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THE PARISH POST

Volume 45 - Issue 6 10:00 a.m. Worship Service June 2017

Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means ‘Teacher’). Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:16-17

Don’t Hold On to Me When it was announced I would be leaving the Three Oaks congregation, one of our church members said to me, “I’m going to hold onto your leg and not let you go!” I think she was kidding. Yet, even if no one physically grabs me or bars the door on my last Sunday, there are ways that folks could try to hold on to me emotionally in the days ahead. One way might be to continue turning to me for pastoral care and advice. Another way would be to hold onto any bad feelings about mistakes I’ve made or things I have not done that you hoped I would do. As the old Englebert Humperdinck song says, “Please release me, let me go.” Yes, I ask the same. Release me, let me go from pastoral duties and from relationship expectations. Understand that my attention and energy will be shifting very soon to a new congregation. Honor my request that I no longer be asked to officiate at baptisms, weddings, and funerals in the Three Oaks church. We have shared many significant experiences together over these past eighteen years — many of them as a congregation and some that have been of a more personal nature. Leaving the congregation I love is hard. I will miss you. But I will pray for you and your ministry with a new pastor, and I ask that you do the same for me and the new ministry I will have in Grand Rapids. I want you to have the very best chance to bond with your new pastor and I want to give my very best to my new ministry setting. On the first Easter morning, Mary Magdalene met the risen Lord outside the tomb. She did not recognize him at first. But when he spoke her name, understanding dawned. The Scripture says she cried out, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Though the

Bible doesn’t say so, I imagine her rushing forward as she said this, ready to embrace Jesus. He stopped her with the words, “Don’t hold on to me.” Then he explained that he needed to ascend to the Father and she needed to return to the other disciples and share the good news of the resurrection. You see, their relationship was different now. They had to move on from how things had been between them in the past. That time has come for us, also. We will always have a wonderful shared history and we will remain spiritual friends. But I will not be your “Rabboni” — your teacher — any longer. Let us use these remaining weeks to bless one another and to open ourselves up to the many new possibilities which are ahead of us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love and care you have showered on me and my family in the time I have served as your pastor. This will always be one of the best and most memorable chapters of my life. I am a better person for having known you and for serving among and beside you. May God bless you richly in the days ahead. With love and gratitude,

Pastor Sherri

Our Summer Worship schedule will begin on June 4. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m.

for June, July, and August.

Date Change There will be no communion on June 4. Instead, we will celebrate communion on June 11 at 10:00.

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“When one member suffers, we all suffer and when one member is honored, we all rejoice.” I Corinthians 12:26

Those who serve as missionaries, especially: Kate & Peter Walugembe in Jinja, Uganda; Del & Sandy Groves in Zambia; Dr. Elma Jocson in the Philippines.

Those who are in the military, including: Christopher Blackwell, Gabrielle (Gabby) Crumley, Danny King, Ricky Zeiger, and Ethan Zeiger.

Those who are in care facilities: Buchanan Meadows – Sabra Lambert; Hamilton Grove – Betty Smith; Pine Ridge – Esther Thomas; Woodland Terrace – Shirley Hoadley

Those who are homebound: Dorothy Brayboy, Helen Heward, Doris Krossovitch, Betty Martin, and Ken Williams.

Those with health problems: Julian Becker, Ruth Boothby, Fran Conley, Ray Davidson, Savannah DeVries, Bill Donner, Linda Doyle, Tim Fenderbosch, Bob Flick, Gayle Hagenbarth, Andrew Hamilton, Dawn Hayes, Priscilla Lee Hellenga, Lisa Henrich, Joyce Herring, Dave Hess, Joe Hinman, Shauni Hinman, Ron Knuth, Jenna Krueger, Diana Monson, Dorothy Nicholas, Perry Pickens, Jr., Alex Renbarger, Chris Riley, Sue Rubeck, Gert Schlieter, Dave Schlundt, Ken Seifert, Clara Small, Brian Sokolowski, Kevin Strauss, Esther Thomas, Pat Trumball, Stan Tull, Barb Truhn, Tim Truhn, Jon Vollman, Brenda Warman, Lonnie Zebell, Dan Ziebarth.

Those who grieve: Family and friends John Shermak, Robert DeWitt, Judy Mathieu, Brian Sokolowski, and Albert Brayboy in the loss of his nephew.

Other: Ben Bartelmay as he leaves for the Peace Corps. Peace throughout our world.

Please note: Names will be deleted from the above list after one month unless an updated request is

received.

