Read the full September Church Life Newsletter here in adobe pdf format
Growing up, their names were Pat, Chris, Joel, and Mark. We rode bikes together and traded baseball cards. We played video games and built forts.
In high school, his name was George. We were thick as thieves. We rode our cars all over the Northwoods of Wisconsin listening to Bon Jovi and Aerosmith. We went on double dates and watched all “The Godfather” movies. We also talked about our struggles with our parents and
dreams for the future.
In college, their names were Josh and Ben. We were always together. We had inside jokes. We tore up the dance floors of the local hangouts. We dreamed of opening a camp for kids. We all stood up in each others weddings.
As a young adult, their names were Mark, Bill, Glen, and Roger. We met every Thursday to play Euchre. While playing, we talked about our frustrations at work, our fears of parenting, and our hopes for our marriages.
Today, their names are Jeremy, Eric, Carl, and Amy. We call each other to talk through problems, offer encouragement, and get perspective. We love each other.
Throughout the years, the names have changed but the blessing of significant friendships has remained constant. Friendship matters.
As we get older, making friends can get harder. We can sometimes find ourselves with fewer people to have fun with and get support from; our circle of friends can be pretty small.
That is one of the true benefits of belonging to a faith community. God will give us a group of people we can become friends with; people who share many of our values and perspectives on life. Church friends can become some of the most significant friends in your life.
This fall, we are going to create several opportunities for you to make new friends. These are some of the ongoing groups that will be starting back up this fall:
- Tuesday Morning Pastor’s Book Group: Every Tuesday morning Pastor Jeff gathers with a group of people to discuss and share insights into some of the most interesting books in Christian thought, practice and theology.
- United Methodist Women’s Book Group: This group meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 10:00 am to discuss a popular book.
- Knowledge Circle: This is our United Methodist Women’s circle. These women meet monthly for prayer, learning, mission, and support.
- Shawl Ministry: This group meets on the second and last Thursday of each month at 1:00 pm. They create blankets, prayer shawls, mats for the homeless, crosses and many items to support the ministries of our church. This group is a lot of fun and a great place for friendship and conversation.
- ROMEOs: This stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out. This group of men meet every Wednesday at the Avenue Restaurant on Woodward at 11:30 am. It is a great group for friendship and fellow-ship. All are welcome.
- Women’s Bible Study and Book Group: Pastor Myra leads this evening group for women of all ages. It is a great group of women who love, support, and pray for and with each other.
In addition this Fall we will be starting up the following new groups for you to be making a connection to and with:
- Saturday Night Supper Club: Starting in September, we will offer a monthly Saturday night potluck and program. This will be open to all people and will hopefully create an intergenerational experience for our members. These nights will be fun and give us more opportunities to connect socially with each other.
- Moms’ Group: Bridget Nelson will be starting a moms’ fellowship group this fall. This group will provide a space for the moms of our congregation to read, pray, support each other, and just plain have some fun together.
- Men’s Morning Fellowship: Pastor Jeff will gather the men of the church together on Thursday mornings for coffee, doughnuts, lots of laughs, banter about the upcoming game, and a time of study and devotion before sending guys off to work or out for breakfast. This will be a great time for friendship building. This group will also hold regular work days for seniors in our congregation and community.
- Theology on Tap: Pastor Caleb (and Pastor Jeff at times) will be starting a regular week night gathering at some of our local pubs. These gatherings will be a great place to grab a beer (we’ll provide the appetizers) and join in conversations about life, faith, and the issues facing our community and world. These will be open to all people and should really be pretty awesome!
We will be publishing an expanded brochure this fall with more information, times, locations, and contact information for leaders. Please begin to think about which group you would like to connect with.
Find a place to meet and make new friends. Friendship Matter.
Read the full September Church Life Newsletter here