February 2012 IMPORTANT DATES           

February 2:   Church Growth, 7pm
February 3:   Senior High Youth Group, Noon
February 6:    Administrative Council Meeting, 6:30PM
February 11:  Orders due for Food Sense
February 14:  Valentine’s Day
February 17:  Women Within, Speaker Lisa Buske, 7pm
February 18:  UMMen’s Halfway Night, 6-10pm
                       Men to arrive at 4:30pm.
February 22:  Ash Wednesday, Service, 7pm
February 24:  Food Sense Delivery, 1-2pm
                      Volunteers welcome to help unload.

March 1:  Winter Outreach Meeting, 6:30pm
March 4:  The Master's Touch Chorale at Mexico UMC,  4 pm
March 4:  Junior High Youth Group, 6:30pm

~~~~~~~~~
May whatever we do today bring honor to our family name: Christian.

The Upper Room, January/February 2012

Thank you, thank you, to…  

~ all who have donated to the Heifer Project Ark collection.  Well over $800 has been counted so far with more to come.

~  Ed and Nancy Murray for counting the monies donated in the arks.

~  Sue Morton for keeping our sign in front of the church current.

~  all who volunteer at Monday’s Meal, to those who donate, and to all who come in for a hot bowl of soup and fellowship.

~  all who provide beautiful music during worship by singing in the choir.

~  our sanctuary angels who keep the sanctuary neat and tidy every week.

~ all who serve as greeters and ushers during the weekly service. 

~ those who host coffee hours.

United Methodist's Men’s Club HALFWAY NIGHT 
FEBRUARY 18, 6-10pm

Newsletter by Email??

Would you like to receive this newsletter by email?  If so, please contact the church office at: fumcmexico@verizon.net  or, drop a note slip into the offering plate during the worship service with your:

Name:  ______________________________ and

Email Address:  ___________________________.

Relationships According to Paul  

“Paul gave relationships a high priority too.  The apostle surrounded himself with people who could help him achieve two things:  fulfillment of his God-given mission and conformity to Christlikeness.  While Paul was pouring himself into the lives of others, he was being built up and strengthened by his fellow believers.  That, in brief, is the Lord’s plan for every one of His children.”  By Dr. Charles Stanley, Intouch October, 2011

New Hospitality Team  

At a recent Church Growth Committee meeting it was decided that our church should have a “Hospitality Committee/Team”.  The goal of members on this new committee (team) will be to make visitors to our church feel welcome and to invite them to continue to worship and fellowship with us.  If you enjoy hospitality and would like to serve on this team, please contact either Dotty Parker (963-8413) or Sue Morton (963-3566).  A brief informational meeting will be planned by the end of February.

Finance Committee Report

By:  Mike Freihofer, Finance Committee Chairperson  

Good news: our church ended 2011 with a positive balance in the church operating budget of xxxx, and all of our expenses paid up to date.  Thanks to everyone for your commitment to the vision of our church and for your consistent contributions.  Our 2011 operating budget was comprised of our weekly offerings (~88%) and ‘other income’ (~12%) which is mostly the rental income of the church building and other important fundraisers such as the church auction and Christmas bazaar.  Although we ended the year in the positive we actually spent about xxxx more than we received in 2011.  This did not adversely impact us because we started the year with about xxxx in the checkbook.  This will be a concern if this trend continues in 2012. 

The Administrative Council approved the proposed 2012 budget of xxxxxx.  This represents a 3.2% increase over 2011. The increases come mostly from the addition to our staff of a worship assistant and an increase in shared ministry expenses.  Some expenses went down a modest amount.  A copy of the budget will be available in the narthex.  Thanks for your consistent faithful support.  The Finance Team will provide quarterly financial updates. 

NOTE:  The amount you see in the bulletin each week just represents the weekly offering and not any ‘other income’.   Also, the Buck Bequest does not contribute to our operating budget.

From the website.  As this site is open to the public I omitted the actual budget numbers.  The numbers printed can be found in the newsleter it self.  C Parker

Our Sympathy to…  

The family of:

Joyce Pasquale

Who passed on January 9, 2012

New Address:  

Norm & Edith Olmstead are now in an assisted living facility.  Their address is:

Norm & Edith Olmstead

350 Lodge Road  #306

Middlebury, VT   05753

NURSERY ROOM STAFF
By:  Sue Morton, Friendship Circle Member  

Deb McCoy is the adult nursery room attendant.  Deb is the mother of three grown children and grandmother to three granddaughters   Deb has attended Sunday School and taught children’s church.  For four years she taught at Mother Goose Nursery School and had supervised day care in her home for many years.

