October/November Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 2

October/November 2010

THE CATAWISSA PARISH OF THE UMC

THE PARISH POST NEWSLETTER OF THE KULP AND MT. ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCHES

October 31st is a great day to give thanks!

One of my favorite days of the year is October 31st.

(Honestly, it has nothing to do with the candy). This is the day when a “monk with a mallet” changed the whole world. It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the doors of the Wittenberg Church.

Happy Reformation Day Charlie Brown

This was a dark time in the history of the church. Even though most of the people did not speak or understand Latin that was the only language that the bible was written in and spoken in. It was the belief of the church that the common person was unable to understand God’s Word and did not know what to do with it. The word of God was hidden from God’s people. This was not the only darkness within the church.

At that time you could buy the forgiveness for certain sins that you or your family had committed. These were called indulgences and the profit from them was used to build large cathedrals like St. Peter’s basilica in Rome. These churches were built with the same demeanor that God condemns in the words of Amos. The church was breaking the backs of their brethren.

But, when the church seemed the darkest, God used a monk with a mallet. A lawyer who turned in his law books to begin parish ministry, Martin Luther brought light to the word of God. Luther’s 95 theses were the spark that began the Protestant Reformation. Luther began immediately to translate the scriptures in the language of the people; first in German and then in other languages. God, in His mighty ways of weaving history together, just happened to allow the printing press to be invented at the same time in Wittenberg! The word of God cannot be hidden, God will not allow it. “So shall my word be that goes our from my mouth; it shall not WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 27 return to me empty, but it will accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent.” Isaiah 55:12.

Charge Conference 2010 We will have our annual charge conference at Mt.Zion UMC. (6 Orchard Drive, Catawissa PA).

However, things will be a little different this year.

We have teamed up with Pastor Anna and the 3 churches of the Catawissa Circuit to have a combined charge conference. The schedule is: 6:30—Kulp/Mt. Zion CC 7:15—Combined Worship 7:45—Bethel/Fisherdale/St. Paul’s CC

When you are huddled up enjoying the parade or taking your children & grandchildren trick-or-treating, take a moment and give thanks for the Bible that is waiting for you at home. Many men and women made great sacrifices while being used by God to bring His word back to the people. The Spirit of God would not allow the scriptures to remain hidden, but have been revealed again as a lamp unto our feet!

My prayer is that the pages of our bibles would be well worn and never put down long enough to gather dust.

In Him,

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THE PARISH POST

The Grace of Cheerful Giving by Frank Cavalli In the last few years, the U.S. economy has faced its greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, and Americans are not out of the woods yet. This financial debacle, fueled by failed mortgages, has rippled through every sector of the economy. The values of homes and investments have plummeted. Consumer confidence has fallen to an all-time low. Millions are out of work, wondering how they will make ends meet. Since charitable giving is one of the first areas to suffer in an economic downturn, churches have felt the pinch and many have been forced to slash budgets and lay off staff. There’s no question we live in challenging times, but with each new challenge comes opportunity.

only can we expect to reap a harvest of earthly blessings, but we store up for ourselves a good foundation for our eternal future (1 Tim. 6:19).

In one sense, how we give can be more important than what we give. We must be cognizant of how our giving appears in the sight of God, for He loves a cheerful giver. To give cheerfully is to give without grieving — to give with ease, spontaneity, and pleasure. It is necessary to honor God with our tithes and offerings, yet no sacrifice is pleasing to Him unless it is voluntary. Our Father desires the cheerful obedience of His children.

Paul cited the Macedonian Christians as exemplars of this spirit. In spite of their poverty and affliction, their joy in Christ resulted in abounding liberality. “For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (2 Cor. 8:2). Severe affliction and extreme poverty do not usually add up to a wealth of generosity. Such circumstances would seem to provide justification for withholding whatever resources one has left in the interest of self-preservation. But their joy in Christ was so abundant that it could not be contained. Joy, like gratitude, seeks expression. The question for the Macedonians was not “How little?” but “How much?” If God’s grace has truly gripped our hearts, we will not be calculating the minimum we can offer, but the maximum we can give to Christ and His church. Cheerful givers always wish they could give more. Our tendency today is to spend beyond our means, but the Macedonians gave beyond their means: “for they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints” (vv. 3–4). Pleas from the pulpit and desperate appeals from the deacons were unnecessary. God’s people begged to help their brethren in Jerusalem. That’s In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul exhorts the church to give selflessly and cheerfully, not something you hear very often. inspired by the magnanimity of the Macedonians and Christ Himself. In chapter 9 he offers this summary How do we account for their extraordinary munifistatement: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly cence? Paul attributed it to the grace of God (v. 1). To will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully give sacrificially with joy is not natural; it is supernatuwill also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has ral and requires the presence and prompting of the Holy decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulSpirit. Giving is an act of worship and a work of grace. sion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (vv. 6–8). It is unbelief and fear of loss that Used by permission from Tabletalk magazine. constrain our liberality, but here Paul compares giving to sowing. Seed sown in the soil seems lost, but the For subscription information, go to www.ligonier.org farmer knows a season of harvest will follow. As we sow bountifully with faith in the benevolence of God, not Through this crisis, when the idols of our materialistic culture lie shattered on the floor, like Dagon before the ark of the Lord, and the nation’s sense of security is in jeopardy, God has given the church an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that allegiance to Christ results in a distinct set of values and priorities. As we find our joy and treasure in Christ we are set free from debilitating worries about money and an insidious slavery to things. In Adam we worship and serve “the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25). In Christ our hearts are set aright. Our perception and response to this global economic meltdown ought to be different because we are a peculiar people, a people who no longer belong to this world but to God. Jesus taught that if we love only those who love us and fail to love our enemies, we are no better than the pagans. Likewise, if we are generous and cheerful in our giving only when times are good and our bank accounts are robust, how are we different from the world? Christians in the West have enjoyed an extended season of plenty. In this season of want, perhaps God intends to teach His people some fresh lessons about the grace of giving.

