Contact us at: 402-391-0820

www.sunsethillschurch.org sunset@sunsethillschurch.org

Sunset Hills Church 9416 Pacific Street Omaha, NE 68114

From

Raindrops

to Rainbows

Virtual VBS

Ages: Preschool – Adults

July 20 - 24, 2020

Registration on Sunset Hills Website

Deadline for Registration July 1, 2020

Based on The heavens declared the glory of God; the skies proclaimed the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Sunset Hills Baptist Church

July/August 2020

Newsletter

Pastor Paul Ponders

In Disney’s original movie, Frozen, Olaf, the snowman, learns a little about the fun things there are to do in the summertime. I think we can relate, especially when the winter cold is enveloping us and there’s snow a mountain high. Olaf wants to experience summer because all he knows is a never-ending winter. So Enthusiastically and quite naively, Olaf sings what he imagines he could do in the summer sun.

Bees'll buzz, kids'll blow dandelion fuzz And I'll be doing whatever snow does In summer

A drink in my hand, my snow up against the burning sand Prob'ly getting gorgeously tanned In summer

I'll finally see a summer breeze blow away a winter storm And find out what happens to solid water when it gets warm And I can't wait to see what my buddies all think of me Just imagine how much cooler I'll be In summer

The hot and the cold are both so intense Put 'em together, it just makes sense Winter's a good time to stay in and cuddle But put me in summer and I'll be a happy snowman

(Continued on Page 2)

(Continued from Page 1) When life gets rough I like to hold onto my dreams Of relaxing in the summer sun, just letting off steam Oh, the sky will be blue, and you guys'll be there too When I finally do what frozen things do In summer!

(Don’t miss the humor in this song! It is very clever in its wording.)

Summer always seems more delightful when it means the end of winter. Back in California, there wasn’t any snow where we lived. Summer came at the end of the most beautiful weather followed by spring showers then HEAT! I can remember a summer so hot that my father had us rig a lawn sprinkler on top of the house to aid the air conditioner in bringing the house temperature down a bit.

I kind of envy those who like the heat and the sun. There’s so much to do in the summer and so much of it takes place outside; not my favorite place to be when it’s just too hot!

I think I’m sounding like Olaf here. Olaf wanted something he could never have. I want a cool summer which is something I can’t have either. So why can’t we be content with whatever weather we have and just go with the flow? When we gripe about things that are impossible to change, we sound a bit whiny and ungrateful.

If there are things we can change it’s time to stop moping and find out where to fit in, bringing about the change you can make. Many times we wish things were different and don’t do a thing about it. How can we help make summer, and the rest of life, more pleasant? It takes a willing heart that deeply pursues the Creator. This world and all the things in it groan to be free from all the misery, injustice, greed, and lack of mercy we encounter every day. How can you join with people of faith and make this world a better place? In Summer or even Winter! Enjoy!

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:22 (keep going in this chapter of Romans; lots of good stuff here.)

Upcoming Sermon Schedule

July 5 A Hard Teaching John 6:60

July 12 Why Did God Disable Jacob? Genesis 32:22-31 July 19 Sodom and Gomorrah 2 Kings 6:8-23 July 26 Is God’s Love Free? John 3:16

August 2 Is It a Mansion or a Room? John 14:1-3

Dear Members of Sunset Hills,

Thank you for your generous $1,000 gift to camp. Now, more than ever, your support is so important to the ministry of Moses Merrill.

God bless each of you! We thank God for you and your continued prayers and support.

Bev Pacas, Director

Please remember to help the Sunset Hills budget when you order from Amazon. Log in at smile.amazon.com. Thank you.

Ideas create opportunities By Terry Anderson, moderator

Sunset Hills Baptist Church is on a mission. While Sunset Hills always has been a great provider for the annual missions offerings, there are other ways in which the church and its congregation can serve others.

At the June Executive Council meeting, we tossed around ideas -- just ideas -- of how we could have an impact on others. There were no boundaries. The "others" could be members of our own congregation, or missionaries on the far side of the globe, or anything in between.

