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Footnotes from the
Foothills October 2016 Inside this issue:
From the Desk of
the DS
2
DS message cont... 3
Charge Confer-
ence Schedule
4
Fellowship of Local
Pastors & Assoc.
Members Retreat
Dir. Of Clergy Pro-
fessional Develop-
ment Position
Open
5
2016 Legal Forum
No Man Left Be-
hind—
Understanding
Men’s Ministry
6
Prayer Concerns
Zanesville First
Ham Loaf Lunch-
eon
HDMI Cables
Bluegrass Gospel
Sing
7
Foothills District UMC
During the month of October, Bishop Palmer will be visiting each of the 8 dis-tricts that make up the West Ohio Conference to talk about Our Life Togeth-er: Mission, Ministry, Future. All events will be held in the evening so both laity and clergy may attend. The Foothills District event will be held on Wednesday, October 19 at 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hocking Hills UM Church, 66 E. Hunter Street, Logan. We hope you will accept the Bishop’s invitation: Beloved in Christ Jesus: I am so looking forward to the opportunity to engage with you during the month of October when I hit the road for the Our Life Together gatherings. There will be opportunity for worship, celebration, futuring and conversation. The flow of the evening will be: 5:30 - Meal 6:00 - Worship 6:25 - Celebrating Ministry 6:45 - Presentation by the Bishop 7:30 - Q & A 8:30 - Adjournment I am looking forward to spending a few hours with you thinking and talking about some next faithful steps to fulfill our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Foothills District to Host Bishop Palmer
October 19
Page 2 Footnotes from the Foothills
From the Desk of the DS
First Fruits: A Lesson from Jericho At 1,300 feet below sea level, the Dead Sea re-gion is one of the planet’s most inhospitable spots. This shimmering body of salt water boasts as the lowest point on earth. Archeologists and historians tell us that the oasis located near the Dead Sea’s northern shore is one of the oldest occupied areas of civilization. Here, approximately 3,400 years ago, God used Joshua to “fight the battle of Jeri-cho and the city walls came tumbling down.” My first visit to Jericho, known as the ancient “City of Palms”, took place in late 1995. It was only three weeks after the assassination of Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Tel Aviv by Israeli extremist Yigal Amir. As a result, security was ex-tra tight in this already tense region. Throughout the West Bank, armed Israeli troops were com-monplace. As I entered the outskirts of Jericho, my Israeli guide informed me that our entourage would be passing through a Palestinian police checkpoint. Two years prior to our visit, as a result of the Oslo Peace Accord, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) had acquired control over this region and the Gaza Strip. After arriving in Jericho, while standing on Jericho’s ancient tell near Elisha’s spring, I found myself asking why would any orthodox Jew be willing to relinquish this beautiful portion of Israel’s inheritance to the PLO? (Some traditionalists believe this reclaimed territory is part of the land God gave to Israel in the Abrahamic land covenant of Genesis 13:14-17, 15:18, 17:3-8). The answer given was multi-leveled and quite complex. One simple reason, however, may be found in the story of Joshua. After the historic battle of Jericho and the city was completely destroyed, God said through Joshua, “Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho. At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates” (Joshua 6:26) God was saying to His people, “I am giving you the land I promised your forefather Abraham. Therefore, don’t rebuild the city. Leave this rubble here as an eternal reminder that I am the source of your present and future blessing."
If you have not yet registered for one of the gatherings, I encourage you to do so today. Here is the link http://www.westohioumc.org/conference/our-life-togetherevents. Please register by Wednesday, October 12. If you have a question you would like me to address when I am in your area, these must be submitted ahead of time. Please click this link http://tiny.cc/81safy to submit it via webform. I will do my best to try to answer as many missional questions as I can. Looking forward to seeing you soon I am, Your servant in Christ Jesus, +Gregory Vaughn Palmer
Page 3 Footnotes from the Foothills
Now allow me to push pause and ask: “Are you aware of the important Old Testament principle known as “first fruits”? The idea is this: When God begins to bless, as a way of saying, “God, I know You are the giver of the blessing, so even though You’ve only given the first part of the blessing, I will trust that You are going to give the rest in time. Therefore, to show that I really believe this, I’m going to give the first part of the blessing (the first-fruits) back to You.” This principle was so important to Israel that an entire Jewish festival was dedicated to this concept (See Leviticus 23:9-14). So back to our story . . . As the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the land of milk and honey, they (being desert nomads) owned nothing. The first thing the Israelites conquered was the lush oasis of Jericho. And God said, “This is mine. I want you to show me that you realize who is giv-ing you the entire land of Canaan. So you are going to have to trust that I will give you the rest.” Therefore, for the Israelites, Jericho being their “first-fruits” was to remain unoccupied for all eternity as a reminder that everything they possessed ultimately came from God. God would provide even if they returned to God their initial blessing. In the story of Jericho, we find the secret to successful abundant living and blessing. God is still the source from “whom all blessings flow.” Therefore, as persons called and claimed in covenant as God’s children through Jesus Christ, God desires us to acknowledge God’s supreme Lordship in a practical way. The true representation of our faith is not simply what we profess on Sunday morning, but how we respond to God’s Word on a daily basis. October is the month many Foothills District congregations focus on Biblical stewardship and financial planning for the next year. During this season, many United Methodists will be challenged to person-ally to apply God’s principle of “first-fruits” to their financial giving by saying, “God, I acknowledge that You are Lord of my life by giving You the first-fruits of my labor before I spend the rest on my life-style.” In doing so, they will be essentially saying, “God, you are the source of all I am and all I have. I place no other gods before you. I acknowledge that you shall meet all my needs, according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Therefore, I live by faith in obedience to Your Holy Word, applying Your guidelines of abundant living in every area of my life.” It is in this instance that God’s shower of blessings begins to flow. And I’m not necessarily speaking of materialistic blessing! The “Principle of First Fruits” is not the “prosperity gospel” of “name it and claim it - believe it and receive it.” I remember six years ago visiting a Mekong Delta factory in south-ern Vietnam where faithful Christian workers made around 25 cents per hour. The factory was a di-lapidated steel building with no air-conditioning. The workers lived there and slept on old wooden beds without mattresses. Yet, many of these very disciples of Jesus were living in complete victory! God’s anointing was upon them. Their lives consisted of rich blessing, joy and peace! Are you ready for the floodgates to open in your life? No, I’m not speaking of a measly trickle, but a splashing tide of God’s glory pouring over the sapphire sill of heaven’s gate, gushing like a raging riv-er to the immediate point of our need. Let me remind you that is wasn’t DS Miller who first said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). This month of October, I encourage you to trust God in your personal finances and become obedient
to God’s Holy commands. When our faithfulness aligns with what God already intends to do, God’s
abundance will be released and we will experience a supernatural spiritual explosion. Let’s pray and
work together as we look forward to witnessing God’s incredible blessings among us!
Page 4 Footnotes from the Foothills
Sunday Monday October 9 October 17 at Richland Athens
6:30 p.m. at Zanesville Coburn 6:30 p.m. Athens Central
Brownsville & Macedonia Bates Chapel & Shade
Frazeysburg Canaanville-Stewart Charge
Gratiot & Euclid Avenue Clarks Chapel
Nashport Richland
Zanesville Coburn
Zanesville Faith & First
October 16 October 24 at Nelsonville
6:30 p.m. at Marietta Gilman 6:30 p.m. Asbury & Starr
Barlow-Bartlett-Palmer Charge Buchtel
Cutler Chapel Haydenville-Smith Chapel Chg
Decatur Nelsonville
Living Faith
Marietta Faith-Norwood Charge
Marietta Gilman
Salem
Tunnel-Warren Chapel Charge
Unity Charge
October 23 at The Plains November 7 at New Lexington
6:30 p.m. Amesville Federated Parish 6:30 p.m. Bremen Calvary
Athens Korean
Corning Bethany & JC Good Shepherd
Connett Crooksville First Hope
Glouster-Jacksonville Ebebezer Muskingum
New Marshfield Charge Hopewell Perry
Iliff
November 6 at River of Life Moxahala
6:30 p.m. Bethesda New Lexington First
Bidwell-Kanauga Charge Pleasant Grove-Portersville Chg
Centenary Gallia Pleasant Hill Berne
Gallipolis Christ Otterbein
Patriot Shawnee-Newstraitsville Charge
Rio Grande-Simpson Chapel Thornville
River of Life
2016 CHARGE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Page 5 Footnotes from the Foothills
Make Connections Be Inspired & Find Renewal Fellowship of Local Pastors and Associate Members
Fall Retreat Where: Mohican State Lodge When: Starts Thursday, Oct. 13th., 6pm - Ends Oct. 15th., 11am • Daily worship experiences. Bishop Palmer preaches on Thursday night. • Friday morning-our keynote speaker will be Karl Vaters • Friday afternoon-spiritual director Amanda Cushing will offer several optional formation ses-sions. Or enjoy “free time” in nature or simply “rest.” • Friday night–a time for making collegial connections. Share best practices and resources used in ministry. • Saturday morning–Future focus for the Fellowship. Closing communion celebration. Register at www.westohioumc.org Click on “register for events.” EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS are available NOW! All meals are included! Shared double occupancy with a colleague! Any questions please contact Todd Wallace at [email protected] or Dave Weaver at [email protected].
