In His Steps. Oh, How I Love Jesus. Follow Us in our Journey to Follow Him. Corry First UMC Rev. William R. Beatty Pastor

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1 February 2017 Monthly Newsletter of Corry First UMC In His Steps Corry First UMC Rev. William R. Beatty Pastor 650 Worth Street Corry, PA PHONE: (814) To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. I Peter 2:21 Follow Us in our Journey to Follow Him Oh, How I Love Jesus FAX: (814) Office@corryfirst.org OFFICE HOURS: Monday Friday 9:00am 3:00pm WORSHIP: 9:00 AM Sunday School 10:00 AM Morning Worship 11:11 AM Contemporary Worship 11:00 AM Coffee & Fellowship WEEKLY SCHEDULE: Wednesday: 6:00PM LIFE GROUP Thursday: 11 & 6:00 PM BIBLE STUDY 7:10 PMCHOIR REHEARSAL Friday: 7 10 PM FRIDAY NIGHT FLOOD (2 Groups) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13

2 In His Steps All You Need Is Love? When I was in High School I discovered the music of Larry Norman. Now, even in the 80s when I was in school, this guy s music was old stuff he was arguably the first Christian Rock musician, putting out an album in 1970 called Upon This Rock. A few years later he wrote a song called Reader s Digest with the line The Beatles said all you need is love and then they broke up. I love that line the irony and the implications. And even the truth that the Beatles might have expressed but misunderstood. It s February and among the many things we hear about this month (it s Black History Month, National Cancer Awareness Month and we ve got Groundhog Day and President s Day and, well maybe less importantly, National Pizza Day [the 9 th ] and National Cabbage Day [the 17 th ]) we ll hear the word love bandied around a good bit. I would argue that the Beatles were right: All you need is love. But they had no idea (nor did they even try to explain) what that really means. Jesus explains it really clearly: 34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 22:34-40, NKJV) Love God and love people. I realize that Valentine s Day is all wrapped up in all kinds of cultural (and retail!) expressions of what love is. And that s fine. Send a card. Buy some chocolates or a diamond necklace or a car (nothing says I love you like a new car in the driveway I guess ) but don t mistake that with what real love is all about. Those are expressions of affection and they are really healthy for us to, well, express (unless that gift puts you in deep debt that s never a good thing ). But what about love? I would argue that among the people you might send a card (or a more personal gift) as an indication of your affection on Valentine s Day, it is what you do and don t do the other 364 days of the year that really expresses your love for that person. Mother Teresa (who I believe is now considered Saint Teresa) once said, There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread. Say what you will about her, she had a way of making small statements that get to the heart of the matter, and in a few words illuminate the heart of God. Who around you needs bread that is, the basics of life? There are some, I know there are, and we are right to reach out and alleviate suffering as much as we can. But we also live in a culture, a community maybe even a family where there is more than one kind of suffering. We are more connected today than we ever have been in history and we are more isolated than we have ever been. Who do you know who needs love? Who needs a word of appreciation? All you need is love. It s true. And here s what that love looks like: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV) So, give your gifts of affection this Valentine s Day. And spend the rest of the month, and the rest of the year, offering yourself as a gift of love. True love. Jesus said, in essence, it s all we need. In Christ s Love, Pastor Bill

3 In just a few short days, our youth group (plus two other youth groups!) will be headed to our annual winter weekend retreat, Snowbound! Excited isn t really the word for the emotion that I feel anymore the word craving is more accurate! I crave the Spirit-filled, electric atmosphere in which everyone is expectant and ready for God to do a great work in them, because they have seen many times how God has moved and worked there in the past. God shows up in a huge way, and after years of prayer for this event, we have come to expect that He will. And this made me think why don t I expect God to show up this way in my every week? Why don t I come to church on Sunday expectant and ready for God to move powerfully? Why don t I expect God to move powerfully in my family? Why is it that this weekend has to be different from the other weekends of my life? Maybe you ask yourself the same questions sometimes where is God in my life? I m pretty confident that the problem lies not with God, but with me I am the one who has stopped expecting God to show up powerfully in my everyday life. I need to remember that God is present, and He is able, and He will show up but sometimes we have to exercise faith and believe with our whole hearts that He will follow through on His promises His promise that He isn t done working on us, His promise that He will never leave us, and His promise that He will comfort us. What is it like when God shows up? Luckily, we aren t the first ones to ask that question in Isaiah 35, God explains what it is like when He interacts powerfully with us: Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you. 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. Isaiah 35:2-6 NLT Are we ready for God to move like this in our lives? It s my prayer that I would be ready - not just one weekend of the year but every day of the year. ><> Sarah

4 In His Steps If we have missed your Birthday or Anniversary or there is a correction, please let the church office know. Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master s happiness! Matthew 25:21 01 Becky McCray 02 Gavin Graves, Keri Mitchell, Ryan Volk 03 Teresa Nichols 04 Becky Costello 05 Allison Frodelius 06 Weston Hepler 07 Christine Moisher 09 Ray Mosher 10 Landon Baker,Gabrielle Hromek, Caleb Zimmerman 11 Mike Andrus, Sarah King, Sean Ramsdell 12 Logan Miller 14 Heather Costello, Kim Breedlove, Carrie MacDuff 15 Eliana Hromek 16 Dan Millspaw, Curtis Nelson 19 Kyle Andrus, Kasi Reedy 21 Jennifer Measel 22 Barb Huffman, Lauren Munsee 23 Maggie Billingham, Alexis Bossert 24 Jeanine Berkhous, Tony Brutcher, Elijah Frodelius, Robyn LaSalvia, Janet McIntyre, Kortney Reese 25 Kyle Dolan, Mary Ida Olin 26 Robert Howles, Julie Moore 28 David Lindstrom Anniversaries 02 Tom and Jill Johnson 13 John & Dorothy Lindstrom 16 Julie & John Moore 25 Andy & Beverly Lindstrom January Financial Report General Fund $ 3, (Needed Weekly: $6,297) Month to Date $ 24, Needed for Month $ 25, FEBRUARY 1. John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John John h 17. John John John John John John John John John 26. Leviticus Great Lent (Orthodox) 27. Deuteronomy Matthew

5 February 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 1:00 PM-Deborah Circle 6:00 PM-Life Group 2 6:00 PM-Choir Rehearsal 3 7:00 PM-Friday Night Flood 4 11:00-3PM Winterfest Craft Show 6:30 PM-Financial Peace Univ. Pastor s Vacation 5 Pastor's Vacation 9:00 AM-Sunday School 10:00 AM-Morning Worship 11:00 AM-11:11 Worship Service 11:00 AM-Fellowship Time 11:00 AM-Honoring Bev Olander 6 7:00 PM-Mary Circle 7 10:00 AM-Martha Circle 7:00 PM-Worship Meeting 8 6:00 PM-Life Group 9 11:00 AM-Bible Study 6:00 PM-Bible Study 7:00 PM-Choir Rehearsal 10 7:00 PM-Friday Night Flood 11 5:30 PM Valentine s Day Dinner Party a Dutch Village Restaurant 6:30 PM-Financial Peace Univ. H20 SNOWBOUND 12 9:00 AM-Sunday School 10:00 AM-Morning Worship 11:00 AM-11:11 Worship Service 11:00 AM-Fellowship Time :00 PM-United Methodist6:00 PM-Finance Meeting 6:00 PM-Life Group Women 7:00 PM-Ad Council Meetin 16 11:00 AM-Bible Study 6:00 PM-Bible Study 7:00 PM-Choir Rehearsal 17 7:00 PM-Friday Night Flood 18 8:00 AM- Men s Breakfast 10:00 AM-Stampin Up 6:30 PM-Financial Peace Univ. H20 SNOWBOUND 19 9:00 AM-Sunday School 10:00 AM-Morning Worship 11:00 AM-11:11 Worship Service 11:00 AM-Fellowship Time :00 PM- 24todouble :00 PM-Life Group 11:00 AM-Bible Study 6:30 PM-Carpenters for Chris6:00 PM-Bible Study 7:00 PM-Choir Rehearsal 24 7:00 PM-Friday Night Flood 25 6:30 PM-Financial Peace Univ. 26 8:00 AM-Missions Meeting 9:00 AM-Sunday School 10:00 AM-Morning Worship 11:00 AM-11:11 Worship Service 11:00 AM-Fellowship Time 1:00 PM-Blue & Gold Dinner :00 PM-Trustees Meeting Lenten Schedule March 1 7:00pm Ash Wednesday Service March 8- April 5 Lenten Luncheons Each Wednesday Noon 1pm Join us as area churches will serve a meal with a Lenten message

6 In His Steps

7 Hi Everyone, Just wanted to get off a quick note about our work yesterday (2/6). More than a dozen folks gathered at Chosen yesterday to load a 40 ft. container with wheel chairs, adaptive equipment, medical supplies, clothing, shoes, and some supplies for a missionary family who will soon be heading to Guatemala to live and work. Other than the truck being late, everything went really smoothly. What a blessing it was to see each one come through that door. My Great Grandma used to say, "many hands make light the work". Not sure it was so light, especially for those up in the container packing it high and tight to get it all in, but in less than 3 hours we had it all in there. Thanks to everyone who helped in anyway to make this happen and to the crew at Chosen for all their help with storage, collections, running the forklift and all the little ways they help, day to day. Blessings, Debbie Hills, Ramps of Hope God is Good.. Helping with Missions in our Backyard. Participants from Corry First Kim and Sue Forrest, Ron and Connie Sitterley, and Parker Brown..

8 Take Them a Meal I would like to be removed from the list for Take Them a Meal. I would like to be put on the list for Take Them a Meal. Please print: Name Telephone: address: Currently on the list to deliver meals: Joni Andrus, Lisa Andrus, Rhae Brown, Pastor Bill, Beth Carpenter, Nancy Dingfelter, Dody Kerstetter, Mary Gutz, Tina Hawley, Jen Heiser, Margaret Higley, Megan Kennedy, Lois Labowski, Jennifer Michel, Janet Munn, Jerry Owens, Kellie Steadman, Candy Wells For Times in life when filling their table will warm their hearts 1. Go to takethemameal.com 2. Click Meal Scheduling 3. Type last name of recipient 4. Type the password: FUMC 5. Click Search 6. Page shows address, delivery time, notes 7. Type your name under meal provider 8. Choose day of week, Fill in blanks 9. Click Sign Up Meal Coordinator: Pam Millspaw Questions? millspap@gmail.com

9 Page 9 of 10 Church & District Events The annual Valentine s Day Dinner and Party will be held on February 11 starting at 5:30 at Dutch Village Restaurant in Clymer. Dinner will be served family style and features: Baked Chicken and Swiss Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Tossed Salad, 2 Vegetables, Homemade Bread, Dessert and Beverage. There will be group games, fellowship and prizes to win. Tickets will be available before and after the 10 AM service or at the church office during the week. The cost is $20 per person and tickets must be purchased by February 1st. We hope you will join us. PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: CORRY FIRST CONTACT CONNIE SITTERLEY & 2 Ministry Thank you for helping with this Backpack Ministry! If you would like to help, we are collecting cheese & crackers (or Goldfish Crackers) and Granola Bars. A complete list and the 5 &2 Tub are located in the Main Narthex. Bi-Annual Yard Sale This year we will have our Yard Sale on June 9 & 10 th to support the Carpenters for Christ Ministry. Begin gathering up items to donate and you can drop them off at the church during the week. Thanks for your donation.. Easter Musical On April 23rd, the Sunday after Easter, the choir would like to do a musical called "The Life of Christ". We really need more choir members to just to do this musical. There will be 7 practices on Sunday, after the 10am service in the sanctuary, starting Feb. 19th at 11:15 till noon. There will not be any practice, on March 12 or Easter Sunday. Please consider joining us for this special presentation. If you are interested, please contact Jill Johnson, so we can have enough music ready for you practice. We LOOK forward to have you join us!! PREPARING FOR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER Increasingly, mass shootings are in the headlines and a concern to businesses, organizations and institutions. Would you know how to respond if you heard shots fired where you are? There are many steps that can be taken to increase your odds of survival if you should have such an incident. In this well researched program you will: Review strategies recommended by Homeland Security Move from condition white (oblivious) to condition yellow (aware) Discuss the numerous response considerations and how to choose the most appropriate option for your scenario Develop a survival mindset The cost for this one day training is $59 for a single person from an organization and $49/person for multiple persons from the same organization. Register by February 1st and save $10/person. The training will begin at 10:00 am through 3:00 pm on Thursday March, 2, There will be an hour break for lunch provided by Jumonville and included in the cost. Click here to register online as either a participant or as a sponsor. ( ) SPRING WOMEN'S RETREAT April 23-25, Come laugh, learn, and be rejuvenated with Sue Duffield! Sue is a singer, songwriter, humorist, speaker, author, and advocate who loves to make people laugh with her off-the-wall Jersey logic and sacred sarcasm. MORE INFO (

10 First United Methodist Church - Corry LEADERSHIP Support Ministries (* = Admin Council Mbr) Lay Leader Rhae Brown ( 19)* Administrative Council Chairperson Kim Forrest ( 19)* Lay Member to Annual Conference Rhae Brown * Alternate Lay Mem. To Ann. Conf Mary Gutz Membership Secretary Lisa White * Administrative Council Members at Large: 2017* - Diane Dougherty 2018* - Tom Labowski 2019* - Greg Frodelius, Dale Higley, Joshua Heiser Staff-Parish Relations Committee: Chairperson Larry Wells ( 19) * 2017 Dick Root, Cal Kerstetter, John Lindstrom Beth Carpenter, Robin Williams Mike Andrus, Chris Cobb, Larry Wells And Lay Leader, Lay Member to Annual Conf Trustees: Chairperson Dan Millspaw* 2017 Tom Measel, Lisa Fairchild, Jill Curtis 2018 Dave Schwabenbauer, Mary Matteson, Dan Millspaw 2019 Ron Sitterley, Frank Carpenter, Greg Antelek Finance: Chairperson Anita Baker ( 18)* Lay Mem Annual Conf Rhae Brown Trustee Chair Dan Millspaw Admin Council Chair Kim Forrest Lay Leader Rhae Brown Finance Secretary Mary Gutz Staff-Parish Relations Larry Wells Treasurer Linda Hajec* Pastor Bill Beatty Members at Large: Dorothy Lindstrom ( 17) Youth Director Sarah King Mission Team - The Butterfly Class Ken Swank ( 17) Nominations: Greg Frodelius ( 17), Tim Lindstrom ( 17), Sally Amy ( 17), Valerie Watrous ( 18), Dale Higley ( 18) Jackie Harrington ( 19) Janet Munn ( 19) Marla Cox ( 19) Jen Heiser ( 19) LEADERSHIP Program Ministries ( * = Admin Council Mbr) Worship Chairperson Dody Kerstetter ( 18)* Choir Director Jill Johnson Staff Musicians Wendy Swank, Pam Millspaw Multi-Media Coordinator Matt Kennedy Comm. Stewards Sue Gabriel, Charmaine Root, Joni Andrus, Christine Cobb, Lori Beatty Discipleship Chairperson Co-Chairs Becky Gibson and Joanie Thomas* Members (TBD) Sunday School Superintendent Candy Wells* Children s Church Coordinator Beverly Lindstrom Family Ministries Coordinator Pam Millspaw Librarian Lisa Fairchild Hospitality/Fellowship Chair.: Bonnie Antalek Members: Denny Bogert, Judy Bogert, Beverly Olander, Chubby Curtis, Nancy King, Ila Long, Joni Andrus Mission Team Coordinators The Butterfly Class * H2O Student Ministry Sarah King* United Methodist Women Candy Wells* Men s Ministry Dale Rath* LEADERSHIP Staff Senior Pastor Bill Beatty Youth Director Sarah King Visitation Pastor John Rough Administrative Ass t. Lisa White Adult Choir Director Jill Johnson Nursery Coordinator Linda Brown Treasurer Linda Hajec Custodian Bonnie Middleton Custodian Lisa Weaver Contemporary Worship Director Doug Neckers Organists Pam Millspaw and Wendy Swank