THE GOOD News. W h a t c o a t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h. I n t h i s i s sue :

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THE GOOD News W h a t c o a t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h V o l ume 6, Iss ue 6 I n t h i s i s sue : Bible Studies Page 3 Spaghetti Dinner Page 6-7 Birthdays Page 8 Operation Christmas

Bo Gordy-Stith Sunday Worship 8:30 Contemporary Service 11:00 Traditional service 9:50 Sunday School 1 ENCOUNTER On Friday February 19th over 60 people gathered at the Simpson Center to pursue an

There was a lot of passion as we poured ourselves out and invited the Spirit of God into the Simpson Center.

Many people shared that they were able to feel the presence of God in a real way. Others commented that the freedom of the evening allowed them to seek God in a new and fresh way.

1 THE GOOD News W h a t c o a t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h V o l ume 6, Iss ue 6 I n t h i s i s sue : Bible Studies Page 3 Spaghetti Dinner Page 6-7 Birthdays Page 8 Operation Christmas Child Page 12 Whatcoat United Methodist 16 North Main Street Camden, DE Tel: Fax: office@whatcoat.com Web site: Pastor: Rev. Dr. Bo Gordy-Stith Sunday Worship 8:30 Contemporary Service 11:00 Traditional service 9:50 Sunday School 1 ENCOUNTER On Friday February 19th over 60 people gathered at the Simpson Center to pursue an Encounter with the living God. Everyone was encouraged to meditate, pray and pursue the Presence of God through His Spirit as music helped us to focus our hearts and our minds. There was a lot of passion as we poured ourselves out and invited the Spirit of God into the Simpson Center. Many of the songs were reflective and allowed us to quietly pursue his presence and others challenged us to allow Jesus to break the chains that may have been holding us in bondage. Many people shared that they were able to feel the presence of God in a real way. Others commented that the freedom of the evening allowed them to seek God in a new and fresh way. Here are some other observations from those who attended a beautiful and powerful time with the Lord, spiritual refreshment, drew closer to the presence of God, peaceful, meditative". The goal of the Encounter was to provide the space and freedom for everyone to meet with God and allow Him to have his way. Music allowed that freedom to permeate the room as people expressed themselves to God in many different ways. The Encounter was attended by many of our Whatcoat family as well as many from outside our church. We are hopeful that the next Encounter will include an even broader cross section of people seeking his presence. The next Encounter will be April 15th from 7:00 to 8:30. Moving forward we will be gathering every other month on the 3rd Friday. We encourage you to come and check out the experience and see what God may have for you as you seek His face. More information can be found on the web page and Facebook page. M ar c h Paschal candle The flame of the Paschal candle symbolizes the eternal presence of Christ, light of the world in the midst of his people.

E N C O U N T E R Whatcoat Our Methodist Church - is in the season of Lent Lent is a time of preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Palm Sunday Services, March 20th @ 8:30 &

Resurrection Easter Sunday, March 27th Sunrise Service at Wyoming Pond with breakfast following at Wyoming UMC Services @ 8:30a.m. & 11:00 a.m. A VISIT FROM THE BISHOP Bishop Peggy A.

We were pleased to have her join us at the 11:00 Service, especially since she offered to sing with the choir.

2 E N C O U N T E R Whatcoat Our Methodist Church - is in the season of Lent Lent is a time of preparation for the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Palm Sunday Services, March 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Holy Thursday Service, Thursday, March 7:00p.m. Good Friday, March 25th,Noon until 3:00p.m. The Sanctuary will be open from for a quiet time of reflection and prayer. Resurrection Easter Sunday, March 27th Sunrise Service at Wyoming Pond with breakfast following at Wyoming UMC 8:30a.m. & 11:00 a.m. A VISIT FROM THE BISHOP Bishop Peggy A. Johnson paid a visit to Whatcoat this past February 14th. It was not a scheduled visit, but happened when she was not able to visit a different church. We were pleased to have her join us at the 11:00 Service, especially since she offered to sing with the choir. Bishop Johnson is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and serves as the episcopal leader of the Philadelphia Area of the United Methodist Church, which includes the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference and the Peninsula- Delaware Annual Conference. Her infections smile and use of signlanguage was so encouraging. The last time a bishop visited Whatcoat was in 1976 at our mortgage burning when Rev. Dr. James K. Matthews officiated. 2

You Are Invited to Join Pastor Bo for a Lenten Lunchtime Bible Study This Lent, Pastor Bo has been facilitating a seven-week lunchtime Bible study on Wednesday s from Ash Wednesday, through the

Bring a bag lunch or consider fasting for those days during lunch, and plan to join us for prayer and attending together to the scripture we will be gathering around the following Sunday for worship.

Each week stands alone, so you are welcome to join any Wednesday! All ages welcome!!! Other Bible Studies Available: Esther by Beth Moore is being studied Monday afternoons at 4:00p.m. when the group meets in the large Meeting Room on the 2nd floor at the church.

Anyone is welcome to jump right in with the study! Wednesday mornings from 10:00a.m. until noon there is a group that has been using Max Lucado s Bible Study series.

