Connections€¦ · time to slow down as the holidays approach. That can mean taking 15 minutes each morn-ing for prayer or meditation or a walk. Inten-tionally making room to slow

INSIDE:

Announce-

ments

2

Announce-

ments

3

Notes 4

Prayers 5

Sunday

Leaders

6

Calendar 6

Small Groups 7

Connections N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8

W Y O M I N G P A R K

U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H This issue:

News and

Notes

Monthly

Calendar

Sunday

Leaders

What a riot of color as I drove down to Wyoming today—nature’s last hurrah be-fore she puts herself to bed for winter. I find it interesting that just when the natural world around is slowing down, we seem to speed up. A lot of wonderful ministry is happening at Wyoming Park, and will be happening in the coming months as we approach Thanks-

giving and Advent.

I encourage you to intentionally find time to slow down as the holidays approach. That can mean taking 15 minutes each morn-ing for prayer or meditation or a walk. Inten-tionally making room to slow down helps cre-ate awareness and mindfulness, and can help us manage stress and anxiety. It may seem counterintuitive to add an activity in order to reduce stress, but what you add makes the difference. To that end, the Worship Design team has decided not to hold a Christmas Program this year. We have canvassed a number of families whose general thoughts were; it was nice, but it would be okay not to have it this year. We want your holiday sea-son to be meaningful and memorable, not harried and hectic. We will be having a slightly different Holly and Evergreens/Hanging of the Greens service. Sunday, November 25, during our normal worship hour, we will deco-rate the church, sing Christmas hymns, put up the tree, and hear scripture read to begin the season. Please help prepare for this by assisting Renee in schlepping boxes and decorations following worship on No-vember 18. But wait….let’s slow down….Give Thanks is our November worship theme. On

November 11, we will hold our second Town Hall potluck with the Finance Com-mittee hosting a Ministry Fair of all the min-istries at Wyoming Park. Come, learn, give thanks, and find the ways you can participate in, and support, life at “the Park.” Everyone will have the opportunity to make a financial and service commitment on November 18 in worship. Wesley Park UMC has invited us to join with them in presenting a Christmas Cantata on Sunday, December 16 @ 4 pm. Any singers who are interested, please con-tact Jenna for details. Rehearsals are in No-vember on Thursday evenings @ 6:30 pm. Sara Kropp, music director at Wesley Park, assures us this is a “Ready to Sing” cantata, so all skill levels are welcome. This is a won-derful opportunity to celebrate this sacred season with our United Methodist brothers and sisters! Please think about whether this may be a way for you to slow down and go deeper. Lastly, we’ll slow down the presenta-tions on Wednesday evenings and once again focus on an Advent Study beginning November 28. Watch for information in the worship program. That’s a lot of information packed in to this article. Take a breath and read it over again. Let’s make a point of being fully pre-sent in the coming days as we celebrate the wonder of God’s grace and the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Blessings on the Journey, Pastor Kim

Holiday Bazaar

We will be accepting craft donations in the tub in

the narthex near the name tag table for the Holiday

Bazaar sale at Courtland-Oakfield UMC on No-

vember 17th. Please price your items and place in

tub by November 11th.

An Evening Apart: UMW

The Midwest District of United Methodist Women

presents An Evening Apart, Thursday, November

8th at 7pm. Join us at Wesley Park United Method-

ist Church (1150 32nd St in Wyoming) for a relax-

ing and fun program around making and maintain-

ing friendships. There will be a craft project and

door prizes too! No advance registration needed,

but bring $3 to pay at the door. Coffee, tea, and

desserts included.

Outreach Opportunity

We have an opportunity for outreach with neigh-

borhood elementary schools:

Teresa Dood has arranged a partnership with Read

GR to bring RIF (Reading is Fundamental) to

Parkview and Gladiola Elementary Schools. Wyo-

ming Park UMC has been invited to partner with

them. So we are looking for volunteers to help out.

