MINISTRIES OF FOUNTAIN PARK CHURCH MINISTRIES THAT WE PARTNER WITH:
Adult and Family Ministries Good News Jail and Prison Ministry
CHILDREN (0-5th grade: Nursery, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School)
Confirmation (7th & 8th grades) Missions
Happy Hearts Seniors' Luncheon and Program
Hedge Hogs (People who pray for the pastor)
MUSIC (Bell Choir, Choir, Special Music)
PRAYER (Hedge Hogs and UMW Prayer Chain)
Sunday School (Ages 3-103)
Youth Program (Grades 6-12)
ADULT AND FAMILY MINISTRIES
Our purpose is to provide a chance for people to get to know each other better and form friendships that go beyond just saying "hello" on Sunday mornings. In order to strengthen family ties,
we offer the following activities each
year:
During Lent - series of dinners with
services
May - "Adults Night Out" at a
restaurant
Summer Church Picnic
September or October - bonfire
November - Thanksgiving Dinner
December 31 - New Year's Eve
Celebration, playing Bunco and
exchanging both white elephant, and
nice gifts
CHILDREN
NURSERY - Volunteers who have been
screened for criminal backgrounds, staff the nursery during Sunday morning worship services. This is a safe place
where infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers can play while their parents worship.
SUNDAY SCHOOL - takes place every Sunday morning from about
9:45-10:45 a.m. except on certain holidays. Children are encouraged to begin Sunday school when they are
3 years old and can attend through adulthood. Our Sunday school uses
Group Publishing Company's
"Faithweaver" curriculum for Preschool through 5th graders.
CONFIRMATION
Confirmation is a two-year program for youth in 7th and 8th grades. Older students who have not had any teaching about the church and its beliefs and doctrines are encouraged to enroll as well. Students are paired with mentors who are adult members of the church (generally someone not related to the student). The confirmation class meets every Wednesday at 5:30pm during the school year. There is a supper for students, parents, and mentors at 5:00pm on the first Wednesday of the month. Homework, memory verses, class attendance and participation, Saturday or Sunday worship attendance, and Sunday School attendance are required. The goal of Confirmation Class is to ground the student in basic Christian doctrines, establish the habit of daily Bible reading, equip them for active participation in worship and the life of the church, and to provide ample opportunity for the student to receive Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Confirmation students take turns as acolytes in the Sunday morning worship services, lighting the candelabras at the start of the service.
Confirmation Sunday, when these students become full members of the
church, is usually the third Sunday in May.
GOOD NEWS JAIL AND PRISON MINISTRY
The Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, now an international ministry, was started in 1961 by Bill Simmer. The original purpose of this ministry was to provide Chaplains to America's Jails and Prisons. Rev. Rick Cawthon became Sheboygan County's full-time chaplain in April 2004. Each inmate has the opportunity to work through over 200 lessons covering several books of the Bible.
Several members of Fountain Park Church
serve by correcting Bible correspondence tests that inmates have taken.
For more information contact Jacky at (920) 452-1319.
HAPPY HEARTS
Happy hearts is a fellowship for
seniors--a place for seniors to get
together, talk, share stories, and
enjoy dinner and entertainment or
program. Past entertainment and programs have included slide presentations, music, informational speakers from police department, nursing home and the like. It meets every other month.
For more information contact Marie at (920) 452-1319.
HEDGE HOGS
If the devil wished to disrupt a congregation, would there be any better way than for the devil to attack the pastor of the church? He may do it by bringing poor health, stress, family problems, financial problems or disagreements between the pastor and members of the church. Once the devil gets a foothold, he can successfully divide the church, and a church that loses its focus on the Lord is in trouble. For these reasons the Hedge Hogs group was formed.
Hedge Hogs are individuals that pray for the pastor of our church, forming, essentially, a fence, wall, or hedge around the pastor (hence the term Hedge Hogs).
To join, all you have to do is pray for the pastor. There are no monthly meetings to attend, nor are there any study groups to attend. You can pray for as long as you want--five minutes or twenty-four hours, it makes no difference. To join, you can contact the church at (920) 452-1319.
MISSIONS
The missions committee was developed to increase awareness and encourage participation in local, state, national, and world missions. The following missions are those supported by Fountain Park Church:
Medical Ministries International--collects used eyeglasses and sends them in to be re-dispersed to those whose vision needs correction in poor areas of the world.
New Missions in Haiti--promotes participation in short term mission trips to Haiti and gives opportunity to individuals and families to sponsor a child at the mission. Many of our members and others from Sheboygan county make a trip
to Haiti at the beginning of each December. They have taken many helpful supplies with them each year, and are able to take pictures of the children who are sponsored by people in our area.
Habitat for Humanity--individuals have worked on local habitat homes.
Our church has also provided meals for Habitat volunteer workers.
Wisconsin Annual Conference "in-gathering"--each year before our denomination's meeting in June, specific items are requested (such as "flood buckets," baby blankets, or sewing kits), to be shared with people in need.
Operation Christmas Child--promotes members in filling shoeboxes or purchasing gifts for shoeboxes of which go to children in need.
Bibles for the World--this mission collects unused Bibles for dispersion to those without a Bible who are requesting one.
MUSIC
HAND BELL CHOIR - A "dingling", according to The World Book Encyclopedia
Dictionary, is "one concerned with...the sound made by a bell."
If you are a dingling, if you think you might like to be a dingling
(but you've never before really tried to be one), or if you know a
dingling who'd maybe enjoy ringing bells with a fun-loving group,
please contact our "head dingling", Eileen (920-452-1319 to leave a
message); then she can make preparations and plans according to the
interest, experience, and availability of ringers in the Hand
Bell Choir. Generally, this group is open to participants
who are at least 10 (and under 100) years old. Weekly Bell
Choir rehearsals will be held beginning Sept. 24, on Mondays, from
6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Shepherd Room (near the church library).
