THE MESSENGER

 

WHAT MAKES YOU SING?

 

Each day I find myself singing a song or two to Ayanna.  Usually, the song is one of the simple tunes we all share with our children like:  “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “If You’re Happy And You Know It”.  I get a genuine thrill from seeing Ayanna’s face light up as I sing, because she looks so joyful.

 

 I began to wonder how God must feel when we offer our voices in song?  In good times and in bad times, it is a wonderful gift to the Lord to sing a song of praise, worship, adoration and supplication.  Why?  Singing praises to the Lord clearly communicates to God that we are willing to put our trust in God and God alone.  Singing praises to God lets the devil know that despite our circumstance, we will not allow our joy and love for God to be stolen. 

 

I have discovered that the more I give God praise, my day gets easier, solutions to problems become clear and my soul is happy.  I encourage each of you to offer up to God one verse of your favorite hymn, anthem or praise song just as a way of saying thank you. 

 

You Are A Blessing!

Rev. Anthony R. Hood

 

INSIDE: Dinner Dance – 3 Good News - 4 Endowment Fund - 5 Vaca.BibleSchool - 6

 

DOOR TO DOOR EVANGELISM

The ministry of Scott Memorial extends beyond the walls of the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall, into the community where we’re located.  

Scott’s Door to Door Evangelism involves canvassing the neighborhood and offering to pray for the members of our community.    

The upcoming dates for Door to Door Evangelism are Sunday, July 25 and Sunday, August 22.

 

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS:  To walk and drive

WE NEED DONATIONS:  Water, ice, power bars, Gatorade.

WE NEED TO BORROW:  Coolers.

 

All are invited to participate.  You can sign up in the Fellowship Hall following the 10:30 Sunday service.  Louise Dickens is heading up this event.

Training is required for first-time volunteers;  check the weekly Bulletin for upcoming training dates.                  

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

 

Hello Friends in Jesus Christ,

We of the United Methodist Women  (UMW) greet you with “Faith, Hope and Love in Action.” 

 

If you weren’t aware, this was the theme of our Assembly that was held in St. Louis, MO April 30 through May 2.  More than 6500 women assembled at the St. Louis’ American Center for the UMW quadrennial gathering.  A number of us from Scott Memorial traveled there to share in the dedication to mission with women, children and youth.  We heard enthusiastic examples of our organization’s influence on the lives of women around the world.

 

There were stories of devotion to spiritual growth, social injustice and mission work.  We participated in marches and rallies concerning immigration problems here in the U.S.  Through one of the numerous workshops, we learned of the social injustice that occurs when women and children are kidnapped and used for sex trafficking across international borders each year.  It seems that 20,000 – 50,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. annually.  This is a global problem as well.  Consequently, the problem requires the strategies of multiple stakeholders to build national efforts throughout the world.  The United Nations has established agencies to end human trafficking.  It’s a crime of such magnitude that it can’t be dealt with by any one government alone.

 

This July, the United Methodist Women of Scott Memorial will again make plans for our “In Gathering Project.”  The various sub-groups of UMW prepare health kits consisting of basic toiletries and the kits are given to the residents of Covenant House.  Covenant House is a faith based, non-profit organization that provides shelter to young people who have no place to go.  The kits will be assembled and delivered in September of this year.

Also coming up is the “Salad Fiesta”, which is our annual membership drive.  This year’s event will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, August 14 at 2 p.m..

An important part of our organization is our School of Missions Study.  Youth 13 to 18 years of age are invited to participate free of charge, Saturday July 17, at Clarenceville UMC in Livonia.  Girls, we hope you will come!

Later in the summer, our three (3) day School of Missions will take place at the Lake Huron Retreat Center in Port Huron beginning August 18 through the 21^st.  The deadline for registration is August 10, and the cost for the three (3) days is $98.

Ruby Anderson asks that all UMW who have read four or more books from the Reading Program turn in your information to her this September.

We’re looking forward to Women’s Day in October and, as usual, we intend to have an outstanding speaker for you at our morning worship service.

 

In Love,

E. Dolly Gunter 

UMW Communications Officer

 

 

The Finance and Stewardship Ministries encourage you to use the 20/10 plan for paying your Apportionment -  $20 each month for 10 months (February through November).  This payment is in addition to your regular offering.  In 2009 Scott paid 100% of its Apportionment allocation.  Let’s make 2010 another successful year for our church!

STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY

By Jimmie Jones, Stewardship Ministry Team Member

 

 Have you ever wondered about the function of each of the ministries of the church? Perhaps you’ve considered being a part of one, but you just were not sure what each one does. After reading this article, you may find that you’re interested in joining the Stewardship Team, a ministry that is concerned about how one manages his time, talents, and resources. Yes, money is a part of it, but it is not the sum total. Managing all that God has given us is stewardship.

 

 Quoting from The Book of Discipline(which sets forth the plan by which we United Methodists govern ourselves), one responsibility in the area of Stewardship is “to plan and promote a comprehensive program… in such areas as stewardship education, proportionate giving and tithing, funding  the church’s ministries, planned giving, time and abilities, economics and money management, and lifestyle.” Another responsibility is to interpret the biblical and theological basis for stewardship.

 

 In order to fulfill our vision, we must take these stewardship responsibilities seriously.

So when you are asked to give of your time, your talents and resources in order for the church to accomplish our goals, we hope that you will not think that we are just begging.

 

The Stewardship Ministry Team provides the congregation with a brochure on Stewardship every first Sunday. The articles in the brochure give us good story examples of stewardship and a biblical basis for our giving. The articles are addressed to all ages. We hope that everyone takes time to read the insert in the first Sunday’s bulletin entitled Stewardship: Inspiring a Deeper Understanding of True Giving.

 

The chairperson of the Stewardship Ministry is Harriet Fry and the team is made up of members who meet bi-monthly.  One of our responsibilities is the planning and implementation of Consecration Sunday -  the day that members make their monetary pledge to the church for the upcoming year.  The team works with the Outreach Ministry in providing Tee shirts for our Door-to-Door Campaign and with the Finance Committee to ensure our pledges support the church’s budget.  In collaboration with the Expansion Committee, the Stewardship Ministry Team is planning a Fall Dinner Dance.

These programs are some of the work of the Stewardship Ministry.

Stay tuned for more news from this team throughout the year.           

 

SCOTT’S DINNER DANCE

 

The Stewardship Ministry, in collaboration with the Expansion Committee, is planning a celebratory dinner dance on Friday, October 15, 2010. This event will be a kick-off for a capital fund campaign to begin work on the expansion of our church. It is also a time for our congregation to celebrate what God has done for Scott Church through her 101 years. So plan now to be a part of this grand celebration. Dinner tickets are $40. Look for more information about this event in the coming weeks.

The working committees are Publicity, Ticket, Decorations, and Entertainment. If you would like to be a part of one of these committees, please contact our general chairperson, Harriett Fry.
 

 

3 C’s – SEASONED (not senior) CITIZENS

                         MINISTRY

                      by Millie Smith

 

 

The 3C’s ministry was organized in 1983, and since that time our mission has been:  CARING for the needs of others; CONCERN for senior citizens and COMMITTED to prayer, praise and worship.  This continues to be our main objective.

We visit, call and send cards to the sick and to those who are shut in at home, hospitals and convalescent homes.  For the Christmas Holidays, we prepare and deliver gift bags to those members.  In fact, the well being of Scott’s members is an agenda item – at each meeting the Sunshine Committee reports on the status of those members who are not able to get out.

In recent months we have grown in membership.  This can be attributed to our goals and outreach.  Our meetings are very informative – we often have speakers from agencies that provide services to seniors.

