Dear Friends,

It’s been a long time since we have sent out a

newsletter. I’m happy to be able to write to you

again. One of the reasons for our delay in sending a

newsletter out was that we bid farewell to our long

time employee, Nancy Feverston, and welcomed a

new administrative assistant, Brenda Milliman.

Brenda is acclimating very well to our Friendship

team. If you haven't met her yet, call the office, or

swing by, and say hello.

We also recently welcomed to the team a new

pastor, Rev. Caleb Henry. Caleb will introduce

himself later on in this newsletter; suffice it to say

that he, too, is acclimating very well. He and his

family will be a great blessing to us, and we to them.

I’ve heard that Caleb loves coffee and conversation.

If you share the same loves perhaps you can get to

know him over a cup of joe.

Caleb will be assisting us as we get laser focused on

our mission statement of being disciples, and

making disciples. At a recent Administrative

Council meeting I shared an article with them titled,

What If We Made Disciples And Left Church

Growth To God? What if, indeed. I think, and the

Bible testifies to this, that we would discover that as

we make the glorification of God in the lives of

God’s people our top priority, God would take care

of the rest. That is what Jesus meant when he said,

“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his right-

eousness, and all these things will be given to you as

well” (Matthew 6:33).

We will do this. This Fall we will be offering several

programs and events; the goal of them will be to

increase the value in the lives of you — the people

of Friendship. In September we will be teaching

adults and youth about how to deal with anxiety, and

offering classes to help people gain financial peace.

We will also be diving deep into the Bible, and

learning how to be formed by it. If you want a head

start read 2 Peter 1:1-11. I’m also excited to an-

nounce a seminar that we’ll be hosting that’s all

about dementia, and how people can minister to

those affected by it.

All of these programs are geared towards helping

live fully in the kingdom of God. I have a vision of

Friendship becoming a place where people’s main

reason for coming is because of the transformation

of life that they experience here. I want them to

come and remain because it is at Friendship where

they “learn how to do all that [Jesus] command-

ed” (Matthew 28:20). As we shift our focus towards

growing lives, this will become a reality.

I’m glad to be on the journey with you.

Receive every blessing,

Pastor Meshach Kanyion

PAGE 2

Ginny Mund

Bob Pemberton

Mallory Heitfeld

Andrea Towe-McGregor

Erna Witt

Richard Green

Linda Allgeier

Larry Phillips

Joe Kitchell

Pray for prisoners and all victims of injustice.

Pray for all those affected by violence motivated by fear and hatred.

Pray for conversion of hearts.

Pray for all our government leaders

Having just finished our annual youth handbell

summer tour, I am reminded of all the times in

this past year that Friendship’s musical groups

enriched the lives of our folks by leading in

worship and presenting music to the glory of God and

for the edification and enjoyment of all who have been

present to hear and experience their offerings. Each group

works hard to take the time to prepare music for worship

and concerts, to share the gifts that they have been given

by God.

We give thanks for the little ones of the Preschool and

Children’s choir, under the dedicated leadership of

Angela Hursh, that have delighted us with their wiggly

enthusiasm as they sing and recite God’s Word. Our bell

choirs provide a special way to celebrate and delight in

the beauty of God’s art, playing in worship, combining

into multi-age groups for Christmas Eve, Lenten Con-

certs, Easter, Spring Handbell Festival and our annual

youth handbell tour this year to the Pacific Northwest.

The dedication of our Chancel Choir is much appreciated

as they rehearse each week and offer their leadership in

worship on most Sundays and special service days

between September and June.

Our many groups participated in the Annual Christmas

Pops Concert, Christmas Worship Cantata, and Commu-

nity Good Friday Service Concert featuring combined

church choirs and full orchestra. Combined choir

anthems, soloists, and small ensembles make our worship

special in the summer and throughout the year. We give

thanks for all who participate.

We are blessed at Friendship to have so many singers and

instrumentalists of all ages who give of their time

willingly and with joy to present and lead music. We

believe that God has great things in store for us in the

months and years ahead. Contact me if you or any

member of your family would like to join us on this

journey or to learn more about music at Friendship!

Celebrating our BlesSINGS and BELLessings!

Jim Burke

Email: martellatoman@gmail.com

UPCOMING SANDWICH SATURDAYS:

August 5, 2017 September 2, 2017 October 7, 2017 November 4, 2017

in Thomas Family Hall, 9:00 AM

Joan Arbogast Nathan Richtand

Gene Hendren

WORSHIP MUSIC AT FRIENDSHIP

PAGE 3

Boy Scout Troop 482 will use wheelbarrows,

shovels and rakes to

spread a dump truck

full of mulch over our

playground in order to

make sure it is safe for

children. Parents will

help us tighten equip-

ment and build a

sandbox with a wooden lid that has integrated seats

when open. (We can already hear the delighted

squeals of the children!) And teachers will spend at

least 20 hours just getting their classrooms ready to

receive children, not to mention the additional

almost 20 hours of in-services and meetings. Oh,

that there was a magic wand we could wave and just

have everything fall into place!

This year we will continue our Parenting

Workshop Series. If you missed it, last spring we

hosted Parenting Your Best presented by Renee

Mattson from Child in Bloom. Renee was very

engaging and had so many wonderful tips and

information for parents. We plan on bringing her

back again this spring for Little Kids with Great Big

Emotions. Everyone in the community is invited!

Once we have a confirmed date, we’ll be sure to let

you know.

Lowellette Lauderdale

Summer 2017

Our staff has formed a

professional study

group that meets

monthly to explore

more deeply our profession. Our study group is

part of a state-wide network of study groups that

support the professional development of university

faculty, primary grade teachers, and infant through

preschool teachers. In June, the umbrella organiza-

tion for these study groups had a celebration. Each

study group attended and presented documentation

of their study this past year. Ann Lampe, Jill

Stuhlmueller and Lowellette Lauderdale

represented Friendship Preschool’s study group at

the celebration. Our documentation was very well

received, so well that other study groups have

stated their desire to imitate our work. Our

documentation (see photo) was a scrapbook that

each teacher helped create to document our reflec-

tions of the books and articles we read, as well as

our process. It is in Lowellette’s office. You are

always welcome to stop by and take a look at it.

We look forward to continuing our professional

study group work this next year.

Fall 2017 Much happens in August to get ready for

the many children and families that will enter this

building every week during the school year.

Trustees make sure the facility is in tip top

condition. (Thank you for the new roof and park-

ing lot markings!)

The next quarterly “Voice” deadline, covering November, December &

January, is October 15TH!

PAGE 4

Friendship,

How wonderful it is to finally be here with you!

On behalf of my family, I want to begin by saying

“thank you” for being so welcoming. Rachel,

Josie, Cora and I have been so encouraged by your

hospitality and your generous spirit. You barely

know us, and yet you have already showered us

with such care and love that is obvious the spirit of

Christ resides here, both in word and deed. We are

truly, truly grateful.

Please know that I—and by extension, my

family—want to spend as much time as possible

getting to know you. That is my primary goal in

the next few weeks. Transitioning into a position in

the midst of summer is never ideal—as everyone is

busy with vacations and such—but I look forward

to getting to know you as our paths cross in the

near future. Hopefully, and I fervently pray that,

by the time Christmas arrives, I will no longer

have to ask you to remind me of your names!

In time, I am sure you will come to discover that

my passion is helping people discover who they

are in Christ and how they can more fully live out

His way of love, justice, reconciliation, and service

in this world. We know the world is broken; our

TVs, Facebook feeds, and newspapers show us all

the real and tragic ways our world needs the

healing love of Christ. The constant stream of hurt

is almost too much to bear at times. We find

ourselves wondering, “How can this be?” And,

in moments where we are able to muster enough

courage, we may even dare to ask, “How can I

help?”

The journey of faith requires us not to live away

from the miseries of the world but to enter into them

with the hope and peace of Christ (Gal. 6:2). We do

this not by our own strength but through the power

of the Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life. Who can

say what the ultimate results will be for the work we

perform? But we entrust them to God who never

wavers in his commitment to love those who are

hurting, to bring justice to those who have been

deprived of it, and to work for peace amidst the

raging gales of fear and strife.

