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December 27th, 2010 Poinsettias Can Be Picked Up You can pick up your poinsettias anytime. Have your car all warmed up because they hate the cold and will lose their leaves much more rapidly if they are exposed to it for even a few minutes. They'll also probably need a good watering, then just put them in a bright, relatively cool spot and they'll last for weeks. December 24, 2010 Dean Gets a Surprise Visit from Santa There was excitement last night at Dean's house when he got an unexpected visit from Santa and one of his most dedicated elves. Luckily, Janis Cross was visiting and took pictures. Click on them to enlarge them. 
December 23, 2010 Charlotte Harris's Sister Charlotte' sister, Mary Cramer, has been hospitalized in Toledo. She is 88 years old. Please keep Charlotte and Mary in your prayers. Christmas Services If you are looking for information on services this weekend, please go to the home page and click on the word "more" on the first panel, the one with the Christmas candle. December 22, 2010 Barbara Steins' Brother Barbara's brother, Doug "Bucky" Wittaker, has died. Visitation will be from 10 - 11 am on Thursday at St Luke Presbyterian, 280 N Breiel Rd, Middletown. The service will follow at 11 am. Kara Hampton's Mother Kara's mother, Joan Schwaderer, collapsed this week and is under going tests for heart related issues. Please keep the Hamptons in your prayers. Mary Fogle's Uncle Mary's uncle, Kenny Sandusky, has been in critical conditon since an accident a week and a half ago. Mary reports that doctors would be taking him off the respirator on Tuesday and, if he is unable to breathe on his own, they will not resuscitate him. Please pray for Mary, Kenny and their families. Recovering at Home Gwen Curtner and Charlie Smith are recovering at home after being in the hospital for medical procedures. We are thankful that all went well for them. December 20, 2010 A Rather Long List of Church Members Could Use Some Prayers Mike Stull is recovering at home from his surgery late last week. Jack Hott had his surgery in Florida. He is staying there for a few days before returning home Dan Wade was hospitalized last week but is now home Marge Coyle was also in the hospital, came home but then had to be rehospitalized. She is home again now and doing better. Gwen Curtner and Charlie Smith will both be having medical procedures this week. Mary Fogle's uncle was in a very serious accident and is still in intensive care. Dean D. is doing better since he has learned to sleep in spite of his cast. He has four more weeks in it but things are going as well as or even better than expected at this point. Wilhelmina Vinnell is a little better and even practicing music at home but is still not where she wants to be. Mickey Kaplan is feeling better and made it to church but still isn't where she wants to be either.
Christmas Cantata The cantata was wonderful. Special thanks to Carolyn Mabee, choir director, and Vicki Kuhn, pianist, for their hard work. December 18, 2010 Surgery for Two Church Members Mike Stull and Jack Hott both had surgery today. Please keep them in your prayers. December 13, 2010 Women In Faith Change Meeting Date Women In Faith will now meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month, rather than the second Tuesday. The next meeting will be Tuesday, January 25th, at 7:00 at the church. We will have a Bunco tournament. For more information on that and information on the profits from the bazaar, please follow this link to the Fellowship page. Winter Camp Camp Otterbein's newest tradition is WinterCamp. It's held each year from Decemb er 28 - 30 for students in grades 3 - 12. Last year over 50 campers participated in all the woderful activities that ranged from ice blocking and hiking to reindeer games and Worship. Check the West Ohio Conference website for more info and a registration form. UMM Activities in January The UMM will mix fellowship and service in early January. We will serve hot breakfast to our Interfaith Hospitality Network guests on January 1 and 8. We discussed the New Year’s Day breakfast during our November gatherings and we decided to keep that date. So we ask men and children to join us at 6:30 am on each of those Saturday mornings to prepare and serve breakfast to our guests. Then on January 8, we will move from serving breakfast right into the time of removing and storing the Advent and Christmas decorations from the church building. Our monthly Bible Study will occur on Monday night, January 24, at 7:00. Lay Leader Report Please see the Lay Leader Report for information on a training opportunity for members of our church, particularly those on committees such as trustees, SPRC and Finance. Storing of the Greens Ok, we acknowledge that removing and storing Advent and Christmas decorations is not as exciting as the Hanging of the Greens. But such duty is necessary. We ask folks to join us to lovingly remove and store our decorations on Saturday, January 8. We will begin at 9:00. United Methodist Men will already be at church, in the finishing stages of clean-up after serving breakfast to our Interfaith Hospitality Network guests. Many hands will make the work light, so we ask folks to join us on January 8. December 12, 2010 Interfaith Families Coming Soon We will be hosting Interfaith Hospitality Network for two weeks at the end of December. Please consider helping with this important mission by providing a meal, being an overnight host, or doing evening activities with the children. Sign-up sheets are on the mission table in the fellowship hall. Please contact Sharon Joseph with any questions. Dean D. Please continue to keep Dean, son of Maria and Dustin, and his family in your prayers as he heals from a spiral fracture to his femur and adjusts to life in a very restrictive cast. Dean is only four years old and will be in this cast for two months, so you can easily imagine how hard this is on him and his Mom and Dad. Barbara Stein's Brother to Have Surgery Please also remember Barbara Stein’s brother, Doug Wittaker, who will have a tumor removed from his kidney on Tuesday. They are very worried due to his heart issues but do not have a choice as he must have this surgery. December 9, 2010 Pictures from Breakfast with Santa Apparently Breakfast with Santa was a big success and a lot of fun for everyone. You can see pictures of the various families with Santa Claus on the Children's Ministries page. To get to that page, either click on this link or go to the home page and choose Children's Ministries from the menu on the right hand side. There are a lot of pictures so please be patient while the page loads. Once it does, just click on the pictures to enlarge them. If these pictures don't get you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.
December 5, 2010 Dean D. Hurt in Accident Dean, son of Dustin and Maria, broke his leg in an accident. It is a serious break involving a spiral fracture of his femur that will require him to be in what amounts to a body cast for the next two months. As of this morning, he was still in the hospital. We'll let you know in what ways we can help him and his family as soon as possible. For now, please keep them in your prayers. Rebeka A. in Accident Rebeka, Lisa's daughter, was in a traffic accident last week. She suffered whiplash, which is still being evaluated, but is doing well now. Daryl Ham's Father George Hams, Daryl's father, will be undergoing an angioplasty this week. Although it is not expected to be serious, it's always a worry, compounded in this case because Daryl's family is so far away. Please pray for the Hamms family. Jim Cook Home from Hospital Jim is home from the hospital after having a hip replacement. While his recovery has been a little slower than expected, he is doing well at home now and should be up and around soon. Pizza for Youth during Advent Our youth will be meeting on Wednsday evenings at 6:00 pm during Advent for pizza and discussion. For questions, contact Daryl Hams. Pictures from the Services This Morning The picture to the right shows the altar, looking beautiful with its flowers and the silvery Communion Service, in front of our Christmas tree decorated in blue and silver. The picture on the left shows an elf in training, looking spiffy in his North Pole jacket with the bears' ears.
December 3, 2010 The Giving Tree If you took a tag from the Giving Tree, please be sure to have your gifts back to the church on Sunday , December 5th, so the Youth Groups can wrap them Sunday evening. A New Study Is Beginning Our 9:30 Adult Sunday School class will begin a three week Advent study, The Christ of Christmas, this Sunday in Pastor Suzanne's office. If you would like to join them, please contact Maria Dershem so that she can get you a copy of the book. Women In Faith Meeting on Tuesday Evening The Women In Faith will meet on Tuesday evening, December 7th, at 7:00 at the church. Things to Remember This Week Gifts for the Giving Tree; underwear and socks for our vets; hats and gloves and such for the Kids Who Care's clothes line; Breakfast with Santa; the Book Fair Kelly Smith Has Surgery Kelly is recovering from a gall bladder operation. Please keep him, Rebecca and their family in your prayers. Jim Cook Has Surgery Jim was also in the hospital this week, for a hip replacement. Please keep him, Judy and their family in your prayers. Mickey Kaplan Returns Home from the Hospital Mickey was in the hospital with a severe infection for 10 days. She is home now and doing better but she and her family need your prayers too.
November 29, 2010 Clearcreakers Hit the Big Time We're getting a lot of good publicity on activities at our church lately. Here's a link to an excellent article in the Springboro Sun about the Clearcreakers' last meeting, when Abraham Lincoln was the guest. UMM to Meet for Monthly Breakfast David Finney wants to remind the men of the church about the United Methodist Men's monthly breakfast, to be held on Saturday, December 11, at 8:30 am at Springboro Bob Evans restaurant. November 28, 2010 Hanging of the Greens Here are a few pictures taken during the hanging of the greens last night. You especially have to admire the efforts of the adults supervising the children decorating the tree! To see the pictures in a larger size, just click on them. 
Novenber 25, 2010 Robert Crosen Bob’s father, Robert Crosen, passed away last night after a difficult few months. They will not be having a visitation or public service but would certainly welcome your cards and prayers during this difficult time. Their address is in the church phone book. November 24, 2010 Clearcreakers December Meeting The Clearcreakers will be meeting December 15th in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. The program that is planned is Christmas music presented by the Springboro High School Choir, directed by Beth Jamison. (This program is tentative depending if the school budget allows the students to do this field trip) Please remember to bring your own eating utensils as in the past. Ham will be furnished for the luncheon, please bring a side dish or dessert to share. If you did not sign up at our November meeting, please call Liz Fielder 748-2174 or Vivian Beatty 885-5698 so we know how much Ham to order. Note: The Clearcreakers' will be collecting non-perishable food and personal hygiene items for the Springboro/Franklin Food Bank at our December meeting. Please remember to bring your donation. The picture on the right was taken during the November meeting, when Abraham Lincoln took time to speak to the group and be photographed with the officers: Ruth Crane, Liz FielderJim Hansel and Vivian Beatty.
November 23, 2010 Christmas Eve Family Service Christmas will soon be here! We are busy planning and preparing for our family Christmas Eve service which will be at 4:30 on December 24th. We are hoping that the children of the church are available and interested in helping us tell the Christmas story! We need singers, characters, readers and more as we work together to help others know the story of our Savior's birth. Please let us know if you plan on being here for Christmas eve and if your child is interested in being a part of the service. We need to have at least one, possibly two, rehearsals and will also need some parents to help out as needed. Those who have already responded will be contacted soon. You may contact Kim @ 748-2612 or by e-mail @ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thanks! New Acolytes Congratulations to the following children for being trained as Acolytes during our November 7th training: Donna Ronyak Charlie Newton Emily Newton Alexa Lawhorn Patrick Linegang Megan Keyser We are so proud of them and their decision to serve God in this way. Be sure to congratulate and encourage them when you see them! District-Led Leadership Training Event Please click on the link and scroll down for information on the annual District-Led Leadership Training Event from Lay Leader David Finney. November 22, 2010 Please Pray for Ray McCoy Ray is a relative of Joyce Pence. He has been blacking out and falling and, as a result, is now in a nursing home. Please pray for him and his family. Larry Woody's Recovery Larry Woody is recovering from his foot surgery but it is going to be a slow and difficult process. Please keep him and Zandra in your prayers. Don Files's Knee Surgery Don's second knee replacement was successful and he even came home from the hospital a day early. Please pray for his continued recovery. Help Our Veterans The Cornerstone Sunday School class would like to help the veterans during this holiday season. They have placed a box in Fellowship Hall to collect socks and underwear (size lg & xlg). Please place your items in the box and someone will take them to the V.A. hospital for Christmas. The Giving Tree Watch for the giving tree in Fellowship Hall soon. The Franklin Food Pantry will provide the names of 60 children who need help this season. Each child will have five tags together, one for socks and underwear, one for hats and mittens, one for clothes, one for shoes and one forsomething they really want. You make take all the tags for a child or you may take just one or two. Bring the unwrapped items in a bag (attach the tages) by Sunday, Dec 5th. (Note: this is quite soon so please make this something you do ASAP!) Youth Group Christmas Party and Other News (From Will) Just one big event for December, our Christmas party! We will gather on December 12th to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We want to extend an invitation for parents to join us for the first half of our gathering. We will meet from 5:00-7:00 and would like all parents who are interested in coming, to join us for dinner and a festive sing-along. That's right, food and holiday song, together! It should make for a great evening. After the parents leave, the rest of us will have our usual White Elephant gift exchange. For those of you who do not know what this is, you will simply find something at home that you are willing to part with, wrap it up and bring it in. We will then draw numbers and open up some gifts! It is always interesting to see what is opened up. Sometimes good things, sometimes wooden battle axes, you never know! We will not meet on Sunday nights over Christmas break as Interfaith Hospitality Network will be here. I will send out a request to serve over that time for anyone who is interested. These weeks are an extension of what we have talked about this fall through Box City and our discussions over the UMC Book of Discipline. This is a tangible way to serve those in need in our community. I hope you will take time out of your break to serve others. More information on those details will follow as the time approaches. Take deep breaths and enjoy the season, resist the temptation to be wrapped up in busyness and consumerism. Celebrate the birth of our Lord! The Book Fair Is Coming!!! The Book Fair is coming! We invite you to stop by the Book Fair at Bright Beginnings Christian Preschool on Saturday, December 4th (9am-11am), Sunday (10am-11am), and Monday thru Friday, December 6th-10th (8:30am-1:30pm). Not only does this Book Fair help raise money to purchase classroom resources (i.e. end of the year bibles, books, listening centers, book shelves, etc.), it continues to excite the children about learning to read. Also, we welcome any volunteers to assist with cashiering, book selections, etc. If you are available to help, please email or phone Angie Langenderfer at (937) 748-2612 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you, in advance, for all your support of our school. Breakfast with Santa and Holiday House On Saturday, December 4th we will be having our annual breakfast with Santa and Holiday House. Plan to join us for a fun morning of pancakes, sausage, activities and a visit from the jolly old elf himself! Afterwards, parents may opt to leave the little ones for 4 hours of fun in our Holiday House. During Holiday House, parents can shop, sleep, relax, or whatever they would like while their little ones celebrate a day in “Bethlehem” as they work through stations that include dyeing money pouches, ornaments, experiments, playing games and more! Included is a pizza lunch and a Christmas movie! Fun, fun, fun to help bring home the message of the true meaning of Christmas! See included handout to register! Call Kim @ 748-2612 for more information. An Important Message from the Finance Committee Please click the link for an update from the Finance Committee From Pastor Suzanne: Thank You Leaders! Most of our leaders serve three year terms. There are a few that go above and beyond and continue to serve past the three year term. We are so thankful and blessed by our many dedicated leaders. Several of our leaders will be rotating off of various committees at the end of 2010 and we want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your faithful service to our church. Missions: Karen DeRosa, chair Stewardship: Karen DeRosa Finance: Tony DeRosa, Ben Fry, Linda Juillerat, Randy Schuetz Worship: Linda Tennant, Mary Fogle Connection: Nancy Siudzinski, Julie Bernatz, Jim Cook Fellowship/Family Life: Alicia Buterbaugh Trustees: Don Steins, Mike Hampton, Charlie Smith, Henry Dorsett Staff Parish Relations: Fern Morgan, Alan Kerrick, Mike Stull Nominations: Rebecca Delbridge, Holly Olson Landscaping: Jean Reazer Update - Kids Who Care Kids Who Care packed and shipped 25 Operation Christmas Child Boxes at our November meeting. We are blessed with a great group of young people. Thank you to all the parent helpers who stayed to assist with crowd control and wrapping. We are having our next adventure December 10th at 6:30 pm to meet for Christmas caroling. The kids will be caroling in Settler's Walk for 30-45 minutes and then we will meet at 18 Wilbur Lane for cookies and hot cocoa. Please contact Beth Linegang or Kendra Foley with any questions. Update - God Squad Warm Hearts, Warm Hands, Warm Bodies is our mission and we will continue to collect new or gently used mittens/ gloves/hats/ scarves/ and coats up to Christmas. The items will be donated to area children who need warming up through the food pantries. In November our 3rd and 4th graders met at the church and had a great time making cookies and brownies! We even took some time for some awesome games of tag and a wacky obstacle course relay! We packaged the cookies and brownies and delivered them to the Police Station and Fire Department to thank them for keeping us safe! We also thanked God for sending us the special people who keep us safe. Many thanks to Cindi Newton and Tracy Savin for helping us! Upcoming Activities: Sunday, December 5th – At 2:30, God Squad youth will join together for a birthday party for Jesus! We will discuss the true meaning of Christmas and have fun together as we celebrate! Kids should bring some baby food or baby products (as gifts for Jesus) and a baby picture of themselves (don’t let anyone see it!). We will have games, birthday cake, and fellowship! Plan on joining us! If you have any questions or need additional information please feel free to contact Kim Crosen @ 748-2612 or 760-0541 (cell) or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Update - Mission 56 All youth in 5th-6th grade are invited to join us for a great time on December 4th from 5:30-10:00 pm. We will worship together and then go on our annual shopping spree for our Giving Tree families. We will be purchasing games for the families. We will be going to Wal-mart and then heading back for pizza and wrapping. Afterwards we will play games of our own, have a white elephant exchange and enjoy Christmas goodies. We will touch on the purpose of Christmas as well during our time together. Please be doing extra chores around the house and try to earn a few bucks to help us with the shopping (approx.$5 per child and a white elephant gift) Join us for fun as we explore the true meaning of Christmas. BRING A FRIEND AND GET A PRIZE! E-mail ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or call Kim @ 748-2612 to rsvp! November 21, 2010 Our Bazaar Was a Big Success The bazaar took in approximately $3500 and we all had a wonderful time. Apple dumplings, peanut brittle and a lot of other items sold out. The youth made over $200.00 on their CDs, DVDs and computer games. For an article and pictures, watch forthe third panel and click on the word "MORE' in the lower, right hand corner. November 20, 2010 Christmas in Springboro Is Here - So Is Our Church Bazaar Christmas in Springboro is here! Our church is hopping in preparation for the parade and bazaar today. We hope that you will cheer and wave as our church/preschool float goes by. It will be hard to miss 70 wagons filled with preschoolers! We also hope that you will come and invite your family and friends to the church for the bazaar which includes a great lunch in the fellowship hall with our popular apple dumplings and broccoli soup, various crafters in each of the classrooms, the silent auction of two angel trees, the kitchen wares shop, the Youth Group's CD, DVD and computer game shop and, last but not least, the country store. Just outside the church will be pony rides, a bouncy dragon and a Boy Scout booth with free hot chocolate and an opportunity to send Christmas cards to the troops. Thanks to all who help make this a great event for our church! November 17, 2010 Relatives of the Crosen Family in Auto Accident Kim Crosen's cousin's wife was driving with her three children when she had a seizure and crashed into a wall. All were hospitalized in critical condition but are doing all right now. The family lives in Florida. Please keep them all in your prayers. November 15, 2010 A Thank You from Wilhelmina Many thanks to the kind people of our church for their prayers, flowers, cards and warm thoughts. Each has been a blessing to me as I go through difficult days. Thank You, Wilhelmina Vinnell United Methodist Men - Home Safety Program The United Methodist Men are pleased with the results of our Home Safety program. On November 6, four of our men, ably assisted by Troop 7 Boy Scout Justin Chapman, visited the homes of six of our congregation. We replaced 21 smoke detector batteries and replaced a few hard-to-reach light bulbs as well. Those 21 worn batteries were recycled. Thanks to Kelly Smith, Bill Delbridge and Mike Zimmerman for taking the lead in this effort. We will evaluate this program, our participation, and will discuss future plans in this regard. United Methodist Men - Monthly Breakfast and Bible Study Info Our monthly breakfast and fellowship Saturday will occur on December 11, at 8:30 at Springboro Bob Evans’ Restaurant. Given the proximity to Christmas, we will not hold a Bible study in December. Instead, we will prepare and serve breakfast to our Interfaith Hospitality Network guests on consecutive Saturdays at the end of December. Please watch the weekly bulletins, church website and UMM emails for more details on this. United Methodist Men wish all of our men, women and children a warm, Spirit-filled Christmas. The Bazaar is This Weekend (How Did that Happen So Fast?) It's time to collect your donations for the Kitchen Corner (anything for a kitchen, from cookie cutters to small appliances) and bring them to the choir room. Coffee cans (the small size) can be brought to the kitchen. DVDs, CDs, computer games and such can be placed in the donation bin - you can't miss it and, happily, it is filling up fast. The angel trees are almost complete but could usejust a few more angels. Sue Cook has replaced the beautiful flower arrangements over the summer with the equally beautiful Christmas/winter decorations she provided last year. Plans to decorate the other pots are underway, with some lovely ornaments and ribbon Sue provided. The menu for the kitchen is posted in the narthex. It sounds great and, dah-dah, contains broccoli soup, back by popular demand. Betty Marvin reminds you to please think about contributing something to the country store. Cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies and candy are big sellers (but, surprisingly, brownies don't do too well.) Jane Gregg and Shelly Houser are going to GFS to buy the food shortly. If you have any coupons they can use, please get them to the church ASAP. The Bright Beginnings wagons are being decorated now but, if you can help with the float, please contact Kim Crosen. Lots more is going on - this is just the tip of the iceburg - but, most importantly, please make your own plans to attend the bazaar this coming Saturday. Jack Eley in Nicaragua Please pray for Jack Eley, currently on a mission trip to Nicaragua. Larry Woody Larry and Zandra Woody need your prayers as Larry undergoes surgery this week. Don Files Don Files will have a second knee replacement this week. Please pray that it will be as successful as the first one. Sharon Joseph's Mom Please pray for Sharon and her Mom, who is now in hospice care.
November 10th, 2010 Thanksgiving Hymns Thanksgiving sometimes gets overlooked as we rush toward Christmas. If you want to enjoy some of the special Thanksgiving hymns, there are several links to them on the website that you can reach by clicking on "More" on the first panel and then scrolling down to the Thanksgiving picture. They are You Tube videos so they include some nice pictures too. Clicking on the link should take you right to YouTube and the video should start playing without you doing anything more. November 6th, 2010 Star Press Covers Box City The Springboro Star Press had a great article on Box City. Click here to read the article and see the pictures. Springboro Sun Covers Box City The Springboro Sun also covered our young people's Box City. Here is a link to their article. Article about Megan Schuetz Click the following link for an article from the Springboro Sun about one of our church members, Megan Schuetz, a student at Springboro High School and member of the golf team. Megan made news by reporting her score honestly, even though it kept her from qualifying for the state tournament. Prayers Needed and Maybe a Meal or Two Please keep Norma Jones in your prayers as she continues to recover from dizzy spells as well as Gwen Curtner who has been in the hospital this week. If you would like to help provide meals for Ed and Norma and for Gwen over the next few weeks, please contact our Loaves and Fishes coordinator, Susan Raihala. Her phone number is in the church directory. November 5th, 2010 Acolyte Training There will be acolyte training on Sunday, November 7th, during the second service. Children in third grade and abaove are encouraged to attend the training. Please call or email Kim with any questions. Bible Night Pizza Party Children in third grade (or older) who have not yet received their Adventure Bibles will receive them on Sunday, November 14th, during first service. They are also invited to join Pastor Suzanne for pizza and pop as they learn to use their new bibles at 5:30 pm that evening. Poinsettias for Sale Oh, oh. Christmas is coming fast. It's time for poinsettia orders, which will be taken by Mission 56, our youth group for 5th and 6th graders, from November 21st through December 5th. They are $12 each, can be ordered in honor or in memory of a loved one, and come in red, white, marble or pink. Operation Christmas Child Kids Who Care will meet for Operation Christmas Child Box prep on November 7th from 10:30 to 12:30 pm. Please have all items purchased for the boxes to the church on that day. Contact Beth Linegang for info. If you are assembling your own shoebox, please bring it to the church no later than Sunday, November 14th. Operation Christmas Child is supported by Samitan's Purse. They also ask that you provide $7.00 for the cost of shipping each box. You can either put a check in your box or donate on line. If you donate on line, you will able to track your box and find out the country where it was sent. Instructions for donating on line can be found at the following link. God Squad Caring Clothesline Our God Squad members will have their Caring Clothesline again this year. If you would like to donate items to help with this mission (children's hats, gloves, socks, scarves, etc.) please bring them to the church and pin them on the clothesline. God Squal members will also get together on Sunday, November 7th, at 2:30 to 4:30, at the church to make cookies and cards to take to the Police and Fire Departments as a thank you for all they do. Donations of butter, eggs, chocolate chips, brown sugar, flour ,sugar and icing would be much appreciated. Mission 56 and Jammers Plan Christmas Cooking Mission 56 and Jammers young people will be cooking for others on Saturday, November 13th, from 5:30 to 7:30. Come hungry, because there'll also be an opportunity to sample all of the creations. The menu will be baked ziti, salad, bread and brownies. There will also be games and a chance to reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving. The Website Calendar Julie has now taken over the management of the website calendar. You will find it much more accurate and complete. Please check it out. November 1st, 2010 All Saints Remembrance Service We will have our All Saints remembrance service next weekend, Nov. 6-7. You are invited to turn in names and dates of death of family and friends who have passed away since November of last year so that we can remember them in worship. Mission Trip for Flood Relief A group from our church will be traveling to Nashville, TN on November 10-14 to help with flood relief. You are invited to join us. Please see Pastor Suzanne for more details. The Bazaar Is Coming Our Women in Faith group is preparing for the Christmas in Springboro Bazaar. You are invited to help by making a donation to cover the cost of the ingredients for the luncheon or by making a pot of broccoli soup. The envelopes will be passed this weekend in worship. Please see Jane Gregg for the soup recipe or download it from the Fellowship site. Sign up sheets will also be out soon for those who can volunteer to help in the kitchen, country store and other areas. For more information on the bazaar, watch for the third panel and click on "more". Liturgists' List David Finney has updated the Liturgists' List. Please let him know if you can help out, especially during the 9:15 service. Clearcreakers Celebrate Thanksgiving on November 17th The Clearcreakers will be meeting November 17th in Fellowship Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. We will have our traditional Thanksgiving meal, and a wonderful program presented by Jim Crabtree. Mr. Crabtree does a magnificent portrayal of President Lincoln. We will also be honoring our Veterans at this meeting. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share along with your recipe. 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. Note: The Clearcreakers' will be collecting non-perishable food and personal hygiene items for the Springboro/Franklin Food Bank at our November and December meetings. Please remember to bring your donation. Jim Hansel Is Doing Well Good news - Jim Hansel is home, up and around, and looking forward to driving again in a couple of weeks. Gwen Curtner in Accident Please pray for Gwen Curtner and her family as she recovers from a car accident. Norma Jones Hospitalized Please pray for Norma Jones, who is in the hospital.
October 25, 2010 See Box City Click this link to go to our Youth Ministries page and see the pictures from Box City. Be patient - after you click the link it takes several seconds for the page to load. Thanks to Alan Bindemann for taking the "before" pictures. October 24, 2010 Prayers Needed for the Hansel Family Jim Hansel will have surgery tomorrow for a brain aneurysm. He has had it for a while, but during another procedure that he had recently, tests showed that it was growing. Please keep Jim, Mary Jane and their family in your prayers. Prayers Also Needed for the Logan Family Please pray for Spencer, the twelve year old son of Dottie Logan's nephew.. Spencer had a stroke at eight years old, recovered, but is now having symptoms again and the cause is not yet known. Becky Pickett Asks for Prayers for a Friend Tim McMurray, a friend of Becky Pickett, was in a serious car accident and is now paralyzed from just below his shoulders. He and his wife are expecting their first child in November. Please pray for him and his family. Bob Crosen's Father to be Hospitalized again Bob Crosen's father has to return to the hospital today. He is having several different health difficulties.Please pray for him and for the Crosen family. All Saints Rememberance The church's All Saints Remembance will be in held on November 6th and 7th. If you have lost a loved one since November 1st of 2009, please provide his/her name and the date of death to the church office as soon as possible so it can be included in the bulletin and their name can be recognized during a special candly lighting ceremony. Please Remember To check out our Wonderful Wednesdays; to sign up if you want to be on the phone prayer chain; to collect coffee cans, angels, CDs, DVDs and video games for the bazaar; the time change to this coming Saturday's service (at 4:30 pm) due to Trick or Treat in Springboro; the UMM safety at home program and to move your clock back an hour on Saturday night, November 6th. October 23, 2010 Something Old, Something New A lot has been going on at the church lately. The lobby has been updated for fall and the choir room has been redecorated. You may have already heard about the Eagle Scout projects that resulted in the redecoration of the Youth Sunday School room and the installation of the new patio, complete with an inlaid cross. Outside, three new picnic tables have been received and assembled. Here's a picture gallery of some of these improvements, interspersed with a few photos of the outside of the church. Click on the pictures to view them individually. 
Bill Wenzel Please keep Bill Wenzel in your prayers as he recovers from knee surgery. Operation Christmas Child From Beth Linegang: We will all meet again for Operation Christmas Child Box prep on November 7th from 10:30 to 12:30 pm. If you would like to purchase items for the boxes, bring them that day. If you would like to donate cash and I can do the shopping, let me know. There are some great free deals at area stores this week. Check out the savingslifestyle.com website for those. I know Crest toothpaste is free with coupon. Also if anyone has any old wrapping paper, and shoe boxes, that would be great too.(Beth is listed in the church directory if you have questions.) Latest Lay Leader Report Click the link for the latest report from David Finney in his capacity of Lay Leader for our church. UMM Bible Study The UMM will meet at the church for Bible Study, Monday, October 25 at 7:00. Day Light Savings Ends Sunday, November 7th You'll get that hour you lost in the spring back soon. In the meantime, fire and safety organizations recommend that date as a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. If you need help, the UMM will be happy to oblige, including providing the batteries. Contact David Finney and someone from the UMM will be there on November 6th. Candle Sale The Women In Faith are having a Gold Canyon Candles Fundraiser to support our youth group. Please consider buying candles for this great cause. Look for Maria Dershem this Sunday between services. The youth will receive 40% of the sales, withe the funds used to support their education and service project expenses. Thank you for your support! 10-Fold.org It is also not too late to support and learn about missions through the UMC by going to www.10-Fold.org, registering and being counted for each of the highlighted mission projects. When you are counted, a dollar is given to that project on your behalf. Finance News Click the link for an update on the church's finances. Worship Report Click the link for a message from David Finney (Worship Committee) about our services and the preliminary plans for the Hanging of the Greens on Saturday, November 27th. October 18, 2010 Highlights from Our Sunday Service at 9:15 AM Stephanie Bindemann gave the Ministry Moment, commenting on her mother-in-law's wisdom in suggesting that she would get more out of church if she joined a small group. Stephanie found her small group in the Stephen Ministry where she is able to explore the essentials of using her Christian faith in caring for another, using the resources of prayer, the Bible, witnessing, forgiveness, blessings and more. The special music was a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria by Sarah Benedict. The lovely flowers were provided by JR and Becky Pickett in honor of their 10th anniversary. The sermon, by Will Leasure, was called Perfect? How About Pretty Good? and included a shout out to the Delbridge's oldest son, Matthew. The hymn before the offering was Hymn of Promise.
October 15, 2010 Looking for New Members We are currently scheduling a new member’s class and reception of new members. If you would like to join our church, please contact Mike Stull. This is also a good time to remind everyone to wear the nametags that we usually leave by the door or in our pockets and handbags. It makes it much easier for new members if they can associate a name with a face by glancing at a nametag. October 14, 2010 10-Fold and Our Season of Service From Pastor Suzanne: Perhaps the easiest way to participate in our Season of Service and support and learn more about the many missions supported by the UMC is by participating in 10-Fold. For the next 7 days you are invited to register on the website www.10-Fold.org. When you do so, a dollar will be given to the mission project of the day on your behalf. There is also a short video highlighting the mission. Today's video highlights the work of three United Methodist missionaries in Columbus, Ohio. So far there is more money to be given than people clicking. Let's be part of this amazing mission event and help take the numbers from 3,000 to 10,000! To begin, all you have to do is click on the above link. Liturgists Needed David Finney wants us to repeat his request for liturgists for many upcoming services. Please go to the first panel, Fall Worship, and click on "More" to see what times are available, then let David know if you can fill in for one of them. Crop Walk More than 30 walkers raised more than $800 to fight hunger in our community and worldwide as they hiked together in North Park in Springboro. Great job! Operation Christmas Child Operation Christmas Child is our traditional November mission where we fill shoeboxes with small toys and toiletries to be distributed by Samaritan's Purse. The boxes are due no later than Sunday, November 14th. Each shoebox needs a $7.00 donation for shipping and delivery. Look for information on packing your shoeboxes in Fellowship Hall in late October! Or call Karen DeRosa for more information on this wonderful mission with which to begin the Christmas season. December Mission While we're discussin tradition, The Giving Tree For families served by Franklin Area Community Services is our traditional December mission.Briefly, there will be a Christmas tree listing the wishes and needs of a child or teen from a Franklin family. You can buy just one thing on the tag, a few things or everything, after which you bring the items to the church for wrapping. The tree and its many gifts are always a sight to behold. There'll be more information available as we get closer to December. Women In Faith Women In Faith will hold their November meeting on Tuesday, November 2nd, at 7:00 at the church. In addition to devotions and a time to just sit, talk and get to know each other a little better, the main topic will be plans for the bazaar. New Book Study Begins On the weekend of Oct. 23-24, will begin a fall series called “Enough” based on the book by Adam Hamilton. For a video of Adam Hamilton discussing his book, please click on the following link: Enough. We encourage you to purchase the book and read a chapter each week. The books are available in the church office for $7.00 each. We will have three small group opportunities throughout the week to discuss the book, including the 9:30 Sunday school class, a Sunday night group, and as part of Wonderful Wednesdays. Stephen Ministry Update Please lift our Stephen Minsters in prayer as they learn to care in Jesus' name. Commissioned Stephen Minsters continue to discuss Max Lucado's book Fearless and hold peer supervision as they serve care receivers in our congregation and community. And our new Stephen Ministry class is practicing and discussing the use of distinctly Christian tools like prayer, blessing, confession and the Bible in caregiving relationships. By the end of November, our new class of Stephen Ministers will have completed 20 of their required 50 hours of training! If you or someone you know would like to know more about SM, please ask Pastor Suzanne or look for our blue nametags! Remember that our Stephen Ministers are trained and available for listening to and helping people as they face changes in their lives. A Reminder - Financial Peace University Coming Back in January 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. Our first FPU class just graduated in August. We plan to hold our second class starting in early 2011. Anyone interested in FPU should check the program’s website or talk with Daryl Hams. Important - Please Read Mark your calendars! Since Springboro’s Trick-or-Treat falls on Saturday night again this year, our Saturday night worship on October 30th will be held at 4:30pm. October 5th, 2010 Administrator Out of Town The website will not be updated from today until the 12th of October, due to the website's administrator being out of town and there being, as yet, no assistant administrator. There are many items to keep in mind in the meantime - the month of service, the new prayer chain, the blankets for Interfaith, Wonderful Wednesdays and so many other projects that are underway or in the wings. Remember, if you have information that the congregation needs to know, send it in digital format, if possible, to the church office and it will be forwarded for posting on the website as soon as I return. Thanks for your support . Kids Who Care Hayride See the information under Children's Ministries to find out about the Kids Who Care hayride and bonfire planned for October 15th at 7:00. October 4, 2010 This Could Be a Lifesaver - United Methodist Men – Safety at Home Program On November 7, we will “fall back” to Eastern Standard Time. As suggested by Fire and Rescue teams, that weekend is an appropriate time for the batteries in home smoke detectors to be replaced. On Saturday the 6th, UMM will visit homes to replace batteries and hard-to-reach light bulbs for any of our members who would like such assistance. Please contact Kelly Smith, Gene McCormick or David Finney to sign up for assistance. We’ll bring the batteries, light bulbs, ladders and do the work. This information is also posted in the information about the UMM on the Fellowship page. Abundant Fruit Gathering United Methodists from across our Ohio River Valley District will join in celebration on Sunday, October 17 to celebrate the work of the churches in our district. There will be a ministry fair from selected churches. These churches offered dreams, received grant money to make these dreams come to life, and now share the dream details and results. This is a chance to see programs and ministries that have been successful in other churches. Bishop Ough will be present and will lead a time of worship/discussion. The event will run from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Sharonville UMC. See David Finny for more information. Another Opportunity to Become a More Effective Leader by Getting Certified as a Lay Speaker Our district offers training to help us become better leaders of Bible Study, more compassionate in our hospital visits, and potentially certified to preach anywhere in our conference. Lay Speaking is more than preaching – the training helps us pray, lead studies, offer care to those that hurt, and yes, to preach. Consider the benefits of being certified as a Lay Speaker. The training will occur on the evening of November 12 and from 8:00 to 5:00 on Saturday, the 13th at nearby Bethany UMC. Please see David Finney for information or registration assistance. Prayers Needed Sharon Joseph and Belinda Mallet have both had to make the difficult decision of commiting a parent to rest home care, in Sharon's case, her mother, and in Belinda's case, her father. Please pray for strength for both families during what can be a highly stressful time. October 3, 2010 Highlights from Our Sunday Service at 9:15 AM Alan Kerrick presented a certificate of thanks and a beautiful throw with the words and music to Amazing Grace woven into it to Belinda Mallet for her years of work in our church music programs. She was the director of the Heavenly Host choir for many years, spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the choir's new robes, setup and did the fundraising for the Bell Choir and was its director for several years. In addition, you might have heard her at the piano or the organ more than a few times. She is, as they say in the comic strip, "a rare gem". Sharon Joseph gave a moving talk about how much her work with Interfaith has influenced her life. And she doesn't just work with Interfaith at our church, she and Jim also help with Interfaith at a church that he sometimes attends. The Heavenly Host sang the beautiful hymn "The Time for Turning" for Janet and Lynn Jackson, in memory of Lynn's mother, Edna. Here's a link to this beautiful hymn on YouTube. Our final hymn was "Love Divine All Loves Excelling". Here's a link to a version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We sounded just like that. Things We Need Large boxes for Box City; music CDs, movie DVDs and Playstation, Wii and XBox games for the youth groups to sell at Christmas in Springboro; small size coffee cans for the peanut brittle sold during the bazaar; angels for the angel tree that is part of the silent auction during Christmas in Springboro Hugs and Kisses As part of our month of service, you can help make Hugs and Kisses, which are actually cooling neck wraps for American troops stationed overseas. Join the Sewing Group at the church on Thursday, October 14th, at 9:00 am in room 130 (where the Jammers meet). Children's Activities Planned for October The Kids Who Care, grades K through 2, will go on a non-scary hayride to the pumpkin patch sometime during the week of October 11th, with the exact date and time to follow. Familes are invited. Check your email for more info. The God Squad, 3rd and 4th graders, will be heading to The Incredible Maze of Warren County on October 24th. More information to come - watch your email, the bulletin and this website for more info. Mission 56, our 5th and 6th graders, and the Jammers, in the 7th and 8th grades, will team up for a Haunted Hayride on October 16th at Bull Run Farms. They will meet at the church at 5:30 for worship (Will's preaching!), then will have a hot dog roast, some s'mores and a lesson on how we need to trust in God and not be afraid. Afterwards, they will head over to the hayride. Parents may be needed for transportation. Please let Kim Crosen know if you plan to go or call the church office. September 30th, 2010 Update - 9:15 Adult Sunday School From Rosemary Culbreath: New things are happening in the 9:15 Bible Study. We have a beautiful new meeting place in the music room and we have a new name. We are now the 9:15 Cornerstone Adult Bible Study. If you would like to learn more about the Bible and enjoy wonderful fellowship, come and join us. Contact Rosemary with any questions. Liturgists Needed Please check the info under the first website panel (Autumn Worship) for the schedule for liturgists for this year so far. Note that a liturgist is still needed for this coming Sunday for the second service and that many volunteers are still needed after the next few weeks. If you can help, please contact David Finney. One Time Change to UMM Monthly Breakfast The UMM will meet at Bob Evans in Springboro on Saturday, October 9th, at 8:30. This is a one time change to avoid the traffic from the Sauerkraut festival in Waynesville. Adult Mission Trip There will be an adult mission trip this fall to Nashville, Tn to help with flood relief. If you'd like morei nformation, please contact Pastor Suzanne. Nominations for Church Committees The Nominations Committee will be meeting soon to make sure our leadership teams are in place for 2011. If you would like to be considered for a leadership position in our church, please click on this link for a list of the committees that serve the church and a short description of the work they do. If you would like to serve in some capacity, download and print the page, fill out the bottom, and return it to the church office. What's Up with Wonderful Wednesdays? See the info under the first website panel (Autumn Worship) for more information on Wonderful Wednesdays. The main dishes for each week are: October 6th, BBQ; October 13th, ham; October 20th, chicken; October 27th, sloppy joes. Women In Faith to Meet Women In Faith will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, October 5th at 7 pm at the church. The emphasis this year is on dedicating energy, ideas, volunteers and resources towards building a vibrant youth ministry at our church. The first effort to help the youth resulted in $300.00 raised through the bulb sale, run by Maria Dershem. Thanks, Maria, for getting the year off to such a good start. Clearcreakers' Halloween Party The October meeting will be a Halloween Party at Jim and Mary Jane Hansel's residence. Date : October 20th Time: 5:30 p.m. Address: 3500 McLean Rd. - Franklin. Hot Dogs, Cider, and eating utensils will be furnished along with Smores for dessert. Please bring a side dish or chips to share, also bring your lawn chair. Use your imagination and "DRESS" for the occasion. Musical entertainment around the bon-fire is planned for the evening. Please try to join us for some fun, good food, and fellowship. Note: The Clearcreakers' will be collecting non-perishable food and personal hygiene items for the Springboro/Franklin Food Bank at our October - November and December meetings. Please remember to bring your donation. September 22nd, 2010 Administrator on Vacation The website will not be updated from today until the 1st of October, due to the website's administrator being on vacation and there being, as yet, no assistant administrator. There are many, many items to keep in mind in the meantime - the month of service, the new prayer chain, the blankets for Interfaith, the Crop Walk, Wonderful Wednesdays and so many other projects that are underway or in the wings. Remember, if you have information that the congregation needs to know, send it in digital format, if possible, to the church office and it will be forwarded for posting on the website as soon as I return. Thanks for your support . September 21st, 2010 Boxes Needed Our youth groups need large boxes for Box City. If you have a big box (think new stove or refrigerator) you don't need, please call Will Leasure. These boxes are getting harder to find since companies now have presses to break them down on site. UMM Bible Studies Resume The men's group will resume their discussions about the bible this month. Please come to the Senior High room at 7:00 pm on September 27th. Prayer Chain There is a new prayer chain being formed for those who wish to receive prayer information via telephone. Names will be collected for a month - see the sign up sheet in Fellowship Hall. Creation Museum Trip - Update A wonderful excursion to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY is planned for November 12th. A chartered bus leaves from Middletown at 9 am and returns at 5:30 pm. The cost is $65 per person and includes transportation, admission, lunch, snack, drinks and driver's gratuity. Payment is due October 12th. Sign up in Fellowship Hall and see Vivian Beatty to pay. Our Church Bazaar During Christmas in Springboro Here it comes again - Christmas in Springboro and our big church bazaar. The dates this year are November 19, 20th, and 21st, with the bazaar on the 20th. The theme will be "Joyful Memories". The Grand Marshal of the parade will be Jim Crabtree. Women In Faith will remember him as the Lincoln impersonator that attended one of our meetings. (See photo archive for pictures.) Anyway, there are two areas where Women In Faith would appreciate your help - one is collecting music CDs, movie DVDs and Playstation, Wii and XBox games to sell during the bazaar and the other is buying an angel for a tree for a silent auction during the festivities. Also, if you have a prelit four foot tree you'd be willing to donate, please call Shelly Houser. Bring your CDs, video games, etc. and place them in the collection box. Watch for the tree and add your angels. Wilhelmina Is Feeling Better Very good news - Wilhelmina Vinnell is finally feeling better and will be back in October. The Eley Family Needs Your Prayers Lois Eley asks for prayers for Brad Wade, a neighhbor who is undergoing a stem cell transplant, her grandson Isaac Heller who has a very serious infection and Lois herself, who is undergoing cardiac testing.Please remember and pray for them. Sharon Joseph's Mother and Great Niece Sharon again asks for prayers for her mother, Grace, who continues to have problems with balance and falls and for her great niece, Shelby, who must undergo still more surgery. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers too.
