1 March/April 2017

Wayland United Methodist Church 200 Church Street Wayland, MI 49348

TO:

The ARK

Wayland United Methodist Church Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

WORSHIP WITH US AT: 10:00 AM

Join us for coffee fellowship following worship!

For Up-To-Date information “Like Us” on Facebook and visit our website: www.waylandumc.org

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-THURSDAY 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

PASTOR OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

Office: 269-792-2208 ~ Pastor Jeff: 269-944-9231

Office e-mail: office@waylandumc.org

Pastor Jeff email: jeffwrev@gmail.com

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

P A I D PERMIT NO. 2 WAYLAND, MI

Address Service Requested

2 January/February 2017

So, What Is Real, Good News?

“The mystics would say whenever you stand apart and objectify anything you stop knowing

it. You have to love, respect, and enter into relationship with what you desire to

know…This is knowing by participation” (Knowing through Loving, Sunday, February

26, 2017; Father Richard Rohr, OFM).

We are quite messed up in our national political life with fighting about facts or alternative

facts or truth or half-truths (like our worship series last summer). We accuse each other of

reporting fake news because we don’t agree with it or it challenges us to be responsible for our statements and actions.

I am grateful for free press organizations that take time to study and learn about the subjects they report. I use a filter

for the quality of news inversely related to the drama, anger, and disdain present in the story. In other words, news

stories presented with entertaining drama, anger, and disdain for the people involved have less value for me and don’t

serve the truth they want to report. Comedians and artists gain popularity in times of arrogant, foolish, and outrageous

communications and reporting. I like the use of humor to reveal our obsessive-compulsive behaviors and feel the pain

of recognition when their commentary hits home. However, we don’t learn much about real news when we

communicate combatively.

In late January, I posted this photo on Facebook with this comment: “Paused a

moment to consider how this collection (my Evernote journal is on the bottom)

on my reading table represents basic commitments in my life and ministry.” One

of my colleagues commented in jest, “put the Holy Bible on the top.” I replied, “I

notice it is in the middle.”

I love learning God’s Word and having it in the middle of my conversations,

considerations, and commitments to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. And I am

blessed and energized by being with other people who love to learn. That’s why

I appreciate Father Richard Rohr’s statement about the need to love, respect, and enter into relationship with what

you desire to know.

When news is shared from a perspective of love, respect, and relationship, we feel its truth. That is the best

understanding of evangelism I have. But this type of communication comes with great risk. Parker Palmer writes in

Healing the Heart of Democracy:

If you hold your knowledge of self and world wholeheartedly, your heart will at times get broken by loss,

failure, defeat, betrayal, or death. What happens next in you and the world around you depends on how your

heart breaks. If it breaks apart into a thousand pieces, the result may be anger, depression, and

disengagement. If it breaks open into greater capacity to hold the complexities and contradictions of human

experience, the result may be new life (page 18; my emphasis).

At my dad’s funeral, I found comfort in these words about learning and wisdom:

My child, if you accept my words and treasure up my commandments within you, making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding; if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding; if

you seek it like silver, and search for it as for hidden treasures—then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find

the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-5).

Real, good news is found in the passionate pursuit of knowledge with an open heart. I pray we enter the Lenten

season with this spirit to learn what we need to know for abundant life with God and each other.

Peace, Pastor Jeff

269-944-9231; jeffwrev@gmail.com

3 March/April 2017

March

April 1 Ash Wednesday worship 7 pm here

2 Doug & Donna Cole 15th Anniversary

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4

5 Care Team Meeting 9 am Communion 10 am

6 Shirley DeVries Birthday

7 Sabrina Shirley Birthday

8 Lenten study group 7 pm here

9 SPPRC meeting 7 pm

10 Kenneth & Elly Pasma 50th Anniversary

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12 Daylight Savings Time - SPRING FORWARD Scouting Ministries Sunday

13 Women’s Fellowship 7 pm

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15 Lenten study group 7 pm here

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20 Jack Hott, Laurie Trainor & Judy Shafer Birthday

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22 Lenten study group 7 pm United Church

23 Kenneth Pasma Birthday

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27 Worship Team meeting 7 pm

