HEARTBEATS

Newtown United Methodist Church

The church with the big heart in the heart of Newtown reaching out and sharing the Love of Christ to meet the needs of people where they are.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2000

From the Pastor...

It hardly seems to be real.... Yes, one year ago at this time, we arrived in Newtown unsure of where God was leading us or even where to get a quick bite to eat. Yet, God has called my family and I to this place in this time and we have seen wonderful miracles of God. It has been a ride only God could manage or produce.

We have had our times of struggle, but we also have had our times of tremendous joy and peace. I remember when I talked with PPRC on the night I received this appointment that I believed in maximizing our strengths and minimizing our weaknesses. I am sorry and I ask your forgiveness if in trying to accomplish that, I have hurt you in some way. I still believe that is the way God is calling us. If you have been blessed by that, then I ask you to praise God for His wondrous blessing.

I just heard my favorite contemporary Christian song on the radio and I feel it applies to our individual lives and our lives as a Body of Christ. This song was named Song of the 90's by CCM magazine. It's called 'The Great Adventure' by Steven Curtis Chapman. The chorus has these wonderful words:

Saddle up your horses, we got a trail to blaze, Into the wild blue yonder in God's amazing grace

Let's follow our leader in to the glorious unknown  This is life like no other, this is the great adventure.

Many have blazed the trail here at Newtown United Methodist Church, and I believe God is calling us to blaze new trails for Christ. He commands us to follow Him into the great unknown. Life is like no other thing available, through all its adventures. Let us pray our way into the understanding of where God is leading us. He has great things awaiting, if we will humbly bow down before Him and hear His wondrous voice. This is where our hearts and our minds will be focusing on this next year. We are called to be the church with the big heart in the heart of Newtown. Pray where that heart is!

In closing, thank you for being Jesus to my family and I. It has been a faithful, yet scary time in our lives, making a new set of adjustments. You have shown yourselves as Christ to us, so let us show the world the Christ that lies within our hearts.

Peace and Grace to all of you, Pastor Kevin

LECTIONARY READINGS

September 3, 2000

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

James 1:17-27

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

Psalm 15

September 10, 2000

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Psalm 125

James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17

Mark 7:24-37

Isaiah 35:4-7a

Psalm 146

September 17, 2000

Proverbs 1:20-33

Psalm 19

James 3:1-12

Mark 8:27-38

Song of Solomon 7:26-8:1

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm 116:1-9

September 24, 2000

Proverbs 31:10-31

Psalm 1

James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Mark 9:30-37

Song of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22

Psalm 54

Jeremiah 11:18-20

October 1, 2000

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22

Psalm 124

James 5:13-20

Mark 9:38-50

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

Psalm 19:7-14

October 8, 2000

Job 1:1; 2:1-10

Psalm 26

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Mark 10:2-16

Genesis 2:18-24

Psalm 8

October 15, 2000

Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Psalm 22:1-15

Hebrews 4:12-16

Mark 10:17-31

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

Psalm 90:12-17

October 22, 2000

Job 38:1-7, (34-41)

Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c

Hebrews 5:1-10

Mark 10:35-45

Isaiah 53:4-12

Psalm 91:9-16

October 29, 2000

Job 42:1-6, 10-17

Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22)

Hebrews 7:23-28

Mark 10:46-52

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Psalm 126

LECTORS

We need lectors for Sunday Morning Worship Service. If anyone is interested please call me @ 735-0330. Thanks.

Becky Tippitt

SIGN DEDICATION

Our new sign has been installed and wondrously lights the night sky with the message of Christ in the name of Newtown United Methodist Church. We are blessed by this sign, as people have written and called, thanking us for putting the sign back up. We are truly touching the lives of others with the Gospel. In that, we will be dedicating the sign on September 10th, at the conclusion of worship. Please make plans to attend so that we might share in this gracious moment.

HOMECOMING SUNDAY

The Nurturing Ministries Team is beginning to plan a Homecoming Sunday for early in October, although no date has been set as of this time. We are thinking of having an Ice Cream Social in conjunction with this day, and possibly a guest speaker delivering an evangelical message. We could even pull out those old-time outfits as part of this celebration. This could be a great time to 'harvest' the fields for Christ, and we don't have to have a few laborers to work those fields! Please consider how you might be able to participate or even an interesting idea to make this time a success. Let any member of the team or myself know of your interest. Please plan to make this event a glorious blessing.

CHARGE CONFERENCE

Our annual charge conference is currently scheduled for Sunday, November 5th. It is supposed to take place during our worship hour, but the Administrative Council has directed me to find a way to change that. So far, no luck! But I will keep working frantically on it and we will pray our way to another time, eh?

