February 2018 VISION STATEMENT MISSION STATEMENT. John 3:16. To make Disciples of Jesus Christ. To Live Our Faith To Share our Faith and To Serve

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1 Thompson UMC P.O. Box 29 Thompson, OH February 2018 Published monthly by: Thompson United Methodist Church Deadline for Articles: 23rd of the Month Thompson UMC P.O. Box Madison Road Thompson, OH Phone: Fax: John 3:16 Church Office Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Closed Fridays Pastor Jonathan Cooney Parsonage Phone: Cell Phone: We re on the Web! Visit us at: VISION STATEMENT To make Disciples of Jesus Christ MISSION STATEMENT To Live Our Faith To Share our Faith and To Serve

2 LAMPLIGHTER February Thompson United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 29, Thompson, OH Just over 10 years ago my daughter who was in college at the time sent us an with this quote from a book entitled The Phoenix Affirmations by Eric Elnes which she had been reading as part of a Bible study: The basic stance in prayer is that of deep listening, and there may not be a lot of action on God s part that is immediately perceptible. The experience may be more like the sound of falling snow. You do not hear directly the sound of falling snow. What you hear, if you re paying attention, is the change of acoustics in your surroundings. God s voice is not something we often perceive directly. Rather, we perceive it by noticing how our perception of everything else changes in response. The next time it is snowing heavily or it is nighttime and the ground is covered with snow, listen carefully and see if sounds are different or whether sounds carry farther. We may not hear God s voice directly, but we perceive everything else differently Sermon Schedule February 4 Mark 1:29-39 Invitaon: Why I Have Come February 11 Mark 9:2-9 The Transfiguraon February 14 Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Ma*hew 6:1-6, Ash Wednesday February 18 Romans 6:15-23 Reading Mr. Wesley: The House That Jack Built February 25 1 Corinthians 13 Reading Mr. Wesley: Truths vs. Love Your Servant for Christ s Sake, Jonathan Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Sunday Worship Service 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for all Ages 9:00 a.m. Kid Kare every Sunday Ages: Pre K 5th Grade following the Children s Message Nursery available for children up to 3 years old Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith. The form and content of the service focus on the dual themes of sin and death in the light of God s redeeming love in Jesus Christ. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship, and the Imposition of Ashes can be a powerful nonverbal and experiential way of participating in the call to repentance and reconciliation. This practice is the historic focus of Ash Wednesday observance and gave the day its name.

3 Page 3 February 2018 FOCUS ON MISSIONS. Since 1993, more than 5,000 adults and children experiencing 3. A#ercare. A member of Project homelessness in Northeast Ohio have received shelter, care, and guidance through Project Hope, the only emergency shelter Hope s staff provides support to in Lake County. Project Hope is not just a place to eat and sleep but is also an organizaon that provides a goal-oriented program made up of three phases: weekly via phone former guests and in-person visits. This ongoing contact allows staff to 1. Project Hope Adult Wing This wing is dedicated to men help guests maintain success. and women experiencing homelessness. The shelter opens nightly from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. It also provides outside The emergency shelter provides space for up to 50 adults and resources for areas including budgeng, housing, job skills, children each night, not only offering them a safe place to stay, mental health assistance, and drug addicon. but also giving them the basic needs and professional guidance to help them improve their quality of life. Guests may stay up to 2. Families Moving Forward A separate wing of the facility 45 days, and each year, more than 50% of Project Hope s shelter designated for men and women with children that provides guests successfully transion into a be*er living situaon. a nurturing environment for children to receive the care and guidance they need. Project Hope is located at 25 Freedom Road in Painesville, and is always open to help from volunteers. Phone: February Missions Update on the vandalism to the church On January 1 some juveniles who had asked to use the gym and the youth room le: messes in various parts of the educaon wing, broke into the food pantry and the church office, and generally disrespected the facility. Apparently all that was stolen was the equipment that recorded the video from our security cameras. At least some of the juveniles were hiding in the building when the pastor locked the facility at 7:30 that night. Officer Michael Nappi of the Thompson Township Police Department did an excellent job of idenfying the perpetrators by accessing surveillance footage from the Dollar General store where the juveniles had purchased food and drinks. Kirk Fowler repaired the broken windows in the pantry and office doors. Sheryl Roessner has been working with our security company to replace the stolen equipment. Your pastor, the church leadership, the police department, and the young people and their parents have agreed: 1. The four juveniles will reimburse the church $ for repairs and equipment. 2. They will provide 8 hours of community service for the church beginning with a thorough cleaning of the gym benches and floor. 3. The police department will supervise an addional 24 hours of community service to the township. 4. The juveniles will not be allowed to use the facility except as part of organized, supervised acvity. The pastor will determine if items 1 and 2 are fulfilled to the church s sasfacon. Failure to adhere to this agreement will result in referral to the prosecutor and Geauga Juvenile Court. The church has decided to maintain the open gym hours as posted.

4 Page 4 February 2018 The Chrisan Educaon Commi*ee will be meeng Monday, February 5th at 7:00 p.m. All commi*ee members and all teachers are encouraged to a*end. We will scheduling all our events and acvies for Sunday school kids are promoting a little side fund raiser called Nickels for Nails to help raise funds for Lake -Geauga Habitat for Humanity s next housing project. So if you see a paint can sitting around, consider dropping in any loose change or an extra dollar or two. (donations will be taken during the months of February & March) February Schedule for TUMC Youth Group JR & SR High Tuesdays February 6th & February 20th 7:00 pm 8:30 pm The UMW & Faith Circle Christmas Party at the parsonage was a lot of fun. Everyone who a*ended was asked to bring gi: wrapped items that would benefit the Church. We all enjoyed an evening of fun, food, fellowship and games. Many thanks to all who a*end and for all the great items that were given to the church to help with the care, cleaning, upkeep and maintenance of our church. Lent is a season of forty days, not counng Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday (This year is on February 14th) and ends on Holy Saturday (March 31st). Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means spring. The season is a preparaon for celebrang Easter (April 1st). Historically, Lent began as a period of fasng and preparaon for bapsm by converts and then became a tame for penance by all Chrisans. The First Sunday describes Jesus temptaon by Satan; and the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday, March 25th), Christ s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent passion and death. Because Sundays are always li*le Easters, the penitenal spirit of Lent should be tempered with joyful expectaon of the Resurrecon.

5 Page 5 February January Ben Townsend 4 Joan Jerke 5 Karen Ogle Shayla Joy Childress Brenda Schwed 6 Jake Lausin Lorrie Gibson-Sweeney 7 Cindy Lausin 8 Vic Collen Rylee Turnbull 15 Gail Ba*les Birthdays 16 David Toth Vicki Turco 17 Jeane*e Bake 19 Patrick Barton 20 Marissah Childress 21 Annalisa Griffin 22 Robyn Dill 23 Lindy Lou Hopkins 24 Sheryel Fulkerson 25 Bob Nyman 28 Daniel Chenoweth No February Anniversaries Upcoming Meengs & Events Sunday, February 4 Blossom Hill Service 2 p.m. Monday, February 5 Education Meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 6 Youth Group, 7 p.m. Outreach Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 7 Pastor s Bible study, 7 p.m. Sunday, February 11 District Youth Council, 3:30 p.m. Monday, February 12 Trustees Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Council Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 13 UMW, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 14 Ash Wednesday Service, 7 p.m. No Bible Study Tuesday, February 20 Youth Group, 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 21 Pastor s Bible Study, 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 27 Faith Circle, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 28 Pastor s Bible Study, 7 p.m. If you know of addions, deleons, or correcons to the birthday or anniversary lists, please let the church office know. Thank you! Would you like us to pray for you? Start a Prayer Chain at Thompson United Methodist Church by calling: Pastor Jonathan Cooney: Jonathan s cell phone: Fay Van Gorder: Please call and remember to send cards and visit our friends! At HOME Shirley Childress Carl Doerr Blossom Hill Eva Gibson Maplewood Lois Mascorella Cardinal Woods Sally Coe Winona Webber Precious Care Assisted Living Roy Burkholder LampLighter Submissions Submission deadline is the 23rd of each month. Drop off your input at the church office, call or . Let the congregation know what your committee or church group is doing in support of our ministry and mission!

6 Service 7:00 p.m. Valentine s Day