A newsletter for the Amlin United Methodist Church community
C OUNTRY T ALK AmlinUMC.org The Word “Jesus replied, 'My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice.’”
MARK YOUR
Calendar
Sundays @ 4:00 Moms Bible Study at the NLC
Sundays @ 7:00 Lent Study Mondays @ 7:00 Women’s Bible Study at Elkins’ Tuesdays @ 7:00 Tavern Theology Thursday, March 5 UMW Meeting Saturday, March 14 Men’s Group Mtg. Sunday, March 29 Palm Sunday
March 2015
Chili lunch benefits ongoing campaign Amlin’s Chili Cook-off on February 15th was a great success for our on-going Imagine No Malaria campaign. The votes for favorites, which came in the form of cash and checks stuffed into Mason jars, added up to more than $500. The event was organized by the UMW, but the delicious soups came from many sources, including men such as Stu Osborne, Larry Elkins, Steve Putka and Nick Fisher.
Topping the list for most votes/ cash received was an original chili prepared by Allana Meyer. Her award package included a custom award certificate and an off-brand container of antacid tablets! The recipe evolved from days when Allana worked with
Weight Watchers. Running a close second was the Mexican Chili provided by Sue Smith’s daughterin-law Ebony. Special guests at the event were David and Anita Boling. David leads our West Ohio Conference efforts to end malaria. At the second worship service
What’s Happening in Worship? March 29: Palm Sunday. Continue the Amlin tradition of donating coats and other clothes. April 2: Maundy Thursday. Share a meal and a Communion Service. April 5: Easter. Join the 3rd Annual Peep Roast during the “sunrise” service at 8:00. Then stay for the traditional service at 9:30 in the Chapel and/or the contemporary service at 11:00 in the New Life Center.
his sharing of personal stories and video of lives impacted by malaria inspired us to give generously. Malaria is a disease we can wipe out! There are lives we can save. Keep alert for more opportunities at Amlin to contribute to the cause.
Dave Adair Laura Ganim Jenna Walker Joan Lasson Mindi Fisher Mychal Ellis William Hanes Kevin Bauman Eric Grant Robbie Fink
These Amlin friends will celebrate birthdays and Anniversaries during the month of February.
Robert Cook Holly Kniss Heidi DeStephen Stephanie DeStephen Adam Cook Bryan Allen Richard Keller Matt DeStephen Brad Arnold Catherine Allen
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Raffield Mr. & Mrs. Doug Kniss Mr. & Mrs. Keith Adkins Mr. & Mrs. Eric Grant Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Bayles
PRAYER CORNER Please keep the following persons in your prayers. If you have a prayer request, you are invited to write it on a prayer card, located in the pew, and drop it in the offering plate or contact the email prayer ministry at wing1@sbcglobal.net. We will list prayer requests in the bulletin and newsletter for one month, unless you prefer not to have them printed.
Family of Ron Pokorney Tim Walls Eric Miller & Family Jonas Withrow Nancy Chattoraj Jim Oldham Connor Cruea Barb Frazer & family Amlin Church Miesse Family Family of Paul Holland Nathan Thompson Betty Finney Family of Eric Miller Carter Holstein
The Pauley Family Taylor Holstein Our small groups Scott Carter Our military members Kelly Mosher Aaliyah Brletic Mortach/Mateos Family Brayden Chuck Todd Les Badger Gary Ellis Ken Lloyd Children with dyslexia and Dysgraphia
John Peters Capt. Ben Kedo Gail Campbell Mooney Family Edward Family Spence Family Family of Ethan Sumaru Family of Blake Li Lisa Pauley Teena & son Moore Family & baby Grace
Country Talk is a monthly publication of Amlin United Methodist Church, issued at the beginning of each month. The deadline for articles is the 20th of each month for the next month’s issue. Articles and photos should be put in the church’s DropBox account. If you need access to the DropBox account, please contact the office at AmlinUMC@aol.com. If you have other questions about or suggestions for the newsletter, please email Jennifer Sayre at JenniferSayre7@gmail.com.
Regular Sunday Morning Schedule 9:30–10:30 Traditional Worship* & Sunday School in the Chapel 10:30–11:00 Fellowship Time for Both Services in the New Life Center 11:00–12:00 Contemporary Worship* & Sunday School in the New Life Center 12:00 p.m. – Fellowship Time in the New Life Center *Nursery care (birth through 3 years) is provided in the New Life Center throughout the morning. Sunday School is for ages 3 through grade 6 is held during both services. Children start in the worship service and are dismissed following “Children’s Moments.” They move to the Fellowship Hall, where they participate in lessons including songs, prayer, bible study, etc.
