The Messenger March 2, 2017

Transcription

1 he Mess The Messenger March 2, 2017 Upcoming Events Shine On... Glenda Hull at the Main campus and Butch Haulsee at The Well for always having the coffee ready for us each Sunday! 2016 Contribution Statements can be found in the Narthex and the lobby of The Well. Easter Lilies Lent begins on March 1 st. If you would like to order an Easter Lily to be placed in the Sanctuary, please pick up a form in the Narthex and return to the church office by March 27th, or place in the offering plate. The cost is $15 for each plant. You may pick up your Easter Lily immediately following the 11:00 a.m. service. BYOP! Next Sunday, March 12th, Bring Your Own Picnic to church and enjoy some laid-back fellowship together. Bring whatever you need for you or your family and head over to War Memorial Park across from our main campus after whatever service you attend! It will be a time for us to rest and relax and enjoy each other's company. Easter Egg Hunt We are now collecting plastic Easter eggs and egg stuffers for our Easter Egg Hunt on April 16th. We are planning to have 4500 eggs. Thank you ahead of time for your contributions. You can drop them off in the narthex or the lobby of the Well. We are excited to invite the community to our services and our egg hunt on Easter! Barbara Barlow's 90th Birthday Celebration

2 Please come celebrate with us on March 19th from 2-4 p.m. at the home of Doug & Joyce St. John, 514 Mockingbird Dr in Long Beach. Your presence is requested. No gifts please. New Sermon Series Main Campus "Encounter" is the new worship series at the Main Campus. Beginning on March 5th, the first Sunday of Lent, worship will focus on encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John. Each story will help us see how an encounter with Jesus changes lives and deepens faith. New Sermon Series The Well Beginning on March 5th, the first Sunday of Lent, we will begin a new Sermon Series "Spiritual Disciplines" at The Well. We will focus on the things we can do to enhance our relationship with Jesus. Spring Women's Retreat Our Women's Retreat will be held at a cabin at Palmer Creek on March 17th and 18th. The cost for meals and supplies will be $25 per participant. You have the option to sleep in bunk beds at the cabin or spend the night in your home. Registration papers are available starting this Sunday in narthex of the sanctuary and the lobby of the Well. The deadline to sign up is Monday, March 13th. Tuesday Night Community Group 6:30 to 7:30 PM The Daniel Plan: 40 Days to a Healthier Life by Rick Warren God designed your body to be healthy and He provided everything you need to thrive and live an abundant life. Learn about the five essentials that will launch your journey to health: faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends! Place: The home of Nancy Ruff (Long Beach) Facilitator: Jenny Gates "The Forge" Men's Community Group Thursday Morning Coffee Break Starts: March 16 ~ Time: 7:00-7:45 AM Place: The Mockingbird Café in Olde Town Bay St. Louis Facilitator: Chris Daniels Sunday Morning Children's Ministry Opportunities If you are feeling called to work with children, we have several ways you can serve! Please let Lori Cripple ( ) know if you are interested in any of the following: * Preschool/kindergarten Sunday School assistant * Baby Well volunteers on rotational basis * 8:30 service children's church volunteers on rotational basis * Well Jr volunteers (leaders and helpers) on rotational basis Circle Meetings Polly Mincher March 14 at 9:30 Trudy Newland Pineville Rd. Circle One March 20 at 6:30m Betsy Bullard 3 Partridge Place Program: Call To Prayer Mission: Call to Prayer Offering Flowers: Circle one Mission Study--March 15 CLC 9-12 noon The Bible and Human Sexuality Leader--Glenda Hull

