THE FIRST WORD WEDNESDAY NIGHT SUPPER AND BIBLE STUDY CONTINUE IN NOVEMBER. A publication of Ellijay First United Methodist Church November 2015

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1 THE FIRST WORD A publication of Ellijay First United Methodist Church November 2015 A Butterfly Thanksgiving Date The week of Thanksgiving, Tom and T Allgood always put on a huge Thanksgiving dinner for the community in Augusta. Anyone could come. They arranged buses to transport folks from the area retirement homes and vans that would pick up others from some of the poor neighborhoods. There were those that walked in off the streets and those that drove themselves there. The first year I came to the church, Tom and T invited me to come. It was a great meal; turkey with all the trimmings and pumpkin pies shared with people from all walks of life. I went through the line, filled my plate and found my way to a chair at one of the many tables. I had just set my plate down when the woman sitting across the table asked me if I would mind getting her some more sweet tea. I looked and saw this elderly woman holding out her glass so I took it and went and refilled it. I wondered as I was walking back what made me think I had met her before. She thanked me and I realized it was her voice that sounded so familiar. WEDNESDAY NIGHT SUPPER AND BIBLE STUDY CONTINUE IN NOVEMBER November 4 Noon Circle November 11 Boy Scouts November 18 Youth December 2 UMM December 9 Boy Scouts December 16 PreSchool I asked her if she would like some pie and went and got us both a piece. As we were enjoying the pie I said, Your voice is just so familiar sounding. She looked at me and smiled and asked if I had ever seen Gone With the Wind. As soon as she said it I knew; I was sitting with Butterfly McQueen! I thanked her for letting me sit with her and I thanked her for giving such a gift to us in her role as Prissy. She smiled and said she was glad for the company. She knew when I got her tea that I was okay. She didn t have family around. She lived alone in a small house. Film had brought her some fame but not much fortune. I asked her if she might be coming to the meal next year. She said she would. I asked her if I might sit with her again. She looked at me, then she smiled and said, Thank you. It s a date! For three more years, Butterfly and I had a Thanksgiving date. I think she even looked forward to it. I know I did. Let us give thanks for all the opportunities and people God brings to bless us. They are the real treasures in life. I give thanks for all the members of my church family. I give special thanks to those who give of themselves so unselfishly throughout the year. They make Ellijay a warmer and more desirable place to be. May God continue to bless you and keep you. Happy Thanksgiving. Thom

2 SUNDAY 8:45 a.m. Early Worship 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship 6:00 p.m. Impact Youth ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS Each Monday 4:45 p.m. Zumba BODY AND SOUL exercise 1st Monday 5:30 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting November 2 6:00 p.m. Administrative Council Meeting November 2 2nd Monday 6:30 p.m. UMW Claddagh Night Circle - November 9 4th Monday 11:30 a.m. Prayer Shawl Workshop November 23 Each Tuesday 11:00 a.m. Adult Bible Study BYKOTA CLASSROOM 1st Tuesday 8:00 a.m. UMM Prayer Breakfast/Meeting at IHOP November 3 3rd Tuesday 5:30 p.m. UMM Dinner & meeting Shane s Rib Shack November 17 3rd Tuesday 12:00 noon UMW Noon Circle November 17 Each Wednesday 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Family & Friends Dinner 5:45 p.m. Grace Notes 6:00 p.m. Youth IMPACT (9th 12th grade) 6:00 p.m. Children s Wednesday Night program/choir 6:30 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal 1st Wednesday 5:00 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting, BYKOTA CLASSROOM Each Thursday 4:45 p.m. Zumba BODY AND SOUL exercise 1st Thursday 11:00 a.m. Joy Circle November 5 Each Saturday 9:30 a.m. Zumba BODY AND SOUL exercise The Methodist Men fed over 100 Gilmer High School football team members and coaches on October 17, Pastor Thom gave a very inspiring motivational talk. 2

3 Wednesday evening Bible study of Revelation Continues What was happening with the church during the 1st century that prompted the writing of Revelation? Is Revelation only to be considered a message of biblical prophecy, or was it penned as a message of hope to the early church? And perhaps most importantly, what does Revelation have to say to us today? Come join us! There is no cost involved for books. Be sure to bring your bibles. Study is being led by Bill McKinney. Sunday, November 1, is Retired Educators Day in Georgia. Thank those retired teachers that you know STOP HUNGER NOW The world is my parish John Wesley Stop Hunger Now is driven by the vision of a world without hunger. Their mission is to end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life changing aid to the world s most vulnerable and creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources. Over the last 15 years, Stop Hunger Now has packaged and distributed more than 210,000,000 meals in 71 countries. But that never would have been possible without volunteers and their support. This year s drive will be November 7, 2015 at Cartecay United Methodist Church. Last year we packaged 47,000 meals. This year s goal is 60,000 meals. Your assistance is essential in providing for the hungry whether it be financial support, packaging the meals or both. We would like to encourage individuals, Sunday Schools and other organizations to make donations for this worthy cause. For more information go to - or contact Dean Carlsen deancarlsen@etcmail.com Lloyd Vautrot - lvautrot@yahoo.com There are no more dates available for Wednesday night suppers for this school year. Also, the Hospitality committee thanks you all (host groups and attendees) for your cooperation in adapting to the new procedures. We think the new system is working well! Our Stephen Ministry will be hosting a one hour 'LUNCH AND LEARN' after the 11:00 service on November 15, We will show a 30 minute DVD called, 'God's Healing Love for Hurting People.' Come and experience the benefits of this Ministry! We'll have a lunch and answer any questions you may have! Come! We'd love your attendance in the Fellowship Hall on 11-15! 3

4 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES--9:45 a.m. HELPING HANDS CLASS Helping Hands Class just finished our study on Romans. On November 1st Pastor Thom will talk to our class about UMCOR and November 8th Donna Carlsen will have a surprise lesson for us. November 15th we will start the Advent study Christmas is Not Your Birthday by Mike Slaughter. Plans are being made for a dinner get-together in early December. Our class supports four local charities with monthly donations and sponsors a young boy in Kenya. We welcome anyone who is not in a Sunday School Class to join us Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Come a little early for donuts and coffee. CORNERSTONE SS CLASS The Cornerstone SS class is currently studying the Book of Genesis. On November 15 we will begin an Advent Study, The Journey, by Adam Hamilton. Our monthly social will be at the home of Ed and Jackie Boyd on Nov. 14. We had a wonderful time at our Halloween social hosted by the Stephens. Our class members are active in the Gilmer Food Pantry, the Faith, Hope and Charity Store, the Kenya Project, UMW and UMM. BYKOTA The BYKOTA Class (Be Ye Kind One To Another) is a small intimate class with lots of lively discussions on the various topics we choose through the year. We are currently doing an interesting study on Romans. The teaching responsibilities are shared among the class members, who each bring different skills and talents to the table. We support the Wednesday night children's, program, the Gilmer Food Pantry, New Beginnings Transitional Housing, Kids Ferst, and the Back Pack Program. We love to have visitors, come and join us. BEN BARRETT SS Class The class maintains an emergency food freezer, makes monthly donations to Gilmer Food Pantry, provides Sunday night meals for youth, and supports GRASP and Vacation Bible School with monetary donations. CROSSWALK SS CLASS has been reorganized under the leadership of Al Summers. This class is open to all adults. The class meets in Marianne s Preschool Office. Please join us! THANK YOU SO MUCH! We want to thank everyone for all the wonderful expressions of appreciation we have received from our church family. You have made us feel truly appreciated and loved. Thank you and God bless. Thom and Sharon Shores Please consider volunteering for: ~~Sunday School Teacher for 4 year olds to 1st grade (every other month) ~~Children s Church leader (once every 3 months) ~~Nursery Helper (once every 3 months) ~~Choir Leader for 4 year olds 1st grade (Wednesday s, 6 6:30 pm) Please see Marianne for more information. 4

5 Cornerstone Sunday School Class Halloween Party 14 people are now UMCOR certified 12 guys and 2 gals. EFUMC UMM sponsored the Chainsaw class. Some participants came all thee way from Chatsworth. Health and Wellness Committee Presentation DIABETES & PRE-DIABETES by Jill Nielsen, APRN Sunday, November 8, 2 p.m. Fellowship Hall Practical Faith-Sharing Powder Springs UMC Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m. 12 noon This is part of WMEI s ReThinking Seminar series led by Dr. Winston Worrell. Registration cost of $25 per person includes the Faith-Sharing resource materials, lunch and morning coffee. Groups of 4 or more persons registered together are $20 per person. Please contact Geri Worley for more information or to register. Claddagh Night Circle meets the 2nd Monday at 6:30 p.m. Noon Circle meets the 3rd Tuesday at 12 noon. Joy Circle meets the 1st Thursday at 11 a.m. Noon Circle will be taking orders for Rada cutlery through November 4. Catalogs will be available in the fellowship hall and the church office. Checks may be made out to Noon Circle. 5

6 Bringing Christ s healing love to hurting people The mission of our Stephen Ministry is To share the love of Jesus Christ by providing one-toone, distinctively Christian care to individuals who are experiencing life s challenges and difficulties. NEEDED - Stephen Ministers: Male and Female Ever thought about becoming a Stephen Minister? Applications are being accepted for a new Stephen Minister training class. What do Stephen Ministers do? Stephen Ministers bring distinctively Christian care to those in need by working alongside our pastors to care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. If you have a desire to share God s love with those that are hurting, consider becoming a Stephen Minister. You will join the more than 600,000 laypeople worldwide that share the love of Jesus Christ by providing one-to-one, distinctively Christian care to individuals who are experiencing life s challenges and difficulties. To learn more, go to the Stephen Ministries web site at If you would like to be part of this ministry or would like more information about it, contact our Stephen Leader, Gwen Scarth at or gwenyth.allen@gmail.com Your health and wellness committee is here to help with medical questions and referrals. You may talk to any of our RN's: Tamra Acree, Nancy Smith, Katherine Meyer, Carol Maiyer and Jackie Boyd. Jennifer Vines is our occupational therapist. We are happy to assist you. We provide a nurse for Grow Camp. We do B/P monthly at church. We keep the AED up in the back hallway. We put an article in the monthly newsletter. We send out cards. We do CPR training for the youth and ushers. We do home visits. We handle meds and updating first aid kits at Grasp Most importantly is all the consults and referrals we do every week. We do a yearly seminar. Past seminars included advance planning, grief, and depression. 6

7 RECENTLY, WHY HAS SO MUCH ATTENTION BEEN GIVEN TO GLUTEN FREE FOODS? Is it a fad or are more people becoming gluten intolerant? Gluten is a protein found in many grains, including wheat, rye and barley. It's found in most breads, cereals, pastas and many processed foods. A gluten-free diet is primarily used to treat celiac disease. Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevents complications. Now there are some people who don't have celiac disease and also may have symptoms when they eat gluten. This is called non-celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance. This is not a food allergy, it's a physical condition in your gut. This is caused by undigested gluten proteins prevalent in wheat and grains that hang out in your intestines and are treated by the body like a foreign invader, irritating, the gut along the small intestine wall. This can lead to lessening the absorption of nutrients from food. People may experience symptoms of malabsorption, including chronic fatigue, anemia, nausea, skin rashes and depression. If you remove gluten from the diet, the gut heals and many of the symptoms disappear. There are several theories as to why some people have gluten intolerance, from genetic-predisposition to our environment and diet. One of the leading thoughts among many is the natural flora in the small intestine is damaged from such things as antibiotic use or consuming foods you cannot digest. It appears that damaged gut flora is on the rise in our society. From heavy consumption of sugar, alcohol, antibiotics, environmental toxins and other allergens like the introduction of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms or Foods) all contribute to imbalanced intestinal flora which can cause gluten-intolerance. The thinking is that gluten-free diets are very much on the rise. A couple of reasons: the diagnosis is difficult and can be costly. So parents whose children have symptoms may be experimenting with gluten -free diets. If their kids behave better, they may conclude their children are gluten intolerant. Also, doctors are more aware of the problem and are testing for it. Another thought is modern wheat varieties are much different from the more traditional varieties. Modem wheat is simply not the same plant it used to be, and that, along with improperly prepared grain consumption, has led to the rise in levels of gluten intolerance. All this having been said most people shouldn't eat gluten-free. Gluten-free products made with refined grains can be low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Should you decide to go on a gluten-free diet, do it the right way, consult with your doctor and talk with a nutritionist. One nutritionist noted, " there's nothing magical about eliminating gluten that results in weight loss. Any of us that eliminates or removes cookies and candies from our diets and replaces them with fruits and vegetables is going to feel better." Thus, it appears gluten intolerance is on the rise. However, more people announce they have gluten intolerance despite not being tested by a physician or having a real diagnosis, so it is difficult to evaluate the actual numbers, but clearly there are many more gluten-free products in the markets. 7

