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The Herald The deadline for the next issue of the Herald is
Friday, June 19th at noon. Information can be
mailed to the church, or emailed to
[email protected]. Please clearly mark
the item for the Herald or the bulletin.
614 Randolph
Waterloo, IA 50702
Phone (319) 235-7088
Fax (319) 235-7171
www.waterloofirst.org
Rev. Charles Layton Pastor
Dawn Lowe Administrative Assistant
Emily Forssberg Director of Music
Sally Thurman Media Specialist
Lori Nelson Organist
Connie Jo Nellis Pianist/accompanist
Elli Russell Nursery Attendant
Worship Time: Sunday - 9:30 a.m.
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (or by appointment)
“The Mission of
Waterloo First UMC is to
be a church of people
who live as disciples of
Jesus Christ by
providing a place for
spiritual growth in a
caring, inviting
community.”
May 22, 2020
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 2 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
Become
Chuck’s Chat
“Summer and winter and
springtime and harvest—
sun, moon, and stars in
their courses above Join
with all nature in manifold
witness to thy great
faithfulness, mercy, and
love.”
These words, by
Thomas O. Chisholm from
the hymn “Great Is Thy
Faithfulness,” speak of the
rhythms of life. Have you
felt, as I have, that some
of our rhythms have been
sorely disrupted? Some
days I find it very difficult
to convince myself to take
a shower and go to work.
Other days, I find myself
wondering, “What day is
it?”
Like many pastors,
I am a fairly strong
introvert. This has been
helpful in this era of
sheltering in place, as it
normally doesn’t bother
me to go days alone in my
house with only my cats
for company. But this
weekend (Memorial Day
weekend!), I began to feel the isolation and the loss
of rhythm. What a great joy it was, therefore, to
check in with the Adult Sunday School class on
Sunday morning after worshiping alone in my home
via the online service sent out by Waterloo First
UMC. While it isn’t like being together and hugging
and sharing coffee with each other in the Fireside
room, it was very good to see smiling faces who
were as glad to see and talk to me as I was to see
and talk to them!
If you would like to have an online group with
whom you can laugh, learn, and lean, I invite you to
contact Sharon Miller at
[email protected] to become part of the
Searchers class, or Emily Forssberg at
[email protected] to join the Genesis class.
I’m finding that our church is a great help to me when
I begin to feel isolated, and I invite you to discover
the same resource for your life.
Shalom, Chuck
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 3 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
When and How Will We Return to the Sanctuary and Other
Church Facilities?
With the pandemic closing of our physical spaces over the past two
months, we wonder when and how we might return to those spaces
for our worship and meetings, and other gatherings. The short
answer is, “it depends.” Local conditions play a significant role in our
decisions.
How widespread is the coronavirus in our local area?
What are local health and safety officials recommending?
What is our Bishop recommending?
How safe do we think it would be for us, given local conditions
and the nature of our congregation, to come together in large
or small groups?
What do our members think about their comfort level with
returning?
What would we need to do to prepare for and maintain an
acceptable level of safety in the facility? (Please see the
article by Trustee Chair Pam Ulffers.)
How could we change some of our practices in worship and
meetings so that we maximize our safety?
What are the predictions about the virus for the coming weeks
and months?
All of this, and more, factor into the complex decisions about re-
opening the facilities.
To support our decision making, the Bishop’s Office and Crisis
Operations Team have prepared a three-step plan for re-opening .
Additionally, they stay in close contact with local congregational
leaders. Here is an excerpt from a recent message from Bishop
Laurie:
“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ in the Iowa Annual
Conference,
As you may have heard, President Donald Trump announced
this morning that he is designating all places of worship,
including churches, synagogues, and mosques, as “essential,”
saying he wants them to “open right now.” He said, “We want
our churches and our places of faith and worship, we want
them to open.”
We all agree that our houses of worship play a critical role in
our life here in the United States. However, we also have a
separation of church and state, and it is the responsibility of the
clergy and lay leadership of our churches to make decisions
about when to reopen houses of worship with a high regard for
the health and wellbeing of the congregation and its
community.
The president’s words do not require you to have a full
reopening this weekend. His words do not mean you must
return to worship with full choirs, children’s time, passing the
peace, etc. Nor do his words mean that the authority for
reopening is no longer yours.
…..Here in Iowa, I have strongly encouraged our congregations
to refrain from in-house worship through May 31 at the same
time as we have been preparing for the time when local
congregations would move toward re-opening. We have been
faithful in responding to Governor Reynolds’ directives and
continue to recommend phased reentry guided by our “Simple
Rules: Crisis Response Team’s Reentry Plan.” We are still
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 4 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
recommending the red phase through this weekend and next
week. Our standards of care and recommendations have not
altered.
Even as we understand worship to be essential to our spiritual
growth and witness, we are also committed to doing as little as
harm as possible, especially to those who are most
vulnerable. We need to be especially cautious in re-opening our
churches as a matter of safety, knowing that COVID-19
exposure can more easily spread when groups of people meet
in enclosed spaces and also sing together. I am deeply grateful
for the creative ways in which our clergy and laity have practiced
responsible grace by providing creative online worship for their
congregations over the last several months. I will be issuing
further guidance about how to re-open our churches next week
safely.”
Blessings,
Bishop Laurie
Considering all of this, and especially the age and vulnerability of our
congregation, the Ad Team and the WFUMC Re-Entry Team (Pastor
Chuck, Lay Leader Prudy Klinger, Trustee Chair Pam Ulffers, and Ad
Team Chair Sharon Miller have decided (in virtual meetings by Zoom)
that we should remain at Level 1—the Red Zone—for the time being.
We don’t think it wise to move to the next level at this point.
We will continue our online worship, meditations by Pastor Chuck, and virtual meetings. This situation has opened new doors for us to connect with each other and with some who are new to us. This has proved to be a rich resource that we will continue to expand even after we resume meeting in the sanctuary and other rooms in our building. The Genesis class, Searchers class, Sarah circle, and other groups are meeting virtually and would welcome you to join them. Contact the Church Office for information or if you’d like help with this technology.
We continue to monitor the local situation and welcome your feedback.
A survey will soon be sent out to the congregation to assess
your personal feelings about your own safety as part of our Church
ideas you have for reaching out and connecting during this time and afterwards.
Please watch for this and respond right away—your feelings are important to our decisions! If you would like more detail, the Bishop’s Office and Crisis Operations Team’s three level Reentry Plan is posted on our website. You can also check Conference communications and other resources by going to https://www.iaumc.org/ Please contact Pastor Chuck, Prudy, Pam, or Sharon if you have
questions or would like to share your thoughts. Thanks for your understanding and patience in this challenging time.
We are Still receiving our Upper
Room Devotional Books. If you
would like one, stop by the
church, we can leave it outside
or you can come in. If you don’t
want to leave your house, give
Dawn in the office a call or an
email and she will send it to you
or have someone drop it off.
Down Lowe: 235-7088
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 5 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
Summer Music
Do you have a talent that you would like to share with the
Congregation this summer? If so please sign-up using the link below
or e-mail Emily at [email protected].
https://bit.ly/2A4Br0A
There are a couple things to keep in mind. Our services are now
broadcast to the public so we need to make sure that we are abiding
by the copyright laws. So, please add your title to the list and Emily or
Sally will verify that it will work for rebroadcast. Also, to allow Sally
ample time to produce the service, we record approximately 2 weeks
ahead of the Sunday air date. So please be sure to list your contact
information so that you and Sally are able to find a time to meet. If
you need an accompanist, please let us know that as well.
You may also record yourself and get your video to Sally so she can
add it to the service.
We would love to have you share your talents with us this summer at
Waterloo First.
Thank You!
Emily
April Attendance & Offering
Week 4/5/20 4/12/20 4/19/20 4/26/20
Attendance* 217 248 103 96
Pledge $8366 $1500 $2445 $6674
Capital $770 $70 $755 $10
Misc. $853 $435 $269.74 $610
* Attendance for these Sundays is taken from Facebook and
www.waterloofirst.org
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 6 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
Belong
June 2019
Bible Verse: Daniel 10:19
He said, “Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous!” When he spoke to me, I was
strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Thursday, June 11
Sarah Circle: 6:30
Video chat
Grab a glass of wine and a snack and meet us on your computer, phone, or tablet. Contact Sally if you want
the link to join us. [email protected]
Adult Sunday School
Sunday’s at 10:30 am
Searchers Class– Will be meeting in a
Zoom room for discussions. Contact
Pastor Chuck if you’re interested in joining.
