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Dear Suamico UMC members and friends,
I like the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” I had a plan to stay at Suamico UMC longer. But God seems to have had a different plan for Suamico UMC as well as for me. I have loved Suamico UMC and each and every one of you. Cindy and I have been very fortunate to have been a part of this fine congregation. I will never forget how thankful I was when I saw how hard the Trustees and the volunteers worked to prepare the parsonage before we moved in. Whenever there was a problem in the sump pump in the basement, the Trustees team came and fixed the problem quickly and pleasantly. What did I do to deserve their love and support? Our excellent Administrative Assistant, Tina, welcomed me, saying, “I will make you the happiest pastor in the world.” Her upbeat and bright spirit brightened the whole church office. Her work, especially her publication of the most beautiful newsletters, made me look good. Suamico UMC should be proud of being an active church with many ministries and fun activities: Worship committee team, media team, music team, finance team, Caring ministry team, Scrip Card team, youth group ministry, Faith Finders, Friends of Patricia, Seasoned Seniors luncheon, Chicken Booyah, Fall Dinner, Adult Dinner Out, confirmation students, mission team, EPH ministry, UMW, women’s Book club, just to name few. I want to thank SPRC for their wisdom, encouragement, and support. I will fondly remember a kind church lady who gave me dozens of farm fresh eggs. Some gave me venison sausages, sent me encouraging cards, and emailed me friendly and kind emails. I also want to thank you for teaching me to become a better pastor. I also want to thank pastor Pat Green and pastor Randy Richter for their support and encouragement. They have been my mentors and cheer leaders. I feel I owe an apology to you for not being successful in growing the church in membership and in finance. I hope and pray that God will provide Suamico UMC a better pastor that Suamico UMC deserves. When God closes a chapter of our life together, God opens a new chapter for a better future for Suamico UMC. Thank you and God bless you all! With much gratitude! Pastor Jerry Cho Dear Suamico UMC members and friends, I hope and pray that you and your loved ones are in good health and in good spirit. Thanks to the vaccines and the efforts of self-care and care for others, the fear of the Covid-19 is lessened. But we should not let our guards down. When the pandemic started last year, I mistakenly said to you, “This pandemic rumor is exaggerated. We should not be overly concerned because our immune system is stronger than the virus.” I was somewhat right and vastly wrong. Sure, most of us have survived the pandemic but many people have lost their lives due to the pandemic. In fact, it’s been reported that more people died of the Covid-19 than the combined number of the casualties of World I, World II, Vietnam War and the War against terrorists. Now another kind of virus is rampant. The viruses of lies and false information have spread to the public minds and it’s not always easy to differentiate truth from lies. We often think that what we believe is true and what others believe is false. But we need to be open to the possibility that what we believe may be wrong and what others believe may be right. It’s wise to question the authorities of the secular world. It’s also wise to question our own convictions. We often make mistakes by rejecting the truth and accepting lies. We, human beings, are fallible. Only God is infallible. We often think that doubt is bad and belief is good. But the truth is that doubt can be good and belief can be bad. A good doubt saves us from false beliefs and a bad belief leads us to fanaticism and insanity. Theologian Paul Tillich said, “My mission, as a theologian, is to bring doubt to the faithful and faith to the doubtful.” Let us maintain a healthy balance between a good faith and a good doubt. “Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.” - William Shakespeare May God’s wisdom be with us all! Pastor Jerry Cho 1. God is subtle but not malicious. -Albert Einstein
2. A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. - Dwight D. Eisenhower 3. By this all men will know that you are My disciples; if you have love for one another. – John 13:35 1. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King. Jr.
2. All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. – Winston Churchill 3. Who was I that I could stand in God’s way? - Acts 11:17 1. Instead of death and sorrow, let us bring peace and joy to the world.
- Mother Teresa 2. Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill 3. In your thinking be mature. – 1 Corinthians 14:20 Dear Suamico UMC members and friends,
Summer in Wisconsin is beautiful. People enjoy outdoor activities, walking, running, biking, kayaking, and golfing, to name a few. I enjoy golfing which is often challenging to me. I realized that golf swings involve imagination, visualization, and execution. To hit a golf ball to the target spots, golfers must comply to the law of physics, calculating direction, trajectory, and swing speed. If everything goes right by the law of physics, the golf ball gets to the targeted spot. If the law of physics is violated, the ball cannot reach the intended destination. After golfing for almost ten years, my golfing did not improve much. So I decided to take golf lessons. The teacher told me that there were three major mistakes in my golf swing, a poor grip, a wrong takeaway, and an incomplete follow through. He taught me better ways of golf swings. Now I am unlearning my old, incorrect swing forms and am learning new and better swing forms. It’s hard to shed an old habit but I have faith that if I stick to the teacher’s words, my golfing will improve gradually. Likewise, as Christians, we need to have faith that if we stick to the teachings of Jesus, we will grow in our Christian faith. If we practice our Christian values, we can be good examples for others to follow. In our United Methodist Church we emphasize personal holiness and social holiness. Let us work on our personal holiness by following Jesus’s teachings on kindness and compassion. Let us also work on our social holiness by working for justice, peace and harmony. “Practice makes (almost) perfect” applies to our spiritual disciplines as well as in sports. Enjoy the beautiful summer! Pastor Jerry Cho Thank you all for the birthday cards, balloons, ice cream and cookies for my birthday! Much appreciated! |
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Suamico United Methodist Church
3266 Lakeview Drive P.O. Box 323 Suamico, WI 54173 (920)434-1168 suamicoumc@gmail.com |
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