Snow Day! Cold Day! Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 02/19/2026 I’m not sure if global warming has anything to do with global cold, but for the second time in a month, we have canceled our church services because of weather- it’s just not been safe to drive in the rural areas with the snow blowing all over and the temperatures hovering around 0°. Hopefully, from this point on the weather will be more conducive for safe travel. I hope people have been praying at home and reading their scripture. On 2/28 church members will enjoy a baked potato dinner from 4:00-5:30 with all the toppings! We hope the community will join us for Music Sunday at church at 10:00 am March 29th. Our kids will be participating and bring so much joy to the service. This is also Palm Sunday.

The first Sunday of the month is always communion Sunday. We look forward to sharing Jesus’s Thanksgiving. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 02/12/2026 This Sunday we studied several of the Beatitudes. Pastor Jeannine shared with the children that even if you are sad or mad we should be happy. Jesus always loves us no matter what! Pastor Jeannine asked the kids what made them happy. One girl shared that caring for others made her happy. Our scripture was Matthew 5: 1-12. The disciples came to Jesus. Jesus had begun his ministry and began teaching the disciples . The first beatitude Pastor Jeannine shared was that those poor in spirit are blessed. We are all sinners and are forgiven. We learn to be humble in heart. Jesus gave his life for us. Blessed are those who mourn. Mourning hurts, no matter what the loss. Pastor Jeannine shared we mourn for those estranged from God. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Meekness is not weakness. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst. God is our nourishment. Blessed are the merciful. We all help in our missions- prayer shawls, Road clean-up, and needs of the church. A new Bible study will be starting on February 16th. This will be- The Final Journey. Bible study is on Mondays at 3pm. We are soon beginning Lent. We have several activities coming up, so keep posted! Our sincere condolences to Dan and Nancee Scott and many other friends and family members in the recent passing of Dan Scott who passed after a long illness. He was an active member of our community and is greatly missed. We are so thrilled for several new people who have been joining us for worship. We welcome all to join us on Sunday and for other church activities.

Welcome to Melissa and Warren Kinsey, who have transferred their membership to join our church family at Bluff Point United Methodist Church. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 01/29/2026 Prayers for the family and friends of Dan Scott, who went to join his Lord after a recent illness. He will be missed. We have had so many that have been sick lately or have had significant losses. Keeping them all in our prayers. We welcome Melissa and Warren Kinsey to our congregation, who transferred their membership to our congregation. Pastor Jeannine‘s message to the children concerned eyewitness reports. How many of us see and hear eyewitness reports on the news? The Eyewitness report from Church today is about Jesus being the lamb of God. Do we tell others about Jesus? One of our little girls said that most of the people she knows already know about Jesus. It never hurts to discuss our love for our savior. Our scripture this week was from John 1: 29-42. John was eager to tell others about Jesus. He really did not know who Jesus was until he baptized him. He got excited and wanted to tell the world. There were challenges in these days though- Peter was a challenger. He was full of doubt. How many things do we doubt? Hopefully we don’t doubt our love for Jesus and Jesus‘s love for us. The miracle of Jesus gives us hope! Pastor Jeannine asked us if we had ever seen a movie that really gripped us. Pastor Jeannine and her husband Phil have had an 80s movie marathon where they relived movie memories watching old movies. One thing that she has found is that there are many memories watching movies together as a family- more than the movies, she remembers the good times of sharing. We have been asked to continue to pray. People feel prayer. We are eyewitnesses for Christ by lifting others in prayer. Please join us in church 9 AM on Sundays. We would love to share with you.

Barbara Bailey is our scripture reader for the month of January. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 01/22/2026 This past Sunday’s lesson was about the baptism of the Lord. Pastor Jeannine began by talking with the children about a picture album. Your parents collect pictures of you because they love you. Pictures change, and children grow up quickly. God was pleased with his son Jesus. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. A dove landed on Jesus at this time. God pronounced that Jesus was his son. I love him. Pastor Jeannine told a story about a man named Mario who was homeless in New York City. Mario carried with him his birth certificate and his baptism certificate which were important to him showing God‘s love. The scripture this week was from Matthew 3: 13-17. The adult sermon was also about baptism. Baptism is a great responsibility to the parents to accept faith for the child and help and nurture them; we carry, dress, feed, and believe in our young children. John the Baptist baptized Jesus with water for repentance. Jesus asked John to baptize him however, Jesus did not need to repent. At this time the heavens opened up with the spirit of God descended. The voice of God proclaimed Jesus is my son whom I love. I am well pleased. Was what revealed to us was Jesus’s true identity. Following the sermon, Pastor Jeannine asked the congregation that if there was anyone present that wanted to be baptized to let her know, and she would work with them to set up a time. Toni Parsons had a fun group in Sunday school after their lesson the girls made origami doves and also friendship bracelets. Don’t forget our baked potato bar dinner at four to 5:30 PM at churchon Saturday, January 24. We always have a good time at our church dinners. Women’s breakfast at the Wagner is Wednesday, January 14 and Wednesday, January 28. The man meet every Tuesday at Oak Hill at 10 o’clock. All are welcome.

Even our little ones help with communion at Bluff Point UMC! Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 01/015/2026 What a beautiful Epiphany Sunday! This week Pastor Jeannine talked to the children about being chosen. Like myself, she was picked last for sports teams. People that are chosen last often have hurt feelings. One way to fix this is to count off, that way no one gets chosen last. We are all chosen for God‘s family. Everyone is in God‘s family. No one is first or last! Our scripture this week was from Ephesians 1: 3-14. People at this time had a hard time seeing God‘s love. However, God chose them before the world began, and before they were even born. God knows every hair on your head. God chose us in Christ. God chose us and loves us unconditionally. Pastor Jeannine asked us if we have ever said no to God’s plan. When you accept God’s plan and faith it’s not scary. Pastor Jeannine asked us if we have ever said no to God‘s plan. When you accept God‘s plan in faith it’s not scary. We also have unconditional love in our church. Church is an extension of our family, bringing the love of Christ forward. Pastor Jeannine reinforced that God always loves you. God sent his son which is the greatest gift of all and reinforces our faith. Things coming up: A baked potato bar on January 24 at 4 to 5:30 PM at church. There’s a sign up for different topics to magnify your potato! We have also been invited to join Dresden church with Roy Litteer get a community dinner on Wednesday, January 28 at 6 PM. Stay warm these cold winter days and be safe walking on ice. We don’t want any falls or injuries! See you in church at 9 AM on Sunday!

Violette Tones show shows off the blessing tree that she made in Sunday School. She was able to write most of the words herself without even asking the spelling! The blessing tree has ornaments and tags with the things that the children chose that they are thankful for. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 01/08/2026 This Sunday was the first Sunday after Christmas. It was a cold, bitter day, but one that we saw many people venture out to church. Pastor Jeannine talked with the children, asking them what was the significance of the light from the alter candles at the beginning of the service. It is that we bring the light of Jesus into our service. As we extinguish the light at the end of the service after bringing it to the back of the church, it signifies bringing the light out to others as we leave for the week. Pastor Jeannine also lit the advent candles of love, hope, joy, peace, and the Christ candle as she started the service. Pastor Jeannine‘s sermon focused on the gospel of John. The scripture was from Matthew 2: 13-23. You wonder often why bad things happen to us. Why did God let the terrorist attack on 9/11 happen? Why did innocent people have to suffer? John‘s teaching deals with who Jesus is and why he did what he did. John begins with the verse, In the beginning with the word and the word was with God, and the word was God. And his verses show us there is proof that Jesus is God. Pastor Jeannine explains that Jesus isn’t just a word it is the word! All things were made by him. In him was life. And the light was the light of men. Jesus brings an answer to all of life‘s questions. God doesn’t always remove the chaos, but it can take most evil and awful pains and tragedies and transform them. We have a lot of chaos and dust in our lives that the Lord will transform if we let him! Thank you choir for a beautiful rendition of the song- Mary did you know? We are lucky to have such a beautiful choir under the direction of Ron Miller. Happy New Year from everyone at Bluff Point United Methodist Church. We hope that you will join us in this bright new year for 9am Sunday services!

