25 - Lee Zelina
26 - Janet Eades
26 - Jimmy Winters
29 - Ellen Stansfield
29 - Mike Lutton
29 - Janis Witte
30 - Kyle Zwyer
30 - Robert McCleery
Happy Anniversary this week to:
Tim and Renee Vierling  4/26/2008
Kent and Kristina Euler   4/27/1996
During COVID our church shuttered the building for months. No in-person worship. No Wednesday lunch for the community. No clothing store run by the women for the community. The church was essentially locked up. Now the church is open. It used to be some people had keys to the church. Now, EVERYONE has a key. It’s in a realtor’s box hanging on the door. You are welcome to come and go. 

Now that the church is open again, there are those who have begun to worship with us, but have yet to join Hope Church as members.  So, here’s your invitation: Darrel and Connie Limes are hosting a fish fry at their house Tuesday May 10 at 6:30 p.m. for prospective members, those who worship with us but who haven’t joined yet.  If that’s you, sign up.   Come eat some Walleye and we will talk about what joining the church means.  On Pentecost Sunday, the first Sunday in June, we will introduce new members to the church.  The church is open.  You are invited.  Just say yes.  
  
In the Gospel of John, Jesus - the Risen Christ - appears to his disciples who are hiding behind a locked door. He keeps appearing in his church and in the lives of his followers. Can you see the hope in this story for our church?

Welcome Home!
Camera Team Schedule
Below is the schedule through May for the Camera Team, which makes Live Streaming our Worship Services available to so many people. If you would like to be a part of this team, please contact Scott Yoder at hopeumclivestream@gmail.com
or Connie Limes at ConnieLimes@hopeunitedmethodist.com
We can always use more hands!

May 1 - Laurie Schofield
May 8 - Tim Yoder
May 15 - Jennifer Herman
May 22 - Terry Zimmerman
May 29 - Matt Zwyer
United Methodist Women is now United Women in Faith! The move is part of a refreshing of the organization that includes a new logo and an array of new and improved programs to nurture current members and welcome new women to join to put their love in action on behalf of women, children, and youth.
 
The new name aims to welcome current members whose local churches may choose to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church as well as women of other faith traditions who want to join. The organization remains incorporated in New York as United Methodist Women and is doing business as United Women in Faith. United Women in Faith seeks to connect and nurture women through Christian spiritual formation, leadership development, creative fellowship, and education so that they can inspire, influence and impact local and global communities.
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The Hope Chest is looking for volunteers to assist on Saturday mornings or Wednesday afternoons to either operate the cash register (very easy and much like an adding machine) or to bag merchandise. Please contact Karen Lance at 419-877-5625 or kllcccslp@yahoo.com for more information.  
 
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Hope Chest to add additional hours on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 11:30-2 beginning on May 4th and next date will be May 18th. 

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Sign up this Sunday for the UMW Spring Retreat on May 7, 2022  
UMW Spring Retreat
Theme: Empowering Women
Date: Saturday, May 7
Time: 12: 00 social time; lunch at 12:30
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Diane Carter
Reservations: Joyce Aldred-Fine
will be collecting reservation forms and money
Cost: $10/person
Drummer Needed
Led By Faith is looking for a drummer! Some experience playing drums is required. If you are interested, please come to our rehearsal on any Tuesday, at 7pm in the Sanctuary. We would love to meet with you!
The Potentials
It’s that time of year again when Hope Church looks forward to its youth and their musical inspiration to help lead the congregation to the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The "Potentials" (led by Tim Brown) will be playing on Sunday, May 8th at 10:00am. Please join us.


Save the Date: Vacation Bible School is scheduled for June 20-23. If you are willing to be a Station Leader or Crew Leader or if you have questions please contact Pam Croson.
pkcroson@gmail.com or 419-350-2632











LAST CHANCE FOR RESERVATIONS!
Breakfast with EleSondra DeRomano -
nationally recognized advocate for victims

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2022 AT 9 AM – 12 PM

Make your reservations here -------->Breakfast with El

Ohio is particularly vulnerable to human trafficking because it has both large urban centers and rural counties and a large transient and immigrant population, as well as five major highways with easy access to other states and Canada. This is especially true of Northwest Ohio. Commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking are major problems happening right here, right now.

Elesondra "Ele" DeRomano is a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation/sex trafficking, a local and national consultant, a motivational speaker, an advocate against all forms of exploitation, and the Founder of Standing Together Against Real Slavery (STARS). Since 2004, Ele has worked with women and youth who are at-risk for a myriad of factors, including sexual assault/exploitation, domestic violence, street and gang violence, and substance abuse/addiction. As a self-described "ex-crack addict and ex-prostitute", Ele is uniquely capable of mentoring exploited and at-risk women and girls with her direct yet nurturing approach and personality. She offers brutal honesty but creates an atmosphere of hope for women and girls who have been abandoned by society.

Ele's dedication to helping other women and girls is the foundation of STARS. “If there is a girl out there who has contacted me and I can’t reach her," Ele says, "it bothers me. I take it personal. STARS is a part of me; this is my passion and dream.” Ele created one-of-a-kind programs such as the Girls Crisis Prevention/Intervention Program and Outreach for Survivors of Prostitution. These programs foster love and trust to a sector of our society that is too often lost and forgotten. She shares her knowledge and expertise with professionals and communities across the country, as well as youth in inner-city schools facing gang and street violence. "I don't want sympathy for what I went through," says Ele. "I want people to have sympathy for the girls still being trafficked...I hope my story can help them through tough times."
Mission of the Month
Pastor's Discretionary Fund
Many congregations have a fund called the pastor's discretionary fund, intended to give the pastor discretion and authority to provide confidential financial support to people in need.

At times the pastor may use these funds for other purposes consistent with the program and budget of the church. For instance, our pastor has used these funds to advance funds for feeding programs at St. Paul United Methodist Church, Toledo Streets Newspaper, and to pay off the lunch debt of students at Anthony Wayne Schools.

Our pastor and treasurer document and record distributions from the fund showing the types of assistance provided during any given year (e.g., $100 gift card from a local grocery was given to a family to purchase groceries; $500 was paid to the hospital for a family to cover hospital emergency room treatment for a seriously ill child; $150 was paid to a transportation company to provide a woman with transportation to and from a kidney dialysis center for a year; bus tickets and a new pair of shoes and pants were purchased for a homeless person who had a job interview.

In all cases, the pastor uses the monies for goods and services rather than cash assistance (e.g., taxi fare, bus ticket, a bag of groceries, a pair of shoes, a utility bill). Our church never gives cash to anyone soliciting financial support.

A gift to the pastors discretionary fund is one more way to help those in our community who need one-time assistance.
10am Worship Service from Sunday, April 24, 2022

It was decided our Leadership Team Meeting (aka Church Council) yesterday, to start posting what is discussed at each meeting so you have knowledge of what is going on behind the scenes at Hope. These meetings are held once a month. Here is a brief outline of our meeting yesterday.

Hope United Methodist Church - Whitehouse, OH
Leadership Team Meeting
April 24, 2022 @11:00 a.m.
“Leading people to the transforming love of Jesus Christ”
 
11:00 a.m. Gathering and Prayer (Rev. Warren Clifton, Pastor)
              Galatians 5:19-23, The Message

Approved Minutes of Last Meeting (Scott Giest, Chair) (Decision)

Discipleship (Steve Winters)
  • Our new church app is being tested and should be available to roll-out to members in the next two weeks - online giving will roll-out the same time as the app
  • Steve and Connor are revamping the church website 
  • Elesondra DeRomano will be at Hope to speak on the issue of human trafficking Saturday April 30 @ 9:00 a.m. 
  • Scout Pack and Troop offering Community Scouting Day for AW May 7 and planning additional recruitment events going into the Fall. 
  • Connie and Darrel Limes will host dinner for prospective members at their home May 10 with plans to welcome new members Pentecost Sunday (June 5)
  • Youth Mission Trip - Cleveland - June 5-9 - www.nehemiahmission.org
  • Godly Play will be offered at 10:00 a.m. through May 22 and then break for the summer   Need Storytellers for the Fall
  • Vacation Bible School - June 20-24 - “How to Train Your Emotions” 

Child Care (Nancy Sears, Director)
  • Enrollment holds steady and wait list continues to grow
  • Still need to hire 2-3 teachers and a cook
  • Held a Spring Family Night with 350+ in attendance! 
  • Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6

HR Sub-Team (Deb Kuck, Chair)
  • Easter Sunday was Michael Richardson’s last day at Hope
  • Pastor Warren will be at his son’s college graduation May 1; Matt Zwyer will preach
  • Pastor Warren has completed one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education
  • Pastoral Assessment form required by West Ohio Conference has been distributed to HR Sub-team, to be completed and returned to Deb by 5/18/22
  • Final Pastoral Assessment and Self-Assessment to be completed by 6/1/22

Trustees (Randy Croson, Chair)
  • HVAC update - waiting on final building inspection
  • New sump pump installed in crawl space
  • New hot water heater installed in CLC (gym)
  • Waxing the gym floor to be scheduled

Finance (Kathy Winters, Chair; Louann Artiaga, Treasurer)
If you would like a copy of the financials, please let Connie in the church office know.
 
Pray and Adjourn
 
​​Next Leadership Team Meeting: Sunday May 15 @11:00 a.m.​​
TBD Productions presents:
Motherhood Out Loud
Set For May 6-8 In Whitehouse
TBD Productions presents Motherhood Out Loud, a collection of short plays that tells the hilarious, touching and sometimes agonizing story of motherhood, May 6-8 at Copper Press Roastery in Whitehouse.

Stories from 14 playwrights are curated into themed chapters. In "Fast Births" we witness the miracle of life followed by a new mom receiving unwanted sex advice from her own mother. "First Day" introduces gay dads, adoption and a mother coping with her child's gender identity. Other chapters cover sex talks, step-motherhood, first dates, leaving the nest, marriage and adulthood.

Utterly unpredictable, Motherhood Out Loud shatters traditional notions about parenthood, unveils its inherent comedy and celebrates the deeply personal truths that span and unite generations. Variety called the show "Chicken Soup for the Mom" while BackStage summed it up as "storytelling at its sweetest."

Motherhood Out Loud was written by Leslie Ayvazian, Brooke Berman, David Cale, Jessica Goldberg, Beth Henley, Lameece Issaq, Claire LaZebnik, Lisa Loomer, Michele Lowe, Marco Pennete, Theresa Rebeck, Luanne Rice, Annie Weisman, and Cheryl L. West and was conceived by Susan R. Rose and Joan Stein.

The performance features Steve Bishop, Kathy Burke, Annelise Clifton, Elizabeth Coronado, Andy and Sarah Dysard, Hali Malecki and Karen Noble. The play is directed by Diana Waugh.

Copper Press Roastery is located at 5905 Weckerly Rd. in Whitehouse. Shows are Friday and Saturday May 6 and 7 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m.

For tickets, visit http://our.show/motherhood
Building Schedule
4/25/2022 - 5/1/2022