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TRANSCRIPT
SPECIAL POINTS OF
INTEREST:
September 4 - Labor
Day
September 10 - Rally
Day
September 20 - Kids
Night Out!
September 24 - FISH
Food Pantry Collection
V OLUME 7 , ISSUE 8
SEPTEMBER 2017
Memos from Memorial
MEMORIAL UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
News for Young
The Spoken Word 2
Letter in response to
Charlottesville 3
Missions of Memorial 4
News and Events 5
Volunteers - Birthdays 6
Appreciations 7
Calendar 8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
The Ponderings
PC(USA) Belhar Confession
The newest confession added to the PC(USA) Book of Confessions is the Confession of Belhar. Originally published in September 1986, the Confession of Belhar was added to the Book of Confessions in 2016 by the 222nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at its meeting in Portland, Oregon. The Confession of Belhar was birthed out of the suffering of Afrikaans in South Africa as racism and apartheid ruled and separated people by race from 1948 to 1994. “We Believe
-that Christ’s work of reconciliation is made manifest in the church as the community of believers who have been reconciled with God and with one another;
-that unity is, therefore, both a gift and an obligation for the church of Jesus Christ; that through the working of God’s Spirit it is a binding force, yet simultaneously a reality which must be earnestly pursued and sought; one which the people of God must continually be built up to obtain;
-that this unity must become visible so that the world might believe that separation, enmity and hatred between people and groups is sin which Christ has already conquered, and accordingly that anything which threatens this unity may have no place in the church and must be resisted.”
May God grant us the courage to live in unity for the justice of all. Pastor Kelley
V OLUME 7 , ISSUE 8 P AGE 2
RALLY DAY
Walk/Bike-a-thon and Sing-a-long
With the Children back in school, we are looking forward to a new season in our church. Rally Day is the day the entire congregation celebrates the beginning of that new season. We celebrate the new Church calendar year, we celebrate as Pastor Kelley begins new sermons, we celebrate adult and children Sunday School with new curriculum and bible stories, and we celebrate new bible studies.
This year Rally Day is on Sunday September 10. We will have a carry in lunch with the Spiritual Growth Team supplying meat and cheese trays, buns, chips, drinks, and table service. We are asking the congregation to bring a salad, side dish or dessert. During lunch, we will have baskets on each table in the Fellowship Hall for donations to the
Children and Youth Camp and Conference Fund. This fund helps to send our children to such events as Kirkmont Camp and the Youth Triennium. This will be the only time the children will be collecting money so please consider helping.
After lunch is when the fun begins. The children and any adults that would like to join us will be heading outside for our Bike/Walk-a-thon. While we enjoy some outside fun, Jill-Ann will be engaging our indoor friends in a summer Sing-a-long.
What a wonderful day for our entire congregation to celebrate new beginnings.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND KNO
Children and Youth Christian Education begins the following Sunday, September 17 @ 9:15. Kid’s Night Out begins Wednesday, September 20 from 5:30-7. Come join us for faith, fun and friends! ~Nancy
News for the Younger Set
As we enter into a new church year,
Pastor Kelley will be preaching from
the stories of the Narrative Lectionary. For the month of
September, we will begin with the
beginning – Genesis.
September 3
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Guest Preacher, Rev. David Fleming “Affirming Our Work”
John 17:1-5 Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
The Spoken Word
September 10
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Guest Preacher, Rev. David Fleming
Rally Day & All Church Potluck
September 17
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost “In the Beginning”
Genesis 1:1-2:4a & John 1:1-5
September 24
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost “Binding of Isaac”
Genesis 21:1-3; 22:1-14 & John 1:29
V OLUME 7 , ISSUE 8 P AGE 3
In the aftermath of the events of August 11 and 12 in Charlottesville, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
reaffirms its condemnation of white supremacy and racism, names them as sin, and renews its
commitment to disrupting them and working for justice and equity.
We give thanks for the presence and faithful witness of church members who stand against white
supremacy and racism. Individually and collectively the church, including Presbyterians, stood against
hate in Charlottesville. Individually and collectively the church, including Presbyterians, works to
disrupt racism and to build racial equity in places across the country. We grieve for Heather Heyer,
who was killed while standing witness; we grieve for state police officers H. Jay Cullen and Berke
Bates, who died in a helicopter crash while monitoring events in Charlottesville; we pray for the
recovery of all who were injured.
We acknowledge that Scripture has been misused to justify white supremacy and racism. However, we
proclaim that the Bible’s message presents a far more consistent and insistent witness to God’s love
for diversity and justice. This may be observed in God’s delight in the varied creation; heard in the
words of prophets who reject oppression and commend justice as true worship; seen in the life and
ministry of Jesus Christ, who values all persons regardless of any aspect of their identity; and
experienced through the work of the Holy Spirit, who consistently blows through all the divisions we
create, to reveal God’s love for all humanity.
