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The Grapevine Weekly Newsletter of La Plata United Methodist Church
July 2, 2020
A Note from Pastor Susan Dear Family! How in the world are you? We are coming up on the July 4th weekend. I hope this finds all of us excited to celebrate and remember. I know things look a little different this year and we may not have all the festivities as usual, but holidays are really not about the festivities. Holidays are days set aside to jog our memories and to re-commit to the reason for celebration. National holidays mark the occurrence of the most important events in the life of our nation. The 4th of July reminds us that once, we were not our own. We "belonged" to Mother England. On July 4th, we proclaimed our independence from England and began the work to make that a reality. It was hard work and cost all something and some everything. But, it was THAT important. The writers of the Declaration of Independence included these words in their document: "We pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." Nothing was withheld from their cause and quest for freedom. For Christians, freedom takes on even a deeper meaning. We once belonged to sin. And we could not wage war against it. Jesus warred with our sin on our behalf, costing him his life. But, on the third day, Jesus rose victorious! And in his resurrection, Jesus secured our new life. Our new freedom. Our sure promise of eternity. As we celebrate this day in our nation's history, remember the cost and celebrate the victory. May we also be eager to remember the cost of Christ to bring us freedom from sin and death. Let us pledge to Christ, our lives, our love, and our sacred acts of service and devotion. Let us withhold nothing from HIS cause and His will and way. However you celebrate these things, be safe, be well, and be blessed. His... and Yours, Pastor Susan
In This Issue Announcement Our Food Pantry to Reopen Another Great Drive-In! Opportunity for YOUR Prayers Charles County Cares Initiative Music – Healing & Boosting the Spirit The Plan! The Plan! Prayer Mask Ministry Employment Opportunity - Deadline Aug 1 DIY Face Masks We Are One Text Your Tithe Kids’ Korner Let’s Celebrate! Let Us Pray An Independence Day Prayer Facebook Find
The Grapevine Editor: Sherri Hastings
Publisher: Karen Hamner Circulation: 750
Weekly deadline for submitting articles is Wed. at 4pm.
Announcement In our denomination, pastors are appointed by the Bishop for a twelve month period only. They may be re-appointed for other twelve month periods at Annual Conference, typically held in May. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent restrictions, Annual Conference was postponed this year until September. However, the "appointment" year always begins on July 1. Therefore, as of July 1, Bishop Latrelle Easterling has re-appointed me to La Plata Church for another year. I am honored to remain and walk the path with you. It has been a rocky one so far this year, but you all have been AMAZING! Connecting, reaching out, BEING the Church WITHOUT WALLS! You invite me into your lives and I do not take that privilege for granted. Thank you for letting me serve you for another year. I have said it before and I will say it again: I SERVE THE BEST CHURCH IN THE CONFERENCE! Pastor Susan
Another Great Drive-In! Family! Another great Drive-In service was held on June 28 in our parking lot. A big THANK YOU to all who helped and attended. It was noted that a few folks did not come because they did not sign up, using SignUp Genius. We use this program to assist in our requirement for contact tracing. In case someone gets sick, it is important to know who else might have been exposed. However, please never think that if you did not happen to sign up, that you cannot come. You can call the office and let Karen know. Or, if it slips your mind, all you need do is drive in and tell the attendant that you didn't sign up. We will jot down your name and voila! Easy fix! Our Drive-In services are open to all! Just be mindful of our TEN commandments! Our next outdoor opportunity is in the works. Watch for details!
Our Food Pantry to Reopen The Food Pantry will reopen on Wed, July 8 and will operate every 2nd and 4th Wednesday through September. We will be providing curbside food pickup with limited staff. All volunteers will follow the church guidelines by wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Text Your Tithe
Text 844-905-2671 enter the amount as the message
and send the text
“Charles County Cares” Initiative End Hunger in Charles County, LifeStyles, and other organizations continue to work with the community to provide food, toiletries and information about resources during this COVID 19 Crisis through: • Community Cabanas • Meal deliveries • School meal sites • Curb-side Food Pantries • Groceries • Hot meals The following volunteer opportunities available are: • Sign-up to volunteer to help in the Community
Cabanas at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094FA4A92BA4FB6-charles1
• Donate food for the Anytime Bags/Lunch Bags, toiletries, and items for hygiene kits. Please call LifeStyles or End Hunger to schedule delivery.
