Volume 7, Issue 7

July, 2010 The Crossroad A Monthly Publication of the Spring Green Community Church

In This Issue

DISCOVERING THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD – FOR OURSELVES

By: Pastor Roy Anderson The Bible is a unique book in many ways. But interestingly, it not only claims to be the word of God, but it also de-

scribes what that word (i. e. “message”) is like. Please read the following: “‟Is not my word like fire,‟ declares the

Lord; „and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?‟” (Jeremiah 23:29) “I am not ashamed of the gospel of

Christ, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16). “The message of the

cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians

1:18). “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates to the dividing

of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

From the above, we conclude that these few verses speak of a mysterious power, inherent within the very words of

Scripture. You probably already believe that, but perhaps you still wonder, “How can I actually discover that power

for myself?” Hopefully, the suggestions below will be helpful.

First, note that the words of Jeremiah 23:29, speak about “my word…” In other words, though Jeremiah is the writer

of these “words,” God himself is the communicator. That being said, we can begin to understand that if in fact these

are God’s words, then they may well contain an unusual, mysterious, supernatural power that could bring about needed

character changes in the lives of its readers or hearers. Yes, that’s the idea! Jesus explained it this way: “It is the Spirit

that gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I speak to you – they are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). In

different words, Peter explained: “… For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as

they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Regarding our church’s statement of faith about the

Bible, the passage used is 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which states, “All Scripture is God-breathed (i.e. “inspired”) and is useful

for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly

equipped for every good work.”

So when we speak about the inspiration of Scripture, we are NOT simply saying that the writer was inspired, but rather

that the words which he actually recorded were inspired. This is the idea of the word “scripture” (i.e. that which is

inscripturated, or written down). A few years after some of Paul’s letters, the apostle Peter refers to them in this way: “…his letters (written docu-

ments) contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the OTHER SCRIPTURES to their

own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16).

“OK, Roy, so the Bible does have the potential power to change me. How can I discover that power for myself?” I’m glad you asked. You already

guessed it, but I’ll say it this way: “We need to prayerfully and regularly read God’s word.” By way of analogy, a friend of ours needs dialysis

three times per week to do the “clean out job” that Helen’s kidneys used to do. Spiritually, God’s word works like that in our lives. (“Daily” is

best). In prayerfully reading his word, God not only speaks to us, but in the process he also “plants” in us seeds of truth that will bring about inner

transformation. And this is the kind of change which we need and for which (in all probability) our family and friends have been praying to see

come to pass. (By the way, reading the Bible together is one of the best “marriage savers” available!)

The “ENCOUNTER WITH GOD” Bible reading guide and commentary is a resource to help us establish a meaningful Bible reading practice. (We

want each family unit to have one and these “quarterlies” are available in the back of the church). This may be a review for some, but let me explain

this “tool” again. It is a five-year through-the-Bible reading plan, going through the entire Bible once and the New Testament twice. This means it

is a very “do-able” approach to reading all the Bible. Normally, the amount for each day is less than a chapter. And then there is a one page com-

mentary that helps to better understand the passage and see practical applications for our lives.

For further encouragement to use this plan, I will preach on one of the passages that has been read the previous week. With the congregation’s

cooperation, this will be a unifying experience for us by keeping us all on the “same page.” I hope that people will talk about it with one another.

Unless you have a better plan, we are asking you to follow this one. We also encourage you to check out the web site, www.scriptureunion.org.

Note also that most of the writers are from England and so occasionally some of their expressions may sound “different” to our ears. But, their

statement of faith is very compatible to ours.

CAUTION: Because of our constant battle with the flesh, any good plan that is intended to be an aid to personal holiness can degenerate into a

“pagan prayer wheel” --- IF it is not prayerfully engaged. Please keep that in mind. Also, the writers of the daily commentary are only human. So,

just as you need to be discerning about a pastor’s message, you must also be discerning regarding the “Encounter” readings. I would be surprised if

you found anything that would be clearly unscriptural, but I don’t want you to simply “swallow” anything that you read in the “Encounter” (or any-

where else, too). Be a “Berean” Christian! (See Acts 17:11).

In closing, consider what we find in Colossians 3:16-17: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another and

as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts toward God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do it all to the

glory of God in Christ Jesus.” Amen!

P. 2 Pastor Roy,

Craft Night,

Bazaar

P. 3 Church

Camp-out

P. 4 Children’s

Church,

VBS

P. 5 Pastoral Search

Update

P. 6 VBS

Registration

Form

P. 7 Ministry

Updates

P. 8 Calendar

P. 9 Serving in July

Going Green

P. 10 Events/

Financial

P. 11 Birthdays/

Anniversaries

Christmas Bazaar and Cookie Walk is

coming December 4

It isn’t too early to start thinking about making craft items for

the bazaar. We have a craft night the last Friday night of each

month to work on projects. Rose Ellen Schneider and others

have magazines that have craft ideas. The internet is a wonder-

ful source for free patterns for all types of crafts. Craft items

do not have to be exclusively Christmas. They can be garden,

kitchen, baby items, clothes, home decoration, jewelry,

etc. Ideas are only limited by your imagination. Rose Ellen

brings craft magazines to the Women’s Craft Night the last

Friday of the month if you need ideas. Please contact Nancy

Accola 583-0049, Kathy Kieler 546-6761, or Rose Ellen

Schneider 588-2033 if have questions about getting involved.

