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In Every SeasonWelcome Chrissy RuehlMissions

Taste of TapachulaUpcoming Group EventsEaster Cantata

A M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R O F I S L E O F H O P E U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H

In Every Season

Student Ministry

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GLAD TIDINGS (USPS-706-200) PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE ISLE OF HOPE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 412 PARKERSBURG ROAD, SAVANNAH, GA 31406. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO GLAD TIDINGS, 412 PARKERSBURG ROAD, SAVANNAH, GA 31406.

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NEWSLETTEREVENTS*

Traditional Worship 8:45 & 11:15 AM

Non-Traditional Worship 11:15 AM

Sunday School 10:00 AM

Isle of Hope UMC412 Parkersburg RoadSavannah, GA 31406www.iohumc.com

Office HoursMonday-Thursday: 8am-4:30pm

Friday: 8am-1pm

tele: 912.355.8527fax: 912.355.9113

Sign-up for our weekly eNewslettersat www.iohumc.com

412 Parkersburg Road, Savannah, GA 31406

I s l e o f H o p eU n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h

* A complete calendar of all Isle of Hope UMC events can be found online at www.iohumc.com. March 2018

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Winter is finally loosening its grip on our area. It couldn’t have come soon enough for me. Living in the south, I think my skin has gotten thinner. Therefore, all those days of sustained cold weather felt at times a little disorienting to me. I mean after all, this isn’t North Dakota, it’s Savannah, Georgia. Right? To prove just how unusual this winter season has been, I saved a photo in my cell phone of the Church’s sidewalks covered in snow. You just don’t expect to see that on Isle of Hope. I’m sure some of you have noticed that the prolonged brutal winter has taken a real toll on some vegetation in our area, in particular the Sego Palms. They look bruised and wounded to me. The impact of a deep and sustained winter has left its mark on them, and some of us. What’s true in nature is often mirrored in our lives as hu-man beings. We all go through unusual seasons. Some seasons are so good we don’t want them to end. Some are so painful, so harsh, we wonder if they ever will end I mean. The older I get the more I realize that if I am going to make it through some

seasons, I need one thing more than anything else. I need a God who is faithful. I need a God who is with me in every changing season of life. When I am going through a season of sunshine and happiness, I need a God I can thank for all my blessings. Otherwise I get this foolish notion that all my blessings are because of who I am. That just leads to pride and arrogance. When I am going through a season of sorrow and pain, I need a God I can trust. Otherwise I get the foolish idea that all my suffering is because of who I am, or am not, and that just leads to despair and defeat. The truth is in every season- God is faith-ful. All of us go through different seasons in life. Some are wonderful. These are times when we are growing in our faith, excited about what we are learning, at peace with our circum-stances and ourselves, moving ahead, satisfied, and content. Then there are seasons that are negative, painful, discourag-ing, difficult to understand and just as difficult to endure.

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Glad Tidings

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Kid's Corner

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Pretzel Saturday9:30am

Kids of the Kingdomsing in worship

services

Youth Leadership Meeting at 6pm

Youth parents meeting at 5pm

Blood Drive

Backpack Buddies at 6:30pm

Backpack Buddies at 6:30pm

Good Samaritan Circle at 10am

Adult Ministries Event at 10am

Easter Cantata

In Every Season Continued from page 1

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Those are times when the frost settles on our hearts like winter ice on a Sega Palm; our worship is half-hearted and sporadic, our prayers seem useless, our faith feels cold and empty. So, what do we do when we find ourselves going through an unwanted, un-welcome, season? Is there something that can sustain us when we are dealing with a prolonged season of discontent? Abso-lutely. I learned it from God’s Word, and I’ve found it to be true for my own life. It’s about the faithfulness of God. There’s one verse from the Old Testament that I’ve held on to through more dark nights of the soul than I care to remember. It’s Lamenta-tions 3:22-24, “His compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day. My soul claims the Lord as my inheritance; therefore I will hope in him.” On many a stormy winter night I have cast my anchor into the depths of his faithfulness, and just held on to his promises. Many a morning I have felt his loving-kindness renew my bro-ken heart. There is nothing stronger, nothing greater, nothing more reassuring than trusting in the faithfulness of God. In good times and in bad times, the faithfulness of God is the an-chor for our souls. Someone could easily say, well, maybe God is faithful, but I know I haven’t been. So I guess that disqualifies me from God’s loving-kindness. Oh no dear friend. The Apostle Paul settles that issue once and for all. In Romans 3:3 we read, “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!” Did you catch that! Even our faithlessness can’t nullify the faithfulness of God. That is the powerful truth found in the cross of Jesus Christ. Good Fri-

