The Daily Disciple May 2018
One-Minute Summary A quick review of the most important information in the newsletter. Pastor Joel encourages us to trust God and step out of our comfort zone. He is faithful and will not abandon his people. Tory is excited to update you on the youth alignment team & the new changes they are working on within our youth ministry at First Church. They also have two important dates to put on your calendar. May 2nd they will be having a mission trip parent and student meeting. May 20th they will be having a taco bar fundraiser. All proceeds go towards our summer mission project. The Mother s Day open houses are on May 6 & May 13. Turn to pg. 7 for more info. NK Community VBS is June 4-8. You can find more info on pg. 17. A big trustees update on pgs. 14, 15 & 16. Consistory set a tentative meeting for May 20 th however that is contingent upon having an engineering quote by then. Check out our 2018 graduates on pgs. 12 & 13. Come join us at Immanuel Church in Kettlersville on May 3rd for the National Day of Prayer. More info on pg. 18. Interested in the History of First Church? Borrow DVD s of historic celebrations from the office (pg. 7) 1
Dear Church, Last September, I made a commitment to read through the Bible in a single year. While it has been difficult to keep up with the commitment at times, especially with two young children, it has been worth it. At this point in the reading plan, I am almost through the Old Testament. Tucked away near the end of the Old Testament are the Minor Prophets. This collection of books were written to God s people in the time immediately before, during, and after the exile. They teach us about the important of remaining faithful to God and his Word, as well as the importance of turning away from sin. Perhaps even more important, these books teach us that God remains faithful, even when we are not. He does not abandon us. He does not neglect his children. He is always there, drawing us back to himself. And he promises to finally punish sin, right all the wrongs of this world, and gather his people together forever. This is an important reminder when we stumble in our walk with God. It is also an important reminder as we grow in our faith and begin to step out of our comfort zone. God is right there. He is faithful. He will not abandon us, especially as we follow his leading. That is why I was so excited to hear Terry Wissman share the message in church on Sunday April 22. I knew God had given a message for Terry to share with First Church. The message about using our God given gifts and talents to help others is an important one for us to hear. But even more than that, beyond the message itself, was the simple fact that Terry stepped out of his comfort zone. God was faithful in that moment, and we were all blessed as a result. I would love to see more people step out of their comfort zone and serve in some way. Not everyone will want to preach (and that s ok!). Maybe you can simply share your testimony. Tell the church about what God is doing in your life. Or teach children s chat. Or read scripture. Or simply pray for our church. There are countless ways you can step out of our comfort zone and serve. No matter what it is, I believe God is calling each one of us to serve in some way. It may seem scary, but remember the lesson that the Minor Prophets teach us. God is faithful. He will not abandon you. His Spirit will equip and guide you. You just need to take the first step! In Christ, Pastor Joel 2
A word from our Youth Pastor Tory... There have been some significant changes made to our youth ministry throughout this past year. The Youth Alignment Team made the decision at the beginning of the year to move the day and time of youth group. We decided to switch youth group from Sunday evenings to Wednesday evenings and it has been great! We have seen a rise in attendance, more involvement from students, and even new faces at youth group. Changing the meeting times of youth group was really just step one in the process of bringing new life and alignment to our youth ministry at First Church. God then asked us to look at the structure of our leadership in our youth ministry. For the last three months we have been focusing on structure of our leadership. We have spent time in prayer and discussion with the elders, and together as a team discerning how God wants us to lead our students. We have decided to start from scratch and build a new leadership structure. Here is the new structure that we as a team have prayerfully thought out and will be putting in place starting this year. Youth Leadership Team: The youth leadership team will consist of six members total: one elder, two men and two women from the congregation, and myself. The youth leadership board will be in charge of prayer, planning, and execution of ministry through out the year. This group will be an intentional group that will meet monthly to talk about things happening in the youth ministry, plan for future events and youth group nights, and to pray for our students and youth group. The adults on this team will also be asked to be at a youth group or bible study at least two times a month. Students Leadership Team: Our goal this fall to start a student leadership team made up of high school students. Our hope is to have 1-2 students per grade, one adult from the youth leadership team and myself. This team will meet monthly to study the Word, plan for youth group and events, and to pray for our students. We have a lot of natural leaders in our youth group. We feel that it is time to get our students leading in our youth group. Our goal is to help our students take ownership of our youth group and to guide them to be Christ like leaders in the world around them. Youth Group Volunteers Team: This group will be made up of people that want to come and volunteer at youth group but don t want to be on the leadership team. We will be asking parents and other members in the congregation to consider serving 1-2 times a month at youth group or at youth related activities. We are so excited for the new changes that are going to be made to the 4
