Volume 79, Issue 18 May 6, 2020

The Miracles in Life There are only two ways to live your life.

One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

—Albert Einstein

Richard Rohr, the Franciscan mystic, reminded me of this quote that has caught my

attention in these days as many of us ponder miracles and pray for them. As I found myself

in our backyard this past weekend, absorbing the sunshine, praying, and reading and

reflecting, I noticed, perhaps more intensely, the sounds of the birds in the trees around

me as well as the rustling of the squirrels throughout the yard. A chipmunk popped its

head onto a small flowering bush, eating a few of the flowers off of it. Unlike the deer that ravaged a few flowering

plants, it only ate a few blossoms before it scampered off. I would not have noticed them missing from the numerous

blooms all over the bush.

Each of the sights and sounds reminded me that life and creation are filled with many miracles all around us. Praying for

a miracle made me more aware of the miracles that are happening each and every day. They don’t always come in the

ways that I’d like or even expect, but they are there nonetheless when I open my eyes to see them and recognize them.

Who else but God could be involved in so much that I too often miss noticing?

This week, as Mother’s Day approaches, I find myself grateful yet again for the woman who not only brought about the

miracle of my own life, but also made our house a home, our group a family, and our difficulties more bearable because

we were together. In the past two months, I have called her several times a week just to make sure that Mom is doing

well. While we all have struggled with our physical distances, my mom continues to remind me of the miracles she sees

each day. She is sustained by them and continues to nurture and sustain each of her children. Mom reminds us to see

the miracles in life. Perhaps that’s the gift she received in being “Mom.”

So let us give thanks this week for all of the women in our lives who help us to see all of life as a miracle as well as the

miracles of life. May each miracle bring us to gratitude as we await all the miracles of a new day.

Blessings,

Elbert Dulworth

Senior Pastor

Page 2 May 6, 2020

Our Church Family Our Christian Caring and Concern are shared with the following person, known to be in the hospital on Tuesday,

May 5: Diane Peck

Our Prayers of Sympathy and Support are shared with:

….Donna and Lytle Russell following the death of Donna’s sister, Shirley Roskowski, on April 27.

….Family and friends of Shirley Jane Couch, who died on May 1.

….Luc and Karen Feilla and family on the death of Luc’s father, John M. Feilla, M.D., on May 1. View his obituary at

https://www.cremationmichigan.com/obituary/John-M-Feilla-MD/Grosse-Pointe-Michigan/1873022.

Intercepted Note of Thanks….We would like to thank our church family for the many wonderful expressions of

sympathy at the recent passing of Deb’s mother, Jean (JB) Yeargan. It was wonderful to hear from so many people

offering words of comfort and encouragement to us. It has been very hard in the current environment that we could

not grieve in the normal way. We are planning a celebration of her life as soon as is possible in the Sanctuary. —Mike

and Deb Roy and family

Hunger/Missions Food and Supply Drive We are now seeking a large collection of food and supplies.

While the spread of COVID-19 may be slowing, the needs of the

community are not. Birmingham and Berkley First Hunger/Mission Teams

are joining together to provide assistance to the local organizations we

serve in this difficult time.

You may bring any of the following items to the Birmingham First main

entrance by the parking lot any time between now and Thursday, May 21.

Please bring in boxes or bags segregated by food and supplies:

• Non-perishable food such as canned goods, cereal, mac n’ cheese, peanut butter and jelly, soup, Goldfish, chips,

granola type bars, and cookies

• Soft drinks & bottled water

• DVDs

• Cleaning supplies such as disinfecting wipes and sanitizer, hand/dish/laundry soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant

• Paper products like towels and tissues (yes including TP), brown paper bags, wax paper, Ziploc bags

• Protective gear like face masks, gloves, gowns

• Diapers and formula powder

Please adhere to these critical social distancing guidelines. All persons participating in the drive must adhere

to social distancing guidelines (keeping at least 6 feet between yourself and others) and no one should come to the

church who is experiencing any symptoms of ill health. This is a drive-by, drop and go event. No one is allowed to

gather at the drop-off location.

Want to help with distribution on May 21 or May 22? Call Bill and Mary Lou Guisinger at 248-672-6742.

Page 3 First United Methodist Church

Celebrate and Welcome

As announced in February, Mackenzie Hibbard, our current High School Coordinator,

will be stepping away from her job here at Birmingham First and moving on to a new chapter

of life as she graduates and moves to New York. We are extremely sad to see her go. She

has been incredibly steadfast and important to our ministry team and students.

