Central United Methodist Church
|
Founded
1850
|
 |
C e n t r a l
J o u r n a l
Informing Members and Friends - Encouraging
Fellowship and Spiritual Growth
A monthly publication of Central United Methodist
Church, Lansing, Michigan
e L E C T R O N I C e D I T I O N |
October 2009
Exercise Your Faith
Doctors are always emphasizing the need to exercise to keep healthy and strong
and what is true in the physical world is equally true in the spiritual realm.
We exercise in our spiritual lives by developing good stewardship habits.
These spiritual exercises help maintain a strong and healthy spiritual life
within each of us while building up the body of Christ. We’ve all seen
physical body builders but when we choose to be good stewards we become builders
of the body of Christ.
The month of October we are lifting up our call to be good stewards of all
that God has given us. When someone joins a local United Methodist Church
they pledge to support it with their prayers, their presence, their gifts,
and their service. Throughout the month we will take a look at what it means
to take those vows seriously. One of the ways we live out those vows is through
choosing a place to serve. In this month’s newsletter is a Building
Blocks of Faith sheet with over a hundred different ways you can choose to
serve Central UMC and further God’s ministry. We believe everyone needs
a place to serve to live out their faith. We would encourage you to look
over the sheet and mark the areas in which you would be willing to get involved
and serve. The Building Blocks of Faith sheet can be placed in the offering
plate on a Sunday morning, faxed or dropped off at the church office during
the week.
Let’s get involved. Let’s start building our spiritual bodies and
this unique Body of Christ. On the bottom of the page you will see three
small Building Blocks with the letters A/B/C they are the graphic for our
upcoming sermon series “The Building Blocks of Faith.” In the series
we’ll be looking at the ABC’s of Stewardship. I’m looking
forward to sharing with you some insights on the attitude of a steward, the
blessings of stewardship, and the commitment of a steward. The series will
culminate on November 1st, All Saints’ Day, when we gather to remember
and give thanks for the faithful saints of Central who have moved on to their
reward and commit ourselves to being good stewards in the year ahead. Our
prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service are the building blocks
we use to build our faith. Thanks for sharing!
Pastor Ron
Trustees
Larry Beckon--Chai,r Board of Trustees
Following is a list of some of the items that the Board of Trustees has addressed
this past summer or plans to address this fall.
2009 Restoration Project: Plans are being made for restoring the areas that
suffered termite damage in the area immediately to the west of the Ottawa
Street entry. The areas to be restored are the coat room, the anteroom, and
the stairs to the second floor.
Sanctuary Ventilation: Progress was made this summer towards making the sanctuary
cooler.
Sacred Places: Work continues on developing materials about Sacred Places
to share with the congregation and others.
Parsonage: Roofing repairs and painting and cleaning were done at the parsonage
in June and July.
Prefunction lights: As reported earlier, new ceiling lights will be obtained
for the prefunction area (the long and wide hall that extends northward from
the entry to Fellowship Hall).
Building Insurance: A new insurance policy has been obtained that will reduce
the cost of insuring our buildings at the corner of Capitol and Ottawa by
$8,000 a year.
Water in the Elevator Shaft: Several inches of water gathered in the shaft
of the Temple House elevator. The water was pumped out and a permanent solution
for the water problem in this area is being sought.
Accountant’s Report: The value of Central's endowment funds continues
to be impacted negatively by the economic condition of the world. The reduction
in value of our endowments is expected to have a $25,000 negative impact
on Central’s 2010 Operating Budget.
Lessons learned from 2008 Restoration Projects: The Board of Trustees and
Swanson Design Studios will make a list of lessons learned from the 2008
Restoration Project. This list will be used in future projects to reduce
the number of problems that occur in planning and carrying out future restoration
projects.
Save the Date!! “Classics, Broadway, Jazz and
Pie”
November 13, 14 and 15--Presented by The Music Department
Education
Joi Tennant--Director Christian Education Ministries
We’re Fired-up About Christian Education
Children’s Church - for children ages 3rd thru 5th grade. At 10:00,
children are dismissed from worship and go to the Rainbow Room where they
receive the core lesson from our SS curriculum for that day. Pick up your
children after worship. Teachers: Nancy O’Shea, Leslie Prame, and Estela
Hudy.
Sunday Vespers Class
You are invited to join this intellectually stimulating book study class
which meets at 5:30 Sunday evenings in the 2nd Floor Conference Room. Rev.
Keith Pohl, teacher and discussion leader.
Pastor Ron’s 101 Class
First in a 4-part series of classes on discipleship, coming throughout the
year, designed to strengthen individual faith and our church. Gather at 11:00,
in the 2nd Floor Conference. Room; For everyone!
Infant and Toddler Nursery staffed from 9:15 to 10:45
One Big Sunday School
Children 1st thru 5th grades gather for “enrichment activities”
of their SS lesson in the S. end Balcony Room in Fellowship Hall from 11:00
– 11:35. Teachers: Julie Cooper and Pat Mort
(Music class on 3rd Floor from 11:40 to 12:15.)
Coffeehouse Conversations
Join Greg Ross in the Shalom Center (S. end of Fellowship Hall) at 11:00
to examine a wide range of issues thru the lens of our faith in Christ. An
atmosphere of respect for all opinions is fostered.
Youth Fine Arts (11:00) and Sunday School (11:40) -- Middle School and High
School kids meet together for new adventures in Sunday School in the NW.
Balcony Rm. in Fellowship Hall, with teachers Antonio Grettenberger and Joi
Tennant after music (3rd Floor).
Bible Study – The Genesis to Revelation Series
“The Gospel of Matthew” Come to the Church Library at 11:00 to
begin an in-depth study, led by Leon Martin.
PreSchool/K-garten SS
At 11:00 (after their 10:45 music class in 3rd Floor Music Rm.) children
age 3 thru K-garten meet in Rainbow Rm. for SS lesson “enrichment
activities” followed by play time in the play room. Please pick up your
children by 12:15. Teachers: Estela Hudy, Leslie Prame, and Nancy
O’Shea
“Dive In”
A new class gathering in the 1st Floor lounge, at 11:00, led by Shannon Brantsner
and Mary Boudreau. Discussion designed to appeal to the “middle
generation”. Come, bring your coffee, make new friends and discover
what it’s all about!
Worship and Music Notes|
Caryn Welter, Director of Music Ministries and Worship Arts
Extending our Worship Boundaries
The many faces of worship at Central are changing. A new worship style is
reaching out to younger families. As we look at ways to further extend our
worship boundaries, music is certainly an important part.
Do you remember when we first began using “The Faith We Sing”?
Responses to it were varied and impassioned. Then, as we gradually became
familiar with more and more of the hymns, even former nay-sayers found its
many blessings in the form of really fine, rich hymns, with whose texts and
music we could resonate. Probably none of us could imagine going back now
to the older tradition of using only the United Methodist Hymnal.
The September volume of the West Michigan Conference’s The Parish Paper
speaks to whether we sing all five worship-hymn preferences. It indicates
that a large percentage of American Protestants born before 1927 prefer old
gospel hymns (typically written between 1870 and 1935). At least three-fourths
of American Protestants born from 1927 through 1945 prefer the great classic
hymns (typically written between 1520 and 1870). “A Mighty Fortress”
and “Holy, Holy, Holy” are just two examples of these.
In contrast, people born since 1960 view most of the first two categories
of hymns as boring or meaningless. This has led to the evolution of
non-traditional, contemporary, praise songs, modern praise songs, and praise
and worship songs. Many mainline clergy and worshipers came to view the new
hymn type as a single preference – far from the truth! As a matter of
fact, people who like praise songs do not exclusively prefer contemporary
music. The misperception, however, led to serious declines in mainline worship
attendance.
The Parish Paper goes on to report that ninety percent of Protestant
congregations whose worship attendance is non-declining report three hymn-type
preferences: 1st Generation Contemporary: Modern Praise Songs, written in
1960 – 1978, such as “Father, I Adore You” and “They
Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love”; 2nd Generation Contemporary:
Restorational Praise and Worship Songs, written in 1978-1995, such as
“Majesty, Worship His Majesty” and “Shine, Jesus, Shine”;
3rd Generation Contemporary: Missional Worship Songs, written 1995 to present,
such as “How Great Is Our God” and “Come, Now Is The Time
To Worship".
Further, if a church sings only 1st Generation Contemporary, younger worshipers
can feel unmoved, wish to sing something more contemporary, and perhaps move
to another congregation. According to Co-editors Herb Mill, Lyle Schaller,
and Cynthia Woolever, congregations must make deliberate choices that provide
worship experiences which will match the spiritual preferences of our young
people. For example, churches that sing 3rd Generation Contemporary may or
may not reach ages 14 to 40. However, their refusal to include music by which
those young people are touched will result in their NOT seeing many of them
in worship.
