Category Archives: Announcements and Stuff

Thank you!

I want to send a huge thank you to everyone at Claybanks UMC for the gift for Administrative Assistant’s Day. As I have said before, I feel I’ve been getting more blessings out of being your secretary than I have given, and I thank God that I was able to work for Him as well as you. As most of you know, I have passed my secretarial duties on to Mechelle Schneider and have picked up the bookkeeping portion of the treasurer’s job for our church. Elaine Best has left me with some very big shoes to fill. I pray that I’m able to do the job half as well as she has done for so many years. Thank you, Elaine, for your dedication and all you have done and are still doing for our church. You are truly a blessing to us all!

Konnie Grant

In 2019 I shifted into the position of church secretary. I definitely do not have Konnie Grant’s patience for the job, but at least I feel reasonably competent! I am happy to be able to serve. Little by little, I am learning more about the job. Like Konnie, I also was blessed with a generous but totally unnecessary gift from the church. Many thank you’s but serving the congregation is enough.

Mechelle Schneider

Nursery Schedule

6/2 – Carol Adams
6/9 – Liz Grossman
6/16 – Kathy Ohman
6/23 – Joyce Twiss
6/30 – Doris Graham

UMW Women

On May 16th, the UMW held their monthly meeting to pray, ponder, plan, and…….eat! The oFundraiser for Step Up Planned for June 23rd. Mark your calendars!pening devotion was started with a numerous reading about why our phone calls most often do not have a real person to talk with. How we would much rather chat with a real persons with compassionate hearts! The meeting then was opened with prayer.

After roll call was taken, minutes read, and the treasurers report given, old business was discussed. We talked about what we may need to change or what can stay the same for next year’s Easter brunch. For new business, we started planning the summer strawberry social. We hope to have Cinda do the flyers and publicity. A sign up sheet will be showing up soon for the ingredients we need so keep your eye out for that!

We encourage new members to join us. We meet the third Thursday of every month at one o’clock. Our laughter makes a “Joyful noise unto the Lord”!

Missions

Fundraiser for Step Up Planned for June 23rd. Mark your calendars

Sunday, June 9th is Pentecost

What is Pentecost? Pentecost is the Church’s birthday because on that day the Church was born. The Church is that group of believers in Christ who receive the Spirit of Christ. It is the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally we
wear red that Sunday to signify the flames of the Holy Spirit.

New Adult Sunday School

What Does Scripture Say About…….?
There are a number of Scriptures in our Old and New Testaments that seem to be in conflict with each other. We will be meeting for Sundays May 12th, 19th and 26th at 9:30 – 10:15 am as an Adult Sunday School Class to discuss some of these conflicts as we interpret Scripture. We will look at a number of Scriptures around Women as Leaders in the Church, Ordination, Slavery, Divorce, Gluttony

Scripture and Message May 2019

May 5th – Youth Sunday – Various scripture depicting Children – The Role of Children in the Bible

May 12th – Festival of Mothers  – Communion Sunday – Acts 9:36-43 / John 10:22-30 – Good Shepherd

May 19th – Teen Challenge – Meal & Freewill Offering

May 26th- Memorial Weekend – Psalm 67 / John 14:23-29 – What Is Our Response To God’s Forgiveness and Love

Claybanks UMW

The UMW met on the Thursday of Holy Week. We started off with a light-hearted devotion dealing with the matter of how the clothing manufacturers have changed the sizing so what used to be a 12 now is marked as size 16, and the fact that everyone seems to be whispering these days! Getting old ain’t for wimps!  Anyway, we made sure all was in order for the Easter Brunch. The check lists were all checked and approved, everything was falling into place, and the men enlisted to arrange the tables. We love when a plan comes together, praise be to God!

Dinner and A Movie

Dinner ( potluck) Claybanks UMC has some of the best cooks!) and a movie! Last Monday of each month. Come for the fellowship and fun. 5:30 p.m. Movie will start during the dinner.

Important Dates and Times Upcoming

April 16th 4:00 p.m.
Church Spring Clean
Hotdog Roast to follow

April 19th 2:00 p.m.
Good Friday

April 21st 9:30 a.m.
Easter Sunrise Service
Brunch Following

Lenten Sunday School Program

Our Lenten Sunday School Study will begin on Sunday, March 10th and run through Sunday, April 14th (Palm Sunday). The study we will use, “The Rock, The Road, And The Rabbi” has been developed by Kathy Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel. This study will help us deepen our faith as we journey through Lent. We are invited to join Kathy and Rabbi Sobel as they visit sites in Israel that have a profound impact on our Christian faith. Kathy will share her faith story and Rabbi Sobel (a Messianic Jewish Rabbi) will provide fascinating background details that make the stories of the New Testament come alive. Our study will consist of a short video presentation followed by a class discussion led by Pastor Gary and Reba. Pastor Gary will then follow each Sunday’s study by presenting a message during our worship time from our study so our entire Claybanks United Methodist Church Congregation can share with the Sunday School new depths as we reconnect the ancient Jewish wisdom with the teachings of the New Testament. Please plan to join together as we walked the roads, visit sites and embrace the transformation of our faith from where it all began over two thousand years ago Israel.

