Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,
Saturday is the annual Roche de Boeuf Day in downtown Waterville from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. with our own Karen Wiggins serving as the Grand Marshall. (Sure hope that she has been practicing her “parade wave”!!) Be sure to stop by the Operation Christmas Child booth that our church is hosting and get yourself some shoeboxes and a candy cane. Thank you to Anne Stevens and all the volunteers who will be staffing the booth on Saturday.
Compared to the big stories that news media bring us day after day, the story that is highlighted in this week’s The Wired Word adult Sunday School class seems quite minor. A daycare facility took 17 children to a park, but when they left, the workers miscounted and one 2-year-old child was left behind. Thankfully, he was later found, unharmed, by a goodhearted passerby, who called the police, and they were able to reunite the child with his mother. From the view of Christian theology, however, it’s not a minor story, for in our various doctrinal or social statements, most Christian denominations insist that every person is precious to God and thus should be precious to us. So for this week, we are going to use this story to look at the biblical basis for such an assertion, and consider its implications in our lives today. Adults, please join us for scripture, coffee and discussion at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning in Fellowship Hall.
Worship Service for Sunday, September 27 –
Children’s Moment - Mission Jar
Hymns - Rescue the Perishing and What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Sanctuary Choir Anthem - Be Thou My Vision
Olga’s selections -
Prelude: O Worship the King
Offertory: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Postlude: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Scripture - Colossians 3:1-17
Pastor Mike’s Sermon Title - Showing Kindness to All
Liturgist - Tom Quinn
Anna Emahiser has requested a Prayer Quilt for her sister-in-law, Teena Scheub from Rockford, IL. Teen was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and will be having surgery on Tuesday, September 29.
Please join us for a time of light refreshments following the worship service. This week, Cindy Box and Connie Kirkman will be your hosts.
September’s Mission Focus will be to support the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s operating budget. None of the funds they collect for other mission projects through this agency (school kits, health kits, disaster response efforts, etc.) covers any of their operational costs, so 100% of the gifts they receive for mission projects goes directly to the projects themselves. And, unlike the rest of Global Ministries in the United Methodist Church, UMCOR does not receive apportionment funds to cover its administrative costs. So, in order to keep this wonderful world-wide blessing going we felt the need to support their behind-the-scene efforts that keep all the “balls rolling” for UMCOR.
During the months of September and October, we will be collecting small clothing items such as socks, underwear, hats, scarves, etc. for our Operation Christmas Child extra Shoeboxes. Anne Stevens would also like to suggest you consider buying some flip-flops – most stores have them discounted to under $1.00 now. The collection basket is under the table in the foyer.
The next day of Prayer and Fasting, as called for by our Bishop, will take place on Friday, October 2. Our focus in October will be on The Mission of the Church. Conference-wide we are embracing a shared opportunity to join our hearts and bend our knees in some regular times of fasting and prayer on the first Friday of each month. You will find a bulletin in the Prayer Corner at the front of the sanctuary with suggested prayers and centering Bible scriptures to help you focus your thoughts on October 2.
The Church Mouse wants to you know that all the old cabinets in the nursery have “left the building” and the new ones are now in place. Thanks to all of you who helped with their removal and with “re-homing” them. Also thanks to those who carried the new cabinets up the stairway and into the nursery. Special thanks to Penn, who moved the wooden shipping pallets to the trash area on Thursday morning. (They had disappeared when I arrived at work on Friday morning!) Also thanks to Penn for cleaning all the windows (inside and outside) in the hallway between the sanctuary and the education wing and cleaning all of the new glass doors on Thursday.
And finally, Janet and I will be switching our work days next week to accommodate a few days back in Nebraska for Dave and I. I will be printing the bulletin for October 4 on Tuesday morning. Please make sure that you have all items that need to be included in the bulletin or the announcements turned in to the church office by 9:00 a.m. that morning.
Enjoy this beautiful weekend!
Be a Blessing,
Church Cathy