“Patience with others is love. Patience with self is hope. Patience with God is faith.”
— Adel Bestavros
Hat Tip: Unvirtuous Abbey
Keep Praying for General Conference
I would encourage you to keep praying for General Conference, the highest legislative body of the United Methodist Church which is currently meeting in Tampa, Florida. You can [try to] keep up with what’s going on at umc.org.
Outreach/Witness Meeting Notes
Outreach/Witness Meeting Notes by John Collins on April 26, 2012 Last night the Outreach and Witness Committees held a joint meeting. The success of The Adventures of Princess Atlantis was celebrated and future sponsorship possibilities were discussed.
Julie Thompson reported that putting the shopping list for the food pantry in the bulletin the week before Food Pantry/Good Samaritan Sunday worked really well. As always, Braum’s paper sacks are needed.
I reported on a meeting Jenny and I had with Resource Specialists from Coffeyville Schools and the areas they shared where we can help children in need. Our current Lice Kits project is appreciated and very much needed. They affirmed the need for replacement household goods for families who have suffered a fire. And also suggested the possibility of preparing hygiene kits for local school children. Both of these projects were warmly received and will begin soon.
On the Witness side of the equation, radio advertising, web streaming, and new exterior signage were discussed.
Vision Team Meeting Notes
The Vision Team met yesterday. The team is starting a project to send cards signed by members present in worship to those we pray for during the prayers of the people on Sunday morning. The idea is to have the person bringing the concern write a brief message inside a card and then pass it around for the rest of the congregation sign.
General Conference Webpage
The 2012 General Conference started yesterday. Here’s the official site for updates.
Cast Party Successful
Last night’s party for the cast and crew of The Adventures of Princess Atlantis was great. I didn’t get a head count but we were planning on 80 and that seems about right. All in all it was a great production for a couple of great causes (United Methodist Youthville and the Kansas Children’s Service League). It was an honor for First United Methodist to be a part of it all and I have never encountered a more thankful group of young adults, youth, and children. They truly appreciated it and I promised to pass along their thanks to you, the congregation. So … a big thank you for making that outreach and witness ministry possible.
Voice of the Day: Henri Nouwen
“Patience is not waiting passively until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let’s be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.”
— Henri J.M. Nouwen
Hat Tip: Sojourners
The Gloria Patri
We’ve recently started singing The Gloria Patri (“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, …”) as a response to The Apostles Creed and we would like to know your thoughts. I’ve set up a poll below. If you want to say more just drop me a line at john@revcollins.com
Camp Scholarship Fundraisers
In the next couple of weeks we will have a couple of opportunities to help fund scholarships for camp for our children and youth. On Sunday, April 29, we will have a bake sale between services and after the 10:50 service. The following Sunday, we will have a lunch after the 10:50 service. We invite you to support this important ministry and get some yummy goodies in exchange!
Community Blood Drive
The American Red Cross will be holding a blood drive on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 from 11:45 am to 6 pm and Thursday, May 3, 2012 from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at First Baptist Church at the corner of Ninth and Elm. You can visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767 to schedule an appointment.
Cast Party Donations Thank You
Thanks to all the people who brought pop and water or made a monetary donation for Tuesday’s The Adventures of Princess Atlantis cast party. It’s been wonderful getting to spend time with the Coffeyville Community College Students who are participating. They’re a great group who have put a lot of work into a very worthy project. If you haven’t yet had a chance to attend the show, I commend it to you. The remaining showtimes are: Friday, April 20 at 7pm; Saturday, April 21 at 2pm; Sunday, April 22 at 2pm; and Monday, April 23 at 7pm.
Tornado Response
The state of Kansas was hard hit by tornados last weekend. We’ll be taking up a special offering for the Kansas Area Disaster Fund this Sunday. You can also donate online at that Kansas West Conference Website (the fund covers all of Kansas and the Kansas West Conference keeps the books (Coffeyville is located in the Kansas East Conference).