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February 1, 2012 Great News! David Mabee is moving back home from Columbus today. How wonderful that they are coming home to warmth and sunshine! Scout Sunday and Cookie Walk Please don't forget Scout Sunday is February 12th. All scouts are invited to attend services in their uniforms and will participate in the 9:15 service. Also, please don't forget the Cookie Walk that will take place after all services on that weekend. And please volunteer, if you can, to provide cookies! There are signup sheets in Fellowship Hall, on the table where the sign up sheets for flowers are. God Squad Sub Sale Our God Squad is selling Subs that will be available this Sunday—a perfect lunch or dinner for Superbowl Sunday. They are $4 each or four for $15. Please place your order by Thursday. They are also selling subs for the Springboro Community Assistance Center. Their goal is to be able to provide subs for the 200 people the SCAC feeds each month. Please contact Kim Crosen, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , to place your order. Administrator Gone Again The website administrator will be gone from tomorrow until February 7th. There will be no new website entries during this period. January 30, 2012 Here are the pictures from the Chili Cookoff. As usual, click on the first picture to enlarge it, then choose next to continue through them all. ( We hope to have a much better picture of the winners soon.) 
January 29, 2012 Chili Cookoff a Highlight The attendance at the Chili Cookoff almost doubled this year. There was standing room only around the many booths with their specialty chili, plus a large number of great side dishes and desserts, nice prizes and lots of fun. Hope to have some pictures up shortly, especially of the winners in the two categories: best chili and best presentation. Tina Stafford is the force behind the Cookoff - thanks again, Tina, for such a great evening. January 28, 2012 Continued Improvement David Mabee continues to improve. He is now out of the hospital but staying close at his daughter Erin's home in Columbus. He and Carolyn hope he will be in his own home soon. We hope so too. Chili Cookoff The Chili Cookoff is tonight at the church. It begins at 6:30 pm, after the 5:30 service. Bring your chili and compete or just bring a covered dish to share. And bring a game to enjoy with others from the church after the chili eating and judging are over. January 26, 2011 Newsletter Now Online The church now has the ability to provide the monthly newsletter online. Click this link to view the newsletter for February. Please do not worry that the newsletter will not be available any longer via regular mail. It will be for a long time to come since many people in the church do not have access to the website. Also, to date there is no backup for the web administrator and the newsletter must go out on time, whether the current administrator is around or not. So why bother to put the newsletter on line at all? First, you can enjoy the color that Julie uses to enhance the newsletter. Second, if you misplace or don't receive your newsletter via email, there is an on-line version you can refer to. You can use the copy and paste option on the file, so you can, for instance, copy an article that you want to have in the weekly bulletin, modify it as needed, then attach it to an email to Julie or to anyone else for that matter. You can also use the "find" function and search the newsletter quickly. Finally, you can print it out yourself, in glorious color if you wish or using the black and white only option to save money. To print, move the mouse pointer to the bottom of any page in the newsletter and a taskbar comes up that allows you to select among several options and then print all or part of the newsletter. This is a work in progress -suggestions for improving this capability are welcome at any time. David Mabee David had a good day yesterday and is feeling a little better. Meantime, for cards, here is a better address to use: David and/or Carolyn Mabee c/o Erin Mattis 1403 Riverwood Lane Powell, OH 43065 January 22, 2012 Prayers needed for: Tina's Sister and Nephew Tina Stafford's sister now has a little more movement in her feet, so there is hope that she will continue to improve. Meanwhile, things just got a little more complicated since her five year old son Noah had an accident and now has a broken arm. David Mabee David is getting close to coming home, although a slight touch of pneumonia might delay that for a bit. This is probably a good time for a round of cards to say how much we miss him and hope he will be back with us soon. Will Leasure's Grandmother Will's grandmother fell and is in a hospital in Florida. Now she has also developed breathing problems. Jennifer Fry and Her Family Jennifer Fry's brother-in-law's mother had to be put on life support and has since died. The Juillerat Family Ed's father, Louis Juillerat, age 93, died after being in declining health for some time. Linda and Ed returned to our area for the funeral services, held in Washington Court House on Friday. Here is a link to the obituary. Rhetta Willis Rhetta has some unspecified health issues. Please pray that they will be resolved favorably soon. The Baumann and Joseph/Baucus Families The Bauman's granddaughter, Heather, is now married and living in Colorado. Jim Bauman and Jim Baucus will drive out this week with items she had to leave behind. It's a three day trip one way , another example of what loving grandparents and good friends just do. January 15, 2012 David Mabee David and Carolyn had a very rough week, as David experienced several problems while undergoing his therapy, including some atrial fibrillation. However, problems such as these are common during this process and doctors are experienced at overcoming them. Please continue to pray for David, Carolyn and his caregivers as they continue their efforts to make him well again. Music During Today's Services Kelsey Richard sang two songs this Sunday. The inspirational song Incredible that she sang as Special Music wasn't on You Tube but Shine, Jesus Shine, which she sang as the Introit was. Here is a link to it. We are very lucky to have Kelsey contributing to our worship services. We all sang two favorites, For the Beauty of the Earth and Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, which you can hear by clicking on the link. The picture of the young woman praising God speaks volumes to everyone who loves this hymn. Tina Stafford's Sister Tina's sister, who was paralyzed after a back operation, has started getting some movement in her big toe. This very favorable sign has her doctors hopeful that she will ultimately recover at least some movement. Karen Derosa's Grandmother Karen Derosa's grandmother is home from the hospital after surgery. Please pray for her and the Derose family. Offering Envelopes If you haven't picked up your Offering Envelopes, it's time. They are getting cobwebs on them. Holy Java Starts New Study Holy Java has begun a study based on the book titled Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Click on the link to go to a site where you can read reviews of the book and order it. Holy Java meets every Sunday at 9:15 am for great discussion and coffee with friends. Women In Faith Meet Women In Faith will meet on January 24th at 7:00 at the church to plan a Cookie Walk for February and our 3rd annual Spaghetti Dinner for March. There will also be an election of officers. For more info, contact Shelly Houser. Clearcreakers Meet Clearcreakers will meet January 18th in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 pm for dinner and a While Elephant Gift Exchange. The lunch will be pork and sauerkraut. Please bring a dish to share and your own eating utensils.
January 14, 2011 Jonah Taub We share our love and sympathy with Jim and Norma Glosser and their daughter Debbie in the loss of Debbie’s 17 year old son, Jonah Taub. Although Jonah suffered from Cerebral Palsy, he loved sessions at Camp Jabberwocky, a special camp for disabled children. Here is link to a website where you can make a donation in his name. David Mabee David Mabee underwent extensive treatment for his cancer this week. The only word so far is from Pastor Suzanne and that is that he has had his ups and downs. Undoubtedly, we will hear more on Sunday. Please continue your prayers for him and Caroline. January 4, 2011 Interfaith Families Get Haircuts Everyone knows how good it feels to get a great haircut. Thanks to Carl Hawk and his staff from Logan Taylor Salon, our interfaith families know that feeling too. This is the second time that Carl has opened his salon to our interfaith guests. Thanks to Carl and thanks to Shelly Hauser for making the arrangements. Here's a link to an article on Carl and what the Interfaith Hospitality network is all about. Also, if you would like to donate household items, giftcards, money or anything else that could help with our Interfaith sponsorship, please contact Sharon Joseph or the church office. Some Thank You's in Order Upgrades to Audio Visual Equipment in Sanctuary We are very thankful to the Trustees, the Finneys, and Bill Olson for making the upgrades to out a/v equipment in the sanctuary possible. The new projector and screen makes the PowerPoint much brighter and visible to all in the sanctuary and the adjustments to the sound system will help all to hear well. The sound can now be adjusted from the back of the sanctuary so if you are having difficulty hearing, please let an usher know and we will adjust the volume for you. Landscaping Around Sign Under Jim Cook's direction, the sign near SR 73 has been beautifully landscaped. It looks great and should be easy to maintain. Thanks, Jim. Altar Flowers Thank you so much to everyone who has signed up to donate altar flowers in 2011. Also, thank you to Betty Marvin and the Flower Committee for making sure our flowers are here each week and delivering them to shut-ins whenever needed. Our new 2012 calendar is on the table in fellowship hall. Please take a minute to sign up. The Flower Committee has made this much more affordable. The cost is $20.00 to donate flowers. Finance Committee Thanks You! From the Finance Team… Thank you so much for your faithful giving this year! Because of your generosity we have ended the year right on target. We have been able to expand the budget for 2012 just slightly. Thank you to everyone who turned in pledge cards for 2012. Your commitment helps us to plan for the future. 2012 Giving Envelopes are now available. Please pick yours up this weekend! We will be working on 2011 Giving Statements soon. If you have any questions on yours, please contact Tracy Stull. New Bible Study A new Bible Study will begin on Tuesday mornings. Called Disciple 3, it will focus on the Prophets in the Old Testament and the writings of Paul in the New Testament. For more information or to order your book please contact Pastor Suzanne. January 2, 2012 Liturgists Needed There is a need for liturgists for the 9:15 service on Sunday. If you can help, please let David Finney know. Critical Time for David Mabee Please continue to pray for David and Carolyn Mabee as he starts the most critical part of his stem cell transplant. He will be in isolation for a while in a sterile environment in the hospital, then can come home provided the house has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. This is a very long and difficult process but, if all goes well, he should be feeling very good again by early February. December 31, 2011 Baptism Picture You may have seen little Will H. baptized last month. Here's a picture of the family and Pastor Suzanne during the service. The joyful excitement on his sister's face is priceless. Financial Peace University Financial Peace University is coming soon! Please join us for a preview class on Wednesday, January 4th, at 7pm and January 8th at 10:35am. The class will meet on Wednesday nights at 7:30pm beginning on January 11th. Please contact Daryl Hams, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with any questions. Holy Java! The Holy Java Sunday School class will begin the study of Crazy Love on January 8th. They would love to have you join them. Please contact Maria Dershem for more information. David Mabee's Transplant This Week Please keep the Mabees in your prayers as David travels to Columbus on January 2nd in preparation for his transplant. Our Interfaith Families Please also keep our Interfaith families in your prayers, that they might find stable housing and develop the resources that they need to sustain it. December 26, 2011 Christmas Eve Services It appears that around 500 people attended our Christmas Eve services this year. This would be a good time to look for your nametag and resolve to wear it. It would also be a good time to keep an eye out for someone who might be a visitor and introduce yourself. December 24, 2011 Christmas Eve Offering Please go to the Home page and click on the word "more" on the lower right hand side of the first panel with the Christmas candle to read Pastor Suzanne's Christmas Eve newsletter, including the details of what will be done with the special Christmas Eve offering. Prayers for the Hampton Family Kara Hampton's grandmother has died. Please include Kara and her family in your prayers. December 23, 2011 Prayers Requested Shannon Dunnigan asks for prayers for her stepmother, Kelly Dunnigan. She has to have second mastectomy. Jean Reazer asks for prayers for her granddaughter, Ashley, and her husband, Jake. Jake's grandmother, Verna, recently had open heart surgery that did not go well. The doctors are currently evaluating their options. This is particularly hard for Jake, since his grandmother raised him from the time he was a small boy.
December 18, 2011 Sunday Services Our Sunday services featured beautiful music once again. Belinda Mallett played a selection of carols during the gathering time, followed by Sarah Benedict and Kelly Ronyak with a violin duet for the Introit. The Men's Ensemble sang Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming as our first special music and Kelsey Richard and Isabel Houser sang a duet blending the song Peace On Earth with the Little Drummer Boy as our second special music. The church was beautifully decorated with red, white and pink poinsettias and the creche scene is now on the altar, waiting for the arrival of the Christ Child on Christmas Eve. Below are a few pictures from the service, including the altar and Advent candles surrounded by the beautiful poinsettias, Kelsy and Isabel practicing their special music, some early arrivals and our acolyte. This is the third week in a row that an acolyte has served at the 9:15 service. It's wonderful to have them. 
Speaking of Acolytes Here is a picture of two children who served as acolytes for a few years around 1970 at the Methodist church in Mountaintop, Pennsylvania. Forty years later, this is one of the special pictures that brings back wonderful memories to their Mom and Dad, Jean and George Reazer. If your child serves, be sure and get a picture. Norma Jones Requests Prayers Norma is asking us to pray for her sister-in-law, Susan. She is in Southview Hospital with serious medical problems. Maynard Cushman Gwen Curtner is requesting prayers for a friend, Maynard Cushman. Maynard has been at Hllspring for a while and is now suffering from kidney failure. Good News The surgery on little Joseph Grant Dismuke was successful and he is now doing well and recovering rapidly. It's a good possibility that he will be home for his first Christmas. Please pray for him and his family. Barb Steins' Sister-in-Law Please pray for Barb Steins' sister-in-law, who fell and broke her hip. Update on Sarah Ward Sarah Ward, Wendy Waller's mother, had a lung biopsy recently. All went well but they are now anxiously awaiting the results. Please Pray for Mark Scott Mark is a friend of a member of the congregation. He lives in Springboro, has a young family and has been diagnosed with brain cancer. A Joy Jim and Joan Bauman's granddaughter, Heather, is getting married over the holidays. Naturally her sister, Ashley, will be a bridesmaid. The groom is in the army and is stationed in Colorado, so the couple start married life there. Update on David Mabee David once again made it to church, wearing a mask to keep him from being exposed to anything as he continues his treatments. He is now getting injections to stimulate extra development of stem cells, which will then be harvested, treated and stored. After January 1st the doctors will reach the point of no return, where they will destroy all his other stem cells, then provide extensive chemotherapy to remove any remaining cancer cells, and finally restore the harvested stem cells. Please pray for David and Carolyn as we stand by for early February, when David should be feeling good, even fine, again. December 16, 2011 Gregg Clark's Father Has Died Gregg Clark's father, Russell Clark, died yesterday after a long bout with esophageal cancer. Please pray for the Clarks as they celebrate his long life (90 years) but also try to cope with Gregg's mother's Alzheimer's Disease. Update on the Dismuke Baby Joseph Grant Dismuke, grandson of Anne Dismuke and only a few weeks old, underwent heart surgery yesterday. Please pray for the family and Joseph's caregivers as they struggle to help this new little boy. Message and Prayer from Pastor Suzanne "I received this prayer this week and wanted to share it with you." God, help me to slow down, to move calmly, to look kindly, to find space, so that there is room for You and for others in my life. Amen. - adapted from "Slow Down " by Marcus Braybrooke A Joy - Christmas Choir Concert at the High School Several of our young people took part in the Christmas Choir Concert at Springboro High School. Among them were Jake Crosen, Kelsey Richards, Derek Adkins and Matthew Delbridge. It was a wonderful concert, great for generating Christmas spirit!
December 12, 2011 New Lay Leader Report David Finney has published a new Lay Leader report describing several opportunities for church members to further their involvement in the church. To view it, click on "more" on the first panel, scroll down and click on the link to Lay Leader Reports. December 11, 2011 Two Joys for Shannon Dunigan Today in church, Shannon thanked the members of the congregation for their donations when they picked up a copy of the CD "The Gift" that she recorded as a gift to her mother, Mary, and stepfather, Ron. As a result, she was able to give $100 to Operation Christmas Child for shipping costs and was able to buy 30 pairs of tennis shoes and 60 pairs of sock for Shoes for the Shoeless. She also announced a second joy, that she now has a job with VIP Rehabilitation services and will be traveling across eastern Ohio (12 counties), teaching students who are blind or visually impaired. She will be moving to Columbus some time in January. Congratulations, Shannon! Another Joy Alan and Lisa Kerrick are the proud grandparents of a new baby boy, Blake Alexander Barton. Prayers Needed for the Clark Family Gregg Clark's father, Russell, now 90 years old, has been struggling with esophageal cancer for a long time now. He has started a rapid decline and Gregg and his family are sharing his care in shifts so that he is never alone. Wendy Waller's Mother Wendy Waller's mother, Sarah Ward, has had two bouts of cancer and is slowly losing the battle. Please pray for her, Wendy and their family. Big Week for the Mabees David Mabee is now healthy enough to begin his stem cell treatment. This is a long, involved and frightening ordeal that will have him undergoing treatment for several weeks. Meanwhile, it was good to hear his voice during the choir cantata today. Please continue to pray for strength for him, Carolyn and their family.
Bible Study The Women In Faith will meet tomorrow night, Monday, at the church at 7:00 for Bible Study.
December 7, 2011 Strings' Christmas Concert If you'd like to attend a Christmas concert at the spectacular price of "free", check out the Springs Christmas Concert at the high school on Thursday evening at 7:00 in the auditorium. Members of Strings have often contributed to our special music on Saturdays and Sundays and have also been part of our talent shows for several years. Their concert is sure to be special too. Choir Cantata One of the highlights of our year is this Sunday, December 11th, when the choir will present the Christmas Cantata at both services. This is not to be missed - our choir last Sunday included 13 women and seven men and they sounded wonderful. It would be nice to "pack the pews" to show them how much we appreciate their talent and dedication. December 4, 2011 Clearcreakers' December Meeting The Clearcreakers senior group will be meeting December 14th in Fellowship Hall at the First United Methodist Church from noon to 2:00 p.m. (Meeting is one week earlier this month.) After lunch, Christmas music will be presented by the Springboro High School Choir. Ham and Barbecued Pork will be furnished. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share and remember to bring your own eating utensils. If you did not sign up at our November meeting, please call Liz Fielder 748-2174 or Vivian Beatty 885-5698 so they know how much Ham to order. Note: The Clearcreakers follow the same inclement weather rule used for the schools. If the schools are closed there will be no meeting. Women In Faith and Final Word on Bazaar Profits Women in Faith will meet next evening, Monday, December 12th, at 7:00 at the church for a Bible Study on women in the Bible. The December business meeting has been cancelled due to its proximity to Christmas. The next business meeting will be Tuesday, January 24th, at 7:00 at the church. Bazaar profits were announced at the November business meeting. The total profit was $3,660 dollars, all of which will be applied to the principle on the church building loan. This will not only reduce the principle by $3,660 but will also, by reducing the time required to pay off the loan, save us hundreds of dollars in interest. United Methodist Men UMM will meet for breakfast at Bob Evans Rstaurant in Springboro on Saturday, December 10th, at 8:30 am. Financial Peace University FPU is coming back in January, 2012. Please wait for the 7th panel and then click on the word "more" in the lower right hand corner for more information. December 3, 2011 Little Joseph Grant Please pray for Joseph Grant, Anne Dismuke's new little grandson, and for his family. He is not only still having breathing difficulties and is still on oxygen but also has Down's syndrome. Prayers Needed for the Wallers Wendy Waller's mother, Sarah Ward, has been diagnosed with cancer. In addition to all this entails, Wendy's father also has serious health problems and her mother has been his primary caregiver. Update on Charlie Logan Charlie Logan is improving but is still in the hospital. Hopefully, he will be home soon. Update on David Mabee David is having a lot of neuropathic pain but doctors will still go ahead with his stem cell treatment this week in Columbus. Please pray for the Mabee family and all the medical practioners that will be part of his care and treatment. Stephanie Bindemann's Aunt Prayers are also needed for Stephanie Bindemann's aunt, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Please Continue to Support Bev Thomas and Her Family We remember that Bev Thomas is still grieving and will be for a long time to come. Please continue to pray for her and her family as they come to grips with life without their beloved "eye in the sky", her daughter, Cathy Dickton. Services Today Hope you made it to today's services. The music was beautiful: the Heavenly Host Choir sang "Like a Child I Wait" for the Introit and "Christmas Communion" for the Special Music. Isabel Houser sang "Birthday of a King" during the the offering. The theme for Advent has been "People Look East". Click the link to hear a YouTube version. November 27, 2011 A Joy but Prayers Still Needed Anne Dismuke has a new grandson, Joseph Grant, born today. Little Joseph was two weeks early and, as a result, has underdeveloped lungs. Please pray that he will be home with his family soon.
November 26, 2011 A Joy Diana and Darien Hammett are the proud parents of Drake Lincoln Darien Hammett, a healthy little boy who weighed in at 9 lb 8 oz. Congratulations and best wishes to Diana, Darien and Drake's two older sisters, Joelle and Leina. Bazaar Pictures Are Up Pictures from this year's bazaar have been posted. To get to them, wait for the fourth panel, with the picture from the bazaar, to come up and click on the word "more" on the lower, right hand side.
November 21, 2011 Bible Study Just a reminder about the UMM's bible study on Monday evening, November 28th, at the church at 7:00 pm.
November 20, 2011 Memorial for Cathy Dickton, Bev Thomas's Daughter Please keep Bev Thomas and her family in your prayers. Her daughter Cathy Dickten passed away as a result of a car accident on Friday. There will be a memorial service at the church this Friday at 11am with a visitation one hour before and luncheon following. You may send cards to: Bev Thomas at 160 Harbor Dr., Springboro, 45066 and/or to Terry Dickten, 2375 E. Pekin Rd., Waynesville, Ohio 45068. May God's peace be with you. Pastor Suzanne Here is a link to the obituary, as placed on line by Anderson Funeral Home. Christmas at First United Methodist Church of Springboro The church has a wide variety of programs, parties, missions and worship planned for the Christmas season. To help everyone keep up with what is happening next, this information has been combined into a separate article for easier access. To get to the article, wait for the third panel (with Santa and friends) to come up on the home page and click on the word "more" in the lower, right hand corner. David Mabee Feeling Better David Mabee was well enough to have lunch at our bazaar on Saturday. It was wonderful to see him out and about. He is over the pneumonia and some other problems but must wait an additional two weeks for his stem cell treatment so his lungs can get stronger. Please continue to keep him and Carolyn in your prayers. Welcome to Our Newest New Member, Mariel Pesavento Mariel Pesavento joined our church this Sunday morning during the 9:15 service. She has one son, Ryan, works as an Instructional Aide at Mason High School and enjoys reading, sewing and music. And she's already a member of our choir! Bibles for Third Graders Four third grade children from our Sunday School were given Bibles during the 9:15 service last Sunday. Here is one of them, holding up her new Adventure Bible. She is in front of The Giving Tree, where she was busy picking out a tag when she was asked to pose for the picture.
November 18, 2011 Prayers Needed Bev Thomas's daughter, Cathy, was driving on St Rt 48 this evening and was in a head on collision. Her injuries were serious and she was air lifted to Miami Valley Hospital. Very sadly, the latest news is that she did not make it. Bev's many friends in the church are reaching out to help and Pastor Suzanne is at the hospital.
November 14, 2011 Mission Trip Here are some photos from the church mission trip this weekend. Our members worked with the Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland, doing phase 1 of a project to build a handicap ramp so that a man can come home from the nursing home for Christmas. His wife's name is Mary. She is the one with the puppet in the photo below.
November 7, 2011 SOS from Kim Crosen We are busy making plans for our parade and need to borrow some items. We are looking for anything silver - garland, bells, etc. What we especially need is a silver Christmas tree to put on the float. If you have any of these items and don't mind letting us borrow them for the day, please let me know asap. Also, if anyone is interested in helping us put together the float or would like to ride on it, please let me know as well. Veteran's Day Veteran's Day is November 11th. In honor and memory of our veterans, here is a link to the beautiful hymn Eternal Father Strong to Save and here is one to a song that honors all the services. Then, here is a version of Going Home, a song often heard at military funerals. On this day we take time to thank all those who are serving or have served in our armed forces, remembering that All gave some, Some gave all.
November 6th, 2011 Fun on Sunday
Found several of our young people enjoying a game between the services one Sunday. Just one example of the fun they have at FUMC of Springboro!
November 5, 2011 Update on David Mabee David Mabee spent most of another week in the hospital but is once again home. Hope to have more information after today's services. Confirmation Meeting There will be a Confirmation information meeting this Sunday night at 7pm for all 8th graders and their parents. Please contact Pastor Suzanne with any questions.Older youth who have not yet taken the classes and been confirmed are also welcome to attend. Wonderful Wednesdays End for Now Our main dish for Wonderful Wednesday this week will be chicken and noodles. Your are invited to join us! This will be our last Wonderful Wednesday until January. Mission Trip to Cleveland A group from our church will be traveling to Cleveland the weekend of November 11th-13th for an adult mission trip. We will be working with the Nehemiah Mission. If you are interested in joining them, please let Pastor Suzanne know. Baptism Jake, Maggie and Drew M., children of Ryan and Jami M., were baptized on Sunday, October 30th. Here's a photo of the family - they have been visiting us for a little while so, if you see them, please be sure to say hello.
October 31, 2011 David Mabee Is Home David Mabee was at home as of Sunday, with his chemotherapy treatment once again under control. He will be heading to Columbus on Wednesday, where he will begin a new course of treatment involving stem cells. Please continue your prayers for him and Caroline.
October 28, 2011 Congratulations Matthew Delbridge and Audrey Winsler, two Springboro High School students who belong to our church, have been named National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalists. Only 16,000 students nationally out of the 1.6 million students who take the PSAT tests as juniors qualify for this honor. Congratulations to you both. Update on David Mabee Please continue to pray for David Mabee. He was taken to the emergency room today and has now been admitted to the hospital.
October 27, 2011 Prayers Needed Please keep David and Carolyn Mabee in your prayers. David is having difficulty with his chemotherapy, something we know is very hard to take even if it goes smoothly. Also please keep Marge Poff's family, especially her daughter, Julie, in your prayers. Julie has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Holy Java During the month of November, Holy Java will join a church wide study based on the book Extravagant Generosity: The Heart of Giving. Please join Holy Java anytime. We meet on Sunday from 9:15 to 10:30. Holy Java …. it will spiritually perk you up! For more information please contact Maria Dershem at 760-6687 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . They're Back........ The time changes on November 6. Fire and Rescue units across the country remind citizens to replace smoke detector batteries and to test their units on this weekend. As was the case last year, the United Methodist Men want to help those who are unable to do this by replacing their smoke detector batteries and testing them on November 5. Please call the church office if you or anyone else you know would like to make use of this assistance and we'll schedule a visit to their home on the 5th. Thank you.
October 26, 2011 An Opportunity to Serve You are invited to join others in our church as they travel to Cleveland, Ohio to work with the Nehemiah Mission, a mission that was founded out of the Cleveland district of the UMC. This group helps low income and elderly residents with home repairs. November 11-13, 2011 For more information or just to read about a great mission of the UMC, check out www.nehemiahmission.org. Please let Pastor Suzanne know if you are interested in going or have any questions. Wonderful Wednesdays to End Soon - Resume in 2012 We have been having a wonderful time together on Wednesday evenings. The only way they could be better is if you join us. We hope you will each Wednesday through Nov. 9th. We gather for dinner at 6pm, worship at 6:45, and have small groups for all ages at 7:15. November schedule: Nov. 2: soup/chili Nov. 9: chicken & noodles We will resume in January. Turn Clocks Back November 6th It's that time again. Fall back on November 5th and get ready for that short day that says winter is coming and there's no time to lose. All Saints Celebration On the weekend of November 5-6, we will celebrate All Saints by remembering loved ones and church members who have died in the last year. If you have a loved one you would like to be included in our bulletin, please submit their name, relationship to you and date of death to Pastor Suzanne or the church office by Nov. 2nd. Hanging of the Greens On Saturd Important Information on This Year's Confirmation Classes Confirmation is a class for 8th graders to learn more about their faith and the church and to help them decide whether they would like to make a public commitment to follow Jesus Christ and become a member of the church. We have traditionally begun classes in January and celebrated Confirmation in the spring. It is always a rush to fit everything into this time frame so this year we are going to try a schedule. To explain it, we will have a Confirmation Information meeting for parents and students on Sunday November 6th at 7:00pm. Clearcreakers The Clearcreakers will be meeting November 16th in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. We will have our traditional Thanksgiving meal, and an informative program presented by Dolcee Hoffman of the Warren County Community Services (WCCS). We will also be honoring our Veterans at this meeting. Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share. Remember to bring your own eating utensils. If you did not sign up at our October meeting, please call Liz Fielder 748-2174 or Vivian Beatty 885-5698 so we know how much turkey, etc. to order. Hope to see you there! Reception of New Members We are planning to have a membership class in late Nov./early Dec. If you are interested in becoming a member of our church family or have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Suzanne or contact the church's connection committee (Mike Stull 748-8699). Commitment Sunday You will receive a commitment card for 2012 in the mail later this month. Please prayerfully consider your support of the church and return your card on the weekend of Nov. 19th-20. We truly appreciate your dedication and support of God’s work through our church! Another Chance to Serve Are You A Crotchetier, Knitter and/or Someone Who Likes to Sew? If So, We Need Your Help! Would you like to make a Prayer Shawl for a special friend or member of our church experiencing a difficult or joyful time in their life. We have been very busy with this ministry. It is a most rewarding ministry to let members and friends know how much we care. We would love for you to join us. We are asking you to consider helping make these beautiful shawls. Pastor Suzanne will bless the finished product. If interested, contact Sonia Dermis at 937-550-9412 and a time will be set to meet. Poinsettias Bring a festive glow to the sanctuary by placing your order for a poinsettia. Poinsettia orders will be taken between services by members of the Flower Committee from November 13 through November 27th. Each poinsettia is $10 with payment made when your order is placed. Deadline for ordering is December 4th. Your poinsettia will be displayed in the sanctuary from December 18th until Christmas, at which time, you are free to take it home. Poinsettias can be ordered in memory or in honor of a loved one and come in red, white or salmon. Thanks! Acolyte Training Acolyte Training We will be having an Acolyte training class on Sunday, November 6th during 2nd service (10:35). Children in third grade and above who are interested in serving in this way are encouraged to attend the training . It’s fun and educational as they learn the history and meaning of the Acolyte and learn how they can be a part of this tradition. Please call or e-mail Kim with any questions (748-2612 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) Bible Night Pizza Party Children in third grade (& some older!) who have not yet received their Adventure Bibles will receive Bibles on Sunday, November 20th during first service (9:15). These children are invited to join Pastor Suzanne for pizza and pop as they learn to use their new Bibles at 5:30 pm that evening. PLEASE LET US KNOW if your child needs a Bible. Pastor Suzanne will give the children some interesting information about the Bible as well as help them navigate through it. Any adults who may need an introduction to the Bible are welcome to join us! Please RSVP to the church office so there will be enough pizza on hand! The Giving Tree Look for the giving tree in fellowship hall soon! The Franklin food pantry will supply us with 60 children who need help this season. Each child will have 5 tags together, one for socks and underwear, one for hats and mittens, one for clothes, one for shoes, and one for something they really want! You are more than welcome to take all of the tags for the child you choose or you may take just one. Bring the unwrapped items in a bag (attach the tags) by Sunday, Dec. 4th. All help is greatly needed and appreciated! October 17, 2011 Box City Our annual Box City will be on Saturday, October 22th. Members of our church's youth group (8th to 12th grade) and friends will spend the night outdoors in boxes on the church property. The young people will use duct tape, plastic sheets and other items to try and make their boxes as warm and waterproof as possible. The objective is to give them a chance to experience how some homeless people live. During the evening they will eat food similar to that given to the homeless at a shelter. They will also build a fire to keep warm and share their thoughts on the experience. Set-up will begin around 5 p.m. and go until about dark. At 7:30 p.m. they will go inside for a meal then go back outside for the rest of the night. October 12, 2011 Shoeboxes The Springboro YMCA is distributing shoeboxes with Christmas decorations and brochures for use in Operation Christmas Child. The shoeboxes are nicely decorated, sturdy and, best of all, free. October 11, 2011 Info on Funeral for Dorothy Crowder Here is a link to the obituary of Barb Mills' mother, Dorothy Crowder, who died Saturday at the age of 83. Visitation will be tonight from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Anderson Funeral Home in Springboro, with the funeral also there on Wednesday at 10:00 am. Prayers Needed for the Poff Family Tests yesterday on Marge Poff's daughter, Julie, confirmed that she has a spot on her lung. They will be talking with the doctor today to learn what the course of treatment will be. October 9, 2011 Mission Trips Many members of our church have participated themselves or have family and friends that have participated in Mission Trips all over the world. Jack Eley, for instance, is currently in Nicaragua where he has been volunteering for many years. Pastor Suzanne leads a mission trip each year for members of our congregation, as does Will Leasure for members of our youth groups. Parents of our youth act as chaperones. In tribute to them, and the people they leave behind to hold the fort, here is a link to the beautiful hymn sung during our Sunday services this week, Here I Am, Lord. Prayers Needed: For Barb Mills, whose mother, Dorothy Crowder, died recently after a long, difficult time For Gregg Clark's father, Russell, age 91, who has been suffering with esophageal cancer for four years and has only a few months more to live For Richard Culbreath, who is recovering from neck surgery and is in considerable discomfort due to pain and the requirement to wear a cumbersome, uncomfortable brace Our Loss Is Their Gain This was Linda Juillerat's last Sunday in church before she moves to a condo in Florida. Everyone will miss her talents at the piano and organ and her friendly presence in our midst. Florida Methodists, you will be getting a rare gem if Linda turns up in your church. October 8, 2011 Marge Poff's Daughter Marge is asking for prayers for her daughter, Julie. She has a spot on her lung and will be undergoing tests on Monday. October 3, 2011 Operation Christmas Child For Operation Christmas Child, the church works with Samaritan's Purse to distribute shoeboxes filled with small toys and toiletries to children all over the world. Click the link to see Scott McCleary, American Idol winner, describe why these shoeboxes were important to him as he was growing up. Check out the missions page for more information on this special Christmas missiion. October 1, 2011 Dead Sea Scrolls Several books from the Dead Sea Scrolls can now be viewed on line, thanks to a joint effort by Google and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Please click on the link to find searchable, high-resolution images of the scrolls, plus explanatory videos and background on these ancient manuscripts. September 25, 2011 Good News Beth Linegang's father had a successful heart operation and is already home and feeling very much better. And More Good News Mary Fogle reports that her great niece is doing much better after a fall that necessitated a trip to the hospital. Mary Miller Mary Miller, Lois Cox's mother, died yesterday at the age of 95. Lois reports that her mother had a good life and was active up until a few weeks ago, still able to take care of herself, including raking her own leaves. There will be a memorial service for heron Wednesday, September 28th, at the First United Methodist Church in West Carrolton. Visitation will be a 2:00 pm and the funeral at 3:00 pm. Church Yesterday Our last hymn Sunday was the gospel hymn Marching to Zion. Click here to hear it again. And here are a couple other old gospel favorites to try: Higher Ground and Are Ye Able. Worship Committee Meeting The Worship committee will meet Monday, October 3nd, at the church at 7:00. The main topic for discussion is Advent worship. Any questions, contact David Finney. Update on UMM Golf Outing The date for the golf outing has been changed to October 23rd. Also, please be aware that this event is now for everyone in the church who is a golfer, not just the men. So make up your twosomes and foursomes now and be sure to save the date. For more information, contact David Finney or any member of the UMM.
September 24, 2011 Prayer Requests Please keep Lois Cox and her family in your prayers. Her mother was taken to Hospice yesterday. Please also keep Barb Coppock’s parents in your prayers. Her father was admitted to the hospital in Columbus with heart issues and will probably have a pacemaker installed. Marjorie Coyle is asking for prayers for her brother, Don Wilkinson. He had been in special care for a few years. Marjorie and Dick took him into their home in an attempt to take care of him but it is not working out and other arrangements must be made. September 23, 2011 Prayer Requests Lisa Adkins requests prayers for her former mother-in-law, who fracturerd her knee cap in a fall, and also for a friend, Ginny Acres, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer. Lois Cox requests prayers for her 95-year-old mother, Mary Miller. Her health has deteriorated and her family is looking into hospice care. Lay Leader Report David Finney's Lay Leader Report has been updated for this month. Find it by watching for the first panel, Autumn Worship, and clicking on "More" on the lower, right hand side. When the page appears, scroll down to the bottom to find the link. UMM Activities Just a reminder that the United Methodist Men will have their usual breakfast and bible study as shown in the calendar. They also are planning a church-wide golf outing at Heatherwoode on October 9th. More details coming soon.
September 19, 2011 Wilhelmina Please click on the link to view the obituary for Wilhelmina Vinnell. It includes the beautiful picture of her as a young woman that Pastor Suzanne mentioned in this weekend's services. Opportunity Members of Springboro FUMC will be attending a Ministry Fair and also have the opportunity to worship with Bishop Ough at Mason UMC, on Monday, September 26th, at 6:30- 8:30. The car pool will leave our church at 6:00. See David Finney for details. Women In Faith Sell Flower Bulbs Don't forget the WIF fundraiser, a sale of flower bulbs of many kinds from Dutch Mill Bulbs. You can view the flowers these bulbs will produce at this link. For a brochure describing what's available, see Maria Dershem or stop in the church office. Orders are being taken between services.Please have your orders in by October 9th. Checks should be made out to WIF. While next spring seems a long way off at this point, if you forget to place your order, the winter will go by and it will soon be time for the bulbs you didn't plant not to come up. You don't want that to happen to you! Crop Walk Join us on Sunday, October 2nd at 2 pm at North Park in Springboro for the Crop Walk to raise money and awareness for hunger. Part of the funds will support the SCAC and Franklin Food Pantry and part will be used to support Church World Service and their hunger relief ministries around the world. Walker packets are available in Fellowship Hall or in Pastor Suzanne's office. Please make checks out to First UMC and put CROP Walk in the memo line so that we get matching funds. You Too Can Go to the Faire The men's group and youth are working together on a fund raising project involving parking cars at the Renaissance Festival. Anyone 13 or older can work. Dates are Saturday, Oct 1, Sunday, Oct 2, Saturday, Oct 15, and Sunday, Oct 16. Time is nine to four, with a break area and an opportunity to go to the festival. Both adults and young people are needed. If you can help, there are sign up sheets at the church or call Will Leasure or Gregg Clark. Youth Mission Trip The Youth Mission trip will be to Chicago from June 16th to the 22nd. A commitment and $60.00 deposit are needed by September 30th. There will be opportunities over the next several weeks to raise money for the trip. Also, there are already enough adult volunteers to allow 20 students to make the trip.
