The Grapevine

In This Issue

ROAR into the Fun at VBS! Movie Night - Bring the Popcorn! Mentors Being Sought for Next Confirmation Campers Head to West River! Dine Out Tuesday at Ledos! God’s Hands & Feet Let’s Chat! LifeStyles Volunteers Needed - Feeding the Homeless Need a Daily Dose? What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You! Community Event - Helpers Needed! Let’s Celebrate! Let Us Pray Above the ROAR Facebook Find Holy Happenings

Weekly Newsletter of La Plata United Methodist Church

July 11, 2019

A Note from Pastor Susan

ROAR, Dear Ones! Oh my goodness, this week has been amazing for me as I have been blessed over and over again by our children attending Vacation Bible School. The church building is filled with bible stories and music, crafts and even the food help these children learn and encounter Jesus in a new and wonderful way. Last Sunday, if you recall, members of our church walked around our building, praying specifically for this week's VBS activities. God is answering our prayers this week as I have spoken to moms and dads and kids too! All have been blessed by our church and those who have led and helped them this week. I know because they keep telling me! Folks that lead VBS faithfully each year are so appreciated. I will not name them all here because I know I would miss someone but let me say that without EACH of these people, VBS would not be the success it is. Well done, ALL you faithful servants. God sees you and is well pleased. We will be having a special movie night on Friday to celebrate the conclusion of VBS. Time to relax and fellowship with one another is a fitting way to bring to a close a wonderful week. But you know dear ones, the truths of VBS are not just for children. God's Word and Truth is for all of us. Each day the teachers of VBS shared how God showed up and showed off in various stories written in the Bible so that all can know the goodness and faithfulness of our God. Here's my question for you: If you had to leave behind a true story to help others know about God's goodness and faithfulness through an event in your life, what would that event be? What experience would you write about so that others could read it - even years from now and learn how God is good, through how God was good to you? Think about it. When I think about it, I have so MANY events and stories from my life to chose from - it is hard to know where to begin. Friends, the good news is that you don't have to write down a story. You can if you want to - that, in fact, might be a great gift to leave your family members - stories of God's goodness shared down generations by the words you leave behind. However, you don't have to write it for future generations. You can share how good God has been to you RIGHT NOW! You can tell your friends, when you see them going through something you did. You can share how God can help them get through it, like God did for you. You can share with your spouse and family each day a "God-sighting" - where God showed up and sat right down in your life and your day and made it better. You can also live your life like you KNOW God is good. Like you are never alone, but held in God's hand. Like you can take leaps of faith because you know God HAS you! Dear Ones, If you know God is good, than share the news and like our VBS children, ROAR! Because Life is wild, but God is Good! His... and Yours, Pastor Susan

What a FANTASTIC week we are having at Vacation Bible School! We have had about 130 children each day so far, and with the leaders and youth helpers, we have close to 200 people in the building! All day long you can hear music and singing coming from the sanctuary and you can hear laughter in the hallways. What are we learning at VBS? We are learning that no matter what life brings us, GOD IS GOOD!!! Be sure to come to the 10am worship on this Sunday, July 14th, to see the children in action! We have such an AWESOME GOD! The Mastermind…

Julie Robbins! Tech master…

Andrew McCormick!

With a watchful eye on her group...Bonnie Thompson!

Getting into the groove… Sharon Brown & Sarah Leonard

Leading the VBS Herd… Sherri Bowser!

3 Port Tobacco Road La Plata, MD 20646

301.934.2288 laplataumc.org

laplataumc@gmail.com

Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Susan E. Boehl

Sunday Summer Worship Services:

8:00am Café Worship 10:00am Traditional Worship

Don’t miss the Preacher’s Pop-Up Prayer on FB Live! Every Thurs at 7pm this summer! Dine Out - Tuesday at Ledos!

July's Dine Out will be held at the Ledo's Pizza in La Plata. This is our first time at Ledo's and I know our crowd will be strong. Please talk to your family and friends because we get at least 10% of all sales during our time. If we have a stronger showing they will give us bonus dollars for our success. The date is July 16, 5:00 to 10:00 PM. We look forward to having you attend. No coupon needed.

Movie Night - Bring the Popcorn! Join us Friday, July 12 at 8:00PM in the church parking lot for VBS movie night. We will be showing The Lion King. Bring your own blanket, chair, and snacks.

God’s Hands & Feet!

The Food Pantry’s Monday Morning Crew being God’s Hands & Feet! This crew meets every Monday at 8:00am to pick up food at Southern Maryland Food Bank in Waldorf. If you would like to help, please contact Carol Sorenson at jsscas671@verizon.net. The Food Pantry is requesting your donations of the following items: grape jelly, canned peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, applesauce (no peel off cups please), pasta meal bags, baked beans, soups, children's juice boxes, snack items for kids (individual wrapped cookies, cheese crackers etc). You may place your donated items in the Food Donation Box in the front entrance. Pet food donations are always appreciated. You can also make monetary donations, just write "Food Pantry" in the memo line of your check, or give online.

