“A Simple Act of Trust”

O Lord, all you ask of me is a simple “yes,” a simple act of trust, so that your choices for me can bear fruit in my life. I do not want you to pass by me. I do not want to be so busy with my way of living, my plans and projects, my relatives, friends and acquaintances, that I do not even notice that you are with me, closer than anyone else. I do not want to be blind to the loving gestures that come from your hands, not deaf to the caring words that come from your mouth. I want to see you as you walk with me and hear you as you speak to me.

Henri Nouwen

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5 & 6.

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 the season of Lent with our “Who Is Jesus” message series. In this series we are taking a look at the “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John. This week we look at Jesus’s statement “I Am the True Vine.”  Our Scripture reading will be from John, Chapter 15, verses 5-11.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.“

Our services will begin with the song Beautiful Life by Pat Barrett. Our opening hymn in the 8:00 service will be Lift High The Cross.  We’ll continue in the 10:20 service with Rescuer. In both services we will sing O How I Love Jesus, and Take My Life, and Let It Be.

Virtual Worship Information

In addition to in-person worship, our service will be live-streamed. We are moving our livestream to YouTube. Our YouTube channel is Nelson Memorial UMC, and can be found here.  We will post a link to our Facebook page once the service begins. 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

• Holy Week begins with our Palm Sunday worship on Sunday, April 13th. 
• The Boonslick Area Ministerial Alliance will hold their annual Holy Week service Tuesday, April 15 @ 6:30 pm at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
• We will have a Maundy Thursday worship service on April 17th at 7:00 PM.  
• Good Friday we will have a worship service on April 18th at 7:00 PM.
• On Easter Sunday, April 20th worship times will be 8:00 AM and 10:20 AM.

Ministerial Alliance Community Easter Service – The Boonslick Area Ministerial Alliance will hold its annual Community Easter Service this coming Tuesday, April 15 at 6:30 pm at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Make plans to join us where we come together as a community to Praise God and celebrate Christ’s coming Resurrection.  

Palm Sunday Dinner – Sunday the Education Team will be hosting a carry-in dinner for Palm Sunday after the morning worship services.  There will be an Easter egg hunt for the children while the food is being put on the serving tables and readied for the dinner.  Each child that participates will be given a bag of wrapped candies.

To ensure a good variety of foods, we request the following distribution:

Family names A to H      Dessert

Family names I to Q        Side Dish

Family names R to Z       Salads

New Mission Opportunity – Join the Methodist Men on Saturday, April 19 at 9:00 am in the lounge for a conversation about partnering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). SHP is an organization that is dedicated to providing beds and bedding for children. A Boonville chapter of SHP would be the result of a combined effort not just of the Methodist Men, but more in our congregation and community. Please join us April 19 as we discuss next steps in bringing this ministry to Cooper County. You can speak with Norm Richert, Mike Krohn, or Pastor Chris with any questions.

Youth Mission Trip this Summer – The Youth are planning a mission trip this summer to LifeWise St. Louis July 24-27. If you or your youth are interested in participating in this trip or have any questions, please contact Chelsea Jackson, Jo Parker, or Sara Snyder.

Easter Cards for Elders & Friends – This year again we are asking the congregation to mail out Easter cards or other greeting cards with your own personal Easter greeting.  The addresses for the names listed below will be located on the refreshment table or the counter next to the front entrances.       

Virginia Brownfield, Ada Gingrich, Elise Langkop, Phyllis Otis, Gene and Donna Reagan, Bart Riley, Leona Schmidt, Helen Taylor, Hessie Watts, and Dorothy Whitten.

We know all the recipients will experience a special Easter blessing because of the thoughtfulness of all those who participate in this endeavor.  Thank you for remembering these special people.

Spring Cleaning – One of the Spring-cleaning projects being undertaken at the church is cleaning out the garage/shed/storage area on the northwest corner of our property. This space, as so often happens, has become a dumping ground for those items we don’t have a current need for, but “you never know.” With an idea for utilizing this space for a new missional purpose, we are looking to clean out many of the items that no longer have a need for our ministries. Please take a look at the pictures at this link to see if there is anything that you know needs to be saved or is used on a regular basis. Please contact Pastor Chris or Mike Krohn and reference which picture the item is in. 

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 here.

Events this week:

Saturday, April 12: Sagrada Bible Camp Work Trip

Sunday, April 13: Palm Sunday Diner & Easter Egg Hunt – Following Worship, Fellowship Hall

Monday, April 14: TOPS – 9:30 am, Lounge

Al-Anon Meeting – 6:00 pm, Fellowship Hall

Leadership Development Team – 6:00 pm, Lounge

Tuesday, April 15: Community Easter Worship Service – 6:30 pm, Saints Peter and Paul Church

Wednesday, April 16: Women’s Bible Study – 10:00 am, Lounge

Al-Anon Meeting – Noon, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, April 17: Baby Grace Distribution – 5:00 pm, Annex

Maundy Thursday Service – 7:00 pm, Sanctuary

Friday, April 18: Al-Anon Meeting – 6:00 pm, Fellowship Hall

Good Friday Service – 7:00 pm, Sanctuary

Saturday, April 19: Methodist Men’s Meeting – 8:30 am, Lounge

Sleep In Heavenly Peace Conversation – 9:00 am, Lounge

Closing Words of Wisdom:

Just as our love for God begins with listening to God’s Word, the beginning of love for other Christians is learning to listen to them.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer