WORSHIP & PROGRAMS
Rise & Shine
Sunday Mornings - 10 a.m.
Join us in the Parlor for fellowship, coffee, and light snacks.
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Simplified Accountable Structure Update
Pat Fontaine and Karen Ford, both members of the SAS Communications Team, shared their insight and excitement about the opportunities this organizational change could bring our congregation. Here's what they said during worship on Dec. 22.
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Pat Fontaine
​"As you may be aware, our church is examining whether to commit to a Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS) wherein a single 9-12 person board replaces the several existing committees (30-40 people serving on Finance, Staff Parish Relations, Trustees, and Administrative Council).
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The SAS model has the potential to empower our church to sharply focus on our commitment to being a relevant force in people's lives while making 'disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.' If we decide to do so, it will reduce our administrative leadership overhead, thus freeing up people to serve in the areas of their spirtual passion in mission and ministry capacities.
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To this end, our Communications Team was created to keep membership informed on the progress of this examination. It's not a quick process - we should expect a 6-9 month-long process and the Comms Team will give regular updates on the 2nd and 4th Sundays as part of our pre-service announcements.
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Thus far, we've had two meetings with a district coach. We encourage any and all to attend these meetings to help shape the future direction of our church and ministries. As always, your voice is important to our future. Thank you."
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Karen Ford
​"I know we all love to get involved in ministry and use our talents to do God's work. The key word is 'DO.' With the Simplified Accountable Structure we will spend less time in meetings and more time DOING so we can all get involved in joyful, prayerful mission work and share our gifts more easily. As one church member put it, "We are like a coiled spring ready to release our energy!" This one-board model will mean less time spent in meetings and more time releasing that energy in ministry.
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The SAS Discernment Group met with Rev. Bruce Emmert for the third time on Sunday, January 12, 2024. Bruce led us through a PowerPoint presentation using Lawrence 1st UMC's Missional Leadership Structure and policies as an example of the options and decisions before us. This phase of the process is very detailed and will take several meetings for the Discernment Group to discuss, weigh pros and cons, and develop a plan for our church.
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We will continue to share updates during worship on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, as well as in this web page. We have not yet scheduled the next meeting, but will post it in the bulletin and announce it during worship when a date has been set.
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Please continue to pray for our church and this process that we will move forward faithfully as the Holy Spirit guides us.
Nursery for Sunday Mornings
During worship, we have a special time for our young disciples.
We love the sound of infants and small children worshiping among us. We have a hall tree full of activity bags to help keep your little worshiper engaged. If you prefer, we also offer a fully-staffed nursery from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings (for infants through kindergarten-age children).
February Sunday Sermon Themes
February 2 - Worship and Communion
February 9 - Justice
February 16: Mercy
February 23: Devotion
Super Bowl:
Sacking Hunger Challenge
Kansas City is playing in its third-consecutive Super Bowl and its fifth in the past six years. This time, they play the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on Feb. 9.
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So the Great Plains Conference and sister annual conferences in the United States have an opportunity once again to score a victory against hunger in another Sacking Hunger Challenge!
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Bishop David Wilson of the Great Plains Conference and Bishop Bob Farr of the Missouri Conference are teaming up again to encourage churches to gather as much food as possible for food pantries in their mission fields. We'll enjoy a friendly competition with the Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jeersey conferences - both of whom root quite heavily for the Eagles.
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Since our first challenge in 2023, the Great Plains and Missouri conferences have gathered 273,620 pounds of food! The 2024 total exceeded the 2023 effort by almost 63,000 pounds.
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So let's get the word out to our congregations to bring nonperishable food items with them to church through Sunday, Feb. 16, the week after the Super Bowl.
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Holton 1st UMC will give our donations to the JCMA New Hope Food Pantry. Before delivering our food, we will weigh it and complete the conference form to help defeat the Eastern Pennsylvania/Greater New Jersey Conferences. Go Chiefs!
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New Hope Food Pantry
New Hope Food Pantry Director, Darla Hedrick, says they always need the following items:
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Canned meats, powdered milk, evaporated milk, spaghetti sauce, potato flakes, Spaghetti O's, ravioli, brownie and cake mixes, canned fruit, fruit juice, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, can openers, toliet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and personal hygiene products.
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Shelf stable food items that say "Best When Used By" can be out of date and still be handed out.
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Thank you for supporting our community!
The Meanings of the Jerusalem Cross
"The five elements of the Jerusalem Cross - the cross potent and the four Greek crosses - have been given different spiritual meanings over the centuries, but each reflects the way that the imagery of the cross is focused not on crusades or nationalism, but on Christ.
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One interpretation is that the five elements represent Christ's sacrifice on the cross through his five wounds: The smaller crosses depict the wounds on Christ's feet and hands, and the main cross represents the piercing of his side by the Centurion's spear.
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Another version proposes that the four smaller crosses represent the Four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, while the fifth cross is for Christ. Part of that interpretation is that the four crosses show the way that the Evangelists helped spread the Gospel to the four corners of the world and that we are called to proclaim the faith as well with our minds and hearts focused on the empty tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem" (National Catholic Register by Dr. Matthew Bunson).
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"For Covenant Discipleship in the Wesleyan tradition, the Jerusalem Cross represents a Christ-centered life that participates in the on-going work of preparing the world for the coming reign of God through acts of Worship, Devotion, Justice and Mercy" (UMC Discipleship Ministries).