The youth are planning a celebration during their online meeting on May 10.

We’re sad to see Mackenzie go, but excited to announce that we

have hired Meghan Coppen as our new High School

Coordinator beginning May 4.

Meghan is currently studying at Oakland University and brings with her a wealth of historic

knowledge and talents in education and missions. She began attending Birmingham First when

she was a baby and considers it her home. She hopes to create a community where students

can express their views and grow in their faith. She looks forward to helping students grow

in their relationship with Christ, and she hopes to grow in her relationship with students.

….that May 10 is the second Sunday of the month, designated as Hunger Sunday which

benefits local food providers feeding the hungry. Please consider donating online at

fumcbirmingham.org or mailing a check to the church noted “Hunger.”

….that Graduate Recognition is Sunday, May 17. Calling all High School Seniors! We

intend to celebrate you in live-streamed worship on May 17. Please click on the link to

register your interest in participating: https://forms.gle/jwxVw2cnvmRrUxzX8.

….that the Voice of Hope is a weekly devotional available to you by phone 24 hours a day.

For the week of May 10-17, the Voice of Hope message is recorded by Judy Lowery with the title “A Life

Transformed.” To listen, call 248-646-6407 and press 2 when your call is answered by our automated system.

….that signing up for Kroger Community Rewards can benefit the Hunger Ministry of Birmingham and Berkley First,

which in turn feeds people locally and globally. To register, go to www.krogercommunity rewards.com and when asked

for an organization, put in "First United Methodist Church of Birmingham DH313.” Already registered? Check your

receipts at the bottom to make sure your contribution is going to Birmingham First. If so, you will automatically be re-

enrolled for this year!

….that you can contribute to Birmingham and Berkley First by credit card or from your checking or savings

account through our website: www.fumcbirmingham.org. Just follow the link for “Giving” at the top of the home page

to make one-time or recurring donations.

….that as you may be shopping online, you can shop through Amazon Smile and designate the church to receive

0.5% of your purchase. Just visit smile.amazon.com, log into your Amazon account as you normally would, choose First

United Methodist Church of Birmingham as your charity, and start shopping. It's that easy! The church will receive a

quarterly donation from Amazon that represents their percentage of your purchases.

Did You Know

For each of the last four years, we have looked forward to our annual

Endowment Dinner. This event, typically held in April, has featured outstanding

speakers, great entertainment, the opportunity to celebrate the support for

ministry provided by our Endowment Fund, and, yes, a great meal. Even though

we couldn’t gather this year, we want to update you on several important

matters relating to the Endowment Board and its events.

Event Postponements: This year’s Endowment Dinner was scheduled for

April 17, and Dr. Mauri A. Ditzler, President of Albion College, was set to be

our keynote speaker. The Dinner has been postponed until a date in the fall to

be determined. In addition to our Endowment Dinner, we had planned a Giving

Strategies Lunch and Learn Workshop for May 3. While this event has also been postponed, the United Methodist

Foundation of Michigan, with whom we were partnering for this event, has helpful information posted online that we

hope you will review. See https://umfmichigangiving.org/.

Transition Announcement: Had our Endowment Dinner occurred on April 17, a recognition of the Rev. Dr. Bill

Kimball, who has served as our Endowment Committee Planned Giving Advisor for eight years, would have occurred.

We are very grateful for the faithful work Bill has accomplished with us and the tremendous growth that our Legacy

Society that has experienced during his tenure. After nearly a year of discussion and transition planning with Bill, he

concluded his work with us at the end of March.

After an extended search, we are extremely pleased to announce that the Rev. Shawn Lewis-Lakin, our senior

associate pastor, has agreed to take on the role of being our Planned Giving Pastor. Pastor Shawn was the enthusiastic

choice of our Endowment Board; his work with us will be in addition to his current three-quarter time appointment

with our congregation. Pastor Shawn looks forward to working with you on planned giving and generosity strategies.

Please contact him at 248-646-1200 ext. 3155 or slewis-lakin@fumcbirmingham.org.

CARES Act Information: On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security (CARES) Act

was signed into law. This legislation was designed to provide crisis relief to individuals, businesses, hospitals, state and

local governments, and charities. The CARES Act included several measures designed to enhance charitable giving

including options that may help you maximize your charitable gifts regardless of whether you itemize deductions for

income tax purposes. For more information about the CARES Act and how it might impact your gifts to Birmingham

and Berkley First, please click here (https://www.fumcbirmingham.org/giving/cares-act/).

Giving Thanks: Our Endowment Fund support for critical ministries—including technology to support the live

streaming of worship services and staffing support for faith development—is making an incredible difference in this

extraordinary time of crisis. Thanks be to God that even now, especially now, we are gathering, nurturing and

equipping disciples of Jesus Christ for ministry and mission here and around the world.

Gratefully,

Paul Keller, Chairperson Elbert Dulworth

Endowment Board Senior Pastor

Please note that adjustments to church staff hours and duties during our current crisis has caused a delay in the publication of

our annual Endowment Fund Report. We anticipate publication of this Report over the summer.

Page 4 May 6, 2020

Endowment Update

You can sign up on our website to receive periodic e-mails from Birmingham and Berkley First. Go to

www.fumcbirmingham.org and click on E-mail Subscriptions under the Resources tab. It’s easy to sign up, and you can

unsubscribe at any time. You can sign up to receive:

• Church News—Steeple Notes weekly newsletter, videos and other church announcements

• Here I Am, Lord—Information on mission opportunities

• Children and Family Ministries—Upcoming events and volunteer opportunities

• High School newsletter

• Middle School Newsletter

• Death and Funeral Notices—Notifications of member deaths and funeral arrangements

• Berkley First Newsletter

• 20s and 30s Newsletter

• Daily Devotion (seasonal devotions)

Let’s Stay in Touch!

Amplify Media is a new streaming content service Birmingham and Berkley First is

making available to members and friends. Bible studies, videos featuring leading

authors, content for children—Amplify Media puts a wealth of faith formation

resources at your fingertips! And it is free to you through our congregation’s

channel. Sign up today to begin deepening your faith, individually and as families, by

following these easy steps:

• Go to: https://my.amplifymedia.com/birminghamandberkleyfirstbir/welcome

• Click on the purple box that says “click here to enter code.” Access code: DKNBHM

• Complete the registration form and then enjoy! For assistance or with questions, contact Pastor Shawn.

Amplify Media Resources

Page 5 First United Methodist Church

Birmingham First is seeking applicants for the positions for the 2020-2021 school year of

Lead Preschool Teacher and Assistant Preschool Teacher. Detailed job descriptions are

available upon request.

Lead Preschool Teacher: Reporting to the Preschool Director, the ideal candidate must

possess a degree in education and experience in working with preschool-aged children to

provide a developmentally appropriate, play-based Christian environment for children.

Assistant Preschool Teacher: Reporting to the Preschool Director, the ideal candidate

will possess previous experience and a passion for working with preschool-aged children.

Click here for an application. Completed applications should be submitted to Victoria Hogg, Assistant Preschool

Director, at vhogg@fumcbirmingham.org.

Job Posting

We Are Continuing in Ministry!

Worship:

Watch the livestream at www.fumcbirmingham.org/watch-livestream

Watch archived worship services www.fumcbirmingham.org/resources/sermon-archives

Give:

Mail your donation to the church

or give online at www.fumcbirmingham.org/giving

Caring Ministries:

Contact Lisa at lmarsh@fumcbirmingham.org or leave a message at 248-646-6407 ext. 3160

Submit prayer requests at www.fumcbirmingham.org/pray

Adult Small Groups and Children and Family Ministries:

Contact Pastor Susie at shierholzer@fumcbirmingham.org

Youth and Young Adult Ministries:

Contact Deacon Sarah at salexander@fumcbirmingham.org

Page 6 May 6, 2020

1589 W. Maple Road • Birmingham, MI 48009

248-646-1200 • www.fumcbirmingham.org

Elbert Dulworth, Senior Pastor

Shawn Lewis-Lakin, Senior Associate Pastor

Zack Dunlap, Lindsey Hall, Susie Hierholzer and Suzanne Walls, Associate Pastors

Sarah Alexander, Deacon

John E. Harnish, William A. Ritter and Robert P. Ward, Pastors Emeriti

Our Purpose:

To gather, nurture and equip disciples of Jesus Christ for ministry and mission in the world.

Our Core Values:

Welcome All Put Love Into Action

Honor God Through Excellence Embrace Bold Vision

Encourage Lifelong Spiritual Growth Support One Another

Our Welcoming Statement:

Embracing the example of Jesus, we welcome you here with hearts that know no boundaries

of age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, or economic circumstance.