First United Methodist Church Rev. Dennis Ticen 2637 McCool Road, Portage, IN 46368 (219) 762-3846
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The Witness Issue I
January 2015
“The Jesus Prayer” Prayer is not something that has ever come easily or naturally to me. I envy those for whom it does, but for me prayer is always a struggle. My mind wanders and focuses elsewhere, and I find myself often having to force myself to come back to the place of prayer. I think I am not alone in this struggle. So when I hear Paul telling us to “pray without ceasing,” I begin to despair. How can I ever do that? I struggle to pray for a few minutes without losing focus. What hope do I have for praying constantly? Recently, as part of a reading group I belong to, I encountered a book I had never heard of, “The Way of a Pilgrim” written by an anonymous Russian author. The book details his journeys all across Russia and, more importantly, his pursuit of praying without ceasing. One spiritual director along the way teaches him a simple prayer, and encourages him to pray it aloud as he travels. The prayer, often called “The Jesus Prayer,” goes like this: “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Simple, short, to the point. In the story, the pilgrim prays it so much that it becomes part of his subconscious and he finds his spirit praying the same thing even when he’s not thinking about it. Of course, that story takes place in a different time than we live our lives. We live in an era filled with noise: cell phones, music, television, internet and so on. How can we ever overcome all the distractions in order to move toward praying unceasingly? It’s easy to blame “the age we live in,” but the challenges were no less in earlier days. Minds wandered then, too. Hearts became unfocused then, too. As I read this book, I became resolved not to simply copy what the pilgrim did, but to find a way to constantly pray in my own context. This coming year, one way I want to go about that is to use a prayer like “The Jesus Prayer” (and maybe that exact one), a prayer that expresses my heart’s desire in a focused fashion, and pray it whenever my mind begins to wander or whenever I can remember it. For one thing, that begins to connect my spirit more regularly to my heavenly Father. For another—is there any harm at all in praying for mercy? We are in constant need, aren’t we? I know I am! I invite you to join me in “stepping up” our prayer lives this year. Maybe you want to join one of our prayer teams. Maybe you want to spend time praying before each worship service, or training yourself to pray when you hear sirens going somewhere, or at stoplights. Some set their cell phones to beep a certain tone at a certain time to remind them to pray. Whatever will work for you, let’s renew our prayer lives in 2015, because I believe nothing else happens without prayer happening first. I’ll see you at the prayer place on Sunday! Pastor Dennis
Happy January Birthday to… 03 03 06 09 11 11 13 14 14
Jordan Kwiatkowski Laura Brubaker Jamieson Colby Randy Wilkening Nora Brown Marilyn Martus Michael Woods Dan McCoy Avaya Massow
15 19 22 22 24 24 25 25
Jeff Wrigley Mike Novak Nicole Fagan Victoria Pollacheck Bridget Nadolski Paisley Miller Bert Fowler Kathy Matthew
26 28 28 29 30 30 30 31
Sarah Nadolski Madison Wrigley Noah Wrigley Elaine Lucas Clara Harbart Dawn Harbart Jessica Poole Randy Wilkening Jr.
Happy January Anniversary to‌ 0 2 0 5 0 7 1 6 1 6
Lon & Phyllis Price
1 9 Paul & Emily Kuzma 2 1 Ed & Melanie McDanel 2 2 Nick & Sue Andryuk 2 4 Chuck & Patti Coppess
Gregory & Shellie DePerio Bill & Sue Miller Rob & Kate Blakely Mike & Deb Rousselle
Have you checked out the church web site?? The address is: http://portageumc.org Weekly Calendar Sundays @ 10:00am Wednesdays @ 11:30am Thursdays @ 6:00am
Sunday School Brown Bag Bible Study Breakfast at Schoops
Remember your church in your will. Upper Room Don't forget to pick up your Jan./Feb. copy of the Upper Room. Beautiful devotions by inspired Christians.
Thank you for all the kind notes, cards and gifts sent our way during the Christmas season. We are blessed to serve among you. May we have a wonderful 2015 serving Jesus together! —The Ticen family A note from the Secretary I would like to say thank you to all those that gave Christmas cards, gifts and well wishes for myself and family. I am truly blessed by you. May 2015 be a blessed year for all! Sincerely, Susie Hidalgo
1st Friday Fellowship will meet January 2nd at 5:00 p.m. at Islamorada Fish Company inside of Bass Pro Shop in Portage. Please RSVP to Sandra Robinson, 764-8433. HIGHWAY HOME
By: Bud Gray Access to life's highway taking you home isn't hard to find. Entry is clearly marked on the road map of faith you carry in your mind. There is no toll. Your entry is guaranteed. The only fee requirement is your confession of need.
