Reconnect This Lent words from Pastor John

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1 S T. A N D R E W U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H Volume 12 Issue 2 February 2012 Here we are, 49 days away from spring! It s a reoccurring theme with me if you haven t noticed, the countdown that is. I start it as soon as I can. It s not that I want to wish away the beautiful days of winter.. But, let s bring on the sunshine! I ve already been talking with people about vegetable gardens. I don t put out one anything like my Dad did, but we never run out of tomatoes in season. Reconnect This Lent words from Pastor John through these days you may also be embracing that sense of preparation. May our focus not only be around the garden design and mower tune ups, but also with our spiritual life as well. Ash Wednesday, February 22 marks the beginning of the Lenten season. It is a season of preparation with a recognition Winter isn t my favorite season, but without it we wouldn t have spring. I find the spring such an exciting time of the year. God s creation all energized and ready to burst forth in a radiant splendor. I love the words of the 145 th Psalm 4-6 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They tell of the power of your awesome works and I will proclaim your great deeds. As I find myself wandering through these remaining days of winter, I do so with the wonderful promise of spring on the horizon. I pray that as you move that Easter is on the horizon. I hope that you can set aside a time on Ash Wednesday to gather with the faithful of St. Andrew to begin this corporate journey together. The Lenten season is a time of spiritual preparation, and together on that night may we begin that journey. From time to time I ve heard people say I just don t know where I fit in. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ if you ve ever felt like that take this opportunity to re-connect with God and your fellow sojourners. The invitation stands open and you re invited to come and experience God anew in your life. Come! The people of St. Andrew have been called by God to embrace, equip and encourage persons of all ages to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. e 3

2 Happy Birthday Ron Shelton 02/02 Donna Shoup 02/02 Emma Brown 02/05 Janice Garrett 02/05 Cindy Miller 02/06 Ron Reynolds 02/06 Bob Schalle 02/06 Beth Pippin 02/08 Chuck Lauersdorf 02/09 Andrew Kirk 02/11 Josselyn Terpenning 02/11 Jean Rodesky 02/13 Bill Hughes 02/14 Leslie Newhouse 02/14 Louise Ashbaugh 02/15 Alex Bennett 02/15 Amy Schalle 02/16 Kara Sandberg 02/17 Jill Hitt 02/19 Ben Kirk 02/23 Marlene Krueger 02/23 Meghan Nicholson 02/23 Jonathan Morelock 02/26 Michael Muller 02/28 Charlene Walker 02/28 If your birthday is in February and is not listed here, please let Donna know Sermon Topics and Scriptures Lessons for February 2012 February 5 Communion Sunday Isaiah 40:21-31 "Run-Do Not Be Weary" Rev. John Schlicher February12 8:15 & 11:00 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Living a Life Pleasing to God" Rev. John Schlicher 9:30 John Slate February 19 2 Kings 2:1-12 "God's Promise" Rev. John Schlicher February 26 1 Peter 3:18-22 "Nothing Can Separate Us" Rev. John Schlicher February ~Saturday 11 Candlelight Dinner ~Sunday 12 Boy Scout Sunday ~Wednesday 22 Ash Wednesday Looking Ahead Phone: Fax: standrewumc@ameritech.net Website: Office Hours: 9:00 3:00pm Monday Thursday 9:00 Noon Friday Sunday Worship Times 8:15am, 9:30am & 11:00am 9:30am Sunday School Child Care at Sunday Services St. Andrew UMC is a Safe Sanctuary Congregation Staff of St. Andrew Rev. John Schlicher - Senior Pastor Debbie Caudill - Director of Spiritual Formation John Slate - Director of Music Ministry Shawn Stanley - Music Support Marlene Krueger - Organist Donna Kirk - Administrative Assistant Missy Schnipke - Childcare Worker Kristina Enix - Childcare Worker The Personal Touch - Custodians Congregation - Ministers of St. Andrew March ~Sunday 11 Daylight Savings time ~Sunday 18 Girl Scout Sunday April ~Sunday 1 Palm Sunday ~Thursday 5 Maundy Thursday ~Friday 6 Good Friday ~Sunday 8 Easter Page 2 F OOTPRI NTS

