Or Current Resident. Mon - Thurs: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Family Ministries. Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m.

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1 Verdigris United Methodist Church 8936 East 530 Road Claremore, Ok APRIL 2017 The Verdigris Voice Or Current Resident Verdigris United Methodist Church 8936 E. 530 Rd. Claremore, OK Phone: Pastor Rev. Mark Whitley Church Office Hours Mon - Thurs: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Sunday (Weekly) Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m. Wednesday (Weekly) Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30-6:30p.m. Wednesday Youth: 6:30 p.m. Director of Children s and Family Ministries Tiffany Hilgemann Administrative Secretary Lonette Gordon Musicians: Pat Trusty Piano Administrative Council, Executive Committee Ranae Smith, Chair Keith Austin, Lay Leader Garry Nichols, SPPRC David Garnecky, Trustee Chair Jamie Overton, Finance Nancy Massey, Treasurer Cheryl Shelton, Financial Secretary Average Monthly Attendance March Sunday Worship: 68

2 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Greetings in the name of the Risen Christ! As you all have heard by now, Verdigris United Methodist Church is one of the many United Methodist Churches in Oklahoma and across our country who are facing pastoral changes. While it has been my great privilege and honor to have served you, and served along side you over these last six years, in my spirit, I came to trust that this was a good year to make myself available for consideration for a new appointment if the right church was available. Very surprisingly, Meadowcreek United Methodist Church in Collinsville came open with the move of their senior minister, Rev. Brian Mangan to Will Rogers UMC in Tulsa. And as I have been appointed to the Meadowcreek Church, Rev. Robert (Bob) Johns from Will Rogers has been appointed to be your pastor here at Verdigris United Methodist Church. I have never met Rev. Johns, but he is a seasoned senior pastor having served as senior minister at Bixby, Vinita, and Will Rogers, among others. So...our three churches are involved in a kind of three-way, musical chairs appointment. And with this move, having my new church in such close proximity to Susan s church in Skiatook creates opportunities for shared missions and ministries we have long dreamed about. These are always bittersweet times for pastors and churches, as we all feel the loss that comes from the partings of relationships that forged themselves through the thick and thin times we have spent worshiping and serving God through the ministry of Jesus Christ. But for these three pastors, our race is ending at our three churches, as we prepare to start new races at our new appointments. But as Paul admonishes us all to do in his first letter to the church in Corinth, we are all challenged to run the race well, and run it well all the way to the end. That means we still have work to do together even as we begin opening up space for Rev. Johns to begin creating his time of service with this wonderful, loving church. So as we begin tying up loose ends, if there regular visitors who want to join the church, or if there are baptisms or other specific forms of ministry I can offer you before I leave, I would love to be in conversation with you. I will always be grateful for your investment in me with your love, encouragement, and sometimes just your amazing patience and grace as I learned what it means to actually be a senior minister. I leave you a much better pastor and preacher than when I got here. I hope you feel that I have helped you as church grow, too. But for the next 10 weeks, life will go on much as it has and I look forward to finishing the race well! In Christ, Pastor Mark 2

3 APRIL BIRTHDAYS AMBER AKERMAN 2ND LILLIAN JOHNSON 3RD TRAVIS LANE 5TH TYLER LANE 5TH ANITA JACKSON 6TH JAMES TEMPLER 6TH KEITH AUSTIN 11TH LISA SADLER 11TH STACY TERHUNE 12TH MARGARET RIGSLEE 14TH PAIGE SMITH 29TH APRIL ANNIVERSARIES Nicholas & Amber Akerman Scott & Shauna Meador April 26th April 27th WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER 5:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. $6.00 per person / $15.00 per family APRIL MENU 5Th CHICKEN AND DRESSING CASSEROLE, SALAD, HOT ROLLS, DESSERT 12TH HAM, MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY, GREEN BEANS, SALAD, HOT ROLLS, PIES 19TH ROAST, MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY, CORN, SALAD, HOT ROLLS, COBBLERS 26TH SPAGHETTI, SALAD, GARLIC BREAD, ASSORTED CAKES (LAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNER-MISSION DINNER) *All Meals include: Dessert, Coffee, Iced Tea, and Water 3

4 Greetings VUMC! Spring is upon us and that means that Easter is just around the corner. This year we will be doing something a little different than the typical Eater event. We will be teaming up with the HOME Team and focusing on outreach. Starting this Sunday, April 2nd, there will be pre-packaged bags of Easter eggs with a corresponding flyer at VUMC. The goal this year is to reach out to our community and invite them to join us for Easter Sunday. To do this, everyone who wants to, will be encouraged to grab a bag of eggs with a flyer (as many as you want) and "egg" those around your vicinity. That's right... I said "egg"! But maybe not what you're thinking! There are 12 eggs in each bag, 11 are filled with treats and the 12th one is empty. You will want to take these eggs and spread them in someone's front yard; someone in your area that you know doesn't have a church home or that you have been wanting to invite to church. Make it fun! Encourage your kids to help out! Then, before leaving the eggs for the home-owner to find, you'll tape the flyer on their front door. The flyer explains the eggs and sends out an invitation to join us on Easter Sunday. We will spend two weeks doing this before Easter Sunday. So if you grab a few and want to do more, come back to the church and get more! Make this a fun thing to do with your family and let's fill the seats this Easter with visitors that we have "egged"! At 9:30am on Easter Sunday we will be having a brunch before service; no Sunday School. There will also be a small egg hunt for the kids at 10:15am. I invite you to join us! Family Sunday is coming up on April 30th. As always, Sunday School will be replaced with breakfast, photo opportunities, and family time before service. I encourage you to join us! April's Family Sunday will be a little different. Not only will the children of VUMC be serving in service like always, but they will also be leading the music and will be joined by the VCC kids. This will be a celebration of us being in our new space for a year (in May)! The music went out via to all the parents of children to start practicing. If you have not received this and you have a child that will be participating, please let me know so I can get them to you asap. The morning of Family Sunday, we will have a final run-through of the songs at 10:30am. God Bless, Tiffany Hilgemann 4

5 Our church cabin on Fort Gibson Lake is ready to occupy. Be sure to contact Lonette Gordon, in church office, if you wish to use the cabin. The cabin keys can either be picked up at the camp grounds or you may get a key from the church office during office hours. I will need to notify the camp caretakers to let them know you are coming. Thank You, Lonette Gordon ATTENTION LADIES Easter is just around the corner! This is an excellent time to wear your Easter Bonnet. So if you have a hat and want to wear it, please do. We will still have our 2 nd Annual Ladies Wear a Hat to Church day in July. Thanks, Sharon 2017 VUMC Directories: Are free and available on information wall in the foyer. Please let me know if you are still a visitor, however attend regularly and feel a part of our VUMC Family, and would like your information added to the directory. You can contact me either at PH:# or me at: Lonette.gordon@verdigrisumc.org. Gospel Fest IV Sunday, April 23rd Memorial Drive UMC Doors open at 4pm for the Silent Auction Singing starts at 5pm Groups: Eternity, Founders, Sound Decision, and Tulsa Metro Sound Ladies Chorus (Gaither-Homecoming style music!) *All Proceeds go to support our United Methodist Campground on Fort Gibson Lake. For prayer needs and concerns, please complete the prayer cards at the beginning of the service and you may place them in the designated basket near the pulpit before Worship or during Friendship Time. Pastor Mark will collect them for use during the Prayer Time to announce the joys and prayer needs. 5

6 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 Bring a friend to church Sunday and Potluck luncheon Communion Holocaust Remembrance Day 8 15 Executive Finance Mtg. 6:30 pm Passover Begins Embrace Bible Study 6:30pm Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30-6:30pm Good Friday Service 6:30pm Embrace Bible Study 6:30pm Easter Sunday Brunch and Egg Hunt 23 Festival of Gods Creation Tax Day Passover ends Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30-6:30pm Last Wednesday Night Dinner 5:30-6:30pm Administrative Professionals Day Trustee Mtg. 6:30pm Pastor Mark In OK City Arbor Day Family Sunday Potluck Breakfast & Spring Show International Jazz Day *Please note that not all regular activities are on the calendar. Service Times are on cover of newsletter. If you have an activity planned please be sure and notify the office and be sure it is on the calendar. This helps to let everyone know what is going on and so that there will be no conflicts regarding the use of church premises and the church bus. If you wish to view the calendar on our website go to ww.verdigrisumc.org and then you will need to go to events and then click on calendar. You should be able to see all events Thank you, _ÉÇxààx ZÉÜwÉÇ 6