St. Paul’s United Methodist Church May 2014

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Dear Friends

Please Join Us for St. Paul’s CHURCH-WIDE

Many thanks to those who helped cook or serve at Grace Place on Friday, April

11. Those helping in April were Bob Brown, Glenn Jordan, Charlotte Moore,

Margo Morgan, Kay and Scooter Morgan, Betty Ann Nolan, Emily Rash, Susan

Robinson, Amanda Shelby, Dana Taylor, and Kathy Wells. Our next date of service

is May 9th. Won’t you consider volunteering? Call Kathy Wells if interested.

Several children serve as acolytes for the traditional wor-ship services at St. Paul’s. The church wanted to thank them for their service and honor them during worship so on April 6 all of the acolytes were called forward during both services to receive a certificate, an acolyte pin, and a treat for their service to Christ through this ministry. Thank you acolytes!

On Sunday April 13th we recognized our graduating seniors during our New Song worship service and hosted a luncheon afterward in their honor.

Congratulations Seniors!

Dear Friends, I don't remember hearing much about John Wesley before my second year of seminary when I took UM History, Polity, and Doctrine all in the same semes-ter. If I wasn't Methodist before then, I certainly was afterwards!

I write these lines on the day Linda Beth and I visited Wesley's Chapel, home, grave, and museum in London, England. I've learned that he was much more than a significant theologian and preacher in 18th century England: he helped the poor find food, clothing and places to live, he fabricated medicines to help heal the sick, and he took the gospel to places where it had not been preached before--beyond the church walls! So significant was he that he earned himself a plaque of honor in Westminster Abby where notables such as Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are buried. His and his hymn writing brother Charles' plaques are sandwiched between theologian/musicians G. F. Handel and Isaac Watts.

I am reminded of John Wesley's Rule for living: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." What a rich heritage we Methodists come from and continue to fulfill in these days! I challenge each of us to take the gos-pel of Christ beyond our church walls by doing all the good you can…

Peace, my friends… Tim Neustifter

St. Paul’s Financial Report - YTD March 2014 General Fund Income $189,377.13 General Fund Expense $191.019.70

You can still pledge! If you have not turned in a Pledge Estimate card and would like to do so,

please call Pat in the church office at 322-4454 M—Th.

A LETTER TO GOD FROM A CHILD:

Dear God, I bet it is very hard for You to love all of everybody in the whole world. Ther3e are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it!

- Nan

Joy Circle - Our last meeting until the Fall will be on Tuesday, May 13 at 6:00 in the Parlor. Circle of Friends Circle - Circle of Friends meets the 1st and 3rd Sundays in the Parlor at 5:00 p.m. We will continue to meet throughout the summer. Mary Henry Circle - We will meet Tuesday, May 27 at 9:30am in the church Parlor. Pat Hoover will continue

the study on the book, “Just Choose Happiness.” This is a life changing study and all women are in-vited to attend.

Harmony Circle - We will hold our last Circle meeting until the Fall on Thursday, May 15 at

6:30 p.m. Join us as we continue the study led by Mary Lou Blakeman and Annyece Girtman. Our meeting place will be announced later.

*If you are not currently a member of a women’s circle, come join us! All women and their friends are welcome to attend the circle meeting of their choosing.

Meals on Wheels – another great opportunity! You can cook, serve, or help deliver. The remaining dates for this year are June 21, September 6, and November 22.

More details coming soon! Save the Date!

St. Paul’s Women’s Retreat August 7-9! St. Paul’s Men’s Retreat – August 14-16!

We will leave on the church bus on Thursday evening around 6 pm and return Saturday evening.

Both retreats will be at The OWL Center near Dubach, La!

SAVE THE DATE! SEPTEMBER 18-21 Grab a friend and plan to go to Sunflower, Mississippi, with a St. Paul’s team! Mission opportunities abound in this poverty stricken area. The mission team will work on homes of many who have lost hope and do not know what tomorrow brings. All skill levels needed! If you can push a broom, you qualify! If interested let Tim know or call Kathy Wells.

These events are being organized by the St. Paul’s Retreat

Ministry Committee.

If kids can do it...SO CAN YOU! Won’t you follow the example and join us on Thursday, May 15 at 9:00am to cook with Bill at the church, or at 11:00am

to serve meals at the Mission. It doesn’t matter if you are big or little,

old or young, man or woman. If you have willing hands, you can help!

DeSiard Street Mission This month, the UMM cooked for around 129 people. They served over 165 meals. The volunteers this month included Lynda and Bob Burns, Jake Metzger and the “rice man” Bill Funderburk.

