Praise Service 9:00 a.m.

Church School 9:55 a.m. Adoration Worship 10:45 a.m.

Rev. Peggy Garrison, Pastor

Marcia Weygant, Director of Music

First United Methodist Church

Page 8

FOCUS ON “FIRST”

September 2013

Special points of interest:

UMW Nut Sale

Festival of Sharing

S.H.A.L.O.M.

Neighbors

New Bible Studies

Sunday School

Update

Mt. Pleasant

Retirement Book

Discussion

Cornerstone

Counseling Support

Group

Trunk or Treat

Family Movie Info

Hike for Hospice

Pastor’s Page 2

Prayer Concerns 3

Church Happen-

ings

8

Birthdays and

Anniversaries

10

Calendar 11

Inside this issue:

Become Part of God's Family at First UMC

Church Events for September Thursday, September 5—New Bible Studies

10-11:30 a.m. @ Berkeley—Phillips Presentation Room

“From Jesus to Christ.”

6 p.m. @ FUMC Undercroft “Experiencing Jesus.”

Sunday, September 8—Sunday School

9:55 a.m. Tweens—Ross Room (4-6 grade), “On The Go” Series

Teen Class—Fellowship Hall (9-12 grade)

Adult Class 1—East Alcove

Adult Class 2—Undercroft, United Methodist Questions, United Methodist Answers: Exploring the Christian Faith

Monday, September 9—10 a.m.

Banners

Thursday, September 19—4F’s Bob Evans, West-Side Hamilton, 1461 Main Street

Dear Friends, It is September, time for fall, and that every year event fall kick-off called Rally Sunday. This year we want to invite everyone back to Sunday School on September 8th. Our theme for Rally Sunday is Leap of Faith. That is what we learn in Sunday School; how everyone will take a leap of faith at some point in their journey. To help us visually recognize our invitation, we have used frogs as our symbol. These little amphibians remind us to “leap” so that we can be caught by God. We have a Sunday School Class for Tweens in the Ross Room. This class is taught by rotating teachers who know the tweens well. Our youth, now including an exchange student from the Netherlands, will be led by Lori Ott and they meet in Fellowship Hall. There are two adult classes, one in the East Al-cove and one in the Undercroft. See article for these in this newsletter. We are also starting up our Bible studies. They will be on Thursdays starting September 5. The morning Bible Study will be held again at Berkeley as we study “From Jesus to Christ” a Frontline series. The evening study will be called “Experiencing Jesus” at 6 p.m. in the Undercroft. There is more informa-tion later as well.

Because Rally Sunday is the 8th, we will move communion in Sep-tember to that day. I will also begin a sermon series on “Communities of Shalom” with the help of Leslie Jewett and Teri Trent. If you have been following many of our article on Communities of Shalom, you have a be-ginning idea that we are working with other congregation and non-profits to create a community organization that will look at how we can help make Hamilton a better city by utilizing the gifts of all our citizens. We know

that there are challenges to overcome, many of which are spiritual or outside the scope of city government. The churches working together can make a big impact on some of these challenges, without duplicating what each other is doing. Come starting September 8 for four Sundays as we focus on Communities of Shalom and our faith. Fall also means it is time for a renewed focus on mission. We continue to offer the community lunch. In addition, we want to make some health kits for Festival of Sharing. Those health kits are talked about later in this newsletter with a list of the items that are needed. In addition, it is time to start collect-ing toothpaste for Trunk or Treat and some school items (while they are on sale) that might go in chil-dren’s bags that we hand out to lunch participants at Christmas time. Most important is the toothpaste. Why do we do all of this mission and education? Because we learn more about how God loves us when we love our neighbors. We discover new insights into God’s grace and hear new aspects of our call-ing when we work with others. We also see how others have been touched by God and celebrate with joy. Fall is often thought of as a time when the leaves change color and fall. As you see the leaves fall, think of them as God checking another act of love and grace completed by a person of faith. I pray that as we see the leaves start to turn we will remember God’s presence as we are reminded of people’s leap of faith to be disciples in our world. Have a great September. Grace and Peace, Rev. Peggy

Page 2

Pastor’s Page

FOCUS ON “FIRST”

Page 8 Page 3

Prayer Concerns Ongoing Prayer Concerns: George & Nell Bassitt & Family Mildred Harper Carolyn Jones Unnamed Concerns Ilena Cornelius August Critical Care Please keep the Jewett Family in prayer on the sudden death of Bob. Please keep Kathy Thompson in prayer on the death of her niece, Rita Burns. Please keep the Cox family in prayer as they deal with various concerns. Please keep the Hensley family in prayer following Steve’s surgery. Ongoing Community Prayer Concerns: Community Lunch, Missionaries, Peace Corp workers, and those who work for international peace. Mili-tary members and their families and national leaders. Communities of Shalom as we move from training to forming who we will be and what we will do in Hamilton. Pray that God will bring to the table those who need to be there. Concerns of the people in the Middle East, that they might find a way to peace.. Those who live in other places of war and social unrest. Those who are sleeping outside. Those who have no food. Those who do not know the peace of Christ or Jesus as their Savior. Let us offer the Christ who will heal their souls. Do you have someone you would like to add to this list? Please call or email the office. 513-896-LOVE (8653) or firstumc@firstumc-ham.org

Annual UMW Nut Sale! The annual UMW nut sale has begun. You can get your order form in your bulletin the next two weeks, on the table in Fellowship Hall or the Narthex, in the office, and you’ll find an order form in this newsletter. Feel free to make copies of order forms and give them to your friends and neighbors. Nut orders are due by Oct. 7th. A new offering this year is Spanish peanuts, both raw for baking and roasted/salted for snacking. Most prices have stayed the same again this year. Nuts will be delivered before the holiday baking season. Monies raised will be used in local mission projects, church projects and global mission projects. If you have questions or want to place your order by phone, call Teri Trent at 887-7781. Get nutty with us!!

Volume 7, Issue 9

Page 4 FOCUS ON “FIRST”

Festival of Sharing: Hygiene Kits

Brushing teeth is a daily routine most of us take for granted--but not seven-year-old Mohammed, who has been living in a tent

city where water can be scarce. After the October 2005 earthquake that flattened Mohammed's hometown, CWS provided

refugees with shelter, water, sanitation, schooling, CWS Health and School Kits, and medicine. Photo: Annie Griffiths for CWS

In the face of natural disasters, violence, or grinding poverty, Hygiene Kits can mean the difference between

sickness and health for struggling families.

To assemble a Hygiene Kit you will need:

One hand towel measuring approximately 16" x 28" (no fingertip or bath towels)

One washcloth

One wide-tooth comb

One nail clipper

One bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)

One toothbrush (in original packaging)

Six standard size Band-Aids®*

Place all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure, remove excess air from bag, and seal.

Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Cartons of toothpaste that have an extended expira-

tion date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment.

Hygiene Kit value: $10 Processing/Shipping Cost: $2 per Kit (Place in kit)

First UMC wants to make 20 kits for Festival of Sharing. They are distributed by UMCOR (United Meth-

odist Committee on Response) for CWS in the US and around the world. Please make sure your kits are at

the church by September 23.

*Rev. Peggy will supply all the Band-Aids needed for all 20 kits.

Page 8 Page 5

S.H.A.L.O.M Neighbors (Serving Hamilton Actively Loving Our Many Neighbors)

Well, our Communities of Shalom training is officially over – now the exciting work begins! I hope you have been reading updates in the newsletter about the Communities of Shalom training that Rev. Peggy and I have attended. We, along with people from 2 other churches and people from the com-munity, have been learning about the process of forming a Shalom group and what that might look like and accomplish here in our corner of Hamilton. With the training portion over, we have a group of peo-ple from 4 different churches and people from the community in the beginning stages of forming our own Shalom group. We have a name, S.H.A.L.O.M. Neighbors, as you see at the top of this article. We have a vision:

Unite the community through the connected body of Christ to eliminate the poverty of spirit, mind, body, and place.

And we have a mission: Build a coalition of associations, institutions, and religious communities to improve people’s lives; block by block; street by street.