White supremacy and racism stand in stark, irreconcilable contradiction to God’s intention for
humanity. They reject part of the human family and are utterly contrary to God’s Word made incarnate
in Jesus. They are idolatries that elevate human-created hierarchies over God’s freely given grace and
love. They are lies about the human family, for they seek to say that some people are less than other
people. They are lies about God because they falsely claim that God favors some people over the
entirety of creation.
But as we give thanks, we acknowledge the church’s complicity in the creation of white supremacy
and racism. We confess the church’s failure in challenging and disrupting white supremacy and
racism. Too often we have accepted the status quo. Too often we have stood silent in the face of
injustice and oppression.
By God’s grace may we remember the events in Charlottesville; repent of our acquiescence and
failures; and renew our commitment to proclaim and live the good news of Jesus Christ. May that
commitment lead us to stand against, speak against and work against racism and white supremacy, this
day and every day.
May it be so. Amen.
Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Tony De La Rosa Interim Executive Director - Presbyterian Mission Agency
PC(USA) leaders condemn white supremacy, racism
Charlottesville religious leaders praised
Rev. T. Denise Anderson & Rev. Dr. Jan Edmiston Co-Moderators of the 222nd General Assembly (2016)
MEMOS FROM MEMORIAL P AGE 4
Missions of Memorial
Second Sunday Café
The next Mission Ministry Team 2nd Sunday Café meal will be a Steak Fry on October 8. Make sure to put this on your calendar.
Changing Lives, One Pair at a Time—Now
Accepting hearing aids and cell phones!!
Donate glasses and change someone's life. Imagine if you could help a child read. An adult succeed in his job. A senior maintain her independence. And provide a community with more opportunities to grow and thrive. There is a donation box on the table by the office to place your old glasses, cell phones and
hearing aids.
FISH FOOD PANTRY
Don’t forget that we collect for the FISH
Food Pantry the 4th Sunday of each month, so plan ahead to bring in some non-
perishables. Please check to make sure
that the food isn’t expired before you
bring it in. If you forget, they will always
take monetary donations to defray the costs of buying fresh food. Please place your
donation in the specially marked envelope
and drop in the offering plate. Help if you
can!
Memorial will host IHN
September 17-23.
The needs have changed a bit and we are only providing dinners for the week. (No overnight stays) There will be a sign-up sheet in the Vestibule near the Welcome Center. Thank you to all who has been part of this ongoing ministry.
BAGS 4 BEDS
It is time to get out the scissors and crochet hooks to begin making our mats for the homeless. We will resume this mission project on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with another session on Tuesday, Sept. 26. We meet at 9:30, and wrap up around 2:00. Come prepared to cut, attach and/or crochet. It's an easy process to learn. Everyone is welcome! If you plan to stay during the lunch break, bring a sack lunch and beverage. Coffee and ice water are available. Questions can be directed to Elaine Anderson at 372-7139. A big "THANK YOU" to all those who brought bags this summer to fill up our barrel in the narthex! FYI: This project was started in September 2011 and by March 2017 the group has made approximately 80 mats. Early on, the mats were donated to the Christ Episcopal Church homeless shelter in Xenia. Recently the finished mats are being donated to St. Vincent DePaul shelters in Dayton, and locally to individuals in Xenia as needed. Using an average of 650 bags per mat, that figures out to 52,000 plastic bags that won't be sent into landfills.
Dorothy Rankin Fund Recipients
This year the Mission Team has chosen the
following organizations to benefit from the Dorothy
Rankin Fund: IHN, Jeremiah Tree, Michael Weller,
who is going on a Mexico Work Mission, and 4 Paws
for Ability.
Established in December 1995, the Dorothy L
Rankin Memorial Fund was started by Joseph E
Eavey of Xenia, Ohio, to continue such Christian
mission projects and other religious and charitable
programs his sister, Missionary Dorothy “Dot”
Rankin had been funding or was interested in prior
to her death. In January 2011, the Dorothy L.
Rankin Memorial Fund established a grant program
to continue this goal.
MEMOS FROM MEMORIAL P AGE 5
News and Events
Memorial Ladies Lunch
A group of ladies in our church who are single at this time of their lives are
getting together to eat out once a month. There are no responsibilities, no
organization, just spending time together, chatting and eating. On Monday,
September 18, we plan on eating at Studebakers in New Carlisle. We will
meet at noon at the restaurant. Call Linda Howey at 376-9686 if you are
interested in joining us or car-pooling.
