A Note from Pastor Susan

Dear Ones, As you read this, a conference for Pre-School/Childcare providers is occurring in our church. Including all the participants and helpers, over 300 people will be in the building, focusing on the care, education, and (because of our Christian setting) spiritual nurturing of young children. In addition, I am so honored and humbled to lead all these extraordinary people in worship to begin this conference. This is just one example of one day here at La Plata UMC. Each day, many people come to the church, asking questions, participating in ministries, seeking guidance, struggling with issues, cleaning, organizing, planning, implementing, and strategizing for the additional work we do out in the world, BEING the church in La Plata and beyond. We are a growing, vital, imperfect, joyful family and we welcome YOU to join us. This fall, I will be sending letters to those who have already expressed interest in joining our church, as well as others. Consider this YOUR letter! Maybe you have just started attending our church. Maybe you have been coming for some time. Wherever you are in your faith walk, we at La Plata want to walk with you on the journey. We are committed to being there with you as we work together for the Lord. Stepping forward and becoming an official member of the church is a sign of your commitment to be there with us as well. The bible says we are ONE in Christ Jesus. We come from many places theologically, emotionally, ethnically, financially, etc. What makes us ONE is our need of salvation through our Savior, Jesus and our vision to bring the Kingdom of God on earth, as it is in Heaven. If you feel God is calling you to unite in this deeper way with our church family, just check the box that says "wish to become a member" or call the church office. Our Administrator, Karen, will get your name and intent to me right away. Don't miss this opportunity to say yes to Christ, through La Plata United Methodist Church! His... and Yours, Pastor Susan

The Grapevine Weekly Newsletter of La Plata United Methodist Church

August 8, 2019

In This Issue

Want to Make a Difference in Students’ Lives? Volunteer for the Fair! Discover Youth Over Donuts Got news? Gearing Up for Sunday School Get Your Church Apparel! Name That Tune! Calling…..You! Opportunity Fellowship Opportunity - Dine Out! Charles Regional to Host Seminar Coming in September - FPU Let’s Celebrate! Let Us Pray John Newton Facebook Find Holy Happenings

3 Port Tobacco Road La Plata, MD 20646

301.934.2288 laplataumc.org

laplataumc@gmail.com

Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Susan E. Boehl

Sunday Summer Worship Services:

8:00am Café Worship 10:00am Traditional Worship

Don’t miss the Preacher’s Pop-Up Prayer on FB Live! Every Thurs at 7pm this summer!

Want to Make a Difference in Students’ Lives?

Matula Elementary School is our partner in education. School Supplies are already out in the stores. The administration and staff at Matula are always appreciative of our donations to help get them through the school year. A donation box will be available in the lobby if you are interested in helping with anything on the following list: Glue sticks; #2 Pencils; Plastic 3-prong 2-Pocket Folders; Composition Notebooks (no spirals); Notebook paper (wide-ruled); Crayons-24 count; Washable markers; Student Scissors; Pencil-top erasers. These are general items that are so helpful for students in need. However, there are special items that teachers really appreciate: Tissues; Hand Sanitizer; Hand Wipes; Play-Doh; Construction Paper; Post-its; and Index Cards. Please consider picking up a few of the items listed above. Your Supplies really Supply excitement in the hearts of many students.

Discover Youth Over Donuts Are you a 6th - 12th grade student? Do you have a middle or high school youth in your family? Come 'Discover Youth over Donuts' on August 18 to learn more about the Youth Ministry at La Plata UMC! Between services (9:15 - 9:45), all middle and high school youth and parents are invited to stop in the Youth Room (room 217 next to Fellowship Hall 2) to meet the Youth Leaders, get a calendar of fall events, hang out with other youth, ask questions and generally get ready for a great year of Youth Ministry! The first Youth Group is September 8 and all youth are welcome!

Volunteer for the Fair!

Our Church will be managing the main food booth at the Charles County Fair, beginning with lunch on Wednesday Sept 11th through dinner on Sunday, September 15

th. Many hands make light

work, so prayerfully consider volunteering. We need about 20 people for each shift, that’s about 60 people per day, over 5 days. Lots of slots to fill if you are able to work a shift, awesome! If you can work more than one, it is really appreciated! Sign up Online! Go to www.signupgenious.com, click on the magnifying glass next to log in on top right, under “Search for a Sign Up” (left side of page) enter jazzitshws@verizon.net and click on search OR type the URL below into your browser: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4dabae2babfb6-2019

If you have any questions about volunteering or signing up, contact Cheryl Smith @ 301-752-1386 or email jazzitshws@verizon.net. We look forward to seeing those of you back who have graciously volunteered in years past! If you are new to the congregation or just haven’t tried it yet, we hope this year you will join us. We would love to include our Youth. If you are 16 years or older and would like to help, please sign up! The Fair Food Booth is one of our Church’s major fundraisers and the fellowship is priceless!!

Save the Date!

The date for the ASP Service is August 18th!

Jeremiah 33:3

“Call to me and I will answer and

reveal to you wondrous secrets

that you haven’t known.”

The Grapevine Editor: Sherri Hastings

Publisher: Karen Hamner Circulation: 750

Weekly deadline for submitting articles is Wed. at 4pm. Submit articles to news@laplataumc.org

July 14 July 21 July 28 Aug 4

373 179 231 265

Attendance

This Past Week

116 130

19 265 231

Church Income

14,809 5,938 8,656

11,678 12,911

Worship

8:00 10:00 Others Total

July 14 July 21 July 28 Aug 4 Need/wk.

$ $ $ $ $

Facebook Views

Gearing up for Sunday School Plans are underway for another fantastic year of Sunday School! Mark your calendars for September 8 when Sunday School will begin. Classes are offered each week for ages 2 and up! We have three adult classes, one middle school class, a high school class and several classes for elementary age kids. Registration will begin next week! A link will be on our church website as well as paper forms if those are easier for you. If you would like to volunteer your time either teaching a class or being a substitute, please contact Corrie Roberts. Working with children and youth is a great way to support the life of our church!

Got News? Send it to news@laplataumc.org Wondering how best to get the news of your special event, activity, or meeting to the congregation? Confused by all the possibilities: website, Grapevine, Bulletin, Facebook? We’ve made it simpler for you to get the information to the right sources. Instead of having to worry about individual contacts, simply send an email to news@laplataumc.org with the announcement you want to share. The editors of all the various publications, social media and web outlets will receive the details and include as appropriate in their respective mediums. You may send your information in the body of the email or attach documents and/or images as needed. Indicate in which publications or mediums you would like your event to be placed. Please be sure to provide complete details and send them well in advance of your event’s date. Indicate how often or long the information should be shared.

Last Sunday to Order Screen Printed Apparel The last day to order tee's, polo's, sweatshirts and tie dye shirts with the church logo screen printed on them will be this Sunday, August 11. Items should arrive in time for the Fair. Payment is requested at the time of purchase with checks made out to: LPUMC Youth. Various colors and styles are available, stop by the cart after service to see samples and complete an order form. Corrie Roberts can answer any questions about the apparel sales.

Opportunity Brothers and Sisters, the church is looking for some bi or tri-lingual help. For some of our upcoming services, we would like to lift up languages other than English. If you have the ability to speak Spanish, Italian, German, Latin, or other foreign languages, would you make your ability known by marking your ability and language on the Attendance pads or call the Church Office? It will be a help to our worship and a blessing to you as you utilize your gifts for the Kingdom! Thanks in advance!