Meet with them in the large Meeting Room on the 2nd floor. Widow s Journey There is a widow s retreat at Sandy Cove in North East, MD March 4-6, 2016. Gayle Roper is hosting this weekend.

3 You Are Invited to Join Pastor Bo for a Lenten Lunchtime Bible Study This Lent, Pastor Bo has been facilitating a seven-week lunchtime Bible study on Wednesday s from Ash Wednesday, through the Wednesday of Holy Week, March 23 in the Simpson Center. Bring a bag lunch or consider fasting for those days during lunch, and plan to join us for prayer and attending together to the scripture we will be gathering around the following Sunday for worship. Instead of getting a little preview of what the sermon will be like, this group will become the team that discerns together what God might want to say to our faith community in worship. Each week stands alone, so you are welcome to join any Wednesday! All ages welcome!!! Other Bible Studies Available: Esther by Beth Moore is being studied Monday afternoons at 4:00p.m. when the group meets in the large Meeting Room on the 2nd floor at the church. This group just started on January 25th, so there would be a chance to catch up on the material. Tuesday evenings at 7:00p.m., Jeremiah is being studied by this group at the Simpson Center. Anyone is welcome to jump right in with the study! Wednesday mornings from 10:00a.m. until noon there is a group that has been using Max Lucado s Bible Study series. They are now reading and studying the books of Timothy and Titus. Several study books are still available in the office for new folks to join this group. Meet with them in the large Meeting Room on the 2nd floor. Widow s Journey There is a widow s retreat at Sandy Cove in North East, MD March 4-6, Gayle Roper is hosting this weekend. I have been reading her book and have found it very helpful to this new journey I am on. There are several other speakers for the weekend. Their bios can be found on Sandy Cove s website: There are flyers for this in the narthex. I am planning to attend. Any widows interested, contact Sandy Cove or me I need a roommate. Blessings! Chris Glenn c h

A Scout is reverent (part of The Scout Law), he is reverent toward God.

A Scout is Reverent: Scout Sunday Observance.

date to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting.

the United Methodist Church, Scout Sunday is celebrated on the second Sunday in February.

learn about Joseph s Journey! We are in search of volunteers. If you enjoy working with the young children, we can use your valuable skills.

4 A Scout is reverent (part of The Scout Law), he is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion. A Scout is Reverent: Scout Sunday Observance. The Boy Scouts of America designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday, which is the primary date to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. However, each chartered organization can use a different date to celebrate this special day.the United Methodist Church, Scout Sunday is celebrated on the second Sunday in February. Vacation Bible School Mark your calendars: Sunday, June 26th - Thursday, June 30th Join us as we travel back into time to Ancient Egypt when we learn about Joseph s Journey! We are in search of volunteers. If you enjoy working with the young children, we can use your valuable skills. We have so many other ways you can help as well. We will be looking for talented artists prior to our event and donated items for props. We need other volunteer guides to show our kids to their locations during the group activities. A planning meeting will be scheduled shortly for ALL who would like to help, so please keep an eye out. Please contact LeeAnn Pritchett at (302) if you are interested in lending whatever talent you have! We hope to make this Vacation Bible School a success as it has been in the past years. 4

The Paschal Candle February 14, 2016 we dedicated our new Paschal (from a Latin word meaning Passion) Candle into our worship experience at Whatcoat UMC.

5 The Paschal Candle February 14, 2016 we dedicated our new Paschal (from a Latin word meaning Passion) Candle into our worship experience at Whatcoat UMC. This ancient symbol of the Resurrection is lit on Easter Sunday, as well as all of the Sundays during the Easter Season through Pentecost, to represent the undying light of our resurrected Savior. We place it then by the altar. Then we only light it on two other occasions: during any Baptism (or special celebration of rededication of our life in Christ), when we place it next to the Baptismal Font, and also during every funeral at Whatcoat, which is our most powerful experience of resurrection to abundant life in Christ, when we place it by the casket or urn. May its lit and unlit presence in worship be a blessing to all who gather here. Sunday School We are more than half way through our school year and the kids are doing great. Our classes are growing every week! Most of the kids meeting in the fellowship hall are doing a great job remembering their bible verses. Keep encouraging them it helps! Our 11 and up class is a small group, but they are learning a lot. They started this year with learning the lessons in Genesis and they are working their way through the bible. If you have a child who fits this age, please encourage them to join us in the 1st Sunday school room on the left, just off the kitchen. Our 14 (as of September 2015) and up group is in full swing with doing the book study written by Reggie Dabbs, Just Keep Breathing. It discusses many issues our teens are facing, but it is not a book for the meek. Keep us all in your prayers as the weather warms up and our attendance might fluctuate (hopefully for the better)! WHATCOAT WOMEN FOR CHRIST WWFC held their monthly meeting on Monday, Feb 8th. Our guest speaker was Marti Woack. Marti spoke about her move to Delaware from California to be near her daughter. Marti is an avid writer and shared some her poems with us and read part of a book she hopes to have published soon. She also spoke of a time when she was in a frightening situation and was protected by angels. Thank you to Dorothy Warren for inviting her. The rest of the evening was spent putting together a survey to go to all the women of the church so we can determine the direction we want to take in Women will be making desserts and serving at the upcoming Spaghetti Dinner on March 19. See you there! 5

Whatcoat United Methodist Men At the February meeting of the Methodist Men s Club, Tim Lewicki, Will Leister and Ron Fraser served up sausage and gravy, hot biscuits, scrambled eggs, cereal, fruit

So many times we have an opportunity to bring someone to Christ that we interact with daily and don t even realize it.

