12 The Tower News First United Methodist Church 111 East Michigan Avenue Battle Creek, MI 49014 www.firstumcbc.org First United Methodist Church The City Center Church 111 East Michigan Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Address Service Requested Volume 5 Issue 2 – May 2015 The vision of First United Methodist Church is to be a Vibrant, Diverse, Christ-Centered People. Continental Breakfast in the Woods Your Church Staff Ministers .................................................. All Members Lead Pastor ....................................... Marshall Murphy Co-Pastor .............................................. Scott Bouldrey Administrative Assistant ................ Jean Harvey-Clark Music Director .................................... Wendy Wheeler Custodian ...................................................Jeff Stevens Organist .................................................... Kay Ensfield Keyboards ............................................. Naghielly Agy Child Care ........................................ Allyson Cubberly The TOWER News is published monthly. Copy deadline is the 20th of the month. Please electronically submit your information to: Editor & Publisher: Jean Harvey-Clark [email protected] Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 9 am to 5 pm Closed for Lunch between 12-1 pm Office is Closed on Fridays Phone: 269.963.5567/ Fax: 269.963.6899 Pastoral Care: Marshall - 269.753.8056 May 2015 • Tower News Worship Schedule 9:00 am Praise Worship 11:30 am Traditional Worship with Choir Come join us Saturday, May 9, 2015, at 9:00 am for a continental breakfast of coffee and doughnuts in the Woods; Wesley Woods that is. It’s time for annual clean up of two cabins in preparation for the upcoming camping season. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of spring and company of other volunteers as you work. Perhaps you have never helped with Wesley Woods clean up. Come, try it, you might like it. Please bring your own cleaning supplies. This year there is no major project just regular cleaning. Lunch will be served when we finish which should be about noon. For more information and to volunteer please see Sharon Gawlak at the Service Team table. May 2015 • Tower News 2 Happy Birthday to You! 05/01 Jim Davis 05/22 05/01 Rick McKelvey 05/23 05/07 Karol Henegar 05/23 05/10 Becca Anderson 05/23 05/12 Michael Dixon Jr. 05/15 Billie R. Dalton Account Category 05/25 05/17 Harold Creekmur 05/26 05/17 Todd Stagner 05/27 Income Pledges 05/17 Morgyn Clair 05/29 Non-Pledged 05/19 Katie Moore 05/30 Loose Plate Offerings05/30 05/20 Irene Crisman Mary Brigden Georgia Dalton Angelica Boshers ChristopherActual Gardner Income Todd Boshers YTD Karina Moore Dsidra Jansohn $34,912.50 Sue Anderson $6,110.00 Hattie Tuck $1,877.70 Allan Moore 11 Community Prayer Breakfast Tuesday, May 5, 2015, 7:25 am at the Kellogg Arena featuring Bob Goff, author of "Love Does." For tickets go % of Amount Ahead Totalto www.bccfoundation.org/ Annual Budgeted or Annual Budget YTD prayerbreakfast2015 Behind Budget or call 269.969.2120. $39,228.00 -$4,315.50 $156,912.00 22.25% $6,249.00 -$139.00 $25,000.00 24.44% Ron Sootsman, son of Ginnie and $999.00 $4,000.00 46.94% the late Kay$878.70 Sootsman, won the Other Budgeted $735.50 Governor's $678.00 $57.50 Award $2,975.00for24.72% Fitness the Inspiring -$3,518.30 Story of the Year. The Total Budgeted Income $43,635.70 $47,154.00 $188,887.00 23.10% There will be no Youth Sunday award was presented on School on May 10, (per future audit report), not income 2014Sunday, Fund Balance Carryover Thursday, April 23 at Ford Field in Mother’s Day. $188,887.00 Detroit with Ginnie, Clarke Whinery, and Ron's son Joe in Congratulations attendance. For details of his % of Actual Amount Ahead Total Graduates! Your amazing Annual achievements see Battle Expenses Budgeted or Annual Budget church family Creek April 30, Account Category YTD YTD Shopper Behind News, Budget page 10. would like to $25,342.00 $233.66 $110,029.00 22.82% Expenses Total Salaries $25,108.34 show you how $15,402.08 $16,668.00 $1,265.92 $66,669.00 23.10% proud we are of Total Parsonage $780.36 We $891.00 $2,061.00 37.86% would $110.64 like to acknowledge your accomTotal Ministry Shares $1,251.00 and $7,806.00 -$6,555.00 $31,219.00 4.01% welcome the recent plishments. If you are graduating from Total Office $1,780.99 transfers $2,337.00 of $556.01 $9,328.00of19.09% membership high school, college or any type of higher BC 32.62% Totalplease - All Other Budgeted $8,175.00 Suggs, $536.47 from $23,418.00 education, send a picture and$7,638.53 Marjorie Methodist Worship $1,737.46 $1,350.00United -$387.46 $5,400.00 32.18% information on where you graduated from Maple Church, and Shuler Harmon, Finance $219.03 $282.00 $62.97 $564.00 38.84% and what your future plans are. We would