Church History 2003 - 2008

 

Since our groundbreaking in the year of our Lord 2003, many missions and ministries have birthed and grown to maturity. A listing of those that started these services will help in our everyday calling as Gods’ family as we seek to continue to gown in His grace.

 

Sundays find us worshipping in three different modes with 8:00 a.m. being a weekly communion blended style of worship. Our Lay Leaders and Administrative Assistant with our Liturgist and Organist lead the hour. In our new facility, the sound room is an active part of our worship. Mrs. Carol Stroub ministers there. The doors are always open and everything ready to worship by Mr. John Jones. Our appointed Senior Pastor rotates

each Sunday, with four other leaders of our congregation sharing the three Sunday Sermons preaching schedule. They are Rev. Tony Matthews, Rev. Bob Weimert, Mrs. Sherri Woodstuff and Mrs. Bonnie Russell. On the fifth Sunday, Mr. Don Holsipple joins the team and Mrs. Debbie Wright fills in during the year as needed. These six individuals meet monthly with our Senior Minister this group is called the CLOMS. (Certified Lay and Ordained Ministers.)

 

The 9:30 a.m. service begins our Contemporary style of worship. Over the years, we have had many leading the worship. Presently Mr. Mike Kirk, Mrs. Debbie Wright, Ms. Michelle McClain and Ms. Rachel O’Brien, join the Pastor to lead this service. Most of our young families attend this weekly worship. There is always a children’s time in the service and then they are dismissed to Sunday school. Mrs. Lija Kirk and Mrs. Nancy Fulford share this children’s class. On the first Sunday of the month all share communion and then the children go to their classes. Mrs. Leslie Risley and Mrs. Betty Perlmutter serve communion at the 9:30 hour, while Pastor Bob anoints those with oil at the altar for healing. We have quarterly rotating teams that set the communion for 8:00 (Mr. & Mrs. Jim Bell, Mr. & Mrs. Bill Fagan, Mr. & Mrs. Pat Anguilio and Carol Crandall. Mr. Carroll Meredith and his mother Juanita Meredith set the communion for the 11:00 a.m. service.

 

Since we use the screen and sound system more fully at the 9:30 service, we have more activity there at 9:30. Mr. John Jones, Mr. Mike McClain, Mr. Travis Peebles. At 11:00 Mr. Ralph Levatino and Mr. Tom Laccone lead. Mr. Ralph Levatino and others have been a great help running the sound booth for Chairman John Jones for various weekly activities such as funerals and weddings.

 

At 11:00, our Liturgist, Choir Director Mr. Cory Stroup our church choir, and organist join our Pastor and worship leaders to lead us in our more traditional worship. The Pastors a robe at the 8 and 11:00 a.m. worship services. Mrs. Doris Burch sets our weekly liturgist and helps set our Psalter and sets the stewards for communion on Sunday, while our choir director sets our hymns. Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur Heath lead our weekly ushers for this service and combine with Mr. & Mrs. Hannington to lead the users for the 8:00 a.m service. Each Sunday at 11:00, Mrs. Patti Purvis rotates with Mrs. Sharon Gane as our worship leaders.

 

Our office is open Monday thru Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m... Sharon Gane continues to lead our Staff as our Administrative Assistant. Mrs. Lin Roosa is our secretary working, Tuesday thru Thursday and Mrs. Grace Burks works Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday as our Bookkeeper.

 

Through the week, Mr. John Jones serves on our Staff as our Facility manager and takes care of variety church needs. Rev. Bob Weimert has been our Visitation Pastor for some years now and continues to bless so many in his ministry. Pastor Eddie and Pastor Bob try to rotate days where they visit the hospitals, rehabs, and nursing homes. Mrs. Debbi Wright has felt a calling to volunteer in this ministry as well and helps tremendously in visitation. For 2008 as a trial program Mrs. Debbie Wright joins our staff as a Lay Visitor. Pastor Bob has moved to fill in as Pastor to Rainbow Lakes United Methodist Church. 

 

In our present calendar, Mrs. Carol Stroub leads a “Disciple” class each Monday afternoon. She has lead these series of classes that are approved by the United Methodist Church, a number of different times for our congregation. Disciple 1,2,3,4 is all in depth studies that encourage almost a year-long endeavor into the scriptures. Each Monday evening Mr. Al Martinez leads a Bible Study open to all as a verse-by-verse Bible study. On Tuesday mornings, Mrs. Barbara Keller rotates with Rev. Bob Weimert for a Bible Study and each Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m., Mr. Bob Wood leads a Bible Study (Spirit Builders) open to all. These two studies are in our Friendship Hall. Quarterly, Pastor Eddie shares for a month on different Biblical topics. Each Tuesday evening after Spirit Builders finds us usually in one of our Administrative Board meetings. Quarterly, our Youth Council meets on the first Tuesday of the month. Each month our Trustees meet on the Second Tuesday, third Tuesday is the Finance meeting. The last Tuesday has the Administrative Board meeting one month and the alternate month on the last Tuesday is our Council on Ministry meeting. We have great plans for 2008 as Mrs. Linda Jones become our new Council on Ministries Chairperson.

 

Wednesdays at noon and Saturdays at noon, we host the AA program that was started as a ministry here by Mr. Fred Ashmead. There is usually a day-long process on Wednesday in preparation for our evening family dinner. Mrs. Nancy Fulford has been leading this ministry for many years. The meal has grown from a dinner to help those in ministry on Wednesday nights such as to Choir and other programs, to a weekly fellowship time for an average of 125 to 175 people. Her son John and daughter Emily and a wonderful group of volunteers join Nancy. The meal is offered weekly at no charge, even though there is an offering during the weekly worship service. We cannot list all the names of those that help make this family time come together, but we do offer our deep appreciation to Nancy and to Mr. Howard Carpenter and those who assist him in cleaning up the kitchen each Wednesday night. Mr. Carpenter is also our Finance Secretary and leads our counting team of Mrs. Leslie Risley and Mr. Earl Decker, who meet each Tuesday for hours upon hours to take care of our weekly offerings.

 

The meal is shared at 5:30 p.m. and then the children, youth, and nursery are dismissed for their programs at 6:00 p.m. Our Lay Leader, Mrs. Sherri Woodstuff, and Mr. Don Holsipple leading our singing with Mrs. Joyce Gabel our pianist lead the adults in worship. We rotate our speakers weekly with our certified Lay Speakers, retired ministers, our Parrish Nurse, Mrs. Joey Weisbaum, and our Home Fellowship groups. Communion is set for us under Mrs. Doris Burch every six weeks. Pastor Eddie now leads a Parenting Class at this hour on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. At the present time Mrs. Debbi Wright and Mr. & Mrs. Travis Peebles lead our youth. Mrs. Dana Matthews takes charge of our children’s ministry and Mrs., Millie Porter in charge of our nursery. Our Staff for our nursery is led by Mrs. Judy Roseski and assisted by Mrs. Millie Porter.

 

Following the worship service, our Chancel Choir meets with our Director Mr. Corey Stroup and Mrs. Joyce Gabel. We now have a Handbell Choir also meeting for practice every Monday evening under the direction of Mrs. Marilyn Holsipple. We have a beautiful selection of Bells given to us by Mrs. Kathy Klein in memory of her deceased husband.

 

In the prayer Chapel on Wednesday nights, our Prayer Box Ministry team meets for prayer. This is open to all that would like to join. Mr. Charlie Skinner is our present Chairman for this prayer group. Prayer boxes have been placed throughout the community in businesses and are checked weekly to be prayed for. Our church secretary combines these requests and adds the prayer card needs that came in each Sunday through our offering plates. These combined needs for the month are typed out and placed in the Chapel for our church to pray.

 

We have seen a mighty out pouring of prayers answered in our church and we praise our Lord for this. We have now branched out to a time on the first Sunday of each month to have anointing oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit on these communion Sundays. Mr. Don Holsipple and Mr. Fred Kingery are leading these individuals to bless our entire congregation believing in God’s healing grace. We have already witnessed this with our Home Fellowship Group leading on several Wednesday nights and communion Sundays. Presently, we have a committee meeting to cover this new ministry of healing comprised of, Mr. Fred Kingery, Mr. Don Holsipple, Mrs. Lorna Gillespi, Mrs. Georgia Law, Mrs. Beverly Snyder, and Mrs. Linda Reynolds. Mrs. Reynolds has taken the worship lead of the Wednesday night prayer chapel ministry.

