From Your Pastor

I trust that you are enjoying the last of the summer and keeping cool! I have been serving God at Leetown for two months now and am getting to know many wonderful folks. I thank you for your patience as I have served Butler’s Chapel also for these two months. They are close to my heart and I was honored when our district superintendent asked me to continue until their new pastor was well enough to serve.

I also hope that you have come to know me better through our time of worship and fellowship together. I look forward to building relationships with each of you. In order to get to know each other better, I am planning fellowship dinners each month when we will have time to eat together, learn together, and close in worship together. I will meet with all of the existing groups at their regularly scheduled times and am at the church office most Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and one evening a week.

I am anxious to get to know you better and listen to your concerns and hopes for the future of our church. God has blessed me with a life story that I will share as opportunity dictates. I continue to marvel at the gifts and graces that exist in our congregation. Jesus told his disciples that “…the kingdom of God is among you.” (Luke 17:21) We believe that God’s kingdom is at work with us as well. Pray that our sharing, our common life together will allow that kingdom to be experienced this coming year.

Adios,

Pastor Joanna

September 2008

What’s Inside:

• United Methodist Men

• United Methodist Women

• Sunday School

• Bible Study

• Outreach ministries

• Calendar

• Discipleship Academy

I received a lovely letter of welcome from one of our oldest members, Mary Hill. She writes “It is always nice to know some one from the home church where I grew up. I have happy memories of working with the church group and seeing progress in our work…I am thankful for God’s help and my family and loving friends and neighbors…I am 95+ I use a cane and a walker. I wear a hearing aid and my eyes are dimming. My feet say go but my legs say no. God gives me gas that doesn’t cost $4.00 a gallon. God bless you in your work.

Love & blessings,

Mary Hill

You may send her a card to:

108 Cooke Street

Ranson WV 25438

We will need a name for our newsletter! I found an old 2003 newsletter called Leetown’s Spirit. If you have an idea for a name, let Pastor Joanna know!

From the desk of Judi Brunswick

Several years, I have seen children grow into servants of the Lord. As the journey of serving “God’s people” the children would serve the adult class snacks then join in with fellowship. The “Prayer Tree” Charlotte and Peggy showed the children by bring- ing forth names of friends, family or neighbors how great the power of prayer is in our very day life, especially the Sunday when Sgt. Fletcher came and showed the children prayers are answered. Lenten season, Bev and the children made cookies to show the “empty tomb”. I still can smell the fresh baked cookies! These are seeds the teachers have planted into the hearts of Cierra, Briana, Chase, Hunter, Nick, Katie, Christian, Madison Autumne’ and Kelsey.

Sunday School begins September 7, 2008, using the curriculum “Rock Solid” Building a Heart of Faith. Bev, Ronnie, Tara, Mike, Charlotte, Peggy and myself begin our faith journey, for the new Sunday school year. Remember we are the church who serves our Lord with all our hearts and souls.

Please visit us any Sunday, pre-school, older elementary and between group; tell family, friends and neighbors all God’s children are Welcome! Blessings …

Looking Ahead!

Confirmation Class will begin after the first of the year and the confirmands will join church on Pentecost Sunday, May 31^st. Watch for the date and time of class in 2009!

Adult Sunday School

Adult Sunday School has been meeting all summer long and have been journeying through the whole Bible. They are now studying the book of Acts. All adults are welcome to join this ongoing Sunday School Class

_____________________________________

A new class “Beginnings” will begin this Sunday, September 7th for adults and youth who want to know more about the Christian faith from a United Methodist perspective. It is an excellent start for those seeking to become new members and those who have been members a long time and want to expand their faith. Please join Pastor Joanna for this journey. More information is below:

Beginnings:
An Introduction to the Christian Faith.

The 12 sessions of this study introduce the most basic

themes of Christianity and explore the most

fundamental questions of religion, such as –

• What is Sin?

• What is Salvation?

• Who is Jesus and What Did He Do?

• Can I Be Forgiven?

• What Happens When I Die?

• Why Should I Join a Group? ______________________________________________

Wednesday Bible Study

When God’s People Pray by Jim Cymbala

Six sessions include: God’s Heart for Us, The Amazing Power of Prayer, Obedience in Prayer, The Word of God and Prayer, Why Prayer Matters, Creating a Prayer Ministry

Mornings a 10AM Evenings at 7PM

2008 Western Region Appointments

Cumberland-Hagerstown:

Barton James McMahan

Frederick:

Emmitsburg:Trinity John Rudolph

Hedgesville V. Barry Dillon

Marlowe:Harmony Terri Cofiell

Martinsburg:Pikeside Robert E. Cook

discipleship ACADEMY – Dare to grow!

The Academy kick off is September 27, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the respective regional locations listed below. District Superintendents will be the keynote speakers. Afternoon sessions will be the first class of six to follow weekly at each location, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Western Region:

Christ UMC, Ballenger Creek Pike in Frederick (Tuesday)

Hancock UMC in Hancock (Tuesday)

Register at www.bwcumc.org/academy. Deadline to register is September 15.

CLASSES: School of Church Leadership

Challenges for the Church

Stewardship

Spiritual Leadership

Christian Formation

Strive for 5

Leetown UMC is in the Frederick District of the Western Region of the Baltimore Washington Conference. Rev. Terri Rae Chattin is our District Superintendent and guide. The Western Regional Office is in Hagerstown at 12 South Walnut Street.

Office phone numbers are 1 866 739-6659 or 1 301 739-6659.

STEWARDSHIP TRAINING

Daryl Williams, Executive Director of the United Methodist Foundation, will conduct two stewardship workshops in the Western Region –

September 6 – New Covenant UMC, Cumberland

September 13 – Mt. Zion UMC, Myersville

Both sessions are from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

The classes will cover the basic and advanced elements of stewardship in the local church with the objective to give the participants the tools to fund ministry in the local church.

Topics to be addressed include –

 a biblical understanding of stewardship

 makings of a good stewardship committee

 understanding capital campaigns

 planned giving in the local church

To register for either session, call Martha Jones at 301.739.6659 or toll free, 866.739.6659.

REGIONAL DAYS

(formerly Bishop’s Day on the Districts)

September 17 – 7:00 p.m. (Open to all Regional Laity)

First UMC, Berkeley Springs WV

September 18 – 9:00 a.m. (ALL REGIONAL PASTORS)

Washington Square UMC, Hagerstown

September 18 – 7:00 p.m. (Open to all Regional Laity)

Trinity UMC, Frederick

REMEMBER –

Leetown Charge Conference November 5

At Asbury Charles Town at 8PM

Leetown has a phenomenal Outreach Program. Through the Jefferson County Community Ministries we provided 31 filled backpacks. We pledged 25, so we exceeded our goal by six! So far this year we have supplied 1065 pounds of food to their food pantry and two regular volunteers, Peggy LaGray and Jim Burrows. Charlotte Bennett and Pastor Joanna serve on the board.

This summer, many craft supplies were donated to the Project Isaac at the North Jefferson Elementary School. 5,490 items were donated by Leetown to help with school supplies at the start of the year. When you catch school supplies on sale, be sure to buy a few extra and put them in the collection box.

The Senior Singers bring music and scripture to two nursing homes each month, Willow Tree Manor and Shenandoah Nursing Home. Three Leetown members help along with others from many churches. Then at 3:30 every Sunday afternoon the Servant Church invites all from Leetown to participate in a short worship service at Willow Tree Manor.

The Guardian Angels continue to supply snacks for the Tuesday night AA meetings.

Monetary assistance has been provided to three families including the Elseroad family.

Please contact Charlotte Bennett, our outreach chairperson, @304 725-1102 if you can help be the hands and feet of our Lord to those in need.

Sunday September 21 Apollo Theatre in Martinsburg. Anyone wanting to go sign up on the bulletin board and meet at the church at 1:30 to carpool over.

Tickets are $12 each for Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.

UMM The United Methodist Men met on August 27^th and set the date for the next Spaghetti Dinner and Bake Sale.

Mark your calendars for

October 4, 2008 from 3-7 PM.

The next meeting of the UMM and the UMW will be Wednesday, September 17^th at 7PM. All men and women are invited to attend.

Donate Blood !

Friday, September 26^th, 2-7 PM

At Leetown United Methodist Church

The second Sunday of each month we will have a meal together, a program or theme, and a closing worship. This month will be a pot luck supper with a birthday theme. Bring a dish to share, but don’t bring dessert. We will have a birthday cake to celebrate everyone’s birthday. Bring your whole family and invite a friend or two to join us!

Second Sunday, September 14th

Sunday 5 – 7 PM

Supper Bring a Friend