Providence United Methodist Church

Transcription

1 Providence United Methodist Church February 2015 The season of Lent is a period of 40 days before Easter. It is a time of personal self-reflection and thinking about Jesus journey to the cross. Ash Wednesday is the traditional beginning of Lent. On Wednesday, February 18, we will observe this holy day with a service that begins at 6:30 p.m., in the sanctuary. The service will include the imposition of ashes on our foreheads, burned from last year s Palm Sunday branches, as a sign of our mortality and repentance. PUMC Talent Show February 8, 4:30 p.m. Join us for our first annual talent show! All talents allowed! Don t limit your imagination. Do you juggle? Paint? Whistle? Dance? Sing? Do arts and crafts? Are you a standup comedian? Great! Sign-up! The talent show will be held in the social hall. See you there! Providence is on The Way Our whole church will join in study and worship walking in the footsteps of Jesus during Lent with video footage and teaching from The Rev. Adam Hamilton in the Holy Land. Our study will take us from the wilderness, to Capernaum, the mountains, the Sea of Galilee, Samaria, and finally Jerusalem, where Jesus suffered, died and rose from the dead. On Wednesday, February 11, a small group Bible study will be offered at 6:30-7:30 pm (join us for dinner at 5:30!). Starting February 15, there will be small group options on Sunday morning at 9:45 for children, youth and adults. Pick a time that works for you and sign up by contacting the church office ( and phone) or on the clipboards on Sundays. Wednesday Night Dinners Join our Winter Wednesday Night Dinner series beginning on February 11. Meal time begins at 5:30 and will be served until 6:15 pm. Sign up on Sunday mornings or call the office ( ) to make your reservation for dinner. After dinner, join a small group to study The Way. February 2015 Newsletter

2 February Worship 9:00 a.m. Connections Worship 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Contemporary Worship Connections at 9 am is informal and led by Ministry in Motion praise team. Traditional Worship is at 11 am, includes a variety of music, and is led by the Chancel Choir and other musical groups. Our pastor, The Rev. Mary Beth Blinn, brings the message at both services. Feb 1 4th Sunday after the Epiphany Communion Psalms 139:1-6, Samuel 3:1-20 When Is It God Speaking? Feb 8 5th Sunday after the Epiphany Boy Scout Sunday Isaiah 40:26-30 Mark 1:29-39 A Pattern for Prayer Feb 15 Transfiguration Sunday 1 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 On the Mountain Top Feb 22 1st Sunday in Lent Matthew 4:1-11 On the Way With Jesus: The Wilderness Temptation is Real Pancake and Country Sausage Dinner You all are invited to the annual Pancake and Country Sausage Dinner sponsored by the Providence United Methodist Men. In addition to maple syrup and butter, toppings will include blueberries, strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Milk and coffee will be included as well. WHEN: Saturday, February 28, 2015, 5:30 7:00 pm WHERE: Church Social Hall WHY: Proceeds will fund mission opportunities in the community COST: Adults: $7.00 Children under 12: $4.00 As we know you'll love the country sausage, we're making it available in 2 lb. packages with a $9 donation. Tickets for the dinner and sausage can be purchased in the Church library after each of the services or from any of the United Methodist Men members. Don't miss it. 2 Newsletter February 2015

