ROADS COURIER PASTOR CRAIG S CORNER. February 2017

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1 A Publication for Eastland United Methodist Church CROSS ROADS COURIER February 2017 Eastland United Methodist Church Courthouse Road Fredericksburg, VA Pastor Rev: Craig Muffley Ministers The Congregation Lay Leader Bill Todd Accompanist Afton Duenow Choir Director Loganne Fellenstein Administrative Assistant Laura Martinsen Youth Director Renee Garrett Sunday Schedule Early Worship Service w/ Communion 8:30 am Sunday School - 9:45 am Worship Service - *11:00 am *Holy Communion First Sunday and special occasions PASTOR CRAIG S CORNER Soon we will turn the page of the church calendar to March. And the season of Lent will be immediately upon us. March 1st is Ash Wednesday and we will begin our observance of Lent with our annual Ash Wednesday worship service at 7:30 pm. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word that means spring or springtime. The Lenten season is the 40-day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and continues until the celebration of Easter. Sundays are not counted in this 40-day period because each Sunday is a little Easter a celebration of the Risen Lord. Historically, Lent was a time when baptismal candidates would begin a period of self-examination, self-discipline, and denial in preparation for their baptism at Easter. We recall the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness to spiritually prepare for the beginning of his ministry. Likewise, during the 40 days of Lent, we are called to discern and contemplate how God is calling us to spring forth and grow in our faith as we consider what Christ has done and is doing in our life and in our faith community. I challenge you to prayerfully consider how Jesus is calling you to move out of your comfort zone and grow in faith during Lent. The spiritual disciplines of our faith, or means of grace as John Wesley called them, are a special emphasis during Lent. The means of grace include regular worship, reading and meditating upon the scriptures, fasting, prayer, celebrating the sacraments, and serving others (note the opportunities to move outside our church walls to engage in mission and serve others elsewhere in this newsletter). These are all time-tested ways we can grow spiritually during Lent or any time of the year. Be intentional about attending worship services each Sunday in Lent and try to find a deeper meaning in the sacrament of Holy Communion whenever we celebrate it during Lent. I encourage you to join the Adult Sunday School class Lenten study at 9:45 am on Sundays, beginning March 8. They will be studying The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus. I preached a sermon series adapted from this book two years ago during Lent. I highly recommend it to you. Can t make the class? then take some time and read through one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) and the Book of Acts (of the Apostles) during Lent. Read closely and let God speak to your heart. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2, NIV) Grace and Peace, Pastor Craig

2 PAGE 2 New Sermon Series - The Times of our Lives Time passes, things change. In this 3-week sermon series, we ll be looking at the Old Testament book of 2 Kings and examining the life of King Hezekiah to see what he can teach us about dealing with major changes in life. Feb. 12 When Life Is Good Feb. 19 When Life Is Falling Apart Feb. 26 When Time Is Limited We are still collecting!keep Eastland s Legacy Going Strong! This is worth repeating Do something! God wants our work to be meaningful and satisfying. No matter what we do, it should provide a reason to get up each day and use the talents God has given us. As Benjamin Franklin said, The man who achieves makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all: doing nothing. Transfiguration Sunday On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, many Christian churches celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord. After telling his shocked, uncomprehending disciples that he would die and rise again, Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain. Suddenly Jesus appeared to be glowing! He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light (Matthew 17:2, ESV). Moses and Elijah appeared, and a voice said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him (verse 5). Jesus disciples fell to the ground, overcome by fear. But Jesus touched them, told them not to be afraid and Come Pray with Us! Please come on Thursdays, at 9 am, for a 30 minute prayer session held in the sanctuary. What a joy it is to be able to spend time lifting your friends, family, yourself, and all things on your heart to the Lord. A small devotional and music to center yourself for prayer is part of the session. Please come and give it a try!

3 PAGE 3 Upcoming Yard Sale at Eastland UMC Please be on the lookout for an announcement about an upcoming yard sale here at Eastland! Bill Todd is in the planning stages of having a yard sale hopefully in March. Please gather all unwanted items and kindly contribute them to the church! If you need to store these items prior to the yard sale, please see Bill Todd about placing them in the garage storage area. Contact Bill Todd at Only items donated to the church to be sold at the yard sale may be stored in the church garage. Something to think about... We cannot pray in love and live in hate and still think we are worshiping God. A.W. Tozer There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. John Holmes Please welcome Logan Fellenstein, Master of Music / Choral Conducting, as our new Choir Director. We are thrilled to have her!

4 PAGE 4 Adult Sunday School The Adult Sunday school will continue studying God s Final Word by Ray C. Steadman until it s conclusion when Lent begins. Once Lent begins, we will study The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus. By Adam Hamilton. Please feel free to drop in at 9:45 and join us in the social hall! God s conversation hearts Those familiar conversation hearts that show up every February can be more than just trite romantic or friendly sayings. Use them to remind you or to teach a child of the greatest love of all: God s love for us, which empowers our love for others. For example: TRUE LOVE: What love is truer than giving up one s only Son so people might have everlasting life? (John 3:16). MINE: Jesus knows us intimately, as a shepherd knows his sheep. No one can snatch us from him (John 10:27-29). FOREVER: God loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). LOVE ME: The greatest commandment is to love God with our whole being (Luke 10:27). TRUST ME: Let not your hearts be troubled. We can count on Jesus, now and for eternal life (John 14:1-3). SWEET TALK: God s words are sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103). BE GOOD: We show our love for Christ by keeping his commands (John 14:15). CALL ME: God longs to be in fellowship with us. We can talk to him anytime in prayer (Jeremiah 33:3). FRIENDS: The greatest love involves laying down your life for your friends (John 15:13) precisely what Jesus did. #1: We love because [God] first loved us (1 John 4:19). Oops!

5 PAGE 5 Adult Choir News With Loganne as our new choir director, it has been decided that Tuesday choir practice will now start at 6:30 instead of 7 pm. Practice usually lasts about an hour. If you like to sing and this practice time fits into your schedule, please come and join us as we prepare our music for Lent and Easter! BIBLE QUIZ What unique characteristic of the judge Ehud enabled him to outsmart King Eglon of Moab, who had been oppressing ancient Israel? A. He was left-handed. B. He was blind. C. He was very fat. D. He was exceedingly strong. Answer: See Judges 3: A Methodist Minute Q What is meant by the Methodist doctrine of The Witness of the Spirit? A The apostle Paul s claim that the Spirit itself bears witness with our Spirit, that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16) is the centerpiece of John Wesley s understanding of this doctrine, which is more commonly known as the doctrine of assurance. According to Wesley, The testimony of the Spirit is an inward impression of the souls of believers, whereby the Spirit of God directly testifies to their Spirit, that they are children of God. It is inward consciousness of sins forgiven, joy of life, acceptance by God, and assurance of salvation.

6 United Methodist Women PAGE 6 The United Methodist Women gathered on Monday January 30, from 10 to 11:30 to make Valentines Day cards. The cards will be distributed to Nursing Homes and the Thurman Brisbon Homeless shelter. The cards are a gentle reminder to many who are lonely, that they are indeed loved! Welcome Marty and Jackie Schleshinger On Sunday, January 29th, Marty and Jackie transferred their church membership from St Lukes United Methodist in Yorktowne, VA to Eastland UMC. Please welcome them warmly the next time you see them! Welcome Jack McNutt! On Sunday, January 22, Jack transferred his church membership from Hope Presbyterian to Eastland UMC. Please be sure to give Jack a warm welcome when you see him!

7 PAGE 7 United Methodist News Bishop s Convocation on Prayer Registration is open for The Bishop s Convocation on Prayer on Apr. 1, The event will be held at Trinity UMC in Richmond with the Rev. Juanita Rasmus acting as plenary speaker. Fee is $10 and participants will get to choose two workshops to attend register at United Methodist Scouting surges The number of youth involved in Scouting packs, troops and crews chartered by United Methodist churches is on the rise, reports the Commission on United Methodist Men. At the end of 2016,327,405 were involved in Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops and Venturing crews. That s an increase of about 2,700 youth. Lay Servant Academy- Mar. 31- Apr. 2, 2017 The Lay Servant Academy is about equipping laity to carry out the mission of the church of making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. All courses are open to everyone. Each course is designed to help those serving the local church to learn more about leadership, personal faith development and a deeper understanding of the UMC. Many courses offered this year will support those seeking to become Certified Lay Servants and Lay Speakers. Registration questions may be directed to Sandy Kelley at sandkelle@yahoo.com Richmond-area UMC church hosting race relations discussion Belmont UMC is hosting Church and Community Conversation on Race and Reconciliation through discussion, worship and idea exploration on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, 9 a.m. -3 p.m. The event will examine the role of churches, political bodies and community organizations in the quest to improve race relations. We will also explore Ava DuVernay s documentary film 13th, which looks at the prison system, mass incarceration and racial inequality. Detailed information is forthcoming. Belmont UMC is located at 3510 Broad Rock Blvd., Richmond, VA Mentors needed for 2017 summer All God s Children camps All God's Children Camp is in need of mentors for camp this summer. There are three opportunities this year to serve: June at Camp Chanco on the James, June at Camp Overlook and July 30-Aug. 4 at Occohannock on the Bay. Visit All God s Children page on the conference website for more information including a mentor and camper flyer. Lori Smith, camp director, at lttlelori@gmail.com with any questions. Our latest Mission Sunday, Undie Sunday, was on January 29th. We had a special speaker from the Thurman Brisben Homeless Shelter. Kim Lalley, the Executive Director spoke about the how things operate at the shelter. It was an interesting and informative talk. Kim was very touched by the kindness of Eastland when presented with all of the underwear and socks donated by our congregation. Nicely done Eastland UMC!!

8 PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 3- Anika Francois 14 - Lacey Wilson 14 - Oscar Sobkowicz 16- Emily Miller 16 - Tom Sobkowicz 23 - Travis Byram MARCH 5 - Alex Dillard 6 David Cook Pat Orndorff 9- Margaret Bristol 11 - Melissa Conley 15 Dylan Hudson Ene Sunkhana Wishing you all wonderful Birthday Blessings! 31 Bill Radebaugh If your birthday is not listed above, please notify Laura Martinson in the Church office so we can add yours to our records! These two white roses were placed in our sanctuary to honor Patricia Mason and Mary Ganoe, who passed away recently. It was a very sad week for Eastland and we extend our deepest and sincere sympathies to Betty & Bill Mundy, Dave Ganoe and their families. Please keep them in your prayers as they journey though the difficult Fellowship Luncheon Our monthly fellowship luncheon is served on the second Sunday of each month, after the 11:00 service. It s potluck, so bring a favorite dish! If you forget, join us anyway, there is always enough food to go around! Support our Troops Go to: and find out how to send a care package and a note of gratitude to a deployed troop member!

9 PAGE 9 MISSION OPPORTUNITIES!! Lets get involved!! Tappahannock Area Tornado Relief Let s lend a helping hand! Monday, March 27 through Saturday, April 1, Pastor Craig will be leading a mission team to help with relief efforts for victims of the tornado that hit the Tappahannock area last year. The current plan is to commute to the work site each day (about 1 hour each way). You can join this effort for all 6 days, a few days, or even help out for just one day. If you would like to stay overnight, accommodations are provided by a local Baptist church. Shower facilities are available. Area churches will provide team members with a light lunch each day. Other meals are your own responsibility. People of all skill levels can participate in this relief effort. There is no cost to participate. Direct questions and RSVP (sign up in the fellowship hall) with your availability by March 5th to Pastor Craig, or Fredericksburg District El Salvador VIM Trip Who: A Fredericksburg team, along with our International Methodist Mission Partner The Evangelical Methodist Church in El Salvador What: Mission Trip When: July 1 8, 2017 Where: El Salvador Methodist facilities Why: to continue our relationship building and participate in construction. How: Applications at District Office or website Cost: $950 per person (Scholarship available of $300 to persons 30 & under) Application & Deposit Deadline: $200 due March 16 (Checks payable to Fredericksburg District UMC, memo: El Salvador). The application fee is nonrefundable after airline tickets are purchased. Final payment: due April 8th, Team building meetings take place at Wright's Chapel UMC on 1st Saturdays: April 8th, May 6th, & June 3rd, 2017 from 9:30am -11:30.

10 PAGE 10 NEWSLETTER AUTHORS: JUDY O NEILL SWAPON31@GMAIL.COM JUDITH MUFFLEY MUFFLJU@GMAIL.COM WE ARE ON THE WEB! EASTLANDUMC.ORG A newsletter submission is due by the first Saturday of the month, as the newsletter comes out on the second Sunday of each month. Ushers & Greeters February Ushers: Margaret Bristol & Tessa Conley Greeters: 2/12 Joan Lester 2/19 Charles Barnett Thank you for your service! If you are interested in being an usher or greeter, please see Frances Vaughn. The United Methodist Men and United Methodist Women would like to welcome anyone interested in joining their group. It is a great way to meet fellow church members and to help make a difference in our church and community. If interested, please see Bill Todd or Sylvia Todt. Stop by the Mission Control Desk after the service to see what s happening at Eastland UMC! Our Vision: To invite, welcome, spiritually feed and nurture all of God's people in the Christian faith and empower them to serve and love others in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Our Mission: To worship God, grow in faith, serve in Christ's name, and build disciples. Take a look at the church website at and Like us on Facebook. When you see a post, after you like it, share it! Don t see your events announced? Call or Eastlandumc@gmail.com.