From the Pastor s Desk

Transcription

1 T h e V i s i t o r Volume Issue Newsletter Date June 2016 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Attendance/Stewardship 3 Birthdays 4 Children s Ministries 2 UMW News 5 Youth New 2 UPCOMING EVENTS June 1 9a Prayer Shawl 10a UMW Meeting 11:30a Viewing of 8 Days June 5 3p South Central District Conference, Glasgow First UMC 5:30p Youth Parent Meeting June 6 Youth to Holiday World June 11 11a Youth Car Wash June Annual Conference June 18 8a Work Habitat June 19 Father s Day June VBS 5:30 dinner 6-8 Classes June 23 9:30a UMAF to Patti s Grand Rivers, KY Dear Friends, From the Pastor s Desk Summer is upon us and I m very excited about that. The next few months are going to be full of change and excitement for us here at Christ Church. Let me begin by saying I hope you enjoy these days to the fullest. Many of us will have the opportunity to travel. Be safe. Have lots of fun. Be a witness wherever you are. A few weeks ago, I was part of the United Methodist Church s General Conference, an every fouryear event, in Portland. OR. It was an honor to attend and be part of that experience. While there I was reminded over and over of just how big and influential our United Methodist Church is around the world. We are part of a very big family. All the delegates had to keep their translation headphones handy because you never knew when someone would begin to speak in French or Spanish or Portuguese or Russian or Korean or Swahili or English! As you can imagine, there were plenty of people there with various agendas trying to get the church to speak or act on different topics. I am not sure we genuinely have a right to speak on all the topics covered, but we gave it a go anyway. We do need to speak on some topics that impact life all around the world and we did. Not all will agree with the outcomes. In the area of human sexuality, some think we failed to speak when we simply affirmed what we already have said. Others wanted us to change our position or statement. In the area of reproductive rights, we took a much stronger stance against abortion, while maintaining our awareness that some decisions are painful. Decisions were made to strengthen the church around the world even as we work to do so here in the US, as well. There will be five new Bishops in Africa beginning in You will see a letter from our Bishop Lindsey Davis in this newsletter. Please read it. If you have questions, I would love to talk with you. Closer to home in just a few weeks we will be welcoming Rev. Michael Romans, his wife Emily and two children Jonas and Willow to our staff and church family. You can meet them at VBS on Sunday evening June 19! Michael will be serving with us and will also be working as the Director of the Wesley Foundation at WKU. Even more changes are around the corner, which can t be revealed at the time of sending this newsletter out. But, I promise you will hear about them as soon as possible. Did I mention I love the summer? Let s make Summer 2016 the best one ever. Thank you for the privilege of being in ministry with you. Your friend, Pastor David June 29 5:30p Youth Jump in Pool Party Christ United Methodist Church Exists to: Connect Persons to God and to One Another (Worship/Fellowship) Help Meet Needs (Service/Every Member a Minister) Reach Out to Share Jesus Christ (Evangelism) Instruct in Christian Growth (Discipleship) Send Persons in Ministry (Missions) Transform the Community of Bowling Green

2 Page 2 Children s Ministry CHILDREN S CORNER VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Please join us for VBS 2016 as we Catch the Wave of God s amazing love! Help is needed in all areas: Bible Story center, Age Group Leaders and music. CHILDREN Youth June 5-Parent s Meeting/youth June 6 Holiday World June 11 Car Wash June 12 Youth June 19 No Youth VBS June Camp June 26 No Youth June 29 Jump in Pool Party Congratulations Graduates Volunteer forms are available at the Sunday School desk, YCC Bulletin Board and Patty s office. Let us know how you can help. VBS 2016 will take place from Sunday June 19 Thursday June 23, Dinner will be served each evening beginning at 5:30 and the program will run from 6:00 pm 8:00 pm. Save the date, invite friends and neighbors, register your children and prayerfully consider how you can share Christ s love through serving in VBS. Your support of the VBS program, through prayer, volunteering and the purchase of needed supplies is gratefully acknowledged. The theme verse for the week is: Remember that the Lord is great and awesome Nehemiah 4:14 Please let me know how you will help deliver our message! As always, THANK YOU! Patty Kaylyn Baker Warren Central H.S. Caelin Card Warren Central H.S. Catherine Carter Bowling Green H.S. Lizzie Brand W.K.U Susan Harmon W.K.U. as: Bible Story center, Age Group Le Music. SAVE THE DATE: SUNDAY, JULY 31 ST will be the day of our annual Pool Party! S CED! Please join us for VBS 2016 as we Music.l are-

3 The Visitor O UR S T E W A R D S H I P A N D A T T E N D A N C E M AY 2016 Budget for the Year $570,011 Needed per Week $10,962 Received May 1 $14,173 May 8 $14,896 May 15 $ 8,681 May 22 $ 8,199 May 29 $5,175 Budget to Date $241,164 Received to Date $227,804 Building Fund Loan Balance $130,708 Received May 2016 $2,050 Received 2016 $12,415 STEWARDSHIP OF ATTENDANCE S.S. 8:45 10:00 11:00 May May May May May If you are interested in electronic giving, log on to our website at to find a link to set up your account. Servants for June Greeters 8:45 Service Tammy Davis & Linda Tidwell 11:00 Service Jeff & Richea Norden Communion Servers 8:45 Service Howard & Emogene Stuart Linda Tidwell & Karen Garden 11:00 Service Jeff & Richea Norden Building Lockup Jeff Norden Welcome to the Romans Family Michael, Emily, Willow & Jonas Page 3 The South Central District Conference When: June 5, 2016 Where: Glasgow First UMC Time: 3:00 pm CT Who Should Attend: Pastors Lay Delegates to Annual Conference Church Officers Anyone and Everyone!

4 Page 4 June Birthdays Letter from Bishop Lindsey Davis May 27, 2016 General Conference 2016 is over and left me with a variety of feelings and reflections. Peggy Vincent 6/1 Marcus Brand 6/2 Judy Henrickson 6/2 Jana Layne 6/3 Ethan Berry 6/3 Karlie Williams 6/6 Madison Sowell 6/6 Bill Bonds 6/6 Jean Baldwin 6/8 Chris Hood 6/11 Richard Orr 6/12 Jeanie Orr 6/12 Nancy Carveth 6/14 Bruce Thurman 6/20 Jeff Norden 6/21 Debbie Brinkley 6/24 Margaret Tucker 6/26 Tom Roberts 6/27 Lowell Shank 6/28 Juanita Cox 6/28 Shelby Tylicki 6/28 Glenda Johnson 6/29 If you would like your birthday listed in The Visitor, please call the church office Father s Day 2016 In honor of our fathers or other father figures we have had, we are asking everyone to bring in a picture of them on Father s Day. Be sure to indicate on the photo who they are. Don't ever undervalue the ability of prayer to make a difference in our lives and ministry as a Church. This General Conference was bathed in prayer more than any of the others I have attended. Those of us in Portland were constant in our praying and United Methodists from around the world lifted us in prayer every day. The Prayer Room was my favorite place in the Convention Center. So often in Portland I was reminded that prayer is our first priority. Prayer undergirds and sustains who we are and all that we do. I rejoiced in the global growth of our church. The critical involvement and leadership from our delegates from outside the United States reminded me that the Holy Spirit is moving in wonderful and surprising ways in our Church. The witness of our sisters and brothers in other nations is an important corrective to our spiritual arrogance, materialism and cultural assumptions. There were many "glory sightings" too numerous to list. Our worship was vibrant, Christ-centered and global. I loved it. In our worship, table conversations and legislative meetings we experienced God's presence in fresh ways. Our issues around human sexuality remain and continue to captivate too much of our time and attention. As the General Conference struggled with these matters, there emerged a deep commitment by our delegates to unity. In spite of the wide diversity of opinion in our church, the vast majority of United Methodists desire for us to find a way forward together. To that end, the Bishops were asked to form a "Commission" to prayerfully consider the issues of sexuality and accountability which cause so much continued conflict in our Church. One of the challenges will be to discern ways for us to discover a unity which is not superficial or vague. Our unity must be based on a solid and specific covenant. We must pray for God to lead us on a path that is way beyond our human wisdom. Until then, The Discipline of our Church remains unchanged on the issue of same gender marriage and requirements for ordination. As long as I am a Bishop I will uphold The Discipline as I have for the past 20 years. I urge all of our clergy and laity to do the same. I look forward to seeing many of you face to face at our Annual Conference session in Bowling Green. Come ready to celebrate our ministry here in Kentucky. Blessings, Bishop Lindsey Davis

