UNITED CHURCH NEWS FEBRUARY 2007
“A community
of faith providing nurture, strength, & direction for living today in God’s
world.”
From UCF
Interim Pastor and UCF Moderator
The United Church of Fayetteville has the
unique opportunity to be connected to two denominations – the
Regionally we are related to the
Our connection is extremely advantageous
as it allows us to support local, national and international projects that we
could not sustain alone. It provides a
system of communication that ensure we are aware of special needs and
opportunities locally and around the world.
Your Pastor Search and Nominating Committee is benefiting from this
connection as it is receiving and reviewing resumes submitted through the
denominational links. Our connection
comes with many responsibilities as we want to ensure that sufficient
denominational staff and programs are in place to adequately serve our
congregations and mission endeavors.
The two denominations invite financial
support in different ways.
American
Baptist Churches– The ABC suggest that
contributions be given to the United Mission budget so that the denomination can
divide these contributions among international, national, regional, and local
ministries. These funds are used to
support the church in areas such as: (1) Prayer and Witness, (2) Renewal and
Worship, (3) Pastors and Lay Leaders, (4) Christian Education, (5) Stewardship
and Tithing, (6) Church Planting, and (7) Camps and Conferences. Although the American Baptist Churches don’t
mandate an actual support amount per member, it does encourage churches to
contribute 10% (tithe) of the congregation’s Operating Budget to the ABC United
Mission Budget.
Presbyterian
Church
While the contribution to the Mission Budget
is completely up to the discretion of the congregation, the Per Capita
apportionment amount is agreed upon each year by a vote of the local
Presbytery. At the November 2006 meeting
of the Presbytery the Per Capita Apportionment for 2007 was set at $39.00 per
member. This figure was a significant
increase from previous years but reflects the level of support that is needed to
maintain basic Presbytery operations and does not
alter the total contribution UCF makes to the Presbyterian and Baptist
denominations.
The UCF Board suggests that each member pay the $39 for his or her Per
Capita. Both denominations have been instrumental in guiding our PSNC during
their search for a new pastor as well as being resources for our programs and
mission.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this request.
Kathleen
Waters, Interim Pastor
Beth Krauss,
Moderator
Worship for February 2007
Sunday
Worship at
Before worship coffee fellowship with Adult Ed groups at 9 AM
Fellowship Time each week after worship in Fellowship Hall
February 4 – 5th Sunday in
Ordinary Time
Sermon: “Have You Seen
Him Yet?” Rev.
Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
Souper
Bowl Offering for hunger ministries
February 11 – 6th Sunday in
Ordinary Time
10:25 AM Sermon:
“The Ultimate Trust” Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke
6:17-26
Children and Cherub choirs commissioning for Valentine visits
Church World Service Blanket Sunday
February 18 –
Transfiguration Sunday
10:25 AM Sermon:
“Timing Is Everything” Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures:
Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36
February 21 – Ash Wednesday
6:00
PM Agape Meal at
7:30 PM Ecumenical
Worship Service at Immaculate
February 25 – First Sunday in Lent
10:25 AM Sermon:
“The Sentry Among Us” Rev. Dr. Kathleen Waters
Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 98-16; Luke 4:1-13
Sermons: Copies of each Sunday’s sermon are available in the sermon rack located by the pulpit entrance to the sanctuary.
Ushers for Worship: Singles, couples, families, and youth are needed to help usher on Sunday mornings. Please sign up on the poster in the hallway by the kitchen or contact Bob Boland, lead usher. Orientation information will be made available to you.
Enrichment Volunteers: We need adults who care about children to share stories and activities with our K through 2nd grade children during the last half of worship. Contact Lynn Scharbach for more information.
Fellowship Time Hosts: Your gift of hospitality helps make this a special time for community
sharing. It is not a difficult job! Volunteer to host with a friend or contribute baked goods. An information sheet is available. Contact Tracey Kuhns for more information.
