A PUBLICATION OF REYNOLDSBURG UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

SPRING 2012

to a

Invitation Journey

HOW TO READ THE BIBLE UPDATE: JHONNIES HOPE WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IN CHILDRENS MINISTRIES

WORSHIP SERVICES
Monday 5:459pm - Celebrate Recovery Wednesday 6:30pm - Pastors Bible Study Saturday 6:00pm - Chapel Service Sunday 8:00am - Traditional 9:15am - Contemporary 11:00am - Traditional Church Online Sunday 9:15 & 11:00 rumc.org click on Church Family then Live Stream Childrens Worship at 9:15am Preschool Worship (Room 103) K4 Kindergarten through 4th Grade (Student Ministries Room) Children are welcome at all our weekend gatherings. Childcare & childrens programming are provided at the 9:15 and 11am services. Communion is offered the first weekend of each month DURING all services, and the remaining weekends immediately FOLLOWING each service in the Worship Center. (Gluten-free communion elements are available by calling the church office.)

The Messenger
A PUBLICATION OF

REYNOLDSBURG
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

THE MESSENGER quarterly publication SPRING 2012 Check out weekly news, sermons, and features at rumc.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dennis Franko DESIGN/LAYOUT Matt Holley

PASTORAL/MINISTRY LEAD STAFF

LEAD PASTOR Jeff Greenway PASTOR OF ADMINISTRATION Kevin Kellogg PASTOR OF YOUTH Tim Levert PASTOR OF EVANGELISM Tasha Levert PASTOR OF VISITATION Maxine Smith-Pierce COUNSELOR IN RESIDENCE Dr. Carl Wiley, BCCC DIRECTOR OF WORSHIP ARTS & MESSAGING Dennis Franko DIRECTOR OF CHILDRENS MINISTRIES Tracy Holstein DIRECTOR OF MUSIC Phil Wallace

ADDRESS CHANGE: Send address change to membership@rumc.org or 614-866-5864, ext. 110

ARTICLE SUBMISSION: Send articles via e-mail to messenger@rumc.org. Deadline for the SUMMER quarterly is MONDAY, JULY 2.

CONTENTS
SPRING 2012 FEATURES

My God Story: Jesus Take The Wheel

How To Read The Bible

Update: Jhonnies Hope

Why We Do What We Do In Childrens Ministries

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Invitation to A Journey . 2 Summer Camp 5 Chimers Move On 5 Donkey Tales Hits The Trails 6 Communion Education 11 Summer Tutoring Program .. 12 VBS: Friendship Rocks 12 Meet The Staff .. 13 17th Annual Style Show .. 14 UMW Soup & Bread Sale 14 May Breakfast 14

INSIDE EVERY ISSUE

In Appreciation ......... 15 New Members ...... 16 Calendar 17
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to a

Invitation Journey
- Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a woodand I took the one less traveled byand that has made all the difference.

ife is a journey, is it not? Life is a journey from cradle to grave and is filled with all kinds of choices. Each choice has the potential to make all the difference. Some choices stand above all the others; and, as we look back over the journey of our lives, those choices serve as mile-markers that have had a great influence on the journey. How we relate to our familythe school we attendwhere we workwhat we playthe friends we make and keephow we measure successhow we learn from failuresthe way we approach illness how we handle adversitywho we date or marryall of these choices have the potential to be mile-markers that alter the journey of our lives. What are the significant mile-markers on your journey? The journey is not always easy. The words of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount remind us: Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it. - Matthew 7:13-14 The Christian life is also a journey, is it not? A journey from no faith to saving faithto living faith which embodies the Christ-like lifeto eternal life in death, and it is filled with all kinds of choices. Each choice has
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the potential to make all the difference. Some choices stand above all the others; and, as we look back over the journey of our lives, those choices serve as milemarkers that have had a great influence on the journey. Baptismaccepting Christ being in a small groupattending and participating in worshipjoining a church determining where we servethe priority of our givingwhether we will share our God-storylearning to pray and study the Bibledeciding to grow or stagnate in our relationship with Jesus and His Churchall of these choices have the potential to be mile-markers that alter the journey of our lives in Christ. What are the significant milemarkers in your Christian journey? I have been following after Jesus for almost 40 years. Sometimes, the journey has been smooth and the path clearly marked. Other times, the journey has been challenging and the path has only been visible one step at a time. I also talk a great deal with other Christ-followers who are trying to make the journey along the narrow way to see how they are able to consistently follow after Jesus. One of the consistent patterns of the lives of those who are able to make progress in the journey of life as they walk with Christ whether the terrain is easy or difficultis that, somewhere along the way, they have discovered some practical basics about how to live the Christ-like life with other fully

