Volume 20 Issue 3 March 2017
Phone 217-322-3328, Fax 217-322-5502
e-mail - [email protected]
Blue Jean Saturday Night Worship 5:00 PM
Sunday Worship 8:30 & 10:35 AM
Sunday School 9:30 AM
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
Rushville First United Methodist Church
Located on the corner of Congress & Jefferson
Pastor Grant Armstrong
Teresa Boyd, Administrative Secretary;
Mark Ross, Director of Music Ministries
Easter 2017
March 1 12:10 PM Ash Wednesday
Service John Sowers, First Christian
Church
March 1 6:30 PM FUMC Ash
Wednesday Service
March 8 12:10 PM First Presbyterian Church
March 15 12:10 PM Greg Fish Rushville Free Methodist Church
March 22 12:10 PM Grant Armstrong Rushville FUMC
March 29 12:10 PM Jason Triplett Rushville Church of Christ
April 5 12:10 PM St. John’s Lutheran Church
April 8 & 9 Palm Sunday Weekend
5:00 PM, 8:30 AM & 10:35 AM FUMC
April 13 7:00 PM FUMC Maundy Thursday Service
April 14 12:10 PM Good Friday Stephen Bounds
First Sothern Baptist
April 15 & 16 Easter Weekend
5:00 PM, 8:30 AM & 10:35 AM
FUMC
The SCMA will meet at 12:10-12:40 PM
during Lent.
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
Deadly
The seven deadly sins have been examined in many differ-
ent ways. When I first saw the movie “Seven” with Morgan
Freeman and Brad Pitt, I wondered how someone could
even imagine such a disturbing story around this concept of
especially harmful acts. There have been dramas and paint-
ings depicting these cardinal vices, as they’re sometimes called. Honestly, there’s very little about this
idea of certain sins being so terrible that they’re deadly is a bit of a downer.
In the season of Lent as we prepare for Easter, we’re going to examine seven deadly sins Jesus encoun-
tered on His path to the cross. It’s powerful to see how peoples’ acts and failures to act contributed not
only to the death of Jesus, but to a dangerous crisis within themselves As we see how these acts impact
lives in Jesus’ time, we also see how they impact our lives today, and how the power of God’s grace is
more-than-enough to overcome the dangers of these potentially mortal missteps.
March 1 Take Aim (Ash Wednesday) John 10:1-10
March 4/5 Vanity Luke 19:28-40
March 11/12 Greed & Envy Luke 19:45-48
March 18/19 Gluttony Luke 22:21-27
March 25/26 Sloth Luke 22:39-46
April 1/2 Pride Luke 22:54-65
April 8/9 Wrath Luke 23:32-46
April 13 On Repeat (Maundy Thursday) 1 John 3:11-24
April 16 The Death of Death (Easter) Luke 24:1-12
Join us for the special services of this season or preparation, and each week as we walk towards the cross
with Jesus.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Grant
Prayers for our Church Family
Please continue to keep these family members and loved ones in your prayers. We
have been asked to keep Eloise Patton, Jim Patton’s mother in our prayers. Tyson
Davidson is to have his tonsils removed if the insurance approves the procedure. Alice
Lowe, Jason Lowe’s mother, is dealing with some health issues. Keith DeMoss had a
procedure done. Steve Pirkle has cancer. Please keep the families of Charlie Young, Ruth
Vandriver, Sue Morrell, Kim Pearson, Eloise Baxter, Barb Phillips, Dale Wells, Barbara Spencer and Iona
Phillips in your prayers. We are happy that at this time Bill Bartlow is at home. We learned that Harry
Zingher is in the Mt. Sterling Mental Health Facility and doing well. We are asking for prayers for Leslie
Sargent, son of Maxine Sargent. Leslie has cancer of the pancreas and diabetes and has been put on
hospice.
If you have any updates on the following folks that might result in having their names removed from the list, please contact the church office
so that corrections can be made.
