The Fourth of July and Methodism

Transcription

1 July 3, 2016 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST The Fourth of July and Methodism The Fourth of July provides an occasion to celebrate our country s commitment to freedom and justice. Though our nation s history includes religious, gender, and racial discrimination, the United States has an ever-expanding understanding of freedom and justice. Over time, the U.S. has become an advocate for abolition of slavery, women s right to vote and own property, and ultimately for the civil rights of all people. At our best, our country advocates for human rights and works against oppressive laws and regimes that limit personal freedom. American Methodists gratefully celebrate the free practice of religion and the freedom to dissent afforded us in our country. We anticipate a country and world where all work toward the freedom of God s children and a time when justice for all shall be achieved. John Wesley understood the means of grace as works of piety and works of mercy. Works of mercy include private acts, such as visiting the sick, feeding the hungry and giving generously, and communal acts, such as seeking justice, ending oppression and discrimination, and addressing the needs of the poor. For Wesley, working for justice was an important part of our experience of grace. [For more details see At our best, we Methodists have provided moral guidance on issues of justice. Wesley himself abhorred slavery and advocated for its abolition 90 years before the Civil War. John Wesley was extremely progressive on the role of women in the church, probably because of the significant role his mother Susannah played in his spiritual formation. Wesley granted a license to preach to Sarah Crosby in In 1786, in his sermon On Visiting the Sick, Wesley attacked the role of submissiveness often imposed on women at the time: It has long passed for a maxim with many that women are only to be seen but not heard. And accordingly many of them are brought up in such a manner as if they were only designed for agreeable playthings! No, it is the deepest unkindness; it is horrid cruelty; it is mere Turkish barbarity. And I know not how any women of sense and spirit can submit to it. Wesley also removed the word obey from the marriage rites he sent to North America in Sadly, after Wesley s death, most parts of the Methodist movement regressed on the issue of women s rights until 1956, when full clergy rights were granted to women by The Methodist Church. Today, Methodists continue the fight for justice for the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Like our country, we are not perfect, but we seek to proclaim the theological truth that all people are created by God and endowed with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

2 8:30 and 11 a.m. ORDER OF WORSHIP July 3, 2016 Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Please complete and pass the red friendship pad at this time.) Gathering Music Let Freedom Ring! arr. James Mansfield Welcome and Announcements (In preparation for worship, please silence all cell phones.) Dr. Glenn Ethridge Commissioning of Roatan Mission Team (11:00) Dr. Amy Morgan Call to Worship (11:00) This is My Country arr. Roy Ringwald Chancel Choir (Congregation joins in on last stanza) This is my country, land of my birth; this is my country, grandest on earth. I pledge Thee my allegiance, America, the bold, for this is my country to have and to hold. *Hymn of Praise America the Beautiful UMH 696 *Affirmation of Faith UMH 884 Rev.Susan Allen Grady We believe in the one God, creator and sustainer of all things, Father of all nations, the source of all goodness and beauty, all truth and love. We believe in Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, our teacher, example, and Redeemer, the Savior of the world. We believe in the Holy Spirit, God present with us for guidance, for comfort, and for strength. We believe in the forgiveness of sins, in the life of love and prayer, and in grace equal to every need. We believe in the Word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments as the sufficient rule both of faith and of practice. We believe in the church, those who are united in the living Lord for the purpose of worship and service. We believe in the reign of God as the divine will realized in human society, and in the family of God, where we are all brothers and sisters. We believe in the final triumph of righteousness and in the life everlasting. Amen. A Morning Prayer and The Lord s Prayer Rev. Allen Grady Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

3 Our Tithes & Offerings (8:30) Amazing Grace arr. Jack Butler Jan Honea Appling, Piano (11:00) God of Our Fathers arr. Camp Kirkland Chancel Choir *Doxology UMH 95 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, ye heavenly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. (Following the Doxology at 11 a.m., children in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade may leave for Children s Church. Pick up in room 206.) Scripture Acts 15:1-21, (8:30) Mr. Bob Unger (11:00) Mr. James Unger The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Sermon Acts: A Growing Church Dr. Ethridge Struggles Sacrament of Holy Communion A Service of Word and Table II UMH 12 The sacrament of communion is a sign and means of receiving God's grace. Therefore communion, like grace itself, is available to all people without regard to age, church membership status, relationship to Oak Grove, or denominational affiliation.the table belongs to God, so all are welcome. If you prefer gluten-free elements, please go to the station to the left of the pulpit. Once you receive the bread, please dip it in the grape juice in the chalice. After receiving communion you may kneel at the chancel to pray or return to your seat. Instrumental This Is My Father s World Arr. Smith/Hustad Jan Honea Appling, Piano; Leanne Herrmann, Organ *Sending Hymn And Are We Yet Alive UMH 553 (Those who wish to join the church are invited to come forward.) *Benediction Dr. Ethridge Postlude God of Our Fathers arr. Gilbert M. Martin *Congregation stand as able. UMH: United Methodist Hymnal / TFWS: The Faith We Sing Large print hymnals and bulletins and hearing assistance devices are available from an usher.

