BUCK CREEK UMC NEWSLETTER APRIL 2006 BUCK CREEK THE STAFF Tim Schnepp, editor. UMC NEWSLETTER Nancy Schnepp, primary reporter Carol Shepard, church secretary, duplicator. People providing pictures this month: Sam Stratton, Audrey Chappell, Jean Harner, Summer Taylor Additional contributors: Maralyn Turner, Jamie Stratton, Suzann Brouwer Thanks to God, who makes all of this possible. SOMETHING ENCOURAGING TO PASS ALONG BCUMC on the web: http://www.gbgm-umc.org/bcumcin/ This is an article I found very helpful. I pray that it will also be EDITOR’S NOTES This is it, Christians, this is it. That’s right. Easter is just around the corner. It’s when we recall the events that led to the crucifixion of helpful and encouraging to you. In Christ ’s great love, Pastor Dwight Jesus and His rising from the dead in three days. Sure I can hype it up all I 4 Marks of a Transforming Church: There's more to it than doing good deeds. Our inner-city church in Indianapolis offered many want in this little box, but for the real miracle, and the real details, I would kindly refer you to the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Take your pick! ministries to the poor: a soup kitchen, a sports ministry, free Thanksgiving turkey dinners. A back-to-school program gave out -Timothy Schnepp e-mail: [email protected] shoes, coats, and book bags. We were proud of our reputation as "the church that stayed" instead of fleeing to the suburbs. Nevertheless, something was wrong. None of our outreach programs was leading people to faith in Jesus Christ. ALTAR FLOWERS APRIL 2006 Residents we touched were not entering into the life of the church. We April 2: Betty Carlton for birthday remained an enclave for affluent, educated whites. April 9: Easter Lilies April 16: Easter Lilies What was wrong? While wrestling with this question, I happened to th read Luke 5, the story of Simon Peter, who spent all night fishing April 23: For Noah's 6 birthday (Apr. 18) from parents John & Barb Irr April 30: John & Barb Irr for their 8th anniversary (May 2) without catching any fish. As he sat frustrated on shore, Christ told him, "Put out into deeper water and let down your nets." I was struck by our church's similar situation. Where was the "deeper water" we needed to EASTER WEEK SERVICES go? I identified four places. April 9: Palm Sunday, 10:15am worship 1. Deeper relationships: Many of our outreach ministries were April 13: Maundy Thursday communion service, 7:pm impersonal, treating people like clients rather than friends. For 12 April 14: Good Friday, no services scheduled years, for instance, we operated our soup kitchen as a take-out April 16: Easter Sunrise Service: 7:30am window. People lined up for bowls of soup but couldn't enter the Easter breakfast: 8am building. The doors were locked. What message did that send? Easter worship: 9am (no Sunday School) So we unlocked the doors and invited people to eat inside the church. Some of our members began coming each day to sit and eat lunch with OOPS! the guests. Before long, some of the neighborhood residents were Please forgive our oops! helping out in the soup kitchen. One of our key volunteers, a retired + Oops! March 2006 issue, Opal Shoop's name should be “Shoop,” not professor of social work, told me: "All my life I taught classes about the “Should.” Sorry, Opal! poor. Now, they're my friends!" + Oops! We forgot to include Brittany Bunte as reporter in the March 2. Deeper invitations: Jesus calls us to fish, not to be ichthyologists. issue! We weren't catching any fish. For years our church had a recreation + Oops! In the February issue, the poinsettias listing for Chappel ministry where children learned to play football, basketball, and should read: In memory of George Chappel, with love from Audrey (article continued on page 4) Chappel. 1 2 (continued from page 1…) WISHES OVERHEARD + We wish to say the Chicken Noodle Dinner was a great success, with SOMETHING ENCOURAGING TO PASS ALONG delicious food and fellowship. Many thanks to Tammy Louthen and her baseball. But we didn't try to share the gospel in a deliberate way. A leader helpers for organizing, and all the work that they did. The St. Patrick's of the community told me: "My son grew up playing sports at your church. theme was very appropriate. Thanks also to Nancy Balser. He wanted to join the church, but no one ever invited him." If the goal is leading people to Christ and transformation, we'd missed it. So we made THANK YOUS changes. Leaders of the program committed themselves to evangelism + I was surprised and shocked to find flowers at my door. Your and discipleship. We took a