5 Page 5 WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY HABITAT APOSTLE BUILD Join us on Saturday, June 18 at 8am 742 Regis O Connor Blvd. (at the end of West 12th Street) Wednesdays from 9am-11am June 29 August 7 (7 sessions) JOY SS room Sign up sheet in Connection Area (indicate on signup if you need a babysitter) Cost of Workbook is $12.99 Develop a personalized prayer strategy for putting on the armor of God to secure victory against the enemy. Contact Brenda Roberts for more information Christ UMC has joined with 12 other local churches to sponsor a Habitat house this summer. We have committed $5,000 plus one day of labor towards this house. We will probably be painting trim and/or working with landscaping. Please mark this date on your calendars to help. M.E.A.L.S., Inc. M.E.A.L.S., Inc. Christian Sympathy is extended to Joan Krenzin on the death of her husband, Bob. In Memory of Donald Tweedy Memorial Fund Larry & Jo Byrd Dear Friends, Thank you so much for your calls, texts, visits, cards and prayers during Mike s recent hospitalizations. We appreciate each and everyone of you and feel truly blessed to be a part of such a caring church family. Love, Mike & Linda For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me... Matthew 25:35 On Saturday, June 11 th, CUMC has the responsibility and privilege to provide volunteers for M.E.A.L.S., Inc. Once again, our church will be the provider of a hot meal and food bag to approximately 300 of our neighbors who are in need of food to eat. Please consider working with us as we cook, pack, and deliver to those who are financially and/or physically unable to provide for themselves. Many of our regular, devoted participants will be on vacation on this date, so if you have never worked with M.E.A.L.S., Inc. we urge you to prayerfully think about volunteering on this day. It is a wonderful way to serve our Lord by serving others you will receive much more than you can give. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please call Helen (270) or (270) A sign-up sheet is also located in the Connection Area M.E.A.L.S., Inc. Dates June 11 th,september 10 th,december 10 th

6 Page 6 Mission Minute From Jennifer Taylor & Judi Kavanaugh Consider Volunteering for a week of Summer Camp at The Foundry. The Foundry is a United Methodist ministry here in BG. The website is and you can also connect on Facebook. The phone number is You can also help by inviting families to register for the Preschool, by donating basic school supplies, and by volunteering year-round. United Methodist Adult Fellowship Adult Fellowship June Trip The Adult Fellowship will be going to Patti s 1880 s Settlement and Restaurant in Grand Rivers, Kentucky on June 23. We will leave from the church parking lot at 9:30am. We need a final head count as to who is going by June 19. Please sign up on the sheet posted in the Gathering Place

7 CHURCH STAFF 716 Cave Mill Road Bowling Green, KY & Church Fax: Office hours: 8:00-2:00 Our Address: Worship Services Sunday Worship ~ 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Sunday School ~ 10:00 a.m. Nursery provided for all Sunday Services Youth Activities ~ Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Dr. David Grout... Pastor Josh Wicker Youth/Young Adult/Contemporary Worship Pastor Patty Wintuska... Children s Director Kelli Truelove... Assistant Youth Director Eric Doades... Choir Director Jeanie Orr... Organist Bonnie Hanes... Administrative Assistant/Treasurer April Taylor... Nursery Supervisor Shan Winquist... Lay Leader Angie Gordon... Minister of Visitation & Congregational Care /The Director of Learning Tree Chase Stewart...Custodian Lorenzo Hall, Jr.... Security Our Web Page: