A PUBLICATION OF THE
PROPHETSTOWN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
PROPHETSTOWN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
2025 NEWSLETTER
2025 NEWSLETTER
MAY DAY TRADITIONS
May Day is marked with rich celebrations of culture and folklore throughout history, welcoming the return of spring! There are many fun traditions that have persisted over time, like creating delightful little baskets with sweets and flowers. These baskets were sometimes left on the doorsteps of unsuspecting neighbors, with the sender yelling ‘May basket!’ and dashing from the scene.
Celebrating spring also includes singing and dancing around a maypole, mostly at schools. This tradition is still alive in some schools, and children decorate the pole with colorful ribbons and other items. Spring flowers are picked and gifted to loved ones, and although all these traditions have become lesser-known today, they are still cherished and enjoyed by many.
May Day is marked with rich celebrations of culture and folklore throughout history, welcoming the return of spring! There are many fun traditions that have persisted over time, like creating delightful little baskets with sweets and flowers. These baskets were sometimes left on the doorsteps of unsuspecting neighbors, with the sender yelling ‘May basket!’ and dashing from the scene.
Celebrating spring also includes singing and dancing around a maypole, mostly at schools. This tradition is still alive in some schools, and children decorate the pole with colorful ribbons and other items. Spring flowers are picked and gifted to loved ones, and although all these traditions have become lesser-known today, they are still cherished and enjoyed by many.
HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY
During and following the Civil War, Ann Jarvis made a concerted effort to foster friendship and community between the mothers on both sides of the war. She started a committee in 1868 which established the first glimmer of today’s holiday: “Mother’s Friendship Day.”
During and following the Civil War, Ann Jarvis made a concerted effort to foster friendship and community between the mothers on both sides of the war. She started a committee in 1868 which established the first glimmer of today’s holiday: “Mother’s Friendship Day.”
Ann’s daughter Anna continued her legacy by creating the official holiday.
She sought to honor her own mother by establishing an intimate day of observance that is very obviously the basis of today’s holiday. The very first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908.
Woodrow Wilson signed Mother’s Day into law in 1914. After Anna Jarvis created the Mother’s Day International Association in order to streamline the intimate day of observance to the second Sunday in May, Woodrow Wilson legitimized the celebration as a nationwide holiday.
She sought to honor her own mother by establishing an intimate day of observance that is very obviously the basis of today’s holiday. The very first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908.
Woodrow Wilson signed Mother’s Day into law in 1914. After Anna Jarvis created the Mother’s Day International Association in order to streamline the intimate day of observance to the second Sunday in May, Woodrow Wilson legitimized the celebration as a nationwide holiday.
Birthdays for May
1 – Linda Meier
2 – Garett Plumley
4– Betty Hummel
5 – Diane Hull
6 – John Frederick
7 – Mike Mandrell
7 – Cal Schuneman
10 – Mitch Raser
13 – Luke Giffin
17 – Zoe Rudy
20 – Ella Brooks
20 – Brenda Dessing
22 – Erika Raser
26 – Kim Smith
27 – Mary Garland
27 – Kasha Sebok
28 – Larry Dessing
1 – Linda Meier
2 – Garett Plumley
4– Betty Hummel
5 – Diane Hull
6 – John Frederick
7 – Mike Mandrell
7 – Cal Schuneman
10 – Mitch Raser
13 – Luke Giffin
17 – Zoe Rudy
20 – Ella Brooks
20 – Brenda Dessing
22 – Erika Raser
26 – Kim Smith
27 – Mary Garland
27 – Kasha Sebok
28 – Larry Dessing
May 5 – Tiffany Onken & Adam Carr
June 2 – Pat Crump
June 2 – Pat Crump
LITURGIST SCHEDULE:
4 – Kim Smith
11 – Sally Renkes
18 – Dixie Taylor
25 – Larry Stewart
4 – Kim Smith
11 – Sally Renkes
18 – Dixie Taylor
25 – Larry Stewart
USHER SCHEDULE:
4 – Gordon Francis & Frank Sebok
11 – Teresa Shere & Kathy Raser
18 – Esther Wagenecht & Diane Hull
25 – Chuck & Janice Swanson
4 – Gordon Francis & Frank Sebok
11 – Teresa Shere & Kathy Raser
18 – Esther Wagenecht & Diane Hull
25 – Chuck & Janice Swanson
ACOLYTE SCHEDULE:
4 –
11 – Aidan & Owen Garcea
18 – Hadley & Porter Bebon
25 – Ava Gravila & Tamber Rippy
4 –
11 – Aidan & Owen Garcea
18 – Hadley & Porter Bebon
25 – Ava Gravila & Tamber Rippy
Welcome to May. The month we celebrate spring in full swing. There are graduations, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, which is the unofficial kickoff to summer.
May is a month of transitions. We celebrated Easter in April and then in May we started to live on the Easter promise of hope and resurrection. Jesus’ promise of eternal life is forever.
Each day we live the promise that God is with us bringing us closer to each other and to God. Promises help us in life. They show us that God does what he says and that we can put our full trust in God.
God takes promises one step further and makes covenants with us. A covenant is an agreement with God that involves actions on both sides. God never breaks a covenant. Promises are important in this world because they help guarantee that people will do what they say. They mean even more coming from God because we know that they will come true.
As we go through this month of transition, consider how important promises are in your life. How do you feel when someone breaks a promise? Have you ever broken a promise to someone? How did you feel afterward?
God and Jesus never have to worry about breaking promises but sometimes we struggle with that in our lives. We try our hardest but many times it doesn’t work out for us for whatever reason. When this happens, we are called to lift up our struggles to God and realize that God and Jesus cover us in these situations and help us to make it right. God is a God of second, third, and fourth chances. As we get ready to go into summer, lift up your troubles to God and he will help you in those situations.
Pastor Joey
Sunday School will be over on May 18th, so we need to be thinking about whether we will change our worship hours. Let Ad Council members know your thoughts on this.
These are Leon and Prophetstown UMC’s confirmands and their parents. We celebrated with them on the 30th of April. They are:
Ellie Slock, Isabella Porter, Natalie Cumby, Hadley Bebon, Brayden Garcea.
Ellie Slock, Isabella Porter, Natalie Cumby, Hadley Bebon, Brayden Garcea.
The Confirmation Schedule was a 15 week program beginning on September 29th, 2024. Each student
had tasks they had to accomplish besides attending the sessions.
Each confirmation student was required to do 2 service hours of their choosing, and be an usher, acolyte, communion helper or liturgist at least 3 times during the program. There were also 3 required sermon reports during the program and it was required that they visit a different churches’ worship service during the 15 weeks to see what is the same as our church but also to see how it is different from our church.
They worked hard to accomplish these goals and we are very proud of them.
Graduation is just around the corner, so if you have someone close to you graduating this year, please let us know. It can be 8th grade, High School, College, Trade School, or an Adult Graduating. We would like to celebrate them together as a church.
This was taken during Children’s Time at church, not sure if they are there for Pastor or the goodies they receive when it is over.
My family and I would like to thank everyone for the donations, cards and prayers for my Granddaughter, Jess
Wirsing. The support she receives is very much appreciated. She has a long rough road ahead, but she is determined to beat this disease.
Pat Uhler
Pat Uhler
LET’S FEED OUR CHILDREN
INDIVIDUAL PASTA DRIVE
MOTHER’S DAY
SUNDAY, MAY 11TH
INDIVIDUAL PASTA DRIVE
MOTHER’S DAY
SUNDAY, MAY 11TH
Help the United Way serve FREE meals for children in Whiteside County. 15,000+ servings will be needed this summer. Donations will be collected at our church May 12-16.
Sunday School End-of-Year Lock-In!
When: Saturday May 17th to Sunday May 18th
Where: Prophtstown United Methodist Church
Time: 7pm-9am No Regular class time at 9:30am
What to bring: sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, any personal items needed.
Details: Please make sure your child(ren) has had supper. We will provide snacks and breakfast the next morning. There will be games, a scavenger hunt, and movies. Please understand that if there is unruly behavior or a scared child, we may need to call you to pick up. This is the final class session untill fall. We are looking for volunteers, please let us know if you can help.
I have really enjoyed my interviews with Pastor Wayne and Alzada and
also with Richard Ackeberg. I did make a mistake when writing Richards. He learned typing in High School, not at business college, sorry Richard.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I wanted to give all of you an update on the Boiler Fund.
Our members and friends of our congregation came through and raised $12,000 in less than 3 months. With the generous grant of $10,000 from the Moore Foundation and the amount raised by us, we were able to replace our old boilers with 2 new ones.
We have an awesome church family!
Thank you again,
Diane Hull
Financial Chair
I wanted to give all of you an update on the Boiler Fund.
Our members and friends of our congregation came through and raised $12,000 in less than 3 months. With the generous grant of $10,000 from the Moore Foundation and the amount raised by us, we were able to replace our old boilers with 2 new ones.
We have an awesome church family!
Thank you again,
Diane Hull
Financial Chair
These are the Sunday School kids, plus one, who took part in the Palm Sunday Processional. GREAT JOB!
This was taken on Easter Sunday at Children’s Time.