Heifer Ark Plaque Presented to Williamsville United Methodist
Judy Toone

Williamsville United Methodist Church is helping change the world two by two! With the overwhelming generosity of members and friends, WUMC reached its goal of gifting an Animal Ark to the world through Heifer International. This generous $5,000 gift represents 15 pair of oxen, donkeys, water buffalo, cows, sheep, goats, and a variety of other animals that will change lives of families for years to come. A gift of a pair of animals not only provides families with a way to secure food, but also a source of dependable income.

On Sunday, June 20, Williamsville UMC was honored to have Sylvia Kratzke, a local Area Volunteer Co-coordinator, and Dr. Roger Ellis, a former board member and current volunteer for Heifer International, present our "Gift of an Ark" plaque. We are thankful for this opportunity to pass on our spirit of faith and charity to places in the world where generosity, kindness, and vision are needed the most.

Gift of a Goat

Every year we celebrate the hard work our Christian Education team has done by presenting them with a small token of our appreciation. This year we celebrated their efforts by donating the gift of a goat to a family in need through the Heifer International. Much like our teachers provide nourishment for our faith, this goat will provide much needed nourishment for a family. Throughout the year, please join us in considering the gift of an animal in honor or memory of your loved ones. WUMC has a donor ID number (01557350J), that you can use to make a donation to Heifer and have your donation count toward WUMC’s next ark. Feel free to ask Judy Toone for assistance in how to go about making a Heifer donation.

 

 

 

We Had a "Blast" at VBS!
Judy Toone

From August 9 – 13, we blasted off on a Galactic Christian adventure at our Vacation Bible School. Every day over 90 children joined us as we orbited to a new mission where we learned about how wonderful, incredible, amazing, magnificent, and awesome our God is! Through daily missions, our kids saw space like never before, gained a new perspective on our planet Earth, and learned easy "green" earth tips they can practice at home.

Day 1 - This cosmic combination of faith and fun began by taking us to earth for a story on creation. The children were reminded of all God created whether or not we can see it.

Day 2 - We blasted off to the moon for a story about Elijah at Mount Horeb. We also learned that God is always with us just as the moon is always next to the earth even when it can’t be seen!

Day 3 - We rocketed to the stars to learn about the woman and the well. Our space cadets were reminded that when they look into the star-filled sky, they should remember that God created and cares for each star just as God created and cares for each of us!

Day 4 - We flew to a comet where we learned about the blind beggar in Jericho. We learned that a comet is nothing more than a dirty snowball in outer space until it comes close to the sun and transforms into a brilliant glow in the sky. This reminds us how our lives are transformed as we grow into a deeper relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Day 5 - We rocketed off to a super nova and learned about Jesus appearing on the road in Emmaus. We learned that a super nova is an exploding star that gives birth to new stars just as Jesus’ life and resurrection gives new birth to all who believe in him.

Thanks to All Our VBS Volunteers!

Deepest thanks go out to our amazing group of volunteers that helped make everything run so smoothly: Sheila Ransbottom, Toni Clancy, Barbara Manhardt, Jami Knapp, Cheri Pascoe, Katelyn Pascoe, Ron Leonardi, Kathy Zarbo, and of course our storyteller, Pastor Carmen! If I forgot anyone, please let me know so we can acknowledge your help in the next Messenger. We had so many helpers (and so many children!) the it was hard to keep track of everyone!

Children's CE Photo Album

Be sure to visit the Children's CE Photo Album page of this Web site to see photos of recent events such as Vacation Bible School, Outreach Sunday, the Advent Fair, and Sundae Sunday.

   
We had a fabulous Galactic adventure at VBS from August 9-13, 2010!