IMPORTANT THINGS
There is a parable told by Jesus about a man who lived his whole life
thinking one thing to be important only to discover at the end that he
had missed all that really counted. The story goes like this: "And
a certain man’s land brought forth plenty. The man said, ‘What shall
I do? I have nowhere to store my crops. I know what I’ll do. I will
tear down my barns and build larger ones.’ Then I will say to myself,
‘Take your ease; you have ample goods stored up for many years. Eat,
drink, and be merry!’ But that night a voice said to him, ‘You fool,
tonight you will die. Then whose will these things be?’"
No thoughtful person can read this parable without some serious soul
searching. The question each of us must answer for ourselves is this:
"Am I finding in life the truly important things?" We all must
wrestle with what we will value and hold in high regard.
It has been suggested that God intends for us to use things and love
people. Turmoil usually results in our world when we attempt to reverse
this adage by using people and loving things. We are expected to use our
resources in service. When we fail to do this and attempt to hoard these
resources, we do not become rich. We become poor. Remember the land
owner in the parable. He tried to keep everything and discovered he
could keep nothing. There came that threatening voice: "You fool,
tonight you will die. Then whose will these things be?"
There is an old story told of a pastor visiting one of his
parishioners somewhere out West. The parish member was a rancher and one
afternoon took his pastor to a far-away spot on his ranch.
"Anywhere you look," said the rancher," you are seeing
the land that belongs to me. It’s all mine." "That’s not
quite true," commented the pastor. "It’s not really
yours." "Oh!" said the rancher. "Why isn’t it
mine? I hold the title to every acre of land that you see. I paid for
all of it. If it isn’t my land, to whom does it belong?" The
pastor’s eyes twinkled a little as he said to the rancher, "Let’s
talk about that a hundred years from now."
What we call ours does not really belong to us. We only hold it in
trust. If that’s true, then we are accountable for the use of it. That’s
what stewardship is all about. Perhaps that is the reason this timeless
saying persists: "You only take with you what you send on ahead, as
you pay-it-forward." What we leave behind falls into the hands of
others.
The challenge for each of us during this season of stewardship and
thanksgiving is to make sure our lives are focused on the important
things of life. All of us want to be able to stand at the end of our
journey knowing that we have so used our lives that we can now have joy
and satisfaction. The only way to achieve that objective is to live each
day to the fullest by spending the moments given to us on things that
really matter.
Someone has wisely said that everyone needs to stop now and then and
ask, "If this were my last day to live, how would I spend it?"
When you think about that question, life takes on a new perspective. We
discover that many things we so often take for granted are more
important than we dreamed.
May God bless each of us as we attempt to focus our lives on the
important things of life.
With you on the journey of Hope,
Pastor Scott
WE EXTEND OUR SYMPATHY to Josh and Laura Vander Ploeg
following the October 9 death of their son, Griffin, age 5 weeks;
and to the family of Hazel Ream, age 97, who died October 27.
GET WELL WISHES go to Mary Griffiths, who was a patient at
Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center October 9-11; Carl Lester,
who had hip replacement surgeries on October 12 and 16; Dale Shirk,
who had surgery for a broken hip on October 14 and is now at Villa Del
Sol;
Frank Dunn, who has been at MMSC since October 21; Jan Otto,
who had eye surgery on October 23; Ray Speas, who had a heart
procedure in late October; Shirley Ossman, who remains
hospitalized in Des Moines after undergoing heart surgery on October 30;
and Chuck Heggen, who had surgery in Iowa City on November 3.
NEW GRANDCHILD: Doug and Anita Hensley are proud grandparents of
their first grandson, Esmond Shane, born October 9 to their daughter,
Carissa Bryant, and Shane Merry of Wellsburg.
THANK YOU NOTES
Dear Church Friends: I am home from Villa Del Sol. I’ll continue
with physical therapy. Thank you for your visits, cards, flowers, calls,
goodies, and prayers. Special thanks to Pastors Scott and Darrell for
visits and prayers. It was all very appreciated.
June Oleson
__________
Thank you for all that was done for the funeral lunch.
Herb Ash Family
__________
Thank you so much for the many cards, thoughts, and prayers during my
recovery. Special thanks to Scott and those who visited in the hospital.
