A Cottage Meeting - This Is Your Invitation

Transcription

1 S T. A N D R E W U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H Volume 16 Issue 3 March 2016 A Cottage Meeting - This Is Your Invitation words from Pastor John What: When: Where: Who: A Cottage Meeting During March A Home The Members and Friends of St. Andrew It s the first of March, and there is a sense of anticipation in the air. The countdown is on: the first day of spring is in 20 days; Easter Sunday is in 27 days; the last day of school is in 95 days; then, Vacation Bible School in 105 days, and summer vacation We have so much to look forward to, each day filled with new opportunities and possibilities. We as a church are also entering into a unique season, a season of focused discernment, visioning, and dreaming together for the future work and ministry of St. Andrew. It is a process that will begin in March and will be completed in May. An integral part of our visioning process this year is found in our Cottage Meetings. Our hope and prayer is that nearly everyone here at St. Andrew will find a way to be involved in this important work. There will be 10 Cottage Meetings held at various locations throughout Beavercreek. Most will be in individual homes. Our confirmed hosts include Elvin & Lynn Moad, Bill & Donna Shoup, Chris Watters, Ernie & Karen Muller, Marc & Debbie Caudill and Jerry & Marge Sedlacek. A complete listing of Cottage Meeting locations and times will be available at our sign-up table at church on Sunday, March 6. The hosts will be scheduling a specific date and time for their event, so there should be a variety of options throughout the month. Our hope is that each meeting will have between 6 to 12 people in attendance. The meeting is designed to last 90 minutes and allow for each person to share their experiences of St. Andrew, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future of the church. There will be some curious questions provided which should serve as a roadmap for the Cottage Meeting. The hosts will guide the conversations. At the conclusion of each of the meetings, there will be a summary report which will be taken back to the Administrative Council for integration into the visioning and goal setting process. Your involvement may or may not end with the Cottage Meeting. The invitation is further extended to everyone to participate in the work that follows, beginning with the Administrative Council gathering on April 5th. We are excited about the opportunities to work together in this way. Without question, this is Holy Work that we are called to. Thank you in advance for your participation and your prayers for the work and ministry of St. Andrew. In Ministry With You, Pastor John (continued on page 3) The people of St. Andrew have been called by God to embrace, equip and encourage persons of all ages to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. e 3

2 Happy March Birthday! Margaret Griffin 03/01 Naomi Schalle 03/01 Dirk Lanham 03/02 Susan Nicholson 03/05 Susan White 03/06 Lewie Wiese 03/06 Emma Arrington 03/07 Bonnie Fenning 03/08 Daniel Moad 03/08 Jody Garrett 03/09 Wendy Garrett 03/11 Samuel Fenning 03/12 Ken Hutton 03/13 Cora Nicholson 03/16 Garrett Brown 03/19 Charles Thomas 03/20 Jerry Sedlacek 03/21 Pat Reynolds 03/24 Elwin Spray 03/25 Dana Brun 03/27 Karyle McMannama 03/27 Joshua Terpenning 03/27 Rebecca Shipp 03/29 If your birthday is in March & is not here, please let the office know. Sermon Topics and Scriptures Lessons for March 2016 March 6 Impossible to Ignore Psalm 23 March 13 Time to Serve John 12:1-8 March 20 - Palm Sunday The Ultimate Superhero Luke 19:28-40 March 27 - Easter Sunday Remember His Words Luke 24:1-12 Looking Ahead MARCH ~Saturday 5 Bistro Dinner ~Sunday 6 One Great Hour of Sharing ~ Wednesday, 16 Meals From the Heart Holy Week: ~Sunday 20 Palm Sunday ~Thursday 24 Maundy Thursday Service ~Friday 25 Good Friday Service ~Saturday 26 Easter Egg Hunt ~Sunday 27 Easter Sunday Phone: Fax: standrewumc@ameritech.net Website: Office Hours: 9:00 3:00pm Monday Thursday 9:00 Noon Friday Sunday Worship Times 8:15am, 9:30am & 11:00am 9:30am Sunday School Child Care at Sunday Services St. Andrew UMC is a Safe Sanctuary Congregation Staff of St. Andrew Rev. John Schlicher - Senior Pastor pastorjohnschlicher@yahoo.com Debbie Caudill - Director of Spiritual Formation dsfcaudill@gmail.com Cameron Voorhees, Music Director Ed Baker, Organist Laura K. Smith, Administrative Assistant standrewumc@ameritech.net The Personal Touch - Custodians Congregation - Ministers of St. Andrew APRIL ~ Saturday, 2 Lions Club Chili Cook-off ~Sunday, 10 Native American Sunday MAY ~Sunday, 8 Mother s Day ~Saturday, 14 Trustee Clean Up Day ~Sunday, 15 Pentecost Sunday ~Sunday, 29 Combined Service ~ Monday, 30 Memorial Day Office Closed V OLU ME 1 5 ISS U E 2 Page 2

3 Please pray for these people who have been in the hospital, ill, or recuperating in the past month or are simply in need of our prayers and support. Ann Shelton Julie and Stan Erk Diane Hutton Edith Leonard Betty Bracken Jack Darst Kara Sandberg Nancy Schlicher Margaret Griffin Mary Lou Fox Vera Kercher Don Hill Harriet Brown Chuck Lauersdorf Marilyn Hackett Alex Reed, grandson of Art & Kathy Bauer Care and Prayer The St. Andrew prayer chain is always available to pray for you. Contact Jan Garrett Prayer requests can be made at the Atrium prayer box, or by contacting the church office. Every week, a group of people pray for the needs of our members, our church, our community, our country and world. remember where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them - Matthew 18:20 A Cottage Meeting - Continued... Some thoughts about visioning Vision is the bridge between the present and the future. Foresight, Insight & Oversight Godly vision consists of foresight, insight and oversight that come from His sight. Foresight is like looking at life through a telescope. This outlook allows us to know what is ahead as it connects us to our future. Foresight is the element of vision that helps life make sense and gives us motivation. Insight is like viewing life through a microscope. This perception gives us an understanding of why things happen in life. It also helps determine the underlying motivations of the heart. Oversight puts life into context. It is like flying over our house in a helicopter. There is a perspective that we can only receive from this vista that helps us understand where we are with respect to where everything else is. The first part of accomplishing any vision is to take it from the unseen world and bring it into the natural realm. This can be accomplished by simply writing down the vision. Articulating the vision on paper pulls the dream that is in your spirit (that no one can see but you) into the visible world so that others can capture it in their own hearts. Then the Lord answered me and said, Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:2-3 Accomplishing the Mission The Bible says: Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed; that plans of the heart belong to man, but the answers of the tongue is from the Lord Proverbs 15:22 & 16:1 Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein Page 3 F OOTPRI NTS

4 Sensible Shoes By: Sharon Garlough Brown Reviewed by: Pat Reynolds Martha's Closet Jerry Sedlacek This is a book about four women, but not necessarily for only women to read. Brown introduces us to four very different characters in very dissimilar phases of life. Hannah is a pastor who doesn t realize how burned out her passion and flame have become. Meg is a widow/empty-nester whose confidence has been shattered. Mara is in a thankless marriage with teenagers who treat her the way they observe their father treating their mother. And Charissa is a classic type A personality who cannot accept anything less than perfection from herself. As we embark on this journey where the four women meet at a retreat center, we find that the author has woven in ways for the reader to look for understanding some key spiritual practices, and she also offers support for a deeper relationship with God. By navigating our own spiritual wilderness, we can reflect on ways to travel our own journey with the help of a study guide and practical resources included in the book. I liked that the author used her characters to make one another stronger in their faith walk, in their personal revelation, and in their everyday real lives. This was a book to read slowly and absorb completely. STaRS St. Andrew Retirees The March 16th STaRS outing will take us to Otterbein Retirement Community s Lebanon campus. We will leave the St. Andrew parking lot at 9:00 AM. Our visit will include a walking tour of the Campus Center, lunch, and a coach tour of the campus, during which we will learn about housing and activities on and off campus. It's been a hard winter for everyone but particularly so for those struggling to put food on their table. We will continue our food collection for the Wesley Center in March. The red wagon will be placed in the Atrium on Sunday, 3/6, as a reminder of our collection on Sunday, 3/13. Please support our St. Andrew outreach program by bringing food items that you can spare. Used clothing in good repair is also needed. Place it by the red wagon or put it in the closet by the restrooms near the sanctuary. War Room Our STaRS group viewed and enjoyed the movie, War Room, in February. The video is now available to borrow from the office. Also we will hear about volunteer opportunities, admission procedures and cost options. Please sign up today on the STaRS sign-up sheet. V OLU ME 1 5 ISS U E 2 Page 4

5 Easter Flowers Forms are now available if you would like to order flowers to decorate our church for Easter. The forms are in the registration pads, in the church office, and in the Gathering Grounds. Saturday, March 26 1:00 PM All children, ages 2 through 5th grade, are invited! Donations of wrapped candies, stickers, coins, and small toys will be gratefully accepted through March 25th. We will also need cookies for the day of the event. Bring your family, friends and neighbors! Please contact Debbie Caudill for further information: dsfcaudill@gmail.com United Methodist Women's Agape Meal On Thursday, March 17, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30 PM for our Agape Meal. Following this simple meal, Rosetta Schaffner, Vice-President of the Miami Valley UMW, has been invited by Lydia Circle to speak to us about our annual Call to Prayer and Self-Denial. During this season of Lent, when we contemplate our personal spiritual journeys, we encourage all women of the church to come and join with us as part of the larger organization of the UMW, which actively meets the needs of people across the world. Please be prepared to contribute to an offering that will further the work of the UMW. Reminder Bistro Dinner! Sunday March 13th The additional chairs in the choir area have been purchased with memorial donations in the name of Ken Poling, faithful choir member with St. Andrew for many years. Thank you from the Poling family and the Memorial Committee. March 5, :00 PM Meal choices and sign-up sheets in the Atrium and the Gathering Grounds. Page 5 F OOTPRI NTS

6 This meal is open to everyone! We encourage you to invite friends and neighbors. Reservations are requested but not required. If you are disabled and unable to come to church, you can make a reservation as well, and a plate of hot, delicious food will be delivered to you! If you do not drive at night, we will have volunteers to drive you to and from church. In addition to food and fellowship, there are opportunities to grow in Christlikeness by offering to help serve, clean up, provide rides, or take meals to those who cannot participate. You can register by calling or ing the church office or signing up on the sheet provided in the Atrium. ST. ANDREW UMC UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS Bible Study - Sunday Mornings 9:30 10:45 Saturday, March 5, 6:00 pm The youth and their leadership are planning another fun and delicious Bistro Dinner for the St. Andrew family. Menu selection and sign-up sheets are posted in the Atrium and the Gathering Grounds. A free will offering will be collected to help fund this year s youth program. (Youth Group activities are open to any youth in grades 6-12) For more information or to RSVP for an event please contact our youth team at youthst.andrewsumc@gmail.com, or Ann & Dan LaMothe at (571) V OLU ME 1 5 ISS U E 2 Page 6

7 March 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 7:00 Scouts 116 6:30 Small Groups meet 7:00 Choir Practice 3 7:00 UMW Executive Meeting 7:00 Ascent Practice 4 5 8:00 NA FH 6:00 Bistro dinner 6 One Great Hour of Sharing 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School-All Ages 11:00 Adult Bible Study 6:30 Women s Bible Study 7 7:00 Boy Scouts FH, :00 Quilt Group :30 Small Groups meet 7:00 Choir Practice 1:30 Staff Meeting 10 7:00 Ascent Practice 7:00 Missions Team Mtg CR 11 8:00 NA FH 2:00 GS FH :15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School-All Ages 11:00 Adult Bible Study 6:30 Women s Bible Study 14 7:00 Boy Scouts 7:00 Lions Club CR FH, :00 Worship CR 9:00 STARS Otterbein 5:30 Meals From The Heart 6:30 Small Groups meet 7:00 Choir Practice 17 6:30 Agape Meal 7:00 Ascent Practice :00 NA FH 9:00 Esther Circle CR 20 Palm Sunday 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School-All Ages 11:00 Adult Bible Study 6:30 Women s Bible Study 21 7:00 Boy Scouts Court of Honor FH, 116 7:00 Finance :00 Trustee CR 10:00 Koinonia Circle 105 6:30 Small Groups meet 7:00 Choir Practice 24 10:00 Footprint Folders Maundy Thursday 7:00 Service 25 Office Closed Good Friday 12:00 Service 8:00 NA FH 26 Egg Hunt 1:00 27 Easter 7:00 Sunrise service 8:15 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School-All Ages 11:00 Adult Bible Study 6:30 Women s Bible Study :00 Naomi Circle OS :00 Ascent Practice Page 7 F OOTPRI NTS

8 non profit organization us postage paid Xenia Ohio permit # N. Fairfield Rd. Beavercreek, OH standrewumchurch.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED 1 St. Andrew s special worship services for Lent and Easter: Maundy Thursday, March 24, 7 p.m. Good Friday, March 25, Noon Easter Sunday, March 27 7:00 a.m., Sunrise Service 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 26, 1:00 PM Everyone is welcome!