To help show God’s BIG love, PUMC sends out a mailing each week to those of our congregation who are homebound and unable to join us in person for worship. Each mailing includes a copy of the worship folder from that week and a copy of HomeTouch® – a devotional and activity page signed by Pastor Charlie. Thanks to Rosemary Lamble for her dedication to preparing these mailings each week. Please notify the church office if you know of someone who would appreciate receiving these mailings from the church each week. Thank you!

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

The homeless ministry at Plainfield United Methodist Church began in 2007. The ministry has a rich history of volunteers working to feed and clothe the homeless. Phil Heffelman is one of the volunteers who has served almost since its inception. Phil, Master Chef, as named by the other volunteers, has unselfishly worked in the kitchen preparing meals for the homeless in Indianapolis and the hungry and homeless in Plainfield. Phil hung up his laddle in early May. He helped prepare over 50,000 meals during his tenure of almost 14 years. We wish him well in his “retirement.”

You are invited to help us celebrate Phil’s dedication to this ministry and applaud the unselfish service that he has demonstrated in serving the less fortunate. We hope you will join us on May 15 from 11:30am to 1:00pm in Clayton Hall for cake and ice cream.

This week, we highlight the Basic Ministry Budget.

The operating budget for Plainfield United Methodist Church is more than line items on a spreadsheet. It’s a story of love in action. PUMC uses gifts to the budget to show God’s BIG Love and help others grow in faith.

Out of every dollar you generously give to support the Basic Ministry Budget, 11 cents of it supports Children and Youth.

Children & Youth: $105,840

At PUMC, we want every child to know they are loved by Jesus. It’s so important that “serving the children of Plainfield” is our one big thing — where we want to serve the community with such impact that the love of God in Jesus Christ is revealed and noticed. We aim to show God’s love through programs for children of all ages, ranging from birth to kindergarten all the way through high school. Examples include preschool programming, before-and-after-school child care, an interactive Sunday School curriculum, seasonal events like Easter Eggstravaganza and Trunk or Treat, and a vibrant youth ministry engaged in mission throughout the United States and beyond.

Total 2022 Basic Ministry Budget: $959,782

For more information about the PUMC Basic Ministry Budget and the Narrative Budget, see the January or February Circuit Rider or check out pumc.link/2022-Narrative-Budget.

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree
a long time ago.

Warren Buffet

Are you aware some of the trees on the PUMC property were “planted a long time ago” as a memorial to someone special? The flagpole by the Office Door was a gift to the Church by a long-time member, and most recently, a bench has been given to PUMC in memory of another long-time member. These are examples of meaningful legacy gifts families felt would benefit those attending PUMC now and in the future.

May is Endowment Awareness month. You may not have been aware of the gifts mentioned above. Still, hopefully, you are aware of the Endowment program at PUMC. Rather than a gift that can be seen as a tree or bench, gifts to the Endowment program are monetary assets. They are invested, and the principal can never be used. Income generated from the principal can be used to support the ministries of PUMC.

Legacy gifts are meaningful to the families that give them, whether the gift is something tangible or monetary in value. As Warren Buffett said so well in the quote above, people in the future can enjoy the blessings given today. Would you consider “planting a tree” so that someone can “enjoy the shade” tomorrow?

Please direct your questions concerning the Endowment program to Ray Shannon (317.989.4848) and/or Zoe Wiltrout (317.839.3309).

Kinderbells is a musical opportunity for younger children. If your children or grandchildren are age 3 and over, they are eligible to participate in Kinderbells!
Kinderbells are bright-colored bells, each representing a note of music.
When the children see the color of the bell, they ring. It is that simple!
Mark your calendars:

• April 27, 6:30 p.m. rehearsal in the Sanctuary of PUMC
• May 4, 6:30 p.m. rehearsal in the Sanctuary of PUMC
• May 8, 10:00 a.m. presentation (Mother’s Day) in both Classic Worship and NewDay Praise

Join us on Saturday, April 30, between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Clayton Hall (Door 14) for an excellent lunch and fellowship. If you know someone who might need a meal or would like to volunteer, visit ‘Next Steps’ at pumc.org.

Family Promise will have an overnight shelter for families experiencing homelessness very soon! With the support of the RJS Foundation, Family Promise purchased a 5,000 sq/ft home with 7 bedrooms, where the families can recover from the trauma of homelessness and begin to rebuild their lives. Our volunteers will be able to provide meals, activities, and conversations again.
Family Promise has already helped 27 families secure stable housing in 2022! This will be another great resource to help more families find stability.

Thanks to a very generous donation, we are able to remodel the sanctuary. The remodel, which we hope will be started and completed by late summer, will involve carpeting the entire sanctuary floor, retreading of the steps to the platform and replacing the current pews with padded chairs.

Efforts are being made to make sure the pews that are leaving the sanctuary go to good use. First, the pews are being made available to the people of PUMC for any home project that you may have in mind. Second, any remaining pews will be offered to a church or organization in need. Inquiries are in progress to find churches or organizations that could use pews.
For the people of PUMC to request a pew:

• Requests can be made by completing a paper form and leaving it at the church office or by completing the form online at pumc.org/pews.
• Request forms will be available starting Sunday, April 24.
• Request forms will be available in the North and South Lobbies and in the church office.

After your request form is submitted:

• After May 22 all request forms will be reviewed.
• By May 27 notifications will be made if and how many pews you will receive.
• Pews will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis from the day the request form is submitted.

Exciting news! Disciple Fast Track will cover New Testament in eight short weeks. The class will meet at 6:00 p.m. on Monday evenings starting in May and continuing through June.

The New Testament study will be a great way to start the summer and help everyone become better disciples of Jesus Christ. Picture yourself joining a small group, learning about the Bible with other followers of Jesus, and starting the summer with purpose and intent. The table is set. Sign up for New Testament Disciple Bible Study at pumc.org/disciple-bible-study

The Meaning of Holy or Maundy Thursday

Christians commemorate Jesus’ Last Supper when he broke bread and gave the cup to his disciples, initiating the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. John’s Gospel tells of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and giving a new commandment. Maundy Thursday worship traditionally includes Holy Communion and sometimes foot washing as well.

The word Maundy comes from the Latin, mandatum, which means commandment. At the Last Supper Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)

Based on The Special Days and Seasons of the Christian Year, Abingdon Press