Carl Lester
THE UPPER ROOM daily devotional guide for November/December
is available in the foyer—donations of $.95 (regular edition) and
$1.10 (large-print version) are appreciated.
SUNDAY WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
November 8 – 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
Appointed scriptures: Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17; Psalm 127; Hebrews
9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 (sermon text)
8:15 a.m. Chancel Choir.
10:45 a.m. Voices of Inspiration.
November 15 – 24th Sunday after Pentecost – Birthday Offering
Appointed scriptures: I Samuel 1:4-20; Psalm 113; Hebrews 10:11-14,
19-25; Mark 13:1-8 (sermon text)
Pastor Lothe’s sermon: "Embracing God’s New Story"
8:15 a.m. Voices of Inspiration.
10:45 a.m. Chimes of Hope and Chancel Choir.
November 22 – Last Sunday after Pentecost – Christ the King
Sunday
Appointed scriptures: II Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12; Revelation
1:4b-8; John 18:33-37 (sermon text)
Pastor Lothe’s sermon: "The End of the World As We Know
It"
8:15 a.m. Chancel Choir.
10:45 a.m. Special Music/Small Group.
November 29 – 1st Sunday of Advent – UM Student Day Offering
Appointed scriptures: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; I
Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36 (sermon text)
8:15 a.m. Voices of Inspiration.
10:45 a.m. Chancel Choir.
December 6 – 2nd Sunday of Advent – Communion – Noisy Offering
Appointed scriptures: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians
1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6 (sermon text)
Pastor Lothe’s sermon: "Make Way!"
8:15 a.m. Chimes of Hope.
10:45 a.m. Chancel Choir.
COME SING IN THE CHOIR!
Some of the best reasons to sing in the Chancel Choir...
Character. Choir helps build character. Singers give one night
a week to rehearse and worship together. These people have real
character.
(Some members of the choir are real characters!)
Healthy. Choir makes you healthy! How often do you exercise
your lungs? To improve your quality of life, come and sing!
(Yelling at/with/for football doesn’t count!)
Otherwise. Otherwise it won’t be as much fun if you’re not
there! Otherwise you’ll miss many opportunities to offer God your
praise and adoration through great music.
Interesting. You’ll sing interesting music! You’ll hear
interesting comments about your singing! You’ll meet some
interesting characters.
(See letter "C.")
Your interest in worship will increase as you prepare to participate
in the next Sunday’s worship.
Relaxation. After a stressful day of decision-making—should
I sell this, buy that, watch this, cook that—it will be sooo
relaxing to have someone say to you, "Sing this! Sing it this
way!"
Besides all that, you have a reserved best seat in the house!
Chancel Choir welcomes all mature voices. Rehearsals are Wednesday
evenings at 7:15 p.m. Come, let your voice be heard!
HOLIDAY STROLL TO FEATURE CHIMES
Chimes of Hope, under the direction of Libby Bowie, has been
invited to participate at the Holiday Stroll in downtown Marshalltown on
Friday, November 20. You can hear them perform in the lobby of F
& M Bank, 11 North 1st Avenue, from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m.
AMAZING HOPE SUPPORT FOR CROP WALK!
I wish to thank all members/persons who donated to the CROP Walk.
There were several walkers from the Church who joined me. Dave and Helen
Espersen encouraged the Hope youth to be a part of this endeavor. Wow!
What a job they did. The 8 youth and 4 adults collected $575.50 (most of
these funds were from the youth) from the pledges made to them. Those
not asked by a walker contributed an additional $426.00. This brings the
total to $1001.50 that Hope gave to the Marshall County CROP Walk. This
money is used by Church World Service to fight hunger in the United
States and beyond (25% will remain locally to be used by the Emergency
Food Box, the House of Compassion, and the Salvation Army). Thank you
again for the support given to our youth and to this mission project.
Sandy Bennett
EMERGENCY FOOD BOX: CURRENT NEEDS
Items most needed at this time by the Emergency Food Box are peas,
corn, green beans, carrots, chicken noodle and assorted cream soups, and
noodles. (Please note expiration dates on the items.) Donations may
be placed in Hope’s grocery cart. Monetary gifts (payable to Hope UMC)
may be marked "Emergency Food Box" and put in the offering.
