Page 1 - March 2020

Parish
A Message from Hale...
March Through LenT
The season of Lent is a time of reflection and
rededication of our faith. Let us march through
Lent, onward as Christian soldiers who follow
Jesus. The church has several resources to keep
us in step together and grow together, including
a 40 day devotional book, weekly reflection cards
for the prayer labyrinth and a seasonal guide for
contemplation.
LenT refLecTion
Lent is a time to reflection on our resources as well.
When we make a decision to restrain from distractions
and focus on Christ during Lent, we often save money
over the course of the season. I encourage you to
redirect what you would have spent on excesses to
relief efforts such as UMCOR or saved for a special
Lenten offering.
The Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief, now
known as United Methodist Committee on Relief,
was founded 80 years ago when WWII was raging
and millions were displaced from their homes. March
22nd is UMCOR Sunday and all gifts given on this day
cover the costs of doing business so UMCOR can be a
source of help and hope.
Consider bringing a special Lenten offering to UMCOR
or the Missions Committee of SIUMC on Easter
Sunday. Together our offerings will be a collection that
celebrates His faithfulness and His victory over every
part of our lives. Let us be a church that triumphantly
changes the world with Christ as we turn our sacrifice
into a way to deepen and strengthen the missions of
our church.
March 2020
Voice
Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
PasTor connecTion
“Meet with the Pastor” continues and I look forward
to having the opportunity to meet with you soon. I
have met with several individuals and couples during
weekly Thursday morning appointments at 9:15 and
10:15 a.m. The first Sunday visitation time after the
service sparked great conversation and I look forward
to more visiting time. We have yet to schedule a group
meeting. I look forward to connecting with a larger
group or Sunday School. Call the office to schedule
a Thursday morning appointment or to coordinate a
group meeting. If your schedule doesn’t lend itself to
the present days, let me know and I will do my best
to make myself available.
conference conversaTions
The United Methodist Church continues
conversations leading up to General Conference in
May. At this time, there are 14 or more proposals
for the future of the church, with some options
more likely selected than others. If you would like
to know more about General Conference, monitor
the bulletin for upcoming learning opportunities.
As always, I am happy to host conversations on this
topic with you or a small group in my office, or with a
larger group elsewhere, to share what I know about
upcoming proposals.
Thank you for being a church with open hearts, open
minds and open doors during Lent.