The Messenger - The United Methodist Church in Stow
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The Messenger
The United Methodist Church in Stow September 2021
...from Rev. Karen
The following is a Quote of the Day I received from the Frederick
Buechner Center. It gave me a lot to think about.
Rev. Karen
Old Age
IT'S NOT, AS THE saying goes, for sissies. There are some lucky ones who
little by little slow down to be sure but otherwise go on to the end pretty much
as usual. For the majority, however, it's like living in a house that's in
increasing need of repairs. The plumbing doesn't work right any more. There
are bats in the attic. Cracked and dusty, the windows are hard to see through,
and there's a lot of creaking and groaning in bad weather. The exterior could
use a coat of paint. And so on. The odd thing is that the person living in the
house may feel, humanly speaking, much as always. The eighty-year-old body
can be in precarious shape yet the spirit within as full of beans as ever. If that
leads senior citizens to think of all the things they'd still love to do but can't
anymore, it only makes things worse. But it needn't work that way.
Second childhood commonly means something to steer clear of, but it can also
mean something else. It can mean that if your spirit is still more or less intact,
one of the benefits of being an old crock is that you can enjoy again something
of what it's like being a young squirt.
Eight-year-olds like eighty-year-olds have lots of things they'd love to do but
can't because their bodies aren't up to it, so they learn to play instead. Eighty-
year-olds might do well to take notice. They can play at being eighty-year-olds
for instance. Stiff knees and hearing aids, memory loss and poor eyesight, are
no fun, but there are those who marvelously survive them by somehow
managing to see them as, among other things and in spite of all, a little funny.
Another thing is that if part of the pleasure of being a child the first time round
is that you don't have to prove yourself yet, part of the pleasure of being a child
the second time round is that you don't have to prove yourself any longer. You
can be who you are and say what you feel, and let the chips fall where they
may. (continued on page 2)
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(continued from page 1)
Very young children and very old children also have in common the advantage
of being able to sit on the sideline of things. While everybody else is in there
jockeying for position and sweating it out, they can lean back, put their feet up,
and like the octogenarian King Lear "pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and
laugh at gilded butterflies."
Very young children and very old children also seem to be in touch with some-
thing that the rest of the pack has lost track of. There is something bright and
still about them at their best, like the sun before breakfast. Both the old and
the young get scared sometimes about what lies ahead of hem, and with good
reason, but you can't help feeling that whatever inner goldenness they're in
touch with will see them through in the end.
-Originally published in Whistling in the Dark
Two Opportunities to Make a Difference
We are seeking someone to staff the Nursery on Sunday mornings. When members
or visitors bring their little ones to church, we want to offer this service to make their time
here that much better.
We are also seeking someone to fill the position of Cleaner for the main floor of the
church. This would entail things like cleaning restrooms, vacuuming, and emptying waste
baskets once a week.
Both these positions would be great for a student or someone looking to serve a
couple of hours each week and stipends are offered for both. Please contact the church
office or Rev. Karen if you or someone you know might be interested.
The date for our Annual Church Conference will
be Sunday, October 31 at 4 pm.
You are welcome to come in costume!!!
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BOOK CLUB: Book Club will be discussing The Other Ben-
net Sister by Janice Harlow on Monday, October 4 (note-new date)
at 3 pm in the church parlor. This book centers on the third sister in
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. However, it’s not necessary to
have read that timeless novel because the author summarizes the
plot in the first third of this new book. Then she tries to find a
happy ending for Mary Bennet, the most annoying sibling in the family. You will
turn the pages quickly to see how Mary fares in early 1800’s England.
There is a new mailbox for Book Club in the second office and copies of the cur-
rent book are available to borrow for a week. Everyone is welcome to join this
group. Refreshments served!
Equal Justice Initiative shares with us calendar events from our past to inform our
present and future.
Sept. 01, 1884: Superintendent denies Mamie Tape, a Chinese American child, admission
to public school in San Francisco this week, saying, Chinese Americans are “dangerous to
the well-being of the state.
Sept. 09, 1957: Mobs of white church members led by a local minister protest the
integration of white elementary schools in Nashville, Tennessee, by 19 Black six-year-
olds; the school is bombed the nest morning.
