Wilder View - February

I often notice that on some emails people will have a quote at the bottom of their email. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about…

• "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein;
• or…‘Little Children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.’ 1 John 3:18.
• There is one that I have thought about several times even after the email has long since been deleted… "Live like Jesus did, and the world will listen." - Mahatma Gandhi

It seems to me that this is a compelling critique of the ‘institutional church.’

There is a hunger that has been stirring in me for sometime about what it would look like if our church were more like the early church. We would certainly have more people visiting with each other in homes. We would have more prayer groups, and we would experience the mighty power of God throughout our community and the world. We would see systems that have oppressed people for centuries fall away and I wonder… could we? ...Just maybe, be more like the early followers of Jesus Christ.

At annual conference last year I heard Rev. Mike Slaughter, the pastor at Ginghamsburg Church, in Tipp City, Ohio, speak about recapturing that passion and purpose of the early Christians. He has written a book called “Change the World, Recovering the Message and Mission of Jesus.”

We are beginning the process of organizing small discussion groups to read through this book together as a Church during Lent. I invite you to begin to pray about this opportunity. Starting the week of February 27th we will have a series of groups meeting at the church, coffee shops, and homes around the St. Louis area. It will be a great time to meet new people and build friendships as well as look at how we can be a stronger Church in 2011.

Please prayerfully plan to join me in this study and upon the next great adventure.

Blessings on the journey,
~Pastor Kathleen

“Nets for Catembe” 100% of Goal!

Friends,

There are no words to express my gratitude at the amazing work you have done to raise 2,000 mosquito nets to help eradicate Malaria in Catembe Mozambique. We have received commitments at this point that will take us to our goal of 2,000 nets or a total of $20,000. These nets will be deployed in the area of Catembe Mozambique. Our church has been able to help and entire community find life giving hope. Thank you.

This is so huge for us to be able to do this, there is no way to calculate the lives that you are impacting through your generous and sacrificial giving to provide nets Catembe Mozambique.

We will keep you posted on the deployment plans and time line.

In the mean time, thank you.
Pastor Kathleen

Mosquito Nets For Catembe - Update

Our Campaign to provide mosquito nets for all of Catembe, Mozambique is exceeding expectations. Simply put, malaria kills. Nets can save lives.

Last year, we raised 220 nets to cover the members of our “sister” church, The Catembe United Methodist Church. This Year’s focus is on providing mosquito nets for everyone in the city of Catembe. We need 2000 nets to protect the women, children and families of Catembe. So far we have raised enough funds for 1239 nets. We are at 62% of our goal.

$10 Saves a Life — Buy a Mosquito Net, and give the gift of a healthy life to our brothers and sisters in Catembe! The nets are treated so that in addition to protecting people from mosquito bites, any mosquito that lands on the net is dead within a few minutes. The result is an 82% reduction of malaria cases in the area that the nets have been distributed.

Congratulations everyone for helping saves lives.
Pastor Kathleen

http://www.nothingbutnets.net/nets-save-lives/

The Wilder View . . . October 2010

Can you believe it? I was in a store the other day and saw Christmas decorations already…Christmas in October! It seems like the focus on Christmas and buying gifts happens earlier and earlier each year. There is a great pressure to find the perfect gift and to be able to purchase the newest technical gadget possible. Yet, the real meaning and purpose of Christmas is pushed into the background.

At Annual Conference this year, Michael Slaughter the pastor of Ginghamsburg, UMC spoke about something they began several years ago. The idea was simple… “Christmas is not your birthday.” Pastor Michael invited the congregation to begin to celebrate Christmas by recognizing that Christmas is the Christ’s birthday and that our giving and our focus should be on Christ versus seeing how many gifts we can buy for everyone else or for ourselves. He challenged the church to give as much to missions that Christmas as they spent on Christmas gifts. Over the next years, amazing things have happened through this church’s focus; wells have been built in the Sudan, schools built, and many lives have been saved!

