The Pastor’s Pen

Pastor Terry Cook Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am –12:00 pm 

I am excited about our newsletter becoming a reality! One of the most difficult issues in a church is how best to communicate with one another. It is hard to know who is in charge of what or who will get in touch with whom. We often wrongly assume that everyone knows what is going on in the life of our churches. I hope this will be a way that we can keep everyone on the same page. Included in this edition will be a copy of our 2009 leadership committees. We will be setting dates for each committee to meet to discuss what the duties and ministries are. My desire is that everyone who has chosen to serve will feel that their commitment is not only needed but also found to be personally satisfying.

Before I go any further I would like to thank Leslie Cook for the work she has done in putting in place the necessary steps for us to produce our newsletter. As our administrative assistant she has organized the church office so that it will run much more efficiently. I would also like to thank Brad Law for his continued work on our web page. You will be able to download this newsletter online which will help decrease the cost of producing our newsletter. We have many exciting and life-enriching ministries and events planned for 2009! On a personal note Leslie and I are both honored and humbled to serve you. We have experienced the love of this church family and the larger community. It is truly a witness of the love of Christ to which we all proclaim! Be assured that I both welcome and enjoy your company both at church and wherever we meet. It is my deepest desire that we would all grow more in the likeness and love of our Lord Jesus Christ! Your servant in Christ, Terry.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE!

 There will be another community church service, sponsored by our Ministerial Alliance, on February 22 here at Hammer Memorial. It will begin at 6:00 pm. Pastor Jim Offenbacher from the First Christian Church will be delivering the message. There will also be a contemporary worship group to lead the singing. If you missed the Community Thanksgiving Service, you missed a real blessing! Don’t miss this next opportunity to join with our Christian brothers and sisters in praising our Awesome God!

CONFIRMATION CLASS UPDATE

Currently in our confirmation class we have 13 confirmands and 12 adult mentors. They are meeting every Sunday afternoon from 3-5 pm. They have covered such topics as Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and how both John and Charles Wesley experienced God’s calling on their lives. Our confirmands have discussed what baptism means and how it can be performed. They have taken notes in class, looked up lots of scriptures, written in their journals, and interviewed their parents. They have made Chrismon symbols, bookmarks, used beeswax to make their own candles, and created a graffiti wall. (Don’t worry, Sue, it’s really on paper, not the wall!) They will be making a banner full of symbols relevant to the Church that you can see displayed at a later date. You might also have seen them helping out during a worship service as they learn what it means to take the reins of their own faith journey and become part of the working church body!

One of our mentors had this to say about participating in confirmation class, “It is a great learning experience for both the confirmands and the mentors! We adults have gotten to know the confirmands better and have begun to build a relationship with them! It’s been exciting to watch everyone each week as we go through the lessons!”

Our confirmands will be meeting with the Bishop on March 20-21 and heading to Camp Wilderness for a retreat on April 3-4 before their Baptism/Celebration Sunday on April 5th.

IT’S ALMOST TIME!

Camping information has arrived for the 2009 camping season! Unfortunately, just like everything else in our economy, the fees for a week of camp have gone up. Check the church bulletin and future newsletters for some upcoming fundraisers to help offset the cost of summer camp for our youth. The deadline to get your camp registration in is April 15th. If you or someone you know is interested in attending a camping session please contact Debbie Simerly, 535-4403, for more information.

UMW NEWS

Currently, we have almost fifty ladies that are members of one of the UMW circles!

If you are not a member, you’re missing all the fun and fellowship enjoyed by these women every month. Each circle meets usually once a month unless they are involved in a project. They have undertaken projects to help our children attend summer camps, provided gifts at Christmas for needy families, and provided paper product kits for families that have to rely on food stamps to make ends meet. This is just the tip of the iceberg concerning the generosity of these wonderful ladies! If you would like to join in the fun each month please contact Sue Washburn, 535-4796, Maxie Tunks, 535-4794, or Jenny Owens, 483-0215.

THANKS SO MUCH!

All our Friends and Church Family at Hammer Methodist:

Words are hard to find to express our thoughts and feelings for such great friends at church. We really do “appreciate” and “need” your prayers. The cards we receive really brighten our days! You’re thought of often and will continue to be blessed for all you do! May the Lord bless each and every one of you. Love,

Lloyd and Shirley

Richardson

DO YOU HAVE NEWS TO SHARE?

If you know of information that needs to be put in the newsletter, whether it be a meeting, an activity coming up, or maybe you just want to thank someone, please call the church office between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm at 535-4551 and let Leslie Cook know. She will make sure it finds its way into the next newsletter!

Hammer Memorial United Methodist Church
King City, Missouri
kcmethodist@jagtec.net