May 2015
Loch Raven United Methodist Church
Not Good if Detached
By what power or by what name did you do this? — Acts 4:7
We human beings are big on getting credit for the things we do in
life. When someone achieves something we want to know who did it
and what motivated them to do it. We ask the millionaire, “To what
do you attribute your success”? We ask the gifted artist, “To what do
you attribute your ability”? We ask the winning team, “To what do
you attribute your victory”? We ask the cured patient, “To what do
you attribute your recovery”? We want to know why things happened—the cause, the secret, the motivation behind the events of life.
May 10
Mother’s Day
May 17
Ascension Sunday
May 24
Pentecost (and Aldersgate Day)
May 31
Trinity Sunday.
After Pentecost the people observing the miracles of the early
apostles were just as curious as we are. Following the healing of a
crippled man and after the church had grown to about five thousand,
the question was asked of Peter and John, “By what power or by
what name did you do this”? Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,”
immediately responds that the source of the power is Jesus
Christ. The healings and the increases in church membership
were attributed to “the name of Jesus”.
The temptation is to attribute church growth and ministry successes to personal ability, organization, creativity, or even good fortune. To yield to such temptations is to separate ourselves from the
source of the spiritual power. We delude ourselves if we do not
recognize that God is behind it all.
I am reminded of the familiar line printed on the back of an airline ticket—“Not good if detached.” That’s exactly what our accomplishments in life are like. They are not good if detached
from the God who is the source behind all good things in life.
So the next time something good comes your way, remember that it’s
God who is behind it all and give credit where credit is due.
Happy Pentecost,
Cliff Webner, Pastor
Our Summer worship
schedule begins Sunday, May
24th. We will have one worship service at 10:00 AM.
Going His Way Sunday
School Class—9 AM
Inside This Issue ...
We Heard You (Congregational Survey Results)
Page 2
Missions in Action
Page 4
Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference
Trustees Report
Page 4
Page 7
May 2015
The Spire
The Spire is published monthly
(except July and August) by Loch
Raven United Methodist Church,
6622 Loch Raven Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21239.
All signed articles, letters, announcements, and other information of interest are welcomed and
considered for publication.
The deadline for the June issue is
Sunday, May 10, at 11:00 a.m.
Electronic Submission: You may
send articles by e-mail to:
[email protected] or
place articles in the Church Office’s
newsletter box.
We Heard You
The results are in. The following is a brief summary of our
recent congregational survey. 235 surveys were mailed; 84 returned which represents a response rate of 35.7%.
88.1% of the respondents indicated they regularly attended
Sunday worship at Loch Raven UMC, 10.7% did not regularly
attend, and one person stated “other”. We wanted to know what
you found most meaningful and/or what we could do to enhance
your worship experience. Here are a few of your responses:
•
•
Editor - Nancy Williams
Children’s Page and Address
Page Editor - Peggy Kelly
•
Pastor - Cliff Webner
Church Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone: 410-825-0900
Fax: 410-825-2600
E-mail: [email protected]
•
•
Change of Name/Address - Call,
mail or e-mail church office
Website: www.LRUMC.org
•
•
The young children and youth that are attending worship
should be given a little active role in each Sunday worship.
I enjoy Loch Raven’s worship service and get meaning from
the entire experience. It’s a sense of family, a church family
that truly makes it meaningful.
Meaningful: connection to community through announcements and prayer requests. Enhance: one service. I greatly
enjoy the summer schedule where more people are present
and we worship together as one community. It’s powerful to
worship in a full church.
Almost always hear a helpful message to get me through the
coming week. Great music—many times have hymns I can
sing partially from memory.
Worshiping our Lord with fellow members around me, the
choir, and the sound of a larger congregation like when there
is one service.
The Word of God and the opportunity to be in community
with other believers is most important part of our worship.
I like everything! It would be nice to hear the children’s sermon even if there are no children who want to go up.
A couple of comments from those who don’t attend regularly:
•
•
I work most Sunday mornings. Evening services would be
encouraging.
I don’t feel welcomed. People are not real.
When asked how we can best meet the worship needs of our
congregants today, the top three choices (Note: respondents
could select more than 1 option) were to have:
•
•
•
One unifying service with Sunday school before the service
(73.2%)
Monthly or quarterly hymn sing and potluck (19.5%)
Two services as currently offered (15.8%)
(Continued on page 3)
May 25
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The Spire
May 2015
Peace With Justice
Sunday – May 31
We Heard You
(Continued from page 2)
42.2% of respondents stated our current worship service was
effective or very effective in reaching out to members and potential
members. 38.6% were neutral on the topic and 14.5% believed we
were ineffective.
•
•
Fine for existing members, but not very attractive to potential
members when the sanctuary is empty.
When a new person comes to worship, I always make it a point
to speak to them and invite them back – however – not too
many come back and I can’t blame them. I too would not return to such an empty church. That is a sure sign a church is
not doing good.
Lastly we asked members to select and rate portions of worship and/or ministry that were most important to them. Here are
the top five picks:
1. Joyful and engaging music
*Sam does a great job; I like the variety currently provided.
