March 2016 - West Lawn United Methodist Church
Transcription
March 2016 - West Lawn United Methodist Church
C ROSSROADS 2 0 1 6 W EST L AWN U NITED M ETHODIST C HURCH Good Friday March 25th March 27th is Easter Day! It’s not too late to order your Easter Flowers! We have tulips and lilies available, for $7 each. If you would like to order flowers to adorn our sanctuary on Easter, pick up one of the envelopes in the narthex of the church, fill it out and return it to the office by March 14th. Flowers may be picked up at Easter services. See page 7 for details! P AGE 2 INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER God’s Invitation to Eternal Hope! By Pastor Andrea Haldeman So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. ~2 Corinthians 4:16-18 We are in the midst of Lent and continue to find ourselves in The Dark Woods. We are looking ahead to the promises beyond…more sun, warmth, green, flowers…the earth coming to life in full again. We know that Easter is soon going to dawn once more. But first we must plunge into the depths of Holy Week and travel with Jesus to the cross. We are blessed with the knowledge that death was not the final answer for Jesus, nor for those who believe in Him. We pray that you will continue to walk this path with us on Sundays and during Holy Week, and invite others along for the journey to the cross and then beyond to the empty tomb—to resurrection, to new life, to eternal hope. Barrenness Life within See Me in a new way. I Am here. You are NOT abandoned. Life grows - deep and wide. Set apart you are called to be with Me. See the bones, the bud, the root, Grows deeper still. In silence be with Me. For I Am calling. An awakening, a renewal, a closeness never known Discover. Stillness . . . Quiet I Am working even though you cannot see. I offer rest - restoration. Things are not always as they seem – Look deeper - with your heart. Life among the thorns Be gentle with others and yourself. Linger - do not rush - enjoy each step. The journey has no end - wherever you are, I Am there also. You cannot go too far - always deeper, broader, wider, higher – ever closer to Me. I will give you breath - breath of life. A life lived with, in, and through Me. Just as I give wind to make the leaves dance and run, skip and twirl. You've been inside far too long... Come away with Me. Love, ~ God * May our perfectly faithful God continue to shower you with God’s hope, love, strength and peace, ~ Pastor Andrea *Poem written by Pastor Andrea during a Mindfullness Retreat at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville in March, 2009. C ROSSROADS P AGE 3 Our next Inquirers’ Class will be on Sunday, March 6, at 12:30 pm in Room 109 of the Education Bldg. This class is for anyone who would like to learn more about the Christian faith, The United Methodist Church, or making West Lawn your church home. Baptism and reception of new members will be offered on March 20 at all four services. If you have any questions or desire to schedule a baptism, please contact the office at 610678-5611. (Next opportunity will be April 17, 2016.) Over the Christmas and New Year’s week, severe storms caused major flooding that inundated parts of the South and Midwest and also spawned powerful, deadly tornados. According to the National Weather Service, tornados devastated the Dallas, TX area. Nine twisters, including an EF4 tornado in nearby Garland, with wind gusts up to 200 miles per hour, were recorded. Flash floods due to record rainfall in Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Kansas, Arkansas and Tennessee caused additional fatalities and damage in what became a weeklong outbreak of severe weather. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) responded to the flood and tornado outbreak with emergency funding to the Central Texas, Mississippi, North Texas and Tennessee Annual Conferences. The agency is in contact with the Missouri and Great Plains conferences to provide aid for disaster recovery in those areas. UMCOR is also working with national partners in planning for additional flood response along the Mississippi River, where floodwaters are moving downstream. According to Greg Forrester, UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response executive, Early Response Teams have been deployed to assess damages and provide recovery assistance in eight conferences, including the Oklahoma Conference, which in addition to flooding, was shaken, without damages or casualties, by an earthquake. More than 2,500 cleanup buckets were shipped from UMCOR’s Relief-Supply Network for distribution in the areas of need; another 720 cleanup buckets, plus 1,400 health kits, were delivered to flood-affected residents in Missouri. Dear Friends of West Lawn UMC: These are just some of the many ways UMCOR responds in times of emergency and crisis on your behalf and in the name of Jesus Christ. We support the ongoing work of UMCOR through our annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering, to be received this year on March 6. Thank you for your continued and generous support! I NVITE , E MBRACE , E MPOWER P AGE 4 by Jean Howe It’s not too late! (Excerpted from an article UMC. Org-Author Rev. Penny Ford) Are you searching for something more? Tired of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or passion? It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes, relationships, family, and work. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol, too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and from God. Lent is a great time to “repent” — to return to God and re-focus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It’s a trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. It is not too late to start! God is ready for you, so you might try one of these practices for Lent: FASTING: What do you need to let go of or “fast” from in order to focus on God? What clutters your calendar and life? How can you simplify your life in terms of what you eat, wear or do? SERVICE: You can commit to help a different stranger, co-worker or friend everyday. Serving others is one way we serve God. PRAYER: Christians also use Lent as a time of intentional prayer. You can pray while you walk, create music or art as a prayer to God, or savor a time of quiet listening. All can be ways of becoming more in tune with God. Christians from many different traditions celebrate Lent. How will you use the time to grow closer God? Try one of the many activities we offer at West Lawn UMC to help guide you through this special time. A Community Group, Bible Study, Sunday School? Say “yes” to the opportunity to grow closer to your Lord. He wants your company! Jean Howe, Coordinator of Adult Discipleship Christ Servant Minister-West Lawn UMC United Methodist Women The United Methodist Women will gather on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 in the Hebrews Café at noon. Pastor Andrea Haldeman will present “A Celebration of Women in Ministry”. You are reminded to bring the HEALTH KITS that were made during the months of January and February. Bring your lunch; beverage and dessert are provided. All women are invited to join this fellowship of women growing in their faith. Call Harriett Ziegenfuss (610-678-3107) or Anna Bickhart (610-670-1671) for more information or with questions. Blood Drive Coming... On Thursday, March 3, West Lawn will offer a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University (FPU) “Refresher and Reunion” class for any Dave Ramsey FPU graduate. This session will take place at 7:00 PM, in the HeBrews Café. Here, most recent FPU leaders, Rick Fehling and Chris Pruitt, will answer questions any FPU graduate may have, go over major FPU practices, forms and strategies, and elaborate on ways to improve one’s finances in this New Year. If you have ever taken the Dave Ramsey FPU course, either at West Lawn or somewhere else, we invite you to return to our campus for this special Ramsey session on March 3. Our next Blood Drive is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29th, from 3-7 pm in the Community Center. Please call Eileen Williams at 610-670-0591 to schedule your appointment today and receive a free WLW dinner ticket! We s t L a w n We d n e s d a y C a n c e l l e d Due to the growth of the Consignment Sale, there will be no West Lawn Wednesday dinner served on March 9th. All other WLW activities will take place as usual, and dinner will return to the Community Center on Wednesday, March 16th. For more information on the sale, go to CROSSROADS P AGE 5 by Carolann Schneiderhan Throughout the Bible we are taught the importance of supporting those who are in mission around the world as they reach out with expressions of love to strangers in need. We are thankful to be part of a church that supports missions both in our budget, through our Christmas offering and most importantly, through the many individuals who serve at home and abroad in missions. Already in 2016, we have sent two teams to Haiti where members of our congregation helped to provide food and belated Christmas gifts to children in orphanages in Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes and also worked together with The Fuller Center for Housing to build homes in Pignon. One of our largest endeavors as a church, other than our Sunday services and classes, is our mid-week West Lawn Wednesday (WLW) meals. Each Wednesday from the Labor Day to Memorial Day (with few exceptions such as March 9th and March 23rd) WLUMC opens its doors, our home, to the community, first offering “Food for the Body” and then “Food for the Soul.” We gather to fill our bodies with a delicious home cooked meal prepared by our dedicated kitchen ministry team and then transitions into our mid-week worship and small group programs to then fill our souls. All of the proceeds from our WLW meals are returned into missions in the city of Reading and our national and international mission fund. And if that wasn’t amazing enough, every week countless numbers of brothers and sisters in Reading are fed because of the meals we provide through the following local organizations – New Journey Community Outreach, Opportunity House and HOPE Rescue Mission. Opening our home to invite, embrace and empower those who may not yet know the saving love of our Lord and Savior continues to be West Lawn UMC’s vision. What a powerful and wonderful opportunity it is to be a part of this team who fills the bellies, warms the hearts, and nurtures the souls of so many. What a mission we have! Thank you to those who serve on our mission teams. Thank you to those who serve in our kitchen ministry. Most importantly, thank you to those who join us at the meal each week. Spread the word and join us. Everyone can participate in some way in this very important West Lawn UMC mission, even if it is simply eating the wonderful meal. Everyone has to eat! What a great way for you and your family to support our West Lawn mission, to “Invite, Embrace and Empower all to be the family of God in Christ.” Matthew 25:35-36, 40 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” by Carolann Schneiderhan Worship in our church is an experience of joy and praise. Every element of the service— the music, the scripture and message, the people in the pews, and more—draws us closer to God by inviting us to bring our very best and laying it upon the altar. The flowers that adorn the altar are an important and beautiful symbol of what we offer to God in our worship. The placement of flowers on the alter reminds us of God’s amazing creation and His awesome power. He created beautiful objects for us to enjoy, reminding us daily of His presence in our lives. Every person who attends West Lawn UMC is invited to contribute to the beauty of our worship by giving the altar flowers on a particular Sunday to the glory of God and in memory, thanksgiving, or celebration of loved ones or special events. If you would like to make such a gift, it is as easy as a phone call to Acacia Flower Shop at 610-376-8767 or on line at [email protected]. Acacia will then send an email to the church office with the information that you would like to have printed in the bulletin. For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies. For the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild; Christ, our God, to thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise. ~(United Methodist Hymnal) Thank you in advance for your generosity and for contributing to the beauty of our worship. I NVITE , E MBRACE , E MPOWER P AGE 6 st ” ? e M y h W , s n o i s s i M y “Wh DATE: Saturday, March 5, 2016 6:00 PM PLACE Community Center SPEAKER: David Endy TIME: West Lawn Missions Coordinator and Leadership Team member, Dave Endy, will share how God used his upbringing, personal experiences, and even his business, to lead him into missions. Learn how God turned his sense of community service into real Christian action, and how this led West Lawn UMC to Mississippi. Join us for music, testimony, fellowship, and Holy Communion with Pastor Terry! (See below for more information and upcoming mission trips.) This is a meeting for anyone interested in mission trips in 2016. If you already attended one of the informational meetings, there is no need to attend again unless you want the latest information on the South Carolina trip and Pignon Haiti updates. Some of the trips are very close to being filled and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. NEW: this year has been an intentional scheduling of mission opportunities during summer break for young adults and teachers that typically do not have time to go on trips in the spring or fall. Here are the trips and latest updates: South Carolina April 17-23 Henderson, KY June 26– July 2 Pignon, Haiti July (TBD) Atlantic City, NJ September 18-24 Pignon, Haiti October 8 - 15 Only a few spots left (trip meeting March 8th) Filling up fast Register by MAY 1st Open registration Register by Aug 1 This will be a planning meeting for anyone that has attended the informational meeting and has expressed interest in the trip. All registration paperwork will be distributed during this meeting and registration money will be due to secure your spot. Location and work information will be presented as available. Trip contact is Brian Hibshman, (484) 650-1141 West Lawn is currently testing a new phone, email and text notification system, called “One Call.” This system, which works much like the public school notification systems (i.e.: Connect Ed), allows us to contact every church member within minutes with a voice or text message. During this free trial period, we plan to send out a few reminders and notices to see if this system is something we would want to consider purchasing and