Faith Matters. Calendar of Events. A publication of Norwalk First United Methodist Church. Mother s Day Luncheon Special Meetings

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1 Faith Matters A publication of Norwalk First United Methodist Church OUR VISION STATEMENT We open our doors to all to join us as we attempt to May 2016 address our weaknesses May, 2016 and enhance our strengths while using our unique spiritual gifts in service Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we continue to reach new people for Christ, I thought you might be interested in some facts our Reaching New People Ministry Team gleaned from our workshop in February. Remember, church is no longer like the one many of us remember in During that era, churches reached new people by following the attract model. During those times, church growth attracted new members through denominational Calendar of Events loyalty, community-wide events such as bazaars, bake sales, and dinners, traditional advertising, tracking down inactive members, and knickknacks such as bottles, pens, mugs, and magnets. That is no longer true. Mother s Day Luncheon 5.11 Special Meetings In our culture today, a growing church no longer follows the attract model. Instead, the people of the church promote a culture of invitation. Eighty-three percent (83%) of people who come to church and stay do so because someone invites them, picks them up, and brings them. Sixty-five percent (65%) of unchurched people would visit a church, if asked. Seventy-three percent (73%) of unchurched people have never Youth Outing 5.22 Men s Prayer Breakfast 5.25 to our Lord, Jesus Christ. been asked. And only 2% of church members EVER invite anyone to church. This is appalling. In fact, the average Methodist only invites one person to church every 38 years! No wonder our churches are declining. People will come to church through the power of invitation. If we just wait for people to show up at our door, our membership numbers will continue to decline. Lifeway Research results found that of 1,000 people in our mission field area, 800 do not go to church anywhere. But 640, about 2/3 of the unchurched, would attend if asked. Our mission field is open wide here in Norwalk, but only 2% of us will ever invite anyone to church. So, let s be invitational. Ask your unchurched relatives, your friends, or even your neighbors if they would like to go to church with you. Once you invite them, then pick them up, bring them, and sit with them through the service. And watch our numbers grow! And more importantly, watch Christ and the Holy Spirit work in their lives! ~ Pastor Brian (419) norwalkfirstumchurch@gmail.com

2 Office Hours 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Lunch noon - 1:00 p.m.) Summer Hours Tuesday, May 31 st through Labor Day 9 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Lunch noon - 12:30 p.m.) May Birthdays... 2 Lillie Cook Matt Wadsworth 3 Christopher DeYoe 5 Melissa Mollison 7 Chad Johns Phyllis Lachowyn 8 Teddi Morris 9 Jacob Hazelwood 11 Brandon Gockstetter Tracey Livingston 12 Tom Hassee Robert Osborn 14 Ken Magill 16 Kelly Bodde Payge Hill 17 Ciaran DeYoe Regan Kastor 18 Alexa Ley 19 Evan Walker 20 Elizabeth Kenne 21 Bill Pierce 22 Terri Hudson Emily McKillips 23 Jane Sweeting 24 Lynne Horrigan Oscar Markel 25 Samuel Battles 27 Ginny Bright Aili Corfman Mindy Heflin 27 Stephanie Helton Glenn Johns Evan Thorpe 28 Shawna Hancock 29 Alex Christophel 30 Fred Walter 31 Helen Bauer Richard Becker Jim Grover Kae-Leigh Lytle June newsletter deadline: May 23 rd and Anniversaries 1 Dave & Karen Berry 10 Jim & Sherry Fishbaugh 12 Glenn & Linda Johns Richard & Denise Mannino 15 Wade & Angie Mollison 18 Dan & Kristi Minor Ted & Linda Newsom Bob & Beverly White 19 Kevin & Sandy Wurmser 20 Guy & Juanda Smith 22 Jason & Faith Kastor 23 Mike & Barb Roberts 27 Vic & Carol Anderson Ben Kenny & Linda Williams Harlon & Lois Jennings Jim & Connie Penwell 28 Christopher & Chantal DeYoe 30 Jim & JoAnn Grover The Stitches of Love craft group will meet the following Thursdays in May: May 12 th at 9:30 a.m. in the UMW Room May 26 th at 9:30 a.m. in the kitchen nook. GRADUATION SUNDAY MAY 29, 2016 All graduates (high school and college) will be honored on May 29 th during the 10:30 a.m. worship service. We are aware of the following students graduating from high school: Gregg Berry, Ciaran DeYoe, Griffin Jackson, Ashtyn Ley and Courtney Pelham. The following students will graduate from college in 2016: Cory Beamer and Alexis Ley. Graduates will receive an invitation in the mail. If your family has a graduating student in 2016, please contact the church office to be sure we don t miss anyone. Geraniums We will be purchasing red geraniums to beautify the church flower beds. If you would like to make a donation to help with the cost, please mark your offering envelope "Geranium" and place it in the offering plate. Geraniums are $3.50 each. Donation deadline is May 22 nd.

