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This Sunday at SUMC
This is the last Sunday for this sermon series, WRESTLEMANIA. I hope this has been meaningful for you and engaged some of the questions you may have been afraid to ask. Remember, we are not afraid to ask questions because we know that God is much stronger than our curiosities.
This final week we are going to wrestle with how it seems to be for our faith, to be an addition to life, instead of our focus. Why is it that following Jesus so easily fits behind our career goals, practice schedules, preferences, and selfish desires?
Why is it that we seem to transform our faith instead of our faith transforming us?
Pastor Brody
Keep Growing Your Faith
At Shueyville UMC, we believe that being a follower of Jesus is a journey. It isn’t just worship, spiritual growth, or service. It’s all of those aspects combined that help us grow closer to Jesus. Take a look at the opportunities below and try to take in each of the areas of emphasis: Deeper Roots (worship), Stronger Branches (your personal faith), Bountiful Fruit (serving God and others).
Deeper Roots
Worship will be inside for the foreseeable future. Below you will find the service times and mask suggestions. Please check weekly to see if/when those will change.
- 8:00 a.m. Masks Required
- 9:30 a.m. Masks Optional
- Sunday School is offered during this service
- We will Live Stream parts of this service on Facebook
- 10:30 a.m. Masks Optional
Please note, the 8:00 a.m. service is mask required, as that service is first and doesn’t
have much traffic from other services. If you are trying to be as careful as possible, this service is for you. The 10:30 a.m. service is not usually overcrowded and provides a lot of space to pull a chair away from others.
Advent 2021
The Advent season kicks off Sunday, November 28. We hope you will join us in worship as we journey towards the celebration of Christmas and God coming to be with us. Our series is called Simplify: A Faithful Call In A Crowded Season. We will give each family a candle and ask that you spend 5 minutes each day around that candle in prayer, reading a devotion, or reading scripture. Why? Well, we know that this season can get too busy and we need to simplify and focus on the peace of Christ.
Christmas Eve Worship Times
We are going to have four opportunities to celebrate Jesus’ arrival.
If you are traveling out of town on Christmas Eve, then join us December 23rd at 6:30 p.m. for our Christmas Eve Eve service. It will be the same format as the Christmas Eve service, but we know that many travel and still want to worship in their church. It may also be that Christmas Eve is packed full of events. Don’t miss worship and join us on 12/23!
On December 24th, we will have 3 services for you to choose from; 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30. The middle service (5:30) will be in the Family Life Center and geared more towards families with young children. But everyone is welcome at every service.
Emergency Charge Conference
I, Pastor Brody, received the words below from our District Superintendent. If you would like to attend this Charge Conference, please do. It will be Saturday, December 4th at
4:00 p.m. at Salem UMC in Cedar Rapids. I do not pretend to fully understand the legal jargon, but I do know this has to do with being protected if lawsuits were filed against the church for things that happened in the Scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filed for bankruptcy after numerous suits were filed for sexual abuse. As part of the bankruptcy process, United Methodist local churches across the country had the opportunity to file a proof of claim. Filing a proof of claim indicated, among other things, that the local church had a right to be indemnified/protected by BSA as well as BSA insurance policy coverage for any claim filed against the local church by a scout survivor. Your congregation was in the past and/or is presently a charter organization and could have a lawsuit filed by an abuse survivor against your local church. Your local church filed a proof of claim and now has the opportunity to vote on the bankruptcy plan. Because local churches' votes must be received by December 14, 2021, and because we will not know if all United Methodist local churches will be covered against BSA claims until November 23, 2021, all United Methodist local churches that filed a proof of claim must prepare now to record their vote. The congregation’s vote is critical to ensure United Methodist local churches are protected from a lawsuit filed concerning an individual claiming they were abused while in a scouting program associated with the local church. A charge conference has been set for _December 4, Saturday 4:00 PM _to approve the following motion.
A charge conference is called between November 23 and December 5 to act on the recommendation and submit the ballot so that it is received by December 14, 2021.
We the _ United Methodist Church (approve) (disapprove) the BSA plan of reorganization and give authority for the chair of the board of trustees to execute the plan ballot document.
Stronger Branches
Part of growing in our faith is prayer. Please take a moment to pray for these people and situations, plus what is on your heart.
- Many suffering with mental health concerns.
- Dawson, Denise Walker's young grandson who returned home with medicine for his heart
- Millie Miller after a recent fall
- Kathy Fielder's mother, Erma, died this week
380 Kids Christmas Program and Holiday Schedule
The Children's Christmas Program will be at the 9:30 a.m. service Sunday, December 19th in the Family Life Center. We will have a dress rehearsal from 10:00-11:00 a.m. the day before on Saturday, December 18th.