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29 Rose Sears & Jeremy Johnson Birthday Lenten study group 7 pm United Church

30 Dennis Muczynski & Rebecca Thebo Birthday

31 Harold Lenz Birthday

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2

Becca Drozd Birthday Care Team Meeting 9 am Communion 10 am

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4 Ken Josey Birthday

5 Lenten study group 7 pm United Church

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7

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9 Keith & Tammy Kohtz 23rd Anniversary Palm Sunday

10 Keith Kohtz Birthday Women’s Fellowship 7 pm

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13 Ryan Mauchmar Birthday Maundy Thursday worship 7 pm United Church

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Josh & Lacey Harnish 9th Anniversary Gwen Josey Birthday Good Friday worship 7 pm here

15 Beverly Williams Birthday

16 EASTER Sunday 17

18 Small Group 7 pm

19 Kelvin & Rita Lapham 32nd Anniversary

20 Grant Chestnut Birthday

21 Pastor Jeff Birthday

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23 Mason Allen Fein & Edward Miner Birthday

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25 Lori Roberts Birthday Small Group 7 pm

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27 Jack & Janel Hott 21st Anniversary Wilma West Birthday

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30 Lead worship at Green Acres 2:30 pm

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4 January/February 2017

Children’s Sunday School is offered after worship. Beverly Williams leads this

ministry with Lacey Harnish and Sue Jensen. Children’s Church meets during

worship after the Children’s Message with Pastor Jeff.

Adult Sunday School meets 11:15 – Noon

In this informal group, we plan to return to our chapter by chapter study of Genesis. Come as you are on the Sundays you are here. We welcome your reflections on the worship service as well as the Scripture study.

Lenten Study Group with United Church

Wednesdays, March 8 – April 5, 7-8 pm

Our Tuesday adult small group is on break during Lent because we are meeting with United Church on Wednesdays during the season. We will use the study book, Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. You can order the book on your own or we can order it through the Church. Pastor Jeff is sharing teaching with Pastor Bonnie Simerly, the new United Church pastor. This is the meeting and location schedule:

March 8 Wayland UMC March 15 Wayland UMC March 22 United Church March 29 United Church April 5 United Church

Monday, March 13th at 7:00 pm @ Sue Jensen’s home

Monday, April 10th at 7:00 pm @ Sandi Ragan’s home

Do you knit, crochet, or have other interests? Call Sue Jensen (269-792-2830) or Margaret Smith (269-792-6710) with questions. Please come even if you don’t have a hobby and just like to visit.

Thank you for thinking of me at Christmas. I have purchased two new music books with your gift.

It is my desire that you will enjoy hearing selections from them, as much as I enjoy playing them.

Fa la la la la!

Roxie Muczynski

5 March/April 2017

We are excited to join with the United Church congregation for Lenten worship and study (see note on page 4) again this year. Ash Wednesday, March 1, 7 pm (Wayland UMC) Maundy Thursday, April 13, 7 pm (United Church) Good Friday, April 14, 7 pm (Wayland UMC)

March 5 Child of God: Naming Each One Romans 8: 31-39 Holy Communion at an open table

March 12 How Long: Renouncing Evil Psalm 13 Scouting Ministries Sunday

March 19 I Dream of a Chuch: Christ’s Representatives Matthew 25: 31-40 March 26 I Choose Love: Communities of Forgiveness Luke 23: 32-43 April 2 God Has Work for Us to Do: Faithful Disciples Isaiah 58: 6-12

Holy Communion at an open table April 9 The Day Is Coming: We Are One Matthew 21: 1-11

Palm Sunday April 16 EASTER!! Welcome the New World John 20:1-18

6 January/February 2017

Please let the office know by end of April if you have any youth interested in

going to summer camp. Also, thanks to the congregation for helping to

support scholarships for those attending through the Nut & Candy Sales.

Search and Like “Wayland UMC” on Facebook. We use Facebook as a communication source for daily Scripture passages; ministry team meeting reminders; and upcoming Church events. We want to increase the number of people reached in this way.

Congregational Goals for 2017

Our objective is to create a balance

between our inward focus and outward focus.

1. Grow average worship attendance by 10% (2016 - 63), as defined by attending 2 times per month. 2. Spiritual Growth – Increase SPPRC by 1, and maintain current number on other committees.

