It is a joy to announce that we have a new staff member at Hope Church! Josh Funk comes to us with 11 years of youth ministry experience, having served in United Methodist Churches in Columbus, Fredericktown, and Perrysburg, OH. He has experience leading youth in a wide range of ministry experiences, including mission trips, camps, service projects, small groups, and even weightlifting classes.

Josh is a 1998 graduate of Otterbein College. He enjoys reading, music, sports, fitness, outdoor activities, and volunteer work. Josh's wife Kara is an R.N. They have three children: Lydia, 6; Isaac, 3; and Micah, 1. Josh and his family presently live in Perrysburg.

You can reach Josh at 419-877-5232 or email at joshfunk@hopeunitedmethodist.com

Dear Friends,

Thanks to your generosity in the 2 weeks that we established the mission fund for the UMCOR Haiti Relief we have collected a little over $4,000.00 to help that country recover from its devastation.

Thank you, Hope Family! You truly are a giving people. If you haven't yet donated to this very worthy cause, there is still time. Just mark your envelope "Haiti Relief" and we'll take care of the rest.

God bless you all.

Namaste'

Joyce

Family Ministries Events

Family Game Night

Join the Family Ministries Team on Saturday February 6 from 5:30-8:00 for a potluck and family game night. Bring a dish to share, (Last Name begins with A- H, main dish, I- O, side dish, P-Z dessert) and your favorite board game.

Easter Extravaganza March 20, Games, Activities, Entertainment.

Family Day at the Museum

Friendly Center Nancy Brown, Virginia Mercer, Jean Vaughan, and Melinda Grant are in need of assistance at the February 9^th Friendly Center meeting. We have been asked to do the sale table on that date rather than in March. We are in need of books, jewelry, white elephant items, etc., and baked goods. The baked goods include cookies, brownies, cakes, and pies to sell at the meeting for dessert. We will place these items on individual paper plates to sell. If anyone can help on that day it would be greatly appreciated. Please let Jean or Melinda know by February 7^th. A reservation must be turned in for the main meal. Also we need these items to be at the church by Monday February 8^th by 7PM. There will be a box in the fellowship hall for this purpose. Thanks you very much.

United Methodist Women

umw

We invite all persons (regardless of gender) to our next meeting which will be on February 15 beginning at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. Our speaker that evening will be Lupina Villalpando-Stewart, who is the West Ohio UMC Hispanic/Latino Coordinator. By all reports she is a dynamic, interesting speaker. She has an impressing educational background earning a M.A. in World Missions and Evangelism and a M.A. in Counseling at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. She was appointed by her Bishop in Mexico to be the personthat the WOC requested as a missionary (did you know that we have missionaries working among us!!) in this area of Ohio. Her job consists, in part, in creating new Hispanic ministries, coordinating the present Latino ministries and raising awareness of the need for multicultural ministries.

In December, 2002, she married Abel Stewart, one of her classmates at Asbury, who is involved in music and mission ministry. He is currently working on his doctorate (Ethnomusicology) at OSU. They have two children, a son and a daughter.

We invite all persons to join us in what will be an interesting and informative program.

Wednesday Evening Worship
(WEW)

Join in the spirit every third Wednesday (February 17 is the next one) of the month as we eat together and then worship through music and prayer. Potluck starts at 6 pm. Please bring a main dish and a side or desert to share. Worship starts at 7 pm with Unchained leading the evening's service.

The WEW monthly events are a great way to get to know the people who you attend church with each Sunday - we have more time to talk over dinner, share what is going on in our lives and then worship in a casual atmosphere. Come and be a part of the community at Hope!

Youth Ministries Soup and Salad Luncheon Fund Raiser

Coming up at the end of February, there is an opportunity for anyone who would love to help support our youth in a special way. The Youth Ministries Team and their friends are hosting a luncheon after the 2^nd service on February 21^st that will not only include a wonderful Hope lunch, but also the opportunity to take part in a silent auction and hopefully hear some of our youth who like to perform for an audience. The proceeds from this afternoon event will be directed toward spring and summer activities such as 30 hour famine and migrant center work day, Junior high and Middle School camp and the youth mission trip.

What are some of the ways that you can be involved?

· Come eat lunch and make a free will donation

· Hang out and listen to our kids show off their talents and encourage them in the use of their gifts

· Donate some items (i.e. a gift basket, a week at your vacation home, a baked good per month, etc) for the silent auction

· Bid in the silent auction!

· Help cook or serve that day along side our youth

· Help set up or take down along side our youth

If you have a donation item or would like to help in the kitchen or set up crew, please contact Bill Bales at 419-460-4781 or by email at bill@aboutgolf.com

Thank you Hope Church for your continued support of your youth! We look forward to seeing on 2/21/10.

Discipleship Opportunities - Winter/Spring 2010

Mondays - Brown Bag Bible Studies for Gals at 12:30.

Bring a sack lunch and study through the Gospel

of Luke with us this winter. Class began January 18^th.

Wednesdays -

Senior Studies - 4:00 pm - Small group learning

for those "more mature" folks at Hope.

Call Jon Fournier at 419-822-5384 for more

information.