Funds are used to buy needed items locally and to pay handling charges
for items the agency is able to get from the Food Bank of Iowa in Des
Moines.
"ORGAN DONOR" CAMPAIGN VERY SUCCESSFUL
The Worship Arts Committee thanks everyone who chose to become a Hope
UMC Organ Donor during the campaign last spring! Thanks to the excellent
response, the organ fund now stands at over $68,000 in funds received.
The pledges continue to come in, and the Committee is yet looking at a
June 2010 goal for beginning installation of our wonderful pipe organ.
Worship Arts has kept in close communication with Leadership Council
and has benefited from the Council’s input and advice. Several
additional fundraisers are in the works in addition to the Arts series.
Donations/ pledges continue to be welcome at any time.
SATURDAY EVENING ARTS SERIES
November 7 – Solon United Methodist Church Choir will present a
concert under the direction of Marshalltown native Marian (Peterson)
Andersen. Marian will also offer solo piano music from sacred, to
light, to classical as part of the program.
November 14 – Double D Wranglers, a professional group from
Nebraska, will bring Western cowboy entertainment. The group is known
for award-winning musicianship, featuring authentic harmonies,
instrumentation, and one of the greatest cowboy yodelers in the country!
December 12 – Emily Erickson will present piano
selections, and Janet Collison will perform on the harp. This
should be a wonderful holiday event.
All concerts are at 7:00 p.m. with dessert receptions
following. Free will offerings are received in support of the organ
fund.
ADVENT DECORATING
Advent decorating of the church will occur on Saturday, December 5
at 4:00 p.m. Those attending are asked to bring chili to be
placed in a large pot to stay warm. Cookie decorating and crafts will be
available for children. Decorating will take place first with dinner
being served around 5:00 p.m. The Program Council will provide
vegetables and dip, crackers, dessert, and drinks.
PLAN AHEAD FOR "CAROLS & COCOA"
On Sunday, December 20, everyone is invited to an afternoon of
singing all our favorite Christmas carols and songs. Hosted by the
Worship Arts Committee, the caroling will begin at 4:00 p.m. in
Fellowship Hall. Gathered around tables, we’ll sing and enjoy cocoa
and cookies. There may even be a surprise or two! The afternoon is free
to all.
THE HOPE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED November 26 and 27 (Thursday
and Friday) for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TO BEGIN
Judy Beane and Carolyn Salasek will be leading a study entitled
"The Beauty and Courage of Sudan (Why a Dream of Peace is
Possible)" during the 9:30 a.m. Sunday School hour on November 15
and 22 and December 6 and 13. They will be sharing information they
received at a recent UMW Mission Education Event. All are welcome to
attend this 4-week study.
Pastor Scott’s Sunday School class will not meet on the days the
Sudan study is being held.
ADVENT STUDY
A 4-week Advent study is being offered beginning Sunday, November
29 at 5:00 p.m. The book, "Christmas from the Back
Side" by
J. Ellsworth Kalas will be used. Watch for more information about how
you can participate.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Gingerbread is the theme for the next two youth meetings! Houses will
be built following lunch at the church at noon on Sunday,
November 15 (get gingerbread plans from Helen Espersen in advance).
Delivery of the gingerbread houses will take place following lunch at
the church at noon on Sunday, December 13 (note date
change from December 6). All youth in grades 6-9 are welcome at Youth
Group activities!
YOUTH FUNDRAISER
Year 2010 wall and pocket calendars are now for sale—just $6 each!
Magnetic notepads are available for $3 and small notepads for $2—great
stocking stuffers! Pick yours up after worship services on Sunday or by
contacting Mary Borton (479-2827). All proceeds go to the Youth Group
and Youth Mission Trip funds.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: THE 20TH OF EACH MONTH.
BIRTHDAY AND NOISY OFFERINGS
The Birthday Offering to be received Sunday, November 15
will be for the House of Compassion Christmas Project to provide food
and gifts for a family or families in need.
The Noisy Offering to be collected by Hope children on Sunday,
December 6 will go to the local Big Brothers Big Sisters
organization. Through this program, volunteer school-based "Bigs"
age 16 and up and volunteer community-based "Bigs" age 18 and
up are matched with a child and meet with them weekly to provide
guidance, friendship, and support.
WONDERFUL GIFT IDEAS
Here are several gift ideas for persons who may have
"everything." Equal Exchange coffee, tea, and hot cocoa
mix are available from the display just outside Fellowship Hall. Money
may be left in the box at the display. Purchases help small farmers in
developing nations earn a fairer share of income from their products.
Gift cards are available again this year in the Hope office for
donations to Heifer International in honor of the person of your
choice. You may choose a donation of any size for Heifer to use where
most needed or choose a share of a specific animal for as little as $10.
Donations for tree seedlings and honeybees are also possibilities!
Catalogs are available to help you make a decision. If you would like to
select a gift from Heifer International to honor someone in your life,
contact Jeri Jeffries or
Judy Nanke in the office.
Also available in the office are gift cards for donations in someone’s
honor to Church World Service. Catalogs with many gift ideas are
available at the Hope welcome center in the foyer. These gifts may be
given for $10 and up and include animals, grains, wheelbarrows, seeds
and tools, soccer balls, mosquito nets, literacy classes, sewing
supplies, blankets, and more!
One final suggestion is to honor family and friends by feeding the
hungry. A $12 gift donation to the Society of St. Andrew provides
800 servings of fresh, nutritious food. The Society is known at Hope for
its Potato Project and feeding America’s hungry by gleaning America’s
fields. Christmas gift order forms are available at the Hope welcome
center.
HOPE UMW NEWS
Mary/Martha Circle will meet Wednesday, November 18 at 9:30
a.m. in Fellowship Hall with hostesses Carol Eddy and Phyllis Willer.
Carol will give devotions, and Carolyn Salasek will give the program.
There will be a general meeting for all United Methodist Women
in Fellowship Hall on Thursday, November 19 at 6:00 p.m. A
soup supper will be provided by the UMW board. Greta Thomae will be
installing 2010 officers, and there will be a thank offering and pledge
service.
The annual Cookie Carry Out will be Sunday, December 6
in the foyer between worship services. Cookies will be 1 dozen for $2.50
or 2 dozen for $5.00. Members are asked to bring 4 dozen cookies early
that morning or on Saturday, December 5 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00
noon. All Hope people are encouraged to participate on Sunday, as well
as donate cookies. Money will go to missions.
PURSES TO BENEFIT SUDAN MISSION PROJECT
The UMW is studying and supporting the mission of the Church in Sudan
this year. We were challenged at our School of Christian Mission to
raise money for the desperation of the Darfur people in Sudan. The
Church has mission fields there and is making progress in helping the
people. At School of Mission, 25 people were given $50 and challenged to
multiply the money and bring those profits back to School of Mission in
2010.
Carolyn Salasek accepted the challenge; and she, Patty Moon, and
others are making designer purses that may be purchased for $10-25 each.
Samples of these can be seen or purchased at the front of Fellowship
Hall by the UMW sign. For more information or for choice of fabrics,
contact Carolyn (752-2053) or Patty (475-3214). Checks should be made
payable to Hope United Methodist Women and given to Carolyn or Patty or
left in the Hope office.
People who think they are too big to do little things
are perhaps too little to be asked to do big things.
—Anonymous
SILENT AUCTION
You may have noticed that the Silent Auction is now underway. Bidding
started November 1 and will continue until 12:00 noon on Sunday,
November 15, at which time the sheets will be removed. You will be
called during the week of November 16 if you have the winning bid, and
pickup can be made Sunday, November 22 or Sunday, November 29. Please do
not pick up an item if you have not been called. Payment must be made at
the time of pickup. Items not picked up by the 29th will be awarded to
the second-highest bidder. If you have questions, you may call Nancy
Diggins (752-2258), Donna Hoop (753-3508), or Jeri Jeffries (752-3827).
Money raised will be used for our commitment to Project Home Mission and
for camperships.
PROJECT HOME MISSION UPDATE
The third quarter update for the Project Home Mission family
sponsored by Hope Church has just been posted on a church hallway
bulletin board. When you read about the family, you will realize how
important Project Home Mission, and your support, is to these
individuals.