Pastoral Care: Rev. Waters, works with our Congregational Care Committee and can be reached through the church office (637-3186), elders of the month, or at home.
Elders of the Month for February: Gloria Manuel & Beth Krauss
Purpose of Elders of the Month: For members with a crisis, emergency situation, a particular concern or need for care, the elders of the month are available to assist the pastor, when a pastor is unavailable, or when the church office is closed.
Procedure for calling: please call the church office weekdays
between
Worship, Music & Spiritual Life
Ash Wednesday Community
Service
Agape
Meal
Lenten devotional resources
~ Prayer, Giving, Fasting…
During Lent, three spiritual disciplines are practiced
by Christians around the world: prayer,
fasting and giving to the poor. (Ash
Wednesday gospel reading: Matthew
6:1-21) As we begin this year's
season of Lent, we offer ways to practice these traditions to bring us closer
to God.
+ The Lenten Sharing Calendar helps us reflect on the needs of brothers and sisters around the world
as we look at our needs and choose to simplify our lives. A “fish box” is available to collect your
regular offerings for our annual One Great Hour of Sharing Offering. The offering is dedicated on Easter Sunday. (add your dates to the calendar)
+
Prayer Pray for the many ministries of love and
reconciliation taking place around the world through the One Great Hour of
Sharing. Mid-week Prayer at
UCF, Tuesdays
+ Fasting There are many kinds of fasting. The action
of fasting creates an inner hunger. That hunger can either eliminate the desire
for the thing you have given up, or it can create a yearning. Either of these can bring us closer to
God. A Fast from Violence - Christians from all traditions are
invited to focus on the growing violence throughout the world and the need for
peace and reconciliation. The World
Council of Churches “Decade to Overcome Violence” program invites us to: pray
the Prayer of St. Francis daily: "Lord, make me an instrument of your
peace;” to refrain from violence, and
abstain from ways in which we consume and support violence.
Audio
Visual Task Force Proposal Jim Spencer, Chr., of the A-V Task Force
for the Capital Campaign, reported to the Church Board in January with a
proposal for a new sound system which is part of the capital campaign that was
just completed. (The A-V system goals
adopted by the Church Board are available in the October 2005 newsletter at www.theucf.org).
The new proposal for the sanctuary is designed to provide full range
reinforcement of speech and music for worship, weddings, funerals, concerts,
drama and other events. The board will
review the proposal at a future meeting.
For more information, contact Jim Spencer.
Lower Level Update - The lower level area underneath the sanctuary (hallway and 4
classrooms) was temporarily closed due to renovation issues in December and
early January and has now been reopened.
Thank you for your patience and flexibility in the relocations of choirs
and classes. The ceiling tiles in the choir room have been replaced and an
air purifier is in place. Thank you to
Stu Woodcock and Dave Bender and the project committee for carrying this
out. The next step for the Kathy
Willyard Choir Room project is to secure the construction bids for the
renovations. The current hope is for the renovations to begin
by early June and proceed during the summer.
Alice
Dickerson Hatt, Minister of Music & Worship
Forums and
Bible Study
Sundays
Join us for coffee, fellowship & discussion
February 2007
I. Forums in Beard Lounge
Forums are presentations and
discussions which focus on timely topics of Christian social concern, personal
and spiritual development, Bible study, or explorations of our Christian
heritage and world religions. Through
Forums we seek to provide a place for understanding special topics or current
issues of our Christian presence in the community and world. If the choir room
remains closed in January, the Adult Forum will meet in Women’s Lounge.
February
4: Eric Kingston, discussion on living with a family member
diagnosed cancer, based upon his book Lessons from Joan: Living and Loving
With Cancer (a Husband's Story)
February
11: Dr. Joe Julian (Professor from the
February 18: Douglas
Igelsrud (retired tympani player from Syracuse Symphony
Orchestra; member of First Presbyterian Church United): observations on
February 25: Rev. William Coop, retired pastor of South Presbyterian Church.
