Heritage Sunday/125th Anniversary Celebration September 11, 2016
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! All First Church members, family, and friends! We hope you can join us on Sunday, September 11 to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of our sanctuary. A morning service beginning at 10:30 a.m. followed by an afternoon filled with fun, food, and fellowship.
For all you hymn-lovers out there, hymns from each decade from 1891 to 2016 will be featured in our Sunday worship service. We will also be recognizing some of our older members who are 90 years and older, including Mr. Everett Sherron, who will be celebrating his 100th birthday the following day. Of course, there will be displays of vintage pictures of our church to see the changes of the building over the years. A potluck will follow the service, so please bring your favorite dish to share!
One of the most anticipated events of the celebration will be the opening of the 125 year old time capsule that was buried in the cornerstone of the church when it was built. What will be inside? You definitely don’t want to miss this!
“Trust the Future” Campaign Status
Our first year of collections (from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016) netted $170,004.76. Total collections increased to $183,223.76 as of July 31, 2016. This is about 61% of our $300,000 goal.
Total amount spent is $41,426.46. Almost all of this was for roof replacement of the education wing.
Thank you for your continued generosity!
Junior Church
What do you feel when you see the children gathering at the front of the sanctuary for the Children’s Message each Sunday? Sometimes there are six or eight children. Sometimes there are fifteen or more. Do you remember when Rev. Wagner first came here just four years ago? We had the words “Children’s Message” on the Order of Worship each Sunday, but we had a Children’s Message only when we actually had children. Many weeks there were none. Today, we have children who attend our church regularly. We need a Children’s Ministry that supports them.
The cornerstone of our Children’s Ministry is Junior Church. Junior Church is the lesson that occurs during the middle half hour of our Sunday worship service. It is where the children go when they stream out of the sanctuary after the Children’s Message. In Junior Church sometimes they sing, sometimes they craft, and sometimes they play games, but they always talk about the Word. This is where they begin to learn about Jesus.
Providing Junior Church requires four volunteers every Sunday. We have classes for two age groups and our Safe Sanctuary policy requires that we have two adults in each classroom. One adult is the teacher, who prepares the lesson from the materials we provide and leads the class on Sunday. The second adult is the assistant, who provides any support the teacher may need during the class, but is primarily there to ensure a safe classroom. The assistant has no responsibility for the preparation of the lesson.
How much do you value the children of this church? Is it worth one worship service every month? One worship service every other month? You can tell us which specific Sundays you can help. We will accommodate you. Our Safe Sanctuary policy requires a background check for anyone who works with children. You fill out a simple information form and our Office Manager will submit it. Once the check is completed you may choose to help on any schedule you want.
Thanks, and may God bless you and all our children.
Deborah Ellis for the Children’s Ministry Committee
Jr. Church News
September 11th Heritage Sunday: Children may want to dress up in the time period. They also have the opportunity to guess what is in the time capsule and make suggestions for what to put in the new time capsule. There will be other fun games and activities as well for the children.
Save the Date! October 2: This day will be Mission Day for the Junior Church children. After church, we will go to McDonald’s for lunch and then travel to Spring Hill Retirement Center in Middletown to sing and visit with the residents. We hope you can attend!
Thank You Letter
To the members of First Church –
Thank you for the privilege of serving as the Financial Secretary of this wonderful congregation. When I was hired in March 2006, I was not a member of First Church. I never imagined that what started out as a job was actually the beginning of an amazing journey. Not only did I learn about church finances, but through all of you I experienced what a life of ministry and service looks like. Over the years, I renewed old friendships and made new ones that will be a part of my life forever. I have received many cards and special gifts over the past couple of weeks. For all the attention, I am truly grateful. Your love and support have always been appreciated, especially when I was facing tough times. I look forward to continuing this journey along with all of you who work so hard to help our neighbors and the community.
I would like to give a special thank you to the other members of the staff – Rev. Wagner, Mary Ellen Clinard, Greg Cooper, Sarah Dean, Linda Schmitt, and Henry and Dani Folgoso. I could never have accomplished anything without your help. We have shared a lot together and I treasure all of the memories.
Blessings,
Debbie
Come on and SING with us!
It’s the beginning of Fall and also the beginning of new programming for our Music Ministry! Wednesday, September 7th at 7:00 p.m. kicks off the return to regular Temple Choir rehearsal in the Choir Room. We have missed singing and fellowshipping together!
New this year is a Children’s Music Ministry. We won’t be meeting each and every week, but will meet 2-3 times to work on special music and then share our music in church. It won’t always be singing, it could also be Orff Instruments, Bells, or rhythm instruments to play during hymns! Those with children will be getting a letter soon!
Changes? Bring them on!
