may harvester 2015
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Orchard UMC newsletter, the Orchard Harvester.TRANSCRIPT
Orchard HarvesterOrchard Harvester Monthly Newsletter of Orchard United Methodist Church
May 2015May 2015
MAY YOU GO WITH GOD by Rev. Suzanne Goodwin
T he tulips are up, and the trees are blooming—signs of new life. High school and college graduates are making plans for the next phases of their lives—signs of living
forward. Families are making plans for camps and summer vacations—preparing to go.
Even our own Rev. Carol is preparing to move forward in her journey of ministry, just as Pastor Amy is readying herself to come here.
Each week the church breathes in and breathes out. It draws us in to reconnect with God and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And then it exhales us back out into the world to live
the lives we were created for. Each of us has a journey and a purpose. We were not meant to live inside the walls of the church. We were meant to go and do—to live and to love.
Each week we are sent forth to go. The question is—as we move through the glass doors to head back out into the world, do we take God with us? Or do we leave God right here so we’ll know where to find Him when we need Him? New life, new beginnings, new challenges, going, living, loving, and doing are what we are about—by design: God’s design. God is our strength, our purpose, our roadmap, and our fuel. When we go with God, we are uniquely and powerfully abled to go and live.
As you look ahead and make plans to go; may you be fully reminded of who and whose you are. And may you always Go with God!
IN THIS ISSUE
Auction ...................... 4
Celebrations for
Rev. Carol .................. 2
Children’s Ministry ...... 6
CROP Walk ................. 4
Flower Sale ................ 4
Funtastiks .................. 5
Graduates .................. 6
In the Life of Orchard .. 7
LAF Activities .............. 5
Mark Your Calendar .... 8
New Member Class ..... 3
Orchard in Mission ...... 4
Prayer Concerns ......... 7
Promotion Sunday ...... 6
Pull Tabs .................... 3
Social Media ............... 8
Spotlight Orchard ....... 2
Summer Choir ............ 1
Summer Worship ....... 1
VBS ........................... 6
SUMMER WORSHIP HOURS BEGIN 5/24 (office closed 5/25 for Memorial Day)
A s regular programs start to wind down and we head
into Orchard’s summer season, it’s time to switch to
our summer worship schedule. Beginning May 24,
Memorial Day Sunday, we will have a casual worship
service at 9 am and a more traditional service at 10:30 am.
SUMMER CHOIR BEGINS 5/24 Sundays at 9:45 for the 10:30 service
H ave you always wanted to sing with the
choir but don’t have time for a weekly commitment to rehearse? Now is your chance!
Summer choir begins on May 24 at 9:45 to
warm up and run through the music. Sit with
your family until the time of singing. Contact
Jamie Reed at (248) 998-3600 for more
information.
SSPOTLIGHTPOTLIGHT OORCHARDRCHARD
Each month we highlight a group, a friend, or member of Orchard to see how they are finding ways to shine God’s light out in the world. Contact Deanna Kohl if you have a suggestion for a future Spotlight candidate!
REV. CAROL J. JOHNS
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I n early December, Rev. Carol announced to her
Orchard family that she felt it was time to retire.
But God laughs, and Rev. Carol has a
good sense of humor. After nineteen
years of serving here at Orchard, Rev.
Carol will now be providing part-time
leadership for the United Methodist
Union—the organization that provides
special funding for new ministry projects
in the Detroit Renaissance District. No
golf clubs needed.
Over the nearly two decades of service
here, Rev. Carol has seen Orchard and
its people through growth and change,
thick and thin, baptisms, weddings,
funerals, a new building addition, and
even (gasp!) the addition of a screen in
the sanctuary! She has preached passels
of sermons, created multitudes
of memories, and impacted lives
in ways too numerous to count.
And through years and
challenges, she has proven to be a visionary and
multifaceted leader as adept in the pulpit as she is
chairing the Council on Finance Administration. But
perhaps the most outstanding hallmark of Rev. Carol’s
ministry, is her faithful response to God’s leading. In all
things, prayer, grace, and faith-centered discernment
are the foundations of her leadership.
In nearly forty-three years of ministry, Rev. Carol has
served just four churches. (In Methodist speak, that
means wherever she’s been, she’s been the right
person for the job!) Mentored by her Aunt Elsie —the
second woman to be ordained as an elder in the Detroit
Annual Conference—Carol learned what it was possible
for a woman to do, and when she felt God’s call at Lake
Louise one summer, she knew that
ordained ministry was her path as well.
And when she was ordained in 1973, she
was just the seventh woman to achieve
such an accomplishment! Carol has
worked hard and she is well known and
respected in the Detroit Annual
Conference.