September 19th, 2010 A Video for Our Month of Service The link takes you to a You Tube version of Here I am, Lord. It was put together by a non-professional and has a couple of mistakes in it, but it still seems like a fitting way to celebrate the beginning of our month of service. Check out the Missions page to find a way you can help. More Time to Order Bulbs!!!!!! If you didn't get your order for bulbs turned in this morning, turns out there's still time. Just drop them off at the church office any time Monday, Tuesday or the morning on Wednesday. September 18th, 2010 The United Methodist Men offer financial assistance to ministries, teams and groups of First United Methodist Church. To request financial assistance, please download this request form, to begin the funding process. Fill it out and return it as a hard copy or email to the individuals listed on the form. For future reference, you can also find a link to the form in the information on UMM on the Fellowship Page. September 17, 2010 Florence Fry Florence Fry died Wednesday after a short stay in hospice. We will celebrate her life with a funeral service at the church on Monday at 1:30. You are invited to visit with the family from 12:30-1:30 in the fellowship hall. Season of Service Kickoff This weekend is the kickoff to our “Season of Service” with a mission project at Caesar’s Creek in conjunction with our church camping trip. The campers will be clearing a trail on Saturday morning about 10am. If you’d like to help, please bring gloves and pruning shears. We are at the Cedar Point group campground. Please call Pastor Suzanne if you need directions: 513-284-8851. You are also invited to join the campers for a campfire and vesper service tomorrow night beginning at 7pm. Nominations for Leadership Positions We are beginning the nominations process to fill 2011 leadership positions. Please consider how God is calling you to help lead our congregation and fill out a leadership form (available in the bulletin & Oct. newsletter) to let us know of your interest.
September 15th, 2010 Jim Hansel is going to have a gamma knife procedure on Wednesday. . Please keep him and Mary Jane in your prayers. Florence Fry is not doing well and has transitioned to Hospice care.Please pray that God's grace and peace will surround her and her family in these difficult days. Women In Faith Plan Trip The Women In Faith are gathering information about a bus trip to the Creation Center on November 12th. There will be more details shortly. In the meantime, you can save the date if you are interested. Gift Cards Support the Food Pantry You can now use special cards, similar to a credit card, at Kroger's where all of your purchases result in a donation to our food pantries. You take the card to the Service Area and get it "loaded" with an amount. When you check out and "pay" with your card, money above and beyond what you spend will be donated. You can reload the card again and again. Cards are available from Ruth Crane or can be picked up at Kroger's. A Reminder about the Crop Walk Don't forget to put the Crop Walk on your calendar for October 3rd. REgistration will be at 1:45 and the walk will begin at 2:00. You can collect pledges or simply make a donation on your own. Envelopes are on the mission table. Season of Service Begins Soon Each fall, service and giving come to the center of what we do at First UMC with opportunities for every member of our church to participate in missions. You can give hours, dollars or both. As always, you also can pray for our missions--those who serve and those who are served. Just choose one that touches your heart and call the mission leader to sign up! Special thanks to the following mission leaders: Kara Hampton, Kelly Smith, Sharon Joseph, Retta Willis, Barb Mills, Alicia Buterbaugh, Linda Juillerat, Julie Bernatz, Will Leasure and Karen DeRosa.See the missions page for more information about the many projects where you can serve.
September 10th, 2010 Youth Group Kickoff Sunday Evening Just a reminder that the Youth Groups, both Junior and Senior High, will hold their first meeting of the year this coming Sunday evening from 5:30 - 7:00 at the church. Women In Faith will provide a selection of appetizers and drinks to start off the evening. Bring your appetite and a friend! For more info, contact Will Leasure. September 9th, 2010 New Book Study Starts This Sunday Book studies for adults take place every Sunday at 9:15 in the Sunday School area. A new study will begin on September 12th. The name of the book is Becoming a Good Samaritan, by Michael R. Seaton and Ashley Wiersma. After this six week study is complete, the next book to be studied will be Enough, Discovering Joy Through Simplicity & Generosity, by Adam Hamilton. If you would like to know the topic for a particular week, you can check the calendar entry for that Sunday. Also, Maria Dersham has six books still available at a cost of $5.00 Contact her or Kara Hampton if you would like to buy one. Don't Forget the Youth Group's Bulb Sale! Orders are now being taken for fall bulbs. They won't arrive for a few weeks - surely it will rain soon so we'll be able to plant them. You can turn in your orders this weekend or next (18th and 19th). Take a Sack and Bring It Back Take a Sack and Bring It Back resulted in the collection of 80 bags of groceries to the SCAC and Franklin Food Pantries. Remember, you can bring groceries for the pantries in at any time - just put them on the Mission Table in Fellowship Hall. If you want to know what is most needed right now at the SCAC, just click on the Missions page and then on the SCAC link to find out. UMM's Monthly Breakfasts Resume The UMM will meet on Saturday, September 12th, at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Waynesville for breakfast. Children are invited to accompany Dad or Grandpa.
September 8th, 2010 Dr. Francis Haines We extend our love and sympathy to Steve and Leslie Haines and family in the loss of Steve's father, Dr. Francis Haines. There will be a memorial service for him at Christ United Methodist Church in Kettering on Thursday night at 7:00 PM. Sharon Joseph's niece Sharon Joseph's great niece, Shelby, will be undergoing another surgery in the next 24 hours. Please keep her in your prayers. A Prayer Request from Julie Bernatz Julie Bernatz has asked us to remember the family of her neighbor, Matt Mefford, who dies this weekend. He leaves behind his wife and three young children. September 3rd, 2010 Fall Bulb Sale "Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." Theodore Roethke, American Poet, 1908 - 1963 Roethke's quote is a reminder of the beauty that resides inside the withered, brown bulbs with dried up roots that many of us plant in the fall. You'll have a chance to buy a few during the upcoming bulb sale fundraiser put on by our youth, with assistance from the Women In Faith. There will be the usual daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, plus other varieties, all designed to enhance your garden. New gardeners often put off planting bulbs because the spring seems so far away. But, as they say in the ads for bulb sales, if you don't plant some, the fall and winter will hurry by and it will be spring, time for the bulbs you didn't plant not to come up. You don't want that to happen to you! In Need of Your Prayers Joy Lightcap, who is recovering from a heart procedure on Monday Florence Fry, who has been in the hospital again this week Bill and Sue Cook, in the loss of Sue's cousin, Norman September 2, 1020 Need a Little Christmas (Spirit) Now! Help Wanted from Those Who Love Advent C'mon! Who doesn't love the Christmas season?! We are creating our second Advent Devotional book as a church to share with each other. And we are looking for as many voices from our congregation as we can find to write a few words of reflection. Each day's devotion will come from a different person in our church. If you would like to write a brief note for this year's booklet, (100 words or less), please let Karen DeRosa (550-0055) know. We will give you a scripture reading, and you can write whatever touches your heart! You don't have to be a great writer. We'll take care of spelling and grammar checks for you! You just have to love the season of Advent and want to share that joy with others. Submissions are due back by October 17th. We also need photographs of church events from 2010. Please send any photos to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Women In Faith Change Meeting Date Women In Faith will now meet on Thursday, September 9th, at the church at 7:00. The date was changed from Tuesday, the 7th, because of a conflict with the Junior High School open house. Please pass the word to our other members who do not have internet or email access. September 1st, 2010 Our Youth Groups Start a New Year From Will: Just a couple of dates to put on the calendar. Our Sr./Jr. High kickoff will be happening post Labor day this year on September 12th. We will meet at our regular time, 5:30-7:00. Remember, Sr. and Jr. High are invited as are your Sr and Jr High friends, whether they are members of our church or not. Second, Sr. High students, be sure to place Oct. 16th on your calendars. That is Box City 2010. We will again have an option during the day to go and serve at a local shelter or ministry. More details will be available as we approach the date. Your Sr High friends are invited to participate. Scott Mindling Has Knee Surgery Scott Mindling, Joy's son, had knee surgery recently. He has now developed a staph infection and is on antibiotics. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. Vicki Kuhn's Daughter-in-Law Madonna Bates, Vicki Kuhn's daughter-in-law, also needs our prayers. She has been found to have numerous heart blockages and will be having surgery soon. New Book Study Just a reminder about the new book study starting on September 12th. The group will explore new wyas to give of ourselves to otahers through two books: Becoming a Good Smaritan by Michael R. seaton and Ashley Wiersma and Enough, Discovering Joy Through Simplicity & Generosity by Adam Hamilton. The group will meet at 9:30 in Pastor Suzanne's office. Call Maria Dershem or Kara Hampton if you need more information. An Invitation to an Evening of Music Please click on the link to see an invitation from Kelly Ronzak to her concerts this season with the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend an evening. August 27th, 2010 Wonderful Wednesdays Begin From Pastor Suzanne: Mark your calendars and plan to join us for our Wonderful Wednesdays that will begin on September 15th. We are very excited to be expanding our Wednesday night program. We will be offering a Kid’s Club for our children and small groups for our teens led by Daryl and Becky. We will also be adding at short worship experience for all ages. You are welcome to join us every week or as your schedule permits. The schedule for the evening will be: 6pm dinner, 6:45pm worship, 7:15 small groups. Wilhelmina Still Feeling Ill Wilhelmina Vinnell, our organist and a long time member of our church, has been feeling ill for a couple of weeks now. Good time for a card and to keep her in your prayers. Another Little One with Cancer Fern Morgan has asked us to keep her step great granddaughter, Regan Cherry, and her family in your prayers. She is only six months old and has just been diagnosed with cancer.The family lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky but Regan is currently in the hospital in Nashville, Tennessee after surgery to remove the tumor and two lymph glands. She will have to have chemo but is doing well at this point. Sunday School Kickoff The children’s Sunday School kickoff will take place this Sunday during the 9:15 service. August 25, 2010 Update on Shoeboxes Wendy Waller helped deliver the shoeboxes of school supplies donated by Women In Faith. She took a few pictures and provided the following input: Together with the church, WIF was able to collect, pack and take 50 shoeboxes to Matthew 25's Educational Shoebox Ministry. Our boxes will be blended with others and sent to a variety of places. Some include: Mattew 25 ministry in Appalachia, the American Indians, and partners in the Caribbean and Central America. The shoeboxes will supply a child with materials for a whole school year! Click on the images to expand them. 
Three New Businesses Join Community Church Partners Three new businesses have joined Community Church Partners. Click on the link to see who they are. Blankets Needed for Interfaith Every guest who stays in our church through the Interfaith Hospitality Network receives a fleece blanket from us. It means so much to our guests to have something new for each person. We've heard these blankets stay with them for a very long time. Now, it is time to stock up our blanket supply again. Please leave fleece material donations (to have the sides finished by someone else) or completed fleece blankets with the sides finished off on the mission table anytime this fall. We need blankets that are 1 to 2.5 yards of fleece. (The smallest blankets go to the children and the larger ones to their parents.) Please see Sharon Joseph (885-1430) if you have any questions about this heartwarming ministry. Financial Peace University Is Returning to Our Church Financial Peace University is coming back in January 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. Our first FPU class just graduated in August. We plan to hold our second class starting in early 2011. Anyone interested in FPU should check the program’s website: www.daveramsey.com or talk with Daryl Hams. You can also click this link for the names of people from our church who took the first class if you would like some first hand information from them.