using more often in the future. The intent of One Call is not to bombard our congregation with communications, but rather to help quickly communicate any major changes in schedule (such as weather-related cancelations), be reminded of special programs and upcoming events, and ensure everyone gets the correct information. This system does allow us to call and message unique subgroups, such as just parents of youth, members of a particular ministry, families with children in specific grades, etc. We can, therefore, target messages for just select people when necessary. To OPT IN for text alerts, type 22300 in your TO or SEND textbox. Then, in the message, type ALERT. Click Send. In the near future, if you hear your phone ring, your email beep, or your text messaging whistle, look to see if it’s a One Call notice from West Lawn! CROSSROADS P AGE 7 As we draw closer to Holy Week and the celebration of Easter, we want to invite you to our annual Easter Egg Hunt! This family-fun event will take place at the West Lawn playground, as well as in our Community Center, on Saturday, March 19 beginning at 1:00 PM. Right now, we welcome donations of small toys and candy to fill the 1000’s of eggs we will prepare for the kids! Please drop off any donations at the Welcome Center or church office. Also, if you’ve ever attended our children’s events at West Lawn, you know how exciting and popular they quickly become! Our Easter Egg Hunt is no exception. If you have not served recently at a West Lawn event, please consider joining this Easter Egg Hunt team to help hand out prizes, facilitate a family craft, and distribute snacks. We can always use additional helping hands to greet our guests and make the children feel at home! To sign up to serve, contact Kelly Rismiller at [email protected]; 610-507-9141. The West Lawn UMC prayer team invites you to “Come Away With God” as we continue our Lenten journey to the cross and beyond to the empty tomb. On March 12th from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., you are invited to enter into sacred space of the Sanctuary through a Prayer Vigil. “Vigil” refers to a time of close attention or watchfulness. Our prayer vigil is rooted in Scripture. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus asked his disciples to watch and pray with him. (Matt. 26:39-41). As 21st Century Disciples, this morning will be set aside for us to enter into prayer. We will provide guidelines, journals, worship centers, and suggestions. This self-guided vigil will consist of different prayer stations. You may stay for as long as you feel comfortable, whether that is 15 minutes or an hour. However, you may prefer to stay in one place to pray. That is fine, as well. The different stations will consist of the following: Be Still…Centering; Thankfulness & Praise; Confession & Self-Examination; Blessing Enemies/ Forgiveness; Refreshment; Prayers for Church & Community. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this time for prayer and then find time and strength to bless others as you enter the world. Should you have any questions, please direct them to Pastor Andrea or Jean Howe. New Journey Clothing Closet is currently in desperate need of men’s jeans and casual pants, especially sizes 2836, and bath towels. As always, men’s women’s and children’s clothing, as well as bedding, other linens, and small household items are also welcome Food Pantry Needs: Peanut Butter & Jelly, Cereal, Canned Fruits, Vegetables & Pasta. Please drop donations at the church office. Thank you! Looking for Instrumentalists! We are considering forming an orchestra to participate in special services and events. This would NOT be an every-Sunday commitment, but we would see the orchestra enhancing our music program, sometimes alone and sometimes in accompaniment to choirs, adding to the effectiveness of our worship. So, whatever instrument you play— stringed, woodwind, brass, percussion—consider joining us! Please contact Dick Becker ([email protected] or 610-678-5611, Ext. 17) with your interest. Thank you for your consideration. P AGE 8 I NVITE , E MBRACE , E MPOWER Our 2016 West Lawn UMC Relay for Life team is busy getting ready for this year’s relay. We are meeting monthly to plan our fundraising activities as well as preparing for the big event which takes place June 17th & 18th from 2 p.m. Friday thru 2 p.m. on Saturday. We need you!!! Please go to our website and sign up on line at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/wlumc. If you have any questions please contact Barb Piscitello or Jayme Raffauf. Watch the bulletin for our meeting dates and times and watch the monthly newsletters for updates regarding fundraisers and other activities. Speaking of activities we have a big relay-wide fundraiser coming up April 30th – BARK FOR LIFE!!!! We are looking for dog owners and dog lovers to come out and support this fun activity. The American Cancer