Windsor Hills United Methodist Church MAY 2019

Window on Windsor Hills

May WHAT! Event

Windsor Hills Spring Carnival Saturday, May 4 10 am - 1 pm Games… Prizes… Bounce House… Face Painting… Glitter Tattoos… Fun for all ages! A perfect time to bring friends and neighbors!

 Super Seniors Lunch May 22  12:05 pm A special program featuring Rev. Michael Copeland, sharing about his recent trip to the Holy Land with his wife, Donna. Come experience the Holy Land! RSVP to the church office by May 20.

Volume 5 Page 2

The Pastor Writes…

Dear Friends,

What a wonderful journey we have had with Simon Peter as our guide and what a joyous celebration of the resurrection. Beyond Easter Sunday is the Great Fifty Days as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and our own, as well. Though it may not hold the pageantry of Easter Sunday, each Sunday throughout the year is a celebration of the resurrection, because that is the one thing that binds us together as disciples of Jesus. We are an Easter people, 52 weeks a year!

As we move into the warmer season, let me remind you of the role of regular worship. For us indi- vidually, our gathering for worship helps us maintain a connection to God’s Spirit, so that we may “see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, and follow thee more nearly.” This quote is from a prayer written by Richard of Chichester in the 13th century and popularized in the musical Godspell in 1971 and since. Gathering together as God’s people, the warmth of God’s Spirit may spread from one to the other.

Christian friendships develop from being together, focused on worshipping God together. We grow in our knowledge of our faith, through the reading and proclamation of scripture, learning of our tradition, thinking through God’s role in our lives, day by day, and sharing the experiences of our faith through pray- er and music and story. All of this helps us to grow individually.

Yet gathering for worship is not just about us, individually, and our relationship in praising God. Your presence makes a difference in so many ways in building up the community of faith. Our praying, singing and being together helps support the whole of the body, the body of Christ. When no one is within twenty feet of us in worship, it can seem flat and dull. Your regular attendance makes a difference in that way, as well.

When guests come to learn of God’s Spirit here at Windsor Hills, if they discover a congregation that seems flat and dull, they may never return and therefore miss the joy of knowing the Lord as we do. Your presence may have made a difference to that one person who can relate to you better than others, due to age, gender or common experiences. You just never know.

What I am saying is that some Sundays, your presence may make a huge difference in your own faith journey. Some Sundays, your presence may make a difference for the whole of the body of Christ. And, yet some other Sundays, your presence may make a difference to one fellow traveler on the journey of faith. Ponder that.

Even during the summer, those of us who lead worship will commit to making worship lively and edifying, strengthening us both individually and as the body of Christ. Your presence will help enormously, day by day, Sunday by Sunday. Peace, Doug

P.S. Preliminary results of our Worship Survey are found on pages 3-4. Volume 5 † WORSHIP SURVEY † Page 3

Worship Survey’s Results-2019

As you may recall, we took a Worship Survey in January of 2019 as a part of the on-going work of our Worship Visioning Team, which in turn was a goal of our earlier Strategic Planning Process. The team con- sists of Dana Bledsoe, HelenRuth Burch, Kay Jacobs, Blaire Liechty, Becky Ring, Tom Simpson, Don Witt, Keith Young, and Doug Paysour. Due to her wedding, Blaire Liechty has taken a leave of absence.

Three evidences of their work thus far already includes the encouragement and the use of the praise band, “This Is Amazing Grace,” copies of sermons available for those who are hearing impaired, and the en- couragement for youth and children to be visible in leadership.

There were 112 surveys returned, which is approximately 2/3 of our average annual worship attend- ance. That is an excellent return percentage. Of those, 44 were primarily 9 am attendees, 59 were primarily 11 am and 9 attended both frequently.

Overall, the sense of satisfaction with both services was extremely high: 93% of 9 am attendees were Very or Mostly Satisfied with the whole service, with 92% of 11 am attendees expressing satisfaction. Yet, at the same time, most were willing to make changes that will enhance our worship together and/or potential- ly reach people whom we are not currently reaching.

