1. Art and Diseño

Good
Shepherd
United
Methodist
Church
February 2015
T O CR E A TE A N D TO SE E K O U T A N D T O BE I N R E LA TI O NS HI P !
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
PAGE 2
BE THE M ESSAGE, CONT.
BETHAEL CONCERT
PAGE 3
UPDATE AND FAQ FOR PASTOR CRAIG
STUDY CONNECTION
PAGE 4
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
ORGAN CAMPAIGN
PAGE 5
ASH WEDNESDAY
SEDER MEAL
WALK WITH J ESUS
PAGE 6
YOUTH MINISTRIES
WELCOME INTERNS
PAGE 7
GS PRESCHOOL
A VIEW FROM THE PEW
PAGE 8
GS HEALTH MINISTRY
MADINA VILLAGE
SCHOOL
FEED MY SHEEP
PAGE 9
UNITED METHODIST
WOMEN
DISCOVERY GROUP
30 SOMETHING GROUP
PA WORK CAMP
PAGE 10
REPORTING ON
ALZHEIMER’S
PAGE 11
SCRIP/KROGER
REWARDS
FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY
WHO YA GONNA CALL?
SNOW REMOVAL HELP
STAFF TRANSITION
B ACK PAGE
RECIPE COLLECTION
Taking Your Faith Beyond Words
To a LIFE of ACTIO N
This year the season of Lent begins on Wednesday, February 18. In the Christian
religion, we set aside the six weeks of this season for Spiritual renewal, self-examination,
self-sacrifice and a deepening of our faith. Every year at Good Shepherd we offer “tools”
during this time to help you to deepen your faith journey and to make a difference in the
lives of others.
You are invited to participate in a ministry opportunity that includes worship, study and the
potential to change your life. This year, Pastor Craig has a set a goal for us that will begin
during Lent and carry us far into the future as we continue or begin to live out our faith.
The challenge is for every person in the congregation to read the book , Be the Message by
Pastor Kerry and Chris Shook. Although there will be an emphasis on such a theme during
worship, the true goal is for everyone to read the book.
Be the Message reminds us that Christianity was meant to be a faith of action, not a faith of
words. Yet, we often sacrifice doing something for the sake of talking about it. When we
actually act on our faith, we find our faith grows even more. You can do more than
nothing. People’s lives change when they allow their life to be the gospel to the world.
Living out the gospel in the world today is both simple and costly. Choosing to be the
gospel can change your family, church and personal relationship with God. Join us this
Lent and discover how it might transform your life.
(Continued on next page.)
Be the Message continued...
Pastor Craig: “After reading this book it became clear to me that this book is the
natural next step on bringing our Vision Statement: ‘To Create, Seek Out and to Be In
Relationship’ into fruition. This easy to read book has one clear point for us all: Our
life story regardless of its brokenness, challenges, dysfunction, pain, sorrow, sin, joy,
ease, plain or complicated CAN BECOME the gospel message when we allow it to be.
In my opinion, it validates the life story of each of us in such a simple way, that it
encourages all of us and builds our spiritual self-confidence so that we can be the
Gospel message to our friends, community, and world. My hope is that this book will
propel us forward into our respective communities to make a difference by simply
sharing our stories knowing that Christ Jesus is at the ultimate center of them all.”
You need not join any group! Just at least read the book!! There will be some discussion groups available.
You will find sign-up sheets in the main hallway and lobby where you can indicate a desire to be involved in one of
the discussion groups. Current offerings are on Sundays at 9:30 a.m., Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and two offerings on
Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. More groups are in the planning stages and if you would like to lead a group, just contact
Deb Miteff at [email protected]
Because of the uncertainty of Pastor Craig’s availability in person, he will be available daily online, by phone and
through texting for encouragement, questions, discussions and conversations. He is more than willing to welcome
persons to his home to share in face to face dialogue. A large quantity of this book is being ordered at the cost of
$18.00 per book. As always if you cannot afford the book, we will make one available to you. It can also be
ordered for your IPAD, Kindle or other electronic device on your own. Our youth will be reading and sharing about
the book as well. The hope is for each person to have read this book by Easter which is April 5. One book does not
necessarily change a life, with the exception of the Word of God, but one book can be a life changer as to how we
see ourselves and our relationship with God. We invite you to BE THE MESSAGE as you read this book anytime
between now and April.