Holiday breaks will be Wednesday, November 24, December 22 and 29th.
380 Kids and Exit X will not be meeting next Wednesday, November 24. We will see you again December 1st.
Are you good at decorating, carpentry, or have an eye for how to best use space? If so, we are gathering a team to re-imagine how to use the space in our building. Specifically,
we are looking at worship spaces and where people gather. If you want to hear more or
get involved, please talk to Pastor Brody asap.
Church Council Highlights
November, 2021
The Council met in November with the following as main topics of discussion:
- The Council approved the 2022 budget and salary increases. Our church is seeing positive growth and we are hoping to continue to support new mission and ministry opportunities.
- A group of volunteers successfully completed a wheelchair ramp build, and the Missions Team wants to add that project to the Mission StayCation itinerary in the future.
- The youth are putting on a “Friendsgiving” on November 21st. They will be preparing food and eating together, then spend time making blankets for local shelters, and end the evening by watching a movie together at the church.
- Wednesday night Children’s and Youth programs are growing and currently serving nearly 100 young people each week. We are running out of space, so leaders are brainstorming possible solutions/alternatives.
- New software is being purchased for the church computer system.
- Lord’s Acre Festival events include the “Trick or Trunk/Chili and Chocolate “event held in October, and the upcoming “Cookies and Crafts Christmas Market” which will be held on December 12th, between and after services. There are plans to expand the chili supper as it was a huge success. Leaders are organizing the Christmas Market and will fill in details as plans get more finalized.
- Grant Chylstrun’s last day with us is January 2nd. There will be time after each service to wish him well.
- Bridgett Banda has been hired as Music Director starting in January. She and Grant are working together on Christmas music.
- Christmas services include: Christmas Eve Eve, December 23rd at 6:30 and Christmas Eve services at 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
- New water softeners have been installed at the church, 8 windows have been replaced and replacing florescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs is an ongoing project.
- A Visioning Committee is being organized to start prioritizing visions for future land and building use.
If anyone has questions or comments for the Council or would like to see the minutes from previous meetings, please contact the church or any Council member.
Bountiful Fruit
Lord’s Acre Festival Part 2
December 12th is going to be a fun day to be at church. We are going to have the old “market” portion of the Lord’s Acre Festival and a pancake breakfast. If you would like to bring something to have sold at the market, please let the church office know or sign up on Sunday. Otherwise, the breakfast and market will be held all morning and you can eat and shop before/after services. The market will open at 7:45 a.m. and breakfast will start at 8:30 a.m. All things will close down by 11:30. Please invite a friend! We are raising money to continue and grow the mission of our church.
Last year we adopted 3 West at St. Luke’s Hospital and gave each employee a gift card. We want to do the same thing this year for the same floor. This year has not been any easier and we are always thankful for healthcare workers. Imagine how those employees will feel when they see that our church cares beyond one year! If you’d like to give to support this outreach during the Christmas season, please do!
Our youth are hosting a Friendsgiving this Sunday afternoon, 12/21. If you’d like to make them some food, I know they would love it! They are going to do some mission projects
and watch a movie. Snacks are appreciated, too! We expect around 30-40 youth to take part.
Thanksgiving Baskets
Shueyville UMW will be organizing Thanksgiving food baskets for several families in our community. Please consider donating canned goods to help bring comfort and nourishment to those in need this Thanksgiving. Funds for meat and fresh veggies may be placed in the collection bowls on Sunday, dropped off to the church office or left in the secure mail box on the outside of the church building. Help us bring hope and joy to others this November! Please check expiration dates and give foods that you like to eat!
Tanager Place Angel Tree
Please put gifts in a box if breakable. Don't wrap with gift wrap. Be sure the angel tag is attached to your gift. Bring to the church by Sunday, December 9th. Thank you for your help.
Ways to Continue to Financially Support SUMC
We have not passed the offering plate in worship for a LONG time. Thank you for remembering to give and support SUMC. We are going to start passing it again, but not every Sunday. Why? Because it is a good reminder that our giving is worship. Carrying
the offering to the front of the church and thanking God is nothing to hide or be ashamed of. It ought to be celebrated!
We will pass the plate the 1st and 3rd Sundays and have them available the other Sundays.
There are other ways you can give beyond money in the plate. We encourage Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) as a consistent way of giving. You can change or stop it at any time.
You can request, fill out, and return an EFT form. Some are also available on the table outside the sanctuary. We are more than happy to mail this to you.