AVAILABILITY OF PASTOR ROY – in office and homes

I want to be as available as possible to the entire congregation. For probably most of the visitation, I will plan to do

so accompanied by one of the church leaders. Bob LeCount and I have already visited several of the “home-

bound” persons of our church. And our aim is to get acquainted with all of our people. Please be patient with Hil

and me as we fumble through trying to learn your names.

At this point, my days and hours at the church will be Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 10:30 to 2:30 at

the church and then by appointments thereafter.

Besides through the church phone, please feel free to call us at home, 608-643-3203, or on our cell – 319-217-8003.

And, our e-mail addresses are

sgpastor@sgcommunitychurch.com or royandhil@gmail.com

I realize that most of our people will only be home in the evenings and so we hope to make arrangements for such contacts. Before we

make contact with you, PLEASE feel free to contact me (directly and/or through Cheryl). So as not to “scare” anyone, the purpose of

our visits would primarily be for getting acquainted and to encourage each one in their relationship with the Lord.

A WORD ABOUT OUR ABSENCES FOR June 27 and August 1 and 8

As you may have heard, our grandson, Matthew was married a few weeks ago – in California. Because of the distance, most of our

family could not attend. Accordingly, a reception is planned for June 26 in Waterloo, IA. We don’t want to miss that.

Then on July 31, we will be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary – at the church in which we were married, in Mason, WI. Our

kids have made the plans for this occasion and we think we should be there. (smile). Then for the following weekend, we are both in-

volved in an unusual high school reunion. The school we attended (Ondossagon – about 6 miles from Ashland) – and where Hildur

taught for four years - has been closed for a number of years and this will be a final “all school” get together of all the graduating

classes. I know that people will have changed so much that they won’t recognize us, (smile) but it will still be an interesting time to

reconnect with old friends.

CHILDREN’S CHURCH Has begun!!

Parents

Help us serve you and your kids!

So that we can best plan for this summer, we need to know more… please fill out the Children’s Church Parent

Registration form.

Volunteers

Ready to serve our families this summer with young kids in Children’s Church?... Or even thinking about

maybe serving sometime in the future? Please fill out Children’s Church Volunteer Interest form.

Forms are available at the information desk. Please return completed Children‟s Church Parent/Volunteer

forms to Alexis Seguin or place in the Offertory box. Please call Alexis Seguin 588-7597 or email at

maseguin@charter.net with any questions about Children‟s Church or volunteering.

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Vacation Bible School

August 2nd – August 6th 9am to Noon

Come join the Fun Registration available in the church office, deadline is July 15.

Becky Miller will be our Director Julie Kardatzke Assistant Director

Please contact Becky at 588-3232 or the Church Office 588-2442 if you would like to help.

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Food Pantry Served 102 Families in June! Thanks to all who assist in serving.

Pastoral Search Committee Update

By: Paul Kardatzke

Last month Bob LeCount provided a great summary of the Search Committee process. He also

identified where we are in this process (reviewing resumes and preparing to narrow down to a

list of candidates that we will undertake to know more about). In the next couple of weeks we will

begin to solicit additional information from candidates in an effort to know them better, that we

might have the knowledge necessary to seek God’s will for our congregation.

Ours is very much a working committee; we gather weekly as a group and spend hours between

meetings reading submitted documents and preparing information for the next phase of the proc-

ess. This is a task we enter into with joyful anticipation for what God is creating in our congrega-

tion. This is a task we could not complete without the Holy Spirit as our counsellor.

The Search Committee thanks you for your ongoing prayers. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to

grant us discernment during this time of reviewing submitted resumes. We are currently evalu-

ating over 80 resumes and supplemental information submitted by individual candidates.

Please pray also for these people who seek to find a calling to serve as ministers in a local con-

gregation. We trust that the Lord will guide each of them to find vibrant ways to serve Him in min-

istry.

Please pray for our health and strength to be sustained as we continue to navigate busy lives

while also striving to accomplish our individual tasks as part of the committee.

Your prayers for unity are also appreciated. We praise God that we each bring a unique set of

Spirit endowed gifts to the group. The strength of unity is not in uniformity, but in unison action

(good old four part harmony in musical terms). If we were all the same, our committee would

surely fail in some aspect of its task. Because we all bring different gifts, knowledge, and per-

spective to the task we are able to complement each other’s work. As long as our common goal

remains seeking God’s will for our church at this time we will find unity in our efforts.

Thank you again for your ongoing prayers and support.