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” -Romans 8:18
Our dear García Family went back to Mexico leaving in all of us a sense of loss as we are not going to be able to see them for some time or maybe never. Timoteo, Juanita, Janeth and Daguito also felt sad and confused as a new beginning waits for them; a change that came unexpectedly, but they have accepted with hope, the hope that only Jesus, our Lord and Savior can give.
When Timoteo was sent back by the INS, Juanita showed faith, endurance and bravery, as she had to be in charge of arranging everything here to be able to go back to Mexico. Among those things were the garage sale, the sale of the house (which could not be done as her brother in law also owns this property), and the trip to Indiana to get the Mexican citizenship for her two children so they were not illegal in Mexico as they are United States citizens.
They are now reunited and have plans for the future. Timo has not got a job yet, but he is hopeful he can get one. The kids are enjoying being with the family they did not know and Timo’s and Juanita’s parents are very happy and excited to see them after 10 years of being away.
One of the plans that the García couple has is to continue attending the Methodist church and they are looking for a congregation near the place where they are living. They want to start a bible study and teach their family and neighbors about the new life that Jesus gave them and how life can be different. Timoteo has given testimony that he knows he made mistakes and what happened to him was a consequence of these, but he knows that he has been forgiven and that Jesus is real and he wants to change his life.
We know that God uses the brokenness and what has been destroyed to build a solid ground for a better present and future so the Glory be His and everybody can see that He is real. He is a God of Love, Compassion, Favor and Mercy. But most of all He is our Father and when we cry to him Abba Father, He hears and answers us.
Thank you Lord for protecting Timo, Juanita, Janeth and Daguito and for using what seemed to be lost as a message of Hope.
In Christ Love,
Henry and Dani De Folgoso
ALSO in Nepal
Update from Dr. Les and Debbie Dornon, missionaries to Nepal working in the Tansen Hospital
ALSO…..No – I’m not starting a sentence in the middle! ALSO stands for Advanced Life Saving in Obstetrics. Last year during our home assignment, Les took the course, and then he also took the course to become a trainer. He helped run one training session in Peoria in July, 2015 and came back to Tansen hoping to be able to run a course here.
Last week, Les was able to complete that hope! On Friday and Saturday, 19 junior and senior doctors came together here at United Mission Hospital Tansen to learn how to better help babies and moms during deliveries. 16 of the doctors were from our hospital, and 3 were from other nearby institutions.
Four staff came from KTM to help run the course, and Les and one other doctor from here were the teachers/trainers. Les did practical sessions as well as lectures. On Saturday afternoon, the group all took the exam – and for the first time in the history of the course in Nepal, all the students passed on the first try!
As we continue to pursue the goal to train doctors well so that patients can be better helped, we are thankful for your prayers and support that enables us to be here. Now more women and babies will have the chance to have safe deliveries and healthier beginnings!
In Him,
लेस (Les) and देबी (Debbie)
Want more stories & photos?
Check out our blog at dornonnepalmission.wordpress.com
The First Stone Church in Middletown
Rev. D. C. Vance prayed the night of the dedication, “God grant that this beautiful and commodious Church may be crowded with throngs of worshipers for generations to come.” 1
In 1889, Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church of Middletown was outgrowing their accommodations and barely able to find a seat for all those who attended church. This lead to the challenge of creating a new church building that you may see today on the corner of South Broad Street and Second Avenue in Middletown. A challenge that this congregation took with great enthusiasm by raising funds for the new lot in just sixty days, breaking ground on March 1, 1890, and laying the cornerstone three months later on May 31.
The brilliant creators of the beautiful Music Hall in Cincinnati, Samuel A. Hannaford and Sons, were hired as architects. Stone was brought from a small quarry near Rockdale and sandstone from Cleveland. A little over a year later, the first stone church in Middletown was dedicated on May 3, 1891. Four thousand people attended the three services on that day and the total cost of the building was pledged at 10:00 p.m. that night, making the church completely debt free! This was followed by the fifty voices of the choir singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” with great gusto.
One of the most historically valuable and unique traits of the church lies in the walls of the building, the stunning stained glass windows. The windows display the names of pioneer members, pastors, and presiding elders, including James Grimes, the founder of Methodism in Middletown. Sacred symbols can also be seen within the windows, including a dove, an olive branch, the Star of David, and a cross and anchor. The windows are not only there to make the church appealing but to remind us of God’s love.
The first of many improvements took place in 1919-1920. Pews were installed to replace the opera-like seating chairs, cathedral lamps took place of the old gas and electric chandeliers, and carpet was laid for the aisle and chancel. Despite there being plenty of room for seating in the sanctuary, space was needed for the growing attendance in Sunday School. A special committee started a campaign in 1936. The funds from the campaign allowed the church to remodel the south wing by removing the Second Ave. entrance and building a Memorial Chapel and offices. A balcony was built around the back of the sanctuary allowing 16 additional classrooms to be made. New entrances were built on the south and west side of the church to provide entrance to the sanctuary, offices, and classrooms. After many years, there still was not enough room for the growing congregation, leading to the Wesley Hall Extension in October of 1953. The addition was a two story building and a basement. At the same time, the balcony in the sanctuary was closed up and is now home of the choir room and the music director’s office.
