WEST LAWN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Monthly Newsletter

JANUARY 2017

Our annual Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 1, 2017 from 1:00 pm through 4:00 pm in the Community Center. Eat in or Take Out available! (take out begins at 12:00 pm) Dinner includes Pork & Sauerkraut with all the trimmings plus dessert. Adult tickets are $10 and Children under 12 are $5. Tickets are available for purchase at the church office, at West Lawn Wednesday meals, or at the door.

Proceeds from this year’s Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner will be used to help Erika Bare, a mem-ber of our congregation, replace her service dog, Emit, who is nearing retirement. The cost for a service doge can run close to $5,000. Your support for this one-time benefit event is appreciated.

We are in need of servants to prepare and serve the meal. Please sign up to help by vis-iting our website, by signing up on a Wed evening at West Lawn Wednesday, or by calling the church office. We need many hands to provide this Community Outreach event.

Delivery is available for residents of 19608, 19609, 19610 & 19611; email or call the office at 610-678-5611 or office@westlawnumc.org.

Our next First Saturday Worship will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 6:00 pm in the Community Center fea-turing Dave Endy who will share “Our Mission in Pignon.”

If you would like to share your testimony at a First Satur-day Worship service, please send a brief summary of your story to Pastor Jeff at jeff@westlawnumc.org.

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Opportunities for baptisms and new member services in early 2017 will be on January 8th, February 19th and March 19th.

If you are interested in joining the church or scheduling a baptism on any of these Sunday dates, NOW is the time to be in touch with one of the pastors.

Other tentative dates for baptisms/new members in 2017 include April 23, May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, Sep-tember 17, October 15, November 19 and December 17.

To learn more about West Lawn, our pastors and the United Methodist faith, prior to joining our congrega-tion, please consider attending an upcoming Inquirer’s class. These classes occur regularly at West Lawn in Room 109-111 in the Reiner Education Building at 12:30 p.m. Classes are tentatively set for:

February 5th August 6th

April 2nd October 1st

June 4th December 3rd

PAGE 2 INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the

Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into

being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What

has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all peo-

ple. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome

it.” We read these words in the opening verses of the Gospel of John (1:1-5).

It seems a timely message for us at the beginning of another New Year, and worth reflecting on for a few moments today.

Remember that God is with us! This is a vital part of the Christmas message: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23). I know several people who openly expressed that they will be happy to put 2016 in the past and move on to a better future. I would say to them and to you, the future is bright because God is in it. Wherever the New Year leads us, God is already there. Wherever we go, be it purposeful or wandering, God is with us! God will never forsake us or abandon us. God loves us far too much for that. So as we move into 2017, remember that you are not left to walk alone. God desires to walk with you each day.

Thank you, God, for being with us wherever we go, and whatever comes our way, in the New Year.

Jesus is the Light of all people. Not just some, but all! As we decide how to live our lives each day, remember that

Jesus came, not to condemn the world, but rather that the world might be saved through him (see John 3:17). God is not only with us; God is with ALL who call upon him, and God loves all. Jesus teaches us to love one another, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. To do this in 2017 will require that we love those who some may ridicule or reject. Loving our neighbors will not always be politically or economically popular. Then, Jesus never promised us popularity. He promises us abundant life in him, and life everlasting in the heavenly Realm.

Thank you, Jesus, for being the light in our lives. Help us to share your light with others… with all!

God’s Light shines. Even though it feels sometimes like we are on the short end of things, remember that God’s

Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never overcome it… and never will! I know it is not always easy to follow Jesus, or to trust in God’s goodness when bad things seem to come our way; when evil seems to thrive. However, God’s promise is that God’s Light will continue to shine on us, for us, and on the path God desires for us to walk. When you feel like you are sinking into the depths of darkness or despair, I plead with you to remember God’s Light that shines as a beacon to you, offering to guide you through stormy times, and to lead you home, throughout the New Year, and always.

Thank you, God, for shining your reassuring, guiding light, before us in 2017, and always!

As we journey through 2017 together, I invite you to look for God’s Light to guide you each day. Do good, and seek God. This is a great time for new beginnings: start a new routine of daily devotions, look for opportunities to serve and focus on others, and worship God with other believers each Sunday in church. If there are ways that we can assist you, please reach out to us, let us know. In 2017, may God be glorified by all we say and do, as together we invite, embrace, and empower all to be the family of God, in Christ Jesus, who is our Savior and Lord! New Year’s blessings to you all!

Pastor Jeff Raffauf Pastor Andrea Haldeman Pastor Nick Camacho Pastor Terry Cooney

CROSSROADS PAGE 3

Circle of Friends

January 21, 2017 at 7:00 PM

In the WLUMC Community Center

“BEN-HUR”

If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s your chance!

And if you’re already seen it, but would like to

see it again, join us for a fun evening of pop-

corn, soda, ice cream, and a great movie!

Support Group to Begin in February

Griefshare is a 13-week support group that meets at West Lawn on Wednesday from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The purpose of this group is to create a safe, loving, Christian environment for people to come together who are grieving from the loss of a loved one. This group will begin meeting again on Wednesday, February 1, 2017. For questions, please contact Pastor Andrea at andrea@westlawnumc.org, 610-678-5611. If anyone is interested in helping to facilitate this support group, please call or email Pastor Andrea.

Start your 2017 off right as West Lawn UMC kicks off the missions year with helping oth-

ers in need by joining the 1st build for 2017 in Pignon, Haiti. This building trip will be from

Feb 4-11, 2017. We need a team of 8-10 people to make this build a success and provide a

new home to a family in need. Pignon is a small city in the north western part of Haiti. It is

very different from other areas of Haiti (safe and friendly). The mountain climate typically is

very warm during the day, but cool in the evening. Accommodations at a guest house pro-

vides a comfortable home for the week with great food and service from our hosts. Cost is

$400 for WLUMC and $800 for friends from other churches. Registration deadline Decem-

ber 31, 2016 - sign up now!! Please contact David Endy at (610) 780-8398 if interested.

Dear Members, Friends & Supporters of the ministries of West Lawn UMC;

As we enter this New Year we wanted to remind you of the several different ways you can designate your financial gifts of support. Whether you give by offering envelope, EFT or Text giving, you may choose:

General Budget (white envelope) – This fund is used to meet the daily expenses of the church, including, but not limited to programs, events, maintenance, and staff.

Renovations & Repairs (green envelope) – This fund is used for major property expenses, improvements and repairs.

Missions (gold envelope) – This fund is used to support the budgeted missions of WLUMC locally & globally.

Future Capital Expansion (pink envelope) – Once used to reduce our building renovation debt, this fund is now growing and will assist us with our next property or building expansion (undetermined at this time).

In addition to the above envelopes, people will sometimes choose to give to these funds:

Benevolence Fund – This fund is used to provide ad hoc assistance to those in need, at the discretion of the pastoral staff.

Memorial Fund – Donations here are made in memory (or in honor) of our loved ones, and are generally used for unbudgeted needs of a more permanent nature.

by Bob & Alice Moyer

INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER PAGE 4

Their eyes lit up the moment they entered the room. They squirmed out of the reach of their parent to peek around the corner to see the wonderful gingerbread houses being built with flowing white icing and bright colored candy in all shapes and sizes. They joined in the music by grabbing an instrument or petting one of our furry guests. They were ex-cited to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus waiting to hear about their Christmas dreams and to share in a photo to always remem-ber this special day. And oh, the cookies and hot dogs and drinks and the special gifts after visiting Santa! The endless trays of cookies added an extra sweet flavor to our day. A special thank you to our cookie bakers, Clover Farms Dairies, Dynamic Physical Therapy and Little Acts of Love for assisting with our refreshments. And, a huge THANK YOU to the ladies at BCPS who assist us with all of the infor-mation we need to make Christmas a special time for these children. This year they served 700 children. From that list we provided for 350 children from 162 families. And to our volunteers from our church family and community, THANK YOU! For so many this was a new oppor-tunity to serve, for others like our youth group, it is a part of their Christmas tradition. The Cadet Girl Scouts and the Wilson Leos Club have both embraced this as part of their new holiday tradition. What an amazing day for the 325 children who shared in our party this year. You provided beautiful gifts their family will place under the tree on Christmas morning. And they experienced the joy and wonder of the blessings of Christ-mas season. From our 552 guests and more than 100 volunteers . . . THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

by Jean Howe

CROSSROADS

Discipleship Opportunities for Adults on Sunday Morning On the first floor of the Reiner Education Building, there are opportunities to embrace and build your relationship with God. Join a group of friends to explore the amazing gift of God's word. Surprising joy awaits you each Sunday morning!

9:30 AM Loyal Pairs & Spares Room 110 “Creation: A Divine Cycle”

The Barth Class Room 112 “Minor Prophets With A Major Message”

Table Talk 1 Room 109 “When God Doesn't Fix It”

11:00 AM

Table Talk 2- Room 109 1st Class January 15 Andy Stanley (An Intergenerational Study)

I want to hear from you!

I am looking for about 10 people with a love for prayer to agree to be interviewed. You bring the passion. I bring the questions. These interviews will be used to assist in creating a church wide curriculum on prayer. Please email your in-terest in participating in an interview. Email jhoweida1@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing how prayer has played a part in your relationship with God!

Each November, we’re asked to prayerfully consider the ways in which we can offer to God our Time, our Talent and our Treasure. If you have returned your form, we want to say thank you! We are blessed to have so many ways to serve the Lord, our church and our community through the many ministries at West Lawn. If you have not yet returned your Time, Talent, Treasure form and would like to become connected to a ministry, it’s not too late! Please consider reviewing the form to see how you might like to serve, or pick up a copy of our yellow Ministry Guide (at the Welcome Center and in the hallway rack in the Education Building) for more information on each ministry.

If you have specific questions about any of the ministries, please give us a call at the of-fice; we’d be more than happy to answer your questions. If you have misplaced your Time, Talent Treasure form, more forms are available in the narthex.

If you have a child or children between the ages of 0 and 12 – get ready for some new and exciting events and programs to begin at West Lawn! Kelly Rismiller and Elizabeth Christie are gearing up to offer both kids and their parents some special resources to build wonderful Christian relationships within our church family, to equip parents with the materials to be the primary Christian leaders in their house-holds, and to lead children toward living a rewarding and exciting life as a follower of Christ. Stay tuned for more details on…

Monthly family-friendly events (roller skating night, bowling, dances, etc.)

Themed Children’s ministry area and program

Intentional attendance tracking and visitor follow-up of kids and families

Discipleship plan for families of newly baptized babies

Intergenerational online Bible studies for families and Bedtime story and prayers’ for babies, toddlers and preschoolers

Much more – stay tuned!

PAGE 5

PAGE 6 INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER

As a new year approaches, why not resolve to join one or more of West Lawn UMC's choirs? We need YOU, and we promise you a warm welcome as you join with us in anthems of all genres during the liturgical year. Both your singing and your instrumental playing can be a blessing to you, to the congregation, and to God. Speak with anyone cur-rently participating, and get the facts!

West Lawn UMC is again hosting the “Hold Me Tight: An Invitation to Connection –Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” workshop this coming March and April. It is based on the brand new book, Created for Connection, The “HOLD ME TIGHT” Guide for Christian Couples. This unique workshop is available word wide and is based on Dr. Sue Johnson’s original best-selling book “HOLD ME TIGHT, Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” and is based on Emo-tionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT).

The Bible is a beautiful love story—a story about God in pur-suit of His bride. We are the bride of Christ. God created us to have a relationship with Him and with others. God’s very nature is relational, and we see this in the relationship of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Bible says we were created in His image, and that God has created us as relational beings.

The CREATED FOR CONNECTION, HOLD ME TIGHT® Workshop helps shed light on how and why we get disconnected in our relationships with each other and HOW to find that connection again.

When (this is a three day workshop spanning over three dates):

Friday, March 24 — 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, March 25 — 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 8 — 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information and details, con-t a c t R e n e e D o n o v a n a t r e n e e @ c o u p l e s t h e r a p y p a . c o m , (610) 777-0705 ext. 3, or visit our website at: www.westlawnumc.com/recent-news/hold-me-tight-couples-workshop/

Circle of Friends will be

attending the Reading

Royals hockey game on

April 1st - Please save

the date. Watch for

more information in the

February newsletter and

the bulletin.

PAGE 7 CROSSROADS

Behind such an active and vibrant congregation is a dedicated staff keeping track of the daily operations of West Lawn! In the past few months, our staff has had a number of changes, both in job descriptions and personnel. Please join us in welcoming aboard the following individuals:

Kim Swartz, Assistant to Financial Manager Kim is no stranger to the West Lawn campus! She and her family of six participate in many of the ministries at our church, most recently in activities involving the youth. Kim will support our team by holding the responsibility of all incoming monetary gifts, dona-tions and offerings. She works along side Barb Piscitello and a team of dedicated serv-ants.

Sally Brown, Receptionist Sally joined our congregation in March, 2015, and will now be our first point of contact for those visiting West Lawn during the week. She will respond to incoming phone calls, finalize the weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter, and assist staff members with numer-ous clerical tasks.

Mehgan Epler, Nursery Caregiver

Katie Pickle, Nursery Caregiver

Kayla Sargent, Nursery Caregiver If you ever ventured by our nursery on a Sunday morning, or Wednesday evening, it is no surprise to you why we were called to bring aboard more nursery caregivers! Our baby boom has reached toddler age and we found ourselves needing more helping hands than we had on staff already! Mehgan, Katie

and Kayla will help to oversee 15 little ones on a weekly basis at West Lawn. If you are interested in

serving as an occasional volunteer or regular employee on this team, please call or email the office.

Kelly Rismiller, Director of Children’s and Family Ministries Formerly the Director of Communications and Special Programs, Kelly will return to oversee our Chil-dren’s and Family Ministries, where she once worked years ago at West Lawn. Besides coordinating our children’s Sunday School program, she will also organize all special programs and events for children, mid week and weekend ministries for kids, tweens and their parents, and develop a program for inten-tional family growth in the area of discipleship and Christianity.

Elizabeth Christie To help Kelly enhance our children’s programs, and add in our efforts to build relationships with par-ents and provide support to families as it relates to Christian Education, Elizabeth will be consulting with us into 2017. While she resides in Allentown, PA and is not physically on our campus regularly, Elizabeth will help with many efforts behind-the-scenes and provide valuable resources to meet our goals. She comes to West Lawn with years of experience nationally in children’s ministry and is a gem to have found and join in partnership!

Megan Mahler, Director of Communications and Special Programs

Megan is no stranger to West Lawn, as she can often be seen helping her husband, Youth Pastor Isaac Mahler, with the Teens. Megan will now oversee the graphic design, public relations, website, social me-dia, advertising and communication responsibilities at WL. She will also organize our congregation-wide special programs such as the Peach Festival, Valentine’s Day event, and more!

INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER PAGE 8

Our mid week family-focused ministry, FamJam, is going to experiment with all things science during the four Wednes-days evenings in January! If you and your kids like the study of water, gravity, currents and more, come to FamJam any Wednesday night from 6:30-7:45 PM in Room 204 in the Reiner Education Building. Our schedule for this month in-cludes:

January 4: Water filtration experiments: Bible story: Acts 15:9 NIV He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Experiment 1: filtration with sand, pebbles, and rocks Experiment 2: build your own Brita using a soda bottle, cotton balls, and activated carbon

January 11: Water Absorption experiments: Bible story: 1Timothy 4:15 NASB He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Experiment 1: protecting a home during a flood Experiment 2: which diaper works best

January 18: Buoyancy experiments: Bible story: Psalm 71: 20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. Experiment 1: lego boat building challenge Experiment 2: cargo challenge

January 25: Currents Bible story: Psalm 89:9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. Experiment 1: water table diverters Experiment 2: density with different liquids

We look forward to this unique and creative way to study the Bible through the use of hands on science experiments with mom and dad, or any adult family friend, this month!

