The Interpretersaint Stephens
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Saint Stephens The Interpreter United Church of Christ Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 8-4:30 | Fri 8-4 No matter who you are or where you are Rev. Kyle Carnes, Senior Minister on life’s journey, you’re welcome here. THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE May 29, 2018 My friends … be in church this Sunday. It’s not often that I lean on you to really be in 903 E 2nd St church, but if there’s any Sunday to do that this year, this week is it. Certainly summer Merrill WI 54452 has started, and many plans have already been made, but if you are in town, make the Office: 715-536-7322 point, take the effort, to be in church as we welcome Lucas Williams, our Associate Minister candidate here as he preaches and leads worship with me, and we take a Pastoral Care Needs: congregational vote on whether to call him as our next Associate Minister. So, this is 715.575.3191 one of the few times you’ll find me leaning in on you to be in church as we do one of the things that we can only do as a congregation together, calling new clergy to be in our midst. Hopefully, you’ve heard about him in worship and have taken the time to read about INSIDE THIS ISSUE him here in The Interpreter, and in the special mailing. For myself, I can tell you that I am excited for the potential future that Lucas represents. We are a thriving and Puzzles 2 growing congregation that already has around 700 members who are engaged in Call Sunday Potluck 3 the life of the church in some way. We have an excellent staff and to have a full-time Baccalaureate Sunday 3 associate back on board will give us more space to take our next steps to wherever Congrats Graduates 3 the Spirit is leading. It will also give us the opportunity to bring things we’ve been missing like programming for our youth. VBS 4 We are reminded on Sundays like this of the power of the congregation. Our polity RSVP’s Please 4 and structure leave the decision-making power in the hands of the congregation Summertime Giving 4 for these future-determining decisions. And the Church Council is charged to make decisions on the congregation’s behalf in between congregational meetings. This is Special Gifts 5 one of the few places where the role of being a member is important. Shopping Bags 5 I think it can be easy for some to say that their one vote doesn’t matter or doesn’t Noah’s Ark 5 make a difference. And while that reality may or may not be true, there is real value Christian Education 6 in participating. It’s important to lend your voice to the collective voice. Even if it’s not for the vote itself, being present as the decision is made about who is going to help Feed Your Spirit 7 lead this congregation has the potential to be meaningful and powerful, if we’re open June Birthdays 8 to those possibilities. Calling a pastor is not the same as hiring staff. We trust that the June Calendar 8 Spirit has moved for both Lucas as the candidate and within the search committee Upcoming Events 10-11 and our church. Extending and accepting a call to be pastor are recognitions of the Spirit’s actions. There’s value in simply being present for it. Weekly Calendar 12 While I was in the United Kingdom, I had the opportunity to visit different Christian communities and churches. Some of them varying wildly from one another in form LINK UP and age. Some of them vibrant and full of the Spirit, and at least one that left me UCC frustrated and sleepy and showed little signs of the Spirit’s presence. The vibrant WI Conference communities reminded me of the possibilities for our community. And the church that NW Association nearly put me to sleep left me giving thanks for Saint Stephens and the ways that we are working to follow the Spirit’s leading. E-MAIL US I believe that Saint Stephens is unique. I believe that because of the building itself, Reverend Kyle Carnes our size as a congregation, our commitment to the community, our physical location, Tina L. Scott-Bus. Manager our history, our present faithfulness, the commitment of our staff and volunteers, our Kelly Krembs-Admin. Asst. willingness to ask questions of and pray to God at the same time, and many other Jason Chandler-Facilities Mgr. pieces, come together to put Saint Stephens on a unique path for the future. As other Mary Pat Campbell-Interim Continued on page 2 Pastoral Associate The Interpreter Saint STEPHENS May 29, 2018 THE INTERPRETER UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Page 2 churches that could be compared to Saint Stephens seem to struggle, we seem poised to carry on and to grow. The Spirit is moving