Hoquiam United Methodist Church News                                               September 2010

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Have you managed to stay busy during the summer?  Wow, sometimes I wonder where the time went!  Again I like to add a word of thanks to all those folks who have helped out with or organized activities during the summer.  Our church organized a Block Party on August 3 as part of the National Night Out campaign.  I believe that Doris had a hand in organizing that and yes police and fire brigade showed up (as well as Pete with his barbeque).  BJ and Pat organized the Community Family Fun day on Saturday the 21^st, around noon, and several dozen came out and enjoyed the good weather, games, company, lots of food, including the hot dogs and hamburgers Russ put on the barbeque just outside the door.  It was indeed a fun time and some people who just happened to be walking by ended up at a table inside enjoying the food and company.  On the last Friday, a crowd showed up for the Community Eat Together and enjoyed Pat’s cold pork and other foods provided by several members.  I missed it (since I helped my second son getting settled back in college), but I understand that some 65 people were served a great meal, most of them coming from the community at large.  And just as we turned the page from August to September, Carl managed to replace the hanging door in the Alden Room with a brand new one!  You should come and see it—it looks great and it works! (Just be careful with opening and closing it, please.)  He did a great job and we sure do appreciate it! Apart from the looks, it will save us in the heating bill and make us better stewards.

Looking ahead, as we start September a number of programs will start up as well.  Sunday school for adults and children is scheduled to start again on Sunday Sept. 12 at 9:30 am.  In light of that, I have copied a piece of an article by Bishop Willimon which give us some food for thought, I hope (see below).

At this point, one study/discussion group meets on a weekday, small group Alpha.  This group will use a special study on fundamentalism and violence over the next few sessions (see below).  If you are interested in joining us, even if it is just for this special study, please do.  If you would be interested in joining a small group that meets at a different time, please talk with me!  Maybe we can start a new one.

At some point in the next few months, I would like to offer an introduction to Methodism class which I call Methodism 101.  It consists of 4 sessions, about 1 hour and 45 minutes long, including a short break, in which we will focus on a number of topics: John Wesley (founder of the Methodist movement); the history and organization of the United Methodist Church, major emphases in Methodist beliefs, membership vows and whatever questions participants might have.  This class is designed for those who might which to explore becoming a member and for those who just wish to deepen their understanding of the United Methodist Church, maybe as a refresher course.  I usually do this course if at least five people show an interest and I try to schedule the 4 sessions in consultation with those who are interested.  Please contact me if you are interested! 

You may recall hearing or reading about a visioning process for our church.  At this point, we are waiting to hear from our new District Superintendent, Rev. David Nieda, with regard to funding for an outside consultant who might be able to help us with this process.

In September and October, two United Methodist Missionaries will be itinerating through our area.  The first one will be Katherine Parker, a young woman who works with the newly established UM church in Cambodia.  She will be speaking at Central Park UMC on September 21 in the evening.  We are awaiting more information.  As a church, we are supporting Katherine financially through our Apportionments payments.

Finally, I hope you will take the time to read the remainder of this newsletter, there are contributions from several people pertaining to a variety of important topics.  And again, please keep in your prayers all those in our church with special needs. 

Shalom, Pastor Willem

The State of HUMC Finances

Our Church’s financial state is a good news, bad news story. First the good news, we have done several worthwhile projects in the first half of 2010, beginning with the last Friday of each month community dinners. We have done 8 in 2010. These are funded by our missions’ account which has been helped by two grants from Wal-Mart and by love offering at each dinner. That account at the end of July had $2,030.10 remaining. Besides doing the dinners, four new round tables were purchased partially funded by a successful Meatball dinner and the Wal-Mart grant.  This account has also purchased a new and much needed door for the Alden Room so that heat will be conserved during the cold months. This account is healthy and will remain so since the dinner fund is self-sustaining and remaining projects will be done from designated “special” funding.

The Parsonage rental account generates $925 per month; its balance on July 31 was $4,505.46. This account must pay property taxes of about $2,000 per year and is used to help with pastoral housing of $250 per month. We have committed $2,000 from this account to pay in part for new city sidewalks to be completed during September. That means that after the Oct. tax bill, we should have a balance of nearly $1,500. These are funds that at this time are being held to make repairs to the parsonage when needed and to be used for general maintenance of the property.

