Pastor’s Perspective LENTEN 2012 PRACTICES The first week = fast 24 hours. The second week = read 7 hours of your Bible. The third week = spend 30 minutes each day in prayer. The fourth week = volunteer 3 hours in serving a need in the community. The fifth week = double your finan- cial giving to God. The sixth week = send 7 people a person- al, handwritten note blessing them. The seventh week = sit in complete quiet for 60 minutes. Online Edition March 2012 The Bell Newsletter First Church Following Christ Inside this issue: Worship Highlights New Member Class 2, 3 Ham Loaves, Mission to Africa 4 Church Camp Lenten Breakfast 5, 6 Media Class, OWLS Preschool 7, 8 UMW 9, 10 Epworth Forest Electronic Giving 11, 12 Calendar Birthdays 13, 14 The Monthly Newsletter of Auburn First United Methodist Church We are in the season of Lent, a time to reflect, renew, strengthen and begin our relationship with Jesus Christ. I shared last week a model that you might want to consider as far as some spiritual prac- tices. I want to share that again for you to consider. I have enjoyed digging into the Old Testament and seeking to understand and share with you in- sights about worship from God’s instructions. Worship in private and worship in public are both key and vital practices that I pray you will deepen on our Lenten Jour- ney. See you in worship. In Christ’s Love, Ted
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Pastor’s Perspective
LENTEN 2012 PRACTICES
The first week = fast 24 hours. The second week = read 7 hours of your Bible. The third week = spend 30 minutes each day in prayer. The fourth week = volunteer 3 hours in serving a need in the community. The fifth week = double your finan-cial giving to God. The sixth week = send 7 people a person-al, handwritten note blessing them. The seventh week = sit in complete quiet for 60 minutes.
Online Edition
March 2012
The Bell Newsletter
First Church
Following Christ
Inside this issue:
Worship Highlights
New Member Class
2, 3
Ham Loaves, Mission
to Africa
4
Church Camp
Lenten Breakfast
5, 6
Media Class, OWLS
Preschool
7, 8
UMW
9,
10
Epworth Forest
Electronic Giving
11,
12
Calendar
Birthdays
13,
14
The Monthly
Newsletter of
Auburn
First United
Methodist
Church
We are in the season of Lent, a time to reflect, renew, strengthen and begin our relationship with Jesus Christ. I shared last week a model that you might want to consider as far as some spiritual prac-tices. I want to share that again for you to consider. I have enjoyed digging into the Old Testament and seeking to understand and share with you in-sights about worship from God’s instructions. Worship in private and worship in public are both key and vital practices that I pray you will deepen on our Lenten Jour-ney. See you in worship. In Christ’s Love, Ted
Worship Highlights For March and April
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The Bell Newsletter
A series, based on the Old Testament, continues in March exploring God’s design and desire for worship. We will explore the Tabernacle and how worship was set up for the Israelites. It will be a great time to grow our faith. We will celebrate Communion on March 4. March 4 “God’s Design: Worship as Sacrifice – 3,” Leviticus 4:1 – 7, 5:14 – 19, 11 “God’s Design: Worship Leaders” Exodus 28:1 – 14, 29:1 - 9 18 “God’s Design: Worship Preparation” Exodus 30:17 - 33
Journey of Hope You are invited to journey to “hope” as we explore the last days of Jesus’ life on earth and days beyond his death. (Childcare provided for all service except Men’s Breakfast.) Sunday, April 1 Palm Sunday Worship 8:30 and 10:45 (Special Music, Palms for children) Sunday, April 1 Potluck & Easter Fair 12-2pm (Come to the potluck at 12. Bring a salad or desert to share. Drinks, main dish and table service provided. A fun time aimed for preschool children – 5th grade and their families following) Sunday, April 1 Concert of Hope - 3:00p.m. (Refreshments to follow.) Wednesday, April 4 “Family Dinner with Worship” 6:00p.m. Thursday, April 5 “Maundy Thursday Dinner at 6:00p.m. “Last Supper Drama” with Men of Simpson Communion to be served. Friday, April 6 “Men’s Lenten Breakfast” 6:30a.m. Communion Served Friday, April 6 Community Good Friday Service - 6:00 pm First Presbyterian Church (Choirs and message) Sunday, April 8 Sunrise Service Worship– 6:45a.m. Sunday, April 8 Church Breakfast – 7:30a.m. Worship services at 8:30 am & 10:45 am Sunday, April 8 Resurrection Sunday, 8:30 and 10:45a.m. Sunday, April 15 Easter Cantata - 8:30 and 10:45 A joy-filled Musical Cantata entitled “Amazing Love” continued on page 3
MAUNDY THURSDAY
DRAMA
On Thursday, April 5 there
will be a Meal and Drama of
the Last Supper. This power-
ful presentation involves 12
Men who share their perspec-
tives as the disciples of Jesus.
You won’t want to miss this
great evening.
