Faith Matters. Dear Friends in Christ, Palm Cross Making Party! March 22 nd 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Our Vision: Pizza provided!

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1 A publication of Norwalk First United Methodist Church March 2018 Faith Matters Dear Friends in Christ, Our Vision: Knowing God. Showing Love to Others. Growing in Discipleship. Giving to God s Kingdom. Palm Cross Making Party! March 22 nd 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall Pizza provided! Praise God! Spring is coming fast. It is my favorite season of the year. It is a time of newness, a time of rebirth, a time of resurrection. As the season of Lent comes to a close with Holy Week (March 25-31), political events in Jerusalem take a turn for the worse. A Messiah who is praised and cheered one day because he raised Lazarus from the dead is soon despised, put on trial, and convicted of insurrection only a few days later. As we move through Holy Week, our pain, suffering, sinfulness, and repentance that we have been examining throughout Lent only intensifies as we realize that God loved us so much that he gave his only Son to die for our transgressions. We can only say to ourselves, That should be me on that cross. But brothers and sisters in Christ, it isn t. God allowed this incredible sacrifice through His Son so that we would not have to live eternally away from God s presence. Only a sinless, unblemished Lamb of God could take away our sins forever. And so, it is with hope and with a sense of our own newness, rebirth, and resurrection that we look forward to that glorious Easter Day (April 1). You and I get to spend eternity with God and Christ because of the cross and because of God s power over death. The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said (Matthew 28:5-6). Alleluia! ~ Pastor Brian norwalkfirstumchurch@gmail.com

2 March Birthdays 1 Carl Hinckley 2 Bob Berry Ian Minor 3 Lisa Berry 4 Kathy Battles Jan Bohne 5 Carol Anderson Mason Berry Brady Gelvin 6 Jim Ewell, Jr. Missy Hinckley 7 Clayton Betts Ruth Brown John Pothorski 10 Georgia Bobryk Alexandra Koch James Lee 11 Janet Adams 12 Matthew Dotson Deric Hancock 13 Bethany Arnett Paul Helman Lucy Schlotterer Eunice Twaddle 14 Paige Collingwood 16 Abby Freeman Ron Mollison March Anniversaries 8 Bill & Bobbi Taylor 18 Paul & Jan Phillips 22 Mike & Georgia Bobryk 24 Kim & Kathy Smetzer 27 Andy & Janet Adams 18 Dale Hildreth Michael Moyer 19 Jan Phillips Carl Veith 20 Garry Balduff Vernon Baxter Cloteen Knight 22 Dave Livingston 23 Letha Heltzel Philip Terry 24 Bob Brown 25 Connor Livingston Leslie Moffit Sawyer Moffit Carter Swick Carsyn Swick Bobb Witt 26 Mary Meisler Kathy Tusing 27 Polly Ruby 28 Rachel Casselberry Judy Nutter 29 Linda Markel 30 Jenna Thorpe 31 Jacob Gilson Thank You! The Mission Committee would like to thank everyone who helped make our pancake dinner a huge success. Because of the hard work of our cooks Frank Sams, Doug Evans, and Ad Ames, plus the hard working Pathfinders and other helpers, and the generous donations from everyone including the Methodist Men, we were able to raise $ to be put toward the Pathfinders' trip to Nehemiah this summer. Thank you each and every one of you and God bless you all. Sermon Schedule March 4 March 11 The Failure to Learn Mark 8:1-21 The Blind Can See Mark 8:22-30 March 18 The Way of the Disciple Mark 8:31-9:1 March 25 The Triumphal Entry Mark 11:1-11 Thank you so much for the care package and your kind words of encouragement! I am blessed to belong to such a great community that is so supportive of its young adults. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated and I can t wait to see you all again soon. With love, Jacob Gilson Dear First United Methodist, You are first to me. I want to thank whoever paid for Allen s ticket (for the Friendship Dinner). It was nice somebody would do that. Again, I really think our church is number one, or first in everything! Thank you, Debbie Smith Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. God bless you!! ~ Vincent R. Mannino

3 Dear Friends in Christ, Thank you for your sincere prayers for Mark and our family over the last few months. We have been blessed with a sense of peace and a surgeon who walks with Christ. Mark is scheduled for surgery on February 26 th. We d like to ask for you to continue to keep him in your prayers. Thank you and God bless. ~ Mark & Becky Butler I m so sorry for being so late to write to all of you. Seems like my pace has slowed down considerably after being here for four years. Time really flies! Ann and I have appreciated all the cards and notes we received over Christmas. Thank you very much. We really enjoyed the company when Kathy and Doug Evans came to see us. And Phyllis and her crew sent two big Christmas bags of candy and