May Mission Challenge

For the month of May, we will be collecting NEW Twin Sheets sets and pillows for Midwest Mission. Donations can be left in the bin outside the main doors or at the table near the Welcome Center.

Golf Group


We will get together next on Sunday, May 17th at 2:30 pm for a friendly round of golf followed by snacks and spirits. We will play at Firestone Public. Contact Lee or Mark to RSVP.

Eat Play Pray

Our next event will be Sunday, June 7, 4-7 pm at the Carpenter's house. Hot dogs, chicken sausage and buns will be provided, please click here to RSVP and sign up for a side dish to share!

Women's Luncheon

Our next luncheon will be at noon on Wednesday, June 17, at the Fairlawn Hilton. Bev and Nancy need your reservation by the end of the day on FRIDAY, June 12. You can call or text Nancy at (330)814-4081. You can also call or text Bev at (330)696-1183. 

VBS

Our MZUMC 2026 VBS adventure will be held the week of July 6-10 from 9:30am-noon each day. We will end the week with a Celebration Picnic on Friday from noon-1pm. Please fill out one form for each FAMILY listing all children that wish to attend.

This amazing week of learning about God also takes many volunteers! If you are an adult or a student who has completed 5th grade, we would love to have you join us! Click here to volunteer.

Counters Needed

We are in need of volunteers to help count the Sunday giving after services. Please contact Beth Gerberich if you are interested and able to help!

Greeters



Anyone who would enjoy saying hello and helping direct visitors with basic questions about our church like, “Where are the restrooms?” and “Where is the sanctuary?” are welcome to sign up to greet at the side or main entrance doors. We ask greeters to be at church 15 minutes before the service starts and remain there 5 minutes after the service begins so all who are attending worship are welcomed. You can serve monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly and at your convenience! For those who are interested, sign up here. If you prefer to sign up with Katie, you can do so in the church office during the week!

District Newsletter: May 1, 2026 "Northern Waters News"

Weekly Groups:

Java & Jesus—Sundays at 11 am

Using the scriptures from Sunday's worship service, we dive deeper into them and discuss applications to our Christian lives. No preparation is needed. So come meet fellow parishioners and take part in the discussion. We meet in Room 8 in the basement at 11 am after worship.

Contact: Jo Quandt jmquandt@yahoo.com

Wired Word—Sundays at 11 am

The Wired Word discusses big questions and scripture loosely related to a current event each week while we enjoy a time of fellowship. No preparation needed and it is a new topic each week, so it's ok if you can't come every week. We meet downstairs in room 3/5/7 after the worship service.

Contact: Samantha Gunkelman samevin@yahoo.com

Pickleball Group—Tuesdays, 6:30-9 p.m. (Adults only)

Players of all levels are welcome. Consider joining this fun group. We have a weekly text to confirm players so please send your contact info to Beth or Marjorie.

Contact: Beth Gerberich bgerberich825@gmail.com or Marjorie Dye marjorietdye@gmail.com 

Tuesday Morning Bible Study—Tuesdays at 9:30 am

A little history, a little theology, a whole lot of life application! Every Tuesday morning except the last of each month.

Contact: Bill Liming bliming75@gmail.com 

Women’s Bible and Book Study—Wednesdays at 10 a.m.

A combination of book and Bible Study as guided by the participant’s interests. A time for prayer and fellowship, as well. 

Contact Marjorie Cossin marjorie.cossin@gmail.com 

Monthly Groups: 

Bible and Beer Men’s Fellowship—Last Monday of the month at 7 pm

We gather the last Monday night of each month beginning in September from 7-8:30 PM at a rotation of houses. We wrestle with issues of life and faith. Bring your favorite beverage. Snacks provided (usually pizza!).  

Contact: Bill Liming bliming75@gmail.com 

Eat, Pray, Play - June 7

Families, couples, kids and kids are heart are invited to gather for times of fun together. Our next event will be Sunday, June 7, 4-7 pm at the Carpenter's house. Click here to sign up to bring a side dish and RSVP.