3 Position Available Our Church Council has approved a new part-time staff position: Director of Children s Ministries. The job description can be found on our church website: Going the Second Mile You have contributed generously to the following special offerings: Christmas $2,747 Advent $406 Kip & Nancy Robinson $407 Human Relations Day $115 Pastor s Note Some movies are made up and others are meant to show real life. On Martin Luther King Day, Bob and I went to see Selma. It is the story of how leaders like Dr. King and ordinary citizens worked to allow blacks the right to vote like everyone else. We may wish this movie was made up. It begins with the blast of a Birmingham bomb that killed four Sunday School girls. It includes the violent deaths of innocent people, and the beating of those who were protesting in peaceful ways. The 50 mile march from Selma, Alabama to the capitol in Birmingham, finally took place without the threat of guns, batons, or whips. Hundreds of people, black and white, men and women, young and old, walked for the simple right of everyone to vote. A few months later the Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress. I m grateful that this part is very real. My prayer is that we will all continue to work for understanding between people and justice for all. Our country still needs it. YOU CAN HELP! If we play our cards right we can learn math skills! Students at A. M. Davis can learn math skills from flash cards and playing cards! We would love for every student to have a set of cards at home. If you can donate a deck of playing cards (even incomplete sets) or math-related flash cards: number recognition, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, etc., you can put them in the A. M. Davis box in the missions area near the elevator on the second floor. Dollar Tree and other dollar stores are great resources for these cards. Thanks for all that you do for everyone at A. M. Davis! Wendy Collins Peace, Mary Beth February 2015 Newsletter 3

4 United Methodist Women February Meetings The Gregory Circle will meet on Sunday, February 8, at 12:15 in the church social hall. The Laughon Circle will meet on Tuesday, February 10, at 10:30 a.m. in the church social hall. The Newton Circle will meet on Tuesday, February 3, at 7:00 p.m. in a member s home. The Whitt Circle will meet on Tuesday, February 17, at 10:30 a.m. in the church social hall. Upcoming Meetings and Events: Feb 5 United Methodist Day at the General Assembly: Meet at Bon Air UMC at 7:30 am Buford Rd Feb 14 Feb 21 Hearts for Justice Tea and Program: River Road UMC. Registration 10:15 am. Program 10:30-12:30. Bring your tea cup River Road, Richmond A Gesture of Gratitude (formerly known as Call to Prayer and Self-denial ): Providence UMC 10:00 am. Anna Knight, our Spiritual Growth Coordinator, will lead us through A Gesture of Gratitude. This program is open to all women in the church! Feb 26 Leadership Team Meeting, 7:00 pm (room 205) Mar 14 & 15 Community Craft & Collectibles Exhibit: The United Methodist Women are planning a craft and collectibles exhibit for two days in March. We need folks in the church who are willing to lend their collections for the show and/or tell about their collections. They will be on display Saturday, March 14, 3:00 6:00 pm and Sunday, March 15, 10:00 am 3:00 pm. Please register on the clipboards in February if you are interested in lending your collections! May The CARITAS truck is coming for four days in May! Our CARITAS goal is to fill the truck with furniture, dishes, pots and pans, linens, etc. (no clothes). Start sorting now, and save your treasures. Thanks!! Tracey Kellam, UMW President 4 Newsletter February 2015

5 Inukshuks (5th & 6th grade) Youth Ministry News Youth Group meetings are Sunday nights from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the youth house next to the church. Youth Crew (7th-12th grade) February 1 February 6-7 February 15 5:30 p.m. February March Super Bowl Party at the Youth House Watch the game and the halftime show or skip the game and compete in our video game competition in the basement. Boys bring a drink to share and girls bring a bag of chips or dessert to share. Youth ends after the halftime show. Confirmation Class Retreat Youth in the confirmation class, along with their mentors, will meet on Friday and Saturday for a retreat. Mission Trip Parent Meeting We will have a parent meeting with information about our summer mission trip to Virginia Beach to do home repair. The cost of the trip is$289. Fund-raising will bring down the cost of the trip. An $89 deposit will be due on February 22. Eagle Eyrie Retreat for High School The high school spiritual growth retreat is in Lynchburg, VA. We leave after school on Friday and return on Sunday afternoon. It is a weekend of worship, speakers and breakout sessions for United Methodist Richmond district high schoolers. The cost is $125 and is due by February 8. If you have 2 kids attending then Providence will pay half ($60) for the second child. Make checks payable to Providence Church with Eagle Eyrie on the memo line. Journey Retreat for Middle School The middle school retreat is in Goshen, VA. We leave after school on Friday and return Sunday afternoon. This is an amazing weekend of high energy worship and fun! Visit for video (and we are in it!). The cost is $130 and is due by February 20. Make checks payable to Providence Church with Journey on the memo line. Contact Amy Palmer at pumctweens@yahoo.com for more information. Congratulations to Megan Roberson! Megan has decided to follow her dream to become a missionary and will leave for nine months to Athens, Ohio, to work with the Good Works organization. She will be working with the issues of homelessness, poverty and recovery. Sunday, February 1, at 5:00 p.m., we will have a farewell party for Megan in the Youth House. All are welcome to celebrate with Megan! New Youth Reps to Church Council Ashley Burton Emily Kyser Congratulations! February 2015 Newsletter 5

