it needs to be something that we have experienced

today, within ourselves—an encounter with the Risen

Jesus—and it needs to be an ongoing, growing

rela�onship with Him that will be changing us so that

we can become more like Jesus. That is what Peter goes

on to say:

“For this very reason, make every effort to

supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue

with knowledge, and knowledge with self-

control, and self-control with steadfastness, and

steadfastness with godliness, and godliness

with brotherly affec�on, and brotherly affec�on

with love.

For if these quali�es are yours and are

increasing, they keep you from being ineffec�ve

or unfrui(ul in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus

Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8~ESV)

It’s my prayer that all of us will grow, and be

effec�ve and frui(ul in our knowledge of Jesus.

May 2017 Geneseo United Methodist Church

The

Messenger From the Pastor

One of the great Church historians and theologians

of the late 20TH century was Jaroslav Pelikan; and he

once observed:

“Tradi�on is the living faith of the dead;

tradi�onalism is the dead faith of the living.

Tradi�on lives in conversa�on with the past,

while remembering where we are and when we

are and that it is we who have to decide.

Tradi�onalism supposes that nothing should

ever be done for the first �me...”

“Tradi�on lives in conversa�on with the past, while

remembering where we are and when we are…” I

would restate that as: Who we are today, and where

we are going tomorrow, is dependent upon our

knowing our past and being informed by it; and seeking

to live out its knowledge.

On the morning of May 24, 1738 John Wesley read

these words in his Bible: "[God] has granted to us his

precious and very great promises, so that through them

you may become partakers of the divine nature, having

escaped from the corrup�on that is in the world

because of sinful desire." (2 Peter 1:4~ESV) That

evening he reluctantly aGended a prayer mee�ng on

Aldersgate Street. Someone read from Luther's Preface

to the Epistle to Romans; at about 8:45pm. Wesley

says:

"While he was describing the change which

God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I

felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust

in Christ, Christ alone for salva�on; and an

assurance was given me that He had taken

away my sins, even mine, and saved me from

the law of sin and death."

John Wesley was not the first person to have such

an experience; it had been, and s�ll is, part of our living

tradi�on within The Church-the Body of Christ. As

United Methodists, this month, we remember and

celebrate John Wesley’s heart warming experience; but

it cannot be just something that happened in the past,

Focus Is the Key to Renewal Renewal happens as the church moves from a

vague theism to a clear faith in Jesus Christ. The focus

of the church is not the church, but Jesus Christ! God is

made known to us in Christ. Faith comes alive in

Christ...

Renewal is much more than adding a liGle more

Jesus to the mix. A liGle more Jesus won't work. Jesus

has to be the absolute focus. It must be an all-or-

nothing proposi�on. A clear focus on Jesus Christ as

the object of faith and the cause of truth is the key to

renewal.

~ Michael Slaughter in Beyond Playing Church

Page 2

Soup Supper and Family Wellness Series

May 17th - 6:00 pm Join us on Wednesday, May 17th at 6:00 pm for a

delicious dinner of homemade soup, salad, breads and

desserts. Stay awhile aOer dinner and listen to our

speakers from the Pregnancy Resource Center of the

Valleys. The Center, based in Bath, NY, now has

satellite offices in Mt. Morris and Corning. Marcia Hull,

Execu�ve Director and Cheri VanBuren, Director, Mt.

Morris will share the vision of PRC, a non-profit,

privately funded pregnancy resource center here to

help people before, during, and aOer an unplanned

pregnancy.

The dinner and program are free and open to the

public (but we do appreciate dona�ons, and a basket

for your free-will offering will be available). Put the

date on your calendar and invite a friend or two and

introduce them to GUMC! Hope to see you there!

Future Soup Suppers and Family Wellness Topics

• June 20 – a Magic Show by our own Jacob, Noah,

and Bryan French

• September 20 – Randy French, A Trip to the

Antarc�c

• October 28 – Laurel Nelson, Lagom Landing

• November 15 – TBA

• December 20 – Carol Sing with Jim Feuerstein

and the Brass Ensemble, accompanied by Jim

Varner on piano

Following in Jesus’ footsteps

as a WELCOMING…. Every week during worship, you hear the lector say

“Please sign the friendship pads… and greet those

around you that you might not know.” There are more

reasons for signing the friendship pad than just being

“friendly.”