devoted Christ-followers, and they have committed themselves to continued spiritual growth and development. How do we grow spiritually? By recognizing where we are in our own spiritual journey. During the last couple of years, we have been describing spiritual growth and development in terms of a human development modelwhich has five stages to our journey in the relationship that God offers us. In which stage do you find yourself? 1. The Spiritual Skeptic. This person is resistant to the Gospel. Our efforts to share the message of Christ may be met with open hostility, but it could have more to do with their previous bad experiences. How we respond to them may shape their willingness to respond later. The heart of the spiritual skeptic is not yet softened by Gods Holy Spirit to respond to grace. When we are rejected by individuals who are not open to the Gospel, we must remember not to force the issue which can actually push them farther away from God. We must pray for them, and trust that the God who loves them and pursues them will be working in their lives to get them ready to hear and receive. The Spiritual Seeker. This stage describes a person whose heart has been opened by the Holy

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Spirit and who is open to spiritual conversation. The spiritual seeker watches us as we liveand when they see authentic faith lived in us, they will often ask us to tell them how we have found love, joy, and peace in our lives. We should always be prepared tell the reason for the hope we have in Christ. They may not believe right away, but we can tell that they are open and considering what is said about faith in Jesus. The Spiritual Infant. Once a person crosses the line of faith and puts their trust in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, they become a spiritual infant. This stage describes a person who is new to faith and is dependent on other Christ-followers to feed, nurture, instruct and protect them. They need to be taught the basic habits of our faithnot in an effort to make them dependent, but in an effort to help them begin to grow up in Christ. The Spiritual Adolescent. Just as we expect our small children to grow to and through adolescenceexpecting different behaviors from a three- or thirteen-year-old than we do from a three-month-oldwe expect spiritual infants to begin to mature into adolescence. In spiritual adolescence, however, our faith may become only about us and what we get out of it for ourselves. We often get wrapped up in our individuality and forget about loving and serving others. One of the signs of spiritual maturity is that we begin to look for ways we can serve others rather than being served by others. While we never arrive spirituallymeaning that we never grow to the place we do not have more to learn and growwe are expected to grow up. The Spiritual Parent. To grow from spiritual infancy (where everything is done for and taught to us) through spiritual adolescence (where we tend to become self-centered as others serve us) to spiritual parenthood means we live for and focus our lives upon those who are in the other four stages. Spiritual parents learn to feed themselvesto live sacrificiallyand often set aside their own preferences in order to meet the needs of others.

that we will never again act like a spiritual infant or adolescent again. We are sinful, broken human beings who wrestle with the surrender of self that being a spiritual parent demands. The stages do have a great deal to do with our willingness to mature. Most Christ-followers tend to get stuck in spiritual infancy or adolescence, but God has a deep desire for us to mature and grow. How do we grow in Christ together? By choosing to have some common language and experiences. During the last year, we have also been developing a series of four Discovery Workshops for those who would like to be intentional about growing in their relationship with Christ and being equipped for the journey. The workshops, which have been developed by Pastor Tim Levert, are being implemented into the process we ask individuals to participate in when they decide to make Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church their spiritual home. Our expectation is that persons will take the Discover Reynoldsburg workshop prior to being given the opportunity to join our church and that they will take the remaining three workshops within the next year. Let me share a bit about these four Discovery Workshops: Discover Reynoldsburg is the basic introduction to what it means to be a part of Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church. During this workshop, we share the basics of what it means to place our faith in Jesus and to become a part of His Churchincluding giving individuals the opportunity to accept Jesus and learn about the sacraments. We also give participants a snapshot view of what makes Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church distinctive (our mission, vision, values, process, principles and hopes as a community of faith), and we give them the opportunity to enter into a community covenant together. Discover Spiritual Rhythms gives workshop participants the opportunity to receive a basic introduction to and helpful hints as to how to grow in our relationship with Jesus and His Church. We share practical ways that persons can begin to integrate the six habits of a fully devoted Christ-follower into their lives: weekly worship, daily devotions, weekly small group, regular service, faithful giving and sharing our God-story. Discover Your SHAPE gives participants the opportunity to learn that God has designed the Body of Christ (the Church) with the possibility for each

and every member to make their unique and distinctive contribution. In a real way, our church will not be complete without each of us finding our fit and making our unique contribution. SHAPE is an acronym which stands for the Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences that we all have. This workshop is designed to help you find your unique fit so that you can make your unique contribution to our community of faith. Discover Your God-Story gives workshop participants some basic training in understanding their Godstory and helping them to recognize when God gives us the chance to share our faith with other people. The number one reason people cross the line of faith in Jesus is because someone loved them enough to share their God-story with them and showed them how to find Jesus, as well. Our strong belief is that these four workshops will give the newest members of our church a common foundation and will serve as mile-markers for our life together. During the last few months, we have invited the members of our Church Board and various other church leaders to also participate in these workshops. Participants shared that the workshops have been helpful and beneficialno matter the length of their involvement in our congregation. As I close, I would like to invite you on a journey. I am inviting anyone and everyone who calls Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church their spiritual home to participate in taking the Discovery Workshopsso that we can share the same basic spiritual mile-markers together. If you are interested in participating in these workshops, please contact our Membership Secretary, Kellie Stanley at kstanley@rumc.org. If you have additional questions regarding the workshops themselves, please contact Pastor Tim Levert at tlevert@rumc.org. I am honored to be your pastor and to share this journey with you. Blessings in Christ!

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Where do you fit in these five stages of human spiritual development? These stages have little to do with our ageI know some children and teenagers who are spiritual parents. Nor does this mean that once we exhibit the traits of a spiritual parent

LEAD PASTOR JEFF GREENWAY

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MY GOD STORY
Jesus Take The Wheel by Katie Thompson

Three little prayers. After years of being a Christian, that is what it took to get my attentionjust three little prayers. I asked Jesus to be my Savior when I was 13; but after that, nothing really changed. I didnt understand what it meant to try to live life as a follower of Jesus.
was always a good child. I never really put a toe out of line. Growing up, for a few years, we went to church every Sunday; but then gradually, my family went less and less as other activities became priorities. Church was just one more thing to take up a Sunday morning that I could have otherwise spent at the barn with my horse. I made it through high school, and in college I met my husband. Once we married and started a family, I began feeling like something was missingand it took me a while to realize what I was looking for. I realized that I missed my church. I didnt miss Jesus (at least I didnt know it yet), but I missed the friendships that I had and the sense of belonging somewhere that came with being a part of the church. Even knowing that, it took a few years before my husband and I decided to bite the bullet and look for a church to call home. To be perfectly honest, I was not thrilled about the idea of dragging four children around to visit churches; but
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we got ourselves ready and headed to Reynoldsburg UMC one December morning. The service was nice, the people were friendly, and the church seemed huge and a little scarybut we decided to come back. It was a few months later that I heard Pastor Greenway speaking during the sermon about three little prayers that he prayed every day. I remember thinking, Hmmm, thats weirdthe same three prayers every day? He prayed for Jesus to be the Lord of his life, he prayed that every day he would go to bed more like Jesus than he was when he woke up that morning, and he prayed that he would be used as Jesus saw fit. And thats when it hit meits not about me. Its about Him. Pastor Greenway wasnt asking for the things that he needed, or wanted. He was inviting Him inintentionally asking Jesus into his heart day after day. Jesus knows each of us personally, and He wants us to know Him better than we know anyone else. When we invite Him in, we are drawn into an ever-increasing closeness with Him. When I felt that missing piece, what I was really missing was Jesus. What I needed was a steadily growing intimacy

