parties, get togethers, eating, friendship, lesson variety, discussion, Bible Study, 10:40, music, helping worthy and noble causes, our wise and talented teachers

  1. Mr. President, 
    1. I wonder if it would be appropriate for me as one of the candidates to have a couple of minutes to share  some ideas  before you vote.
    2. Thanks
  2. I know you all have heard of KISS 
    1. of the sweet little wife who wrote it on a napkin and gave to her husband just before he stood to give an after dinner speech 
    2. What does it stand for? …. Good advice anytime, especially today when I know Sydnor has a top flight lesson for us
    3. except I use KISS to mean KEEP IT THE SAME STUPID.
  3. Each of you have been asked to provide feedback during the year in various ways 
    1. and the main one being with the green sheets recently, 
    2. also telephone calls, 
    3. and individual conversations as you expressed your opinions. 
  4. What I have learned is that there are a lot of things we do that we do not want to change
    1. First it goes without saying that our Sunday School is based on the basic beliefs of MPUMC

                                                               i.      On its Mission – To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ

                                                              ii.      Its Vision - God calls us through the Holy Spirit 

1.        to bring persons into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ, 

2.        weave all together in love, 

3.        motivate all to faith maturity, 

4.        and mobilize all for Service ministry in a needful world 

                                                            iii.      behind our activities are the Core Values of MPUMC of 

1.        Hospitality, 

2.        Caring Community, 

3.        Spiritual Gifts, 

4.        Discipleship, 

5.        and Servant Ministry. So these principles are no brainers and of course we do not want to change that.

    1. We like the chance to get together in friendship – before classes or at other events
    2. we like to eat and have fellowship and we thank you Sydnor and Harriette for this wonderful event and sharing your home with us today – again.

                                                               i.      we like to have parties, 

                                                              ii.      and we thank the Maxwell's this year for the party we almost had 

                                                            iii.      and the Chasons last year 

                                                            iv.      and the Copland’s earlier 

                                                             v.      and many others in the past 

    1. we like our Sunday School lessons 

                                                               i.      to end by 10:40,- some things never change

                                                              ii.      with variety of spiritual, religious , and Christian themes

                                                            iii.      we like bible study and using the International series at times

                                                            iv.      we like our wise and talented teachers and appreciate their contributions – time and preparation and otherwise 

                                                             v.      we like a spiritual message, 

                                                            vi.      we like having a chance during the lessons to express our opinion or to just keep quite and listen if we want

                                                          vii.      We want discussion lessons usually but we are open to other approaches, 

                                                         viii.      we like the job the William Webb web has done as our curriculum chair and we thank him for that contribution the last few years. I am happy to learn he is interested in doing it another year.

    1. Music - We love the special and spontaneous early morning Piano recitals by Harriette just before class and we like our singing – most of the time – led by Harriette, Harold, and Bob Lumadue and Martha and Martha and Maria and Anne and others who play.
    2. We like staying in touch with others through thick and thin – thanks to the Telephone Committee headed by Connie and the Food Committee with Anne Copeland and Ginny Soule and others
    3. We like to help worthy and noble causes as with the Defib this year, Arosa house in the past
    4. And are serious at times but we enjoy laughing.
    5. So those of some of the things we want to keep the same. KISS
  1. But if a KISS is good, KISSES are better
    1. what KISSES represent is KEEP IT THE SAME EXCEPT SOMETIME

                                                               i.      The EXCEPT SOMETIME is not too often but based on feedback from some of you there are some suggestions 

                                                              ii.      such as we need some type of on going project – we once had the Arosa House and of course we help with many other projects. Just this week one of you called to ask if we in class support any special charity as he wanted to give something to support the class project if there were one. We can talk about this later and that would fit in with a suggestion that we all know a routine on spending our money 

                                                            iii.      Some of you say we need more organization in the class. Some say we need none or little and that is pretty wide viewpoints. I for one would like to have had in writing what I was supposed to have been doing when I was Secretary , Treasurer, and Vp. At one time I do understand the VP’s main duty was to be sure we had water for our coffee and later I learned, no, that was the responsibility of the greeters, which we once had. So something I would hope we could do is find or write down some of the things we as officers and committees do – to help us do it better.

                                                            iv.      Some folks like the idea of Greeters; some like idea of name tags, some say it sticks a hole in my dress. We will think about that.

                                                             v.      Some say we do not need to worry if members do not come, or are missing. Some feel we need to encourage them back. Our numbers are reducing much like the Survival of the Fit and we might want to look at ideas for building membership.

                                                            vi.      Some say we need to increase the pay of the teachers and that will be forwarded to a dormant committee.

  1. So based on these ideas, I want you to know that I will serve, with your help, to the best of my ability. 

 



  1. Another idea mentioned is an Ownbey Project. We support many worthy causes but even with a project I would hope we would not stop the individual efforts. At one time we gave large sums of money to the Arosa House until it was merged into some other agency.

 

  1. And this brings me to an exciting point of the morning. I received a call yesterday for someone who asked to remain anonymous
    1. The anonymous person said they would like to give the Ownbey Class a gift of money in the amount of $1,500
    2. They hope the gift could be used as a matching type gift in that the  end of the year is approaching others might want to do so also.
    3. There is no restriction, however, on how the money will be used, although it was discussed in line with an Ownbey project.
    4. I imagine as we look at some organizational matters that we develop a process for making these decisions – based on feedback of course from members.
    5. This is a wonderful gift in the true spirit of the Season intended to encourage others of us also to make such a gift. I plan to participate and I hope you will also.
    6. It took a bunch of faith to make such a gift with no restrictions and under the circumstances and I know we will make a wise decision in the use of the gift and any others.

 

  1. The last remark made by our anonymous giver was that they were giving the Lord’s money as it came from his goodness.