THURMONT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 THURMONT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NEWSLETTER February 2016 Volume 11, Issue 2 UPCOMING EVENTS Prayer Meetings Wednesdays at 7:00pm in Prayer Room Kidz Choir Rehearsals Wednesdays at 6:30pm in Sanctuary Line Dancing on Thursdays at 6:00pm- 7:00pm in social hall Adults 21 and older only (contact Deb Stottlemyer or Lois Olsen). New Sunday Worship Times Beginning Sunday, February 7th. Traditional at 9:00am and Contemporary at 10:30am. Fellowship Time is from 10:00-10:30am and Sunday School is from 9:00-10:00am. Seniors Luncheon Monday, February 8th at 12:00pm at Mountain Gate (contact Sue Ferguson for info) Trustees Meeting Monday, February 8th at 6:00pm Finance Meeting Monday, February 8th at 7:00pm Ash Wednesday Observance Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00pm in the Prayer Room Council Meeting Monday, February 15th at 7:00pm Missions Meeting Monday, February 15th at 2:00pm Monthly Craft Night Monday, February 15th from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Lisa Kreiner s house. (Call Lisa at ) February Sermon Series 2/7: (Transfiguration Sunday) Listen to Him Lenton Series of four sermons taken from the letters of Jude, John, Peter, and James 2/14: (Lent 1) Jude: Heed the Warning! 2/21: (Lent 2) John: Sinners and Believers Defined 2/28: (Lent 3) Peter: Don t Be Surprised! 3/6: (Lent 4) James: Faith IS Works! In This Issue Upcoming Events A Word From Pastor Bob Sunday School/ Youth Group Mentions LIFE Groups Clothes Closet News Good News Club Announcements 1

2 A WORD FROM PASTOR BOB I am writing this only a few days after the big snowstorm on Saturday the 23rd of January. This is the first time it has snowed since Becky and I moved into our condo. It was weird for me because I have been shoveling snow all my life. Growing up in New England, I was making money shoveling the neighbors driveways and sidewalks since I was twelve years old. It used to snow a lot up there when I was a kid. It would seem like getting the snow off of the driveway and sidewalk is pretty straight forward. But simply removing snow, and making it go away faster are two different things! My dad, who grew up in rural Massachusetts, taught me three tricks in order to help the snow go away faster: 1. Shovel the snow NOW! He rarely ever waited until the snow storm was over. I would ask him, Why aren t you waiting for it to stop? He would say, It s easier to take care of it when the snowfall is lighter, rather than all of the heavy snow later. Don t be lazy! 2. Always put the snow on the side where the wind will blow it away, and not back on the driveway and sidewalk. Don t be lazy! 3. Always clear out the melting path. The snowmelt will just refreeze if you don t, and the stuff will never go away. Again, Don t be lazy. It was amazing how often the snow and ice were gone in front of our house well before it was gone from our neighbors places. Being a very industrious kid, I got lots of snow shoveling jobs from our neighbors, and, following Dad s tricks, their places were clean and melted sooner, too. You re probably asking yourself by now, Why in the world is Pastor Bob talking about his adolescent snow removal experiences? I m telling you because those three lessons my dad taught me about snow removal also work well with personal problems removal too! 1. Don t just watch your problems pile up, hoping for when they stop coming. Address them head on! Problems will always be a part of everyday life. If you sit and do absolutely nothing, the snow will, eventually, melt away. But how difficult would life be with all the snow that just fell? We had a six-foot drift in front of our building! Problems that go unsolved usually get much worse. Jesus very clearly tells us to take care of worries on a daily basis. (Matthew 6:33-34) 2

3 CONTINUED 2. Make sure the problems you solve won t recur by your own actions. Don t make the mistake of working hard without considering the consequences of your hard work. Part of the problem with removing the snow we just got is figuring out where to put it. The decision we make will result in the snow coming back to be removed again, or getting rid of it for good! 3. Be a part of the solution. When I was a kid, I thought Dad was crazy because after we cleaned off the driveway and sidewalk, he would then shovel out over the storm sewer. This was a place on our street where the town plow used to leave lots of snow. Dad would clean it out, and then clean out all of the storm gutters (curbs) next to our property as well. During the day, I could see the steady stream of melted snow flowing into the sewer instead of refreezing in our gutter. The piles of snow by our driveway would be long gone pretty quickly. The lesson I learned over the years from this is that the snow storm isn t the problem after it stops snowing. It s what we do after the storm that determines how crippled we are or not. I m sixty years old now, and I don t make money shoveling snow anymore. But I still do those three things Dad taught me. They work! Do you have any problems that seem as high as our mountains of snow outside right now? Are you having a hard time imagining how long it will take for your problems to go away, like imagining how long it will take for this snow to melt away? Keep cleaning out the melting path. Do it daily. Stick to Matthew 6:33-34, and before you know it, the daffodils, forsythia, and magnolias will be in bloom! Amen? AMEN! Pastor Bob s Contact Info: 3 Phone: bobhunteriii@comcast.net

