2018 STATE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS

Transcription

1 Page 1 January 2018 Volume 27 Issue STATE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS On Sunday, January 28 th will we have our annual State of the Church address after the second service at the Taylorsville campus. The address will take place in the activity center. The Spud Bowl is also scheduled that day immediately following the second service so there will be good food available. There will be a period of minutes for folks to get food and be seated. The address will begin in the 1:00 1:15 time frame. You are invited to continuing eating during the address. I have several things I am looking forward to reporting to you this year around church membership and attendance, church finances, payment of conference and district apportionments, the cost of the parking lot project, the Imagine Campaign fund, our missions, and more. I also plan to provide a time for questions and comments from you. Please plan to attend this update on the state of our church. Please remember, this is simply a report on the state of the church. I received a few comments last year that nothing was decided at the state of the church address. I want to remind you that decision making is not the purpose of the address nor is it appropriate according to our church polity. Suggestions for the direction of the church are welcome but no decisions will be made at the address. Please plan to attend as we have much to celebrate as a church in 2017! IT S SPUD BOWL TIME!! The youth are getting ready for their annual Spud Bowl! This year s event will take place on Sunday, January 28 th beginning at 11:45am. We will serve salad and potatoes with all the fixings for you to enjoy. Stay and eat during the State of the Church, or take out will be available. Donations will be accepted and they will go towards next summer s youth mission trip. Please come out and help make this event a success! The SonLight Published Monthly Sulphur Grove UMC 7505 Taylorsville Road Huber Heights, OH Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church Growing Disciples, Living and Sharing God s love

2 Page 2 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus, It is hard to believe another year has gone by and 2018 is upon us! With the start of another year it is customary for many people to make New Year s resolutions. Statistics show that that the vast majority of those resolutions are never fulfilled. For some, it s no big deal as they probably were not really serious about the resolution. Yet for some, failing to fulfill the resolution can be a major disappointment that feeds into their feelings of inadequacy, failure, or even self-loathing. While failure is generally viewed as negative, it should never bring one down. From God s perspective, failure is not judged harshly or negatively as is the practice of the world. God is a God of second chances. By that I mean that God does not judge our failures. God, as a loving parent, is not so much concerned with success or failure, but with how many times we try to succeed. As I understand it, most millionaires in the United States have filed for bankruptcy several times before succeeding. For me, the thought of bankruptcy is incredibly frightening. Yet I think we can all learn from their experience in general for life. Failure does not mean we have to stop striving for our personal dreams or our dreams for the Kingdom. If we try something and fail, it is important that we not give up but persevere and try again. Failure in our personal lives and the life of the church is very uncomfortable for most of us including me. We must never lose sight of the fact however, that God is a God of second chances. When we fail, God is willing to give us second, third, fourth, and so on, chances. The new year is a time to set personal goals and goals as a church. Let us not allow the fear of failure to keep us from setting bold goals for the new year. In fact, God revealed to me several years ago that I am not going to be judged on the number of times I tried and failed, but simply the number of times I tried. Please do not allow the fear of failure to keep you from setting bold personal goals in Nor should the fear of failure keep the church from setting bold goals for the Kingdom in There will be failures in life and in the church. But thanks be to God, our God is a God of multiple chances! Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus, LISTEN LIVE! Traveling this winter? Visiting parents, grandparents or grandkids? You can still worship with your friends and neighbors at Sulphur Grove. The Taylorsville campus broadcasts both the 8:45 and 10:30 am worship services live through the internet. Simply click into the Sulphur Grove website ( and click on the Click to Listen button toward the bottom of the screen. You can hear all the music, all the prayers, and even the jokes!

3 Page 3 WHAT S HAPPENING AT BRANDT... Our youth group serves kids that are years old and meet on Wednesday s from 6:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. If you know of any kids that live in the Bethel Township, New Carlisle, or Tipp City areas, please invite them to come and check us out. BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB The Book of the Month Club will meet Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 6:00 pm in room 101 of the Taylorsville campus. The book to be discussed will be Dare to Be Kind: How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World, by Lizzie Velasquez. It shows how we can accept all parts of ourselves and others, and in so doing create a more compassionate world. We have received an additional discount so the cost of the book at the Taylorsville office is now $ If the books are sold out when you go to purchase a book please contact Rev. Ken Clark and he will order an additional copy for you. ( ) WHAT S IN A NAME? EVERYTHING! The HIPAA Privacy Act has implications for pastors and other visitors to the hospital of which you need to be aware. Here is an example. My mother s given name was Wilma Arleen Baughman yet throughout her life she went by her middle name of Arleen (she loathed the name Wilma). Many people did not know my mother s first name. So when she was in the hospital after the HIPAA Act, the person at the information desk would say to those asking for Arleen Baughman, We have no one here by that name. Under the HIPAA Act, unless a visitor (including pastors) can identify the person by their name as it is listed on the patient roster, which is normally their legal name, they cannot acknowledge that person as a patient in the hospital. The same goes for florists trying to deliver flowers or other items. As a result of HIPAA, I want to remind you that if you or a family member identifies by a name other than your/their legal name, you need to let the pastoral staff know the correct name so we will not be turned away when we try to make a hospital visit. I have personally been turned away 6 times since the implementation of the HIPAA so it is not as uncommon as you think it might be. Thanks for your help with this matter! Pastor Barry