The Welcoming Team uses those names in two

more ways. Notes are sent, from both the Welcoming

Team and Pastor Keith, to anyone who is a first-�me

aGender (and leaves an address). Also, all names are

put into a computer program. Prior to every

Welcoming Team mee�ng, names are checked to see

who might not have been in worship for 6 weeks or

more. If there is anyone whom we have not “seen” in

six weeks or more, their names are brought to the

mee�ng. If no one knows a reason for that absence,

such as travelling, etc., either a post card or a personal

contact is made. (If you are concerned about anyone,

please either let the office know or contact them

personally to make sure things are o.k.)

Just a reminder to craOers: our remaining spring

gathering �mes/dates are: 1:00p.m. to 2:30 or 3:00

p.m., on the second Tuesday of each month, i.e., May 9

and June 13.

Do you need:

yarn? a paGern?

instruc�on in how to knit or crochet?

Call Peggy Oltz, 382-3597; the church office, 243-

3160; Ginny Youtzy, 243-1225; or call or text Ginny at

519-6193. A head’s up will help us be prepared to help

you.

See you in the Wesley Room at Church on May 9th.

A New Way of Thinking We picture death as coming to destroy; let us

rather picture Christ as coming to save. We think of

death as an ending; let us rather think of life as a

beginning, and that more abundantly. We think of

losing; let us think of gaining. We think of par�ng; let us

think of mee�ng. We think of going away; let us think of

arriving. And as the voice of death whispers, "You must

go from earth", let us hear the voice of Christ saying,

"You are but coming to Me."

~ Norman Macleod

Page 3

Save the Date

for Twelve

More… 12 More Women of the

Bible is a twelve week DVD study about real

women, real trials and real triumphs of the Bible.

This fresh look at these women in the Bible will help

you discover new insights into God's character,

persevere through difficult �mes, and find joy in the

hope that Jesus has provided.

The 12 week study will be offered Friday

morning June 2- July 7 and Sept. 8- Oct 13. Watch

for sign up sheets in May.

The Holy Spirit -

A Biblical Study Most of us are comfortable in

our knowledge of God the

Father, our Creator; and God

the Son, our Redeemer; but

what about God the Spirit, our

Sanc�fier? Star"ng Monday

May 1st, at 7:15 pm, and going for 8 sessions,

Pastor Keith will lead a small group study that will

read and discuss: The Holy Spirit-a Bible Study, by

Jack CoGrell. This is from the book’s cover: “the

reader will be guided through Scripture as Dr.

CoGrell removes decades of misconcep�ons and

provides us with a clear understanding of what the

Bible actually says.” (The cost of the book will be

$10.) Please speak with Pastor Keith if you are

interested.

Lunch, Movie,

and a Study Join us on Sunday, May 21st

from noon – 3:30 pm for Lunch,

Movie, and a Study. This month we will be viewing

“Do You Believe?”

Synopsis: “A dozen different souls—all moving

in different direc�ons, all longing for something

more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they

each are about to discover there is power in the

Cross of Christ, even if they don’t yet believe it.

When a local pastor is shaken to the core by the

visible faith of an old street-corner preacher, he is

reminded that true belief always requires ac�on.

His response ignites a faith-

fueled journey that powerfully

impacts everyone it touches in

ways that only God could

orchestrate. “

Lunch, provided by GUMC,

will be served at noon, followed

by the movie and discussion.

The Shack Thursday evenings

7:00 – 8:30 pm

May 25 - July 6

With Pastor Karen

Page 4

FAMILY LIFE MINISTRIES

Use this ac�vity to celebrate Mother’s Day and help

kids experience Jesus’ modeling of washing feet.

NEEDED: a Bible, a plas�c spoon, ¼ cup Epsom salt,

¼ cup sea salt, ½ cup baking soda, a few drops of

essen�al oil such as lavender or peppermint, and a pint

sized mason jar with lid.

READ: John 13:1-5 (about Jesus washing Peter’s

Feet)

SAY: Peter was surprised that Jesus was washing

his feet. Jesus was God, aOer all! But Jesus was the best

example of a servant. Do you know who else is a

servant…someone who probably serves you every day,

doing a lot of dirty work, like Jesus did? Your mom!

Since your mom does a lot of serving, we are going to

turn that around and serve her! We are going to make a

special foot soak for your mom.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING FOOT SOAK: Combine

everything (except essen�al oil) in the mason jar. Have

kids use the plas�c spoon to mix all of the ingredients.

AOer dry ingredients are mixed, add 2-3 drops of the

essen�al oil. Mix the ingredients again. Once the

ingredients are all combined, place the lid on the mason

jar.

