Atop My Wish List

December 22, 2010

Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Flood waters await us in our avenues.
Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche.
Over unprotected villages
The sky slips low and grey and threatening.
We question ourselves.
What have we done to so affront nature?
We worry, God.
Are you there? Are you there really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?
Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters,
Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope
And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.
The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,
Come the way of friendship.
It is the Glad Season.
Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.
Flood waters recede into memory.
Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us
As we make our way to higher ground.
Hope is born again in the faces of children
It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,
Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.
In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.

The word is Peace.

It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.
We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.
We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.
We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.

Peace.

Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.
We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,
Implore you, to stay a while with us
So we may learn by your shimmering light
How to look beyond complexion and see community.
It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time.
On this platform of peace, we can create a language
To translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.
At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ
Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
We shout with glorious tongues at the coming of hope.
All the earth's tribes loosen their voices
To celebrate the promise of Peace.
We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Non-Believers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.

Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.

(Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem by Maya Angelou)

On behalf of the staff and lay leadership of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and a Blessed New Year!

Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org



CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
We will gather to celebrate the arrival of Christ this Friday at 5:30pm for our Christmas Eve Service. It will feature carols, candlelighting, and our Chancel Choir. It will also include another “sermon in rhyme.” Join us, and bring a friend!

CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED
In observance of Christmas, the church office will be closed next Monday and Tuesday. Magrey and his family will be leaving after the service Sunday and will be visiting with family in Minnesota until next Saturday. The Mid-Week Message will resume Tuesday, January 4, 2011.

YEAR-END GIVING
Help us end the year strong with your generous contributions to the church’s general budget. Just a reminder, to have your gifts counted toward your 2010 giving statement, they must be postmarked to the church by December 31.

Songs That Send Shivers

December 15, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

What music gives you chills?

Are there pieces of music that often manage to give you goose bumps when you hear them? I think of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, and its exhilarating, swelling crescendos. Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium evokes images of God’s grandeur and majesty. From The Planets, Gustav Holst’s awesome Mars, the Bringer of War overwhelms with power and bravado. And nothing quite beats a chancel choir singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. These and many other selections never fail to give me the shivers.

As it turns out, music-induced chills are scientifically measurable phenomena. A recent study published in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science revealed that certain songs can trigger activity in a person’s hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for hunger, rage, and involuntary responses like blushing and goose bumps. [1]

But here’s the interesting part: these researchers claim that the style, genre, tempo, and volume of the music does not determine these responses. What’s more important is what they termed a person’s “openness to experience,” one’s willingness to be moved by the music (as well as other aesthetic and artistic experiences).

Now, I’m pretty sure that Luke the gospel writer knew nothing about brain anatomy and personality science. But he sure knew a lot about emotive music. My friend and former senior pastor Jim Harnish likes to say that Luke reads a lot like a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical: every time something great happens to someone, they break into song (consider Mary’s Magnificat, or Zechariah’s prophecy, or Elizabeth’s song in seclusion). And often, those songs emerge from a person’s deep well of emotion. More than their counterparts in Matthew, Luke’s angels are always telling people not to be afraid. (“Fear not!” “Do not be afraid!” “Do not fear!”)

Apparently, there are plenty of goose bumps to go around in Luke.

We might say that Luke’s gospel is written for people who are particularly “open to experience.” Open to the possibility of a surprising word of good news, open to a new song that will overwhelm cacophony and chaos, and open to the arrival of a God who brings harmony in the midst of dissonance.

How about you? Will you be open to the soul-stirring sounds of Christmas, and allow its music to give you shivers? Will you deafen the drones of deadlines and to-do lists, and listen for the overwhelming hush of a faint baby’s cry, and the glorious songs of sky-blazoned angels? Will you quiet the noise within your soul, and raise your antenna heavenward, for what hymn writer Josiah Holland called “a song in the air?”

There's a song in the air!
There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer
And a baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire
While the beautiful sing
For the manger of Bethlehem
Cradles a King!

In the light of that star
Lie the ages impearled
And that song from afar
Has swept over the world;
Every hearth is aflame
And the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations
That Jesus is King!

Join us as we continue our journey to Bethlehem. And let’s pay attention to a Song that will give you chills.

Quiet down… and listen up!

