TOWER TALKS. A church for the whole family of God. Warren First 3rd Annual Picnic Saturday, August 4, :30 a.m. 3:30 p.m.

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1 TOWER TALKS First United Methodist Church of Warren A church for the whole family of God Published on July 13, 2018 Special Points of Interest: Calling All Ladies Greeters, Ushers, Lay Reader Schedule Messy Church 1st Wednesdays Old Village Classis Car Cruise-In Praise In The Park Thank You Corner Inside This Issue: Pastor s Pen 2 Warren First 3rd Annual Picnic Saturday, August 4, :30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Your help is need in the following areas: Games/Activities, Security/Parking, Hospitality, Food Pre/Serving, Set Up/Take Down! Sign up to volunteer on the board provided in the Fellowship Hall. Church & Community Events 3 Prayer Concerns 4 Church Announcements 5 United Methodist Women s News 6 Live Music & Food Games... Bounce House warrenfirstumc.org

2 TOWER TALKS Page 2 The Pastor s Pen July Walking through Life Together I grew up in the church. I don't ever remember a time when I was not a part of the church. I attended Sunday School every week learning all the Bible stories. Then there were the stories of Jesus as he sat on a hillside teaching people about God's love for them. As an adult, I looked back on my childhood faith and realized that the main thing that I had learned was that there were certain things that I needed to believe and certain words that I needed to say to be "saved." Problem is that I had no idea what "saved" really meant. There had to be more than securing a place in the afterlife. That is when my faith journey really began. What I discovered was that our faith journey is more than gong to worship services on Sunday mornings. It's more than learning the right "doctrine." It's more than having the "right" understanding of Scripture. What I discovered is that our faith journey is supposed to do the work of transforming our lives into something that resembles the life of Christ here on earth. When I started this journey of discovering a deeper faith, I began by taking a closer look at the four Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John hold the stories of who Jesus was here on earth. In these books, we can see how Jesus lived and what he said and how he treated people. You know, Jesus didn't say much about what one needed to believe. He said a whole lot about what we needed to do. As Jesus sits on the hillside teaching, he realizes that the people might be hungry and so he feeds them. When the woman caught in adultery was brought before him, he told her that he wasn't there to judge. When the Gentile came to him for help, he didn't try to convert them to the "right" belief. In all these cases, he helped the person in front of him. Never once did he push "right" belief as a priority. For the Christ, compassions and grace and love was the priority. As I grew in my faith, what I discovered was that it was a journey we take where we open ourselves up to God's saving grace at work in our lives. It's about allowing God to transform our lives in such a way that we are transformed into Christ-like people who "seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with him." (Micah 6:8) All too often, the Christian faith is being used to demand that others believe and embody our "Christian values." (Another term with multiple meanings.) It has become something that too many believe needs to be imposed on others. I am not here to "save" anyone. I know that is God's job. I'm not here to "fix" anyone. That too is God's job. Our job is to allow God to fix us so that we can share God's love with the world, one person at a time. I am excited to be part of this journey with you as we grow in our understanding of who God is calling us as the Warren First UMC to do and be in the world. My hope is that we will go for the building each week as the church ready to serve wherever God leads. Blessings, Pastor Melissa

3 TOWER TALKS Page 3 Church & Community Events... 3rd Annual Warren Old Village Cruise-In Classic Cars Warren First UMC East parking lot 1st & 3rd Fridays All Summer 5:00-8:00 p.m. Note: Woodward Dream Cruise Weekend August For more information, contact, Paul Sadowski: Michigan Area United Methodist Camping It s not too late to find your perfect summer camp at: Camp booklets and registrations forms and are available in our Welcome Center. Scholarship requests are available in the Church Office, Summer has barely started, but it's time to start thinking about Fall. The Worship Committee encourages you to put these events on your calendar: Praise in the Park will be Sunday, Sept. 9. We will meet in the large pavilion at Halmich Park between 13 Mile and Chicago Rd. Hopefully it will be warmer this year! Following our 10:30am Worship Service, we will have a potluck lunch. Hot dogs and beverages will be provided; bring a side dish or dessert to share and your own table service. You may want to bring a lawn chair too. CATCH (Camping At The Church) will be September Come set up a tent or RV in the church's east field on Saturday afternoon. We will have a potluck supper at 6:30pm on Saturday. Firebowl vespers will follow at dusk, and then it's time for roasting marshmallows on the campfire. On Sunday morning we will have a "camp breakfast" in the Fellowship Hall starting about 9:00am. Then we will continue the camping theme in our 5th Sunday Worship Service at 10:30am. Even if you are not able to camp, you can come to the supper, vespers and/or breakfast.