Genesis Class– Will be meeting in a
Google Meet room. We are discussing the
book “Present Over Perfect: Leaving
Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful
Way of Living” by Shauna Niquist. If
you’re interested in joining us, contact
Emily Forssberg [email protected]
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 7 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat
1
2
3
4
5 6
7
9:30 am– Worship On Facebook and
8
9
10
11
6:30 pm– Sarah’s Circle Video
chat
12
13
14
9:30 am– Worship
On Facebook and
Www.waterloofirst.org
10:30 am– Adult Sunday
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
9:30 am– Worship
On Facebook and
Www.waterloofirst.org
10:30 am– Adult Sunday
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
9:30 am– Worship On Facebook and Www.waterloofirst.org 10:30 am– Adult Sunday School Video chats
29 30
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 8 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
Trustee Update
Projects
During April and May, several projects
have been completed. Russell
Construction replaced the concrete
steps, ramp, and railings at the parking lot
entryway for $8,231, which is $1000
less than the original quote. Pajic Tuckpointing completed the
tuckpointing on the remainder of the church building and Hartman Hall
addition for a completion cost of $72,400. Exterior lighting has been
added, and repairs to existing fixtures by Nelson Electric have been
completed. We will be looking into updating the landscape out front and
repairing the 4th Street ramp before turning our attention to needed
interior projects. The asphalt along the south side of the building is
expected to be completed in June.
Being Pro-Active
In preparation for eventual re-opening plans to be put in place, safety
products have been purchased and equipment ordered to help with that
process. Disinfectant, hand sanitizer, floor stands with hand sanitizer
dispensers, and a room disinfectant misting machine have been
ordered. Working with our custodian, we will be evaluating all areas of
the building in order to make sure everything is functioning whenever re-
opening takes place.
Help to Stay Safe
These products will be an ongoing expense going forward. We invite
donations toward the spray mister and disinfectant, which cost
$2,065.00 and $70/gal, respectively. The hand sanitizer stands and
dispensers cost are three stands at $94/per stand and three dispensers
at $24.95/per dispenser and $244 for additional sanitizer. Anyone who
would like to support these purchases to help keep us safe can do so by
designating your gift to STAY SAFE and mailed to the church office.
Bless
Children’s Worship Bulletins are now being included in our Sunday
Worship Services. Make sure you look for them! There are bulletins for
children 3+, and 7-12 years of age. In the bulletin, you will find a “Secret
Code,” illustrated in the picture above. Use the code to play safe, online
games. Let us know if you are enjoying these!
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 9 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
PEACE WITH
JUSTICE SUNDAY
TOGETHER, WE SPREAD THE
GOSPEL OF PEACE AND
ENCOURAGE COOPERATION
LOCALLY, IN THE UNITED
In Arizona border towns, communities facing social challenges are
dramatically divided. In Liberian villages, citizens’ human rights are
being violated. In local U.S. communities, women and girls are being
bought and sold against their will.
Moved by Christ’s love to pursue reconciliation and peace, honoring the
dignity of every individual made in God’s image, The United Methodist
Church is unwilling to turn a blind eye to injustice.
Although you, and possibly even your congregation, may lack the
resources alone to effect change in a broken world, your giving is vital
for the UMC to continue its global ministries of reconciliation. Because
of the Peace with Justice Sunday offering, the people of The United
Methodist Church are able to make a difference together by sowing
seeds—and yielding fruit!—of peace.
Equipping The United Methodist Church to Do Justice in Jesus’ Name
When you give on Peace with Justice Sunday, your gift makes possible
our critical kingdom work in the world. Because you give:
• Methodists spearhead a peace ministry uniting Arizona border
communities
• United Methodists in Liberia are being equipped to implement the
denomination’s Social Principles to address social-justice issue
• Pennsylvania students are educating their community about sex-
trafficking at home and abroad
These initiatives, and hundreds of other ones, are possible because you
give.
Your Giving Makes Possible the Proclamation of Christ’s Peace
Will you continue to support Peace with Justice Sunday? Will you
empower local Christians—in Pennsylvania and Arizona and Liberia—to
build the kingdom of peace that Jesus ushered in?
In Jesus’ inaugural address, standing in his home synagogue in
Nazareth, he detailed his game plan,
Thank you so much for your continued gifts and offerings during this
time. Please use the envelope included in this newsletter to send in
one check, using this form and your check memo line, to divide your
donation, in whatever manner you chose:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the
oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-
19)
Through your giving good news is proclaimed to—and experienced
by—the poor.
Thanks be to God!