CONTACT INFORMATION Amlin United Methodist Church 5441 Cosgray Road Dublin, Ohio 43016 Phone: (614) 771-1904 Email: AmlinUMC@aol.com Website: www.amlinumc.org Church Office Hours: Mondays 1:00 - 5:00 Thursdays 9:00 - 1:00 Or by appointment Rev. Steve Putka, Pastor Email: sputka@me.com Phone: (614) 668-5001 Pastor of Administration Jennifer Gedeon Email: AmlinUMC@aol.com Phone: (614) 562-2868 Worship & Music Coordinator Christian Mateos Treasurer Chuck Brinda (614) 563-8364 Financial Secretary Mike McFadin Michael.McFadin@sedgwickcms.com
"Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after: a day to show off humility? To put on a long pious face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast From Pastor Steve Putka day that I, God, would like? "This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains A Special Kind of Fast of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeAs you receive this, many of us have disless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering covered that the season of Lent can be ill-clad, being available to your families. challenging. Like New Year's resolutions, "Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn the lofty goals of Lent are looking a lot like less like faithfularound at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. ness and looking a lot more like ashes. The God of glory will secure your passage. For many, we discover that our attachments Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll and our patterns are deeply ingrained and do call out for help and I'll say, "Here I am!" The God of glory not easily depart from us. And our idea of fastWow. If you are looking for a way to cening (also called "giving something up") looks will secure your ter yourself in preparation for Easter, the less like victory and more like defeat. passage. Then words of the prophet Isaiah are absolutely But that's not necessarily a bad thing! Our when you pray, inspiring! This year, our church is united in failures remind us that we are imperfect creaGod will answer. expressing that love through a special donatures. We are not saved (prepared to be with tion to help children be free from fear of God) through our own actions. In fact, we are malaria. It is this spirit of sharing our resaved because God loves us and gives us presources with those with greatest need, "the least of these," cisely what we cannot earn through our own behaviors. Althat connects so closely with God's call to make our sacrifiready, I feel very fortunate to be reminded that it is not my cial actions matter to others. success in fasting that matters. I am reminded that it is God So let's all make it a meaningful Lent. Forgive others. that matters. Give to the needy through our Imagine No Malaria offering It's also true that at this point in Lent that people begin to on Palm Sunday. Be in personal relationship with people in ask questions like, "What difference does eating chocolate need and help them. These are the things that make for a make in my spiritual life? Is this really important to God?" special kind of fast. While any self-sacrifice we make with the right spirit can be See you at church! good, there are words in Isaiah 58 that point to a higher and Pastor Steve more complete way:
The Pastor’s Message
Marybeth Walters, director
l.com AmlinCommunityPreschool@gmai 904 771-1 (614) g AmlinUMC.or
Dear Amlin Family, hoping spring comes . We will begin the month with nth mo g vin mo fast a be will March ground. for warm days to play on our play h wis we how , Oh . lion a not in like a lamb and sharing their nth with the parents. We will be mo this s nce fere con e hav will We special time for me ut them at this time. It's a very child's work and sweet stories abo ether and sharing be praying together, laughing tog to sit with the parents. We will ing informae been working very hard collect hav We er. eth tog n dre chil ir joys of the r. I love my litto be their first teacher and mento tion about each child. I feel Blessed tle job! e nursery rhymes. on our Art show and learning som This month we will be working working hard on ets and opposites. We have been plan ut abo ing talk be also will We too. Preschool is . Numbers and colors and shapes letter sounds and letter recognition hard work. ase keep us in on as our March Fundraiser. Ple -Th d-A Rea a ing hav of g kin I am thin ting our fundraiser. your prayers and consider suppor everyone! r love and support. Happy spring, you me g din sen ays alw for you Thank Your Preschool Gal, Marybeth
Renovation and repair at Amlin church February has been a busy month for our trustees! We faced a big challenge in January with a burst pipe in our New Life Center. Our trustees quickly engaged a remediation specialist as well as seeking out bids to repair the damage caused by a burst pipe that led to the drinking fountain. This pipe was located in the ceiling and flooded the furnace room, soffit area, kitchen, and sanctuary. Follow-
ing the repair of the pipe and initial drywall repair, we were surprised to find that the pipe burst again in nearly the same location, despite additional insulation. Heat tape will solve the problem long-term, but in the short-term repairs must restart and continue. In addition to repairing facilities damaged by the burst water pipe, our chapel building has been receiving some much-
needed attention as well. Our trustees have been actively working to renovate and remodel the restrooms in the chapel building. All rest room renovations, both materials and labor, are being provided by our trustees at no cost to our church. Both bathrooms are receiving new vanities, sinks, commodes, baseboard heaters, and even new ceiling tiles! The women's restroom is receiving
new white wainscoting, while the men's room will retain its tiled walls. Whether it's helping with necessary emergency repair or creating improved and remodeled facilities, our church is grateful for the leadership provided by faithful trustees offering service in many different ways. Pastor Steve has frequently said that serving on the trustees is among the more challenging leadership roles in
our church. Be sure to give a special thank you to our trustees when you see them. Or take an extra step up either by helping with our cleanup day in the spring or offering to sign up for a week to vacuum and clean the New Life Center. Our trustee team includes Bob Cook, Dave Adair, Sonny Bayles, Roger Clingman, Mike Cole, Bob Domer, Melinda Gloriosa, and Cindy Moore. Thanks, trustees!
