7/1/10

July 1, 2010

Upcoming Sunday Schedules:

SUNDAY PENTECOST IX JULY 18, 2010

9:30 A.M. Worship Service, Sunday Special, Nursery, Emergency Fund Offering

Rev. Jim Petersen preaching

10:30 A.M. COFFEE FELLOWSHIP

10:45 A.M. Conversation Corner, parlor. Local Trails with Liz Lee and Bonnie Warren.

Ushers: Tom & Jan Robitaille Acolyte: Bailey Collins Teller: Hank Branom

Special Music: Karen Smith Cookies & Juice: Marge Morris, Linda Caricaburu

5:30 P.M. GIANT SPRINGS PICNIC

SUNDAY PENTECOST X JULY 25, 2010

9:00 A.M. Combined Choir Rehearsal

9:30 A.M. Worship Service, Sunday Special, Nursery

Rev. Kama Hamilton Morton preaching

10:30 A.M. COFFEE FELLOWSHIP

10:45 A.M. Conversation Corner, parlor. "Recipe Memoirs" with Lynne Weeks.

Teller: Don LaBar

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS

We completed our Sunday School year with Galactic Blast, aVacation Bible School theme based on a "Cosmic Adventure Praising God." The combined congregations of UCC and CUMC- comprised of 39 children, 18 youth helpers, and 16 adult leaders- focused on praising our wonderful, incredible, amazing, magnificent, and awesome God as we traveled on this fun-filled cosmic adventure throughout the week. A huge THANK YOU to all the youth, adults, and staff that helped make our VBS such a great experience! Last, but not least, thank you to the Bertsche Memorial Fund for sponsoring all of the children, making this a free experience to each of them! To view photos of Vacation Bible School, visit our website at www.greatfallsucc.org

WESTERN REGIONAL
YOUTH EVENT

July 6-10 our youth and sponsors are off the WRYE, hosted by our own Montana-Northern Wyoming Conference in Billings. With 300 UCC youth convening from our western Conferences as far west as Hawaii, this is a marvelous week of workshops and worship, keynote addresses and service projects, fellowship and fun. We thank the Bertsche Memorial fund as well as the Western Association for providing scholarships to our youth and adults attending, as well as all of you who supported our youth fund raising activities. Our youth attending include: Will Hoard, Hayley Houck, Darian Keels, Zoie Koostra, JJ and Sarah Petersen, Kessa Rigali, and Trevin Thompson. Our adult chaperones are Janet Koostra and Craig Roberson. You can help: we anticipate the youth eating 250 dozen cookies and other (even healthy) snacks. Let's send a carload down with them. Drop cookies and treats off at the church on Sunday, July 4 during worship, or at Janet Koostra's house on Monday, July 5 (3906 8^th Ave. S). Please label "For WRYE." If you have any questions, call Janet at 727-8443.

CAMP MIMANAGISH SCHEDULE '10

July 3-10                      60's & 70's Reunion Camp*                TBA

July 13-17                   3/4 Grade Camp                                 $175

July 18-24                   5/6 Grade Camp                                 $250

July 25-31                   10/11/12 Grade Camp                        $250

August 1-7                  7/8/9 Grade Camp                              $250

          August 8-10        Grandparents & Me                   adult $50/youth $35

          August 13-16               Women's Retreat                                 $120

        September 3-6              Family Camp                      adult $50/youth $35

Registration and payment are due two weeks before the camp start date.   You can register online at www.campmimanagish.org. Please visit the website or stop by the office for a brochure. Adult counselors are always needed to make the camp season successful. Male volunteers are especially needed for the 3/4 grade camp. Janet Koostra is directing the 3/4 Grade Camp. Christine Brauer is on staff as counselor for the summer. *If you've attended, worked at, or had anything to do with Camp Mimanagish in the 1960s and/or 70s, you're invited to a Reunion Camp the week of July 4, led by Cathy Barker of Plymouth Congregational UCC in Helena. The gathering is set up so that you can pay by the day, whether it be two days, three, or the whole week! Family members are more than welcome. To register, email Dick Weaver at dick13cathy@mindspring.com.

BIBLICAL TRAVELS AHEAD

Rev. Jim is in the process of putting together his next trip to the land of the Bible. Following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul's 2^nd and 3^rd missionary journeys, this will be a land tour of Greece and Turkey. Relive the Book of Acts, while enjoying the many wonders of these two ancient and archaeologically rich countries, formally Asia Minor, Achaia and Macedonia. The basic Greece-Turkey trip will be 12 days, round trip from Great Falls (or any other departure city), departing May 2, 2011. A 3 day pre-trip option including extended time in Istanbul, Nicea, Troy and Troas, and a 4 day post-trip option to northern and central Greece, including Thessalonica, Phillipi, Meteora and Delphi, will offer more opportunities. Brochures will be available soon. Friends and family members welcome. Save the dates- and your money! If you have not been to the Holy Lands, you have another opportunity to do so. Rev. Lyle Hamilton (Methodist of Helena) is leading the same tour Rev. Jim (and Lyle) led in 2007 and 2009. This is a terrific 12 day tour of Israel, with an optional pre-tour of Jordan and optional post-tour of either Egypt or Rome. Departure date from Great Falls for the basic trip is January 24, 2011. Brochures for this trip are already available.   See Rev. Jim or the church's bulletin board.