Andrea Ross is an honor student in 9^th grade here in Mexico.  She is very responsible and has taken the certified Red Cross babysitting course and has experience with small children.  Andrea’s sister Alyssa substitutes for Andrea as needed. 

The decision to have paid nursery room staff was recommended by the Church Growth Committee using funds from the Buck Bequest.  It is our desire to see that each Sunday parents of young children can feel free to bring their infants and children up to age five years old to church and have them cared for in the nursery while they attend the church service. 

Please avail yourselves of the newly refurbished and well equipped nursery.   

A MISSION TRIP TO THE NATIONS POOREST SQUARE MILE

BY:  Madelyn Schmidt, Outreach Committee Member

 Refelections of their needs

Where is the poorest square mile (per capita) in the United States?  Somewhere in the deep south? Near Los Angeles?  Not even close.  It's about 35 miles from Mexico, the area called the Near West Side, the home of the Brown Memorial United Methodist Church, on the corner of Geddes and Davis Streets, Syracuse, about a half mile from the zoo.

The peeling white paint on bricks that need pointing and a newish roof that still leaks, belie what goes on inside the Westside Urban Mission at Brown Memorial United Methodist Church.  Though Sunday congregation numbers are small, the programs and services all week are great.

The other mainline churches nearby, Baptist and Lutheran, closed 5 and 15 years ago respectively, but those denominations still help with programs and services; the Lutherans handling the three times a week food pantry and the Baptists heading the weekly Adult Life Skills classes.  Also, offered in this needy 135 year old building, are a clothes closet, legal clinic, Bible study, tutoring and a monthly "Food, Fun & Frolic" adult get together.  There are year round programs and outings for the youth, sometimes using a borrowed van.

All of this is done on less than a "shoe string" budget of less than $40,000.00 a year and faith, lots of faith. In looking over the 2010 Financial Report, one notes that several sources of income are no longer available. Lots of faith!

The church and mission are run by the salaried pastor, Rev. Marti Swords-Horrell, and a very dedicated half-pay community worker and many volunteers who are also very dedicated.

This is not considered a "safe" neighborhood.  After week night tutoring, the children are escorted home with an adult.  The pastor says she "listens to the people of the neighborhood" and is present for them "reflective of their needs".

Several members of the Outreach/Mission Committee visited this place in search of projects that could benefit from some of the tithe monies from the Buck Bequest.  If ever there is a mission worthy of our consideration, the Syracuse West Side Mission is it.

Kitchen Makeover Update

By:  John Aldrich, ASAP Member  

            The bid specifications and floor plan drawings for the kitchen makeover are complete and bidders have been selected.  Bid reviews are being conducted.  Phil Kugler and his team are investigating flooring and deciding the type and potential bidders for commercial tile in the kitchen and fellowship hall.  ASAP members are deciding type of counter tops.  The kitchen team has decided what equipment we need in the kitchen and 3 bids have been received.  Bid evaluation is in progress.  After that, we are at the mercy of when the contractors can start working.  With a lot of help, all is going well.

Elevator Project Update

By:  John Aldrich, ASAP Member  

     The elevator project continues with the elevator shaft interior complete.  Accessibility Solutions started installing the elevator on January 16, and completed the work by the end of January.  Woodford Brothers will be back to complete the sheetrock on the outside of the tower (after an electrical inspection), and complete the finish work and trim around the doors etc.  Estimated completion overall is early March.  Thanks to all in the congregation for working around the construction.

Coffee Hour Hosts                                                    Monday’s Meals Cooks

 February 5:                                                                              February 6:  Connie Main & Jeff Beardslee

February 12:  Rita and Grant DeLong                                    February 13:  Keitha Gayne & Maggie Palmer

February 19:  Dotty Parker & Elaine DeLong                        February 20:  Shermans and Myers

February 26:                                                                            February 27:  Jane Backus and Kelly Freihofer

Note:  If you would like to serve in the above ministries, please sign up in the church kitchen.  

Needed:  SANCTUARY ANGELS are needed for the month of February.  Please call the church office.