August-September, 2021

Bascom United Methodist Church “Reaching People with the Love of Christ” Worship on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m.

3 SIMPLE RULES

In the 1700s in England, there were two very famous preachers who lived and worked at the same time, basically the Billy Grahams of their day. These two preachers traveled all over the country preaching outdoors, in the streets, in the fields, at the mouths of coal mines, or wherever they could. They preached to crowds of up to 20,000 while seeing thousands of people converted. The cultural elite and the leaders of the established church despised them both, but the common people came in droves to hear them. Two famous preachers in 18th century England, loved by some, hated by others, but known by everyone at that time. Today the movement started by one of these preachers continues to change lives in every country on earth while the other one of these preachers is virtually unknown, except to people who have a reason to study church history. These two preachers were George Whitefield and John Wesley.

So, what is it that Wesley did that Whitefield didn’t? Here’s what Whitefield himself said: “My brother Wesley acted wisely. The souls that were awakened under his ministry he joined to societies, and thus preserved the fruit of his labor. This I neglected, and my people are a rope of sand.” Wesley and Whitefield were both great preachers, but Wesley realized that once people gave their lives to Christ, they needed structure, they needed discipline, they needed a tangible way to live out their new faith. To achieve these goals, Wesley organized his converts into societies that met every week for instruction and prayer with a set of real-world guidelines to help them apply their faith to their everyday lives

He called these the General Rules of the United Societies, and they basically boiled down to 3 Simple Rules:

Do no harm.

Do good.

Stay in love with God.

While this is not in the Bible, at least in those exact words, I’m pretty sure that what Wesley had in mind was the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37-40, where Jesus says, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Jesus made things simple, not easy, but simple.

John Wesley tried to do the same thing. He said if you want to follow Jesus, if you want to love God and love your neighbor, then live by these 3 Simple Rules listed above. These simple rules were part of what helped the early Methodists stay grounded in the midst of all the craziness of their times and us with all the craziness of our times. John Wesley informs us that we do no harm by “avoiding evil of every kind, especially that which is most generally practiced.” In other words, if we see someone doing something we think they shouldn’t, that means we should not do it either. He calls us to do good by “doing all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Finally, Wesley calls us to stay in love with God “by developing and maintaining a close, personal relationship with God through spiritual habits such as prayer, Bible study, worship, and Holy Communion.” 3 Simple, but not easy, Rules that transforms lives.

God Bless…Pastor Dean

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Adult Sunday School

On Sunday September 12th at 9:00 am, the Adult Sunday School Class will

recommence meeting together. It has been a long year and a half and it is

hoped that the class members will be glad to meet again.

Studies planned are finishing up a book on the Gospel of John and a book

purchased prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Best of Small Groups, Volume 1.

This small group study brings together some of the top small group Bible

Studies from today’s best known Christian leaders, such as Max Lucado,

Chip Ingram and John Piper, to name a few.

Another study that has been suggested is on the Critical Race Theory. The

study discusses this theory but, more importantly, focuses on what the Bible

tells us about this subject.

We welcome ANYONE to our class to join in our discussions !!!

Bascom Community Calendar

Just a reminder that calendar routes are to be completed and submitted for

processing no later than Sunday August 29. Packets are to be turned into

Ron Lutz on or before that date.

If you have not been contacted by August 29th and would like a calendar,

please contact Ron at 419-448-8675 or rlutz8@woh.rr.com. Calendars are $5.00

each.

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What are the official Olympic sports competitions at the Summer Games?

There are over two dozen distinct competitions in the 2021 Summer Olympics.

They include traditional Olympic swimming, soccer, gymnastics, boxing, and cycling competitions, as well as

newer sports that are of keen interest to younger viewers -- such as beach volleyball!

The 2021 Tokyo Games will also see karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding make their Olympic

debuts, and the return of baseball and softball (which were removed

from the summer program after 2008).

Tokyo - home of the 2021 Summer Olympic Games

Having once hosted the Summer games in 1964, this is the second

time that Tokyo will host the Summer Olympics.

In 2021, the newly-built New National Stadium will host the opening

ceremony on July 23, as well as the closing ceremony on August 8,

2021.

Main venues for sporting events will include Yokohama Stadium for baseball and softball, the Olympic Aquatics

Centre for swimming events, and Ajinomoto Stadium for soccer and rugby matches.

Total cost to Tokyo for hosting the 2021 games? The estimates run to well over 800 billion yen or about $7 billion.

