the tower news

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May 2015 • Tower News

First United Methodist Church

111 East Michigan Avenue Battle Creek, MI 49014

www.firstumcbc.org

9:00 am Praise Worship 11:30 am Traditional Worship with Choir

Worship Schedule

Y o u r C h u r c h S t a f f

Ministers .................................................. All Members

Lead Pastor ....................................... Marshall Murphy

Co-Pastor .............................................. Scott Bouldrey

Administrative Assistant ................ Jean Harvey-Clark

Music Director .................................... Wendy Wheeler

Custodian ................................................... Jeff Stevens

Organist .................................................... Kay Ensfield

Keyboards ............................................. Naghielly Agy

Child Care ........................................ Allyson Cubberly

The TOWER News is published monthly.

Copy deadline is the 20th of the month. Please

electronically submit your information to:

Editor & Publisher: Jean Harvey-Clark

[email protected]

Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am to 5 pm

Closed for Lunch between 12-1 pm

Office is Closed on Fridays

Phone: 269.963.5567/ Fax: 269.963.6899

Pastoral Care: Marshall - 269.753.8056

Address Service Requested


The Tower News First United Methodist Church The City Center Church 111 East Michigan Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49014

The vision of First United Methodist Church is to be a Vibrant, Diverse, Christ-Centered People.

Volume 5 Issue 2 – May 2015

Continental Breakfast in the Woods

Come join us Saturday, May 9, 2015, at

9:00 am for a continental breakfast of

coffee and doughnuts in the Woods;

Wesley Woods that is. It’s time for annual

clean up of two cabins in preparation for

the upcoming camping season. Enjoy the

sights, sounds, and smells of spring and

company of other volunteers as you work.

Perhaps you have never helped with

Wesley Woods clean up. Come, try it, you

might like it.

Please bring your own cleaning supplies.

This year there is no major project just

regular cleaning. Lunch will be served

when we finish which should be about noon.

For more information and to volunteer please see Sharon Gawlak at the

Service Team table.

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Happy Birthday to You! Community Prayer Breakfast Tuesday, May 5, 2015, 7:25 am

at the Kellogg Arena featuring Bob Goff, author of

"Love Does." For tickets go to

www.bccfoundation.org/prayerbreakfast2015 or call 269.969.2120.

There will be no Youth Sunday

School on Sunday, May 10,

Mother’s Day.

05/01 Jim Davis

05/01 Rick McKelvey

05/07 Karol Henegar

05/10 Becca Anderson

05/12 Michael Dixon Jr.

05/15 Billie R. Dalton

05/17 Harold Creekmur

05/17 Todd Stagner

05/17 Morgyn Clair

05/19 Katie Moore

05/20 Irene Crisman

05/22 Mary Brigden

05/23 Georgia Dalton

05/23 Angelica Boshers

05/23 Christopher

Gardner

05/25 Todd Boshers

05/26 Karina Moore

05/27 Dsidra Jansohn

05/29 Sue Anderson

05/30 Hattie Tuck

05/30 Allan Moore

Congratulations

Graduates! Your

church family

would like to

show you how

proud we are of

your accom-

plishments. If you are graduating from

high school, college or any type of higher

education, please send a picture and

information on where you graduated from

and what your future plans are. We would

like this information by May 31. We will

be serving refreshments in your honor on

Sunday, June 7, after the 9:00 am service.

If you have any questions, please contact

Kathy Thornton at 967.0270. Thanks!

Ron Sootsman, son of Ginnie and the late Kay Sootsman, won the Governor's Fitness Award for the Inspiring Story of the Year. The award was presented on Thursday, April 23 at Ford Field in Detroit with Ginnie, Clarke Whinery, and Ron's son Joe in attendance. For details of his amazing achievements see Battle Creek Shopper News, April 30, page 10.

We would like to acknowledge

and welcome the recent

transfers of membership of

Marjorie Suggs, from BC

Maple United Methodist

Church, and Shuler Harmon,

from St, Matthews United

Methodist Church in Livonia,

MI. Thank you for sharing your

gifts and ministry with us.

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Account Category

Actual Income

YTD

Amount Budgeted

YTD

Ahead or

Behind

Total Annual Budget

% of Annual Budget

Income Pledges $34,912.50 $39,228.00 -$4,315.50 $156,912.00 22.25%

Non-Pledged $6,110.00 $6,249.00 -$139.00 $25,000.00 24.44%

Loose Plate Offerings $1,877.70 $999.00 $878.70 $4,000.00 46.94%

Other Budgeted $735.50 $678.00 $57.50 $2,975.00 24.72%

Total Budgeted Income $43,635.70 $47,154.00 -$3,518.30 $188,887.00 23.10%

2014 Fund Balance Carryover (per future audit report), not income

$188,887.00

Account Category

Actual Expenses

YTD

Amount Budgeted

YTD

Ahead or

Behind

Total Annual Budget

% of Annual Budget

Expenses Total Salaries $25,108.34 $25,342.00 $233.66 $110,029.00 22.82%

Total Church Building $15,402.08 $16,668.00 $1,265.92 $66,669.00 23.10%

Total Parsonage $780.36 $891.00 $110.64 $2,061.00 37.86%

Total Ministry Shares $1,251.00 $7,806.00 -$6,555.00 $31,219.00 4.01%

Total Office $1,780.99 $2,337.00 $556.01 $9,328.00 19.09%

Total - All Other Budgeted $7,638.53 $8,175.00 $536.47 $23,418.00 32.62%

Worship $1,737.46 $1,350.00 -$387.46 $5,400.00 32.18%

Finance $219.03 $282.00 $62.97 $564.00 38.84%

Benefits $5,579.45 $5,918.00 $338.55 $16,204.00 34.43%

Pastor's Travel $102.59 $625.00 $522.41 $1,250.00 8.21%

Total Budgeted Expenses $51,961.30 $61,219.00 -$3,852.30 $242,724.00 21.41%

YTD Income vs YTD Expenses -$8,325.60

http://www.bccfoudation.org/prayerbreakfast2015

http://www.bccfoudation.org/prayerbreakfast2015

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Account Category

Actual Income

YTD

Amount Budgeted

YTD

Ahead or

Behind

Total Annual Budget

% of Annual Budget

Income Pledges $34,912.50 $39,228.00 -$4,315.50 $156,912.00 22.25%

Non-Pledged $6,110.00 $6,249.00 -$139.00 $25,000.00 24.44%

Loose Plate Offerings $1,877.70 $999.00 $878.70 $4,000.00 46.94%

Other Budgeted $735.50 $678.00 $57.50 $2,975.00 24.72%

Total Budgeted Income $43,635.70 $47,154.00 -$3,518.30 $188,887.00 23.10%

2014 Fund Balance Carryover (per future audit report), not income

$188,887.00

Account Category

Actual Expenses

YTD

Amount Budgeted

YTD

Ahead or

Behind

Total Annual Budget

% of Annual Budget

Expenses Total Salaries $25,108.34 $25,342.00 $233.66 $110,029.00 22.82%

Total Church Building $15,402.08 $16,668.00 $1,265.92 $66,669.00 23.10%

Total Parsonage $780.36 $891.00 $110.64 $2,061.00 37.86%

Total Ministry Shares $1,251.00 $7,806.00 -$6,555.00 $31,219.00 4.01%

Total Office $1,780.99 $2,337.00 $556.01 $9,328.00 19.09%

Total - All Other Budgeted $7,638.53 $8,175.00 $536.47 $23,418.00 32.62%

Worship $1,737.46 $1,350.00 -$387.46 $5,400.00 32.18%

Finance $219.03 $282.00 $62.97 $564.00 38.84%

Benefits $5,579.45 $5,918.00 $338.55 $16,204.00 34.43%

Pastor's Travel $102.59 $625.00 $522.41 $1,250.00 8.21%

Total Budgeted Expenses $51,961.30 $61,219.00 -$3,852.30 $242,724.00 21.41%

YTD Income vs YTD Expenses -$8,325.60

FUMC Consolidated Adopted Budget Report

March 31, 2015

These are Budgeted items only

Finance Update

3


May Happenings at First Church

