Yes, it has been another week of excitement at the Hampton United Methodist Church.
Monday started with FLOCK (Faithful Ladies of Crocheting and Knitting.) It is always nice to visit with the ladies and to see their latest projects. Beautiful patterns and colors, I think everyone is impatiently awaiting spring.
On Tuesday the Mission Committee met. They were presented with a brochure, put together by Mardell Van Kleeck, a very gifted lady, regarding the FLOCK group. During the discussion a plan was put forth to ask other ministries of the church to put together information about their ministries, with Mardell’s willingness to mock up brochures for each group. She will also work on a master brochure which will give an over veiw of the church and the ministries. Once this part of the project is completed, the brochures will be grouped together in a coffee mug designed specifically for the church and be pasted out to guests and friends of the church as they visit. Members and constituents of the church may also take mugs to give to friends in the community as an invitation to join us in ministry. Once someone receives a mug, they will be known for having been “mugged by the HUMC.” The idea of “mugging” came to me after attending an event at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. They do this all the time. Sounds like fun doesn’t it?
On Wednesday, Mrs. Bossie Cow, returned to HUMC after spending some time in retirement at Mike and Carol Nolte’s farm near Hansel.
Here she is in a snap I found of her on the computer. Bossie will help with fund raising efforts by the group traveling to Perryville, Arkansas this summer to work at the Heifer International Farm there. It looks like we will have around 15 participants on this mission. Conversation has also brought up thoughts of going west, whether to Western Iowa or Nebraska to assist with flood relief. That is exciting.
Also this week the April Edition of The Tower went out. In there you will find many events coming up that will require volunteer help. The feedback has been very positive. Here are some of the events, if you are interested in volunteering, please, let the office know
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Tuesdays on the Town. HUMC and St Paul will be setting up a booth during the event in June to promote a Community VBS.
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Painting: Soon we will begin painting scenes, backdrops, murals and props for VBS. This will be done in partnership with St. Paul Lutheran Church.
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Franklin County Fair parade: Last year Sue received feedback that the float was missed in the parade. If there are volunteers to help with the assembly of the float, HUMC will be back in the parade with one this year.
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Saturday at Franklin County Fair: In the past we have been asked to watch over the chapel at the fair. We are responsible for ‘watching over’ the church in the Pleasant Hill village on Saturday during the fair.
I have run out of time for this week. Look forward to posting again next week about the life at HUMC.
There was a time when I thought, after each major Christian event, i.e. Christmas and Easter, there would be ‘down time.’ Oh, that is so not true in the life of the church. “Easter comes late this year.” was a statement I heard several times at the beginning of the year. And that may have been true, but there did not seem to be anything late about it. It was here before any of us were ready. Maybe part of that was due to the crazy weather during February and March, or the fact that we are all just too busy with too much to do.
Here we are, it will soon be the first of May and from there confirmation is just days away. You know what they say about confirmation and its participants? Once the youth are confirmed we never see them again. I once hear a pastor say, I should confirm all the bats in the belfry then maybe we won’t see them anymore. As I write this entry into the blog, I am thinking about what we can do to keep the youth encouraged and engaged in the life of HUMC. The word intentional continues to float around in my mind. We must be intentional in reaching out, inviting and engaging these new members to the family. We must support their interests. We must continue to show our love for them at this stage of their lives as much as we did when they were in the early years of our Sunday School program. We cannot let the business of the activities of the church get in our way of continuing to interact with the youth.
My wish for Confirmation Sunday is that all the members of the church will show up and show support for the newest members of the church.
“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 29:19-20
As HUMC prepares for Easter, it is a time of new beginnings, a new season in the life of HUMC and all those who pass through the doors coming in and going out.
Today, I took some time to reflection, as plans to travel to the Heifer International Farm in August begin to fall into place. That time will come before I know it. I sat down today and read the cards I received at the end of the trip to Sager Brown. This is a practice I picked up somewhere in my travels, at the end of a mission trip, to have each member take time to reflect and share with other members of the team; where they saw God in the person they are writing to. Yes, like so many things, I hold onto the cards. They have a way of lifting my spirits and I find encouragement in them to carry on in my personal journey with Jesus.
This Sunday in worship I am excited to announce that 5 students from the Children 1st Program will be sharing a short drama ‘The Feast’ during the Children’s Message. I am so inspired by them. They have so much energy and have worked hard, at the same time had fun preparing for this Sunday. You will want to be there and witness their gift for the church. My hope is to have more involvement with the children during worship and other aspects of life at HUMC.
I ask you to take time this Easter and reflect back over the past year and your life here at HUMC. What inspires you? Where do you see Jesus? What do you want to do as a Christian, following Jesus on the journey of the upcoming year?