The concluding report from the Paper says that congregations with fewer than
150-200 people in worship increase their likelihood of maintaining stable
attendance by “providing one blended worship service every Sunday that
sings the great classic hymns, an occasional old gospel hymn, and at least
two of the three generations of contemporary praise songs that were indicated
earlier.”
In conclusion to this summation, as we plan service music, it once again
seems important to touch the heads and hearts of all the people, some of
the time.
Among Friends
Remember...At press time…
Lee Dibble - Dobie Road
Sue Strait - at home
Sara Huston - Dimondale
Cheer Martin - at home
Barb Lansing - at home
Audrey Holley - Bickford
Jean Fitch - Burcham
Norma Hanson - Ingham Regional Assisted Living
Transitions…
Sally Swiss died September 11, 2009. Memorial Service at Central was September
23, 2009
Carl Haussman died Friday, September 4, 2009
Church and Society
Pat Bell and Joyce Joranko, Co-Chairs, Church and Society
“We require Health Care when our health is compromised.”
“The nature of health care has changed substantially since biblical
times, but the importance of health care has remained the same. Consistent
with the Social Principles and Book of Resolutions, “The General Board
of Church and Society advocates for health care as a human right that must
be made available to all.”|
“From our earliest days United Methodists have believed that providing
health care to others is an important duty of Christians. John Wesley found
ways to offer medical services at no cost to the poor in London. The first
Methodist Social Creed (adopted in 1908) urged working conditions to safeguard
the health of workers and community.”
“The United Methodist Church in its Social Principles regards healthcare
as a basic human right, as well as a responsibility both public and private.
As the position of the Church elaborates: "We encourage individuals to pursue
a healthy lifestyle and ... also recognize the role of governments in ensuring
that each individual has access to those elements necessary to good health."
(Social Principles, ¶162T)”
Scripture references: Luke 10:25-35 and Ezekiel 34:4
The General Board of Church & Society is one of four international general
program boards of The United Methodist Church. The board’s primary areas
of ministry are Advocacy, Education and Leadership Formation, United Nations
and International Affairs, and resourcing these areas for the denomination.
It has offices on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and at the Church Center
at the United Nations in New York City. One of the services provided through
Ministry Share participation. Learn more from the websites: www.umc-gbcs.org
www.1010challenge.org
WORLD-WIDE COMMUNION SUNDAY
October 4, 2009
Nurture Students to Lead Today and in the Future
On the first Sunday in October, Christians from around the globe will celebrate
our oneness in Christ – in a world ever more in need of peacemaking.
In the spirit of this celebration, gather with us on October 4 as we encourage
our church’s capacity to engage in mission.
Through the commitment of the United Methodist family, funds collected on
this day will provide scholarships for students whose future endeavors will
directly impact four critical areas of focus:
Ministry with the Poor
Global Health
Leadership Development
Congregational Development and Revitalization
Please join us in supporting this important ministry.
Cathy Amundsen, for the Mission Committee
CENTRALNITERS will take a “Trip Back in Time in Central’s
History” at 7 pm., on Saturday, October 10, at Central with dessert
following. Jim and Lois Perkins are hosts for the program.
Sign up for Central’s own GO-SEE tour...
To United Methodist Missions in Detroit Led by Rev. Bill and Cathy Amundsen
Where? To Children’s Village (MCHS) and more
Who? Anybody & Everybody from CUMC
When? Friday, October 9, leave CUMC at 9 a.m.
Cost? $15 per person Includes box lunch, MCHS and transportation
Watch for more information and sign-up sheets in Fellowship Hall and in the
bulletin.
Redeeming -- An Important Word
In October, many churches conduct stewardship campaigns. Sadly, many church
members associate the word stewardship only with pledge cards, budget discussions
and a challenge to give more generously. Actually, stewardship deals with
managing everything God has given to us — our brain, body, talent, time
and spiritual life. It’s our total response to God’s gifts.
Stewardship campaigns give us an opportunity to re-appraise our lives as
a whole. Are we glorifying God with our minds, bodies, talents, property,
financial resources, etc? Are we using our gifts to spread Christ’s
gospel? How are we showing our love to God and the church?
Taking inventory of our stewardship is a meaningful experience. Consider
God’s indescribable goodness toward you, as well as your response to
his showers of blessing. That will reveal the quality of your stewardship.