FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “LOVING GOD, SERVING OUR NEIGHBORS” Phone: 419-447-6748 Email: [email protected]Website: tiffinfaith.org Pastor Jeff “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:1-4 Descend, Fill, Move “Spirit of God descend upon my heart…Spirit of God descend upon my heart…Spirit of God descend upon my heart… Spirit of God descend upon my heart… Sometimes, while paging through the hymnal, selecting something for any given Sunday, I find myself stopping along the way. Sometimes it is because curiosity gets the best of me when I see the title of a hymn that is unfamiliar. Sometimes it might be because I read the wrong page number from the index! Sometimes I stop because I find myself saying “that is the strangest title for a hymn” or, it might be because the opening line catches my attention. So, I pause to read a little more- sometimes the entire hymn. Sometimes I find myself being led to repeat and repeat and repeat just a portion until it begins to soak in…a much needed prayer. Hymns. Prayers set to music. We conclude the Easter season on Pentecost Sunday. It does seem a bit odd though to say it “concludes” the season. Pentecost is a day to celebrate the ongoing presence and power of God at work in the world through the Holy Spirit. It is a time to remind us that, although Pentecost was a special moment in history for the people of God, the Spirit of God was active and present from the very beginning and always will be. The Holy Spirit is our source, our strength, our power from on high; our Advocate, Comforter, Helper, Encourager, Supporter, Teacher of God’s truth; Reminder of Christ’s teaching. The One who bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God! The One who testifies of the things of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. The One who convinces us and convicts the world of the ways of God and God’s desire for all creation. The One who continues to appear among us, descend upon us, rest upon us…abide with us, and will be in each of us as we open ourselves to this presence of God. The One who helps us encounter the Risen Christ…even now. Heavenly Father we give you thanks for the power, presence and gift of your Holy Spirit; for your work among, in and through us! Help us to respond, and continue to respond, to your Spirit’s leading. As we read in Acts, and with our hearts and minds watch, how you descended upon and went to work in the disciple’s lives and newly formed communities of faith; so too, continue to descend upon our hearts and minds so we, like the first disciples, become the participants in your mighty acts of salvation you would have us be for your sake and for you glory. Amen. Grace & Peace,
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FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “LOVING GOD, SERVING OUR NEIGHBORS”
“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire
house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on
each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:1-4
Descend, Fill, Move
“Spirit of God descend upon my heart…Spirit of God descend upon my heart…Spirit of God descend
upon my heart… Spirit of God descend upon my heart…
Sometimes, while paging through the hymnal, selecting something for any given Sunday, I find
myself stopping along the way. Sometimes it is because curiosity gets the best of me when I see the title of a
hymn that is unfamiliar. Sometimes it might be because I read the wrong page number from the index!
Sometimes I stop because I find myself saying “that is the strangest title for a hymn” or, it might be because
the opening line catches my attention. So, I pause to read a little more- sometimes the entire hymn.
Sometimes I find myself being led to repeat and repeat and repeat just a portion until it begins to soak in…a
much needed prayer. Hymns. Prayers set to music.
We conclude the Easter season on Pentecost Sunday. It does seem a bit odd though to say it
“concludes” the season. Pentecost is a day to celebrate the ongoing presence and power of God at work in
the world through the Holy Spirit. It is a time to remind us that, although Pentecost was a special moment in
history for the people of God, the Spirit of God was active and present from the very beginning and always
will be. The Holy Spirit is our source, our strength, our power from on high; our Advocate, Comforter,
Helper, Encourager, Supporter, Teacher of God’s truth; Reminder of Christ’s teaching. The One who bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God! The One who testifies of the things of God as revealed
in Jesus Christ. The One who convinces us and convicts the world of the ways of God and God’s desire for
all creation. The One who continues to appear among us, descend upon us, rest upon us…abide with us, and
will be in each of us as we open ourselves to this presence of God. The One who helps us encounter the
Risen Christ…even now.
Heavenly Father we give you thanks for the power,
presence and gift of your Holy Spirit; for your work
among, in and through us! Help us to respond, and
continue to respond, to your Spirit’s leading. As we read
in Acts, and with our hearts and minds watch, how you
descended upon and went to work in the disciple’s lives
and newly formed communities of faith; so too, continue
to descend upon our hearts and minds so we, like the first
disciples, become the participants in your mighty acts of
salvation you would have us be for your sake and for you
glory. Amen.
Grace & Peace,
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Pentecost In the Christian liturgical year, Pentecost celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday. Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fiftieth, pentekoste. It is the day we celebrate the unique outpouring of the Holy Spirit. According to Luke-Acts, after Jesus Ascension the Holy Spirit soon descended upon his followers. This is a day often associated with the birth of the church; the formation of the Christian community, and the beginning of the spread of the Christian movement. Red paraments, white doves, and yellow flames are popular colors and symbols for the day, that remind us of the Spirit appearing among the disciples and resting on each of them as described in Acts. Sometimes ministers & choirs wear red vestments, and at times, the custom has extended to the congregation wearing red clothing in celebration. Red banners are often hung from walls or ceilings to symbolize the free movement of the Spirit.
It was what had been promised from the announcement of John the Baptist- “I baptize you with water, but the One who comes will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
How about as a congregation we celebrate these special days by dressing in white as much as possible on Ascension Sunday and white, red or yellow (or combinations of) on Pentecost? Ascension Sunday this year is May 17. Pentecost Sunday is May 24.
Season after Pentecost “The kingdom of heaven is like…”
Observing the Christian year, and following the church calendar, is intended to help us stay focused on, and experience anew each year, the sacred stories of our faith as we live our life. Throughout the Christian year we celebrate the central mysteries of our faith through seasons that place an emphasis on important themes such as: waiting for the Messiah, his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ and gift of the Holy Spirit.
After Pentecost the season is often referred to as Ordinary Time or Kingdomtide. The season begins the day after Pentecost and ends on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The season is far from being plain,”ordinary”, common or the usual. At least it is not intended to be. The season is not as Christ-centered in theme in the same sense as the beginning of the year observed in Advent-Christmas-Epiphany or later in the Lent-Easter-Pentecost seasons. And even though the season’s theme is less focused, the gospel lessons in the lectionary cover Jesus’ teaching ministry and tend to center on the theme of the kingdom and reign of God. Other lectionary readings come from the Acts of the Apostles, and readings from the Epistles (letters) often focus on the work of the Holy Spirit and early church community. So, the focus this time of year, after Pentecost, is often on the work of the Holy Spirit through those who are called as followers of Jesus Christ and the Body of Christ called the Church.
Upcoming Worship Services May 3 – 5th Sunday of Easter
8:00 & 10:15a.m. Worship- Eucharist
Message Text: John 15:1-8
6:30p.m. No Praise Service
May 10 – 6th Sunday of Easter
8:00a.m. – Reconciled will present message
10:15a.m. Worship
Message Text: John 15:9-17
May 17 – Ascension Sunday
8:00 & 10:15a.m. Worship
Message Text: Acts 1:1-11
6:30p.m. No Praise Service
May 24 – Pentecost
8:00a.m. - Guest Speaker- Jane Schubert
10:15a.m. – Guest Speaker
May 31 – 1st Sunday after Pentecost-Trinity Sunday
8:00 & 10:15a.m. Worship
Message Text: Isaiah 6:1-8
We worship you, O God,
Creator of all things seen and unseen!
Peace with Justice- Special Sunday
Willisa J. Gaut treasured the opportunity to travel to a peace conference in Hiroshima, Japan, with her choir from Wiley College, Marshall, Texas. “Being able to spread the good news of our Lord and Savior around the world,” she said, “was not only a humbling experience, but also one of the biggest steps I have taken on my spiritual journey.” She is a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Marshall. August 6, 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the world’s first atomic bomb, which decimated Hiroshima. Connecting with this historic event brought lessons to life for the students. Your gift today matters…Your contribution encourages living a gospel of peace. The United Methodist Peace with Justice Sunday offering makes a difference through ministries ministries in the United States and around the world. Please give generously on Peace with Justice Sunday!
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United Methodist Women The U.M.W. will have their business meeting May
10th at 10:00 a.m. at the church. Members and non-
members are encouraged to attend.
UMW Mother-Daughter Potluck
The U.M.W. will be hosting a Mother-Daughter
Potluck Saturday, May 9th beginning at 12:00
noon. We are doing something different this year. We
are having a Salad Buffet as our main dish.
We are asking that you bring a salad of your
choosing for every two people that you bring.
U.M.W. members will provide table service, dessert
and beverages. There will be prizes and entertaiment
provided by "The Last Resort". Please join us as
we honor our mothers and daughters.
Mission (Serve) Team
This month we will be collecting for the Health Kits
and the Flood Buckets. Items needed for the Health
Kits include one hand towel (15" by 25" to 17" by
27") and one bath-size bar of soap.
The items needed for the Flood
Buckets include one 24 bag roll
of heavy-duty trash bags, one
16 to 28 oz. bottle of disinfectant
dish soap and one can of
insect repellant (for people), 14 oz. As always, your
generosity is always very much appreciated.
Flat Rock Luncheon/Auction
A big thank-you to all who helped with the Flat Rock
Luncheon and Silent Auction. Your donations of
time, food and auction items demonstrates that Faith
U.M. Church is dedicated to giving to others as God
would have us to do.
Pilgrims Sunday School Class
Come join the class in the room named Pilgrims as we
finish the Gospel of John in May. All are welcome.
The topics for the month are Jesus prays for His
disciples, Jesus prays for future believers, Jesus is
betrayed and arrested, Jesus is questioned, Peter denies
knowing Jesus, Jesus stands before Pilate, Pilate hands
Jesus over to be crucified, Jesus led to be crucified,
Jesus dies on the cross, Jesus is laid in the tomb, Jesus
rises from the dead, Jesus appears to Mary Magdelene,
Jesus appears to His disciples, and Jesus challenges
Peter.
Come to any class. Bring your children or
grandchildren to Sunday School or for the Children’s
Message.
We try to present practical and spiritual applications.
~John & Judy Munn & Peggy Fout
Bible Overview Sunday School Class
5/3 – 1 & 2 Corinthians
5/10 - Letters: The Epistles
5/17 - The End? Revelations
Questions? See Daniel or Phyllis Kinn
A Note from the Trustees….. "Project" Days:
Thank you to all of those who came out
and helped with our Trustee Project Days.
Many hands made for light work!
Memorial Pavers:
The Church’s Trustees are continuing to work
with companies to finalize the memorial area
around the bell which will incorporate
landscaping, a couple of benches and
engravable pavers.
We are continuing to take orders for memorial
pavers. If you would like to purchase a paver in
memory or in honor of someone you can request
an order form from the office, or you can watch
for order forms in an upcoming bulletin.
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THANK YOU
To the Leaders of Faith UMC:
Thank you for participating in the leadership of
our community Good Friday Service. We were
blessed by your participation!
Resurrection Peace,
Pastor Katie Treadway
HEARTS & HAMMERS
Local Mission
We had wonderful attendance
at our informational meeting in
April. We are so excited to begin
serving our community with the
Hearts and Hammers ministry projects.
We are currently in the process of reviewing
volunteer applications and training will begin in
May. If you haven’t submitted your volunteer
application yet please do so as soon as possible.
You can just submit it to Charlene in the church
office.
If you know someone who could benefit from a
Hearts and Hammers project there are job
applications in the church office.
Please be praying for our church as we begin
this new and exciting ministry!
CAMP
It’s that time of year again. Time to think about
camping. Make church camp one of those events.
There are so many things to choose from. Things like
fishing, culinary arts, jewelry making, and dance to list
just a few.
Camps go by grade your young person will be in next
fall. You can register online or mail in. No phone
registrations are taken. The earlier you register, the
better your chance for the camp you want.
We have several young people that attend our camps. It
is a fun time!
If you want information on the camps, please contact
me or you can go online and check them out also.
Jane Schubert (419-447-8267)
CAMP FUND Camping season is here. Our young people are
planning on which camp they want to attend. The
church will once again help with these fees.
The conference is doing a tiered payment plan this year.
Administrative council discussed it and decided to pay
$205.00 per camper fee.
We will probably have at least four or five young
people going, maybe more. We would like some help
with this. Any size donation would be appreciated. We
currently have enough to cover 2 or 3. This money is
well invested. Just put money in an envelope, mark it
camp fund and turn it in at church.
Thanks for your help.
Jane Schubert
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GLOBAL MINISTRIES OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Dear Friends in Mission: Thank you for your support of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Through your gift, you are helping to provide assistance for survivors of human trafficking, funding for health and development projects that alleviate hunger and poverty, holistic community-based health programs, and access to clean water and sanitation. This is just a sampling of the good works that gifts like yours make possible. Thank you for giving so generously. Through The Advance, the designated giving channel of The United Methodist Church, 100% of your contribution will go to ZOE: Helping Children Help Themselves. Your gift of $1472.56 is empowering vulnerable children to overcome poverty through a three-year empowerment program. Giving through The Advance enables United Methodists to partner with one another in mission and ministry around the world. Thank you for joining with us to “Be Hope” to those who desperately need it. You can find out more about UMCOR’s work by visiting our website at www.umcor.org. Your gift will bring hope to those who need it most. Grace and Peace, Roland Fernandes (General Treasurer) General Board of Global Ministries.
Mother’s Day Potluck Luncheon
Saturday, May 9th ~
12:00 noon
This year we will be sharing a time of fun and
fellowship as we join together for a
Salad Potluck Luncheon.
In lieu of a monetary donation, please bring a
salad potluck dish for every 2 people in your
party. Any type of salad will be appreciated
(for example, macaroni salad, chicken salad,
pasta or jello salad, etc). Desert, drink and table
service will be provided.
After our luncheon will be enjoy a
musical program from “The Last Resort”.
Please Join Us!
All are invited!
Short Term Study on Prayer- 9 Weeks We will use James Howell’s The Beautiful Work of Learning to Pray as a guide into the life of prayer and the devotional life. A sample book and sign-up sheet is in the Narthex. Sign up for the morning 10:00-11:00a.m or evening 6:30-7:30p.m. session. Group begins Wednesday May 13. Last day for signup is May 3. Cost for the study is $11. Interested? Questions? Contact Pastor Jeff
Devotional Group Thursday evenings at 6:30p.m. Each week we meet for about an hour to check in with one another, share thoughts, insights, concerns, pray, and encourage one another. We use The Upper Room Disciplines 2015: A Book of Daily Devotions as a guide for our time alone and when we gather. This resource is similar to, but a little more involved than, the smaller Upper Room devotional resource you may be familiar with. This book contains devotional readings for each day of 2015. Each week opens with a Scripture Overview. The overview explores the thematic connections among the scripture readings for each week. Each daily devotion focuses on a scripture passage from the Revised Common Lectionary and concludes with a prayer or thought for the day. Interested? See Pastor Jeff.