Dear Church,

Lately, I have been repeatedly humming the hymn, “We Are the Church.” As you may remember, the first part of the hymn goes like this:

“The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is the people.

I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together!”

I know this melody has been roaming in my mind because I miss the church. I miss the gathering of God’s people. I miss you. And, I know many of you feel the same way. Hopefully, we will be able to encourage, pray, and physically fellowship with one another from a safe distance as we resume in-person worship soon.

I want you to know that we have a target day for restarting congregational worship. Our aim is to gather again in person July 5th. Even when the larger church will be resuming her congregational life the first Sunday of July, we encourage small groups (10 or less people) within our church to resume their activities as soon as possible and of course using their discretion. We also want to encourage the whole congregation to take advantage of small groups opportunities.

We want to let everyone know that, at this moment, there are rooms/areas in our building available for small groups gatherings. If you and/or your small group (10 or less people) want to use our church building for prayer, Bible study, or any other meeting, please know that our secretary, Linda Gwinn, will gladly help you coordinate the use of our facility. We request that you call the office to book your gathering(s). This way, we will avoid scheduling conflicts and overcrowding.

These are times for strategic planning and detailed organization. And, we hope and expect your support in prayers as we try to safely resume our congregational life. Your collaboration and patience in this process is vital and always appreciated.

The Belltower LaPorte United Methodist Church

2071 Grafton Rd. Elyria, OH 44035 (440) 458-5717

Email: laporteumc@laportechurch.org Website: laportechurch.org

June 2020 “Loving people transformed by a loving God” Since 1825

We have guidelines to be followed as we gather again as a community (those will be shared in a different document). But here is an important one. We request that everyone coming to any of our congregational gatherings will wear a mask. If you don’t have a mask, you can still come. Thanks to the generosity and efforts of members at LaPorte, we will be able to provide you with a mask as you enter our building. You can keep the mask and wear it not only when we gather as a community of faith but as you engage in public life.

Even though we are coming back to our sanctuary for worship on July 5th, we have scheduled a “Church Without Walls” Sunday. On Sunday June 21st, we will be gathering in our parking lot to praise God with hymns and have moments of prayers as well as Scripture readings. Our goal is to care and provide for your emotional and spiritual wellbeing while keeping in mind the physical health of everyone.

For the “Church Without Walls” event, you are more than welcome to bring a chair if you want to sit outside of your car. We are also planning on setting up tents for those who may want to enjoy some shade. Our time for worship will still be 11 a.m. We will continue to carefully explain our plans for this and other future gatherings. So, keep tuning in!

Again, I want to encourage you to be discerning, considerate, practical, and loving through all of this. I ask you to be respectful, patient, and selfless as we seek to be the “church [physically] together.” I trust that all of us will do everything possible to make our transition to in-person worship a smooth and joyful process.

In Christ,

Pastor Luigi

This Sunday, June 7 is PEACE WITH JUSTICE SUNDAY.

Your gift funds programs that advocate for peace and justice in the United States and around the world.

The programs empower United Methodists to speak out for removing structures and systems that harm

God’s children globally.

You may mail a check to the church or donate online at:

umcgiving.org/givePWJS

LaPorte UMC has a website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel!

LaPorte U.M.C. Online Events

Sunday Online Worship – Our weekly worship service will be uploaded to YouTube at 11am. A link will be

emailed and posted on Facebook. Everyone is encouraged to share the virtual worship link with others. Men’s Study – Sundays at 8:30 a.m. video conferencing format. If interested, please send an email

to pastor@laportechurch.org and the meeting link and instructions will be sent to you. Sunday School Class – Sundays at 9:30 a.m. video conferencing format. If interested, please send an

email to dvanar@yahoo.com and the meeting link and instructions will be sent to you. #MusicMonday - Our choir director will share a song on Facebook that inspires her along with a brief

reflection on that song. Devotional and Prayer Time – Tuesday Evening at 6:18 p.m., Facebook Live through our church’s

Facebook page. Join us as we read and meditate on the Scriptures, and pray together. Wednesday Devotional – A brief message of hope and encouragement will be shared via email, website,

and Facebook with our church, community, and the world. Prayer Time – Thursday at 9:30 a.m. video conferencing format. If interested, please send an email

to pastor@laportechurch.org and the meeting link and instructions will be sent to you. #FlashbackFriday - A memory of LaPorte UMC will be shared on Facebook.