leadership in our youth ministry at First Church. We feel that our students deserve the best. They deserve adults that will commit to caring for them week in and week out. So what does this mean for you? We want you to prayerfully consider getting involved in our youth ministry. Our students need you. They need adults to show them love and walk with them on their faith journey. We also want to update you on all the work that the team has been doing over this past year. We will be having a meeting soon to talk about the process we have been going through to align and bring new life into our youth ministry. This meeting is for ALL students, parents, and congregation members. Please keep your eyes on the bulletin for more details on that meeting. In the mean time, we ask that you continue to pray for our team and for our students. We know that God is leading us in the direction he wants us to go in and we are trying to obediently follow his leading. If you have any questions, please contact me. Blessings, Tory Breitigan Dates to Remember: May 2- Mission trip parent and student meeting @ 7:30PM in the ministry center. May 6- Last night of high school bible study. Bible study will resume in June. May 9- Last night of youth group. May 20- Taco Bar Mission Trip Fundraiser immediately following the service. May 25- All VBS kid and helper forms due. Students and Parents: We have an exciting summer coming together for your students! We are working on getting our summer schedule together. We will have more information for summer fun soon. We will be doing junior high and senior high bible study every week starting in June. We will also be doing fun events through out the summer! Keep your eyes on the bulletin and newsletter for more information. 5
Pastor Joel, Tory, and Church Family, Thank you for supporting me through the journey of confirmation. I would also like to thank you for the confirmation gift I received. I plan to use the devotion book to help me grow with Christ. Thanks, Erica Weadock First Church, We are in our new home in the north country, but still have boxes to unpack and snow to walk through. We are missing you very much. We think of you often remembering your faces and the notes, cards, and hugs. You will never be forgotten! Saying thanks seems a poor way to say thank you for what we are feeling, but we are so grateful for the time we had with you. We are richer for it. May God bless you in the days and yours ahead. The TRUE snowbirds, Harold and Barbara Dear First Church, Thank you for the beautiful rose in honor of our 69th wedding anniversary. We are working our way to the 70th. Vernon and Joann Feldwisch Dear First Church, I want to thank you, Rev. Bucklin and the First Church of New Knoxville, Ohio and the community in general for helping the Ganger family, relatives and friends in this very sad time for us. Prayerfully, Mrs. Charlyne Ganger and Family Dear First Church, Thank you for the beautiful red rose in honor of our 54 th wedding anniversary. Gene & Pat Schrolucke 6
He is Risen! A big thanks to Tory and our youth for putting on the SonRise Service. Also, thank you to everyone that helped plan and lead our Holy Week Services. 3
Mother s Day Open House The nursery, kindergarten Sunday school classes (4 year olds through kindergarten) will be having their annual open house on Sunday, May 6 th & 13 th. The primary department will be having their Mother s Day open house on May 13 th only. (1 st -3 rd grade) Parents, grandparents and friends are invited to attend. A Special Message from Larry Niemeyer Our Church s history had many special events over it s past, now one hundred and eighty years. Two of the milestones were the 1938 Centennial year during the pastorate of Rev. O. B. Moore and the 1988 Sesquicentennial celebration during the pastorate of Rev. Jon Coddington. The Centennial celebration was recorded on 16mm film by Gilbert Schroer and the week long Sesquicentennial celebration was recorded on VHS tape by Mike Schnieder. In order to preserve these mediums, both of these events have been converted to digital video (DVD) for viewing on a television or computer. We all have fond memories of these celebrations as we entertained our many friends and international guests with worship, music, and food. Any of these videos may be borrowed from the church office. The Bloodmobile will be at the American Legion in New Knoxville on Friday, May 4 th from Noon 6:00 p.m. 7
