Did you Know?
Frequently asked questions about Centennial United Methodist Church at Ivy
Have a question? Ask a member of the Communications Committee.
What is Annual Conference?
Answer: Annual Conference is the annual meeting of the lay and clergy members of a geographical area. The Conference is composed primarily of an equal number of clergy and lay members from each charge. This meeting sets directions and budget for the area and the bishop appoints clergy members to their place of service for the next year. Each day’s session is filled with announcements, prayer, singing, discussion, debate, communion, deliberations, special events, special meals, offerings, introductions, instructions, voting, speeches and more. Iowa United Methodists will gather June 8-10 at the Iowa Events Center for worship, fellowship and an opportunity to make a difference in the life of our church. The 2013 session has been reduced from 4 to 3 days to be good stewards of our time as well as our money. It will reduce the costs of the session for both the Annual Conference and the attendees. (This answer was provided by Libby Hiatt, Centennial’s lay member to Annual Conference.)
What is on the church’s answering machine?
Who checks it?
Answer: Information on the church’s answering machine is gathered from the weekly bulletin and also from the main calendar on the church website. This includes but is not limited to times for current church services. The answering machine is checked by our pastor who handles the calls or forwards the information to the appropriate person or committee. Feel free to call and check out the information anytime. - Communications Committee
What is the origination of the penny jar used by the Sunday school?
Answer: Vivian Tingley wanted a jar to collect pennies in for a Penny Drop for Sunday school. She wanted the money to be used for mission projects. Over 10 years ago, the youth group had a garage sale to raise money for the youth group. Mina Blood brought over a jar to sell at the garage sale (the perfect jar we could collect money for the Penny drop for Sunday school. A few years ago the jar was replaced with a different jar. The money is collected during Sunday School every Sunday during the Penny Drop and the money is used for mission projects. - Education Committee
Who manages the birthday and anniversary list?
Answer: The list of birthdays and anniversaries that appear in the Steeple newsletter are from the database of information about our congregation which is kept by the Communications Committee. Updates can be entered in the red attendance books in the sanctuary pews or given to Jeff Freel. - Communications Committee
Where can I locate the Wedding Policy?
Answer: Centennial’s Wedding Policy can be found on the church’s website, Centennial Wedding Page The website allows the potential couple to see our rules, rates, check the church’s calendar and submit basic information to the pastor by email to start the process planning a wedding at our church. - Administrative Council
Where does the attendance pad information go?
What is it used for? Who do I send a change of address to?
Answer: The attendance pads, found in each pew, are used for recording those who attend church each Sunday. The sheets are given to the pastor at the end of the month to check, especially for those who request a visit from the pastor and those interested in joining the church. The sheets are useful to note changes in addresses, phone numbers or email addresses. Simply circle the updates. Such changes can also be given to Jeff Freel who updates the church’s database. It’s important for everyone to sign the attendance sheets. The pads are also useful as an advertising tool. Notes about upcoming church events, etc. can be placed in the inside clear plastic pocket. - Communications Committee
What do you do when you find something broken in the church?
Answer: Notify one of the Trustees or drop a note in the suggestion box located in the Narthex.
What do you do if you find bodily fluids in the bathroom?
Answer: There is a “bio bucket” located in the janitorial closet downstairs. This bucket will consist of latex gloves, disinfectant solution, and paper towels.
Where are the extra cleaning supplies?
Answer: In the janitorial closet downstairs.
Is there a first aid kit and where is it located? Answer: There are two kits available. One is located in the main level kitchen and the other in the downstairs janitorial closet. There is also an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) located in the Narthex area in the event of a cardiac situation. - Trustees
Who manages the web site?
Answer: The Communication Committee works with the website. The site is designed to provide the congregation with information about future events and church committees; plus provide an inviting glimpse of Centennial’s activities and fellowship for visitors.
Where do I find the “official” calendar for Centennial?
Answer: Future Centennial events are listed in several places. They can be found in the weekly bulletin, in the Steeple newsletter, on our website, and on the dining area bulletin board. However, none of these are designated as the one “official” calendar. We strive to keep all of them up-to-date but it is possible that a new event may appear on any one of them before the others especially when events are added to a calendar on a Sunday morning versus during the week. Anyone may write events on the dining area calendar while Jeff Freel and Pastor Wendy can update the web calendar. It is important to note that decisions about dates and events at Centennial are not based on a “first come – first served” basis. While the church will try to be fair, sometimes a new event (funeral, special meeting, special service, etc.) will have to supersede a previously scheduled event. The pastor, with some help from the administrative council, will make the final determinations in cases of conflicting dates.