6 Just a note from Margaret and Carla As leaders of the Youth and the Children s Choirs we would like to thank those of you who answered our request for choir snacks. We appreciate your thoughtfulness. If you would like to send choir snacks for the upcoming winter and spring practices, please call or text one of the numbers below to determine when snacks might be needed. Youth Choirs practice Sunday afternoons and the Children s Choir practices Wednesday evenings. Margaret Taylor Carla Wootten Thank you so much for helping our young people! Inclement Weather In the event of inclement weather and possible church closings, please check the following resources: Channel 12 (NBC12) Facebook Providence Website Church Voice Mail 6 Newsletter February 2015

7 The Lord said, If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Genesis 11:6. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Acts 2:6 There is great potential when people act in unison, toward a common goal. That potential is even greater when people are speaking the same language, as illustrated by the above verses about the Tower of Babel and Pentecost respectively. At Providence, we are united by a common goal of making disciples of Christ, and our congregation speaks very well the language of generosity. Response to Commitment Sunday in November was very strong. We received 13 more pledges this year than last, and total dollars pledged for 2015 was up 12 percent. Providence also goes Providence is United in Generosity into 2015 with a very positive financial situation. Throughout 2014, congregational generosity was very consistent, and expenses were lower than expected, largely due to a vacant staff position. Giving was also very strong in both November and December. Additionally, two extraordinary gifts were given recently: a $10,000 gift designated for various ministries, and an unrestricted $25,000 gift. Because of the consistent faithful giving of the congregation and these extra mile gifts, our church is able to make an even greater impact for Christ in our community, and we have reserves to help ensure that life changing work continues. Thank you for being such a faithful community of believers. When we all join together to do God s will as Christ envisioned, nothing will be impossible! Christopher Wilms Stewardship Chairperson Problems With from PUMC? Recently, several members told us that they were no longer getting the midweek update or other announcements through . If you used to receive s regularly and they suddenly stopped, please let us know so we can check our records for accuracy. You may also want to check your Spam/ Junk folders. Sometimes even the s you want, get delivered into these folders. If you are not on the church s list and would like to get the weekly communications or other important notices, please Linda Collins (Linda.Collins@providenceumc.net) so you will be added to the list. February 2015 Newsletter 7

8 This year's Lent Offering will go to the Society of St. Andrew. For those of you who are not familiar, Society of St. Andrew is America's premier food rescue and distribution ministry feeding hungry Americans in three ways: 2015 Lenten Offering Through their Gleaning Network, volunteers glean nutritious produce from farmer's fields and orchards after the harvest. This food is delivered to those in need. The Potato & Produce Project delivers truckloads of unmarketable potatoes and other produce, donated by the agricultural community, to agencies serving the poor. Many of Providence's members have participated in "Potato Drops" at our church, where 40,000 lbs. of sweet potatoes have been dropped in our parking lot! Members of our church, along with friends and family, sit around the mountain of potatoes and bag them. They are then picked up by trucks from Food Banks and Food Pantries from all over the region. This is a wonderful fun ministry enjoyed by everyone from children to seniors. The third program is the Harvest of Hope. The Society of St. Andrew's education program informs people about the hunger problem and encourages them to be part of the solution. These educators also provided our congregation with a program one night after a Wednesday Night Dinner. In 2014, 18.2 million lbs. of produce was gleaned, and 10.4 million lbs. of potatoes and produce were delivered to feeding agencies; for a total of 85 million servings of food! When you fill your Lenten Box with change and bills this year, please know that your offering is going directly to addressing the issue of hunger in America. Brenda Woodward Chairperson, Missions Missing Anything? If you are, please take a moment to stop by the church office to check the lost and found items. We have a collection of items (glasses, clothes, books, you name it!). Any remaining items after February 15 will be donated. 8 Newsletter February 2015

