Wesley United Methodist Church
May 2021
Needed: Rummage - Baked Goods - Workers
Rummage Sale scheduled for May 7 & 8
Set up is now until May 6th. If you can help set up and sort contact Mary P. For donations please bring your treasures to Door 6 and put them on the stage. The office can let you in mornings from 9-1p or call Mary P and she will meet you. We always have an avalanche of clothes so please only bring clean, gently worn clothes.
The rummage and bake sale is a fundraiser for camperships and after last summer without camp because of Covid-19, kids are excited to go this summer!
Kidz Count Classrooms are an Adventure!
During the month of April, Kidz Count explored different habitats and each room was set up as a different habitat. We have an ocean, a jungle and an enchanted forest. Each group has done different crafts related to their habitat and learned many things about those habitats. They are enjoying learning about different animals, trees and other plants and how to take care of those different parts of the world.
We will keep up the habitats through May and then start our summer program June 1. Our summer theme is Exploration, and we will have several different mini themes related to exploring. Kidz Count kids will be here at Wesley through lunch time and then we are able to transport to the other VOA OST (out of school time) program for the afternoons for field trips and fun. Embrace Church is working with us on some extra activities that they will be helping with including a garden, soccer games/play with Dakota Alliance and crafts. We are very thankful that we are able to support the families of Kidz Count during the summer since it's a crucial time for children, and are grateful for the space and collaboration with Wesley. As always, please contact Saundra Larson, 605-906-2736, if you have any questions or want to come by and visit. We are allowing volunteers again on a limited basis, so if you are interested, please contact us.
Welcome Back, Summer, it’s time to Camp!
Summer is better with camp and we’re so excited to see you soon at your Dakotas and Minnesota United Methodist Camps.
With just a few weeks until the start of summer, it’s critical to stay connected with Dakotas and Minnesota Camping during the next weeks and months.
With just a few weeks until the start of the camping season, it’s critical to stay connected with Dakotas and Minnesota Camping during the next weeks and summer months. much information concerning summer camp and COVID-19 is available on our COVID-19 and Camp FAQ’s page, information concerning pre-camp requirements and specific protocols about your time at camp will be shared with you soon. Please watch your email, social media, and our website for updates within the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience as we continue to wait, just a little longer and alongside camps across the country, for the very best information to share with you before your arrival to camp.
We're grateful for the chance to share Christ, Creation, and Community with the churches and families of the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences of The United Methodist Church. As part of our extended camp family, your trust in us is a gift that we do not take for granted. Keeping our campers and staff safe has been and continues to be our top priority since the onset of the pandemic. Thank you for making an experience at one of your Dakotas and Minnesota camps part of your summer.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@dakcamps.org, or 855-622-1973.
From the Wesley Neighborhood Outreach - Camperships
This is what WNO has decided for Camperships this year. Please let me know if you have any questions.
1 WNO will pay up to $250.00 for any child going to camp for the Summer of 2021. One campership per child per summer.
2 WNO or Wesley will not be responsible for transportation to or from camp. Parents are responsible for taking to and picking up their kids from camp. Families or children attending camp can carpool, but this will not be arranged by Wesley or WNO.
3 No rainchecks for next year.
4 If you decide to register your child for camp, please use the code “wesleycamp” and once everyone is registered, WNO will let parents know how much they have to pay. Parents can pay their part to WNO, and then we can send one check to the camping office.
5 If you have already registered your child and had to pay a deposit, that money will count towards your out of pocket. If it less than the amount you as a parent are supposed to pay, you can pay the difference to WNO. If it is more than the amount you are supposed to pay, WNO will reimburse you the difference.
Friends to hold up and remember:
Sympathy for the Earl Angle Family . Earl Died April 8, 2021
Prayers for all affected by COVID-19
Rose Dorsman - hospitalized with Covid
Bob Kurth - in hospital with heart problems
Ladene Bachtell - a relative, Sage, has underlying medical conditions she needs to overcome
Carmen Britt - Brother-in-law Dave having cancer surgery to remove growth on kidney
Trish Garcia - continued prayers
Tyra Roberts - continued prayers
Della Witcomb - passed her driving test!
