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Footprints

A publication of UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF LUDINGTON 5810 Bryant Road, Ludington, MI 49431 (231) 843-8340 Email: office@ludingtonumc.org

www.ludingtonumc.org Believers seeking and sharing the character of Christ

1,8,15,22,29 Flower Ministry 10:00 am 2,9,16,23,30 Intercessory Prayer 9:30 am, Bell Choir Rehearsal 5:00 pm 2 Trustees 7:00 pm

3,10,24 Catered Meal 6:00 pm, Pas-tor’s Bible Study 7:04 pm 4,11,25 Men’s Emmaus 7:30 am, Women’s Bible Study 9:00 am, Wom-en’s Emmaus 1:00 pm, Chancel Choir 7:00 pm, Praise Choir 8:00 7,14,21,28 Praise Band Rehearsal 8:00 am, Adult Bible Studies 8:15 am, Contem-porary Worship & Sunday School 9:30 am, Traditional Worship 11:00 am 7,14 Sacred Practices 3:00 pm 8 Grief Group 4:00 pm, Evangelism Committee 6:00 pm 9 Staff-Pastor-Parish 7:00 pm 11 Finance Committee 5:00 pm, Hen-derson Mission Meeting 6:00 pm 14 Palm Sunday. Sunday School Easter Egg Hunt 9:30 am. 17 Worship Committee 11:00 am 18 Catered Meal 6:00 pm, Maundy Thursday Worship 7:00 pm 19 Good Friday Worship 7:00 pm 21 EASTER! Legacy Pancake Breakfast, we do Nursing Home wor-ship services 23 Administrative Board 6:30 pm 30 We do Community Table 4:30 pm Legacy and United Methodist Women meet-ing announcements are inside this newsletter.

Dear Friends,

I have no desire to become anything but a minister of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I certainly do not wish to become a “one-issue” preacher or champion. The General Conference of the United Methodist Church has spoken, the “One Church Plan” was defeated, and the language of the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church

will remain the same. Some of you most certainly rejoice with this decision; it keeps things as they are. Others are deeply hurt and saddened, as it continues to keep our LGBTQ friends out of the circle of leadership. This letter is more about my love for the scriptures and how I have learned to read and apply them to my own life and in the life of the congregations I have served. I believe the scriptures to be inspired by God; a divinely inspired work of humans expressing their understanding of God’s will and the way it is to be lived out. I also believe their writings are a product of the culture in which they lived, and an attempt to explain the mysteries of life as they knew it. What I don’t believe is that the Bible is a dictated book that people were com-pelled to write down. It has changed over the years with new discoveries of culture and language, and different humans have come up with different ways to interpret them. I recently looked up the first line in the Gospel of John, as it begins much like the beginning of Genesis… “In the beginning”. John goes on to say, “was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (NRSV) Most of us are used to that wording, and are very sure that is exactly what the Bible says. But there are other versions and other translators who prefer to translate those words as: “In the beginning existed the word and the word existed with the god and a god was the word.” Another translation states that the “word was divine.” While the words are similar, they have a very different meaning. Indeed, the word “Logos” which we typically translate “word” actually has over a dozen meanings! In essence we have the responsi-bility to find out what the words in the Bible say. It is a challenge for those who do not wish to take things at face value, or seek for deeper meaning with-in the texts. I could go on and on, but the purpose of this letter is to assure you I take the words (and the meaning of those words) of the Holy Bible very seriously. That being said, I stand on what I believe to be solid biblical ground, and if any wish more information, I will be happy to meet with you to try to explain how I came to believe what I believe. Continued on Page 4

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In Our Church this month

1,3,5,8,10,12,15,17,19,22,24,26,29 Women’s Closed AA 10:00 am 1,2,15,16,22,23,29,30 Cub Dens 5:30-7:30 pm 6 Emmaus Gathering/Potluck 4:30-9:30 pm, Ball Brothers Concert 6:00 pm 9 Cub Scout Pack 5:00 pm 10 AFFEW Board 6:00 pm 11 Emmaus Board 6:00 pm 13 AFFEW Earth Day 9:00 am-5:00 pm (Setup April 12) 18 PEO 8:30-1:00 25 Mason County Garden Club 12:00-4:00 pm

It’s time to celebrate District Superintendent Anita Hahn’s 8-Year Ministry among us. You’re invited to enjoy a pig roast and buffet at Lake Ann United Methodist Church Community Center on Sat-urday, May 11 from 1:00 until 6:00 pm. There will also be music from praise bands and other musical groups. The celebration will end with worship and Commun-ion. RSVP no later than April 25 to Jill Haney, District Office, 231-947-5281 if you plan to attend. For details see the flyer on the church bulletin board.

