February 2016 - Eldridge United Methodist Church

Faithnews
February 2016
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH SCOTT UNITED METHODIST CHURCHES
From the
PASTOR’S PEN
I am at the point in this year where I am really
tired of snow and cold. Honestly we have been
pretty lucky this year, but I am still ready for
ELDRIDGE UMC
604 S. 2nd St.
Eldridge, IA 52748
563-285-8526
warmer weather. This month of February can be
the worst. The weather is a pain and days are just
McCAUSLAND UMC
simply too short. It does not take too much for me
210 Hughes St.
McCausland, IA 52758
563-225-6161
to get down this time of the year.
One way that I use to overcome my down days is
different Christian disciplines. These are things
PASTOR
that we do to draw ourselves closer to God.
Rev. Ronald L. Carlson
Prayer, bible study, worship, journaling, and
ronald.carlson@iaumc.net
fasting are some of the most common disciplines
people follow. I have found prayer and bible study
OFFICE MANAGER/EDITOR
to be most effective for me. I have found that as
CJ Albertson
I draw closer to God, my bad days become fewer
officemanagerum@csteldridge.com
in number and my good days are even better.
Deadline for the March issue is
February17TH, please!
Con+nued on Page 2
From the
PASTOR’S PEN
(continued from page 1)
As part of our Ash Wednesday services, we will be invited to observe a Lenten
discipline. As we move toward Easter and the Joy of new life, I encourage you to take
on a new thing this season. Do not try to make it too complicated or difficult.
Observe the KISS rule, Keep It Simple Silly. We don’t get extra points for difficulty
here.
I have read that it takes six weeks for a new thing in your life to become a habit.
From Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday there are six weeks. If each of us
develops a new habit that draws us closer to God, I believe we will all be in a better
place. Pick a discipline and let someone else know so they can check in with you on the
new thing. Then hold each other accountable, it will be worth it.
I plan to again try the discipline of journaling. I have wanted to do this before, but I
have failed many times. Hopefully this is the year that I become successful and begin
to regularly journal. Please check in with me from time to time to help me succeed in
this new adventure. What new thing are you going to try?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Ron
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE CHURCH
You are invited to become a part of REMIND a free, safe
and simple messaging tool that will be used to share updates
and important informa+on immediately via text and email.
You can subscribe by text or email. All personal informa+on
is kept private, and your phone number will not be seen, nor
will you see theirs.
To receive messages via text, text @eldridumc (for Eldridge) or @mccauumc (for McCausland to 81010. Please
note standard text message rates apply.
To receive messages via email, send an email to:
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OR
mccauumc@mail.remind.com
(Leave the subject & message spaces blank.)
“Rumor has it that the pastor saw his shadow.
That means six more weeks of cold sermons.”
FEBRUARY Schedule to Serve at EUMC
CHILDREN'S
VISIT
TREATS
AV
PIANO
Mike
Shaw
Steve
Sorensen
Judy Kilzer;
Jan Wright
Ben
Kinney
Kathy
Dawson
Bekah &
Reece
Riewerts
Dan
Esbaum
Becky
Esbaum
Carol
Haugland;
Janalee
Keppy
Ben
Kinney
Linda
Reickard
Dennis &
Donna
Eudaley
Bekah &
Reece
Riewerts
Aundrea
Crain
Dave
Prochaska
Esbaum;
Eudaley
Ben
Kinney
Sally
Riewerts
John Bryant
Family
Bekah &
Reece
Riewerts
Wendy
Popelka
DATE
GREETER
USHER
ACOLYTE LITURGIST
2/7*
Kathy Dawson;
Tim Reickard
Dee Childers;
Norma
Nielson
Bekah &
Reece
Riewerts
2/14
Kelly
Cronkleton;
Leona Lightner
Popelka
Family
2/21
Becky & Dan
Esbaum
2/28
Popelka
Family
Susan Ames
Dee Childers;
Ben
CJ Albertson
Popelka
Kinney
* Communion Servers (2/7): Steve & David Sorensen
PLEASE BE PRAYING FOR:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Family of Jackie Cole (Mike Wright’s sister) -- passed away 1/19
Christie Nevenhoven -- upcoming cancer surgery, Feb. 4th
Harry Tuttle -- health concerns
Ruth Arp -- health concerns
Janice Conover - serious heart problems; awaiting transplant
Bonnie Esbaum -- health concerns
Bill Grother - various health concerns
Melissa Kilzer - ongoing issues with irregular heart beat
Evelyn Nester (wife of former McUMC pastor) - pancreatic cancer
Ken Nevenhoven - cancer advancing
Rob Rhinehart - cancer has returned
Ron Roe - liver cancer
•
(Prayer requests will remain in the bulletin for 4 weeks
unless the church office is notified differently.)
WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY -- We meet
on Wednesdays from 6-7:30 pm starting with a
meal together, followed by fun, fellowship and
youthful bible study.
HOW SWEET!
-- Our youth are having a
“Valentine Cookie Bake” to raise money for an
outing this winter. Cost is $8 for a 10” yummy-rice krispie, chocolate chip cookie, or brownie-available for pick up after worship on Feb.14th.
Our kids will be at a table in the gathering area
on Jan 31 & Feb 7 to take orders. Money raised
will be matched by an anonymous donor to help
pay for the purchase of two new ovens for the
church...a “TWO-fer”!!!
YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL -- Sunday
School is held
11:00).
after worship services (10:15-
CONFIRMATION -- For 7th graders is held
Sunday evenings from 6:30-7:30 at the church.
HAND CHIMES CHOIR -- All 2nd gradersadults are invited to be a part of our Chimes
Choir, which practices on Wednesday nights
from 5-5:45 pm here at the church (we just
started our “new season” so it’s a great time to
‘jump in’!). If you’d like more information, catch
Brenda Sorensen after church today or call the
church office.
SUMMER CAMP OPPORTUNITIES -There are several opportunities for our youth to
attend camps this summer! Summer Games
University (SGU; www.sgu.camp) is a camp
hosted at Grinnell College July 11th-15th for
youth who have completed 6th-12th grades.
There are also three Iowa UMC iCamps
(Okoboji, Pictured Rocks or Wesley Woods) that
offer a range of different activities for youth ages
4-17 and families. See the brochure in the
office, or go to www.iaumc.org/camps for
additional information. You’ll want to register
soon! Scholarships are available for attending
camp, so don’t let finances prevent you from
registering! Please consider supporting one
of our students at camp through a financial
donation. We cover 50% of registration costs
which amounts to ~$210/student for 1 week of
camp.
ACOLYTES -- Each week two young people
help to light the candles for worship. If you are
in grade 3+ and would like to help out, see Miss
Brenda or Dave Prochaska to sign-up and get
‘trained”.
ADULT SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
At Eldridge United Methodist Church
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL -- Meeting in
the ‘library’ at 11:15, bring your coffee and
join us as we do a weekly video study of current topics which include:
• February 7 -- Jesus, Bombs, & Ice Cream
(Love Triumphs Over Hate)
• 2/14 & 2/21 -- Troubled Waters
(Safe Drinking Water)
• 2/28 & 3/06 -- Gospel Without Borders
(Immigration)
Come weekly or when the topic interests you!
“THE STORY” CONTINUES -- Each
week, Pastor Ron leads a bible study that
continues the discussion of “The Story”’s lesson from Sunday. Wednesdays, at 6:30,
come to small-group discussion that takes the
lesson a step further and enriches your personal spiritual journey through the Bible.
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY -- Beginning
February 11th and running through the 6
weeks of Lent, we will prepare our hearts for
Good Friday and the triumphant Resurrection
of Easter Sunday with a special LENTEN
STUDY of “Final Words from the Cross”, by
Adam Hamilton. Join us at 10:00 am Thursday mornings in the church library. Following
Easter, we will return to “Making Sense of the
Bible”, also by Adam Hamilton.
