FROM THE PASTOR S DESK

GROVEPORT GLEANINGS N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 FROM THE PASTOR S DESK As we move into the months of November and December they can be quite hectic with preparations, traveling, parties, shopping, cleaning, cooking, baking, decorating and the list could go on and on. And if we are not careful we can get so tied up in all of these things and granted they are important that we forget what the real reason is for our celebration. As we prepare for and celebrate Thanksgiving let us include a time to count our blessings and to give thanks to God from whom truly all blessings flow. And not just during the Thanksgiving season, but every day of our lives. And as we move through the Advent season preparing for our Christmas celebration let us make sure that we prepare our hearts and our lives anew to make room for Christ who truly is the reason that we celebrate and who is the One who is at the center of not only the season, but every day of our lives. All of the things that I mentioned in the very beginning are necessary and are all part of the season we are moving into. And not only that most are a lot of fun. But my prayer is that we never forget why we celebrate and who we celebrate so that our celebration has the right focus and we experience the true joy God wants for us that is found in Jesus. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Pastor s Letter 1 Meetings & Events (Nov.) 2 Meetings & Events (Dec.) 3 Missions 4 Missions (cont.); Safe Sanctuary Pr. Chip Vacation; Church Conference; Women s Emmaus Walk; Covenant Bible Study; Veteran s Recognition 5 6 New Members Class; Pizza With the Pastor; Jr. Church Lillian Faith; GUMC Shirt Sale 8 Scholarship Fund; Stephens Minister Class; Acolytes Needed Stepping Back in Time 10 Lillian Faith Bake Sale; Parsonage Christmas Open House; Longest Night Svc.; Christmas Eve Svc. 7 9 11 Jesus is the Reason 12

2 Meetings and Events at GUMC ~ November 2014 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Group 9 am 2 Prayer Circle Covenant Bible Study 2:00-3:30 pm GUMY 5 pm 3 Finance 6:30 pm 4 Election Day Café 11:00 am-6:30 pm RUMC Emmaus Gathering 7:15 pm 5 Covenant Bible Study 6:00-7:30 pm Men s Share Group 6 :30 pm Choir 7 pm 6 Group 6 pm 7 Evening of Dinner & Gospel 5:30 pm 8 UM Men s Breakfast 8:30 am Group 9 am 9 Prayer Circle 10 11 12 13 14 15 Women s Share Group 9 am Stepping Back in Time 12:00 pm Pizza w/ the Pastor 12:00 pm Covenant Bible Study 2:00-3:30 pm Missions 6 pm Covenant Bible Study 6:00-7:30 pm Men s Share Group 6 :30 pm Choir 7 pm RUMC Emmaus Women s Walk Group 6 pm RUMC Emmaus Women s Walk RUMC Emmaus Women s Walk (Through Sunday) 16Dedication of shoeboxes for SP Angel Tree Begins Prayer Circle Gathering 9:30am Stepping Back in Time 12:00 pm GUMY 5 pm 23 Prayer Circle Stepping Back in Time 12:00 pm Church Conference 2 pm Giving Thanks Concert 6 pm 30 Prayer Circle Gathering 930 am Angel Tree Gifts Due GUMY Serving Dinner @ RMH 2:30 pm 17 Pastor Chip- Vacation Trustees 7 pm 24 25 Notes: 18 Pastor Chip- Vacation Lillian Faith @ Flyers 11 am Lillian Faith @ Motts 1 pm SPRC 7 pm 19 Pastor Chip- Vacation Men s Share Group 6 :30 pm Choir 7 pm 20 Pastor Chip- Vacation Pack SSS Lunches 5 pm Group 6 pm 21 Pastor Chip- Vacation Deliver SSS Lunches 10:30 am Beat Michigan Tailgate to benefit CGMHN 6:30 pm 22 Women s Share Group 9 am 26 27 28 29 Women s Share Group 9 am

