The Messenger | June 2015 - Montgomery United Methodist Church
Transcription
The Messenger | June 2015 - Montgomery United Methodist Church
Sunday, June 14th Please join us for the It’s not too late to register for our summer fitness church picnic sponsored camp! by the Together in Life Committee on Sunday, June 14th from 3:00 to 6:00pm. Fitness camp is designed for children ages 4-7 and will be held June 29th through July 3rd, from 9:30 to Enjoy good food, good fellowship, and fun for the whole family! Fried chicken will be provided, and we 11:00am each day. are asking that families bring dishes based on the first Don’t let your kids miss out on this wonderful letter of your last name: opportunity! Karen Skidmore’s education, training, experience, and enthusiasm for kids make her the A-G - Side Dish (salad, pasta, beans) perfect person to motivate and inspire your kids to be H-O - Fruit or Veggie Tray P-Z - Dessert the best they can be! Please contact Kim Kelley if you have any questions. The cost for each camper is $25. Camp applications are available in church office or on the church website, montumc.org. Holiday Food Baskets - (4th of July Picnic) Summer is coming quickly and we are preparing a picnic basket for the Holiday Food Basket families. The Holiday Food Basket Committee realizes that Independence Day is not a religious holiday, but the summertime is very difficult for these families. Many of them depend on food programs through the schools that don’t run in the summer. Traditionally food banks are low this time of year. So the 4th of July seemed like a perfect holiday to help these families one more time. The committee will be putting together a picnic basket with all the fixings: hot dogs, hamburgers, pickles, potato salad, baked beans, chips, watermelon etc. We also want to help fill the families' pantries with food for breakfasts and lunches for the children. You can help by making monetary donations for the perishable foods or by bringing in one of the non-perishable items below. Sunday School classes are being asked to help with specific items but all donations are accepted. Please place all food items in the coatroom or in classroom B. Monetary donations can be put in Rosa Mandich’s mailbox in the coatroom; please mark it as being for the “Holiday Food Baskets.” (continued on page 12) Page 2 June 1 June 7 June 14 Newsletter submission deadline for the J uly-August edition Summer Sunday School schedule begins. See ar ticle on page 7. Church Picnic, 3:00pm to 6:00pm June 19 Frederick Keys baseball game vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks, 7:00pm at Har r y Gr ove Stadium. Gates open at 6:00pm. June 20 Men's Breakfast, 7:37am in the Fellowship Hall June 21 Happy Father's Day! Deadline for donations for 4th of July Holiday Food Baskets June 22 Heritage Circle Luncheon, 12:00 noon at Mountain Gate Restaur ant. Meet at chur ch at 11:00am to carpool. June 29 through July 3 Summer Fitness Camp for childr en ages 4-7, 9:30 to 11:00am each day at the church July 4 Happy Independence Day! July 6 through July 10 Vacation Bible School, 9:00am to 12:00 noon each day Attention, Guys! Men’s Breakfast June 20th The next Men’s Breakfast, and our last one prior to September, is scheduled for Saturday, June 20th, at 7:37am, in the Fellowship Hall. Please join us for some really good food and a great time of fellowship! Dress is extremely casual. We’re usually done by 9:00, so you have plenty of time to get things done the rest of the day. Hope to see you there! Heritage Circle News -- Luncheon June 22nd The annual Heritage Circle luncheon will be held on June 22rd at the Mountain Gate Restaurant in Thurmont. Lunch begins at 12:00 pm. Those who wish to drive or ride with others should plan to meet at 11:00am at the church. Please contact Kate Warfield or Gloria Warfield if you plan to attend and if you will be meeting at 11:00am for transportation. Vacation Bible School -- Excitement Building! Test tubes are bubbling and excitement is building for our 2015 Vacation Bible School, scheduled for July 6th through July 10th. More than 200 children and volunteers will fill the hallways and grounds of our church building from 9:00am to 12:00 noon each day as we discover God’s Plan 4U=Jesus! at Son Sparks Labs. Each fun-filled day will include a Bible lesson, a craft, music, snack, recreation, and a hilarious theme-based skit. Most classes are filled to overflowing, but if your child is not registered and would like to attend, please contact Marti Seraphin at 301-253-4460 x107. List of items needed is on page 4. Page 3 June is the month for Father’s Day. As I think about what to say that can be of value to fathers, I recall a book, Temptations Men Face, by Thomas Eisenmann. His book lists several temptations that can get in the way of our being the fathers we should be and the fathers our Heavenly Father wants us to be. Let me share a few thoughts based on his book. The first temptation fathers need to face (and avoid) is the temptation to give things instead of giving ourselves (our presence and our personal involvement). I saw a statistic which says the average father only spends 15 minutes a day with his children. Our children need our presence. This includes things like attending a ball game, or a band concert, or church. It includes being there when homework calls for a father’s encouragement. We can’t always be present, but nothing takes the place of a father who gets involved. Another temptation to avoid is to save our best for the workplace. We don’t have an endless supply of emotional energy, enthusiasm, humor, etc. Sometimes fathers use up these things at work and leave virtually nothing for the end of the day. The result: our wives and kids get only leftovers! What we fathers need to do is to pace ourselves. Otherwise we will be lifeless, negative, and perhaps boring around the house. We rather should think ahead, maintain our priorities, and keep our families joyfully surprised! Next, we must avoid giving lectures, and learn to respect by listening and learning. God’s word tells us we should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (see James 1:9). All too often, our normal tendency is to first get mad, then to shout, and finally (perhaps) we listen. Dads must remember that our home is not an extension of the office; our wife and children are not our employees. We may get respect at work automatically. At home, we must earn it the old-fashion way. We must work for it! The last temptation I want to consider, and that we need to avoid, is the temptation to demand perfection from those under our roof. Remember that even an all-star baseball player who bats .350 still makes an out, 65 of 100 at-bats. It’s all too easy to set our expectations for our wife and our kids out of reach, expecting them to bat a thousand. The Bible tells us (see Ephesians 6:4) not to exasperate our children. And a kid who can never jump quite high enough is surely an exasperated kid. And the cause, perhaps, is a father who mistakenly thinks good coaching is always raising the bar! I must acknowledge no father is perfect either. But surely, dads, I hope you agree with me about our need to avoid these temptations. Father’s Day is a day when we expect gifts. But just think: what greater gift can we give our families than avoiding these temptations if they are a part of our lives. Our fathers are not perfect, but one more thing he is: he’s your dad, the only one you will ever have! More than any gift you can buy, what he really needs from you on this Father’s Day is to hear you say, “Dad, I love you!” If it is possible, I hope you will tell him that on this special day. Pastor Ken Page 4 Vacation Bible School -- (Continued from page 2) Help is needed providing snack items for each day. Items needed are: 1000 5 oz. cups 1200 napkins 5 large canisters (Costco or Sam’s Club size) Country Time Lemonade drink mix 7 boxes Ritz crackers 5 12 oz tubs whipped cream cheese 3 Large cans Reddi Whip (or alternate brand) 20 large pkg cherry jello 20 large pkg lemon jello 16 large pkg berry blue jello 10 boxes Nabisco Honey Grahams 4 cans white icing 2 boxes fruit by the foot (any flavor) 3 large boxes EACH—Cheerios, goldfish, mini pretzels, mini marshmallows All items can be dropped off in the church office. Please leave items there by June 30th. KITSS News (Keeping In Touch with Students and Service Members) The school year flew by again this year. The kids will be home or maybe they are already home. Enjoy your time with them. This past school year we sent packets to 26 college students and seven military personnel. Each month we try to coordinate packet contents with a color or holiday for the month. As a service project, the Confirmation Class took on the full task of completing the April packets. We are now starting to prepare for our graduation acknowledgements in June. If your child is graduating or graduated in the fall, please reach out to a team member and let us know. Our team contact information is provided below. We have started compiling the graduation announcement and would like to include your child and his or her future plans. If your child is heading on to graduate school, we would love to keep him/ her on our mailing list. Look for a graduation insert in the weekly church bulletin coming soon. Over the summer months, we will continue to send monthly packets to our seven military personnel. We are so grateful for their daily dedication, commitment and service they provide to our country. If you know of someone we should be keeping in touch with, we would love to add that person to our mailings. We know that the kids enjoy getting our packets and are thankful for our ministry to them. In Christ’s Love, Sharyl Corsetto and Susan King, KITSS Co-Chairs You may contact any KITSS team member or the church office @301-253-4460: Page 5 The halls are quiet now as our 31st school year finished up on Friday, May 29th. We had a busy month, with outdoor days, “Muffin’s with Mom” for our 4 year old students and their Moms, the school picnic, the end of the year “Moving On" ceremonies for our 4’s and Pre-K’s, and of course all our regular monthly units. In June we reorganize as we clean up and put away from this past year and start looking forward to the 201516 school year. We do have a few afternoon spots available for the fall in our 3’s and 4’s classes. If you know of anyone interested, please ask them to contact the school office at 301-253-4884 or email the director at [email protected]. It was a great year! We hate saying good-bye to our students but look forward to seeing many of them again in the fall. We will truly miss all those MMCC students (and their families) who are graduating and moving on to the next step in their educational journey. Our hope is that when leaving MMCC, each of our students will take with them a love of God, a love of school, and the knowledge that they are a special child of our loving God. Have a blessed summer! Margaret Olsen May 6, 2015 - Muffins with Mom Page 6 Confirmation Class 2015 Our 2015 Confirmation class has been meeting weekly since the beginning of February. Members of this group, led by Eric and Laura Stancliff, were received into full membership in the church during the 9:30am worship service on May 17th. God has truly blessed all of us with these fantastic young people. We ask for your continued prayers for them, for their leaders and for their parents. Members of our 2015 Confirmation Class Christy Powell (joined on May 10th) Matthew Apostolico Megan DeGrouchy Emma France Richi Salters Vicki Salters Bri Skidmore Payton Smith Payton Twiford Hannah Walters Thanks, Eric & Laura, for all the time, energy, and love you gave to all the members of this class! Page 7 Help Wanted! To ensure the best possible Christian Education program for our congregation this fall, we need YOU to volunteer. Here are some of our needs: Teachers and helpers for our Sunday School program for children and youth Adults who are interested in facilitating adult groups, either on Sundays, Wednesday nights or at any other time during the week. Leaders for Children’s Church during the 11:00 worship celebration. Please prayerfully consider your spiritual gifts, your interests, and your time. Especially this year, when we will be transitioning to a new Christian Education Director, if you feel called to help in any of these areas, please contact the church office, 301-253-4460. It’s not too early to plan for the fall! Summer Sunday School As we approach the summer vacation season, here are the plans for our summer Sunday School program: For children, toddler through 3rd grade: Sunday School will continue through the summer. Beginning on June 7th, we will combine some classes: Toddlers will meet in Room 2. Preschool 3’s & 4’s will meet in Room 7/9. Kindergarten and first grade will meet in Room 4. Second and third grade will meet in Room 8/10. For 4th/5th graders, middle school and high school youth: May 31st will be the last day for regular Sunday School for these youth until the fall. Beginning on June 7th, all of this group are encouraged to attend 9:30 worship together or with their families. Activities will continue for the youth throughout the summer. These activities will be announced well in advance. For Adults: Our adult study groups will set their own meeting schedules for the summer. Upcoming National Christian Choir Patriotic Concert You are invited to join the National Christian Choir in worship at a patriotic concert on Sunday, June 28th, 6:00pm, at Victory Church, 2870 Middle Road, Winchester, Virginia. Please see Sandy Day, Nancy Hood, or Donna or Skip Isaacs if you need additional information or directions to the church. Page 8 Health Ministry Monthly Tips… With the business of our spring season and all that comes with it…STRESS may play a bigger part in your life than you realize. Take a look at some fun facts about this phenomenon and tips for how to manage it. Shake, Shake, Shake It Off! Whether it is pressure at work, financial worries or relationship difficulties, most of us experience stress at some point in our lives. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, about 75% of Americans reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress within the past month. Many who have experienced pressurized situations may have found that we perform better under such circumstances. This instant boost in concentration and determination is due to a “flight-or-fight” response; a process that identifies a threat and quickly releases hormones that encourage us to protect ourselves from perceived harm. When our “fight-or-flight” response overreacts as a result of constant threat exposures, detrimental health problems can arise. According to the American Institute on Stress, approximately two out of three doctor visits are stress related. The common effects of stress can impact not only our mood and behavior, but our bodies too. Have you ever experienced headaches, inability to sleep, chest pain, muscle tension, or an upset stomach when stressed? This was not a coincidence. It’s our body’s way of telling us it is time slow down and relax. By utilizing stress management techniques, we can decrease blood pressure, lower heart rate, slow breathing rate, and reduce muscle tension. Shake off your stress for a healthier quality of life! Did You Know? 43% of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress, based on studies conducted by the APA. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines stress as the “brain’s response to any demand”. Stress costs the American industry more than $300 billion annually. Managing stress is about taking charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems. The Four A's of Dealing with a Stressful Situation 1. Avoid Unnecessary Stressors – Learn how to say “no” – Distinguish the “shoulds” and “musts” 2. Alter the Situation – Manage your time and plan ahead – Express your feelings to prevent a buildup of feelings and concerns 3. Adapt to the Stressor – Regain a sense of control by changing your expectations and attitudes – Look at situations from a positive perspective 4. Accept the Stressor and Situation – Accept situations you cannot change – Focus on how you choose to react to the stressful situation. Source: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stressmanagement.htm Page 9 Sources: Mental Health America, American Psychological Association, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, American Institute of Stress, the Mayo Clinic, WebMD, LifeWork Strategies EAP, and Adventist HealthCare. The Health Tip of the Week is for educational purposes only. For medical advice, consult your physician. Feel free to copy and distribute this health resource. Fun Food Fact for the Month of June… (courtesy of Audrey Van Deusen!) Pomegranate One of the superfoods of the Bible Abraham lived to 175 years, Isaac lived to 180 years, Jacob lived to 130 years -- Why can't we? I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranate were in bloom. Song of Songs 6:11 The pomegranate is a primary source of ellagitannins, which have cancer researchers optimistic about future studies. Pomegranates are one of the earliest cultivated fruits, dating back to 3000 BC. They have now become the new “superfood.” One pomegranate delivers 40% of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement. Benefits Helps boost DNA health to protect against cancer, heart disease, and other age-related diseases. May support healthy skin, prostate and immune function. The season for pomegranates are between September and January. Recipe for an Antioxidant Rich Smoothie: 8 C. organic baby spinach 1 C. pomegranate juice 1 C. blueberries, frozen 1 C. strawberries 8 dates, cut in half 2 Tbs flaxseeds, ground Blend together and enjoy a delicious healthy drink! Dawn Reardon, Chairperson MUMC Health Ministry Page 10 Ladies Tea - May 9, 2015 Page 11 Missions at Montgomery -- A History By Helen Mahylis Montgomery UMC has always supported missions. Historically, the women of the church were the leaders in this effort and early in the 20th century most of the budget of the women's group went to missions. Records show the Ladies Aid Society in 1921 collected dues of 5 cents a month for foreign and local missions. The society's meetings were held in homes where there was always an educational program about missions and refreshments were served. The average attendance was 25. By 1939 the Ladies Aid Society had become the Women's Society of Christian Service. The dues were 25 cents per month and the average attendance was 50. In addition to dues, the women held fundraisers such as strawberry festivals with strawberries from their own gardens. They also sold vanilla, dish cloths, crafts, and lunches at local auctions. The most successful fundraisers in the 1980s were the Spring and Fall luncheons. The women took orders from businesses in Damascus and from teachers at local schools, including Montgomery College