Welcome to our website!
If you live in the Webster, Penfield or Ontario, New York area and don't already have a church-home, we would love for you to stop in and check out what's going on here.
- Breaking News
- Additional News
- Ongoing Ministry
- Pastor Lee's Space
- Stuff
- Church Calendar
- Rock The Lakes Rochester
Late Breaking News
Vacation Bible School – July 9 to 13, 2012
View Information on the 2012 Vacation Bible School, “Adventures on Promise Island – Where Kids discover GOD’s lifesaving love."
Download a registration form for the event.
Download the May Church Newsletter.
Many thanks… Set tear-down & Work Day!
Thank you to all the folks who took time out of their Saturday – to come and help tear-down/clean up the set in the sanctuary – as well as all our helpers for the church work day! We really couldn’t do it without you!
Spring Cleaning Time…
As you start cleaning and de-cluttering this spring… please keep us in mind. We will be accepting clean, sell-able rummage sale items starting on Saturday, May 19, from 9:00 Am to 2:00 pm. Items can also be donated during church office hours, Monday through Wednesday, May 21-23, (9:00 AM—4:30 pm), & Wednesday night, May 23, 7:00—8:30 pm. Pickups for large items (i.e. furniture) - be sure to call church office by Monday, May 21st.
Our Church Rummage Sale will then be on Friday, May 25 (9:00—5:00 pm) & Saturday, May 26 (8:00 Am—11:00 am). Questions: church office, 585-265-9720. Proceeds benefitting the youth & adult mission trip to Henderson Settlement, KY.
Baby Bottle Fund Drive
Sunday May 13thru Sunday, June 17
We invite you to pick up a bottle (see table in Heritage Hall) to collect any spare change to support Embracing Options’ Pregnancy Centers. Please return the bottle on Father’s Day (June 17th).
About Embracing Options: EO focuses on women with unplanned pregnancies who need positive life giving alternatives and education on Godly relationships. We offer free pregnancy tests, STD screening and post-abortive peer counseling. We reach out with the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Counseling & STD testing for men also available; 2 locations for Embracing Options.
Your Graduate’s Information Needed:
We will be listing graduate information (High school, College, Trade School) and would like to include your graduate’s information. Please submit the information to the church office by May 21st for inclusion in the next Tower and bulletins. We need: full name of graduate, the school they are graduating from, degree and/or recognition. For High School Graduates—please let us know of your future plans (job, trade school, college, Military, etc.) .We will be recognizing our graduates on Sunday, June 17 during each service.
Advanced information on July 14 Rewings Baseball Game Outing.
Haiti Partnership Mission Trips Planned Mission Trip Opportunities for Adults
· Several dates available: Oct 18-27; Nov 8-17; Jan 3-12 (2013); Feb 21-Mar 2 (2013)
· Cost is $1300 (includes travel costs NY-JFK)
· Must fill out application to reserve spot along with $150 deposit
· Only 10 persons per trip (max)
· Requires 7 days off (vacation)
· We can split our groups over the above dates
· We will be doing basic labor/building of a church and some homes
· Time will be spent Port Au Prince and another southern town
Required to attend a 1/2 day training session in Binghamton or Rochester in late summer.
Questions: Pastor Lee—585-265-9720 / Weblink for more info:http://www.haitipartnership.com or: lcarlson@umcwebster.orgUsed Book Sale
The Library Team will be holding a Used Book Sale in the Communications Center through May 20. If you would like to donate books, videos or DVDS for our sale to raise money for the purchase of materials for the library, please leave them in the library with a note indicating they are for the sale. Anything left over will be donated to the youth for their annual Rummage Sale the end of May.
Concert Fundraiser for “Rehema House” Sunday, May 20 – Water St. Music Hall
Our Youth Worship Band “The Subject to Change” and several other bands will be holding a fundraising concert at the Water Street Music Hall (204 N. Water St. Rochester) … benefitting “The Rehema House” in Africa. Tickets cost: $10 for advance tickets ($15 at the door).
