The Messenger. First United Methodist Church. July/August Wellsville, NY WELLSVILLE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Transcription

1 The Messenger July/August 2017 First United Methodist Church Wellsville, NY God s love grows here... Through Worship, Bible Study, and Service WELLSVILLE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH God s Love Grows Here... Through Worship, Bible Study and Service FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 79 MADISON STREET WELLSVILLE, NY (585) LOVEGROWS@WELLSVILLEUMC.ORG CHANGED SERVICE REQUESTED

2 First United Methodist Church of Wellsville UPCOMING EVENTS: JULY Sunday, July 2 Summer worship begins, 9:45 AM Wednesday, July 5 Special Church 7 PM in Fellowship Hall Saturday, July 15 Wellsville Balloon Rally Main Street Festival, See sign-up sheet Sunday, July 16 Men s 7:30 AM; All men & boys welcome! Monday-Saturday, July Allegany County Fair Booth Ministry, See Max Shay July 2nd - September 3rd Summer Worship Service ~ 9:45 am Phone (585) Fax (585) lovegrows@wellsvilleumc.org Web Page: Serving Christ and Community Since 1852 Sunday-Saturday, July Family Bible Findley Camp & Retreat Center See brochures in the foyer for more information. AUGUST Sunday, August 6 Blueberry Festival immediately following the 9:45 AM Service on the church lawn, cookout, games & blueberry desserts don t miss it! Wednesday, August 16 Annual Men s Steak Island Park; watch Sunday bulletins for more information. Monday, August 21 September Messenger Articles Due There will be no Hymn Sing during the months of July & August. Next Hymn Sing is scheduled for Sunday, September 24th at 6:30 PM Our Staff: Pastor Rev. Gregory DeSalvatore Office Manager Mrs. Kim Smith Traditional Music Dir. & Organist.... Ms. Joy Caldwell Church Custodian Mrs. Mary Brown Weekly Bible Studies: Tuesdays Women s Bible 9:15 AM in the Welcome Room/Library; Currently studying Scripture Press Dare to Believe Series Studies in Numbers & Joshua. Fridays Men s Bible 9:00 AM in the Welcome Room/Library; Currently studying Christianity & World Religions. Sundays Adult 9:45 AM will meet again beginning in the Fall. Please Join Us!

3 I will not let you go unless you bless me. Genesis 32: 26B NIV As the battle of Jacob s life approached, Jacob found himself alone with God. Esau and his four hundred men were advancing on Jacob s family, and after Jacob had done everything possible for protection, God found him alone and began to work on him. Jacob had been scheming to save his own soul, and God knew that all the scheming in the world would not get Jacob to be the man God wanted him to be. God wanted to change Jacob s heart, so he began to wrestle with Jacob. Most of us believe that Jacob was trying to force a blessing from God, and most of us believe we also have to convince God to bless us. The reality for Jacob and for us is that we fight him to keep him from blessing us. God wants to cleanse our hearts completely, possess us totally, and set us truly free. But all the time he is trying to set us free, we fight him. We fight for our chains when he is doing his best to give us liberty. God fought with Jacob all night long, and when daylight came, Jacob looked up and God said, All right, I have tried. I am leaving. God, who is love patiently suggests and invites; but will not force its way upon us. So Jacob faced the most desperate moment that anyone faces when coming so close to God and yet continuing to fight him. God s answer was, If you do not want my best, I will leave. Then Jacob panicked. You are not going to leave me like this, are you? I have lost my cattle, my sheep, my goats, my wives, my children. I have lost everything, and now do I lose you too? This was a blessed hour for Jacob because he saw the value of God alone. Are you fighting God, even unwittingly, to keep him from giving you the best he has for you? If you continue to fight him, he will eventually leave. Have you learned the value of God? Are you desperate to retain his presence? My prayer is that each may be so desperate. Spend your Summer seeking God s presence, Pastor Greg In this edition of the Messenger, we republish details regarding two ministries which provide needed assistance to members of our local and regional communities and two other outreach ministries that reach out to residents of this area during two popular summer activities. On the first Sunday of each month we collect non-perishable food items and donate them to the Salvation Army for distribution to needy members of our community. Beginning with the first Sunday of July, your Outreach/Mission team requests that you consider donating sundry items in addition to food items. The types of items we have in mind include paper towels, bathroom tissue paper, household cleaning materials and disposable diapers. These items will then be made available along with donated food items for distribution by the Salvation Army. Last summer one of our most successful ministries involved collecting school supplies for distribution to needy students in the local communities. This year we will again be working with the Community Action Angels and the Accord Corporation to complete this ministry. During the month of June, a list of required school supply items has been included in the weekly bulletin. We trust you have seen that listing. Please consider purchasing items included on that list and delivering the items to Kim in the church office by the middle of July. This year, there is a particular need for book bags as well as the supplies to go in them. Finally, if anyone would like to join in the effort to fill the bags and prepare them for distribution please contact a member of the Outreach team and we can put you to work at the headquarters of the Community Action Angels in Allentown. We will be operating a booth during the Balloon Rally street festival on Main Street in Wellsville on Saturday, July 15th. Additionally, we will again be joining with other United Methodist Churches from throughout Allegany County to run a booth at the Allegany County Fair during the week of July At both of these outreach sites we will provide chilled water and small gifts and religious materials to those in attendance. Please watch for sign-up sheets located in the foyer of the church so you can be part of these popular ministries. In all things, please continue to look up and lift up and have a great summer! Bryan Caldwell

