Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St.

Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Happenings at Pastor Sharon’s Last Sunday – June 13TH

LPUMC
Jun 5 – Pastor Sharon
Ordained at Annual
Conference

Jun 5/6 – Lafayette Square

House Tour

Jun 12 – Hands In Mission

Jun 13 – 9:30 - New

Worship Time
10:30 – Send off S——sharing of her time to develop connections for
for Pastor Sharon members and new members of the church to their
faith walk and being the hands of Christ in the
community and the greater world.
H—— here today and tomorrow to serve in mission——
hands in mission, Juarez, Mexico, Theodosia, MO,
In This Issue
Haiti, Emmaus walk, Shalom House, Centenary Cares
Wilder View 2 and to serve on Methodist committees.
A—— accessible to hear people’s hopes and dreams. To
Earth Care Column 3
marry those in the church and counsel them. To be
Pastor Kathleen’s there for them in times of trial and need.
R——responsive to the need for new programs by developing
Birthday Celeb. 4
Stephen Ministry, Bible Study groups, Hodges
PrideFest 7 Reading Program, Methodist Religion classes and
Worship Times 8 ministries within the church.
O——obedient servant——giving of her time, energy,
Calendar 10 passion, tithing financial support, choir singer, last
Time with Sharon 11 minute manager of the pumpkin patch and other
functions as the need presented itself.
N——navigator——there to assist people how to navigate
through life’s journey and offer spiritual support and
direction.

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Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

CHURCH CONTACTS From the . . . Wilder View

To everything there is a season, and a time to every
Church Office Hours purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Monday - Friday I have had the privilege of sharing many seasons with
9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sharon. Our first season was when we were both in the
314-771-9214 exploration and wonder of going into ministry. We were both
part time staff members at Webster Hills UMC and were filled
Senior Pastor with wonderment that God could call us and use us in ministry.
Rev. Kathleen Wilder It was a season of newness.
lppastor@sbcglobal.net We shared another season as I was first appointed to
Lafayette Park and Sharon served as our intern while she was in
Associate Pastor seminary. A season of questions – why do you do this, have
Sharon Kichline you thought about doing this. What is the story behind… what
lpassociate@sbcglobal.net if we tried this? This was a season of experimentation and
learning.
Church Secretary
And then we shared another season… a season in which
Maria Lawrence
we served the people of Lafayette Park. Time was spent on
M-F 9:00 a.m. - Noon
how we could better care for those we serve. This was a time
lpsecretary@sbcglobal.net
of perfecting pastoral skills and learning administration. It was
Newsletter Editor a season of preparing to be a seasoned pastor.
Elena Greene Now a new season begins. A season of soaring above the
lpnewsletter@sbcglobal.net clouds! Shortly, Pastor Sharon will begin a new season, a
season of serving as pastor to two churches. She will start the
Yahoo Group season of falling in love with more of God’s people. She will
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lpumc learn the unique gifts that are within those churches and will
help those gifts become nourished and begin to grow.
Preschool Director We at Lafayette Park UMC also enter a new season. This will
Edna Coleman be a season of discernment as we seek out specific areas
lppreschool@sbcglobal.net where we would like to grow. We will call forth gifts of ministry
within the congregation so that we all may grow into using the
Youth Director
gifts that God has placed within us.
Chad Johnson
Every season contains joys and sorrows, life and death, tears
lpyouth@sbcglobal.net
and laughter. Let us enter into this new season with the
Young Adult Minister expectant hope of the God that is the giver of life and love,
Aaron Ban and ask God to plant within us the new growth we hunger for
in our churches.
May God bless Pastor Sharon and her two new churches as
News & Views they enter into this new season of hope and growth. May God
Editor
Elena Greene bless Lafayette Park as we enter into this new season of hope
and growth.
Newsletter Production
Bob & Jeris Beane
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every
purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Sunday Bulletin Production ~Pastor Kathleen
Betty Disbennett
Mary Disbennett

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Simple Fundraisers
Men’s Breakfast Inkjet and Toner Cartridges Schnucks eScrip Card
2nd and 4th Sundays and Cell Phones for 1. Pick up a Schnucks eScrip
after 8 a.m. service Recycling - Don’t forget to Community Card at a Schnucks
bring these items to the Service Desk or LPUMC office.
2. Register the Card:
church office! This helps our
http://www.escrip.com/merchants
Website Updates environmental fundraiser.
/identity/schnucks/community_stl.j
Be sure to check out the sp
church photo gallery on Aluminum cans for Recycling 3. Show the Card at Checkout.
the web! You can find it - Look for can collection bin
from a link on the in the parking lot. Macy’s Fundraising Card
church’s home page: Register your Macy’s card at
www.lp-umc.org https://secure.escrip.com/jsp/supp
orter/authentication/password.jsp
When you make a purchase, a
percentage will be donated to
LPUMC as a fundraiser.

Earth Care: Prayers For the Gulf

The slow-motion tragedy of the gulf oil spill lays bare our collective failure as caretakers of
God’s good creation. While unknown thousands of barrels of oil leak into the rich and diverse
ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico, how are we as Christians called to respond? While it is easy
to express anger and cast blame at the companies who owned, operated and profited
from the deep sea exploration, we must also reflect on our own complicity through our
endless demand for cheap oil.

So much remains unknown: How long will the oil flow into the gulf? How far will the oil slick
spread? How damaging will the spill be to fragile wetlands and the flora and fauna in the
region? How will the spreading oil slick jeopardize the future of thousands of watermen and
those who depend on the Gulf for their livelihoods?

In the face of these uncertainties, we turn to the One who is certain – the One whose
creative and recreating power is stronger than any of our human folly. May we heed the
call of the Scriptures, humble ourselves and pray that God will forgive our sins and heal the
land.

Please keep the Gulf of Mexico, the spill, the Gulf Coast, and all of God’s creation in your
prayers as we deal with what some are calling the worst environmental disaster of our time.
Read more at www.umc-gbcs.org/gulfcoast
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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Happy Birthday Pastor Kathleen

LPUMC began Pastor Kathleen's 50th birthday celebration on Sunday, May 2, by fulfilling a wish of
Pastor Kathleen's, to "fill the church". Sharon Domke, Lay Leader, presented Pastor Kathleen with a
corsage for her special day.
On Friday, May 7, LPUMC and Centenary gathered together at Centenary for a surprise music
celebration from members of both churches.
Following is a tribute from Daron Smith:
Kathleen is many things to many people. She is a wife, a mother, a pastor, and a musician. She
was even a very accomplished trainer in what she calls “her past life in corporate America”.
Many of us call her “pastor, friend, counselor, advisor and trusted confidant”. You can call her
pastor, Kath, or Kathleen - Heck we at LPUMC even used to call her the “crazy pastor” - but don’t
ever call her “Cathy”.............. as she is nothing like that unconfident nervous cartoon caricature.
Kathleen has many gifts - at LPUMC we know that picking paint colors is not one of them -but that
is ok because she is blessed with many others. Her soprano voice is like an Angel’s. She can knit a
baby’s blanket a lightning speed while running a meeting. I still marvel at how she can preach
without a single written note in front of her, or how she can remember almost any conversation no
matter how long ago it was. One of her best gifts is her ability to teach us about God.
She self identifies as a spiritual mystic. She has visions and dreams - and sometimes she likes to
scare us and tell us what they are!
When she first came to LPUMC she told us we couldn’t label ourselves as a struggling church and
that she she had a vision. I’m not sure we were ready to hear it but we fastened our seatbelts and
closed our eyes, said some prayers... and I think we saw it too. We aren’t always the quickest learners
but we were lucky because Kathleen is also a very patient person. Her visions became our goals and
dreams too.
Kathleen is never afraid of a challenge. Many of us have seen her scooping snow from the
church steps on Sunday morning, praying in the sanctuary before the sun is up, taking mission trips to
Mexico and other far away places, leading 2 churches, preaching at 3 services every Sunday
morning (you should have been there when she left her wireless mike on while she ran to the car to
get to Centenary - we were supposed to be in prayer but we couldn’t concentrate as we heard
loudly on the speakers the jingle of her car keys, the ding ding of the bells and the engine starting on
the car as it drove away), raising a family, and even scrubbing tile in the gym at LPUMC.
That particular project was a metaphor for what we could be, clean, renewed, refreshed and
sanctified.
I think the greatest challenges are those she calls us to do. You see... almost every Sunday she
challenges us to look at the world a little differently and a little more like we are called to do as
Christians. She challenges us to go out and change things for the better, and you know what.....we
try. We don’t always succeed but we sure try.
She has an amazing ability to see the world through everyone else’s eyes. Her sense of social
justice is unparalleled. She never saw an injustice that she could look away from.
I’ve seen her reach out again and again to those who are shunned, ignored, or marginalized.
Occasionally her work will push her to total physical exhaustion but she will never complain and she
wouldn’t have it any other way. Her love is endless as is her example of how we should treat each
other.
We at LPUMC are so very blessed to be walking with you Kathleen as we celebrate the gift of your
life today on your 50th birthday. Congratulations! Have a very blessed birthday. We love you very
much!

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Goodbye Pastor Sharon!

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven!”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Thank You Pastor Sharon for….. • the joyful way you’ve led us in worship
• sharing your faith and wisdom in scripture
classes and discussions groups
• your gentle understanding and prayerful
guidance
• your visits when we were sick
• being there for us when we needed you
• stretching us and encouraging us to grow in
His love and service
• being our friend and sharing our tears and
laughter
• lovingly caring for and calling forth our
children!
Our feelings are indeed mixed as your time with us dwindles. We are sad and yet excited too. New
beginnings are always that way.
You have touched our lives in many ways and we are better because of that. Our prayers go with
you as you embark on this new phase of your journey.
Love, Peace & Joy,
Your Church Family at LPUMC

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

• Maria Lawrence, Pastor Sharon, Steve Coffey, the Trustees, and Mertens Heating and Cooling
for helping us fix the air conditioning units after they were vandalized.
• Steve Coffey, the Trustees, and all the volunteers that helped us get the new fence up to
protect our repaired air conditioning units.
• Those who have made extra donations to help with the $2000 insurance deductible, and the
money for the new fence.
• Community Peace garden group for planting the container garden at Centenary.
• Community Peace garden group for all of their work with trying to get the garden in at
McKinley.
• To the UMW and all you contributed or helped with the rummage sale.
• Thank you to all who volunteered to serve the rehearsal dinner for the Deaconess
Commissioning service and the Commissioning Service at Centenary.
• Thanks to Pastor Sharon for coordinating the Autism workshop with the Lutheran Family
Services Grant and TouchPoint. We had almost 30 people from the community learning how
to care for people within the Autism Spectrum.
• Thank you to everyone who is working so hard to renovate the bowling alley.
• Thank you for filling the church on Sunday May 2 for Pastor Kathleen’s birthday. It was
wonderful!
• Thank you for those who stunned me on my actual birthday. I am still breathless.
• Thank you to the Gospel Rockers for the excellent Yasta Dinner. Thanks to all who supplied
food items and helped.

LPUMC Prepares for PrideFest: June 26-27

Once again, LPUMC will have a booth at the annual gay and lesbian PrideFest in Tower Grove
Park. This is an outreach event for our congregation. We want the LGBT community to know:
As a people of faith, we recognize the diversity of people created in the image of God. As a
congregation, we welcome people of any age, gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic
status, health status and any element of humanity created by God.
As usual there will be representatives of other churches near the park spreading a different
message. We hope to be a positive force at PrideFest. We will be sharing information about the
ministries we have here at LPUMC and inviting anyone who is interested to stop by for a visit. What
can you do?
It is simple. Volunteer to staff the booth in the park on Saturday or Sunday. Everyone is welcome!
We will answer questions about our ministries, how they can get involved and assure them they are
welcome. Well need two volunteers per shift, two hour shifts, starting at 11, 1, 3 and 5 both days.
Look for sign-up sheets every Sunday in June and for updates on the Yahoo Group. If you have
any questions or to volunteer, contact Chris Finley at 314-630-7482 or ChrisDFinley@yahoo.com

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

New Sunday Worship Time: 9:30 AM!

Recommendation from the Worship Committee

Proposal: Merging 8 AM and 10 AM services into one 9:30 AM Service for

summer months….and beyond?

Caveat: This suggestion was made prior to the Worship Committee knowing
that Pastor Sharon will be moving to new church assignments; but knowing
that now it’s even more relevant.
Initially we suggested that for the summer months of June, July and August,
LPUMC should have only one service; that service being at 9:30 a.m. This
proposal needs to be considered for the long term now.