Leland Bachtell – home hospice
Jeanette Portice – prayers for continued health
Kolby Bohmbach – Continued prayers for good test results
Jim Hansen’s brother- in-law Greg- needs a transplant
Felsheim Family – working to keep Bennett safe from virus
Karen Renken- continued prayers for healing
Bob Whiting’s daughter Robyn – needs a kidney transplant
Nila & Karen’s sister-in-law Karen - continued prayers
José Garcia’s mom, Maria Herrera - breast cancer
Pat Patterson – continued prayers
Judy's daughter-in-law Sara Martin Tulio- diagnosed with breast cancer
May Anniversaries
06 Donna & Scott Roberts
07 Marcy & Doug Bird
19 Diane & Jerry Bastemeyer
22 Trish & Dave Garcia
27 Diane & Jacob Wurtz
May Birthdays
02 David Wittrock
05 Don Armstrong
05 Scott Roberts
07 Lindsey Donaldson
09 Tiffani Paez
10 Bruce Medema
12 Margie Smotherman
13 Harriett Wendt
13 Jean Donner
18 Millie Griner
19 Pam Buckley
21 Taylin Lambert
21 Diane Bastemeyer
22 Avery Felsheim
22 Carter Robinson
23 Emily Middagh
24 Bernie Haken
28 Rylan Philips
30 Cheryl Meier
30 Mark Begeman
31 Scott Ness
Men's Bible Study
A men's Bible study is meeting on Tuesday Night in the newly designed "Men's Den". The current study is the book of Mark. Come and share friendship while thinking and talking about God's word.
Monday Morning Bible Study
Monday morning Bible study is engaging in a hybrid experience. We have started meeting in person again but also have several people who are joining us via Zoom. The book we are studying is “He Speaks to Me” by Priscilla Shirer. Come join us on Monday mornings at 9:30 for fellowship and serious study by 10:00. Contact Mary Poppenga for further information.
Our Members and Friends in Care Facilities or Under Home Care
Edgewood Vista: Jackie Dreyer
Edgewood South: Judy Schaap
Good Sam / Hill: Linda Varud,
Luther Manor: Marguerite Cunningham; Faye Pigott
Leisure Living in Hartford: Nona Robinson
Southridge: Guy Varud; Cleova Frahm;
VA in Luverne: Bob Morrison
2204 E. 11th: Deb Stoakes
A Matter of Balance Starts June 3
A Matter of Balance class starts Thursday June 3 from 10a to noon at Wesley. The course lasts 8 weeks. Each session entails doable exercises as well as suggestions about how to arrange your living space to decrease the chance of falling.
One might think that falling less often is just a matter of being more cautious. But there’s more to it than that. Ultimately the goal is to keep individuals as independent as they are able to be. Nationally, every 11 seconds an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall and every 19 minutes an older adult dies from a fall. We would like everyone live a longer, safer, life.
Encourage anyone you know, especially those who live alone, to consider taking the class.
General Budget update @ April 30, 2021
· Income 4 months 2021------ $58,958.22
· Expense 4 months 2021----- $57,701.66
· Income exceeds Expenses---$ 1256.67
Don Armstrong, Treasurer
Building and Grounds @ April 30,2021
Previous Balance ---------$ 19,546.44
Amount Received ------------ $540.00
Sale of HyVee Gift Cards ----$125.00
Interest Earned --------------------$.18
April 30 Balance ---$20,211.62
Donna Wallin, Treasurer
HyVee Cards
Don’t forget to buy HyVee cards from Doug or Marcy Bird (1-605-336-8828). They make wonderful birthday presents for people. They don’t have to be exchanged. They can buy what they want and need. You will become their hero. You will also become a hero—blush, blush—to your church because 5% of each dollar spent is used to fund projects in the church and United Methodist Women.
The Journey
The first message of the My Journey series was on April 18th at the 11a service. Robert Blackburn witnessed his personal journey with Christ.
If you missed it or if you would like to replay it the link is: https://www.wumcsf.org/livestream/video-archive
Watch for the announcement of our next speaker. The My Journey series will feature a different speaker every six to eight weeks.
We are all at different places on our own faith journey and hearing from others may assist us to find a closer relationship to Christ and each other.
Parenting with Patience: Overcoming Anger in Your Home
Ashamed of your yelling?
Embarrassed by your outbursts at your children?
There is hope!
Parenting with Patience is a five-week video driven Bible study. It includes five lessons in online streaming videos (think Netflix). https://www.theapollosproject.com/
Pastor Manuel will hold this workshop at Wesley on five Thursdays starting July 1st from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Coming up this Summer!
June 14 - Vacation Bible School
July 1 - Parenting with Patience
August - 9 Delta Dental
Vacation Bible School
The 5th Sunday offering in May will be dedicated to the Nightwatch Canteen.
