THE TWIG BENDER. Greenwood UMC. August 2013 OUR MINISTRY OF PRAYER. August Page

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1 August 2013 Page Greenwood UMC THE TWIG BENDER August 2013 G Praying for Rain By Steve Stalnaker reenwood s lay leadership and the volunteers who keep our church running on a day to day basis should be gradually turning over their responsibilities to a younger age group. But where are the ones who will follow in lay leadership? Who will follow with donations of time and talent? Where is the next Church Council chair, the next Finance committee chair, the next member of FunRaisers? Where are our youth groups, our young adults? Glenda and I participated, however unwillingly, in closing our church back in Knoxville. And it wasn t much fun. Rev. Barbara has also been through the painful experience of locking a church s doors OUR MINISTRY OF PRAYER Please pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ Zack Carns, Ronald Dolan, Aggie Dalton, Ashley Draper, Jennifer Edwards and the Triplets, Lisa Patteson, Dean Pittman, Raymond Ritchie, Porter Schermerhorn, Tommy Sheets, Lavelle Sheffield, Steve Sheffield, Teresa, Bobby and Austin Skloss, Bob Smith, Harold for the last time. Every organization, whether it s a church or a model railroad club, has a cadre of volunteers who do most of the work. When this cadre provides a large enough pool of people, some can rotate off of committees when they need a break; the cadre provides others to take over their roles. (Continued on page 12)

2 Page 2 From the Pastor What to Expect When You Pray We are moving into August now and the summer for many is beginning to wind down. Fall brings changes in schedules, shorter days, and the opportunity to start new things. I recently was cleaning out some old files and came across some articles written in 2009 for the Conference s web site ( The emphasis was on prayer. Each of several articles talked about how we can enrich our prayer lives. Each article focused in on something different: what churches across the country were doing, ten ways to improve your praying, listening for the Holy Spirit, being intentional about where and when you pray. The common thread was praying. No matter what our age, no matter how well we can speak, no matter how good a Christian we think we are or are not, we can all pray. Some of the things I have experienced through prayer include: Prayer changes me and how I perceive the world around me. Prayer can help me deal with a bad day the challenges may not go away or resolve themselves, but how I approach them and my stress level does. Expect prayer to be answered. We (Continued on page 10)

3 August 2013 Page 3 Minis ter o f Chris tian E ducati o n Upcoming Studies By Rev. Denise Janssen During the late summer and early fall, two different study series will be offered from which you can choose: a weekday morning Bible study at Laurel Park, and a weekday evening stewardship study at Greenwood. Please feel free to choose the one that most interests you, and do feel free to invite friends. And please let us know if the study in which you d like to participate is taking place at a time when you cannot attend we may be able to create additional options! Gospel of John Bible Study kicks off August 8 Pastor Denise will be leading a study on the Gospel of John in several segments over the course of the late summer and fall. The first section, which begins Thursday, August 8 at 10:30 a.m. at Laurel Park, will focus on the first couple of chapters of the Gospel of (Continued on page 13) Charge Picnic August 3 Don t forget the Greenwood/Laurel Park Charge combined will hold a picnic on Saturday, August 3, at 4 p.m. We ll gather at Meadow Farm Shelter One, located at.3400 Mountain Road in Glen Allen Laurel Park is providing the hot dogs; drinks and paper goods are courtesy of Greenwood. Please bring a covered dish to share. Everyone in the Laurel Park and Greenwood church families and their guests are welcome.

4 Page 4 Annual Greenwood Longdale School Supplies Drive A Greenwood UMC tradition is donating school supplies to Longdale Elementary School. We are resuming this important outreach ministry in August. Help our local students get the school supplies they need and make an instant impact on Henrico County's at risk students. Approximately 35% of Henrico County students are considered economically deprived. Your donations of these school supplies will help these students to be successful in the classroom. To assist with your donation efforts, take advantage of the Virginia School Supplies and Clothing Sales Tax Holiday on August 2-4. During this three-day period, purchases of certain school supplies, clothing and footwear will be exempt from the Virginia sales tax. Each eligible school supply item must be priced at $20 or less, and each eligible article of clothing and footwear must be priced at $100 or less. Please bring your donated school supplies to the sanctuary by Sunday, August 25. As always, we are thankful for everyone s donations. September Outreach Opportunities Outreach is one of the mainstays of Greenwood ministry. As we ve written before in, September offers us many outreach opportunities, including Glen Allen Day on September 21 and CARITAS September 28 through October 5. Watch the bulletin and the Greenwood web site for more details.