Lent
The season of Lent at Amlin will provide many practical ways for all of us to experience growth in the Holy Spirit and prepare for Easter. Challenge yourself to grow in 2015! What are you giving up for Lent this year? The forty days, counting from Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter, are for Christians a period of sacrifice and introspection corresponding to the last days of Christ’s earthly life. This year at Amlin we are revising the often-asked question and asking “what are you giving for Lent?� Christ gave his life for us. He asks us to show our love for him by loving, serving and giving to others. The women of the UMW are providing money bags and challenges that will encourage you to set
aside money and lift up prayers for individuals and families suffering due to malaria. On Palm Sunday the bags will be collected and donations used to support our Imagine No Malaria campaign. Malaria is a devastating disease that can be eliminated. If you are a traditionalist and still want to give up something for Lent (morning coffee stop, lunches out, soft drinks, etc.), we encourage you to take the money that something would have cost and fill your money bag. We can make a difference.
Men's Group plans fishing trip Departing on Friday, May 1 at 6pm and returning on Sunday, May 3 at 1pm, the event promising to be one to create lasting memories! The cost of the trip is $150 and includes fishing, lodging, and food. It is expected that all 12 spots will fill quickly. With 6 per boat, we will guarantee a boat for the first 6, and men 712 will be guaranteed a spot once the second boat fills. We will limit this trip to 12 due to lodging restrictions. To save your spot, please contact Bob Meyer at 5356863 or rmeyer9590@aol.com. We will be fishing for walleye on Saturday and will be staying at Lakeside Ohio. Youth and friends are welcome!
Remember this? The short sleeve weather will return and the fellowship will continue!
Men’s group meeting in March Amlin Church’s Men’s Group continues to build momentum! Snow and cold has not stopped strong attendance, fellowship, and organizing for mission. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, March 14 from 8-9:30am. All men, youth, and boys of all ages are welcome. We hope you’ll join us!
New mission project to help local shut-ins The Passionate Worship Committee is starting a new mission project. We will be sending out trained people to serve Communion to people who are shut-in or unable to get to our services. These people will be sent out in teams of two to serve Communion and visit with our shut-ins. Please consider joining this ministry. We will be having a training session in the Chapel after the 11:00 service on April 26. This training will be led by Pastor Steve and Pastor Lynn. Please see Christian Mortach with any questions.
We are here to
SERVE Christ calls each of us to be his hands and feet, to step out of our comfort zone in mission to others, and to take his message of God’s love beyond the walls of our church. You can…
Donations of clothing and small household items for the WSFS can be left in the bell tower behind the sanctuary. For March, the monthly item UMW has designated for donation is sun care products.
Volunteers are always needed to take a weekly turn at cleaning the NLC. Sign-up sheets are posted.
Donate generously to the Lenten Imagine No Malaria project.
If you are interested in helping with West Side Free Store lunch mission, mark your calendars for June 6, Aug. 29, and Oct. 3, all Saturdays mornings, where Amlin will return to serve again. Many thanks to Cindy and Dick Moore, Sue Smith, Cathi and Arlena Allen, Cyndee Thomas, Margy Johnson, Sherry Erwin and Janet Blazer who served on January 31. Thanks also to Doreen Cole who did the pre-Saturday shopping and food preparation.
To present your mission ideas to the Risk-Taking Mission Team, contact Mary Vulic or any member of the Team.
