Edwardsville United Methoditst Church
United Methodist Church
Welcome!
REV BEV SAYS...
I got by “with a little help from my friends”.
Last Monday dawned bright and cool. I faced four rooms of white walls with high hopes and 7 gallons of paint. By 3:00 p.m. everything was coated and I could already imagine the dramatic end result. On Tuesday, we put a second coat on the kitchen and the dining room. On Wednesday the final coat was rolled onto the living room and voila! I love it. Stop by and see it soon. A heartfelt thanks to my friends: Paul and Donna Gibson, Gary Carter, Debby and Bob Maurer, Steve Sheckell, Donna Gapp, Nathan Bleecker, Aafke Bleecker, Peggy Liebert, and Doug and Maria Dodge (who lent their ladder) and Carolyn Shirely (who helped to feed us). God bless you all. I think of your willing hands and hearts as I enjoy the color.
“Swimming with Sharks”
It?s nearly summer and I?m dying to get into the water. My favorite vacation is to be anywhere there is a beach, but particularly where there is blue water. I am a gifted floater… I?m not fat, I?m “buoyant”… really buoyant.
My daughter Kristen is not so much a beach person as her mom. She was just on the island of Santorin in Greece in some of the clearest blue water in the world. She bravely swam out with her friends, but confessed she was very nervous about what manner of Mediterranean creatures were swimming with her. I advised Kristen to get a snorkel and mask for her next swim, because I have found if I can see the creature that I imagine is about to take a bite of my toes down in the deep, I am not so afraid of him. On the contrary, when his wondering eyes look into mine, I may even swim closer and reach out to him.
Are there sharks in the water? Undoubtedly. But there are also beautiful creatures who are just as curious about me as I am about them. Perhaps they even need me to care about their habitat, their food source, their survival.
This summer Pastor Kevin and I are preaching a series of sermons on “Swimming with the Sharks”. We will be asking difficult questions about how we as Christians relate our faith in Jesus Christ in a sea of fellow men and women, many of whom we have not taken the time to know and understand. Perhaps we have even labeled them “Sharks!” and jumped out of the water in terror. Join us as we explore the deep together and learn to reach out to all God?s people.
Blessings,
Rev
A MONTH OF SUNDAYS...
9AM & 11AM Worship
June 7...COMMUNION/Graduate Sunday Pastor Bev preaching “If I Knew Then What I Know Now” (Romans 8:12-17)
June 14...Youth Commissioning Pastor Bev preaching “Kingdom Builders & Growers” (Mark 4:26-34, Ephesians 4:12)
June 21...Father?s Day / Youth Report Pastor Bev preaching June 28...[Annual Conference] Edith Bleecker preaching “He Knows My Name”
In July we begin a new sermon series: “Swimming With the Sharks…”
July 5...Communion / Annual Conf. Report Pastor Kevin preaching “SWS and Sharing Your Faith” (Revelation 1:9-18)
July 12... Pastor Bev preaching “SWS: People with No Faith”
July 19... Pastor Bev preaching “SWS: The De-Churched” (Revelation 3)
July 26... Pastor Bev preaching “SWS: Notorious Sinners”(Revelation 2)
