From Pastor John
Have you heard the buzz yet?
That buzz is the folks talking about what in the world that we’re doing in our backyard. That’s a good thing! I do want to give you some answers for the question you might get, or you might hear.
Yes, the boat is open to be used by anyone. Until we have some firm guidelines posted, here’s a few rules of thumb to go by. Its open from dawn to dusk. Young kids need adult supervision. Please be respectful of others. Adults, be careful when using the slides. You don’t want to find out what a sausage feels like from the inside on the tornado slide.
If someone asks why we built a boat, you can tell them that its a reminder for us and our community that no matter what is happening around us in the world, our churches will provide a safe place to ride out the storm. God always provides and He always keeps His promises.
We will be getting grass planted so that it won’t always be dirt around it. There will be softer mats that will be going down under the swings and at the slides. We’ve also got a trash can that will be in place soon. As you take your kids, grandkids, neighbors, etc. over to play, look for things that we can do to help them really enjoy their time. One that we’ve heard already that would be really good, is to put a picture by the fireman’s pole that shows younger kids how to use it. Things like that.
We want them to enjoy their experience! The garden is also open. We’ll have some signs out for it soon as well. Its open for anyone. Good rules of (green) thumb for it are: if you see a weed, pull it; if it needs watered, water; if it needs to be picked, pick it. It’s meant to be enjoyed by everyone.
We’ve also got some other less exciting, but important things going on outside the church. We’ve got another awning that will be replaced, we’re looking at adding signs to help folks know where things are, things like that.
But all of this is a first step. These are the things we can do now that show folks that we’re hear and we’re at work. There are other things that we will continue doing behind the scenes. We are going to start our first listening sessions this month, which will lead to planning meetings later in the fall. I want you to be a part of that!! When the dates for the listening sessions come out, please sign-up. What you have to say, what you’ve been observing, and what you’re feeling is very important for us as a church.
But, for now, I’m looking forward to dedication Sunday, having brunch, and seeing what more God has in store for us.
Peace,
Pastor John
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Starting Soon
On September 19th Donna Moore’s Sunday School class will be starting back up! It’ll meet at 9am in the second floor of the education wing. Its best for ages youth and up.
Also on September 19th the Youth will be trying out the new frisbee golf course down at the park. We’re looking for a couple of adults that may have some skills with a frisbee to help us out some more.
Sharing Table
September is our last month for the Sharing Table in the back of the sanctuary until next June. We welcome donations of fresh produce, homemade baked and canned goods and plants through Sunday September 26. All are sold for a donation which is sent to eight Missouri based service organizations. Thank you to all who have donated and purchased items this year.
Do you have plans for Sunday Sept. 12? I hope its at worship with us! We’ll be outside (for what looks like a great weather day so far). We’ll have brunch at 10am and then worship at 10:30am.
We’re going to dedicate our backyard space, including the Noah’s Ark playset and our Community Garden. If you haven’t seen them yet, come join us so you can take a look.
We’re also going to share a fun meal together. Its a potluck brunch! If you need ideas for what to bring, or just want to let us know what you’re bringing, you can sign-up by clicking on the link, Brunch Sign-Up. You don’t have to sign-up. The great thing about a brunch is that you can bring whatever you want, and it will be great.
Bring your lawn chairs or blankets to sit in for worship. We’ll also have some chairs and tables out as well. If you want, you can even drive up and sit in your car!
That Sunday we’re also going to say a special thank you to our teachers and school employees for the great work they’re doing, and take time to say a special prayer for them and for our kids.
Come join us for a great Sunday! I hope to see you there. Also, if you’ve ever wanted to see a preacher preach from a boat, this is your chance.
Give to UMCOR
Do you want to help folks who have been hit with natural and man-made disasters? You can give to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) who is already at work in those places. You can give online by going to
https://umcmission.org/response-page/
Wedding Celebrations
Scott and Laura are getting married on Sept 18th at 3pm. You’re invited to share in that great celebration!
Also, the Tuesday Prayer Group is hosting a shower for them on Sept. 26th at 2pm and all are welcome to come. Suggested gifts are gift cards to local restaurants, Prenger's, Walmart, and other similar places.
