Union Park Baptist Church
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017
Union Park Baptist Church Love God | Love People | Serve Others
HEARING GOD THROUGH HIS WORD [Ryan] If you ask followers of Christ whether or not they desire to truly hear from God, it would be surprising if someone actually says no. We want to hear from God. We want to know how to hear from God. One way we hear from God is through His word, the Bible. A roadblock that prevents us from hearing God through the Bible is how we understand the Bible. Dallas Willard, in his book Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, says:
821 Arthur Ave., Des Moines, IA 50316 (515)265-5258 [email protected] upbcdesmoines.com
ST AFF: Wes Foster Team Pastor [email protected] Ryan McDonald Team Pastor [email protected] Wendy Highsmith Youth Pastor [email protected] Kay Sly Director of Wee Care [email protected] Callie Hayworth Administrative Assistant [email protected]
“If we are really to understand the Bible record, we must enter into our study of it on the assumption that the experiences recorded there are basically of the same type as ours would have been if we had been there. Those who lived through those experiences felt very much as we would have if we had been in their place. Unless this comes home to us, the things that happened to the people in the Bible will remain unreal to us. We will not genuinely be able to believe the Bible or find its contents to be real, because it will have no experiential substance for us.” (44) As we read the Bible, we should picture ourselves in the shoes of Moses, Gideon, one of the Twelve, Paul, or many others and imagine ourselves as capable of the same experiences. We should not assume that any of these people in the biblical storyline were or are somehow on an elevated spiritual plane that is unattainable to us. Doing this can make the Bible irrelevant to us. Willard explains a common response to this proposed idea: “To the statement made earlier—that we must think of ourselves as capable of having the same kinds of experiences as did Paul, Barnabas, or Elijah—many will spontaneously reply, ‘But who am I to put myself in the place of these great ones? Who am I even to suppose that God might guide me or speak to me, much less that my experience should be like that of a Moses or Elisha?’” (47) This is a response that many of us might have, but we need to question it because it is wrongheaded. Willard explains that: “One who has such a reaction often presumes that it honors the greatness of God. In fact, it contradicts what God has taught about himself in the Bible and in the person of Christ. His greatness is exactly what allows him to ‘plan his day’ around me or anyone and everyone else, as he chooses.” (47) Let’s encourage each other to think about these things as we approach the Bible. The Bible is not simply a book of doctrine or a book of rules; the Bible is the living Word of God that has a role in transforming us to be more like Him.
Calendar Highlights ***Please see the full calendar at www.upbcdesmoines.com for more dates and information.
OCTOBER 5th- Board of Overseers Meeting Conference Room, 6:30 PM 7th- Garage Sale 9 AM- 3 PM (hosted by Women of Courage) 14th- Women of Courage Room 201, 10-11:30 AM 20-21st- Craft Weekend Fellowship Hall, Friday 6-11 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM 31st- Trunk or Treat, 5:30- 7:00 PM North High Parking Lot
NOVEMBER 2nd- Board of Overseers Meeting Conference Room, 6:30 PM 5th- Mid-Year Meeting
12:00 PM
(Serve 2018 Fundraiser Meal will be held prior to the meeting.)