in Germantown, for lunches to be delivered at specified times. The women and a few men were kept busy running up and down Route 27 delivering the meals at the right time. Joyce Rhodes ran the operation like a fine-tuned production line with no glitches. It was hard work, but also a time of fun, fellowship, and much laughter with a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. When the United Methodist Women folded, so did this fundraiser. In 1976 a line item of $500 for missions was added to our church budget. In the 1980s, special projects also helped raise funds for missions. We had several successful talent auctions that raised between $1000 and $1500. One year we held a seed money project where those who wished to participate were given $10 to multiply in whatever way they chose. Many talents were evident including crafts of many kinds, baking, etc. Some of the men pooled their money to buy ingredients for making homemade ice cream to be sold at the annual July fried chicken and country ham picnic. Who was to know that a severe thunderstorm and heavy rains would cancel the evening festivities and the market for the ice cream profit-maker? In 1985 we took on the first support of a full time missionary for $50 per month. We supported Gwen Mayne from Laytonsville who was with Campus Crusade for Christ. In 1989 Pastor Mark Derby felt that it was time for Montgomery UMC to have a regular missions budget. We held a missions weekend in October that we called Mission Possible. The congregation was then given an opportunity to make a faith promise pledge. A faith promise is a covenant between the individual and God to support persons, programs or projects in order to fulfill the Great Commission; and an act of faith that God will supply the needed funds. Our goal was $15,000 and the final pledge was $22,500!!! At that time we supported six missionaries. Today we support twelve mission projects and our current missions budget is $43,900. National Christian Choir's 7th Annual Golf Tournament Thursday, June 18th - 8:30 AM - The Links at Gettysburg Mark your calendar now to take part in The National Christian Choir's 7th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 18, 2015. We will again tee off on the lush greens at the picturesque "The Links at Gettysburg" golf course, 601 Mason Dixon Road, in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The tournament will feature a shotgun start beginning at 8:30am, numerous contests and several hole-in-one prizes including a year’s lease of a new Ford vehicle! The day concludes with a bountiful awards banquet that includes a superb lunch served by the staff at "The Links". Last year we hosted 100 golfers and, thanks to your generosity, we raised funds to help further the ministry of the National Christian Choir. The 7th Annual Golf Tournament will once again feature a full array of prizes and the friendly competition and fellowship that are hallmarks of this tournament. And all of this is offered for the reasonable entrance fee of $100 per golfer. Please join us at The Links, and share the fun of golfing with the NCC. We may not all be the best golfers, but we enjoy ourselves! For further information, go to the website: www.nationalchristianchoir.org and click on the links to find forms to register; you may also contact Sandy Day, Nancy Hood, or Donna or Skip Isaacs. In His Service, Sandy Day Page 12 Holiday Food Baskets - (4th of July Picnic-continued from page 1) Summer is a busy time and two of our faithful helpers are not available for the summer baskets. If you can help in any way, please fill out the form below and place it in Rosa Mandich’s mailbox in the coatroom. We need to have all donations by Sunday, June 21st. Thank you all again for your help and prayers. In Him, Rosa Mandich and Sue Lake Donation List: Nursery- a bottle of catsup and mustard Toddlers- cans of Baked Beans 3 years- cans of soup 4 years- boxes of cereal Kindergarten- bottles of juice 1st grade- boxes of cereal bars 2nd grade- boxes of Mac and cheese and/or boxes of pasta rd 3 gradeth a jar of Spaghetti Sauce th 4 and 5 grade- cans of meat ie: tuna, chicken 6th grade- Meals in a can is: spaghetti O’s. ravioli th th 7 and 8 grade- Boxes of rice and a jar of pickles Senor High- a jar of Peanut Butter and a jar of jelly Adult Classes- $5 or more monetary donation for perishable items --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Holiday Food Baskets - (4th of July Picnic) Name:_____________________________________________ Phone #:_______________________email:____________________________________ I can help by: Making phone calls______ Sorting______ Shopping______ Delivering_______ Donating hamburger and/or hot dogs:_______ Grocery Store Gift Card ($25)_______