April, 2018

April 1

Holy Communion Easter Sunday

“When You Are Feeling Defeated”

Luke 24:13-27

April 8 2nd Sunday of Easter

“The 13th Apostle” John 20:1,18 & Mark 16:9

Susie Hagenstein

April 15

3rd Sunday of Easter Native American

Ministries Sunday Rev. Charles D. Brower

April 22

4th Sunday of Easter “ I Do Know You!”

John 10:11-18

April 29 5th Sunday of Easter

“Etwined and Connected ” John 15:1-8

BLESSING IN ABUNDANCE

For the past four weeks, our 2018 Confirmation class of twelve has been meeting every Tuesday night. This past Tuesday was the last time we will meet as a group. Each week, we started at six o'clock with a delicious dinner provided by team leaders. Then, we gathered in the church library for reflection, study, and learning.

We were blessed beyond measure with the following:

* Adult Team leaders provided a loving and welcoming atmosphere. They also participated by developing the lessons for each week and in leading those discussions with joy and purpose.

* The parents of each youth supported their children in this important step to becoming full members of this church by providing their children transportation to and from each session. I can still hear their laughter as parents greeted their children in the hallway after each session.

* The office staff was always available to assist the Adult Team leaders and your pastor in being prepared to lead each Tuesday evening.

As a result, we will be blessed with twelve intelligent, creative, articulate, faithful, and dedicated youth who will say their vows and be received into full membership on Sunday, April 22 at the eleven o'clock service. In addition, four of our confirmands will be baptized.

I can sense and feel that Spring is approaching because we, as a congregation, can now rejoice in the new life and hope that these twelve confirmands bring to GBUMC and to the world. The flowers will begin to bud and our days and nights will be warmer, reminding us that with every change in season comes the anticipation of new blessings in abundance. Faithfully, Julius E. Del Pino, Pastor

This and That from Dr. J.

** Please Contact our Office for a List of Names.

~Prayers for Don Floyd & family for the passing of his brother, Harold Floyd Sr, on February 21 ~Prayers for the family & friends of Bob Ailes, Bruce Van Vlack’s brother-in-law, who passed away on February 26 ~Prayers for the family and friends of London Eisenbeis, who passed away on February 27 -Prayers for the family of Jim and Harriet Karn. He passed away on March 14 and she passed away on

March 22.

~Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Craig Cheney, who passed away on Monday, March 19

Abbey Park 3221 E Baldwin Rd Grand Blanc, MI 48439 Brookdale Grand Blanc 5080 E. Baldwin Road Holly, MI 48442 Great Lakes Christian Home 2050 Washington Road Holt, MI 48842 Lighthouse of Roscommon 1290 E. Michigan Hwy Roscommon, MI 48653 Mission Point of Holly 313 Sherwood Street Holly, MI 48442 Tranquility Estates 4069 E. Cook Rd Grand Blanc, MI 48439

Junior High Youth Leaders:

Jennifer Lengyel

Matt Anderson

Senior High Youth Leaders:

Cathy Mitchinson

Dan Carvill

Senior High Youth Sunday, April 15; 5:00pm to 7:00pm Regular Meeting Sunday, April 22; ASP Fundraiser Break-fast, following both worship services. Eve-ryone is welcome to help, whether you are going to ASP or not! :) Sunday, April 29; MYSTERY TRIP?!?!?!?!? Meet in the Sr. High room at 11:45a We will get some lunch and then go

to the ?????. We will stop for ice cream and plan to arrive back at the church by 5:30pm. Don’t miss out on the fun!

You will need a permission slip!

Junior High Youth Sunday, April 15; 4:00pm to 6:00pm Regular Meeting

Sunday, April 22; TBD (watch your email for the time!) MYSTERY TRIP! You will need a permission slip! Looking ahead: Saturday, May 5 Regular Meeting

Appalachia Service Project (ASP) CALL(ED) TO ACTION!

Sunday, April 15 4:00pm to 5:00pm ASP Training II

Sunday, April 22 ASP Fundraiser Please arrive at the church by 9:00 for set-up and preparation. We will serve break-fast after both worship services. Plan to help with clean-up until approximately 1:30pm.

