Romeo United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 The Grapevine May 2018 This Month s Events Reverend Trevor Herm, Pastor National Day of Prayer May 3 Romeo United Methodist Church Church Office: Church Fax: Anne Wilber, Church Secretary Cynthia Forsgren, Choir Director Linda Schenburn, Christian Education Kari Reid, Treasurer Ed LaLonde, Praise Band Hannah Engwall, Youth Director Mother s Day May 13 The GRAPEVINE is published monthly. The intention is to communicate and promote the entire program of the Romeo United Methodist Church to members and friends. Your articles, comments and suggestions are welcome. The editor reserves the right to edit content and space as required. Linda Eastman, Editor Phone: lindakeastman@aol.com Memorial Day May 31 Romeo United Methodist Church Page 1

2 Pastor s Paragraphs I've been reading a book about hospitality called Clip In that talks about how important hospitality is in helping new members connect with the church. When we invite a guest to our home we clean the house, greet them at the door and we may cook a special dinner for them. We should be just as intentional about those who visit the church. We hope to have a class on hospitality in the near future and though the book I'm reading didn't mention God's hospitality, I think that's something He showers us with everyday. Here are some examples of God's hospitality and I'm sure you can think of more. God wakes us up every morning with the rising of the sun and the promise of a new day filled with endless possibilities. God promises us food to eat each day and family and friends to sit down around the table to enjoy a meal together. God promises to keep His schedule open for us so that He can spend the day with us enjoying our company and conversation. God promises to help us through the problems that arise that we aren't always sure how to handle. God started the Church to keep our lives on track and to provide for the needs of His people. And finally God promises us a place in His everlasting Kingdom so that we can enjoy His company and hospitality forever. May you enjoy God's hospitality today and may God inspire you to show the same grace and kindness to those you meet. Pass the blessings on with intentionality and love. Future dates to keep in mind May 20 Guest speaker Kerry Quick from Richmond UMC May 27 Bob Stoner will be preaching June 3 Christian Goolsby will be preaching June 10 Honoring our Graduates June 24 Steve Domke preaching July 8 Kite Sunday July 27-Aug 5 Simpson Park Family Camp Here is the schedule of speakers for Family Camp at Simpson Park. The church has reserved a campsite for the week so we will have a place to gather and eat. We will have an awning set up so we hope you will join us for as many services as you can attend that week. Sunday Night Topic: Overcoming Fear ("Do not fear" Isaiah 41:10a) Monday Night Topic: Spiritual Intimacy ("God is with you" Isaiah 41:10b) Tuesday Night Topic: Bold Faith ("Don't be discouraged" Isaiah 41:10c NIV or "Don't be intimidated" Isaiah 41:1c GW) Wednesday Night Topic: Knowing God ("I am your God" Isaiah 41:10d NIV) Thursday Night Topic: Audacious Mission/You are called ("I will strengthen you and help you" Isaiah 41:10e NIV) Friday Night Topic: Covenant Confidence ("I will uphold you" Isaiah 41:10f NIV) Invitation-Baptism/reaffirmation of baptismal Saturday Night Topic: Celebrating Victory ("My righteous right hand" Isaiah 41:10g NIV) Romeo United Methodist Church Page 2

3 MAY VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE FELLOWSHIP TIME 6 th Linda Eastman, Becky Laseke 13 th Naomi Stasak, Mary Ann DeForest, Marian Hevel 20 th Mischele Makhlouf, Laurie Bennett 27 th Cliff and Leah Gilbert 9:00 A.M. Service GREETERS 6 th Ned and Judy Howard 13 th Don and Ann Wilber 20 th Gayle Beitel, Kathy Loba 27 th Claudia Royal, Becky Laseke If you are not able to greet at any time scheduled, please make arrangements for a sub. VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS Seasonal Flowers Mary Jo Hosler Baby Blanket Ministry Ilene Lock College Ministry Paula Groomes Fellowship Hour Becky Laseke Greeters Gayle Beitel Nursery Jen Lamb Sound Board Dave Beskin Ushers Craig Engwall Communion Marilyn Bracy SOUND BOARD GREETERS 11:00 A.M. Service 6 th Jacob Nicol 13 th Open 20 th Becky Laseke 27 th Open ALTAR FLOWERS \ COMMUNION STEWARDS May 6 - Pews 9:00 a.m. Naomi Stasak Anna Bonanni 11:00 a.m. Christine Parr Marty & Karen Rastigue ANNOUNCEMENT PRESENTERS SCHEDULE 6 th Tom King 13 th Carol Herm 20 th Judy Engwall 27 th Christian Goolsby LITURGIST SCHEDULE 9:00 Service 6 th Janet Bauer 13 th Gwen Beskin 20 th Sue Coker 27 th Nancy Domke 6 th Laurie Bennett 13 th Claudia Royal 20 th Mischele Makhlouf 27 th Laurie Bennett 6 th Kay Nicholson 13 th Open 20 th Ned and Amy Grant 27 th Open 11:00 Service 6 th Ellen Dennis 13 th Hannah Engwall 20 th Marty Rastigue 27 th Joy Robeson USHERS SCHEDULE Traditional Service 6 th and 13 th Janet Bauer Lead, Ed Buckner, Sharon Schmidt, Ann Heller, Paul Heller, Jim Lindsay 20 th and 27 th Becky Laseke Lead, Sue Rhoads, John Weirs, Jeff McClay Contemporary Service Brian Rossi Dory Hill Romeo United Methodist Church Page 3

4 RUMC May 2018 Calendar Tue 1 st Staff Parish Relations Committee Meeting Mission Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Wed 2 nd Prayer Cookies Workshop 9:00 a.m. Thur 3rd National Day of Prayer Simpson Park Prayer Breakfast Sat 5 th UMW District Prayer Breakfast Sun 6 th Communion Sunday Sunday Faith Lesson #3 Thur 10 th Finance Committee Meeting Church Council Meeting 8:00 a.m. 10:15 a.m. 5:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Sat 12 th Tote Bag Workshop 9:00 a.m. Sun 13 th Mother s Day Sunday Faith Lesson #4 Sun 20 th Guest Speaker Kerry Quick Sunday Faith Lesson #5 Sun 27 th Guest Speaker Bob Stoner Mon 28 th Memorial Day Observed Office Closed 10:15 a.m. 10:15 a.m. Tue 29 th Haiti Dress Workshop 9:00 a.m. Thur 31 st thru June 3 Annual Conference in Traverse City BACCALAUREATE IS BACK! Romeo High School Baccalaureate will be held on Wednesday, May 30th at 7:00 p.m. The theme this year is Identify. As part of Baccalaureate, a reception is provided for the graduating seniors and their parents and guests. We are again calling all bakers to Bake for Bacc. There is a signup in the lobby. RUMC, along with a several other churches in the area, has always been a huge supporter of this wonderful ministry for the RHS seniors. Your continued generosity is appreciated. Weekly Meetings Communion Sunday First Sunday of each month Traditional Service Sunday 9:00 a.m. Sanctuary Fellowship Time Sunday 10:00 a.m. Fellowship Hall Prayers for Church Sunday 10:15 a.m. Prayer Room 106 Contemporary Service Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Knitting Class Tuesday 1:00 p.m. Room 110 His Table Community Meal Tuesday 5:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall Men s Fellowship 2 nd & 4 th Tues 6:30 p.m. Room 107 Praise Band Practice Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Santa s Workshop Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Life Skills Room Hand Bell Choir Practice Wednesday 6:45 p.m. Choir Room Choir Practice Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Choir Room Turning Point Office Thursday 9:30 a.m. Room 106 DRESSES AND SHIRTS FOR HAITI UMW continues this mission project in On Tuesday, May 29 th at 9:00 a.m. we will again be making dresses and shirts to send to Haiti in July. If you would like to be a part of this mission project please join us. If you are not a sewer, there are other tasks that you can help with. Refreshments are always served, we are Methodists after all. Donations of fabric, bias tape, eyelet, buttons, etc. are always welcome. Please drop your donations in the box outside the church office. Romeo United Methodist Church Page 4

5 Faith Lessons Class! Join us each week in the Wesley Library for a Sunday Faith Lesson lead by Kenn Koss. April 22-May 20, 10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. This five-session small group Bible study by noted teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan uncovers the passion and commitment early believers displayed as they claimed Jesus in the face of fierce consequences and powerful adversaries. Filmed on location in Israel, this video series brings God s Word to life with astounding relevance and unique insights into the Scriptures significance for modern believers. Lessons include: Everything to Lose, Nothing to Gain The Salt of the Earth Where Satan Lives The Mark of the Beast Hot or Cold Please Note: The Missions Silent Auction has been postponed and a new date will be announced soon. Due to the ice storm on April 15, the Faith Lessons class did not start until April 22 and continues through May 20. Missions did not want to interfere with this class. If you have any donations for the Silent Auction, please contact Anne Wilber. UMW READING PROGRAM One of the Circles of UMW is a reading program. When our unit was rededicated three years ago, we started a reading program on Wednesday afternoons. Now, we need someone to step forward and lead this program. Books can be selected from a catalog provided by National UMW. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Sue Coke at To Pastor Trevor and Carol Herm and all of our church family and friends, Thank you for all the prayers, visits, and cards during Jim s long illness. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and caring during this difficult time. You are forever a great part of my life. Thank you. Sharon Ashmore and Family WE NEED YOUR HELP Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, a UMW mission project, needs your help. The Mission will be hosting a group of Haitian women for a conference in July and are in need of tote bags. They have requested 200 bags and we can use help in putting these bags together. Our next sewing session will be on Saturday, May 12, 2018 beginning at 9:00 a.m. We will need help cutting, sewing and embellishing the bags. There are sewing machines available at the church. If you have any questions, please call Becky or Sue Coker Romeo United Methodist Church Page 5

6 We are currently planning intergenerational learning opportunities for the spring through fall of 2018 and are looking for leaders. These family-friendly classes will be one session each, can cover any topic (life skills, Christian movies or books, etc.) and will be open to members of our church and community. If you would like to teach a class, please contact Linda Schenburn or Hannah Engwall. The first class of this season will be bread baking lead by Craig Engwall. Stay tuned for more information. Sewing Basics Class Join master seamstress Dr. Naomi Stasak and learn the basics of machine sewing step by step. This 4 week foundation class will take place on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the art room and will serve as a springboard for a wide variety of sewing projects. Class dates and cost will be announced soon. Romeo United Methodist Men Fellowship / Service / Spiritual Growth All men are welcome! Come join in the fellowship and fun! Meeting on 2 nd and 4 th Tuesdays 6:30 pm in Room 107 May 8 th and May 22 nd April 28 th Clean up Orchard Park and shut-ins May 12 th Simpson Park Repairs July Renovation at Simpson Park Jimmy John s Baseball Games The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant tour For more info contact Dave Beskin at djbeskin@gmail.com National Day of Prayer is Thursday, May 3! As we did last year, cookies will be distributed to businesses, firemen, police, churches and residents around the church on May 3. If you would like to take part in this mission, join us on Wednesday, May 2 at 9 a.m. in the kitchen to bake cookies. If you have a special cookie recipe you want to make feel free to bring it along. If you have any questions, please contact the church office. Contact the office for more information if you plan to attend. Romeo United Methodist Church Page 6

7 Financial Snapshot of the Operating Fund as of 3/31/18 May Food Pantry Needs: Cereal Tuna Diced Tomatoes Hamburger Helper Rice Pasta Noodles Pasta Sauce Feminine Products Jelly Shampoo Syrup Diaper s (Size 4-6) We appreciate any non-perishable food items and toiletries that you can donate. THANK YOU! Please bring your donations to Samaritan House, Van Dyke (between 28 & 29 Mile Roads) in Washington Twp. on Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can contact Samaritan House at (586) Actual Budget Difference Income $ 77,244 $102,577 $-25,333 Expenses 101, ,577 1,535 Deficit -23, ,798 All apportionments due at 3/31/18 have been paid in full! Your church needs your financial support!! With the support of our community, Samaritan House celebrated Easter 2018 by feeding 191 hungry, local families, providing a box that included the furnishings of a holiday meal and a $20 food gift card so families could buy a meat of their choice. Thank you for marking Easter by giving back to your neighbors! Samaritan House On April 5, 2018, several RUMC women from UMW and friends attended Turkeyville dinner theater to see The Old Rugged Cross. The entertainment was memorable, as the play included many old hymns and some newer Christian music. The food was wonderful as usual. Everyone enjoyed browsing the different shops and it didn t snow, so all and in all, a great day! See Sue Coker for tickets!! Romeo United Methodist Church Page 7

8 1 st Joseph Zaiglin Shannon Smiles 2 nd Carol Stoner 3 rd Jack Smith 4 th Diane Smiles 5 th Jeff Groomes Ed Klusendorf Kari Reid 6 th Clifford Theisen 8 th Lanny Wiers 9 th Annette Perrin 10 th Drew Reid 11 th Gloria Laverdiere James Theisen 12 th Audrey Rosso Frank Brown 13 th Donald Roberson George Jones 14 th Tim Brown 18 th Marilyn Simpson 22 nd Kathy Ullom Corinne Lamb 23 rd Tom King 25 th Paul Dennis Joseph Weeks 26 th Ardith Becker Ned Grant 27 th Denise Dillon Julia Jones-Lau 28 th Helen Biggs 29 th Destinee Wood 31 st Richard Muir Jr. Hunter Rankin Madison Deming Help for UMCOR SHOP WITH SCRIP It s a simple way to earn money for our church. Just give your order form to Carol Herm, along with payment (checks made out to Romeo UMC). Order forms are available in the lobby on which many retailers are listed. You can see all retailers that offer Scrip by going to All proceeds will be used to help us pay our share of the ministries of the United Methodist Church. See the display in the lobby, or see Carol Herm if you have any questions. Due to the fact that very few people are participating in the Scrip fund raising program, we will only be ordering Scrip once a month, normally the first Sunday of the month. If participation picks up, we can adjust the order schedule back to every other Sunday. Here is the tentative schedule for the rest of the year: May 6, June 10, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2. We will be collecting items to be taken to Annual Conference (May 31-June 3, 2018) to go to the Midwest Mission Distribution Center. These items will be part of the Personal Dignity Kits they put together. The Kit contains: Bath hand towel, bath washcloth, comb, nail clippers, toothbrush, shampoo (3-4 oz), deodorant (2-3 oz), bar soap (3 oz or larger), razor, toothpaste (2.5 oz or larger). You may supply individual items or combine all of them into a new one-gallon sealable plastic bag. They are also collecting glue sticks, dry erase markers and erasers, blue or black pen, 1-subject spiral notebooks. There will be a box at Church for your donations. There are still painted rocks out there! Keep your eyes open. One rock was moved to Florida, was it yours? Check our RUMC Facebook page for updates! Romeo United Methodist Church Page 8

9 Mark Your Calendar for Simpson Park Camp's Annual Camp Meeting July 27 - August 5, 2018! You're coming, right? Romeo, MI... It's time for the annual pilgrimage to Simpson Park Camp, and the time-honored tradition celebrates its 153rd year this summer. When the Israelites made their way to Jerusalem each year for the feasts, they often traveled in groups, sang and worshipped together all the way to the holy city. While you may not be coming in droves on foot with camels in tow, you CAN come with shouts of praise! Reconnect with other faithful pilgrims and get to know and welcome some new ones. Come experience a sense of God's presence that quiets the mind and spirit, and brings joy to the heart. New this year - Introducing a theme for Annual Camp Meeting. Our theme this year: "Fear Not: Daring To Live Boldly" Scripture: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) Sunday Night Topic: Overcoming Fear ("Do not fear" Isaiah 41:10a) Monday Night Topic: Spiritual Intimacy ("God is with you" Isaiah 41:10b) Tuesday Night Topic: Bold Faith ("Don't be discouraged" Isaiah 41:10c NIV or "Don't be intimidated" Isaiah 41:1c GW) Wednesday Night Topic: Knowing God ("I am your God" Isaiah 41:10d NIV) Thursday Night Topic: Audacious Mission/You are called ("I will strengthen you and help you" Isaiah 41:10e NIV) Friday Night Topic: Covenant Confidence ("I will uphold you" Isaiah 41:10f NIV) Invitation-Baptism/reaffirmation of baptismal Saturday Night Topic: Celebrating Victory ("My righteous right hand" Isaiah 41:10g NIV) Sunday morning - wrap up of the week Romeo United Methodist Church Page 9

10 Simpson Park Annual Camp Meeting (cont) One Week - Three Camps. Family Camp - Featured Speakers: Tom Harmon, and Jerry and Jan Coleman will be featured speakers for daily worship in our historic, open-air Nixon Tabernacle. Dr. Dan Schafer, Greg Martin, and Beth Copeland will be our Missions Day speakers. First Friday Annual Camp Meeting kicks off with worship Friday evening, July 27th with a message from local Pastor Mick Veach. Mick lives in Detroit and is a Pastor of newly formed church called Mosaic Midtown Church. His past experiences are diverse - he was Country Director for World Hope International for 10 years and more recently served as the pastor at Stoney Creek Community Church in Washington Township, Michigan for 9 years. Events On Saturday, July 28th, we host our annual