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Sizzling Summer Ministry Opportunities

By Gerry Reed Burkholder

God’s vision continues to emerge all around us, both physically and ministry opportunity wise!  Construction and renovation have not dampened the enthusiasm for ministry here at Peakland.  In fact, the constraints brought to us by the construction on our physical plant have opened up doors of opportunity for different approaches to regular summertime ministries.  Look below for some of the ways summer will sizzle with new/special experiences this June.

Intergenerational Summer Sunday School (SSS) — Sunday, June 1, marks the first Sunday of SSS.  Space limitations provided the motivation for rethinking our approach for Sunday school ministry, but Mitzi Boyd, along with Clarence McCanna and other team members have provided the guidance for our congregation to gather as a family and share growth in our faith through music, laughter, group activities, biblical stories, and mission trip feedback. Look for our brochure giving each week’s focus. Plan on spending Sunday mornings, when you are in town, with your Peakland family. Begin gathering at 9:45 a.m. so that we are settled and ready to join in the intergenerational SSS sessions from 10:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. At 10:30, the Hospitality Committee will offer light refreshments for a time of fellowship.

Summer Worship Services — While Peakland will continue the 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services, Pastor Tim and Steve Cox, in conjunction with the Education Committee, plan to explore ways to focus more on children during the service.  Space limitations make it necessary to cancel Junior Church over the summer.  There will still be an infant/toddler nursery and a preschool nursery.  The preschool nursery has been moved to Room 202 for the summer.  While at the deadline for the newsletter, the infant/toddler nursery is still in the Parlor, as renovation progresses, this nursery will need to be moved to Room 104, next to Gerry’s office.

Confirmation Sunday, June 8 — The Peakland family gathers at the 11:00 a.m. service  to welcome twelve Confirmands into membership.  They have prepared for this moment since September through the Sunday School program and a week-end retreat.  Parents, teachers, mentors, and Peakland’s staff invite all of our readers and family to join is this celebration as we welcome our confirmands.

Kits for Conference — Remember to turn in your kits by Friday, June 13, in the Fellowship Hall.  Those interested in making school kits may pick up already made school bags off of the mission bulletin board or the hooks outside of Gerry’s office. Groups may want to pool resources and put a kit or several kits together.  They will be dedicated at the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, June 15, and taken to Conference later that afternoon.

Happy 300th Birthday John Wesley!  —  One of our special worship services this summer will take place on Sunday, June 15.  On this Sunday we will celebrate John Wesley’s 300th birthday which is actually on Tuesday, June 17.  Come and sing happy birthday to John and share in his Peakland birthday cake at the 10:30 a.m. light refreshment/fellowship time between SSS and 11:00 worship.  In honor of Wesley’s birthday, why not put together one of the Kits for Conference (see item above).  Remember, this Sunday is also Father’s Day and New Member Sunday!

Intergenerational Vacation Bible School(VBS)— Construction needs give us the opportunity to do VBS with a different perspective.  The VBS team, under the direction of Lori Toms and Heidi Oliver, are psyched and ready to approach this important ministry with a twist this year! The team hopes everybody from age 2 to 102 will mark Sunday, June 22 (SSS), Wednesday, June 25 (mission supper night), Sunday, July 13 (SSS), and Wednesday, July 16 (missions dinner night), in your date books.  Those are the dates for this year’s VBS programs.  By using two SSS times and two Wednesday evenings in conjunction with the mission super teams, there are four opportunities to participate in VBS this year. Each session will have a different lesson and activities designed for God’s children of all ages.

At least one parent/grandparent per family must accompany and stay and participate with children that attend. The entire evening is intergenerational. Our hope is that all of the Peakland family (with/without little ones) will come out and join in these very special VBS sessions.   Watch the bulletin and posters for more specific information.  Note: The Education Committee and Missions Committee selected Interfaith Outreach as the recipient of SSS and VBS/mission supper offerings.

Please join us for a sizzling summer at Peakland!
 

Music Notes
by Steve Cox

We will be starting our summer practice schedule Sunday, June 1. We will practice at 10:00 during Sunday School. The “summer choir” is open to all -- families, singles --no choir robe, no fuss. This will be on a Sunday-by-Sunday basis. Of course, we'd love for you to make it every Sunday, but we will go with whomever we have.

There has been a tremendous positive response to the call for the hymnal supplement, THE FAITH WE SING, both pew and choir editions, and additional copies of THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL. There have been enough donations of THE FAITH WE SING Choir Edition and THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL to meet our current needs. We still need approximately 75 pew editions. We are still taking donations for the Father's Day Sunday memorials or honoraria. Please keep this project in your prayers.
 

Relay for Life

On Friday, June 6, through Saturday, June 7, three youth teams and one adult team from Peakland UMC, consisting of over 45 people, will be joining together to walk in the fight against cancer. This year's event will start at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 6, at Sandusky Middle School, (please note the change in the location of the event), and will end around 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 7.

The event will kick off at 6:00 p.m. with a survivors walk. All cancer survivors and their care takers are invited to a special reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. After the reception our survivors will walk the first leg of the event together.

At 9:00 p.m., there will be a beautiful luminary ceremony to remember those who have died from cancer. The evening will be full of fun, music, and games as we work hard to stay awake through the wee hours of the night.

At 9:45 a.m., we invite all of our children to come and join us for the Children's walk. This is an opportunity for our children to join us and be part of the cure.

We invite everyone to be part of our team either by walking, pledging money, bringing food, coming out and cheering for us, or keeping us in your prayers as we join together to raise money to find a cure.

Our youth will be in the Narthex on Sunday, June 1, to accept your pledge and food sign-up donations. Please join us and be part of the fight against cancer.

Children's packets, luminaries, donation forms, and survivor sign-up forms are available. Please contact the church office if you would like any of these.
 

Carwash & Bake Sale
Jennifer Vestal Moore

Date:  Saturday, June 14
Time:   9:00 a.m.—12:00 noon
Cost:  By donation
Where:  PUMC

Have you been thinking, “Boy, my car sure is dirty!?”  Come to Peakland anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 14, and our youth going to Lake Junaluska this summer will be happy to take care of the dirt for you.  While you are getting your car washed, be sure to stop by the Yard Sale out front and help support our mission team going to Guatemala in July. (see article below).  This is a great opportunity to get your car cleaned and collect some valuables at the same time.
 

Missions Yard Sale
Mary Adams

In conjunction with the UMYF Bake Sale and Car Wash, Guatemala Missions teams will hold a yard sale on Saturday, June 14, from 8:00 a.m.—12:00 noon.

Encourage everyone you know to save their "stuff" for missions. No large overstuffed furniture please. Clean and wearable clothing accepted.

Because of space restrictions, items should be brought to the church on Friday, June 13, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
 

Kits for Conference

Help others by getting together Kits for Conference. Every year UM churches provide kits and money for kits that will be sent to Annual Conference to be distributed by Church World Service to people in need around the world. This year our PUMC goal is to provide fifty kits.  Bags for the school kits are being sewn and provided on the Mission Bulletin Board in the hall by the Church Office.

HEALTH KITS to contain: one hand towel, one washcloth, one comb, one metal nail file, one bar of soap (bath size), one tooth brush, one toothpaste 4-7 oz., and six Band-Aids. Bundle all items into the towel and tie together with ribbon or yarn. Alternatively, a donation of $12 will allow CWS to provide a health kit.

SCHOOL KITS to contain: one pair blunt scissors, pads or notebooks of ruled paper approximately 8.5” x 11” (containing 150-200 sheets of paper), one  30-cm ruler (12 inches), one pencil sharpener, six new pencils, one large eraser, twelve sheets of colored construction paper, one box of 24 crayons, and one 12”x14” cloth bag with cloth handles.  Pack items in the bag, fold the top over and secure with two large rubber bands. A donation of $11 will allow CWS to provide this kit.

BABY (LAYETTE) KITS contain: four cloth diapers, two shirts, two washcloths, two gowns or sleepers, two diaper pins, two sweaters or sweatshirts, and two receiving blankets (one can be knitted). Wrap the items in one of the receiving blankets and secure with the diaper pins.  A donation of $35 will enable CWS to provide a layette kit.