Dear Church Family,Dear Church Family,

May @ 1stu U

First United Church of Gridley

Open Bibles One Another Beautiful FeetSpiritual Growth Authentic Worship

United by common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

June 2014

Inside this newsletter:Brett’s Farewell LetterOur Stained Glass Story

First U NewsMilestones/Attendance

Bri Sanders/Little LambsMay Photos

Pastoral Staff Andy Huette, Sr. PastorGrant Stauter, Discipleship Pastor

406 W 7th Street, PO Box 280, Gridley, IL 61744 Phone 747-2299 web:www.1stu.org

Youth GroupsOn Summer Break

Sunday Worship ServicesMorning Worship 9 am-10 amJ.A.M. (ages 3 - PreK) 9 am-10 am every SundayChildren’s Church (grades K-5) 9-10 am 1st & 3rd SundayCommunion and One Another lunch 4th Sunday

As my time as Youth Director draws to a close I leave you with a few reflections on things I’ve learned throughout my five years of ministry:

I’ve learned that ministry is not a solo act. If I hadn’t had the support of others on our church staff, my

adult volunteers and constant encouragement from individuals in our congregation I would have gone down in flames long ago as a youth pastor. I’ve needed others to hold me up in my weak-nesses and encourage me during times when I was tempted to lose heart. I’ve needed the skill sets of others who could “fill in the gaps” where I lacked in ministry. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul likens the church to a single body with many different members. He tells us that although the church is composed of various individuals with differ-ent personalities and abilities, we are to come together to function like one living dynamic organism. In other words, we need each other if we’re going to succeed in minis-try. I’ve learned that ministry is a team effort, not a solo act.

I’ve learned that ministry is more rewarding than I had imagined. To see “the light bulb” go on for a student who first takes in a

deep truth of God’s Word is overwhelmingly gratifying. I once heard a great preacher say that there is no better feeling than to know that God is using you as a vessel for His Spirit to minister through. I have been rewarded to see God, by His grace, use the ministry that I’ve engaged in to breathe the life of His Spirit into the hearts of students. I have seen dead souls raised to life and watched God do what only He can do – save, mature, and establish people in Christ. What greater reward could be asked for? I’ve learned that ministry is more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.

I’ve learned that ministry is more difficult than I had imagined. The life-span for ministry of a youth pastor is typically short.

I’ve read a statistic somewhere that said most youth pastors only

stick around for about 18 months be-fore they decide to leave their post. My experience at First United has been wonderful, and I’ve enjoyed a rela-tively long and happy tenure as youth pastor. But I also can sympathize with those who realize early on that they aren’t called to ministry. Satan knows that the best way to steal the sheep is to take aim at the shepherd. Spiritual warfare is being fought on many different fronts for individuals in ministry, and sometimes I’ve found myself fighting battles that I had never

expected to be fighting in ministry before I began five years ago. Some-times it’s been a haunting sense of loneliness, sometimes a bludgeon-ing weight of sinful self-sufficiency, and other times it’s been a nagging sense that I need to please people rather than God. Ministry has been harder than I ever expected. But in all my struggles I’ve found true the sweet reassurance of God in 2 Cor-

inthians 12 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In my weakness God has been faithful and strong.

I’ve learned that the Gospel grows sweeter as I grow older. A man in ministry that I admire once told me that as he’s grown

older he’s only come to see more clearly his dependence each day on the Gospel. His statement shocked me at first because I knew how long he had been following the Lord and how much he had pursued Godliness over the years. But since then the truth of his statement has sunk deep into my own heart. There is never a day that goes by that I am not in deep need of God’s grace and forgive-ness in my life. There will never come a day when I won’t desper-ately need the saving blood of Christ to wash my sin away and the perfect record of His righteousness given to me. If anything,

Our 4th and 5th grades Sunday School class signed “the Lord’s Prayer during our Offering on May 11.

Our Sunday School year concluded with the Missions Team teaching PreK through Jr. High classes about our core value of Beautiful Feet.

Ice Camp 2013: Seth Foor, Brett, Lori Hardman, Dave Ihlenfeldt. See inside for a glance back at Brett’s First U career.

Continued inside

Bri Sanders began her career with Lit-tle Lambs from its beginning in 2010. She has worked part-time while attending school to earn her degree in Early Child-hood Development. She is leaving her job as teaching assistant so that she can fin-ish her classes at ISU.

We appreciate her faithful service and will miss her bright smile and energy.

Register during Coffee FellowshipForms also available online at:

http://www.1stu.org/#/ministries/vacation-bible-school

VBS: July 21-25Register for VBS in June

Farewell to a Little Lambs Employee

Bri has worked from September 2010 through May 2014.

CE recognized teachers and hosted a “Sunday School Picnic” at our May One Another meal.

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the GOOD NEWS!”Romans 10:15.