Journey of Hope …..continued
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The Bell Newsletter
Sunday, April 22 “The Call to Follow; Again!” 8:30, 10:45. Sunday, April 29 Dr. Kent Hunter preaching. 8:30, 10:45 Sunday, April 29 Congregational Meal 12:00 – 1:00 in Fellowship Hall A delicious meal provided on a free-will donation. (Reservations desired but not required by April 15.) Sunday, April 29 Congregational Presentation by Dr. Hunter, 1 – 4p.m.
Church Doctor Update
The Church Doctor, Dr. Kent Hunter, will be here in March to conduct interview on Sat, Sun, Mon – March 17, 18, 19. A report of our history and other information has been given to the Church Doctor. A re-port to the congregation will be shared on April 29, from 1 – 4p.m. Ad Council will be meeting on Sunday, March 18 from 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. Dr, Kent Hunter will be leading this meeting.
New Member Classes There will be New Member/Discipleship Classes held on Wednesday, March 7 and 14
from 6:30 – 8:30p.m. These classes are for those who are interested in exploring the Chris-
tian faith as well as those who are interested in joining the church. Ted Jansen will teach
the classes as we look at the life of Jesus, life of faith, life of church and life of mission.
Our discussion oriented classes will look at the membership vows and other resources.
Contact Ted if you are interested in attending.
JOIN US FOR NEWCOMER FELLOWSHIP
Newcomer Fellowship will be hosted by the Newcomer Committee on
Sunday, March 11 at 9:45a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Look for a table
Your Mission team to Africa in July of 2012 will be Galen Eberhart, Lydia Jansen and Ted Jansen. We will be traveling to the Kafakumba Center to partner with the Vances and Enrights to support the Family Camp and the other ministries. The team appreciates your prayer support and financial support as they build funds to go on behalf of Christ and First Church. Go “Bananas” Sunday was held on Sunday, February 26 at both services. A love of-fering was given to support the Africa Mission Team. If you would like to give to this team you can write your check to First UMC and put on the Envelope, “Africa Team.”
29 31
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March 2012
It’s church camp time, and it promises to be a good sum-mer! We are so excited to start getting families regis-tered for this summer’s season of camps and hope you will be a part of it! As we anticipate the joys and growth opportunities of the summer, we are broadening our ho-rizons and offering online only registrations this year. Please know that we will work with each family to make this as positive an experience as possible.
Here is how to get your family registered this year: 1. Decide which camp you would like to attend. a. Brochures are available for help with selection. b. Here are our recommendations: i. K-2: Camp Lakewood July 1-3 ii. Grades 3-5: Camp Lakewood June 17-22 iii. Middle School: Camp Adventure July 15-20 iv. High School: Epworth Forest July 15-20 2. Come to the church to register your family. a. Registration available: February 5th through April 15th i. Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30 am ii. Wednesday nights from 4:00-6:30 pm iii. Other times and appointments available by request. b. Bring: i. Family information and medical history for registrant. ii. Credit/Debit card to secure payment. iii. If you have previously registered for camp online, you will need to know your email address and password. c. Early Bird Deadline is April 16th, after which date the cost increases by $30. i. Please get signed up early so you don’t miss out on a spot at your preferred location and date! 3. Relax and enjoy the moment knowing you are all set for the summer! Cost details: Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, 80% of your camp costs will be paid for. When you come to register, please be prepared to pay 20% of the cost of camp. Questions?? Contact Pastor Allison Yankey: Email: [email protected] Office: 260.925.0885 Cell: 260.573.0150
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March 2012
Men’s Lenten Breakfast
2012 MINISTRY FOCUS
COMMUNITY-WIDE MEN’S BREAKFASTS
BEGIN FEBRUARY 24
The annual community-wide Men’s Lenten Breakfast Series will
begin Friday, February 24 here at First Church beginning at 6:30
a.m. Over 150 men and youth representing more than 30 Chris-
tian churches traditionally attend the series. The Series continues
for seven weeks through Good Friday and features breakfast,
music and a message from area clergy. Meatless dishes are
available for those whose religious practices dictate.
This year’s speakers are:
February 24 Father Derrick Sneyd
Immaculate Conception
March 2 Pastor Kevin Marsh
Butler United Methodist Church
March 9 Pastor Steven Kummernuss
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
March 16 Pastor Betty Sivis
Auburn First Christian Church
March 23 Pastor Ralph Diehl
New Hope Christian Center
March 30 Pastor Mike Halferty - Gideon’s Day
Mt. Pleasant UMC & Maple Grove UMC
April 6 Pastor Ted Jansen - Good Friday
First United Methodist Church
Each Friday a full hot breakfast is served and a freewill offering
is collected. The event is open to all men and boys and dismiss-
es promptly at 7:30 a.m. It is sponsored by the United Method-
ist Men and youth of First Church.
