Pastor’s Reflections
The Curious Mix
Summer is here, and of course so are mosquitoes. I hate them. If I feel one on my body I slap so hard that I will hurt myself, but I don’t mind. I want them dead.
But then I’ll go back inside and see a mosquito in my house, and always they are just trying to get out the window and back to their world. It’s so pathetic. I feel sorry for them, and try to find a way to open it up and shoo them out. I do the same for wasps. Sometimes it takes me quite a while, what with storm windows and all. But they seem so desperate I just have to make the effort.
We humans are a curious mixture, aren’t we? We can be compassionate and bloodthirsty in the same hour. It’s like King David. Last night I had a conversation with a church member about him – a curious mixture of a man if there ever was one. He was genuinely merciful to his enemies – particularly King Saul at one point. Then he’d turn around and do something despicable like arrange the death of Bathsheba’s husband in order to cover up his infidelity. The church member and I agreed that David was dreadfully lacking as a role model, but also agreed it was a good thing God manages to work though sinners. Otherwise nothing would ever get done.
After Heritage Sunday, after we listed all our accomplishments, I looked at our church with fresh eyes. I looked at the pictures and heard the stories, and realized that all the charitable activity over the years, the building of the buildings, the children and youth ministries and projects, the money raised for missions and missionaries, the artistic and musical endeavors, all of that … was achieved by real people, which necessarily means imperfect people, mixed up people, people like us, who could be nice one day and rotten the next.
Of course I don’t want to embrace or excuse the rottenness in ourselves – I want us to fight it! Even so, let’s remember to be amazed at how God works through people such as us. This is the lesson of all of human history, whether recorded in the Bible or a church’s archives.
So thanks to all of you who were part of our Heritage Sunday celebration. Thanks for making the past come alive. Thanks most of all for giving us an indispensable perspective on our present and future as a congregation, and what we can accomplish by the grace of God.
Peace to you,
John Wagner
Oct 3 –5 “Spiritual Life Retreat”
Our church wide retreat features spiritual growth and renewal. Everyone is welcome. Mark your calendar and prepare for a relaxed time apart at the Bergamo Retreat Center in Dayton.
The total cost for three days is $125 per person/double room or $150 per person/single room. Transportation can be arranged.
We begin with the Thursday evening meal and conclude following lunch on Saturday.
Contact the office with any questions or concerns and to make your reservation. Rooms for 40 persons have been reserved.
Catch Up On the Past
Heritage Sunday (June 16, 2013) was quite a landmark day for FUMC—it truly was a celebration of the past, present and future together with friends. We thought you’d enjoy knowing what each of our guest ministers, who were a large part of our recent history, are doing in ministry today. Here’s an update for you…
Rev. Amy (Palmer) Haines is currently serving as Associate Pastor for the Greater Leipsic Multi-Site Parish in the Northwest Plains District, and this summer will begin her 5th year there and her 17th year in ministry. There are four pastors over five rural churches, and her primary church is Oakdale UMC near Deshler, Ohio. She also serves as Co-Chair of the NWP District Committee on Ministry and Vice Chair of the Conference Board of Ministry.
Amy and her husband, Ken, have been married for almost 13 years. Ken stays home to care for their children and occasionally gets out to golf. Nathan is going into 3rd grade; Timothy into kindergarten; and Rachel is now six months old.
I appreciated the opportunity to “come home” on Heritage Sunday to the church family that shaped me in worship, study, youth group, choirs and PROMISES. Thank you!
—Rev. Amy (Palmer) Haines
~~~~~~~~
Joel Harbarger is currently serving as the Pastor at The Plains UMC, near Athens. He is starting his fifth year there at The Plains UMC. Before his appointment to The Plains UMC, Joel served as the Pastor at First UMC in New Lexington in Perry County for ten years. Prior to his appointment to First UMC, New Lex, he served at First UMC, Athens for seven years as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Campus Ministries.
His wife, Wendy, is currently working at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and has been there for about four years. Before that, she worked at the Somerset UMC as the Church Secretary for about ten years. Nate and Molly graduated from the New Lexington High School (Molly was Valedictorian). Nate has been in California since he graduated and is currently working at Rocket Restaurant Supply in Berkeley, California. Molly is a journalist with the Oregonian Newspaper and lives in Portland, Oregon.
Wendy and I were so glad to be back in Middletown! Reconnecting with so many good friends really touched our hearts. What a glorious time it was!
