First United Methodist Church

Canton United Methodist Church

1221 Wesley Drive, Rice Lake, WI 54868

Address Service Requested

June 2015

The Circuit Writer

NON-PROFIT ORGAN.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

RICE LAKE, WI

PERMIT NO. 17

First United Methodist Church

1221 Wesley Dr., Rice Lake, WI 54868

(715) 234-3919

Fax: (715) 434-5848

Email: ricelake@wisconsinumc.org

Website: www.RiceLakeUMC.org

Sunday School: 9:00 am (will resume in Sept.)

Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 am

All our Rice Lake worship services can be heard on

your telephone by dialing (715) 458-3604.

Canton United Methodist Church

2408 15 3/8 Ave., Rice Lake, WI 54868

Office: 1221 Wesley Dr ., Rice Lake, WI

(715) 234-3919

Email: ricelake@wisconsinumc.org

Sunday School: 9:00 am (will resume in Sept.)

Worship Service: 9:00 am

Pastor– James Altman

Cell#- 715-864-6165 In Case of Emergency

Office Manager- Stephanie Byrnes-Hampton

Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-4:00pm

June Volunteers Ushers

7 Cecil & Sally Deutsch and Russell & Karen Rindsig

14 Mike & Dawn O’Brien and Bill & Nancy Zabel

21 The Wille Family

28 The Morse Family

Counters Connie Kilcoyne

Greeters Liturgists 7 Becki Lindeman 7 Mary Pautsch

14 Betsy Gerland 14 Lisa Mink

21 Esther Bandli 21 Helen Anonich

28 Lisa Mink 28 Pat Asuma

Committee of the Month *Connie Kilcoyne * Ron & Jeanne Parker

Shirley Peterson Jim & Rebecca Wallin

Jodi Rettenmund Mike & Heather Madison

Jerry & Shirley Olson Betty Sharp

F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H O F R I C E L A K E C A N T O N U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H

C I R C U I T W R I T E R Reverend Jim Altman June 2015

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

Scriptures &

Sermons

June 7

1 Samuel 8:4-10, 19

Mark 3:20-35

"Unrestrained"

June 14

Russ Rindsig preaching

1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Psalm 20

2 Corinthians 5:6-17

Mark 4:26-34

June 21

Psalm 9:9-20

Mark 4:35-41

"You Never Even Called

Me By My Name "

June 28

Psalm 130

Mark 5:21-43

“How Low Can You Go?"

It must be one of those cosmic coincidences, for in the last month I've been directed to three different books on one of my favorite subjects, find-ing contentment. There was a new UMW study book on finding happiness, "Created for Happiness", a book on the gifts of aging, and "Travels with Epi-curus," by Daniel Klein. Three hundred years before Christ, Greek philoso-pher Epicurus taught that the purpose of life was to discover happiness. I think God may be trying to tell me something. No, it's not to cheer up, but rather that, in today's unhappy culture, we all need to recover the where-

withal to rejoice and be glad in every day, not just the sunny ones.

Author, psychologist, and former Trappist monk, Thomas Moore has pointed out the many ways that Jesus was very Epicurean, in the sense that Epicurus originally intended it. First, consider how many times we find Jesus of the gospels having dinner with friends and foes alike. Epicurus believed that one of the keys to happiness was to be able to es-cape the pressures of commerce and politics and to engage in fellowship with men and women over simple meals. "True friendship, connections made with other human be-ings, affords a comfort like no other . . . the comfort of personal communion." And, it's not so much about what you eat at those dinners, either. "Eating without a friend is the life of the lion or the wolf." Jesus said, "Do not be anxious about tomorrow; about what you will eat or what you will wear." (Matthew 6) To the twelve he said, "I no longer call you servants, but friends." (John 15) Judas was included in that. The lion and the wolf are legendary predators, symbols of competition and success, but there's little love in their lives. Yet, Isaiah prophesied the wolf and the lamb lying down together. (Isaiah 11) Reve-lation saw Jesus as both lion and lamb together, but with his lamb-ness being most prominent. (Revelation 5) And, "I am the Good Shepherd," he declared, "I know my own and my own know me." (John 10)

