Rittman United Methodist Church Points to Ponder - April 2012 Volume 43 - Issue No. 4 Chuck Kaliszewski, Pastor Sheila Stoll, Editor

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1 Rittman United Methodist Church Points to Ponder - April 2012 Volume 43 - Issue No. 4 Chuck Kaliszewski, Pastor Sheila Stoll, Editor Good Friday is good because it shows how far God will go to save us. God s Gathering Our Praise Band has a new name: 2:11 North. Ask members of the band to explain what this name means to them and to us as a faith family as a congregation. [Hint: check out Philippians 2:11 and Titus 2:11.] It is appropriate during this Eastertide season to consider fresh ideas and allow ourselves to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. In addition to a new name for the Praise Band, I am proposing we adopt a new name for our 9:00 worship service: God s Gathering. I am inspired by Jesus words in Matthew 18:21. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I m there with them. (CEB) What s important to note (and which is lost in some translations) is that the verb are gathered is in the passive voice. It isn t when we decide to gather that Jesus is with us, but rather when God gathers us together. I d like to think that God has been and will continue to gather us together on Sunday mornings - not only at 9:00, but also for our 10:00 Sunday school, and at our 11:000 worship as well as throughout the week. It is then vitally important for us to remain faithful to God s call and to His commands so that God continues to gather us together as the Rittman UMC. I d like to see us carry on this theme of gathering into other church activities; Kid s Gathering for our Children s Church; Men s Gathering for our new Men s Ministry, Family Gatherings for our Family Movie and Game Nights, etc. In the coming year I see us concentrating on three activities; Gathering, Growing, and Giving. Let us gather to worship and praise our Lord and Savior through our words and actions. Let us grow as disciples because salvation is a process a journey not a destination. And let us give of ourselves through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. We are called to live our faith daily, and in community with one another. God is good, all the time Pastor Chuck Easter Egg Hunt Excitement is building for the community-wide Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 7th at 10:30 a.m. The event is open to all residents of Rittman, children ages 8 and under. NOTE: children and grandchildren of church members are also welcome to attend regardless of where they live. Be sure to sign up registration forms are available in the lobby and online at We are planning on hosting 200 children. The event will be held rain or shine. Courageous Living Begins Monday, April 23rd Men, join us for a 4-session Bible study called Courageous Living. It is based on the movie Courageous and begins Monday, April 23rd at 6:30 p.m. We will meet every other week (April 23, May 7 & 21, June 4). A sign-up sheet is in the lobby. Church Building & Grounds Work Days All church members are invited to help with our spring cleaning chores around the church building and grounds. We ll be working indoors on Saturday, April 28th beginning at 8:30 a.m. and we ll be outdoors on Saturday, May 5th beginning at 8:30 a.m. There s a lot to do, so many hands are required. Please prayerfully consider joining us on either or both days. Can t make it either day but still want to help? Contact our Trustee Chairman, Chad Gasser for a list of projects.

2 Maundy Thursday Service 7:00pm Come join us as we commemorate the supper Jesus shared with His disciples before His crucifixion, when Jesus washed the disciples feet and instituted the Sacrament of the Lord s Supper. Good Friday Community-Wide Service 12:00 noon This year s community-wide Good Friday service will be held at St. Anne s Catholic Church. We hope those who are able will come together with members of other local congregations to as we pray the Way of the Cross. Easter Sunday Schedule Come join us as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Sunrise Service 7:00am We will gather at the Knupp Church on DeCourcey Road for an informal Service of Light. Contemporary Service 9:00am Sunday School Fellowship Hour 10:00am Traditional Service 11:00am Children s Church 11:00am Date Night: Saturday, April 28th Haven t seen the movie Courageous yet? Come watch it here at the church at 7:00 p.m. We ll furnish the popcorn and drinks. Bring a light snack to share if you like. A sign-up sheet is in the lobby. Food Pantry Thanks to cooks Anita & Bob Frase for preparing this month s supper. It was home-made bean soup and many desserts from our generous church family. Food boxes were given to 152 people, which is 62 families and 5 new families. Lots and lots of helpers this month from grade schoolers to out of school a long time. All working together for the Glory of God. Cooks next month are Linda Kaliszewski and Lynn Turnbow. Check with them if you can help. The Bible reminds us that we are all part of the same body and that God is Father of us all. As we attempt to live out God s call on our lives, we are not alone. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses in heaven and on earth (Heb. 12:1). We are united with those who have gone before us in faith and those who are on the journey with us right now - no matter where in the world they are. Preschool The Preschool children said the Pledge of Allegiance for the North East Ohio School Board meeting program at the Rittman High School. The children did a great job and a a picture and article was on the front page of the Wooster Daily Record. On Thursday, March 22nd Sue Durante The Bubble Lady presented a program. The Preschool has started accepting registrations for next school year. Copies of the current Administrative Council minutes and the Financial Reports are now available in the marked folders on the bulletin board in the hallway.

