Volume 13, Issue 5

“Hear, O Israel. The Lord is our God; the Lord is

one. You shall love the Lord your God with all of

your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of

your mind.” - Pg. 3

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Contents

3 Pastor’s Letter

4 Involvement Opportunities

6 20th Anniversary

7 Annexation Report

8 Calendar of Events

9 Servant Schedule

10 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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For those of you who worship with us regularly, you know that we begin our time of worship each week with the words of the Shema, from Deuteronomy: “Hear, O Israel. The Lord is our God; the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind.” We haven’t deviated from that call to worship for several years, because it reminds us of why we gather together each week for worship. In several of the Gospels, Jesus is approached by the teachers of the law, and is asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus repeats the Shema, but he then says, “A second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

We hear these words all the time. We read them, and say them, but what do we do about them? They are the greatest commandment – to love God, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. It’s a commandment, something we do, which is not optional. When we call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ, we love God and our neighbor. That’s it; it’s that simple! But how do we do that? We do it in many ways. We love God when we worship, pray, study our Bibles, and when we participate in communion and baptism. We love our neighbors when we heal the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, and have faith-filled conversations with one another. Our church offers opportunities to live out the Great Commandment all the time – through worship, Bible studies for all ages, weekly communion, small groups, music ministry, the Park UMC food pantry, Home Sweet Home, ISU Wesley Foundation meals, mission trips, and our partnership with West Olive Faith UMC, among others. As we transition from the end of a school year to summer, the opportunities to live out the Great Commandment in this church won’t lessen; they will simply differ. As you read through the pages of this edition of The Beacon, take note of new or different opportunities to love God and your neighbors through new Bible studies, mission/outreach projects, music and fine arts camp, and more. I challenge each of us to engage in one of these opportunities this summer, so that we might each live out the Great Commandment in new, vibrant, and exciting ways. Won’t you join me?

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The quadrennial meeting of delegates for the United Methodist Church are meeting for General Conference between April 24 and May 5. Please take some time to visit the website to follow the decisions being made about our denomination and give some time each day to pray for the well-being of the conference. Our church's district has been asked to pray for the conference on Friday, May 4. Below are some links to information on the conference.

General Conference Website www.gc2012.umc.org

Prayer for General Conference 50daysofprayer.upperroom.org

Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington will be holding an Early Responder Training on Saturday, July 21st from 8:00am until 4:30pm. Please register ASAP if you are interested in attending. The cost for the event is $35 and includes training materials, background check, lunch, and a t-shirt. Go to www.igrc.org/registration/register/143 to register. Contact Bruce Deason at 309-830-0338 if you have questions or would like more details.

With all of the opportunities included in this newsletter to work with children and youth this summer, we will be offering two opportunities to go through Safe Sanctuaries training. Morningstar UMC has a policy in place for protection of children and youth; all adults who wish to work with children and youth should go through the training process, which involves a short training, filling out an application, and having a completed background check. If you wish to work with children and youth, but have not been through a Safe Sanctuaries training, please plan to stay after worship on Sunday, May 20, or Sunday, June 3. The training will be fairly short, but it is essential for the safety of the children and youth of our church and community. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to the church office.

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Have you found yourself in the position where you've been providing leadership in the church of a time? Have you been serving on a committee, or been a small-group leader, a teacher/assistant for Christian formation? Have you been pouring yourself out in service? We want to give you an opportunity to sit back, be formed in your faith, and rejuvenate this summer! Pastor Jay will be offering a study called Invitation to Romans, which is by Pamela M. Eisenbaum. The study is modeled after the Disciple Bible study series, but instead of being 30-34 weeks in length, this study is 8 weeks long. Each week, participants will have daily Bible reading assignments, along with questions for reflection. The time commitment for such assignments is shorter than those in a regular Disciple Bible study, and you should be able to complete the readings during a daily devotional time. The class will be on Sunday evenings (Jul 8 - Aug 26) from 5-7 pm at the church. Childcare will be provided. Student books will be $10 each, and you will need to register with the church office by Sunday, June 24. We hope to see many people participate in this study.

Calvary United Methodist Church is coordinating the second-annual 5k for the Baby Fold, a charity run to benefit children and families. For more information, go to www.connectwithcalvary.org. Entry Fees 5k - Before August 1st: $25 (Includes a t-shirt) 5k - on/after August 1st: $30 (No t-shirt included) Fun Run: $5 Baby Crawl: Free 5k Age Categories 19 and under 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 Masters (60 and above) Packet Pick-Up Friday, August 24, from 5-8 at Calvary United Methodist Church Volunteer Volunteer Meeting - August 21, 2012 at Calvary United Methodist Church

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Morningstar UMC is celebrating 20 years of ministry in 2012! Please join us for the following events: Sunday, June 10: Church picnic (More information below) Sunday, July 29: Rev. Shalom Renner will preach during morning worship.

Tentative plans include a concert for the community with food following worship.

Sunday, August 12: Rev. Steve Hartman will preach during morning worship. There will be a reception following worship.

September: We have invited the bishop or bishop's assistant to preach during morning worship one Sunday in September. Following worship, there will be a catered meal. More details to follow!

Sunday, October 14: Rev. Roger Grimmitt will preach during morning worship. There will be a reception following worship.

Sunday, November 18: Rev. Wally Carlson will preach during morning worship. There will be a reception following worship.

In addition to these events, Andy Goveia will be working with people in the congregation to collect memories (both written and through video). Watch for order forms for MUMC merchandise in your bulletin as well!

Please plan to join us on June 10 when our District Superintendent, Rev. Leah Pogemiller, will be preaching to kick off our 20th Anniversary. Following the service, we will have a potluck picnic and birthday party for Morningstar. Fried chicken and drinks will be provided by the church; please bring a dish to pass. A birthday wish list will be coming!

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Make plans now to join us for our second annual Music and Arts camp! Camp dates are June 11-15, from 6:00-8:00 pm. We hope to offer tracks in music (choir/handbells) and creative arts (drama/visual art). Watch your mailboxes soon for more information and registration forms. Online registration will also be available. Those who participated in our first camp last year had a great time that week, and are still talking about what they learned! If you are interested in helping with Music and Arts camp, please contact the church office.

At Morningstar UMC, we have some dedicated teachers that have been working with our children on Sunday mornings throughout the school year. Both teachers and assistant have been leading our children 1-2 times per month, and we'd like to give them a break for the summer. Curriculum is provided each week. Would you consider being a teacher or assistant one or two times this summer? We're looking for people who can serve, beginning May 27, and ending August 26. If you're willing to serve, please sign up on the clipboard during worship, or contact the church office.

Got plans this summer? You can help with or participate in our newest outreach ministry! For six weeks, beginning July 11 (Wednesday), we will be working with West Olive Faith UMC to provide an experience for children and families. Beginning at 5:00pm each week, we will offer a free dinner for families, and then offer a time for children and a time for parents from 5:30-7:00 pm. Children will be able to experience God's story through crafts, stories, and music, while adults will focus on parenting techniques and support. Each week will be self-contained, and you can commit to helping with one week, a few weeks, or all six weeks. If you are interested in helping in leadership, please contact Michelle Giermann!

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May 2012

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thurs- Friday Saturday

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1:00pm Sit-N-Knit

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Family Night 5:30pm Meal 6:30pm Worship 7:00pm Classes 7:00pm Youth Handbells and Choir

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6:00pm Chancel Choir 7:00pm Handbell Choir

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10:00am Ladies’ Bible Study 12:00pm Crafters

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9:00am Christian Formation 10:10am Prayer Time 1015am Worship

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7:00pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Men’s Group (Gill Street)

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1:00pm Sit-N-Knit

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Family Night 5:30pm Meal 6:30pm Worship 7:00pm Classes 7:00pm Youth Handbells and Choir

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10:00am Ladies’ Bible Study

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9:00am Christian Formation 10:10am Prayer Time 1015am Worship 3:30pm Home Sweet Home Meal (Team #3)

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7:00pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Men’s Group (Gill Street)

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1:00pm Sit-N-Knit

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Family Night 5:30pm Meal 6:30pm Worship 7:00pm Classes 7:00pm Youth Handbells and Choir

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6:00pm Chancel Choir 7:00pm Handbell Choir

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10:00am Ladies’ Bible Study

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10:00am Praise Band Rehearsal

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9:00am Christian Formation 10:10am Prayer Time 1015am Worship 11:15am Safe Sanctuary Training 1:00pm Lay Leadership 2:00pm SPRC/Trustees

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7:00pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Men’s Group (Gill Street)

22

1:00pm Sit-N-Knit

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Family Night 5:30pm Meal 6:30pm Worship 7:00pm Classes 7:00pm Youth Handbells and Choir

24

6:00pm Chancel Choir 7:00pm Handbell Choir

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10:00am Ladies’ Bible Study

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9:00am Christian Formation 10:10am Prayer Time 1015am Worship 1:00pm Newcomer Meeting

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7:00pm Boy Scouts 7:30pm Men’s Group (Gill Street)

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1:00pm Sit-N-Knit

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May 2012

May 06 May 13 May 20 May 27

Offertory Music Chancel Choir Chancel Choir Youth Handbells Youth Choir

Liturgist Rachel Immke Wayne Giermann Tom Howe Jim Snow

Children’s Message

Andy Goveia Eva DeVore Ellen Howe Stephanie Soon

Acolyte Laura Westpfahl Morgan Kao Jordan Kao Alaysia Peterson

Media Technicians

Dean Westpfahl John Weter Joe Kao Mark Immke

Ushers

Sharee Wright (H) Dave Wright Josh Immke

Marisa Zamudio

John Weter (H) Mary Ann Altine

Sue Fetters Georgia Griffith

Wayne Goris (H) Tanner Todd Tricia Todd

Andrew Immke

Betty Haag (H) Larry Haag

Joe Kao Kim Kao

Greeters Betty Bickerstaff Bill & Ruthann

Sheets Rob Burger

Gary Wang

Coffee Host Regan Jimison Dave and Pam

Venter Tricia Todd Eva DeVore

Offering Counters

Betty Haag Barb Engel Joan Burger Bill Sheets

Newcomer Callers

Michelle Giermann Georgia Griffith

Georgia Griffith

Bill & Ruthann

Sheets

Church Cleaning Regan & Ryan

Jimison Teri Peterson John Weter Lori Immke

May 2012 Lawn Mowing Schedule

05/05/2012 05/12/2012 05/19/2012 05/26/2012

Hunter Wright Sharee Wright

Mike Norris Larry and Betty Haag Gil and Barb Engel

Adam Drake Kimberlyn Cross

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Morningstar United Methodist Church

Office Hours: Monday through 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 pastor@mymorningstar.org

Pastor Stephanie Soon, Deacon & Pianist music@mymorningstar.org

Andrew Stange, Administrative Assistant office@mymorningstar.org

Adam Drake & Kimberlyn Cross, Nursery Ministry Staff nursery@mymorningstar.org