Journeys 5-29-12

We still have a couple more weeks of having our Confirmands write the Journeys article on the back of the bulletin.  I hope you enjoy seeing the world through the eyes of a seventh grader.  This week's contributor is Trey:

God Sighting

The topic I have chosen for my bulletin article is a place I have seen God recently. I decided that one of the places that I have seen God is in our confirmation class and in all the support we have had from our church.

The reason that I see God in our confirmation class is God helps us to learn more about him and become closer to him as we go through our thirteen weeks. You can also see it in how at the start of our confirmation class everyone was kind of shy and didn’t really talk much, but as the weeks have went on we have started to become more comfortable with each other and get to know each other better. I believe that God helps by giving us more courage to speak up and let our guards down.

Another place I see God is in how fully the congregation of our church supports our confirmation class in our journey to become full members of the church. They are always setting a good example of how we can become good members of the church by how they act and how they treat each other. Also, they are always so supportive and kind to us. It makes it so much easier to go through these 13 weeks when you have a congregation like ours.

Finally, I see God in our confirmation mentors and our pastor. First of all, our mentors volunteer so much of their time. Instead of using the time to get a lot of their own personal stuff done, they choose to teach us about how to be a better Christian. Also, I see God in Pastor Kelly.  He is so knowledgeable about the Bible, being a better Christian, and about God. Another reason I see God in him is that he always takes the time to teach us all of the necessary information we need to become a member of the church, and he always takes us on fun field trips to help us to learn more about God.

Pastor's Page, May 2012 Newsletter

Pastor’s Page

May 2012 Newsletter

In March, there were 50 people from the Hastings area trained by the United Methodist Committee on Relief to be Emergency Responders; folks to go to places that have had floods or tornados and provide basic assistance on behalf of the church.  Our trainer was excellent.  He’d been all over the world on behalf of UMCOR.  He was an old firefighter/fire marshall from Las Vegas.  It was a day-log event.

So when the tornadoes hit Nebraska and Iowa a couple weekends ago, by wife Cindy was messaging an old friend from our Duke Divinity School days, Brian Milford.  Brian’s the District Superintendent of the Southwest district in the Iowa Conference.  Cindy let him know that we had newly trained people ready to come help.  We just hadn’t received our official name tags in the mail yet.  Brain said he thought there was a good chance we could come and help.  This was Saturday night.

Sunday afternoon, I was awakened from my afternoon nap by a phone call from the District Disaster Coordinator in Iowa.  She was asking if we could come and help with the tornado damage in Thurman, IA.  I said, I’d get on the phone to those who’d been trained and get back to her.  After an afternoon of phone calls, we had nine folks from four different churches who could drop everything and leave the next morning at 9 a.m. for Iowa.  

We took the van from Grace UMC and met a couple guys from the Kearney area and drove the three and a half hours to Shenandoah, IA.  We were met by the pastor from the Shenandoah UMC, his Missions Coordinator, the District Disaster Coordinator and Brian.  Then a pickup pulled up with a load of high school boys in the back.  They jumped out and quickly carried the materials for 10 bunk beds to the third floor where we were to put them together.  We spend Monday afternoon putting the bunk beds together and blowing up the air-mattresses that’d go on them.  Then Brian took us all out to supper.  They were setting up two rooms on the third floor of the church’s education wing to sleep up to 40 people for future mission groups and Emmaus retreats.  They’d just put in two new showers between the sleeping rooms.

Tuesday, we woke early and headed over to Thurman to help.  There is no greater thrill than to extend my hand and say, “Hi, I’m Kelly, we’re from the United Methodist Church in Nebraska, and we’re here to help.”  We cut trees and piled up branches both in town and at the local cemetery for most of the day.  Some helped in the coordination office.  Some drove trucks to help haul debris away.  We were fed lunch by the Salvation Army and Red Cross.  We met and chatted with the pastor of the United Methodist pastor in town.  The hardest work was in the park; bending over to pick up thousands of tiny shards of shingles and putting them in trash bags.

Keith Haussler and I were from the Doniphan/Rosedale churches.  Jonathan Kubicka was from First UMC, Hastings.  Suzanne Foster was from the Junieta UMC.  Rich Reimer, Paul Larsen and Tom Genung were from Hastings Grace UMC, Tracy Broeker & James Wrenn were from Kearney area UMCs.

We got to live through one of the best parts of the United Methodist Connection; service in mission.

