New Projector In Use

We completed fund raising for Phase I this past Sunday. The Vision Team met Wednesday and selected a projector. The new projector arrived Friday and we used it twice today for a presentation on missions and a movie with the youth group.

Posted by John

T-Shirts Available for Ordering Tomorrow

We will have samples of the new t-shirts and mousepads in the foyer
tomorrow. Mousepads will be $7. T-shirts will be $7 and $9.

Posted by John

Phase I Complete

Phase I of our multi-media project is now complete. The vision team met Wednesday and approved the purchase of a portable projector. We already have the screen. With this we begin phase II. We plan to go ahead and include special envelopes in the bulletin for the next two Sundays and then we'll give folks a break of one or two months. If you want to see the projector go to the NEC Website. That's the projector, but we not paying a lot less ($1682.71 including shipping).

Posted by John

Congratulations

Congratulations to Maci Robinson for appearing on the front page of Sunday's Coffeyville Journal!

Posted by John

Multi-Media Fund

We received $756 toward the Multi-Media fund yesterday. This brings us to a total of $2,371 and thus completes fund-raising for Phase I.

Posted by John

Books for Bible Study now Available

We now have copies of The Overload Syndrome available for purchase. If you signed up for the study please pick one up so that you can read the introduction before class on Tuesday or Thursday. Books are $12.

Posted by John

Easter Jubilee

We're proud of the Choir for their work this evening. Thanks to the members for all they do.

Posted by John

No PPRC Meeting this Monday

There has been a conflict between what was put in the paper and what was in the bulletin and newsletter. There will be no PPRC meeting this Monday.

Posted by John

New Logo

Above is a new logo for First UMC. Let us know what you think.

Posted by John

Recycling Anyone?

I've recently gotten some leads on starting a community recycling program at the church. Materials that could be recycled are: newspaper, cardboard, paperboard, aluminum cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, magazines, shredded office paper. Anyone interested?

Posted by John

Sermon this Sunday

This Sunday I plan to be preaching on Acts 4.32-35 with the sermon title:
"Our Life Together: Capitalism, Communism, or Christianity."

Posted by John

Easter Lilies

I forgot to announce who the lilies were im memory/honor of yesterday at the 10:50 service. They were for: Jim Eli, Harold McCoy, Tommy Thompson, Meriam Karstadt, Les and Nanc Lanning, Edna Cape, and Jim Masters.

Posted by John

Multi-Media Fund

Good news! Special donations (above and beyond regular giving) for the multi-media fund were $1,022 yesterday. That means that we have collected a total of $1,615 toward our $22,000 goal.

Posted by John

238 For Easter

We had 48 in the first service and 190 in the second service. It was great to see the sanctuary so full.

Posted by John

Christ is Risen!

Muslim Stoles

Jenny and I ordered new Easter stoles from "A Greater Gift" which is a
company that promotes fair trade (like the UMCOR Equal Exchange Coffee
Project). We found the following note about the woman who made our
stoles:

"Fata Music is a Bosnian Muslim with two daughters she is teaching to
embroider. Her husband is ill and they survive on a small pension. Her
mother taught her to embroider at age 12."

It shatters stereotypes to think of a Muslim woman embroidering stoles
for Christian clergy.

Posted by John

Sabbath Monday

We are posting today because I have a graveside service and we both
have the Good Friday service the evening. Linda is also working so the
office is open. The office will be closed Monday and Jenny and I will
take our sabbath from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon.

Posted by John

Good Friday

In the still of the morning, as I went about my routine of coffee and reading the news online, my thoughts suddenly turned to Christ and what was happening to him this morning. This "Good Friday" it is an apt subject for at least a moment's meditation. I had not planned it, but the Spirit seems to have been working. Perhaps this post is the Spirit's way of reaching out to you. Take a moment, remember Jesus, and pray.

Posted by John

Habitat for Humanity Softball Tournaments

The vision team is happy to announce that First UMC will be sponsoring two Habitat for Humanity softball tournaments this year. We're happy to be able to make an impact on affordable housing in Montgomery county.