Classic Auto Show and Family Day, along with the 10th annual Ladies Tea, followed by our family BBQ later that evening. Enjoy Heritage Day on Wednesday, August 1st and inspirational Mission speakers on Thursday, August 2nd. Meet new friends and reconnect with old ones. Meaningful times of worship in the Tabernacle are followed by a nightly ice cream social. Morning Worship The new scenario introduced for Morning Worship last year was met with positive reviews! We believe this change is a helpful adjustment to our traditional morning worship times. On Monday-Wednesday, and Friday mornings we will be meeting at Nixon Tabernacle for our usual 10:30 morning worship. We will sing, pray, dismiss the children as per usual. Then, we will separate into three groups for learning. The two evangelists, Rev. Tom Harmon and Rev. Jerry and Jan Coleman will each be leading a seminar along with Simpson Park Camp Member Joan Dewing. Worship Music We are please to welcome back the husband and wife team of Randy and Marli Brown. Randy and Marli lead congregations in worship filled with gratefulness, adoration and awesome wonder in the Lord. Youth Camp Featured Speaker: Michael Hewitt Alongside Family Camp, Youth Camp is for grades 7-12, beginning on Sunday, July 29 - Sunday, August 5. It's a week of instruction in practical Christianity, worship services for inspiration and Christian commitment, Wellspring Praise band, recreational programs, personal sharing, and informal contact experiences with other youth who share Christian values and commitment. Romeo United Methodist Church Page 10

11 Simpson Park Annual Camp Meeting (cont) Children's Camp Featured Speaker: Dan Cutchen Over 100 children participate in our annual Children's Program which runs simultaneously alongside Family Camp, from Saturday evening, July 28 - Saturday morning, August 4. Services and activities are offered during morning and evening worship, as well as special activities each weekday afternoon for the family, such as a Luau and fishing at the pond. The Children's Camp presents their program in the Tabernacle on Friday evening, August 4th for all to enjoy. A parent or guardian must be present on the grounds while children participate in the Children's Camp Program. You're invited to join us. Outside historic Romeo, a charming fifty-five acre revival era country village transports you to a distraction-free bygone era. In the mid 1800s throughout the north and south, the phenomena of camp meetings paralleled a wave of spiritual revivial. Simpson Park is Michigan's oldest such continually-operated camp, recognized by the Michigan Historic Sites Registry. Simpson Park Camp is named for Bishop Matthew Simpson, Abraham Lincoln's trusted spiritual advisor and confidant. We don't know whether Honest Abe ever graced this sacred Michigan soil, but the heritage of his era and the integrity of his contemporaries lives strong here There are so many wonderful things planned for everyone. For the whole schedule and speakers, visit our website. Take a look. Come for ten days of fellowship and inspiration, or come for one, two or three days! For additional information, please visit contact Simpson Park Camp by phone at (586) , or spcamp@simpsonparkcamp.org. Thank You Thank you for the 200 Box Tops for Education that were sent in to the Red Bird Mission in Kentucky. They are used for the Red Bird Christian School. The Red Bird Christian School, guided by Jesus Christ, empowers individuals by providing opportunities for spiritual growth and academic excellence for lifelong learning, leadership, and service. Red Bird Mission participates in the Box Tops for Education for support of their School. You collect the relevant labels off specific products and bring them to Church. They redeem the labels for items or cash for their School. Thank you for helping support the School. There is a complete list of products by the collection box by the office. Box Tops can be found on apparel, baking & bakeware, cereal, produce, food storage, frozen, meals & sides, paper products, school & office supplies, refrigerated & dairy, tableware, snacks & juices, and waste bags. The Leadership Team of the Blue Water District would like to invite you to a farewell for Rev. Elizabeth and Richard Hill, District Superintendent. The reception will be held on May 4th at the Lexington UMC from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Light snacks will be served. A love offering will be received. You will have an opportunity to thank and affirm Rev. Hill as she moves on to become the District 8 Superintendent Romeo United Methodist Church Page 11

