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November 2019 Newsletter
Signs of Life The Burlington United Methodist Church is an
inclusive Christian
Community, dedicated to growth in Jesus Christ through
worship,
teaching and service.
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Burlington United Methodist Church
857 West State Street
Burlington, WI 53105
Phone: (262)763-2288
Fax: (262)763-5208
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: www.burlingtonumc.org Worship Times:
Saturday Praise Service 5:00 PM
Sunday Traditional Service 8:30 AM
Fellowship Time 9:45 AM
Christian Education 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
(September-May)
Church Office Hours
Monday - Thursday
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
After Hours: By Appointment
Rev. Ebenezer K. Insor, Pastor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (414)559-9939
Secretary – Marge Albrecht
Monday & Thursday
9:00 AM – Noon
After Hours: (262)949-8362
Communications Coordinator – Lyann Jung
Home: (262)763-8563
Cell: (262)939-2566
[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
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Our Faith Journey In our faith journey, we often go through
phases which are meant to help us grow as disciples. From
the onset of our calling, which can come at any time as depicted
by that of Jeremiah who was called
long before being born to Moses as an adult, we experience God’s
presence through many encounters.
Some of these encounters lead us to knowing God as his glory is
manifested in our lives. Much as we
gain knowledge of God and his love for us through his beloved
Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior,
we still deal with our growing pains of struggles and suffering
in the world. One of the major struggles
is trying to understand who God is. Even though we have a
glimpse of him from our Sunday school
days through artwork, poems, songs and memorizing scripture
verses, a deeper understanding of his
identity is often delayed till our later years where we come to
a better knowledge of God.
We seem not to be alone in this struggle as depicted in the
Exodus era of the Hebrews who left Egypt
in haste to the promised land, with very little understanding of
their deliverance. As evidenced, they
struggled to understand who God is and had to be constantly
reminded of his presence under the
leadership of Moses and Aaron. As a reminder the Passover became
the festival of memory of the
mighty power of God and his deliverance to share with their
descendants. In maintaining such legacy,
we saw Moses transfer the mantle of leadership to Joshua who was
admonished by God to be faithful
following his instructions by studying the word day and night.
Joshua led the people faithfully into the
promised land as stated by his challenge to them to choose whom
they will serve and affirming the
commitment of his household to serve the Lord. Given his youth
as they left Egypt, Joshua through
the years as an assistant to Moses gained a better understanding
of who God is over the years through
his experiences to respond to his calling.
We find a similar story of Timothy who was led to the faith
through the nourishing and nurturing of
his family Grandma Lois and mother Eunice and later to mentored
by Paul to faithful discipleship.
Paul advised Timothy to hold on to sound doctrine and not to be
swayed by false teaching but pass on
the faith to the next generation and not to be ashamed of the
gospel, but devote himself to the
ministry, rekindling the spiritual gifts. In this, Paul is
calling on Timothy to stay faithful to the
mission like a soldier and not to be distracted by worldly
pursuits. Like an athlete abide by the rules of
the race and like a farmer participate in the fruits of the
labor.
These examples of the legacy of our faith, have common lessons
which should inspire us to stay
faithful and disciplined and not to be led astray by the worldly
ways. Rather like Joshua and Timothy
we must be committed to our calling and serve the Lord with
passion to fulfill his purpose through the
various opportunities he avails to us in our life. In our
struggles along the way, we should be
encouraged by the resilience of a soldier, the discipline of an
athlete and the passion of the farmer to
focus on the eternal reward beyond this world.
Pastor Ebenezer
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14th Annual
Christmas Cookie and Gift Walk
Saturday December 7th 9:00 AM to Noon
For Cookie Information Contact: Claudia Williamson –
262.514.4945
Sheila Naus – 262.643.8017 Judy Vande Sande – 262.763.6797 or
262.227.8679
For Gift Information Contact: Donna Reesman – 262.492.2419 Myrt
Lovrine – 262.763.9954
It’s time to prepare for our 2019 festivities! We’re looking for
volunteers to bake 8-12 dozen
attractive, colorful, and festive cookies! (Please note plain
brown cookies, i.e. chocolate chip,
etc. typically do not sell well. Also, all cookies must be
homemade.) A total of 6000 (yes, 6000!)
cookies are needed. We sell by the pound, so the heavier, the
better!
Our Specialty Table will feature more handmade items such as
candy, nuts, snacks,
special Christmas breads, ethnic cookies or cakes. All packaged
in holiday wrapping (individually
priced).
We have received a donation of Nestlé chocolate chips for use
with your Christmas baking! Please feel
free to take a bag or two. They are located on the island in the
kitchen.
Mark your calendar with these important dates:
Thursday December 5th Cookie Drop-off
Friday December 6th Specialty Treats Packaged
Friday December 6th Cookie Drop-off
Friday December 6th Filling of the Trays
Help is needed with distributing posters, packaging specialty
items, Cookie Drop-off, set-up, clean-up,
check-in, check-out, weighing cookies and working in the Jingle
Bell Café. Please watch for sign-up
sheets on the bulletin board in the Gathering Area. Information
will also be included in our weekly
bulletin and or screens in Wesley Hall.
God has blessed us all with a talent . . . this is a great time
to share and in doing so, you are
worshipping and thanking God for these blessings.
Thank you!
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Who’s in the Pew?
BOB AND MARGE ALBRECHT
Bob was born in Burlington to Edwin and Laura Albrecht. He was
one of six children. He grew up on
farms in the Burlington/Lake Geneva area. He attended Bloomfield
Grade School, which was a one-
room schoolhouse.
Marge was born in Elkhorn to Richard and Verna Baker. She is an
only child. She attended Star
Central School, which was a one-room school thru 3rd grade, when
another room was added to the
school.
They both went to Lake Geneva High School graduating in May of
1957. While in high school, Bob
was a member of the FFA and Library Club. Marge also was a
member of the FFA and on the
committee for tickets and publicity. They were not high school
sweethearts but met at a wedding
reception in August of 1957 and were married on September 20,
1958 at the First Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Lake Geneva. They have two sons, Michael and
Rustin, and two grandchildren,
Christopher and Kelly.
Bob worked as Service Manager for 9 years at Brellenthin
Chevrolet. In 1969 he started working at
the Lenon School Bus Company and now he is in his 50th year. He
served in the National Guard for 7
years and was called into active duty during the Cuban
crisis.
Marge started working right after high school for AT & T. In
1970 she was the first woman promoted
to management there. She retired in 1991 after 32 years. After
that she worked for 10 years for an
outdoor advertising agency in Lake Geneva and for 5 years, she
had a small machine embroidery
business. For 3 years she was a member and President of the
Chocolate City Quilters.
They joined our church in October of 2008. Bob has served on the
Trustees and now is Business
Manager. Marge is on the Counting team and has served as the
Church Secretary in the past and is
now serving as the Church Secretary again.
Bob likes to bowl and hunt with his sons. Marge enjoys reading,
making clothing, and quilting. They
both enjoy traveling and have been to Hawaii, an Alaskan cruise,
and several trips with their boys to
Disney World.
God’s blessings to you both!
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Finance Update
Weekly totals are reported in the Bulletin.
Monthly, the newsletter includes our Year-To-Date and Budget
figures.
Income Year-To-Date Budgeted Amount
2019 General Fund Offering $124,887.99 $160,000
2019 Apportionment Fund
Offering
$5,455.00 $22,308
2019 Mortgage Reduction
Fund Offering
Year-To-Date
$107,485.00
3-Year Goal of $200,000
Giving Since 01.01.2017
$196,406.49
Our 2019 Apportionment Fund Goal is $22,308. This equates to
$12.50 per member/per month.
Originally, we had a 6-year Mortgage Reduction Goal. This was
carried out in two phases. Our
second 3-year phase started in January of 2017 and runs through
December of 2019. The goal is
$200,000. Currently, we have received donations totaling
$196,406.49
Our mortgage balance is $71,831.99 and is due on July 1, 2020.
We pay $4,311.62 per month to the
Wisconsin United Methodist Foundation toward the mortgage
balance. This payment comes out of
the General Fund and does not include the money we receive from
the Mortgage Reduction Fund.
