January 2015 SPIRIT NIGHT DINNERS WILL RESUME JANUARY 7TH MENU WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN SUNDAY BULLETINS

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1 Surfside United Methodist Church January 2015 JANUARY USHERS 8:30 AM Rod Smith Ed Curlee Larry Hogue Susan Alexander 11:00 AM Steve Meletes (C) SPIRIT NIGHT DINNERS WILL RESUME JANUARY 7TH MENU WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN SUNDAY BULLETINS PLEASE SIGN UP IN NARTHEX BY MONDAY AT 3:00 P.M. OR ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN FAMILY LIFE CENTER Dear Church Family: A couple of years ago I received a Perplexus 3-D maze-in-a-ball-puzzle as a Christmas present. It is at the same time both fun and aggravatingly challenging. I thought I would have the game mastered in short order. To say that I was wrong doesn t begin to describe my troubles with the game. I worked my way through the first few stages and disaster struck. I started over and the same thing happened...over and over and over. I would have a breakthrough and then I d go a bit further. And then the ball would fall off the track again. But, as long as I kept at it I could get back to that stage fairly easily. Eventually another hurdle would be overcome and I would triumphantly push forward. It would have been easy to toss the game aside thinking it was too hard and I would never succeed. Each time I failed there was a temptation to give up. With every mistake there was that nagging voice in the back of my head, It s too hard. You aren t good enough. Why even bother? But, I ignored that voice and kept on trying. I d fail. I d shake it off. And then, I d start over. It didn t matter to the game how many times I started over. As far as the game was concerned, each attempt could have been my first or my thousandth. I m sure you re way ahead of me by now. Our spiritual life is like that maze in so many ways. Failure is inevitable. And yet, God continues to call us and welcome us on the journey of faith. Everyday we set out to follow God. We learn to master spiritual disciplines and we grow and then we fall. We get up. We assess our failures. We admit our sin. And then, we start over as forgiven and sinless as the day we were born...until we err and have the opportunity to start afresh with God yet again. We struggle. And then without warning we experience another spiritual breakthrough and we rejoice. But, it is so hard to stay on the mountain when the slopes are everywhere and extremely steep. Some folks get tired of the journey, the ups and the downs, and give up. Others realize the destination is too important to ever quit trekking. These pilgrims are on a trip with eternal implications. They fight on reaching for the prize. As followers of Christ it is important for us to periodically evaluate our progress as disciples of Jesus. We need to take stock of who we are and where we are heading. And then, it is proper to recommit ourselves to the journey. On Sunday, January 11, we will once again observe the Baptism of the Lord.. We will remember Jesus baptism and our own. We ll reconsider what it means to be a disciple of the Master. And then, we ll each have the opportunity to confess how we ve missed the mark, to reaffirm our faith, and to revisit the waters of baptism and receive a token to remind us of the chance God gives us to start over to be born again to be born from above. As you prepare for the year 2015, let me invite you to join us on Baptism of the Lord Sunday and make a new start. It doesn t matter whether you are a novice or a lifelong, committed follower of Jesus the Christ. God offers us a new beginning for the first time or the thousandth time just the same. May God bless you with all spiritual blessing in Christ in 2015 and beyond!

2 PAGE 2 Surfside United Methodist Church 2015 Church Officers CHURCH COUNCIL Lay Leaders Jeff Jewell, Dorothy Wallace Chairperson Steve Moore Vice-Chairperson Nell Boyd Lay Members to Annual Conference Gail & Alan Vereen, Art & Jane Chamberlain, Alternate Lay Member to Annual Conf.: Mark and Shirley Fanus, Fred and Dolores Parsons, Ed and Vickie Curlee SPRC Chairperson Chris Conness Finance Chairperson Vicki Blair Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer Tom Benfield, Bruce French Mission Chairperson Mary Hope Funkhouser Greeter Ministry Mary Jo Doggett / Robin Sparks Communications/Publicity Coordinator Mark Fanus Nurture Chairperson Education Chairperson Brad Hatoway Stewardship Chairperson Lee Ritchey Worship Chairperson Judy Walton Prayer Advocate Art Chamberlain Child Development Center Chairperson Victor Rogers Youth Coordinator Karie and Wayne Fussaro Young Adult Coordinator Trish Brunko Adult and Family Coordinator Fonda Rist Senior Adult Coordinator elects own Recording Secretary Linda Gillespie Assistant Recording Secretary Rosella Croft Church Historian Sybil Hucks Sunday School Superintendent Harry Altman Assistant Sunday School Superintendent Tabatha Byrd Membership Secretary Kesha Sims Financial Secretary Norma Culler Vital Congregations Chairperson Barbara Wing Disaster Relief Coordinator Steve Moore / Art Chamberlain Trustees Chairperson Al Faidley UMM President Kenny Bingham UMW President Judy Lienemann UMYF President Jacob Ammons Parsonage Committee Chairperson Betty Lang Columbarium Committee Chairperson Al Faidley Endowment Committee Chairperson Fred Parsons Scouting Coordinator Al Beck / Ray Williams Bereavement Coordinator Debbie Smith Epworth Children s Home Representative Nancy Yongue 50 th Anniversary Committee Chairperson Betsy Swaim At-Large Members Jane Chamberlain Paul Baldridge, Dee Fields Bob Lang, Jim Fields, Mike Culler Ed Curlee Heyward Key, Wendy Meletes Natalie Durant, Bonnie Maddox Kay Hudson Brett Moon, Dolores Parsons Bruce Ellis, Nic Nicolucci Charlotte Sandel Chris Seebach, Nancy Tuttle Willis Johnson, Ted Kershner Administrative Committees Finance Committee Chairperson Vicki Blair Pastors Scott Wachter, Kim Eanes Lay Member to Annual Conference Gail Vereen Church Council Chair Steve Moore SPRC Representative Paul Reilley Trustees Representative Stewardship Chairperson Lee Ritchey Lay Leader Jeff Jewell Financial Secretary Norma Culler Treasurer Tom Benfield, Bruce French At-Large Members Rick Gutierrez Vicki Blair Dave Brunko Denton White Victor Rogers Cynthia Bedenbaugh Ron Sowers

3 Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development Shirley Pendergrass Y Al Tuttle Brad Dean John Ferguson YA Rob Blomquist Gini Abee Robert Blair Rod Smith Leigh Gamble Pastor Scott Wachter, Chairperson Lay Leader, Jeff Jewell Staff Parish Relations Committee Mary Keller Chris Conness (Chair) Joan Coleman Rod Swaim Mark Mitchell Rosella Croft Gary Livesay Kelli Carr Paul Reilley Lay Leader, Dorothy Wallace Lay Member to Annual Conference, Alan Vereen Board of Trustees Al Faidley (Chair) John Boyd Adam Gimbert Cindy Ferguson Vickie Curlee Harry Altman Bruce Reese Elaine Reid Chester Abee Parsonage Committee Bre Willoughby Morris Hucks Linda Manning Annette Thornton Betty Lang (Chair) Dee Rhine Sonny Wetter Belinda McKee Grounds Ministry Rosemary Purcell Lynn Livesay (Chair) Quay Adams Alan Vereen Jim Neely Jane Chamberlain Ray Williams Bob Warner Wesley Durant Columbarium Committee Al Faidley (Chair), Mike Culler, Bob Lang, John Boyd, Betsy Swaim Endowment Committee Chairperson Fred Parsons Church Council Chair Steve Moore Finance Committee Chairperson Vicki Blair Trustee Representatives Church Treasurer Tom Benfield Pastor Scott Wachter At-Large Members Michael Gamble David Reid John Ferguson Program Committees Worship Committee Chairperson Judy Walton Altar Guild/Communion Steward Sally Jones PAGE 3 Nursery Belinda McKee Head Usher 8:30 A.M. John Boyd Head Usher 11:00 A.M. Steve Meletes Praise Band (i-praise) Nan Jones Acolytes Donna Huguenin Wedding Coordinator Gini Abee Fellowship Time Lynn Livesay Child Development Center Committee Juliana Lopes Diane Gaskins, Sarah Beck Victor Rogers (Chair), Alicia Klouser Barbara Wing Lorraine Ammons, Sara Lane Norton Missions Committee Mary Hope Funkhouser (Chair), Adrienne Jones, Ralph Magliette, Patti Magliette Awards and Recognitions Committee Art Chamberlain (Chair), Jane Chamberlain, Jody Ammons, Nancy Yongue, Susan Harvey, Lois Denham 50 th Anniversary Committee Betsy Swaim (Chair)

4 PAGE 4 An Invitation for Growth As we move into a new calendar year, I want to take just a moment to share a few words of explanation in hopes that my invitation may entice you to become involved in one of our many and diverse small discipleship groups at SUMC. Small group ministry is not a program. Rather, it is the way in which a church forms its people as disciples, and then nurtures them toward holiness of heart and life. Every church has small groups in some kind of system... and, quite obviously, that system must reflect the personalities and the needs of the people at that given church! The easiest way to begin with small group ministry is to build on the existing groups. If the congregation is making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, then all the administrative and ministry committees can... and even must... be places of Christian formation. Think about your last experience at a committee meeting or a Church Council meeting... did you feel that you were, indeed, in the midst of an arena of Christian formation? Or was it just another "church business" meeting? The characteristics of small group ministry - caring, accountability, honesty, a common goal - should be displayed within every "gathering" of the Christian church - business or otherwise. And as disciples of Jesus Christ, each one of us are responsible - rather privileged - to make sure that happens! Holiness of heart... loving God with your whole being... and holiness of life... loving neighbor as one's self... is the goal of discipleship (Matt. 22:37-44). Holiness is a life shaped by the love described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Holiness is the type of "being" Jesus describes in John 15: Holiness is the way of discipleship Jesus described in Luke 9:23. I invite you to dedicate your life to "more holiness" in the year 2015, by becoming involved in one - or more! - small discipleship groups at SUMC. Throughout this newsletter, I will be specifically highlighting the small group opportunities for which I am responsible. In addition to those which I mention, please be aware that we have even more small groups active within SUMC, such as Friendly Seniors, several UMW Circles, the UMM's Fellowship, a Men's Breakfast/Bible study, as well as many others which all qualify as "small group ministry". I encourage you to speak with other staff members for further information regarding those additional opportunities for involvement. Blessings and Christian love - Pastor Kim DISCIPLESHIP PASTOR Spirit Night Class John Wesley clearly understood that Christian formation (disciple making) does not happen by accident, but by intention and with discipline. Discipline, for Wesley, is simply a habitual practice of the means of grace supported by weekly accountability in a small group. Wesley knew that Christians are formed by initiating persons into a new way of behavior shaped by the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christian discipline is summarized by three words - believing, behaving and belonging. Believe, behave and belong are all entry points into the way of Jesus. They are interrelated parts of the process of disciple formation that builds upon the relational nature of human beings. "You become what you love". If the goal of Christian formation is for persons to become more and more like Christ, then we need to know Him as a living Savior. Congregations make disciples of Jesus Christ when they offer safe places for people to explore Christian beliefs, practices and community. So... speaking of exploring Christian beliefs, practices and community, you are invited to join us for a new Spirit Night class entitled... Crazy Love. Designed for small groups, this ten-week study will help participants embrace God's intense, relentless love as that same love transforms every aspect of our being! Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? If you are interested in having a passionate love relationship with the God of the universe, this small group experience is for you! Due to my schooling at Duke on January 7th, we will begin this new Spirit Night Study on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30PM in the Fellowship Hall. Please contact Pastor Kim for further information. Prayer Shawl Ministry Do you remember that SUMC has a Prayer Shawl Ministry? Shawls and the accompanying "care cards" are available in the Volunteer Office for distribution to friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers. Please help yourself to a shawl if you would like to take advantage of this ministry of caring and giving! Just leave a note about the recipient (name, address, illness/need) along with your name and relationship to the recipient, under Pastor Kim's office door so that she can record your shawl distribution. I invite you to enjoy the following note of appreciation sent to our Prayer Shawl team by one grateful recipient named Angie... I am writing to thank you all for the beautiful handmade shawl. You all have no idea how special I felt when I received your gift. Cancer is sometimes successful in making one feel lonely. Your beautiful handiwork, prayers and love are such a comfort. I wrap myself up in my precious gift and know that God is in control. Thank you for making me feel special. Please continue to do God's work through your beautiful ministry. Shawls... and their accompanying prayers... are a beautiful way to make another feel loved. Please contact Pastor Kim if you need further information about our Prayer Shawl ministry.

5 PAGE 5 Sisters in Faith "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matt. 18:20). When two or more Christians regularly meet in Jesus' name to pray, sing, study, serve and watch over one another in love, grace opens their hearts to God. And this is exactly what happens in our weekly Sisters in Faith small group gathering. Every Monday our Sisters in Faith participants get both the support and the accountability we need to follow Jesus in the world. Through relationships of love and trust, we learn Christian spiritual practices that change the habits and attitudes that are blockages to grace, so that grace can freely flow through us and into the world. John Wesley called these habits and attitudes... "holy tempers". The Apostle Paul called them... "the fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23). Our Sisters in Faith group will begin a new study series in January entitled... What Love Is... by author Kelly Minter. This is a seven-session study based upon the books of 1, 2 & 3 John. Due to my schooling at Duke on January 5th, and SUMC's Church Council meeting on January 12th, we will not begin this study until Monday, January 19th. On that evening, however, please bring your favorite Bible and join us at 7PM in the Church Parlor. Call Pastor Kim with any further questions you may have. Grief Class Grace is the presence and power of God working in the world, and it is unlimited... and it is free! Jesus Christ is grace embodied in human flesh and blood. Jesus' life, death and resurrection reveal the nature and power of grace as God's love active in, with and for the world. Through Jesus, God enters human life and history saying... "come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30). Currently, SUMC is offering a quarterly session of our Grief Class. During this small group gathering, we discuss issues of grief and healing... we study Scripture excerpts of sorrow and hope... and we share our mixed feelings of sorrow and thanksgiving... utilizing the Biblically centered and nationally recognized Grief Share Resource. This small group ministry is open to mourners who have just recently lost loved ones as well as individuals who have been on an extended grief journey. Church members, area residents, snowbirds, friends and neighbors are all invited to participate - no affiliation with SUMC is required! We meet every Tuesday at 10AM in the Church Parlor. Due to my schooling at Duke on January 6th as well as a Marion District Clergy meeting on January 13th, our first Grief Class of the New Year will take place on Tuesday, January 20th. Please contact Pastor Kim if you need further information. Momentum Sunday School Any small group has a life span, which has been described in the shorthand as... form, storm and norm. Here's how that breaks down: people come together for some reason (form)... they get to know one another and figure out the stated work of the group (storm)... and then they develop the stronger relationships and sense of mutual purpose that allows them to become an entity with common goals, values and ways of working and being (norm). The Momentum Sunday School class came together out of a need for a "different" Sunday School class than what was currently offered at SUMC (form). The class developed comfortable relationships among themselves and took turns leading various lessons and studies (storm)... with the goal of growing in their personal spirituality and Scriptural knowledge (norm). Now, moving into their second full year, the Momentum Sunday School class will begin a new study series entitled...h20. Presented by familiar author Kyle Idlemann, H20 will challenge participants to become more comfortable with their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in order to feel more empowered to then share that relationship in witness and outreach to others! H20 is a powerful, visually engaging group-oriented experience designed to help each Christian believer become more bold in sharing their personal faith with others who are on the "fringe" of faith. If you have a desire to show others the amazing thirst-quenching gift of the Living Water Jesus Christ has to offer, please join us every Sunday morning at 9:45AM in the Church Parlor. Due to my schooling at Duke the first week of January, H20 will begin January 11th and run through February 22nd. Please contact Pastor Kim for more information. Weekly Bible Study When a church is considering Small Group Ministries, attention must be made to the need for new groups based upon a variety of reasons, such as... personal need, a new ministry area, or a specific task. Whatever new group starts at any given time, it most definitely should fulfill a specific need in the church. In other words, just because something CAN be done, doesn't necessarily mean that it SHOULD be done! If the church of Jesus Christ is to be the church and do what only the church can do, all small groups should be oriented in some way to accomplishing the mission of the church... which is to make disciples for Jesus Christ. To that end, each new group has to have a clear vision of why it is being formed... what its' mission is... and how it fits into the overall mission of the church. Which brings us to Bible Study... as Christian believers, it is our duty - our responsibility - our privilege - to learn and understand as much of the Scriptures as possible. With that clear mission in mind then, you are invited to join us every Thursday afternoon from 2PM -4PM in the Church Parlor. Formerly known as "Secret Church", this new Bible Study will be a transition into a "session study" in which each session will include an intense examination of one particular book of the Bible. Come for a single session... or for a series of sessions. We will begin where Secret Church left off - at the start of the Old Testament book of 1st Chronicles. Due to my schooling at Duke on January 8th, we will begin Thursday, January 15th. The 1st Chronicles session will run until February 12th. Please feel free to call Pastor Kim for further details.

6 PAGE 6 Thank you for a wonderful year in We should all be proud of the many ways we touched the lives of those less fortunate through our mission out reach. Your Pledge to Mission was only the start. Each Circle adopted special projects and supported women, children, and youth in our church, in our community, in our county and state. Some of your mission giving went to help others in foreign countries. We are the hands and feet of Jesus everywhere we go. As we begin 2015, let us strive to do even more. It has been said, We can t out give God. He has blessed us in so many ways every single day. Read your Bible; lift up others in prayer; pray for peace in our nation and our world; and never doubt or stop believing that what we do in U.M.W. through our PURPOSE matters. If your name is on the roll of one of our five circles, be active. All of us together are working for the glory of God. Maybe your New Year s resolution could be to participate in the U.M.W. Reading Program. Contact Carole Adkins ( ) to find out how to do that. Maybe you want to increase your Pledge this year. Contact Diane Stiles ( ) for a pledge card. Have an idea for an interesting program? Contact Judy Lienemann ( ) to ask when the General Meetings will be this year. But maybe you just want to do your part to make our U.M.W. organization a great place to make friends by inviting someone who is not already a member to join you at your next Circle meeting. The Executive Board is being asked to meet on Friday, January 9, at 9:30 AM in Fellowship Hall to set the dates for our 2015 Calendar of Events. There are registration forms on our bulletin board for upcoming district events you will enjoy attending. The Mini Mission U in Latta is January 24. We will be hosting the Grand Strand Cluster Meeting on February 21. The first Lenten Luncheon will be held at SUMC and we will be providing the soup and sandwich and dessert for all who attend. May God continue to bless the work we do as United Methodist Women. Be sure to step out into the courtyard and find our brick that has been laid with the others in celebration of our upcoming 50-year history at Surfside United Methodist in Happy New Year! Judy Lienemann, President Hope Circle The first meeting of the year will be Thursday, January 8th at 12 noon in the Fellowship Hall. Hostesses are Pastor Pat and Diane Stiles. Devotion will be given by Elaine Reid with Pastor Pat bringing a program. Everyone is welcome. Joy Circle Joy Circle will meet Tuesday, January 13th at noon in the Fellowship Hall. Hostesses will be Harriet Dry and Sybil Hucks. Charlotte Sandel will have Devotions. Dee Fields will lead us in the study of Psalms 104 and 105. Joy Circle wishes everyone A HAPPY NEW YEAR. Care Circle CARE Circle has had a busy December! We participated in many mission events, including the children's Angel Tree, donating food for their carnival, baking cookies for the Cookie Walk, cooking and serving for the choir reception between their musical performances, assisting the bereavement committee and getting together for our annual Christmas Soup and Salad supper. We celebrated the Season with joy and gladness and CARE Circle Sisterhood. We'll be taking a rest in January, but will continue to correspond via and text messages. Get ready for February and join us in Christian love and Fellowship. For more information on our "e-circle", call Gini Abee at or her at gini.abee@gmail.com. Happy New Year to all! Mary Baker Circle Mary Baker Circle will meet on Wednesday, January 14th at 10:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Elaine Paige will have our pledge program and 2014 update on all our circle s missions. Bev Monroe and Ruth Reckling will be hostesses. Bring a sandwich, drinks and dessert furnished. Any lady in our church is welcome. Elaine Paige Church Women United Church Women United Human Rights Celebration and Annual Meeting 2015 Saturday, January 17th, 1:30 TIME CHANGE Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2061 Glens Bay Road, Surfside Beach. Men and Women are Welcome. Coffee and Dessert provided. Speaker is Farrah Dickerson from Neighbor to Neighbor. Bring snack foods for Help4Kids Back Pack Buddies Program

