Memorial Service 3

I’m loving the blog page for open discussion. I will have to wait a little longer before publishing information in the E-News so that people will not be confused.

The Memorial Service for those who have lost children by any means has met with great support and even some regional attention. Here is the current plan.

On September 9^th and running for three weeks through September 23^rd we will offer a group setting for conversation around the death of your child starting at 9:30 am the Conference Room upstairs in the office building. The pastor (Rev. Ray) and Betty Bergstrom (a licensed counselor and one who has experienced the loss of a miscarriage twice) will facilitate this discussion group.

Also on Sunday, September 9^th, in the afternoon and again on September 23^rd, if needed, we will offer some one on two sessions. We will offer half-an-hour sessions with the pastor and Betty beginning at 12:30 pm and ending at 2:30 pm. These meetings will be in the pastor’s office. If we fill up the 9^th we will take appointments for the 23^rd. Please contact Rev. Ray to set up one of these sessions.

This is not meant to be an all encompassing event that will set everything right. It has been my experience that most everyone experiences death differently. This is only meant to help us to begin to or continue to deal with our loss, the death of a child.

The Memorial Service itself has been scheduled for Sunday evening at 6 pm in the Sanctuary, September 30^th. Some of the features of this service will include a time for anyone to speak but no one has to speak. Supportive words and Scriptures will be shared by the pastor. We will also have a basket with a blanket in it. We would encourage those who attend to write a letter to their child or grandchild and to place that letter in the basket at a time during the service. We will plan to bury the letters in the churchyard somewhere and place a marker there or plant a memorial tree. We plan to have a worship service as we cry out to God to help us heal from our hurts. As the church we also want to pledge our support to those in pain and to repent for not doing more in the past to help heal the wounds.

If you have experienced this hurt or know anyone in the community who has, please invite them. If you would simply like to help others heal from their pain, let me know. God will use us all to heal one another.

Sunday's Sermon, September 2

This Sunday, September 2^nd, we will preach on Spa Christianity. Our base scripture will be Ephesians 3:14-21. We will look at the following three points in this sermon: 1) We live in a pampered society, 2) Are we looking for Spa Christianity? and 3) How do we get into good spiritual shape?

Our society wants everything yesterday and usually gets it. We live in a pampered world. Is this really what we want in the church, in our spiritual journeys? Do we work out spiritually or are we counting on it all coming naturally? Do we sit home and expect others to pay our way in life or do we get out and work hard to provide for ourselves and families? See you Sunday.

Memorial Service 2

God must be all over this subject matter because so many have commented or e-mailed me or have approached me to talk. I thank everyone for their comments. Here are some thoughts that we plan to use for the upcoming Memorial Service. Any thoughts you might have that would help us would be greatly appreciated.

After much prayer and hearing comments for several persons we are reducing our target group for this first Memorial Service to those parents/grandparents who have lost children to miscarriages, still births or SIDS (sudden infant deaths syndrome). We are planning another event that will target those who have lost children through abortion at a later date.

Our plan is to have some conversations around grief and our loss before the Memorial Service. We are offering two ways to do this. Starting September 9^th and running for three weeks through September 23^rd we will offer a group setting for conversation starting at 9:30 am in the pastor’s office or if needed, the Conference Room upstairs in the office building. The pastor (Rev. Ray) and Betty Bergstrom (a licensed counselor and one who has experienced the loss of a miscarriage twice) will facilitate this discussion group. We are also offering a more private time on Sunday, September 9^th, in the afternoon and again on September 23^rd, if needed. We will offer half-an-hour sessions with the pastor and Betty beginning at 12:30. If we fill up the 9^th we will take appointments for the 23^rd. Please contact Rev. Ray to set up one of these sessions.

This is not meant to be an all encompassing event that will set everything right. It has been my experience that most everyone experiences death differently. This is only meant to help us deal with our loss, the death of a child.