9 0 V O I C E B E T H E L C O LL E G E C O N C E R T C H O IR
L E A D IN G W O R S H IP O N F E B R U AR Y 1 5
Good Shepherd is pleased to host the Concert Choir of
Bethel College for a sacred choral concert on Sunday,
February 15 for the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship hours.
This vibrant and versatile choir sings a program based
on the theme “Every Voice in Concert Ring.” Music
from various historical periods as well as hymn
arrangements, gospel music, spirituals and songs from
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
other countries make up this inspirational hour. The
choir is directed by Professor Robert N. Ham and is
accompanied by Marilynn Ham. Music, ministry and
joyful praise come together in this group of dedicated
young men and women. A love offering will be taken to
help cover the choir’s expenses. Please note: There
will be no 8:15 a.m. worship on February 15.
Page 2
UPDATE ON SENIOR PASTOR CRAIG
On Sunday, January 18, those who attended the 9:30 a.m. worship service had an opportunity to hear and see Pastor
Craig in person as he personally commissioned our leadership for 2015. There is much concern that Pastor Craig is
not being given both the urgency and attention by the medical community and conference that he deserves. Pastor
Craig would like to assure you that he has not been slighted, but rather has been caught up in the serendipitous
circle of insurance and its unwillingness to pay for expensive surgeries until their criteria has been met. Although
slowed down for a few weeks by not realizing that such steps were needed, at the time of this writing those steps as
well as other medical facilities and possibilities are being explored.
Common Questions:
Can Pastor Craig receive visitors? Yes. 10:00 a.m.
through 8:00 p.m. in the evening is his best time. You
are welcome to pop by but it is best to text or call so that
he may have a quality visit with you. He enjoys being
with others and does not view the visits as intrusions.
As a help, his daughter Tiffany is scheduling all of his
visits: please text her at 812-677-7247 during daytime
hours. (When she is in school, she is allowed to receive
these texts.) or call the same number after 3:00 p.m.
until 8:00 p.m. His address is 6111 Landover place.
There is a white swing on the porch.
May I text or call Pastor Craig with a concern or
prayer request? Please do. Until surgery, he is happy
to still be your pastor and has quality time to pray. He
follows our prayer chain regularly. His cell is 812-6770285
Does his condition jeopardize his future return?
Absolutely not. He has been so thankful to serve a
church that allows him this “medical leave.” With the
energy of Pastor Nick and support of other clergy,
neither the District or Conference has any concerns of
appointment change.
Should we be raising money for his surgery? No.
Pastor Craig has made it clear that this is not necessary
as long as the insurance eventually approves the
procedure. He jokingly said that his funeral may come
before the approval anyway and it is covered.
Will my concerns or calls or just desire to talk with
him be an intrusion? No. Pastor Craig is not bed
ridden. He is chair ridden. With Linda (his wife) in
charge of the youth program and his daughter at school
and in sports activities that he cannot attend on Friday
nights, your calls are welcome and you can also keep
him company on a game night.
What can we be doing for Pastor Craig now?
1. Pray. Specifically pray for the approval of his
needed spinal surgery to be approved and for his family
who are doing double duty. 2. If physical therapy
begins 3-5 times a week then rides will be needed to
take him and bring him home on many occasions. Once
that is needed, a sign up will be offered through the
church office.
After surgery, then what? There will be a recovery
period of three weeks at home and then three weeks of
physical therapy. The hope is that he will be able to
begin limited hours in the office and start preaching
again.
Options are being looked at now to allow for Pastor
Craig to preach in some limited capacity during this presurgery wait time. He cannot do three services, but
could preach one or two. It is also possible for him to
preach via video. We may adjust the worship schedule
during this short time to make that possible. Nothing
has been decided and discussion is just beginning.
Pastor Craig would also like to thank everyone for their
compassion, prayers, calls, cards and visits. If you are
feeling guilty because of something you feel you should
have done for Pastor Craig or for not doing something,
please stop. It is never too late to care and of all people,
Pastor Craig understands that the world does not stop
because of one person’s challenge.