In 1968, the “United Methodist Church” began and the church was renamed to the “First United Methodist Church” that we all know and love today!
Vorhis, Wilfred D. The Story of a Church: One Hundred Fifty Year History of The First Methodist Church. 1956.
1Crout, George. “Middletown Diary.” Middletown Journal. 4 May 1963. Print.
Memories of the Church
By: Sarah Dean
One of the church’s oldest members, Everett Sherron, has been going to First Church since 1927. One of his favorite memories was being an usher for 50 years and getting to meet everybody that came through the doors on Sunday morning. Everett was also part of the Boy Scout Troop 4 that met at the church once every week. When asked what he remembers most about coming to this church, he stated “All the friends I made, I would of never seen otherwise.”
In 1928, Evelyn Breytspraak became a member of the church. Evelyn remembers the fish pond that used to sit on the south side of the church building where the fountain sits today. She claims that “the younger kids would try to walk on the rocks around the fish pond and not fall in.” Some were successful, others not so much, and would walk home dripping wet. Evelyn played the violin in the Sunday School orchestra back in the day. Every Sunday, the orchestra would play hymns as people came in for Sunday School. One of her fondest of memories was the people of the congregation, stating that the church was filled with so much “warmth and friendship.”
Helen Tucker had the insider’s point of view in the church. A member since 1933, Helen became the church secretary in 1951. So of course, when asked what her favorite part of the church was, she responded “the congregation and ministers.” Helen had a special and close relationship with the congregation claiming that many people would come in and counsel with her during the day. In fact, some days she had to come back to the church in the evening in order to finish her work. Helen speaks of many stories as church secretary, including the time she stepped in to perform the eulogy at a funeral. Besides her work, she also “loved the music” that her and her fellow choir members sang every Sunday.
There have been so many precious memories over the past years. One hundred twenty five years of people worshiping, pastors preaching, choirs singing, and friends fellowshiping for 125 years in one place. Baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals, and graduations. There’s been so much life in just one place, both happy moments and sad moments. Thank you First United Methodist Church for being that one place, that sacred place, for so many of us for 125 years. May this church be that place for our brothers and sisters in Christ for many more years ahead. God bless First Church!
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2016 First Friday Concert Series @ First UMC – NOON
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New Month for Harvest of the Heart
Attention All! We are celebrating Harvest of the Heart at a new time this year! We’ve moved the date up to Sunday, September 25th. You may bring your donations to the church at any time during September and we will store them until the 25th at which time they will be taken to the sanctuary to be blessed. Please check expiration dates. We cannot use anything past its expiration date! Also, we cannot accept perishable items. We welcome all donations, but some things our clients need the most are items that can’t be purchased with food stamps, such as:
- Toilet tissue (Smart and Simple), laundry detergent, dish soap, and bleach (reg. and non-chlorine)
NOTE: We buy the $1 size of each of these at either Dollar General or the Dollar Tree, so our clients can afford to pay 1/3 of the actual cost that we charge for taxable items.
Some food items we use regularly are:
- Canned tuna in water, chicken, luncheon loaf, Vienna sausage etc.
- Cooking oil, sugar, pepper
- 100% juices
- Pudding and jello snack packs, as well as boxed
- All canned veggies, soups and fruits (in light syrup or natural juices)
- Canned pasta varieties
- Small cans of coffee and small jars of instant coffee
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Assorted instant oatmeal packets, varieties of cereal, toaster tarts, and boxes of oatmeal.
- Pancake mix and syrup
REMEMBER: Anything you enjoy eating our clients will enjoy as well!
September Birthdays
4 Brooke Dickson, Destiny Hurrigan, Sonya Kramer, Braeden Wills
7 Nina Markle
8 Bob Boonstra
9 Mary Jane Frazer
10 Rachel Dornon, Gary Rutledge
11 Lyla Liljestrand
12 Everett Sherron
13 JoAnn Wagner
15 Gordon Hughes, Joyce Burnett, Robert Livzey
17 John Hoffman, McKenzie Rutledge
19 Medreth Bingham, Megan McLaughlin
20 Diane Wilson
21 Matthew McDaniel
23 Jerry Slama
24 Juanita Harsh
25 Mary Jane Fairchild
26 Melanie Alderton, Jim White, Teagan Prunty
27 Jonathan Goecke
28 Barb Hoffman