Epicurean communities were also noted for egalitarianism; one's age, sex, religion, or station made no difference. Jesus' disciples included men and women, Jews and Greeks, rich and poor, tax collectors and Pharisees, and so on. All he asked of them was that they follow him. And neither law nor tradition nor custom nor convention got it the way of fellowship. As Paul said, "Neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heights, nor depths, nor powers, nor principalities, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:38). Jesus longed to eat with his friends. He longed to be with them in lonely places. He wasn't keeping score. "Abide," he said, "abide." (John 15)

Rejoicing and being glad, true and abiding happiness, begins when we can gather as friends over simple food and in simple fellowship. It begins when we can pull away from our wolfish and leonine ways and learn to enjoy each other as simply human beings. It happens when we can love one another as Jesus loved us. Is God trying to tell you some-thing?

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2

9:00 Pastor’s

Meeting

3

1:00 UMW

3:00 Nurture

& Membership

Care Meeting

3:15 FUMY

4 5 6

7

After service–

Worship Meeting

6:30 pm “Still

Mine” Movie &

Ice Cream Social

8 9

9:00 Pastor’s

Meeting

10 11

12

<——————

13

—WI Annual

Conference

14

———————>

15

Newsletter

Deadline

16

9:00 Pastor’s

Meeting

8:00 Trustees

17 18

10:30 Prayer

Shawl & Pot-

luck

Steph is out

of the office

19

6-9 pm

Salvation Ar-

my Disaster

Training

20

8:30am-

4:30pm

Salvation

Army Disas-

ter Training

21

Museum Service

22 23

9:00 Pastor’s

Meeting

9:00 Newslet-

ter Folders

3:00-7:00

Strawberry

Fest

7:00 Finance

24

9:00 Men’s

Breakfast

25

7:00 Ad

Council

26 27

28

FUMY Car Wash

after service

29 30

9:00 Pastor’s

Meeting

July 1

July 2 July 3 July 4

Save the Date:

Park Service– August 2nd

Romans 8:38-39

For I am certain that nothing can separate us from His love: neither death or

life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor

the future, neither the world above nor the world below----there is nothing in

all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is

ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.

I was shocked a few weeks ago when not one soul in the Canton Church admit-

ted to reading the Newsletter. IF you read this, and tell me, you can be reward-

ed!!

On May 31st, Julie Burma will be our speaker, and will tell us of her work in

Africa. Julie's husband Lance and her siblings have made many trips to Africa

to work with Julie! "Ebola and Mosquitos No More" will be a Power Point

presentation. Sunday School has been making mosquitos, so bring a few extra

dollars and "buy" a mosquito, the money will go to MNM project.

May 31st is also a "FIFTH" Sunday, and we will be honored with Blue Grass

Music. Please come and hear the talent from our area!

We are coming to VACATION time...and that doesn't mean vacation from

church! God doesn't take His vacation...so please honor him when you are

away from "home". We will go to Ohio the end of June, and I will be able to

go to the church I attended in my youth, and I feel so blessed!

Lis'un up ya'all!

Some people have trouble with all those 'shall' and 'shall nots' in the Ten Command-

ments. Folks just aren't used to talking in those terms. So, in middle Tennessee, they

translated the 'King James' into 'Jackson County' language.....no joke---posted on the

wall at Cross Trails Church in Gainesboro, TN......

(1) Just one God

(2) Put nothin' before God

(3) Watch yer mouth

(4) Git yerself to Sunday meetin'

(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa

(6) No Killin'

(7) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal

(8) Don't take what ain't yers

(9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'

(10) Don't be hankerin' fer yer buddy's stuff

Now that's plain an' simple. Ya'll have a nice day! "Be Blessing"!

June Birthdays 1- Stacy Demers-McFarland

6- Lloyd Snyder

15- Logan Rowe

June Anniversaries 12- Dan & Diane Siewert

17- Rick & Sue Boortz

18- Lloyd & Rose Snyder

If you know of someone’s birth-

day or anniversary that is not

listed but would like to be then

please let me know. Otherwise,

I just copy and paste it from

year to year.

Canton United Methodist Church News

Priorities

My father used to play

with my brother and me

in the yard. Mother

would come out and

say, “You’re tearing up

the grass.”

