Birthdays

1 – Brent Johnson

2 – Joan Smith

Ron Feldt

3 – Charlotte Collins

Braede Weatherman

4 – Tim Hamm

5 – Kenzil Lynn

6 – John Fleming #90

8 – Colette Henderson

9 – Steven DeWitt

Christopher Plush

10 – Kandi Buchwald

11 – Brian Smith

13 – P. J. Ocker

16 – Ralph Luther

18 – Glen Bohn

Sharon Foust

19 – Bonnie Parker

21 – Harry Kibler

Jay Cummings

23 – Janet Callarman

Diana Fraser

Cody Nichols

24 – Alyssa Catron

27 – LeeAnn Plunket

Josh Lott

28 – Ken Wedel

Kermit Wedel

Carol Twaddell Smusz

Drew Wedel

29 – Angel Constable

Kendra Plush

30 – Gail Eckart

Ryan Wedel

31 – RaeLynn Hamm

Anniversaries

2 – Joe & Sylvia Kvacik

5 – Lanny & Vicki Zadina

6 – Andrew & Melanie Kuder

Paul & Kristi Ocker

20 – Jeff & Summer Blake

22 - Gary & Ronda Bacon

Nick & Tammy Krueger

25 – Danny & Stephanie Banks

29 – Bryan & Shasta Weatherman

The UMC Churches of Ada & Minneapolis

Office Telephone 785- 392-3029

Church email – minneapolisumc@eaglecom.net

Website: www.minneapolisfumc.com

Pastor: Reverend Kennedy Mukwindidza

Email – mwaona@hotmail.com

Parsonage Phone: 785-392-5175 Pastor’s Cell: 620-382-5480

The Worship Services of

The First United Methodist Church

of Minneapolis

are broadcast on the local cable channel 20

Sunday – 6:00 p.m.

Monday – 12:00 Noon

Thursday – 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4

Independence

Day

5

Communion

6 7

Men on a

Mission 6:30

8 9 10

11

12 13 14

OTTAWA

15

COUNTY

16

FAIR

17

FOOD STAND

18

19 20 21

Men on a

Mission 6:30

22 23 24

25

26

Meal for

Mission

5:00 – 7:00

27 28

Men on a

Mission 6:30

29 30 31

First United Methodist Church NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 418 N. Rock Street U. S. POSTAGE PAID Minneapolis, Kansas 67467-2242 Permit No. 6 Minneapolis, Kansas 67467

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Pastor Kennedy’s Message

Birthdays and Anniversaries

July Calendar

News

Ada – Minneapolis UMC

July, 2015

Christ’s Ambassadors by Inviting, Sharing, Nurturing and Forgiving

From the Heart of the Pastor! On July 1, 2015, we will be celebrating our first year in ministry together. I am so happy God put us together and has allowed us some wonderful time together. Yes, we have heard some challenging moments together but on the whole, God has been very good to me. Thank you all to those who have helped me adjust and fit into your community to the extent that I call Minneapolis/Ada United Methodist community, Kansas, home. Of cause, I am still learning a lot of things! I am still learning names and how to pronounce them correctly. I am still learning some cultural traits and practices I am still learning the needs of our community and the best way of dealing with them. Yes, I have disappointed a few! I am sorry! I hope you can give me a second chance. Our God gives us several opportunities to learn and amend our ways and move forward unafraid. Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offender well, let go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, which an increased ability to wish the offender well. Forgive your sisters and brothers and you will set yourself free! You will set yourself free from all that you thought they did to you. They need not ask for forgiveness to be forgiven. They might even believe that there is nothing for which they need to be forgiven. That is fine! Do not concern yourself with how they choose to experience reality, for it has no effect on you, unless you allow it to. But you may also choose not to forgive your sisters and brothers. But what good has such behavior ever brought to your life? You may be trying to consciously or unconsciously punish a sister or brother by not forgiving them. Again, think about it seriously; who are your really punishing? Who carries that judgment with them wherever they go? You may not consciously recognize that you are carrying that judgment yourself. But in reality you are. It does simmer below the surface, coloring everything and everyone with whom you interact. Little by little, these judgments add up and weigh you down. You may quick to anger, feel tired and stressed, and not understand why. Comments to other sisters and brothers may become nasty and your patience may fade. All this may be due to your attempt to punish your sisters and brothers by not forgiving them. As I begin my second year of ministry with you all, I want to invite you all to look at the book of Acts and see if we too may learn from this concise story of the beginning of the Christian church. The book of Acts reports that there was a special event that took place at Pentecost which had been the next pilgrimage festival after the Passover at which Jesus died. And at that time the disciples of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem unsure of what their future would be, when all of a sudden the spirit took hold of them and enabled them to speak in tongues, and that speaking of tongues is understood by the author of the book of Acts to mean speaking in all the languages of the world. So with the power of the spirit behind them, the disciples of Jesus immediately began a missionary campaign and started bringing people into the fold, converting them to believe in Christ. And from that time forward the mission moved ahead in a smooth way, directed by the spirit and no longer by human power and pride. And that is the church I seek to belong and become part of. That is the church I am inviting you all to join and become part of! A church where we sing together and mean it! “I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we are the church together!” The early Christians did it in very difficult circumstances and more than two thousand years today, the church of Jesus Christ goes on strong! Each in our corners; without competing with one another; but complimenting each other, we can make a difference and change the world for the better! Let's go; let's do it, God be our helper! See you all in church. God is counting on you!

