JANUARY Good News From Gobin Gobin United Methodist Church 307 Simpson Street, PO Box 66, Greencastle IN 46135 765-658-6010 fax 765-658-6025 [email protected] www.gobinumc.org 2015 We live so that all people will know they are loved by God. The Pastor’s Point!!! for January 2015 Epipha-what? day or a season? There the 10:30am worship ser- are no songs on the radio vice. Then, the Season It happens every year. and no twice-a-year after lasts until As soon as the church-goers lining up for , Febru- decorations come down, the Epiphany service. ary 18, which is the be- the world around us goes Epiphany remains a bit of ginning of . During into a holiday frenzy. a mystery. Epiphany we’ll hear the Everywhere you turn it’s stories of the manifesta- Epiphany this and Epiph- Epiphany comes from Wanted: Liturgy Box Volunteers tion of Jesus’ divinity - his Mitten Tree Giving was Super any that. You hear Epiph- a Greek word meaning baptism, his miracles. Successful Gobin Now Has Online Giving 2 any music on the radio. manifestation. It only ap- Through Easy Tithe Kroger and Walmart have pears three times in the Let’s be honest: Numbers Check for November entire aisles dedicated to New Testament, and is Epiphany will never be at Bread, Bath and Beyond: 3 A Journey Through Epiphany Epiphany. Epiphany has used two of these times risk of being commercial-

January Birthdays become commercialized, by the Apostle Paul. In ized. There will never be Congregation Handbook Updates 4 and it’s unsettling. It has the early church, Epiph- an Epiphany aisle at Thank You from the Staff of Gobin Remembering Individuals in become a season of self- any was a celebration Kroger. But as the rest of Assistance Centers ishness and irresponsible second only to in the world continues to First Quarter Mission Project: SEP spending. The true mes- significance. At first, the come down from their A Message from Princess Jusu 5 Thanks for a Fantastic Cookie Sale sage has been lost. And, celebration of the birth high, we in the at the same time, some of Jesus was only a church have the opportu- What is the “Fruitful Congregations Journey” - also known as FCJ? 6 seem to think there is a smaller piece within the nity to share some good war on Epiphany in our great celebration of news. Remember that Gobin Activities Calendar 7 own cultural context. Epiphany. Later, when baby in the manger? God Activities at Gobin Calendar 8 Some suggest it’s not po- Jesus’ birth was given saw fit to reveal to the “Cleanliness is Indeed Next to 9 Godliness” litically correct to pro- recognition on December entire world that this

Final Budget 2015—page 1 10 claim the true meaning 25th to rival the pagan baby is his son. Jesus is of the Epiphany season in celebrations of the return the Light that has come Final Budget 2015—page 2 11 a pluralistic society. of the sun, it only then into the darkness. And Transformers-Difference Makers became a separate ob- this light is for all people. Christmas Bring Beauty 12 I hope you realize by and Joy servance. All people. May the light The Little Red Wagon now I’m being facetious. of Christ continue to Lest We Forget as Ebola is No 13 You’ve likely heard noth- The feast of Epiphany shine within us and Longer a Current News Headliner ing about Epiphany from occurs on January 6th, within our weary world. Matt Cummings Taking Trip to 14 the good folks at Kroger after the completion of Eduador and Walmart, and even the 12th day of Christ- Merry Epiphany! church folk struggle to mas. Here at Gobin we’ll

remember what we celebrate Epiphany on ~ Rev. Bryan Langdoc mean by the word. Is it a Sunday, January 4th in Page 2 Good News From Gobin

Wanted: Liturgy Box Volunteers Last month the Intentional Faith Development Team implemented Liturgy Boxes in our Sunday morning worship gathering. These boxes are intended to engage young ones in the service, providing them with objects related to the various components of the liturgy. It has been a blessing to see the children wave their scarves during the Gloria Patri and hold their globes during prayer. Each week these boxes need to be reorganized and updated. If you are able to help with this weekly task (about an hour a week), please contact Maureen Knudsen Langdoc ( [email protected] ; 765-365-2269) or contact the church office.

MITTEN TREE GIVING WAS SUPER SUCCESSFUL!!! Joe and I delivered the hats, gloves, and scarves to the Getting Ahead program, Beyond Homeless, the John- son-Nichols Clinic and Deer meadow. They were all very appreciative!!! Thank YOU for your help with this handS-on mission project. ~ Rita Ferguson

GOBIN NOW HAS ONLINE GIVING THROUGH EASY TITHE We are excited to announce that you can now make your donations to Go- bin online on our website at www.gobinumc.org or via text message from your smart phones and electronic devices. If texting, please text your amount to 765-253-4477 to get started. Got questions? Check with Denise, and she will try to help you. NUMBERS CHECK for November November Receipts: $15,425.61

November Disbursements: $13,936.67 Year to Date Receipts as of 11/30/14 $158,919.97 Year to Date Disbursements as of 11/30/14 $160,756.97 ($1,837.00) November Average Attendance: 127 January 2015 Page 3

January 4, 2015—Epiphany Bread Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth... God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." ... Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Al- pha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." — Revelation 21:1-6 As Christians, we believe that when we gather around the communion table to remember the last night Jesus was with his disciples in the Upper Room, it is beyond just an "historical" remembering. It is also a remem- bering "into the future." We gather around the table with all who have ever done so, who do now, and who ever will do so. It is a "little heaven below" that transforms us into the One Spirit. As we stand on the preci- pice of the new year, we begin this series with a commitment to "break open" our lives to God's future for us.

January 11, 2015—Baptism of the Lord Bath "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Then Paul said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's bap- tism." Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." — Acts 19:1-7 Christian baptism is rich with meaning. Paul invites the early believers depicted in the Acts story to go be- yond one teaching of baptism into the fullness of living in the Spirit of Christ available to them. On this day we remember our baptism and affirm the Spirit that lives and moves and breathes through us — offering power and strength beyond what we think we have.

January 18, 2015 Beyond Belief Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." — John 1:43-51 As the Season of Epiphany progresses, we will see people discovering this remarkable man named "Jesus of Nazareth." The people had been waiting so long for a Messiah that it was hard to believe for some that the Savior had come out of a little town like Nazareth, much less the son of a common carpenter. How can we go beyond our own beliefs and assumptions about where God shows up? Can we move beyond these to open our eyes to the holy in unexpected places and people?

January 25, 2015 Beyond the Horizon As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea — for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And imme- diately they left their nets and followed him. — Mark 1:14-20 The scriptures today tell of the calling of fishermen on the shores of the Sea of Galilee to leave their work and follow Jesus. He is calling them to work they probably never in a million years imagined themselves do- ing. For years they had sailed that sea, perhaps never thinking what was beyond the horizons, beyond the distant shores. Where is Jesus calling us that just might be beyond the horizons we now see for ourselves? Page 4 Good News From Gobin

Congregational Handbook Updates

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS Gobin Membership as of December 31 is 191 1/02 Virginia Childress 1/03 Robert Newton Thank You from the Staff of Gobin 1/03 Larry Anderson Rev. Bryan Langdoc, Denise Thede, Barbara Paré, Jenni- 1/04 Zachary Hatcher fer Peacock, and Jenny Jackson would like to thank all of you who donated toward their very generous staff gifts. 1/05 Agnes Rud They are greatly appreciated. It is our pleasure to work 1/06 Carl Scaggs for you and Gobin Church. Thanks again!! 1/07 Fran Allen 1/08 Theresa Doud Remembering these individuals by sending a card, making a phone 1/09 Clinton Gass call, visiting, or including in prayer would be appreciated. 1/09 Alexander Bruggemann Asbury Tower Residents: Dorothy Buechler, Pat & Robert Clover, 1/10 Virginia Hanna Dorothy Edenfield, Virginia Hanna, Suzanne Hebb, Helen Houck, 1/11 Alex Pare Joyce Jones, John & Jane Long and Kent & Maria Mecum. Hickory Creek at Sunset: Loretta Bumgardner 1/14 Suzanne Hopkins Mill Pond Campus: Jocie Kircher & Carolyn Schenk 1/16 Tiffany Hebb 1/16 Nickolas Ring SERVING ON SUNDAYS IN JANUARY 1/18 Jocie Kircher January January January January Position 1/18 Mickey Meehan 4 11 18 25 1/19 Linda Ruark

