News from Kingswood United Methodist Church

Kingswood Connected

January 5, 2012

A Word from the Pastor

Greetings!

Congratulations!!! You did it!!!

For the first time in several years, Kingswood has paid their apportionments in full for 2011!!!!

It is always the goal of United Methodist churches to fully participate in the life and the ministry of Jesus Christ through the UMC and to live out our "connection" through giving our full share through apportionments. The annual apportionment allows us to be in mission in places we will never see and in ways we could never do on our own. But it also supports ministries from which we benefit on a daily basis ... the training and supervision of clergy at every level of their ministries, "brand" exposure through communication ministries, advocacy work on behalf of God's creation and people who are denied justice, innovative mercy ministries within our conference that receive funding through apportionments ... the list could go on.

So what are apportionments? Some have called them the denomination's tax on the churches. But that entirely misses their theological grounding in God's call to be stewards and John Wesley's initial and creative design to collect an offering from every "class" so that Methodists could engage in regular and intentional ministry with the poor and give as generously as possible to them. Methodism, at its inception, was both local and connectional ... and paying our apportionments is our way of participating in the connection.

Apportionments are an amount of money "assigned" to each church according to their ability to pay and that amount is arrived at through a formula. But it has been my experience that whatever the budget of the church ... and the amount of the apportionment ... it comes close to 10% of the annual revenue. So it is the church's tithe ... or 10% ... that goes to serve beyond the ministries and expenses of the local church. Some churches are able to consistently pay their apportionments full and others make it a practice to pay over and above, to make up for churches that are in situations where they cannot make the full amount in a given year. It all about being part of the "connection."

I am grateful for the faithfulness of so many at Kingswood in the past year ... for in addition to supporting our operating budget, of which the apportionments are a part, you have supported the Food Pantry, given generously to replace carpet, raised a record amount for UNICEF, given thousands of dollars in gifts for Gifts for All God's Children, sent youth into the mission field and provided for those in need and for the educational and worship life of this community in many other ways.

Thank you, Kingswood!!!

Blessings in the coming year!!!

Margaret Gramley

In January, Kingswood members are urged to join many of our brothers and sisters around the world in celebrating a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity We will focus on the spiritual unity of Christ's world-wide church. The growing church remained united until a political rupture divided it into the Orthodox east and the Catholic west, which further divided in the Reformation into Lutheran, Reformed and Anglican churches that tragically continued subdividing into hundreds of denominations. Western Protestant and eastern Orthodox churches founded the World Council of Churches after World War II. We pray during this week that the unity we have in Jesus Christ may be lived out by Christians all around the world. For the next two weeks bulletin inserts with daily prayers will be distributed.

Mission Day in Rockford

Saturday, January 7

Painters Needed!

. Rockford Urban Ministries oct 2011

Every year we make resolutions for the New Year that we never seem to follow through on... well make volunteering in a mission a resolution and Kingswood will help you hit the ground running!

On Saturday, January 7 all church members are invited to spend a day in mission working with Rockford New Hope. Plan to meet at the church at 8am.

Volunteers will be painting (or cleaning windows if you really don't want to paint)

Attendees please wear appropriate clothing for painting and bring your own lunch and drinks.

We plan to leave Rockford by 4pm at the latest.

If you can drive please contact Luke or Sheri by Friday

Children who are elementary school age need a parent to accompany them. Middle and High School youth need signed permission forms.

For those not able to attend, there will be an opportunity to donate needed materials.

Supply donations needed:
Paper towels
Paint rollers, roller covers, brushes
Windex
Please drop off donations before Saturday.

For questions or to express interest you may email Luke Pepper at lpepper@kingswoodumc.com or Sheri Brubeck at sheribrubeck@comcast.net

Senior High Breakfast and a Movie!

To start off the New Year this Sunday the senior high Sunday school will be having breakfast and a movie! Come at 9am ready to eat and watch a great movie!

The Food Pantry Needs Your Help

Due to very heavy usage in December, the Kingswood Emergency Food Pantry needs three things: food, funding and paper grocery bags, preferably with handles. If you can help, please bring these items to Kingswood this month. Food and bags can be left in the blue bins in the coatroom, while monetary donations can be left in the office. Our current food needs are: soup, tuna, peanut butter, jelly, vegetables, applesauce, pasta, spaghetti sauce, rice, dried pinto beans, cooking oil, cereal and macaroni and cheese.

Thank you, as always, for your support of this mercy ministry!

Jim & Cheryl Gibson, Food Pantry Coordinators

Susanna Wesley Circle

The Susanna Wesley Circle will meet on Tuesday, Jan 10, 2012, in Room 114 (new room) at 10 a.m. Jo Stone will be the hostess, Beth Jayapalan will give devotions, Jan Kohm will present the lesson, Chapter one, from Living Above Worry and Stress. Nancy Neal will give a Response report. If you have questions or need a ride, call Mary Ann Genge at 847-808-8229.

