● September 2024 "The Mountain Top Messenger" Newsletter
(please click on above link to open current newsletter)
Welcome to September, here we are heading into fall. Been a very quick summer, and I guess
it is really too early to tell, it seems this upcoming week is still pretty summer like. I have noticed
in my travels lately, in particular the road leading to Little Girls Point, that some of the leaves are
beginning to change, especially the maple trees. They are already taking on some very bright
reds. Oh well, it is inevitable after all we do live in a land of four seasons.
Speaking of inevitable, it appears that in the week following my sermon message about invitations
and how we have become skeptical about some of those we receive in the mail, email,
and in text messages. The scammers have attempted to get members of Zion to fall for a scam
and they are using my name to do it. Earlier today I have received messages from several
members saying they had received a text from me asking for assistance. Interestingly enough a
short while later I got a text from me asking me for assistance. First let me clarify, the person
claiming to be me is texting from a phone number that is not mine, it is a number originating in
the 262 area code. According to Google that area code covers the suburbs of Milwaukee and
Chicago. I have a 715 area code on my cell phone. Here is what the message says:
Hi (Your Name), kindly respond to my message when you receive it. I have a favor to ask.
~Pastor Richard "Rick" Williams Grace and Peace.
Now if you respond to this message, they will reply telling you that I am in a meeting and cannot
be disturbed but could you please go out and purchase some sort of gift cards, (last time it was
Apple). And then they let you know where to send them. They also say that I need the gift cards
to give to some women who are battling breast cancer.
To the best of my knowledge, no one has sent them anything as of yet, please help me keep it
that way. I have also reported the number as a scam and had it blocked. I also talked to Verizon
and again reported the number. Last time it was a 414 area code number, again from the Milwaukee
area which was also reported. The last time they tried this was on July 31, so it didn't
take them long to try again. We are unsure of where they are getting their information. They are
texting people by name, but some of the names have been for people I do not have in my contact
list or on my phone. We also checked the church records to make sure they weren't hacking
into the church system and found that a number of the people called were not in the church
system. For example we had one person's home phone number but not their cell number and
they had been contacted on their cell phone. We will continue to see if we can find the source
but in the meantime, please remember, I will never, never, text you and ask you to send money
or gift cards to anyone regardless of the circumstance. If you have any questions or concerns in
regard to this matter please feel free to contact me any time. If you have any thoughts or ideas
that might help us put a stop to it I would love to hear them. I am kind of hoping there is in eternity
a special place for those people, particularly the ones that try and use other people and
their trust to steal.
I got so focused on the above matter I don't really have a bunch of other stuff. I do want to
talk about a few upcoming things. First Sunday School and Confirmation will start the first
Sunday of October, the 6th.
The Fall Harvest Dinner and Music Festival will be held on Saturday October 19th at 5:00 PM.
About the middle of this month signup sheets for helping out and bringing food will be posted.
If you would like to participate musically please contact either Tiffany Darling or myself.
And finally, the triannual LCMS National Youth gathering will be taking place from July 19-23
in New Orleans, LA we have a number of youths who have shown an interest in going. We
need to get a head count and have them registered by the end of November for the best
rates. If you or anyone you know would like to go please let myself of the office know. We will
begin fund raising very shortly and I looking at possible traveling jointly with one or more other
churches in the North Wisconsin District to help defer costs. Again if you know of anyone who
might be interested please let me know. To attend young people must be 14 years of age or
entering the 9th grade through the age of 19. I can not express in words what a wonderful experience
this is for all of those who attend. Again any questions, comments, or interest in going please see me.
There that is enough for now. Thank you for all of your help in all that we do in serving the
Lord.
God Bless you all!
The Lord Bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to
you, the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Pastor Rick
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