Mentors Being Sought for Next Confirmation We are already looking ahead to our next confirmation class, which will most likely start this September and run until May. This past class was amazing and something new was having congregation members serve as mentors for the youth. A 'pool' of possible mentors is being created. A mentor is partnered with a specific youth and talks with them, answering questions that are given, supports the youth on their faith journey and will be invited to attend a few confirmation events. If you have questions or are interested in being a mentor for a confirmation youth, please talk with Pastor Susan or Corrie Roberts.

Campers Head to West River! This Sunday, three of our campers will head to West River. Brett Able, Harrison and Samantha Stancliff will be at summer camp next week. Camps offered through Baltimore Washington Conference are Christian focused and full of fun. Please be praying for these kids during the upcoming week. We have more campers going to Manidokan later in the summer, and their names will be shared closer to their week of camp. All of our campers received camperships thanks to your generosity.

Need a Daily Dose? YouVersion is a bible app you can put right on your phone. Scripture right at your fingertips whenever you need a good and faithful Word. Also, scriptures can be delivered to your phone every morning. You can look up scriptures that speak to your specific need or just read at random for your spiritual enjoyment. So much about and from the Bible there for your enrichment and spiritual growth. Interested? Go to http://bible.com/app and get started TODAY!

Let’s Chat! As interest increases in the continuing struggle within our denomination, I have heard requests from both our conservative and our more progressive brothers and sisters to have the opportunity to be heard. Communication is key to any relationship, especially ones in which different points of view are evident. To enhance our communication, understanding, and a desire to be heard, La Plata Church will be holding small group discussions surrounding the issues that divide us through the lens of scripture. If you are interested in attending these sessions, please let the church office know by phone, email, or by writing "struggling together" on the attendance pads when you come to service on Sunday mornings. Once attendance has been compiled, we will endeavor to schedule these groups at various times to allow for maximum participation. In addition, if you would like your voice to be heard beyond our local church, the contact information for all Baltimore-Washington Conference officers, including our Bishop, Cabinet, and our own District Superintendent is available on the Conference website: bwcumc.org. These are not easy conversations but when we remember that Christ is the one listening to our words, I believe they can be had and a blessing can be found. As a gentle reminder, your pastor is also always ready to walk alongside you. It remains an honor to serve you.

LifeStyles Volunteers Needed - Feeding the Homeless

We have been blessed this year and have been able to keep our most vulnerable homeless population sheltered in a new program we call Safe Nights 2. Remember Safe Nights 1 ended in April. We pray these folks will transition directly to the new 24/7 shelter sometime soon. We are in dire need of help providing meals for the weekends. Specifically, healthy continental breakfasts and dinner meals to feed approximately 40 persons. These meals have to be prepared off site and delivered to the site. If you think you might be able to help us or would be willing to team up with other volunteers, or could donate to feed the homeless, please contact Jakia Ball, Samaritan Project Manager at JBall@LifeStylesofMD.org for more information. As always, we truly appreciate your support.

Psalm 106:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

The Grapevine Editor: Sherri Hastings

Publisher: Karen Hamner Circulation: 750

Weekly deadline for submitting articles is Wed. at 4pm. Submit articles to news.laplataumc@yahoo.com.

June 16 June 23 June 30 July 7

287 231 250 267

Attendance

This Past Week

96 137

34 267 207

Church Income

7,165 9,139

10,044 12,608 12,911

Worship

8:00 10:00 Others Total

June 16 June 23 June 30 July 7 Need/wk.

$ $ $ $ $

Facebook Views

Community Event - Helpers Needed! The annual Kent Avenue Block Party is a community event sponsored by the La Plata Police Department. This year, the event is from 11am-2pm on August 24, 2019. There will be a large waterslide, bounce house and inflatable obstacle course. Our church will have a table setup with our new church banner under a canopy. We will hand out treats such as lollipops and water bottles labeled with our church logo and pamphlets for our community food bank. We would love to have a carnival game to help interact with the community if anyone has any suggestions. We need help to man the table over the 3-hour period. Please contact Kim Williams at kim.williams19721@gmail.com if you would like to sign up!

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You! If you are age 21-80 learn your risk for developing 6 different chronic diseases. $3 out of every $4 spent on healthcare is for treatment of chronic disease. Better lifestyle habits can help prevent 80% of heart disease and 90% of type 2 diabetes. The 6 for Life Health Assessment measures your risk of developing 6 chronic diseases, including heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, diabetes, COPD and lung cancer. A customized report will determine which risk factors contribute most to your disease risk and are within your control to change. Finger-stick blood tests along with biometric measurements are included with this assessment. These are separate from our vascular screenings. La Plata United Methodist Church will be hosting a Life Line Screening preventive health event on Thursday, July 25, 2019. Protect your health by registering today for the 6 for Life Health Assessment for $79. To schedule your appointment do 1 of the following: Call 1-888-653-6441 Visit www.lifelinescreening.com/communitycircle Text the word circle to 797979 Take control of your health, knowledge is empowering.