Each week in worship we will be lifting up a different church or charge and pastoral team from our community in
prayer. As we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ and their work for the Lord, the ministry and message of
Christ shall be strengthened. This month we will be praying for the following churches and their pastors:
The week of March 5 Industry Assembly Church Jon Keck
The week of March 12 Industry & Vermont UMC’s Steve Granadosin
The week of March 19 Rushville United Pentecostal Church Larry DeSha
The week of March 26 St. Claire’s Episcopal Father Lewis Payne
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
Please continue to remember these folks in your prayers as well: Cathy Heckel, Mary Ward, Diana Dowacter, John
Cessna, Joe Simpson, Dan Swift, Norma Toland, Linda Wilson, Elvis Wilson, Melissa Poling, Dusty Mathis, Donna
Manning, Joyce Schafer, Brian Stephens and family, Duane Easley, Kruse Logsdon, Dean Taylor, Barry Scego, Pam
McNeely, Beatrice Hall, Keith & Bonnie Vaughn, Brenda Reynolds, Dorcas Herche, Dick Etter, Doris Young, War-
ren Dodds, Dale Abbott, Marie Leonard, Mike Dean, Dixie Prather, Helen Donohew, Dessie Zingher, Gale Lee,
Norma Rowland, Amanda Law, Bob & Nancy Stauffer, Edith Goldsborough, Kristi Hamilton, Freddie & Sherry
Henninger, Mildred Hunter, Florence Bottorff, Wayne Runkle, Frank Billingsley, Virginia Stocker, Larry
Lashbrook, Pat Unger, Janet Hayes, Emmett Garriott, Eric Peacock, Vera Royce, Jim Stevenson, Linda Shaw, Kraig
Kotter, Tonya Gaither, Jonathan Cox, Tom Eifert, Glenna Prather, Karen Phillips, Peggy Settles, Luella Hedden,
Susan Busby, Ruth Teel, Bill Petersen, Phyllis Rutledge, Carol Perrine, Patti Prather, David Jones, Chris
Clevenger, Wayne & Gloria Tomlinson, Margie Tyson, Jean Wyrick and Ed Fegley.
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
As a faith community, we graciously continue to return gifts to our
generous God. Through His grace and the workings of His Holy Spirit,
we are enabled to accomplish the ministry He has set for us in the
community and throughout the world. Thank You.
March
1 Bob Divan
Kate Ingles
2 Collin Ring, Dena Huston
Zeb Bartlow
4 Brandon Peacock
5 Lyle Gabbert
6 Taylor Henninger, Bailey Ervin
Helen Peterman
7 Sammy Gossage
8 Cathy Wilson, Lauren Cox
9 Bob & Shirley Phillips
10 Aubrey Sorrell, Katie Acheson
11 Christine Utter
12 Drew Cox, Deni Trone,
Stephanie Haney
13 Luan Gossage
John & Carol Peacock
15 Betty Davis
16 Kallie Merrill
17 Jo Ann Eifert
18 Haylee Royer
19 Beth Adams Gordon
20 Maggie Prather, Dorothy Morrell
Cheri Baker
21 Anna Loretta Henry
22 Carol Wilson, Janet Gorsuch
23 Joe Henninger
24 Doug Henninger
25 Jennifer Plate
26 Luella Hedden, Teresa Boyd
Dianne Klitz, Ryan Quillen
27 Cody Allen Sikes
Mark Schoonover
Mark & Keli Schoonover
Wilbur & Marian Kindhart
30 Mya (Acker) Boone
Ella Pearl Mayes
Matt Little
Weekend of Sat 8:15 10:35 Offering
January 29 39 46 59 $3,500.00
Feb 5 28 77 96 $4,977.00
Feb 12 41 57 73 $3,955.00
Feb 19 48 45 80 $3,531.25
Feb 26
Worship, Attendance & Giving for February
News from the Pews
You Never Know
You never know when someone may
Catch a dream from you,
You never know when a little work or
Something you may do,
May open up the windows of a mind that
Seeks the light…
The way you live may not matter at all,
But you never know…
IT MIGHT!!!
And just in case it could be that another’s
Life through you,
Might possible change for the better,
With a broader and brighter view.
It seems it might be worth a try at pointing
The way to the right…
Of course it might not matter at all,
But then again…
IT MIGHT111
Helen Marshall
United Methodist
Women’s Prayer
Calendar 2017
March 1 Psalm 51:1-17
March 2 Jonah 3:1-10
March 3 Jonah 4:1-11
March 4 Isaiah 58:1-12
March 5 Psalm 32
March 6 1 Kings 19:1-8
March 7 Genesis 4:1-16
March 8 Exodus 34:1-9, 27-28
March 9 Isaiah 51:1-3
March 10 Micah 7:18-20
March 11 Isaiah 51:4-8
March 12 Psalm 121
March 13 Numbers 21:4-9
March 14 Isaiah 65:17-25
March 15 Ezekiel 36:22-32
March 16 Exodus 16:1-8
March 17 Exodus 16:9-21
March 18 Exodus 16:27-35
March 19 Psalm 95
March 20 Genesis 24:1-27
March 21 Genesis 29:1-14
March 22 Jeremiah 2:4-13
March 23 1 Samuel 15:10-21
March 24 1 Samuel 15:22-31
March 25 1 Samuel 15:32-34
March 26 Psalm 23
March 27 Isaiah 59:9-19
March 28 Isaiah 42:14-21
March 29 Isaiah 60:17-22
March 30 Ezekiel 1:1-3; 2:8; 3:3
March 31 Ezekiel 33:10-16
Unlocked Church
Hours Reminder
The church will be unlocked at 8:00 AM and
locked at 5:00 PM Monday through Thursday and at
12:00 on Friday, It is unlocked at 8:00 AM and locked
after church services on Saturdays and Sundays.
