Waterville UMC Ambassador

Happy New Year!



“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

-2 Corinthians 13:14

May you be blessed with health and goodness throughout this new year. I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas with family and friends. I also hope you were able to relax and enjoy the light and love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful, and excited, to have the opportunity to worship with you and to be a part of this wonderful faith community. I, along with many others, marvel at what a wonderful family we have here at Waterville UMC. The new year gives us the opportunity to be grateful all the good things that occurred in 2023 and to look forward to what God has in store for the new year. God has used the church and all you to reach out to the community in the love of Christ, bringing many new faces to the church, whether that be a new or a deepening relationship. And as we look ahead to the new year, we can have hope and confidence that God will continue to be with us and lead us on the path that He has for us.

My prayer for all of us is that we can take new steps on our faith journey and seek new ways to live out discipleship and stewardship. In other words, how can we effectively “be the church.” I pray we see this year as a time to deepen our relationship with Jesus, as we place our trust in Him. May the ‘joy of the Lord, be our strength,’ as we use our time, talent, and tithes for the glory of God and to build His Kingdom. I pray we love God and love neighbor as Jesus taught us.

Thanks for being a part of this incredible journey and thank you for the gracious support you have given me and each other. Know that you are loved and appreciated.

Blessings,

Pastor Teresa

Waterville United Methodist Leadership Slate for 2024

The following is the 2024 WUMC Leadership slate approved at our Church Conference in November 2023. If you are interested in volunteering for any of the committees, please contact me or the name listed. Join me in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide and protect us in the new year. God has great plans for the new year. I am excited to see what God has in store. To God be the glory in all that we do. Blessings and appreciation. Pastor Teresa

Administrative Council

* Pastor ....................................................... Rev Teresa Wenrick

* Administrative Council Chair ...................... Charlene Monroe

* Nominations and Church Growth ............... Rev Teresa Wenrick

* SPRC Chair ............................................... Josh Hankins

* Trustee Chair ....................................... Christie Wielgopolski

Steve Crandall - Interim

* Lay Delegate to Annual Conference ....... Ben Long

* Lay Leader ............................................... TBD

* Finance Chair ....................................... Jim Page

* Treasurer ............................................... Louann Artiaga

* Young Adult Representative ....................... TBD

Celebrations Committee Chair ............... Mike Koontz

Missions & Sharing Chair ....................... Terry Myers

Directors of Education Ministry ............... Co Chairs: Bobbie Westfall/Brenda Hendricks

Communications ....................................... Donna Martin

Council Secretary ....................................... Charlene Monroe

At Large Member(s) ............................... TBD

Other Lay Ministry Leaders

Financial Secretary ....................................... Tom Wiggins

Assistant Financial Secretary ....................... Anna Banachowski

Office Manager ....................................... Kayla Katifias

Children's Director ....................................... TBD

Youth Director(s) ....................................... Jim and Jill Schlievert

Music / Choir Director ............................... Kayla Dye

Accompanist ................................................. Olga Topuzova-Meade

Congregational Care Chair ....................... Ben Long

Hospitality Chair ....................................... Tim Monroe

Outreach Chair ....................................... Laurie Scholfield

Decorating Committee

   Sanctuary ....................................... Rev Teresa Wenrick

   Other areas ........................................Terry Myers

Missions Team Chair ............................... Pam Cook

UM Women’s Ministry Chair ....................... Cindy Box

Funeral Dinners Chair(s) ............................... Karen Wiggins/Robin Lipinski

Those designated with a (*) are required Administrative Council positions according to the Book of Discipline. Members of the Administrative Council must be a member to be able to vote on any issues.

Do you feel called to visit our members and friends of the congregation that are not able to attend services?

If so, join Pastor Teresa and Ben Long Tuesday Jan 9, at 7:00 PM. We are Looking for volunteers to join the Congregational Care Committee.

We will be visiting those that can’t be with us. Part of being “The Church”.

Easter is coming!

Ash Wednesday is Feb 14th. Again, this year we will be having prayer stations from 6-7:30 pm. We need your help to create them. The prayer stations consist of read, reflect, and respond. There is a sign-up sheet in the Gathering Space. It's as simple as:

• Choose a Prayer Station you would like to create a prayer experience as part of Jesus' journey to the cross

• Contact/gather your team. Invite others to assist. This is a great opportunity for Leadership Teams, choir teams, Bible Study groups, family, friends and people even outside of our church family.

• Gather your group, brainstorm/research possible ideas, and create your station in the location provided. Pinterest and google searches are helpful.

• Teams create an experience that includes: Read (the text); Reflect (prayer, visuals, questions, etc); Respond (provide a take away - question, object or activity for participants to do or take with them)

• Stations should be set up and ready by February 14th at 5:00 pm

If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Teresa or the church office.

Keep up to date on all things Youth Alive by following the Youth Alive Facebook page!

WUMC Chair Yoga & Light Weight Strength Class for Seniors

If you’re looking for an opportunity to increase your flexibility and range of motion, change up your routine, or just get some additional mental clarity, this is the class for you!

Join us on Wednesdays at 2:00pm

The cost is $12 per month or $3 per session.

Missions Committee Focus for January:

The Pregnancy Center

The mission opportunity for January is the Pregnancy Center of Toledo. Since 1984 the Center has been offering Christ-centered hope to women facing unplanned pregnancies.

In addition, the network has added two additional ministries, Soul Purpose and The Haven. Soul Purpose offers a much-needed service centered at the University of Toledo where young women are disciplined in their value and identity in Christ. The Haven offers compassionate ultra-sounds, maternity supplies, parenting education, pregnancy tests, and medical referrals, all at no cost. Bible Studies are also offered for women and men to experience the unconditional love of Christ. The goals of this vital ministry are to save lives, strengthen families, and glorify the Lord in its outreach to struggling women and men.

Waterville UMC is privileged to support the center in its faithful dedication to choosing life.

Januray Focus: Hats, Gloves,

& Scarves

The Missions committee is proud to announce the totals of your giving to Susie's coats and Hannah's socks for 2023:

Coats- 156 Hats - 103

Socks -389 Gloves- 31

Thank you to all the impact you have made on your community is huge!

December Attendance

December 3rd: 265

December 10th: 154

December 17th: 245

December 24th: 149

December 31st: 120

October Card Ministry Liaison is Melva Robinson

Please reach out to her at

520mlr@gmail.com



if you know of someone who needs encouraging words through a card.

Words of love can change a moment and often a life's direction.

Happy Birthday!

(If you have a Birthday that isn't listed here, please call the church office so we can add you to our birthday list!)

Ivy Abbey January 6

Anna Banachowski January 6

Joseph Scheub January 15

Tom Shoemaker January 17

Elaine Larimer January 19

Amelia Mazzarella January 23

Ann Nightingale January 25

Kayla Katafias January 28

Verna Rose January 29

Joshua Shelton January 29

Tedd Munn January 30

Elaine Larimer will turn 100 on January 19th. The Card Ministry would like to encourage everyone to send a card to her at: 8883 Browning Dr. Box 61, Waterville, OH 43566. The goal is for her to receive 100 cards!

If you have an immediate need or a Pastoral need, please call Pastor Teresa Wenrick at 937-726-3758 or pastorteresa@watervilleumc.org .

Office hours are typically Tuesday through Friday, 9am - 2pm. Please call ahead at 419-878-3645, or email if you need to visit the office.

Praises to the Lord!

10:30 AM

Opportunities to worship and praise the Lord with WUMC:

• In Sanctuary
• Live Stream via You Tube at www.watervilleumc.org
• Watch the recording of the worship service on-line when available at www.watervilleumc.org

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