(Continued from front page) Trust = Peace by Vickie Steck

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1 (Continued from front page) Trust = Peace by Vickie Steck Let the rest of the story for us read: "... when the good people of St. John's UCC made it through a time of transition, no wound was found on them because they trusted in their God." Which Bible stories do you remember from your childhood? RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED St John s United Church of Christ 801 South Mechanic Street Jackson, MI Website: Church office (517) Pastor: Rev. Dr. Patricia Kenney President: Vickie Steck Office Administrator: Bobby James May 2018 Trust = Peace by Vickie Steck From Philippians 4: 4-7 New International Version (NIV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. These are four powerful, empowering verses. Faith, not fear. Peace, not anxiety. I remember many Bible stories from my childhood Noah s Ark, Joseph s coat of many colors, the baby Moses in the bulrushes more, more, and more. I loved them all. The story of Daniel in the Lions Den though...he didn t get eaten by the lions really? To me, as a child, that one seemed a bit unbelievable. But, in Daniel 6:23, it reads, when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him. Perhaps as a child, the story stopped there in my mind. Perhaps, I was focused more on how scary it would be to be trapped with a bunch of lions, perhaps I was thinking that the lions had just been fed and weren t hungry. But really? Daniel wasn t hurt really? I admit, I also understood that Daniel was a Christian and believed in God. What I do not remember understanding is, the rest of the story as Paul Harvey, the radio great, used to say. The rest of the story is in the last few words of that 23rd verse in Daniel 6, because he had trusted in his God. I understand that part of the story now as an adult. I understand that Daniel was faith filled he could trust in God and be at peace even in an anxiety-ridden situation. He could trust in God and continue his worship and service for God. Daniel 6:23 when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (Continued on back page)

2 Prayer Requests Pastor Patti has taken a medical leave of absence. Continuing prayer is needed to strengthen and heal her heart issues. Linda Reasoner is at Country Side Rehab. She is in room 227. Lots of love and prayers coming your way Linda. Prayers for a speedy recovery. Rose Johnson had fluid removed from her lungs on Tuesday May 1, Blessings and prayers to her and Gene. David Miller has returned to HF Allegiance Hospital due to an infection. Let s pray for him and Linda during this difficult time. Please pray for Faith Smith, as she continues to recuperate. Please pray for all who are sick, needing assistance and are alone. Scholarship Applications Scholarship applications for 2018 will be available the end of this month. They can be picked up in the office, and or can be ed to you and will need to be completed by the end of June. See the wonderful thank you notes below to see how they have helped in Scholarship Thank You Notes I am writing to thank you for the generous scholarship. I was very happy and appreciative to learn that I was selected as the recipient of your scholarship. I am currently a senior studying Environmental Geography and have three semesters left. As a recipient of your scholarship, it will help me get a little closer to that goal. Thank you again for your generosity. Sincerely, Amanda Robinson There s a spirit of helpfulness that shines through everything you do - and even though the warmest of thanks would never be enough to repay you, please know how appreciated you are and what a true blessing you ve been. Thank you for awarding me this scholarship. The extra help in funding my education to support my dream of becoming an engineer means so much to me. Joseph Robinson News From the Church Pastor Patti Update: Pastor Patti will be out on medical leave until May 31, Please continue to pray for her and Tom during this difficult time. Shoe Fundraiser - No $$ Needed!!: Please help support a fundraiser for the church! We need your gently used/new shoes. All you need to do is collect as many pairs of unused shoes from your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, card buddies, workout buddies, acquaintances as you can. They can be tennis shoes, flip flops, dress shoes, boots, kids shoes, slippers... as long as they are in decent shape and they are a pair (no single shoes please). More information and an official kick-off date will be announced soon, but feel free to start collecting now! We will get paid by the pound for the shoes we collect. Easy peasy! Thanks in advance. Janice Hoffman, Fundraising Chair Caring Skills Training Led by Rev. Chuck McNeil If you would like to enhance your visitation and caring skills, put Saturday May 19, 2018 on your calendar! In coordination with the Elders, Rev. Chuck McNeil will offer a training session to those in our church family. The training will be held in the Fellowship room, at St. John s UCC from 10 a.m. till noon. Please contact the church office to make a reservation. Summer Music 2018 (Senior and Youth Choirs) It doesn t seem like another year has gone by and it is time to give the choirs a rest for the summer. The last official Sunday for choirs is May 20, The summer music schedule will begin May 27. If you or someone you know would like to provide music during the summer months, you can contact Penny Smeltzer this Sunday at church or contact her anytime by phone (home) , (cell) or her at pennysmeltzerp12@gmail.com. Our congregation looks forward to the change of pace and really enjoys the variety of music presented during the summer months. We are open to solos, duets and trios providing either choral or instrumental music. Looking forward to hearing from you. (Good News Choir II) Last rehearsal for GNC II is June 3, 2018 for the summer months. They will sing the following dates: May 13, I Love You, May 20, The Fruit of the Spirit and June 3, 2018, Amazing Grace. Committee Chairs: Please remember to let the church office know when you are planning your committee meetings. This benefits all of us being the church together in a few ways: Our office calendar, Sunday bulletins, and newsletters can list the date, time and place. It could assure a space can be reserved in the building to hold the meeting. This can help the congregation know when we have active committee work going on. It can be a great reminder that church is more than worship service on Sunday Mornings. An added benefit is that if you provide names and contact numbers of your committee members, to Bobby, the office will be able to support your efforts for ings, mailings, calls reminders, etc.

3 May Birthdays May 1 Meghan Osborne May 16 Ian Wilson May 3 Jeannine Daugherty May 17 Philip Patefield May 4 Gary Allen May 19 Karen Duncan Louis Cubille May 20 David Chesney Michele Daugherty May 22 Delila Johnson John Roggenbuk May 23 Cody Schroeder May 6 Andrew Hackworth May 24 Shelly Root Alex Handloser May 25 Patrick Byhmhold May 7 Joanne Horsley Joseph Daugherty Jr. Kenneth Canter May 27 Wendy Allen Ruby Canter Emily Benedict May 8 Miriam Brown Dorsey Ron Thompson Fred Shaffer Edward Artz May 10 Emily Bowman May 28 Janell Bumpus Brooklin Trudell Rose Canter May 11 Chandra Elliott May 29 Samantha Havens Diamond Shannon May 31 Antonio Ojeda May 12 Sherman Smith Austen O Reilly May 14 Victoria Canter May 31 Kelsey Bendict May 15 Caleb Allen Our Council and Committee Heads for 2018 This is a list of this year s church leaders elected by the congregation last October. You are welcome to ask questions or discuss topics related to their committees anytime. President Vickie Steck Financial Secretary Dorothy Woodruff Vice President Larry Chase Treasurer Gene Johnson Past President Dick Poor Recording Secretary Jeannine Havens Pastoral Relations Jan Janke Facilities Carl Robinson Stewardship Jim Benedict Memorial Funds Linda Reasoner Fund Raising Janice Hoffman Education Ministries Robert Farrell Youth Ministries Tony Thomas Fine Arts Team Worship Mike Young Outreach Barb Shelton Christian Community & Care Team Cathy Welker & Michele Wilson Fellowship & Recreation Ann Church & Bobby James Delegate MI Conf Janell Bumpus & David Chesney Alternates Miriam Brown Dorsey & Sherm Smith Schedule 2018 May 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 Driver: Dick Poor Sherm Smith Carl Robinson Duane Leece Worship: MB Dorsey Bobby James Barb Shelton Sherman Smith Greeter: Jean Allen Barb Parks Linda Canter M.B. Dorsey Greeter: Mary Tropp Wanda Beavers David Chesney Jim Benedict Greeter: D.Shannon N Hackworth C.Neuendorf D. Benedict Greeter: Muriel Ort Art Bonner Mary Tropp Art Parks Greeter: Linda Miller Barb Parks Usher: E. Handloser Gary Reasoner N. Hackworth Barb Byrum Usher: Jim Benedict Mary Tropp Barb Parks Sherm Smith Usher: Donna Benedict J.Roggenbuk Larry Chase Cathy Welker Usher: Wanda Beavers M.B.Dorsey Art Bonner Jerry Nelson Usher: Bob Harkness D. Woodruff David Chesney Usher: Ronnie Nelson Comm: Comm: Jan Glowe-Janke Erv Handloser Coffee: Ann Church Church School Sunday Please call the church office if this schedule does not work for you. Thank you.

