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CHURCH COUNCIL APPROVED NEW SPUMC VISION AND MISSION
STATEMENT
Monday, July 11th Church Council unanimously approved Pastor Jim's
motion to change our Mission Statement to:

We will soon be putting our new Vision and Mission statement in
practice in everything we do.
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UMM Presents 2010 Man of-the-Year Award
John Covington received the 2010 SPUMC United Methodist
Men (UMM) Bob Sutton Man-of-the-Year Award at the
9:30 service on July 18th. This was 
the second presentation of the annual award (Reid
Reininger was the 2009 recipient), which goes to men
at SPUMC who exemplify the values of the UMM.
John has been active in many facets of the life of SPUMC
for many years. He has been a member of the Church
Council, led adult Bible study classes, participated
in VIM trips, volunteered at Carpenter’s Kitchen, and
(along with Senn Wise) founded and leads the SPUMC
employment network. His record of leadership
and commitment serves as a model for the men and boys
of SPUMC. Our congratulations and thanks
to John Covington, the 2010 Man of the Year.
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CRIBBERY COORDINATOR POSITION FILLED
We have great news! Regina Ross has accepted the
cribbery position and for the first time in a very long time our
staff is complete. Regina comes with high recommendations from both
Rev. Lee and Beth among others and we are happy to have her. Our
young children will again have a familiar person greeting them each
week. Please take the opportunity to greet Regina and welcome her to
the SPUMC family. Shalom, Pastor Jim
WOMEN'S SUIT DRIVE
A SUCCESS - THANKS TO THOSE
WHO DONATED
Many thanks to all those who so generously donated professional
attire to our "Women's Suit Drive" this spring to benefit the Suited
To Succeed organization. Over 100 suits and separates were donated
by our congregation alone, for a total of 300 outfits countywide!
Our girl scout troop made two trips to Baltimore in June to deliver
the clothing. We were greeted by several grateful women who
assisted us in unloading our vans and in hanging up all the lovely
attire which will outfit women getting ready to enter the workplace.
Suited to Succeed has helped change the lives and appearances of
nearly 1400 women this past year, and over 8000 women since it began
in 1997. Please know that through your clothing donation you have
helped remove the last obstacle to unemployment for many women!
With gratitude, Jenny and Nancy Proebstle for Cadette GS Troop #298
INTRODUCING ERICA BENJAMIN
OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES
Erica Benjamin spent the majority of her
childhood in Northeast Pennsylvania. Prior to moving to
Pennsylvania she lived in Kobe, Japan, Knoxville, TN and Atlanta,
GA. The daughter of a United Methodist pastor she lived in
several places in Pennsylvania, but considers Noxen, Pennsylvania
home. Her parents now live in Deposit, NY. She
moved to Washington, DC in 2001 to attend American University where
she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. During
college she spent a semester studying abroad in Prague, Czech
Republic. After graduation she taught for 2 years at Gibbs
Elementary School in DC. She then enrolled at Wesley
Theological Seminary in DC. While in Seminary she completed
her internship at Central Union Mission, a homeless shelter and
transitional housing program for men where she wrote literacy and
Biblically based curriculum for the men in the Spiritual
Transformation Program. She graduated from Seminary in May
2010 with a Masters of Divinity specializing in Urban Ministry.
She is a Certified Candidate in the Baltimore Washington Conference.
Erica enjoys spending time with her family, especially her
niece Ellie who lives in Rochester, NY. She also enjoys
swimming, reading, traveling, and cooking.
Have you been involved or are you interested in
becoming involved in children’s ministries at SPUMC?
Come meet Erica July 8 or July 20 at 7:00 PM in Room 206.
Share your stories, share your vision, and learn about new
opportunities to get involved. If you will need child care or
have any questions please contact Erica Benjamin
ebenjamin@severnaparkumc.org.

Beginnings is a small-group spiritual journey
for seekers, new believers, and longtime Christians who want to
explore the basics of Christianity in a relaxed, nurturing
atmosphere. Participants can bring questions, gain knowledge, and
form or deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
An Introduction to Christian Faith centers
around a question for each session:
• So, is this all there is? (Introduction)
• Who is Jesus, and why should I care? (Jesus
Christ)
• Why am I not where I want to be? (Sin and the
Cross)
• What happens when I die? (Death and
Resurrection)
• Can I trust God? (Providence and Suffering)
• How does God speak to me? (The Bible)
• If I don’t feel lost, why do I need to be
found? (Salvation and Conversion)
• Can I start again? (Forgiveness and Wholeness)
• How do I speak to God? (Prayer)
• How can I make a life and not just a living?
(The Good Life)
• Why should I join any group that will have me
as a member? (Church Membership)
• Love feast! (Remembering, Sharing, and
Continuing the Journey)
This DVD and discussion based 12 week study will
begin the week of September 12 and continue until the week of
November 28. Days of the week and times will be announced soon. If
you have questions, contact Rev. Martha Meredith at 410-987-4700 or
mmeredith@severnaparkumc.org.
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KATRINA WORK NEARS COMPLETION
From Mike Nutile 's VIM Journal Entry
March 12, 2010
Hard to believe this could very well
be our last day here in the Gulf. Much of the
hurricane relief work is complete. It’s amazing how every
time we came down here, we were guided to help just the
right people at just the right time. Thank you Jesus! For
choosing me to be a part of this team. And by team, I
mean all the members of SPUMC that have participated in this
relief project. Not just those of us here today, but the
others that came before us, and those of you back home who
supported us through your generous contributions and
tireless work at the garage sales, brunches, etc. This has
been a great project for our church. The support we get from
all of you (our members) is unparalled. Of all the groups we
encounter down here, we surely have the best support system
back home. Thank you all.
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OUR MISSIONARIES NEED YOUR PRAYERS
By: Heather Beal

Greetings in the Name of our Lord to all the
Saints at SPUMC! Thank you all for continuing to be a major
part of the team that is reaching out with us to people in Southern
Mexico – we cannot go if we are not sent, and could not be sent
without your support – so if you ever wonder if you are making a
difference in anyone’s life – know that you are making a difference
in our lives – and in the lives of people in Mexico.
It’s exciting to see our kids getting ready for
summer vacation – a time of rest and play – getting the body and
mind ready to take in the information of another school year.
I’m excited for them – and wish I could be joining them! This
summer instead of being a time of vacation from school for me, will
be a time of intense focus – hopefully my last summer in school!
Lord willing I am hoping to complete the rough draft of my
dissertation by July which will give my professors time to evaluate
it and my time to revise so that I can finish in the Fall. So,
as you see kids playing and enjoying – remember me as I take my
final lap in this marathon race of a dissertation that I have been
running. Hopefully soon we will be rejoicing together in its
completion! Have a great summer – we hope to see you in the
Fall and bring a good report.
WORSHIP Video Ministry
Thanks to financial memorial donations and
the purchase of new equipment, we are able to video worship
services. We have DVDs available beginning with Palm Sunday 2010!
Call or stop by the office for details. If you requested a copy of
the Confirmation Service, it is ready.
Volunteers have been trained on the new
equipment! And, if video and sound is something you are interested
in, we would love for you to be part of this ministry. Call the
church office and let us know!
UMW
Summer Read

The UMW’s fourth annual summer read will be
The Faithful One by Michele Hartlove. It’s a
great book, plus the author will be joining us for a discussion of
the book on Monday, September 27 at 6:30 PM. You may sign up
and purchase a copy of the book for $10 in Fellowship Hall (part of
cost subsidized by UMW).
Seth Jacobs has it all-looks, fame,
wealth, a beautiful wife and three children, a mansion in greater
Boston, a highly successful restaurant business, lots of friends,
loyal employees. And in a series of reversals of fortune
beyond his control, Seth loses it all - his family, home, business,
reputation - even his health when he finds out he is dying of
cancer. Seth's faith is challenged by his friends who suggest
perhaps God has a reason for inflicting so much loss and pain upon
him. Suffering, he asks God, like we all do, "Why is this
happening to me?" Wanting his life to end, with some help he
finally finds an unexpected "answer" to his despair. A
modern-day story based on the Bible's Book of Job, The Faithful One
inspires us all to have a little more faith, no matter what.
Women's Summer Bible Study

Don't have time for a Bible study during the
school year? Looking for a way to get closer to God this
summer? We have just the study for you! Join
us to read Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
The class will meet on Wednesday mornings for 6 weeks, from June
23 through July 28. (It's okay if you have to miss a class!)
There will be a fellowship time from 9:00 to 9:25 and class from
9:30 to 11:00. Sign up in Fellowship Hall on Sundays.
For more info, contact Ann Chaffee,
achaffee@severnaparkumc.org or Suzanne Steiner,
ssteiner@severnaparkumc.org.
Satan is the master deceiver, and his lies are
endless. Are you burned out, overwhelmed, angry, confused
or fearful? According to Nancy Leigh DeMoss, these
emotions are the result of Satan's lies. Nancy tackles many of the
falsehoods that enslave Christian women with alarming frequency and
severity. Though she does not promise their problems will go away,
she confronts the lies with practical truths found in Scripture that
will help women begin to "walk through the realities of life in
freedom and true joy."
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