A Note from Pastor Susan

Dear Ones, I hope this finds you well in the world this week. Recently, I spent time with some of our church family that cannot attend church physically with us on Sunday mornings. Because of limited mobility or lack of transportation or distance, some of our members are with us in spirit, but can no longer participate in the service among us. Iris (last name omitted for confidentiality) is one of the lovely ladies I spent time with and she remarked more than once that she missed so much the opportunity to worship with her church family. I understand that in a small way - on the rare occasion I am unable to come for whatever reason, it is something I miss and the day is somehow less because of my absence at worship. I told her that. I said, "I know, Iris, the day (Sunday) is just not the same." She responded, "Pastor, our LIVES are not the same." Wow. Just wow. Well, I felt as though I had just been to preachin"! I couldn't just keep that to myself, friends, because Iris shared a great truth with me in that holy space where only she, Jesus and I were present. Worship is more than something that we do. It is who we are. We were made to worship and praise our Creator. The commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy is not just a call to rest, but a call to devote that day to God and the things of God. To remember at the end of the week, before we jump into the next, that God is owed our praise because of who God is and what God has done for us and that we are God's people and no one and nothing else's. If you are reading this and you have not been to worship in a while, I share Iris' words with you. Our LIVES are not the same when we don't connect with God and the People of God. There is a bond of blessing that even the best of the world cannot achieve. I invite you to come home to faith. I invite you to come home to God. And if you are reading this and know the blessings of worship... share that truth with someone else this week, like my Iris shared with me. She blessed me, dear ones. Go and do likewise. His... and Yours, Pastor Susan

The Grapevine Weekly Newsletter of La Plata United Methodist Church

September 26, 2019

In This Issue

UMW/Mission Sunday & Mission Fair Fair Trade Coffee Sunday LPUMC & Matula Elementary - A Mission Partnership Mission 100 Fund Harvest Dinner Thanksgiving Baskets ABR Meeting at Star Memorial Garden Want to go to a Picnic? Civil War Bus Tour What are your Spiritual Gifts? Holiday Craft Fair & Bake Sale Health Insurance Seminar Kissing a Cow & Blessing an Animal Extra Church Apparel Polo's

Meals and Hope

Disciple III Coming Soon Pastor's Monday Night Studies Confirmation Update Let’s Celebrate! Let Us Pray Do Not Tire! Facebook Find Holy Happenings

3 Port Tobacco Road La Plata, MD 20646

301.934.2288 laplataumc.org

laplataumc@gmail.com

Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Susan E.

Boehl

Sunday Worship Services:

8:30am Café 11:00am Traditional

LPUMC & Matula Elementary - A Mission Partnership

Matula Elementary School, our partner in Education, has invited us to assist students on a regular basis with their reading skills. If you are interested in hearing more information and possibly participating, contact Jean Sigmon at sigmonjean@gmail.com or 301-848-0290. Think about joining the LPUMC RP's (Reading Partners)!

Sun 9/29 Sun 10/6 Sun 10/13 Sun 10/20

Gatherings at a Glance Mission Sunday Church Picnic 12pm Children’s Sabbath Laity Sunday

Mission 100 Fund The Mission Committee is collecting a special 'Mission 100' offering to support our Covenant Relationship with Missionary Miguel Mairena. If 100 people contribute $25 towards our yearly commitment, we will quickly meet our goal of $2500. However, any amount contributed will be much appreciated and get us closer to our goal. Use the offering envelope provided in the Sunday bulletin to make a donation (checks may be written to LPUMC with 'Covenant Missionary' on the memo line). Miguel is a Missionary with the Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church and represents the Baltimore-Washington Conference. He and his wife, Nan McCurdy, also a B-W Conference Missionary, serve in Puebla, Mexico with Give Ye Them To Eat. Look for information about Miguel and Nan's work with GYTTE at our Mission Fair on Sept 29, or online at www.GYTTE.org. This is your church making a positive impact in other parts of our world!

Fair Trade Coffee Sunday

This Sunday is a Fair Trade Coffee Sunday! Coffee will be available for sampling as well as for purchasing. Stop by the coffee cart after either service to support this mission that supports small farmers, as well as, the Edelen family translating Bibles in Papua. K-cups, decaffeinated ground, dark ground and medium ground coffee are all $10. Folks have asked for Fair Trade chocolate, it will be available for the October Fair Trade Coffee Sunday. The company, Equal Exchange, charges more to ship chocolate in warmer months, so we will have it next time! Thank you for your ongoing support of this outreach.

Harvest Dinner

Our Annual Harvest Dinner will be held on Fri, Nov 1 from 4:30-7:30 in the Fellowship Hall. We need everyone's help to continue this successful fundraiser, so please invite your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. The menu features ham, roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, kale, cranberries, rolls, drinks, and dessert. Carry-out meals are available. Adult tickets are $20, children (aged 5 to 10) are $5. Carry-out meals are $20. It takes a lot of hands to make this work, so if you can lend yours, it would be appreciated. Please contact Bonnie Thompson at 240-298-5389 if you would like to help.

UMW/Mission Sunday & Mission Fair - This Sunday!

UMW and the Mission Committee are hosting Matula Elementary' s Principal, Carrie Richardson, as our guest speaker at the 11am service. She will talk about the partnership program between Matula and LPUMC. Jean Sigmon, the mission's coordinator, will give an overview of the partnership at the Cafe service. The Mission Fair displays are available before and after both services for viewing, although please note: **FH1 will temporarily close to viewing between 9:45am - 10am during the Children's Sunday School opening.** The Mission Fair luncheon will be after the 11am service down in Fellowship Hall 1. Come to eat and browse our displays - see what our church is involved in and what kinds of missions and groups you can get involved in. Fair Trade Coffee in support of the Edelen's Wycliffe Ministry in Papua, Indonesia will be available for a donation, you can buy a ticket to donate a Thanksgiving turkey dinner through the Food Pantry for a $10 donation, sign up for your favorite mission, and see what kinds of things the United Methodist Women are doing in our church. I'd like to also encourage everyone to bring something for the Luncheon table during the Mission Fair. See you there!

Hebrews 13:21

“Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you

that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ;

to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen

The Grapevine Editor: Sherri Hastings

Publisher: Karen Hamner Circulation: 750

Weekly deadline for submitting articles is Wed. at 4pm. Submit articles to news@laplataumc.org

Sept 1 Sept 8 Sept 15 Sept 22

263 314 243 252

Attendance

This Past Week

98 126

28 252

136

177

Church Income

12,460 13,407

8,728 7,190

12,911

8,779

Worship

8:30 11:00 Others Total

Sept 1 Sept 8 Sept 15 Sept 22 Need/wk. Dine Out Totals Since 2015

$ $ $ $ $ $

Facebook Views Preacher’s Pop Up Prayer

Thanksgiving Baskets

The Food Pantry is inviting you to join them in purchasing Thanksgiving baskets to distribute to our food pantry clients for their Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, the donations received from VBS were used to purchase 30 Thanksgiving baskets. Each basket includes mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, cornbread mix, green beans, corn and applesauce and a 12+ lb. turkey. Each basket costs $10, and we will start selling them at the Mission Fair on Sun, Sept 29. We are ordering 50 turkeys and they must be paid for by Oct 10. To purchase a basket, just write a check to LPUMC, and put “Turkey” in the memo line. A Holiday card will be included with the basket with your name on it. The cards will be available at the Mission Fair, if you would like to sign your own. Thank you so much for being God’s Hands and Feet!

Want to go to a Picnic?

Our annual Church picnic will be held on Sun, Oct 6 immediately after the 11:00 worship service. This year’s picnic will be a potluck, so please bring a main dish, side dish and/or dessert (enough to share), lawn chairs/blankets to sit on and beverages for your family. Please clearly label your dish and be sure to take it home with you after the picnic.

Civil War Bus Tour

Garth Bowling will be giving a bus tour of Charles County Civil War sites. The bus will leave the church parking lot at 9am on Saturday, October 12. We will stop for lunch at Captain Billy's Restaurant in Pope's Creek, after lunch, the tour will continue until about 3pm, and then return to the church parking lot. Please call the church office to reserve your seat on the bus. The cost is $12 per person and can be paid the morning of the tour. Garth has recently published his book called Gateway to the Confederacy: Charles County, Maryland, and will have it available for purchase.

ABR Meeting at Star Memorial Garden

The next ABR meeting will be Thurs, Oct 3. We will visit the Star Memorial Garden located at 3 Firehouse Road in La Plata. Mary Beth Chandler will present the history of the garden. Due to limited parking, please meet at the church at 9:30am and we will carpool to the garden. Bring a chair. We will be having lunch at the Green Turtle after the meeting. Questions - call Mary Vance 301-934-4903.