September 18, 2011 Clearcreakers Seniors Group Will Celebrate Halloween The October meeting will be a Pig Roast/Halloween Party at Jim and Mary Jane Hansel's residence. Date : October 19th Time: 5:30 p.m. Address: 3500 McLean Rd. - Franklin. The menu will feature a pig roast, hot and cold cider, along with Smores for dessert. Please bring a side dish to share to round out the meal and also bring your lawn chair. Eating utensils will be furnished. Use your imagination and "DRESS" for the occasion. Plan on having a good time sitting around the bon-fire telling or listening to some stories. Please try to join us for some fun, good food, and fellowship. If you did not sign up to attend, please call Liz Fielder or Vivian Beatty to get your name on the list. Prayers Needed for Beth Linegang's Father and Andy Linegang's Nephew Please keep the Linegangs in your prayers as Beth's father undergoes quadruple bypass surgery on Monday. They also ask for prayers for Andy's 20 month old nephew, Eli, who has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
September 9, 2011 Missions for September and October Please check out the Missions page (click on button on Home page) for information on our missions for the rest of September and a preview of plans for October. Want to Help? Serving on a church committee is a great way to help the church and makegood friends. Click the link to see a complete list of committees and, if one appeals to you, please contact Pastor Suzanne. Clearcreakers Seniors Group The Clearcreaker's will be meeting September 21st, in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. We will be serving Beans, Cornbread & Fried Potatoes for lunch. Please bring your own eating utensils . Bowls will be furnished for the Beans. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. The September Program will be "The Hithergreen Strummers". This is a dulcimer group from the Centerville Hithergreen Senior Center. Mark your calendar and plan on joining us for some good music, food, and fellowship Financial Peace University Coming Back in September 2011! FPU is a 13-week, life-changing program that empowers and teaches how to make the right money decisions to achieve your financial goals and God's plan for your life. The course includes practical lessons on eliminating debt and building wealth through a step-by-step process taught by best-selling author and financial counselor Dave Ramsey. FPU helps everyone: from the financially secure to the financially distressed. Over 650,000 families and individuals have attended Financial Peace University. On average, FPU graduates have paid off over $5,300 in debt and saved $2,700 during the 91-day program. If you would like to learn more about FPU, you can check the program’s website: www.daveramsey.com or talk with Daryl Hams. Youth News Please click on the Youth Ministries button on the Home page to see what Will has planned for our young people this year. Especially take note of the opportunity to work with the UMM in a fund raiser at the Renaissance Festival in Waynesville. You too can tell people where to go! Here's Another Reminder about Our New After School Program That Offers Conveninet Child Care in Springboro in a Christian Environment after School Until 6:00 PM
A.C.E. An After School Christian Enrichment Program designed especially for K-5th grades. Offered By The First United Methodist Church of Springboro
Home of BRIGHT BEGINNINGS CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL Make A.C.E. your home Base!!
Join us Monday thru Friday after school till 6 pm. Students will enjoy healthy snacks, Recreation, Homework help, Christian Enrichment & Thematic Activities. ALL ACTIVITIES WILL CENTER AROUND LIFE SKILLS, SERVICE AND MISSION
For more info: email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (937)748-2612 LOW MONTHLY FEE!
September 6, 2011 Prayers Requested for: Bill Wade's family after Bill death at tahe end of August Ed and Norma Jones. Ed fell, broke his elbow and is having surgery today. Wilhelmina Vinnell, who is experiencing serious problems after a long illness September 2, 2011 Medical Driver Ministry As we move toward shorter days and not-so-good weather, remember that the church has a ministry for those who need someone to drive them to and from a medical appointment. Please don't hesitate, since several people have signed up for this ministry and are ready and willing to help out. To schedule a driver, please contact Harold Mastellar at 937-885-7481. After School Christian Enrichment Program Looking for a safe place for your elementary school child before and/or after school? How about a safe place that also emphasizes Christian values and provides educational enrichment components that will also be fun for your child? If this is you, call the church and find out about our new ACE (After-school Christian Enrichment Program) that began with the new school year. You can also find additional information on the table in the entryway of the church.
August 31, 2011 Couponing 101 Women In Faith will sponsor a one-time class where you will learn how to set a budget, how to plan and organize meals and, especially, how to strategically and effectively use coupons to maximize your savings on groceries. It will be held Tuesday, September 6th, in the church's Fellowship Hall, with registration at 6:30, followed by the class at 7:00. Cost is $5.00 per person, with half of that donated to WIF. You can pre-register by calling 937-760-6687. Any adult in the church is welcome, as are your family members and friends.
Thank You Card from Wilhelmina
August 26, 2011 Holy Java Update The Holy Java study group now meets in the conference room. We will start “One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life” in September at our 9:15 meeting time on Sundays. UMM Activities Last Sunday, the mission table was starting to fill up with shoes. But we need lots more to fill a truck. Please bring your donations of new shoes for men, women or children to the church in time for Rally Day on the 21st, this coming Sunday. September Series: “One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life” From Pastor Suzanne: During the month of September, both in worship and in small groups, we will focus on this New York Times bestseller by Kerry and Chris Shook. You are invited to take the “30 Day Challenge” by reading the book which contains a short devotional with thought provoking questions for each day of the month and attending worship and a small group to discuss what you’ve thought about. The book cover reads, “Stop Living Like It Doesn’t Matter. What if you only had one month to live? How would you make each day really matter? What would you start, or stop doing? How would you relate to others? One Month to Live empowers you to focus on being who God created you to be—passionate, fully alive, living without regrets. “ You can order your book online, pick it up at a local bookstore, or we will place an order for you through the church. If you would like for us to order it for you, please contact the church office or mark your attendance pad by August 14th. We will plan to have these available for you by the Rally Day/Ministry Fair on August 21st. August 14, 2011 Update on Betty Marvin Betty is home from the hospital and Bob says she is doing better but it has been an ordeal. In addtion to the surgery, Betty also has a shoulder that, while it is healing, is also still painful. Please keep her and Bob in your thoughts and prayers. September Series: “One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life” During the month of September, both in worship and in small groups, we will focus on this New York Times bestseller by Kerry and Chris Shook. You are invited to take the “30 Day Challenge” by reading the book, which contains a short devotional with thought provoking questions for each day of the month, and attending worship and a small group to discuss what you’ve thought about. The book cover reads, “Stop Living Like It Doesn’t Matter. What if you only had one month to live? How would you make each day really matter? What would you start, or stop doing? How would you relate to others? One Month to Live empowers you to focus on being who God created you to be—passionate, fully alive, living without regrets. “ You can order your book online, pick it up at a local bookstore, or we will place an order for you through the church. If you would like us to order it for you, please contact the church office or mark your attendance pad by August 14th. We will plan to have these available for you by the Rally Day/Ministry Fair on August 21st. Wonderful Wednesdays Begin Again Wonderful Wednesdays begin again in September. Please look for the panel and click on the word "More" in the lower left hand corner to learn, what else, MORE! Thank YOU Click on the Vacation Bible School button on the home page to find a heartfelt thank you to all the VBS volunteers from Kim Crosen. Our Children Need Leaders Our CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES need you! We are in need of leaders to help with the various programs we offer. This is a great way to get to know the children and help them and (you!) GO DEEPER in faith! If you are interested in helping a little or a lot to help us keep our growing ministry strong, please let Kim know (748-2612). August 10, 2011 Here's Something You Might Not Know JOIN THE FAMILY - A message from the West Ohio United Methodist Credit Union - Are you aware that there is a credit union that has been created specifically for you and your church? We want to invite you to become a member of our credit union family so that you can enjoy the many privileges of membership. We offer an array of financial services from checking, savings and money market accounts to home mortgages, car loans and visa cards. Check us out at www.umethodist.com or give us a call at 1-800-373-1059. Lots of People Are Working Hard on This! RALLY DAY and MINISTRY FAIR! A fun-filled day for kicking off a new year of Sunday School and church! For the last couple of years we have held our Rally Day in the Education wing during services, but we have had so much fun that this year we want to share this fun day with everyone! We will also be adding a Ministry Fair! When? Sunday, August 21st, let’s “pack the pews” with friends and family during services and Sunday School and then invite everyone to an amazing afternoon from 12-4 here at the church! Why? To get everyone excited about learning and about going deeper in their faith and to share information of what our ministries are all about! What? Games! Trivia! Crafts! Scavenger hunt! Inflatables! Food! Bands! Entertainment and more! Who? Everyone is invited. All church members and our community! Join us as we go CRAZY for God and learn how we can GO DEEPER in our faith! Where? Here at the church! How? COME! BRING FRIENDS! INVITE NEIGHBORS!
August 8, 2011 Bill Wade Bill's surgery went well. Don't know any more than that but so far, so good. Rosemary Culbreath's Daughter Rosemary asks for prayers for her daughter, Tracy Rittenhausen, who will be having surgery for diverticulitis on Wednesday. Prayers Needed for the Mabee's David Mabee received bad news recently when he was diagnosed with blood cancer. Please pray for him, Carolyn and their family. August 6, 2011 Betty Marvin Has Surgery Betty Marvin was in intensive care for treatment for another gall stone and will have surgery this morning. Please pray for her, Bob and their family. ACE PROGRAM Plans are in full swing for our new ACE (Afterschool Christian Enrichment) program. It will begin with the new school year this fall. If your family or others you know are looking for before and/or after school care with Christian and educational enrichment components, please stop by the table in the entryway of the church or contact Kim Crosen This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . August 2, 2011 SOMETHING NEW - Rally Day and Ministry Fair Let's face it - we all need something different and fun to do after a long summer of miserably hot weather and mind-boggling poliical shenanigans. So please put our church's first annual Rally Day and Ministry Fair on yur calendar for Sunday, August 21st. We hope to pack the pews that morning during services, then invite everyone to an amazing afternoon from 12 - 4 at the church. Plans are to have games, trivia, crafts, a scavenger hunt, inflatables, food, bands, entertainment and more. Please plan to come and invite your friends and neighbors to come with you as we go crazy for God and learn how to go deeper in our faith! Church-wide Camping Weekend There will be another camping weekend this fall at Caesar Creek State Park, from Friday, September 2nd to Sunday, September 4th. Tent camping for the entire weekend in the group camp area will be $20/family. There will be campfires Friday and Saturday night at 8 pm and a service project on Saturday morning, time to be announced. Join the group for t he entire weekend or come and go as you are able. Cabins are also availalbe at $50 per night if you want to be there but not tent camp. Interested? Sign up in Fellowship Hall and see Pastor Suzanne or Kara Hampton if you have questions. Red Bird Mission Another reminder to bring in your boxtops for Red Bird Mission by Sunday, September 25th. Please deposit them in the red box on the Missions table. July 31, 2011 Bible School Pictures Pictures from the second week of Vacation Bible School are now available. Just click on the VBS button on the home page. As always, be patient since there are a lot of pictures and they take a while to load. When the small icons of the pictures appear, click with the mouse on the first one and follow the instructions under the large picture that appears to go forward and backward through the images. We hope to have pictures from the first week of VBS soon. July 30, 2011 Prayers Needed Ruth Dunn's brother-in-law, Russell Ling, is in the hospital with pneumonia. Please pray for him and the family. July 28, 2010 Marjorie Poff Requests Your Prayers Please pray for Bill Wade, Marjorie's son-in-law. He has already had two heart operations and is now trying to decide if he should have a third one. July 24, 2011 Jack Eley's Mission Trips to Nicaragua Hope you saw the wonderful article in the Dayton Daily News about Jack Eley's mission work in Nicaragua. In case you missed it, here's a link to a file with a copy of the article that Bill Delbridge scanned in for us. There are two pages in the file. When you're done looking at the first page, move your mouse cursor to the bottom of the page and a small window will pop up. Click on the down arrow and the second page will appear. When you're finished with that, move your cursor to the bottom of that page and click on the up arrow in the box when it appears. That takes you back to the first page and you can close the file, which will take you back to the Church News section of the website. Thanks, Bill, and thanks also to Stephanie Bindemann, who wrote the article and submitted it to the paper. News about the New Children's After School Program Plans are in full swing for our new ACE (Afterschool Christian Enrichment) program. It will begin with the new school year this fall. If your family or others you know are looking for before and/or afterschool care with Christian and educational enrichment components, please stop by the table in the entryway of the church or contact Kim Crosen. Motorcycle Accident Prayers are needed for Robert Christopher, the son of one of Barb File's friends. Robert has serious injuries to his pelvis and may have to have a leg amputated. Night Out 2011 Since there isn't too much activity at the church during the summer, the website will temporarily include information about other community events of interest. One that is a lot of fun is the Night Out on August 2nd sponsored by Clearcreek Township at Patricia Allyn Park. In additon to a free meal of hamburgers, hotdogs, etc, free ice cream and a variety of displays of fire engines, tow trucks, ambulances and such, there are pony rides, a train ride, prizes and other attractions for everyone, plus a demonstration of a CareFlight operation that includes a helicopter landing and taking off from the park. It all starts at 5:00 pm and seems to