White Cloud, Mi. 49349 Mi. Cloud, White Newell 1125 188 Box Street P.O. United Methodist Cloud White Church White Cloud UMC

Newsletter JUNE 2017

RealPurpose...Real Passion...Real People Seeking God’s Purpose Offering God’s Love

Nurturing God’s World

Sunday Worship Times

9:01 am Traditional Worship 10:15 am Adult Sunday School 11:16 am Awakening

Office Hours: Pastor Ed Snook Monday thru Thursday 9:00 am until noon FRIDAY IS HIS DAY OFF Parsonage Phone: 689-6774 Cell Phone: 989-292-1146

Barb a.k.a church secretary Mon. Wed. Fri. 9:00am - 3:30pm

Office Phone: 689-5911

White Cloud ’s

Vision for Ministry “We believe God has called us to reach the un-churched (seekers) of Food for thought, our community with the good news of Jesus Christ, to equip all from the people with a faith that works in real life; and to send all of us into the world with purpose and passion to serve Jesus in the world.” Desk of Pastor Ed Seeking God’s Purpose Offering God’s Love Nurturing God’s Word

We have been called to Shalom, open up our hearts and let the Son shine in.

The last few months we have talked about the grace of God in the church of Jesus Christ. As a congregation of people faithful to God, we agree that the pure word of God is to be preached. We believe the sacraments practiced and held up in compliance to Christ’s decree. Our doctoral standards as United Methodists start as do Christians of other denominations with our beliefs that God is love and that love is shown through His Son Jesus Christ. Our doctrine starts with our be- lief in the triune God, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Through these beliefs we see the biblical witness of God and God’s actions in creation and God’s redemption of the human race in spite of our weakness and willingness to sin. As the church of Jesus Christ in The United Methodist Church we are called as a congregation of people faithful to God. So for the church to be alive, the church will find it necessary practice these . taught that God’s grace is unearned and that we were not to be idle waiting to experience it. Wesley taught that we are to engage into the means of grace. These means of grace are the ways God works invisibly in disciples stepping up, strengthening, and confirming faith so that God’s grace pervades in and through disci- The mission of the church is to make Disciples of Jesus ples. So let us look at these means of grace. First of all they can be Christ for the Transformation of the world divided into works of piety, and mercy. Open Hearts...Open Minds...Open Doors… The people of the United Methodist Church

Works of piety include: Individual practices such as reading, meditations, and stud- ying scriptures, , regularly attending worship, healthy living, and sharing our faith with others. Our current Mission Committee consists of Communal works of piety include regularly sharing in the three servants. We try to meet every other sacraments, Christian conferencing such as month and we currently meet at Jackie Cruzan’s (accountability to one another) and Bible Study. home, as that is most convenient for Jackie. We are another means of grace. would welcome new servants. If you have any Works of mercy include individual practices include doing questions please contact Laurie Clary. , visiting the sick, visiting those in prison, feeding the hungry, and giving generous to the needs of others. Communal practices are seeking justice, ending oppression and discrimination (for instance John Wesley challenged Methodists to end slavery) and addressing the needs of the poor. The means of grace needs to be practiced so that the disciples are able to make their appointments with God so the disciples can be CIN SUNDAY JUNE 18TH empowered by God for discipleship. Means of grace is the practice of us meeting God and giving our attention to God so that God will have