Opportunities to become more Rooted & Grow in your Faith Men's Bible Study is every Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. in the ministry center youth room. Our Grand Adults meet on Tuesday afternoons from 2-4 p.m. in the ministry center youth room. Please join us for cards, games, movies and snacks. If you can t drive let us know and we will arrange transportation, call Becky Huston at 419-753-2230. The Gospel Project for Adults This class, led by Pastor Joel, runs throughout the entire Sunday school year and meets in the ministry center. We cover the same topics and scriptures as the kids are in Sunday school each week. On Sunday s in the Heritage Room, Jay Elshoff leads an adult Sunday school group that works its way through the bible each year with a weekly lesson & reading. The Gathering meets on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm in the church social room. This small group uses the questions in the sermon study guide to dig a little deeper into the previous Sunday s scripture passages. Adrian & Marilyn Kuck will celebrate 67 years on May 4th. Lee & Gloria Schroer will celebrate 60 years on May 24th. 8
May 6th-General Fund May Offerings 2018 May 13th-Elevator Modernization Project May 20th-Building Improvements & Technology-Pentecost May 27th-Sanctuary Painting Project-Graduation Sunday The mission projects in May are Young Lives Zanesville, Cheryl Reed and ABWE, 3C Project/Pastor Michael Landoll in Germany. Follow us on social media! Instagram-firstchurchnk Facebook-First Church of New Knoxville, Ohio Sermon.net-subscribe to First Church of NK Financial Summary March 2018 General Operating Fund Balance $68,774.19 Benevolent Fund Balance $27,278.31 VBS Fund Balance $7,501.29 Radio Ministry Fund Balance $32,641.40 Music Ministry Fund Balance $4,279.38 Bequest & Endowment Fund Balance $118,005.09 Camp Fund Balance $6,970.34 Building Maint. Fund Balance ($5,628.89) Jr. High Youth Fund Balance $2,491.73 Sr. High Youth Fund Balance $5,732.37 Christian Women s Fund Balance $7,593.17 Outreach & Evangelism Balance $4,857.70 Sunday School Fund Balance $1,464.89 Temporary Undesignated Gift $176,039.70 Those In Need Fund Balance $12,469.48 More detail is available by calling treasurer, Connie Schroer at the church office. 419-753-2446 9
Eleanor (Ellie) Ruth Congratulations to Corey & Ashely Willrath on the birth of their daughter Eleanor (Ellie) Ruth who arrived on Thursday, April 5 th. She is the granddaughter of Scott & Teresa Bambauer and Kevin & Carol Willrath and the great granddaughter of Wayne & Nancy Bambauer and Connie Risch. She was welcomed home by her brother Camden and sister Avery. Knox James Congratulations to Zach & Morgan Strayer on the birth of their son Knox James who arrived Tuesday, April 10 th weighing 8 lbs. 6 oz. & was 20 3/4 inches long. He is the grandson of Stan & Susie Reineke and Toby & Mary Strayer and the great grandson of Beverly & Jim Reineke. He was welcomed home by his brother Gus. 10
Our High School Graduates Class of 2018 Brittany Bambauer will be studying music therapy at Ohio University in the fall. Brittany has been awarded the Ohio Focus Award worth $1,000, the Ohio Distinction Scholar Award worth $1,000, the Ohio Success Scholarship worth $1,000 and the Fine Arts Talent/Endowed Award worth $1,000. Upon graduating college Brittany hopes to be a music therapist in a hospital. Lauren Hoelscher will attend the University of Northwestern Ohio in the fall majoring in Health Information Technology and Healthcare Administration. She also plans on cheering at UNOH. After graduating college, Lauren hopes to be working at a hospital where she can use the skills she has developed while getting her degree. Sophia Hoelscher will be attending the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institution while studying animal sciences with a dairy specialization. After college, Sophia would like to be in Auglaize county working as a dairy nutritionist, a 4-H developer, or in agribusiness. She enjoys the deep agricultural heritage our area offers. Ben Lammers plans on attending in the fall the Ohio State University-Lima where he ll be majoring in agriculture systems management. After college, Ben would like to be working in agriculture systems management. For his high school years, Ben would like to be remembered as the first 4-sport varsity letterman NK athlete. 12
Caitlin Lammers will be attending Wright State University Lake Campus where she will be pursuing a nursing degree. Caitlin has been awarded the Raider Excellence Scholarship worth $2,500. She hopes to one day be a labor and delivery nurse at a local hospital. Nathan Merges will be attending Ohio State University-Lima in the fall pursuing a physics major. After college graduation, Nathan s dream job would be to work for Space X, working with cutting-edge science and exploration. When classmates think back about their time at New Knoxville School, Nathan would want to be remembered for his charisma and ambition to learn. Zane Schroer plans on attending the University of Northwestern Ohio where he ll be pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Robotics and Automation Technology. He has been awarded the UNOH Senior Technical Scholarship worth $5,000. Nathan Tinnerman-Topp plans on attending The University of Findlay where he will be majoring in education. Ashley Paul will be pursuing a degree in Graphic Design. Ethan Butcher will be attending Wilmington College in the Fall majoring in Animal Science. His interest of studies are swine, artificial insemination and agricultural sales. Ethan loves to work on the family farm with crop production and his 4H market hog projects. 13
FROM THE TRUSTEES: At the April 2018 Consistory meeting the trustees of First Church presented the report printed below. We ask that you take some time this week and read the trustees findings as they explain well what is happening with the heating system and what our options are. After much discussion, the Consistory agreed unanimously with the Trustees recommendations to select Option 2 and to consult with an engineering firm to determine the cost of engineering a replacement system for the entire building. Since the engineering alone will be a significant expense, this will be presented to the congregation at a special congregational meeting in the near future. Consistory set a tentative meeting for May 20 th however that is contingent upon having an engineering quote by then. Working with an engineering firm will mean that all contractors will bid on the exact same project. Any questions may be directed to your Trustees: Doug Hoelscher, Bob Grimes, or Ned Vordermark. First Church Heating Considerations Some months ago it was brought to the attention of the Consistory by the Trustees that we had a leak in a large steam pipe in the nursery. A certified welder was called in, and he concluded that the pipe in question is rusted too badly to be welded. A collar was purchased for 400+ dollars to put a band-aid repair on the pipe to get us through the current heating season. Since that time another leak has appeared, and a bucket catches the water. The Trustees decided to contact three plumbing contractors in the area besides consulting with New Knoxville Supply Co., who maintains our entire heating system. NK Supply stated that they do not have the personnel and equipment to repair and/or replace steam pipes of that size. We contacted Wells Brothers of Anna, Slagle of Sidney, and Smith-Boughan of Lima, and we have had consultations with representatives of each of the companies to exchange ideas about where to start and stop on repairs or to replace the current low pressure steam system with a hot water system. Option #1 Repair / Replace Current Steam System: Before any work is started we would have to hire an asbestos abatement contractor to remove all asbestos insulation from pipes 14
in the boiler room and from the pipes in the heating circuit(s) to be repaired or replaced. After much discussion we have decided that we would need to start in the boiler room by correcting some problems with the boilers and the venting of the flue gases and replacing the main header pipes which have had some major patchwork. Some large valves should be added and/or relocated and replaced with new ones. Recently Kurt Arnett has discovered some wet spots in the east boiler, which has had the tubes and their supports replaced in the last two years because of a major rust problem. The entire basement including the boiler room was flooded in February of 2011, which probably contributed to this rust problem. This could be remedied by raising the boilers, which would need to be done before replacing the header pipes. Another probable contributing factor to the rust is condensation from the flue gases due to cool flue temperatures. This is acidic water, which is very corrosive. This problem could be remedied by adding power burners to the boilers to maintain the flue temperature above 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This solution would require a larger gas service and would consume considerably more natural gas. There is also some doubt about the condition of the 120+ year-old chimney, which could be helped by lining it with a double wall stainless steel liner. Before any repairs are begun the boilers both should be subjected to a hydrostatic pressure test to determine if they are leaking internally, which would call for replacement. Once the boiler room problems are remedied, the proper procedure would be to replace an entire loop, or heating circuit. The large steam pipes would be replaced with new pipes with welded bolt-together flanges, and the smaller pipes would be threaded and attached to the larger pipes through unions, which could be disassembled in the future for repair/replacement. Some risk is involved in disassembling very old pipes (at least 95 years old). Steam traps at each radiator would need to be replaced as well as many other steam traps in the building. Other joints or cast iron steam radiators can be broken when dealing with rusty joints. The steam radiators are probably partially or even completely plugged with rust and other crud, which makes them very inefficient. Replacing the steam pipes would be very labor intensive. Some of the welded flange assemblies could be shop fabricated and brought in, but some welding would be required inside the building. All pre-fabricated assemblies would have to be small enough to be carried in through doors and be manipulated around corners, 15
etc. throughout the building. Besides the large steam pipes the smaller condensate return pipes, which often rust before the steam pipes, should be replaced. Some of the existing radiators are not equipped with condensate return lines, and the condensate just runs back into the steam pipes. These should have return pipes added. Some of the existing return lines are under concrete floors, and there is a sump pump in the basement to pump condensate from under the floor back to the boilers. Make-up water is pumped into the system to compensate for lost water from leaky return lines and evaporation. This introduces more oxygen into the system, which is conducive to more corrosion. More condensate pumps should be added to maintain the current steam system. Option #2 - Replace current steam system with a new hot water system: New boilers would be required for total replacement by a hot water system. The boilers would be considerably smaller in size and more efficient than the current boilers. The condition of the chimney would be out of the picture, as the new 90% efficiency boilers would vent to the outside through PVC pipe. Asbestos insulation and the old steam pipes would still have to be removed, but all pipes could be replaced with much smaller sized and less laborintensive plumbing. All cast iron radiators would be replaced with new radiators, and we could have zone control so that individual rooms could be heated or not. All exposed condensate pipes could be removed, and the condition of the pipe under the floors or in the walls would not be a consideration. We Trustees feel that total replacement is the best alternative, which may cost more initially, but will be much more efficient over the long haul. The cost difference of labor and material between the large steam pipes and the smaller plumbing for the hot water system would buy quite a few new radiators. The entire building would have a new low maintenance sealed heating system, avoiding future replacement of steam pipes, which are not currently leaking but are almost guaranteed to leak in the not too distant future considering their age. The hot water system could be engineered for the option of a water chiller to be added at a later date for cooling, which would not be possible with a steam system. The heating system needs to take priority over the interior painting project, and we feel that a total replacement before painting would be the best alternative. 16
NK Community Vacation Bible School June 4 th -8 th This year for VBS will be June 4 th -8 th and our theme will be Game On: Gearing Up for Life s Big Game. The entire week will be a big sports camp! Our theme this year is perfect for our kids and the love they have for sports and other team based activities they are in throughout the year. Our kids will be challenged to find new ways to apply their faith in Christ to their daily activities. We hope and pray that our kids will grow in amazing ways this year at VBS. We cannot make this week happen without you! You all play a massive role in our community VBS. This year we will have many roles that we need help with. We need teachers, music, art and game leaders, student helpers, snack helpers, and a prayer team! I am always amazed at how many people volunteer to serve at VBS and the way the Lord uses each of them to impact the Kingdom. 2 Peter 1:3- His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. VBS Cookies It wouldn t be NK Community VBS without all of your amazing baking skills! You can drop them off beginning Sunday, June 3 in the basement kitchen or during the week in the ministry center. VBS Registration Forms were handed out in Sunday school. They are also available at the entrances and for the first year ever, you can register online via our website at www.firstchurchnk.org 11
Our Daily Bread Community Center in Lima celebrated the ribbon cutting of their new shower facility on April 11th. Last year the NK Community Vacation Bible School students collected money to support this project and today we were able to see its completion. Both New Knoxville UMC and First Church were honored to come along side Our Daily Bread and their continuing effort to serve as Jesus served. 17
The National Day of Prayer is May 3 rd - The Immanuel Church of Kettlersville, Ohio invites you to a night of Prayer at Immanuel Church. This is open to all and will focus on the communities of Anna, Jackson Center, New Knoxville, New Bremen and Botkins. Join us for a time of prayer, worship, and intercession for many aspects of our community. The start time is 7 pm and we are listing 9 pm as a concluding time, but we invite individuals to come and go as their schedule allows. Immanuel Church is located at 8888 State Route 274; Kettlersville, Ohio 45336. First Church Facebook Group - Communication is key in any organization especially churches, so we have created a new Facebook group called Members of First Church of New Knoxville. It s a group for regular attendees and members of First Church. The purpose is to share announcements, schedule changes, reminders, prayer requests and other important information. Only members of this group will see the updates appear on their timeline. Beginning on May 1 st members and regular attendees who have already liked our public Facebook page will be added to this group. You can leave group at any time if you no longer want to see the messages. You can also ask to be added to the group at any time. April 2018 Facts & Figures Date: Offering: Attend: Mission or Fund 4/1 $ 2481.93 328 General Fund-Easter 4/8 $ 1643.25 167 Radio Fund 4/15 $ 1809.00 191 Building Improvements & Technology 4/22 $1790.25 193 Christian Ed/ Sun. School The April mission project was for Mark Burd with Revive Ohio. 18
Senior Pastor Joel Bucklin P.O. Box 339 200 W. Bremen St. New Knoxville, OH 45871-0339 419-753-2446 Office e-mail: firstchurchnk@nktelco.net Church Website: www.firstchurchnk.org Return Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #5 NEW KNOXVILLE, OH 45871