Epworth Alive! newsletter - Epworth United Methodist Church

March 2015
In January, during one of our worship services, we handed out Epiphany stars, each with an individual word on
it. I asked that you accept this word as a gift from God, asking that the Holy Spirit would help you to know in
new ways what this word means.
The word I drew from the basket that Sunday was, “compassion.” A quick look
at the dictionary will tell you that compassion is, “a feeling of deep sympathy
and sorrow for another one who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a
strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”
Compassion
Next, I took my word to a concordance, so that I could see some scripture
passages that use this word. In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible,
the word compassion shows up 80 times! In the Old Testament many of the
scripture passages referenced in the concordance were ones where God had
compassion to the Israelites. For instance, 2 Kings 13:23, “But the Lord was
gracious to them and had compassion on them; he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them; nor has he banished them from his presence until now.”
In the Gospels, all 8 incidents of the word were describing Jesus’ feeling towards someone. He had compassion
on the crowd, and so he fed them; he had compassion on the blind, and so he healed them; he had compassion
on the crowd and so he taught them many things.
My favorite verse using this word, however, appears in Colossians, 3:12, “As God’s chosen ones, holy and
beloved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” These are instructions
for us! We are to make the choice, just as we put on our winter coat on cold days, to put on compassion.
As I’ve studied my word this past month, I’ve noticed that in Scripture, a feeling of
compassion always moved God or Jesus towards some kind of action. God turned towards
the Israelites, Jesus healed, and taught, and raised Lazarus from the dead because of his
compassion!
So I’m praying that God will help me turn my compassion into action; that each day the Holy
Spirit will remind me to clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and
patience, so that the light of Christ might shine through me.
I hope that you are learning from your word! Share your lessons with us!
Peace-
Pastor Trish
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LENTEN STUDIES
News & Announcements .......................... 2
Missions & Fundraisers ............................. 3
For Children & Families ............................ 5
Youth & Young Adults ............................... 6
Feb. 19-April 2 - Fast and Fellowship Dinner, 6:30pm
Adult & Music Ministries........................... 7
The congregation is invited to fast from after dinner
Birthdays & Misc……………………………………..8
on Wednesday until dinner on Thursday
Feb. 19-March 26 - Lenten Small Group Study,
MARCH SERMON SERIES
Shadows, Darkness and Dawn, Thursdays 7pm
Feb. 20-April 3 - Lenten Small Group Study, Shadows,
Darkness and Dawn, Friday mornings, 11am
"The Valley of Shadows" Lenten Sermon Series,
based on the book Shadows, Darkness and Dawn by
Thomas R. Steagald
HOLY WEEK ACTIVITIES
April 2 - Maundy Thursday Service, 7pm
April 3 - Good Friday Service, Mays Chapel UMC,
7pm
April 5 - Easter SonRise Service,
March 1 - "The Shadow of Ignorance"
6:30am,
Jessop Church
March 8 - "The Shadow of Isolation"
March 15 - "The Shadow of Self-Righteousness"
April 5 – Easter Breakfast,
March 22 - "The Shadow of Death"
following SonRise Service
March 29 - "The Shadow of Triumph"
April 5 - Easter, "The Rising Dawn"
April 5 - Easter Egg Hunt, 9:00am, church campus
April 5 - Easter Sunday Service, 10:30am
Contact: Pastor Tricia Watson, 410-667-6054 or
[email protected]
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Contact: Pastor Tricia Watson, 410-667-6054 or
[email protected]
SHROVE TUESDAY RE-CAP
At the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper we sold 84
tickets and raised nearly $500 (before expenses) for
the church, even though we had a bad snow storm
the night before. Thanks to the Men's Ministry, E3s,
and other volunteers who made this year's supper
possible. It was the first time in over 20 years that the
supper was held at the church. Maybe this will
become our new tradition?
COFFEE HOUR SCHEDULE
Each committee in the church is now responsible for
supplying coffee hour following the service. A schedule
is set up on a rotating basis. Following are the groups
accountable for March:
March 1
March 8
March 15
March 22
March 29
Finance
Book Club
SPRC
Trustees
Music Ministry
Contact: Terri Kapuscinski, 410-667-6054 or
[email protected]
THRIFTY PENNY
February weather was so cold and unpredictable that
the traffic through the Thrifty Penny was a bit sparse.