Don’t forget your dad on Sunday, June 18,

Father’s Day! Bring your father

to worship with you.

Condolences We extend our sympathy to Ellen Sokolowski at the death of her son, Brian, age 50, on May 18 after a very courageous battle with cancer. Brian is also survived by his wife,

Theresa; sons, David and Victor; granddaughter, Lilly; sister, Analinda; brother, Cliff; and many other relatives. Please remember the Sokolowski family in your prayers. We also extend our sympathy to Bonnie Pickens at the death of her brother, Robert DeWitt, on April 27. We further extend our sympathy to Albert Brayboy at the death of his nephew last month. May the Lord comfort these families in their time of grief.

Bible Trivia

Who is their Father? 1. Shem-__________ 2. Jacob and Esau-__________ 3. Dinah-___________ 4. Samuel-____________ 5. Rachel and Leah-___________ 6. David__________ 7. Tamar-___________ 8. Michal-___________ 9. John the Baptist-____________ 10. James and John-____________

Answers on page four.

Mother-Daughter-Sister Banquet

The Mother/Daughter/Sister Banquet was a great success! We

had 56 women attend and eight men serve. Everyone seemed to enjoy the Hawaiian décor and themed food. We were fortunate to have Bonnie Pickens’ grandson, and friend, perform for us again. They truly are gifted young men. A big thank you to the following men who served the ladies: Rick Cooper, Jim Flick, Bob Tatina, Doug Hinman, Ron Petro, Don Evans, Mike Davidson and Jim Thompson.

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Sisters in Faith Our next meeting will be Wednesday, June 21, at 7:00 p.m. at the church. Marcia Hess

will share devotions and lead Bible Study; Nancy Comfort will provide refreshments.

We are looking for volunteers to provide refreshments after our

worship services. Sign up in the narthex.

Going Away Party for Pastor Sherri

The Fellowship Committee will be hosting a going away luncheon, for Pastor Sherri, immediately after

service, on Sunday, June 18. The entire congregation is encouraged to stay and help us celebrate the many wonderful years of service we have enjoyed with Sherri. A full meal, beverages and dessert will be provided. If you wish to help cook or help with this event, please contact Rhonda Hinman or Rhonda Petro.

Congratulations to Madison Vollman who was inducted into the National Honor Society at River Valley High School on April 30. She is the daughter of David and Amy Vollman and granddaughter of Jon

and Penny Vollman. Way to go, Madi!

Special Music Sign-Up Our choir will be taking a well-deserved break over the summer months. We will be looking for special music beginning June 4. Please sign up in the narthex to share your talents with the congregation.

Sisters in Faith

Rummage / Bake Sale

Need to clean out

your basement or closets? No worries, just bring in all the items you don’t want anymore to the church. We will be happy to accept them for our rummage sale. We ask that you bring items in by Tuesday, May 30. We will no longer be able to accept items after this date. The SIF annual rummage sale will be held Friday, June 2 from 9-4, and Saturday, June 3 from 9-3, with a $2.00 bag sale running from 12-3. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Rhonda Hinman or Rhonda Petro. As a thank you to the congregation for it’s support of the rummage sale, we are offering a “Sneak Peek” night of shopping on Thursday, June 1 from 5-7. This will give you an opportunity to purchase any treasures you desire before they’re gone. We are also asking for help from all who would be willing to contribute a baked good (s) to the cause. We will be selling a variety of baked items. Some suggestions might be: pies (always a favorite), cakes, cupcakes, cookies, mini or full loaves of bread, brownies, rice krispie treats, etc. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for those who are willing to help. We request that you bring the baked goods in Thursday, June 1

st, so that we may package them

accordingly. Thank you for your consideration to help.

Shipshewana Trip We will be taking our annual shopping excursion to the flea market at Shipshewana on Wednesday, June 7. We will leave the church at 7:00 a.m. and return at approximately 7:00 p.m. Everyone in the congregation is invited. Please sign up in the narthex so we will know how many vehicles are needed. If you sign up and then are not able to make it, please call someone else who is planning to attend so the group will not need to wait on you.

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Sunday School Mission

Our Sunday School year is over and it’s time to turn in collection cans

for the Great Lakes Burn Camp. Bring your cans to the church

office anytime this summer. We will be starting a new collection in the fall.

Children’s Church For our summer programming this year, we are planning to show Christian movies, such as Veggie Tales. We are looking for

volunteers to take turns watching the children each week. If you love children and can turn on a TV, you are qualified! Please sign up in the narthex.

