Saturday, February 6

8:00 am—1:00 pm

~ALL YOU CAN EAT~

Including pie and drink—$9

12 and under—$4

PANCAKE & SAUSAGE MEAL

Bulk sausage will be available to purchase on Friday, February 5 from 10am—3pm and Saturday, February 6 from 8am—1pm. Tickets are available on Sunday mornings in the church fellowship hall, or during the week through the church office.

Make sure to shop the ladies Bazaar conveniently located

in the Church Foyer.

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE February 10, 2016 at 7:00pm

Please join us for this special service at Sugar Creek Church. Nursery provided. There will not be a meal or classes on that Wednesday.

Men’s Fellowship Monday, February 8

6:00pm

The Men of Sugar Creek will meet at 6pm, at the church. Dinner will be provided. All men of the church are invited

SUGAR CREEK CHURCH

To build a Godly life, let Him be the

architect and the Bible be the blueprint.

Hello, Girlfriends!

Doesn’t a spa-themed getaway sound amazing?

Get away from the busyness of life as you relax with friends, share laughter and stories,

and spend time with God. Join us at our Lavender Springs Spa retreat to experience all

this and more!

Lavender Springs Spa is a relaxing spa-themed retreat the women of our church are

doing together. It includes worship, Bible study, and time for laughter, as well as time

for quiet reflection. We’ll be focusing on the book of Psalms and will be encouraged by

God’s faithfulness and love.

We’ll begin with dinner on the evening of February 26 and will finish by 11:00 on the

morning of February 28. Our retreat will be held at Little Galilee Retreat Center in

Clinton, IL and the cost is only $99 per person! This covers five delicious meals, fun and

refreshing activities, and comfortable lodging. Scholarships are available if needed.

Take time to relax, make new friends, worship, and draw closer to God. We hope you’ll

join us at Lavender Springs Spa.

Warmly,

Shelly Lewis, Susan Lund, Robyn McDonald, Holly Taylor

CONTACT INFORMATION:

office@sugarcreek.org/483.2270 #3

Robyn McDonald—414.8288

Holly Taylor—622.7794

Shelly Lewis—622.1103

Susan Lund—725.1519

Our love to God is

measured by our everyday

fellowship with others

and the love it displays.

14th Terry & Charlotte House

14th Joe & Diann Gragg

25th Jeff & Marcia Mackay

28th Ed & Cathy Gregory

4th Roberta Johnson

5th Peggy Beam

5th Bonnie McTaggart

5th Pat Freeman

7th Rita Mohs

7th Braelynn Finley

9th John Atchison

9th Shirley Rickman

9th Sheila Wilson (Office)

10th Angie Ramsey

10th Mae McTaggart

13th Galen Johnson

15th Jimmy Ayers

15th Riley Ramsey

16th Abe Stutzman

16th Annette Kaylor

17th Curtis Kessler

18th Jeff Koch

19th Don Henley

22nd Vickie Henley

22nd Scott Pond

22nd Logen King

23rd Danny Clark

23rd Dave Bruun

24th Sandra Franke

28th Ben Pickrell

Don’t see your name on the

Birthday or Anniversary

list? Please contact the

Church Office (483.2270 or

office@sugarcreek.org).

We don’t want to miss your

special day!

2016 ALTAR FLOWERS The Altar Flower list is filling up! If you would like to sign

up for flowers to be placed on the altar to celebrate a

special date or remember a loved one. The cost is $25

and needs to be turned in to the church office

before the date requested. The list is on the table

between the Fellowship Hall doors.

Our Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee (SPPRC) has started a

Conflict Transformation Team, per the recommendations from the

MAPP process last fall. It included the United Methodist Conflict

Transformation Team coming to the church on two dates in

December and two dates in January to conduct listening sessions

with Sugar Creek Team Members. The Conflict Transformation

Team will finish the listening sessions on Monday, January 25,

2016. After the sessions are completed they will summarize the

results and come up with a plan for us to move forward.