Saturday, May 12 4:00pm to 5:00pm ASP Training III

Our Annual Cedar Point trip is scheduled for Monday, June 18. Mark your calendars! More information will be coming. Make sure you attend youth group meetings and if you want to bring a friend, make sure they come to youth group meetings too!

You

th

Gro

ups!

News from the Education Committee

Youth Classrooms:

Preschool

Kindergarten—2nd Grade

3rd Grade—5th Grade

Junior High

Senior High

Adult Classrooms:

Adult Bible Studies

Stepping Stones

Perspectives

We offer Sunday School Classes at 10:00am on Sunday Mornings for ALL Ages!

Note: No Sunday School on Easter Sunday

2018 Vacation Bible School Shipwrecked:Rescued by Jesus

July 30—August 3

9:00am—Noon

If you got the wiggles… we have Junior Church!

For children ages 3– 5th Grade during both the

9:00am & 11:00am Worship Services

Communion Help Needed. . .

Have you ever wanted to help with

setting up communion? We need your

help! Remember communion is only

once a month, and it is an easy way

to help your church. You can choose if you would like to

help during both services or just one. This is very easy to

do! If you are interested, please contact Mixsy Trinidad

SEASONED CITIZENS

“All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, The Lord God made them all.”

~From Hymns for Little Children

by Mrs. Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander (1848)

THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018

Please join us as we fellowship with coffee and

conversation at noon with devotion/prayer at 12:25 and potluck at 12:30.

Our Program: Wildlife Problems and Solutions Presented by: Richard Smith (Trapper Smitty)

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Please bring a friend or two, we look forward to seeing you there!

Are you ready for some bell ringing? The 11th Annual Peggy Van Vlack Memorial Bell Festival is coming Saturday, April 21. The public concert will be held in the gym at Faith Lutheran Church in Grand Blanc at 3 p.m. This is the same location as the last several years. Eight bell choirs, including GBUMC's own Celebration Ringers, will be among about 90 ringers participating. The guest conductor is Brenda Austin. Brenda is the artistic director for the Detroit Handbell Choir and has served in various positions at First United Methodist Church in Eaton Rapids, MI. In addition she’s involved with the Area 5 Handbell Ringers of America.

CLEAN OUT THOSE GARAGES,

BASEMENTS, CLOSETS AND

DRAWERS! Bring those items you

no longer use or need to the church for our United Methodist

Women’s fundraiser! They will accept items from Monday, April

23rd thru Wednesday, April 25.

Sale Dates: Thursday, April 26 thru

Saturday, April 28.

SAVE THE DATE: Our next oil painting class will be Monday, May 14 at 10:30am-3:30pm.

UMW READING PROGRAM READ. PRAY. ACT.

Greetings Readers! Thank you for continuing to read as we walk together on personal journeys of spiritual growth. Here are more books from the UMW Reading Program available to one and all. Please continue to read, pray and act. As always, please contact Sally Keeney, GBUMW Program Resources for further information: THE PILGRIM MESSIAH by Richard C. Cheatham Richard Cheatham, a United Methodist clergyman and gifted storyteller, draws from Scripture to reveal living, understandable people. You will follow 12 disciples and Mary Magdalene as they grow to understand the man they call Master. You will come to know and love the person anointed by God as Christ and will find understandings lost in translation of Mark’s Gospel. (Spiritual Growth) FIRST FROST by Homer Noley The history of the Methodist’s attempt to evangelize Native Americans is riddled with spectacular failures and dramatic successes. In this account, Homer Noley helps you gain new insights and a richer understanding of Methodist missionary activities with Native Americans from the 1600s. (Education for Mission) THE SMELL OF OLD LADY PERFUME by Claudia Martinez Sixth grader Chela is a soccer playing nerd excited about starting school. After her best friend turns on her and acts like she doesn’t exist, she buries herself in schoolwork and in the warm comfort of her family. This small world is turned upside down when her father is rushed to the hospital and her grandmother arrives to help the family. (Nurturing for Community—CHILDREN) FREE? By David Almond, et al This collection of short fiction by 14 prominent writers from around the world dramatizes the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights with contemporary personal stories about young people who are victims, perpetrators and activists. (Social Action—YOUTH)

The biggest obstacle to solving the problem of

HUMAN TRAFFICKING is awareness.