Wednesday Evening Bible study at 7pm.

Feb 3 Philippians 3 (2 Corinthians 4:7-18)

Feb 10 Philippians 4 (Matthew 6:25-31)

Feb 17 Ash Wednesday: 6pm dinner, 
7pm worship service

Feb 24 "24 hours that Changed the World" 
by Adam Hamilton - The last supper

Mar 3 "24 hours that Changed the World" - 
The Garden of Gethsemane

Mar 10 "24 hours that Changed the World" - 
Condemned by the righteous

Mar 17 "24 hours that Changed the World" - 
Jesus, Barabbas & Pilate & WEW (watch for 
more info on this evening)

Mar 24 "24 hours that Changed the World" - 
The torture & humiliation of the King

Mar 31 "24 hours that Changed the World" - 
The crucifixion

April 1 - Maundy Thursday 7 pm service with
communion

April 2 - Good Friday 7 pm service

April 4 - Easter Sunday (Sun rise, 9 and 11 
services)

April 7 "24 hours that Changed the World" - 
Christ the victor (final Lenten class)

April 14 (free night)

April 21 - WEW, 6pm dinner and 7pm worship

Beyond this date... 4 weeks of "Just walk

across the room" by Bill Hybels

Saturdays- Date Night Club - Small group Bible study

and discussion for couples. Call Patty or

Jess Bringolf for more information at 419-878-2202.

Sundays - Single Parenting - Small group Bible study

and discussion for those parenting as singles.

Call Amanda Myers at 419-270-0329 for more

information.

Newsletter Report-Mission Team

The mission team continues to support the West Ohio Conference Mexican Partnership with the Oriental Methodist Conference in Mexico. Again this includes the following areas: Casa de Misericordia Orphanage, Templo Alluya Methodist Church, The Nuevo Progreso Clinic and Hosting a delegation from Mexico to Ohio. These areas are West Ohio Advanced Special offerings.

The mission team also wishes to thank everyone for their contributions of health kits to Haiti. The final delivery date to our district office was on Thursday, January 28, 2010. I will let you know how many kits were taken to the office at a later date. Also the cash donations were just amazing. Thank you all!

Clothing Closet 2009

Once more the Clothing Closet sponsored by the United Methodist Women, has had a fantastic year! It just keeps growing and growing and growing thanks to all the wonderful people who give so generously of their time and efforts. This project could not be at all possible without their unselfish work. And, of course, we owe a big "THANK YOU" to all who donate gently used, clean clothing!

In the year 2000, the total income was $13,170.00, which is amazing enough, and last year the income was $18,571.00! All profits from this go to mission projects, locally, nationally, and global. We also give to various special needs such as the recent Haiti disaster. A list of the missions supported last year is posted on the bulletin board in the back hallway opposite the Clothing Closet door. It would be worth a moment of time to check that out.

I'm Carol Roach, a member of the Historical Committee here at Hope. In May of 1996 the Fern Barker Christian Life Center was completed and dedicated. In a letter dated July 23^rd, 1997, Pastor Tom thanked our former pastor Charlie Whitman for the $92.50 given by him to our church on the occasion of his 92nd and a half birthday. Tom passed along the information to him that it had been a busy year since the opening of the Christian Life Center. Thirty-six thousand people from over 75 groups ranging in age from youth to senior citizens had used the new facility. So who is Fern Barker and why is her name attached to such a wonderful facility?

For those of us who have attended Hope for years, we remember Fern as a faithful member. Fern, whose first name was Emma, was born to Emmet and Mary Barker in Waterville Township, Lucas County in 1900. She had one sister, Shirley. Fern graduated from Whitehouse High School. She attended Whitehouse Methodist Church from an early age and was an officer in the youth group. This began many years of service to the church as treasurer and member and secretary of many committees.

Fern worked 35 years for Chuck Witte at A.W. Insurance. Word has it, they made quite a team.I remember Fern as one of my Sunday School teachers and one of the single ladies or ladies whose husbands didn't come to Church, who sat in the same pew each week. In asking people of their memories of Fern, she was described as quiet but forthright, knowledgeable,a person who loved cats and had many and she gave great Halloween Treats. She lived by herself in a house near the nursing home.

Fern passed away in March of 1986. Fern's Last Will and Testament reflected her life long commitment to our Church. After expenses Fern bequeathed one half of the remainder of her estate to the Church building fund and the other half for projects over and above the Church budget. One project on the horizon was the Christian Life Center. Fern's generous gift to the Church gave a significant boost to the building fund. Because of her years of faithful service to this Church and her generosity, she was honored with her name as a part of the facility.

I had searched a long time for a picture of Fern. Recently I was goingthrough records inherited from the office move and I found in a file this folded piece of paper. It says: We need to not let this picture get lost. Inside was a picture of Fern. After seeing the picture, Chuck Witte volunteered to have it enlarged and framed. The picture is now hanging in the side entry with a plaque beneath it reading In Memory of Fern Barker, Faithful Member and Benefactor. We are thankful for Fern and the example she has given us. Please, stop by and see Fern.

Connie Limes
Hope United Methodist Church

HopeChurch@hopeunitedmethodist.com

419.877.8622