 

There is a group of men that meet under the direction of our Trustees and Men’s leadership on Thursday mornings to do any work needed around our facility. One area for future ministry they are working on is preparing a, “Prayer Walk Garden,” directly behind our west parking lot, located in this area is our, “Liberty Tree,” dedicated Labor Day Sunday 2007. We also have a group of men’s fellowship that meet each Thursday at noon and on the last Thursday of the month they eat chicken at the church and Pastor Eddie gives devotion. The men’s ministry is under the direction of an executive committee that meets quarterly. One group that meets every other Monday morning is called “Men on a Mission” There outreach project is the Backpack ministry where they share with other churches programs in the community to help feed hungry children on the weekend.

 

Our United Methodist Women’s program has been under the leadership of Mrs. Pat Vitek for past three years. Mrs. Laura Rutkowski was has been our Fall Festival Chairperson for the last couple of years will become the new United Methodist Women’s president. Presently, we have three women Circles, Naomi, Ruth, and Virginia that meet monthly. They are under the UMW executive committee. Events for all women are planned periodically. The outreach and mission giving of these women continues to be one of the strongest and most crucial ministries in our church family as well as the entire United Methodist Church connections.

 

Our facility is host for a number of ministries and programs throughout the year. These range from High School testing, Baccalaureate, line dancing on Tuesday, Square Dancing on Thursdays, AA group, Kiwanis Health Fair, etc. All programs fall under the Direction of the Trustees, who relate directly to the Administrative Board. To be on the agenda, please call the church office in advance of the regular scheduled meetings.

 

Sunday school is a major area of our growth as disciples of Jesus church. Mrs. Judy Capone is our Sunday School Superintendent. We have three adult classes at 9:30 a.m. under the leadership of Mr. Al Martinez, Mr. Bob Wood, and Mr. Tony Matthews (his class has a shared teaching scheduled.) Mrs. Lija Kirk and Mrs Nancy Fulford lead our children’s class at 9:30 a.m. as well. At 11:00, Mr. Mike Kirk leads a youth class and Mr. Bill Gaunt directs an adult class. The children are allowed at this time to work on our computer lab under the direction of Mrs. Irene Bruch.

 

We are in our second year of “Home Fellowship Ministry.” Over ten groups are meeting in homes throughout the month encouraging discipleship with a family atmosphere. Our church is thankful to Mr. Fred Kingery who brought this program to us and operates under a steering committee.  

 

Mr. David Priest is serving us this year with his wife Nancy in preparing our bi-monthly newsletter, “The Candle” David also changes our marquee sign on Highway 40 and gives us Christian inspiration in the thoughts he post.

 

Over the past few years we have had wonderful Evangelist, such as John Barret, Mr. John Riley, Dr. Chic Shavor and Rev. Charles Kinder, Mr. & Mrs. Joe Farley have chaired our Evangelism committee and done a tremendous job. Mr. Don Holsipple begins this Chair in 2008.

 

Mrs. Betty Ashmead is serving our church as our New Member Chairperson and putting together classes for new members three times a year. We welcome these new members with packets of information and a hand made wooden cross-built by Mr. Bob Burks, as of 2008 Bob has made over 600 crosses. There is a new member dinner each Fall. This process is a regular activity, we deeply appreciate the hard work here, and other areas of ministry noted.

 

Mrs. Leslie Risley continues to relay called in prayer requests on our e-mail prayer chain. She also leads, our volunteers to help families for support around funeral, or a stay in the hospital, we try to provide a meal or coffee/cake after a funeral service.

 

This coming January, we will host our second talent show evening. Mrs. Carol Crandall leads us in this event, which was a tremendous success in the past.

 

Our vision for our Youth has grown over the years. Our Directors since we have moved into our new facility have been, Amanda Fulford, Matthew Eldridge, Mike Kirk, Debbie Wright, Joy, and Travis Peebles. We bought the Vocational-Tech portable from the Marion Country School District for about $1,000.00 in 2004 and moved it on to our property. The cost of moving was approximately $17,000.00. A tremendous amount of work has gone into this building by so many, such as John Jones, Bob Burks our Directors and John Woodstuff installing the air conditioning and so many others.