Communications Coordinator
Please join me in officially welcoming Lyann Jung as our
Communications Coordinator. The position
became necessary to help us better communicate among ourselves
with information gathering and
dissemination. Lyann graciously volunteered and was approved by
the Administrative Council in
January. We hope and pray that this will help us better
communicate in our work together to the glory
of God. Lyann is available to listen to any concerns, questions
that you may have and also bring to you
updates on our various ministries. Pastor Ebenezer
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Church Ministries
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Tuesday Mornings
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Discipleship Study: “Living in Christ &
Gospel of John”
Love Inc. Meal
Thursday November 14th
at 5:00 PM
The sign-up sheets are in the
Gathering Area for our
upcoming meals. If you are
interested in helping with this
mission, you can make the
entire meal or make with a
friend. Please contact Lisa
Hernandez our coordinator, at
(414)588-7721.
“Soul Food” Sunday
The first Sunday of every month has been
designated as “Soul Food” Sunday.
Please bring in a nonperishable food or
laundry item to help the needy in our
community. May this experience “feed
your soul” as well as help our neighbors.
Join the Prayer Fellowship
on Friday nights from
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
Blood Pressure Screening
November 17th
Blood pressure screening will be
provided in the Church Office after
the 8:30 AM service.
Cook’s Night Out
Our next meal will be held on Thursday November 21st at 5:30 PM.
Bring a dish to share. Table service and beverages will be
provided. Any questions, please call me at (262)763-6797.
Thank you!
Judy Vande Sande
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Church Ministries (Continued)
Adult Sunday School meets after
Worship Service on Sunday at
9:45 a.m. and is studying 1st
Corinthians. All are welcome to
join us in the Library after
fellowship.
Grief Share
The group meets on Thursdays
at 10:30 a.m. in the church
library. For newcomers, there
is a one-time fee of $20 for the
book. If you are grieving the
loss of a loved one, we invite to
you to join us. You do not need
to be a member of The
Burlington United Methodist
Church. We are here for all that
grieve no matter how much
time has passed since your loss.
Please call Pat Hahn at
(262)763-0894 or Pastor
Ebenezer at (262)763-2288 for
more information.
The Salt Shakers
Please continue to monitor the weekly
bulletin for the next meeting date. The
group is currently studying “30 Life
Principles” and would love to have
anyone interested to come join them. If
interested, simply show up!
Saturday Service Potluck
Please bring a dish to pass and join us for fun and
fellowship
following the informal Praise Service on the last Saturday
of
each month. We will meet in the Crossroads Room. All are
welcome!
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Church Ministries (Continued)
Fellowship Hour - Coordinator Needed
Pat Piper recognized the importance of this ministry which
creates opportunities for
people to connect and has graciously served as the coordinator
for several years. With
2020 upon us, Pat will be stepping down at the end of the year.
We are looking for a
new coordinator to recruit volunteers to serve as hosts. If you
are interested, please contact Marge
Albrecht, Church Secretary.
Health and Wellness Committee
The committee has been working with Advocate Aurora to enable us
to
provide valuable information to our congregation. The articles
are provided
by Advocate Health Care, featuring different topics each month.
Following is
November’s article.
We are, each of us, a little universe
How many of us can stand next to Niagara Falls without thinking
about the Divine? Or the impossible
power of thunder in a summer storm, the breathtaking beauty of a
mountainside, the height of ocean
waves, the innumerable stars in the sky, the majesty of an old
growth Redwood Forest, or the force of
gale winds?
From the grandest heights to the most minute organisms, God is
there. The incredible majesty of the
earth we inhabit and its mysterious forces can only reinforce
our sense of wonder at the vastness of
the universe.
Kent Nerburn, a writer who has spent many years bridging native
and non-native culture, says, “We
are all born with a belief in God. It may not have a last name
or a face. We may not even see it as God.
But it is there. It is the sense that comes over us as we stare
into the starlit sky or watch the last fiery
rays of an evening sunset. It is the morning shiver as we wake
on a beautiful day and smell a richness
in the air that we know and love from somewhere we can’t recall.
It is the mystery behind the
beginning of time and beyond the limits of space. It is a sense
of otherness that brings alive something
deep within our hearts.”
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Church Ministries (Continued)
According to Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, “There’s as
many atoms in a single molecule of your
DNA as there are stars in the typical galaxy. We are, each of
us, a little universe.” How cool is it that
the same God that created the mountains, oceans, galaxies and
molecules looked at all that is and
thought the world needed one of you, too?
Prayer: Dear God. Help me to embrace the beauty and mystery of
the world you have created…and
that includes me!
Take a Moment to Connect
Here are a few simple ideas to help you connect with God in
nature.
Read the landscape.
Take a walk and find something in the natural environment. Look
for signs where the natural features
have adapted to natural or human impact. Why do trees lean or
fall? What signs can you see of where
water has created an impact in the earth, or lack of water? What
signs of human activity do you see
that have affected the environment you are in? How does nature
adapt to change? What are some
things you can do to better care for God’s creation? Can you
commit to do an action step for 30 days?
Use your imagination.
Pick up a blade of grass, leaf, stone or piece of bark. Smell
it, feel it, look at it very slowly and closely.
Imagine you can shrink yourself and go into the leaf itself. Go
as far as you can in your
imagination…all the way down to the atoms that make up the leaf.
Then start moving outward.
Imagine stepping further and further back from your object until
you are high above the earth. Keep
moving as far as your imagination will take you. What do you
experience in your body as you go in
close? As you move far out?
Use your senses.
Find a natural location near water or after a fresh rain. Close
your eyes, relax, and breathe through
your nose for 10 minutes. Listen, smell, and touch the water if
you can. Feel it slip through your
fingertips. Smell how it changes the air. Feel, and be aware of,
how the moisture in the air wets your
breath. Imagine water flowing through your body – in your blood,
in your organs, in your breath, in
your stomach, in your skin. Offer gratitude for the water that
keeps you alive.
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Church Ministries (Continued)
From Connecting Nature, Spirit and Health: A Spiritual Guide for
Encountering Nature. Available
online at www.faithhealthtransformation.org. Click on the
Nature, Faith and Health tab on the home
page.
“Heavenly Tidbits”
DO ALL YOU CAN,
IN ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN,
IN ALL THE PLACES YOU CAN,
AT ALL THE TIMES YOU CAN,
TO ALL THE PEOPLE YOU CAN, AS LONG AS YOU CAN.
John Wesley
Beautifully Broken
On Sunday, November 10th from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, a free showing
of the movie Beautifully Broken
will take place at Integrity Celebration Center in Burlington. A
refugee’s escape, a prisoner’s promise,
and a daughter’s painful secret converge in this inspiring true
story of hope. As three fathers fight to
save their families, their lives become intertwined in an
unlikely journey across the globe, where they
learn the healing power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
The PG13 rated movie is appropriate for middle school and older.
Free popcorn, soda and ice cream
will be served. The movie is sponsored by Compassion. Releasing
children from poverty in Jesus’
name.
Integrity Celebration Center is located at 2789 Browns Lake
Drive in Burlington (262.514.4600).
http://www.faithhealthtransformation.org/
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Church Activities
That Was Delicious! We welcome any receipes you would like to
share. Please email them to
[email protected] and mark “For Newsletter”.
Thanks!
This month’s recipe is from the kitchen of Judy Vande Sande
(given to her by
Margaret Hancock).
Baked Corn
Ingredients
1 stick margarine
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs (beaten)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. A 9x9 pan is
required for this recipe.
2. Melt 1 stick of margarine and mix with Jiffy
Corn Muffin mix. Add creamed corn, whole
kernel corn, sour cream and eggs.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
(Double recipe and put in 13x9 pan for
Thanksgiving!)
Annual Charge Conference
Our Annual Charge Conference will take place on Sunday, November
17th at Caldwell UMC. We will
gather at 1:00 p.m. All church members are invited to attend.
Caldwell UMC is located at 8504
Caldwell Road in Mukwonago.
Actions that require a vote include:
• Lay Leadership Report (Church Officers for 2020)
• Removal of Members by Charge Conference Action (if needed)
• Approval of Pastoral Compensation for 2020 including
resolutions
• Approval of 2020 Budget
• Approval of Lay Servants
• Approval of Candidates for Ministry (as needed)
mailto:[email protected]
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Church Activities (Continued)
Memory Café
Burlington Public Library, Lake Geneva Public Library and
Aram
(Delavan) Library are hosting a monthly program entitled
“Memory
Café.” The program is aimed at giving individuals with early
stage
Alzheimer’s or dementia a chance to get out with their
caregivers and
enjoy a program with other people with early symptoms of the
disease.
The focus is not on the disease itself but on providing a
relaxing hour of
entertainment. Three libraries operate on a rotating basis and
meet on the first Friday of each
month. The schedule for the rest of the year is:
November 1 – Aram Library Delavan – The topic will be “Fun and
Fit” – a little chair yoga and
a little sing-a-long with local musicians Mark and Nancy
Turner.
