March 2010

General News

Thank You

I would like to express my deep gratitude to all of you for your thoughts, words, cards, and prayers on the unexpected death of my wonderful brother on January 15. I know right where he is! I am coping well because of the benefits of having attended church all my life. Your kindness means more than you will ever know.
-- Eleanor Meekins

Thank You

Thank you to every member of the church, ministers, and support staff who have supported Bob & I in our difficult times. Thank you so much for the cards, calls and prayers. I am currently living at Wesley Glen in an apartment, Bob is in Hospice. All of your kind thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
-- Kay Pearson
[Editor's note: Bob Pearson passed away on February 18.]

Thank You

Dear Friends of WUMC:
Thank you so much for your prayers and get well wishes sent my way during my recent surgery and continued healing. Your expressions of Christian love have truly touched my heart.
- Sue Heilman

Stephen Ministry Can Help

Spring is in the air. God's beauty is everywhere. If it isn't in your heart, often blurred by your tears, or shaded by your doubts, remember Stephen Ministry is there for everyone. If you find you need a caring non-judgmental listener, contact Judy Mayhew at 614=895-1337 or judimay59@insight.rr.com.

Palms and Easter Lilies

At Easter and Christmas we have opportunities to memorialize and honor important people in our lives through our donations of lilies and poinsettias. These gifts add substantially to our worship as we pause to remember these meaningful individuals. This year, we are adding the gift of palms for Palm Sunday. The names of those individuals will be published in the bulletin just as they are on other special occasions. The palms and the lilies may be ordered on the last two Sundays of February (21 and 28) and the first Sunday of March (7). The table is located in the Commons. If you prefer, you may place your order through the church office and send your check directly to the church. The gifts for the lilies and the palms will each be $10.00. Any profit made from these sales is used to replenish materials for the altar.

Special Thanks

We always appreciate all of our church volunteers, but we have special thanks for two long-serving volunteers who have recently stepped down from their volunteer positions.

Thanks to Bill Lutz for his many years of service in driving the church van on Sunday mornings. Many thanks also to Cora Barnes who has faithfully served in the church office on the first Sunday morning of each month for many years.

Thank you, Cora and Bill!

Service opportunity:
Sound System Help at 11:00 am

If you can control the sound level on your home entertainment system, then you can be of service to the church. Additional assistance is needed to run the sound system volume once per month at the 11:00 service. You can do this while you attend the service. Please volunteer so we can continue to have uninterrupted sound available during the services. A minimal amount of training and explanation is needed prior to operating the sound system. For more information contact Craig Kramer, 436-4511, email: craig.kramer@wowway.com.

Information Meeting for Families Who Have Members with Special Needs

At Worthington UMC we are always trying to hear the needs of the families in our congregation. On May 2nd, at 12:00 noon after the Emerge Service, we would like to meet with the families who have members with special needs to talk about how we can better provide for you and listen to any suggestions you may have for us. If you have any questions about this meeting before May 2nd, please e-mail Cyndy, David, Heather, or Ashley at cyndy@worthingtonumc.org, david@worthingtonumc.org, heather@worthingtonumc.org, or ashley@worthingtonumc.org.

Hear "Reinventing Messiah" Talk on March 21

At 3:00 pm on Sunday, March 21, Ron Cook will present a fifty-minute talk about the history of the performance of Handel's Messiah. Entitled "Reinventing Messiah," the talk will describe the events that led to the composition of Messiah, the changes Handel made in the work even before its first performance, and the changes he continued to make throughout his lifetime. Mr. Cook will also describe the ways in which the performance of the work changed in the centuries following Handel's death, including changes in our own lifetime. These changes will be illustrated with recordings made during the past sixty years that attempt either to recreate, or to embellish, the manner in which the work was originally performed by Handel.

Ron Cook is a member of this church and the director of The Early Interval, Columbus's resident early music ensemble. He is a frequent speaker and writer on early music topics. He is the current president of Early Music America, the national service organization supporting the field of early music.

Rule of 3, Circle of 10

All persons are important to the life of the church -- visitors, guests, newcomers. Persons who are not members of Worthington UMC pass through our doors to worship every Sunday morning. As such, we want to do everything possible to have them feel comfortable and accepted. Did you know that on the average, a first time guest will be out the door of the church on their way following the service in just 3 minutes? It is important to greet people we do not know in the first 3 minutes following worship, saving the remainder of the social time to visit with friends and acquaintances. Let's call that the Rule of 3. Let's practice the Rule of 3 on Sunday morning, offering a warm welcome invitation to be part of our Christian community. Another way to welcome others is the Circle of 10. Try and greet everyone within 10 feet of your seat in the pew and during social hour. Try to include people who are new to you or new to our church in your Circle of 10.
– Your Evangelism Team

News from WUMC Board of Trustees:

Trustees would like to thank Gene Milhoan and all those who have in recent years erected and taken down our wonderful outdoor nativity scene. It has provided a distinctive witness to God's greatest gift of His Son on our grounds during Advent and the Christmas Holiday. It has also provided the much appreciated gift of fellowship among the men who gathered on early winter mornings to carefully set it up and take it down.

While impressive and large, however, our existing nativity is awkward to assemble, and in its present configuration presents a safety risk to those who erect and disassemble it. It also takes up an enormous amount of valuable storage space in our limited garage, displacing valuable assets which should be under cover, and making use of the garage difficult.

Trustees respectfully propose we preserve our wonderful nativity tradition with a new, impressive nativity scene as a vibrant witness to Christ's birth that would not pose a health or safety risk, and that would take less room to store. To that end Trustees will support the design of a new outdoor nativity scene. Trustees pledge to support the process by coordinating a volunteer work team to assist with design, and construct, erect, and store the nativity scene.

Perhaps this new nativity can be placed on the lawn during the new annual "Hanging of the Greens" Church-wide Advent/Christmas decorating event involving not only men, but everyone willing to be part of Advent preparations. What an exciting opportunity!
-- David Sass, Chairperson of Board of Trustees

Interested in Helping to Design
the New Nativity Scene?

It is important that Worthington UMC have a witness on the front lawn during the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Community response to it has expressed much meaning for persons of all ages. We will begin to design and plan this Nativity Scene and the witness surrounding it shortly after Easter. If you are interested in working with the pastors, a team from the Board of Trustees and others in providing this witness, please contact the church office by April 5. Thank you.