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Periodical Postage Paid at Cincinnati, Ohio Worship ~ Grow ~ Serve 3460 Epworth Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211 513-661-3139; [email protected]; www.wumc.cc Inside: Thank You, p. 2 Worship, p. 3 Discipleship, p. 4 UMC Mission, p. 5 God’s Summer Bounty, p. 6 Prayer Corner, p. 7 August in View, p. 8-9 Letting You Know, p. 10 Children p. 11 The Missional Church, p. 12 My Neighbor’s Place, p. 13 Haiti, p. 14 Fellowship, p. 15 WESTWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Worship Grow Serve Lee’s Look JULY 22, 2016 VOLUME 74, I SSUE 7 Rev. Dr. Lee Strawhun is the senior pastor at Westwood United Methodist Church [email protected] It was 1980 and I took this really wonderful girl out to the drive-in movies to watch a double header, the first movie she liked and of course I don’t remember and the second, called “The Final Countdown,” well, she fell asleep on and of course I loved it! I can tell you all about The Final Countdown as a modern aircraft carrier that goes back in time to the day before Pearl Harbor and almost … you’ll have to watch it. While the year isn’t 1980 but 2016 and we are a church and not an aircraft carrier there are some similarities. In 1980, I was young and beginning my hopes and dreams. Today, while I’m not old (okay, older) I find the dreams and hopes are just as strong and rewarding when achieved. All this to say is that we are still on a mission. There is still enough to do. We still must do what our Lord desires. I have a member of the church who drops in periodically with visions and dreams for the future of the church. He is 80 plus and today there were two of our youth helpers, both in their teens, who dream of God’s work with children ten years younger. Who is right? One is 1980 and the other is 2016, both are right because both are under the leadership of the One who commands. As we head into the fall, while perhaps familiar in the season we may be, the season has its differences. Let’s pray and serve as a church with a mission. Our Mission: Worship God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. Grow in depth of love for God and others and ourselves through small groups and study. Serve using the SHAPE we are in that others may grow and still others may find Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Church Aircraft Carrier Finds its power in the Spirit of God Finds it power in nuclear energy Needs everyone doing their job Needs everyone doing their job Has a mission of the Great Commission and the Great Commandment Has a strategic mission as commanded Needs navigation by the Word Uses navigation systems both ancient and modern
Transcript

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Inside:

Thank You, p. 2

Worship, p. 3

Discipleship, p. 4

UMC Mission, p. 5

God’s Summer Bounty, p. 6

Prayer Corner, p. 7

August in View, p. 8-9

Letting You Know, p. 10

Children p. 11

The Missional Church, p. 12

My Neighbor’s Place, p. 13

Haiti, p. 14

Fellowship, p. 15

WESTWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Worship Grow Serve

Lee’s

Look JULY 22, 2016

VOLUME 74, ISSUE 7

Rev. Dr. Lee Strawhun is the senior pastor at Westwood United Methodist Church

[email protected]

It was 1980 and I took this really wonderful girl out to the drive-in movies to watch a

double header, the first movie she liked and of course I don’t remember and the second,

called “The Final Countdown,” well, she fell asleep on and of course I loved it! I can

tell you all about The Final Countdown as a modern aircraft carrier that goes back in

time to the day before Pearl Harbor and almost … you’ll have to watch it.

While the year isn’t 1980 but 2016 and we are a church and not an aircraft carrier there

are some similarities.

In 1980, I was young and beginning my hopes and dreams. Today, while I’m not old (okay, older) I

find the dreams and hopes are just as strong and rewarding when achieved. All this to say is that we

are still on a mission. There is still enough to do. We still must do what our Lord desires.

I have a member of the church who drops in periodically with visions and dreams for the future of the

church. He is 80 plus and today there were two of our youth helpers, both in their teens, who dream of

God’s work with children ten years younger. Who is right? One is 1980 and the other is 2016, both are

right because both are under the leadership of the One who commands. As we head into the fall, while

perhaps familiar in the season we may be, the season has its differences. Let’s pray and serve as a

church with a mission.

