News for April 28, 2017

Dear Members and Friends of Waterville United Methodist Church,

The May issue of The Ambassador was sent out yesterday morning.  Please be sure to read the entire publication but please pay special attention to Pastor Mike’s article on the front page which will have an impact on the church for the next month or so.  We thank Rev. Joel Schutte for his willingness to stand in for Pastor Mike and pray that Pastor Mike will be back with us soon.  

Please continue to pray for the following folks:

              Jim Simpson now back at Kingston in Perrysburg

              Lowell Crabtree, father of Pam Denman, recovering from infection following heart surgery and has returned to his home

              Sally Waggoner - suffered a stroke, now in rehab

              Natalie Przybylski - upcoming procedure

              Alta Damron - heart and lung issues - being admitted to Toledo Hospital on Monday

              Sharon Schulte - mother of Char Hansen who has some reoccurring issues

              Marny Mazzarella’s mother - fell and broke her hip last week and had hip replacement surgery

John Scheub – lymphoma

Pastor Mike and Pam

Our April Mission Focus is The Daughter Project. A faith-based organization, they provide holistic healing services in an extremely safe, home-like environment to girls/women who have been freed from sex traffickers at no cost to them or their families.  The services include abuse & addiction counseling, family/friend restoration, health & nutrition education, medical/dental/vision care, legal counsel and spiritual mentorship.  Caring & competent professionals and volunteers provide this help.  They have recruited doctors, counselors and other professionals to provide medical services to the girls.  In addition to medical services, they collaborate with various local community organizations to provide healthy, educational and recreational opportunities for the girls.  Mission envelopes are available in the pew racks. 

In addition to our financial gifts to The Daughter Project, with month we would also like to collect the following items for The Daughter Project:  toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, disposable scrubber sponges, liquid hand soap, light bulbs, Mrs. Meyers cleaning supplies, bleach, Lysol sprays and wipes, air freshener cans, journals (plain without words or quotes), planners, without the year and gift cards for stores to purchase clothes and household items as needed.  A basket will be available for your items on the table in the Fireside Room.

Anne Stevens will be delivering our items that we collected this month for The Daughter Project.  This Sunday will be your final day to contribute any items or by giving your offerings in the Mission Jar during the Children’s Moment.

The Prayer Group will meet at 9:00 a.m. this Sunday.  

New Bible Study - Deep within you lies the same faith and longing that sent Peter walking across the wind-swept Sea of Galilee toward Jesus.  In what ways is the Lord telling you, as he did Peter, “Come”?  Author John Ortberg invites you to consider the incredible potential that awaits you outside your comfort zone.  Out on the risky waters of faith, Jesus is waiting to meet you in ways that will change you forever, deepening your character and your trust in God.  The experience is terrifying.  It is thrilling beyond belief.  It is everything you’d expect of someone worthy to be called Lord.  The choice is yours to know him as only a water-walker can, aligning yourself with God’s purpose for your life in the process.  There’s just one requirement:  If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.   This Bible Study will be meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:00, April 23 – June 25 and Tuesday evenings at 7:00, April 25 – June 27 in the Fireside Room.  Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board in the hallway.

Worship Service for Sunday, April 30:  Teacher Appreciation Day

              Prelude -  We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise

              Welcome -

Opening Prayer -

Call to Worship -

              Song of Worship - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

              Teacher Recognition by Stephanie Shelton

Children’s Moment-  Mission Jar for The Daughter Project

Anthem - Come Down, Lord

              Scripture-  Luke 24:13-35

              Sermon - Why Do We Not Recognize Jesus?

Sharing God’s Tithes and Offerings

              Offertory - Medley of Praise

              Doxology -

              Offertory and Dedication Prayer -

Prayers of God’s People -

The Lord’s Prayer -

              Closing Hymn - Open My Eyes, That I May See

              Benediction

              Sanctuary Choir Choral Benediction - Spirit Song

              Postlude - Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

              Liturgist - Tom Quinn

Reception in Fellowship Hall after Worship for Teacher Appreciation Sunday.  Cake and punch will be served.

Steve and Barb Crandall and Char Pritchett have been your Fellowship Hosts for the month of April.  Thank you for your willingness to serve and for the goodies!

Fellowship hosts are still needed.   All of the months are still available except for May and July.

Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes -  Our collection items for the month of April will be hygiene items such as toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, washcloths, lip balm, Band-Aids, fingernail care items and brushes/combs. Let’s always remember that the most needed boxes are those for age 10-14 boys – please keep that in mind as you shop.  Each month:  Pray for shopping wisdom as you purchase these monthly items and the items for your own boxes for the collection in November.  The Lord knows the children who will receive your gifts and He can guide your shopping adventures to exactly what will meet needs and give joy.

How Prepared is Your Family in the event of a disaster:  fire, tornado, storm, personal injury or even death?  Do you have copies of important legal documents, tax returns, birth certificates, wills, insurance policy numbers in a safe place?  Do you have water and non-perishable food for 3 to 5 days?  For you and your pets?  Have you identified “safe rooms” or shelter areas for violent weather?  The Maumee Watershed District is presenting “Connecting Neighbors”, a Disaster Ministry helping families be disaster-ready.  Participants will be inspired to take action in order to prepare themselves, their households and others  before and immediately following a disaster.   This training will take place on Tuesday, May 23 from 6:30 – 8:45 p.m. at Bowling Green First UMC (1526 E. Wooster Street in Bowling Green.)

