First United Methodist Church Newton, North Carolina. Fall Festival

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1 Loving People into the Kingdom of God in the Heart of Catawba County. First United Methodist Church Newton, North Carolina OCTOBER 2015 First United Methodist Church Staff: David Greene, Pastor cell: Lara Willis Greene, Pastor cell: John Coffey, Organist Beth Fowler, Choir Director Michael Roberts, Praise Service Josh Costello, Youth Worship Rose Bibeau, Children s Music Julie Braswell, Children s Ministry Ann Cook, Administrative Assist. Kayla Sigmon, Nursery Ministry Julia Macemore, Preschool IN TOUCH 300 N. Main Ave. PO Box 926 Newton, NC fumcnewtonnc.org facebook.com/ fumcnewtonnc Fall Festival Sunday, October 11 3:00-6:00pm Dinner served at 4:30PM Back Creek Blue Grass Boys at 5:00pm Bring the whole family and enjoy crafts, games, hayrides and, of course, FOOD! Come and spend a fall afternoon in fellowship with your church family. If you would like to assist with any of the games or crafts, please contact Julie at juliebbraswell@gmail.com or Please sign up online to bring a food item by using "Sign-Up Genius" found at or sign up at the church Welcome Center. BRING A CHAIR OR BLANKET AND DON T FORGET THE CAM- ERA. Clarence & Gaye Hood s Farm 2690 Sigmon Dairy Rd. Newton, NC Coffey and Dessert Friday, October 23rd, 7:00pm You are invited to spend an evening listening to the piano music of John Coffey. John is originally from Lenoir, and after graduation from high school he attended Lenoir-Rhyne University and served as organist for First Baptist Church of Hickory. He continued his training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and The Juilliard School, culminating in his Master of Music degree in piano performance. Please invite your friends and neighbors to join you as we enjoy some wonderful music by an accomplished artist. Coffee will be provided, however, you are welcome to bring a dessert to share. John will play for about an hour, but we will fellowship until 8:30 pm.

2 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OCTOBER 2015 The Pumpkin Patch is Coming! October 15th-31st Sundays-Fridays 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm Saturdays 10:00 am to 7:00 pm Bring the children... the whole family! Pumpkins in all shapes and sizes for all your needs. First Methodist's youth will be sponsoring a pumpkin patch as a fundraiser for their ministry. The youth will tithe a percentage of the profits to The Corner Table and ECCCM. The patch will be a great spot to make some wonderful fall memories. Our own, Brandy Burnette of Catawba County Library will be hosting "story time" each Saturday, Oct. 17th, 24th, and, of course, on Halloween for children of all ages. Please feel free to come by and take pictures and join in the fun and games. If you would like to assist with the sales table please sign up with "Sign up Genius" for a designated date and time through the church web site use the events and registration tab. We will also need assistance in unloading and placing the pumpkins in the yard. If this chore is more to your liking please contact Julie juliebbraswell@gmail.com or call the church office Thank you in advance for supporting our youth with this new venture. Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 25th, 3:00pm front steps of the sanctuary The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love. No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing. Church is the place where the bond of creation is celebrated. A Blessing of the Animals is a worship service held in honor of the Feast Day of St. Francis. The Feast Day commemorates the 13th century Italian's belief that all creatures are from God and should be treated with dignity and respect. You are invited to bring your pet for this special Blessing of the Animals. Please bring your pet on a leash or in a pet carrier and meet on the front steps of the Sanctuary. This blessing is open to the community, so please let your friends and neighbors know they are welcome. Rain date for this event will be Sunday, Nov. 1st. Girl Scout Troop #2013 This new troop is open to girls Kindergarten through 3rd grade and will meet at the church on Monday nights from 6:00 to 7:30pm in the Activity Room. You may contact Chasity Rosario or Tracie Kelley for more information about joining!

3 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH New Members OCTOBER 2015 Cryin' Lovin' and Leavin' Starting back to school and starting school for the very first time is trying on parents as well as the children. To help Newton Methodist Preschool's parents FUMC's Care Ministry hosted a Cryin' Lovin' and Leavin' table. The beginning of fall brings an opportunity to consider new ministries at the Ministry Fair or continue with traditions started years ago. The History Committee handed out copies of a book on the history of First United Methodist Church Newton written by Louise Barkley, seated. The new Welcome Committee asked people to sign up to be Greeters and Ushers.

4 First United Methodist Small Groups David Greene s Men s Group 7:30pm Beginning September 10 Carolina Vines - downtown Newton 10 North College Avenue David: david.fumcnewton@gmail.com Be a part of this small group of men of all ages as they engage in lively and interactive discussions on contemporary issues in light of Biblical teachings. Bunko & Beliefs Alice Averitt s & Rene Swink s Group 1st & 3rd 6:00-7:30pm First meeting will be September 22 at the church in the Activity Room, lower level sanctuary building. Carolina Vines - downtown Newton 10 North College Avenue Alice: aaaveritt@aol.com Rene: renswink@hotmail.com Combining the fun spirited game of Bunko with great theological dialogue, this small group will use Mocha with Max as their discussion starter. The book is filled with inspirational thoughts from the writer, Max Lucado. Conversation will follow around the Bunko tables with questions to stimulate discussion. Men and women of all ages are invited to join this unique and fun group! WWF-Women Walking in Faith Jessica Rhyne s & Laura Richard s Group 8:00am Beginning September 11 Meet at the Church Jessica: rhynes@embarqmail.com Laura: ljrichard@charter.net Ministering to soul and body, this small group will meet in the Church parking lot for a time of devotion followed by discussion as they walk around downtown Newton. At 9:00am, those who are available will head to Blue Moon for additional conversation and coffee. Beverly Underwood s Group 7:00pm Beginning September 14 At the Church - Gomedela Room Bev: beverlyfaye61@gmail.com Are you searching for practical advice on how to live like a Christian? Bev s small group will be studying the book, How to Stay Alive as Long as You Live, by Robert Spain. Come and discover specific ways on how to find meaning in life, handle life s detours, manage loneliness and achieve genuine happiness. Adult Ministry Trip If you might be interested in a trip to Myrtle Beach this November or December to see a couple of Christmas Shows, please contact Mary Yoder at The rates start at $84.00 per person for one night lodging and two shows based on double occupancy. This rate is based on 10 rooms or more. PB & J Sundays Bring a new, plastic container of peanut butter or jelly for Conover School! On the first Sunday of every month, First UMC will celebrate PB & J Sunday, a day designated for everyone to bring either a plastic container of peanut butter or a plastic container of jelly.

5 First United Methodist Small Groups cont. Melissa & Allyson Ervin s Women s Group 2nd & 4th Beginning September 13 At the Church in the Bride s Room Melissa: MelErvin06@gmail.com Allyson: allyson_ervin@catawbaschools.net Have you ever thought, I can t keep pretending everything is fine! then this is the study for you! The journey to spiritual health begins by quitting quit being afraid of what others think, quit denying anger & sadness, quit living someone else s life. When you quit those things, you are free to choose ways of living that are rooted in God s love. Join this group as they study, The Emotionally Healthy Woman by Geri Scazzero. BINGO Tuesday, October 6th 2:00pm in the Gomedela Room Please bring a friend! Twelve games will be played with prizes and refreshments furnished. Still Not Sure? We can help out find a group! Fill out the information below and drop it in the offering plate or contact:: Rev. Lara Willis Greene willis.fumcnewton@gmail.com Name: Phone: Type of Group I m interested in: Women s Ministry The Joyful Believers will meet on Monday, October 5th at 10 AM in the Gomedela Room. Inspirations will meet on Monday, October 5th at 2:00pm in the Gomedela Room. All women are welcome to attend these Group meetings. Prison Ministry Outreach Program First United Methodist Church is excited to announce a new community outreach program where members will be able to witness and/or otherwise support a prison ministry in Catawba County. In Matthew Chapter 25, Jesus emphasizes the importance of visiting and ministering to those in prison. Who is more in need of hearing the good news of God s saving grace than those who are incarcerated, often downtrodden, and without hope. Let s plant seeds of faith and forgiveness for those in this most difficult situation! For more information on how you can be an instrument of God s love for those in desperate need, contact Phyllis Watson at or tigger432010@live.com

