Thoughts from the Pastor

Transcription

1 Shreve United Methodist Church Box 525, Shreve, Ohio Church Office: Parsonage: Church Home Page Address: http// Address: Mike Grant, Pastor Thoughts from the Pastor I hope you have had a blessed Thanksgiving. It is my prayer that you had a chance to take the time to celebrate the bounty of God s provisions and Grace. I am truly thankful for this place and the opportunity to serve and grow with all of you. Since Holly and I have a note in the Newsletter to all of our church family and friends, I will endeavor to keep my thoughts short here. I hope you will take advantage of celebrating the joy of the Christmas season with your church family. The Children will be singing in the Worship service on January 1 st. The Caring and Sharing Committee will be leading us in the Give a Christmas Project and we are collecting adult socks of any size for the sock tree. During this season of giving, remember the church, consider a special gift to missions, or to support the Trustees or the church ministries. We have had a good year, and it would be wonderful to see it end strong and touch some more people in special ways this Christmas. We will be going Christmas caroling on December 17 th to our shut-ins. There will be a Choir Cantata on Sunday December 24 th in the morning worship and we will have a wonderful Christmas Eve service later that night with music, a message, and of course Candle lighting and Silent Night. As we head into the Christmas Season, it is my hope that you glimpse anew the wonder of the Love that came down at Christmas. That the birth of Jesus is more than just a story or a chance to give and receive gifts, that is real to you in a way that is fresh, or that you have not known for a long time. I would ask you to do me a favor. Get your family together, or if you are a family of one, sit down in one place and read the Christmas story from Luke s Gospel. Now the favor. Don t look at the story from the eyes of one who has heard it so many times that it has become routine. Be a shepherd who sees the angels and hears the news for the first time. Be a townsperson who is hearing the rumors and finds out that God has done something never before seen in history of mankind. Hear with the ears of wonder! Look with the eyes of Joy! Know that God has come and dwelt among us and that we will never be the same. Lastly, as you celebrate the New Year, give it God. Consider making a resolution about your life in faith. Commit to doing just one thing to help you draw closer to Jesus in Maybe read a chapter a day in the Bible, set aside 10 minutes to pray, come to Sunday school or a one of the studies, join a small group, listen to Christian radio in the car etc.you get the idea. Resolve to take a step closer to Jesus, and know that He will come near to you. I pray God s richest blessings on your December and January. Rev. Mike

2 December Church Commi ee Schedule SPR Mtg. Tue December 5, 7:00 pm Finance Committee Tues December 19, 7:00 pm Church Council Tues December 19, 7:30 pm Children s Program December 3, 10:30 am Come hear our children and youth share on December 3 during our morning worship. The Rock-N-Worship December 9, 7-8 pm Come join us for an hour of contemporary music and praise. Christmas Caroling Dec. 17, 3:00 pm Share a little of your time and Christmas cheer with those who are homebound or in nursing homes this Christmas season. We ll start from the church at 3:00 p.m. Come have fun and spread the joy of the season! We ll return to the church for a soup supper. Coffee Hour Wednesday, December 20, 5:00 pm Come join us for coffee an hour before the Open Doors Dinner Wednesday December 20, 5:30 pm A free meal for the church family and community. In addition to providing a meal, this event provides a time of fellowship for those who might enjoy a meal with others. Retired Men s Luncheon December 21, 11:30 am We meet the second Thursday of the month at Farmer Boy Restaurant, 2448 Cleveland Road, in Wooster. If you are available at that time, and wish you were retired, we d be glad to have you join us, as well. Questions, contact Fred Lendrum at or the church office for more information. Early Morning Prayer Community Prayer 6:15 AM WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. Wednesday Night Bible Study Wednesday Nights at 6:30 pm. We are studying the book of Philippians. This study is open to everyone, whether you have been studying scripture all your life or just want to begin.

3 January Church Commi ee Schedule Missions Mon January 2, 7:00 pm Trustee Mtg Mon January 10, 7:00 pm SPR Mtg. Tuesday January 11, 7:00 pm Evangelism Mtg. Wed January 12, 7:30 pm Finance Committee Tues January 18, 7:00 pm Church Council Tues January 18, 7:30 pm WCA Class A Firm Foundation class Starting Jan. 7 We will be star ng January 7 during our Sunday School hour. If you would like to a end please let Pastor Mike know. We need to know how many books to order. The Rock-N-Worship January 13, 7-8 pm Come join us for an hour of contemporary music and praise Coffee Hour Wednesday, January 17, 5:00 pm Come join us for coffee an hour before the Open Doors Dinner Wednesday January 17, 5:30 pm A free meal for the church family and community. In addition to providing a meal, this event provides a time of fellowship for those who might enjoy a meal with others. Retired Men s Luncheon January 18, 11:30 am We meet the second Thursday of the month at Farmer Boy Restaurant, 2448 Cleveland Road, in Wooster. If you are available at that time, and wish you were retired, we d be glad to have you join us, as well. Questions, contact Fred Lendrum at or the church office for more information. ALPHA CLASS STARTING Monday January 29, More information can be found inside the newsletter. Early Morning Prayer Community Prayer 6:15 AM WEDNESDAY MORNINGS. Wednesday Night Bible Study Wednesday Nights at 6:30 pm. We are studying the book of Philippians. This study is open to everyone, whether you have been studying scripture all your life or just want to begin. Canal District Leadership Training Event Effective Ministry in the 21st Century Saturday, January , 9 am - 2:45 pm At Montrose Zion United Methodist Church, 565 N Cleveland-Massillon Rd, Akron

4 Church Family Notes On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff of Meals on Wheels of Stark & Wayne Coun es, I would like to thank you and your congrega on for allowing us to u lize your kitchen area to prepare and distribute our meals. Please know that we remain dedicated to providing the nutri onally at-risk in your community with meals that support be er health and con nued independence. We are privileged to be part of such a caring community and we are grateful for your con nued generous support of our mission. Without the space you provide we would be unable serve the 23 daily meals in your area and the nearly 1,500 daily meals throughout the two county area. Please accept these cookies as a small token of our apprecia on and we wish you con nued blessings throughout this Thanksgiving season. Thankfully, Ted Watko Chief Execu ve Officer ~~~~~~~~~ It was a blessing to see the Lord at work through the planning and presenta on of the Surviving the Holidays program that took place November 18th. I want to thank all those who served as God s hands for this program through adver sing, cooking, child care, decora- ons, set up/tear down, audio/visual, and facilita ng. I had the privilege of seeing that wonderful picture of the body of Christ at work, each sharing their gi s to minister to others. Thank you to the church for its prayers for this program. Those prayers enabled and li ed up those physically serving and those who came as par cipants. Please con nue to be in prayer for individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one. There is an ar cle in the newsle er about GriefShare, a 13 week program, that we will be offering here at the church in January Please be open to the Lord s leading on you to par cipate in this program or to invite (and even come with) someone to a end. Blessing, Holly Grant ~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou to everyone for their cards of sympathy when Jim passed away. Paule e Riise There are several folks I would like to thank. Thanks to those who helped with the All Saints Sunday. A big thanks to those who helped with and par cipated in the Surviving the Holidays event. Thank you to all those who have filled boxes for Opera on Christmas Child (over 180 boxes!) and for the team that has worked on this. You have been amazing and the church has really stepped out to touch a lot of lives. Thank you to the team that does the Open Door Dinner and for all those who helped with Mary s Schlabachs funeral in any way. Thanks for those who a ended the Charge Conference. A special thanks to the SPRC for all the extra work they have been pu ng in during this me of staff transi- on. ~~~~~~~~~ OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD- THANK YOU: This year we sent 193 Opera on Christmas Child boxes! Thank you to everyone who supported Opera on Christmas Child. For those who purchased items for the boxes, those who filled the boxes and those who prayed for the Opera on Christmas Child ministry. Next week we will know how many children will receive these wonderful gi s. ~~~~~~~~~ We wish to extend our sympathies to the family of Mary Schlabach who passed away on Oct 20, We would also like to extend our sympathies to Susan & Sheldon Schlabach upon the passing of Susan s sister Lucille Warszawski October 26, Also, to Paule e Riise upon the passing of her husband Jim Riise on Nov 3, 2017 and to Marian DeWi on the passing of her brother Ron Mizer on Nov 14, MISSION TRIP Country Roads take me home, to the place I belong, West Virginia.... We are going back to Richwood, West Virginia June 3-9, This is an open invitation to our church congregation, from youth through more experienced adults to join us. There is still plenty of work to be done there to recover from the floods. Please pray over this, mark your calendars and consider attending. More exciting information will be coming.

5 GriefShare Program Will Begin in January 2018 This program features biblical, Christ-centered teaching that focuses on grief topics associated with the death of a loved one. The DVD seminar features na onally respected grief experts and real-life stories of people, followed by a small group discussion about what was viewed. Past par cipants have related how helpful the informa on and follow up discussions were to them. Many grieving people find they are only beginning the work of healing when friends or family have returned to their daily life rou nes. Too o en people, including Chris ans, tend to stuff their grief instead of allowing it to do the God given work for which it is intended. Don t allow fear of what others may think to keep you from what could help you. Confiden ality is very much a part of this program. Your bereavement experience may be recent or not so recent. You will find encouragement, comfort and help in grieving the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, other family member, or friend. No ma er what the cause of your loved one s death, this is an opportunity to be around people who understand what you are feeling. You will learn how to recognize the symptoms of being stuck in grief and that you do not need to live in bondage to certain emo ons. You will learn valuable informa on about facing your new normal in life and renewing your hope for the future. GriefShare will be held Tuesdays January 23 rd April 17 th in the Seeker s Room. Cost: $20.00 to cover the cost of the book, scholarships are available. Any ques ons, call or Holly Grant at or shrevegriefshare@gmail.com. Video Project We are moving forward one step at a me. Last month we got a new screen, front projector, and high speed internet. This month we have a new rear projector and a new computer with vastly updated so ware and power. It is tour hope in December and January to finish out the project with the new cameras, and edi ng equipment, the new TV s in the Nursery and the Kitchen, and updated outlets for the downstairs projectors. It is good to see this some of this bearing fruit I want to say thanks for all those who have helped and sacrificed to make this needed improvements. Christmas Caroling December 17 On December 17 th we will go caroling to shut ins and others on behalf of the church. We will meet at the church at 3:00 and head out from here. We will probably break into groups and carpool and I will have the use of the van. We will meet back at the church for a light meal together. This is a great ac vity for families and youth. You do not have to be a great singer, just have the joy of the Lord in your heart and a willingness to share Christ s love at this special me of year. Christmas Eve 10:30am Tis the season for those Christmas carols and hymns that we all know and love. Every year we are blessed with the opportunity to remember our Lord Jesus Christ and to sing carols that warm our hearts and glorify Him. This year the Choir at Shreve United Methodist Church will be singing The Five Carols For The Eve Of Christ on Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24, 10:30am. This collection features arrangements of some of the world's most well-loved Christmas carols.