4 YOUTH GROUP CJ and Wendy Cordell and Mindie Greene are leading the youth each Wednesday evening at 7:00pm until a permanent youth leader has been selected. Each week the teens participate in fellowship, games, and a lively discussion about what Jesus says we should do. The kids are being encouraged to bring their friends! Please keep a watch out for postings about upcoming events and opportunities for the youth to participate in. There will be a big focus on mission work in the coming months. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can CJ at cj@cordellcustomhomes.com or text/call him at SUNDAY SCHOOL So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -Romans 10:17 NKJV If we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, how do we come to this faith? We hear the word taught and preached, and God s Spirit causes us to agree with it. This is the beauty of the church we come collectively as a body to hear the word preached and then respond to it. In terms of Sunday School, our children and teens hear the word presented in different ways sometimes through object lessons that point us to the truth, but mostly by reading the Bible, discussing what it says, and then applying it to our lives. So parents, let me encourage you to bring your children and teens. Nothing will compare to what you will teach by word and example in your home, but what an honor to come next to you as we raise up this next generation of Christians! Your Brother in Christ, Jim Richards Superintendent of Sunday School Education 4

5 SMALL GROUPS Join an existing group, or ask about new groups! There are already many groups to choose from if you are looking at deepening your relationships with your church family and with God, but do you see a need for a group that isn t already covered? Do you have an idea for starting a group geared toward a specific age group or life situation (parenting, aging, health, stay-at-home moms, etc.)? If so, talk to Pastor Bob. The following LIFE groups discuss the sermon from the previous Sunday, using a study guide printed for that week. These groups also fellowship together and pray with each other: The Olsen LIFE Group meets on Tuesdays at 6:30pm. Call Tim or Lois at The Cordell LIFE Group will not be meeting until further notice. The Women s LIFE Group meets on Thursdays at 9:30am. Call Annette at The Barber LIFE Group: Due to personal and family issues, this group has made the decision to take some time off. They are looking forward to restarting at some point in the near future. Please call Reg or Annette at if you will be interested in joining them when they start back up. The Ladies Bible Study group meets on Thursdays at 9:00am at Dorothy Moser s home on 34 Sylvia Circle in Thurmont. Coffee will be available. If you re interested, please let Dorothy know so she can make sure enough books are available. You can reach Dorothy at for more information and to find out what book they are discussing. The Going Deeper Group meets on Tuesdays at 6:30am at Mountain Gate Family Restaurant and are studying Brother Lawrence s The Practice of the Presence of God. The books can still be found in the church office. Call Pastor Bob at or just show up! The following is a Bible Study group led by Pastor Bob: Thursdays with Pastor Bob meets on Thursdays at 7:00pm in Adult Room #1. This group studies a book of the Bible line by line and discusses full passages as they go. They are looking at the book of Matthew. Everyone is invited to come! 5

6 COMMUNITY CLOTHES CLOSET NEWS Monetary Support TUMC is a mission centered church. Ten percent of every Sunday offering goes to the Mission Committee to be given to missions in Thurmont, in the USA, and throughout the world. In 2016, $5000 of the general fund has been budgeted to the Clothes Closet which serves communities within a 20 mile radius of the church. Clothes Closet Staff Sandy Moser Dot Orrison John Maschmeier When the council budgets money to the Clothes Closet, they are promising that amount will be available from the general fund to the ministry. When you give to the general fund, you enable them to do just that. Please do not do designated giving for this ministry, but send your gift into the general fund. The only time the Clothes Closet asks for designated giving is in the month of November to help with purchasing special needs for families (coats, shoes, etc.) and to fill bags with home and healthcare items to be given out at the Christmas Open House. Words cannot express what a blessing and encouragement your giving means to Clothes Closet workers and those they serve. New Beginnings The Clothes Closet is now open three times a month (see new Clothes Closet hours beside this column). Prayerfully this will enable us to reach more families and better accommodate those we serve. Volunteers have increased. There are presently 30 volunteers giving monthly support to this ministry. They are beautiful, humble Christians who give from four to twenty plus hours a month so other s needs can be met, their lives changed and faith deepened, and they might realize God not forgotten them; but they can be used by Him to encourage others. NEW CLOTHES CLOSET HOURS : For our church family: Every Sunday 9:00a-11:00a For the general public: Mon. Jan 4th 6:00p to 7:30p Tues. Jan 19th 10:00a to 11:30a Mon. Jan 25th 6:00p to 7:30p For emergency needs, please call the church office Monday-Friday, 9:00am to 3:00pm at There will be no snow dates If school is closed, so is the Clothes Closet. Eileen Waische and Nancy Richardson (after 20+ years) have stepped down from leadership roles in the Clothes Closet, but are going to continue in monthly supportive roles. To all of you who help in so many varied ways with this ministry, please accept our heartfelt thanks. Without you, the ministry would suffer. 6

7 GOOD NEWS CLUB FOR KIDS By, Davada Irons There is an exciting new opportunity for our youth in Thurmont! A Good News Club started in January at Thurmont Elementary School for children in grades 3-5. The Club, sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship, is a non-denominational club that features games, music, snacks, and Bible stories. The club gives children the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoy fellowship with other children. The club meets after school in the school cafeteria from 3:45 to 4:45pm every Tuesday, unless school is closed. Children must have a signed registration form as well as a weekly note to the school with permission to attend. As school ends at 3:10pm, there is supervised recreation from 3:10 to 3:45pm. Parents pick up children at the cafeteria doors at the end of the club. As you know, there has been a Christian Club at Thurmont Middle School for awhile. A group of parents decided it was time to start something a little earlier. Because the Good News Club (under the Child Evangelism Fellowship organization) is an established entity, this made obtaining a meeting time at the school more easily. There are currently six schools in Frederick County hosting Good News Clubs. The Team Leaders are all volunteer parents/grandparents. All leaders attended a required training and had a background check before starting. Parents are welcome to attend any club meetings! For more information or to obtain a registration form, please contact any of the Thurmont Team Leaders: Jan Jones (janjones0626@gmail.com), Davada Irons (bdirons@verizon.net), Sherri Eichelberger (resjae@comcast.net) or Kari Tuttle (tandktuttle@netzero.net). We would like to ask the church to pray for this club. Our first meeting had 23 children in attendance, including several from TUMC! We ask that you pray for this outreach to our younger community. We pray that children will come to know Jesus, if they don t already, and that they may grow in their faith and relationship to Christ and other believers. We ask that you pray for our Team Leaders as well as continued cooperation from the school. We thank you in advance for your prayers! Additionally, there are some curriculum and operating costs associated with the Club. If anyone feels led to donate to this outreach, please contact one of the Team Leaders. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for the children of Thurmont! Davada Irons bdirons@verizon.net

8 ANNOUNCEMENTS PLEASE READ! Fellowship Time: There is fellowship each Sunday following Sunday School from 10:00-10:30am prior to the second service. The schedule for February is as follows: Feb. 7th Fraley LIFE Group Feb. 14th Ladies Sunday School Feb. 21st Barber LIFE Group Feb. 28th Women of the Church The Altar Guild is looking for new members. Please contact Pat Flohr if you are interested in helping with this committee. The Devotion and Paint that was scheduled in February has been cancelled. There is a need for a Hospitality Coordinator. This person would be responsible for facilitating the Fellowship Snack Schedule, setting up the schedule for nursery volunteers, and making sure we have door greeters. This person would not have to fill in for all these jobs he or she would just need to make sure someone is signed up to help. Please speak to Pastor Bob if you are willing to volunteer for this position. Thank you in advance! Several of you have asked about starting up regular bowling again. Join us on Saturdays at Sunshine Lanes in Rouzerville, PA at 6:30pm for up to three games. Games are $4.50 each and shoe rental is $2.50. Hope to see you there! Easter worship celebrations will be as follows: Sunrise 6:30am at TUMC, Traditional at 9:00am, and Contemporary at 10:30am. Other details forthcoming at a later date, but if you are interested in doing special music for these celebrations, now is the time to be thinking about what you want to do and speaking to Pastor Bob. Ash Wednesday: Our Observance will be held on Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00pm in the Prayer Room. This is much more than simply remembering our mortality. Together, we will worship and focus upon allowing the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives closer to Jesus, and to each other during this Lenten season. Christ in the Passover We will be having a seder meal on Wednesday, March 2nd at 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. Larry Dubin, a missionary with Jews for Jesus, will take us through the process of how Jesus substituted himself as the sacrifice during the Passover observance. Pastor Bob has known Larry and his wife Debbie for years, and has invited them to other church groups before. This presentation is not simply what do Jewish people do at Passover. This not only shows Jesus self-substitution; it also shows how Jesus himself was prophesied through the ancient Passover. You will understand Holy Communion on a whole new level afterwards. Details for the meal will follow. This announcement is for you to get the date on your calendars, since March 2nd is coming very soon. We will need people who would like to prepare the meal. Larry is sending the recipes to Pastor Bob. This event is always fun, educational, and a great look in at what Jesus did in the Upper Room two thousand years ago. Again, details will be coming soon! 8