Celebration Sunday!

Worship service is at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Sunday School for children and adults begins at 9 a.m. This is "Celebration Sunday," a service of sharing by the people: music, poetry, etc.
Pastor Jack will bring the morning message: “Command or Promise?” There will also be special music. Our prayer group meets each Wednesday, 12 to 2 p.m.

UMW
United Methodist Women will meet after worship on Sunday, February 6th. Details: 605-448-2900

What's coming up on Sunday

Worship service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Sunday school for children and adults begins at 9 a.m. The morning message “Any Sense of Urgency Here?” will be delivered by Pastor Jack. There will also be special music. Our prayer group meets each Wednesday, 12 to 2 p.m.

Caring enough to send the very best

Sunday, in Sunday school, adults looked at Isaiah and kids reviewed Old Testament stories. In the church service, the children's message was on the armor of God. Pastor Jack opened the first chapter of I Corinthians and mentioned sainthood and different conceptions of saints. He spoke of the gentle words Paul used in addressing the Corinthians, a church he would later have to correct. Pastor Jack mentioned Christmas cards and the people who write them to you, how they “cared enough to send the very best.” He likened Paul’s letters to the churches to the messages we receive in Christmas cards by people who care about us. The praise band sang Days of Elijah. The worship folder included a story by Kent Millard about Selma and a transformation that happened after the day of the march, and after the service, Pastor Jack passed out a transcript of the recent speech by President Obama on the Tucson shooting.

What's on for Sunday, Jan. 16

This Sunday, worship service is at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School for children and adults begins at 9 a.m.The morning message, “When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best,” will be delivered by Pastor Jack Erickson. There will also be special music. Administrative board meets right after worship in the lounge. The prayer group meets each Wednesday, 12 to 2 p.m. Details: 605-448-2900

Exclusions apply, or do they?

Sunday at Faith, the congregation met while snow fell outside, but inside all was warm and bright. Adults met for Sunday school and continued in Isaiah. They looked at the prophecy concerning the coming of Cyrus. The kids learned about the prophet Elijah and discussed ways of being God's still, small voice to those around them. Then, into the kitchen for raven food.

Pastor Jack spoke on Acts 10: 34-38 -- Peter's startling revelation that the gospel should be shared with the Gentiles as well as Jews-- and asked the question: Who does God exclude? Pastor Jack told of an outsider coming into town, on parole and trying to make it to his sister's in Montana, and two guys who helped him, despite trouble, expense and sacrifice. Here was a guy likely to be shunned by many,  and he found help, not in the religious leaders of the place, but by two average Joes just doing what was right.

Kathy Erickson gave the children's message, giving a list of common New Year's resolutions and showing how they could apply even to kids, but also pointing out an omission: none of the items had much to do with the spiritual dimension of life. Kathy talked about reading scripture and praying, and encouraged the kids to take care of the spiritual side of things during the new year.
Donna Knudson gave a worship offering on her guitar and the praise band played a worship chorus.

Wednesday is prayer group at 2pm, and Sunday we'll have Sunday school for all ages and worship at 10:30 am. A board meeting is scheduled for after the service.

What's on for Sunday

Worship service will be Sunday, January 9, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School for all ages begins at 9 a.m.  The message “Who Does God Exclude?” will be delivered by Pastor Jack Erickson.
There also will be special music. Prayer group meets Wednesday, Jan. 12, noon to 2 p.m.

February 25-26, 2011 Lay Speaker Training at Jamestown St Paul's United Methodist Church

The Dakotas Conference will again offer training for persons who wish to take the Basic and Advanced Lay Speaking Courses.

Training is Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26, 2011. (Back up storm date is March 4 and 5.)


Jamestown, N.D., St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1000 NW 5th Ave. 701-252-3088


Joyce Ballard will lead the Basic Class.

Iva Wenzel will lead the Advanced Class “The Christian Small Group Leader”

and Anne Osbourne will lead the Advanced Class “Go Preach.”



We will begin registration and gathering at 5:45 PM with opening worship at 6:00 PM.

Class will begin again on Saturday at 8:00 AM with opening worship and end approximately 4:30 PM.

Study books for classes will be mailed to you as soon as your registration is received.

Please eat supper before coming on Friday, but lunch will be provided on Saturday.



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Please register me for the Lay Training Event to be held at the Jamestown St Paul’s UMC:



____Basic                               ____Advanced:  “The Christian Small Group Leader”

          

____Advanced:  “Go Preach”



Name:______________________________________________________________________



Address:_______________________________City:_________________State_____Zip_____



Telephone: _________________________________Church___________________________



E-MAIL: ____________________________________________________________________

Special Needs Request: (i.e. handicap accessibility) __________________________________

Contact:  VirLyn Hoff - epworth_umc@msn.com  Church: 701-845-0340  Home: 701-845-1721



Registration fee for all classes is $35    (Make checks payable to Dakotas Conference)

Return registration by February 15th to:          Bonnie Carlson

                                                                        PO Box 460

                                                                        Mitchell SD  57301  

Happy New Year!

A time for new beginnings. Time for "boldness to enter into the holiest," and "a new and living way!"

Faith Church brought in the new year Sunday with a communion service.  Pastor Jack read from Matthew 2, brought up the magi, described the supposed site of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and encouraged us to Just Stop and Think About It! To let the message of Christmas sink in. Ted Kneebone discussed dreams and visions with the kids during the children's message time.

In Sunday school, adults discussed the topic of redemption, and kids read about David and Goliath, discussed the parched corn and cheese that Jesse sent with David to his brothers in the army, and made nachos.

Did you dig out from the blizzard? Some Stratfordians spent a few days in Aberdeen rather than deal with snow issues. What measures did you take to deal with snow? Do you shovel or use more elaborate equipment? What was the hardest part of the blizzard? How does this blizzard compare with earlier blizzards you've dealt with? What, if any, spiritual insights did you gain from digging out (or avoiding) blizzard fallout?