6 DYCE Posi on By the me you read this Newsle er, Ma Diffenderfer will have concluded his ministry among us. He gave his two week no ce in November, and he finished his work Thanksgiving week. We are thankful for his ministry among us over the last 7 years and we wish him well in all of his future endeavors. We have been receiving applica ons and we have begun the hiring process. We have made the commitment that we will not hire just to fill a posi on, that we are looking for the right servant leader to fill this important staff role. We know that things could happen quickly or they could take a bit of me. We ask for your pa ence, prayers, and trust during this me of transi on. We also ask for your help. We are blessed to have many talented and very commi ed Chris an leaders and we are invi ng some of them to lead our youth and children s programs during this me. I am sure they would value addi onal support and back up, if you are willing to help. If you know someone who might be a good fit for the posi on and the church, please see Clark Sprang or Pastor Mike. Please keep Ma, the Youth, the Children, and the SPRC in your prayers. Canal District Leadership Training Event Effec ve Ministry in the 21st Century Saturday, January , 9 am 2:45 pm At Montrose Zion United Methodist Church, 565 N Cleveland Massillon Rd, Akron Church Treasurer Posi on At the me of this wri ng, Karen Carlton, the SUMC Treasurer is on Hospice care in the Lifeway Home in Wooster. Karen has fought cancer for some me and was s ll working up to about a month ago, but things changed very quickly in her situa on. I want to say a huge thank you for Karen and her work in this posi on and her commitment to Christ and the Shreve United Methodist church. Please keep Bill and the Carlton family in your prayers as they care for Karen and face each day as it comes. This has caused us to begin an unexpected search for a new Church Treasurer. The Treasurer pays the bills, keeps the books in order, reports to the Finance Commi ee and the Church Council. We are ac vely seeking to take the payroll responsibili es out of the SUMC Treasurer posi on and to use a very good and inexpensive service offered by the Annual Conference. At present, payroll is a part of the job. This is a paid posi on and SPRC and Finance are beginning to work on upda ng the job descrip on and crea ng the job qualifica ons. If you might be interested in applying, please talk to Clark Sprang or Pastor Mike. Workshops being offered: Communica on in the 21st Century; The Way of Christ in the 21st Century; Youth Addic on and the Impact on the Individual, Family, and Community; Prayer/Spirituality/Spiritual Disciplines in the 21st Century; The Way Forward/How to Lead Effec vely through Change and Challenges; Addressing Pornography; TLC (Tender Loving Care) Groups for Busy Disciples; Stewardship; Advanced Staff Parish Rela ons Commi ee Training; Staff Parish Rela ons Commi ee 101; A Charge to Keep...Your Ministry as a Trustee of a Local Church; Youth/Young Adults Panel; Mission/Outreach; Goverance/Leadership Board; Clergy Abuse Hospitals or Pastoral Visits If you are going into the hospital, or are in need of a pastoral visit, please give me a call. My rule of thumb is that I would rather hear about a concern 10 mes, than have everyone assume I know and then miss out on being there for someone in the church. Thanks in advance for your help in this area. Rev. Mike

7 A Firm Founda on Class January 7 th 9:30 I am trying to finish out the study on James during the Holidays me and plan to begin a new Sunday School class in January. If all goes well, we will begin a new class on the material A Firm Founda on put out by Seedbed for the Wesleyan Covenant Associa on. This is a 7 week class that will begin on January 7 th. The class is a response to the current confusion and around who we are as United Methodists. The topics include: The Lordship of Jesus Christ The authority of Scripture The power of the Holy Spirit The promise of Sanc fica on The anchor of Purpose The dynamic of discipleship The gi of the church. I am excited to team teach this class with Rev. Dennis Rinehart. As many of you have come to know, Dennis is a wonderful pastor, leader, and man of God, and he will bring so much to our me together. I will be talking to other Sunday School classes to see if we want to work together during this me, but you will be welcome to be a part either way. Please prayerfully consider being a part of this special class. Rev. Mike ALPHA I am planning to lead an ALPHA class star ng January 29 th on Monday nights through Lent and a bit beyond. ALPHA is a 13-week class that shares about the basics of the Chris an faith. You watch a video and then have a snack and a me of discussion together. The presenta- ons are really engaging, they use humor and great illustra ons to help us learn about faith together. ALPHA is a safe place to invite a friend who doesn t know about Chris anity and has a lot of ques- ons. It is also a great class for someone who has been a Chris an for a long me. I know it taught me a number of things I didn t know, even a er being a Chris an for all of my adult life. I will have a signup sheet in the Narthex (Fancy name for the gathering area at the back of the sanctuary) if you might be interested. Please sign up so I know how many books to buy, and if there is a need to provide childcare for the group. Please prayerfully consider being a part of this wonderful class. Rev. Mike New Phones and High Speed Internet We now have high speed internet available through the building and the phone system is finally switched over. The church phone numbers have stayed the same, but this has required us to change our s. The Centurylink accounts are no longer ac ve, so please send all s for Pastor Mike to shrevepastor@gmail.com and to the church at shreveum430@gmail.com. Thanks for your pa ence with this. In the long run we hope to save a lot of money and have a be er system. Commission on a Way Forward Please con nue to pray for the Commission and for the United Methodist Church. Also keep the Council of Bishops and our Bishop Tracy Malone in your prayers. The Council of Bishops will be the group that makes a recommenda on to the called general conference in There will also be special mee ngs around East Ohio to share about these concerns. I will be a ending at least two of these and would be glad to bring people with me. They are can opportunity for conversa on and sharing with one another and conference leaders. If you would like to talk further about these things, please let me know and I would be glad to meet with you. Rev. Mike Wednesday Prayer Time The church doors are opened at 6:15 and we start a me of prayer at 6:30. We are praying for each of the needs li ed up in worship and for the short and long term prayer lists. Each person also has a chance to pray for about the praises, issues, and concerns they have on their heart. We have been keeping the me to under an hour and we would love to have some new folks come and join us in this important ministry of the church. Wednesday Night Bible Study We are mee ng on Wednesday nights at 6:30 to finish the Book of Philippians. A er we complete this book we will be moving on to the book of finish this book study the book of Philippians. This study is open to everyone, whether you have been studying scripture all your life or just want to begin, you will find a place with us. Please prayerfully consider being a part of this kind and open group.

