October Tumbleweed 02

EDEN PRAIRIE

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ATTENTION! Members of Prairie Church. DO NOT TALK to the members of the Church Ministry Council for the first 10 minutes following worship each Sunday. Why? Because they have committed to devoting that time each Sunday to greet and meet guests and visitors who come to worship with us.

At the September meeting of the Church Ministry Council (CMC), the members present took time to review some basic approaches to greeting guests. Here are a few:

Consider the church your home and a church guest as a visitor who comes to your home. If you are aloof or disinterested they will interpret the church as being the same. If you are friendly and engaging they will interpret the church as the same. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. Say something like: “Hi. I don’t believe I know you, I’m (name). Are you a member of the church or is this your first time at worship?” Invite them to have a cup of coffee and refreshments following worship. Introduce them to someone else, and stay to keep the conversation going.

Show them information if they have questions.

Introduce them to the pastors.

Welcoming guests is the responsibility of each one of us. It is important to welcome the stranger in our midst for they have come searching for the inclusive grace of God. And we are the ones God is using to share that grace.

The Welcoming Ministry Team and Church Staff will be getting weekly “progress reports” on how we are doing as a welcoming congregation. Along with the welcome letter sent to first time guests is a reply card asking for anonymous feedback about the Sunday experience. The card asks these questions:

I was welcomed warmly: yes/no

I found out about Eden Prairie United Methodist from friend / neighbor, Yellow Pages, driving by, web site, other.

The worship service was: helpful, not what I was looking for.

Adequate parking was available: yes/no

I will/will not return because of:

Being welcoming is about more than “being friendly or nice” to guests, it is about letting God’s grace and love be expressed through us. The following story illustrates the importance of our work:

A pastor was astonished by the welcome he received upon his arrival at a retreat center. He had just arrived at an ancient Coptic monastery out in the desert, nearly a day’s journey from Cairo, Egypt. The monks treated him as if he were the one important guest they had been awaiting since the place was established in the twelfth century. They served him a fine meal, showed him to a comfortable room, and brought him a bouquet of flowers. The abbot of the monastery, Father Jeremiah, then greeted him.

“Wow!” said the pastor. “You sure know how to treat visitors.”

Father Jeremiah replied: “We always treat guests as if they were angels, just to be safe.” (Herb Miller – “How To Build a Magnetic Church”)

Play it safe next Sunday!! Greet the guests as if they were angels. The writer of Hebrews (12:1) said: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Together, let us embody God’s unconditional love with all who come among us.

Shalom,

Pastor Mike Miller

WELCOME TO EDEN PRAIRIE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Challenged by Christ’s example to be the embodiment of God’s profound love, Eden Prairie United Methodist Church welcomes everyone regardless of age, creed, ethnic origin or race, gender, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientation, family status or structure. Empowered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to caring and concern for all.

At EPUMC

HARVEST HYMN FESTIVAL

AND

CONGREGATIONAL POTLUCK

(We are again combining our

Harvest Hymn Festival with our

“Traditions” Congregational Potluck)

Sunday evening, October 27, 2002

5:30 P.M.—Harvest Hymn Festival

“Sounds Of Joy” from Wee Kids, Prairie Kids, Youth Choir, Youth Handbells, Adult Handbells, Chancel Choir &………

6:30 P.M.—Congregational Potluck

Mark your calendars for this

special evening and bring your

favorite family food to share.

See you October 27th ! ! !

October Youth News

~Wednesdays you won’t want to miss for Grades 5 – 9

Genesis:

Oct. 2: Game Night! Don’t miss the fun and laughter of game night.

Oct. 9: Ever been embarrassed? You aren’t the only one! Come see what kinds of scrapes a donkey named Balaam gets into.

Oct. 16: No Genesis due to MEA

Oct. 17-18: Sign up to help with getting donations for the Silent Auction.

Oct 23: Anyone ever tell you that you couldn’t do something because you’re just a kid? God doesn’t! Come meet Tim, a guy in the Bible who had everybody talking!

Oct. 30: Come get ready for Halloween as we play games, stoke up the fire, and tell scary stories.

Compass!

Oct 2: Problems, Prayers, and Praises. Those crazy psalms. Who gets it?!?!

Oct 9: Come explore choices and consequences in the Old Testament

Oct 16: No Compass due to MEA

Oct 17-18: Sign up to help with getting donations for the Silent Auction.

Oct 23: God has promised you a lot! Come find out what it is you’re promised!

Oct 30: There’s nothing better than sitting around a fire and getting… SCARED!

Come hear scary stories and share some of your own!

Confirmation:

Oct 2: Sponsor Night— If you need a sponsor, call Leah (952.937.8781)

Oct 9: Everyone says we have a new life in Christ. What the heck does that mean?

Oct 16: No Confirmation due to MEA

Oct 23: Now’s your chance to discuss what God’s will for you might be…

Oct 30: No Confirmation

November 1-3 RETREAT!!! Meet at the church by 5:45 with dinner in your belly. We will return at 3pm on Sunday.

Cost is $90 and needs to be turned into Leah by October 5^th.

-Super Sundays-

Higher Grounds:

Oct 6: Harvest Game Night: Come see Elizabeth, TJ, Kate and Leah make fools of themselves trying to play these crazy games.

Oct 13: Faith Study

Oct 20: No Sr. High due to MEA.

Help with Silent Auction donations over the break (October 17-18).

Oct 25-27: Make a Difference Day!!! It’s back…!!! Bring your own box, we’re sleeping on the street! Also bring a canned food donation, a sleeping bag, lots of warm clothes, and anything else you might need to stay warm. And don’t forget your homework—you’ll have tons of time to sit around! Come at 6:00 pm on Friday and leave after church on Sunday. We’re going to be raising money for the Round House project that builds houses for people in El Salvador.

Sunday School:

 Sr. High (9-12) is at 10:30 in the Youth Room

          every Sunday.

 Jr. High (7-8) is at 10:30 in the Library every

         Sunday.

 All Grades under 7^th participate in the Rotation

        Schedule. Meet in the Fellowship Hall after

        Children’s Time at either 9:00 or 10:30 worship.

OUR YOUTH INVOLVED IN A SPECIAL SOCIAL MINISTRY PROJECT !

Our church’s Social Action Ministry will be supporting the people of Central America by funding permanent housing in El Salvador, called the Roundhouse Project. A Roundhouse is a local innovation which uses inexpensive building materials for a permanent structure costing $2,000 (yes, that’s really $2,000, not a typo). See the Social Action Ministry bulletin board in the narthex for more detail on Roundhouses. Previously, most of the shelter in villages was extremely temporary fabrication such as blue plastic tarps supported by stakes. They are subject to deterioration from UV rays and destruction by frequent hurricanes, requiring reconstruction at the occupant’s expense from a very limited income (only several hundred dollars/yr). A Roundhouse offers permanent, weatherproof shelter and is the basis for further social and economic development in a village. Our goal is for our congregation to fund one or more Roundhouses.

Our church’s Senior High Youth Ministry, Higher Grounds, will begin the support of the Roundhouse project with a sleep-out on the weekend of October 25-27 (over Make-A-Difference Day-October 26), which will highlight the cause of permanent housing for people everywhere.

You can support them and Roundhouses with a financial contribution to support this worthy effort.