April 2017

Contacts & TimesWhen an article says to contact someone for more

information, see Contact Info on the back page. Also,

times listed in The Vine are p.m., unless noted otherwise.

Strength for the DayEditor Ellen

cont page 2

~ Keep Reading ~Holy Week at Waukee UMC...2

April Calendar...2

Easter Sunrise Service...2

Special Easter Sunday School...2

Green Room Update...3

Congratulations Seniors...3

Exodus Cry Donations…3

UMW to Learn About Legacy...3

Lunch Bunch...3

Awesome April Days...4

Food Pantry Needs...4

Coffee with Pastor Jamie...4New Member Sunday...4BELIEVE Update...4Fear Not: Singing School...4Food Pantry Gala...5Serve God by Serving Others...5Spring Book Talk...5Stay Connected...6Celebration Times...6Contact Info...6

What? Invite?? How???Editor Ellen

Many people get a bit skittish about inviting

someone to church. They may even resort to saying,

“Hey. You want to go to church with me sometime?”

Cone on, people. You can do better than that…

The steps below should help ease your anxiety

while increasing the odds your invitation to visit

WUMC will be accepted.

1. Pray – Ask God to soften their heart and to create

opportunities to bolster your friendship. Ask Him

to let you know when the time is right to extend

your church invitation.

2. Fellowship with them – Before inviting them to

church, start including them in your life. You could

serve them by offering to mow their lawn, watch

their kid(s), or listen if they need to talk.

3. Introduce them to a church friend. You could

invite them for dessert and coffee along with a

couple of church friends.

4. Invite them to a church

event. Your friend may be

more open to attending a

baptism, program,

luncheon, or small group

gathering.

See ** on page 2.

cont page 4

Would you believe, a Follower of Christ (AKA

Christian) has lots in common with an American

soldier? Seriously. Consider the Two Commandments

Jesus laid-out for us: love God above all else and love

others more than yourself. His Words tell me I should

honor God so highly others can almost “see” Him

when they interact with me. They also prompt me to

remember I should invest my time, talents, and

treasures (T3) in the needs of others as much as

possible.

That focus sounds a lot like a soldier holding the

rights afforded Americans in such high esteem he’s

willing to die protecting them. He’ll also be prepared to

die protecting the lives of others, when called to do so.

Jesus even went a step further by giving His

disciples specific Marching Orders. Matthew 28:19-20

tells us He said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and

of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to

obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I

am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus gave this command to the apostles shortly

before He ascended into heaven, and it essentially

outlines what Jesus expected the apostles, and those

who followed them, to do in His absence.

Over time, these verses have come to be known as

The Great Commission. To me, they’re our Marching

Orders.

2

from page 1

Unlike a soldier, a Christian’s battles are

against unseen forces – the temptations

Satan casts in-front of us 24/7. Ephesians

6:12 tells us our struggle isn’t against

enemies of blood and flesh, but rather the

rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this present

darkness. We’re fighting spiritual forces of evil in the

heavenly places.

Likewise, a Christian’s weapons are often unseen. We

fight with love, as expressed through our thoughts,

words, and actions.

One last similarity to note between a soldier and a

Follower of Christ is the desire to “go home and rest”

from our battles. Our battle on God’s behalf is far from

finished though. As I see it, each Follower of Christ

must keep marching forward until everyone God

included in His Master Plan for Humanity has “seen”

Him through how we invest our T3, wherever we reside

in this beautiful world.

Remember your marching orders, my friend.

Holy Week at Waukee UMC

Palm Sunday Services

8:30 ~ Traditional

10:00 ~ Contemporary

at 10:00 ~ Sunday School for all ages

Good Friday Service ~ Friday at 7:00

Easter Services

Sunrise Service ~ 6:30 a.m. at our new land, followed

by breakfast at the Community Center (7:30 a.m.)

8:30 ~ Traditional Service

10:00 ~ Contemporary Service

10:00 ~ Sunday School for ages 3 through High

School (crafts, snacks, and Easter egg hunt)

Special Easter Sunday SchoolJoin us at 10:00 on April 16 for a special Sunday

School hour. We’ll have crafts, snacks, and an Easter

egg hunt.

Easter Sunrise ServiceJoin us for an Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30 on

our new land followed by ** brunch at the Waukee

Community Center (7:30 – 8:30).

GreenRoomUpdate

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UMW Learns About LegacyOur United Methodist Women (UMW) will meet

at 9:00 a.m. on April 12. Abagail Logan will provide a

presentation about Legacy Pointe after devotions by

Ann Ruble.

