Dedication of Stained Glass Windows

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1 February - March 2015 Pastor: Rev. Walt Westbrook cntmpl852@gmail.com WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES - Saturday Night Alive - Sat, 7 p.m. - New Beginnings Worship Service - Sun, 9 a.m. - JAM Time Sunday School for children through grade 5 at 10 a.m. - The Bridge - Spend a warm, sociable, and rewarding hour over coffee and pastries to either meet your neighbors or make some new friends! Sun; 10 a.m a.m. - Classic Worship Service - Sun, 11:00 a.m. Children are always encouraged to attend worship services and functions at our family-friendly church. Nursery care is available during the 11 a.m. worship service to enhance the experience for parents. Our nursery is staffed by loving, experienced volunteers from within our church family. The nursery is located in the lower level of the education wing. We enter to worship. We depart to serve. Dedication of Stained Glass Windows The last stained glass window will soon be installed at RUMC, if not already by the time this newsletter goes to press. The church plans to dedicate the new windows during both Sunday services once final installation is complete. The window that was installed in the pulpit in January was given by many contributors to remember our Communion of Saints, all those ancestors who gave so much of their time and talents in service to God and their church throughout their lives. There will be a long table set up in front of the sanctuary on the Sunday of the ceremony. We ask that you bring framed photographs of past RUMC Saints, whether related to you or not. We are not listing family names for fear of forgetting to remember all of them, so please help remind us of those ancestors with their photographs. The date of the dedication will be announced in the church bulletin for several weeks prior to the event. Please invite your family members for this special dedication honoring our ancestors with this beautiful fine art. Linda Meadows Butler SGW Committee Remington United Methodist Church, 150 West Bowen St., P.O. Box 86, Remington, VA Admin: Tue -Fri, 8:30 am 12:30 pm adminassistant@remingtonchurch.org

2 Pastor's Letter Three Simple Questions for Lent Do you remember Three Simple Rules from last year? The rules were Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God. We had books, there were sermons, and we looked at it during our Wednesday evening Lenten studies. Well, the same author, the late Bishop Reuben Job, followed up that book with another called Three Simple Questions. The questions are: Who Is God? Who Am I? and Who Are We Together? Bishop Job says who we are is shaped by our idea of who God is. If this is true, we need to explore how we think of God and why we think that way. This little book is a great way to start. And it will be available for $5 as soon as we get them (they have been ordered). Ash Wednesday is February 18. That night we ll have a meal together at 6 pm, followed by a worship service (including the imposition of ashes) at 7:30 pm. We ll begin studying Three Simple Questions the following Wednesday, February 25, at 7 pm. We ll have five weeks, so we can really dig into the book and our ideas about God. You re welcome to come and dig with us. Thank You! Hoping that it is really better late than never, Betty and I want to thank the congregation for its generous Christmas gift to us. That s right. Christmas. Our tardiness in expressing our gratitude makes us ashamed, but we are sincerely grateful. We love this congregation, and are very glad we are here. Thank you very much. Peace and Prayers, Walt Mrs. Betty Westbrook & The Reverend Walt Westbrook LENT Lent, taking place from February 18 until April 4 this year, is a solemn observance in the liturgical year of many Christian denominations and lasts for a period of approximately six weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. In the general Latin-rite and most Western denominations, Lent is taken to run from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) morning or to Easter Eve. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and selfdenial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Bible when Jesus is crucified on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ s carrying the Cross and of his execution, are often observed.

3 Radical Hospitality By Reverend Walt Westbrook (Recent Sermon at RUMC) Deut 10:19 You shall also love the stranger; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Mt 18:5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Mt 25:35 I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me. Romans 15:7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. I ve told this story a couple of times in the last week or so. It speaks to our topic of Radical Hospitality. A number of years ago, my mother, who lived in western NC, about 4 hours away from us, needed to have her gall bladder removed. My family is the only family she had. So, I went to spend some time with her before and during her hospital stay. This is where I need to confess that Mom and I were not getting along very well at that time. She didn t like me. She didn t like Betty. She didn t even like Cassie, her only grandchild. So, needless to say, I didn t visit her very often. Betty wasn t welcome in her home, so she didn t go at all. Occasionally, I d drag Cassie along. Mom was active in her church (her father had been a Methodist preacher) and had many friends who evidently thought I was the worst son in the history of sons because I didn t pay enough attention to her. I got this impression at the hospital, as people would come to visit Mom, and give me the evil eye. Well, Mom survived surgery, and my plan was to go home Sunday after church. So, I went to her church. I had already met the pastor, who had me over for dinner one night, and who seemed nice enough. Mom s best friend, Donna, was in the church choir, and her husband asked me to sit with him out in the congregation. That was very friendly and I still appreciate it. However, nobody else in the congregation spoke to me before, during or after the service. After the service, I slowly made my way to the door, giving people the chance to tell me they were glad I was there. But, they were not glad I was there, and I m pretty sure they were very happy to see me leave, never to darken that doorway again. That may not have been how they felt, but that s how it sure seemed to me. Even if they thought I was a horrible human being, I m not sure their treatment of me, their clear message that they didn t want me there, was justified for followers of Christ. Maybe afterward, they spoke to the pastor and he may have spoken up in my defense. And, maybe they re sorry they were so aggressively rude to me. But, I don t know. And honestly, I don t care. They had a chance to present to me the welcome of Christ, and they chose to show me the very opposite. I wonder how many of us have stories about going to a church that was not our own. Have you ever been to a church where the greeting was less than enthusiastic? You re sitting there, hoping you re not in anyone s seat, and everyone around you is chatting and laughing. They obviously know and love one another. So, you feel like an intruder, an uninvited guest. It s very uncomfortable. And you know they all love their church because it s like family to them. Unfortunately, to a visitor, that family may feel like the Corleones or the Sopranos rather than the Waltons or the Engels. So, you re probably thinking that RUMC is not that bad. And I would agree with you, but it s a hard thing for me to judge. I m kind of distracted on Sunday mornings. But, is not that bad the best we can do? Is good enough really good enough? No, it s not good enough, which is why the first of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations is called Radical Hospitality. It s not radical like crazy or wildeyed. It s radical in the sense that it is extraordinary. Radical hospitality is not satisfied with being not that bad or good enough. Radical hospitality is about being unexpectedly enthusiastic about, and deeply committed to, being very hospitable. Radical hospitality is about offering to anyone who comes through those doors, and anyone else we can find, the welcome of Jesus Christ. This is not some sort of church growth program. We re not just interested in filling the sanctuary. This goes to the very heart of who we are as the Body of Christ. God is pretty clear about being welcoming to strangers. He tells the Hebrew people as he prepares them to enter the Promised Land, You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Love the stranger. Not tolerate, not eye suspiciously, but love the stranger. Jesus, centuries later, seems to feel the same way: Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. and I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. The Apostle Paul joins his voice to this radical hospitality chorus: Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Put yourself in the position of the stranger, the visitor to a church. What do you expect? Are your expectations high or low? Are you going to care that only 2 people spoke to you in a room with 50 people in it? Is it enough simply not to feel rejected? Or would you like to feel welcome? Would you like to feel as though the church members were glad you were there and wanted you to become part of the congregation? I want to share two stories of Radical Hospitality. The first comes from the point of view of the pastor and his church deciding they needed to reach into their community to bring the love of Christ to them. The second is the story of a woman who visited two very different churches. Radical Hospitality is not the exclusive purview of our Hospitality committee. It needs to engage each one of us. It needs to infect all of our small groups. The Trustees need to look at the building and see how hospitable it is, how accessible it is to everyone. The choir might look at ways to invite people to be part of the music ministry. The Men, Women and Youth should be taking the initiative to bring new people into the church through their groups. As a church, we need to look at how we feel about the best way to define it for RUMC, how it shows up in the Bible, how we can begin to take it seriously, so that everyone who comes to RUMC will be surprised at how welcome they feel.

4 When I say I am a Christian When I say I am a Christian I m not shouting I am saved I m whispering I get lost! That is why I chose this way. When I say I am a Christian I don t speak of this with pride. I m confessing that I stumble and need someone to be my guide. When I say I am a Christian I m not trying to be strong. I m professing that I m weak and pray for strength to carry on. When I say I am a Christian I m not bragging of success. I m admitting I have failed and cannot ever pay the debt. When I say I am a Christian I m not claiming to be perfect, my flaws are too visible but God believes I m worth it. When I say I am a Christian I still feel the sting of pain I have my share of heartaches which is why I seek His name. When I say I am a Christian I do not wish to judge. I have no authority. I only know I m loved. Used by permission copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

5 February Birthdays Created by The Farmer s Wife Pittman, Tara... Feb 04 Moran, Karen... Feb 06 Umberger, Jerry... Feb 09 Holstlander, Richard... Feb 15 Pucetti, Jessica... Feb 15 Mullins, Braedon... Feb 18 Nestor, Alana... Feb 19 Olinger, Evelyn... Feb 21 Jones, Doris... Feb 23 Deisch, Gabriel... Feb 25 Leazer, Jeanne... Feb 24 Helm, Dan... Feb 26 Brady, Rick... Feb 29 Westbrook, Betty... Feb 29 March Birthdays Travis Moran Walker, Charles... Mar 01 Moran, Travis... Mar 03 Lane, Rick... Mar 05 George, Lauren... Mar 06 Robeson, Stuart... Mar 06 Holstlander, Mary... Mar 07 Nunley, Angie... Mar 08 Sommerville... Mar 08 Bateman, Mattie... Mar 12 Williams, Dale Ann... Mar 13 Bateman, Jeb... Mar 14 Pence, Hayden... Mar 14 Barnett, Juanita... Mar 15 Boggs, Joshua... Mar 16 McGlothlin, Wesley... Mar 15 Reber, Shawn... Mar 18 Helm, Jim... Mar 20 Stanley, Debbie... Mar 21 Ashby, Skeet... Mar 22 Deisch, Connor... Mar 24 Lloyd, Andy... Mar 28 Lauren George Mary Holtslander Betty Westbrook Gabriel Deisch Braedon Mullins Jessica Pucetti Rick Brady Doris Jones Jim Helm Tara Pittman Karen Moran Rick Lane Juanita Barnett Skeet Ashby Richard Holtslander Andy Lloyd Hayden Pence Joshua Boggs Angie Nunley Dan Helm Connor Deisch Shawn Reber

6 February Anniversaries Robeson, Linda & Stuart... 2/14 Bender, Mona & Bob... 2/18 March Anniversaries Moran, Karen & Tom... 3/19 Tessier, Gitte & Mark... 3/22 Briggs, Robin & James... 3/28 Lloyd, Sara & Andy... 3/28 Linda & Stuart Mona & Bob Karen & Tom Gitte & Mark Andy & Sara Robin & James

7 Prayer Shawls and Wears Ministry In the year 2014, the Prayer Shawls & Wears Ministry gave over 300 shawls to people either physically or emotionally in need. In addition to shawls, approximately 200 hat and scarf sets were distributed to needy children and adults. The Center for Sexual Abuse received 100 prayer squares for women in distress. Prayer squares were also given by Reverend Walt Westbrook when he visited hospitals and rehab centers. I haven t kept a record of all the preemie and newborn hats and blankets created and given to the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep organization and the Fauquier Birthing Center. As some of you may already know, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is the organization that takes photographs for families whose babies died prematurely. The family is subsequently given a remembrance box with photographs of their baby, the hat and blanket worn by the baby, his/her finger and footprints, and literature to help them through their grief and loss. Sometimes, these babies are carried full term, yet stillborn. Please make us aware of anyone you know who is in need of comfort, peace, healing, and hope. We will gladly provide them with a shawl that has been created by someone within the group and blessed by Reverend Westbrook. If you would like to donate yarn or money toward this ministry, it will be greatly appreciated. As you can see, the need is extensive and the work is expensive. Thank you! Kaye Rich

8 SPRING MULCH SALE! There are numerous benefits to mulching your landscape. Here are ten of the most important reasons to use mulch 1. Mulching deters weeds from taking over, reducing the hard work of hand-weeding. 2. Mulching prevents wind erosion, protecting roots. We would like to thank you for your support during the previous year s spring mulch purchases. The RUMC Men s group is, once again, offering the sale of mulch this year as its spring fundraiser. Just fill out the form on the following page and return it to either the church or mail it to: RUMC MULCH SALE, 5466 Sumerduck Road, Sumerduck, Virginia Because of your support, RUMC has been able to support church missions to aid people within the Remington, Warrenton, and Culpeper communities and support church youth programs. Your generosity is most appreciated and we look forward to serving you again this year. Thank you again for support to our church and the community of Remington. If you have any questions regarding the mulch sale, please contact Wally Rich at or rkrich5466@ gmail.com. In Christ s Love, Wally Rich Mulch Sale Chairman, RUMC Men s Group 3. Mulching prevents weeds from competing with decorative plants for nutrients in the soil. 4. Mulching promotes healthier plants by holding moisture in the soil. 5. Mulch feeds the soil with nutrients as it gradually breaks down. 6. Mulch is an environmentally-friendly material that benefits the earth. 7. Mulching beautifies the landscaping, creating curb appeal for your property. 8. Mulch is an all-natural approach to weedcontrol, reducing the use of chemicals. 9. Mulching creates purpose for recycled products, such as wood cast-offs and tree trimmings. 10. Mulching protects plants against freezing temperatures for over-wintering. Heifer Project Thanks to all your generous donations, we purchased two water buffalo and a goat last year. Please continue drop your loose change into the Heifer bucket at the back of the church on your way out! Questions? See Karen Fedorov. Piedmont Lace Guild Meets one Saturday a month at 10 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. New members interested in lace are welcome! Visit anytime during meetings to see their lace work (tatted lace, bobbin lace, crocheted lace) and fiber arts in progress. Used Toner Cartridges, Cell Phones Box is located on steps of stage going into Fellowship Hall. POC: Joan Andes

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10 Report from Your RUMC Trustees January 2015 First of all, we are happy to welcome Stuart Robeson as a Trustee, effective Jan. 1, He joins these seven members: Evelyn Olinger, Chair; Peggy Simmons; Joan Andes; Wally Rich; Mark Tessier; Ed Boggs; and Charlie Smith. Your Trustees are charged with oversight of all real property owned by the church and, as such, we have struggled for years with the issue of water in the lower level. Even after several remedies were tried, the problem worsened, especially after the latest addition. In 2014, we solicited bids to permanently address the water issue. Ed Boggs suggested that we also create an enclosed room in the rear when the repair was made, which is what has been done. Simultaneously, we were given $10K from Boo Setti s estate, with no strings attached for its use. With a little additional assistance from the RUMC Men s Group, we were able to fund the entire project. Ed s crew had a small window of time before beginning a large project and they were able to work us into their schedule. The newly created room will most likely be used for storage. Evelyn Meadows Olinger, Chair RUMC Trustees IN THE NARTHEX... Items of interest that would appear as inserts in your weekly church bulletin can now be found in the narthex. RUMC ON FACEBOOK AND... RUMC has a Facebook page! If you re on Facebook and want to be added as a friend, do a search for Remington United Methodist Church and friend RUMC! FOR-GET-ME NOT FLOWERS For-Get-Me Not Flowers (formerly known as Archer s House of Flowers) will place flowers on the altar for you for only $30. Flowers are delivered on Saturday, and you can make your check out to RUMC. Please don t forget to contact the Church Administrative Assistant, at by Wednesday if you want an announcement placed in Sunday s bulletin. The Bridge Refreshment Schedule Jan 25 Lorie/Joan (Need temporary replacement) Alice/Alana Mary Beth/Terry Anne/Joan Gitta/Linda B Gayle/Evelyn Terri Sommerville/Theresa Feb 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Mar 1 Mar 8 Johnson Mar 15 Alice/Alana Mar 22 Mary Beth/Terry Mar 29 Anne/Joan/Joyce Apr 5 Lorie/Joan? If you would like to help with refreshments, please sign up. We really need your help! Thanks, Linda Butler (for Joan Andes)

11 Music Notes People Need the Lord The two young men who wrote the song People Need the Lord, Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh, give this story We were trying to write a song one day. We spent most of the morning talking about ideas. We decided around lunch time to go to a restaurant near my office in Nashville. After we were seated, a waitress came to our table. As she approached us and smiled, it seemed that her eyes were so empty. She was trying to convey a cheery attitude, but her face seemed to say something else. She took our order and walked away. Phil and I looked at each other and one of us said to the other, she needs the Lord. We then began looking around the restaurant at all of the people there. They, too, seemed to have an emptiness in their faces. We sensed a real heaviness in our hearts as we watched them. Suddenly we realized that all of those people needed the Lord. Just as quickly we both thought, we need to write that people need the Lord. We finished our meal and went back to my office and sat down to write what was in our hearts. The pictures from the restaurant that remained in our minds, coupled with the realization that millions of people around the world are also groping for some ray of light, gave rise to this. People Need The Lord Every day they pass me by, I can see it in their eye; Empty people filled with care, headed who knows where. On they go through private pain, living fear to fear. Laughter hides the silent cries only Jesus hears. Chorus: People need the Lord. People need the Lord. At the end of broken dreams, He s the open door. People need the Lord. People need the Lord. Blessings in Christ, Kaye Rich Happy Birthday February & March Borrowed from The Farmer s Wife

12 Notes from the Treasurer (As of 31 Jan 2015) Financial Review for 2014: As I complete my seventh year as your Treasurer, I want to personally thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your tremendous financial support of the Remington United Methodist Church. Thanks to your very generous contributions, we ended the year with tithes and offerings that totaled $157,653, which was $2,735 better than in 2013; actually 2014 became the third best financial year of the last seven years. We accomplished this in spite of a smaller congregation and with many financial challenges throughout the year. You should know that, by rule, the Treasurer has absolutely no visibility on individual giving and must work with the total deposits made by Linda Butler, our wonderful and dedicated Financial Secretary. So, while I don t know who the true financial heroes of RUMC are, I definitely know that we have them, and we can be proud and grateful for their extravagant generosity. I also want to thank the church organizations, like the RUM Women s Group and the RUM Men s Group, who have come through with big contributions to the budget and supported numerous projects like the ice machine, LEDs for the Sanctuary candelabras, Stop Hunger Now mission, and many others. We also owe a debt of gratitude to various individuals who made contributions of office supplies, food bank donations, and other spontaneous gifts in kind throughout the year. While the 2014 financial accomplishment is definitely good news, I must point out that we still fell significantly short of our budget target of $181,896 and fulfilled just 86.7 percent of our goal. It is important to remember that, except for some rental property income and investment interest, all of the RUMC expenses must be paid for by money received from tithes and offerings freely given by the congregation and visitors to the Remington United Methodist Church. In addition, we are obligated to financially support our fair share of the Fredericksburg District and the Virginia United Methodist Conference apportionments with our contributions. Our expenses include, but are not limited to, salary and benefits of our Pastor, the pay of our four part time employees, operating expenses such as utilities, trash collection, supplies and services, mortgage payments, and many others. In 2014, we were able to successfully cover all of our expenses, with the one notable exception, the Virginia United Methodist Conference apportionment. Prior to our Charge Conference, anticipating financial challenges ahead, the RUMC Finance Committee recommended and the RUMC Administrative Council approved a reduced budget (at 65% $21,580) for Conference apportionments for Unfortunately, because of our shortfall in 2014, RUMC was only able to send a total of $9,560 to the VA UMC Conference as our apportionment. Many of you may not be clear on exactly what apportionments are and how they are determined, so I will address this issue in more detail later in this report. In addition to the everyday expenditures from our operating budget, RUMC and many individuals participated in funding some wonderful projects and events throughout The stained glass window installation continued, culminating with the arrival of the Communion of Saints pulpit window supported by several individual contributions and with assistance from the Setti Memorial bequest and the RUM Woman s Group. The Setti bequest was also instrumental in funding the entire roof repair and storage room construction behind the pulpit. The RUMC Memorial Fund was also used to pay for construction of RUMC s new stone sign in honor of George and Dorothy Allen, Mildred Allen Lane, Kathleen Stuart Robeson, Beulah Setti Troiano, and Arnold and Helen Helm. A special thank you goes out to Linda Robeson for her magnificent job designing, coordinating, and overseeing this project for RUMC. The many missions and outreach activities of RUMC continued throughout 2014, beginning with the Epiphany Ministry to the prison system. Later, when the prison ministry was discontinued by circumstances beyond our control, the funds contributed were reallocated to the Stop Hunger Now mission. Ultimately, $2,900 was raised for Stop Hunger Now, thanks to the Epiphany Ministry, the RUM Men s Group, and individual contributions. Then on December 13, many volunteers from RUMC and other Remington churches gathered at the Fire House and packed over 10,000 meals to be sent to El Salvador to feed the hungry. A special thanks to Karen Fedorov for spearheading the SHN mission from start to finish. I am also very happy to report that special contributions to the Heifer International mission during 2014 resulted in the purchase of a Knitter s Gift Basket (a llama, an alpaca, a sheep and an angora rabbit) in honor of Linda McClanahan s superb work as a RUMC Lay Leader, plus additional shares of a heifer, a llama, and a sheep. The RUMC Missions Committee selected these animals, and I sent a total of $560 to Heifer International to make it all happen. In August 2014, thanks to an inspired effort by the RUMC Vacation Bible School, $ was gathered in memory of SSgt. David Stewart and contributed to the Wounded Warrior Project. At Thanksgiving, the RUMC Youth Group once again did an absolutely tremendous job in preparing (with help from the congregation) and distributing meals to people in need within the local community.

