We’ve received a special offering for the Pack Their Packs project on two Sundays. on July 10 we received $156.90 and on July 17 we received $160 for a total of $316.90.
Prayer for the Week
Sojourners had the following prayer in an email, it’s appropriate for every week, but seems particulary apt for those helping with Vacation Bible School this week:
At the start of this week, Lord, we simply take a few moments to rest in your presence and ask for you to sustain us through the next week. Amen.
Tomorrow's Worship Services
I’ll be preaching on Genesis 28.10-19a with a sermon titled “Are We Climbing Jacob’s Ladder?” The working title had been “Thin Spots in Coffeyville, Kansas.” We’ll also be reading from Psalm 139, Romans and the Gospel of Matthew. Hymns include Surely the Presence of the Lord, Nearer, My God to Thee, and We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder. The Jubilation Quartet will have a special and Allie Allen and Elizabeth Collins will be reporting on their week at Camp. We’re planning on God being there (as promised) and hope to see you as well.
Pack Their Packs Continues
We continue to receive donations for the Pack Their Packs project and we’ll again be receiving a special offering this Sunday. Last Sunday, the first Sunday we received the offering we collected $156.90. Thanks to everyone who contributed.
Voice of the Day: Will Willimon
Is it any wonder then that one of the earliest and most persistent charges against Jesus was, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Luke 15:2)? Jesus is crucified for welcoming sinners to his table, not only welcoming but also actively seeking them. At the end, with whom did he choose to dine at his Last Supper? Sinners. And in his resurrection, at a new beginning, with whom did he choose to dine at his first meals (Luke 24:13-35)? Sinners. His door was too wide to suit many of the faithful.
— William H. Willimon, Who Will Be Saved?
Memorial Service for Milton Unruh
A Reminder: A funeral services for Milton Unruh will be tomorrow, Friday, June 29, 2011 at 3 pm, in the Chapel at First United Methodist Church.
Memorial Service for Ron Stoneking
A memorial service for Ron Stoneking will be held at 2 pm, Friday, July 15, 2011 in the Chapel at First United Methodist Church.
Sermon — July 10, 2011
My sermon from the 8:10 worship service this past Sunday morning, “The Sacrifice of Abraham Part 2: Original Intent,” on Luke 14.23-33 and Genesis 22.1-18 is now online at: http://blog.coffeyvillefirstumc.org/podcasts.
Sabbath Today
I have been flouting the 4th Commandment for too long. I’m taking a Sabbath. That includes blogging. Feel free to call in case of pastoral emergencies.
Above: “The Church in the Wilderness before an Icelandic Summer Storm” by Trey Ratcliff, flicker username: Stuck in Customs. (CC) Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License.
More VBS Decorating
We will be decorating for VBS on Saturday, July 16, starting at 10:00 am for anyone who would like to help (or if you need to come by with questions). Heather and I will plan to be there most of the day, so please feel free to come by any time, or you can give me a call on my cell at 252-9822, to see if we are still around. After our work on Saturday, we will know how much or if anything needs to be done on Sunday, July 17, to get ready for VBS starting the following day.
One Worship Service on July 24
On Sunday, July 24, 2011 we’ll be having the Vacation Bible School (VBS) worship service at 10:50 am in the sanctuary. VBS Sunday is a important Sunday for the children of our church and it is a worship service you do not want to miss. In accordance with the decision made by the Church Council this will be a combined service (There will not be an 8:10 service).
Pack Their Packs 2011
We’re happy to announce that First United Methodist Church is again partnering with the Salvation Army Community Service Volunteers to co-sponsor the Pack Their Packs program for the 2011-2012 school year. Last year this program supplied 530 backpacks and school supplies to Coffeyville children in need. We’ll be accepting both monetary and in kind donations. Monetary donations are the most helpful and because the Salvation Army Community Service Volunteers have a good supplier for backpacks we get them for about $6. The estimated cost for a backpack filled with school supplies is $15 is per student. If you prefer giving an in-kind donation, the school supplies most needed are:
wide lined notebook paper, 70 sheet spiral notebooks, 3 prong folders with pockets, boxes of 24 Crayola Crayons (the school accepts only Crayola), #2 pencils, black or blue pens (no retractable or gel pens), pink erasers, and Elmer’s glue (the school accepts only Elmer’s).