Vacation Bible School Monday, June 2nd - Thursday, June 5th. Age 4-5th grade

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1 June/July 2014 the Word UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF THE CROSS God filled the world with a lot of crazy creatures...including you! When kids feel weird, different, or even lost in a crowd nothing compares to the extraordinary love of Jesus. Vacation Bible School Monday, June 2nd - Thursday, June 5th Age 4-5th grade Registration forms are located at the Welcome Center in the Narthex or online at For more information or questions, please contact Jennifer Redding. VBS Sunday is June 8th with one worship service at 11:00 AM. Knowing Loving Serving

2 2 Notes from the Pastor s Desk: Ephesians 1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. A Caring Community There are many moments when the word of scripture does a better job of stating the facts than any of my words could. This passage from Paul s letter to the Ephesians is one of those places. I happened upon this passage while preparing for an infant baptism a few years back. Paul was accused of struggling for words as a Preacher, but his ability to put them together for his letters still amazes us almost two millennia afterward. All of this leads me to ponder what I would like to be remembered for in years to come. The passion of my heart is worship. Most churches quantify the role of their Pastor in worship by their sermons. I think I might have delivered one or two sermons that were inspiring out of the approximately 280 I shared. At least some were lifted up as moving following worship. Yet, there will certainly be other sermons among the thousands shared on Sun days before or after me that will be more inspiring and more moving. I have attempted to lead the church into the call of making disciples for Jesus Christ. That is our mission, both before and after the institution of the church known as Church of the Cross. We have added to our membership in the last six years. We have also lost some. That is the general rule of time passing. Interests change. Relationships change. People grow weary of change. Our overall numbers have not dropped significantly, nor have they grown. I have done as much as I have power to control in making you believe that the Lord loves you and is with you in your coming and your going. It turns out that any gains in this area are due to the truth that comes from the Lord God, Himself. I m okay with that. In all sincerity, there is nothing that I could long for or attempt to do without it being directed by the Lord. Perhaps you can celebrate that I was here when the Lord made a significant movement within your life. Give thanks to the Lord, for God alone is good. So, I guess what I am proudest of is that the good that has happened is rooted in God s love for all of us. Therefore, keep on loving. Love God. Love one another. And hear Paul s words as if I were sharing them one last time with all of you. Since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God s people, this is the reason that I don t stop giving thanks to God for you when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God s call, what is the richness of God s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God s power that is working among us believers. (Eph. 1:15-19) It s still all about Jesus! Pastor Greg

3 JUNE SERMON SERIES: A-HA Moments Of the parables shared by Jesus one of the most popular has to be the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This in-depth story describes the relationship of many a Christian and the Lord God, yet today. Though the story has been shared almost as many times as the Christmas story, we still have much to learn from it. Join us for a three Sunday series of sermons that challenges us all to consider how this story connects with our AHA! Moments in life. We Gather to Worship the Lord with Services at 8:30 and 11:00 AM each Sunday. June 1 Awakening Luke 15:11-17 Confirmation Sun., June 8 Vacation Bible School Sunday One Service at 11:00 AM June 29 Guest Speaker June 15 Being Honest With Yourself Luke 15:11-19 June 22 Action That Transforms Luke 15:11-21 All Sermon Titles are subject to change. Watch the Bulletins for more information. Reminder: With the arrival of our new pastor Rev. Michael Eurit in July, it would be most helpful for the congregation to renew the habit of wearing your nametags for worship. This will help Rev. Eurit and his wife Joyce put names to faces. If you find you do not have a nametag or have lost yours, please put your name on the appropriate clipboard at the Welcome Center and the office will get one made for you. Congratulations to COC Graduates! Dakota Johnson Salina South High School Erica Wells Southeast of Saline High School Gina Garcia Kansas State University School of Architecture, Planning and Design Master of Interior Architecture & Product Design Samantha McCary University of Kansas Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Level Mathematics Jeskan McGovern Fort Hays State University Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Imaging Hour Prayer Vigils June 13th & 14th and July 11th & 12th beginning at 5:00 PM on Friday Match Madness was a great success! Total gifts were $5,018 with a match of $2,211 for a total increase to our Endowment Fund of $7,229. Thank you to all who made donations to support the Endowment ministry of Church of the Cross! Red Cross Blood Drive Tuesday, June 24th at Church of the Cross To schedule an appointment call Anna Kelly at

4 4 Mark your Summer Calendars for Youth! June 1st - 6:00-8:00 PM - Frozen Party! Come watch our Easter Performance and the movie Frozen. Sundays in June - 5:00-6:00 PM - High School Mission Prep Meetings. Bring your own dinner to 5! June 8th - Confirmation Sunday June 8th - 6:30-7:30 PM - Dance Ministry starts back up for K-12 and continues throughout June & July. June 18th - 6:00-7:00 PM - Final Middle School Mission Trip Meeting (to answer all questions and make sure we have all paperwork) June 20th - 22nd - Middle School Mission Trip to KC where we will work with Urban Plunge. June 28th - Middle School Planning Retreat POSTPONED July High School Mission Trip to Moore, OK with Next Step Ministries. Thank You Farewell Party & Ice Cream Social for Pastor Greg Lindenberger and family Sunday, June 15th at 6:00 PM in the Webster Room Share stories of Pastor Greg or write a personal note. Radical Disciples Sunday School Class will host the event with homemade ice cream, cake, and cookies. To all who participated in the May 3rd Work Day at the church, the Trustees committee wishes to express our thanks. It s amazing what can be accomplished in a short time when people work together for a common goal. Your support of the church is much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who made and bought pies at our auction on May 4th! We raise over $3,000 for our mission funds! Gracias! ~~COC Youth Take a step of faith with our youth as they journey outside their comfort zones to serve others through inner city missions (Kansas City) and tornado rebuild (Moore, OK) this summer. Take an envelope from the bulletin board in the narthex, place the dollar amount inside (you choose $1- $100), along with your name and address, and return it in the offering plate or church office to help fund our summer mission trips. Those who participate in the challenge will be invited to a party in August to celebrate the work, fun and worship experienced through the summer mission trips. Come take the challenge with us! Are you interested in knowing what it means to be a member of Church of the Cross? Join Pastor Greg for Breakfast with the Pastor Sunday, June 1st at 9:45 AM in the Narthex Great conversation and a warm breakfast! Reaching Out

5 5 New Director at Angel Academy Preschool Hi! My name is Layla Peppers. I have been a preschool teacher at Angel Academy for 11 years, and I have loved every minute of it. All 3 of my beautiful children attended preschool here, and in fact it was the great experience that my oldest daughter had at Angel Academy that encouraged me to leap at the opportunity of teaching here. It is a remarkable thing to go to work every morning and be greeted by little people who love you! I am very excited to begin my new role with Angel Academy as Preschool Director in June. I love the preschool, Church of the Cross, and its mission and I am excited to see how God is going to move us forward united in love for this community. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:8 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, at Church of the Cross, Greetings in the Strong Name of Jesus! On the Monday before Palm Sunday, I drove to Hutchinson, KS, for our district clergy meeting. It was late enough in the appointive year that I had already decided we were staying in Marion, for a ninth year. My D.S., Dennis Livingston, called me aside and said (I m paraphrasing) Don t count anything out. Later that day, Dennis called me back and said, You ll be getting a call from Lew Van Der Wege, later today. In my mind I literally said; I hope it s Church of the Cross! Lew Van Der Wege, called me at 3:24 p.m., and said the Holy Spirit working through the Great Plains Conf. Cabinet had discerned me for Church of the Cross, in Salina. My first appointment was as associate pastor, to Leavenworth First, 27 years ago. I was 27 years old. As a graduating senior, at Asbury Theological Seminary, I had prayed; Lord, anything but an associate pastorate, please don t make me an associate. That is exactly what the Lord did, and it was a wonderful experience. I ve learned over the years, that God doesn t send me where I want to go, so when I hoped for, and got discerned for Church of the Cross, I don t know what this means but the Lord knows! On Palm Sunday, I waited until the closing hymn was over, to make the announcement to Eastmoor. Before the hymn was over I closed my eyes, and started crying. We had an E.M.T. in the congregation, who thought I was having some sort of attack, and was just ready to move in, when I composed myself and called my wife, Joyce up to the front. There were many tears, that day, as people cried with us. I have heard that Pastor Greg s departure was unexpected, and that many of you are grieving for his leaving. This is the reason I have shared my experiences, above, with you. Just to let you know that it s OK, and that I understand your feelings. We have made so many friends along the way, in ministry, and if I could, I would bring all of our dear ones with us. I know that Pastor Greg and Carla feel the same way so I hope you won t move to Hastings! My consolation is this: one day we will all be together, a part of that great cloud of witnesses, which surround the throne of our Glorious God! What a day that will be! Please know that I encourage you to grieve for and continue loving Pastor Greg and Carla. It pleases me that you love him! It gives me hope for our future together. Joyce and I will be missing some folks that we love too. Please also know that I love to preach God s Holy Word, I am passionate about loving God and learning about His awesome love for us, and I am committed to loving people where they are. People fascinate me, because each of us reflect a portion of Who God is. What do I ask of you, at this time? Please love us and know that we will love you, in return! One more thing: to pronounce my last name, say; Tag - you re it, but I hope you ll just call me Michael. (I also answer to Mike) In Christ s Love, Pastor Michael Eurit