Our Mission:

Worship God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Grow in depth of love for God and others and ourselves through small groups and study.

Serve using the SHAPE we are in that others may grow and still others may find Jesus’ love

and forgiveness.

Church Aircraft Carrier

Finds its power in the Spirit of God Finds it power in nuclear energy

Needs everyone doing their job Needs everyone doing their job

Has a mission of the Great Commission

and the Great Commandment

Has a strategic mission as commanded

Needs navigation by the Word Uses navigation systems both ancient and modern

CHIMES (USPS 681-140) is published monthly, January through November, by Westwood United Methodist Church, 3460 Epworth Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-5754 Periodical Postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CHIMES, 3460 Epworth Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-5754.

P A G E 1 5

Thank you for remembering and honoring friends and loved ones by donating to the following funds:

ORGAN FUND ♦ In memory of Ivan Moehle by Lou & Kay Koenig, Ray & Pat McMullen, Bob & June Brandt ♦ In memory of Charles, Helen & Robert Scherer by David Scherer

WESTMATES MEMORIAL FUND ♦ In memory of Joy Braun by Lou & Kay Koenig ♦ In memory of Stan Rolfes by Doris Milbourne

Our prayers and condolences go out to the family and friends of :

Ivan Moehle who died July 9, 2016

Worship

Grow

Serve

P A G E 2

Join us

for

Worship

Senior Pastor………...………………….Lee Strawhun

Associate Pastor…………………………...David Lyell

Visitation Pastor……………………...David Schneider

Director of Student Ministries…………….Ryan Crabb

Director of Worship & Arts ……………..Michael Kelly

Director of Children & Family Ministries...Sarah Beach

Organist…………………………………..Scott Kimmell

Preschool Director……………………Allyson Williams

Financial Secretary ……………….Carol Krumpelbeck

Office Manager…………………………...Julie Fletcher

Building Supervisor…...……………..Duncan Cordrey

Chimes Editor……………………... Christina McMullin

www.westwoodunitedmethodist.org

The next free WESTWOOD COMMUNITY DINNER

will be 6:00 pm, THURSDAY, AUGUST 11 at MNP.

Contact Sarah Beach, [email protected] or the WUMC office 661-3139 to see how you can help with this fantastic mission. This dinner is open to all, so plan on stopping by for a great meal and wonderful conversation.

Here are future Lifetree Café discussion topics:

AUGUST 8 Facing a Terminal Illness: Insights from a dying man

AUGUST 15 Border Wars: Is there a compassionate response to illegal immigration?

AUGUST 22 Give Me a Break!: Living a grace-filled life

AUGUST 29 Trapped?: A stripper’s journey out of hopelessness

Visit www.lifetreecafe.com to preview each week’s topic

LIFETREE CAFÉ MEETS EVERY MONDAY FROM 7-8 PM AT

MY NEIGHBOR’S PLACE 3150 Harrison Ave.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND. TRY IT—YOU’LL LIKE IT!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your recent donation of $247.00 to the gardening program of Jackson Area Ministries. We have had several positive comments about the gardens that were planted this spring. The community garden here in Jackson is doing well. Various vegetables in the SHARE garden in Chillicothe will soon be ready to be harvested. Your gift will be used to continue to help with more than 3,000 gardens we anticipate in southeast Ohio next year.

If we can be of any service to you please feel free to contact us. We are grateful for your support and prayers. Blessings, Judy Long, Secretary Rev. Bob Davis, Director

To the WUMC Scholarship Committee,

I would like to thank you immensely for this extremely generous reward.

I am now able to rest easy as I begin this next semester abroad knowing

that my loving church family always supports my endeavors.

Thank you for your continual love and support,

Karley Jones

P A G E 3 P A G E 1 4

Messages of Hope at

Westwood United Methodist Church

8:30 AM Communion Service, Chapel 9:30 AM Traditional Service, Sanctuary 10:00 AM New Covenant, Chapel 11:00 AM The Journey Contemporary Service, Sanctuary

“He handed out gifts…. to train all Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, till

we are all moving rhythmically and easily with each other,

efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully

mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive

like Christ.”

Ephesians 4:11-13 (Msg)

2nd Mile Giving

Our 2nd mile offering during AUGUST goes to the:

HAITI MISSION TRIP

Grace Children’s Hospital Mission Team On September 4-11, Lloyd Pemberton, Pastor Lee and Beth Strawhun and five others from three different churches

will be headed to Camp Haitian on the northern coast of Haiti to work in a clinic with Grace Children’s Hospital.

These eight people will attempt to make a difference by volunteering with your help to replace a roof over the clinic

at the cost of $2500. They will be leading a VBS with 50 children ($250) for a day and leading ten adults into a new

career around calligraphy ($400). These adults are chosen by the clinic to be people ready to expand their horizons.

For over 50 years Westwood UMC has had a relationship with Grace Children’s Hospital when in the 70’s our youth

helped raise over $30,000 for the purchase of the former Mexican Embassy to create a children’s hospital. Since then

the United Methodist Women and others have given money to help the hospital and a year after the earthquake that

destroyed the hospital’s main building a work team went down to help in the rebuilding efforts. Please keep this team

in your prayers for God’s best and safety on the trip. Thank you for all your support to the team especially David and

Jessica Williamson who ran a marathon to raise money for this trip; the UMW, the Phil DeGreg Trio, the Mission

Team of WUMC, and those who contributed to the silent auction and gave so generously financially and with items

for the team to go.

Mark your calendar!

The Haiti Benefit Concert Sunday, August 14, 2016

2:30 to 4:00 p.m. in Epworth Hall

Featuring the music of :

The Bacchanal Steel Band, The Phil DeGreg Trio and WUMC Voices of Praise Choir.

Pastor Lee Strawhun, Beth Strawhun and Lloyd Pemberton are representing WUMC.

The funds raised will provide the money needed for a VBS program with lunch for 50,

a construction project and Lloyd’s three day class on calligraphy.

A free will offering will be taken during the interlude at which time

Pastor Lee will share a video of Grace Children’s Hospital.

Join us for wonderful music! See you there!

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

Whenever September draws near, a worship director tends to think in terms of recruitment: for choir members, instrumentalists, ushers, and all those who serve so that we can have meaningful encounters with the Holy Spirit every time we gather in the name of Christ. Over the years, I've found that what's truly important in this process is celebrating the gifts that God provides abundantly to our congregation, releasing them in a worshipful setting, and seeing what happens--in other words, letting God use the gifts that He has provided to us, renewing our worship with every person who gets involved.

Making a joyful noise,

Dr. Michael Kelly

Director of Worship and Arts

661-3139, ext. 113

In the spirit of celebrating all of the wonderful and diverse talents that we see each week at Westwood UMC, here are the words of the hymn "Many Gifts, One Spirit" written by Al Carmines in 1973:

"Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways, In our difference is our blessing, from diversity we praise One Giver, one Lord, one Spirit, one Word, Known in many ways, hallowing our days. For the Giver, for the gifts, praise, praise, praise!"

My Utmost For His Highest

By Oswald Chambers

Worship is giving God the best that He has

given you. Be careful what you do with the

best you have. Whenever you get a blessing

from God, give it back to Him as a love-gift.

Take time to meditate before God and offer

the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of

worship. If you hoard it for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna

did when it was hoarded (see Exodus 16:20). God will never allow you to keep a

spiritual blessing completely for yourself. It must be given back to Him so that He

can make it a blessing to others.

P A G E 4 P A G E 1 3

By Sarah Beach

Director of MNP

Volunteers Sharing Talents at MNP

My Neighbor’s Place’s greatest assets are the volunteers and the neighbors who attend each week. It’s amazing how God has brought so many different people altogether who have a variety of gifts and talents. Everyone can jump in and serve at our programs whether it is pitching in at the food pantry, helping check people out at the Closet, preparing a delicious meal at the Westwood Cafe, being a Celebrate Recovery guide, praying with neighbors as a lay pastor, wiping off a table, doing behind the scenes shopping, or just coming to build relationships with others! Kathy Rouse is the faithful “coffee lady” who serves by making coffee three days a week at MNP. We always need caring people who are loving their neighbors!

Don Clark shared his expertise as a former fire chief with the women at the ladies luncheon. He did a short session on first aid tips and answered many questions from people who attended.

The Westwood Community Gardens has a garden plot just to donate fresh produce with our pantry! Passionate gardeners share the harvest with our neighbors.

Madeline Hall and Beth Strawhun lend their musical talents to help lead worship on Tuesdays.

Every Thursday John Jeffries joins us for the Westwood Cafe and plays a variety of piano tunes as well as joining in for hymns during worship. On Thursday, July 14, Peggy Buchanan, the winner of the 1998 Scottish Fiddle Championship, shared her talent at our Westwood Cafe. Peggy and John played together and everyone had a wonderful morning as the music was delightful!

It is amazing to see what God is doing at My Neighbor’s Place! Maybe you would like to join. We can always use more volunteers. Perhaps God has given you a special talent or skill that you would like to lead a workshop, give a concert, or perhaps even start a new ministry at My Neighbor’s Place. If so, please contact Sarah Beach at [email protected]

Hello Men of Westwood,

For over a year now, Pastor Lee and I have felt the need for a group at our church for men. Exclusively men.

There are dozens of groups that meet during the week at our church, but none of them are designed and facilitated for the purpose of raising up men in particular. As many of you know, we have extraordinary groups for women, United Methodist Women and Mothers of Preschoolers, but nothing in particular for men of our church.

As the small group coordinator at our church, I have seen it in our group reporting as well. Most of our groups have more women than men. And I am tempted to say that Sunday morning follows a similar pattern. My vantage point in the front of the sanctuary tells me that we have far more single women attending than single men, but that is simply a casual observation.

What I am getting at is that we are in the perfect position to launch a formal men’s ministry. We hosted our first Saturday morning meeting and had 18 men attend. It was an outstanding time of fellowship. We sang hymns, we spent time in scripture and we feasted on some donuts and bagels. We had earnest conversation about what men’s ministry would look like in 2016 at our church.

This past week we gathered again in the evening for a meeting to flesh out some of our conversation and to establish a mission for our group.

I believe that we are closing in on a focus for this new men’s ministry. To make disciples and serve the community. Over and over the idea of mentoring percolated to the surface of our conversation. We want to connect generations of godly men to one another that we might be able to share wisdom and experience across all the areas of our life with one another. This is bigger than Bible study, this is not simply missional activity in the community.

We desire to make holistic disciples of Jesus and send them back into the church and the world to make new disciples for Jesus.

Personally, I see this men’s group as having a couple of unique opportunities for a young family man like myself. First, as much as I love being in a small group with Stephanie, I can see how having a dedicated time in my week to talk about fatherhood without her sitting next to me would allow some freedom of conversation that otherwise might go unsaid. Second, this might be the only hour during my week that I focus on my personal devotional life without wrestling Jonah at the same time. (Morning devotional times are just hysterical with a toddler, usually Jonah thinks tearing pages out of the book I am reading is a really fun game!)

I have written this article to communicate progress so far with our group. I hope that by explaining the heart behind this ministry you might be interested and intrigued by idea of being part of a movement of men. My encouragement to you would be to go and pray and ask God if making a commitment to fellowship with other men is part of your discipleship journey this year. If God responds positively, get in touch with Pastor Lee or myself ASAP. There is much work to be done! God Bless, Pastor David

P A G E 1 2

P A G E 5

This is a series from Sue Nelson-Kibby, conference staff. Westwood is a missional church meaning our focus is on the Great Commission,

the Great Commandment and our goal of everyone in ministry. In this article Sue asks, “what if” we had one missional focus?

all ages

[Identifying a signature ministry] is that core element that will make the congregation shed a tear, reach deep in their pockets or fight for it if it were taken away. When we discover that one thing that makes us come together in ministry we have found our unique one excellent mission--when we find our misery, we find our ministry."

The Mission

The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. Rationale for Our Mission

The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by proclaiming the good news of God's grace and by exemplifying Jesus' command to love God and neighbor, thus seeking the fulfillment of God's reign and realm in the world. The fulfillment of God's reign and realm in the world is the vision Scripture holds before us. The United Methodist Church affirms that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of all. As we make disciples, we respect persons of all religious faiths and we defend religious freedom for all persons. Jesus' words in Matthew provide the Church with our mission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you" (28:19-20), and "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. . . ……...And you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (22:37, 39).

This mission is our grace-filled response to the Reign of God in the world announced by Jesus. God's grace is active everywhere, at all times, carrying out this purpose as revealed in the Bible. It is expressed in God's covenant with Abraham and Sarah, in the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, and in the ministry of the prophets. It is fully embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is experienced in the ongoing creation of a new people by the Holy Spirit.

John Wesley, Phillip Otterbein, Jacob Albright, and our other spiritual forebears understood this mission in this way. Whenever United Methodism has had a clear sense of mission, God has used our Church to save persons, heal relationships, transform social structures, and spread scriptural holiness, thereby changing the world. In order to be truly alive, we embrace Jesus' mandate to love God and to love our neighbor and to make disciples of all peoples. The Process for Carrying Out Our Mission

We make disciples as we:

Proclaim the gospel, seek, welcome and gather persons into the body of Christ;

Lead persons to commit their lives to God through baptism by water and the spirit and profession of faith in Jesus Christ;

Nurture persons in Christian living through worship, the sacraments, spiritual disciplines, and other means of grace, such as Wesley's Christian conferencing;

Send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being and becoming a compassionate, caring presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel; and continue the mission of seeking, welcoming and gathering persons into the community of the body of Christ.

What is the mission of the United Methodist Church? As you read the following excerpt from the UMC Book of Discipline Section 1: The Churches, think about how our church is carrying out this mission. Are we stepping out in faith to become the hands, feet, voice and heart of Jesus? It only takes one small step to make a great and wonderful impact on those around us.

P A G E 6 P A G E 1 1

By Sarah Beach Director of Children and Family Ministry and My Neighbor’s Place [email protected]

Music Camp: Will be August 1-5 for students in Preschool – 6th Grade. Kids will have a blast learning a musical

which we will perform Sunday morning August 7th! Sign up at westwoodunitedmethodist.org/kidsmusiccamp !

Blessing of the Backpacks: Sunday August 14th, bring your bookbag to worship and we will have a special back to school prayer!

Club 56 Starts Up Soon: Hello 5th and 6th students and parents another great year of Club 56 is on the horizon. We will be having our first info meeting in September so be on the lookout!

Kid’s Day Camp: Westwood UMC is a fun zone this summer. Over 30 campers attending our Day Camp every Monday through Thursday! Each day the campers had chapel, reading, games, art, music, and community service. We have taken field trips to My Neighbor’s Place, Mt. Airy Forest, the movies, a Reds Game, touring the Art Museum, swimming, and exploring the zoo. Summer day camp was made possible by a generous grant from the Mission Foundation of the Ohio River Valley District as well as the Cincinnati Foundation. UMC Food, a ministry out of the Kentucky Annual Conference, has provided all of our snacks and lunches. Our church has hired seven high school students from our youth group and we have four additional junior high students volunteering, along with Scott Beach, Sarah Beach, and Mike Hudson providing leadership for the camp. At the halfway point it has been incredible to see how the kids have come together worshiping, growing, and serving, as well as watching the teenagers grow in their faith and leadership development. I thank God for the District's support of this transformational summer and covet prayers for the remainder of camp which will end August 11.

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1-1/2 cups (7 oz) zucchini, diced

into matchsticks or shredded

4 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated

salt and fresh pepper

2 medium (about 8 oz) tomatoes,

cored and thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Stir

in onion and cook until slightly golden, about 8 to 10

minutes. Add zucchini, increase heat to medium-high,

season with salt and pepper and cook 2 to 3 minutes or

until the moisture dries up, stirring occasionally.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs, egg whites, Asiago, salt

and pepper.

Pour the eggs into the skillet making sure they cover

all the vegetables. Arrange tomatoes in an overlapping

pattern on top and season with salt and pepper.

When the edges begin to set (about 2 minutes) move

skillet to oven. Cook about 16 to 18 minutes, or until

frittata is completely cooked.

Serve warm, cut into 4 pieces.

TOMATO ZUCCHINI

FRITATA

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate chips (I used half

dark chocolate, half semi sweet)

1 cup squeezed, shredded zucchini

(about two small; squeeze the zucchini

dry before measuring)

1 cup white granulated sugar or

coconut sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil or (1 stick)

unsalted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour or white

whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

GOOEY ZUCCHINI

BROWNIES

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 8x8" or 9x9"

baking dish.

Add the coconut oil or butter and chocolate chips to a

microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals

until melted. Stir after every 30 seconds.

After melted, stir in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.

After combined, add the zucchini, flour, and salt and stir

to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for

22 to 28 minutes, or until the edges are cooked and a

toothpick comes out mostly clean with moist crumbs.

Cool completely then slice into pieces. Enjoy!

The dog days of summer are upon us...more heat and humidity then we might have wanted. But these weather conditions are

great for most garden vegetables just as long as they get the proper amount of water. But what do you do with an overflow of

vegetables (especially zucchini and tomatoes)? You just share the wealth and look to see what creative ways they can be used.

Here are a couple of recipes, one sweet and one savory, that I use to utilize the ever abundant zucchinis that seem to triple in

size from one day to the next. If you don’t believe that’s possible, check with Lee Strawhun who knows personally how over-

looked zucchinis can get out of hand.

Feel free to email me, Chris McMullin, if you need other ideas or recipes: [email protected]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11 @ 5:00 pm We will meet for dinner at

Cabana on the River 7445 Forbes Rd. off Rt. 50 (Saylor Park)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25 @ 5:00 pm

Join us for a Salad Potluck

at Arlene Schwerin’s home, 3316 Renfro. Bring a salad to share & your beverage.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 @ 5:00 pm

We will meet for dinner at King’s Country Inn

112 Washington in Hooven (off Rt. 128, north of Rt. 50)

RSVP: Sally Dessauer 662-6588 or

Arlene Schwerin 662-8037

If you live alone and would like friends to talk to and enjoy a good meal with—this is the group for you!

Please join us for good times together

P A G E 1 0 P A G E 7

THE PRAYER CORNER By Beth Strawhun

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ There is no commandment greater than these”. Mark 12:30-31.

How can we carry these “greatest commandments” of Jesus’ in our everyday lives as Christians? Practically speaking, one of the ways we may do this is through spending time with God in prayer—cultivating our relationship with Him and interceding for others. This month, I’d like to highlight two prayer ministries that can help us to carry this out. In 2014, the prayer team of WUMC began a Cincinnati Prayer Walk which has become an annual summer event and was recently held in June. It is a wonderful way to walk and pray for the needs of our city with a visual backdrop--as we convene at Smale Park and view the downtown area and riverfront. Here is a testimony from Charlotte Hahn who has attended each year: For the third year in a row, I participated in the Prayer Walk at the labyrinth at Smale Park. It is such a transformative experience. With the help of the guided prayer walk brochure I was able to be one with God praying for each element of our city, elements that I often take for granted or overlook. This year I was struck with the prayers focused on the river. The river as a highway of commerce, as recreation, as beauty. I thanked God for this abundant water source and prayed that it would be protected and that those who enjoy it would always be safe. I prayed for those who were experi-encing flooding and those experiencing drought. Even with children running around enjoying the labyrinth in a different way, I knew that my prayers were heard. Another prayer event which has been available for several years now, but most recently at Lent, is “Experiencing God”. It is a beautiful way to spend quiet time with God in prayer by participating in “prayer stations”. Here are some words of affirmation from Jan Peter on "Experiencing God” prayer walk in the sanctuary: Being alone in our sanctuary is a God experience in itself. The symbols of His presence are everywhere, from the stained-glass windows to the carvings in the arches, from the cross crowning the altar to the quiet balconies above. During Lent, in recent years, we have been invited to a prayer journey, “Experiencing God,” in our sanctuary. I’ve been awed by His presence each time I’ve entered and followed the path of symbols to places I’ve never been before. We each can create our own prayer walks wherever we happen to be, discovering God in new ways.