4 TOWER TALKS Page 4 PRAYER CONCERNS... Recently Hospitalized David Lilly Kristina Mallek Ashley Staple Assisted Care Doug Anderson Martha T. Berry, Elizabeth Rd., Rm Mount Clemens, MI Cliff Jex th Ave. Apt. 149, Ft. Gratiot, MI Mary Etta Miller Van Dyke, Rm. 247, Warren, MI Jean Minter Sunrise Assisted Living, Hayes Rd., Rm. 216, Shelby Twp., MI Ina Sekol Shelby Twp., Mile Rd., Rm. 224, Shelby Twp., MI, Continued Prayers Active Duty Jack Barnes United States Sean Boesman Germany Bradley Cornett WA Andrew Rivard MI Vincent Farmilo Germany Matthew Seilicki CA Vincent Von Lau Army All those in active military service. Names removed from this list remain on the prayer team s weekly prayer list. Questions? Please see a member of the prayer team or contact them below. Lora Quick: , prayergramma@gmail.com Dorothy Collins: Dot McLean: , dorothym308j@gmail.com Church: , contact@warrenfirstumc.org MCREST Church s July 22: Trinity Lutheran Church, Utica July 29: St. Thecla Catholic Church, Clinton Twp. August 5: Immanuel UMC, Eastpointe August 12: St. John Vianney, Shelby Twp. August 19: St. John Lutheran Church, New Baltimore August 26: St. Kieran, Shelby Twp. Ushers Schedule July Jim Grabel Bob McLean Bob Parnell Bill Potts August Walt Kauppila Dewey & Sandy Bowers Bill & Sherry Descamps Greeters Schedule July 22: Louise Frazier July 29: Lora Quick Aug. 5: JoAnn Farmilo Aug. 12: Ruth Ann Anderson Aug. 19: Bev & Bill Glasson Aug. 26: Carole Wesner Lay Readers Schedule July 22: Robert Knakal July 29: Gary Voshol August 5: Carolyn Carlson August 12: Madison Meadows August 19: Paul Sadowski August 26: Wendy Schwartz Counters July Bev Hartman Phil Heavin Bill Descamps Counters August Bill & Bev Glasson Beth Permaloff Sunday Office Volunteers July 22: Liz Baron July 29: Jan Waud August 5: Dorothy Collins August 12: Claudia DeBacker August 19: Dorothy Collins August 26: Jan Waud

5 TOWER TALKS Page 5 Church Announcements... Thank You Corner The UMW Layette Project was a success. 200 Layettes were assembled and delivered to local agencies within Macomb County. Thank you to everyone who bought or made baby items, helped with setting up, assembling, packaging, and cleaning up. This could not have been done without everyone s help. Reva Misch Change of Address Ruth Ann Anderson Heritage Parkway Rm. 120 Warren, MI Jeff & Shari Anderson, Corey & Jeff Jr Halmich Dr. Warren, MI Dewey & Sandy Bowers 144 School Ave. Clawson, MI James & Rev. Caroline Hart 3642 E. Madison Ave. Orion Twp., MI Dennis & Rev. Susan Youmans 7051 Greenbush Lane Lexington, MI SAVE THESE DATES... Every 1st Wednesday of the Month Messy Church (Fellowship Hall) Free dinner at 6:00 p.m. August 1 September 5 October 3 6:00-7:30 pm Volunteers are needed! Sign up today in the Fellowship Hall! Jim s Florist is looking for a retiree to deliver flowers on a part-time basis. They are looking for a person who is outgoing and has a valid driver license. Contact Pat at Recycle Your Bottle Caps Sherry Descamps is collecting all sizes of bottle caps, all colors. This is an on going collection which will be given to the nuns Downriver in Taylor. What will they make you ask? The caps will be recycled and used at the base of playground equipment and to make new recycled benches. Drop off your caps in the basket in the church s kitchen.

6 TOWER TALKS Page 6 United Methodist Women During the months of July and August, the U.M.W. will have their summer break for: Mission Team, Circle Meetings, and Fellowship Meetings. Sandwich making days Church Kitchen (during the summer break) Tuesday, July 17, :00 a.m.; Tuesday, August 21, :00 a.m. Noah Project: Collecting from Now through July 15, The following items are needed: Tooth brushes and tooth paste, gloves and hats, bars of soap, lotion, shampoo and conditioner. Items can be placed in the boxes located in the Narthex at church. The U.M.W. would like to thank everyone who donated cards for persons who are Home Bound and in Nursing Homes. It is greatly appreciated! Missing books checked out months ago. Please check your bookcases! 1. Laugh Your Way to Grace; 2. Official Sunday School Teachers Handbook by Joanne Owens 3. Pack Up Your Gloomees in a Great Big Box, then Sit on the Bed and Laugh, by Barbara Johnson 4. Birds of a Feather, by Carolyn Greene; 5. A Mysterious History, by Charlotte Carter; 6. The Testament in Modern English Joann Farmilo, Secretary Program Resources CALLING ALL LADIES!! NEW NIGHT! NEW FUN!!! BY POPULAR REQUEST WE HAVE RE-SCHEDULED OUR LADIES NIGHTS AND WILL NOW MEET ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH FUN, FELLOWSHIP, & YUMMY FOOD! ALL LADIES ARE INVITED!!! September 7 th : Orange Tree Café Mile Rd. (at Schoenherr) October 5 th : Ram s Horn Restaurant Hoover Rd. (S. of 12 Mile) November 2 nd : Leo s Coney Island Mile Rd. (at Hayes) December 7 th : Olive Garden Restaurant Van Dyke (S. of 13 Mile) RSVP: LeeAnn Witherspoon You do not have to be a member of Warren First UMC to join us! Bring a friend and come along!

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