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


CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:

Current church operations at the building are suspended THROUGH THE MONTH OF APRIL due to the virus precautions.

Outside groups that use the building: SCOUTS, NA, and the Refuge, have cancelled their meetings during this time.

The Free Store is also suspended and not receiving donations during this time.

The Community Kitchen is continuing to serve breakfast and lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays, as long as we can safely do so.  Please see the link below to their Facebook page for updated information.


NOTE.

If you are on the Church email list, you should have received a number of church emails over the last week. If you have not been receiving emails, please check your spam or junk mail folder.  If you have not received an updated directory, or either of the emails with Pastor's Report part 1 or 2, send a message to office@maplestchurch.com.


PRAYER CIRCUITS:

There are several half-hour call-in prayer meetings that are going on most days.  If you would like to call-in to one, please call the church number and our Office Manager will be glad to schedule you.

call-in number is 224-501-3412

when it asks for an access code, press 983 206 765

or you can log in with your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop pc (with a microphone):

https://www.gotomeet.me/MapleStreet1  (it might take a couple minutes to set up the app)

Schedule of Prayer Circuits

Sun, April 5:   8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Tues, April 7: 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Wed, April 8:   7:30, 8:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Thurs, April 9:   11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Fri, April 10:   7:30, 8:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Sat, April 11:   11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Sun, April 12  EASTER:    Sunrise call-in 6:30 AM
                 Other times:   8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Tues, April 14: 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30. 
Wed, April 15:   7:30, 8:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Thurs, April 16:   11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Fri, April 17:   7:30, 8:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Sat, April 18:   11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.
Sun, April 19:    8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 7:30.




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

This is the time you spend in self-care:  Sleep, Hygiene, Diet, Exercise, Prayer, and Scripture reading (the last two can use some of the resources from Actions 9 and 10).  For each of you the order of importance will vary; sometimes the order will change each day.  For example, for Pastor Kevin, the item here that typically gets the least care is sleep, so some days he has to emphasize that above the other tasks.
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)  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.  

3)  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.

4)  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.

5)  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.

6)  Drive-by / Walk-by Waving

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.
   

7)  FOLLOW-UP to 1-6:  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

8)  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. 

9)  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.

In addition to any worship services or resources we provide we encourage you to take advantage of the efforts of our sister congregations, some of whom are just beginning to use online platforms, and some have been doing this for some time.  You are also welcome to participate in other church's drive-in worship services; however, keep in mind that for the churches who do provide them, there are safety protocols you must follow (like distance between cars, and no open windows), and most will have to limit the number who "attend."

10)  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.



CHURCH INFORMATION:

MAPLE STREET CHURCH

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

PHONE: (740) 687-6384

office@maplestchurch.com


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.

 

CHURCH FACEBOOK PAGE            PUBLIC GROUP PAGE

 

image-761959-church_corner.jpg

MINISTRIES:

 

The Free Store, Lancaster, OH

---open Wednesdays 10-11:30 a.m.

 

Maple St UMC Community Kitchen

---Free lunch, Wednesdays and Fridays 12 noon, CONTINUING THROUGH THE COVID-19 CRISIS

 

NA Groups: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday  12-1 pm 


The REFUGE Ohio:  Orientation  Thursdays 10 am 



GIVING OPTIONS:


--ONLINE BILL PAYMENT.

We encourage first to check with your bank to see if online bill payment is a service they offer- for some banks, it is free!  That means not only do 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 PayPal, or your bank account or credit card by clicking on the link below: