August 2019 Newsletter

Note from the Pastor

Dear Church Family, I am sitting on a mountain top writing this letter. There is a stunning sunrise and a gentle breeze. I breathe in and am reminded of God’s creation. I am thankful for the gift of being in this place at this moment in time. I have sensed God all around. Where have you discovered God this summer? Sometimes we see God in the places we expect, but sometimes it is in the unexpected. This week I am with our outstanding adults and lively youth on the Mountain T.O.P. mission trip in the Tennessee Plateau. It is both a hard week and a great week. It is hard because it is hot and humid. I am asked to do work that puts me out of my comfort zone and I am on someone else’s schedule the whole time. It has been a great week because I get that it is hot and humid, I am asked to do work that puts me out of my comfort zone, and I am on someone else’s schedule the whole time. I see both sides of each of these items pushing me to be strong and discover newness deep inside myself.

Mountain T.O.P.’s scripture theme is “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. Everyday we had devotions and worship that helped us flush out this verse. This one sentence seems so simple, but if we are honest, it is not. Most of us allow the fear and dread of life to set our priorities or behavior. We fear other people – their actions, what they might say, or what they may do. We dread life some days – doing the things that are hard, working on broken relationships, or healing our own sinful ways. Fear and dread are often driving forces in our lives. But this scripture reminds us to be strong and bold.   Where is God calling you to be strong and bold? Where do you need to find your voice and speak up? This is not easy, but God does give us the opportunities. Where is God calling us as a church to be strong and bold? If you are like me, I see it in our mission and hospitality. We have three different mission trips happening within two weeks with over 70 people out in service in Tennessee, the Upper Peninsula, and Detroit. We are bold and strong in our mission work. There are countless examples of this throughout the year with summer lunches on Tuesday and Thursdays, monthly mission focus, ingathering of food, hosting medical clinics, etc…….. We are bold and strong in our hospitality. We welcome all people who enter our building and seek to be in ministry together. We take seriously the way we greet people on Sunday mornings.  Our parking lot is lined with basketball hoops that welcome people at all times of the day and we are continually looking into our community to see who are the marginalized and who does not have a voice or a place to worship.   As we find ways to be strong and bold as individuals and as a church, may we always remember that God will never forsake us. God is with us always. As I look back at this sunrise, I am reminded that the sun comes up each day, God’s love is there for us each day. God will give us the strength that we need to be strong and bold each and everyday. During this month of August may you look around and see God’s creation. May you find the Holy Spirit in powerful ways to give you courage for each day.   It is always an honor to be in ministry along side of each of you.

Love and Peace in Christ, Rev. Mary

Walking with Jesus Summer Worship Series August 4 The City of Capernaum, Luke 6:20-49, Walking with the hungry August 11 The City of Bethsaida, Matthew 14:13-21, Walking with the blessed August 18 On The Sea of Galilee, Matthew 14:22-36, Walking on water August 25 Through The Parables, Luke 10:25-37, Walking each day with Jesus This summer we will be dedicating our sermon series to "Walking With Jesus". We will do this literally and figuratively. Each week we will look at where Jesus walked and how we can walk with him in those spaces. We will also be tracking our steps to a healthier church. Did you know as a young Boy Jesus and his family walked from Nazareth to Jerusalem every year for the festivals? It is approximately 70 miles between the two cities. That's 140 miles round trip. We hope to make that same journey each week together! 140 miles is approximately 308,000 steps (1 mile - 2,200 steps). Over the course of the summer we hope to walk together as a church 3.388 Million steps.  Will you join us? We have set up a Google tracking sheet to track our progress. Whether you walk a few steps a day or are training for something special, track your steps and log them. Make your walking time a time of prayer and take in the glory that is God's creation. Grab a friend or two and go Walking With Jesus this summer. Here is the  link to the Google spreadsheet . Simply add your name to it and track your weekly steps (Sunday-Saturday). If you are having trouble with the spreadsheet, simply email your totals to Rev. Kenny ( kennywalkup@gmail.com ) each week.

Flip Flop Collection Also to go along with our “Walking with Jesus” summer sermon series, we will be collecting flip flops to take on our next mission trip to Liberia. Place donations in the suitcases under the altar tables in the sanctuary or Ignite service until September 1. All sizes are needed!

Start Your Day at the  Summer Café   All Summer Long! This summer, coffee and light refreshments will be served outside of Fellowship Hall at the  Summer Café  in Room 119 from 9:15 - 10:00 am. All are welcome in between the worship services! Please stop by and start your day by catching up with friends!

