From the desk of Pastor Jonathan - Ionia First

From the desk of Pastor Jonathan

A publication of

First United Methodist Church

105 E Main

Ionia, MI 48846

616.527.1860

www.ioniafirst.com

[email protected]

Pastor Jonathan’s Letter 1,2

Missions and Outreach 2

Coming Events 3

Children/Youth 4

Trustees/Prayers/Thank You 5

United Methodist Women 6

Attendance/Giving/Finance Report 7

Birthdays/Anniversaries/Schedules 8

March Calendar 9

Inside this issue:

105 E. Main Street

Ionia, MI 48846

Service

9:30 am

www.ioniafirst.com

"By Faith We Understand…”

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not

seen. Indeed, by this our ancestors received approval. By faith we under-

stand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is

seen was made from things that are not visible. […] Therefore, since we

are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every

weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance

the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of

our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the

cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of

the throne of God.

Hebrews 11:1-3…12:1-2

Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

A month ago I wrote to you about observing a holy Lent. In the last paragraph of my news-

letter, I said this:

The journey of this holy Lent began on Ash Wednesday with the imposi-

tion on our foreheads of the sign of certain death: a Cross marked in black.

But the sign doesn’t point us to despair; it points us to recall that our lives

“are hidden with Christ in God…” (Col. 3:3). Indeed, the sign of the Cross

in every place and guise converts us from the falsehoods of this broken

world. The sign of the Cross reminds us to live our lives to the fullest, like

Jesus, with the time that is given: to the glory of God the Father. What will

you do with your time?

What a sign of the Spirit’s prompting, that those words would take on such meaning in our

current circumstances! Now, as we near the close of Lent and make ready for the spiritual

journey of Holy Week, I wonder whether any of us would say that we’ve lived our lives to

the fullest. My guess is, probably not. But what if living life to the fullest had less to do

with feeling fulfilled, and more to do with the quality of our prayers and praise?

As the writer to the Hebrews says at the opening of chapter 11, what we call “real” – the

stuff we can see – is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. If we’re just coasting on the

surface of life, we don’t see the beauty that lies beneath. If we never plunge into the depths

of our spirituality, we never discover that even the biggest waves on the surface are nothing

to the deep, deep sea. Beneath the surface of our lives, which have admittedly become ra-

ther rude and rough at the moment, there remains an oceanic quiet that can’t be moved by

the tempest above. Down in the silent, uteran places of our secret hearts, a faith is conceived

from the indwelling of the Spirit which reveals the gift of God’s abiding presence and pow-

er: a presence which takes away all doubt; a power which takes away all fear.

Continued on page 2

April

2020

Newsletter

At present UMW is in a “lull.” We are in the planning stages for the up-coming “School Kit” project in which we will be collecting items for school kits to be sent to UMCOR and forwarded to wherever the need is greatest. We are also beginning to plan for our special recognitions and for the late summer Trash and Treasure Sale. The pay is to feel the sense the satisfaction experienced when you have reached out and improved someone else’s life, knowing that you perhaps have been that “one little candle.” The bonus is that you have bonded more closely with members of you own church family and enjoyed a priceless fellowship, that you have received and given support to those with which you have worked.

(continued from page 1)

It is in this place of unspoken experience that the true knowledge of God comes to us. Indeed, it is from this profound

place of knowing that Jesus, the human person, faces the Cross. If his crucifixion is a tidal wave of agony, shame, and

abandonment, he endures it because his faith allows him to understand that his suffering remains only a wave, a passing

thing that has no power to alter the deep, deep love of God. Jesus knows this. Do you? Do I? If you are unsure, follow

him. No matter what you are feeling, or what is happening to you, our circumstances are nothing more than bigger and

smaller waves, passing over the unseen reality of our own eternal lives, which are hidden in the resurrected life of the

crucified Christ. When the surface of life seems choppy, or entirely overwhelming, dive down into your heart. Christ is

waiting for you there… waiting to take you by the swiftest way to the heart of God.

As I was thinking about these two passages from Hebrews and our need to follow Jesus as we practice our faith I was

reminded (another prompting, I think) of an old hymn, which has captured my imagination for as long as I can remem-

ber. May it be the same blessing for you that it is for me, the same Sacrament of God’s abiding presence and power:

Samuel Trevor Francis, 1835-1924

Dear friends, with the Great Cloud of Witnesses who have come before us, who persevered in their faith because they

understood God’s infinite love, may those who come behind us find us equally faithful. May our lives, like the life of

Christ, reveal God’s presence and power in the midst of these terrible and isolating days. And may the blessing of the

Almighty God, the Creator, the Living Word, and the Spirit of Truth, surround us entirely and remain with us always.

Thanks be to God.

Jonathan

1 O the deep, deep love of Jesus!

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,

rolling as a mighty ocean

in its fullness over me.

Underneath me, all around me,

is the current of thy love;

leading onward, leading homeward,

to thy glorious rest above.


Spread his praise from shore to shore;

how he loveth, ever loveth,

changeth never, nevermore;

how he watches o'er his loved ones,

died to call them all his own;

how for them he intercedeth,

watcheth o'er them from the throne.


Love of ev'ry love the best:

'tis an ocean vast of blessing,

'tis a haven sweet of rest.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus!

