Nashville United Church of Christ OUR CHOIRS MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC

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1 THE SHEPHERD S STAFF Nashville United Church of Christ PASTOR REV. LYNN LABS or SHEPHERD S STAFF EDITOR MELODIE TRENT Church Office Church Website NashvilleUCC.org Church NashvilleUCC@yahoo.com May 2014 MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP Thank you for your generosity in helping with the Project Believe Easter baskets! We were able to prepare 30 baskets and stuff over 300 eggs for hospitalized children and youth in the foster care system. We were also able to donate a nice check to help Project Believe with their ongoing expenses. You are truly love in action! BIBLE STUDY IN MAY During the month of May, the Tuesday evening Bible study will begin a study of the Gospel of John. All are welcome to join us! We meet every Tuesday evening from 7-8 p.m. for study, prayer, and fellowship. UPPER VALLEY CLUSTER MEETING PLANNED The churches in our SONKA cluster will meet in our basement fellowship hall at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, May 4. We are providing soup, rolls, and beverages, while the other churches in our cluster are providing salads and desserts. This is a planning meeting for anyone who attends one of the churches in our Upper Valley Cluster, and all are welcome to attend. The meeting should last no more than 2 hours. PARK AND CHURCH CLEAN-UP DAY SCHEDULED The recreation park and church clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, May 10 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Lots of helping hands are needed to get our property sparkling clean and ready for the summer season. For more information, contact any church trustee. OUR CHOIRS MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC Our choir will sing during worship for the final time this year on Sunday, May 11. Thanks to all of them for their beautiful music, and especially to Linda Eidemiller for her fine leadership! And congratulations to our bell choir directed by Kellie Peele who participated in a concert on April 6 in Germantown! They finished their performance year on Sunday, April 27 during worship. We are proud of all our gifted musicians who add so much to our worship services! ALBERT'S ARMY CONTINUES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR TRIP On Mother s Day, May 11, Albert s Army will have a third and final bake sale in their efforts to raise funds for their trip to Spirit Song Fest in June. Stop by their table in the east narthex for delicious home-baked goodies, available for a donation in the amount of your choice. Special Sundays in May: Gifts of Women Sunday May 11 Memorial Day Sunday May 25 We hope that you can worship with your church family on both these special days.

2 MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE AT WHEELOCK CEMETERY The yearly Memorial Day service will be held in Wheelock Cemetery on Monday, May 26 beginning at 9:00 a.m. As a part of that service, Pastor Lynn will offer a brief meditation honoring the sacrifices made by our veterans. MAY MOMENT FOR MISSIONS On Sunday, May 18 the Moment for Missions will be the Nashville UCC Scholarship Fund. Come to hear how the scholarship originated, how it has progressed, and how the fund has helped many young adults in our congregation since the initial funding from the children of Lawrence and Lillie Earhart. Larry, Janet, Loraine, and Lois Jean all plan to be with us that morning. SCHOLARSHIP FUND APPLICATIONS DUE BY MAY 1 Applications are still being accepted for this year's Nashville UCC Scholarship Fund. All applications must be completed and returned to the church office by May 1. The guidelines and application forms are available in the church office. COUSINS AND FRIENDS GATHERING WHAT: A Time of Friendship WHEN: Sunday, May 18, 2014, 3:00-5:00 p.m. WHERE: Home of Patty Taynor 7624 E. State Route 41, Troy ( ) WHY: Visit with the Earhart Family, Lois Jean, Larry, Janet, Loraine. Catch up on old times!

3 PASTOR S PONDERINGS May 2014 You must be glad that Easter is over! I hear this all the time from church folks during the week after Easter. I know what they mean, and I echo the sentiments. The additions to our Lenten worship services the Crown of Thorns readings and the prayers of confession disappear from the Sunday bulletin; and all the special services that Holy Week brings are behind us. Yes, the job of a local church pastor does get a lot easier now that Easter is over. But in another sense, if we believe that Easter is over, we ve missed the whole point. Easter is only the beginning! Our celebration of Easter should begin our resurrection life in Jesus Christ that promises us freedom from the guilt of sin and from the fear of death. Easter is a reminder that we Christians are not only people of the cross; we are people of the empty tomb. We are resurrection people! We are Easter people! It also makes me smile when someone says, You must be glad that Easter is over, and then adds, and life can get back to normal. Normal? A resurrected life is anything but normal! One of my friends likes to quip, Normal is just a setting on the dryer. And she is so right. To Easter people, normal means living in the risen Christ and following him wherever he might lead us. That might be leading a quiet life in a hose with a white picket fence and a cat in the window. But it also might be participating in a demonstration protesting unfair working conditions for immigrants, or leaving home and family to teach in a foreign country. Normal is indeed just a setting on the dryer where Easter people are concerned. A normal life for the Easter people is doing whatever Jesus Christ leads us to do wherever he leads us to do it. Between now and Pentecost (June 8), my sermons will consider what it means to live as Easter people. What do we do now that Christ is risen, but God s kingdom has not yet arrived in fullness? How do we live in the meantime? We know what it means to live like everyone else in the world; but what does it mean to be a part of the community of Easter people? That question is worth considering every now and then; and there is no better time than now. In these days following Easter, may you truly feel the touch of resurrection in your lives. May your days be filled with the Easter glory that does not fade over time. May you awaken each morning with the refrain in your heart and on your lips, He is risen! He is risen indeed! Easter blessings, Pastor Lynn

4 Nashville UCC 9:15 Sunday school 10:30 Worship service Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat PM CE board meeting 5 PM SONKA Cluster at Nashville UCC AM Mite Fellowship 7 7 PM Church board meeting AM Trustees' board meeting at the park 9 AM Park Clean- Up Day 11 Gifts of Women Sunday Ann Zimmerman is Imogene Roberts is Moment for Missions: Scholarship Fund 19 Nancy Boak is PM Deacons' board meeting 21 7 PM Compassionate Friends Memorial Day Sunday Wanda Hornberger is The church retreat has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 21. Put that date on your calendar now!

5 4 Jennifer Rose Peele 7 Jordan King 8 Robert Solomon 12 Jacob Patton Deanna Lee Bucholtz 14 Ann Zimmerman is 82 Russell Kimmerly Bonnie Martin 15 Imogene Roberts is Don Peele 17 Charline Werts 18 Deloris Lachey is Nancy Boak is Grant Peele 28 Wanda Hornberger is 83 Jacob King 30 Caleb Patton May 6 Mike & Carol Homan In Sympathy This church joins family and friends in mourning the death of Carolyn Heffner and Robert Wheelock Special Concern KATIE BLAUSER BECKY KLINE ELLEN KLINE JESSICA WILLIAMS Healthcare & Retirement Homes HAROLD BISSETT Cottages of Clayton 8212 N Main St Dayton, OH ROSCOE BLACK Koester Pavilion # N. Co. Rd. 25A Troy, OH MARY LOU CHADWELL Sterling House # Union Rd. Englewood, OH FRED SCHEAFFER SpringMead Rehab 4385 S. Co. Rd. 25A Tipp City, OH DOROTHY FOGLE Brethren Retirement Community # Chestnut St. Greenville, OH New Address JOAN ALEXANDER 1728 Eagle Ct. Anderson, IN At Home JUANITA BISSETT 4120 W. St. Rte. 571 Troy, OH BILL BRUMBAUGH 751 Debron West Milton, OH AUBREY JACKSON 7850 S. Mote Rd. West Milton, OH MARTHA MCCOWAN 1900 High Knoll Dr. Dayton, OH ALLEN SHOUP 4665 N. St. Rte. 48 Covington, OH DOROTHY SWEARINGIN 2182 S. Nashville Rd. Troy, OH 45373

6 OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS Elisa Feathers & Jonathan Brandon were united in marriage on Saturday, April 26, 2014, at West Milton UCC. Pastor Lynn officiated at the ceremony. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Brandon! Omer and Ann Hayes are proud to announce the birth of their 14th great-grandchild. Eris Ann Conley was born on April 15. The baby was named after her two great-grandmothers. Congratulations to newlyweds Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Honeyman. Linda and Steve were united in marriage on March 9, May 1 is the National Day of Prayer. Troy Christian School invites everyone to join them on that day from 11:55 AM 12:30 PM at the Miami County Courthouse for a student and staff guided prayer & celebration of songs. The Barn of Pleasant Hill is asking for donations of items for the upcoming pleasant Hill Community Garage Sale May The funds raised will help support The Barn. Call Eric for more information The Milton-Union Public Library is hosting local Author Martha J. Doubledee for an author event and book signing on May 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Martha s book "Marvelous Grace" is a very personal journal filled with tragedy and triumph and is now in its third printing. The book is the true story of the Doubledee family who lost 3 sons to drowning and later a grandson in a fire. The book is an autobiography with lots of pictures - recounting the marvelous grace of God during the times of greatest need. Martha is a local author from Bradford. This event is FREE and open to the public. FISH is in need of bar soap, canned fruit, and syrup. Other non-perishable items are always appreciated. There is a box at the church in the west vestibule where you can put these items. The West Milton Senior Citizens will have their annual garage sale and bake sale on May 8 and 9. Profits from the sale go toward senior activities held at the center located at 435 W. Hamilton Street in West Milton. The Generations of Life Center, a service of Hospice of Miami Co. is once again offering Camp Courageous, a day camp for bereaved children and teens. This 5-day camp will be held August 4-8. For more information call Pam Linderson at (937) Caregiver Connection, sponsored by Hospice of Miami Co. is a support group for anyone who provides care for a loved one. Offered to provide training, ideas, tips and encouragement, designed to be a chance to talk with other caregivers, and learn how to handle the challenges of caring for the needs of another person. Offered throughout the spring at the Upper Valley Community Church (1400 Seidel Pkwy) in Piqua. For more info. call Krissy McKim-Barker at (937) Thank you... Jim Heffner and family send their heartfelt thanks to every one who prayed for and comforted them during Carolyn's illness and after her passing. A special thank you to Pastor Lynn and the church members for the visits, phone calls, food, and the luncheon after the funeral. They are deeply grateful for your expression of love and compassion during this difficult time. To my Church Family, Thank you for all the cards, food, prayers and love at Joe's passing. Sincerely, The Eidemiller Family. The family of Robert Wheelock would like to thank the Nashville church for their prayers, cards, and lovely flowers. To Pastor Lynn for the comforting words. To those who provided food and coffee during the visitation, and those who helped with clean up after the service. Your expression of sympathy will always be remembered.

7 MEMORIAL DAY FLOWERS Memorial Day Sunday is May 26. If you would like to order flowers please return this order form with money to Becky Blauser or Wanda Hornberger, or place in offering plate envelope with your name and order form and mark for memorial flowers. All orders need to be in by May combo-pot $10.00 Qty 10 combo-pot $12.00 Qty Gallon Geranium $5.50 Red Qty White Qty Pink Qty YOUR NAME If you would like the flowers to be placed on the altar in memory or honor of a loved one, please print their name(s) below. To receive the church newsletter or the Sunday bulletin by call , or Nashvilleucc@yahoo.com. Pastor Lynn's sermons are now posted online. Read and comment on them at