October 2019 Newsletter

Note from the Pastor

Dear Church Family,  Part of our faith walk includes being a good steward of God’s blessings, our time, our talents, our worship, and our money. We often are uncomfortable talking about money at church but it is an important topic because money affects our heart. Whether we are in plenty or in want, money has a direct connection to our stress level, our anxiety, and the health of your relationships. It is no wonder, then, that Jesus talked about the relationship between our treasure and our hearts.  For a three-week period starting on October 13, we will look at the many ways that our treasure (time, energy, money) affects our spiritual and emotional lives. Join us in worship as we begin our new sermon series called Treasure. We will explore Matthew 6 and Jesus’ teachings on money, giving, worry, and more. We will be encouraged every day during those three weeks to name to God what treasures we are thankful for in our lives.   During the series we will have fun on a Road Rally (October 20) and enjoy a Celebration Brunch (October 27) with great food and music during the Sunday School hour.  At the end of the three weeks, we will have an opportunity to make personal commitments of our offerings to God through our church in the coming year. We will receive commitment cards in the mail, and cards will be available on Sunday mornings. We will bring these commitment cards to worship on our Celebration Sunday, October 27.  I hope that you’ll join us in the coming weeks as we look at Jesus’ teaching on how we can avoid some of the common pitfalls related to money and how we can give our lives and our treasure to God.  God has given us the treasure of one another, we are tied together by the bonds on our belief in Jesus Christ as a church family. I cannot wait to see the results on Celebration Sunday. These results will be what allows us to create a budget to live out the ministry that God has planned for our shared ministry. Together we are a treasure to God as we remain Christ focused, Spirit filled, and Mission driven.  Love and peace in Christ, Rev. Mary

Mission of the Month: Ministry Shares

This month the Mission and Finance team want to highlight Ministry Shares as one of the “Ties that Binds” us together as United Methodists. Ministry Shares are the funds needed to operate our Michigan Conference and to provide services to the local churches and their members. Ministry Shares are often considered our church’s “tithe” to the United Methodist Church. They are part of our first mile giving and to date we have paid 30% of what we owe for 2019. We are praying that generous giving this fall season will help us catch up! Through the Ministry Shares covenant, the people of the Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church connect together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Ministry Shares provide an opportunity to do together what no one person, church, mission and ministry project, district, or annual conference could do alone. It is an opportunity to multiply and share God’s gifts in the world. This connectional ministry is what makes United Methodists unique and has become a strong generous tradition. It takes our mission beyond the walls of our church and extends it to all our brothers and sisters who are affiliated under the United Methodist umbrella. Giving in this area is our primary responsibility before we undertake any other mission giving because these funds support the church itself. Without the church, we could not do the amazing work we do. Some of the specific programs that Ministry Shares support include: ·          Africa University – Supports the only United Methodist related degree-granting university on the continent of Africa. More ·          Black College Fund – Support for the 11 U.S. historically black colleges and universities supported by The United Methodist Church. More ·          Episcopal Fund – Provides support to the Bishops who oversee the United Methodist faith community. More ·          General Administration Fund – supports the critical administrative functions of the church. More ·          Interdenominational Cooperation Fund – works to promote the Christian faith through unity with other denominations.  More ·          Ministerial Education Fund – enables the church to recruit and educate ordained and licensed ministers and church leadership. More ·          World Service Fund – The World Service Fund is the essential core of our global outreach ministry, underwriting Christian mission around the world. More Methodism’s founder John Wesley said, " I look upon all the world as my parish ." Wesley reminded us that we are called to step out of our little corner of the world to spread the good news, transform hopelessness into hope, and help God’s children wherever they may be. It is through our Ministry Shares that we step out in faith as Methodists to make the world our parish. On kickoff Sunday, we celebrated being recognized as a Spotlight church! To qualify as a Spotlight church in the Michigan Conference, you must not only pay 100% of your ministry shares, but must also contribute to district, conference, international, & covenant partnership ministries.  What an honor and blessing to be part of this group.  Well done church!

Barbeque Bonanza Benefits Active Faith  Saturday, Sept 28 11:30 am – 2:00 pm in Fellowship Hall Join us for a wonderful lunch with three smoked meat options, potatoes, cole slaw, pumpkin pie and more! Tickets at the door: adults $10 and children under 12 are $5. See the sign-up sheets on the kiosk or contact Dave Smith at 520-668-7358 for more information. This event is our major fundraiser for Active Faith.