All women who attend WUMC are invited to

attend.

Last month I told you about the first big F.I.R.E.

event of 2017 – the Spring Break Lock-In. Although

I’d love to provide an update of the activities of the

night, I can’t. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the

lock-in. As I continue learning about the group, I

now know Spring Break is not a good time to plan an

activity. Not to worry; we’re looking for a date to

reschedule while continuing to plan our summer

events.

To begin the Lenten season, our youth attended

the 2017 Ash Wednesday Service. Pastor Jamie’s

message was very moving and I believe we’ve started

a new youth group tradition. Plan on seeing F.I.R.E.

youth involved in future Ash Wednesday Services.

The focus of our studies the next few weeks will

be the G-O-S-P-E-L (God. Our. Sins. Paying.

Everyone. Life). We’ll also focus on Easter and the

impact of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us.

As always: If you ever have questions about

F.I.R.E., what we’re up to, or are looking for an

opportunity to help, please contact me. The Green

Room doors are always open, and we’d love to have

you stop by for a visit.

Thanks for all of your support and prayers,

Pastor Jeff

WUMC’s F.I.R.E. Youth Ministry exists to help

students Love God, Love Others, and Serve. By

doing those things, we can better reach generations in

need of a Savior (Jesus Christ). Our hope and prayer

is that, through the resources with which we’re so

richly blessed, we can reach-out to the students of

Waukee and the surrounding area in a loving, caring

way.

*F.I.R.E. Happenings*F.I.R.E. Happenings*F.I.R.E. Happenings*F.I.R.E. HappeningsPastor Jeff Rodman

* F* F* F* Faith IIIInside of RRRRighteousness on EEEEarth(WUMC youth ministry)

Exodus Cry DonationsIf you purchased items to include in Exodus Cry

gift bags, remember to take them to church by

Sunday, April 2.

Exodus Cry is a Christ-centered ministry

dedicated to preventing and intervening in human

trafficking.

3333rdrdrdrd Thursday Lunch BunchThursday Lunch BunchThursday Lunch BunchThursday Lunch Bunch

The Third Thursday Lunch Bunch will meet at

11:30 on April 20 at the Waukee Pizza Ranch on

University. Anyone who attends WUMC, plus friends

and family of those who attend WUMC, are invited

to join the group.

Hope to see you in the north party room at the

Pizza Ranch. We’ll save a chair for you.

Congratulations SeniorsWaukee UMC will be recognizing our high school

graduates during both worship times on Sunday, May

7. According to our records, the following students

are graduating from high school this May:

Brianna Blackford, Anna Clowser, Payton

Dykstra, Libby Husske, Parker Larsen, and Emma

Tyrrell. If you know of another WUMC attender

who’s graduating this spring, please contact LuCinda

Beltman.

Awesome April DaysAwesome April DaysAwesome April DaysAwesome April Days2 ~ Maximus Stevens

3 ~ Steve & Margaret

Bramble

3 ~ Brad Mills

3 ~ Susan Steele

4 ~ Anna Clowser

5 ~ Emily Johansen

6 ~ Kenny & Deanne

6 ~ Dave Baker

9 ~ Greg Allen

9 ~ Isabelle DeHaan

10 ~ Chris & Angela Tyrrell

10 ~ Peyton Chilton

11 ~ Brett & Lisa Thayer

12 ~ Cheryl Jackson

13 ~ Kristi Hiemstra

14 ~ Morris & Lynette Mason

14 ~ Andrew Tyrrell

15 ~ Clair Eason

15 ~ Bonnie Kirk

16 ~ Garrett Allen

16 ~ Kaitlyn Soughan

17 ~ Tyler & Alicia Evans

17 ~ Bart Van Heuveln

19 ~ Jayden Salsman

20 ~ Gretchen Bailey

20 ~ Emmerson Cooper

20 ~ Kevin Corrigan

21 ~ Dwight & Pam

Papenberg

21 ~ Claire Petersen

22 ~ Alex Mason

24 ~ Margaret Bramble

24 ~ Morgan Severin

26 ~ Leslie Cutler

26 ~ Brad Kaufman

26 ~ Kim Olson

27 ~ Caleb Freeze

27 ~ Emma Tyrrell

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Food Pantry NeedsFood Pantry NeedsFood Pantry NeedsFood Pantry NeedsThis month, the Waukee Area Christian Services

Food Pantry (especially) needs:- pancake mix and syrup

- pizza sauce and mix- 100% fruit juice- diapers, size 3 & up

- laundry soap

from page 1

5. Share your experience – Casually mention how

Church has been a blessing in your life.