2. Welcome visitors and follow up afterwards
3. Have an active youth program/ministry
4. More creativity/variety in worship
5. Have an active young adult program/ministry
The Worship Committee, Grow Worship Team, and Staff Parish Committee have received copies of the full responses and comments and will continue to explore ways to implement your many
suggestions – some of which conflict with others. We know we
can’t please everyone and that change is never easy. But with your
prayers and God’s leading we will grow in our faith and size and
continue to be a living witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ
by serving as stewards of God’s gifts and blessings. We will celebrate our multiculturalism and continue to minister through worship, learning, fellowship, and mission to the community.
Thank you to all who shared their very thoughtful opinions with
us. Watch the Spire for future updates.
What does the Lord require of
you but to do justice, and to love
kindness, and to walk humbly
with God? —Micah 6:8b, NRSV
Peace with Justice Sunday
is one of the six special offerings of the United Methodist
Church and is traditionally observed on Trinity Sunday (the
First Sunday after Pentecost).
It attests to our Triune God's
call for a faithful, just, and
peaceful world.
Your Peace with Justice
gifts help change lives in places
where the joy of knowing Christ
is mixed with the tragedy of
violence. United Methodists relate to this special Sunday by
seeking peaceful solutions, creating and supporting peacerelated ministries in our conference and learning about peaceful, just efforts around the
world.
When you give generously
on Peace with Justice Sunday,
you enable the church to have a
voice in advocating for peace
and justice through a broad
spectrum of global programs.
The special offering benefits
peace with justice ministries in
the annual conference and
through the General Board of
Church and Society.
Through your giving, good
news is proclaimed to—and experienced by—the poor.
Thanks be to God!
For more information on this
special giving opportunity, see:
(Continued on page 4)
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May 2015
The Spire
Missions In Action: ACTC
Reaching out to those in need with God's love and provision
Your special offerings in April as well as budget allocations by
the Missions Committee help further the mission of ACTC, the Assistance Center of Towson Churches.
Our own Marty Marvel serves on the ACTC Board of Directors
and is an executive vice president. He has been a volunteer since
Loch Raven joined the consortium in the mid-1990’s. Lynn Jean has
also volunteered her time for the past five years.
The organization delivers help to poor and needy families in our
community. The center, located at 120 W. Pennsylvania Avenue in
Towson, opened thirty years ago in 1985. Fourteen churches originally joined together to provide emergency assistance, including food,
eviction and utility cutoff prevention, payment for prescriptions and
lunches for the homeless. Although Loch Raven was not one of the
original 14, we have been an active participant for over 20 years.
(According to Marty, there were about 25 participating churches
when we joined.)
Today, 48 churches participate in the outreach effort, and a
GBMC nurse practitioner helps with medical matters. The ACTC
service area incorporates 21 zip codes in central Baltimore County
extending up to the Pennsylvania line and operates with a director,
an assistant and a team of 60 trained volunteers. Volunteers interview each applicant to determine their specific needs, stock the food
pantry and assist with special projects.
In 2014, your faithful giving, along with that of the other 47
churches, helped the center achieve the following statistics:
25,706 – people assisted
335,292 – pounds of food
22,770 – volunteer hours
$172,768 – financial help
6,749 – homeless assisted
2,287 – Thanksgiving Baskets for families
BaltimoreWashington
Annual Conference
It's time for Annual Conference. This year Annual Conference will be held at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront Hotel and Conference Center in
Baltimore City. It begins on
Wednesday, May 26, with classes and group sessions and
runs through May 30. At this
year's sessions we will be electing delegates to represent our
Conference at the General Conference which is held every 4
years. Look for a report in the
June newsletter. If you would
like any information on our
Conference you can log on to
the Conference website at
www.bwcumc.org and click on
Annual Conference 2015.
Carole Webner
Lay Member to
Annual Conference
Peace With
Justice Sunday –
May 31
For more information, see: www.actconline.info
Thank you for your continued support. See Marty or Lynn if you
would like more information on volunteering at ACTC.
______
Upcoming and Ongoing Mission Opportunities:
Manna House Breakfast Club – May 16. If you would like to volunteer to help prepare or serve breakfast, contact Myra Wagner: 410825-0900, 410-485-7607 or [email protected].
Collection of hotel-size toiletries for Essex UMC. There is a box for
the items on the hospitality desk. This is an on-going collection.
Sandwich making for Essex UMC 4th Tuesday of every month.
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(Continued from page 3)
http://www.umcgiving.org/
ministry-articles/peace-withjustice-sunday
Other Special Giving Sundays
this year include:
World Communion Sunday October 4
United Methodist Student Day
Sunday - November 29
The Spire
In Touch
Ministry
May 2015
Membership Updates
Address Changes:
Special Prayer
Requests
Brian and Christine Dorsey
3 Barnwell Court, Apt. 104
Baltimore, MD 21234
410-870-1062
Please refer to insert in Sunday
bulletins for up-to-date information.
Nicole Eklund
1728 Forrest Ave.
Parkville, MD 21234
410-365-0231
Stay in Touch with
some of our members who are
not able to regularly attend
church. Contact the church
office for up-to-date information.
May Birthdays
2
3
6
11
12
13
15
17
21
22
25
26
27
30
Tammy Caleb
Olive Githinji Njuguna
Beverly Lambe
Samantha Shelton
Steve Webster
Sara Priebe
Justin Thompson
Adrian Palazzi
Linda Jones
Cathy Miles
Patti Ferguson
David Cole
Gayle Webb
Harriet Cole
Melvin Alaeze
Margaret (Peggy) Hood
Timothy and Jaclyn Shelton
1101 Blue Ridge Ave., Apt. 3
Atlanta. GA 30306
443-629-5648
Seth Thomas
300 Brook Road
Towson, MD 21286
443-617-1829
Will Shock
834 Staffordshire Road
Cockeysville MD 21030
Name Change:
Amy Hoover
(formerly Amy Munden)
3912 Pinedale Drive
Baltimore, MD 21236
Address Unknown:
If you know the current address
for the following members,
please contact the church office.
Joseph & Tammy Caleb
Jermaine Carter
John Daniels
Mary Foster
Frances Fraling
Grace Hilton
Paul Hively
Jessica Lautenschlager
Susan Morgan
Kingsley & Linda Ngameduru
C. Rowland Nworgu
Charles Per Dieu
Karla Stewart
Beatrice Welsh
Scott Welsh
Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.
—John Wesley
United Methodist
Women
Annual Flea Market
Saturday, June 6
8 am—1 pm
To reserve a space for $20 contact:
Nancy Gillotti—410-823-5187 or
Nancy Harvill—410-828-8271
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May 2015
The Spire
Musical Notes
United Methodist
Women
May Schedule
By: Sam Chin, Music Director
This year we were able to
prepare for Easter with the
moving and dramatic rendition
of a cantata titled Once Upon A
Tree by Pepper Choplin. Dramatizing the last chapters of Jesus Christ's life from the Gospel
of Luke our goal was to capture
the essence of Holy Week
through our performance. As
we have witnessed the dramatic
events of Christ's triumphant
entrance to Jerusalem, to His
betrayal, death, and ultimately
His resurrection, I hope we are
reminded that this story nor
our performance does not end
here. As the cantata ended with
the narrator asking what we
will now do with what we've
just witnessed, I hope we, as
members of Loch Raven United
Methodist Church, can find
strength knowing that we are
the continuation of these miraculous events. I encourage you
during this Easter Season to
read the Acts of the Apostles,
the second half of Luke's Gospel, and take steps as a church
(and as individuals) to become
the church Christ truly intended for us to be. I hope and pray
that LRUMC will be the resounding voice that declares
“HE LIVES!”
This is just a little note to
say a BIG THANK YOU to
everyone who donated candy
and plastic eggs to help make
our Sunday School Easter Egg
Hunt a success. The children
hunted eggs, made hand bunnies, listened to an Easter story and enjoyed a snack. A
good time was had by all!
Thank you for your continued
support.
Carole Webner and the
Youth Sunday School Class
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“Women in Christ” Circle
Monday, May 4
7:30 p.m.—Room 202
Study: Moments That Take
Your Breath Away—Lesson 11
Study Leader—Karen
Devotions—Karen
Hostess—Karen
Phyllis Downes Circle
Tuesday, May 5
10 am—Parlor
Study Leader—Joyce Dixon
Devotions—Isabel Burrell
Hostess—Margaret Tracey
No General Meeting
The Spire
May 2015
Trustees Report
Greetings, fellow members of Loch Raven United Methodist Church;
At the most recent meeting of the LRUMC Board of Trustees, a number of issues that are of importance to the Church were discussed.
We have approved a new lawn care summer package at the same budget level as last year, and we
are in the process of renewing the current leases with very modest increases, less than industry
norms.
We agreed to move forward with an attempt to repair and overhaul the double doors at the front of
the building, as they are becoming more difficult to open, and once open, very hard to close. Jim Harvill and Jim Wagner will be collaborating in this effort.
It was reported by the Chair that the hot water circulating line that was leaking into the
Chapel ceiling was repaired and the ceiling
patched. A great job was done there. Only the
water-stained wall needs to be painted.
The Board was given a slide show presentation of the conditions in the Sanctuary attic, specifically the area above the Balcony.
This was a result of pictures taken over the
Easter break of the current state of the methods
that have been implemented over the years in a
gallant effort by our members to attempt to resolve the issue of water infiltration and its subsequent effects. Again, Jim Harvill served as a reservoir of historical information regarding these
efforts.
We have decided to do some selective demolition of areas of the steeple and also where the
brick base meets the roof to try and determine
what materials, which were initially installed,
continue to deteriorate allowing more water intrusion. This we will do over the next few
months, as we do an all out press to get our arms
around this nagging problem, with God's help.
We will keep you informed, and if anyone
knows contractors that you think have the skills
to work on these types of roofs and slate in particular, please pass their names to any of your Board
members, and we will be happy to discuss our scope with them.
Thanks,
Respectfully submitted by:
Phillip Scott, Chair
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