April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

**Group Events**

Men’s Gathering: Breakfast/Dinner

Wed. May 6, 6pm, Dinner at Nino’s.

United Methodist Women - UMW

Wed. May 6, 6pm, Prayer & Self Denial @ GUMC

Book Club

Book club meeting, Apr 29, 7pm @ GUMC. Category is Leadership Development. Book is

“Sally Ride”, Americas First Woman in Space. Books can be ordered through Gobles Library,

MeL.org. See Diane C. for questions. **CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE***

Bible Study

Tuesdays, 6:30-8:00pm, Lectionary-based Bible Study @ GUMC, Pastor Larry leading. **See Gobles FB page for sessions until further notice.**

GUMC NEWS Serving God, Serving Community, Connecting Community with God

Pastor Larry French email: pastorlarryfrench@gmail.com

Pastor’s cell: 616-551-9280

Parsonage: 628-9126

Office Hours: Tues 9:00-Noon / Thurs 9:00-Noon

Wednesday: visitation and pastoral care by appt

Office Phone: 269-628-2263

Church Email: info@goblesumc.org

Sermons are available on the webpage. Go to www.goblesumc.org and go to sermons.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goblesumc/

mailto:info@goblesumc.orghttp://www.goblesumc.org/

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

**Where You Can Help**

Food Pantry Needs: pancake mix, canned

soup, jelly, instant potatoes.

The Food pantry is open on Saturday’s 9-11am

Troops Overseas (Pkgs for our

troops): April Item(s)- deodorant and

toothpaste

hotel size shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotion

can be donated anytime.

Pocket Prayer Patch – both knit and crochet

patterns are available on the bulletin board.

**Announcements**

Church Garage Sale, Thursday and Friday,

May 21-22nd

. Get started on your spring

cleaning!

Missions

Literacy Night

Our Literacy Night that was scheduled for Wednesday, March 25 was cancelled and will resume in October.

UMW (Baby Sweaters)

Our UMW District Challenge this year is baby sweaters, knitted or crocheted and Cover Them with Love

Quilts. Patterns can be found on the Midwest Mission Distribution site or make a copy from the patterns

provided on the bulletin board. Quilts have some pattern restrictions and no batting.

Hospitality Team Volunteers needed to help provide refreshments on Sunday. You can bring a baked good (brownies,

cookies, donuts, coffee cake, etc.), cheese or fruit. The sign-up sheet is located on the Hospitality Center.

Please put your name under each item you will provide so the team knows what else is needed. Any

questions, contact Debbie Siwula. Thank you!

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

Worship Servant Ministries

April May June

Liturgist Dee Clement Madison Ely Cheryl Rumery

Ushers & Greeters Mary Ann Menck

Bonnie Johnson May 3, 10

Bev Barrone

Jan Westcott

May 17, 24, 31

Marlene Krajewski

Donna Launius

June 7, 14

John Smith

Dee Clement

June 21, 28

Chuck Grimes

Lonnie Wesseling

Hospitality April 5, 12

Bob & Michal Wiseley,

Susan Barber

April 19, 26

Larry & Jenny

Wheaton

May 3, 10

Tim & Peggy Harvey

May 17, 24, 31

Donna Launius,

Lois Wesler

Rich and Cheryl Rumery

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

Send a card, email, give a call --------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 3 Cheryl Goodwin

April 10 Connor Tucker

April 11 Dale Siwula

April 12 Ted Huizenga

April 15 Anna Clement

April 16 Dennis Hurlbut

April 18 David Goodwin

April 10 Rich & Cheryl Rumery

April 22 Susan & Jeff Barber

Check your church directory for addresses

and phone numbers

Gilberta Evans

Dorothy Healy

Ruby Hyde

Kit Hunsberger

Marlene Krajewski

John Smith

Bernice Stowman

Pat Wesseling

God, I don’t know what to do with all the brokenness I see in this world, the

brokenness in me. Will you shine your light and heal us?

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

Be A Prayer Warrior Luke 21:36 Our Prayers for March- God Hears and Answers Prayers

Ian Wilcox Erica Barber Nancy Forrest Jack Cook Wendy Burmeister Marianne Lee

Nancy Forrest Don LaPointe Ford Stender Prisoners’ & Family’s David Healy

Jack Carrol

Clifford McPherson Missy Carrol Marcie Bremmer Kelly Rumery Lou Johnson Don Brunner Pat Wesseling Chuck Yordy Barb Roden Virginia Shaw John Brooks

Sympathy family of:

Bubbles VanDiver Brody White Stella Delach

Travel Prayers

Dee & Diane

God, help me to depend on others and to be a dependable friend as well

Before prayer changes others, it first changes us

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

FINANCE UPDATE - Our box that we each live in is getting very familiar by now. I have talked to a lot

of people that are going through old photos and files and thinning out paperwork. While the church doors

are not open to greet you, our mission still exists.

Bills are still coming in for utilities, salaries and insurance. As a church we were fortunate to start the year

with some excess money to provide cash flow to meet those expenses in a timely manner. Your weekly

gifts and offerings in support of our church are missed. It is unsure when we will be able to meet as a

group again.

Some of you have inquired how to get your gifts and offerings to the church. Several easy options at this

time are: 1) put your giving envelope in an envelope and mail to the church, PO Box 57 Gobles, MI

49055. Please put C R in the lower left corner so it goes directly to Cheryl for deposit. 2) You can push

your giving envelope through, between the two glass doors, on the East side, up near the door handles, it

can be picked up and given to Cheryl.

There is a possibility that PayPal could become an option. It would be set up through the Conference and

a donor would have to go to the Conference site and make the donation using the donors PayPal

account. Feedback would be appreciated.

As of the end of the month the difference between budgeted income and expenses is $2,617.00.

Your Finance Team

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

April 2020 Issue 10 (88)

April 5th

– Palm Sunday

April 10th

– Good Friday

April 12th

– Easter

Pastor Larry’s Ponderings…

News Flash – EASTER IS NOT CANCELLED! Although we cannot gather

together, and this year will feel very different than past years, Holy Week is still Holy

Week. Nothing can keep us from the story that has changed all of our lives, and on

Easter Sunday, Christ will rise! I encourage all of you to celebrate the Holy Week

story in your own way. We can do it together via Facebook and Zoom, the same way

we have tried to stay as connected as possible in this trying time, but we can also

celebrate right where we are, we may just need to be a little creative. On April 5th

,

how about making some homemade palms? Whether you have kids or not, why not

parade around the house, waving them while saying “Hosanna! Hosanna in the

highest!”? Read Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John

12: 12-19. Maundy Thursday is the celebration of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. It is the story we tell every time we take Holy Communion. You can’t consecrate the

elements of Holy Communion, we can only do that together, but you can still

remember Jesus as you eat dinner that day. Read Matthew 26:17-30, Mark

14:12-26, Luke 22:7-39 and John 13:1-17:26. Good Friday is when we remember Jesus’ arrest and execution at the hands of the dominant powers of the day.

It is a somber time, and Jesus’ sacrifice for us can be honored by lighting candles as

we read of his death. Read Matthew 26:31-27:66, Mark 14:27-15:47, Luke

22:40-23:56 and John 18:1-19:42. Of course, Easter is a celebration of Christ’s victory over sin and death. The story begins at the empty tomb and continues to this

very day, long past the 40 days Jesus spent with his

disciples after his resurrection. When we celebrate

Easter, we are celebrating our own liberation from sin

and death. We have nothing to fear, because some

2,000 years ago God came down to save us, once and

for always! This Easter, why not find a way to tell of

your redemption by grace? Why not find

a way to share the gospel with someone who may not

have had anyone take the time to truly explain what

Christ’s sacrifice means to them? Read Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16:1-20, Luke

24:1-53 and John 20:1-21:25. I encourage you to take this time of isolation to come closer to Christ by sharing the gospel message with others, and once this is all over, we

may see a silver lining to all this – we will make 2020 known as the year we got to

celebrate Holy Week twice!

What a blessing! Be well and be safe.

With Peace and Love ~ Pastor Larry

April 9th

– Maundy

Thursday