Picture removed for web use

2 3

Attendance & Offering 5/4 255 $6,640 5/11 331 $7,337 5/18 303 $6,204 5/25 312 $8,788

June Milestones Birthdays 1 Thomas Erwin1 Jordan McKinsey2 Hart Zeller4 Ron Richard5 Dan Dixon5 Neil Jeffreys5 Matty Wenger7 Melvin Grace7 Phyllis Smith8 Jamie Erwin10 Alec Ihlenfeldt13 Zachary Johnson16 Brian Buchanan17 Mary Ferguson17 Adam Ludy18 Matt Wenger20 Mark Butikofer20 Jacob Ludy21 Elise Morrison24 David Hess25 Jennifer Morrison25 Amanda Poppen25 Michelle Porzelius28 Mary Carls29 Alice Guth29 Gene Rapp30 Caleb Kaupp30 Logan Maughan30 Ashley Neal Anniversaries2 Jordan & Alissa McKinsey3 Timothy & Susan Johnson 4 Ron & Stephanie Richard 8 Jason & Michelle Porzelius10 Andy & Abby Huette 13 Phil & Linda Hartzler 14 Larry & Carol Neuhalfen 15 Frankie & Stephanie Finck28 Daniel and Jamie ErwinNew Births 4/28 William Russell Nyberg Parents/Grandparents: Josh & Nicole Nyberg Karen Neal 5/7 Asher Merrit Thompson Parents/Grandparents: Kim & Andrew Thompson Bev & Doug Nelson

The Peoria Journal Star ran a front-page article on September 11, 1983 featuring the stained glass which sym-bolizes the unity of the two Gridley churches that merged to form First United Church of Gridley.

Our Stained Glass Story - a part of our historyOur stained glass windows were designed in 1983 by artist, Ron DeBoer and Jerry McGowan of Tazewell Stained Glass Studio. In a letter that DeBoer wrote to Ben Klein, he explained the abstract design and significance of the many different pieces and colors in the window:

Joe and Amy Flam-mer left Central Illi-nois to become church planters in New Zea-land. Joe is the Lead Pastor of Rechurch, a church plant started in 2010 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Joe says, “The city of Christchurch began

with a big church in the centre of the city and was started with Christian principles. Many years later, Christianity has fallen in New Zealand and in Christchurch. Fewer than 10% of the people in this city currently attend church. We feel like God called us to this city to help reach the 90% of the people

here who do not have a church and do not know Him.”

The Flammers have persevered through earthquakes, childbirth (3!), location changes, and are seeing church growth along with more involvement from the “Kiwi’s” (New Zealanders).

Joe and Amy are returning to the States for a furlough in June. The Missions team will host a lunch for them and their adop-tive families—Andy and Abby Huette, Doug and Patty Baird, Seth and Katie Zeller— on Sunday, June 15.

Please give Joe, Amy, Brooklyn, Lincoln and Linden a warm welcome.

Meet our Global Partners

The strong horizontal lines at the base—starting with the side windows, meeting in the middle and flowing upwards—represent the two congregations coming together to form a solid foundation for the new church. The large blue shape near the bottom represents the Rock upon which the church is built. The red blood of Christ flows through and upwards to form the cross. The blue, yellow, and other colors mov-ing above the cross— as a flame—re-minds us of Christ’s resurrection and as-cension, and how through Him we come to God the Father.

The repeated flow of shapes running throughout the rock and around the cross symbolize the diversity of talents and skills of the members that bring uni-ty to support the church.The various colors in the brick-like pat-terns represent the leaders of the church and how they must be one with the members. At the very bottom, one sees the path-way of charity climbing upwards, as the trunk of the tree of life, leading through all the above . . . to salvation.

More than 600 square feet of glass went into the windows which total about 300 square feet in their completed state. The cost of the project was about $15,000.

Interested in “adopting” a missionary? Pleasesee Katie Zeller or Kansas Krone.

The Circus Came to Town

I’ve only realized more clearly as I’ve grown older how undeserving I am of God’s love. As I push forward in holiness, I unmask more recesses of sin and depravity that exist deep in the corners of my heart. As the truth of my “undeservedness” grows clearer, the glory of God’s grace towards me shines all the more brightly. The Gospel message grows sweeter as I grow older. All I can do is echo the words of the old hymn writer – “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!”

Thanks to everyone who supported, encouraged, and served alongside me throughout my time on staff here. You have been God’s greatest gift to me in ministry and a foretaste to the bigger family that we will be a part of one day in glory.

Peace and Grace, BrettPeace and Grace, Brett

Brett’s letter continued from front page

Brett’S 1St u yearSat a Glance

2009Began his First U career as Jr.

HIgh Youth Director (Sept)

Organized his first Jr. High Lock-in with theme “I Am Second”

2010Assumed Sr. High Youth

Group leadership

Led his first trips to CIY:Sr. High kids CarbondaleJr. High kids to Indiana

Organized the trip to Desiring God conference for 40 adults

2011Started the Ice Camp

tradition for Jr. High kids

Received his Bachelor ofScience at ISU in Sociology

2012Organized the first ever (and

only) Worship Camp forstudent worship leaders

2013Organized Sr. High Team

Challenge School Kick-Off

2014Received his Masters of Arts

in Religion from UrbanaTheological Seminary

Said farewell to duties as First United’s Youth Director

picture of party here

Little Lambs held their annual circus on May 20 with performances from clowns, jug-glers, trapeze artists, ponies, elephants and other circus acts. The Zoo Lady Crew was on hand to paint faces for the students and guests.