'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me;

and it lifts me up to glory,

for it lifts me up to thee.

Missions and Outreach

Due to the situation with Corona Virus we have no report at this time.

APRIL Coming events

Because of Covid 19

all April events

are cancelled

Sunday-School

The kids have been loving our lessons, crafts, and games! We have had a great group of boys!

On The R.I.S.E

Because of Covid 19, all April programs are cancelled

Please, let us know if you want us to help you with some yard work. Let us know if you need

help raking, pulling weeds, planting, mowing, etc. All proceeds will go towards our mission

trip to Niagara Falls in June of 2020! :

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ioniaontherise/

VBS

We need volunteers! Please, feel free to come to our meetings. We are looking for some lead-

ership positions. We will be asking for help with leading our crews in May.

Family Ministries Coordinator

Jodi Courtland

616-841-0288

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ioniaontherise/

Prayers for those in the military:

Adam Cook-Green Beret, Afghanistan

Nick Murray, Retired, Bremerton WA

Andy Hoort-Nurse, Ret. Royal Oak, MI

Ross Marshall, Navy, Submarine, Groton, CT

Daniel Zander-Major U.S. Army retired

Duane Baliff

Austin Campbell - Air Force

Prayers for: Family and friends of Dick Bennett Katherine Asher D.S. Margie Crawford Bill & Kathy Berry Joanie Carle Liz Bode Loren Carle Justin Owings Al & Marge Irby Hunter Wagner Stuart Weisgerber Billie Horwood Elisha & Crystal Stock Maybelle Drake Lucille Leslie Lew Slater Joe Felice Lisa Dvork Penny Wineman Sharon & Bill Hartman Ron Dankenbring Jack & Millie Bartholomew

PLEASE PRAY IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

FOR:

(E-mail prayer requests to

[email protected])

From the Trustees

Because of the Corona Virus there is no report at this time

UMW NEWS

Because of Covid 19 all April events have been cancelled.

Rebecca Brown

Attendance Giving Needed

March 1 42 $2,949.00

March 8 43 $2,949.00

March 15 No Church $2,949.00



Finance Report

I pray everyone has continued to stay healthy during this Corona virus/Covid 19 crisis, and

that I hope we will soon be back at IFUMC to worship together. As you know, Alicia and I

started to sort out the financial situation mid December 2019 along with help from Pastor Jon-

athan and Marie. After going through stacks of unorganized files and making calls, we discov-

ered multiple bills unpaid as far back as June 2019. One of the Consumers Energy accounts

was going to an email somewhere, and was 8 months behind. Some of the bills that

were behind were the UMC Pension Fund (Benefits Ministry Share) at $300.00 a month, our

Conference Ministry Shares at $1,596.00 a month, and the payment on our Promissory note at

$1.177.74 a month, and some others. Paying many of these between January and March 2020

meant that we ran a deficit between income and expenses of about $8000. Happily, at this

point we are turning things around and are starting to figure out where we are financially.

Pastor Jonathan and myself have spent many, many hours organizing the church finances to

get accurate numbers for all line items. We have put new policies and procedures in place that

make everyone and everything accountable. At the end of March we have most bills current.

We have balanced and accounted for all credits and debits for 2020. If you have any questions,

I would be happy to answer them. Thank you for your patience while we unraveled the paper

work for IFUMC.

Ronda Bestrom

General Fund Special Fund

January January

12-31-19 Balance $20,518.26 12-31-19 Balance $40,550.83

1-31-20 Balance $13,447.55 1-31-20 Balance $36,498.02

February February

1-31-20 Balance $13,447.55 1-31-20 Balance $36,498.02

2-29-20 Balance $12,834.84 2-29-20 Balance $32,389.48

March March

2-29-20 Balance $12,834.84 2-29-20 Balance $32,389.48

3-31-20 Balance $11,355.43 3-31-20 Balance $31,904.74

APRIL

BIRTHDAYS

5 Isaiah Manning

8 Caleb Sibley 11 Henry Castle

11 Philip Fedon 17 Ruth French

19 Jim Wagner 20 Virginia Washburn

24 Tristan Asher 25 Stuart Church

26 Diana Whitelock

30 Ava England

April Anniversaries

1 Dave & Roxanne Stiles 2 Jerry & Judy Gregory 13 Philip & Jana Fedon 20 Eric & Lacy Fulcher

April

Greeters

April 5 Would you like to be a

greeter? If so contact

April 12 Marie in the church

office, and we will sign

April 19 you up.

April 26

Note: If you have agreed to serve as a greeter on a

Sunday morning, but find that you cannot do so,

please call the church office (527-1860).

April Liturgists April 5 Kayla Hagen April 12 Al Macdonald April 19 Melissa Wagner April 26 Eric Asher If you are unable to serve on the day for which you are scheduled, it is up to you to switch with another liturgist, and notify the church office.

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

Mission:

Circles Grand Rap-

ids

1

2

3 4

5

Palm Sunday

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Easter

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

Mission Sunday

20

21

22

23

24

1:00 pm Newslet-

ter Deadline

25

26

27

28

29 30

April 2020

105 E. Main Street

Ionia, MI 48846

Service 9:30am

Check it out!

www.ioniafirst.com

From the desk of Pastor Jonathan - Ionia First

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