12 Dairy Farming the Old-Fashioned Way It started with taste. After marrying a dairy farmer in 1975, Dory Hill started drinking the unprocessed milk at Crooked Creek Farm Dairy and loved it. When I d go elsewhere, the milk didn t taste right, she says. It would have a chemical taste to me. At the time, her husband, Greg Hill, was sending his milk off site to be bottled, and he set her straight: You don t know what happens to it after it leaves the farm. But there was more than taste behind the couple s decision to grow their own feed, process their own milk and avoid hormones, Dairy farming the old-fashioned way By Annette Kingsbury l Photos by Joshua Clarfelt steroids and anything genetically modified. Dory, who grew up next to another dairy farm, has a severe case of Lyme disease. She manages it in part by extremely close scrutiny of her diet. The food we eat makes such a difference, she says. Much of what she has learned is reflected in the way the couple manages the farm. The farm, located north of Romeo, is 369 acres, most of which is used for crops to feed their 100 dairy cattle. Greg s father started the farm; Greg took it over when he was 15. In 1981, he decided to process his own milk, and the farm became a farm dairy. We decided to give the people real milk, Dory says. And that was when interest rates were 15 16%. Nevertheless they took the plunge and installed a bottling plant. Today, the entire process is done in-house, from growing feed to milking and bottling. Fourteen people, including the Hills daughter Jennifer Russell, help out with everything from mucking out stalls (jokingly called the Crooked Creek workout) to dipping ice cream in their farm store, which is open seven days a week. We aren t big, Dory says as she leads a visitor around the farm on a sunny, cold winter day. Indeed, the dairy site is compact; the family home is only steps away from the store and barns. The milking cows have a large, open-air barn for shelter. In the calf barn, two rows of curious black-and-white faces, each in its own stall, turn to see who has come to visit. Russell lives next door. Our daughter is phenomenal with the animals, Dory says. Two grandsons, ages 11 and 15, also help out, driving the tractor, hauling bales of hay and loading wagons. Dory runs the bottling machines (the cows produce 5,000 pounds of milk a day), does the paperwork and whatever else needs to be done. Dory credits her husband with identifying the effects of pesticides and herbicides, including those in GMO seed, and deciding to go back to basics. Now, he cultivates his crops the old-fashioned way. We do a very minimal spraying just to get ahead [of the weeds] and then my husband cultivates for many, many hours, she says. There aren t many around here that cultivate. That s a step a farmer doesn t have to take with GMOs. At times they ve had to convince inspectors that their techniques pass muster. For example, they use only water to sanitize the milkprocessing equipment; inspectors wanted chlorine but, after testing, came around. Dory has even testified in Lansing in support of legislation to allow labeling of milk to show that it s made without added hormones. Because of the way it s processed, milk from Crooked Creek Farm Dairy can be frozen. We don t use any water in our milk, we don t use any powder, Dory says. When you go into a grocery store and the milk looks yellow or green, that s their water. Crooked Creek offers all the usual choices: chocolate milk, heavy cream, and different fat levels of milk such as whole and low-fat. At the holidays they also make a very popular eggnog that sells out. April through October, 17 flavors of ice cream are offered, made with cane sugar because, unlike beet sugar, it is non-gmo. Spring visitors to the farm will also find a petting farm with calves and goats. In addition to their own products, their tiny store offers other non-gmo, organic and gluten-free packaged foods (think gluten-free ice cream cones) and features a selection of products from other local food producers, including honey, maple syrup, chocolates and dog treats. I have to eat all organic, so why not have it in our store? Dory says. The store also offers frozen meat from their own steers. It takes us 24 months to raise a steer without steroids or hormones, versus 13 months, Dory says. It has real flavor. Of course, you re going to pay a little bit more a pound. One thing they don t sell is raw milk. We have a lot of doctors that send their patients here. A lot of doctors are looking for raw milk, Dory says. She doesn t sell it because she suspects it s the reason she and her nine siblings all have Lyme disease. The Hills are so confident in their approach that four years ago they expanded their farm. Dory describes the added land as dead back then. Now, It s live soil, producing feed crops. Crooked Creek Farm Dairy products can be found within a 20-mile radius of the farm, at stores including Metamora Foodland, Papa Joe s in Rochester, Peacock Poultry in Troy and Vince & Joe s in Shelby Township. Romeo United Methodist Church Page 12