Sept. 13, 1976: Facing a lawsuit from students forced to attend boarding schools hundreds
of miles from home, Alaska agrees to build local high schools in rural areas for Native
American students.
Sept. 26, 2011: In Warrior, Alabama, Pastor Manuel Hernandez is arrested this week
under the state’s new anti-immigrant law hours after a federal judge upholds the law’s key
passages
Church Offering through 8/22:
Weekly Weekly YTD YTD
Need Giving Need Giving
8/22/2021 5,096 3,484 173,269 120,206
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From the Stow UMC Preschool......
The Stow UMC Preschool is excited to be starting up the new school year
on September 7th with our 52 enrolled students in 5 classes. We still
have 1 3-year- old spot and 1 preK spot available , and it’s not too late to
enroll! Email us at stowumcpreschool@outlook.com
Here are the YouTube links for the September worship services.
September 5 9:30: https://youtu.be/ssSPY7u7M7s
September 12 9:30: https://youtu.be/EwvhMV3_cXQ
September 19 10:45: https://youtu.be/8qJNtY0lRcM
September 26 10:45: https://youtu.be/Ui8ILT1hbeQ
Thank you for making noise with your offering in August!
We collected $51.71 for United Methodist Ministries. Our
Noisy Offering is on the fourth Sunday of each month.
Dan & April Brewer welcomed a granddaughter, Lydia, on July 26
at 12:50 pm. She weighed 7 lbs., 8 oz., and was 21 inches long.
Congratulations!!!
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Navigational Meeting
On Sunday, August 22nd we met for our first congregational Navigation Meeting.
We began with prayer and song and then explored several questions during this first step.
Below are the questions and responses. If a response was repeated, we still wrote it down.
What would you add to the conversation?
What brought you to this congregation?
Reconciling Ministries
Perfect size for us
Other teachers attended here
Personal Invitation
Other teachers attended here
One-on-one welcome
It was United Methodist
Focus on social justice issues
Personal invitation
Non-judgmental congregation
Music
Invitation to get involved in a project
What did you find here when you first started attending?
Children’s programs
Welcome
Great music
Colleagues
Youth Group
Size and demographics I liked
Stephan’s Ministries
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Study Groups
Variety of Sunday school classes
Variety of Social events
Why did you decide to stay and get involved?
Location- close so I could get involved
Permeation of Jesus’ love
Friendliness
It wasn’t a duty, I felt like I was contributing
Lots of ways to use gifts
Lots of examples of people using their gifts
Forming deeper relationships—church becomes a family
Invitation to 4 for Lunch
Music
Variety of Music
What is a favorite memory from the life of our church?
Hanging of the Greens
Musical that the Choir did for the 25th Anniversary Celebration
An adult through Disciple Bible Study getting Baptized
The 40 Days Groups
11pm Christmas Eve Service
Children’s Service
Chili Cook-off and Desert Auction
Confirmation Retreat
Puppet Ministry
VBS children singing in worship
Doing painting for a church member
Practical Christianity projects
Children’s milestones (Baptism, Confirmation, Wedding)
Children signing in worship
Miracles
Prayer!!! We are a praying congregation.
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What are your passions in our church community?
Inclusivity
Feeding others in various ways
Children including our two schools
Missions
Music Children
What are the unique things about our church? How would you describe it?
Conservative/Traditional
Liberal
Inclusive
Centrist
Evolving
Pained by denominational troubles
Social Justice in the church
We are respectful of each other
Not afraid to dig in to issues
What might we want to retain or revive in our ministries as we move forward?
Retain: Outreach/Mission focus, Music! Education both Christian and social, technology
that we have embraced (technology education), clear communication, personal touch,
inclusivity mindset
Revive: Small groups, Children’s Sabbath, an event (like the musical) that includes
congregation and might draw others to come
It was an interesting and insightful conversation. We saw some patterns develop in
the responses. Do you see them?
Building off of this first meeting, we invite everyone in the congregation to our
second Navigational Meeting where we will begin to talk about the needs of our
community, how we would like to see our church move forward, and creative ways to be
the church in a changing society. Mark your calendars for September 26th at 6:30pm in
the sanctuary. Be part of this important conversation!
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VACATON BIBLE SCHOOL
Sparky and The Knights of North Castle give out a
HUGE “Thank you” to the following volunteers.
Without your help on their journey, the Armor of God
would never have been found!
Jeremy Gilpatric Carol Wickland
Cathy Schindler Margaret Ina
Ben Wilde Samantha Fobean
Olivia Wilde Anna Peeler
Karen Spiker Grace Miller
Scott Strawman Patty Smith
Deanna Pennewitt Lydia Harris
Kayla Purcell Christiana Copeland
Karen Drotar Meghan Covel
Tom Drotar Nancy Rutherford
Tammy Menke Audrey Kraynak
Jescenia Issa Sallie Kilgore
Kristy Purcell Laura Root
Karen Herczegh
The kids were amazing during the week showing
acts of kindness and spreading love! Over 110
items were donated to the church's food pantry.
They also made 100 "Socks of Love" that were
donated to Haven of Rest in Akron! This gift will
keep a lot of feet warm!
The Acme Cashback Program is in full swing. It
started on August 5th and will end on December
25th. By donating your Acme receipts, you help
fund VBS 2022! Please place the receipts in the
white church located in the outer narthex. Thank
you for your help!
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Missions News…
BULLDOG BOXES FOR THE SUMMER
Thank you to all of the members who donated full-sized boxes
of cereal to the summer program of Bulldog Bags, Inc., Bulldog
Boxes, this summer! 290 families received boxes of food to
help them stretch their summer food budgets, when the
children were home for all of their meals!
THANK YOU FROM THE FOOD PANTRY
Thank you to the United Methodist Church in Stow’s
Vacation Bible School for donating the large amount of items
that were collected during VBS to the Church Food Pantry.
Our Church’s Food Pantry continues to be an important
resource for people in the area who are in need. As we are
told in Matthew 25: “When you do it for the least of these,
my Brethren, you do it for me.”
Another opportunity to help our community is with our Food Pantry. We need
volunteers Monday and Wednesday mornings 9 am—12 pm, and also Thursday
evenings 6 - 8 pm. If interested in this mission, please contact the church office or
Laura Root.
Thank you from the Mission Committee.11
SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THURS. FRI. SAT.
8:30 am 9 am-12 pm 9 am-12 pm 6-8 pm
Praise Service Food Pantry Food Pantry Food Pantry
9:30 am 6:30 pm Scouts
Sunday School 6:30 pm Scouts
Parking Lot/ Parking Lot/
10:45 am Pavilion
Traditional Pavilion
Worship
1 2 3 4
Preschool
Meet & Greet Eagle Scout
8 am—3 pm Car Wash
Preschool Rooms 10 am—2 pm
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Labor Day
Preschool Begins
9:30 am
WORSHIP
Stewardship Mtg
6:30 pm
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
9:30 am
WORSHIP
Committee Night SPRC Mtg 7 pm
Holy Baptism 7 pm
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Return to two
services
Admin Board Leadership CP Board Mtg
7 pm Committee Mtg 3 pm
6:30 pm
26 27 28 29 30
Pastor Karen
on vacation thru
Oct 13
Navigation
meeting 6:30 pm
Sanctuary12
In Stow
4880 Fishcreek Rd.
Stow, OH 44224
GROW-GATHER-GO
RETURN SERVICE
REQUESTED
Contact us: The United Methodist Church in Stow
4880 Fishcreek Rd., Stow, OH 44224-1930
Phone: 330-673-7752
Web Site: www.umcstow.org
Email: umcinstow@gmail.com
Our Mission: Grow in Faith in Christ~ Reach Out in God’s Love
Pastor: Rev. Karen Drotar: 330-673-7752; drotarstowumc@gmail.com
Administrative Assistant: Roxanne Rowe: 330-673-7752; umcinstow@gmail.com
Director of Vacation Bible School: Karen Rocco: kdrocco6@aol.com
Director of Music Ministries: Jeremy Gilpatric: jer4192@yahoo.com
UMC Preschool: Karen McCaffrey: stowumcpreschool@outlook.com
Children’s Place Learning Center: 330-673-9433, childrensplace1@yahoo.com
Church Office Hours: Monday-Thursday~9:00 a.m.– 3:00 p.m.
Deadline for the Sunday Worship bulletin: Wednesdays at noon
Deadline for the newsletter, The Messenger: 20th of the month
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