One age group that are clearly less satisfied and dissatisfied is our youth, 6th-12th graders. We will need to seek remedies through digging deeper into those numbers and spending some time listening to our youth. Interestingly, none of the youth gave responses for the 9 am service, but only for the 11 am.

The most popular enhancements (for our current congregation and/or for reaching new people) for us to consider for each service:

9 am—use praise band more often, use of more contemporary music (from last ten years), varying instruments for singing, and using mini-movies more frequently. The next tier of potential enhancements include creating a more worshipful setting, use of banners and other worship visuals and personal testimonies. One question that we had going into the survey was whether there was interest in moving the 9 am service into the sanctuary. Only 22% (10 people) felt that that would enhance our worship together. There was less interest in flipping the services (so that the contemporary service was at 11 am) or starting a new service on a different day and time.

11 am—the most glaring need in the 11 am service is to find a way to create a greater sense of com- munity (either by encouraging people to sit closer to one another or to sit closer to the front). The next most requested enhancement is the use of more frequent special music and more of our young people lead- ing worship. Best practices say that if you wish to reach a certain demographic (in this case, young people), have your worship leadership reflect that desire.

Continued on page 4 → Volume 5 Page 4 † WORSHIP SURVEY † PRAISE BAND †

Worship Survey - continued from page 3

Summary: This has been an enlightening exercise: in general, we are satisfied with our current wor- ship, while at the same time there is willingness to make targeted changes that may enhance our worship together and help us reach new people. We have a great deal of work to do to help our youth to feel at home in our worship services. The Worship Visioning Team will be concluding its work soon and we are deeply appreciative of their time commitment that extended far longer than anticipated. A special thanks to Don Witt and HelenRuth Burch who took the collated responses and created a report for us. HelenRuth also collated the many Comments that were made for the Visioning Team. Below is a summary of her sense of the common themes of those comments:

10 Common Themes from the Comments from January 2019 Worship Survey

1. At 11 AM Choir cannot see the screen without leaving the choir loft 2. Combined services good-several comments wishing WHUMC only had one service 3. 9 AM more lively with more “contemporary” music 4. Need better sound in 9 AM service 5. Would like the praise band more often in both services 6. Love seeing children and youth at and participating in services 7. Sanctuary is cold – temperature wise 8. Several comments about allowing the pastor more time for the sermon and changing things to make that happen 9. More notes on Power Point or in the bulletin or a place to take notes in the bulletin 10. General good feeling about WHUMC

♫ “This Is Amazing Grace...”

Windsor Hills Praise Band, “This Is Amazing Grace” has led both of our Sunday worship services over the last few months. If you are interested in sharing your musical gifts, please contact Steve Stutsman, talk to anyone in the band (Anthony Cash, Julia Bledsoe, J. Fred Eaton, Jasmine Eaton, Travis Johns), Pastor Doug, or Karen Jones Harwood. We principally play Christian contemporary music, but we will mix in traditional hymns and even some gospel-type music. Indeed, if you have a favorite song, please feel free to mention it to a member and we will see if we can do it. Christian Contemporary music is MORE that just guitars, bass, keyboard and percussion. If you play any kind of instrument and want to try it out please come and practice with us. And we can always use vo- calists, especially those who like to harmonize. The Band is very excited about our role in the “music ministry” at WHUMC. Currently we are playing an average of one time per month with 1-2 practices leading up to the service. Check us out at an upcoming practice or next time we lead Sunday worship. We look forward to expanding the band. If you can sing or play an instrument or both there is a place for you in our music ministry. “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” Psalm 95:1 Volume 5 Page 5

NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE

A few messages from the Roanoke District office: · Have you heard the Roanoke District will host Annual Conference this year? With this privilege comes great responsibility including the need for MANY volunteers. There will be many opportunities to serve. A volunteer sign up is available at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0848abaf2ca0fc1-2019 Alta Mons is gearing up for a Summer of Fun with many activities and especially Summer Camp which hosted 234 children last year. Volunteers are needed. For more infor- mation, contact Meredith Simmons at [email protected] or 540-268-2409. *June 23-July 19th: Summer Camps (The theme this year is Hope in the Val- ley. Four weeks are available as options: June 23rd-28th, June 30th-July 5th, July 7th-12th, and July 14th-19th. It would be great to have a group from Windsor Hills go together.) Alta Mons, 2842 Crockett Springs Road, Shawsville, VA 24162 (540) 268-2409

To Be Held Here at Windsor Hills! The Roanoke District UMC Common Table will be sponsoring a Two Day Mission Event designed just for Children this year known as Helping Hands. This is for ris- ing 3rd through 6th graders and their adult leaders and is scheduled for July 25-26. This cost is mini- mal at $36 per person and includes a t-shirt, meals, snacks, and overnight stay. More details to come….Mark your calendars now!

KAIROS Golf Tournament Friday, May 10 Hanging Rock Golf Club The KAIROS golf tournament is set for Friday, May 10. Our annual ‘Captains- Choice’ golf outing to benefit our KAIROS Prison Ministry will be held at Hanging Rock Golf Club. Sponsorship opportunities are available beginning at $50. If you would like to play on a Windsor Hills UMC team, or be a sponsor, please contact Dave Benson (540-797-6046); Richard Lawson (276-952-5791); or Ken Briggs (540-314-9616).

THERAPETS First Ever Silent Auction! Sat., June 1 10 am - 12 noon Please bring your new and gently used pet items, decorations, apparel and jewelry (human and pet’s), treats (unopened, please)…ALL things PETS for THERAPETS!!! Drop off during office hours or Friday evenings between 5:30 - 6:30.

May 5, 2019 May 12, 2019 May 19, 2019 May 26, 2019 3rd Sunday of Easter 4th Sunday of Easter 5th Sunday of Easter 6th Sunday of

Acts 9:36-43 Acts 11:1-18 Easter Acts 9:1-6 Psalm 23 Psalm 148 Psalm 30 Acts 16:9-15 Rev. 7:9-17 Rev. 21:1-6 Rev. 1:4-8 Psalm 67

John 10:22-30 John 13:31-35 John 20:19-31 Rev. 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:13-29

Volume 5 † MARY MARTHA † WH TOURS † MISSION OFFERING Page 6

Mary Martha Circle Notes On May 20, we will join the United Methodist Men at Jersey Lily’s, 1650 Braeburn Drive, Salem at 6 pm. Entertain- ment will be by Jim Robinson of “Woodsong”. Jim will play the hammered Scott Bledsoe dulcimer, and will have a guitar accompanist. Cullen Cash June’s Mary Martha Social will be on June Matthew Simpson 17 at Lidia’s Italian Kitchen, 1713 Riverview Carla Weidner Drive, Salem. Please call or email your reservation to Jackie Slusher or Barbara Greta Weidner Jennings before June 12th.

United Methodist Men Windsor Hills Tours Presents… Jersey Lily’s, Salem If you would like a copy of the trip form and reg- istration forms, be sure to stop by my office…I May 20 6 pm have extras inside the bin outside my door. Trips United Methodist Men welcome Jim Robinson with openings include Washington DC in June; of “Woodsong” on May 20. We will also Wohlfahrt Haus in August; and NYC/Lancaster Christmas Holiday in November. Check the web- welcome the Mary Martha Circle ladies as site www.windsorhillsumc.org as the remaining they join us that evening. seats available are updated as new registrations come in. Musical Guest Jim Robinson will give a brief history of the Hammered Dulcimer; how he Heather W. Case, Director, got involved with his extraordinary instrument Ministries with Young People – hand made in Black Mountain, NC at the cost [email protected] of $7,000!!!

WINDSOR HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Aftercare $1500 Salvation Army Day Center $1000 Grace Inside (Kairos Prison Ministry) $1000 Local Missions $1000 Military Family Support $1500 Non-Perishable Pantry Support $1000 2019 Lenten Mission Offering Operation Christmas Child $1000 Roanoke Area Ministries (RAM) $1000 Guided by Scripture and prayer… Rosalind Hills Food Pantry $1500 Rise Against Hunger $1000 UPDATE: As of April 29, we have received $12,237 - nearing Kids Soar (Community Outreach Program) $2000 our goal! Any funds over our goal will be directed to the Hope TOTAL LENTEN OFFERING $13,500 Initiative, which assists those who are opioid-addicted to begin the healing process. Thank you! Volume 5 Page 7 † PRAYERS † THANKS † SOFTBALL † CPR TRAINING

Prayer Concerns: Ann Fletcher; Bobby Ayers; Doris Ashford; Don Grubb; Lori Holliday; Ruth Kreienbaum; Gladys Peterson; Phyllis Trent; Virginia Magee; Barbara Gleixner; Ernest Baker; Phyllis Prado; Phyllis Crowgey; Rosemary Ellis; Elyse Thaler; Cindy Girman (Nan & Bill Johnson’s daughter); Bernita Latimore (Bill Johnson’s sister).

Prayers for Continued Healing: Mac Brackenrich (Rene Wolfe’s nephew); Bill and Nan Johnson; Shirley Brown; Butch Pence (Perry Pence’s father); Becky Day; Ruth Hartsel; and Jean Pearson.

Our Love and Sympathy, with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, is extended to the family and friends of one of our long-time members, Jane Sink, who died on Sunday, April 14, 2019. Our Love and Sympathy is also extended to Ruth Kreienbaum, on the death of her husband Bill on January 1, 2019. Due to Ruth’s need to recover from surgery and a fall, we are now able to hold a memorial service on Friday, May 3 at 11 am at Windsor Hills. A reception follows in Windsor Hall.

Softball games start in

May! Thank You… Thank you to all who have lifted me The softball season is fast approaching! Once we have a up in prayers, visited me, and brought game schedule, we will share me food. I appreciate all of your it, so all of our Windsor Fans concern. My God richly bless you all. can come out to cheer us on... or have a In Christ’s Love, good laugh! Rita Weikel

CPR / AED Training and First Aid Training CPR / AED / First Aid is very hands-on training for Sunday, May 19 Windsor Hall Lay Providers, including Skill check-offs. Participants may choose to bring a blanket, pillow CPR/AED Training 1:30 - 4:30 pm or mat to kneel on for CPR. First Aid Training 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm (Bring a Minimum age: 12 years bag supper) Must have a minimum of 4 participants to conduct the class. Participants may take one module or both. Register: Call the church office at 774-4730. Cost: Payment is made at the time of the class. CPR/AED only $40.00 per person First Aid only $40.00 per person CPR/AED/First Aid $66.00 per person Cost includes workbook, CPR mask, and certification. Volume 5 † VBS † WEDDING † TRUSTEES Page 8

Congratulations to

Ben Carson and “ATHENS” VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL Kathye Ashford who were married Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Share the Truth in April. ¤ June 24 - June 27 (Mon. - Thurs.) 5:30 - 8:00 pm (Dinner Included)

Kevin and Susan Russell

invite all Windsor Hills Members to the Wedding of their Daughter Kimberly Christine Russell to McKinley Thomas Forrest Saturday, May 4 Windsor Hills United Methodist Church 4:30 pm (Your presence is your gift.)