STUDY CONNECTION IS IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS
to help with elementary children on
Wednesday afternoon from 3:30-4:00. If you are interested in this, please contact Merle Miers at 485-2618.
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
Page 3
Good Shepherd celebrates its annual Scout Sunday on
February 8, 101 years to the day after the first Scout
Sunday in the United States and 105 years to the day
that the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated in
Washington, D.C.
Perhaps more importantly, it’s also about 49 years after
a Scouting Committee was formed for the new
Methodist church under construction at the southwest
corner of Vance and Reed in Fort Wayne — one of the
early orders of business for the fledgling congregation.
Plans for a Scouting program were first discussed at a
Good Shepherd board meeting in January 1966, a
meeting perhaps better remembered for the
announcement that the church had $23,000 in pledges
for the current year (a figure now measured in the
hundreds of thousands of dollars).
Bob Snowball, a charter member of the church, was
appointed chairman of the Scouting Committee. Boy
Scout Troop 419 at Good Shepherd is part of the
Thunderbird District of the BSA’s Anthony Wayne
Area Council. It was chartered on January 1, 1968, and
Snowball served as scoutmaster for many years.
Troop 419 has been known in the community for its
annual apple-cider and kettle-corn fundraiser at the
Johnny Appleseed Festival not far from the church.
Cub Scout Pack 3419 also has been in existence since
1968. The pack seeks “to develop resourceful,
independent, responsible and gracious young men,
fostered in an atmosphere of safety and fun.”
ORGAN CAMPAIGN
Music has been a vital component of the worship
ministry of Good Shepherd since its founding 50 years
ago and the organ remains an important part in leading
worship and inspiring hearts and minds. Our current
organ has shown its age recently by breaking down
several times – once during worship. The cost of needed
repairs so far has been several thousand dollars and it
can be assumed the frequency of repair and costs will
only increase with time. The Church Council with
Pastor Craig’s encouragement has affirmed that now is
the time to replace our organ and has made its purchase
a goal of our 50th anniversary celebration. The search
for a different instrument is beginning immediately.
The Finance Committee has set up an account to receive
funds designated for the purchase of the replacement
organ and a group of donors have given “seed money”
to help start the project. The current total exceeds
$10,000! It’s now time to ask everyone who worships at
Good Shepherd to consider participating in this
campaign by giving whatever they can. Just as we all
share in the joy of singing of our faith accompanied by
the organ, each of us can participate in providing a
wonderful new instrument.
As the process of “shopping” begins, there is a sense of
urgency that the money will most likely need to be in
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
hand before a purchase can be made. Your contribution
will help us move quickly toward our goal of $50,000 –
the estimated cost of an appropriate instrument. Gifts
can be made at any time by placing them in the offering
plate or by mailing them to the attention of Kent Curry,
Finance Administrator at the church. Please mark your
gift “Organ Replacement Fund” or “Account # 30630.”
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to
contact:
Jane Scott
[email protected]
348-4489
Dennis Campbell [email protected]
483-8816 or 432-5162
Shirley Platte
[email protected]
456-6373
Kent Curry
[email protected]
483-8816
We are excited about the future ministry of the church
and look forward to what God has planned for Good
Shepherd in the next 50 years. Thank you for your
consideration of this important project.
Page 4
The period of 40 days before Easter is called Lent and it begins on Ash
Wednesday. This year the special Ash Wednesday worship is on February
18 at 6:30 p.m. following the Family Night meal. Together, adults and
children will have the option of receiving communion and the sign of the
cross in ashes.
THE SEDER
is a Jewish celebration of an important time when God
saved the Jewish People. We as Christians remember this time each Maundy
Thursday and really every time we celebrate Holy Communion. The Jewish
Seder meal was Jesus’s last meal with His disciples. The Passover meal is a
time of remembering! It is a beautiful celebration of Remembering what
God has done for us. We as Christians don’t usually have a clear
understanding of how important the Passover Meal was, unless we are
intentional about learning. The 30 Something group is going to do just that;
they are hosting an All Church Family Seder Meal on March 21 at 6:30 p.m.