“So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.” —Ephesians 2:14-17
The letter to the Ephesians tells us that Jesus came to proclaim a peace that is uni-versal. While the earthly ministry of Jesus was in a specific age and place, the peace he shared is limited by neither time nor geography. As followers of Christ, our call to witness/work for peace begins in our own neighborhoods and extends to the ends of the earth. This Offering exists to support the holistic and wide-ranging witness of the whole church. For generations, and to the ends of the earth, Presbyterians have borne witness to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Our witness has been profound in our own communities and in places we ourselves have never been, around the cor-ner and around the world.
In this season of peace, and as we approach the Lord’s Table for World Communion Sunday, this message comes to a peak. We gather at the table where Christ’s body is broken and Christ’s peace is shared. We gather at the table, remembering the life and death of Christ that has reconciled us with God and with one another. We look forward to that day in eternity when all will be gathered—from North and South, from East and West—for that wonderful feast. We recall that all those who will be gathered, from far off and from nearby, are part of this family and are those to whom we must be reconciled. This table that we gather around is a symbol of the work we are doing so that we might proclaim peace and reconciliation with the members of the body of Christ—those who are nearby and those who are far off. As we gather at this table, we are reminded of that peace that we are to work toward, that peace that we will one day experience in the fullness of time and at the wholeness of that final day.
A gift to the Peace & Global Witness Offering on October 1 enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of injustice across the world. Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this Offering to connect with the global witness of Christ's peace. Mid councils retain an additional 25% for ministries of peace and reconciliation. The remaining 50% is used by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to advocate for peace and justice in cultures of violence, including our own, through collaborative pro-jects of education and Christian witness.
World Communion
Sunday is October
1, 2017
V OLUME 7 , ISSUE P AGE 6
Thanks to our volunteers!
Morning Fellowship Coffee Schedule September 3 - Covenant Class/Deacons
September 10 - All Church Carry-in/Rally Day! September 17 - Spiritual Growth Team September 24 - Spiritual Growth Team
September Birthdays
If I have missed anyone’s birthday, please
let me know.
Dawn Enoch, 376-9461 Thank you!
Remember in Prayer: Norma King, Lynda Marquardt, Barbara Cooper, Barbara Jones, Don Humphrys, Betty Strickland, Kathleen Strickland, Mary Jo Black, Carolyn and John Sparks, Joan Anderson, Ben White, Jackie Nowak, our shut-ins and military personnel
and their families who wait for them to come home.
Lay Readers Children's Sermon Ushers
Birthdays/Volunteers
9/3 Evelyn Falk Millicent Townsley Terry Reiff
9/10 Mary Ann Van Horn Jill-Ann Bryant Neff Sandy Feix
9/17 Debbie Bickett Pastor Kelley
9/24 Ann Williams Luke Prindle
Janine Montgomery 1-Sep
Alec Poole 1-Sep
Janet McIlvaine 7-Sep
Bob Hurley 10-Sep
Carla Anderson 14-Sep
Beverly Harrison 14-Sep
Jase Jacobs 15-Sep
Don Robinson 17-Sep
Carolyn Robinson 18-Sep
Jerry Williamson 18-Sep
Jane Geyer 19-Sep
Leland Graham 19-Sep
Kelley Shin 19-Sep
Donald King 21-Sep
Jane Humphrys 22-Sep
Drew Montgomery 23-Sep
Mike Ungard 24-Sep
Kathy Barnett 25-Sep
Sandy Feix 26-Sep
Ron Freeman 26-Sep
Magazines Needed
We are collecting magazines that are in good condition for a
friend. Please consider helping us! Drop your magazines
off on the table outside of Nancy’s office. We will be col-
lecting them through the month of September. Thank you
for your support.
343 West Ankeney Mill Road, Xenia, OH 45385
Church Office – 376-9461
Memorial United Presbyterian Church
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-2:00 pm
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.xeniamemorial.org
Memorial United Presbyterian Church
Rev. Kelley Wehmeyer Shin
Stated Supply Pastor [email protected]
Nancy Beam, Director of Youth & Children’s
Ministries [email protected]
Michael Weller, Music Director
Jill-Ann Bryant, Organist Dixie Szalejko, Memorial
Preschool Director
We’re on the Web:
xeniamemorial.org
Appreciations
Do you need help? If you are ever hospitalized or want to receive a pastoral visit, or know of someone who does, please call the church office at 376-9461. If it is after hours, you may contact Pastor Shin at home: 350-5007. Her normal office schedule is Tuesday through Friday.
Please sign the attendance sheets in the
pews each Sunday morning so we can get an
accurate count of attendance.
Bulletin information must be received in
the office by Thursday at nine a.m. to
guarantee inclusion in the next week’s
bulletin.
Newsletter information and articles must
be received in the office by the 20th of
each month to guarantee inclusion in the
next Memos from Memorial.