13 Moreover, in 2014, contributions to the Discretionary Fund provided several local families with $ in benevolence funds for assistance with utility and rent payments. RUMC and an individual donor continued to support two partial scholarships to the Little People s Playskool. It should be noted that many other outreach efforts which did not specifically pass through our financial system were accomplished in These included the wonderful mission of knitting and crocheting prayer blankets, shawls, and squares; numerous contributions to the local Food Banks; and Christmas gifts for a special family in need. I would be remiss if I did not mention the many great things that were done by funds raised by the RUM Men s and Women s Groups like the refrigerator magnets, water bottles, cash for local food banks, LED bulbs for the Sanctuary, the new ice machine, blinds for the classrooms purchased by the Women s Group and installed by the Wolfroms, and support for the RUMC budget. Supplies for the Prayer Shawl Ministry are entirely funded by different individuals in the church. Apportionments: As promised, here is a short explanation of what apportionments are and how they are determined. The United Methodist Church is organized into State Conferences which are divided into geographic Districts composed of several individual churches. Currently, RUMC is part of the Fredericksburg District within the Virginia Conference. While individual churches are financially supported by their congregations through tithes and offerings, the District and Conference organizations have no such funds and must depend entirely on financial support received from their member churches. These organizations serve as corporate entities and have employees, operating expenses, healthcare, and pension responsibilities that have to be paid throughout the year. Furthermore, funds are needed not only to support operation of these organizations, but all of their benevolences and missions as well. Thus, our apportionment helps fund the international missions of the United Methodist Church and the Fredericksburg District s Camp Westview on the James among many others. You may wonder how the RUMC apportionment amount is determined. The actual formula is quite complex, but in essence, we are asked, together with all of the other Methodist churches in Virginia. to contribute a fair share of the Virginia United Methodist Conference total budget, Each church s share is determined by taking an average of their last three years budgets, divided by a total of all the budgets of the churches in the conference. This produces a decimal factor which, when applied to the VUMC budget, yields a fair share apportionment for each individual church. Over the years, methods for calculating apportionments have changed, but what I have described above is the system that is being used today. Funds spent for building improvements and mortgage payments are allowed to be deducted from these budgets. For 2014, RUMC was asked for $33,177 as our fair share apportionment. By the end of the year however, we were only able to pay a total of $9,559.73, or 28.8 percent of our share. Endowment Change: Over the years, RUMC received several generous endowments from families (Perrow, Hedinger, Rouse, Leazer, and Baldwin), which came to $55, These endowments were kept as separate Certificates of Deposit (CDs), and over the years they returned a smaller and smaller income because of a steadily declining interest rate. For example, in 2013, total interest earned came to $614. At the start of 2014, the Finance Committee recommended, and the RUMC Administrative Council approved, that as the CDs reach maturity, they be moved to a Balanced Investment Fund within the Virginia United Methodist Foundation. This was accomplished during 2014, and as of December, the Fund returned a net gain of $2, RUMC Mortgage Status: During 2014, we repaid $6,017 in regular principal and $3,790 in extra principal to reduce the amount of our mortgage to $302,953. Due to refinancing and interest rate adjustments over the years, we were able to reduce our monthly payment from $3, to $1, currently. In 2015, RUMC is due to start a new five year mortgage period. Thankfully, interest rates remain relatively low; when we refinance our monthly payment should decline a little bit again. Financial Reporting for 2015: When I became the Treasurer for RUMC in 2008, I prepared a monthly financial summary report entitled Notes from the Treasurer. For the next six years they were placed in your church mail slots. Because we usually were unable to meet or exceed our monthly financial goals, the news tended to be somewhat negative. I always tried my best to put a positive perspective on our shortfalls, but the picture was often discouraging and sometimes even a bit grim. Some RUMC members felt that there was too much emphasis on financial matters and could prove to be disheartening and even dangerous. So in 2014, I decided to discontinue monthly Notes from the Treasurer to the congregation to see if it would make a difference. Incidentally, you should know that I still make a full financial report to the Finance Committee and the Administrative Council on a monthly basis. The actual results last year proved to be a little better than in 2013, so it would seem to support the theory that less financial news works better for RUMC. During our discussions after the sermons on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations however, it was strongly suggested that more financial reporting was desired on a regular basis throughout the year. Perhaps a middle ground approach between monthly and annual reports is what is most reasonable at this point. Therefore, I am fully prepared to do quarterly reports in If a return to monthly status reports is needed, I will be glad to do so upon request. Alex Fedorov Treasurer RUMC

14 REMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2014 FINANCIAL SUMMARY REPORT RUMC INCOME SUMMARY AS OF: 12/31/14 DECEMBER TO DATE TO DATE BUDGET SUPPORT ACTUAL PROGRAM DELTA ACTUAL PROGRAM DELTA Checkbook Carryover 11/30/14 $ Offerings $15, $13,993 1, , ,913-25,260 Rental Property Income $1, $1, ,610 15, Other Collections $0.00 $0 0 2, ,919 CD Interest $1.81 $ ,792 1,200 1,592 Subtotal: 16,685 15,393 1, , ,713-20,739 1/1/2014 DECEMBER DECEMBER INCOME PAYMENTS CURRENT EXTRA BUDGET BALANCE ACTUAL PAYMENTS TO DATE TO DATE BALANCE Fund Raising Projects $0.00 $2, $2,122 $3, , $0.00 Discretionary Fund $1, $ $50 $1, $2, Flower Fund $ $ $0 $ $88.81 Missions $ $0.00 $0 $3, , $ Subtotal: $2, $2, $2, $9, $8, $3, TOTAL BUDGET ACCOUNT $19, $187, OTHER RUMC ASSETS 1/1/2014 DECEMBER TRANSFER/ INCOME TRANSFERS INTEREST CURRENT BALANCE ACTUAL PAYMENTS TO DATE TO DATE TO DATE BALANCE Rental Property Maint & Sec Dep $1, $ $ $2, $0.00 $3, Choral Fund $2, $ $ $ $0.00 $2, Building Fund $8, $ $0.00 $4, $0.00 $13, Memorial Fund $17, $3, $12, $22, , $0.00 $5, Mission's Fund $0.00 $ $1, $4, , $0.00 $ Baldwin CD -Scholarship Fund () $2, $1.81 $1.81 $ $23.83 $2, Hedinger CD (Oak View Bank CD#50393 $11, $0.00 $0.00 $ , $20.54 $0.00 Leazer CD (Oak View Bank CD#503960) $6, $0.00 $0.00 $ , $12.14 $0.00 Perrow CD (Oak View Bank CD # $31, $0.00 $0.00 $ , $57.90 $0.00 Rouse CD (Oak View Bank #504062) $5, $0.00 $0.00 $ , $24.79 $0.00 VA UMC Balanced Fund $0.00 ($299.53) $0.00 $2, $2, $56, Subtotal: $87, $3, $13, $37, $94, $2, $83, GRAND TOTAL: $89, $23, $16, $225, $103, $2, $87,491.58

15 REMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 2014 FINANCIAL SUMMARY REPORT RUMC EXPENSES SUMMARY AS OF: 12/31/ PROGRAMMED DECEMBER EXPENDED PROGRAMMED PROGRAM REMAINING BUDGET EXPENSES BUDGET DECEMBER ACTUAL TO DATE TO DATE DELTA FOR 2014 Pastor's Compensation $63,904 $5, $5, $64, $63, ($286) ($286) District Expenses $3,710 $ $ $3, $3, ($0) ($0) Conference Apportionments $21,580 $1, $2, $9, $21, $12,020 $12,020 Staff Salaries $31,728 $2, $2, $31, $31, $112 $112 Program Expenses $3,675 $ $ $5, $3, ($1,790) ($1,790) Operating Expenses $74,116 $7, $5, $72, $74, $1,391 $1,391 TOTAL: $198,713 $17, $17, $187, $198, $11,446 $11,446 BUDGET PASS THROUGH $1, $6, TOTAL BUDGET EXPENSES $18, $194, NON BUDGET EXPENSES DECEMBER YEAR TO DATE Extra Mortgage Principal Payments $0.00 $3,790 Mortgage Support by Maint Fund $0.00 $0 Pay Out from Other Funds $13, $40,819 TOTAL: $13, $44,609 GRAND TOTAL: $32, $238, RUMC MORTGAGE SUMMARY OPENING MONTHLY EXTRA CLOSING YEAR MONTHLY YEAR PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL PRINCIPAL TO DATE INTEREST TO DATE BALANCE PAYMENT PAYMENT BALANCE PRINCIPAL INTEREST Oak View Bank Mortgage $303,442 $489 $0 $302,953 $9,807 $1,372 $16,311

16 Light Of The Storage Closet A few nights ago a peculiar thing happened. An electrical storm caused a blackout in our neighbourhood. When the lights went out, I felt my way through the darkness into the storage closet where we keep the candles for nights like this. Through the glow of a lit match I looked up on the shelf where the candles were stored. There they were, already positioned in their stands, melted to various degrees by previous missions. I took my match and lit four of them. How they illuminated the storage room! What had been a veil of blackness suddenly radiated with soft, golden light! I could see the freezer I had just bumped with my knee. And I could see my tools that needed to be straightened. How great it is to have light! I said out loud, and then spoke to the candles. If you do such a good job here in the storage closet, just wait till I get you out of where you re really needed! I ll put one of you on my table so we can eat. I ll put one of you on my desk so I can read. I ll give one of you to Denalyn so she can cross- stitch. And I ll set you, I took down the largest one, in the living room where you can light up the whole area, (I felt a bit foolish talking to candles but what do you do when the lights go out?) I was turning to leave with the large candle in my hand when I heard a voice, Now, hold it right there. I stopped. Somebody s in here! I thought. then I relaxed. It s just Denalyn, teasing me for talking to the candles. OK, honey, cut the kidding, I said in the semi-darkness. No answer. Hmmm,maybe it was the wind. I took another step. Hold it, I said! There was that voice again. My hands began to sweat. Who said that? I did. The voice was near my hand. Who are you? What are you? I m a candle. I looked at the candle I was holding. It was burning a strong, golden flame. It was red and sat on a heavy wooden candle holder that had a firm handle. I looked around once more to see if the voice could be coming from another source. There s no one here but you, me and the rest of the candles, the voice informed me. I lifted up the candle to take a closer look. You won t believe what I saw. There was a tiny face in the wax. (I told you you wouldn t believe me.) Not just a wax face that someone had carved, but a moving, functioning, fleshlike face full of expression and life. Don t take me out of here! What? I said, don t take me out of this room. What do you mean? I have to take you out. You re a candle. Your job is to give light. It s dark out there. People are stubbing their toes and walking into walls. You have to come out and light up the place! But you can t take me out. I m not ready,: the candle explained with pleading eyes. I need more preparation. I couldn t believe my ears. More preparation? Yeah, I ve decided I need to research this job of light-giving so I won t go out and make a bunch of mistakes. You d be surprised how distorted the glow of an untrained candle can be. So I m doing some studying. I just finished a book on wind resistance. I m in the middle of a great series of tapes on wick build-up and conservation I m reading the new best seller on flame display. Have you heard of it? No, I answered. You might like it. It s called Waxing Eloquently. That really sounds inter I caught myself. What am I doing? I m in here conversing with a candle while my wife and daughters are out there in the darkness! All right then, I said. You re not the only candle on the shelf. I ll blow you out and take the others! But just as I got my cheeks full of air, I heard other voices. We re not going either! It was a conspiracy. I turned around and looked at the three other candles; each with flames dancing above a miniature face. I was beyond feeling awkward about talking to candles. I was getting miffed. You are candles and your job is to light dark places! Well, that may be what you think, said the candle on the far left a long thin fellow with a goatee and British accent. You may think we have to go, but I m busy. Busy? Yes, I m meditating. What? A candle that meditates? Yes. I m meditating on the importance of light. It s really enlighting. I decided to reason with them. Listen, I appreciate what you guys are doing. I m all for meditation time. And everyone needs to study and research; but for goodness sake, you guys have been here for weeks! Haven t you had enough time to get your wick on straight? And you other two, I asked, are you going to stay in here as well? A short, fat, purple candle with plump cheeks that reminded me of Santa Claus spoke up. I m waiting to get my life together. I m not stable enough. I lose my temper easily. I guess you could say that I m a hothead. The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. I d like to help, she explained, but lighting the darkness is not my gift. All this was sounding too familiar. Not your gift? What do you mean? Well, I m a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly. Without asking my permission, she began a rendition of This Little Light of Mine. (I have to admit, she had a good voice.) The other three joined in, filling the storage room with singing. Hey, I shouted above the music, I don t mind if you sing while you work! In fact, we could use a little music out there! They didn t hear me. They were singing too loudly. I yelled louder. Come on, you guys. There s plenty of time for this later. We ve got a crisis on our hands. They wouldn t stop. I put the big candle on the shelf and took a step back and considered the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet. I had all I could take. One by one I blew them out. They kept singing to the end. The last one to flicker was the female. I snuffed her out right in the puff part of Won t let Satan puff me out. I stuck my hands in my pockets and walked back out into the darkness. I bumped my knee on the same freezer. Then I bumped into my wife. Where are the candles? she asked. They don t they won t work. Where did you buy those candles anyway? Oh, they re church candles. Remember the church that closed down across the town? I bought them there. I understood. From Max Lucado s Book God Came Near Chronicles Of The Christ 1987

17 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 RUMYG 12:30 8 RUMYG 12:30 2 Prayer Shawl Gathering 9:30-11:30am Praise Band 7:30 9 RUMM Meeting 3 4 Finance Mtg 7pm 10 Adult Choir 7pm FEBRUARY Admin Council Mtg 7pm 5 Prayer Shawl Gathering 6:30pm 12 Bible Study 6 7 Lace Guild 10-3 Sat. Night Alive (SNA), 7pm Sat. Night Alive (SNA), 7pm 15 1st Sunday of LENT (Lent ends on April 4th) RUMYG 12:30 16 Prayer Shawl Gathering 9:30-11:30am; Praise Band 7:30 17 Shrove Tuesday/ Fat Tuesday RUMYF serving pancakes! Adult Choir 7pm 18 Ash Wednesday Pastor available for imposition of Ashes, 2 pm Discussion: Three Simple Questions 19 Bible Study Sat. Night Alive (SNA) 7pm 22 RUMYG 12:30 23 RUMW Mtg 24 Adult Choir 7pm 25 SPRC 7pm 26 Bible Study Sat. Night Alive, (SNA) 7pm MARCH 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 RUMYG 12:30 8 RUMYG 12:30; 15 RUMYG 12:30 22 RUMYG 12:30 2 Prayer Shawl Gathering, 9:30-11:30am; Praise Band 7:30 9 RUMM Mtg 16 Prayer Shawl Gathering, 9:30-11:30am; Praise Band 7:30 23 RUMW Mtg 3 Adult Choir 7pm 10 Adult Choir 7pm 17 Adult Choir 7pm 24 Adult Choir 7pm 4 LENT No Finance Mtg 11 LENT NO Admin Council Mtg - Reschedule 18 Worship Mtg 7pm 25 SPRC 7pm 5 Prayer Shawl Gathering 6:30pm 12 Bible Study 19 Bible Study 26 Bible Study 6 7 Lace Guild 10-3 Sat. Night Alive (SNA),7pm Sat. Night Alive (SNA), 7pm Sat. Night Alive, (SNA), 7pm Sat. Night Alive, (SNA), 7pm 29 Palm Sunday Beginning of Holy Week RUMYG 12: Adult Choir 7pm Lent ends on April 4th.

18 A History of the REMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Remington, VA Compiled by Linda Meadows Butler, RUMC Historian July 1, 2009 RUMC s Mission Statement With God s help, we the fellowship of Remington United Methodists commit our talents and energies to following the plan God has for our church. We will provide Christ-centered opportunities for worship and spiritual growth, characterized by a loving, forgiving, and accepting environment. Further, we dedicate our resources to enhancing the lives of all persons residing in the Remington community and beyond. 150 West Bowen Street P.O. Box 86 Remington, Virginia

19 A History of the REMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Remington, VA Remington Church began as a mission church with a few families in the mid-1800's. Remington was a lot smaller back then! These families had a strong vision that God needed a faith community here. Through the years, Remington Church has served the needs of thousands of families in our area, especially in times of financial crisis and illness. We are continually at work throughout our county, nation, and world! We're a United Methodist Church, having a rich heritage of people following Christ. As a part of the United Methodist Church, we belong to a larger body called the Virginia Annual Conference (covering most of Virginia) and are grouped onto the Alexandria District of our Conference. 1 The Remington United Methodist Church is incorporated into the Remington Historic District, as designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, on May 5, The Remington Historic District is a well-preserved late-nineteenth century town that by the early twentieth century had assumed much of its present character. It contains a wide range of building types and architectural styles that are typically found in mid-sized rural communities of that era. The area settled in the early to mid-nineteenth century and from 1839 was known as Millview, in reference to a mill that stood on the nearby north bank of the Rappahannock River near the present-day railroad bridge. The Rappahannock River still has evidence of the canals along the river banks which carried products downriver to Fredericksburg. The community was renamed Bowenville after the prominent Bowen family in town around 1850 and became known as Rappahannock Station after 1852 when the Orange and Alexandria Railroad was completed through town. The railroad contributed to the growth of the town as milk, grain and passenger trains made daily stops. The first Battle of Rappahannock Station took place between August 22 and 25, 1862, as part of the Northern Virginia Campaign. Over several days of fighting, the two armies met in a series of conflicts along the river, resulting in a few hundred casualties. The two armies met 1 Remington United Methodist Church Website: 2

20 again at Kelly s Ford in the spring of 1863, just seven miles downriver. This battle set the stage for the largest cavalry battle of the war, the Battle of Brandy Station on July 9 th of that same year. The town s name was changed to Remington in 1890, after a request by the Post Office Department, which frequently confused mail with Rappahannock and Tappahannock. It was named after a Southern Railroad conduct, Capt Remington who worked the passenger trains and was well liked by the passengers who made their stops in this small town. Folks in town used to dress up and go down to the train depot in the evenings just to see who was coming to town. 2 In 1870, there was no church in the village of Rappahannock Station. There had been an Episcopal Church further up the Rappahannock River, but it was burned during the War Between the States. In 1872 under the guidance of Edward Hugh Henry, pastor of the Fauquier Mission, a few Methodists of this country village met in a small school room about half a mile west of the village center of Rappahannock Station on the site of the earlier village of Millview, for the purpose of organizing a church. Millview was first founded in the early 19 th century, and was a mere crossroads -- now the site of Wankoma Village on Freemans Ford Road in Remington. Out of the religious gatherings held at Millview came the Rappahannock Station Methodist Episcopal Church. As it was the only church structure in the village at the time, services were attended by the Baptists and Episcopalians as well as the Methodists. The dining room of the Rouse house was one of the original buildings at Millview which consisted of a country store, a school, and 4 or 5 houses at a crossroads. On the third Sunday in August, 1874, a group of young men rode their horses into town to attend Sunday School services in the carpenter shop of Mr. A. J. Harris. Along the way, as was their custom, they had filled their pockets with apples to eat during class, and then throw the cores out the shop windows. During those days, journeys took a long time and any food you ate when you got hungry you had to take with you. When the boys arrived in town they were told to go to the new church where services would be held for the first time. During class, the boys got out their apples, but were told by their teacher, Mr. Wilbur Brannin,that while eating apples in a carpenter shop was quite all right, it just did not seem reverent in a church. This was the first time services were held in the new church and it was August This one-story, cross-gable-roofed, Gothic Revivalstyle church was a rectangular, box-like white frame building with the entrance directly in the center front and a balcony across the interior over the entrance. In 1893 the balcony was removed, a vestibule and steeple added, and a bell installed. The church was heated by two big wood stoves. The ladies sat on the right and the men on the left; there was no board in the middle as was the custom in some churches. In 1893 the balcony was removed, a vestibule and steeple were added, and a bell installed. In the church s glass historical showcase is an original accounting where ladies of the church collected funds to help defray the costs of that bell. Miss Rosie Rouse wrote the first documented history of the church. Miss Rosie, as she was respectfully called by all who knew her, was a lifelong and faithful member of the church, the church s librarian, historian and Sunday school teacher. The historian duties were passed on to another RUMC life timer, Virginia Shaw Meadows, and then to her daughter Linda Meadows Butler. Here are some interesting facts taken from their combined historical records. 2 Cooperative Living, Down Home in Remington, March/April 2009, pg 38 3

21 Names of the church have changed throughout its history : Rappahannock Station Methodist Episcopal Church, South : Remington Methodist Episcopal Church, South : Remington Methodist Church 1960 s - present: Remington United Methodist Church Miss Susan Stringfellow bought and donated the lot where the church now sits at the corner of Bowen and Church Streets. Virginia Shaw Meadows, the former Church Historian, wrote, I often wondered who Susan Stringfellow was and why she was so honored by that beautiful 4

22 stained glass window behind the pulpit. It seems that the first deed to this land was faulty because of inadequate delineations of boundaries. Miss Stringfellow then bought the land again, and had the deed made out to the Church Trustees. She also gave freely of her time and energy to getting the church organized, and when she died, left a generous endowment to the church. The stained glass window behind the pulpit was given in Miss Stringfellow s memory. The weight of the old stained glass began to cause a sagging at the bottom of the window and the ones in front of the church as well. Repairs to those over 100-year old windows were completed during the summer of 2009 by Rich Kaiser of Stained Glass Works in Culpeper, Va. These repairs were made possible by a generous endowment from the Ruby Leazer Williams estate and the family of Marjorie Steiner Rice. In 1904 the church was entirely rebuilt after a fire totally destroyed the original building, with the exception of the foundation and floor of the sanctuary, a recess choir left added behind the pulpit, a Sunday School assembly and classroom added, and the vestibule and steeple moved to the southwest corner of the building. The entire cost of this work was $2,800 and that included furnishing the new Sunday School room, the purchase of a new organ, and a new fence around the church property. In 1950 two classrooms were added behind the Sunday School room for the children. The woodwork was refinished in the church in 1953 with donations and labor from the young adults of the church. The small children sat at plywood tables in tiny chairs while Mrs. Grace Ashby conducted Sunday School class. Miss Nell Leazer and Miss Edith Perrow conducted classes for the older children and teens. Removing the old bell 2006 The original bell removed from the steeple In 1958 Grace Church separated from the Remington Charge, leaving a three-point circuit Liberty, Morrisville and Remington. Liberty later split off the Charge in the 60 s leaving a two-point Charge with Remington and Morrisville. 5

23 In 1960 the church laid the cornerstone for the Education Building to house the Church School and the fellowship hall, stage, kitchen, two bathrooms, and storage rooms, and be linked to the sanctuary. Previously the only bathrooms were the ones in the classrooms behind the Sunday School room, which after 1962, were decommissioned and used as storage closets. The following articles were placed within the stone and remain there today: History of the church by Miss Rosie Rouse, Membership List Directory of Church Officials Church Budget List of steps taken for the planning and construction of the Educational Building Copy of Virginia Methodist Advocate magazine, June 23, 1960 U.S. Coins minted in 1960 Pictures of the original church and as is in 1960 Copy of the current issue of The Fauquier Democrat newspaper The Education wing was completed in June 1961 with much thanks to local member and builder/architect, Claude Ritchie. Mr. Ritchie left a beautiful legacy on the front of the building with tile mosaics. Membership in 1960 was 175. The annual budget in 1960 was $4,664. During the 1960 s the pews were replaced and the old ones moved over to the old Sunday School room on the left of the sanctuary, and the altar furniture was replaced. The folding doors separating the two rooms were removed about 3 years ago to open up the church and allow for the growth in worship attendance. This last improvement incorporated the old Sunday School gathering room into the sanctuary. Comfortable chairs were donated by the members of the congregation for seating in that section. The organ was replaced in the sanctuary in the 1980 s. Arnold and Helen Helm donated a set of chimes in the late 1990s to add to the music program. Memorial funds received for the choral fund in honor of Virginia Shaw Meadows were used to buy a sound system in 1998, which was improved upon in 2000 with additional speakers and microphones. The piano in the sanctuary was replaced with an electronic Technics keyboard in The improvements to the music program are due to the unselfish and tireless efforts of the Music Director, Kaye Rich. The audio visual system was upgraded with the overall building improvements of 2006 with Roger Hart s expertise to keep in running properly. During Pastor Mike Payne s tenure in the 1990 s, the Evans Groves house adjoining the church property on James Madison Street came on the market for sale. With encouragement from J. Arnold Helm and Evelyn Meadows Olinger, the church voted to purchase the home and renovate it. This is the only land the church has for future expansion since we are bordered by the street and the elementary school property. For now it is rental property but could eventually be upgraded for a parsonage. The parsonage was sold when Remington and Morrisville separated as a two-church charge. Just as important as the purchase of the Groves house was the vacating of the 25-foot right-of-way between the church and the Groves house by the Fauquier County School Board (recorded March 12, 2007) which paved the way for the subsequent boundary line adjustment, adding acres of the Groves house to the church property. Both documents are recorded in Fauquier County Court House, facilitating future expansion without legal complications. Because of the boundaries of the streets and the school property this is the only access the church has to adjoining property for expansion. A very exciting change to our ministry was the addition of an Associate Pastor in the Fall of 2002 and the additional contemporary New Beginnings services at Remington and Morrisville. Pastor Mike Payne shared his ministry with Pastor Sandy Boone, an Associate Pastor, just out 6