6 6 Worship Assistants If you would like to assist with worship by ushering, greeting, running soundboard or computer, please contact Kay Rickard at Soundboard June1 Stephen Patrick (8:30) Carla Lindenberger (11:00) June 8 Brad Johnson (11:00) June 15 Stephen Patrick (8:30) Therese Davis (11:00) June 22 Marcus Swindler (8:30) Therese Davis (11:00) June 29 Jacob Lindenberger (8:30) Therese Davis (11:00) Computer June1 Judy Plankenhorn (8:30) Brenden Carr (11:00) June 8 Kristin Anderson (11:00) June 15 Judy Plankenhorn (8:30) Sarah Fast (8:30) June 22 Judy Plankenhorn (8:30) Brenden Carr (11:00) June 29 Carly Redding (8:30) (11:00) June Ushers Byron Norris & Mick Franklin (8:30) Kenny Seim, Rita Northup & Linda Blackwell (11:00) June Greeters Travis & Jayme Peterson (8:30) (11:00) Our Prayers... Sara & Harry Huber (Mollie Purcell s Great Aunt & Uncle) Joan Brant Barhydt Darrell Thompson Steve Dewald (Charlotte Wilson & Margaret Vosburg s brother) Gary Gnuschke (Linda Reyes cousin) Donna Sherwood (Maegen Stucky s grandmother) Bill Alberts (Kay Rickard s Friend) Isabel Sparks LaVern & Audrey Bechard (McGovern s friend) Curt Richards (Sharon Steponick s brother-in-law) The Jan Wilson Family Mona Anderson (Holechek s friend) Chris Eslick (Tony & Sandi Wilcox nephew) Jimmy Galliart (Shirley Robertson s nephew) Diann Northup (Jeff Wells mother) Fabian (Tammy Conner s friend) Laura (Tammy Conner s fiend) Bob Helm (Caitlynn Speilman s uncle) Norman Boettcher (Daryl & Jayne Holechek s brother-in-law) Tiffany Beavers (Shirley Robertson s great niece) Jim Cooper Family Duane McCall Family Al Steponick Congratulations to: Doug & Marva Weller in the birth of their granddaughter Savanna Jean Barbee Prayers & Sympathies to: Kelly & Steve Rundell and family in the loss of Kelly s father, Don Keeler To Transform Lives

7 Our Presence... Attendance Sun. School 8:30 Worship 11:00 Worship Total Wor. April April April April Our Gifts... CHURCH OF THE CROSS - Financial Summary April YTD Actual YTD Budget Prior YTD Actual Income Giving $ 24,364 $ 115,447 $ 123,333 $ 125,297 Angel Academy Income 14,584 51,358 61,267 50,812 Other Income (Expense) ,333 1,640 Total Income 39, , , ,749 Expenditures Ministerial & Staff 18,643 72,683 81,937 78,905 Operating & Education 2,101 9,087 12,575 12,165 Buildings & Grounds 4,060 19,233 17,667 17,545 Conference Missions & Ministry 2,450 11,325 12,131 12,620 Angel Academy Expense 14,584 51,358 61,267 50,812 Total Expenditures 41, , , ,047 Excess of Receipts Over (Under) Expenditures & Transfers $ (2,566) $ 4,090 $ 1,356 $ 5,702 Unpaid Bills $ - Cash & Investments Balances: General Fund $ 33,186 Restricted/Designated Funds $ 97,313 Memorial Funds $ 5,446 Emergency Building Fund $ 4,774 HVAC Funds $ 17,925 Total Cash & Investments $ 158,644 April 30, 2014 Copies of the monthly financials are available at the Welcome Center. Staff Pastor Rev. Greg Lindenberger <greg.lindenberger@coc-salina.org> Director of Children s Ministries Jennifer Redding <jennifer.redding@coc-salina.org> Angel Academy Director Layla Peppers <layla.peppers@coc-salina.org> Office Manager Becky McCary <becky.mccary@coc-salina.org> Accountant Julie Richardson <julie.richardson@coc-salina.org> QUESTIONS? Call the church office at Find us on Facebook Like our page at United Methodist Church of the Cross Please remember Church of the Cross Endowment Fund in your financial giving. If you would like to contribute or have questions please contact the church office at The August Newsletter Deadline is Wed., July16th. Visit our website at or at coc@coc-salina.org

8 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE P A I D PERMIT NO. 370 SALINA, KS return service requested CRAWFORD BROADWAY NINTH SANTA FE OHIO REPUBLIC SUNSET PARK CHURCH OF THE CROSS RUSH CLOUD CLAFLIN Cloud & Broadway Salina, KS Worship Services Sundays at 8:30 & 11:00 AM Sunday School Sundays at 9:45 AM Wednesday Night Youth Group Time 6:00-7:00 PM Vacation Bible School Monday, June 2nd - Thursday, June 5th Age 4-5th grade Registration forms are located at the Welcome Center in the Narthex or online at For more information or questions, please contact Jennifer Redding. We gratefully acknowledge Consolidated Printing for the gift of printing this newsletter. Church of the Cross is... A caring community reaching out to transform lives through Knowing, Loving, and Serving God!