10-11th- Craft Weekend Fellowship Hall, Friday 6-11 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM 11th- Women of Courage Room 201, 10-11:30 AM 19th- 5th Annual Thanksgiving Service and Dinner 4:00 PM Fellowship Hall 22nd- No Stepping Stones or Solid Rock. 23rd-
WORDS FROM WES [Wes] Where did the summer go! It seems like it just got started and now we’re headed into pumpkin spice season. I do not like pumpkin flavor, by the way. I’m more of a sweet potato fan myself. But another school year is here. This year is a little different for me with one daughter in college. It’s strange and tough at the same time, especially today, as I’m writing this article. I got a text from my wife who said my oldest woke up sick with a 102 degree temperature. I instantly thought about all the days she was sick as a little girl where I would spend the day taking her temperature, getting her apple and grape juice and chicken nuggets and French fries from McDonald’s for lunch. (I know, but I’m a big softy when it comes to my sick kids and their desires vs. what’s good for them!) But now I can’t be there. It’s a different season for me. It’s a reminder that time continues to move and if we don’t adapt and change, we can get stuck. You can get depressed, feel inadequate, and just stop growing and moving. A lot of people feel this way during the fall. School is back in session and the kids all move up another year and you realize that nothing in this life is permanent. Everything has a life cycle. We, all of us, are born, grow and everyday move closer to death. The leaves start to turn, the flowers fall off, the fruit ripens and needs to be picked, everything has a life cycle. Where are you in this cycle? Are you in the middle, the beginning or towards the end? As we move from fall to winter, where are you in your life? Now where are you in your spiritual life? Are you still a new Christian? Are you growing? Ask yourself, how have I grown in the past year, the past 5 years? Am I closer to what Jesus wants or am I still in the same place? Look for real things you can measure. Anger, patience, love, generosity, selfishness. You can take a selfinventory for those things. You know if you still have a temper. And I’m not saying I’m bottling my anger up better, but I’m feeling less and less angry about things that used to make me mad. Measure it. If you say, “I’m the same”, that’s fine. That’s the first step to becoming more mature. You can admit it to yourself. One of the goals P. Ryan and I have for UPBC is to help us become more mature spiritually which shows up in real tangible ways. If you look at the sermons we’ve been preaching, they point to spiritual maturity and leadership maturity. I want to challenge you to spend the rest of this year working on your spiritual maturity. It will pay off as we finish up this year and move to next year.
STEPPING STONES [Cheri] October 4 October 11
October 18 October 25
Lesson 2 Who is God? The Son Lesson 3 Who is God? The Holy Spirit Lesson 4 Who is a Christian? Lesson 5 Who is the Enemy?
November 1 November 8
November 15 November 29
Lesson 6 Adam’s Blessing: Fruitfulness Lesson 7 Abraham’s Blessing: Providence Car Race Family Night Lesson 8 Jacob’s Blessing: God’s Presence
SOLID ROCK [Wendy] WEDNESDAY NIGHTS - BRING YOUR FRIENDS! For students in 6th-12th grade: 6-6:30 & 8-8:30 Hang-out (Solid Rock Cafe & Game rooms open) 6:30-8:00 Meeting time Fall series: Alpha. Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith. It is for anyone who’s curious and has questions about God and faith! Oct 25: Special Event – to be announced! Dec 20: Solid Rock Christmas party Nov 22, Dec 27 & Jan 3: NO SOLID ROCK PIZZA PIGOUT We had a great time at the Pizza Pigout last month. Thanks to everyone that helped make it possible – praying, contributing financially and helping during the event. There were 80 students that attended! Pray for many to keep coming! JH REVIVE & SH CUTTING EDGE meets Oct 1, 15 & 29 (Costume Party); Nov 12 & 26; Dec 10. Meeting times: JH: 4:30-7; SH: 4:15-7:15 (Might meet until 8:00 some nights) BLITZ! For JH students!! November 3-4. www.blitzallnighter.com Venues: Valley Community Center, Air Lanes, Sky Zone, Metro Ice, Skate West, Chuck E. Cheese's for arcade games Cost: $55 (Scholarships available) - cash or checks payable to UPBC Sign up and pick up forms in the youth room. ALL forms and fees due Oct 18. GROWTH RETREAT 24 hours of AWESOME! For JH/SH students!! Friday, Dec. 2-Saturday, Dec. 3. Location: Pine Lake Camp. This retreat is just for UPBC students/staff, it is not a state-wide event. The cost is only $25. Information will be available soon. SERVE 2018 • Our SERVE 2018 mission team is once again teaming up with LeaderTreks and will be going to the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana and partnering with local ministries to aid in their effort to serve their community. • A $75 non-refundable deposit is due Dec. 10. • A fundraising meal will be held in the Fellowship Hall on November 5 prior to the church’s mid-year business meeting. • Fundraiser: Join us at Pizza Ranch in Altoona on Wednesday, January 3 between 5-8. The students will be working shifts and our team will receive all tips from the evening and 15% of your order if you bring in the flyer. • If you have some jobs for the students to do to earn money for their individual balances, let Wendy know.