Join us for our next Women’s Book Club on January 11, 2017 at 7:00 pm in Room 102 in the Community Center. January’s book selection is "Lizette's List" by Susan Vree-land. Join us on the second Wednesday of every month!

New Journey’s Clothing Ministry is currently in need of men’s and women’s t-shirts, men’s pants, especially sizes 28-36, and sneakers. Also, all winter items are helpful right now. Thank you!

Berks Encore needs volunteer drivers to help deliver Meals on Wheels to elderly and homebound people. If you would like to help, please contact Elanore Herbst, Reading Center Meals Manager at 610-374-3195.

If you're interested in getting involved, but like serving behind the scenes, contact Dave Haas to volunteer on the “Tech Team." 484-334-1981 or david@westlawnumc.org.

The United Methodist Women will meet on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at noon in the Hebrews Café. Youth minister, Isaac Mahler will be our guest. He will share in-formation about the programs for youth in middle and high school. Please bring your lunch, beverage and dessert will be provided. If you need transportation or have ques-tions, please contact Harriett Ziegenfuss (610-678-3107) or Anna Bickhart (610-670-1671).

Wilson Area Food Pantry, held in the Community Cen-

ter on the third Friday of each month, is in need of canned fruits and vegetables. Please bring donations to the church of-fice during the week, WLW Dinners on Wednesdays, or the Welcome Centers on Sundays.

PAGE 9 CROSSROADS

Contact info for Isaac Mahler Isaac@westlawnumc.org /

610.678.5611 (Office) / 610.914.1001 (Cell)

GET INVOLVED!!! Take a look at that amazing lists of events! It’s

pretty incredible to see everything the youth

group does laid out in one big list. It’s a lot of

fun and we want YOU to be a part of it! We

need leaders, chaperones, students, and supports

to help make all of these events a success and we

are counting on YOU to get involved! You don’t

have to commit to everything but if you see an

event you want to support, please contact Isaac

to find out how you can join in! You can come

along and take pictures (students and parents

love seeing pictures of the events) drive a van,

play games, help with set-up and so much more!

If you want to get involved we can you use!!!

2016-2017 Schedule of Events* December 25th, 26th, 28th: Christmas Break

January 1st, 2nd and 4th or 8th: No YG or WLW

January 6-8th HS Retreat - Youth Rally in OCMD!

January 9th: Middle School YG Resumes

January 14th Confirmation Trip to St. George UMC

January 15th: Worship & Concert with BOUNDARIES

January 16th: NO MSYG-MS Students invited to Concert

January 20th-22nd: MS Retreat—Pocono Plateau

February 10th: MS Event—Laser tag

February 11th HS Progressive Dinner (Formal attire!)

February 15th: Event Pass Payment #1 Due

February 19th & 20th: No HS or MS Youth Group

February 24-26th: Confirmation Retreat—Pocono Plateau

March 5th: Combined MS/HS Off-site Activity!

March 6th No MS YG due to Combined Activity on 3/5

March 15th: Event Pass Payment #2 Due

March 31st: Junior Jam! MS Game Night!

April 12th: NO WLW/SMALL GROUPS

April 13th: Living Last Supper

April 14th: Good Friday Service

April 16th: EASTER! (No HS YG)

April 17th: No MS Youth Group

April 19th: Event Pass payment #3 Due

April 21-23rd: Spring Retreat—Confirmation and HS!

April 23rd No HS Youth Group

May 7th: Confirmation Class Celebration at Schell's

May 14th: Mothers Day! (No HSYG)

May 17th: Event Pass Payment #4 Due (Final Payment)

May 21st: Confirmation Sunday!

May 24th: Last WLW/Small group for the year!

May 28th –29th: NO HS OR MS YOUTH GROUP

June 2nd: Five Hour Frenzy!!! (Joint Event)

June 16th: Relay For Life Event **

June 18th: Fathers Day (No HSYG)

June 21st: Wonderful Wednesday

June 25th; Creation Prep

June 26th: Mission Monday** (& Creation Packing)

June 27-July 2nd: Creation Music Festival***

*Parent packet with and additional details coming soon!