• Donations can be made daily from 8am – 4pm. You can also make a monetary donation. Checks should be made payable to End Hunger in Charles County. Please write COVID19 food in the memo line and drop it off at the Fuller House located at 3470 Rockefeller Ct., Waldorf, MD 20202. If you have any questions, or would like more information, please call End Hunger in Charles County at 301-383-3683 or LifeStyles at 301-609-9900.
Opportunity for YOUR Prayers La Plata Church's mission and ministry to our community has never stopped and we are excited to issue you a new opportunity to serve God by serving others through prayer. Specifically, we would like to lift prayers for those in our county who serve as active Law Enforcement Officers. Our Prayer Partners have obtained the names of law enforcement officers from Charles County. Just respond to the Grapevine email you received to let the Prayer Partners know that you wish to participate and how many officers you are willing to pray for. You may also call the Church Office with that same information. In return, you will be emailed the names of officers and a card with the name of each that you can place somewhere as a reminder to keep that person on your mind and heart. Thanks in advance for helping us serve those who serve us!
3 Port Tobacco Road La Plata, MD 20646
301.934.2288 laplataumc.org
Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Susan E. Boehl
Summer Sunday Worship Service:
10am Facebook Live Online Worship
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is,
there is freedom.
This Past Week
Church Income
$ $ $ $
337
45 & 3 dogs
250
Facebook Views Outdoor/Drive-In Preacher’s Pop Up Prayer
10,207 10,393 9,127
7,352
June 7 June 14 June 21 June 28
Courage Corner
"May God give us the faith and the courage exhibited by those patriots who pledged
their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor that we might be free."
Ezra Taft Benson The Plan! The Plan!
Remember Tattoo, the aide to Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island?? Yes, I know I am dating myself. He would exclaim, The Plane! The Plane!, when he saw it come into view. Well I am excited to proclaim, The Plan! The Plan! Our church has put the final touches on a plan for re-opening safely and confidently! Much time, work, and prayer has gone into this plan. It is a working document that will be continuously monitored for specifics as they change in relationship to state, health, and denominational guidelines. Please check your email with the Plan contained therein. Constructive suggestions are always welcome and all feedback is taken seriously. We understand that there are those who think we will open too soon and those who think we are not opening fast enough. We ask for your understanding that we are all learning as we go and are doing everything we can so that all may come in safely. The Plan will be available on our website, by postal delivery to those who do not have electronic access, and in email form to everyone with an email address in our system. If your email has changed, PLEASE alert the church office. Having said that, please be advised that THE BUILDING IS STILL CLOSED. With a Plan in place, now comes the work of training our volunteers. As a reminder, please email or call the church office to put your name down as someone who will help us move the church forward in these challenging times. ALL OF US are essential workers to the Kingdom of God. Join in and make a difference!
Music – Healing & Boosting the Spirit
Music feeds the soul; music makes us cry; music makes us smile; music connects us with God’s blessings. The previous statements are not only how we feel, but also grounded in years of research. Music helps increase serotonin and endorphin levels, boosting the brain and our mood. Music also is used to treat patients, feeding our hearts and helping us feel more connected to others, to ourselves, and to the world around us. If you or someone you knows plays an instrument, enjoys singing, we would love to have them join our virtual music project for our church. Please email Linda Dent-Mitchell at [email protected] to learn more.
Getting Prepared to Re-Open: DIY Face Masks As La Plata UMC prepares to re-open its doors, we want you to be prepared too. Everyone entering the building will need to wear a face mask to meet the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. While fabric face masks are not as effective as the CDC-approved ones, like surgical masks or N-95 respirators, wearing a mask can help prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus from people that are contagious without knowing it. Here are quick and easy instructions for making the CDC’s no-sew face mask with supplies you likely have at home: What you need:
a bandana or a piece of cotton fabric cut 22” x 22” (Note: The best fabric is tightly woven, 100% cotton) a flat coffee filter two rubber bands or hair ties
What to do: Lay out the bandana or fabric Fold bandana in half Place the coffee filter in the center of the rectangle Fold the top and bottom in towards the center. Fold the sides in towards the center. At the folded creases, loop your rubber bands or hair ties. Tuck one end of the fabric into the other. Lift the mask to your face and secure the straps by looping the rubber bands or hair ties over each ear. Adjust as needed. Make sure that your mouth and nose are completely covered.
Employment Opportunity - Deadline August 1 Children and Youth are our greatest resource. They are not only the future of the Church, they are the PRESENT! La Plata Church is currently accepting applicants for the position of Director Of Christian Education and Youth Ministry. Corrie Roberts, who will hold this position until May 31, has tendered her resignation to serve God in other ways. This is a 20 hr/wk PART-TIME staff position. Applicants should submit a resume and references. At least one year experience working with children and/or youth or comparable training is preferred. If you have a heart for children and youth or know someone who does and may have an interest, please contact the church office for more information. Make a difference in the life of our church and in the lives of the younger members of our church family. Position specifics are available upon request. Deadline for applicants is August 1. Thank you!
We Are One La Plata UMC is a church family and when one hurts, we all hurt. If this extended time of hardship has impacted you in financial ways, we want to help. Please call the Pastor or Karen at the church office number and let us know. Your information will remain confidential and NO ONE except the pastor and/or our Administrator will be informed. La Plata Church wants to walk alongside you!
Prayer Mask Ministry The Prayer Mask Ministry of La Plata United Methodist Women is off to a strong, blessed beginning! In order to support the "Re-opening Well" efforts of our church building, we are sewing face masks and praying now for the people who will eventually wear them. If you are interested in joining this ministry through sewing, cutting out materials, or providing for supplies, please contact Kathy Cox at [email protected]. Best yet, pray for this ministry to grow and perhaps provide masks for others in our community in Jesus' name.
Text your Tithe
In less time than it takes to write a check, you can make weekly offerings by sending a text message. Just read the instructions below of how to get started and you can continue to support the work of our church by texting your tithe.
Kids’ Korner
Let’s Celebrate!
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Friday, July 3 Mary Boggs Saturday, July 4 Dave Bayles & Cheryl Reckeweg-15 Dave Bowling
Sunday, July 5 Steve Mitchell & Linda Dent Mitchell-17 Schuster Vance Paige Wheeler-18 Monday, July 6 Ed McKenzie Tuesday, July 7 Greg Starkey Wednesday, July 8 John & Susan Carns-48 Cole Bingham
Thursday, July 9 Bill & Jean Sigmon-54 Dylan Gausman Roger Merrick Friday, July 10 Jim & Corrie Roberts-16 Sunday, July 12 Jimmy & Kathy Cox-34 Joe & Carrie Summers-17 Mike Williams
For our friends and family who are living in nursing homes, and assisted living or home bound:
Tom Berry Wade Beswick Karyl Beverage Frank Brinson Patricia Buckler Sue Carns Jennifer Carpenter Jerome Church Cathy Compton Harolly Coombs Joyce Dean Sandra Fykes Remy Zachary Gordon Carl Greene Laurie Hamilton
Peggy Hamilton Randy Hill Christina Kingsbury Francis Lewis Patti Lincoln Donna McKenzie Ed McKenzie Johnny McPherson Renee Nash Carl Occhipinti Frank Quinn Mary Beth Reckeweg Bonnie Richards John Richards Melissa Faith Rollins
Crystal Rupprecht Patty Rupprecht Donna Sarnacki Tabitha Schneider Carol Sorenson Rosalie Snyder Don Stapleson Michael Stewart Brian Thomason Jeanette Tull Sandy Tull Linda Valente Cora Westmoreland Mike Williams
Let Us Pray
Ann Bergerstock Lennis Bridgett
Iris Dickerson Sharon Ferguson
Mike Merritt
Our Law Enforcement Officers as they risk their lives each day to protect their communities. Medical personal as the put their lives at risk caring for those with Covid19. Researchers as they strive to develop a cure for this virus. The leaders of our country, may the Holy Spirit be present at every meeting as they keep us informed. Our Pastors as the continue to find new ways to minister to their flock and keep us all connected. For each other that Christ will calm our fears and keep us safe.
Continue to pray for:
For our friends and family who have medical issues:
Find
Lord, on July fourth we'll celebrate Independence Day in our nation. You gave us the truth to set us free. You sent Jesus to die for our salvation. We thank you for the precious freedom That we have in our nation today. We know this country's not perfect, But we honor our nation, the USA. We thank you for the Founding Fathers, Who for freedom took a brave stand. Many placed their very lives in peril To start a free country in a new land.
I thank you for the brave soldiers, Who gave their lives to keep us free. They gave their ultimate sacrifice For freedom for Americans like me. As we shoot fireworks and celebrate With patriotic concerts and parades, We thank you for all your blessings And your great love that never fades. As we gather with our loved ones For picnics and barbecues and fun, We want to thank you for everything, Especially for sending your only Son!
An Independence Day Prayer
by Margaret Cagle