SMALL GROUPS Adventures Group: Check with Esther Brown

Book Group: May 3, 1:00 pm Clara’s

GIFT Group: Tuesday,

May 5: 6:00 pm, FUMC

May 19: 6:00 pm, FUMC

Martha Circle May 13: 9:30 am, Gull Lake

*see article on page 4

Men’s Group: Mondays, 6:00 pm

Partners in Prayer: May 4: 7:00 pm,

Kathy Rizor’s

May 18: 7:00 pm,

Betty Dawson’s

Church and Society information can be found on the bulletin boards at the top of the steps.

WEEKLY EVENTS

Sunday

8:00 am Praise Band Practice

9:00 am Contemporary Worship

10::30 am Choir Practice

11:30 am Cornerstone Worship

Monday

9:00 am Staff Meeting

Wednesday

7:00 pm Prayer Time

COMMITTEE MEETINGS Endowment 05/06 5:15 pm

Trustees 05/06 6:30 pm

Finance 05/12 7:00 pm

Service Team 05/13 6:00 pm

Staff Parish n/a

Church Council 05/26 7:00 pm

Video Booth Volunteers

We are looking for volunteers to assist serving in the video booth on Sunday mornings. For more information, see Wendy Wheeler, Director of Music.

The Franklin Post Neighborhood Food

Pantry is looking for a coordinator. Please

see Todd Boshers for information. Pastor Marshall Murphy’s

FUMC Hours are

Monday-Wednesday: 9:00 am -2:00 pm.

He can be reached by phone or text at

269.753.8056 and via email at

[email protected].

4


Martha Circle Report for April 8, 2015

There were seven members in attendance at our April 8, 2015 meeting. Our scripture reading was from Luke Chapter 19 Versus 1-10. Eunice Kline led us in our circle of prayer. We reviewed the minutes of the March meeting and Karol Heneger gave our treasurers report of $1,166.63. We voted to donate $300.00 to pay for one child to camp this summer, $100.00 to the Sunday morning refreshment committee and later make a donation to the Vacation Bible School. A new listing of our shut-ins was distributed. Dorothy Bickford gathered five Bibles and they were taken to the Haven of Rest. We then tied off five of the I SPY quilts for Charitable Union and Karol Henegar took them there. Anyone wishing to pick up some and tie them off are welcome to do so. They are given to families with new babies and helps the babies learn many things such as colors ,shapes etc. Our last meeting for the 2014-2015 year will be held on Wednesday, May 13th. We will meet at the church at 9:30 am and take the church bus out to Gull Lake for breakfast. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us… Helen Larder, President

We would like to extend an open invitation to our church family! Please join us for

Emma’s Open House!

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8


I would like to thank everyone that had any

part in making First United Methodists'

Dinner at Christ United Methodist a

success. From bringing food, to serving and

clean-up, it all went well. It was fun to get

together, eat dinner and make some new

friends. The food was delicious, if I say so

myself. A big SHOUT OUT to Hattie, she

came prepared with dessert, FUMC aprons

for us to wear, and cookbooks for prizes.

The men from CUMC said we could come

back anytime and bring dinner again.

Carol Barr Church Council Chair person

Photos by Kathy Rizor

5


“Bittersweet”

Local author and social worker, Gladys Seedorf, in her second book, “Bittersweet”,

tells a story based on her father’s life and his struggles with mental illness. Gladys

describes how mental illness affects not only the individual but the whole family.