PRAISE BAND The band will now be known as 211 North. The contest name was suggested by Lydia Stahl and Scott Adkins. FAMILY GAME NIGHT A fun evening with 7 children and 8 adults.

3 PRAISE BAND The band will now be known as 211 North. The contest name was suggested by Lydia Stahl and Scott Adkins. FAMILY GAME NIGHT A fun evening with 7 children and 8 adults. Table games were enjoyed by all and dodge and catch ball enjoyed by children and Pastor Chuck - he wore them out, or was it the other way around. CHILDREN S CHURCH Children s Church started with 10 children in attendance at the 11am service with leaders Linda Kaliszewski and helper Sheila Stoll. The children started with Bible Study, joys & concerns, a game and making a welcome banner with their hand prints on the banner to be hung in the Children s Church room. Snack was enjoyed WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY The Women s Bible Study group meets on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm. The study is Anointed - Transformed - Redeemed: A Study of David by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. Acts 13:22 NIV LIBRARY Max Lucado s book He Chose The Nails, Frank G. Slaughter s book Upon This Rock and James Earl Jones reads the Bible are all available. New books to the library: Throes Of Democracy - Civil War Era by Walter A McDouigal, and Americans In Paris, Life & Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF INTEREST & HELPFULNESS TO OTHERS Rittman Historical Society invites you to the April 12th meeting, 7pm at RUMC. The program is Once Upon A Time In Wayne County with speaker Paul Locher for the Wooster Daily Record. Delta Arts Club is planning a Rummage Sale in July to raise money for their charity work in the schools and community. Your gently used items would be very much appreciated. Call Sheila Stoll at If any church family person would like to use this space for an announcement, please call Sheila at HAPPENINGS HERE Wednesday Morning Bible Study for preschool parents and church goers have been studying the Lenten series with Pastor Chuck. Young Life meets Sunday evenings at 7pm with Lisa Winchell. This group is for high school youth in Rittman and surrounding area. Education Committee going full speed to plan new and continuing in place programs for this church. Education chairperson, Rachel Thompson Hostetler. The Drop-In new Sunday School Class will start April 15th in the lower level of the church. The Wednesday Morning Sewcial group with Deb Thompson is working on a banner and finishing a t-shirt quilt. May whatever we do today bring honor to our family name: Christian. People can know that we are followers of Christ by our attitudes and actions. Spiritual blindness can be cured only by the Great Physician. The journey of life is easier because of God s light shining through friends and family.

April Birthdays -UMW DATES- April 2 7:00pm Hannah Circle April 3 9:30am Beth Circle April 15 11:00am UMW Sunday UMW Self Denial Bean Soup Luncheon The Self Denial Bean Soup Luncheon was a success

JOYS OF GOD S FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS: Margaret - good test results Irene, Sandy & Ruthanne - recovering from surgery 3rd 4th 5th 6th 11th 12th 17th 19th 20th 23rd 24th 27th 28th 29th 30th Heather

Cook Sheila Stoll Mickey Shankland Lucinda Yoss Harold Salyer Michelle Gasser Ted Schumacher Bryan Yoss Miranda Griffin PRAYERS NEEDED: Aaron Russ H.

Unspoken Donaldson Family: death of Betty Pastor Chuck & Linda Kaliszewski Our nation, troops & their families 3rd 5th 16th 23rd Duane & Bertha Ryland Dale & Nancy Booth Chad & Sandy Gasser Chuck &