II. Bible Study in Women’s Lounge [Meets in Women’s Lounge]
III. A Parents’ Place [Meets downstairs in Room 5]
Suggestions for future Adult
Forums – please speak with Chairperson Norman
Hatt or a member of the Adult Education committee: Lois Coleman, Shirley DeHority, Dorothy Harrold,
Jason Larson, Dick Lang, Jackie Meyer, Carol Reinsmith, Lois Spitzer or Joe
Steiner.
“English Changes Lives” - During February 19-23
two of our congregants, Phyllis Danks and Deb Glisson will
be participating in an initiative called "English Changes Lives"
which will provide English language workshops for teachers of low income
schools in the area of Coquimbo and La Serena,
Youth & Seekers
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SEEKERS |
UPCOMING
EVENTS:
Thanks for Your Support! We want
to thank all who contributed to the soup and bread sale by making and/or
purchasing soup and bread. Over $700 were raised to support youth
ministries!
Planning for Summer Mission
Trip: There will be a planning meeting on Friday, February 2nd from
“Souper Bowl” Collection: On
Sunday, February 4th,
please bring money and/or can food donations to support the “Souper Bowl” of
Caring as an acknowledgement of those who struggle with hunger on a day when
many of us will indulge in far more food than we need. Donations will go to a
local food bank.
Manlius Food Pantry: Seekers,
Mentors, and other interested youth are invited to tour the Manlius Food Pantry
on February 7th. Also,
all youth who participate will be given $10, taken to a store, and charged to
buy enough nutritious food to feed a family of four for a day. We will be
leaving from the church at
Seekers to visit
Sunday Evening Programs: The
Seekers will be meeting next on February
11th in the evening to continue their discussion of the
essential elements of a church. Mentors are also asked to attend. On February 25th and joint
Seeker and Senior High activity will be held. The last time I learned that our
youth have active imaginations demonstrated by their ability to create a
coherent and engaging story on the spot given a few words as prompts. I also
gleaned from their story that, as a group, our youth seem to a have more
liberal political leanings – or at least a general dislike of the current
administration in the White House. Which of you would have suspected our
teenagers to have liberal almost rebellious political attitudes? ;~)
Youth-Related Contromentaries (i.e.
controversial documentaries): Beginning February
28th, for the Lenten Series, youth and Seekers are invited to
watch and discuss three different documentary films over a six-week period with
relevance to their lives and future. We will begin with the film, An
Inconvenient Truth (PG), staring Al Gore, and decide on the others as a
group.
Bowling for Dollars: On March 4th, the youth will be
having a Bowl-a-Thon to raise money both for our youth who are going on summer
mission trips as well as to support a yet-to-be-determined local charity.
(Proceeds will be split 50/50). They’ll need sponsors and will be starting to
sign people up the beginning of February.
What’s Up from Down Under
Sharing and Caring by the Young People
Of United Church
Mark these new events
on your calendars!!
Feb. 11 Valentine Caroling
Feb.18 & 25 Sunday School classes as usual during
February school break
Feb.17/24 Sledding/Sleighing (Maybe!!!)
Feb. 21 Ash Wednesday Agape Meal and Service
Feb. 28 Wednesday Lenten Soup Supper with Children’s Fellowship & Homework Club
SUNDAY SCHOOL
MISSION – BLANKET CHALLENGE !!!!!
The Children's Worship
offering for January and February will help buy Church World Services
blankets. It costs only $5.00 to
provide a refugee with a blanket that can serve as a coat, a bed, a tent or a
backpack. The children have already
collected enough money to buy five blankets.
Encourage your child to earn
money doing extra jobs and help them blanket
the world with love !!!!