Dear Congregation, I would like to thank everyone for joining us in our online services and interacting with us on social media. It has been a blessing to stay in touch online with the congregation and to see how thankful they are for how we are still able to reach out to them during this time. Also, a BIG thank you to Pastor Luigi for coordinating all of the services and putting everything together. Without him, we would not be doing as much as we are to reach out to the congregation and further our reach into the community. Sincerely, Ethan Greenly

Check out our website at laportechurch.org and be sure to like us on Facebook (@laporteumc)

to keep in touch with what the church is doing. Subscribe to us on YouTube

for sermons you’d like to hear again.

Missions News

Cheryl Smith missions@laportechurch.org

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SAMARITAN’S PURSE YEAR LONG PROJECT

LaPorte continues the year-long OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD project of collecting items for Christmas Shoeboxes.

Each month we are focusing on specific items to be included in the boxes. Labeled boxes/tubs are available across from the church office to collect them. Monthly listings are available on the containers and available for you to take. If you see items that have already been collected or are to be collected in the future, it is perfectly fine for them to be donated at any time.

A few reminders: ~ items must fit inside a shoebox ~ multiple items will be placed in each shoebox

Do Not Include: candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans

~ Gently used items are ok - make sure all the parts and pieces are there and it looks fairly new

Savvy shoppers know that they can impact more children around the world for eternity by looking for shoebox items throughout the year. Let’s bless and delight boys and girls around the world!

MONTHLY COLLECTIONS January – Hats, Scarves, Gloves February – Accessories March – Quality Crafts April – Stuffed Animals May – Hygiene Items June – Toys July – Clothing Items August – School Supplies September – Games October – Letters and Photos November – Donations for shipping ($9/box) December – Pray for the children receiving the boxes

SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE

LaPorte Build - Saturday, September 12,2020 As the date gets closer, updates/details will come.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!

CLOTHE-A-KID 2021

Hard to believe, but it is time to plan for the opening of school in the fall. LaPorte will again partner with Love INC of Lorain County to provide school clothing for children within our community. The specifics are as follows:

Follow the specific clothing order that will be given to you. All clothes need to be new, modestly priced (avoiding expensive brands), practical, and washable. No shoes or winter coats. Budget of $75 - $90 to get 2 pairs of pants or jeans, 3 pairs of socks, 2 shirts or blouses, and 3 pairs of underwear. School supplies are optional.

If you feel you can support a child (or children) with these items for the 2021 school year, please let the church office know (phone or email) by June 15. You will receive the names and information for shopping in late June. If you want to donate or have someone shop for you, please let us know that, too. All monetary donations are due by June 15. Any questions?? Please contact Cheryl Smith. Thank you for thinking and praying about blessing the children of Lorain County.

Whatever good you do for someone, you do for God.

ST. PAULY USED CLOTHING COLLECTION SHED FRIENDLY REMINDER

Thanks to all of you who have been utilizing St. Pauly’s Shed. The clothing collected is sent to people all over the world. It helps our environment by keeping the clothing out of our landfills and helps those in need. The shed is for clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, pillowcases, drapes, and stuffed toys only. No rags, fabric scraps, pillows, toys, or household goods, please. Tax-deductible sheets are located on the shed. Please put your donations in a bag and tie it.

THANK YOU FROM THE MISSIONS COMMITTEE/TEAM

Thank you so much for all your contributions, support, and prayers for the mission outreach work of LaPorte. If you would like to help out with any of our activities/events/projects, be a servant on the Missions committee/team, or have any questions/suggestions about our servant community outreach, see Cheryl Smith (Chair).

