It’s that time of year when people start graduating from school and going on to bigger and (hopefully) better things. Here is the list of 2010 graduates from our church family. We want to extend our most heartfelt congratulations to the graduates and their families! 

HS Graduates:

• Cami Barnitz (Rolla High School)
• Lauren Blackwell (Salem HS)
• Joshua Maggard (Salem HS)
• Lacey Rice (Salem HS)

College Grads:

• Rob Soucy (Associate Degree – Columbia College)
• Tanya Soucy (Associate Degree – Southwest Baptist, Bolivar)
• Andrew Sheeley – BS from University of MO, Columbia
• Mark Walter – BS in Religion and Philosophy from Drury University in Springfield
• Natalie Perkins Tang – Masters in Education from Maryville University of St. Louis
• David Maledy – Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from University of MO, Columbia
• Matt Watson – Doctor of Medicine – University of MO, Kansas City

By The Rev. Kathy Noble*
9:30 P.M. EST April 25, 2010 | AUSTIN, Texas (UMNS)

To Wilson Pruitt, there’s no need to debate whether efforts should be made to stop suffering from malaria in Africa. “It’s a simple issue,” he says, “There’s no conflict. There is no one who is for malaria.”

Pruitt, a member of First United Methodist Church in Austin, was among nearly 2,000 people gathered on the lawn of the Texas State Capitol on April 25, World Malaria Day, for the official launch of Imagine No Malaria. The initiative is The United Methodist Church’s campaign to raise $75 million toward the elimination of deaths and suffering from malaria in Africa by 2015.

Grammy and Dove Award-winning Christian rock band Jars of Clay headlined the event that brought Austin area bands, singers and drummers together with United Methodist leaders and representatives of the United Nations Foundation and other partners to spread a common message: Malaria is preventable; malaria is treatable. One out of five children in Africa under 5 does not need to die of the disease. The gifts of United Methodists that have provided insecticide-treated bed nets and education are already making a difference.

“What I’ve learned about malaria today is that it is a very treatable disease,” Dan Haseltine, lead vocalist of Jars of Clay, said. “What makes it such an injustice is that over 1 million children die every year of malaria.”

“It blows my mind there are people dying of this disease,” Stephen Mason, Jars guitarist, said. “We can do something to stop it. That’s not true of a lot of diseases today.”

Spring is here, folks!  that means that graduation for our students is also coming! Parents, we need your help. If you have a son or daughter graduating from high school or college this year please let us know. We’d like to acknowledge their accomplishment so our whole church family can celebrate with them. If they do not live in your home, please provide their current mailing address and date that they will be graduating to Dixie Norfleet at the church. If I am not available when you call, please leave a message for me. Your help is greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for later announcements concerning our graduation celebration plans.

Summer’s the time to stay out of the gutter!

Coming soon, the Salem UMC youth are inviting junior and senior high students to joining them for not one, not two, but THREE Rock-n-bowl events! (woohoo!)

They will be at the Salem Bowling Center at 6pm on August 5th, 12th, and the 19th.

ALL ARE WELCOME and the 1st 36 kids bowl FREE! (GASP!!!)

Coming July 20th through July 24th, kids will be able to take part in an adventure of biblical proportions!

Salem United Methodist’s Vacation Bible School event will feature music, games, snacks, activities, and MORE!  This is all to give your kids a peek into a whole new world!

This event will take place in the evenings of July 20th through July 24th, from 6pm to 8:30.  It is intended for kids, 3-years to 6th grade. A light meal will be served for the kids. 

ATTENTION ALL SUMC MEMBERS: This is a great opportunity for our kids, but if you know of families that have kids needing an adventure, this is for them, too!  You can help bring them in and get involved.

Please call for more information or to register: 729-4551   (We’ll see you there!)

UPDATE: Click here to download a registration form or register online!

This coming Wednesday will have something special.  We’ll be recognizing our graduating students at the 5pm Wonderful Wednesday meal and the 6pm Wednesday Service.

Please come and celebrate their hard work and encourage their continued growth.

It’s only about 200 8th-graders!!! This last Thursday Salem UMC was taken over by a really cool cooperative event that brings together young folks from the rural schools here in Dent County that will be coming into R-80 this Fall.  It’s a neat way for these kids, who until now have not had an opportunity to get to know each other before their grades merge in-town.

Our own Wanda Tatum, school counselor, coordinated this fun event.  WOW!  Nothing like the excitement of 200 or so kids to liven up the place!

I have been praying about how to make our Youth Ministry more relevant and effective. One thing that I feel that God has revealed to me is the idea of our times together being bathed in prayer.

I am working with Jay Hunt to make sign ups available for people in our community, church and extended family who would like to pray for our youth. As we strive to bring tough subjects and reach more youth in our community into relationship with Christ we will need even more prayer support.

If you would be interested in praying during our gatherings, please sign up.  During these one hour blocks, please feel free to enter into a casual time of prayer and communion with God. In times past when I have served in this way I have turned on some praise music, lit some candles, and/or read the Bible. Specifically please pray that God would open their hearts, and use this incredible opportunity to draw our youths into a deeper more meaningful walk with Him.

Our recurring prayer needs are:
Sunday mornings (2-blocks)  9-10am and 10-11am
Wednesday eves (2-blocks)  5-6pm and 6-7pm

We also have special events that often require travel.  Please consider setting aside a special time for dedicated prayer to support and protect our young people.

- Robert  Prov3:5

The Salem United Methodist Youth Fellowship will be going on a one-day mission trip put on jointly by the Missouri Conference and Kansas East, called Mission Metropolis. We will be leaving SUMC on Friday March 27, 2007 and will be returning very late Saturday night.  There’s praise, hard work, and lots of energetic youth everywhere!

I am creating a prayer schedule for this event. It is a special blessing for the recipients of prayer and for those that sacrifice their time and energy to prayer for someone at a particular time.  The youth (and the adults, too) need the support and protection that only prayer can provide.  Please sign up by either leaving a comment on this posting (on the site, if you’re getting this via email) or email me: youth@salemmoumc.com

We need someone to prayer for us each hour from 5pm on Friday the 27th through when we return around 11pm on Saturday the 28th.

Thanks, in advance,  Robert   Prov3:5

Parents of teenagers: Dating is a topic that must be discussed with our youth from a biblical view. They are being exposed to confusing images and messages from the world.

For the next 4 weeks my wife and I will be discussing this topic in a very real and relevant way.
+ Real-life interviews with teenagers from across the country.
+ Understand the purpose of dating and how to respect ourselves and each other.
+ Four video Bible studies on these topics:

Boundaries
The Role of Dating
Tough Issues for Guys
Tough Issues for Girls

Please preview the material (click here) and pray for us. Please use this opportunity to engage your student in conversations at home. Please call or email me (youth@salemmoumc.com) if you’d like to discuss this series

God Bless You, Rob