This month has been heavy into ministry with families and youth.
In LeRoy, we decided to have a potluck breakfast before church. After breakfast Pastor Dale met with the children and prepared them for a short children’s program during worship. It sure made Sunday morning more fun. The program was about the season of Lent. We will do this again in April and May. Thanks Mandy for the great idea.
The parish new member class has one family and one junior high student. Yeah! They will be joining the church in April.
The youth have been really busy with fundraisers and with each one getting enough volunteer points to qualify for a mission trip scholarship. Their fundraisers included 1) a bake sale, 2) a trash & treasure sale, and 3) a sit-down oriental dinner which the youth both prepared and served. We are proud of them – Emma Clemon, Midori Reed, Kelsey Gehlhaar, Kylie DeVore, Cassie Moore, Emily Secrest, Mikayla Reed, and Hailee Kelso. And so thankful for the youth leaders – Jan Lundahl, Mary Jackson, and Michiko Fogel, and for Andrew Reed’s help too. In the midst of all this the Youth Group found time to spend a few hours in mission service at the homeless shelter in Des Moines.
Speaking of youth, they are absolutely excellent leading in worship. They have been taking turns, 2 x 2, adding their youthful voices to the readings and prayers. Emma Clemon and Samantha Watsabaugh each played flute one Sunday. Watch for more youth in the music program.
The younger youth program is the TUF Team. We met twice in March on early-out days with about a dozen youth in attendance. Main themes were Baptism and Communion. Lots of crafts, indoor and outdoor activities, a video or two. Good times!
On the 22nd we welcomed Rev Russ Melby as preacher for the day. He talked about his work with Church World Service and CROP, as he is the regional director for these in Iowa. There is more about him on our blog. Just scroll back and you’ll find it. We also recorded his message which you can watch on our church video site. Then after church the Helping Hands grilled burgers and dogs. What a feast, kinda like Spring’s first Fling.
UMW (United Methodist Women) took their turn at hosting World Day of Prayer in Humeston. Women from several churches were present. And the UMW women did a really fine job presenting the worship material prepared half a world away.
And led by the mission committee, the whole church is getting involved in the Wayne County mission effort to help Kids Against Hunger. Our local effort is organized by SILO (Southern Iowa Loves Others) and focuses on packaging 60,000 meals for Africa and gathering canned goods and staples for the local food pantry. Virginia Watson and Diane Olsen Schroeder have been representing our parish.
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