3. Grow our education department and offerings to have 75% of attendees involved in something outside of Sunday worship.

4. Education of local and church conference Missions by increasing monetary support; goal to be at 100% of Ministry Shares through % of giving and noisy offerings.

If you cannot be in worship, you can listen to the worship service through our web site www.waylandumc.org! Find the Listen Live link. Choosing it, you will have streaming audio from our sound system. And if you want to listen to worship from a prior Sunday, choose the Archived Services link right next to Listen Live.

7 March/April 2017

March Worship Service Servants April Worship Service Servants

March 5 April 2

Communion: John Meisenbach Communion: Pete Phillips

Opener: Bob Jackson Opener: Bob Jackson

Liturgist: Gwyn Meisenbach Liturgist: Julie Phillips

Greeters: Harry & Margaret Smith Greeters: Kimberly Wolff

Ushers: Bob Jackson & Doug Cole Ushers: Bob Jackson & Gayle Stewart

Coffee: Sue Schloop Coffee: Dawn Genther

March 12- Daylight Saving Time Begins April 9- Palm Sunday

Opener: Harry Smith Opener: Harry Smith

Liturgist: Gayle Stewart Liturgist: Gayle Stewart

Greeters: Brian Middlemiss & Lori Roberts Greeters: Brian & Cindy Sprouts

Ushers: Harry Smith & Paul Nyenhuis Ushers: Harry Smith & Doug Cole

Coffee: Jon & Sue Jensen & Emma VandeZande Coffee: Sandi Ragan

March 19 April 16- Easter Sunday

Opener: Gayle Stewart Opener: Gayle Stewart

Liturgist: Julie Phillips Liturgist: Gwyn Mesienbach

Greeters: Jon & Sue Jensen & Emma VandeZande Greeters: Keith & Tammy Kohtz

Ushers: Gayle Stewart & Gary Ragan Ushers: Gayle Stewart & Paul Nyenhuis

Coffee: Cindy Sprouts & Kimberly Wolff Coffee: Tammy Kohtz & Janel Hott

March 26 April 23

Opener: Wade Greenawalt Opener: Wade Greenawalt

Liturgist: Kelvin Lapham Liturgist: Kelvin Lapham

Greeters: Gayle & Bea Stewart Greeters: Doug & Donna Cole

Ushers: Wade Greenawalt & Pete Phillips Ushers: Wade Greenawalt & Gary Ragan

Coffee: Josh & Lacey Harnish Coffee: Julie Phillips

April 30

Opener: Kelvin Lapham

Liturgist: Ron Thebo

Greeters: Paul & Robin Nyenhuis

Ushers: Kelvin Lapham & Pete Phillips

Coffee: Margaret Smith & Elaine Rewa

8 January/February 2017

Thank you for your generous Noisy Offerings during January & February!

We supported the Wayland UMC’s Ministry Shares, WUHS Christian Athletes

& Local Strength Through Service Program.

The March Noisy Offerings will support Abby Phillips through Poetice

International. The April Noisy Offerings will support the Wayland UMC’s

Ministry Shares & the 5th Sunday will support our Local Emergency Fund.

We collected 45 lbs. of food in January and 88 lbs. of food in February for

the Christian Neighbors Food Pantry! The requested Food Pantry items for

March & April are cereal and granola bars.

BOOKSHELVES NEEDED FOR HENDERSON SETTLEMENT’S CRAFT SHOP As you may know, the average annual income of a family of 4 living in the area surrounding Henderson Settlement is $12,000 including government assistance. To supplement their family income, many of the local people living in that area make crafts and sell them through Henderson Settlement’s Craft Shop. Henderson Settlement has recently expanded their craft shop and is in need of bookshelves on which to display the craft items. Seven bookshelves have been ordered for Henderson Settlement as of February 23, and a few more are still needed. If you are interested in purchasing a bookshelf, it can be easily done through Walmart online. The prices listed are from February 23 and may change depending on sale prices. When searching for an item on Walmart.com site, it is easiest to search with the item# of the bookshelf. Here are the steps to use in ordering online:

