Inside this Issue

• Grandpar-ents Sun-day

• Revitaliza-tion

• Social Me-dia

• Home-coming

• Lay Lead-ership

• Snack Packs

• History of Rotary at FFUMC

The Steeple Bell— September 2021 Franklin First United Methodist Church

“Under the Green Steeple:”

A Solemn Remembrance

“Do not be afraid.” Matthew 28:10

If you are over the age of thirty, you probably remember what you were doing on September 11, 2001. That day is etched in our memories as a day when our world understanding changed. This September 11 will bring the twenty-year anniversary of that terrible day when terrorist plots took the lives of thousands of innocents. The depth of evil that can reside in human hearts was once again revealed in agonizing events. The uncertainty of life was in front of us with 24 hour coverage.

We learned that day in new and traumatic ways that life is filled with vulnerability. We learned that what starts as a normal day can take unexpected turns on a moment’s notice. We learned that evil is present in our world, and none of us is immune to the consequences of actions meant to cause harm. We learned to fear in new ways.

What would God have us learn from these tragic events? I think that the first lesson that vul-nerable human beings must learn is that God is our only true refuge. All earthly securities fail, but God is ever-present and always for us. We must place our trust in Him.

Do we want to forever live in fear? I’m convinced that is not what God wants for us. The above scripture was Jesus’ greeting to his disciples as he stepped into their presence after his crucifixion and resurrection. They were paralyzed by the fear that what had happened to Je-sus would happen to them. The Gospel of Luke adds these words: “Peace be with you.” (24:36). The Lord wanted them to live in hope, not in fear.

Tragedies happen in our lives, sometimes on a large scale and sometimes on a personal level. Through faith in Jesus, we do not have to live in fear. We can live with diligence and wisdom. We can live with an eye toward the future and seek to prepare for its challenges. But we do not have to live in fear. Even if tragedy should lead to death, we do not have to fear because “nothing can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39.

I’m sure that the coming month will bring visual and graphic reminders of the losses of Sep-tember 2001. I encourage us to remember that God did not desert us then, and God does not desert us now. Live in faith and hope, and as Christians let’s be hope bringers to those around us.

Pastor Laura

Grandparents Sunday

September 12

Join us in worship on September 12 as we celebrate Grand-parent’s Sunday. Chil-dren and elders have so much to offer one another in mutually enriching relation-

ships. Did you have a close relationship with your grandpar-ents? Perhaps some other elder in your life was a positive influence. The children that God has entrusted to our care here at Franklin First can never have too many elders who believe in and support them. I remember many of the older folks in the church where I grew up were surrogate grandparents in my life. They influenced me to be who I am today. During worship, our resident artist Judy Bowman will be il-lustrating the sermon live. We will keep the kids in the ser-vice, as they will be captivated by watching Judy share her art. After worship, we will enjoy a brief baked goods fellow-ship in our dining room. If you don’t have grandkids readily available, why not invite a young person to be your grandkid for the day? Or kids, invite that neighbor or other elder to worship with you. Let’s make this a day to remember.

2

Back to School Collection Update

We collected a very large amount of school supplies this year. All children

and teachers who were present for the Blessing of the Backpacks were

invited to take the supplies they needed. Provisions were given to Jim

McFarland, Director of Special Education and School Aids Supervisor, and

the “Stuff the Cruiser” initiative. Any remaining items will be given to An-

thony Wayne.

This is the ministry team that prayerfully seeks the leadership for our church in the next calendar year. We are looking for ministry heads, as well as those to serve on ministry teams. What spiritual gifts do you have to share with this family of faith? The committee will meet for the first time on September 16 at 6:30 pm. If you have an area of ministry that you’d like to explore, talk to Pastor Laura before that date. It takes all members of the Body to fulfill the mission of the church.

Committee on Lay

Leadership

What spiritual gifts do you have to

share with Franklin First?

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Act 20:35

Homecoming Sunday

September 26 will bring a celebration of our church’s long history in Franklin. This year, we will be highlighting those who have served through the church, especially those who have served in the Rotary luncheon ministry. The worship service will include music by our choirs and a rededication of our Education Wing. There will be a complimentary boxed lunch afterwards that all are welcome to enjoy. Tours of our newly revitalized Education Wing will be conducted for all who would like to see the remarkable work that has been done. Mark your calendars and save the date.