Everyone is welcome, young and old alike. It will be intergenerational, it will
be experiential, it will be special and it will be a time for us to remember what God has done. We invite you to join
us in this celebration. There is a sign up sheet in the main hallway and there will be a donation box for those that
feel they should contribute toward the cost of the food.
Sunday School has something new and different to offer on March 8!
A LENTEN WALK WITH JESUS! WALK
WITH
JESUS is an
intergeneration Sunday School Event for Lent. Families are invited to come to
church as early as 8:30 a.m., have breakfast together be guided through the walk in
small groups by biblical characters. You can expect that the walk will take
approximately one hour after your group is called. Breakfast is our usual Sonrise
Café or better yet, support the youth Pancake Breakfast fundraiser for the 30 hour
famine.
The Walk with Jesus has been prepared for you by our 4th and 5th graders as well as
our youth. A sign up for the walk is available in the main hallway for those families
that would like to sign up to participate as families. Children who are attending
Sunday School without a parent will be guided through the experience with their
Sunday School teachers.
The Walk with Jesus will involve quite a bit of set up and decorations. If you are looking to get rid of any solid
or striped blankets or table cloths or throw rugs, pottery or artificial trees, bushes or plants, or t-lights, we would
be happy to accept them as donations. Also looking for 8 cinder blocks and large (4X8) pieces of styrofoam and a
(4X8) piece of plywood. Lastly, looking for contact or wallpaper that looks like brick or stone walls.
All donations can be dropped off at the Education office in the main hallway.
STAFF Newsletter February2015
Page 5
Like us on Facebook @ Fort Wayne Good
Shepherd UMC Youth
Follow on Twitter @ gsyouthnews
Instagram—GSUMC_Youth
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY LUNCH
Sunday, February 1, the Youth will be sponsoring their traditional Super Bowl lunch of soup
and subs. You can get your food to go and save it for the big game that night or if you are
hungry, you can just eat at the church! There will be turkey and/or ham subs and chili and
potato soup. Please stop by the kitchen that day and grab some football food! All money
raised will go toward the continuing youth room renovation fund as we need to put new
flooring in our middle school/game room area. Thank you!
YOUTH ROOM MAKEOVER UPDATE
The new year started out with a chance for the youth to bring a new look to their area in the church. We removed
the old and stained carpet out of 143/145 rooms and got all rooms and the hallway painted for a new look. Our
next steps include putting new flooring in where the carpet was ripped out. We hope to lay a laminate flooring very
similar to the new flooring put in room 147. Since we have to do this in two rooms we need additional funds and
our February 1 event will help out that cause. We will also begin to put up some new decorations on our freshly
painted walls. We have added a chalkboard wall in the Sr. High room and hope to be able to get some artwork from
some of the youth to hang in the rooms and then add some bright and personal touches to the hallway. It is a big
ongoing project! Thanks to all the adults and youth that were part of our makeover weekend. It made the work go
twice as fast and a lot more fun! We would not be at the stages we are at now without the help of many hands.
WELCOME INTERNS!
Good Shepherd is fortunate to have two intern students from IPFW this semester. Janine Gymrek is a student
photographer. You will see her around our halls and in the sanctuary taking pictures of all the people and activities
at Good Shepherd. Rory Pate is a student graphic artist. She will be working on logos for various groups and
updating some of our mailings. Please welcome them when you see them around.
Greetings! My name is Janine Gymrek and I am a photography student at IPFW. I am in my
senior year and I am so excited to share my journey with all of you! I will be interning here, at
Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. I'll be capturing all the little and big moments that
should never be forgotten. I will also try my best to make sure my photos tell a story about Good
Shepherd's mission and ministry.
Thank you all so much for taking the time to read a little about me and I really hope you enjoy the
photos I take!
Hello my name is Rory Pate and I am a senior at IPFW. I am working on obtaining a BFA degree
with a concentration in Graphic Design. I appreciate and have enjoyed creating art since I was a
child. I owned a coffee drive-thru in Ohio for five years when in 2010 I decided it was time to
pursue a new career path. Being able to design a logo for a client that represents their business or
organization is very rewarding for me.