UMCOR COVID-19 Response Fund
Advance # 3022612
Since the start of the novel coronavirus outbreak, UMCOR has been
working with health boards, medical professionals, disaster
management coordinators and faith leaders to prevent the further
spread of this disease. Now it is clear that the impact of COVID-19 will
be far-reaching and demands an even greater response. Through the
UMCOR COVID-19 Response fund, grants will be rapidly
released to equip partners to assist vulnerable populations
around the world impacted by COVID-19, including racial/
ethnic and indigenous communities in the United States.
Grants from this fund will be disbursed quickly and
efficiently to address health concerns, food insecurity, water and
hygiene limitations and other pressing needs. Even as you shelter in
place, you can be there for others. When you say "yes" to supporting
the UMCOR COVID-19 Response, you will help bring God’s love to life
for those who need it most.
_____ Pledge
_____ Capital
______ Grin’n’Grow
______Boys & Girls Club
______Peace with Justice
______ UMCOR
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 10 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 11 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM MEETING
May 21, 2020
Sharon Miller called the Zoom meeting to order at 6:32 pm.
Members present: Pastor Chuck Layton, Arlene Wright, Sharon Miller, Pam Ulfers, Gary Brown, Prudy Klinger, Diane Golden, Sally Thurman, Larry Dodge, Brenda Durbahn, Emily Forssberg, and Jarred Crouch.
Loving - Where we have seen God this week:
Following a prayer led by Pastor Chuck, each member indicated what they were grateful for.
Learning
Friendship Village – Music, song, and prayers were shared in the parking lot. Landmark Commons made a video for sharing. This helped connect with neighbors.
Beautiful birds – A wide variety of birds have been joining at the bird feeder in the back yard.
Mersim's Food Truck – Bosnian food truck has offered free meals.
Medical Worker – One radiology technician drives from Altoona area daily. She usually stays with her parents but must find other housing.
Nurses going above and beyond – Before one patient was placed on a ventilator, the nurse took time to face-time with family and then prayed with them.
Nationally – On the nightly news, Lester Holt shares neighbors helping each other, celebrations, and other acts that portray the goodness of God.
Working together - Unity Point and MercyOne working together to help house Friendship Village pavilion members so their unit could be cleaned.
Planning for Re-Opening
The Trustees have taken proactive steps to ensure the safety of the
congregation for re-entry. A spray mister, disinfectants (used in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools), and stands for hand sanitizers have been purchased. Products are available to make hand sanitizer (at least 60% pure alcohol by volume). A building walkthrough with the custodian will identify any stagnant water (toilets, faucets, etc.).
Conference guidance for re-opening has been sent out, identifying three stages:
Red – Stop all Non-Essential gathering – Workers only – "Stay in Love with God."
Yellow – Cautionary return - Gradual return to gatherings cautiously – "Do Good."
Green – Virus is contained, and people are safe - Return to full activity – "Do No Harm."
The Bishop's guidance is advisory and leaves the re-opening decision to the local church. Sense for our congregation is not to be in a hurry and promote safety the right way. The plan is to put together a steering committee so multiple people can have a voice in the decision. On-line worship will continue even when the congregation can be back in the building.
Most churches are in the red phase, with a few churches wanting to move faster and will move to the yellow category more quickly. We will look to see if a survey could be sent to the congregation to determine feelings on re-opening as well.
Pastor Chuck is pleased and proud of the way Sally and others who have quickly adjusted to the learning curve in providing on-line services in a few short months. The service is available to everyone and was even watched in Kansas. Some audience demographics can be identified. Live-streaming is going to be available as well. To make this happen, several items will need to be purchased: Encoder to translate/record from the camera to Facebook.
Video switcher – uses two cameras – A computer, mouse, keyboard
Wireless in the sanctuary is also needed, which would include wireless microphones X2 with headsets. The wireless microphones will primarily be used in Hartman Hall and the Fireside room with the recently installed new amplifiers. The quote from Bergen needs to be reviewed. In the future, the projectors will need to be updated. Money is available from memorial funds.
Also, on the technology wish list is the FM transmitter, which would allow transmission from the parking lot.