** indicates events are Service Opportunities

*** Event Part of Event Pass

SUMMER 2017 EVENT PASS! The cost of the event pass is $400 spread out

over four equal payments of $100 a month for

February, March, April and May. For High

Schoolers this covers the Spring Retreat in April,

Creation in June, A Closer Walk in August and

the Missions Trip. For Middle Schoolers this

covers Creation in June, A Week at Summer

camp, and a Missions trip. This is an amazing

deal so please start planning now to participate

in the event pass! First Payment due 2/15!

Are You an Organizer? Do you love to declutter a room? Do you get

excited about cleaning out a closet and finding a

better way to keep things organized? Do you

have a eye for how to best take advantage of

space? Then I Need your help! The youth have

a lot of gear from game supplies, to camping

supplies, Sunday school supplies, event supplies

and so much more. Isaac would love for a few

people who love to sort, organize, filter (throw

away what's junk) and store all of our various

supplies in a way that makes sense! HELP ME!

INVITE, EMBRACE, EMPOWER PAGE 10

To thank you for the use of your HeBrews Café, your support, and your deli-

cious food, the WFPO would like to make a donation to the Food Pantry. Have

a terrific Advent and Christmas season! And again, thank you for helping to

make our 2016 football season at Wilson a success!

Sincerely, Wilson Football Parent Organization

Thank you to everyone who contributed cookies for our annual Angel Tree party. Hundreds of wide-eyed kids

(adults too) stared at that cookie table and didn’t know which one to take first! I think there might have been

a few tummy aches out there that Saturday evening after all those consumed hot dogs and cookies. Thank you

also to all the volunteers who helped serve those wide-eyed kids and thanks to the behind the scenes workers

in the kitchen who kept our cookie trays refreshed, hot dogs cooked, supplies replenished from supply closet,

packages of buns handed to us, mustard and ketchup dispensers full, more drinks carried out to refill table,

and joyous hugs as we went through that marvelous party. Linda McCrea aka “The Cookie Lady”

Thank you for everything you did

for my dad’s service and his

luncheon on November 22nd!

~Brian Eisele

Dear West Lawn Family,

Thank you for your prayers as I

moved back to Reading this fall .

God has been so gracious in

helping me to make some neces-

sary changes just as he promis-

es in Deuteronomy 31:8.

Your sister in Christ,

Ellen Branch

Karl H. Eisele

March 29, 1920 –

November 17, 2016

June D. Dando

June 23, 1922 –

November 17, 2016

Steve A. Fisher

February 8, 1954 –

November 18, 2016

John Yoder

– December 1, 2016

R. David Seip

February 8, 1939 –

December 10, 2016

Dear friends, Thank you all for the

great job you did for my grandson’

Wayne’s, funeral luncheon. It was a

comfort to me to have everything

arranged with such grace and effi-

ciency. I was proud to be a member

of such a caring, supportive church,

and to have the unchurched people

see how supportive a church can be.

You are serving in a way that means

a lot to people who are experiencing

a very difficult time. Sincerely,

Beverly Connor

Dear West Lawn United

Methodist Church,

Thank you so much for your

contribution to my FCA’s mis-

sion trip this summer. This

trip helped me and my

friends to get closer to God,

both emotionally and spiritu-

ally. This could not have

been done without you!

Thanks again, Justin from

Governor Mifflin FCA

11 CROSSROADS

8:00 Service

Keith Golembiewski (Sponsors: Mary Lou and Bob Hutchinson)

Keith came to West Lawn because of the many Bible studies and other groups offered. He also enjoys the 8:00 ser-

vice, the singing and the pastor’s sermons. Keith is single, and was the primary caregiver for his mother who was

blind and had Alzheimer’s for many years. He enjoys cooking and has done a roast beef dinner for St. Matthews

church for 36 years. Keith says his health limits him somewhat, but he enjoys getting out of the house every day.

His faith in Christ has brought him through many surgeries and two bouts of cancer, and he truly believes in the

power of prayer.