As we focus our ministry in 2012 let the Lord focus our heart and ministry on our Five Goals. Believe 15 Professions of Faith in 2012 Grow 350 people as an Average Worship Attendance in 2012 27 Small Groups in 2012 Impact 40 people engaged in mission in 2012 $100,000 given to mission in 2012 ————————————————————————-
WEATHER POLICY A reminder of the First Church policy regarding cancellations and bad weath-er. We follow the Dekalb Central policy regarding cancellations. If Dekalb Schools do not have school First Church cancels it’s programming, events and meetings for the entire day. Updates are also submitted to WANE 15 TV and INDIANANEWSCENTER 21.
Camp Lakewood is having a Work
Day on Saturday, March 31st. All are
welcome to spend the day helping the
camp with its needs.
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March 2012
OWLS
A heartfelt thanks to all who sent cards, came to visit or just a call at the passing of my sister Nancy. Also, to those who gave of their time to make trips to the Parkview Cancer Cen-ter. I am truly blessed to be a part of a caring and loving church family. God bless all of you & keep you in His card. Love to all, Fannie The Mary Helen Brown Bowmar family wants to thank our church for all your kind notes, prayers and support the past
two days. We have felt God’s love through you all, and we celebrate her life today – just as she is celebrating in Heaven!!! Cotton Bowmar says thank you for all of the food, card & prayers on our behalf due to the passing of Mary Helen. MISSIONS - THANK YOU Over $200 was collected from our UMCOR boxes, we thank you for your generous giving!
Senior Adult Council - OWLS
Would you like an enjoyable way to serve your
church? The senior council meets the first
Wednesday of each month at 2pm in the parlor to
plan activities for those 55+ (called the OWLS) of
our church. We need ideas. Come to a meeting and
see if you would enjoy serving in this manner.
————————————————————-
3rd Grade Bible’s were given to the following:
They were offered a pizza party and Bible Scaven-
ger hunt here at church!
Olivia Fetter
Emma Immel
Elizabeth Liddell
Jack Mahoney
Max Oswalt
Emily Samuelson
Madison Schultis
Matthew Vetter
Kyle Schamper
Riley Winebrenner
If you've thought about the possi-bility of getting involved in the church's Media Ministry and won-dered how you might do so here's the perfect chance. Enroll in the "AVC & U" Class which begins Thursday March 1 and extends through Thursday March 22. Doug Eames, Joe Schultis, and Ken Eis will take you through a fascinating series of lesson dealing with Sound Setup and Operation, Lights and Video Cam-era, Presentation Software and Projection. This class will meet from 7:00 - 8:30 PM each Thursday even-ing. It's a "toe-in-the-water" opportunity to look into being a part of this important ministry without any firm obligation on your part. Sign up on the enroll-ment sheet in the gathering area or call Doug Eames for more information at 260-925-5785.
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March 2012
First United Methodist School of Early Learning
Kelly Oswalt, Executive Director 1203 E. 7th Street s Auburn, IN 46706
Our youth enjoyed the new facility at Epworth Forest on July 3rd thru 8th last summer. You have seen pictures and heard the stories of how their camping experi-ence has changed their lives. The legacy continues as the new facilities are being used for year round retreats for all ages. This summer our youth will fill both of the new lodges. Our church has pledged $75,000 as major tribute gift and will be honored with a plaque in the common area of one of the lodges once our pledge has been fulfilled. Many thanks go out to those who have pledged and contributed towards this gift. As of Dec. 31, 2011, the remaining balance of our pledge is $23,133. Additional pledges are needed and may be made and paid through our church to go toward our total church pledge. Individuals who pay their pledges through our church will have individual tribute opportunities. The tribute allows the honoring or remembering of a special event or person in the donor’s life. It is an important way for donors to share their excitement, history and vision for Epworth Forest. A Memory Tree will be placed in Freeland House lobby temporarily, and then it will be moved to the lobby of the new Conference Center upon its completion. Donors to the Epworth Forest Project will have the opportunity to place a leaf on the Memory Tree in honor of or in memory of a special person, family or group. The Path of Faith is a special path of bricks, which will eventually surround the Jesus Statue when it is moved to its new location. Until then, the path of bricks will be laid just outside the current auditorium. A special dedication is being planned in June 2012 for the brick and leaf tributes that have been received. The tribute opportunities are:
PATH OF FAITH BRICKS: $500 per brick MEMORY TREE: $1,000 Bronze Leaf $2,500 Silver Leaf $5,000 Gold Leaf
(The leaves and bricks will allow for 30 characters, including spaces.) If you have any questions about the twelve-million dollar project that will be able to
bring more youth and adults to Christ through the facilities at Epworth Forest, please
contact anyone on our church Legacy Campaign Committee: Jerry and Paula Yoder,
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March 2012
Leave your checkbook at home. First Church now accepts
Electronic Giving
A Simple, Generous choice. Electronic Giving is a convenient way to provide consistent financial support to our church. Please contact Pat in the church office (925-0885) to sign up.