The Memorial Service itself has been scheduled for Sunday evening at 6 pm in the Sanctuary, September 30^th. Some of the features of this service will include a time for anyone to speak. We will also have a basket with a blanket or soft material in it. We would encourage those who attend to write a letter to their child or grandchild and to place that letter in the basket at a time during the service. We will plan to bury the letters in the churchyard somewhere and place a marker there or plant a memorial tree. Or we may burn them together and allow the smoke to rise to heaven and sprinkle the ashes. We plan to have a worship service as we cry out to God to help us heal from our hurts. As the church we also want to pledge our support to those in pain and to repent for not doing more in the past to help heal the wounds.

If you have experienced this hurt or know anyone in the community who has, please invite them. If you would simply like to help others heal from their pain, let me know. God will use us all to heal one another.

Your comments and thoughts are welcome?

Awsome Worship

Worship was awesome this morning. Both services seemed to have the Spirit moving in them. At the second service I had a chance to pray with a couple who are having trouble with a pregnancy. Another person came to me for prayer for their family to put God first again after a struggle of years placing self there. Another person said they wanted to talk this week about some hurts. Still another person came to me twice for prayers for them. Some folks were back that hadn’t been to Mt. Oak for several years. One said they felt at home and would be back, another family I spoke with hadn’t been in years either. God is alive and well and moving at Mt. Oak – don’t miss a Sunday – you never know what God will do each week and you don’t want to miss it! If you missed second service you also missed us sing happy birthday to Annette and if you missed the first service you missed the birth of our choir. DON’T MISS ANOTHER SUNDAY!

Church Leadership

Mt. Oak Fellowship, like most United Methodist Churches and churches of other denominations, is a representative body. Each year we elect persons to represent us and govern the church and her ministries.

Starting this month and into the fall I will be holding meetings with church leadership and with the Lay Leadership/Nominations Committee, of which I am the chair, to discern where God is leading us and who we need to come along side of our team of leaders and help us move forward for the Lord.

If you are interested in serving in a ministry or committee, please let me know. I cannot promise that every person who wishes to serve will get the ministry or committee they request. I can promise that if you have a hear t to serve, we will find a place for you to serve.

If you have an idea of who or what kind of person we need in the various positions of leadership, send them to me. I can use all the information I can get to help our group discern who should lead us into the future. Send them to me at ray@mtoak.org. Do not post personal information or names. Send your personal info to me and post your general opinions on this page for all to read.

Adding Staff?

If we were ready to add staff where do you see a need for additional staff?

Children’s Ministry

Discipleship Ministry

Youth Ministry

Pastoral Staff

Family Ministry

Worship Ministry

Administration

Others

We Don't Need Any

Communion

I would like to start a dialogue concerning how we serve communion and how often we celebrate communion.

For the sake of discussion I have a couple of things I'd like feedback on.

1. What would it look like if we had stations (two people holding the elements) scattered throughout the worship setting instead of up front? (10:30 service)
   
2. What would it look like if we offered communion weekly? (either for the whole congregation or merely for those who wanted to receive it and monthly for the whole congregation).
3. What would it look like to either use the current method of presenting the elements or using a chalice and loaf (intinction).
   

Your thoughts?

Memorial Service

An idea has been promoted that we offer a memorial service for those who have lost children/grandchildren through abortion, miscarriage, still births or infant death. In this week's E-News I wrote.

Memorial Service

Recently Rev. Ray wrote a blog post about abortion. It caused many of us to think. A member wrote Rev. Ray with an idea. We are moving forward with it because it was so timely and a God thing.

On Sunday evening, September 9th, at 6 pm, in the Sanctuary, we will hold a memorial service for those who have been touched with the loss of life through abortion, miscarriages or still birth. We hold funerals/memorial services for people of all ages but rarely do we gather to celebrate and mourn for those we never get to hold their children/grandchildren or hold them for such a brief moment. If you are interested, if this touches your heart, please contact Rev. Ray and tell him you plan to attend.

Now my question for this post. Would a brief study before the memorial service on healing and other aspects of the process be helpful before the service? We could meet for two or three weeks and then have the memorial service? Your ideas?

Essential Doctrines

What are the essentials for the Christian faith?

I will begin by saying that Jesus is the only way to the Father - to heaven. John 14:6 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.