The next United Methodist Men s Club breakfast will be on the 13 th of March, 2016 at 0730. All men of the Whatcoat congregation are welcomed. Final plans for our Spaghetti dinner will be firmed up.

6 Whatcoat United Methodist Men At the February meeting of the Methodist Men s Club, Tim Lewicki, Will Leister and Ron Fraser served up sausage and gravy, hot biscuits, scrambled eggs, cereal, fruit cocktail and donut holes from Dunkin Donuts. After the short business meeting, Andy Davies gave a talk on witnessing for Christ on a daily basis without ever really thinking about it. So many times we have an opportunity to bring someone to Christ that we interact with daily and don t even realize it. Andy talked about a friend he visited in prison and who looked forward to hearing his personal testimony. 27 men attended the breakfast and enjoyed Andy s presentation. The next United Methodist Men s Club breakfast will be on the 13 th of March, 2016 at All men of the Whatcoat congregation are welcomed. Final plans for our Spaghetti dinner will be firmed up. Thanks to all who will help us meet our goal of serving dinners. Spaghetti Dinner 1997 With Pat Patterson, Tim Smith & Arley Cooper, on the left and John Vrhovac, John Masten and Arley on the right. WE NEED YOU!! Please pray about being a member of the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Committee to help collect materials for this year s shoeboxes. Contact Judi: !! or Julie Family Life Committee The annual Whatcoat Family Campout at Camp Pecometh is coming up for the Memorial Day weekend and is in the preliminary planning stage. The dates are 28 May to the 30th of May Flyers should be out soon with more precise information. Drew Boyce and his family will be out of town for that weekend so we need some volunteers to step up and handle the chuck wagon duties. To fill Drew s big shoes, we would like someone with good organizing skills to coordinate with him as what is needed and what s to be done in preparation for this wonderful family event. There is a lot of corporate memory for this camp out and please feel free to offer your assistance. Ruth Ann Webb says the time and location of the planning meeting will be forthcoming. She just wants you all to mark your calendars and give some prayerful consideration for helping out. May God continue to bless you and your family. 6

7 A Brief History of the Whatcoat Spaghetti Dinner For over 25 years the United Methodist Men have sponsored a church activity that includes all the members of the Whatcoat family. Men, women and youth have come together to provide the community with a day of good food, good comradery, and service to one another. How did it get started and what are the proceeds used for within the church? This story is for the newer members of Whatcoat United Methodist Church. Bill Maroon asked Jerry Edwards if he remembered how it began and we both agreed that the late Bob Knarr had the original recipe which is basically still followed today. Bob turned over the reins to Jerry and he became the Head Chef for many years until he turned the reins over to Ron Fraser who is still a key member of the cooking staff. Tim Lewicki is presently the head man in the kitchen and makes sure all tasks get done on time. Ticket prices have been kept low and only two years ago saw an increase to $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children under 12. After much debate, it was thought that if a family of two adults and two children could enjoy dinner for under $30.00 that was good enough. John Vrhovac is in charge of tickets and he insures the men get 10 or more to sell within the local area. The late John Masten was the all-time salesman in the past and was super ceded by his wife Florence Masten who sold more tickets than anyone in the church. In the early days, Jell-O was the main dessert but when Florence Masten introduced her famous bread pudding it became the old fashion favorite. Today, many of the Whatcoat Women for Christ make their special recipes and the dessert table overflows with delicious treats. Charlotte Fraser and Jane Maroon prepare the bread pudding Friday afternoon before the dinner. The dining room service is provided by the church Youth who serve the beverages, clear the tables, and help with the set up and break down of the chairs and tables. The salad bar is maintained by the Youth under the direction of Drew Boyce and has been a big draw. For many of our youth this dinner has been their first job and many have gone on to college or joined the work force with some experience. The dishwasher crew keeps the flow of clean silverware constant and handles the final clean-up of all pots and pans used that night. While it is known as an all you can eat dinner, Pat Dyer, the dean of all servers, makes sure no one goes away hungry. He also provides historical facts about the church if you ask. When Charlie Heritage and John Vrhovac tally up the money, they give it to L.V. Killen, III, our treasurer, to deposit in the bank. Over the next year, he will write checks to Young Life, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and for camperships for children of the church to attend summer camp at Camp Pecometh. Other monies are used to improve the kitchen. So, instead of eat more chicken, eat more spaghetti! 7

THE GOOD News. W h a t c o a t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h. Pgs.9&10

THE GOOD News. W h a t c o a t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h. Pgs.9&10 SPIRITUAL EN-LIGHT-ENMENTSPIRITUAL EN-LIGHT-ENMENT John 1:4-5 THE GOOD News W h a t c o a t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h Have you ever been in a cave where there was no light? Darkness was