The Messenger

January 2016
Colo & Collins United Methodist Churches
Pastor Lewis Flanigan
Church Phone: 641-377-2534
Email: coloumc@yahoo.com
Volume 1

The Wrong Door?

The boiler inspector was supposed to meet me at the
church at 9:15 a.m. At 9:30, I realized he wasnt there. So,
I looked outside, and saw a black car on the North side of
the building. I wondered if it might be him, but didnt go
to check, thinking that if it was, he would at least try to
open the door. At 9:45, he came in and went down to
inspect the boilers. Later he asked me what time I had arrived. He was surprised to discover that I had
been here since 8:45 a.m. He had tried another door. It was locked, so he drove around to the North side
of the church and waited for a car to arrive.
The next morning, I was supposed to meet a representative from AmeriHealth at 10:00 a.m. About
10:15, he called and asked if I had forgotten our meeting. I told him I was inside the church, working and
waiting for him. He said he had tried two doors, and they were both locked, so he was sitting in the
parking lot waiting for me to arrive.
Have you ever done thatgone to the wrong door, and waited for someone to arrive? Sometimes I
wonder if people do that with God. There are some who go to the door of good works, thinking that
will get them in to see God. They volunteer for every community endeavor. They take part in every
activity to care for the less fortunate. In other words, they do good works, but never turn to Jesus as the
door to get them in to see God.
Then, there are those who go to the political door. This one seems to show itself every couple of
years. This political party or candidate seems to the one with all the answersjust ask them. There are
others who try to be the most Godly. If only we would just vote for the right person, or party, then we
would usher in Gods kingdom on earth, and we would get in to see God.
How about those who go to the door doing the right thing? Know someone like that? They listen
to the radio or TV preacher, read their Bible, and even pray. They can be counted on to do the right
thing. Yet, they seem to pass judgment on those who dont measure up, and are quick to tell all they
know about those who arent as good as they are. These are sure they are going to get in to see God. As a
side note, did you know that according to the Pew Report, even a majority of those who say they dont
believe in God pray? I wonder to whom do they pray?
Jesus said, I am the door (gate)whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out
and find pasture. (John 10:7, 9) What strikes me about those verses, is that Jesus is saying that we are to
go in and out through Him. That says, to me, that we are live our lives as though we were in the presence
of Jesus. Whether we are coming or going, we are to go through Jesus to get there. I think that means we
are to pray about everything we do and everywhere we go, then go and be as Jesus would in that time and
place.
One more thoughtevery year I choose a theme verse(s) for the year. John 10:7, 9 are my verses
for 2016. I believe they are telling me to choose doors wisely, and to make sure that I choose Jesus.
Have you asked God for a theme verse(s) for 2016? I would be interested in knowing what you choose.

Pastor Lewis

UMW
January
Bible Verse: John
15:11 I have told you
this so that you will be
filled with joy. Yes,
your joy will overflow.
My wish for you is that the joy of the
Christmas season will continue through the New
Year.
A very special thank you to those who made
our Unit Christmas dinner so fun, another time to
remember. To those of the Joy Circle and those
who furnished cookies for the Cookie Walk to
make it a success. The profit was $730.00. That
plus $247 from the Unit goes to W.O.W.
We also gave $1,000 to the church budget
($200 of which was designated for the Youth
Group, and $553 to the parsonage fund. We
consider this our local mission.
Congratulations to Kim Halferty, Vicki
Wilson, Kim Heidemann, Amy Lennie, and
Pastor Lewis, who have helped our church to
grow!
Sue presented them with Special
Recognition pins and money was given to
mission in their names.
Sewing day is still continuing. The kits
they are making will make it easier for girls in
many countries.
Karen Cody is to be
commended for organizing this mission project.
Dates to remember is January are: Pledge to
Mission; Advocacy Day in Des Moines on
January 28th; and Father and Son Banquet on
January 31st, 5:30 p.m. Miriam Circle has
program and decorations, Rachel Circle has the
dining room, and the Joy Circle has the kitchen.
Continue other on-going missions by saving
box tops for education, Campbell soup labels,
and stamps.
A big thank you to Sue McKinney for the
years that she served as our President, for leading
us in a Christian way, and her dedication to
United Methodist Women.
Sue was also
presented with a Special Recognition pin in
December, and a gift to mission was given in her
name. I will look forward to any support that
she can give me.
I am looking forward to working with all of
you. May God help us to always be Christlike in
the things we say and do.
Bonnie Florke, UMW President

UMW Reading
Program Report
There are more
reading books which
I want to introduce to
you and intice you to
read this winter. I
just finished reading the new book I AM
MALALA written by Malala with Christina
Lamb which is a national bestseller. Malala is the
youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as
her book tells about her campaign for education
and her miraculous recovery from the shot in the
head by the Taliban in 2012. She won Pakistans
National Youth Peace Prize in 2011 because of
her working to have girls be allowed in school.
This book is in the category of Leadership
Development.
Another new book for 2016, is TILLY by
Monique Gray Smith and a story of Hope and
Resilience. Tilly will bring strength, comfort,
and peace to all who read it and inspire the
reader. Tilly realizes her mom is Aboriginal and
loosely based on the authors own life. This is a
work of nonfiction and tells the story of Tilly
coming of age in the 1980s, and is in the
category of Spiritual Growth.
THE WEIGHT OF MERCY by Deb
Richardson-Moore is another Leadership
Development book for 2016. Deb spent 27 years
as a novice pastor on the city streets in the Deep
South and accepted a post at a run-down innercity church where the homeless gathered. She
found that sometimes the best person to handle a
situation was a drug addict or that Jesus has the
face of a prostitute and all were welcomed into
this strange church family.
In the category of Nurturing for Community,
we have new the book HOUSE OF PURPLE
CEDAR by Tim Tingle. This is the story of Rose
Goodes upbringing in Indian Territory. The
once-thriving Choctaw community, was
destroyed by landgrabbers, and the arson of the
Academy for Girls on New Years Eve in 1896.
Rose was the only girl of 20 who escaped the
fire. Her grandfather decided to follow the path
of forgiveness and overcome hate.
I am introducing you to a new book in our
library but not on the Reading Program List---NICK, A
YOUNG
HERO

REMEMBERED, written by his mother Erin

Hulshizer who is a member of our
congregation. Reading this book will give you a
close connection to Erin as she shares her heart,
dreams, and heart aches plus her search for
strength from God, as she goes on her path to
healing and inner peace.
You will be glad you took the time to read
this book.
You can read from former years back to
2011. When checking out the books, please write
your name on the card which is inside the cover,
and leave the card in the box on the shelf. When
returning the book, replace the card and cross off
your name on the card. Questions?--- Ask
Dorothy Dadisman, 377-2552.

United
Methodist Mens
Group
All
men
are
welcome to join us at
Nilands Caf at 6:30
a.m.,
the
second
Thursday
of
each
month.
The next
gathering will be January 14th. (Each person pays
for their own breakfast.)
U.M.W. Cookie Walk &
End-of-the-Year Donation
At their last meeting (December), the
Colo U.M.W. made a donation of $2,753 to
the church. This money came from profits
from the Chicken & Biscuit Dinner and the
Cookie Walk (profit of $753, a lot of
cookies).
This money was dispersed in the
following way (by direction of the UMW
Executive Committee, and approved by the
Unit): $1,000 to the General Fund; $1,000
to W.O.W.; $200 to the Youth; and $553 to
the Parsonage Fund!
A $200 local mission check was also sent
to the Colo Food Pantry.

JANUARY
BIRTHDAYS
Colo
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
17
20
21
22
23
24
26
27
29
30

Robert Wilson
Gannon Short
Andrea Coyle
Abigail Hostetler, Mailey Short
Sue Zeisneiss
Elliot Morgan
Carrie Britten, Shelby Patterson, Jeff
Wilson
Colby Edel
Bobby Meller, Nathan Wilson
Joe Harper, Drew Robinson
Keith Hindman
Jerry Hill
Emma Lennie
Virgil Robinson
Shane Hall
Lindsay Upchurch, Dale Yeazel
Marianne Johnson, Kathy Mens, Amy
Swigart
Alexandria Webster
Clint Buffington
Ryan McKinney
Lisa Whitaker
Myra Fish, Meridith Wilson
Natalie Swanson
Richard Crane, Harrison Henry, Staci
Springer
Collins

2
5
7
11
13
17
18
20
21

Cecil Ogburn
Scott Brownfield
Dorothy Pointer
Judy Sesker
Bernice Huntrods
Chad Struthers
Barb Moses
Christina Wright
Mary Beth Kingman Elliot
Collins January Anniversaries
8Bob & Alta Titus
11Chad & Merinda Struthers
25Bruce & Judy Sesker

Father/Son Banquet
January 31, 2016
5:30 p.m.
$8 for adults - $4 for children 6 and under
All kidding aside. The ladies are planning
the annual Father/Son Banquet.
No
humans will be on the menu!
Please call Nancy Tucker at 377-3737 for
reservations by January 24th. There will be
a sign-up in the Fellowship Hall in Colo.

Newsletter by Email???
If you would prefer to receive the Messenger
only by email, please let us know. It is also
available on our Colo Facebook page.
Messenger Deadlines/Assembly
All articles to go in the Messenger are due in
the church office by noon on the 20th of each
month.
The Messenger will be assembled and
mailed on Thursday, January 28th, beginning
at 9:30 a.m. All volunteers are welcome and
encouraged!

On Monday, February 8th, there will be a

kitchen clean up day at the Colo UMC.
Please plan now to attend and help with the
clean up. It will begin at 9:30 a.m.

As many of you already know, the Colo

United Methodist Church has partnered with
others in the Colo/Nesco school district to
help sponsor the Colo/Nesco Backpack
program. This program provides meals for
deserving children in the Kindergarten thru
4th grades. For our part in the program, we
will be picking up food at the Iowa Food
Bank in Des Moines
during the months
of
January,
February, and May.
Therefore, we will
need
volunteers
who are willing to go
and pick up the
food, and bring it
back to the church
on Monday or Tuesday each week. The
food for this program will come prepackaged and pre-boxed. There will be
approximately 4 boxes each week. We will
make the arrangements ahead of time with
the Iowa Food Bank.
Currently there are 30 students signed up
for this program, with 1 having a nut allergy.
There is no cost to us, or others in this
district, except the cost of transporting the
lunches. If you are willing to help, please let
Pastor Lewis know as soon as possible. We
begin this program during the week of
January 18th!

Colo & Collins United Methodist Churches

602 Fourth Street
P.O. Box 266
Colo, IA 50056

Non-Profit
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit # 2
Colo IA 50056

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

ADDRESS LABEL

January 2016 Messenger