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

Transcription

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 Lent, Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday The Methodist Church follows the Christian Calendar as a way to celebrate and learn about the life of Christ. According to the Christian calendar, Advent is a time to prepare for Jesus coming at Christmas. Epiphany is a time to recognize the visit of the Wise Men. The weeks following Christmas and Epiphany are called Ordinary Time which is time to learn about Jesus life. The next season of the year, developed by the early church is Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season that is set aside to help us grow closer to God. It s the forty days before Easter, excluding Sundays, when Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting. It is based on the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. At Jesus baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased. Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the Spirit where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. During his time there he was tempted by Satan and found clarity and strength to resist temptation. Afterwards, he was ready to begin his ministry. It is thought that maybe Jesus needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe he needed to get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God (and himself) more clearly. Perhaps he wanted some intentional time with God as he searched for direction and answers. Like Jesus, we may need to take some serious time to pray, listen for God and draw closer to Him. In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn t want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. They used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the season of Lent started. Meals were prepared with all the meat available. So, the (Cont. on page 2) V o l ume 4, Issue 7 I n t h i s i s sue : National Prayer Breakfast Page 3 3 Bars Dinner & Silent Auction Page 6 Mission & Outreach Pages 7 Birthdays Page 10 Whatcoat United Methodist 16 North Main Street Camden, DE Tel: Fax: whatcoat.umc@verizon.net Web site: Pastor: Robert L. Rowe Sunday Worship 8:30 Contemporary Service 11:00 Traditional service 9:50 Sunday School 1 M ar c h Religion vs. Spirituality Helping to fill Valentine Bags!! It was a fun morning!

2 (Continued from page 1) day before Lent became known as Mardi Gras ( Fat Tuesday ) or "Shrove Tuesday. Shrove is the past tense of the word "shrive," which means to hear a confession and be forgiven from sin. Along with the extravagant eating, early Christians were reminded that they were entering a season of penance. Mardi Gras has, in some places, evolved into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity. Christians still remember its origin, and share in the true Spirit of the season. In choosing to celebrate this season, some of us may want some intentional time drawing closer to Christ. If you are looking for resources the United Methodist Church has suggested a few websites: or 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 References: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper to prepare ourselves for the season of Lent Tuesday, March 4, :00 to 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall A love offering will be accepted with all proceeds (after expenses are paid) going towards the Simpson Center. Whatcoat Women for Christ Garden Party Have you had enough of this cold and snowy weather? What be er way to warm the heart than to start preparing for spring? Bring a friend and join us for a garden party! We ll be decora ng flower pots and warming up with food, fun and fellowship! Kids are welcome! When: Monday March 3 6:30pm RSVP: Church Office Where: Fellowship Hall 2

3 62nd Annual National Prayer Breakfast by Tom VanDrunen Grace and I were invited to the National Prayer Breakfast held in Washington, D.C., and joined Fred and Barbara Truitt in attending this year s event. The Prayer Breakfast is actually a two day affair that starts on the Wednesday before the breakfast. The ladies meet on that day with congressional wives and enjoy an evening dinner. The actual breakfast is on Thursday followed by break out teaching sessions in the morning, then lunch, and in the afternoon, teaching sessions. It closes with a dinner. The breakfast is an international event with people from all 50 states and 136 countries. The Thursday morning breakfast is attended by the president, vice president, and members of the cabinet. In addition, members of Congress as well as members of the judiciary and government of icials from states and foreign countries are present. We sat with new friends from Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Washington, New Mexico, Arizona, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California, Lebanon, and West Africa and met a new couple from Delaware. We rode in elevators with people from Hawaii, Georgia, Oregon, New Hampshire, Michigan, Argentina, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, The Ukraine, Germany, and the UK. These folks ranged from students to retirees, navel cadets to former gang members, attorneys, physicians, engineers, home makers, bankers, farmers, government administrators, car salesman, accountants, teachers, and who knows? At one point, a very special private evening tour of the capital was arranged by Wall Builders. I was unaware that I was standing next to 3 standing members of Congress. We listened to multiple members of Congress, senators, an ambassador to the US from the Ukraine, a former governor, and the president of the United States give their personal witness to their faith in Jesus and the power of prayer. We were elevated through live music performances by Steve Green, Brandon Heath and a young opera singer by the name of Zoey. The more important aspect of our time in DC was a renewed hope for our country and a call to be more fervent in prayer for our leaders. I was so encouraged by the two cochairs of the event, Congressman Louie Gohmet from Texas and Congresswoman Janice Hahn from California. The two could not be further apart in their political views. They were from opposite parties, one a liberal from LA and the other a staunch conservative from west Texas. But they both love Jesus and it was evident that they loved each other and supported each other. They gather weekly to pray for each other and to pray for our country. (Continued on page 5) 3