here. Sunday’s worship ... where we will welcome Lucas into our midst and our pulpit, and in the place where we vote on our future ... we will do our part to call upon the Spirit again and trust that the Spirit has already moved. I’m so thankful for the time that I had away. It was life-changing. And I’m so thankful to come back to a community that I love and I’m proud to say that I’m your pastor. See you in church! Blessings, Kyle Saint STEPHENS May 29, 2018 THE INTERPRETER UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Page 3 BACCALAUREATE SUNDAY Graduates and parents of graduates ... mark your calendars for Baccalaureate Sunday - Sunday, June 10. This year we will honor our graduates and announce scholarships at our 9:00 AM worship service on Sunday, June 10. We hope graduates CALL SUNDAY POTLUCK LUNCH will attend in their caps and gowns. We’re proud of your Saint Stephens will host a Potluck Lunch on Sunday, accomplishments! June 3, in the Fellowship Hall, following worship and RSVP’s REQUESTED: Graduates, please call the our special Congregational Meeting to vote on our office to let us know you will be attending the service Associate Minister candidate. so we can be sure you are recognized. There is a sign-up sheet for main dishes, salads, and CONGRATULATIONS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES desserts on the kiosk in the Kuck Lounge. Please sign Congratulations to all of our high school graduates. We up and plan to come! Get to know and welcome our are super proud of you and look forward to all the great candidate for Associate Minister (who will hopefully be things ahead in your future! Whether you venture out voted in and BE our new Associate Minister by the time into the world far from Merrill, Wisconsin, and Saint we sit down to eat that day). Stephens, or stay close to us, please stay in touch and FOOD FOR KIDS - let us know how you are doing ... and if there is any PLANNING FOR 2018-2019 way we can help, or if we can keep you in our prayers, Thank you to everyone who please reach out to us! donated to Food For Kids over Zachary Anderson the course of the last year since Zachary Boehm we adopted the program, and Noah Bolling to those of you who responded Kade Bonnell to our recent call for the funds Maddix Bonnell needed to complete the 2017- Stevie Booher 2018 academic year. We did it! Everything is funded for Kelsey Chladek the remainder of this academic year. Brody Gehrke Now, planning for the 2018-2019 academic year, we Riley Humphrey must raise funds for another year of Food For Kids. Makayla Koelsch Madelyn Kurtz We’d love for all of you to get involved with this process. Isaac Meyer When we plan for fundraising together, it can be fun! Kyle Mohr Here are a few ways you can help: Samantha Pierce 1. Talk to your employer to see if they would become a Madeline Rodemeier one-time or sustaining sponsor. Aaron Schnabl Jordan Vair 2. If you belong to a group or organization, ask that Madisen Weix organization to make a donation (either one time or regularly) to help Food For Kids feed kids in our If you are a Class of 2018 high school graduate and community. are NOT on this list ... or if you are reading this and your child should have been included on this list, 3. Create and run a fundraiser for this worthy cause, please accept our apologies and contact the office to with all proceeds going to Food For Kids. You can do let us know. Every effort has been made to include a this yourself, with a group of friends or family, or as part complete list of our 2018 high school graduates, but we of a larger organization. Get creative! are in a database transition, and sometimes our data is 4. Make a donation to Food For Kids. Make your check incomplete, so please bear with us as we update our payable to: Food for Kids and drop it into the collection data. plate or drop it off or mail it to the church office. Saint STEPHENS May 29, 2018 THE INTERPRETER UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Page 4 REGISTER NOW FOR GRADUATES ... PLEASE RSVP! VACATION BIBLE Graduates ... if you will attend our Baccalaureate SCHOOL Sunday service on June 10, please RSVP to the office This year, we are asking (715.536.7322) so we can be sure to mention you by that parents register their name! (Parents, you can also RSVP for your student, if children extra early for you wish.) We are proud of your accomplishments, and our July 9-13 Vacation whether you are graduating from high school, technical Bible School, as we will college, a four-year college, or anywhere else, receiving be ordering workbooks for a scholarship or not, we want to recognize you on this participating children, and day.