In Loving Memory

Edwin Kenneth Prettyman, 88, (Cheryl Smith’s father) of Seaford, Delaware passed peacefully at home on Thursday, April 9, 2020 surrounded by family. He was born November 1, 1931 in Milford, Delaware. Ken was in the Army and Army Reserves reaching the rank of Captain. He spent his entire career designing and selling material handling systems for the plastics industry. He loved it so much that he ran his own company, Coast Equipment & Services during his retirement years. His greatest joy was spending time with his wife, Ruth, and family. Ken and Ruth recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. Edward “Butch” Sigmund– (brother of Paula Dempsey and uncle of Debbie Warden), passed away Easter morning, April 12, 2020, at the age of 80. He was born on November 1, 1939, was raised in Orwell, Ohio and graduated from Grand Valley High School. During his lifetime, Ed lived in Orwell, Ashtabula, Elyria and most recently at Amherst Manor Nursing home. Ed was a member of Beth-el Baptist Church in Elyria. As a devout Christian, he was proud to have read the Bible in its entirety dozens of times and enjoyed sharing the gospel with others. A family graveside service was held in Orwell where he rests next to his parents and grandparents. Ed will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Okey M. Manning, Jr., (Sheila Johnson’s and Judy Shepherd’s brother) passed away on Saturday, April 25, 2020 in Lansing, Michigan at the age of 70. Born November 26, 1950 in Crab Orchard, West Virginia to Okey M. and Rebecca (Kennedy) Manning, Okey grew up in Elyria, Ohio before settling in Michigan. Okey was active with Celebrate Recovery on a national level, and worked with the local chapter at Trinity Church, where he was an active member. He was a co-founder of Endeavor House Ministries, and the impact that his well-lived life had on this ministry, church and many people is far reaching and will continue on!

Stephen Ministers Care… Stephen Ministers are members of our congregation who receive special training to provide one-on-one, confidential Christian care to people in our congregation and community experiencing challenges in life - grief, loneliness, divorce, hospitalization, disability, job loss, and many other life difficulties.

To learn more, please contact Sue Van Arsdale, Rev. Mark Vale, or Pastor Luigi.

Words of Gratitude

From Cheryl Smith A very special note to thank you for all the prayers, thoughts, kind words, and sympathies extended to our family during this difficult time and days of uncertainty. We were very grateful to be able to bring Ken/Dad/PopPop home, be together to comfort each other, and have a simple, intimate funeral. We know he was smiling. Ken/Dad/PopPop will forever be in our hearts, especially when we hear The Lord’s Prayer sung.

Blessings to you all, The Family of Ken Prettyman: Ruth Prettyman, Cheryl & Carl Smith, The Polak Family – Megan, Jess, Cole, Claire, Jonah, & Eliza, The Smith family – Matthew, Ashley, & Adalynn From Jim Baker Claudia and I would like to thank everyone who have sent cards, called on the phone, and prayed for me during the times of my last two surgeries and recuperation. I am doing better and I am looking forward to seeing all of you in-person when that time comes. I have quite a bit of dental work ahead of me, but that should be minor compared to two cancer surgeries. Praise God for my LaPorte Church family! From Denise Burkey I want to thank all for their prayers, cards and phone calls during my hospital stay and recovery in February. Thanks to Pastor Luigi and is wife, Yusdenys for their calls and visits, as well as Rev. Mark Vale and his wife, Anne. Thank you also to Linda Gwinn. God’s blessings to all! From Blessing House We would like to thank you for your donation of $149.28. Blessing House opened nearly fifteen years ago. Since the first child we cared for, there have been over 1,500 more for whom Blessing House has served as a temporary home. Through the loving care of our staff, Blessing House is able to provide a safe place for children to stay while parents and caregivers work to resolve difficult issues and situations. Through loving contributions such as yours, we have been able to grow in our reach and service. From the South Carolina UMC Disaster Recovery Team Many thanks to Cheryl Smith and the Mission team members and supporters of LaPorte UMC for the generous $300 donation to the South Carolina UMC Disaster Recovery Effort. May God bless us all in this difficult time. From Neighborhood Alliance Thank you for your kind support of Neighborhood Alliance. Your generous donation of $105.70 will help us to address the basic and emergency needs of our less fortunate neighbors in our communities. Whether it’s a hot meal for a senior citizen, an overnight stay in a safe shelter for a mother, father and their children, or providing enriching educational experiences for children from low-income working families, Neighborhood Alliance touches the lives of thousands every year. St. Pauly Textile Thank you for continuing to partner with us in the clothing drop-off shed program! In 2019, roughly 2,983 garments of clothing were donated to your shed. This was enough to clothe an estimated 362 people all over the world. Thank you for continuing to spread the word about the clothing shed to other community members. We truly appreciate all the support you’ve given this program!

These beautiful chalk drawings graced the church parking lot last month, courtesy of

our talented youth!

Laporte UMC Staff Pastor: Rev. Luigi Perez Youth Director: Stacy Goetz Choir Director: Anjanette Hignett Organist: Marilyn Irwin Custodian: Donna Smith Secretary: Linda Gwinn