Snack Pack

Collection

It will soon be time to

begin our Snack Pack minis-

try at Anthony Wayne

schools. You will remember

that the school identifies

families with financial need

and gives us a count of the

snack packs that are sent

home with students on the

weekend to supplement

their nutritional needs.

Many children depend on

school lunches as a main

source of food in their day,

so these snack packs pro-

vide life-giving nourish-

ment on the weekend.

You can make donations

of shelf-stable individually

sized wrapped items at

any time. Suggestions in-

clude breakfast bars, pud-

ding and fruit cups, cheese

crackers, and salty snacks.

Please place your dona-

tions in the cart in the

church entrance.

3

Giving Options

Friends, as you are aware,

we collect for a smorgasbord

of different outreach ministries throughout the year. Snack Packs, the Frank-

lin Pantry, school supplies, etc. are all examples. We want you to rest as-

sured that you are not expected to donate to each and every drive. Pray

about which options you believe that God is asking you to contribute toward

and feel the blessing of being a cheerful giver. All of these giving choices are

above and beyond our regular tithes and offerings. Franklin First is such a

community-minded group of folks. Praise God that we can provide these as-

sets to our community.

Birthday Card Ministry Did you get a postcard from the

church around your birthday? Our

Missions Team selected four chari-

ties for you to choose from for the

church to make a donation in your

name on your birthday. Please re-

member to return your postcard to the church office.

Community Connections Needed

Along with the physical work being done through the Revitalization Grant to up-grade our Edu-

cation wing, we are constructing plans to reach out into the communi-ty in new ways. Are you involved in a local group that might appreciate interfacing with our church through use of the Education wing? We are not just looking to share space but connect with the group in shared ministry. Please share your ideas with one of the Grant Team members.

Revitalization Work

Continues

August Update

4

As you can see by the pictures below, our north and south Educa-

tion Wing stairway treads were replaced in August. What an impres-

sive update this brings! With that project completed, we have

moved on to have the carpets cleaned on the second and third

floors in this section of the building. Our diligent cleaning crew fin-

ished their work in the area, and the windows and walls are spar-

kling. Subsequently, the newly refreshed cork and white boards in

each classroom are being decorated. A “Praise Town” theme has

been chosen for our children’s areas, and graphics are being devel-

oped to illustrate this fun and colorful motif. We will have tours of

the newly revitalized Education Wing after worship on September

26, Homecoming Sunday. Why not plan to participate and see the

amazing work that has been done? And as always, a big thank you

to our many volunteers who have made this large project possible.

Franklin First Giving

Online Giving/We SHARE: This is a great choice for when you are unable to join us for Worship to continue to support the church. You can either set-up a recurring payment or give each time you visit the site.

Connect by using this link: franklinfirstumc1.weshareonline.org

Amazon Smile When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon

will donate to Frank-lin First United Methodist Church. Support us every time you shop. Just

follow the prompts from the link below: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/31-0599434

Women’s Circle Meeting

Monday, Sept. 13th

6:30 pm

Pizza will be provided.

Everyone is welcome — we will

begin our planning for the year.

Before After

What is social media? Why is social min-

istry important to Franklin First? What is

the news feed on Facebook? How can I

help Franklin First using my Facebook

page? What do you mean like our Face-

book page?

These are just a few of the questions—I

have been asked over the past few

months. For many the idea of engaging

on social media is uncomfortable if not

foreign to them. Technology has

changed the way we communicate with

each other and how we reach beyond

our church doors.

Facebook and other social media platforms are methods of communication that can be very effective in

quickly spreading the word to many but can also be intimidating or overwhelming if you are not familiar

with how to use it. The main purpose of Facebook is to help

friends and family connect with each other and share updates,

news , and other things that are important to the user.

In order to share our faith and the Franklin First activities, we

need your help sharing our information to your timeline, com-

menting, reacting to post with an emoji such as the thumbs up,,

thumbs down, etc.; or inviting your friends to like our page.

These are some easy ways to help Franklin First grow our Face-

book audience without spending any funds and anyone on Face-

book can help.