Hopefully, March will be more temperate and the
shoppers will be more comfortable getting out. At
this time the shop has a large selection of women's
clothing and also women's shoes. The Thrifty Penny
has an abundance of baskets and decorative items
right in time for Easter.
Household items are always needed to restock the
shelves. Heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who
make the Thrifty Penny such a community asset.
Contact: Linda Roeth, 410-667-6667; or Lee
Fowble, 410-252-1922
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BAZAAR WORKSHOPS
For those who have missed the fun and fellowship of
crafting sessions, we’re almost “back in the swing” of
things once again. Due to weather conditions, the
February workshop had to be canceled, but that
merely gives everyone an extra couple weeks to
gather their crafty ideas together for our March 7
"Marathon Craft-a-Thon #1." To begin our new
yearlong crafting ventures, we'll be "repurposing"
sweaters, vests, and pullovers into “works of art,
stunning masterpieces, fashionista fashionstatements par excellence” for a “Christmas Sweater
Extravaganza” table at this year's November Bazaar.
So, if you're interested in transforming sweaters into
more “Christmassy versions of their former selves,”
bring any sequins, felt, sew-on googly eyes, buttons,
leftover Christmas-print fabric (or bright fabric that
can be incorporated into a “theme”), Christmas ironons, doo-dads, gewgaws, baubles, tchotchkes,
Christmas clip-art, or simply creative ideas that you
think might look good turned into a theme on a
Christmas sweater, and join us on March 7th.
Or, if "sweatering" isn't your particular interest, we'll
have supplies on hand for creating crocheted
necklaces, patterns and yarn for crocheting some very
creative pot holder and scrubbers,
material for cutting out aprons,
and a few more supplies for other
projects. Bring your ideas, other
supplies, creative genius ideas, or
simply your willingness to join our
group while we share food,
fellowship, fun, and festive
crafting ideas. We'll meet from 10:00 am until
approximately 4:00 pm on March 7th, but feel free to
drop in and stay however long you are able. We'll
provide a light lunch and snacks throughout the day
for those who wish to participate. And, as always,
feel free to invite friends and family to join us. Hope
to see you there!
Contact: Frieda Jeffers, [email protected]
EMPTY BOWLS
Empty Bowls is St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore’s
signature event that raises funds, friends and
awareness of our work to serve individuals and
families experiencing food insecurity. The 9th annual
family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, March
28 at the Maryland State
Fairgrounds 4-H Building in
Timonium, with 2 seatings:
Lunch from 12:00-2:30 pm.
and Dinner from 5:00-7:30
pm. Epworth has been a
participating supporter of Empty Bowls since its
inception, by painting & donating bowls, serving on
committees, volunteering at the event, and by
attending Empty Bowls to sample the various soups
and share in the fun.
Again this year, Empty Bowls is expected to be a sellout, with 3,000 attendees who will sample soups,
have a simple meal, and take home a handcrafted and
painted bowl, sometimes made by someone here at
Epworth. In 2014, the youngest bowl painter was 3
years old, the oldest was 93. Once again, more than
30 restaurants will be donating gourmet soups for
Empty Bowls 2015, including Maryland Crab, Cream
of Crab, Loaded Baked Potato, and Chicken & Sausage
Gumbo. This year Empty Bowls hopes to have enough
soup for every guest to have a half gallon, even to
have soup available to take home at the end of the
event.
Tickets are $25 each, $110 for a pack of 5, or $200 for
a pack of 10. With your ticket, you will be able to
come and enjoy the following:
•Taste a variety of delicious soups from some of
Baltimore’s top restaurants
•Select from hundreds of hand-crafted, handdesigned ceramic bowls
•Bid on an array of silent auction items including:
jewelry, pottery, sports and theatre tickets, getaways,
and more!
•Participate in raffles with prizes and surprises!
(tickets starting at $5)
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•
•
•
Participate in our “Wine and Dine” – pick a
restaurant certificate valued at $20 or more
and a bottle of wine (tickets starting at $50)
Enjoy entertainment and activities for the
entire family (crafts, face painting, soup
competitions, and more)
Take a family picture to share with your social
network
Contact: Frieda Jeffers, [email protected] or
Debbie Ruston, [email protected] or
emptybowlsbaltimore.org
OUR SUPPORTED
MISSION IN LIBERIA
Last February, Epworth hosted a potluck dinner for
United Methodist Missionary Victor Taryor, who had
been serving as the administrator of Ganta United
Methodist Hospital in Ganta, Liberia, and who had
been receiving covenantal missionary support from
Epworth for several years. Since his visit at Epworth
last February, Mr. Taryor, has stepped down from his
post as administrator of Ganta United Methodist
Hospital after eight years. He now plans to serve as a
consultant.
