The Circuit Writer

State Street United Methodist Church 1101 State Street

P.O. Box 3340 Bowling Green, KY 42102-3340

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit Number 325 Bowling Green, KY

Return Service Requested

May 27

Vacation Bible School July 14th—19th

State Street Staff

Senior Pastor ~ Dr. Jay Smith

Minister of Music, Worship, and Congregational Care ~ Lee Young

Minister of Student Formation ~ Jami Unland

Director of Children & Family Ministries ~ Kyle Summers

Interim Liturgy Worship Assistant ~ Gary Chapman Organist ~ Julie Pride

Office Manager ~ Tricia Hendrix

Church Hostess ~ Betty Lee

Maintenance ~ Dennis Jones

May 5 Student Sunday

Youth lead the 8:08 & 10:00 Worship Service

Making disciples of Jesus Christ around the corner and around the world!

1101 State Street | Bowling Green, KY (270) 842-8171 | www.statestreetumc.org

May 8 Final WNG

Youth Taco Bar Fundraiser & Children’s Talent Show

May 12

May 5 12:00 a.m. High School

Senior Brunch

May 20 7:00 p.m. Administrative Board

May 27 Memorial Day

Church Offices Closed

“Why I Flunked Blogging” I begin with an apology to those of you who saw me publicize that I would be blogging on my recent trip to Zimbabwe and South Africa and were expecting me to do so. If you attempted to follow my blog, you know it lasted two whole posts that were reflections from the flight over and did not include any posts after I arrived in Africa. Please accept my apology and please let me explain. I know there are lots of people who have blogs and they post to their blogs quite effectively. They are good writers and they are good at summarizing sometimes very sensitive and difficult subject matter in a short amount of time and space. I admire them. My recent failed attempt at blogging revealed to me that I am not one of those people. After I arrived in Zimbabwe and we began our itinerary in earnest, I quickly realized that the sights, sounds, people, experiences were coming at me at a very rapid pace. We began early in the mornings and were active late into the evenings. What I discovered was that instead of simply experiencing the experience before me, I was trying to view the experience in some “meaningful” way so that later that night I could write a “meaningful” blog post that would be very “meaningful” for my readers. Some of you probably could have told me, “Jay, the best way to ruin a meaning-ful experience is to put the pressure and expectation on the experience that it be ‘meaningful.’”And you would have been correct! You see, life is to be experi-enced and not quickly judged as “meaningful” or “unmeaningful.” In fact, much of life is never truly experienced until we allow ourselves the time and space to reflect and process those experiences. I think I flunked blogging primarily be-cause I felt the pressure of our “instant response culture” where the expectation is that any of us can see something, hear something, experience something, and immediately, Tweet, Facebook post or blog about it in almost real time. In my opinion, this “instant response” cultural expectation can cheapen and diminish our capacity to live our lives freely with any real height and depth and breadth. Most of us need more time for the lost arts of reflection and discernment. We need time to think and pray and reflect on our lives, to see where God might be at work, or not.

So, once again, my apologies to those of you who were expecting to read my “Hope Sightings from the Valley of Hope” (I still like the name!) blog from Africa. It was a dismal failure. The truth is I am still reflecting, still pondering, still processing the gifts God gave me each day. I do plan on sharing in some upcoming sermons that I hope, of course, will be “meaningful.” But, I have decided to leave that up to God. Much grace and peace, Dr. Jay

The Circuit Writer 2

Gifts Given to the Church

In Memory of... In Memory of Tom Cannon Given to Loucon to the Tom Cannon Memorial Fund by Lee & Joyce Robertson, Bob & Catherine Holderfield, Roger & Beverly Parrish, Mr. and Mrs. Don Burton,

In Honor of John Renfrwo Given for Strong Foundation, Strong Future Fund by The Westray Family

In Memory of Juanita Lawhorn Given for the Endowment Fund by Mr. and Mrs. Dan Modlin

In Memory of Emily Burrell Given for the Strong Foundation, Strong Future Fund by Elizabeth Honeycutt In Memory of Shirley Holland Given for the Library Fund by Elizabeth Honeycutt In Memory of Charlie Gordon Smith Given for the Strong Foundation, Strong Future Fund by The Smith Family

State Street UMC: Strong Foundation, Strong Future

Dorothy Hinman Compton was a member of State Street for most of her life, was church secretary for many years and served as organist for fourteen years. After her death on October 3, 1982, the congregation

decided to turn an unused Sunday School room in the Education Building into a small chapel as a memorial to Dorothy. The renovation work was done by Kenway Homes, Inc. Walnut paneling was added to the front of the room and the two existing windows were replaced with stained glass that were made by Carol Motley, a local artist. The pulpit was made originally for the Sand Springs Methodist Protestant Church in Logan County, home church to the ancestors of Dorothy Dodson. The pews were constructed by the Graham Manufacturing Company of Auburn. The needlepoint kneeling pads were worked by ladies of the church. The organ was made by Allen Organ Company. The windows and all furnishings are marked with plaques identifying the various memorial gifts. The chapel was dedicated to the Glory of God on December 9, 1994 by Dr. James G. Thurmond. It serves the Church well as a place for small weddings, class meetings, and other functions. State Street members have always been generous and thoughtful people. Thank you for your continued support of the Strong Foundation, Strong Future.

