Below is my weekly email to the Tonganoxie UMC congregation. I share it here so that others can keep in touch with what the church is up to. Let me know if you’d like to be added to the list to receive the note weekly.
Dear Tonganoxie UMC Family,
I hope that you’re all doing well and settling into rhythms and routines this first week of the New Year. I am currently on vacation enjoying a bit of time without too much of a fixed schedule. My primary agenda for the week is to move all of the furniture from our “office” at home and consolidate it with the “guest bedroom” so that what has been the “office” can be set up as the nursery in preparation for our family’s new addition this spring. My secondary agenda is to rest and relax a bit as we prepare for an exciting year of ministry together in 2012! I’m writing today to share a few things and to encourage you to be present in worship this weekend as you won’t want to miss our special guest preacher, the Rev. Ira DeSpain.
Looking for TUMC Historical Information – Can You Help?
As I shared in last week’s email I’m going to be offering a class to serve as an Introduction to Tonganoxie UMC on Sunday, January 29th from 3-5 (mark your calendars now if you’re interested, whether you’re a lifelong member or someone just beginning to get involved with our church). The class will serve as an opportunity for people to learn more about the church and then decide whether or not they might be interested in becoming members. As part of that class I’d like to be able to provide some historical information about the church. Ideally I would share pastoral record (who served here when) and history of building renovation/addition/development as points of historical reference. I would also want to be sure to include significant moments and events in the life of the congregation. If you have any documents or records that contain this information, I would be most appreciative if I could take a look at them. I wonder if maybe something wasn’t put together for our 125th anniversary?
Souper Bowl Food Drive & Competition
More official news will be coming in the next weeks, but we have been challenged to a friendly Souper Bowl competition with McLouth UMC to see which congregation can raise the greatest number of canned goods to support hunger ministries in their communities. McLouth UMC has done this competition internally the last several years and last year raised more than 3,300 cans of food. This year they have challenged us and we hope to beat that total (and them)! This will be a fun and friendly competition that addresses a very real need in our communities and the surrounding counties. All of the food we raise at Tonganoxie UMC will go to support Good Shepherd and Food for Friends (the weekend backpack program) at TES. All of the food raised by McLouth UMC will support hunger in Jefferson County (and potentially into Topeka if they raise as much as they have in the last years).
Please start shopping now (find the deals and buy a case or two!) for the following items that you’ll be able to bring to church on 1/22, 1/29, and 2/5:
Canned Soup*
Canned Spaghetti-o’s
Canned Ravioli
Canned Chili
*”victory” in the competition will be based on total points scored. Each team scores 1 point for each can of condensed soup and 2 points for each can of hearty (non-condensed) soup, spaghetti-o’s, ravioli, and chili.
Susan Geiger is leading our charge, feel free to be in touch with her to get involved!
New Sermon Series Begins this Sunday with a Special Guest
When Jesus called the early disciples there were questions about whether or not anything good could come from Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown. As the disciples began to experience the teaching and works of Christ they responded to this question with a simple invitation, “Come and See.” This January you are invited to “Come and See” the good news of God as we seek to live it out at Tonganoxie UMC. You are also encouraged to share this invitation with family, friends, and neighbors so that all might “Come and See” the good news of Jesus. This exciting series kicks off this Sunday with a special guest preacher, the Rev. Ira DeSpain, University Chaplain at Baker University. Please plan to be in worship for his message, “Branded.”
I trust that you’ll be blessed by Ira’s message on Sunday and look forward to hearing about it and building upon the foundation that he provides as we continue the sermon series in the coming weeks. I also look forward to returning to the office next Wednesday rejuvenated from my vacation time!
Grace and Peace,
Jeff
Changing To Bring Change 