filling the void and illuminating all that was around me. When I asked Him for forgiveness after having shut Him out for so long, I felt more free and full than I had in years. Bitterness that I had held onto for so long began to trickle away, and I could tell that Jesus wanted to lift my burden. The more time I spent talking with Him, praying to Him, and listening for Him, the lighter my heart became. My difficulties havent gone awayinstead I feel Jesus taking my hand and guiding me through them. I try to remember to pray those three little prayers every morning. I dont always remember to do that; but when I do, I feel that they help me to remember what this life is all about. It is about knowing the King. When I begin to get overwhelmed by all of the details of daily life, remembering to ask Jesus to take the drivers seat helps to remind me that Im not traveling this path alone, and that He wants to be here with me.

SUMMER CAMP
Its not too late to sign up for a wonderful time at Summer Camp. This program is for children entering grades 2-12 and their families. Openings remain at many of the camps, and scholarship money is still available for those who need it. Pick up a brochure at the various kiosks around the church building. For questions or to help with registration, contact Pat Pace at church extension 129 or ppace@rumc. org (you must register through Pat to receive a scholarship). Come join the fun! Youll be glad you did!

Chimers On The Move

The Alleluia Chimers (our 4-6th grade handchime choir) has had a very full calendar this year. Not only did we play for our own congregation on Christmas Eve and Palm Sunday, but were fortunate enough to be able to take our musical ministry outside the walls of Reynoldsburg UMC. On December 4, we played for the worship service of Havens Corner Churchwhich has become an annual event looked forward to by their congregation and us alike. Then, on February 19, we rang for the Vesper Service of Friendship Village of Columbus, a retirement community. Nearly 70 residents came to hear us and were quite appreciative of our contribution to their Sunday evening service. We thank all of you who have had a part in making this Chimer ministry possible and look forward to next year.

Donkey Tales Hits The Trails

On February 12, Gods Puppet Squad presented their latest creation, Donkey Tales for our congregation. Nearly 400 people enjoyed this delightful, full-length, childrens musical created by Kathy Hill and Melody Morris. The play takes place on a Dude Ranch where Tex Arkana uses donkey stories from the Bible to illustrate some important spiritual teachings. During the musical, two buckaroos (puppets, of course) learn what it means to give their whole hearts and lives to Jesus.
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After this successful presentation, the Puppet Squad hit the roadgoing to Wesley Ridge on February 29 where they performed for a wonderful group of residents. They were so interested in what we did that they even stayed to watch us dismantle our stage! March 11 saw the Squad performing for the worship service at the Coshocton Presbyterian Church in Coshocton, Ohio (or course). This over-night trip included travel, stage set-up, rehearsal, dinner, relaxation and sleeping at their church

on Saturday, followed by the Sunday morning performance. This appreciative congregation was very open to our ministry; and, hopefully, this sparked some interest in revitalizing their own puppet team. Gods Puppet Squad has been a wonderful, hard-working and delightful group with which to work this year. If you are interested in joining our puppet team, please contact Pat Pace at church extension 129 or ppace@rumc.org (grades 7-12).

How To Read
The
by Pastor Jeff Greenway

We all need some help studying and understanding the Bible from time to time. In a recent Pastors Bible Study, Pastor Tim Levert shared six simple questions that have helped him read the Bible with freshness and an open heart to hear what God is saying to him as he reads. You may want to copy these on a card and place them as a marker to use as you read your Bible:
1. How does this text help me to better know Gods heart? 2. How does this text help me to better know myself? 3. How does this text help me to better know Gods love for humanity? 4. How does this text help me conform to Gods image? 5. How does this text help to conform me for community life? 6. How does this text help to form me for mission in the world?

Bible

UPDATE Jhonnies Hope

by Dave Pagura and Greg Reis

It has been a little over a year since we gave an update about Jhonnies Hopeour effort to provide housing for victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
As you recall, after returning from our July 2010 Volunteer-In-Mission (VIM) trips to Haiti, Pastor Jeff invited us to give a onetime gift to help rebuild the home of Jhonnie who had served as the driver for that team while they were in Haiti. Your response was so overwhelming that, not only did we receive enough funds to begin to rebuild Jhonnies house, we could begin to plan to rebuild several homes. Our intent was to do this in Jhonnies neighborhood. Progress was made on these goals by each team until our team went to Haiti in January of 2011. At that time, we learned that our good intentions had created some challenges among the people in Jhonnies neighborhood, our mission partners at the Methodist Guesthouse and the Methodist Church of Haiti. During that trip, Dave Pagura, Pastor Tim Levert and our Bishop, Bruce Ough, were
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able to answer questions and diffuse much of the situation; however, any additional building or distribution of funds for housing was put on hold until a partnership solution could be found. During the last year, Greg Reis, the leader of our Haiti Relief Team, has been working with leaders of the Methodist Guesthouse, The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and Pastor Gessner Paul, the President of the Methodist Church of Haiti, to find a way forward that will maximize your gifts, provide permanent housing for Jhonnie and his family, and to do the same for the employees of the Methodist Guesthouse and others. We are pleased to report that during our March 2012 VIM trip to Haiti, Greg Reis and our mission partners there were able to put the finishing touches on the plans for the building of an eight-unit apartment building. The land has been

donated by the Methodist Church of Haiti, and the building will be financed through the remaining funds that you donated to Jhonnies Hope ($18,000) plus a grant from UMCOR ($38,000). We are hopeful that this partnership will be able to provide other housing for other Haitians once this next phase is completed. Our Missions Team will provide updates if/when we are ready to build another block of apartment buildings.

In Other Haiti News:

Your support of the Duplan Methodist School has enabled their enrollment to climb from 225 to 363 students this year. They have also been able to add 7th and 8th grades. Chip Warren is providing leadership for our relationship with the Duplan School. We have received a donation from the Worthington Rotary Club which will help to fund the drilling of a 180-foot deep clean water well that will resource the school, church and entire Duplan community. The Duplan Clinic is becoming a solid presence in the community, and your gifts from last years Christmas offering will provide medical, dental and nursing care, prescription medications, and consistency in treatment and care.

A Poem for Haiti

by Evan Carr
Hymnals sung in a foreign language But they all make sense to me The spirit and worship of God conquers all language I understand your language But I have never washed in the rivers of your pain and suffering For Ive only gotten a taste of your poverty For Ive only gotten a glimpse of the destruction Brothers and sisters May our communion be a blessing to your body and soul Brothers and sisters You are all flowers in the eyes of God

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IN CHILDRENS MINISTRIES

The Childrens Ministries take advantage of every minute we have with the children you have placed in our charge. Our lessons are high-energy with upbeat musicthe adults think theyve been to aerobics after they leave our worship! Theyre fun and entertaininglike when we taught about Daniel and the Fiery Furnace to a room of 80 children and used a tent for the furnace. Kid volunteers played the parts of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and the fourth person. Whats funny about that? It was a two-person tent! Most of all, the messages we present to our childrenfrom the three-year-olds all the way to the sixth-gradersare very intentional in, first, teaching basic biblical truths; and, then, in encouraging and training the child on how to practically apply Jesus teachings in his or her own life with life-long and eternal impact. In the Early Childhood Ministries, each of our lessons supports one of these basic truths: God made me. God loves me. Jesus wants to be my friend forever. At the Elementary Age, we want the children to know in their hearts and practically apply these basic truths:

I need to make the wise choice. I can trust God no matter what. I should treat others the way I want to be treated. We have found great success in coordinating both hours of programming on Sunday morning with our Wednesday night programming. We suspected that the children would better retain information and display deeper understanding of the teachings if we had a single focus each week. Our hypothesis has proven true, even in the preschool ministry. The children who attend both Sunday morning and Wednesday nights are able to not only repeat the virtue, memory verses and bottom lines, but are able to explain or put the information into their own words. A big thank you goes to our selfless leaders, from the nursery all the way through the elementary classes. Your leadership, your prayers and your immense love and patience have an eternal influence. You are an inspirationnot only to the children, but to the adults who watch you minister in this great mission field.

