Wadsworth United Methodist Church

195 Broad Street,Wadsworth, OH 44281Phone: 330.336.6689

Email: wadsumc@wadsumc.orgWeb: wadsumc.org

Worship Services: 8:15am, 9:30am and 11:00am

Sunday School: 9:30am and 11:00am

WCTV

Contemporary Service: Monday, 10:30pm & Thursday, 9:00pm

Traditional Service: Sunday, 5:00pm & 9:00pm, Monday, 1:30pm

CircuitRIDER

Attractional vs. Missional

September 2012

In the past ten years or so, there has been an ongoing debate among many church leaders as to whether churches in North America should be missional vs. attractional. These words have become buzzword, used by people a lot smarter than me who get a lot of money to speak at Christian conferences.

The term missional came from a book entitled The Missional Church by Darrell Guder published in 1998. Guder encouraged the church to return to its New Testament roots of community and responsibility. Over the past few years, however, the word has morphed into a term beyond its original meaning. If you type missional into the subject line of Amazon.com, you’ll find an overabundance of books either lauding or lamenting the arrival of the missional church. You will also find the same books either lauding or lamenting the supposed passing of the attractional church.

The attractional church is generally defined as a congregation that advertises heavily and focuses its programs on bringing people into its church building, where they will hear the Gospel preached. Since the end of WWII churches in America have been essentially attractional churches that have emphasized worship and preaching, children and youth programs designed to “attract” people in. It really has little to do with a style of worship – traditional vs. contemporary, but more to with the posture of the church in relation to its community. An attractional church is one whose primary stance towards those it seeks to reach is the expectation of a “come-to-us mentality.”

The missional church is seen as a congregation that is not focused on attracting people to its building, but one that goes out into the community and does good deeds in the name of Christ and seeks to transform it. Many authors seem to think the two are not compatible.

A healthy church certainly wants to reach out into the community to feed and clothe the poor, help the struggling and right wrongs. After all, Jesus was pretty specific about serving “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40). But a church that is only missional is likely to miss some key elements of the rich traditions of the church. On the other hand, purely attractional church members have a tendency to be “consumers,” and the church as the “product” they consume.

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Vision WeekendSaturday, September 88:45am – Gathering with food

9:00am - 10:15am – Session One “Understanding Change” • Understanding how our world around us has changed. • What we need to do in order to stay relevant. • Key principles of what it means to be an outward focused church. • “Transformation” toward our mission to “make disciples.” • The “Church Life Cycle”

10:15am - 10:30am – Break

10:30am – 11:45 – Session Two “Understanding Vision” • What is “vision.” • Hearing from God in a fresh, new way about our future. • Dream together about ways God wants to use us in our community. • Develop the seeds of the vision of our church for the future.

11:45am – 12:00pm – Closing Prayer and prep for Sunday’s “Prayer Walk”

Sunday, September 98:15am-9:30am Worship9:30am-10:30am Worship – Sunday School11:00am-12:00pm Worship – Sunday School12:15pm-1:30pm Church-wide picnic (hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks provided)1:30pm–2:30pm Prayer Walk

And the Lord answered me and said, “Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tables that everyone who passes may be able to read it easily and quickly as he hastens by.”

Habakkuk 2:2

Vision Weekend

Attention Youth!Youth On Wednesday, September 12 at 6:00pm ROC and jROC will be hosting a Fall Kickoff at the church. This will be a fun evening of activities, games, and a brief message. We will be inside and outside (weather permitting) so dress accordingly! ROC and jROC will resume meeting regularly on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm at the church starting September 19. ROC and jROC Sunday school classes will start back up following the 9:30am service on September 9.

Eagle Scout ProjectAlan McPhersonI am excavating part of the hill behind the dumpster in the lower parking lot. I will fill this in with asphalt or concrete. Then, I will build a wooden retaining wall up against the remaining hill. I will put up a gate and move the dumpster into this area. Finally, I will plant bushes around the wall to make it look nice.

Want to be a church member?A special note to all those planning to join church at Wadsworth U.M.C. Pastor Don Ebert will host a “Coffee With the Pastor” on Sunday September 16 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm in Fellowship Hall. At the coffee you also will have the opportunity to sign up for a six-week class called A Disciple’s Path that will guide you in your next steps along the path as a follower of Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful opportunity for you to connect with other disciples and find support and encouragement as you continue to grow in your faith. Please contact the church office for further information at 330.336.6689 or wadsumc@wadsumc.org or just show up on September 16.

