! "#$%&'(#!)&*+(,!-(+./,*0+!1.2#3.!!"#$%&'(&%

!

!

!

!"#$%"&'(#"&)#'! Erlanger United Methodist Church

August 2012

UPCOMING EVENTSLongest Yard Sale

8.4District UMM

8.16Reds Game

8.19Impact Kentucky

8.25Church Picnic

8.26

Red's GameFaith Day at the Great American Ball Park is August 19. Join us for morning Worship and then we'll load on the bus to go down to the game (it starts at 1:10 p.m.) The Reds are taking on the Chicago Cubs. MERCY ME will be giving a concert after the game. Everyone is welcome. Our tickets are going fast. Call the church office at 727-2136 to reserve your spot or email the church office1@erlangerumc.org.

The Pastor’s Corner...

It happened again this year! The summer slipped by without my noticing! We got our first mailing for Christmas in the church office, and our fall Charge Conference date came in the mail today, too. I guess that means summer is officially over! (The Charge Conference date, by the way, is Sunday, November 11 at 4:30 p.m.)

I was also listening to a web-seminar (which I do a lot these days) about church growth. It reminded me of the importance of looking ahead and planning ahead. While we need to live in the present, we must always be pressing on and running the race that is set before us (as the author of Hebrews said!) It’s hard to do when the present is so busy and goes by so quickly. Before you know it you’re in the future! But we must do more than just keep the present going.

Part of that means looking at who we want to be! I hope all of us have dreams for our church. What would you like to see happen? The usual answers are about increased attendance and more things for young people, but I hope our vision is not just limited to that. AND I hope our vision is broader than that. I hope we don’t forget that the reason we want more people in attendance is because we want our church to nurture hearts in the spiritual journey and we want to touch people’s lives with an amazing message of God’s love. It’s not just that we want more numbers, it that we want to change lives for Jesus.

That happens as we desire that for OURSELVES as well. People who are seeking Jesus and wanting to grow will come to a church where there are people who are seeking Jesus and wanting to grow. Are you content with just showing up on Sunday morning and putting your hour in? Or, do you really want to mold and shape your life after the example of Christ? Is church just a good luck charm that hopefully keeps you out of hell when you die, or is it a place where you can really get a handle on how to LIVE in the now?

What are your dreams for the future of this church? They will be closely tied to your own hopes and dreams for your own life. What is God doing with you? What does God want you to do? And are you really growing in your spiritual journey? I hope so.

Let’s make that happen for everyone! See you in church!

Pastor Mark

! !

Birthdays... Wanda Cole 8/10

Tammy Beechem 8/11

Brenda Cain 8/14

Tom Houston 8/15

Barry Wurtz 8/16

Grant Stanfield 8/19

Monica Smith 8/24

Toni Rhodes 8/25

Daniel Fletcher 8/29

Mark Burns 8/29

Please let us know if your birthday has been left off this list. We want to include everyone!

Anniversaries...

Gene & Pat Barbour 8/05 Mike & Emily Markey 8/06 Mike & Karen Fletcher 8/08 Jim & Bev Muegel 8/11 Kevin & Sharon Stanfield 8/16 Paul & Mary Swanson 8/19 Jerry & Ann Abney 8/23 John & Sue Lambert 8/23 Shawn & Kim Day 8/23 Charles & Carol Kiefer 8/31 Charlie & Wanda Hill 8/31

A new address for Thelma Martin She will be officially in Atlanta on August 1. Her new address is Lenbrook, 3747 Peachtree Rd. NE, apt #503, Atlanta, GA 30319. Her phone number is 404-262-4503. We wish her well with many blessings!

Tri-City Church Women United Human Rights Celebration Friday, August 17 at 6pm Bring a salad or dessert and come to a very cool indoor picnic at Florence United Methodist Church, 8585 Old Toll Road, Florence, KY. Meat, bread and drinks will be provided. After our cool dinner there will be a short business meeting and our Human Rights Celebration. Rev. Carol Whiting will lead us in a bible study. What to bring; a salad or dessert and school supplies for needy children. For more information, call Joan Morgan at 525-7599.

Just a reminder Your second quarter contribution statement is available. Please stop by the church office and pick yours up.Picnic at Lincoln Woods Park Sunday August 26 We will be having a churchwide picnic at Lincoln Woods Park at 1 City Park Drive in Florence starting at 4:30pm, eating a "faith luck" supper at 5:30 (no main dish provided).  The park is located off of Surfwood Dr which is off of Hopeful Church Dr. The church van will be available for those wanting a ride from church and we will also form a caravan for those not familiar with the area who wish to drive their own cars.  Lincoln Woods has a large reserved shelter, restrooms, baseball field, a large playground, tennis courts and shade trees.  For more information contact Emily Markey 859 409-9653

WELCOME MIKE HEWIT!  Mike has officially joined our church as of 7/22/12.  Mike has moved to our area from Pitman, NJ to be near his sister, Sue Summe, who lives down here.  He has been a life-long Methodist and is living in the independent living section of the Baptist Towers. We are thrilled to have Mike on our membership rolls. Many of you have seen in the news that a car was stolen from our church parking lot last week.  The car was recovered and the thieves caught, but please be careful.  The car was left running while someone “just ran into the church for a minute.”  Let’s not offer temptation to others.  Turn off your car and lock it whenever you leave it.  BE SAFE!

If any of you know a child entering kindergarten this year, please submit their names and contact information to the church office.  We are going to give Guardian Angel Pins to each child entering kindergarten this year.  It’s a great way to invite new families to church, so let us know if you have someone in mind!

! !

! !

! !! ! ! !! ! ! !! !! !! !

Women In Mission...

Adult Ministries...

“Women in Mission shall function as an organized ministry of Erlanger United Methodist Church women. Whose purpose is to share God’s love through cooperative effort that lend support to local, state and global missions”

Thanks everyone for helping with our picnic on July 22. Ken and Sue Maynard for getting the supplies and taking pictures. Methodist Men for taking the tables to and from the park. Charlie Hill for the great music. Emily Markey for getting the chicken. The women for all the good food. Everyone for helping with the clean up. Special thanks to our mystery person or person’s for providing ice cream after our meal. Whomever you are.

August 4 is the Longest Yard Sale. See Joy Hamilton if you are interested in participating.

God Bless and Thank You!

Joy Hamilton ~ Chairperson

Our next meeting is Thursday, August 2 at 11am in the Parlor All women are invited to attend. We are planning to go to Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky October 4. Anne Sturgis will give us a tour of the campus. It is located in Devou Park. We will take the church bus.

Blessings,Sandra Horne ~Chairperson Women In Mission

United Methodist Men’s Ministry...

A Note From The Laws:

We are busy.  I have been working along with my main children's worker/teacher on children's lessons for the school year beginning in September.

            I am also photocopying pictures for the children to color for their classes. Unfortunately, our main printer 'died' then our back up printer joined the first one thus no printer for the lessons.      Our sister-in-law is coming from the states and is bringing us anew so Praise be to God!

            We have two churches slowly going up and Paul is busy working on the dam for the new water system to be put here on the mission. Thus far this has been an almost three year project.  Yema, yema-little by little as they say in Otetela.

Pastor Kitambala Paul's right hand man will resume soon visiting villages to show the 'Jesus Film'.

     All in all we are being productive and very busy.

Blessings, Marty and for Paul, too

To view the video of what’s happening at Appointment Congo. Go to the website: appointmentcongo.orgIt’s awesome to see how God is working.

!

Prayer Concerns...Lou SheltonJerry AbneyHelen WilsonEleanor WettigOur Pastor as he leads usOur church staffOur church officers & teachers

The effective prayer of the righteous accomplishes much.

!

If you are unable to attend and would like communion brought to your home, please contact the church office 727-2136

                            PRAYER CORNER

When you feel unable to pray, remember that the SpiritHimself intercedes for you with groans that words cannotexpress. Romans 8:26

   Some of your prayers that you consider frantic andunintelligible are actually quite profound.  They rise fromthe depths of your heart...all the way to heaven. To form these deep prayers, you need only turn to Jesus with theconcerns that lie heavy on your heart.   Jesus wants you to watch in hope as you wait for Him,your Savior.  Wait expectantly:  confident that He willdo what is best.  The longer you have to wait, the moreyou need to rely on your trust in Him.. If you start to feelanxious, seek His help with short prayers such as"Jesus fill me with Your peace." or just call on His name..."Jesus".  You may breathe these brief prayers as often as needed.  As you put you hope in Him, his unfailing love will rest peacefully upon you.                             ... from "Jesus Lives" by Sara Young

-- Pat BarbourJeremiah 29:11-13

Financial Update...INCOME  REPORT  FOR  JULY  2012

GENERAL  FUND  INCOME:               SPECIAL  GIVING  INCOME:Tithes                                $13,804.00                 Building  Fund                                                                  $140.00Loose  Plate                                          $276.91                 Emmaus  Emergency          $47.00      Church  School                        $96.60                 Emmaus  Various  Projects                                $68.00GECDC                        $5,314.78     Emmaus  Zimmerman          $54.00Interest/Dividends                                            $28.02                 Good  Samaritan  Fund                                          $16.75                                                                                                                      Miscellaneous                          $596.53                 Laws                                                                                        $60.00          GENERAL  FUND  TOTAL            $20,116.84                        Manna  Mission                                                                  $40.00                                                                                                

                Memorials                                      $50.00GRAND  TOTAL                            $21,564.95                   Methodist  Home                              $301.65                                                                          Average  to  General  Fund        $4,023.37                   Miscellaneous                                                                  $232.00Needed  each  week          $5,884.62                   Reimbursements                                                        $105.00                                                                                                                                                           UMCOR                                                                                        $120.00                 Women  in  Mission              $95.00                                                                                                                        Zimmermans                                                                          $10.00                                                                                                                                                                 SPECIAL  GIFTS  TOTAL                      $1,339.40

You will notice in this report that our giving is a little down. It went down last month, and is again this month. Usually summer giving drops off and we have a little slump. Unfortunately the expenses of ministry do not take a slump. We still have to preach the Word, serve the Manna Mission Meal, host Vacation Bible School, teach Sunday School and all the other things that make a church a ministry of God! Our church office, or “mission central” still needs to operate. Maintenance expenses and utility expenses necessary to operate our ministry to children through Grace Edgett are ongoing. Ministry doesn’t take a break in the summer. People needing help don’t go on vacation during the summer. Don’t forget to send in your contribution even when you may be away for vacation or a family reunion. The Lord’s work continues, and it is more important than EVER! God does not take a vacation from loving us or calling us to do his work. The Lord needs us to be his disciples all year long. Please give generously to the ministry of this church so we can do his work all year long.