It’s coming--Portage First celebrates 180 years. Yes, it seems like just yesterday we celebrated the church’s 175th anniversary yet come next October our church will be reaching 180 years as a congregation welcoming people into the body of Christ by leading people to God through Jesus Christ. What a wonderful and incredible accomplishment it will be to celebrate this mile stone. With that being said, it is important to start making preparations for this event. So, on Saturday, January 17, at 9:30 a.m. we will be holding our first brainstorming session. We hope that many of you will come with ideas on how we can celebrate. For example, what if we put on a musical, or held a talent show or designed a children’s play or all of the above. Can you feel the excitement? Portage First is blessed with a congregation of many talents. Here is an opportunity to show your unique passions, gifts and abilities and have fun learning about the heritage of Portage First. If you have any further questions prior to this meeting, please contact Connie Ellefson.
"Broken People” Not that long ago, when something broke, you called in a repairman to fix it. Today, we live in a “throwaway” culture, where it’s actually less expensive to buy a replacement item than to fix the broken one. And sometimes we treat people that way, too. When we learn they are “broken,” that they have rough edges or things in their lives we don’t like or can’t understand, the temptation is to “throw them away” and replace them with someone new. Thankfully, God doesn’t do that! God specializes in broken people…because we all are broken in some way or another! Join us in January as we look at the brokenness in our lives and in our community and in our world. We’ll learn how to find hope and healing in the midst of our brokenness. January 4 - Broken by Bitterness January 11 - Broken by Relationships January 18 - Broken by Doubt January 25 - Broken by the Demonic
Congregational Care Training Do you have a heart that cares for others? Do you wish you had the opportunity to put caring skills into practice? Do you feel called to pray for those in need, to visit in the hospital, to care for those who are going through grief? Over the last year, our Congregational Care Ministry (CCM) has continued to develop and grow…and there is increased need for YOU to help in this incredible outreach ministry. If you think you might be interested in learning more about CCM or in becoming a Congregational Care Minister, your opportunity to participate in training is Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10. We will begin on Friday evening about 6:00 p.m. and wrap up around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The training is free, and there are three meals included. (Child care is also available, if needed, but you must let us know ahead of time if you need it.) During training, we will cover topics like making hospital visits, what not to do at a funeral, prayer, what it means to care like Jesus, and other caregiving topics. At the conclusion of the training, you will have the chance to consider your role in this ministry and make a commitment to your church in this way, if that is where God is calling you. Pray about it, then sign up at the Connection Center. (We need to have at least 10 signed up by January 4 in in order to go ahead with training.) Questions? Contact Pastor Dennis or Pastor Deb and they will be glad to chat with you about the potential for CCM!
Trustees Corner news: As the year comes to a close, the trustees would like to thank everyone who had a part in helping create and maintain a place of worship at Portage First. Although the trustees are formally responsible for all aspects of property management with the church building, parsonage and Crossroads, we all, as individual members of the church, also have a responsibility to provide a welcoming and secure environment for worship and mission. We honor God when we care for what has been entrusted to us. As we plan for the coming year, the trustees will be seeking ideas from the congregation on additional ways to enhance the look and use of our church properties. In the meantime, do not hesitate to drop a note in the trustees folder found near the connection center if you have a
building maintenance issue that needs to be addressed. With your help Portage First will continue to be a welcoming place that leads people to a commitment to God through Jesus Christ. Happy New Year.
