UMC Grayling

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

MISSION: Making Disciples for Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

VISION: Together we will live, love, and serve for Jesus Christ

VALUE STATEMENTS:

We are a steadfastly present and evolving family of God
- We were here yesterday; we are here today; we will be here tomorrow
- We honor the past and are moving toward the future
- We are members of God’s family in Grayling

We serve with God’s children near and far
- We are the hands and feet of Christ
- We serve the community to make a difference, to build relationships and to discover the gifts of people we don’t yet know
- We support worldwide missions

We welcome everyone as a child of God
- We listen, respect viewpoints and share our faith
- We have an open communion table
- We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to join us

We are caretakers of God’s creation
- We live in “God’s country”, a term used by residents and visitors alike
- We care for nature: the forests, wildlife, water and people in our environment

Church Staff and Leadership

Staff:

Pastor - Rev. Mark A. Miller

Music Director - Jill Scarzo

Custodian - Linda Harrison

Leadership Team:

Chairperson - Dee Brock

Lay Leader - Nancy Goodyear

Lay Delegate - Dee Brock

Finance Coordinator - Joe Wakeley

Secretary - Barb Hunter

Facilities Coordinator - Don Pinner

SPRC Liaison - Judy Clyma

Member At Large - Connie Novak

Member At Large - Claire Rettenmund

Member At Large - Mary Herman

Member At Large - Del Patterson

Member At Large - Kim Lineman

History of Michelson

Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church is the oldest congregation in Crawford County and traces its roots back to 1878 when the congregation formed, met in tents and later in the local schoolhouse or Opera House.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was the 1st Methodist church in Grayling and the wood building was built during the winter/spring of 1882 and was dedicated in the spring of 1883. The Parsonage was built next door in 1889.

The Methodist Congregation merged with the Presbyterian Congregation in 1914 in a symbolic walk by the Presbyterians to the Methodist Church located in the next block.

Erection of a new brick church building was begun in September 1917 with a gift of $25,000 by lumber baron, Nels Michelson as a memorial to his wife, Margarethe. The building was built on the same site with the old building being moved to the back and used as Sunday School rooms. The new building was the 1st brick building in Grayling; and was dedicated on December 8, 1918.

The church suffered a fire on November 24, 1923, that completely destroyed the building and parsonage next door. The ladies were in the kitchen when the fire started, so of course, they were teased that they were the cause of the fire!! Nels Michelson provided the money to rebuild in 1924 and it was hailed as one of the best church structures north of Bay City. Best of all…they had no debt…thanks to the generosity of Mr. Michelson. Another house at 604 Michigan was acquired for the Parsonage and was in use until the current Parsonage was built in the 1960’s.

In May of 1977, another fire struck and damaged the sanctuary and bell tower…this time the ladies were not in the kitchen…this renovation was rededicated October 16, 1977, only 5 months after the fire, but the bell tower had to be lowered due to structural damage.

In 1995 the Michelson congregation took a huge leap of faith and Michelson became “alive in ‘95” as we prepared for the financial campaign to launch an $870,000 project to upgrade the facility.

The Narthax was added, the kitchen was completely remodeled, an elevator installed and the entire facility rewired and remodeled to make it safe and hopefully no more fires would occur. The dedication took place on May 14, 1998.

The Michelson congregation cares about the people of the community and is responsible for the establishment of the local Help Center to help with food assistance for families in need. They are the sponsors of the Baby to Toddler Closet that provides free access to clothing & care needs for babies and toddlers for families in need of assistance. They are also responsible for creating the Monday Night Free Community Dinner program and have served over 17,000 free meals to the community.

Michelson Church “Cares” and has always been the “Community” church and opens their doors to one and all.