Sunday’s Coming February 1, 2012
by Pastor Bill Sherman
Posted on 02/01 at 04:15 PM
February 1, 2012
Dear Lakewood Family and Friends,
I have been truly overwhelmed and humbled by your responses to the announcement I sent out last night. Your responses have been so kind and generous! Thank you for the genuineness of your love. Of course we’re not saying good-bye yet. We’re here until July 1. But the time goes so quickly that I was glad to be able to allow more time for the transition.
The reason I made the announcement as an email was that I didn’t want that news to become the focus in Sunday’s worship service. I’ve never wanted our worship services to be about me - or anyone who is leading - but simply that we would be instruments to point our attention to the One who alone is worthy of our worship.
This Sunday we will be concluding the four-week series OUTLIVE YOUR LIFE. The series has been about how the “fruits” of our lives can and should continue beyond our physical presence in impacting the lives of others. This final message is called “For The Right Reasons” and looks at our motivations. The Scripture foundation is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. “You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:4)
Ths Sunday is Boy Scout Sunday, so our Cub Scout Pack 477 will present the colors and lead in the pledge of allegiance as we begin. This is also the beginning of a new Confirmation Class, so the 12 new confirmands will be present to introduce themselves. It’s also Communion Sunday, and we will receive communion in the pews. Hosanna and the Chancel Choir will provide the special music.
The Cub Scouts will be offering a free Pancake Breakfast (donations happily accepted) for everyone at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall, and the Confirmation Class will have a kickoff breakfast at the same time in the dining room.
This will be the 4-year anniversary of our 1510 service. Hard to believe that it’s been 4 years! What a tremendous ministry they have had in offering their unique worship style to us at Lakewood!
Of course this is Super Bowl Sunday. The youth will be participating again in the Souper Bowl of Caring to remember those who can’t even afford a cup of soup on Super Bowl Sunday. I appreciate so much their desire to help those who are hungry by standing at the exit doors after worship on Sunday with bowls to receive dollar bills from those who want to give. 100% of your gifts will go to the City Rescue Mission.
Monday evening (February 6), the men’s HOGs group are hosting a showing of the movie COURAGEOUS in the CAC dining room for all men and sons who can come. The guys are invited to bring their own food and drink at 6:00 to eat together, or just show up at 6:45 for the movie. This movie is produced by the same folks that produced “Fireproof” and is targeted to men. It’s a story of 4 men in law enforcement who struggle with drawing themselves and their families to a closer awareness of God’s plan for them.
Thanks to all of you who have been bringing jars of peanut butter to help stock the shelves at UCOM through the month of February.
We’re getting all geared up for this year’s JUST BE IT Sunday on February 12! If you haven’t signed up for one of the projects yet, it’s not too late to do so at dinner tonight or on Sunday morning or by calling the church office (733-8477). This is such a great event that brings our whole church together in serving others, I feel sad for any who miss it!
That Sunday begins our 12012 Lakewood Missions Conference. After dinner on Wednesday, February 15, we will host Doug & Shelly Fears, United Methodist missionaries in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. And on Sunday, February 19, our missions challenge in worship will be from Rev. Dick Daily, a United Methodist pastor who has been doing extensive mission work in Haiti. Dick is Peggy Toussant’s brother and will have just returned from working in Haiti, so he will have very current information to share with us. He will be speaking more specifically on the work in Haiti during the Sunday School hour in the Fellowship Hall. On that Sunday we will receive our Faith Promise pledge cards in support of our missions & missionaries for 2012 since we do not include missions in our church budget.
I want to remind you that we offer a Care Givers Support Group on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6:30 in room 103 of the Education Building. Dena Howard facilitates this group for those who deal with the challenges and stresses of caring for loved ones. For more information you can call Dena at 536-3890.
One of the goals we have set for ourselves in the staff and church council is to improve our Sunday morning worship attendance. If you haven’t been to church for awhile, let me encourage you to come back! If you know of others you have missed seeing, be sure to let them know you’ve missed them!
I look forward to seeing many of you this Sunday!
- Bill Sherman