United Methodist Women Resume

“At last —soon we will welcome the early signs of a much anticipated Spring! One of the first signs along with robins and perhaps a crocus or two, is the first UMW meeting of the new year. Oh, how I look forward to our new year and the monthly meetings. An invitation is extended to all women who wish to enjoy our fellowship and help plan for the new year. Come one, come all — Spring is about to explode!

What is Ash Wednesday & Lent?

In the Christian liturgical calendar, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is named from the placing of repentance ashes on the foreheads of participants with either the words “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. The ashes are made from burning the palms of the prior year’s Palm Sunday. How long do you leave the ashes on your forehead? That is up to the individual. For some it is a conscience mark of humility. Some will clean the ashes off immediately. Lent is a time for fasting, abstinence, and commemoration of Jesus’s forty days in the wilderness. Lent ends the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Sundays do not count in the forty days of Lent. The term lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten which means spring.We often think of giving something up for Lent, but we can also focus on a behavior change. We might give up chocolate or sweets, but we can also refrain from harsh words or criticism. We can read scripture; say an extra prayer, set aside a time for meditation. Most importantly we can reflect on the life and sacrifice of Jesus.

Nursery Schedule

March 3- Edith Bogart
March 10- Carol Adams
March 17-Liz Grossman
March 24- Kathy Ohman
March 31- Joyce Twiss

Lent Begins in March

Wednesday March 6th is Ash Wednesday which begins the season of Lent for us. We will have an Ask Wednesday Service on March 6th. Our Lenten study will start on Sunday March 10th with an Adult Study “The Rock, The Road and The Rabbi”. We are planning a Scripture and Message Series for Worship that will parallel our Lenten Study. Holy Thursday we will be worshiping at and joining the Trinity Lutheran Church for “Whisperings Of The Passion”. Good Friday we will meet in our Sanctuary for Good Friday Services. Easter Morning we will begin our “Celebration of the Risen Christ” with a Sunrise Welcome, Pancake Breakfast followed by Easter Celebration Worship.

Step-up Program with Dr. Dick Kamps

We will be welcoming Dr. Dick Kamps, the president of the Step Up program in Muskegon, on February 17, 2019, to tell us about the wonderful things God is doing to help young people achieve a brighter future. The program provides housing for young adults that have aged out of the foster care system by empowering them through Christ centered mentoring. It is an opportunity to offer our much needed support to this organization that offers housing and educational guidance to women and men in Muskegon County. We will be having a chili/soup luncheon after the worship service, all are welcome, and we will be taking a free will offering to donate to this worthy cause. If you would like to inquire about this organization the email is: info@stepupmuskegon.org. Thank you for your generous support and prayers for this endeavor.

Nursery Schedule
2/3  – Liz Grossman
2/10  – Kathy Ohman
2/17  – Joyce Twiss
2/24 -Doris Graham

Blue Christmas Service
The Christmas season and Christmas can be a painful time for some. It may be the first Christmas without a loved one or the first Christmas after a significant change in a person’s life. The constant refrain on radio and television, and shopping malls and churches, about the happiness of the season, about getting together with family and friends, reminds many people of what they have lost or never had. The anguish of broken relationships, insecurity of unemployment, the weariness of ill health, the pain of isolation, all these can make us feel very alone in the midst of the celebration going on around us. We need the space and time to acknowledge our sadness and concern; we need to know that we are not alone.

For these reasons the Claybanks United Methodist Church is offering a special “Blue Christmas” service on Thursday night December 20th at 6:00 pm. This “Longest Night” service is meant to help us through the long dark nights of our soul and the winter of our discontent when memories of past experiences and the pain of present experiences can become overwhelming to us. We invite all to come and meditate on pain and anguish that we bring, to offer our pain to the Christ child in the prayer that we will find hope and comfort in knowing that we are not alone.

Charge Conference
The Charge Conference for Claybanks UMC will be at CUMC on Wednesday, November 28th at 7:00 pm. (SPRC will be meeting with the D.S. at 6:15) The meeting will be held with the new District Superintendent, Rev. Dr. Margie Crawford to discuss the business of our church. There is much work to do and we need input on decisions that will be made during this important meeting. The more voices we can have in attendance the better the church will be represented as a whole. Please try to do everything possible to attend and be a part of the business aspect of our church and to welcome our new D.S.

Nursery Schedule
12/2 – Doris Graham
12/9 – Edith Bogart
12/16 – Carol Adams
12/23 – Liz Grossman
12/30 – Kathy Ohman

Christmas Caroling
Get your singing voices warmed up, the Christmas Spirit in your heart, and your smile on. It’s time once again to take some Christmas Joy to the residents and staff of Heartland Manor in Whitehall. We will have a good old-fashioned caroling party complete with music books, a piano player, punch and cookies. We’ll be meeting at the Manor at 2:20 with the kickoff around 2:30. Please set the date aside and come help to let the residents know they’re not forgotten in all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. If you know of someone at the Manor that would benefit from joining us, please try to encourage them to come to the dining room and join the fun.

Christmas Eve Service
We will be gathering together for a meaningful candlelight worship service, music and fellowship on Christmas Eve at 6:00 pm in remembrance of that special night so long ago.

What’s Your Favorite Music?
Now that Megan has moved, the choosing of our hymns has fallen to the Worship Design Committee. We recognize the fact that a lot of people have had a hard time singing unfamiliar songs. So….with that in mind, we would like to ask you to make a list of your favorite hymns, so we can incorporate them into our Sunday services. Starting in January we will choose at least one hymn per week from the list and dedicate it to the person who requested it. This is not to say that we will never have a new song, but hopefully we’ll know more of them than in the past. Be sure to put your name on your list and turn it in to Pastor Gary or Konnie.

Christ
grew in Mary until
He had to come out.

Christ
will grow in you until
the same occurs.

He will come out in your speech,
in your actions, in your decisions.

Every place you live will be a
Bethlehem, and every day you
live will be a Christmas.

You, like Mary, will deliver
Christ into the world.

-Max Lucado

Our Next Big Mission Project
Claybanks Mission Committee would like to host Dr. Dick Kamps, Founder and President of the Board of Directors of Step Up in Muskegon, to come and speak about this very important endeavor of helping young adults achieve stability and empowerment in their lives through the group home created to assist women that have aged out of the foster care system in Muskegon County. We will welcome him in February 2019, but in the meantime, they are currently working on a house for young men in need, and following is some information to become familiar with the program and the current needs they are experiencing. Thank you for your time and consideration to support this awesome organization inspired by God, as they continue to build spiritual growth in our young people in Muskegon County. The following is taken from the Step Up Newsletter available to you on the back table in the Fellowship Hall.

“Hey my name is ____ and I’m thinking I might need some assistance. I’m 20 years old I aged out of the system has been homeless a bunch, couch hop. I just wanna get my life back in order. I’m embarrassed and ashamed. If yalls have a phone can you call me plz.”

Step Up
OUR VISION: The vision of Step Up is to equip and empower young adults in Muskegon County to be financially independent, to aspire to further their education, and to find fulfillment in their work as they develop healthy relationships with others and pursue a relationship with God.

OUR MISSION: The mission of Step Up is to provide Christ-centered mentoring, housing, educational guidance, life skills training, and a community with accountability for Muskegon County young adults ages 18-24, primarily for youth who have aged out of the foster care system.

OUR CORE VALUES: With wisdom requested from and given by God, we commit to the core values of compassion, integrity, and empowerment. These values are expressed in our relationships with each other and the community we serve.

We invite you to participate in the lives of these young people

A question often asked is, “What do you need?” There are many answers to that question. Most importantly, we board members, mentors, program coordinator and house managers need the wisdom that only God can give. Wisdom of how o best love and guide these young lives. Wisdom for how to best use the donations entrusted to us. Wisdom of how to deal with challenges that await us. In short, we ask for your prayers.

With that as our foundation, here is a list of things needed for the men’s house:

Financial support
Adopt a bedroom: single bed, dresser and bedding
Microwave – above stove
Dishwasher
Electric stove
2 bathroom vanities: 30-35 inches wide
Shower doors

Window blinds
Area rug for living room: 10-12 X 8-12
One wardrobe for a bedroom
Snowblower
Linens for kitchen and bathrooms
Television for living room
Security cameras
Computer, modem, router and printer

As Christmas approaches, the young women would love to receive gift cards to local grocery and clothing stores. They also would love gift cards to the Cinema Carousel.

Please contact Dick Kamps at 231-557-9411 or dlkamps@comcast.net if you are able to participate in any way.
Tax deductible donations for Step Up can be mailed to:

Community Foundation for Muskegon County
425 West Western Avenue, Suite 200
Muskegon, MI 49440
Please write Step Up Fund on the memo line of your check.

Our mailing address is:info@stepupmuskegon.org
Facebook: facebook.com/stepupmuskegon
P.O. Box 1626, Muskegon, MI 49443-1626
Our email address is:
info@stepupmuskegon.org
Facebook: facebook.com/stepupmuskegon