Contact the church office if you need in at other
times.
United Methodist Women
New Fellowship Hall News
There have been many questions about
the new kitchen in the Fellowship Hall. The
UMW board has and will make decisions on
what will be taken from the basement and
what will need to be purchased. We will
have a list of needs in the future. We are
thankful for any and all support to the
UMW. If you have any questions about the
kitchen, please contact Sheila Burton, Chris
Utter or Crystal Bartlett.
Blessings!
UMW World Day of Prayer
The United Methodist Women National
World Day of Prayer for Missions will be
Friday, March 3 at 10:00 AM. It will be
held in the basement, in the carpeted area
with Betty Johnson having the lesson. A
free will offering will be taken to be do-
nated to missions.
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Rushville, IL 62681
PERMIT NO. 47
Change Service Requested
Rushville 1st United Methodist Church
Corner of Congress & Jefferson
P.O. Box 208
Rushville, IL 62681
Sunday Worship Info for March
8:30 AM 10:35 AM
March 5
Acolytes: Macon Kessler Bronson Bartlett
Liturgist: Amanda Shoemaker Cheri Baker
Greeters: Betty Knous & Betty Roberts Tom, Julie & Shelby Davis
March 12
Acolytes: Macon Kessler Jason Klitz
Liturgist: Cathy Teel Carol Fuller
Greeters: Allen & Martha Tippey April & Owen Schoonover & Margie Parish
March 19
Acolytes: Macon Kessler Lilli Armstrong
Liturgist: Tina Cox Amy Armstrong
Greeters: Dick & Judy Peterman Rob, Crystal, Bronson & Jagger Bartlett
March 26
Acolytes: Macon Kessler Aubrey Sorrell
Liturgist: Sarah Duncan Eric Ewing
Greeters: Frances Bauer & Teresa Boyd Jerry & Joan Ewing & Lisa Adams
News from the Pews News from the Pews
Spring Flowers
Our Easter Sunday worship tradition has long
included adorning the sanctuary with live spring flow-
ers. These beautiful flowers have become a national
symbol used to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus
Christ and the hope of life everlasting. This year we
will be offering a “Spring Mixture” of flowers. These
flowers will be available for $15.00 a pot. They will
be in the sanctuary for Easter Weekend and can be
picked up after the 10:35 worship service on Sunday,
April 16. Orders are due no later than Monday, April
10. Additionally, if you would like to bring your own
live flower to Easter services, there will be room for
these flowers in our sanctuary.
Name_______________________________________
Address_____________________________________
Phone______________________________________
AmountEclosed_______________________________
In Loving Memory of
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
In Honor of
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
By_________________________________________
Dear United Methodist Church
Friends,
Thank you so much for the
many kindnesses you have given
me and that I appreciate very
much.
May you have many
blessings in 2017.
Dorcas Corman Herche
First United Methodist Church,
Thank you so much for helping make 2016 a
great year!
The H.E.L.P. Center
Dear Church Family,
Thank you for the beautiful shawl from the
women, and the nice Valentines cards.
John & Carol Peacock
Dear Church Family,
Thank you for the nice bag of Valentines, a spe-
cial thank you to Amy and Theo Armstrong for deliv-
ering them and for your nice visit. We have enjoyed
reading them. We appreciate the thoughtfulness of
everyone.
May God bless each of you,
Jerry & Martha Walker
Thank You!!
Thank you to Ron Shepherd, for cleaning off
the walk way and the parking lot after the
snow that we received.
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
Newsletter Updates Our “News From the Pews” newsletter has served very well
for many years, but we’ve started encountering some of the
challenges of newsletters these days. Our mailing lists aren’t
always the most up-to-date, our postage is expensive, and it’s
hard to determine what gets included in ways that help people
take steps towards deeper discipleship.
Our finance committee started looking at the expense. Our
worship committee was looking at the mailing list. Our pastor
was looking at how to make the newsletter better align with
our strategies for making disciples and making a difference.