How could we as members of Sunset Hills affect those living in our immediate neighborhood, and how could we go about achieving that? How about the state, or the country? It's not always about money; it also can be time, effort and thought. What we can do doesn't need to have age limits. The youth and elderly can do amazing things if given the opportunity. Sunset Hills has an incredible facility. That green space is just waiting to be used. What can we do so we can share what we have with others?

These can be continuous projects or one-time events. But the church leadership needs everyone's help. We're seeking ideas that can cover a wide range of possibilities. Without ideas, we can't consider opportunities. Without opportunities, we can't achieve a goal to affect others.

So I challenge every member and friend of Sunset Hills to consider the question: What can we do for others? Please send your ideas and thoughts to me. My email address is tnanderson@cox.net.

I received a possibility just the other day. American Baptist Home Mission Societies would like to raise $1 million to help those affected by COVID-19 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico through the One Great Hour of Sharing campaign. One particular church is struggling financially because of members testing positive, others losing jobs, some can't afford testing or can't get to free testing sites.

Throughout the current pandemic, we've been fortunate to keep our monthly offerings at good levels, which church leaders appreciate. Now, think of how and where we may be able to help others.

May Income $16,471 May Expenses $15,979 YTD Income $78,728 YTD Expenses $85,276 May Pledges 109% YTD Pledges 103%

SHBC Financial Scoreboard

3 Carol Von Forell 6 Sophia Rhedin 7 Nolan McCormick 8 Kerry Thompson 10 Donna Colligan 11 Rob Berney 21 Sarah Minarick 21 Dot North 25 Betty Prokop 29 Jacob Dale

5 Steve Bottum 7 Carol Welch 8 Mike Minarick 10 Josh Gilliland 11 John Walter 13 Terry Anderson 13 Pastor Paul Marine 15 Cindy Combs 16 Nathan Swearingen 17 Dalton Heller 21 Ron Reed 22 John Patrick 25 Chandra McCormick 25 Momoro Ono 25 Jane Ray 27 Margaret Dappen 27 Roy Loeffler

2 Doug & Pam Hamlin 32 years 3 Les & Margaret Dappen 71 years 12 Jay & Rosemary Gordon 34 years 16 Tom & Chandra McCormick 21 years 23 Ron & Mary Reed 17 years 25 Neal & Dot North 5 years

July Anniversaries

June Attendance Giving

(May 31) 30 $3,928.00

7 36 $4,151.00

14 19 $3,226.00

21 28 $2,679.00

28 TBD TBD

July Birthdays

August Birthdays

1 John & Diane Walter 40 years 7 Mark & Deanne Caughey 44 years 10 Steve & Jess Mikkelsen 8 years 11 Joe & Donna Colligan 41 years 13 Dan & Marge Todd 21 years 14 Mike & Sarah Minarick 44 years 15 Mark & Ruth Steele 33 years 20 Bill & Theresa Clark 32 years 29 Doug & Jean Larsen 34 years

August Anniversaries

Prayers for Health, Healing, and Strength Yvonne Swearingen Jane Ray Mary Engleman LeRoy Anson Amber Dale Nancy Quinnette On-going prayers of well-being for shut-ins and military personnel All who are struggling during the pandemic

Stewardship Ministry July/August Update - Ron Reed

The Ministry Council approved the DMS Inc. Company’s proposal to solve our annual erosion and lawn damage problems from the north parking lot’s runoff. We want to thank Jay Gordon, who is a landscape architect, for studying the proposals and for his input/recommendations. We asked the contractors to propose a permanent solution for these concerns, with Jay’s suggestions, we believe the church will get the desired permanent resolution. This repair will cost an estimated $11,310 (the variable is in estimated sod for the lawn repair). The great majority of the cost will be covered from generous designated giving for capital projects. The remainder will come from the property side of our budget. It was brought up in the Ministry Council meeting again that we need to focus more monetarily on our Missions Ministry outreach, which is a growing commitment in the Sunset Hills Baptist Church family. We need to make more of a difference outside of the walls of our building for our Father.