Perhaps one of the most gratifying,
rewarding, and heartrending storylines of
Rev. Carol’s ministry at Orchard was her
friendship and mentorship of Rev. Margo
Dexter. Rev. Carol came to Orchard as
Margo was preparing to go to seminary
and pursue ordination as a deacon. Over
time they became close friends—hiking,
climbing, leading tours to the
Holy Land, and ministering
together— sisters by choice, if
not by blood. Their journey
together through Margo’s fight with, and ultimate loss
to breast cancer led both women to a deeper
understanding of what it means to live as people of
faith, certain of the promise of the resurrection.
Disclaimer: This Spotlight article does not serve as a
eulogy to a career, but as an invitation to celebrate a
commitment to ministry that is too large to be
contained in a short article. We hope that you will
consider attending one or both of the celebrations
listed below, where we will celebrate Rev. Carol’s
service with Orchard and her life-long commitment to
ministry in the United Methodist Church.
A Legacy of Faithfulness
Friday, May 29 @ 7:00 pm Glen Oaks Country Club
$40/person + cash bar RSVP and payment due no later than Sunday, May 24
This event is for adults only.
Rev. Carol’s Last Sunday Sunday, June 14
Join us in sharing some of Rev. Carol’s favorite
worship traditions at the 9 & 10:30 worship services.
Your invitation and further details about these events will be arriving in your mailbox soon!
TTENDINGENDING THETHE OORCHARDRCHARD
A pproximately 27.6 pounds of aluminum pull tabs
have been collected from Orchard members over
the past 18 months. These tabs are now packaged and
ready to deliver to the Ronald McDonald House next to
Children’s Hospital, part of the DMC Detroit Medical
Center. The funds generated from recycling these
aluminum pull tabs help offset Ronald McDonald House
expenses which helps benefit the families who stay
there while their children are hospitalized.
Since 2003, Orchard has donated quantities of pull tabs
to the McDonald House at the DMC about every 18 -24
months. We thank all the OUMC members who have
contributed in the past and will continue to contribute
in the future. So… every time you open a soup can,
pop can or aluminum can with a tab, save it in a family
designated spot and drop them off at Orchard in the
Children’s Ed Office. There are containers just inside
the door on the left side marked “for Ronald McDonald
House.”
2014 VBS drama used 5000 pull tabs when David
Albery retold the “Feeding of the 5000” in order to
illustrate to our children the amount of 5000 of
“something”. Those 5000 tabs weighed about 3 lbs.
and 3 oz. Consequently, we are guesstimating that this
27.6 pounds being donated is approximately 41,000-
42,000 pull tabs. What FUN! Keep helping us collect
those tabs!
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Sunday, May 3 at 6:30 pm
Considering membership at Orchard UMC? Join Rev. Carol
and Rev. Suzanne on Sunday, May 3 for an informal
discussion about faith and connection at Orchard. We’ll
gather in the parlor for some refreshments and discussion,
and be done by 8:00 pm Childcare is available upon request.
Thank You
Dear Church Family,
Just wanted to say “Thank You!” for your generosity and support. Because of you, our Kitchen Shower was a great success!
I am happy that so many of you came down to see the MAC Kitchen. Your support for the changes that been made in the MAC Kitchen policies is greatly appreciated.
I want to thank Barbara Van Haren, Peggy Conrad, Sue Darold, Sue Scott, and Joyce Frazee for helping me detail and wash everything before putting them back in the kitchen. A special thanks goes to Randy Hall for giving
200+ hours of his time to help me get the kitchen cleaned and organized.
It is my privilege to serve as your Kitchen Facilitator
and help your event run smooth from the kitchen
side. There is an Information/Training class scheduled
for Sunday, May 17 at 10:10,
between services. If you have any questions about the MAC
Kitchen, please don't hesitate to
call me at (502) 648-9607.
Love in Christ,
Frances Childress
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE PULL TAB COLLECTION by Carole Parker
Orchard in MissionOrchard in Mission
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CROP HUNGER WALK Sunday, May 3 at 1:30 pm
It is NOT too late to sign up to walk in the May 3rd CROP Hunger Walk
or to sponsor someone who is walking in this 2 or 6 mile trek! This walk,
now in its 30th year in Farmington/West Bloomfield, is part of the nearly
seven decades of effort by Church World Service to "build a world where
there is enough for all." Please help us to support their goal of meeting
people where they are and helping them create solutions they can
maintain --- and build on. Visit their website at www.cwsglobal.org. You
can donate by scanning the code, or going online to www.cropwalk.org
and locating our Orchard team! 25% of the money raised goes to support
hunger programs in our own community.
Donate online by scanning above code, or go to www.cropwalkonline.org. Click on Michigan, then Farmington/West Bloomfield Walk, then Donate by Team (look for Orchard UMC and click on a team member). You can even add yourself to Team Orchard!
