Church guide

The start of Vacation Bible School is only a few days away! If you have not registered your child yet, please send us your child’s name, age and grade entering in the fall. Each night of VBS we will be collecting items for Operation Christmas Child. Sunday- metal spoons and small toys (cars, balls, playing cards etc) Monday- bar soap and washcloths Tuesday- toothbrushes, combs, hair things Wednesday- school supplies Also, we will be taking up collections each evening with all proceeds going to Operation Christmas Child. Have the kids bring in loose change each night!

Guest preacher at Ft. Recovery United Methodist this Sunday at 9, Mr. Ray Kramer from Celina! Baptism at Erastus United Methodist this Sunday at 9 for little Owen Thobe! Confirmation Class of One is joining Coldwater United Methodist this Sunday at 10:30! Exciting times!

Don't forget to register for VBS! The deadline to register is June 16. You can also register online, the link is in the comments!

Come join us for Community Vacation Bible School Sunday June 23- Wednesday June 26, 2019 from 6:30pm-8:30pm! Register with child name, age and grade entering by calling or texting 419-553-9657. Registration deadline is June 16.

Come and worship in the morning at 10:30 at the Church on North Street at Market! We will have a Contemporary flavor to our music, led by Mr. Jeremy Francis on piano (with Pastor Tom on guitar). And we'll talk about a part of the Book of Revelation that pretty much everybody understands perfectly well. Hope to see you there!

If you have shoeboxes that need a new home we will take them for Operation Christmas Child!

It is official: Bishop Gregory Palmer has appointed Pastor David Porath to be the next Senior Pastor of the Coldwater United Methodist Parish, including the congregations of Coldwater, Fort Recovery, and Erastus United Methodist Churches. Pastor David's first Sunday in our parish will be June 30. For more details, look for the next issue of the parish's newsletter, "The Good Shepherd," coming next week.

COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE DAYS -- MEATBALL AND SAUCE SALE!! Coldwater United Methodist will sell our delicious spaghetti sauce and meatballs This Wednesday (May 1) at the Church (North at Market Street) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sauce: $7 per quart Meatballs: $8 for half a dozen. Hope to see you there -- all are welcome!

Remember this Sunday, April 28, is "Bright Sunday" at all 3 churches of our Coldwater Parish. We will celebrate in our Worship (10:30 Coldwater; 9:00 Erastus & Fort Recovery) that God got the last laugh on the Devil by raising Jesus from the dead. Members and friends of the Church are invited to play Gentle Pranks on one another and even on Pastor Tom. Plus, right before the sermon, we will celebrate "Holy Humor!" During this time, for each person who tells a joke (whether it gets a laugh or not), Pastor will cut one paragraph from the sermon. In previous churches (not to put the church under pressure or anything), Pastor Tom never did get to preach on a Bright Sunday. (Pastor Jim has agreed to try this at Erastus also!) All are welcome, whether you tell a joke or not -- but by all means, let's get together and share in the joy of the Lord this Sunday!

A reminder: Son-rise Service is this Sunday, April 21, at 7:00 a.m. in the Coldwater United Methodist Fellowship Hall. This will be a contemporary style service, with musician Jeremy Francis leading songs, and a message from Pastor Tom. Breakfast follows the worship hour at 8 a.m.; whether you made it to Sonrise or not you are welcome to share pastries, coffee, juice, and fellowship! When the sun is risen, let's celebrate that the Son is risen!

Special services this weekend: Tonight, Maundy Thursday Communion at Coldwater United Methodist: "Catacombs" service in the Fellowship Hall. Friday, Good Friday services -- 1:00 pm Fort Recovery community worship at Ft. Recovery UMC (on Boundary across from the Monument), with all area churches participating; preaching by our parish associate pastor the Rev. Jim Stilwell; 7:00 pm Coldwater UMC Good Friday worship in the Sanctuary, focusing on The Cross of Jesus Christ. Sunday morning -- EASTER -- the holiest and highest day of the Christian year -- 7:00 a.m. Sunrise Contemporary worship at Coldwater UMC in the Fellowship Hall with musician Jeremy Francis; 8:00 a.m. Easter Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall; 9:00 a.m. Combined worship for both Erastus UMC and Ft. Recovery UMC at Ft. Recovery, with the Rev. Jim Stilwell preaching; 9:16 a.m. Adult Sunday School at Coldwater UMC; 10:30 a.m. Easter Worship at Coldwater UMC with musician Shirley Ellenwood, and preaching by Pastor Tom. Hope to see you all for these opportunities to praise our savior the risen Lord Jesus Christ! ALL are welcome!

Spring forward!

Ash Wednesday service March 6 at 7 pm (no Bible study that night). Everyone is welcome, and this is an all-parish event. We will pray together, read the scriptures, receive the imposition of ashes, and even sing a little.

No matter what you may have heard or seen about the United Methodist Church on the news, or read in the papers or social media, we want you to know this: If you come to the Church at the corner of North and Market streets in Coldwater this Sunday at 10:30, or the church on the north side of the Monument Park in Ft. Recovery at 9:00, or the church by the corner of St. Anthony and Erastus-Durbin roads, also at 9:00: You will be welcome. You will be loved. You will find friends. And we will invite you to keep following Jesus with us. Guaranteed.

For everyone who would like to hear our Bishop's perspective on the events and decisions of this week's General Conference (ending today, Tuesday 2/26/19), the simulcast site nearest us (this Saturday at 10 a.m.) is Grand Lake Church (St. Paul's) UMC in Celina on north Main Street. In addition, our District Superintendent Rev. Barry Burns will host a conversation session about the General Conference on Sunday at 6:30 at the Rockford United Methodist Church, at the corner of Franklin and Pearl streets in Rockford.

Because Coldwater Schools are closed for today, Wednesday the 20th of February, all activities at the Coldwater United Methodist Church are cancelled for today as well.

Come on over Sunday morning at 10:30. We'll sing and pray together, and talk about the Resurrection. Because we are always Easter people -- it's kind of a big deal all year. At the corner of Main at North Street, we'll be connecting Christ and Community!

A prayer from our Bishop, for the unity of our denomination:

God Cares About Me!

Coldwater UMC kids wishing you a Merry Christmas:)