You may remember Missionary Susan Porter, who
guided the hospital’s expansion of medical services,
directed the nurse training programs, and trained Mr.
Taryor to assume her responsibilities prior to her
retirement. Epworth had supported Ms. Porter for six
years prior to supporting Mr.
Taryor, and will continue to
honor their work by jointly
supporting Dr. Albert G.
Willicor, the newly named
administrator and a United
Methodist Missionary, and the
Ganta Hospital though the General Board
of Global Ministries.
The Ganta United Methodist Hospital has a long
history within the United Methodist Church. Before
1926, modern medicine was virtually nonexistent in
north central Liberia. Traditional herbalists were the
primary healers and their practices were mostly based
on superstition; they relied heavily on trial and error.
Hygienic practices and basic sanitation were rarely
observed. As a result, many persons died prematurely
from curable and preventable diseases, including
cases that required surgical intervention.
But, in 1925, George Way Harley, an American
Methodist medical missionary, arrived in Liberia for
what he anticipated to be a short-term position at the
Methodist Episcopal church mission in Ganta, Liberia.
He would remain for 35 years, establishing a 250 acre
mission compound with several huts for use as a
home, a medical dispensary, and a chapel. Later a
school and shops, a leper village, and two “sick
villages” were built. Much later
a hospital was built at Ganta,
which became one of the best
in Liberia. Harley’s skill as a
doctor quickly became wellknown, and sometimes he had
to treat 160 people in one day.
During his time in Ganta, G.W. Harley also served as
the minister of the church until 1948. On his death in
1966, Liberia declared a national day of mourning and
President William V.S. Tubman issued a proclamation
praising the long service of Dr. Harley on behalf of
Liberia and its people. The Winifred J. Harley College
of Health Sciences, where both Susan Porter worked
and Victor Taryor was trained, was named after G.W.
Harley’s wife who served alongside him throughout
their times in Liberia.
What started in 1926 as a health post has grown to a
full-fledged acute care referral hospital providing
many healthcare services to include communitybased primary healthcare, dental clinic, eye clinic,
diabetes clinic, maternity clinic, well baby clinic, etc.,
and recently was at the forefront of treatment and
critical care during the worst Ebola outbreak in
history.
Contact: Frieda Jeffers, [email protected]
MISSION TRIP FUNDRAISERS
The Mission team will continue to hold Chick-fil-A
fundraisers every second Wednesday from 5-7pm at
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the Cockeysville Chick-fil-A, through May. March’s
date is March 11.
In addition, another
fundraiser will be held
Tuesday, March 10 at Bertucci’s on York Rd in
Timonium from 11 am to 10pm . All funds raised will
go toward the mission trip to the Bahamas in 2016,
where we will once again team with Bahamas
Methodist Habitat.
A yard sale is planned, but a date has not been
determined yet.
Contact: Pastor Bill Jones, 410-218-7714, 410-667-6054
or [email protected]
EPWORTH CHILDREN’S
CENTER
This month we will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss
and read some of his famous books.
Our other themes are Nursery
Rhymes, Circus, and City and Country.
For more information, please contact
Debbie or check out our Facebook
page.
Contact: Debbie Shafer, 410-667-0720 or
[email protected]
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY
SCHOOL
The children will be learning about Jesus feeding
5,000 people, the Transfiguration, and the Great
Commission. On March 22, the children will share in
their annual Passover celebration. The sharing of the
Passover meal has always been a fun learning
experience for the children. The final week of March,
the children will discuss Holy Week and all that Jesus
and His followers experienced that last week in His
life. On April 5 Epworth UMC will celebrate the
beautiful experience of Easter. One of the church's
annual traditions is the
and Mrs. Cathie
kind enough to
volunteer to
event. We are in
of small pieces of
candy and toys (those
into a plastic egg) or if
unsure of what to
cash donations may be
Easter Egg Hunt
Price has been
once again
organize this
need of donations
wrapped
that will fit
you are
purchase,
given to Cathie.
