Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,
OCTOBER IS PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH !!! While we appreciate Pastor Mike every day, the month of October has been designated as the month to celebrate his ministry here at Waterville United Methodist Church. Please let him know, sometime during the month, how much you appreciate his service to this congregation and his love for Christ. On Sunday, October 30, the Staff / Parish Relations Committee will be hosting Fellowship Time to honor Pastor Mike.
October’s Mission Focus will be Operation Christmas Child. OCC delivers great joy to millions of children around the world through shoeboxes lovingly and prayerfully packed with gifts that will bring delight to a child. In the hands of local churches, every gift-filled shoebox is a powerful tool for evangelism and discipleship—transforming the lives of children and their families around the world through the Good News of Jesus Christ! We will dedicate our shoeboxes at WUMC on Sunday, November 20. Please place your completed boxes on the storage cabinets in the Fireside Room in the church basement. Mission envelopes are available in the pew racks. Have you noticed the bars of soap by the empty OCC boxes in the entryway and on the table in Fellowship Hall? We received them from an organization called “Clean the World.” They are a non-profit organization that collects and recycles soap from the hotel industry and sends the bars of soap that they manufacture all over the world to combat hygiene-related deaths in impoverished countries. You are welcome to help yourself to some of these bars of soap. Please place these bars of soap in a baggie and perhaps include a washcloth in the bag before you add them to your OCC shoeboxes.
The Living Generously small group study begins on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room. Pastor Mike is teaching this class.
The Prayer Time in the sanctuary will begin at 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
Worship Service for Sunday, October 23:
Song of Worship - Here I Am to Worship
Children’s Moment - Memory verse check this week!!! “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Olga’s selections:
Prelude: Rejoice In the Lord Always
Offertory: Glorify Thy Name
Postlude: All Creatures of Our God and King
Sanctuary Choir Anthem - I Worship You, Almighty God
Stewardship Moment - Tom Wiggins
Scripture - Matthew 22:34-39
Sermon - Loving God First – First sermon in the Living Generously series
Closing Hymn - I Sing the Almighty Power of God
Liturgist - Dave Landis
The children in Sunday School will be painting with fabric paint on Sunday, October 23. They will be painting hats and tote bags to include in the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes as a part of our Project with a Purpose. We have paints shirts at church, but just wanted to make parents aware so they could plan outfits accordingly.
Jerry and Melva Robinson are your Fellowship Hosts for the month of October.
Your 3rd quarter giving statements were e-mailed to you on Saturday, October 1. If you receive a hard copy, they are available this Sunday on the shelf outside the church office.
Theatre for the World will be here before we know it. Brian has placed a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the main hallway for ushers and folks to host the Intermission Cookies/Coffee time. We will also be in need of cookies, brownies, etc. for those times of fellowship.
Living Generously, a 5-week video series, will begin on Sunday, October 23 and will be the launch of our Stewardship campaign. It will feature the same cast of characters from our last video series. There will also be small group meetings during the series:
Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement
Monday evenings at 7:15 p.m. in the church Community Room
Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Tom and Karen Wiggins
Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement
Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement
Thursday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room in the church basement.
When you decide which one works best for your schedule, please be sure and add your name to the sign-up sheets that are located on the bulletin boards in the main hallway.
The youth will be raking leaves on Sunday, November 6 following worship. If you or someone you know needs help with this fall project, please contact Adam Shelton at 419-205-2516 or ashelton@bex.net. There is also a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway. The youth would appreciate any donations to help support their summer mission trip. Thank you!
This Sunday is the deadline for the Youth Group’s Mission Trip deposit. Also, please note that the date for the trip has changed to Sunday, June 25 through Friday, June 30.
Once again our church will offer a Free Election Day Lunch to our church and our community on Tuesday, November 8 from 11:00 till 1:00. Dust off your favorite soup, sloppy joe or dessert recipe and go directly to the bulletin board and sign up. If cooking is not your gift, we need people to set-up, serve and clean up afterwards. We also need to spread the word, invite your neighbors and your friends to meet you for lunch at WUMC. We on the Sharing Team thank you for all your help in making this outreach ministry a success. If you have any questions, please contact Charlotte Pritchett.
Waterville UMC will once again be a collection station for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes in Waterville. There is now a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board asking for volunteers to assist with collection and delivery of these shoeboxes. All collection centers have been asked to have additional hours this year, so we really need your help. Collection week this year will take place November 14 - November 21. We will be delivering the boxes to Bowling Green on Monday, November 21.
Did you know that there are three OCC box sizes this year? You have most likely seen the red and green boxes that we have been supplied for several years; we also have quite a few of the larger white boxes we have had in previous years; and now there is a new box size – 9” x 12” that coloring books and binder notebooks will fit in with space on both sides for additional items. You are always welcome to use your own shoebox and wrap, or leave unwrapped, or use plastic shoeboxes from discount store for later use by their recipients.
Our Packing Party for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes was such a success last year that we would like to continue it this year. So, for the month of October, we are asking you to donate hats, gloves and scarves. Anne Stevens has placed a box by the main entrance for your donations. This year’s packing party will take place during Fellowship Time on Sunday, November 13.
Thank you to all who have donated paperback books for the military in the box in the main hallway. There are some new items that have been requested by Operation Paperbook. Those include puzzle books, large print mysteries, books for toddlers, inspirational stories, recent magazines, textbooks of all subjects, DVDs and CDs. The collection box for these items in on the shelf outside the church office.
Be a Blessing,
Church Cathy