Joe Ferguson Chris Hebb Rick Barcus Rita Ferguson 1/23 Karen Tucker Amber Hecko Tiffany Hebb Lottie Barcus Sharon High Ushers 1/28 Katie Hedge Vic Hunter Anne Kinton Barbara Jackson Lynette Gwinn Linda Hunter Kathy Sanders Charles Miles Doretta Poynter Communion Steward Nettie Smithers

Fellowship Vickie Anderson Sharon High Suzanne Hopkins Anita Edenfield

Counters Dick Sunkel Fran Allen Doretta Poynter Pat Clover

Assisting in the Nursery Doretta Poynter Lottie Barcus Mariette Bargen Danielle Cummings

Children’s Denise Thede Teddy Shuck Teddy Shuck Alisa Isaacs-Bailey Church January 2015 Page 5

First Quarter Mission Project is Summer Enrichment Program

The Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) was chosen by the Gobin Mis- sion Committee as the first quarter mission project in 2015. The Sum- mer Enrichment Program helps about 65 at-risk children in Putnam County. SEP par- ticipates in the USDA Summer Food Program to provide a nutritionally complete breakfast and lunch to meet the nutritional needs of these children. For some of them, these are the only meals they get during the day. Many of the children who participate in SEP live in very stressful situations. Some have a parent in jail or other difficult fam- ily situations. The children enjoy swim lessons, arts activities, sports, social skills les- sons, and a wide variety of enrichment opportunities as an alternative to a summer of mind-numbing TV and video games, or troublemaking . But perhaps the most valuable part of SEP is having a place for the children to go where they are loved and ac- cepted. This is great way for Gobin and the community to help make a difference in the lives of Putnam County children who need extra support during the summer. Please consider contributing to SEP this quarter to help meet the goal of raising $2000 by the end of March.

A Message from Princess Jusu Dear Friends, Season’s Greetings. This is the time to share with friends like you. The Glory, the Wonder and the Miracles of the Holy season. I hope you are doing well. During the time I visited you and so many others, I informed you of my plan to return to Liberia as soon as the Ebola Virus is under control. The time is now here for me to return to resume work. I know it is a difficult decision for anyone to make to return to a country which has been badly affected with such a dangerous disease. But with the help of God, I can make it especial to help the women and children in my own little way. And if everything works to plan, I will go January 29 th 2015. While I prepare myself to return to Liberia, I want to also take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to you for the open hand you extended to welcome me in your Church and home. My God continue to richly bless you and your work. Please continue to pray for me and my colleagues who are planning to return to Liberia, We need your Prayers and support more than ever before. Wishing you a happy Christmas and healthy New Year. Blessings, Princess. Thanks for a Fantastic Cookie Sale

Thanks to everyone that helped make the Cookie Sale such a success this year. This project wouldn't happen without all of the people that baked cookies and all of the people that worked during the Cookie Sale! Special thanks to the Cookie Sale committee members: Sharon High, Barb Rice, Kathy Sanders, Heddy Scaggs and Suzanne Hopkins. Thanks also to the coffee drinkers for saving your cans. Please start saving your coffee cans now for next year. In addition to the metal cans, we are collecting plastic and cardboard coffee cans. Thanks to those that decorated the coffee cans. Thanks to everyone that bought cookies. A special thank you to Marilyn Culler for donating the stained glass window cards. We raised over $1,100 which was given to the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry and the Gobin Kitchen Fund. Page 6 Good News From Gobin

What is the “Fruitful Congregation Journey” --- also known as FCJ? Starting this fall, a group of church leaders are participating in a monthly reading group about church revitalization. You many have heard the phrase “fruitful congregation journey” and, like many of us, wonder what is this and what trip are we on? Below is an overview of this three-year process with com- ments on our first five months. Much of this information is from Indiana United Methodist website: http://www.inumc.org/fruitfulcongregationjourneyoverview . The Fruitful Congregation Journey is a team-based, leadership development discovery proc- ess to help churches more effectively fulfill the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Over 220 Indiana United Methodist Churches have par- ticipated in Step 1(see below) and already they are experiencing renewed hope and energy and clarity of focus and direction. And although 90% of those that have completed the en- tire process were plateaued or declining when they began, over half are now growing at nearly twice the rate of the Indiana Conference churches in general. The Fruitful Congregation Journey consists of the following three steps: Step 1: Shared Learning Experience (7 months) This process develops a church’s leadership base, helping grow leaders and providing them with key concepts for church ef- fectiveness. Our team, called “Lay Leadership Development,” meets with three other teams for seven Saturday learning sessions at First UM Church in Martinsville. The sessions are led by laity with experience in churches that have effective ministry. The goal is to help each team learn key concepts and best practices—tapping into the discoveries of other ef- fective churches and church leaders—and then apply them in their own lives in order to de- velop as church leaders. As a result, your church will develop a cadre of leaders to help it more effectively carry out its mission and become more fruitful. Meanwhile Pastor Bryan meets with pastors from the other churches separately for “Pastor Leadership Develop- ment,” led by a trained lead pastor of a growing congregation, reading the same material. Between sessions we meet with Pastor Bryan in a member’s home sharing a meal, fellow- ships and what we have learned from the session. Once a church’s pastor and lay team complete the Shared Learning Experience (Step 1), it will be eligible for steps 2 and 3 of the Fruitful Congregation Journey. It is in these steps that the focus moves from leadership development to church development, from develop- ing leaders at Gobin to developing the church as a whole—applying the concepts in Step 1 within the church and identifying the areas that need focused attention in order to move your church forward to greater effectiveness and fruitfulness. Step 2: Consultation/Intervention Process (approximately 5 months). This will help your church assess its strengths and weakness and provide it with a Ministry Action Plan that is tailored to our unique context and vision and will help Gobin move forward. A con- sultant will help us discern our vision, where Gobin’s strengths, Greencastle’s needs, and our pastor’s passion intersect. The Ministry Action Plan will be shared with members of the congregation before a vote is taken on whether to adopt the plan. Step 3: Implementation of Ministry Action Plan (up to 24 months). With the help of a coach, the church will implement the next steps outlined in its Ministry Action Plan.

January 2015 Page 7

GOBIN ACTIVITIES January2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 Church Office 9am-1pm Closed— Pastor’s FCJ Team Mtg New Year’s Day Sabbath in Martinsville

4 9 Fell. Time 5 6 7 8 9 10 9:15 Choir Reh. 5:30pm Fllwship 10am Office mtg 9:30 Sun. Schl at Putnam Inn 10:30 Worship Pastor’s 6:30-9:30 FCJ Sabbath 1:15 Taking down 7pm Admin. Clergy Mtg in of Christmas Council Mtg 6-8pm Transformers Decorations Martinsville 5pm Bells Reh.

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9:15 Chr Reh. 5:30pm Fllwship 9:30 Sun. Schl at PI 10am Office mtg Pastor’s

10:30 Worship Sabbath 6:30 Circles 5pm Bells Reh. 6:00pm?? Circles of Hope

18 9 Fell Time 19 20 21 22 9am-3pm 23 24 Sewing Bee 9:30 Sun. Schl 5:30pm Fllwship

10:30 Worship at Putnam Inn 12 Fundraiser 7:00pm Genesis Circle at Gobin Lunch Newsletter Pastor’s 3-5 Prayer Shawl Deadline Sabbath 5pm Bells Reh. 10am Office mtg

25 9 Fell Time 26 27 28 29 30 31 9:30 Sun. Schl 2-5pm Rev. John 5:30pm Fllwship 10:30 Worship— Groves & John at Putnam Inn UMW Sunday Davis here at Go- 10am Office mtg 5pm Bells Reh. bin 7:00pm Missions

Page 8 Good News From Gobin

ACTIVITIES AT GOBIN January 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 6:30-8:00pm 8:00 pm AA mtg Lisa T Girl Scouts

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9-12 Tot’s Time 9-12noon Brian 9-12noon Brian How- 9-12noon Brian Howard’s 9-12noon Brian 9-12noon Brian Howard’s Bell ard’s Bell Class in Bell Class in Colonn rm Howard’s Bell Class Howard’s Bell Class Class in Colonn rm Colonn rm in Colonn rm in Colonn rm 8:00 pm AA mtg 4:00 pm TOPS 4:30pm Daydream 4:30 pm PCCS Believers rehearsal cooking in kitchen

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 9-12 Tot’s Time 9-12noon Brian 9-12noon Brian How- 9-12noon Brian Howard’s 9-12noon Brian 1:30-4pm ?? 9-12noon Brian Howard’s Bell ard’s Bell Class in Bell Class in Colonn rm Howard’s Bell Class Greencastle Commu- Howard’s Bell Class Class in Colonn rm Colonn rm in Colonn rm nity Reiki Share in Colonn rm

4:30pm Daydream 4:30 pm PCCS Believers rehearsal cooking in kitchen 6:30-8:00pm 8:00 pm AA mtg

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 9-12 Tot’s Time 9-12noon Brian Howard’s 9-12noon Brian 9-12noon Brian How- 9-12noon Brian Bell Class in Colonn rm Howard’s Bell ard’s Bell Class in Howard’s Bell Class Class in Colonn rm Colonn rm Bell Concert in sanctuary in in Colonn rm afternoon

4:30pm Daydream 4:30 pm PCCS cooking 4:00 pm TOPS Believers rehearsal 8:00 pm AA mtg

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 9-12 Tot’s Time 4:30pm Daydream 4:00 pm TOPS 4:30 pm PCCS Believers rehearsal cooking in kitchen 8:00 pm AA mtg

January 2015 Page 9

“Cleanliness is Indeed Next to Godliness“ Did John Wesley REALLY say this? Well, he did use these words in a written sermon in 1778, and he did include the words in quota- tions, taken from the writings of Phineas ben Yair, a rabbi. He also said he “looked at all the world as his parish.” His rule of Conduct was: “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” So, where am I going with this? Beginning on January 1, 2015, we will no longer have a cleaning company to help clean the church. The trustees and leadership of the church are asking us all as the family of Gobin to “step up” and remember that “Cleanliness is Indeed Next to Godliness.” We ask you to take a look online at the jobs that have not yet been taken and sign up to help keep the church building and grounds clean. We decided that programming is more important right now as long as Gobin people can keep the building clean. Will it be easy? Probably not. Is it doable? Of course it is!! You clean your own house, why can’t we work together to clean God’s house? So, here are a list of the jobs left to be picked up, and there may be more as we go into the beginning of this year. And remember, “do all the good you can in help- ing to clean Gobin, . . . As long as ever you can in the way of helping to keep God’s house at Gobin clean.” 4. Daily vacuuming and dust mopping of the main entrance and Wesley Hall 6. Daily cleaning and stocking of restrooms in lower level of church 18. Daily inspection of the HVAC/Heating/Cooling units and checking all thermostat settings 21. Semi-annual floor treatment (spray-buff) 25. Monthly inspection of all window wells and the removal of any debris that might prevent draining 28. Semi—annual shampooing of the carpets in Wesley Hall classroom Call the church office, and let Denise know how you can help. Together we can do this if we all pitch in and help a little bit. Page 10 Good News From Gobin

1 Income 2015 2 Pledges $128,650.00 3 Anticipated Pledges $6,300.00 4 Misc. Gen. Income $2,000.00 Final 5 General Offering - Non-Pledge Giving $25,000.00 6 $161,950.00 Budget 7 Rozelle Endowment - Unrestricted Gen. Fund 2500.00 8 Gobin Memorial Endowment -PCF - Unrestricted GF 9750 This 2015 budget 9 Gobin Memorial Endowment - UMF - Unrestricted GF 7890 was approved by 10 $20,140.00 members of Admin- 11 Building Fund - Special Fund $12,170.00 istrative Council on 12 McCord Endowment Fund - 2015 Payout $4,490.00 December 23, 13 $16,660.00 14 AA Donation $300.00 2014. As Adminis- 15 TOPS Donation $120.00 trative Council 16 $420.00 Chair, John Schlot- 17 Fundraising terbeck, included in 18 SCRIP & Kroger $2,000.00 an email to the 19 Brunch Dinners $500.00 other council mem- 20 Fundraising Income $2,500.00 bers, “We need to 21 Total Income $201,670.00 celebrate the good 22 news: giving is up 23 Programming substantially, we 24 Conference Tithing $16,190.00 have new pledging 25 District Apportionments $2,350.00 units, aND a bal- 26 Passionate Worship Committee Expense $1,000.00 anced budget.” In 27 Intentional Faith Development Expense $2,000.00 addition we have 28 Hospitality Expense $750.00 programming back 29 Extravagant Generosity Expense $750.00 in our budget for our 30 RTMS Expense $500.00 5 Fruitful Practices 31 Annual Conference Attendance $500.00 32 Programming $24,040.00 (lines 26-30) as well 33 as one of our con- 34 Trustee Expenses nections to the 35 Building Loan $19,430.00 United Methodist 36 Insurance $10,500.00 Church through our 37 Water $1,300.00 tithing to the Confer- 38 Gas Heat $18,000.00 ence and apportion- 39 Less DePauw ($14,620.00) ments to the West 40 Maintenance & Repairs $15,000.00 District. Many 41 Janitorial Supplies $500.00 thanks to those of 42 Cleaning Services $6,000.00 you who have 43 Legal Fees $20.00 pledged so gener- 44 Bank Fees $250.00 ously for 2015 and 45 Parsonage Electricity $5,430.00 also to those who 46 Parsonage Gas Heat will give abundantly 47 Parsonage Water and Trash Pickup as they are able!! 48 Parsonage TV/Phone/Internet Bundle $1,560.00 49 Trustee Expenses $63,370.00 50 January 2015 Page 11

51 Church Office Expense 2015 52 Church Telephone $1,200.00 Final 53 Church Internet $150.00 54 Paper Supplies $700.00 Budget 55 Postage $1,750.00 cont’d 56 Copier $1,200.00 57 Other Office Supplies $800.00 58 Advertising $200.00 59 Church Office Expense $6,000.00 60 61 Pastoral Staff Expense 62 Pastoral Staff Salary $39,970.00 63 Pastoral Health Insurance $13,120.00 64 Pastoral Pension $7,750.00 65 Pastoral Phone $600.00 66 Accountable Reimbursement $7,000.00 67 Mileage 68 Continuing Education 69 Pastor Maureen Travel $1,680.00 70 Pastoral Staff Expense $70,120.00 71 72 Lay Staff Expense 73 Lay Staff Secretary $20,910.00 74 Lay Staff Choir Director $4,100.00 75 Lay Staff Instrumentalist $5,460.00 76 Lay Staff Nursery Director $1,670.00 77 Lay Staff FICA Expense $2,460.00 78 Lay Staff Accounting Services $2,400.00 79 Workers' Comp. Insurance $1,140.00 80 Lay Staff Expense $38,140.00 81 82 Total Expenses $201,670.00 83 Total Income $201,670.00 84 Balanced Budget $0 85 86 Page 12 Good News From Gobin

Transformers=Difference Makers

Transformers is making a difference one life at a time. The “Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World” class was just completed for the third time under the leadership of Teddy Shuck and one of our former gradu- ates. In this class, “investigators” are challenged to evaluate where they are now and to dream about where they want to be. They are encouraged to build resources in eleven dif- ferent categories (financial resources being only one of the eleven!)

We have a total of 15 graduates now from the three classes and I want to share some of the ways their lives are different. One can now see after getting health insurance so she could have cataract surgery. Others have become more involved in their churches, build- ing spiritual and social resources. One is active volunteering to serve our community now. Several have pursued educational goals from finishing a GED to starting classes at Ivy Tech so they can get better jobs. One has moved out of state after purchasing a home with the dream of being a foster parent and even adopting. Nearly everyone feels more confi- dent about their future. Hope is a priceless commodity.

Graduates continue to meet once a month at “Circles of Hope,” a support group for them and allies from the middle class who want to encourage them in completing their “future story.” Each graduate writes their own future story but we all need a little support and en- couragement.

Getting Ahead is just one of the ministries under Transformers. Together we are making a difference. Thank you for both your financial and prayer support! If you would like to be- come more involved, please contact Lori Miller at [email protected] .

Lori Miller Getting Ahead Coordinator

Christmas Wreaths Bring Beauty and Joy Many thanks to all who purchased the fresh evergreen wreaths this year from Gobin. Not only do they bring beauty and joy to those who receive them, but they also bring some ex- tra money to whatever program of the church needs some additional help. This year we purchase 55 wreaths and were able to give the proceeds of over $500 to the Education Fund. Sally Sunkel has done this for the past several years. If someone else would like to take this over in 2015, she would be happy to show you her notes, and she thinks we could really help aa new program if we would promote these throughout out friends and family. If you’re interested, contact Sally Sunkel. Many thanks to Sally for pulling this together this year!!

