"Through the power of Christ, we are learning to live in simplicity, thankfulness, contentment and
generosity in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana."

(IF YOU CLICK ON A PICTURE, IT WILL GET BIGGER... AND EASIER TO VIEW.)

Monday, October 31, 2016

Trunk or Treat - pt.3

Pastor Charles & Becky Boykin





Trunk or Treat - pt.2

The Nelsons and a customer
Mickey Boykin
Watching the Great Pumpkin
Amber & Dave Macclay-Schulte

Trunk or Treat - pt.1

Sheila Hammitt
Belinda Alkula & Bella
Lynn Moshier & a new friend
Awesome time tonight at our fourth annual Trunk or Treat! With five "trunks" open for business in the parking lot and six tables set up in the fellowship hall there was something for everyone tonight!


Thanks to Belinda & Pastor Charles Alkula, Becky & Mickey Boykin, Dean & joey Diers, Sheila Hammitt, Dave & Amber Maclay-Schulte, Lisa Menery, Lynn Moshier, Don & Mary Nelson, and Marcia Prather for coming to take part in this fun outreach ministry.

This week @ Stevi UMC

Monday: Reformation Day
5:00-7:00 pm, Trunk or Treat
7:00 pm, Living Clean


Tuesday: ALL SAINTS DAY  
7:00 pm, Choir

Wednesday:  
8:00 am, WIC
10:00 am, Christianity's Family Tree: Orthodoxy

6:00 pm, Worship on Wednesday/youth

Thursday:
6:00 pm, Cub Scout Pack #4699
7:00 pm, SPPRC
Friday:  
10:00 am, Drop-in Bible Study, lesson #10
3:30 pm, Girl Scouts 
6:00 pm, Game Night Returns!

Sunday: TIME CHANGE

9:00 am, Church school
9:00 am, Christianity's Family Tree: Catholicism
10:15 am, Praise singing
10:30 am, Worship service

11:30 am, Fellowship time
11:45 am, Chime practice

A prayer for All Hallows' Eve

Christ Our Lord
You suffered and were tempted.
 

You are powerful
to come to the aid
of those who are assailed
by the devil,
for you are the support of Christian people.


O Lord, protect with Your Right Hand
those who trust in Your Name.


Deliver them from the Evil One,
and grant them everlasting joy. Amen.

St. Gregory of Khandzta (759-861)

Reformation Day

The Luther Rose
This year marks the 499th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation in Wittenburg, Germany.

Here is a prayer for the day:

Here we stand, Lord,
The people you have redeemed.
 

Here we stand, Lord,
giving thanks to you for you are good.
 

We give thanks that your love lasts forever.
 

We thank you that you free those who are oppressed.
 

Here we stand knowing that it is you  
We all can cry out to for help in times of trouble.
 

We know that you will not only deliver us but
That you will lead our way to where we need to go.

 

Here we stand by the living water
That you set flowing for all.
 

We drink freely from your waters 
That gratifies everyone who is thirsty.
 

And we thank you that you also
Give plenty to eat for those who are hungry.

 

Here we stand with those who reformed the church so long ago
 

And with those who still are reforming the church today.
 

Here we stand witnesses to your good news for all.
 

Here we stand your servants, your followers, your children.
 

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Are you ready?

Trunk or Treat makes its annual appearance at Stevi UMC on Monday!

Come and be part of this fun family event. We'll have space in the fellowship hall for those inclined as well as the parking lot.

Reformation Sunday @ SUMC

An attentive class
Considering Orthodoxy
The children are eager to learn!
Treats galore!
joey and Don are on the job!
Reformation Sunday at Stevi UMC was a wonderful expression of faith from 'soup to nuts!'

The adult class began a new study, Rev. Adam Hamilton's "Christianity's Family Tree" which looks at the major branches of our faith. This morning we looked at the Orthodox family of churches (which will be repeated on Wednesday @ 10 am). Next week we'll take a look at Catholicism.
 
During worship, the choir shared "A Call to Silence" as our anthem. Pastor Charles sermon dealt with Zacchaeus and the coming of salvation from Luke 19:1-10.

Following worship, many of those present took advantage of the opportunity to pick up a treat or treasure from the UMW Bazaar's 'leftovers'

We ended the day by decorating the fellowship hall for the indoor stations of our Trunk or Treat outreach effort. Thanks to joey Diers, Don & Mary Nelson, and Lisa Menery for working to make this event such a 'treat!' We'll be passing out treats in the parking lot and indoors tomorrow starting at 5 pm.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

2016 Bazaar, pt.2

Ginny providing some mood music
Happy shoppers!
Happy shopper
Colorful choices
Carole takes a moment in the chicken coop

2016 Bazaar, pt. 1

It's Bazaar Saturday!
Early bifs are in
Good books to choose from
Sue serves up a delicious lunch
Happy people in the dining area!
 The church was hopping today as the 2016 Bazaar got underway this morning. 




It's Bazaar Saturday, pt1


Friday, October 28, 2016

The Fall bazaar is coming together

Robin and Roberta are busy in the "treasures" room!
Carol Gragg looks over the Silent Auction area
Bonita, Claire, and Marcia tend to the Craft area
Hazel prices items in the Book area
Lisa N. and Sonia H. set up the lunch room

The United Methodist Women (UMW) members gathered together this morning at the church are hard at work, setting up for tomorrow's amazing bazaar.

The various areas: crafts, silent auction, books, collectibles, baked goods, and the dinning area, are coming together through the efforts of the hard-working ladies of the UMW.

This effort will result in funds which will be used next year to support a wide range of mission projects selected by our UMW.

Did you know...

...that we have some terrific online ministries?


53 people visited our blog yesterday! 
48,576 "hits" since July 2013.

 525 people have checked our Facebook page in the last week? 
And that we have 241 "friends" of Stevi UMC on FB?
 Our website has attracted 222 visitors who have viewed 1,264 pages already this week. 


We've 1,060 tweets on our Twitter feed and are being followed by 72 people!

Happy Milvian Bridge Day

From "The Battle of the Milvian Bridge" by Giulio Romano.
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius. 

The battle, won by Constantine, was notable in that Constantine attributed his victory to the Christian god and subsquent legalization of the Christian faith in 313, thus ending the persecution of Christians in the empire.

One more day!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

WOW/youth tonight


Lisa Menery and Dean Diers put on a great soup supper
Table talk
Ava leads the night's devotional
Listening to the story
Ava did a super job tonight leading the WOW devotional and the dozen who came celebrated her reading a story of adoption (from a delightful book her aunt gave her). Pastor Charles lent his support, reading two passages from Romans 8.

Thanks to Lisa Menery and Dean Joey Diers for providing the amazing soup supper.

Tonight was also the first time with a combined youth/WOW community. Paul, Julie, Erin, and Dani lent a wonderful presence to the gathering!