The official motto for the 2021 Tokyo Games is "Discover Tomorrow."

Summer Olympic History Fun Facts

• The very first modern Olympic games were the Summer Olympics held in

1896. Because Ancient Greece was the birthplace of the Olympic Games,

Athens was considered to be an appropriate choice to stage the inaugural

modern Games.

• London is the only city to host the Summer Games three times -- in 1908,

1948 and 2012. The Summer Olympics have been held in the USA four

times (1904, 1932, 1984, 1996) - but in three different cities.

• The United States has won more gold and overall medals than any other

country in the Summer Games. Summer Olympian Michael Phelps is the most-decorated Olympic athlete of any

nation, with 22 Olympic medals (including 18 golds).

• It's true. Olympic gold medals aren't really made of solid gold, but silver with gold plating. Olympic gold medals

haven't been pure gold for about a century.

• The modern games were only canceled three times, and it was always the Summer Olympics. The 1916

Summer Olympics in Berlin were canceled because of World War I. The 1940 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, as

well as the 1944 Summer Olympics in London, were canceled because of World War II.

Summer Olympic Host Cities — past, present, future

Host City Year Host City Year

Tokyo 2021 Tokyo 1964

Rio de Janeiro 2016 Rome 1960

London 2012 Melbourne 1956

Beijing 2008 Helsinki 1952

Athens 2004 London 1948

Sydney 2000 Berlin 1936

Atlanta 1996 Los Angeles 1932

Barcelona 1992 Amsterdam 1928

Seoul 1988 Paris 1924

Los Angeles 1984 Antwerp 1920

Moscow 1980 Stockholm 1912

Montreal 1976 London 1908

Munich 1972 St Louis 1904

Mexico City 1968 Paris 1900

Athens 1896

August-September, 2021 Bible Readings

1 Aug 2021 PROPER 13(18) { 2 Samuel 11:26-

12:13a

Psalm 51:1-12 or

Exodus 16:2-4,9-15

Psalm 78:13-29 } Ephesians 4:1-16

John 6:24-35

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

2 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

2 Samuel 18 & 19

Tuesday

3 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 130

2 Samuel 20

Wednesday

4 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

1 Kings 19:1-9

2 Samuel 21

Thursday

5 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 34:1-8

2 Samuel 22

Friday

6 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Ephesians 4:17-

5:14 2 Samuel 23

Saturday

7 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

John 6:35-51

2 Samuel 24

Sunday

8 Aug 2021 PROPER 14(19)

{ 2 Samuel 18:5-9,15,31-

33 Psalm 130

or

1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:1-8 }

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

John 6:35,41-51 (PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

9 Aug 2021 ORDINARY 1 Kings 1 & 2 & 3

Tuesday

10 Aug 2021 ORDINARY Psalm 111

1 Kings 4 & 5

Wednesday

11 Aug 2021 ORDINARY Proverbs 9

1 Kings 6 & 7

Thursday

12 Aug 2021 ORDINARY Psalm 34:9-14

1 Kings 8 & 9

Friday

13 Aug 2021 ORDINARY Ephesians 5:15-33

1 Kings 10 & 11

Saturday

14 Aug 2021 ORDINARY John 6:51-58

1 Kings 12 & 13

Sunday

15 Aug 2021 PROPER 15(20) { 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

Psalm 111

or Proverbs 9:1-6

Psalm 34:9-14 }

Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

16 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

1 Kings 8:1-61

1 Kings 14

Tuesday

17 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 84

1 Kings 15 & 16

Wednesday

18 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Joshua 24:1-27

1 Kings 17 & 18

Thursday

19 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 34:15-22

1 Kings 19 & 20

Friday

20 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Ephesians 6

1 Kings 21 & 22

Saturday

21 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

John 6:56-71

Song of Solomon 1

Sunday

22 Aug 2021 PROPER 16(21)

{ 1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-

11),22-30,41-43 Psalm 84

or

Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18 Psalm 34:15-22 }

Ephesians 6:10-20

John 6:56-69 (PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

23 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Song of Solomon 2 & 3 (Psalm 66)

Tuesday

24 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 45 Song of Solomon 4

Wednesday

25 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Deuteronomy 4:1-14

Song of Solomon 5

Thursday

26 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 15 Song of Solomon 6

Friday

27 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

James 1 Song of Solomon 7

Saturday

28 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Mark 7:1-23 Song of Solomon 8

Sunday

29 Aug 2021 PROPER 17(22)

{ Song of Solomon 2:8-13 Psalm 45:1-2,6-9

or

Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9 Psalm 15 }

James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

30 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Proverbs 22:1-23

Proverbs 1 & 2

Tuesday

31 Aug 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 125

Proverbs 3 & 4

Wednesday

1 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Isaiah 35

Proverbs 5 & 6

Thursday

2 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 146

Proverbs 7 & 8

Friday

3 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

James 2

Proverbs 9 & 10

Saturday

4 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Mark 7:24-37

Proverbs 11 & 12

Sunday

5 Sep 2021 PROPER 18(23)

{ Proverbs 22:1-2,8-9,22-

23 Psalm 125

or

Isaiah 35:4-7 Psalm 146 }

James 2:1-10,(11-13),14-

17 Mark 7:24-37

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

6 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Proverbs 1:20-33

Proverbs 13 & 14

Tuesday

7 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 19

Proverbs 15 & 16

Wednesday

8 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Isaiah 50

Proverbs 17 & 18

Thursday

9 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 116

Proverbs 19 & 20

Friday

10 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

James 3:1-12

Proverbs 21 & 22

Saturday

11 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Mark 8

Proverbs 23 & 24

Sunday

12 Sep 2021 PROPER 19(24)

{ Proverbs 1:20-33

Psalm 19

or Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm 116:1-9 }

James 3:1-12 Mark 8:27-38

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

13 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Proverbs 31:10-31

Proverbs 25 & 26 & 27

Tuesday

14 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 1

Proverbs 28 & 29

Wednesday

15 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Jeremiah 11:18-23

Proverbs 30 & 31

Thursday

16 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 54

Esther 1 & 2

Friday

17 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

James 3:13-4:17

Esther 3 & 4

Saturday

18 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Mark 9:1-37

Esther 5 & 6

Sunday

19 Sep 2021 PROPER 20(25)

{ Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalm 1 or

Jeremiah 11:18-20

Psalm 54 } James 3:13-4:3,7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

20 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Esther 7 & 8 & 9

Tuesday

21 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 124 Esther 10

Wednesday

22 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Numbers 11:4-35 Job 1 & 2

Thursday

23 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 19 Job 3

Friday

24 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

James 5 Job 4 & 5

Saturday

25 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Mark 9:38-50 Job 6 & 7

Sunday

26 Sep 2021 PROPER 21(26)

{ Esther 7:1-6,9-10; 9:20-22

Psalm 124

or Numbers 11:4-6,10-

16,24-29

Psalm 19:7-14 } James 5:13-20

Mark 9:38-50

(PM, see next Sunday)

Monday

27 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Job 1:1-2:10 Job 8 & 9 & 10

Tuesday

28 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 26 Job 11 & 12

Wednesday

29 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Genesis 2:4-25 Job 13 & 14

Thursday

30 Sep 2021 ORDINARY

Psalm 8 Job 15 & 16 & 17

August-September Dates to Remember

August 1 Communion Sunday

August 1 Church potluck after worship service

August 4 Annual pastor evaluation 6:00 p.m.

August 7 Men’s breakfast at Frisch’s 9:00 a.m.

Sept. 1 First day of school at Hopewell Loudon

Sept. 4 Men’s breakfast 9;00 a.m.

Sept. 5 Communion Sunday

Sept. 6 Labor Day

Sept. 12 Adult Sunday School begins 9:00 a.m.

July, 2021 Administrative Board Meeting Minutes July 7, 2021 7:00 p.m.

Those present were Bob Manz, Juanita Yambert, Bruce Kreh, Jeannie VanBuskirk, Karen Popenberg, Betty Park, Carolyn Thallman, Lori Clay, Don Thallman, Ron Lutz & Pastor Dean Meeting minutes taken by Lori Clay

Pastor Dean began the meeting with prayer. Ron Lutz was present and presented the idea of starting Adult Sunday School back up in September. The Board was receptive and it was decided to start on Sept. 12

th with Sunday School meeting from

9 a.m.-10 a.m. Social distancing guidelines will be followed, and it will be held in the fellowship hall. The study material is still undecided. Carolyn Thallman made the motion, Bruce Kreh seconded it, and the motion carried. Ed Smith & Ron Lutz will return as instructors. Danene is currently undecided. It was discussed whether to keep worship at 10 a.m. or change back to 9 a.m. Denise Stull is still unable to play due to her health issues. Danene can continue to play, so we will keep the service at 10 a.m.