For those of you uncomfortable or not on Facebook — would

you like help setting up an account? Would you like some assis-

tance with using Facebook? Learn some tips and techniques to

using Facebook? Please let me know. I would be happy to help

you and others learn more.

We are continuing to grow our presence on Facebook and gain

new followers on all of our social media platforms. If you enjoy

engaging on social media and would like to help with our efforts,

please give me a call or send me an email or Facebook message. I

am looking forward to continue to grow the Franklin First com-

munity through these platforms

Theresa

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/

FranklinOhioFirstUMC

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/

franklinfirstumc303

Twitter:

twitter.com/

FranklinFirstU1

Franklin First QRC

Link

https://

beacons.page/

franklinfirstumc

5

Franklin First Social Media Want to Learn More about Facebook?

Social Media Links Follow

Franklin First

Rotary International was founded in 1905 and is a service organization with the pur-

pose of bringing together business and professional individuals to provide hu-

manitarian service and to advance international goodwill and peace. Rotary is a non-political and non-religious organization with a current total membership of approximately 1.2 million individuals belonging to over 35,000 clubs worldwide. Originally only men could be Rotarians, but in 1987 full memberships be-came available to women.

The Franklin Rotary Club was chartered on April 1, 1922 with sixteen members and has continued meeting until today. In 1986 the club’s name was expanded to the Franklin-Springboro-Carlisle Rotary since a number of members were from these neighboring communities. In 2003, members from Spring-boro formed an independent club leading to its current name Franklin-Carlisle Rotary Club. For nearly four decades after its founding, the Franklin Rotary met weekly for lunch and programs at the St. Paul Lutheran church on the southeast corner of Second and River streets until 1961 when that building was sold and soon demolished in order for this congregation to build a larger new church on East Second Street. For the next few years the Franklin Rotarians held their meetings at the Christian Church on South Main Street. Around 1967, the location for the Rotary meetings was moved to the First Methodist Church, which would continue to host them for over fifty years. The lunches were prepared and served by one or two groups called the “Rotary Ladies” although several men began participating by the early 2000s.

The Rotary luncheon meetings were held at noon on Fridays until a few years ago when they were changed to Wednesdays. Funds earned from the luncheons as well as direct donations made by the Rotary Club have supported many improvements to our church building and other projects. In a FUMC history written some years ago, one of the Rotarians was quoted: “FUMC is the best restaurant in Franklin.”

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person Rotary meetings ceased in the Spring of 2020 and were replaced with virtual Zoom meetings for over a year. Since the in-person Rotary meetings resumed in May 2021, they are being held in an upstairs room above the Pisanello's Restaurant on the northwest corner of Main and Third streets. For a variety of reasons, FUMC will no longer be hosting the Rotary lunch meetings. Thus, ending a 50+ year association that was enjoyable and benefitable to all in-volved. In conclusion, there have always been members of the FUMC congregation, as well as several of our pastors, as active Rotarians. During the upcoming Homecoming Service to be held on September 26th, FUMC will recognize the dedicated service provided by those in the “Rotary Ladies” groups.

The FUMC Rotary Teams in 2018 with then Franklin Club President Raul Concha.

(One of a regular series of brief reports on the people and events associated with the history and ministry of the Franklin First United Method Church. Robert Bowman, Historian

A Brief Overview of Rotary & Franklin FUMC

6

The City of Franklin is hosting the

Great Pumpkin Roll on Saturday,

October 16th on Main Street.

Franklin First UMC will be a part of

this new event and has been invit-

ed to be a part of the Truck or

Treat portion from 5 pm—7 pm.

How can you participate? •Fill out an application to decorate

your car and hand out candy. Applications due to the church

office by Sept. 30th.

•Be a part of the team to coordinate the event — meeting on Mon-

day, Sept. 13th at 1:30 pm

•Donate a bag or two of candy for the members participating to

handout.

For application and more Information go to https://

onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AO%2Dr0gWGbLwk%

5FIk&cid=4DFBAB2C9FE26970&id=4DFBAB2C9FE26970%

21649&parId=4DFBAB2C9FE26970%21104&o=OneUp

Contact the office or Linda Smith to sign up or for more information.

Birthdays September 19 Irene Adams-Sherron

September 21 Hudson Banks

September 20 Ernestine Chamberlain

September 16 Joe Jeromos

September 25 Taylor Jeromos

September 15 Cindy Kuntzman

September 17 Grayson Leffew

September 16 Deric Lucas

September 23 Tom Steinberger

Anniversaries September 07 Emily & Luke Alyea

September 22 Daran& Pam Bishop

September 22 Greg & Pam Trout

We are coming up to cold and

flu season once again, and

COVID continues to be a threat.

The CDC has strongly suggested

that masks be worn indoors.

Here at Franklin First, we will

not be checking for masks as

you enter the building, as wear-

ing them will be at your discre-

tion. For your safety and the

safety of others, we are asking

that all maintain as much social

distancing as possible when we

gather. We will continue to pro-

vide sanitation stations and en-

courage regular hand washing.

By all means, if you are feeling

the least bit ill (even the

sniffles), please worship from

home. Let’s care for one anoth-

er.

WE CARE ABOUT YOUR SAFETY

7 7

8

The Value of a Connectional Church System Falling Malaria Rates In Kamina Attributed To Awareness Campaign And Subsidized Care

With little money and a dense forest with impassable roads between towns in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 28 miles is a long way to travel, especially for some-one who is eight months pregnant. But Bibi was 25 years old, and she and her hus-band had already lost five children, two to miscarriages and three to fevers when they were just infants.

Her husband blamed her family and the traditional healers they sent her to, her family blamed her husband and sorcery, and in the middle was Bibi, pregnant

again, praying that she wouldn’t lose another baby.

But something had changed since Bibi’s last pregnancy. In 2018, United Methodists in North Katanga be-gan reconstruction of the Lupandilo Hospital in Kamina, about 28 miles away, with extensive facility up-grades.

The United Methodist Health Board in North Katanga partnered with Global Ministries for significant Glob-al Health funding and with the North Texas and the West Ohio conferences for a generator to keep all the equipment up and running, even when municipal electricity fails.

Imagine No Malaria Campaign in Kamina

For the past year, Lupandilo has served as a major staging area for a malaria campaign that reaches preg-nant mothers (since most malaria deaths occur in infants and children under five); encourages cooperation in prenatal and postnatal visits and supplies medical care, nets and malaria medicines at no cost to pa-tients. The campaign includes a community information initiative to help people know what malaria is, how it is transmitted, where to go for treatment and what to do to prevent it. From Lupandilo Hospital, health care workers, trainers and supplies are sent out to 24 smaller United Methodist health facilities and clinics across North Katanga. In a year with major flooding, that has not been easy.

In addition to in-person training, which is done according to COVID-19 protocols with appropriate preven-tion measures, the North Katanga Health Board has produced more than a thousand malaria-awareness radio spots to increase the reach of its messaging. This year, more women are seeking prenatal care at the hospital and at the other clinics, where they receive the facts about malaria. More than 11,000 nets have been distributed.

The campaign appears to be working. Dr. Hugo Ilunga, Imagine No Malaria program coordinator for the North Katanga Episcopal Area, made the following observations: “In the community, the result is a gradual, yet remarkable, decrease in the number of deaths related to malaria. There is a decrease in home deliver-ies and an increase in hospital deliveries following the strong awareness campaign, despite COVID-19. The health care workers report an increase in the proper use of mosquito nets almost in every household they visited as well as an increase in cases of consultation for fever.”

The North Katanga Health Board recorded 1,894 cases of death from malaria in 2018. By 2019, that num-ber decreased to 1,475 cases. In 2020, the health board recorded 959 deaths.

(Continued on page 9)

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

9

Saving precious lives

It turns out, Bibi’s tragic losses had nothing to do with sorcery or even hereditary gynecological con-ditions. The cause of her babies’ deaths was likely malaria. She is a strong woman who was infected with malaria for a long time, but she showed few symptoms, so she was never tested. Her babies, however, both in the womb and once delivered, could not survive the malarial parasite.

Bibi left her family and her husband and traveled the 28 miles to Lupandilo Hospital, staying there for two months before she was due to deliver. She wanted to be very sure she did everything in her power to deliver a healthy baby this time. She learned much from the staff there, and she attend-ed all her prenatal visits. She tested positive for ma-laria and accepted treatment.