Society Bark for LifeTM is a noncompetitive walk event for dogs and their owners to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer. Bark for Life takes place at the Ridgewood Winery, LLD, 2039 Philadelphia Ave, Birdsboro, PA for 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. By supporting Bark For Life, you help the American Cancer Society save lives, and that helps us move closer to our ultimate goal of a world with less cancer and more birthdays. So bring your best canine friend and join us for a fun-filled day starting with a walk, and then continuing with demonstrations, contests, and games. If you have any questions, please contact Barb Piscitello or Stephanie Mays. Attention all West Lawn UMC parents! Special Events The Easter Egg Hunt Family Event will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 1:00PM. A great time for family fun and fellowship! Kids Club Kids Club is an exciting opportunity for children to learn and grow through God’s word. Children are given time for book selection from the Children’s Library, then a time for silent reading. The children are enjoying the teacher read aloud of the book, The Mouse and The Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. The children are also exploring their emotions through the Disney movie “Inside Out”. They are discussing their feelings of anger, fear, disgust, sadness and joy. All children from Kindergarten to fifth grade are welcome to join us on Wednesday nights from 6:30PM to 7:45PM. We are in serious need of help on Wednesday nights in Kids Club, anyone interested please contact Allison Piscitelli. Sunday school Please join us on Sunday morning from 9:30AM- 10:30AM for Sunday school. The children are learning about God in fun and interactive ways. Children enjoy learning their weekly lessons through bible stories, crafts, and games. The children are enjoying music class in Sunday school. Miss Helen is visiting the classrooms and teaching the children new songs. Anyone interested in serving as a Sunday school teacher or assistant, please contact Allison Piscitelli, we would LOVE to have your help!!!! Cold and Flu season is here!!!!!!- For the safety of all the children and teachers at West Lawn, children who have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, stomachache, or pink eye should not attend Nursery, Kids Club, Sunday School, Children’s Church or any other Children’s Special Event. CROSSROADS P AGE 9 Thank You For The Feedback! For most of the last month we asked anyone and everyone from the church to fill out a survey about the Youth Ministry program here at West Lawn. We got a good mix of results from students, parents in the group, parents of students about to be in the group and members of the congregation who have a heart for students. We are still processing through the results, but the information provided will help inform things like our summer schedule, our messaging around what the youth are doing and help us to improve communications. The survey may be completed, but I am always open to hearing about ways the youth ministry at West Lawn can better serve the students, parents and larger church community. DID YOU KNOW….. That a lot of time, prayer, planning conversation and preparation went into creating our current format for youth ministry. The students meet three times a week and each meeting has a specific purpose, strategy and desired outcome that is different from the other two weekly meetings. In trying to continue to align the youth ministry with the larger church vision our youth ministry model follows the Three key priorities of West Lawn UMC. To Invite, Embrace and Empower. As a result Sunday Night is our Invite night. Its purpose is to be the soft entry into the Church and youth ministry program and to be a place that is easy to INVITE friends. The strategy is to have fun, play games, sing worship, generate conversations and hear practical messages that can be applied to their life right away. The desired outcome is that students would learn to see Church as a positive place in their life. That gathering together as a body of Christ would become a regular part of their weekly routine. That they would see that the message the Church has to offer is relevant to their daily life and that they would be so positively impacted by their experience in the group that they would naturally want to invite others to share in that same experience. By the grace of God this appears to be working and we have seen a great number of new students come to our Sunday night Youth Group Meetings. CHECK THIS SPOT NEXT MONTH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EMBRACE. Please cut out the below schedule and stick it to your fridge to make sure you don’t miss anything!!! UPCOMING MARCH EVENTS!!! 