Vacation Bible School Needs

Small jelly or peanut butter jars with lids

Small butter containers with lids

2 liter green pop bottles

You may drop these off in our west entrance or bring them to the church office. Thank you.

Pilgrim Heights

2008 Summer Camps

“Handle with Care”

This year we have:

Expanded Tracks for Grade 4-12

Music / Art /Drama Camps

Games / Challenge Camps

Water / Outpost Camps

Added New Camps for:

Adults (Week-long and Weekend)

Active Prime Timers

Counselors in Training (CIT)

And of Course, continued the Traditional Old Favorites:

K-12 Fun Camps

Family / Intergenerational Camps

Prime Time

Copies of the 2008 summer brochure are in the church. Registration Forms are available from the church secretary.

Blessings and peace to you,

Ann Graham, Executive Director

Email:  Ann.Graham@Pilgrim Heights.org.

Health Ministry

On June 8 the Outreach and Service Committee is planning a road cleanup near Mariposa Park under the

program. We will be meeting after worship to travel to the area and when our work is done, there will be a picnic at Mariposa. Everyone is invited to participate, even if you are not able to pick up the trash, as all are invited for the fellowship and picnic later. (And you don’t even need to bring food).

However, if you are participating in the clean-up activity, please come to worship dressed for ditch walking. Be sure to bring protective gloves and appropriate shoes. We will be provided with reflective vests, signs etc. and there will be hand washing materials available.

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The American Red Cross has scheduled a Babysitter’s Training Class for Thursday, June 5, at Aces Teen Club for youth ages 11 to 15.

A certified instructor will conduct the six- hour course, which will include the basic care of diapering, feeding, dressing and caring for infants and toddlers. The fee will be $25 and participants should bring a sack lunch.

To register please call Aces Teen Club at 792-8336.

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Thanks to a recent “First Five Fair” held at DMACC, you might be aware of Jasper County Empowerment services. Their mission is to support families with children and make available the tools necessary to have their child ready to attend school. Among the services available in the county are Child- care and Home Consultants, Skiff Homecare Nurse visits, a dental program, immunization clinics, the Parents as Teachers Program, Books for Beginners and preschool scholarships.

For more information about the programs and providers you may call 791-4892.

There are many services available in our county of which not everyone is aware and we need to get the word out.

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I will not have a set time to do blood pressure checks during the summer, but plan to be available any Sunday after worship for those who may want to have that done.

Live Simply

Love Generously

Care Deeply

Speak Kindly

Leave the rest to God.

Shalom,

Carolyn Hobbs, Parish Nurse

Questions & Answers (on page 5) copied with permission from The Joyful Noiseletter.

1. What is the first color mentioned in the Bible?

2. What color are sins, according to Isaiah?

Pastor’s Pick

(Stories from the Internet)

Here’s the beginning of another story I’ve picked off the internet. You’ll find the rest of the story on our church website at  www.uccnewton.org. (We also have printed copies available for those who don’t have access to the internet.)

Really Good Karma

He almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of evening, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His old Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

"I'm here to help you, ma'am," he said. "Why don't you wait in your car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."

All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan had the spare on the wheel in no time at all.

As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

"How much do I owe you," she asked.

"Oh, nothing at all," Bryan just smiled. "But if you see someone who needs help, just give them a hand and think of me."

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe…

(To read the rest of the story visit our website at  www.uccnewton.org and click on the Pastor’s Message link. If you lack internet access, you can get a copy in the church office.)

Portions of a letter from

Rev. Douglas & Dr. Elizabeth Searles

Doug & Liz are missionaries with Global Ministries (the combined witness of the United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ).

God is calling them to a new ministry with the Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland.

Believers in ten ERC churches and four meeting points have struggled to recover, renew and grow – spiritually and in numbers – in the post-Soviet era. Fewer than 1% of Poles are Protestant.

Seeking “a fresh way of thinking,” the church leadership has asked for a partnership with Global Ministries and with the Presbyterian Church, USA. Searles’ new call is to train leadership and laity to explore new ways to share the Good News and meet the deepest needs in their communities.

Their home base will be in Lodz (pronounced ‘Woodge’), the “second city” of Poland. To begin, they will train trainers to work with small group development, church music, and English language teachers.

Rev. Marek Izdebski put it well: “As we look at other former communist countries, we see many examples of how the life of long repressed churches has been renewed through partnerships…With these partnerships we know we are not alone, and they give hope for our future.”

Doug & Liz will soon be on their way to Poland. Their e-mail address is: thesearles@gmail.com

They said, “Write to us, wont’ you?”

Fall 2008 Women’s Gathering

of the Central Association

This Fall’s Gathering will be held Saturday September 27^th at Plymouth United Church of Christ

in Des Moines.

We’ll be Celebrating Creation, enjoying old friends and making new ones. Our guest minister/artist is Jackie Perry, Associate Pastor of First Congregational Church (UCC) in Moline, IL.

All women are invited for a day of fun and inspiration, beginning with coffee and registration at 9 am and closing at 3 pm. (You don’t need to be part of an organized women’s group.) More information will come later. Mark the date on your calendar, and do plan to be with us!

Jean Nelson

Plymouth Women’s Fellowship

Women’s Gathering Chair

(jnelson@ecity.net)

New Members

Aksel Joy, Madeleine Joy and Caitlyn Wing have completed their study in the Confirmation Class. They were welcomed into the membership of the church on Sunday, May 25^th.

