The Spire Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church March 2016
Some say he lived an ordinary life. He certainly lived well and accumulated many things highly prized in this life. After his death, however, when his affairs were settled, he found himself in Hell. His friends, concerned about his sad, though some thought well-deserved fate, went down to Hell, and were moved by the man’s misery and cries for help. They rattled the great iron gates, calling out to whomever might be listening, “Let him out! Let him out! He was our friend and a decent chap!” But their pleading accomplished nothing, and the great iron doors remained locked shut. Distinguished dignitaries were summoned, powerful people, intellectuals, prominent personalities and celebrities of all kinds. All of them stood at the gates and put forth many plausible reasons, explanations and excuses why the man could not be held responsible. Some said that due process had not been followed in the man’s eternal sentence. Others said he should not be held accountable for being born in such a corrupt society, while others argued that Hell was only an illusion created by a weak mind. Still, the great iron gates remained strong and unmoved. In desperation, the man’s pastor was summoned. The pastor approached the gates of Hell, fully robed as if he were to lead a great Sunday requiem. After an appropriate liturgy and eloquent eulogy was read he cried out “Let him out! He was not THAT bad after all. Why I remember he came to church regularly twice a year, he even contributed to the church building fund and once he served on the church council! What more can you ask for? I demand that you “Let him out!” But the gates were deaf and stood fast. Their judgment was final, secure and absolute. Then, after all the friends and mourner finally departed the seemingly hopeless situation, the man’s aged mother appeared at the gates. She stood there, stooped and frail, tears filling her eyes and only able to whisper softly, in maternal love, “This is my child. Please, let me in.” Immediately the great gates of Hell snapped on their hinges and collapsed before the awesome power of such love. It was not logic, liturgy, or legal wrangling that freed us from a lonely existence, separated from love and all that is good, but the overwhelming sacrificial love of God our Father. Easter is our Father’s cry from the Cross to a lonely people shut behind iron bars created in their hearts, “Let me in.” CS Lewis captured it best when he wrote, “In the long run, the answer to all those who object to the doctrine of hell is... a question: “What are you asking God to do?” To wipe out their past sins and, at all costs, to give them a fresh start, smoothing every difficulty and offering every miraculous help? But He has done so, on Calvary. To forgive them? They will not be forgiven. To leave them alone? Alas, I am afraid that that is what He does.” “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” Luke 4:8 (NIV) I hope to see you Easter Morning!
Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church 2016 Ministry Teams
1
Dan Hammond ~ Tracy Osborne
4
Tori Schwendeman
5
Sharon McCoy
7
Dana Whited
8
Ernie & Joyce Drake
11
Jarrod Caltrider ~ Paula Hagerty
Children’s Ministry Steve Gedon Jodi Lockhart Christy Archer Delores Bibbee Betsy Offenberger Vickie Gandee Youth Ministry Steve Gedon Family Ministry Melanie Matheny (Chair)
Dana Mader (Chair) Donna Linsell (Child Protection) Melanie Garrett Christine Parrish Kelly Sheppard
Amanda Eagle (Youth Leader) Heather Skidmore Gina Starkey Melissa Tornabene
Senior Adult Ministries
Mary Jane Carder
14 Nancy Brown
Communications
Patsy Bee
16 Matt Beeson ~ Sherry Hess
Historian
Jan Bargeloh
Worship Alex Cappadaona (Technology) Charlotte Valentine (Audio) Jan Bargeloh Jason Caltrider (Praise Team) Leslie Coe Pearl Buchanan
Connie Dellinger Mary Jane Carder Debbie Travis (Choir Director) Tonja Bailey Janet Hinton Linette Gedon
Hospitality
Gina Starkey, Melissa Tornabene
Child Protection Coordinator
Donna Linsell
Nurture & Member Care
Pearl Buchanan, Ann Mayhew
26 Megan Sheppard Tincher
Prayer Ministry
Ann Mayhew, Janet Hinton
28 Bob Bargeloh ~ Erin Hupp
Outreach Ministry
Brandy Caltrider
17 Betty Bargeloh ~ Christine Daugherty 18 Kayla Gandee 19 Lisa Smith 20 Melanie Matheny 21 Patsy Bee 22 Dick Morris 24 Travis Moore ~Madison Matheny Larry & Pam Fought 25 Rex Carder ~ Raylee Whited Jackson Starkey
30 Cheryl DiBacco
Parish Nurse
Elaine Cappadona
United Methodist Women
Pearl Buchanan (President)
John & Tammy Moore 31 Pearl Buchanan
United Methodist Youth
(President)
Lay Member to District Conference Janet Hint, Pearl Buchanan
We want to celebrate your special days! If we have missed your birthday or anniversary, please either make note of it on the Friendship Pad or call the church office ~ 304-489-1965.
Cooperative Parish Representative
Barbara Bargeloh
Parsonage Committee
Beverly Davis, Alice Reeves, Lisa Smith
Learning Center Liaison
Linda Bargeloh
Membership Secretary Kitchen Steward
Sherry Hinton, Paula Flannery
March 2016 “Church isn’t just a place you go, it’s who you become.”
Acolytes 6th
Ashlyn Eagle Luke Eagle
13th
Maddie Archer Allie Smith
20th
Faith Miller Curtis Miller
27th
Gabi Davis Rylee Davis
Greeters 8:15 Worship
6th
Pearl Buchanan Janet Hinton
13th
Dave & Betty Jo Pryce-Morehead
20th
Bob & Debbie Sheppard
27th
Dave & Jan Bargeloh
Bread Bakers 6th
Helen Wright
13th
Ann Mayhew
20th
Carol Dobson
27th
Roger & Jodi Hodges
In order to become the kind of people who faithfully reflect the radical life of Jesus, we must not only be convinced in our head that what Jesus said is true, we must also be moved in our heart to be committed to it and our hands must also be engaged to do what others think is impossible. To convince the head of this truth, we become learners. To be a follower of Jesus is not a political or social ideal, but is, rather, a lifelong endeavor to live by a different set of values. We are students of those biblical principles that have stood the test of time and have guided countless generations. The Bible is basic to who we are and shapes our view of life. In the Gospels, Jesus a reveals a deeper truth about life that is both confrontational and challenging, but in the end, incredibly comforting. We don’t follow Jesus because it is easy or convenient, but because it is true! To move the heart, we stay connected. We must resist settling for superficial faith that is fickle and private, but instead to connect with others deeply, from the heart, in ways that take time, effort and sacrifice. We believe this kind of community is the best incubator for real spiritual growth and healthy lives. It is in a Gospel-centered community that we learn to trust one another, to be give and receive grace, and to become a true disciple. We aren’t part of a church because we have to, but because we want to! To engage the hands, we roll up our sleeves. True Christianity is messy! There’s no way around it. Being a Christian means not shying away from problems but diving right in solve them. We make serving others a natural expression of what we know to be true and our trust in others. Our desire is to be known throughout this community as the best friend the city ever had. Mt. Pleasant is thriving today because more people have taken up the cause, are working together in more places than ever before. We don’t follow Jesus because it we have to, but because we get to! Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church is about becoming more than you ever thought possible.
We are women with a Purpose!
"United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. Well, did the Groundhog get it right or was she or he off by a number of weeks. Regardless, the work of the Trustees continues no matter what the weather is outside. If you are looking for something to do, stop by the church and you can help with our spring cleaning. When you are doing your own spring cleaning and start to feel out of sorts or you feel like you will never get caught up, come to the church, look around and just think how it would be if you had to clean THIS BIG HOUSE. We clean our homes on a regular basis, but we tend to put off certain projects or wait to do a really good, thorough cleaning. We will wait until the holidays or the arrival of special guests. We will plan a party just to have an excuse to hurry up and get all the work and cleaning done for this one occasion. The Church, God’s House, should always be presentable and welcoming. Please help us maintain this House and treat it as it if it was your house, or better. Every day, the Church has visitors, and every one of them is special. Please contact one of the trustees with any concerns, problems or issues you may have. And you are always welcome to any of the trustee’s meetings. We usually meet @ 7 pm the on the first Monday of the Month.