Come and enjoy the

summer with the

Wesmates at 11 am.

Sunday mornings.

The guest teachers for

August are:

AUGUST 7: Ralph Winkler

AUGUST 14: Bob Hyland

AUGUST 21: Don Clark

AUGUST 28: TBA

The study during August is the book of Romans.

By Sally Dessauer

The lazy, dog-days of summer are here but we need to plan for our next IHN hosting of homeless families at

our church from August 28 through September 3. Check out the yellow IHN brochure (found in information

racks around the church) to learn how you can participate even if you can only help for just a few hours. If

you have questions or need more information call Sally Dessauer 662-6588 or Carol Wright 923-3044.

The families really appreciate everyone’s caring!

UMW MEETING

THURSDAY NIGHT,

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

7:00 pm. in the Wesmates Room Refreshments after the program in the gym

2016 THEME: GROWING IN BLESSEDNESS

“Blessed by Serving Senior Citizens”

Cass: Cincinnati Area Senior Services

Speaker: tracy collins, ceo

P A G E 8 P A G E 9

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 1:00 pm Kid’s Music Camp, Eckel Hall 7:00 pm Lifetree Café, MNP

2

9:30 am My Neighbors’ Place Closet 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 1:00 pm Kid’s Music Camp, Eckel Hall 6:00 pm Growth Groups meeting, Library 7:00 pm SPRC, Wesley Room 7:30 pm Al-Anon, Wesmates Rm

3 10:00 am My Neighbor’s Place Food Pantry 10:00 am Preschool Board Meeting, Library 10:00 am Al-Anon, Wesley Rm 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 1:00 pm Kid’s Music Camp, Eckel Hall 1:30 pm Pastor’s Bible Study, Parlor 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym

4 9:00 am MNP Neighborhood Cafe 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 11:00 pm Celebrate Recovery, MNP 1:00 pm Kid’s Music Camp, Eckel Hall

5 1:00 pm Kid’s Music Camp, Eckel Hall

6

7 8:30 am Communion Service, Chapel 9:30 am Traditional Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30 am SOS, Parlor 11:00 am Modern Service, Epworth Hall 11:00 am Merrimates, Parlor 11:00 am Wesmates, Wesmates Room 12:15 pm Worship Band Rehearsal, Epworth Hall 6:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room

8 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 7:00 pm Lifetree Café, MNP

9 9:30 am My Neighbors’ Place Closet 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 12:00 pm Tuesday Bible Study, Faber Room 3:30 pm Yoga for Ladies, God’s Backyard 5:00 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 6:00 pm IHN Board Meeting, Library 6:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 7:30 pm Al-Anon, Wesmates Rm

10 10:00 am My Neighbor’s Place Food Pantry 10:00 am Al-Anon, Wesley Rm 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 1:00 pm New Bible Study, Faber Room 1:00 pm Wesgals, Parlor 1:30 pm Pastor’s Bible Study, Parlor 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 5:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

11 9:00 am MNP Neighborhood Cafe 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 11:00 pm Celebrate Recovery, MNP 11:00 am Kid’s Summer Camp, God’s Backyd. 4:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 5:00 pm Together On Our Own, Off site 6:00 pm Westwood Community Dinner, MNP 7:00 pm Open Hearts, Library

12 .

