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Mission & Ministry

January

• 20   Healing & Anointing
• 21    6:30 District Listening Session @Cathage Christian Church

All are invited to fill out the 5 questions shared by the Regional Transition Team. Those questions can be found in the office. They will form the basis for discussion and discernment as we live into a   new future together in our Region. If the weather does not permit a meeting on that date, the secondary date will be Monday, January 28 at 6:30 p.m.

• 22   1:00 p.m. Women’s Bible Study
• 23    6:30 p.m. Handbell Practice 7:30 p.m. Adult Choir
• 26    Queen City Kitchen

• 26     7:00 p.m. Movie Night Youth sponsored

• 27     Congregation Meeting following worship Brixx Pizza Fundraiser for LAFWA Trip

• 28     7:00 p.m. Ablaze Choir
• 29     5:00 p.m. Stepping Forward:. We will meet at Faith Community UMC on Cox Road at 5:30 pm and partner with Bethany UMC to prepare and serve dinner to the deserving members of our With gifts we have received, let us pay forward to our neighbors in need.  See Ed V. to add your name to the signup list.  You will be blessed and God will be glorified.

 

February

• 1   Friday Women’s Group (First Friday Female Fellowship)

• 10  Potluck Party, Fellowship

Our first gathering on January 6 was lots of fun, and next month’s promises to be more of the same! We are gathering monthly in response to the leadership’s and membership’s desire (see the 2019 Dreams) to form broader, deeper, and more frequent connections and relationships among us, in order that we might then ex tend that care to those beyond our congregation.

• 17   Guest Speaker, Rev. Richard Walker

Upcoming Events

JANUARY PRAYERS

 Local: God to guide all Christians into intentional love, respect, and acceptance of our neighbors no matter our differences.

 Regional:  God to connect all the community and governmental players in providing a safety

net for the hurting.

 Global:  God’s blessing for peace in all places and better efforts for stewardship of the earth.

Did you notice our new décor?

 We wish to thank the Sybrant/Donnenwerth family for the gift of the metal compass décor reminding us of the span of God’s love & the breadth of God’s mission. Let us chart new directions forward together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Library Corner: 

Happy Birthday, Library Corner!

 

We’re celebrating two years of our reorganized, rejuvenated church library. In the past 2 years, 16 people have checked out 26 books! We have a catalog of 719 books on a variety of topics, and we even have an updated, printed catalog! And what is a birthday celebration without presents? Three new books have been added and are on display.

The Illustrated World Religions by Huston Smith is a very usable resource that bolsters our world religion section.

Wild and Wacky Things in the Bible by April Lotempio is a colorful, jam-packed, fun book filled with stranger-than-fiction events recorded in the Bible.

Unraveling the Christmas Star Mystery is written by Irene Baron, an alumna of Hiram College. She uses NASA research to explain the existence of that wondrous star over Bethlehem.

Please browse the library anytime you’re in the church. You might find a book that will interest or inspire you. Happy Reading!

A huge shout out to Maureen M. for our beautiful library and for all those who have contributed books, or enjoyed reading.

Member in the News

 

County judge makes the first reappointment to veterans board in six years Commissioner Chuck Weber steadies board, which has seen turmoil. By Denise G. Callahan, Staff Writer from Journal News

 

BUTLER COUNTY – The Butler County judge who just made the first reappointment to the Veterans Service Commission in six years says Commissioner Chuck Weber has “galvanized” the once dysfunctional board.

Common Pleas Court Judge Noah Powers said he interviewed nine “fabulous” candidates with stellar military service records who are dedicated to veterans, but Weber was a standout.

“Chuck earned it,” Powers said of Weber, whose new term starts in 2019. “But the thing that really stood out about Chuck is he came in at a bad time, willing to do what he was supposed to do, and he has really galvanized that board and has served as a great leader.”

Over the past several years the makeup of the five-member board has changed dramatically after years of dysfunction and infighting. A few years ago, the judges tasked with filling board seats there is a seat open every year because commissioners serve five-year terms – said they had to worry as much about whether members could play well together as their qualifications for the job.

Weber joined the commission in August 2015, replacing Fred Southard, who resigned from the board that June amid allegations he was creating a hostile work environment for the commission’s executive director, Caroline Bier.

Former Commissioner Lowell Stewart – who retired last year after 22 years on the board — was the last board member to be reappointed, back in 2013.

Commissioner Tom Jeffers is now the most veteran commissioner on the board, and he too has high praise for his colleague. He said with Weber at the helm as president for the past three years, meetings were always positive, and although they don’t always agree on everything, “we all agree when we leave (that) we did the right thing.”

“Chuck brings a lot of assets,” Jeffers said. “He has been one of the big assets as to why our numbers keep going up.”

When Weber Joined the board, the monthly average of the number of vets served was 407. Last year it was 502. Weber has been a big part of the advertising push to get the word out about the commission – which is responsible for serving about 27,000vets in the county – and he even is the on-air voice behind some of the radio advertising.

Commissioner Bruce Jones – who was appointed to replace Stewart last year said the board membership is clicking, and he is glad the judge didn’t disturb it.

“1 think we have good chemistry right now within the group, and I think we need to continue with the group we’ve got for now, and continue to work to serve more veterans,” Jones said. “1 think Chuck has that in his heart, so that’s the kind of people we want on the board.”

At every monthly meeting, the board discusses the upcoming outreach efforts of the commission, and Weber is always offering to tag along with the staff – the other commissioners do as well but probably not to the level of Weber’s participation to various events and visits to places where veterans are found. He considers himself lucky to have been reappointed.

“1 have been rewarded by this opportunity at this stage in my life to spend this land of time in a very productive and helpful way for fellow veterans,” Weber said. “I don’t think 1 could have stumbled into anything more fruitful, in my wheelhouse anyway.

Contact this reporter at 513-755-5074 or email Denise.Callahan@coxinc.com

 

 

 

Waypoints:

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. Acts 2:17

On the last Sunday of 2018 we named the old burdens we wanted to leave behind and looked ahead into 2019 to claim the new blessings we wanted to take up, individually and congregationally. While the old burdens were named, prayed over, and dissolved, we compiled the new blessings, promising to pray over and work toward those hopes for the new year. Those hopes and dreams are listed below for your prayers and collaboration, as well as the prayer said on 12/30:

We hear your dream, we bear it with you in love, and we pray for God’s help to realize it in 2019.

Individual

Physical

• For an improvement in the health of a precious loved one
• Better physical & health practices

Spiritual

• Not be embarrassed about who God is and embrace his holy name
• For my son & his family to return to church, any church
• To be of better service to Lord More devoted to God’s word
• For God to reveal to me a new way to shine the light He has given to me
• God to guide me to my best self to show family my devotion to them & how I should work (what vocation?)

Financial

• Financial debts reduced
• Complete plans for financial stability

Family

• To stop my bad habits and be closer to my family
• Family dream—good health, happiness, & success
• The togetherness of my family
• For my family to strengthen our relationships with each other
• To be a mom that listens with new eyes and heart without judgment & without a need to fix it
• To move forward confidently, building new relationships with my stepchildren
• More settled futures for my kids’ Closeness & spirituality with my kids and grandkids

Mental

• More patience for change;
• Be more outgoing & free to express me;
• To open my mind to dream new dreams; To become fluent in Creole

Work

• A new position at nonprofit or chaplaincy;
• To achieve more of my personal & educational goals;
• To find a fitting college for me/finish high school with good grades;
• To love other people like they love me & for a better life & good grades;
• To get better in swim team

Social

• Visit with more neighbors;
• To become more empathetic & accommodating as I strive to respect the views of others;
• To begin helping vulnerable Latinos close to home;
• More appreciation for an understanding of other people’s hopes, problems, talents;
• Be more helpful; Freedom, positive cares change, to maintain friend relationships, energy & vitality, hope, time and money to pursue passions

Congregational

Worship

• More great music & meaningful connections
• More music, vocals in church, a variety of musicians;
• More participative music;
• Worship band;
• New forms of worship;
• Be open to worship Jesus in new ways, to glorify him in spirit and in truth

Fellowship

• Church members to know each other as people;
• New friendships to be formed through worshiping God;
• To support each other more helpfully in 2019;
• For more involvement in events at church and closeness with other members;
• More appreciation for an understanding of other people’s hopes, problems, talents (same as above);
• To gain opportunities for everyone to share their gifts;
• To grow together in love;
• For the church to notice everyone;
• For members to be more loyal in attendance

Education

• To continue exploring & embracing a new vision & relevance in our community;
• To be Open & Affirming

Evangelism

• To spread the wonderful word of God to the Dominican Republic;
• To be bold in sharing Christ;
• To boldly embrace those rejected by conservative evangelicals;
• To grow larger; To grow in size & stature; More people than ever come to this church; We bring new members in to share this remarkable family of Christ;
• That we grow ;
• To grow in membership as individuals are drawn to the Word

Outreach

• To continue hitting above our weight in outreach, serving the community;
• Other outreach possibilities (lawn care, paint homes);
• More mission trips; Broaden outreach possibilities;
• Love of our community for our church;
• To become more welcoming & more open to the community;
• Create space & play equipment for community use.
• Host open, welcome space/times for community to come here

Others

• Hope, peace, security, strength;
• To keep doing what we do, better;
• Financial strength;
• The prospects of seeing a long-needed addition to our building;
• To have our fellowship hall

 

Tax law changes

for that Aged 70 ½ with RMD’s

 Chuck W. passed along some info that he verified with a Fidelity financial adviser and CPA; please corroborate this with your own financial advisers and tax preparers.

 Recent tax law changes raise the standard deduction so that contributions written off in the past will no longer be eligible for itemization for most taxpayers. There’s a workaround for those receiving required minimum distributions (RMD) payments from pension funds. Any person with an IRA, 401K, or pension above 70 ½ has to receive a percentage of these savings as part of their annual incomes. Those funds can be diverted by your financial institution to charities of your choice and will not be reported as income at years end, effectively making those contributions tax- free.

Other Disciples News

2019 General Assembly education includes training