Each summer for the past 24 years First UMC has sent a team of volunteers on a mission. Their mission was to share God's love in tangible ways while making homes in the central Appalachia region safer, drier, and warmer. In 2011 we will send a dedicated team of volunteers on our 25th Appalachia Service Project trip!
This 9 day trip is a great opportunity for youth 14 and up to get to live out their commitment to serve others in God's name, to connect with people from another part of our country, and to build relationships with each other and with their adult leaders.
ASP is a big trip and requires good advance planning. In order to facilitate that planning we will meet in the Parlor at First UMC from 4:30 until 6:00 on Sunday, November 14th. This will be a good opportunity to both learn more about what ASP is and to get involved in making the 2011 trip happen. I especially encourage parents of 8-12th grade youth to attend.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Wesley Woods Work Trip!
Please come along on a Mission Trip to Wesley Woods on Saturday, October 23rd! This Mission Trip is for the entire family. We will provide general labor to help get the camp ready for winter. Plan to meet at 7:00 a.m. at the church on October 23rd, ready to leave for Wesley Woods at 7:30 am.
Our work will begin around 8:30 am. We will take a break around noon to eat our sack lunch and then work until about 4:30 pm. We can stay for free (because we provide a day's labor) so we'll be able to enjoy an evening around a campfire with good food and friends before returning Sunday to Ames!
A Wesley Woods has asked for some help to move furniture out of Timber Lodge on Sunday so they can lay new carpet in Timber Lodge the week of Oct 24. This will require the tearing down beds, and move all furniture in Timber.
Please bring bedding and appropriate clothing-we will be staying in a Cabin. Please contact Ken Van Pelt, Jodi Knox, or Steve Simpson, for more information. HOPE TO SEE YOU October 23rd!
Our work will begin around 8:30 am. We will take a break around noon to eat our sack lunch and then work until about 4:30 pm. We can stay for free (because we provide a day's labor) so we'll be able to enjoy an evening around a campfire with good food and friends before returning Sunday to Ames!
A Wesley Woods has asked for some help to move furniture out of Timber Lodge on Sunday so they can lay new carpet in Timber Lodge the week of Oct 24. This will require the tearing down beds, and move all furniture in Timber.
Please bring bedding and appropriate clothing-we will be staying in a Cabin. Please contact Ken Van Pelt, Jodi Knox, or Steve Simpson, for more information. HOPE TO SEE YOU October 23rd!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Why Attend Worship?
When I was growing up, every Sunday morning my family had the same routine: Get up, eat breakfast, go to sunday school, go to worship, and then head out for lunch. It was so routine that it never occurred to me that a person could do anything else. It wasn't until college, when all of my routines and assumptions were disrupted, that I had to make a conscious choice to go to church.
Even then, I didn't ask myself why I attended worship, I just knew it was part of being a Christian. Just recently I've been asking myself, and others, why a person should attend worship. So far it's been a fruitful question. Here's where I'm at:
We should attend worship because of what it does for us. Worship is a chance to connect to God, to feel God's presence, to hear God's word. This isn't always easy - when I am too anxious or distracted it is hard for me to worship well. But it is also hard when I am unfamiliar with the elements of worship. The thing is, worship is a skill, and it has to be practiced to do it well - just like a sport. As I practice singing or prayer postures, or pay attention to the words and movements of holy communion, those elements of worship become more meaningful to me. It gets easier to focus while doing them, and I find more opportunities to connect with God.
But like any skill, this practice takes time. I am thankful that my parents brought me to church every week, giving me opportunities to practice my worship skills. I am thankful for my Sunday school and youth group, for teaching me the basics of the Christian tradition, for giving me a framework to fit worship into. And I am thankful for my college and seminary experiences which taught me to search for the meaning of worship practices and not take any for granted. I still have a long way to go before I'm a world-class worshiper, but the more I practice the more I am rewarded by the time I spend with God in Christian community.
We should also attend worship because of what we do for it. Ultimately, our worship is not about us, but it is about God - celebrating God's goodness and love, God's grace and self-revelation in Jesus Christ. And without each of us that celebration is incomplete. Your presence in worship impacts the quality of the service - it adds to the beauty of the Christian community gathered together and helps the whole congregation to better praise our God.
Your presence in worship also affects those around you. In a very basic way, you can feel the energy of a full worship space - it's the kind of environment that lifts people's spirits. Without you, our worship space is that much emptier. And beyond that, each person present has the opportunity to impact those around them. Where would our worship be without the children to encourage us, or the youth to assure us that we are sharing our faith with a new generation? Where would we be without the strength and insight of our adults, or the wisdom and firm foundation laid by our elders?
I know that these are just a brief foray into the power and purpose of worship - I hope that you will share your insights as we seek a more rich worship life together in our community.
Even then, I didn't ask myself why I attended worship, I just knew it was part of being a Christian. Just recently I've been asking myself, and others, why a person should attend worship. So far it's been a fruitful question. Here's where I'm at:
We should attend worship because of what it does for us. Worship is a chance to connect to God, to feel God's presence, to hear God's word. This isn't always easy - when I am too anxious or distracted it is hard for me to worship well. But it is also hard when I am unfamiliar with the elements of worship. The thing is, worship is a skill, and it has to be practiced to do it well - just like a sport. As I practice singing or prayer postures, or pay attention to the words and movements of holy communion, those elements of worship become more meaningful to me. It gets easier to focus while doing them, and I find more opportunities to connect with God.
But like any skill, this practice takes time. I am thankful that my parents brought me to church every week, giving me opportunities to practice my worship skills. I am thankful for my Sunday school and youth group, for teaching me the basics of the Christian tradition, for giving me a framework to fit worship into. And I am thankful for my college and seminary experiences which taught me to search for the meaning of worship practices and not take any for granted. I still have a long way to go before I'm a world-class worshiper, but the more I practice the more I am rewarded by the time I spend with God in Christian community.
We should also attend worship because of what we do for it. Ultimately, our worship is not about us, but it is about God - celebrating God's goodness and love, God's grace and self-revelation in Jesus Christ. And without each of us that celebration is incomplete. Your presence in worship impacts the quality of the service - it adds to the beauty of the Christian community gathered together and helps the whole congregation to better praise our God.
Your presence in worship also affects those around you. In a very basic way, you can feel the energy of a full worship space - it's the kind of environment that lifts people's spirits. Without you, our worship space is that much emptier. And beyond that, each person present has the opportunity to impact those around them. Where would our worship be without the children to encourage us, or the youth to assure us that we are sharing our faith with a new generation? Where would we be without the strength and insight of our adults, or the wisdom and firm foundation laid by our elders?
I know that these are just a brief foray into the power and purpose of worship - I hope that you will share your insights as we seek a more rich worship life together in our community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)