At the last council meeting, I asked Lafayette Park to make a commitment this year to celebrate Christmas by giving the gift of health and life. Malaria is a horrible disease that greatly impacts many people in Africa. It is estimated that it kills 800,000 children each year in Africa.

You might remember that last summer God placed upon my heart a call to provide mosquito nets for the people of Catembe. We quickly raised enough money to provide nets to the members of our sister congregation. I have since come to understand that the call was for us to provide nets for everyone in Catembe.

Carol Kreamer, our mission coordinator for the Mozambique Initiative, told me recently about work that is happening with the United Nations Foundation. They have been piloting a mass deployment of mosquito nets to specific areas. The nets are treated so that in addition to protecting people from mosquito bites, any mosquito that lands on the net is dead within a few minutes. The result is an 82% reduction of malaria cases in the area that the nets have been distributed. Catembe is targeted to be one of six locations in Mozambique to have nets deployed.

The council agreed that our focus for Christmas this year will be to raise money for mosquito nets for the entire area of Catembe. The nets only cost $10 and they save many lives. I am asking you to become intentional about ways that you can raise money between now and Christmas that can go towards the mosquito nets. The day after council, I heard from members of the church who have pledged towards the nets. Jim and I will be making and selling pumpkin pies during the holidays with the proceeds going towards nets. The Wilder children will be hosting a yard sale in the future to raise money towards the nets as well. As you have opportunities to make a donation towards the nets, jot down what you did to raise the money. I think the stories behind our creative endeavors will provide an additional blessing to our brothers and sisters in Mozambique. Our total goal is 2,000 nets we have already sent in the funds for 200 nets from last year. We are already 10% there!

This Christmas the people of Lafayette Park will give gifts that reflect our gratitude for the gift of life we have received through the birth of Jesus. Let the creativity, planning, and excitement begin!

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kathleen

Wilder View - August 2010

Don’t you love the sounds of summer… children laughing as they splash in a swimming pool, the ice cream truck driving down your street, and conversation at backyard BBQs? Yet, there is one summer sound that I would venture to say, we all hate to hear – the sort of hum/buzz that sweeps around our head, the sensation of a tiny soft landing which prompts us to slap the mosquito that is threatening the calmness of the moment. I have yet to find someone that likes mosquitoes. Yet, for the majority of us in St. Louis, mosquitoes are just pests. For our brothers and sisters in Catembe, Mozambique, mosquitoes are deadly.

Many of you might remember last summer that I had this God experience at 3:15 in the morning. I was in a dead sleep when a dialogue of questions and answers went through my mind;

“Does the pastor of Catembe have mosquito nets for her family? To which I replied, “I don’t know.
“Well shouldn’t they?”
“Well, yes.”
“How are they going to get them?”
“Well I should get them.”
“What about the United Methodist Women at Catembe? Do they have nets?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well…“
“Ok, we will take care of them as well.”
“What about the men’s group?"
"Yes, of course”
“And what about the whole church of Catembe?”
“What if the people of Catembe could have some way to tangibly show the love of God to their whole community?”
“Ok, ok, I get it… we should get mosquito nets for all of Catembe.”

Then I was back to sleep. The next morning, my sermon changed half way through and I shared this dialogue with you all and some of you probably thought, “There she is, going crazy again.” Others of you thought “Wow, what a God moment!” In a very short time we were able to raise enough money to purchase a mosquito net (220 nets) for every family of Catembe United Methodist Church in Mozambique.

We found out as we began to send in our money in that there wasn’t a structure in place to get our nets directly to Catembe, so we slowed down in our efforts to get nets to cover the entire peninsula of Catembe, Mozambique.

Recently we found out that the United Nations Foundation has been conducting pilot programs of mass deployment of mosquito nets in an area to greatly reduce malaria in that area. They have received a success rate of 82% in the reduction of malaria in those pilot locations. Carol Kreamer our Missouri Mozambique Coordinator, along with many other people in Misri, and Mozambique are meeting weekly through Skype to discuss the mass distribution project for six areas of Mozambique. Catembe will be one of the areas!