Strolling Under the Stars
O ur community outreach auction is
Saturday, May 2, 2015. The doors open at 6:30 pm to begin strolling under the star-lit decorations in the MAC. You’ll enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and dessert, beverages, live entertainment, and the company of friends
and family!
The money raised at this event will be used to help others through mission outreach programs, including Rebuilding Together and the Fusion Mission Team’s trip this summer.
You can purchase tickets by calling the church office at (248) 626-3620, or at the door!
Tickets available at the door!
Invite family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors so they can see how we’re making a difference in the world!
Pick up your flowers on Saturday, May 16
from 9 am to Noon
Children’s Ministry Fundraiser 2015
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Opportunities at Orchard!Opportunities at Orchard!
Saturday, June 6 @ 6 pm
Join LAF (Life After Fifty) for their second annual “Kick
Off the Summer” potluck! This event is hosted by
Donna and John You. Please bring $5/couple or
$3/single to cover the cost of meat and paper products.
More details for this event are on the LAF page of
Orchard website! RSVP to the Youngs by May 31 at
(248) 489-0881 or [email protected].
FUNTASTIKS PLANNING EVENTS FOR MAY & JUNE The Funtastiks, our Seniors’ social group, are planning more outings for May and June!
On Sunday, May 3 at 2 pm, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
at the Farmington Players Barn. Only two tickets left! Contact Jo Ann Cline at (248)
553-3686 if you want to get in on this fun!
Wednesday, June 3 at 11:30 am will be lunch and a movie at Orchard.
Come and join your Funtastik friends as they watch “Elsa and Fred,” the
story of two people who, at the end of the road, discover that it’s never
too late to love and make dreams come true. Salad and dessert will be
provided—bring a sandwich if you’d like. Sign up in the church office;
contact JoAnn Cline for more details.
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Thursday, May 7 beginning at 10 am
T he National Day of Prayer is deeply rooted in our country’s
history, from the Second Continental Congress resolution in
1775 to observe a day of humiliation, fasting and prayer to 1952,
when a federal statute recognized a day of prayer to be observed
annually, to 1988, when that law was amended making the first
Thursday of May the Annual National Day of Prayer.
Orchard will observe this special prayer time on Thursday, May 7 at
10 am when our chapel (south end of south wing) will be available all
day for individuals’ use. You are encouraged to come in and pray for
our nation, our leaders, our people.
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A SEASON OF GRADUATION
In this season of graduation, Orchard is proud to acknowledge all of its high school and college graduates as
they move on to new and exciting challenges in their lives. Please hold them in your prayers, and join us at the
11:00 service on Sunday, May as we recognize thirteen local high school graduates from the class of 2015:
Garrett Center (North Farmington-NFHS), Cameron Derian (Bloomfield Hills HS), Brooke Dunning (NFHS),
Maura Erlich (NFHS), Kristen Gallett (NFHS), Julianna Jackson (West Bloomfield HS), Allison Mann (NFHS),
Lauren Mann (NFHS), Kara McGlashan (NFHS), Evan McMurray (NFHS), Miranda Roode (Clarenceville), Beth
Shrosbree (NFHS), and Spencer Wright (Catholic Central).
Promotion Sunday May 17 at both services
A ll children, Nursery through 6th grade, are asked
to come to church and enjoy a celebration of
their Power Progress as they are promoted into next
year’s program. Graduates will receive a gift from the
congregation to recognize their hard work and be
greeted by their next year’s teacher. Cake and lem-
onade will be provided for kids during Power Hour.
Summer Schedule Begins Sunday, May 24
Memorial Weekend begins our summer schedule with
a hiatus from Power Hour for the summer. However,
WOW will continue to Worship Our Way throughout
the summer as we review what we have learned, do
crafts and even get outside for some fun activities!
VBS Coming Your Way! July 13-17
I t’s coming fast and with great G-Force! Vacation Bible School—Early Registration begins May 1! Your
$40 registration fee includes a logo T-Shirt and a CD with all the exciting VBS music! Maximum family
price will be $75. Late Registration will be accepted after June 15, and will include a CD and a t-shirt
transfer for you to make your own t-shirt. VBS is for children preschool through 5th grade. (Minimum age is
3 years.) You can register by going to www.cokesburyvbs.com/OrchardUMC (you can get there by scanning
the code above) or by visiting our table in the Narthex beginning Sunday, May 17.
To find out how you can volunteer or help by donating to our decoration wish list, please stop by the table
in the Narthex or see Meghann Snyder. Copies of our wish list will also be available at the Connection Point
and at the table outside of the WOW room.
It’s time to fuel up and get ready for VBS!