NOMINATIONS AND PERSONNEL

This committee has already begun its work in anticipation of Charge Conference and asking people to serve in some capacity of the church life. Please pray about their work and any opportunities you might be asked to fill. It truly is a blessing to work in Christ's Holy Name!

NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

Beginning September 10th, a new Sunday School class will make its beginnings felt. The Youth (5th grade and up) will start that morning with Marc Starrett teaching. Their study will be on topical aspects of life and our Christian reaction to encountering life. So come on out Youth for a neat time to express yourself and your faith. Caution: you might learn something also!

NEW BISHOP IN TOWN

The new bishop for the West Ohio Area, the Rev. Bruce Ough, will be visiting the Cincinnati District on October 1 & 2. Keep your ears open for more information as it becomes available.

LAWN FETE

Our traditional Lawn Fete will be September 23. We want to thank Charlotte Aichholz for her willingness to serve her church as chairperson. We also want to thank Barry Phillips for his leadership in the past for this event. Charlotte is currently looking for donated items that might be auctioned. If you have an item for auction, please contact her or the church office for further assistance. This annual fund-raiser needs our support to make it the huge success it has certainly been in the past.

FINANCIAL REPORT

May 7 1686.         June 4 1165.

14 580.            11 743.

21 554.          18 1007.

28 449.              25 559.

July 2 816.          Aug. 6 905.

9 500.           13 325.

16 488.         20 442.

             23 318.           27 485.              

31 504.

The church needs $1800. Weekly to meet its budget.

Phyllis Fought, Financial Secretary

FLOWER CALENDAR

There will be fresh flowers on the Altar whenever you order them or bring them, otherwise, there will be artificial flowers. There is a Flower calendar in the fellowship hall for you to sign up for Sundays you wish to put flowers on the altar in memory of or in honor of someone. Pat Bray will get the flowers, you put $11.00 donation in the offering unless you specify otherwise. You can call Pat (561-8541) for more info.

PASTOR PARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE (PPRC)

Fall is quickly approaching. The Dog Days of Summer are over. PPRC will be meeting in September on the 26th. We will begin at 7 PM. If you are on the committee please plan on attending. If you are not on the committee and you have something you want to discuss please contact one of us. This group is to represent the congregations thoughts as well as the Pastors and to recommend a Common Goal. We need to work together. We have a great Church with a rich history and we have good people, can we join hands embrace one another and work together for one common goal. God's Goal! Questions or comments call me.

Sue Barnard, Chair PPRC

ALL CHUCH WORKDAY

There will be a Church Work Day, September 16, 10:00 AM. There are a lot of things that need to be done around the church and we could use your help.

Please plan to come for an hour or the day.

FINANCE

Hello to all!!! While we are involved in the hustle & bustle of summertime fun, picnics & family outings, it's easy to roll over on Sunday morning and think...."Ahhh, I can skip today." Believe me, I've done the very same thing. Usually, when this happens though, not only are we taking a "vacation day" from church, but we are slighting the collection plate. More times than not, if we are not in church, we typically don't make up our giving for that "skipped" week. As you all know, we have a beautiful, brand new sign, and because of our faith & love for our Lord, we have paid for all but $400.00 of it as of this writing. Let's keep that same faith, and not only pay for the balance due on our sign, but for the continuous bills that the church incurs each month. Operating our church, as you know, is much like operating our own homes. The church & parsonage too have water, telephone, electric, insurance, tax bills and the list goes on..... This does not include our conference/district apportionment's, pastoral family health insurance, pastoral retirement and so forth. We need not only to keep these things in mind, but keep them in prayer. It is by the grace of God & our faith that we help our church to strive and forge forward with our gifts of time, talents and monies. We cannot have a stronger building block than more than 200 years of God centered faith and service in Newtown. I urge, challenge & pray that you all will join me in continuing to not only keep this faith alive, but renew it along the way. We will and have had many hurdles along the way, but I have seen Christ work in each and every one of us. A safe and happy summer to all. May God's blessings always be on our family at NUMC.

Barry Phillips, Chairman Finance

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Please begin bringing items for our Shoe Box ministry. We need small toys, games, hard candy, crayons, coloring books, stuffed animals, t-shirts, socks, underwear, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, wash cloths, or any item a child would like that will fit into a shoe box. Please, no liquids like bubbles, shampoo, etc., no chocolate candy, no toy guns or military type items.

The last day to bring your items is November 5. Our church will be a hub for other churches in the community that would like to participate.

You can donate items and we will fill the shoeboxes or you can fill a shoe box yourself and bring to the church. We have done this for several years and your response has been great. For questions please call Kathy Bolton (575-3670) or Martha Kraft (965-8562).