THANKSGIVING BASKETS We are giving Thanksgiving food baskets to families in need! Needed Items: Non-perishable food items, canned goods-veggies, fruits, beans, etc., boxed foods- cereal, pasta, stuffing, mixes, potatoes, gravy, bottled juice. You may also donate money or Scrip cards to be used to purchase turkeys or other needed items for the baskets. The deadline is Wednesday, Nov 15th. Needed Help: We will be meeting to assemble the baskets on Friday, Nov. 17th at 6 PM. We will also need helpers who are willing to help deliver the baskets on Saturday, Nov. 18th.
THANKSGIVING DINNER We are having our 6th Annual Thanksgiving Service and Dinner on Sunday, November 19th in the fellowship hall. The service will start at 4, with the meal to follow. This is a wonderful time of food and fellowship, we hope you can attend! The church is providing the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and beverages. We are asking the congregation to bring side dishes, rolls and desserts.
Children’s Rotational Sunday School Children’s Rotational Sunday School kicked off early last month and is going well! Here are the upcoming Bible lessons: OCTOBER: The Lord’s Prayer NOVEMBER: Joseph and his Brothers ***We are still in need of help for two of our teaching teams. Our teams are on a one month on, two months off rotation. Please talk to Ashley Curl (480-0804) or by email at [email protected] if you are available to help with this ministry on Sunday mornings. Note: To accommodate the different class rotations, the Sunday nursery has moved directly across the hall to the infant room.
There will be a sign-up form on the church bulletin board starting in early November with specific needs- please put your name and the number coming along with what you are bringing, so we can plan for how much food to prepare.
Child Check-In System Starting the 2nd Sunday in October, we will begin using a secure check-in system for our Sunday morning nursery kids. Parents will register their kids when they bring them to the nursery. A child label will be printed for each kid with a distinct number for that child, as well as any notes regarding allergies or care requests. Parents will receive a parent receipt with their child(ren)’s number(s) and must show the receipt when they come to pick up their child(ren) from the nursery. This may be expanded into other children’s ministries in the future.
Love-Gifts: Special Offering Opportunities Each year during the holiday season we traditionally have opportunities to give extra offerings and love gifts to express our gratefulness to God and to bless and encourage others. Thanksgiving Offering: These special Love Gifts will be received through the month of November. The Board of Overseers will designate a purpose when they meet October 5 th. Our Christmas Offering will be received throughout December. The purpose for this offering will also be determined by the Overseers on October 5th. It is our privilege and custom to honor our Church Staff at this time of year with an extra money gift. The gifts received through December 17 will be presented to our staff for Christmas. Gifts received after December will be disbursed at a later date. Year-end gifts. At this time of year, some of our church family enjoy making year-end gifts to the church in gratefulness for God’s work and blessing in their lives. If you would like to designate such a gift to a specific need or project, contact Dave Logemann, our Overseer of Finance for counsel in making that gift. We praise God, and thank you, for generously giving to the Lord’s work through our church this year. May the Lord bless you with joy and peace as you give to honor Him. Chuck Bloyer Overseer Chairman
Tuesday, October 31st from 5:30-7:00 at North High. This year, UPBC is partnering with the Polar Bear Crew from North High School, DM Vineyard and local businesses to provide a fun community event for Northside elementary schools. This will be a great event for our community with candy, games, costumes, prizes and TONS of fun! We need 15 cars from UPBC to participate. If you are interested in decorating your car or donating candy, please contact Cory Jenkins at [email protected] or (515) 770-2208.
October 20-21, November 10-11 Friday from 6-11 & Saturday from 94. Please bring a dish to share for lunch on Saturday. Snacks are also welcome. All crafts are welcome! This is a great time to fellowship while working on Christmas gifts or other unfinished projects. Please let us know if you plan to participate so that we set up enough tables for everyone. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, or you can email the office. Note: If there is enough interest, we may try to squeeze one in in December as well!
Union Park Baptist Church Love God | Love People | Serve Others
HEARING GOD THROUGH HIS WORD [Ryan] If you ask followers of Christ whether or not they desire to truly hear from God, it would be surprising if someone actually says no. We want to hear from God. We want to know how to hear from God. One way we hear from God is through His word, the Bible. A roadblock that prevents us from hearing God through the Bible is how we understand the Bible. Dallas Willard, in his book Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, says:
821 Arthur Ave., Des Moines, IA 50316 (515)265-5258 [email protected] upbcdesmoines.com
ST AFF: Wes Foster Team Pastor [email protected] Ryan McDonald Team Pastor [email protected] Wendy Highsmith Youth Pastor [email protected] Kay Sly Director of Wee Care [email protected] Callie Hayworth Administrative Assistant [email protected]
“If we are really to understand the Bible record, we must enter into our study of it on the assumption that the experiences recorded there are basically of the same type as ours would have been if we had been there. Those who lived through those experiences felt very much as we would have if we had been in their place. Unless this comes home to us, the things that happened to the people in the Bible will remain unreal to us. We will not genuinely be able to believe the Bible or find its contents to be real, because it will have no experiential substance for us.” (44) As we read the Bible, we should picture ourselves in the shoes of Moses, Gideon, one of the Twelve, Paul, or many others and imagine ourselves as capable of the same experiences. We should not assume that any of these people in the biblical storyline were or are somehow on an elevated spiritual plane that is unattainable to us. Doing this can make the Bible irrelevant to us. Willard explains a common response to this proposed idea: “To the statement made earlier—that we must think of ourselves as capable of having the same kinds of experiences as did Paul, Barnabas, or Elijah—many will spontaneously reply, ‘But who am I to put myself in the place of these great ones? Who am I even to suppose that God might guide me or speak to me, much less that my experience should be like that of a Moses or Elisha?’” (47) This is a response that many of us might have, but we need to question it because it is wrongheaded. Willard explains that: “One who has such a reaction often presumes that it honors the greatness of God. In fact, it contradicts what God has taught about himself in the Bible and in the person of Christ. His greatness is exactly what allows him to ‘plan his day’ around me or anyone and everyone else, as he chooses.” (47) Let’s encourage each other to think about these things as we approach the Bible. The Bible is not simply a book of doctrine or a book of rules; the Bible is the living Word of God that has a role in transforming us to be more like Him.
Calendar Highlights ***Please see the full calendar at www.upbcdesmoines.com for more dates and information.
OCTOBER 5th- Board of Overseers Meeting Conference Room, 6:30 PM 7th- Garage Sale 9 AM- 3 PM (hosted by Women of Courage) 14th- Women of Courage Room 201, 10-11:30 AM 20-21st- Craft Weekend Fellowship Hall, Friday 6-11 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM 31st- Trunk or Treat, 5:30- 7:00 PM North High Parking Lot
NOVEMBER 2nd- Board of Overseers Meeting Conference Room, 6:30 PM 5th- Mid-Year Meeting
12:00 PM
(Serve 2018 Fundraiser Meal will be held prior to the meeting.)
