Welcome in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the MAPLE STREET CHURCH page.


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WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE CHURCH...


WORSHIP SERVICES

are Sunday Mornings at 10:15.  Most Persons in attendance have been vaccinated.  If you wish, you are welcome to wear a mask and keep a distance for your own safety.  You can connect online through the Facebook link above on the right column, or later as the service is added to the links on the right.


Most SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES have resumed at 9:00 AM Sundays; for other classes, contact the church office for schedule and details. 


The FREE STORE is open to shop on Wednesdays & Fridays from  10-11:30 am.  Donations are also accepted on those days.  We are currently only taking 6 bags per person.  We are only accepting CLOTHING, SHOES, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, and PERSONAL CARE ITEMS.  We can suggest other locations if you have other items to donate.  


The SCOUTS (Boy Scout Troop 106 & Cub Scout Pack 106) are meeting on Tuesday evenings, sometimes at the church, and sometimes elsewhere. Contact the office for more information. 

  

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS meets Monday through Saturday at Noon.  Enter at the Maple Street Office Door.  There are also evening meetings at the Center of Hope, 1663 E. Main St.,

(740) 689-8077, 7 days a week from 6-8 pm.  For emergencies, call the Central Ohio Hope line at (614) 252-1700.


The COMMUNITY KITCHEN is open to all on Wednesdays and Fridays.  A light breakfast at 9 am and lunch is served at 12 noon.  Please see the link below to their Facebook page for updated information.


The REFUGE now has daily Orientations at the Bridge, 115 W 5th Avenue.  Call (614) 991-0131 for more information.


NOTE.

If you would like to receive email notices from the church, please send a message to office@maplestchurch.com.


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CHURCH MEETINGS:

Almost all church committee meetings are either in-person or online.  This is the Login information for most meetings:​​​​​​​


By computer, tablet or smartphone:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4372823598


or call in by phone

312-626-6799

enter meeting id: 437 282 3598


(it might take a few minutes to set up the app)


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LATEST ADDITIONS:
Worship Video for MAY 22, 2022: (Acts 16:6-15)
Worship Video for MAY 15, 2022: (Luke 18:35-19:10)
Worship Video for MAY 8, 2022: (Acts 9:22-31)
Worship Video for MAY 1, 2022: (Acts 9:1-22)
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WHY WORSHIP SERVICES ARE OVERRATED;
VIDEOS ON HEBREWS 10:25 (7 parts)
PART 1           PART 2           PART 3              PART 4
PART 5           PART 6           PART 7
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as told in the Hebrew Bible
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Though we claim that every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection, many of us have a limited arsenal of Easter carols.  So here is a list, hurriedly compiled Easter morning.  The "contemporary" (I put it in quotes because some of these are almost as old as me) versions I have pulled one of many youtube versions so you can click the link if you aren't sure you know it.  And I would love to hear some that have inspired you:

from the Hymnals

UMH 364   Because He Lives
UMH 302   Christ the Lord is Risen Today
UMH 327   Crown Him with Many Crowns
UMH 177   He is Lord
UMH 310   He Lives
UMH 314   In the Garden
TFWS 2088    Lord, I Lift Your Name on High
UMH 303   The Day of Resurrection
UMH 322   Up from the Grave He Arose

and hymns with an Easter verse:
UMH 288    Were You There
​​​​​​​UMH 261    Lord of the Dance
UMH 190    Who is He in Yonder Stall
(TFWS=The Faith We Sing, UMH=United Methodist Hymnal)

Another hymn recommended by readers is 
"I Know that My Redeemer Lives."  A version of this was included in the old Methodist hymnal, to the tune of UMH 318.  This is not included in the recent hymnals, but several versions with the original words can be found here, here, and here, and there are many others with different lyrics altogether.

from contemporary artists

Gone     Jessy Dixon
Hallelujah, He's Risen     Primitive Quartet
He's Alive     Don Francisco
I Will Rise     Chris Tomlin
In Christ Alone     Keith & Kristyn Getty
I've Just Seen Jesus     Sandi Patty & Larnelle Harris
Jesus is Alive     Ron Kenoly
My Redeemer Lives     Reuben Morgan, Hillsong
Rise Again     Dallas Holm
Victor's Crown     Hillsong
We Shall See Jesus     Cathedral Quartet



DAILY GUIDE for Living and Ministry THESE DAYS (a Prioritized List)
or "How YOU can do vital Christian ministry even if you are home alone"

PERSONAL PRIVATE CARE- do all of these daily

  1. Sleep

  2. Diet 

  3. Exercise

  4. Hygiene

  5. Prayer

  6. Scripture Reading

  7. Stress Relief

PRIMARY MINISTRY TASKS

1)  Phone Calls

This is the primary ministry for all of us who are in quarantine or semi-quarantine.  We recommend at least 2 calls (more, if you are able) to family and friends per day, and at least 2 calls to persons outside your normal circles.  These other calls would include: friends of friends, persons from the Church directory, work associates, and neighbors.  Don't forget to leave voicemails; a message as simple as
"I called because I was thinking about you and I care" can brighten anyone's day. 

2)  Outdoor Meeting/ Walking together

This has moved up to #2 on our list because it is so vitally important to meet person-to-person and get outdoors.  Recent studies suggest that meeting outside without a mask (while at least 6 feet apart) is up 19 times safer than meeting indoors in a closed space with a mask.  At Maple Street, we are encouraging people to meet whenever possible outdoors.

3)  Group Calls

At Maple Street, we have regular call-in meetings (see the schedule above), and we encourage you to host your own (we can help you get started).  The essential elements: PRAYER, SCRIPTURE, and Personal SHARING.  These are fundamental to any Christian group meeting.

4)  Video Chat

If you have the capability, you can do videocalls.  Many people can do this and do not realize it.  Two smartphones can do this, sometimes simply by tapping on the camera during a phone call, sometimes with an added app.  Having the ability to see each other as well as hear will become more important as the situation continues.

5)  Private Notes

Your social media accounts allow for general posts to be shared to many people, but they also allow for private posts.  Also you can send emails and text messages.  Each of these is more valuable than the posts to many (those are #10 on the list) because it allows the individual, personal touch that all of us need.

6)  Letter Writing

It is easy to underestimate the power of letters in our digital age.  But at the time of this writing, the old-fashioned mail still works.  You might consider that some time from now, when we are again able to visit people in their homes, you will see on mantles and taped to walls some of the letters that people received during these tough times.  Some of those will be kept for a lifetime.

7)  Drive-by

This one might seem a little silly.  We are not advocating taking extra trips outside or in a car.  But if you are out walking or in a car, take advantage of the situation.  Go a little bit out of your way to call someone, let them know you are outside and have them come to their window and to the front door and wave to each other.  This will encourage us to remember that there are real people behind the telephone voices and computer screens.

8)  FOLLOW-UP to 1-7:  MEETING NEEDS

If you are doing any of the Primary Ministry Tasks, you will find unmet needs—needs for supplies, medical attention, or advocacy.  So you then have the task of meeting the need if you can, or passing along the requests to others who can help.  There are works of service ongoing throughout the community, including Maple Street's Community Kitchen.  If you are able, there are ways that you can volunteer, but if not, you can still provide invaluable help by passing along needs that you encounter during your personal contacts.
SECONDARY MINISTRY TASKS

9)  Offering

Yes, the offering!  Even now, giving is a vital part of our personal spiritual growth.  You are probably aware that while the church building is not being used as before, and while staff are working in different ways, there are those ongoing church expenses.  But along with these are the expenses related to our communications, as well as the wider work of the church. 

As a United Methodist congregation, a percentage of all general giving is sent out to fund ministry all over the world.  Sunday, March 22, was to be UMCOR Sunday, where we were taking a special offering toward the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which is our primary world mission and disaster response ministry.  So your giving both to the general ministry of the church and what you specify to UMCOR will help extend YOUR response to help people worldwide affected by this crisis.

Consider the options at the bottom of this page for giving to the ministry of the church even though you cannot do it in person. 

10)  Worship Service- Online or Drive-in

For those of us who are pastors and regular church attenders, an online worship service may seem like a high priority spiritual task.  However, remembering the basic three: prayer, scripture, and personal sharing, it lacks a bit on the sharing part.  So, while these services have great value, they are secondary to the personal and group contacts.  Nonetheless, they can enhance your personal prayer and Bible reading times.

Maple Street began online services on May 24, and resumed public worship on June 14.  These services have been well received, and we (the leaders) have enjoyed doing them.  However, we have tried to keep the in-house time short, and the weather has made outdoor interaction afterward difficult.  So there is still a need for interaction and sharing to be fulfilled in other ways.

11)  Social Posts (like this one)

Finally, there are the inspiring posts that we receive and pass along, as well as the general posts on webpages such as this one.  Obviously, if we thought these posts had no value, we would not have bothered.  But by placing it as #10 in the order, we remind ourselves that this communication does not replace, but adds to the primary communications above.  
Remember the basics:  PRAYER, SCRIPTURE, SHARING.  With this GOD builds His Church.


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CHURCH INFORMATION:

MAPLE STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

ADDRESS: 438 E Wheeling St, Lancaster, OH 43130-3820

PHONE: (740) 687-6384

office@maplestchurch.com

OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday   8:30 - 12:30


PASTOR: Kevin M Chambers  (614) 580-5189

pastor@maplestchurch.com


WORSHIP: Sundays 10:15 a.m.

SUNDAY SCHOOL (all ages) Sundays 9:00 a.m.

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CHURCH FACEBOOK PAGE           

PUBLIC GROUP PAGE

 

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MINISTRIES:

 

The Free Store, Lancaster, OH

—Shopping and accepting donations on Wednesdays & Fridays from 10-11:30.


Maple St UMC Community Kitchen

—Free lunch, Wednesdays & Fridays 12 noon.

 

NA Groups:
—–Meet Monday-Saturday at noon.  NA also meets at the Center of Hope, 1663 E Main St, (740) 689-8077, 7 days a week from 6-8 pm.  For emergencies, call the Central Ohio Help Line at (614) 252-1700.


The REFUGE Ohio:

—–At the Bridge, 115 W 5th Avenue daily; call (614) 991-0131. 


GIVING OPTIONS:

​​​​​​​—ONLINE BILL PAYMENT.

We encourage you to check first with your bank to see if online bill payment is a service they offer—for some banks, it is free!  That means not only will they write the check for you, but they will mail it (and cover the postage) if needed.   So you can schedule a donation to the church through your bank's website.


—AUTOMATIC DEDUCTION FROM YOUR ACCOUNT.

You can arrange to have a set amount automatically taken out of your checking or savings account on a regular basis.  Some paperwork needs to be filed for this.  To do this, send a message to offering@maplestchurch.com.


—MAILING DONATIONS.

You may also send a check through regular mail.  Always make sure to mark if it is designated for a specific purpose; otherwise, we will use it where it is most needed.


—DONATE QUICKLY ONLINE!  

You can make donations with your bank account, credit card, or PayPal by clicking on the link below: