November 2017 Upcoming Membership Committee Events By: Debi Wynn Calling All Veterans and Veterans Families A tribute display to veterans for Veterans Day Sunday is being created for Sunday, November 12. If you served our country or have a family member who served or is currently serving, please provide a copy of a photo, one preferably taken during the time of service, and info on when served, branch of service, where trained, where served and other servicerelated info or memory you would like to share. Give to Debi Wynn, Patti Ferguson or leave it in the Evangelism mail slot outside the church office by Sunday, November 5. You can also email info and scanned photo to Debi at the following email address: tnhedutainment@aol.com Christmas Decorating It's that time of year when the church is decorated with holiday trimmings and trees. If you would like to participate with the deck the halls fun, sign up on the bulletin board outside of Fellowship Hall. Loch Raven United Methodist Church In the month of November, many of us will gather with family and friends as we celebrate Thanksgiving a day where we come together to express gratitude for our lives and our families. Even though Thanksgiving is a day we have agreed to set aside to express our gratitude, the Bible informs us that thanksgiving is so much more than a day. Thanksgiving is a way of life where we give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow. We thank God for God s goodness, mercy and love. A song that we often sing, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee declares, Joyful, joyful we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love, hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day. This hymn beautifully articulates that God is a God of glory and of love. Psalm 103:8 declares that, The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. We give thanks to the God that loves us so much that he gave his only son for us. A free gift that we can never pay for or earn. True thankfulness creates in us a sense of generosity that compels us to act when we see those who are hungry, hurting and downtrodden. When I think of true thankfulness, I am reminded that it is more than what we say but is also what we do and who we do it for. Colossians 3:14-17 tells us, Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which Inside This Issue... True Thankfulness (Continued on page 3) Name Badge Ministry Page 2 UMW Gift Card Sale Page 3 Missions In Action UMCOR Page 5 Music Notes Page 6
November 2017 The Spire The Spire is published monthly (except July and August) by Loch Raven United Methodist Church, 6622 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21239. Name Badge Ministry All signed articles, letters, announcements, and other information of interest are welcomed and considered for publication. As our church has a new Pastor, new visitors and is a growing church, knowing names of folks around you on Sunday morning and all who come through the doors helps to strengthen fellowship among the congregation. When you arrive on Sunday mornings, please pick up your name badge in the Narthex and then return it as you leave. If you usually enter the sanctuary on Sundays from the front of the church, there is a place there to hold your badge and you can place it there each week as you leave. If you go to Fellowship Hall after the service for Fellowship Time or a special luncheon, continue to wear your badge and deposit it in the Badge Bucket at the lower parking lot exit door. The deadline for the December issue is Sunday, November 12, at 11:00 a.m. Electronic Submission: You may send articles by e-mail to: njk.williams@yahoo.com or place articles in the Church Office s newsletter box. Editor - Nancy Williams Lead Pastor Rev. George Winkfield Pastor of Congregational Care Rev. Wayne Harting Administrative Secretary Anne McCorkle Garrett Church Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: 410-825-0900 Fax: 410-825-2600 E-mail: Office@LRUMC.org Change of Name/Address - Call, mail or e-mail church office or leave in mailbox in hallway outside the church office. By: Debi Wynn Website: www.lrumc.org Visit us on FACEBOOK. Church Conference Our Church Conference will be held Tuesday, November 7 (new date) at 7:00 PM. This will be slightly different from the Charge Conference format which we have used in the past. With a Church Conference, all members attending are eligible to vote. 2 Recipes Needed! The Fundraising Committee is planning a new edition of the Loch Raven Cookbook. Share your special recipe and if you have a special memory that goes with that recipe, please include it with your recipe. Submit to Debi Wynn or Cheryl Wagner Koogler or place in the "Fundraising" mail slot outside the church office. Judy Zahren was the first to provide recipes for this cookbook edition. So please join in with Judy and share yours!