The girls made angels from angel food cake on Sunday School Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 01/01/2026 Christmas is upon us and soon it will be a brand new year! Many beautiful Christmas songs and a festive choir anthem were sung in church, as well as the congregation listening to more of the meaning of the Christmas story. Pastor Jeannine also had an interactive story with the children about the angels involved at the time of the birth of Christ How do we get the message of the difference that God makes to others? We reflect especially this time of year all that Christ has brought to us within our church family. Pastor Jeannine‘s message reflected on Joseph and Mary. Mary and Joseph were pledged to be married. Things became complicated when Joseph found that Mary was pregnant. At that time pregnancy outside of marriage could be punished by stoning and death. Joseph went through quite a turmoil, but Joseph chose compassion over the law. An angel appeared and told him not to be afraid- that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was to be named Jesus. Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 24. There will be a baked potato bar dinner from four to 5:30 PM at church. Our evening dinners are always a lot of fun. Congratulations to our Cady Brady who was named Penn Yan youth ambassador during the recent Starshine program. She is a junior at Penn Yan Academy! See you at church at 9 AM on Sunday! All are welcome.

Norm Hunt and Sherri Hunt light the third advent candle of love. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 12/25/2025 Merry Christmas to all. This past Sunday was Sunday of joy. Pastor Jeannine asked the children what they wanted for Christmas. Did they want a doll, socks, toys, underwear, or a book? These might be popular gifts under the tree, but they don’t compare with the gifts that we received from Jesus. She told them of the gifts that Christ gave. Sight for a blind man, restoration of hearing for someone deaf, giving someone lame the ability to walk. Jesus gave the gift of faith. The scripture was from Matthew 11: 2-11. Pastor Jeannine asked the adults how they found themselves in the Advent season…how is your mood, does a grief or worry have you down? Does the singing and merry-making make us hide our anxiety, or do we use the Christmas spirit to cover up deeper problems? Perhaps we feel isolated. Jesus‘s power is the power of healing grace. Mercy is in the heart of Jesus’s missions. It is in his teachings. The arrival of the Messiah showed us the power of Jesus‘s love. Pastor Jeannine showed how Jesus is at work among us today and those that accept this will know God‘s blessing most of all. Christmas Eve candlelight service is Wednesday, December 24 at 7 PM at church. All are welcome to join. We will be undecorating the church following the service on January 4.

See my pretty little wreath? The nursery kids made sweet wreaths to put on their doors at home. Article by Joyce L. Wiedrich 12/18/2025 The second Sunday of advent... The special time of Jesus birth is getting closer as Mary and Joseph inch closer to the stable and the manger. Pastor Jeannine shared with the children, showing Mary and Joseph going toward the stable, led by a star, not a GPS! John the Baptist was preparing, wearing his camel hair robes, and eating locusts and honey, anticipating the birth of Jesus- he continued to baptize people in his work. Scripture today was from Matthew 3: 1-12. John appeared in the wilderness with scorpions and snakes. It was a dangerous place, cursed by God- it was a battle with evil forces. Pastor Jeannine asked us where we felt our wilderness was today. Is it in school, social media, or in lonely lives? What Elijah predicted came true. There are many people longing for something, but not always sure what it is. There is a way out of the wilderness. We need to turn to God when things get bleak. We need to save ourselves from the wilderness. John‘s message to us did lead us to hope, and in the knowledge that everyone is worthy. Our Sunday school children and nursery children were busy this past Sunday. Meghan Reay help the children make beautiful wreaths. The older children made ornaments under the direction of Marguerite Miller after their Bible lesson. Thank you to everyone who helped with distribution for Yates County Christmas. Many people from our church were there to help for four days, providing children with socks, underwear, games, toys, toothpaste, hats, mittens, blankets or quilts, books, and an outfit which were distributed to hundreds of local families and children. What an amazing mission. Our sincere condolences to the family of Bruce Westerdahl who recently went to join his Lord and beloved wife Nancy in heaven. Bruce was a pastor at our church for many years and a great friend. He and his wife Nancy participated with so many church events, even after he retired. He had a loving heart, and so enjoyed singing in the choir and also perform solos in Church, before moving to be near his daughter in Virginia. Our Christmas Eve candlelight service will be at 7 PM on Wednesday, December 24. It is always a beautiful service filled with music and carols. We hope many will join us from the community to celebrate the birth of Christ.