All of those pieces came together at the same time, and soon
you’ll see some of the results.
What does this mean for me?
Different Name
There’s nothing wrong with “News From the Pews” as a name, but with a new design and focus, we
thought it would be appropriate to make a change. The name of the new newsletter is “Ignition.” Why
“Ignition?” First of all, we’re Rockets. Rockets need ignition. Also, our United Methodist logo includes a
flame to represent the Holy Spirit that leads us - a fire that God ignites in our hearts as followers of Christ.
Finally, ignition is a word that describes firing up and getting moving. The content of the new newsletter is
set-up to help people get plugged in, fired up, and moving. Which leads us to…
Different Layout
Our previous design has been pretty random. It wasn’t hard to find content, but this design will make it
even easier. The flow of the newsletter follows our discipleship process of Wake, Worship, Walk, Work and
Witness.
The Wake section gives the congregation a chance to share their God moments and Christ encounters each
month. Testimony is powerful, so we’re giving your stories a place on the front page. The Worship section
looks ahead to the upcoming sermon series, lists those serving in worship, offers a reflection on steward-
ship, and gives a glimpse at our attendance and giving. The Walk section shares current and upcoming
studies and small groups, UMW information, and an invitation to prayer that more closely resembles
what’s listed in the weekly bulletin. The Work section extends an invitation to serve Christ and our
neighbors both inside and outside of the church. Finally, the Witness section includes events that are espe-
cially suitable for extending invitations, and provides updates from our Open Arms Preschool - a wonder-
ful outreach ministry of the church. We’ll certainly still include the “Thank You” notes shared by the
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
Page 2 of “Ignition”
congregation, and a calendar of events and special days.
Different Distribution
The cost of newsletter distribution is high. We try to manage our operating costs very well, and postage for
a multi-page, multi-color newsletter to a very broad mailing list is simply expensive. In order to receive the
cost benefit of sending things out through our bulk-mail rate, we still need a mailing list of approximately
200 recipients. Our mailing list is just shy of 400 recipients right now. Many of you already receive the
newsletter by email. Some of you may be able to pick up your newsletter at the church when you come for
worship or other activities. We don’t want to reduce the number of people who can access this information,
but we do want to make certain we’re getting the information out in the most effective and cost-efficient
way.
Please contact the office at 217-322-3328 or [email protected] to let us know if you are willing
to remove your name from our postal mailing list, and place it instead on the list of folks who will pick up
their newsletters at church, or receive them by email.
Also, We Need Your Stories! The very first section of our newsletter will include your stories. We need to start collecting your stories of
how God has blessed you, or how the Spirit cared for you through a hard time. Maybe you can share about
how a certain scripture touched your heart, or how you saw Christ through an act of service. We can’t
guarantee that every story will make their way into the newsletter, but we would love to read about the
good things God is doing in your life. The easiest way for us to get them is through email
([email protected]), but we can make arrangements for folks who are tech-averse. Please in-
clude a high-quality portrait-style picture of yourself or your family so we can place a face with your
name. That way, your story also helps keep us connected as a church family!
Thank you for helping us make this transition. We pray it helps make a difference for Christ! Be on the
lookout for the first edition of Ignition in April!
Thank You!
I want to thank all of my church family for the
Valentines and candy. I have enjoyed reading
and re-reading them.
Love to all,
Maxine Sargent
Thank You!
Thank you so much for the Valentines I received last
week. I truly appreciate your kindness and thought-
fulness. It is fun to hear from everyone.
Betty Curl
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
News from the Pews
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
board members and preschool staff. You may also
order through the church office. Your purchase
will help support the general operations of our play
-based Christian education program and also help
us to keep tuition costs as low as possible. We sin-
cerely appreciate all of the help we receive from
the congregation and community through our
fundraising efforts.
The students will be singing in church on Sun-
day, March 26 at the 10:35 am service. This is a
great opportunity for members of the church and
community to see the smiling faces of the little
ones who directly benefit from all of the generous
support provided, particularly many years’ worth
of continued prayers for the well-being of our kids
and our program in general. Thank you!
Open Arms Preschool
It’s hard to believe that the month
of February is already almost behind
us! At preschool, we have learned
about friendship, Valentine’s Day,
dental health, and Presidents’ Day. We had our Val-
entine’s Day party on Monday, February 13, which
was lots of fun. The students brought valentine
boxes that they had decorated at home and valentines
to share with their classmates. We had lots of parents
and other family members join us for our party and a
good time was had by all.
We had no school on Monday, February 20 in
observance of Presidents’ Day and we celebrated
with Kynzie DeMoss on February 22 as she turned 5
years old!
We enjoyed a nice walk outside one day during
February, which doesn’t happen very often, and the
kids have now got a touch of spring fever. They are
very anxious to try out the new playground equip-
ment which has recently been installed. We are so
thankful for the financial donations that made it pos-
sible and also to Erik Monteen, Brian Thomas, and
everyone who helped with the installation of the pro-
ject. Your hard work is greatly appreciated! Be as-
sured that the playground will be put to good use by
our students as soon as we receive the go-ahead!
Our spring fundraiser will begin on March 1.
We will be selling donuts and pies from Roger’s Bak-
ery. Available for purchase will be pies of assorted
flavors, including apple, cherry, peach, and apricot as
well as two sugar-free varieties for $11.50 each.
Donuts available for purchase will be glazed yeast
donuts, old-fashioned sour cream donuts, and as-
sorted cake donuts for $10 per dozen. Our preschool
families will be selling these items as well as our
Thank You!
First United Methodist Church,
Pastor Grant Armstrong & each & every member of
the congregation,
I wish to express my most sincere gratitude to
each and every one of you for the thoughts and
prayers that were offered on my behalf during my
bout with cancer. I am pleased to report that my
check-up and scans on February 14th showed no
signs of cancer and that further healing has taken
place.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make
his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”
Numbers 6:24-25
Thank you,
Jane A. Peak
Seeking to Make a Difference for Christ in the Community
News from the Pews
Faith and Struggle on
Smokey Mountain
Hope for a Planet in Peril
by Benigno P. Beltran
Smokey Mountain was a huge garbage
dump in Manila, Philippines, where tons of
junk from all over the city were dumped every
day. It served as an emblem of third world
squalor. Father Benigno Beltran served for 30
years as the chaplain to the 25,000 men,
women and children scavengers who de-
pended on this dump for their livelihood. The
author notes that the poverty-stricken peoples’
lives are shortened by the smoke, disease and
petulance coming from the dump. He writes
of the irresponsible throw-away society and
the toxins in the garbage and the waste. The
author describes how the spiritual resilience
of the scavengers taught him to read the gos-
pel with new eyes. The scavengers had the
dump closed and housing built for them. The
scavengers had “hope” and this spiritual prac-
tice helped them move forward to a better life.
The author believes the lessons he learned
have a message for all who struggle for a bet-
ter world.
Benigno P. Beltran is a Society of the Divine Word
priest from the Philippines. He received a doctorate from
the Gregorian University before becoming chaplain to
the scavengers of Smokey Mountain. He has received
many international awards for his work in community
developmental projects.
I found this book an interesting read. Faith and
Struggle on Smokey Mountain is in the United Women
Reading Program of 2015 in the category of Education
for Mission. It can be found in the church library.
by Sheila Yates
B
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Elevator Celebration Breakfast
On Tuesday, February 7, the church voted to pro-
ceed with a plan to construct a new elevator and en-
tryway for the church. The design, cost, and plan to
pay for the construction were approved unanimously
by a charge conference vote of 32-0. This is an ex-
citing step for this church, and the hospitality we
have to share with the community.
To help this plan transform into a reality, we’re
hosting a kick-off breakfast on Sunday, March 5th
at 9:30am in the First UMC lower level. We’ll
gather around tables, enjoy some delicious food, and
learn about how we can help move this exciting pro-
ject upward! There will be a prepared meal, so we
ask for your reservation by no later than February
27. Please call the office at 217-322-3328 to let us
know that you’ll be in attendance.
God has placed a marvelous opportunity to better
serve our community within our reach. If we all
come together to follow God’s lead, we become part
of something very powerful. We get to help people
join with the Psalmist in saying, “I was glad when
they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the
Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1)
Please join us for breakfast on Sunday, March 5th,
and thank you for striving to make a difference for
Jesus Christ. As always, feel free to contact Pastor
Grant, or those serving with the elevator construc-
tion or capital campaign with any questions, com-
ments or concerns.
Sincerely,
Your Elevator Committee
Cheri Baker Christie Cox Don Goldsborough
Bob Walker Lisa Adams Grant Armstrong
Your Elevator Capital Campaign Team
Alan & Holly Acheson Susan Acker
Rob & Crystal Bartlett Mackenzie Malcomson
Keith & Michel DeMoss Amanda Shoemaker
Eric Swenson Cathy Teel Cathy Wilson
Dan Wise Grant Armstrong