The Beacon
A light of Hope in Over-the-Rhine January 2019
“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ”   2 Corinthians 5:17
Attention: When sending donations, please use our P.O. Box 141031, Cincinnati OH 45250.
If you use our physical address, mail is delivered into a mail slot where it could potentially be tampered with. This was the case this past week. By the time we received the envelope, it was empty. We appreciate your help in ensuring all donations are received. If you do not receive acknowledgement for a gift within 30 days, please contact our operations manager, Lindsay Hinze .
Looking Forward
As we move into the new year our lead team gathered in retreat on January 3rd and 4th. We refocused and set our priorities for this year.
Several measures of our 2018 Strategic Plan were worked through. Timelines were created and tactics were fleshed out, assuring that we are intentionally implementing the plans our board, staff and friends worked so tirelessly to create.
Staffing was reviewed to ensure we have people in positions where they are the most effective. We still need to hire a new staff member for the K-3 team as Alisia Barclay has left our team to serve in the military.
With the new grade alignments of our after school program, we discussed how that affects our summer camp age ranges.
Over this next year we will bring uniformity to the devotional times in each of the K-3, 4-6, and high school team meetings. This will help to connect our staff and create discussion among teams as we all study the same scripture.
These are just a few of the many discussion points covered at the retreat. All serve as examples of the continuous efforts by our staff to make the greatest possible impact on our WCMC Family.
We appreciate you coming alongside us in prayer during this process. May God be glorified through the plans made.
Volunteer Gathering

Come join us and get to know some of your fellow volunteers. With different people coming to volunteer on all different days throughout the week, a gathering will give us a chance to connect and get to know one another. This is also a forum to share the joys and frustrations of volunteering at WCMC and hopefully improve the volunteer process for the future. We'd love to see as many of you there as possible to make this a worthwhile and beneficial process.
If you have any questions or would like to propose a discussion topic, contact
Sarah Lewton, the Volunteer Coordinator.
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When: Friday, January 25
12:00-1:30pm

Where: 76 East McMicken Avenue Cincinnati OH

Staff Spotlight...
Lindsay Hinze
Position:  Operations Manager
Hometown:  Originally from South Bend IN; Cincinnati is home now!
Church: Church of the Saviour United Methodist
Hobbies:  Hanging out with my husband, hiking, reading, buying candles
Education: I’ll graduate in May with my MA in Leadership from Asbury Seminary
Inspiring Verse: Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds...”
Our Christmas Festivities
We are so grateful to all of you who made this year's Christmas celebrations successful. The events kicked off with a Christmas program that involved all age groups. The high school students led the audience in readings and prayers while our middle school students acted out the nativity scene; and finally our youngest students enthusiastically shared songs they practiced for weeks. Thank you for all who were able to attend in support of their hard work. A big thank you also to the board for providing refreshments following the program.

The Christmas Store came next and the Grand Opening was a success. Cincinnati police officers volunteered for the store and helped to escort children from their buildings to the store, where students were able to spend their Christmas bucks earned through good behavior and attendance. We even had a full volunteer crew manning gift wrapping stations to help students add their own personal flair to their gifts.

The week concluded with caroling events as students, staff and volunteers brought the sound of sleigh bells and carols across the neighborhood before heading back to WCMC for cocoa and cookies. This is truly a special time of year around Wesley Chapel Mission Center. Thank you to all who were able to be involved. We hope you were blessed by your experiences as we were!
Harrison Ballard Update

Harrison was first introduced to WCMC while in middle school. Following that he faithfully attended our programs through high school and eventually become a member of our Junior Staff. Harrison worked for two summers and as frequently as his track and field schedule would allow during the school year. Even as his family moved to different homes, Harrison found his way to the Center, often riding his bicycle in order to attend our events.
Following graduation from Taft High School, Harrison was inspired to follow in the footsteps of his track and field coach and join the United States Marine Corps, which he joined in May of 2018. Having completed boot camp, he is stationed at Camp Le Jeune. He was recently promoted to Private First Class.
We are so proud of the man Harrison has become. Please hold him closely in your prayers as he proudly serves us as a Marine.
Jan. 3-4 Lead Team Retreat

Jan.7  K-12 program resumes,
2:00-6:00

Jan.12 STAR Club, 10:30-12:30

Jan.12 Super Saturday, hosted by Christ the King Church 12:30-3:00

Jan.14  CPS Closed, no programming

Jan.19 STAR Club, 10:30-12:30

Jan.19 Super Saturday, hosted by Church of the Saviour UM 12:30-3:00

Jan.21 CPS Closed, no programming
Jan.25 Volunteer Gathering,
12:00-1:30

Jan.26 STAR Club, 10:30-12:30

Feb.4 CPS Closed, no programming
Simple ways you can help...
By shopping at these locations you can support WCMC. Each organization will donate a percentage of your purchases to the Center. Click the logos for more info.
We reached our goal: 500 Likes!
We recently reached the 500 like marker on Facebook. Thank you to all those who contributed to that number. We appreciate you helping to spread the word about the work God is doing here at Wesley Chapel. If you haven't done so already we encourage you to like our page and invite your friends to do so also. Our next goal is 1,000!

Wish/Needs List
School Supplies:
  • Blue and Red Ink Pens
  • Composition Notebooks
  • College Ruled Notebooks
  • Regular Pink Erasers (not pencil tips)
  • Glue Bottles
  • Glue Sticks
  • Highlighters
  • Note Cards (Index cards - 3x5)
  • Marker Sets (Both thin and thick)
  • Scissors (blunt and pointed tip)
  • Pocket Dictionaries
  • Rulers
  • Colored Pencil Sets
  • Dividers with tabs for 3 ring binders
  • Small, personal dry erase boards
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division place mats
  • Batteries, AA and AAA
Games and Toys
  • Kerplunk
  • Spot It
  • Simple Puzzles
  • Matching games
  • UNO
  • Connect Four
  • Guess Who
  • Battleship
  • Checkers
  • Jump Ropes
  • Long jump ropes
  • Dodge Balls
  • Hula Hoops

DVDs
  • The Bible Movie AD
  • Letters to God
  • God's Not Dead
  • A Question of Faith
  • The Case for Christ
  • The Book of Daniel
  • In the Beginning