4 April Birthdays -UMW DATES- April 2 7:00pm Hannah Circle April 3 9:30am Beth Circle April 15 11:00am UMW Sunday UMW Self Denial Bean Soup Luncheon The Self Denial Bean Soup Luncheon was a success with the UMW raising $120 for missions. The best bean soup ever was made by Pauline Rastorfer and Pat Seiler. JOYS OF GOD S FAMILY AND THEIR FRIENDS: Margaret - good test results Irene, Sandy & Ruthanne - recovering from surgery 3rd 4th 5th 6th 11th 12th 17th 19th 20th 23rd 24th 27th 28th 29th 30th Heather Richards Mandy Maibach Andrew Baillis Brooke Britton Joanna Shankland Twila Fox Debbie Thompson Rachel Steiner Marvin Frase Jean Boreman Ruthanne Lindenmuth Randy Rastorfer Zachary Richards Emily Cook Sheila Stoll Mickey Shankland Lucinda Yoss Harold Salyer Michelle Gasser Ted Schumacher Bryan Yoss Miranda Griffin PRAYERS NEEDED: Aaron Russ H. Mark Paula Dan Elenore Vernon Ursalla Andy Paula Chester Glenn Jim Brian Nancy W. Unspoken Donaldson Family: death of Betty Pastor Chuck & Linda Kaliszewski Our nation, troops & their families 3rd 5th 16th 23rd Duane & Bertha Ryland Dale & Nancy Booth Chad & Sandy Gasser Chuck & Jerri Champlin Carl & Sally Schwab Hello and much love to our friends at the nursing homes: Virginia Bigler - Autumnwood Care Center Dorothy DeMass - Canton Christian Home Wanda Fawcett - Apostolic Home Carl Schwab - Autumnwood Care Center Charles Massie - Autumnwood Care Center Marcy Taylor - Autumnwood Care Center Autumnwood Care Center, 275 E. Sunset Dr., Rittman, OH Apostolic Christian Home, Steiner Rd., Rittman, OH Canton Christian Home, 2550 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, OH 44709

5 MARY S MEANDERINGS I have been struggling this month with what to write regarding Easter. What can be said about the Resurrection, the foundation of the Christian faith. Didn't St. Paul say that without the Resurrection we have no faith? "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins." 1 cor.15: So I've decided to repeat what people have penned in the past. A PSALM FOR PALM SUNDAY by Joseph Bayley King Jesus why did you choose a lowly ass to carry you to ride in your parade? Had you no friend who owned a horse--a royal mount with spirit fit for a king to ride? Why choose an ass small unassuming beast of burden trained to plow not carry kings. King Jesus why did you choose me a lowly unimportant person to bear you in my world today? I'm poor and unimportant trained to work not carry kings--let alone the King of kings and yet you've chosen me to carry you in triumph in this world's parade. King Jesus keep me small so all may see how great you are keep me humble so all may say Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord not what a great ass he rides. FRIDAY by Calvin Miller On with Friday's grisly business! Let the broad arm raise the sledge! Let the hammer ring out upon the nails. I must not flinch with the crimson flows-- He's only a carpenter--a craftsman who claimed too much. "I need a black nail, soldier." Give me your hand, carpenter. What a strange man you are! You stretch forth your hand too eagerly--too willingly, as though I was going to shake it, not nail it to a tree. Steady, man. The first stroke of the hammer is easiest for me and hardest for you. For me the first blow meets only the resistance of soft flesh. The hardwood beneath drives much slower. For you the first blow is the worse. It brings the ripping pain and the bright gore. The wood beneath your wrist does not feel and bleed as you do. CHRIST IS ARISEN by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Christ is arisen, joy to thee, mortal! Out of His prison, Forth from its portal! Christ is not sleeping, seek Him no longer; Strong was His keeping, Jesus was stronger. Christ is arisen, see Him not here; Lonely His prison, empty His bier; Vain his entombing, spices and lawn, Vain the perfuming, Jesus is gone. Christ is arisen, joy to thee, mortal! Empty His prison, broken its portal Rising, He giveth His shroud to the sod; Risen, He liveth, and liveth to God. Happy Easter, Mary THANK YOU Dear Church Family - Thank you so much for all of the prayers, meals, visits cards, & phone calls. Also thanks to Pastor Chuck for his visits. It is greatly appreciated and means so much to Bruce and I. I am now on a cane and getting more mobile. Hope to see all of you soon. We are truly blessed to have a great church family. In Christian Love, Bruce & Ruthanne Lindenmuth Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers before, during and after my recent neck surgery. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful church family who is always there! I appreciated the cards, soup, visits, phone calls, taxi service and the good advice to 'take a deep breath and remember whose hands you are in'! I was not afraid at all nor did I have any pain afterward. Thanks to Chuck for his pre-surgery visit too. God bless you, Sandy Batson