day, the day Jesus was crucified, stands not only as a testimony to the depths of human faithlessness, but it also testifies to the overwhelming faithfulness of God. The empty tomb on Easter morning is the exclamation point to God’s unfailing, unchang-ing, faithful love for you and me. As a child of God you may ask, “Will I always have seasons of heartache, sorrow, grief?” I have to be honest, yes you will. Those seasons will rise just as sure as the sun came up over Jerusalem the morning Jesus was crucified. However, when the sun rose that day, and everyday since then, there also poured forth the loving-kindness of a gracious, mer-ciful and faithful God. There was enough compassion, mercy and grace to cover every sin. I know that many of you reading this have been through what seems like a long winter’s night. You have struggled as you dealt with suffering, loss, and grief. Yet, may I humbly say that God has been with you, even through those painful seasons. He is faithful. I also must say that I believe in my heart there is a new day about to dawn for many of you, for your family and for this Church. I believe as Isaiah 61 and Psalm 30 says, God is going to turn our “mourning into danc-ing.” I believe God is about to give us something beautiful in ex-change for the ashes of sorrow, and a “garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” A new season is coming! A new day is going to dawn. Believe me, the basis of my hope has nothing to do with the temperature outside or wishful thinking, it has everything to do with my trust in the God who is faithful in every season.

Blessings,Mike

Rev. Chrissy Ruehl is a United Method-ist Deacon with a background in music and a love of ministry with families and children. Chrissy grew up in West Vir-ginia and attended Stetson University in DeLand, Florida for her Bachelor of Mu-sic Education degree. She is also a gradu-ate of Candler School of Theology with a Master of Divinity focusing on theology and the arts. She has worked in various United Methodist churches around the southeast in different capacities and has only been in Savannah two years. Chrissy recently became a certified mediator in

the state of Georgia and looks forward to using this training to help families develop better communication skills and connection. She is also interested in walking and biking around IOH, going to the beach, and baking. She lives in Isle of Hope with her husband, John (a Presbyte-rian pastor at Montgomery Presbyterian Church) and their two children, Remy (5 years old) and Ethan (3 years old). Chrissy will join our staff on March 11th!

WELCOME REv. Chrissy Ruehl, Children's minister!

Join us on Saturday, March 24th from 9:30am-11am for our annual Pretzel Sat-urday on the Cornus Lawn! Kids through 5th grade will enjoy pretzel making, egg and bunny hop races, story time, mu-sic, egg hunting and games! Each child is asked to bring a dozen filled plastic eggs (no chocolate, please!). You won't want to miss this fun event! All questions should be directed to Wez Childers at wez-childers@yahoo.com or (912)355-8527.

INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT WITH OUR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY? WE NEED YOU!

Contact Wez Childers at wezchilders@yahoo.com or call

(912)355-8527 for more information.

Kids of the Kingdom will sing in both worship services on March 11th! You won't want to miss this opportunity to hear them!

VBS June 4th-8th - 9:00am-12pm daily

Epworth By the Sea middle school Camp June 18th-22nd (rising 6th graders)

Rise & Shine Preschool Camp July 9th-13th from 9am-1pm daily

Giddy Up & Go Nursery Camp July 10th-12th from 9am-1pm daily

Epworth By the Sea Elementary Camp July 16th-20th (rising 4th & 5th graders)

A Stitch in Time Summer Sewing Camp July 16th-19th & 23rd-26th from 5-7pm

Preschool registration for current children enrolled in the preschool is in full swing! The preschool offers 2 or 3 days a week classes for 2 year olds, 3 or 5 days a week classes for 3 year olds, and 5 days a week for 4 year olds. Registration forms can be picked up from the Connection Point or on the church website, www.iohumc.com.

For more information, please contact Wez Childers at (912) 308-7778 or email wezchilders@yahoo.com.

First things First provides those things that every child needs for getting a great first start while giving parents a well deserved morning off. This program is open to children aged six months to two years. The two-year olds must have turned two after September 1, 2018.

For more information, please contact Kim Kraft at kkraft@iohumc.com or the church office at (912) 355-8527.

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2018 REGISTRATION

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Dear Isle of Hope Family,

I would love to say thank you for all of the amazing welcomes my family and I have received over the last week. Thank you for help-ing us to feel a part of the Isle of Hope family. We are excited and ready to be a part of the amazing ministries that Isle of Hope has to offer. As for our Student Ministry, I am really excited to have begun meeting with parents and students, attending lunches, worship and small groups. Please know that with the new beginning, things will take a little time before we are up and running at 100%, but don’t worry...after what I have only experienced in the first 5 days, there are GREATER things to come. However, what I need from the entire congregation is your prayers. As we move forward in ministry together, please make note that prayer is the foundation for EVERYTHING that we will do in our student ministries. In the upcoming weeks we will be holding informational meeting for parents, college students, leadership teams and other leaders to hear from each other and begin formulating the vision that will be cast in the days, weeks, months and years to come to make OUR student ministry one in which EVERY family will want to be a part of in the days to come. As I have mentioned earlier, this will not only take time and prayer, but it will also take trust and participation from ALL of us to begin building and strengthening the foundation that Sam Paul has already been constructing. Yes this will mean we will continue our current ministries and begin to prepare for the NEW ministries that will help to equip, nurture and strength-en our student ministry family. Just witnessing what I have seen in a few days, I realized how blessed we are at Isle of Hope to have so many talented students and families. Please pray for the creation of our parents ministry and for new creative arts ministries such as: Sign Language, Drama, Interpretive Dance, Choirs or Ensembles that will already enhance the amazing Youth Praise team and creative teams that are already working to create such an amazing student ministry environment. Begin praying for the up-coming 6th graders and our Middle School ministry as we begin to create new and fresh opportunities for them to be the hands and feet of God in a world currently living in chaos. Pray for our High School ministries as they continue to build and strengthen these incredible men and women who are the representatives of the church not tomorrow, but the church today. Their amazing abilities have blown my mind and as God continues to reveal His plan, sit back, put on your seatbelts, and get ready to take the journey of a lifetime. As far as upcoming events, please make note of the following dates and times listed below for upcoming parents meetings:

Dates & Meetings: Group: Location:March 6th at 6pm Leadership Team Room 109 March 25th at 5pm ALL Parents 6th-12th grades Fellowship HallTBD Upcoming 6th Grade Parents meeting Room 109

As you can see we are doing the best we can to spend time listening and determining the best opportunities that we have to do ministry together. Please mark your calendar for March 25th at 5pm to join us as we begin our ministry TOGETHER. I am so excited to see what God is about to do in our student ministry family.

In His grip, Dr. Jason P. WadeOffice- 912-355-8527 ext. 15Cell- 770-289-4039Email- jwade@iohumc.com

Missions at IOHUMC

Pray for our Missionaries- Tapachula, Mexico- March 10th-17thThis month we are sending a team to work with the Mission on the Move Children's Home in Tapachula, Mexico. While there, they will help to care for the children in the Boy's homes and will help with some repair projects at both the girl's and boy's homes. Please lift them up in your prayer time! Pray for their safety, their spiritual growth, and that their efforts will express the love God has for all people. Keep a look out for an announcement about a special prayer time in the Prayer Room the week they are gone.

Annual Spring Blood DriveJoin us Wednesday, March 21st for our annual spring Blood Drive. Help us collect more life saving pints of blood than ever! The sign-up table will be out on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings in March in the main hallway. You can also sign-up on-line by going to www.redcrossblood.org and search for our blood drive at IOHUMC! As always, walk-ins are welcome! For more information, see Shannon Baxter or Lynn Roesler.

Backpack BuddiesBe sure to come to Wednesday Night Supper on March 7th and 21st to help put together food bags to be delivered to students in need at IOH School. This program helps those experiencing food insecurity by sending home food for the weekend, ensuring they continue to get the nutrition they need to succeed and live healthy lives. For more information, see Shannon Baxter or Starr Horn.

Florida Hurricane Relief Trip: Thursday, April 5th - Sunday, April 8thAnyone 14 years of age and older is invited to go on this important mission experience to Northeast Florida. Hurricane Irma came through Florida causing a lot of lasting damage to the entire state. We will travel to the Jacksonville-Daytona Beach area to lend our helping hands. Our work will center around helping homeowners clean-up and repair the damage they incurred. Cost for the trip is only $25. Those with construction experience is helpful, but not required. We are also look for those interested in helping to take care of preparing/coordinating food for the team. Sign up online by going to the IOHUMC Domestic Outreach web page: http://www.iohumc.com/missions-outreach/domestic-outreach/. Registration forms can be found there, as they are required for all team members. The deadline to sign-up is Sunday, March 25th. For more information about this exciting and meaningful trip, contact Shannon Baxter, Director of Missions-Outreach (sbaxter@iohumc.com, 912-355-8527).

"We Care" CasserolesThank you to all the women who gave of their time on Monday, February 13th to make casseroles for those in our congregation going through hard times. They made 27 casseroles that are available to church staff to give out when they hear of a need. They also delivered 24 bags of homemade cookies to some of our members that are home-bound or in nursing homes. The cost for the project was only $100! It's amaz-ing what kind of a difference you can make in a person's life for so little. If you would like to help with future casserole making, contact Joan Broerman or Melinda Smith.

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Hope Arbor has been going strong since January 23rd! Currently, we have 7 participants with 2 more beginning in March, and 49 volunteers. Bucky Johnson has done a fabulous job as our lead volunteer each day. Paula Green, our exercise instructor, is keeping us strong to protect our bodies and abilities with exercise every day. Multiple pianists rotate twice daily to play our music organized by Elizabeth Skeadas. Each day we enjoy Brenda Boaen’s delicious hot lunches served by our Manna Crew. Volleyball and a competitive boys vs. girls bean bag toss are our favorites! In January, we made bird feeders and finished up Valentines for our loved ones in February. We just wrapped up a series on Olympics complete with a preschool class dropping by to say the Pledge of Allegiance with us and a curling event! Everyone won gold!

Hope Arbor operates Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 2pm. The cost is $40.00 per day. Participants must be independent in the following: walking, eating, toileting, and enjoy being part of a group

Our Caregiver Care group, led by Dr. Frank Parr and loving facilita-tors, is meeting every Tuesday in room 226 at the Greenhouse at 10:15. This group is open to any family caregiver in our community. Invite a friend!

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, or becom-ing a participant at Hope Arbor contact Brooke Chamber at bchambers@iohumc.com or (912) 355-8527.

An Update from Hope Arbor

On Palm Sunday, March 25, the Chancel Choir and orchestra will present a new cantata in worship. We have chosen My Savior’s Love, by Mary McDonald, a composer whose music always seems to deeply move and inspire me. In her words, "For Christians, there are no more significant events than those of Holy Week. Reflecting on the life, death, and miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ is overwhelming. The significance of a final meal with his disciples, the pain-ful thorns and subsequent crucifixion, the promise of eternal life for those who accept and believe these difficult truths, all encompass a long and grueling week – still, a Holy Week."

My Savior’s Love breathes musical breath into this incredible story. It embraces the love Jesus expressed to us on Calvary through new and familiar texts and tunes. Its purpose is to give pause to those dreadful occurrences but, more importantly, to share the hope and love of our Savior to all who seek him. All he did, he did for us!

We invite you to join us for this worship presentation of My Savior’s Love. Please invite all your family and friends to worship with us that day. May God speak through our music to all with open hearts!

Kevin Vogelsang

My Savior's Love - A Cantata for Palm SUnday

Missions at IOHUMC Continued from page 2

Thank you to all who participated in Taste of Tapachula - buying tickets to the event, purchasing cookbooks, decorating, cooking, serving and cleaning up! A special ‘thank you’ to the following people :

Our goal was to raise enough money to send Meche, one of our girls in Tapachula, to college. We raised a total of $7,850! Almost enough to fund 2 years of college! Throughout this project, Jeremiah 29:11 has been in the back of my mind: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ... plans to give you hope and a future.” Because of YOU, we are providing Meche (and others) with hope and a future. Thanks be to God!

A TASTE OF TAPACHULA

The Legacy CircleHope ShearouseDebbie HarperMeg ProcopioKaren DanielJosh GrotheerFran McAleerLynn Hagan

Julie VannPhyllis Curlee

Susan BartonJennifer Balduff

Leslie NissenGlena & Eric Harlan

Julie VannConnie Ross

Steve ShearouseAdam BalduffLisa Sharpley

The Church Staff

It's that time of year again for the Spring Yard and Gardening Program with Ed Poenicke, retired horticulturist for the Univer-sity of GA Extension Service. Tap into Ed's wealth of knowledge about planting and the care and feeding of your lawn, shrubs and garden. This is an interactive presentation, so you will have the opportunity to ask questions about your specific issues. Mark your calendar for Friday, March 9th at 10am in Room 101 of the Green House. A pizza lunch will be served-cost is $2 per per-son. To register, sign up in Sunday School or call the Church Of-fice at 355-8527. If you have any questions, contact Ken Coe at (912)925-3939.

We are in for a treat! Join us on Friday, March 2nd at 10am in the Green House as Nancy Voglesang, our Assis-tant Director of Music, presents a program of story and music for us. The Good Samaritan Circle welcomes every-one for fantastic snacks and fellowship. This program is a must to hear and enjoy!