TRANSITIONS AND TRANSITIONING I spent a good bit of time, once upon a time, in personal counseling with a Presbyterian clergy-woman who had a licensed counseling ministry which she called “Transitions.” Often people who seek out a counselor are hoping just to survive some radical change (good or bad) in their circum-stances or to go through some transformation within themselves so they can live into a healthier life. From birth to death, we spend ourselves going through any number of transitions. The only thing that doesn’t seem to change is life’s tendency to throw change at us and demand change in us. The whole point of counseling is to help a person be conscious of realties and options and to be a deliberate decision-maker in those seasons of transition, so that change can be a movement into a better future. Transitions, well managed, can be a very positive thing. On June 14th at Annual Conference, the Bishop “fixed” my appointment to serve Christ Church for another year. I have already shared with our District Superintendent, our SPRC and Council, my hope to retire next July 1. That means 2016 is going to be another year of major transitions for me personally. It also means that it will be another time of transition for the Christ Church fami-ly. I am being as prayerful and intentional as I know how to be concerning the transitions and transformation that I will/should/want to experience personally. My purpose in this letter is to invite you as a congregation to be very self-aware, very prayerful, very intentional and purposeful as you make the transition into ministry with a new pastor whom God is preparing for you. My prayer for you is that next June you will be working hard at living into your own God-given dreams and visions for Christ Church’s ministries, that you will be excited about and open to the new and different gifts that your pastor will bring to contribute to your mission in Wheeling, and that you will have embraced and committed yourselves to a grace-filled covenant that can govern your life together and make you an exemplary Christian community. By July of 2016 you will have a wonderful parsonage home readied for new occupants. I hope our church house will also be in order, that we will have a strong, diverse and united leadership team in place, working toward some clear and attainable ministry goals. Through the nomination and election processes and fall leadership retreats we will be working toward that end. Please be in prayer for your congregation and for the leadership team that will help guide you through tran-sition and into a fruitful future. I have been, am, and will be richly blessed to be in ministry among you. We can allow the Spir-it so to breathe in us that this transition year can be a time of great self-discovery, recommitment, exploration, anticipation, and joy. God has been so good to us. How can we keep from singing? God has been so generous and faithful toward us, how can we do anything but trust God and look forward to even greater blessings? May God transition us on the wings of grace. Yours in Christ, Judy

Christ United Methodist Church 1232 National Road

Wheeling, WV 26003 304-242-2455

www.christumcwheeling.org christumcwheeling@frontier.com

July 2015, Issue 235

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JOY Group

We welcome everyone to the monthly JOY meet-ing! Come and bring a friend. Our guest speaker will be Debbie Romaine, Director of Volunteers for Wheeling Hos-pital. Debbie has been in this position for 11 years so she has a lot of information to share with us. If able bring a covered dish for our 11:00 luncheon. The program will fol-low at 11:30 an d business meeting by 12:00 or 12:15. Come for the fellowship, good food and to be in-formed.

Tyrand Parish Workteam

The Mission/Outreach Team of our church is supporting a Mission Work Team from our church to serve and work at the Tyrand Cooperative Minis-tries the week of August 2 – 7, 2015. Tyrand Cooper-ative Ministries was started in 1962 in the rural area of Mill Creek, south of Elkins WV. It is an ecumeni-cal mission project supported by United Methodist, Presbyterian (USA), Roman Catholic, Southern Bap-tist, Assembly of God, and Church of The Nazarene. They have an active home repair ministry for the elderly, handicapped, and less fortunate in the Tyrand ministry area. We are now recruiting mem-bers for our Mission Work Team and invite you to consider coming with us. We will be sleeping in their bunkhouse which can handle up 20 males and 20 females. We will be cooking our own meals but a staff member from there will be planning what we work on while there. The cost for the week will vary with the number of folks involved, but we expect it to be between $100 and $150 per person. We know it can be a really great week. If you or someone you know is interested in coming with us, please contact Gary or Linda Bryant. Phone number 304-547-5208.

Transportation Provided If you or someone you know might be assisted by a ride to church or valet service at the door on Sun-day mornings, please contact the church office by Thursday afternoon. If you have any questions, please call the office at 304-242-2455 or by e-mail at christumcwheeling@frontier.com.

Kroger Round-Up

Remember to “Round Up” at Kroger. Tell your Kroger cashier you want to “Round Up”. At the Mt de Chantal and Warwood stores this benefits the House of the Carpenter.

Church Picnic

Mark your calendars! This year’s church picnic will be held on Sunday, August 30 at Sonneborn Shelter, Wheeling Park. More information to come.