4 Page 4 MISSIONS AND OUTREACH We are a mission church. We believe in reaching out to those in need locally, nationally and globally. IT S COLLEGE COOKIE TIME! We will be sending our second care package of the year to our college students on Sunday, February 4 th. If you would like to bake cookies or send any treats, such as popcorn, pretzels, Chex mix, candy, etc., or anything else you think they might like, please contact Nancy Trent at Tonyponcho@aol.com or text or sign up in the pew pads. Plan on 25 boxes. Please bring your items to the kitchen on Sunday, February 4 th before 10:30am and be sure to label them FOR COLLEGE KIDS, so they do not get mixed up with the goodies for hospitality. Our students really appreciate that we are thinking of them while they are at school, so THANK YOU in advance for volunteering to provide goodies for them. WANTED! COLLEGE STUDENT ADDRESSES We will be sending a care package on February 4 th. We do not want to miss anyone, so please note that you MUST verify old addresses or give us new information if you wish for your student to be included in this mailing. YES, EVEN IF YOU DID THIS IN THE FALL. Contact Nancy Trent at Tonyponcho@aol.com or text or sign up in the pew pads. Thank you. BAGS OF LOVE Thank you so much for your continued support of our Bags of Love ministry. There are many children in the Huber Heights schools who might not have access to enough food over the weekend Bags of Love sends home a bag of easy to prepare food with children each Friday. We prepare 30 bags/week. Basic toiletry items are added to the bag once a month. Donations may be left in the Bags of Love bin in the gathering area at Taylorsville. At the Y, donations can be left in the food donation bin on a table in the lobby. All items should be individual size, please. **Please note: Due to peanut allergies, the school has requested no peanut butter items** *boxes of cereal *applesauce *pudding cups *microwave mac & cheese *beanie weenies *fruit cups *veggie cups *microwave ravioli *fruit snacks *granola bars *100% juice boxes *cheese crackers *shampoo *deodorant *bar of soap *toothbrush & toothpaste THANK YOU!! BRRR! IT S COLD OUTSIDE! Do you wrap your children up nice and warm before they go outside? Help all the children in Huber Heights stay warm this winter. From January 7 through February 4 at Taylorsville and the Y, we are collecting clothing to be given to the Huber Heights Public Schools to distribute to children in need. Some children come to school without basic winter clothing. A few years ago, we heard from the schools about a young girl who came to school without a hat or gloves. She was cold. She was so thrilled to be able to choose brand new ones to keep herself warm. We helped to make that possible. Please continue to reach out to these children by donating mittens, gloves, hats, jackets, scarves, underwear or socks. Help HH teachers and administrators to help HH children feel the warmth of God s love through your warm gift. God bless you.