Keep in Our Prayers

E. K. Shaw is receiving cancer treatments in Des Moines.

Sympathy

Our sympathy goes to Carol Robinson following the death of her sister, Thelma Janssen of Tama, on Friday, May 9.

Our sympathy goes to the family and friends of Paul Peck following his death on Saturday, May 24^th. Services were held in the church on Thursday, May 29^th.

Hats Off to …..

The following students named to the ‘A’ honor roll at Newton Community High School: Meredith Caves, Kendra Haack, Tyler Haack, Laura Parker, Ben Schober, and Kailer Stevenson-Clark.

The following students named to the ‘B’ honor roll at Newton Community High School: Ginger Dack and Connor Ringgenberg.

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Each month, we would like to celebrate the accomplishments of our folks and their families. If you or a member of your family, or another family in the church, has something to celebrate, please call, e-mail, or write the church office and let us know. Addresses and phone numbers are on the outside of the newsletter.

Thank You

Rev. Dack, Members, and Staff of Congregational United Church of Christ,

Thank you for permitting me to use your church for my students’ recital. The atmosphere and acoustics are wonderful.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

Marcia Kearney

   Our Church Family

   in the Military

Brigadier General David A. Cotton, USAF, stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, son of Curran & Jane Ann Cotton.

Capt. Scott Hermann, USAF, stationed at Vandenburg AFB, California, nephew of Curran & Jane Ann Cotton.

AE2 Rob Pryke, U. S. Navy, stationed at Andrews AFB in Maryland, son of Jim & Jenny Pryke, brother of Megan Pryke and Steve & Katy Stonehocker.

Sgt. Drew Shipley, Army, stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, son of Kevin & Darci Shipley, brother of Bailee Shipley, and nephew of Brenda Wilson.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Do you have any additions or changes for this list? If so, please contact the church office. Please include any children, grandchildren, nephews or nieces, cousins, etc.

Thank You, Choir

A big “Thank You” to the choir members, Bev Thomas-director and Judy Brody-organist for all your hard work and dedication. You provided us with beautiful music to enhance our worship experience.

We’ll see you in church on Sundays, and look forward to September when the choir is back.

Quotes Shared by a Member

“People see God every day, they just don’t recognize him.             – Pearl Bailey

“When we do what we can, God will do what we can’t.”

     – Seen at New Prospect Church, Anderson, South Carolina

“Sometime we have to replace a few ‘what ifs’ with some good old fashioned ‘so whats’.”

                                 - Denny Brake, Raleigh, North Carolina

Cars and Boys Get Help at Brooklawn

At CHHSM member ministry Brooklawn Child and Family Services in Louisville, Kentucky, the staff works to help boys overcome serious emotional disturbances and to find foster or adoptive placements. So how did they get involved in oil changes and brake work?

For teenaged boys at Brooklawn, part of healing is developing self-esteem through vocational education, and the ministry operates an accredited special education school in collaboration with the Jefferson County Public Schools. In April 2005, the two organizations opened the Brooklawn Auto Service Training Center, a working garage where boys aged 13-18 can learn what it takes to be qan auto mechanic.

Boys at Brooklawn and other state agency schools can participate in the program as long as they ;meet behavioral standards; between 20 and 22 take part on most days. The Training Center offers classroom instruction as well as hands-on training under the supervision of instructors, who are employed by the school system.

How’s the service? After a few months in business, with only word-of-mouth advertising, the Auto Service Training Center had a two-week waiting list for cars in need of repair. And since the boys’ labor is free, customers pay only for parts. “I had my brakes done there and it cost $50,” said a satisfied customer, “whereas it would have been at least five times that somewhere else.”

Although Brooklawn’s program does not provide formal certification for employment, program instructor Bill Greenwell feels confident about his students’ skills. “I can take a student who’s never set food inside a shop and make him employable in a year,” said Greenwell. “Now that’s entery-level employment, but that’s m ore ethan most people have who walk in off the street looking for a job in an auto shop.”

To learn more about Brooklawn Child and Family Services and its programs, please visit www.brooklawn.net. Remember, Our Church’s Wider Mission helps support UCC-related health and human service facilities like Brooklawn. Thank you!

Making Choices, Improving Lives

TheKukhany’OkushaZion Church (KZC) OF Swaziland has a relationship with Hope House, an HIV Hospice. In 2006, church leaders decided to share a portion of their funds with Hope House. Initially, the leaders offered Hope House $500 (US) for food supplements, because it is commonly known that people who are taking drug regiments must eat nutritious food. But in addition, representatives from the church went to Hope House to ask in what ways they could be of help. This allowed Hope House leaders to make a choice.

As the conversation began, Rev. Mkhonta made one or two suggestions for how the church thought the funds might be used. Hope House Director Ms. Dlamini, thanked the KZC leaders for their concern and willingness to share, and then offered her idea.

Hope House had recently received an industrial washer and dryer. However, because of very low water pressure, soiled linens and clothing could not be cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized properly. A secondary water pump would increase the pressure of water to the washing machine, allowing for sanitary bedding. Now the pump given by KZC is truly a blessing to the entire Hope House community. And it confirms that asking pertinent questions, and listening carefully to the response, is often far more helpful than offering solutions.