Monthly Calendar
Mondays
7am-7:30am Scripture Reading on KDWD 99.1
Tuesdays
4pm Centering Prayer Live on our Facebook Page
5pm Prayer Group in the Elementary Sunday School Classroom
Fridays
7am-7:30am Scripture Reading on KDWD 99.1
Sundays
Online Worship on our website (click on the link for Sunday's date)
9am Worship in the Sanctuary
10:10am Worship in the Sanctuary
Other Church Events
9/6 Labor Day
9/6 3pm-5pm Food Pantry in the Fellowship Hall
9/8 1:30pm Orpha Circle in the Fellowship Hall
9/12 10am Dedication Sunday Brunch in the backyard
9/12 10:30am Dedication Sunday Worship in the backyard
9/14 Tour Lunch!!!
9/17 5pm Scott/Laura Wedding Rehearsal
9/18 3pm Scott/Laura Wedding
9/19 9am Donna’s Sunday School Class starts
9/19 After worship Youth playing frisbee golf
9/20 3pm-5pm Food Pantry in the Fellowship Hall
9/29 6:30pm Church Council in the Fellowship Hall
Community Calendars
Marceline School Calendar
My Country 99.1 Community Calendar
Office Hours
Beth: Wed-Fri, 8am-2pm
Pastor John: Monday all day,others by appointment (or stop in)
Questions for Listening Sessions
Below are questions I’d like you to consider for our listening sessions:
What do you see as the purpose of the church?
In your opinion, what are the most important ministries of the church?
How would you describe our church to someone new to our area?
What do you think are the greatest needs of our community?
When you talk to someone who is struggling/hurting what scripture/songs/words of comfort would you share with them?
What has changed for you during Covid? What has remained the same?
How has our community changed? How has it remained the same?
How do you live differently now than you did before March 2020?
What is your greatest fear about any changes that might or might not come from Covid?
What gives you hope?
Parish Nurses Note- Masks
We are told to wear a mask; don’t wear a mask. It protects you and those around you; masks don’t work.
They help keep you from getting sick; masks make you sick. What is one to believe when we are constantly flooded with conflicting messages?
Way back when Covid first entered the picture and everyone was making those cotton masks, I was not a fan of masks for the general public. I didn’t think a piece of cotton would stop something as small as a virus. There was concern that the general public would not know how to properly put on and remove a mask without contaminating themselves. I have since changed my mind about the importance of masking. What changed you might ask?
The answer is science, which is continually evolving along with the virus. As stated in JAMA (Journal of American Medicine Association) article of February 10, 2021 below, scientific evidence has increased providing compelling data in support of mask wearing to reduce the spread of infection.
Mask Wearing for COVID-19 Prevention—Summary of CDC Data
Prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the efficacy of community mask wearing to reduce the spread of respiratory infections was controversial because there were no solid relevant data to support their use. During the pandemic, the scientific evidence has increased. Compelling data now demonstrate that community mask wearing is an effective non-pharmacologic intervention to reduce the spread of this infection, especially as source control to prevent spread from infected persons, but also as protection to reduce wearers’ exposure to infection.
COVID-19 spreads primarily through respiratory droplets exhaled when infected people breathe, talk, cough, sneeze, or sing. Most of these droplets are smaller than 10 μm in diameter, often referred to as aerosols. The amount of small droplets and particles increases with the rate and force of airflow during exhalation (e.g. shouting, vigorous exercise).
Exposure is greater the closer a person is to the source of exhalations. Larger droplets fall out of the air rapidly, but small droplets and the dried particles formed from them (e.g. droplet nuclei) can remain suspended in the air. In circumstances with poor ventilation, typically indoor enclosed spaces where an infected person is present for an extended period, the concentrations of these small droplets and particles can build sufficiently to transmit infection.
Community mask wearing substantially reduces transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2 ways. First, masks prevent infected persons from exposing others to SARS-CoV-2 by blocking exhalation of virus-containing droplets into the air (termed source control). This aspect of mask wearing is especially important because it is estimated that at least 50% or more of transmissions are from persons who never develop symptoms or those who are in the presymptomatic phase of COVID-19 illness. In recent laboratory experiments, multilayer cloth masks were more effective than single-layer masks, blocking as much as 50% to 70% of exhaled small droplets and particles.
In some cases, cloth masks have performed similar to surgical or procedure masks for source control. Second, masks protect uninfected wearers. Masks form a barrier to large respiratory droplets that could land on exposed mucous membranes of the eye, nose, and mouth. Masks can also partially filter out small droplets and particles from inhaled air. Multiple layers of fabric and fabrics with higher thread counts improve filtration. However, the observed effectiveness of cloth masks to protect the wearer is lower than their effectiveness for source control, and the filtration capacity of cloth masks can be highly dependent on design, fit, and materials used. Standards for cloth masks are needed to help consumers select marketed products.