9:30 Service

Brittany & Wynne Cloud (Sponsor: Jenna Haas)

Wynne & Brittany came to West Lawn because of the amazing 9:30 Praise Service and wonderful congregation.

They love spending time with their three boys, Wynne (8), Travis (6) and Griffin (3).

Bill & Sandra Haines (Sponsor: Melanie and Bob Bechtel and Shawn & Meghan White)

Bill & Sandra were searching for a new church family in PA and found West Lawn UMC. Sandy is a retired hos-

pice RN, and they have four children and four grandchildren, with a granddaughter due in March. They love to

travel, read and spend time with the grandchildren. Bill is retired from Carpenter Tech, and enjoys hunting and

fishing with their grandsons, as well as taking care of his outdoor plants.

Debbie Schilling (Sponsor: Tracie Witmyer)

Debbie came to West Lawn with Wynne & Barb Cloud. She is the mother of Brittany and Stephen, and grandmoth-

er of Wynne, Travis & Griffin. She has a small business making mittens from recycled sweaters, and is a grateful

Emmaus walker from the table of Lydia.

11:00 Service

Prince Antwi (Sponsor: Daryn Zeiner)

Ryanne Olivia Borton daughter of

Jennifer & William Borton (Sponsors: Joe & Julie Ortenzi)

Clark Thomas Rabold son of

Derek & Trisha Rabold (Sponsors: Michael Griff

OUR SNOW POLICY

During the week, when

inclement weather strikes,

we take our direction from

the Wilson School District.

If Wilson schools close or

dismiss early due to

inclement weather, all

events at the church for

that day/evening will also

be postponed.

On Sundays, if you can

safely get here, there will

be a worship service.

WE GO IN SNOW!

15 Woodside Avenue

West Lawn, PA 19609

www.westlawnumc.org

Phone: 610-678-5611

Pastor Jeff Raffauf

Pastor Andrea Haldeman

Pastor Nick Camacho

Pastor Terry Cooney

Every Sunday: Worship

8:00 am Traditional Worship

9:00 am Fellowship Time

9:30 am Praise Worship

9:30 am Sunday School for All

10:30 am Fellowship Time

11:00 am Celebration Worship

11:00 am Adult Sunday School

11:10 am Community Worship

11:30 am Children’s Church

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

See

Sun

day

Wor

ship

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eft

OFF

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6:

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7:00

Cor

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Sherri Alvarez Doris Didyoung Julia Grace Hall Susan Lensie Judy Marsden Lois Rutt Lukas Taft Morgan Waters Linda Wylezik JANUARY 9 Robin Bailey William Gosch Suzanne Henne Carrie Hoag Jim Pachuilo Samuel Yoder JANUARY 10 John Penta Wayne Rhoads Sean Robitzer Steve Wagner Clara Weber Cindi Williams JANUARY 11 Will Bramlett Zachery John Carles Suzie Frank James Malia Kamilnne Moser Liz Zeiner JANUARY 12 Mark Cooper Amanda Frankhouser Ida Hafer Ethan Houghtby Sarah Larkin Beth Medaglia Connor Steudel Nancy Surgeoner Trinity Wheeler Ellen Zelinske JANUARY 13 Erin Albanese Ellen Branch Wynne Cloud Lee Conner Jeffrey Raffauf Sarajean Reinert Phyllis Ruth * Rachel Sechrist Michael Vitalo JANUARY 14 Connie Aldridge Robert Dudash John Epler Gianna Marshall Devan Miner Mike Moore Sondra Westbrook