Thank you for the cards and words of encouragement over the long months of
my ordeal. It was good to know I was in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks to
Kelley for the early morning pre-op prayers and visits. Feeling much better on
the long road to recovery. Sincerely, Barbara Cooper
***
Thank you for the generous gift! I am going to use it to get a laptop for the
fall. Thank you for all your love and support! I couldn’t have asked for a
better church family. Madeline Prindle
***
Dear Memorial United Presbyterian Church: On behalf of the Dayton
Amateur Radio Association and Hamvention, I wish to express a sincere thank
you for the warm hospitality that you extended ot the Volunteer Examiners and
license applicants during the recent Hamvention. Your building provided us
with an exceptional location for giving exams, while your congregational
volunteers came through for us on numerous occasions. I would especially
like to recognize Jane Alkire and Dawn Enoch for their friendly and can do
attitude while arranging and setting up our testing. With your assistance we
administered tests to 218 prospective and current amateur radio enthusiasts.
Because of you the 2017 Hamvention will be one they won’t soon forget. I
look forward to working with your congregation again next year. Chris Jebens
***
Dear Friends, on behalf of the Xenia Area FISH Food Pantry, our many
volunteers and the hundreds of Greene County families we serve, thank you
for your generous monetary support of $230.50 on July 31, 2017. Sincerely
Gail Matson, Director FISH Pantry
***
Dear Memorial United Presbyterian Church, it is with much gratitude that I
thank you for your recent financial support of the work of Interfaith
Hospitality Network, Schneider House of Hope. Without friends like you, we
could not accomplish our mission to help those who are most in need in
Greene County. This is the mission of IHN and we simply could not continue
to provide these support services without donors and volunteers like you. As
always, on behalf of our board, our staff and most of all our guests, thank you
so much for making a difference. With warmest wishes, William Mallernee,
Executive Director Donations: $230.50 and $500
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2
3
Pastor Shin on Study
Leave
9:15 AM Christian Edu-
cation Classes - East
Wing & Parlor
10:30 AM Worship with
Communion - Sanctuary
11:45 AM Fellowship -
Narthex
4
Office closed for
holiday
Pastor Shin on
Study Leave
5
Pastor Shin on Study
Leave
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
6
Pastor Shin on
Study Leave
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
6:30 PM Bell Choir
Rehearsal - Parlor
7:30 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal -
Choir Room
7
Pastor Shin on
Study Leave
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
Pastor's Bible
Study - cancelled
8
Pastor Shin
on Study
Leave
8:00 AM
Lifeline
Health
Screening -
FH
9
Pastor Shin
on Study
Leave
10
Pastor Shin on Study
Leave
9:15 AM Christian Edu-
cation Classes - East
Wing & Parlor
10:30 AM Worship -
Sanctuary
11:45 AM All Church Car-
ry-in and Rally Day
11
Pastor Shin on
Study Leave
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
1:30 PM Ruth
Circle - Linda
Howey's home
12
7:30 AM Men's Fel-
lowship Breakfast -
Xenia Frisch's
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
9:30 AM Bags 4 Beds -
FH
5:00 PM Worship and
Music Team - Comput-
er Room
6:00 PM Stewardship
Team - Library
7:00 PM Mission Team
- Computer Room
13
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
6:30 PM Bell Choir
Rehearsal - Parlor
7:30 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal -
Choir Room
14
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
11:00 AM Pastor's
Bible Study - Li-
brary
15 16
1:00 PM Pri-
vate Event -
FH
17
9:15 AM Christian Edu-
cation Classes - East
Wing & Parlor
10:30 AM Worship -
Sanctuary
11:45 AM Fellowship -
Narthex
18
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
12:00 PM Me-
morial Ladies
Lunch - Stu-
debakers, New
Carlisle
19
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
20
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
5:30 PM Kids Night
Out! - Art Room
6:30 PM Bell Choir
Rehearsal - Parlor
7:30 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal -
Choir Room
21
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
11:00 AM Pastor's
Bible Study - Li-
brary
22
Deadline for
Memos
23
24
FISH Food Pantry Col-
lection Day
9:15 AM Christian Edu-
cation Classes - East
Wing & Parlor
10:30 AM Worship -
Sanctuary
11:45 AM Fellowship -
Narthex
25
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
26
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
9:30 AM Bags 4 Beds -
FH
6:00 PM Deacon Meet-
ing - Room 1
7:00 PM Session Meet-
ing - Library
7:00 PM Trustee Meet-
ing - Computer Room
27
9:00 AM Preschool -
West Wing
6:30 PM Bell Choir
Rehearsal - Parlor
7:30 PM Chancel
Choir Rehearsal -
Choir Room
28
9:00 AM Pre-
school - West
Wing
9:30 AM Morning
Friendship Circle
11:00 AM Pastor's
Bible Study - Li-
brary
29
9:30 PM Post Game Party for XHS Band - FH
30