UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF LE SUEUR 730 South 6th Street, Le Sueur, MN 56058 Phone: (507) 665-2314

We are a Christ-centered community, called to serve, where you can come as you are, share who you are, and experience the power of God’s love.

Pastor’s Blog October 2015

Being a pastor is not for sissies. There is the usual conflict on Sunday with the big game,

the weekly sermon deadline, finding volunteers, and the afternoon parade of callers selling

church calendars, programs, and magnets to boost attendance. It is that last one that both

amuses and baffles me. The phone rings and the conversation begins with the usual

question: “Are you the one who can make a decision about purchasing…..” Use your imagination to

complete that sentence: head bands for Jesus, socks for Jesus, jewelry for Jesus, and other objects that

end with ‘Jesus’. It makes me want to scream a silent prayer for sanity and forcefully declare that the

Gospel of Jesus has nothing to do with apparel, household items, or glitter.

Then, I begin to wonder, just how do we advertise Jesus without material goods in a world dependent

on it? Consider this simple statement from Jesus who looked his disciples in the eyes and said, ”Go into

all of the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Wow, that was a huge demand to a

group of unsophisticated guys, but it was even more loaded than that. Jesus was supposed to be dead. In

fact, Jesus deliberately appeared to his disciples after the resurrection, and gathered them together for a

‘come to Jesus’ talk chastising them for not believing the eye witness stories about his resurrection. How

in the world did the disciples, those who should have been in the know, dismiss the resurrection after all

that Jesus had taught them? What did they lack in social media posts, or cell phone apps?

They needed the most basic of all needs: a personal conversation to hear a human voice and a discussion

to help make sense of a journey that lasted three years; a relationship abruptly terminated through an

inhumane crucifixion, and then renewed with the impossible resurrection staring them in the face. They

needed time to talk about it and pull it all together. No sparkling soda can with ‘go Jesus’ would do that

for them.

Folks say that they foster their faith in God from the recliner, or on the lake, or while shopping with

their girls-night-out- friends. Christianity lived solo or on the run sounds like great marketing in today’s

fast paced and independent world, but it failed in test marking with the disciples. They needed time to

talk about their faith and figure it out together. They did not have all the answers, but they did have all of

the questions and a desire to understand. And once they did, they became the leaders of new discussion

groups that ultimately led to us.

The Gospel lives on in groups. Call them small group studies, Bible studies, or faith discussions.

Sure, invite and post the event on Facebook, but don’t expect faith to happen from social media

alone. Only human voices in dialogue together can share the Good News. That is called

a relationship and is the very same thing that Jesus desires with us, a relationship built

without glitter or gimmicks. So, gather together with other folks to talk, share, and discover

a relationship with Jesus—religious headbands not required.

In Christ,

Terri

Welcome to the

“Coffee Corner” The coffee served after worship

is Equal Exchange coffee, provided by the

UMW. Coffee, tea and chocolate products are

available on Sundays after church or at the office

during the week. Remember - Everybody wins:

1. You are purchasing a quality product;

2. You are helping small farmers & their families;

3. You are, indirectly, contributing to UMCOR;

4. You are supporting a local mission project.

This year we are supporting the Back-Pack program

for our local schools.

Lay Leadership (Nominations)

will be meeting soon. If you are

feeling led to help the ministry of

our church let any member of the

committee know; Pastor Terri

(665-2314) Elden Schwarz (665-2873) Dale

Sunderman (665-3637) Jane Kolden (665-6063)

Nancy Hylarides (612-325-7076) Judy Dahn (665-

2139) or Chris Hlad (952-250-3667).

From the Finance Committee Church Finances

through September 30, 2015

Undesignated Income Received $115,776

Expenses Paid (129,761)

Deficit ( 13,985)

Percent of the 2015 Budget Spent YTD: 92%

Memorials & Gifts Committee:

The All-Saints service will be

November 1st. If you have

someone you would like to lift up

during the service contact Judy

Dahn. (665-2139)

Education News:

Sunday School and Bible Study

for children and adults has

begun. Sundays 9-10am and

Wednesdays 7pm. You are

welcome to join us at any time.

If you have questions concerning

Sunday School contact Jeanne

Doebbeling (665-2032) or for Bible Study call the

church office (665-2314).