Gladys brings to light the many hidden layers which mask the illness, so that help can

be obtained and healing can begin. The focus of the “Bittersweet” involves the family

unit, thus Gladys feels it can serve as a self-help book.

Maple’s Women Sharing Faith is hosting a book signing reception for Gladys. The

event is open to the public. Please join us for a short program, refreshments and

perhaps win a copy of “Bittersweet”. Books will be available for purchase. If you have

questions about this event, see Marjie Suggs or Shirley Carr

Saturday, May 23, 2015

2:00 pm Maple UMC - 342 Capital Avenue, NE

The event will be held in Fellowship Hall. Please enter on the lower level from the

parking lot.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Where are you teddy bear?

We really need you badly.

Our supply of bears for our

Prayer Bear project is

extremely low. The bears

quickly find homes with

those in need. It is time to

replenish our supply.

Do you have some once

cherished and now lonely

teddy bears which you could

donate to become a Prayer

Bear? Someone would be comforted and

have their days brightened because of your

generosity.

You can get bears at Goodwill

or Salvation Army, as well as,

various dollar stores and yard

sales. Your kindness will bring

a smile to the face of the

person choosing the “perfect”

bear and then to the person

receiving the Prayer Bear.

Help us to have two bears in

each pew again, so we can

enjoy having them leave their

home with us so they can make

someone happy, even for a little while.

As always your help is appreciated.

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Pastor Marshall Murphy

Reflections

Ephesians 4:9-16 9(When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into

the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the same one who ascended far

above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11The gifts he gave were that

some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until

all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to ma-

turity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children,

tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by

their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up

in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined

and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working

properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (NRSV)

1 John 4:7-21 7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born

of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so

that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved

us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved

us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love

one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we

abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the

world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in

God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and

those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of

judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect

love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not

reached perfection in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20Those who say, “I love

God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or

sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21The com-

mandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and

sisters also. (NRSV)

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April 26, 2015 Dear Members and Friends of First United Methodist Church: As Chairperson of the Staff-Parish Relations Commit-tee, I wish to announce the appointment of Douglas Vernon, our new co-pastor effective July 1, 2015. Doug was introduced to us yesterday and we are excited about the gifts he will bring to our church family. Douglas is a retired Elder of the Michigan Area, having served over four decades in both the Detroit and West Michigan Conferences of the UMC. He is a graduate of Michigan State University, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and the Detroit Ecumenical Theological Seminary. In retirement, he serves Garrett as a part time Development Associate. Doug and his wife, Jane, are the proud grandparents of nine youngsters who reside in Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington State. Jane is a retired elementary educator, now active in leading spiritual growth classes, seminars, and retreats. Doug is a Master Gardener, a sometime fly fisherman, a lap swimmer, and a voracious reader of historical fiction. The Vernon's share their Kalamazoo home with their beloved Wheaten Terrier “Misty.” We will be planning a warm welcome for Doug and Jane upon their arrival in July. In the meantime, we will be celebrating the ministry and faithful service of Scott. Please hold both families up in prayer during these months of transition. Trusting God’s amazing grace, Christ’s faithful love, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, we move into the future. Serving Christ with you, Anne Stagner

Staff Parish Update

I am excited about the

announcement of Doug

Vernon being appointed to

Battle Creek First UMC,

effective in July. After I

retired from BC First UMC

in 1998 I served a few part

time pastorates and was then

appointed to Kalamazoo First

UMC as interim senior pastor

because the previous pastor

became ill and it was not

known yet whether he would

return to ministry or retire.

In that process I had the

privilege of working with

Pastor Doug while he was

being appointed to follow

me. I've kept in touch with

his ministry in Kalamazoo

during his tenure there, and

he has provided outstanding

leadership. I hope everyone

at Battle Creek First will

anticipate his and Jane's

arrival and will have a

wonderful experience

engaging in ministry with

him.

---Rev. Ron L. Keller

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