Children’s and Youth MinistryChildren’s and Youth Ministry
WE LIFT IN PRAYER…
Kevin Ahern’s friends, the Rebandt family Cathy Albery’s friend, Cindy Grogan Early Beverly Brown’s friends, the family of Hannah Campbell Meg Budd's husband's grandmother, Lorraine Budd Kay Burns Bob Busser’s mother, Janet Busser Sandy Catherman and her cousin Jerry and Diana Chilson’s daughter, Candy, and Jerry’s dad The Coleman family Valerie Costello’s friends, the Ferriss family Jeanette Domol Morgan Drossos’ friend Russell Grimes Marcia Harmon’s great-niece, Jordan, and her aunt, Pat
Melissa Harrison’s niece, Marah Daniels Barbara Hayter’s son, Paul Fiona Head’s grandmother, Marlene Diane Holden’s daughter, Linda Lisa Jackson’s father, Larry Jackson Rev. Carol Johns’ cousin, Daniel Gualdoni Jean Joy Anthony Kosiba’s mother, Pat Jackie Lawrence’s aunt, Nellie Samson Jim Lowe Mary Manier’s father, Marvin McCallum Bob Mark Missie McSweeney’s sister, Millie Speed and family friend, Paul Hanosh Morells’ friends, Kate and Nick, and their unborn
twins Thom Parker’s brother, Jim Parker Ann Roeser’s mother, Mary Lynn Colwell
Michelle Rosenblum’s sister, Tova Louise Rudnick Bruce Sakach’s father, Ray Sakach Debbie Sakach’s cousins, the Harris family and her friend, Donna York Laurie and David Sarti John Scott’s friend, Tom Marion Seeber Mary Slucter Brad Snider and family Susan Snider Don Stacy Amy Stanis’ friend, Lauren and her parents Margie Tatem’s niece, Becky Charlene Thiede Mary Ann Trenkle’s friend, Connie Jarah, and sister, Pat May Mari Anne Wilks’ friend, Jim,
the Dawe family, and her grandmother, Sylvia Judd Karen Wagner’s mom Betsy Watson
IN THE LIFE OF ORCHARD Connecting people to God… to each other… and to the best parts of themselves!
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In the life of Orchard, we believe in the power of prayer.
Join us in intercession, thanksgiving, celebration, and remembrance. Let us pray...
WE CELEBRATE…
Dear Church Family, Thanks to all who contributed goodies to the wonderful Easter baskets we delivered to the Farmington Salvation Army to be distributed to children in need! They were beautiful and bountiful!
The Wednesday Ladies Bible Study
WE REMEMBER…
Randy Hall’s cousin, Barb Crocker (April 25) Nancy Hubbs (April 27)
Thom Parker’s sister, Amelia Parker Copen (April 27)
Meghann and Betsy hang the kids’ paintings for
Easter Sunday (check out the sanctuary walls on our
Facebook page!).
Several people stopped in for a tour of the bright and
shiny MAC Kitchen! Construction on the MAC stage is now complete (this
Helpers at the April 25 Rebuilding
Together day.
Lesley and Eli Bonsky at one of the fun activity stations in the MAC on
Easter Sunday. Tyler rejoiced during our April 26
Rockin’ the Resurrection worship
experience!
Orchard United Methodist Church
30450 Farmington Road
Farmington Hills MI 48334-1939
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
The Orchard Harvester is the newsletter of Orchard United Methodist Church. The June 2015 Harvester deadline is May 12, 2015.
E-mail articles may be directed to Deanna Kohl at: [email protected]
Pastors: Rev. Carol J. Johns and Rev. Suzanne K. Goodwin Worship Services at 9:00 & 11:00 am Christian Education at 10:00 am
Summer Worship Hours beginning May 24 at 9:00 & 10:30 am
Phone 248 626-3620 Fax 248 626-6836 Web Site: www.orchardumc.org
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage
PAID
Farmington, MI
PERMIT No. 216
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
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Find us, like us, share with us, and share us with others on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Saturday, May 2 Rebuilding Together (FH) Saturday, May 2 Community Outreach Auction (6:30) Sunday, May 3 Graduation Sunday Crop Walk (1:30)
New Members Class (6:30) May 14-17 Annual Conference Saturday, May 16 Flower Pick-Up Parenting with Grace (7, offsite) Sunday, May 17 Promotion Sunday MAC Kitchen Training
Sunday, May 24 Summer Worship Hours Begin (9 & 10:30)
Monday, May 25 Memorial Day—office closed Friday, May 29 Toast to Rev. Carol @ Glen Oaks (adults only reception) Sunday, May 31 Confirmation Sunday, June 14 Rev. Carol’s last Sunday Celebration of Ministry for Rev. Carol (All-Church in the Sanctuary and MAC) June 20-27 Youth Mission Trip Sunday, July 5 Rev. Amy’s first Sunday July 13-17 Vacation Bible School August 10-14 F.R.O.G. Week