Steeple Chimes November 2019

Monthly Publication by Stockton United Methodist Church, Stockton, Mo.

Pastor’s Paragraph Every year when November rolls around I start to get a little nervous. About this time of the year things start to get hectic around here. There are community services, music programs, Christmas parties, stewardship campaigns and the like. Administratively, there are committee meetings, charge conference paperwork, district meetings, and year-end reports looming. In addition to all that goes into worship planning for this time of year, the new lectionary year begins on December 1. As the new church year unfolds, we once again enter into the life of the Lord Jesus as we prepare for his birth during Advent and celebrate the beginning of his life through the Sundays of Christmas and Epiphany. This year, Year A in the lectionary will focus on the Gospel of Matthew. Amid all this busyness it’s easy to relegate an important holy day to the back of our minds. I’m speaking of All Saints Day (or All Saints Sunday.) In this church we typically use this Sunday to remember our members who have passed away in the previous twelve months, as well as other loved ones. All of this reminds us of the affirmation we make in the Apostles’ Creed of our belief in the communion of saints. The following article is from the United Methodist website: “Every time Christians say the Apostles’ Creed, we profess belief in the communion of saints. The term “communion of saints” refers to the whole community of faithful followers of Christ, living and dead, past, present and future. Rev. Katie Shockley explains, "When we gather in

worship, we praise God with believers we cannot see. When we celebrate Holy Communion, we feast

with past, present and future disciples of Christ. We experience the communion of saints, the community of believers –– living and dead. This faith community stretches beyond space and time. We commune with Christians around the world, believers who came before us, and believers who will come after us. We believe that the church is the communion of saints, and as a believer, you belong to the communion of saints.” Orthodox Christians regularly use icons depicting the saints as physical reminders that all saints are truly present. All Saints Day is a time when we remember Christians of every time and place, honoring those who lived faithfully, shared their faith and point us to the way of Christ through the witness of their lives. Shockley goes on, “The saints in our lives inspire us to live in holiness and righteousness.” (Ask the UMC) What a glorious thing to remember on All Saints Day, as well as every time we participate in communion, that we are a part of the family of God that continues on from past, to present, to future and includes believers from every nation, race, and tribe. In a very real way, we are brothers and sisters with the likes of Mary and Joseph, Peter, James, and John, Paul, Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Susanna, John, and Charles Wesley, C.H. Spurgeon, D.L. Moody and Billy Graham. On All Saints Day we remember that we have a living faith, and we participate in the faith of the living. The eternal life we begin on earth continues into eternity. Continued on page 8

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Connecting People with Jesus Christ November 2019

Announcements

Oct. 20 Church Council Highlights Linda Hall, Recording Secretary

Present: Erickson, Fry, Thomson, Hammons, Ross, Holts, Marcum, Hall, Coffer

Go Green Team: Cheryl reported $186 collected for recycle frames. At Black Walnut Festival 21 volunteers collected 15 bags of plastic, 6½ bags of cans, a 5 gallon bucket of bottle caps. A grand success. Cheryl motioned we have a Hat Sunday Nov. 3 inspired by Fay Hammons. Approved. (Cheryl/Dwain)

Finance: See report on bulletin board.

PPR: Mitch suggests a big thank you to Pat Wilkinson for nursery care. Welcome to Jessica now attending the office to replace Sara. She will work a 24-hour week, 9-3 four days a week.

Trustees: Rex reported three new toilets installed. They are working on thermostats and nursery tabletop.

Senior Adult Ministry: Doyle has been working on a comprehensive survey to be mailed to local members and attendees. Results expected in January.

Pastor: Pastor Jim reported October-December special events and calendar dates. See Steeple Chimes calendar for specific events.

Remembrance (All Saints) Sunday Sunday, Nov. 3, 10:45 a.m./Sanctuary

On Remembrance Sunday we honor loved ones who passed away during the past year, and others still fondly remembered. Bring a single stem flower of your choice to place on the memorial, or accept a flower from the memorial committee.

Veterans Recognition Sunday, Nov. 10, 10:45 a.m./Sanctuary

Veterans will be honored with special music and recognition. Join us afterward for refreshments in the welcome area. To provide cookies or mixed nuts for the reception, please sign up in the welcome area by November 8.