Bishop's Statement on Immigration

The following is from Bishop Scott Jones, Bishop of the Kansas Area:

Two crucial principles, both basic to the Bible and American values, are at stake in the current immigration debate. Our political leaders must consider both hospitality and legality in the current debate. Nevertheless, we must always emphasize compassion and care for persons both because they deserve it and as commitment to a better future for all.

First, how do we best welcome newcomers to our land? America is a land of immigrants. Most of us are either newcomers or descendents of persons who came here from somewhere else. The beauty of our country is the mix of persons from all of the other continents. Many passages in the Bible command Christians to practice hospitality to newcomers, but none is so forceful as Matthew 25:35 where Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me. . . . Just as you did it to the least of these you did it to me.”

Second, how do we respect our laws? We are a country of laws and respect for law is crucial to our way of life. Scripture also commands us to respect authority and obey them. We are a nation shaped by the rule of law. An economic and demographic situation that creates millions of persons who are not able to live with the full protection of the law is both unjust and Yet, we are in a situation today where more than 11 million persons reside in the United States illegally. Most of them have come because they or their parents want to work. Our economy depends upon their labor in many different ways, and they are contributing to the economic well-being of our country. Employers in industries like construction and agriculture cannot find employees without resorting to immigrants. The laws we have do not reflect the demographic and economic reality of our country.

The deciding factor in this is a moral attitude. Christian teaching states that God blesses diversity and commands us to welcome the stranger. Newcomers to our country are enriching our communities and our state with new energy, new traditions and new opportunities for a richer and more diverse way of life. New immigrants are helping to make America a better place, just as they have always done. Changes are stressful for many persons, but we must resolutely follow our American and biblical values.

Therefore, I call on our political leaders to think about legislation with the following in
mind:
• Do not criminalize Christian conduct of helping needy persons. Throwing ministers and church workers in jail for caring for people will only worsen the problem.
• Devise a method to help illegal immigrants continue making their contribution to our country either through a guest worker program or a clear path to citizenship.
• Restore the integrity of our legal system by adopting rules that are realistic and
enforceable.
• Maximize opportunities for education for all persons to help them become the best possible contributors. Thus, children of illegal immigrants should be given the same educational opportunities and scholarships as others.

I heartly agree.

Posted by John

Why We Apportion

Apportionments are the way we fund mission and ministry within the United Methodist connection. Still they are sometimes a touchy subject within the local church. If you would like to know more about why we pay apportionments, the General Council on Finance and Aministration has a new resource available: http://www.gcfa.org/WhyWeApportion.pdf.

This document is a .pdf file that can be read with the Adobe Acrobat Reader program which is a free download from this website: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Posted by Jenny

Overheard

Kay Warren (via Sojourners Magazine) who with her husband Rick Warren, recently hosted an HIV/Aids conference at Saddleback Church in California.

Jesus never asked anyone how he or she got sick--only the Pharisees did ... If your compassion level goes up when you know it wasn't someone's fault, then there is something wrong.

I imagine that Kay says this from personal experience, I know that it is something with which I struggle. It is so much easier to feel sympathy with someone who is where they are "through no fault of their own." The problem is that all of us have done wrong, some of us are paying fearful costs for our mistakes and other's are not, but at any rate, as Kay says, Jesus never asked that question.

As some of you know from a previous newsletter article, I was not a big fan of the Purpose Driven Life. I have, however been very much encouraged by the above quote and by another excerpted quote in Sojourners Magazine (ultimately from The New Yorker), this one from Rick himself in the context of explaining why he is giving away 90% of the royalties from The Purpose Driven Life:

How did I miss the two thousand verses on the poor in the Bible?

I think these new quotes from Warrens are signs of a large, significant move in American Christianity, it is a move that I hope continues.

Gnostic "Gospel of Judas" Resurfaces

I was extemely skeptical about articles describing a "Gospel of Judas." These types of "discoveries" are foisted upon us on a fairly regular basis and the press always seems to get fooled. I don't want to take time to debunk, but there is a good article at Martin's Musings: Gnostic "Gospel of Judas" Resurfaces I can't vouch for the veracity of this blog on a regular basis, not being a regular reader, but this article is very sound and I plan to keep reading.