The Spire November 2017 True Thankfulness (Continued from page 1) indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So, before we sit down for our thanksgiving meal with our family and friends let us reflect on the goodness and mercy of God and get out and do something to share the love and light of Christ with those who are less fortunate. Helping and serving others that s true thanksgiving. Grace and Peace, Pastor George November 1 All Saints Day Church Color: White or Red Revelation 7:9-17 Psalm 34:1-10, 22 (UMH 769) 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 November 5 All Saints Day or 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Church Color: White Joshua 3:7-17 Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37 (UMH 830) I Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23: 1-12 UMC Lectionary Calendar November, 2017 November 12 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Bible Sunday Church Color: Green Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Psalm 78:1-7 (UMH 799) 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 November 19 24th Sunday after Pentecost National Bible Week: Nov 19-26 Church Color: Green Judges 4:1 7 Psalm 123 or Psalm 76 (UMH 797) 1 Thessalonians 5:1 11 Matthew 25:14 30 November 23 Thanksgiving Day Church Color: Green or Red Deuteronomy 8:7 18 Psalm 65 (UMH 789) 2 Corinthians 9:6 15 Luke 17:11 19 November 26 Christ the King United Methodist Student Day Church Color: White or Gold Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Psalm 100 (UMH 821) Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 Attention Shoppers & Diners Once again, the United Methodist Women will be taking orders for gift cards. Orders will be taken in Fellowship Hall after the service on Sundays, November 26th and December 3rd. Blank order forms will be in the bulletin. Your gift cards will be delivered the Sunday following your placed order. Sunday November 5 If you have any questions, please contact Joann Munden, Yvonne Horn or Sharon Neumann. Thanks for your support! Loch Raven United Methodist Women 3
November 2017 Upcoming and Ongoing Mission Opportunities November 19 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox donations due. Instead of sending individual Christmas cards to your church family, consider posting one card on our display, and donate the money saved to Missions for Life Water Canada. To help better serve foodstarved individuals in our community, we will be collecting specific, non-perishable food items monthly for ACTC. Watch the Sunday Worship Bulletin for the most critical need. Collection of hotel-size toiletries for Essex UMC. There is a box for the items on the hospitality desk. This is an on-going collection. Sandwich making for Essex UMC 3 rd or 4 th Tuesday of every month. Sunday November 5 The Spire United Methodist Student Day November 26 Together, we educate students so they can make a difference in the world. United Methodist Student Day furnishes scholarships and loans for students attending United Methodist-related and other accredited colleges and universities. Across the country, the people of the United Methodist Church are serving the people God loves in Jesus name. We re doing it at home, but so often we d like to do more. We want to serve those in other places who are suffering. We want to offer spiritual words of hope and life. And we want to be well-equipped to do both! But the reality for most of us is that our responsibilities home, family, work don t allow us to engage with every need we d like to meet. Right now there are UMC young people who might not have had the resources to attend a school of their choice, or, for some, any school at all who ve been sent by you into the world God loves because of your giving to United Methodist Student Day. When you give generously you are supporting these students as they prepare for a life that unites faith with knowledge. When you support United Methodist Student Day, you make it possible for students to serve the world God loves. So although you can t meet every need you d like to, your giving allows members of Christ s body to do it in Jesus name. What no one person or congregation can do alone, we re doing together. Together We re Raising Up Gifted Christian Leaders. For more information on this special giving opportunity, go to: www.umcgiving.org/ministry-articles/united-methodist-studentday. 4
The Spire November 2017 Missions In Action: UMCOR Your mission dollars support a number of worthwhile projects locally, nationally and internationally. In view of the many recent natural disasters from earthquakes, hurricanes and forest fires we would like to focus this month on the work of UMCOR. UMCOR or the United Methodist Committee on Relief is a ministry of the United Methodist Church through the General Board of Global Ministries. Their mission states: We are compelled by Christ to be a voice of conscience on behalf of the people called Methodist. UMCOR works globally to alleviate human suffering and advance hope and healing. Their goal is to assist the most vulnerable persons affected by crisis or chronic need without regard to their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. They work globally to alleviate human suffering and advance hope and healing by responding to disasters. Their work includes programs and projects that help improve people s health and provides for sustainable agriculture, food security, relief supplies and more. UMCOR s work reaches people in more than 80 countries, including the United States. They provide humanitarian relief to communities that are unable to recover on their own. 100 percent of designated donations are spent on specified projects. UMCOR has received many calls from several of the United Methodist conferences, including New York Annual Conference and Florida Annual Conference, who are seeking to respond to the influx of survivors from Puerto Rico. UMCOR anticipates supporting these conferences through funding and appropriate programs. In addition to their response following the catastrophic damage in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, UMCOR continues to