Pumpkinfest Parade Hydration Station - September 28 Invite your friends to quench their thirst at the South Lyon First UMC Hydration Station located in front of the church during the Pumpkinfest Parade on Saturday, September 28 th at 10:00 AM. We will be serving free lemonade or hot chocolate (depending on the weather) and spreading God’s love. Hope to see you there!

Heritage District Conference October 12  All clergy and laity are encouraged to attend our 2019 Heritage District Conference & Workshops.  Marshall UMC is the host church on October 12 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm with keynote speaker, Bishop David Bard. Choose to attend 6 different workshops led by area leaders. The registration fee is $10 and includes lunch.  Register online at shorturl.at/cuwFJ . For more information, see the flyer on the kiosk or Ignite bulletin board.

Women’s Book Club October 15 All women are invited! Each month offers a book title to read, with a discussion held on a Tuesday night at 6:30 pm. We will gather in the Hart Chapel. Bring your favorite tea or coffee, your book, and an open mind and heart for a time of sharing and discovery.  Upcoming selections to begin reading now and discuss on the date below:     October 15  The Power of Giving  by Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon         The Power of Giving   provides a wealth of down-to-earth ideas, exercises, and real-life stories that reveal to each reader the unique gifts she has to give - including kindness, ideas, advice, attention, hope, and more and the many ways you can benefit from giving them, from better health to better job prospects.  November 19   Book to be determined….any suggestions?   Inspired   by Rachel Held Evans,  Be Bold  by Rachel Billups,  Messy People  by Jennifer Cowart,  Black and White   by Teesha Hadra,  Holy Envy  by Barbara Brown Tayor,  Almost Everything   by Anne Lamott, or what is on your reading list? See you on Tuesdays!

Cass United Methodist Church Youth Room   Late last year, 5 members of our church went to visit Cass United Methodist Church in Detroit to see how we could support and help the church. We turned and twisted through the church and tucked way in the corner of the basement was what they called a youth room. There were cots and chairs piled everywhere, a broken air hockey table, a floor that was peeling and the art on the walls was crooked and stained... My heart knew these kids needed a refreshed space. A place they could safely and comfortably hear God’s stories and learn more about all the love He has for them. We came back to South Lyon, reached out to the youth, the men’s group and eventually our entire church for help. We reached out to “Bee Kind”. Some of you painted, some built things, others donated every art supply, bean bag, furniture, rug, curtain, book, toy and TV. And so many of you prayed! There were jumps and hurdles to overcome with schedules and asbestos in the flooring, but by the end of August the room was finally put together. It still has a few finishing touches that need to be made but overall it’s ready for the kids to enjoy. Sunday September 1 st the room was blessed by Pastor Jon Reynolds and the kids were able to have Sunday School in a safe and comfortable space. A space with enough room for them all to play. A space where today they learned about peace. A space they will be able to enjoy a VBS in 2020! You can just feel God smiling on South Lyon First United Methodist Church. The impact that this project has made in our backyard is immeasurable. Thank you all for your physical, financial, and spiritual support.  Jessica Mytty Mission Team Co-Chair

Mission Giving Thanks Every month the Mission Team makes a pulpit appeal for the “Mission of the Month.”  Congregants give generously to Second Mile Giving which is above and beyond our First Mile Giving to our South Lyon Church and Ministry Shares. As church members you do not always see the results of your giving.  Here is a summary of the last three months. In June you provided $2,373 to the Flint Water Crisis to the Flint Bethel United Methodist Church. In July you provided $2,066 to the God’s Country Cooperative Parish in the Upper Peninsula. The August appeal for Liberia raised $1,699. The Mission Team appreciates your support!

Upcoming Opportunities for Men • Every Tuesday morning: devotion, prayer and breakfast 6:30 am in the Parlor

•   The Tuesday night weekly study group resumes on September 10 th 7:30 – 8:30 in the parlor. We will travel “A Road to Discipleship,” a 12-week Bible study prepared by staff members of our national organization of United Methodist Men. Each lesson stands alone, so drop in when convenient! •   We lead the all-church BBQ Bonanza on Saturday, September 28 th . See article elsewhere in newsletter for details. • “First Saturday Breakfast” on October 5th will feature Joanna Firestone who will speak about the summer lunch & backpack program. November 2nd will feature Kendi Holcomb-Densmore.