She didn’t even stop to think about how she would

pay for the medical care. For her, it was all for her baby. When her time came, she delivered a healthy boy. She and her husband were surprised and re-lieved to hear that all the costs had been covered by Lupandilo Hospital, thanks to an Imagine No Ma-laria grant from Global Ministries.

Efforts to fight malaria continue through Global Ministries’ Global Health unit. As Ilunga explained, the goal is “to reach the point of no longer needing to talk about a case of malaria in our community.”

Consider a gift to the Imagine No Malaria Advance #3021190, to provide the funding needed to send mothers like Bibi home with healthy babies.

Click here to donate: https://advance.umcmission.org/p-418-imagine-no-malaria.aspx

Taken from: https://www.westohioumc.org/conference/news/falling-malaria-rates-kamina-

(Continued from page 8)

How to Support Hurricane Ida Survivors Now Sixteen years to the day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orle-ans, Hurricane Ida blew ashore as a Category 4 storm. Though Ida has not caused the same level of destruction as Katrina, survivors in Louisiana and be-yond will still need our care and compassion in the days to come. Here are some ways you can help: SUPPORT – Give to UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery fund (Advance #901670).

Write a check to ‘West Ohio Conference’ with ‘Advance #901670’ in the Memo line and mail to 32 Wesley Blvd, Worthington, OH 43085.

Give a donation online here (Online here)

TRAIN – Become an UMCOR-trained Early Response Team member! A Basic ERT Class is scheduled for September 18. Register here (Register here)

DO NOT GO – Do not self-deploy to the site of natural disasters. Give emergency personnel the time they need to complete the initial rescue and assessment phases. When the time comes, trained ERT’s will be notified of the invitation to deploy.

For more information on West Ohio’s Disaster Response ministries, email Mariellyn Grace

10

How children perceive their Grandparents..... She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup,

under the watchful eyes of her young granddaugh-ter, as she'd done many times before. After she ap-plied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet pa-per goodbye!" I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper goodbye....

My young grandson called the other day to wish me

a Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 80. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grand-

mother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, — "Who was THAT?"

My grandson was visiting one day when he asked,

"Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her

grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story.—”What's it about?" he asked. "I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

I did-n't know if my grand-daughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I

would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!"

7. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vaca-

tion cabin, we kept the lights off until we were in-side to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teas-

ingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your under-wear, Grandpa," he advised "Mine says I'm 4 to 6."

A second grader came home from school and said

to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grand-mother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said... "How do you make babies?" —- "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public

servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to

their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. "They use him to keep crowds back," said one child. "No," said another. "He's just for good luck.. " A third child brought the argument to a close." They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived.

"Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the air-port."

11

Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Poverty. Devastation. Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Poverty. Devastation.

This is what the Haitian people have survived, time and again.

Just a month after the as-yet unexplained assassination of the coun-

try’s president, the residents of Haiti awoke Saturday morning to a

7.2 magnitude earthquake, centered just 60 miles west of the 2010 earthquake that

caused untold damage. Then yesterday, Haiti was thoroughly drenched by Tropical De-

pression Grace, potentially causing flash flooding and mudslides in the already-battered

country.

More than 1,200 people have already been declared dead, with more than 5,700 injured,

and hospitals are becoming overwhelmed by survivors. Many roads are impassable, how-

ever, so some of the injured cannot even make their way to receive care. Others lack

food, clean water, and access to sanitation.

“Hundreds of thousands of people will sleep under the stars tonight for fear of the after-

shocks that still continue,” reports David Draeger, UM Volunteers in Mission Coordinator

in Haiti. “Many will go to sleep hungry because they don't have access to food or the abil-

ity to cook. Many will go to sleep not knowing the fate of loved ones still buried under

rubble. Countless numbers have injuries that have not been treated because there is no

medicine available.”

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has a long history of coming along-

side countries and communities when disasters happen, and Haiti will be no different. At

this time when it is too soon to GO, the best we as United

Methodists can do is to PRAY and GIVE.

