LENTEN  CLASSES  2010

Paul and the Galatians

Explores the crucial ethical, theological and sometimes controversial questions raised by Paul’s famous letter to the church in Galatia. *Should have some previous Bible study experience.

TUESDAY EVENINGS, February 16 – March 23   7:00-8:30 PM

Teachers: Suzanne Steiner and Dave McKinney

SUNDAY MORNINGS, Feb. 21 – March 28    9:30 AM

Teachers: Nancy Landers and Dick Legare (Saints and Sinners Class)

Cost of book  $10.00

Spiritual Gifts

A four-week look at the importance of the spiritual gifts offered to us by God, with the awesome discovery of just what YOUR gifts and passions are, and how to use them for the good of the church!  Lent is a great time to look inwardly and see just how you have been blessed!

4 WEDNESDAY EVENINGS , March 3—March 24, 7:00 pm

Teacher:  Lori Schaefer

Cost of workbook: $10.00  

Fearless, by Max Lucado

Just think what you could do with your life if you completely emptied your heart of fear…and filled it with faith instead.  No matter what “gets” to you, anxiety can make your life feel like a prison.  Learn how to break free with God’s help.  Six weeks, reading, discussion, Bible study.

WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, Feb. 24 – March 31  10:00 am

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS,  Feb. 24 – March 31    7:00 pm

Teacher:  Rev. Lee Ferrell

Cost of book:  $15.00  

Parables and Passion:

Jesus’ Stories for the Days of Lent. Another close examination of scripture by John Indermark, this study       takes you deeply into some parables of Jesus which will provide new insight into his betrayal and death. Considered in this way, the parables take on new significance and are more clearly applicable in the lives of believers

5 SUNDAY EVENINGS,  Feb. 21—Mar 21, 7:00-8:30 PM

Teachers:  Neal & Brenda Nottrott

Cost of book: $15.00

The Kindness Kitchen is heating up to serve meals to our church community in times of need. Lou Kamm has answered a call to coordinate the ministry with the support of Pastor Martha. Thirty six persons have stepped forward to participate by cooking for others. They were formed into 9 teams based on location with one person as coordinator for the group. What a blessing!  If you meant to sign up and haven’t gotten around to it yet, just let Lou know.

In January, they provided meals for 4 separate families or persons. It's not necessary to be members of our church to receive this service. Persons may request meals by contacting the church office at 410-987-4700, by filling out a request form located at the Welcome Center, or by contacting Lou at 410-647-5914 or email lkamm@severnaparkumc.org.

“Contact a College Student”

February is “Contact a College Student” Month here at SPUMC. With some exceptions, most of our college students are back for second semester and already working hard.  Spring Break doesn’t come till mid-March, so February gets long, cold and lonely. To that end, we will be posting the addresses we have for our college students, grad students and others away from home.  Check the board in Fellowship hall, take a card, and send something this month… a card, note, or especially a care package will be most welcomed!! Parents of college students…Lee seems to be missing A LOT of addresses, so if you think we may not have your child’s current mailing address, please write it or phone it in!  Thank you!

CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!

We congratulate our December graduates:

 Brian Barber:  BA in Economics, Cornell University

Ashley Cuzzart: BS in Elementary Education, Lee University

Mark Linehan: BS in Business Administration, Towson University

Samantha Klenkel: BS in Early Childhood Education and a BS in Elementary Education, Salisbury University

We are happy for your accomplishments and wish you God’s blessings!    

We are looking ahead to start planning VBS 2010.  It will be July  12 - 16,  so mark your calendars and please consider what part you might like to play in this exciting space adventure, Galactic Blast!  Contact Lorine Smith at 410 360-2649 or lsmith@severnaparkumc.org.us to ask any questions or to volunteer.  Consider joining us.  We don't want you to miss out on the fun!
 

REV. DOUGLAS TODAK TO BECOME
Pastor OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Rev. Douglas Todak, his wife Rachel Watkins and their daughter Ithemba

I am pleased to announce Rev. Douglas Todak as the new Director of Children’s Ministry. Doug comes to us most recently from a teaching position but has served as Pastor at two churches. He is on LOA from the Conference at this time and is not seeking an appointment.  

Doug has, in addition to his divinity degree,  a Master of Arts Degree in child development. I believe Doug will bring great strengths to this position and will be a valuable addition to our staff. The children and families of Severna Park United Methodist Church will be in good hands.  

Please join me in giving him a good welcome to our team. He will start on Monday, January 25 but will be here this Thursday to have lunch with us.

 Shalom,   Jim

Read more about Pastor Doug here

 
Beth Frank To Become
SPUMC Program Secretary

Beth Frank will become the new SPUMC Program Secretary replacing Gretchen who recently retired. Our congratulations to Beth in her new position.

MENTORS NEEDED

FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS

 Our 2010 Confirmation Class has begun and our goal is that every middle high youth in the class have a mentor.  A mentor is an older youth through adult who would be this youth’s guide, friend, encourager, buddy, etc.  Mentors can provide support a little different from parents and help the youth through these next 5 months.  It’s a great, fun relationship and a way to share your faith and love of this church with a young person. If interested or with questions, call Lee Ferrell at the church or email: lferrell@severnaparkumc.org

SPAN News

We know God works in mysterious ways, but His faithful followers often work in very practical ways.  As a result, many generous people have donated food and money for SPAN’s outreach to help those in need.  During this economic downturn the demand for assistance has risen steeply.  Despite the fact that donations dropped in 2009, SPAN has managed to meet daily requests, and the whole community made the Holiday Sharing a success -- 87 families received a Thanksgiving food basket, and 139 received a Christmas basket and presents for children.

In December SPAN hired Maria DeNardo as the new Executive Director, and in January the Board of Directors approved Steve Anstett as the new President of the Board.  He replaces Ted Mathison who served faithfully for the allowed maximum of four years.  Thank you, Ted! Karen Myers headed up the holiday card sale, which raised funds for monetary requests. If you are interested in helping with rewarding volunteer work at SPAN, call the office at 410-647-0889 or Diane Dodson at 410-544-5214.

As we start a new year, SPAN is in serious need of spaghetti sauce, tomato products, canned fruit, baked beans, canned meat, mixed vegetables, pancake mix and syrup.  Food may be dropped off in the wicker baskets in the narthex at church or at the SPAN “house” behind the Lutheran church on Benfield Road.  THANK YOU for your support of SPAN’s mission.

Employment Network Group
COMPLETES THEIR FIRST YEAR IN MINISTRY

By: John Covington

Sean Wise and John Covington started an employment network group in January of 2009.  Since that time approximately 100 people have come through the group.  Of that 100 approximately 20 have offered to help in some manner by offering to do mock interviews, reviewing resumes and giving talks to the group.  The group meets every Monday morning from 8:30-10:30 and the speakers normally are on from 10:00-10:30.  Topics include:  

• What to do when you first lose your job.

• Effective resume writing.

• Maintaining your spiritual health.

• Government resources available.

• How to get a government job

• How to go about a job search including using the internet. Networking.

At least 20 people have confirmed that they are now employed and we suspect many others that no longer attend are also employed.   

We are establishing a good working relationship with Anne Arundel County Work Force Development Group and they are now advertising our group along with other similar groups in the county.  Calvary United Methodist has also started a program modeled off of what we have done at Severna Park.  We know of two other groups including one that meets at the Annapolis Chamber that originally got their idea from SPUMC.   

Networking helps job candidates find jobs in a tight market before the crowd gathers and the jobs are posted.   

If you have a human resources background or are familiar with internet job boards and how to navigate them, we would love to have you as a volunteer.

eGiving Token

One concern that arises when an individual uses electronic funds transfer or auto-debit for their offering is that they have nothing to put in the offering plate during worship.  Obviously you have envelopes and can make additional donations' but your Finance Committee has arranged for "eGiving tokens/cards" that you can place in the offering as representative of your electronic giving.

 The cards can be picked up at the Welcome Center and Usher station, beginning January 3rd.  You can pick one up before worship and place it in the plate during offering.  The cards are recycled for weekly use.  These cards also serve to remind other worshipers of the availability of electronic giving which best represents the giving of our first fruits off the top of our monthly income, rather than what is leftover after the previous week's expenses. 

CARPENTERS KITCHEN THANKS YOU

Submitted by:  Katherine Nutile

“Ask and ye shall receive.” This biblical truth is abundantly apparent in the Carpenter’s Kitchen mission. During this past year, we have asked this congregation for hats, socks, sugar, Christmas decorations, cookies and pies. Not only did we receive but we received in great abundance. Just think, five times a year we ask for chocolate chip cookies – 75 dozen each time. It boggles the mind to calculate how many cookies have been baked by this church. (Somebody good in math figure it out, please.) For our Thanksgiving meal we lost count of the pumpkin pies after reaching 60. Don’t worry, no food ever goes to waste. If we have leftovers, which we often do, they go right into the freezer for a day when there is no one to bring food.

 A request for Christmas decorations brought responses from several Girl and Boy Scout troops. They were hung by the most amazing group of young teenagers who are regular volunteers, brightening up an otherwise dull hallway. Have you ever made a turkey dinner for 300? Thanks goodness for those who do know how cook for the multitudes. The turkey baking began early in the morning the Friday after the holiday and lasted most of the day. Four folks came to do the slicing early the next morning. At the appointed time, 30 plus volunteers headed to Baltimore to cook and serve food, pour coffee, greet guests, hand out fruit, books and canned goods, decorate, stock pantry shelves and take blood pressures. And then came the clean up – washing pots and pans, clearing tables. Whew!

The hardest thing about being a Carpenter’s Kitchen coordinator is having to turn folks away who want to volunteer as there are only a limited number of spaces. I suppose if I have to have a problem, that is the one I want to have! Thanks to a hard-working, generous and giving congregation, we have been able to feed the least of these and minister to those in dire straights. You have all been a blessing to this mission and your prayers and efforts have allowed this to happen.    

 Please plan to join us in 2010. Our scheduled dates are February 20, May 22, July 24, September 25 and November 27. I also have 5 or 6 more dates when no one is scheduled to serve or when a very small group is serving. Please email me for more information knutile@severnaparkumc.org. May God bless all of you in the New Year as you continue to serve in His name.

New Sunday Sermon Series: “THE GREATEST”

  Date                     Sermon Title                         Theme

January 3          The Greatest WORD                   Jesus, The WORD

January 10        The Greatest GIFT                       Renewal of Baptism 

January 17        The Greatest CELEBRATION        Marriage

January 24        The Greatest CHALLENGE           Spiritual Renewal

January 31        The Greatest MOTIVATION          The Power of Life

February 13       The Greatest ENCOUNTER           God Changes Lives

This sermon series has something for everyone! It begins with Jesus at the center, moves to God’s gift of baptism, to joining two together into a family, to the renewal of the entire Body of Christ. The fifth sermon of the series looks at the very power of life and the concluding sermon considers how we encounter God in our lives.

NEW STUDIES FOR 2010

The new year is a time for starting fresh and we encourage that for your discipleship as well.  Aside from two ongoing adult Sunday School classes and both a Wednesday night Young Adult group and a Sunday School class…the following are new this winter ---

By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism was approved by the 1996 General Conference. It describes baptism in relation to God’s grace in Christ and examines the vocation, life of love, and service that result from responding to the call of faith.

This four session study based on By Water and the Spirit is designed to help participants live more faithfully as God’s baptized people and explore realistic ways to live out our baptismal covenant. Sunday Evenings 7:00-8:30

January 10: Where Are We and Who Are We? Who Does God Intend Us to Be?

January 17: The Meaning of Baptism

January 24: The Baptism of Infants and Adults

January 31: Nurturing People in the Life of Faith

Book: By Water and The Spirit: Making Connections for Identity and Ministry. Cost: $10.00 

The Helper is a study of the Holy Spirit by Catherine Marshall, well-known author.  Marshall pulls from her life experiences to address questions such as – Who is “the Helper?”  How do I experience the Holy Spirit’s presence?  What is the role of the Spirit in the life of the Church? Sunday mornings, 9:30 AM, Saints and Sinners Sunday School Class. The Helper book is available in the class for  $15.00.

Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth is a ground-breaking series in which over a dozen leading scientists, theologians and philosophers explore the contrasts and similarities between religion and science.  This group of experts considers if and how religion and science might coexist and even complement one another in the 21st century. Sunday mornings, 11:00 AM  Starting:  Sunday, January 10, 2010. Lessons include –

Friends or Foes? The Story of a Complex Relationship, David Wilkinson, St. John’s College, England

Truth in Science and Theology, Philip Clayton, Claremont School of Theology

God and Nature, Keith Ward, Oxford University

Creation and Evolution, Darrel Falk, Point Loma Nazarene University

What Does it Mean to Be Human? Warren Brown, Fuller Theological Seminary

The God of Hope and the End of the World, John Polkinghorne, Cambridge University

Genetic Science and the Frontiers of Ethics, Ted Peters, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary

Bible Study on Creation Care, Team of professors from Wesley Theological Seminary

The Wednesday Women's Book Study group will be reading Fixing Abraham: How Taming Our Bible Heroes Blinds Us to the Wild Ways of God by Chris Tiegreen.  This book asks the questions:  Would we reject the Bible's heroes if we encountered them today?  What would we say to Abraham about child sacrifice, to Ruth about the appearance of immorality, or to Jesus about the company he kept?  Acclaimed writer and author Chris Tiegreen calls us to reconsider the sometimes sanitized way we portray our faith heroes—and the lessons we can learn from them.  In the process, he challenges us to be more open to the wild and holy ways of a good and mysterious God.  The group will meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM beginning January 6th.  All women are welcome to join the group at any time.  Please contact Suzanne Steiner at ssteiner@severnaparkumc.org or Tina Robinson at tinarobdesign@gmail.com for more information.

CRIBBERY COORDINATOR POSITION OPEN

 It is with mixed emotion that we accept Sheryl Colborne’s “retirement” as Cribbery Coordinator.  For MANY years, Sheryl has been the consistently kind and familiar face in the cribbery every week!  We sincerely appreciate Sheryl’s love of our children, help to our families, and administration of the very important cribbery care ministry. To that end…we are now accepting “applications” for this position.  It is a paid position  and requires regular, weekly duty, with vacations or other days off to be arranged.  This person oversees the care of our children from birth to age 2, with the help of weekly member volunteers.  It includes the greeting of new families, the registration of new children and the assigning of our pagers. If interested, please contact Jennifer Ford (Staff-Parish) or Lee Ferrell (Minister of Education) here at the church.

DO YOU PLEDGE & AUTO-DEBIT?

 If you use auto-debit for your regular giving/offering and have made a change to your annual pledge for 2010, please submit a new auto-debit form to the Financial Secretary, Kathy Galdi, before January; otherwise, the auto-debit amount will remain unchanged from 2009.  Auto-debit forms can be picked up at the Welcome Center Information table or downloaded from the website by clicking here.