Novices and veterans are welcome! So are persons who might be
willing to give it a try. *Ability to read music is NOT a
pre-requisite! Skill will be
gained through practice. A
certain degree of coordination, a sense
of rhythm, and ability to count (up to
six) is necessary. Four weeks are
usually required for the group to learn
a piece of music, so conceivably a
person could participate on a
month-by-month basis as fits his or her
schedule. The bell choir provides
special music for worship services
about once a month.
Would YOU be a dingling for God?
CHOIR - Fountain Park Church's choir rehearsal for adults is from 7:00-8:00 on Wednesday evenings. This choir usually sings an anthem during the 8:30 AM Sunday Worship service, with warm-up at 8:00 a.m. Saturday evenings there is sometimes a smaller ensemble to sing the same anthem.
If you attend Fountain Park worship services, you will often hear (even though you don't always see) a trumpet or 2 playing along with the hymns. Pastor Kerry also plays acoustic guitar during choruses sometimes. Occasionally the church invites musical groups of various types, which have included the Riverfront Ramblers, David Michael Curillo, and the Tarnation Barbershop Quartet.
PRAYER Engraved above
one of the the entrances to Fountain Park Church is: "The House Of Prayer." We are called to be praying people. The volunteer prayer committee of the UMW group
(see below) is dedicated to continually encouraging our church members to pray for the sick and to intercede on behalf of someone else who needs God's help
through our prayer chain.
Prayer requests for the Prayer Chain can be made
by calling the church office at (920) 452-1319.
Another avenue of prayer at Fountain
Park Church is to join the ranks of the
Hedge Hogs. If the devil wished to disrupt a congregation, would there be any better way than for the devil to attack the pastor of the church? He may do it by bringing poor health, stress, family problems, financial problems or disagreements between the pastor and members of the church. Once the devil gets a foothold, he can successfully divide the church, and a church that loses its focus on the Lord is in trouble. For these reasons the Hedge Hogs group was formed.
Hedge Hogs is individuals who pray for the pastor of our church, forming, essentially, a fence, wall, or hedge around the pastor (hence the term Hedge Hogs).
To join, all you have to do is pray for the pastor. There are no monthly meetings to attend, nor are there any study groups to attend. You can pray for as long as you want--five minutes or twenty-four hours, it makes no difference. To join, you can contact the church at (920) 452-1319.
SUNDAY SCHOOL**(IT'S NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN!)
Sunday School - takes place every Sunday morning from about
9:45-10:45 AM except on certain holidays.
Children are encouraged to begin Sunday
school when they are 3 years old and
can attend through adulthood. Our Sunday school uses
Group Publishing's "Faithweaver"
curriculum for preschool
through 5th graders. Youth
in 6th through 8th grades have a class
of their own, and those in High School
also have their own class. There are
currently 2 adult classes that meet
every week year round.
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
"The organized unit of United Methodist Women is a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church."
(UMW purpose statement)
The United Methodist Women's group participates in serving others in the local community as well as serving the needs of the church. Past functions of the group include programs for nursing homes, women and girls banquet, and the church talent show for the Sheboygan Senior Community.
One major ministry of the UMW group is through our
Prayer Chain. (See notes above)
Another section of the UMW group participates in the Reading Program which is sponsored by the United Methodist Women's national
organization. Books in 4 different areas of interest (Spiritual Growth, Nurturing for Community, Social Action, and Education for Missions) are selected
each year. If a woman of the church reads a certain number of books, and at least one from each category, certain recognition is given to that person
and to the local unit. This recognition is presented at the district level in the form of certificates.
Our National Women's Division also publishes two magazines:
"Response", which is about different ministries and missions and work that women of the church are involved;
and "New World Outlook" is about missions worldwide.
The UMW group also sells greeting cards, napkins and spices. The profits are used for missions and local projects such as the church kitchen.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDIES
Pastor Kerry Wilson leads a Bible study on Wednesdays for members and non-members alike.
This group meets in the library at 9:00
AM. Anyone is invited and encouraged to attend as often as possible. PRIOR
KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE IS NOT
NECESSARY!
WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY
The Women's Bible study was started to study God's word and learn to apply it to our lives. We also have a strong practice of encouraging and supporting each other. Women's Bible Study is currently meeting on
Tuesday mornings from 9-10 or 10:15.
For more information contact Jacky at (920) 452-1319
YOUTH
There are 2 youth groups at Fountain Park Church. One is for
middle schoolers, and another is for
those in various area high schools. The purpose of these groups is to offer the youth of our church a more vital role in the life of the church. They provide a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere where young people feel they belong. Additionally, our groups strive to provide ample opportunity for spiritual growth and development. These groups challenge the youth in their faith and strive to teach each young person that God is in the here and now--real and alive.
Time is spent in nearly every meeting having devotions or Bible study. Our groups go on mission trips each summer. We sponsor a child in Haiti. We have done yard work for the elderly. We have raised money for Habitat for Humanity and World Hunger.
Our group has participated in
Shantytown (a Sheboygan experiencial
fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity)
and in the Crop Walk. We have
participated in other fundraising, such
as the making and selling of Pizza and
also the making and selling of pies, to
pay for mission trips and Christian
experiences such as concerts and Nightmare (a realistic "walk-through" experience in Marshfield, WI, presented near Halloween, which helps youth understand nearly first-hand, consequences of common poor choices that teens and young adults make).
We want the youth to realize that it honors God to make others more important than ourselves. We are blessed with much and have much to give to others. Meetings take place on Sunday
after the 11 a.m. service; starting
with lunch at about noon.