5 Page 5 MISSIONS AND OUTREACH We are a mission church. We believe in reaching out to those in need locally, nationally and globally. GRUB AT THE GROVE CONTINUES INTO 2018 It is hard to imagine we are into our ninth year since Project One Hope was created. The central idea was how local churches can help to address some of the community s most basic needs such as hunger, loneliness, and poverty. Four churches in the Huber Heights area are currently providing free community dinners on a monthly basis and so it continues. These dinners could not happen without the support of all of you. Every time we begin to gear up for another meal, we are reminded of your unfailing commitment to Sulphur Grove s mission of being Growing Disciples Living and Sharing God s Love. Not only are we reaching out to our neighbors, but also to one another. As the tables are being set up, the food being prepared, and the clean up taking place, friendships are being formed or renewed. Also, we are seeing new people coming through our doors every month. They are so grateful to be able to sit down to a warm and satisfying meal and share in a time of fellowship with others. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity to be in His service in this way. All of the dinners for 2018 have been scheduled. For the most part, they will continue to be on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 5-6:30 P.M. in the Taylorsville Activity Center. The next one is January 23, Please continue to pray for this ministry and for the people that attend these dinners. If you would like to volunteer in any capacity please contact Carol Tatone at , ctatone@woh.rr.com, or sign up in the Taylorsville pew pads. In case of inclement weather please check on WHIO and/ or the congregational for any cancellations. A NOTE OF THANKS & REPORT FROM THE THE HOMEFULL MISSION TEAM For it is said This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:16-17 On Saturday December 2 nd, SGUMC HomeFull Mission Team members prepared and served lunch to 49 women guests and afterwards to 29 family members (mostly children) at the St. Vincent DePaul facility. Before serving lunch to the ladies, we provided the family section manager with two packages of sippy cups, a case of size 5 and size 6 diapers and three large cases of baby wipes. Later in the week, we provided St. Paul s UMC with a walker with wheels, a case of Ramen, 50 pounds of rice, a case of gallon Ziploc bags, several large grocery bags of Depends, a bag of plastic grocery bags and a variety of different men s and women s hygiene products as well as several boxes and bags of men s, women s, and children s clothing and men s and woman s shoes. I want to thank the SGUMC congregation for all of the donated items placed in The Samaritan Bin for the homeless and those in need. These are just some of the desired donations: Sippy Cups (New Request) Money for Bus Passes/Tokens (Place your financial gift in the offering clearly marked HomeFull Bus Passes ) Infant/Children clothing, size 5/6 Diapers, Training Pants, Toilet Paper, Cleaning Supplies & Laundry Detergent Men s & Women s Deodorant Feminine Hygiene and Oral Hygiene Products God has so richly blessed each of us in so many ways and wants us to be Good Samaritans. Please consider helping by serving or donating items for the homeless and for those in need. Please continue to keep those who are homeless and in need, especially the children, in your daily thoughts and prayers. For more detailed information regarding donations, please contact Allan Matts at and for more information regarding volunteering to help cooking and serving lunch, please contact Jane Elam at

6 Page 6 DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SAMARITAN DONATION BIN? For many years, there has been a red plastic bin out in the gathering space at the SGUMC Taylorsville campus. This bin was initially called The Other Place - Dayton s only Daytime homeless Shelter Donations. The purpose of having the red plastic bin was to provide our congregation with a location that they could to place their donated items to help and support the men, women and children staying at The Other Place daytime shelter. Over the years, many support organizations that we at SGUMC supported in the past have evolved. The Other Place is now HomeFull and has the mission of working to end homelessness by providing housing, services, advocacy and education. The St Vincent depaul Hotel went from a strictly night time only shelter to a 24-7 shelter. We have also been adopting other Dayton Area organizations that help, support and serve the homeless as well as individuals and families in need. We now are donating items to the Dayton area homeless and less fortunate through organizations such as HomeFull (Men s & Woman s Gateway Shelters), St. Vincent de Paul Hotel, Mercy Manor, Oasis House, St. Paul s UMC, South Park UMC and Wesley Community Center. The reason for calling our bin The Samaritan is based on Luke 10 - The Parable of the Good Samaritan - the one who had mercy. We believe that this title more accurately describes the growth of our mission from our initial The Other Place to now include all of the organization that help, support and serve the homeless as well as individuals and families in need. Allan Matts

7 Page 7 UPCOMING EVENTS AND MORE... ~~ FROM THE OFFICE ~~ OFFICE CLOSED The office will be closed on Monday, January 1st in observance of New Years Day, and on Monday, January 15th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will re-open on Tuesday, January 2nd and Tuesday, January 16th. ALTAR FLOWERS Beginning January 1, 2018, the price for altar flowers will be $ We are changing the way we ve ordered flowers in the past. There won t be a flower chart in the gathering area, but envelopes will be available to use to order flowers. Please put the envelope in the offering plate, drop it by the office, or send it by mail. If you choose to pay for your flowers at the kiosk, please turn in an envelope that includes your altar flower order. Thanks for your help and cooperation. MOVING? If you have moved recently or are planning to move soon, please don t forget to let the church office know. We need to keep our records as up to date as possible and to avoid charges from the post office for returned mail. Otherwise, the yearly directory will have incorrect information, and newsletters and any letters we send will not get to you. If you know of someone who is moving or has moved into an assisted living facility, please let the office know. You can send an to office@sulphurgrove.org or call Thank you. BULLETIN INSERT DEADLINE The deadline to have an article or any other information printed in the weekly bulletin is Wednesday at noon of each week. Information submitted after the Wednesday deadline, will not appear in the bulletin until the following week. Please send bulletin articles to Jacque at jacquem@sulphurgrove.org and copy the office at office@sulphurgrove.org. Thank you. NEWSLETTER DEADLINE The deadline to have an article or any other information printed in the monthly newsletter is by the end of day on Friday of the specified date. The deadline date changes from month to month but can be found in the bulletin, on the back page of the newsletter, and in weekly s when the time is approaching. Information submitted after the Friday deadline will not appear in the newsletter but may appear in the following newsletter if the information still applies. Please send newsletter articles to Traci at tracis@sulphurgrove.org. Thank you. ~~ YOUTH AND CHILDREN ~~ KIDZONE 2.0 KidZone 2.0 will meet on Sunday, January 21 st from 6-8 pm in room 305 at Taylorsville. This is a monthly activity time for 3 rd, 4 th, 5 th & 6 th graders to gather for Bible study, games, snacks and other activities. All students in this age group are welcome to attend and bring a friend! Contact Beth if you have any questions bethw@sulphurgrove.org or ~~ NEWS FROM UMW ~~ Do you have any broken or unusable gold, silver or gems? UMW will be collecting scrap gold, silver and gems during January. Please see table in Gathering area at Taylorsville or the table at the Y for the collection receptacle. This is a fund raiser for our mission programs. New Dimensions will meet on Tuesday, January 9th at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Peggy Beavin. Caritas will be meeting on Wednesday, January 10th (please note change of date) in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 a.m. Fish item is toothpaste.

