Winds of the Spirit. May Lindenwald UMC... a Stephen Ministry Church Our Mission Statement: The LUMC exists to make disciples!

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1 May 2015 Winds of the Spirit Lindenwald UMC... a Stephen Ministry Church Our Mission Statement: The LUMC exists to make disciples! Dear Lindenwald Church Family, I want to express my appreciation to all of you for my time of spiritual renewal last month during April. It was time well spent in meaningful ways in which I was able to relax and rest and experience in real ways God s blessings and peace. I am now refreshed both in body and soul. So, many of you helped to make my spiritual renewal time possible. I want to thank our fine Staff, our trained Stephen Ministers who assisted with pastoral care, our powerful preachers: Tony Brown, Teen Guard Director; Lay Leader, Greg Albright; former Pastor, Rev. Ed Beck and former Staff Member, Pastor Bruce Dickerson. I also appreciated the support of my clergy cluster colleagues, Rev. Tammy Jo Reiser from St. Mark s United Methodist and Pastor Mark Finfrock at Hamilton First United Methodist Church who both made themselves available for pastoral care emergencies. Lastly, I am grateful for the encouragement and understanding of our Church s Staff-Parish Relations Committee as I made arrangements with them for my time of spiritual renewal. So, once again, I sincerely thank you. During this wonderful month of May, I hope you are able to enjoy the beautiful weather as we remember to thank our Creator God for the wonder and beauty of His creation. Sunday worship services in May will also be exciting times of praise and celebration. Please don t forget, though, that we do have a midweek Immersion Worship Service each Wednesday at 7:00pm in the sanctuary. We welcome, of course, one and all to our worship services here at our Lindenwald Church. Here s the May schedule then on Sundays at both 9:30am and 11:40am: May 3 Holy Communion May 10 Mother s Day, honoring all women May 17 Grammy nominated David Wells will bring special music to our services through his faithful witness and musical gifts. May 24 Pentecost Sunday/Memorial Day Sunday May 31 Noisy Sunday with offering going to Summer Shine and the sacrament of Baptism will be celebrated at the 9:30am service. I certainly look forward to sharing these Sundays with all of you as well as ministering together with you for the sake of the gospel message in Christ. See you at Church then!

2 Caring Cards For Our Homebound To meet the needs of our homebound church members and friends, we are starting a card ministry to remember them. During their birth month, cards will be provided in the Welcome Center and Fellowship Hall. Please stop, read the list, pick up a card and sign your name, with a note if you wish. We will address and mail the cards monthly. In this way our homebound family and friends will still feel a part of our church family. April Showers... Bring 5 Special Sundays in May! May 3 Holy Communion Sunday May 10 Mother s Day May 17 A Visit From David Wells May 24 Pentecost Sunday May 31 Baptism Sunday/Noisy Sunday Please contact the church office [ ] if someone needs to be added to the list. Thank you for taking part in this outreach ministry. REMINDER The church office will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, Welcome New Member, Dr. Jim Menninger! On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at our 7:00pm Immersion Worship Service, Jim Menninger joined our Lindenwald Church. He joins us through his profession of faith. He is a great student of the Bible and an inspirational preacher of the Word. His background includes an A.B. from Princeton University, a Masters of Divinity in Biblical Studies and a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. For seven years, he was the senior pastor of Mt. Washington Baptist Church. Currently, Jim is the Executive Director of the Wesley Campus Ministry at Miami University and is on the staff of the Christian Medical Association at the University of Cincinnati Medical School. Next time you see Jim here at church, be sure to say hello and welcome him to our Lindenwald Family!

3 Save Those Empty Pill Bottles The Outreach Team continues collecting pill bottles (both prescription and over-the-counter) for Matthew 25 Ministries. This is a ministry that helps in all parts of the world and is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Matthew 25 Ministries collects used pill bottles in order to shred and then sell to companies that recycle. The ministry uses this money then to support their outreach. There will be a containers in the Welcome Center and Fellowship Hall in which you can place your empty pill bottles. The labels do not need to be taken off as they are shredded also. If you prefer, you can take a marker and mark through the name on the label. Don t forget our Lindenwald Food Pantry. Watch for the following items when you re out shopping oz. cans of tuna Canned chicken breast; Spam Spaghetti and Spaghetti sauce Regular size can of vegetables Regular size can of fruit Pancake mix and Pancake syrup Macaroni and Cheese Beans Peanut Butter and Jelly Teddy Bear Ministry Due to the success of the Teddy Bear Ministry, the Outreach Team is expanding it to receive teddy bears at any time. They will be collecting Teddy Bears or any other soft, stuffed animals that will fit into a gallon ziplock bag. These stuffed animals will then be taken to the Hamilton Police Department and the Hamilton and Fairfield Fire Departments to be given to children in order to comfort them when they are in a stressful situation. The bag includes a message that reads, This beary special pal comes to you with love, hugs, and prayers. Jesus loves you! It includes the church name and address as well. Anybody who wishes to make a donation can either purchase a bear (We have seen them at Target for $5) or make a donation by putting money in an envelope and marking it Teddy Bear Ministry and putting it in the offering plate. There will be a marked container in the parlor for the teddy bears. Streaming Video of Our Worship Services Visit our church website click on the Live Streaming picture!

4 BARNABUS CARDS These cards are just waiting to be picked up and sent out to encourage someone you know! Just fill in your message, the person s name and address and return to the church office. We ll take care of the postage and getting them in the mail. Look for them in the Sanctuary, Welcome Center and the tables in Fellowship Hall! HELPING THE PEOPLE OF NEPAL To help the people of Nepal after the devastating earthquake of April 26, support UMCOR Advance Dear Lindenwald Church Family, Thank you all so very much for your prayers, your cards, and your outpouring of love for me following my horseback riding accident. I know that God heard the prayers because I felt His presence and peace! I sincerely appreciate the love you have shown. God has given me many blessings, and my loving church family is certainly a major blessing! Thanks again! Love, Nancy Risner Christian Education Committee Meeting Sunday, June 28, 2015 ~ 1:00pm Applebee s Restaurant in Fairfield May UMW Circle Meetings Friendly Circle May 11:15am LaRosa s Restaurant Genesis Circle May 6:30pm Place TBD Mizpah Circle May 1:00pm Room 204 Prayer Drive Thru What s a Prayer Drive Thru, you ask? Well, it s kinda like a regular drive thru, except in place of the soft drinks and snack items, we offer prayer. We open our parking lot to our community for drive thru prayer. The May Prayer Drive Thru is on Thursday, May 7 in celebration of the National Day of Prayer. As you're driving home on that evening, stop in and our prayer team will listen to your request and pray with you. Volunteers are always needed; call Pastor Val ( ) if you d like to help. Free Community Meal Feeding the Body & Soul Community Meal offers a free meal to those who may be hungry and have no food. This meal, which is on Saturday, May 16, is free and open to the public and will be served from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Our food pantry is also open during those same hours and bags of groceries are given to those in attendance. If transportation is an issue and you live within the limits of Butler County, Ohio, we will arrange to have our church van pick you up and take you home.

5 Our Easter Program was a success. We had 70 people in attendance who enjoyed a wonderful ham dinner that our awesome kitchen crew fixed! The kids from Pathways, J-Zone and Teen Guard did a great job in reading the play and singing Easter songs. Let s just say our Pathways choir did another outstanding performance that Ms. Nancy taught them. I just love hearing our kids sing! May is always a busy month for the families in the community and here at church. Everything seems to come to an end in May and will resume in the fall. Our Pathways and J-Zone program will end on May 13, the last day of school is May 22, dance recital is on May 21, the Girl scout ceremony is on May 11, the Boy Scout ceremony is on May 19, and many other activities as well. As things come to an end in May, new beginnings happen in the summer months, families go on vacation together, go to Kings Island, to the zoo, go swimming, go on picnics, hike at Hueston Woods and other fun activities with their families. Summer is the time to renew and relax with your family. Summer is also a time to renew our relationship with Jesus and let Jesus come into our lives. As a family you can volunteer at the community meal the third Saturday of every month, bring in food for the food pantry, help at Summer Shine in July, come to the first and second service on Sunday, join a Bible study group at church, help in the children s department either at the first or second service. When the whole family is involved in church, they come closer together as a family and closer to God. So even though May seems like everything is coming to an end it s really just beginning!! Even though Pathways is ending the Children s Department is still busy taking kids on field trips and Summer Shine, our Wednesday night Family Picnic is Wednesday, May 13. The family picnic will be for Pathways, J-Zone and Teen Guard families to come and enjoy a picnic with their families. Reservation is made for Joyce Park Shelter 17 from 4 to dark. The dinner will be hot dogs, chips and drinks. Also, parents will be bringing in a side dish to share. All are welcome to attend this wonderful event. Our field trip in June is an awesome trip to Camp Wesley. Our J-Zone leaders-angie, Melissa and I will be taking the J-Zone Crew and a few Pathways and Teen Guard kids on a one day camp experience on Monday, June 8. This will be a great experience for them to enjoy a Christian camp and also enjoy swimming, archery, canoeing, and worship together. Mike H and Mike G will drive the church van. We are leaving at 6:30am and returning at 6:30pm. Please pray for our safe travel and for all of us to enjoy our time and worship with the Lord on this wonderful field trip opportunity. Our awesome Summer Shine program is fast approaching. Summer shine will be the week of July 20-24, from noon to 3pm Theme: The many Wonders of God, God is our CREA- TOR, PROVIDER, PROTECTOR, and SAVIOR AND KING! We will have a special guest, Pastor Fred Shaw. He will discuss the Native American history on how God protects us. This is our Lesson for that day. Please pray for Pastor Shaw as he is recovering from cancer. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July. Our Summer Shine children will perform a play and sing songs. The play is called the many Wonders of God: From the Creation to the Birth of Baby Jesus. If you would like to volunteer in the kitchen, help as lisa_gebhart@lindenwaldumc.org a Bible teacher, a group leader, crafts, sports or lunch room, please contact Lisa Gebhart and we can discuss further. I would like to thank the volunteers who have signed up to show a child in our community that God loves them. As you can see we have fun-filled children/family adventures in our Children s Department. If you would like to join the fun on Sunday mornings in the Sunday school room or the nursery and on Wednesday nights please contact Lisa Gebhart at Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)

6 From the desk of Teen Guard Director, Tony Brown The teens have been busy for the past couple of months. There are an average of 10 teens who participate in the weekly Teen Guard program on Wednesday nights. Fourteen teens participated in the Spring Break Kick-off Lock-in on March 27. Thirteen teens went to the Red s game on April 28. Seven teens prepared the Pathways/Immersion meal on April 29. Our teens are also very active in the Xperience Praise band, Wednesday Night Worship, Community Meals, and the Food Pantry. On Wednesday s, the teens get together and share prayer concerns, Jesus moments they have witnessed, and thoughts on selected passages. They have been concentrating on what Lent means to their lives and what it means to be Easter people. It is always awesome to see light bulbs turn on in their heads when they see something new in their faith. The Teen Lock-in was a great time. We started with two hours of bowling and then ate at Applebee s. We returned to church at 1:00am and watched movies (God s Not Dead and Heaven Is For Real), played games, slept from 5:00am to 7:00am and ate breakfast prepared by Angie Perpingon and Leslie Albright. Our teens received compliments while out in public at the bowling alley, a couple was bowling next to us and I was worried that they would be mad at so many teens having a good time. Instead, they mingled with our kids and told me that we have a great group of teenagers. At Applebee s, the waitress (whom was not very happy when we first got there at midnight) asked me where we went to church as we were paying our bills. I told her where and she said that it must be a great church to have such a well behaved group of teens. Hallelujah! I am so proud of our teens and their growth as Christians. We had beautiful weather at the Red s game and they won! Our group was featured on the JumboTron after the eighth inning and we were also shown on the TV telecast. I asked the teens to look for Jesus moments while we were at the game and that we would share stories the next day at Teen Guard. The teens talked about a man buying a child a new ice cream cone after seeing the child drop one (he didn t even know the kid), they talked about being given money by their parents, they talked about people helping others drive in the parking garage, and shared numerous other moments. I was most amazed at how disappointed the teens were at a guy who gave the double middle-finger to the camera on the JumboTron (some teens would cheer that behavior on). The teens are preparing to spend the weekend in Lakeside, Ohio June at the East Ohio Youth Conference. This will be the last activity for our Seniors Nick Brown and Cooper Osborne for they will be moving onto college in the Fall. Find a teen and talk to them, and share a blessing with them because they deserve one. God Bless. Tony

