January 18 to February 15, 2022
Syracuse Calvary United Methodist
E-Navigator
Address: P.O. Box 9, Syracuse, IN 46567
Email: syrcalv@kcaccess.com:
Website: www.syracusecalvaryumc.org
Church: 574-457-3778
From Pastor Paul:
As I sit here in my office looking out the window, it’s raining and the wind chill is hovering around 30 degrees. It’s on days like today when I think how nice it would have been to stay in bed wrapped in a warm blanket or to be sitting in front of a warm fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate. However, I realize that we can’t always do what we want to do. In fact many times in life we find ourselves dealing with climate changes (and I don’t mean just the temperature) that we just don’t want to face. We would rather be anyplace but where we are.
Every year, many of us resolve to do things differently in the coming year. We do so in hopes that maybe the coming year will be the year that we overcome some of the addictions and habits that have become a burden in our lives. Maybe you resolved to lose weight. Maybe you thought that it was time to lay off the chocolates or caffeine. Maybe you decided this was the year you were going to make amends with someone whom you have had a falling out with. One month into the New Year, I can’t help but wonder how many of you are struggling to keep those New Year’s Resolutions that you set. We tend to make excuses and the climate might not always seem right for change. Many outside circumstances force us to alter our commitments and so we struggle along doing the best we can.
As Christians, we have been called to present the Gospel message to the world. To do so, we need to change our way of thinking and find a way to come together. It is only when we come together that we are truly the body of Christ. It is as a collection of members that we accomplish the works of apostles, prophets, teachers and healers. It is only when we work together that the whole Christian story can be told.
Last Sunday we embarked upon a journey to be unified in prayer as a church community. Through this Prayer Initiative we are making a commitment to come together in prayer (this prayer can be found in this month’s E-Navigator, our weekly Guidelines for Prayer and the bulletin each week) on a regular basis and listen for God’s guidance (nudgings) through the process. The leadership at Calvary believes that this is one way we can come together as a unified body and as we share our stories about what God has laid on our hearts we will begin to understand how God is calling us to present the Gospel message to the community that we serve. This will allow us to focus on matters outside our own personal lives and perhaps change the narrative of this church as we venture out into the unknown future.
So, how will we tell the Christian story in the year that lies ahead? What New Year’s Resolutions will we make as the body of Christ in our church today, and what will we do to show that our commitment is more than skin deep? This is the year to:
- Show real warmth as we reach out to the community, welcome visitors to our congregation, and work to strengthen the bonds of Christian community among us.
- Demand authenticity in our Christian education, congregational care and personal interaction inside, and outside, of the church, so that we won’t settle for pat answers to difficult questions or challenges.
- Encourage passion in our worship and outreach to our community, so that everyone will feel and see, our commitment to the work of our gracious and powerful God.
- Focus on Jesus in every aspect of our church’s life, so that we will be able to deepen our relationship with the One who is our Lord and our Savior.
Warmth, Authenticity, Passion and Jesus. These are the four key characteristics of a healthy church, and they are the four qualities that will be decisive for the vitality of the body of Christ in 2023 and in the years to come. See you Sunday!!
Pastor Paul
Pastor Paul Burris Weekly Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Church Office Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 7:30 am – 2:30 pm
Breakthrough Prayer Initiative During Epiphany (through February 19)
Calvary United Methodist Church
God, please break through and open doors to new
hopes, dreams and possibilities for our church and
in our own lives…and we will surrender and faith-
fully follow Christ onto the open road adventure of
Your new and unknown future.
May Your will be done. Amen!
Join us in prayer renewal of our own hearts and of Calvary’s life together and ministries for our community and world. Please devote 5 to 10 minutes two or three times per week, offering this prayer and then listening for Spirit-nudges for any area of Calvary’s life. Plan to stay after worship for conversation on our Spirit-inspired breakthroughs
January 22 and February 19. For conversation about your Spirit-nudges, please contact Pastor Paul Burris (260-609-9260), Dwight Judy (574-457-6119), or Roz Schwartz (574-453-8213).
PRESENTATION OF OUR GIFTS TO GOD
2023 Budget - $209,423
Received through January 15, 2022 – $6,507
Need per week - $4,207
Attendance January 15, 2022 -- 56
Altar Flowers Needed
Sundays, January 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and February 5, 12, 19, 26.
If you would like to contribute altar flowers, sign your name on the date of the hallway calendar, or call the church office at (457-3778) or emailing the church at syrcalv@kcaccess.com. You may deliver or we will have someone deliver for you. Some ideas are flowers for anniversaries, birthdays, our children and grandchildren and to God’s Glory.
January 18—31
19—Thurs., (today) J.U.L.I.E.T.S meeting at 11:30 at the Coffee Depot
24-- Tues., Ladies Bible Study, 1:00 -2:00, Activities Room
25—Wed., R.O.M.E.O.S meet for lunch at Louie’s Bar & Grill, 11:30
28—Sat., Fellowship Hall is reserved
31—Tues., Ladies Bible Study, 1-2:00 pm, Activities Room
February 1-15
2 – Thurs., Staff Parish meeting at 5:00 in Fellowship Hall
5 – Sun., Communion Sunday, Pantry Sunday (bring spinach & pasta)
6 --Mon., Trustees meeting at 6:00 in Fellowship Hall
Purple Hearts meet at 9:00 am in the Activities Room
7—Tues., Ladies Bible Study, 1:00-2:00 in the Activities Room
10--Fri., Community dinner, 5:30-7:00 in Fellowship Hall
14—Tues., Stewardship & Finance meet, 6:00 pm in Fellowship Hall
15—Wed., E-Navigator mailed
16—Thurs., J.U.L.I.E.T.S meet at 11:30, tentatively Peterson’s Fish
Food Pantry
Food Pantry Sunday is the first Sunday of each month. Specific items you can bring for February are spinach and pasta sauce. These items can be placed in the narthex and a volunteer from our church will take it to the Syracuse Food Pantry.
7th Annual “Night of Hope & Inspiration”
Fellowship Missions, Kosciusko County’s homeless and recovery shelter, is presenting a concert that promises to be inspirational. It is Sunday evening, January 29 at 7:00 pm at Grace College, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake. The purposes are to raise operating funds and investing in the community. For more information, go to FaceBook.com, “Fellowship Missions.”
THANK YOU
The Missions Team (Outreach) thanks everyone who so generously donated to the Angel Tree. The school was able to help 41 families this year! These donations help families have a Merry Christmas.
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