7 PAGE 7 CHILDREN S MINISTRIES NEWS Dear Church Family, First, I would like to commend the children on doing such a beautiful job in this year s first Live Nativity! We would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Leigh Gamble for directing the Angel/Shepherd Choir and assisting with the Nativity as needed. In addition, many thanks to Paulo Lopes and Parnell Diggs for taking time to share their gift of music with the community. Thank you also to all of our parents and volunteers that helped out where ever we had a need!! Secondly, I would like to give a great big thank you to Sherri Culler for teaching the Children s Bell Choir, Joy to the World for their Sunday and Christmas Eve performances. I would like to thank everyone that helped with this year s Angel Tree! The gifts you purchased or donations you made will allow 60 children to have immediate needs fulfilled, in addition to having "Santa" on Christmas morning. Your generosity truly blesses my heart over & over again! The families are thankful beyond expression!! In addition, thank you so very much to all of you who helped with the Angel Tree Christmas Carnival! Many thanks to all who assisted through serving, decorating, helping with crafts/ games, cleanup afterwards, and thank you to all of you & Santa for making the children feel so special! Many thanks goes to Fun Warehouse for donating an inflatable, Family Kingdom for donating prizes, and to all of you who donated goodies, or money to purchase refreshments. Most of all, thank you for fellowshipping with our Angel Tree families and for welcoming them with open arms. I am truly blessed to see what an impact you are making in the lives of others through sharing the love of Christ!! Abundant Blessings on your New Year! Charlotte Ebaugh CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER NEWS Dear Church Family, I would like to extend our most sincere THANK YOU to those of you that attended our Christmas Pageant during Spirit Night dinner. The support you showed our young children is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to Paulo for leading us in our singing. We are very proud of their performance and it is our wish that we may make this a Christmas tradition for years to come. December was a short month for us. We filled it up with many Christmas crafts, songs, and activities. Santa made a surprise visit! He posed for pictures with each child and brought coloring books for everyone. Our center will be closed Dec. 22-Jan. 5. Believe it or not, it is almost time to think about registering for summer camp and fall classes! Please keep your eye on the newsletter and in the bulletin for information. Wishes for a blessed, happy and healthy new year! Stacey Cleveland The Reverend Richard H. Dickie and Mrs. Brenda Knight Cordially invite you to join them for a District-wide Drop-In Celebrating the completion of the Marion District Parsonage 307 East Oliver Street Marion, South Carolina Sunday, January 11, :00- PM Thursday, February 19 1:00-6:00 PM Watch for sign up sheets. Give the gift of life. Future Dates May 28th August 6th

8 PAGE 8 The Surfside UMM will meet January 15th at 6:45 in the Fellowship Hall. Kenny Bingham will provide the meal. The Men s Ministry had a successful year. From the Surfside Fall Festival all the way thru Christmas Tree Lot. I am really blessed to be surrounded by so many Christian men who love God and are willing to whatever it takes to make each event a success. Some can work all days, some only a few hours but each giving it all. Everyone has limits, some health, some work but each doing his best. I want to thank each and everyone for all your efforts. We know none of this would be possible without our church family s support. Thank you all. The SUMM had the Pumpkin Patch and Christmas Tree Lot repaired. It was a hazard and needed immediate attention. After a few rain days it really was a mess. Thanks to one of our men for finding someone who would do the work quickly and economically. Everyone seems pleased with the results. If you have not noticed it yet, check it out. We are looking toward 2015 with great expectations. Men do not forget the Annual SC UMM weekend. This year at Christ United Methodist Church here in Myrtle Beach. February This years theme is Skin in the Game. Several have already signed up. Hope to see you there. God Bless, Kenny Bingham, President SUMM To The Pastors, Congregation, and Friends of Surfside UMC, May God continue to bless in abundance your many ministries to those in need of inspiration, a friend, and deepening love for our Lord Jesus. Your Sister in Christ, Rev. Jeanne Klauda (Bill Williamson s Daughter) Pastor Wachter, It is an honor for our football team to be associated with Surfside UMC. Many thanks for your support and blessings with feeding our football team this year. Please share with others our thanks. God Bless, Coach Illing Thank you so much for all your cards, prayers, visits, flowers and phone calls. This is a wonderful church. May God grant each of you a healthy and Happy New Year! Love, Nancy Reichert SOUTH STRAND HELPING HANDS SAYS THANKS We would like to thank you so very, very much for your donation of money and the many bags of groceries. We are so blessed to have people like you to help feed many families for Thanksgiving. We gave out 285 turkey meals with all the trimmings. Their bags were full of food and they were very grateful. We also supplied them with LOVE and HUGS. Yes and even a few tears. We also would like to thank Heather Smith for having a Bingo party for South Strand Helping Hands. It was a huge success. Thank you Heather. Don says this all the time and I want to say it myself. GOD LOVES YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND SO DO I. Your Sister In Christ, Susan Alexander Christmas Candy Thank you for stopping by the candy table. The pretzels were a success. It was a sell out. Have a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year. See you at Easter. Friendly Senior News During December, the Friendly Seniors sponsored a trip to Mepkin Abbey and to Hopsewee Plantation and we had a great time. Susan Harvey and her daughter, Robin, who operates Second Wind Tours, arranged our trip. The creches at the abbey were beautiful and the tour of Hopsewee gave us some interesting information about the historical home built in A truly southern meal topped off the occasion. A Christmas tree with the theme, Jesus, the Christmas Rose, was decorated for the residents of Agape Senior Center to enjoy. Thanks to Sharon Beckwith, Virginia Fritts, Mary Hope Funkhouser and Fonda Rist for assisting with this project. On December 16, the Fellowship Hall was beautifully decorated in Christmas colors. Our great cooks provided some delicious food, and the Grand Strand Harmony Chorus gave us a wonderful Christmas concert. Their Christmas attire, close blend of voices and the enthusiasm with which they sang added to the festive spirit of our meeting. Our attendance was very good, since our Snowbirds are drifting in and many of our regular attendees were present. On January 20, at 12:00 noon, we will meet again to fellowship and enjoy a good meal and program. Sue Feheely, our resident actress, will be speaking. Sue has had many opportunities to play different characters in movies and local plays; so if you are over 50, come be with us and enjoy hearing Sue speak. As usual, bring a dish to share, a book to trade, a can of food for Helping Hand, and a friendly smile. As the New Year approaches, we thank God for the gifts of life, love, laughter and learning. Looking ahead, may we look for ways to share Christian love to those we encounter. Happy 2015!

9 Surfside Youth News PAGE 9 Dear Church Family, I hope you ve had a wonderful Holiday season. We are just getting back from a youth gathering break for Christmas, but before the break we packed a great handful of events. We started the month by doing our annual Christmas dinner with the kids at Seacoast Academy (a youth intervention institution). Then it was our turn to celebrate with our own youth Christmas party. Lastly, we partnered with our children s ministry for our church s 1st live nativity! January is a very busy/fun month for us, starting with the 1st weekend. We ll have our first ever Couch Wars. I can t give away information. So come see for yourself or wait for pictures in the next newsletter! We re also looking forward to our MLK Jr. weekend trip. We are heading to Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters in NC, where our kids will worship, learn, fellowship and with other youth groups. They will also Ski and participate in all kinds of outdoor/indoor activities at the camp. We still have room for more. If you would like more information contact me at jlopes@surfsideumc.org or (859) Last, but certainly not least, we are also gearing up for another trip. Our statewide church organizes a youth conference every year called Revolution, in Columbia. The conference this year is Jan. 30th Feb. 1st. This is a very affordable trip and we encourage all youth to participate. For more information, visit Marty Becker Joined our congregation March 30, 2014 She joins by transfer Adrienne Jones Joined our Congregation April 11, 2014 She joins by profession of faith and is a retired college professor.

10 HAVE YOU DONE ALPHA? PAGE 10 If you haven t you might just be missing out. Around 100 people from our church community and beyond have done it. Read a bit of what they had to say about their experiences: Have you ever been with a group of people and were to afraid to ask a question? Well Alpha was a group that took that fear from me. It was an incredible experience to learn about God and myself. Alpha opened up many doors for me that I never knew existed! Natalie Durant As a couple, Debbie and I thought we had a great relationship. Alpha took us to a new place and enhanced that relationship. Sometimes it takes looking deep into ourselves to see how we can become a better person. Alpha helped us with that thought process. Alvin and Debbie Payne The pastor we listened to each time we met made me feel like Jesus was giving the message. Alpha is for everyone and I highly recommend Alpha to everyone. Dolorette Chastain Growing up in church with a Methodist minister as a grandfather, I thought Alpha would have nothing to offer me. I was wrong. I learn a lot, and I also came away with a renewed outlook on my faith and a way to share it. Alpha led to other things like the encounter with God (what an amazing experience!) and my E-group. What an awesome relationship I have with Jesus. I have also made some great lasting friendships with brothers and sisters in Christ. I encourage anyone who wants to renew his/her faith and see what God has for you to start with Alpha. It's a small step towards a lasting meaningful relationship with our lord and savior Jesus Christ. Chris Conness Our next Alpha course begins last week of January. Stay tuned for more information during our services!