8 CHILDREN S MINISTRY Thanks to everyone for your participation in this event. We had over 100 kids plus parents that got to see Jesus light shining thru the fun and love of you guys! All the trunks were great the judges had such a hard time picking winners. Thanks for your support and devotion to children! Take a look at some of our Trunks and Treats! Congrats to our 1st place Trunk We Roll With Jesus More Than a Movie Date: December 4th Time: 5-9 Location: FUMC (Reservation required!) Come enjoy a great movie, delicious dinner, snacks, games and find out how this movie relates to the Bible.. PARENT S NIGHT OUT On November 18 th we will have our third Missions Wednesday We will be headed to tower road to finish fleece blankets for the children that live in the area. CONGREGATION: We are asking for donations of 1 1/2 yards to 3 yards of fleece to do a blanket. We will need about 100 yards all together. Please send any fleece fabric in by November 15 th. These will be for kids ranging in age from 3 years-12 years. Thanks for helping us share God s love with our community! Cutting Day: November 16 th 10:00-2:00 (anytime in between) Join in on this mission by helping us prep these blankets to make on the 18 th. We will need all blankets precut to get them ready to tie. Children s Church Ages 3 years thru 2nd Grade. Join us after the children s sermon in church. We will sing some songs. The lesson and craft will go along with the children s sermon. We will also have a snack. We will join back up with the parents in church. Children s Church Volunteer Schedule November 2 November 9 November 16 November 23 November 30 Debbie W. Barb Dohl Gina Putman Jenny Easley Need Volunteer Nursery Jacqueline P. Need Volunteer Bliss Cole Leyla Leon Diane V. 8

9 NEW YOUTH SCHEDULE Sundays Sunday School: 9:45 Middle School IMPACT: 5:00-7:00 High School IMPACT: 6:00-8:00 (from 6-7 everyone will be together for dinner & game) Wednesdays 6:00-6:30 group game/activity 6:30-7:30 Middle School Bible Study 6:30-7:30 High School Bible Study IMPACT YOUTH MISSION Wednesdays- the last Wednesday of every month we will be doing a local act of service! Other Dates: November 6th-7th- Lock-in & stop hunger now December 13th- Youth Progressive dinner! WINTER RETREAT Where: Pigeon Forge, TN When: January 22nd-24th Who:6th-12th graders What: A conference for youth from all over the country. Entertainment, worship, band, speaker, and fun free time together in Pigeon Forge! Cost: $80, deposit of $40 due September 20th!! 2016 Confirmation Class starting January 10th! 9:30 a.m. NOTES FROM THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMMITTEE If you know of anyone who is homebound or in the hospital, please call the church office so one of our team members can make a visit. There is a first aid kit now located in the kitchen. An AED is on the back hallway wall close to the fellowship hall. If you have difficulty hearing, please see an usher before church for a hearing impaired device. Online Giving is now available! Please visit our website ( Click on the DONATE button 9

10 Why does the church exist? According to Matthew s Gospel, the risen Christ made it clear: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you (28:19-20) Based on this Great Commission, our United Methodist Church has stated its purpose: WE HAVE A MISSION Welcoming-Worshiping-Nurturing-Sending The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. So the mission of our congregation is to make disciples. This is a fourfold task.... We could abbreviate our mission as one of welcomingworshiping-nurturing-sending. From The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2012, p. 91. For more information on Our Faith, please visit the UMC Web Site. Ellijay First United Methodist Church 75 McCutchen Street P.O. Box 472 Ellijay, GA Church: Fax: Pastor s Residence: office@fumcellijay.org, thom@fumcellijay, youth@fumcellijay.org, children@fumcellijay.org Website: Church Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday CHURCH STAFF The Reverend Dr. Thom Shores, Pastor The Reverend Alan Tarr, Assistant Pastor Tamra Acree, Faith Community Nurse Charlie Bryant, Director of Music Paul Campbell, Organist Gabrielle Cornett, Pianist Marianne Evans, Director of Children s Ministries & Preschool Kerri Anne Sanford, Youth Minister Ann Hanline, Administrative Assistant Pam Corbin, Custodian Angel Hughes, Nursery Coordinator 10