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 12 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
Music – There are significant studies that look at the number of aerosolized particles released when singing and playing wind instruments. It is felt that this is how the COVID-19 virus is spread. Once the congregation is allowed back, there will be no hymn singing or choir. One option is to use bells for special music. A poll was sent to the bell group, and the vast majority that completed indicated they would be ready to start practice. Emily plans to donate a bell tree. Music will be purchased that covers only two- octaves, which will require fewer players. The sanctuary is large enough to allow a safe distance between each player. The group also discussed practices and the utilization of a nursery attendant. Since one family uses, what would it be appropriate to allow at-home child care during that time? Since this involves only two children from the same family, could the nursery at church be used with cleaning after each use? More to discuss with SPRC and attendant involvement.
Leading - Committee Reports
Mission and Ministry – Will resume contact with the group.
Finance –There has been a strong giving the couple of months but starting to drop off. Four months of apportionments have been paid this year. A new opportunity to use on-line giving using a credit card or ACH bank fee app is being researched. This option typically has a fee associated with it. This fee has been waived for twelve months. There is tech support to help get started. The donor has the option of off-setting the fee by adding that amount to their donation.
SPRC – The required district form was completed with input from Pastor Chuck and submitted. The Bishop has mandated a 3-day sabbatical for ministers as well as other staff, which Pastor Chuck will take.
Trustees-
Paid in full Projects completed in April and May:
New concrete steps in the parking lot
Tuck-pointing for the entire building
Electrical for exterior light fixtures above doors and big picture window
Nursery and robe room
Remaining exterior projects:
Asphalting
Landscaping on Fourth street side
Ramps
Lay Leader -Thank you to everyone for communicating to the congregation.
Lay Member to Annual Conference –Lay members' meeting has been delayed.
A virtual meeting for the clergy is still scheduled for June.
UMM – Anticipate a September meeting.
UMW – Sarah Circle has virtually met in April and May. Plan to continue during the summer.
Communication
The Herald deadline is Monday. The group discussed reaching out to those who do not have access to the internet. Through calling all congregation members, Pastor Chuck has identified the need for different phone numbers and has been asking about e-mail addresses. A list is being compiled for those without internet access. The directory is being updated with the new information. Talked about sending printed copies of the sermon to those individuals, which incurs additional cost. The church service will soon be available on public access TV for anyone to watch. We discussed that some might not have access to that either. May be able to work with nursing homes to make service available. Each facility will present its own challenges.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Arlene Wright
Recording Secretary
WATERLOO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PAGE 13 MAY 22, 2020 THE HERALD
3- Douglas & Vicki Stanford 48
5- Steve & Emily Forssberg 16
7- Nathan & Audrey VanKamen 12
9- Jack & Barb Kuper 64
12- Kevin & Susie Karns 27
14- Charles & Joan Mattson 51
15- Donn Harris & Sharon Miller 30
16– Larry & Linda Ohl 57
Bill & Rose Woerner 30
17- Stan & Bev McCadam 59
Ron & Stacy Harmon 14
Mark & Kris Stewart 42
21- Damien & Alison Clark 17
24- Robert & Cheryl Miller 56
26- Dan & Tammi Knipp 19
30- Howard & Roberta Craven 52
Steve Faga & Melissa Warren 14
1- Crystal Steenbarger
Martha Tucker
2- David Hagedorn
6- Gene Hunck
7- Edward Cusher
8- Dorothy Meuller
12- Stan McCadam
15- Marcia Smith
16- Lori Nelson
18- Donna Brown
Janet Locke
19- Isaiah Arndorfer
Diane Golden
20- Cheryl Miller
22- Kara Stewart
23- Ann Feller
24- Bill Woerner
25- Zayne DeLance
Emily Forssberg
Beayn Pook
27- Megan Dean
Johnathon Karns
29- Cooper Dean
Cole Dean
30- Rose Woerner
Too great to grasp
For more than three decades,
St. Augustine of Hippo toiled
over the mind-boggling doctrine
of the Trinity. According to
legend, one day the church
father was strolling along a
shore, wrestling with this
puzzle. He saw a boy running
back and forth, using a seashell
to pour water from the ocean
into a hole he’d dug in the sand.
When Augustine asked what he
was doing, the boy proclaimed,
“I’m going to pour the entire
ocean into this hole!”
“That’s impossible,” replied
Augustine. “The sea is so great,
and the shell and the hole are
so little.”
“That’s true,” the boy said. “But
it would be easier to draw all
the water out of the sea and fit it
into this hole than for you to fit
the mystery of the Trinity and
his divinity into your little
intellect.”
Indeed, only through faith can
we accept the infinite nature of
our Three-in-One God; for our
finite human minds, it’s simply too great to grasp.