I enjoy reading, writing and painting in my spare time. I am also a fan of sports and will participate
in almost any game thrown my way. The most important people in my life are my family. I am a wife to my
husband Thomas, and also a mother to my one year old son Henry.
I am excited to be fulfilling my internship requirements at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. I will do my
utmost to meet the design challenges given to me, and will produce the best work I can. I want to thank Good
Shepherd United Methodist Church for giving me the opportunity to serve you to the best of my ability.
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
Page 6
GOOD SHEPHERD PRESCHOOL
Preschool Registration time is here for summer Kids
Klub (12 months-11 years old) and the 2015-16 school
year. We are accepting registrations for currently
enrolled families, church members and any alumni that
have children of preschool age. We have changed the
session times slightly as a result of the FWCS changes
in start times. Because we have so many families with
elementary children we needed to do something to ease
their scheduling. We also wanted to be aware of the
traffic flow coming and going from the schools that are
around us. Our new session times are 9:15-11:45 a.m.
for the morning session and 1:00-3:30 p.m. for the
afternoon session. We are also hopeful that this will
allow more families to take advantage of our afternoon
classes with the later start. If you are in need of a
registration form please stop by our connecting center
near the library or visit our webpage. Registration will
open for the general public on February 16.
Last month we hosted a
McTeacher’s night at
the Stellhorn
McDonalds to help raise
money for our
playground surface. We
raised over $300 with
that event and had tons of fun.
Many of our teachers were there to
greet families and participate in the
fun. We saw lots of familiar faces
and look forward to doing it again
in the spring.
On February 4, Ronald McDonald will be visiting our
school for a magic show in the morning and afternoon.
Anyone is welcome to attend; in fact we would love to
see you there! Show times are 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
A V IEW FROM THE PEW
My best friend from high school absolutely hates
Valentine's Day. Those of us that know her would be
surprised she has such strong negative feelings for a
holiday; she is a very positive person normally. But
don't get her started on how “ridiculous” this holiday is.
Elizabeth is a single, independent, professional woman.
She is an amazing Christian woman, and a very special
part of our family. She is a friend who doesn't tell you
what you want to hear, she tells you what you need to
hear. If it's weird and you're wrong, you will know it.
All of my children get a birthday card from Aunt
Elizabeth, she never forgets. She always wishes Mark
and I a happy anniversary. When tragedy strikes or
milestones occur, she gets the first call. We might go
months without a real conversation, but then when we
come together all time stands still.
She is a good role model for my girls. You don't need a
man to make you a better woman. She teaches them
confidence and individuality. It's okay to laugh out loud
in the movies – and boy does she ever. It's okay to paint
your nails “just because” it makes you feel pretty.
She is a good role model for my boys. A true gentleman
opens the doors for you. A real man cares about your
feelings. Girls that make good friends don't have to be
your “girl friend.” Love yourself before you love
somebody.
STAFF Newsletter February2015
Despite her outward personality, she struggles with the
“single” part of her life. Valentine's day makes her feel
unworthy, a reminder she is not living up to society’s
expectations of wife and motherhood. Even in this day
and age there is a feeling that a 30 plus single woman
has something wrong with her. It's okay for a man to be
single and 40 but a woman needs a man. Bah!
There is no documentation to my knowledge that Jesus
was married (and yes, I have seen the DaVinci Code).
Jesus taught love and respect to all, but no where in the
beatitudes have I seen “blessed are the married.” I
wonder who He would give chocolate to on Valentine's
Day?
There are many kinds of love. You can be loved in so
many ways. You can give love in so many ways. We
use Valentine's Day to celebrate love for a man and
woman, but we can celebrate any relationship that is
special and makes us “good people.”
So I won't be sending Aunt Elizabeth a Valentine's Day
card, but my kids always do. To them, it is a special day
to say “I love you.” They have learned from her that
special acts of kindness mean the most. Just like Jesus,
she lets them “come to her” at any time, in any place.
She holds her tongue about her opinion of the holiday
and tapes each card on the fridge. Everyone needs an
Aunt Elizabeth.