get better every year. Here's a link to more info. July 20, 2011 Need for Liturgists The liturgist list was just updated. Please take a look, since there are several open spots on the list, particularly for the 9:15 services during August. July 11, 2011 Two Weeks Stretches to Six Weeks The administrator is back and feeling fine. Thanks for your patience. The site will be updated as soon as possible. Meanwhile, reports on church news resume below. Summer Bible Study with Holy Java Holy Java's summr bible study will feature the book "Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe" by Gary Kinnaman. Join them any Sunday, from 9:15 to 10:30 in the conference room. "Holy Java - for a spiritual pickup." Bible School Needs Many items are still needed for decorating and snacks. Check the Bible School link for a list of the items needed for decorating and projects. Check the church mission table for items still needed for snacks. There isn't much time left before VBS. Please bring your donations to the church as soon as possible. Also, both sessions are full but you can put your child on the waiting list since there are usually vacancies at the last minute.See Kim or call the church office. Dinner at Campioni's - Check This Out! Mark your calendars for dinner at Campioni's where all sales on Thursday, July 14th, will support our mission "Nothing But Nets/Imagine No Malaria". Have some pizza with friends and help save some lives at the same time. Red Bird Mission Please remember to bring in your boxtops for Red Bird Mission. The last Sunday for collections will be September 25th. Find the boxtops on grocery items such as Betty Crocker mixes, Juicy Juice, Cheerios, Chex, Total, Hefty, Cottonelle, Kleenex, Scott, Yoplait, Ziploc, Nature Valley and Pillsbury bread, rolls and cookies. Please put the boxtops in the red box on the missions table. Thank you! Prayers Needed For Terry Bennett, a friend of Charlotte Harris, who is recovering from surgery For Charlotte Harris's great grandson who is recovering from a tonsillectomy For Marge Poff's son, who is having a double hernia operation For Earl Lease, who has had a heart attack June 6, 2010 (later) Two requests for prayers Ruth Scott, who many of you know from doing the peanut brittle for the bazaar, has a heart problem. There is no other news at this time. Cindy Kline is asking for prayers for a friend, Jonathan Burch Aktler. Jonathan has stage four colon cancer. June 6, 2011 Week Stretched to Two Sorry for the lack of postings. The administrator came home a bit under the weather. Will try to catch up soon. Liturgists Just posted David Finney's latest liturgist list. There are quite a few holes in the schedule, what with summer here and all. You can see the list by clicking on the first panel and scrolling down to the link at the bottom. May 24, 2011
NOTE: There will be no postings for a week while the administrator is one vacation. We will fix this problem soon, since there is a volunteer to help with the website who just needs a little training. UMM Golf Outing United Methodist Men are coordinating a golf outing for men and older boys, set for Saturday, June 11, beginning at 8:30 am. We will play at Heatherwoode Golf Club. Cost for golf, cart, range balls and lunch is $55. To reserve a spot in this event, please notify David Finney or Dusty Dershem. Ladies, this is an excellent Father’s Day gift opportunity – sign up Dad or husband to play a round of golf with the guys at church. Only 24 can play, so reserve soon. May 23, 2011 Bryce Back at the Hospital Bryce C, son of Kim and Bob, is back in the hospital with the same symptoms he had a week or so ago. Please keep the family in your prayers. Franklin Food Pantry Needs Our Help Need is up and donations are down. If you can, please make a monetary donation now and keep up your monthly donations of food, toiletries and cleaning supplies. Send checks to the address: Franklin Area Community Services, 345 S. Main St, Franklin, Oh 45005. For more info, contact the food pantry at 937-746-1355. Budget on Track The Finance Committee reports that we are right where we need to be. Good news, indeed. Women In Faith to Meet The Women in Faith will have their monthly meeting this Tuesday, May 24 starting at 6:30pm. We have invited 5 groups to make a short presentation so we can then take a final vote on which group will the recipient of $1000 from our missions funds. The following groups are scheduled to make 10 minute preesentations: 1. Warren County Women's Shelter; 2. Snuggled up, Inc ; 3. Shoes 4 the shoeless ; 4. Interfaith Hospitality ; 5. Oak Tree Corner (this group has not confirmed bur they have been invited) Our time will be divided as follows … 6:30 to 7:20 - Presentations 7:20 to 7:30 - Snacks and voting (this will be done using ballots) 7:30 to 8:15 - Bible study (we might have to go until 8:30 this time) Hope to see you all there! Women In Faith Now Include Bible Study in Their Monthly Meetings Hagar was a foreigner and a slave. She let pride overtake her when she became Abraham's wife. Although she suffered harsh punishment for her mistake, Hagar obeyed God's voice as soon as she heard it and she was rescued. Many women today are in a position similar to Hagar. They are in a position of weakness with no one to defend them except God. When we are at our weakest, God is ready to step in. The title of our study this month is "Fear Not". Our focus will be on the scriptures of Genesis 16; 21:8-21 ; Galatians 4:22-31. Please join the WIF for bible study this Tuesday, May 24 at 7:30pm.
May 21, 2010 High Attendance Sunday It's time, once again, to honor the members of our Sunday School who have high attendance. This is quite a challenge, especially during this year of snow, ice and wind. See who made it during the 9:15 am service this Sunday. Congratulations Please congratulate Jean Schindler and Paul Thomas as they are married this Saturday! Relay for Life The Springboro Relay for Life is finally here! It will take place this weekend at North Park beginning at 2pm on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who has made donations to our team and so many who have signed up to walk. We would love to have you come out and join us. We will be at campsite #51. For more information go to www.relayforlife.org/springboro or contact Daryl Hams, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Jane Gregg's Mother Please pray for Jane Gregg and her family in the loss of her mother, Aline Dichler. The Floods in the South All of those affected by the storms and flooding down south also need our prayers and assistance. Amy Woods is working to organize a mission trip to help with recovery in Alabama this summer. If you are interested in being a part of this trip please let Pastor Suzanne know and she'll get you more details. Cookie Walk There will be a Cookie Walk the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, May 28th and 29th, to raise money for the annual Miracle offering to conference. If you can help with organizing the Cookie Walk, please see Kelly Smith. If you can provide cookies, please bring them to the church Saturday evening so they will be available for sale at the Saturday evening service. May 15, 2011 Confirmation Sunday Here are some pictures from Confirmation Sunday. There are a few pictures of proud family members, then some of the class and one of the class members with their families. Congratulations to everyone. 
Relay for Life Four of our younger girls were collecting for Relay for Life this morning. If you could resist giving them something, you have a heart of stone. Here they are, hard at work. And there's a picture of the church lilacs in bloom, just for good measure. 
Good News The Hamptons, Kara and Mike, welcomed a new member of the family recently, little Will Carlson Hampton. His sister reports that he too has red hair. Marge Coyle Marge Coyle is resting and recuperating at home but is still weak. Please continue to pray for her. Jack Smith Jack is in the hospital with complications of pneumonia and kidney problems after his heart surgery. Please pray for him too. Bryce C, Son of Kim and Bob After very scary symptoms and several tests, Bryce was diagnosed with complicated migraine. He is fine now and everything should be ok.
May 14, 2011 Confirmation Sunday This Sunday, 13 eighth graders will make the decision to join our church. They have worked hard over the past several months in their Confirmation classes. Congratulations to you all. Relay for Life We are getting ready for the Springboro Relay for Life at North Park on May 21st-22nd! There are many ways to support our team including: *Joining our team and walking on the 21st—sign up in the fellowship hall this weekend! *Sponsoring one of our walkers, especially our children who will be walking! *Adding a plaque to our honor/memory board for someone who has had cancer. *Purchasing a luminaria in honor/memory of someone who has had cancer. *Just being part of things at our campsite, #51, during the Relay. For more information go to www.relayforlife.org/springboro or contact Daryl Hams, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Marge Coyle Is Home Marge is back home, after spending most of the week in the hospital. Please keep her and her family in your prayers. May 13, 2011 UMM Plan Golf Outing Here's something new - our United Methodist Men are having a golf outing on Saturday, June 11th. For more information, follow the Fellowship link from the home page. May 11, 2011 You Can Register Your Children for VBS on This Website The link to register your children for Vacation Bible School is now ready to go. To reach the link, click on Bible School on the front panel. May 9, 2011 Clearcreakers Senior Group Please try to join us for an interesting program, good food, and fellowship. The Clearcreaker's will be meeting May 18th, in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. We will be serving PIZZA for lunch. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. Also bring your own eating utensils and a personal hygiene item for the food pantry. Mr. David Shortt of the Germantown Veterans' Museum will be the guest speaker. He will bring some items from the museum, (many will be from local WWII Veterans) as well as some interesting stories. Thank You! See the Missions page for an update on our recent giving and thank you's for those who ran these missions. May 8, 2011 Piano Fundraiser A group of musicians and trustees met a few weeks ago to assess the state of the piano in the music room. It is both unsafe because of unsteady front legs and is no longer tunable. Bottom line - we need a new one. A number of options were discussed and a consensus reached that an electronic piano with weighted keys and amp would best suit our needs. It will remain in tune for choir rehearsal and will be able to be moved to the fellowship hall for various events. The estimated cost will be $3500. You are invited to purchase a $50 “key” as a way of helping to fund the new piano. You may designate this donation in honor or memory of a loved one. You may also designate previously given memorial money to this project. Thanks for your support of our music program! Please see Belinda Mallett or Bill Olson with any questions. Are you a crotchetier, knitter and/or someone who likes to sew? If so, would you like to make a Prayer Shawl for a special friend or member of our church experiencing a difficult or joyful time in their life? It is a most rewarding ministry to let members know how much you care. Pastor Suzanne will bless the finished shawl, which will be about 28 inches square. If interested, contact Sonia Dermis at 937-550-9412 and a time will be set to meet. Rev. Gary Hughes is Retiring As you may know, Rev. Gary Hughes is retiring from ministry at the end of June. In his over 30 years in the ministry, Pastor Gary and Vangie have made many fiends in many different places. Springboro FUMC was the third pastorate the Hughes’ served. To honor their years of service, the SPRC of Lebanon United Methodist Church would like to present Pastor Gary & Vangie with a scrapbook of letters from persons whose lives they have touched throughout the years. If anyone would like to write a letter or send a card to be included, please address it to the church at 122 East Silver Street, Lebanon, OH 45036 “Attention SPRC”. Please make all submissions by June 1st. Thank You, Julie McGintz, SPRC Chair Lebanon UMC High Attendance On Sunday, May 22nd, during first service, we will be honoring children who have achieved high attendance in Sunday School this year. Children who have high attendance have missed fewer than six Sundays of Sunday school from September through May. Children will be awarded with a special pin that has bars that attach for every year of high attendance, and a gift certificate for the “K”. Graduate Sunday: Calling all Senior High/ College Seniors!!! You will be graduating soon and we want to celebrate with you! We will be honoring all Graduates on Sunday, June 5th during regular services. In order to make sure we do not accidentally leave anyone out, please jot down answers to the following questions so that we can brag a bit about you! *What are your plans for the future? (College- Which one? Major of study? Career path? Other plans? Etc..) *What are some of the highlights of your high school or college career? (Sports, extra–curricular activities, community service, etc) *School graduating from? Include your name (full name) and the answers to the questions and send them to the church or bring them in and give them to Kim or Julie (in the church office). Thanks!!! May 1, 2011 Our Altar at Easter The flowers this Easter were beautiful. Click this link to view pictures of them, moving from left to right across the altar. Many thanks to Betty Marvin and the members of the flower committee. Thanks also to Kevin and Shelly Houser for setting up and taking down the tomb each year. Jean Schindler's Father We extend our love and sympathy to Jean Schindler and family in the loss of her father, Ken Emerick. The visitation will be this Sunday from 2-5pm and Monday from 10-11am. The funeral service will take place at 11am. Both will take place at Tobias Funeral Home at the corner of Rahn and Far Hills in Kettering. A Change in the UMM Meetings for May United Methodist Men will combine our monthly breakfast and Bible study in May into a single event. We will meet at the church on May 14, to serve ourselves breakfast, then study God’s word. We’ll use this rough schedule: 8:00 - begin cooking, 9:00 begin Bible study. We invite men of the church to join us for this event. Women In Faith View Wedding The Women In Faith had the best seat in the house for William and Kate's wedding, a beautiful table set for a delicious better-than-British buffet breakfast in front of the widescreen TV at Carolyn and David Mabee's house. Everyone had a wonderful time - there were some spectacular hats - and it was a somewhat bittersweet reminder of the quieter times when we were able to visit our friends' homes for an hour or two in the morning or afternoon once in a while and just enjoy each others company. Rummage Sale Women In Faith will join with our Youth Groups to sponsor a church rummage sale on June 23rd. Please start saving your rummage now! Money for Mortgage Women In Faith voted to give the church $1500 towards paying down the principle on the mortgage. The Finance Committee has been doing this for a while now since it saves many dollars in interest as the loan is repaid. We want to thank everyone in the church who has helped make this possible by contributing in so many ways during our fund raising events. In the near future, we hope to have combined events with other groups in the church with the aim of raising more money for this purpose. April 22, 2011 Palm Sunday Pictures The pictures from Palm Sunday and the Easter party have been moved to the Photo Archive. You will find a button for the Photo Archive on the Home page, in the list on the lower right side. As usual, click on the first picture to enlarge it for viewing, then follow instructions to navigate through the show. Be patient as the pictures will take a while to load.
Cross Walk Here are some pictures Mike Hampton sent from the Cross Walk today. Thanks, Mike. 
April 19, 2011 Please Pray for: Norma Jones, who went to Cleveland Clinic today for treatment for her eyes All the friends and family of Brandon Pickering who was killed fighting for his (our) country in Afghanistan Jill Schuetz, who is home now after a hip operation but has much more treatment ahead of her as she starts chemo for her breast cancer The friends and family of Mark Chenowith, who died recently from multiple sclerosis. Pray especially hard for his sister, who suffers with it too. Happiness for the Fogels Be sure to congratulate Mary Fogle on her new role as a Great Aunt Palm Sunday The Palm Sunday services were, as usual, one of the highlights of the year. Pastor Suzanne included a very moving video on the life of Jesus. Here is a link to it. Pictures of the children marching in with the palms and of the Easter party later will be posted in the next day or two. April 17, 2011 New Name for Bible Study Group The Adult bible study & discussion group that currently meets in Pastor Suzanne's office at 9:15 every Sunday has a new name and location!!!! We now meet in the conference room and answer to the name of Holy Java. Our name can have a couple of different meanings … our study will perk you up spiritually like an exceptional cup of coffee can perk you up physically! And for those of you that are computer geeks … we are called Holy Java because, just like Java provides computer users with the underlying technology that powers state-of-the-art programs, our study provides it's participants with necessary underlying Biblical truths that will help power their lives spiritually! Our group welcomes you … please join Holy Java! (For more information on this study and several others, please see the Christian Education page.) April 16, 2011 FUMC Was the Place To Be Our church was the place to be this morning as volunteers swarmed through and around the building, washing windows, cleaning pews and furniture, pulling weeds, fertilizing the roses and cleaning out the garage, among many other chores. It was a sight to see illustrating once again, as your mother no doubt told you often, "many hands make light work". At the same time, other volunteers were busy getting ready for the Easter party - the tables were already beautifully decorated and there was a lot of activity in the kitchen as food preparation began. Be sure to come out tomorrow to see the children with the palms and then enjoy the party - looks like we may get lucky with the weather too, although it's going to be windy. Boy Scouts Spread Mulch Thanks to Sue Fry and our Boy Scout Troop for spreading a good, thick coat of mulch around the church. Not only does the mulch look great, it will also suppress the weeds from all the April showers and will hold moisture around our trees and bushes if we have another hot summer. April 15, 2011 Waving the Palms This Sunday is Palm Sunday and our Sunday School children will once again observe the tradition of walking into and around the sanctuary waving palm branches. Parents and friends are welcome to take pictures as they march to the hymn Wave the Palms. Click on the link to hear the hymn but be careful, it's one of those catchy songs that can stay with you for a long time. New Community Church Partners Three more businesses have agreed to become Community Church Partners: Heather's Coffee & Cafe, Edward Jones and Pointe Drycleaners. To see their business cards, wait for the panel that says Community Church Partners to appear on the home page and click on the word "more" in the lower right hand corner. Please consider doing business with them if you'd enjoy a great lunch, could use exceptional investment advice or want your shirts cleaned and pressed. Church Clean Up Day Tomorrow Don't forget the church Clean Up Day tomorrow. Actually, it's only a morning, from 9 to 11, and it's rain or shine since there is plenty to do inside if we can't work outside. Annual Easter party Is This Sunday Also don't forget our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Party on Palm Sunday. The information is below. Everyone is welcome.
April 11, 2011 New UMM Financial Assistance Form An updated UMM financial assistance form reflecting the election of Dusty Dershem as UMM President has been uploaded to the website. Please use this form if your group has a mission where the UMM may be able to help out. The link to the form is on the Fellowship page in the information about the UMM and their activities. Two Beautiful Pictures of Our Church in Spring Please check out two pictures taken by Vicki Kuhn that were just added to our website. Click this link or go to the home page and, on the first panel, click on "more". Informatiion from Maria Dershem on a New Bible Study for Parents Please join us for our next Bible study… Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas. This is not a study on how to rise your child. Instead, this study turns the tables and shows us how God uses our children to change us. Sacred Parenting affirms the spiritual value of being a parent, showing you the holy potential of the parent-child relationship. When: May 1 to June 5 Where: Pastor Suzanne’s office Time: Sunday mornings 9:15 to 10:30am Please contact Maria Dershem to order your participant’s guide at 760-6687 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it April 8, 2011 Prayers Needed for the Schuetz Family Please keep the Schuetz family in your prayers. Jil was recently diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to her spine and hip. She is at Kettering hospital for treatment and will have hip replacement surgery next week. And for the Shetterly Family Terry Shetterly's aunt, Mildred Hadley, will start chemotherapy today. Please pray for her and the Shetterly family. And for the Leese Family Linda Leese is continuing her chemotherapy for breast cancer. Please continue to pray for her and her family.
March 29, 2011 Opportunities for Adults to Study the Bible and Grow in Their Faith at FUMC Many opportunities exist for studying the Bible and exploring the meaning of your faith at our church. For instance, did you know we have two adult studies on Sunday morning at 9:15? The Cornerstone Adult Sunday School class meets in the Music Room, where they are currently studying the book of Daniel under the leadership of Rosemary Culbreath. The second class meets in Pastor Suzanne's office, where they are currently studying the book The Me I Want to Be, by John Ortberg, under the leadership of Maria Dershem. On Tuesdays at 10:00, another adult Bible Study meets in the Music Room, where they are currently studying Jesus in the Gospel under the direction of Pastor Suzanne. Then, during the spring and fall, we have Wonderful Wednesdays, a weekly chance to eat together, worship and, currently, study the life of Jonah, again under the direction of Pastor Suzanne. The Women In Faith recently started a Bible Study during their meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month. This study, Women in the Bible, is led by Maria Dershem. And our men's group, the UMM, meet on the fourth Monday of every month at 7:00 for Bible Study. The studies change each month and the men take turns leading them. March 28, 2011 Clearcreakers Senior Group - April Meeting The Clearcreaker's will be meeting April 20th, in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. Unfortunately, "The Hithergreen Strummers" had to cancel. In their place, the program will be "Freedom's Trail", presented by Helen Sproat of the Springboro Historical Society. We will be serving Beef Brisket for lunch and have a Make Your own Sundae Bar. Please bring a side dish to share. We hope you can join us for some good food, fellowship, and some Springboro History. March 27, 2011 More Pictures There are more pictures from the spaghetti dinner on the website now. Click this link to view them, underneath the original set of pictures. There are three additional, smaller sets of pictures on the page now. When you reach the end of one set, simply close that picture and click on the next picture on the page to proceed to the next set. Please be patient as the page will take a while to load. Charlie Smith Having a Rough Time Charlie Smith is back home after having another procedure on his leg, this one involving an eight inch incision and a stent. He is recovering but is experiencing a lot of discomfort. Please keep him in your prayers. Services This Morning In services this morning, the final hymn was It Is Well. Here is a link to the hymn which also tells the story of the Horatio Spafford, the man who wrote it, in spite of a life involving tremendous personal tragedy. Vicki Kuhn, with help from Wayne Gratz, prepared a wonderful video illustraing the beauty around us. ( We may be able to get a link to it for the website.) The flowers on the altar were given by Lisa Adkins in honor of Derek's 14th birthday. Reminder There will be no meeting for a Wonderful Wednesday this week, March 30th, due to spring break. March 25, 2011 Prayers are Needed for: Brad Wade, a co-worker of Anna Wade. Brad is suffering from aplastic anemia that is causing heart failure. Bev Thomas's daughter, Kathy, who fell and broke her leg, leading to a need for surgery and pins Joy Mindling, who is recovering from surgery at home A nephew of Mary Jane Hansel, Jonathan Barnes, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis The Villanaigra family, whose son, Ian, died unexpectedly This Month's Missions Just a reminder that March's missions include bringing in seeds for gardens for poor families and providing foods needed for the Easter baskets we make each year for the food pantries. More information is on the mission table and also on the website, under missions, where you will find links to the various organizations we support each year. Stephen Ministry Last Sunday's 9:15 service included the commissioning of two new Stephen Ministers, Barbara Geiger and Susan Raihala. They now take their place with those who were commissioned in our first class - Stephanie Bindemann, Bill Cook, Kim Crosen, Lois Eley, Becky Pickett, Kristy Shetterly, Anna Wade and Karen Wenzel - under the direction of our Stephen Ministry leaders, Karen Lane DeRosa and Zandra Woody. For more information about Stephen Ministry, please click on this link. The Cornerstone Class Just a reminder that the Cornerstone Group, our adult Sunday School class, continues their journey through the Bible each Sunday morning at 9:15 in the Music Room under the direction of Rosemary Culbreath. They are now studying the book of Daniel.
March 24, 2011 Time to Think about Easter Flowers
March 24, 2011 UMM Bible Study The United Methodist Men will meet as usual for Bible Study on Monday (March 28) at 7:00 at the church. March 23, 2011 At last - a first batch of pictures from the spaghetti dinner. We hope to have some more soon. Click the link to see photos from the spaghetti dinner.
March 19, 2011 Dayton Dragons' Fundraiser If you are looking for a way to get involved with the church, one in which you will have exercise and share some time with others, then we are looking for you. Once again this year the Men’s group is sponsoring our annual church fundraiser by volunteering for the Dayton Dragons baseball team. We are inviting anybody of the church - men, women, or youth over the age of 16 - to participate. The church has signed up for 20 games this year, beginning on April 7th and running through August 30th. Our job at the game is to be the suite runners, meaning we take food and drinks from the kitchen to the suites before and during the game, and bring back dishes and pans after the game. Five volunteers are needed for each of the 20 games, so we have 100 slots to fill throughout the spring and summer. Three people arrive at 4:30, with the others arriving around 5:00 or 5:15. Annually we raise approximately $4000.00 for the church and its various needs. If you are interested in helping, contact John Stalcup at 937-620-2062, or sign up at the church. There is a folder on the front table in fellowship hall with a sign up sheet, and a schedule of games for you to take. Thank you to all those that have volunteered in the past, and those wishing to help out this year as well! Plans for Junior and Senior High Please click the link for information on plans for our junior and senior high youth for the next few months. While summer still seems far away, Will needs to know SOON if you plan to go on the trip to Nashville. Don't lose out. Annual Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt Palm Sunday (4/17) is the day we will be having our annual Easter Dinner along with our egg hunt and games. The meal (as in years past) will be potluck with the Family Life committee providing fried chicken. There will be A SIGN UP SHEET FOR SIDES/SALADS/DESSERTS IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL SOON! We are also asking for any candy donations that would be appropriate for the egg hunt. Small, individually wrapped candies that can fit inside the plastic eggs would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be left in the basket marked ‘Candy Donations for Egg Hunt’ in the Fellowship Hall. Thanks! Easter Flowers It’s time to think about Easter plants for the altar. The Flower Committee will take orders on: March 27th, April 3rd and April 10th The deadline for ordering will be April 10th. Cost will be $10.00 with payment made when ordered. Choices are: Easter Lily , Mums, Tulips, Hyacinths, and Daffodils. With all these choices, our altar should be even more beautiful this year. Church Clean-up Day The annual church clean up day will be Saturday, April 16th , 9am-noon. Please put it on your calendar now and come help us with spring cleaning (and outside work)! Many hands make light work! Easter Meals for the Food Pantries In 2008, our church began a new tradition of donating Easter meal bags to the area food pantries. This mission has grown by leaps and bounds each year, and we look forward to another great year reaching into our community to celebrate Easter. Donation collection will begin on March 26-27 for this mission. Volunteers are needed to assemble and deliver the meals on April 10 and 17, 2011. Please sign up in fellowship hall to donate instant mashed potatoes, canned green beans, canned pineapple, boxed stuffing or canned mandarin oranges to the Easter meals. Thank you for continuing this ministry each year. 2011 Relay For Life of Springboro, Ohio The Springboro 2011 Relay for Life will be Saturday May 21-Sunday May 22 at North Park. Join our team (First UMC of Springboro) at www.RelayforLife.org/Springboro. Help fight cancer and celebrate the lives of cancer survivors. VBS 2011!!! Time is ticking away! It’s time to start thinking of how you would like to participate in this year’s fun and exciting ministry! What ministry is that you may ask? Why V.B.S. of course! Where children experience their faith in a whole new way! Our evening session will be held during the week of July 18th -22nd from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Our morning session will be the following week, July 25th-29th from 9:00-11:30 am. With over 250 children expected we will need as many volunteers as we can get! Sign-ups will be in future bulletins and Decorating Days will begin soon!! More details to come, but call if you just can’t wait (748-2612). Let’s make this the best VBS yet! Sex, Love, and Relationships Did I grab your attention? Today’s youth needs to know the whole truth about the consequences of sexual activity, experimentation and permissiveness. Pam Stenzel tells it to them straight, mincing no words in showing how the pervasive sexual permissiveness of our culture is a trap. On April 10th from 5:30-7:00 we will be holding a parent preview for a class we would like to offer our teens called “Straight Talk” with Pam Stenzel. It is a DVD type class that has 4 different sessions focusing on the following topics: The Physical Consequences, The Emotional Consequences, The Spiritual Consequences, and The Character Consequences. Please see Kim in the Education office or call (748-2612) for more information and to RSVP. March 18, 2011 Please Keep: Joy Mindling in your