WOMEN’S FAITH STUDY -- Join us at
6:15 pm on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each
month at Nancy Herrin’s (207 S Rose Hill
Drive, Long Grove) for a study of “The Law of
Happiness” by Dr. Henry Cloud. Call Nancy
for more information at 340-2865.
MEN’S FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST -Every “Second Saturday” of the month the
men of the church meet for a short devotion
and a long fellowship time over breakfast
(7:00am) at the Argo Corners restaurant. If
you don’t know where that is, let us know and
we’ll get you there! Next meeting: Saturday,
Feb 13.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN -- The
February 24th meeting of UMW will include a
service project & we need many hands to accomplish all we can! Since this is a special
project, we will meet at Kathy Rhinehart’s
house (901 Davies Ct, Eldridge) at 7pm to
make pillow cases & quilt tops for Camp Courageous. ALL women of the church are invited & encouraged to join us to work to help
others. Donna Eudaley is in charge of program & devotions that night; Jan Wright is
the hostess.
GRANT RECEIVED!
Well, she’s done it again!
Congratulations to Joyce
Orcutt for writing a
successful Matthew 25
grant! As a result EUMC
was just given $500 to
support the Summer Club
in ParkView. This money
comes from the Emerging
Ministries account which
is part of the District
Asking gifts.
LENT:
(noun) in the Christian faith, an annual
season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter,
beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays
to Easter.
Joint LENTEN SERVICES will be:
ASH WEDNESDAY -- 7pm in McCausland*
MAUNDY THURSDAY -- 7pm in Eldridge
GOOD FRIDAY -- 7pm in Eldridge
*The Eldridge UMC Chancel Choir will participate in all three services.
SPECIAL
QC SYMPHONY PRESENTATION
In the Christian Church, Easter joyfully
celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and
it is widely believed that the most heavenly
resurrection music ever composed was Gustav
Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony” #2. Rarely
performed due to it’s enormity of staging, our
QC Symphony, along with over 100 vocal
musicians from the Handel Oratorio Society and
QC Choral Arts, will perform it for the first time
in 27 years on April 22nd & 23rd. Showcasing
soprano Linh Kauffman and mezzo-soprano
Adriana Zabala, it should prove to be a truly
once-in-a--lifetime, magnificent
& moving
experience!
More information is available at QCSO.org
or 563-322-7276 (QC Symphony). Use promo
code CU10 to get 10% off tickets (and 10% of
the cost of the ticket will be donated to
Churches United to support their missions!).
h ps://qcso.org/concerts/cat-masterworks-series
… sign up to provide altar
flowers in 2016. The NEW
FLOWER CHART still has
LOTS of openings so
PLEASE
help
out
by
choosing a Sunday (or two
or…) to help brighten our
sanctuary. Remember: An
expensive “florist’s bouquet”
is not necessary. A single rose, a casual
arrangement in a vase and--eventually, when it’s
warmer--a selection from your own garden, would
all make a perfect offering.
… save those Labels & UPC codes to help
support missions of our UMW. A list of the
participating products is available on the
Gathering Area bulletin board, along with a
basket for items to be placed. For questions
contact Janalee, Bea or any UMW member.
… when traveling and staying in motels, save
the toiletry items for the Salvation Army.
Gift bags of these items are distributed in
December. For questions contact Janalee or a
UMW member.
We are on Facebook
Pastor Ron Carlson
6411 N Howell
Davenport , IA 52806
Cell—563-528-2502
Ronald.Carlson@iaumc.net
EUMC is at facebook.com/NorthSco.UMC.
McCausland is at facebook.com/McCauslandUMC.
We’ll be u+lizing this resource more for sharing & other possibili+es. If you’re on Facebook we encourage
you to ‘like’ our page(s).