4 Greetings from UMM! UNITED METHODIST MEN Hi everybody, How are you today? BLESSED! One thing we do know is we are blessed to be part of this wonderful Church family. Do we hear an AMEN? The Men's breakfast will resume Sunday, July 16th at 7:30am. Alan and Darrin will need just one more volunteer to help cook. At the July meeting we will be talking about our annual August steak bake. Also we will discuss the other opportunities where the men can help out this Summer. It is always a time of fun and fellowship working side by side in ministry. The guys have one more project at Gil's Hills. This week (June 27) they will be framing four sets of bunk beds from the two by fours removed at the recent cabin demolition. Thanks will be in order when they finish. Men are always encouraged and invited to come to the Friday morning Bible Study. Coffee and cookies are available. God is good all the time! UMM, where all men and boys are welcome. Summer blessings to you all as you find some time to relax in the weeks ahead. Alan and Bryan NAOMI CIRCLE Naomi Circle typically meets the afternoon of the third Wednesday of each month. However, we do not meet in July or August. Our next gathering will be September 20th with a noon salad luncheon. Details will be in the bulletin closer to the date. This will be our re-organizational meeting and final planning for the October 4-5-6th annual Rummage Sale. Church members are encouraged to start sorting and boxing items for this sale over these summer months. Also, start listing what Rada knives and food items you will be wanting to order from Naomi Circle this fall. Linda s personal favorite Rada products are the Alfredo Sauce mix and the serrated paring knife (with the black handle)!! God bless each of you with a healthy, happy summer. Diane Forsberg and Linda Austin, co-chairpersons RED BIRD MISSION TRIP On May 6, 2017, at the invitation of my good friend Carol, I stepped out of my comfort zone and headed to the heart of Appalachia near Beverly, Kentucky where the United Methodist Church s Red Bird Mission is located. I was there for one week. It is an area of Appalachia of awesome beauty, with the Cumberland Mountains, babbling streams, gorgeous flowers and winding roads. The local people that I met were polite, gracious and welcoming. The rugged mountains make for beautiful scenery, but also difficult transportation, little employment and extreme poverty. Each year about 3,000 volunteers (up to 120 a week) repair homes and help improve the living conditions in the Red Bird area. My group, the Arkport Group, consisted of volunteers from Hilton, New York, Arkport, New York, Hornell, New York, Cuba, New York, Wellsville, New York and four from North and South Carolina, for a total of 20. We were assigned two jobs, one was repairing a cabin on the Red Bird site that had been in a fire, the other (the one I worked on) an addition of a bedroom on a young family s home. The assignments are made based on the size of your group and the amount of money your group donated. Our cost was about $ per worker. This covered our travel down and back (gas, food, lodging for one night), the stay at camp (food and lodging), and the rest goes to the supplies to do the work needed on our project. When the money is gone, our part of the work is done, and the next week a new crew comes in and continues where we left off and does as much as their donation covers. It is a Pay as you go system. We all worked well together, and everyone found their niche. Beside the construction, the family needed help with cleaning and organizing their home, help with diet and nutrition, clean water instruction and budgeting their money. They especially needed reassurance of God s love for them. We visited, cleaned, organized, planted flowers, played with the children, and prayed daily with the family. In the evening, we went back to camp, had dinner, a group devotion and several nights further devotions with the whole work camp in the chapel. There were many emotional highs and lows on this trip. There were times of frustration, and there were times when I felt the presence of God so strongly! This trip was not only for the people that we worked with in Kentucky, but it really brought me closer to God. I can t wait to go back next year, and I would love to take some of you with me. I promise, you will not regret it! Pamela Rohrabacher