6 Donations packets are available at the Welcome Center.

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8 A Word from the Pastor I hope you ll take some time and look over the ministry opportunities that are listed in this newsletter. Things really begin to crank-up around the church as we shift into autumn. It is a wonderful time to serve, deepen our faith, and have a bunch of fun and fellowship. I look forward to seeing you at the Pumpkin Patch. This is a new ministry sponsored by our youth and I can t wait to see how it brings the community onto the front lawn of our church. You don t want to miss our annual Fall Festival at Clarence and Gaye Hood s farm. There will be a special surprise this year you don t want to miss it! Please prayerfully consider participating in The Eastern Catawba County Hunger Walk on October 18. Bev Underwood and I sat in on the planning events for this community wide event. We are really excited that this event is taking place in downtown Newton and that all of the proceeds will benefit ECCCM and The Corner Table. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, was a big believer in taking the gospel into the prisons. So will you please consider contacting Phyllis Watson and asking her how you can support our new Prison Ministry Outreach initiative? By now I hope you have found a small group in which to be a part? I can t tell you the number of folks who told Willis and me how much they enjoyed their small group experience last spring. It is a wonderful way to connect with one another and with Christ on a deeper level. Wasn t the Ministry Fair a great success and a lot of fun? Thank you to everyone who participated. And a special thank you to Julie Braswell for organizing it and to Nink Harvell and his family for providing lunch. Well, school is well underway by now. And the good news is that we have 60 children enrolled in our preschool program. It is one of the largest enrollments that we have had in awhile. Let s keep Ms. Julia and all of the children and teachers in our prayers for the school year. I hope you have received your new Church Directory. Thank you to Debbie Rights for spearheading this ministry of our Welcoming Committee. Have you seen our new Welcome Center? Judy Ikerd has done a great job recruiting church members to volunteer in the center throughout the week. And it has been a delight to watch the interaction of our church members with our preschool children as they enter and exit the building each day. Thanks to Fred Cook and Reid Ikerd for the tremendous work they did in constructing the new center. Thank you to everyone who is participating in our upcoming Usher and Greeter Ministry training event. And I want to offer a special thank you to Jim Mauney and our Welcoming Committee for organizing the training. This ministry is so important because, in many ways, our greeters and ushers serve as the face of our congregation as we gather for worship each Sunday. Jim Richard is leading our Trustee Committee in resuming work on our Imagine More capital campaign. They have been busy securing quotes for the next phase of work to begin in the Sanctuary building. By now I m sure you have seen our new church minibus. Our youth group recently used it for an event in Charlotte and our Kid s 4 Christ program uses it each Wednesday to pick-up 24 children at 4 local elementary schools. Thanks to Harris Jones and Paul Campbell for driving the bus for our Kids 4 Christ children. And a special word of thanks to Harris Jones and Jim Stockner for assisting our congregation with the recent minibus purchase. Don t forget to invite your friends and neighbors to the Coffey and Dessert gathering on Friday, October 23. We are so incredibly fortunate to have John Coffey as part of our church family and I know we will be blessed as he shares his gift of music with us. If you are a lover of pets, then you ll want to gather on the front lawn for our Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday, October 25. It should be a delightful and meaningful act of praise to God for the gift of these beloved creatures. The Book of Ecclesiastes explains: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die. Indeed, we are born and we will die. Yet death is one of those topics many of us would rather not talk about. However, our faith has so many incredibly rich resources to help us deal with the painful reality of death. Over the next few Sundays we will be offering a new sermon series entitled, Grief 2 Hope that I believe will be helpful, inspiring and encouraging. In conjunction with this series, Betty McGee has arranged with Hospice to provide a program here at First Methodist on Advanced Care Planning. Someone recently told me that 80 percent of Americans say they want to plan for end-of-life treatment but only 7 percent ever do. Please consider taking advantage of this workshop and be one of those persons who has planned for this season of our lives. Wow! There s a lot going on in our church family to honor Christ. Thank you for letting me be part of it! See you Sunday, David

9 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OCTOBER 2015 October Children's Ministries Sunday School meets each Sunday from 10:00 am to 10:45 am. Classes are offered for children from age 2 through 5th grade. The theme for K-5th is Abraham & Sarah, Genesis 12:1-9, 18:1-15 and 21:1-7. Join us as we learn through cooking, games, video, art and storytelling. Kids 4 Christ meets each Wednesday afternoon during the school year from 3:00pm until 5:30pm. This ministry is open to all children in K-6th grade This is where kids come to know and serve Christ through music, mission activities, and games. We even have time to work on our homework! Contact Julie at juliebbraswell@gmail.com with any questions regarding Children's ministries. Fall into Youth Happenings... Sunday, Oct. 4th - we will combine our Sunday Night Youth with a Pumpkin Patch meeting for all youth and their parents. Meet at 4:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Sunday, Oct. 11th - please plan to attend and bring your friends to the Fall Festival from 3 to 6 pm. Wednesday, Oct.14th - meet in the church front yard at 4:00 pm to unload pumpkins. Pizza will be available in the Fellowship hall following the unloading. Sunday,Oct.18th - the Eastern Catawba County Hunger Walk will take place. Meet at the north side of the Courthouse/ Museum Square for the 2:00 pm walk around Newton. If you are interested in walking, please see Julie for a collection envelope. The collection envelope and all monies (please make checks payable to ECCCM) will need to be turned in at the walk registration table. This will be a church-wide event, so bring the whole family. Sunday Oct 25th - at 3:00 pm Youth will be assisting at the Blessing of the Animals on the front steps of the Sanctuary. Friday, Oct.15th through Saturday, Oct. 31st - the Youth will be assisting with the Pumpkin Patch fundraiser sale on the church lawn. You may sign up for a designated date and time through the church website click on the events and registrations tab. Any questions regarding any of the Youth activities, please contact Julie at juliebbraswell@gmail.com or

