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MAINSTREAM
the
M A I N
S T R E E T
U N I T E D
M E T H O D I S T
C H U R C H
A Church in the Heart of the City for the Hearts of the People
February 2015
From A Servant’s Heart,
There is no book in the Bible that
has caused more controversy,
stirred more emotion, and been
more misread and misunderstood
than Revelation.
In every church I have ever been a part of
folks have held widely differing views, opinions
and interpretations. Many folks simply avoid the
book altogether because they either find it too difficult to follow or have
grown weary of contradicting opinions. The reason so many people have
trouble understanding this book is twofold. First, they don’t understand the
historical/political context from which it was written. Secondly, they seek to
make the book more than it was intended. It was not intended to be an
oracle of future events; rather its intention is to be a source of inspiration for
believers to persevere in their faith.
This winter I am going to be leading a weekend Bible study, Feb. 20-22,
2015, on the book of Revelation that is intended to both inform and inspire.
The Bible Studies will take place in the Sanctuary at Suber Marshall
Memorial UMC. We will meet Friday evening Feb. 20, from 6-8pm. We
will meet on Saturday Feb. 21 from 10am-Noon, and 1:30-3:30pm. We will
conclude on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 3-5pm. This Bible Study is for the
members of Suber Marshall Memorial UMC and Main St. UMC, but
members of those congregations can bring a guest.
I hope you will mark your Calendar and come to this Study. I promise
you will learn something new, you will enjoy the fellowship of other
believers, and you will have a deeper understanding of the Lord and the
scripture.
God’s servant,
Robert Walker
WELCOME NEW CHURCH
MEMBERS!
New members Bob and Doris
Melling with Pastor Walker:
We were glad to have Bob and Doris join the
Main Street Congregation during Sunday
service, November 16. They come to Columbia
from Houston, TX and live in the Irmo area.
Bob is an accountant with AFLAC and Doris
works for Scholastic Corporation as an
installation specialist. They have a son and
daughter, both of whom live in Kansas City,
Missouri.
Their attraction to Main Street was the
immediate friendliness they received on every
visit to the church. They were looking for a
church home and we're happy to say they found
it at Main Street. Bob and Doris have also
joined the Jack of All Trades Sunday School
Class and look forward to becoming an integral
part of church activities.
Welcome, Bob and Doris!
SUSANNA WESLEY By SCoTT CAIN
How’s this for glamour? Janet and Al Jabs (once again) spent
Christmas in Switzerland.temperatures.
This has become a family tradition,
inasmuch as their daughter, Krista, lives
in Geneva with her husband, Kerem
Saral, a native of Turkey.
There’s a memorable photo of Al and
Janet with the Matterhorn in the
background. They’re wearing down
Jackets that Janet bought at Sam’s Club
here. She says they’re not as heavy as
they look, but “They keep you warm.”
Janet is one of the most dedicated
members of the Magnifiers, even though
she belongs to Ebenezer Lutheran
Church. Al faithfully attends the
Magnifiers’ concert and did a spritely
polka at our summer concert with
director Tim Wert’s wife, Karen. He’s a
spring chicken at 81 and Janet is 75.
All of their family went to Christmas
Eve service at the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Geneva. The language was
French. Al attended a German-language
service on Christmas morning.
Getting around smoothly in places
where other languages are spoken can
be a problem. one day in Montreux,
Janet bought a sandwich for Al, which
turned out to be foie gras on a sub roll.
In many places, foie gras, which is made
from goose liver, is not permitted, but it
is a delicacy in France. “I just gave it to
him and he ate it,” Janet recalls with a
laugh.
on a trip to Annecy, over the French
border, Janet bought nougat, a candy
which is made in huge blocks. “We
brought that home as gifts for friends,”
Janet says.
Getting to Switzerland is not a barrel
of laughs. Janet and Al took a flight
from Columbia to Dulles Airport near
Washington. They spent an entire day,
waiting for their connection.
Their daughter, Heather Whitson,
who joined them from Kentucky, still
uses a wheelchair, the result of a
botched operation on her leg two years
ago. She had a difficult time getting to
the restroom in the cramped aisle of the
airplane.
Heather had a big time, however.
There’s a fascinating photo of her next
to a St. Bernard at Gornegat, the town
near the Matterhorn.
Janet and Al don’t have much time to
recover from their trip. They’re taking a
two-week cruise in May around the
Baltic Sea. They will fly to Bergen,
Norway, and will visit oslo,
Copenhagen, Berlin, St. Petersburg and
other glittering cities. What a life!
Travel Toiletries Needed
The UMW is collecting toiletry items such as washcloths, shampoos, lotions, conditioners,
combs, brushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste to begin making care bags for the homeless. If
you have been anywhere and have any of these travel toiletries you would like to donate,
please bring them by the church office.
