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910 E. Third St., Ottawa, OH 45875
Telephone: 419.523.9901 / 800.589.7828
Fax: 419.523.3479
Email nwplains@wocumc.org
Website: www.nwpumc.org
IN THIS ISSUE
Prayer Nepal Earthquake
Weekly Prayer
Prayer Concerns
Emmaus
Local Church & Community Events
West Ohio Conference and Beyond
Resources
Classifieds
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Upper Room Dailey Devotional
Weekly Bulletin
May 1, 2015
Prayer Nepal Earthquake
Global Ministries Missionary Katherine Parker who serves as part of
the health team of the United
Mission to Nepal, offers specific prayers for the people of
Nepal following the devastating April 25 earthquake.
Please share these points and
continue to pray for Nepal’s
recovery and learn more
about how United Methodists
are responding.
 There is anxiety that this event will trigger another quake on
one of Nepal’s other two fault lines and that more aftershocks
will further destabilize buildings. Please pray Psalm 46 for the
assurance of God's continued presence and protection.
 Please pray for those who have lost loved ones and those who
have lost their shelter either temporarily or permanently.
Please pray for those sleeping outside that the weather will
hold stable and it won't rain.
 Water shortages are always a problem in Kathmandu, so please
pray that the water supply will be sufficient and uncontaminated. Please pray that the temporary outdoor living will not
lead to a cholera outbreak.
 Please pray for our response team traveling to Kathmandu and
for UMN staff as we implement our emergency response plan
to help those in need.
 Please pray for calm and release from fear as the aftershocks
continue.
This week let us pray for those from our district who will be in mission next week at
Henderson Settlement, and for all who will serve there over the coming months.
Gracious God,
You call us all to be Christ’s representatives in the world through the waters of baptism.
Bless those who next week, and throughout the summer, seek to be the hands and feet
of Christ in service at Henderson Settlement. Guide their work; grant them safe travel;
gift them with open hearts and open minds to be gracious to all they encounter as they
experience the impact of economic insecurity. By your Spirit, O God, send them out to
serve in this specific time and place. By your Spirit, O God, send us all out to serve in
specific ways throughout our days wherever we may be. This we ask as followers of Jesus. Amen.
Let us remember in prayer those grieving the loss of their loved one, and remember in thanksgiving
the life and ministry of:
Rev. James B. Heininger, 90, who died on April 26. Surviving are his wife of 67 years, Nancy (Sutton) Heininger; children, James Heininger, Andrew (Marie) Heininger, Amy Lu Heininger and Julie (Jeff) German; grandchildren, Nathanael, Gordon, Samuel, Katherine, Carol, Sarah, and Abigail; and great-granddaughter, Hazel.
A veteran of the United Stated Army, James wrote about his World War II experiences in his book, Name, Rank and
Serial Number, My 1000 Days Working for Uncle Sam. He became an ordained Methodist pastor in 1953 and served
at Jerry City-Portage Center Charge (1947); Clarksfield Church (Norwalk, EOC 1950); First (Bluffton 1955); Loveland
(1960); Mount Washington (1969); Greenfield (1971); Farmersville (1974); Oldtown-Union Charge (1977); and Countryside Chapel (1988). Obituary. A memorial service will be on Saturday, May 9 at 2:30 PM at Centenary United Methodist Church, 102 East Broadway, Granville with Rev. Stephen J. Cramer as celebrant. The family will receive friends
prior to the service at the church from 1:00 P.M. until the time of service. Expressions of condolence may be sent
to Mrs. Nancy Heininger, 1284 James Road, Granville, Ohio 43023 or online at www.mcpeekhoekstra.com.
Alice McCormack who died on April 29. Mrs. McCormack is survived by her husband, Rev. L. Eugene McCormack, a
retired elder in the West Ohio Conference; a sister Vanita (Harry) Street; stepdaughter Minda (Ron) Jones; stepdaughter-in-law Jill Burley McCormack; 5 step grandchildren and 10 step great-grandchildren.
Rev. and Mrs. McCormack were married in 1975 and together they served St. Paul's (Montpelier, 1979); Metamora
(1992); and Oakwood Cornerstone (1994) United Methodist Churches.
Obituary. Viewing will be on Sunday, May 3 from 3-7 pm at Love-Heitmeyer Funeral Home, 226 North Belmore
Street, Leipsic, and on Monday, May 4 from 9:30-11 am at Smith-Brown Funeral Home, 706 North Main Street, Hicksville. Funeral service will begin at 11 am Monday at Smith-Brown Funeral Home with Pastor Patrick Street officiating.
Expressions of condolence may be sent to Rev. Gene McCormack, 101 Circle Drive, Leipsic, Ohio 45856 or online at
Love-Heitmeyer Funeral Home.
Diana Lee Michael who died on April 28. Surviving Diana is her husband, Rev. Peter Callam Michael, an elder in the
West Ohio Conference. Also surviving are her three sons; Bill (Teri) Thacker Jr., John (Ashley) Thacker, Geoffrey
Thacker; her stepdaughter, Debra (John) McVey; her sister, Mary Patton; her grandchildren, Emma, Brett and Leland
Thacker; and her step grandchildren, twins Ben and Matt McVey and Joel McVey.
Mrs. Michael was a member and the parish administrator of the All Saints Episcopal Church in Portsmouth. Rev. Michael currently serves as Hospice Chaplain at Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth.
Obituary. The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 3 from 2-5 pm at the Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home, 1422 Lincoln Street, Portsmouth. A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Monday, May 4 at the All Saints Episcopal
Church, 610 Fourth Street, Portsmouth. Expressions of condolence may be sent to Rev. Pete Michael, 23 Jason Lane,
Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694, or online at Ralph F. Scott Funeral Home.
Emmaus Events
Findlay Emmaus Gathering
Sidney Emmaus Gathering
Tuesday, May 19, 7 pm
St Marks UMC
800 S. Main St., Findlay
419.422.4131
http://www.findlayemmaus.org/
Tuesday, May 12, 7 pm
First UMC
230 E. Poplar St., Sidney
937.492.9136
http://www.sidneyemmaus.org/
(always the third Tuesday)
(always the second Tuesday)
Emmaus Walks ~ A Journey with Christ
While they were talking and discussing. Jesus himself came near and walked with them. - Luke 24:15
A program of the Upper Room division of the General Board Discipleship which calls forth and
renews Christian discipleship. The Walk to Emmaus is a three-day experience, a highly structured
weekend, which takes a New Testament look at Christianity as a life-style. The program is designed to strengthen and renew the faith of Christian people and through them their families,
congregations, and the world.
Findlay Emmaus Walks @ St. Marks UMC, Findlay
Women's Walk #95
Women's Walk #96
Men's Walk #73
June 18-21, 2015
October 8-11, 2015
November 5-8, 2015
Findlay Chrysalis Flights @ St. Andrew’s UMC, Findlay
Girl’s Flight #45
Boy’s Flight #44
July 10-12, 2015
July 24-26, 2015
Sidney Emmaus Walks @ First UMC, Sidney
Women’s Walk #66
Women’s Walk #67
Men’s Walk #62
July 9-12, 2015
October 15-18, 2015
August 6-9, 2015
West Ohio Piqua Chrysalis Flights @ First UMC, Sidney
Girl’s Flight #60
July 10-12, 2015
Boy’s Flight #60
July 31-August 2, 2015
LOCAL CHURCH
AND
COMMUNITY EVENTS
St. Johns UMC is hosting the annual Mother Daughter
Banquet on Friday, May 8 at the church. Dinner is at
6:30 pm followed by guest speaker Andy Lynch from
TV 44, Lima.
Reservations are required for dinner and tickets are
$8 each. No one will be turned away.
If you are interested in attending, please call Tina Williams at 419.659.2807.
St. Johns is located at 205 N. High St., Columbus
Grove, OH 45830.
(UNO, Yahtzee, Euchre, Star Wars Trivia)
Saturday, May 2, 7 PM
Westside UMC
604 Gloria Ave., Lima, OH
Snacks & Drinks available ($1 donation)
Everyone welcome!
New Knoxville UMC Annual Garage Sale
Concert featuring
Molly Pickett
Salem UMC (Wyandot County)
Located at Township Highways 96 & 69
Sunday, May 17, 4:00 pm
Join us for worship and concert to
be followed by a potluck meal.
Friday, May 8, 3-6 pm
and
Saturday, May 9, 8 am-2pm
Saturday lunch will be offered, so enjoy a sandwich
or slice of pie with other bargain hunters.
All proceeds go toward sending senior high youth
to Lakeside.
Offering to benefit Imagine No Malaria, a mission of
the United Methodist Church.
Everyone welcome!
Flat Rock Creek Fall Festival
September 18-20
Paulding County Fairgrounds
Attention church musicians!
Be a part of the gospel outreach at the Flat Rock
Creek Fall Festival!
Lima Trinity UMC Youth Camp Yard Sale
June 4-6
900 Fenway Dr., Lima
We are looking for church and gospel singers,
choirs, bands, and groups to perform on our brand
new Gospel stage. We are interested in folks who
can perform live music for about one hour.
Please contact Ali Petrey for the start and end times.
419.996.9725.
Please contact the Paulding Chamber at pauldingchamber@gmail.com or call Kim at 419.956.2025.
NEWS
FROM AROUND THE
CONNECTION
General Conference Sites Chosen for 2024 and 2028
The Commission on the General Conference voted this week to take the
quadrennial legislative gathering out of the U.S. for the first time in 2024 and again in 2028. Manila, Philippines was chosen as the site for the 2024
General Conference; the 2028 conference will be in Harare, Zimbabwe.
"Meeting outside the U.S. is an important statement to say that we're a
worldwide denomination," said Sara Hotchkiss, business manager of the
General Conference. Read more http://tiny.cc/p9smxx
Handbell Festival at Sulpher Grove UMC
Calling all handbell choirs: Do you love to play handbells and enjoy a good
party? If so, join the Steeple Bells from Sulphur Grove UMC for our bell
festival, taking place on Saturday, November 7, 2015. Cost is $30 per
choir, space is limited. Information/registration at sulphurgrove.org; look
for the bell festival tab. Questions may be directed to Cathy Hanover at
chanover55@woh.rr.com
Creating A Legacy for your Church’s Future
Does your church have a legacy-building plan designed to equip your future
ministry? Join us for a seminar dedicated to helping you understand why the
development of a proactive planned giving program is essential to your future. With an anticipated 42 trillion dollars of wealth to be transferred in the
next couple of decades, a strategic approach to planned legacy giving is vital.
The church can benefit from legacy planning but requires an intentional strategy to benefit from this transfer of wealth. Breakout sessions will address different church needs.Some churches simply need to encourage members to
have a will while others have sizable endowments and require assistance to manage these funds to advance mission
without impairing the faith generosity of their members. Every local church, regardless of their current program, will
benefit from the day.
Topics to be addressed:
Who Gets Aunt Mamie’s Bracelet with Mr. Lloyd Fisher
Personal Finance: Enjoying Retirement While Impacting the World with Mark Menges, Compass Financial Group
The Magic of Endowments: The Gift That Keeps on Giving with Mr. Tom Hofmann & Mr. Alex Keller
Charitable Gift Annuities: Are They right for Your Church with Ms. Debbie Yurasek, Director Charitable Gift Planning,
Otterbein Homes
Creating a Strategic Planned Giving Program with Rev. George Cooper
During the lunch hour, Larry Miles from St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Findlay will share their recent
planned giving campaign, providing an actual example of how one church applied best practices for success.
Who should attend? Pastors, Finance Committees, Endowment Committees, Leadership Teams
Check-in begins at 9:30
20flyer_May.pdf
Flyer
http://www.westohioumc.org/sites/default/files/conference/image/event/legacy%
RESOURCES
New! Mobile Websites
New, easy-to-use mobile versions of the Global Ministries http://
www.umcmission.org/ and UMCOR http://www.umcor.org/ websites have recently launched. With just one click or two, you can
support missionaries, find Advance projects, locate volunteer opportunities, read the news, make a donation, or learn how to assemble relief-supply kits.
Is your mobile phone handy? Check it out now!
How To Be Remarkable
Recently I visited a restaurant in Atlanta that a friend had said was “remarkable.” No
research. No looking it up online. I just took his word for it. After taking it in, I totally
agreed. It was, as he said, “remarkable.”
What really is remarkable? Webster’s defines remarkable as “notably or conspicuously unusual; extraordinary. Worthy of notice or attention; striking.” It’s what you
remember. What you talk about. What you retweet. What you share. What you post
about on Facebook. The ideal pic shared on Instagram. The news that we text to our friends and family.
Read More http://tiny.cc/tovmxx
Eight reasons people are leaving denominational churches for nondenominational churches
While working on an unrelated research project, I recently came across some data published by the Hartford Institute of Religion Research. Though the information was five
years old, it still seemed highly relevant today. In essence, the data showed that nondenominational churches are now the second largest Protestant group in America.
Only the Southern Baptist Convention is larger. Here are some of the fascinating nuggets from that study: There are more than 12 million people who affiliate with nondenominational churches. The research found at least 35,000 non-denominational
churches in America. Non-denominational churches are in 88% of the counties in the
United States. See more at: http://tiny.cc/oa0mxx
Camp Director Position
Heather Brake will be leaving her position as Director of Camp Wesley to join her husband who has accepted a new position in East Ohio. In her two years as director, Heather has been a wonderful asset
and leader who understood and shared the purpose of camping discipleship. West Ohio Camping & Retreat Director, Ken Overholser, made the announcement saying, "Join me in prayer and thanksgiving as
Heather and her family begin this new calling and adventure. Please also pray for us as we seek the person who God is calling next to lead our ministry at Camp Wesley." Learn more about the position and
apply.
Help Wanted: Children’s Ministry Coordinator (full-time)
Coordinator of Children’s Ministry, full-time, St. Andrew’s UMC, 120 W. Sandusky St., Findlay, Ohio.
Please send resume to office@saumcfindlay.org.
Do you have news or something interesting to share? Know of anyone who would like to be
added to our Weekly Bulletin e-mail list? Contact Deb via e-mail deblee@wocumc.org or call
1.800.589.7828.
When e-mailing the district staff, please use the e-mail addresses listed below:
Rev. Barry Burns, District Superintendent: bburns@wocumc.org
Rev. Amy Haines, Assistant to the DS: ahaines@wocumc.org
Debra Lee, Office Administrator: deblee@wocumc.org
Sandy Pergram, Administrative Assistant: spergram@wocumc.org