us. That we run to God in the fear of wrath and the penalty of our sin to CIN Sunday is back! What is CIN Sunday? It is cinnamon rolls and other delicious baked goods. The find God’s mercy for us. To recognize that this mercy is sufficient and Night Circle will have the bake items available between that through this mercy the disciples will bare good fruits. services on Father's Day, Sunday, June 18th,. If you are As we move forward in our walk with Christ we find our- looking for the perfect gift for that favorite male in your selves in need of understanding of our new found situation. life, buy him some cinnamon rolls. They say “The First we run to the scriptures for understanding but also have to way to a man's heart is through his stomach.” The bake keep in mind tradition, experience, and reason, play an im- items will be sold by donation. The money will help portant role in our understanding of God and the love of Christ. the Night Circle to buy paper supplies for the kitchen and the Upper Room Devotional, which are their local We are also enlightened by what is called the Wesleyan Quadri- projects for our church. lateral. John Wesley believed by taking the four elements to- gether: scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, bring the individual Christian to a mature and fulfilling understanding of the Christian faith. Looking at scripture we find various exam- ples of traditions of life and how to live life within a tradition. Scripture is full of times of reason when people in the bible had to make decisions and how they took the information they had while finding solutions to their problems and answers to their questions. Then there are the experiences of the people of God in SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES their particular circumstances as people of tribes to becoming NOW YOU CAN GET THEM FOR FREE kingdoms. Then we see the world experiencing the life of God in The American Red Cross is conducting free smoke alarm Jesus Christ and his promise of the kingdom of God on earth. Looking at tradition experience and reason we find Installations and inspections. “Tradition is understood both in terms of process and form.” Tradition has given us a history to look back at Don’t have alarms or have alarms that don’t work? both in scripture of the gospels and how we as a people have worshiped and how that people carry on that tradi- Have alarms that are over ten (10) years old? tion of worship today. “The practice of examining experi- Don’t have an alarm on every floor of your home? ence, both individual and corporate, for the confor- mations of the realities of God’s grace attested in Scrip- You may not hae enough of a warning to escape your tures.” As we read the scriptures then we see how our own experience of God’s grace and love are like those ex- Home safely. perienced by the people of God in the bible and with rea- son and reflection we are able to better understand our Contact us to sign up for a free twenty (20) minute home visit. faith. Reason then helps us to interpret the scriptures and Richard Dunnill - Red Cross Disaster Program Specialist God’s will and action. “By careful thought and reason we can: [email protected] Determine whether our Christian witness is clear. Ask questions of faith and seeking understand- 231-233-9302 ing God’s action and will. Organize the understandings that compose our witnesses Or use the link below to sign up yourself and render them coherent. http://www.redcross.org/local/michigan/request-a-smoke-alarm Test the congruence of our witness to the Biblical testimony

and to the traditions that mediate that testimony to us. Serving the Counties of Kent, Barry, Ottawa, Montcalm, Ionia, Relate our witness to a full range of human knowledge, experience and service.” Mason, Lake, Oceana, Muskegon, Newaygo, Mecosta and Osceola.

When we use scripture, tradition, reason, and experience in our lives we are better equipped to see how God works within our lives. As we read the scriptures we see examples of God in the lives of others and are able to relate them to our own circum- stances. When we think of Christ and His ministry we too are part of that ministry. We are to bring the good news of the gos- pels to others who are unaware or need more knowledge of them. As disciples this becomes our mission as we grow within the church.

CELEBRATING OUR JUNE Jesus gave the church a mission to make disciples. We find the BIRTHDAY BABIES mission Christ gave us in Matthew 28: 19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” How simple does it get 1 ~ Terry Mast we have the instruction but more important we have it in our hearts to share just as those before us. Love is what we have and it 5 ~ Barbie Miller was from God for Christ told us, “You shall love the Lord your God

6 ~ Amy Stockwell with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind” and Christ also said love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 10 ~ Robert Thwaites 39). Here it is important that we love others as ourselves to share the grace we have already experienced to help others know that 11 ~ Mitch Burgess “God is Love” because of that, we Love as well. For how can we love God who we have not seen and not love those we have? 21 ~ Char Peabody We do it as a calling, we do it within God’s grace,

24 ~ LeRoy Stratton we do it through the examples in the scriptures that come to life before us, we do it through the traditions of faith by the experi- 29 ~ Vicki Burke ences we have lived, reasoning it all together by what we have been taught, all we have read, all we have lived within the church and life through Jesus Christ. Amen Making disciples, growing in vitality and transforming the world is part of a spiritual adventure that is empowered and guid- ed by the Holy Spirit as the church engages in the means of grace. EVERYONE CELEBRATING ANNIVERSERIES Our spiritual goals are accomplished by connecting the means of CONGRATULATIONS grace with the vitality of the church in planning and reaching with our full focus on God. 2 ~ LeRoy & Hope Stratton

14 ~ Terry & Sandy Mast Peace and grace

18 ~ Bob & Vicki Burke Pastor Ed

20 ~ Mitch & Mary Burgess The Book Of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2004, (Nashville, The United 22 ~ Steve & Bonnie Fetterley Methodist Publishing House, 2004), 62.

The Book Of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2000, (Nashville, The United Methodist Publishing House, 2004), paragraph 104.80. IBN,331., IBN 104,82 200 Years of United An Illustrated History

CHILD CHILD SERVANTS NEEDED

There is a need for 2 more servants to serve in the Child Care Room for 1st service. The qualifications are: hands to help, lap Several persons formed a Methodist to hold children, arms to hug, smiles to welcome, and love to group in New York City in the fall of share. Youth servants have to have finished 7th grade and/or be 1766. Among them were Philip Em- 13 years old. Adult servants are people over 19 years old. bury; Barbara Heck, who prodded Em- Adult servants will have a background check, like all the bury to preach to those who were about servants serving in any children/teen ministry at our church. to make a "shipwreck of their faith;" This is an opportunity for men and women to serve. We have and a slave girl named Betty. By April had both serving. You don't need to be a member of this church. 1768 these Methodists were so confi- If this is something God wants you to serve in, contact either dent of their potential for growth that Barb Anderson, 689-1063, or Pastor Ed at the church office, they wrote to John Wesley in England, asking him to send them a preacher, 689-5911. one who is "a man of wisdom, of sound faith, and a good disciplinarian." Meanwhile, two preachers, who are now linked with Wesley as fathers of United Methodism, had clasped hands in a barn in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania, and exclaimed in German, "We are brothers!" One wasWilliam Otter- bein, an ordained pastor of the German Reformed Church; the other was a Mennonite preacher named Martin We at White Cloud United Methodist Church encourage everyone Boehm. The Reformed Church traced who has information for the WCUMC Newsletter to submit your its origins to John Calvin, one of the articles, and pertinent information to the Newsletter editor, Helen principal Protestant reformers of the Reid. All we ask is that you give your name and phone number sixteenth century. Mennonites were with this information. This helps us to be able to ask questions in Protestants who rejected much that Cal- case the information is incomplete. We also do not publish politi- vin stood for, including baptizing in- cal satires because they can be hurtful to others. So we thank all of fants and the participation of Christians you who submit your information that informs and enriches the in war. But when Otterbein listened to kingdom of God here in White Cloud. Boehm preach in Long's Barn, some- time between 1766 and 1769, he recog- nized they were brothers in Christ, and from their embrace came the United Brethren movement, which was similar to the Methodism of John Wesley. PRAYER CONCERNS What a wonderful Pastor Ed & Ellen Snook surprise to celebrate our graduating Seniors, Candy & Howard Keith Jeff Stratton and having our youth group do the whole Ruth Sprout Marv & Jackie Cruzan Service. You are a Blessing to your church Mike Thatcher Aaron Randall family.

Pat & Richard Long Jennie Burgess family We as your church family look forward to Art Faber Dolly Voss continue supporting you with our prayers. Beth Plotts Terry Mast It was nice to hear you Jerry Jaquish Verda Hews share with us your Future plans...may you August Davis Linda Goff continue to seek as find God along your Jane Crabtree Joe Thatcher, Jr. Journey in life.

Pat Thumser God bless each and every one of you. Sue Totten

Patrons from Benny’s house

PRAYER CHAIN

The prayer chain is a way to spread the word to others of those who are in need of prayer. There are approximately seven groups that are on the prayer chain. If you have a prayer request and/or would like to be a part of one of the groups, please call Pat Thumser at 231-689-6430 or 250-1560. When a prayer is requested Pat calls the top of each list, and that person calls down to the next, and that person down to the next, etc. JUNE WORSHIP HELPERS

GREETERS June 4th - Doris & Richard Sirk June 11th - April & Andy Keith & family & Candy June 18th - Vicki & Bob Burke June 25th - Diana, Heather Stromquist

MUSIC June 4th - Shaunna Baker June 11th - Shaunna Baker June 18th - Shaunna Baker June 25th - Shaunna Baker

AUDIO VISUALS June 4th - Traditional - Helen Reid Awakening - Zane Keith We will be having a special service on July 9th. June 11th - Traditional - Conner Dakin Awakening - Helen Reid So mark your calendars with big letters and a huge Red circle. June 18th - Traditional - Chuck Christenson Awakening - Jerry Jaquish We will be having one service at 10:00 am.

June 25th - Traditional - Bob Birr After the worship service we will be enjoying Awakening - Zane Keith A wonderful potluck and fellowship with each other.

So get out your favorite potluck recipes and plan On having an awesome LITURGISTS HEAD USHER OL’ TYME HYMN SING AND POTLUCK MEAL June 4th - Cheryl Wenstrom June 4th - Mark Jonaitis June 11th - Janet Brock June 11th - Tom Baker June 18th - LeRoy Stratton June 18th - Bob Anderson June 25th - Cheryl Wenstrom June 25th - Barry Seabrook

JUNE WORSHIP HELPERS (CONT) Scriptures and Sermon Titles for June: MONEY COUNTERS

Sunday June 4, June 5th - Barb Anderson & Hope Stratton Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48 June 12th - Vicki Burke & Barb Thatcher Sermon Title: “Riding the Horse of Perfection into Miserable Life” June 19th - Vicki Burke & Hope Stratton June 26th - Barb Anderson & Barb Thatcher Sunday June 11, Scripture: 2nd Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20 Sermon Title: “The Same God” CHILD CARE SERVANTS Sunday June 18, June 4th - Traditional - Tim Rossler & Kenzie Keith Scripture: Matthew 9:35-10:8 Awakening - Peggy Rossler & Barb Anderson Sermon Title: “The Divine Mission” June 11th - Traditional - Mary Burgess & Tim Rossler Sunday June 25, Awakening - Janet Brock & Barb Anderson Scripture: Matthew 10:24-39 Sermon Title: “The Divide” June 18th - Traditional - Kenzie Keith & Barb Anderson Awakening - Barb Anderson

June 25th - Traditional - Donna Horning & Mary Burgess Awakening - Janet Brock & Barbara Anderson

ACCOLYTES

June 4th - Andy Burke June 11th - Gabriella Dakin / June 18 - Lillie Keith June 25th - Zane Keith

We have tWO wonderful Adult Sunday School Classes at White Cloud UMC THE DEADLINE FOR THE JULY 2017 NEWSLETTER IS NOON ON MONDAY, JUNE 19TH. One of the classes meet in the choir room and is lead by Jerry Jaquish EITHER PUT YOUR ARTICLE IN MY Who says: “We are studying 1st and 2nd Timothy. Both letters are full MAIL BOX IN THE CHURCH OFFICE of great advice for young and old, come and join in the discussion. All OR EMAIL ME AT: ideas are welcome.” Blessings, Jerry [email protected] Thanks, Editor: Helen Reid

The other Class Meets upstairs in the education building. This building is barrier free. This class is studying the Epistles, currently doing 1 Peter.

It is being led by Jane Crabtree, with others in the class leading also. There is lots of great conversation and coffee...and coffee...

We are going to begin handing out small packages of M&M’S.

We ask that this be a gesture with Christian Spirit in mind.

We hope that this doesn’t become mundane, losing the true meaning that was intended.

During our celebration time, the person wishing to acknowledge someone for their deed, will step up front, grab the M&M basket explaining the good deed, call the person for- ward and present the award. If the individual is unable to come forward, simply take it to their seat.