December 6 – Burlington Public Library
All programs start at 11:00 am.
Examples of previous programs include a violin concert, pets,
rocks, and owls.
Choir Notes
The choir will be singing November 24th. Rehearsals will take
place on Friday, November 15th (5:30
or 5:45 pm - 7:00 pm) and Friday, November 22nd (5:30 or 5:45 pm
- 7:00 pm). They will also be
singing Christmas Eve on Tuesday December 24th at 5:00 p.m. in
addition to providing pre-service
music beginning at 4:30 pm. Plans are to have three rehearsals
leading up to Christmas depending on
the availability of the Choir. A sign-up sheet will be available
soon. Everyone is invited to join!
Please contact Ann Newman at 414-793-8031 with any
questions.
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Church Prayers
People of our church who are in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living
Homes and Homebound need your
prayers, cards, letters and visits. Below are the names of our
shut-ins:
Gloria Oakwood 1700 S. Teut Road Burlington, WI 53105
Eleanor Thill 1400 8th Ave. Union Grove, WI 53105
Prayers for the following people of our church:
Marilou Hensen Alex Williams
Karen Jacks Ron & Lynn Gebel
Eleanor Thill Kelly Sizer
Delores Martin Gloria Oakwood
Kenny Achuff Marge Geddes
For urgent prayer concerns, contact Pastor Insor or Deanna
Barels.
Hospitalized? Please let Pastor Insor know if you or someone you
know from the congregation is in the
hospital and would like a visit from Pastor Insor. Would you
like a home visit? If so, please contact
Pastor Insor to set up a time.
Church Office: (262)763-2288 Pastor Insor: (414)559-9939 Deanna
Barels: (262)763-9713. Please
check with Pat Hahn for prison ministries at (262)763-0894.
Letters are so appreciated by those who
are not able to enjoy freedom.
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Church Family Celebrations
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
4 – Jessa Burling
6 – Haley Short
11 – Leola Getka, Nick Lovrine, Mark Lovrine,
Emily Zuleger
12 – Lyann Jung, Draycen Caldwell
17 – Joshua Insor
21 – Jane Henry
28 – Michael Rozell, Janice Piper
25 – George and Pat Piper
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November 2019
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 “Prayer Night” 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
2 TOPS Quarterly Meeting 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Praise Service Holy
Communion 5:00 pm
3 Traditional Service Holy Communion 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am
Adult Sunday School 9:45 am
4 Weight Watchers 5:30 pm Jubilate Community Singers Practice
6:30 pm
5 Weight Watchers 9:30 am Bible Study 10:00 am -11:30 am TOPS
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
6
7 Grief Share
10:30 am
8 “Prayer Night” 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
9 Praise Service 5:00 pm
10 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am Adult Sunday
School 9:45 am Beautifully Broken 1:00 pm Integrity Celebration
Center
11 Weight Watchers 5:30 pm Jubilate Community Singers Practice
6:30 pm
12 Weight Watchers 9:30 am Bible Study 10:00 am – 11:30 am TOPS
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
13
14 Grief Share
10:30 am Love Inc. Meal 5:00 pm
15 “Prayer Night” 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Choir Practice 5:00 pm
16 Church Council Leadership Retreat 9:00 am - Noon Praise
Service 5:00 pm
17 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am Adult Sunday
School 9:45 am Blood Pressure Screening 9:30 am Annual Charge
Conference Caldwell UMC 1:00 pm
18 Weight Watchers 5:30 pm Jubilate Community Singers Practice
6:30 pm
19 Weight Watchers 9:30 am Bible Study 10:00 am -11:30 am TOPS
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Finance/Ad Council 6:00 pm
20 December Newsletter Deadline
21 Grief Share
10:30 am Cook’s Night Out 5:30 pm
22 “Prayer Night” 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm Choir Practice 5:00 pm
23 Praise Service 5:00 pm
24 Traditional Service 8:30 am Fellowship 9:30 am Adult Sunday
School 9:45 am
25 Weight Watchers 5:30 pm Jubilate Community Singers Practice
6:30 pm
26 Weight Watchers 9:30 am
Bible Study 10:00 am -11:30 am
TOPS 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
27
28 THANKSGIVING DAY No Grief Share
29 “Prayer Night” 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
30 Praise Service 5:00 pm with Potluck following service.
