Letting All the Lights Shine

Welcome to another week! Happy Easter to all of you. I hope you worshipped in a spirit-filled church on Resurrection Sunday.

Did you enjoy the wonderful weather? Whoo-hoo! 70 degrees in April!

Fallowfield United Methodist Women (UMW) reported that they sold $5,000 worth of chicken pies, and distributed the money to missions. The UMW and helpers (there were lots of helpers, both men and women) made a total of 561 pies.

Can you imagine what it would be like to have a baby in Haiti right now? Fallowfield United Methodist Women are collecting relief buckets through United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). You can donate items at the back of the church. Donate cloth diapers, diaper pins, receiving blankets, Onesies, shirts, nightgowns, sleepers, wash cloths, baby sweaters that open in the front, hand towels and combs, toothbrushes, and Band-Aids.

Kennard United Methodist Church is having a fundraiser at Pizza Hut in Greenville on Monday, April 12, starting at 5 p.m. Please come out and support Fallowfield United Methodist’s sister church.

On May 1, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Fallowfield United Methodist Church will host a second Building Supportive Communities seminar. The first was last October.

This seminar focuses on Hidden Disabilities: The Three As (Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety). Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and pre-registration is recommended by April 26th.

You can pre-register by calling Stacy Gerber at 814-382-6285, or by visiting Fallowfield United Methodist’s website

A continental breakfast and sack lunch are provided. There will be no child care offered. Conferees will get an overview of these three disabilities and then have a chance to ask questions and get answers.

Breakout sessions follow. Attendees can choose from either "Setting up your Sunday School Classroom for ALL of God's Children" or "All in the Family - Learning the Unique Challenges That Parents of Kids with Disabilities Face, and the Barriers that Prevent Them from Regularly Attending Church."

The second session revolves around Sensory Issues and identifying strategies that enable parents to manage them during church activities. Conferees may also choose “R&R: Providing Respite & Restoration to Families Affected by Disabilities.”

This seminar offers the opportunity for networking with parents and professionals in the field. There will also be an information station on a variety of related topics and services offered in our area.

Continuing Education Credits are available. This seminar qualifies for 0.3 credits.

Actual training for those who work with children is also a part of this seminar. Parents and caregivers will be able to implement the ideas/suggestions they learn in the seminar in their churches the next week.

Co-coordinator Stacy Gerber said, “God has been very faithful in putting the right person in the right place at the right time in [my husband’s and my] life. I am very grateful to those who have freely shared information with us and pointed us in the right direction. I can't just accumulate this information and keep it all to myself. What good would that do?”

She adds, “I know a lot of families that would like to attend church on a regular basis, but feel they can't. I've had some training in the last year on inclusive education. A lot of what I learned crosses right over into the church and into the community. I don't think that the churches in general realize the number of families out there with special needs. They also don’t know how much they need the church, and how much the church needs them. It boils down to a lack of education and awareness.”

The primary goal with this conference is to provide special needs education and awareness to Fallowfield United Methodist Church’s congregation and community with the ultimate goal of creating an understanding, compassionate, and safe place for ALL to worship.

Gerber concludes, “On March 21 we attended The Keelings concert at Kennard UMC. This is a great group and they sing a variety of gospel songs. I would say that most of the [audience] knew the words to most of the songs, but not all. I surely did not. Then they sang, "This Little Light of Mine".

EVERYONE knew ALL of the words to that song. There are an awful lot of little lights out there that are not being given the opportunity to shine. We need your support. It is a very dark and lonely road at times. Won't you please join us on May 1st and together we can help each other shine?”

Blessings!