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Prayer Shawl Ministry Help!!!! Knitters, crocheters, and sewers of all ages are needed. If you are a knitter, crocheter, or sewer and

would like to help, contact Rose Ellen Schneider 588-2033 or Kathy Kieler 546-6761.

People outside our fellowship know that we are making prayer shawls and requests continue to come for prayer

shawls and blankets. In May, there was a request for 5 blankets and 1 shawl. The demand will not stop with

the summer months ahead. The prayer blankets and shawls may be simple knit or crochet. They may also be

sewn out of fleece or quilted. Please consider getting involved with this ministry.

Helping Hands Ministry

The Helping Hands Ministry provides food for funerals and for church families and individuals who are experiencing illness or

other health needs such as hospitalization, the birth of a baby or other issues. Teams may also be asked to help out at the potluck

meals or other activities. The ladies of the church were randomly put into six teams which are responsible for meeting these

needs. Each team has a leader responsible for contacting the team members.

Team leaders are as follows: - March / September Marion LeCount;

April / October: Shirley Coppernoll; May / November: Fay Cozine;

June / December: Rita Marit; July / January: Eva Cry; and

February / August Rose Ellen Schneider.

If you know of an individual or family who may be in need of a meal (or more) during their time of crisis, please contact Eva Cry,

Cheryl in the office, or Rose Ellen Schneider, Stephens Ministry Deacon. If you are new

to the church and want to be on a team, or if you are a regular church attendee

and don’t know if you are on a team, you may contact

Rose Ellen Schneider 588-2033 or Eva Cry 588-7151.

..faith is not believing God can, faith is KNOWING God WILL!

By Rose Ellen Schneider

Our 8th GriefShare cycle concluded on May 11 with a memorial service and a dessert potluck. Nine people regularly participated

in this cycle.. People came from Darlington, Dodgeville, Highland, Plain, Richland Center, and Spring Green. Most of the people

were dealing with the loss of a spouse, but other losses included the loss of a parent, the loss of a child, and the loss of a friend.

We are meeting monthly over the summer. Our next meeting is Tuesday, July 13, at 7 pm in the church library. People who have

lost a loved one are welcome to attend.

Our ninth cycle will start on Tuesday, August 24, at 7 pm. Publicity will be out in late July/early August.

GriefShare is a 15 week grief education and support group. We watch a video dealing with a specific aspect of grief and spend

time discussing how we are affected by grief, what we can do and what Christ can do to help us in our grief journey. In the fall,

we also have a special program called “Surviving the Holidays” which deals with how to get through the Thanksgiving and Christ-

mas holidays after suffering the loss of a loved one. Each cycle ends with a memorial service.

If you have any questions about GriefShare, or would like to get involved, please ask Rita Marit 588-9313, Amy Mellor 935-

3260, Rose Ellen Schneider 588-2033, or Lee Weiand 588-2284 about the program.

We would love to have others join us in this much needed ministry.

It is when we forget ourselves that we do things that will be remembered.

Serving Christ in July Nursery

July 4 - Nancy Accola and Olivia Sharp

July 11- Marian LeCount and McKenna Butts

July 18- Becky Miller and Madeline Miller

July 25- Vicky and Laura Meinholz

God Bless these hands that serve!

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Remember the blue jean drive I did in December to collect denim to be made into insulation for Habitat for Humanity Homes? Well, Lands’ End has moved the blue jean drive to August! So that gives me almost 2 more months to take your old used denim jeans off your hands. I will collect jeans through the mid-dle of August. I will not have a box in the lobby, so please put your jeans in a bag and label it “Amy Mellor” and I will pick them up on Sundays. I have 25 pair right now and would like to get 100!

Thank you for your help.

Amy Mellor

Page 10

Upcoming Events and Dates to Remember

Sat., July 3-Sun. July 11, Guatemala Youth Missions Trip

July 7-11 - Lifest in Oshkosh, WI

Tuesday, July 13, 7:00 p.m. -GriefShare

Monday, July 19, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -Food Pantry distribution.

Monday, July 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m.- Food Pantry distribution.

Praise God from whom

all blessings flow!

Together we make a difference.

Weekly Giving for May/June 2010 May 30- General Fund - $3,977.15 Food Pantry - $ 275.00 June 7- General Fund - $3,084.00 Food Pantry - $148.09 Benevolence - $112.00 June 13- General Fund - $7,142.10 Benevolence- $80.00 Food Pantry- $429.00 June 20- General Fund - $1,822.00 Food Pantry- $75.00 June 27- General Fund - $

July Birthdays

7/5-Greg Pardee

7/5-Mike Mellor

7/7-Hailee McFarland

7/10-Damon Richardson

7/17-Rose Ellen Schneider

7/18-Vicky Meinholz

7/25-Laura Snyder

7/26-Jan Anderson

7/28-Dylan Shaffer

7/29-Roger Anderson

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July Anniversaries

7/20-John & Robin Walker

7/22-Bill & Fay Cozine