February 2015

FEBRUARY 2015 / Volume 49 / Issue 2

I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed this prayer. Maybe you have too. There are lots of different versions, but this is the one I grew up praying at meal times. When I was a kid, I didn’t completely understand what the phrase “God is gracious” actually meant. But I said it… day after day. It became engrained upon my soul, I think. I remember once, when I was young, asking my mom what “gracious” meant and why we said that God was gracious. She responded that God loves us so much, that he forgives us when we do something that is wrong. That is grace.

As I grew older, I came to better understand what “God is gracious” really means. And yet, I still know that I cannot fully fathom the depths of God’s graciousness. His grace is far greater than any of us will ever know. God is grace.

Grace. We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. And yet, God freely gives it to us. Why? Well, my mom was right… God loves us so much. That’s why.

During the season of Lent, we will embark on an all-church book study about grace. We will learn, as a congregation, what grace is and how grace works. We will be reading Max Lucado’s book Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine. I want to invite you to take part in this book study by getting involved in a small group that is teaching it or by buying the book and reading along with us. This will be a great opportunity for us to dive into the depths of God’s grace, to really immerse ourselves in seeking to better understand the concept of grace.

Now that I have children, I have taught Aubrey and Corbin this prayer. And you know what? There is nothing that warms my heart more than when little Corbin (who is 3) asks if we can pray “God is Gah-way-shush.” I hope that this prayer will be engrained on their souls as it has been on mine. I hope that this prayer is the beginning of their understanding of God’s grace.

And I really hope that this book study might do the same for us… engrain within us a better understanding of who God is and the great gift that grace is. Let’s be on the journey together.

PHONE 217.793.9760WWW.SPRINGFIELDFIRST.ORG

PASTORAL STAFF

Dr. Roger Ross | Lead Pastor

Rev. Mike Whitaker | Pastor

Rev. Nicole Cox | Pastor

MINISTRY STAFF

Carli Burton | Director of Adult Education & Senior Ministries

Chase Carlisle | Director of Contemporary Music Ministries

Elyssa Carlisle | Director of Youth Choir & Handbells Ministries

Garrett West | Director of Worship Tech

Lana Salomonson | Executive Director

Laurie Lewis | Director of Contemporary Choir Ministry

Lindsay Walker | Director of KidLife Ministry

Dr. See Tsai Chan | Director of New Life Choir & Handbells Ministries

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Grady Peavy | Printshop

Holly Taylor | Accountant

Jenny Hutcherson | Admin. Assistant

Pam Long | Financial Secretary

Sharon Sweeney | Dr. Ross’ Assistant

CUSTODIAL STAFF

David Rodriguez

Dennis Fors

James “J” Dunlap

STAFF emails:First initial and Last [email protected]

Your church staff is here to help you live as disciples of Jesus Christ that transform the world. Feel free to contact them.

2 Good T i d ings / FEBRUARY 2015

“God is gracious,

God is good.

Let us thank Him

for this food.”

FEBRUARY 2015 3

N E W M E S S A G E S E R I E S !

Jan 31|Feb 1 · What Would Jesus Pray? · NICOLE COX SPEAKING

Feb 7|8 · Unfiltered Prayers · ROGER ROSS SPEAKING

Feb 14|15 · A World All Shook Up · ROGER ROSS SPEAKING

During the season of Lent, our congregation will be reading Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine, by Max Lucado. In this book, Lucado reminds us that grace is an offer to live a changed life, a call to genuine transformation, and a gift of courage to see it through. Our sermon series through Lent will be “Grace Space,” based on this book, and our classes and small groups will focus on the topic of grace.

Books will be available for purchase in the Atrium after church services during all weekends in February. Books cost $10; study guides cost $7. You may also purchase them in the church office on Monday through Friday at 8:30am – 4:30pm.

For more information, contact Sharon Sweeney at [email protected] or 793-9760 x131.

ALL–CHURCH BOOK STUDY · BEGINNING FEBRUARY 22, 2015!

4 Good T id ings / FEBRUARY 2015

UNSPOKEN CONCERT

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, AT 7:00pm

Unspoken is coming to Springfield

First! We are partnering with local

Christian radio station WCIC to

host Unspoken for a night of

music and inspiration! This

Christian band is known for hits

like, “Who You Are,” “Lift My Life

Up,” and “Start a Fire.” Tickets

may be purchased on-line at

wcicfm.org or at the church

office Monday through

Friday at 8:30am-4:30pm.

Ticket Prices:

• In Advance: $10, or $8 for

groups of six or more

• Day of Show: $12, or $10

for groups of six or more

NEW THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN HOSPITALITY!If you have ever thought about serving as an usher, greeter, coffee server, or at our Welcome Center or Guest Center, now is a great time to start! We would love to have new volunteers to serve one time each

month (or more, if you’d like!), welcoming our guests who come to Springfield First each week!

We will be having 1-hour training sessions for the following groups from our hospitality team:

Greeters, Coffee Servers, and Welcome Center and Guest Center volunteers · Sunday, February 15, at 11:30am

Saturday evening Ushers and Greeters · Saturday, February 21, at 4:15pm

Sunday morning Ushers · Sunday, February 22, at 11:30am

All training sessions will take place in Atrium 4.

If you are new to the hospitality team, or if you have been serving for awhile, please plan to attend the training session. If you are unable to attend at these times, please contact

Jenny Hutcherson at [email protected] or 793-9760 x231 to meet at a separate time.

We’re saving Labels for Education to help Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, purchase a new van! The collection container is near the Bell Tower at the East Entrance. Thank you!

PLEASE HELP!

FEBRUARY 2015 5

TRIVIA NIGHT AND DINNERFriday, April 10

Join us for an evening of food and fun – for a cause! Dinner will be served at 6:00pm in the gym at FUMC. Trivia will begin at 7:00pm.

Dinner includes soup, salads, drink, and dessert. Cost is $10.00 per person. All proceeds go to the FUMC Missions Council.

To reserve a table (8 people), contact Kim Dow at 217-299-1398 or [email protected].

Spr ing Cantata · The Easter StoryThe New Life Adult Choir and Youth Choir will present a Spring Cantata, The Easter Story, accompanied by a full symphony orchestra on May 17 at the 9:00am traditional service. The Easter Story retells Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection, and exaltation at the right hand of the Father in a story that engages the heart, mind, and imagination. The music draws upon different styles and sources, including gospel, folksongs, traditional hymn arrangements in symphonic style, spirituals in contemporary style, as well as new anthems composed by contemporary composers such as Ola Gjeilo and Robert Ray.

If you are interested in singing The Easter Story with us, join us on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm in the Choir room (Room 22). We will spend about 35 minutes practicing the Cantata each week. If you love music and this sounds like something you would enjoy on a short-term basis, we invite you to give it a try! You may come any Thursday evening your schedule permits, and you only need to attend the beginning 35 minutes of the New Life Choir rehearsals.

For more information, contact See Tsai Chan at [email protected].

6 Good T i d ings / FEBRUARY 2015

PICTURE 1 PICTURE 2 PICTURE 3

The Sound System: It is the most important technology used in church services today. It is the great problem solver in answering the question, “How can we help our large gathering easily hear the words that are spoken and sung from various distances in the sanctuary?” 

Unfortunately, the very thing meant to help solve problems can often create them. We each bring our own personal preferences of what we expect out of a weekend service. The sound can simultaneously be “too loud” for some and “too quiet” for others. Similarly, the music can have “too much” and “not enough” bass frequency at the same time, depending on who you ask. This creates quite the challenge for the Music and Technical teams each week. 

However, there are times when personal preference is not the only reason for dissatisfaction. Sometimes the equipment that we so strongly depend on doesn’t do what it is supposed to do. This is where we have found ourselves in recent years. About a year-and-a-half ago, through much research, consultation, and experimentation, we discovered that our sound system was incorrectly installed, programmed, and tuned when the building was built. The result of this was a state-of-the-art system that was incapable of doing what it was designed to do. This presented an exceptionally hard challenge for our sound technicians as the system would not work for them, but rather, worked against them. 