TAKE A HIKE - AND ENJOY A PICNIC

A mid-summer fellowship opportunity awaits you on Sunday, July 18. Meet at Giant Springs State Park at 5:30 P.M. for a byob (bring your own basket) picnic with church members and friends. Following picnic and play we will take a guided hike, identifying birds and wildflowers. Or sit in the park and soak up some more fellowship. Let's take advantage of our wonderful Montana summers- together!

YOUTH NEWS

Youth Group for grades 6-12 will meet on Wednesday, July 14^th and July 28^th, from 6:15 P.M.-7:30 P.M. Youth are still invited to our summer edition of Wednesday Night Live beginning at 5:30 P.M. with much simpler meals.

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS:

Friday, July 9: Electric City Water Park! 1-4 P.M. (weather permitting). Meet at the church. Cost is $9.00

Friday, July 23: (tentative) Youth Lock-In! At First Congregational/Christ United Methodist Church. This won't happen without parent volunteers.

"CONVERSATION CORNER"

In response to feedback gathered from our small "Journey" Bible studies and our "Conference on the Past," your Journey Coordinating Committee has launched a new fellowship opportunity called "Conversation Corner." Following worship you will have the chance to chat with fellow parishioners on some guided topics. Convening in the parlor (our "corner") at 10:45 A.M. (bring your coffee and cookies), our conversations for July will include:

July 11- our youth sharing their experience at the Western Regional Youth Event, facilitated by Janet Koostra.
July 18- local trails, including planning a hike for August, facilitated by Liz Lee and Bonnie Warren.
July 25- recipe memoirs. Come swap recipes and share your stories behind them, facilitated by Lynne Weeks.

Stay tuned for August, which will
include Zumba Lessons!

ORGAN COMMITTEE CREATED

The Church Council has appointed an Organ Committee to pursue further how to address the needs of our 1918 Mohler pipe organ. We have received three bids to repair and rebuild needed areas of the organ, including the console, wind chests, electrical, pipes, and leather stops. The organ has not had significant repairs since 1953. Serving on the committee are: Cindy Addison, Dennis Dell, Paul Haffeman, Janet Koostra, Mary Moore, Rev. Jim Petersen, and Barb Swaby. For comments or questions, see them.

Thanks to all of you who have graciously chosen to provide flowers for our altar on Sunday so far this year. We still have many Sundays available. If you would like to honor or memorialize a loved one or just enhance the beauty of our sanctuary by providing altar flowers on a particular Sunday this year, please call Jan Robitaille at 727-3458 and we will add your name to our calendar. Flowers can be delivered to the church by noon on the Friday before or your can bring them with you at least 15 minutes before the service.

AMONG OUR COLLEGE GRADUATES

Christine Brauer, B.A. in Journalism and Italian, Minors in Classics and Music, "graduate with distinction," University of Washington. To attend law school at U. of Montana. Parents are Harry & Connie.

Ryan LaBar, M.A., Fine Arts & Ceramics, University of Nebraska, "Outstanding graduate student in art" award. Parents are Don & Donalee.

Brian Knutson, B.S. in Physical Therapy, University of Montana. Parents are Jim & Linda.

Alix Lee, B.S., biology with oceanography emphasis, minor in Diving Education, Magna Cum Laude, Barry University, Florida. Employed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Parents are Kevin & Liz.

Hannah Tokerud, B.A. in Political Science and French, "with honors," University of Pennsylvania. To attend law school at U. of Montana. Parents are Keith & Rebecca. Grandparents and Bill & Shirley Scott.

Jill Walters, M.S. in Industrial Hygiene, University of Washington. Parents are Bill and Barb.

Denise Jackson, Lay Ministry Institute offered by the Montana Association of Churches (MAC). A three year study preparing a person to be licensed as a lay minister in a local church. Parents are Ray & Diane.

Please let us know if you have a college or other graduate in your family.

NOMINATIONS UPDATE

We thank Allie Dallmann for volunteering to serve on the Fellowship Board. Board openings remain on Christian Service, Church Growth, and Fellowship, as well as a Council Member-At-Large. How about YOU?

To those on the Reception Committee,

We appreciated your catering the reception for Herman Schrader's family and friends on June 10. The food, punch, and other refreshments were so tasty. You went to so much work to make it a real delight and a big success. All those attending seemed to enjoy the fellowship and visiting with one another. Thank you so much.

With warm regards,

Peggy Schrader and family

A quote from Rev. Jim Petersen's June 13th sermon, "Galactic Blast": "I just don't think God is that sympathetic to Elijah (hiding in a cave). The God of our Bible is not interested in listening to people complain about being overworked and unappreciated, about being too tired, to timid, too terribly tense, tut, tut, tut? 'Come out of the cave Elijah. You are standing on my holy mountain.' I can imagine God saying, 'Of course Jezebels are going to be a part of the pilgrimage. But I am the God greater than earthquakes, wind and fire. You better worry less about the Jezebels and listen more to me. There is life left, which means there is work to do, deeds to be done, missions and ministry to perform. There is a kingdom to construct, and this is your holy and only opportunity.' Now get out of the cave, and into the country."