Join us on Wednesday, April 18 at 6:45pm as we recognize that this is happening in our community. Amy Rouleau from Restoration Place will be our speaker. She will share

her experiences and what we need to know from 6:45pm to 7:15pm and she will answer questions until 7:30pm.

Amy came and spoke to our Outreach Committee on March 12 and they have asked her to come back so that you have the opportunity to understand this is a problem right here in

Michigan. Did you know…

Michigan is second in the United States in the number of cases of Human Trafficking? the number of Human Trafficking cases in Michigan more than doubled between 2012

and 2015? 90% of all victims are female and 1/3 are children?

Michigan’s proximity to Canada, water routes and vulnerable tribal communities make Michigan attractive to traffickers.

A Message from your Staff Parish Relations Committee

Sunday is a time for us to come together as a church family and worship. Often, there is excitement in catching up with friends that we have not been able to see or speak with during the week. At times, we also see Sunday mornings as an opportunity to speak with staff members and ask for help or guidance. Although our loving staff is willing to assist, we ask that you please use discretion. Remember that our staff members are trying to worship and connect with friends and church family as well. We do not want to take away this precious time from them. If you require assistance from any of our staff members the church office is open Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm. Our church office staff will gladly assist you in connecting with the appropriate staff member.

GBUMC is celebrating Native American Ministries Sunday on April 15, 2018 with special guest speaker Charles Brower

The Native American Seminary Scholarship recipient believes the Native American community can share its love of community and nature with the wider United Methodist Church family. Native American Ministries Sunday is an UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) project in the United States. When you support Native American Ministries Sunday, you equip seminary students who will honor and celebrate Native American culture in their ministries, and you empower congregations that are finding fresh new ways to minister to their communities with the love of Christ. Your giving allows Native Americans to encounter, worship and serve Jesus. Please join us on April 15th! Your contribution supports aspiring Native American pastors and enriches outreach in their communities. Thank you for your generous gifts!

Charles D. Brower, Nome, Alaska

Currently Local Pastor, Community United Methodist Church, Nome, Alaska. Serving on Native American International Caucus, Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group, Steering Committee of the Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships, the Western Jurisdiction Inter-Ethnic Coordinating Committee and co-chair Alaska UM Conference United Methodist Men. Past board member Native American Comprehensive Plan and Western Jurisdiction Leadership Team.

Born in Barrow, Alaska to David K. and Marie E. Brower, the eighth of thirteen children (four adopted). Early education included Barrow Day School (K-6), Wrangell Institute - Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school (7-8) and Mount Edgecumbe High School - Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding high school. Earned a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering from Northrop Institute of Technology, Inglewood, California and a Master of Business Administration from Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts.

Work experience include: President and CEO of Piquniq Management Corporation, ASRC Constructors, and Saint George Tanaq Corporation. Vice Chair of Native American Bank Corporation. Vice President of Business Development – Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. Consultant to US Department of Defense on several defense systems. Systems engineer, Rockwell International and test engineer at Lockheed California Company. US Navy veteran.

If you would prefer to receive your copy of the CONNECTION via email rather than your mailbox, you can let us know, anytime, by signing up on the kiosk or sending an email to the

church office (office@grandblancumc.org) or

clicking on “contact us” on the church website (grandblancumc.org), please indicate your preference in the message space.

What an exciting time! Please keep our confirmands in your

prayers as they begin this new journey of faith:

Grace Hedding

Cameron Herrmann

Scott Herrmann

Riley Johnston

Ben Lutton

Karl Martin

Jamie Morgan

Gavin Norris

Lauren Rice

Brendon Russian

Jenna Sanborn

Nicholas Stoick

The Staff Parish Relations Committee Asks for your consideration

Our Pastor often tries to take Friday as his day of rest, or Sabbath, so that he can relax, spend time with family and recharge for Sunday. We are asking for your assistance in supporting our pastor in being able to take this time for himself. Therefore, If you have an emergency that requires pastoral care please contact our church office for assistance. Our church office staff will contact the Pastor and make him aware of the need. We appreciate your understanding and continuing support for our pastor.