A Note from the Trustees You may have noticed a new structure in the parking lot. After a request from the Children’s Council to keep the cigarette smoke from blowing into the hall in the children’s Sunday School area, the Trustees decided to provide a covered smoking area away from the building. The shelter was built and painted by volunteers and is now ready for use. The decision was made to be sensitive to the needs of all the groups that use the church who have smokers amongst them. And to keep our chil- dren healthy. You will also see signs in appropriate places inside and outside the church stating that Windsor Hills UMC is smoke free inside the building and in the building entrances. Volume 5 † CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES † Page 9

Children’s Ministries...

Happy Easter! What?!?! Yes, I know Easter was in April and we are just starting our trek into May. I was thinking how often we look ahead to the next holiday, event, dinner, etc. We so often get caught up in the “BIG” religious holidays or we focus on the extraordinary and lose sight of the ordinary. Imagine what would happen if we sought out God on a daily basis? What if we attached the ordinary moments in our lives to something much bigger? For example, what if when its bath time, you spend time talking about Baptism. Or, every time you eat dinner together, you could think about what it might have been like to sit at the Last Supper. What if we kept a family journal and wrote prayers in it nightly? Find moments to see the sacredness in the ordinary day-to-day life moments.

By the way, I love finding ways to be a part of your child’s life outside of church. If you have a great idea, please share it with me. Bible Verses: First Mates: “For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 Explorers: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 Voyagers: “Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all.” Romans 12:16 Sunday School: This month we are learning about how God sends Ezra to restore God’s people. He also sends Nehemiah to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. One of my favorite stories is that of Esther and how she was sent to save the Jews. Do you sense a theme? God sends us just who we need at the right time. Upcoming Events & Activities: Our Spring Carnival is right around the corner on May 4th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Everyone is welcome and there are lots of jobs to go around. Bring your kids for a fun morning and a time with your friends. Fairy Stone is on the calendar for June 23rd right after the 9:00 am service. Kids are welcome to wear their bathing suits to church that morning. As always, I am sure it will be a great time! Vacation Bible School is from June 24th through June 27th. The theme is Athens! Helping Hands is a new District-Wide Children’s Mission Event and will be held at Windsor Hills this year. I will be contacting parents soon of those rising 3rd through 6th graders to see if they are interested in participating. The focus is on service, friendship, and a fun sleepover inside the church. Mark your calendars for July 25th & July 26th. Blessings, Heather

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” C.S. Lewis

Volume 5 † YOUTH NEWS † Page 10

Hey, Youth Families! I hope all is well with you as I have been praying that our students will find the love of Jesus to get them through this last month of school. We have a lot of things coming up for the rest of this year and into the summer. Please mark your calendars! We are still working out some of the ideas for this summer, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of what is being planned. I will be contacting the kids directly at youth group and via text to help get them excited! Stay tuned on the church Facebook page, Sunday bulletin, Constant Contact and on the church website for updates! ~Megan Our youth group meets on Sundays from 5-7 pm. Students are encouraged to invite friends to come out for a meal, games, fellowship, and a message! May 2019 5/4 Youth help with Spring Carnival, 10 am - 1 pm. No Youth meeting on the 5th. 5/19 Youth District- All Skate, 6-8pm. May change, more information to come. If this does not happen we will meet at Church for youth group. 5/26 Memorial Day Weekend No Youth 5/28- Aftercare Carnival- Youth to help run games. Coming this summer! No regular scheduled Youth meeting will take place, during the summer, after June 9. We will have fun events, service work and outings throughout the summer. Youth are encouraged to help with Sunday Fun days, 5th Sundays and special outings with younger youth throughout the summer. June 2019 6/2 WHAT! Event, 4:30 pm The Music of Mary McDonald 6/9 Youth lunch at Famous Anthony’s then to Pastor Doug’s house for a pool Party! – We’ll be welcoming summer and next year’s incoming youth. 6/23 Fairystone Outing 6/24-6/27 VBS 6/30 5th Sunday- Red Sox Game July 2019 District Youth Trip to Myrtle Beach Date TBA, tentative for the 18th -21st. District is still working through the details. I will keep you posted on any changes that arise. August 2019 8/3 Wet'n Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park 8/4 WHAT! event

