Making a Difference in Marathon and Throughout the World We support many ministries in our small village that aid local residents in Marathon and the surrounding communities. Our main ministry is educating adults, youth, and children of God's gift of grace through his son, Jesus Christ. ADULT EDUCATION Adult Sunday School is offered every Sunday at 10:00am from September through June. Each Sunday morning our class gathers to study the word of God. We are small in number, but lively in spirit. We enjoy each other's company and are amazed at the things we once learned, but were forgotten. We are delighted that the gospels, while old, seem fresh and important to our everyday living. Our lives are enriched by our weekly time together. This fall we are offering a Bible Study that will meeting Tuesday evenings at 6:30pm at the parsonage. Class began on September 16. We are doing an inductive study that looks at the chronological journey of Jesus through Galilee. We also have a short film study called "Happenings" offered on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm at the church. The series we are watching is called Mayberry RFD and it is "The Andy Griffith Show" with Bible lessons incorporated. We get a pretty good sized crowd for this weekly event and everyone has a good laugh and a lot of fun. This began on September 17. It is not too late to join either group. YOUTH EDUCATION Cooperative Sunday School The Marathon United Methodist Church and the Marathon Presbyterian Church work together to provide Christian education to our children on Sunday mornings. Each session involves prayer, music, lessons of worship, Biblical knowledge, and lots of fun. We begin at 9:30am each Sunday and our lessons are completed by the time worship service begins at 11:00am. All children are welcome and adult participation is encouraged. See you there! Religious Release Time Each Thursday afternoon our church is energized by the sounds of school children. Children in grades K-6 with parental permission are released from school at about 2:00pm are bussed to the church for religious education classes. At the conclusion of classes, the children are escorted to their buses for the ride home. We are blessed to be able to provide this wonderful outreach to the youth of our community. Vacation Bible School Each summer the Marathon United Methodist Church joins with the other churches in the village to provide the community with Vacation Bible School. The sessions usually run for one week in the evenings and are staffed by adult volunteers from each church. Each evening encompasses a theme that is reinforced by music, crafts, games and fun. Look for the announcements in the local churches and newspapers. See you there! Marathon Youth Group The Marathon United Methodist Church cooperates with the churches of the community to include our junior and senior high youth in fun, Christ-centered activities. The meetings are lively and Biblically based. Sometimes these activities are held at our church and sometimes the meetings are held at one of the other cooperating churches. MONTHLY COMMUNITY BARREL - WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN MARATHON! On the second Sunday of each month, we collect non-perishable items and donations to support a family in need. Donations are used to purchase gift certificates at the local market for perishables and other special items the family may need. This program was launched in January 2003 after one of our council members was touched by the pastor's question during a sermon that asked, "Have you ever really been hungry?" This year we have supported those who lost a family member, who have been struck by illness, who have just moved to the community and needed help getting started, and who earn very little and are just scraping by. Please contact an Administrative Council member if you know someone who could benefit from these donations. MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD We also extend our outreach to areas outside of Marathon through support of Golden Key Prison Ministry and through contributions to the United Methodist General Conference, which supports various ministries throughout the world. For 26 years, we have supported the Golden Key Prison Ministry based in Newark Valley, NY. Its president is the Rev. Douglas Smith, who grew up in this church. For many years, his family filled a pew and were active, dedicated members. The family has continued to love the Lord and to serve Him wherever they have lived and traveled. Golden Key has grown over the years and now serves five county jails in the Southern Tier of New York State. Two paid chaplains and 100 volunteers made 2,525 contacts with the prisoners in 2002. They conducted 857 follow-up contacts after jail release. Church services and Bible studies are on-going programs. Rev. Doug says, "We shouldn't give up on anyone." Because of Golden Key, prisoners' souls are being reached. Because of Jesus Christ their souls are being saved. Because of God's transforming power, lives are being changed. This congregation is proud to be serving our Lord and we look forward to many victories in Christ!