Let EUMC Help You to
Get Your HS Diploma
We’re back in full swing for the
“winter session”! Our trained
& experienced team of HiSET
mentors at Eldridge United
Methodist Church is ready to
help YOU attain your high
school equivalency certificate-FREE! We meet Monday
FEBRUARY AT THE FOOD PANTRY
Hamburger Helper
Canned Fruit
“Sides”
(i.e. rice, instant potatoes, pasta kits; baked beans, etc.)
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
-- The NS
Speech
Team
is
delighted to be hosting
the State-level individual
Speech Contest on
Saturday, March 12th.
As you might guess, this
BIG event will take a
huge number of volunteers to make it run
smoothly:
•
•
•
•
•
Set-Up (Friday, Mar.11th from 1pm-6pm)
Room Chair Monitor (7:30am-12:30pm &/or
Noon-6pm)
Event Timer (7:30am-12:30pm &/or Noon6pm)
Parking Attendant (7:30am-12:30pm
&/or
Noon-6pm)
Clean-Up & Room Checks (5pm-7pm)
If you can help by volunteering or a donation,
please contact: NSspeeEch@gmail.com no later
than February 19th. A chairperson will respond
to your email & provide further details.
CHILDREN’S
BAZAAR
WORKSHOPS
Yes, we ARE starting
already! There’s lots
to be done, so come
help us from 9-noon
on Feb 2 & 9 as we
assemble, cut, count,
etc.There’s something
everyone can do--no
need to be especially
“crafty”. It’s always a
fun time together!
Grace UMC presents…
CHOCOLATE BUFFET
Saturday, February 13
2:00 - 4:00 pm
If you love chocolate, if you know
someone who does, if you just want to
see and experience a whole buffet of
chocolate...Come join us!
There will be CHOCOLATE-BY-THEPOUND for you to purchase (Free Will
Donation!). You will select from:
Fudge, Peanut Butter Balls, Cherry Mash,
Double Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate
Covered Cherries and other decadent
delights!
Proceeds go toward the ministries and
missions of GraceUMC, 2651 Telegraph
Rd, Davenport. Questions? Call 326-5631
What’s Happening at the
McCausland United Methodist Church
SOUP’S ON! in McCausland
Do you like good old chicken
noodle? Or how about a
hearty chili? Homemade vegetable? Maybe even a creamy
potato?
Well, come take off the chill with a variety of hot
soups at McUMC on Sunday February 21st from
5-7 pm.
Along with your soup, there will be
sandwiches and an array of delectable desserts
from which to choose.
Cost? Free Will Offering!
* SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES for PreK-12th
grade are held at 9:30am weekly before worship.
* We continue our BIBLE STUDY of “The Story”
on Mondays at 3pm. Come join us!
* Don’t forget to stop by and browse THE BOOK
TABLE outside Pastor Ron’s office in support of
“Change A Child’s Story”.
Cabin fever? We
have
just
the
remedy for that!
The Winter Trivia
‘Season’
at
McCausland United
Methodist Church
continues on Saturday, February 20!
Doors open at 5:30 and the Trivia
Challenge beings promptly at 6:00.
The cost is only $10 per person
with table teams encouraged to include 8 participants.
“Mulligans” are available for additional purchase as well as raffle
items. Bring your own snacks and
drinks.
Proceeds go to the Literacy project!!
Come!
Challenge your brain
AND your friends!