4 May 2018 csun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 6 p.m. AA Prayer Room 2 5:30 p.m. United Center for Caring Meeting 3 6:30 p.m. Youth Choir 7:30 p.m. Adult Choir a.m. Elders Meeting 7-10 p.m. Peace Prom 6 9 a.m. Adult Bible Study 2:30 p.m. Covenant Assc. Mtg p.m. AA Prayer Room 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. City School Election :30 p.m. Youth Choir 7:30 p.m. Adult Choir a.m. Adult Bible Study 9 a.m. Good News II Choir - Sing Church School Sunday Mother s Day p.m. AA Prayer Room a,m, Country Side Care 5 p.m. Community Table 6 p.m. Council 17 6:30 p.m. Youth Choir 7:30 p.m. Adult Choir a.m.-12 p.m. Community Food Pantry a.m. Caring Skills Training led by Rev. Chuck McNeil 20 9 a.m. Adult Bible Study 9 a.m. Good News II Choir - Sing p.m. AA Prayer Room No Choir Practice a.m. Adult Bible Study 9 a.m. Good News II Choir p.m. AA Prayer Room a.m. Pastoral Relations Meeting 31 No Choir Practice

5 ST. JOHN S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST April 18, 2018 COUNCIL MINUTES April 18, 2018 Church Council Meeting Highlights Council accepted the following reports: Worship Committee - working on the sound system (Crookston Audio will be the vendor) Educational Ministries - working on Youth Day Upcoming activities March Financial were not available for the Council to review at the April meeting Council approved to move the Congregational Meeting to June 10, 2018** Agenda Item(s): Budget Carpet in the Sanctuary Additional items for the agenda are needed no later than 05/16/201 Red Cross Agreement from 03/2018 Council Meeting - Using the Church as a shelter in case of a disaster The Council approved for Vickie Steck to review and sign the agreement so that Red Cross can begin the process to use St. John's UCC as a disaster/shelter if needed ** Congregational Meeting Called for June 10, 2018 (after worship) At the January 2018 Annual Meeting, we reviewed the 2018 Budget presented in October and compared pledges received to those estimated in the budget. It was decided by a motion, second, and vote to accept only the 1st quarter of the 2018 budget with 2 actions to be taken The Council was to review the status at the Council meetings monthly and an analysis was to take place3 at the end of the 1st quarter. We were then going to meet in late April as a congregation to review the data gathered and any proposed budget changes. Gene Johnson was t lead the review. The review had to be put on hold for multiple reasons. As in the past when a budget vote had to be delayed, the church has continued to pay the necessary bills in April and will continue to do so in May. Please put June 10th on your calendars and plan on attending this Congregational Meeting. Notes from United Center for Caring Mike Young, UC4C Board Chair, wants to make sure you know about: A short video Call to mission for the church and UC4C board And, upcoming activities Food Pantry 3rd Friday 10 a.m p.m. Community Table Dinner - 3rd Wednesday 5 p.m. Community Street Party - Wednesday, August 15, p.m. Summer Peace Camp - Week of July 10th - 13th, 2018 Community Orchard Planting May 26, 2018 Community Baby Shower, Saturday, August 4, 2018 St. John s UCC Community Food Bank Two (2) ways to help our food bank in May Meijer Simply Give Meijer s Simply Give program, is to benefit St. John s UCC s Community Pantry from May 13 through June 17,2018. With special emphasis on June 1, 2018, which is double match day. Which means, for every $10 Simply Give donation, Meijer will give $20, resulting in a total of $30 donation. We are honored once a year with this wonderful gift. This campaign will coincide with the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic. Last year we received around $4,000. Please feel free to pick up a $10 gift card and activate it at the East end Meijer, 3333 E. Michigan Ave in Jackson. Only one card is needed per shopping trip as you can put any $dollar$ amount on it. Brad s Lunch Bunch Year-round help for a year-round need Brad Flory (formally a contributor for Jackson Citizen Patriot) has a group of people who are willing to give up one lunch per week and donate the money, they would have spent, to a food bank. There is a lot of history behind this program. Jim & Donna Benedict are members and are willing to share their knowledge of this program. Our Community Food Panty will be the recipient of this wonderful donation for the month of May. We as church members can help contribute by sending in our own donation. It is critical checks be made out to: Food Bank of SCM and in the memo field you write J2255. Checks are to be mailed to Brad s Lunch Bunch, Bond & Company, PLC, 113 W. Michigan Ave. Suite 301, Jackson, MI Bond & Company have donated their bookkeeping service to manage Brad s Lunch Bunch account.

6 United Center for Caring Report Executive Director Report May ) Recommendations: a) Create legacy fund and plan for the JCO- Jackson Community Orchard b) Work on training and development of board c) Work on Donor management. 2) Grants and funding: a) MSHDA final grant dollar amount for the Orchard is $12,606 not $30,000 as initially talked about. i) Top priority is water/drinking fountain (city is donating fountain, installing curbs and water line into the property), land grading and seed. ii) Planting day end of May?? Weather and funding dependent. b) Queens Social Justice grant submitted for $1000 for a bench for the Orchard c) Dawn Foods grant app submitted by Jim Benedict 3) Programing a) Jackson Community Orchard i) Committee Chair for project ii) Planting days in May-June TBA iii) Donations of plants iv) Events b) Summer Camp- volunteers and teachers needed 2nd week of July c) Community Baby Shower August 4th- volunteers contact donnajimbenny@yahoo.com d) Community Annual Table Street Party Wednesday August 15th. Looking for Vendors, prizes, games etc. Respectfully, Barb Shelton, Executive Director Please feel free to any questions to unitedcenterforcaring@gmail.com or attend our monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm Food Pantry and Community Table Food Pantry served 345 family members and 21 new clients on April 20th. Next Pantry date is May 18, We are also in need of food for our emergency food closet. Donations are welcomed. Thank you to Carl Robinson, Amanda Canter and Dick Poor for gathering the food. Community Table dinner was held April 18, 60 plus people were treated to dinner. We would like to extend an invitation to the congregation to attend the next dinner, which will be May 16, 2018 at 5pm. Also, thank you Barb Shelton for all you do in this community. Jackson Citizen Patriot Article about the United Center for Caring Orchard JACKSON, MI - New life is springing from a pair of vacant lots in one of the most poverty-stricken areas of Jackson. Apple, peach and pear trees as well as blueberry bushes are in place at the site of two formerly vacant lots at 800 S. Mechanic St. The new community orchard is orchestrated through the United Center for Caring - a branch of the St. John's United Church of Christ. A pair of houses at the site were torn down by the city in 2014, per city documents. "We're situated in the highest poverty-stricken area of the city," UCC Executive Director Barb Shelton said. "I want to show that we can bring beauty to areas that maybe the city is not focusing on." The city of Jackson has a poverty rate of 36.3 percent, per the U.S. Census, nearly triple the county average. The community orchard is becoming more visible, with the recent installation of a pergola and sidewalk. The next step is to add a drinking fountain, Shelton said, which should happen in June. Shelton plans to plant rhubarb, various berries, pawpaw, herbs, perennials and a tea garden in the roughly 175-feet-by-75-feet space. She envisions community educational and community events there, from tea - making to Friday night open mic sessions. "The possibilities, to me, are just endless," Shelton said. Shelton's office is across the street from the garden and she lives in the area. Neighbors are receptive to the idea and reaction has been positive, she said. UCC has had a community vegetable garden in the area for about eight to 10 years, Shelton added. The goal is to allow people to "walk through and grab an apple," Shelton said, but the details haven't been solidified. Many of the first-year fruit trees won't mature for 2018, she added. "(It) beautifies the corner, but (also) possibly brings some sustainability to the community as well, feeding people," UCC Chairman Michael Young said. The project developed with help from a $6,500 grant from the Jackson Community Foundation. Another $15,000 from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority helped finance the city -mandated concrete sidewalk, pergola and first set of trees. The space is also eligible for another $30,000 from MSHDA, Shelton said. The city is covering costs to put the water line on the property, as well, she added. Beautifying blight Vacant lots are becoming the norm in Jackson, as the city has taken down more than 700 homes through its demolition program since While some lots are bought by neighboring property owners, many others sit empty - to be maintained by the city. Shelton studied other communities that have used community gardens to brighten up vacant lots left by home demolitions - including Detroit. City demolitions at $10 million since 2011, more approved by council. With help from a state grant, the city of Jackson is demolishing another 25 houses. "Most progressive cities are looking for ways to use their new spaces from cleared blight," Shelton said. "Jackson's behind the ball on that." City residents and council members have clamored for a comprehensive plan for the empty lots, but City Manager Patrick Burtch said plans for each of these spaces aren't economically feasible right now. "Right now, the plan is to simply mow them until the economy turns around to where somebody can actually get an appraisal to rebuild," Burtch said at the March 13 City Council meeting. But the city shouldn't and can't be the only group trying to solve community issues, Shelton said. "People love to stand up and complain about the city. Well, get out there and do something," Shelton said. "Everything doesn't have to come through the city, we have power as citizens. There's so many nonprofits in Jackson. Just get an idea and go with it." Shelton hopes the progress does draw the attention of the city, however, Shelton said. "(This) is how you change your neighborhood. That's how people start taking pride in where they live," Shelton said. "Then maybe the city will get a little more excit- By Taylor DesOrmeau tdesorme@mlive.com ed about our neighborhood."