        The building fund account had $1,605.72 on July 31. Approximately $1,250 is allocated to pay for the city sidewalk project. When the sidewalks have been poured and finished, all the sidewalks bordering the church properties on 5^th and L streets will be new. This will improve the overall appearance of property and eliminate possible accidents caused by the uneven surface that now exists.

Now the bad news, the General Fund account—the July balance was a negative $351.55. This is the account that does the day to day operations of the Church. We have managed to pay all bills and salaries each month except for apportionments to the “Greater Church”. We have made partial payment but have over the past two months fallen behind. Our average income from tithes and offerings over the first six months of this year was $5,852.40. This is supplemented by $1,475.40 each month from the Pacific Northwest Conference in pastoral support. Thus our average income the first six months was a total of $7,328.37.In July and August, both giving and attendance were down. Giving during those months was in the neighborhood of $1,000 per month less averaging $4,925. As I stated earlier, we have kept current on our bills due largely to the diligence and dedication of our treasurer, Virginia. During the month of September, we will be conducting a Stewardship Campaign that, hopefully will give some direction addressing our budget problems. Economic times are tough and we are a small church. Please pray over our dilemma, but at the same time count our blessings and give thanks for all the good things we have accomplished.

Each month a print out of the treasurer’s report is posted on the bulletin board near the pastor’s office.

As a prelude to our stewardship campaign, I prepared a stair step graph that represents out congregations giving pattern. Look for yourself on the chart and pray about how you might be able to take a step toward tithing.

Pete, Finance Committee Chair

FUNDAMENTALISM AND VIOLENCE – A SPECIAL STUDY AND DISCUSSION WITH GROUP ALPHA

The following is an excerpt from the Circuit Rider

Let the

Children Come

By William H. Willimon

This culture is not child friendly. Only a tiny proportion of North American children have received any introduction or instruction in the Christian faith. God has blessed many of our congregations with a surfeit of older people who have the talents and the time to lead ministries with children. Any United Methodist church that is bereft of children, that has no program for reaching children and allowing children to reach us has yet to meet the theological criteria for church.

I can show you churches that tired of competing with youth soccer leagues that played games on Sunday—they have formed their own soccer league to play at times other than Sunday morning. I’ve visited churches with after-school tutoring and recreational programs for latchkey kids. In one of my congregations, a group of older adults gives a “Parents’ Night Out” every Friday night from six until ten. Parents bring children by for an evening of stories, games, and food. The size of their children’s ministry doubled in one year, confirming the dictum of our Conference Children’s Coordinator’s, “The easiest way to grow a church is with children.”

I appointed a woman who spent the first decade of her working life as an elementary schoolteacher to lead a small, declining church with a median age of sixty (that is, a typical UM church). Her first Sunday there she announced, “I am here to see if God can give this church a future.” She told them that the only way for a church to have a future is to be hospitable to children; the theological test for a church’s fidelity is how well it embraces the “least of these.”

What were they to do? She noted how the unused Sunday school rooms were a disgrace. A team of painters refurbished the rooms. The next Sunday, at the conclusion of the service, she gave an altar call and asked for people to come forward whom God had given gifts for children’s ministry. Three older women came and knelt at the altar. She consecrated them to lead the congregation into a new century, promising to equip these teachers, saying that by the next Sunday each of these teachers would prepare a great lesson and would be present to await God’s children. If no children showed up, then the teacher was to sit in the newly painted Sunday school room for the rest of the hour in prayer that God would lead the congregation to the children who could lead the congregation to Jesus. Then she charged each person in the congregation to bring at least one child with them to worship next Sunday. A year later, that church is being reborn, confirming, in the pastor’s words, the truth of the biblical promise, “A little child shall lead them.”

HOQUIAM UMC COUNCIL: 16 August 2010

FINANCE:  Pete reported that funding is down due to low attendance, unable to pay apportionments at this time.  Virginia reported:  Monies in the following accounts as of today (16 Aug)--General Fund:  --$582.35

Bldg fund: $1543.45, Special fund: $2762.25. and Parsonage fund $4505.46.   Discussion about cost of "Family Fun Day” (2l Aug), agreed to take monies out of the Special fund.

TRUSTEES: no report

CONGREGATIONAL CARE:  Kay reported, 27 Aug community dinner and Pat M is cooking. 

Discussion about what to do if we run out of food at the dinners, agreed to keep sauce/spaghetti, and TV dinners on hand for backup.  Kay stated we need some new ideas for the community dinners-- help.  The committee has agreed not to offer special needs meals at this time.  Kay has spoken with fire Chief Humphrey to set up a program to review first aide.  CC will also make a location map of the fire extinguishers which will be available to anyone interested. 

SPRC: Claude reported they will meet next month.  Our All Charge Conference date is 18th November at 7pm.  There will be potluck at 5:45pm.

EDUCATION:   no report

PASTOR'S REPORT:  Pastor Willem has met our new district superintendent: David Nieda. They spoke about our need to have a meeting with Gail Grossman to finalize our vision statement.  District may pay for this.

Upcoming events:  29th August-- Ocean Shores Beach Olympics hosted by Ocean Shores UMC, 31st August --Trustees meet at 4pm, 1st September-- Alfa will meet twice a month – See Church Calendar.
September-- children and adult Sunday school to resume. Doris, Secretary

Creating a miracle--Thanks to Kitty, the new long tablecloths have now become new round tablecloths for the new round tables. Thanks Kitty, to me that is a miracle—they look really nice and save the new table tops. —Kay

The Community Dinner--On Aug 27^th, we completed one and a half years or 18 dinners that we had put forth for the community.  We are proud of this accomplishment and we have to say it has been a real success only by the wonderful people in this congregation; their cooperation has been great working together the last Friday of every month to bring this on.  Art has been a great help coordinating, setting-up, cooking, serving, and cleaning-up; he has been really valuable to the cause.

 Missionary Katherine Parker

Katherine will be speaking at Central Park UMC (6508 Manor Road) in the evening of August 21^st, starting with a potluck meal at 6 p.m. with a presentation at 7 p.m. Below is information copied from the Web.

Katherine T. Parker, missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, serves as part of the Community Health and Agricultural Development (CHAD) Initiative of the Methodist Mission in Cambodia.

Katherine is involved in organizational development of the Social Concerns Committee (SCC) of the emerging Methodist Church in Cambodia. Working with a national team of pastors, the SCC works to help local congregations articulate and practice a theology of reaching out in Christian love to neighbors to realize God's promise of abundant life for all. Katherine helps develop food security and "livelihood" cooperative projects - cow, pig, chicken and duck raising, rice co-ops ('banks'), vegetable farming, and various small business projects through savings and credit groups.

Katherine also works with local congregations to help ensure their communities have continued access to biologically safe drinking water. Access to safe water in Cambodia is complicated by seasonal flooding, a high water table, and groundwater that is contaminated in many locations with naturally occurring arsenic. Katherine helps provide tools for local communities to assess and monitor their risks.

Native to California, Katherine comes from a family with deep roots in United Methodism on the West Coast. Two grandfathers, a great-grandfather, an aunt and several cousins have served as United Methodist clergy.

Katherine attended Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. While in Cambodia She is completing her thesis for a Masters degree, also in Biology, from California State University, Sacramento.

Active in the church since childhood, Katherine from a young age wanted to be involved in mission work. In August 2000, after completing college, Katherine began service as a Mission Intern with the General Board of Global Ministry's Young Adult Program.

Her overseas assignment, as part of that program, was with the Asian Rural Institute in Nishinasuno, Japan. After 16 months Katherine returned to the U.S. to serve with the Practical Farmers of Iowa in Ames. She completed her Mission Intern service in May 2003.

Katherine’s home church is Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church in Mill Valley, CA. She has been involved in the life of the church in many ways: serving with the California-Nevada Annual Conference's delegation to General Conference, the conference's Board of Church and Society, the Golden Gate District Council on Ministries, and as a local church volunteer organizing mission trips.

Read Katherine's blog at http://bokashi.blogspot.com

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/work/missionaries/biographies/index.cfm?action=details&id=1233

Living faithfully, not fearfully

Some of you have asked about the 10 points lifted up by Willem in last Sunday’s sermon.  Here is the summary he gave at the end.  “As you begin:

• to be hospitable
• to take off your shoes (to get comfortable) 
• to meditate
• to do something wild
• to say no
• to find someone to encourage
• to laugh
• to go with God
• to pray Biblically, and
• please God,

you very well may find, step by step, a love in your life that casts out fears and even tears.

These are the questions from the end of the sermon:

-          If you were to plan something "wild" for this weekend or week, what would it be?

-          If you were to encourage someone this week, who would that person be?

We are a 'Reconciling Congregation.’

This means we explicitly welcome

everyone including all sexual orientations

and gender identities, fully into