Grace United Methodist Church

Ministries

(Children, Youth, Seniors, Nursing Home Ministry, Men, Women, Small Groups including Bible Study, GriefShare; info in "Seniors", Divorce Care, Divorce Care 4 Kids, and Kid's Hope USA)

WEB SITE MAP: Home, General Information, Education, Ministries, Missions, New Community Blackford, Worship

(HOME PAGE)

(GEN INFO) for Devotions, UM News, Calendar, Staff, Maps and Church Related Links

(EDUCATION) for SS, Nursery, Bible School and Pre-School

(MISSIONS)

(New Community Blackford)

(WORSHIP) for Sermons, Prayer and Music

(Children, Youth, Seniors, Nursing Home Ministry, Men, Women, Small Groups including Bible Study, GriefShare; info in "Seniors", Divorce Care, Divorce Care 4 Kids, and Kid's Hope USA)

Children, Jennifer Henderson, Director

Youth, Graham Smith, Director of Community L.I.F.E.

Myra Smith, (center)

Seniors - Timeless Treasures - Myra Smith, Director

Seniors - Nursing Home Ministry

MILLER'S MERRY MANOR
What Can I Do? I Do Not Have Any Special Gifts or Talents.

I have an answer for you! Grace and New Community-Blackford have an opportunity to re-excite an ongoing ministry and a new ministry to the elderly. I am SOOO EXCITED!! For a number of years, Grace Church has been holding a worship service for the residents of Miller's Merry Manor on the second Sunday of the month at 2:00p.m. That is continuing and we hope to expand that ministry by having "visitors" from Grace and New Community Blackford attend our worship time and visit with the residents at Miller's Merry Manor. Miller's is located on the opposite side of the street from the Blackford Country Club in Hartford City. Some of the men and women go weeks without having a visitor just to sit down and talk with them.

For more information, please contact John Barton.

UNITED METHODIST MEN

The vision of Men's Ministry is to provide: life changing fellowship, cutting edge discipleship via small groups and mission service that make a significant difference.

Leadership
Co-Leaders: Bruce Edgington, Paul McCaffery and Bill Norton
Treasurer: Kenny Warner

News: 1 Mike Stump has started Ink Cartage recycling. Containers are in the church.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

Purpose of the United Methodist Women: The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.

Membership: Membership shall be open to any woman who indicates her desire to belong and to participate in the global ministries of the church through United Methodist Women.

The Grace United Methodist Women is an organization that is open to all women who attend Grace United Methodist Church. The local unit is affiliated through the Marion District with units of women worldwide. All women of the church can benefit in this group through fellowship with each other, through study, service, and worship UMW Circle Meetings.

* Deborah Circle - meets the fourth Wednesday in the homes of various members or at the church.

* Naomi Circle - meets the second Thursday at 9:30 am in the homes of various members or at the church.

All of these groups include devotions, programs or lessons, and service projects in their monthly meetings. Fellowship is available through General Meetings four times a year. These currently consist of a fall luncheon in September, evening meetings in December and March, and a carry-in picnic in June at the United Methodist Memorial Home in Warren, where we entertain all home residents who have a connection with Blackford County. At our December and March meetings there is always a speaker on a topic of interest to the women of the church. A mother-daughter banquet is held in May and is always a fun-filled evening in honor of our mothers, daughters and other special women in our lives.

Learning and study is available in many ways through the UMW. Our Marion District meetings, which are held spring and fall, in various locations throughout the district are sources of information, with a book and magazine display and speakers of various women's issues. There is a reading program available with suggested books on a chosen area of interest each year. We as a local unit try to always purchase some of these books, so they are available for women who want to study them. We maintain our local church library and constantly add books to it.

Service is also an important part of our UMW. We serve our church by providing dinners for bereaved families, helping with food, child care, etc. in times of need, serving refreshments at various meetings in our church, and helping to provide funds for needed improvements to our church. We visit with and provide small gifts for church members who are in nursing homes or confined at home.

We serve our community through our membership in Church Women United, which provides monthly birthday parties for the residents of our local nursing homes.

We help support our church's Have-a-Heart Fund which assists people with rent, groceries, utility bills and other needs. We help with our church and community food pantries and the mitten and hat project that our church undertakes every year to accompany the Rotary Club's Coat-a-child program. We serve the church world-wide by supporting missionaries and projects of the United Methodist church in many area with financial aid, goods and materials, and our prayers. We are currently beginning a needlework group in order to provide fellowship while sharing skills with each other and working on mission projects.