3 Please pray for these people who have been in the hospital, ill, or recuperating in the past month or are simply in need of our prayers and support. Care and Prayer Ann Shelton Ruby Geist Lora Lehman Clara Brown Jean Davis Bob & Jane Henry Rick and Jean Rodesky Edith Leonard Kate Messmore Julie and Stan Erk Jerry Sedlacek Jeanne Poling Mary Lou Fox Jeannie Duncan Charles Thomas Dee Baxter Donna Shoup Marilyn Hackett The St. Andrew prayer chain is always available to pray for you. Contact Jean Watts at Prayer requests can be made at the Atrium prayer box, online at standrewumchurch.net under let us pray for you, or by calling the church office. Every week, a group of people pray for the needs of our members, our church, our community, our country and world. Prayer notes will also be sent to those being prayed for if you provide an address to either Melinda Nutter or the office. remember where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them - Matthew 18:20 Get Connected Intentional Prayer Prayer Our condolences go out to the families of David Shultz and Berdena Williams on their passing. Lay Speaker Training Saturday, April 21, 8:30am-3:30p, at Sulphur Grove UMC. Class is for both Local & Certified lay speakers. You will be sent a brochure if you are a current Local or Certified Lay Speaker. If you would like a class brochure sent to you, call Shirley Harper, , or the MIV District Office, Church History Book This is the last call for any pictures you might have of any St. Andrew event from this past fall and winter. I will be finishing up with the 2011 History Book soon." Flo Craig To all of our friends as St. Andrew we say thank you for the phone calls, cards, visits and meals. St. Andrew has so many unique and wonderful people. God bless you all. Pete and Jean Davis Martha's Closet Jerry Sedlacek We will continue our food collection for the Wesley Center in February. The red wagon will be placed in the Atrium on Sunday, 2/5, as a reminder of our collection on Sunday, 2/12. Please support our St. Andrew outreach program by bringing food items that you can spare. V OLU ME 1 2 ISS UE 2 Page 3

4 Lent Begins February 22 Ash Wednesday Service 7 pm in the Sanctuary In looking ahead to the season of Lent, I found these thoughts from author and pastor John Van de Laar helpful. I pray that you will as well. Susy Fox WE LIVE in a world that doesn t particularly enjoy selfexamination or facing our own shadows. There is much that calls us to think about life, our potential, and reaching for our dreams, but very little to call us to see ourselves truly and confront those thing within us that are destructive. This is why we need the season of Lent during which God calls us to hear his warning and convicting voice, and to turn back to the ways of mercy, justice and humble service. Although it may be painful to acknowledge our brokenness, our selfishness and our capacity for destruction, ultimately life can be found only by traveling through this valley of the shadow of Candlelight Dinner February 11th It's a new year and time to get back to fulfilling our mission goals. For Hearts4Homes that means completing the raising of $60,000 plus covering a start-up donation. We're close on the main goal 97% and we have an offer for you that will be fun as well as beneficial towards completing the Boroff Home Addition. On Saturday, February 11, at 6:00 PM you are invited to a dinner in the Fellowship Hall prepared for you by our resident chef Marc Boroff, and others who will cater to your every need as you enjoy this evening out. death. So, Lent is not just a time of repentance and solemnity. It is also a time of celebration and possibility the possibility of life in abundance. On Ash Wednesday we begin the metaphorical journey of following Jesus through the wilderness. Yet, we are given, already now right at the beginning a glimpse of the resurrection that awaits. On Ash Wednesday we recognize that we are sinners in need of a Savior, but we also celebrate because what is offered to us is a path that leads to life. Ash Wednesday offers us a doorway into developing the discipline of confession and repentance, which not only builds our spiritual connection with God, but also strengthens our relationships, gives us a clearer and more humble perspective on ourselves, and leads us to live well in the world, bringing life, rather than bringing pain. May our repentance and honesty lead us to life as we worship on Ash Wednesday. -Reprinted by permission from Sacredise.com The menu will be: Spinach and artichoke dip Caesar salad Three cheese chicken pasta alfredo Dessert You can also be a part of this event by offering your help with set up, decorating, taking photos, serving and clean up. me at mwsedlacek@gmail.com or call me at if you can help. There is no ticket cost but a freewill offering. Reservations are necessary for foodplanning and childcare. Please sign-up on the sheet in the atrium by Sunday, February 5. We'll have a great time. Marge Sedlacek, Chairperson of Communication & Fund-raising for Hearts4Homes V OLU ME 1 2 ISS UE 2 Page 4