SAY: On Mother’s Day, you can use this foot soak to

wash mom’s feet.

DIRECTIONS FOR USING FOOT SOAK: Add all of the

foot soak to a large pan of warm water. Have a

washcloth and towel ready so that the children can

wash and dry their mother’s feet.

A Mother’s Day Treat

Camping and Retreats!!

It’s �me to start thinking about summer camp!

Camp Asbury is offering 4-day "Asbury Express"

camping sessions for ages 7-18 (see below). There are

also varying summer camping sessions at the other

Upper NY Conference camps such as Camp Casowasco,

near Syracuse, and Sky Lake, east of Binghamton. There

are even retreats for adults at Camp Asbury.

Receive an Early Bird discount if you register

before May 1. There are UMW camp scholarship funds

available.

ASBURY EXPRESS I, Branch Out! (Ages 7 - 9)

July 23 – 26, $275

ASBURY EXPRESS II, Branch Out! (Ages 10 - 12)

July 23 – 26, $275

ASBURY EXPRESS III, No MaGer What! (Ages 13 - 18)

July 31 - Aug 1, $305

Check out the bulle�n board opposite the

Fellowship Hall and also the website

(www.campsandretreats.org) for more informa�on on

all the camps and retreats: S�ll have ques�ons? Please

contact Cindy Varner, Camp Coordinator at 533-1539

Camp gives children a solid founda#on that lasts a

life#me. Camp equips youth for success at school, at

home, at church, and in the world by building them up

and giving them the gi's of self-confidence, faith in

God, and a healthy sense of self-worth. Campers don't

just hear about something, they do it! Everything at

camp is hands on, feet on, and heads up. Campers

become interested, get involved, and achieve. Give your

child the gi� of a�ending a Methodist camp this

summer!

� � � � � � �

Page 5

Something to chew on…

Do you need

something “to

chew on?” Below,

you will find five “kid-

friendly” memory verses

(for remembering and thinking

about). We have 52 memory

verses in all, and will publish them so

that you can memorize and think about

at least one verse each week. Cut them out; s�ck them

on your mirror or refrigerator so that you see them

every day. Say them to yourself; think about what they

mean to you. Memorize one each week. Adults, you

can do this too!

May 7

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit

May 14

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

May 21

Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

May 28

Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Yard Sale Update Even though our 23rd annual 150 Family Yard Sale

& Wellness Fair is over three months away, there is s�ll

plenty you can do in prepara�on for this much

an�cipated event. Next to August 26th (the day of the

sale), the most important day in the life of the yard

sale is May 13th… college gradua�on!!!! Any�me

during that weekend, be on the lookout for treasures

leO next to the curb. (Remember… you cannot go onto

private property) If aOer a quick evalua�on, you

determine that the item(s) is usable, scoop it up and

either bring it down to church or let Bill Lewis know

about it. If it is a large item, like a sofa that is too big to

get yourself, let Bill Lewis know, and he'll try to get

there before others do.

(Note - if the sofa or recliner is not in decent

condi�on, you should leave it where it is… once we

"pick up" an item, then it becomes ours to dispose of!)

We have already been blessed with lots of really

nice donated items, so I'm sure our 23rd annual 150

Family Yard Sale & Wellness Fair will not disappoint our

loyal customers.

Bill Lewis - 519-2021 (cell phone)

The Healer, Not the Enabler Many �mes I have treated God the Father like the

prodigal did. I have cried out for the quick fix. I have

demanded that God bail me out, fix me up, and move

with power on my behalf.

"Lord, just solve this problem; I don't want to wait.

I need help now!"

In the parable, the father did not go drag the son

out of the pigpen. And God will not do that for us, ei-

ther. Because He loves us so deeply, He will give us the

dignity of choice. God's purpose in our lives is to heal

us, not enable us.