7 Graduate Recognition Sunday, June 7, 2015 Girl Scouts Dinner Monday, May 11, :15pm Lindenwald United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall Boy Scouts Blue & Gold Banquet Tuesday, May 19, :30pm Lindenwald United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall For those who have graduates at any level of education, please submit a baby picture and a graduation picture to our Church Office as soon as possible for Graduate Recognition Sunday. Please let us know of your graduate s future plans. We will enjoy a PowerPoint presentation of our graduates during both services at 9:30am and 11:40am. After the presentation, we will present a special gift to each graduate. Please let us know if your graduate will be present on this day. Education & Ministries Trust Scholarships Now Available For those college students who will be entering college this summer or in the Fall, applications are now being accepted for a scholarship through our church s Education and Ministries Trust Committee. You must be a church member in order to qualify for this scholarship. Applications are available in the church office. Questions? Please talk to Pastor Val or Gene Beller. Dance Ministry Recital Lindenwald United Methodist Church 3501 Pleasant Ave. Hamilton, Ohio Thursday, May 21, :00pm in Fellowship Hall All are invited to attend this wonderful evening!

8 Thoughts on Memorial Day Is it enough to think today Of all our brave, then put away The thought until a year has sped? Is this full honor for our dead? Is it enough to sing a song And deck a grave; and all year long Forget the brave who died that we Might keep our great land proud and free? Full service needs a greater toll, That we who live give heart and soul To keep the land they died to save, And be ourselves, in turn, the brave! Annette Wynne Remember the words Abraham Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the national cemetery on the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom..." A Thirty-One Fundraiser Thank You Angie Perpingon, the J-Zone Kids and Leslie Albright would like to thank everyone who participated in the Imagine No More Malaria Thirty-One Fundraiser. With their support a donation of $150 was raised!! Also, the church is going to be recognized as a sponsor for the Flying Pig Marathon through the Ohio River Valley to help spread the word and show how many support this cause. Lastly, and super exciting our church will be listed on the Ohio River Valley sponsor banner at Annual Conference this year! Pastor Beth Anne with North Bend UMC added, Thank you so much for joining us. Please tell the kids way to go from all of us at Moving For Good. Good News, Malaria is 100% Preventable Unlike many other diseases that are awaiting a cure, malaria was eliminated in the U.S. in the 1950s. However, in Sub- Saharan Africa, malaria continues to kill a person every 60 seconds. But there is hope! Imagine No Malaria is part of a global partnership and together with our partners, our generation can beat malaria once and for all!

9 Please join us for fellowship, great food, and fun at our upcoming Unity Alliance Picnic at Booker T. Washington Community Center, Saturday, June 20, 2015, 11am to 5pm. Pastor Val invites one and all to join her in this wonderful opportunity to be together with so many other brothers and sisters in Christ. Rides will be made available through our church van to this picnic. We can also carpool together from our Lindenwald Church. Your assistance is also needed! Servant volunteers are needed for set-up, clean-up, activities for children and youth, food preparation and service, worship and music including a community choir. Please sign below if you can volunteer in any of the following areas listed below. Set Up Clean Up Food Preparation Children s Activities Youth Activities Community Choir Ride Church Van to Picnic Carpool from church Questions? Please talk to Pastor Val. Name: Phone: Please return to the church office. Thank you!

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12 Lindenwald United Methodist 3501 Pleasant Avenue Hamilton, Ohio Return Service Requested Contact Information Phone: Website: We re on Facebook! LUMC Staff Senior Pastor... Valerie Waibel Youth Director... Tony Brown Children s Director... Lisa Gebhart Organist/Choir Director... Nancy McCormick Adm. Secretary/Office Manager... Linda Rouse Custodian... Glen Chastain Treasurers... Nancy Albright, Sue McPeek Financial Secretaries... Jerry Smith, Carrie Titus Church Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:00am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 5:00pm Newsletter Deadline: Fifteenth day of month Bulletin Deadline: Wednesdays 5:00pm