Address Update

If you have a current, complete address for any of the following, please contact the church office: Crystal Anderson, Carolyn Callaway, Mike Carman, Lynn Clark, Robert & Julie Cunningham, Sandra Duvall, Justin Elza, Harry E. Fisher, Mary Lou Fry, Linda Hodgkiss, James Hutchison, Whitney Lewis, Patricia Miller, Daniel Oliver, Jim Oliver, Claire Swinler, Judy Straight, Jack Taggart, Jr., Steve Watson.

Choir News

We are blessed to now have a full choir of 11 bell ringers. Space will not be available for more players, but we will happily start a waiting list and/or have a list of substitutes. On the other hand, we DO have room for a few more singers in The Chancel Choir. There is still a special need for one or two more so-pranos. Please help us with finding such singers by talking to your relatives, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Surely there are some folks who would be thrilled to sing with a good choir if they just KNEW that we are there for them! The choirs are now on summer break and will resume in the fall.

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed to host coffee hour for the following Sundays in July: 5th & 26th. In August, volunteers are needed for the 2nd & the 9th. Please sign-up on the bulletin board in the Narthex if you would like to serve. If you have never hosted coffee hour and would like to, please contact the church office.

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Christian Sympathy

Sympathy is extended to Wayne & Carolyn Smith and family on the death of his mother, Lucile Waggoner.

Craig Arensberg, II July 1 Janet Carenbauer July 2 Cassie Collins July 2 Abigail Stradley July 2 Dennis Lee July 3 Susan Mallett July 3 Patricia Cunningham July 4 Shannon Gessler July 4 Lynn Kerekes July 5 Sam Milton July 5 John Rush July 5 Rich McCardle July 6 Scott Jones July 7 Kathleen Knight July 7 Tammy Chiplinski July 8 Ann Thomas July 9 Johnathon Bitzer July 10 Martie Culp July 10 Jason Smaltz July 10 Miranda Sykes July 10 Jennifer Taylor July 11 Spencer Coleman July 12 Jada Taylor July 13 Joseph Howley July 14 Adam Koonce July 14 Derek Channel July 17 Stephen Wharton July 17 David Bitzer July 18 Lance Griffin July 18 Olivia Kiger-Camilo July 18 Ben Statler, II July 18 Stephen Wilson July 19 Pam Milton July 20 Nicole Reid July 20 Wesley Wright July 20 Jodie Elza July 21 Ben Ellwood July 22 Jenny McCardle July 22 Jaclyn Sprague July 22 Lauren Taylor July 22 Richard Ault July 23 Robert Ault July 23 Dylan Griffin July 23 Carter Kidd July 23

Stacey Webb July 23 Angie Behrens July 24 Lisa Kepner July 24 Sara Wright July 24 Jack Jaquay July 25 Andy Roberts July 25 Brittney Warnick July 25 Jacob Straub July 26 Harold Wright July 26 Lisa Conner July 27 Travis Valentine July 27 Isaac Bedway July 28 Jack Taggart, Jr. July 29 Jamie Crow July 30 Sally Schmalz July 30 Jarred Smith July 30 David Croft July 31 Chris Kiedaisch July 31 Leslie Kosanovic July 31 Ryan Mudge July 31

Mark & Julie Lindsay July 4 Bill & Nancy Deibert July 7 Rick & Susan Mallett July 8 Debbie & Roger Micker July 11 Randy & Brenda Straub July 11 Jim & Karen Bruhn July 12 Paul & Susan Ernst July 13 Charles & Beth Heyman July 16 Errol & Christy Sambuco July 18 Charles & Evelyn Boggess July 19 John & Lisa Tork July 21 Michael & Wendy Barbeau July 22 Russ & Mary Lu Hutchins July 27 Pam & Don Milton July 29 Julius & Lynn Kerekes July 30 Robin & Saundra Capehart July 31 John & Sandy Warnick July 31

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Cathy Pavlock Zach Henry Ruth Reinbeau Shawn Thomas Kay Abate Rice Nancy Swartz Harold Tharp

Shane Applegate Kathleen Fitzgerald Jim Stone Blanche Seibert Don & Jean Brafford Cathy Dean Dr. Romeo Reyes Bill & Mary Jones Esther Weeks Don Bowman Patricia Stephens Michelle Linger Adams Craig Linger

Ray & Olga King Amy Dunbar Luann Ayers J.R. Channel Eddie Allison Danny Fish Jerry Tallhamer Carroll Dunbar Alissa Carl Conaway Richard (Dick) White Martha Wharton Mary Denham

Don Watson Karley Joy Seth& Belinda Tanner Elliott Randy Straub Carol Banal Justin Caldwell Mark Nardone Barb Mazzocca Chuck Vanyo CeCe Kiedaisch Michael DeVan Fr. Jack McDonnell Lena Landis

Floyd Pratt Phillip Szabo Don Teresa Kitchen Families of Shooting Victims in South Carolina Linda Cornell Esta Maloney Bruce Pickens Letha Wenzel Alice Family of Isaac Blake

Vacation Bible School Registration Form

July 6 - July 10 6-8 p.m.