At Gladiola Elementary School:

Tuesday, 11/13/18 from 5-7 pm – 3 or 4 volunteers

to help set up, and then work with students helping

them select books and put name labels in the

book. This is part of the Family Literacy Night.

Wednesday, 11/14/18 from 1-3 pm – 3 or 4 volun-

teers to pull groups of students who didn't attend

Family Literacy Night.

At Parkview Elementary School

Friday, 11/30/18 from 8 to 9 am – 3 or 4 volunteers

to help set up, distribute donuts, and clean up.

Friday, 11/30/18 from 9am to 3 pm – 4 to 6 volun-

teers to pull groups of students who didn't attend

the AM donut event. (Two-hour shifts).

Volunteers who work with students will need to

have a back-ground check before hand.

Watch for the sign-up sheet in early November.

See Dave Borda, Don Williams for additional info.

Wine, Women, and The Word

The next meeting of Wine, Women, and The Word

will be Tuesday, November

6 at 6:30pm at Two Guys

Brewing (Porter and Byron

Center Ave). Join us for

great food, drink, and com-

pany!

Wi Wo&Th

The Gathering

Please join us for a free will offering dinner,

Wednesdays at 5:30 pm followed by The Gather-

ing at 6:30 pm. This Reconciling Group of Wyo-

ming Park is open to all members of our congrega-

tion, and we hope you'll consider joining us! We

focus on being a "learning church", discussing mat-

ters of social justice, including mission and out-

reach to marginalized people of our community like

our LGBTQ friends and neighbors. We'll have

times of Bible study, and learn together about top-

ics related to living the life Christ would have us

live during these days. We welcome your voice in

the conversation! Childcare is provided for a small

free-will offering.

November’s topics are as follows:

November 7: Guest Speaker Kate O’Keefe, of

Family Promise

November 14: Town Meeting

November 21: NO MEETING

November 28: Advent Bible Study

LOVE GROWS WHEN WE LISTEN, WHEN WE FOLLOW OUR CALLING, WHEN WE MINISTER TO THOSE IN NEED.

November 17th is Giving Tuesday.

When nurtured through prayer, service and faith, love flourishes and overflows to others. Love can transform the world.

Love for God’s people is at the heart of all we do, whether it’s offered through healing hands, hours of prayer, life-giving services,

selfless work or partnerships that span

thousands of miles. This divine love is

strengthening people, both body and soul,

and it’s empowering communities to

thrive.

Missionaries and ministry project partners

are at work every day to ensure that all of

God’s people receive the love and care

that they so desperately need.

All of us hold this same powerful love in

our hands and our hearts, entrusted to us

as faithful children of God.

Amplify the impact of #GivingTuesday by

sharing these and other stories. Tell us

why you give by using the hashtag

#GiveUMC.

Happy November! I like to think of early November as a peaceful time, a happy medium between the crazi-ness of fall activities/back to school and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I hope you are able to find some moments of peace, even when it feels impossible.

November is also the month of my favorite holiday - Thanksgiving. I love every part of Thanksgiving, no mat-ter how silly or stressful. I love helping to prepare the food, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, traveling to relatives’ houses, eating until I can’t eat anymore, watching football, and visiting with family members. Hosting “Friendsgiving” is another one of my greatest joys - I highly recommend having one; for many people it is a great comfort to be surrounded by friends during this time of year.

Thanksgiving is also a time when we remember all the blessings in our lives. For example, this year I am incredibly grateful for my education, amazing friends, loving parents who have taken good care of me during periods of transi-tion, TWO new jobs, and a wonderful church family who has accepted me with open arms and warm hearts. Through all of these blessings, we remember that God is at the center of it all and has made our lives strong and rich because of His blessings. Our theme song for November worship is “Give Thanks,” a hymn by Henry Smith. It is repetitive and almost medita-tive in nature, so I encourage you all to endow the lyrics in different ways each week. What do these words mean to you in the context of your life? Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His son. And now let the weak say “I am strong;” let the poor say “I am rich because of what the Lord has done for us.”