11 PAGE 11 You are invited to join any of our separate exercise classes offered at Surfside UMC. On Mondays and Wednesdays, an Adult Fitness Class is offered in the FLC from 9:45-10:45 a.m. These classes consist of walking, stretching and strength conditioning exercises at a low impact rate. Weights and various other exercise equipment are provided. Men and women are invited to participate. These classes are taught by Pat Messinger, an Active Older Fitness Instructor with 10+ years experience. A contribution (in any amount) will be greatly appreciated with 10% tithe to the Church. Please call Pat Messinger at for more information. The Hatha Yoga Class We all get busy during the holidays but lets not stop doing our exercise programs to keep us in shape and good health!!! come join us for Hatha Yoga on Wednesdays in room 8/10.. We have 2 classes from 9:30 to 10:30 and from 11 to 12. Both classes are identical and all you need is a mat or beach towel and water. The classes are free and through our yoga experience we connect with our mind, body and spirit connection. We do stretching, standing poses, breathing exercises and finish with deep relaxation. Any questions call Mary Jo Doggett Currently we have room in the 11 am class. Every Friday at 9:45 a.m. in Room 8/10, Yoga Exercise with Pat. The class consists of Yoga poses geared for the Older Adult ( sitting and standing only.) The Yoga breathing and poses will increase your balance, stretch your muscles in a gentle manner, you will feel more relaxed, enable you to sleep better and to cope with stress better. This class is taught by Pat Messinger, An Active Older Adult Fitness Instructor with over 10+ years experience. A contribution (in any amount) will be greatly appreciated with 10% tithe to the Church. Please call Pat Messinger at for more information. SEND A GET WELL E-CARD If a member of our church family is in Georgetown or Waccamaw Hospital, you can send an e-card which will be printed up and delivered directly to the patient. Go to: click on send a patient greeting choose a picture, and enter a message. You must know their room number in order to send an e-card. What an easy way to let someone you know that you re thinking of them. Give A Meal A Month January Menu Beef Stew Canned Vegetables Any Kind Canned Fruit Any Kind Biscuit Mix Juice Any Type Optional Peanut Butter or Jelly Optional Food donations are always welcome! Please return filled food bags to the GAMAM display in the Narthex. Thank you for supporting South Strand Helping Hands Food Pantry and feeding the needy in our community. Call Ralph or Patti Magliette at with any questions. Stephen Ministers Our Church has an active Stephen Ministry Program that is available to all who would benefit from its services. Stephen Ministers are highly trained individuals ready to assist others who may be facing difficult times going through any of life's many issues. Sometimes just having someone to talk to and share your thoughts and concerns, may help you through those difficult times we all face at some point in our lives. If you would like to explore if this program would work for you or just have questions about the program, please contact Pastor Pat at Lenten Devotional in Progress Personal Moments With God The stories being written for the Lenten Devotional to be published in the spring are gradually coming in. Please remember there is still time to contribute your own personal account of a time when you felt the Lord's presence clearly working for you. The entries are to be written in the format of the Upper Room and there are forms in the narthex that will assist you in writing your personal account. In addition if you don't like writing there are those that will be happy to assist you. If you have questions or want help call the church office or Ruth Reckling at

12 W E E K L Y E V E N T S PAGE 12 Sunday: 8:30 AM Morning Worship 9:30 AM Fellowship Time 9:40 AM UMYF-Forward Motion Series 9:45 AM Church School 9:45 AM Spiritual Gifts Class 9:45 AM Momentum Class 11:00 AM Morning Worship PM UMYF 5:30 PM AA Meeting Monday: 9:00 AM Art Class 9:45 AM Adult Fitness Class 12:00 PM Staff Meeting 5:30 PM AA Meeting 5:30 PM Cub Scouts 6:30 PM Contemporary Band Rehearsal 7:00 PM Handbell Choir 7:00 PM Boy Scouts 7:00PM NA Meeting Tuesday: Wednesday: 9:00 AM Craft Club 5:30 PM AA Meeting 5:30 PM Cub Scouts 6:30 PM Huff-n-Puff Basketball 7:00 PM Grand Strand Harmony Chorus 9:00 AM Bible Study 9:45 AM Adult Fitness Class 9:30 AM Hatha Yoga 10:00 AM Prayer Group 5:30 Spirit Night Dinner 6:30 PM i-praise Worship-Sanctuary 6:30 PM Spirit Night Class Crazy Love 6:45 PM Spirit Singers Rehearsal Thursday: 8:00 AM Men s Grow Group 5:30 PM AA Meeting 5:30 PM Cub Scouts 6:30 PM Huff-N-Puff Basketball Friday 9:45 AM Adult Yoga w/pat 5:30 PM AA Meeting 7:00 PM Grand Strand Harmony Chorus January 2015 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Upward Basketball Practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 1 Church Office Closed Happy New Year 2 Church Office Closed :00 Grief Class 6 No Grief Class 6:30 God & Family :00 Hope Circle No Bible Study 6:00 Stephen Ministry Supervision :00 Upward Basketball Games Pastor Kim at DMin Schooling at Duke 11 3:00 Marion District Parsonage Drop In 5:30 Finance Committee 12 1:00 South Strand Garden Club No Sisters in Faith 6:30 God & Me 7:00 Church Council 13 No Grief Class Marion District Clergy Meeting 12:00 Joy Circle 7:00 Staff Parish Relations Committee 14 10:30 Mary Baker 15 2:00 Bible Study 6:45 UMMen ll :30 Church Women United :00 Sisters in Faith 20 10:00 Grief Class 12:00 Friendly Seniors :00 Bible Study :00 Upward Basketball Games 25 Upward Sunday 26 7:00 Sisters in Faith 27 10:00 Grief Class :00 Bible Study 30 31

