.  This applies even when other parties are donating the publicity.  In this way, we will have the best possible coordination of all publicity.  If you have any questions, please speak with the Clerk of Session, Jim Carter (786-2169) or Pastor Kim.
  • Presbytery Commissioner: Our church is in need of a Commissioner to attend the Presbytery meetings (5 scheduled meetings each year plus extra meetings scheduled).  If one person is unable to do this, we could have a small team of commissioners who share the responsibility.  If you are interested in this type of ministry, please speak with Jim Carter (786-2169).
  • Family Services: The fourth Sunday of every month (12/23 in December) is Family Service Sunday. On these Sundays the entire church family will worship together – there will be no Sunday School. The service will be shorter in length and be designed in such a way as to allow participation of all age groups. We hope that our children and youth will learn that they are not only part of the Sunday School and Youth Group, but are also an important part of the worshipping community that gathers on Sunday morning – and thus build a worship habit that will hopefully carry over into adulthood! We also honor the example and spirit of Jesus, who said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Thank goodness for our children, who are here to teach us what it means to enter the kingdom!

  • On behalf of our church family, we thank all those who faithfully volunteered to staff the church office during the recent vacancy:
    Mike Murdie (who was here almost every day!)
    Sandy Corey
    Jean White
    Hope Rase
    and Jim Carter


Chicken BBQ!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Following Worship 11:00 am – 1 pm
Fellowship Hall at The United Church of Warsaw
Tickets:    Pre-sale – Adults    $7.50   Child $5.00
Day of BBQ -               Adults    $8.00   Child $5.50
Bring your family, bring your friends!!
If you can help, look for Sign-up sheets in the East Room

Installation of Rev Kim Cran as Pastor of the

United Church of Warsaw

Sunday, October 21st at 4 pm

Dinner to Follow

Coming Events:
Thursday, September 20th 4 – 7 p.m. All-you-can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner to benefit Youth Program and Habitat for Humanity.
Plans are underway for the Spaghetti Dinner, and we need your help! Please sign up in the East Room following worship beginning September 2nd to help set-up, cook, serve, or clean up. Cookies will be served for dessert, so we are asking for dozens of cookies. If you are willing to bake a dozen or more, please sign up.
Shirley Cummins will soon have tickets available for sale and purchase. The cost is $6/adult; $4/child 12 and under.

Sunday, October 14th 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Chicken Barbeque

Sunday, November 18th following worship Community Thanksgiving Dinner