YOU ARE INVITED TO ANY

AND ALL OF OUR SERVICES

AND EVENTS!

Sunday

8:15 am Worship 9:30 am Worship 11:00 am Worship

Various Children, Youth and Adult Sunday School Classes at

9:30 & 11:00

Children’s Church at 11:00 am

Expecting Growth in Christ

3751 Creek Rd.

Cincinnati, OH 45241

513-563-0117

STAFF

Senior Pastor

Rev. Gary Rode

Pastor Emeritus

Rev. C. Edwin Pellett

Director of Christian Education &

Youth Ministry

Morgan Rose

Office Administrator

Margie Manny

Publications/database Specialist

Vicki Beeman

Nursery Supervisor

Jessica Calvert

SUMC Weekday Nursery School

And Kindergarten Director

Praise Team Leader

Kevin Hardman

Chancel Choir Director

Sara Potts

Chancel Bell Director

Cindy Martz

Sanctuary Musician

Cindy Martz

Facility Superintendent

Joe Gifford

Custodian

Ernest Pace

Christine Meade

563-8278

Points of Interest

Tune in to SUMC’s

Sunday worship services on Time Warner cable channel 18 or Cincinnati Bell channel 848 Thursdays at 9:00 pm and Time Warner channel 24 Sundays at 10:00 am!

2017 IHN Dates

Week of: April 16 July 9

October 29

Chair’s Corner

Joys & Concerns

2-3

Kids News 4

Youth News 5

Monthly Calendar 6-7

Announcements 8

Announcements

9

Announcements

10

UMW Calendar

Birthday List

11

Inside this issue:

The Good News

April 2017 Vol. XLIV No. 4

Pastor Gary’s Paragraph

In just a few weeks we will be celebrating Easter Sunday. One of my favorite stories about Easter comes from the early days of the former Soviet Union. As a means of trying to gain acceptance for the new system of government, communism, the government routinely held public events where national lead-ers spoke to persuade and re-educate the people. The story is told about how in the early 1920s the Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin, author and editor of the communist party newspaper Pravda, was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address an anti-God rally. The meeting was held in a former Orthodox church which had been converted into a public meeting place. For a solid hour he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity, hurling argument and ridicule. At last he was finished and viewed what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men's faith. "Are there any questions?" Bukharin demanded. A solitary man, who happened to be the former priest of that very church, arose and asked permission to speak. He mounted the platform and moved close to the Com-munist. The audience was breathlessly silent as the man surveyed them first to the right, then to the left. At last he shouted the ancient Orthodox greeting, "CHRIST IS RISEN!" The vast assembly arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of an avalanche, "HE IS RISEN INDEED!"

I sincerely hope that you will join us for our Holy Week and Easter Sunday opportunities for spiritual nurture and worship.

April 9 Palm Sunday Worship at 8:15, 9:30, and 11:00 AM The children will sing and join in the 9:30 & 11:00 celebrations.

April 13 Maundy Thursday will feature the celebration Holy Communion in the new Prayer Chapel. The pastor will have some brief devotional material for you to use in preparation for receiving the sacrament. You may come and receive communion any time between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.

April 14 Good Friday Worship will be at 7:00pm with the Chancel Choir singing. The service will focus on the Adoration of the Cross and Jesus, our redeeming sacrifice.

April 16 Easter Sunday Worship at 8:15, 9:30 and 11:00 AM God Bless You,

Pastor Gary Rode

PAGE 2 VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

The Chair’s Corner

Don Hotz, MALT Chairman

Your MALT (Ministry & Administrative Leadership Team) includes the chairs of the vari-

ous elected committees and leaders in numerous capacities. Seventeen stewards fill the

eighteen positions sitting on this team. These are the laity leaders of your church. We

meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm in room 207/209. Everyone is wel-

come and you are encouraged to attend these meetings if you wish to better understand

how the church operates and decision making takes place. The March meeting was after

the April newsletter deadline of March 15. The comments in this newsletter reflect the re-

sults of our February meeting.

As your MALT leader feel free to express to me anything that might be on your mind

about SUMC. I will listen and if necessary get other leaders engaged to resolve any con-

cerns or joys you may have. We want to have a positive forward looking church.

At our Planning retreat meeting on February 19th, we reached a consensus that we had 5

ministries that we need to renovate or develop to provide compassionate care to our inter-

nal and external communities. They include:

Renovate Social Media—improve and expand our Website and Facebook

capabilities

New Tool Belt Ministry—develop a new ministry to provide compassionate

assistance with tasks around the house requiring some tools

Renovate Lobby Space for improved coffee ministry—Renovate lobby space for

improved flow and “refueling” of morning essentials (coffee & donuts).

Renovate Greeting Ministry—reignite, reconfigure, re-staff

Renovate Worship—Utilize Banners for fellowship hall; engage more laity,

children, and youth; improved follow up non-attenders and visitors.

We are in the process of staffing each of these focus areas. These initiatives are not going

to happen without laity participation. We want to engage you, yes, I said “you”. Please

notify me, Gary, or Jim Meyers which focus area you would like to become actively in-

volved in. We need your help for these initiatives to be successful.

The renovation of the Quiet Room and Adult Library is almost done. Do take a sneak pre-

view of these two rooms in the west education wing on the second floor. We will be plan-

ning a re-dedication of the Quiet Room soon.

One final note, on 3/14 we had our annual Pie day. We had over 60 pies up for auction and

raised almost $3,000 from bids and additional big-hearted donations of $1,300 for a total

of almost $4,300 for the Jackson Area Ministries. Well over 100 enjoyed the fun time. This

event was another outstanding fellowship event by the Hospitality team.

Sharonville United Methodist Church is very much alive. Keep your faith and stay

involved with your presence, service, connection, and generosity as we move forward in

2017 and meet the challenges we face.

May God continue to bless SUMC and you! Don

PAGE 11 VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

Sharonville United Methodist Women

2016 Calendar

All women of the church are invited to come to each of the Circle meetings and see which one fits you. You may attend one or all.

HOPE CIRCLE—Led by Joy McComas, the Hope Circle meets the first Wednesday of the month (Sept.—May) at 1:00 pm in Room 209. MARY MARTHA CIRCLE—Led by Melissa Ross, the Mary Martha Circle meets the second Tuesday of the month (Sept.—May) at 6:30 pm at various circle member homes. REBEKAH CIRCLE— Rebekah Circle meets the second Wednesday of the month (Sept.—May) at 1:00 pm in Room 209. Call BessieJean Pucher (769-0899) for more information.

1 Robert Hasty 2 Nathan Ritchie 3 Michelle Coakley, Alyssa Hardman 4 Tami Baur 5 6 Jeffrey Lee 7 Sarah Rasche, Ginny Saikaly 8 Sam Meyers 9 April Meyers 10 Tom Henrich, Jennifer Osborne 11 Justin Grender 12 13 Joan Osborne 14 Martin Lobaugh, Sue Mealy,

Melissa Ross 15 16 Sara Potts 17 Sean McAlister 18 Brian Potts, Steve Wilson 19 20 Werner Brinkheinrich 21 Angela Martin 22

23 Walter Howard, Chelsey Lobaugh

24 Jackson Stricker 25 Lily Baur, Helen Corn, Lisa Olson 26 27 Scott Tulloss 28 Robert Earhart 29 30 Candy Hart

United Methodist Women:

Faith • Hope • Love in Action

We are women with a Purpose!

United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to

develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global

ministries of the church.

APRIL

BIRTHDAYS

VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4 PAGE 10

THE BUILDING OF A CONGREGATION

The earliest date recorded of Methodists meeting in the Sharonville area was 1805,

where the meetings were held in the homes of pioneer settlers. The last known home

was the home of Amos and Mary White from 1816-1819. The first building used as a

church was on this property and was called the “Salem Meeting House.” It was a brick

structure built in 1820 and was dedicated in 1821 by Rev. Samuel Baker. The building

was 25 feet by 40 feet and the inside was never plastered.

On June 13, 1822, the building and lot was deeded to the trustees of the church for

$10.00 by Mary White and her sons. The deed was recorded on July 27, 1822. The lot

was 198 feet by 213.5 feet and included a cemetery. Salem House continued in use until

the conference year of 1835-1836, when it was abandoned due to unsafe walls.

In 1835, the site of worship was changed due to the growing village of Sharon, Ohio.

Meetings were held in local school buildings at Runyan, north of the village or the one

that stood at the corner of Walnut and Main Sts.

During the conference year of 1837-38, charge ministers on the Madisonville Circuit led

the congregation of Sharon in raising $1,100.00 for the purpose of building a Meeting

House in Sharon. The site acquired for the building was located at the present day cor-

ner of Creek and Main Sts. The building still stands and is used for commercial purpos-

es. The new Sharon meeting house foundation was built with stones hauled from the

creek, which Creek Road now follows. Bricks from the Salem House were used to con-

struct the meeting house, now called a “church.” The building was dedicated in 1839 and

was called “Sharon Methodist Episcopal Church.” Sharon became Sharonville Methodist

Episcopal Church in 1876 to avoid confusion with another town in Ohio named Sharon.

With the area growing so rapidly, there became a need for more space. On August 30,

1960, a building committee was organized under Rev. Darrell Loar. They were to look

into buying property and building a new facility. The original committee consisted of:

Dean Allison, Rev. Loar, Harold Gorman, Harry Dunlap, James Hawks, Harold Young,

Carl Baur Sally Dowlin, Virginia Sexton, Bill Strong, Lucy Key and James Ritter. They

also had the responsibility of purchasing a new parsonage in 1961.

A special meeting was called on April 1, 1962, by Rev. Loar, to consider a resolution

made by the building committee that they be granted approval to purchase the Mefford

property as the proposed site of the new church. Ballots were passed out to the congrega-

tion (those over 18) to vote: YES 65 NO 9 . The property was bought in May 1962 from

Mr. Robert Mefford (a SMC member) for $20,000.00. The old church bldg., property and

parsonage were sold to UAW Local 647 for $55,000.00.

Taken from “200 Years of Praising God! 18 08-2008” Next: The New Church

PAGE 3 VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

Office 563-0117

In Loving Memory

Ongoing Prayers Please lift these ongoing requests up in your prayers and

remember to notify the church office of any updates to this list.

Louise Adams, Janet Duermit’s mother

JoAnn Bachmann

Barb Begley

Sheri Bitter & family, Karen Volfson’s co-

worker

Rachel Braam, Ann Braam’s granddaughter

Edna Bryan

Gene Britton

Jeremy Brokaw, Ann Braam’s friend

Marlene Brokaw

Kate Callahan, Cathy Lippert

Cathy, Cathy Lippert’s friend

Helen Corn

Janet Eickenhorst

Leo Edmundson, Susan Bobbitt’s nephew

Mike Frain, Lyn Michael’s cousin

Nada Hammann

Val Hargast, Barb Sailer

Robert Hartman, Tony Hartman’s brother

Tony Hartman

Dick & Jean Herbert, Jim & Susan Meyers

Steve Hughes, Susan Meyers

Riley Hughes, Angie Martin’s former student

Rod & Marilyn Jesseman, Bill Fox

Kimberly Johnson, Jim Lautenslager’s

daughter

Judy Kleckner, Barb Sailer

Ken S’s daughter, Barb Sailer

James Labita, Keith’s

David Keith

Delores Keith

Sheila Keith, Keith’s daughter-in-law

David Lacks, Ann Lacks’ son

Donald & Carol, Bill Sullivan

Mike McGahan, Pat Aulick’s friend

Matt M’s son, Barb Sailer

Dotty Miller

Gerald Nixon, Gary & Gayle Coburn

Dr. Sylvania Ng, Keith’s

Dr. Willie Ng, Keith’s

Pam Petersen, Barb Begley

Bill Ripple

Kathy Rogers, Bill Fox

Steve Schaefer, Kim Gerhardt’s friend

Waller Scott

Ruby Slade

Dustin Vice, Andrea Prather

Otto Warmbier, prisoner of N. Korea

Mary Ellen Webb

Carol Weber, Barb Sailer

William West, Keith’s neighbor

Paul Wilson Jr., Lippert’s nephew

Amal & Diane Zeidan, Karen Volfson

Bob Zinser, Dale & Janet Duermit’s friend

All members of our military

Please keep our homebound members and members in nursing and

retirement homes in your prayers.

Ray Baxter-Maple Knoll Village

Doris Bergan—Maple Knoll Village

Miriam Boatright-Central Parke Care Center

Louise Boyd—Brookdale at Long Cove Pointe

Ralph & Thelma Brannock

Nancy Brooks—Veranda Gardens

Helen Corn—Maple Knoll Village

Betty Daniel—Brookwood

Bonnie Gieseking

Robert Hasty

Lorraine Hoevenaar

Judy Kennell

Ann Melzer—Brookwood

Lyn Michaels—Beechwood

Dotty Miller-The Lodge

Joyce Shafer-Brookwood

Ruby Slade-Heartland of Madeira

Wanda Spaulding—Glendale Place

Linda Waddle—The Meadows Healthcare

Mary Ellen Webb-Heartland of Woodbridge

Millie Werbach

Ruby Slade

3/24/2017

VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4 PAGE 4

“To make disciples of Jesus Christ …”

Children & Families

APRIL 2017

Sharonville United Methodist Church Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Director of Children & Family Ministries Office (513) 563-0117

A Bible Verse to Know by Heart

“ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My

Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our

home with them” - John 14: 23

Detail vs Big Picture

Generally speaking, a curriculum is what is to be studied. But there are differ-

ent ideas of what a curriculum should include. Some are very detailed; others offer

the big ideas and leave the details to the individual teacher to achieve. Our Sun-

day school teachers have a curriculum that guides what they teach each Sunday.