Page 7
GOOD SHEPHERD HEALTH MINISTRY
In “surfing the web” for ideas for health
education topics or events I sometimes
unexpectedly come across an interesting
website. Actually I just found several sites
that list literally hundreds of days, weeks, or months that
have been designated to honor or give awareness to a
cause, charity, or group. As I write this article on
January 13, I find that today is National Rubber Ducky
Day! There are pages of online information on the
history of Rubber Duckies (Talk about information
overload).
Although some of the nationally designated days are a
little silly a very important health awareness time is set
aside for the entire month of February. During
February, Americans see the heart as the symbol of love.
February is also “National Heart Month” a time to show
yourself the Love. It is a time to learn about your risks
for heart disease and stroke and stay “Heart Healthy” for
yourself and your loves ones.
During February the Health Ministry will provide Heart
Healthy information at various events and gathering
places in the church. We will be taking Blood Pressure
readings all morning in the library area on Sunday
February 1. A quick screening of your Blood Pressure
can give you hints about the health of your heart and
blood vessels.
Making Heart Healthy lifestyle changes and supporting
your friends and community towards healthy living is
truly all about LOVE… for ourselves, for our family,
and for each other. As simply stated in one of this
year’s Heart Healthy slogans we are reminded: “With a
healthy heart...the beat goes on”!
Finally, I regret to announce that the Good Shepherd
Health Fair that we had hoped to have early in 2015 will
be postponed until spring due to several scheduling
conflicts.
Be Well,
Cathy DeWitt, Faith Community Nurse
[email protected]
DEAR MADINA VILLAGE SCHOOL SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS,
While the Ebola news in the United States has faded away, the people of Sierra
Leone are still caught in the grip of Ebola and its effects, which include total
disruption of normal living in the towns and cities, and hunger that will persist
because of many rural people being unable to plant crops, especially rice. Total
confirmed cases of the disease in Sierra Leone = 7,861. Total deaths from Ebola in
Sierra Leone =2,742. The latest report is the lowest so far, only six new cases. The virus appears to be weakening
and more people are surviving it. Thank you for your prayers for Madina Village. Still no Ebola there! Praise
God! Still waiting for the go ahead to reopen schools. Meanwhile, the Madina Village School Board of Directors
determined that the next priorities in 2015 are 1.) a solution to the water problem, including a bore hole well, and
2.) a clinic for the area. There are new items on the website at www.MadinaVillageSchool.com , including new
Directors of the Board, the 2014 finance report, child and teacher sponsorship information, and ways to donate
online to the school, the clinic, or Ebola Relief. Please don’t forget about Madina. The children are still waiting,
and still need your prayers and support.
~With sincere gratitude, Bobbie and Francis Mustapha
UPDATE: Classes will resume the 2nd or 3rd week in March as restrictions are lifted. Thanks be to God!
FEED MY SHEEP ~ VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIE
Don Fiorillo has decided to step down from taking care of the feed My Sheep Program. Good Shepherd Church
would like to say a big THANK YOU to Don for his many dedicated years of collecting the food from the baskets
in the lobby and picking up ground beef to be taken to Beacon Heights food pantry. It is a most important and
much needed service in Allen County. Beacon Heights Church food pantry is very appreciative of our contribution
to them weekly. Beacon Heights is one of the few food pantries that hands out meat.
With Don’s resignation, volunteers are needed to continue this wonderful service. If you have an interest in this,
please contact Kelley in the church office at 483-8816 for more information. Thank you!
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
Page 8
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN ~ FAITH HOPE LOVE IN ACTION
ABIGAIL CIRCLE
will meet Wednesday, February
11, at 1:00 p.m. Keena Davis from Turnstone is the
speaker. She will be describing Turnstone and what its
function is, and ways we can support it.
UPCOMING EVENT - PRAYER BREAKFAST
Saturday, March 7, 9:00 a.m. in Raasch Hall.
This General Meeting is the annual Prayer and Self
Denial program with LeeAnn Sinclair as the Speaker.
All women are always welcome to any activities of United
Methodist Women.
DISCOVERY GROUP
Are you ready to laugh and get to know others? Are you ready to discover the depths of this
community and find out how you can use your time, talents and gifts to add to God’s purpose?