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org


[1] http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/09/5619731-messiah-give-you-chills-thats-a-clue-to-your-personality


CHORAL CANTATA THIS SUNDAY
There will be no better place to be stirred by the sounds of Advent than at St. Paul’s this Sunday, as the chancel choir offers its annual cantata. It will feature songs that tell the story of Christ’s birth, interspersed with readings from Isaiah, Matthew, and Luke. You will not want to miss this meaningful part of our Advent season. And as always, bring a friend!

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
Having a hard time finding the perfect gift for a person who has everything? Then give the gift of love in their honor this Christmas. For the first time, the Missions Committee is offering an Alternative Christmas Gift Guide, available in church this Sunday. Stop by their table in the narthex for more information.

CHRISTMAS EVE
We will celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Eve, December 24, with a service at 5:30pm featuring carols and the lighting of candles.

COMMITMENT CARDS
Thank you to all those who have already turned in a pledge card for our recent “Together in Faith” campaign. We’re eager to share with you this Sunday the totals pledged so far. In the meantime, the Leadership Team is making calls this week to active members who have not yet turned in a card, which are available from the church office or in the pews this Sunday. Thank you for your support!

YEAR-END GIVING
Help us end the year strong with your generous contributions to the church’s general budget. Just a reminder, to have your gifts counted toward your 2010 giving statement, they must be postmarked to the church by December 31.

I Hate to Break It to You, Virginia

December 7, 2010

Dear Advent Pilgrims,

The time is soon approaching when both our girls will drop their belief in Santa Claus.

Honestly, my wife and I wrestled when the girls were born with whether even to tell them about the white-bearded man in the red jumpsuit. We were troubled by the prospect of informing them that only the good children received toys, while the bad children received none. True, it was a convenient way to get them to be “nice” rather than “naughty.” But what do we tell them about the poor kids in town who don’t get gifts for Christmas? Wouldn’t the Santa myth suggest that those are “naughty” kids?

Eventually, we cowered to culture, and have been playing the Santa game for years: stuffing their stockings the night before Christmas, munching on the cookies and milk they set out for him, and even forging his signature when they left handwritten questions for him to answer. But I think those days are coming to an end.

Madelyn was the first to suspect the reuse, and it started with the Tooth Fairy. About two months ago, she lost one of her teeth at school and didn’t tell us. Instead, our clever gal tucked it under her pillow and wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy asking some personal questions (How do you know when I’ve lost a tooth? What do you do with all of them, anyway? And what’s your favorite food?)

Naturally, she woke up the next morning and found the tooth still packed in its plastic bag and her questions unanswered. Perhaps the Tooth Fairy was busy last night, she thought. So, once again without telling us, she tried it again the next night. (You’d have thought we would have noticed she was missing a tooth, but that’s another story.)

Suffice it to say, the whole experiment convinced her that maybe there’s something sketchy about the whole Tooth Fairy story. And if that’s true of the Tooth Fairy, then what about the Easter Bunny? And while we’re at it, what about….what about….

Well, they’re not quite ready to give up on Santa yet, but we know it’s coming. The closest they’ve come this year was when Grace said recently, “Well, we’re not sure if Santa is real. But we really like the idea of Santa.”

Her statement impressed me as a highly nuanced, post-modern meta-narrative to the Santa story. Child geniuses, these two. But then I thought: Heck, who am I kidding? They’re too smart to believe in Santa, but not dumb enough to lose out on the free loot.

When that time comes, I will mourn the moment our kids lose their belief in Santa. It will be a rite of passage, yet another reminder that our girls are growing up. More importantly, it will mark the departure of significant child-like wonder and imagination, essential companions on the Advent journey.

Without that sense of wonder, they will become like many of us, caught up in holiday duties and December deadlines. Lest we forget, Advent is less about what we can see and touch, and more about promise and expectation. It’s about discovering a surprising gift, in places where we least expect to find it. And it’s about realizing qualities in others that we might otherwise overlook. Archbishop Oscar Romero captures it well:

Advent should admonish us to discover in each brother or sister that we greet, in each friend whose hand we shake, in each beggar who asks for bread, in each worker who wants to use the right to join a union, in each peasant who looks for work in the coffee groves, the face of Christ. Then it would not be possible to rob them, to cheat them, to deny them their rights. They are Christ, and whatever is done to them Christ will take as done to himself. This is what Advent is: Christ living among us.

