Monthly Newsletter

Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. 

                                                                                                1 Peter 3:15b, CEB

Dear friends,

One of our favorite things to do when the kids were younger was camping.  For a few days, we slowed down.  The kids played outside.  The grown-ups cooked outside, over a fire that had to be built and tended regularly.  

I think my favorite thing about camping was those fires.  Or rather, the conversations we had around the fires.  As the sun went down, there were stories to tell about the day’s adventures; laughter over misadventures.  Really, any time we found ourselves around the fire, stories were soon to follow.  Often, the stories began with “it doesn’t get much better than this!  Do you remember the year we…”  That’s all it took to settle in, laugh, and reminisce about past trips and adventures.  One story would lead to the next, and by the end of the weekend, we knew more about each other than we had when we started.  That’s how stories work.

Maybe that’s why Peter encouraged the early church to be ready with their stories of faith and hope whenever they were asked.  Sharing stories helps build relationships with each other and with Jesus.  The challenge is finding time and space to share those stories -- finding “campfire moments” in our regular everyday lives.  

This summer, I’ll be hosting a book study that can help us do that and more.  Get Their Name: Grow Your Church by Building New Relationships by Bob Farr, Doug Anderson, and Kay Kotan is not a new book, but it is an excellent book.   We will learn practical relationship-building skills and brush up on our storytelling skills as we share the stories of our faith with one another.  

This four-week study will meet on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. beginning July 16.  You might wonder, “Why are you telling us so early???”  I’m so glad you asked!  

Between now and then, I hope you will do three things:  

1. Block out those Wednesday evenings on your calendar.  

 2. Pick up a copy of the book (contact the church office if you prefer to purchase it through the church). 

 3.  Pray about who you could invite to attend with you.    

Oh, and maybe a fourth thing.  Start taking inventory of your own stories about how you have experienced Jesus in your life – you have more than you think you do, and I can’t wait to hear them!

I also can’t wait to learn and grow together!

Pastor Christi

JOIN US SUNDAYS STARTING JULY 6 FOR A NINE-WEEK JOURNEY THROUGH PAUL’S LETTERS AND HEBREWS EXPLORING HOW LOVE SHAPES, SUSTAINS, AND DEFINES THE LIFE OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. 

ABOVE AND BELOW, CONFIRMATION SUNDAY WAS MAY 11. 

ABOVE, AT LEFT, TAMMY TALKS TO THE CHILDREN WHO ATTENDED EASTER SERVICE DURING CHILDREN’S CHURCH. AT RIGHT, PASTOR CHRISTI’S GRADUATION CELEBRATION. 

ABOVE, AT LEFT, PASTOR CHRISTI HUGS VICKI JONES WHO IS RETIRING FROM THE ELC. AT RIGHT, FRIDAY NIGHT GAME NIGHT WAS A HUGE HIT!

Volunteers are needed to help, one Sunday a month, in the sound booth.  If you can follow directions, click through slides, use the internet, YOU qualify for the sound booth. Specifically, we need:  volunteers to 1. run the floor camera, 2. fill in once a month for the live stream/online presence, 3. run slides on the second Sunday of the month.  Please contact Tammy Taylor with your availability.

One opportunity to live into our mission to LOVE FIRST is First Fridays on the square. Residents turn out in a big way on the First Friday of the month.  July is our opportunity to be the church that LOVES FIRST.  What does that look like?  How can we be present in that space?  If you have ideas or would like to put a team together contact Pastor Christi or Tammy.

If you are new with us, or would just like the opportunity to get to know Pastor Christi better, join her in the cafe after service on June 15. 

Anniversaries

5^th – Ron and Susan Frickey

7^th – Jodie and Craig Asplund

9^th – Chick and Sue Harker

Mark and Jan Waterfall

16^th – JoEllen and Mike Rush

19^th – Jack and Linda Sevier

21^st – Danny and Jayne Oliver

22^nd – Robin and Teresa Wright

24^th – Jim and Kay Fleck

 Orville and Carol Grable

26^th – John and Karen Flora
 

Birthdays

2^nd – Linda Hyndman
Rick Meyer

3^rd – Jan Waterfall

4^th – Sean Murray

Carrie Gates

11^th – Sarah Buchanan

13^th – Hannah Lambert

17^th – Roxanne Thomas

Susan McClish

19^th – Erin Fudge

22^nd – Christi Murray

23^rd – Judy Boggs

24^th – Judy Moller

25^th – Nathan Lundy

29^th – Karen Coppens

Oak Pointe: 
Francis, Dee, Harrison, Natalie, Nancy, Barbara

The Oaks:  
Bette, Elaine

Byron Health Center: 
April

Peabody Retirement Community: 
Julia, Phil

Homebound: 
Betty, Barb, Ron, Ruth, Louise, Donna, Florence

Autumn Trace: 
Evelyn (resident)

Finance Report

In April, the CCUMC revenue was $28,678 and monthly expenses were $41,563. Net operating income was $-$11,260 excluding interest income/investment gain. The ELC net operating revenue was + $3211 for the month of April 2025. Church financial information was included in the TWAC newsletter in “By the Numbers” summary. The council is to review the write-up and provide feedback.

ELC

An email from Randy Poston was sent previously to provide an update on the ELC finances and staffing.

Facility Team

Carl Siler reported on the Facility task force recommendations with the council doing due diligence to further evaluate.

Pastors Report

Pastor Christi reported on outreach activities including First Fridays and monthly Oak Pointe service. 

CCUMC members will lead a church service at Oak Pointe every 4th Sunday starting in June. The hope is to have enough volunteers so that 2 or 3 teams can be formed. CCUMC has signed up for a booth at First Fridays. 

The ELC will manage the booth for the May and June first Fridays. 

The church will take over the booth in July. If interested in being the church point person, let Pastor Christi know. 

Other 

Pastor Christi will be on vacation on June 22 through June 29, 2025. 

Chris Danielson will speak at the service on June 22. The speaker for the June 29 service is TBD.

In order to put herself in the best possible position to be the best pastor, Pastor Christi will be living with her husband in Fort Wayne.

The council will discuss the frequency of Coffee with the Council meetings in the June CCUMC council meeting.

(260) 244-7671 • www.columbiacityumc.org
605 Forest Parkway Columbia City, IN 46725

Christi Murray, Pastor — christi.murray@columbiacityumc.org

Tammy Taylor, Director of Administration and Discipleship — tammy.taylor@columbiacityumc.org

Ashley Bailey, Communications Specialist — ashley.bailey@columbiacityumc.org

Gary Shanklin, Bookkeeper – Shanklin.gary@gmail.com