I am printing this out to put in my journal today.  No need for me to add anything.

Sally

Another plus is that we won't have to freeze while work is being done in cold weather! 
 

Thanks for your offer, I have to get the details for the Mission in July, I don't know at this point how to register someone partially for the trip,  a spot must be reserved and paid for by the end of the year.  I do know that we need an adult for every five kids.  3 of us are confirmed at this point.  George Schofield expressed an interest and said he is avail with work to be able to go.  I will call our representative and ask about you joining for part of the week and let you know.

As far as the volunteer position,  I need someone who can commit to being avail to do the HS Youth group, which can include all the scheduled meetings.  I would like to move to do the middle schoolers with Carissa since it is our biggest group.  It's a big commitment for a volunteer!  Anyway, I know I can count on you to help me out for events and activities and I will keep you informed and definitely ask for your help! 

Thanks for your support,  your kids are awesome!

Cheryl

I hope to be able to join the Youth for at least part of the Mission Retreat this summer.  Please let me know what other volunteer opportunities you may have on Sunday evenings.  I know we don't make it to every Youth meeting, but I can help out on occasion.

Marc
 

Our “Pandarific” Station Leaders

Jeanne Brostowicz      Wild Bible Adventures

Karla Rush                    Chadder’s Movie Mania

Debbie Kuhn                Crazy Crafts

Sean Leary                   Bamboo Blast Games

Marianne Malloy          Panda Preschool Director 

Opening and Closing Assembly Songs and Skits -Gwen Miller, Dave Bretzius and Becca Rush

Panda Crew Leaders - Laura Piland, Sally Doyle, Trina and John Allen, Jeanne Thompson, Dave Bretzius, Paige Ferguson and Kristin Bonshock

Panda Preschool Aides- Lori Joyce, Carla Davison, Cathy Yeagle, Becca Rush, Susan Piland

Panda Crazy Crafts Assistants - Kathleen Montgomery, Xandra Coleman, Jean Bouchelle, Pastor Dick, Emily Thompson, Phyllis Tyler, Helen Martin

Wild Bible Adventurers -  Rachel Brostowicz, Xandra Coleman, Ed Hook, Pastor Dick

Bamboo Blast Games Assistants - Trey Piland, Aniqua Coleman, Kendrick Coker

Kitchen Crew - Laura Piland, Sara Bergstresser, LeeAnn Leary, Beth Hook and Connie DeFlavia

Registration - Betty Moore and Judy Schofield

VBS Spotlight Photographer - Marc Pochet

Stepped in to help wherever needed - Pastor Amy, Pastor Dick, Jean Bouchelle, Helen Martin

Decorating Support - Cheryl Cini, Jane Hulse, Marianne Malloy, Gwen Miller

Margie of Shallis Services who cleaned up after us!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Pastor Eva

At the end of the day, whether real or not, the fear of hell, or more precisely, the fear of not achieving eternal life in Heaven, is motivation for how I live my life here on Earth.
 

Jann
 

Jann

Great idea. I would like a short sleeve and long sleeve shirt.

Jann
 

¹ LORD, you are the God who saves me;
   day and night I cry out to you.
² May my prayer come before you;
   turn your ear to my cry.

 ³ I am overwhelmed with troubles
   and my life draws near to death.
⁴ I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
   I am like one without strength.
⁵ I am set apart with the dead,
   like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
   who are cut off from your care.

 ⁶ You have put me in the lowest pit,
   in the darkest depths.
⁷ Your wrath lies heavily on me;
   you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^[d]
8 You have taken from me my closest friends
   and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
 ⁹ my eyes are dim with grief.

   I call to you, LORD, every day;
   I spread out my hands to you.
¹⁰ Do you show your wonders to the dead?
   Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
¹¹ Is your love declared in the grave,
   your faithfulness in Destruction^[e]?
¹² Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
   or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

 ¹³ But I cry to you for help, LORD;
   in the morning my prayer comes before you.
¹⁴ Why, LORD, do you reject me
   and hide your face from me?

 ¹⁵ From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;
   I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
¹⁶ Your wrath has swept over me;
   your terrors have destroyed me.
¹⁷ All day long they surround me like a flood;
   they have completely engulfed me.
¹⁸ You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
   darkness is my closest friend.
 

"...It involves examining your program and then working to invite others to come and be part of it. The best way is simply to ask "everyone bring one." If our Sunday schools are to grow, we must all play our part in the attendance building efforts and invite our friends and neighbours."

I think this really sumarizes our congregation in a nutshell.  I believe that we ALL need to do a better job of being evangalistic (I know, I just used the "e-word").  But it is true.  Or, maybe better said, are there ways that we as leaders can provide our congregation with opportunities to be more evangalistic in ways that are less "threatening" or scary? 

For me personally, using the our website, the eNews, and FB are all ways in which I try to be more evangalistic.  The booth we are going to have at the Dogwood Festival in May is another great way for our members to be out there in a comfortable, not threatening setting (giving out free stuff in exchange for an email address and answering any questions people might have about our programs and worship services should be pretty easy for most of our congregation).

What about having a Sunday School class at the local coffee shop in town, or in Reeve's park on warm Spring/Fall days (or....???) during our sunday school hour as a way to take Sunday School to people rather than continuing to try to bring people to Sunday School?  Not saying it will work, but then again, what have we got to lose?

Last thought.  For those of us that come to the 10:45am service....sometime is is so easy just to say "let's sleep in and just go to worship today" (or skip church altogether on a Sunday Morning).  Making the family get up and get moving on Sunday mornings can be tough at times, particularly after having long, busy days on Saturday (soccer, baseball, gardening, parties, etc.).  For this I don't have an answer or a solution, but I know that I never seem to regret coming.

Thanks for posting new information.

Jann

Columbia UMC re-did their kitchen and fellowship hall about ten years ago.   I would rate the kichen as commercial.  The main feature is an island made of portable components with lots of flexibility.  The fellowship hall now has wall sconces, softer lighting and more of a restaurant-like feel.   These improvements have been appreciated there. 

When I was the pastor of the former Salome UMC, which is the site of the consolidated Columbia UMC, the church hosted a Christmas Party for the District Clergy and Spouses, an annual Community Good Friday Breakfast as well as Father-Son, Mother-Daughter Banquets, a fellowship dinner with a mock wedding as entertainment, several non-alcohol wedding receptions, funeral luncheons, weekly meetings of NA, and the site of productions of the Columbia Little Theatre.   Scouting functions also used the hall and the church made subs to sell monthly to help with the finances. 

Our church's kitchen and followship hall have hosted some similar occasions and some that Columbia has not, and the kitchens and fellowship halls of both churchs have been places of warmth in the life of the churches and communities, so I hope we think through the functioning of our kitchen and fellowhip hall for its potential as well as current uses and do not preclude future possiblities in the design selected.   Funk Associates has done such nice work so far that I am confident Funk Associates can help us meet whatever criteria are selected.      -Dick Howartth

Merry Christmas!

The Cookie Princess
 

FUMC Scrip Order Form.pdf