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Sunday School Opportunities
- Nursery Care & Preschool Sunday School (up to age 5), during worship in Room 8.
- Sunday School activities for all ages in the Gathering Area and Chapel, 9:30 am to 10:30 am. Stay as long as you’d like after the first service or come a little early to the second service. Bible story at 10:00 am.
- Adult Sunday School opportunities are listed on the church calendar/website.
- Bring your favorite stuffed animal friend to church.
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Worship at Crystal Park UMC
Traditional Worship at 11:00 am
2219 Mahoning Rd NE, Canton, 44705
Preacher: Rev. Paul White
Sermon: What am I?
Scripture: I Peter 2:2-10
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Wednesday Dinner Worship May 10
All of Us: Community Reflections
Join us for an evening of fun, food, faith
and fellowship 5:45-6:30 pm
- Come meet Pastor Thom Kalb.
- Butterfly Night. Come learn why the butterfly is a symbol of our faith.
- May 17: Last Wednesday Dinner Worship for spring. Come celebrate Pastor Steve.
Leave the cooking to us and enjoy a great meal and mid-week worship! We strive to serve healthy adult and kid-friendly, gluten-free, low carb, and peanut/tree nut free options each week. A great time to connect with others. Groups and activities for adults, youth and kids follow worship. Childcare where little ones learn about God is available during adult groups.
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Welcome to our new
Administrative Assistant...Deb Stimer
Deb earned an Associate Degree in Business Management from The University of Akron. She has been in various, administrative assistant positions for over 30 years. Deb was a dance mom for 18 years. Her daughter began competitive dance at the age of 10, and she enjoyed attending the competitions and seeing her daughter perform. Deb also has two grandsons she adores. In her spare time, she likes to garden, spend time with family and friends, and lounge in her brother’s pool. She is looking forward to being a part of the staff at Faith United.
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Faith United’s Spring 2023
Environmental Speaker Series
Faith and the Environment?
A total mismatch or not?
Come dialog with local experts:
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May 10 – Stark, Tuscarawas, Wayne Recycling District - Wendy Bullock will address importance of recycling, what can and cannot be recycled and where to recycle various items.
Program begins at 6:30 pm, but come join us first for
Wednesday dinner at 5:45 pm
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New Member Sunday will be Sunday May 14.
If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about church membership, contact Pastor Steve, Pastor Jake, or Kathy Schmucker.
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Safe Sanctuary Orientation & Renewal
The next opportunity for Safe Sanctuary Orientation will be Thursday, May 18, at 7:00pm via Zoom. If it has been a year since you last attended and/or you are interested in serving with children, youth and vulnerable adults, please be sure to attend. Please contact Kathy Schmucker or a member of the Safe Sanctuary ministry group to participate.
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High School and College Graduates
Graduation Sunday at Faith United will be May 21 during the 10:30 am worship service. We want to recognize and celebrate all students! If someone in your family is graduating from high school, please contact Matt Kluchar at 330.727.1647 or mkluchar@faithumchurch.org . If someone in your family is graduating from college or earned a graduate degree either this past December or will do so this spring, please contact Kathy Schmucker at 330.224.6138 or kschmucker@faithumchurch.org.
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Adult Connect Groups
Spring and summer groups are now forming!
Contact Kathy Schmucker for information on
starting or participating in an adult group.
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The Book of ACTS - Monday Night Bible Study at 6:30pm, Robinson Hall and Zoom. Facilitator: Ron Luikart.
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Summer Women’s Group - Beginning Wednesday May 3rd, we are meeting at Price Park on Wednesdays at 1:00pm to have a sack lunch, devotions and walk the track. All are welcome! Facilitators: Sue Bell and Sue Schillings.
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Second Wind: A Seniors and Retirees Fellowship Group, Tuesday, May 9 at 1:00pm. "It’s a Bird!" Award winning bird photographs and dulcimer music. RSVP to Betsy Douce by May 7. Coordinator: Joanne Fox
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Sewing for Missions, Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30 pm. Coordinator: Sue Bell.
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After Dinner Table Talk, Wednesdays, 6:30pm, Room 3
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Faith 101, Wednesdays at 6:30pm, following Wednesday Dinner Worship. Whether you are new to Faith United or you have been here for a while, this class is a way to rediscover the wonder and power of the Christian faith; the mission, history, and theology of the United Methodist Church; and the unique expression of both at Faith United.
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Prayer Shawl Ministry, Thursdays, 1:00pm, Coordinator: Mike Flechtner, Parlor
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Theology for Our Times, Fridays, 1:00pm, Coordinator: Tom Strauch, Zoom
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Resilient, Men's Life Study, Saturday, May 6 & 20, 8:00am Beyesly's Restaurant, Jim Skinner
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Common Ground - Mom's Group, 9:45-10:25am, Sundays, Coordinators: Rebekah Heskett and Bethany Sedziol, Nursery
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Through the Year with John Wesley - Text group with Pastor Steve & Pastor Jake
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Fellowship of Love - Thursday, May 18 at 7:00pm. Fellowship of Love would like to invite the church to hear Pastor Jake speak about his pilgrimage to explore the journeys of Paul. Please join us for an evening of fellowship and interesting travel in the Church Chapel. Everyone is welcome!
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Family Meet Up Group - Thursday, June 1 at 6:30pm. Families are invited to the church for an evening of summer games, fun, and a service project. Bring a snack and gather in the church pavilion. Coordinator: Amanda DeFays.
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Click here or scan for more details about all the group opportunities and programs happening at Faith United.
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Let’s show families that kids matter at Faith United and make this the best summer ever for kids in our congregation and community! Plans are now underway to prepare for VBS and Camp Read-A-Lot. To make these summer ministries a great experience for kids and families in our community, we need you! Please prayerfully consider how God is calling you to be involved at Faith United this summer.
To help us in our planning please complete this survey.
Contact Kathy Schmucker or Sandy Vaughn for more information.
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Faith United welcomes children of all ages in worship. Our worship experience is enriched as we gather together to experience and praise God.
Sunday School activities with Bible stories are in the Gathering Area between worship services on Sunday mornings, 9:30am-10:30am. Bible story shared at 10:00 am.
Celebrate Wonder home activities are available in the weekly worship emails for Nursery-5th Grade. Pick 1-2 activities to do and learn and wonder about God together. View each week's Bible story and music videos on Amplify Media.
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Wednesday Wonder Kids
Grades K-5 gather from 6:30-7:30pm following dinner and worship to learn about faith through games, Bible stories, activities, service and mission projects and worship experiences! Elementary age kids will be exploring the meaning and significance of The Lord’s Prayer through story and art.
Our annual Butterfly Raising Project begins in May! We anticipate the caterpillars being ready for pick up on Wednesday, May 10. Join us on May 10 for a special evening with Pastor Thom, our soon to be senior pastor, and to learn why butterflies are symbol of Christianity! Contact Kathy Schmucker for more information and to reserve a set of caterpillars for your family!
Little Wonders, up to age 5, learn about God in a loving, caring environment.
Contacts: Kathy Schmucker, Kristin Krach, Bethany Sedziol, Rebekah Heskett.
Sing-along choir for preschool and elementary students occurs Wednesdays at 5:00pm. Toddlers can join in for the last 15 minutes. Come sing, play instruments, make a joyful noise for the Lord! Contact Sandy Wallace for details.
May 10: Join us at 5:00pm to learn a special song for Pastor Steve.
May 17: Join us at 5:30pm to practice and then sing during Wednesday Dinner Worship.
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Faith United wants to help make East Ohio Summer Camp a part of your family’s story and experience: a summer full of fun, faith formation, adventure, and growth. EOC Summer Camp Registration is now open. Camps provide a wide range of experiences ranging from day camps to weeklong overnight camps with a variety of interests and themes. Camp Scholarships are available. Invite a friend to come with you!
Click here to visit the website or
contact Kathy Schmucker and Matt Kluchar for more information. Camp brochures containing scholarship applications are available on the Information Display Board.
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Registration for Hero Hotline Vacation Bible School is now OPEN!
Hero Hotline VBS invites children of all ages to answer the call to serve God together. Join us for a week full of faith discoveries, music, and adventures that help kids learn to strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up.
June 12 to 16 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Faith’s Vacation Bible School Adventure is for:
- Preschool children ages 4 and up
- Elementary students entering Kindergarten through 4th grade
- Adventure VBS for students entering 5th and 6th grade
VBS Celebration Sunday will be June 18 at 8:30am and 10:30am
Pre-register by June 9 & receive a Hero Hotline VBS Music CD (one per family)
Click here to register
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Registration for Camp Read-A-Lot is Now Open! Join us for our in-person summer literacy program Wednesday evenings July 12, 19 and 26 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Students entering grades K-3 are invited to participate in some fun summer activities designed to keep their reading skills sharp. They will read great stories and even get some books to take home and keep for their own. Dramatic play, games, art, and service projects will provide opportunities for the children to build their vocabularies and expand their comprehension. We’ll also work on sight words, fluency, letters, and sounds. Click here to register.
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2022-2023 Children/Youth Emergency and Permission Form.
For the safety of our children and youth, our Safe Sanctuary Policy asks that parents/guardians complete an emergency form for children (birth through high school graduation) participating in church activities each year. Designate the activities your child has permission to participate in so you only need to complete one form for the year.
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Outreach with Faith Kitchen
Matt would like to extend an opportunity for outreach with Faith Kitchen. The youth are invited to help with Crystal Park's food distribution on Saturday, May 27, from 9-12. You must provide your own transportation to and from Crystal Park United Methodist. Please see Matt for permission slips or email him at mkluchar@faithumchurch.org.
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End of Year Celebration!
Well...school is almost over, so it's time to plan for an end-of-the-year celebration! The youth will be going to Sluggers and Putters on Sunday, May 28. Matt would like to leave shortly after modern worship (around 11:30) and return to the church around 3:30. The church bus will be used for transportation. Admission and food will be paid for.
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Youth Annual Conference - June 17 at Camp Wanake
This year's theme is "Recharge". If you've never been to YAC, it's an amazing way to experience God and have lots of fun with other area youth. There will be games, worship, hiking, and food. Space is limited to 150, so please let Matt know ASAP so he can register. The church will cover the cost of the tickets this year. Contact Matt at 330.727.1647 or mkluchar@faithumchurch.org.
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Gift Cards
Gift cards have been used as a fundraiser for the youth for several years. However, because shipping has gone up so much, we are actually losing money by sending one or two orders at a time. Therefore, the staff has agreed that we'll only be using the gift card fundraiser a couple of times a year and order in bulk. Most likely, it will be around Christmas and summer. Thank you for all the support through the gift cards which all went to the Youth Mission Fund.
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Youth Mission Trip
Due to lack of interest, the youth mission trip is being postponed until next year. It was not an easy decision, but the staff and Matt agreed it just isn't the right time. Group Missions have generously extended credit for one more year. Matt is hoping to pair it with the next confirmation class, which will be in the spring of 2024.
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We plan to meet once a month. Any young adult who is interested contact
Matt Kluchar at mkluchar@faithumchurch.org or 330.727.1647.
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Faith and Environment
Biodiversity and Climate Change
Teshekpuk Caribou Herd at Risk
Biodiversity is essential for limiting Climate Change. The Teshekpuk Caribou herd of 62,000 has stayed near Teshekpuk Lake in Alaska, a key habitat for arctic wildlife, for hundreds of years. These caribou are found nowhere else in the world. In March, ConocoPhillips got approval for “Willow”, a massive oil and gas project that will carve up Alaska’s North Slope with gravel roads, 200 miles of pipelines, hundreds of polluting oil wells, and generating 280 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses. The 23 million-acre area granted to ConocoPhillips is on the state's North Slope, which is the largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States. The caribou and much of the local ecosystem are now at risk.
When human activities produce greenhouse gases, half of the emissions remain in the atmosphere, while the other half is absorbed by the land and ocean. These ecosystems – and the biodiversity they contain – are natural carbon sinks, with nature-based solutions to climate change. Protecting, managing, and restoring forests, is roughly two-thirds of all nature-based solutions.
Peatlands, marshes, and swamps cover only 3 per cent of the world’s land, but they store twice as much carbon as all the forests.
Ocean habitats such as seagrasses and mangroves can also sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates up to four times higher than terrestrial forests can. So, mangroves are highly valuable in the fight against climate change.
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The Takeaway: Conserving and restoring natural spaces, both on land and in the water, is essential for limiting carbon emissions and adapting to an already changing climate. About one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions could be achieved by improving nature’s ability to absorb emissions.
For more information click here. (EarthJustice magazine, Spring 2023)
The views of this, and other F&E articles, do not necessarily reflect the views of the congregation, nor every member of the F&E group. Intent & Responsibility Statement. Article Edited by Tom Strauch on behalf of the Faith & Environment Ministry Group. Text your comments to Tom Strauch at 330.283.9883
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Check out the Banned Book Display in the church library and read a great book!
Books unite us. For more than 40 years, the American Library Association has been active in the entire book community to support freedom to seek and express ideas. Censorship is on the rise. In 2020, 223 books were challenged. The number nearly doubled in 2021. In 2022, 2571 individual titles were challenged, an 1100% increase. 37 states have banned books with Florida and Texas banning the most. Who is initiating the challenges? Where do these challenges take place? The answers may surprise you and it doesn’t stop with just books. Come in to our library and see which banned books we are using. You may be surprised…we were! Come check out the reasons people challenge books. Most were by or about LGBTQIA+ persons and Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
"The theme for Banned Book Week 2023 is ‘Let Freedom Read’. When we ban books, we’re closing off readers to people, places, and perspectives. But when we stand up for stories, we unleash the power that lies inside every book. We liberate the array of voices that need to be heard and the scenes that need to be seen. Let freedom read!” – ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
Article written by Betsy Gorrell, Faith United Library Group Leader
“It cannot be that the people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading. A reading people will always be a knowing people. ” ― John Wesley
The views of this article do not necessarily reflect the views of every member of the congregation. Faith United does have an anti-racism statement. You can view the statement on our website at https://www.myfaithunited.org/anti-racism/
Click here to open the library online system or download the Librista app on your Apple® and Android™ device to connect.
The May/June issue of the Upper Room Devotional and the Daily Bread are available for pick up in the church Gathering Area on the Information Display Board.
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Faith United is searching for Part-Time Child Care Providers Flexible hours on an as needed basis. For more information and an application email kschmucker@faithumchurch.org or visit our website.
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