Friday, July 12 Jimmy & Kathy Cox-33 Joe & Carrie Summers-16 Mike Williams Sunday, July 14 David Bayles Karen Grace Ann Herbert Ed May Kenzie Mudd-11 Addison Mudd-11

Monday, July 15 Dave & Sylvia Hollar-52 Elizabeth Boggs Andrew Hungerford Tuesday, July 16 Greg Leonard Judith Merrick Wednesday, July 17 Brooke Barber-11 Charles Butler Janice Duque

Thursday, July 18 Joyce Clerico Friday, July 19 Susan Boehl Lynne Davis Hannah Zimmerman Saturday, July 20 Ashley Della Sunday, July 21 Daniel Brennan

Let’s Celebrate! Birthdays & Anniversaries

For our friends and family who are living in nursing homes, and assisted living or home bound:

David Beatty Jeff Bennett Tom Berry Margaret Bowie Patricia Buckler Jennifer Carpenter Harolly Coombs Joyce Dean

Otis Elmwood Carl Greene Jennifer Hamer Dorothy Jackson Larry Johnson Christina Kingsbury Sarah Marsh Donna McKenzie

Jason Morrison Renee Nash Frank Quinn Crystal Rupprecht Sunny Rupprecht Don Stapleson Curt Snyder Frances Wright

Let Us Pray For our friends and family who have medical issues:

Ann Bergerstock Lennis Bridgett Marion Craft

Iris Dickerson Sharon Ferguson June Hanson

Mike Merritt

Will Burgess John Carns Rory Daetwyler Koleyne Fiske

Donna Fitzgerald Rebecca Fitzgerald Tom Grace Ellie Hebner

Lauren Hebner Mason Hebner Ben Summers Nicole Summers

For our friends and family who are going out into the Mission Field:

Above the ROAR By Deborah Ann Belka

Facebook Find

Lord, help me navigate, this raging, angry sea

help me to hear above the roar the directions You have for me.

Provide for me a safe harbor, a lifeline I can cling to till these waves of fear

I am able to steer through.

Let Your Word be my beacon, so I’ll not get lost in the dark

help me to see past this storm let Your cross be my landmark.

Though the winds rage all about, don’t let me be blown away

be the anchor of my soul till I reach hope’s gateway.

Lord, as the fog surrounds me, be the horn of my salvation let Your mercy and grace

help me with the navigation!

Holy Happenings

Weekly Food Pantry Activity

Mondays - 8:00 AM Food pick up at Southern MD Food Bank in Waldorf

Tuesdays - 9:30 PM Food pick up at Panera Bread in La Plata at closing time

Wednesdays - 8:30 AM Food pick up at Weis Market in La Plata

9:00 AM Bakery wrapping at the Annex

10:00 AM Food pick up or delivery from Next Step Produce in Newburg

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Food Pantry is open at the Annex

Saturdays - 8:30 AM Food pick up at Weis Market in La Plata

3rd Tues or Wed of the month – 8:00 AM Food pick up at USDA in Benedict

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes-

day Thursday Friday Saturday

7 HOLY COMMUNION 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 10:00 AM Traditional Worship 11:00 AM VBS Set up

8 9:00 AM Vacation Bible School

9 9:00 AM Vacation Bible School 10:00 AM UMW Book Club 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group

10 9:00 AM Vacation Bible School 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM

11 9:00 AM Vacation Bible School 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

12 9:00 AM Vaca-tion Bible School 8:00 PM VBS Movie Night

13

14 VBS Sunday 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 10:00 AM Traditional Worship 1:30 PM Sagepoint Service

15 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

16 5:00 PM Dine Out at Ledos Pizza 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group

17 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 1:00 PM One on One Clergy inter-views 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM 6:00 PM One on One Clergy Inter-views

18 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

19 20

21 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 10:00 AM Traditional Worship

22 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

23 10:00 AM UMW Book Club 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group

24 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM

25 9:00 AM Lifeline Screening 6:00 PM Fair Committee Meet-ing 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

26 27 8:00 AM Em-maus Team Commissioning & Training

28 8:00 AM Cafe Wor-ship 10:00 AM Traditional Worship

29 5:30 PM 12 Step Home Group - AA 6:30 PM Youth Group Painting 8:00 PM AA Mtg - Warner Group

30 6:00 PM Men's Emmaus Reunion Group

31 12:00 PM AA - Serenity Seekers 2:30 PM FOOD PANTRY open from 2:30-4PM

1 7:00 PM Preach-er's Pop Up Prayer

2 3 10:00 AM Con-nectors Meeting