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11 S.U.M. News 1 96 Published Monthly Shreve United Methodist Church PO Box N Main Street Shreve OH Issue No RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Those Serving Us In January Greeters 7 Roscoe & Peggy Burgan 14 Scott & Katie Wiggam 21 Greg & Cheryl Gordon 28 Ken & Kaye Janes Acolytes 7 Jenna Zimmerly & Anthony Sidle 14 Elliott Daley & James Latimer 21 Zoe Zhender & Justice Kiner 28 Joy Acker & Lucy Acker Lay Leaders 7 Aaron Boothby 14 Barb Long 21 Carla Lendrum 28 Laurel Sidle Ushers: Jed Acker, Mike Daugherty, Al McFarland, Steve Myers, Chad Zimmerly Nursery 7 Lisa Gress & Sarah Wolf & Cheryl Gordon 14 Gary Sidle & Lisa Haberbusch 21 Matt & Heidi Garst & Gina Van Lieu 28 Sean & Meghan Wright Explorers 7 Meghan Wright 14 Beth Acker 21 Jen Zehnder 28 Christi Franks Believers: TBD Tech Support 7 Rosemarie Daley, Carlos Visocky, Luke Daley 14 Jeremy Burnison, Laurie Sidle, Tyler Zimmerly 21 Dennis Daley, Jeremy Burnison, Alan Van Lieu 28 Dennis Daley, Luke Daley, Seth Franks

12 S.U.M. News 1 96 Published Monthly except a combined Dec/Jan issue. Shreve United Methodist Church PO Box N Main Street Shreve OH Issue No RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Those Serving Us In December Greeters 3 Ron & Jessica Kiner 10 Benny & Deb Martin 17 Al & Karen McFarland 24 Aaron & Erin Boothby 31 JD & Arlene Milliken Acolytes 3 Luke Starr & Vaden Ervin 10 Joy Acker & Alexandra McMillen 17 Reilly Grosjean & Angela Burkholder 24 Tyler Zimmerly & Wyatt Rohr 31 Lexi Starr & Lexi Long Lay Leaders 3 Carla Lendrum 10 Laurel Sidle 17 Judy Burkholder 24 Adam Starr 31 John Weaver Ushers: Glenn Bower, Ron Garst, Paul McMillen, JD Milliken, Gary Troyer Nursery 3 Brian & Sarah Weiser 10 Steve & Nancy Myers, Audrey Van Lieu 17 Brian & Liz Kinney 24 Katie & Lauren Wiggam, Denise Snyder 31 Jeremy Burnison, Dave & Linda Repp Explorers 3 Meghan Wright 10 Beth Acker 17 Jen Zehnder 24 Christi Franks 31 TBD Believers: TBD Tech Support 3 Rosemarie Daley, Carlos Visocky, Luke Daley 10 Jeremy Burnison, Laurie Sidle, Tyler Zimmerly 17 Dennis Daley, Jeremy Burnison, Alan Van Lieu 24 Dennis Daley, Luke Daley, Seth Franks 31 Jeremy Burnison, Luke Daley, Alan Van Lieu