SCHEDULE TO SERVE
LITURGIST: Danielle Whitcanack-Feb. 7, 14, 28
Karen Pacha-Feb. 21
Lloyd Claussen-Mar. 6, 13 20, 27
COOKIES:
2/7-AnjeaneGe & Drew Lindle
2/14-Marlies Busch & Marcia Cur+s
2/21-Lloyd Claussen & Nikolas Davis 2/28-Olive Luckritz & Connie Mizaur
CLEANERS: February -- Barb Stahmer
March -- Jolayne Milefchik
February Birthdays
2/02
Katie Efaw
2/03
Carol Faeth
Keith Riewerts
2/05
Nate Miller
2/07
Nate Loussaert
Blake Shuppy
Bryton Shuppy
2/08
Trish Reisener
2/12
Emma Windt
2/13
Aundrea Crain
Owen Gentz
Rachel Sorensen
2/14
Joan Brandon
2/15
Cole Gay
Jakob Arana Nigh
2/16
Pam Loussaert
Alauna Gentz
2/21
Rheta Allen
2/24
Alex Duncan
2/26
Randy Riewerts
2/27
Carol Haugland
February
Anniversaries
2/07
Randy & Ana Kinney
2/10
Doug & Ethel Reynolds
2/14
Randy & Melanie Riewerts
Birthday/Anniversary
Club
UPDATE!
Additional December
Club members:
Amy Maxwell
Kara Maxwell
Total Donation for 2015
$1472.00

January Club Members:
Kelly Cronkleton
Lynn & Joyce Orcutt
New 2016 Donations Total:
(as of 1/22/16)
$102.00*
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FEBRUARY 2016
Sunday
Monday
1
Tuesday
2
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
3
4
5
6
16
11
12
13
9:00 Yoga
10:00 Lenten Bible
Study
Office Closed
3:00 ‘The Story’
Bible Study
at McUMC
5:00 Yoga
6:00 Lions Club
6:30 HiSET
PFLAG
6:30 BSA mtg
7
Communion
8
9
9:00/10:10 EUMC Office Closed
Worship /
Sunday School
9:30/10:30 McUMC
Youth Sunday 3:00 ‘The Story’
School / Worship
Bible Study
at McUMC
4:30 Choir Practice 5:00 Yoga
6:30 Confirmation
6:15 Bible Study
7:00 BSA Leaders 6:30 HiSET
14
Lent #1
15
7:00
Lent #2
22
8:00 Choir Practice Office Closed
9:00/10:10 EUMC
Worship /
Sunday School 3:00 ‘The Story’
9:30/10:30 McUMC
Bible Study
Youth Sunday
at McUMC
School / Worship 5:00 Yoga
6:15 Bible Study
6:30 Confirmation
6:30 HiSET
28
Lent #3
7:00 Men’s
Breakfast in
Argo
Joint
Ash Wednesday 6:30 EUMC
Finance Mtg. &
Service
held at McUMC
16
8:00 Choir Practice Office Closed
9:00/10:10 EUMC President’s
Worship /
Day
Sunday School
9:30/10:30 McUMC 3:00 ‘The Story’
Youth Sunday
Bible Study
School / Worship
at McUMC
5:00 Yoga
6:30 Confirmation
6:30 HiSET
21
ASH
WEDNESDAY
17
Admin Council
18
19
20
26
27
9:00 Yoga
10:00 Lenten Bible
Study
23
5-Chimes Pract.
6-WONDERFUL
WEDNESDAY
7-‘The Story’
Bible Study
at EUMC
6:30 McUMC Admin Councl Mtg
7-UMW at McUMC
24
25
9:00 Yoga
5-Chimes Pract.
6-WONDERFUL
WEDNESDAY
7-‘The Story’
Bible Study
at EUMC
7-UMW at EUMC
10:00 Lenten Bible
Study
29
8:00 Choir Practice Office Closed
9:00/10:10 EUMC
Worship /
Sunday School
9:30/10:30 McUMC 3:00 ‘The Story’
Youth Sunday
Bible Study
School / Worship
at McUMC
5:00 Yoga
6:30 Confirmation
6:30 HiSET
PLEASE NOTE:
Whenever North Scott Schools are called off due to
inclement weather, the EUMC office will be closed and
all scheduled church activities and meetings
will be CANCELLED
for the remainder of the day/evening.