Month: June 2017

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Expendable Fund Established

The following was received from Nancy Gugler, the Chair of the Finance Committee:

The Finance Committee proposed an expendable fund that could be used to facilitate non-cash gifts to the church.  The Church Council accepted the proposal and the “The Fund” has been established at the Dickinson County Community Foundation.

  • This fund will be helpful for those who wish to give stock to the church.  If they give the stock directly to “The Fund” it can be used twice as a tax deduction for the giver.  (The giver will not need to pay capital gain taxes on the stock given and will reap the tax benefits of the charitable gift).
  • Someone might want to give part of or all of their yearly withdrawal from their IRA or 401K.  If they give it to “The Fund” directly from either of them, they have the same advantages as above for tax purposes.
  • One could designate that their IRA or 401K be given to the “The Fund” when they die.  This would supersede what is in your will.
  • If a person designates in a will that they want a percentage of the estate or a set amount be given to “his or her” church, this is a great way to again avoid some taxes.  
  • You can make a charitable bequest of money, a specific property or even what’s left over after the rest of your estate is settled.  This type of charitable gift may qualify the estate for special tax benefits.  However, it will be part of the probate process so it might take some time and will be public.

“The Fund” has been established so that any funds put in it can be used at any time for expenses at the First United Methodist Church and the Church Treasurer can ask for whatever amount is needed from it to cover any expense of the church.  The money in “The Fund” will grow, tax-free to make the most of each person’s gift.

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The Breakfast Club

John and I have started a new kind of study. The Breakfast Club is an invitation to read a book and come together to discuss that book over breakfast one Saturday morning a month. All are welcome. If you have read the book all the way through, if you have just barely started the book, or even if you have not even picked up the book, but would like to sit in on the discussion, you are welcome. Our next book is: When ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’ Is Not Enough: Seeing God in Surprising Places, Even the Church by Lillian Daniel. Copies of the book are available in the narthex for a suggested donation of $10. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, July 29, at 8:30 a.m. at the Hitching Post. There is a sign-up sheet by the books in the church entry area. The sign up allows us to give the Hitching Post a rough estimate of how many people to expect, and it will allow us to give you a reminder before the meeting time. Hope to see you there!

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Funeral for Irene P. Meyer

A Service of Death and Resurrection for Irene P. Meyer will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 28, 2017, in the sanctuary. Interment will follow in the Woodlawn Cemetery south of Carlton.

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I’m Not Angry, I’m 45

This Sunday during announcements, I had a slide that read: “I don’t use periods in text messages because I’m angry.  I use them because I’m 45.” Speaking in very broad terms, it turns out that older people (raised in a time when the most common form of written communication was a letter) tend to end their texts with periods while younger people don’t (and this practice is defensible according to experts). Furthermore, to younger people, a period in a text is often seen as an expression of anger. I can’t seem to break myself of using periods, but a period doesn’t mean I’m angry, it just means that I’m 45 and my English teachers succeeded in getting their point across.

If you’re interested in reading more:
New York Times: https://goo.gl/6zVwdy
The Washington Post: https://goo.gl/dGcwE9
Business Insider: https://goo.gl/ww3YwZ
National Public Radio: https://goo.gl/oR7qNL

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Find Us Faithful Lyrics

Clark Williamson, director of music ministries, has asked me to share the following:

For the special music this Sunday, I’ve invited Nick Wright to return and play a flute solo. The selection is called “Find Us Faithful,” an arrangement by Stan Pethel. The words and music are by Jon Mohr. The lyrics are so inspirational, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share them with you.

We’re pilgrims on the journey of a narrow road.
And those who’ve gone before us line the way.
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary.
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.
Let us run the race not only for the prize.
But as those who’ve gone before us.
Let us leave to those behind us.

The heritage of faithfulness, passed on through godly lives.

(Chorus)
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
May the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe.
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone.
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind.
May the clues that they discover, and the memories they uncover.
Become the light that leads them, to the road we each must find. (Chorus)

(CCLI license #811889)

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Vacation Bible School 2017

This year our joint VBS (Vacation Bible School) with Trinity Lutheran Church will be held at their place (302 North Cedar) from Monday, July 17 through Thursday, July 20. This will be an evening VBS from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with supper being served from 6:00 to 6:30. VBS is open to kids three years old and up through fifth grade. Both registration forms and a list of items you can donate should be available in the Narthex beginning this Sunday.

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The Line Dividing Good and Evil

You may have heard the recent story about the inmates in Georgia who saved the life of the correctional officer who was guarding them. [1] It reminded me of this quote from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn:

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn [2]

Even as Christians we often want to sort people into good and evil, sheep and goats, but we are all a mixture of the two. (For example, even Judas felt remorse.) The only question is are we using God’s grace to become better. We need to be generous, compassionate, and merciful in our assessments of other people just as God is to us.

[1] Catherine Park and Deborah Tuff, “Georgia Inmates save Correctional Officer Who Passed out during Work Detail,” USA Today, accessed June 23, 2017, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/06/20/georgia-inmates-save-correctional-officer-who-passed-out-during-work-detail/411522001/.

[2] Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “A Quote from The Gulag Archipelago,” Goodreads, accessed June 23, 2017, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/13750-if-only-it-were-all-so-simple-if-only-there. I am too cheap to buy a copy of The Gulag Archipelago just to track this quote all the way down. I’ve heard it attributed to Solzhenitsyn, so I’m taking Goodreads at their word.

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2017-2018 Scholarship Recipients

All told, Abilene First UMC will award $12,250 in scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year. Congratulations to our 2017-2018 Scholarship Recipients!

Abilene First United Methodist Church Scholarships: Matthew Barlow, Dustin Engle, Kinsey Ford, Mary Graefe, Anna Holmes Gabe Johnson, Keil Kelly, Ben Luty, Jordan Luty, Brianne Murray, Mallory Schardein, Marissa Schardein, Rae Schwarting, Allie Walters, Halle Warren, and Hanna Warren

Clara Shirk Memorial Scholarship: Maya Robinson ($2,000 – New) and Jacoby Robinson ($2,000 – Renewed)

Abilene UMW Kansas Wesleyan Scholarship: Malorie Unruh ($1,000)

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We’re Back for Another Year

As I announced yesterday (and Jenny announced on Facebook previously), we’ve been reappointed to Abilene First United Methodist Church for another year (every appointment is for only one year at a time).