Find out the answers to these questions and more on Sunday, May 18, at either 2 PM or 4 PM. Join us for our tour aboard the “Mission Bus” around Monroe to visit and see the physical locations of our local mission sites. On this tour, you will learn the ways each mission helps God’s people and how we at St. Paul’s play a role in helping each of these organizations and places reach their goals to help as many people as they can. Remember John Wesley’s rule for living… "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

Annyece Girtman presented a program to Harmony Circle at their April meeting. Paula Napper and Kathy Wells were co-host and it was held in the Napper's home. Here are a few snapshots.

Confirmation Day with the Bishop event at the Wesley Center in Woodworth was great! The Bishop spoke to students from all over the state. The pic-tures show the kids having a great time with Jill Mouk, Chad Brooks, and Charles Dew as chaperones.

The youth will also be going on an End of the School Year

Six Flags Trip! Come spend the day with us at Six Flags

Over Texas in Arlington on Friday May 23rd! Included in the price of $50 is a custom St. Paul’s T-shirt! So don’t forget to give Charles your t-shirt size...SOON! We will LEAVE the church at 5 a.m. and will be arriving back at church by mid-night that night.

The youth are very excited about the UMYF Blowout Sunday evening at 5 p.m. May 4th! It will be a fun time as we wel-

come our 6th graders into the youth program! We will have

bouncy houses, water slides and food!

Come join in the fun...AND BRING A FRIEND!

A LETTER TO GOD FROM A CHILD: Dear God, We read that Thomas Edison made light

in school. But in Sunday school they said You did it. So I bet he stoled Your idea!

Sincerely, Donna

Fundraiser for Local Missions TUESDAY, MAY 6 at

ST PAUL’S United Methodist Church

11:30 – 1:00 TICKETS $8.00

Come and bring a friend!

Join the Strauss Theater Center on Saturday, May 10th as we present a Raise the Roof fundraiser featuring the vocal talents of Corey Trahan, Lisa Lee Phifer, Claire Vangelisti, Travis Sherwood and Margaret Ann Zentner as well as pianists Rick Seiler and Julian Jones. Enjoy an evening of some the best-known songs from Broadway at “The Voices: One Night Only”! Reserve your tickets now by calling the Strauss Theatre Center Box Office at 318-323-6681.

MEALS ON WHEELS Cream of Mushroom soup Cream of Chicken soup Rotel tomatoes Diced tomatoes Sweet green peas pop-top cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup Lg. Gal. cans cut green beans (Sam’s) Lg. Gal. cans tropical fruit (Sam’s) 1 lb. boxes Velvetta cheese 1 lb. boxes Angel Hair spaghetti

GRACE PLACE Cans of red beans—any size, any brand Cans of mandarin oranges Bags of rice Vegetable oil—any brand 5lb bag of Martha White self-rising white cornbread mix.

RAYS OF SONSHINE Remember to bring a bag of dry beans to drop in the donation basket the first Sunday of the month. Just bring the bag forward on your way to receive communion. Baskets are located near the altar in the Traditional Sanctuary.

Here are just three of the organizations we, at St. Paul’s, support regularly. Here are a few items you can donate to aid our efforts. Just add one or two to your shop-ping cart on your next grocery run and bring it with you to church THIS Sunday. Think of the difference you can make in the life of someone in need.

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(for church use only) _______________Crew Number __________

Child’s Name ___________________________________________________ Circle: Boy or Girl Child’s Age: _______ Date of Birth: ______________ Last school grade completed: _________ Name of parent(s): _____________________________________________________________ Street address: ________________________________________________________________ Telephone Number (where you can be reached during VBS hours) _______________________ Other phone numbers where parent (or other caretaker) can be reached during VBS if needed:

______________________________________________________________________ Who would your child like to be in a “crew” with? ____________________________________ Home Church: ________________________________________________________________

Allergies or other medical conditions:____________________________________ Comments: ___________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

*Please return this form and the registration fee on or before Sunday, June 1.

We will be at the church all day on Sunday, June 1 setting up for VBS! Please volunteer to help if you can! We need you!

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church

June 2-6, 8:30 – 11:30a.m.

Registration form and $10 fee (per child)

are due on or before Sunday, June 1.

St. Paul’ s VBS is for children who have completed PK-3

through 5th

grade.

VBS Registration form

If you would like to lend your support to our monthly newsletter, The Epistle, new spon-sorships are now available. Call Pat in the

church office to make arrangements!

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church 1901 Lexington Ave. Monroe, LA 71201

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