All-age Adult Sunday School July/August Update - Ron Reed

The 6-part series, The Promises of God, by Dr. Charles Stanley awaits us when we can safely gather again. After that series, we have the 11-part series from Dr. David Jeremiah, A Life Beyond Amazing. Keeping our relationship with our Lord and Savior strong will help us get through these trying times. We look forward to the next time we may once again gather to build our faith together.

Men’s Study Group July/August Update - Ron Reed

We are currently studying Marcus J. Borg’s, Evolution of the Word, by way of Zoom. Bob Slechta is helping to make the Zoom meetings happen. If you’d like to attend a discussion or join the Men’s Study Group, please contact Bob Molby, Steve Bottum, Don Zak , Bob Slechta, or Ron Reed so we can send you an invitation to attend our Tuesday evening, 6:30 to 7:30 Zoom meeting, until we can gather again at Sunset Hills.

Sunset Hills Baptist Church Ministry Council Meeting Minutes

June 15, 2020

Attendees: Pastor Paul; Terry Anderson, Moderator; Scott Darden, Treasurer/Vice Moderator; Don Zak, Music/Worship; Gina Slechta, Prayer; Traci Gilmer, Mission/Outreach; Jason Rich, Pastor Staff Relations; LaShawnda Woods, Discipleship; Pastor Jason Workman, Safety/Security; Telly Woods, Clerk/Pastor Staff Relations Ministry Council: What can we do to make SSHBC more visible? Several ideas such as utilizing our outdoor space for various activities were presented. More to come as we seek ideas from our members and individuals willing to spearhead activities. Treasurer Report (Scott Darden): Scott Darden presented the May 2020 financial report. A motion to accept the report was made, seconded, and adopted. If you would like a copy of the financial report, please contact Scott Darden. Stewardship: A motion was made and adopted to facilitate the funding for the parking lot erosion mitigation project. Stewardship will communicate the details of the project to include the cost in a future communication to the membership. Discipleship (LaShawnda Woods): Reminder for those interested to register for our virtual VBS scheduled for July. Mission/Outreach (Traci Gilmer): Camp Moses Merrill sent a card thanking SSHBC for our $1,000 gift. If you are interested in working on or with a ministry team, please feel free to contact one of our Sunset Hills Baptist Church ministry team leaders or members for more information. Terry Anderson, Moderator Scott Darden, Vice Moderator/Treasurer Ron Reed, Stewardship Traci Gilmer, Mission/Outreach Pastor Jason, Safety/Security Pam Hamlin, Shepherding Don Zak, Music/Worship LaShawnda Woods, Discipleship Gina Slechta, Prayer Ministry Telly Woods, Pastoral/Staff Relations The next meeting will be July 20, 2020. Complete copies of all Ministry Council meeting minutes are available in the church office.

Thank you for the congratulations and all the support that you’ve provided me throughout these years!

Sincerely,

Jenica Nallathambi

Thank you to all who have given to One Great Hour of Sharing. If you haven't had a chance to mail in your check yet, you can still do this. So far we have collected $1,130. Your generosity is investing in the lives of so many across our great country and around the world. Thank you!

If you would like to continue to receive a copy of Our Daily Bread (Large Print or Regular Print) and/or The Secret Place devotionals, please call the office and we will try to get one to you. I will try to deliver them to those who are not yet venturing out. Traci Gilmer

Thank you, Pat!

After many years of serving Sunset Hills as the representative for the Memorial Ministry, Pat Martin has decided it is time to allow someone else the opportunity to serve in this capacity. We are so grateful and thankful for her dedication and the loving way she has ministered to families.

We love you Pat!

Your Sunset Hills Family

Well done, good and faithful servant! Matthew 25:21

Sunset Hills Church, Thanks to the church for the pretty white flowers you sent for the funeral. My mom so loved flowers! Also, thank you for the support you gave to my mom after moving to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home. She looked forward to the visits, calls and cards. I was so blessed that she remained very active until her stroke. I know my parents are together again and that brings me peace. Patty Stamps and Family