1. Go online to Walmart.com

2. Search for a bookshelf—Henderson Settlement has recommended these:

Item# 16939450 - Altra Metal Ladder Bookcase, set of 2, Black, $89.00 Item# 17467785 - Wood A-Frame 3-tier Shelf, black, $53.10 Item# 3610559 - Corner 5-shelf Open Bookcase, beech $36.86 Item# 19501270 - Leo Storage Open Shelf 4-tier, 3 section wide, espresso, $54.89 Item# 9907212 - Convenience Concepts Designs 2 Go 4-shelf bookcase, $39.97

3. Add your selection to your shopping cart.

4. Under Shipping, select FREE PICKUP.

5. Have the bookshelf shipped to:

Walmart Supercenter US HWY 441, HWY 25E Middlesboro KY 40964

6. For pickup, please list:

Jerry Lambdin Email: workcamp@hsumc.org Phone: 606-337-3613

7. After ordering a bookshelf, please email Jerry Lambdin to let him know what you have ordered for

Henderson Settlement. His email is workcamp@hsumc.org

9 March/April 2017

VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION TRIP PLANNED FOR OCTOBER Also, our Mission Team is making a trip to Henderson Settlement as Volunteers in Mission from Wednesday, October 18, to Wednesday, October 25, 2017. We have reserved Hope House for our group. This home will accommodate at least 20 individuals and is located on Henderson Settlement’s main campus. As Volunteers in Mission, we will not have a specific project but will work at anything that needs to be done. Work may range from outside to indoor work. We will not know what we will be asked to do until we get there. Because Hope House is reserved for the entire week (Wednesday to Wednesday) volunteers may elect to go for 1 or 2 days, a long weekend, or may want to spend the entire week volunteering. Weekday meals are provided by Henderson Settlement, but Saturday and Sunday meals are not. Those planning to go may be asked to help provide a meal for the group on Saturday or Sunday. If anyone is interested in being a part of our Volunteers in Mission trip to Henderson Settlement next October or if you have any questions, please talk to Robin Nyenhuis or Bea Stewart.

Ministry Openings

Church Historian

Newsletter Editor

Home Communion servers

Contact Kimberly or Pastor Jeff in the Church office.

Danny Reeves is our new Pianist! Danny is

a pianist, vocalist, and current third year music

education major at Western Michigan University. He

has experience in teaching group piano, private

lessons, and accompanying (at the high school and

collegiate levels). His first Sunday was February 26 and he was thoughtful enough to worship with us

earlier in the month. Another way we are thankful for Danny is that he heard about our position from

Somi Yoon, our prior Pianist and fellow music major at Western.

Danny has heard from several people who are

interested in a Lenten Choir, so he is inviting

them to become that choir! Rehearsals for

interested persons begins Sunday, March 5,

after worship.

10 January/February 2017

Troop 97 The troop has been very busy!

We held our annual Christmas tree sale this past December and our trees literally flew off of our tree lot! The sales began on November 25th and the last tree was sold December 12th. It was a very successful sale with the troop receiving and then selling all 140 trees. This is our biggest fundraiser

and allows the troop to operate and as we did last year we were able to make a sizeable contribution to each of the scouts individual scout accounts. The boys are allowed to use these funds for scouting purchases and also to pay for events such as summer camp and or weekend district or council events. A big thank you goes out to all who worked the tree sales and helped in making it a great fundraiser. A HUGE THANK YOU to Eric Chandler, our youth chairperson for our Christmas Tree Sales, and his parents Pat and Jackie Chandler for making this success!

The troop also marched in the Christmas Parade on December 3rd and we collected non-perishable food items and gently used winter clothing for the Wayland Christmas Project. We collected 128 food items and 12 winter clothing items as we walked in the parade. Thank you to all who donated and helped make a difference during the Christmas season.

The troop has spent this past January brushing up on all of their scout skills; knots and lashings, first aid, teambuilding/problem solving, orienteering, citizenship, and fire building skills. All in preparation to compete in the Klondike Derby held at Charlton Park. We had four boys and two adults spend the night out in 6-degree weather Friday and they all definitely earned their Polar Bear patch (requires being outdoors for more than 20 hours in below freezing temperatures). We had 3 other scouts join us Saturday morning, for a total of 7 boys competing on Saturday as the Pink Flamingo Patrol. The boys hard work certainly paid off as the scouts of Troop 97 are the 2017 Klondike Derby champs!! We competed against 13 other patrols from all over southwest Michigan and the boys of Troop 97 won by one point!