snacks which the Evans also delivered. We really miss all of our church family and, of course, Pastor Brian. There s no place like it!! Thanks for all your kindness and may God bless you richly. Love, in Him ~ Lois Jennings Thank you SO much for the care package! The surprise today put the biggest smile on my face as this week has been particularly busy and stressful. I am so thankful for your continued support, encouragement, and prayer. Once again, thank you for thinking of me, it truly means the world! Blessings ~ Megan Casselberry Thank you so much for the box of goodies. It was such a pleasant surprise. I would also like to thank you for your continuous prayers and support. Blessings ~ Addie Mannino I would like to thank the Pathfinders for yet another wonderful care package in my final semester! God bless to my church family. ~Tyler Jackson Thank you for thinking of me as I begin this new semester, I greatly appreciate your care package! I am constantly reminded of how truly blessed I am to be a member of your congregation. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Love ~ Gregg Berry Many thanks for your outpouring of love, prayers, cards and meals during these past few months. I still have one more laser surgery this month and Dave has a procedure on the 19 th. It was so nice to get to church and worship with you. Thanks for your continuing prayers. Throughout these weeks I have enjoyed the peace and comfort that only our wonderful God can give. Praise the Lord! ~ Pat Terry Church Family, Thank you so much for your generous care package. It s always a great reminder of how much God loves you. As my time here winds down, I m excited to see what plans God has in store for me. I m currently working with wildlife professionals in educating students of all age groups and some college groups about the importance of conservation and preservation in wildlife, as well as local ornithology, dendrology, botany, ichthyology and other field studies. It s an amazing experience guiding young people and getting them excited about the natural world. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. God bless. With love ~ Jessica Talbott Thank you so much for the wonderful care package! I ve had a busy few weeks at OWU, but this lifted my spirits so much! I absolutely loved the personal letters from the Youth Group! They were so sweet! It is so nice to know I have so many people thinking of me and praying for me at home while I m away! Blessings ~ Kaitlyn Gilson I wanted to thank you for the Free Community Dinners which are delivered to my home. I ve never had anything that I didn t thoroughly enjoy, and I really appreciate your kindness. ~ Karlene Myers

4 Board of Trustees Last June, a group from our congregation, who regularly uses the church kitchen, proposed a renovation to improve its safety and efficiency. An anonymous donor, who recognized the importance of the kitchen and its appearance to the ministry of our church, offered to pay for most of the construction. The cost to the church was to be the price of a new ceramic tile floor. The Board of Trustees reviewed the kitchen group's plans, determined that the Preservation/Maintenance Fund held enough to cover the floor, and voted for the renovation to proceed. The contractor began in late December. Also in late December, the trustees voted that it was prudent, while the contractor and necessary resources were on-site, to direct him to construct a new ceiling and update the wiring and lights in the adjoining room to the south (the kitchen nook). Several volunteers showed up to paint and, as far as aesthetics and functionality are concerned, the renovation was finished in February. However, during some demolition and other activity necessary to accomplish the changes, there were some unsuspected discoveries. The base plate of the kitchen's west wall framing was completely rotted away, due to a corroded drain pipe in the wall from the dishwasher. Both the trap in the floor to which that pipe drained and the trap in the floor at the northeast corner was clogged. The vent piping for all of the kitchen plumbing was completely clogged, and the fire suppression system's PCL cylinder, which had been inspected in July, was empty due to a faulty gasket. The cylinder could not be refilled by a certified technician because it no longer met UL standards. All but the fire suppression system have been remedied, and all have added cost to the project. (Extra fire extinguishers have been placed in the kitchen near the stove until the fire suppression system can be updated.) The trustees will address the additional costs in their next meeting on March 5, The Preservation/Maintenance Fund is expected to be adequate to cover expenses. There have been many favorable comments made about the increased storage and more efficient use of