9 Congregational Care Each year, the Congregational Care Committee identifies our 50-year members and recognizes them in October. The CCC also keeps in touch with members who are away at school, or serving their country in some capacity. Please be sure the church office has an up-to-date mailing address for these people. During the year, the committee also organizes outreach for these members. If you have a prayer request, call the church office or complete the prayer request form in the Sunday bulletin. If desired, your request will also be communicated to our Prayer Group which receives prayer requests electronically. Watch the monthly newsletters for more information on how the CCC is working at Providence! Lee Bradshaw CCHASM Food Pantry Originally the second Sunday of each month was designated as the day to bring food to church. But lately our members have been bringing food all during the month and putting it in the designated area near the elevator. This is great! Just continue as you have been doing. We THANK YOU for your contributions. The collected food is usually taken to Southminster Presbyterian Church on the second Monday. But Southminster is happy to receive it whenever we bring it. So, Keep up the good work! Camp Westview on the James Westview on the James, United Methodist Camp and Retreat Facility, is located in Goochland County and is set on 780 acres along the James River. Since 1981, summer camp has been offered that s about having fun with new friends and great counselors, learning about the outdoors, and caring about one another in a Christian community. Summer camp programs for a variety of ages, are from June 14 September 7. If you are interested in more detailed information, there are Camp Westview on the James brochures on the table near the office. February 2015 Newsletter 9

10 Church Family News and Notes Welcome to new members Doris and Jim Teeter! Doris has transferred her membership from another United Methodist Church while Jim has become an associate member, retaining his full membership at St. Giles Presbyterian Church. The Teeters joined Providence on January 18. We give thanks for those who have finished their course in faith and we pray for their families: George Tinsley, who died on January 15, Fred Evans, who died on January 15, Jack Keller, who died on January 16, and Nancy Wagstaff, who died on January January 21. There is no way to express the love Ralph and I feel for our friends at PUMC. Your love and never-ending kindness this past year has been overwhelming. You sent cards, brought food, came to see and encourage me, and your calls were always upbeat. As a new year begins, I look forward to walking without pain. My prayer is to show others the same love that has been shown me. Love in Christ, Billiedale To Our Providence Church Family, What a lovely reception you had for Wayne and me on the occasion of my retirement at the end of Thanks to those who came to the social hall. It was nice to see so many people and get so many hugs. Also, thanks to those who sent cards and gifts my way. Thank you all for the generous gift card. Wayne and I will have a good time shopping for something by which to remember the good folks at Providence Church. I was surprised to see Bishop and Mrs. Cho at church as we celebrated baptism. Also, Bob Windsor, Chairman of the Staff Parish Relations Committee that hired me 27 years ago was in attendance. Bob Ford, our organist who was hired early in 1988 (also by Bob Windsor), was in attendance as well. Mary Beth did a beautiful service which included the renewal of our baptismal vows. Margaret and the Chancel Choir also sang my favorite anthem, "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name" and played "My Tribute," another favorite. Thank you all for a wonderful service. I feel privileged to have worked among you and ministered to you all these 27 years. May God bless you all in the coming years. In God's Love, Kathy Smith 10 Newsletter February 2015