The 5th Sunday offering in May will be dedicated to the Nightwatch Canteen. Several years ago, Wesley UMC joined with other churches to purchase a food truck to provide meals on Sunday evenings. The program has grown and is now serving on Mondays and Tuesdays. Nightwatch Canteen is part of the nonprofit Sioux Falls Hunger. https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/
According to an KSFY article in November of 2018; " the Sioux Falls School District had 1,275 homeless students in the 2017-2018 school year". Feeding South Dakota says that; "One out of every nine individuals in South Dakota is food insecure. One out of every six children is at risk to go hungry."
Your donations to Nightwatch Canteen make sure this program continues to thrive and provide meals to children and families that so desperately need them.
Thank you,
Susan Ness
WNO Treasurer
From the Parish Nurse
There are dozens of emphases each month to help us live better lives. Two of the emphases for May are: National Physical Fitness-Sports Month and Clean Air Month.
With the weather warming up both of those seemed to be appropriate. More of us will be getting outside to walk, hike, swim, play ball, play with our kids and grandkids and just enjoy the great outdoors. However, in order to enjoy outdoor activities, we have to have clean air to breath. I’m not even going to mention all the trash people throw away that litters park trails and pollutes waterways.
United Methodist Women have set as one of their priorities for the next quadrennium—Climate Justice. As part of their campaign they have set a policy to reduce the use of non-renewable energy to zero and increase the use of renewable energy sources to 100% by 2050. That is an ambitious goal but it is one we all need to keep in mind in the years to come if we are going to have clean air to breathe. I was privileged to be on a conference call on April 14 with the staff from Senator Thune’s office. South Dakota actually does pretty well compared to a lot of other states because we get 75% of our energy from renewable energy sources—wind and hydroelectric. That is actually quite impressive but we still need to pray that our legislators continue to strive for 100% so future generations will have clean air to breathe.
Now, regarding the physical fitness part of the focus for this month….I will be training to be a coach for A Matter of Balance classes through Sanford Health in May. We will be having a Matter of Balance class here at Wesley starting Thursday, June 3 from 10:00 to noon—every Thursday for 8 weeks. We will be doing some mild exercises as well as learning new habits that will help prevent falls. If you have and questions, contact Dawn at 271-8846. I would like to see many of you show up because it is my sincere desire to keep all of you safe in your homes for as long as possible.
United Methodist Women
United Methodist Women are now meeting in person. The evening circle had 7 members present in April when we met. We are maintaining masks and safe distancing until we are sure it is okay to do otherwise. We don’t want people’s joy at reconnecting in person to change to sorrow if someone inadvertently passes on the COVID virus to others.
MAKE AN IMPACT - MAKE A DONATION
From Pastor Manuel
I would like to give you an update as to what has transpired over the last many months regarding the Embrace Network.
Our traditional service will remain the same as much as we can keep it that way.
It has been about a year and a half since we started talking about this. During the first 6 to 8 months, the IT and I met with representatives from Embrace to talk about partnering with them. Then we brought those ideas to other teams, Worship, Finance and finally a special Ad Council mtg that we had in January of 2020. These are the terms:
• We would have access to as much or as little as we wanted or needed from the Network. What this means is that we can use their resources, but we manage our church.
• We do not become Embrace Church. We will remain Wesley. We will run our Wesley Church. Embrace would not run any of the teams, committees, and will certainly NOT have any input or access to our finances.
• The Dakotas conference has given us some money to renovate a few key areas of the building, to bring it up to date.
• The Dakotas conference will grant us additional money to pay one year salary of a Worship director for a second service and a Kid Zone director for that time as well. These two people will coordinate what is happening with Wesley and adapt Embrace’s messages and Kids programs.
• The reason we are shaping a second service, is so we can reach those who worship in a different way. If we are honest, young people and kids are so into technology, that we couldn’t reach them unless we use these resources. 1 Co 9:22 “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to come by the office, or ask me via email what questions you may have.
Some may be wondering why this information was not made available to the rest of the congregation. It was in our plans to do so, but as soon as we cleared the last meeting with the Ad Council, and everyone there voted to proceed, COVID hit. At that point, we had to switch our focus from this Network to somehow bringing the services to the people as we were all stuck in our homes. It was our intention to bring this before the congregation, and it was also our intention to start livestreaming our services by December of 2020. Covid pushed us to focus on the livestreaming part of our endeavors way ahead of schedule. I take responsibility for not keeping everyone informed as to what the Network entailed. I should have used the newsletter, or emails, or any other form of communication to make everyone aware of what was happening. The only thing I can certainly say is that trying to minister during a pandemic is no easy task. Zoom is good, but it will never replace a face-to-face meeting. Livestreaming is good, but it will never replace our corporate worship.
So, I do apologize for not keeping everyone informed but it is never too late to do so. Please talk to me if you have any questions. Thank you. Pastor Manuel