a season of preparation (part 2) - wesley united methodist ... · brate the resurrection of christ....

News and Notes from Grace & Wesley January 23, 2020

Weather and flu season aside, we are in the midst of possibly my favorite third of the calendar year. I love that in the span of about four months, we have the opportunity to enter into two distinct—yet both wonderful—seasons of preparation.

In December we had the opportunity to walk together through the season of Advent in which we prepared ourselves to celebrate the birth of Christ as well as his second coming. Over the next two months we will have the opportunity to enter into another season of preparation, Lent, in which we spend a little over six weeks preparing ourselves to cele-brate the resurrection of Christ.

Of course, the season of Lent is significantly different than the season of Advent. The Lenten journey, which begins with Ash Wednesday and leads up to the celebration of Easter, is a somber season marked by ongoing repentance. We know that before we reach the celebration of the ultimate victory of God, the resurrection, we must walk with Christ through the most shameful and heartbreaking of events: the betrayal by Judas; the aban-donment of the disciples; the flogging by Pilate’s minions; and the crucifixion.

Lent provides all of us with an excellent opportunity to pause and examine our lives and our faith. God affords us a repentant season in which we can refocus on becoming more like Christ. For some, the season of Lent includes giving something up as a tangible means of demonstrating a willingness to submit to God and go without something they enjoy. For others, the season of Lent includes taking something up, such as a Bible study, more intentional time for prayer, or giving time and resources to helping those in need. Some utilize some combination of all of these as a means of journeying through Lent.

Regardless of your particular means of preparation, I encourage all of us to commit to re-pentance and reflection during this journey of Lent. Don’t miss out on the opportunities God places before you to prepare for the celebration of the most significant event in histo-ry. I invite you and encourage you to participate in the Ash Wednesday service on Febru-ary 26th, at Wesley at 6:00pm. At this service, we will enter into the Lenten season with songs, scripture, a holily, and the imposition of ashes.

Whatever means of preparation God lays on your heart, may we all listen to and follow the one who died and rose for our sake.

May God richly bless you during this blessed season of Lent,

Pastor Craig Luttrell

A Season of Preparation (part 2)

GRACE & WESLEY January 23, 2020

Grace & Wesley Advent Services & Soup Suppers

December 4, 11, & 18 held at Grace at 6:00 PM

So, we set up the soup schedule as follows:

December 4 – Grace

December 11 – Wesley

December 18 – both

Dad’s Belgian Waffles Wesley United Methodist Church

Saturday, February 1, 8:00 am – 12:30 pm Tickets: $8.00 (Children Age 5 & under: Free)

All-you-can-eat waffles, sausages, flavored syrups & beverage CARRYOUTS AVAILABLE!

February programs released!

Lifetree Café at Wesley

The February schedule for Life tree Café has been released and we have some great themes coming up. Week of Feb. 2: “The Miracle of Dreams: Does God speak to us

through our dreams?” Week of Feb. 9: “Modern Romance: That crazy thing called love” Week of Feb. 16: “Overcoming Life’s Obstacles: How a 10-story

fall changed one man’s perspective” Week of Feb. 23: “Reincarnation: Have you been here before?”

Lifetree Café is offered three times each week. The first is an 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning session at Pies & More. We have a 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening group that meets at Hardee’s. On Friday afternoons a group meets at Kentucky

Ridge on South Kentucky Avenue at 1:00 p.m.

Christmas Surprise Thank You!

Thank you so very much for the unexpected Christmas

surprise. I felt truly blessed. May God bless each of you in

the new year with health and happiness. Fran Steltzner

I just wanted to thank you for the Applebee’s gift card on

Christmas Day. What a very appreciated Christmas sur-

prise! Diane Kelly

I would like to thank all of you who went out

of your way to make my Christmas even

brighter with your cards, wishes, goodies and

generous gifts. Special thanks to the Wesley

and Grace UMW’s, the Wesley Men’s Club

and the Grace congregation for always mak-

ing me feel special. I look forward to my

24th year as your church secretary.