24 of Seminary. Pastor Sandy was ordained by the Virginia Methodist Conference in her last year here. We felt like we had a crowd if we had 10 people for that service in the beginning. It is now a very important part of our ministry and often has 60 to 70 folks in the congregation. In 2005 Morrisville and Remington both went station and we dropped the Associate Pastor, but continued both the 8:30 New Beginnings service and the 11:00 traditional service with one pastor. Also of importance during Pastor Payne s tenure was the addition of the wooden cross, stage, benches and lighting in the lot across from the church. The Methodist Youth Group was instrumental in making this happen with the leadership of John Waldeck, David and Roxane Rachocki, Aaron Barlow, and Ed Boggs, whose labor of love led to the installation of the stage, bench seating and lighting. The Three Crosses Our current sanctuary was 105 years old in The foundation and heart pine floors are all that remains from the original building and are 135 years old. In 2005 a Construction Committee was formed and authorized the architectural firm of Berry, Rio & Associates to submit the Phase I plans for the 2006 renovations. Local architect, John Mills, designed the renovation plan and donated many hours of his time to this project. The 7

25 work included a renovation of the narthex, a new steeple, removal of the old bell and spire, two new offices, two additional bathrooms near the offices, removal of the vertical support between the sanctuary and the old Sunday School room, shoring up of the sagging foundation, and new siding. Member Ed Boggs volunteered to offer his contracting expertise to oversee this renovation project on the Building Committee. While Ed coordinated with the contractor, Graystone Homes, Inc., and Fauquier County Building & Zoning Office, Evelyn Meadows Olinger spent numerous hours in securing a loan from Marshall National Bank and getting the necessary approvals from the District Superintendent s office in Alexandria. The cost to complete the work was approximately $465,000. RUMC as it appears today... Remington United Methodist Church After Renovations in 2006 Renovated Sanctuary 2006 with original 1874 heart pine floors 8

26 Eagle Scout Project Playground In 2007 Wesley Waldeck, a local Boy Scout and youth member of the church, designed and constructed a small playground behind the church. This project was Wesley s Eagle Scout project. In May 2009, through the leadership of the church Treasurer, Alex Fedorov, the church replaced all the 1960 s windows in the Education/Fellowship Building. This was possible through a generous donation from the estate of Ruby Leazer Williams. Not only did this greatly improve the appearance of the building but will result in a huge energy savings. Membership in 2009 is 236. Chair of the Administrative Council is Ashby Olinger and Vice-Chair is Peggy Simmons. Chair of the Board of Trustees is Evelyn Meadows Olinger. RUMC holds the New Beginnings contemporary and more casual service at 8:30 a.m. and the traditional services is conducted at 11:00 a.m. every Sunday. On the 5 th Sundays during the year the two services are combined into one at 10:00 a.m. We have an active Children s Ministry led by Karen Moran and the Youth Ministry is led by Scott Meriwether. The Methodist Youth Fellowship meets Sundays at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The MYF participates in mission projects, field trips, fun-raisers and just getting together and having fun. Once a year, the church sponsors an awesome Vacation Bible School in July. At the end of the week, we have a huge picnic to celebrate the week and share what we've learned. It's GREAT fun for all who participate...both the kids and staff. And the best part...it's completely 9

27 FREE! To register, fill out the registration form and drop it off, or send it in the mail to P. O. Box 86, Remington, VA The church has active men s, women s and youth groups. The RUMC Men's Group meets the second Monday of every Month at 6:30 p.m. in the Social Hall. The Women's Group meets the 4 th Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Social Hall. Adult Choir practice is Tuesday at 7:15 in the sanctuary. Praise band practice is the 1 st and 3 rd Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Bible study grounds are on-going and conducted both during morning and evening hours. Music is a very important part of our worship services and all who are interested in participating are welcome to join the music teams. The Music Director is Kaye Rich and pianist is Chrissy Stanton. The choir presents a community Christmas cantata every year and invites singers from other local churches to participate. 3 Remington United Methodist Church Website: 10

28 PASTORS OF THE REMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH APRIL 6, Edward H. Henry L. H. Baldwin H. A. Gaver Junior Preachers 1876 D. J. Little 1877 O. Tackett 1877 William H. Wolfe James S. Porter Junior Preachers 1877 Frazier Furr 1878 L. M. Lyle J. W. Wolfe D. F. Eutsler Lee M. Lyle William E. Miller Saul B. Dolly John L. Grant John C. Sedwick William H. Marsh Bernley D. Harrison John D. Davison Edward A. Roads H. L. Blevens William H. Waters J. H. Kuhlman E. Frank Fielding George W. Gaither 1921 Apr Oct George W. Staples 1921 Oct Mar 1922 Wendell Allen 11

29 A. B. Sapp W. H. Gray C. M. Wright Earnest T. Harrison S. C. Stickley Earl D. Miller Reuben D. Marshall Edgar A. Swann J. D. Russell Herman D. Strawn L. W. Griggs Norman J. Preston Z. V. Johnston Melville L. Johnson J. Chapman Mercer W. Stewert Maxey Robert Watts Herbert T. Parker Virgil B. Shrader Ashton Archer Bill Moore Dave Reynolds Brad Phillips Cathy Bealor Michael D. Payne Associate Pastor Sandy Boone Kathleen Monge Associate Pastor Sandy Boone John Brenneke Charles Stacy Present Walt Westbrook 12

30 How many times do we miss God s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Trust HIM always. HE knows what is good for you and may even ignore what you thought was good for you. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not, but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. If your gift is not packaged the way you want it, it s because it is better packaged the way it is! Always appreciate little things; they usually lead you to bigger things! The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. 150 W. Bowen St., P.O. Box 86 Remington, VA Remington United Methodist Church shares God s love with all people to reach and transform a hungry world.