Community Outreach Portage churches coming together to serve our community. Exploring the possibilities Monday, Jan. 5 at 6:30pm Portage 1st United Methodist Come share ideas as we look at the possibility of: Weekly community meals sponsored by Portage area churches Kids Game sports ministry – see kidsgames.com/en/gameshome
A NOTE FROM PASTOR DEB Imagine churches coming together to be the hands and feet of Christ! It’s exciting to see a willingness to set aside our differences and focus on what can be done within our community. There are over 40 churches in Portage Township who each strive to live by Christ’s teachings. Some of you may know Keith Brutout, a director of El Faro Missions. Keith (who attends Crossroads Family Church/Assembly of God) and I have shared the idea of community meals served by churches in Portage. The idea is that a meal a week would help families stretch their food budget, would be an avenue of fellowship for those who are lonely and would help those serving to grow in faith and servant hood. Keith, who leads mission teams in Guatemala, has seen first-hand the benefits of community. He has worked with Kids Games, which is a sports program with Christian values, which has kids and parents playing together. Imagine that – parents and children playing together! I don’t have the full picture yet but I do know that Keith is a great organizer. This is something he has prayed about and thought through. Mark your calendars now and come find out more about this opportunity to be the body of Christ. That will be here at Portage First on Monday, January 5 at 6:30. Blessings and peace, Pastor Deb
Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, Jan. 3 1:30-6:30
SCHEDULE Jan. 4 Morgan Salaam and Pastor Deb Jan. 11 Izzie Paglicci and Pastor Deb Jan. 18 Rachel Ticen and Pastor Deb Jan. 25 Riley Miller and Pastor Deb
MUSIC NOTES As we come to the close of 2014, I would like to thank all of those who help make music such an important part of Portage 1st. I wonder if we realize or give any thought to how much those who work with the sound and visuals contribute to our services? Thanks to each one of you. Great job! To those who help lead singing at 10 am and 11:30 am services, we are grateful for the time you spend preparing and for helping our congregation "make a joyful noise to the Lord". We are so fortunate to have a Handbell Choir that contributes such beautiful music. They are a wonderful addition to any service. Thanks to Kris Bailey and each one of those who share their talent with us. We are blessed with a loyal, dedicated chancel choir, who continues to present the traditional history of Portage 1st. By the way we will be celebrating 180 years of worship next year. It was so good to have such a nice size choir for the Christmas Cantata. Their sound was beautiful and the message continues to be so exciting and joyous. Thanks to each one of you for the time preparing for it and for the time you contributed Sunday Morning. Always a wonderful part of Advent. I have to add a personal thank you for your thoughtful Christmas gifts and good wishes. Thanks to all of you for being so good to me. Now, we will look forward to a joyous and blessed 2015. Wanda Samuelson
ATTENTION OUTREACH TEAM AND ALL FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST! If you or anyone you know would like to be more like Jesus and reach out to others in a way that honors and glorifies Him, please come and find out how you can become involved in an Outreach vision possibility on January 5th at 6:30 p.m. at our church. Keith Brutout will be here to explain the possibilities. Please attend, and make 2015, a year of reaching others for Jesus and obeying His Great Commission. Also, you, yes YOU, are also invited to sign up at the Connection Center in the narthex, to become a part of the Outreach team of 2015. It’s not too late! You may also contact Steve Massow at 742-0926 for any further details. Our first meeting will be held on the 20th of January and will continue each month on the 3rd Tuesday thereafter. God Bless each and every one of you and have a fabulous, prosperous and God inspiring New Year in reaching others for Him! Thank you!
FINANCE COMMITTEE I am pleased to report that we have received one hundred and six “Pledge Cards” during our fund drive in November. We had asked that each of you try and increase your weekly offering by ten percent to cover General Fund expenses and you didn’t let us down. Even our November offerings of $32,554.92 exceeded our expenses of $27,054.24 by $5,500.68. We are hoping that level of generosity continues and we will keep you posted as we enter the New Year. Also, your contributions to the Building Fund will allow us to pay an additional $3,500.00 (approximately) to the roadway loan. The exact balance will be known soon so please watch your bulletins or the monitor by the Connection Center for more accurate numbers. This now completes my first year as Chairman of your Finance Committee and though there have been challenges the rewards have been many. The diligence and service of the other members of the committee has given us the strength needed to make decisions which have helped Portage First to continue doing God’s work. Our congregation’s love, faith, and generous support has lifted us up and permitted us to finance our ministries and missions for almost 180 years. I’m confident that 2015 will allow us to continue His work as we Love God, Love Others, and Offer Jesus. Thank you for the opportunity of serving, Paul Keaton
Confirmation classes are beginning February 1st 2015! Deb Massow and Lisa Graff would love to have you in our Confirmation class. You must be in 7th grade or above to participate. This class helps you become a disciple of Christ, also a member of Portage First United Methodist Church. It will be a 15 week class. There will be a sign up sheet at the Connection Center. We look forward to seeing you there in the Confirmation room at 10 am Sunday, February 1st, 2015!
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Breakfast Snacks at 8:30 am Lil Falk will be our speaker and she will give her presentation at 9:00am
BEFORE our business meeting. Lil is on the steering committee for the Backpack Program (Feed My Lambs) Come hear how this program works, what a blessing it is and how there are still children who need help.
A NEW DAY FOR THE UNITED METHODIST WOMEN MEETING Beginning on February 6, 2015, the UMW will be meeting on the first FRIDAY of each month at 8:30am...February thru June. If this fits your schedule better, we hope you can begin to attend our meetings. We welcome new thoughts and ideas. Hope to see you there!