Project With a Purpose - During March through May 2017, the children in our Sunday School will be collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of NW Ohio.  Beginning Sunday, March 19, you will have the opportunity to pull the tabs off aluminum cans, and save them in a provided Ronald McDonald cardboard house.  Return your houses to Waterville UMC by no later than Sunday, May 28.  Our Sunday School kids will drop off the pull-tabs to our Waterville McDonald’s on Sunday, June 4.  The tabs will be sold to a recycling station for the market price of recycled aluminum.  They send a check to the Ronald McDonald House, and the funds are used for the guest food budget.  Thank you for starting to collect the tabs today!

Graduation Sunday - We will be honoring our graduates on Sunday, June 4.  Graduates from high school, college, technical school, and higher education will be recognized during the church service.  We will also have a time of celebration after the service in the fellowship hall.  Stephanie Shelton is in need of the following information from our graduates:  Name, school graduating from, and any future plans.  This information will be listed in a special bulletin insert on June 4th.  Also, if you would like to be included in the slideshow during the service, please get Stephanie about 8 photos of you (at different ages - infant to current) by May 21st.  Please send the photos electronically to Stephanie at sshelton171@gmail.com   Thank you!  

Waterville Elementary Teacher Appreciation Lunch - We will once again honor the 60 teachers and staff at Waterville Elementary School on Tuesday, May 30th at 11:00 a.m.   As before, we will need salads, desserts and helpers.  There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board outside the secretary’s office.  Please consider being a part of this outreach ministry.  Thank you!!!

VBS Donations for Crafts - Each night of VBS the children get to make a creative craft to go along with the VBS theme.  In order to help with the costs of providing craft materials for around 150 kids, we are hoping to get some of the items donated.  The following items are needed for donation:  snack size zip-loc bags; sandwich size zip-loc bags; Sharpie permanent markers (colors); Sheets of decorative scrapbook paper (not card stock); Crayola Washable markers; toilet paper tubes; Bubbles (4 fl. oz. bottles); small plastic plates.  Items can be given to Stephanie Shelton or placed in a box by the children’s Sunday School rooms.  Thank you! 

Volunteers Needed for VBS Craft Prep - Stephanie Shelton is looking for volunteers to help with VBS Craft preparation.  The small projects can be done at your home and need to be completed prior to the week of VBS which is July 10-13.  If interested, please contact Stephanie at 567-202-5035 or sshelton171@gmail.com

VBS Donations - This year’s theme for VBS is “Maker Fun Factory - Created by God/Built for a Purpose.”  After the children finish their nightly craft at VBS, they have the opportunity to participate in a variety of stations set up in the craft room.  This year’s stations will go along with the Fun Factory theme.  We are looking for donations of Spirographs, Gear Sets, Magnet and other building sets.  These items would not be returned.  The items would either go to a church in Toledo at the conclusion of our VBS or to our Sunday School program here at WUMC.    Any questions, please contact Stephanie Shelton. 

The Waterville Rotary will be hosting their Pancake Supper on Monday, May 1 at the Waterville Primary School from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are available from your favorite Rotarian or at the door that evening.  Proceeds go toward their scholarship fund.

Dave and Paulette Hogg, a former pastor and his wife at Waterville United Methodist Church,  will be celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a Renewal of their Vows on Saturday, June 10, 2017 from 1-4 p.m.  The renewal of vows will take place at 1:30 p.m.  The event will take place at the Church of the Master United Methodist Church in Westerville, Ohio which is located at 24 N. Grove Street (Corner of Grove and Main Streets.)  Dr. Carl L. Wiley officiated at their wedding 50 years ago and will be doing the renewal ceremony.  A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall.  In lieu of gifts, please bring a canned food item to be divided between the two local food pantries.  If you plan to attend, please R.S.V. P. by June 1 to Dave’s cell phone: 614-208-4105.  Their actual 50th Wedding Anniversary is Saturday, April 29.  Cards may be sent to them at the following address:  Dave and Paulette Hogg, 6202 Willowcrest Dr., Columbus, OH   43229.  We have placed a signup sheet on our bulletin board in the main hallway for those who plan on attending this event.  This will help them know how much food is needed.

The Lucas County Humane Society wants empty peanut butter jars with some peanut butter residue remaining for their dogs.  If people could bring in the jars, Karen Longnecker will be glad to drop them off.  She knows we have some animal lovers who might want to help out the pooches.  (And remember, she is a cat person, but Hobo gave his approval for her to do this.) 

And finally, with the announcement of my retirement at the end of May, we will be in need of folks to run the PowerPoint slides on Sunday mornings.  The slides will be completed during the week by the office staff, but you would need to be at the church by 10:00 a.m. to show the announcements and run the slides that go with the worship service.  If you are interested, please contact the church office during business hours. talk to me on Sunday mornings or better yet, come and sit with me in the balcony to see what the job entails.  High School students who need volunteer hours….this might be the job for you!!

Be a Blessing,

Church Cathy