Yes, there is more to Advent than meets the eye. It is not found in a jolly old man from the North Pole, but in the arrival of Christ in the midst of those who are hurting and hopeless. Unlike Santa Claus, who rewards only those who are “nice” and implicitly indicts those who are poor, Jesus Christ comes to those who are the least likely to be blessed.

You might have lost your belief in Santa. But don’t lose your capacity for a Christmas surprise. Try finding Jesus where you’d least expect to find him: in the face of the hungry or impoverished, in the soul of someone who is grieving a loss, and in the heart of someone who needs to see the light of hope in their lives.

To that end, let me share with you two new additions to our Advent journey this year.

SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE AND HOPE TONIGHT

In partnership with Bethlehem Lutheran, Memorial Presbyterian, and Greenwood Funeral Home, we will be hosting the first ever Service of Remembrance and Hope tonight at 7:00pm in our sanctuary. It will be a chance for anyone who, for any reason, does not feel the light of Christmas in their lives. Perhaps you or someone you know is burdened by a year filled with personal tragedy, broken relationships, divorce, illness, the loss of a job, caring for a family member, the death of a loved one, or a sense of separation from God. This special service honors people’s darkness and provides each person the opportunity to meet their suffering in a safe place and to access some much needed hope.

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Stop the madness of buying needless presents for people who have everything and give a gift that truly matters. For the first time, the Missions Committee is sponsoring an Alternative Christmas Gift Guide, which you can use to donate money to some worthy organizations in honor of someone else. Guides will be distributed during worship this Sunday, which contain detailed descriptions of the following agencies and programs: Heifer Project, Self-Help International, The Wilmot Wells Project (Iowa-Nigeria Partnership), Church World Service’s Blankets Program, and Stan Sitzman’s Cherokee Needy Children Project. You will be able to donate to these agencies and give an acknowledgment of your contribution as a gift to someone on your Christmas list.

It’s time recapture a sense of surprise this Christmas. In the words of Archbishop Romero, let’s remember what Advent really is: Christ living among us. Let’s look into the faces of those who are in need, and bear witness to Immanuel, a God who is with us.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org




WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY: CHILDREN’S PROGRAM!
Join us for a fun, meaningful worship service led by our children’s ministry. They will offer a program called, “Operation Baby King.” Afterwards, we’ll gather in the Fellowship Hall for a soup and hot dog luncheon.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE SALE
Attention St. Paul’s bakers! Save a plate or two of your holiday cookie creations and bring them to church Saturday or Sunday morning before 9am. The Adult Class will be assembling plates to sell before and after worship. Proceeds will support the Next Generation Fund and other opportunities in the church.

PLEDGE CARDS
Thank you for the great response we have had so far to our “Together in Faith” stewardship campaign. Your pledges to both the General Budget and the Building Renovation will help advance our mission of putting God’s love into action well into 2011 and beyond. If you have not yet turned in your pledge card, please do so as soon as possible. Starting next week, members of the Campaign Leadership Team will be following up with personal phone calls to those who have not turned one in. Pledge cards are available in the church office or in the sanctuary this Sunday.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN VIDEO
Did you miss viewing our fun campaign video at a home group gathering or in worship last Sunday? Do you want to show it to a family member or friend? Check it out on YouTube by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4w8-kiCEN8.

Our Day of Christian Responsibility

November 30, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

In May 1961, the people of St. Paul’s embarked on a capital campaign called “We Build – to Mould Character.” After nearly three years of planning, leadership proposed a three-story addition to the eastern part of the church campus that would serve as a new Christian education facility. The pastor at the time was J.E. Feller, who wrote the following introduction to the campaign’s information booklet:


We of St. Paul’s Methodist Church are entering upon the first stage of a program whose ultimate goal is the realization of an educational building. Our expanding Sunday School and Church program of activities make this a crucial year in the life of our Church. Through this program we are merely seeking to measure up to the needs of the present and the hopes of the future as our forebears did in 1914. May we be worthy of their vision and their dedication.

This, then, is our challenge, and to meet it we must pool our resources of time, talent and substance. I know this is a busy season, but I also know that this is the time to go ahead. I ask each of you to make the sacrifices, of time and substances, which the accomplishment of this important program requires. Going forward with such dedication, we believe that God will not only crown our material efforts with complete success, but out of his boundless love he will “pour down for us an overflowing blessing.

This is OUR DAY of Christian Responsibility.


The campaign went very well. The new wing encompassed 13,000 square feet of space, including 8 classrooms, a youth center, a chapel, and offices. The total cost of the project was $130,000, with an additional $13,000 to retire parsonage debts, and $10,000 for new furnishings. The church completed the building in 1962, and retired the mortgage a mere six years later.

As I have read through the historical documents to learn about this period of our church’s history, I have come to learn something about how this church defines success and faithfulness. It would be natural to assume that effectively raising $153,000 would best characterize the congregation’s discipleship. But that is not the case. Consider all that has happened in the last fifty years:

Since 1961:

• 1,593 have joined the church. (In fact, 91% of our current membership has joined since then.)
• 915 children and adults have been baptized.
• 527 couples have been married.
  

Those are the numbers that really matter.

As I have said often over the past four weeks, our current capital campaign is not just about bricks and mortar. It is not just about dead boilers and single-pane windows, and it is not just about raising $1 million dollars to renovate the education wing. What matters most are the people in the future whose lives will be directly impacted by our actions in the present. We must respond to the same challenge that marked the people of 1961, and “pool our resources of time, talent, and substance.”

Rev. Feller reminded the people of their spiritual ancestry, and his words ring just as true for us today: “May we be worthy of their vision and their dedication.”

If you were not in church last Sunday to pick up your commitment card, you will be receiving one in the mail in the next few days. We invite you to prayerfully consider how you will respond, and bring that card with you this Sunday. I would also encourage you to heed the guidance offered in 1961 by the campaign leadership team to people as they considered their own personal commitments:

“My pledge should be…
… one determined after prayer for God’s guidance.
… one that brings an inner conviction of satisfaction.
… one about which I can talk to others without apology.”

We would all do well to follow all three pieces of guidance in preparation for this Sunday.

And, if you have not yet had a chance to attend a home group gathering, plan on coming to one of the three remaining opportunities over the next two nights:

• Tonight: Dick and Betty Point’s house, 7:00.
• Wednesday: Here at the Church at 6:30 (hosted by Jeff and Korrie Waldner).
• Wednesday: Marlin and Sherri Lode’s house, 7:00.
  

Nearly fifty years after St. Paul’s took a great step of faith and built the education wing, we have a chance to continue that same legacy of faithful diligence and “measure up to the needs of the present and the hopes of the future.” Together in faith, let us build a better future, knowing that countless numbers of people – most of whom we will never know – will be impacted by the decisions we make today.

Indeed, “this is OUR DAY of Christian Responsibility.”

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org



YOUTH SERVICE PROJECT
The youth will be traveling to the Midwest Christian Children’s Home near Peterson, Iowa, to deliver donated items and interact with the residents. Items will be purchased using funds raised from their November cinnamon roll sale. Youth grades 7-12 are invited to meet at the church at 1:30 and will return by 4:30.

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM DECEMBER 12
Rehearsals for this year’s Children’s Christmas Program take place during the Sunday school hour on December 5 and 12, as well as the next two Wednesdays, from 3:45-4:45pm. PreK and K children are not required to attend the Wednesday practices. For more information, contact Korrie Waldner.

Thankful

November 25, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Happy Thanksgiving!

I trust that on this day and over the long weekend, you will have ample opportunities to offer thanks for all the many blessings in your life. May your days be filled with the comforts of family and friends, a sense of peaceful contentment, and the promise of a future secure in God’s love.

May you also take a moment to give thanks for the ongoing work of St. Paul’s as it fulfills its mission of putting God’s love into action by transforming lives, improving the community, and changing the world. I invite you to read through each of the submissions in our Daily Devotional Booklet, available in the church office. We asked each contributor to reflect on the question, “How have I seen God’s love put into action through the St. Paul’s community?” Of particular interest is today’s reading, from C.W. Miller.

From the moment C.W. first started attending St. Paul’s a few years ago, he was eager to grow in his faith and become active in the church. I did not fully know C.W.’s story until later, when he shared the amazing work of transformation that God had been doing in his life. As you read his story below, remember that C.W. is one of the many reasons St. Paul’s exists.


“He Loves Even Me”
When I ponder the phrase God’s love in action, I can’t help but reflect on my past. I had a time in my life when I was the prodigal son when it came to my faith. At times I was so wrapped up in the world that I had little use for other people and even less regard from them. I was able to act the part of being a constructive member of society for the most part, but unless you had something I wanted, or needed your help, I really didn’t care. There were a lot of people who did not like me at that point. I couldn’t blame them; I didn’t like me much either. I tried to fill that hole in my life with several hobbies, and when that didn’t work, I tried to find comfort in the bottom of a bottle. Luckily God saw to it that I did have some true friends who called me on my behavior. It was because of one in particular that I made a decision not to continue with the life of dependency on worldly elixirs.