4 LET THE SHOEBOXES BEGIN! 374 SHOEBOXES IN 2013 HOW MANY WILL GOD PROVIDE THIS YEAR?? NEW FOR 2014: Each month we will target certain donation items to bring in. These are listed below and will be in the bulletin. HOWEVER, all items appropriate for children ages 4 12 may be brought in ANY TIME throughout the year, not just during the suggested months. Look for the Operation Christmas Child box and basket in the narthex. MARCH: soap bars, kitchen towels, washcloths, Kleenex, sewing kits APRIL / MAY: hygiene items, toys, books, coloring books, crayons JUNE / JULY: t-shirts, baseball hats, sandals, sunglasses, flip-flops, visors AUGUST / SEPTEMBER: school supplies, socks, underwear, sneakers OCTOBER / NOVEMBER: winter hats, scarves, gloves, brushes, combs SUGGESTED ITEMS: toothbrushes, toothbrush covers, (please do not bring in toothpaste until we hear if it will be accepted this year), bars of soap, washcloths (wrap bars in a washcloth and seal in zip-lock bag), Kleenex packs, Band-Aids, plastic cups, brushes, combs, small sewing kits, pieces of material with needle and thread, underwear, t-shirts, socks, flip-flops, sandals, baseball hats, sneakers, winter hats, long-sleeve t-shirts, scarves, gloves, children s jewelry, hair bands / ribbons, little purses, sunglasses, small stuffed animals, dolls, toys, matchbox cars, jump ropes, balls, tote bags, flashlights with extra batteries, cards, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, markers, crayons, coloring books, rulers, children s scissors, notepads, pens, highlighters, stickers, puzzles, rubber bands, ETC. See for more ideas. Remembe: no liquids, chocolates, food, breakables, war-related items, etc. *Look for clearance items at the end of each season plus free items in the mail, at restaurants, trade-shows, etc. PLEASE keep your empty shoeboxes for the fall collection; these may be brought in any time or in the fall. 1 shoebox = 1 gospel opportunity for a child to hear about Jesus! Thank you for giving to the Lord! 4

5 "Men s Retreat February 28th-March 2nd The 8:30 congregation praying for the men who will be leaving on Feb.28th for a weekend Men's retreat." We pray that God will reveal His will for each of these guys as they get away to seek His face." Fretboard Fellowship Trevor Loescher and Drew Boyce have started something here at Whatcoat on Sunday afternoons! Soon we will have over twenty guitarists ready to sing praises with their guitars!! Please submit all articles and pictures for the April issue of The Good News to the office by Monday, March 24th. ( National Prayer Breakfast Continued from page 3) This congressional weekly prayer gathering is not something we see on TV or in the news. Two believers, as far apart politically as any could be, are united in the name of Jesus. Jesus was the name that united all those gathered here. Many, who do not claim to be Christians, loved the one called Jesus and understood the power of prayer. It was magni,icent to witness and take part in the sharing in the name of Jesus. It was humbling and a rewarding experience to do our part in representing the believers of Jesus who gather at Whatcoat United Methodist church and in the state of Delaware. 5

6 Buy your tickets now for a fun evening! Three Bar Dinner Silent Auction & Game Night Whatcoat United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall March 29,2014, 4-7pm Salad Bar, Potato Bar, and Ice Cream Bar $5.00 per bar first trip, $3.00 second trip Bring your favorite board game or cards to play between Bars. The Silent auction will take place from 4:00 until 6:00! There will be one room of items for children and one room (or more) for adults to bid on. We are still looking for items for auction, if you have a donation or would like to ask a business to donate, see Margaret Cahall, Ruth Ann Webb, Heather Gladish, or Sondra Sa erfield. Sounds like a great evening for fellowship. For tickets contact Ruth Ann Webb, LeeAnn Pritche, Florence Masten, Margaret Cahall or the church office. There will be no tickets sold at the door. Whatcoat United Methodist Men At the February meeting of Methodist Men, Tim Lewicki, Ron Fraser and Larry Withrow manned the kitchen crew and there was plenty to eat! President Ron reviewed the various tasks related to the upcoming annual spaghetti dinner and made sure each team was led by a responsible person. Ron, and his assistants, will shop on Wednesday, March 5 th for most of the items needed to cook the sauce. Friday will be a set up day and bread pudding day. Early Saturday morning on the 8 th, the sauce will be freshly prepared with the secret recipe known only to a select few. Thanks to Kris Knarr and John Vrhovac the Spaghetti Tickets have been available for sale for the past few weeks and other churches in the area have expressed interest in dining with us. The dinner to be held on March 8, 2014 is a great place to socialize and enjoy the sauce, salad and homemade desserts. Proceeds go to help our youth in a number of projects like summer camp, Young Life, and the Fellowship of Christian athletes. Parents of our church youth are reminded to have their letters for a campership for this coming summer in to the Methodist Men no later than the 1 st of June. Our next meeting will be on March 2 nd, 2014 at We would love to have you join us. All men of the church are welcome. A group photo will be taken at this meeting by Kris Knarr. 6

7 Missions and Outreach For the month of February we focused on raising money for The Nothing But Nets Campaign. This global campaign focuses on the prevention of malaria through the purchase and distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. The spirit of generosity was so overwhelming and amazing that words can not express the deep gratitude to everyone that helped make this such an awe-inspiring success. We raised over $1,000!! This is enough to purchase 100 nets and to save so many lives. Your assistance has truly made a difference in the fight to stop the deadly disease of malaria. Thank you so very much to each of you for your donations! For the month of March and beginning of April we will be collecting food and monetary donations to put together baskets of food for families in need for Easter. There will be a box in the narthex marked Easter baskets to place the food. We are seeking the following food items: canned hams, instant mashed potatoes, canned fruit, gravy, canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese, rolls and pies. If you would like to make a monetary donation, please write a check and put Easter baskets in the memo line and place in the offering plate. You may also give any cash contributions to Julie Lewicki or any member of the Missions committee. Please mark your calendars for our annual Taco dinner which will be held Saturday, May 3 from 4-7:00 p.m. More information to follow next month. Blessings to all of you! Whatcoat Christian Preschool The month of February was filled with snow and snow days! We were able to enjoy Valentine s parties. The children exchange valentines and some decorated a cookie, while others play heart match up games. The children also have a special visitor that comes to the preschool each month so the children can read books to him or walk him around the classroom. The visitor is a therapy dog and Ms. Edy, the owner. She helps to encourage language from the children by telling them a bit about the dog and then letting them read stories to the dog. The children have really taken a liking to the different dogs that Ms. Edy has brought to visit. We are currently registering for the school year. Please let your friends and family know that we are here and waiting to serve their child or grandchild! We are teaching hearts and using minds. We find that word of mouth has been a vital connection for our program. Thank you for the good words and constant prayers from the church congregation. Knowing you lift us up each and every day keeps us strong and mindful of our mission. Respectfully submitted Lee Anne Jackson Preschool Director 7