A few pertinent facts:

• Pastor Sharon, who now closes the 10 o’clock service will be gone
• Aaron Ban, our seminary student will be gone
• Pastor Kathleen now leaves after her sermon – the liturgist would need to close the service
The “pros” of having one service beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings:
• Pastor Kathleen would be able to stay for the entire service – Critical with Pastor Sharon and
Aaron not available going forward
• Savings on our utility bills with one service
• Visitors wouldn’t experience the oddity of a pastor who leaves immediately after the sermon
• Folks with small children may still have time to give them a morning nap after the service
• Coming together as one church family
• Ease of communication with everyone in one service to hear the important announcements
• Continue Men’s Breakfast tradition and Sunday School
• Earlier service allows for earlier start of other summer activities
• Attendance typically drops in summer months
The “cons” of changing service times:
• Acknowledgement that any change is difficult
• Possible loss of attendees due to time change/worship service format adjustments
• Adjust worship experience incorporating a “blend” of traditional and more contemporary
elements into the service (Pro to some, Con to others)
Communicating change to visitors – e.g. change sign out front, Facebook and Website updates,
Newsletter updates, E-Group update
Worship Co-Chairs: Sue Meyers and Jeff Jensen

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Volunteer Opportunity! OUR WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Worship Service
Service
Sunday: 9:30 a.m.
Children’s Church During 9:30 Worship
Communion: First Sunday of the Month
LPUMC provides a wonderful ministry of providing
dinner for the women of Shalom House once a
month.
Service to our Community
Community
We are looking for volunteers to prepare meals Preschool - Weekdays at 9 a.m. during school year
on June 19th and July 17th. The meal should
feed 20 people. Recycling - Aluminum, Paper, Cell Phones & Print
Cartridges
If you would like to provide a meal, please
contact Nicole Knepper at 314-779-8366 or
nburli@hotmail.com.

The Bridge Mission

United Methodist Women
United Methodist Women is the largest
denomination faith organization for women with
approximately 800,000 members of all ages
whose mission is fostering spiritual growth,
developing leaders and advocating for justice.
Members raise up to $20 Million each year for
programs and projects related to women,
children, and youth in the United States and in
more than 100 countries around the world.
Interested in learning more?
Check out the website at:
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw.
...to provide an avenue where human need and
available resources can converge. Through a
free-meals program and providing access to
other necessary services, guests are treated as
valuable humans of worth and given opportunity
to work toward self-sufficiency through
cooperative partnerships with other community
health and service agencies. Centenary Bridge is
dedicated to seeking paths of justice, dignity and
respect for all marginalized people living in the
downtown St. Louis community.
For Volunteer Opportunities at The Bridge
contact:
Debra Crowe at Centenary: 421-3136 or
by email: dcrowe@centenarystl.org

Reconciling Ministries Network MISSION STATEMENT: RMN is a

national grassroots organization that exists to enable full participation of
people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the
United Methodist Church, both in policy and practice.

Lafayette Park UMC has been a proud member of the Reconciling

Ministries Network since 1999.

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Calendar June Covenant Partners

June 6
June 5 Pastor Sharon’s Ordination
Salem In Ladue UMC - Rev. David W. Kerr
June 5-6 House Tour – Open House
Samaritan UMC - Rev. Nora S. Jones
June 12 Hands In Mission
June 13 New Worship Time – 9:30
June 13
Celebration for Pastor Sharon
The Connection UMC - Rev. Tish Green
June 26-27 Outreach Booth at PrideFest
The Gathering UMC - Rev. Matthew T.
July 16 St. Elizabeth’s Golf Tournament
Miofsky

June’s Hands In Mission Project!
Our next Hands in Mission will be on Saturday,
June 12. We’ll be cleaning, planting, and
cooking at Shalom House Residential
Women’s Shelter.
We’ll meet here at LPUMC at 7:45 a.m. to
carpool. All ages are welcome! Mark your
calendar for Saturday morning June 12th.
Scriptures for June
June 20
Union UMC - Rev. Dianne M. Cochran
Union Memorial UMC - Rev. Kevin M. Kosh
June 27
University UMC - Rev. Linda R. Harris
Valley Park UMC - Rev. John W. Harpole
Church’s Wish List:
$95.00 towards Lafayette Square
Neighborhood Directory

