The
Spire
People of
Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church
M t . Pl easant U nit ed M et hodist Chu rc h The Stuff of Life
We all carry stuff - some good, some not so good. Some of the stuff we carry we picked up all on our own and so we have a hard time not being protective of it. We intentionally wear our career and our wealth like a badge of honor in a competitive world just to prove that we’re good, decent people. In this world, we learn that what you need to be happy is just a little bit more… “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28 Some stuff was given to us by others. Through years of criticism, neglect, and betrayal, stuff becomes attached to us and limits how far we’re willing to go and much we’re willing to risk. It’s like running from your own shadow, your faults and failures follow you wherever you go. In this world, we live fragmented lives, hoping for a wonderful life, yet can never quite able to escape the ghosts of the past. “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:26 When we arrive at church, it seems all too easy to hide our stuff and stroll in with a painted-on smile, well-groomed hair and an outstretched hand. We pretend our stuff doesn’t really exist and look with envy on those who smile back at us, who seem to have it all together. Since we’re not being honest with ourselves, we trust others even less, feel more isolated and become sporadic in our attendance, guarded in relationships and reluctant to get involved. “I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13 But what if the invitation from Christ was for something far different, something so liberating and inspiring it drew people out of the shadows to find the source of it. What if the church was the best place for the courageous to finally be open and honest about their stuff with God and others! What if the church was the best place for the risk-takers to choose a different way of life and find the encouragement needed to follow through. What if being a Christian was something we aspire to become, rather than just a label we wear. “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.” Phil 3:10 (Message) We all have stuff. That’s obvious. What is not so obvious is how to let it go and build a life that’s not controlled by ghosts from the past. Together we can find a better way. So join us… Blessings,
What would happen if people suddenly realized…
Mt Pleasant is where we build deep, lasting friendships Mt Pleasant is a safe place for their kids to talk about important stuff Mt Pleasant is a caring community when life falls apart or is hanging by a thread Mt Pleasant actually helps when something goes wrong without fixing blame Mt Pleasant can help their family win at being a family Mt Pleasant answers the questions they are really asking and those they’re running from Mt Pleasant is the cure for loneliness, despair and directionless days Mt Pleasant gives them hope in the storms and gratitude in every sunrise What would happen if that person were YOU?
extending God’s influence and impact beyond this generation “As we grow in our Faith, Hope and Love at Mt. Pleasant Church we continue to review as our elders did, how we can keep the church moving forward for today and tomorrow. As a family, we’re always looking for ways to be a better servant/angel for our Heavenly Father on this earth. Being a Real Estate Agent since 1978 I saw this as one of our needs for the growth in our church as my in-laws did in past investments. Land is a limited asset to any business and our location has limits for growth. We (Pam and I) reviewed this opportunity and felt it was one that our Heavenly Father has a vision to bring growth to our church. We then as a family chose to support this acquisition as part of our Legacy to our church family at Mt. Pleasant Church in Mineral Wells WV. Please do as we did by helping in the purchase of the land. This helps to build the foundation for coming years while you are building your Legacy in the church family.” ~ Larry and Pam Fought “I remember as a child when an addition to our church made a place for the "children's Department" in the basement. Later, with the addition of the educational wing, more classes and a nursery were provided. This was followed by building our current facility. Each improvement took planning and foresight to prepare for the future and the gifts of all members to achieve our goals. It is a privilege to give to our capital gains effort and know I am contributing to the future of our church!” ~ Pearl Buchanan
We give up things we love for things we love even more. Giving up our small trinkets is nothing compared to joining God’s noble purpose.
We currently have received $57,175 toward the Land Purchase and Playground upgrade from 38 giving units.
Wednesday Night Dinner Kick Off Dinner
Wednesday, September 13th 5:30-6:30pm
Wednesday Nite Dinner is starting its second year and we want to celebrate with a free picnic dinner for everyone. We’ll be having a cookout on Wednesday, September 13th. Some of the guys will be grilling hot dogs for us. We will be serving chips, pasta salad, fruit, cookie and drinks. Free.
The men in most churches are a silent, overlooked, underutilized power just waiting to be tapped. Most men tend to be doers rather than planners and committee meeting junkies. But… when these same men become focused on a task and united behind a noble cause, you awaken a sleeping giant that brings new energy and life to the church. Why wait?
“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of other are often stiffened.” Billy Graham Together we will encourage one another to stand up and do more than anyone thought possible. We will create opportunities to roll up your sleeves and make a difference. Here are a just a few ideas we’re working on… Pit Stop Ministry – Providing oil changes and general car maintenance/repair for single women and senior adults. Carpenter’s Helpers – Providing critical home repairs for those needing assistance and support. Outdoor Ministry – Connecting kids and families by exploring, leaning and celebrating the great outdoors. Fellowship Ministry – Celebrating life and by making friends, having fun and sharing our faith (softball, bowling, golf, whitewater rafting, skiing, etc.) For more information contact HR Lockhart, or Check it out on-line: www.mympumc.net/mens-ministry/
Students
Alex Cappadona, 630 Oakland Hall, 438 Oakland St., Morgantown, WV 26505 Madison Matheny, Room 302A, 250 2nd St., Morgantown, WV 26505 Jackson Starkey, Freshman North 4104 Box 381, 399 Thundering Herd Dr., Huntington, WV 25703-9603 Anthony Tournabene, 2213 Broadway Ext., Parkersburg, WV 26101 Alec Grygiel, Prichard Hallo, 300 Falconcrest Lane, Fairmont, WV 26554 John Grygiel, Grand Campus Bldg. 2, 113 Barnes Mills Rd., 407-C-D, Richmond, KY 40475 Ian Schmidt, 1462 Bergamont St., Morgantown,WV 26505 (304 966 5662) Emily Gersper, 507C Bryant Place, 1120 Bryant Street, Fairmont, WV 26554
As part of a sermon series “The God I Wish You Knew…” asks why people become part-time Christians (if there is such a thing.) On Sunday, August 27th, I asked the church to answer two simple questions: (1) what do you wish people knew about God? (2) what do you wish people knew about Mt Pleasant UMC? Here are just a few of the responses we received …
About God…
About Mt Pleasant UMC
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He is with us always Believe in miracles Always with us God cherishes you. He wants a relationship with you. To listen and talk with you. He adores you. I am blessed, most of my neighbors are attending. We are thankful people. He is Forgiving! He is always with you. He knows me and still loves me He loves you and seeks you His love knows no limits Nobody want to die, but it’s a 100% chance we will. God through Jesus makes the thought of dying so much easier He holds no grudges He is the Beginning and the End God is loving and forgiving. He listens to your prayers. How awesome it is to have the Good Shepherd, He will protect you and provide for you. God is a good shepherd. He is a loving Heavenly father who loves everyone, especially you! He has a plan for you A relationship with God will improve your life in all areas. No matter what you are battling or goring through, God is always there for you to lean on. That God has filled me with a contentment that the world or material possessions cannot fill. God lives here in our praise, service and caring
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we are loving and caring people we are like a family Loving, friendly, caring community you don’t need fancy clothes or a spotless life. You will be accepted and encouraged there. God is there waiting for you. All the smiles and hugs. The church is a real loving and caring church family. The friendliest, kindest people you’ll ever meet Love support, family, and service A friendly and loving church. Learn about God and life with friends. The joy of serving others The family of Christ An open and friendly church, reaching out to people in all walks of life. Love and support Everyone is welcome It welcomes you gracefully We have a great kids program, pre-school and active congregation I love time with the children We are a loving family of sinners saved by grace of Jesus. We love you and want you to join us. We are a loving caring church That we are here for you and the community Caring, Helpful church group There is a great group of people and friends. How loving and warm our church, inclusive A loving family of believers who encourage one another and support each other.
News from the Preschool Mt. Pleasant Preschool is excited for the beginning of another wonderful school year! We are anxious to meet and get to know all our incoming families. We start off our school year with our annual “Crazy About Cookies” fundraiser! We have a wide variety of cookie dough tubs to order that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Each tub yields about 48 cookies and is freezable for up to a year. Please contact Elaine in the church office or the preschool to place your order by September 27th. We are very excited to announce that we have a Parkersburg South helper with us this year! We welcome Caitlyn Smith to our classroom. Caitlyn will be volunteering for a couple of hours a week. She looks forward to being part of our family and we know she will enjoy her time working with our children as much as we do! A HUGE thank you to the gentlemen of Mt. Pleasant UMC for power washing and working on our playground! A special THANK YOU to Sherry Hinton for volunteering to paint our monkey bars and jungle gym. We truly appreciate all your time and muscle work!
Jacque Henry
All mentors and prayer partners will be recognized on September 10th. Please plan on being here for worship and wear your red shirts so Pastor Steve will look out from the pulpit and see red shirts. The letters were mailed to the homes of the children who were mentored last year on August 22nd, requesting permission to see the children again this year. We should be able to start seeing those kids after Labor Day. I took the letters to the school on August 22nd for the teachers to refer any child they feel would benefit from having a mentor. As those referrals are sent to the office, they will be reviewed and permission letters will be mailed to the families. This could take another month before the new mentors will be able to start seeing children. God has answered my prayers by touching the heart of so many volunteers for mentors and prayer partners. We will be able to help more than twice as many children as last year. But, there are more of God’s children at Mineral Wells School that need us. I am praying for more mentors and prayer partners. Do you feel God touching your heart? Do you feel God wants you to help one of his children? It only takes 1 hour 1 day a week to show a child someone cares about them. Call me or the church office - 304.489.1965 - to join our team. Nancy Barton
SEPTEMBER 8 - LET’S GO SOUTH! THRIVE will be tailgating at the first HOME South football game! We take this as an opportunity to reach out to the South students and families. We will meet in the Erikson parking lot at 5:00 pm to set up and be ready to serve by 5:30. If you are able and would like to help with this event, please contact Amanda or Greg Eagle. SEPTEMBER 10 - GOSPEL Journey Series begins!! “As your students understand the gospel at a deeper level and see how it applies to some of the core issues of life (relationship, purpose, sin, forgiveness, redemption and hope), they will gain the confidence and competence they need to share their faith.” This is a wonderful series RICH in God’s word and powerful in faith building and strengthening our confidence in what we profess to believe! This series will continue into the early part of November. Each night we will discuss a part of the Gospel story! “We must equip and unleash our students to reach their generation for Christ. We must motivate and mobilize them for the ultimate cause - THE Cause of Christ—making disciples who make disciples. A recent study has shown that a friend has 100 times more influence on another friend than a stranger does. Think about it. Our teens can change their world by carrying the gospel to their friends. And they can reach into their world far more effectively than an adult can. Some people think post-moderns aren’t interested in Christianity. This GOSPEL Journey series will burst that illusion. The seven students featured in the series came from a wide range of world views, from atheist to Wiccan, and had never met before, but their engagement with the message of the gospel was so intense that it spilled over into the SUV rides, the rafting trip and the hot tub. They were not putting on a show for the cameras; they were engaged and intrigued by Jesus’ message. I predict this content will have the same impact on your students and will encourage and equip them to initiate spiritual conversations with their unreached friends.” - Greg Stier
Rising Stars is gearing up to start our fall meetings! Join us for a kick-off party Sunday, September 17th at 6:30 pm. This children ’s ministry program is available for ages 4 through 5th grade. We meet every Sunday evening from 6:30-8:00 pm throughout the school year. Our goals are to inspire young minds and hearts to have a huge love for God and to share that love with everyone everywhere! We love to share Bible stories, play games, sing songs, eat snacks, learn how to pray and pray for others and work on special projects and programs for our church! Fall is Christmas program practice time! We’re hoping to begin practice the beginning of October. The Christmas program is usually the first Sunday in December. Please be thinking if your child might be interested in being a part of this fun event. Sign-up will begin soon! Please visit our Facebook page to keep up with events and announcements. Just search “Mt. Pleasant UMC Rising Stars!” if you wish to be added.