Are you ready to receive the support, love, and guidance that abounds within our
congregation? Then you are ready to attend Discovery Group!
We are tossing the lectures out the window and replacing them with interactive
activities! This one day event starts with a full lunch (free to you) where you will have an
opportunity to meet staff and their families. Then we will move on to deeper discovery
structured for laughter and getting to know ourselves and one another better. This Group will meet February 22
from 12:30-5:00 at Good Shepherd in Room 138. Childcare is available upon request. RSVP soon!
Whether you are interested in the fun alone or in becoming an official family member, you will learn the foundation
of this faith and what Good Shepherd stands for.
Please call Corrina Weikle at 418-9457 or email at [email protected] or sign up on the pew card.
CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S WITH THE 30 SOMETHING GROUP ON
FEBRUARY 13! We will have a romantic dinner here at the church complete with
candles, games, and childcare for the kids! Since we’re staying “in” for the night, our dinner
will start at 6:30 instead of 7:00 p.m. As always childcare will be a minimal cost. Please sign
up on the pew card! Contact Corrina Weikle at [email protected] with any
questions. See you there!
PLANNING YOUR SUMMER VACATION?
Prayerfully consider taking a week and experience the teamwork and fellowship in
Pennsylvania at Good Shepherd’s work camp, June 14-20. This is an
intergenerational team but minors must be accompanied by an adult. $150 will
cover your room and board while there with an additional charge for building
supplies. There will be fundraising and contributions accepted to help cover the cost of building supplies.
For more information, contact Bonnie Elam at 341-1687 or [email protected].
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
Page 9
REPORTING ON ALZHEIMER’S
CAUSES AND THE RISKS OF GETTING
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Scientists don’t know why Alzheimer’s disease involves
the breakdown of nerve cells. However, certain risk
factors have been identified that increase the possibility
of developing this disease.
AGEING:
The greatest risk factor is increasing age. Most
individuals with this illness are 65 and older. One in
eight people in this age group have Alzheimer’s, and
nearly half of people 85 and older have the disease.
FAMILY HISTORY:
Research has shown that those who have a parent,
brother, sister with Alzheimer’s are more likely to
develop the disease than others who do not have a firstdegree relative with Alzheimer’s. The risk increases if
more than one family member has the illness.
GENETICS:
Scientists have identified three genes that guarantee
individuals will develop Alzheimer’s, but only a very
small percentage of people with Alzheimer’s (about
1%) carry these genes. Carrying these genes does not
guarantee that individuals will develop the disease.
Experts believe the vast majority of cases of
Alzheimer’s are caused by a complex combination of
genetic and non-genetic influences.
OTHER RISK FACTORS:
There appears to be a strong link between serious head
injury and future risk of Alzheimer’s. It’s important to
protect your head by buckling your seat belt, wearing
your helmet when participating in sports, and foolproofing your home.
Some of the strongest evidence links brain health to
heart health. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s or
vascular dementia appears to be increased by many
conditions that damage the heart and blood vessels.
These include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood
pressure, and high cholesterol.
Studies of donated brain tissue provide additional
evidence for the heart-head connection. These studies
suggest that plaques and tangles are more likely to
cause Alzheimer’s symptoms if strokes or damage to
the brain’s blood vessels are also present.
ALUMINUM:
Studies show there is no evidence that exposure to
aluminum might cause Alzheimer’s.
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
Every column I have shared with you has dealt with the
“facts” of what we have learned about Alzheimer’s
disease. I’m concluding this piece by sharing the human
side of these facts by relating what one person has
written about care giving, and her thoughts about the
importance of telling the Alzheimer’s story.
On page 79 and 80 of the most recent copy of the
AARP magazine is an article written by Meryl Comer,
entitled “Alone Together,” in which she describes the
painful and long goodbye she experienced in taking care
of her husband, who had Alzheimer’s. I have copied
verbatim four paragraphs from her piece that brings us
closer to better understanding the toll Alzheimer’s takes
on caregivers, and the importance of carrying on the
fight to find a cure for this disease.