June 6
1 Kings 17:8-24
Psalm 146 (UMH 858)
Gelatians 1:11-24 Women’s Lunch
Luke 7:11-17
Want to have some fun with friends (or
June 13 make new friends)?
1 Kings 21:1-21a
Psalm 5:1-8 (UMH 742) What - Women's Lunch
Galatians 2:15-21 Where – Lafayette Firehouse Restaurant
Luke 7:36-8:3 Where – 1801 Park Ave., 63104
When – June 21st, at 12:30 PM
June 20
Acts 16:16-34
Psalm 97 (UMH 816) To RSVP or ask questions contact:
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21 Vicki Dimmich vdimmich@sbcglobal.net
John 17:20-26 or
Bethany Spaulding
June 27 bspauldings@yahoo.com
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 (UMH 798)
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62 Page 10 June 2010
 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Time with Sharon:

Practicing Our Goodbyes
Now the LORD said to Abram: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the
land that I will show you.” - Genesis 12:1

Some years ago, when I began the exploration of my call to

Ordained Ministry, I met with a mentor, whose task it was to
help me make some sense of the intense yearnings of my heart
scrambled together with a boatload of objections coming
from my head. When I finally realized I must leave my home
church of nearly 20 years to go onto a new place for ministry, I
was hit by the profound impact of leaving the community that I
had grown to love and serve. My wise mentor suggested that if
I was to become a United Methodist pastor, then I had better
start practicing my goodbyes. She was referring, of course, to
the itinerant nature of our ministries, moving from church to
church as our bishop finds need for our gifts and graces.
Leaving my home church was painful and some of the goodbyes tear-filled. I had raised my
children there, developed close friendships there, and come to a deeper, more vibrant faith there.
Sort of like Abram, only in a car instead of a camel, and on a highway in stead of on a desert path, I
trusted in God as I left what I knew and set out on a journey into the future. God’s path for me, via
Highway 44, brought me to this place, Lafayette Park United Methodist Church. Here, I enjoyed a
warm welcome into this zesty community of believers. Here I was invited to witness to God in the
unfolding of your personal stories. Here, I have tasted the sweetness of the bread of diversity, and
drunk deeply from the chalice of grace. You are my friends, my community, my kindred. And yet…I
am called to practice my goodbyes again. I have no doubt that your sendoff will be as gracious as
your welcome. That is who you are.
Welcoming and sending. Gosh, when you think about it, that’s an integral part of what we do in
the church. Into our midst and heart, we welcome visitors in worship each week. We welcome as
littlest members, babies fresh with the splash of the baptismal waters still upon their cheeks. We
welcome home long-missed folks returning from journeys to other lands. And we welcome new
workers to the vineyard. Together, we pray, we worship, we hear the Word spoken, and we respond.
But it doesn’t stop there. If it did, eventually, the gospel message would die. No, at the end of our
time together, we are commissioned, scattered, sent out. Like little Abrams, we journey with God to
our places of work and leisure, to witness our faith in “the land that God will show us.”
And so, goodbyes are every bit as important a part of our loving God and each other as our hellos.
I leave you, my friends, to take up a new appointment in the Gateway Regional District. My little rural
churches are in a far-off land from LPUMC. As my season with you ends, I am assured of your
blessings, and your love. I shall saddle up my little Prius, packed full of memories and experiences.
Confident that you will continue the work of welcoming and sending that defines us as Christians, I
will head west, “to the land that God will show…to me.”
Goodbye, and may God bless you and keep you always,
~Pastor Sharon

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 Lafayette Park United Methodist Church – 2300 Lafayette Avenue – St. Louis, MO 63104 – 314-771-9214

Lafayette Park United Methodist Church

A VISIBLE SIGN OF CHRIST’S PRESENCE IN OUR

URBAN COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

Save the Date…

June 13 – Pastor Sharon’s Sendoff

Join us this Sunday…

NEW WORSHIP TIME!
9:30 a.m. - Worship
11:00 a.m. - Fellowship Hour (Fellowship Hall)

As a people of faith, we recognize the diversity of people

created in the image of God.
We welcome to this congregation people of any age, gender, race,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, health
status, and any element of humanity created by God.

If you are HIV+ or have On the Web

AIDS, or are the friend or www.lp-umc.org
loved one of a person who is
HIV+ or has AIDS, you ARE
welcome at LPUMC!

Page 12 June 2010