10-11th- Craft Weekend Fellowship Hall, Friday 6-11 PM Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM 11th- Women of Courage Room 201, 10-11:30 AM 19th- 5th Annual Thanksgiving Service and Dinner 4:00 PM Fellowship Hall 22nd- No Stepping Stones or Solid Rock. 23rd-
WORDS FROM WES [Wes] Where did the summer go! It seems like it just got started and now we’re headed into pumpkin spice season. I do not like pumpkin flavor, by the way. I’m more of a sweet potato fan myself. But another school year is here. This year is a little different for me with one daughter in college. It’s strange and tough at the same time, especially today, as I’m writing this article. I got a text from my wife who said my oldest woke up sick with a 102 degree temperature. I instantly thought about all the days she was sick as a little girl where I would spend the day taking her temperature, getting her apple and grape juice and chicken nuggets and French fries from McDonald’s for lunch. (I know, but I’m a big softy when it comes to my sick kids and their desires vs. what’s good for them!) But now I can’t be there. It’s a different season for me. It’s a reminder that time continues to move and if we don’t adapt and change, we can get stuck. You can get depressed, feel inadequate, and just stop growing and moving. A lot of people feel this way during the fall. School is back in session and the kids all move up another year and you realize that nothing in this life is permanent. Everything has a life cycle. We, all of us, are born, grow and everyday move closer to death. The leaves start to turn, the flowers fall off, the fruit ripens and needs to be picked, everything has a life cycle. Where are you in this cycle? Are you in the middle, the beginning or towards the end? As we move from fall to winter, where are you in your life? Now where are you in your spiritual life? Are you still a new Christian? Are you growing? Ask yourself, how have I grown in the past year, the past 5 years? Am I closer to what Jesus wants or am I still in the same place? Look for real things you can measure. Anger, patience, love, generosity, selfishness. You can take a selfinventory for those things. You know if you still have a temper. And I’m not saying I’m bottling my anger up better, but I’m feeling less and less angry about things that used to make me mad. Measure it. If you say, “I’m the same”, that’s fine. That’s the first step to becoming more mature. You can admit it to yourself. One of the goals P. Ryan and I have for UPBC is to help us become more mature spiritually which shows up in real tangible ways. If you look at the sermons we’ve been preaching, they point to spiritual maturity and leadership maturity. I want to challenge you to spend the rest of this year working on your spiritual maturity. It will pay off as we finish up this year and move to next year.
STEPPING STONES [Cheri] October 4 October 11
October 18 October 25
Lesson 2 Who is God? The Son Lesson 3 Who is God? The Holy Spirit Lesson 4 Who is a Christian? Lesson 5 Who is the Enemy?
November 1 November 8
November 15 November 29
Lesson 6 Adam’s Blessing: Fruitfulness Lesson 7 Abraham’s Blessing: Providence Car Race Family Night Lesson 8 Jacob’s Blessing: God’s Presence
SOLID ROCK [Wendy] WEDNESDAY NIGHTS - BRING YOUR FRIENDS! For students in 6th-12th grade: 6-6:30 & 8-8:30 Hang-out (Solid Rock Cafe & Game rooms open) 6:30-8:00 Meeting time Fall series: Alpha. Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith. It is for anyone who’s curious and has questions about God and faith! Oct 25: Special Event – to be announced! Dec 20: Solid Rock Christmas party Nov 22, Dec 27 & Jan 3: NO SOLID ROCK PIZZA PIGOUT We had a great time at the Pizza Pigout last month. Thanks to everyone that helped make it possible – praying, contributing financially and helping during the event. There were 80 students that attended! Pray for many to keep coming! JH REVIVE & SH CUTTING EDGE meets Oct 1, 15 & 29 (Costume Party); Nov 12 & 26; Dec 10. Meeting times: JH: 4:30-7; SH: 4:15-7:15 (Might meet until 8:00 some nights) BLITZ! For JH students!! November 3-4. www.blitzallnighter.com Venues: Valley Community Center, Air Lanes, Sky Zone, Metro Ice, Skate West, Chuck E. Cheese's for arcade games Cost: $55 (Scholarships available) - cash or checks payable to UPBC Sign up and pick up forms in the youth room. ALL forms and fees due Oct 18. GROWTH RETREAT 24 hours of AWESOME! For JH/SH students!! Friday, Dec. 2-Saturday, Dec. 3. Location: Pine Lake Camp. This retreat is just for UPBC students/staff, it is not a state-wide event. The cost is only $25. Information will be available soon. SERVE 2018 • Our SERVE 2018 mission team is once again teaming up with LeaderTreks and will be going to the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana and partnering with local ministries to aid in their effort to serve their community. • A $75 non-refundable deposit is due Dec. 10. • A fundraising meal will be held in the Fellowship Hall on November 5 prior to the church’s mid-year business meeting. • Fundraiser: Join us at Pizza Ranch in Altoona on Wednesday, January 3 between 5-8. The students will be working shifts and our team will receive all tips from the evening and 15% of your order if you bring in the flyer. • If you have some jobs for the students to do to earn money for their individual balances, let Wendy know.
