“Soup-er Bowl” Sunday Challenge February 7, 2010
For many years this congregation has had the opportunity to participate in “Soup-er Bowl” Sunday by contributing cans of soup for the Bellaire Community Food Pantry, Inc. Between now and February 7, let’s see how many cans of soup we can collect. You can leave your donations to be placed at the altar or take an envelope and mark your cash donation “soup” and we will make the purchase for you. All canned soup will be counted and presented to Bob Ayala, Director of the Pantry Board, and Jean Thornell, Director of the Bellaire Pantry, on February 7 during the worship service. If you have any questions please call Karen Steiner 533-8534 or Yolanda Ayala 533-8973.
CHURCH COUNCIL REPORT
Judy Parliament, Chairperson
Church Council would like to give a huge thank you to Hank & Margie VanLooy for all their efforts and hard work on the new Church Directory. The directory was an enormous undertaking, and was completed within a short period of time.
Finance Committee will have the budget ready within the next month, and they plan on having open meetings for anyone interested to discuss the budget. Those meeting dates will be announced in future Sunday bulletins.
Small Group Roundup. A meeting of the Small Group leaders is being planned and will be held at a future monthly potluck. When a date is chosen, the announcement will be in a Sunday bulletin announcement.
Committee Information
As chairperson of the 2010 Church Directory Committee, I would like to extend a thank you to all of the committee members. Preston & Teresa Cole did a fantastic job with the photos. Preston always had his camera ready after church service to take individual photos. I've heard so many nice comments on the beautiful church photo he took for the cover of the directory. Kevin Rathke was the "computer guru" who was indispensible!! He was always willing to help in any way possible to get the project completed. Hank VanLooy made himself available to take some photos of people unable to come to the church. Pat Stephens, Patti Savant, Madge Öeder, Nancy Brake and Trudi Chappell assisted with the proof-reading and updating of information. As you can see, this was a committee of several people working together to create our new church directory. It was a pleasure working with them. Margie VanLooy
N.O.W. Committee Update
Nurture – Outreach – Witness
We have changed our breakfast buffet to a simpler format in order not to put a heavy burden on a few people.
Fellowship is so important to our church life that the Coffee/Cookie Hour will continue after worship; however, we need cookies, muffins, coffeecakes or Glen’s bakery items are always acceptable.
On second Sundays of the month will be our all-Church potlucks. If you will choose a time to help, it would benefit everyone. There are sign-up sheets for both the potlucks and coffee hour in the narthex and Fellowship Hall.
We have finished a full season of events. There is much to do, making our church stronger, and reaching out to our community is our mission. Sign up to be a missionary N.O.W.
We are looking forward to our “Soup-er Bowl Challenge” to benefit our community pantry.
Please call any member of N.O.W.
Yours in Christ’s Love,
Carol Eagle 377-7735
Karen Steiner 533-8534
Cindy LaPointe 533-6356
Bobby Rodriguez 533-6215
Helga Langegger 377-4410
Yolanda Ayala, Chairperson 533-8973
Coming Events
Relay for Life of Antrim County Kick-off
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
Shanty Creek Resort, Bellaire
Lakeview Hotel in Summit Village-Bellaire Ballroom
(Light Refreshments will be served)
At this meeting you will receive information about the event, forming a team, fundraising, sponsorships, celebrating our survivors and much more!
All team captains, co-captains, team members survivors, sponsors, anyone interested in forming a team as well as anyone just interested in learning more about Relay are invited.
Join us as cancer survivors are celebrated. Remember those lost to the disease and Fight Back against cancer.
Together we will find a cure for cancer!
Sunday Evening Gospel Sing
Where: Kalkaska Senior Center
330 S. Coral Street, Kalkaska
When: Last Sunday of Each Month
Time: 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Bring a snack to share! All local talent is invited to participate. For more information call 231-258-6587. Next Gospel Sings are February 28, March 28, April 25, and May 30!
Bishop’s Day 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010 (9:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m.)
Theme: New Places for New Faces
First United Methodist Church, 400 South Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI Telephone: 989-773-6934
Sponsored by the Heartland, Grand Traverse, and Saginaw Bay Districts. All Pastors, lay leadership, and church members are encouraged to attend.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The speaker for the day is Rev. Michael Slaughter, Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, Ohio.
Registration deadline is March 1, 2010. Registration cost, which includes a box lunch, is $20 per person for 1-2 people; $15 per person for 3-4 people, and for 5 or more from the same charge, $12 per person. Late registrations will be accepted up to and at the event, however lunch will be on your own! You can obtain registration forms from Pat Stephens in the Church Office.
Adirondack Adventure Camp
(Sponsored by the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church)
Adult hiking camp in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York. (You thought church camp was just for kids, didn’t you?) You may choose between July 25-31, 2010 or August 1-7, 2010. The cost is $270 per person. You will stay in Ogden Lodge, which is part of Skye Farm United Methodist Camp & Retreat Center in Warrensburg, New York. Bunk beds in dormitory-style rooms, with each room having its own full bathroom. Included in the cost are breakfast and dinner, served in the dining room. After dinner, there is a devotional time, followed by a campfire and some fun. Lunches are self-made (everything provided) each morning to take along in your backpack for the day’s hike.
After breakfast, carpool to a trailhead, hike/climb the mountain; have lunch on the summit and then hike back down to return to the lodge for dinner. The hikes are scheduled for only 4 days of each week with Wednesday as a “free day” for resting or sightseeing.
Will You Be A Volunteer?
Munson Hospice and Palliative Care, an important component of care for the last 29 years in the Northern Michigan area, is accepting applications for volunteers. Volunteers are needed for respite care in the patient’s home, extended care facility or adult foster care residence in Antrim, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and other counties.
Volunteers, who must be 18 years of age, may also choose to offer their services at Munson Hospice House in Traverse City for a four or eight hour shift between 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. All volunteers are trained through an independent self-study course in addition to a training class with other new volunteers in Traverse City. For more information, please contact Judy Goodrich, Munson Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteer Supervisor at 231-935-8485 or 1-800-252-2065, ext. 58485.
Lenten Schedule
February 17 Ash Wednesday
February 21 First Sunday of Lent
February 28 Second Sunday of Lent
March 7 Third Sunday of Lent
March 14 Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 21 Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 28 Palm Sunday
April 2 Good Friday
April 4 Easter
Easter Flowers
This is a heads-up that the Bellaire Community United Methodist Church will be ordering Easter flowers. As soon as the details and flower prices are confirmed, that information will be contained in a Sunday bulletin. So ---- Watch your Sunday bulletins for the “Easter Flower” insert. Members and friends of BCUMC will be invited to place Spring Flowers in the Sanctuary for Easter Sunday to the Glory of God, and in honor or in memory of loved ones.
Mission Moments
We received a letter from Jeff & Amy Brake, who are serving in the city of Tyumen, Russia. Here it is in its entirety:
December 2009 – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
December is here and the city of Tyumen is decked out for the holiday season! We’re already planning our Christmas dinner and getting the decorations out of storage. It’s amazing to us that we’re halfway through our second year in Russia and that, in many ways, we’re adjusted to our lives serving here. As the holidays approach, we do feel homesick at times and a longing for the familiar. We miss you all, and at the same time we’re enjoying the new Russian traditions that have become a part of our lives here (for example: nothing beats a good Russian borscht to chase away the chill)!
There are some American traditions that we’re keeping even on the other side of the world. We have a Christmas tree and decorations, we’re in a fit of baking (special thanks to the Knox Care team for some key ingredients). Amy and I are both in the church Christmas pageant, and we’re planning some special surprises for friends and family (including a much hoped for real Christmas dinner).
The past year here has been another wonderful one for us. We’ve certainly been challenged and have grown a great deal as we’ve passed the initial stages of culture shock and are now settling into the work here in Tyumen. We continue to build upon our relationships to make new friends and contacts. We’ve been really pleased with the progress with our English Discussion Club as it’s more than doubled in size this year. Some weeks there are upwards of 40 people in attendance! Our time with the summer camp interpreters continues to be a weekly highlight and our conversations with them continue to go deeper and deeper into topics about life and faith.
And of course, we continue our Russian language studies (we realize it will be a life-long quest to perfect this language) and we spend quite a lot of time at the Cultural Center working together with the staff on programs and outreach events. We’re so thankful to them for that base of support and friendship. We’re looking forward to another exciting year in 2010 and the opportunity to visit with so many of you when we return to the States for a few months in the fall for home assignment.
We’ve been married for over 2 years and we can hardly believe how fast the time is flying by. We are so grateful to know one another and really just to be best friends. Being so far from family and friends, it is wonderful to have one another to rely on. We’re daily learning about how to encourage one another in becoming all that God created us to be. We feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to work so closely together in ministry and continue to explore how God wants to use us as individuals and as a team in His work.
Thank you again for all of your prayers and support over the past several years. We truly feel that it is a gift to be able to serve in Russia and continue to feel God’s leading to be part of what He is doing here. May He bless each of you during this season as we celebrate His Son, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6) Jeff & Amy
P.S. We would love to hear from you and just know how you are doing and how to pray for you. We really appreciate hearing from everyone, especially during this holiday season. You can email us at brakeja@gmail.com, and check in with frequent updates via our blog at: http://lifeonpurpose.blogspot.com/and give us a call via our U.S. phone number at 734-274-2842. We’re 10 hours ahead of you!
You can write to Jeff & Amy Brake c/o Tyumen Cultural Education Center, 102/3 Melnikayte 625026 Tyumen Russia.
◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
Tianne Cole, as you may already know, returned to Africa on January 1st. Tianne loves receiving snail mail. If you would like to write to Tianne, here’s her mailing address:
Tianne Cole
c/o AIM Serve South Sudan Team in Nagishot
P. O. Box 21171
Nairobi 00505 Kenya
Tianne says to make sure to put the zip
before the country or it could take a very long time to get to her. You can email her with attachments at
tiannecole@gmail.com. You can also email her at
tcole@aimint.net, however, the email must be in plain text with no attachments.
Communication from back home is a huge encouragement and blessing to Tianne!
Stay tuned for further updates from Tianne in the April Steeple Newsletter.
American Red Cross Blood Drive
The Bellaire Lioness Club is sponsoring a blood drive on Thursday, February 11 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, 3038 South M-88 in Bellaire. For more information, contact the Red Cross at 800-582-2240 or 347-5984 ext. 102 or 109. Thank you for your support!
WANTED!
7,223 Medicare Beneficiaries have not yet applied for benefits they are entitled to. Are you one of them?
The “Extra Help” Program helps beneficiaries pay for their monthly prescription premiums, co-pays and/or their annual deductibles and could save someone up to $3,900. The Medicare Savings Program helps beneficiaries pay for their Medicare Part B premiums, co-pays and/or deductibles. Certain income and asset limits do apply. For further information and assistance, contact Judy Parliament, Michigan Medicare Assistance Specialist, at the Antrim County Commission on Aging, 308 E. Cayuga, Bellaire; telephone 231-533-8703.
Lost & Found Box
BCUMC now has a Lost & Found Box in Fellowship Hall located next to the kitchen door about the coat rack. If you have left anything behind, please check this box.
Hot Cross Buns
These tasty breads with the distinctive cross were traditionally eaten on Good Friday to commemorate Christ’s sacrifice, but today they can be found on breakfast tables throughout Lent and Easter.
Here’s a simple way to make them: Flavor your favorite sweet yeast bread recipe with spices (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves) and add dried currants, cherries or raisins. Mark the tops of the buns with a “cross” to represent the Cross of Christ. The cross can be made before or after baking: before, by cutting slightly into the dough with a sharp knife; after, by using confectioners’ sugar frosting to form the cross.
“Bloom Where You’re Planted”