Update: There are definitely places where Martin and I disagree, but this post sums up the position of orthodox Christianity on the "Gospel of Judas" very well.

Posted by John

Another Reason to Join

One more reason to join the small group study on The Overload Syndrome: with all the times they check on you in the middle of the night it can be hard to get rest in a hospital.

Posted by John

New Small Group Study

DO YOU DREAD GOING TO WORK?

ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS STRAINED FROM STRESS?

DO YOU WISH YOU COULD CHECK INTO A HOSPITAL
JUST TO GET SOME SLEEP?

Business. Stress. Overload. Anyone living in today’s society knows the struggle of trying to handle the demands of life at the turn of the millennium. You don’t have enough time to do the things you have to do⎯let alone those things you’d like to do. You feel tired, worn out, and burned out.
You’re not alone. These symptoms are not a figment of your imagination. They’re signs that you’re suffering from a virulent new disease that affects millions of people⎯The Overload Syndrome.
Where does overload come from? What does it look like? What will it lead to? Most importantly, what can you do about it. The Overload Syndrome examines these questions and offers prescriptions to counter-act its effects and restore time to rest and space to heal.

The above quotes are from the back of the book The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits by Richard A. Swenson, M.D.

Jenny and I are excited about a new 8-week small group study on The Overload Syndrome starting the Tuesday after Easter (April 18) at 7 pm. The less time you feel that you have for this study the more you need it. We really encourage everyone to participate. This book has a five star rating at amazon.com Go on over and check out the reviews.

Posted by John

Friendly Reminder

Just a friendly reminder, because of privacy regulations, the only way Jenny and I can find out that you re in the hospital is for you to let us or the church office know. If we know, we're happy to visit.

Posted by John

Prayer Request

I got a call last night from my dad that my grandfather Collins has passed away. Please keep our family in your prayers.

Posted by John

Help Wanted

We're coming up on the two largest attendance Sundays of the year (Palm/Passion Sunday and Easter Sunday) and we're needing some help to get the church spruced up. Are ye able? Give us a call at the church office.

Jesus, the Disinherited, and First UMC

Bill Moyers made the following remarks as part of a speech accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Baptist Churches:

Jesus has been hijacked. The very Jesus who stood in his hometown and proclaimed "The Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor." The very Jesus who told 5,000 hungry people that all people--not just those in the box seats--would be fed. The very Jesus who challenged the religious orthodoxy of the day by feeding the hungry on the Sabbath, who offered kindness to the prostitute and hospitality to the outcasts, who raised the status of women, and who treated even the despised tax collector as a citizen of the kingdom.

The indignant Jesus who drove the moneychangers from the temple has been hijacked and turned from a friend of the dispossessed to a guardian of privilege, a militarist and hedonist, sent prowling the halls of Congress like a Gucci-shod lobbyist, seeking tax breaks and loophole for the powerful, costly new weapons systems, and punitive public policies against people without power or status.

The struggle for a just world goes on. It is not a partisan affair. God is neither liberal nor conservative, Republican nor Democrat. To see whose side God is on, just go to the Bible. It is the widow and the orphan, the stranger and the poor who are blessed in the eyes of the Lord; it is kindness and mercy that prove the power of faith, and justice that measures the worth of the state. Kings are held accountable for how the poor fare under their reign. Prophets speak to the gap between rich and poor as a reason for God's judgement. Poverty and justice are religious issues, and Jesus moves among the disinherited.

Amen and Amen. This is the direction I feel Coffeyville First UMC must move in. We have done so in the past (e.g. The Genesis Program), now we must do so again. We must recommit ourselves to those who Christ loves.

Posted by John

Baptism, Membership and Salvation in the UMC

Today I am including a link to an article on our General Board of Discipleship website that highlights some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Baptism, Membership and Salvation in the United Methodist Church. I commend it to your reading.

http://www.gbod.org/worship/default_body.asp?act=reader&item_id=2258

Posted by Jenny

Posting tomorrow

Yesterday we didn't have internet access, today is the Sabbath. We'll post tomorrow.