THANKSGIVING MEAL
Hope UMC will hold its traditional Thanksgiving meal for any member
of the congregation who would like to participate. The date is Sunday,
November 15, 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. As in the past, people
are asked to volunteer to host a table of about 8 people or to sign up
individually or as a family to join the festivities. The host usually
prepares the table and brings the main course. Others at the table may
bring side dishes or dessert. Communion will be served at the end of the
meal. If you would like to be a part of this celebration, please sign an
"Opportunities" sheet in your Sunday bulletin or contact Sandy
Bennett (752-0816). She can also answer any questions you may have.
If the only prayer you said in your entire life was
"thank you,"
that would suffice.
—Meister Eckhart
NEW MEMBERS: DECEMBER 13
New members will be received at Hope Church during worship services
on Sunday, December 13. If you would like to join the church on
that date, please contact the Hope office at 752-5104 or hopeumc@adiis.net
or indicate your interest on an "Opportunities at Hope" insert
in a Sunday bulletin.
WEDNESDAY POTLUCK SUPPER – 5:30-6:15 P.M.
Bring food to share and your own table service.
Free will offering for beverages.
WEDNESDAY WORSHIP – 6:30-7:00 P.M.
Informal services led by Pastor Lothe.
NOVEMBER 25: NO SUPPER OR WORSHIP.
CLEAR SNOW
The Trustees are looking for persons interested in clearing snow from
Hope sidewalks and building entrances on weekends as needed this coming
winter. A snowblower is available—as well as shovels. If several
people are interested, an on-call team would be great! Indicate your
interest on an "Opportunities" insert in your Sunday bulletin
or contact Trustees chair Brian Bacon (485-3471) or the Hope office.
Are You Ready for Medicare Part D 2010?
Every fall Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) announce changes
to their premium, co-pays, and the drugs they cover. Stay on top of
these changes. You may be able to save money by choosing a different
plan. November 15 through December 31, 2009 you can change your Part D
plan for 2010 or enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage
(Part D)
if you haven’t done so. If you have questions or need help
comparing plans and enrolling, call the Senior Health Insurance
Information Program (SHIIP)—Marshalltown Medical & Surgical
Center, 754-5093. Our new temporary location is on the
corner of 2nd Avenue and Linn Street. You can’t miss our SHIIP
sign.
WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS REPORT
Wonderful Wednesdays is off to a great start, with 45 children
attending each week. We have studied creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and
the flood, and Daniel in the lion’s den. We have made sheep name tags
and did a creation wheel, a rainbow wind sock, and rainbow shrink art.
Pictures have been taken, and our new banner will soon go up with the
theme, "The Lord is my shepherd. He cares for me."
We appreciate people who have done cutting for us: Bee and Denise
Wilson, Letha Morgart, Andrea Stonewall, Patty Moon, Carolyn Salasek,
Janet Weis, and Nancy Swessinger. The snacks have been super, ladies.
Thanks to Bee and Denise Wilson, Sandy Bennett, Mary Alice Groff, Greta
Thomae, Jeanne Christensen, and Kathy Baker. Helpers and teachers have
included Helen Espersen, Jennifer Jensen, Donna Packer, Faith Ridenour,
Karen Schwake, Glenn and Becky DauSchmidt, Joe Griffiths, Diana Miller,
Barb Green, Cheryl Ridenour, Ruth Kinney, Shirley Hesse, Les and Bev
Risius, Joann Neven, Lois Cochran, Pat Sutten, Shirley Foster, and our
youth helper, Jordan Bacon.
We will not meet November 25. On December 16, there will be a
Christmas program at 5:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, followed by a meal for
all Hope people and WW children and their families. Please circle that
date on your calendar and think about coming to our program and sharing
a meal with our families. We feel that it is a great outreach and a way
to welcome these families. Hope people will be asked to bring a large
side dish that is kid friendly. Table service, sloppy joes, buns, chips,
condiments, and beverages will be furnished.
The children’s bells have arrived and were used by the 5th and 6th
grade Sunday School class at the late service on October 28. WW children
will be playing the bells for the December 16 program. They are excited
to share their music with you.
We can still use plastic flip-top lids (such as those found on salad
dressing, ketchup, and shampoo bottles) for a WW project.
Again, thank you, Hope people, for your generous and faithful
support!
Carol Eddy, Coordinator