“We’re not raising

grass,” Dad would reply.

“We’re raising boys.”

—Harmon Killebrew

June 2015

A STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FOR YOUR CHURCH

#15-6 Giving is a Form of Praise “…Praise God’s glorious

name; bring an offering and come into his Temple.” Psalm

96:8

It’s summer time and the ice cream carts are starting to make

their rounds. In some places the vendors are on motorized

carts, others use push carts and some ride bikes. All of them

are eventually surrounded by excited patrons of all ages

looking for a cool treat.

Is ice cream a need or a want? That is the question late at

night when I want something cool and sweet, but it’s the last

thing I need! Ice cream isn’t the only temptation we face as

summer begins to emerge. Vacations, graduations, family

reunions, picnics with family and friends all call for extra

travel and special food items. With these pressures and

temptations we may be wondering how we can be faithful

stewards, especially in these tough economic times. Each of

us has to answer this question in our own way. What is God

calling us to give?

Praising God is something we all NEED to do as Christians

to feed our souls. We need to continue praising God through

our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our wit-

ness even as the temptations of summer abound. As you

consider your gifts, choose an amount to dedicate in praise

to God that allows you to feel at peace. Choose a regular

amount of 1%, 3%, 5%, 8%, or 10% and offer that gift first,

before you buy extra treats this summer.

If you’re preparing for a vacation this summer, even if

you’re staying a lot closer to home than usual, consider this:

It’s a lot easier to send your offering to the church before

you go on vacation than to come up with two Sundays’

worth when you get back. If you give it to God first to say

“thank you” for the opportunity to go on vacation, you’ll

have a sense of the peace that comes from following the

Great Commandment Jesus gave that we should love God

FIRST – with all our hearts and souls and minds and

strength – and our neighbors as ourselves.

Announcing: Two Stewardship Training Events

this summer co-sponsored by the Foundation

STEWARDSHIP MATTERS: Inspir ing King-

dom Investors to Give Toward the Mission on

Friday, July 17th

Trinity Church – Beaver Dam, 9:30 am – 4 pm

Led by Jason Moore and Jean Nicholas

Register at www.trinitychurch-

unitedmethodist.org

2015 STEWARDSHIP RETREAT – Pine Lake

Camp August 14-15, 2015

Visit our website www.wumf.org for a preview,

and for the registration link.

For more information, call us at 608-837-9582 or

888-903-9863.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Being grateful is a way to control toxic stress.

Try something for the next month: Either journal or

share verbally with another person what you are

grateful for each day and end your day with a prayer

of gratitude. When we end our day with a focus on

our gratitude, we tend to sleep better, with more

REM cycles (Rapid Eye Movement) and less un-

wanted wake ups. A good night’s sleep is essential

to good health, and good health is important for a

good life.

It is said that even on a bad day there is some-

thing good. However, we need to get rid of the

ANTS (automatic negative thoughts) to see the

good. Finding a way to share our gratitude helps us

remove the ANTS from our brain, giving us greater

power over our fears, anxieties, bitterness and in-

somnia. It helps us build enthusiasm and more joy-

ful, positive relationships. Intentionally focusing on

our gratitude helps us to see the hidden gift even in

the hard times. The Serenity Prayer can also help on

sleepless nights: God grant me the serenity to accept

the things I cannot change; courage to change the

things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation

750 Windsor Street Ste 305, P.O. Box 620

Sun Prairie, WI 53590-0620

1-888-903-9863 or wumf@wumf.org

June Birthdays

1- Jodi Rettenmund

2- Jeanne Parker

3- Jared Taylor

4- Harriet Larson

6- Pat Moin

9- Lorraine Gustafson

10- Tim Kraczek

11- Herbert Melbye

12- Robert Rettenmund

17- Lauren West

18- Ben Bandli

18– Donna Heidenreich

18- Dale Larson

18- Matthew Rindsig

23- Tom Barkley

24- Isabella Wallin

26- Brandon Larson

27- Cheryl Aune

27- Rob Berger

27- Hazel Severson

29- Rachel Madison

June Anniversaries

3- Don & Mary Cherry

12- West & Linda Dufner

13- Gil & Helen Bennett

15- Russ & Karen Rindsig

24- Pudge & Janet Kohel

29- Dave & Rayne Semple

30- John & Lori Rae

If your birthday or anniver-

sary is not listed then please

call the office at 715-234-

3919 or email me at

ricelake@wisconsinumc.org

and we will make sure to add

you.

