MID-WEEK LETTER from Grace United Methodist Church

September 6, 2007

From the Pastor:

The autumn season is customarily the time for renewal, rally, and revival in the church. Our Rally Day will be Sunday, September 23. We will have a combined worship service that morning (at 9 a.m.) and a congregational meeting to follow (at 10:30).

At Grace Church, we are an ever changing group of some 200-300 souls, summoned and assembled to be the body of Christ, to participate in the ministry of the living Christ.

Almost all of us have made some sort of promise to honor God through participating in the life of the congregation. Some of us have made very public promises (church membership vows) and others have made more private commitments. Rally Day is a call to RENEW OUR PROMISES-AND MAKE GOOD ON THEM.

Our church structure (taking shape this fall) is designed to help individuals participate in the ministry of Christ. It reflects the ways Christ serves others. It also reflects the love Jesus has for the Father.

Christ bids children to come to him (so we will have one committee to organize Sunday School for children and another committee to reach out to neighborhood children in new and creative ways). Christ heals (so we will renew our focus on WellSpring).

Christ loves people of all ages and has surprises in store even when we age (so we will continue our Grace Years projects).

Christ bids us to love one another, to rejoice with those who rejoice and share the burdens of those who suffer (so we will get ourselves organized this fall to have members visiting and sharing with other members). Christ is generous and charitable with those who are suffering (so we will continue the work of the mission committee).

Christ wines and dines with sinners and tax collectors and others who are not long time members (so we will begin a "Youth World Worship" at 10:30 on Sunday mornings for kids grades 6-12 that will include music, food, prayer, storytelling, and fellowship).

Christ creates social milieus filled with hospitality and conversation with strangers (so we will begin a limited version of a Coffee House).

Christ walks and talks with his disciples about life (so we will continue to promote adult classes and small groups).

Christ calls upon us to go and baptize and make disciples of all nations (so we will form a new team to affirm the full meaning of baptism and evangelism in our congregation).

We read stories about how Jesus prayed, attended the synagogue on the Sabbath, and honored the temple (and so we will continue to make worship a priority).

Two things will take place at our Rally Day meeting on September 23.

First, we will enlist volunteers to participate in the 11 areas of ministry mentioned in the paragraph above. And second, we will discuss and vote on whether to go to one worship service (at 9 a.m.) on Sunday mornings. It is probably common sense that Fellowship Time would follow worship and Sunday School would begin at 10:15.

I will be sending a complete list of these proposals to the Church Council in the next day or so (by e-mail) and handing them out to the entire congregation at worship this coming Sunday.

Please join me in praying for God's spirit to flow through our souls and revive us in being the Body of Christ, faithfully participating in Christ's ministry for our own time and place.

Mike

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FOOD PANTRY NEEDS: spaghetti, juice, crackers

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FINANCIAL UPDATE: To date, we have had:

Income of $143,746 Expenses of $148,248

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THE CALENDAR: (Please note especially items marked with an asterisk).

Sunday, Sept. 9: Grace Years worship service at Parkview in Savoy at 2:00.

Monday, Sept. 10: Reservations are due for the XYZ outing (see below)-call Betty James or the Gladsons.

Grace Years small group meeting at Prairie Winds at 6:30.

Finance Committee will meet at 7:00.

Tuesday, Sept. 11: Quilters will meet at 6:30.

Angelus hand bells rehearsal at 6:30 in the music room.

Chancel Choir rehearsal at 7:30 in the sanctuary.

Wednesday, Sept. 12: Men's Breakfast Group will meet at 6:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall.

Cherub Choir rehearsal at 5:30 in the sanctuary.

Life Song rehearsal at 6:30 at the Aters' home.

Thursday, Sept. 13: XYZs depart at 8:00 a.m. to travel to Indiana to tour a brick factory, enjoy lunch, and visit Wright's Ice Cream Company.

J.O.Y. sharing group meets in the parlor at 7:00.

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If you know of someone who is in need of pastoral care, please contact the church office (328-1414) or respond to the e-mail address above.

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