COMMON GRACE & CANINE COMPANIONS

APRIL 22, 2018 AT 6:30PM ‘COMMON GRACE’ AND THE ‘CANINE COMPANIONS FOR SOLDIERS’...ARE

TEAMING UP FOR A FUND-RAISING CONCERT

THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR FOR ‘COMMON GRACE’ TO OFFER A SPRING CONCERT TO

BENEFIT A WORTHY ORGANIZATION.

‘CANINE COMPANIONS FOR THE SOLDIERS’ IS A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION. FOR A VETERAN MAKING A NEW START PUTTING THEIR LIFE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN....AN

ASSISTANCE DOG CAN PROVIDE THE HELP THEY NEED TO REGAIN INDEPENDENCE.

THERE WILL BE A TRAINER...AND TWO

PUPPIES IN TRAINING...AT THE CONCERT....PROVIDING A DEMONSTRATION

AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ‘CANINE COMPANION’ PROGRAM.

ADMISSION IS FREE. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DONATIONS TO THE

‘CANINE COMPANION’ PROGRAM. WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE HOSTING THIS EVENT.

WE HOPE

TO SEE YOU THERE!!

ATTENTION KITCHEN USERS Following our visit from the Genesee County Health Department we need to change our kitchen policies. DO NOT LEAVE ANY FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR OR THE FREEZER, unless it is for your own upcoming event and it is clearly marked with your name and date. You are encouraged to take any unused or leftover items home with you after your event. There are go home containers in the pantry and Ziploc bags in one of the drawers of the island. The sharpie markers are in the drawer under the coffee maker.

Any food left in the refrigerator or freezer that is not clearly labeled will be thrown out!

Your efforts are greatly appreciated! Thank you! If you have any concerns, please contact: Donna Hubler, Gina Briscoe or Sally Keeney

Birthday Wishes

**Happy Birthday to all of our April Birthdays**

**Happy Anniversary to all

of our celebrating couples**

Counters

04/01 Jim Scrimger, Nick Federici, Bob Vandermark 04/08 Carol Capell, Jim Bunker, Ron Blakemore 04/15 Bev Atchison, Jessica Smith, Dave Russell 04/22 Carol Cerny, Bob Koerkel, Bernie Waisanen 04/29 Tom Cerny, Kevin Cook, Jim Wise

USHERS SCHEDULE

1st Week 2nd Week

RaeDeane Middleton Jim Wise Randy Middleton Matt Anderson Gretchen Jablonski Tony Jablonski

3rd Week 4th Week

Dianne Scrimger Debi Skinner Jim Scrimger Frank Skinner Dennis Keeney Barb Mills Sally Keeney Bob Mills

5th Week Usher’s Choice

ALTAR FLOWERS

Coffee Hours

04/01 UMM 04/08 Staff Parish 04/15 Trustees 04/22 ASP Fundraiser Breakfast 04/29 Worship & Arts

Acolyte Schedule 9:00am 11:00am

04/01 Kim Lutton Chloe Haggerty & Julia Koronka 04/08 **No Acolytes** ** No Acolytes ** 04/15 Charlotte Roth Julia Koronka & Mara Johnston 04/22 Christopher Lengyel Riley & Mara Johnston 04/29 Kim Lutton Brendan & Brett Russian

04/01 04/08 Doyle Johnson 04/15 Shar Ringlein 04/22 Jerry Rule 04/29

Junior Church

9:00am 11:00am

1st Sunday Cheryl Herrmann Tracy Sanborn

2nd Sunday Bev Atchison Randi Klosterman & Gina Briscoe

3rd Sunday Cheryl Herrmann Val Wise

4th Sunday Becky Doran Randi Klosterman & Gina Briscoe

5th Sunday Kristin Ivan Val Wise