The next meeting of the United Methodist Women will be held on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Since the January and February meetings were canceled due to inclement weather we will have several important issues and projects to discuss. We hope you will be able to join us. There is still time to register for The West Virginia Conference United Methodist Women’s Fifty-Seventh Spiritual Growth Retreat at Cedar Lakes Conference Center this year Midweek April 7-8, 2016 and Weekend April 9-10, 2016. Additional information and registration forms are available at http://mympumc.net/ministries/umw.
The Trustees
Financial Peace The church is sponsoring a Financial Peace University class taught by Dave Ramsey starting on April 3 at 6:00pm in the Conference Room. Within the first 90 days of Dave’s most popular class, the average family pays off $5,300.00 in debt and saves $2,700. An optional preview session will be held on March 26th at 4:00 pm. If you have any questions, please contact H. R. Lockhart, John Mendenhall or Jeff Matheny
Easter Event There will be an Easter event at the church from 7-8:30 pm on Saturday March 26. Children and families will meet in the sanctuary to learn the Easter story in a fun, interactive way. Then we will have a flashlight Easter egg hunt downstairs in the fellowship hall. Everyone is invited! Please invite your friends and neighbors to come and share this special time with us.
The family ministries team is sponsoring a variety/talent show on Sunday evening, at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. If you can act, sing, play an instrument, dance, or have any talent you would like to share with the congregation, we would love to have you participate. It would be wonderful to have small groups or families join together to do a skit, sing, etc.
Donations of filled Easter eggs are needed for the hunt. You can pick up empty eggs to fill in the narthex, or buy them and fill them. When you return the eggs, please indicate how many eggs you have filled on the container they are in. Please return filled eggs to the box in the narthex no later than Sunday, March 20. If you have any questions, please call Melanie Matheny at 304-489-1541 or 304-6155332.
Come join the fun! A reception will follow in the fellowship hall. Please call Melanie Matheny at 304-489-1541 or 304-615-5332 if you have questions or would like to do an act in the show.
News from the Preschool Mt Pleasant Preschoolers are ready for spring! In the midst of a few snow days in February, we were able to squeeze in some fun at our Valentine’s Day party. We are so thankful for our wonderful families who spend so much time to make sure we have the best parties possible! They are truly an event for the whole family with parents, grandparents, and other relatives coming together to enjoy these special days with our precious little ones. Our three year old class enjoyed their “All About Animals Month”, topped off with a fun trip to the Mineral Wells Veterinary Clinic. In the four year old class, we have been very busy working on the letters O, P, Q, R, and S, and conquering our sight words. As of midFebruary, 8 students have successfully mastered all 18 sight words! We are so proud of all of the students and their hard work! Our preschool skating party was in February and was a much needed way to get some exercise after being inside all winter. It was a wonderfully fun, family event! March brings us spring, so are anxious to see some warmer weather and get back out of the playground as soon as it permits! March also brings us parent/teacher conferences and our Easter Party. Our three year old class will focus on the Five Senses, and the four year old class will continue their way through the alphabet. Registration was held for fall classes and as of this writing, we have one position open in our three year old class. We will continue to take forms for our waiting list in both classes after that spot is filled.
Palm Sunday Worship Services ~ 8:15 am and 10:45 am
Good Friday Worship Service ~ 7:00 pm
Easter Sunday Sunrise Service at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery ~ 6:30 pm Breakfast at Mt. Pleasant ~ 7:15—8:15 am Worship Service ~ 8:15 am—9:30 am Fellowship Brunch ~ 9:30—10:30 am Worship Service ~ 10:45 am—12:00 pm