April 2024 Newsletter

Barbara Schenk • March 30, 2024

Dear friends,


This month, the season of Easter continues. It is a season of 50 days, from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, which will be celebrated this year on May 19.

 

Amid so many troubles and sorrows in the world, this season focuses on the Easter message that love is stronger than hate and death will never have the last word.

 

May this focus encourage us and strengthen us to be Easter people, striving to follow Jesus our Savior, who showed and shows us how to shine God’s light of love and justice into the world.

 

One of my favorite hymns for Easter season was written by Brian Wren:

Christ Is Alive!

 

Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.

The cross stands empty to the sky.

Let streets and homes with praises ring.

Love, drowned in death, shall never die.

 

Christ is alive! No longer bound

To distant years in Palestine,

But saving, healing, here and now

And touching every place and time.

 

Christ is alive! and comes to bring

Good news to this and every age,

Till earth and sky and ocean ring

With joy, with justice, love, and praise

 

Blessing in this holy season and in every season,

Barbara



Upcoming Events


  • Saturday, April 6: Men’s Breakfast – all men welcome
    Meet in front parking lot: 8:20 AM
  • Saturday, April 13: Drive Through Collection of Non-Perishable Food for Open Pantry
    1-3 PM in the back parking lot of the church
  • Saturday, June 1: Vendor Fair/Community Yard Sale
  • April 7: New Fundraiser for the Church - Texas Roadhouse
    Bring flyer with you



Community Organizing within the Congregation


This presentation showed us how to identify and move forward with projects in the community that are controlled by the congregation.

The first emphasis is the need for Power, defined as the ability to act. This includes both Relational Power (People with influence) and Financial Power (Money). People with influence can include Moderators, both current and former, Youth Group Leaders, Committee Chairs, and long-time members. Building Financial Power means involving Stewardship, Finance, and the Treasurer.

The method of organizing a project is to utilize the Cycle of Organization which proceeds as follows:

  • Listening and Discussing Issues and Ideas with Relational Power people to gain support for the project.
  • Identifying Leaders and issues to move forward.
  • Research and Power Analysis to determine what is needed.
  • Taking Action to achieve Goals of the project and deal with the reactions to it.
  • Evaluation of the results actions taken to achieve the goals.
  • Listening and Further Discussing Issues and Ideas with Relational Power people to determine continued Project progress. This is essentially a reassessment after initial goals are met to decide, “What’s Next?”


All the material was well presented and interesting.

It was interesting to me that at the NST Meeting, Bob Loesch’s summary of Foster’s work with the Afghan family was quite a lot like the organizational method presented at the Super Saturday presentation.

Charlie Shultz



Worship for all Ages


A worship service with both adults and children attending was held during this workshop.

Children learn by observing adults around them. They acquire the language of worship by observing the words of adults and the minister.

 

The leaders talked about an area for children in front of the church during the service. This would be for a small church with no Sunday School. Some parents desire to have children with them during the service, too. Children can participate by singing and using shakers and hand motions. Children love rituals and repetition. Scripture can be read by older children.

 

Our church has a time for the children with the minister early in the service. Then they go down to God Time with adults that teach about the lesson learned during the service.

This workshop had a little coffee hour at the end.

 

I enjoyed the workshop very much as I’ve worked with children and many ideas were given to use with them.

Beverly W. Shultz





Recorded Worship Services


Along with in-person worship service, we offer pre-recorded worship services, posted each week (and for special services) on YOU Tube, on our Foster Memorial Church Facebook page and on our church website: http://www.fostermemorial.org/videos/

Worship services are also provided in print through the mail each week for people who do not have access to the internet.



The next gathering for the Fosterians will be on Saturday, May 18 beginning at noon.
There will be a light luncheon served with a free will offering to pay for the costs of food. After lunch, there will be a fun time with the focus on spring and mothers. The gathering will end with discussion of preparations needed to be done for our Vendor Fair/Yard Sale scheduled for June 1. All women of the church and friends are invited to this gathering. Please let Lori or Judy know that you plan to attend.



Corned Beef Dinner


Thanks to everyone who worked on the dinner and raffle. Special thanks to Jim, our lead cook. Thank you to everyone who supported the dinner. We raised just about $2000 for our ministries. Photo shows some of the members of the kitchen/helping crew.

 

May 2026 Newsletter

By Barbara Schenk • April 29, 2026
Dear friends, The joyful season of Easter continues this month. This season lasts 50 days and ends on Pentecost Sunday, celebrated this year on May 24. During this season, we focus on Jesus’ appearances to his followers after his death and resurrection. One of my favorite hymns for this season is In The Bulb There is a Flower by Natalie Sleeth. In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree; in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody. There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me. From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. Blessings, Barbara

April 2026 Newsletter

By Barbara Schenk • March 27, 2026
April 2026

March 2026 Newsletter

By Barbara Schenk • March 2, 2026
Dear friends, The season of Lent began on February 18 and continues until Easter Sunday, celebrated this year on April 5. (See the schedule for Holy Week included in this newsletter) During this season, we’re asked to devote time for inner reflection, taking stock of our lives. And we are called to reach out, in Christian service, to neighbors, near and far. One of the ways we do that each year in March is through our One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) special offering. This year, the offering will be collected on March 15. The money from this offering is utilized through Wider Church Ministries of the UCC, to respond to a variety of global and local concerns by providing advocacy, sustainable development resources, long-term disaster recovery support, and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers, working in collaboration with our partners locally and globally Our generosity ensures that the transforming power of love will continue to support our neighbors in need, here in our country and around the world. Attached to this newsletter is an activity calendar for Feb. 22- March 15 to help us gain deeper understanding about the work of this offering. Thank you to Sharon Gormbley for designing this calendar. Blessings, Barbara FUNDRAISING BY GROCERY SHOPPING: BIG Y GIFT CARDS Thank you to everyone who has purchased Big Y gift cards for our fundraising program. For each card purchased, the church will get a benefit of 5%. It doesn’t sound like much, but together, we are raising almost $200 per month for the church—just by our regular shopping. It’s handy to keep a card in your wallet to be used at Big Y or Fresh Acres or the Big Y gas pumps. See Jeanie Marsh if you would like to order any cards for yourself or for others. PRE-RECORDED FILMED SERVICES We continue to offer recorded worship services for each Sunday, and special holy days, posted on You Tube, on our website at http://www.fostermemorial.org/videos/ and on our Facebook page. through to the end. Thank you to all who gave their time, talent and treasure throughout the year. The amount entered for Receipts does not include unplanned transfers from our savings or other accounts needed to pay  bills from month-to-month.