6 SMILE AWHILE A tough old cowboy once counseled his grandson that if he wanted to live a long life, the secret was to sprinkle a little gunpowder on his oatmeal every morning. The grandson did this religiously and he lived to the age of 99. When he died he left 14 children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and a 15 foot hole in the wall of the crematorium. From Stan Moran from a collection of Sally Moran: A lot of Christians are like wheelbarrows - not good unless pushed. Some are like canoes - need to be paddled. Some are like kites - if you don t keep a string on them, they fly away. Some are like kittens - contented when petted. Some are like footballs - you can t tell where they will bounce next. Some are like balloons - full of air and ready to blow up. Some are like trailers - they have to be pulled. Some are like neon lights - keep going on and off. But some are like a good watch - open of face, pure gold, quietly busy, and full of good works! During Christmas we had spent a lot of time looking at the Nativity scenes and telling the kids who everyone was in them. Then on Easter Sunday we were in church with our 3 year old son. The cross was decorated, so I think he finally noticed it. He asked, Who is that on the cross? His answer was Jesus. He thought for a while, then looked up and said, But he was just a baby at Christmas. --Pastor Bob Thompson, Corinth Reformed Church I don t mind going to church in a drive-in theatre, but when they hold the baptisms in a car wash, that s going too far. From Ruth Schumacher: Legend Of The Dogwood Once upon a time, the dogwood was as mighty as an oak. Then, one day, the Roman authorities decided to use it for the cross of Jesus. Upon learning this, the tree was seized with sorrow. But Jesus sensed the agony of the dogwood timbers over the cruel duty they were forced to perform. And in His great compassion Jesus said, Because of your sorrow over my suffering, you shall henceforth grow slender, bent and twisted, so that your wood can never again be used as a cross. And you shall bear blossoms in the shape of a cross. And on them shall appear a crown of thorns and nail prints stained with red so that all who see them will remember that I carried you to Calvary. POEMS BY RUTH BELL GRAHAM The Thief Punished justly getting what our deed deserve Today with me in Paradise.: Luke 23:41-43 He died - the thief - and yet, before he d cried for mercy and, what s more, his tortured soul had found relief. He got a death that he deserved; a Life that he did not. Golgotha The darkness fell too soon that day. when darkness fell the rolling thunder, like a knell of some grim bell tolling for the dead. What dead? For all of life lay ahead. Grace The sin scarred brush His white, white robes; the wounded touch His feet. The dying whisper His name in prayer, wondering sweetly to find Him there where hell and the sinner meet. He took of His grace His infinite grace, and soldiers wondered to find a trace of tears in the grime on a dead man s face. The going must ve been tough, they said, not knowing that death for a man, forgiven by God, is easy going.

New Pew Bibles We will soon be receiving new pew Bibles for use in our worship services. These large-print Bibles are hard-bound and are the same size as our hymnals.

7 New Pew Bibles We will soon be receiving new pew Bibles for use in our worship services. These large-print Bibles are hard-bound and are the same size as our hymnals. They are written in a new version called The Common English Bible. We were able to buy these Bibles at a substantial discount so you have the opportunity to sponsor one or more of these Bibles In Memory of or In Honor Of for only $ Use this order form, or forms will be available in upcoming Sunday bulletins and on our website as well. NEW PEW BIBLE ORDER FORM These large-print Bibles are hard bound and written in a new version called The Common English Bible Complete this form & drop it the offering plate. Checks should be made out to: Rittman United Methodist Church. NAME PHONE # OF BIBLES TOTAL COST $ IN HONOR OF IN MEMORY OF Please PRINT information above exactly as you would like it printed in the Bible

Rittman United Methodist Church 211 North Metzger Avenue Rittman, OH 44270 POINTS to PONDER April 2012 Vol. 43 No. 4 Rev. Chuck Kaliszewski, Pastor pastor@rittmanumc.org www.rittmanumc.org office@rittmanumc.

spring, give our hearts a song to sing. Bid the world awaken do, lend us precious skies of blue. Time to dress the naked trees, send a gentle springtime breeze.

8 Rittman United Methodist Church 211 North Metzger Avenue Rittman, OH POINTS to PONDER April 2012 Vol. 43 No. 4 Rev. Chuck Kaliszewski, Pastor pastor@rittmanumc.org office@rittmanumc.org Prayer 8:00am Contemporary 9:00am Sunday 10:00am Traditional 11:00am Living Our Faith Through Word and Action WELCOME APRIL Welcome April, child of spring, give our hearts a song to sing. Bid the world awaken do, lend us precious skies of blue. Time to dress the naked trees, send a gentle springtime breeze. Welcome April, come right in, let the lovely Spring begin. Blooming tulips, grass of green, Nature s oh so magic scene. Tiny raindrops, gentle showers, miracle of birds and flowers. Winter moments are no more, Spring is knocking on our door. Golden sunshine warms the earth, welcoming the Spring s rebirth. Cloudsteps charm the skies of blue, Dearest April, we love you. --Garnett Ann Schultz

Rittman United Methodist Church Points to Ponder - April 2017 Volume 48 - Issue No. 4 Ruthie Trigg, Pastor Sheila Stoll, Editor

Rittman United Methodist Church Points to Ponder - April 2017 Volume 48 - Issue No. 4 Ruthie Trigg, Pastor Sheila Stoll, Editor But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