Heritage Sunday

On April 30 our church celebrated Heritage Sunday, honoring long-time church members. Approximately one-third of the persons in our congregation have been members of the church for twenty years or longer. Twenty-nine of these individuals were able to attend the day’s festivities. Thank you to Priscilla Hellenga for arranging some interesting historical displays and to Rhonda Petro and all of the Fellowship Committee for preparing a special Coffee Hour reception in honor of these folks. Answers from page three: 1. Noah 2. Issac 3. Jacob 4. Elkanah 5. Laban 6. Jesse 7. David 8. Saul 9. Zechariah 10. Zebedee

From the Bookshelf by Rhonda Hinman

June is here and hopefully some warm weather. It's always enjoyable

to have a good book to read in the summer months. This month's feature is “Private Justice” from the Newpointe 911 series by Terri Blackstock. It is a suspense novel. Staying together had seemed impossible. Now it's their only hope. A shadow of fear has fallen over Newpointe, Louisiana. First one, then another of the town firemen's wives has been murdered, and a third has barely escaped an attempt on her life. Incredible as it seems, a serial killer is stalking this sleepy little southern community. And Mark Branning's wife may be next on the list. Mark is determined to protect her. But keeping Allie alive won't be easy; not with their own marriage already dying a bitter death. Unless they renew their commitment to each other and to God, someone else may settle their problems...permanently. And time to decide is running out. If you enjoy this book, there are four more books in the series. Number two, “Shadow of Doubt.,” Number three, “Word of Honor,” Number four, “Trial by Fire,” and Number five, “Line of Duty.” This is a good, suspenseful series. Take a break, grab your book and sit outside and enjoy the weather.

Community Vacation Bible

School

Plans are underway for our community Vacation Bible School

this summer, June 26-30, 9:00-12:00 each day. VBS will be held at the Free Methodist Church, sponsored ecumenically with our church and several others. We will need many volunteers for Crew Leaders, Assistant Crew Leaders, Preschool Helpers, Games Leader, and Snack Staff. If you would like to help, contact Ginger Schumm at 269-845-9210 or by e-mail at daynatoys@comcast.net. A list of supplies needed for refreshments and games will be in the narthex soon.

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Church Directory

Please pick up your copy of the

new church directory available in

the narthex.

If you have an old copy of the

directory, you can return it to the church office and

we’ll re-use the spine.

Graduation Congratulations to Mindy Backus who graduated with her Associates degree from Lake Michigan College

with honors on May 7. We’re proud of you! Congratulations also to Kyle, Mindy and Cole as they prepare for the arrival of a new baby in December. Further congratulations to Laurie Swanson, the oldest daughter of Bill and Betty Swanson, who graduated last month from the University of Alaska with a degree in Social Work.

The community is invited to attend River Valley’s Baccalaureate Service on Sunday, June 4, at 4:00 p.m. and Commencement on Friday, June 9, at 7:00 p.m.

Sunday School We are so very fortunate to have an active Sunday School. Our children bring eager minds and joy to our lives, and their desire to learn about God and Jesus is truly inspiring!

Thank you to Nancy Caid for serving as our Sunday School Superintendent and to our teachers this year: Joy Ackerman, Nancy Caid, Annette Donner, Cheryl Kersey, and Nikki Springer.

Contact Pastor George Lawton

at 269-469-8468, for pastoral emergencies

during the last two weeks of June before our new pastor arrives.

Announcement from the Bishop

Bishop David Bard has appointed Pastor Sherri Swanson to serve as the pastor

of Faith UMC in Grand Rapids, Michigan, effective July 1. Pastor Sherri’s last day with us will be Sunday, June 18. As has been previously announced, Pastor Sherri’s husband — Pastor Brad Bartelmay — has been appointed as the pastor of First UMC in Holland. Please pray for both of them in this time of transition and for our church as we prepare to welcome a new pastor. In conjunction with the superintendents of the Michigan Area (including our District Superintendent, Rev. Dwayne Bagley), Bishop Bard has worked diligently to find the best person to be the next pastor here at Three Oaks UMC. This individual has now been identified and an announcement will be made to the congregation on May 28. The new pastor will begin on July 1. If you have any questions about this process, please contact S-PRC chairperson, Bob Barnes, at 219-851-3251 or Pastor Sherri at 269-756-2053.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Way to Go! Congratulations to our River Valley High School Varsity Softball team for currently being

ranked fourth in the State! They are also BCS White Conference Champions, going 6-0 and outscoring their opponents 94-15, and are All-State Academic. Members include: Nicole Gibson, Katharine Kersey, Hannah Korbel, Ella Olson, Emma Springer, and Madison Vollman. Congratulations to River Valley High School varsity track for finishing sixth in the region and to Annette Donner for making the All-Region Team in the 4 x 100 meter relay and the 4 x 400 meter relay.