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COMMUNION EDUCATION
Third-graders and their parents get quite the spiritual work-out during Lent at Reynoldsburg UMC. Two Milestone Events take place during the six-week period. Milestone Events occur when parents and children come together for an event that teaches the parent a faith-skill they can continue developing in the home. On Sunday, March 11, third-graders gathered with their Sunday morning Small Group LeadersDale and Carla Chambers-Lynde and Sandra and Laura Kageorgefor lunch in the Student Ministries Room. The group then embarked on a two-hour adventure in which they discovered that the Lords Supper is an act of remembrance and celebration and that Jesus is among us is when we take part in Communion. They learned that when we take Communion, they have an opportunity to give thanks to Jesus. When the families returned to church, the children were just as excited to tell them about what they had learned as they were to describe the amazing lamb cupcakes provided to us by Sarah Christ. The exhausting, but exhilarating day ended with the children participating in Communion with their families. On Sunday, March 18, Rabbi Michael Ungar, from Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus, led the third-graders and their parents in a traditional Seder Meal. This was the ninth year that Rabbi Ungar graciously taught us about Passover; and, as always, he was humorous and interesting. Why do we have a traditional Seder Meal at Reynoldsburg UMC? John 13 begins, Jesus knew on the evening of Passover Day that it would be his last night on earth before returning to His Father. On the night that we remember as the Last Supper, Jesus was celebrating Passovera part of our history as Christiansand by participating in a Seder Meal, we can further understand our faith and the rich history of the book of Exodus.

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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2012 FRIENDSHIP ROCKS!

June 25-29 9:00am to 12pm
Kids, come and learn what Jesus says about friends, how we should treat them and how we can keep them! Adults, come and help our kids learn about Jesus. You, too, will have lots of fun, make new friends and deepen your friendship with Jesus!

SUMMER TUTORING PROGRAM

Please join us for our eighth summer in providing reading tutoring to Reynoldsburg elementary-age students. At first glance, the idea of tutoring a youngster may seem like a daunting task; however, each tutoring session is spent reading with and to the child as well as playing a gamesuch as Cluewhich, in addition to being fun, addresses reading skills. Our goal is to keep the student at his or her present reading level throughout the summer. Most tutors will be assigned two students who meet together for one hour, once a week, for a period of seven weeks. A few tutors will have one student. Training and materials are provided. Please dont let the fact that you may be traveling during the weeks of tutoring discourage you from volunteering. This program is very flexiblewith the opportunity to double up in one or even two weeks to make up for the time you and/or the student are/is unavailable. Tutoring will begin the week of July 9 and continue through the week of August 20. Students and tutors are matched according to their availability. Tutoring can occur anywhere between the hours of 8:00am and 7:00pm. Please contact Tracy Holstein at tholstein@rumc.org if interested.

Children in grades Pre-K* through 6th Grade (grade completed June 2012) are invited to VBS 2012. * must be entering Kindergarten in the fall of 2012. Childcare is provided for volunteers babies and toddlers. A modified VBS program is provided for volunteers preschoolers. Visit reynoldsburgvbs.com for registration and volunteer sign-up information. Do you know the story of Flat Stanley? Flat Jesus will be visiting VBS 2012 and, yes, youll take Him home with you!

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Coordinator of Crossroads Church

Matt Elliott

Pastor of Evangelism

Tasha Levert

MEET THE STAFF

Married to Denise (19 years) Nicoleta (in Romania), Abby, and Lyssa EDUCATION Bachelors Degree in East-Central European Studies from The Ohio State University
Bible degree from Mississippi College, MA in Marriage and Family Counseling, a Master of Theology and a PhD in Marriage and Family Counselingall from New Orleans Theological Seminary

RELATIONSHIPS Married to Tim (The hottest youth pastor on the planet) CHILDREN Elle (age12), Zoe (age 9), and Ashton (age 7)

JOINED THE STAFF April 2012 RESPONSIBILITIES Coordinator of outreach activities at Crossroads Church, Brice Road campus, and to provide support to incoming Pastor Matt Wright FUN FACT I dream in three different languages.
Im a rule follower (Im not really as rebellious as people think). All reach events, hospitality (first impressions) and helping people find their SHAPE (place of service)

April 2012

Ribeye Steak

FAVORITE FOOD

YES (I choose not to discriminate; I think my spiritual gift is eating!)

