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.

Albums for Pastor Bill and Pastor Kim

SPRC is working on albums for both Pastor Bill and Pastor Kim that will include a photo of you/your family and a note. Please feel free to email Emily a picture of you/your family or have that taken at church on Sunday by Emily or another member of SPRC. We also have blank notecards for both that will be at a table the next few weeks (finishing no later than June 7). 

For Pastor Kim we would like to have you write anything that may be helpful for her to know and/or a note of welcome with full names at the end so she can start seeing faces and names together.  

For Pastor Bill you can share a memory and/or well wishes as he transitions into the District Superintendent role.  If you will not be at church but want to be included, a note can also be sent to Emily and she will print it on the card.  If you have questions or submissions to email please send to Emily Carpenter by June 7. 

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!

Celebrating with Pastor Bill and Jen

SPRC would like to invite you to help us celebrate Jennifer Dyer’s commissioning as a deacon as well as our time with Pastor Bill. If you would like to contribute financially to group gifts from the church, please include that in the memo line either on your envelope or online.  

On June 14^th after the worship service, we will be celebrating with a picnic lunch and cornhole tournament. Please RSVP here if you are able to come and are interested in the cornhole tournament and consider contributing to the food. If you have any questions, please reach out to Emily Carpenter.  

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. 

Landscaping Maintenance

We are looking for a team of people to help with regular maintenance of the beds. We will meet 9 am to noon every 4 weeks on Saturdays to weed and trim, etc. There is a sign-up sheet at the welcome desk as well as a small sheet with the dates- same dates shown on the screen. (May 30, June 27, July 25, August 22, September 19, October 17)

Come for one session or all and come 9 to noon or give whatever time you have. If Saturdays don’t work for you, but you would like to do some gardening during the week, please contact Jo Quandt.

When you sign up along with your cell phone number, you will receive a reminder group text close to each date.

Come out for a chance to work together to keep our church an inviting place to come!

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 24, 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—On Summer Break - return date TBD

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— Next outing TBD

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.

Youth Group/Late Nighter

We will meet for the last time this year Sunday from 6-7:30pm. We will be planning our "Late Nighter" which will be held June 5th from 6pm-12am. As this event was requested by the youth, I'm hoping that your students will be able to make it for the planning process. I have already bought what appears to be a cross between a glow stick and pool noodle and so I'm excited to see what other fun events we can plan. 

Mission Trip

If you are going on the mission trip and have not turned in your paper work or money we need those before we get to the day of the trip. It is helpful to have them earlier rather than later so we don't have to worry about it the day we leave. There will also be a sign up coming out for food items that we will need for the week so please keep an eye out for that this week or next. 

Lastly I want to give a shout out to Mark Gerberich, Emily Carpenter, Jim McCargar, and David Walter for working with our students during Sunday school this year. I could not do it without you. We are looking for a few more adults to join this team so we can rotate the teaching responsibility and continue to have both a middle school class and a high school class. If you are interested in helping one or two Sundays a month this fall please let me know.

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

NOW ENROLLING FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR

CLASSES FOR AGES 3-5

Give your child a joyful start to learning in a loving, nurturing, Christian environment!

● Curriculum Based Hands-on Learning

● Creative Play

● Music, Movement and Fun

● Christian Values

● Social Skills and Friendship Building

● Kindergarten Readiness

Now offering a half-day or extended day options!

● Half day option: 9:00-11:30 am (lunch bunch is optional)

● Extended day option: 9:00-2:00pm (This includes our normal class time from 9:00-11:30 am, lunch bunch from 11:30-1:00 pm and our exciting new “Learning Lab” from 1:00-2:00pm)

For more information you may email Nicole or you may call (330) 665-9817 Ext. 205 Schedule a tour today! We’d love to meet your family! 

Summer Office Hours:

Monday - Thursday

9 am - 2 pm

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

(330)665-9817

www.mzumc.org