8 The Children s Choir Has Them Singing in the Pews The Whatcoat Children's Choir has been singing in both services about once a month and they are s rring up the congrega on in the pews. Just recently, under the direc on of Julie Lewicki, and accompanied by Drew Boyce, they sang the song Rise and Shine. Rev. Bob Rowe made the comment that underneath all of us adults beats the heart of a li le kid and he invited the en re congrega on to join in with the Children s Choir for another chorus of Rise and Shine. The li le kid s enthusiasm was contagious and the older members of the church responded. Some of the children shared their experiences about being in the choir: "I love to sing to God." I love praising God and having fun." "I love to sing with my friends." I really like to sing. We have lots of fun in choir. We praise God." The children always make a very joyful noise to The Lord! We are blessed by each of them. Thank you members of the Children s Choir and to your leader Julie Lewicki, A job well done! Our next outing will be car pooling to Ewell s-st. Paul Church in Clayton. We have a reciprocal agreement since they come to our Spaghetti Dinners, we visit them for their dinners. So on Friday, March 14th we will go to their St. Patrick s Dinner. This delicious dinner consists of corned beef, cabbage, taters and great desserts. We will be leaving the church parking lot at 4:30p.m. sharp. We will not be calling Young at Heart members, so please R.S.V.P. to Flroence Masten at , Margaret Butterworth at or Joyce Knarr at YOUNG AT HEARTOut for Dinner At the China Buffet 8

9 With the guidance and direction from Florence Masten and Charlotte Fraser, the Whatcoat Women for Christ assembled and delivered Valentine s Bags for the those who aren t able to get out as often to visit with us. So we visited them on February 8th. Jane Maroon reports that she visited Iva Thompson and they had a nice chat about the church. She loved receiving the valen ne bag and the chance to catch up on church news. Iva used to a end church services regularly but has slowed down a li le since achieving the age of 90+ and is looking forward to another birthday in April. She reminisced about Harold Caswell s Bible study class and said she missed the fellowship and communion. Iva said she really enjoys hearing news about church ac vity through the newsle er. Happy Birthday to you in April, Iva. I found Roy Spence on his way to get his mail when I made the Valentine delivery so it was easy to find his house. We had a nice chat on that chilly morning and he was so appreciative of our gift for them. What a blessing for me to see someone from my growing up neighborhood days. I plan to visit with them again. B.J. Will Florence Masten and Kris Knarr were able to visit with Dot Jones. Dot has been a long time member at Whatcoat. She is still quilting and working on her jigsaw puzzles at her son s home west of Wyoming. She enjoys getting to services when she is able, and hearing the news from her Whatcoat family. Photos from the Whatcoat Women s Epiphany dinner in January. 9

10 Baptism Mason Nicholas Hanggi was baptized on Sunday, February 23rd at the 11:00 Service. Mason is the son of Bryan and Emily Hanggi, grandson of Robert and Tina Joyner, the late Nichola Joyner, Albert and Alain Hanggi, Alex and Sandra Martin, and great-grandson of JoAnne Joyner, Barbara Zeck and the late Dave Joyner. Mason was born on February 21, We welcome Mason into the family of God here at Whatcoat. We pray for God to shower him with His blessings! Catherine Shannan Bisese, daughter of William and Shannan Bisese, sister of Andrew, and granddaughter of Donna and Michael Todd was born on January 17, Cole Yoshimichi Maroon, son of Kenneth and Aisha Maroon, brother of Sophia, and grandson of Bill and Jane Maroon was born February 16, It is such a blessing for our Whatcoat family to hear the wonderful news of our extended family growing!! May God bless both of these children and their families! March Birthdays March 1 March 3- March 4 March 6 March 7- March 8- March 12- March 15- March 18- Joshua Bethard Charlotte Fraser Jorge Garcia, Sr. Brenda Bundschuh Abigail Cholewa Edgar Cox Tom VanDrunen Chad Killen Donna Todd Kathleen Nicol Mike Conaway Peg Walz March 18- March 20- March 21- March 23- March 24- March 26- Dennis Caswell Cynthia Brown Josh Brewer Jennifer Cholewa Natalie Dixon Kristen Landry Kristin Maahs Robin Cox Ashley Boyce Pastor Bob Rowe Margaret Cahall Janet Knouse Brittany Sammons March 27- Brandyn Gladish Aryn Caswell Riley Scheers March 29- Kenny Maroon Derek Allen March 30- Coralene Medved March 31- James Wolford, Jr. Susan McNeal (Please let the office know if your birthday needs to be added to the list.) 10

11 Whatcoat United Methodist 16 N. Main Street Camden, DE Tel: Fax: We re on the web! Changing lives through Jesus one heart at a time 11