From the Pastor

Living Water

De Soto United Methodist Church January 2017

Volume 24, Issue 1

Happy New Year! In this first month of 2017 part of worship will focus on prayer. Using Anne Lamott’s Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers as well as prayers from scripture as a guide we’ll explore that unique way we com-municate with God individually and as a group. As Lamott’s title suggests, one of the prayers we pray is one of thanks. I’ve been thinking a lot about thank-fulness lately, particularly my own thankfulness for being able to serve De Soto United Methodist Church. A lot happens here that is both seen and unseen, from large events like the Election Day Dinner that takes many hands and hours to pull off to smaller occasions like offering a meal to someone who is sick or grieving. There are many moments that are scheduled and unscheduled that demonstrate the movement of the Spirit here, where God’s love is made known to others, and for that I am very thankful. So many of you simply respond to the Spirit when asked and are ready to fill a need when necessary. Looking ahead to 2017 I will continue to be in prayer for our congregation as we continue to reach out to the community with children’s events such as Mr. Stinky Feet and our children’s choir, be a place of mission as we help at Grand Avenue Temple in downtown KC and serve our community through the De Soto Food Pantry as well as develop a long-range missional strategy, focus on ensuring worship is a dynamic time where people of all ages feel welcome and be a place of fellowship through small groups and special events. And there’s more, so much more and you, empowered by the Spirit, make it happen. I am thankful for all of you who work so hard to live out their calling. Please take time to be in prayer for De Soto United Methodist Church as we seek to be a place where we are responding to God’s call in our lives and in our hearts. Know that all we do here, big and small, has a wider impact than we could ever imagine. And we are called to continue to seek ways to be more effective in ensuring that this is a place where we are making disciples for the transformation of the world. I am very thankful for serving here and look for-ward to what God has in store for us in 2017. Peace, Pastor Jeff

Pastor 1

Children & Family 2

Youth 3

Coming Events 4

2016 Highlights 5

January Activities 6

UMM, UMW 7

About Us 8

Inside this issue:

Dec. 8

5:30-7:00 pm

Bible Explorers: Sunday, January 8 Bible Explorers is for 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders and meets the first Sunday of the month, October through May for a light meal followed by fun, explorative ways to learn about the Bible and what it teaches us as we grow as disciples of Jesus. Due to New Year’s and the Super Bowl, our next two meeting dates are different. Here

are our remaining meeting dates: Jan. 8, Feb. 12, March 5, April 2, May 7.

February 11, 3:00 pm—Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove

We’re excited to welcome back Kansas City’s own kid rocker,

Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cosgrove! This high-energy, interactive

show will get the whole family rockin’.

Looking Ahead: Feb. 11, 2017

www.jimcosgrove.com

The Children & Family Ministry Team will meet January 17 at 7:00 pm. This group

is open to new team members. We gather to calendar, plan, and support activities

for children and families. Come check us out or contact Sabrina to learn more:

youthfamily@desotoumc.org.

Children & Family Ministry Team—Jan. 17

No 9:00 am GROUPS January 1. All resume January 8. We’ve got a GROUP for you:

nursery, PreK, elementary, youth, & adult. See you in 2017!

GROUPS resume January 8

I have caught myself using the same word, “Sunday School,” to describe two different

Sunday morning gatherings. So to help myself, and others, distinguish between our Sun-

day morning children’s programming, we have decided not to use “Sunday School,” but

“GROUPS” (9:00 am) and “Children’s Church” (after Children’s Moment in 10:00 am

Worship). I welcome your help in reminding me what word I should speak when I inev-

itably make a mistake. :-) Sabrina

9 am GROUPS

10 am Children’s Church

What do you call it? Whatchamacallit!

Confirmation begins in 2017

What is Confirmation? In short, it is a time when a person decides to publicly af-

firm that they embrace the Christian faith on their own. And if a person has not

previously been baptized, then baptism and confirmation may occur at the same

time. In preparation for the worship service in which students (6th grade and old-

er), called Confirmands, make this affirmation, they attend a series of Confirmation

classes. In the classes they learn more about the Christian faith, spiritual disci-

plines, the United Methodist Church, and what it means to continue in a life of dis-

cipleship. Learn more about Confirmation from this brief video:

http://www.chuckknowschurch.com/archive/43confirmation

Confirmation classes will begin January 8. Classes will meet at 8:50 am Sundays and are open to students 6th grade and older. Additional activities and classes will include the Bishop’s Confirmation Rally, a retreat and more. Contact Sabrina for de-tails.

Youth Group (YG) Meets Sundays All 6th thru 12 graders, join us for Youth Group Sundays, 7:00—8:30 pm. Faith,

friends, food, fun, & fellowship! Our first gathering of the new year will be

Jan. 8. Bring a friends and join us in Fellowship Hall.

NEWS! We’re heading to Kokomo, IN to serve at Kokomo Urban Outreach for

our Summer Mission Experience. We’re finalizing which week. Sabrina will be

communicating with families early in January to finalize this detail.

January 8 is our first YG of 2017.

February 28, 6:00 pm—Fat Tuesday Dinner & White

Elephant Auction. This is our biggest annual Youth Group

event to support the summer mission trip. Save the date.

Parents—we are in need of a meal coordinator for this event.

Contact Sabrina if you can help, youthfamily@desotoumc.org.

Looking Ahead: Fat Tuesday

Youth Group Bowling, January 3

Fat Tuesday Dinner &

White Elephant Auction

At 6 pm enjoy a dinner, compliments of the Youth Group.

You’re invited to bring a decadent dessert to share. At 7 pm will

be our traditional White Elephant gift exchange. To participate in

the exchange, bring 1 (or more) wrapped gifts from home—

anything funny, funky, junky, or nice. The wrapped gifts will be

auctioned and traded, which can be quite humorous!

Proceeds support Summer Youth Mission Trip.

6:00-9:00 pm, February 28

Free Concert

February 11

3:00 pm

Join us as we welcome Kansas City’s own kid rocker, Jim “Mr. Stinky Feet” Cos-

grove! Jim’s concerts have delighted audiences for nearly two decades. Jim’s phi-

losophy is that children are the stars of his shows, not him. Come sing, dance, and

play in the band. This high-energy, interactive show will get the whole family rock-

in’. www.jimcosgrove.com

Bible Explorers visit Keil Hileman’s

museum classroom full of amazing

artifacts.

KiDS Choir singing in worship.

Youth Group ‘Chopped’

cooking challenge.

JANUARY ACTIVITIES

1 SUN Worship 3 Tue 6:30pm D.A.R. 4 Wed 6:00pm Choir practice 6 Fri 7:00am Rotary 8 SUN Groups and Worship 8:50am Confirmation Class 4:00pm Daisy Troop 1969 11 Wed 1:30pm Hillside Village 6:00pm Choir practice 12 Thu 7:00pm Cub Scout parents 13 Fri 7:00am Rotary 14 Sat Youth One Event 15 SUN Groups and Worship 16 Mon 7:00pm Finance

17 Tue 12:00pm Reading Circle 7:00pm Children & Family Team Meeting 18 Wed 6:00pm Choir practice 19 Thu 1:00pm Pleasant Hour 20 Fri 7:00am Rotary 21 Sat 7:00am United Methodist Men Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby 22 SUN Groups and Worship 4:00pm Daisy Troop 1969 23 Mon 6:30pm Pioneer 4H 25 Wed 6:00pm Choir practice 26 Thu 7:00pm Cub Scout Pack 3054 27 Fri 7:00am Rotary 29 SUN Groups and Worship

Sunday Schedule Each Week

9:00am Groups for All Ages 10:00am Worship with Sunday School

5:30-7:00pm Bible Explorers—First Sunday of the Month 7:00-8:30pm Youth Group

Sunday Liturgist Greeters Snacks Counters

1/01/2017 Jim Walker Don & Arylis Neal Scott & Kendee Seymour Shelle Field &

1/08/2017 Wes Rains Gish Family Sally Bedford Annette Tucker

1/15/2017 Gayle Moriarity Doug Bedford Family Rich & Kristie Cox All January

1/22/2017 Tammy Mikinski Karen Haake/Matt Little Betty Cannon

1/29/2017 Charles Miller Wes Rains Family Lisa Carpenter

JANUARY SERVICE WORKERS

CELEBRATE JANUARY BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES

Happy Birthday

1 Cole Morton 1 Bill Whim 2 Robert Barthol 5 Doug Weis

7 Coby Morton 11 Linda Patton 12 Larry Cox 13 Beverly Jones

14 Terri Hooper 18 Dixie Skaggs 20 Carol Coffman 22 Erica Rains

25 Gladys Bowlin

Happy Anniversary

1 Larry & Rosie Inman 19 Earl & Joan Barenklau

United Methodist Men meet in Fellowship Hall on the third Saturday of every

month at 7:00am for breakfast and fellowship, January 21st this month. If you would like to

find out more about joining UMM, please contact Jim Walker, (913) 485-6690.

United Methodist Women

See us on Facebook: De Soto United Methodist Women

All are welcome to any Circle, any event. Please contact Kendee Seymour if you would like further information. seydude@yahoo.com (913) 634-4972.

Agape Circle will meet in February.

Silver Circle will meet in February Reading Circle Third Tuesday, January 17th Noon, Church Parlor. Our book: “Sally Ride”, by

Lynn Sherr. *Our public library has copies of the book and look for audio options. Fellowship

lunch at Lucky Garden before meeting. For information call Nancy McMillen (913) 583-1785.

Our future list if you’d like to read ahead: *“Wild in the Hollow” by Amber Haynes (February);

“Slowing Time” by Barbara Mahany (March); *“Snake Oil” by Richard Heinberg (April); “Wherever

the River Runs” by Kelly Minter (May), *“ Soul Repair” by Brock & Lettini (June). If the library has few or no

copies of the books, we will be ordering books. Everyone is encouraged to read the books and to join us if you

are able.

DE SOTO FOOD PANTRY

Tuesdays 10am - 12pm Thursdays 4pm - 6pm Saturdays 9am - 11am

Staples such as canned foods, tomato products, spaghetti sauces, fruits, vegetables, meats, soups.

Dried pastas, beans, breakfast cereals, Hamburger Helper, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and

jelly, pancake mix and syrup. Non-perishable paper items.

Grand Avenue Temple

Volunteers needed for serving the homeless at Grand

Avenue Temple's soup kitchen. We would be carpool-

ing, and could work out passengers giving gas $ to

willing drivers. We would be leaving church at 8:15

AM returning at 2PM.

Date(s) needed are Jan. 8 & 15.

Please text or call Michael Atchison, 816-337-8640 Or

email: michaelatchison1978@gmail.com

Thank you for your service.

When we go to Grand Avenue Temple we usually provide soft fruits and baked goods which become part of the

Sojourners meal. Bananas, grapes, apples, oranges, baked brownies, cookies and cakes are all welcome additions to

our service.

Sundays

9:00am Groups for All Ages

10:00am Worship

Phone: 913-583-1359

Web: www.desotoumc.org

De Soto United Methodist Church Pastor: Reverend Jeff Prothro

E-mail: pastorjeff@desotoumc.org

Phone: 316-214-0144

Coordinator for Children, Youth and Family:

Sabrina Wellman

E-mail: youthfamily@desotoumc.org

Phone: 785-749-4577

Secretary: Linda Patton

Church E-mail: umcoffice@desotoumc.org

De Soto United Methodist Church

8760 Kill Creek Road

P O Box 400

De Soto, KS 66018