Health Insurance Seminar: Navigating the Health Insurance Maze

The Charles Regional Medical Center Foundation is holding a free seminar on Wed, Oct 9

5-7pm in the Nagula Conference Room of the Medical Center. The seminar will be presented by Melinda Harvey, UM CRMC’s Director of Revenue Cycle and will cover a variety of topics. This seminar will help patients and their loved ones navigate the health insurance maze, dig into the world of Medicaid, identify resources for assistance, understand benefits, and offer rules and tips to maximize coverage and minimize out of pocket cost. Please register for this seminar at charlesregional.org/seminars or by calling 301-609-4132. Refreshments will be served.

Kissing a Cow & Blessing an Animal

As proof that we at La Plata United Methodist can multi-task, on Oct 27

th between 2 - 4pm, we will be both blessing animals and (if

the contributions reach $1000.00) watching our Pastor, Susan Boehl, kiss a puckered up cow. You need only do two things: first, make a contribution to our fund to support the local group “Help for Animals”; second, bring your well-behaved pet of any size, shape, or species to the church on Oct 27

th. We will be welcoming the community and their

animal companions to receive a blessing from Pastor Susan. But, there will be much more. Our partners from the Charles County Hu-mane Society will be with us and they will be bringing along a number of animals for you to interact with as well as information on adopting from the society. Also, with us, will be PETCO with coupons and samples of the products and services they offer for pets. Help for Animals will also be on hand to educate us on the programs they

support to help those who need assistance with caring for their pets. Local Vets and Groomers will also be present. And as a special treat, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit will be there from 2-4pm with a demonstration starting at 3pm. So, save the date and plan to be with us whether your animal is real, stuffed, or perhaps even just a photograph of a beloved companion who has passed. The community is invited and we are excited. Pick up a flyer with all the information in the church lobby or Narthex. Note: Dogs must be on leash, and cats and other small animals must be in approved pet carriers.

Extra Church Apparel Polo's

Last month, the youth took order's for screen printed church logo apparel. Three polo's were printed on different sizes than needed, so I am offering them for $15 each. If you are interested in a royal blue or jade dome polo in size 2XL, please contact Corrie Roberts.

What are your Spiritual Gifts?

Have you ever wondered about Spiritual gifts? Do you know what spiritual gifts you possess? Perhaps, you wonder if your spiritual gifts have changed over the years, because as Ecclesiastics 3 reminds us, everything has a season, and therefore, we grow and change over time. Thus, in the coming weeks, we are going to ask everyone to complete a questionnaire that will help determine your spiritual gifts. These will be kept confidential and only you will see your own unique results. We will not share your results with anyone. This will be strictly for your own information and consideration. Remember, 1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLV) says…”The Holy Spirit works in each person in one way or another for the good of all.” We look forward to having you all participate in this venture.

Holiday Craft Fair and Bake Sale

Are you a crafter? Do you own your own business? Call the church office, 301-934-2288, to get your application to rent space at our Holiday Craft Fair and Bake Sale scheduled for Sat, Nov 23 at 8am. We are asking for donations of your gently used Christmas decorations for our “Recycled Christmas,” and books of all kinds for our used book sale. Call the church office to schedule a time to deliver your items.

Confirmation Update The Confirmation class planned for this year has been postponed until next year. Confirmation is a process of exploration, discussion and group building. In order to make it a full, meaningful experience for those involved, we are waiting until next year to have it. Therefore, the Confirmation Orientation Dinner that was planned for this Sunday, has been cancelled. We hope to offer it again in the 2020-21 year. Thank you for your understanding.

Got news for The Grapevine,

bulletin & website?

Meals and Hope Meals and Hope continues to be a popular and strongly supported mission supported by our church. Our cook team preps Monday meals after Cafe Sunday and starting around 10am on Mondays, where the food truck picks up 150 prepared meals at 3:30pm that afternoon. In August, we served Texas chicken and rice, Cowboy Caviar, and a garden Salad. The meal was delicious...we had it for lunch to make sure. I'm told the patrons had numerous positive comments about how great the food looked and smelled! The food truck served 109 dinners that evening. On Sept 9th, we prepared turkey and ham sandwiches with lettuce, cheese and pickles, bacon ranch pasta salad (yum!) and sliced watermelon. The truck served 137 meals at the Worship Center in Bryans Road. Leftovers are taken to the local men’s shelter. Our upcoming meals are scheduled for Oct 7, Nov 4, and Dec 9. E-mail Kim Williams at kim.williams19721@gmail.com, if you'd like to help prepare any of our next meals.

Pastor's Monday Night Studies (PMNS)

It's that time, Church family! This year, in the life of our church, it is time for REVIVAL! All the studies this year will be focused in some way on reviving our hearts, our church, and our world! We start out on Oct 7 with a comparative study of the "Five Marks Of A Methodist" AND "Five Means of Grace". Our founder, John Wesley and his teachings/writings will figure prominently in our studies and, in another year of uncertainty within our denomination, there is no better time than this to remember and re-learn the reasons why Methodists are the People of God! Using SignUp Genius (ain't technology grand?) you will be able to sign up for these studies. For those of you who do not have access to email, you may also write PMNS on your attendance pad, please indicate if you would like the church to order your book. See you there!

Disciple III Coming Soon

This Disciple III class is the “Fast Track” version which consists of 24 weeks. Tina McCormick is leading this class and it promises to be an amazing study of the Prophets and the Letters of Paul. This Disciple class is designed to remind us of “who we are and why God created us.” Please consider joining us. Remember, you do not need to take these Disciple classes in order. The only requirement is that you take Disciple I first, after that, you can take any of the Disciple classes, regardless of the order. Orientation will be on Thurs, Oct 3 at 7pm, in the old parlor. Classes will be held each Thurs evening at 7pm starting Oct 17. Sign ups are now open. Please let either Tina McCormick, Angie Barnes or the church office know if you wish to join the class or if you have any questions. Tina’s email is pfmcem@verizon.net and Angie’s email is barnesang60@gmail.com.

Thursday, September 26 Nathan Daetwyler-18 David Green-12 Sheila Guttenberg Tyler Rose Friday, September 27 Jerry Bowie Vanessa Brown Amber Sullivan Saturday, September 28 Bob & Joan Mitchell Roger & Linda Rollins-56 Smith Pyle-10

Sunday, September 29 Frank Baker Kari Kober Monday, September 30 David & Melanie Simone-30 Allison Davis Sherri Hastings Barbara Williams Tuesday, October 1 Corey & Karrie Legagneux-13 Carrie Summers Billie Weedon Carson Yowell-14 Wednesday, October 2 Paul & Tina McCormick-26 Lisa Bonnaure Jean Sigmon

Thursday, October 3 Kameron Della-10 Friday, October 4 Michelle Hancock Gay Johnson Carly Stonestreet Saturday, October 5 Andrew Matteson Sunday, October 6 Carly Roberts-13 Archie Verdiglione Jr.

Let’s Celebrate! Birthdays & Anniversaries

For our friends and family who are living in nursing homes, and assisted living or home bound:

Allison Bowser Sue Carns Jeff Bennett Tom Berry Margaret Bowie Kimberly Brotosky Patricia Buckler Jennifer Carpenter Harolly Coombs Tom Crosby Joyce Dean Sandra Fykes

Diane Gandee Jackie Gibbs Jeanette Grant Carl Greene Addison Herbert Dorothy Jackson Larry Johnson Turner Kies Christina Kingsbury Sarah Marsh Donna McKenzie Renee Nash

Lt. Col. Mark Owens Crystal Rupprecht Sunny Rupprecht Mark Saunders Tabitha Schneider Carol Sorenson Don Stapleson Michael Stewart Jeanette Tull Sandy Tull Mike Williams Audra Young

Let Us Pray For our friends and family who have medical issues:

Ann Bergerstock Lennis Bridgett Marion Craft

Iris Dickerson Sharon Ferguson June Hanson

Mike Merritt Donald Rowe Helen Sullivan

Pastor Susan, our church, our denomination, our local, state and national leaders, our first responders, and our armed forces. Teachers and students. Those affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Continue to pray for:

Do Not Tire! By Deborah Ann Belka

Facebook Find

Do not tire in doing that which is pleasing

In His

Sight

for He is working in and through you

Every Good Work

so that you may be complete unto His Glory

Through Jesus Christ

forever and ever . . . Amen!

Holy Happenings

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes-

day Thursday Friday Saturday

22 8:30 AM Cafe Ser-vice 9:45 AM Sunday school for all ages 11:00 AM Tradi-tional Service - Hymn Sing 11:15 AM Kid's Church 6:00 PM Financial Peace University

23 First Day of Au-tumn 9:00 AM BLP LIfetouch Pictures 11:00 AM Church Staff Meeting 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 6:00 PM Girl Scout Troop 1438 7:00 PM Nomina-tions Meeting 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

24 9:00 AM BLP LIfetouch Pictures 10:00 AM UMW Book Club 6:00 PM Creative Circle Meeting 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Wom-en's Emmaus Group

25 9:30 AM Wednes-day Morning Bible Study 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM ECAC Training 7:00 PM Cherub Choir & Crimson Angels Practice 7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice

26 6:00 PM Carillon Choir (Handbell Choir) Rehearsal 6:30 PM Cub Scout Pack 423 Den Meeting 7:00 PM Preach-ers Pop Up Prayer

27 28 5:00 PM Mis-sion Fair Set Up

29 Mission Sunday 8:30 AM Cafe Ser-vice 9:30 AM Fair Trade Coffee 9:45 AM Sunday school for all ages 11:00 AM Tradi-tional Service - Bells 12:00 PM Fair Trade Coffee 6:00 PM Emmaus Dinner 6:00 PM Financial Peace University

30 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 6:00 PM Girl Scout Troop 1438 6:30 PM BSA Troop 1814 Court of Honor 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

1 5:30 PM Prayer Shawl Ministry 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Wom-en's Emmaus Group 6:30 PM Mounted Wanderer's 4-H Club 7:00 PM Evening Circle

2 9:30 AM Wednes-day Morning Bible Study 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 1:30 PM BLP Staff Meeting 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM Horse-masters 4-H Club 7:00 PM Cherub Choir & Crimson Angels Practice 7:00 PM New Member Gathering 7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice

3 10:00 AM ABR Circle 6:00 PM Carillon Choir (Handbell Choir) Rehearsal 6:30 PM Cub Scout Pack 423 Pack Meeting 7:00 PM Disciple III Fast Track 7:00 PM Preach-ers Pop Up Prayer

4 8:00 PM Youth Lock In

5 12:00 AM Youth Lock In 8:30 AM Pas-tor's Prayer Partners 9:00 AM Con-scious Discipline Training 9:00 AM Resto-ration of Port Tobacco Court-house Meeting 2:00 PM Em-maus Gathering & 4th Day Train-ing 2:00 PM Unikids

6 HOLY COMMUN-ION World Communion Sunday 9:45 AM Sunday school for all ages 11:00 AM Tradi-tional Service 11:15 AM Kid's Church 12:00 PM Church Picnic 6:00 PM Financial Peace University

7 9:00 AM Meal & Hope Food Prep 11:00 AM Church Staff Meeting 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 7:00 PM BSA Troop 1814 Meet-ing 7:30 PM PMNS - Five Marks of a Methodist 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

8 1:30 PM BLP 2's Team Meeting 6:00 PM Creative Circle Meeting 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Wom-en's Emmaus Group 7:30 PM FI-NANCE COMMIT-TEE MEETING

9 9:30 AM Wednes-day Morning Bible Study 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 1:30 PM BLP 4's Team Meeting 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:30 PM Southern Maryland Trail Riders Board Meet-ing 7:00 PM Cherub Choir & Crimson Angels Practice 7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice

10 1:30 PM BLP 3's Team Meetings 6:00 PM Carillon Choir (Handbell Choir) Rehearsal 6:30 PM Cub Scout Pack 423 Den Meeting 7:00 PM Disciple III Fast Track 7:00 PM Preach-ers Pop Up Prayer

11 12 9:00 AM Charles County Civil War Histor-ic Tour

13 Children’s Sabbath 8:30 AM Cafe Ser-vice 9:45 AM Sunday school for all ages 11:00 AM Tradi-tional Service 1:30 PM Sagepoint Service 6:00 PM Financial Peace University

14 Church office Closed Columbus Day 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 6:00 PM Girl Scout Troop 1438 7:00 PM BSA Troop 1814 Meet-ing 7:30 PM PMNS - Five Marks of a Methodist 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

15 11:00 AM Dine Out at Foster's Grill 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group 6:00 PM Wom-en's Emmaus Group 7:30 PM Trustees Meeting

16 9:30 AM Wednes-day Morning Bible Study 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM Hunter Safety Course 7:00 PM Cherub Choir & Crimson Angels Practice 7:30 PM Chancel Choir Practice

17 6:00 PM Carillon Choir (Handbell Choir) Rehearsal 6:00 PM Hunter Safety Course 6:30 PM Cub Scouts Leadership Meeting 7:00 PM Disciple III Fast Track 7:00 PM Preach-ers Pop Up Prayer 7:30 PM SPRC Meeting

18 6:00 PM Bowling - Welch Rehears-al 6:00 PM Hunter Safety Course 6:30 PM Youth Punch & Paint

19 10:00 AM Connectors meeting 3:00 PM Bowl-ing - Welch