 

We also have lots of fun!  We celebrate members’ birthdays during the meeting.  We may have one to four birthday celebrants in any given month.  We also go on field trips;  the May and June birthday celebrants treated us to delicious buffet lunches at local restaurants.  One highlight of the summer was to attend the Tiger’s Baseball Game on June 17.  On that day we enjoyed an extra bonus – the Tigers won the game!

 

The 3C’s meet in Fellowship Hall on the first Monday of each month;  Essie Martin serves as president.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUTREACH AND EVANGELISM MINISTRY

Louise Dickens

 

Do you have all the tools you need to enhance your bible study?  The answer is “no” if you do not read the Upper Room or some other daily word.  The Upper Room is a United Methodist publication.  For information on how to receive this book of daily devotionals, contact any member of the Outreach Ministry Team:  Louise Dickens, Mary Harris, Edith Murry, Zenola Green, Mildred Tyson or Sylvia Pickens.

 

C O M I N G   S O O N

 

Monday, July 19 through Friday, July 23  - 

6 p.m.until 8 p.m.:

VACATIONBIBLESCHOOL

 

Saturday, August 14 – 2 p.m.:

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN’S SALAD FIESTA & MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

 

Saturday, August 28 – 10 a.m.until 3 p.m.:

SECOND ANNUAL HEALTH FAIR

 

Sunday, September 19          

            FAMILY AND FRIENDS DAY

 

Monday, September 20 through Wednesday,  September 22:

            FALL REVIVAL  -  Revival Speaker is Rev. TroyBenton

 

Friday, October 17:

            DINNER DANCE

                                                                       

 

WE LOVE TO HEAR GOOD NEWS!

• Congratulations to Jimmie and Pelham Jones who celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss on June 18!
• Shannon Mapp earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from WayneStateUniversity.  Good job, Shannon!

 

 

SCOTT MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST                      CHURCH ENDOWMENT FUND

by Pamela Gantt-Covington,

Chairperson on the Endowment Trustees

 

The Endowment Fund was established by resolution at the December 1985 Charge Conference of Scott Church. The original resolution was revised at the December 1987 Charge Conference and we still operate under the authority of that document.
    The Endowment Fund was birthed from the mindset that Scott Church could eventually disappear if there was no financial support system in place to continue the ministry work of the church into the future.  In 1985, the Church sold six lots and voted to use the $12,000.00 from the sale to start the Endowment Fund.  The Church contributed $200.00 monthly to Endowment while members made regular contributions to help build the fund.  Those contributions were invested by the Fund Trustees to increase income and growth.  Later, the Endowment Trustees sold life insurance policies that made Scott Church the owner and the purchaser or their designee the insured.  The people were asked to pay on these policies for three years, or pay a lump sum.  Some people were not able to pay the entire three years.  The original goal was to amass a sum of one million dollars in five year.  That goal was never realized, but we continue to work towards it.
    Like any organization that deals with finance, we have had our ups and downs.  In 2008, we were compelled to cash in 38 life insurance policies that had been constantly losing cash value.  We did not have the funds to pay the premiums on the these policies in order to keep them current.
    The Endowment Fund resolution states that the principal cannot be spent; however, the income can be used by the various ministries of the church.  The activity or item on which the income is spent must be something that is not funded by the church and is not a reoccurring activity.  Some of the activities and items that have been approved and supported by the Endowment Fund income are:  repairing the boiler on West Chicago, purchase and installation of the sound system in the choir loft and the narthex, computer for the library, camera and video equipment for the sanctuary.
    The Endowment Trustees take their responsibilities very seriously.  Each year since inception, because of the mix of investments, the fund has reported income.  Members can support the Endowment fund through contributions of cash, securities, real estate, etc.  You can also make bequests or include Scott Endowment Fund in your will or trust as part of your estate plan.


 

 

 

PLEASE REMEMBER OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE ILL, IN NURSING FACILITIES OR CONFINED TO THEIR HOMES.  THEY ARE APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR PRAYERS, CARDS AND VISITS.  CONTACT INFORMATION IS LISTED IN THE WEEKLY BULLETIN.