THE WEST WIND
Recently I became aware of an alternative to YouTube.
When it comes to technology and social media I am usually one
of the last to participate. So it is with GodTube. GodTube is a
Christian version of YouTube. I have found this site to be a
blessing. This week an email arrived which touted Reba
McEntire singing “Pray for Peace.” Certainly the timing of this
video/song is opportunistic. And yet the simplicity of the
message is so powerful. The chorus is constantly repeating
itself in my mind. Pray for peace. Pretty simple, isn’t it? Pray for peace.
Two Bible verses instantly come to mind when I hear, “Pray
for Peace.” John 14:27 (New American Standard Bible) states,
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” We have the peace of Christ! We
already possess it! And then Jesus said to not be afraid. Really? In the world we live in?
Let us look at the context in which Jesus said these words. He was speaking to the
Apostles on the night He was arrested. Just hours before He was crucified. And He told
the Apostles to not be troubled or afraid. Wow! And He gave them His peace.
And then we read in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The Apostle Paul
wrote these words. The same Apostle Paul who had been imprisoned, beaten, tortured,
and exiled all for the crime of preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul says that the
peace of God will protect us. Not our peace, but the peace of God. Our peace in a
troubled world is not because of who we are, but because of who He is. My peace is
insufficient, but His peace is fully capable of protecting my heart and mind.
Reba McEntire sings “Pray for Peace.” Amen sister. Sing it. And yes we need to pray
for peace. But never forget that Jesus Christ has already given us His peace.
-Blessings, Gene
Pray for Peace
J U L Y 2 0 2 0 V O L U M E 2 4 , I S S U E 7
A publication of St. James West United Methodist Church
Gene Backes, Pastor
Staff
Gene Backes Pastor [email protected]
Rick Poelhuis Music Director [email protected]
Ashley Lancaster Children’s Ministry Directory [email protected]
Bart Blalock Youth Ministry Director [email protected]
Jennifer O’Neil Preschool/Mother’s Morning Out Director
Beth Nelson Office Manager [email protected]
Grace Nelson-Horoho Office Assistant [email protected]
Kathy & Gary Cummings Custodians
Worship Coordinators
Sid Nelson Worship Leader
Ron Hall, Jr. Lead Greeter
Tech Team Jeremy Hoesli, Coordinator
ST . JAMES WE ST United Methodist Church
3101 HILLCREST TERRACE EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 47712 PHONE (812) 425-7405 FAX (812) 425-4455 www.stjameswest.com
P A G E 2 T H E W E S T W I N D
July Birthdays
1 Jerry Funkhouser, Ryan Kremer, Ella Shoobridge, Grace Nelson-Horoho
3 Vickie Word
4 Sam Mills, David Roedel
5 Dwayne Ackerman, Brett Hughes, Austin Resing, Matthew Greathouse
7 James Aaron Leach, Brandy Roehr, Kieran Wilson
9 Gary Doninger, Adam Krohn
10 Josh Hendrickson
11 Megan Bass
12 Connie Mabee
14
Dee Ellington
17 Amanda Coleman, Joe Nelson
19 Trisha Wilhite
21 Rick Gibson, Donna Groves
22 Missy Backes
23 Joseph Bockting
24 Alex Nolan, Robert Schmidt, Samantha Shoultz
25 Aubri Bass
26 Daltyn Backes, Josiah Egan
27 Georgia Kramer
28 Lindsay Williams, Bettye Hendrickson, Lisa Angermeier, Jeanette Grisham
30 Lukas Shoobridge, Baker Giesman
31 Levi Ford, Larry Krack, Jackson Nolan
From the Children’s Department
St. James West By the Numbers Apportionment (January –May 2020) Conference ..... $10,496.00
District .............. $1,260.00
General Fund (Year-to-date weekly average)
2019 .................. $4,678.00
2020 .................. $4,767.00
% Change ............... +1.9%
Weekly
Average
May
2019
May
2020
%
Change
Worship
Attendance
No average calculation due to
stay-at-home orders May 2020
General
Fund $4,086.00 $3,743.00 -8.4%
Sympathies Janice McGuyer passed away on May 22, 2020. Janice is the sister of Linda Wilson.
Gertrude Hust passed away on May 29, 2020. Gertrude is the mother of Jim
Hust.
Maxine Ginger passed away on June 6, 2020. Maxine attended St. James West.
Children activities including nursery, 3-year-old to 5th grade Sunday school classes,
middle school Sunday school class, and Monday Night kids’ classes will resume Sunday
July 5th/Monday July 6th. Nursery and Sunday school classes will only be offered during
the 10:30 a.m. service on Sundays for the months of July and August.
With in-person services resuming and the 9:00 a.m. service being posted online, we are
requiring anyone 18 years or younger to fill out a social media release waiver with their
parent/guardian. Waivers will be in the Welcome Center. Please return waivers to
Ashley Lancaster once completed.
We are not requiring masks/face covers for kids or volunteers. We will be taking
temperatures of all children who attend the nursery and any of the Sunday School/
Monday Night classes. At the beginning and the end of each class the kids will be given
hand sanitizer to help keep the germs down. If there are any questions, please reach
out to Ashley Lancaster.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
If you are looking for a way to connect and help serve at St. James West, please see
Ashley Lancaster. The Children's Department is needing Sunday School teachers,
teacher assistants, Middle School leaders, and nursery helpers. All teaching material is
provided for all classes.
Blessings & More New Members: St. James West welcomes Kyndel & Phillip Craig as new
members of the congregation on May 1st, 2020, and Kylee Oliver and David
Summitt on June 22, 2020.
P A G E 3 T H E W E S T W I N D
JULY 2020
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
6-7p Church Chicks Mtg.
(CFC)
7-9p Pickleball (CFC)
2 3 Holiday-
Office
Closed
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
4 Fourth of
July
5 Communion
6-9p CFC Reserved
6 Communion
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
7p Mondays With God
Worship Service
7-9p AA Meeting
7
5:30-6:30a Men’s Group
5-8p CFC Reserved
8
7-8:30p Neighborhood
Watch Meeting
(CFC)
9 10
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
11
8-9:30a United Caring
Shelters
Breakfast
Volunteers
12
9 & 10:30a Services:
Blessing of the
Backpacks
6-9p CFC Reserved
13
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
7p Mondays With God
Worship Service
7-9p AA Meeting
14
5:30-6:30a Men’s Group
5-8p CFC Reserved
15
10a-12p Preschool
Graduation Fun
Day
6-8p Pickleball (CFC)
16 17
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
18
19
6-9p CFC Reserved
20
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
7p Mondays With God
Worship Service
7-9p AA Meeting
21
5:30-6:30a Men’s Group
5-8p CFC Reserved
22
6-8p Pickleball (CFC)
23 24
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
25
ALL DAY CFC Reserved
26
6-9p CFC Reserved
27
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
7p Mondays With God
Worship Service
7-9p AA Meeting
28
5:30-6:30a Men’s Group
5-8p CFC Reserved
29
6-8p Pickleball (CFC)
30 31
8a-12p Pickleball (CFC)
St. James West United Methodist Church Sundays:
9:00 am........................................................................................ Praise & Worship
10:30 am ..................................................................................... Praise & Worship Mondays:
7:00 p.m. ................................................ Mondays With God Praise & Worship
Key:
ADR-Alpha Domus Room
CFC-Christian Family Center
FH-Fellowship Hall
MMO-Mother’s Morning Out
PS-Preschool
WC-Welcome Center
3101 Hillcrest Terrace Evansville, Indiana 47712
July 2020
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
We’re on the Web!
www.stjameswest.com
@StJamesWestUMC
Nonprofit Organization U. S. Postage
PAID Evansville, IN
Permit No. 1562
Blessing of the Backpacks On July 12th, the congregation
will be praying over the backpacks, Bibles, and school supplies purchased for the
recent Preschool graduates who will be going to Kindergarten
this fall. The backpacks will be presented to the graduates at
their Preschool Fun Day, scheduled for July 15th.