THE CIRCUT Evangelical United Methodist Church

345 Broadwater Avenue—Billings, MT 59101 SUMMER

THE PASTOR’S CORNER “God saw how good the light was.” - Genesis 1:4

Happy Summer all you awesome, righteous, hardworking people of God!

Below are your assignments for the summer...I promise, you’ll enjoy doing them!

Rest, Have Fun, Live with Joy

“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy load, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus

We have worked hard this year. Record breaking Saturdays at the Free Store. New experiences in worship. Bible studies, youth group, Sunday school, church dinners. It has been good, but we are tired. I encourage each of you to find time to connect with God & others in fun and relaxing ways this summer. Here are some ideas:

TAKE A BREAK - find a bit of time to rest each day

HAVE FUN - do at least one fun activity per week

LIVE WITH JOY - find & name what you enjoy about the things you have to do

Pray, Give Thanks, Acknowledge

“The righteous will shine like the sun.” -Matthew 13:43

PRAY - hang the prayer calendar insert in an easy to see place and pray each day for what is listed

GIVE THANKS - every day for something for which you are grateful

ACKNOWLEDGE - acknowledge a way you have contributed to others each day

Invite Someone to Worship, Watch Movies, Vacation Bible School

“Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.” - Romans 15:7

EXPERIENCE WORSHIP DIFFERENTLY - Praise at the Park, Praise at the Pool, Prison-style worship on June 10, a special “Table Talk” service on June 24, and guest preachers including our new District Superintendent, the youth pastor from First UMC, Jeremy Scott, and Dave Merkel

MOVIE NIGHTS - Grace, Shiloh, and Evangelical UMCs are hosting family-friendly outdoor movie nights for our neighbors each month this summer! Ours are June 24, July 22, Aug 19

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - Our Amazing God! will be August 13, 14, 15 from 5:30 - 7:30 for children ages 3 - 12

Happy Summer! May God’s light shine upon you,

THE PASTOR’S CORNER “God saw how good the light was.” - Genesis 1:4

Happy Summer all you awesome, righteous, hardworking people of God!

Below are your assignments for the summer...I promise, you’ll enjoy doing them!

Rest, Have Fun, Live with Joy

“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy load, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus

We have worked hard this year. Record breaking Saturdays at the Free Store. New experiences in worship. Bible studies, youth group, Sunday school, church dinners. It has been good, but we are tired. I encourage each of you to find time to connect with God & others in fun and relaxing ways this summer. Here are some ideas:

TAKE A BREAK - find a bit of time to rest each day

HAVE FUN - do at least one fun activity per week

LIVE WITH JOY - find & name what you enjoy about the things you have to do

Pray, Give Thanks, Acknowledge

“The righteous will shine like the sun.” -Matthew 13:43

PRAY - hang the prayer calendar insert in an easy to see place and pray each day for what is listed

GIVE THANKS - every day for something for which you are grateful

ACKNOWLEDGE - acknowledge a way you have contributed to others each day

Invite Someone to Worship, Watch Movies, Vacation Bible School

“Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.” - Romans 15:7

EXPERIENCE WORSHIP DIFFERENTLY - Praise at the Park, Praise at the Pool, Prison-style worship on June 10, a special “Table Talk” service on June 24, and guest preachers including our new District Superintendent, the youth pastor from First UMC, Jeremy Scott, and Dave Merkel

MOVIE NIGHTS - Grace, Shiloh, and Evangelical UMCs are hosting family-friendly outdoor movie nights for our neighbors each month this summer! Ours are June 24, July 22, Aug 19

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL - Our Amazing God! will be August 13, 14, 15 from 5:30 - 7:30 for children ages 3 - 12

Happy Summer! May God’s light shine upon you,

THE CIRCUT Evangelical United Methodist Church

345 Broadwater Avenue—Billings, MT 59101 SUMMER

Sharing Others’ Generosity Through Our Faith

Cleaning Out Your Closets? Having a Garage Sale? The Free Store is always hoping for donations of clothing,

kitchen items, linens and even suitcases. But does not have

the storage room nor the demand for other sorts of items.

If other items are donated to the Free Store, the volunteers must

dispose of them, which takes away from other tasks that need

completing. Thank-you for your cooperation and support!

You do make a difference.

MEET RILEY GILSDORF

An Exceptional Billings Youth

Earlier this year, Riley Gilsdorf, a ninth grader at Senior High came to EUM requesting

the use of the church’s parking lot for a rummage sale in the Spring.

The reason for the request was a project to benefit Broadwater School.

Last Fall, Riley applied to be on the Governor and First Lady Youth Leadership Council. Every year, 20

students from across Montana are chosen to serve on the council. Riley had to submit an application

which included writing six essays.

Riley was one of the 20 high school students in Montana chosen to be on the State Youth Leadership

Council. This, in itself, is unique in that usually the group consists of older high school students. She

attended a retreat at the Capitol Building in Helena with Governor and First Lady Bullock. The retreat was

a time of leadership training with discussions regarding ways to address childhood hunger in our

communities.

From this leadership retreat, Riley decided to have a rummage sale to raise money for the Broadwater

Elementary School Backpack Program. Riley received her grade school education at Broadwater School,

and she saw firsthand how beneficial and vital the Backpack Program was for the students.

Riley diligently worked for months collecting items for the sale, going door to door handing out flyers,

writing letters and emails, picking up, cleaning and organizing the donations. In total, Riley spent over 500

hours on this project.

In addition, Riley engaged the students at Broadwater School by having them help at the parking lot sale

assisting the shoppers. This has been no small feat for Riley as she is an involved student at Senior High.

Riley is on the traveling club volleyball team which practices two nights a week and plays tournaments on

the weekends. She also is on the Varsity tennis team which is exceptional since she is just a Freshman.

(Continued on next page)

Place label here

Non-Profit Organization

U.S. Postage Paid Billings, MT

Permit No. 684

Pastor Wendy Ochs

Email: actyourfaith.com

Return Service Requested

VBS VOLUNTEERS

NEEDED:

Anyone who is interested in

helping with VBS, please

attend a planning session

on Wednesday, June 20, at

6:30 pm!

*We need group leaders,

song leaders, kitchen

helpers, volunteers to lead

crafts & games

Evangelical United Methodist Church

345 Broadwater Avenue

Billings, MT 59101-2811

Summer Survey - Your Input is Needed! As part of the Whole Church Initiative, a process our church and the other UMCs in Billings are engaging in over the next year, you will be asked to take a survey after church on June 17 or June 24 .

We are seeking to discover our people’s opinions and experiences in a variety of areas, so that we can determine our readiness as a group to step out into new mission endeavors.

Your input is valuable! Our goal is to get at least 30 completed surveys. Please plan to share a few minutes of your time to help.

Pastor Wendy’s Summer Plans

Pastor Wendy will again be taking classes at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL this summer.

She will enjoy some vacation time with family and friends in MN as well as a week serving as the pastor to a group

of Middle School campers at Flathead Camp. PW will be out of the office July 10 - August 11.

Skip Venard (406) 860-0382 or Pastor Tyler Amundson (406) 431-4921 may be called for pastoral care needs.

Farwell to the Scott Family

Pastor Jeremy, Daen, Gavin and Vivi are preparing for the next adventure

God has for them! Jeremy has been appointed to United Methodist Church

of Johnstown in Colorado. Though we will miss the family deeply, we rejoice

in the good work God has in store for them there: please join the family in

worship on July 1, when we will get to hear Jeremy preach one more time,

and after worship on July 8 for a special celebration to honor and thank them

for being a vital and beloved part of our church family.

Meet Riley Gilsdorf (Continued from Page 2)

From this experience, Riley shared that she learned good time management in order to work on this

project and keep her grades up. On Friday, May 20, Riley’s project became a reality. The weather

cooperated, and the length of the church building was lined with tables and clothes racks with lots of

items extending outward into three rows. Business was brisk with many shoppers. By the end of the day,

Riley’s sale was very successful. The sale brought in $1248 for the Broadwater School Backpack

Program. The remaining items from the sale were given to the Free Store.

Riley is an outstanding young lady who exemplifies a caring individual within the Billings community. And,

to think that she is just a Freshman in high school….. Whatever other accomplishments she makes, time

will tell. One thing is for sure: she will make an impact in whatever she does.

