FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FIRST CONNECTION MARCH, 2011

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FIRST CONNECTION MARCH, 2011 First United Methodist Church 729 Central Avenue PO Box 262 Connersville, IN 47331 Church Phone (765-825-8506) Pastor Dave Galbraith Parsonage Phone (765-825-2363) Web Address: connersvillefirst.org 1

Dearest Church Family, As we enter this season of Lent, our focus is on repentance. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 9 th this year, and ends on Holy Saturday. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians. My prayer is that we all will get involved in the season of Lent. I would invite all of you to come to church every Wednesday between 11:00am and 1:00pm during Lent to come into the sanctuary and have a talk with God. There will be quiet music playing and you can come and spend whatever time you want, just conversing with God. I believe you will find this a time of relaxation and comfort for your soul. Other opportunities to celebrate Lent are: Ash Wednesday Service: 7:00pm Alquina UMC or Central Christian Church Sunday Evening Services: Mar 13 7:00pm Grace United Methodist Mar 20 7:00pm Grand Ave United Methodist Mar 27 7:00pm Eastside United Methodist Apr 03 7:00pm Alquina United Methodist Apr 10 7:00pm First United Methodist Apr 17 7:00pm Orange United Methodist May God bless you as we walk towards that great Easter Morning. In Christ s Love, Pastor Dave Information from Staff Parish: Some have asked about how we are doing with the new staff position of Children and Youth Director. The Staff parish Relations Committee has a job description; the next step is to decide on the compensation. We will then go to the Administrative Council and seek their approval. If all is agreed upon, we will start looking for a person to fill the job. Thank you for your patience and generosity. ************************************* 2 UNITED METHODIST WOMEN NEWS EVE CIRCLE - March 17, 2011 Hostess: Gayle Siebert; Devotions: Phyllis Smith Lesson: Elizabeth Holmes Meeting will be held at Siebert s home 205 Beverly Ct. SUSANNA CIRCLE March 15, 2011, Church Lounge Hostess: Myrna Galbraith Devotion/Program: Myrna Galbraith 2011 THEME FOR UMW. GIVING HOPE WITH HEART AND HELPING HANDS. All events hosted in 2011 will use this theme. FUTURE UMW EVENTS March 4-6 WOMEN S SILENT RETREAT, St Joseph Conference Center, Tipton, IN Come and I will give you rest from Matthew 11:28 March 8, 2010 LEGISLATIVE DAY AT INDIANA STATE HOUSE. April 1-2 SPIRITUAL GROWTH RETREAT 7:00PM 3:00PM. Marriott Complex, Indianapolis Rev. Susan Jennys. April 30 DISTRICT SPRING MEETING, Connersville First United Methodist Church. This meeting will be held at FUMC and there will be preparations to be made for it. More information on meeting will be coming so watch bulletin and April s First Connection for details. It will not only give all of our ladies an opportunity to attend a District meeting but it will also be a good fellowship project as we all work together to make the meeting a success. INFORMATION FOR UMW MEMBERS Each year our unit pays to conference our Local Unit Asking. This includes, Lucille Raines $7.50, School of Christian Mission $2.00, Youth and Young $.50, Adults Service, & Scholarship. This totals $10.00 per person for each member in United Methodist Woman. THANK YOU ALL FOR SAVING LABELS, STAMPS AND EDUCATION BOX TOPS. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SAVE THEM. You may leave them in box in hall next to the office.

MISSIONS Income Eligibility Guidelines 2nd SUNDAY GIVING MARCH 13, 2011 Family Size 250% Above Federal Poverty Levels Please bring your donation of BABY GOODS to the mission table in the back of the Sanctuary for donation to HOPE PREGNANCY CENTER. ************************************ SALVATION ARMY HELPING HANDS Third Sunday each month serving the Lord s Kitchen from 5:00PM till 6:00PM, Sunday, March 20 th, 2011 ********************************************* Rx Med Assist When you can t afford the drugs you need. Are you spending in the Hundreds or Thousands for medication? Go to: www.freeusadrugplan.com/savingmakecents to see if you qualify. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage and you will see the box that says Can t afford to pay for your medications, even with a discount card?...click here, and that will take you to RX Med Assist application. If you qualify you will pay a fee of $25.00 and get those expensive drugs for $20.00 per prescription per month. FYI.. When you are filling out the Rx Med Assist application be sure to include any details about your situation in the Additional Comments section, it could be very helpful in getting you qualified. The qualifications for Rx Med Assist is based on insurance and income. Prescription Assistance Programs (PAPs) provide a low cost prescription medicine to people who are uninsured or under-insured and meet income guidelines. ( Under insured can mean your specific prescription medication may not be covered under your drug plan). 3 1 $27,075 2 $36,425 3 $45,775 4 $55,125 5 $64,475 6 $73,825 7 $83,175 8 $92,525 For each Additional Family member $9,350 If you have any questions about Rx Med Assist feel free to contact Linda Garrison 828-216-0825 ****************************************** LIBRARY NEWS A Prophet in Our Own Time? A classical Biblical prophet, say an Isaiah or an Amos, is less a seer into the future than a seer into the culture in which he/she lives. In that case the prophet becomes a mouthpiece of God, declaring the justice and love needed in that society. Wendell Berry, a Kentucky native, having lived and taught in New York and California, returned to his Henry County home 45 years ago to farm a 125 acre plot along the Kentucky River and write essays, poems and novels about his people and land. Berry s novels are set in the fictional area of port William, along the Kentucky river, and involve interesting compelling stories about its families and the land they have been given. He admires the Amish and places great emphasis on the importance of good relationships and good attitudes toward the land.

Library continued In Hannah Coulter, a novel I received at Christmas, Hannah, now in her late seventies, looks back over her childhood, the loss of her first husband in the Second War, her marriage to Nathan Coulter (a veteran of that war), raising children from both marriages and growing old. She reflects on what her community might have been and what it had become. I have three other Berry novels about the people of port William A Place on Earth, The Wild Birds and Remembering. I enjoyed Hannah Coulter, have begun re-reading A Place on Earth and will be re-reading the others over the next few months. Meanwhile, I m donating these novels to the library so some of you can read them as well. Berry is a modern-day prophet (a storyteller not a preacher) who deserves a large audience. **************************************** PRAYER LIST CHARLES HECK SUE HARRIS AXEL & VIRGINIA PEARSON CATHY SLIGER MARK PICKERING MILDRED ARMSTRONG HILDA SEFTON JENNIFER FOWLERS ESTELLA COPPLE KATHY MARTIN HELEN KELLUM S SISTER CHARLES LOCKE LEVAUGHN LARMORE HELEN RUSTERHOLTZ MELANIE MANN MICHELLE & CLIFFORD WARD DREW HAHN DAVID S FRIEND, CODY DORCAS POLLITT JAMES SANDLIN Mar 06 Mar 13 Mar 17 Mar 19 Mar 23 Mar 29 ANNIVERSARIES MARCH Merlin & Betty Kluger Dave & Jan Stanley Tom & Kathy Gossett Jim & Peggy Hancock Bob & Marsha Baltzell Ron & Ann Hockersmith ************************************* Mar 02 Mar 05 Mar 08 Mar 08 Mar 10 Mar 11 Mar 11 Mar 12 Mar 12 Mar 12 Mar 14 Mar 15 Mar 18 Mar 18 Mar 20 Mar 21 Mar 22 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 24 Mar 27 B I R T H D A Y G R E E T I N G S MARCH BIRTHDAYS Betty Kluger Dick Guttman Sue Harris Gayle O Neal Joyce Peak Joseph Gibbs Mark Klopfenstein Caitlyn Levi Kate Starr Bob Baltzell John Foster Jared Harvey Nicholas Bottles Charles Heck Chris Halberstadt Ken Larmore Tim Day Russell Burks Janie O Brian Phyllis Hinners Matt Corder ********************************************* IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING 2011 AVARAGE WEEKLY BUDGET FOR EXPENSES IS $3878.00 GENERAL MISC DATE FUND GIVING ATTEND JAN 30 $3457.00 $210.34 105 FEB 06 $4498.00 $532.79 90 FEB 13 $3775.00 $ 90.61 130 FEB 20 $2407.00 $ 35.00 100 $14,137.00 $868.74 4

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MARCH 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 ALTRUSA 12:00 3 4 5 TRUSTEES MEETING 6:30PM WORSHIP COMM MEETING 6:30PM 6 7 MEN S BREAKFAST STAFF PARISH MEET 6:30PM 8 9 ASH WEDNESDAY ALQUINA 7:00PM CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH 7:00PM 10 CLINIC WORSHIP COMM MEETING 6:30 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 LENTON SERVICE GRACE UMC 7:00PM SUSANNA CIRCLE 1:30 SANCTUARY OPEN FOR REFLECTION 11:AM 1:PM EVE CIRCLE 7:00 20 21 OFFICE CLOSED 22 OFFICE OPEN 23 24 CLINIC 25 26 LENTON SERVICE GRAND AVE UMC 7:00PM FINANCE COMM MEETING 6:30 SANCTUARY OPEN FOR REFLECTION 11:AM 1:PM CONFESSING MOVEMENT 2 4:30PM 27 LENTON SERVICE EASTSIDE UMC 7:00PM 28 29 30 SANCTUARY OPEN FOR REFLECTION 11:AM 1:PM 31