11 Acolytes Feb 1 Communion Karrie Ostrum Feb 8 Jackson Holland Feb 15 Meredith Kyser Feb 22 Tristen Kellam Communion Preparers Feb 1 Doris Creasey Laurie Breeden Feb 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Readers Meredith Kyser Scouts Laurie Breeden Tristen Kellam Sanctuary Organizers Danielle Hellams Ushers 9:00 Bill Blankenship Neal Fleenor Ron White 11:00 Bobby Burton Tom Koertge Bobby Wood Ed Harper Ralph Vernon Lori Justice Kathy Cullen Nursery Feb 1 9:00 Jennifer Ostrum Emma McConnell (Y) SS Wendy Collins 11:00 Mike & Wendy Collins Feb 8 9:00 Jennifer Clemmons SS Barbara Oliver 11:00 Laurie Breeden Feb 15 9:00 Kelly Horne SS Troye Hamilton 11:00 Shirley Collins Emily Kyser (Y) Feb 22 9:00 Jennifer Ostrum SS Wendy Collins 11:00 Sean & Lindsey Collins Feb 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Counter Captains Gary Wright Anne Baird Wayne Smith Jimmy Sculthorpe Paul Martin Hugh Miles Klaus Worrell Steve Oliver Stuart Watkins Ron Wootten Janice Bergeron Bob Johnson Gracie Martin Audio / Media Shout Feb 1 9:00 Tyler Griggs (A) Dano Holland (MS) 11:00 Tyler Griggs (A) Dano Holland (MS) Feb 8 9:00 Tyler Griggs(A) Dano Holland (MS) 11:00 Gary Wright (A) Dano Holland (MS) Feb 15 9:00 Tyler Griggs (A) Jimmy Sculthorpe (MS) 11:00 Tyler Griggs (A) Jimmy Schulthorpe (MS) Feb 22 9:00 Tyler Griggs (A) Steve Oliver (MS) 11:00 Ron Wootten (A) Steve Oliver (MS) Greeters 9:00: Library Nikki Earley Narthex Mike Patterson 11:00 Library Carolyn Winstead Narthex Patty Wright February 2015 Newsletter 11

12 Collectibles and Crafts Exhibit Saturday, March 14, 4-6 p.m. & Sunday, March 15, 10:00-3:00 Our church and community will be invited to view a variety of collections and crafted items of some of our very own PUMC members. If anyone in the congregation has a collection or items you have made and would like to share with others, please contact Diane King at or Evelyn Hastings at The exhibit is open to men, women, youth and children. A love offering will be taken to benefit mission projects of the United Methodist Women. Second Annual Chili Cook Off Get your recipes ready now and bring a batch of chili on March 15 at 5:30 p.m. for our annual chili cook-off. Children are encouraged to make desserts for the Dessert Corral. There will be games and contests. Trophies will be awarded! 2011 Directory Updates Providence United Methodist Church Weekly Schedule Sunday 9:00 am Connections Worship Service 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Traditional Worship Service 4:00 pm Youth Bell/Chime Choir 4:45 pm Youth Vocal Choir 5:30 pm Youth & Inukshuks 7:30 pm Bells of Providence Wednesday 6:30 pm KC JAM 6:30 pm Studies or Classes 7:30 pm Chancel Choir Thursday 6:15 pm Men s Study 6:30 pm Ministry in Motion Contact us at: Church Telephone Fax Number Website: providenceumc@providenceumc.net Pastor Mary Beth Blinn marybeth.blinn@providenceumc.net Cell Phone Director of Music Ministries Margaret Taylor Contemporary Worship Music Leader Michael Kalson Youth Ministries Susan Clark Church Secretary Linda Collins A/V Coordinator Tyler Griggs Custodial Service Bill Duganne Nursery Attendant Cynthia Liverpool Our Covenant Missionary Kim King Torres CHANGES: Llewellyn, Ernie & Candy, phone Newsletter February 2015