3 All women of the Church are invited to attend UMW Meetings. Questions? Contact Joyce St. John at Online Giving Just a reminder, you can go to our website at fumclb.org and click on the Online Giving tab to make giving quick and easy. Online Giving Weekly Updates and Events Prayer Concerns... PC & Dee Havens, Pat & James Holifield, Kayne Troutman, Debbie Knight, Jim & Wanda Miller, Chrissy Edwards, Shorty Haulk, Joseph Poupart, Jackie Branch, Jan Flynn, Sandra Gibson, Randal Guthrie, Diane Saul, Barbara Ballanco, Albert Rowell, Kathy Reynolds, Cory Miller, John Harrison Doucet, Lois Jones, Barbara Barlow, Alibe Hinton, Susan Molesworth, Jackie Poupart, Jason LaFrance, Jeremy Smith, John French, Bill Toulme', Janis Slade, Rev. Love Loftis, Patrick Kirkland, Carl & Doris Flethrich, Connie Durham, Joan Holyfield, Sam McCauley, Hank Viehmann, Randy Clark, & Mary Kerg. Last Weeks Givings and Attendance Budget Offering for 2/26/2017 $7, : :00-72 The Well Sunday School - 86 In Sympathy We would like to express our Christian love and sympathy to Andy Crouch and family at the death of her husband, John Crouch. In Memory Donation were given in memory of Ruth Swofford by Fred & Kaye Rendfrey and Wayne & Floss Roberts. Donations were given in memory of Larry Roberts by Lewis & Dixie Alexander, Harry & June Garrett, Claire Morrison, Mary Morrison, & Claire Holmes, and Robin & Daryl Shugart. A donation was given in memory of Richard Allely by Dick & Mary Kinser. Weekly Calendar

4 Sunday, March 5th 8:30 a.m. Sanctuary Morning Worship 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Confirmation Class - Youth Hall 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. The Well - Fleming Auditorium USM 3:30 p.m. Puppets Ministry upstairs in Moore Hall (MH) 5:00 p.m. UMYF Monday, March 6th 6:30 p.m. SPRC Meeting in the Library 7:00 p.m. Trustees Meeting Tuesday, March 7th 9:00 a.m. Ladies Bible Study in the Christian Life Center (CLC) 10:00 a.m. AARP Tax Service in Moore Hall 5:30 p.m. Prayer Group Meeting - Bride's Parlor 7:00 p.m. Well Band Practice (HH) Wednesday, March 8th 5:30 p.m. Heart and Soul for Youth (HH) 6:00 p.m. Handbells 7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir Practice (choir room off of CLC) Thursday, March 9th 5:00 p.m. Ladies Bible Study in the Library This Sunday 3/5/2017 Sanctuary Rev. Jon Kaufman - Preacher Series: Encounter "Jesus: Shaped for Grace" Matthew 4:1-11 The Well Rev. Ben Barlow - Preacher Series: Spiritual Disciplines "Prayer and Fasting" Matthew 6:1-18

5 Sin - it's not just a theory but a reality in life. The Bible speaks a lot about sin and what sin does to people and communities. When you read through the Bible, we encounter sections of law concerning sin in the first five books of the Old Testament. We also see the ways that sin is experienced by people we meet in the Bible. In fact, there are many stories in the Bible that sound like soap operas of today. There is the family dysfunction in Genesis of sibling rivalries that stem from parental favoritism that result in arrogance, betrayal, revenge, theft and so on. There are stories of greed, faithlessness, idolatry, adultery, murder, coveting, robbery and on and on - committed by the faithful and the faithless. These acts of sin result in families being estranged from one another, communities divided against one another, and relationships destroyed. Yet, the story of the Bible is not about the story of sin and how God punishes sin, but the story of God, who works to overcome our human nature that is "bent to sinning" through expressions of grace and invitations to experience a transformed life. Ultimately, God sent Jesus into the world not to condemn the world, but so that the world could be saved (John 3:17). In the life of Jesus, we see the story of God written out in people whose relationships had been shattered and how Jesus restored them. Through God's grace and love, the worst things in our lives caused by sin are never the last things. That's why we call it good news. So, if you are living in the worst chapter of your life right now, know that with Jesus, the worst chapter in your life is not the last chapter. He really is making all things new. Yours in Christ, Jon Kaufman First United Methodist Church 208 Pine Street Corner of Church Ave. and Pine Street (228) Church fumclb@cableone.net

6 Church Website The Well Website Rev. Jon Kaufman, Senior Pastor address: Rev. Ben Barlow, Associate Pastor address: