Grapevine Newsletter

ALBION & KALAMAZOO DISTRICTS BISHOP’S DAY- MARCH The Albion and Kalamazoo Districts will unite again for Bishop’s Day on March 3, 2012. The Theme for this year’s event is“Birthing A New Promise”. Our guest speakers will be Marv Baldwin, President and CEO of Foods Resource Bank and Joyce Thompson, Professor Emerita from WMU Bronson School of Nursing. The FREE EVENT will be held at Portage Chapel Hill on March 3 from 9:00 am-Noon. Though this event is free we ask that you please register on line by clicking here: Registration and then call the office and let Robyn know you have registered. More information about this exciting day will be coming soon. Please help friends that may not have access to a computer to register.

NEW RESOURCES FOR SMALL GROUPS AND CHURCH MINISTRIES-MARC is a United Methodist resource that we have not fully utilized at CUMC. Small group studies, DVD series, children’s ministry resources, and much, much more can be borrowed from this connectional library at no cost to members of our church. You simply go to their website http://marc-web.org/ and find the resources you would like to use. Place each one in your “cart.” When you are done browsing, copy and paste that list into an email to the office here at CUMC and we will send it in! All at no additional cost. We pay a minimal cost for the entire church’s membership each year. That’s it! Your items gets mailed here, you pick it up, and when you are finished, we ship them back. Try it out and let us know what you think!

SECYM: Sunday Evening Community Youth Ministry KICKS OFF! Seek to know him, love him, and live like him! In addition to the 1^st Presbyterian Church of Concord, Pulaski Free Methodist Church (PFMC) will be joining CUMC in a partnership to raise our youth in the Light of Christ! The new youth ministry will replace our current Sunday evening programming of youth groups and Chew on the Word. In coming weeks SECYM will meet at CUMC on the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays of each month and at PFMC on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays. Any time a 5^th Sunday arises, special plans will be made to have a field trip to other youth groups in our area, such as Marshall UMC or Westwind Church’s the HUB in Jackson. Parents will drop off all youth, both Jr. and Sr. High from 5 until 8 pm, not a portion of that time, as in the past. The new ministry will include get acquainted time, feed ‘em time, game time, movie/message time, and small group time, so they won’t be bored! That’s for sure! This partnership will share a portion of our youth director’s wages, curriculum, food, and volunteers. This opportunity will allow our youth to continue to grow and flourish in larger, more diverse groups, connecting with the Body of Christ in incredible ways! The program will be given a 12 week trial and is being supervised by all three pastor’s, Melany, Lynne, and Mike. Any questions can be directed to Debbie, SECYM’s Youth Director. Prayers for this new community ministry would be greatly appreciated!! Can I hear an “Amen”?!!

LENTEN POTLUCKS Join 1st Presbyterian Church and St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church for this weekly Wednesday event at CUMC starting Feb. 29. We will begin at 12 noon with a potluck and then settle in for a short message by one of the three pastors. Bring a dish, if you’re able, and a friend!

CAMP SCHOLARSHIP ENVELOPES inserted in the program the month of February help support students attend Christian summer camps in our West Michigan Conference. Camp costs have risen to almost $400 per camper, so if you can help defray some of those costs with any amount, that would be wonderful. If you are interested in attending summer camp and would like more info., contact our camp coordinator, Eleanor Rowlison 524-8238.

CONCORD BUSINESS & HEALTH EXPO, Sat., March 3, 2012 from 9am-2pm, Concord Middle School gym, 405 S. Main St., Concord. Vendor spaces available at $15 per 8' space. Free admission to the public. Lots of freebies, door prizes, and samples. Sponsored by the Concord-Pulaski Memorial Am. Leg./SAL/Aux. #81. Proceeds and donations go to help with the deployment event for the National Guard 1461st Transportation Co., deploying to Afghanistan in July. More info at concordpulaskilegion@yahoo.com or call 517-937-3334.

OREOS WOMEN’S NIGHT We’re not young anymore, but we’re not old yet! We’re the sweet stuff in the middle and gather once a month.

ADULT EUCHRE NIGHT at CUMC, Feb. 18 @ 7 pm. Bring along some snacks and beverages and join us in the fellowship hall for some card playing and good fellowship.

THE LOSERS, a weight loss group for meets every Saturday at 9:00 am at CUMC this year. A guest speaker will be featured on the first Sat. of each month. See Teri Moler for more details, or contact her at 524-6422.

MEN’S BREAKFAST meets every third Sat. at 7 am in the fellowship hall. All age men and boys are welcome to join us for a tasty breakfast and a time for devotion.

OREOS We meet every second Thurs. of the month at 6:30 pm, as a way to get women in relationship with one another as we grow in faith and love. Want more info? Talk to Melany or Robin Brigham.

OPEN DOOR FREE STORE Hours: Mon. & Thurs. 3-6 pm; Sat. 10-1 pm. We need lots of help down at the store. Can you help during these hours or after hours with the behind the scenes work? Call the store at 524-6157 to sign up today.

NEED HEARING ASSISTANCE We’ve got headphones for you! Just stop in the office prior to worship.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN will be meeting monthly beginning on the third Thurs., of every month @ 7:00 pm. All women welcome to join them in the fellowship hall. Light refreshments served and a special program each month.

SENIOR LUNCHEON every Wed. in the fellowship hall at 11:30 am. Bring a friend, relative and join us. All you need is a passing dish and table service.

BIBLE SCHOOL CLASSES A new class on “The History of Christian Theology” will begin at 8:45 am in the Senior Lounge in the Lower Level, while all other classes (children, adults) will begin at 9 am Sunday mornings. Youth are welcome to join either adult class (in the Library or Senior Lounge) or their own Chew on the Word Sunday evenings at 5:30 pm.

KID'S CLUB/TEAMKID every Wed., from 6-7:30 pm in the Lower Level of CUMC. Games, crafts, and the application of the bible into the daily lives of kids ages Kindergarten through 5th grade. Preschoolers welcome with a parent on site throughout.

THE POINT HOURS JR. & SR. HIGH Mon. & Wed. 3-5; Tues. & Thurs. 6-9; Fri. schedule to be announced.

2-LO-C KINGDOM ASSIGNMENT Mix Tapes and T's by DJ Jree Good (Jerry Losee) and MC Maliky (Mikayl Losee) are available to purchase in the fellowship hall. CD’s are $7.00 and T-shirts $13.00. All sales from the first 500 CDs sold will go to CUMC Ministry Shares Kingdom Assignment.

OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR SENIORS Drivers needed for occasional rides in the community to transport people in the community to the doctors, grocery stores, etc. If you have a couple spare hours and would like to support this important ministry to our seniors, please let Robyn know in the office. Thank you.

DRIVE FOR THE DRIVE Would you like to make a difference in the world? Send young pastors to seminary in America and abroad? Help clean up and rebuild after disasters? Then support a square foot or an entire parking spot in our new driveway. All gifts in this drive will reimburse the expenditure we had last fall to repair the parking lot and allow us to support mission work worldwide.

CHURCH DIRECTORIES are available if you did not get your portrait taken for the directory, and would like to purchase a directory, please see Robyn in the office, the cost is $6.00 each. This is the cost we are charged for the extras.

THIRD SUNDAY COFFEE needs hosts for March, April, May, etc. If you or your small group, committee, etc. would like to host, please notify Robyn and sign up on the clipboard outside the office.

LOOKING FOR MEN TO FORM MORNING SMALL GROUP One of our men is interested in forming a small group during the week, possibly around 11 am, as he works afternoons. If you would be interested in joining such a group, call the office for more details.

SMALL GROUPS FORMING!

Belonging to a small group isn’t an option…

it’s a necessity in developing our faith!

Plus…it’s fun!

We have groups for writers and prayers, young dads and middler moms,

senior women, and hungry men, missionaries and young adults, inquiring youth and rambunctious children!

Don’t see a group that tickles your fancyω

Start one! Simply stop in the office or email with your idea and we’ll resource you with all you’ll need to get it off and running.

What’s the Point??

Our mission is to provide a safe place for all youth, to love people for who they are,

while making life long disciples after God’s own heart.

Youth Groups every Sunday

Jr. High from 4-5:30 p.m. (new time!)

5:30-6:30 pm "Chew On The Word" Jr. & Sr. High Bible Study

Sr. High from 6:30-8 p.m.

Apply Jesus’ life to your life..day in and day out!

MORE PRAYER SHAWLS are NEEDED! If you knit or crochet and can provide a shawl for someone who could use one, simply drop one off int he office and it will be prayed over and a special tag will be put on it. Also, if you know of someone who could use one, simply fill in the info in the blue book (also located in the cabinet), and notify someone in the office you took one. Prayer Shawls are for anyone going through a crisis, surgery, illness, family loss, new birth, sick child, etc. Thank You to all you wonderful ladies, you are awesome! Lives are being touched and prayed over!

ELECTRONIC GIVING: Tired of writing checksω Remembering to support ministries when you are out of townω Simply stop in the office and fill out an authorization form for electronic giving and your gifts will be deposited automatically as you determine. Can be stopped at any time, per your request.

LOCAL MISSIONS: All loose change in the offering plate is given to our Local Mission Fund to help our neighbors in tough times. Also, on the 3^rd Sunday of some months, the children lead ministry by taking a “Noisy Offering” to assist people in need, in Concord and around the world. “When you give to them, you give to me.” ~ Jesus

SNACK DONATIONS are needed for the Youth Group. Bags of chips, Doritos, or individually wrapped cookies/snacks, and 2 liters of pop can be dropped off in the youth kitchen marked with “Youth Group”. Thank you so much!!

IF YOU MISSED LAST SUNDAY’S MESSAGE we have them available on DVD for suggested donation of $2.00 each, located on the lobby racks. If you would like to bring them back when you are done, simply place it back in the racks for others.

Church Office Hours:

Mon.—Thurs. 9:00 am to 3:00 pm,

FRIDAY Office Closed!