Adult Education Options:

Tailgating:

Adult Education will have a

new look this year. We have

options!

“Tailgating” which is just an area to hang out,

drink coffee and visit from 9 to 10am at the tall

tables in the back of the church. If you wake up

to bring your kids to Sunday School and just

want a place to hang out where you can “come as

you are” this is the gathering space for you.

Tailgaters will be in the midst of the Sunday

morning happenings with choir practice and short

videos that happen in the front of church.

“The Call”:

Adult and Youth (6th grade on up) Bible Study

will be Sundays from 9 to 10am. This will be a

contemporary Adam Hamilton video series “The

Call”. This short video will run at 9:05am on the

big screens, afterwards the youth and adults will

split into classrooms for discussion.

The Covenant Bible Study

“Covenant Bible Study” is a

contemporary, in depth study

that will forever change the way

you look at the Bible. This

series will run Wednesday nights from 7-8pm and

will be for small groups. This is also a video series

that breaks into discussion time and daily

learning on your own. This series will begin

Wednesday, October 7th and will run 8 weeks to

December 2nd. (There will be no class on

November 25th).

Confirmation Updates!

Please introduce

yourselves to our youth and be invitational in

helping them find a place to belong in our church.

9th

graders: Confirmation weekly on Wednesday

evening at 6 pm, YUM participation and other

service projects.

7-8th

graders: Pre-confirmation. Focus will be on

actively participating in the life of the church,

worship and in YUM study groups and activities.

Choir notes:

The Choir has weekly

practices on Wednesdays at

7:30 pm or Sunday at 9am. Everyone is

welcome: youth, adults, soprano, tenor and bass.

Contact Cheryl Amundson or Betsy Breaker with

questions. For kids in 4th

-6th

grades HandChimes

will begin practice on Wednesday, October 7th

at

5:30pm contact Margo bjork.margo@gmail.com.

The choir invites you to join

in singing the Joel Raney

cantata "Love Came Down

at Christmas". We will share

a performance with the community on the evening

of December 5th following the Le Sueur Light

Parade and then repeat the performance the

following morning, December 6th, at our 10:15

worship service. The cantata consists of 6 songs

with narration in between. It's a rich tapestry of

original and familiar Christmas songs and diverse

musical styles. The message is one of hope, peace,

joy and - especially - love. Singers will need to

purchase their own cantata book at a cost of $10 per

book and listening CD and commit to rehearsals on

Sundays at 4pm October thru November. Rehearsals

will begin October 4th. Interested singers, high

school age and adults, please respond by Oct. 1st to

Betsy.breaker@gmail.com or text/phone: 612-499-

0134 if you would like to join in preparing this

musical Christmas gift for our community.

October Birthdays

21 Gary Jones

1 Micah Hylarides Darline Jones

3 – Betty Moser Chloe Conrad

Amber Bienfang 23 Jim King

5 – Caylee Huber 24 Wade Yahnke

9 – Margo Bjork Mylee Conrad

Sandy Dell 25 Matt Bjork

10 – Betty Purdy 26 John Wentworth

12 Doug Kiewatt Brianna Sippo

Joyce McCargar 27 Gene Aufderhar

13 – Lois King Lindsey Kolden

Phyllis Disher Becky Schmid

14 – Gwen Schultz 28 Linda Sunderman

Madison Uballe 29 Chad Andresen

15 - Alice Breaker 30 Leon Tellijohn

16 – Rachel Bjork 31 Morgan Jones

FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE THE DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT

NEWSLETTER IS:

Wednesday, October 21st.

Church Office Phone #: 507-665-2314 Pastor’s Phone#: 507-593-0006 Church Website: www.lesueurumc.org Office e-mail address: lesueur.umc@q.com Pastor’s e-mail address: umcpastor@q.com Pastor’s office hours: W & Th 9am-12pm or call the church office to make an appointment. Secretary’s office hours: M-F 8:30am-12:30pm

Find us on Facebook. You can watch our worship services on YouTube.

If you have dropped your land line and are now

using only a cell phone, please call the church office

and let us know your number. If you have a child in

any activities or in Sunday school, we need to be able

to get ahold of you in case of an emergency.

OUR CHURCH FAMILY

New Address:

Adam & Vicki Loewe, 28199 290th Street Henderson 56044

In our thoughts and prayers:

Brad & Mary Sasse and family Cheryl Amundson Linda Sunderman

Our Sympathy to:

The family of Joanne Osborn who passed away on September 4th.

Reminder: We have telephone and e-mail Prayer

Chains for anyone wanting prayer support. If you or a

loved one is hospitalized and wishes a visit from the

pastor or would like to be included in the prayer chain,

call Frances Schwarz ( 665-665-2873) or the church

office (665-2314) Hospitals do not automatically let

us know when a parishioner is admitted.

Daylight Savings Time Ends on Saturday night, October 31st.

Volunteers needed:

Contact the church office if you can commit to serve

your church for one Sunday as any of the following:

Greeters: If you enjoy meeting people, especially

newcomers, consider serving as a Sunday Greeter.

Coffee Host: Equal Exchange Coffee is provided by

the UMW. After worship snacks can be home-baked

or purchased.

Worship Assistant: Reading scriptures and assisting

the Pastor with the worship service.

Worship Tech Team: Recording our services for

CATV#7 is an important ministry to our homebound

and to the community.

Nursery Attendant: is available on a rotating basis

during Sunday School and Worship as needed. If you

notice someone with small children who might need

the nursery, please connect them with the scheduled

attendant.

Serving in October Greeters

4th Roger & Nyla Probst 11th LeRoy & Lynda Antonsen 18th Pauline Liebhard and Clarice Ulrich 25th Bob & Sandy Dell

Worship Assistant

4th Lori King 11th Sue Bienfang 18th Judy Dahn 25th Margo Bjork

Coffee Fellowship

4th Mitch & Anna Venhuizen 11th Doreen Lehnert 18th Lori King 25th Vi Yahnke and Yahnke

Nursery Attendant 4th Joan Schwarz

11th Kendra Miller 18th Cheryl Tellijohn 25th Laura Nelson

United

Methodist

Women

Rebekah Circle: We will meet on October 20th

Ruth Circle: Will meet on September 20th

.

Serendipity Circle of Friends: meets on October

19th

, we will be doing the giving tree ornaments.

We will also have bingo at Gardenview Nursing

Home this month.

We are still collecting labels; see the poster in the

library for information.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

UMW Fall Harvest Chicken Dinner with

all the fixin’s – Sunday, November 8th

Opportunities to Serve

Committee meetings are usually held monthly

unless notified otherwise. Contact the church office

if you are interested in serving on a committee.

The Administrative council meets on the 3rd

Tuesday.

The Finance committee meets on the 2nd

Tuesday

Staff/Pastor/Parrish Relations committee meets on the

1st Thursday and occasionally as needed.

The Trustees meet on the 2nd

Thursday.

Memorials and Gifts committee meets 3-4 times a year.

Leadership (Nominations) meets 3-4 times a year

The Education Committee meets on the 2nd

Tuesday.

The Missions Committee meets on the 2nd

Tuesday.

Worship Design Team meets monthly or as needed.

ANNUAL CHARGE CONFERENCE

Notice of date for annual Charge Conference of the United

Methodist Church of Le Sueur. Sunday, November 15th at

5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. A light supper will be served.

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Cub/Boy Scouts are selling

popcorn for their annual program

fundraiser. Each scout earns 30%

of his sales for his personal

account to pay for camp, dues, and

other outdoor activities. Please

support our scouts: Aaron

Barnard, David King, and Calvin Reiter.

UMCOR - Early Response Basic Training Course: This

training is for people who want to join the Early

Response Team (ERT). ERTs remove debris, clean out

flood-damaged homes, and help to prevent further

property damage while providing a caring Christian

presence after a disaster. Oct. 10, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,

Wadena UMC and Oct. 24, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., First

UMC, Redwood Falls

Zion UCC Beef Dinner – October 25th.

Lay Speaker Retreat: Nov. 13-15, Northern Pines Camp,

Park Rapids. This training is for those who wish to serve

as a trained worship leader and share God’s word

through preaching. The weekend includes six classes as

part of the Lay Speaker Certification process. Go to

www. minnesotaumc.org for more information.