•PRAY – Pray for the people of Haiti who are reeling

from disaster upon disaster. Pray for the doctors and

medical personnel who will treat the injured. Pray

for aid workers and humanitarian organizations that

will bring needed food, water, and medications.

•GIVE – Give to the UMCOR International Disaster Re-

sponse and Recovery fund, 100% of which goes to

providing aid on the ground, often through interna-

tional partnerships with local organizations, which are best able to assess and

address needs.

•Write a check made out to ‘West Ohio Conference’ with ‘Advance #982450’ in

the memo line. Mail to West Ohio Conference, Attn. Dee Stickley-Miner, 32

Wesley Blvd, Worthington, OH 43085.

•Give online through the West Ohio Conference website by using the link below

and select ‘International Disaster Response’ from the drop-down menu.

I do not cease to give thanks for you and the generosity you show to our brothers and

sisters in times of crisis. May God’s grace and peace be upon you.

Giving Thanks for You,

Give to the Haiti fund

through Franklin First

Just designate your

contribution by noting

“Haiti” on your check

or in the comments

section for your online

contribution.

Food Pantry

Donations

We continue

to collect

items for the

Franklin Food

pantry.

Currently, we

are asking for

cleaning

products.

During the

Fall months,

we will

transition to

paper

products. We

specify these

items because

the pantry

typically does

not have

ready access

to these

goods. The

collection bin

is in the

church

entrance.

12

Many Seek to Help Afghan Refugees But How? With the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, thousands of Afghan citizens are attempting to flee the country, fearful of a regime that has ruled by terror in the past. So why is it taking so long for refugees to arrive in the U.S.? The answer is complicated.

The airport near the capital city of Kabul has been overrun by those trying to leave, and there are not enough flights available to transport them all. The U.S. is focused on evacuating American citi-zens first, then Afghans who worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Yet many who qualify for special visas have been turned away from the airport and told to wait at home for further in-structions. Others have been taken to intermediate countries to be more fully vetted before coming to the U.S. Thousands of additional Afghan visa applications are in process – which can take months or years. In the meantime, how can we help? Here are some ideas. LOCAL On a local level, refugee resettlement organizations throughout West Ohio are preparing for a po-tential influx of Afghan refugees. Many of these organizations accept donations of household items such as furniture, lamps, kitchen accessories, and sheets and blankets. They also have volunteer opportunities, such as becoming a mentor or conversation partner. Organizations include: • Catholic Charities (Cincinnati/Dayton) - Click here

• Community Refugee & Immigration Services (Columbus) - Click here

• US Together (Toledo) - Click here

NATIONAL Nationally, U.S. residents can advocate for the government to increase its response to Afghan na-tionals who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. government has an obligation to provide refuge for Afghan allies and those fleeing violence and persecution by expanding and expe-diting access to the U.S. resettlement program. Take action now! ! (Take Action: Urge the Admin-istration to Expand Refugee Protections for Afghans Fleeing Violence and Persecution | CWS (cwsglobal.org)

INTERNATIONAL The Afghan residents who remain in-country face violence, drought, malnutrition, and for women and girls – potential abuse and exploitation. Humanitarian aid organizations are working to provide food, shelter, and protection for the most vulnerable. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is providing cash assistance to displaced families in the Kabul area through its Internation-al Disaster Response fund (Advance #982450) and is prepared to assist with refugee resettlement through the Global Migration project (Advance #3022144). You can support these efforts by giving to: UMCOR International Disaster Response - Click here

UMCOR Global Migration - Click here

International Rescue Committee – Click here

Women for Afghan Women - Click here

International Medical Corps - Click here

Now is also an important time to remember that immigrants and refugees are always in need of welcome, both in our communities and in our churches. For more information on how you can get involved, click here to go to West Ohio’s immigration webpage.

Submit a

Prayer Request

Anytime

Use the link below to

submit a Prayer Re-

quest anytime. The

link will send an

email directly to the

Pastor and our prayer

warriors will begin

the prayers for your

request.

franklin-

firstumc.breezechms.

com/form/862a54

Children’s Church

Update No Session on Sep-

tember 12th due to

Grandparent Sunday.

Bring your grandpar-

ents to church!