support the response of those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and the earthquakes in Mexico. Previously, UMCOR has helped survivors of earthquakes in Nicaragua, famine in Africa and tornadoes, floods and other hurricanes in the United States. They were also there to help affected communities rebuild homes and lives in countries such as Liberia, Rwanda and Bosnia that experienced civil strife. They provided communities with training and education to help them confront hunger and poverty. They also provided relief to survivors of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile; floods in Pakistan; and the 2011 tsunami, earthquake and nuclear threat in Japan; their field office in Afghanistan helped rebuild communities torn apart by decades of war, and provided long-term recovery aid to communities in the US South devastated by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike. To support UMCOR s U.S. Disaster Response give to Advance #901670. To support UMCOR s international disaster responses, give to Advance #982450. Note: Charity Navigator, America's largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities, has given UMCOR a 4-star rating. 5
November 2017 The Spire Music Notes By: Sam Chin, Music Director This month two of our own, Brian and Cecelia Miller, will be participating in the Distinguished Concerts International New York concert series in Carnegie Hall. They will perform, along with many singers around the country, Mark Hayes International Carol Suites on Sunday, November 19th. Their three-day trip will consist of intense music rehearsals and a grand performance featuring a full orchestra, world-renown soloists, and the composer, Mark Hayes, directing and conducting the performance. When you see them please wish them a safe and wonderful trip! As such, this month s spotlight members are Brian and Cecelia Miller. When did you start attending Loch Raven UMC and when did you get involved with the Music Ministry? Cecelia: I started attending Loch Raven UMC in 2002. I was going through a divorce and Brian and I had started dating. I found in this Church love, acceptance and a church family I had never known. Brian and I got married on October 11, 2003 but just prior to that I was invited to join the church and I did. In 2004 several choir members were going to Coventry, England to sing with the International Church Music Festival. Paul Leddington Wright visited Loch Raven before that date and reviewed the hymns the singers would be singing. I was so moved that I asked Judy if I could sing. She said it would be better to join the choir so I would understand the music even if I did not read music. So in 2004 I joined in the Music Ministry and have been involved ever since. What is your most memorable experience in LRUMC's Music Ministry? Cecelia: The cluster choirs we were involved in several years ago, but mainly the International Church Music Festival in 2004 in Coventry, England and in 2007 in Bern, Switzerland. Brian: Most memorable music experience were the two trips with the ICMF (International Church Music Festival). What are your favorite hymns? Cecelia: On Eagles Wings and most of the Christmas hymns. I love the Christmas season. Brian: Favorite hymns are too many to pick, but I guess Precious Lord is in the top five. Three adjectives to describe LRUMC? Cecelia: Family, caring and supportive. Brian: Open, giving and mission-oriented. How do you envision the Music Ministry and LRUMC growing in the future? Cecelia: Our new Minister has such vibrancy. I see our Music Ministry and LRUMC moving in that direction. There is a new kind of energy each week. I can see the Music Ministry inviting more and more participation as well as our church family. Brian: My vision and hope for the church is to continue and grow, knowing it will not be the same in some ways but will remain the same in other ways. 6
The Spire November 2017 In Touch Ministry Special Prayer Requests Please refer to insert in Sunday bulletins for up-to-date information. Stay in Touch with some of our members who are not able to regularly attend church. Contact the church office for up-to-date information. November Birthdays 5 Gary Smith Kathleen Frederick 7 Nicole Eklund 10 Sandi Cuthbert Erica Dixon 13 Dan Dorsey 16 Mary Lou Bryan 19 Tendai Ndlovu 20 Lucy Moran 21 Nancy Lacy 22 Seth Thomas 23 Abena Aidoo 26 Reynold Small From the Mailbox My thanks to all my Loch Raven sisters and brothers for your kindness both at the passing of my mother and during my recent surgery and recuperation. I appreciate all the office volunteers who filled in to allow me needed time off. The cards, plants and prayers were so thoughtful and lifted my spirits. Shalom, Anne McCorkle Garrett United Methodist Women November Schedule Women in Christ Circle Monday, November 6 7:30 PM Room 202 Study: Woman of God Lesson 9 Confident Evidence of Faith Study: Judy Devotions: Judy Hostess: Linda Phyllis Downes Circle Tuesday, November 7 10:00 AM Parlor Study: Ecclesiastes, Lesson 2 GENERAL MEETING Sunday, November 19 Following the morning worship service Covered Dish Luncheon Bring a dish whatever you wish! Program to be announced A thank you to Shirley Derrick and Bethesda United Methodist Church for passing on its Name Badge Display Board for Loch Raven's new Name Badge Ministry. Earlier this year our Church Council decided to initiate the use of name badges on Sunday mornings so all would have names to go with faces. When the badges were ready for use, a way to display these over 100 badges was needed. Bethesda announced on an email newsletter that it was giving away its display board specifically made for their name badges when the church began using badges. Timing was perfect for our church as Loch Raven was the first to respond to Shirley Derrick's posting. Many thanks to her for placing the board on hold until a pick up could be arranged. Many, many thanks to Linda Cole for responding to my request for pick up help with a large vehicle and driving down to Bethesda to retrieve the board, slightly larger than was expected. The assistance by Linda, Bethesda and Shirley was very much appreciated. Debi Wynn 7