prayers as she recovers from knee replacement surgery Polly Leasure and family in your prayers in the loss of her grandmother Spaghetti Dinner The Women in Faith sponsored their 2nd annual Spaghetti Dinner on March 13. The event was a great success with approximately 180 guests and over 50 people showing off their talent. The women would like to thank everyone who participated and worked at making this event a success. The proceeds of this event will be used by WIF to help others in our community and our church. We hope to have pictures for you soon. You are Invited... The WIF invite you to join a speaking engagement by Renee Swope of Proverbs 31 Ministries at Crossview Christian Church in Waynesville, Ohio. This event takes place on April 8 from 6:30 to 8:30pm and April 9 from 10am to 1pm. On Friday, the topic of discussion will be The Power of a Purpose Driven Mom. The cost is $10 with dessert included. On Saturday, the topic of discussion is Circle of Friends. The cost is $20 with brunch included. A combo ticket is available for $25 to join both events. If interested, please call Julie Bernatz. Next Meeting of Women In Faith Women In Faith meet the fourth Tuesday of every month starting at 6:30pm. The next meeting will be on March 22nd. We will dedicate the first half hour of our meeting to discussions of projects and upcoming events, then follow with a bible study. For more information, click the link for Fellowship on the home page and scroll to the section on WIF. The WIF made the following contributions last month: along with UMM, they purchased four tables for the fellowship hall, sponsored the youth ministries "Believe" retreat and provided milk money for SCAC. Starting at 7:00pm, we will be conducting a study titled Women of the Bible. During this study, we will be looking at the lives of 52 women in scripture. Each week we will focus on a different woman of the bible. We will learn from their experiences and we will discover how their lives and struggles were not much different from ours. This study will give us practical life applications and will give us some tools to grow in faith! Ordering a book is optional Photocopies of each chapter will be available at each meeting. Please bring your own bible. To order a book, contact Maria Dershem at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 760-6687. The cost of the book is $10.00. Join us!!! Contributions The WIF made the following contributions last month: along with UMM, they purchased four tables for the fellowship hall, sponsored the youth ministries "Believe" retreat and provided milk money for SCAC. Info for Potential Liturgists Click the link for a letter from David Finney about the responsibilities of a liturgist and an opportunity to meet with other people who are interested and ask questions. You will also find a list there of people who already serve as liturgists that will be glad to talk things over with you too. United Methodist Men In April, the UMM will meet for breakfast on April 9 at 8:30 am at Springboro Bob Evans Restaurant. We will also meet for Bible study on April 25, at 7:00 pm. It is also during April that our sole fund-raiser for the year commences, working with concessions at Dayton Dragons' baseball games. Click on the Fellowship link on the home page, then scroll to the section on the UMM for more information. Or wait for the panel showing the Dayton Dragons' mascots and click on "More" on the lower, right hand side. February 28, 2011 Celebration of Life for Sharon Joseph's Mother There will be a Celebration of Life for Sharon Joseph's mother, Gloria, on Saturday, March 5th, at the Methodist Church in Cairo, Ohio. Visition is from 2:00 to 4:00, followed by the service at 4:00 and then a dinner. The pastor of the church is Rick Rahay. If you have questions, he can be reached at 419-641-3401. Admin Note The administrator will be gone until March 7th so there will be no new postings until then. February 27, 2011 Testamonial on the Youth Group's Trip to Believe Here's what one of the Youth Group's members, Isabel H., had to say about the trip: Believe was amazing! I learned a lot about the book of Esther and told the story to my mom when I got home! I had a great time with my friends and the leaders, too. I will definitely go again. There were lots of other comments at church today on how much our young people enjoyed and profited from the trip. Thanks, Will, and thanks to the church groups that donated funds to help out with the costs. Looks like it was money well spent. Sharon Joseph's Mother Sharon Joseph's mother, Gloria, died yesterday after a long and difficult illness. Services will be held next weekend at Cairo Methodist Church. Please pray for Sharon and her family. Barb Mills's Mom Barb Mills's Mom, Dorothy Crowder, will have heart surgery on Monday. Since she is over 80, the operation is quite risky. Barb and her family need your prayers. Betty Marvin Is Better Betty was in church today and looking good. She attributes her quick recovery to the loving care she received from her husband, Bob. ; ) February 25, 2011 It's Coming -- VBS 2011!!!! It’s time to start thinking of how you would like to participate in this year’s fun and exciting ministry! What ministry is that you may ask? Why Vacation Bible School, of course! Our evening session will be held during the week of July 18th -22nd from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Our morning session will be the following week, July 25th-29th from 9:00-11:30 am. With over 200 children expected we will need as many volunteers as we can get! Sign-ups will be in future bulletins and Decorating Days will begin March 23 @ 10:00 am and be held each Wednesday until VBS!! More details to come, but call if you just can’t wait (748-2612). Let’s make this the best VBS yet! News from Women In Faith Women In Faith are now meeting on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30. A brief business meeting will be followed by refreshments and then a bible study led by Maria Dershem on women in the bible. The study will begin during our March meeting, Tuesday, the 22nd. Please join us - if you would like a book ($10.00), please see Maria to order one. Rumor Has It..... Rumor has it that our Junior High Youth Group really enjoyed the trip to Believe. Hope we can get some more information and maybe even some pictures. Mission 56 (5th and 6th grade) This month our Mission 56 kids will be going to Blue Ash to work with Matthew 25 Ministries and help them get donations ready for shipment. We will meet at 8:30 on March 19th and head out. We will stop at a fast food place on our way back for lunch so please bring some money. I will need some parent volunteers to help drive and chaperone. Please let me know if you can make it! Also, if you do not receive my e-mail updates, please let me know! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Thanks! - Kim Summer Camp 2011 West Ohio United Methodist Camps - If you’re interested in summer camps for your children, please take a look at www.westohiocamps.com to see what’s available. There are many different camps to choose from that offer events for all ages. There is also a brochure located on the table in fellowship hall if you would like to check it out. It’s not too early to start making your summer plans! Looking for Talent Do you have a talent or know someone who does? Here is an opportunity to show the world!!!! We are currently looking for talented people who will entertain us during our Spaghetti Dinner Show. Please contact Shelly Houser at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you have a talent or know of someone who does and is too shy to tell us. For moreinfo on the spaghetti dinner, go to the panel and click on the work "More" in the lower, right hand corner. Former Church Member Bill Seay Dies We keep the family and friends of Bill Seay in our prayers. Bill passed away earlier this week. Prayers Needed We extend our love and sympathy to Clara McLemore in the loss of her sister and Barbara Geiger in the loss of her brother last week. Some Good News We celebrate with Barbara and Stan Coppock as they praise God for the arrival of Sophie, a healthy new granddaughter February 22, 2011 Please Keep These Families in Your Prayers Please remember the Wenzel and Joseph families in your prayers as Bill’s mother Shirley Wenzel and Sharon’s mother Gloria Joseph are both nearing the end of their lives. Looking for Good News? Check out this report from the Finance Committee. We were able to pay down the principal on the building loan by $10,000 this year! Music Opportunities Do you have a musical gift that you would like to share or know of someone who might like to do so? We currently have quite a few openings for special music this spring. Please let Pastor Suzanne know if you would like to help lead our worship of God in this way. Also, we would like to have a few more musicians who would be willing to play for our Sunday services on a substitute basis. If you know of someone who might be interested, please let Pastor Suzanne know. Celebrate St Patrick's Day with the Clearcreakers The Clearcreakers will provide Corned Beef & Cabbage for the March 16th meeting. Please bring a traditional dish to share for this luncheon and your own eating utensils. The program will be "Show N Tell". Please bring something of interest to share with the group. (this could be something old, something unique, or something you are very proud of - use your imagination.) Try to join us for some fun, food, and fellowship. Note: We follow the same inclement weather rule used for the schools. If the schools are closed there will be no meeting. February 21, 2011 Betty Marvin Home from Hospital Betty is home from the hospital after being there for several days. After having a gall stone removed, she is now home, no longer in pain but very tired,so please keep her and Bob in your prayers. From the Invitation Committee: We will have a booth at the Springboro Hometown Expo on March 19th to pass out goodies and invite people to come to our church. We hope you’ll stop by and say “hi.” If you’d like to help at our booth, please contact Megan Jernovics or the church office. Also, the season of Lent is a great time to invite a friend or family member to church. We encourage you to use the small church business cards available in the Narthex as you invite others to be part of our family of faith! Welcoming One Another A warm and caring handshake and a friendly hello can make such a difference in our day! We all serve as informal greeters to those in the pews around us each week. As we share our welcome, we have the opportunity to bless those around us with the love of Christ. We also appreciate everyone who serves regularly as front door greeters. You are often the first person from the church that visitors see and your welcome is so important! Thank you to Becky Pickett who has served as our Greeter Coordinator over the past two years. Thank you to Rebecca Delbridge who has agreed to serve as our current Greeter Coordinator. If you would like to be a part of this important ministry, please see Rebecca or contact the church office. And please try to remember to wear your nametag. They are a real help to new people trying to keep us all straight (and to some of the older members too!) Confirmation Class We have thirteen eighth graders who are participating in Confirmation this spring. They will learn about the basic beliefs of the church, attend a weekend retreat, and tour several different churches. They will then have the opportunity to confirm their commitment to God and the church on Sunday May 15th. Please keep them in your prayers and encourage them as they take this important step in their faith. Love First Leadership Retreat On February 12th, our Administrative Council and Strategy Team met with our District Superintendent, Randy Stearns, for the "Simply Fruit" training. We worked through the five fruitful practices that the West Ohio Conference has focused on over the last few years: Radical Hospitality, Faith Forming Relationships, Passionate Worship, Risk Taking Mission and Service and Extravagant Generosity. After a time of study and reflection we began to brainstorm a list of goals for the church for the next year. As we narrowed those down, we came up with three that we will focus on: *Raising the passion of worshippers of all generations *Increasing awareness of our church in the community *Expanded small group opportunities and involvement. The strategy committee will work on the worship and small group goals. The invitation committee will work on the awareness goal. If you have any questions or comments about these goals or would like to be a part of implementing them, please talk with David Finney, David Mabee, Alan Kerrick, or Pastor Suzanne. Trustees Update Our Trustees continue to keep busy! Items that we are currently working on include: replacement of the cracked tiles in the narthex and finding the source of the cracking; landscaping around the church sign on SR 73; considering a water softener system for the church; pest control and planning a church clean up day in April February 19, 2011 Junior High Youth Head to Cincinnati Twenty of our Junior High Youth and their leaders will attend Believe in Cincinnati this weekend. For more information about Believe, see our Youth Ministries page. Bill Wenzel's Mother under Hospice Care Please pray for Bill and Karen Wenzel, for Bill's mother and the rest of the Wenzel family during these difficult times for them. Scout Sunday Scout Sunday is next Sunday, February 27th. All scouts and leaders are invited to wear their uniforms and worship with us at either the 9:15 or 10:35 am services. Traditionally, the scouts help with these services. Boy Scouts will assist during the 9:30 service and Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts during the 10:35 service. February 15, 2011 Sharon Joseph's Family Sharon's mother, Gloria, continues to decline and her niece, Shelby, needs more surgery. Please keep them, Sharon and Jim in your prayers. In Case You Missed It Richard Culbreath spoke on the Integrity of the Heart at all three of our services this week. On Saturday, in keeping with his message, the congregation started the service with the song Change My Heart O God. The service ended, as always, with the beautiful song Go Now In Peace. Jean Stanley's Family Jean Stanley asks for prayers for her daughter, Stephanie Roderer, Stephanie's husband and their three children. All of them have been sick almost constantly with various illnesses since the beginning of December, making for very trying times for any family. February 11, 2011 Deron Click Please keep Deron Click in your prayers. He is now recovering at home with multiple injuries, including multiple broken bones, after a serious car accident earlier this week. Spaghetti Dinner Ticket Sales Ticket sales for the spaghetti dinner begin this weekend. Tickets will be sold before and after all services. Price is $8.00 each, with children five and under free. United Methodist Men Please click the Fellowship button on the Home page to see what the United Methodist Men plan for March. Lay Leader Report Please click on the front panel and follow the link near the bottom of the page for David Finney's Lay Leader Report for March. February 6, 2011 Services This Morning In keeping with the minister's message on "Spirit Wisdom" , we sang the hymn Spirit Song. Here's a version by the Maranantha Singers. The choir sang the beautiful song One Bread, One Body - here's a link to that too. The opening prayer was "God of justice and mercy, Christ the light and life, enter our lives and this time of worship with your radiant presence. Bring light to our journey, that we may see your path of righteousness. Shine in us and through us, that we may be lights of compassion and justice for all the world to see. Amen. " Vicki Kuhn was the organist today, Belinda Mallett and Richard Culbreath were liturgists, Betty Hough donated the flowers in memory of Jim Hough and the Zimmermans provided the cookies. Marjorie Coyle Dick Coyle reports that his wife Marjorie has learned the sprained wrist that she suffered in a recent fall is still hurting very badly because she also has a hairline fracture. Wrist injuries can be extremely painful - please keep her in your prayers. Alan Bindeman's Aunt Alan's aunt, Elaine, has learned she has stage four lung cancer. Please pray for her and her family. Sharon's Joseph's Mother Sharon's mother's health continues to deteriorate. Sharon was in church today but these opportunities are rare for her these days becaus of needing to care for her. Please pray for Sharon and her mother, Gloria. Addition to Website I would like to add a directory to our website that lists services provided by those who are an active part of our church. For instance, are you a financial advisor, do you make desserts for sale, do you run a dry cleaners, are you a home builder, do you tutor children, do you run an autobody shop or beauty shop, etc. That way, someone who would like to consider a member of our church family for that service will have the information easily available. If you ar interested, please contact Jean Reazer. Also, please help spread the word since many people in the church do not get to the website regularly. Kids Who Care Kids Who Care will meet on Sunday, February 20th, during the 10:35 service to assemble blankets for Interfaith. Please bring 1 1/2 yds of fleece and some good scissors. February 5, 2011 Please Keep These People in Your Prayers Steve Field, a friend of Anna Wade, who has just had a severe heart attack. Joe Little and Ed Staples, who are having a difficult time with cancer treatments Prayer from Pastor Suzanne Pastor Suzanne's weekly email included the following prayer for our troubled times: A prayer for today by Ted Loder: “O God, this is a hard time, a season of confusion, a frantic rush to fill my closets, my schedule, and my mind, only to find myself empty. Give me hope Lord, and remind me of your steady power and gracious purposes that I may live fully. Renew my faith that the earth is not destined for dust and darkness, but for frolicking life and deep joy so that, being set free from my anxiety for the future, I may take the risks of love today.” February 4, 2011 New Prayer Chain Our new prayer chain is up and running. Thanks to so many of you who signed up to be a part of this important ministry. Our team captain Dumping Debt - Free Class on February 13th Perhaps the thought of the full Financial Peace University class seemed like more than you could commit to at this time in your life. We have good news! Dave Ramsey’s most sought after teaching on how to wade through and reduce debt in your life, “Dumping Debt,” will be offered as a free and independent class on Sunday February 13th at 7pm. You are invited to come and learn from Dave Ramsey’s humorous and insightful teaching on how to reduce debt and deal with financial institutions and creditors. Movie Night Movie Night is Friday, February 18th 6-9 pm for ages 4 years – 5th grade at a cost of $10 per child. Let your child enjoy pizza, drink, popcorn, and a movie while you enjoy a belated Valentine’s Date Night! Limited to the first 50 children registered Please email Kim Crosen at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the church office to secure your spot! Leadership Retreat On Saturday February 12th, from 9am-noon, our church leaders including the Administrative Council and the Strategy Committee will meet with our District Superintendent, Randy Stearns, and our District Lay Leader for a Leadership Retreat. They will lead us through a Visioning and Strategy Process called “Love First.” Even if you are not a part of one of these groups, you are invited to join us for this retreat. It will take place at our church. United Methodist Men's News Please check under the Fellowship button for news on what the UMM did during January and their plans for February. Sub Sandwiches Don't forget to pick up your super sub sandwiches for this Sunday to enjoy during the Superbowl. Clearcreakers The Clearcreakers meeting will be February 16th in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. The program will be a Fun Game of Bingo with some Sweet Prizes. A Chili Lunch will be furnished - please bring a salad or dessert to share and your own eating utensils. Try to join us for some fun, food, and fellowship. Note: We follow the same inclement weather rule used for the schools. If the schools are closed there will be no meeting. Women In Faith The February meeting of Women In Faith will be on Tuesday, February 22nd, at 7:00 at the church. Rosemary Culbreath will do the devotions. We are still hoping to find someone who can provide a faith-based program of special interest to women. If you have any ideas, please let Shelly know. February 2, 2011 No Activities at Church Today or Tonight Due to the weather, there will be no activities at the church today or tonight. Bev Thomas Asks for Prayers for Friends Bev Thomas has asked us to pray for friends of hers, Glenda and Ed Preston. Ed broke his hip and has sense suffered three heart stoppages. On her way from the hospital to pick up some things for him, Glenda rolled her car and is now also in the hospital with a broken neck. Larry Woody Larry had his cast off today and is in a lot of pain. Please pray for him and Zandra as he gets on the road to recovery. January 30, 2011 Ice Bad This Morning If the ice kept you from church this morning, here are a few highlights. For the special music, Alan Kerrick sang The Lord's Prayer. (Here's a link to a version by Mario Lanza.) The first bible reading was from Micah, verses 1 - 8. 1 Hear ye now what Jehovah saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. 2 Hear, O ye mountains, Jehovah's controversy, and ye enduring foundations of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. 3 O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. 4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him; remember from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteous acts of Jehovah. 6 Wherewith shall I come before Jehovah, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? 7 will Jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God? The second hymn was Christ for the World We Sing and the final hymn was the much beloved Here I Am Lord. The liturgist was Belinda Mallet. Linda Pierce provided the flowers in memory of David Pierce and Barb Mills brought cookies for between the services. Larry Woody Moving Into a New Phase of His Recovery Larry will have his brace taken off soon and will have to undergo some extensive rehabilitation. Please pray that he has the strengh to improve day by day, even though it will be very difficult at times. Amy Wood's Father Amy's father will have his surgery on Friday. We will update you as soon as possible. Tracy Savin Tracy has had her surgery and is recovering at home. January 28, 2011 Sub Sandwich Sale Back by popular demand: Our Mission 56 group will be taking orders for Sub Sandwiches that will be ready on Super Bowl Sunday. Please place your order between services on Sunday or contact Kim Crosen or Jonelle Cripe. Cornerstone Sunday School Class Makes Veteran's Hospital Their Mission The Cornerstone Sunday School class has made the Veterans’ Hospital their mission. They will be collecting signed cards to take to the hospital for Valentine’s Day. Please sign your cards and drop them in the marked box by Feb. 9th. Amy Wood's Father Facing Surgery Please keep Amy Woods and her family in your prayers as her father meets with a surgeon today to determine how to address some very significant heart issues. Chili Cookoff Don't forget the Chili Cookoff. Bring a little something that goes along with chili or maybe a dessert and a game if you'd like, then join us for a hot time in the old church tomorrow night. January 17, 2011 UMM Bible Study The monthly UMM Bible Study is this week, Monday, January 24th at 7:00 at the church. Clearcreakers Clearcreakers will meet at the church at noon on Wednesday, January 19th. Please bring a dish to share, your own table service and maybe a friend who would also enjoy an afternoon out. January 16, 2011 Countdown to Cast-Off Dean has less than a week to go in his body cast. Yesterday was his last Saturday in the cast. Today will be his last Sunday in the cast. This Friday the cast comes off. That will be a great day for Dean and his family. Five, four, three, two, one, CAST OFF. Go, Dean! January 15, 2011 New Study Underway The 9:30am Sunday School Class invites you to join them for their current study on the Fruits of the Spirit. Please contact Maria Dershem for more details or just stop by Pastor Suzane's office on upcoming Sunday mornings at 9:30! Leadership in 2011 Our new leadership teams for 2011 have begun to meet. All church leaders are invited to attend a District wide training next Saturday, January 22nd. A flyer with more details is at this link. David Finney will be going and is happy to car-pool or caravan with anyone else who would like to attend. Please meet at the church parking lot at 9:15am. The event should conclude by noon. January 9, 2011 Lord of the Dance Lord of the Dance was one of our hymns this morning. Here is a version by a traditional Irish group. Dinner for Youth and Their Families Is Tonight There will be a lasagna dinner tonight for our young people and their families. (It was supposed to be in December but the weather put paid to that.) You'll want to be there - nothing tastes better on a cold winter night than lasagna and garlic bread. Meanwhile, here's a link for our young people to another version of Lord of the Dance that they might enjoy better than the one above. Junior High Youth Are Going to "Believe" "Believe" takes place in Cincinnati. It is a two day event, overnight, from February 18 - 19th. The cost of the trip will be around $100 per student which includes the conference, food and hotel. For more information, follow this link. Several Church Families and Friends Need Our Prayers Dean D, who has been in full body cast for six weeks after breaking his leg, developed an ulcer under the cast that is being treated but is very painful. On the bright side, Dean only has to be in the cast for a couple more weeks. Ed Staples, the husband of one of our Bright Beginnings preschool teachers, has been diagnosed with throat cancer. Dottie Logan is back home after being hospitalized for tests. Tim Beach, a friend and co-worker of Linda Pierce, has been diagnosed with brain cancer. Special Thanks Due to Sharon Joseph and Jim Bachus Sharon Joseph and Jim Bachus put in many days and nights of effort during the past two weeks while Interfaith guests stayed at our church. They, and the others who helped them, deserve special thanks for their dedicated support to this mission. Church Altar Bare This Morning Was thinking the altar looked bare because the Christmas decorations had been removed. Then Pastor Suzanne pointed out that there were no flowers because no one had signed up. In the past, the florist used to fill the gaps but it is now up to us, which has resulted in a significant savings. It only costs $20.00 now to honor or memorialize a loved one with a lovely bouquet of altar flowers that you can then take home or leave for a shut-in. But we have to sign up. (Yes, I haven't either, but I will soon ;) You will find the sign up sheet on the table to your left just before you enter the back of the sanctuary. New Members and a Baptism Terry and Trina Hammond joined our church during the 9:15 service this morning. Their youngest child, Easton, was also baptized. Pastor Suzanne was assisted during the ceremony by Easton's older brother, Noah, who helped her pour the water into the font. Please welcome them when you see them - and perhaps wear your nametag to make it a little easier for them to sort us out.
January 8, 2011 New Bible Study The new study mentioned under the January 3rd news starts this Sunday, 9:15 in Pastor Suzanne's office. Follow the link there to learn more or contact Maria Dershem. The name of the study is "Fruits of the Spirit". Financial Peace University The free preview for Financial Peace University will take place this Sunday at 10:35am and 7pm. Following the preview you can order your books for the class which will begin on January 23rd. For more information about FPU and a link to the site, please wait for its panel to come up (on the Home page) and click on the word "More" in the lower right hand corner. Taking Down the Christmas Decorations The post Christmas "Storing of the Greens" will take place on Saturday morning, beginning at 9:00. Please help if you can.
January 3, 2011 Altar Flowers Thank you so much to everyone who has signed up to donate altar flowers in 2010. Also, thank you to Betty Marvin and the Flower Committee for making sure our flowers are here each week and delivering them to shut-ins whenever needed. Our new 2011 calendar is on the table in fellowship hall. Please take a minute to sign up. The Flower Committee is making this much more affordable this year. The cost will now be $20.00 to donate flowers. Finance Committee Report Please check out this link for the January report from the Finance Committee. Youth News Please check out the Youth Ministries page for lots of news about what our Youth Groups will be doing in January. Children's Ministries Please check out the Children's Ministries page for new about what our children did in December and will be doing in January. The Chili CookOff - One of the Best Things about January! Our Chili Cook-Off & Game Night is coming up. Get your aprons out, your best chili recipe ready, grab your favorite game and join us on Saturday, January 29th for our annual chili cook-off and game night. We will have prizes for the best tasting, the most creative presentation, etc. If you’re not a chili cook, just bring a side or dessert to share. Come early for worship at 5:30. The dinner will begin at 6:30. If you can help with this event, please contact Tina Staffiord. Thanks! Wonderful Wednesdays to Begin Again Wonderful Wednesdays begin again on January 17th! We hope you will join us for this wonderful time of food, fellowship, worship and small group discussions for all ages! Child care is provided for our littlest ones. Weekly schedule: 6pm-Dinner 6:45-Worship 7:15-Small Groups & Choir Please bring a side dish or dessert to share for the meal. Donations are requested to help cover the cost of the main dish which is provided and the child care. Confirmation Classes Begin Confirmation classes begin Sunday, January 23rd! All 8th grade students are invited to join us for this year’s Confirmation experience. We will have our first meeting on January 23rd at 4pm. Parents are invited to join us for this initial meeting. We will finish with a meal together and in time for the teens to attend youth group. Children's Curriculum The Education Department is looking for a few creative people to help put together a curriculum for our Summer Sunday School program. Please see or call Kim if you are interested in being a part of the team. Thanks! Kim- 748-2612, kimfumc@gmail New Bible Study Begins Please click the link for information on a new Bible study that begins soon.
Church News Now Archived Church News Prior to January 1st, 2011 has now been archived. You can still see it by clicking on this link. Please be patient as it will take a little while to load.
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Church News
ay November 26th we will have a special Hanging of the Greens worship service. We will focus on the meaning of the symbols of Christmas as we begin the Advent season. Following the 5:30 worship service we will gather for dinner in the fellowship hall (please bring a side dish or dessert to share) and then move into a time of decorating the church for Christmas. We will have a special ornament making time for our children. We hope that you and your family will join us!
s are a part of our church prayer group that meets each Monday at 10am. You are invited to join us each week as we pray for our church and our world. If you have a concern that you would like to be put on the prayer chain, please contact Marjorie Poff at 743-3032 or the church office at 748-2612.