JANUARY 15 Travis Berger Amanda Hemmerich Martha Maher Kelly Thorne JANUARY 16 Yvonne Casner Alice Fisher Dennis Folk Gert Hallowell Colleen Keim Kinsey Palm Karl Prutzer Justine Walker Melissa Wamaitha Mark Waters JANUARY 17 Amy Frear Gloria Kintzer Hannah Krall Tracey Pajski Kenneth Schaeffer Christine Shuey Saunja Vicari C. Dennis Zimmerman JANUARY 18 Gary Auman Joseph Ferrara Rian Long Beverly Reedy Sarah Weller JANUARY 19 Declan McGuire Kaitlyn Anne Rohal Deborah Strohmayr Conor Surgeoner Linda Weikel JANUARY 20 J. Patrick Boylan Brian Ohlinger Jeremey Piccone Sherry Ricketts Marsha Sarfert Tracy Smith Grace Trogus Stephanie Warmkessel Amanda Westbrook Brad Williams JANUARY 21 Elianna Beidler Rebecca Christman Rebecca Correll Keera Dwulit Owen Farrell Sidney Fox Ryder Johnson Jason Miller Kerry Shaak

Arlene Yost JANUARY 22 Patricia Barrick Angeline DeMoss Natalie Mays Fred Soule Carter Weaver JANUARY 23 Sheryl Althouse Elissa Arzuaga Doris Banks Linda Geissler Linda Laumeister Glenn Melos Deborah Schilling Jonathon Speece JANUARY 24 Kenneth Dearstyne Tammy Keener Jayne Rhoads David Stoltz Patricia Wenrich Suzanne Wool JANUARY 25 Richard Becker Logan Beidelman Victoria Bryan Anna Delewski Anderson Forrest Helen Herbein Mark W Hostetter Tina Krize Kristen Texter JANUARY 26 Kayla Busack Judy Geschwindt Rachel O'Donnell Morgan Porter Lana Rodgers James Salyards Joyce Schiefer Daniel Thompson JANUARY 27 Claire Brannen * Katelynn Grabey Payton Mays David Schwenk JANUARY 28 Ruth Graul Emily Johnson Ronald Kauffman Angelica Lena Abigail Madara Brian Schwenk Bryana Shuck Meghan Wendt JANUARY 29

*Ellen Branch Berkshire Center, Rm 232B 5501 Perkiomen Ave. Reading, PA 19606 *Phyllis Ruth

2425 Grandview Blvd. West Lawn, PA 19609

*Claire Brannen 2403 Dalin Drive West Lawn, PA 19609 *John Rubendall

1241 Park Rd. Reading, PA 19605 *Fred Soule

120 W. 5th St., Apt. 307 Boyertown, PA 19512 *Joyce Schiefer Country Meadows Connections Rm. 301 1802 Tulpehocken Rd, Wyomissing, PA 19610 *Marge Luigard 1 Reading Drive Apt. 346 Wernersville, PA 19565

JANUARY 1 Andromeda Albertson Stephen Awurumibe McKenzie Bornstein Nola Bramlett Todd Fink Avery Haas Jen Keel Makaila Lainez Garrett Miner Kyle Reaser Caileigh Wagner Frank Weber Ethan Williams JANUARY 2 Nathaniel Dutt Camryn Waltz JANUARY 3 Thomas Aungst Lexi Barby J. Charles Gardner June Hill Shane O'Connor Dana Thorne JANUARY 4 Muriel Boyer Corinne Dutt Christopher Rhoads Derek Romich JANUARY 5 Fiona Brown Ava Chung Ryan Gusley Sheila Morris Sharon Rentz Stephanie Wert JANUARY 6 Kylie Angstadt Jeff Bittner Joshua Dierolf Gabriel Meck Colin Melnyk Abby Ohlinger Leah Ruth Shane Turner Theodore Yost JANUARY 7 Chuck Barby Ty Bassetti Dylan Brunick Craig Dodge Marjorie Luigard Anne Louise Reinert Kim Ressler Evan Whitney Eileen Williams Gregory Zelinske Melissa Zillhardt JANUARY 8

Juan Arzuaga Jean Boyer Donald Carpenter Riley Feltenberger Luis Huertas Randall Madara Kirstin Michael Jane Moyer Joanne Peppers John Rubendall * Dave Wenger JANUARY 30 Betty Clark Alexandra Mikes Frank Piscitello Scott Stiefel Kevin Surgeoner JANUARY 31 Lisa Bagdon Luke Dundore David Englehart Jordyn Gavin Ingeborg Janiszewski Javier Romero Linda Swartz Zachary Warren

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