St, Matthews United 34.43% $5,918.00 $338.55 $16,204.00 like this information by MayBenefits 31. We$5,579.45 will from Church $1,250.00 in Livonia, Travel $625.00 $522.41 8.21% be serving refreshmentsPastor's in your honor$102.59 on Methodist Sunday, June 7, after the 9:00 am service. MI. Thank you for sharing your gifts and-$3,852.30 ministry$242,724.00 with us. 21.41% Budgetedplease Expensescontact $51,961.30 $61,219.00 If you have any Total questions, Kathy Thornton atYTD 967.0270. YTD Income vs Expenses Thanks! -$8,325.60 Total Church Building May 2015 • Tower News May 2015 • Tower News 10 Finance Update May Happenings at First Church FUMC Consolidated Adopted Budget Report March 31, 2015 These are Budgeted items only Actual Income YTD Account Category Income Pledges Amount Budgeted YTD Ahead or Behind Church and Society information can be found on the bulletin boards at the top of the steps. Total Annual Budget % of Annual Budget $34,912.50 $39,228.00 -$4,315.50 $156,912.00 22.25% Non-Pledged $6,110.00 $6,249.00 Loose Plate Offerings $1,877.70 Other Budgeted $735.50 $999.00 $678.00 -$139.00 $25,000.00 24.44% $878.70 $57.50 $4,000.00 46.94% $2,975.00 24.72% Total Budgeted Income $43,635.70 $47,154.00 -$3,518.30 $188,887.00 23.10% 2014 Fund Balance Carryover (per future audit report), not income Account Category Expenses Total Salaries Amount Budgeted YTD $25,108.34 $25,342.00 Total Church Building Ahead or Behind Total Annual Budget % of Annual Budget $233.66 $110,029.00 22.82% $15,402.08 $16,668.00 $1,265.92 $66,669.00 23.10% Total Parsonage $780.36 $891.00 $110.64 $1,251.00 $7,806.00 -$6,555.00 $31,219.00 Total Office $1,780.99 $2,337.00 $556.01 Total - All Other Budgeted $7,638.53 $8,175.00 $536.47 $23,418.00 32.62% Finance $219.03 $282.00 Benefits $5,579.45 $5,918.00 Pastor's Travel $102.59 $625.00 $9,328.00 19.09% $5,400.00 32.18% $62.97 $564.00 38.84% $338.55 $16,204.00 34.43% $1,250.00 8.21% Total Budgeted Expenses $51,961.30 $61,219.00 -$3,852.30 $242,724.00 21.41% YTD Income vs YTD Expenses Sunday 8:00 am 9:00 am 10::30 am 11:30 am Praise Band Practice Contemporary Worship Choir Practice Cornerstone Worship Monday 9:00 am Staff Meeting Check with Esther Brown 05/06 05/06 05/12 05/13 n/a 05/26 Book Group: May 3, 1:00 pm Clara’s GIFT Group: Tuesday, May 5: 6:00 pm, FUMC May 19: 6:00 pm, FUMC Martha Circle May 13: 9:30 am, Gull Lake *see article on page 4 Men’s Group: Partners in Prayer: Mondays, 6:00 pm COMMITTEE MEETINGS Endowment Trustees Finance Service Team Staff Parish Church Council Adventures Group: 5:15 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm May 4: 7:00 pm, Kathy Rizor’s May 18: 7:00 pm, Betty Dawson’s 4.01% -$387.46 $522.41 SMALL GROUPS $2,061.00 37.86% Total Ministry Shares Worship $1,737.46 $1,350.00 WEEKLY EVENTS Wednesday 7:00 pm Prayer Time $188,887.00 Actual Expenses YTD 3 The Franklin Post Neighborhood Food Pantry is looking for a coordinator. Please see Todd Boshers for information. Video Booth Volunteers We are looking for volunteers to assist serving in the video booth on Sunday mornings. For more information, see Wendy Wheeler, Director of Music. Pastor Marshall Murphy’s FUMC Hours are Monday-Wednesday: 9:00 am -2:00 pm. He can be reached by phone or text at 269.753.8056 and via email at [email protected]. -$8,325.60 May 2015 • Tower News May 2015 • Tower News 4 9 Martha Circle Report for April 8, 2015 There were seven members in attendance at our April 8, 2015 meeting. Our scripture reading was from Luke Chapter 19 Versus 1-10. Eunice Kline led us in our circle of prayer. We reviewed the minutes of the March meeting and Karol Heneger gave our treasurers report of $1,166.63. We voted to donate $300.00 to pay for one child to camp this summer, $100.00 to the Sunday morning refreshment committee and later make a donation to the Vacation Bible School. A new listing of our shut-ins was distributed. Dorothy Bickford gathered five Bibles and they were taken to the Haven of Rest. We then tied off five of the I SPY quilts for Charitable Union and Karol Henegar took them there. Anyone wishing to pick up some and tie them off are welcome to do so. They are given to families with new babies and helps the babies learn many things such as colors ,shapes etc. Our last meeting for the 2014-2015 year will be held on Wednesday, May 13th. We will meet at the church at 9:30 am and take the church bus out to Gull Lake for breakfast. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us… We would like to extend an open invitation to our church family! Please join us for Emma’s Open House! Helen Larder, President May 2015 • Tower News May 2015 • Tower News 8 5 Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Where are you teddy bear? You can get bears at Goodwill We really need you badly. or Salvation Army, as well as, Our supply of bears for our various dollar stores and yard Prayer Bear project is sales. Your kindness will bring extremely low. The bears a smile to the face of the quickly find homes with person choosing the “perfect” those in need. It is time to bear and then to the person replenish our supply. receiving the Prayer Bear. Do you have some once Help us to have two bears in cherished and now lonely each pew again, so we can teddy bears which you could enjoy having them leave their donate to become a Prayer home with us so they can make Bear? Someone would be comforted and someone happy, even for a little while. have their days brightened because of your As always your help is appreciated. generosity. I would like to thank everyone that had any part in making First United Methodists' Dinner at Christ United Methodist a success. From bringing food, to serving and clean-up, it all went well. It was fun to get together, eat dinner and make some new friends. The food was delicious, if I say so myself. A big SHOUT OUT to Hattie, she came prepared with dessert, FUMC aprons for us to wear, and cookbooks for prizes. The men from CUMC said we could come back anytime and bring dinner again. “Bittersweet” Local author and social worker, Gladys Seedorf, in her second book, “Bittersweet”, tells a story based on her father’s life and his struggles with mental illness. Gladys describes how mental illness affects not only the individual but the whole family. Gladys brings to light the many hidden layers which mask the illness, so that help can be obtained and healing can begin. The focus of the “Bittersweet” involves the family unit, thus Gladys feels it can serve as a self-help book. Maple’s Women Sharing Faith is hosting a book signing reception for Gladys. The event is open to the public. Please join us for a short program, refreshments and perhaps win a copy of “Bittersweet”. Books will be available for purchase. If you have questions about this event, see Marjie Suggs or Shirley Carr Carol Barr Church Council Chair person Saturday, May 23, 2015 2:00 pm Maple UMC - 342 Capital Avenue, NE Photos by Kathy Rizor May 2015 • Tower News The event will be held in Fellowship Hall. Please enter on the lower level from the parking lot. May 2015 • Tower News Pastor Marshall Murphy 6 Reflections Ephesians 4:9-16 7 Staff Parish Update April 26, 2015 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. (NRSV) Dear Members and Friends of First United Methodist Church: As Chairperson of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee, I wish to announce the appointment of Douglas Vernon, our new co-pastor effective July 1, 2015. Doug was introduced to us yesterday and we are excited about the gifts he will bring to our church family. Douglas is a retired Elder of the Michigan Area, having served over four decades in both the Detroit and West Michigan Conferences of the UMC. He is a graduate of Michigan State University, GarrettI am excited about the announcement of Doug Evangelical Theological Seminary, and the Detroit Vernon being appointed to Ecumenical Theological Seminary. In retirement, he Battle Creek First UMC, serves Garrett as a part time Development Associate. effective in July. After I Doug and his wife, Jane, are the proud grandparents retired from BC First UMC of nine youngsters who reside in Colorado, California, in 1998 I served a few part time pastorates and was then Oregon, and Washington State. Jane is a retired appointed to Kalamazoo First elementary educator, now active in leading spiritual UMC as interim senior pastor because the previous pastor growth classes, seminars, and retreats. became ill and it was not Doug is a Master Gardener, a sometime fly known yet whether he would fisherman, a lap swimmer, and a voracious reader of return to ministry or retire. historical fiction. The Vernon's share their Kalamazoo In that process I had the privilege of working with home with their beloved Wheaten Terrier “Misty.” Pastor Doug while he was We will be planning a warm welcome for Doug and being appointed to follow Jane upon their arrival in July. In the meantime, we will me. I've kept in touch with be celebrating the ministry and faithful service of Scott. his ministry in Kalamazoo during his tenure there, and Please hold both families up in prayer during these he has provided outstanding months of transition. leadership. I hope everyone at Battle Creek First will Trusting God’s amazing grace, Christ’s faithful love, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, we move anticipate his and Jane's arrival and will have a into the future. wonderful experience Serving Christ with you, engaging in ministry with him. Anne Stagner May 2015 • Tower News May 2015 • Tower News 9 (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (NRSV) 7 1 John 4:7-21 ---Rev. Ron L. Keller
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