Mission of the Month: Liberia Sister Church: Bethlehem Temple John Dean Town Health Project

Our relationship with Liberia began in 2005 when we were first paired with our sister church, Bethlehem Temple, located in the St. John’s River District of Liberia, West Africa. This pairing was part of the UMC Detroit Conference’s covenant relationship with this extremely impoverished war stricken African country. Just recently, at the 2019 Michigan Annual Conference there was unanimous support to continue a covenant relationship with Liberia. Rev. Mary plans to travel to Liberia in February 2020 with a Michigan delegation led by the Bishop to further define this renewed covenant and visit mission projects. Bethlehem Temple- Our sister church is in a very remote bush area, difficult to get to, and often impossible to travel in and out of during the rainy season. We have supported the pastor and the people of the church in many ways throughout the years, but most significantly through the funding of their well in 2008.  They deeply value the prayers and assistance that we provide, and pray for us as well. We hope to continue to support our sister church through pastor salary support and school fees assistance for the children. John Dean Town Health Project - The JDT Health Project started in 2014 and consists of Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) training, clean water wells, latrines, health education, and immunizations for 18 villages. Much progress was accomplished through this project and safe deliveries now occur there regularly. Our continued support of the project and clinic helps ongoing TBA training and meetings, medication for patients, and clinic staff salary. Please keep our Liberian brothers and sisters in your prayers and prayerfully consider giving to the August Mission of the Month, Liberia.

Gretta Moffat Student Sponsorships In the fall of 2017, we began an ambitious effort to help the children of John Dean Town, Liberia go to school. We worked with Jerry Giah, the principal of Gretta Moffat School to pair up students with sponsor families from our church. For a small fee of $50, each sponsored student was able to get a new uniform and attend school for the year. In 2017 we sponsored 87 students, and in 2018 this increased to 95 students.  Since our student sponsorship program started, the attendance at the school has grown, retention rates have increased, and hope has been provided for children and their parents.  Two students graduated from 8 th grade at Gretta Moffat School in 2017, and this year four students are graduating. This is a wonderful accomplishment, but in order for these students to attend high school, they have to move to the city, find relatives or friends to live with, and pay the fees for high school. So, this year we would like to create a special scholarship fund to help Gretta Moffat students attend high school. It will be called the South Lyon FUMC Hope Scholarship Fund. We are so blessed to be part of such an important and meaningful partnership with Liberia.  If you would like to sponsor a Gretta Moffat student or renew a sponsorship for your Gretta Moffat student(s), please fill out a sponsorship form which can found on the kiosk or Ignite bulletin board. Please attach your $50 payment to the form and place in the offering plate or church office. If you would like to help fund the Hope Scholarship, please indicate the amount on the form.  The last day to turn in sponsorships is August 31. Please email Patti Yerke at pattijy@sbcglobal.net  if you have any questions.

Wednesday Women's Bible Study The Wednesday Women’s Bible Study will start up again on September 11, 2019. We meet in the Middle School classroom (rm 116) from 9:30-11 am. This year we will be looking at the apostle Paul. The only book you will need is your Bible. You might want to bring a pen or pencil if you care to take notes. I will have handouts. We will be reading parts of: The Acts of the Apostles, as well as those letters in the Bible written by Paul and those attributed to Paul. If you have any questions contact Jill Woodward at: 517-304-8791.

Bible Journaling: Living the Creative Life with God   We started the new year learning about a new spiritual discipline, Bible Journaling. We put it on hold for the summer, but I miss it. How about we gather for one day in August and reconnect with one anther and to God through Bible Journaling. What if you have never done Bible Journaling? No problem, come and learn a new way to pray. On August 13 at 10 am or 6 pm we will gather to be creative as we study and pray. All you need to start is either a Bible, a journaling Bible, a  Praise Book , a regular notebook, or a journal. A pen, colored pencils, or fancy makers will also help with this study. That’s it. You can choose to use a  regular Bible or select one made specifically for Bible journaling. A journaling Bible includes blank or lined space in the margins for you to make notes and to illustrate your faith, and some include blank pages so you can really let your faith shine through. I am personally using the Bible that I used in seminary. I no longer use it for research, so I am giving it new purpose. We will study a piece of scripture and start some creative journaling. Feel free to bring your friends. If you have any questions, contact Rev. Mary ( revmarymcinnes@att.net).

Upcoming Opportunities for Men • “First Saturday Breakfast” 7:30 - 9:00 am August 3rd in the Friendship Room: Join us for our annual report from the God’s Country mission team.

• Every Tuesday morning: devotion, prayer and breakfast 6:30 am in the Parlor •   The Tuesday night weekly study group is taking a summer break. We will resume in September with “A Road to Discipleship,” a 12-week Bible study prepared by staff members of our national organization of United Methodist Men.

•   Quarterly Euchre Tournament Friday, August 9 th 6:45 – 10:00 p.m. in the Friendship Room. Sign up on the kiosk or Ignite bulletin board for a fun evening of laughs, snacks and cheap prizes! $5/person.