United Methodist Women

Next Meeting: June 3 at 1:00 pm. Star Circle Serves.

UMW Reading Program and book titles are available through

our website: www.ricelakeumc.org. Check it out!

Congratulations to the Following Graduates

Graduation Recognition will be held Sunday, May 31st.

Rachel Madison- She graduated from University of Wisconsin LaCrosse on

May 10th. She will have a major in Psychology and a double minor in So-

ciology and At Risk Child and Youth Care. She will be starting in graduate

school this fall at University of Minnesota.

Jonathon Moin– (grandson of Pat Moin) will be

graduating from Barron High School and has al-

ready enlisted in the Navy with plans to become a

pilot.

Barron West graduated from Madison and is getting

ready to take his test to become a CPA.

Morgan West graduated from Cornell.

Sarah George graduated from Carroll College in

Waukesha.

The Origin of Father's Day

One Sunday in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd listened to a sermon honoring

mothers. Her mother had died some years before, so her father had raised

her by himself. Dodd wondered why there wasn’t a day to honor fathers, so

she arranged a tribute to her father at a church in Spokane, Washington. The

date was June 19, 1910. Many people believe this was the beginning of Fa-

ther’s Day.

Another account holds that a West Virginia church held a tribute service for

fathers in 1908, following a mine explosion that killed 360 men. Regardless

of which story is correct, President Calvin Coolidge was the first president

to designate a special day to honor fathers. In 1924, he proclaimed the third

Sunday in June as Father’s Day.

Save the Date for Redistricting Celebrations

Bishop Jung invites us to join in the July and August services

celebrating the five new districts and district superintendents

of the Wisconsin Annual Conference that will be effective on

July 1, 2015. A time of fellowship will follow each service.

The dates and times are as follows: North West District/

District Superintendent Kate Croskery Jones on Saturday,

July 18 at 10:00a.m. at Lake Street UMC in Eau Claire.

Dealing with Dementia?

Still Mine, written and directed with clarity and concision by Michael McGowan, based on the story

of the real Craig Morrison, is about living in a place and

feeling that connection to the land, to life. It is about a hus-

band and wife, partners through six decades, grappling

with issues of aging, and how to spend what time together

remains with grace and dignity. And Irene is starting to

forget things, to show signs of frailty, to wander off while

Craig stubbornly ignores citations, defies stop-work or-

ders and the entreaties of his grown-up children as he

builds a new home for the two of them. The close bond of

this man and woman - captured in sweet, funny, intimate

exchanges - is in danger of fraying, falling apart. James

Cromwell stands sturdy and tall, seasoned by the years,

not unlike the spruce trees on the 2,000 acres that his

character, Craig Morrison, presides over and looks at home

driving an old red pickup around the Fundy Bay coast of

New Brunswick, milling lumber, bringing strawberries to

market. He could have lived here his entire life. Bujold's

portrayal of a woman losing her memory, and her sense of

place in the world, is deeply affecting. Look into her eyes:

You can see her soul, quavering.

Join us, Sunday Evening June 7th, at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary for Ice Cream, Coffee, Popcorn and a

Movie.

WANTED

Knitters and Crocheters for

Prayer Shawl

June 18th at 10:30 will be

our last meeting followed

by a potluck until Septem-

ber 17th.

Please join us!

FUMYouth Group

FUMY has been spending a great deal of time outside, walking in ditches and cleaning up the Rice Lake First

United Methodist Church adopt-a-highway stretch of road. It took us a few weeks to complete this project due

to the number of people we had cleaning and the weather. Darcy Henderson helped us by being our “ride” to

and from the worksite. We finally completed the project on Wednesday, May 13 and went out for ice cream to

celebrate. We also need to send a HUGE thank you to Nancy Kahl for making food for the group weekly!

FUMY will be raising money this summer through car washes. We do not yet have these planned, but signs

will go up in advance. We all look forward to a restful and fun summer!