All Saints Sunday, Ladies Wear a Hat! Cheryl Y. Marcum Even in death, Faye Hammons inspires people who did not know her in life! Mother of Dwain Hammons, Faye loved wearing big fancy hats, even in this rural farming community. After her soul took flight last June at age 104, Dwain generously donated several of her stylish hats to our fall UMW rummage sale. Shoppers admired them and their round hat boxes. They reminisced about Savage Juliette’s Dress Shop on the square in Springfield and the days when women wore big fancy hats. Three Sundays later, relative newcomer Ellen Morris who never met Faye, wore a favorite hat to church, saying Faye’s hats in the rummage sale inspired her to wear it. Ladies sitting nearby chimed in that they liked wearing hats, but since they are out of fashion, no one felt comfortable wearing their hats. The idea hatched that we should designate a hat Sunday so all the women who want to wear a hat could do so comfortably. Since Faye will be among those remembered this year on All Saints’ Sunday, that seemed the ideal Sunday for all women to wear a hat and honor Faye’s memory. The Church Council approved the idea, so ladies, air out and brush off a favorite big fancy hat and wear it to church with great joy on All Saints’ Sunday, November 3. Pastor Jim reminded us that men are not allowed to wear hats during worship.

13th Annual Community Thanksgiving

Dinner Thursday, Nov. 28, 11:30-1/Family Life Center Don’t have plans for Thanksgiving dinner? Unable to prepare a big meal at home? Join us as SUMC hosts its 13th annual community Thanksgiving dinner. We serve a free, traditional, home-cooked meal with all the trimmings. This event has become a favorite Stockton tradition with 150-200 people gathering to share food and fellowship. RSVP by Nov. 18 (276-4717). Why not invite a friend or neighbor to join you on this very special day of thanks? Volunteers are needed to cook, serve, clean up, and deliver meals. Sign up in the church welcome area.

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Read all about Stockton United Methodist Church at www.stocktonumc.org November 2019

One CFL contains about 4 mg of vaporized mercury, one 4-foot florescent tube contains about 12 mg. Mercury is now a world-wide contaminant. Processes in the environment convert it into methylmercury which bioaccumulates up the food chain. The amount of mercury contained in just 25 standard fluorescent bulbs can pollute a 20-acre lake, making the fish in the lake unsafe to eat. Years ago, this prompted the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services to issue a statewide advisory on eating top level predator fish species (such as largemouth bass) greater than 12 inches long from Missouri lakes and ponds. When mercury is released from a broken bulb, it instantly evaporates into an invisible, odorless, toxic vapor that can cause serious health injury and may be lethal when people breathe and inhale it into their lungs. It is better to recycle the valuable (and toxic) mercury from bulbs than to set bulbs out with the trash where they almost always break and release the mercury before the broken glass shards are buried in our landfills. Imagine the good land buried under our mountains of trash—including toxins such as mercury, lethal to creation—lamenting to God, as written in Jeremiah 12:10-11: “Foreign, scavenging shepherds will loot and trample my fields, turn my beautiful, well-cared-for fields into vacant lots of tin cans and thistles. They leave them littered with junk—a ruined land, a land in lament.” The whole countryside is a wasteland, and no one will really care.” --The Message Bible Continued on page 4

Recycle All Kinds of Light Bulbs

November 15 and 17 Cheryl Y. Marcum, Creation Care Ministry

For the fifth year, SUMC is participating in America Recycles Day, a nationwide initiative every November 15 by Keep America Beautiful. Recycle all kinds of residential bulbs on November 15, in our church parking lot near the office entrance, 2-4 p.m., and for your convenience, the Sunday after, November 17, 9 a.m.-noon, same place:

• florescent tubes • compact fluorescents (CFLs) • metal halide • incandescent • halogen • light emitting diodes (LEDs)

To protect human health, many municipalities require recycling mercury containing light bulbs. The EPA estimates that 600 million fluorescent lights are disposed of annually, with over 80 percent ending up in landfills where they release mercury into the environment. Because mercury persists in the environment, never dispose of CFLs, fluorescent tubes, or metal halide bulbs with your regular garbage. Transport bulbs that contain no mercury loose in a sturdy container, like a bucket or box: incandescent, halogen and LED bulbs. Take care not to break the bulbs that contain mercury because even small amounts of vaporized mercury are hazardous to human health and to our environment. For safety, Go Green Team volunteers will collect your bulbs from your car; please do not unload them yourself. Carefully bag each CFL and metal halide in a sealed zip-lock bag, one per bag. We have plenty of good used zip-lock bags on hand that you can use to bag these bulbs at home; pick them up in the welcome area the first two Sundays in November. Transport florescent tubes in the box the new ones came in (you can take your box back home) or carefully wrap them in newspaper or other protective material.

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Connecting People with Jesus Christ November 2019

Recycle All Kinds of Light Bulbs

November 15 and 17 Continued from page 3 Our Go Green Team delivers the CFLs to Lowe’s for free recycling and all other bulbs to the Computer Recycling Center in Springfield. Fees pass directly to the companies that extract mercury, a complicated procedure for processing hazardous materials. Fees: $1/tube; $2.50/metal halide; all other bulbs/free. We cannot accept broken bulbs. For safely, we cannot store bulbs in the church at any other time, so please do not drop them off except on these days. Successful First Recycling Venture at

Black Walnut Festival Cheryl Y. Marcum, Creation Care Ministry

Approximately five years in the making, our Go Green Team was pleased with the public support for our first venture to collect beverage bottles and cans for recycling at the 50th Black Walnut Festival. Thanks to the $1,000 grant from the Stockton Community Foundation, augmented with generous donations to make up the $166 difference between the grant and the cost of 15 new Clear Stream recycling units, we were able to deploy 20 bright blue recycling units throughout the city park during the three-day festival. Shortly before the festival, we learned that the city’s recycling vender, Republic Services, changed the kinds of plastics they accept for recycling. They now require removing plastic caps from all plastic bottles and containers. To comply, we attached an empty ice cream bucket with a hole drilled in the lid to each of our recycling units along with a message on the top of the unit advising recyclers to remove caps and place them in the bucket. We were pleasantly surprised at how many people followed our directions. Even so, we had to uncap a lot of bottles. Uncertainty accompanied this first venture and we learned from experience how to improve next year. Twenty-one volunteers scheduled in pairs worked one to two-hour shifts throughout the three days.

By the end of the festival, we collected 15 large blue bags of bottles, uncapped, delivered to the city recycling center; 6.5 smaller bags of aluminum cans delivered to our United Methodist Men’s recycling barrels, and a heaping 5-gallon bucket full of plastic caps headed to the Computer Recycling Center in Springfield. We are grateful to the city employees who helped transport the bags of bottles to the city recycling center. We are grateful to all of the people who played a role in making this project possible, including Go Green Team member, Kim Jasper, who wrote the successful grant application and charter Go Green Team member, Chris Levi, who first identified this as a community need that we could fill. Chris moved to Kansas earlier this year before we achieved her vision. Chris, we did it!

Three full bags of uncapped plastic bottles

Five gallons of plastic bottle

caps

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Read all about Stockton United Methodist Church at www.stocktonumc.org November 2019

“Right to Harm” Documentary

Screening, El Dorado Springs, Nov. 21 Cheryl Y. Marcum, Creation Care Ministry

Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream. –Amos 5:24 Scripture tells us that God dedicated us to tend and keep his good creation. Mark your calendar to attend the “Right to Harm” documentary, November 21, 7 p.m., at the Opera House Theater in El Dorado Springs. Show your support for our Cedar County Commissioners as they, on our behalf, take our case to court to protect our air and water quality, our property values, and our right to enjoy our rural lifestyles from the impact of SB 391. Gov. Parson signed SB 391 into law on May 31, a land use, food, air and water pollution issue that promises to boldly degrade God’s good creation unless the court decides it is unconstitutional. This new law invites corporate and foreign-controlled industrial agricultural interests to build and operate massive concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) anywhere they want in Missouri with practically no regulations to protect our air and water quality, our property values, and our right to enjoy our rural lifestyles. Missouri CAFO standards rank among the weakest in the nation. Current state CAFO standards allow an unlimited number of animals to be located 3,000 feet from our homes, barely over a half mile. According to an EPA study, an adult hog creates four times as much waste in a day as an adult human. So, a typical CAFO with 4,000 hogs can generate as much waste as a city of 16,000 people, more waste than produced by the human population of our county. Imagine that half a mile from your front door. Worse, imagine the stench when they spray-apply their waste 50 feet from your property line (think 25-foot tape measure stretched out two times), 300 feet from a drinking water well or spring (length of a football field, not including end zones), and 150 feet from a public use area. State standards do not regulate air quality for CAFOs with less than 7,000 cattle, 17,500 hogs, or 875,000 chicken broilers. State standards require no setbacks between CAFOs and populated areas, and no construction permits. Thanks to our state Senator