Valentine Caroling Is In the Air! United Church children in grades Pre-K –
7th grade will go Valentine Caroling to shut-ins during Enrichment time on Sunday,
February 11th. The children have
polished up their sweetest songs and made beautiful valentines for all the special
friends they will visit. Children will
return during the fellowship time after church.
Permission slips required.
ASH WEDNESDAY AGAPE MEAL AND COMMUITY SERVICE . . .
Our congregation will begin the Lenten journey together on Wed., Feb. 21, 6 p.m. with a simple meal at UCF followed by the Ash Wednesday F-M Ecumenical Worship at Immaculate Conception at 7:30 p.m.
LENTEN FELLOWSHIP FOR KIDS! Children will gather for a short Lenten lesson at the Wednesday Lenten Soup Suppers on Feb. 28, March 7, 14, 21 & 28. Each night will feature kid-friendly activities in the Fellowship Hall, including organized games, crafts or videos. The Homework Club will also be up and running for those needing to do school work. Sign up and let us know you are coming!!
NEED INFANT/TODDLER CARE FOR LENTEN SOUP SUPPERS? We are happy to provide toddler or infant care for the Wednesday Lenten Soup Suppers. Please notify the church office (637-3186) by the Monday prior to the Wednesday suppers you plan to attend. Thank you!
KNITTING
warm, cozy blanket. Working since September, they have now
completed most of the squares needed and are
practicing their
skills in committee work as they decide how all
their carefully knitted squares should be arranged. They plan to donate the finished blanket to
Vera House to help those who are affected by domestic violence. Way to go kids !!!!
CREATED WITH LOVE !!! It was a perfect storm of lace doilies, red hearts, glue, ribbon, pipe cleaners and google eyes during Enrichment on Sunday, January 21, as Lynn Scharbach helped our children create beautiful and amusing valentines to give to shut-ins when we go valentine caroling. Valentines will also be sent to our students away at college.
GAME NIGHT WAS A HOOT AND A HOLLER !!!! Games were a great excuse for over 40 people
to get together and gab on Friday, Jan. 19.
Lively games of Go, Monopoly, Mall Madness, Clue Jr. and Life challenged
and entertained many fine game players.
Charades, jump rope and Toss Across kept the place hopping. And there was, of course, plenty of delicious
and nutritious snackage to fuel the fun and fellowship. Let’s do it again soon! Special thanks to Martha Ketcham and Sandy
Mason
from Children’s Ministries for this great night!
We are pleased welcome Leanne
Larson as our new chair of Children’s Ministries. Leanne is already very busy homeschooling her
two children, Rebekah and Ransom Larson while her
husband, Jason, continues to work towards his doctorate. In addition, this year she has been
enthusiastically teaching our 4th and 5th grade Sunday School class! Thanks Leanne !!!!
SLEDDING FUN MAY BE IN YOUR
FUTURE !!!! If Old Man
Winter cooperates, a
fellowship
outing of sledding and sleigh rides
at
the calendar for Sat., Feb. 17 or 24th. Look for updates coming your way !!!!
Judy
Spencer
Director of Children’s Ministries
Board Highlights
December
and January
Nominating
Committee Updates included slate of officers for the Corporation and Leanne Larson as Chair of
the Children’s Committee/Elder
Discussed revision of Nominating Committee as
proposed by PCC
Discussed Budget to be presented at the Annual
Meeting on the 28th
Approved $500 from remaining New Horizons funds for
Rev. Kamil (fall speaker from
Youth Souper Bowl collection (for designation to be
determined), for hunger relief. March 4
bowl-a-thon, half for mission trip, half for local mission,
Discussed Lenten Events with Gail Sandle, Interim
Chair of Worship and Spiritual Life
Noted that Jubilee House raised $575 from January
Dinner Event to be used toward ongoing expenses.
Access
Group has contracted with architect for $3500 Wicks; work is underway.
Jim
Spencer reported on the Sound System project.
Approved purchase of a VitAire air purifier to
resolve lower floor air quality issues.