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

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Recipe for Thanksgiving What turns the 4th Thursday of November into Thanksgiving? Turkey? I know at least one family who doesn’t like turkey. When my Mom’s family get’s together our traditional Thanksgiving meal is crab legs and shrimp. But whatever our food traditions, is that all there is? Not if we plan real thanks into the day.

If we want to give thanks, we need only two things.

Something we’re thankful for and somebody to thank. Seems so obvious, but I think I need to say it because it’s amazing how many people can say, “I’m thankful for _____ ,” without admitting that God is there to hear their thanks. And they’re certainly not giving him credit for whatever it is they’re enjoying.

Maybe we can get ready for Thanksgiving by giving someone else a reason to give thanks. It might be by donating to the food band. Or it might be through invitations to our table—someone with no relatives nearby, a lonely neighbor, out of town students from Bloomsburg University..

And then, how will we express our thanks to God? Perhaps there’s a posterboard on the wall where anyone during the day can write or draw pictures of what he’s thanking God for. Perhaps one of the children will make place cards with a verse of thanks on each,

to be read sometime during the meal. Maybe this is a good day to pull out the year’s journals or photo albums or videos to remind each other of all that God has done in our lives this year.

And maybe Dad will begin the meal by leading in a thankful song and reading some words from Scripture:

“If we want to give thanks, we need only two things; something we’re thankful for and somebody to thank.”

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. . . .

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

(Psalm 95:1-3, 6-7)

Birthdays (if we missed anyone, please tell Pastor Chad) Susan Rarig 10/10 (KP)

Brooke Artley 10/22 (MZ)

Thomas Williams 11/12 (KP)

Connie Levan 10/11 (KP)

Gerald Shultz 10/22 (MZ)

Susan Potter 11/26 (KP)

Emmaline Styer 10/11 (MZ)

Dimitria Smith‐Cullen 10/24 (MZ)

Robert Krum 11/28 (MZ)

Judy Lease 10/12 (MZ)

Marilyn Werner 11/1 (KP)

Donald Mills 11/28 (MZ)

Glenn Weaver 10/17 (MZ)

Ina Shultz 11/2 (MZ)

Earl “Dokie” Rhodes 11/30 (MZ)

Mary Levan 10/18 (KP)

Bradly Styer 11/7 (MZ)

Anniversaries Gerald & Ina Shultz 10/20 (MZ)

Marvin & Mary Levan 11/10 (KP)

Derl & Ruth Williams 11/4 (KP)

Frank & Marilyn Werner 11/26 (KP)

THE PARISH POST

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CROP WALK October 10 at 1:30PM

Apple Dumpling Sale The ladies of Kulp will be selling apple dumplings on election day—November 2nd.

See one of the ladies or sign up when the sheet is available if you are interested in ordering.

This year there is a one mile, or three mile walk available. The group will meet at the Catawissa Lumber parking lot.

There are sign up sheets to walk or donate.

The sheets are on the table at Mt Zion and in the Sunday School room at Kulp.

WANTED: Please remember to sign up to help with the

Children’s Church at Mt. Zion & Kulp

Kid’s Pajama Party!

Kulp UMC Nov 14th from 2-4PM puppet show by Puppet Pals Refreshments and drinks We will be collecting children’s PJ’s and children’s books

Pastor Chad has a new email address Pastor Chad’s new email address is

ccarter@susumc.org.

The old address should send messages to my account for at least a year, but please change the email address in your address books.

Also, check out the conference’s new website, it is:

www.susumc.org.

There is curriculum available, you just need to be present. Please see Pastor Chad if you are able to help with this vital ministry of the church.

Kulp Scholarships Congratulations to this years recipients : 1st yr: $750.00 Ryan Keefer 2nd-4th yr: $300.00 Jenna Hampton Laura Kremser Geralee Slotterback

Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner @ Kulp Kulp will be having their annual congregational dinner. It will be at 1:00PM on October 17th in the basement.

Just bring a dessert to share!

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

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COMING HOME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Advent and Christmas are seasons when we often find people turning their hearts toward the story of Christianity. Perhaps this year we can be prepared to take them deeper, and become intentional about welcoming our neighbors, inviting them into God’s family and introducing them to the One who gives us an eternal home.