Epidemiological investigations have helped quantify the benefit of mask wearing to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. At a hair salon in which all staff and clients were required to wear a mask under local ordinance and company policy, symptomatic, infected stylists attended to 139 clients and no infections were observed in the 67 clients who were reached for interviewing and testing. During a COVID-19 outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, persons who wore masks experienced a 70% lower risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Similar reductions have been reported in case contact investigations when contacts were masked and in household clusters in which household members were masked.
An increasing number of ecological studies have also provided persuasive evidence that universal mandatory mask wearing policies have been associated with reductions in the number or rate of infections and deaths. These studies did not distinguish the types of masks (cloth, surgical, or N95) used in the community. This association is strengthened because, in many cases, other mitigation strategies (e.g. school and workplace closures, recommendations for social distancing, hand hygiene) had already been deployed before enactment of mask wearing policies, after which the reductions were observed. A study that examined changes in growth rates for infections in 15 states and the District of Columbia before and after mask mandates showed that rates were growing before the mandates were enacted and slowed significantly after, with greater benefit the longer the mandates had been in place.
Wearing a mask can become uncomfortable, particularly for long periods in warm environments, and covering the nose and mouth may inhibit verbal and nonverbal communication, particularly for children and deaf individuals. However, children aged 7 to 13 years have been shown to be able to make accurate inferences about the emotions of others with partially covered faces, and the US Food and Drug Administration recently approved a transparent surgical mask that may be useful in such circumstances. Concerns about reduced oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide retention when wearing a mask have not been supported by available data.
The overall community benefit of wearing masks derives from their combined ability to limit both exhalation and inhalation of infectious virus. Similar to the principle of herd immunity for vaccination, the greater the extent to which the intervention—mask wearing in this case—is adopted by the community, the larger the benefit to each individual member. The prevalence of mask use in the community may be of greater importance than the type of mask worn. It merits noting that a recent study has been improperly characterized by some sources as showing that cloth or surgical masks offer no benefit.
This randomized trial in Denmark was designed to detect at least a 50% reduction in risk for persons wearing surgical masks. Findings were inconclusive,10 most likely because the actual reduction in exposure these masks provided for the wearer was lower. More importantly, the study was far too small (enrolled about 0.1% of the population) to assess the community benefit achieved when wearer protection is combined with reduced source transmission from mask wearers to others.
During past national crises, persons in the US have willingly united and endured temporary sacrifices for the common good. Recovery of the nation from the COVID-19 pandemic requires the combined efforts of families, friends, and neighbors working together in unified public health action. When masks are worn and combined with other recommended mitigation measures, they protect not only the wearer but also the greater community. Recommendations for masks will likely change as more is learned about various mask types and as the pandemic evolves. With the emergence of more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, it is even more important to adopt widespread mask wearing as well as to redouble efforts with use of all other non-pharmaceutical prevention measures until effective levels of vaccination are achieved nationally.
-Carol Klingsmith, R.N.
Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Prayer List
Breakthrough Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come show us how we can be the spiritual heart of this community, Amen
Goals: Grow in faith, Understand our role in the community, Listening for God's voice daily
Groups:
Church: Denomination, Conference, Area UMC's, Area Churches
Schools: Students, Teachers, Administrators, Employees
Government: Leaders, Local, County, State, National
Young Adults, Newcomers, Unchurched
Situations: Hurricane Relief, Wildfires, Covid-19 Pandemic, Racism, Economic Disparity
Individuals: John Hendrickson, Dardar Family, Harold Meyers, Jim Lane, Adam Litchtenberg, Blake Linebaugh, Bill Westfall, Pat Watkins, Kris Wyatt & Kristen, Glenn’s sister Reba, Pat Biswell, Bob Marriott, Ed McLachlan, John Hendrickson, Kevin Stanfield, Ron Chrisman, Gene Liebhart, Linda Sterbenz, Gary Carlson, Kyle Lake, Linda Ewigman, Kara Robinson, Angie Builder, Bob & Pat Magee, Zoe Tolliver, Joan Sportsman, Shane Cavanah, Dan Brooks, Wayne Heins, Ruth Farris, Lynn Fellmann, C.A. Lain, Thomas Wellman
Pioneer: Mabel Worley, Marilyn Mears
Life Care: Annie George
Lenoir Woods: Ed McLachlan
Military Service
Patric Munson, Nick Cain, LTC John Casey Welch, Tyler Nanneman, Jeffrey Tucker, Kelly Tucker, Brandon Wellman, Heath Floray, Steve Graves, Michael Pyrtle, William Leukenotte, Kerry Lowrey