SUGAR CREEK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Sharing Our Joy in Christ by Reaching Out to Share God's Love

The last Wonderful Wednesday

meal and classes was May 17.

Enjoy your summer!

See you in September!

Coming this Summer!

HERO CENTRAL

VBS hosted by Chatham United Methodist Church, but

we will need Sugar Creek volunteers!

July 23—28 from 5:30PM—7:30PM

PORK CHOP DINNER Saturday, June 24

4pm—7pm

Adults ($9) Marinated Pork Chop, Baked Potato, Green Beans, Salad,

Dessert & Drink

Kids Under 12 ($4) Pork Burger, Green Beans,

Potato Chips, Dessert & Drink

Set-up is Saturday, June 24 at

12:00 PM, and clean up is

immediately following the meal.

Your help is appreciated!

Sign up in the Fellowship Hall!

In honor of Father’s Day

we will be serving slices of

pie during our Fellowship

Times (9:15 & 10:35) on

Sunday, June 18. Please

help us honor our fathers

by bringing in a pie/pies.

PIES FOR GUYS

Join us for an informational meeting on Monday, June 5 at 11AM. This is open to anyone interested to learning more about Chair Yoga.

Sunday, June 11

2:30PM

~Menu~

Barbequed pork, chips,

drink and dessert.

Baja SAE—Illinios Caterpillar Edwards Demonstration and Learning Center

Saturday, June 10

All men are invited to attend this special event. We will

meet at Sugar Creek at 8 AM and depart for Edwards, IL.

by bus at 8:30 AM. Our first stop will be Baja SAE,

followed by the Caterpillar Museum. We will leave the

Museum around 3 or 4 PM, and stop for dinner on our

way back home. We plan on being back to Sugar Creek by 7:00 PM.

We are encouraging the guys to invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to join them. The

cost is $15, which includes admission to the Caterpillar Museum and transportation. Make

sure to bring extra money for lunch, and dinner.

Seating is limited so sign up today! Questions? Contact John Anderson (217.529.8756).

Check out the Baja SAE website (http://students.sae.org/cds/bajasae/about) for more details.

1st John & Cathy Atchison

3rd Dale & Connie Bounds

10th Rick & Diane Miles

11th Larry & Susan Perko

13th Galen & Marsha Johnson

15th Steven & Cindy Chase

19th Don & Vickie Henley

19th Jeff & Kathy Koch

19th Jim & Becky Neuses

21st Nathan & Erica King

24th Jesse & Jennie Ayers

27th Greg & Andrea Reinwald

30th Tom & Karen Dozier

The church is in need of a lap-

top to be used for the TV in

the Foyer. If you have a used

laptop that runs Windows 10,

that you would like to donate, please

contact Jeff Randall (217-416-2457).

YOUTH PUMP CAMP Paducah, Kentucky

July 16—21 PUMP campers will put down their phones and explore a new kind of call. The 2017 Paducah Urban Mission

Plunge will delve into John 3:1a, which says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

Through testimonies, devotions, scripture read-ings, and mission opportunities, students will explore the work God has called them to do and the identities He has given through His Son, Jesus. And, they will learn about the spiritual gifts with which God has equipped them to answer His call.

The Sugar Creek Youth are

in need of two vans for the

Paducah Mission Trip (July

16-21). The drivers will be

Christine Lindsey and

Jennifer Smith.

Do you have a van we can borrow? If so, please

contact the Church Office to let us know

(483.2270/office@sugarcreek.org). Thank you in

advance for making this trip possible.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Don’t forget we are collecting items

for Operation Christmas Child

throughout the year. The collection

boxes are in the Fellowship Hall. The

suggested donation for JUNE is toys.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Max Janssen

Williamsville High School

Grandson of Sue Weston

Alex Kohlmann

Glenwood High School

Son of Conrad & Julie Kohlmann

Zarina Alyona Lund

Glenwood High School

Daughter of Jim & Susan Lund

James Powless

Auburn High School

Grandson of Dee Ann Powless

Justin Rogalski

Normal High School

Grandson of Ron & Edwina Dowson

COLLEGE GRADUATES

Jessica Alberts

Central Methodist University—Fayette, MO.

Granddaughter of Tom & Judy Lowary

Michaela Jones

Lincoln Land Community College

Daughter of Don & Reta Jones

8TH GRADE GRADUATES

Abi Brummet

Auburn Middle School

Granddaughter of Ron & Edwina Dowson

Kameron Nichols

Pawnee Grade School

Granddaughter of Ray & Pat Nichols

On Sunday, June 4 we will be honoring

our graduates. Cake will be served at

the 9:15 AM Fellowship Time. Make

sure to stop by the fellowship hall and

congratulate our graduates, and have a

piece of cake.

