EVANGELICAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

401 Walnut Street - Washington, IL 61571 Charlie McDonald, Pastor

Pastor’s cell: 217-264-7533 Email: evanumc@mtco.com Website: www.evanumc.org Church Office (309) 444-3228

As we start the school year and think about kids and back packs, I came across this wonderful little lesson:

"’You're going to be walking a long way," my mother had said. "I'd like my son to have a good backpack."

It was going to be my first trip to Mexico to visit the Mixtec Indians. Many of them live in far-off villages scattered through the hills of Oaxaca, Mexico. My mother was right. Just to get to the village where the Bible conference was to be held, we would have to walk for many hours over the hills.

Mother kindly bought me the best backpack she could find. It was so light that you could lift it with one finger, and it had foam padding on the straps to keep the straps from cutting into my shoulders. When it was packed with extra clothes, some medicines, and a few other things that I might need, I tried the new backpack on. Sure, that was fine. I could carry that load easily enough!

A few weeks later we arrived in Mexico at the point where we would begin the hike.

"Could I carry your pack for you?" asked one of the Christian Indians.

"No thanks, I'm fine," I told him.

So we started off on the long walk. The backpack worked nicely, but the longer we walked, the heavier it got. Surely those things I had packed weren't so heavy when I had tried it on at home! On we walked with the hot sun beating on our heads, up one hill and down another. Everyone had loads to carry now, so there was no one to offer to help with my backpack.

I began to be afraid that I would never make it, but after two hours someone came to meet us over the hills with a horse. This time when they offered I gladly gave up the pack, and it was tied to the horse. I was so tired that it did not matter to me that the padded straps of my new backpack were not being used the way they were meant to be, but were dangling from the horse's saddle.

Many times since then I have warned boys and girls that the load of sin is like the load in my backpack. The longer you carry it, the heavier it gets. This world tries to make sin look attractive, but it is still a heavy load. No matter how "light" your load of sin may feel when you are young, it will get heavier as you grow older. After a while the "foam padding" of pleasure no longer eases the weight of sins.

The Lord Jesus came into the world to free you from this load of sin. He Himself carried the load of sin when He was on the cross so that you might be free of your burden forever. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many" (Hebrews 9:28).

Oh, that you might today feel the weight of your sins and turn to Christ for salvation. "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

My backpack was the best that money could buy, but it could not keep my load from being heavy when I carried it for a long time. May you accept Christ as your Saviour now while you are young, before the load of sin becomes too heavy for you to carry. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:15).

Here’s praying the kids have a great year, and they all allow Christ to help carry their load.

Charlie

Threads, Hope & Love Clothing Giveaway! PHOTO I.D. REQUIRED

121 Zinzer Place PH: 309-648-8927

Giveaway Days 9:00 am –12:00 pm on: 9/4/9/14 and 9/28 1:00 pm—6:00 pm on: 9/24 Leave Donation Days 11:00 am on: 9/3, 9/4, 9/10, 9/11, 9/17, 9/18, 9/24, 9/25

Gospel Concerts – 2019

September 6 (Fri.) Allen Family

September 21 (Sat). Ivan Parker

October 13 (Sun.) Greater Vision

November 1 (Fri.) The Perrys

November 22 (Fri.) Brian Free & Assurance

All concerts are at 7:00 pm. The EUMC Book Club will meet on Monday, September 9 at the Wenger Shelter in Washington Park. This month’s book choice is “The Red Address Book” by Sophia Lundberg.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT

WITH YOUR PURCHASE AT THE

SEPTEMBER 7th

NEW ABILITIES DINNER

New Abilities is a ministry serving the needs of adults with disabilities in Peoria, Illinois. We invited them to our worship service on Sunday, September 15th. The NOW committee will serve them a meal following worship. Please watch for sign-up sheets for casseroles and cookies.

Pastor Charlie will be on vacation September 9th through the 14th. For pastoral care, please call 309-531-2734.

BIBLE STUDY TO START AGAIN!!

Bible study will resume on September 25th at 10:00 am. Pastor Charlie will be doing a series on “you’ll get through this” by Max Lucado.

The class will meet in the chapel.

ADDRESS CHANGES: James & Sandra Gay 26 Waldheim Road Morton, IL 61550 email: jegsbg@comcast.net Helen Ahrens Leisure Acres, 200 Carlson Street Bldg. 23, Apt. B Washington, IL 61571

PLEASE JOIN THE COFFEE GROUP ON THURSDAY MORNINGS AT 10 AM AT HARDEES FOR GREAT CONVERSATION AND FELLOWSHIP.

Those Serving In September

Crib Room Schedule

9/1 Deb Tharp 9/8 Sally Guth 9/15 Courtney Nichols 9/22 Melissa Nichols 9/29 Courtney Nichols

Sound Technicians

9/1 Lou Ann Mathews

9/8 Justin Bryan

9/15 James Bryan

9/22 Lou Ann Mathews

9/29 Justin Bryan

Communion Preparation Dick & Rhonda Barrow Communion Servers History Committee Greeters History Committee

Liturgist

History Committee

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS:

9/6 Taylor Edwards 9/8 Michael Bennett Rebekah Denning 9/9 Duke Hendrick Ralph Master 9/13 Jaxson Jaszarowski 9/14 Howard Hoefling 9/15 Alan Grebner Laura Jo Morrow 9/18 Addy Barr Liane Smith 9/20 Karen Robertson 9/23 Miah Jaszarowski 9/27 Ralph Noe 9/28 Don Moushon

SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES:

9/3 Jim & Sandra Gay Jim & Liane Smith 9/5 Larry & Linda Holaday 9/19 Ben & Julie Baer 9/23 Luke & Rachel Prosser

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 OFFICE CLOSED

3 6:30 pm NOW Committee

4

7:30 pm

Choir

5 6 7:00 pm Gospel Concert: Allen Family

7

8 2nd Sunday Potluck—History Committee Hosts 2:30 pm Worship at Hollybrook

9

9:00 am Busy Bees

11:45 am Book

Club

10 6:00 pm Trustees

11 7:30 pm

Choir

12

10:00 am

History

Committee

13

14

15 11:30 am New Abilities Dinner

16 9:00 am Busy Bees

11:45 Bible Study and Lunch Group

17 700 pm Finance

Committee

18 7:30 pm

Choir

19

7:00 pm

Church Council

20

21

7:00 pm Gospel Concert: Ivan Parker

22

23 9:00 am Busy Bees 11:45 am Bible Study and Lunch Group

24 Noon: Newsletter

Articles Due

25

10:00 am Bible

Study

7:30 pm

Choir

26

8:00 am

Food Pantry set

-up

27

28 Food Pantry

7:30-9:00 am

29

30 9:00 am Busy Bees 11:45 am Bible Study and Lunch Group 6:30 pm Worship Committee

Weekly Sunday Schedule: 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Fellowship Time 10:30 a.m. Worship

Our church is hosting the October Blood Drive at Five Points Washington.

The date is Columbus Day, Monday October 14th. Drive hours are from 12:30 PM – 6:30 PM.

Appointments are preferred though walk-ins are worked into the mix. You can download the Mobile Blood Donor app from American Red Cross to schedule your appointment and with its rapid pass feature the day of the drive; you can pre-answer the questions before you arrive. Just go online to www.redcrossblood.org or contact Shelley (309)444-7509 to schedule your appointment.

Give the Gift of Blood if you can – our goal is to fill up all our slots, show the community our hospitality, and save lives! This year, besides our members’ wonderful chili to offer our donors and staff, The Blend & LeBakery on the Square are supplying coffee & treats.