God continued to provide help for me as I started my new path. He put people in my life who where able to provide the guidance I needed, sometimes with gentle coaxing, sometimes with blunt honesty. I was forced to take a moral inventory of myself. It was at that point when I was sure all was lost, God gave me a wonderful gift. On a particularly bad night I asked God for help, or I was going to the liquor store. I went to bed early that night to avoid the potential. The next morning I awoke and my desire to drink was gone. God loved me even in that broken state, just the way I was; however, he loves me too much to let me remain in that state. He called to me through loosely remembered bits of His word from back in the days I went to church in my youth. I became hungrier for more of His word and started to listen to Christian radio, something that I had openly shunned. That led to coming to this church without having it feel like a funeral or wedding.

Yes, looking back on my life I have no doubt in my mind that I desperately need Christ to be my savior in order to receive forgiveness. I am amazed at God’s Love in Action, and that he loves even me.

C.W. Miller


TOGETHER IN FAITH

I love C.W.’s line: God loved me even in that broken state, just the way I was; however, he loves me too much to let me remain in that state. That is about as good a definition of grace that I’ve read. And it’s because of that grace that we exist as a church: to reach out to more people with a love that meets them where they are, but loves them too much to leave them there.

Lest you think otherwise, our capital campaign is not just about bricks and mortar. It’s not about building monuments to ourselves. It’s about creating a movement of God’s spirit that will continue working in the lives of people. It’s about equipping future generations of this church with the best possible tools to make a difference. This Sunday, we’ll focus our attention on Jesus’ parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24-27. And after the service, you’ll want to pick up your commitment packet that contains your pledge card. Please spend next week prayerfully considering how you will be a part of Commitment Sunday on December 5, and help to build a better future.

May we all take time over these days to be thankful for what God is doing in and through the people of St. Paul’s.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org



HOME GROUP GATHERINGS

If you haven’t yet had a chance to attend one of our home group gatherings, there are several opportunities to do so next week. You will have a chance, in an informal setting, to learn more about the renovation project and ask questions. The time will last about an hour and a half and will begin with refreshments provided by the host family. The program will include an informative (and very entertaining!) 13-minute video, a brief stewardship Bible study, and a talk by one of our presenters. You’ll have a chance to ask questions, offer comments, and be better prepared to make your commitment on December 5.

Please sign up for one of the following groups, either by marking your preference on a bulletin attendance sheet, at the sign-up table in the narthex this Sunday, or by response to this e-mail or to Andrea Cook at acook@cherokeespumc.org If you have any special needs that would prevent you from attending one of these sessions, such as a ride or a sitter for your children, please contact our Special Needs Coordinator Sheree Hausmann or indicate it on your attendance form.

DATE HOST FAMILY TIME
Mon, Nov 29 Roni Timmerman, 7:00pm
Mon, Nov 29 Gene & Jean Anderson, 7:00pm
Tues, Nov 30 Dick and Betty Point, 7:00pm
Wed, Dec 1 Jeff and Korrie Waldner (here at the church), 6:30pm
Wed, Dec 1 Marlin and Sherri Lode, 7:00pm

Together in Faith

November 16, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Did you know that nearly forty years ago, the people of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church said a prayer for you? That’s right, you! During their worship service on October 24, 1971, the congregation included the following as part of their morning prayer:

For every opportunity for service in the spirit of Jesus in all the changing circumstances of our fast moving life, and to carry the spirit of Jesus to future generations, we pledge our loyalty to thee, O Lord, and our support to the church universal.

Our spiritual ancestors made a promise to God that they would be faithful to whatever God was calling them to do, to ensure that the faith was passed on to people like us. We have inherited the privilege of being part of that same family, and we have that same responsibility to ensure the faith for future generations.

Two years ago, this congregation adopted the 20/20 Vision Plan, which included among its goals a comprehensive renovation of the Education Wing. After more than a year of listening, studying, and planning, the Building Committee, along with critical feedback from you along the way, has put together an exciting plan to modernize our campus, emphasizing energy efficiency throughout the building.

It is now our turn to do for the next generation what our forerunners did for us: carry the spirit of Jesus to future generations.

That’s what this Capital Campaign is all about. It’s titled “Together in Faith: Building a Better Future,” and it invites us on a journey toward claiming God’s future for St. Paul’s. You may have already received the information brochures that detail both the General Budget and the Building Renovation. Please read through those materials and inform yourself with the details. In addition, here are ways that you can participate in this great adventure:

• Join us this Sunday, November 21. You will receive a devotional booklet containing powerful articles written by members of the church who reflect on the question, “How have I witness God’s Love in Action through St. Paul’s?” In addition, Kevin Gowdy, our capital campaign consultant, will be our guest preacher.
  

• Participate in one of the home-based small group gatherings that will begin next Monday, which will give you the most detailed look at the upcoming renovation and give you a chance to share your feedback. Sign up on an attendance form or on the tables in the narthex this Sunday, or you can e-mail Andrea Cook (acook@cherokeespumc.org). A full schedule is included below.
  

• Celebrate with us on December 5, when we will offer our commitment cards to support the Capital Campaign and the annual Stewardship Campaign.
  

Just like forty years ago, you have a unique chance to “pledge your loyalty to God.” Join us for this great opportunity to share in the next great chapter of our life together, and to put God’s Love into Action.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org




HOME GROUP GATHERINGS
One of the most important ways you can participate in our building campaign is by attending one of the following home group gatherings. You will have a chance, in an informal setting, to learn more about the renovation project and ask questions. The time will last about an hour and a half and will begin with refreshments provided by the host family. The program will include an informative (and very entertaining!) 13-minute video, a brief stewardship Bible study, and a talk by one of our presenters. You’ll have a chance to ask questions, offer comments, and be better prepared to make your commitment on December 5.

Please sign up for one of the following groups, either by marking your preference on a bulletin attendance sheet, at the sign-up table in the narthex this Sunday, or by response to this e-mail or to Andrea Cook at acook@cherokeespumc.org If you have any special needs that would prevent you from attending one of these sessions, such as a ride or a sitter for your children, please contact our Special Needs Coordinator Sheree Hausmann or indicate it on your attendance form.

DATE HOST FAMILY TIME
Mon, Nov 22 John and Kay O'Connor, 6:30pm
Mon, Nov 22 Tom & Corrine Lundell, 7:00pm
Tues, Nov 23 Evan and Nancy Knapp, 7:00pm
Mon, Nov 29 Roni Timmerman, 7:00pm
Mon, Nov 29 Gene & Jean Anderson, 7:00pm
Tues, Nov 30 Dick and Betty Point, 7:00pm
Wed, Dec 1 Jeff and Korrie Waldner (here at the church), 6:30pm
Wed, Dec 1 Marlin and Sherri Lode, 7:00pm


THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON
Following the service this Sunday, you are invited to join us downstairs in the Fellowship Hall for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. Turkey and all the fixings will be provided, and please bring a side dish or dessert to share.


MAGREY AND FAMILY IN FLORIDA
Next week the deVegas will be driving down to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends. They will be leaving this Friday and returning the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In the event of an emergency, please contact the church office.

Another Great Year

November 10, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

For those of you not in attendance at Monday night's night’s Charge Conference, I’d like to share with you my pastor’s report that was included in the packet of material. It is a kind of “state of the church” summary of all that we have experienced and achieved in the past year. The process of writing this report is becoming one of my favorite activities every year, as it gives me a chance to reflect on all that we have done together to put God’s love into action. This year was no exception:

Pastor’s Report
St. Paul’s UMC Charge Conference
November 8, 2010
Magrey R. deVega

The best way to evaluate this past year and celebrate all the ways that St. Paul’s has put God’s love into action is to consider our four-fold mission statement:

WORSHIP: We worship with joy, because Christ is among us and deserves our praise.
Worship continues to be central to the life of the St. Paul’s community. Every Sunday is filled with opportunities to experience God and grow in our faith through dynamic, diverse, excellent worship experiences. This past year saw changes in worship leadership, as we welcomed Larry Hunecke as our new Chancel Choir Director and Joe Vannatta as our Bell Choir Director. We give thanks to Sherry Held and Amy Stief for their wonderful service in those capacities prior to the new hires.
Our sermon series have been varied and relevant, and have included series titled, “Believe It or Not,” “Facing Life with Faith,” “The Seven Next Words of Christ,” “The Hebrews Hall of Fame,” and a series on Elijah and Elisha.