ALICE Training - October 13 Church Safety Does your heart ache from the frequent news of mass shootings? Have you ever wondered about safety plans in our church? As part of a holistic look at all manner of emergencies, FUMC has adopted the nationally-respected ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Institute protocols to minimize an act of violence. We chose this program because it is already implemented by our school district, many other local churches and supports commonality for our police, fire and EMS responders. Throughout this year FUMC will be offering periodic updates on our safety plans and opportunities for awareness and training. On October 13th from 1:00 to 5:00 the South Lyon Police Department will teach a fundamentals of ALICE class for our staff and congregation in the Friendship Room. To participate, please sign up on the kiosk or Ignite bulletin board. If you have any questions or would like to know more please talk to Darren Klemens ( djksapper@aol.com ).

Family Bowling Night – September 29 & October 27 Our first family bowling night of the year will be Sunday, September 29 at PINZ. All ages are welcome to participate! Bowling begins promptly at 6:30 pm, so arrive early. The cost is $12 per person and includes three games of bowling and shoes (if needed). This will be a 9-pin no tap (9 pins are a strike), drop in, open bowling night. The October bowling will be Sunday, October 27. Contact Mike Orient for more info (313-730-0610).

Road Rally – October 20 We will be spending a lot of October in our “Treasure” stewardship series. As part of the series, the Stewardship Team will be hosting a Road Rally/Treasure Hunt! The road rally will take place on Sunday, October 20 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Participants will begin at the church and each carload will decode clues around the South Lyon area and then take pictures to document their route. At the end of the road rally we will have dinner together in Fellowship Hall, hosted by the Stewardship Team. It will be super fun and appropriate for all ages! To participate, sign up on the kiosk or Ignite bulletin board. For more information contact Michelle Walkup ( walkupm@sbcglobal.net ).

Freely Give The Finance Team has been hard at work this summer testing and launching new ways to make giving safe, easy, and convenient for you.    We now offer: Online Giving through the church website (checking, savings, credit, or debit) Mobile App: Download GivePlus Church app for ios or Android (checking, savings, credit, or debit)  Text to Give: 855-947-0586. Text the amount you would like to contribute followed by the fund code (oper, mom, ymt, misc) Credit/Debit Card Swiper: great for fundraisers   You can use these giving options to set up your monthly tithe or to contribute one time to a fundraiser or pay for an event. You can give from the convenience of your home or vacation destination by computer or phone. If you want to try one of our new giving methods and have any questions, visit the church website ( southlyonfirstumc.org  and click the "GIVING" tab) or call the church office (248-437-0760). If you have any questions about the church finances, please contact Marci Ries, Finance Chair ( riesm@valassis.com ).

Fall Work Day – October 26 The Trustees will be hosting a fall clean-up day for the church grounds on Saturday, October 26 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Workers are needed to help clean up gardens & grounds for the approaching winter. To volunteer, sign up on the kiosk or the Ignite bulletin board. Contact Jim Elliott ( jimrelliott1939@gmail.com ) for more information.

If you pack lunches for your school-aged child, you can plan on about 180 a year, or 2,340 from kindergarten through high school. And while that sounds like a lot of PB&J, apples, chips and such, it’s not even close to what came out of the South Lyon First United Methodist Church kitchen this summer. Over the 11-week school break, volunteers made and delivered 3,519 lunches for children in three of our community’s most economically challenged neighborhoods. That was an increase of more than 1,000 from 2018. This year, for the first time in the program’s 11-year history, every child who came for a lunch received a weekly bag of groceries from Blessings in a Backpack. This undertaking was accomplished thanks to the support of this congregation, and members of our next door neighbors at St. Joe’s, school teachers and staff, civic groups, teenagers from the South Lyon and South Lyon East National Honor Society and athletic teams who volunteered their resources and precious summer time to help others. Some gave their hands and feet, some offered prayers, others supported the program financially. In so doing, we live out our commitment as United Methodists, to give our prayers, presence, gifts and service in pursuit of the model set by Jesus Christ.

Click the link below to see this month's birthdays!  October Birthdays

Fall Worship Schedule 8:15 am Daybreak in Sanctuary 9:30 am Sunday School for all ages 10:45 am Ignite in Fellowship Hall 11:00 am Cornerstone in Sanctuary Office Hours Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 3:30pm Closed Fridays

Check out our website  or our live calendar for more information about our church or any of these programs! Do you prefer a printed copy of our newsletter? Hard copies are available on the kiosk in the lobby! Newsletter is edited by Lori Penndorf ( lpenndorf@sbcglobal.net )

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