We encourage our members in worship by providing devotions, musical programs, prayer, etc. at our meetings and have a prayer chain that can be activated by telephone when anyone in our church or community has a need for prayer. We join with women of other churches in worship on World Day of Prayer and at other times throughout the year.

The funds needed to carry out all these activities are raised primarily by our two Salad-a-ramas each year. Everyone in the church joins us in providing a wonderful assortment of salads and desserts to serve 500 lunch-time meals. We also serve meals to community groups such as Chamber of Commerce, United Fund, Rotary Club, etc. as a service to them and a fund raiser for us. We have also sold various items such as cookbooks and knives to help raise needed funds.

The Grace United Methodist Women are also responsible for overseeing our churches' Helen Lieber Preschool which serves our community by providing a preschool experience for three and four year old children every school year.

Small Groups

WALNUT CREEK ARCHERY BIBLE STUDY

The Walnut Creek Archery Bible Study led by Pastor Gary and Bill Norton, will have their meetings on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 21, March 6, 20, April 3, 17, and May 1, 7p.m. They will be studying the book, “The Greatest Counselor in the World”, by Ogilvie: books are available in the Grace Church Office for $10. Contact Bill Norton, 765-251-4113, for more information.

TUESDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY

Pastor John Parks is leading a study from Ephesians in Grace Fellowship Hall every Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 7:30.

SATURDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

This Bible Study led by Mike Stump will resume meeting on Saturday, Feb 18, 8am in the Fellowship Hall. The The study book will be "The Greatest Counselor in the World", by Lloyd John Ogilvie, and books may be purchased at the church office for $10. All men are invited to attend! Contact Mike Stump for more information, 499-5039.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

A Recovery Group is now meeting at Grace Church in the basement on Friday evenings, 8 pm. If interested, please contact Paul Rose, (765)393-5525 for more information. "Celebrate Recovery" is a program designed to help people struggling with addictions, hurts, hang-ups, and destructive habits by showing the loving power of Jesus Christ. The will be an adult group discussion time. Currently no child care is available.

KID'S HOPE USA, Barbara Shields & Sara Christman, Co-Directors

Got an hour?

There is a sweet child waiting for YOU at Northside Elementary. This child so desperately needs your love and friendship. Yes, I am talking about KIDS HOPE USA mentoring program.

We have so many children that just need someone to visit them one hour, one day per week on Northside School's campus. Our mentoring program begins in October and ends the first week of May. Yes, you can miss a week, but we do stress that mentors be there as much as possible. There are no requirements except being able to love a child and being a constant in their lives. Total mentoring time equals about 24 hours during the school year.

If you would like to feel needed, ten feet tall, loved, adored, please call me at 348-3843 and I would be most happy to tell you more about the KIDS HOPE USA program.

A child is waiting just for YOU!

Barb Shields & Sara Christman
Co-Directors KIDS HOPE USA

In partnership with Grace & New Community United Methodist Church and Northside Elementary School

KIDS HOPE USA is a faith-based mentoring program that currently serves over five thousand at-risk children in twenty-seven states and in Australia. KIDS HOPE USA partners with churches and public elementary schools to establish a team of well trained church members who dedicate one hour per week during the school year to mentor and be a friend to children who are struggling academically, socially, or emotionally.

This program is one of Grace & New Community's most powerful children's ministries. Currently, we serve twenty children in Northside Elementary school through the dedicated efforts of forty members of Grace and New Community who faithfully serve as mentors or prayer partners. KIDS HOPE USA is in its fourth year as a partner with Blackford County Schools. The effectiveness of the program speaks loudly in the teacher evaluations, parent comments, and the children's smiles on their faces when it's KIDS HOPE USA day at school!

Miss Marian had never volunteered at her church before KIDS HOPE USA. The opportunity to love a child named Emily melted her heart. Emily needed her. Abandoned by her mom and dad, Emily and her older sister lived with a grandmother who wasn't able to provide for their basic physical and emotional needs. Emily came to school unwashed, uncombed, and dressed in her sister's ill-fitting clothes.

Emily's teacher encouraged Miss Marian to spend time each session just sitting with Emily. "Just sit with her, said the teacher. Brush out the tangles from her hair and listen to her when she speaks. Be there for her." With each stroke, Miss Marian's melted heart oozes love to the empty mother-places in Emily.

Our Mission: KIDS HOPE USA builds caring relationships...one child, one hour, one church, one school.