8/18- regular youth meetings to resume, 5-7pm. 8/25 Red Sox game Volume 5 † CHANCEL CHOIR † Page 11

Windsor Hills Chancel Choir Heads to New York City

Windsor Hills Chancel Choir was invited in May, 2018 to be a part of a 225 voice choir that will sing with Mary McDonald on a Memorial Day Celebration Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Carnegie Hall hosts composers’ concerts. Many of these composers, we have sung, such as Mark Hayes, Joseph Martin and Pepper Choplin (whose Christmas Cantata we sang this past December). This will be Mary’s first concert at Carnegie Hall. This concert was filled so fast that she has been invited back for another concert in November. The concert on May 26th will be shared with another 225 singers singing the music of Pepper Choplin. This has been a major commitment in time and money for those who are participating. The choir, even those not going, has spent several Sunday afternoons in extra rehearsals since January. Most people do not know that each person pays to sing at Carnegie Hall. But this is one of those lifetime experiences we will never forget. The choir will leave on the train for NYC on the morning of May 23rd. That evening, we will have a late dinner at Ellen’s Stardust Diner. The waiters are Broadway extras or hope to make it to Broadway and they provide entertainment besides service. On Friday and Saturday, we will spend 4 1/2 hours each day in rehearsals. On Friday night, we will attend the musical, My Fair Lady, at Lincoln Center. On Saturday afternoon, we will tour the 9-11 Memorial and the One World Observatory. Sunday will be a full day at Carnegie Hall. In the morning, we will have our only rehearsal with the orchestra before our 2 PM concert. A gala buffet follows the concert for all the singers. At 12:55 on Memorial Day, we will board the train for the return home that evening. The anticipation grows greater every day now that we are less than a month away. HelenRuth Burch and I will be leaving on the 22nd. I need to attend a mandatory director’s meeting on Thurs- day and the train arrival and meeting times are too close. I have never been to NYC before. HelenRuth and I have tickets to the musical, Frozen, on Wednesday night. On Thursday, I look forward to finding Junior’s Cheesecake for a delicious piece of cheesecake. On June 2nd, the Chancel Choir will be the June WHAT event where we will present our NY patriotic program. Our Handbell Choir will also be participating. With the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6th, we will use this program to honor our surviving World War II veterans. The meal will be a potluck dinner. Please mark this special date on your calendars, fix a little extra food, and invite your family, friends, and neighbors to attend. On a personal note, May 1st marks my 15th anniversary at Windsor Hills. I just want to thank you all for the support and love you have shown to me over the many years. Of course, a special thank you to the Chancel Choir, Handbells, Gideons’ Call, and Children and Youth who have dedicated their time to many hours of preparing and then providing music to the glory of our Lord. Also thank you to the men and ladies who have helped put on very meaningful Maundy Thursday programs. I am afraid I will leave people out for there are so many to thank, but I also do want to mention Dick, J Fred, and Rob who are there when I need help with the sound for our programs. To all others who have helped me prepare for something special, thank you very much. On Sunday, the 26th, both services will be blest with the music provided by This Is Amazing Grace. Please be in prayer for the choir as we travel and represent Windsor Hills in New York City.

Karen Volume 5 † ADULT EDUCATION † ALTAR FLOWERS † Page 12

Chaos in Jerusalem

Were you one of us waving palm branches on Palm Sunday? Were you so excited Jesus the King was riding into Jerusalem? If so, shouldn’t we make even more noise now that Jesus Christ has died? Jesus Christ has ris- en from the dead! Shouldn’t we be making even more noise now sharing the Good News? Christ is alive sharing grace and love. Make some noise! Marianne

The Altar Flower Sign-up calendar has plenty of Sundays open! Please stop by the hallway outside the office and sign up for your special day. Forms are also available in the breeze- way and you may call the office with your request: 774-4730.