GROW: We grow in our faith, practicing every day what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
We continue to make progress on our goal of starting new small groups every year and anticipate having a total of six new small groups started in the next few months.
Children’s and Youth Ministry continue to be vibrant and active. The youth went on a Ski Trip in February, and did a service project at the Midwest Christian Children’s Home last December. The Children had another wonderful Vacation Bible School and Children’s Sabbath, and raised money for the program called Kids Against Hunger.

CARE: We care for each other as an encouraging, supportive, and growing family.
The Helping Hands program, under the guidance of Sheree Hausmann and Marlene Kelly, continues to link the skills and energy of people in the congregation with those in need. The Visitation Program continues to link lay visitors with shut-ins and homebound persons. They receive audio recordings of the service and a bulletin, and check on them for pastoral and personal concerns. We are grateful for the wonderful team of visitors who make these connections every week.
St. Paul’s added two new Alcoholics Anonymous groups, both of which meet at noon every week, to bring to five the total number of AA groups hosted by the church. St. Paul’s continues to be the center of recovery and support in Cherokee, including Moms on Meth, Narcotics Anonymous, and the Foster Care Review Board.
As always, our Funeral Luncheon Team continues to provide an amazing level of generous hospitality for families grieving the loss of loved ones. Theirs was a formidable task repeated dozens of times over the past year, and they provided wonderful luncheons with grace and warmth. Thanks to Phyllis Parrott and Donna Henrich for their coordination.

SHARE: We share with others to meet their physical and spiritual needs, and invite all people to faith in Christ.
God’s love has been put into action in remarkable ways this year. We are on track once again to achieve Third-Mile Status with the Conference’s Rainbow Covenant Missions initiative, including first-time offerings for the Iowa-Nigeria Partnership and the P.E.T. Project. In fact, a sizeable offering of $1,600 was received for P.E.T., enough to purchase four mobile transportation units for immobilized people around the world.
We made strides in offering our time and energy as well. St. Paul’s and the wider United Methodist Church were recognized by the Cherokee City Hall for their local relief efforts following the devastating flash floods in June.
Of course, February featured another successful Great Cherokee Pancake Day Race and Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. The event raised the visibility of both St. Paul’s and the town of Cherokee, including terrific coverage by KTIV television news, the Sioux City Journal, and local newspaper and radio. It raised several hundred dollars for the two local food pantries and involved dozens of runners. We look forward to next year’s race in March, as hopefully warmer weather will further increase the number of racers and participants.
This year saw the inauguration of our participation in Soles4Souls, an initiative that collects shoes of any size, style, or condition and sends them to needy people around the world. This year has been a tremendous success, as over 400 pairs of shoes have been collected and distributed.

Finally, this past year saw improvements to the campus and plans for the next renovation. We completed the addition of a new parking lot across the south alley that increased the number of handicap-accessible spaces. The Building Committee worked with an architect to develop plans for renovation to the Education Wing, including several feedback sessions with the congregation. What has emerged is an exciting plan for improved energy efficiency throughout the building along with other infrastructural improvements. This project will prepare the eastern part of our campus for state-of-the-art, environmentally responsible ministry for generations to come.
To that end, we are moving into our Capital Campaign titled “Together in Faith” in the middle of November. We hope to raise close to $1 million, so that renovation can begin early 2011. We are eager to see the Spirit move through the congregation’s generosity and faithful commitments.

Once again, these are exciting days to be a part of St. Paul’s UMC. I count it a deep privilege to have served another year as this church’s pastor, and I look forward to another great year of putting God’s love into action.

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org



MAGREY IN FLORIDA
I am currently in Leesburg, Florida, spending a week with the Florida Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. We are reviewing applications of candidates for ordained ministry. Thank you for your prayers for safe travel and discernment for this and other conference boards across the connection as we do this important work.


CAPITAL CAMPAIGN BEGINS SUNDAY
Join us as we begin this exciting new chapter in the life of St. Paul’s. Our campaign is titled “Together in Faith: Building a Better Future.” As part of our campaign, we are inviting people to bring in pictures and other personal items that share your favorite Thanksgiving and Advent/Christmas memories. Thanksgiving items will be displayed in the narthex on November 21, and Advent items on November 28. You can be bring them to the church office any time before then, and they will be secured for safe keeping and returned to you. For more information, contact Nancy Knapp.