United Methodist Church

HEADLINES

Begins With Wearing Your Name Tag And Your Smile!
GOD KNOWS YOU NAME, WISH WE ALL DID!

LENT STUDIES

MOSAIC: When God Uses All the Pieces By Shane Stanford Sundays, 11:00 AM starting February 19 Led by: Reid Reininger   Room 203 A fresh approach to the healing activity of God in the midst of our broken pieces; designed to help participants reframe their purpose and turn their discouragement and discarded hope into something beautiful and useful.  Chapters include how God uses our rebellion, restlessness, regret, rejection, responsibilities, resources, and relationships.  Includes weekly Bible reading and reflection questions.
24 HOURS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD By Adam Hamilton Sunday nights, 7:00 PM starting February 19 Led by:  Reid Reininger    Parlor A “repeat performance” of last year’s excellent Lenten study for those who missed it!  24 Hours studies in-depth the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life with exceptional video of the Holy Land, new and fascinating information about what really happened to Jesus during those final hours, and meaningful reflection time for class members.  This study will greatly enhance your Easter experience as well.
SPIRITUAL PARENTING Wednesday nights, 7:00-8:00 PM,  February 29—March 28  Led by:  Erica Benjamin and Lori Sexton    Parents are the primary faith-shapers in the lives of their children. In this class    you will learn about families and children in the Bible, stages in faith development,    and how to grow in faith as a family through milestone celebrations, faith talks,    God sightings, and in your daily routines.
FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL LIVING By Robert Schnase Wednesday nights, 7:00 PM  OR  Friday mornings, 10:00 AM Starting February 29 and March 2, respectively. Led by:  Rev. Lee Ferrell   Sunday mornings, 9:30 AM, February 26—May 12 Led by: Nancy Landers and Dick Legare  Room 301   Based on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, this study uses the same five emphases but applied to our personal lives…radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity.  Studying these three years ago gave a new energy and spirit to our congregation; hopefully this personal approach will give participants the inspiration and opportunity to grow as disciples and instruments of God’s grace.   Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRGTgmJVncM

Download your copy of the Lenten studies.

(Click on video to view)

Heaven's Kitchen is a monthly ministry that provides a hot meal to those in need every fourth Saturday of the month. We serve at Brooklyn Community UMC, in Anne Arundel County near the city line. Each month we need 20 - 25 volunteers to help cook and serve a hot meal to our guests. We have anywhere from 25 - 100 guests each time. During the past year, we added a clothing ministry, a peanut butter and jelly give away and a children's reading and craft time thanks to helpful and creative volunteers.
 
Heaven's Kitchen has on ongoing need for new and used clothing, blankets and sleeping bags, new socks and underwear, toilet paper, toiletries and devotional books. Our guests also appreciate homemade baked goods (portioned in zip loc bags). There are Heaven's Kitchen donation baskets in Fellowship Hall in the Missions area.

 

To volunteer, meet at SPUMC @ 9:30 am or at Brooklyn Community UMC @ 10 am.

You can also help by bringing in home baked treats in baggies, new socks & underwear,

coats & other cold weather clothes to the Heaven’s Kitchen baskets in Fellowship Hall.

 

If you want to know more or want to get on the Heaven’s Kitchen email list,

just contact heavenskitchen@severnaparkumc.org

 

 

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WINTER RELIEF PROGRAM (WRP)

FEBRUARY 6 - 13, 2012

Winter Relief is a new ministry at SPUMC that we are offering in coalition with Arundel House of Hope (AHOH).  AHOH is a non-profit, ecumenical organization that has been providing housing assistance for the poor and homeless of Anne Arundel County since 1992.  AHOH’s mission is twofold: 

•  For our Guests - To keep those experiencing homelessness in the Baltimore/ Annapolis corridor from freezing to death during the winter months and to show them God’s love in simple practical ways during our time together.

•  For our Volunteers - To share with them the blessing of a broader, deeper faith through serving society’s least, last, and lost.

Please watch this Winter Relief video.

SPUMC will be one of approximately fifty local churches providing emergency shelter and spiritual support for a week to homeless men and women during the coldest months of the year.  During our assigned week of February 6-13, 2012,    SPUMC will provide 35 guests (men and women) with shelter, hot meals, bedding and towels, nightly activities and fellowship.  Carolyn Heim and Suzanne Steiner are the co-coordinators of Winter Relief at SPUMC.  We have divided the responsibilities for the ministry among the following “Team Captains”:   

•  Reid Reininger – transportation/showers

•  Katherine and Mike Nutile – breakfast

•  Michelle Mohr and Dawn Cullis – dinner

•  Beth Frank – bag lunches

•  Karen Myers – activities

•  Cheri Cullen – laundry

•  Becky Ponder – snacks

We also need many volunteers to make Winter Relief a success.  Here are some ways you can help:

•  Take a tag from the Advent tree in Fellowship Hall to purchase an item to be used for Winter Relief.

•  Sign up on the volunteer sheets in the “Grow in Faith” area of Fellowship Hall to help with cooking, serving, laundry, activities, etc.

•  We especially need hosts for the evening and overnight hours.  What does a host do?  No preparation is required – you will just provide your presence at the church while our guests are here and offer whatever conversation, companionship, or supervision that is necessary.  We would like to have at least two men stay overnight during each night of the week.  Perhaps you could take a day off work the next day so that you can participate as an overnight host.

•  Pray for the guests who will be staying with us, the ministry leaders, and all the volunteers.

The Winter Relief Committee would like to provide valentine cards for our guests to send to someone they love.  Please donate new valentine cards with a postage stamp affixed to the blank envelope.

 

Other items still needed for the Winter Relief evening activities are:  puzzle books such as Sudoku, word search and crossword, jigsaw puzzles, paperback books and current magazines.  These items can be new or gently used.
 

A collection box will be at the “Go Out in Faith” area in Fellowship Hall.  Collection will end on Sunday, February 5.

 

Contact Carolyn and Suzanne at winterrelief@severnaparkumc.org

 

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Samaritan Women - WilkEns Avenue Project Update

A lot of progress  has been made on the Wilkens Ave. Ministry home!  Both the work permit and the historical notice to proceed permit have been secured, and many important relationships with neighbors have been formed!  Demolition on the bathrooms has been done, and a  very dedicated small group removed most of the wall board and molding last weekend, getting us about where we need to be to support the plumber, electrician and HVAC folks.  Another weekend of work and we should be ready to begin to install CPVC, wire, ducts etc etc. 

  

Our priority at the moment is security.  We can not progress beyond demolition until we can get solid doors and a security system installed.  Three high grade steel doors have been ordered and will be installed in a few weeks.  Then it is a matter of sitting back and waiting for the following, in this order:

 

     * steel door installation

     * roof replacement

     * electrical upgrade

     * security system installation and activation

     * plumbing upgrade

 

Once these major areas have been completed then we can begin to lay down a project plan for all the volunteers that have been gracious enough to step forward.  Ron Shippee says, "The more time I spend in the apartment the more I can visualize how nice we are going to make it look.  No doubt about it, this a Herculean project.  But with the grace of God and the small army of volunteers that we have so far, I am very confident  this will be a successfully and rewarding outreach ministry for the SPUMC." 

 

More about Samaritan Women

 

 

 

MOPs (Mother's of Preschoolers) is geared towards meeting the needs of all Mothers from pregnancy to kindergarten. MOPs is an international program which focuses on support, resourcing, and fellowship for Mothers in a faith-based environment. If you are a Mother who fits this criteria you are encouraged you to join this new group! It will offer you a place of mutual support and a caring Christian community in the midst of your busy life which can sometimes feel overwhelming and isolating.

Our first MOPS session will be held on Thursday, February 9th at 7 PM in room 302. We will meet twice a month! Come join us for fellowship and friendship! For more information contact Tracy Marshall at tmarshall@severnaparkumc.org.

Children's Sunday School (Updated 2/2/2012)

9:30 Elementary Sunday School Teachers Needed:
Sign up to teach one of our next units:
February 26, 2012- April 1, 2012 (6 weeks) Jesus and John the Baptist,
April 8, 2012-May 6, 2012 (5 weeks) Hannah and Samuel,
May 13, 2012- June 12, 2012 (5 weeks) Solomon Build’s the Temple
Sign-up outside of Erica’s office.  This is a great time to start teaching.

If you want more information email Erica at ebenjamin@severnaparkumc.org.
 
Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity:

Begin praying! Vacation Bible School 2012 will be July 16-20 1:00-4:00, July 22 9:30.  It will for children ages preschool- going into 5th grade.  We will need almost 50 vounteers to give 168 children an opportunity to learn about God’s love and to grow in their faith! How are you being called to serve?  More information coming in March.  Registration begins April 1, 2012.   See the attached letter. www.groupvbspro/vbs/hl/SPUMC 

January, 2012

FAMILY MINISTRIES (UPDATED 1/5/2012)

We are beginning a new milestone ministries program for SPUMC’s families.  This program will help parents become spiritual leaders and includes important celebrations throughout a child’s faith journey: baptism (infant and children), growing in faith (3rd grade Bibles), confirmation (7th/8th grade), and passage to adulthood (high school graduation).  Read about each milestone in the 2012 family ministry brochure.  More information will be coming during the next few months.  Milestone classes beginning in January are baptism and confirmation. 
 
Milestone 1: Baptism
Sundays, January 29, March 25, May 20, July 29, September 23, November 18 11:00 AM Parlor
God is with you as you begin this new journey in parenting and we, as a church, are ready to commit to helping your family grow in faith throughout your lifelong faith journey. Prepare to be your child’s spiritual leader and learn about the sacrament of Baptism by participating in a baptism class. Parents and guardians of children who would like to be baptized must attend one of these classes lead by our pastors.  Please register for a class with Pastor Martha martha@severnaparkumc.org.
 
Milestone 3: Confirmation
(7th/8th Grade)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 7:30 PM
During confirmation class, youth have the opportunity to commit their lives to Christ and join the church.  As a parent this means you support their decision to become baptized or remember their baptism and commitment to Christ.  Learn about this wonderful step in faith development.  This class is lead by the Minister of Education and Youth.  Youth and parents attend. First confirmation class is January 31 at 4:30.  Confirmation is Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 11:00.  Please register with Lee lferrell@severnaparkumc.org.  

• Nursery School 2011 - 2012 Calendar