Easter Sermon Series “Easter People of Hope:

Lessons from Africa” Beginning Sunday, April 28th

May 5th—Student Sunday

May 12th—Sisters in Charge: the Strong Hope-filled Women of Africa

May 19th—Wholistic Hope: the Mission of the Old Mutare Mission”

May 26th—”Blessed Beyond Measure: Taking Hope Where Others Won’t”

June 2nd—”Nothing Left Out: the Beauty of Creation in Africa”

Items we are running low on:

Canned Fruit, Cereal & Powered Milk Packets

Thank you for supporting our Food Ministry!

Please make sure donated items have expiration dates.

Each week we will feature items that

need to be restocked. We could also use small/sample contain-ers of shampoo, soap and toothpaste for

the homeless when they ask for them. (Most homeless people keep their belong-ings with them all day, so large bottles are

too heavy and bulky.)

7 The Circuit Writer

The Circuit Writer 6

Please Note: The names of persons for whom prayer has been requested will remain on our prayer list for one month unless we are notified otherwise.

The names of the homebound and ill of our church family as well as our church leaders and military will be kept on our list indefinitely.

Please Remember Our Special Friends in Prayer:

The Circuit Writer 3

Birthdays!

Anniversaries

Prayer Requests

Jim & Amy DeCesare 02 Dan & Sandy Riley 04 Derek & Lauren Wester 05 Mike & Cathy Bishop 09 Frank & Betty Tee Smith 09 Michael & Shannon Vitale 09 Glenn & Pam Eisert 13 Ryan & Sarah Butler 14

Chris & Kelsey Hamlet 16 John & Tricia Renfrow 16 Nathan & Emily Harlan 20 Burton & Shannon Vaughan 23 David & Dalla Emerson 27 Tom & Judy Moore 27 Wade & Jennay Westerholt 30 Bob & Catherine Holderfield 31 Bob & Vivian Rice 31

Kyle & Lindsey Summers 31

Pat Hewitt 01 Brent Lawson 02 Suzanne Moore 04 Sarah Butler 05 Tucker Greer 05 Marilyn Hopkins 05 Chandler Jefferson 06 Amanda Shreve 06 Craig Stahl 06 Kate McGill 07 Stephen Schnacke 07 Don Turner 09 Katie Lawson McKee 10 Tara Martin 10 Ashley Parks 10 Allie Hanks 12 Hannah Jukes 12 Don Wendt 12 Danny Zoller 13 Joshua Kelley 14 Charlotte Riedel 14 Penny Tuttle 14 Paul Shirley 15 Katie Beard 15 Georgeanna Hagerman 16 Jane Cannon 17 Paul Duvall 17 Chloe Kelley 17 Kendall Beth Simmons 19 Debbie Robb 20 Sally Skiles 20 Nevil Speer 20 Kim Potter 21 Cyndy Scibal 21 Mary Reecer 22 Sherrill Carr 22 Daniel Pierce 22 Norb Stegeman 22 Betty Bostick 23 Callie Ann Duvall 23 April Fulcher 23 Hannah Morrow 25 Daulton Potter 25 Thomas Fentress 27 Reagan Pierce 27 Larry Snyder 29 Sarah Watson 29 Mary Nahm 29 Alexzander Forsythe 30

Spare Change

Support the various Mission Projects of SSUMC by collecting your spare change! Donation boxes designed to fit in your automobile’s cup holder can be picked up

in the church office or narthex.

Charter Senior Living Jackie Mathison Ken Whitfield Dick Cooper

Village Manor Sarah Watson Ed & Helen Henderson Massey Springs Sue Penn

Homebound Bridgepointe Madge Bailey Carolyn Brake Magnolia Village Nancy Napier Jenrose Pierce

Recent Requests: Nicole LeCody Mark Embry Josh Watson Barbara Balas Trish & Kelly Lawrence Beverly Dorrance Brian Lance Lisa Jaggers Donna Daniels Sharyk Lewis Carrie Wagoner Gilreath Aslan & Journey Bishop Betty Estes Regina Priddy Pete Mahurin Brenna Reilly Phillip Rogers

On Going Requests: Jennifer Wallace Charles Morris Carl Dobson Gregg Acree James Supulski Bill Dickinson Keith Hilliard Colson Angel Erisha Talley Mary Ann Dickey DeWayne Browning

Our Military: Schuyler Purdue (Marines) Caleb Moore (U.S. Army)

On Going Requests: (Church Family)

Betty Satterfield Bernard Fullen Glenna Burton Ann McCormack Corinne Meeks Dan Riley Dorothy Dodson Covella Biggers Clarice Scarborough Jenrose Pierce Julie Grim Suzanne Vitale Jeffrey Fields

4 The Circuit Writer The Circuit Writer The Circuit Writer 5