Travel to the Holy Land November 11-19, 2020 Have you ever dreamed of traveling and seeing the places where Jesus was in ministry while he walked on this earth? This year as summer worship plans unfold, the focus is all about walking with Jesus through Israel. Once again, I found myself longing to actually go and put my feet on the ground in Israel, see the sights, smell the smells, and hear the sounds as a way to make the scriptures come even more alive. I contacted one of our church members, Ed McKenna who is a travel agent that plans these kinds of faith journeys. There are brochures available at the kiosk and an information meeting will be held on September 15th at 12:15 pm. I would love to travel there with our church family as we study scripture and experience the culture of the area as we spend 9 days sightseeing in places like Jaffa, Caesarea, Nazareth, Cana, Tiberias, Seas of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Golan Heights, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, just to name a few. Hope to travel to the Holy Land with you. - Rev. Mary ( revmarymcinnes@att.net)

Vacation Bible School 2019 CALLING ALL KIDS! TO MARS AND BEYOND! JULY 29-AUG 1 Ages 4-Fifth Grade 9am-Noon: Bible Stories, Crafts, Science Projects, Music and Outdoor Fun. REGISTER NOW  HERE  and tell all your friends! Adult and Teen Volunteers Needed! Sign up on the kiosk or the Ignite bulletin board. For more information contact Lynnette Conner (conner.lynnette@sbcglobal.net) or Erin Petricca (emtopharm@yahoo.com). Click here to see the flier

Summer Lunch Program Have you ever gone into the kitchen, maybe out of boredom or because there was a little tingle in your tummy, opened the refrigerator door and just stared at the contents? What to choose? So many options. What if you were genuinely hungry – but there was little or nothing inside? Food security is a real issue for some of our South Lyon neighbors, and that’s a greater concern in the summer for children who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year. For the 11 th year, FUMC is the host church for a summer lunch program that provides midday meals for children in economically challenged neighborhoods. Last year, with support from several local churches and businesses, about 2,600 lunches were served over the 11-week school recess. Most were distributed to children, but a few adults and seniors took part, too. The program is seeking support for this summer, in the form of gift cards to local groceries – Gordon’s, Busch’s, Meijer, Kroger and Walmart – and multi-pack fruit cups. You can drop gift cards into the offering plate or at the church office, and fruit cups can be left in the marked box in the lobby. There is no deadline. Contributions and donations are welcome throughout the summer, although the program will end Aug. 26. Volunteers also are sought. Sign up on the kiosk and someone will get back to you. Or just show up Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:45 am, starting June 18. We usually are done with food prep by noon, but some volunteers are asked to stay until 2 to help serve. For more information, contact Joanna Firestone at 313-605-5006, or joannafirestone@outlook.com .

Reduce, Reuse, & Reach Out Grocery Bags Who knew a cloth bag could do so much good? We now have SLFUMC reusable cloth grocery bags! They can hold more than paper or plastic bags, save the environment, and help our church reach out to our community. Please stop by the Summer Cafe or the church office and check out the new bags! They are available for $3/bag or $10/4 bags and all profits will be used to host our free community outreach events (Cool Yule, Spring Fling, etc.).  For more information contact Jen Denny ( jendenny@att.net ).

Summer Giving Summer is full of sun, fun, and vacationing and we’ve enjoyed following your adventures. However, our summer giving has taken a dip.  Our ministries continue and we are still trying to pay off $20K in snowplowing bills. We could really use your summer contributions and we even have new electronic ways we are piloting that will make recurring giving easy. Please donate either at church or via our website to catch up on your pledge or give a little more. If you want to help us pilot one of our new credit or debit card methods through our mobile app or texting, call the church office (248-437-0760) for more info and you can give from the convenience of your home or vacation destination. If you have any questions about the church finances, please contact Marci Ries, Finance Chair ( riesm@valassis.com ). Thank you!

Summer Special Music Do you sing or play an instrument? All are welcome to participate in the summer special music program by sharing your talents during worship. We are always looking for new people! A sign-up sheet is located on the kiosk. Participation in both the 8:15 and 10:00 services is encouraged, but you may sign up for only one of the services if necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact David Bassin ( drbassin@yahoo.com ).

Barbeque Bonanza Benefits Active Faith  11:30 – 2:00 Saturday, Sept 28 The South Lyon Pumpkinfest weekend is right around the corner. That means it’s time for our annual barbeque to benefit Active Faith!  The United Methodist Men are once again sponsoring the event but it will take everyone’s help to make it a success. Save the date and watch future announcements for more details and sign-up sheets.

Church News Paul Roe, father of Parker and McKenzi Roe, passed away on July 1st.

Click the link below to see this month's birthdays!  August 2019 Birthdays

Summer Worship Schedule (5/26-9/1) 8:15 am Daybreak in Sanctuary 9:45 am Ignite in Fellowship Hall 10:00 am Cornerstone in Sanctuary Summer Office Hours Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 3:30 pm Friday - closed

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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