MARCH-APRIL 2017 Faith Community United Church of Christ Dialog 1126 Anderson Ave. Maumee, OH 43537 419-887-1976 faithcomucc@att.net www.faithcommunity-ucc.org facebook.com/faithcommunityucc Scott Kaufman, Pastor Mel Barrios, Certified Lay Minister B.J. Lord, Secretary / Dialog Editor Pastor s Message March and April are the two months that our Lenten season spans this year. Ash Wednesday starts our Lenten season and it extends onto Holy Saturday, April 15, and then ends at midnight when our Easter celebration begins on Easter morning, April 16. Lent is not just about giving things up, although that is a good thing to do. Lent is also about focusing your attention on where you have been and where you desire to be in your spiritual life. Through the years a good way to focus was to fast, pray, and give alms. Fasting is a good way to get your body to sit up and take notice that something different is happening, and it needs to act a little differently. Praying is also a good discipline to get our spirits closer to God, when we have the discipline to pray every day at the same time, which sets aside time to be with God and our spirit. Alms are also a good discipline to get into. Alms are the giving of anything that helps the poor. It could be money, our time, or our talent. The main focus of alms giving is to give something of yourself to someone else who is in need. This action gets us out of continued on page 2
Page 2 March-April 2017 Pastor s Message continued from page 1 thinking about ourselves and thinking about the needs of other people. Lent doesn t have to be about giving something up. You can always add something to your life. An example would be to volunteer at a soup kitchen, or perhaps at an elderly care center. You can also volunteer at church to usher, be a layreader, or fund fellowship hour. The whole purpose of Lent is to search your spirit and get closer to God. However you do that I believe God will bless YOU! Sincerely, Pastor Kaufman Please remember the following people in your prayers this month. Roger Reese, Donna Titera, John Reichard, Janet Butterfield, Mel Barrios, Karen Diller, Ruth Farnsworth, Keith Barnes (Glenna s son diagnosed with lung cancer, but making improvement), Bob Walters, Lori Yant s mother, and Eleanor Huss. HAPPY BIRTHDAY March 3 B.J. Lord March 4 Judy Walle March 8 Charlene Reese March 27 Amanda Ehrhardt March 31 Don Amsden April 1 Betty Huntebrinker April 6 Hope Billings April 7 Donna Titera April 12 Dorothy Kowalski April 17 Peggy Knapp April 22 Mel Barrios April 22 Eli Reed Ehrhardt HAPPY ANNIVERSARY April 9 Lori and Rick Yant to everyone for the beautiful cards and prayers on my behalf during my recent surgery. Also, thanks to Mary Anderson for filling in for me the first week and to the whole congregation for helping Pastor Scott make it through a service the second week without a bulletin. I know it was inconvenient. I m back at work now, but the total recovery may take a few more weeks, so I m still moving a little slow. B.J. Lord The Good Bunch The Good Bunch will meet on Tuesday, April 11, at 11:30 a.m., at the Black Pearl Restaurant on Heatherdowns Blvd. The Hostesses will be Darla Myles and her friend Melba. A sign-up sheet will be on the bulletin board so you can make a reservation or call Darla at 419-382-0430.
March-April 2017 Page 3 Calendar of Events Bible Study, Thursdays, 10 a.m. Communion, first Sunday each month Sun., March 19 COUNCIL MEETING Sun., March 26 CHURCH SHOWER Sun., April 2 COMMUNION Last day to order Easter flowers Sun.-Fri., April 9-15 HOLY WEEK See Schedule at right. PALM SUNDAY Sunday, April 9 Communion MAUNDY THURSDAY Thurs., April 13 Worship, 4 p.m. Communion EASTER SUNDAY Sunday, April 16 EASTER BREAKFAST 9:30 a.m. Communion GOOD FRIDAY April 14 No service; Sanctuary open 1 to 3 p.m. Tues., March 11 GOOD BUNCH Black Pearl Restaurant 11:30 a.m. Thurs., April 20 Deadline for copy and photos for the May-June Dialog Sun., April 23 Worship service, 10:30 a.m. BRIGHT SUNDAY Wear your brightest, most colorful. COUNCIL MEETING COMING IN MAY: Rummage Sale, May 4-5 Mother s Day, May 14 Memorial Day, May 29 The Soup Sale was a success again this year. Over 79 pints of soup were ordered and picked-up. There are still a couple left in the freezer at the church. The church earned $410 for the general fund. Thanks to all who participated.
Page 4 March-April 2017 The Good Bunch at Brandywine Country Club, February 14.
March-April 2017 Page 5 Putting the smallest members to work Ella Ehrhardt and Joseph Lark did a very successful job serving as ushers during the month of February. They took up the collection, handed out the bulletins and helped with communion during the month. Great job! Congratulations to these two young people. This n That The Cup Runneth Over funds collected this year will be donated to Habitat for Humanity in Burt Badenhop s name. A Lenten Devotional sheet with scripture readings for the season is available on the entry table. This Dialog is a combined issue because we missed the deadline for the March issue due to B.J. s unscheduled surgery. The next two issues will be combined as well. We will return to monthly issues in September. Our neighbor immediately to the north of us gave us a great lesson in what being a Christian is all about. When a portion of the roof trim came loose and was whipping in the wind, he said not a word, but came over with a ladder and tools and attached the piece back to the building. What a great neighbor we have. The Rummage Sale is fast approaching. It s time to start thinking about the closets and storage spaces in your house where you might have things to donate to the sale. As soon as Easter is over, we will be getting to work on the sale, which is scheduled for May 4 and 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Dialog Faith Community United Church of Christ 1126 Anderson Ave. Maumee, Ohio 43537 OFFICE OPEN: Monday thru Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. WORSHIP Sunday 10:30 a.m. Closed Saturday March-April 2017 Color for this issue of the Dialog sponsored by Kathleen Shollenberger. Photos for this issue by Roger and Charlene Reese unless otherwise noted. Orders taken until Sunday April 2 Sold at cost of $8.50 per pot. Hyacinth, Tulips, Daffodils Decorate the sanctuary for Easter Morning by purchasing a potted Easter Lily, Hyacinth, Tulip, or Daffodil as a memorial or to honor a loved one. Take home after the service. o Easter Lily o Tulip o Daffodil o Hyacinth Blue White Pink (circle color) Name Memorial or Tribute Please fill out a separate form for each plant purchased. Additional order forms are available on the entry table. Please fold around check or cash and place in the collection plate or place in the basket on the desk in the office. THANK YOU!