Since this discovery, our team has worked intently on repairing and rebuilding our system. Over the past year-and-a-half, we have moved, re-aimed, and remounted the speaker cabinets to where they are properly facing the room (see picture 1). We removed the original amplifiers that power the main speakers and replaced them with the proper ones designed for our system (see picture 2). And most recently, in mid-January, we worked in coordination with a professional audio consultant to have our newly rebuilt system tuned and programmed correctly (see picture 3). 

We are happy to announce that the result is a system that functions better than it was originally intended. This means you will experience nearly the same sound in any seat in the sanctuary. You will experience more clarity and substantially less harshness. Speakers will be easier to understand, choirs and vocalists will be more richly heard, and instrumentalists will be balanced in supporting our faith community as we worship our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This has been a long and challenging journey for our church family as well as our tech and music teams. We praise God for your grace and patience during this season of rebuilding. We are a multi-generational church who believes in the power of all ages joining together to show the love of Christ to the community around us. For this reason, we are determined to continue to give our very best to serve God and this community through our weekend services. This may not mean that the sound will be just as each person would like it. Our goal is to find a good middle ground that we can all support and accept as we live out our mission: to reach spiritual explorers and create disciples who will transform the world around them. · Chase Carlisle, Director of Worship Arts

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

FEBRUARY 2015 7

FUMC’s annual seminar for couples engaged to be married, newlywed, or seriously dating will be offered at First United Methodist Church on

Saturday, February 14, 2015 (Valentine’s Day!)8:00am – 4:30pm

The seminar will provide a day of fun together while exploring important topics to help couples build a strong foundation for a healthy marriage. Each couple will receive a notebook of materials, a full breakfast and lunch, all for $40 (free to those marrying in our church). Brochures with an agenda for the event are available at the Welcome Center.

A reservation is required. For more information or to register, contact Sharon Sweeney at [email protected] or 793-9760 x131.

ARE YOU ENGAGED, NEWLY MARRIED,

SERIOUSLY DATING…,OR KNOW SOMEONE

WHO IS?

IRON SHARPENS IRONCalling All Men: Plan to attend this 1-day national men’s conference on Saturday, March 21, at 8:30am-5:00pm, at Springfield First. Sixteen seminars will be offered, designed to encourage men in all areas of their lives. Come and be sharpened to be the man God designed and desires you to be!

Register in the Atrium by March 10 for the discounted price of $53 per individual, or $44 per person in groups of 10 or more, or $29 per student or active-duty military. For more information, contact Max Webster at [email protected] or 787-1714.

Youth Room Open House · February 8thYou may have noticed some construction during the last few months if you ventured down the hallway by the gym. We are proud to say that project is complete! Because of the high value we place on our youth and the ministry that happens with them in this church, we have overhauled Rooms 8 and 9 (now lovingly referred to as Room 89), making it a modern, inviting, dedicated space that our students can enjoy, not just at Fusion on Sunday nights, but throughout the week.  So, on Sunday morning, February 8th, we will hold an Open House for this room… Come to worship, then go down the long hallway to check out the awesome renovation we’ve made for our youth!

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. ~ 1 THESSALONIANS 5:17

8 Good T i d ings / FEBRUARY 2015

STARTING POINT This Sunday morning experience is designed for our newcomers and guests to become better acquainted with Springfield First, meet others who are new, talk with the pastors, tour the building, ask questions, and receive helpful information about this family of faith. Our next Starting Point will take place on Sunday, February 8, at 9:00–10:00am in Atrium 4. Please sign up in the Atrium or contact Jenny Hutcherson at 793-9760 x231 or [email protected].

NEW MEMBERS CLASS ON SUNDAY | MARCH 1Our New Members Class will be offered on Sunday, March 1, from 3:00 – 7:30pm in Atrium 4. Led by our pastors, this class is available to everyone who would like to learn about the mission, vision, and core values of Springfield First. In a casual and comfortable atmosphere, you will meet others who are new to the church, and have the opportunity to ask questions and understand the meaning of membership at this church. We will have snacks available and share a meal together. Childcare is available by request. Although this class is a prerequisite for church membership, attending the class does not obligate anyone to join the church. Please sign up in the Atrium or contact Jenny Hutcherson at [email protected] or 793-9760 x231.