work space in the newly enlarged kitchen, as well as compliments received about the beauty of the floors and walls. If you have not already done so, please check it out. Our church has been blessed by this wonderful gift. Holy Week Worship Schedule Holy Thursday, March 29 8:00 p.m. Holy Thursday Worship Service Our evening worship remembers the gathering of Jesus and his disciples in the upper room as we share in an Upper Room Holy Communion. The Chancel Choir will provide special music. Good Friday, March 30 Noon-1:00 p.m. Community Good Friday Service The Norwalk Ministerial Association invites the people of Norwalk to observe this holy day with a noontime worship service at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 Firelands Blvd., Norwalk. 8:00 p.m. Good Friday Worship Service The Passion of Jesus Christ This is a service of worship that moves us from light to darkness, from loyalty to betrayal, from life to death. You will hear the Passion story of Christ and Christ s lament against his faithless church. Service held in the Sanctuary. Sunday, April 1 - Easter Morning 7:00 a.m. Easter Sunrise Service All are welcome to attend our Easter Sunrise Service at the Norwalk Reservoir as we remember that first Easter morning and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Pathfinders Youth Group will lead the worship. 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Easter Worship Services Sanctuary Join us for a celebration of Jesus resurrection as together we sing and worship and rejoice! Stitches of Love The Stitches of Love craft group will meet on Thursdays March 8 th and 22 nd at 9:30am in the kitchen nook. All the ladies of the church are invited to join in our mission of creating Easter and St. Patrick's Day items for the Norwalk nursing homes, Veterans home and others in the Norwalk area. We are a fun mission group bringing "thinking of you and God loves you" to others. ~ Linda Newsom

5 Christian Ed. / by DeAnn McKillips, Christian Ed. Director Did you know? Podcasts of the sermons are available at If you can bring You can now view the Nursery, Usher and Guest ONE MOMENT of HAPPINESS to a child, Services schedules online. you are a CO-WORKER WITH GOD. This Easter Eggventure will go beyond the egg hunt! March 25th following the 10:30 a.m. service * Fellowship Hall * With Gratitude st Kids was filled with many joys thanks to the wonderful group that filled the 1st Kids Board. We had big shoes to fill, but the growth of the year made all of our hearts full. Our 1st Kids Board: Debbie Helton, Diane Koch, Emma Freeman, Mary Tester, Pat Taylor, Bonnie Scheerer, Catherine Alley, Mark Zorn, Kay Fletcher, Danny Helton, Lynne Horrigan, Dianna Laughlin, Paula Join this fun-filled family event as Thorpe, Carol Phillips, Laura Lewinski, Susie Scheele, parents can be a part of their Hope Gockstetter, Melissa Mollison, Linda Williams, children's adventure! Julie Schmidt, Kim Gentzel, Kim Witmer, Emma Lunch and hunt for our families! Laughlin, Ruth and Bob Magna Brown, Beth erat and volutpat. Rick Ut wisi Lorem ipsum doloregg sit amet, consectetuer Nunc nec tellus urna, vulputate aliquam Winemiller, Rachel Schlotterer, Jan Phillips, adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euis scelerisque odio. Praesent rutrum mattis enim ad minim veniam, and quis nostrud mod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna rutrum. CurabiturAudrey placerat Rose. vestibulum exerci tation ullam corper. Et iusto odio Your Title Here: Subtitle of Article Here Team Racin Jason aliquam erat volutpat. ipsum, ut placerat erat tincidunt eget. dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud Suspendisse luctus facilisis lacinia. Ut zzril delenit auiscing elit, sed diam ici exerci tation ullam corper. Et iusto odio lobortis consequat velit. 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6 Greetings Pathfinders & Church Family, Can you think of times in your life when your parents would ask you what you learned at school or church? Most likely they were being really nice, but for some reason you wanted to go to your room to be alone, or listen to music. You just wanted to be away from your parents and their questions. When your mom asked you, What did you learn at school today? You might have said, Nothing, and ran to your room. Or perhaps your dad asked, What did you and your friends do last night? and you said, Nothing. This devotion is a tribute to those moments when you told your parents you learned nothing at school or did nothing with your friends. So when your mom asks you what you learned in this devotion, you can honestly say, Nothing. To learn about nothing in this devotion, let s check out a scripture about nothing that s found in Philippians 4:6: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6 Being anxious is really easy. I don t have