Contact: Anita Edwards, [email protected]
CHILDREN’S CHURCH
During the month of March, we will be focusing on
our Lenten theme of "Prayer". The children are
making paper chain links and on each link is the name
of a person for whom they would like to pray. Each
day, a link will be removed from the chain and the
children will pray for that person on that particular
day. The children will also be experiencing prayer in
different ways, for example taking a prayer walk,
stopping at pictures of different people and praying
for that person as well as creating their own group
prayer. A prayer booklet will be made by each child
during the next few weeks of Lent to use at home for
their daily prayers.
Contact: Anita Edwards, [email protected]
VBS
Even though we are digging our way out of winter, it
is not too early to begin planning for VBS. As in the
past, VBS will be held the first week of August, August
3 - 7. Our theme this year is "Hometown Nazareth".
Children will travel back to Jesus' hometown of
Nazareth and hear stories about Jesus' childhood
from his mother, Mary. Children will discover that
Jesus was a child, too and experienced many of the
same things they do today. In order to make VBS the
wonderful experience it has always been for our
community of children, we need volunteers and we
need a lot of volunteers. Volunteers are obviously
needed the week of VBS to teach, play games, make
crafts, sing, and prepare food. However, we also
need people who may only be comfortable working
behind the scenes. Would you be willing to post
flyers, take home supplies to make decorations while
watching tv, or assemble craft kits? If so we need
you! VBS can be an overwhelming task when just a
few people
volunteer.
However, it
becomes such a
rewarding
experience when
everyone is willing
to pitch in and complete just one task. A sign up sheet
will be made available in the next few weeks, so start
thinking of how you would like to help this year.
Contact: Anita Edwards, [email protected]
POWERED UP
Our March activity will be taking place on Saturday,
March 21 at 7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. We will be
hosting an Adult/Children's Trivia Night. The children
will be writing questions based on information they
have learned in Sunday School and church to
challenge the adults. Questions will be provided for
the adults, who will in return, ask the children. Please
join us for a fun filled evening testing your knowledge
and then sharing in refreshments provided by
Children's Ministries.
Contact: Anita Edwards, [email protected]
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AMPED! YOUTH
MINISTRY
Our Youth Ministry is AMPED! (A Ministry Preparing
Extreme Disciples). Bring your friends and share in the
fun and excitement of AMPED! Youth Ministry!
Remember – All youth in Grades 6-12 are always invited
to participate in the AMPED! Youth Ministry.
Please look in the bulletin, follow us on Facebook at:
AMPED Youth Ministry – Epworth UMC, or check out
www.epworthalive.com/amped for details on other
upcoming events and activities.
AMPED! Youth Ministry attended the ROCK Retreat
in Ocean City at the beginning of February. The
retreat is an annual event for youth run by the
Baltimore Washington Conference of the UMC. Every
year they bring worship bands and dynamic speakers
to create an
environment
where youth
(and their adult
leaders) can
reconnect with
God and even
hear a calling for
their lives. This year was no different as many of our
youth answered the altar call during the Saturday
night session. There's a short video showing what
happened at this URL: http://eumc.us/Rock-2015.
Also, Pastor Bill and Pam Jones were brought up on
stage to honor their past contribution to the
leadership of ROCK on the retreat's 20th anniversary.
Bill and Pam led the planning team for the weekend
for many years. You can see a brief video of their
introduction (and our group cheering for them) at this
URL: http://eumc.us/Rock-Jones."
Contact: Pastor Bill Jones, 410-218-7714, 410667-6054 or [email protected]
CONFIRMATION CLASS
On Sunday, February 15, the Confirmation Class
was re-dedicated as being halfway through their
journey toward membership in the church. They
each received a copy of the Apostle’s Creed and the
Lord’s Prayer to help them with their faith journey.
Contact: Pastor Bill Jones, 410-218-7714, 410-6676054 or [email protected]
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EPWORTH BOOK CLUB
The book to read for our discussion in March is The
Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff. We’ll meet
at Judy Sutter’s house on Monday, March 2.
The book to read for April is The Magician’s Lie by
Greer McAllister. We’ll meet at Barb Fishel’s.
Water for Elephants meets
The Night Circus in The
Magician’s Lie, a debut novel
in which the country’s most
notorious female illusionist
stands accused of her
husband's murder --and she
has only one night to convince
a small-town policeman of her
innocence.
The Amazing Arden is the most famous female
illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick
of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in
Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt
watching from the audience, she swaps her
trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the
illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden’s
husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that
night, the answer seems clear.
But when Virgil happens upon the fleeing magician
and takes her into custody, she has a very different
story to tell. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far
from powerless—and what she reveals is as
unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of
one eerie night, Virgil must decide whether to turn
Arden in or set her free… and it will take all he has to
see through the smoke and mirrors.
Everyone who likes to read is welcome!
Contact: Zoë Burger, 410-628-744 or
[email protected]
EPWORTH E³’S
Did you know that you're already a member of the
Epworth Everybody Else's (E³'s)? We are the Epworth
members that enjoy fellowship time inside and outside
of the Epworth walls. Here are the activities planned
through March:
14 – Moses
@ Sight &
Sound,
contact Zoe
Burger tickets will
be available
about 2 weeks prior to the show.
28 – E3’s Planning & Potluck @ Johansons’ (5:30PM)
Contact: Zoë Burger, 410-628-744 or
[email protected]
MUSIC MINISTRY
Wow! Is it March already? Despite challenges from
the weather, all of the musicians of the church,
children, bells, choir, and soloists have been very
busy!
Now that we are in Lent, the choir will be doing a
series of anthems that reflect the content of Pastor
Trish's Lenten sermon series.
On Palm/Passion Sunday, March 29, the choir will do
several anthems which will help tell the story of Holy
Week.
On Maundy Thursday, April 2, there will be a service
at Epworth at 7:00.
On Good Friday, April 3, there is a combined service
with Timonium UMC and Mays Chapel at 7:00. It will
be at Mays Chapel where the choirs of all three
churches will combine to sing Joseph Martin's
beautiful “Even the Heavens are Weeping”. Please
join us.
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The Bell Choir has also been busy. We are having a
great time in this group! They have been warm and
welcoming and very forgiving to all my newcomer
glitches!
Unfortunately we were snowed out of our
performance of “Lord, I Lift My Hands to You” by Jay
Althouse, but we are rescheduling it for March 1. On
March 22 we will be playing “Were You There?”,
which is part of Eastertide Bells by Barbara Baltzer
Kinyon.
The children of Kidshout have also been working hard.
Well......I have to admit, to me it feels more like
having fun. We are once again surrounding the piano
to learn some new songs.
On Palm Sunday, March 29, Kidshout will wave the
palm branches as they
process into the church
announcing the arrival of
Jesus with a song by Michael
Bedford, “Hosanna to the
Son of David!”
There will be a couple of
rehearsals for the children
of Kidshout to prepare them
for Palm Sunday. We would like to meet with them
after church on March 15 and just before church, at
9:00 am, on Palm Sunday, March 29.
Thank you for the opportunity to make music with all
these talented and enthusiastic groups! Feel free to
come and join us. There is always a way to make a
joyful noise!!
Contact: Elaine Gradowski,
[email protected].
KUDOS TO REV. BILL JONES
Congratulations to Rev. Bill Jones who was just
appointed as the District Youth Coordinator for the
Baltimore Suburban District!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Happy Birthday to the following persons who
celebrate their special day in March!
3/3
March Birthdays
Emma Sheridan
3/4
Ken Layer
3/5
3/6
Royce Davis
Bob Jones
Jack Mathews
Pam Jones
3/7
Suzy Banister
3/13
Carol Sullivan
3/14
Jim Kester
3/15
Brenda Myers
3/17
3/19
Christine Jeffers
Nora Zepp
3/22
Chuck Replogle
3/23
Nathaniel Price
3/25
Chris Laue
3/27
Morgan (Guppy)
Schmidt
Margaret Henck
3/30
NEW BIRTHS
We welcome two new arrivals to the Epworth Family.
Orion Patrick
Smeresky
was born on
January 24 to
Brendon and
Allison
Smeresky.
His
grandparents
are Kellie and
Nick Smeresky and his great grandparents are Jerrie
and Pat Patrick. His vital statistics were: weight, 9 lb.
12 oz.! and length, 22 in.
Jacoby (Jake) Michel
Klijn arrived on January
29. MaryBeth and
Michel Klijn are the
proud parents and Judy
and Wayne Sutter are
the ecstatic
grandparents. He was 8
lb. 8 oz. and was also 22
in. in length.
Did we miss including your birthday? If so, please
contact the church office, and we’ll be sure to put you
on our list.
Contact: 410-667-6054 or [email protected]
Best wishes to both families!
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