HOBBIES Cooking, camping, learning languages, gardening, video games, and coin collecting Chopped The Help FAVORITE SHOW MOVIE/BOOK FAVORITE TEAM Cincinnati Reds WHY I WORK HERE
I was drawn to work with Reynoldsburg UMC because of my desire to do missionary outreach with the community at our Crossroads Church location. The way the community encourages and embraces me to do ministry. LSU Tigers (even before I met Tim), Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints All things artsy (music, scrapbooking, daydreaming) and sports

Anything on Food Network

Patched Together by Brennan Manning

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17th Annual Style Show

The Reynoldsburg UMW had a spirited evening with friends from Reynoldsburg and other area churches. The lovely ladies modeled new spring fashions provided by DressBarn. They also gave testimonies of their life journey to this time in their lives. The event profited $1,300with donations going toward the Kober Endowment and Vacation Bible School.

Reynoldsburg United Methodist Women Soup & Bread Sale

The Reynoldsburg United Methodist Women had a successful day selling delicious homemade soups and breads on February 5. The profits of more than $1,200 will help fund missions such as sending tuition money for girls to go to college in Uganda. RUMW was also able to donate 45 quarts of Ham & Bean soup to our Crossroads Church location. Thank you to everyone who donated time, ingredients and breadsas well as everyone making purchases that weekend.

May Breakfast
The Reynoldsburg United Methodist Women Annual May Breakfast is May 15 at 9:30am. All ladies are invited to attend the annual celebration when current Life Members are recognized and new Life Members are awarded. Guest speaker Patty Houston-Holm will discuss the Uganda College project. Breakfast will be served and there is no cost to attend.

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In Appreciation
Betty and I want to thank Pastor Maxine for her much-needed visits. A special thanks and we cant say too much, for these people: Harry and Maxine Schwartz, Merv and Betty Skiles, Dave and Alice Travis, Lee and Ruth Leonard, and Marty Martin. They were a God-send to Betty and I while I was at Mount Carmel and at the rehab (facility). God bless each one. Buck Rodgers

Dear Church Family, No words would be expressive of the gratitude that I have for my Christian family at Reynoldsburg UMC. The blankets of prayers comforted me and warmed my heart. The cards of support, concern and encouragement are read over and over. I have the absolute clearest friends that God has ever created. Pastor Maxine, I couldnt think of surgery without your smile and your love sending me there again. My family and friends reflect a piece of God that we all should display. In appreciation, Cindy Yost and family