Fellowship of Local Pastors & Associate Members
Applications being accepted for Director of Clergy Professional Development
Do you enjoy teaching, training and mentoring others? Has God given you a heart for those who are exploring the next step in their faith journey? If you answered “yes” to both the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church wants you to know we are actively searching for our next Director of Clergy Professional Development. This exciting position will lead the WOC Candidacy initiatives and processes focused on exploration of call, declaration and certification of candidacy, and licensing of Local Pastors. What greater joy is there than walking alongside those God is calling to proclaim the name of Jesus and transform the world? For more information and requirements please review the job description at the link listed below. To apply please send application, also at the link listed below and resume to Mike Kremnitzer, Director of Benefits and HR, 32 Wesley Blvd., Worthington OH 43085. http://www.westohioumc.org/conference/classified/director-clergy-recruitment-candidacy-licensing
Page 6 Footnotes from the Foothills Page 6 Footnotes from the Foothills
Understanding Men’s Ministry - October 21-October 22, 2016
What: A course offered by West Ohio Conference (WOC) United Methodist Men (UMM) for starting and growing men’s ministries in the local church. Based on the book No Man Left Behind, WOC is bringing in Lee Donley and Mark DeHority to lead 10-hour leadership training for district and local lead-ers of UMM groups, pastors and men’s ministry leaders. Where: Hosted by North Broadway UMC (48 E. North Broadway, Columbus, OH 43214) When: Fri., October 21, 2016 (7:00-9:00PM) and Sat., October 22, 2016 (8:00AM-4:00PM) How: Online Registration Page – register online with credit/debit card by September 12 to save $15. After September 12, print and mail the Registration Form to Mail to Ben Shaeffer, 1152 James Road, Newark OH 43055. Checks payable to West Ohio Conference United Methodist Men. How Much: Before September 12, $35 for clergy, $45 for other attendees. After September 12, $50 for clergy, $60 for other attendees. Cost in-cludes No Man Left Behind book, student workbook, plus breakfast and lunch on Saturday. More info: Contact Ben Shaeffer – rbshaeff (at) yahoo.com (419-351-2010) or Andy Hall – achlaw (at) sbcglobal.net (614-390-8184).
20th Annual West Ohio Legal Forum Friday, October 28, 2016
Topics: Getting to “Yes” – A Case Study for Church Conflict Resolution The New FLSA Regulations & Local Churches When Churches Go To Court General Conference Legislation Update Registration 9:00 a.m.; Event 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Cost is 35.00 per person. Online registration: http://www.westohioumc.org/equip/equipping-events/conference/event/20th-annual-legal-forum-local-church-legal-issues Location: Ohio Northern University 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810 For more information, contact Joy Perry at [email protected] or 1-800-437-0028 ext. 222
PO Box 67 47 Johnson Rd.
The Plains, OH 45780-0067
Phone: 888-868-1225 or
614-396-8478 Fax: 740-797-4582
E-mail: [email protected]
FOOTHILLS DISTRICT
UMC
Check us out on the Web: www.foothillsdistrict.org
Page 7
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Office Hours: M-F 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. Lunch 12:00-1:00 p.m.
E-Mails: Office - [email protected]
Dennis Miller, DS - [email protected]
Steve McGuire, ADS - [email protected]
Merv Davis, Treasurer/Bookkeeper - [email protected]
Sherri Rogers, Office Admin. - [email protected]
Nancy Amos, Dist. Disaster Response Coordinator-
Prayer Concerns
Condolences: To the family of Kandy Nuce on the death of her step-mother who passed away on September 21.
The First United Methodist Church at 857 Putnam Avenue, Zanesville, is fund-raising to purchase a new boiler [$53,000.00] to heat the church which also houses the homeless shelter and the Lifewell free store. November 6th After Church ham loaf luncheon 11-1 For more information please call Marilyn Moody or e mail: [email protected] at the church 740-452-7117.
Zanesville First Holds Events for Boiler
Richland UMC and Clarks Chapel UMC in Athens, will cohost a bluegrass gos-pel evening on Saturday October 22, 2016 at Richland UMC, 60 Pomeroy Rd. Athens, Ohio, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Everyone attending is asked to bring a canned good or make a monetary do-nation, to be split between two area food pantries. Everyone is welcome!!! Please direct any questions to Pastor Carrie Ator-James at 740-698-7280.
Bluegrass Gospel Event
New Hope UMC in Logan has some extra HDMI cables they purchased that are not needed. The list is as follows: 1—50 foot HDMI cable—$29.90 2—75 foot HDMI cables with booster—$60.84 1—100 foot HDMI cable with booster—$69.79 If you are interested, please call Emory Clark at 740-603-7577.