3 Meetings and Events at GUMC ~ December 2014 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 Group 9 am Men s Share Group 6 :30 pm Lillian Faith Holiday Cookie Sale 9 amnoon RUMC Emmaus Gathering 7:15 pm Choir 7 pm Group 6 pm 7 Prayer Circle Stepping Back in Time 12:00 pm 8 9 Lillian Faith Sweet Swap, Lunch @ Berwick 10 Men s Share Group 6 :30 pm 11 12 13 UM Men s Breakfast 8:30 am Group 9 am New Member Class 2 pm GUMY Christmas Party!! 5 pm 14 Prayer Circle 15 16 17 Stepping Back in Time Dress Rehearsal 7 pm Group 6 pm 18 Angel Tree Wrap & Delivery Party 9 am 19 20 Women s Share Group 9 am Open House at Pastor Chip s 2pm-4pm Men s Share Group 6 :30 pm Stepping Back in Time 7 pm 21 Prayer Circle Christmas Cantata 10:30 am 28 Prayer Circle Trustees 7 pm 22 23 24 29 OFFICE CLOSED 30 OFFICE CLOSED Longest Night Service 7 pm Choir 7 pm Christmas Eve Service 7 pm, 11 PM 31 OFFICE CLOSED Group 6 pm 25 26 OFFICE CLOSED Notes: 27 Women s Share Group 9 am

4 Missions Samaritan s Purse THANK YOU to all who have picked up, filled and returned a Samaritan s Purse Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box!! Our shelves are filling up and we will dedicate these shoeboxes on Sunday, November 16 during worship. The boxes will be delivered to a collection center the next day. These small boxes will light up a child s face and also give them materials which will tell them how much God loves them what a great gift! Prison Fellowship Angel Tree On November 16 the Angel Tree will be set up in the parlor with tags listing gift wishes for children whose parent(s) is/are incarcerated. Please stop by, pick up a tag and return the tag and gift by November 30. The Wrap & Delivery Party we do hope you will come!! will be Saturday, December 13 at 9:00 am. In some households there may be more than one child who will receive an Angel Tree gift, so please follow the suggested guidelines on the tag. It could be difficult if one child received much more than another child in the same home. Hat/Mitten/Scarf Tree During Advent each year we set up an empty tree upon which we hang hats, mittens/gloves, and scarves for children in our school district. After Christmas, these are taken to one of the local elementary schools for the teachers to distribute to children as needed. The teachers and the children REALLY appreciate this small gesture of LOVE. Christmas Card Collection and Distribution The Servin Sisters Saturday morning Emmaus Share Group will again receive and sort Christmas cards for your GUMC family during the holidays starting November 30. It would be SO helpful if you would: 1) alphabetize and band your cards in bunches; 2) deposit them in the collection boxes at the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen entrances 3) pick up your cards in the back of the sanctuary. Cards will be sorted ONLY in Fellowship Hall, not the sanctuary, and cards will be distributed from the sanctuary, not Fellowship Hall. This will reduce the log-jam that occurs when folks try to sort cards on Sunday mornings!! Any questions, please see Kathi Faulstich. Counted-Cross Stitch Picture Once again, Chris Bowser (formerly with G M Schools and CGMHN Board Member) has crafted a beautiful counted-cross stitch picture which is matted and framed as a fund raiser for the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs. A limited number of chances will be sold and the drawing will be during our Giving Thanks Choral Concert on Sunday, November 23. Kathi Faulstich and Steve Shirley have tickets to enter the drawing. You do not need to be present at the concert to win, but we hope you will be there it will be a great event (Terri Christensen is in charge!) SSS Lunches The missions team will be providing. 80 sack lunches November 21st. We are in need of the following supplies. 1. 80 hard boiled eggs, 2. Bottled water, 3. String cheese, 4. Cookies, 5. Pudding/ Applesauce cups, 6. Cheese crackers. * Since this lunch is so close to Thanksgiving we are wanting to take mini quick breads also. If you are able to donate any of the above items or make any quick breads (no nuts) please let us know. We will be assembling the lunches November 20th. Thank you all for your continual support! katlittle62@gmail.com

5 november Missions (cont.) C o m m u n i t y e v e n t s Evening of Dinner and Gospel IF you receive this newsletter in time, you may still be able to purchase pre-sale tickets for the Evening of Gospel and Dinner on Friday, November 7 at 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs, this will be a catered dinner with great gospel musical groups for entertainment. The event will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church. Dinner tickets will be pre-sale only; concertonly tickets can be purchased at the door. Kathi Faulstich and Steve Shirley will have dinner tickets for advance purchase. Asbury UMC is a great location and is handicap-accessible with convenient parking. Beat Michigan Tailgate Party You are invited to the Beat Michigan Tailgate Party to be held on Friday, November 21 from 6:30 9:00 pm in the Groveport Rec Center Parking Lot, 7370 Groveport Road. There will be food & beverages, music, contests and prizes, raffle, corn hold, kids activities, warming fire and more. See Fellowship Hall bulletin board flyer. Proceeds from this event benefits the Center for Groveport Madison Human Needs; non-perishable food items will be collected for the food pantry. Adopt-A-Family The Center for Groveport-Madison Human Needs (CGMHN) will again sponsor the Adopt-A-Family Program for students in the G-M School District. Parents should apply for assistance through the web site: www.center4gmhn.org as soon as possible. If you, your organization or family would like to adopt a family for Christmas this year, add your name to the "Angel" list. Just send your name, contact info and number of children in a family you want to adopt through the CGMHN web site. For questions call 586-4017. Safe Sanctuary Following a directive from the West Ohio Conference United Methodist Church (after the passing of Ohio Senate Bill 187) GUMC created a Safe Sanctuary Policy to provide a safe place for our children to experience the love of Jesus Christ. Employees and volunteers working with children and youth (under 18) during ANY child-oriented event must attend a training session and submit a background check to the church. Training must be renewed every three years. If you are a new member (and would like to work with the children) you may contact any committee member listed below. Committee Members: Kay Carter, Mike Hamler, Jean Ann Hilbert, or Pastor Chip Koch.

6 P a s t o r c h i p & b e v v a c a t i o n Pastor Chip & Bev will be on vacation Monday, Nov 17 -Friday, Nov 21. They will also be on vacation Friday, Dec 26 -Friday, Jan 2. In the event of an emergency or need of pastoral assistance please contact either Paige Pickett (614) 836-2488 or Rev. Jim Burge (614) 315-7312. C h u r c h c o n f e r e n c e On Sunday, November 23, at 2:00 p.m. we hold our annual Church Conference. This is a time for us to reflect on both where we have been and where we sense God is calling us as we gather as the Body of Christ. The Church Conference is open to anyone who wishes to attend. Those who hold membership in the Groveport United Methodist Church will be able to vote on all matters brought to the Church Conference. W o m e n s E m m a u s w a l k The Reynoldsburg Women s Emmaus walk will be taking place Thursday, November 13 through Sunday, November 16. Pastor Chip will the Weekend Spiritual Director for this Walk. In the event of an emergency or need of pastoral assistance please contact either Paige Pickett (614) 836-2488 or Bev Koch (614) 916-7021. C o v e n a n t b i b l e s t u d y Covenant Bible study is about discovering new life that fits and connects with both God and others. It seeks to help us discover life that makes sense life that finds its source in God and life lived together. It is a 24 week study that is broken down into (3) eight week segments. The second part of the three part study will begin in January. The two groups that meet on Sunday will begin on Sunday, January 4, and the two groups that meet on Wednesdays will begin on Wednesday, January 7. If you have not participated in the study you are welcome to join any one of these four groups. Please contact Pastor Chip to sign-up or if you would like further information. The study will last for 8 weeks. The cost is $20. V e t e r a n s r e c o g n i t i o n On Sunday, November 9, in our morning worship service, we will be recognizing our Veterans who served our country faithfully. Join us as we say a special thank you to them!