5 St. Andrew Holiday Bazaar Seeking Chairpersons Neighborhood Outreach Mission Support Multiple Opportunities to Serve Church-wide Fellowship Friendship Building One-Stop Holiday Shopping Fabulous Luncheon Knowledgeable Training Resources All-Church Holiday Bazaar Saturday, November 10, :00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Call Chris Watters to reserve your opportunity. Experience Transformation As spring approaches, and the days lengthen, we encounter the days of Lent---a journey from dark to light, an opportunity to reflect, and a chance to renew ourselves to become more Christ like. God showed us how to be radically different human beings through Jesus Christ. And, He wants us to show the rest of the world how to be filled with his presence and shaped by his grace. What are some ways that you will allow yourself to be transformed? What are some disciplines that you can focus on as you remember Christ s sacrifice? Oftentimes, the answer is some form of denial. Yet-- -we must be careful that the denial doesn t become the focus. Giving up sweets doesn t necessarily make one more of a follower of Christ. But, it can make one more irritable and fixated on the sugar reward at the end of 40 days. One discipline I can suggest is immersion in the study of God s Word. During the Lenten season, several different groups will be participating in Adam Hamilton s Bible study: 24 Hours That Changed the World. As of this writing, there will be two offerings on Sunday mornings (at 9:30 and 11:00 am) and one on Sunday evenings (6:30 pm), with the opportunity for other sessions. In addition, there are other Bible study options on Wednesday evenings. Please contact me with any questions you may have. From the penitence of Ash Wednesday to the glorious dawn of Easter Sunday, allow yourself to be transformed by God s awesome power. Then be prepared to share the story of Christ with others, and experience the miracle of seeing others transformed. It s always good to have companions on the journey. Hope to see you there! Debbie Caudill V OLU ME 1 2 ISS UE 2 Page 5

6 Church-wide Journey to the Cross! The Art Explorers Club invites the entire church to join them as they follow the footsteps of Jesus in his last weeks leading up to his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. Beginning, Wednesday, February 29 th at 6:30 pm, there will be opportunities for young and old alike to contribute to art that will adorn our church during Lent and Easter. No prior art experience necessary---just the desire to engage in creativity, fellowship and learning that will reveal the glorious message of God s redeeming love! The Journey to the Cross will take place in the Sew & Sow room downstairs in the church. Feel free to join in the Wednesday fellowship meals at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Please contact Susan White for any further details. February 21st was Erma Bombeck s birthday, she would have been 85 this year. Here are some words of wisdom from one of Dayton s daughters. Thanks to Georgia Johnson for providing them. IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer). I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.' But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute. look at it and really see it.. live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!! Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Page 6 F OOTPRI NTS

7 February 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 6:00 Fellowship Meal FH 6:00 Art Club 6:30 Men s Study 102 6:30 Young Adult Study 116 6:45 Choir Practice 7:00 GS SU CR 2 6:00 GS FH 7:00 UMW Exec. Board CR 3 8:00 NA FH 4 5 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 6 7:00 Praise Team 7:00 Boy Scouts FH, :00 Men s Breakfast OS 9:30 Sow & Sew 121 6:00 Oak Tree Corner FH, Edu 7:00 Ad Council CR 7:00 Boy Scouts :30 Staff Meeting CR 6:00 Fellowship Meal FH 6:30 Art Club 6:30 Men s Study 102 6:30 Young Adult Study 116 7:00 Choir Practice 9 6:00 GS FH 7:00 Missions CR 10 8:00 NA FH 11 6:30 Candlelight Dinner 12 Boy Scout Sunday 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 13 7:00 Praise Team 7:00 Boy Scouts FH, :00 Joy Breakfast OS 9:30 Sow & Sew 121 6:30 MOPS CR 15 STARS 6:00 Fellowship Meal FH 6:30 Art Club 6:30 Men s Study 102 6:30 Young Adult Study 116 7:00 Choir Practice 6-9 Garden Club CR 16 6:00 GS FH 7:00 Mary & Martha OS 17 8:00 NA FH BCS No school 18 9:00 Esther Circle CR 19 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 20 7:00 Praise Team 7:00 Boy Scouts FH 21 8:00 Men s Breakfast OS 9:30 Sow & Sew 121 5:30 Oak Tree Corner FH, Edu 7:00 SPRC Ash Wednesday 10:00 Koinonia Circle 105 7:00 Ash Wednesday Service 23 6:00 GS FH 7:30 Lydia Circle :00 NA FH 25 BCS No school 26 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 Worship 9:30 Sunday School 27 7:00 Praise Team 7:00 Boy Scouts FH 28 8:00 Joy Breakfast OS 9:30 Sow & Sew 121 6:30 Teen MOPS CR 7:00 Naomi Circle OS 29 6:00 Fellowship Meal FH 6:30 Art Club 6:30 Men s Study 102 6:30 Young Adult Study 116 7:00 Choir Practice V OLU ME 1 2 ISS UE 2 Page 7

8 S T. ANDREW UNITED ME THODIST CH URCH 350 N Fairfield Rd Beavercreek, OH catch a breath of fresh air St Andrew United Methodist Church Beavercreek non profit organization us postage paid Xenia Ohio permit #13 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED 1 pastorjohnschlicher@yahoo.com standrewumchurch.net Get Connected Intentional Prayer Bible Study Mission Worship Worship Candlelight Dinner February 11th at 6:30 See page 4 for more information February 22 Ash Wednesday Service 7pm April 1 Palm Sunday April 5 Maundy Thursday Service 7 pm April 6 Good Friday Service 7 pm April 7 Easter Come and join us as we celebrate the season of Lent and re-connect with our Lord.