North Border Bulletin
United Methodist Churches of Humboldt, Pembina and Joliette	October, 2000

Worship and Sunday School times

Humboldt Church Service at 8:45, Sunday School at 10:00

Pembina Church Service at 10:00, Sunday School at 11:00

Joliette Church Service at 11:15, Sunday School at 10:00

Pastor Linda Baldock 825-6318

revlinda@polarcomm.com

From the Pastor's Keyboard

Psalm 86:4-10 "Make glad the soul of your servant. I trust in you and pray to you. You, O God, are good and forgiving; rich in kindness to all who ask your help. I bow before you; you alone are God." Our churches have had the recent opportunity to live out this passage, as servants. We did our best to help some people who in the end couldn't accept help, at least not the help we thought they needed. This couple trusted God to take care of them and God did, as God's people helped them all along the way. Now that they are gone from our midst, leaving all of their worldly possessions behind, we wonder, should we have helped like we did? I've even thought, second guessing myself, if I should have just gotten them some gas, a meal and sent them on their way. That was really all they were expecting. But we did more, which was good.

We feel like we were "burned" because the people left without much of a thank you. We feel regret that somehow we didn't help them make it in our part of the world. We may feel relief that they are gone and no longer bothering us. We may feel sadness in that we didn't get to say good-bye and God be with you to them. We may even feel guilt for some of the things we may have said or did to them. Indeed it is a mixed bag of feelings for most of us.

Now what happens the next time someone comes to one of the churches or to the parsonage looking for help? Do we give them gas, and a meal, sending them on their way? Do we say a prayer for them and give them nothing? There's an old Chinese saying, "You give a person a fish and they can eat for a day, you can teach them how to fish, and they can eat for a lifetime. " It is my prayer that we would find it in our hearts to once again teach them how to fish, for we know not when that person at our door might be Jesus, himself. Anyway, thank you to all of you for doing what you did to help our nomadic homeless couple. Even if you didn't personally help, you helped in paying the pastor's salary, as she spent time with them, on your behalf. Yes, indeed, we bow before God, our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior, in thanksgiving and in humbleness.

Blessings to you all.

Linda

Joys and Concerns of the Charge

Please remember the following as they recuperate from surgery: Betty Parent, James Craig, and Devyn Bockwitz

Let us remember those dealing with illness and injury: Tom Middleton, Connie Tryan, Aaron Clow, and others in our midst

We rejoice with Elizabeth Gatheridge and Dennis Anderson on their marriage at the Humboldt Church on September 23.

We extend our sympathy to Winton Cameron's family, as his memorial service was September 30, at Pioneer United Methodist Church.

Pray for a safe harvest for our farmers.

Pray for Larry and Pearl as they make their way back south.

Pray for safe travel for those who will be heading to Arizona and Florida for the winter.

Pray for Nettie Craig as she spends time in the hospital.

Senior High Youth Rally

There is a Senior High youth rally October 20-22, at Dakota Wesleyan, in Mitchell. There is a bus going from Grand Forks, on the 20th. If you are interested, let Linda know. The cost of the rally is $35 and the cost of the bus ride is $20.

October is Clergy Appreciation Month

What Does a Pastor Do?

The pastor teaches, though she must solicit her own classes. She heals, though without pills or knife. She is sometimes a lawyer, often a social worker, something of an editor, a bit of a philosopher and entertainer, a saleswoman, a decorative piece for public function, and she is supposed to be a scholar. She visits the sick, marries the people, buries the dead, labors to console those who sorrow and to admonish those who sin, and tries to stay sweet when chided for not doing her duty. She plans programs; appoints committees when she can get them; spends considerable time in keeping people out of each other's hair; between times she prepares a sermon and preaches it on Sunday to those who don't happen to have any other engagement. Then on Monday, she smiles when some jovial chap roars, "What a job--one day a week!" --Anonymous

Tri-County Crisis Intervention, Inc.

Pam Novak spoke at the Pembina UMW meeting in September. She also sent a letter to all area churches asking that we continue to help them with their work for a violence-free community. Some facts about Tri-County: last year they provided services to 87 women and 130 children; 41 of which spent 244 nights in their shelter. All of their services are free to victims in Cavalier, Pembina, and Walsh counties. They are partially funded by federal and state moneys, but need donations to match those funds. They have 7 full time and 3 part-time employees who provide crisis intervention 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

What do they need, besides money? They need kitchen utensils for women who are ready to transition into apartment living. They need items for children and teens, so they have something to call their own when they arrive at the center. This would be a great project for a Sunday School. We are invited to tour the Center at Grafton at which time we can come to know their services and needs to an even greater degree.

HARVEST FESTIVALS ARE IN THE WORKS

Pembina and Humboldt have their harvest festivals scheduled for this month. be watching for further details, as they are just in the working phases, at this point. The last Sunday of the month is the 5th Sunday, so we will all be going to Humboldt for Sunday School and worship, and can join in the Harvest Festival.

Confirmation Has Resumed

Confirmation has started. We are looking forward to studying the sacraments, learning the Apostle's Creed, Lord's Prayer, and doing a Bible Study. The three freshman at Humboldt will be confirmed in November. The rest of us will continue with the Bible Study.

Hunger/Poverty Rally at Drayton

October 22, our area Hunger Rally will be held in Drayton. Our pastor will be the speaker, speaking on her Volunteer in Mission Trip to Texas, a few years ago. We are asked to bring a special musical number, sandwiches and bars or cookies to share. They will provide soup.

We will have blanket Sunday in all three churches on the 8th. One blanket costs $5, but the interesting thing is that the blankets are made in developing nations, thus giving people jobs, and a boost to their economy. Come prepared to give generously, as the young people gather the offering in the UMCOR blanket.

Pembina health kit items are due on October 15. We need hand towels, wash cloths, tooth brushes, tooth paste, nail files or nail clippers with file. We have enough band-aids, bars of soap and combs to make a half dozen kits. Joliette UMW is working on sewing kits and has 6 school kits ready to go to Drayton, too.

October Birthdays

1 Rebecca Johnson

Garrett MasloskiGreg Fritz

6 Wesley Kemp

8 Ruth Sharp

11 Devyn Bockwitz

23 Buzz Irving

Pat Nolte

24 Dorothy Bergh

25 Wayne Barber

28 Bill Gatheridge

Scripture for October

October Calendar

1 World Communion Sunday (offering)

3 Upper level worship at KMNH, 11 AM

4 Confirmation at Pembina, 6:30

Heavenly Disciples at Humboldt, 6

8 Blanket Sunday at all three churches

9 Northern Tier Pastors, Park River, 10

13-14 Confirmation Camp at Wesley Acres

15 Laity Sunday

Pancake breakfast at Pembina

Pembina Health kit items due

17 Worship at Upper Level, KMNH, 11 AM

18 UMW at Humboldt, Audrey and Melvy

20-22 Senior High Youth Rally, Mitchell

21 Wedding at Pembina UMC, 5 PM

22 Pembina Harvest Festival, switch time with Joliette

Hunger Rally at Drayton, 3:30 registration

Service at Kittson Memorial, 2 PM

25 Pastor Parish Relations Committee, Pembina at 7 PM

26 Service at Wedgwood Manor, 3 PM

29 5th Sunday Service at Humboldt UMC

Humboldt Harvest Festival, more details later30 UMW quilt block prototypes due classes.

Pembina, Joliette, Humboldt

United Methodist Churches

Box 429

Pembina, ND 58271