5 +++Remember Upcoming Special Church Conference+++ Wednesday, July 5 at 7 PM downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. Subject of our meeting is a report from the Pastoral Housing Study Team, with input from Finance and Trustees; proceeding to a decision on the overall Pastoral Housing situation and authorization for our Trustees to proceed with our decision. All invited to attend Please be in prayer for this important gathering. Do not forget these upcoming events: - Summer Worship at 9:45 AM from July 2 through Sept 3. If you are out of town for the week, please bring a bulletin from the church you attend and leave it in Pastor s office mailbox. The Worship Team thanks you. - Family Bible Camp at Findlay Lake, July Register now! Spirit led speakers, engaging Bible studies, fellowship, worship, great music and food!!! - August 6 Outdoor Event: 9:45 AM Worship-followed by Dish to Pass Picnic-Special Music-Festivities and More!!!! Details to follow elsewhere. July July 2nd, Celebrating the First Anniversary of the Young Mr. & Mrs. Cornell, given by Darrin & Elva Cornell July 9th, In Memory of Madeline B. White, given by Loved Ones July 16th, Happy Birthday (July 17th) to my wife Ginny LaForge, given by Kevin LaForge July 23rd, In Memory of Family, given by Sue Browning July 30th, Given by Ruth McPherson August August 13th, Given by Alan & Diane Forsberg August 27th, Given by Rita Borne August 6th & 27th still available to. **************************************** Greeters: July Darrin & Elva Cornell August John & Kathryn Gilbert Counters: July Michele Barry & Cathy Lewis August Darrin Cornell & Theresa Brown

6 TRIPLE L PICNIC June 15, 2017 Max opened with prayer. We had nineteen in attendance who enjoyed a picnic lunch of delightful food, drinks and desserts. We celebrated grilled hot dogs and hamburgers with all the relishes and etc., thanks to our cooks Max Shay and Jim Leonard. Other celebrations included red, white & blue colors for Flag Day, June 14th and Pastor Greg & Bonnie s 42nd Wedding Anniversary also on June 14th. After lunch Max read about the history of flag day and we also took turns reading quips that were fun about different subjects that brought out some laughter. We read stories about grandparents and their grandchildren and the fun they bring to our lives. We closed with an article read by Gloria Shay on the position of our nation and what we should do to make needed changes. We finished with singing God Bless America. After a delightful time together everyone pitched in to clean up. No one has signed up to host the September meeting. If you would be interested in hosting, please contact the church office. For information only: Our previous balance was $36. Our collection today was $47. Expenses for the meat was $39, which leaves a balance on hand of $44. Respectfully submitted by Gloria Shay. MAY 17 YTD 17 Operating Budget Income $ 16,861 $ 82,294 Expenses: Pastor s Package $ 7,426 $ 37,327 Other Staff 3,734 18,728 Maintenance & Supplies 3,089 11,208 Teams 382 1,837 Ministry Shares 1,000 8,425* All Other Expenses 644 7,064 Total Expenses: $ 16,275 $ 84,589 Income less Expenses $ 586 (2,295) *$1,425 paid towards 2016 Ministry Shares Focus on Prayer Following our Example Prayer real prayer is tough, hard business. Prayer serves as preparation for the battle, but for Jesus, it was the battle itself. In the life of Jesus, prayer was the work and ministry was the prize. Having prayed, He went about His ministry as an honor student might go to receive a reward, or as a marathon runner might accept the gold medal. It was not in Pilate s Hall or on His way to Golgotha to be crucified that He sweat great drops of blood. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane where He offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death. There are two things worth noting about the disciples request of Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11). First, one section of John the Baptist s curriculum in disciple-making focused on teaching his followers to pray. Second, that was what Jesus followers asked Him to do for them. They had been with him for over two years. They had witnessed His miracles. Yet, as far as we know, they never took Him aside and asked if He would teach them to preach or how to minister. Because prayer was central to His ministry, Jesus wanted it to be vital in His disciples lives and others who minister in His name. He responded by giving what is commonly called The Lord s Prayer. Actually, the prayer is misnamed because the Lord Himself could not have prayed this prayer. As the Son of God without sin, He could not have joined in the petition, Forgive us our trespasses. Perhaps the prayer should be labeled, The Disciples Prayer, since it is a primer on prayer for people. It serves us in praying as an outline serves a minister when he preaches a sermon or as a blueprint serves a builder when he constructs a building. It guides us as we go. Praying should be our number one priority as each new day begins. We need to recognize Jesus example of its importance and work to make it our habit. Thanks be to God for the privilege of bowing before Him with our needs and requests, but also in asking His help in the battle we face each day to ward off the evil one. Joy Caldwell

7 THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! Don't miss our Blueberry Festival on Sunday, August 6th! The day will start with an outdoor combined service at 9:45 am on the Church lawn. Immediately following the service we will have a cookout lunch, and the day will continue with Blueberry based desserts, entertainment, games and good fellowship. Invite friends and neighbors as we use this opportunity to reach out to our neighborhood and community! Any donations received will be given to a local cause. JULY 1 Walt Dennis 1 Herb Vaugn 11 Joanne Allen 13 Linda Austin 17 Ginny LaForge 20 Art Lovel 24 Guy Milligan 28 Rita Borne 29 Dan Fuller 29 David Fuller HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! AUGUST 2 Doris MacFarquhar 6 John Cole 11 Phyllis Dennis 15 Richard Black 16 Paula Stitely 25 Beth Farwell 27 Larry Crear AUGUST 1 Kevin & Ginny LaForge 2 Pat & Michele Barry 16 Alan & Diane Forsberg 17 Dan & Sharlet Fuller 17 Gary & Anne Barnes

8 FUMC JULY PRAYER LIST: 1 Pastor Greg 2 Pastor s Family (Bonnie, Anthony & Family, Michael, Emily) 3 Those Sick/Hospitalized/Homebound 4 Veterans & Their Families 5 Jail Ministry 6 Church Volunteers 7 Trad. Music Dir./Organist (Joy) 8 Pastor Greg 9 Pastor s Family 10 Committed Prayer Warriors 11 Women s Bible Study 12 Jail Ministry 13 Custodian (Mary) 14 Balloon Rally Main St. Festival Outreach (July 15) 15 Pastor Greg 16 Pastor s Family 17 Fair Ministry (July 17-22) 18 Church Stewardship 19 Jail Ministry 20 Youth for Christ & Gil s Hills 21 Men s Bible Study 22 Pastor Greg 23 Pastor s Family 24 AA & NA 25 Church Families 26 Jail Ministry 27 Choir & Praise Team 28 Organist/Music Director (Joy) 29 Pastor Greg 30 Pastor s Family 31 Healing of Broken Relationships FUMC AUGUST PRAYER LIST: 1 Women s Bible Study 2 Jail Ministry 3 Those Sick/Hospitalized/Homebound 4 Men s Bible Study 5 Pastor Greg 6 Pastor s Family (Bonnie, Anthony & Family, Michael, Emily) 7 Children s Ministry Volunteers 8 Youth for Christ & Gil s Hills 9 Jail Ministry 10 Custodian (Mary) 11 Choir & Praise Team 12 Pastor Greg 13 Pastor s Family 14 Church Volunteers 15 Men s Steak Bake (Aug. 16) 16 Jail Ministry 17 Organist/Music Director (Joy) 18 Church Families 19 Pastor Greg 20 Pastor s Family 21 Office Manager (Kim) 22 Church Stewardship 23 Jail Ministry 24 AA & NA 25 Committed Prayer Warriors 26 Pastor Greg 27 Pastor s Family 28 Welcome Room/Library Volunteers 29 Healing of Broken Relationships 30 Jail Ministry 31 Worship/Communion Preparation Volunteers