2nd Gene Scott

3rd Cathy Atchison

4th Jessica Sharp

4th Lance Perko

5th Jim Neuses

5th Crystal Matthiesen

7th John Anderson

7th Peyton High

9th Doug Kent

17th Tom Stelte

17th Kevin High

18th Helen Wallace

18th John Halford

19th Larry Perko

22nd Louis Ealey

23rd Holly Taylor

26th Amy Bryan

9th Matthew Behl

10th Carl Kessler

11th Todd Lowary

12th Joe Pickrell

13th Cathy Gregory

15th Lauren Pickrell

16th Bob Gruen

16th Griffin Boblitt

Learn to love without condition.

Talk without bad intention.

Give without any reason.

And most of all, care for people

without any expectation.

Did you know that Sugar Creek offers an

electronic option for your giving? Your

contributions can be debited automatically

from your checking or savings account or

processed using your credit/debit card.

Electronic giving offers convenience for you

and much-needed donation consistency for

our congregation. Collection basket offer-

ing can fluctuate significantly from week to

week due to travel, illness and other

circumstances, but when contributions are

automated, the church receives funds on a

steady, uninterrupted basis.

To set up your electronic donation on our

website:

1. Go to www.sugarcreek.org

2. Click on the “Give Now” button

3. Click on the Create Profile button

4. Follow the onscreen instructions to

create an online profile and to schedule

your recurring contributions, or make a

one time payment.

General Fund

Contributions

Expense

Missions & Benevolence

Conference Obligations

Program Expense

Salaries (Pastor & Staff)

Utilities & Cleaning

Total Expense

Net Income (-loss)

Building Fund

Contributions

April 2017

$26,046

$1,711

$2,136

$1,052

$10,146

$2,475

$17,520

$8,526

$867

Year to Date

$85,492

$6,584

$8,544

$4,970

$43,378

$11,302

$74,778

$10,714

$3,775

YOUR MONEY

FUNDING GOD’S MINISTRY

April Stewardship Scripture: It’s our way of

encouraging everyone to become a better steward.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven: give and it will be

given to you….for the measure you give will be the

measure you get back. Luke 6:38

Sharing Our Joy in Christ in 2017!

Don’t have a Smartphone,

or not computer savvy, but

are interested in automatic

giving? Great news! We

also offer ACH” (electronic check).

You can set up your contributions to

come out weekly, bi-weekly, or once a

month. Contact Sheila in the Church

Office if you would like to learn more

about ACH Giving.

(office@sugarcreek.org/483.2270)

Scan the QR Code if you would

like to use your Smartphone

for your contribution to Sugar

Creek. The QR Code can

always be found on the back

of the Sunday bulletins.

ONLINE GIVING

MADE EASY!

No one has ever become

poor by giving.

Scan me!

“Time flies when you are having fun.” It is hard to believe that this will be my last contribution to the

Sugar Creek monthly newsletter. It doesn’t seem possible that I have been your interim pastor since

November of last year, and now we are ready to welcome Rev. Paul Dinges and his wife Nancy as the

newly appointed pastor to Sugar Creek United Methodist Church.

I have been thinking about the word God gave to Jeremiah to proclaim to the Israelite captives in Baby-

lon, I think that it is a word and a promise for the people of Sugar Creek:

Jeremiah 29:11-13 New International Version (NIV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I thank you for the graciousness with which you have received me and supported my ministry among you for the past few months, (as well as the prior stint five years ago.) I think that God has gathered a wonderful group of people into the Sugar Creek congregation and He has poured out an abundance of gifts and graces upon this congregation for the ministry and mission to which He is calling you. I pray that you will come together under the power of The Holy Spirit so that you and Pastor Dinges might joyfully move into the future to which God is calling you. Another word from the Prophet Isaiah comes to mind: (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I believe that God is calling Sugar Creek United Methodist Church to a new life with new opportunities to serve Him. However, in order to be free to participate in the new things to which God is calling Sugar Creek, we have to let go of the past. Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your journey. Your Servant in Christ Floyd

From the Desk of Pastor Floyd Blackard

JUNE SCRIPTURES

June 8 - Pentecost 1 Corinthians 12:3-13 and Acts 2:1-21 Sermon: In the Power of The Spirit

June 11 – Trinity Sunday 2 Corinthians 13:5-14 and Matthew 28:16-20 Sermon: One God in Three Persons

June 18 – Father’s Day Romans 5:1-8 and Matthew 9:35-10:8 Sermon: From Disciples to Apostles

June 25 Romans 6:1-11 and Mathew 10:24-39 Sermon: Following Jesus isn’t Easy.

In preparation for our new Pastor, Paul Dinges, that will be assigned to Sugar Creek UMC on June 10, 2017, at Illinois

Great Rivers Annual Conference, let us be in prayer.

Week 1 (June 11-17) - Pray that Pastor Paul is not overworked.

Pray that the stress of being overwhelmed, overcommitted, over busy, and under-appreciated doesn’t get in the way of his calling and cause destruction in his family while packing and preparing for his move. Pray that God would provide workers, volunteers and elders, to come alongside Pastor Paul and assist in continuing the work of God. John 14:1; Acts 6:2-4

Week 2 (June 18-24) - Pray Pastor Paul will not feel unprepared.

Pray that your Pastor Paul would be given the knowledge to counsel and mentor, the wisdom to confront when necessary, and discernment when seeking God’s leading and direction for the Sugar Creek United Methodist Church (UMC). In particular, pray (Isaiah 11:2 NLT) that “the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, and the Spirit of knowl-edge and the fear of the Lord.”

Week 3 (June 25-July 1) - Pray Pastor Paul will not struggle with depression and discouragement.

Pray that the pressures of Pastor Paul and his wife would be relieved, that encouragement would reign in their lives, and that Sugar Creek UMC would be a community that offers unconditional grace, love and unrestricted forgiveness. Rom. 15:4-6, 2; Thess. 2:16-17

Week 4 (July 2-8) - Pray Pastor Paul is not negatively impacted.

Pray for solid, joyful, Christ-exalting marriages. Pray that church leadership would recognize and provide for Pastor Paul’s family – for their personal, spiritual, and physical needs, so that they won’t be distracted from the ministry God has called them to. Pray that our Pastor’s wife will find employment. Acts 12:5; 1 Timothy 5:17, 18

Week 5 (July 9-15) - Pray that Pastor Paul is not lonely.

Pray that Pastor Paul would establish a handful of close friendships with godly men. Pray for one close friendship in which he could be fully transparent and spiritually accountable in all areas of life and min-istry. There are many (so many more than are listed above) ways we should be praying for our pastoral staff – for joy, discipline, accountability and integrity, among others. Pastors are not exempt from the dangers and temptations that each of us face and they need our prayers just as much as we need theirs. As we move toward answering some of these unanswered questions, I encourage you to start with prayer. Because if all else seems impossible, prayer is the one thing we can turn to. In what other areas can we can pray for our Pastor? Pat Wright Prayer Ministry Chair

PRAYER IS THE BEST

ARMOR AGAINST

ALL TRAILS.

Our congregation family has chosen a new Vision state-

ment: "Sharing our Joy in Christ Jesus by Reaching Out to

Show God's Love"!

The vote was not a close one. This is an amazing show of

both unity and community here at Sugar Creek UMC! We are an incredible family and have a

lot to offer. This vision statement proves that. We have bound together once again to discern

a new Vision from God - one that will sustain us and inspire us to reach out to others - one

that will bind us together in God's love - and one that will show the community who we are.

We have some great examples of reaching out coming in May and June - things like Mission

Day and prayer vigils can help us share God's Love. There will be many other opportunities as

well. God will present them to us - formally or just in a small whisper. Be watching and listen-

ing for them!

Your Sister in Christ ~

Crystal Matthiesen, Leadership Chair

217-899-0572

We would like to thank our Sugar

Creek Family for the prayers, visits,

and food we’ve received with Mark’s

illness. We are so very blessed!

Mark & Pat Freeman

JUNE TEAM MEETINGS Teamwork makes the dream work!

Caregiving Team

Monday, June 5 at 6:30 PM

Education Team

Monday, June 12 at 6 PM

Trustees

Tuesday, June 13 at 6:30 PM

Leadership Team

Tuesday, June 20 at 6:30 PM

Missions Team

Tuesday, June 27 at 6:30 PM

Sunday, June 18

The annual Church Picnic will be held at

Lake Springfield (areas 2-4 by Henson

Robinson Zoo) on Sunday, August 27

immediately following the 11 AM Service

(12:30pm). Bring a side dish and/or a

dessert to share. We will provide fried

chicken, drinks, and table service. Bring

your lawn chairs!