Page 2 ■ the MAINSTREAM ■ February 2015 ■
February
Birthdays
2/3
2/10
2/18
2/19
2/20
2/25
Will Freeman, Jr.
Adam Demars
Ruth Savinda
Dot Derrick
Frances Davis
Elizabeth Leverette
CDC NEWS
MAGNIFIERS By SCoTT CAIN
During the month of January
the children continued to
tend their vegetable garden,
however, we are sorry to
report that a few of our
plants didn't survive the cold
temperatures.
After a brief break, the senior choir has begun work on its
spring concert.
The children were very disappointed,
but we will try again in the spring with
tomato plants and green beans. Wish us
luck!
So to teach the children about new
beginnings, we celebrated the New
year with pretending to be animals that
hibernate and the preparations that they
must take before going to sleep and
awakening anew. To our surprise they
understood going to sleep and
awaking, feeling fresh and brand new.
our demonstration with the children,
was to awaken from a deep sleep and
growl like a hungry bear.
After our growling like a hungry
bear, we marched arm and arm to
celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday
and we celebrated the Chinese New
year, with making lanterns and sheep
masks. The children had a great time
opening fortune cookies and eating
Chinese rice at snack time. They loved
the cookies, but better luck with the
rice next time.
See you next month,
Ms. Margaret, the Children and the
Staff
The focus will be on spirituals and
our energetic director, Tim Wert, has
made his own arrangements for two
important selections. Is that impressive
or what?
one is an elaboration on “Let My
People Go,” a revered AfricanAmerican hymn.
The second is a lively medley built
around “Soon and Very Soon” and “The
Troubles of the World.”
To fill out the program, Tim is
considering other pieces and, happily,
the United Methodist Hymnal, known
around here as “The Red Book,” has an
abundance of suitable songs, including
“It’s Me, It’s Me, o Lord,” “’Tis the old
Ship of Zion,” “I’m Goin’ a Sing When
the Spirit Says Sing” and “Every Time I
Feel the Spirit.
There’s so much joyous material to
choose from that we are going to grieve
over the songs that are left out.
We have not yet settled on a date for
this concert. Please stay tuned.
our 2014 year-end concert, a spritely
cantata called “All over the World . . .
It’s Christmas,” was seen and heard
beyond Main Street Church.
We repeated the program before a
large and appreciative audience at
Sterling House, a swank retirement
home located off Harbison Boulevard.
Imagine our pleasant surprise to find
two of our favorite people in the
audience—Marjorie Eleazer and Bob
Gibson. Having them in the crowd
made the occasion an extra-special thrill
for us.
Main Street UMC & Child Development Center
2015 HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
New Year’s Holiday .....................................................................Wednesday, December 31
& Thursday, January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day......................................................Monday, January 19
President’s Day ............................................................................Monday, February 16
Good Friday ..................................................................................Friday, April 3
Easter Monday .............................................................................Monday, April 6
(CDC will be open)
Memorial Day...............................................................................Monday, May 25
Independence Day.....................................................................Friday, July 3
Labor Day ......................................................................................Monday, September 7
Columbus Day .............................................................................Monday, October 12
Veterans Day.................................................................................Wednesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Day .......................................................................Thursday, November 26
Day After Thanksgiving ............................................................Friday, November 27
Christmas Break...........................................................................Wednesday, December 23
Christmas Eve...............................................................................Thursday, December 24
Christmas ......................................................................................Friday, December 25
New Year’s Eve .............................................................................Thursday, December 31
New Year’s Break .........................................................................Friday, January 1
■ February 2015 ■ the MAINSTREAM ■ Page 3
the
MAINSTREAM
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Published monthly for the members and friends
of Main Street United Methodist Church
Publication Design/Layout: Nancy Bowie
Data Input: Gayle Hildreth
Editor: Mary Harris
Main Street United
Methodist Church
1830 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Telephone: (803) 779-0610
Fax: (803) 779-5838
Church School: 9:45 a.m.
Traditional Service: 11:00 a.m.
Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Robert H. Walker
Associate Pastor: Rev. Travis Pearson
Choir Director: Tamara Silva
Organist: Stephen Swicegood
Administrative Assistant: Gayle Hildreth
Financial Assistant: Dennis Parker
Child Care Center Director: Margaret Reid
MAR. ISSUE COPY DEADLINE FEB. 17
DISTRIBUTION DATE FEB. 26
BUDGET OFFERINGS & EXPENSES THROUGH DECEMBER 2014
Page 4 ■ the MAINSTREAM ■ February 2015 ■
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage Paid
Columbia, SC
Permit #730