When people hear my story, they sometimes tell me they
wouldn’t keep their loved one at home. I never hold
myself up as an example to follow. No one who has been
on the front lines of care ever questions when someone
says, “I can’t do this anymore.”
But I do want to be part of the last generation of
caregivers trapped by a loved one’s diagnosis, no
disease-modifying therapies and a troublesome lack of
quality-care options. Alzheimer’s disease today affects
a reported 5.2 million people in the United States; every
67 seconds another of us falls victim. My greatest fear
is that by mid-century my family’s story will be the
norm.
Sometimes I think we would be better off if Alzheimer’s
disease were a brand new emergency instead of a
century-old threat. Perhaps people would understand
that when it comes to this disease, everyone is a
stakeholder because everyone is at risk. Those of us 50
or older must stop viewing ourselves as ageless. Denial
won’t protect us from Alzheimer’s.
Researchers must get ahead of the disease by studying
adults who do not yet show symptoms. People like you
and me. And, as exhausting as it is to take care of
someone with dementia, caregivers must gather the
strength to tell our stories and demand the funding and
research focus needed to finally generate some
treatments that work.
John Homrig
[email protected]
Page 10
SCRIP AND THE KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM
Register online at krogercommunityrewards.com
* Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy and register your card with your Good Shepherd's account
#10060 after you sign up.
* If you do not yet have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.
* Click on Sign In/Register
* If you are new online customers, you must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the 'New Customer?' box.
* Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering zip code, clicking on favorite store, entering your email
address and creating a password, agreeing to the terms and conditions
* You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email.
* Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.
* Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number.
* Update or confirm your information.
* Enter NPO number or name of organization, select organization from list and click on confirm. Good
Shepherd's # 10060
* REMEMBER, purchases will not count for Good Shepherd until after you register your card.
* Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 800-576-4377, select option 4 to get your Kroger Plus card
number.
* Members must swipe their registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to their
registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count.
* Now you can go shopping and Good Shepherd will benefit.
Kroger customers are able to print a report showing their eligible purchases. If you want your purchases to be
credited toward your camper, you must print this report by December 31 and turn it in at the SCRIP desk.
FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY
The next Friendship Friday is February 6, 11:30 a.m. The menu is Cheese Pizza,
Spinach Salad, Mandarin Oranges, Chocolate and a Cookie. The preschool kids love having
a new person to talk to, so invite your friends and sign up with Jenni McQueen in the
preschool office. The cost is $2.00 and the deadline to sign up is January 31.
WHO YA GONNA C ALL?
Seniors and caregivers, join us for a discussion about Fort Wayne agencies and resources that provide support
services for Older Adults. This open discussion will be led by Cathy DeWitt and meet following the Friendship
Friday lunch on February 6, 12:30 p.m.
HEY,
WANNA EARN EXTRA MONEY THIS WINTER OR JUST BE A
KIND SOUL? Your snow shovels are needed to help out the older members of our
congregation. If this is of interest to you, please contact Kelley in the church office at
[email protected] or 483-8816, so a list of people willing to help, can be
available when needed. Looking forward to hearing from you!
ON BEHALF OF THE PASTOR P ARISH RELATIONS COMMITTEE, I would like to share our
most recent staff transition. Administrative Assistant to the senior pastor, Cindy Ralph, resigned for personal health
reasons effectively immediately. We are thankful and indebted to her for her service and time with us since April 1,
2014. Pastor Craig has met with staff for some effective and creative staffing of our office and church needs which
will be shared in greater detail after February 1. Please know, that Kelley Hathaway, Corrina Weikle, and Bonnie
Elam have all agreed to extra hours to effectively manage our needs. One additional part-time position is being
considered at this time if needed. Pleases contact me with any questions in regard to your comments and concerns.
~Mark Summerlin, Pastor Parish Chair [email protected]
STAFF Newsletter February 2015
Page 11
G OOD SHEPHERD U NITED METHODIST CHURCH
4700 VANCE AVENUE
FORT WAYNE, IN 46815
WWW.FWGOODSHEPHERD.ORG
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U.S. POSTAGE PAID
FORT WAYNE, I NDIANA
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The next STAFF Newsletter deadline is
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