Grace & Peace,

Rev. Kelly Karges

Journeys 4-22-12

Our Confirmation Students are writing the Journeys article for the next several weeks.  Enjoy seeing the world through seventh grade eyes: - Rev. Kelly

Today, we hear from Abby Williams,

There are many things that I like about my church.  But my favorite is youth group.  We eat a delicious supper, play a fun game and then have a lesson that helps us learn about God and our faith.  Also, this year we will be going to Camp Comeca in April. We will be swimming, using the zip-line, hiking to the cross on the hill, having a campfire, watching movies, but mostly learn about God and getting closer as a group. I would like to thank our sponsors; the Wiltfongs, the Roachs, the Stocks, the McNeils and the Sullivans for the time they have given to the youth group. Also, all the people who has helped with the meals.  Our youth group meets every first and third Wednesday of the month at 6:30. One of my favorite memories is when it was close to Christmas we had to play a game where we walked with a bandana over our eyes to a table with whipped cream in a plate.  Hidden in the whipped cream was gummy worms and a whistle. With our hands behind our backs, we had to find the whistle and had to be the first one to blow it. One lesson I remember is a Easter lesson where we learned about Jesus being in the tomb.We took a big marshmallow that represented Jesus and wrapped it in a crescent roll which was the tomb. He rose again in the oven then the marshmallow vanished just like Jesus. I am looking forward to all the things I will do in youth group in the years to come.

Journeys 4-15-12 Dalton Lewis, Confirmation

I'm having the confirmation kids write the Journeys article for the next several weeks. So we get to see the world through seventh grade eyes! This week the article is from Dalton Lewis:

It is my turn to write the bulletin letter. The topic I choose was, “Why I want to become a member of the church.”

I want to become more spiritual and come closer to God. Being a member also brings you closer to the community. I think going to church brings a good feeling. If you think going to church is a waste of a Sunday, you are wrong. It makes the day better. When I get out of church I feel like a better person.

My family hasn’t gone to church steadily for a couple years. I don’t wont want to do that anymore. I want to grow spiritually and learn more about God. I don’t know a lot about God but I can learn.

I go to youth group and confirmation but I want more! I want to live like God, and try to be somewhat of a saint. My spiritual level is about a 3 out of ten. By the end of this year I want it to be an 8. My favorite part of church is communion because you are resembling a big event, “The Last Supper.”

My Grandma is my mentor for confirmation she is a great helper and supporter. She goes to church every Sunday, and is very spiritual. She teaches me a lot about the bible too. I didn’t know much about the bible but, I’m learning pretty fast. Another reason I want to become a member is, when people talk about the bible I will know what they are talking about. If you don’t go to church a lot like me right now don’t feel bad. You don’t have to go that much but I want to, so don’t feel pressured to go to church. That’s what my belief is.

Another reason I want to become a member is to make good dependable friends. If you are a member you know when church activities are. You can think of ideas that the church can do too. The other confirmands’s and I get confirmed on Mother’s Day and become full members of the church. That will be a great day.

By: Dalton

Journeys 4-8-12 Easter

The Confirmation kids will be providing the Journeys Article for the back of the Bulletin for the next several weeks. Enjoy the view of the world through seventh grade eyes: - Rev. Kelly

Carson Wiltfong:

When our Youth Group went on the mission trip to Denver last spring Pastor Kelly challenged every one of us to find a God sighting each day. One of the God sightings that I had that really stood out to me was when we were walking around downtown Denver and I saw a boy about my age maybe a little younger that appeared to be homeless pushing what looked like his father around in a wheelchair. When I saw this it made me really appreciate the many things that I have in my life and realize that God has blessed me. It also made me appreciate that I don’t have nearly as much pressure on myself as that kid did because he had to take care of himself and his father and survive on the streets.

While looking for the God sightings on the trip it helped me to be more positive and appreciative about things. What I think we all need to do is look for those God sightings in our community and we will become more positive about life. Another thing we need to do is create those God sightings because God calls us to be his hands and feet or like Pastor Kelly says the Donkey to bring Jesus to others. Without us being the donkey the word of God and his love will never spread.

Carson Wiltfong

Journeys 4-11-12

Confirmation kids are providing the Journeys Article for the back of the bulletin for these next several weeks. I hope you enjoy the world through seventh grade eyes: - Rev. Kelly

David Roach:

I see god in many things. The one that has caught my eye lately is the sandhill cranes. I always look forward to the time of year when the cranes come. I would always look for the big birds when we are on the road.

I see god in the cranes when they are coming and going. Its just amazing how the cranes travel so far to reach their destination spot. Also how they have to adjust to the environment so fast because some of them might have never stopped around here and this might be some of the birds first journeys in life. It also is amazing how the birds can fly so far to their winter and summer homes. I also wonder how the birds know were to go, is it god leading them, I believe it is. I also am curious how the birds know if there is a predator in the area. And how they only land in certain places. I believe God is guiding them.

That’s how I see god, how he helps the incredible bird accomplish the journey of life.

David Roach