Now we begin discerning God’s plan for our group and our community. We want to help people find, see, and use their own assets for the community they live in. We want to find ways to build relation-ships and make connections with other people and groups so that all may have an improved quality of life. And we want to share the love and grace of God so that all may know they are loved and valued. How will we do that? The possibilities are exciting and overwhelming! September’s sermons are designed to help us all understand this ministry more and how we can live a life of Shalom. Rev. Peggy, Leslie Jewett and I will be sharing with you during the September ser-vices. Anyone who would like to get involved in helping discern the direction of this group is welcome to attend our meetings, just speak with Rev. Peggy or myself. Come add to our love and energy! Yours in peace and grace, Teri Trent

Fall: Time to Start a New Bible Study? Actually, there will be two. The morning study will again be at Berkeley. We will meet in the Phillips Presentation Room because we are using the Frontline Series, “From Jesus to Christ.” This Bible study looks at how Jesus, an unknown peasant from Nazareth, became the Christ, who is the focus of the religion of the known world at the time. This eight week course will take time to watch and then

discuss the information on the video. It is quite engaging. Our time is 10:00-11:30 am each Thursday, starting September 5. The Second Bible Study is called “Experiencing Jesus.” This study is based on the book by Marcus Borg, Jesus, Uncovering the Life, Teaching and Relevance of a Reli-gious Revolutionary. The study will include readings, a work book, video and I am sure interesting discussion. You are invited to join the class on Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm in the Undercroft. Let us know if you want to come so that we can order a book for you.

Volume 7, Issue 9

Page 6 FOCUS ON “FIRST”

Sunday School: A LEAP of Faith

Mt. Pleasant Retirement Community—Free Book Discussion On Thursday, September 12, Mt. Pleasant retirement village offers well-known author Barbara Bruce as she talks about her book Paths to Successful Aging Tour. The discussion can be found in the Ac-tivities building. There is no charge, but advanced registration is required. Contact Lisa Jones at 513-539-7660 by Friday, September 6.

Our Fall Sunday School session will start on September 8 at 9:55 am. Yes, this is five minutes before the hour. We have four Sunday School classes. They are: Tweens in the Ross Room featuring “On the Go” a se-ries designed specifically for tweens (Would you believe our younger kids are grades 4-6?). This series is designed to help tweens “grow” their faith as they approach that important stage of Confirmation and then church membership. They have a group of teachers who rotate monthly, as they share their con-cern and love for our tweens.

Our Teen Class meets in Fellowship Hall. Lori Ott has accepted the responsi-bility for this group of students. They love the way that she brings in an eclectic series of Sunday school concepts that talk about faith and life. Anyone ninth through be-ing twelfth grades is welcome in this class. There are two adult classes. The first class is the one that meets in the East Alcove. This long standing class has just finished a study on Revelations. They will gather for mutual support as they figure out their next study to start this fall. The second adult class is found in the Undercroft. This eclectic class is look-ing at questions about the United Methodist Church. Using United Methodist

Questions, United Methodist Answers: Exploring the Christian Faith by F. Belton Joyner Jr the class will explore questions they have about their faith. It is a lively discussion. The goal of being a Christian is to always “GROW OUR FAITH.” The best way to do such is to join a small group or Sunday School Class. We hope you will join us every Sunday morning.

Cornerstone Counseling & Consulting Service Support Group Starting on September 16 at 7:00 pm a Grief/Loss Support Group will begin. This group will be using the book Understanding Your Grief by Alan D Wolfelt, Ph.D. It is a 12 week series for reflection and sharing. If you are interested you have to have a personal and confidential interview for registration before September 9. Please contact John A Guliano, the group facilitator at 513-889-5880. The sessions will be held at Ross Community Church at 2943 Hamilton-Cleves Road.

Page 8 Page 7 Volume 7, Issue 9

Page 8 FOCUS ON “FIRST”

Focus on “First” - ISSN383367-148 Published Monthly, Issue No. 9 Issue Date: September 2013 First United Methodist Church, 225 Ludlow St. Hamilton, OH 45011 OCTOBER NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: September 20

Game Night Friday, September 20, 2013

@ the Harper’s 7:00 PM

The fun and fellowship continues for any and all fun-loving adults. Join this merry group for lots of laughter, pizza, games and loving fellowship. Just bring $5 for dinner, your own beverage and a favorite board game.

Pocket Change Sunday

September 15, 2013

During worship services a special collection of pocket change (dollars, too) will be taken as an offering for the Saturday Community Lunch Program.