7 N e w m e m b e r s c l a s s There will be a new member s class on Sunday, December 7, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the John Wesley room (off the fellowship hall). This class is for those wishing to join the Groveport United Methodist Church or who would like more information concerning membership. If you have questions or would like more information please contact Pastor Chip. P i z z a w i t h t h e p a s t o r There will be a pizza with the Pastor on Sunday, November 9 at 11:45, following the morning worship service. We will meet in the Serendipity Room (by the kitchen). This is for those who are new to the church to have an opportunity to share in fellowship and to learn more about the Groveport U.M.C. s ministry and mission. While reservations are not necessary, they are helpful for preparations. Also if you will need childcare please contact Pastor Chip or the Church Office. J r. c h u r c h Beginning in December Jr. Church will take on a new look and direction. We will be doing exciting, fun, and age appropriate worship that will model worship as it is done in the sanctuary. And we will be using a new curriculum called 252 Basics. The following is a description of this material: Elementary-age kids are in a constant state of discovery. Think about all the different things they are trying for the first time and what they re learning every day, even how to make (and keep) friends. 252 Basics taps into the way kids are wired to help them discover and experience for themselves who God is, how He sees them and how much He loves them? 252 Basics seeks to show them God s big story and help them discover the active part they can play in this lifelong adventure, to be more like Him. 252 BASICS curriculum and re sources PROVOKE DISCOVERY, inviting kids to live out their new understanding of how to grow in relationship with God and with others. Jr. Church will take place the second, third and fourth Sundays of the month, as well as on the fifth Sundays when they happen. Children will be in Jr. Church the entire time of worship (10:30 11:30 a.m.) and will meet in the Choir Room. Jr. Church will continue to be for those children K 6 th grade. On the first Sunday of each month the children will be in worship in the sanctuary for the entire time. The first Sunday for the new Jr. Church will be Sunday, December 14. Please pray for Jr. Church as we seek to deepen the children s faith and walk with Jesus.

8 Lillian Faith November 18 is our next meeting at 11AM at Flyer's Pizza We will buy our lunch, Meet and Eat to discuss the upcoming December Holiday Cookie Sale. At 1PM we will gather at Mott's Military Museum for a guided tour. Please PLAN to attend. December 6 from 9AM-Noon Saturday December 6 is our Holiday Cookie Sale. Buy your Homemade holiday cookies here! Details will be discussed at the November 18 Meeting. December 9 Sweet Swap The December Meeting will be the annual Sweet Swap followed by Lunch at Berwick Manor. What a way to start the holiday season! HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE AT ALL OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS!! Mott's Military Museum, November 18 The Lillian Faith Circle is having their Fall trip to Mott's Military Museum this year. We are inviting EVE- RYONE in the congregation to join us for this guided, narrated educational tour of the Museum. The cost is $4/senior. The guided tour will begin at 1pm. If you would like to join us please be there no later than 12:45pm. RSVP to Patty Upperman at 614-836-3013, by November 10. We hope you can come! GUMC Shirt Sale We will be ordering GUMC T-shirts and Polo shirts for anyone interested. This year, for the first time, we also have GUMC hats available!! Prices are: T-shirts - Youth and Adult S-XL $9.00, 2XL-3XL $11.00 Polos with Embroidery (Men s and Women s styles) - Youth and Adult S-XL $17.00 2XL $19.00 3XL $21.00 4XL $23.00 Khaki Hat with Embroidery: $12. Look for posters hanging around the church for more information. Please see Jennifer Hertl at church or contact her at Hertl1@aol.com to order. Payment is due by Sunday, November 9 th. GUMC SWEATSHIRTS!!!!!!!!!!! We will also be offering sweatshirts with the GUMC logo. They will be a little darker than the t-shirt and Polo shirts. But the design will be just like the t-shirt (small chest imprint and full back imprint). I will be taking orders through November 9 th. Please see pricing below. Crew sweatshirts - $18.00 s-xl, $20.00 2xl-3xl Hoodie sweatshirts - $22.00 s-xl, $24.00 2xl-3xl Hooded full-zip sweatshirts - $24.00 s-xl, $26.00 2xl-3xl

9 S c h o l a r s h i p f u n d d o n a t i o n s Did you know that donations to the Viola Luellen Scholarship fund can be made at any time? These scholarships are capped at $500.00, and are only available to members of GUMC that are in studies of ministry, nursing, or education. The scholarship was initiated by Jim Luellen in memory of his wife Viola. Additional monies were given in memory of Fanchon Greer. This was visionary on the part of Jim and needs to be remembered when we look forward to the young people in our church. Please prayerfully consider donating to this scholarship, as it is funded by the generous gifts of our congregation. Respectfully submitted by Jean Ann Hilbert N e w c l a s s f o r S t e p h e n m i n i s t e r s We will be training another class of Stephen Ministers in January. Stephen Ministers work alongside our pastor to care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time. If you have gifts for caring, encouragement, and listening, please begin to prayerfully consider whether you might want to be part of this exciting ministry. If you think you might be interested, please contact Kay Carter (836-2975), Courtney Hilbert (595-4803), Larry Hilbert (836-5904), Darleen Neal (905-6296), or Becky Cassidy (836-2722). A c o l y t e s n e e d e d! Attention all kids! Anyone that is in the third grade or above interested in helping on Sunday mornings as an Acolyte (lighting the candles, carrying the cross, etc.), please contact Steven Shirley so a schedule can be prepared and instructions given. (614) 835-0251 or rsteve43232@aol.com.

10 S t e p p i n g b a c k i n t i m e Stepping Back in Time December 14, 2014 Come enjoy the sounds and sights of the reenactment of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. All are welcome to enjoy our Victorian Holiday and refreshmennts on the lawn at 6:00 p.m. Performance in the Sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. Join us as we remember the true meaning of Christmas... Jesus is the reason for the season Christmas will be here before we know it! The season will bring one of our favorite events of the year, the Stepping Back in Time program. To prepare for all the fun and memories we will share together we have scheduled rehearsals and lunches for the upcoming months. The following is a schedule of those dates and times. Sun. November 9 th 12:00 p.m. LUNCH & PRACTICE Sun. November 16 th 12:00 p.m. LUNCH & PRACTICE Sun. November 23 rd 12:00 p.m. LUNCH & PRACTICE Sun. December 7 th 12:00 p.m. LUNCH & PRACTICE Wed, December 10 th 7:00 p.m. DRESS REHEARSAL Sun. December 14 th 7:00 p.m. PERFORMACE! Please contact Steven Shirley or Terri Christensen with any questions. Let's make this the best year ever!

11 L i l l i a n f a i t h h o l i d a y b a k e s a l e The Lillian Faith Circle will be having a Holiday Bake Sale at the church on Saturday, December 6 at 9 am. Plan to attend to buy homemade holiday goodies for the Christmas season! Come early to get just what you need! Any questions, please contact Charlene Nutter at 835-0933 or Patty Upperman at 836-3013. P a r s o n a g e C h r i s t m a s o p e n h o u s e On Sunday, December 14 from any time between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. you are invited to stop by the Church Parsonage for a Christmas Open House. This is an opportunity to see the parsonage and to share in a time of fellowship. The parsonage is located at 4851 Vantage Way, Groveport in Founders Bend. We do hope that you will be able to stop by. Pastor Chip & Bev L o n g e s t n i g h t s e r v i c e Spend a little quiet time with God on Wednesday, December 17 at 7:00 pm at our Longest Night Service. It is our hope that this service might be comforting to those for whom the Christmas cheer may be a bit dimmed this year. More reflective and contemplative, it is a time to reflect, pray, light a candle in remembrance, and just BE in the presence of God and others. Please join us and feel free to bring others with you. The elevator will be in operation if you need assistance. C h r i s t m a s e v e s e r v i c e s Christmas Eve is a very special time for us, as the Body of Christ, to celebrate the birth of Jesus. On Christmas Eve we will be holding two services with one at 7:00 p.m. and the other at 11:00 p.m. Both will be candlelight services. The 11:00 p.m. service will also be a communion service. We do hope that you plan on joining us for one or perhaps both services.

12 December 2014 Primary Business Address Address 512 Line Main 2 Street Address Line 3 Groveport, Ohio 43125 Address Line 4 E-mail: E-mail: secretary@groveportumc.org office@groveportumc.org Phone: (614)836-5968 (614)836-5968 Pastors Cell: Cell: (614)827-5034 (740) 438-4130 GroveportUMC.org Worship God Build Disciples Change Lives Jesus Is The Reason In Bethlehem, God gave to us The source of Christmas joy; A star shown on a miracle: The virgin birth of a boy. He was born both God and man, A Savior for us all, The way to get to our heavenly home, If we just heed His call. So as we shop and spend and wrap And enjoy the Christmas season, Let's keep in mind the sacred truth: Jesus is the reason. By Joanna Fuchs