At that time a special SPPRC meeting will be held with the Conflict

Transformation Team to get their recommendations. We will

update the congregation after those recommendations have been

reviewed and our next steps determined.

Struggling with bills? Always seem to have too much month left at the end of your money? Find out how to change that and have peace in your life. Pay your bills on time and have just enough to do ok? Find out how to increase your wealth and change

not only your life, but other lives as well. Have lots of money and never worry about it? Find out how to build a lifetime of security and pass on a financial legacy. All of this and more with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We are offering another 9 week session starting Saturday, April 2 at Sugar Creek Church. Contact Jay Sexton (ph: 217.622.5749 or email: jsexton73@yahoo.com) for more information, and/or to register. Nursery care provided!

DAVE RAMSEY—FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY New Session Begins Saturday, April 2

2016 GIVING

If you would like to use offering envelopes for your

2016 giving, please stop by the Fellowship Hall and

pick up a bundle of envelopes. To be good steward’s

of God’s money we ordered blank envelopes, which are

less than half the cost of the boxed sets. If you have

any questions, please contact Sheila (217.483.2270 #3/

office@sugarcreek.org).

General Fund January—December 2015 December 2015

Contributions $310,219 $36,533

Expense

Missions & Benevolence $19,752 $3,680

Conference Obligations $26,472 $2,206

Program Expense $42,567 $2,008

Salaries (Pastor & Staff) $195,525 $16,164

Utilities & Cleaning $33,638 $2,763

TOTAL EXPENSE $317,954 $26,821

Net Income (-loss) ( $7,735) $9,712

Building Fund

Contributions $19,821 $1,348

Crop Sales $10,814

Thank you everyone for your contributions in 2015 to do God’s work. Peace and love to all in 2016!

“Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a

cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

YOUR MONEY

FUNDING GOD’S MINISTRY Through your giving you are a blessing to others!

MEETINGS

Happy New Year!

God has been promising the Leadership Team that this is going to be a good year. A year

of growth and opportunities! If you are like me, you tend to equate that to a year of hard

work. While that may be true, we can rest assured that the rewards for that hard work will

be worth way more than we could ever dream of. God promises us that.

The Leadership Team is going to start our focus this year on communication to the congre-

gation, which we hope and pray will build relationships, insight involvement, and create

bonds like never before, here at Sugar Creek.

For starters:

- We will have an article in this newsletter each month

- We will publish the Leadership Team List (i.e. Who, What ministry they Chair, Email

Address, and Phone Number) on the website to make us more available to you

- We will have all team meeting minutes available on the website for everyone to review

- We are creating a ministry covenant between the Ministry teams and the congregation

- We have created a Stewardship Team

- We have re-instated a Worship Team

- We are in the process of looking at how to create an OutReach / Communication Team

and possibly a Small Groups Team

As we progress through 2016, we will continue to do our best to serve God, as well as serve

His church. We are so privileged to be a part of God's church and all He asks of us is to

serve Him. Once we do that - Everything falls into place or falls away, un-needed. I am

encouraged by God's words in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 "For our light and momentary troubles

are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on

what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary , but what is unseen is

eternal." I pray that this scripture will encourage you throughout this year, as it is doing

for me.

Your Sister in Christ ~

Crystal Matthiesen

2016 Leadership Chair (217-899-0572)

JANUARY 2016

Finance Team

Thursday, February 4 at 6:30pm

Education Team

Monday, February 8 at 6:00pm

Leadership Team

Tuesday, February 16 at 6:30pm God has great things in store for us, but we have to keep

moving forward to get where He wants us to be.

Maundy Thursday, March 24

Chatham UMC at 7pm

This special service will be held at

Chatham UMC with Pastor Allen

delivering the message.

Palm Sunday, March 20

8:15am—Traditional Service

9:45am—Traditional Service

11:00am—Contemporary Service

9:45am—Sunday School (all ages)

Good Friday, March 25

Sugar Creek Church at 7pm

Sugar Creek Church will host the

Good Friday Service with Rev. Sara

Isbell delivering the message.

Easter Sunrise Service

March 27 at 6:30am

This service will be held at the Mid-

west Mission Distribution Center

(located next door to Sugar Creek).

Saturday, March 19 10:30am

Bring an Easter basket and your camera and join the hunt for more that 2,000 eggs. The event kicks off at 10:30 am with games, prizes, crafts, and Easter Egg Hunt. Don’t miss out on the fun! This event is open to all pre-k through 5th grade students.

We have 2,000 eggs to fill for the Sugar Creek Easter Egg Hunt. Would you be willing to donate? If so, we are in need of individually wrapped candy, small toys, stickers, or any-thing that will fit in 2” plastic Easter eggs.

Look for the donation box in the Church Foyer.

It’s that time again! A time for you to have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. The Junior and Senior High Students will have a Stock Sale table in the Fellowship Hall beginning March 6. Make sure to stop by the table to find out how you can partner with our students and be a part of their mission experience. You don’t have to go on a mission trip to be a part of the mission trip. By supporting our students with prayer, encouragement and financial support you are “making the difference” not only in the lives of our students, but the lives of those they will be serving. The Sugar Creek Student Mission Trips would not be possible without you!

YOUTH STOCK SALES Easter Sunday, March 27

8:15am—Traditional Service

9:45am—Traditional Service

11:00am—Contemporary Service

9:45am—Sunday School (all ages)

Sugar Creek Student Ministry 2016 Mission Trips

Kansas City, Kansas June 12-17

Pump Camp Paducah, Kentucky

July 7—11

Spring Street Veterans Renaissance (2009 Scarritt in Springfield) is a shelter designed to help veterans get

back on their feet after service to their country. The Shelter has 15 beds, 11 single occupancy rooms, 2 double

-occupancy rooms, a kitchen, pantry, computer room, exercise room, laundry room and more. Residents will

be able to live at the shelter for up to two years while they work and save up money. Each veteran is placed

with a case manager to help them deal with the issues they are experiencing. It is estimated that there are

107,000 homeless veterans in the United States and Spring Street Veterans Renaissance has been created to

help reduce that number.

UNITED METHODIST MEN—QUARTERLY PROJECT KICKS OFF THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY

The United Methodist Men have chosen Spring Street Veterans Renaissance as

their first quarterly project for 2016. Please help us help our veterans by

donating the following items to this homeless veterans shelter in Springfield.

Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Kleenex, Laundry Detergent,

Safety Razors, and Shaving Cream

Have you had a chance to stop by the new Prayer Room/Parent’s Room in the back of the Sanctuary? We’ve added a fresh coat of paint, and wainscot along with prayer tools. The room will still be available for parents on Sunday mornings, or during special services, but will also be utilized as a Prayer Room during the week, and before services.

We are still in need of a lamp with a dimmer, and a CD player. If you would like to donate any of these items, please contact the Church Office (483.2270 or of-fice@sugarcreek.org). The Church Office is open Monday—Friday from 9am to 3:30pm if you would like to come in and use the Prayer Room.

Plug into the power of prayer! Prayer changes everything!

I wanted to thank everyone for all of the love and support I received after losing my wife Elfrieda on January 9, which was her 85th birthday. We just celebrated 59 years of marriage on January 4.

This is not an easy time for me, but your calls, cards, and prayers, have helped push me through these difficult days. I am very blessed with a wonderful Church Family.

Elfrieda truly loved this Church, and all of the wonderful friends she made in the twenty years she called Sugar Creek her home. Your continued prayers for me and my family are much appreciated.

Gail Cannedy & Family

PRAYER All of us are called to hold steady, stay focused, and connect with Jesus through our

prayers. We pray. As we pray. We pray in Jesus’ name. As we pray, it’s all about Je-

sus. It’s all about taking the focus off of ourselves and putting it somewhere else – on

Jesus.