6. Offer to do the driving – When the time’s right,

ask your friend(s) if you can pick them up on

your way to Church next Sunday.

7. Respond as Christ would – If your friend

accepts your offer, prepare them for the

experience. For example, tell them what you'll

wear and (if they have young children) mention

or nursery and busy bags. If they decline, try to

keep your friendship comfortable and repeat

steps 1-7.

Fear Not: Singing SchoolIf the words “singing” or “school” strike fear in

your heart, get over it. Join us in the sanctuary at 5:00

on Sunday, April 30, to sing some old-fashioned

hymns.

We’ll lift our voices, (off-key and on-key, young

and old, high and low, young and old) singing some

beloved songs of our spiritual heritage together.

Jennifer Senne will lead the hour with Kara

Boothroyd at the piano. All ages and musical abilities

are invited to participate.

New Member SundayJoin us April 9 to celebrate new members. If

you’re interested in becoming a member of WUMC

please let LuCinda know.

Coffee with Pastor JamieJoin us April 2 at 11:00 for coffee with Pastor

Jamie. This is a casual opportunity for recent guests

and/or regular attendees to spend some time with

Pastor Jamie learning about Church membership.

If you’re thinking of becoming a WUMC

member, come ask questions about our ministries

and enjoy the fellowship. If

you’re interested in attending, please

contact LuCinda.

Look for us near the fireplace.

BELIEVE UpdateOn Easter Sunday (April 16) we’ll begin our final

10-week portion of Believe: Be – Who Am I

Becoming? We learned about what we believe in weeks

1-10 and what we are to do about what we believe in

weeks 11-20.

The final ten chapters contain the core virtues of

our Christian Life and are based on the fruit of the

Holy Spirit.

If you’re in a small group, please see your leader

for class information as we go forward into late spring

and early summer.

Believe. Think. Act. Be.

5

As seen at www.WaukeeChristianServices.org.

Serve God by Serving OthersIf you’d like to serve our church family as a

greeter, usher, or communion server, please contact

LuCinda.

Spring Book TalkThe next Book Talk discussion will be held

7:00 Monday, May 15, at Ann and Greg Ruble’s

home. We’ll be reading Bill O’Reilly’s most recent

bestselling book, Killing The Rising Sun.

A reviewer describes the book as, “An

enthralling, gripping account of the bloody battles,

huge decisions, and historic personalities that

culminated in the decision to drop the atomic bomb

and brought the war in the Pacific to its climactic

end. A masterful, meticulously researched work that

captures the barbarity of the war waged by those

who swore allegiance to the Japanese Emperor – and

by those who crushed the military might of the

Rising Sun.”

If this book piques your interest, read it and join

in the discussion in May, and stay for dessert.

Stay ConnectedCurious about upcoming events at WUMC?

If so, check-out any of these information

sources:

- Facebook – be sure to “like” Waukee

United Methodist Church while you’re on

Facebook.

- Weekly church bulletin

- The Vine

- Waukee Wire – to subscribe send an email

to info@waukeechurch.org

- Twitter - search for @waukeechurch

- WUMC website - www.waukeechurch.org

Waukee United Methodist Church

650 Ashworth Dr., Box 26

Waukee, IA 50263

Contact InfoChurch office: 987-4531Rev. Jamie Cutler: jamie@waukeechurch.org, ext. 202Pastor Jeff Rodman: jeff@waukeechurch.org, 515-707-7339Jodi Pasker: jodi@waukeechurch.org, ext. 201Deanne Caudle: deanne@waukeechurch.org, ext. 203LuCinda Beltman: lucinda@waukeechurch.org, ext. 204 or 987-7710Ann Ruble: ann@therubleproject.com, 987-1439Cyndi Craigmile: mcraigmile@aol.com, 987-1973Pat Gutshall: 515-223-1133, pat.gutshall@mac.comJennifer Senne: jennifersenne@gmail.com Prayer Request: pray@waukeechurch.orgLauren Kratz: lauren.kratz@wellsfargo.comSignUpGenius: www.signupgenius.comWACS: info@WaukeeChristianServices.org

WACS Director (Melissa Stimple): 987-5523

Celebration Times8:30 – Traditional

10:00 – Contemporary

10:00 – Sunday School (for all ages)6