Please consider joining an adult Sunday School class:

1. Barr-None - Barr-None Room, Next to the Library, upper level

2. Esther, Women’s Study Group - Library 3. Parlor Class (aka Family Relations) - Parlor

4. Sojourners - Sojourners Room, Room 7, lower level 5. DIGG (Younger Adults) - Room 9, lower level ¦

If you feel called to lead a short-term study for young adults or a variety of adults, please talk to Marianne Bird or Pastor Doug about the possibilities. One of our goals for the year is to provide more short-term opportunities so that those who do not wish or are unable to make a long-term commitment may be fed spiritually as well. Volume 5 A SNAPSHOT MAY 2019 Warning: Statistics are helpful, but they do not give the whole picture. Below is a snapshot, not a picture. The Virginia Annual Conference meets June 20-22 in Roanoke for the 2019 session. We hear the membership and attendance reports which usually show a decline in both. We set the budget which affects apportionments. In 2017 we paid 90.6%; in 2016 we gave 87.5%, a 3% improvement. In 2018 we received 88.1%. All this gives us a snapshot of our conference’s financial condition. However, I am always interested in per capita giving (actually spending) that is recorded among all the annual conferences in the nation (not international). Let me review some statistics that compare us to other UM con- ferences, and which demonstrate, in part, our unrealized potential. All the numbers below are accessible at UM General Council on Finance and Administration www.gcfa.org/dataservices - there are no secrets here.* For example, there are 56 annual conference across the US. The average per member giving in 2017 for UM’s in the US equals $766. But in the Virginia Conference (VC) it is $654 per member, or $112 less. Why is that? Do we love God less? Are we in an area of comparatively high poverty? Have we forgotten how to be generous in our tithes and offerings? Do our preachers fail to preach on generosity as a fruit of the Holy Spirit or about the importance of using money wisely? Do our Finance and/or Stewardship Committees simply ignore the issue and hope it will all work out? (“We need new members” is not the answer). If our 319,822 VC members gave even the US average we would have $35,820,064 additional to use for mission and ministry, starting in the local church! What could you do with an additional $112 per member in your local church? The good news is that from 2016 -2017 our per capita giving increased by $21.00 per member, but we also lost 5105 members (68% by death). Again, it is a snapshot, not a picture. The book, Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money, by Emerson and Smith, a sociological study of giving patterns states, “We estimate that if committed Christians in the US gave 10% of their after-tax income that would provide an extra $46 billion per year….” Pg 13. (Oxford Press). (Note: we should be giving the tithe pre-tax, not after tax). I have been tracking per capita giving for about twenty years and historically Virginia has ranked in the lower third. Therefore, this situation cannot be tied to our current difficult political climate. If you are a faithfully attending member of your church, you no doubt exceed the average giving. But it appears that faithfully attending members of other annual conferences are more generous than we. Why? We have an unrealized potential, a powerful tool for ministry and mission, in our local churches and in our con- ference and it is PRACTISED GENEROSITY! Jesus, who taught more about money and wealth than about prayer, says, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also”. Our choices about how we spend money is a reflection of our values and priorities. What we give via the offer- ing plate, or estate giving through bequests, or funding an endowment, or other instruments, testifies to our values also. When Christians practice generosity out of a grateful heart, the potential is enormous! Practice generosity, please. Rev. David A. Rash [email protected] © Stewardship Matters of Virginia LLC www.StewardshipMattersVa.org Stewardship: It’s Not What You Think. It’s What You Believe…and Do! *Statistical report from GCFA (Excel file) on my website

Volume 5 SPECIAL SERVICE & SPECIAL DAYS

MAY 2019

SERVING THE HOUSE OF THE LORD: We thank each of the following for serving the

House of the Lord:

