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The night was awesome,

awesome, awesome! The love

of God was ever ywhere, said

Mary Lou Crumley, a church

member for 52 years. On

Friday, March 8, Reynoldsburg

United Methodist Church was

lled with over 400 women

donning creative hats for the

third annual Mad Hatters Ball. The night was lled with

praising and encountering the love of our Savior.The evening began with dinner prepared by Chef

Don Wood and a chocolate fondue bar for dessert.

Guests were treated to a shopping area that included

the vendor, Women Helping Women, which sells

jewelry and baskets from a village in Uganda to help

break the cycle of poverty. There were also crocheted

necklaces made by women from the Ohio Reformatory

for Women prison, and jewelry and clothes from

Freedom Jewelry and The Shepherds Place. Guests

were asked to bring a toy to be donated to Nellies

Catwalk 4 Kids (NC4K), a local nonprot orginization

-- which helps pediatric cancer families emotionally an

nancially through their journey.

The worship portion of the evening began at

7:30pm with a spontaneous dance party, followed by

skit from Cinderella, an introduction to NC4K, a men

fashion show, some friendly hat competition and

beautiful worship music.

Tasha Levert then gave an inspiring message

encouraging those in attendance not to change the w

they look to be in sync with the wor lds standards

shine.

Women were chatting, laughing and crying, said

Luan Martin, who was on the planning committee.

I believe that, for many of them, they felt they could,

maybe for the rst time, shine. They felt important l

their lives were meaningful. God met them where

they were.u

Mad Hatters Ball | Ashley Marshall

ISSUE 2 VOL.1 APRIL 2013

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Send articles to be considered for the print and email versions of The Vine

to thevine@rumc.org or drop them off in the mailbox marked THE VINE in the staff mailroom.The deadline for each months print publication is the 15th of the previous month. All articles are subject to

editing when space is limited.

REYNOLDSBURG UNITED METHODIST CHURCH1636 Graham Road | Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 | 614.866.5864 | ReynoldsburgUMC.com

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Dont Say No to Something Jesus Would Do

2

Friends,

Greengs in the name of the risen and living Jesus. My prayer is that

we will begin to live into the power of His resurrecon in our lives.

I have been overwhelmed to see many of us embrace the concept

of Random Acts of Easter. Our world is beer when we show and

share the love of Jesus in our lives. A few weeks ago, a long-me

member of our congregaon asked me, Why are we just emphasiz-

ing this during Lent? Isnt this what we are supposed to do all the me? Exactlythat is why we launched

BeKindToday.com as an invitaon to keep paying Gods grace forward aer the Easter lilies lose their bloom and

the candy is gone.

But what are we to do? Is there a limit to what Jesus asks when He tells us that the greatest commandment is

to love God and love neighbor? I was recently at a gathering of some pastoral colleagues, and we were talking

about some of the best pracces we have seen when it comes to leading churches and calling people to follow

Jesus. One of the pastors (who is highly regarded in every way) said that, early in his ministry, he instuted a

simple rule for those who were leading his congregaon: they were not allowed to say no to something that

Jesus would do. If they were saying no to something Jesus would do, they were relying on their own strength

and abilies and not relying upon God. He contended that being willing to risk what Jesus would do brings us to

the edge of ourselves and makes us dependent upon God to show up and fulll His will.

When was the last me you did anything that you knew would not happen unless God showed up? I was

convicted that perhaps the reason is we have grown accustomed to saying No to things that Jesus would doand have seled for living life in our own strength and abilies. That means we oen sele for less than Gods

best dream for us. DREAM BIGand say yes to Jesus.

I am honored to be your pastor!

Pastor Je Greenway

Lamont Moon joined the Reynoldsburg UMC staff in March, serving as our congregations r

Executive Pastor/Director. Lamont is married to Carol, and together they parent two young

adult sons, Austen and Evan. Lamont holds graduate-level degrees in seminary and business, i

ordained in the Nazarene Church and has pastored in some of the great churches in both th

Nazarene and Wesleyan denominations. While serving as our Executive Pastor, Lamont will

maintain his leadership of Courageous Leadership, a management consulting group he founde

in 1998.

Meet the Staff: Lamont Moon

Easter Services 2013

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The Butterfly Project | Courtney ShaverWe are among a generation of broken young women who

desperately need to be reminded that we are valuable, lovable,

capable and beautiful. The Buttery Project is restor ing our identity.