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Who’s Who at TOUMC After 18 years it is easy to assume that you know someone. But do you really? Here is the life of someone very close to us who will soon depart and who will be greatly missed, Sherri Swanson. Sherri grew up in Burlington Iowa with her parents, Harold and Garnett Swanson, her sister Kelli and brother Steve. Her father Harold, worked as an accountant, and her mother Garnett was a school teacher. After seven years of marriage they started their family. Sherri is the oldest, followed by Kelli and then Steve. When they were growing up, Sherri always enjoyed singing, and would often sing with her sister Kelli. Sherri graduated as Salutatorian from Burlington High School. After graduation she went to Truman State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She continued her education, after much encouragement from a close mentor, deciding to pursue the ministry. She attended Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, in Evanston, Illinois. During her school career, Sherri interned in Humeston, Iowa and St. Louis, Missouri. As part of her continuing education, she was an associate Pastor in Racine, Wisconsin, and then counseled as a chaplain in Illinois, and later, Kalamazoo, Michigan. While studying at Garrett she was also able to study at the University of Durham, in Durham, England, as an exchange student. Upon her return to Garrett she finished her studies, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree. While studying in England, she became lonely, missing friends and family. Her good friend at Garrett, helped her to be less lonely by sending her cassette tapes of the latest happenings back home and would often include other students’ greetings and well wishes. It was on one of these tapes that she heard the voice of Brad Bartelmay introducing himself, and saying hello. When returning to Evanston to continue her studies, she met Brad, and they became friends. In January of ’87 they began

dating. They continued to date for three years, and on April 21, 1990, they married. The wedding and reception were held at Garrett Seminary. In the summer of 1990, Sherri and Brad moved to southwest Michigan. Her first parish appointment was at the Galien and Olive Branch United Methodist Churches. While she was serving there, Sherri and Brad had 3 sons. The oldest, Ben, now 24, recently graduated from Grand Valley and is off to Africa on June 9

th to work in the Peace Corps. Tom and Sam

(twins) are 22. Tom is attending Wayne State University and is studying Jazz Guitar. Sam is at Grand Valley State University and is working toward a Mechanical Engineering degree. Both boys will be graduating next year. In 1995 Sherri was assigned as Pastor of the Lakeside UMC where she served for 4 years. Both Sherri and Brad have enjoyed traveling over the years. Sherri was able to visit many cities in Europe while she was an exchange student but their favorite vacations have been with the boys, when they traveled west. One of their most memorable trips was to Banff, Canada. Most recently, she and Brad have traveled to Iceland. Sherri has always had a passion for reading. She also enjoys taking walks, yoga, skiing, playing piano and being on the beach. In 1999, Sherri was assigned to our church. We have enjoyed her service for 18 years. We have been with her when she dealt with cancer. We have watched her sons grow into young men. We have become close to her and her husband, Brad. It is with mixed emotion that we say goodbye to our Pastor, our leader, our sister, our friend. Change is difficult, but as Christians we know that we must move on. We must keep moving forward to allow ourselves to grow in our faith and trust in God.

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Three Oaks United Methodist Church 2 East Sycamore Street Three Oaks, MI 49128

Phone 269-756-2053 Fax 269-756-2061

E-mail toumc@att.net Web www.toumc.org

Address Service Requested

Please Note

Please turn in all submissions for next month’s Parish Post newsletter by June 18.

June 4 “It’s Pentecost Sunday – May the Force Be With You!” Acts 2:1-21 Guest Speaker – Norm Herring June 11 Trinity Sunday Communion “Parting Words” Matthew 28:16-20 June 18 Father’s Day “Countdown to a New Beginning” Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Pastor Sherri’s Last Sunday June 25 Guest Speaker

June 2017

If we could deliver your next Parish Post by e-mail, please inform the church office. It would be faster, easier, and cheaper.

Thanks for your help!

Three Oaks United Methodist Church Staff:

Pastor: Rev. Sherri Swanson Secretary: Cheryl Kersey

Organist: Martha Spychalski Custodian: Mary Weers

To Reach the Pastor:

Please call the church office first: 756-2053. If you do not reach her there,

leave a voice message on her cell phone at 269-405-0002.