8 Page 8 BRANDT UMC Worship 10:30 am TAYLORSVILLE Worship 8:45 & 10:30 am YMCA Worship 9:30 am January 7 Growing in Discipleship Follow the Teacher to Become Like the Teacher Luke 6: January 7 New Creation / New Beginning in Christ No Guilt and No Shame 2 Corinthians 5: January 7 New Creation / New Beginning in Christ No Guilt and No Shame 2 Corinthians 5: January 14 Growing in Discipleship Learning to Fish for Others and Nor for Self Matthew 4: January 14 God Says It - We Become It Romans 6: January 14 God Says It - We Become It Romans 6: January 21 Growing in Discipleship Grow to Live January 21 How We Become It 2 Timothy 6: 6-7 January 21 How We Become It 2 Timothy 6: 6-7 January 28 Growing in Discipleship To Love the Unlovable John 13: January 28 How We Live into the New Creation Pt. 1 - God Given Gifts January 28 How We Live into the New Creation Pt. 1 - God Given Gifts Also: Monday, January 8: URS Service at 1:00pm Saturday, January 20: Lane Park Service at 10:30am and Stillwater at 4:00pm Thursday, January 25: URS Service at 1:00pm and Stillwater at 6:00pm

9 Page 9 SULPHUR GROVE GIVING OF OUR TITHES & OFFERINGS YEAR TO DATE AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2017 Total General Fund Giving $648, Transfers to Budget $4, Total General Fund Income $652, Total General Fund Expenses $653, Loan Balance $683, Payment to Loan Principal $976, On-line giving available on our website at Monthly detailed finance reports are available through the church office. Please contact Sharon Hill at sharon@sulphurgrove.org or if you would like to receive a report or have questions. FEBRUARY 2018 NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: Friday, January 12, 2018 Please submit articles to Traci at tracis@sulphurgrove.org or drop off at the church office. Lengthy articles may be subject to editing. Questions? Please call the church office at Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church Ministers The People of Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church including: Barry Baughman... Lead Pastor... barryb@sulphurgrove.org Marty McMichael... Pastor Y Campus... martym@sulphurgrove.org Latoya Warren... Pastor Brandt Campus... latoyaw@sulphurgrove.org Latoya Warren... Pastor of Congregational Care... latoyaw@sulphurgrove.org Zach Holler... Pastor of Community Engagement... zachh@sulphurgrove.org Katie Greene... Director of Youth Ministries... katies@sulphurgrove.org Beth Wenzel... Director of Children s Ministries... bethw@sulphurgrove.org Ann Snyder... Taylorsville Choir Director Gary Carmack... Brandt Worship Leader Kay Lowery... Church Administrator... kay@sulphurgrove.org Sharon Hill... Treasurer... sharon@sulphurgrove.org Jacque McAdams... Administrative Assistant... jacquem@sulphurgrove.org Traci Schaaf... Administrative Assistant... tracis@sulphurgrove.org TAYLORSVILLE 7505 Taylorsville Road Huber Heights OH (937) Worship ~ 8:45 & 10:30 am Kiawanda Language Worship 2:30pm-4:30pm in Holden Chapel YMCA 7251 Shull Road Huber Heights OH (937) Worship ~ 9:30 am BRANDT 6805 East US 40 Tipp City, OH (937) Worship ~ 10:30 am Taylorsville Office Hours: Mon: 8:30-2:30 pm Tues-Fri: 8:30-4:00 pm office@sulphurgrove.org