Last year, our curriculum package was from a company called

D6. The lessons in D6 materials gain their inspiration from

Deuteronomy, chapter 6 (get it?). Here is the relevant section of

Chapter 6:

“ 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today

are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them

when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down

and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on

your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your

gates.”

This is true. But it is not enough. Our Sunday school teachers have to teach a les-

son each week from all over the Bible...so what is the Big Picture that ties things

together? The D6 materials wove a consistent theological view into their materi-

als: this is a fallen world; humans are born in sin; and that our only hope is Jesus

Christ.

That is true. But is it our Big Picture? I want our kids to be more John 12:

“46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in

me should stay in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words but does not

keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the

world, but to save the world.”

VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4 PAGE 9

(announcements continued to the next page)

SATURDAY, APRIL 29

9:00AM-3:00PM

FELLOWSHIP HALL

MISSION FESTIVAL

Save the date for the 2017 Mission Festival. It will be held on Sunday, May 7 in Fellow-

ship Hall. It will be a dinner with the mission team supplying the meat and drinks and

the attendees bringing a side dish to share. Look for more information in the bulletin as

it closer to the date. You won’t want to miss it as we are trying something new this year.

7:14 Breakthrough Prayer Initiative

Sharonville United Methodist Church

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins

and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The Breakthrough Prayer Team hopes that you are continuing to pray for the church, daily

at 7:14 a.m. or p.m. The prayer focus is that God will:

align our church with God’s purposes.

breakthrough any barriers between how we minister now and God’s preferred future

for our church.

unify our hearts and minds as one body in Christ.

use us to make new disciples of Jesus Christ

that we may be renewed as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Lenten Prayer Vigil

April 8th

: 6:30a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Our newly formed Breakthrough Prayer Team also invites you to participate in a Lenten

Prayer Vigil on Saturday, April 8th from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. There is a sign-up poster

in the lobby for you to register your participation. The vigil will focus on various ministries

of the congregation and may be done as a “prayer walk” inside the building or you may use

the Prayer Chapel for your prayer time. If necessary you may also participate by praying

at home. Information to guide your praying will be available. Please, sign-up soon!

PAGE 8

Announcements

VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

HEALING HEARTS

Healing Hearts will meet on Thursday, April 6 at 1:00pm at de’Sha’s at 11320 Montgom-

ery Rd., Cincinnati.

SHARONVILLE UMW NEWS

In the spirit of “reigniting the flame” the women of the local unit of UMW have chosen

the following officers for the 2017-2018 biennium: Judy Hotz, president; Joy McComas,

vice president; Marlene Brokaw, secretary; Janet North, treasurer; and Cathy Lippert,

Nominations Committee Chair. Our circle leaders are BJ Pucher, Melissa Ross, and

Marlene Brokaw.

The officers will be formally installed by the Ohio River Valley District UMW President,

Judy Grigsby, at our first general meeting of the year on Sunday, April 30, at 4 pm. All

women of the church are invited. Watch the bulletin for more information and details.

The leadership team met March 14 and March 28. You are welcome to bring any ques-

tions or concerns to the officers listed above.

CREATING PEACE THROUGH

INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING

WINCS (The Women’s Interfaith Network of Cincinnati Suburbs) is presenting a new

musical event on Sunday, April 23 from 2-4pm at St. Susanna’s, 500 Reading Rd., Ma-

son, OH. You might recall that our children’s choir participated in the first presentation

in 2013—Music of the Religions. The 2017 Interfaith Festival for World Peace will

showcase music and traditional dances from around the world with a reception after-

wards featuring global snacks. The show is free, but donations will be accepted for the

Nazareth School in Honduras. The event is family friendly and strives to present peace

through interfaith understanding. Contact Cathy Lippert (942-5939) with any ques-

tions. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to wincsgroup@gmail.com so enough seating

will be available.

OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE

Do you like to attend the 8:15am service? Do you like electronics? The sound team

needs your help to be the alternate person 2 Sunday’s a month. It is an easy job and

training is provided. Contact Bill Sullivan (554-1870) or Morgan Rose (563-0117) if you

can help out.