3/5: 3/9: 3/9: 3/19: 3/23: 3/24: 3/25: 3/27: Bowling @ Berks Lane 2:30-5:30PM ($10) Pizza Dinner in youth room before WLW Megan and Isaac welcome a New Baby!!! WLUMC Led Community Easter Egg Hunt —Students encouraged to help Serve No West Lawn Wednesday (Holy Week) Living Last Supper @ 7:30 in the sanctuary (All youth invited!) Good Friday Worship Service @ 7:30 In the Sanctuary (All youth invited) EASTER Sunday!!! Christ is Risen!!! No Middle School, High School, or Confirmation Class on Easter Morning, please attend service as a family! Youth Group is also cancelled for the evening. Isaac will see you all on March 30th! IMPORTANT!!!! Remember to check the weekly bulletin for more info about upcoming events, weekly meeting times and how to get involved as a leader or a student!!! AGE 10 10 PPAGE INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER Annual Hain’s Church Dinner DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 12th at 6:30 PM PLACE: Hain’s Church, Wernersville MENU: Baked Chicken Entrée ENTERTAINMENT: Rev. & Mrs. David Reinwald COST: $16 Per Person Please make checks payable to Circle of Friends and mail to Harriett Ziegenfuss, 420 Weidman Ave., Sinking Spring, PA 19608 or drop in the COF drop box in the Education Bldg. Deadline for reservations is March 4th. The March selection for Women’s Book Club will be “The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins,” a debut psychological thriller that will change the way you look at other people's lives. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning rattling down the tracks stopping at the signal near where she used to live. She sees the same couple in their daily life to the point she feels like she knows them from these small routine observations. When she sees something shocking and shortly after the wife disappears, everything changed and she is inextricably entwined in the lives of all involved. The filming of this movie began this past fall. Join us on March 2 at 7:00 pm in Room 102 of the Community Center for book discussion and fellowship. Wernersville State Hospital is currently seeking individuals age 18 or older willing to donate their time by playing instruments, singing hymns or performing a concert to our consumers. Music is a universal language and our consumers are so appreciative when members of the community make them feel wanted and cared for. Bingo, fellowship and Bible classes would also be most welcomed. Our consumers are the forgotten population, and contact with the community is an important step in their recovery. ~Kathleen Ellett, Volunteer Resource Coordinator [If anyone is interested in visiting the hospital, please contact the church office for more information] Dear Friends, Your gracious gift of $5,000 is a blessing to the men seeking refuge and life restoration at Hope Rescue Mission. In 2015, over 700 individuals made the journey up our front steps for help. Through your generosity, you are a valued partner in this ministry, and we could not manage all we do without your faithful financial and prayer support. We receive zero funding from the government. Our Discipleship, Safe Haven, Code Blue and Transitional Housing programs feed, house and guide these men, with the goal of restoring them to productive lives. Since the costs needed to minister to these men continue to grow, your on-going contributions are necessary to allow this great work to carry on. As we celebrate 122 years of service to the homeless of Berks County, we praise the Lord for our faithful partners who give sacrificially! May the Lord continue to richly bless your church family and ministries! We thank Him for your generous partnership, and we’re praying for your upcoming trips to Haiti. Sincerely, Robert Turchi, Executive Director CROSSROADS P AGE 11 Scott Ballantyne (8:00 Service) Scott was raised a Methodist, and enjoyed the flexibility of service times at West Lawn. He is married to his high school sweetheart, who is a member of St. Mary’s R.C. Church in Kutztown (so that makes him a “Cathodist” ??). They have two grown children, one of which is getting married this year. He enjoys fishing, boating, motorcycling and flying. Jeanne Boyer & Muriel Boyer (9:30 Service) Jeanne wanted to be part of a church that was doing a lot to help others, and knew that WLUMC was very active in that respect. She also had met Pastor Jeff, his sister Helen and husband Dale, and friends Dan & Sue Allan who attend here. She decided she really liked the church after attending here herself. She is a Registered Nurse at Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, and is also a volunteer tutor at Reading Area Community College. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and very much enjoyed going on the mission trip to Haiti this past January. She likes to read, travel, take walks, Reading Phillies games and Reading Royals games. Jeanne’s mother, Muriel, also began attending West Lawn to see if she would enjoy the services, and found she did. She likes to paint, crochet and spend time with family. OUR SNOW POLICY Allison & Chad Hoofnagle (9:30 Service)During the week, when inclement Allison and Chad were invited to attend services atstrikes, West Lawnwe by take a friend. After attending WLUMC regularly weather our direction for the past 3½ years, they have finally decided to make it their church home. They have been married for 10 the who Wilson District. If Manager for the years, and have two boys, Brady who is 5from and Collin is 2½.School Chad works as an Account Hershey Company, while Allison is a stay-at-home mom whoclose also puts a few hours a week as a PerforWilson schools or indismiss early mance Coach at the Sinking Spring YMCA. Together, they enjoy being outdoors: playing sports, bike riding, due to inclement weather, all events at and walking their dog, Barkely. the church for that day/evening will To WLUMC and Staff, also be postponed. Thank you all very much for the kind words, prayers, and the beautiful planter. On Sundays, if you can safely get When my dad passed away, it was very comforting for us to have so many people from the churchthere offer their encouragement. My dad was a life-long here, willwords be aofworship service. Methodist, and he really enjoyed West Lawn when he would come to church WE GO IN SNOW! with us. Sincerely, Jeff, Lisa & Preston Dear WLUMC, Pastors, and all my church family, I am humbled, grateful and very blessed for the outpouring of love and support I have received from all. I am grateful for the donations you sent to help cover some of my treatments, and also for all who helped make the pancake fundraiser a success. This church is so warm, welcoming and has made me feel so much love. I am so lucky to belong to a church and so very glad Harriett Ziegenfuss mentored me to WLUMC. Love and gratitude, Tammy Keener Braden Alexander Miller son of John & Lori Miller February 21, 2016 Merlin C. Fisher November 10, 1927— February 5, 2016 15 Woodside Avenue West Lawn, PA 19609 www.westlawnumc.org Phone: 610-678-5611 Pastor Jeff Raffauf Pastor Andrea Haldeman Pastor Nick Camacho Pastor Terry Cooney Every Sunday: Worship 8:00 am Traditional Worship 9:00 am Fellowship Time 9:30 am Praise Worship 9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Fellowship Time 11:00 am Celebration Worship 11:00 am Table Talk 11 11:10 am Community Worship 11:30 am Children’s Church OUR SNOW POLICY During the week, when inclement weather strikes, we take our direction from the Wilson School District. If Wilson schools close or dismiss early due to inclement weather, all events at the church for that day/evening will also be postponed. On Sundays, if you can safely get here, there will be a worship service. WE GO IN SNOW! Every Sunday: 13 Sun Meetings at Various Locations 8:00 pm Chancel Choir 7:00 pm Community Groups 7:00 pm Women at the Well 7:00 pm Festival Choir 7:00 pm Goody’s Group 7:00 pm Lenten Study 6:30 pm Kid’s Club 6:30 pm Jr./Sr. Youth Group 6:15 pm Rabold s Small Group 4:30 pm WLW Dinner 3:30 pm Safe Haven 9:30 am Islam Study 7:14 am Prayer Service Every Wednesday: See Sunday Worship @ Left 7 FAMILY PROMISE 1 FAMILY PROMISE OFFICE CLOSED 29 9:00 am F Friends 9:30 am Women of the Bible 9:30 am Romans Bible Study 9:30 am Ephesians 3:00 pm Blood Drive 6:30 pm IGNITE 7:00 pm NA 22 9:00 am F Friends 9:30 am Women of the Bible 9:30 am Romans Bible Study 9:30 am Ephesians 6:30 pm IGNITE 7:00 pm Leadership Team 7:00 pm NA 9:00 am F Friends 9:30 am Women of the Bible 9:30 am Romans Bible Study 9:30 am Ephesians 12:00 pm UMW Luncheon 6:00 pm Bridge of Hope 6:30 pm IGNITE 7:00 pm NA 15 21 28 See Every Wednesday @ Left 7:00 pm Women’s Book Club 2 Wed FAMILY PROMISE 17 FAMILY PROMISE 11:00 am Crafters 4:30 pm Bell Choir 6:30 pm Griefshare 6:30 pm Exercise Class 7:00 pm Little Acts of Love 10 1:00 pm Needlework 4:30 pm Bell Choir 4:30 pm Relay For Life 6:30 pm Griefshare 6:30 pm Exercise Class 7:00 pm Financial Peace 3 Thu See Every Wednesday @ Left 6:30 pm Parenting Class 30 4:30 pm Bell Choir 6:30 pm Griefshare 6:30 pm Exercise Class 31 24 12:00 pm Embrace the Journey 4:30 pm Bell Choir 7:30 pm A Living Portrayal NO WLW Activities for Holy Week except Lenten Study at 7:00 pm 23 See Every Wednesday @ Left 1:00 pm Needlework 7:00 Veterans Affairs Orientation 2:30 pm Food Pantry Set-Up 4:30 pm Bell Choir 6:30 pm Griefshare 6:30 pm Exercise Class 16 8 9 See Every 9:00 am F Friends Wednesday @ Left 9:30 am Women of the Bible 6:30 pm Parenting Class 9:30 am Romans Bible Study 9:30 am Ephesians 6:30 pm IGNITE 7:00 pm Mission Trip Meeting 7:00 pm NA 9:00 am F Friends 9:30 am Women of the Bible 9:30 am Romans Bible Study 9:30 am Ephesians 6:30 pm IGNITE 7:00 pm Diabetes Support 7:00 pm NA Tue 6:30 pm Prayer Team 6:30 pm Courage to Change 6:30 pm Men’s Bible Study 6:45 pm Hoofcamp Exercise 7:00 pm Book of Acts B.S. 7:00 pm Reformation Study 7:30 pm Overeaters Anon. 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry 6:30 pm Courage to Change 6:30 pm Men’s Bible Study 6:45 pm Hoofcamp Exercise 7:00 pm Book of Acts B.S. 7:00 pm Reformation Study 7:30 pm Overeaters Anon. 14 6:30 pm Prayer Team 6:30 pm Courage to Change 6:30 pm Men’s Bible Study 6:45 pm Hoofcamp Exercise 7:00 pm Reformation Study 7:00 pm Book of Acts B.S. 7:30 pm Overeaters Anon. 7:30 pm Prayer Vigil Mtg. Mon 6:30 pm Courage to Change 6:30 pm Men’s Bible Study 7:00 pm Celebración Latina 6:45 pm Hoofcamp Exercise 7:00 pm Book of Acts B.S. 7:00 pm Reformation Study 7:30 pm Overeaters Anon. 27 See Sunday Worship @ Left PALM SUNDAY Baptisms/New Members @ all services 20 Daylight Savings Time 5:30 pm Kids Choir 4-6 6:00 pm Chimers 6:00 pm Tween Group FAMILY PROMISE See Sunday Worship @ Left 8:00 am Traditional Worship 9:00 am Fellowship Time 9:00 am Kid’s Choir K-3 9:10 am Choral Ensemble 9:30 am Praise Worship 9:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Fellowship Time See Sunday 10:30 am Kid’s Choir 4-6 6 Worship @ Left 10:45 am Young Adult SS 12:30 pm Inquirer’s Class 11:00 am Celebration Worship 4:00 pm Missions Meeting 7:00 pm Choral Ensemble 11:00 am Table Talk 11 11:10 am Community Worship 11:30 am Children’s Church 6:00 pm Youth Group FAMILY PROMISE 19 FAMILY PROMISE 8:00 am Exercise Group 8:00 am FF Consignment Sale 9:00 am Shame For Grace Comm. Group 9:00 am Prayer Vigil 6:30 pm COF @ Hain’s 12 8:00 am Exercise Group 9:00 am Shame For Grace Comm. Group 9:00 am Friends of God 6:00 pm 1st Sat. Worship 5 Sat GOOD FRIDAY 26 12:15 pm Contempla- 8:00 am Exercise Group tive Service 7:30 pm Service of Darkness 25 10:00 Newsletter Assembly 8:00 am Exercise Group 2:30 pm Food Pantry 1:00 pm Egg Hunt 18 9:00 am FF Consignment Sale 11 4 Fri MARCH 1 Bella Davis Bianca Gandi Chad Hoofnagle Ella Kahn MARCH 2 Todd Daniels Diana Gaenzle James Kieffer MARCH 3 Joann Brendel Scott Heim Nathan Johnson Charlie Schucker Rory Sellgren Spencer Thenga MARCH 4 Ruth Coleman Sean Devine Diane Marabella Linda Myers David Reinert John Seifert Stacy Skokowski James Hetrich Betty . Lehman Micheal O'Leary Abby Warren MARCH 9 Samantha Scholar Holly Rhodes MARCH 10 Aidan Austin Robert Calkins Bradley Lacey Mark Weitzel MARCH 11 Ryan Bohn J. Michael Eager Mary Hahn Colin McLean Judith O'Connor Dawson Rath Shirley Wealand MARCH 12 Tyler Foster Robert Moorhatch Asa Wilson Doreen Adams Logan Bryan Aiden Gerhart Rachael Hague Cynthia Kohl Kristen Swavely Trevor Woolwine MARCH 6 MARCH 13 MARCH 5 Lori Hills Justin Keel Elaina McGarrigle Melissa Rothenberger Dennis Smith Christopher VanCampen MARCH 7 Michele Frear Kirk Greninger Dennis Mays Daniel McGuire Michelle Miller Noah Pasquale Conner Schaner Debra Schneck Jean Snook Johanna Steudel Megan Wolf MARCH 8 Brian Beddow Ron Eby Scott Fisher Chris Farrell Donna Ulrich Donald Whitney MARCH 14 Amandon Carles Malcolm Mathies Kelly Pruitt Beth Stout Lisa Van Winkle MARCH 15 Talen Brown Karen Hauck Daniel Hetrich Matthew Koehler Sam Kuznet Chloe Marturano Susie Standefer Susan Swavely Gary West MARCH 16 Bobbi Jo Bentz Charles Chubb Linda Donovan Suzanne Gosch Billy Hetrich Jeff Hills Lisa Klee Lisa McGarrigle Michael Nigrelli Alice Petersheim Gavin Petersheim Debra Reaser Andrew Vicari Allie Wildman MARCH 17 Gavin Kirlin William Moser Shannarose Nigrelli Trisha Rabold Jason Mellinger Lizzie Newton Scott Speece Sandy Sublette MARCH 23 Brian Bucher Amy Dallas Michael Grace Jordan Klee Donna Knauth Justin McGarrigle Christine Meister Amanda Mellinger Bob Myer Robert Rio Michael Romberger MARCH 24 Amy Barnett Les Goss Nancy Gruber Rick Lapi Deborah Larkin Lucy Riegel Kathy Wolf Irene Zuber Jodi Detwiler Lois Drumheller Allison Hayick Brenda Mack Myah Marturano Todd Mays Ian Quillman Robert Stiefel Betsy Woodall Robin Zell MARCH 19 MARCH 25 Andrew Johns Jennifer Kofke Kandis Moser Michael Paolini Becca Schweitzer Tom Wertz MARCH 18 MARCH 20 Nolan Babb Kathryn Fleming Greg Hill Maryann Long Ker Massengale Nicole Mathis Carter Young MARCH 21 Morgan Baldwin Laura Hoag Ashleigh . Kochel Darla Sachetta Beverly Snyder MARCH 22 Bernard Behrenshausen, Jr Olivia Conrow John Drumheller Luke Heilmann Ronald Lubas Emily Witman Debbie Wyrick MARCH 29 Karl Eisele * Joyce Mays Christine Orzechowski Larry Thomas MARCH 30 Mary Clark Fred Cutts John Donovan Cullin McGrath Grace Piscitelli Gabe Prutzer Jaylinn Rivera Ruth Stephens Jan Stetzler Lorene Szoke Anna Thomas Allison Westbrook MARCH 31 Jason Dutt Abby Kaikai Jean Matz Valerie Warmkessel MARCH 26 Kay Hawk Ian Metzgar Cris Webb Hilda Weller * Jane White MARCH 27 Beverly Connor Bill King Emily McGarrigle Theodore Ruth Valerie Schell David Weaver Joshua Weber Trey Yetter *Hilda Weller 1011 Berks Road, Rm 314 Leesport, PA 19533 *Karl & Jean Eisele The Highlands, Apt. 302 2000 Cambridge Ave. Wyomissing, PA 19610 MARCH 28 Madeline DeJesus Jean Eisele * Konnor Farr Brian Gall Bryce Hall Rod Hannahoe Joan Happel Darryl McDonough If we have inadvertently forgotten your birthday, please contact the church @ 610-678-5611