5 August 2013 Page 5 Hermitage News A Great Place to Live and to Volunteer By Arline Shafer The Hermitage is a great place to live should you need to leave your present home or help a loved one re-settle. As Greenwood s Hermitage Guild representative, and as a volunteer and resident, I have firsthand experience with this. Residents, staff, and volunteers are friendly, helpful, and caring. There is an active faith life here as well as freedom to find one s own level of care or doing for others, and a family-like atmosphere. New residents may bring their car or computer. (I took both, plus my sewing machine.) The Hermitage also provides respite care your loved one can stay from two weeks to one month while you, the caregiver, catch up on errands, get some rest, etc. Rates are based on time spent and space used. Presently The Hermitage has 167 residents; current capacity is 169, including some newly created apartments 95% occupancy. There is no waiting list there, and no lifetime deposit. Monthly rate includes: apartment rent, phone, three meals daily plus evening snacks; rides to medical appointments, weekly shopping trips to Wal-Mart or Brook Run mall. Church School is Friday at 10:15 a.m.; worship service is 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, both in the beautiful chapel. (Continued on page 11)

6 Page 6 Visitor Team Training Rev. Barbara will be leading a session to help those who wish to provide care for our homebound and inactive members, August 24, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Do's and Don'ts as well as how you can make your visit really count will be included. Also, we hope to encourage those who are already helping the pastor with visiting communicate better about needs within in our church family. If you are already doing visits, or would like to start, join us. You can help support those who wish to start, and we can coordinate our visits to reach as many people as possible. Also, we will discuss effective ways of sharing who has been visited when and who needs a visit. Fellowship Dinners, FunRaiser s Bag Lunches, Cornerstones and Circles are taking a vacation. They ll be back in September.

7 August 2013 Page 7 School Supplies Drive Shopping List Highlighters Crayons Glue sticks Book bags/backpacks 1 and 3 subject notebooks Pocket folders Plastic pencil boxes Lined index cards #2 pencils Notebook paper (wide-ruled) Be Prepared Read the Scriptures Here are the July lectionary readings you can review to prepare for upcoming worship services. August 4 August 11 August 18 August 25 Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21 Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40 Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56 Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17

8 Page 8 Greenwood UMC August 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 4 LAMB s Basket Sunday 1 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. Cub a.m. Men s Breakfast 4 p.m. Greenwood/Laurel Park Picnic at Crump Park 5 6 a.m. Drive By Prayer 6:30 p.m. Boy 7 p.m. Finance Committee :30 a.m. Bible Study at LPUMC 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. Cub 9 10 Meeting a.m. Drive By Prayer 6:30 p.m. Boy a.m. Drive By Prayer 6:30 p.m. Boy 25 School Supplies Drive Wrap Up 26 Twig Bender Deadline 6 a.m. Drive By Prayer 6:30 p.m. Boy 13 7 p.m. Stewardship Study 20 7 p.m. Stewardship Study 27 7 p.m. Stewardship Study :30 a.m. Bible Study at LPUMC 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. Cub p.m. Church Council Meeting 10:30 a.m. Bible Study at LPUMC 6:30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. Cub :30 a.m. Visitor Team Training :30 p.m. Choir Practice 6:30 p.m. Cub F r i e n d s h i p Q u i l t e r s

9 August 2013 Page 9 Mark Your Calendars September 2... Labor Day September 3... Greenwood After School Opens Session September Glen Allen Day at Crump Park September CARITAS Begins September th Sunday Combined Service at Laurel Park October 6... World Communion Sunday October Columbus Day

10 Page 10 (Continued from page 2) Prayer Expectations were in a time of drought, and the church members wanted pastoral prayer for rain in the worship service. When we prayed for rain, joking about needing to pray for rain, it stayed dry. When we prayed for rain and got the umbrellas out, we experienced a flood. Literally. We changed our praying and experienced a nice balance of rain and sun. Prayer can change the world. Prayer should not be a laundry or grocery list. Don t box God in, but have some wiggle room in what you want, but then listen for God s answer. God may say NO. God may say Do. God may say yes. How are you praying? Begin with words of joy, greeting, and thanksgiving. Try following with a conversation sharing what is on your mind and heart, including talking about any struggles you may be experiencing. Take time to listen. If you ask, expect an answer. Remember, God s time is not the same as our experience of time. Don t forget to pray for your church, teachers, leaders, and those upon whom we put much responsibility. God, hear our prayer. Grace and Peace Barbara

11 August 2013 Page 11 (Continued from page 5) Hermitage News The Hermitage s Country Store is open the fourth Friday of every month in its new location in the basement. Come see the beautiful interior decoration work and displays of clothing; furniture (including a handsome bedroom suite); household linens, kitchen and table ware; books, games, jewelry, etc. You are invited to make donations of these items and more! The Store is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. till 3 p.m.; residents, staff and volunteers can come from 9:30 on. Volunteers are sorely needed for: sewing, visiting, shopping, and more. One example of outstanding volunteerism over the years is Mrs. Hilda Taylor, who has given endless energy and hours and devotion since the early days of Virginia United Methodist Homes. When the Snyder Home, fore-runner of The Hermitage, opened in the 1940 s; and The Hermitage opened in 1948, her contributions have continued. She has been written about in national United Methodist publications. Learn more; call, write or me and I will give you names and numbers. Grace and peace Arline. August Communion Offering Goes to Shalom Farms

12 Page 12 Growing Greenwood (Continued from page 1) When the cadre is shrinking, like it was at that church in Knoxville, the organization is in trouble. Glenda and I were chairs of the SPPR and Trustees respectively at our Knoxville church. When the chairs of those two powerful committees are in the same household, the cadre is too small. Greenwood is beginning to drift in that direction. God will provide Greenwood s next generation of members, leaders and contributors. One way He ll do that is by the Holy Spirit working through us, the current members of Greenwood. One step is to pray and expect those prayers to be answered. As Rev. Barbara says, If you pray for rain carry your umbrella. If we pray for God to send us more families with children, we should be prepared to have kid-oriented activities. So, say your prayers and carry your umbrella. Altar Flowers If you d like to remember or honor someone with flowers on the altar, you can sign up to do so on the chart that s posted in the hall outside the church office. Altar flowers cost $20. We prefer payment by check; please make your check out to Greenwood UMC and put Altar Flowers on the memo line. Please send your payments to the church office within a week before or after the Sunday your flowers appear on the altar.

13 August 2013 Page 13 Upcoming Bible Studies (Continued from page 3) John. In the first session, we will attend to the concept of Wisdom as a parallel to the Word made flesh in the first chapter. The following two sessions, on August 15 and 22, will look at key passages from chapters one and two. After a break at the end of August, the study will resume in September with several more sessions, continuing into the fall. The curriculum used for this study was researched and written by Pastor Denise and her husband, Rev. Randy Creath, and published by Judson Press in 2012 as part of their Adult Bible Journeys series. Copies of the printed curriculum will be provided to interested participants. Stewardship Study Led by Rev. Barbara, the Stewardship Program will meet Tuesday evenings at 7 pm Aug 13, 20, 27 and Sept 10,17, 24. It is called Committed to Christ; Six Steps to a Generous Life (By Bob Crossman). Live Simply, Love Generously Serve Faithfully, Speak Truthfully, Pray Daily... Leave everything else to God

14 Page 14 Greenwood Church Family Birthdays Linda Wagner... 8/2 Nancy Yeary... 8/3 Mike Workman... 8/4 Virginia Wagner... 8/7 Alan Daniel... 8/9 Ray Smith... 8/13 Kristen Bellino... 8/14 Jeannette Jackson... 8/14 Gay McFarland... 8/18 Gina Lahocki... 8/22 Anniversaries Patty & Bill Prout... 8/14 Jamie & Jason Smith... 8/20 Teresa & Darrell Coleman... 8/24 Carolyn & Ray Smith... 8/29 Don t see your birthday or wedding anniversary in and would like to have us publish it? Send your dates to admin@gumcva.org or call the church office at ; likewise, let us know if you d like your birthday or anniversary removed. Rev. Barbara s new home phone number:

15 August 2013 Page 15 July Attendance and Offerings Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce Proverbs 3:9 Date Sunday School Worship Giving July ,234 July ,103 July ,387 July ,463 July Totals ,187 Weekly Average ,547 YTD Totals 570 1,308 57,841 YTD Weekly Avg ,928 We need a weekly offering of at least $2,678 to meet Greenwood s operating budget of $139,240. Your generosity is appreciated. Church Office Hours Tuesday Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Volunteers Welcome) is a publication of Greenwood United Methodist Church Greenwood Road Glen Allen, VA Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship 11 a.m. Pastor Rev. Barbara Lewis revbarbara@gumcva.org Minister of Christian Ed. Rev. Denise Janssen revdlj@att.net Music Director Ms. Susanna Carson After School Phone: Office admin@gumcva.org Fax: editor Steve Stalnaker webmaster@gumcva.org Visit our web site at Greenwood UMC all rights reserved