13 PRAY IT FORWARD Submitted by Nancy Harrar What you can do to protect our liberties and bring healing to America By Dave Meyer; published in the Joyce Meyer Ministries Enjoying Everyday Life Magazine, Spring 2018 On May 3, millions in America will observe our National Day of Prayer. It s an opportunity to come together and focus our eyes on the Lord-our true source of help and strength. When it comes to praying for our country, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is undoubtedly the most quoted verse in Scripture. The Lord says: If my people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land (AMPC). I think it s important to really pay attention when the Lord used the words if and then in His Word. It signals that God is giving us a part to play, and if we do our part, the He will do His part. In the above verse, our part includes four specific things to do: Humble ourselves, pray, seek the Lord, and turn away from wickedness. When we do, THEN God will do His part-he will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. Prayer is extremely important, and I believe part of my calling is to ignite a passion in people to intercede for America. However, prayer is only one of the ingredients needed. Our part also involves true humility and repentance. I often say we can pray for restoration: however, restoration can t come until there is revival; revival can t come until there is responsibility; responsibility can t come until there is repentance and repentance can t come until we remember. What types of things should we remember? We must remember who we are, where we came from, and why it s important to be accountable for what God s given us through our Founding Fathers. We must discover things like: How was our government formed? What price was paid for our liberty and who paid it? What role did God play in the lives of our Founding Fathers? What responsibilities did our Founders give us? It s been over 20 years since a friend first gave me a copy of the book, America s Providential History. I ll never forget how God used it to open my eyes to all of the great and mighty things He did to establish this nation. I also learned how recent generations have slowly chipped away at the godly foundation laid by our Founders. It pierced my heart and provoked me to pray for America like never before. This is also my prayer for you. On May 3, I encourage you to set aside some time to pray for America. Pray that God would turn the hearts of our people back to Him. Pray we would once again HONOR God and look to Him as our One True Source of strength, blessings, and protection. As we pray, it s also vitally important to do what God shows us. I believe a lot of people simply want God to rescue this nation-to solve our problems without requiring any action on our part. However, revival for America includes taking responsibility to do what the Lord shows us to help preserve what our forefathers have obtained. This includes taking action to fulfill out civic duties; it means contacting our elected officials to let our voices be heard. One thing s for sure: A complacent Church in a Christian nation cannot survive. They can t coexist-both the complacent Church and the Christian nation will eventually die. I often say the future of America is in the hands of those who act or those who watch. What America will look like tomorrow, next week, next month and next year will be decided by those who engage or those who stand on the sidelines as spectators. With your help, and with your diligence, we can protect our liberties. But without your help and your diligence, our liberties will continue to be lost. One by one, we each have a tremendously important part to play in taking a stand for America. And as we are faithful to do what we can do, the Lord will be faithful to do what we can t and bring healing to our land. Romeo United Methodist Church Page 13