to try to be anxious, I can do it naturally. Being anxious is almost like second nature to me. You might have more homework than you have time to do, or you can see all the bad things going on in the world, and it can become so easy to be anxious. You might even feel like you have a really good reason to be anxious. Even if we feel like we re justified in being anxious, this Bible verse tells us to be anxious for nothing. How is that even possible? With all the stress in our lives, with all the craziness going on in the world, how can we live our lives not being anxious? We Can Live Our Lives Without Anxiety. The end of this Bible verse gives us a clue how we can do this. It tells us in everything with prayer and thanksgiving, let our requests be known to God. So when we re faced with anxiety, we re to pray and to be thankful. I know my life tends to be filled with anxiety at times with countless deadlines; however, I am reminded of the sacrifices Jesus made and that diminishes the stress. We are to lean on FAITH and not our own understanding to remove the anxiety in our lives. You, too, can be anxious about missing deadlines - not getting your paper written or turning in your homework on time. We are reminded we can be thankful that you are blessed and have the opportunity to go to school and get an education. When we are thankful, it makes all the difference. It s hard to be anxious when you re always being thankful. Imagine the anxiety Jesus carried as he prepared for his agonizing journey to the cross. He knew of the suffering and pain he would have to endure and, even in his time of despair, Jesus prayed for this to pass. I can ONLY imagine His heart was filled with an insurmountable amount of anxiety. So how do we do it? How do we change our approach to anxiety? I think it starts with really believing that God cares about you. It s easy to think in the midst of a difficult situation that God forgot about you or that God doesn t care. In reality nothing could be further from the truth. God cares about you and wants to walk with you through any situation and circumstance you face. So don t believe the lie that God doesn t care about you. He cares about you so much He wants you to be able to be anxious for NOTHING. We can do what Philippians 4:6 says, be anxious, for nothing. We can choose to pray and be thankful in the midst of bad situations and experience God s peace and love. Anxiety can be something that controls our lives if we allow it to. Take the time to examine your life. Over the next 6 weeks we will strengthen our relationship with Christ as we grow together through our God s Not Dead series and study WE BELIEVE. During this time we will prepare our hearts for the greatest form of love ever given. A love so great we can t even comprehend it in our own lives. A love that should remove any anxieties we feel in our lives. The gift of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made out of pure unselfishness. So dare to believe that God cares about you. Dare to live your life free from anxiety because you know that there s nothing that God wouldn t do for you! May God continue to work in you and through you, and I pray you open your hearts and begin to develop the healthy habit of letting go and letting God take control of your life. God bless you all and always remember remain true to yourself and your convictions! Serving HIM, Debbie Zeiter, Director of Youth Ministries Thank you to the Mission Committee and all those who supported the Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper. We look forward to another summer of mission and outreach at Nehemiah! We are truly blessed by all your love and support and all you do! With love, Pathfinders Youth Group Calendar of Events 3/4 5:30 8:00 pm Pathfinders Fellowship We Believe - Bible Study 3/11 2:00 6:00 pm Pathfinders Fellowship We Believe - Bible Study 3/18 5:30 8:00 pm Pathfinders Fellowship Norwalk High School to see Peter Pan - Cost $8 3 /25 5:30 8:00 pm Pathfinders Fellowship Palm Sunday - Pinning of the Cross We Believe - Bible Study

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8 First United Methodist Church 60 West Main St. Norwalk, OH NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 15 NORWALK, OH Office Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (Lunch noon-1:00 p.m.) Dear First United Methodist Church, March 11 th Turn your clocks forward one hour! On behalf of the men and women of the Norwalk Police Department, I would like to say thank you to gracious community members like yourselves who give us such tremendous support year-round. The gesture of gratitude you showed by bringing Christmas cookies to the department was greatly appreciated! We truly appreciate the community in which we serve. We wish you all the best in the New Year! Sincerely, Chief David W. Light