Girls are daughters of the King; and it is time that we walk in Christs

condence, boldness, and power. Teenage girls deserve someone to

remind them of how Jesus views them, and The Buttery Project is

walking into public schools and speaking truth and life amidst the

boundaries that public schools place on religion.

The project started with a statement on Twitter : Im a low-

key slut. For Shayna Fowler, a student at Pickerington High School

Central, the confession was eye-opening. She said she knew girls

were calling each other names, but why were they using these self-

defeating names to describe themselves? From that point on, Shaynaand a few friends set out to nd a way to improve the self-worth of

girls in their high school and a means to heal the distorted views that

young women place on themselves and others.

After months of student-led planning, The Buttery Projects rst

school-wide assembly for gir ls took place in 2011. The assembly

began with music, a few movie clips and introductions. Then, students

heard personal testimony from a former slave of sex-trafcking. It

helped open girls hearts to the danger of how low self-esteem and

bullying can lead to the easy access of a predator to girls in schools

and communities.

Following that testimony, girls were

separated into Boundary Breaking

Groups small groups that focusedon condential time to share feelings

and opinions. An activity called Cross

the Line was next. Girls also had a

chance to sign two posters: one with

the worst thing that anyone has ever

called them, and the other with a

positive note for the other girls to

see. These different activities spoke to

girls individually and to the school as

a whole, serving as a healing process

as well as a time to take

responsibility for ones actions.

Since the rst assembly in

2011, there have been over

15 assemblies in three school

districts-and the group isnt

nished yet. The Buttery

Project is in the process of

trademarking and becoming

a non-prot organization. The

necessary funding is currently

coming out of student leaders

pockets. In order to continue

to speak hope and life into

broken hearts, roughly $1,500

is needed. The Buttery Project

leaders are also in the process

of expanding the project toschools all over Ohio and

eventually around the nation. In order to do this, we need your

help. First, we need your prayers prayers for guidance and more

amazing opportunities to spur on life-changing testimonies and

results. Without Gods constant supervision and the prayers of thos

involved, The Buttery Project would not be what it is today. We

also need nancial support. We are honored and so thankful for the

support of many. Just because we cant go into schools and preach

Jesus does not mean we cannot speak truth and life and love. God

love. The Buttery Project is restoring the image of daughters of th

King.

If you would like more information about The Buttery Project

and to help nancially, contact Courtney Shaver atcourtneychristoff@embarqmail.com.u

Reynoldsburg High School Livingston campus

Dudes

The mens ministry at

Reynoldsburg United

Methodist Church held two

events in March. Dozens

of guys duked it out at

cornhole for the 1st Annual

Reynoldsburg UMC Cornhole

Tournament on March 2. There were plenty of snacks and thetop three teams received trophies! On March 23, over one one

hundred men came to Guys Nite to watch NCAA basketball.

The guys also ate pizza, wings,

played games, and drank ROOT

beer. If youd like to get involved

in the mens ministry, LIKE our

Facebook page. Contact Pastor

Matt Wright at

mwright@rumc.orgwithany questions.u.

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New Members February

4

Allyson Price lives at 1081 Harrison Ave. in

Columbus. Aaron is employed by DFAS. Tessa

is a school counselor. Aaron is a volunteer boys

basketball coach for Pickerington High School.

Tessa enjoys jogging/exercise, reading & baking.They attend the 9:15 service and join by transfer

Aaron from Zoar Baptist Church and Tessa fro

Community of Grace United Methodist Church.

Mike & Brooke Parker live at 275 Trail East

in Etna. Mike is a veteran of the Air National

Guard. They attend the 11:00 service. Mike

joins by transfer from Circleville Presbyterian

Church and Brooke joins by profession of faith.

Darren & Kristi Strong live at 117 Brenden ParkDr. in Etna. They have one daughter. Darren is an

agent at Safe Auto Insurance. He enjoys tness, go

& motorcycles. Kristi is an Education Coordinator

for Bright Horizons Family Solutions. She enjoys

child development, reading and tness. They attend

the 9:15 service and join by profession of faith.

Debra Swannerlives at 9625 Camelot St. inPickerington with her husband Larry, who is already

a member. Larry and Debra have two adult

children. Debra is retired. She enjoys reading,

decorating, sports, bike riding & spending time with

family and friends. She attends the 11:00 service

and joins by profession of faith.

Stephanie Wrightlives at 7552 Palmer Rd. inReynoldsburg with her husband, Pastor Matt Wrigh

Stephanie enjoys scrapbooking, making cards,

gardening and nature. She works at the Union

County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She

joins by transfer from Middleburg United

Methodist Church

Mike & Kathy Miller live at 2122 Leah Ln. inReynoldsburg. They have two adult children.

Mike is employed by the State of Ohio and he

enjoys golng. Kathy is an Avon representative,

who enjoys helping people. They attend the

11:00 service and join by profession of faith.

Michelle Johnson lives at 841 Elgin Cir. in

Pickerington. She attends the 9:15 service and

joins by profession of faith.

Doug & Suzi Hochuli live at 482 Hunnicut Dr.

in Reynoldsburg. They have ve grown children.

Doug works for Plaskolite and is a veteran of theU.S. Navy. He enjoys NASCAR and gardening.

Suzi works for the City of Columbus and enjoys

gardening, cooking and spending time with family.

They attend the 9:15 service and join by profes-

sion of faith.

Dennis & Linda Lowe live at 224 Glenkirk Dr.

in Blacklick. Dennis is employed by the State of

Ohio in Customer Service for Unemployment

Compensation. Linda is employed by UPS in

Transportation Support Freight Forwarding.

They attend the 11:00 service and join by

profession of faith.

Dale & Kim Holter live at 8689 Springower Dr.

in Pickerington. They have four children. Dale

works for Big Lots and enjoys Emmaus, anything

related to our Lord, softball and volleyball. Kim is a

Reading Specialist for Westerville City Schools and

enjoys scrapbooking, photography and Ohio State

football. They attend the 9:15 service and join by

transfer from Faith United Methodist Church.

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The word home can have different meanings for different

people. For Tina Howard and Larr y Cermak, home means being

welcomed into a community which both believes in them and

supports them as individuals with a bright future. Their names

are familiar to those in the EMBARK offender reentry program

community since they both completed the rst cycle of the program

this past June. Both also shared their stories at the rst KINDWAY/

EMBARK fundraiser in September.

Tina has completed her period of incarceration and is now living

and working in the Columbus area. We are proud of Tina for nding

full time employment. She is enjoying the sense of accomplishment

she feels each day on the job. Larry is now living at the EMBARK

house with another graduate and also has been recently successful in

nding full-time employment.

Both Tina and Larry continue to demonstrate their feelings aboutbeing home through the smiles and hugs they share with all those

they meet. Both use the phrases lled with the Spirit and we want

to give back as they now live their individual daily lives. Of course,

coming home means being united with family. Their family is you

and me. Their home is the relationships that have and continue to

grow with you and me. Both agree that the KAIROS prison ministry

and EMBARK programs have made a huge difference in their lives.

The people they have met and the relationships they have formed,

however, have impacted their lives the most. They want to thank each

and every one of you for being a part of their lives.

Other phrases such as the past is gone, Im living for the

present; Im really busy now, but I always nd time for others; I

felt your prayers; I place it in the hands of the Lord; Im not alon

anymore; and many others are always on their lips. They realize the

cant do it alone and want you to continue to walk with them as th

attempt to reach out to others and try to give back some of what

they have received.

As we continue to try and serve our God together, let us

remember our Lords command to love each other as He loves us.

Thank you Tina and Larry for being an example of that command i

our lives.u

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying Whom shall I send? And

who will go for us? And I said, Here I am, Send me. Isaiah 6:8

Once again, the

Reynoldsburg UMC McCurdyMission Team is prepar ing for

a mission trip to McCurdy

Charter School in Espanola,

New Mexico. Reynoldsburg

UMC has been sending teams

to Espanola, since 2006.

McCurdy Ministries

helped launch the McCurdy

Charter School with 525

students, while expanding

their ministry programs to

make a difference in the

Espanola Valley. The programsinclude: Project Carino, a

mental health counseling

program for students as well

as their families; the breakfast

and lunch program which serves over 500 meals a day; McCurdy

Preschool, which gives four- and ve-year-olds a good start on their

education; the before- and after-school program; and the Volunteer

in Missions program, which welcomes teams from all over the Unit

States.

In 2013, the activity continues. Dee Dee Heffner, McCurdy

Ministries missionar y, will

retire on May 31. McCurdyMinistries is in the process o

building a two-story charte

school building to be ready

to open for occupancy

in December. Many new

programs are in the works

including Camp Star, to be

launched this summer, a new

Teen Center Ministry, and

additional counselors for th

Project Carino program.

There will be no lack

of servanthood for the 201Reynoldsburg UMC McCur

Mission Team leaving on

August 17. Continue to

save your Campbell Soup

labels and Box Tops for Education to send to McCurdy on this trip.

The team also asks that you lift McCurdy Ministries and their team

members in your prayers.u

Welcome To McCurdyBienvenidos | Brenda Waligura

Welcome Home, Tina and Larry | Heather Bernardo-Gildner

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This past January, I traveled to Cuba with a group of seminarians

from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Our fall semester

was busy as we read books and articles, and heard presentations

about what we could expect in the forbidden country. Due to the

U.S. embargo against Cuba, only Americans with relatives or groups

of special interest regarding religion and education can travel there.

Before I arrived, I imagined I would nd a people signicantly

repressed by their government in all aspects of life -- especially in

religion. After all, their former President, Fidel Castro, is a communist

who does not practice religion. Quickly upon arrival, I discovered

quite a different country. We stayed at the Mar tin Luther King

Jr. Memorial Center, a neighborhood organization that promotes

social justice. The founder, Reverend Suarez, knew and worked with

Dr. King. His church is Ebenezer Baptist. Our group enjoyed an

ecumenical Three Kings presentation by children from the Catholic,

Seventh Day Adventist, and Baptist churches.During our rst full day in Cuba, we toured old Havana and

visited a Catholic Cathedral and Greek Orthodox Church. We

stopped at a Methodist church, where the service was packed and

lively with song and hand-clapping. The former Secretary General of

the Conference of Methodist Churches in Latin America talked with

us about Methodism in Cuba versus the rest of Latin America. Rev.

Dr. Rita Fuentes is retired, but she still leads an international gospel

choir that we had the pleasure of hearing.

Visiting the Luyano neighborhood, we had lunch at a Presbyterian

church, visited a Catholic church, and spoke with the pastor of a

traditional Baptist church. Rev. Raquel Suarez Rodes spoke with us

about her experience as a woman with a leading role in the Cuban

ecumenical community. Professor Lazara Menendez, Ph.D. talked w

us about Afro-Cuban religions.

Our travel to Matanzas, in the countryside, took us to the

Mantanzas Evangelical Theological Seminary. Professor Oefelia

Ortega explained that, after the Cuban revolution, religion was not

forbidden, but the faithful were discriminated against. One of our

interpreters shared how her teacher, who was a communist, treate

her differently in school. She relayed how she spoke with her pasto

who used the Gospel to help her with coping skills.

After the revolution, schools in Cuba taught atheism. Now,

Cuba is a secular society. The professor stated that, in the late 60s,

President Castro wrote a book titled, Castro and Religion, which

sold out when published. After this book was written, Cubans

experienced more religious freedoms. At the seminary, we also me

an American who spoke Spanish well enough to study theology in

Cuba.Our next stop was Varadero, where we stayed at the Presbyter

Reformed Church. Their pastor, the Rev. Joel Ortega Dopico, is

president of the Council of Churches of Cuba. He spoke to us abo

the ecumenical work amongst the churches and how they have ma

sister churches in the United States and across the world that help

support them nancially.

While in Cuba, we saw many people dressed in all white and

wearing religious necklaces. These people were said to be practicin

a time of purication before becoming priests or priestesses in

Santeria. Santera is a system of beliefs that merges the Yoruba

religion (which was brought to the New World by enslaved West

Africans sent to the Caribbean to work on sugar plantations) with

Roman Catholic and Native American traditions.While visiting the U.S. Intersection which is similar to an

embassy, but we do not have diplomatic relations with Cuba -- we

met a group of Jews from upstate New York. They had come to

visit and support a small Jewish community in Havana. While visitin

Lennon Park, my roommate said she was approached by a Jehovah

Witness. As I walked through another Cuban neighborhood one d

I came upon a Salvation Army. Religion is lively, diverse, and well in

Cuba.Phyllis Plear is a Kober Intern and member of Reynoldsburg UMC. She is

pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at the Methodist Theological School in Oh

and plans to graduate in May 2014.u

Cubas Diverse Religions | Phyllis Plear

6

Calendar

1 Church Ofces Closed

2 Emmaus Gathering

13 Childrens Musical Workshop

14 DISCOVER Reynoldsburg Workshop

14 DISCOVER Your SHAPE

14 Bell & Puppet Concert

20 SHARE Saturday

20-21 Rt. 56 Marmon Valley Retreat

April

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Upcoming Events

Spring Flower Sale :: Deadline: April 10

The RUMW is having a Spring Flower Sale. Order forms may be picked up from a RUMW member or by calling

Patty Fletcher 614-762-3250. Flats will be available for pick up on May 11. Photos of the owers can be found on

our Facebook Page: Facebook.com/ReynoldsburgUMW.

UMW Baby Shower :: April 23 at 5pm :: Kirsch HallThe Reynoldsburg United Methodist Women (UMW) are hosting a Baby Shower to benet the Church Women

United (CWU) Layette Program. The CWU is in need of diapers, bottles, sheets and towels. Women and children

of all ages are invited to attend. There will be shower games, refreshments and a lot of fun. Admission to the showe

is a new baby item.

May Breakfast:: May 21 at 9:30am :: Kirsch Hall

The Annual RUMW May Breakfast is next month! Current Life Members will be honored and new Life Members

will be named at this meeting. All ladies are invited to attend.ReynoldsburgUMW

Handbell/Puppet Concert

April 14 at 6:30pm :: Worship Center

Get ready for fun, laughter, music and food at an eventfor the whole family! The Alleluia Chimers (4-6th Grade),

Celebration Ringers (7-12th Grade), Hands of God Puppet

Squad (7-8 Grade), and Gods Puppet Squad (8-12th Grade)

will perform a FREE concer t on Sunday, April 14 at 6:30pm.

The concert is a culmination of the years work.

Thou Shalt Not Frown:

A Night of Christian Comedy

Saturday, May 4 at 7:00PM :: Worship Center

Join us for a night of

laughs for the whole fam-

ily with comedian Robert

G. Lee. Lee is known for

his 100% clean comedy

act and the ability to per-

form the Bible in 30 min-

utes. Magician and come-

dian David McCreary will

start off the evening with

his unbelievable sleight ofhand and rapid-re quick

wit. Cost is $5 per person if you purchase tickets in advance

at rumcevents.com. Tickets are $10 a person at the door.

Spend A While On the Nile

May 19 at 7pm :: Worship Center

The Childrens Choirs of ReynoldsburgUMC are going to take you on an

adventure of a lifetime! As we travel

along the Nile River on an entertain-

ment cruise, Mr. Cruise, his daughter

Liza, and his performing troupe will

retell Bible stories that occurred long ago, with a twist they

get the Bible stories wrong. Watch and see what happens as

the kids from Ocean View Church help Mr. Cruise and his

crew understand the truth about Gods enduring love and

faithfulness to His people. You wont want to miss over 110

children of our church bring the Bible to life with their voices

and contagious enthusiasm! Admission is FREE.

Vacation Bible School 2013 Under The Big Top

June 17-21 at 9am-12pm

Save the date for a circus-themed great

time Under The Big Top at Reynoldsburg

UMCs 2013 Vacation Bible School (VBS)

There will be Bible lessons, games, snacks

and more! All children are encouraged to

dress up in circus-themed outts! Adults,

come and help our kids learn about Jesus. You will have lots offun, make new friends, and deepen your relationship with Jesus

too! VBS is for all children who have graduated Kindergarten

through 6th Grade. Sign up now at ReynoldsburgVBS.com.

UnderTheBigTop

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REYNOLDSBURGUNITED METHODIST CHURCH1636 Graham Road Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

NON-PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAIDReynoldsburg, O

PERMIT NO.

NEW LifeGroups Begin This Month!

We currently have 18 LifeGroups for you to choose from! Life-

Groups are groups of 8-12 people who meet outside the church bui

ing in homes, study the scripture related to the sermon more in-dept

and come together for social events and service projects. They differ

from Bible Studies in that they have a social and service component.

The intent is to make the big church feel smaller and to have a group

of people with whom you can connect on a more personal basis, pra

with and for, and enjoy life together. In a large church, you can easily

become just another number; and LifeGroups provide what the large

church cannot. You will feel like you have another family of sorts.

To get connected to a LifeGroup, contact Megan Mathias at churc

ext. 123 ormegan@rumc.org. You can also nd more information

about LifeGroups and see the current list of locations, days, and time

at ReynoldsburgUMC.com click on Adult Learning, then LifeGroup

RightNow Video Bible Studies

Reynoldsburg UMC has a library of over 2,000 Video Bible Studies for YOU to watch, for FREE

anytime you want! There are videos for children, youth, and adults. These convenient studies cover

topics such as nances, marriage, parenting, prayer and missions. You can conduct your own Bible

study during lunch at work, at home with the family, catch up on or preview videos you might

have missed here at the church building for your weekly Bible study. Hundreds of your church

family members are already using this site, and their spiritual lives have been transformed. To sign

up or get more information, contact Megan Mathias at megan@rumc.org.