—Joel
~~~~~~~~
Rev. Dr. Paul Shew is currently serving as Scholar in Residence at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville during his research sabbatical. From September 2012, he has been working with the Board to research the theory and practice of Christian higher education, hoping to help Methodist schools to not only reclaim their faith heritage but also to leverage the educational wellspring of the Wesleyan tradition to meet the needs of today’s changing global society. Through research visits to Methodist schools such as Emory University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Boston University, and American University, Dr. Shew has engaged institutional leaders to reflect on these issues and discover best-practices that can be helpful for other schools. He has also been involved with the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities, which represents the 750 Methodist-related schools worldwide and facilitates networking for educational exchange and institutional leadership development. This summer he is wrapping up his research and speaking at educational conferences in Brazil and Argentina.
His wife, Mari, and their three children (Joshua, Elijah and Daniel) returned to Japan in late May and have settled back into life in Tokyo. Mari’s parents have recently retired from the pastorate and moved in with the Shews in Tokyo forming a three-generational household, common in Japan. His two older boys are attending the local, Japanese elementary school in June and July, but all three boys will be attending Christian Academy in Japan starting in August. Dr. Shew will be returning to Japan in late August, where he will continue his work as missionary, university chaplain, and associate professor at Aoyama Gakuin University.
—Rev. Paul Tsuchido Shew
Love Lives Forever
By David Hilton
Death remains shrouded in mystery. I confess my lack of understanding. I have come to believe that death is not a great enemy to be defeated but can be a friend to be embraced. We recently observed Heritage Sunday. Memorials in stained glass, old photographs, historical records and albums of letters and newspaper clippings are reminders of the passage of years and the passing of our forebears.
Guest speakers returned home and paid tribute to our heritage, expressed gratitude for their years here and challenged us to be faithful in ministry and mission. Throughout the day I reflected on the question of what really matters.
Our three-year old grandson Alexander provided the inspiration for this reflection. We had custodial care of his mother’s cat Oliver. Alexander bonded with Oliver. And then Oliver died. I buried him in the backyard and decided to wait until Alexander’s next visit before planting flowers on his grave. I thought that helping with this project would comfort him in his first encounter with death.
As I planted, Alexander watered with the garden hose. In a moment of silent thoughtfulness, this young child looked up and said, “Graddy, I loved Oliver and Oliver loved me.” I replied, “Yes, I know. We miss Oliver.” And then came these words of profound wisdom and eternal truth, “Graddy, love never dies. Love lives forever.” Wow! This was an unforgettable expression from the mouth of a child.
In reflection I realize that Alexander must have been sharing from an earlier conversation with his mother. He captured the essence of our Christian understanding of death. The Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8 speak to the reality of love’s power over death. “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors … I am convinced that neither life, nor death … nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Love never dies. Love lives forever.
You’re Invited to an Open House
60th Wedding Anniversary Celebration for Dot & Bob Wieneke
Sat, July 20, 1:00-3:30pm
at “Café 210”
210 Mount Pleasant Drive in Monroe
Kindly RSVP: rwieneke@cinci.rr.com or 513.539.2670. No gifts please.
A Miracle of Mission
By Mary Jane Frazer for the FUMC Missions Committee
Here is a story I read recently related to missions in the 2013 UMW Prayer Calendar:
“Clementine Oyono is 11 years old. Last year she stopped attending school because she couldn’t see anymore. In May 2011 our medical team held a free eye clinic in Monatele UMC (Cameroon) where she is a member, and Clementine came to the consultation. She had her eyes screened with the refractor machine, and she received free eyeglasses that matched her vision. The moment the glasses were put on her she jumped and shouted three times, “I see, I see, I see!” There was a lot of emotion in the room at that moment. Now Clemintine is back to school because she can see again.”
This story came from our missionary, Rev. Nkemba Ndjungu, serving as mission superintendent of the Cameroon Mission of the General Board of Global Ministries. First Church shares in this ministry as we pay our apportionments to the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, so this is something we can be proud of, too.
“Stop Praying!” In Nepal
Update from Dr. Les & Debbie Dornon, missionaries to Nepal working in the Tansen Hospital
If anyone there is praying for rain in Tansen – please could you stop for a few days?! We have had about 15 inches of rain in the last 3 days—and it is still coming down. The electricity went off about 45 hours ago, and even with all the rain coming down, there is no water in the taps (our roof tank) because there is no electric to do the pumping needed…. Fortunately, we have a gutter system now on our roof, and we are collecting rain water into 2 large tanks—so we are using that for almost everything. The valley below us is pretty much a lake now, and landslides are starting to block roads and knock down houses. It is a huge and early start to monsoon here!