Time seems much too short to accomplish the great

task we have in Christ Jesus. We also fear that we

will never measure up to the task. We seem too

ordinary, too insignificant, too imperfect, to do

anything. Yet we know we can’t sit idly by biding

our time until…well, whatever it is we are waiting

for to happen. Something tells us we would never

come to know who we truly are in Christ unless we

answered God’s call. And so, we respond because

once you hear his voice, and know his love, you

can’t help yourself—you must respond. We

respond because we know, as those gathered on the

banks of the Jordan knew so long ago, “the time is

now.” Christ’s Kingdom has arrived, the only

question is: Are we ready to enter fully into it with

all that it requires of us?

I am overjoyed to begin this journey with you.

Again, on behalf of Rachel, Josie, Cora and myself,

I thank you for welcoming us. We look forward to

meeting you and becoming a part of the Friendship

family.

Peace in Christ,

Caleb

PAGE 5

Financial Highlights Through June 2017

• Year to date Income through June was $14,415 less than budget.

• Expenses during the period were $16,947 less than budget.

• Under spending is primarily a result of the change from full time to part time Associate

Pastor and utilities savings due to trustee projects.

• Our budget status is a result of generous giving by our Congregation and significant

reductions in budget requests including apportionments at 50%, programs and staffing.

• Operating cash reserves through June $120,000 versus our goal of $150,000.

Questions please contact Jim Herd jherd63@gmail.com

Results through June 2017

Actual Budget Difference Last Year

June 2016 YTD

Income 363,594 378,009 -14,415 397,329

Expense (321,113) (338,060) 16,947 (325,412)

Totals 42,481 39,949 2532 71,917

As part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), Friendship hosted five homeless families this past

May. Directly following the Bible’s call to care for others, numerous volunteers offered meals and

housing to our guests for one week. With their basic needs covered, the families used the resources of

the IHN center to search for housing. Two of them secured permanent places to live during their stay.

Many thanks to all those who donated food and volunteered their time. Working together with members

of Lincoln Heights Baptist Church, The Gathering at Northern Hills, and Wyoming High School's

Project LEAD, we opened our doors to a friendly, helpful, and grateful group of guests.

From September 24 to October 1, we will welcome a new set of families. Consider talking to Jennifer

Kirsch (jennifer.kirsch@fuse.net 513-212-7269) or Karen Jordan (mkjordans@gmail.com

513-535-8000) to get involved with this rewarding ministry and help our neighbors find new homes.

PAGE 6

VBS

134 kids from Friendship and the surrounding

communities traveled to ancient Rome for our

annual Vacation Bible School. It was clear that

God's spirit was with us through the entire plan-

ning process. Anna Johnson and Ashanti Kanyion

stepped up to co-chair the event. These wonder-

ful ladies picked out the theme and had the idea

to ask members of the

church to sponsor

children to attend.

God continued working

through William

Mathews who, at only

5-years-old, raised

the money to sponsor

20 kids all by himself. We received a donation of

props from Alan Masters to decorate the church.

When the event was over, an entire crew of peo-

ple came to help clean up. I want to thank every-

one; parents, youth, and all of the volunteers who

helped make this VBS an amazing event where

kids learned about the love of God. The children

were blessed and they blessed others by bringing

in donations totaling $500 that was given to

Hands Against Hunger.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

NEWS

Fall Sunday School Even though it's still the heat of summer, we are

already planning for our Fall Sunday School

Program. Blessing of the Backpacks will be

Sunday, August 13th and Sunday school will begin

on August 20th. Also on August 20th the third

grade class will receive their bibles during

children’s moments at the Traditional service.

We can't wait for you to join us for the 2017-

2018 school year!

Fall F.I.S.H. Schedule The 5th-6th grade F.I.S.H program is

excited to welcome Kristine Campbell as the pri-

mary teacher! This program also begins for the

school year on August 20th. September 29th-

30th will be the annual WEIRD retreat. We will

be joining other 5th-6th graders from churches

around the Cincinnati area at Camp Kern for this

overnight event.

Lindner Center for Hope Event Our church will be hosting a free event led by

the Lindner Center for Hope. Scott Bullock will

be talking to both parents and youth about the

signs, symptoms, and coping with pre-teen and

teen stress and anxiety. The adult seminar will

be held on September 20th from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

The youth seminar will be on September 24th

from 10:15 a.m. -12:00 p.m. following a light

breakfast. Please join us to learn more about this

important topic. Ed McMichael & Pastor Meshach

portraying Paul and Brutus

PAGE 7

It’s amazing what can happen in a week when focused

on God. The highlight of the trip was working (OK - truth time - PLAYING) with kids

who craved attention. Piggy back rides, hours of pushing kids on swings, basketball,

stories, coloring, tag were great ways to make connections. Devotions in the morning,

discussions at lunch and large group worship in the evening centered us and helped us

focus on God.

Special thanks to the following chaperones for giving a week of vacation time to sleep

on air mattresses and dine on 5 star camp cuisine - Bob Barrett, Tom Brown, Scott

DeWitt, Ben Masters, Alan Masters, Jane Masters, Karen Jordan, Michael Jordan, Cady

Short-Thompson, Steve Thompson, Clint Morley, and Jim Rathbone. The combination of zany, caring, silly,

loving, and God-centered is necessary for this role. This group can offer master classes in chaperoning. We

cannot take these trips without their generosity.

Thanks to our college chaperones who take care of the

chaperones, keep an eye on the high school population,

and serve as a great bridge between the two groups.

Their caring, understanding and energy are greatly

appreciated. Thanks to Sarah Jordan, Emily Wood, Kristine

Campbell, Marie Lippert, Logan Draper, John Brown,

Thomas Harmon, Sam Strom, Nolan Morley and Nicholas

Denney. Please note that these are college students who

gave up a week of earning for college or internships to care

for our teens. They serve as examples of what the next steps

in life and faith look like for our teens.

Upcoming events! October 1 - Let’s unload a pumpkin truck after worship! Here’s the plan. Worship then enjoy lunch with the

senior high at 11:30-12:15. We will unload the pumpkin truck at 12:30. We have jobs for everyone. We have

small pumpkins that need to be arranged. We have large pumpkins that need to be hauled in wheel barrows.

We have a pumpkin hut to assemble. We will have sales as soon as the pumpkins start coming off the ruck.

If the Bengals are playing while we are unloading, we will turn a radio on to keep up with the game. This is

the social event of the week. Anyone who is anyone will be there. Come rub elbows with teens and adults

who love teens. The camaraderie is fantastic. Being part of a big group is energizing. Watching the front lawn

turn orange is entertaining.

Proceeds from the pumpkin sale go to the mission trip the following summer. The patch will be open every

day in October from 11AM-7PM. The shifts are 2 hours each. Please look for the Sign-Up Genius in late

Since becoming the senior high director in 2009, I have noticed an increase in the number of teens dealing

with significant levels of anxiety. Friendship will be hosting a seminar for parents on September 20th for

parents from 6:30-8PM. Your family might not be struggling with this, but your neighbors might be. Please

come and learn more so we can better serve others. On Sunday, September 24th, cafe will be meeting at

10:15AM with breakfast for the teens and a seminar about anxiety for them. Please see Cindy Vice’s article

for more information as Education and Senior high are joining forces.

Carrie Short-Lippert

We’re on the web!

www.friendshipwyoming.com

FRIENDSHIP UMC 1025 SPRINGFIELD PIKE CINCINNATI, OH 45215

Phone: 513-821-5725

Fax: 513-821-6060

www.FriendshipWyoming.com

From the Pastor’s Pen 1

Love & Prayers/Worship Music

2

Preschool News 3

Associate Pastor 4

Financial Highlights/IHN 5

Christian Education News 6

Sr. High News 7

Prime Time Sept, Oct. 2017 8

Prime Time Schedule September, October

We have the following programs:

September 20 - “Stephen Foster’s Favorites”

Ashley Ford, presenter

October 18 - “The Sad, Seamy, Sinister Side of Cincinnati”

Jay Kathman, Docent Cincinnati Museum Center

Wednesdays, from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

(Thomas Family Hall) ($6 per person at the door)

The office begins taking reservations on the first of the month for that month’s

program.

You may call 513-821-5725 x10 or email: secretary_fumc@fuse.net