Her parents, Broadwater School, the state Youth Leadership Council, and the Billings community can be

very proud of her and what she has accomplished.

Riley hopes to be selected to the Youth Leadership Council again next year.

EUM recognizes Riley Gilsdorf and congratulates her on this huge, successful endeavor that surpassed

even her expectations.

Submitted by Carol Vegge

Nursery Needs:

Items may be dropped off in the nursery. Call the office (259-1897) or talk to Nursery Care Providers Catherine or Diane if you can help with a project. Thanks!

Phillips & flathead screwdriver (to change toy batteries) Squirt bottle & bleach for cleaning surfaces Big bottle of hand-sanitizer & Lysol wipes New crib & changing table Boxes of kleenex, new crayons & coloring books Fix zebra chair

Waffles & Worship Conference Grant will give EUMC a Full-Time Pastor

Pastor Wendy recently made an announcement about a grant our church will be receiving from the conference over the next three years to begin a new faith community which is currently being called “Waffles & Worship.”

This grant will allow the church to hire Pastor Wendy at full-time, allowing her to more diligently reach out to our Free Store families, volunteers, and donors, along with the Boy Scout families, Broadwater families, and neighbors. This work will involve a team of people who are committed to discerning God’s vision, creating a plan, and meeting with people in the community who are passionate about this project. It will also take the support, prayers, and encouragement of the entire church as we continue our 100-year-old tradition of being a mission-minded community of faith, seeking to share the love of Jesus with all of our neighbors!

Pastor Wendy and the team will keep the church frequently updated on what this new faith community is up to. Please talk to PW if you have any questions, concerns, ideas, or ways you would like to be involved. This is a project of the entire church and everyone is encouraged to be a part of the process.

Waffles & Worship will include time to Connect (through food & table talk), Sing (fun & meaningful music), Share (our stories about how God is working in our lives), Pray (talk with God), and give (thanks for our blessings, contribute as we can through gifts & service). The goal is to help those who don’t typically go to church experience God’s love and power in their lives and better understand the things they have to contribute to the world.

There will be a special all-church meeting after worship on JUNE 24th to approve Pastor Wendy’s full-time appointment at our church. Everyone is invited to attend!

Celebrating 100 Years!

2018 marks the 100 year anniversary of the date when ground was broken and the construction of our beautiful church building began. The Next 100 team wants to give a sincere THANK YOU to all of the faithful donors who completed their pledges and contributed to the following building improvements that will allow our church to remain a beautiful and vital space for ministry for the next 100 years!

A NEW ROOF on the entire church building

NEW CARPET on the stairs, hallway, gathering area, and friendship room

A NEW CHAIRLIFT up to the sanctuary and down to the fellowship hall

FURNACE UPDATES to help our boiler run more efficiently

BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING along Broadwater Avenue

Proverbs 3:27 says “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.” There are many ministries in this church. They serve to reach out to the hungry (sandwich making for folks who need some sustenance), reach out to those in prison (the Women’s Prison Ministry), the poor (the Conference FreeStore, feeding and clothing those in need), the church building itself (where Boy Scouts and singing groups meet). As the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, we heed his words and respond with action. We act our faith in many ways. Across the street is a school that has forty-nine employees, from janitors to principal, from teachers to counselors. A band of folks from EUM minister to all of them throughout the year by sending them cards and tokens of encouragement, with words to give them courage to continue to do one of the most important jobs on Earth – shape young people’s minds, teach them primary building blocks in their educational journey so that they may gain skills to progress to the next level. Every one of the employees in Broadwater School gets something in writing at least three times a year that says, “Hey we’re praying for you.” We pray for their strength, for their commitment, for patience, kindness, boldness, discernment, energy, joy, perseverance and lots of wisdom as they go through their work year. All of the folks at EUM who have received a specific teacher or staff member to “come alongside” has also made a commitment to pray for them.

We recently held an Ice Cream Social in the teacher’s lounge area. Employees came by and received an ice cream sundae and a flower (banana cream viola) to take home with them. One of the teachers came early, and then came back about thirty minutes later. She told this story:

“This has been my first year here at Broadwater School. I didn’t know anyone when I came here, and the job has been very challenging. About Christmas-time, I was in conflict about whether I was really called to be at this school, and was just about ready to throw in the towel. Then I received a card from EUM. I opened it and read a scripture verse about being strengthened by God, and then a hand-written note from someone who completely understood my frustration and angst. The card said to hang in there, you are doing an amazing job, God sees your confusion but will bless your commitment to see it through, it will get better, give it some time. Now, how did this person know? I can only say that after I read the card, I felt better and knew I could continue because God was helping and someone was praying for me. I came back today to say thank-you to your church for caring.”

Don’t ever think that your “little card” goes unnoticed. You are a Godsend to someone when you do it in the name of Christ who sent you. Your hand, used to write your words on the card that is received next door, is doing His work. God Bless you! Submitted by Bev Thorn

MOVIE NIGHTS

Come out for some free family fun this summer! Evangelical, Grace & Shiloh United

Methodist Churches are hosting Movie Nights on Sunday evenings at 8 pm through-

out the summer. Enjoy popcorn, time with friends, and some great Hollywood blockbuster hits. Check the

calendar insert for other dates & locations.

Youth Trip to Denver

Submitted by Bev Thorn

Five boys and two girls all under fifteen years of age, a nine-

month-old, three women between 41 and 66 years old. This

sounds like the recipe for a very wacky movie, right? It all

started when our beloved Pastor Wendy decided the

confirmation class (Gavin, Caleb, Lizzie) needed to experience a

few other faith traditions as part of the confirmation process. Adding to the class were Pastor Wendy,

almost-toddler Oti, Alex and his friend Grady, Lisa Thompson and Bev Thorn in two minivans to Denver

for Friday through Sunday. So far, so good! We met at o’dark on Friday morning, packed the minivans

(thanks Wendy and Lisa’s mom and dad for the rides!), and took off. We arrived in Denver and landed

at Phillips United Methodist church, who offered their sleeping accommodations and kitchen. Don and

Kay Davis used to attend this church!

Our first stop Friday night was to Temple Micah, a Jewish synagogue, where we attended a prayer

service, asked questions of the rabbi, and ate COOKIES. The congregants were very gracious, Gavin

won over the Rabbi Adam with the “Star Wars” t-shirt he was wearing and we heard a message about

Super Heroes! After this service, we braved the famous Casa Bonita restaurant for taco salads, arcade

games and entertainment that included a gun fight. We bunked in the same big room that night, crib

with Oti, everyone else in sleeping bags or on cots (who snored shall remain a close-kept secret).

Saturday included breakfast and then into the dining hall to make one hundred PBJ sandwiches and

sack them with other goodies (thanks to our many generous church members who donated the

lunch items!!). Everyone pitched in and we were ready to go downtown to a pre-arranged park where

we would distribute sandwiches to those needing them (some homeless, some just hungry, some of our

own group!). Since there were CINCO DE MAYO festivities that weekend in the park, complete with a

stage for musicians to perform, we soon discovered that the parking was non-existent, the homeless

had found other places to go and the sun was relentless. We ministered to those who needed the food,

and talked to lots of folks from every walk of life. Lots of “God Bless You” was heard. After we loaded

everything back up in the vans, we headed to the Aquarium to “chill out” and then drove to a mosque

and were given a “Islam 101” video upstairs while the imam gave a message downstairs to a large

group of men. After the video and questions, we were given dinner (beautiful chicken kabobs and salad

and COOKIES). We then went downstairs to witness the men at evening prayer. We learned a lot that

day! Back at the church we enjoyed an evening of games and laughing and talking and sleeping.

The next morning, we didn’t have to go far for church since all we had to do was go upstairs!

Wonderful service with singing (Bev joined the choir!) and communion with fellow believers. After

bagels and coffee we got back on the road and made it home by early evening. Good roads, beautiful

weather (oh, green Wyoming in the Spring!), getting to know each other, laughing and praying

together, learning of others’ faiths, finding out we all want to know the joy of sharing our faith with other

believers, discovering who we are in Christ, sharing our hearts in many ways. God is good!