Grace and peace to you,

 

Well summer officially arrived on June 21^st. This week we are being treated to our first days of summer to be over ninety degrees.

I used to think as summertime in the church as a “down time.” Not as many meetings, Confirmation is over for a few months, and certainly people are more on vacation.

I want to stress the importance of remembering regular Sunday worship. For some folks, going to church is as regular as falling out of bed in the morning. I say this not to scold anyone, for that is not my nature.   Taking a Sunday off here and there is really ok. I also like the occasional Sunday off. It happens real easy when we begin to miss several weeks in a row. It gets more difficult to get back into a routine.

From the churches stand point, it isn’t easy being church in the summer. We have already had visitors come in because our insert, knew a member of our church, but that member was absent that day.

It is also a very different worship experience when we go from eighty people on Sunday morning to only sixty. The sanctuary looks empty, and we do not have the swell of voices to fill it, leaving a different impression on visitors and everyone else who is worshipping that morning.

It also hurts from a dollars and cents point of view. Less people, less money in offertory, and then much more of a strain to pay bills. The bills keep coming regardless of how much is in the offertory. It leaves Leadership Board with difficult decisions in July and August.   Maybe if you are gone on vacation for a few weeks, it might be good to keep tithing and get the money in before you leave or send the offertory through the mail.  

Lastly, it is important that we keep building community. It is hard to know what is happening in people’s lives if we don’t see you for the whole summer. We miss you, and want to keep supporting you.

I want you to keep these dates in mind: July 8, July 22, and August 19^th. These are a few tentative dates for Wednesday evening worship. I can’t tell you too much yet because it is still in the planning stages. I can tell you that it will be informal. We might have one outdoors complete with campfire. Another one might be indoors with a program. Another one might just be worship and potluck. In any event, we will gather a few times during the week so those of you who are gone on weekends will get a chance to worship and be in community. If you have any ideas for an evening together with worship, please come and talk to me.   Watch Sunday bulletins and our website for further details.

Have a fun summer. I hope you recharge and relax, and when you come to worship, it is ok to wear that Hawaiian shirt and shorts. 

Peace,

Pastor David

 

 

 

President Bob Blohm called the meeting to order and opened with a prayer. Motion to approve the Agenda by Ralph Jung/Tom Benzschawel. Carried.

 

Motion to approve the minutes of the May 11 meeting with minor name spelling corrections by Tom Benzschawel/Dick Junge. Carried.

 

Robin Lemkuil distributed the Financial Report , went over the details and responded to

questions. The following items of special interest were lifted up:

Motion by Shirley Birkholz/Alice Krahn to meet the Operating Budget shortfall by withdrawing the needed amount on a monthly basis from the Parsonage Rent Fund in our Savings account. These are monies from parsonage rent, saved from the time of the merger until the parsonage was sold.   Money was deposited in our savings account for an emergency, such as we are currently experiencing. Motion carried. 

 

Motion by Tom Benzschawel/Ralph Jung to accept the Treasurer’s Report. Carried.

 

Motion by Shirley Birkholz/Dick Junge to pay $10,000.00 off on our loan at the end of

June, reducing the amount of our mortgage to $115,000.00

 

Pastor Schlieter reported the following visits, meetings and special events that he has been involved in since the last Leadership Board meeting:

 

Events on his calendar for this summer:

 

5/3 – 73, 5/10 – 107, 5/17 – 65, 5/24 – 65, 5/31-92           Avg.=80, May, 2008 Avg.=58

Building & Grounds - Ralph Jung reported that Dan Werbelow has completed the work on the new closet door and the installation of windows in the Sunday School doors. The B&G Committee has recommended that a gift certificate of thanks be given to Dan for volunteering his time on these projects. The Leadership Board agreed with the recommendation and instructed the treasurer to proceed with a $50.00 gift certificate, with money from the building fund. Committee also received a request to erect some type of cork strip or metal rail on the wall above the counter in the coffee area to be used to hang poster boards picturing New Horizon events. The group approved the B&G recommendation and instructed them to go ahead with the project. There are now four people participating in the grass cutting rotation.

 

Mission and Evangelism – Shirley Birkholz reported that the Church World Service Mission Project previously referred to as “Tools and Blankets” is now called “Blankets +”. The project will be promoted in the newsletter and on Sundays in the beginning of July with the dedication of the offering on July 19. 

 

 

Communication and Public Relations – Tom Benzschawel reminded the group of the June 19^th newsletter deadline and that all news items should be e-mailed to him. He has had a request to develop a personal column; graduations, new members, etc. He will be looking for a volunteer reporter to take on this task. He has been continuing work on the new website with help from Alicia Gerlach. 

 

 

- Bernice Garbisch and Shirley Birkholz will be the New Horizon delegates to the Annual

- Alice Krahn will be leading the Worship Service at New Horizon on June 14 since Rev.  Schlieter will also be at the Annual Meeting.

- Vacation Bible School is scheduled for August 10 – 14.

- Rev. Schlieter will check further with Rev. Clausing regarding the plans for the Joint

 

- Youth Mission Trip is scheduled for July 25 – August 2. Rev. Schlieter will arrange for  pulpit supply and coverage of emergencies. 

- Rev. Schlieter shared information regarding the UCC sponsored Webinar broadcasts scheduled for this summer.   He will gather more details. 

- Decision to not skip the July Leadership Board meeting.

Motion to adjourn by Alice Krahn/Dick Junge. Carried.

