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Capitol Area South District
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Merry Christmas to you and your families from the Capitol Area South
District Office
Weekly Updates, December 23, 2016
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A Bias Opinion
EMMANUEL
According to Matthew's story, God disrupted all creation as Emmanuel. God came to be with us in the midst of all the chaos and crisis, in the midst of the violence and pain, and in the midst of despair and grief. God came to be with us with true peace and love.
This year I am thinking about Christmas in a different way. I have read several local church invitations to Christmas Eve worship. All of them invite me and anyone who reads the invitation to experience Holy Communion, candle lighting, special music, and God's love with them at their place. It is wonderful to have such invitations. But, God came to us. God left God's place and came to our place.
I've been thinking, what would happen if we disrupted the community by leaving our places and going into the community to be with the people? What would happen if we took the love of God, the special music, the light of the world and became Holy Communion in the communities in which we live? God did not say "come to my place and I will give you peace." God came to us with shalom and agape.
I will attend Christmas Eve worship, and I'll be thinking of how over the next year you and I might disrupt our communities by bringing love and peace into every situation and circumstance we find ourselves. I'll sing the carols and listen to the music, but I will be thinking about how you and I can bring a kind, caring, encouraging word into our communities by being God's Word in the places we live, work, and play. I look forward to celebrating holy communion with God's people, but I will be thinking of how you and I might enter our communities, come along side of our neighbors, both friends and strangers, to include all people in God's love in Jesus. I will light a candle with all who gather to worship. I look forward to the symbolism of being a light in the darkness. But I will be thinking of how you and I might become part of the light of God's love that brings peace to our communities and goodwill to all people whether we like them or not.
I hope you will make Christmas Eve worship part of your Christmas practice on Saturday. I will be praying that your worship will be a true celebration of disrupting the world in which you live so that you might become more the person God created you to be. I'll be praying that your worship will lead you into the community with the God's peace and love.
O God, disrupt my peace so that I may experience your peace. By your grace fill me with so much of your shalom that I have to disrupt the world in which I live to share it in all places with all people. O come, O come, Emmanuel! God with us! Come!
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Let us remember in prayer those grieving the loss of their loved one, and remember in thanksgiving the life and ministry of:
LANCASTER: Martha L. Schaffer, age 88 of Lancaster, passed away Tuesday, December 13, 2016 in Lancaster with her family by her side. She was born April 15, 1928 in Bremen, Georgia, daughter of the late John R. and Lola G. (Posey) Boggs Sr. She was a retired school teacher; member of Sixth Avenue United Methodist Church and an accomplished poet who was recognized in the Who's Who in Poetry. She and her husband, the Rev. Oren D. Schaffer traveled on pilgrimages throughout the Holy Land and Europe. She was a gifted soprano. Martha dearly loved serving as a Methodist pastor's wife in churches throughout Ohio and in Massachusetts. Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with family. - Obituary
To send an online condolence and sign guestbook, please visit
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Health and Bedding Kits needed at UMCOR Sager Brown
Amy Fuselier, Director of UMCOR Sager Brown, sent the following message: "I would like to thank all of the many churches who responded to our call for cleaning buckets in September after the flooding. The response was overwhelming. Because of your generosity, we at UMCOR Sager Brown were able to replenish our inventory and prepare ourselves for the next request for assistance. I now come to you with a new request. Sager Brown is in need of health kits and bedding kits. Our inventory is not quite where we would like it be should we be called to respond to another disaster. In light of the on-going fires in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, I expect that requests for kits will soon occur. If you and your congregation are able to assist with this request, that would truly be a blessing."
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The IRS has set the standard mileage rate for business miles driven at 53.5 cents/mile ($0.535) effective January 1, 2017. This is a reduction of 0.5 cents/mile in 2016. Please note this on mileage reimbursement requests made for trips beginning in January.
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The Capitol Area South District Office will be closed December 23 -27, and Monday, January 2, 2017.
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A Message for Local Churches: Send Us Your Stories!
Every local church has stories to tell - stories of faith, of community, of sharing God's love with neighbors near and far. We want to help you tell those stories! Here at NewsNET, we are looking for stories with broad appeal (beyond individual congregations) that can inspire other churches across the West Ohio Conference (no fundraisers, please). You can send stories (and photos, if possible) to
mychurchstory@wocumc.org. Thank you, and we look forward to telling your stories!
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LEADERSHIP TRAINING DAY - GROVE CITY UMC
FEBRUARY 4, 2017 @ 8:30-12:30
Each year we have 350 - 400 people participate so you won't want to miss it! Hospitality starts at 8:30 am, and workshops will be offered from 9:15 am - 10:45 am and from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm. Watch for more details soon!
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The African Children's Choir
Friday, January 6th @ 7:00 pm
ETNA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
500 PIKE STREET, SW
ETNA, OHIO 43062
FREE ADMISSION
Featuring the amazing talents of children ages 7 to 12 from several African nations. The Choir is a Christian organization and one of its principles is "instilling Christian principles through teaching and leading by example."
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Immediate Job Opportunities In Our District
Coordinator of Children's Ministries
We are seeking a strong Christian leader who has passion for children and their families - a leader, who will build on the current foundation to strengthen our Children's
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Assistant for Children and Student Ministries
The Assistant for the Children and Student Ministries Pastor is responsible for assisting the Children and Student Ministry Pastor and volunteers in the administrative...
more
Director of Music
Alexandria UMC in Alexandria OH is seeking a Director of Music. This part-time paid position inc
ludes directing the Chancel Choir and Bell Choir (currently inactive),
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Church Accompanist
Alexandria UMC in Alexandria OH is seeking a Church Accompanist. This part-time
paid position includes playing both piano and organ during Sunday worship and other special music for a variety of special services...more
Director of Children's Ministries
Hilliard UMC has an immediate opening for a Director of Children's Ministry. We are looking for a strong leader that has a passion for children and their families...
more
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Desert Spirituality: Wisdom from the Ammas and Abbas
January 16 - February 24, 2017
Rev. Dr. Brenda K. Buckwell, Obl. OSB, Instructor
2 CEU's $300.00
Have you noticed we live in a new age of continuous change? The old saying "we've always done it that way" does not hold true in an age of disorientation when folks' fears guide thinking, doing, reacting, and relationships. The trouble I see with "always doing it that way" is that we only look back to recent history - we like things to stay the same with how we have experienced our past. This six week continuing education course brings wisdom from the ancient past into contemporary culture.
You are invited to join me in looking back to look forward by experiencing the wisdom of our ancient ancestors in faith, the Desert Mothers and Fathers. These every day, ordinary folks desired more than their contemporary society provided. They fled away from the temptations, the toils, and the terrors of urban living to search for an authentic experience of sole reliance upon God in the desert. Through this class participants will explore:
- Stability of heart in God while in the midst of the life's storms
- The wisdom of wasting time with God
- Spiritual Disciplines of Silence and Solitude
- Spiritual Disciplines of Connecting and Community
- Attributes of endurance and celebrations of joy
For complete information please visit here
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Visit our website to find:
Classifieds, Calendar, Resources and more!
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Please share these updates with others in your congregation!
If you have anything you would like to have shared or posted in our Newsletter, feel free to email your request to me by Wednesday at Noon.
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