Dear Church Brothers and Sisters, These past few months of the New Year have been a challenge for my extended family and me. What started as a successful hip surgery in mid-January turned into an infectious abscess in early February that sent me back to the hospital to fight the infection. Through both surgeries, I could feel prayers being lifted for all of us, see Jesus working in others as they became His hands and feet serving us meals, taking me to needed appointments, calling to check in and see if we needed anything, and hear His gentle and comforting voice telling me to be patient and strong. He was there through the members of my church, walking each step of the journey with us. Now I am strong enough to return to work and am even more eagerly anticipating my retirement this June. None of this would have turned out the way it did without the blessings you all so bountifully bestowed. Thank you is such a small way of expressing our appreciation, and we humbly cannot wait to pay forward the blessings, comfort and prayers you sent our way. Pastor Maxine and Pastor Kevin Kellogg, thank you not only for being at the hospitals to pray for me, thank you more for being there to pray, console and comfort Bob, Kevin and Erin as they struggled with the complications of my surgery. To God be ALL the glory and may we, as a church united, continue to show JESUS TO THE WORLD outside and inside our doors. Sincerely, Gail Clark and Family
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New Members
Ryan & Jenna Debolt live at 639 Redwood Valley Drive in Blacklick. Ryan is a police officer, and Jenna is employed by Casto Communities. In their free time, Ryan and Jenna enjoy sports and fitnessas well as spending time with their family and his dog. Ryan and Jenna attend the 9:15am service and join by profession of faith. Gary Eschelbach lives at 548 Conestoga Drive in Columbus. Gary has two sons. Gary holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Michigan University and is retired from the U.S. Army and DSCC. He enjoys stamp collecting in his spare time. Gary attends the 9:15am service and joins by transfer from Brice UMC. Shirley Fields lives at 7150 East Main Street in Reynoldsburg. Shirley is widowed and has no children. She is retired and enjoys traveling. Shirley attends the 8:00am service and joins by profession of faith. Rebecca King lives at 1405 Haft Drive in Reynoldsburg. Rebecca has two sons. She works at Hanson Pipe. Rebecca attends the 11:00am service and joins by profession of faith. Sheryl Knapp lives at 1741 Graham Road in Reynoldsburg with her husband, Gary, and has two grown children. She holds an Associate Degree in Business Management and works at the State Fire Marshals Office. Sheryl enjoys spending time with family, doing craft projects, golfing, and volunteering. She usually attends the 11:00am service and joins by profession of faith. Jennifer Moore lives at 166 Cady Court, Blacklick. Jennifer has a daughter. She enjoys spending time with family. She attends the 11:00am service and joins by profession of faith. Jim & Kellie Stanley live at 21 West Woodfield Court in Pataskala. Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and is retired from the U.S. Army. He is employed at Three Creeks Metro Park. Jim enjoys riding his motorcycle and working on home projects. Kellie holds an Associate Degree as a Paralegal. She works here at Reynoldsburg UMC. Kellie enjoys riding the motorcycle with Jim and scrapbooking. Jim and Kellie attend the 9:15am service. Jim joins by transfer from Jersey Baptist Church and Kellie joins by transfer from Messiah Lutheran Church. Don & Katie Thompson live at 9997 Stratford Street in Pickerington. Don & Katie have four children. Don holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and works for DuPont in Circleville. Katie stays at home with their children. Don and Katie attend the 9:15am service. Don joins by profession of faith and Katie joins by transfer from First United Methodist Church in Lancaster.

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SUN

MON

TUE
1 Emmaus Gathering

WED
2 Last Night of Childrens Programming

THU
3 4

FRI
5

SAT

6 UMW 7 SOWER Spaghetti Mission Trip Dinner Childrens Musical Preschool Arts Acorns to Oaks Night

8 SOWER Mission Trip

9 SOWER Mission Trip

10 SOWER Mission Trip

11 SOWER Mission Trip

12 SOWER Mission Trip

Preschool Arts Night 15 16 17 18 19 Confirmation Weekend

MAY

13 Mothers Day

14

20 Confirmation Weekend

21

22

23

24

25

26 Memorial Weekend

27 Memorial Weekend

28 Memorial Day 29 (church offices closed)

30

31

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU
1

FRI
2

SAT

3 High School Senior Recognition

5 Emmaus Gathering

JUNE

10 West Ohio Annual Conference

11 West Ohio Annual Conference

12 West Ohio Annual Conference

13 West Ohio Annual Conference

14 West Ohio Annual Conference

15

16

17 Fathers Day

18

19

20

21 Mens Walk to Emmaus #69

22 Mens Walk to Emmaus #69

23 Mens Walk to Emmaus #69

24 Mens Walk to Emmaus #69

25 Vacation Bible School

26 Vacation Bible School

27 Vacation Bible School

28 Vacation Bible School

29 Vacation Bible School

30

SUN
1 2

MON

TUE
3 Emmaus Gathering

WED
4 Independence Day (church offices closed) 11 Super Work Camp 5

THU
6

FRI
7

SAT

8 Super Work Camp

9 Super Work Camp

10 Super Work Camp

12 Super Work Camp

13 Super Work Camp

14 Super Work Camp

JULY

15

16

17

18

19 Womens Walk 20 Womens Walk 21 Womens Walk to Emmaus #90 to Emmaus #90 to Emmaus #90 Haiti Mission Trip International Work Camp 26 International WorkCamp Haiti Mission Trip 27 International WorkCamp Haiti Mission Trip 28 International WorkCamp Haiti Mission Trip

22 Womens Walk 23 International Work Camp to Emmaus #90 Haiti Mission Trip Haiti Mission Trip International Work Camp 29 30

24 International WorkCamp Haiti Mission Trip 31

25 International WorkCamp Haiti Mission Trip

17