The Apostle from St. Paul
The Monthly Newsletter for April 2014
www.stpaullakeland.com 901-387-0007
Worship Services: 9:00 and 11:00
Coffee Fellowship in Fellowship Hall 9:45
Promiseland (with hourly components) in session 9-12
Sunday School: 10:00
A Message from Mike
When I was living in Kentucky, I would often read a regular column in the Louisville Courier-Journal called Words, Words, Words. The column’s author, Michael Gartner, would use the column to trace the background of words that we commonly use. In one such column, Gartner traced the words peccadillo, and impeccable to the Latin word, peccare; meaning, “to sin”. Peccadillo thus means, “a little sin” while impeccable would mean “without a sin or fault.”
Gartner then told of a great pun related to the word. In the 1840’s, the British ordered Sir Charles Napier, a general, to seize the city of Sind in India. He succeeded, and to let his superiors know of his victory, Napier sent back a one word message: Peccavi! Peccavi means, “I have sinned.”
In many respects, the theme word for Lent ought to be peccavi. Lent is the season of repentance. It is the time when Christians are called to examine their lives and see how we have measured up to what God expects of us. If we are not really sure of what that expectation is; then we only have to look at Jesus to get an idea. Jesus is God’s revelation to us of what he has in mind for our lives. To live like Jesus is to live a life of joyful obedience to God and reflect God’s love through our daily lives. When we measure our lives using that standard; most of us quickly realize we have fallen short. Peccavi becomes our catchword, our story, our shame.
The constant awareness of our failures and shortcomings would be pretty depressing if God didn’t have a one word response for us that begins on Good Friday and is completed on Easter. That one word is - forgiven!
I hope you have taken the opportunity during Lent to do some spiritual self-examination and make some sacrificial efforts to make amends for the area where you have fallen short. But I also hope you will join us on Easter to celebrate the good news that the one word that spiritually describes our lives is not peccavi but forgiven!
Peace and grace, Michael Morris
LENTEN WORLD HUNGER OFFERING
Remember to bring your Lenten Hunger Offering to church on Easter morning. This offering will help combat the problem of hunger both locally and globally. Projects that benefit from the Lenten Hunger Offering include: Reelfoot Rural Ministries, United Methodist Neighborhood Centers of Memphis, Midsouth Food Bank, Regional Interfaith Association (Jackson, TN), Paducah Cooperative Ministries, Moscow (TN) Community Food Pantry, Our Father’s House (Tanzania, Africa), United Methodist Committee on Relief, Hunters for the Hungry, Project Peanut Butter, and the Society of St. Andrew.
A two minute video on the Lenten World Hunger Offering can be found online at www.memphis-umc.net/lentenworldhungeroffering
APRIL COMMUNION OFFERING
Our April Communion offering will go to support the work and ministries of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) which provides help to people throughout Shelby County. Pastor Mike delivers MIFA meals to elderly shut-ins every Wednesday.
United Methodist Men’s Annual Pancake
Breakfast and Fellowship
March 29th
8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
All you care to eat pancakes, sausage, bacon,
fruit, juice and coffee.
door prizes
suggested donation $5.00 per person
under 10 optional
For more information and tickets contact any member of the UMM
Proceeds to go to the St. Paul Building maintenance fund
Annual Conference Men’s Fish Fry
The Memphis Conference United Methodist Men’s Annual Meeting will be held at Archer’s Chapel UMC in Frog Jump, TN on Tuesday evening, April 8 beginning at 5 PM. All you can eat catfish, country ham and desserts will be served starting at 5 and going until 7 for a cost of $15. Then at 7 PM, Shane Stanford, author and pastor of Christ UMC in Memphis will be the speaker for the meeting. Make plans now to attend and enjoy this great evening of fellowship and inspiration.
Help Us Celebrate
Do you have a favorite memory from your time at St. Paul? Would you like to tell everyone why you love it here? How about a funny little story about something that happened at St. Paul….that still makes you laugh? Please take a few moments to put you thoughts in writing and turn it in to the church office. We will be sharing these as part of our celebration on April 27th.
Easter Clothes for Purdue Salvation Army Center
United Methodists are members of Church Women United which meets monthly at Buntyn Presbyterian Church. Each year at Easter, we purchase dresses, pants, shirts, vests, etc. for some 45-65boys and girls from 4-14 years at the Purdue Salvation Army Center.They will give us parade of their new outfits on April 17th at the Center at 696 Jackson from 4-5 pm. Sandy Mauney will gladly take any contributions of either money or outfits to this cause by Sunday, April 6th. Any unused outfits will be distributed to a few counselors at some urban public schools for distribution to needy school children. Money will go to complete the outfits with underwear, shoes, socks, hats, etc.
UMNC Easter Baskets Needed
The UMNC is asking for donations for Easter Baskets. Suggested items are:
· Medium-sized basket
· Small stuffed animals
· Underwear/socks
· Craft items such as coloring books, crayons, sidewalk chalk
· Small games (think of party favors that come in packs)
· Hair bows/barrettes
· Kids’ jewelry/purses
· Toothbrush/toothpaste
· Toys, such as card games, puzzles, jump ropes, matchbox cars,
blowing bubbles
· NO CANDY - Healthy alternatives such as fruit chews
Team up with friends or a small group to put together the baskets. Help bring some joy to other children this Easter! Deadline is Sunday, April 6.
Easter Egg Hunt Volunteers Needed
Saturday, April 19th will be St. Paul’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Lots of volunteers are needed to make this event happen. We need people to help monitor the activities. If you are interested please let Jill Kirk () or Nancy Ytzen () know!
Easter Donations Needed!
The Easter Candy is already out in the stores!! You know what that means?? It’s time to start collecting donations for St. Paul’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt. This year we are asking for bags of candy (no chocolate please….it melts!) to stuff the eggs. We are also asking for medium and large prize donations. We have enough small donations (chalk, bubbles, pencils small stuffed animals…) but we are in need of Medium and Large Prizes. Like bigger stuffed animals, balls, movies, sand toys, games… Anything a child would like. If you can help in any way with the Egg Hunt please let Jill Kirk know. Thanks for your help. I know the Egg Hunt will be a success with the help of St. Paul’s church members! You may place donations in the box marked Easter donations outside the church office.
VBS 2014
Workshop of Wonders
Registration is now open for VBS 2014!! Our kids will experience the wonders of God at our VBS, WORKSHOP OF WONDERS: IMAGINE AND BUILD WITH GOD! Your children will become Visioneers as they explore how the ordinary becomes extraordinary with God and experience the love of Jesus.
After a high-energy opening assembly at the Wonder Workshop, the Visioneers make their war to the Bible Nook, Game Garage, Snack Stop, Science Station, and the Crafts Lab.
Come and Join the F-U-N!!
To register please visit http://2014.cokesburyvbs.com/stpaullakelandvbs2014 or you can find the link on the church website http://stpaullakeland.com .
KWAM
This month KWAM will be March 30th. The children will be washing sunglasses for Project 20/20. We will meet from 4:00-5:30 in the Fellowship Hall. (April 13th will be a KWAM Stuff It Party for the Easter Egg Hunt!) Hope to see you there!
St Paul Youth News
The final total our youth raised for the 30 Hour Famine Mission Project is: $682.75
Seder Meal
Again this year the youth group will lead a Messianic Haggadah celebration along with a meal on Maundy Thursday (April 17th). In addition to the Seder Plate which includes an egg, bitter herbs, matzot, and Charoset; the youth will be serving a potato and salad bar for dinner. Even if you don’t typically come to the Wednesday Night Dinners (WND) we hope you will join us for this special occasion. Like the WND the meal will begin at 5:45 and $5 for Adults, $3 for children.
Youth Fundraiser coming soon – EGGED
Be looking for signs around the church. Between April 1st until April 19th, the youth will host a fundraiser that will allow you to EGG your friends and neighbors. How it works: The youth will hide 12 eggs in their yard and leave behind a sign that lets them know they have been EGGED. The sign will let them know we have hidden 11 filled and 1 empty egg in their yard; the empty egg reminds them of the empty tomb that Jesus left behind on Easter Sunday Morning. We will charge $20 for you to sponsor a yard to be EGGED. (if you remember when the youth flocked yards, this is much like that) Youth will have sign-up sheets available on Sunday’s and Wednesday’s for those who would like to sponsor an EGGING.
Confirmation 2014
Please continue to be in prayer for our 2014 Confirmand and their mentor:
Grey Bingham (Patrick Lee)
Shelby DeVore (Nancy Filippelli)
Garrett Kirk (Jennifer Dinwiddie)
Jake Knaff (Thomas Trieschman)
Elizabeth Newsom (Lee Goodrich)
Brooke Shaw (Janet Woodward)
They will be meeting Sunday (March 30th, April 13th) from 12-1:30. please in prayer for our Confirmation Retreat April 4th-6th. We will be staying at Wesley Foundation (UofM) and our service project will be to help out at the Neighborhood Center.
Thank you to Wanda Trieschman, UMW, and Karen Udovich for providing meals for our classes
For questions about any of the above Youth Ministry items please feel free to contact Shannon Pryor @ or 463-6885
Check out St. Paul’s web site at www.stpaullakeland.com
Church Staff
Church Office ~ 901-387-0007
Aldrich, Daina - Director of Preschool
Dinwiddie, Jennifer – Sexton
Dougan, Will - Director of Worship & Music
Geno, Regina – Pianist
Goldsmith, Gary – Youth Music Director
Hamilton, Vickie - Office Administrator
Holmes, Susan-Finance Administrator
Kirk, Jill - Director of Children’s Ministries
.
Morris, Mike – Pastor
mmorris@stpaul-lakeland,org
Pryor, Shannon-Director of Youth Ministries
Ytzen, Nancy - Dir. of Nursery Ministries