August 20, 2010 New Program Begins A new program called Community Church Partners has begun. Please click on the link to find out more about the program and what businesses are participating. Community Church Partners August 17, 2010 The Bernatz Family Is Hosting an Exchange Student Mark, Julie, Ashley and Christopher Bernatz have added a fifth person to their family for the year, an exchange student from Japan. Her name is Sung Exaltation Singers The Exaltation Singers, a men's choral group, provided wonderful special music last Sunday. David Finney sings with them and makes the arrangements for getting them here. Thanks, David. Altar Flowers Please go to the first panel of the website (Summer Worship.....) and click on "more" to see pictures of the beautiful altar flowers this week. Special thanks to the Mallet family for providing such a beautiful arrangment from the funeral of Belinda Mallet's mother, Lucy Mallet. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. In Need of Your Prayers Andy and Beth Linegang's little niece, Emily, has been having intermittent seizures over the last few weeks. Also, Pastor Suzanne's father fell and is now having a lot of difficulty walking. Please pray for them and their families.
August 16, 2010 New Book Study Begins Book studies for adults take place every Sunday at 9:15 in the Sunday School area. A new study will begin on September 12th. The name of the book is Becoming a Good Samaritan, by Michael R. Seaton and Ashley Wiersma. After this study is complete, the next book to be studied will be Enough, Discovering Joy Through Simplicity & Generosity, by Adam Hamilton. Youth Fundraiser Our young people will be selling bulbs this fall to raise funds for their youth group programs. They will have several different kinds available to beautify your yard next spring. Watch for their "garden store" between services.
August 14, 2010 New Bright Beginnings After School Program This fall, Bright Beginnings will offer an after school program for older elementary school students at the church. Please see Kim Crosen for more information. Did You Read the Story of Esther? If you did, let Pastor Suzanne know so you can receive your bookmark. Upcoming Events As summer turns to fall, new opportunities for fellowship, worship and learning are available through the church. Some examples are: the new Stephen Ministers training class (September 13th); the church camping trip at Caesar's Creek (September 17th to 19th) ; Wonderful Wednesdays (beginning September 15th) and the Sunday School kickoff (August 29th). These upcoming events are all discussed below, along with several others. August 13, 2010 Heat Got You Down? If you're sick of the hot weather too, maybe this picture will help you cool down. August 12, 2010 Lucy Mallet Please keep Belinda Mallett and her family in your prayers in the loss of her mother, Lucy Mallett. The visitation will be on Friday from 4-8pm. The funeral will be on Saturday at 10am. Both are at Trostel-Chapman-Dunbar-Fraley Funeral home in New Carlisle. Clearcreakers Meetings Resume The Clearcreakers will resume their montly meetings on Wednesday, August 15th, at 12:00 at the church. For more information, please click the "Fellowship" button on the front panel. Rummage Sale - Rummage Sale - Rummage Sale The SCAC rummage sale begins today and goes through Saturday. For more information, please click the "Missions" button on the front panel. August 11, 2010 Financial Peace University Holds Graduation The first Financial Peace University class graduated on Sunday evening, August 8th. Go to our website's panel on FPU and click on "more" to see the names of the graduates, information on a possible second class and a link to the FPU website. Rummage Can Be Taken to the SCAC Today If you have items for the SCAC rummage sale, please plan to drop them off at Clearcreek Elementary School today from 2 - 8 pm. Wonderful Wednesdays - Coming This Fall Our Wednesday night meals and study time will be expanded this fall. Starting on Wednesday, September 15th through November 17th, a worship component for all ages will be added following the meal. Small groups for children and youth will also be added, along with the nursery for the littlest ones. The schedule will be: 6:00 -6:40 dinner; 6:45 - 7:10 worship; 7:15 - 8:00 small groups. We hope you will join us. August 9, 2010 UMM Breakfast Is Different This Month Just a reminder that the United Methodist Men will gather on Saturday, August 21 at 6:30 am to prepare and serve breakfast for our guests with Interfaith Hospitality Network. This will take the place of the usual monthly breakfast get-together at Der Dutchman. New Stephen Ministry Training Class A new Stephen Ministry Training Class begins September 13th. Our Stephen Ministers make a two-year commitment to train and servce in this ongoing, caring ministry. If you are interested in joining them, pick up an application packet in Fellowship Hall. If you want more information, please call Pastor Susanne, Karen DeRosa or Zandra Woody. Interfaith Hospitality Week Coming Up Soon Last time I looked, there were lots of opportunities to help out during the week when the IHN familes are here, August 15th through August 22nd. Our church provides meals and activities for the families. Someone is needed to stay overnight on Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday. Volunteers are also needed to set up the bedrooms on the 15th and take them down on the 22nd. Three other churches will be helping this time, Springboro United Church of Christ, Pilgrim South and Coventant Presbyterian. We ar very grateful for their help. Signup sheets are on the mission table. For other information or questions, call Sharon Joseph, Jim Bachus or Linda or Bob Leese. Got Rummage? This is your chance! Donations can be dropped off at the SCAC on Wednesday, August 11th, from 2:00 - 8:00 pm. The sale takes place on August 12th to 14th. Volunteers are needed to help with setup on the 11th and during the sale. Proceeds benefit the SCAC. Pastor Suzanne is organizing this effort among eight churches. Please contact her if you can help. You can find out more about the SCAC if you click on the missions button an follow the SCAC links. Missions Team Meeting The Missions Committee will meet on Sunday, August 22nd at 10:30 am (during second sservice) to plan missions for the remainder oof 2010. Please join them in the Stephen Ministry classroom across from the office if you'd like to be more involved with missions at First UMC or call Karen DeRosa. Florence Fry Is Feeling Better Florence Fry is improving and will be moving to Hillspring sometime this week. Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers. Marge Coyle's Brother Marge Coyle's brother is in the hospital with pneumonia. He, Marge and her family also need your prayers. Rough Times for Sue and Bill Cook's Family While Sue Cook's daughter-in-law's mother is almost over her chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer and is showing improvement, Sue's sister Mary is still having serious problems. She too is being treated for cancer and was recently hospitalized for pneumonia and developed a staph infection while there. She is better now but is worn out and worried that she may not be well for her daughter's wedding in October. Prayers needed here too. Sharon Joseph's Mother Sharon Joseph's mother, Gloria, was hospitalized briefly for some adjustments to her medication. She is back home now and doing better.
August 2, 2010 Sunday School Starts Sooner Than You Think Please click on the Christian Education button to see updated information on Sunday School for the coming school year. Save on Joining the YMCA Our bulletins on Sunday contained inserts with information from the Coffman Family YMCA in Springboro about a membership campaign. If you bring the insert to the Y before August 15th you can save up to $100 on the membership fee. For more info, you can call the Y at 937-886-9622. Thank You from the UMM The UMM want to thank everyone for supporting the baseball game and concert last Sunday. Not only did the Reds' win, but the audience area for the concert was moved to the relative comfort of a shaded area on the first base line. A win-win situation! Our Bell Choir Director Has Resigned After 10 years of service, Belinda Mallett had to resign as bell choir director due to schedule conflicts. We want to thank her for all her dedicated service - it's always a pleasure to come in to the sanctuary on a Sunday morning, see the bells set up and know we'll be enjoying the choir's music. With Belinda leaving, the choir now needs four new bell ringers and a new director. There will be a meeting soon to determine when the choir will meet and to discuss finding a new director. Chancel Choir Resumes Practices The Heavenly Host will resume practices every Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:00 PM beginning on August 11th. Good - we have missed you over the summer. Shoeboxes to Be Assembled Women In Faith will assemble the shoe boxes with school supplies for children on Tuesday, August 3rd, at 9:00 am in Fellowship Hall. Afterwards, anyone who wants to can carpool to Matthew 25 ministries to deliver the boxes and then have lunch together. July 31, 2010 Florence Fry Please continue to keep Florence Fry in your prayers. She is at Sycamore Hospital and will probably move to Hillspring for rehab sometime next week. SCAC Rummage Sale Please continue to save your items for the SCAC Rummage Sale at Clearcreek Elementary. Drop-off and set up will be on August 11th from 2-8pm. The sale will take place on the 12-14th. We will need volunteers to help each day. Please let Pastor Suzanne know if you can help. Springboro Dog Daze Next Saturday is the Springboro Dog Daze from 10am-5pm. Our Invitation Committee will host several children’s activities on our side lot including an inflatable slide and crafts and a blessing of the pets at 1pm. You’re invited to come out and support our local businesses. Baseball Trip Following our Sunday worship, 200 of us will head down to the Red’s Game and Mercy Me Concert. Thanks to our men’s group for organizing and subsidizing this event. Flower Pots Looking Good The flower pots are at their peak. Here are some pictures. (Click on the pictures to expand them.) Check below (July 19th entry) to see which family designed and planted each pot. Update - Joan and Jim Bauman, Sharon Joseph and Jim Bachus have replanted their pots by the east door with chrysanthemums and little "villagers". Don't miss them. 
Patio Finished
Daniel Zielinski, Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 50, has finished the patio. It looks great and, as you can see, has already gotten good use during VBS. No doubt it will get plenty more. It's a great addition to our church. Great idea, Daniel - thanks to you and those who helped you. July 30, 2010 More VBS Pictures Pictures from the second week of VBS are now on the website. Click on the Vacation Bible School button on the home page to see them. There are a lot of pictures now, so the page takes a while to load. July 27, 2010 Going, Going,.....Almost Gone If you plan to get some of the tickets the UMM are selling for the Reds' Game this Sunday, better act now. There are only a few left, less than 10 from the original 200. Contact Gregg Clark if you are interested. It's only $5.00 for a $25.00 ticket, plus a concert by the Christian band MercyMe. Workers Needed for Maroon 5 Concert and a Few More Dragons' Games The UMM have been asked to work food service in the stadium suites for the just announced Maroon 5 concert on August 31st. If you would like to work then, please contact John Stalcup. Helpers are also needed for a few more games: July 28th and August 9, 12, 23, 24, and September 2nd. See John about these dates as well. Change to UMM Schedule The UMM will not meet for the usual monthly breakast on August 14th, since they will be making breakfast for our guests with Interfaith Hospitality Network on August 21st. Note that this is a change from the August Messenger. July 22, 2010 VBS Pictures Pictures of the children from the first VBS session are now ready. Click on the Bible School button on the front panel to view them. July 19, 2010 Blast Off for Vacation Bible School The evening session of VBS began today - click on the Bible School button on the front panel to see pictures of some of the people that created our "Outer Space" and the results of their efforts. Pictures of the children and the many activities will be coming soon. Picnic a Big Success We had a wonderful church picnic with a big crowd. The food was fantastic and the cool breeze and shade made it very pleasant to eat outside. And who was most responsible for our good time? You probably already know - the fantastic foursome did it again - thanks to Joan and Jim Bauman, Sharon Joseph and Jim Bachus. It was also great to have the sanctuary so crowded. Sure picks up the volume on the hymns. Shoeboxes for Back to School Women In Faith are filling shoe boxes for children who can't afford school supplies. They are trying to get the most for our money by buying items on sale whenever and wherever possible. For instance, Lois Eley found colored pencils on special at Target for 50 cents - that's a good deal. If you see something that's a bargain, let Shelly Houser know and she'll coordinate the purchase of the amount needed. Adopt-A-Pot The landscape committee would like to thank the families that have adopted the flower pots that are making our church so attractive outside. Sue and Bill Cook are responsible for the two pots of geraniums on either side of the front door, the Bindemann family has the pot with the yellow flowers to the left of the door and the Phelps family has the pot with the petunias, also on the left. Lynda and Todd Smith are doing the pot with the salmon colored geraniums to the right of the front door and Sue Fry planted the pot on the front right with the marigolds. Jim and Joan Bauman, Sharon Joseph and Jim Bachus have taken the pot by the side door of the church. Thanks to all of you. The landscaping committee would also like to thank the trustees for removing the old picnic tables from the back of the church. Many people are looking into alternatives but no decision has been made as yet. We hope you noticed that Jim Cook edged the walks on both the front and the east side of the church and that Daryl Hams has pruned the bushes. Also, Mathew Fry continues to do an excellent job cutting the church grass. Need Another Host for Fellowship Time Tina Stafford is looking for someone who can take over fellowship duties (set out punch and cookies, make coffee, clean up afterward) on the third Sunday of each month. Please call her if you can help. A New Approach to Flowers for the Altar The worship committee has established a group of church members who like to arrange flowers and are willing to purchase and arrange them on the altar for our weekly services. They also take any flowers left in the sanctuary to shut-ins. You are encouraged to sign up for flowers for a special date on the calendar in Fellowship Hall, as we have been doing. The group will provide the flowers and you are welcome to take them home. (Please bring the vase back.) They ask for a $30 donation to cover the cost of the flowers. If you would like to be a part of this new group, please contact Betty Marvin. Committee News If your committee has a new project or news of any other kind, I'd like to include it here. Just send an email with the information to Julie and she will forward it to me. Don't Forget To buy tickets for the Red's Game - to collect rummage for the SCAC sale - to get that underwear back to the church - to save some time to help with Interfaith in August - to get your info in the for newsletter. July 17, 2010 Picnic Tomorrow Remember that tomorrow is the church picnic. There will be no 9:15 service. Wear your picnic clothes to the 10:35 service, then come to the picnic at 11:45. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. The main dish and drinks will be provided. Afterwards, we will decorate for Vacation Bible School, which starts Monday. If you volunteered to bring anything to the church for decorating, please bring it tomorrow morning. A Thank You from Lincoln's Family The Hammetts posted the following message on Caring Bridge: Caring Bridge Saturday, July 10, 2010 3:54 PM, EDT Thank you to everyone who was with us both physically and spiritually for the viewing and funeral services for our baby boy. It is very evident by the outpouring of cards, emails, phone calls that Lincoln touched so many lives in his 17months here on earth - more than we could have ever imagined. The emptiness left in our hearts is also a feeling so intense we cannot begin to describe. Your thoughts, sympathy, and prayers have carried us throughout this journey and will always be remembered and cherished in our hearts. Thank you to everyone who so generously gave flowers, plants, food, and remembrance gifts to our family. We will hold these dear to our heart. For those of you who donated to Lincoln's Key Bank account in his honor - thank you - we will let you know how the funds will benefit Dayton Children's Hospital. Speaking of Dayton Children's Hospital - the son of Lincoln's Dr. (Rahul Dole) has submitted a grant proposal to the Pepsi Refresh Challenge to help benefit the families of Dayton Children's Hematology/Oncology patients in time of financial need. It would be a great honor if you would support our fellow families and vote for this grant submitted by this amazing young man. http://www.refresheverything.com/needypatient July 15, 2010 Lay Leader Report Click here to read the August Lay Leader Report from David Finney. Financial Peace University "Graduation" on August 8th Several families from our church and our community came together every Sunday night this summer to participate in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University with the final class for this group on Sunday, August 8th. If you see someone happily talking about an unexpected $500 car repair (happy because they had the emergency fund already in place to cover the cost), yelling "THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH" at the Macy's cosmetic counter, or struggling with the decision to splurge on a waffle cone instead of a plain ice cream cone, they probably are in our Financial Peace Class. They may act a little different as they've been learning to "live like no one else." 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. Anyone interested in FPU should check the program’s website here. If you are interested in taking this course the next time it is offered at First UMC or would even like to lead the class, please see Pastor Suzanne or Karen DeRosa. (Class leaders receive course materials for free and a series of online budgeting tools for one year!) UMM Plans for August Please check Fellowship for information on the United Methodist Men's plans for August, including an update on Dragons' games that still need volunteers as part of their fundraising efforts. Take Yourself Out to the Ball Game!! Take Yourself Out with a Crowd! The United Methodist Men are pleased to sponsor Faith Day with the Cincinnati Reds and MercyMe. Tickets that sell usually for $25.00 are available for the August 1 baseball game and concert for a mere $5. Why not get a group together and make it a party? Please see one of the men to purchase tickets.
July 12, 2010 IHN Fundraiser Interfaith Hospitality Network is having Christmas in July for all the school age children that stayed with us this year. Each child will be ready for school with a new outfit, new underwear, new socks and shoes and a new backpack. Our church is in charge of the underwear. You can take a notecard at the church that lists a child's name, size and what he or she needs or just contribute towards purchasing whatever isn't donated. The children will get their gifts at a Christmas in July party later this month. Please bring your contributions in as soon as possible, no later than the 25th. Tony Derosa's grandmother Has Surgery Tony Derosa's grandmother recently had surgery and is recovering nicely now. However, there is still a lot of concern, since she is 90 years old and, at that age, a lot of things can go wrong. Please keep her in your prayers. Florence Fry Is Home from the Hospital Florence Fry was hospitalized for a few days with severe breathing problems. She is home now but she and her daughter, Jennifer, who cares for her, need your prayers too. Mary Fogle's Dad Undergoing Tests Mary Fogle's dad, Bill Scott, is undergoing tests after experiencing numbness in one of his legs. He is 82 years old and diabetic, so it is a worry, especially with him far away in Missouri. Prayers needed here, too. Opening in the Bell Choir Bell Choir practice had to be changed to Sunday evening, which, unfortunately, meant the group lost several members. As a result there are openings for four people. You are welcome if you can read music, keep time and count - which actually sounds pretty challenging since you have to do this while holding not one, but two, bells and turning pages. Hope there are some who can do it because the Bell Choir is a wonderful addition to our services. The New Patio The Eagle Scout candidate working on the patio near the picnic tables is Daniel Zielinki from Scout Troop 50. He and his helpers have it installed now and will be finishing and sealing it soon. It's looking good so far! Speaking of Eagle Scout candidates Adam Stafford's Eagle Scout project is also almost complete. He decided to refinish the furniture too, using his own funds. Adam is also in Troop 50. July 10, 2010 Administrative Council Meets There will be an admin council meeting on Tuesday, July 13th, at 7 pm at the church. SCAC Rummage Sale The SCAC rummage sale will be held August 12-14. You can drop off your rummage on August 11th, from 2 - 8 pm. Volunteers are needed to help setup and run the sale and clean up afterward. If you can help, please let Julie Bernatz know. For information on the SCAC, click on the link. July 9, 2010 Adult Sunday School Class Provides Cookies for Veterans The Adult Sunday School Class took the 55 dozen cookies provided by the congregation (us!) to the Veteran's Hospital in Dayton to honor our veterans on the 4th of July. They also took several dozen sets of shower clogs that they purchased with funds they raised during the year and a large number of new and gently used books they collected. The class, under the direction of Rosemary Culbreath, meets every Sunday morning at 9:15. The class is currently taking a journey through the bible and is studying Jeremiah at this time. Here are pictures showing a few members of the class, which seems to increase in size each week. Click on the pictures to expand them. 
Ruth Dunn Hurt by Fall Ruth Dunn, Anna Wade's mother, fell and fractured her pelvis. She is recovering at home. Lucy Mallet, Belinda's Mom Belinda asks for continuing prayers for her Mom, Lucy and her Dad, Franklin, who has been Lucy's main caregiver since her stroke several months ago. Lisa Adkin's Niece and Stepson Lisa Adkin's niece is recovering well from surgery for endometriosis. However, her stepson Jeremiah is a big concern since he is suffering from kidney problems and may need a transplant. Please keep them in your prayers. Soldier Needs Some TLC Operation Thank You has a special request for one of our soldiers who was paralyzed in an accident while home on leave from the Air Force for a wedding. Since October he has been back and forth between hospitals, has had multiple surgeries and is feeling very sad and depressed. His cousin is asking for cards for him, especially ones that will give him inspiration or say that people are praying for him. His address is Captain Jake Bernecker, c/o Drake Center, 151 West Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, Oh 45216. If you are interested in more information on Operation Thank You, click on the link. Summer Book Study A group of us will be reading and discussing A framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne this summer. This is written with educators in mind but is helpful for anyone who wants to better understand the issues related to poverty. Please see Pastor Suzanne for more details. Men's Breakfast Don't forget the UMM's breakfast on Saturday, July 10th at 8:30 am at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Waynesville. VBS - VBS - VBS Vacation Bible School is coming up really fast. The morning session is already full. Please sign up ASAP if you are interested in the evening session. (You can sign up right here on the website - just click on VBS on the side panel on the home page.) Volunteers are still needed for several things. If you can help, contact Kim Crosen. And we can use donations for crafts and snackes. Please check out the sign up boards in the narthex. Summer Sleep-In The summer sleep-in is Sunday, July 18th. It combines worship and a picnic. Come to the 10:35 service in your picnic clothes, and enjoy the picnic afterwards at 11:45. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Come on out - the weather should be great! High Attendance Awards for Sunday School Many of our cildren made it to Sunday School on all but five Sundays throughout the school year. Some of them have done this for several years. The names of these children and the number of years they have had high attendance are listed below. Congratulations to them and also to the parents that get them here so they can make and maintain a connection to Christ. 1 year: Zoe L, Addie L, Luke W, Maura W, Zoe H, Dean D, Julia K, Christian D and Devin C 2 years: Faith H, Caleb Z and Jacob H 3 years: Taylor Z, Lindsay Z, Sam D, Theo D, Belle D and A.J. D 5 years: Amber S, Brayden S 6 years: Elena M and - ta da! - 9 years: Isabel H
\n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 937-748-2612. Junior High Mission Trip The Junior High youth will be on their mission trip from June 21 - 25. They will be heading down to Cincinnati to work at a camp called Know Sweat. Know Sweat works with local communities to find individuals who are in need of help. Plese pray that our young people will work well together, work hard and grow in faith as a result of this experience. 6-12-10 Youth Rummage Sale The Youth Rummage Sale will take place on Friday, June 18th, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. You can bring your donations to the church from 9:00 am to noon on June 14th to 17th and from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on June 16th and 17th, making it very convenient to drop off your items. If you need help transporting a large item, please contact Will Leasure at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the church office at 937-748-2612. Can't ask for better service than that! Update on Lincoln Lincoln is very sick right now. He has been pretty much just sleeping this past few days. The family has an update on Caring Bridge. Annual Conference Annual Conference was last week. If you would like to find out what happened, click on this link. Church Camps If you or your children are still looking for something to fill a week this summer, church camp is a great option. Click on the link for more info. North Dover Pastor Killed Kathleen Hammitt, the local pastor from the North Dover congregation near Wauseon, Ohio was killed in a tornado last Saturday evening. Pleae remember her family, friends and congregation as they grieve her very sudden loss. Fundraiser for Interfaith Hospitality A 5 K walk to benefit Interfaith Hospitality Network of Warren County is planned for July 3, 2010 at Countryside YMCA, Lebanon, Ohio. Some of the features are a Kid's Fun Run, homemade pies and a raffle for the "Biggest Independence Day Basket Ever". For an entry form, click this link. Clearcreakers Summer Picnic Don't forget the Clearcreakers summer picnic, this Wednesday, June 16th, at Springboro Clearcreek Park picnic shelter. See details under Fellowship.
6-5-10 Update on Lincoln Lincoln's family has posted an update on his condition on Caring Bridge. (To reach Lincoln's page, type in the website name "lincoln". You can follow a link from there to the family's photo shoot, taken a couple of weeks ago. Update on Zach Mettle There is also an update on Zach at Caring Bridge. Click on the link above, but this time type in "zacharymettle" to get to Zach's home page. 5-31-10 Betty Ingram Sadly, Betty Ingram has died from complications involving the pneumonia she contracted after her recent surgery. Betty moved here from Cincinnati about 10 years ago and joined FUMC of Springboro at that time. Those who knew Betty will remember that she loved plants and especially enjoyed performances at LaComedia. She was also active in the United Methodist Women for several years. Please keep her family in your prayers. Betty Jean Ingram
5-30-10 Granddaughter Returns from Mission Trip This week, Bob and Betty Marvin will have the joy of welcoming back their granddaughter after her year long mission trip to Uganda. Lincoln Hammett After a respite from persistent fevers, Lincoln is having them once again. Please pray for him, his family and his medical team. Early Service The early service, from 8:30 - 9:00 AM on Sunday, will continue through June. Clearcreakers Picnic The Clearcreekers have their last meeting until September on June 16th at noon at tahe Springboro Clearcreek Park picnic shelter. They will provide fried chicken and drinks - bring a dish to share and its recipe. See more info under Fellowship. . 5-29-10 Graduates Recognized next weekend (June 6th) Next weekend we will recognize our graduates during the 9:15 service. If you have a graduate in your family, please make sure to turn their graduation details in to the church office by this Wednesday. Relay For Life Thanks to everyone who supported the Relay for Life last weekend. Our team had about 60 walkers and raised $2,285. Thanks to Daryl Hams for coordinating our church's first team. The overall event was a great success, raising $52,000. Change to Interfaith Host Time Our dates to host Interfaith have changed from June 6-12 to August 15-21. Please mark your calendars and plan to help support this important mission of our church. Rummage Sale Our youth group will be hosting a rummage sale in mid-June. Please consider donating some items to this fundraiser that will help defray the costs of their summer trips. New Patio Another Eagle Scout project is benefiting our church. One of our Boy Scouts (sorry, don't have his name yet) and his helpers have started work on a new patio that will be close to the picnic tables in the church's back yard. It is good sized and sounds like it will be very attractive. Women In Faith Women In Faith will not meet again until fall. Thanks to everyone in the congregation who helped with our projects, especially during the bazaar and spaghetti dinner. In case you're wondering where those funds went, here is a list (not necessarily complete) of what is being spent: milk money for the food pantries - $100/month for 12 months; a scholarship for one youth trip - $200; shoe boxes with school supplies - $200; a book in honor of Merle Delaney for the church library - $30; donation to the building fund - $500. Also, during 2009, Women In Faith were able to contribute $5,000 towards the shortfall in the church budget. You make this possible and we appreciate everyones' contributions and efforts. Betty Ingram Please continue to keep Betty Ingram in your prayers as she has developed pneumonia following her recent surgery. She remains in ICU at Sycamore Hospital. Lincoln Hammett and Zachary Mettle Please continue to keep Lincoln, Zachary and their families in your prayers. 5-16-10
Update on Lincoln Caring Bridge: Wednesday April 28th First of all I just want to say thank you to everyone who continues to check Lincoln's site - it amazes us to see the love, prayers and support that you all have for our little guy.
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Special Music Our special music was a happy surprise as Isabel H. invited her musical group to sing for us. Here's a picture of thegirls in the group, taken as they got ready to  rehearse their song. The Jackson Family Please keep Janet and Lynn Jackson in your prayers in the loss of Lynn's dear mother and Janet's beloved mother-in-law, Edna Jackson. One piece of good news is that their daughter-in-law, Rita, was out of the hospital and able to attend the funeral service but Zac continues to struggle as he recovers from his unexpected surgery last week. Men's Softball The first men's softball game will be May 3rd at 6:15 at Kesling Field. Contact Jack Eley if you want to play or just show up and join in. Fans who want to cheer the team on are welcome! 4-23-10 Just a reminder that this year's class of eighth graders will be confirmed this Sunday during the 9:15 am service. 4-22-10 Edna Jackson Lynn Jackson's mother, Edna Jackson, died yesterday at the age of 94. The funeral will be at the church this Friday at 11 am, with visitation beginning at 10:00 am. Also, the Jackson's daughter-in-law, Rita, is back in the hospital after having surgery a week and a half ago. Please keep Janet and Lynn Jackson and their family in your prayers. Update on Zac Mettle Zac was improving slowly for a while and was even doing some physical therapy but had a setback the other day when some bleeding around his trach tube required surgery. He is back in the ICU for now for at least today. Healing will be a slow process because of the steroids he has to take, so it will be a couple of weeks until progress towards getting him home can resume. Zac is the 14 year old step grandson of Janet and Lynn Jackson. Hand Surgery for Margery Coyle Margery Coyle had hand surgery. She is recovering well. Tracy Savin Has a Broken Foot Tracy Savin broke her foot. We don't have any other details - hope she is doing ok. Nancy Clark's Co-Worker Nancy Clark asked us to pray for the three year old daughter of a co-worker. The little girl, Sara Huffman, has been diagnosed with cancer in her cheek and jawbone. New Members Join Church Barbara Geiger joins us as a transfer from Spinning Road Baptist church in Dayton. She is a retired educator who enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family. Her husband's name is David. Jamie and TJ Lawhorn join us as a transfer from St. Francis Episcopal Church. They are long time residents of Springboro. Jamie enjoys reading and cake decorating and TJ enjoys working outside. They have two daughters, Amelia and Alexa. Amelia attends Bright Beginnings Christian Preschool and Alexa is in elementary school We hope to have their pictures on the website shortly so you will recognize them as newcomers and welcome them to our church. Softball Begins Softball practice has started. Please check with Jack Eley if you'd like to play on this year's men's team. Thanks to Our Stephen Ministers Our first class of Stephen Ministers continues to serve many people in our congregation and community. Thanks to Stephen Ministers Stephanie Bindemann, Becky Pickett, Bill Cook, Karen Wenzel, Lois Eley and Anna Wade and to Stephen Leaders Zandra Woody and Karen Lane DeRosa. A new class is shceduled to begin in September. Please see any Stephen Minister or ask Pastor Suzanne to learn more about joining this rewarding ministry. Big Bright Beginnings Fundraiser Happens on May 2nd Bright Beginnings not only gives a great start on a Christian education to many children from our community each year but also contributes a considerable amount to the upkeep of the church. So it seems fitting to remind everyone of the big fundraiser they hold each year that raises quite a bit of money for the preschool. It's called the SpringSing/Silent Auction/Art Show & Italian Dinner, which means there's something for everybody. But what most of our church members focus on is the delicious Italian food provided as a sit-down meal or take out by Carrabba's Italian Grille. There will be a panel on the website soon to take you to all the information - for now, just note the date so you won't be left out. Special Tribute at Relay for Life on May 22-23, 3 pm - 9 am, North Park Each year, members of our church family lose family and friends to cancer. To help fight this vicious disease, our church participates in the Relay for Life, which takes place this year on the weekend of May 22-23 from 3pm-9am at North Park. One thing you can do during the Relay is to contribute a lumonaria in honor of your loved one. During the event, people will gather around the candlelit track in a special ceremony to remember those who have lost their battle with cancer and honor those who are struggling with it now. The luminarias will remain lit throughout the evening. Order forms are available on the church mission table. They request a minimun donation of $10.00 for each one. 4-11-10 A Joyous Time for the Griffith Family Angela (Angie) Temke, the wife of Ron and Sharon's grandson, Jeff Temke, was baptized this week, along with their nine month old son, the Griffith's great grandson, Weston Jefferson Temke. Jeff also participated in the ceremony by restating his dedication to his faith. The Cook Family (Sue and Bill) Sue and Bill are suddenly struggling with three serious problems. First, Sue' sister was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing extensive chemotherapy. Now their daughter-in-law has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She and Bill and Sue's son are a military family and are currently stationed in Hawaii, which makes everything all the harder when it comes to providing support and comfort. Finally, a close neighbor has a five year old granddaughter who is fighting cancer too, a tumor on her optic nerve. Please pray for the Cook family as they try to help their family and friends. Update on Lincoln There is no good news for the Hammet family either at this point. While Lincoln is home, healing more every day and able to enjoy his Mom, Dad and sisters, the leukemic cells are multiplying and he cannot have chemotherapy at this point. Here is a link to Caring Bridge, which has the latest information provided by his family. Our prayers go out to them as they continue to provide loving care for their dear little boy. Update on Zac Mettle, Janet and Lynn Jackson's Step Grandson Zac is still in intensive care. He is suffering from radiation necrosis, which is the death of healthy tissue now as a result of radiation therapy that he received long ago, when he was a one year old baby diagnosed with a brain tumor. In Zac's case, the tissue is in his brain stem and the result is many problems in such things as balance, eyes focusing, use of his tongue and, particularly, swallowing. Currently, he has a feeding tube and is being kept sedated since he has been aspirating fluids into his lungs. He was only awake for a little while during this past week. Zac also has a page on Caring Bridge. There you can see that, during the short time he was awake, his Dad was able to bring his puppy, Tibo, to see him. Many prayers are needed here, too. Lisa Adkins' Brother-In-Law Please remember Lisa Adkins' brother-in-law, Steve. Steve has just learned he has Parkinson's disease and his doctors are having trouble getting it under control. 4-4-10 Merle Delaney Merle Delaney died Saturday at 6:30 in the evening. The funeral service will be Tuesday, April 6th, at 10:00 am at the church. Visitation will be Monday evening from 5-8 at Anderson Funeral Home in Springboro. Memorial donations may be made to Southwest Hospcie or the Springboro First United Methodist Church. Please pray for comfort and strength for Lucille and family during these days of grief and loss. Crosswalk Makes the Paper The crosswalk in Springboro was reported in the Dayton Daily News. Click here to see the article. New Granddaughter for the Griffiths Ron and Sharon Griffith are happy to announce the arrival of their new granddaughter, Keegan. Update on Belinda Mallet's mother Unfortunately, Lucinda Mallet's time at home was short. She is now back in the hospital, after only a few short days at home. Janet and Lynn Jackson's Step Grandson Zac Mettle, the 14 year old son of Janet and Lynn's daughter-in-law, is in intensive care at Dayton's Children's Hospital as a result of complications from radiation treatments for brain cancer. Please pray for Zac and his family as they struggle to help him through this very bad time. New Members New members will be received into the congregation the weekend of April 18th. Please let Pastor Suzanne know if you or someone you know is thinking about becoming a member of our church family. 4-1-10 Merle Delaney Please keep Merle and Lucille Delaney and their family in your prayers. Merle has had a rough week and his health is deteriorating rapidly. 3-28-10 Seed Donations This is the last call for seed donations for the Jackson Area Ministries. Please bering them to the church no later than April 4th. Vegetable seeds such as beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, green beans, lettuce, melons, peppers, pumpkings, dadishes, spinach, squash and turnips are requested. Cash donation are also welcome. Easter Meals Thanks to everyone's food donations and the funds donated by both the UMM and Women In Faith, 117 Easter baskets were prepared for the Springboro Community Assistance Center and the Franklin Food Pantry. Thanks also to Karen Derosa for heading up this mission. Surgery for Lois Cox Lois Cox fell and broke her hand, which had to be repaired with surgery, including a metal plate. Please remember her as she recovers at home. Kline Family Our sympathies are with the Kline family in the loss of their grandmother earlier this week. More Hand Surgery Betty Ingram's granddaugher, Kylie, is also recovering from hand surgery. We hope she will be better soon. Lucille Mallet Is Home Lucille Mallet, Belinda Mallet's mother, has recovered enough to return home from the care facility where she had been recuperating. Please pray for her continued recovery and a return to a more normal life for the Mallet family soon. Lenten Dinners  The Lenten Dinners are over but one important task remains - to thank Sharon Joseph, Jim Bachus and Jim and Joan Bauman for their hard work in planning and executing all those meals. They're shown below, working hard as usual, so take a moment to thank them, not only for the Lenten Dinners but for everything else they do for our church.   3-27-10 Update on Lincoln The latest news for Lincoln and his family is not good. The level of leukemic cells in his body is once again very high, in spite of the chemo he just had and the initial, hopeful report that the level of cancer cells had been sharply reduced with the new treatment. He is home, though, feeling well enough to enjoy his Mom, Dad and sisters once again. 3-22-10 Services for Don Allen The memorial service for Don Allen will take place today (Monday) at the church. Visitation will be at 10 am with the service following at 11 am. 3-21-10 Bea McNeal Bea McNeal died this morning after being moved to hospice care last week. The family will celebrate her 98 years of long and healthy life in her home town of Chillicothe, Ohio this Friday. Sue Cook's Aunt Sue Cook asks you to remember her aunt, who is suffering from cancer. Edith Wilson Hurt Edith Wilson took a fall at home and required some stitches. She is back home now and feeling better. Belinda Mallet's Mother Lucy Mallet, Belinda's mother, has been moved to a convalescent home where, as usually happens, she is not happy. Anyone who has been through this knows what a sad and stressful time this is for the entire family. Please keep them in your prayers.  Update on Lincoln Lincoln is awake, smiling and even playing. However, optimism has to be combined with knowledge of the many possible problems that can still occur and the still-long road to his complete recovery. So its still a high stress time where the family needs and very much appreciates the help and prayers they are getting from so many in our church and the larger community. Landscape Committee Gets to Work As you come in the side door this morning, you can't help but notice the weeding, edging and new sod installation there. That's the work of Sue Fry, her son Matt and Jim Cook. You also see the effects of their work in the much improved grass along the street by the church, which has been the site of construction for several years. With that over, Sue, her sons Matt and Zack, Jim and Jim's daughter, Andrea Cook, put down dirt and reseeded that area last fall. The committee is also working on seeding the area along the sidewalk north of the church. Adopt-A-Pot Several of the people who took care of the flower pots around the church last year have offered to do so again. Sue Cook has already put spring flowers in the pots on both sides of the front door and Sharon Joseph has pansies in the pot by the side door. Other pots will be coming soon! Bring 'Em In Donations for the food pantry baskets are due today. Seed donations for the Jackson Area Ministries are one of our March missions and can be brought in any time this month. And the Family Life Committee is hoping for donations of small, wrapped candies for the children's Easter egg hunt. Reception of New Members We will be receiving new members into the congregation the weekend of April 18th. If you are thinking about becoming a member of our church family, please call the church office. Need Some Shoeboxes Women In Faith are supporting a project where shoeboxes will be filled with educational materials for children. Rather than have everyone prepare an individual box, we are asking you to please bring empty shoeboxes to the church. WIF will fill them later this year by taking advantage of the before-school sales and buying the supplies in bulk. Dinners for Eight Dinners for Eight will begin another series soon. They could use a few more singles or couples to complete the groups. Click on the Fellowship link to learn more about this opportunity to get to know others in your church much better. Easter Meals Karen Derosa reported that the church will be able to donate mor than 100 gift baskets for Easter meals to the Springboro and Franklin Food Pantries. Click on the Mission link to learn more about this project. 3-20-10 Youth Group's Fish Fry The Youth Group's Fish Fry was a big success, in spite of some last minute changes in the schedules of the Hunsackers, who had volunteered to make it all happen. They did just that and all went well, with great tasting fish, generous portions of sides, and efficient, pleasant service. Thanks to Will Leasure, the Hunsackers and our Senior High youth for a great job - Will and the members of the youth group hope it will become a Lenten tradtition. 3-19-10 Don Allen Don Allen died early this morning (Friday). Please keep his wife, Ann, and his family in your prayers. Services will be Monday at 11:00, with a dinner following at the church. Update on Lincoln Lincoln's last chemotherapy is complete. Initial test results were good but there are two more hurdles, a repeat bone marrow biopsy in a few days to be sure the levels of leukemic cells are low and enough healing of Lincoln's liver so that he is eligible for the transplant. On Caring Bridge, the family's website where they can provide information on Lincoln's treatment, they mention their happiness that the results of this last treatment protocol for Lincoln will give hope to other families with babies with cancer. 3-17-10 The Clearcreakers celebrated their 30th anniversary during a meeting at the church on St Patrick's Day. Click Clearcreakers to see an article about and pictures from the event. 3-16-10 Please click on this link, spaghetti dinner pictures, to see an article about and pictures from the spaghetti dinner. 3-14-10 Belinda Mallet's Mother Belinda Mallet's mother, Lucy Mallet, has been hospitalized again and is experiencing more strokes. Please continue to pray for her and her family, especially Belinda's father, who is her mother's primary caregiver. 3-13-10 Pastor Suzanne sends word that our prayers are needed for: Vivian Beatty's niece, Sherri Dix, as she recovers from surgery. Bea McNeal and her family, as Bea was moved to hospice this week. The family of Eric Stone, a friend of the Mindlings, who died this week. Update on Lincoln Lincoln has been improving everyday and is now to the point where he will be having a bone marrow biopsy soon to see how the latest chemo affected his cancer. He's comfortable, making eye contact and was even smiling at his nurses. Meanwhile, in the up and down world of children with leukemia and the families that love them, a little girl named Maggie Bixler needs our prayers too after she was rushed to the hospital with complications from her treatment. Special Offering for One Great Hour of Sharing There will be a special offering this weekend to cover the operating costs for UMCOR. Gifts to UMCOR to support Haiti relief efforts are expected to be more than $25 million, with those of us in western Ohio contributing $709,000 of that total as of the end of February. The cost of managing these contributions and those to earthquake victims in Chile will come from this special offering. Click on this link for an update on what UMCOR is doing in Haiti. 3-12-10 Good News Just learned that Chuck and Liz Curtis will be coming to the spaghetti dinner on Sunday evening, to the first seating at 5:00. It will be great to see them again. More on the Senior High Youth's Fish Fry Here's more info on the Senior High Youth's Fish Fry on Friday, March 19th, 5 - 9 PM, at the church. The menu will be fish, potato chips, baked beans, coleslaw and a roll. Tickets are $8.00 and can be purchased from one of our teens, from Will Leasure or by stopping by the church office. 3-10-10 Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night. Yes, Daylight Savings Time starts on March 14th. Happy 30th Anniversary to the Clearcreekers!!! Clearcreekers will be celebrating their 30th Anniversary at the March 17th meeting. Please see the calendar and the article on the meeting (click on Fellowship) for information on the meeting itself. We'll be taking some pictures to record the event and will post them on the website. Spaghetti Dinner Sponsored by Women In Faith Don't forget the spaghetti dinner this Sunday evening (March 14th) at the church. Heard today that the desserts will include some special items, such as cream puffs, cheesecakes and fresh fruit, and the bread basket will include foccacia. The entertainment is shaping up nicely too. If you missed the ticket sales, just call Shelly Houser, Jean Reazer or the church office as soon as possible, make a reservation and plan to pay at the door. Remember you can get takeout too. Fish Fry Sponsored by Senior High Youth The Senior High Youth will be selling tickets this weekend for their Fish Fry fundraiser on Friday, March 19th. Here's another chance to get out for an inexpensive and enjoyable evening, while you help our yung people raise money for their summer mission trip. An enjoyable and relaxing way to multi-task. Easter Flowers Please don't forget that Mission 56 is selling Easter flowers at the various services. Let the church know if they are in honor of or in memory of someone, so they can be commemorated in the bulletin for our Easter services. For more on the sale, click on Children's Ministries. Update on Lincoln Lincoln continues to improve, so much so that he is back on the Oncology floor rather than in the ICU. There was a great article on Lincoln and his family in the Dayton Daily News a few days ago. In case you missed it, here is the link. Sadly, Lincoln's family is now asking us to also keep the family of Davey Lewis in our prayers. He was a 10 year old nearing the end of his cancer treatment who died suddenly this week from septic shock. Remember his caregivers too, who tried so hard to save his life but lost the battle in the end. Financial Peace University Many members of our congregation have expressed interest in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University Class, so it will be offered at the church. What is the class about? Can you imagine what your life would be like if you had no payments...if you were completely debt free? The class will show you how to get there, no matter where you are right now. The average family pays off more than $5,000 in debt and saves almost $3,000 during the 13 week class. (And that's just the beginning.) Most importanly, you'll learn how to handle the money God entrusts to you in His way and what it means to have true financial peace. If you are interested, please plan to attend one of our preview classes in April. The course starts in May and runs for 13 weeks. (We will decide on the best meeting time as a group.) If you would like more information before the preview classes, there are brochures in the sanctuary pews or you can call the church office for more information. You are invited to attend one of our free preview classes: April 11th at 10:30 AM or April 18th at 7:00 PM. Easter Baskets for Food Pantries If you signed up to donate food for the Easter baskets for the food pantries, please remember it is due on Sunday, March 21st. If you'd like to volunteer to assemble the meals, that will happen on March 21st and March 28th. Contact Karen Derosa if you can help. 2-28-10 Pastor Suzanne and her family made an unexpected trip to Indiana this last week when her great uncle, 92 years old, died suddenly. He was a farmer all his life, living the entire time on the family homestead. He will be greatly missed. Lincoln is still showing some slight improvement. One source of happiness for the family during this otherwise sad year is the recent promotion of Lincoln's father, Darien, a member of the Air Force, to lieutenant colonel. Because he could not leave the hospital, the Air Force brought his promotion ceremony to him, proving once again that our military goes out of its way to take care of its own. Our previous pastor, Mark Shimer, has decided to take a leave of absence from the ministry. He and his wife, Peg, will be leaving his current church in Defiance, Ohio and moving to South Carolina for a year. He is not leaving the ministry for good, nor even leaving the conference, just taking a little time out for now. The flowers on the altar this morning were from Richard and Rosemary Culbreath, in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. Don't forget our Mission 56 children will be selling Easter Flowers between services through March 21st. Cost is $12. Next week the Sunday School children will be singing on Sunday morning (March 7th). If possible, please allow time for them to stay so they can sing for both services. The second service begins at 10:35AM, so they should be finished and ready to go home by 10:45 or so. In the meantime, there will be plenty of cookies to keep them content. 2-26-10 Please keep Rebecca Adkins in your prayers as she recuperates from ear surgery. Please also keep little Lincoln and his family in your prayers. His latest round of chemo started well but he is having very serious problems now. 2-24-10 New Book Study "They are talking about layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, and upswings in global warming. If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity and doubt, what would remain?" Let's talk about it at our next book study, where we will address this question and more! Fearless by Max Lucado....coming up right after Easter. Reserve your spot by contacting Maria Dershem. Maria's telephone number is in the church directory. An Invitation from Our Invitation Committee Are you connected with a business in the area? Would you like to help get the word out about our church? Then you should consider becoming a Community Church Partner. It's very easy to participate in this program. The Invitation Committee will provide you with a framed flyer describing our church that you can display in your place of business. Information on your business will then be featured in a special place in our church. For additional information, conact Maria Dershem. Maria's telephne number is in the church directory. 2-21-10 Acolyte Training Several children are interested in becoming acolytes. On March 21st, during the second service, there will be a training session for those who have never had the training before and those who would like some refresher training. Children must be in the third grade or higher.  This is one of the most rewarding ways for a child to start serving the church. They are right up front for the action (did the liturgist almost fall asleep during the sermon, did an usher almost drop the collection plate, did the minister tell a really good joke), and they learn something about the importance of symbolism, tradition and discipline in the Christian religion. Get a picture of them in their robe if you possibly can - it will become one of your favorite memories over the years. Annual Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt The annual dinner, egg hunt and games will be held on Palm Sunday, March 28th, at the church. Please bring a side, salad or dessert and the Family Life committee will provide fried chicken. (See signup sheet in Fellowship Hall during the next few weeks.) Donationsof small, individually wraped candies that fit inside our plastic Easter eggs would also be appreciated. Please leave them in the black and white basket marked "Candy Donations for Egg Hunt" in Fellowship Hall. 2-18-10 Please keep the Schuetz family in your prayers in the loss of Jil's father, William Crutchfield. Please also remember to keep Lincoln in your prayers as he is in the midst of five days of intensive chemo. Planning Mtg - Women In Faith Fundraiser (Spaghetti Dinner) Women In Faith will be meeting on Saturday, Feb 20th, at 11:00 at Heather's Cafe, located across from the K in a green building. The purpose is to have a nice lunch and finalize plans for the spaghetti dinner fund raiser planned for March. A working lunch, in other words. ;) Please note the time change. 2-14-10 Belinda Mallett's Mother Lucy Mallett, Belinda Mallett's mother, suffered a stroke this week that has interfered with her speech. Please remember them and, especially, Belinda's father, who is her mother's primary caregiver. Don Allen Don Allen has been suffering all week with health issues. Please keep Don and Ann in your prayers. Scout Sunday 
2-13-10 Jean Schindler's Father Jean Schindler's father, Ken Emmerich, has been hospitalized this week with an aggressive form of cancer. Please keep them in your prayers. Update on Lincoln According to Diana, Lincoln's Mom, he had a bit of a rough week but is feeling better now. And our last update was wrong - apparently Lincoln's doctor has not exhausted all options in trying for a cure for Lincoln. Here is what's happening, as reported by Diana on Caring Bridge: Lincoln's doctor has been receiving emails from his colleagues on possible treatments for Lincoln and the vast majority of the chemo drugs proposed he has already tried; however, there was one protocol from Sloan-Kettering Hospital that he has decided to try on Lincoln. Four of the chemo drugs from this protocol Lincoln has never had and 40% of children with relapsed ALL (added note: acute lymphocytic leukemia) on this protocol were successfully placed into remission. Of course none of these children had the same type of ALL as Lincoln but it is worth a shot regardless. Anyway, the immediate plan is to admit Lincoln on Saturday for 5 days of this intensive chemo. His doctor will re-evaluate him after a week to see if he is having a response to the new drugs. A clear response will be a significant drop in his CBC blast percentage, then a bone marrow biopsy if it continues to look favorable and ultimately the hope is the chemo will place Lincoln into remission so he can get his bone marrow transplant. We've heard many times that Lincoln's doctor is very persistent and does not like to give up on his patients, well he is certainly doing everything in his power uphold that statement and we are so thankful for that. If this treatment does not work we find ourselves back to square one with only hopes and prayers that Lincoln stays around long enough so that his doctor and researchers keep trying and trying until one day they find his cure 2/10/10 Women In Faith Needs Some Help Women In Faith is planning a spaghetti dinner fund raiser for Sunday evening, March 14th. We'd like to combine the dinner with an evening of entertainment, what we are calling "An Evening of Music and Style". So we are looking for our church's extroverts, people of any age who can sing, play a musical instrument or perform a dance number. The choir has already volunteered to present a special number. Maybe some of our other choirs, our young people or our pianists would like to cut loose. And we'd like to have a style show, with older members of the congregation modeling (or letting one of our young people model) that old letter sweater, or poodle skirt or wild pair of slacks from the 70s. Also, maybe some of our young people will model what they consider stylish for school or social events these days. Please save the date and, if you can help with the entertainment, let Shelly Houser know. Scout Sunday Just a reminder that this coming Sunday, February 14th, is Scout Sunday. Scouts will be part of the services, acting as liturgists, ushers and acolytes. Come out and support our scouts, plus get a chance to stand up if you were once a scout or scout leader. 2/8/10 Bazaar Profits Last year's bazaar profits and some funds from previous fundraising allowed Women In Faith to donate $4555.70 to the church to help with the budget shortfall for last year. In addition, we still have funds to support our missions, including providing milk money each month to the Springboro Community Assistance Center (SCAC), paying for shipping health kits to Haiti and donating to the Easter meals for the Franklin Food Pantry. It's your support that makes it possible - the help we get from members of the congregation is always phenomenal and we really appreciate it. 2/7/10 Fireproof Your Marriage We will be watching the Kirk Cameron movie Fireproof Your Marriage on Friday, February 26th from 6 - 9:00 pm, at the church, with discussion and study following. Childcare will be provided, as well as pizza for both children and adults. As you consider what to give your spouse this Valentine's Day, how about the gift of a renewed marriage? Of course, you may attend as an individual if your spouse isn't interested/available. As you'll see in the movie, it only takes one peartner to start the processof moving your marriage to a higher level. Sign up will be in Fellowship Hall. Cost is $10/family to cover food and childcare. For more information, contact Kim Crosen or Kara Hampton. Movie Night It goes without saying. Parents need a night out once in a while. Movie NIght is a great opportunity, maybe for a belated Valentine's Day date night. Your child ages 4 years to 5th grade can come to movie night on Friday, February 19th, from 6 - 9 pm and enjoy pizza, a drink popcorn and a movie while you do what you please. Cost is $10 per child. For more information, contact Kim Crosen. Limit of 50 children. Arlene Brown's Father Arlene Brown's father has died. Arlene and Kerrie are listed in the church directory if you wish to send a card or help in some other way. Please continue to keep her family in your prayers. Update on Lincoln Little Lincoln's last round of intensive cheomtherapy had no effect on his leukemia. Sadly, there is nothing more doctors can do to prevent the spread of his cancer. He is home and being treated with a low level of chemo so he can have the best quality of life possible over the next few weeks. On Caring Bridge, the website where families can share information about their struggle to help their loved ones overcome cancer, Lincoln's parents express their thanks to Dr Mukund Dole for exploring every possible option in the fight to save Lincoln's life. 2-1-10 Update on Lincoln Lincoln's family is still waiting for the results of his last round of chemo. Meantime, he has been home a lot, having fun with his two sisters, as you can see in the picture. The following is a message his Mom and Dad want to share with everyone who has been helping them through the past year of his treatment for leukemia. Thank you to all of you who are praying for our son, and always thanks to everyone who has been so kind to us in ways of meals, monetary gifts, coffee, cards, movies, flowers, photos, snow plowing, crafts, letters, cookies and school sponsored benefits. All these kind and tender gestures will be engraved in our hearts forever. We are so blessed to have a community who loves our son d  early. Childhood leukemia is one area of research pursued by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. You can donate to them through this link. 1/31/10 Update on Adam Stafford's Eagle Project Adam thanked the congregation today for their support of the bake sale he ran to raise money for remodeling the Junior High room as his Eagle Scout project. He raised $470, considerably more than the $169 he needs. The difference will be used to purchase new furniture for the room. Adam is a member of Boy Scout Troop 50. Update on Fritz Wolfe's recovery from hand surgery Fritz is having a rougher time recovering from her hand surgery than expected. She also fell and injured her shoulder. We don't put addresses on the web site but she is in the church directory (or you can call the church office) if you need her address to send a card or want to help in some other way. Update on Aid to Haiti Our special donation to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) for help to Haiti was over $1,000. We have also donated over 120 health kits to date. Of these, 55 were prepared by Boy Scout Troop 50 through the efforts of one of our young people, Ivan M., who is the leader of the Falcon Patrol in the troop. Ivan supervised the collection of the materials needed for the kits and the assembly process itself. Extra materials were donated to the church and used in the additional kits prepared there. Ivan is the son of Belinda M. 1/17/10 Honoring Church Leaders Several people were honored during this weekend's services for their faithful service as leaders in the church over many years. They are: Ron Fogle, who served as Administrative Council chair for over 10 years; Carol Finney, who has served as Recording Secretary for Administrative Council for five years; Kelly Smith, who has coordinated Interfaith Hospitality Network for the past four years and Jackie Winzeler, who has chaired the Invitation Committee for many years. Thank you for all you have done for our church family. 1/10/10 Don Files - Knee Replacement Don Files is also recovering from the operation to replace his knee. This is a rather long process and involves quite a bit of physical therapy but he'll probably be back in church soonl. Our Boy Scout Troop If you think our young people are not as tough as they used to be, consider that the Boy Scout Troop 7 sponsored by our church had a campout this weekend. How did they stay warm when temperatures went down to -2 degrees? "Oh, we were fine," one scout said. "We had a barn to sleep in and there was a fireplace." OK - no problem. Junior High class room getting a facelift Adam Stafford has chosen to remodel our Junior High classroom for his Eagle Scout project. To raise money for materials and other costs, Adam is having a bake sale after both services on Sunday, January 24th. If you are willing to donate cookies, cupcakes, pies or other baked goods, please let Adam or his Mom and Dad know. Adam is a member of Boy Scout Troop 50. 12/20/09 Baptism of Julianna P. Julianna Caroline, age 11 1/2 months, was baptized on Sunday, December 20th, at the 9:15 AM service. The picture shows Julianna with her proud parents, Becky and JR, Pastor Suzanne, and her Godparents, Jeff and Ricka, who were visiting from Wisconsin. Julianna's first birthday was December 29th so it has been an exciting month for her - her baptism, her first Christmas and her first birthday! Click on the picture to enlarge it. 
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Church News Archive
Eun Park. We hope you will feel welcome here, Sung Eun, and that we will see a lot of you during the coming months. 