 

It is presently used weekly for Sunday school and Wednesday for Youth programs. It contains a pool table, ping-pong table, refrigerator, microwave, meeting room, stage setup by Coach Jones and an incredible sound system/computer set up by Travis Peebles. We average 10-20 youth on any given Wednesday. We do want to give thanks to the many sponsors that have faithfully given $10, $20, $50 a month for the past couple of years to our youth ministry. We hope someday set up to have other youth groups to come and camp out at our facility. They could float down the Rainbow River and join us for worship on Sunday mornings.

 

Mrs. Joey Weisbaum was consecrated by our church a few years ago as our, Parish Nurse.” Her ministry, while she is still a full-time Hospice Nurse, is to provide regular education on medical and spiritual health. She usually takes one Wednesday night service per month and leads the program. Joey has also offered us a flu-shot clinic, blood mobile opportunities, seminars, etc. She is always on call to help us in our needs.

 

Mrs. Jackie Adley is the present Chairperson of our K.F.C. program. The “Klowns for Christ” share with our congregation the last Sunday of each month. They are also in ministry in and around our community for various events. Mrs. Lois Hill started this program for us 7 years ago.

 

We have been so blessed over the years during our Fall Festival. We started this program, which among many activities would always have a major “Flea Market Sale” Different ones have worked so hard on these events that have included “Pumpkin Patch” Jubilee Days, Craft Sales, Children’s games, and ride etc. We started these events in 1997 to help raise funds for our future building which we reside in now.       

 

Each Christmas and sometimes, at Easter, as well, our Chancel Choir gives us a wonderful Cantata and our Praise Team offers special music for these High Holy Days. On the Cantata Sunday Mrs. Nancy Fulford blesses the congregation by offering a “Sunday Christmas Bruch” to all from the Fulford family. She feels it is the Pastor’s family way of giving back. There is usually “semi” cinnamon rolls, egg and sausage dishes, rolls, fruit salad and starbucks coffee. Mrs. Tiny Weimert has blessed us as well providing biscuits and jelly.   

 

During the school season, Mrs. Ellen Zink has offered us on the last Sunday of the month our “Java Jabber Hours.” She, assisted by a few others, offers tons of cookies, coffee, and hot chocolate from 10:30 to 11:15 for fellowship and goodies.

 

Bob Wood, Jr. brought to our attention four years ago the great need we, as Christians have to give to the mission needs of our world. Before this, Mrs. Flo Pohlman led us each year in many wonderful mission opportunities. Now we offer the congregation a “Faith Promise: that as we seek God to give us resources to mission, we will in turn give to him.

 

We now call this program, “Mission Promise” Our church for the last few years, to lead us in this endeavor, has been Mr. Al Martinez. We support the Honduras Mission, African Mission, and Rural Missions in USA. We also, through our church giving support the Gideon Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, and FCA mission. For 2008 our Mission Promise is $50,000 plus. We also support all of our United Methodist Mission responsibilities at 100%. We gave $30,000.00 plus to these missions in 2007.  

 

We are so thankful for those that have worked so hard over the years to continue to fill service positions. We cannot even begin to express our appreciation for C.A. Dinkins, III who continues to serve our Lord faithfully as Treasurer.

 

Mr. Carrol Meredith continues to do an outstanding job in leading our Administrative Board as well as visiting our Administrative Committees to keep in touch with all the ministry of the church.

 

Mr. Tom Laccone has truly helped bring us into the media age. His constant improvements and creative expertise in our computer technology, www.sharinggodslight.org in constantly updating to keep us abreast of the many activities at FUMC you can find Tom, his wife Aprille, Carroll, (mentioned above) Howard Carpenter and many other volunteers, their “hands on” ministry in our kitchen on Wednesday night.

 

Mrs. Linda Jones has accepted the Chair of our new Council on Ministry. They meet the 1^st Tuesday evening of every month. This group involves all ministry Chairs. As we plan for the immediate future and long range goals, we have decided that all ministries will flow through this agency for direction and guidance. Their most recent endeavor was “March Madness” where we gave $20.00 sack lunches to those who came the first two Sundays in March 2008 as guests not having a church home. “Great Success!”

 

In March of 2008 we started a new children’s Sunday school at 11:00 a.m., under our Superintendent Mrs. Judy Capone volunteers will staff this new and exciting ministry as we continue to grow and expand.  We offer as special thanks to Mrs. Dolores Gaitanis for taking over our children’s ministries heading into 2009. Our vision for “Sharing God’s Light” continues to blossom. Amen.