MOTHERS OF YOUNG CHILDRENBeginning Wednesday, February 18, 10:00am, in Room 4, we will begin the study Parenting: The Early Years (10 Biblical Traits your Kids Will Remember You for), by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott. Please sign up in the Atrium and pass the word to fellow mothers of young children. Our facilitator is Pam Kauerauf, mother of 4. A sign-up sheet is in the Atrium. Contact Carli Burton at [email protected] or 793-9760 x121.

MAINTAINING LEADERSHIP SMALL GROUP (MLSG)Everyone is a leader! This is your opportunity to experience the “20 Best Talks” of the Global Leadership Summit, featuring the most influential authorities in leadership, in the comfort of a small group.

• On Tuesday, February 10, we will view Andy Stanley’s presentation, “Making Vision Stick,” in which he helps leaders cast vision through both their services and their conversations.

• On Tuesday, February 24, we will watch Craig Groeschel speak on the topic of “IT: How Leaders Can Get IT and Keep IT.” This is based on his book that describes elusive qualities found in organizations that are extraordinarily attractive and effective in meeting the needs of people. A church acquires the phenomenon of IT when its first priorities are to glorify God and love people, and not allow its focus be distracted.

Please join us for these meetings in Room 7 at 7:00-8:30pm. No registration required. For more information, contact Sharon Sweeney at [email protected] or 793-9760 x131.

TOGETHER IN PRAYER | FEBRUARY 16 – 18, ATRIUM 1 & 2  • 7:00am and noon • 7:00pm (excluding the evening of Ash Wednesday) 

As one of our core values at Springfield First, prayer plays a vital role in building our relationship with God and

living out His will in our lives. We want to invite you – yes, you! – to pray in a new way as we prepare for Lent

and Easter. To build community and ask God to unleash His love through us, we will hold “Together in Prayer.”

For three days, we will gather together to pray at 7:00am, noon, and 7:00pm. For approximately 1 hour each time,

prayer leaders will guide the group in praying for specific areas of our church, our ministry, and our community.

Worship music will also be incorporated into the prayer time at 7:00pm on Monday and Tuesday. Please join us

for all, some, one, or even part of a session – you will add the voice we need. Together we will begin to prepare

our hearts and minds for the celebration of Easter, and we will pray for the mission of Jesus to be lived out

through the congregation of Springfield First. 

PRAYER MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY! PREPARING TO WORSHIP EACH WEEKDid you know that every Saturday at 4:00pm, a team of people pray for the people of Springfield First?

We pray for those of us who call it home, those serving in ministry that weekend, those who are

considering connecting to our family, and those who haven’t yet walked through our doors.

For about an hour, we pray throughout the sanctuary, the classrooms, and the rest of the building.

Please join us in this preparatory prayer walk – just meet us on Saturday at 4:00pm in the Atrium!

Contact Cindy Arnold at [email protected] for more information.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. ~ 1 THESSALONIANS 5:17

Prayer is where the action is. ~ John Wesley

FEBRUARY 2015 9

SAVE THE DATE · THE NEXT G6 CLASS WILL BEGIN ON APRIL 13!

10 Good T id ings / FEBRUARY 2015

Preschool CurriculumThis month, we’re going to tell some love stories. No, not the Hallmark Channel ones – the real ones from the Bible. The ones that show us how much Jesus loves us. The first week is the story of the lost sheep and the shepherd who searched and searched until he found it. That shepherd loved his lost sheep just as Jesus loves us. Then, we’ll tell the parable of the prodigal son. No matter how many bad choices the younger son made, the father in the story still loved him. And, Jesus loves us no matter what too. In weeks three and four, we’ll tell two stories from the life of Jesus. Week three is the story of the Centurion, the mighty soldier whom Jesus helped just by speaking. Finally, we’ll tell the story of Mary and Martha, two of Jesus’ friends. Jesus was friends with them, and He wants to be our forever friend too! 