A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were excessively mischievous. The two

were always getting into trouble and their parents could be assured that if any mischief

occurred in their town their two young sons were in some way involved.

The parents were at their wits end as to what to do about their sons' behavior. The mother had heard that a clergyman in town had been

successful in disciplining children in the past, so she asked her husband if he thought they should send the boys to speak with the cler-

gyman.

The husband said, 'We might as well. We need to do something before I really lose my temper!' The clergyman agreed to speak with the

boys, but asked to see them individually. The 8 year old went to meet with him first. The clergyman sat the boy down and asked him

sternly,'Where is God?'

The boy made no response, so the clergyman repeated the question in an even sterner tone, 'Where is God?' Again the boy made no

attempt to answer. So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face, 'WHERE IS GOD?'

At that the boy bolted from the room and ran directly home, slamming himself in the closet. His older brother followed him into the closet

and asked what had happened. The younger brother replied, 'We are in BIG trouble this time. God is missing and they think we did it.'

Humor Me

A Note from Jenna

Birthdays

4 Kayla Meredith

6 John Brookhouse

10 Samaya Squires

15 Brad DeVries

18 Jan Luurtsema

19 Joan Foley

22 Arnie Warner

23 Ann Brazee

27 Andrew Pyper

Anniversaries

11 Ron and Sharon Green

Please pray for:

Kathy Orozco, who has leg and shoulder pain.

Prayers for Gordon Oberg and his family, a friend of Sandy and Don

Williams. Gordon has mesothelioma and is now under hospice care.

Andrea Meredith’s new job.

Rob Meredith staying safe at work.

The list of Michigan Area delegates and alternates to General Confer-

ence 2019 is long. We thought we would shorten it to just the West

Michigan Conference delegates in hopes you would find praying for

them more manageable. There are four, but we also included alter-

nates. Please keep them in your prayers. UMC Praying Our Way

Forward suggests we pray every day @ 2:23-2:26 a.m. or p.m. for

our delegates and the church.

Nichea VerVeer Guy, Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, Benton Heisler, John

Boley, Anne Soles, Mary Ivanov, Laurie Dahlman, and Laura Witkow-

ski

Those in the military service:

Greg Schaefer, Jason Lavengood, Joseph Landon, Stephen

Rine, Mike Lindsey, Tom Young, Jeremy Rainey, and David Harris.

Those in community service:

Patrick Agema, Jake Agema

Keep in Touch With Your Church

Family:

Paul Garvin has moved to Waldon Woods, 2600 Wal-

don Woods Dr SW Apt #210, Wyoming, MI 49519.

Dick and Mary Jane Younker have moved to Sunset

Manor: 725 Baldwin St. #123, Jenison, MI 49428.

November 2018

1

10:30am Olivet Bible Study

5-7pm Casa De Mi Padre

2

7pm Myanmar SDA

3

10-1 Myanmar SDA

2pm Hall Reserved

5-7pm Myanmar SDA

4

8am Praise Band

9:15am Worship

10:30am Small Groups

1:30-4:30 Casa De Mi Padre

5pm Youth Group

5

Office Open 9-12

6

6:30pm Pastor Tyree Cook Bible Study

6:30pm Wine, Women, and the Word

7

Office Open 9-12

5:30pm Finance Commit-tee

5:30pm Wednesday Meal

6:30pm The Gathering

8



9

7pm Myanmar SDA

10

10-1 Myanmar SDA

10am PieceMakers

10am Hall Reserved

5-7pm Myanmar SDA

11

8am Praise Band

9:15am Worship


1:30-4:30 Casa De Padre

12

Office Open 9-12

13


14

Office Open 9-12


6:30pm The Gathering

15



6pm Church Council

16

7pm Myanmar SDA

17

10-1 Myanmar SDA

10am Hall Reserved

5-7pm Myanmar SDA

18

8am Praise Band

9:15am Worship



5pm Youth Group

19

Office Open 9-12

20

8am 4F’s Meet


7pm Trustees

7pm UMW Supportive Sisters

21

Office Open 9-12

22

Thanksgiving Day


23

7pm Myanmar SDA

24

10-1 Myanmar SDA

12pm Hall Reserved

5-7pm Myanmar SDA

25

8am Praise Band

9:15am Worship



26

Office Open 9-12

27


28

Office Open 9-12

5:30pm SPRC Meets


6:30pm Advent Study

29



30

7pm Myanmar SDA

Sunday Leaders

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Nursery

PreK-2nd

Grades 3-5

Junior High

Ch. Times

Church TALK

Prayers

Fellowship

Table Setup

Screen

Sound

November 4

Scherry V.

Sally, Kaylee

Don, Dathan

Steve, Andrea

Sally Smith

Pastor Kim

Dave Borda

Mary Eckert

Scherry V.

Jason Squires

Mike Borda

November 11

Kramers

Sally, Kaylee

Don, Dathan

Steve, Andrea

Karla VerHage

Don Williams

Pastor Kim

Sue Borda

Bunny & Mary

John R. Smith

Steve Meredith

November 18

Mary Eckert

Sally, Kaylee

Don, Dathan

Steve, Andrea

Sharon Green

Renee Baird

Karla VerHage

Karla VerHage

Mary and Carol

Paige Borda

Tyler Kohley

November 25

Connie Swinger

Sally, Kaylee

Don, Dathan

Steve, Andrea

Ron Green

Pastor Kim

Don Williams

Don & Sandy

Don & Sandy

Diane Carter

Mike Borda

P A G E 7 W Y O M I N G P A R K

Sunday Groups .

Youth Group

Meets the first and third Sunday during the school year at 5pm-we do service projects as well. All stu-

dents in grades 6-12 are welcome. The leader is Kaylee Harmening.

Film at Eleven

Join us as we discuss the themes and reflect theo-logically on movies. We meet in the Heritage Room

on Sundays after worship. Leader: Chuck Sutton.

Come As You Are

A group of younger adults that that meet weekly on Sundays following worship to discuss issues of

faith and society.

Musical Groups .

Praise Band

Meets Wednesdays at 6pm and Sundays at 8:30am, and by appointment.

Small Groups .

The Gathering

New group serving a wide variety of interests. 6:30pm Wednesdays– contact Debbie McFalone.

PieceMakers Quilters

Meetings will be on the first and third Saturdays of the month, except for holidays, 10am-12noon in

the Fellowship Hall. Contact Scherry vanHartesveldt at 292-7857 for more information.

Wrapped In Love

Knitting/Prayer Shawl Group Meets occasionally by appointment. Contact Kathy Meredith at

616-262-2953

Bibles, Brews, and Bros

Young Men’s group that meets periodically at a lo-cal pub for bible study. Watch for news on this

group.

Wine, Women, and The Word

Meets the first Tuesday of the month, 6:30pm, at Two Guys Brewing on Porter and Byron Center in

Wyoming.

4F’s: Fellowship, Food, Fun, and Fixin’

Meets the third Tuesday of the month at 8am at the Rainbow Grill. Contact Brad DeVries at

616-901-7048.

.

GROUPS and CLASSES

The Olivet Bible Study

group meets Thursday

mornings at the church.

We meet in a Sunday

school room at 10:30 then

lunch at noon in the fellowship hall. We en-

deavor to leave the kitchen cleaner than we

find it . Everyone is welcome to join us both for

the class and lunch. See Sandy Williams or

Bunny Swank if you have questions.

Contact Us: Wyoming Park United Methodist Church

2244 Porter SW Wyoming, MI 49519

(616) 532-7624

www.wyomingparkumc.com

Church Office hours: Monday, Wednesday 9:00am-12:00pm

Come worship with us!

9:15 am Worship Celebration

10:15 am Fellowship

10:30 am Groups

Wyoming Park United Methodist Church

2244 Porter SW

Wyoming, MI 49519

Documents

Connections€¦ · time to slow down as the holidays approach. That can mean taking 15 minutes each morn-ing for prayer or meditation or a walk. Inten-tionally making room to slow