Church Council

Church Council Chair Mike Smith

Secretary Amber Ramsey

Lay Leader Charlotte Summer

Lay Member of Annual Conference Charlotte Summer

Lay Member of Annual Conference Alternate

Kim Chewning

Treasurer Tami Chamberlain

Membership Secretary Peggy Darragh-Jeromos

Communications Coordinator Peggy Darragh-Jeromos

Church Historian Robert Bowman

Pastor Laura Saunders

Ministry Team Representatives:

Staff-Parish Julie Abell

Finance Co-Chairs Paul Anderson

Trustees Tri-Chairs John Lass, Jim Martin,

Mike Runyan

Worship Monica Rhude

Technology Team: Joe Chamberlain

Committee on Lay Leadership

Laura Saunders

Christian Education

Jan Truesdell & Charlotte Summer

Missions & Outreach: Linda Smith, Amber Ramsey

Hospitality & Events Judy Bowman

Welcoming Ministry

Rachel Chamberlain,

Dorothy Rayburg

Scouting Coordinator Cindy Kuntzman

Staff-Parish Relations Committee

Chair: Julie Abell

Lay Leader: Charlotte Summer

Terms expiring 2021:

Sally Fitzgerald, Don Chamberlain,

Patti Noland

Terms expiring 2022:

Cheryl Cyphers, Mishelle Dicken

Terms expiring 2023:

Julie Abell, Judy Parker, Sue Fullen

Trustees

Tri-Chairs: John Lass, Jim Martin, & Mike Runyan

Terms expiring 2021:

John Lass, Jim Martin, Trisha Dicken,

Jerry Truesdell

Terms expiring 2022:

Cody Chilcutt, Mike Runyan,

Connie Bolinger

Terms expiring 2023:

Joe Chamberlain, Brian Graves

Committee on Lay Leadership

Chair: Pastor Laura Saunders

Terms expiring 2021: Cindy Kuntzman, Jenny Chilcutt

Terms expiring 2022: Pam Bishop, Sue Fullen

Terms expiring 2023:

Sally Fitzgerald, Karen Anderson,

Carol Runyan

Finance Committee

Chairs Paul Anderson

Treasurer Tami Chamberlain

Financial Secretary Julie Abell

Church Council Chair Mike Smith

Trustees Co-Chairs John Lass, Jim Martin,

Mike Runyan

Staff Parish Chair Julie Abell

Lay Leader Charlotte Summer

Lay Member of Annual Conference

Charlotte Summer

Pastor Laura Saunders

Worship Ministry Team

Chair & Choir Director: Monica Rhude

Bell Choir Director: Tami Chamberlain

Altar Design: Kay Marksberry & Pam Bishop

Technical Support: Joe Chamberlain

Usher Organizer: Rachel Chamberlain

Lay Leader: Charlotte Summer `

Pastor: Laura Saunders

Missions Team

Co-Chairs: Linda Smith, Amber Ramsey

Judy Parker, Lisa Dillon, Madelyn Lang, Tracy Easter, Kathy

Eich, Ken Smith, Karen Anderson, Tami Chamberlain, Marna

Rogers, Sally Fitzgerald

Technology Team

Chair: Joe Chamberlain,

Trisha Dicken, Andy Kuntzman, LeeAnn Lee, Paul Anderson

Christian Education Committee:

Chair: Jan Truesdell & Charlotte Summer

Rachel Chamberlain, Madelyn Lang, Carol Runyan, & Chris

Womack

13

Franklin First United Methodist Church 2021 Lay Leadership Ministry

Making disciples… Building Christian community… Transforming lives!

September 12 Grandparents Sunday

September 13 Women’s Circle Meeting

September 16 Lay Leadership Meeting

September 19 1st Choir Performance at Service

September 20 Church Council Meeting

September 26 Homecoming Sunday

Re-dedication of Education Wing

October 16 Franklin Great Pumpkin Roll

Trunk or Treat

Upcoming Events Franklin First United Methodist Church

Pastor Laura Saunders

Sunday Worship Service 10:45 am Livestreaming on Facebook

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

Franklin First United Methodist Church

303 South Main St.

Franklin, OH 45005

Phone: 937-746-5232

E-mail: office@franklinfirstumc.org