Congregational News

Below are links to our recent Monthly Newsletters. The Newsletter is in Adobe PDF format.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may obtain a free download for any platform by visiting the Adobe Download Center:


The Flame, January 2008
The Flame, February 2008
The Flame, March 2008
The Flame, April 2008
April 2008 Newsletter Insert Page 1
April 2008 Newsletter Insert Page 2
The Flame, May 2008
May 2008 Newsletter Insert
The Flame, June 2008
June 2008 Newsletter Insert
The Flame, July 2008

The Flame, August 2008

Opportunities for Youth

JC's JC = Jesus Christ's Joyful Children!
5:40 pm Wednesdays, a new children's group JC's JC (Jesus Christ's Joyful Children) has begun. This group includes kindergarten through sixth graders.  We’ll do puppet shows, clown, sing, do skits, and whatever else we think of.  Leaders are Peg Ehler, Verna Christopher, Shirley Guillaume, Alex Osborn, and Tommy  Miller.  If you or your child are in kindergarten through sixth grade, plan to come and have fun.

CONFIRMATION PROSPECTS
Pastor Audrey is asking that you attend either the YF Work Trip or Confirmation Camp before you are confirmed.

After School Program: COME JOIN US ON A JOURNEY WITH JESUS

On A Journey with Jesus:  A Wednesday After-School Program For children, grades K-6 (Click here for registration form) An eight-week session runs from September 24th to November 12th, from 2:00 – 5:30 pm including a 5:20 pm supper.  Another eight week session will begin in January.

Grab your imaginations for an exciting journey through towns in Israel where Jesus’ ministry will come to life right before your eyes!  Join us for a look at Israel as it was in Jesus’ day.  We’re going to learn new songs, make Bible-time crafts, play games and grow to understand just who Jesus is and how we can live in ways that show our love for Him.  And we will have a snack and a meal too!  

Kids discover WHERE Jesus went, WHAT Jesus taught, and HOW it is relevant today.  

This exciting course takes children on a life-changing adventure as they travel with Jesus through the cities where His ministry came alive!  Children will be introduced to 13 places where Jesus walked and lived, and as they discover His attitudes and actions, they’ll begin to understand how they can follow Jesus in their daily lives.  Kids will experience Jesus’ life and ministry through fascinating Bible stories, high-energy games, fresh music with song charts, creative art activities and meaningful worship time.  By the end of their JOURNEY WITH JESUS, children will have grown in their knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is and hot to live as His followers.  

How to Register:  Registrations are now being accepted.  Space is limited to 40 children so please register soon!  To register click here for a form to fill out and send in (one child per form), call 641-792-5736 or email: stluke@iowatelecom.net.

For Adults

Is God Tapping On Your Shoulder? Help with our Children and Youth
If you feel any calling from God about leading children to Christ, there are Sunday School teaching positions open beginning September 7.  Explore the possibilities with Shirley Guilliame, Christian Education Team Leader. 

The After School Program needs leaders and helpers on Wednesdays from 2-5:45 pm for eight weeks beginning September 24.  Talk with Rose Evans, Interim After School Program Director.

Saturday, August 16:  ICIW Volunteer Training
A short training for those volunteering at The “Steppin’ Out in Style” Clothes Closet for women leaving the ICIW will also be held that day.  Contact darci.hartman@iaumc.org for Closet volunteer.  Contact ICIW for attending training.

August 17 Fun, Food & Frolic
Newton Area Ministerial Association (NAMA) is hosting Fun, Food & Frolic in the north parking lot of First United Methodist Church on Sunday, August 17 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  There will be musical entertainment, from various churches including St Luke, as well as hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon and delicious desserts.

There will be baskets for donations and all of the money raised will go to the NAMA’s Compassion Fund which helps families and individuals in need in Newton and surrounding communities.  We hope you will help make this a big success and an outreach to our community.

Iowa United Methodist Church at the Iowa State Fair

Be sure to stop by the UMC booth in the Varied Industries Building if you visit the Iowa State Fair.  You will see all new display panels highlighting the people and places in Iowa.  Say hello to all of our wonderful volunteers in the red shirts.  There are a few openings left if you would still like to volunteer.  Remaining times are:

August 17th – 2 openings for volunteers from 9 am–1 pm

Please contact Darci Hartman at darci.hartman@iaumc.org if you are interested in volunteering for any of the times listed above.

Celebration of the Palmers’ Eight Years of Ministry, August 23
On Saturday, August 23, at the Conference Center, you’re invited to a reception which will be held at 1 to 4 pm with a special recognition program at 2 pm to recognize the Palmers' eight years of ministry in the Iowa Annual Conference.  You may send cards of appreciation and money for a love gift by check to “Conference Treasurer” with “Bishop’s Love Gift in memo line by sending to Linda Remster, Iowa UMC Conference Center, 2301 Rittenhouse St, Des Moines, no later than August 20.  These will be given to the Palmers at the reception.

Oakfest Christian Music and Fun, Pleasant Hill
August 23, 2008, is the fifth anniversary of Oakfest, a Christian music festival hosted by Oakwood UMC. This fun family event features a wide variety of music and entertainment for people of all ages, including Des Moines P.S. Tappers, Gospel Illusions by Williamson Productions, Lutheran Church of Hope CityBranch Worship Team, Oakwood Praise Team, Sheltered Reality, tyke, and Callie Weiss.

Contests will include watermelon seed spitting, hoola hoop, sack races, three-legged races, and water balloon toss.

There will be a dunk tank of Iowa Barnstormer and former Iowa Hawkeye, Tim Dodge (wide receiver and defensive back for the Iowa Barnstormers) who is Youth Director at Oakwood and loves to talk with kids about sports and Jesus.

This event is being held on Saturday, August 23, from 3-7 p.m. at Sunrise Park in Pleasant Hill, Iowa (under the water tower).  Event parking and admission are free.  Food and drink will be available for purchase.  Wristbands will be available for purchase for children's inflatable play area.  Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.

August 24,  Reynolds Family Concert
6:30 pm Congregational United Church of Christ, 308 E 2nd St N The Reynolds Children (a family of 10 children all under the age of 14) will be presenting a special evening of music, poetry, scripture and testimony.  A reception will follow the program.

NEXT SUNDAY, August 24: Family Heritage Day
The Jasper County Historical Museum is sponsoring a Family Heritage Day to be held on Sunday, August 24 from 10;30 am to 4 pm at Stonypoint Farm, 3241 Ranch Ave., Reasnor, Iowa. A church service will be held at 10:30 am with Pastor Randy McNeer. BBQ lunch by Bob Howe 11:30 am to 1:30pm.Adults $7 and children $5. Entertainment includes Fiddler Sam Hall, Cul de Sac quartet, storyteller David Wharff, medicine peddler Larry Hurto, natural history challenge and old time games for children at 2 pm. Hay rack rides, rope making and rug hooking. Bring your lawn chairs.

Wednesday, August 27:  Men’s Fellowship
Food, Fishing & Fellowship 6:00 pm.  Bring your lawn chairs and fishing gear.     Meet at St Luke Parking Lot by 5:45 to travel to Jim Van Englenberg’s, Or drive to Jim’s on your own.  From church, go east on N 4th Ave E 1.2 mi, Turn left onto CR-T12 5.0 mi, Turn left onto E 44th St N 1.0 mi, Arrive at 7623 E 44th St N.  RSVP to Tom Lloyd 792-3612 or Gary Gustafson, 641-831-3274

Would YOU like to Package Meals to Starving Kids? Help us September 1-9!
The pictures on the Meals From the Heartland brochure look exactly like the assembly line the Youth did on the Work Trip.  It’s so simple a 5-year-old can do it.

So SIGN UP as soon as possible on the narthex table by the snack table so we can commit some groups of 8-10 each for Sept 1-9!!!  Can you go on Sat, Sept 6 from 10-12:30 pm  or a later or after-school time?  Please note if you can drive and how many passengers you can take.

Each volunteer is asked to bring one can of food for a Food Pantry too.

Choice time spots will fill up fast with Des Moines people, so let’s get signed up as soon as possible!  Thanks so much for feeding the starving children. 

Meals From The Heartland has two components: a massive food drive to restock Iowa Food Pantries and a huge assembly line to package 3 million meals for the world’s hungry.  Please check  www.MealsFromTheHeartland.org and the brochures on the narthex bulletin board.  Just $.25 feeds one child one meal, and $36 provides an entire box of food!

August Food Pantry Request:
Rice and Pasta

The “Steppin’ Out in Style” Clothes Closet for women leaving the ICIW Building was damaged during the Sunday night storm.  Word of mouth says the “roof was blown off.  The building is outside the prison walls so volunteers can go there without clearance, etc.   I’m sure that they would appreciate some volunteers.   Contact  darci.hartman@iaumc.org.

Host Homes Needed for IRIS Students
Iowa Resource for International Service (IRIS), Ames, came to St Luke Sunday, June 22, to invite families to host students from Nigeria and Tanzania for the 2008-2009 school year.  If you are interested in either hosting a student or can help with their search call 515-292-7103 or email Chantal@iris-center.org.  Brochures are available on the narthex bulletin board.

Needed by the Salvation Army
UMW will be collecting underwear and socks for the Salvation Army.  As you may have heard, the Salvation Army is having financial difficulty this year.  They are not able to purchase school supplies, as usual, to give to local Newton children, because bell ringing funds were so minimal in 07.

Donate School Supplies
In August we’re collecting School Kit supplies for Ingathering’s Church World Service Kits.  The Kit contains  3 8-1/2 X 11 wide ruled notebooks totaling 210-280 sheets, 1 2-1/2” eraser, 1 blunt scissors, 1 30 cm metric ruler, 1 hand pencil sharpener, 1 box of 24 crayons, 6 unsharpened pencils with erasers.  Note:  A 3rd notebook instead of colored paper.  No icons, symbols, logos or the whole shipment could be rejected. In September we’ll again collect Health Kits and in October Sewing Kits.

Pie and produce Table for "hope the Heifer"
Are you willing to donate to Heifer Intl for a pie baked by Betty Skaggs?  Watch the newly named “PIE and Produce Table for those homemade pies and make a generous contribution.

You are invited to bring garden produce to church, any money donated will go to Heifer International.  We reached our goal of $500 for “Hope.”   Now we’ll give to HI’s water project through August 31st.

Redeemable Cans/Bottles
Redeemable cans/bottles can be left in wood crate at NW corner of parking lot for future Youth Work Trip expenses and mission work.

School Staff is Planning Ahead:  You can help NOW!
The staff invites participation by adults and youth in preparations this summer for the Sept. 24 start!  We’re jazzing up our program & need painters for Bible Village backgrounds and people to sew simple Bible times costumes.  Talk with Katie Jones or Pastor Audrey.

Heat Relief for Soldiers in Iraq
Temperatures in Iraq are 100 plus degrees day and night now.  We could help our soldiers there by sending lip balms, individual size wipes, gum, mints, individual drink mixes to put in a bottle of water and anything small, that won’t melt, and fits in a flat rate box which costs near $10 to mail. Throwing change in the box for postage would be helpful too.  We’ll send to SGT Lynna Lukehart, 744 MP BN/290 MP CO, Camp Cropper, APO, AE 08342.  The collection box is atop narthex coat rack.

ANGEL FOOD MINISTRIES
Each month, orders are taken by Pastor Tom and Edith Lloyd at St Luke as part of the Angel Food Ministries. $70 worth of good quality groceries can be purchased for $30. Orders are taken by the first Monday of the month and delivery is on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Tom and Edith are available after 8 am worship and before 10:30 worship to take orders.   For more information, go to www.angelfoodministries.org.  or our sister United Methodist Church at www.newtonfirst.org.

Items Needed by Domestic Violence Alternatives/Sexual Assault Center 
St. Luke UM Women will be collecting these items for the DVA/SAC. The DVA/SAC would like to thank you in advance for supporting the victims of Domestic Violence in your community. The following items are needed:
Children’s Needs: Diapers, Sleepwear, Non-Violent Games, Infant Clothing, Blankets Housekeeping Needs: Laundry Detergent, Liquid Dish Detergent, Bathroom Cleaners, 1 Gal. Size Storage Bags, Sponges Personal Needs: New Underclothing, Bath Products, New Night Gowns, Make-up, Tooth Brushes & Paste Shelter Needs: Light Bulbs, Large Business Envelopes, Stamps, Pre-Paid Calling Card Food Needs: Non-Perishable Foods, Canned Fruit, Meat, Spaghetti Sauce and Soups, Coffee, Salad Dressing, Pastas/Noodles/Cake Mixes, Crackers, Cereal Medical Needs: Tylenol, Cold Medicine, Neosporin Needs for Those Who Have Departed the Shelter: Pots & Pans, Flatware, Skillets, Crock pots, Cleaning Supplies, Coffee Pots.

Prayer Shawl Ministry
A prayer shawl is a soft, warm, shawl, which is given to persons who are ill, have suffered a loss, or are in the midst of a crisis or time of trial in their life. As the prayer shawl is created, prayers are woven in each stitch by the person knitting or crocheting it. Before the shawl is delivered, others join in praying a blessing for the receiver, asking for God to bless the shawl that the recipient might receive comfort and solace as they wear it and that it will encircle them in God’s love, peace and grace.

If you would like to join the St. Luke UMC prayer shawl ministry contact Betty Skaggs at 792-0039 or e-mail her at louisskaggs@yahoo.com.

Back to top