h o u g h t o n w e s l e y a n c h u r c h joyfully

What Does Jesus Say About Himself ? When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?“ They replied,

“Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked.

“Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (Matthew 16:13-16; John 8:58)

From the beginning of his ministry people wonder at the identity of Jesus. On various occasions, the religious establishment ask sarcastically, “Who do you think you are?” Following a miracle or a time of powerful teaching, the people wonder among themselves about who he might be. The disciples also ponder what manner of person does the work and speaks the words that they see and hear from Jesus. Even John the Baptist, while languishing in prison, sends his friends to ask Jesus if he is who John thinks he is. As Jesus’ days are drawing to a conclusion, he gathers his disciples together and asks them about the word on the street: Who do people say that I am? And then he turns the question on them: Who do you say that I am? It is the question rattling around the minds of first century Palestine. It remains to this day a key question among people who embrace Jesus and among many people who do not.

As important as it is for us to know what others think of Jesus, nothing is more important to this discussion than what Jesus says about himself. Does he truly believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God? If so, what exactly does this mean? With so many opinions about what Messiah will be and do, what do we hear from Jesus himself?

These self-declaratory statements of Jesus are what we are going to explore during the season of Epiphany this year. The Gospel of John provides us with numerous moments when Jesus announces, I am… These statements not only help us to understand who Jesus is but in understanding him, we are provided with a clearer picture of who he calls us to be. As the true image of Jesus—that defines who we are to be—emerges, we are left to ponder one more question: are we willing to surrender to his purposes for us? Could there be any more essential idea to permeate our prayer life over the next few weeks than this?

Blessings,

Pastor Wes

PASTOR WES’S BLOG: Pastor Wes posts a new blog most every Wednesday or Thursday on the church

website. The blog addresses current events, practical matters of our faith and often further thoughts related to

the previous Sunday’s sermon. You may access the blog on the church homepage (www.hwchurch.org) or by

subscribing to receive an email notification when the blog has been posted. You comments are welcome.

H o u g h t o n W e s l e y a n C h u r c h

Highlights Joyfully loving God,

wholeheartedly serving others

January 2015

Volume 47, No. 8

http://www.hwchurch.org

February 4 and 11 – Wednesday evening children’s programs – Highlighting Haiti and preparing

emergency packets for Kris and Cory Thede to give away

February 7 – Mini-missions trip to Buffalo – painting with West Side Ministries and Jericho Road

Ministries

February 8 – Dr. George Beals will be speaking in all three services with updates from World Hope’s

efforts to curb the Ebola Crisis

Passing the Torch during the Combined Sunday School class for youth and adults

We are honoring Ron & Gail Trail (from western Asia with Wycliff) and Hudson & Lucy

Hess (from Haiti with Family Life Outreach) as they retire from missionary service and

celebrating with Mary & Ray Seldon (going to Haiti with Global Partners) and Leah Doty

(going to Thailand with Wycliff) as they begin their missionary service.

February 17 – Wellspring Ministries dinner – We will be preparing and serving the evening meal

Sunday School Corner: After a great 1st half of the year, our Sunday School classes all take a Christmas/New Year’s break and

will not start up again until January 18th. For further information on the different class options, times

and locations, please contact Pastor Kevin Austin

Small Group News: The Small Group ministry has finished the first half of the year with great attendance as they followed

the sermon series “You asked for it.” I heard many comments on the interest within the groups as they

discussed the topics shared during the Sunday morning services. The Small Groups will start up again

the 2nd semester on the 11th of January. Unlike the first half of the year, the groups will meet and study

topics of their choice unique to the needs and interest of the group. As the subjects are decided we will

publicize the topics, times, and locations of the groups. If you have questions please contact Pastor

Kevin Austin (585-808-1644).

Choir: The Choir will resume rehearsals on Tuesday, January 13. The Choir meets at 7:00 pm in the

Sanctuary. The Adult Choir sings in the 11:00 a.m. service each Sunday during the school year.

Come one, come all, and help us in singing praises to our God.