13

14 8:30 am Communion Service, Chapel 9:30 am Traditional Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30 am SOS, Parlor 10:30 am Prayer Service, Heritage Room 11:00 am Modern Service, Epworth Hall 11:00 am Merrimates, Parlor 11:00 am Wesmates, Wesmates Room 12:15 pm Worship Band Rehearsal, Epworth Hall 2:30 pm Haiti Benefit Concert, Epworth Hall 6:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room

15 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 7:00 pm Lifetree Café, MNP

16 9:30 am My Neighbors’ Place Closet 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 12:00 pm Tuesday Bible Study, Faber Room 2:30 pm Heartlifters, Parlor 3:30 pm Yoga for Ladies, God’s Backyard 5:00 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 6:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 7:00 pm Church Council, Parlor 7:30 pm Al-Anon, Wesmates Rm

17 10:00 am My Neighbor’s Place Food Pantry 10:00 am Al-Anon, Wesley Rm 1:30 pm Pastor’s Bible Study, Parlor 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 5:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

18 9:00 am MNP Neighborhood Cafe 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 11:00 am Celebrate Recovery, MNP 12:00 pm Stewardship Team, Library 4:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard

19

20 8:30 am City Gospel Mission, Off-site

21 8:30 am Communion Service, Chapel 9:30 am Traditional Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30 am SOS, Parlor 10:30 am Prayer Time, Heritage Room 11:00 am Modern Service, Epworth Hall 11:00 am Merrimates, Parlor 11:00 am Wesmates, Wesmates Room 12:15 pm Worship Band Rehearsal, Epworth Hall

22 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 7:00 pm Lifetree Café, MNP

23 9:30 am My Neighbors’ Place Closet 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 12:00 pm Tuesday Bible Study, Faber Room 11:30 pm MNP Ladies Luncheon, MNP 3:30 pm Yoga for Ladies, God’s Backyard 5:00 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 6:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 7:00 pm Trustees Meeting, Parlor 7:30 pm Al-Anon, Wesmates Rm

24 10:00 am My Neighbor’s Place Food Pantry 10:00 am Al-Anon, Wesley Rm 1:00 pm New Bible Study, Faber Room 1:30 pm Pastor’s Bible Study, Parlor 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 5:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

25 9:00 am MNP Neighborhood Cafe 9:30 am UMW Board Meeting, Wesmates Rm. 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 11:00 am Celebrate Recovery, MNP 4:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 5:00 pm Together On Our Own, Off site 6:00 pm MNP Men’s Social, MNP 7:00 pm Open Hearts, Library

26

27 Book Fair sponsored by the Preschool

28 IHN 8:30 am Communion Service, Chapel 9:30 am Traditional Worship Service, Sanctuary 9:30 am SOS, Parlor 11:00 am Modern Service, Epworth Hall 11:00 am Merrimates, Parlor 11:00 am Wesmates, Wesmates Room 12:15 pm Worship Band Rehearsal, Epworth Hall 6:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room

29 IHN 9:00 am Preschool Orientation, Saints Rm 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 7:00 pm Lifetree Café, MNP

30 IHN 9:00 am Preschool Orientation, Saints Rm 9:30 am My Neighbors’ Place Closet 9:30 am Yoga, God’s Backyard 12:00 pm Tuesday Bible Study, Faber Room 3:30 pm Yoga for Ladies, God’s Backyard 5:00 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 6:30 pm Yoga, God’s Backyard 7:30 pm Al-Anon, Wesmates Rm

31 IHN 9:00 am Preschool Orientation, Saints Rm 10:00 am My Neighbor’s Place Food Pantry 10:00 am Al-Anon, Wesley Rm 1:30 pm Pastor’s Bible Study, Parlor 3:00 pm Youth Basketball, Gym 5:00 pm Student Ministries, Youth Room 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

THE DATES & TIMES OF CALENDAR EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE (661-3139)

OR CHECK THE WEBSITE

www.westwoodunitedmethodist.org IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS


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