History of Still Searching Sunday School Class

At the beginning of the church year in September 2003, a new Sunday School class was formed from a class that previously met for several Sundays to study Methodism. Joe Kossan was selected to teach the class and several members of the study class chose to be a part of the new class. After some discussion, the class decided to choose the name, Still Searching, for the name of the new class because searching the Bible was the main objective.

 In 2006, Joe and his wife, Frances, felt God’s call to become a part of a mission group called, Nomads for Christ. They sold all their belongings that wouldn’t fit into a motor home and began their work as missionaries to help disaster victims or anyone else who needed help in rebuilding or reconstruction.

Paul Sears then began to teach the class until the time he felt God’s call to become a minister. Meanwhile, Sherron Geiger, a former Episcopal Deacon, began to attend the class and when Paul left, she began to teach the class. Sherron felt God’s call to become a minister also and when she left to pastor her own church, Wesley Hirsch, a former pastor and district superintendent in Missouri, became the new teacher.

In 2005 the class began sending money to a missionary in Belize to supplement his monthly income. When the missionary came home, it was decided to continue to collect money monthly to do mission projects as a class. The first Sunday of each month, an envelope is passed and whatever amount is in the envelope is put in an account held by the church but marked as Still Searching Missions. When a need comes up, the money is taken from that account. Here are some of the projects done as a result of that money:

• Repaired and painted a house for a couple who is retired
• Repaired the roof, re-did a bathroom and painted the outside of the
  house for a class member
• Donated $50 to a family with a child with cancer
• Bought gifts and candy for patients at Britthaven
• Bought dolls for patients at Britthaven
• Donated money to a missionary (Kathy Kuhlman’s cousin)
• Donated $500 to Lion’s Club for exams and glasses for children in
  Macon County
• Bought gifts for the Holiday Angel tree
• Donated $1000 to UMCOR for Haiti earthquake victims
• Gave $500 to church compassion fund
• Donated $100 to Macon County Humane Society
• Bought clothes for a child at East Franklin Elementary
• Gave a gas card to a family in need
• Recently, the class agreed to supply a cake and small gifts to
  the senior center once a month for birthdays.
• A class member keeps approximately $200 and is in contact with someone at East Franklin Elementary in case a child or a family has an immediate need or emergency.

Currently, July 2010, the class has 45 members with an average of 27 – 32 in attendance each Sunday. The fellowship among members of the class is tremendous and there are parties during the year that have become tradition.

The class welcomes anyone who wants to participate in searching God’s word and applying it to their daily life.

 Still Searching (95.49 kB)