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Life Line Screening will provide preventive health screenings at our church on Wednesday, August 7, 2019. For information and to receive discount pricing, see their website at www.lifelinescreening.com/communitycircle. Life Line is a for-profit company that is renting our Fellowship Hall for this event. It is not affiliated with The United Methodist Church.

We continue to serve coffee and cookies from 9:30 to 11:00 each Sunday in the narthex. Please see the schedule on the front page for Wednes-

day evening activities. ~ ~ ~

Legacy

April 7 Roller Skating April 14 Palm Sunday: No Legacy April 21 Easter Pancake Breakfast April 28 In Youth Room 4:00 pm

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The Ball Brothers will present a concert at 6:00 pm Saturday, April 6 in our sanctuary. There will be a free will offering.

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Winsome Women – Spring Christian Retreat

May 14 & 15, May 15 & 16, May 16 & 17 Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

Theme: Precious Promises “Because of His glory and excellence,

He has given us great and precious promises.” 2 Peter 1:4a

For more information or to register, go to www.wswretreats.org

Several of our women have attended and it has been an awesome spiritual experience!

(Lynne Gohn, Karen Genson, Sue Martin, to name a few)

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Youth Sunday School Starting April 28, 2019

9:30 am Worship Service until 9:45 am 9:45-10:45 am Meet in 4th-5th Grade Room

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2019 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE - 4 years old through 6th grade

Sunday, Aug. 11 - set up decorations in the sanctuary and church Monday, Aug. 12 through Friday, Aug. 16 - VBS 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Sunday, Aug. 18 - 9:30 Worship Service with the VBS children and the Pastor

Needs to be in place before the end of April: Someone willing to work online with the computer for Safe Sanctuary entries, registration, etc.

Adults and Youth who enjoy working with our young children Adults and Youth who want to bring God’s Love alive in a child’s world

Adults and Youth who are patient, dependable and committed Christ –followers Adults and Youth who can see and acknowledge every child as made in the image of God … because they are!

ROLES THAT NEED FILLED as soon as possible:

Station Leaders for: Assemble, Crafts, Recreation, Music, Puppets and Cooks and Servers

Please contact Judy at 843-8340

The Altar Guild invites you to provide flowers for the narthex on Easter morning. Please fill out the form below and return it to the church office or place it in the offering plate with your payment by April 7.

Easter Lilies Single (6”) ___$16.95 Double (9”) ___$26.50 Triple (10”) ___$33.50

Tulips (6”) ___$13.00

Daffodils (6”) ___$13.00

Hyacinth (6”) ___$13.00

Azaleas (6”) ___$28.00

Hydrangeas 6 inch ___$28.00 8 inch ___$36.00

Given by: _________________________________________________________ In Memory of __________________________________________________________ In Honor of ___________________________________________________________

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Continued from Page 1

I have decided to plan a new membership class,

to take place in April. There will be two opportu-

nities for those who wish to take those classes: one on a

Monday morning and one on a Saturday. Please let me

know if you are interested in either of those classes and the

dates that would be good for you. I am excited to know

that we have about four families and two individuals who

are interested in officially joining this congregation!

I have just learned that our praise band, “The Water’s Edge,” will no longer be leading music for the first service after April 28. This breaks my heart, as I love this group of talented individuals, yet I also understand that people must live out of their own convictions. I look forward to one more month of their music and fellowship, and pray that we can continue to be in ministry together. If there is any-one who might like to start a new praise band, please see me as soon as possible so we might be able to have music in the first service. In the meantime I will be talking with the worship design team and discussing the possibility to go to one service on Sundays after April. I will close with an invitation to talk to one another about the future, and how we see ourselves in ministry to the community. I believe this church wants to be open to all, and to worship with those who love the Lord and the Lord’s people. Perhaps this is not the case for everyone, and that is fine. I will be asking the congregation (members and non-members alike) to participate in a non-binding straw poll. This poll will be asking your individual opinions as to what kind of church we wish to be, who would be welcome in leadership roles, and, if The United Methodist Church should split, which way this congregation might wish to follow. You will be asked if this church needs new leadership in light of the decision of the General Confer-ence and the decision I have personally made to follow my conscience. This will take place before I go to Annual Con-ference this year, as there is a possibility that we shall be asked the same questions there. The issues we are facing can be divisive, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I have no desire to hurt or divide this congregation, as it is a congre-gation I have come to love. It was John Wesley who sug-gested that we may not always think alike, but then asked if we could not at least learn to love alike. Wherever this journey of life and faith takes us, I wish you all Shalom.

