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January 2021

Brothers and Sisters,

I am going to start this letter to you with a confession - I am penning this in the last quarter of 2020. I did not actually write this letter after the clock struck midnight on January 1st, harkening in the New Year.

However, the New Year is certainly on my mind, perhaps even more so than it usually is at this time of the year. I’ve been thinking about how for most of 2020 the phrase I heard was “we just need to make it through this year.” Now we have, but I wonder what has truly changed.

I am not a prophet. I cannot tell you what the year 2021 brings with it. But I do know this, whatever may lie ahead, our God is with us. Just as God was with us in 2020. While we may have wanted to rush through the year with all of its changes, God was still there. Even when we were uncomfortable. Even when we were grieving. God was there. And God is here with us now.

Sometimes I have lyrics that get struck in my head until I sing them out or offer them to God as a prayer. One such lyric that is with me right now is “O God our help in ages past, our hope in years to come.” God is our help and God is our hope. No matter what the date may be on the calendar.

I invite you to join me in praising the faithfulness of our God this year and to look to God to be our hope in whatever this year may have in store. Amen and Amen!

Blessings

- Pastor Michelle

COVID-19 Reminders

Just a few reminders during this time:

• Online Worship will continue on both the Grace and Ohio Facebook pages as well as the parish YouTube sight on Sunday mornings. It is my hope to continue the practice of offering a pre-recorded service as well as a LiveStream as long as possible.







• All of the material’s that aid our spiritual formation and worship experience will be available on the churches’ websites. This includes the weekly bulletin, devotional, and Sabbath, Study, Serve guides.





• If you do not have access to online worship, worship packets are sent out each week. Please let me know that you would like to receive one, and we will be happy to add you to the list. The same goes for children’s bulletins - we are happy to mail those out each week as well.

From Pastor Michelle’s Bookshelf

Paths to Prayer: Finding Your Own Way to the Presence of God

Discover Your Prayer Type and Explore 40 Ways to Pray from 2000 Years of Christian Tradition

By Patricia D. Brown

ISBN: 978-0787965655

Every October the pastors from the district gather together to pray and learn together. This past year we had the opportunity to be led in this time of (virtual) retreat by Patricia Brown, a prolific writer about the spiritual life.

Patricia focused her time with us on prayer. More specifically she spoke about the many different ways there are to pray. When reading this book to prepare for our time together, I was struck by the statement that we think people will just learn how to pray naturally, but it takes time and someone to teach us.

However, many of us only learned a few different ways to pray, some of which may not be the most natural way that God created us to communicate with him. For example, no one taught me until much later in life the beauty of praying the psalms, which I now do every day with a community of people from across the United States.

This book may speak to you about ways to commune with God that touch you deeply. I pray that it is a blessing to you.

Upcoming in Worship

This year we are starting our second year in the Narrative Lectionary, getting back to basics and re-engaging the wonderful stories of our faith in scripture. The Narrative Lectionary is a four-year cycle of readings that follow a large piece of a Biblical Story and invite people to hear anew the stories of our faith.

The Gospel of Luke

January 3rd - Jesus’ Baptism - Luke 3: 1-22

January 10th - The Boy in the Temple Courts - Luke 2: 41-52

January 17th - Fish for People - Luke 5: 1-11

January 24th - Healing on the Sabbath - Luke 6: 1-16

January 31st - Raising the Widow’s Son - Luke 7: 1-17

February 7th - Are You the One? - Luke 7: 18-35

February 14th - Forgiven at Jesus’ Feet -Luke 7: 36-50

February 21st - Transfiguration - Luke 9: 28-45

February 28th - Jesus Turns to Jerusalem - Luke 9: 51-62

March 7th - The Good Samaritan - Luke 10: 25-42

March 14th - Lament Over Jerusalem - Luke 13: 1-9, 31-35

March 21st - Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son - Luke 15: 1-32

March 28th - Triumphal Entry - Luke 19: 29-44

April 4th - The Resurrection of Our Lord - Luke 24: 1-12

April 11th - Emmaus Road - Luke 24: 13-35

Opportunities For Worship

Grace: Worship, 9 a.m.

Ohio: Sunday School, 10 a.m.

Worship, 11 a.m.

Sanborn: Worship, 10 a.m.

If you have prayer requests to be placed on the telephone prayer chain:

for Ohio and Sanborn, please call Elaine Stewart at 339-6033

for Grace, please call Debbie Koontz at 342-5655

Why UMC? - Lent

This quarter’s “Why UMC?” is a repeat from a past issue of the newsletter. Additionally, it isn’t actually unique to the United Methodist Church. Lent is a forty-day period of focus on penitence and preparation for the Resurrection Event of Easter. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends at sunset Easter Eve. The liturgical color for this season of the Christian year is purple.

Lent is a time for us to focus in on our spiritual lives. Some ways that people engage the spiritual life in different ways during Lent may include prayer, fasting, or almsgiving. It is my hope, and prayer, that we have space to reflect and grow as we walk with Jesus, once again, through the holy season of Lent.

Deaths

The following church family members have passed on into glory:

Francis M. Stover – October 22, 2020 (Grace)

Jack L. Woods, Sr. – November 9, 2020 (Ohio)

DeMaris B. Dixon – December 5, 2020 (Grace)

Gloria Ann Woods – December 6, 2020 (Ohio)

Communion Stewards Needed at Grace – Please Consider

Communion Stewards prepare the communion elements for the day of service on a rotating basis. This entails purchasing an uncut loaf of bread.

The day of communion (once a month, unless there is a special occasion), the stewards prepare the bread and juice for the church, and it is placed on the altar. The stewards then clean up afterwards.

Communion Stewards For Grace

January – Bruce Slingerland and Bob Reish

February – Terry Dickson

March – Diane and Aaron Henninger

April – Bruce Slingerland and Bob Reish

Upcoming Meetings

Due to the ever-changing nature of events currently, there will not be a calendar in this issue of the newsletter. But we did want to make you aware of the following dates:

January 4 – Ohio Council, 7:30 p.m.

January 9 – Grace Trustees, 9 a.m.

January 18 – Grace Council, 7 p.m.

February 1 – Ohio Council, 7:30 p.m.

February 15 – Grace Council, 7 p.m.

March 1 – Ohio Council, 7:30 p.m.

March 15 – Grace Council, 7 p.m.

Hatters

It is with much disappointment that we made the decision to cancel our luncheon for December 12. It seems like the virus is hitting closer to home, and we need to take all the precautions we can to keep ourselves safe.

Hopefully things will be better in the spring, and once again, we will try to be together. It is my prayer that all of you will have a safe and blessed Christmas.

Char Dinant

Especially For Women

ISAIAH 41:10 - Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This is a time when the whole world seems to be in a panic over Covid-19. Yes, it is nothing to take lightly, but as I have told so many people, I do all the things I am to do - social distancing, facemasks, hand washing - and the rest I am letting up to God. He has told me not to live in fear because He will strengthen and help me, and every day I trust Him to get me through this.

The ladies group held a short meeting after church earlier this month for the reason of distributing money for the food baskets, tweeners gifts, and also money to help the church to pay bills.

It was also decided that the mini bazaar we had planned for Sunday, December 13, will be canceled. Again, we will try in the spring to have this event.

Hopefully, this spring, things will be better in this world, and we can actually get together to have a meeting. In the meantime, I want to wish everyone a blessed and healthy Merry Christmas.

Chairperson of Especially for Women, Char Dinant

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl has been meeting and has had a very productive summer.

August 27th, we met with Especially for Women at Cold Stream Dam to outline projects and upcoming events. We also went over the Covid Guidelines. We did experience a shower, as well as the temperature dropped to a chill.

Sept. 9th, we discussed our upcoming project to make scrubbies for a mini bazaar by the Especially for Women in December. Unfortunately, due to Covid, it was recently decided to cancel the bazaar for everyone’s safety. At this meeting we did help Terry make Angels and finish the Halloween treat bags.

Sept. 30th, we met to cut, fold and measure netting to make scrubbies. Also bagging the netting. We worked on Terry’s projects, finishing the treats by putting glow sticks on cards (that was a little tricky not to snap the glow stick!)

Oct. 14th, the Prayer Shawl group tagged slippers that were donated to shut-ins and finished Christmas ornaments, which was part of Terry’s projects. We tied netting together to be ready to crochet. Many colors were exchanged, and we created beautiful rainbow scrubbies. After all scrubbies were crocheted, we have 126 on stock.

If anyone is interested in scrubbies for Christmas, we do have green, red and green/red mix. Or we may have some that are your favorite color. Scrubbies are $1.50 each or 3/$4.00. If interested, please see someone from the Prayer Shawl Group or Especially for Women.

Nov. 11th, this meeting was fun, signing Christmas cards for the packages Terry had organized. We decided to make slippers for the Tweeners Box, to which we donated 6 pair, along with 3 hats.

Along with our activities, we were able to distribute 2 baby blankets and 3 afghans.

I would like to thank people who continue to support our group with donations of yarn, talent and monetary gifts. We have been so blessed with donations recently. With your love and support, you make this Ministry possible in reaching out to our community. Thank you!

Happy New Year, 2021!

Debbie Koontz, Coordinator

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