Help Needed to Deliver Meals on Wheels

Kingswood needs volunteers to deliver meals to the elderly and homebound clients of Wheeling Township Meals on Wheels Program for the month of February. Meals are picked up at the Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights and are delivered on a specific route for the month. Volunteers are needed for two hours. Pick up is scheduled for 11:00 A.M. with volunteers working in teams of two - maps and written directions are provided. Mothers with children are welcome. Sign up for one or more days. Signup will be available on January 8 in the fireside room after worship. For more information contact Wendy Avner 847-537-2978.

Thank you for Sharing your Nativity Scene

Thank you to everyone that shared their nativity sets as part of the display in the library window to celebrate the season.

We are finished with them and they can be picked up in the library beginning Sunday morning.

Acolyte Training Class

Calling all interested 3rd through 5th grade children.

An Acolyte Training class will be held on Saturday, January 14 from 9:30-11:00am. Children will receive necessary materials, learn duties to be performed and practice the processional as if it was a Sunday morning. Please pre-register your child/children for this class, contact Barb Symonds at 847-666-4091 or bsymonds@kingswoodumc.com

Winterfest 2012

Winterfest Friday, January 20, 2012.

Time: 6:15-8:30pm

Theme: "Monkey See Monkey Do"

Monkey Pillow Craft

Come for dinner at 6:15

Hot dogs and Brats with all the fixing's

The Children's activities and Adult Studies start at 7:00pm.

Sign-up for this popular Friday Night Family Fellowship on Sunday in the Fireside Room.

Mark your calendars for additional Winterfest dates!

Friday, February 3

Friday, February 17

Friday, March 2

Family Bowling

Families and friends of Kingswood, come and join us on Saturday, January 28, 2012 for an afternoon of fellowship at Beverly Lanes from 2-4pm, in Arlington Heights.

Sign-up for this afternoon of fun during coffee fellowship. The price of bowling is $8.10 and includes shoes. How many games can you bowl in two hours?

Bullying & the Church's Response

During January and February we are planning on focusing as a congregation on the issue of bullying and how we might as people of Christian faith address this growing social concern. We will be addressing this issue through venues such as guest speakers, workshops, bible study, and sermons. Anyone interested in being involved in planning or those who have suggestions for speakers can contact Luke Pepper at lpepper@kingswoodumc.com.

KUMC Book Club

January Meeting

The next meeting of the KUMC book club will be on Friday, January 20 at 7 pm at Panera Bread, Strathmore Center, 1228 West Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove. The book club will discuss "The Warmth of Other Suns" by Isabel Wilkenson.

In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves.

For more information contact Karen Wernette, 224-677-5277 or kmwernet@umich.edu.

Work Camp 2012 is in the Works!

The Interest Meeting for the 2012 Youth Work Camp will be Sunday January 22 at 11:45am.

Those interested should attend and bring their summer calendars with them so we can finalize a date. The trip is open to graduating 8th graders through graduating high school seniors. The work camp will either be scheduled for the last week in July or first week in August. We are asking that at least one parent or guardian attend the meeting as well.

For more information you can contact either Sheri Brubeck at sheribrubeck@comcast.net or Luke Pepper at lpepper@kingswoodumc.com

Website Improvements

Over the next couple weeks our website will be changing. The "old" website will be replaced by a temporary site while our new site is under construction. John Gates is heading the team of Debbi Dickinson, Margaret Gramley, Elizabeth Hicks, Jay Jayapalan and Charlene Vanderhulst to make the improvements. Please contact the church, visit our Facebook page, or use email if you need information. Thank you for your patience during construction!

Taste of Kingswood!

Think "Taste of Chicago"...but at Kingswood

on Saturday, March 17 from 1-4pm.

This social event will include different ethnic and homemade food brought to you by members of Kingwood and will include musical performances, crafts, and a fair that helps everyone get a "taste" of what the ministries of Kingswood UMC have to offer!

In This Issue

Prayer for Christian Unity

Mission Day

Sr High Sunday School

Food Pantry Needs

Susanna Wesley Circle

Deliver Meals on Wheels

Nativity Scene Pick up

Acolyte Training

Winter Fest

Family Bowling

Addressing Bullying

KUMC Book Club

Work Camp 2012

Website Improvements

Taste of Kingswood

This Sunday in Worship

1st Sunday after the Epiphany

Scripture:

Sermon:

In the Beginning, God.

Music:

Chancel Choir (10:30)

Allelus

Prayers, Joys & Concerns

Ruth Harte (Teri Dolsak's Mom) had a stroke Monday night. She is showing slight improvement.
Teri and Ruth were the 2010 youth work camp cooks in Iowa.

Carl Genrich fell and is recovering at home.

Ministry Quick Links