Thank goodness February is past! March brings spring right? But February wasn’t all bad. On the 7th an enthusiastic group from Amlin Written by Mary Vulic enjoyed a hilarious performance of 39 Steps at the Little Theater off Broadway in Grove City. Those going included Sherry Erwin, Mary Vulic, Kirby Utt, Teresa Cennamo, Mari and Keith Justus, Sue Smith, Sue’s daughter-in-law Ebony, and Sue’s co-worker Christine. Late night food and fellowship followed at Plank’s where Paul Miesse joined the group. February was eventful for babies at Amlin. Hazel Eleanor Jones, beautiful daughter of Josh and Sara, was born on February 4th. On the 14th Sarah and Gary Moore welcomed Grace Elizabeth into the world. Congratulations to first-time grand-parents, Dick and Cindy Moore. On the Sunday between those two births, Angela and Keith Adkins brought their new-born foster child to the worship service. Ellie is adorable. If it’s too cold to be outside, work inside. Cindy Moore and Melinda Gloriosa certainly did. They tore out all the tiles in the ladies’ restroom of our older building. Others probably added to their labors. Sonnie Bayles was seen working on the project, and Dave Adair has spent many hours in service. Very soon we will see the beautiful completed renovation.
The long Presidents’ Day weekend took many of our members out of town, most of them in a southerly direction though certainly not far enough for most to escape the winter weather. Roger and Pam Shaw took their grand-kids, Natalie and Brady Robbins to the aquarium in Covington, KY. The Rumpf family also headed down toward Cincinnati for a family birthday celebration. Jane Fink visited her mother in Parkersburg, WV. The Kent family went on a wild goose chase aimed at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Nashville was the southern destination for Cyndee and George Thomas, while Jennifer, Abby and Carson Sayre went to Arizona where they visited Jennifer’s mom and dad, Mary Kay and Chuck Withrow. Meanwhile closer to home the ending winter sports season dominated. Nathan Thompson had his final wrestling meet, and Emily Kerr competed in team cheering. Not on the long weekend, but just before that the basketball team of Aaliyah Brletic had tremendous tournament wins. Before closing let’s backtrack a little and revisit the last day in January. Alana Meyer, Larry and Dee Elkins, Mary Vulic, Roger Clingman, Christian Mateos and Steve Putka attended district leadership training sessions at Grove City UMC. Ask these folks to share their newly learned leadership ideas with you. Get involved. A delightful moment in the above mentioned leadership gathering was a “dramatic reciting” of the scripture lesson. On a recent Sunday as our worship leader in both services, Dick Moore used the same technique. What a wonderful way to make the scriptures come alive. Thanks, Dick.
Service Ministries Schedule
We have changed what is served for hospitality between the 9:30 and 11:00 services. Donuts or donut holes will be served and provided by the Church. There will also be coffee and juice. If you would be willing to make the coffee, set up the donuts and provide the juice please contact me at 614-570-8706 or sepauley@aol.com.
4 hours a week. Highly qualified teachers. Small classes! No more than 6 students per class. Register Today! Your child will thank you for it!
Now Registering for Fall 2015!
Find us on FACEBOOK or online! Facebook.com/AmlinCommunityPreschool
AmlinCommunityPreschool.com AmlinCommunityPreschool@gmail.com Marybeth Walters, Director & Lead Teacher Amlin United Methodist Church, 5441 Cosgray Road, 614.771.1904 Sun
Mon
1 4 pm– Mom Study 7 pm– Lent Study
2
8 4 pm– Mom Study 7 pm– Lent Study
9
15
16
4
10
17
Thu
5
Fri
Sat
6
7
13
14
7 pm-UMW
11
7 pm– Tavern Theology
12 7 pm– Team Mtg. 8:15– Ad. Board
8 am — Men’s Group Mtg.
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25
26
27
28
7 pm– Tavern Theology
23
7 pm– Lent Study
29 Palm Sunday 7 pm– Lent Study
3
Wed
7 pm– Tavern Theology
7 pm– Lent Study
22
Tue
24 7 pm– Tavern Theology
30
31 7 pm– Tavern Theology
The newsletter is green! Amlin United Methodist Church believes in being good stewards of the earth and the resources of our congregation. We send a print newsletter only upon request. If you'd like a print copy mailed to you, please contact Pastor Jennifer at 771-1904. If you'd like to begin receiving an email copy of our newsletter, please contact Pastor Jennifer at amilinumc@aol.com.