Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,
Our February Mission Focus is Freedom School. A Freedom School is a six-week Monday through Friday reading and enrichment program developed by the Children’s Defense Fund in 1995 which has a proven track record for increasing reading levels from 1.4 to 2.2 grade levels over two to three summers that children participate in the Freedom School. Freedom Schools were birthed as a vision to end what is known as the “cradle to prison pipeline.” We know there is a direct correlation between third grade reading test scores and incarceration in adulthood for at-risk, poverty and lower income children in our urban areas. The Maumee Watershed District of the United Methodist Church is hosting a Freedom School at the Monroe Street UMC beginning this summer. Our gifts will become a gift of life, a positive enrichment experience and a blessing to 50 children in the urban poverty around Monroe Street UMC this summer as we offer them a life-changing Freedom School! There is also a need for volunteers to help during the 30 days of summer when the children are participating in the Freedom School: Classroom volunteers who will aid the trained teachers; servers and assistants to feed breakfast and lunch each day, story readers for their opening circle time each day; enrichment teachers and leaders; Field Trip chaperones for enrichment activities; tutors to give extra help to students; hostesses for the weekly parent’s meeting when they gather for their educational time and also babysitters to provide the parents child care; people to assist in creating a reading space in the Monroe Street United Methodist Church; and because the church is not air conditioned, fans, fans and more fans. You may email either Rev. Rae Lynn Schleif (rschleif@wocumc.org) or Elizabeth Rand (erand@monroestumc.com) and let them know how you will serve. Mission envelopes are available in the pew racks.
The Prayer Group will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the sanctuary this Sunday.
Worship Service for Sunday, February 5:
Call to Worship
Opening Prayer
Song of Worship - Here I Am to Worship
Children’s Moment -
Sanctuary Choir Anthem - Bread & Wine, Wine & Bread
Olga’s selections:
Prelude: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Offertory: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Postlude: For the Beauty of the Earth
Scripture - Matthew 5:13-20
Sermon - Changing Our World
Celebration of Holy Communion by Intinction with Anne Stevens and Tehya Collinsworth serving as Communion servers
Hymn - Here I Am, Lord
Choral Benediction -
Liturgist: Tom Quinn
Prayer Partners for Pastor Mike this week: Dave & Cathy Landis
Marc & Anna Banachowski and Alaina Hem have signed up to be your Fellowship Hosts for the month of February. All of the months are still available except for May.
It takes many hands to provide a meaningful worship experience each week. Today, I would like to acknowledge those individuals who have agreed to prepare communion, be communion servers and then clean up following the worship service for 2017. A “big shout out” to Ann Nightingale, Mary Williams, Tehya Collinsworth, Sue Gregory, Terry Myers, Anne Stevens and Ron and Lou Peyton. Thank you for your dedication to this position and your willingness to serve, not only our congregation, but our Lord each month.
New activity at future WUMC site - Mother Nature has finally given us a break in the weather this week such that Total Ground Solutions (TGS) could begin to haul dirt onto our future WUMC site. WUMC’s free dirt is no longer coming from Browning Masonic Community, as their upcoming phase 2 project now requires their dirt and additional fill. With the help of TGS, the site development team has secured free dirt donations in the amount of our need from other projects that are in close proximity to our site. We thank God for always providing!
This Monday, trucks began hauling in dirt and more will continue as weather cooperates in the upcoming weeks. A bulldozer has also been on site shaping the new dirt into a working platform bed. This raised platform of dirt is located behind the future building pad. Once complete, it will allow TGS to continue to haul dirt and work with their excavators on the raised platform, because it will dry faster than surrounding ground
Project PJ is currently underway at the SeaGate Foodbank. The women of the M&Ms Bible study volunteer there monthly and we are asking the congregation to join us for Project PJ. Through the month of February we are collecting new and gently used pajamas for ages 12 and older. They have a real need for those sizes, but any size will be okay. We are also asking for stuffed animals; these can be new or used (but clean). Please place your donations on the table in the Fireside room. Thank You!! But wait!! There’s more…..
If you know how to use scissors and tie a knot, please join us on Thursday morning, February 16th from 10:00 to 12:00. We have 40 fleece blankets already cut but in need of finishing. All you will need is a pair of scissors, and if you can bring your own that would be a great help. NO sewing whatsoever necessary. We will show you all you need to do. Everyone is welcome! These blankets will also be for Project PJ at the SeaGate Foodbank. If you would like more information you may go to www.seagatefoodbank.org.
Save the date! - Plans for Vacation Bible School 2017 are underway and we wanted to let you know the dates so you could mark your calendars. VBS will be July 9 or 10th through July 13th. The VBS planning team is still deciding whether to have VBS be 4 or 5 days this year. In the past, it has always been 5 days, but we struggled to get volunteers last year and may shorten it a day in hopes to get more volunteers. We will keep you posted on the official start date soon, but it will either be July 9th or 10th. If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Shelton 567-202-5035 or sshelton171@gmail.com. The theme for VBS this year is “Maker Fun Factory - Created by God. Built for a Purpose.”
ANTHONY WAYNE SPIRIT OF GIVING is right around the corner and we have a very unique opportunity to help the family of Robby Spanbauer. Robby is a 5th grade student at Fallen Timbers. Last spring, he was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. Since then Robby, his family, the community, and his new school family (the class of 2024) have been fighting hard together. This year the Anthony Wayne Spirit of Giving, a community organization having the mission to help medically fragile families in the Anthony Wayne district, has adopted Robby and his family. The Spirit of Giving was area established in 2006. Thirty families have received significant financial support which has greatly reduced family stress and helped these families to focus their efforts on healing. With that said, there are several ways the Anthony Wayne family can support this family. The first is to attend the Spaghetti Dinner on Friday, February 17 from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the High School cafeteria. Tickets for the dinner at $5.00 each and may be purchased at the door. There is also a “Quilt Viewing” during the dates of January 30 - Feb 6. Please stop in the Fallen Timbers Office and purchase quilt raffle tickets from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Quilt raffle tickets are $5.00 each. Raffle tickets will also be on sale at the dinner on Feb. 17 along with silent auction items. Proceeds from Dinner Tickets and Raffle Tickets benefit the Spanbauer Family.
As you shop for Valentine's Day gifts, remember to shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/34-4437474 to support WUMC. Just click the link and you will be taken directly to amazon smile’s website and automatically any purchase will result in a donation to WUMC. Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for Valentine's Day including electronics, jewelry, clothing, and more. Get a head start on Easter, Mother's Day, Graduation, Father's Day, Bridal and or Baby Shower gifts as well.
Bill Plassmann has placed DVD copies of the Children’s Christmas Program on the shelf outside the church office. He asks that those taking a DVD make a donation to the Youth Group Mission Trip fund.
The 2017 edition of the Church Directory is now available. The purple booklets are located in a basket on the shelf outside of the church office. Please take only one copy per family.
Be a Blessing,
Church Cathy