Ron Lutz is willing to lead the sub sale again in 2022. He shared that the calendar ad money is coming in, and 3 packets are back. There also may be one open ad spot.

Bob Manz shared what he had learned through his copier research. Juanita Yambert motioned that Bob continue his research and purchase whatever he feels is the best choice, Carolyn Thallman seconded that motion, and the motion carried.

Lori Clay provided the checkbook balance as $11506.35.

Pastor Dean shared that he has resumed some visitations. He is no longer going to provide the specific numbers at each meeting but just asks we let him know if there is anything he is not doing that he should be. He circulated and explained his pastor reimbursements reports.

Regarding the church building, the northeast gutters on the church are clogging. He is looking at getting gutter guards from Lowe’s, costing approximately $100. Betty Park motioned to purchase, Karen Popenberg seconded the motion, and the motion carried. Chuck Popenberg will contact Dean and purchase the best type. Sometime after 7/11, Ed Smith will devise

a plan to complete the electrical work and he’s hoping to borrow scaffolding from his former employer. Bruce Kreh will investigate more on the balcony gate. He thinks it can be purchased at Lowe’s and will get it installed in 2021.

Dean and Danene painted an accent wall in the parsonage and charged it to the church. The parsonage deck needs power-washed and stained, but they would prefer to have it removed and plant a flower garden there instead as they don’t often use it. Karen Popenberg made the motion to remove it, Bob Manz seconded it, and the motion carried. Chuck Popenberg will help Dean remove it.

It was decided by the Board to continue admin board meetings on a quarterly basis. The board will meet on 8/4 at 6 p.m. to do pastor evaluations though, which are to concentrate on how we all can do things better together.

The board decided that at this time, we will plan on doing the Spaghetti Supper if we can find someone willing to head it up.

Pastor Dean will resume his Bible Study after Labor Day. He shared he may have a couple baptisms and a new member coming. He would like to again start an indoor picnic every other month after Communion Sunday and asked the Board what they thought. They stated that we could try it. It was decided to start August 1

st.

Regarding returning back to normal, If the CDC recommends masking again, it was decided that everyone can make their own decision and wear a mask at their own discretion. Betty Park made that motion, Juanita Yambert seconded it, and the motion carried. We can return Bibles and hymnals and can remove ‘do not sit’ signs. We will continue to do the offering in the same manner that we have been. As far as the counting of the offering, Pastor Dean needs to remove himself from this process as he has been doing that since the pandemic started. We will need to find someone to do this if Janet Main doesn’t want to return to doing it. Danene will continue to play piano at worship. The Board wishes to make her aware that she is very appreciated. Regarding returning to paper bulletins, it was preferred to continue with announcements on the screens only and not return to paper bulletins. Lori Clay will collect information about events and forward in Word format to Pastor Dean and update website. We will continue to use the blister packs for Communion. Karen Popenberg made the motion to accept all these procedures as listed above, Bruce Kreh seconded the motion, and the motion carried.

We will check with Drew to see if he is willing to join in with the Adult Sunday school class or if he would prefer not to, we will need someone to replace Dean as the instructor for the youth Sunday school class.

It was decided that we could open the fellowship hall for use. Juanita Yambert motioned this, Karen Popenberg seconded it, and the motion carried.

Jeannie VanBuskirk, board president, thanked Bob Manz for edging the parking lot. Bob mentioned that the neighbor assisted in this task and that a portion of our parking lot actually is on the neighbor’s lot. Ruth Beidelschies has expressed interest in starting up blood pressure checks again. Betty Park made the motion to allow this, Don Thallman seconded the motion, and the motion carried. It was mentioned that the tree in front yard is partially dead and needs cut. Dean will obtain a quote from Jay Frankart.

It was mentioned that it may be necessary to set the background music a little lower on the opening video.

It was agreed last month’s meeting minutes as published in the newsletter are accepted.

Lori Clay finished the meeting with the treasurer’s report. Bob Manz motioned to accept the treasurer’s report, Betty Park seconded the motion, and the motion carried. Betty Park gave the roof fund balance as approximately $6700.

The meeting was adjourned. Next meeting will be on October 13th

at 7:00 p.m.

Bascom United Methodist Church 5660 W. Tiffin St. Bascom, Ohio 44809

(419)937-2578