We do need rain in Nepal – but most people feel it would be okay to have a break for a day or two now! Monsoon season generally runs from June to September, but the rains came early this year – in mid-May. It is lovely to see everything so green and lush, but it also means we must watch for snakes and leeches and other monsoon creatures. Soon the rice will be planted, and the rains are needed to keep it well irrigated until it ripens.
We plan to take Hannah to Chitwan National Park next week to ride elephants and visit the jungle – but we hope that it won’t be 3 days of rain while we are there! We will be using lots of mosquito repellent! God bless and thanks for your prayers.
In Him,
लेस (Les) and देबी (Debbie)
P.S. To see more photos and stories, please check our blog: http://dornonnepalmission.wordpress.com/
Remember, every third Sunday of the month we collect donations to support Les and Debbie’s work in Nepal. You may drop your donation in the collection jars or add it to your regular offering using your envelope; just write “Dornons” along with the designated amount.
First Friday Concert Series 2013
JULY 5 TOM WHITE
Tom White has been a professional musician/pianist for over 30 years. He will entertain us with creative interpretations of Broadway and Movie Theme favorites in a concert you won’t want to miss!
AUGUST 2 GREGG CLARK
Don’t miss this blues and jazz guitarist extraordinaire! Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser with a song list of cool tunes that will take the summer temperature down a few degrees.
This concert series would not be possible without the support of the Middletown Community Foundation, the Barnitz Fund, the Miriam G. Knoll Charitable Foundation and the congregation of First United Methodist Church, Middletown. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for helping us make downtown Middletown a destination for the arts!
Community Ministries Corner
Help Wanted!
Opportunity #1
We are in need of an individual or couple who would be willing to develop and lead programs (including crafts) and coordinate snacks for the children of those in our Hispanic Ministry on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from approximately 6:30-8:30pm beginning on July 23 and running through November 20. There is some monetary compensation for this position and funds are available for food and materials. We already have a list of willing volunteers who would assist you each evening. If interested, please call the church office at 513-423-4629.
Opportunity #2
Our Whiz Kids Program is in dire need of a volunteer site administrator for the 2013-2014 tutoring year. This ministry role requires about 8 hrs/week, served on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Some computer knowledge is needed, but not a great deal. You would be working with Carol Byrd (that’s a bonus!) To learn more about the position please call Carol at 513-836-5003 or 513-932-4888.
Coming Up This Summer:
Rummage Sale: August 2 & 3
Closets overflowing? Can’t park in the garage anymore? Clean it out and donate what you’re not using anymore! Don’t forget—there’s a church rummage sale in just a few weeks. Storage space is available at the church if you need to remove something from your home at this time. Pick ups can also be arranged. Susan Jutte is chairing the sale and Scott and Teri Hines are assisting.
Questions? Just call the church office.
Vacation Bible School
July 15-18, 6-8PM
Contact church office for details to register students or volunteer!
Highview Partnership – A Ministry of First United Methodist Church
Dear Friends,
Even though it is summer, the Highview Ministry is still at work. We are preparing for the Day Camp in August for the new 6th graders.
We will have a training session on July 28 right after church. Lunch will be provided and we will be done at 2:00pm. Please consider sharing your talents for this special event on August 10, from 9:30-2:00, to kick off a new school year. Contact: Belinda Hausman.
FUMC will again be the grill masters for the Cookout preceding the Open House. This has been a wonderful way to get involved as the new year begins. We will also provide Welcome Back gift bags for the staff containing supplies for their classrooms.
There will be announcements, information, and sign-up sheets appearing on the bulletin board on the wall opposite the coat rack off the north foyer. Please take a look on Sundays. Also, watch for sales of school supplies throughout the year if you are able to make donations. These can be dropped off at church any time. Items always on the request list are pencils, tissues, pencils, Clorox wipes, pencils, hand sanitizer, pencils – well, you get the picture. Due to the increased poverty level throughout the city, the basics for students are greatly needed, and we have played an important part in helping through this ministry. Thank you for all your support.
God Bless, Lynda Goecke
July Birthdays
1…Mike Snyder, Veronica Warren
2…Debbie Dornon
3…Don Burley, Scott Hines
4…John Foy, Gene Goecke
6…Dan Hausman
8…Debbie Ellis
10…Sam Burnett
13…Virginia Barber
15…Jeff Caldwell
16…Barb Balsmeyer
18…Gwenn Lewis
19…Elizabeth Williams
20…Kyle Wilson
21…Gene Haney
22…Frank Richmond, Noah Rogers
23…Gene Schaefer
25…Austin Jutte
26…Chris Buchert
27…Sheila Crowe
29…Betty Moles
30…Fred Parrella
31…Lee Bachelor
If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, email “AMBASSADOR UNSUBSCRIBE” to office@myfumc.net.