July 16 - July 23, 2022
Sunday Worship
July 17

The Surprising Acts
of God:
An Unknown God

Preacher: Rev. Steve Stultz Costello

In-Person: 8:30 Traditional, 11:00 Modern
Also available via Facebook Live
Worship Resources:
Sunday School Hour for All Ages 9:30-11am
  • Sunday School activities in the Gathering Area. Stay as long as you like.
Worship at Crystal Park UMC:
Traditional Worship at 11 a.m. | 2219 Mahoning Rd NE, Canton, 44705

Sermon: Spending Time With Jesus Sets Us Free
Preacher: Rev. Paul White
Camp Read-A-Lot continues this Wednesday! Register Now
July 20 & 27, 6:00pm – 7:30pm

Participate in fun summer activities designed to keep reading skills sharp. Students 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. The program is led by teachers and trained literacy volunteers.

Students entering grades K-3

Register here or via QR.

We need volunteers to make Camp Read-A-Lot possible! Contact Kathy Schmucker or Sandy Vaughn to find out ways you can be involved. You can also fill out this survey to help us in our planning.
Thank you for all your donations to the Back to School Ministry. Packing is well underway!

Our biggest needs at this point are monetary donations to fund the Goodwill vouchers.

The Back to School Ministry provides…. 
  • 175 backpacks and school supplies to children in our community entering Grades K-12
  • vouchers of up to $20 per child to shop at Goodwill for clothing, shoes and boots

Many schools start in August so we will distribute backpacks at Crystal Park UMC at the Faith Kitchen Backpack Giveaway and Family Fun Day on July 23, 10AM - 12PM. 

Thank you for your generous support of this ministry to benefit education in our community. 
The Bible Year - Church-Wide Reading and Study
By studying the Bible daily, you’re enriching your spiritual life and developing a deeper faith. Imagine how reading the Bible together as a congregation will make a difference in our church and community!
This Week's Readings:

July 17 Day 198 
Jeremiah 5:1-8:17

July 18 Day 199 
Jeremiah 8:18-12:17

July 19 Day 200 
Jeremiah 13:1-16:21

July 20 Day 201 
Jeremiah 17:1-20:18

July 21 Day 202 
Jeremiah 21:1-24:10

July 22 Day 203 
Jeremiah 25:1-29:32

July 23 Day 204 
Jeremiah 30:1-33:26
“Get into the word of God and let God’s word get into you.” – Bishop Tracy Malone

As you read consider: What is God revealing to me today, and how will I apply it to my life?

  • Devotionals to help understand the verses are available on the Book Resource Table.
  • Weekly Amplify Media videos to enhance your reading experience.
  • Monthly reflection and discussion with Pastors Steve and Jake and Spiritual Formation Director, Kathy Schmucker on the last Sunday, at 6:30pm via Zoom
  • Check out "Basic Bible" on Amplify Media to learn how it is organized and general themes found throughout.
Missed a week? Open up previous Navigators here for the daily readings

For more information, contact Kathy Schmucker, Pastor Steve, or Pastor Jake. 
Cooperative Parish Update
Family Fun Day- July 23 at Crystal Park UMC

Faith United and Crystal Park United Methodist Churches begin their second year as a Cooperative Parish. Pastors Steve and Jake continue to serve as Cooperative parish pastors, Rev. Paul While has been appointed the Crystal Park site pastor and Teresa Purses has been appointed Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for the Cooperative Parish.

Last year the Cooperative Parish Ministry team discerned several growth and outreach opportunities for the 2022-2023 year. While Faith Kitchen has been a multi-decade collaborative mission of the 2 churches, a new opportunity has been designed by the team to bring children and families together for a Vacation Bible School-type, Family Fun Day. This will be held Saturday, July 23 at Crystal Park from 10-12:30. This idea came out of the Cooperative Parish team. The event organizers are working to make this inaugural event a faith-filled, family-fun experience. But we need more volunteers!

There are 170 children and youth currently registered for the event which will include a wide variety of stations: Bible story/music; Imagination station; a backpack giveaway; lunch; games, popcorn, face painting, clothing and book stations and much more.

If you are available to help, please contact Sue Bell or Teresa Purses.
Wednesday Night Dinner Worship
Meal Coordinator

We are seeking someone who loves to cook and enjoys fellowshipping with others to serve as our Wednesday Night Meal Coordinator. Please prayerfully consider preparing one meal or more a month. Bonus is you get to work with our amazing Wednesday Night Dinner Worship meal team. Check out John Hartzell’s Faith Story to learn more. Contact Kathy Schmucker or John Hartzell for more information!  
Adult Connect Groups

Get connected at Faith United, Summer groups are now forming! Contact Kathy Schmucker for information on starting, or participating in, an adult group.
  • Book Discussion Group, 7:00pm, July 21, Jan Baker and Bonnie Reynolds, we will discuss The Choice: Embracing the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
  • The Promise of the Holy Spirit, Men's Life Study, 8:00am, July 23, Kim Reynolds, Beyesly's Restaurant
  • Bible Year Monthly Discussion and Reflection, 6:30pm, July 31, Zoom
  • Mom's Group, 9:45am, Sundays, Rebekah Heskett and Bethany Sedziol, Nursery
  • Prayer Shawl Ministry, Thursdays, 1:00pm, Mike Flechtner, Parlor
  • Theology for Our Times, Fridays, 1:00pm, Tom Strauch, Zoom
Click here or scan for more details about all the group opportunities and programs happening at Faith United.
Faith and Environment Weekly

Deadly heat wave in India & Pakistan:
Warming since preindustrial times has made the extreme heat in South Asia at least 30 times more likely.

  1. Dr. Friederike Otto and others show that global warming on heat waves is obvious; the next step is to help people decide how to adapt to extreme heat.
  2. Our temperature is rising fast. In 2015, global temperatures showed warming of 0.87 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average; the temperature jumped 25 percent higher over the next 5 years.
  3. Five years ago, California wildfires rarely burned more than a million acres in a year; now we have seen 4.3 million acres burn. In four of the past five years more than 1.5 million acres burned in California.
  4. Over the past decade, extreme heat events have grown 90 times more common, compared with a baseline of 1950 to 1980.
  5. We don’t know what our new normal will feel like, Dr. Otto said, because the temperature and greenhouse gases have increased so fast that we haven’t had time to experience what that means. We are witnessing climate change events beyond our imagination.
  6. Dangerous climate change is growing increasingly commonplace.

The Takeaway: We must redouble our efforts to curb climate change.

The July/August issues of the Upper Room Devotional and the Daily Bread are available for pick up on the Gathering Area Information Display Board.
VISIONING TEAM - 2022

Faith United's Visioning Team believes our best days are ahead of us! We believe that God is doing a new thing, casting a renewed vision for us and we want to hear from you about what that vision might include! We started sharing some of our hopes and dreams for the future of our church on the gathering area whiteboard.
We invite you to continue to share your ideas in person, on the whiteboard, or electronically via google form. Some recent suggestions include:
  • Each ministry team needs a leader to be the contact person
  • Rebuild the Youth Group - mission work
  • Promote/share FFLC to church families
  • Network UM churches to maximize our capacity to build disciples for Jesus Christ and weave a strong support system (complement one another's strengths/resources) for all community

As you consider God's vision for our church, we invite you to keep God's mission for the Church in mind. That is to be, make, and mature disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Consider the question, "How can we reach new, younger, and more diverse people?" We also recommend reading “God’s Mixed Ecology” – a 13-page article to help us think in new ways with our visioning. 
Sunday School activities are in the Gathering Area weekly between worship services.

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 which has special videos for kids! Follow these steps to register or contact Kathy Schmucker.

Parents, please fill out the Children Registration/Permission form for 2022. This covers all events and Sunday School programs.
Fall Ministries

We are beginning to prepare for our fall ministries. Let’s show families that kids matter at Faith United!

Check out all the opportunities to serve. Prayerfully consider how God is calling you to make a difference by helping make our children’s ministries a great experience for kids and families in our congregation and community!
  • Sunday School teachers and helpers (Sunday A.M.)
  • Wednesday Wonder Kids (Wednesday P.M.)
  • Wednesday Night Faith Connections meal team
  • Nursery and Childcare (Sunday A.M. and Wednesday P.M.)
  • Adult Group Facilitators and Coordinators
  • Library Story Time with FFLC Students

Kids need our church. Kids need Jesus! Kids need You!
For more information contact Kathy Schmucker or Sandy Vaughn.
Back to School Blessing & Kindergarten Blessing
August 21 at both Worship Services
Join us as we offer a special blessing and gift for students of all ages, educators, administrators and support staff at each worship service.

There will be a special blessing for students beginning Kindergarten. If you have a child entering Kindergarten this fall, please contact Kathy Schmucker at kschmucker@faithumchurch.org.
East Ohio Conference Summer Camp Registration
There is still time to register. Scholarships are available!

Every summer has a story! We want to help make summer camp part of the summer story for kids and youth! East Ohio Camps provide a wide range of experiences with a variety of interests and themes. Visit our Summer Camp Page, contact Kathy Schmucker or Matt Kluchar, or grab a camp brochure from the Gathering Area information board for details.
Faith United welcomes children of all ages in worship. Our worship experience is enriched as we gather together to experience and praise God.
  • Worship Kits and worship manipulatives are available to guide children as they pray and learn about God
  • Family Prayer Ground at the front of the sanctuary for families to have a comfortable, close-up view of worship.
  • Rocking chairs in the Narthex and Family Prayer Ground.
  • Nursery care & Preschool Sunday School (birth-age 5) during worship in room 18.
Students in grades 6-12 are invited to Sunday School at 9:45am each Sunday in the Youth Room.

Because of scheduling conflicts, the youth lock in for July 29-30 has been cancelled. We will reschedule for another time.

Contact Matt Kluchar for other Middle/High School youth events and details.
Faith United is hiring!
  • Chancel Choir Director
  • Childcare Provider
  • Evening/Sunday Custodian
  • More details here.

Faith Friends Learning Center is hiring!
Assistant & Lead Teacher Positions Available for 2022-2023 School Year
  • Part-time staff members who can work M-F, both morning (beginning at 7am) and afternoon (3pm – 6pm) positions are available. $11.50/hour.
  • Full-time Lead Preschool teacher, Monday – Friday from 8:45am – 5:45pm with a one hour break.
  • More details available upon request. Please email a copy of your resume to gberry@faithumchurch.org if you are interested in joining our team!
Explore some great resources for your spiritual journey!
Amplify Media is a video library with 1,000's of videos for adults, youth and kids to view from your phone, tablet, computer, or tv. These resources can be used for individual or group studies, and has a special section just for kids! Follow these instructions to access your free account. Contact Kathy Schmucker, Spiritual Formation Director.
Visit our Library for your summer reading!

Come in and check out some of the the new books and resources we have available in the library to nurture your spiritual journey!
 
Type a topic in the search bar to see available resources.
Cokesbury is a great resource to purchase Bibles, devotionals, gifts & more! The church receives credit & a rebate from your purchases when you use this link to order.
Order gift cards year round! Part of each order benefits the Youth Mission Fund. Check out available cards and contact Matt Kluchar to order.
Sunday, July 17
8:30am-9:30am Traditional Worship - Live Stream (Sanctuary)
8:30am-12pm Nursery Care & Preschool Sunday School (Room 18)
9:30am-11am Sunday School Activities all ages (Gathering Area)
9:45am-10:45am Mom's Group (Nursery)
9:45am-10:45am Middle/High School Sunday School (Youth Room)
11am-12pm Modern Worship - Live Stream (Sanctuary)

Tuesday, July 19
9am-11:30am Library Story Time (Chapel)
2:30pm-3:30pm Women's Emmaus Accountability (Zoom)
6pm-9pm Boy Scouts (Robinson Hall or Pavilion)
6:30pm-7:30pm Finance Ministry Team (Conference Room/Zoom)

Wednesday, July 20
6pm-7:30pm Camp Read-A-Lot

Thursday, July 21
1pm-2:30pm Prayer Shawl Ministry (Parlor)
7pm-8pm Trustees Team (Conference Room/Zoom)
7pm-8:30pm Book Study Discussion (Parlor)
7pm-8:30pm Cub Scout Parent Meeting (Room 8)

Friday, July 22
1pm-2pm Theology for Our Times (Zoom)

Saturday, July 23
8am-9am Men's Life Study (Beyesly's Restaurant)
10am-12pm Crystal Park VBS/Backpack Give Away

Calendar Snapshot - View more at myfaithunited.org/calendar