Blessings to you all—Patty

February 26, 6:00 PM

at Wesley

January 23, 2020 GRACE & WESLEY

Next Newsletter Deadline

Have something to put in the next newsletter? Write up an article and get it to the church office! The deadline for the next newsletter is Monday, February 17. (Newsletter will be mailed February 20.)

In the Hospital?

Please be sure to let the church office know if you or a loved one is in the hospi-tal. Pastors and churches don’t have the access to the patient lists that they used to and for some reason there are times when patients don’t show up on

the list.

Bottom line: If you or a loved one is admitted to the hospital and would like a visit from the pastor, call the

church (641-423-6549). Thanks!

Wesley Family Outreach Ministry has been active for 10 years empowering individuals and families as they have

faced personal challenges. As a clinical social worker, Ken Zimmerman has been active with the ministry, serving through

personal one-on-one visits, telephone contacts, as well as with community consultations and talks. A range of helpful

handout guides have also been developed this past year as resources for those interested in having more information on

specific behavioral health topics, such as habit change, weight management, parenting, anxiety and depression.

This past year, the Wesley Family Outreach Ministry has averaged ten hours a week, scheduling approximately

six or more visits a week. Visits have been offered throughout the week, and at times on weekends and evenings to ac-

commodate working families. Over the past year, over 275 visits have been provided through the ministry. In addition to

visits in the office at Wesley, Ken has reached out to offer visits in a family’s home and in community settings. Issues have

ranged from those of a short term nature to issues that would be considered serious, acute, and at times persistent over

time. Among the issues addressed include parenting, communication, couples relationship concerns, family distress, de-

pression, anxiety, trauma, anger, and loss.

Without cost to those served, the family outreach has sought to help address immediate personal concerns as

well as to assist in making referrals to on-going community resources. This has also meant that Ken has stayed connect-

ed to those who have been served through the ministry to advance effective connections in the use of community re-

sources when that was needed—something often difficult for individuals to do on their own. Ken has kept a commitment of

being available by phone, returning calls in a timely manner—taking calls as they occur when he can or returning them

within an hour. He has remained available for phone calls after routine office hours. When sought, visits have been offered

within two working days, with visits set to accommodate family schedules.

Referrals this past year have come from our congregation, other churches, doctor offices and community agen-

cies. Ken has advanced within Wesley the use of mental health first aid, with a workshop provided by Mr. Bob Lincoln on

the topic earlier this year. Ken has remained involved in serving as a resource for support groups in our community includ-

ing the Survivor of Suicide Support Group and has co-led in the past our own Blues Group, supporting those experiencing

depression. Throughout the year he has offered talks to interested groups at Wesley and those in the wider community to

advance healthy personal functioning.

Good Shepherd Activities is hosting a Spaghetti Dinner

Fundraiser on Thursday, February 20, 5-7 PM. Come and

enjoy spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and beverage to help

raise money for activities at Good Shepherd. Tickets are

available at the Reception Desk: $6 for adults and $5 for kids

age 10 and under.

January 23, 2020

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday F r iday Sa turday

1

WAFFLE DAY, 8-

12:30

Worship. 5

2

Worship, 9:00

SS, 9:30

Nar-Anon, 7 PM

3

Office Sitter: Pauline

Janssen, 9-12

Boy Scouts

Cub Scouts, 6:30

4

Lifetree Cafe at Pies &

More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

5 Lounge reserved, 11-3 PM Choir, 5 PM Lifetree Café, 6:30 PM at Hardees

6

UMW Executive

Board, 3:30

7

Office Sitter: Paul-

ine Janssen, 9-12

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1

PM

8

Worship, 5

9

Worship, 9:00

Choir sings

SS, 9:30

Nar-Anon, 7 PM

10

Boy Scouts

11


More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

Church Council, 6 PM

12

Lifetree Café, 6:30 PM at Hardees

13

Men’s Club , 6 PM

Priscilla, 7 PM

14

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1

PM

15

Middlers & Golden

Age Breakfast, at

Village Court, 9AM

Worship, 5

500 Club, 6 PM

16

Worship, 9:00

SS, 9:30

Nar-Anon, 7 PM

17

Turn in newsletter items

by noon!