BOOKS and BURGERS SALE Friday & Saturday
September 8-9 SAK PAK GOLF SCRAMBLE Thank you to everyone that helped with the 3rd Annual golf tournament on Saturday, August 5th. It was a great success!
October 14, 2017 Mineral Wells Elementary Please let me know if you would like to set up a table for crafts or a Vendor table. Sherry Hinton
A special thanks to all the players. Some of them said it was the most organized tournament they have played in and are planning to return next year. Mark your calendars for the first Saturday in August, 2018!
Friday: 9:00 am—6:00 pm Saturday: 9:00 am—3:00 pm Books for All Ages!! Come and search for that perfect book and enjoy a hamburger while you are here. If you would like to donate books, CD’s or DVD’s please contact Sherry Hinton—304.481.5064
304.481.5064
September 3 ~ Elaine Smith
Maddie & Mia Archer
Pearl Buchanan & Janet Hinton
Communion
September 10 ~ Ann Somerville
Gabi & Rylee Davis
Dave & Betty Jo PryceMorehead
Betsy Offenberger & Lisa Smith
September 17 ~
Helen Wright
Aiden & Ashton Garrett
September 24 ~
Ann Mayhew
Ashlynn & Luke Eagle
Bob & Debbie Sheppard Cyndy Goldsworthy
Larry & Pam Fought Gina Starkey & Kaylynn Lantz
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.” Reminder: Because of the holiday and other conflicting dates, the United Methodist Women will hold their September meeting on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. In October, we will return to our regular schedule of the first Monday of each month. Membership is open to all women of our church. We welcome any new ideas and suggestions and hope you will be able to join us. If you are unable to attend, but would like to receive minutes, updates and other information, please visit our web page at http://mympumc.net/ministries/umw God’s blessings to you and yours. Jane Utt President
From the Trustees Are you ready? It does not really matter. It is going to happen whether you like it or not. So let’s just enjoy it and embrace it. Get up early as the sun rises, walk outside and breathe in deeply. By the time you receive this letter it will be the beginning of FALL...AND FOOTBALL. CAN YOU SAY “LET’S GOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS” or “O! H!” “I! O!” or “WE ARE MASHALL!” or “We Are! PENN STATE!” Penn And it is time to get ready for snow. No more mowing grass. Yea! Not really, that’s probably 90 to 100 days away. We still have leaves to deal with. Enjoy and Embrace the Fall. In addition to projects mentioned in last month’s newsletter here are some more: The Spire – sometime this month we will be removing the steeple so internal damage can be repaired. This will allow us clean the steeple, add lightning rod and secure it correctly to the roof. Columns and Fascia -- Clean and Paint Taylor Tract – Brush hog and dozer work. We will clean the fence lines, along the road and along the cemetery. Also, smooth out some of the ruts on the upper flat and check the drainage. Upper parking lot – extend the culvert up to the hillside. This will make the entrance to the upper lot wider and easier to exit and turn up Turkey Foot. Mail Box – a mailbox will be installed across the street from the upper lot. According to the U.S. Post O Office, 62 Turkey Foot Road, is an undeliverable address. It does not exist. Any mail addressed to 62 Turkey Foot gets kicked back and Amazon will not deliver any or all of those things you buy for Elaine.
State
s The newly formed Men’s Group is helping to clean up the Learning Center and work on projects at the parsonage. Thanks for all your help and continue to keep Roger in your prayers. Please contact one of the trustees with any concerns, problems or issues. And you are always welcome to any of the tee’s meetings. We usually meet @ 7pm the on the first Monday of the Month. Greg Cappadona Trustees