Dr. Tom Salsgiver, our District Superintendent, has spearheaded a campaign to help us be more intentional in grabbing the attention of our community. This initiative is called “Come Home for Christmas”.

“Who can you bring home to Christ this year?”

There are several components to the program.

One of those pieces is a study on evangelism. Steve Styer will be leading the MZ Adult Sunday School class. It will run for four weeks while exploring how to effectively share what God has done for each of us and make disciples of Jesus Christ. The class begins at 9:30AM in the Sunday school wing of the church.

On November 21st we are going to have a friend day at the churches. This will be more than just a typical “Bring a friend Sunday”. Friend day will be about honoring friends and being intentionally hospitable as a congregation. This is an evangelism event, it is more than just filling pews, it is an opportunity to show our friends that we care about them .

It is about introducing our friends to our Lord.

We will prayerfully consider who to invite from church. I am asking you to pray the whole month of November about inviting FRANKI: Friend Relative Acquaintance Neighbor Kid Inactive member Pastor Chad will be asking the leaders of the church to evaluate the preparedness of Kulp and Mt. Zion to meet the needs of visitors. At the church council meetings (see back page for dates for each church) we are going to spend the majority of our time talking about hospitality and welcoming guests.

If you would like to be a part of this process, please

come to those meetings, they are open to anyone.

The worship services during Advent will be based on a sermon series about HOME. HOME: where Hurts find healing & hope HOME: where Offenses are forgiven HOME: where Members serve in love HOME: where the ordinary becomes Extraordinary HOME: where Love is born There has already been many hours poured into this initiative..Your leaders, and your pastor will work hard on preparing the churches and the worship services so that God may use us to grow His kingdom. But, there are two things that MUST happen. First and most importantly, it will only be successful if the Holy Spirit blesses our efforts and intercedes in all of our activities and conversations.

Secondly, it will not be fruitful if YOU do not participate. We need YOU to commit to faithfully attending the services and be welcoming. We need YOU to pray for the success of this program. We need YOU to invite folks to come and worship with us.

Whose life will you make a difference in? Who will you introduce to Christ? Who will get to know God because you brought them to church? Whose soul will be saved by God because they came to church? Which of your friends or loved ones will be transformed this Christmas? Who can you bring home to Christ this year?

THE PARISH POST Important dates to remember Oct 4: Kulp UMW Meeting Oct 5: Mt. Zion UMW Meeting Oct 5: PPRC Meeting, (Parsonage Inspection) 7PM Oct 7: Mt Zion Church Council Meeting 7PM Oct 10: Crop Walk, 1:30PM Oct12: Kulp Church Council Meeting 7PM Oct16: Mt. Zion Charity Breakfast (7-9:30AM) Oct 17: Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner 1:00PM (Kulp) Oct 17: Sun Eve Worship, St. Paul’s/Esther Frn 6PM Oct27: Charge Conference, Mt. Zion (6:30 PM)

Nov 1: Kulp UMW Meeting Nov 2: Mt. Zion UMW Meeting Nov 4: Mt. Zion Church Council Meeting 7PM Nov 14: Pajama Party at Kulp UMC 2-4PM Nov 19: Mt. Zion Charity Breakfast (7-9:30AM) Nov 21: Sun Eve Worship, Kulp UMC 6PM

Calling all Joshua's!

Joshua is a minor character in Exodus. But what we see is amazing. It is surely intended to show us what makes a leader. First, we meet him as a warrior: “And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” He was no pansy. He shouted. He flashed a sword and spear. He was a fighter all his life. But that is not what made him a leader in Israel.

In Exodus 24:12 God calls Moses to leave Aaron part way up the mountain and come up further. Moses takes Joshua, his personal minister, and goes up. But in verse 18 Moses leaves Joshua and goes on by himself into the cloud of God. Aaron and the elders are nearer the bottom. Joshua is nearer the top. And Moses is alone at the top.

Forty days and forty nights pass. Aaron abandons his place (contrary to Moses’ instructions, 24:14). He winds up making a golden calf. Now where is Joshua all this time? According to 32:17, when Moses comes down to the camp at the end of forty days Joshua is with him! While Moses met with God, Joshua kept his place alone. He waited at the outskirts of God’s glory. He did not forsake the ministry of waiting. He was near the Lord and that was enough. He loved the glory of God! The warrior had a heart for God. O people of the Catawissa Valley—be like Joshua! Powerful in his work and deeply in love with the glory of God. But wait a minute. Aren’t you reading too much into this story? I might be, if it weren’t for Exodus 33:11. At that time there was a tent where Moses met God (a sort of portable Mt. Sinai). Exodus 33:11 says, “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent.” Why? Because Joshua loved the glory of God! He was a kind of warrior mystic. He loved the mountain and the tent. He loved nature and church. He had a heart for God. Wherever he smelled the aroma of God he lingered.

Where are the Joshua's? The warrior mystics of the Catawissa Valley—the men and women whose hearts are aflame with the conquest and who linger at the tent? Where are the men and women whose knees are as calloused as their hands?

Look to Joshua this fall for a new hero.