Fellowship United Methodist Church (Troy MI)

Coming up in May is our spring Workday (scheduled for 9 to noon on May 3) and the CROP Walk (scheduled to begin at Fellowship) on Sunday, May 4. Be sure and sign on to sponsor one of the walkers and help out with registration if needed.

Here is a list developed at the meeting of the top priority property capital improvements for this year, including HVAC service and A/C unit replacement (#1), replacing the sign covers (#2) and replacing the fence around the mechanical components (#3). Parking lot lighting improvements (#4) and eave painting (#5) round out the top five. Want to help out with ideas or a contribution? All are welcome.

We have been given permission to sell the parsonage at last. The parsonage is leased for the next 18 months, and Rene (our rental agent) is going to prepare a market analysis for us. When we have that available, we’ll let everyone know how things stand.

Early registration for Vacation Bible School will begin on May 4, 2008. You will find registration forms on the bulletin board across from the office and also in the education hallway. Please turn the registrations in by June 8. You may leave them in the Zawislak's mail slot in the hall outside the church office.

There will be an adult class during Vacation Bible School. Adults will use the same registration form to sign up. The class is entitled "Doctrine of Human Being" and will be taught by Rev. Johnny Liles. Help is still needed for Vacation Bible School. If you are able to help out, please let us know.

The committee held a Popcorn & Move Night on April 25 at 7 PM. The movie “Second Hand Lions” was shown. The committee provided popcorn and snacks and those attending were asked to “Bring Your Own Pop”. Great appreciation and thanks to John Hart for lending the committee the use of his projector to show the movie.

The committee met earlier in April and revised the procedures to be followed to keep in contact with congregation members who may be sick, absent from worship or shut-in. Committee members will phone members to keep them informed of church activities and offer assistance if needed.

A poster advertising performances of “Jesus Christ Superstar” is on the bulletin board across from the pastor’s office. A signup sheet for those interested in attending a performance is located on a table in the Fellowship Hall. Performance dates are June 1 and June 8. The committee will keep the congregation informed of the interest in this activity.

WORSHIP COMMITTEE (Jeff Walker and James Sawyer)

Because there is a baptism on June 8 as well as communion, we have changed the date of the recognition of music ministry to June 25.

We have a need for people to sign up for coffee hour! Starting next month, we’ll publish a list of people who have signed up to help out in the Worship service on Sunday. We didn’t have enough people signed up this time, so please help out if you are able.

DID YOU GET THE MESSAGE LAST SUNDAY ABOUT WEARING LAVENDER?
Phyllis Shirey, Norma Wesch, and Carolyn Jones Sure Did!

Join us on Tuesday evening, May 13 at 7 PM and hear about Phyllis Hart’s visit to Haiti. Everyone is invited to this special UMW meeting; dessert and coffee will follow the program. We plan to celebrate “United Methodist Women’s Sunday” on the first of June.

Don’t forget to keep on saving the labels from Campbell and related labels. Also look for the Education points on General Foods, including Ziploc products. These are being sent to Redbird Mission in Kentucky. They are able to turn these in for school supplies, computers and even vans!

A FEW ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS (Fay Brown)

We received a “thank you” from the Methodist Children’s Home Society in late March for a donation we made of Valentine’s Day candy and stuffed animals. Thanks to James Sawyer and Walgreen’s, Rev. Liles was able to drop off these gifts to the Home. Also, from Rev. Liles an interesting fact: did you know that there are 1,889 residential addresses within two miles of Fellowship? Wouldn’t it be nice to get even 1% of those people to visit Fellowship?

Usually I save personal notes until the end of “A Word From...” However, at this time it occupies front and center of my thoughts. I am basically repeating what I have communicated by other means. A recent ultra-sound revealed that I have a “significant” blockage in the right carotid artery. My internist was very surprised because he has been checking me regularly and I have not had a cholesterol problem. I have an appointment with a specialist on May 8 and we will go from there. Most of you are not surprised that the doctor told me if nothing is done it could lead to a “massive stroke.” It may be of interest to you that the ultra-sound was prompted by my eye doctor who saw something in my right eye and strongly recommended that I see either my internist or cardiologist as soon as possible. I followed up on his recommendation, believe it or not.

Even though Lynda and I are very much concerned, we do not intend to alter our schedule and routine until I see the specialist. We are expecting to take the vacation to Arkansas at the end of May and early June. However, no tickets for Amtrak will be purchased until after May 8 – just in case. Even if we are not on vacation on June 1, the United Methodist Women will be in charge of worship. Therefore, communion will be on the following Sunday, June 8.

The baptism of Gavin David Ottinger on May 4 has been announced previously. I am very appreciative of the people who have volunteered to make the coffee hour special that day. I am announcing now that there will also be a baptism on June 8 of Faithlynn Ann Donegan. The family resides in Madison Heights. We will want to make that a special day for the family also.

The Detroit Annual Conference will convene at Adrian College, beginning Friday, May 16 at 8:30 AM. We are scheduled to conclude on Sunday, May 18 at 5:30 PM. Martin, John, Maxine, Lynda and I will be in attendance. On that Sunday, Fay Brown will substitute for me in the pulpit and Earl Morgan will be substituting for Lynda at the organ and piano.

I am very disappointed that the West Michigan and Detroit Annual Conferences will not be merging.

During Vacation Bible School (VBS) at the end of June, I will be teaching adults on the topic: The Doctrine of Humankind. The five sub-topics will be: As We Were; As We Are; As We Can Be; What We Should Do; and What We Shall Become. We will be using the Articles of Religion as written by John Wesley, as well as other resources. I will share with the class the materials I wrote in 1970, revised in 2000 and revised again in 2008. I invite you to be a part of this study, if you are not helping with other things during VBS.

The church is responsible for Worship at Brookdale in the afternoon of the second Sunday of every month. We have moved the time to 3:00 PM instead of 3:15 PM. I strongly encourage you to participate in this worship. The residents are so appreciative that we come to have worship with them. You will be blessed.

WORDS OF WISDOM

When I stand before God at the end of my life,

I would hope that I would have not a single bit of
talent left and could say:

“I USED EVERYTHING YOU GAVE ME”