We are excited to announce the completion of the new well in the village of Kyabagyeni in Uganda last month. 480 people had relied

on a hand-dug pond (below, left) for water before that. This posed an extreme burden on the women and children who had to

walk long distances searching for unsafe water. This unsafe water equally posed health risks to the community and inevitably the

prevalence of water-related diseases like dysentery, typhoid, malaria and cholera. Thank you to all the youth who worked on this.

PRAYER MINISTRY: The prayer room is still available for you to use. Reserve an hour or more at

http://www.hwchurch.org/prayer-room/ The prayer room is available whenever the church is open (7 a.m. to 9

p.m. (holidays excluded). Walk –ins are welcome with consideration given to a previous reservation.

EPIPHANY: Epiphany, January 6, is a day of great joy for all Christians. It completes

the twelve days of Christmas; more important, this is the festival of the manifestation of

God’s Word made flesh. The central images of the Magi bearing gifts suggest the three

races of humanity coming to worship the Christ. A second manifestation was the baptism

of Jesus. A third manifestation was the wedding feast at Cana when Jesus first revealed

his power. The season of Epiphany continues until Ash Wednesday (February 18), which

is the first day of Lent. The emphasis of Epiphany is on the revealing nature of God, his

desire for all people to know his nature and power—the character of his being. The color

is green which points us to life—physical and eternal. The trees green out in the spring to

reveal that the trees are still alive. The grass also turns green revealing the life that has

been hidden during the winter.

BAPTISM: Pastor Wes will be conducting a service of Christian baptism on Sunday, January 18, 5:00. If you

are interested in being baptized, contact the church office. Pastor Wes will be hosting a preparatory class in

early January.

All Women ~ Be watching for news about a winter women’s gathering in upcoming Highlights and bulletin announcements.

Wellspring Ministries May we take this opportunity to thank the beloved Houghton church family for the support- both tangible and

in prayer- this year. Thank you for the Christmas Eve offering. We are gaining a bit of momentum as the dol-

lars come in to complete the addition and update the original building (under $20,000 needed).

Many families were blessed by the Christmas Room and its multitude of gifts from which they could choose.

The Christmas ham dinner on December 19 added to the joy of the season and closed the year, enabling our

many volunteers to have a rest.

We reopen January 7 at 10 AM and encourage you to visit us and also direct those in need to us.

Thank you again for blessing us and we pray His blessing upon you in the days of 2015.

The Board of Wellspring Ministries

Jim Arthur (CEO)

Gudy Stevenson

Angeline White

Dennis Doell

Beth Beardsley

THANK YOU: The Pastoral Staff would like to thank you for your generosity and gratitude to each of us this Christmas season. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and appreciation we felt through your many gifts, personal acts of kindness, and your kind words. We feel privileged to be a part of the godly tradition of the Houghton Wesleyan Church and to participate in ministry with you. We look forward to the year ahead and all that God has planned for you and for us.

Wednesday Evening Children’s Ministries in January Due to the holidays our Wednesday evening children’s ministries which include:

BOOM! Club

King’s Kids Club and

Boys’ Club

will not meet on Wednesday, January 7. We will resume our regular schedule on

Wednesday, January 14, at 6:30 p.m.

BOYS’ CLUB On Wednesday, January 28th is our Father/Son Swim Night —6:30 to 7:30 pm at the Houghton College Pool.

(Please go directly to the pool.)

Ministry Opportunities for 2nd semester: We need volunteers for BOOM!

Club (children ages 2-4), King’s Kids Girls Club (for girls grades Kindergarten-6th),

and for Boys’ Club (for boys grades Kindergarten-6th) for this upcoming semester.

The clubs meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30. Please consider getting

involved in these important ministries to our children. For more information you may

contact Emily Hoffman, [email protected] or 567-2264. Thank you!

BOYS’ CLUB Report On Wednesday nights, our sixteen K-2nd grade boys have been learning the

Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Each week we do a story on the new

verse. We also sing the Beatitude song, written by our very own Dan Wartinger.