~ Ted Roberts in Pure Desire

Page 6

4520 Genesee Street Geneseo, NY 14454

(585) 243-3160 (585) 615-2975

Office@GeneseoMethodist.org www .GeneseoMethodist.org

Ministers: Rev. Dr. Keith Griswold Mrs. Karen Woodworth and the Congregation

Wesley Campus Minister: Dawn Merritt wesley@geneseo.edu

Communications: Kathy Rosier

USHERS for the 8:30 am service

May 7th

8:30 - Warren & Marty Linsner

10:30 - Doug & Diana Harke

May 14th

8:30 - The Lamb Family

10:30 - Doug Johnson & David Linton

May 21st

8:30 - Bob Taylor & Bill Lewis

10:30 - Doug & Nancy Meyer

May 28th

8:30 - Jim & Alice BarreG

10:30 - Melissa Slater & Linda Parnell

Serving This Month

LECTORS

May 7th

8:30 - Christopher Page

10:30 - Brenda Bota

May 14th

8:30 - KC Bailey

10:30 - Tom Pope

May 21st

8:30 - Dan Meierdiercks

10:30 - Anita Youtzy

May 28th

8:30 - Sarah Hammond

10:30 - Fred Parker

The Genesee Valley Churches did outstanding in the

Shoes for Service UMM fund raiser to support Veterans.

16 Churches collected over 3500 pairs of shoes that will

be sold and funds returned to support the Rochester

Veterans Outreach Center.

East Bloomfield, Rush and Spencerport UMCs were

top performers with 400 to 500 pairs each.

Many local veterans will be blessed by the services

of the outreach center. Addi�onally, the shoes collect-

ed will be refurbished and sent to over 25 third world

countries. This was truly a ministry blessed by God. I

what to thank all who collected shoes.

In His Service

George Sanford, United Methodist Men

� IN MEMORY �

With gratitude to God

for the gift of life, we note the death of our friend

John E. Krenzer July 10, 1940 – April 17, 2017

We commit John and those who hold his memory dear, to the love, the mercy, and the peace of God in the sure and certain hope of resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Life of Gra�tude "The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him

with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled

with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." (Psalm

28:7 NLT)

To speak gra�tude is courteous and pleasant,

to enact gra�tude is generous and noble,

but to live gra�tude is to touch Heaven.

~ Johannes A. Gaertner

Page 7

Tidbits: News, One

Bite at a Time

Mary Beck -

Liv. Co. Center for Nursing & Rehab

11 Murray Hill Drive

Mt. Morris, NY 14510

Shirley Livingston

5431 Maple Beach Road

Geneseo, NY 14454

Norrie Mann

Morgan Estates

4588 Morgan View Road

Geneseo, NY 14454

Arlene Parry

St Ann's Home Rm 641

1500 Portland Ave

Rochester, NY 14621

Tom & Dorothy Passamonte

2270 Perry Road

Mt. Morris, NY 14510

Carrie Ringland

Liv. Co. Center for Nursing & Rehab

11 Murray Hill Drive

Mt. Morris, NY 14510

Dorothy Schirmer

Flemming Point Assisted Living

720 LaGa Road

Rochester, NY 14612

Jim Yancer

Alpine Manor

2714 Poplar Hill Rd

Lima, NY 14485

Evelyn Young

5605 Megan Drive

Geneseo, NY 14454

Hom

ebou

nd M

em

bers

Shirley Harris sent us this news and is praising God

for:

• On 4/18/17 Dr. Lisa Radesi, daughter of Shirley

Harris, was appointed Academic Dean School of

Nursing at University of Phoenix Arizona.

• Grandson of Shirley Harris: Clayton Harris an 8th

grader at York Central School was brought up from

the JV baseball team to the Varsity team and was

on York ESPN April 2-8 as player of the week and

has a ba^ng average of .600!

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them -- every day begin the task anew.

~Francois de Sales (1567-1622)

We extend a warm welcome to Lucille Rae

Merrick, and congratula�ons to her parents Jimmy

and Rachel Merrick, and big brother Charlie. Lucille

was born on March 30th and weighed in at 7 lbs. 15

oz., and 20” long.

Ge^ng In Sync With God We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God

wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when

there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to

pray before we do anything at all.

Most of us would prefer, however, to spend our

�me doing something that will get immediate results.

We don't want to wait for God to resolve maGers in His

good �me because His idea of 'good �me' is seldom in

sync with ours.

~ Oswald Chambers

Page 8

Ecumenical Book Review On Thursday, May 4th, Rev. Michelle

Sump�on will review Reaching Out: The Three

Movements of the Spiritual Life, by Henri Nouwen. Mr.

Nouwen lays out a percep�ve and insigh(ul plan for

living a spiritual life and achieving the ul�mate goal of

that life -- union with God.

The review, held at Wadsworth Library on Center

Street, Geneseo, begins at 12:00 pm, preceded by a

bring-your-own brown bag lunch at 11:30 am.

May-June

Our May-June professional “Volunteer of the

Month” for our Parish Outreach Center is Carol

Thompson, a registered nurse who resides in Leicester,

with her husband David. They are the parents of a son

who will be gradua�ng from RIT this May, with a degree

in Mechanical Engineering.

Carol earned her nursing degree from the University

of Rochester, and has been prac�cing her profession for

nearly forty years. She has been a part of our volunteer

staff for nearly five years now.

She currently is the Nurse Care Manager for Tri-

County Medicine, serving pa�ents living in the Nunda

and Geneseo areas, assis�ng pa�ents with more

complex medical needs. Her work enhances the quality

of their care, under the guidance of Doctors Wightman

and Sweeney.

Carol’s earlier career included 17 years as the

Coordinator of the Livingston County Hospice program,

doing “Home Care,” and working at the Strong

Memorial Hospital in Rochester, following her

gradua�on.

In her spare �me, she enjoys the game of golf (her

husband is a golf course manager!), bird watching,

photography, reading, and cooking and baking.

She also is a volunteer at the Teresa House in

Geneseo, and her “dream trip” would be enjoying a

Caribbean cruise – again!

Carol has “personally seen our POC clients who

have benefited with an improved quality of life” due to

the work being accomplished by this ministry.

We acknowledge her very important efforts on our

clients’ behalf, and send out a congratulatory “Thank

You” for all of her energy invested in our con�nuing

outreach ministry.

Relay for Life Almost all of us have been touched by

cancer in some way – a family member, a

friend, or ourselves. I’ve decided to make

a difference by raising money and walking

in the Honeoye Falls American Cancer

Society Relay for Life event on May 13th from 2:00 pm

to 11:00 pm

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life unites

communi�es across the globe to celebrate people who

have baGled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and

take ac�on to finish the fight once and for all.

The ACS funds research for a cure and offers many

support services for those travelling through their own

cancer journey. You can help in this vital project in one

(or more!) of three ways:

• Make a dona�on - either to the team or to me

personally, or drop it off at the church office (checks

should be made payable to “Relay for Life”). Any

dona�on, large or small, is very much appreciated!

• Join my team.

• Purchase a personally decorated luminaria at $5.00

each (see me for details).

You can do all three by visi�ng at

hGp://main.acsevents.org/goto/KJRosier, or seeing me

personally.

Please consider giving a generous dona�on, or

purchasing a luminaria. Every liGle bit helps get us one

step closer to finding a cure!

~ Kathy Rosier

Geneseo UMC May 2017

SUNDAY SCHEDULE: 8:00 AM Room 6B is open for a

quiet time of prayer. 8:308:308:308:30 AMAMAMAM Contemporary WorshipContemporary WorshipContemporary WorshipContemporary Worship 9:30 AM Fellowship Time 9:30-10:20 Blood Pressure Checks 10:3010:3010:3010:30 AMAMAMAM Traditional WorshipTraditional WorshipTraditional WorshipTraditional Worship

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS:

Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Fri., 10:30 - 4:30 pm

PASTOR KEITH’S OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Thursday

PASTOR KAREN’S OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays

You may reach us by: phone at 243-3160 or Pastor Keith's cell at 615-2975

email at Office@GeneseoMethodist.org

The MessengerThe MessengerThe MessengerThe Messenger Geneseo United Methodist Church 4520 Genesee Street Geneseo, NY 14454-1501 (585) 243-3160 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORG. U. S. Postage

PAIDPAIDPAIDPAID Geneseo, N. Y. Permit No. 10

Mother-Child Banquet The annual Mother-Child Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, May 13th, beginning with a punch bowl

recep�on at 5:30 pm, with dinner being served by the men in our church at 6:00 pm.

Our entertainment this year will feature Stacey Miller, who lives in Honeoye Falls, who will be bringing her

extensive hat collec�on, and the stories behind them, to us.

En�tled Hats and Headdresses: Adornment of the Head from Around the World, Stacey has a wide

assortment to share with us, including hats of different styles, cross-cultural influences, ethnic iden��es and

enhancements, as well as historical “chapeaux” which will highlight geographical loca�ons frequently found in

various parts of our country and around the world. It should be a

most interes�ng presenta�on!

Sign-up sheets will be available in the Fellowship Hall, with

dinner costs to be collected the evening of the event.

Ticket prices are Adults $7.50; and Youth $5.00, payable to the

United Methodist Women, our sponsoring organiza�on.

This year’s event will be catered, with the menu s�ll being

determined, but it promises to be delicious!

Come join us with your family members!