Prayer for the Day of Pentecost

He Qi

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Ezekiel 37:1-14, Matthew 16:24, Luke 14:27,

Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 25:31-46 and others)

You call us to be Your voices in this world

and we stay silent.

You call us to be Your hands in this world

and we keep them hidden.

You call us to be Your feet in this world

and we go our own way.

When we meet those who are doubting

and say nothing, forgive us.

When we meet those who need Your touch

and do nothing, forgive us.

When we are called to take up Your cross

and carry nothing, forgive us.

Breathe life into these bones

bring freedom to these lives

that we might declare

with heart and soul and voice

that You are our Lord and our God. Amen

~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

UMW Saturday Circle

We had a great discussion this morning in the UMW Saturday Circle's monthly get-together!

Economic Inequality: Belinda Alkula shared a synopsis of the presentation she gave to the UMW District meeting  on "Micah 6:8 What does the Lord Require." This used a study prepared by University Covenant Church (UCC). Belinda provided a link to Global Rich List where we could see how we relate to the rest of the world's people.

Climate Justice: The group also looked at the updates to the recycling efforts - only transluscent and clear plastic are being accepted due to changes in the companies doing the recycling.

Maternal & Child Health: June's collection for Pantry Partners will be "kid friendly" food items such as microwave meals, easy-to-make items, and healthy snack items.


Upcoming:
UMW Sunday is June 10th. Contact Hazel Smith or Bev Schneider if you'd like to be involved in this service.

Introducing the Mountain Sky Conference Plan of Union

The Mission Shaped Future teams since February have been releasing sections of the new Mountain Sky Conference plan as they complete them. This was done so people would have time to ask questions and give feedback. Every email, town hall, and discussion group has made the plan better. Thank you to everyone who has taken part!

As the 2018 Joint Annual Conference comes closer, the work has been translated into legislative language. The sections released so far have been the plan in a narrative form with supporting documentation. The Plan of Union (POU) is the petition delegates will vote on Saturday, June 9. We modeled our Plan of Union document off similar plans used by other conferences. Our conference chancellors and the Mountain Sky Area Joint Rules Committee have been instrumental in helping draft this POU.

RMC_YAC_01 Declaration of Intent to Consider a Plan of Union to Create the Mountain Sky Annual Conference

RMC_YAC_02 Plan of Union

REVISED Plan of Union May 18

• Exhibit A 
• Exhibit C 
• Exhibit E
• Exhibit F

The structure of the Plan of Union is specific to what is required for conference legislation. So, not everything that has been released over the past several months from the Mission Shaped Future process is in the POU to keep the focus tight. The additional pieces not included in the POU are guides that the ongoing leadership of the Mountain Sky Conference are expected to help us live into.

The charge of the Mission Shaped Futures teams is to create a plan for a new conference that helps us live into a more vital future together. It has required balancing many different priorities and opportunities, along with conversation, thought, and prayer. As the plan reaches its final form, it will soon become the task of the members of the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone conferences to perfect and approve or disapprove the plan through our legislative process. While numerus laity and clergy from both conferences have worked tirelessly to bring us to this point, it is ultimately up to those gathered in Ogden to decide if the vision and plan for the new Mountain Sky Conference is one we want to embrace.

There will be continued updates to the Plan of Union petition as we get closer to Annual Conference and details are finalized. Look for updates each Friday on the Mountain Sky website, under the Mission Shaped Future page and the 2018 Conference Petitions page.

The process of living in God’s grace and abundance as we lead a re-energized movement to reclaim the life-changing love of Jesus Christ for ALL people will take all that we have to give. It also promises to bring us many blessings along the way. Only with a strong belief in the power of the Holy Spirit, the grace offered to all through Jesus Christ and the love of God, can we even dare to dream of this future. In the end, that is the most important choice we will need to make.

Do we, as Jesus told us to, have faith to move a Mountain (Sky)?

Grace and peace,
The Mission Shaped Future Guiding Team

Let's paint the church red!

Sunday, May 20

This week @ SUMC

Monday:
7:00 pm, Trustees

7:00 pm, Living Clean

Tuesday: 

7:00 pm, Choir

Wednesday-Thursday-Friday:
8:00 am-Noon, AP Testing

Wednesday:
8:00 am, WIC
6:00 pm, WOW @ The Living Center

Thursday:

6:00 pm, Shepherding

7:00 pm, Ad Council

Friday: 

10:00 am, Drop-in Bible Study @ Doris T. 

11:00 am, AARP Safe driving course  

Saturday:

9:00 am,Saturday Circle - United Methodist Woman

11:00 am, Outreach Team  

Sunday: PENTECOST

9:15 am, Whirl Children's Ministry  

9:15 am, Collaborate Youth Ministry  

10:15 am, Praise music  

10:30 am, Worship 

11:30 am, Fellowship  

11:45 am, Chimes

Ascension Sunday / Mother's Day

Clear skies over the Bitterroot Valley this morning as we gathered for Ascension Sunday & Mother's Day at Stevensville UMC.

This morning, the choir offered "Love Lifted Me" as the anthem. Pastor Charles shared "In God We Trust" based on 1 John 5:9-13.

Thanks this morning to: Lynda Fisher (Nursery), Hazen (Acolyte), Paul & Julie Ludington (Praise music), Ed Sperry (Greeter), Mary Costello & Roberta Zielinski (Greeters/ushers), Hazel Smith (Organist), Tom Bishop (Video), Lisa Menery (Liturgist), Cammie Edgar (power point), Ruth Cleveland & Don Nelson (offering counters), and Carol Goffe & Lisa Menery (Fellowship).

Mother knows best: Parenting tips from Susanna Wesley

Few moms know what it’s like to raise ten children like Susanna Wesley. Her son John, the founder of the Methodist movement, published a letter in which his mom shared her “principal rules” for parenting, covering things big and small.

Because our understandings of child development have changed greatly in the nearly 300 years since Susanna was raising her kids, we might not agree with all of her advice. But some still rings true today.

Read more at this link.