1st UMC of Portage Leadership Team 2015
Administrative Council Chairperson Ron Mauer (2015) Vice-Chairperson
Jason Bush
Secretary
Annette Wray
Treasurer (without vote) Vicki Evanatz Robin Wilkening Lay Leader (2016) Finance Chairperson Paul Keaton Endowment Chairperson Steve Davenport Staff-Parish Chair Sue Miller Trustees President ELECT THEIR OWN Nick Andryuk & Scott Building Committee Falk Lay Member (AC) Mitch Gale (2015) Lay Member (AC) Pat Hodgson (2015) Missions Tara Keehn Outreach Steve Massow UMW President Marcie Jordan UMM President ELECT THEIR OWN Youth Representative ELECT THEIR OWN Dennis Ticen & Deb Pastors Rousselle
Finance Committee Chairperson Secretary Treasurer (no vote) Staff-Parish Chair Financial Secretary Council Chair Trustees President Endowment Chair Lay Leader Check Signers
Paul Keaton Pat Jackson Vicki Evanatz Sue Miller Susie Hidalgo Ron Mauer (2015) ELECT THEIR OWN Steve Davenport Robin Wilkening (2016) Pat Hodgson, Scott Falk & Deb Shebesh
Staff-Parish Relations Committee Chairperson
Sue Miller Kris Bailey, Karen Helmecy & Lois Class of 2015 Finney Sue Miller, Mike Hopkins & Class of 2016 Annette Wray John Shebel, Phil Russum & Dan Class of 2017 McCoy Robin Wilkening Lay Leader (2016) Lay Member (AC) Mitch Gale (2015)
Building Committee Pastor
Nick Andryuk & Scott Falk Dennis Ticen
Endowment Committee (quorum of 5) Chairperson Steve Davenport Connie Ingram & Mike Class of 2015 King Steve Davenport & Class of 2016 John Peterson Chuck Mason & Leigh Class of 2017 Romanov Ad Council Chair Ron Mauer (2015) Trustees Chair ELECT THEIR OWN Finance Chair Paul Keaton Pastor (without vote) Dennis Ticen
Board of Trustees (quorum of 6) President Secretary Class of 2015 Class of 2016 Class of 2017 Youth
ELECT THEIR OWN ELECT THEIR OWN Randy Wilkening, Bob Kellams & Aaron Massow Tony Centracchio, Jim Smith & Joe Wray Sherry Renner-Biggs, Ed Piontek & Bob Dixon ELECT THEIR OWN
Building Committee Chairperson
Lay Leader Youth
Committee on Nominations & Leadership Development Chairperson Vice-Chairperson Lay Leader Class of 2015 Class of 2016 Class of 2017
Nick Andryuk & Scott Falk Glenn Yerby, Frank Odar, David Coffey, Phil Linoski, Wanda Samuelson, Nathan Welch, Leigh Coffey, Lil Falk & Martha Yerby Robin Wilkening (2016) ELECT THEIR OWN
Dennis Ticen Elect their own Robin Wilkening (2016) Lerryn Darnell, Barb Piazza & Rosemary Schest Lil Falk, Bonnie Grochowski & Deb Massow Kirk Harbart, Shari
Youth Representative
Warne & Krista King ELECT THEIR OWN
Missions Team Chair Pastor Food Pantry Rep Member Youth
Tara Keehn Deb Rousselle Sande Robinson Leigh Huminsky ELECT THEIR OWN
Outreach Team Chairperson Youth Representative Lay Leader
Steve Massow ELECT THEIR OWN Robin Wilkening (2016)
Worship Design Team Pastors 8:30 Service 10:00 Service 11:30 Service Director of Music Contemporary Music Food Pantry Board Member First Impressions Common Grounds Coordinator Christian Education Sunday School Superintendent Membership Secretary Vacation Bible School Youth Coordinators
Church Staff Senior Pastor Pastor of Connections Administrative Assistant Director of Music Director of Older Adults Director of Child Care Services Accompanist Treasurer Custodian
Dennis Ticen & Deb Rousselle Leigh Coffey Robin Wilkening Annette Wray Wanda Samuelson Cara Reeder Sande Robinson Leigh Coffey Leigh Huminsky Patti Coates Lorri Davenport Susie Hidalgo Dawn Harbart Susie Hidgalgo & Kate Blakely
Dennis Ticen Deb Rousselle Susie Hidalgo Wanda Samuelson Pat Hodgson Kate Blakely Anna Duran Vicki Evanatz Ed Peterich