Name That Tune! I loved that show, where participants have to guess the name of a particular song or jingle by only a few notes played for them. Some would be easy - but the easy ones were the ones I already knew and loved and remembered well. Are there hymns like that in your memory? Old hymns that have stood the test of time for you or new hymns that you find yourself singing throughout the day? If so, the church would like to know. We are asking for your input as we look towards our Annual Hymn Sing on September 22. We will take a few of those favorites and lift them up in new and creative ways. Then, the other hymns, we will lift up throughout the year so that everyone eventually will hear that hymn that means so much to them. Please print your favorite hymn on the Attendance Pads in your pew on Sunday morning for the remaining Sundays in August. THANKS!

Calling......You! As we prepare to begin another church year of service to the Lord and fellowship with one another, it is time to consider your commitment to Christ's Church. The pastor will be receiving members soon and you are invited to join with God's people here at La Plata Church as a member of the Body! If you are interested, please check the box that says, "wish to become a member" in the attendance pads located in your pew.

Fellowship Opportunity - Dine out!

"Texas Roadhouse” has been one of LPUMC's annual Dine Out stops. Once again on Wednesday, August 14 from 4:00 to 9:00PM, we will meet there for Fun, Food, and Fellowship (a 3F event). Bring your coupon, and join us. A portion of the money spent will be rebated back to LPUMC. That money is applied to the mortgage principal. It's an easy way to pay down the loan. Everyone eats out at least one time a month. Join the fun!

Charles Regional Medical Center to Host Seminar

The Charles Regional Medical Center Foundation is holding a free seminar on Wednesday, August 14

th from 5-7pm in the Nagula Conference Room of the Medical Center. The seminar will be

presented by a team of medical staff and will cover the various aspects to consider when trying to stay at home well past 65 years of age. Topics covered will be advance directives, fall prevention and medicine safety. Please register for this seminar at www.charlesregional.org/seminars or by calling 301-609-4132. Refreshments will be served.

Did you know that 89% of the people in a typical American congregation don’t have a financial safety net? Shocked? But there’s HOPE! And that hope is Financial Peace University. FPU is a nine-lesson course taught by Dave Ramsey and his team of financial experts. With FPU, you will master how to handle money using biblical wisdom and common sense. Through life-changing videos, online tools and resources, and group accountability, you will learn how to create and stay within a budget, save for emergencies, pay off debt, retirement, insurance, and investments. Just imagine the impact we could have on the community if we were all debt-free! Marriages and families would be strengthened. People would be freed up to

be outrageously generous. This kind of hope will ignite change in our entire community! Weekly classes will begin on Sun, Sept 22nd from 7:00-8:30PM through Sun, Nov 17th. The cost is $109.00 per family unit including teenagers still living at home. If you have already taken the class in the past and just need a refresher, you can take it again for free! If you have never taken the class and would like to signup, please go to https://www.financialpeace.com/groups/1090314?c=ccf and you can order your books. If you have already taken the class and just want a refresher, please email fpu.laplataumc@yahoo.com to signup. If you have any questions, please contact John or Sherri Hastings at 240-299-9487 or fpu.laplataumc@yahoo.com. Come join us and learn to “live like no one else, so that later, you can live like no one else!”

SAVE THE DATE! Financial Peace University: Classes start 9.22.19

Thursday, August 8 Donna Pope Friday, August 9 Tricia Holcomb Saturday, August 10 James Dent Michelle Dietrich Liam Duque-8 Sunday, August 11 Dean Daetwyler

Tuesday, August 13 Kathryn Greene Danielle Smith Wednesday, August 14 Madelyn Donaldson Nick Giannini Thursday, August 15 Linda Parker

Friday, August 16 Daniel Merrick Saturday, August 17 Anne Buckler Mary Beth Long Ayden Pyle-14 Patty Rupprecht Sunday, August 18 James Chiriaco Judy McAfee

Let’s Celebrate! Birthdays & Anniversaries

For our friends and family who are living in nursing homes, and assisted living or home bound:

Jeff Bennett Mary Bowen Tom Berry Ellen Bowie’s mom Margaret Bowie Patricia Buckler Jennifer Carpenter Harolly Coombs

Joyce Dean Carl Greene Jennifer Hamer Dorothy Jackson Larry Johnson Christina Kingsbury Sarah Marsh Donna McKenzie

Renee Nash Lt. Col. Mark Owens Crystal Rupprecht Sunny Rupprecht Don Stapleson Mike Williams

Let Us Pray For our friends and family who have medical issues:

Ann Bergerstock Lennis Bridgett Marion Craft

Iris Dickerson Sharon Ferguson June Hanson

Mike Merritt

Pastor Susan, our church, our denomination, our local, state and national leaders, our first responders, and our armed forces.

Continue to pray for:

Louise Stine & J.T. Hindle’s family for the passing of their brother, George Hindle.

For our friends and family who are grieving:

John Newton (1725-1807)

Facebook Find

When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there.

The first wonder will be to see many there whom I did not expect to see;

the second wonder will be to miss many people who I did expect to see;

and the third and greatest of all will be to find myself there.

Holy Happenings

Weekly Food Pantry Activity

Mondays - 8:00 AM Food pick up at Southern MD Food Bank in Waldorf

Tuesdays - 9:30 PM Food pick up at Panera Bread in La Plata at closing time

Wednesdays - 8:30 AM Food pick up at Weis Market in La Plata

9:00 AM Bakery wrapping at the Annex

10:00 AM Food pick up or delivery from Next Step Produce in Newburg

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Food Pantry is open at the Annex

Saturdays - 8:30 AM Food pick up at Weis Market in La Plata

3rd Tues or Wed of the month – 8:00 AM Food pick up at USDA in Benedict

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes-

day Thursday Friday Saturday

4 HOLY COMMUNION 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 9:00 AM Meals & Hope Food Prep 10:00 AM Traditional Worship

5 8:00 AM Preschool Conference Set up 9:00 AM Meal & Hope Food Prep 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

6 8:00 AM Pre-school Conference Set up 5:00 PM PTM Crab Feast 5:30 PM Prayer Shawl Ministry 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Women's Emmaus Group 6:30 PM Mounted Wanderer's 4-H Club

7 8:00 AM Preschool Conference Set up 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM Horse-masters 4-H Club

8 7:30 AM Pre-school Conference 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

9 10 9:00 AM Port Tobacco Players Rehearsal

11 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 10:00 AM Traditional Worship 1:30 PM Sagepoint Service

12 11:00 AM Church Staff Meeting 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 6:00 PM Southern MD Youth Organi-zation 7:00 PM Nomina-tions Meeting 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

13 9:30 AM George Hindle viewing 11:30 AM George Hindle Funeral 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Women's Emmaus Group 7:30 PM FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING

14 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 12:00 PM Church Conference Train-ing 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 4:00 PM Dine Out at Texas Road-house 6:30 PM Southern Maryland Trail Riders Board Meet-ing

15 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer 7:30 PM SPRC Meeting

16 6:30 PM Youth Group Game Night

17 9:00 AM Port Tobacco Players Rehearsal

18 ASP Sunday 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 9:15 AM Discover Youth over Donuts 10:00 AM Traditional Worship 11:00 AM Children's Ministry Team Meet-ing

19 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 6:00 PM Southern MD Youth Organi-zation 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

20 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Women's Emmaus Group 7:30 PM Trustees Meeting

21 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM Southern MD Youth Organi-zation

22 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

23 24 1:00 PM Birth-day Party

25 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 10:00 AM Traditional Worship 11:00 AM Mud, Suds and Youth Fun

26 1:30 PM Red Cross Blood Drive 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

27 10:00 AM Women United for Change event organization meeting 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Women's Emmaus Group

28 9:00 AM BLP Staff Meeting 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM BLP 3's Orientation 6:00 PM Southern MD Youth Organi-zation

29 6:00 PM BLP Orientation 6:30 PM Cub Scouts Leadership Meeting 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

30 31