Community Kitchen, 4

Boy Scouts; Cub

Scouts

18


More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

19 Lifetree Café, 6:30 PM at Hardees

20

NEWSLETTER

Men’s Club Supper

at Village Court, 6

PM

21

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1

PM

22

Worship, 5

23

Worship, 9:00

SS, 9:30

Nar-Anon, 7 PM

Skating Party, 2:30

24

Boy Scouts

25


More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

Cub Scouts

26

Lifetree Café, 6:30 PM at Hardees Service at Wesley at 6:00 PM

27 28

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1

PM

29

Wesley 2020

Patty Vacation

WESLEY NEWS January 23, 2020

2019 Wesley UMW Donations

Pledge to Mission 3,000.00 Gift to Mission 5.00

Gift in Memory 125.00 Penny A Day 67.95

World Thank Offering 88.00 Love Gift 100.00

Scarritt-Bennett Center 50.00 Shesler Hall 75.00

Bidwell Riverside 75.00 Hawthorn Hill 75.00

NI Community Kitchen 100.00 Beje Clark 42.92

Mason City High School 230.00 Vision Fund 2,000.00

Christmas Surprise 125.00 Francis Lauer 200.00

Mission Ingathering 410.00 Cheer Fund 100.00

Crisis Intervention 100.00 One Vision 100.00

Good Shepherd 150.00 Salvation Army 428.34

Habitat for Humanity 100.00 Mission U 125.00

House of Hope 100.00 Food Bank 228.00

NI Transition Center 100.00 Steben’s -

Women at the Well 100.00 Scholarship 100.00

YMCA—Scholarship 100.00 YMCA -

Tammy Hoffman 100.00 Inclusion 200.00

Larry Kies, Missionary 125.00 My Happy Haven—

My Happy Place 100.00 Breast Cancer 100.00

Mission Distribution Center 200.00

TOTAL: $9,425.21

United Methodist Women Notes

“Fill us with your love every morning. Then we will sing and rejoice all our lives.” Psalm 90:14 NCV

Executive Board Meeting February 6, 2020 Unit Meeting No Meeting in February Circle Meetings:

Sarah Leah Circle No Meeting in February Priscilla Circle No Meeting in February

February Work Month: Priscilla Circle

Heritage Care Center Visit Sarah Leah Circle

The Wesley Men’s Club will meet for dinner at Village

Court on Thursday, February 20 at 6:00 PM. You are

invited to join them for a Dutch treat night out!

Wesley’s Year of Giving Back: FEBRUARY 2020

During the month of February we will be collecting items

to help stock the shelves of the Mohawk Market at

Roosevelt School..

The Mohawk Market is a school food pantry to help

students who might be struggling due to hunger or food inse-

curity. Mohawk Market can help these students become more successful in

school and beyond. Items needed are:

Cereal of any kind

Breakfast bars/Pop Tarts

Chef Boyardee Pasta Cups

Canned veggies

Applesauce cups

Tuna or Chicken Helper

Canned tuna or chicken

Granola Bars

Snack Crackers (ex: Goldfish, Cheese-Its, Wheat Thins, Teddy Grahams)

Snack items (Jell-O cups, fruit snacks, cookies)

Mohawk

Market

Gift cards from Hy Vee and Aldi

are also gladly accepted!

January 23, 2020 WESLEY NEWS

Hospital Ins & Outs since 12-18-2019: Don Kamps, Ken Zimmerman, Jan DeLong, Mar-garet Motter (Ames)

Condolences...to Bob Echelbarger on the loss of his daughter

Thank You

Thank you so very much to my Wesley family for helping me cele-

brate my 80th birthday. You all mean a lot to me. My family really

did surprise me. Thanks again. God’s blessings to all of you.