The boys love to sing. Their favorite song is "The Fruit of the Spirit."

Each night we end with relay races, tug-o-war, or chicken fight.

NOTE: THE CHURCH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED for the holidays on

Thursday, December 25, Friday, December 26,

Thursday, January 1 and Friday, January 2.

mailto:[email protected]

Poinsettias for Christmas Were Given By~

Willis & Beth Beardsley in memory of our Parents

Bruce & Kathie Brenneman in loving memory of John & Geraldine Brenneman,

Margaret Cheeseman, & Norman Wimer

The Greenway Family in loving memory of Bill Greenway and Murial Greenway

The Hutton children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in loving memory of

Lindol & Ruth Hutton

Peter & Nancy Luckey in loving memory of Bob, Ruth & Daniel Luckey

Paul & Shirley Mills in honor of Laurence and Vesta Mullen; in memory of James

(Pop) and Lillian Mills; and in memory of Bonnie Boggs Mills

Robin Pawling in loving memory of Jean Alderman Pawling

Bill & Jayne Swanson in honor of our parents

Herb & Karen Williams in loving memory of our parents Cliff & Lucile Williams

and Bill & Bea Dunning and brother David Dunning

Friends of Margaret Wynn, her Houghton Family

A special thanks to Joyce Fisher who arranged and cared for the flowers.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is January 18 By Tricia Rife

Every year in the United States alone, more than one million babies are aborted. Statis-

tics show that 50 % of U.S. women who obtain abortions are younger than age 25, and

at current rates, nearly one-third of American women will have an abortion. Sanctity of

Human Life Sunday, January 18, 2015, is a day to celebrate and focus on choosing life.

The Wesleyan Church supports the sanctity of life and those who choose to trust God

despite difficulties. January 18, 2015, marks Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, an event

observed the third Sunday of every January. Wesleyans are encouraged to observe this

day on which many take a stand for human life.

Because all human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and are “fearfully and wonderfully

made," (Psalm 139:14) abortion grieves his heart. God, the Creator of the universe, deeply values human life

and it says so in his Word:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made

in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of

them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psa. 139:13-17 NIV).

The Library Corner

As the New Year begins, perhaps you are looking for new devotional materials. As you enter the room

where DVDs are kept, you will note on the right hand side shelves of devotional books. These may be taken

for any period of time you wish. It is suggested that you leave a devotional book that you have finished.

A Reason for Hope was written by Michael Barry. The reviewer said, "This is one of the most important

books on cancer survival available. It is a must-read for cancer patients as well as he family and friends who

support them.”

Karen Kingsbury has written The Family of Jesus. A reviewer said, "Based on the Bible and interspersed

with emotionally gripping fictional details as well as historical and theological insight, the stories of Jesus'

family will shed new light on God's Word." Max Lucado's new book, Before Amen, presents a different look

on prayer. The reviewer said, "This is one of the finest practical tools for understanding, utilizing and

experiencing the power of prayer that has ever been written."

Some "oldies" but "goodies" children's' books have been added to the Bonnie Szymanski collection. The

books are: The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, The Secret Garden by Francis Hodson Burnett and

Tuck Everlasting by Robert Elmer.

We hope you enjoyed some of the many items the church library has for the

Advent and Christmas season. In January and February, books and DVDs will be

on display to commemorate the ongoing fight to protect human life, celebrate new

beginnings, honor the memory of Martin Luther King and other African

Americans, as well as feature various women throughout the centuries who

contributed to devotional literature. One new item is a book of selections by the

author of Daily Strength for Daily Needs, Mary Wilder Tileston entitled: Great

Souls at Prayer: Fourteen Centuries of Prayer, Praise and Aspiration, From Saint

Augustine to Christiana Rossetti and Robert Louis Stevenson. Stop by and use the

wonderful resources we share, and a friendly reminder to please return your

borrowed items on time so others may enjoy them as well.

The church library is open

whenever the

Christian Education Building

is open.