3 Christian Education by DeAnn McKillips, Christian Ed. Director VBS JULY 18 22, 2016 Mark the dates!! 2016 confirmation class With this group of high energy wonders, it has been such a blessing to prepare for the 2016 Race at the Rock from the Super Bowl subs to the Chili Cook Off. They have worked hard to raise funds for Flat Rock Homes. I can t wait till April 30 th for the race! 2016 Vacation Bible School has a new time! VBS is returning to a morning schedule this year 9:00-11:45 a.m. We are so thankful for the people that have been available to help after work in the past few years, BUT kid s schedules are a little more open in the morning, and we do want kids! We will continue to ask you all to step up for this exciting ministry, and I know you will be sitting on the edge of your seat till the phone rings! More about Surf Shack From the moment VBS begins, Surf Shack is designed to introduce children to a deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Each activity is developed to be an engaging, age-appropriate experience to bring the word of God alive to every child and volunteer. Surf Shack is based on the Bible and the gospel of the Living Christ. Sunday School News May 22 nd will be the last Sunday for class until September, but don t worry...we have some great things plan for summer! June 5 th will begin Summer Junior Church where children are dismissed from the 10:30 a.m. service to share the Light of Christ in song, crafts and story. Special thanks to the dedicated Sunday leaders that have shared the Light of Christ with our children and adults: Kay Fletcher, Sarah Christophel, Diane Koch, Dianna Laughlin, Ben Kenny, Linda Williams, Pat Taylor, Phyllis Zieber and Susan Laycock. Chili Cook-Off Results! Most Zesty/Spicy Chili: Most Creative: Richest & Thickest: Overall Chili Winner: Best Pie: Emma Laughlin Kay Fletcher Brandon Gockstetter Ric Thorpe Trent Sutton This event raised $407 for Race at the Rock!

4 Sermon Schedule Scholarship applications are available outside the church office door in the folder marked Scholarship. You can also request an application by ing the church office: A full-time or part-time student attending a two or four-year or trade school will be acceptable. The student must be working toward a degree. You must be a member of Norwalk FUMC to be eligible. Deadline: June 19 th at Noon. Late applications will not be accepted. May 1 A Methodist Rejoices in God Nehemiah 8:10 May 8 A Methodist Gives Thanks 2 Corinthians 9:15 May 15 A Methodist Prays Constantly 1 Timothy 2:1 May 22 A Methodist Loves Others 1 John 4:20 May 29 Unity Sunday Music Sunday/Graduation Sunday Ephesians 5:19-20 I want to thank First United Methodist Church for supporting the American Red Cross blood drives. In the past 12 months, First UMC has collected 218 pints of blood. With each pint helping save three lives, 654 lives were touched thanks to the generosity of First UMC. Mary Ann Betton American Red Cross * * * Dear Friends at First UMC of Norwalk, I am writing today to express our sincere thanks for your recent gift of $250 to the Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland. Your contribution will be going directly to support our summer project supplies and tool needs. I am also grateful for the support you gave to Aaron (Phillips) on his recent trip to Liberia. As you are aware this was our first Nehemiah sponsored trip under our Ganta Initiative. Your contributions allow us to do the work for which we have been called. Thank you again for YOUR faithfulness. Blessings J.F. Szakacs, Executive Director * * * We would like to thank Pastor Brian and everyone for their prayers, phone calls and cards during mom's (Babetta s) recent illness. We also want to thank the Care 'n Share group for the wonderful meals they provided. Our church family is such a blessing to us. We felt the Lord's love through all of you. The Thornhills and the Thorpes New Arrivals Eric & Raygan Moffit welcomed their son, Sawyer David, on March 25 th. Sawyer weighed 9 lbs. 9 oz. and was 22 long. Grandparents are Dave & Carol Moffit. Emily McKillips and Easton Spangenberg welcomed their daughter, Ella Grace McKillips, on April 19 th. Ella was 6 lbs. 5 oz. and was 19 long. In Christian Sympathy Prayers for the family and friends of Bill Taylor, II, who entered God s rest on April 20 th. Bill is the son of Pat Taylor and Bill Taylor, Sr. Free Community Dinner May 16 th (Monday) 5:00-6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome!

5 Board of Trustees This month, the Board of Trustees toured the entire church building, top to bottom, to note the conditions of rooms and equipment, some of which some of us did not even know existed. The long anticipated chart, depicting the status of projects, will be revised to include some of that information before we place it in the Rotunda. We installed one of the fluorescent light fixtures donated by the General Fabrication Corporation in the ceiling of the Youth Room. The process went smoothly, with no complications, and it looks clean and bright. One of these Saturdays we will replace the rest. These lights and fixtures are T8s (replacing T12s) which will be more efficient and should provide better lighting. On April 21 st, the Trustees met with a representative of Janotta & Herner to select the shingles that will be going on the roof of the Education Wing. The new shingles will be black and are fully warranted for thirty years. After thirty years the warranty will be prorated to fifty years. This selection keeps the project in motion, and we expect to receive J&H's schedule within the next two weeks. The new door to the roof has been ordered. The slightly larger door will improve access for transporting workers and materials, and it will keep out unwanted visitors like birds and bats. In April's newsletter, Pastor Brian wrote about the church's new ministry team, Reaching New People, and bringing new people to Christ. He reminded us that we do not want to put too much emphasis on budgets and buildings. However, the Trustees do want to help the congregation keep the building dry and the doors able to open for new people to come in. Healthy Habits - Health Ministry Program School will be out soon and with that hopefully your kids will be filling their summer days riding bicycles. When riding a bike they should wear a helmet. Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85-88%. The importance of wearing a helmet does not stop there you need to make sure the helmet fits correctly. A good fitting helmet is snug to the child s head and low enough on the forehead that it is 1-2 finger s width away from the eyebrows. Any helmet that has been involved in a crash should be replaced. Keep your child safe. Happy biking! For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3: Confirmation Class On Sunday, April 3 rd, we celebrated the profession of faith of the 2016 Confirmation Class. We welcome the following new members: New Address Pat Wetzel 3634 Timberbrooke Trl. Poland, OH Connor Betts Faith Case Brandon Gockstetter Caitlin Harris Jonathan Harris Luke Harris Noelle Jackson Emma Kastor Regan Kastor Emma Laughlin Trent Sutton Glenn & Sharon Ward 347 Big Bass Rd. Willard, OH Glenn s cell: Sharon s cell:

6 The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering around the globe. UMCOR s work reaches people in more than 80 countries, including the United States. They provide humanitarian relief when war, conflict, or natural disaster disrupt life to such an extent that communities are unable to recover on their own. Relief-supply kits help provide for the most vulnerable people during times of crisis. Kits are collected by generous donors across the United States and are then sent to one of two supply depots where volunteers assemble, verify, and pack the kits so they can be sent to where they are needed most. You can put together an entire health kit or cleaning bucket, or simply pick separate supplies from these lists and we will deliver assembled kits to Annual Conference. Donated supplies are being collected in buckets provided in the Rotunda where you will also find supply lists for needed items. Monetary donations are also Health Kits 1 hand towel - No kitchen towels 15 x 25 up to 17 x 27 1 washcloth 1 comb - sturdy, longer than 6 1 metal nail file or fingernail clippers - No emery boards or toenail clippers 1 bath-size bar of soap 3 oz. or larger only 1 toothbrush - adult size only Single in original wrapper 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages - common Band-Aids 1 one-gallon size sealable bag $1.00 to purchase toothpaste No actual tubes of toothpaste being accepted to purchase items that are not donated. Please make checks payable to FUMC noting Cleaning Buckets on your offering envelope and/or check. DEADLINE is May 29 th. Cleaning Buckets 5 gallon bucket with resealable lid Buckets from fast food restaurants or bakeries can be used if washed and cleaned. Do not use buckets that have stored chemicals such as paint or pool cleaner. Advertisements on the outside are acceptable. Liquid laundry detergent Two 25 oz. or one 50 oz. bottle(s) only Liquid household cleaner oz. liquid cleaner that can be mixed with water. No spray bottles. Dish soap oz. bottle, any brand 1 can air freshener - Aerosol or pump *Cleaning agents must be liquids and in a plastic container. 1 insect repellant spray oz. aerosol or spray pump with protective cover 1 scrub brush 18 cleaning wipes - Handi Wipes or reusable wipes 7 sponges - No cellulose due to mold issues 5 scouring pads - Not steel wool 50 clothespins Clothesline - Two 50 ft. or one 100 ft. 24 roll heavy duty trash bags, gallon size Remove from box and roll into two sets 5 dust masks 2 pair kitchen multipurpose gloves, reusable 1 pair work gloves - Leather palm is necessary Cleaning Agents: All cleaning agents must be liquid and in plastic bottles. No powders. Sizes are important as all items must fit in a bucket. United Methodist Men Breakfast Meeting Sunday, May 29 th / 8:00 a.m. Fellowship Hall Coffee and donuts provided One in Worship Sunday, May 29 th, is the fifth Sunday of the month, and on that Sunday (and every fifth Sunday in a month) we will worship as one church in one service at 10:30 a.m. The service will be a little different with a blend of both the 8:30 and the 10:30 services. The Sundays in 2016 that a unity worship service will be held at 10:30 only are: May 29, July 31, and October 30.

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8 First United Methodist Church 60 West Main St. Norwalk, OH NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 15 NORWALK, OH Rally for the Race The Mission Committee would like to thank all who supported and participated in the "Rally for the Race. The girls beat the boys this year: $224 to $118 for a total of $342 raised. This money helps to pay for the kids who participate in the Race at the Rock on April 30 th. Special thanks to Linda and Ted Newsom for making the race track and seeing that it was set up. Great job! Thank you one and all for your generosity. ~ Linda Johns, Chairperson UMW News A big heartfelt thank you to all who worked on our spring rummage sale and to all who donated your good, used items. Some of these ladies work a good part of the year before the sale. The ladies earned a little over $3,000, which will be used to fund our mission projects. Also, thanks to the ladies who served in worship on April 17 th, UMW Sunday. Our next meeting will be May 4 th at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT TIME THAN IN PROGRAM BOOK. The program will be, Stampede of Dreams. All ladies of the church are invited to join us. Come see if we are a fit for you.