 

Closed with the Lord’s Prayer

 

Submitted by Shirley Birkholz

for Secretary Jennifer Krahn

 

 

The theme “Creation and the environment” with the title of “Living Grace-fully”

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world

and those who live in it.” Psalm 24:1

   -    Keynote address by Rev. Dr. Karl Kuhn, Associate Professor of Religion

        at Lakeland College. (Many of you will remember Dr. Kuhn speaking to us at  

         the Beechwood church about his experience in Haiti, early on in our merger.)

   -    Rev. David Moyer’s sermon at the Opening Worship Service (always delivers a

         terrific message as all of you will remember from his being present at our 5^th

 Anniversary celebration of New Horizon).

   -    The very gifted Jean Feraca, host and co-producer of Wisconsin public radio

   talk show “Here on Earth” addressing the theme with her keynote. It was

   followed with her moderating the Panel Discussion made up of very enlightened

         participants including staff of Northland College. Northland, one of our UCC

         colleges in WI is a leader in sustainability in every sense, continues to work

         toward it’s goal to be the nation’s leading environmental liberal arts college.

   -    Many choices of Workshops relating to the theme with helps to live our lives

        “greener and grace-fully” in our homes, churches and on this earth.

   -    Four “Life of the Conference” Plenary Sessions were conducted throughout the

   three days. Rev. Moyer was re-elected for another four-year term as Conference 

   Minister. Conference staff and other conference leaders shared information

   on current and planned happenings. Rev. Moyer reported that the conference

   restructuring planning process will continue with gatherings this fall and winter.  

   The goal will be to share information with congregations at the 2010 Annual

   Meeting and be ready to vote on the plan at the 2011 Annual Meeting. We were

   reminded to check the WI Conference Web Site www.wcucc.org often and 

   subscribe to the Conference on-line newsletter to keep current on happenings   

   and opportunities.  

    -    Ken Medema, singer, songwriter and pianist masterfully interpreted the theme

    of all that was happening throughout the weekend.

 Thanks to the members of New Horizon for allowing us to represent New Horizon UCC as your delegates. It was great! 

   

Bernice Garbisch & Shirley Birkholz

 

 

 

With BLANKETS + you can blanket the world with love!

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

                                          Mark 12:31

Your Church World Service Blankets + Special Offering envelope with a descriptive flyer is enclosed with this newsletter.   Don’t be confused, this is the same special offering that New Horizon has been participating for many years under the name of Tools and Blankets. Church World Service has simply changed the name.

 

Founded in 1946, Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States, In partnership with local organizations, Church World Service works worldwide to meet human needs and foster self-reliance. Within the United States, Church World Service assists communities in responding to disasters, resettles refugees, promotes fair national and international policies, and offers opportunities to join a people-to-people network of local and global caring through participation in CROP Hunger Walks, Blankets +, and the CWS Kit Program.

 

In July of 2008, New Horizon contributed $470.00 to the Tools and Blanket Offering. Hopefully we will match or exceed it on July 19, when the special Blanket + envelopes are collected during the Sunday morning offering.

 

Mission and Evangelism  Committee

 

           Cover Page Spotlight                                                            

 

As part of our on going strive to improve our Newsletter, we are now going to have a Cover Page Spotlight article. This month we have picked Alicia Gerlach as our Spotlight of the Month.

 

Alicia graduated from UW Stevens Point on May 16 2009 with a bio/chem degree. 
While in Stevens Point she attended the Lutheran church near campus.  She helped with the youth choir and also joined a group from the church to go on a mission trip to Panama.  Alicia has written an article about her trip and posted it on our Website www.newhorizonucc.org   You will find it under the Youth Group heading. She really enjoyed the mission trip. 

 

She has recently accepted a job with Prevention Genetics, in Marshfield, WI. 

Alicia’s new address is 906 Irene Ave, Marshfield, WI  54449.  

 

She enjoyed helping at church with the website, and working with the PowerPoint for the church service.  She will occasionally be home to visit and join us on Sundays. Alicia mentioned that she is only an email away, so therefore her email address is      alicialovesbooks@msn.com.

 

The Communications and Public Relations team would like to give a special thank you for all the work you have done on the website. Good luck in your new job and location. All of us at New Horizon will miss you. Keep in touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On June 7^th  we welcomed the following individual to our New Horizon family.

Back row: Dennis Bottesi, Brittany Zahn, Rev. Schlieter (not a new member), Frankie Sanfelippo holding Jack Averil, Front row: Roselyn Bottesi, Kathleen Zahn, Tony Sanfelippo, Isaac Averil, Ann Averil and Marilyn Stolper. Missing from picture John Averil.

 

 

 

Kelly Schultz graduated from Random Lake High School. She will be attending UW Oshkosh, studying Communications Disorder.

 

Wendy Gessner graduated from Kewaskum High. 

 

Congratulations to both of you.

 

 

New Horizon UCC will host a four day Vacation Bible School from 5:30 until 7:30 pm Monday through Thursday, August 3-6.

 

This year’s theme is “Camp E.D.G.E.”.  Kid’s ages 4 through fifth grade, will be able to “Experience, and Discover God Everywhere!” There will be songs, crafts, science

experiments, games, and Bible stories. Older kids and adults are encouraged to attend as helpers. Thursday night will be concluded with a cookout.

Advance registration is appreciated by calling Jane Merkel at 920-994-4169.

 

 

As most of you have noticed, a cross has been added to the landscape of our building. The cross stands 18 feet high, with the cross 36”. We have decided to give it the natural look. Soon it will have the rust look.  

 

A thanks to all who helped erect the cross, with a special thanks to Bill Lemkuil. Bill donated his time and talent, plus the material needed to fabricate the cross. Thank you Bill for a job well done.