Name(s) and age(s) ______________________________ __________________________ ______________________________ __________________________ Street Address: _____________________________________________ City: ______________________________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: _______________ Home phone (_____) _________________ Cell phone: _________________________________ E-mail address: _____________________________________________ Number of family members participating: _______________________ Will parents be helping? ____________ Where? __________________ In case of emergency, contact: _________________________________ Allergies or other medical conditions: __________________________ Home church: _______________________________________________ Tribe name (for church use only): ______________________________ A special friend your child might like to be with: ________________ ___________________________________________________________

Volunteers for Vacation Bible School

are needed for the following

Registration Crew Leaders Refreshments

Decorating

A sign-up sheet will be posted on the

bulletin board in the Narthex.

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Thank You

Dear Christ Church family:

I want you to know that I am deeply grateful for all the prayers you have sent to God on my behalf in recent weeks. A special 'Thank You' to Pastor Judy and Organist Judy for their caring and patience with me; all our dedicated singers and ringers; and Bill Stephens, who has so ably stepped in for me again and again in recent weeks. I am not 'out of the woods' yet, but with some life style changes, wise decisions by my physicians, lots of rest for the sum-mer and continued prayers, I SOOOO hope to be able to continue with my work and joyful activities as your Music Director this autumn.

Harald

Backpack Ministry Update Christ United Methodist has successfully com-pleted our first school year of the back pack food program. The ministry began delivering to Middle Creek Elementary in December 2014. Because we had such a wonderful response from our congrega-tion and the community, and because the number of students was much lower than had been antici-pated, we expanded our program to Elm Grove Elementary in the early spring of this year. Addi-tional food was added to the back packs and the total cost per child is now $4.00 a week. We ended the school year packing for a total of 95 students and are in a good financial position to fund the next school year unless the number of students increases dramatically. There is a core of 12 people who have faithfully shopped, packed or delivered the food each week. We look forward to continuing this pro-gram, helping to meet the needs of food insecure families. Thank you everyone for your support.

Bake Sale A Success

Mary Bandi and Donna Light would like to thank everyone, who made items for the Bake Sale, that was held in conjunction with the spring rummage sale. Also, thank you to everyone who purchased these items. A total of $813.80 was raised for mis-sion projects supported by the New Covenant Unit.

The Honey-Do Jar

Assisting Church Members with Minor Home/Property Maintenance Needs

One of the goals for the Mission/Outreach Team of our church this year is to assist church members with minor home/property maintenance needs. Some of our church members are looking for some-one to fix a leaky faucet, a light switch that doesn’t work, or a door that won’t close. They need some-one to install a new bulb in the ceiling light, or a new knob on the cabinet drawer, or a grab bar on the wall by the toilet. This fall they may need some-one to rake leaves or scrape and paint a weathered window frame. We aren’t planning to set up a busi-ness doing minor maintenance since we are propos-ing these small jobs be done for free. We envision a church sponsored Honey-Do-Jar. If you would like to participate doing or receiving the work, please put your name and skills or request in the jar at the Mission Committee bulletin board. We’ll see how it works out.

Recording of Worship Services

The Spirit Team will be recording the Sunday morning worship services. If you or someone that you know, cannot attend worship and would like to listen to the sermon, please contact Martha Hon at 304-233-3196.

CUMC Golf Umbrellas for Sale The Spirit Team will be ordering 60 inch golf umbrellas with the Church name on them to be used at the Church entrances in inclement weath-er. The cost is $10. If you would like to order one for yourself or to donate one for Church use, please no-tify the Church office by August 1st. Umbrellas will be delivered on September 1st. If you have ques-tions, see Martha Hon.

Birth Announcement

Congratulations to Ben & Danielle Ellwood on the birth of their second child, Allie Rae. She weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Proud, big sister is Addilyn.

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Christ United Methodist Church 1232 National Road Wheeling, WV 26003 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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PAID WHEELING, WV PERMIT NO. 481