Pastor Kennedy Mukwindidza

The art of delegating [God] seems to do nothing of himself which he can possibly delegate to his creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what he could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye. … Creation seems to be delegation through and through. I suppose this is because [God] is a giver. —C.S. Lewis, The World’s Last Night

For JULY

5- Tamala Lott & Becky McDuffee

12- Colette Henderson & Becky McDuffee

19- Shayla Boyer & Becky McDuffee

26- Rosalee Tibbits & Becky McDuffee

The Children and Youth Sunday School is on summer

break and will resume in September.

The Adult Sunday School is taught by Louis Andersen and

the unit for July is “Micah Calls for Justice Among Unjust

People”.

July 5 – “No Rest for the Wicked”

July 12 – “No Tolerance for Corrupt Leaders and

Prophets”

July 19 – “Justice, Love, and Humility”

July 26 – “God Shows Clemency”

Schedule for July

5 – Braxton Grimes & P. J. Ocker

12 – Brinley Boyer & Maddy Krueger

19 – Connor Peck & Jordan Peck

26 – Joel Abell & Ethan Bohl

Greeters Schedule for July

5 – Deb and Rick Nichols

12 – Deb and Rick Nichols

19 – Denise Fuller & Megan Grimes

26 – Denise Fuller & Megan Grimes

Harvest is great, workers are few. Volunteers are needed

to distribute vegetables for youth missions (camps, etc).

The vegetables have been planted near Ada so are locally

grown and they are ready to be harvested. Now what is

needed is a plan to distribute with any funds collected to

go toward youth missions. One possibility is to set up a

vegetable stand one day a week for a few weeks.

Volunteers are welcome, adults and youth. Please

contact Brenda or Mitch Taylor (392-0488) if interested in

being a volunteer. Also, Pastor Kennedy may be

contacted for more information.

June 14, 2015

Potluck Dinner

Gracen – enjoying ice cream

John Fleming!!!

John will be celebrating his 90th birthday on July 6. His

church will be honoring John with a card shower. If you

wish to send him a card his address is:

John Fleming

964 N 135th Rd

Minneapolis, KS 67467

Congratulations, John, on this milestone birthday!

The July Second Sunday Dinner will be on Sunday, July 12,

immediately following the worship service. The dinner

will be hosted by the Worship committee and they will be

serving a taco bar and desserts. There is no need to bring

anything…just your appetite. All are invited to come and

enjoy the food and fellowship!

The final Meal for Mission event for 2015 will held on

Sunday evening, July 26, from 5:00 – 7:00. More

information will be forthcoming. Stay tuned!

We do know that members with last names beginning

with N-Z are asked to bring desserts. Please have

desserts to the church by 4:00.

Dear UMC Family,

I want to thank you for your generous donation. With

your support I was able to reach my goal and I get to go to

Fort Hays Music Camp. I appreciate your support and I

look forward to sharing the music the music I learn with

you.

Alex Kuder

A sincere thank you to our church family for your prayers

and concern during our time in Boston to be with our

granddaughter when she underwent open heart surgery.

She is doing wonderfully and we are most grateful for

God’s blessing.

Kerm and Kathleen

As a celebration of the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776, Independence Day is recognized as a large birthday celebration for one of the world’s most influential countries.

Overall, this is a day of patriotism and pride for the United States. It is a large birthday celebration which all Americans can enjoy. Positioned conveniently in the middle of summer vacation, the Fourth of July is very fun because of the fact that almost everyone has time to take off from work and reflect on the United States and its history. While much of the original events of the first July 4th have been lost over the years, the overreaching concept is still intact.

For Americans, this vitally important day is truly a day of celebration.

Let the fireworks begin!

News from 2015 Great Plains Annual Conference

It is official - Pastor Kennedy has been assigned as pastor to the Ada/Minneapolis

charge for 2015-2016. Welcome back, Pastor.

DeMerle Eckart has been assigned as lay pastor to the Culver UMC to begin July 1.

Best Wishes to DeMerle!

Steve Baccus, our Lay Member to Annual Conference, was elected at the Great Plains

Annual Conference to serve as alternate lay delegate to the 2016 General &

Jurisdictional Conference. The Conference will be in the spring in Portland, OR. He

will also serve on the conference Finance Committee. We are so proud of Steve and

know that he will represent well not only the First United Methodist Church of

Minneapolis but the Great Plains Conference.

Forty-two pastors retired from the three conferences (Kansas West, Kansas East

and Nebraska) that are now one conference – the Great Plains Conference. Of

those, three may be familiar names – Carl Ellis (former director, Center for Small

Membership Churches), Lew Van der Wege (former Salina District Superintendent)

and Wm. Frank Morgan (pastor at FUMC 1988-1996). Of concern to all – there were

only seven pastors ordained.

OUR CAMPING EXPERIENCE

June, 2015

Ethan and Rachel Dear FUMC friends and family,

Thank you for sending us to camp. It was

amazingly awesome. We are all excited to go

again next year.

Jordan, Connor, Rachel, Ethan and Riley

Jordan with camp counselors

Riley and Connor with camp counselor Dear family and friends,

Thank you for paying for me to go to church camp. I had an awesome fun time and I met so many new people. I can’t wait until next year.

Love, Rachel