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The Wednesday A.M. Women’s Bible Study will meet again on January 14 from 9:30 to 10:45 in the

Good Shepherd Room of the church (large room below the sanctuary). We welcome ladies who may not yet be

a part of a Bible Study. You are most welcome with us. We are continuing a study of Psalm 23.

***********************************************************************

General questions – Fred Shannon (President) – 567-2753 ([email protected])

Meal Questions – Alfreda Kreckman – 567-4479

Program Questions – Bob Danner – 567-2766 ([email protected])

***********************************************************************

THANK YOU to the people who decorated the church so beautifully:

Betsy Webb Levi Webb

Tobias Webb Rachel Blew

Joyce Fisher Terry Ayers

Steve Pocock Grace Taylor

Cindy Lu Taylor

Jon Cole and members of the Youth Group

the Pastoral Staff

and Bruce Brenneman who orchestrated volunteers.

RFKC Prayer Partners Needed If you are interested in being a Prayer Partner for this year's Royal Family Kids' Camp, please contact Maria

Rhone at [email protected] or by calling (716) 445-4280. Prayer Partners are assigned one specific

camper, counselor, or staff member to pray for on a daily basis during the week of camp as well as the weeks

leading up to camp. Prayer partners will also be responsible for writing a note to the person they are praying

for, which will be delivered during the week of camp.




585-365-2867

9676 Route 19

Houghton NY

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mon-Thurs 10am-11pm

Friday 10am-12am

Saturday 11am-12am

Sunday 11am-9pm

Menu:

www.3bumspizza.com

FOR RENT-

1 bedroom 1 bath. New Gas Range; freshly painted, Lawn care, snow removal and garbage pick-up included. Coin operated washer/ Dryer on site. Excellent move-in condition. Rent: $450 plus utilities Cell: 609-618-6431 10898 Dugway Road ~ Fillmore, NY

CHURCH STAFF

Wes Oden, Senior Pastor

567-2024 [email protected]

Jon Cole, Youth Pastor


Cindy Oden, Assistant Pastor


Kevin Austin, Assistant Pastor


Amanda Cox, Music & Worship Director


Emily Hoffman, Children’s Ministry Director


Church Office, M-F, 8 AM-Noon & 1-5 PM,


Begins again on January 8

Meets Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:30

in the Community Room for Fun and

Fellowship

Everyone welcome, Moms, Dads,

Caregivers, Kids

The Houghton Church wants to thank RGE/Enerpath for installing LED bulbs in almost all of the church's

lighting fixtures with the exception of hallways and main sanctuary chandeliers. This happened in December.

The bulbs are valued at $32,287 and are projected to save the church $4500 per year in energy costs! All of

this, as well as the labor of installing new ballasts and bulbs came at a cost of $0 to the church thanks to a sub-

stantial grant from RGE. These bulbs are state of the art, including the exterior corner safety lighting. Each of

the timer-driven big, rectangular safety lights costs well north of $500, and we have seven of them. We are

very grateful for the gift as well as the crew of installers. Merry Christmas!

January 4 (10:00 am)

a.m. Dr. Sarah Derck

NO EVENING ACTIVITIES

January 11 (10:00am)

a.m. How Old Is Jesus? (John 8:58)

NO EVENING ACTIVITIES

January 18 (8:20am, 9:40am and 11:00am, 5:00pm)

a.m. Is Our Diet Healthy? (John 6:35-51)

p.m. Baptism Service / Small Groups

January 25 (8:20am, 9:40am and 11:00am)

a.m. What Does Jesus Have to Say about Death

(John 11:25)

p.m. Small Groups

Reminder: Year-end donations must be either post-

marked or delivered to the church office on or before

December 31 in order to be counted as a 2014 contribution.

Anyone wishing to designate 2014 giving for Faith Promise

may do so on or before December 31.

SUNDAYS IN JANUARY





mailto:[email protected]?subject=Highlights

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Church%20Office

h o u g h t o n w e s l e y a n c h u r c h joyfully

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