THANKSGIVING BASKETS We are giving Thanksgiving food baskets to families in need! Needed Items: Non-perishable food items, canned goods-veggies, fruits, beans, etc., boxed foods- cereal, pasta, stuffing, mixes, potatoes, gravy, bottled juice. You may also donate money or Scrip cards to be used to purchase turkeys or other needed items for the baskets. The deadline is Wednesday, Nov 15th. Needed Help: We will be meeting to assemble the baskets on Friday, Nov. 17th at 6 PM. We will also need helpers who are willing to help deliver the baskets on Saturday, Nov. 18th.
THANKSGIVING DINNER We are having our 6th Annual Thanksgiving Service and Dinner on Sunday, November 19th in the fellowship hall. The service will start at 4, with the meal to follow. This is a wonderful time of food and fellowship, we hope you can attend! The church is providing the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and beverages. We are asking the congregation to bring side dishes, rolls and desserts.
Children’s Rotational Sunday School Children’s Rotational Sunday School kicked off early last month and is going well! Here are the upcoming Bible lessons: OCTOBER: The Lord’s Prayer NOVEMBER: Joseph and his Brothers ***We are still in need of help for two of our teaching teams. Our teams are on a one month on, two months off rotation. Please talk to Ashley Curl (480-0804) or by email at [email protected] if you are available to help with this ministry on Sunday mornings. Note: To accommodate the different class rotations, the Sunday nursery has moved directly across the hall to the infant room.
There will be a sign-up form on the church bulletin board starting in early November with specific needs- please put your name and the number coming along with what you are bringing, so we can plan for how much food to prepare.
Child Check-In System Starting the 2nd Sunday in October, we will begin using a secure check-in system for our Sunday morning nursery kids. Parents will register their kids when they bring them to the nursery. A child label will be printed for each kid with a distinct number for that child, as well as any notes regarding allergies or care requests. Parents will receive a parent receipt with their child(ren)’s number(s) and must show the receipt when they come to pick up their child(ren) from the nursery. This may be expanded into other children’s ministries in the future.
Love-Gifts: Special Offering Opportunities Each year during the holiday season we traditionally have opportunities to give extra offerings and love gifts to express our gratefulness to God and to bless and encourage others. Thanksgiving Offering: These special Love Gifts will be received through the month of November. The Board of Overseers will designate a purpose when they meet October 5 th. Our Christmas Offering will be received throughout December. The purpose for this offering will also be determined by the Overseers on October 5th. It is our privilege and custom to honor our Church Staff at this time of year with an extra money gift. The gifts received through December 17 will be presented to our staff for Christmas. Gifts received after December will be disbursed at a later date. Year-end gifts. At this time of year, some of our church family enjoy making year-end gifts to the church in gratefulness for God’s work and blessing in their lives. If you would like to designate such a gift to a specific need or project, contact Dave Logemann, our Overseer of Finance for counsel in making that gift. We praise God, and thank you, for generously giving to the Lord’s work through our church this year. May the Lord bless you with joy and peace as you give to honor Him. Chuck Bloyer Overseer Chairman
Tuesday, October 31st from 5:30-7:00 at North High. This year, UPBC is partnering with the Polar Bear Crew from North High School, DM Vineyard and local businesses to provide a fun community event for Northside elementary schools. This will be a great event for our community with candy, games, costumes, prizes and TONS of fun! We need 15 cars from UPBC to participate. If you are interested in decorating your car or donating candy, please contact Cory Jenkins at [email protected] or (515) 770-2208.
October 20-21, November 10-11 Friday from 6-11 & Saturday from 94. Please bring a dish to share for lunch on Saturday. Snacks are also welcome. All crafts are welcome! This is a great time to fellowship while working on Christmas gifts or other unfinished projects. Please let us know if you plan to participate so that we set up enough tables for everyone. There will be a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, or you can email the office. Note: If there is enough interest, we may try to squeeze one in in December as well!