For this to happen, they will need to find community groups that will go and survey the needs of the community so that they identify what each family will need. Then they will distribute the nets, and help install them. They will have to stop by several times during the next year to determine the effectiveness of the project. What a great mission project for the Catembe church to save the lives of many people in their community and tangibly show the love of God! The goal for this new distribution will be to get an 85% reduction of malaria in an area.

The nets that will be deployed are not just repellent nets. A mosquito will die within 10 minutes of landing on the net. The nets will help protect young children, elderly family members, and reduce the devastating reoccurring illness of malaria. On average, $10 provides for the net. If the Spirit nudges you to sponsor a net, or two, or more just note it on the memo line of your check or put it on the offering envelop.

Although God hasn’t nudged me at 3:15 am again, I think the original question remains, “Shouldn’t we help if we can?” I think the original answer remains as well, “Yes, of course.”

Shalom,
~Pastor Kathleen

Wilder View - March 2010

Putting God First Update!

In January’s newsletter we told you that as a faithful congregation, we are putting God First in every part of our daily church life. Thus, we have faithfully written a tithe check each week to ministry beyond our church. As of February 28, 2010 we have contributed $2,973.00. This completes our commitment to World Service. World Service funds a large number of ministries; theological education in Africa, age level programs, camps and retreats, Christian education, colleges and universities, media, global mission, as well as peace and justice issues to name a few.

This past December, I heard about a young 18 year old woman from Kenya who was helped by the World Service fund. She is the oldest of three children who had lost their father to AIDS when she was 12 years old and their mother to AIDS when she was 14. World Service provided missionaries who supported her family through the loss of their parents. They taught her how to farm, raise goats, and care for her two younger brothers. This Christmas, as a result of the efforts of those World Service Missionaries, she was able to provide Christmas dinner for other AIDS orphans in her village. World Service is dramatically touching lives and changing communities. Thank you for your support of ministry around the world.

"And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, . . . They . . . pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.”--Acts 2:44-45

As of February 28, 2010 we have sent $3,402.25. for Haiti relief through UMCOR – United Methodist Committee on Relief. 100% of this money will go directly to Haiti. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of millions.

~Pastor Kathleen

Time with Sharon: Mission Events

July 2009

“On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “… What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” Mark 6:1

At the beginning of Mission events, I like to begin with prayer. We stand in a circle and I ask everybody to put their hands out in front of them. Then I ask God’s blessing on our hands, as we go about doing Jesus’ work of loving our neighbor in our community.

Our hands are miraculous feats of engineering. They turn and twist every which way, reach and clasp, hold and release, cup, curve, spread, and clench. They are even outfitted with devises on the ends, enabling digging, piercing, and prying. We can hang from them, shake with them, and stand on them. They can propel us forward, and catch our falls. They have the capacity to break a stack of bricks with one chop, and in contrast, stroke a child’s cheek with ultimate tenderness. Our hands are indeed amazing, and able to do wondrous things.

Jesus used his hands a lot. When he was growing up, he learned carpentry skills from his earthly dad, cutting, measuring, and smoothing wood. As an adult, he traveled from place to place, shaking hands and blessing those who came to see him. With his hands, he touched the sick, conveying healing and comfort. With his hands, he gathered the children about him, holding them close, and sharing God’s love for them. Jesus raised his hands to quiet the turbulent sea, curved his hands for a better grip under the Temple tables before rearing back to flip them, and broke bread and fish with his hands, feeding the multitude with 12 basket left over. Finally, he stretched out his hands to receive the nails that became the ultimate sign of his love for us.

Jesus used the gift of his hands to love people.

How do you use your hands? Do your hands hold a crochet hook, a hammer, steering wheel, or a drill? Do you write notes, hold the hands of children, or stir a bucket of paint? Do your hands reach out to shake other hands in greeting, grip a spoon to serve a hot meal , or press together in prayer?

There are many ways to use our hands to celebrate God’s love for us.

My prayer for each of us is that we will find something to do with your hands during the remaining summer days that shares God’s love with others. I am certain that both we, and our hands, will be blessed.

Peace,
Pastor Sharon