Walk to Emmaus - A Journey with Christ

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself

came near and walked with them. - Luke 24:15

The walk to Emmaus is an experience of Christian

spiritual renewal and formation that begins with a three-

day short course in Christianity. It is an opportunity to

meet Jesus Christ in a new way as God’s grace and love

is revealed to you through other believers.

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with the

prayerful discernment and invitation from a sponsor.

After one accepts this invitation they complete an

application. The Emmaus leaders prayerfully consider

each applicant and in God’s time, the person is invited

to attend a three-day experience of New Testament

Christianity as a lifestyle.

Following the three-day experience, participants are

joined in small groups to support each other in their

ongoing walk with Christ.

Through the formational process of accountable

discipleship in small groups and participation in the

Emmaus community, each participant’s individual gifts

and servant-leadership skills are developed for use in the

local church and its mission. Participants are

encouraged to find ways to live out their individual call

to discipleship in their home, church, and community.

The objective of Emmaus is to inspire, challenge, and

equip the local church members for Christian action in

their homes, churches, communities and places of work.

Emmaus lifts up a way for our grace-filled lives to be

lived and shared with others.

Who should go to Emmaus?

Emmaus is open to members of any Christian

denomination. Emmaus is for the development

of Christian leaders who:

Are members of a local church

Have a desire to strengthen their spiritual lives

May have unanswered questions about their

faith

Understand that being a Christian involves

responsibility

Are willing to dedicate their everyday lives to

God in an ongoing manner

What happens on the Emmaus Weekend?

You will enjoy three days of singing, learning, laughing,

worshiping, reflecting, praying and participating in

small groups. Discussions center around fifteen talks

given by laity and clergy. These talks present the theme

of God’s grace, how that grace comes alive in the

Christian community and how it is expressed in the

world. You’ll also discover how grace is real in your

life, how you live a life of grace, and how you bring that

grace to others.

You will have the opportunity to participate in the

daily celebration of Holy Communion and to understand

more fully the body of Christ. You will experience

God’s grace through the prayers and acts of anonymous

service offered by the Emmaus community. You will

leave with an experience of Christian love in action that

will equip you for new levels of grace-filled service and

leadership.

Upcoming Fall Walks are October 15-18 for men and

October 29-Nov. 1 for women. Spring Walks are April

21-24 for men and April 28-May 1 for women. These

walks will be held at Koronis Ministries near Painsville.

Scholarships are available. For more information go to

www.emmaus.upperroom.org.

October 2015

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Services broadcast

on CATV#7 at 1:30

and 7:30pm

1

7pm SPPRC mtg.

2

Wedding rehearsal

3

Bienfang/Balder

Wedding 11am-5pm

4

9am Sunday School

9am Tailgaiting

9:05am “The Call”

10”15am Worship

with Communion

5

6

7

5:30pm HandChimes

6pm Confirmation

7pm Choir rehearsal

7pm Bible Study

8

7pm Trustees mtg.

9

10

11

9am Sunday School

9am Tailgaiting

9:05am “The Call”

10”15am Worship

12

7pm Bird Club

13

7pm Education mtg.

7pm Finance mtg.

7pm Missions

14

5:30pm HandChimes

6pm Confirmation

7pm Choir rehearsal

7pm Bible Study

15

16

17

18

9am Sunday School

9am Tailgaiting

9:05am “The Call”

10”15am Worship

19

7pm Serendipity Cir

20

2pm Ruth Circle

7pm Rebekah Cir.

21

5:30pm HandChimes

6pm Confirmation

7pm Choir rehearsal

7pm Bible Study

22

23

24

25

9am Sunday School

9am Tailgaiting

9:05am “The Call”

10”15am Worship

26

27

28

5:30pm HandChimes

6pm Confirmation

7pm Choir rehearsal

7pm Bible Study

29

30

31 Halloween

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

OF LE SUEUR U.S. POSTAGE PAID

730 SOUTH 6TH

STREET PERMIT NO. 6

LE SUEUR, MN 56058 LE SUEUR, MN

TIME DATED MATERIAL ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

October 2015

United Methodist Women

Fall Harvest Chicken Dinner (with all the fixin’s!) Sunday, November 8th