THE LITTLE RED WAGON Help us fill the Little Red Wagon each Sunday morning with your donations of non-perishable food items. The Food Pantry is ALWAYS in need of food to distribute. January 2015 Page 13

Left: These are some of the fallen soldiers in the fight against Ebola. All these nurses in this pic- ture are from a hospital in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Sadly they all lost their lives while providing care to other Ebola victims. Bless their souls and RIP.

Taken from Fightebola.org

Right: "Modern Day Heroes/ Heroine who lost their lives fight- Lest We Forget ing Ebola in West Africa. More than 18,000 have been infected and over 6,000 have died, among As Ebola Is No Longer a them these doctors and nurses. We honor them and their coura- Current News Headliner geous fight against this deadly disease in publishing their pic- tures this month. They braved Ebola out of their Faith. The New York Times tells us 'The workers offer medicine, meals, cookies and com- fort. They try to make patients smile. Very, very carefully, they start IVs, spray clorine over and over, and dig graves. They pray.' (NYT, 11/2, 2014, p 14). Matthew 25:31ff says: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gath- ered before him and he will sepa- rate people one from an- other...Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come you that are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for...I was sick and you took care of me..." Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church Non-Profit Organization 307 Simpson St. P.O. Box 66 U.S. Postage Greencastle, Indiana 46135 PAID

Permit No. 83

Phone: 765-658-6010 Email: [email protected]

If you would like to be removed from our Newsletter mailing list, please contact the church office at 765765--653--653653--6003--6003 or [email protected].

We live so that all people will know they are loved by God.

W E’ R E ON THE W EB !

W WW . GOBINUMC . OR G

to pictures and possible a presentation about his ad his about presentation a possible and pictures to ventures soon. soon. ventures

they work to improve the health of those in Ecuador in t in Ecuador in those of health the improve to work they he near future, and we look forward forward look we and future, near he

and had to go back to get more later. We will pray pray will We later. more get to back go to had and for the safety of Matt and his group as as group his and Matt of safety the for

Committee, went to Walmart and bough out all the pren the all out bough and Walmart to went Committee, atal vitamins they had at the time time the at had they vitamins atal

just needed the prenatal vitamins for the trip. So, So, trip. the for vitamins prenatal the needed just Joe Ferguson, Chair of the Missions Missions the of Chair Ferguson, Joe

mins. Initially they wanted to give Matt eh money fo money eh Matt give to wanted they Initially mins. r the vitamins, but Matt said he really really he said Matt but vitamins, the r

lars to purchase several bottles of prenatal vita- prenatal of bottles several purchase to lars

mission committee did provide one hundred dol- hundred one provide did committee mission to the women of Ecuador. Ecuador. of women the to

we didn’t make him ride his bicycle to get it , our our , it get to bicycle his ride him make didn’t we some of the prenatal vitamins that will be given given be will that vitamins prenatal the of some

cluding prenatal vitamins for this trip. Although Although trip. this for vitamins prenatal cluding Joe Ferguson and Matt Cummings pose with with pose Cummings Matt and Ferguson Joe

take 2 large suitcases full of medical items in- items medical of full suitcases large 2 take

of cycling to try to raise some of the funds to to funds the of some raise to try to cycling of

the Amazon region. Matt, himself, used his love love his used himself, Matt, region. Amazon the

ings, vitamins, and medicine to rural villages, in in villages, rural to medicine and vitamins, ings,

organization that provide medical care, screen- care, medical provide that organization

to partner with Timmy Global health, a non-profit non-profit a health, Global Timmy with partner to

Pauw students will soon be traveling to Ecuador Ecuador to traveling be soon will students Pauw

ulty member, some doctors, and several De- several and doctors, some member, ulty

Matt Cummings along with another DePauw fac- DePauw another with along Cummings Matt

Matt Cummings Taking Trip to Eduador Eduador to to Trip Trip Taking Taking Cummings Cummings Matt Matt

Matt Cummings Taking Trip to Eduador Eduador Eduador to to Trip Trip Taking Taking Cummings Cummings Matt Matt