elementary curriculum This past August, in St. Petersburg, Florida, some undercover kindness began at 7:00am, when a woman in the drive-thru paid for her iced coffee and a stranger’s caramel macchiato in the car behind her. This “drive-thru kindness” lasted 11 hours, with 378 people paying for each stranger’s caffeine fix in the car behind them. That’s a LOT of coffee. And a lot of kindness! This month, we are going to be looking more closely at kindness: showing others they are valuable by how you treat them. All month we’ll be working on memorizing Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you want them to do to you.” This simple verse is a great reminder of what Jesus said about kindness. We would want others to show kindness toward us, so it’s important that we turn around and show kindness to them as well.

Adventure Bible Camp SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 22-26, 2015

SUPER BOWL PARTY!The big event this month is our annual Super Bowl

Party at the church on February 1. We’ll have games

and food and plenty to entertain even those who

only watch for the commercials! The game starts

at 5:30pm, so show up after 5:00pm and plan to pick

up your youth by 30 minutes after the game ends.

If you want to bring food or games, feel free…

otherwise, just show up! See you there!FEBRUARY 2015 11

“I just can’t let it go.” “They don’t deserve to be forgiven.” “It hurts too much to move on.”

Maybe you’ve heard your students say something like this in the midst of pain, frustration, and anger towards someone who has hurt them – or maybe you’ve said or thought something similar yourself. Choosing to forgive someone who has hurt us is never easy. So why does it matter so much that we do it? How do we know when we should do it? And how do we know we have actually healed from the pain an offense has caused? How do we simply let it go? We’ll take a look at what it means to forgive in February. Don’t miss it!

FEBRUARY TEACHING SERIES

I M P O R TA N T D AT E S T O R E M E M B E R :F E B R U A R Y 1 : S U P E R B O W L P A R T YF E B R U A R Y 8 – 2 2 : “ L E T I T G O ” T E A C H I N G S E R I E S AT F U S I O N

Studentl i f e

Adventure Bible Camp SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 22-26, 2015

12 Good T id ings / FEBRUARY 2015

SENIOR MINISTRIES OPPORTUNITIESFor more information, contact Carli Burton at [email protected] or 793-9760 x121.

Thursday, February 12: Valentine’s CelebrationWe will celebrate Valentine’s Day at our Senior Ministries’ “Around the Table Adventure” which meets for Christian fellowship at 9:30am in Rooms 5/6. The coffee is always on and a devotional is shared. Our hostesses, Pearl Hanselman and Dot Smith, will bring us sweet treats for our morning coffee and tea, as well as dessert to go along with a delicious meal prepared by our cook, Charlie Weishaupt. Card and board games will be played; if you have a favorite that is not offered, please bring it for the morning. If you stay for lunch, a donation of $6.00 is suggested for “all you can eat or until it is gone.” Please come and join us.

Saturday, March 7: Phantom of the Opera Day trip to The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, MO. Critics rave that this breathtaking production is bigger and better than ever before, and we have floor seating! Departure time is 9:15am. The cost for luxury coach travel and the show is $110.00.  We will have our dinner at Sweetie Pies, a restaurant which is known for Southern comfort food. It is just blocks from the Fox. Please sign up in the Atrium and deposit your check made out to FUMC in the black money box next to the sign-up sheet.

Sunday, March 15: St. Norbert’s Homemade Sunday Dinner Day trip to Hardin, IL, where we will enjoy a dinner of fried chicken, roast beef, dumplings, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, green beans, drinks, and pies! We will depart at 11:15am. Following our dinner, we will have a step-on-guide give us a tour of the Calhoun County Barn Quilt Trail. These are painted quilt squares on sides of barns that are chosen by families and tell of their heritage. Cost for luxury coach travel, meal, and tour is $35.00.

Opportunities to ServeFor more information, please contact Carli Burton at [email protected] or 793-9760 x121.