PAGE 5

Mark 1:17 Sharonville United Methodist

Church

Morgan Rose, Director of Youth Ministries Office 563-0117

Schedule

Youth News

APRIL 2017

Mark 1:17 Sharonville United Methodist Church

“To make disciples of Jesus Christ…”

VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

Failed Communication

One of my oldest friends lives in Boulder, Colorado. She and her

husband have four children, and besides periodic Christmas and

Easter attendance, they do not raise their children in a church. (I

have written before of her periodic “brushes” with religion.) The

last election has been especially difficult for she and I to

communicate about. It is not a difference in politics or policy at

issue, it is an underlying misunderstanding about what it means

to be a “religious” person.

I have been thinking a lot about it recently. Not what it means to

be “religious”, but about my failure to create an impression in my

friend over the course of 25 years. True, we met when she and

her husband were dating in college, and I was, less focused in my

commitments to God when we met (ahem). Their first and lasting

impressions of me apparently do not include very much Jesus.

On the other hand, we have been deliberating for 25 years!

Surely my opinions about education, helping the homeless,

reaching out to the needy—haven’t those helped demonstrate how

a Christian can be, well, Christian? (and not merely religious)

I think I have unlocked the quandary. She heard me talk about

these large issues, but in all that talk I was being abstract. I

think I was vaguely expounding on the need to be involved, the

need to help, the importance of mercy...and never explaining

where those opinions were formed. I built opinions, but never

explained their foundation.

An example: As a teacher I might offer a well reasoned defense

of public education as the means to support democracy and offer

opportunity to all in our society. But without God involved, that

argument quickly becomes practical, not moral.

The better argument would be to make clear our moral, God-given

obligation to educate all children so they might be able to not only

read, but also contemplate God’s eternal message...the message

that they are his special children, and each infinitely loved. That

argument might have marked me as a Christian.

The

Sunday, April 2nd 7/8/9 ECHO in youth Lounge@ 9:30 Youth Group at 5pm!

Sunday, April 9th 7/8/9 ECHO in youth Lounge@ 9:30 Youth Group at 5pm!

Sunday, April 16th Easter-enjoy time with your

family

Saturday, April 22nd Hands Against Hunger Bring a friend and let’s make a few thousand meals for the desperately hungry! 9 till Noon. Meet at 2430 E Kemper Road at 9am.

Sunday, April 23rd 7/8/9 ECHO in youth Lounge@ 9:30 Youth Group at 5pm!

Dodge Ball Championships! Bring friends and compete in this crazy fun. Pizza for all! Normal time, 5 to 7pm.

PAGE 6 VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

Monthly Calendar

April 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed

2 10:30am IHN Planning Mtg 5:00pm Lenten Study

3 10:00am Women’s Bible

Study

4 9:45am GriefShare 7:00pm Hospitality

5 1:00pm Hope Circle7:00pm Choir

9

5:00pm Lenten Study 5:00pm Youth Group

Palm Sunday

10

10:00am Women’s Bible Study

11 9:45am GriefShare 6:00pm Mary Martha Circle 7:00pm Missions 7:15pm Trustees

12

1:00pm Rebekah Circle7:00pm Choir

16

Easter Sunday

17 10:00am Women’s Bible

Study 5:30pm MOPS 7:00pm SPRC

18

9:45am GriefShare 7:00pm Finance

19

7:00pm Choir

23

5:00pm Youth Group

24 10:00am Women’s Bible

Study

25 9:45am GriefShare 7:00pm MALT

26 7:00pm Choir

30 4:00pm UMW

IHN Week

PAGE 7 VOLUME XLIV ISSUE 4

Monthly Calendar

Come join us for worship and Sunday school each and every Sunday! 8:15 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary

9:30 Contemporary Worship in the Fellowship Hall

9:30 Faith development for all ages!

11:00 Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary

Thu Fri Sat

1

1:00pm Hope Circle

6

1:00pm Lenten Study 1:00pm Healing Hearts 7:00pm Spirit Sisters

7

8

1:00pm Rebekah Circle

13 9:30am Moving ON 1:00pm Lenten Study 1:00pm Hope Circle @

Matthew 25 5:30pm Maundy Thursday

14 7:00pm Good Friday Service

15

20

7:00pm Spirit Sisters

21 22 9-12 Mission Committee

Hands Against Hunger

27 7:00pm Rummage Sale Set-up 7:00pm Spirit Sisters

28 9:00am Rummage sale Set-up

29 9-3 Rummage Sale

IHN Week