Out of all the important work SUMC’s Leadership Board did at its May meeting and throughout the month, the most worthy was welcoming back Hurst Bartley who missed several meetings because of a serious health condition. We are not only grateful to God for Hurst’s progress but also for his steady presence and the sound decision-making he brings to our Board. Thank you for your prayers and the love light that helped Hurst heal.
Just when one member returned to us, another departed. Our friend and Board member Ron Smith moved back to the Akron/Canton, Ohio area to be near his children and grandchildren. Taking Ron’s place on the Board and finishing his term, which concludes at the end of this year, is Michael Harris. Michael is a familiar face at our church. He’s active as a greeter at the 9:00 am service, a member of the Witness Committee, member of the choir, eager student at Tuesday evening Bible Study, and frequent participant in SUMC’s events and ministries. We offer our gratitude to God for Ron’s contribution over the past year and a half, and welcome Michael and his unique gifts and insight to the Board.
Earlier this year, SUMC transitioned its treasury duties to Chad Wolf (another familiar face), who volunteered to assess SUMC’s financial systems and record keeping capabilities and modernize from static to cloud-based programs, including records storage and performance management. The upgraded platforms Chad implemented provide more security and access to other approved users, thereby improving real-time oversight capabilities. Based on his good work and desire to continue in this role, Chad was appointed unanimously as the permanent volunteer Treasurer by the Leadership Board.
There is a lot of great work going on at SUMC, none more noticeable, however, than the renovations happening at and around the church as reported on by our various ministry teams. Here are highlights of some of the work being done by SUMC’s teams and volunteers, for which the Leadership Board is immensely grateful.
Building
The Trustees obtained three cost estimates for replacing the church’s basement windows with glass blocks to improve security. The Leadership Board reviewed and discussed the cost estimates related to budget availability and local approvals that might be needed from the borough. Because this window replacement expenditure was not included in the 2025 budget, the Board weighed the benefit/cost and decided, upon achieving borough approval, to proceed with the expenditure and utilize funds from unallocated capital funds to accomplish the replacement.
Check out the Library Team’s renovation of SUMC’s Library! It has undergone a remarkable transformation accomplished by the talents and hard work of the Team’s chairperson and volunteers. Gone are some of the shelves, outdated and underutilized furniture, and dilapidated flooring. The room has been restored with new flooring, fresh paint, and a new rug and clock. Functionality has been modernized with a new meeting table and chairs, mounted TV and whiteboard, and a computer station. After delivery of the soft furnishings, including a sofa and chairs, and the buying of newer books, the conversion will be complete!
Valuable safety enhancements have been made to the church’s security cameras, according to the Safety and Security Team. The upgrades enable expanded views to the interior, lower-level hallway, thereby improving sight lines and alleviating some blind spots.
Grounds
Summer landscaping duties are underway! In addition to the usual grass cutting and shrubs trimming, mulch spreading is on the horizon. We are looking for volunteers to help disperse 45 yards of mulch around the church grounds in mid-June. Grab your shovels and rakes and stay tuned for more information on when your helping hands will be needed.
If you have used the side door of the church, you likely noticed work being done on the playground and parsonage fences. The playground fence recently underwent its annual power washing and the fence around the parsonage’s backyard is being replaced. The deteriorated wood fence has been removed and replaced by new wood pickets. Completion of the parsonage fence is likely to occur by the end of June.
If you want to learn more about SUMC happenings like our God-sized goals and progress, finances and how we allocate your contributions, Leadership Board oversight, Ministry Team initiatives, SUMC’s service to the community, and more, please join us on Sunday, July 20th, after the 11:00 am service, for a Congregational Meeting. We ask that you continue to check the weekly bulletin for confirmation and more information about the meeting.
On behalf of the Leadership Board, we congratulate our 2025 high school and college graduates and pray a blessing over each that you lead with love, mercy, and empathy, that you are a productive servant of Jesus Christ, and that you stay safe and prosper in all you do.
Sincerely,
Leadership Board