Sunday, February 1 · Please take a moment and stop by the table in the Atrium to sign a

Valentine Card for our members who are shut-ins. Place them in the container provided. They will

be included in our Valentine packets along with cards made by our children and many goodies that are

meant to lighten and brighten the day of those who no longer can come out and worship with us. Thank you!

Volunteers Needed To Deliver Valentine Packets to our Shut-Ins

The Valentine Packets will be prepared by our Senior Ministry’s Council members on Wednesday, February 4. You may pick

them up any time after the 4th including during the week-end services. Information needed to make the delivery will be included

on the package. We ask that packets be delivered by February 14. Thank you for your help in this wonderful ministry endeavor. 

“We Care” Parking Ministry

Our parking ministry is staffed by wonderful volunteers from our congregation, and we are here for you. The purpose of the

ministry is to be of assistance to those who have mobility challenges of any kind or during slippery pavement making unsure

footing. Our goal is to make your worship experience at First United Methodist Church the best it can be. The parking ministry

will be available 15 to 20 minutes prior to the services and 10 to 15 minutes following the services on Sunday mornings.

Just pull up under the east canopy door and exit your vehicle.  No prior notice is needed. 

FEBRUARY 2015 13

WINTER BREAK – NO FEBRUARY LUNCHEONThe United Methodist Women have decided to not plan meetings during these critical winter weather months. The next luncheon will be in March.

CHURCH WOMEN UNITED Several UMW members, along with Brenda Stonecipher, Springfield First’s representative for the local Church Women United, attended a meeting at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on January 15. It was a celebration of Human Rights.

FEBRUARY 7The United Methodist Women will be providing a breakfast and luncheon for the Alpha retreat on February 7. We enjoyed providing this in the past.

SPRING FLING – APRIL 25, 2015Think SPRING! Warm breezes, kids playing outside, hopscotch, soccer, kites, bees and butterflies. Got the picture? This is a good time to mark your calendar and save the date for this fun annual event. Rachel Circle will meet on February 18 at 7:00pm to continue assigning tasks and making plans for this annual event. We have so much fun and would love to have anyone join us for planning this year’s Fling.

SEWINGWe are happy to announce that a few seamstresses have been identified that would love to help young girls learn to sew. We will be planning a project later in the Spring.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN CIRCLE MEETINGSRachel Circle meets on the third Wednesday of each month in Atrium 2 at 7:00pm.

Lydia Circle will not be meeting in February.

C A L E N D A R February 2015

NO LUNCHEON – Winter break

February 7, 2015Alpha Retreat – Breakfast and Luncheon

February 18, 2015Rachel Circle / 7:00pm – Atrium 2

Spring Fling Planning

March 6, 2015UMW Board / Luncheon

10:00am/Noon – Room 14/Gym

March 14, 2015United Methodist Women District Meeting – 12:30pm

Illiopolis United Methodist Church 9:00am – 12:30pm

April 25, 2015SPRING FLING / Noon – Gym

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5

14 Good T id ings / FEBRUARY 2015

Lost and FoundEver lose a glove, sunglasses, or

an earring? We just might be able

to help you! Our “Lost and Found”

bin is overflowing with items lost

at Springfield First. Please stop

by the Welcome Center to see if

we have your missing item. Due to

storage constraints, these items

will be donated on March 31.  

I S J E S U S I N Y O U R W I L L ?Our time in this world doesn’t last forever, but our influence can. As you plan for the future, prayerfully consider tithing 10% of your estate to the church for which Jesus gave his life.

Dear Springfield First Family and Friends,Recently, an unexpected opportunity was offered to me: the Director of Children’s Ministry at a church in Oregon, 20 minutes from where my family lives. After considerable petition to God for wisdom, discernment, and clarity, I sense God is opening this very specific door for me. Springfield First has been such a tremendous blessing to me, and the experiences I take from here will continue to shape the ministry God has for me in the future.

I am so very thankful for those of you who have served alongside me, encouraged me, and equipped me in making considerable change in KidLife over the past four years. I have been so blessed to have countless co-laborers in Christ, who are truly making a kingdom difference. I leave behind a tremendous volunteer team that will continue to grow the ministry through their gifts and abilities. While we may be in different locations, we are all in ministry together. I look forward to seeing the continued growth and life change happening at Springfield First. Please accept my deepest thanks for allowing me to serve with you over the last few years.

In Christ,Lindsay Walker

If you’ve seen and wondered about the car in the parking lot with the big “O” on the back windshield, it belongs to Oregon’s #1 fan, Lindsay. We are sorry to hear that she has decided to return to her home state, but certainly understand her desire to be closer to family. As her church family here, we will miss her. We appreciate all she has done for children and their parents through our KidLife ministry. We pray for God’s blessing upon her as she continues her ministry back home. We will celebrate Lindsay’s ministry with us on the weekend of February 21 – 22. As we search for a new full-time Director of Children’s Ministry, our Staff Parish Relations Committee has hired longtime KidLife volunteer, Leanne Ross, to be our part-time, interim director. Leanne will work 25 hours a week, including Sundays. Please pray with us for God to bring the person we need to lead our KidLife ministry on the next leg of the journey.

Kyle Rominger · Staff-Parish Relations Committee Chair

We would like to thank each and every one of you for all your love and support to us during Leigh Ann’s illness and her going home to Jesus. What a great church. God bless you all,

T H A N KY O U ! Elaine Galyon & Ed Smith

FEBRUARY 2015 15

Financial Giving Updates First United Methodist Church

In an effort to more effectively serve the church body we are posting our financial report at the following web

address. This will permit the church to update our financial information in a more timely manner and provide more

immediate access when desired. The financial information can be found at the following address:

http://goo.gl/amUHQM

February REAL ScripturesGospel of Luke

February 1 – Luke 11:14-28February 2 – Luke 11:29-36February 3 – Luke 11:37-54February 4 – Luke 12:1-12February 5 – Luke 12:13-21February 6 – Luke 12:22-34February 7 – Luke 12:35-48February 8 – Luke 12:49-59February 9 – Luke 13:1-9February 10 – Luke 13:10-17February 11 – Luke 13:18-30February 12 – Luke 13:31-35February 13 – Luke 14:1-14February 14 – Luke 14:15-24

February 15 – Luke 14:25-35February 16 – Luke 15:1-10February 17 – Luke 15:11-21February 18 – Luke 15:22-31February 19 – Luke 16:1-15February 20 – Luke 16:16-31February 21 – Luke 17:1-10February 22 – Luke 17:11-19February 23 – Luke 17:20-37February 24 – Luke 18:1-8February 25 – Luke 18:9-17February 26 – Luke 18:18-30February 27 – Luke 18:31-43February 28 – Luke 19:1-10

D e a t h sPlease hold in prayer the families

of these precious people:

Robert Biddle, Jr.

Marion Carter

Mary Miller

Leigh Ann Smith

Virginia Smith

B a p t i s m sWelcome to God’s family:

Jordan Dawn Graves

Logan Robert Gregory

Miles Dennis Ritchart

Bethany Lynn Wellbaum

Nancy Lynn Wellbaum

“Good Tidings” Publications No. USPS 847-500 is published once a month by First United Methodist Church, 2941 S. Koke Mill, Springfield, IL. (217) 793-9760. www.springfieldfirst.org Pastors: Dr. Roger Ross, Rev. Mike Whitaker, and Rev. Nicole Cox

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: GoodTidings, 2941 S. Koke Mill, Springfield, IL 62711.Periodical postage paid at Springfield, IL

To receive Tidings via mail OR email, contact the main office.Connect with us online at www.springfieldfirst.org for more resources.

Upcoming Events

february 8 — Starting Point

8 — Open House in Youth Room 89

12 — Unspoken Concert

14 — Project Marriage

16–18 — Together in Prayer

18 — Ash Wednesday Service at 5:30pm

march 1 — New Members Class

16 — Grief Share Begins

21 — Iron Sharpens Iron

WEEKEND WORSHIP EXPERIENCESSaturday / 5:30pm Sunday / 9:00 & 10:15am

Stay up on ALL future events of Springfield First · visit our website www.springfieldfirst.org

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