January 2013 Newsletter

Volume 14, Issue 1

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Contents 3 Pastor’s Letter

5 New Fellowship Opportunity

5 New Meeting Schedule

6 January Calendar

7 Servant Schedule

8 Contact Information

Morningstar UMC seeks to share the light and love of Jesus Christ to all we encounter. Morningstar will be a community where each person is offered opportunities and challenged to grow in his/her relationship with God throughout his/her life. As we grow in our love of God, we will increase our growth of healthy relationships by encouraging people of all ages through accountability, study, prayer, fellowship, and service. The more our congregation grows in these primary relationships (with God and our neighbors), we will see ourselves reaching out into the local community, region and world through acts of service – sharing the light of Jesus Christ in hands-on, meaningful ways, and inviting others to experience God’s love for themselves.

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Every year, it’s been a practice of our congregation that we share in a service of baptismal renewal and of John Wesley’s covenant prayer. Most often, we celebrate these services on the Sunday after Epiphany, or the Baptism of the Lord – and why wouldn’t we? In a time when the secular world encourages us to make resolutions for the new year, why shouldn’t we recommit ourselves to our baptismal vows? Why not renew our covenant with God? Our baptismal vows ask us to repent of our sin, resist evil, confess Jesus Christ as our Savior, and to nurture people in Christian faith and life. As a member of the United Methodist Church, we seek to strengthen the church’s ministries through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. As a member of this congregation, are you fulfilling your baptismal promises? Are you fulfilling your commitment to Morningstar UMC? Similarly, we recommit ourselves to God through the covenant prayer in the Wesleyan tradition (The United Methodist Hymnal, #607). The words of this prayer call us to full reliance upon God’s grace:

“I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”

When you read through this month’s Beacon, be aware of the opportunities that are placed in front of you to fulfill your baptismal vows, your membership vows, and the covenant we affirm every year with God. What might you need to take on so that you can fulfill them? Conversely, what might you need to lay aside in order to fulfill them? I will see you in worship! Pastor Jay

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Anyone who is interested in being involved with the planning of the 2013 Women’s Retreat is invited to attend a planning meeting on Friday, Jan. 4

th at

11:30am. You can join us for Bible study at 10:00am, bring a lunch, and stay for a lunch meeting after Bible study or just come at 11:30am for the meeting. There is a tentative date set for the one day Women’s Retreat on Saturday, February 16 from 9:00am—4:00pm.

The youth are invited to join Morningstar UMC for a ski trip to Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque, IA. The trip will be from February 17-18, 2013. The cost of the trip is $38 to ski/snowboard and $20 for food and gas. Please sign up on the clipboard outside of the church office by February 1, 2013.

http://www.sundownmtn.com/

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Some of you may be looking for ways to get connected to our community of faith, and a great and easy way to do so is through fellowship. In October 2012, we began to offer fellowship lunches after worship once a month as a way to give people an opportunity to connect with one another. In 2013, we will be having fellowship lunches on that first Sunday of each month. We invite you to bring a dish to pass on Sunday, January 6, following worship. We will eat together, and then take down Christmas decorations. Please join us!

Our leadership teams will have a new meeting schedule beginning in January for 2013. We want to give teams equal time for meeting, planning, and decision-making. Please note the following schedule for your calendars: Lay Leadership Team: 1

st Sunday in January, March, May, July,

September, and November at 1:00 pm. Finance Team: 1


September, and November at 1:00 pm. SPRC: 1


September, and November at 2:00 pm. Trustees: 1


September, and November at 2:00 pm. NOW Team: 1

st Sunday in February, April, June, August,

October, and December at 1:00 pm. Church Council: 1

st Sunday in February, April, June, August,

October, and December at 2:00 pm. Leadership teams may call meetings at other times as needed, but the above dates and times will be the regularly scheduled meetings for 2013.

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January 2013

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

(No School)

2

(No School)

3

(No School)

4

(No School) 10:00 Ladies’

Bible Study

11:30 Women’s Retreat Planning

5

6

9:00 Christian Formation

10:00 Prayer Time

10:15 Worship 11:30 Band

Rehearsal 11:30 Fellowship

Meal 1:00 Lay

Leaderhip/Finance

2:00 SPRC/Trustees

7

7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

8

1:00 Sit-N-Knit 6:30 Ladies’

Bible Study

9

Family Night 5:30 Meal 6:30 Worship 7:00 Classes 7:00 Youth

Handbells & Choir

10

6:00 Chancel Choir

7:00 Handbell Choir

9:00 Online Bible Study

11

10:00 Ladies’ Bible Study

12

10:00 Praise Band Rehearsal

13


10:00 Prayer Time


Rehearsal 3:30 Home

Sweet Home Meal (Team #2)

14


Group

15


Bible Study

16


Handbells & Choir

17

6:00 Chancel Choir

7:00 Handbell Choir


18


19

20


10:00 Prayer Time


Rehearsal

21

(No School) 7:00 Boy Scouts 7:30 Men’s

Group

22

(No School) 1:00 Sit-N-Knit 6:30 Ladies’

Bible Study

23


Handbells & Choir

24

6:00 Chancel Choir

7:00 Handbell Choir


25


26

Youth Cook Off!

27


10:00 Prayer Time


Rehearsal

28


Group

29


Bible Study

30


Handbells & Choir

31

6:00 Chancel Choir

7:00 Handbell Choir


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January 06 January 13 January 20 January 27

Offertory Music Chancel Choir Youth Choir Gary & Diana Wang Mike & Tricia Todd

Youth Handbells

Liturgist Eva DeVore Wayne Giermann Betty Haag Tom Howe

Children’s Message

Jay Regennitter Stephanie Soon John Weter Dave Venter

Acolyte Riley Fleck Jordan Kao Alaysia Peterson Hannah Schneider

Media Technicians

Mark Immke Joe Kao Dean Westpfahl John Weter

Ushers

Sue Fetters (H) Mary Ann Altine

Michelle Giermann Georgia Griffith

Larry Haag (H) Betty Haag Tom Howe

Andrew Immke

Regan Jimison (H) Josh Immke Mark Immke

Joe Kao

Mike Schneider (H) Jeannine McNemee

Bill Sheets Jim Snow

Greeters Mary Ann Altine Betty Bickerstaff Rob Burger Michelle Giermann

Coffee Host Lori Immke Regan Jimison Teri Peterson Dave & Pam

Offering Counters

Dean Westpfahl Tricia Todd Ruthann Sheets Kim Kao

Newcomer Callers

Georgia Griffith Bill Sheets Ruthann Sheets Georgia Griffith

Church Cleaning

Teri Peterson Dave & Pam

Venter John Weter Lori Immke

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Morningstar United Methodist Church

Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:00am -3:00pm

Office Telephone: (309) 452-6255

Website: www.mymorningstar.org

Worship with us on Sundays at 10:15 am

Contact Information

Rev. Jay Regennitter, Pastor [email protected]

Pastor Stephanie Soon, Deacon & Pianist [email protected]

Adam Drake & Hailey Crozier, Nursery Ministry Staff [email protected]

January 2013 Newsletter

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Transcript of January 2013 Newsletter