Crawford, three House members with districts in our county, and Governor Parson, every Missourian is at risk. We are not the first state to face an unwelcome invasion of these massive industrial CAFOs. Thanks a generous $300 donation that covers the documentary public screening license cost, and other donations to pay the $200 theater rental fee and honorariums for our four panelists, we have the opportunity to see the excellent and timely documentary, “Right to Harm,” which documents the public health impact of CAFOs, through the eyes of residents of five rural communities across the U.S., ordinary people like us. When pushed to their limit, these disenfranchised citizens banded together to demand justice from their legislators. In our case, our Cedar County Commission, as part of a small coalition, filed an injunction on August 19 which called for a restraining order until our court hearing on September 16. A new judge requested by the attorney representing our Governor, the Farm Bureau, and Cattlemen’s Association, dismissed our restraining order and postponed our hearing until December 9, which allowed SB391 to become law on August 28, as originally scheduled. The screening will be free and open to the public. The following panelists with experience and expertise dealing with the impact of CAFOs will speak and answer questions following the screening: (1) Todd Parnell, former director, Missouri Clean Water Commission and retired president, Drury University, Branson; (2) Jessie Green, Waterkeeper and Executive Director, White River WATERKEEPER®, Harrison, Ark.; (3) Tim Gibbons, Missouri Rural Crisis Center, Columbia; and (4) Darvin Bentlage, Barton County farmer and angus rancher whose farms are surrounded by six CAFOs. Those present will have opportunities to take action and get involved in the fight against corporate-controlled CAFOs in Missouri. It is really important that you show up. Reserve your free ticket online at https://www.eventbrite.com /e/right-to-harm-documentary-screening-tickets-78017926719. At the door, show your printed ticket or the ticket saved to your Smart phone.

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Connecting People with Jesus Christ November 2019

High Efficiency Toilets Conserve Water Cheryl Y. Marcum, Creation Care Ministry

Our faith calls us to conserve and protect water, a precious gift from God. Thanks to trustee Gary Maugh for installing three new American Standard Cadet Pro toilets, two in the women’s restroom and one in the men’s restroom on the main level. These high efficiency, WaterSense labeled toilets use 20% less water than the models they replaced which complied with the current Federal standard of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf). The flow rate of the new ones is 1.28 (gpf), with superior performance. Comfort height at 16.5 inches means they are handicap accessible and comply with the American Disabilities Act. The city of Stockton supplies our church’s water. As of April 2019, Stockton’s two water pumping stations are powered with solar energy, so together with our new WaterSense toilets, our church now scores higher on stewardship of God’s good creation.

December 15 Last Day to Recycle Cereal

Bags and Liners Cheryl Y. Marcum, Creation Care Ministry

Five years ago, SUMC entered into a new and unique recycling partnership with Terracycle, Princeton, N.J. Terracycle partners with a range of industries that pay shipping and other costs to collect their industry’s waste stream for responsible recycling. In 2014, in response to a suggestion by Pam Elkins, SUMC enrolled in the Terracycle cereal bags and liners recycling program. They pay for shipping and pay 2¢ for every bag received. Their minimum shipping weight is five pounds; we learned early that it takes a lot of cereal bags and liners to weigh five pounds! The project sponsor, Malt-O-Meal® brand cereals by Post Consumer Brands, is terminating the partnership on December 31, so the last day we will collect cereal bags and liners is Sunday, December 15 to allow shipping time for them to arrive in Princeton by December 31. Please deposit your bags and liners in our recycling cabinet as you collect them, and bring your last ones on Sunday, December 15. Thank you for supporting this recycling program.

Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday, November 3

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Read all about Stockton United Methodist Church at www.stocktonumc.org November 2019

Stockton United Methodist Church November 2019 Calendar of Events

Current as of Oct. 24. For updates visit www.stocktonumc.org/calendar

Key

FLC – Family Life Center S – Sanctuary W – Welcome Area LSHF – Lake Stockton Healthcare Facility * Community/individual

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Connecting People with Jesus Christ November 2019

Special Events November 3 (Sunday) 10:45 a.m. All Saints Day (Remembrance Sunday) /Sanctuary

Women are encouraged to wear hats on this Hat Sunday. November 10 (Sunday) 10:45 a.m. Veterans Recognition/Sanctuary

After worship, join us for a light reception honoring our veterans. November 15 and 17 (Sunday, Thursday) America Recycles Day/SUMC Office Entrance

Recycle dead CFLs and florescent tubes Friday 2-4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. –noon. November 17 (Sunday) 2:45-5 p.m. SUMC Hosts SW District Charge Conference/Sanctuary

Everyone is encouraged to attend. November 24 (Sunday) 6-7 p.m. Community Thanksgiving Service /Southern Baptist Church

Pastor Jim brings the message. Offerings benefit Stockton Area Ministerial Alliance. November 28 (Thursday) 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Community Thanksgiving Dinner/Family Life Ctr

Free for everyone in our community, food is prepared and served by SUMC volunteers.

Mark Your Calendar Beyond November . . . December 1 (Sunday) 7-8 p.m. SAMA Musicale and Hanging of the Greens/Sanctuary

December 8 (Sunday) 10:45 a.m. MSU Gospel Choir Leads Worship

Stockton United Methodist Church November Calendar of Special Events

Current as October 24 . For updates, visit www.stocktonumc.org/calendar

Continued from page 1 So, on November 3 when you receive communion imagine yourself sitting down to a huge banquet with your loved ones and all the saints of the past, present, and future. Take to heart the words of the Great Thanksgiving: “By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jim

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Read all about Stockton United Methodist Church at www.stocktonumc.org November 2019

Birthdays and Anniversaries Happy Birthday! Blessed Anniversary!

November Servants Liturgist: Sharon Linnartz

Sunday Morning Greeters:

Darlene Barker Linda Hall Jeanne Proffer Ted and Brenda Woodrell

SAMA Food Pantry needs peanut butter (creamy) and toilet paper. Place contributions in south hall collection bin.

Please place donations in south hall collection bin.

Personal information not included in Steeple Chimes Web Version

November Needs

SUMC Church Family, Thank you for everything you did to make my day of retirement a cherished memory: cards and letters of appreciation and friendship (I cherish your words); a priceless stained glass angel from the historic 2003 shards; cash gifts far beyond my expectations; a farewell cake at the dinner and standing ovation in the sanctuary. You honor me, and I have been honored to serve you. I thank God for bringing us together! With eternal love and prayers, Sara Rummage Sale Thanks Due to a delay in setting up, you men and others (you know who you are) are appreciated for all Your effort in helping accomplish the task quickly God bless and thank you. Darlene

The Mailbox

MERRY CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE! Dennis and Tami Anthony’s

715 Morgan Dr. Wednesday, December 18, 3-6 p.m. ALL church invited; Come and go as

you please! Punch, wassail, beverages provided.

I If you have a favorite snack, feel free to bring, if you like!

US POSTAGE PAID

Non-Profit Org. Permit No. 11

Stockton, MO 65785

Return Service Requested

Jim Coffer, Pastor Rose Mary Owens, Director of Music Jacky Vincent, Organist Mary Anne Manring, Pianist

Worship 10:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:45-10:30 a.m.

Steeple Chimes

Stockton United Methodist Church 708 E. Hwy 32, Post Office Box 329, Stockton, MO 65785 Telephone (417) 276-4717 Fax (417) 276-2077 E-mail stocktonumc@windstream.net www.stocktonumc.org

13th Annual Free Community

Thanksgiving Dinner

November 28

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Family Life Center