Pastor Dennis

The Evangelism Committee, Donna Possehn, & Jen-nifer MacDonald invite anyone interested in helping with the Community Table 2019 to please sign up by the "Welcome Desk" or call either Donna (690-1647) or Jennifer (690-8944). You may be asking, "How do I know if I have the skills to help with Community Table?" Read the fol-lowing items and put a check by all the things you can do! *Smile *Make friendly conversation *Have a listening ear *Serve food *Serve drinks *Wash dishes *Clean tables & floors *Set tables & wrap silverware If you checked off even one of these items, you have what it takes to be a Community Table volunteer! Here’s the next opportunity. Tuesday, April 30, 2019 @ Community Church 1:00-2:00pm (table setup) Also, our church is responsible for nursing home worship on Easter! Please contact Donna or Jennifer to volunteer. We’re heading down to the Henderson Settlement this fall to spend a week working in the Frakes, Ken-tucky area, helping those less fortunate than ourselves. If you’ve ever thought about going on a mission trip please join us! There will be an organizational/informational meeting in the church library on Thurs-day, April 11 at 6:00 pm. If you have any questions, contact either Kirk Myers or Wayne Disegna. Undie Sundays for C.O.V.E. March 3-May 12. You are invited to join our Sunday School class mission as we collect new socks and underwear for the boys, girls and teens at the women’s shelter on Ludington Ave. We are also collecting “Pull-Ups”, disposable training pants, in sizes 2T, 3T and 4T. There is a bas-ket in the CE hallway for your donations. Your gifts will be greatly appreciated by the families at C.O.V.E. Thank You!

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UMW Executive Board will

meet at 1:00 pm on Friday, April 5 and April 26. The 2019 UMW Northern Waters District Spring Retreat is being held on Friday April 12 through Sat-urday, April 13 at Lake Louise Christian Community near Boyne Falls, MI. Check-in is at 5 pm on Friday and the retreat concludes about 2:15 pm on Saturday. Title is “Seasons of Life” and the speaker is Lisa McIl-venna, Executive Director & Counselor/Pastoral Therapist. The cost of $75 includes lodging, Friday dinner, and Saturday breakfast and lunch. Registration sheets will be available in the church office and regis-tration must be sent in by March 29. I found this spring retreat to be a wonderful experience and would love to have one or more of the ladies from our church attend. Carpooling would be great if more than one attends! The first 6 first time attendees to register will receive a $25 reimbursement - paid at the time of the retreat.

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Do you like contemporary Christian mu-sic? We need you to organize a new Praise Band! Please see Pastor Dennis for further information.

~ ~ ~ WANTED! It is said that young people are the fu-ture of our church...any church. We are blessed to have Cindy Cooper and George Faust as our Youth Leaders (grades 6-12) but their positions are part time and we would like to give them more support. Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee is recom-mending the reactivation of the Youth Advisory Board that would help Cindy and George recruit youth and volunteers for youth activities, assure guide-lines for United Methodist Youth Mission Trips are met, suggest/create new activities for our youth, etc. So if you have an interest/skill/gift in working with young people grades 6-12 and have a few hours a month to devote to them let Pastor Dennis know. Help us grow youth involvement in our church and grow Christ’s involvement in their lives. SPPRC March 2019

Thank you for your help in making the Soup Supper 2019 the overall success that it was. Whether you donated, sponsored, served, or prayed for us, your partnership was appreciated. God

bless all you do this upcoming Lenten Season. This thank you is from not only us but from all those you help who will never get to thank you personally. Matthew 25:40 NIV: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for Me.’” Larry Lange, Executive Director, Hands Extended Loving People (HELP Ministry)

United Methodist Women Karen Genson, President

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ONGOING PRAYER LIST Bill Alexander Jean Bouda Pat Bromley Allan Carlson Anne Estle John Fletcher Bob & Betty Ford Todd Fugere Gregg Heimall Immigrant families separated Erving Johnson Bob Jones Ken McClellan Maralee McCumber Sean Nelson Gail Niethe Sandy Sgro Clive & Judy Sutherland Dale Swanson Pat Trowbridge Linda Wolven

MILITARY Coordinator: Sheila McCallum SrA Joseph Archer, TX S SGT Daniel J. Cook, NC Kevin D. Coyne, Africa CS 2nd Class Emily Gibson, VA Matthew Heard, TX Greg Heimall III, NC Melody Houk (Navy) SSG Jacob Hunt, TN Catherine McNaughton, MS Captain Jane McNaughton SPC Christopher Myer, KY Paul Nickelson, MI NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING Eldred Chavalia (Karlyn Bray’s dad) Myra Easton Barb Gutschke Phil Hunt Sherry Johnson Nancy Kelley Tom McCumber Onabelle Pehrson Ruthie Peterson Marian Riffle Nell Scott Dorothy Smogeleski Roland Vandenheuvel Laura Walker Ellie Westcott Matthew Wilson (Greg’s son -Oklahoma) HAITI: Baudin School, Baudin Methodist Church, Ranquitte Methodist Church and Pastor Odeles Du Rosier, Tom Braak & Faith in Action

MARC: Alaska Ministries, Collier & Allyson Hard HENDERSON SETTLEMENT ZAMBIA: Soweto-Kapisha UMC; Pastor Bernard & Betty Lumene & Lord’s Mountain Orphanage; Bwafwano Care Project and Minerva Phiri COLLEGE STUDENTS Coordinator - Lynne Gohn Briona Carrier - WSCC Zachary Genter - Mich. Tech Noa Gohn - GVSU Rachel Gohn - Cornerstone U. Kayla Gottwald - GVSU Rachel Ives - U of M Anika Korendyke - GVSU Skylar Korendyke - GVSU Jordyn Sanders - U of M Tristan Scribner - Ferris Mallory Shinn - Hope College Meredith Sparks - Central Mich U Emma Taranko - GVSU

Ongoing Prayer Concerns

PRAYER REQUEST CARDS are located in the pews, the narthex and the Volunteer’s Desk. Requests are prayed over on Tuesday mornings and are kept confidential. They are prayed over for 30 days unless updated for a longer period of time. All prayer requests are kept in the office. If you have an urgent prayer request, you may activate the prayer chains by calling the church office at 843-8340. If the church office is closed, you may call Lynne Gohn (843-4746).

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Coloring Page

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Footprints A publication of UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF LUDINGTON

United Methodist Church of Ludington

5810 Bryant Rd., Ludington, Michigan 49431 (231) 843-8340 Fax: (231) 843-0070

Email: office@ludingtonumc.org Web site: www.ludingtonumc.org

Rev. Dennis Bromley, Pastor

Rev. Laurie McKinven-Copus, Office Manager, Footprints Editor Cindy Cooper and George Faust, Youth Directors

Rev. Judy Downing, Director of Christian Education, Office Manager

Rebecca Sopha, Music Director Rogene Lathouwers, Accompanist

Carleen Shinn, Hand Bell Choir Director Jac Russell, Praise Band Director

Roseann Shook, Briona Carrier and Rachel Faust, Nursery

OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

SUNDAY MORNING

Adult Bible Studies 8:30 am Contemporary Worship and Sunday School 9:30 am

Traditional Worship 11:00 am Nursery 9:15 am - 12:15 pm

The Footprints deadline is the third Monday of each month.

United Methodist Church of Ludington 5810 Bryant Road Ludington, MI 49431 Address Service Requested

Non-Profit US Postage

PAID Ludington, MI Permit No. 163

INSIDE THE APRIL 2019 ISSUE OF FOOTPRINTS

Birthday Calendar…....……..…9 Bits & Pieces…….…......…...…2 Christian Education….....……...3 Coloring Page…...…….………8

Kids’ Page………..…..............7 Pastor’s Message…………….1 Prayer Ministry….….……….6

Thanks………...……………...5 United Methodist Women…....5

You Can Help………………...4