Thank you to Roseanne Hall and Matt Ward for camping with the boys Friday night as well as helping us run the First Aid station. A big thank you to Joe Kramer in planning the first aid station that our troop adults ran during the derby. A big thanks to Ted Mattingly and Amy Johnson who also came and helped run our station.

The Crossover ceremony was held February 25 at the Wayland UMC at 11:00 AM. Our boys always look forward to doing this awesome ceremony and we welcomed four new scouts from the Wayland Cub Scout Pack 3097 into Troop 97. This ceremony was done in full Indian regalia complete with drumming and a cool candlelight crossover ceremony. The crossover is when the Cub Scout crosses over into Boy Scouts. If you ever get a chance to see our awesome ceremony team please do!

11 March/April 2017

Ministry Shares are the financial dimension of our relationship with the West Michigan Annual

Conference. Our 2017 Ministry Shares are $16,493.00. They are equivalent to 12.8% of our church

general fund income. Additionally, the district ministry shares are based on the per-member rate or

budget approved by our district conference.

During 2016, we made very positive progress toward paying 100% of our Ministry Shares! We currently

contribute 8% of the monthly General Fund offering total and several months of Noisy Offerings.

We will continue using our Noisy Offerings in selected months as additional Ministry Shares

contributions. We will invite recipients of Ministry Shares to be guests in worship so we may be more

personally aware of the impact of our giving.

January Evenly distributed to all Ministry Share areas

April Indian Workers Conference

May Grand Rapids District Board of Missions

July Connectional Ministries office

August Higher Education & Campus Ministry

December Board of Ordained Ministry

We report General Fund offerings and other gifts in the bulletin.

These are the calculations for January and February 2017:

The 5th Sunday in January Noisy offering was $76.00, and went to Landon Kohtz, with the

Wayland Union High School’s Christian Athletes.

February’s Noisy offering was for our local Strength for Service program, and we collected

$160.00.

1/1 $1,627.00 2/5 $3,060.16

1/8 $2,847.00 2/12 $7,650.00

1/15 $1,670.00 2/19 $1,444.00

1/22 $2,095.00 2/26 $2,380.00

1/29 $1,281.00

Total General Fund $9,520.00 Total General Fund $14,534.16

8% payment $761.60 8% payment $1,162.73

Noisy Offering $137.00 Hardings Rewards $ 144.32

Total payment $898.60 Total payment $1,307.05

12 January/February 2017

Donna Flick‘s Kitchen

Fountain of Youth Soup

1 can (19 oz) beans, white beans or chick peas 2 ribs fennel, sliced

2 T olive oil 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup cooked small pasta

2 tsp minced garlic 1/2 cup cooked fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley

2 medium potatoes, cut into small chunks salt & pepper

2 carrots, cut into medium chunks grated cheese

2 ribs celery, sliced

Drain beans, reserving liquid. In large pot, heat oil over medium/low heat. Add onions & garlic. Cook,

stirring until onion is tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery & fennel. Cook, stirring 2 minutes. Add

tomatoes & reserved liquid, if necessary add enough water so that liquid in pot covers the vegetables.

Cover, bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in pasta, herbs & beans.

Cook until flavorful & heated through. Add salt & pepper. Serve with cheese.

I put cooked ham in it. A nice soup for a cold day. Enjoy!

Beginning in March, we will be collecting individually

wrapped Easter candy to fill Easter eggs, for our Easter Egg

Hunt following worship on Easter Sunday, April 16th. Please

bring candy to worship and put in the basket in the lobby.

Thank you!

Dear Church,

Thank you for sending me to Snowbound Church Camp. I had an amazing time!

We didn’t have snow but we did other activities such as a Yeti Hunt, had a

snowball fight (using large cotton balls), had a Nerf gun fight, launched rockets,

and had worship. We played noodle ball, gaga ball, and mole ball. I had a blast!

Thank you again! Love,❤Emma❤