13 Jan Buess 1 Allison Bustin 1 Jean Dement 1 Rick Gutierrez 1 Sophie Neely 1 Ken Paige 1 Nancy Cochrane 2 Allen Snipes 2 LaNell Forrest 3 Paul Lamoree 3 Patti Magliette 3 Bob Stuber 3 Hazel Hudson 4 Denee Santacroce 4 Larry Tuttle 4 Scott Wachter 4 Denton White 4 Bre Willoughby 4 Beverly Griffin 5 Sandy McFarlane 5 Fred Parsons 5 Lizlynn Peters 5 Sandra Cashion 6 Cindy Ferguson 6 John Lattin 6 Blair Buckner 7 Kristen Gilbertson 7 Mary Gravatt 7 Sophia Lopes 7 Cheyenne McGowan 7 Sandy Wetter 7 Thomas Blandford 9 Eloise Causey 9 Peggy Ward 9 Chris Barna 10 Stephane Tuck 10 Barbara Vanhorn 10 Owen Adams 11 Jennifer Babb 11 Mary Lynn Blair 11 Alexis Ellerbe 11 Alex St. Romain 11 Jordan Diggs 12 Amanda Lookadoo 13 Kelly Montague 13 Cindy Parrish 13 Sally Medrick 14 Mark Brunty 15 Luke Gaskins 15 Linda Matthews 15 Martha Quinn 15 Ashley Sowers 15 Eliza Ackerman 16 Mary Bitler 16 Paul Eubanks 16 Mike Flowe 16 Joan Hendrickson 16 Heather Ziegler 16 Strib Barton 17 Simone Daniel 17 Kimberly Diggs 17 Fergie Ferguson 17 Eloise Martin 17 Jessica Rushing 17 Bob Hollender 18 Bob Lang 18 Joe McAndrew 18 Melissa Skinner 18 Tim Helms 19 Marie Hagan 20 Jackie Atwood 21 Shirley Brown 21 Linda DeNatale 21 Daniel McLean 21 Don Roy 21 Victor Rogers 22 Pat Messinger 23 Marge Ricker 23 Jim Buckner 24 Mary Moller 24 Stef Cochrane 25 Joe Cochrane 25 Adam Gimbert 25 Matthew Gizzi 25 Michelle Gonska 25 Carolina Lopes 25 Hayden Stampfle 25 Jean Steiner 25 Perri Anne Boling 26 Patrick Burchell 26 Abigail Pendergrass 26 PAGE 13 Sylvia Rogers 26 Wanda Atkinson 27 Mary Mikolajczak 27 Juan Rodriguez 27 Greg Wheeling 27 Maureen Windsor 27 Jason Gilbertson 28 Andy Ritter 28 Ed Curlee 29 Julie Fullwood 29 Meredith Kiser 29 Jes Lueck 29 Trinity Montague 29 Bob Barber 30 Anthony Cantrell 30 Mary Funkhouser 30 Morgan Hood 30 Louis McGowan 30 Ellyn Minette 30 Lauren Shepler 30 Trae Altman 31 Suzanne Chamberlain 31 Alex Cooley 31 David Griffin 31 Piers Pierson 31 Charlotte Sandel 31 Rod and Ann Smith 1 Stephen and Julie Frederick 2 Paulo and Juliana Lopes 6 Mike and Elizabeth Vereen 11 Rob and Caren Brown 14 Bob and Carol Hollender 14 Joe and Robin Costanzo 17 Adam and Judy Dieterich 19 Rhett and Nan Jones 21 Fred and Dolores Parsons 26 Jonnie and Gloria Frazier 27

14 SURFSIDE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH th Avenue North Surfside Beach, SC Phone: Fax: Church Office Hours: 8:30 AM-4:30 PM Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM Friday Church Staff Dr. Scott H. Wachter, Senior Pastor Rev. L. Kim Eanes, Discipleship Pastor Rev. Pat Stiles, Pastor of Care and Visitation J. Paulo Lopes, Minister of Youth, Young Adults, and Family Life Center Ministries Kesha Sims, Office Manager Charlotte Ebaugh, Dir. of Children s Ministries (cebaugh@surfsideumc.org) Glynis Hopkins, Music Director (glynishopkins@gmail.com) Sherri Boschen, Church Organist (sboschen@surfsideumc.org) Stacey Cleveland, Dir. of Child Development Ctr. (scleveland@surfsideumc.org) RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Myrtle Beach, SC Permit No. 29 Grounds Committee Ministry.supporting the human spirit Look what we have done as a church! We are creating a restful and meditative outdoor sanctuary! The Finance Committee of your church is providing for perpetual upkeep of our campus so that future generations may enjoy our church inside and out. Remember you do not have to buy a brick. $10 - donation receives a 2016 anniversary sticker and contributes to planting the courtyard. Be sure we have your mailing address. DONATIONS HAVE CLOSED FOR THE BLUESTONE PAVERS Dedications available Urns $ donation 1 Teak bench $ donation Fountain $1, donation Statement Bricks $ donation The statement bricks may be added at any time by removing a blank brick and inserting a statement brick in its place. Any donation of $10 or more receives a 2016 anniversary sticker and the extra donation will go toward plantings and grass in the courtyard. All donations help us budget future projects and the completion of the courtyard. We have landscaping and irrigation to go. Don't forget that pergola. Thank you everyone for your continued support. During the month of January we hope to start planting grass and perennials. Please contact Lynn Livesay if you have any thoughts.