Contact: Jennifer Dyer mzumcstudent@gmail.com

Food Bank Service Team—Last Tuesday of the month at 9 am

"You found me hungry and you gave me something to eat..." Live out the words of our Savior and make a huge difference in the lives of countless people across the greater Akron area. 

Contact: Bill Liming bliming75@gmail.com 

Other Groups (meeting frequency varies):

Golf Club— May 17th

This will be a social golf group, providing an outlet to those interested no matter ability. We will get together next on Sunday, May 17th at 2:30 pm for a friendly round of fold followed by snacks and spirits. Contact Lee or Mark to RSVP.

Contact: Lee Christman (leechristman1@gmail.com), Brad Beltz (bbeltz11@msn.com), and Mark Gerberich (mwgerberich@aol.com)

Children's Bulletins are available on the tables in the back of the sanctuary for kids ages 3+ and 7+.

Children’s Church

If you have a child who is at least 3 years old up through those who are in or have just completed 3rd grade, please feel free to have them join us during the worship service for Children’s Church.

Sunday School

Sunday School classes are available for all our school-aged children. These classes are offered at 11am after the worship service and are split into 3 different grade levels. See the breakdown below for more information.

Nursery Care: under age 3 - during Worship services in Nursery (Rm 103)

Children’s Church: ages 3 through 3rd Grade - during Worship in Rainbow Room (Rm 106)

Sunday School for Grades PreK-Kindergarten: 11am-noon in Harmony Harbor (Rm 104)

Sunday School for Grades 1st-3rd: 11am-noon in Rainbow Room A (Rm 106)

Sunday School for Grades 4th-5th: 11am-noon in Rainbow Room B (Rm 107)

Interested in volunteering for our Children’s Church or Sunday School programs? 

We would love to have you! Adult and Youth volunteers are crucial to our programs and we will assist you with anything you need to know prior to volunteering. Please reach out to Bethany to volunteer.

Confirmation

This Sunday we will be talking with the confirmands about all they have learned. Please check with them and make sure they are on track to complete their interview with a church leader, service projects, and reflection about their time in confirmation. If you or they have any questions about how to complete these or anything else please let me know. 

Senior Sunday

If your student is graduating (high school. college, or a tech program) we want to recognize them on June 7th. Please fill out the info form by clicking HERE and upload a picture of them to the form or email it to me. 

VBS

Our MZUMC 2026 VBS adventure will be held the week of July 6-10 from 9:30am-noon each day. We will end the week with a Celebration Picnic on Friday from noon-1pm.

Please fill out one form for each FAMILY listing all children that wish to attend. Click here to register your children for this week of fun at MZUMC!! Any child who has completed 1 year of preschool up through those entering 5th grade are welcome!

This amazing week of learning about God also takes many volunteers! If you are an adult or a student who has completed 5th grade, we would love to have you join us! Click here to volunteer!

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please reach out to Jen.

LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!!

On Wednesday, our preschool families will gather here at the church for our Pre-K graduation and certificate of achievement program for our 3 and 4 year old classes. Five Pre-K students will be moving on to Kindergarten next school year! Our morning will conclude with a fun picnic celebration with our families and friends. On Thursday, we are headed to Copley Place for an "Ice Cream Sundae" party to say goodbye to our pen pals. We have built special relationships with their residents this year and our hope and prayer is to continue this bond when we return in the fall!

I would like to thank you ALL for making my first year as director a SUPER one! Miss Andrea and Miss Heather are phenomenal teachers and I love working with them every day. Our parents are always ready and willing to help out whenever needed. The school board has always been our #1 support and we are blessed to have each and every one of them in our corner. Pastor Bill, Jen, Joe, Katie and Bethany are a blessing to work with and we are grateful for everything they do. The fellowship and camaraderie that is shared with the church and school community is bar none and we look forward to fostering many years of learning both educationally and spiritually.

Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is underway! We have openings in ALL classes! Feel free to email Nicole for tours or any questions you may have about our program. 

May Snack & Activity Calendar (click here)

May Preschool Newsletter (click here)

Office Hours:

Monday - Friday

9 am - 2 pm

565 N. Cleveland-Massillon Road, Akron, OH 44333

(330)665-9817

www.mzumc.org