10 OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS Steve Arndt 10/1 Brian Mayberry 10/1 June Sherrill 10/2 Ronnie Stephens 10/2 Donnie Holbrook 10/3 Amanda Lane 10/3 Lindsay McKay 10/3 Jessie Raeford 10/3 Leslie Robison 10/3 Craig Doig 10/4 Frances Petree 10/5 Owen Sims 10/5 Haskew Smith 10/5 James Clark 10/6 Melissa Ervin 10/6 Alan Martin 10/6 Robert Sherrill 10/6 Gavin Sias 10/6 Meagan Sias 10/6 Riggins Burnette 10/8 Rusty Setzer 10/8 Jimmy Newsome 10/9 Diane Smith 10/9 Greg Cranford 10/10 Amy Hollingsworth 10/10 Joel McCombs 10/10 Kristi Harvell 10/11 Derek Jackson 10/11 Jessica Stair 10/11 James Winstead 10/11 Whitney Macijewski 10/12 Tai Orange 10/12 Nancy Burgess 10/13 Regina Copeland 10/13 Olivia Sitzer 10/13 Whitney Doig 10/14 Tim Barkley 10/15 Jeff Carter 10/16 Ashley Lamb 10/16 Al Macijewski 10/16 Brandon Cavin 10/17 Larry Gregory 10/17 Megan Hildebran 10/17 Haley Brown 10/19 Maddy Clontz 10/20 Clarence Hood Jr. 10/20 Cole Poovey 10/20 Brenda Reynolds 10/20 Anna White 10/20 Neal Auspitz 10/21 Anita Bollinger 10/21 Edna Davidson 10/21 Jennifer Stiver 10/21 Kim Whitener 10/21 Kirsten Setzer 10/23 Jake Sitzer 10/23 Bobby Fowler 10/24 Lisa Sigmon 10/24 Don Pope 10/26 Bob Powell 10/27 Holly Cable 10/28 Wayne Hadley 10/28 Keith Mayberry 10/28 Jimmy Burnette Jr. 10/29 Jane Clark 10/30 Matthew Fletcher 10/30 Kevin Forsyth 10/30 Dawn Stephens 10/31 Clint Trivette 10/31 OCTOBER WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Josh & Megan Stephens 10/4 Garrett & Tonya Moss 10/5 Jim & Laura Richard 10/5 Michael & Kelly Hollar 10/7 Jim & Libby Mauney II 10/7 Bob & Carol Brown 10/8 Brian & Brooke Roberts 10/9 Gary Fay & Cecilia Chiok 10/10 Ken & Dianne Hollar 10/18 Randy & Bev Underwood 10/21 David & Sandra Hardin 10/23 Danny & Tracy Wilson 10/24

11 Jack Gantt Jack Gantt Jack Gantt September Memorials Current Expense Fund Mini-Bus Fund Capital Building Fund September Honorariums Norris/Gail McRee Deceased parents Nancy Killian Sunday Garden Fund Robe Fund Robe Fund Sharing Our Gifts Attendance Tithes and Offerings Capital Bldg. Fund Aug $8, $ Sept , , Sept , Sept , ON TIME Oct. 1 Oct. 4 Oct. 5 Oct. 6 Oct. 7 Oct. 11 Oct. 13 Oct. 14 Oct. 18 Oct. 20 Oct. 21 Oct. 23 Oct. 25 Oct. 27 Oct. 28 Hospice Seminar Youth Pumpkin Patch Sales Training Group II & Group III GriefShare Bingo Kids 4 Christ Fall Festival GriefShare Kids 4 Christ ECCCM Hunger Walk Journey Finance Committee Administrative Council GriefShare Kids 4 Christ Coffey and Dessert Blessing of the Animals Journey GriefShare Kids 4 Christ Sooner or later, heartache and sorrow will come to all of us. The broken heart is a fact of life. Every person will eventually walk through the valley of grief; yet death is one of those topics many persons prefer not to think or talk about. So where do we turn to find help, healing, and hope in the face of loss and sorrow? The Christian faith has a great deal to say to us about dealing with grief and how we can grow spiritually in the face of loss. First United Methodist Church is going to address how we can deal with sorrow and loss in a new sermon series, Grief 2 Hope. We are going to be looking at how faith helps mend a broken heart and about how God s love sustains us when we are at the end of our rope and have lost all hope. If you have lost a loved one, or simply have questions about death and the afterlife, you will find this series helpful and encouraging. October 4, 2015 October 11, 2015 October 18, 2015 October 25, 2015 November 1, 2015 A Faithful Farewell Understanding the Journey of Grief The Afterlife Christianity and Suicide Heaven