What is Rehema House? It is an orphanage that ministers to the children in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa - providing a loving, safe, caring, Christian environment for abandoned, orphaned children of Kenya with a special focus on children with HIV. The funds go to pay for their medicines, beds, and other needs. Rehema is committed to the long term care of the children and their eventual integration into society as adults.
Purchase your tickets today! Band Members: Pastor Josh, Angela Boehme, Cassie Roberts, Dan McVeigh, Matt Newell, Ben Carlson.
A Critical Need at HOPE Ministry
HOPE Ministry's main food supplier is unable to provide them with the following items and they are in need of assistance filling their shelves: peanut butter, cereal, toilet paper, and facial tissue.
Unfortunately, these are some of the most "in demand" items in our pantry. Your continued support of HOPE is appreciated. Please drop off your donations during their open hours: Monday 6-8pm, Tuesday 10-noon, Wednesday 3-5 and Thursday 7-8:30. HOPE Ministry is located at 1450 Ridge Road. Call 265-6694 for more information.
Collecting Used (even broken) or New Musical Instruments
Our church is a drop-off location for collecting donations of instruments (used or new) that will be given to the music programs of the Rochester City School District. Even broken instruments will be accepted. These will be repaired and used in the city school programs.
Upper New York Flood Recovery Update
The Upper New York Recovery Team is scheduling teams for the Spring/Summer of 2012 and will be able to facilitate both weekend and week long short-term missional experiences. It is preferred that each team come with at least one skilled carpenter/contractor. Contact Greg Forrester for more information or to be added to their calendar.
Gregory A. Forrester
UNY Recovery Director
32 N. Church St., Cortland, NY 13045
607-756-7799 office / 607-345-2928 cell
Download the latest information on flood relief
Children’s Sunday School
For all those interested in Children’s Ministry: Opportunities to serve by units and curriculum for winter 2011 /12 and beyond are available. Your prayerful support for God’s guidance in for our ministry is greatly appreciated. Contact: 585-671-3374 kidsed@umcwebster.org, or see Beth Keesom.
The Faith-in-Action Team
We schedule monthly project ideas, but we're always ready and willing to hear what you have to say! We want to know...how can we help? Contact: Lara Ashley at …315-333-5552 or email at: Lashley62@gmail.com
Stephen Ministry (God’s Love in Action)
Are you a good listener? Are you passionate about supporting others during difficult times? The Stephen Ministry may be for you. We are seeking people passionate about sharing the love of Jesus Christ for our 2011 class. If it sounds interesting and you would like to learn more, please stop by and see Jay Baker after the church service, or call him at 585-309-6656.
Little Bears for Prayers
The Prayer team has toy bears that have been prayed over and are available for anyone to take—for someone that you know could use a symbolic token that they are being prayed for. (i.e. someone who is homebound, sick in the hospital or at home, or lost a job ...you get the idea). The bears are located in Heritage Hall, outside of the sanctuary. There is no cost to anyone ~We ask that you fill out the info on the sign-up sheet when you take a bear—it helps so that we don’t have duplicate deliveries. Questions: contact Lois McGee 585-347-4626.
Prayer Concerns for bulletin (printed)
Do you have a joy or concern you wish to share? If so – you may submit something to church office for print in bulletin – by Friday, 11:00 AM of each week. If something comes up between Friday PM to Sunday mornings let pastors know at least 15 minutes prior to a service (a printed note is helpful), and they will pray for concern during week. Anytime: prayer concerns may be left in Prayer Box, outside of the sanctuary – for prayer team and pastors.
Tutoring Outreach at Phillips Village
We tutor on Tuesdays, (6:00 – 7:30 pm) If you would like to be part of this ministry and help a great group of students with homework, reading, math, etc. or would like more info – call Barb Boehmer (585-787-9754). We also could use donations of CapriSun juice boxes for the children. We meet each Tuesday at Phillips Village Community Center.
The Church Library
A library for everyone! We have materials for children through adults. You do not have to be a church member to utilize the library. The check-out policy is similar to any other library. When you wish to take out materials – please print first & last name & phone number, & date taken - on the card located on the item. Please leave the card in the box on top of the bookshelves (either adult section or children’s). We operate on the honor system – please sign out ALL items before taking out of library (even if using within church). Please return within 2 or 3 weeks, or sooner if you finish with the material. Thank you for your cooperation.
Transportation Ministry
A ministry to provide transportation to seniors and those who need a variety of appointments (i.e. Medical, pharmacy, dentist, legal, chemo, grocery shopping, etc.) We always need more volunteer drivers (training providing), mileage reimbursement available.
Pop-Tops from soda cans/cans are still being collected. Rebekah Circle is collecting pop tops to benefit those who use the Strong Memorial Hospital Dialysis Unit. Tops may be left in the designated blue bin in corner of the Communications Center.
Pastor Lee's Space – Finding Your Story in God's Story
Finding Your Story in God’s Story
Greetings Friends! It has been a challenge for many of us as we have honestly asked ourselves the question, “Am I a fan (enthusiastic admirer) of Jesus or a follower (fully committed) of Jesus.” There are times when we are simply a fan and other times when we are a committed follower. My goal and I believe God’s goal for all of us is to become better followers of Jesus by becoming more in love with Jesus. So the next logical question becomes, “How do we become more in love with God and His son, Jesus Christ?”
Let’s think about our own close relationships for a moment. In order to fall in love with someone, it usually takes time and communication to really getting to know them. And the same is true for our relationship with God—The way to truly grow in one’s love of God and His son Jesus is to spend time in the Word of God and communicate with God through prayer, worship, fellowship, etc. When we do those things faithfully, I believe the result is we become a more faithful follower…not more faithful out of obligation or rule, but out of love and a desire to please the one we love.
With that in mind, I want to share the next step of the journey to falling more deeply in love with God and gaining a better understanding of the Bible. The vision for the UMC Webster congregation between now and Thanksgiving is for us to become better followers of Christ. In order to get to that place, we need to get a better understanding of the God we believe in. The Story is a way to provide an avenue for us to study God’s Word and apply it to our lives, from Genesis to Revelation. I also believe this may provide the perfect opportunity for us to invite others to join us in discovering the God of the Old and New Testaments.
It is my hope that over these weeks we will come to understand God’s story as a seamless narrative of God and his pursuit of a relationship with humankind. The Story is an abridged chronological Bible. There are no verse references in the text, and the segments of scripture are woven together with transition text written to connect the storyline so it reads like a seamless story. If you are new to the Bible, this way of reading scripture reduces the intimidation one can feel when approaching the full-length unabridged Bible, and it gives you a holistic and sequential picture of the storyline of Scripture. For all of you seasoned Bible veterans, the chronological arrangement of the essential texts reveals the way the whole Bible fits together in a single grand narrative.
The Bible contains an Upper Story and a Lower Story. The Upper Story tells the big picture, the grand narrative of God unfolding throughout history. The Lower Story contains the sometimes delightful; other times appalling particulars of human experience. Without the lens of the Upper Story, the Lower Story seems out of focus and perplexing. As we make our way through the Bible—The Story—we will be mindful of both the temporal, easily-seen events, and the not so obvious yet truly eternal realities. In the opening chapters of Genesis, the two stories are virtually one. God, who is love, creates the universe, and places humanity at the crown of all he brings into existence. Man and woman, as individuals and also in their collective, reflect God’s image. People are both the objects of God’s love and lovers in return.
But when the first man and woman choose to reject rather than to respond, the Upper Story transitions to God’s relentless pursuit and restoration of what was lost. That Upper Story never changes even to the last chapter of the Bible. The details in the Lower Story describe the many ways people mostly—with a few notable exceptions—resist God, and wreak havoc with themselves and each other. In trying to be God, people continually ruin what God has made, and pass that curse to their offspring. The good news though is God is intent on redeeming what’s broken, not destroying it.
Through our participation in The Story we will discover how our story fits into God’s story. Before it begins on April 15 I would ask each of you to begin by praying…join me in praying for unity, growth, protection against miscommunication, and for a realization of God’s vision for our church. Pray for yourselves and your own part in this journey; for your own hearts to be open and receptive to God’s teaching through this year…and I will do the same for me!
Enjoy the journey…
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