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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood up to read. The book of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He opened the book and found the place where this is written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free” (Luke 4:16-18). The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) is one of four international general program boards of The United Methodist Church. The General Board has headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City. The GBCS's primary mission is to seek the implementation of the United Methodist Social Principals and other policy statements adopted by the General Conference. The board carries this out through a program of education, witness and action. ...The message of salvation brought by Jesus Christ binds us together as a people and sends us forth to bring healing in the midst of strife, justice in the midst of brokenness, and love in the midst of hate. As United Methodists, we are called to invite people to enter into a community of faith responsive to a vision of justice ministries that is biblically and theologically grounded, and to invite United Methodist congregations to play a prophetic role in bringing God’s vision to reality. Our mission is to advocate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the church and society. Through the General Board of Church and Society I was made aware of a documentary titled Redemption of the Prosecutor. This documentary reveals what a prosecutor learned from his experience as a teacher in a Nashville Prison. I found the documentary to be a very “eye-opening” experience for me, as was the information I received about the criminal justice system. I will be showing the documentary Redemption of the Prosecutor following our worship service on September 8. It is a short documentary, only 22 minutes. We will take some time for discussion following the documentary and end the session by noon. I invite you to join me for this time of learning more about mass incarceration and restorative justice. You can read more about restorative justice and other social concerns of the UMC at www.umc-gbcs.org The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because he has anointed us to bring good news to the poor. He has sent us to proclaim release to the captive and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. And All God's Children Said, “Amen.”
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Recently I received information about Lay Servant Ministries. As I was reading through the material, I was taken back in time, almost 15 years. At that time, I was working at the Atlantic First United Methodist Church as the Youth Director/Parish Assistant. The senior pastor of the church encouraged me to sign up for Lay Speaking Classes (the name was changed to Lay Servant in 2012). I was not at all thrilled about the idea. For one thing, it required me to give up some of what seemed to be my very limited free time. It would also require me to step out of my box, so to speak. It was something new and different and I just wasn't sure I wanted anything new and different in my life. I was pretty comfortable the way I was. However, the nudging of the Holy Spirit and the senior pastor gave me the courage I needed to say yes. It ended up being one of those experiences that I was very thankful for. I met wonderful people. I found out things about myself that I didn't know, like the truth that I could be a leader in the church. I did not ever think I had what it would take to serve in that role. But I learned that God does not call the equipped, he equips the called. Once I could say yes to God's call in my life, through the Spirit, I was supplied with what I needed to accomplish God's purpose for my life. I learned the truth that it was not about me, and never had been. It was all about God and always would be. Leaders in the church serve by leading in the Spirit. They model spiritual maturity and discipline. Leaders spend time with the people who are a part of the church in order to hear their dreams for the church. They then work closely with others so they can name a shared vision. Leaders help develop action plans so the shared vision can become a reality. Then they continue to monitor the church's journey as the church seeks to be faithful to the mission and vision of the church, and always remembering the mighty Spirit of God is continually moving within you to guide you. Included in this newsletter is information about Lay Servant Ministries and the upcoming Lay Servant Ministries Classes (to be offered in Council Bluffs in October). I encourage you to not dismiss this too quickly. Take time to think about taking the steps to be a Lay Servant and take time to listen for God's direction. After giving this thoughtful and prayerful consideration, you discern God is not calling you to a Lay Servant Ministry at this time in your life, then I have something else you can do. You can be an encourager. Sometimes we can see gifts in people they can not see in themselves. Is there someone in our congregation who you believe is called to Lay Servant Ministry? Tell them. Be God's voice in their ear. That just may be your calling. And a worthy one it is. And All God's Children Said, “Amen.” Grace and Peace, Pastor Karen |
AuthorPastor Kim Dewey Archives
May 2023
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OAKLAND IOWA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
200 N Main St - PO #4, Oakland, IA 51560
Phone: (712) 482-5530 Church email: oaklandumc@oaklandiaumc.org Web site: www.oaklandiaumc.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/oakiamethchurch Church Office Hours: T - F 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pastor: Kim Dewey Email: kim.dewey@iaumc.net Phone: 712-887-0263 Pastor Kim observes Sabbath each Monday. In the case of an emergency, please do not hesitate to contact her by call or text, and she will respond as soon as possible.
All non-emergency calls, texts, and emails will be responded to the next day. Thank you for your thoughtfulness in assisting Pastor Kim with self-care in this way. It is greatly appreciated! Organist: Marilyn Hackett
Lay Leader: Merlin Jones 712-482-3687 Secretary: Martha Isaacson 712-482-5530 Custodian: Trevor & Megan Jefferson |