Family NewsBaptismsLeah Hazel Wallet

DeathsOur sympathy to the following family who has recently lost a loved one: Linda Craig (mother, Betty Fetzer)

Financial ReportInformation through August 30, 2012

Current YTD Prior YTDIncome $377,521 $384,887Expense $371,583 $420,276Difference $5,938 -$35,389Pledged to date: $272,320Pledged received $234,022Difference -$28,109

I suggest the healthy church is both missional and attractional. It wants to bring people into Sunday worship experiences, because gathering for fellowship and worship are important to the life of the church, yet it wants to meet the needs of the community, because that is where the hands and feet of Jesus should be. So maybe we should just get busy being the church, both missional and attractional. We could save a few trees from fewer books being written and maybe feed and create a few disciples in the process.

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Attractional vs. Missional

Tween Time begins September 9Tween time is a special youth group for 5th-6th graders and their friends. Fun outings alternate with service projects which help bond the kids and gives them an opportunity to serve the community. There will also be a learning time on “Preparing for Adolescence”. Friends are always welcome! Leaders are Dave Schroeder, Jeff Rafeld, and Scott Vallant. All children will need a signed permission slip and emergency medical form on file which can be found on the church website at www.wadsumc.org under the children’s tab and tween time link. Meet in the lower lobby of the church.

Sunday, September 9

Kickoff at the Kilbride Farm 3-7 pm. Roast hot dogs/marshmallows, games, get acquainted

Wednesday, September 26

Serve at the Salvation Army soup kitchen 4:15-6:15 pm

Parent Link Newsletter Check out the new monthly parent newsletters for parents with children. Each edition focuses on a different topic (September is Boosting Kids’ Critical Thinking Skills), teachable moments, family experience, media madness, games/sites/apps, culture/trends, stats, and the monthly children’s events to hang on your fridge. Parents can pick them up in their children’s classrooms or at any of the info desks throughout the church, or in front of Mary Jo’s office.

Mrs. Schroeder’s fish has a new name! It’s BUBBLES!

Backpack BlessingsSunday, September 2, is the last Sunday before school begins. Children are encouraged to bring their new backpacks or lunch boxes to church to show them off and then during all 3 worship services, we’ll have children stand in worship and we’ll pray for them as they begin a new school year.

Kids Music OpportunitiesJr. Joyfuls Children’s Bell Choir

Children in grades 3-8 are encouraged to learn to play the bells, experienced with music or not! The bell choir then plays in worship once a month. Practices are on Tuesdays from 4:15-5:15 beginning September 4.

Kidz Choir

Kids in grades K-6 who enjoy singing are encouraged to join the Kidz Choir! Practices are on Thursdays from 6-7 pm, beginning September 6.

2nd graders receive Bibles on September 16All children in 2nd grade will receive their gift of a Kids Study Bible during the 11 am service on Sunday, September 16. Children can sit with their families in worship or can attend Sunday School where the class as a whole will come down to worship for the children to receive their Bibles.

Promotion is September 1Children in nursery/preschool age level classes are promoted 3 times a year:

September 1, Jananuary 1 and June 1. Whatever age they are on that date, is the class they are in until the next promotion date.

Kids Church, Jr. Kids Church and All Sunday School Classes Resume September 9Children are encouraged to attend an hour of worship and an hour of teaching every week to help them grow in their faith.

9:30 Children’s Worship Hour• Nursery (birth-age 2): Room 106• 2-3’s: Room 006• Jr. Kids Church (ages 4-1st grade): Room 004• Kids Church (2nd-6th grade): Room 005• Children are also welcome in worship

11:00 Children’s Teaching Hour (Note age level changes from last year)• Nursery (birth-age 2): Room 106• 2-3’s: Room 006• Ages 4-1st grade: Room 004• 2nd-4th grade: Room 207• 5th-6th grade: Room 209• Children are also welcome in worship

Thank you to all our school year children’s teachersNursery

Jodi Sapp, Lenore Pogan, Chanin & Megan Tyler, Lori & Joe Snoke, Eileen VanFleet, Debbie Smallwood, Danielle Sintoni, Brandy Gray, Laurie Pierrot

2-3’s

Midge Hagenbaugh, Maryann Toney, Carlee Hagenbaugh, Pam Hoover, Tienne Wilkin

Jr. Kids Church

Sue Shreve, Ronetta Rafeld

Kids Church

Joanne & Bruce Manning, Pam & Mark Grucza, Becky Benya

4-1st grade

Katie Walkup, Jennifer Zimmerer, Tammy Yoder

2nd-4th grade

Jennifer & Frank Satink

5th-6th grade

Marilyn DiBernardo, Larry Peterson, Lander Silliman

Teen AssistantsNeededYouth, grades 7-12, who enjoy being with children, are encouraged to consider serving in the church as a teen assistant. Teen assistants help the primary Sunday School teachers on Sunday mornings by helping the children engage in the activities, running off copies, gathering materials and especially, by being a role model for the children. There will be a teen assistant training session (separate sessions for returning and new teen assistants) on Sunday, September 23 at 11 am in room 002.

November 2-4Family Retreat at Camp WanakeFor families of all ages and stages. Come for a weekend get away where we’ll explore Mission Possible: The Great Commission! We’ll have crafts, games, hikes, worship together and do a service project for the camp. This is a great place to meet other families of the church and have an affordable get away weekend!

Cost: $40/adult (13 and up); $20/kids (4-12 yrs old), Free (3 and under), $12/person for Saturday only (age 4 and up)

Space is limited so reserve your spot now! Call Ronetta Rafeld at 330.239.4110

Welcome Home Church Campers

Paper Recycling BinsDid you know that we have 3 paper recycling bins in our East parking lot? These bins bring in an average of $172.46 per month, which supports the Children’s Ministries of the church. This past year, the funds have been used to help send kids to church camp, to purchase supplies for the preschool, and to purchase tshirts for Kids Camp. Thank you! Keep bringing in all your old mail, newspapers, magazines, school/office paper, books, cardboard and phone books.

A special thanks to our summer children’s preschool teachersThe Wilkin Family, Emily & Bette Starkey, The Burridge Family, Kandy Wallet, The Benya Family, Leora Rafeld, Jeremy Schroeder, Pam Hoover & Kristina Clem

A special welcome home to all children, youth and families who attended church camp this summer. May you continue to grow in your faith because of this experience:

Sara Misura: Band Camp Rocks!Julie Haber: Ultimate AdventureRegan Burridge: Wet n WildKelsey Mills: Lakeside Reach OutEvelyn Asper: Horse BonanzaLili Mills: Sampler CampLauren Satink: Sampler CampJared Barder: Build Your Own AdventureBlinkhorn Family: Family CanoeDiBernardo Family: Camp-o-ramaCraig Rench: Build Your Own AdventureCorynn Rench: Sampler CampRyan Satink: Tree House ExplorersNatalie Vallant: Sampler CampElla Wilson: Tree House ExplorersLuke Wilson: 4th-5th graders at AldersgateAustin Wolfinger: Build Your Own AdventureBlake Hallas: Build Your Own AdventureAurie Turner: Fashion CampNeal Iles: Wanake StaffZack Grucza: Wanake Staff

Highlights from Kids Camp Too!Our 2nd week of Kids Camp was held at the church the 1st week of August. We had 17 children attend a week of art, drama, dance and choir with a Bible Study time on our amazing body and how God created us! Kids bonded together as a group and seemed to really have fun, but also sought to understand the Bible stories. A special thanks to the following leaders:

Teen Assistants: Jayne Blinkhorn, Emily Brown

Interest area leaders: Sam DiBernardo, Joanne Manning, Jennifer & Lauren Satink, and Emily Starkey

Adult leaders: Tammy Yoder, Donna Longfellow, Marilyn DiBernardo, Dave Schroeder

Prayer Focus• That children will be kind to others as they

return to school

• Thankfulness for all the children’s Sunday School Teachers who are sacrificing their time to lead our kids to a deeper walk with Christ

• Thankfulness for all our acolytes who bring and take out the light of Christ at the 11 am service

The Power of Praying for Your Adult ChildrenNew short term Adult Sunday School class for the fall semester. For parents of adult children from 18 to 78! (or those who care for other adults who are ‘like children’ in their lives)

Do you have adult children:• Who have strayed from the faith or have never believed?• Who struggle in their relationships or marriage or work or finances?• Who seem to lack direction for their life?• Who are not making wise decisions in their life?• In the military or who are far from home that you worry about?• Who are on track in their lives but you know praying for them is important?

Then we have an APP for that! This class (Adults Parents Praying) will guide us in praying for adult children in a way that protects their privacy and lets us learn to lift these important people in our lives to God through prayer.

Class begins: Sunday, September 9, at 11:00am in room 113

Led by Mary Jo Schroeder

Mission Team ServantsIf you are in Missions than you have heard God’s call to service. Have you listened to His call to leadership? I want to invite everyone responding to this call in mission service to come along with me to the UMVIM Leadership Training weekend October 20-21 at the Urban Mission in Stubenville.

This is a perfect weekend for our Wadsworth Mission leaders to join other Canal District mission servants and learn how to prepare, arrange, and lead a team into mission service. This program is being presented by the EOC (East Ohio Conference) and UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteer in Mission) and will have vital information about leading local mission teams, long term recovery and international mission teams.

This overnight program will consist of learning, serving for the Urban Mission and fellowshipping with other mission leaders. The cost is $35 per person

Please plan on attending on October 20-21. Contact Tammy Kuntz, (tammylk58@gmail.com) for questions and registration.

Thanks

Aaron Vandersommers