Circle Meetings

Tuesday, September 17

Salad Luncheon

11 a.m.—1 p.m.

What’s Happening in September at First Church

For newsletter submissions, contact Stacey Morefield, newsletter edi-tor, at edsjmorefield@gmail.com

4F’s Schedule September 19

Banners We are in the process of finishing some new banners for later this Fall and Christmas. Please feel free to join us. Our next meeting is Monday, September 9, at 10 am. You can join us just for the fun time we have together. It is not hard to make banners. You only need to be able to cut and iron. An ability to have a decent conversation is not a bad trait to have either.

We hope that everyone will be well enough to join us for our first Fall 4 F’s at the Bob Evans in Hamilton (West Side). We will gather after the Bible Study, or about noon on September 19. The address is 1461 Main Street. We hope you will be able to join us for this special time of fun, fellowship, faith and of course, food. See you there!

Trunk or Treat is Coming! The congregation wants to collect toothpaste again this year. We hope you will help us. There are many places you can get toothpaste for $1.00 a tube or less. Deals, The Dollar Tree, Kroger sale price, etc. We will be collecting toothpaste until October 23. Bring whatever tubes you have to the church for distribution. You might ask your dentist for a donation toward our goal. Park Avenue already has over 1,000 bars of soap. Can we reach 1,000?

Page 9 Page 8 Page 9

Kit Kittredge, An American Girl

Looking for a family friendly film to watch? During our Kids Day in July, we watched Kit Kittredge, an American Girl. The story takes place during the Great De-pression. When the father loses his job, the family must take in boarders. They all have fascinating stories. One day someone steals the mother's lockbox containing all their money. Who is responsible? If you would like to borrow this DVD, please stop by the church library. The kids really seemed to enjoy it.

15th Hike for Hospice of Hamilton On September 21, Hospice of Hamilton will be holding its 15th annual Hike for Hospice Hamilton. Registration is from 9:30-10:30 and the hike starts at 10:30 a.m. The Hike is 2.5 miles with a rest stop along the way. At 11:30, a lunch will be served (free to all hikers). Live music continues and announcement of raffle and door prize winners. If you are interested in getting a team together, please contact the church for additional information.

October 4 5:00-7:00 p.m. Pork and Sauerkraut Dinner

October 20 3:00 p.m. Organ Concert Featuring

Marcia Weygant

7:00 p.m. Bishop on the District, Theme: Blessed

October 26 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Trunk or Treat

November 2 9:00 a.m.-12 noon Congregation Gathering for Next Steps

Save the Dates

Volume 7, Issue 9

Page 10 FOCUS ON “FIRST”

September Birthdays

9/1 Bryan Fuhrman 9/4 Amy Smith 9/7 Peggy Ketron Georgetta Spurlock 9/10 Sean Jones 9/11 Marjorie Quick 9/13 John Hacker 9/14 Emily Fuhrman Carolyn Jones 9/15 Derek Morner 9/19 Steve Hensley 9/20 Marian Norris Marjorie Norris 9/23 Jo Anne Morner 9/29 Cynthia Huff Georgia Kinch Lydia Trent

September Anniversaries

9/4 Robert & Patsy Bernhardt Tom & Kathy Thompson 9/9 Lynn & Norma Kinkaid 9/10 John & Mae Hacker Derek & Lindsey Morner 9/17 Dick & Leslie Haid Jason & Stephanie Schubert

September Worship Leaders 9 a.m. - Praise Service 9/1 - Mark Finfrock

9/8 - Rusty Haid 9/15 - Kerry Bossert 9/22 - Jim Sebastian

9/29 - Alice Stephenson

September Worship Leaders 10:45 - Adoration Service

9/1 - Ruth Stanton 9/8 - Lynn Kinkaid

9/15 - Jennifer Pflanzer 9/22 - Ruby Crothers

9/29 - Maribeth Metzler

Page 11 Volume 7, Issue 9 Page 11

Phone: 513-896-5683

Email: firstumc@cinci.rr.com

Website:wwwfirstumc-ham.org

225 Ludlow Street

Hamilton, OH 45011

Non. Profit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Permit NO. 43

Hamilton, Ohio

45011

Address Service Requested

First United Methodist Church Kids Klips