We can pray for many different parts of ourselves, including the gut. A prayer from the

gut might sound like this – “Lord, I feel like a bonehead. I’ve really messed up. I’ve

missed out some good things you wanted to pour into me when I sinned. Lord, some-

times I live my life up to my waist or my neck in muck. I’ve done foolish, harmful

things in my life. It’s time for a change. Save me, Lord.” We pray for all sorts of

things. Sometimes, beset by the most pressing challenges of life, we pray for cleansing

and pardon, reminiscent of David’s Prayer in Psalm 51: “Have mercy on me, O God. Because of your great compassion,

blot out the stain of my sins.”

We belong to God. This becomes clear as we pray. Through prayer, we’re invited to acknowledge reality: with that

which we’re currently facing. We’re invited – repeatedly – to talk with God when there’s a mess. We realize that we’re

all works in progress. Particularly as believers in Jesus Christ, we need to take our hurts, our harassments, and out bouts

of helplessness to God. Questions arise: Have I become what God wants me to be? Have we, as a church, become what

God wants us to be? In the midst of the answers that surface, be sincere. Share your heart. Share what’s going on in

your life with God.

As we pray, we ask God to meet us in our need and we give thanks to Him. We are expected to live in a state of contin-

ual dependence on God. We’re called to persist in our prayers – pray without ceasing. Thank God that He never says

“Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night. I can’t help you at this time.” No. If you keep knocking long

enough, if you engage in persistent prayer, God will get up and answer. In prayer we can work out our stuff. We get rid

of any grudges that we have. God can handle us when we’re bound by whatever is present in our lives. It becomes in-

creasingly personal: God always looks at our hearts. “The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way we do! People judge

by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.” (1 Samuel 16:7) The Lord looks at

the heart.

Talk to God – let it come straight from the heart. Keep it real. Cry out for whatever’s needed: mercy, forgiveness, etc.

As we pray, we pray in Jesus’ name. In our prayers, we pray general prayers and we pray specific prayers. To me, our

prayer life is kind of like our thought life: we’re going to dwell a bit on whatever we’re currently thinking about. Along-

side current church ministry and all of you, I also think about some of the new music of Saint Asonia. Our prayers can

be specific or general. A general prayer would be praying for all the people of Africa. A more specific prayer would be

praying for one of our missionaries, Anita Ayers Henderlight in Yei, South Sudan in the heart of Africa.

Prayer can be a struggle. That’s understandable. It may take a while to get there, but as we pray we can join the hymnist

who wrote “Blessed Assurance” declaring – “Perfect submission all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest; Watch-

ing and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love.” Prayer is vital in shaping our relationship

with God and Jesus Christ. Have a conversation with God. Connect with Him, to where it’s just you and God. Pray to

God for a clean heart and a right spirit. Ask God if you are righteous – in right-relationship with Him. Prayer changes

things. Prayer changes people. As we pray for each other, we are drawn closer together. We care for each other deeply

and God is in our midst. We experience God. We experience Christ. We experience compassion in the church. Life

can be grand! Our church is strong. We become even stronger as we continue to develop and pray.

Prayer can be an incredible catalyst in our lives. God through Jesus Christ can enter any stuckness, get us unstuck and

moving along. Prayer opens up the possibility of divine appointments. Prayer enables us to spend time with Jesus, focus

on Him. Prayer can open up the door to much-needed experiences like: forgiveness, cleansing, redemption, mending

and healing. Prayer can bring a new start, a new beginning in our lives – we can start to shed whatever has been holding

us back from relationship with God and Jesus.

May our prayers be sincere – and real – and may Jesus Christ always be present. The Holy Spirit has awakened in your

pastor. Contact me – let me know if you would like me to pray with you.

Pastor Allen

PASTOR’S PEN