“Something To Believe In”
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
I recently had an article shared with me that listed the results of a survey on the state of faith in the United States. The information was based on a Gallup poll conducted earlier this year. Most of the results of the poll did not surprise me – they show that the overall levels of interest in faith and organized religion are on the decline – similar polls have produced similar results for the past 10 plus years.
There was one set of numbers that did strike me as curious. The poll indicated that “94 percent of Protestants said they believed in God, while 85 percent of Catholics said the same.” If I’m reading these results correctly, 6 percent of Protestants and 15 percent of Catholics (I assume self-identified) do not profess a belief in God. (I am curious about the actual questions used to obtain these results, but they were not published with the article.)
I have long believed that “sitting in a church no more makes you a Christian than sitting in a garage makes you a car.” This study gives numbers to back up that statement. It also makes me wonder – for those people who claim belonging to either the Protestant or Catholic faiths yet don’t profess a belief in God, how does that work and what does that mean for churches? Did these folks once believe in God, but have now lost their faith, yet still attend out of either habit or duty? Or are these folks wrestling with the idea of faith and seeking to find it through a local church?
In Hebrews we are told that faith is “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Belief in God, not just in the existence of a supreme being, but truly trusting that you are created, known, and loved by that God, requires more than just saying the right words or sitting in a certain seat every 7 days. True faith requires an acknowledgement that there is something greater than us out there and that there are things we will never be able to understand in this life.
Blessings, Chris
Mission
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision
Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ. We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Priorities
Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth
Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups
Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond
Worship This Week
We continue our message series looking at the life and teachings of Simon-Peter. This Sunday’s message is titled “The 7 Dirty Words of Church.” Our Scripture lesson this Sunday will be from the Book of Acts, chapter 15, verses 5-11:
Some believers from among the Pharisees stood up and claimed, “The Gentiles must be circumcised. They must be required to keep the Law from Moses.”
The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. After much debate, Peter stood and addressed them, “Fellow believers, you know that, early on, God chose me from among you as the one through which the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and come to believe. God, who knows people’s deepest thoughts and desires, confirmed this by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, but purified their deepest thoughts and desires through faith. Why then are you now challenging God by placing a burden on the shoulders of these disciples that neither we nor our ancestors could bear? On the contrary, we believe that we and they are saved in the same way, by the grace of the Lord Jesus.”
Our 8:00 service will begin with the song Heart of God by Zach Williams. The 10:20 service will begin with our Praise Band leading us in God Really Loves Us. Our other songs for the morning include: Come As You Are, O How I Love Jesus, and Just As I Am.
Virtual Worship Information
In addition to in-person worship, our service will be live-streamed. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start at approximately 10:20 am with our Gathering Song. Additionally, we post a recording of our messages to our website by early Sunday afternoon.
Announcements
Christian Movie Night – Our next movie will be tonight in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 6:30 pm. Come join us for popcorn and a movie, and bring your own soda.
Ice Cream Freeze Off Thank You! – The Methodist Men’s Ice Cream Freeze Off was a great success, with many delicious entries. First place was Whitney and Lanie Venable, Bill Salyer and Ricky Powell. Second place went to Nola Parker and Gary Baker. Third place went to Mike Thomas. The Methodist Men would like to thank all who participated, and supported this fund raiser. Everyone had a good time. Special thanks to Elvin Farquhar for chairing the contest.
Summer Outing at Big Surf Water Park – Our Nelson Church Family is invited to enjoy a fun afternoon at Big Surf Water Park at the Lake of the Ozarks on Sunday, July 30th. We are planning on meeting in the Big Surf parking lot between 2:00 and 2:15. Be sure to sign up on the clipboard in the refreshment area if you are interested. We will plan on eating dinner together at 6:00 when the park closes. Bring a side dish or dessert to share. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Baker. We hope you can join us for some summer fun!
Card Shower – Dorothy Whitten’s daughter asked that we have a card shower for her. Her birthday was on July 19th. Her address is Dorothy Whitten, c/o Jennifer Metzger, 2941 Daniels Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75205.
Our friend Helen Taylor’s birthday is July 29 and you are invited to shower her with birthday greetings by sending cards and good wishes to her at The Lodge, 542 State Route Fayette, MO 65248. Thank you for your participation.
Giving Through Venmo – We can be found on Venmo at @NelsonMemorialUMC. If you don’t know what Venmo is and would like to learn more, information about giving through Venmo can be found on our webpage at https://nelsonmemorialumc.org/give/venmo/.
Save The Date:
- Thursday, August 10, 2023 – S’mores Night
- Sunday, August 20, 2023 – Church Picnic
- Monday, August 28, 2023 – Red Cross Blood Drive
Events this week:
Monday, July 24: TOPS, 9:30 am, Lounge
Leadership Development Team, 6:00 pm, Lounge
Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, July 25: Administrative. Board, 6:00 pm, Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, July 26: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Lounge
Al-Anon, Noon, Fellowship Hall
Closing Words of Wisdom:
Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” – Helen Keller