group of neighborhood kids to a summer camp kindness and caring is appreciated. Whenever I look at the beautiful run by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes where some made arrangement, I will think of you. In Christ, - Mary Martin commitments to Christ. We prepared devotional materials for teams to use before practice. We began offering a midweek "huddle" time to disciple + Ladies Missionary Society received this note of thanks... Thank you youngsters who had become Christians. for the great box of stamps. I don't see the stamps very often---but I 3. Deeper investments: It is not a bad thing to hand out Christmas did open your box. I know our buyer is going to be very pleased. In baskets, but lifting people out of poverty requires deeper investment. Christian Love, - Olive Hale (Volunteer @ Marion Mission Warehouse) Studying our neighborhood, we realized the greatest need was for + Thanks so much for the flowers for my birthday. education: many children near our church were illiterate. Unable to read or I've fished with many a frog but this is the first time write, they soon dropped out of school and were lost to the street culture. I ever saw a frog fishing, especially Giving them book bags wasn't enough; they needed a school that would with a straw hat on! equip and protect them. After much planning, we purchased an abandoned school building, and Thanks again, - Verne Harner in 1998 the Oaks Academy opened its doors with 53 students. Enrollment has since grown to more than 220, with a student body racially and economically mixed. In recent years, the church has also started a medical clinic and Christian legal clinic, both requiring generous investments of money and talent. POLLING PLACE, PRECINCT CHANGES 4. Deeper faith: Our greatest need is for deeper faith—to believe what God These changes in polling places are the ones that affect our area. wants to do. After the miraculous catch of fish, Peter fell before Jesus and Be aware there are others that have been changed. Double check exclaimed, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Peter was your polling place in Tippecanoe County before the Primary Election overwhelmed by Christ's power and presence. Day on May 2, 2006. Polls open at 6am and close at 6pm. As our church ventured into deeper waters, we witnessed that same power and presence. For the first time in our 150-year history, a significant number of PERRY 1: Moving from East Tipp Middle School, 7501 E. County Road African Americans began attending. Our staff—previously all white—became 300 N, to Faith Baptist Church, 5526 Indiana 26E multiracial. Some of our members opened a Christian coffee shop in the PERRY 2: Will vote at Faith Baptist Church neighborhood, and soon the Unleavened Bread Café became a gathering place PERRY 3: was split into Perry 3 and Perry 4. for all sorts of people, from the district attorney to drug dealers. God exceeded PERRY 3: will vote at Lafayette Fire Station No. 9 our dreams. Training Center, 1757 S County Road 475E. Yes, before sailing into deeper waters, you need to count the cost. You'll PERRY 4: will vote at Eastside Assembly of God, exceed your comfort zone. We exposed deep undercurrents of fear, pride, and prejudice. Would we become a "black" church? Could we afford these new 6121 E. County Road 50 S, Lafayette ministries? Would starting a Christian school hurt the public school system? WASHINGTON 1: moving from Colburn United Methodist, Colburn, We faced resistance. And after five years, I resigned due to the persistent to East Tipp Middle School, 7501 E County Road 300 N. conflict. But I'm pleased with what we did. Moving into deeper water led to WASHINGTON 2: moving from Buck Creek Fire Station, County transformation for our church and for the neighborhood. —Peter Larson is now pastor of Lebanon (Ohio) Presbyterian Church. Road 450 N, to East Tipp Middle School, Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership 7501 E County Road 300 N Journal. Summer 2005, Vol. XXVI, No. 3, Page 29 3 4 MORE WINTER BABIES! MILITARY UPDATES Congratulations to all on these beautiful new babies! Please continue to keep our military in your prayers. And please feel METRO-LUCIES free to write to them. If you have anyone you'd like to be listed, please Chloee Michelle Faith Metro-Lucies was welcomed into the world on contact the editor. January 17, 2006, by parents Jona Metro Lucies and David JULIE STOCK Lucies of Lafayette. Chloee was Julie is the daughter of Mike & Barb Stock. Here's an update on born in Lafayette, Indiana at Julie. She is now a Capt. and will be in Germany with her Home Hospital.