Dorothy Brady

Thank you Susan Dixon & Kathie Huling for the visit and the lovely

poinsettia plant. Am enjoying it very much. It is so nice to be re-

membered. God Bless. Marlys Thompson

Thank you so very much to my Wesley family for helping me cele-

brate my 80th birthday. You all mean a lot to me. My family really

did surprise me. Thanks again. God’s blessings to all of you.

Dorothy Brady

Thank you so much for your generous donation of hats, gloves,

socks and sweatshirts that you gave to our school. You will help

keep Roosevelt students warm this winter! Thank you for your act

of kindness. Roosevelt Elementary

February 1 Lorraine Reynolds, Sarah Enabnit, John & Sally Lunde 2 Bonnie Mikkelson, Samantha Lievrouw 3 Layton McMullin 4 Lorraine Bohn 7 Jerry Clemons, Kathy Hirsch 8 Sharon Anderson, Evan Scheppler 9 Joel Ernst 10 Jennifer Roney 11 Jean Payne, Larry Howe, Carolyn Miller 12 Alexia Gomez 13 Jamie Kranz, Natalee Kearns 14 Karen Howe, Sheldon & Lorraine Bohn, Tim & Diane Walrod 15 Norma Carver, Lisa Vorba 17 Donna Tiedeman, Mac Skogen, Zoey Retterath 19 Taylor Goetzinger, Perez Adungy 21 Blaine Broers 22 Ruth Rick, Carsen Johnson 23 Amelia Olson 25 Kathy Rasmuson, Jim Fullerton, Pauline Janssen, Frank Fox, Sarah Peterson 28 Logan Goetzinger 29 Sadie Echelbarger

Wesley Financial Update

Financial giving for the last 4

weeks:

12/29: $6355 1/5: $6280 1/12: $1549 1/19 $1460

UMW have added several new books to the church library. Alt-hough these books are on the 2019-2020 UMW Reading Pro-gram everyone is welcome to check these out. You will find other interesting books in the

‘UMW Section’.

Vital Voices The Power of Women Leading Change Around

the World

#RUHooked Teens & Social Media: For Teens and the

People Who Care About Them

How the Woman at the Well Became the Well Woman

A Poignant Memoir of a Woman’s Desperate Journey to

Find Love

Six By Ten Stories From Solitary

Women United For Change 150 Years In Mission

Tired of Winter? Feeling Cooped Up?

Come and join the Wesley Men’s Club for a night out at Village Court on Thurs-

day, February 20th at 6:00 PM. Open to everyone! Just pay for your own meal—the good company and

fellowship are free! Please RSVP to the office by Feb. 17 so that we can let the restaurant know

how many we have coming. Hope to see you there!

January 23,2020

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday F r iday Sa turday

1

Community Kitchen,

9:00 AM

Wesley Waffle Day,

8-12:30

2

SS, 9:15

Worship, 10:30

Walking Taco Youth

Fundraiser

3

4

Lifetree Cafe at Pies

& More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

UMW General, 7 PM

5

Choir, 5 PM


6

7

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1PM

8

Community Kitchen,

9:00 AM

9

SS, 9:15

Worship, 10:30 AM

Choir Sings

Holy Pail: Women at

the Well

10

11


& More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

12


13

Church Council, 7

14

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1PM

15

16

SS, 9:15

Worship, 10:30

17

Turn in newsletter items

by noon!

18


& More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

19


20

NEWSLETTER

21

Lifetree Café at

Kentucky Ridge, 1PM

22

23

Men’s Breakfast,

8:00 AM

SS, 9:15

Worship, 10:30

Skating Party at

Roller City, 2:30

24

25


& More, 8 AM

Staff, 10:15

26 Lifetree Café, 6:30 PM at Hardees Service at Wesley, 6:00 PM

27 28 29

Grace 2020

Patty on Vacation

Grace Delivers Meals on Wheels

January 23, 2020

Next newsletter mailed

on

February 20, 2020.

Grace United Methodist Church

200 14th St. NW

Mason City, IA 50401

641-423-5727

Worship Time: Sunday, 10:30 AM

Sunday School (during the school year): 9:15

Wesley United Methodist Church

1405 S. Pennsylvania Ave.

Mason City, IA 50401

641-423-6549 [email protected]

Office Hours: M-F 7:30-4:30 (closed noon hour)

Worship Times: Saturday, 5:00 PM

Sunday, 9:00 AM

Sunday School (during the school year): 9:30

Grace Notes

Hospital Ins & Outs since 12-18-2019: Jessica Edgington Condolences:...to the friends and family of Bea Fer-

leman

Thank You!

A big thank you to the Grace carolers for stopping by my apartment and caroling for me. It was a very surprising and wonderful thing to do.

Arlene Van Horn

Thank you for your generous giving in 2019!

$1200 was given for the Christmas Offering, which goes to Grace Cares

to support their many ministries to help others.

Our 2019 apportionments were paid in full.

February 7 Dawn Mitchell 10 Ric Colby 11 Royce Hippen 13 Parker Authier 14 Jack Barrett 17 Linda Garcia 20 Donna Brummond 24 Kim Peters 26 Laura (Jon) Gobeli

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Holy Pail : February 9

Women at the Well Grace Men’s Breakfast

The February Men’s Breakfast will be on

Sunday, February 23 at 8:00 AM

FEBRUARY 2: YOUTH FUNDRAISER! Walking Tacos for fellowship. Free Will Offering will be taken.

Hope you will attend!

Understanding Grief and Loss is a six-week support group offering support and education to individuals who have experienced the

death of a family member or friend. Your loved one does not have to have been a Hospice patient for you to attend this support

group. Please contact MercyOne North Iowa Hospice at 641-428-6208 for further information and/or to register. 7 sessions on Sun-

day afternoons January 26 – March 1, 2020 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. MercyOne North Iowa Hospice 232 2nd Street SE

North Central District Lay Servant training (1-Day 8 hour training!) Location: Rockwell City UMC, 333 Brower St., Rockwell City, IA

Saturday, February 22, 2020, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM; 2 Books required: “Each One A Minister, Using God’s Gift for Ministry”

By: William J. Carter; Cokesbury ISBN: 9780881773750 - Upper Room: DR375 and “Rediscovering our Spiritual Gifts” By: Charles

V. Bryant; Cokesbury ISBN: 9780835806336- Upper Room: 633.

Lunch ‘n’ Learn is held every last Tuesday of the month from 12-1 PM at the MacNider Art Museum. Free and open to the public!

Jan. 28: “Everyone is a Critic” with Associate Curator & Registrar Mara Linskey-Deegan

Feb. 25: “What is Process Art?” With Program Associate Laura Anderson

March 31: “Early Women Photographers” with Director Edith Blanchard

April 28: “A Brief History of M.I. Hummel Art” with guest speaker Dean Genth

May 26: “Mary Cassatt” with Program Associate Pamela Jost

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School has started! So far we have had a

great showing of kids – thank you parents!

Times for Sunday School is from 9:30am-10:30am.

The kids are picked up after Time with Choppy.

We are going to try a new curriculum this year. It is

what is called a “rotation series”. This will allow our

older ones to stay with our younger ones but will

continue to challenge them.

How does it work? There is one subject we will fo-

cus on for seven weeks. Each week we will focus

on the subject using a different media. The seven

stations are cooking, games, missions, science,

spiritual practices, storytelling/drama and art. Hav-

ing seven weeks with different medias will give us a

chance to dig into a certain subject for longer than

an hour.

Do you have an interest in any of these stations?

Maybe you would like to spend a Sunday volunteer-

ing? Please let me know if you would like to volun-

teer. Either email me at [email protected]

or call the office and let Patty know.

A couple of wish list items: juice, snacks, (food

items for 15 students), watercolor paints

Thank you! Shannon

mailto:[email protected]

a season of preparation (part 2) - wesley united methodist ... · brate the resurrection of christ....

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