Tales and testimony from the people of Chelsea First United

Tales and testimony from the people of
Chelsea First United Methodist Church
Volume 1• Number 1
Summer/Fall 2009
Chelsea, Michigan
Contents
Illuminate me
Peace and Laundry
New members
An Ohio Tale, Summer 2009
Because Cancer Doesn’t Sleep
Pentecost Flowers
A Pleasant Talk with Jane Schairer
Cass is a Place Where
Like a Bright Beacon
Concert series
Ode from Joy
Voices heard
2
3
3
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
19
20
This space is dedicated to lifting the individual
voices of the people of Chelsea First United
Methodist Church. If you would like to share
your testimony or tale, photography or art work,
please send your submission to
[email protected]. This publication can
also be found on the church web site:
www.chelseaumc.org.
Did you know every staff meeting starts with a devotion
offered by rotating staff members? Not just a prayer, but
with a devotion brought to the table reflecting that person’s immediate experience and spiritual state of mind.
Recently, Liza Gray, church secretary, gave a devotion
that arose from her experience organizing a food drive
for Faith in Action with the Boy Scouts. After the long
day’s drive was over, she was tallying up all the donations of food and supplies and noted that 69 bottles of
laundry detergent had been collected. She noted that each bottle represented 75
washloads, and was overwhelmed by the vision of all the laundry that will be
done (5175 loads) because of the generosity of others. She told everyone, “It’s
the little things that count.” The following Sunday, someone told her that they
had always shared the peace only with people they knew, but for some reason
they had stepped out of their comfort zone and passed the peace to someone unfamiliar to them. That person gratefully shared the peace and said
they particularly needed it that day for private reasons. That step
toward someone new made everyone’s Sunday. “It’s the little
things that count.” Liza urged us all to have integrity in performing the little actions in our lives, knowing that the results multiply
beyond our imagining.
3
On June 25th, Drew Vanderspool and his
grandma, Barbara Brown, drove to the
Appalachian region of East Liverpool,
Ohio. For the next three days, they participated in mission projects along with
four other families. Ginghamsburg United
Methodist Church sponsored the trip.
Their hosts were Pastor Terri Weyand
and his wife Kelly from the Avondale
Baptist Church. The team stayed in the
Bradley House, a fellowship hall next to
the church. After getting acquainted with
the other four children and their parents,
purchasing groceries for the next three
days, and having dinner, the team hit the
streets. They passed out bottles of water
and invitations to a Fun-Festival to be
held the next night at the church.
Day two began with a tour of The Way
Station, a community resource center directed by Kelly Weyand. Drew donated
umbrellas and blankets that were made
earlier that week by the children in our
Vacation Bible School. Afterwards, the
team went to Ezra House, a home for recovering drug addicts. The facility houses
up to 44 children, ages 13 - 17. At Ezra
House, the team painted three of the girls’
bedrooms a soft yellow. While they were
there, Drew donated 50 tote bags decorated by the VBS children. Each bag contained shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste,
comb, brush, soap, and other personal
care products. With money donated from
our VBS, flowers were purchased for
eight planters located in the courtyard.
4
The children enjoyed pulling weeds,
putting in the new plants, and watering them – and each other. Getting
ready for the Fun-Festival was a lot
of fun. Hot dogs were roasted,
games were set up, craft tables were
arranged, and water balloons were
filled. At 6:00, children and their
parents and grandparents began arriving. For the next hour and a half,
over forty children had a great time.
East Liverpool!
On Saturday afternoon, the team
traveled to nearby Tomlinson Run
State Park in West Virginia. There
was a pool with a wonderful water
slide for everyone to enjoy after two
days of hard work. Sunday morning,
the team attended Sunday School
and worship at Avondale Baptist
Church, then headed for their homes
in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tipp
Drew and Barbara were responsible City, Ohio.
for the crafts, and they were a hit!
Visor hats, decorated with stickers,
Highlights of the trip:
were proudly worn, with the price
tag hanging on the back…a fashion
● Meeting Jesse, who lives
statement. Everyone left with a pair across the street from the church, and
of flip-flops. The boys liked theirs
who joined the team for evening
plain, and the girls spent a long time meals and Bible study time
decorating them with colorful rib● Getting to know the children
bons. One papa sat for over an hour at the Fun-Festival - twins Joel and
tying the ribbons for his 5-year-old Jacob, and Mary, the girl who bought
granddaughter. The neighborhood
a new dress to wear to the event uschildren left with bags of prizes, full ing money her grandmother sent her
tummies, new flip-flops and visor
for an excellent report card
caps, happy memories, and an invita● Working with Pastor Terri
tion to attend church with the team
and Kelly, who are devoted to their
on Sunday.
church, Ezra House, and the Way
Station
On Saturday morning, the team fin● Visiting two friendly fireished painting the bedrooms at Ezra men who gave us a tour of the fireHouse, and then took on the three
house, including the living quarters
picnic tables in the patio. When they and museum
left at noon, the patio looked very
● Learning from each other
different from the day before. While during Bible study time each evening
the others were painting, Barbara
before bedtime
taught the girls of Ezra House how to
decorate flip-flops with ribbons.
Drew and Barbara’s trip was enThey loved the project, were proud hanced by the resources provided by
of their results, and some wanted to the children and their families in Vamake extra pairs for girls who were cation Bible School, and by the
not there. In all, about sixty new
Missions Team.
pairs of flip-flops are being worn in
5
Lang and Diana Ramsay
Patti Marble
Greg Kuras
Janet Kuras
Karen and John Eisley
6
Jenny and Jon Ellegood
Kyle and Jocelyn Webber
Virginia and Earle McIntosh
Mary Nicewander
Bev Dronen
Vivian and Richard Lamorte
Jack and Bev Crump
7
The sky turns navy blue and
the glow of over a thousand bags of
light guide walkers around the gravel
track. One by one, the names on
those bags are read aloud. Folks listen for the names of their loved ones,
who have died from cancer and give
hugs to the loved ones still here who
have survived it. The luminary walk
is an evening of sad memory for
some, celebration for others, and
hope for everyone.
Chelsea First United Methodist
Church had 200 luminary bags this
year. It is unknown how many were
dedicated to survivors, and how
many were in memoriam.
8
Many contributors didn’t say.
All wanted to remember someone who faced cancer and hoped to
make a difference in the lives of other
cancer patients by supporting the
activities of the American Cancer
Society.
Mackenzie, Mary, Ruth, and I
huddled around the fire pit that continually blazed for us as we snuggled
in our sleeping bags. We were the
four girl team that kept the “relay”
walk alive during the wee hours of
the morning from Saturday into
Sunday. Other teammates were
sleeping in the tent a few feet away.
One of us would grab the team flag,
a spirally, sparkly thing on a stick,
and proudly carry it around the
track for a lap or sometimes three.
When our hands and feet got icy, we
handed the flag to a partner and
popped into her toasty bag for
awhile. Mary graciously went for
coffee for us at 4:00 am and found a
line at McDonald’s! It was a beautiful, cold, clear night and the lminaria lit the way far into the early
morning. Time to reminisce and to
celebrate and watch the sun come
up.
Participating in the entire Relay for Life is a pretty exhausting
experience, but cancer doesn’t sleep,
so maybe at least for 48 hours to
take a stand, we shouldn’t either.
We’ll be back next year!
9
10
What happens when
spills out the doors an
We show ou
the spirit of Pentecost
nd into the community?
ur true colors.
11
I had the pleasure of a long conversation with Jane Schairer in which
she talked about her seventeen and a half
years as the Director of Christian Education here at Chelsea First United Methodist Church. We sat in her living room
at in the Dancey House apartments while
she reminisced about those years. “I
never looked upon myself as a leader,”
12
she said. “It was something I was enjoying, and was having fun doing.” That enjoyment must have been visible to everyone, since many in our congregation
have fond memories of seeing Jane at her
desk in the Education lobby on Sunday
mornings. She greeted all the children
and their parents as they came in, and
made them feel welcome in the church.
She herself remembers those who
welcomed her through Sunday School or
who worked in Christian Education:
Gertrude Daniels, Alice Schmunk and
Dorothy Beach are only three of the
many names she mentioned. Jane believed her “volunteer staff” of Sunday
School teachers needed her support and
attention on Sunday mornings, so she always made herself available to help in
any way they needed. In addition,
each month she held training sessions
and devotions for the teachers. She remembers her teachers as “a wonderful
cadre of volunteers.”
Recruiting Sunday School teachers
is always something of a daunting task,
and Jane recruited her “volunteer staff”
in a unique way. First, she would ask
those teaching at the time if they would
be willing to serve another year. Many of
them clearly said yes, because some people served for ten years or more. She
mentioned in particular the long service
of Chris and Dan Cobb, and Carol Kattula and Muriel Boyd. When Jane had a
position she needed to fill, she began a
time of prayer, and asked for the Lord’s
help so she could discern who might be
best equipped to serve as a teacher.
When she approached someone to teach,
Jane never pushed. Instead, she would
call them on the phone to convey her request for them to teach. She asked them
not to give her a response over the
phone, but rather to take a week or so to
talk about the one-year commitment with
their families. Meanwhile, Jane continued her time of prayer, asking that the
Lord give the potential teacher the insight necessary to make such a decision.
After a week’s time, she would take her
Christian Education materials to the person and sit with them while she showed
them all the material they would use over
the year. Again, she asked that the person
not make a decision right away, but
rather to take another week or two to
consider. Jane continued in her time of
prayer, asking for good discernment on
everyone’s part. With such a thoughtful
approach, it’s no wonder she had teachers
who worked with her for so long!
Jane’s teaching career spanned
many years. Her first job was teaching in a
one room rural school. She had seventeen
kids spread through eight grade levels,
which was a challenge. But since she herself had gone to a rural school as a child,
she was familiar with the setting, and the
pot-bellied stove that was the only source
of warmth in the winter. “Can you imagine,” she asked, “what a February day was
like? I never could have made it without
Bob Brown. He was the best fire-maker.”
They had to get to the school early enough
to get the fire lit for the stove to heat the
room for the children. Jane also taught 1st
grade in the Chelsea and Manchester
schools, and then in the Nursery Co-op
which several CFUMC women founded.
Before becoming the Director of
Christian Education, Jane was President of
the Conference United Methodist Women.
There were five hundred UMW groups in
the Detroit Conference, an area that covered all of eastern Michigan and the Upper
Peninsula. Jane visited many of those five
hundred UMW groups during her four
years as President. At various times she
also served the UMW as Vice-President,
District Secretary of Missionary Education, and Secretary of Youth Work. She has
memories of the era when the UMW was
founded, a time when, as she said with a
smile: “the men didn’t think we could do
it.” But the women dedicated themselves
to the welfare of women, children and
youth. For their first project, they raised
enough money to send one nurse and one
teacher to India for a year. Those mission-
aries sponsored by the church had constant
support from UMW. For a time, Jane herself kept up a correspondence with all the
missionaries in India, Africa, and Japan.
Jane recalled her first memories of
attending church at CFUMC. She began
attending Sunday School in 1929, a time
when people often used horse-drawn wagons to get to church. Since the road to the
church was dirt, it became muddy when it
rained or snowed. The drivers of the wagons would pull right up to the steps at the
entrance, and greeters helped the passengers go from wagon to church without getting their feet muddy. She mentioned the
parsonage, which used to be next door to
the church, and the building of the Education Wing. Throughout all these changes,
Jane served CFUMC and the greater community. “I’ve had fun with all my jobs,”
she said, “and I’ve met some wonderful,
wonderful
people.”
All who know
Jane would
agree that she
herself is
rather
wonderful.
13
Furniture donations are given free to those in need.-
20,000 meals are served
each week.
Nourishing food is
very welcome.
14
The Activity Center for the adult mentally impaired
literally rocks!
Where Chelsea volunteers prepare to go
with plenty of food and good will.
Where’s there always
something to paint.
Where you can see the
fireworks from the
shelter’s parking
lot!
Where Rev. Faith Fowler will probably show up to
make you laugh and work all the harder.
Where abandoned tires are turned
into indestructible welcome mats.
Where someone who came to Cass for a last chance
can persevere and become the Cass employee
of the year and a motivator to all.
15
If you had told me ten years
ago that after a long day at work, I
would willingly give up on my
Monday Night Football, (broadcast
in high definition, no less) to spend time with a
bunch of strangers in a Bible study group at
church, I would have told you that you were out
of your mind.
However, that was ten years ago, and not
only did I make this commitment once, but I’ve
done it a total of three times over the last four
years. And each time I committed to it, I did so
for thirty-four weeks at a time! And maybe most
strangely of all, I did so quite willingly. (Though I
do now record Monday Night Football for later
viewing.)
Why the transformation? And wasn’t I
afraid of becoming some Bible toting, scripture
spewing suit that both my family and friends
would want to avoid? No, I haven’t become that
type of person, (my wife and daughter can attest to
that), but I just wanted to become a better more
complete and grounded person. I also had felt an
urge for quite some time to get a better understanding of the Bible. Sure, I listened to the scripture readings in church each week, the old familiar
verses that I had heard since I was a child. They
provided me a snapshot of the Bible, but I was
looking for a bigger more comprehensive picture.
I also had to admit that my knowledge of the Bible, God’s word, was weak at best.
So at nearly fifty years of age, and with
much trepidation, I tentatively signed up for Disciple I in September of 2005, not knowing what to
expect. Along with me were nineteen other brave
souls, most of whom I did not know, who also
were trying to figure out what they had gotten
themselves into, but who also wanted a better understanding of the Bible. It didn’t take long for
Joy Barrett and Max Plank to help put us at ease as
they outlined the course for the year, give us the
ground rules for faithful participation, and prepare
us for the fairly heave work load in the readings
that awaited us. In my Disciple II & III
16 classes, the members took turns preparing a
lesson and leading the discussion.
Here are some of the reasons why Disciple
classes were worth the time and effort:
First of all, they provided a structured, challenging learning approach for me. As bad as that
might sound, it simply means that there were assigned readings that needed to be done each week
in both our study Bibles and in our study manuals.
I don’t want to sugar coat the readings; the amoun
of reading varied from week to week, but some
weeks they could be quite lengthy. The course
study was set up for about an hour’s worth of read
ing a night, six days a week. While this may seem
like a lot, I found that most nights I could finish it
with a quiet hour of study after dinner, instead of
watching television. All of this was important to
me because it forced me to stay on top of the readings. I personally needed this type of disciplined
approach to Bible study, rather than trying to learn
it on my own. It is way too easy to give up Bible
study on your own when it becomes tedious, frustrating and incomprehensible.
Secondly, Disciple assumes you know nothing about the Bible. You don’t have to be embarrassed about what you don’t know or how much
you think other people already know. Everything
starts with the Bible, and everything builds from
there. The study Bibles help you to understand
what is being written in clear understandable English along with accompanying insights, persons
and events. The study manual helps to point out
key ideas, historical information and give you an
overall perspective on what you are studying. Any
confusion or questions arising from the readings
can always be brought before the group. These
-
.
nt
dm
-
n
can often lead to lively discussions that are
thought provoking and aimed at getting everyone
involved.
Thirdly, Disciple Class is worth the effort
because of the interaction with your fellow students. They, like you, are there because they want
a better understanding of the Bible and what it
means to be a disciple. They, like you, often have
the same questions and doubts about the readings
and can bring a new perspective that you never
considered. They, like you, are trying to balance
work, family, and all the ups and downs of today’s
crazy, fast paced life styles with the overall question of “What does it all mean? Why am I here?”
Fourthly, Disciple Class will give you the
opportunity to make friends for life. After spending thirty-four weeks together studying and discussing the Bible, along with man related discussions pertaining to life, religion, politics and family, you will come to know the other members of
your group quite well before you are done.
-
Over cake each week at break time (yes
- there is cake, along with pie, ice cream and other
decadent concoctions), you get the opportunity to
relax and learn what is going on in the lives of
your fellow disciple members. We know each
other well, we are comfortable with each other,
and I consider most of them to be among my dear- est of friends. As a group, we have laughed together many times, (maybe more often than a Bible study group should), and on occasion, we have
cried together also. But through Bible study, we
y have come to know each other and trust each
other. As an example, a few weeks ago, I hit a
deer with my car that has so far done six grand in
damage. I sent a few pictures of the damage and a
cryptic message out to friends and family by
email. I was really bummed out, even though I
was glad nobody got hurt. Among the first responses were from some of my Disciple III class
members, who offered their support, sympathy and
encouragement along with their own past experiences with deer. If I had never taken Disciple, I
never would have gotten to know these fine people, my friends today. (And who out there has too
many friends already?)
Last of all, the Disciple classes have been a
steadying rock-like influence in my life. In today’s rough economic climate, with all of Michigan’s job losses and cut-backs, it can be tough to
stay upbeat and positive. Many families face
housing foreclosure, tough credit and ever tightening family budgets. It is easy to feel lost intimidated and overwhelmed if any of these problems
descend on you. Meeting in Disciple on Mondays
has given me the opportunity to re-ground myself
each week. For a few hours each week, I can forget about the daily problems of life and relax with
my Disciple friends as we tackle that week’s lesson together. It gives me the opportunity to sit
back for a moment each week, to remember the
things in life that are important, and to try and
keep a proper perspective on things that are not.
On Mondays, thirty-four weeks a
year, Disciple Class is like a bright beacon
in the sky to me, brightening up the darkness of economic abyss, and leading me
back to the path of discipleship,
if I have strayed.
17
The 2009-2010 concert series will kick off with “Friends of First United
Methodist Church” on Friday, September 11, 2009, featuring some of our very own
musicians. The concert will be at 7:00 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Featured performers will be Brian Brill, Piano; Max Plank, Saxophone; Cynthia Standefer, Flute;
Kyle Webber, Organ and Susie Wescott, Sporano. The program will feature a variety of works with a jazz flavor. The featured piece on the program will be Claude
Bolling’s “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio.” Cynthia Standefer will be featured
flutist with Brian Brill on piano. Two student musicians from the University of
Michigan will fill out the trio on bass and drums. Claude Bolling was born in
France in 1930 and wrote “Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio” in 1975. Bolling is a
renowned jazz pianist, composer and arranger. Bolling has written music for over
100 films and has worked with musicians such as Jean-Pierre Rampal, Lionel
Hampton, Duke Ellington, and Yo-Yo ma. Kyle and Brian will present a piece by
Kansas born composer Dr. Joe Utterback called “Images” for piano and organ. Dr.
Utterback’s works have won him ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers) awards annually since 1991. Selections by American composer and
pianist George Gershwin, will be featured by Max Plank on saxophone and sung by
Susie Wescott. The audience will also hear an organ solo “Adagio for Strings” by
Samuel Barber transcribed by William Strickland. Barber’s “Adagio for Strings”
originated as the second movement in his String Quartet No. 1 Op. 11 composed in
1936. The work has a somber tone and is sometimes played at funeral services or
during times of remembrance. However, there is no indication that this was Barber’s intent for the work. One of the many performances of the work included a late
September 2001 performance by the Northwest Indiana Symphony in Merrillville,
Indiana as a remembrance of those who died on September 11, 2001. Because September 11, 2009 will be the 8th anniversary of this attack on our country, it seems appropriate to present this wonderful piece of music at this concert.
On Sunday, November 8, 2009, Martha Folts and Alice Van Wambeke will
be featured in a concert of duo harpsichords. The concert will be held at 4:00 p.m.
in the church sanctuary and will feature a variety of works by J.S. Bach, W.F. Bach
and Rameau.
Every concert in the series is free and open to the public.
This series of free concerts would not be possible without the extreme
generosity of our sponsors from within our congregation and also
18 from the community of Chelsea.
“You are here to be light,
bringing out the
God-colors in the world.
I’m putting you
on a light stand to shine!
Keep open house;
be generous with your lives.
By opening up to others,
you’ll prompt people
to open up with God”
Matthew 5:14-16, The Message
These words of Jesus came to mind as I read through the pages of this first
issue of If These Stones Could Talk. My heart is warmed with the abundant
evidence of the light of Christ being lifted up in and through the people of our
congregation. Lives are being changed and hearts are opened to God.
You reflect the light of Christ in the world.
As we prepare for autumn and the beginning of a new program year in the
church, it is my great hope and prayer that these words of Jesus will stay
uppermost in our minds. Each of us, from the youngest to the oldest,
from the newest members to those with longest history , takes our place
as “a light bringing out the God-colors in the world.”
In our learning, in our worship, and in our play, we are invited and challenged, inspired and equipped to carry Christ-light everywhere we go.
Christian living, after all, is not a spectator sport.
Yours in Christ’s light and hope,
Joy
19
Voices heard
Peace and Laundry ……..Liza Gray
An Ohio Tale, Summer 2009……..Barbara Brown
New Member Montage …...Rob Long, photography
Because Cancer Doesn’t Sleep…...Bev Dronen
Pentecost Flowers Montage…...Breanna Wooster
A Pleasant Talk with Jane Schairer…...Debbie Kennedy
Cass is a Place Where…...Moog
Like a Bright Beacon…...Patrick Engel
2009-2010 Concert Series…...Kyle Webber
Ode from Joy…...Rev. Joy Barrett
Stone photography……..Joan Kelley
Photos of Joy and Bella…...Breanna Wooster
Communications editorial team:
Casey Wooster and Lynn Booth