Ushers

5 Dave & Debbie Tanis; Craig & Anne Kidd May 3 Jake Bowery May 16 Drew Singleton 12 Garland Kidd; Richard Lawson; Rosemary Stacy Dyne Ellis; Barbara Conner May 4 Roy McCormick 19 Jim & B.J. Crook; Arthur & Shirley Grant Janice Young May 17 Diana Collyer 26 Tom Campbell; Renee Simmons; Bette Near, Heidi Gleixner May 19 Anina Veldsman Annie Stovall Samantha Alexander May 20 Darryl Bennett Parking Lot Greeters Bob Stephenson, II May 5 Shawn Patton 5 Dave Armstrong, Barbara Conner, Devin May 7 Melissa Simpson May 21 Lindsey Hagen Bledsoe May 22 John Cornelison 12 Ken Briggs, Roy Aust, Garland & May 8 Wilson Long III Sandra Kidd May 9 Peggy Jessee Ruth Bunt 19 Dave Tanis, Wayne Jacobs, Mark & Carolyn Edith Rapp May 23 Eli Bowery Fisher Shirley Simmons 26 Perry Pence; Richard Lawson; Tom Akers Dave Armstrong May 10 Nan Johnson May 24 Drayton Reynolds Kid Greeters John Black 5 9 am Cael & Blake Flanary; 11 am Jaxon Case Kenneth Dean 12 9 am Leila Dick & Cooper Wolfe; 11 am Dakota Mary Crowgey Kim Cash Eaton Steve Bowery May 25 Lori Ungerer 19 9 am Kaden Liechty & Emily Martin May 26 Spencer Black 26 9 am Haddie & Emma Martin; 11 am Harper May 11 Jonathan Seidel Gregory May 12 Marty Robison May 27 Joan Bunt May 13 Betty David May 28 Phyllis Crowgey Altar Guild May 14 Sally Rodgers May 29 Barbara Wiseley Gladys Morris and Norma Tompkins May 30 Carolyn Fisher Renee Simmons Nursery Wayne Jacobs Joshua Dietz 5 Bill Kagey, Braden Cash Bob Beightol May 31 Joyce Benson 12 Blaire Liechty, Dave Tanis, Jasmine Eaton 19 Esna Veldsman, James Eaton Katie Slusher 26 Claudia Liechty, Carolyn Fisher, Debbie Tanis

Acolytes

5 Jasmine Eaton 12 Kiera Davidson 19 Nixie Rodman 26 Braden Cash

Communion Servers - May 5

9 a.m.: Bill Powell; Jackie Slusher May 11 Michael and Dana Gregory 11 a.m.: Wayne and Kay Jacobs May 12 Doug and Gail Paysour May 17 Darryl and Tracy Bennett Don and Gerry Grubb

May 22 Cory and Renee Wolfe

May 24 Tom and Brenda Simpson

Non-Profit Organization WINDSOR HILLS U. S. Postage UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PAID 3591 Windsor Road Permit No. 20 Roanoke, VA 24018 Roanoke, Virginia

Office ADDRESS SERVICE (540) 774-4730 REQUESTED Church Email [email protected]

www.windsorhillsumc.org

REV. DOUG PAYSOUR Lead Pastor

KAREN LACHOWICZ Administrative Assistant

REV. MICHAEL COPELAND Assistant Pastor - Director, Senior Adult Ministries

HEATHER CASE Director, Ministries with Young People

MEGAN RODMAN Youth Director

KAREN JONES HARWOOD Worship with us! Windsor Hills United Methodist Church Director, Music / Organist Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. TASHA EATON Church Treasurer www.windsorhillsumc.org Director, Nursery Ministries www.facebook.com/WindsorHillsChurchRoanoke RICHARD LAWSON Church Sexton Email: [email protected]

Potluck WHAT! Event Sunday, June 2, 2019 4:30 pm

IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE: THE MUSIC OF MARY McDONALD Honoring Our WWII Veterans for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

Presented by the Chancel Choir (following their return from NYC) and Handbell Choir.

This is the WHAT! event for JUNE. The concert will start at 4:30 followed by a Potluck Dinner. Only drinks will be provided by the church.