4 OAK GROVE NEWS July 3, 2016 Looking Out the Windows There are 41 new windows in the building under construction. All of them match the windows used in the window replacement project of the existing educational building 18 months ago. They are energy efficient and double paned. The largest glass feature in the new building is the wall of glass in the Grand Hall which will look over the new courtyard that will be formed when construction ends. This large glass feature will allow a great deal of light into the Grand Hall when the shades are open and provide easy access to the concrete patio. The concrete patio will be accessible from the Grand Hall for indoor/outdoor events as well as overflow from the Grand Hall. The patio is expected to be one of many favorite features of the new building. New Arcade Will Be Part of New Building The new building will have an arcade (covered connector) from the new wing to the sanctuary. When looking at the front of Oak Grove from Oak Grove Road, the two sides will match. The covered access helps traffic flow, provides a balanced exterior view, and will help form the new courtyard. The new courtyard will be in the area formerly known as the grassy lawn. It will have basic foundational plants, but the majority of the area will intentionally be left to grass. We want to have some grassy areas for informal gatherings. Young Adults at Oak Grove Oak Grove is beginning a new Young Adult Ministry, starting with a new Young Adult Sunday School class (or YASS"). We are looking for men and women in their twenties who want to learn practical ways to apply scripture and Christian principles as they navigate life. A fun, informal kick-off gathering will be held on Sunday, July 10, from 6-8 p.m. at the home of Leslie and J.C. McBee: 1728 Crestline Court, Atlanta, GA If you'd like to attend or if you want more information about the class contact Paul and Hannah Siegel (pasiegle01@gmail.com). Oak Grove s Vision Every Member will... Mention Oak Grove church once weekly. Invite someone to Oak Grove and offer to meet them at church once quarterly. Participate in a small discipleship group every year. Share in a domestic mission project every year. Participate (as able) in an overseas mission project once every five years. Church Office Closed The church office will be closed Monday, July 4, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. It will reopen on Tuesday, July 5, at 9 a.m. Salem Camp Meeting Tuesday, July 12 On Tuesday, July 12, Amy and Dan Morgan invite you to join them at Salem Camp Meeting in Covington, Georgia. We will meet at the church at 9:30 a.m. and travel to the campground to enjoy worship and lunch at the Salem Hotel. Camp Meeting worship is a relaxed, revival style worship with plenty of singing and great preaching. The preacher for the day will be one of Glenn s best friends, Dr. Bill Burch, who is the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville. The only cost is $10 for a delicious, southern cooked meal served family style. To make a reservation call Sandee in the church office ( ) by Wednesday, July 6. If you cannot make the July 12 event, we invite you to one of the other worship services. Worship is held each day, July 9 15, at 10:45 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. For more information contact Amy Morgan (amorgan@ogumc.org or ).

5 Thank You for the Week of Service! Thank you to all the youth who participated in our Week of Service (June 20-24)! We delivered meals with Open Hand Atlanta; freshened up the property at Mountain View Personal Care Home; distributed food for the Toco Hills Community Alliance; made 200 sandwiches and delivered them through Action Ministries: Smart Lunch Smart Kids; and helped with landscaping and cleaning at one of the Wellspring Living residential centers. It was a fabulous week spending time together and working as a team to serve our community! It's time to Join a Disciple Bible Study! Sunday School and Youth Fellowship UPDATE There will be SUNDAY SCHOOL on Sunday, July 3 at the Clubhouse at 9:35 a.m.! There will be NO Youth Fellowship on Sunday, July 3. Happy 4th of July! Please join us at the Clubhouse on Sunday, July 10, at 9:35 a.m. for our next session of The Story. Donuts and juice! Come out for Youth Fellowship on Sunday, July 10. Meet at the Clubhouse at 6 p.m. for food, fun, and fellowship. Pick up at 8 p.m. Awanita Registration Coming Soon! Be on the look out for Awanita Registration opening the week of July 11! Youth Leadership Team sign up starts on July 11; Seniors sign up starts on July 12; other High Schoolers sign up starts on July 13; and Middle School sign up starts on July 14. We will the link for registration and it will be available on Awanita will take place from Friday, September 9 to Sunday, September 11, This fall we will offer 5 options for Disciple Bible Study: Disciple 1: Becoming Disciples through Bible Study a survey of the entire Bible. Class meets weekly on Tuesday mornings, 9:30-11:30 a.m., facilitated by Stephanie Byrne. Disciple 1: weekly on Sunday evenings, 5:30-7:30 p.m., facilitated by Cliff Howard. Disciple 1 x 2: bi-weekly on Wednesday nights (New Testament only), 6:30-8:30 p.m., facilitated by Ruth Primm. Disciple 2: Into the Word, Into the World an in-depth study of Genesis, Exodus, Luke, and Acts. Class meets weekly on Monday mornings, 9:30-11:00 a.m., facilitated by Zoe Hicks and Carrie Kroll. Disciple 4: Under the Tree of Life an in-depth study of the wisdom writings of the Old Testament (i.e. Ecclesiastes) and the writings of John in the New Testament (including Revelation) weekly on Tuesday nights, 6:30-8:30 p.m., facilitated by Mark Byrne and Bill Rose. Each participant will need a Bible (study Bible is most helpful) and a student manual ($43). Scholarship manuals are available. For more information or to register, contact Rev. Susan Allen Grady (sallengrady@ogumc.org, ). covenant groups Leaders Needed If you're interested in getting to know a small group of people better, and can set aside an hour or two on a weekly or biweekly basis throughout the next school year, consider becoming a covenant group leader! You'll have help choosing studies and your main job is to coordinate a time and place for people to meet who want to deepen their faith and spend time together. Contact Dusty or Angela Schaffner for more information (dlschaffner@gmail.com or adschaffner@gmail.com). Happy 100th Birthday! Oak Grove wishes longtime member, Flo Hudson, a very happy 100th birthday on July 5, Find Connection Your Find Your Connection Event on August 14 The "Find Your Connection" event will take place Sunday, August 14, from 9-9:30 and 10:30-11:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. There will be booths set up for various opportunities at Oak Grove to get more involved in discipleship. From greeting and welcoming others to church on Sundays to intensive Bible studies during the week, there is something for everyone. Whether you are looking for a monthly, weekly, or more occasional level of involvement, there are many ways to connect with people and grow in your faith at the same time. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend this fun and informative event!

6 PLEASE PRAY FOR In the Hospital Lee McFall Atlanta Medical New to Care Facilities Jeannine Nash Eastside Rehab Gene Worth Budd Terrace This list reflects people moved to care facilities in the past 3 weeks. For a complete list, contact the church office. Continued Prayers... Gerald Adamson, Jeanine Andrews, Beth Benefield, Dottie Bonnell, Lisa Bowling, Greg Casarella, Nancy Crovatt, Bill Delmar, Felix Gervais, Judy Gervais, Jim Golden, Billie Hackemeyer, Charlie Hamilton, Valerie Harper, Betty Hudson, Betty Lester, Michele Lindner, Dwight Lindquist, Fred Lott, Dick Muth, George North, Margaret Panter, Delaine Perkins, Garry Pryor, Jane Ray, Karen Smith, Rachel Still, Chick Sward, Dawn Thomas, Clarice Thompson, Paul Tuggle, Rob White, Pete Williams, Bill Wolfe Our Homebound Members... For a complete listing of homebound members, please contact the church office. Serving in Our Armed Forces... LT Alexander Cody, Petty Officer Steven Jones, 2LT Thomas E. Penland, SSgt. Joshua Portwood, Col. Janet Seufert Recent Baptism... Bob Powell June 22, 2016 Merritt Clinton Noggle June 26, 2016 Welcome New Members! Aly Palmer (Joe); Charlie, Andy Make a Meal This Summer! Enjoy the feeling of a warm homecooked meal? Would you like to share that feeling with others? This summer, the Nurture Committee is looking for volunteers to cook meals for church members in times of illness or grief. Sign up to take a meal this summer based on your schedule. For more information, please contact Hollie Meglio ( or hlanding@usa.net) or sign up using the link on the weekly congregational . Wednesday Communion goes on all summer! Each Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Parlor, you are invited to a 30-minute worship service with music, a short sermon, and holy communion. During the summer months, childcare is available by reservation only. If you would like childcare for this service, please contact Tricia Fazio (tfazio@ogumc.org) by Monday morning before each Wednesday you plan to attend. All are welcome! Musicians Needed for Wednesday Communion! Most Wednesday afternoons, folks gather for a 30-minute communion service. There is one congregational hymn and other music during the service, such as a prelude and music during communion. There are a few folks who play guitar and piano regularly for this service; there is room for a few more! If you can accompany congregational singing on guitar or piano/organ and would be available to participate in a monthly rotation of musicians for this service, please contact Rev. Susan Allen Grady (sallengrady@ogumc.org or ext. 212). Oak Grove Has New Wifi As part of our renovation and addition program, our existing building has a new wi-fi network with outstanding coverage. The network is OGUMC guest, and the password is lovejesus. You will find this network easy to access and use in classrooms and Fellowship Hall. This wi-fi network is available throughout the building, except the sanctuary. For electronic security, there is a separate, secure network for church computers. Once completed, the new building will also have wi-fi coverage. THIS WEEK S ACTIVITIES Oak Grove Office Hours 9 a.m. 5 p.m. M F Church Office Closed 9:00am Lunch Bunch Monday, July 4, 2016 Tuesday, July 5, 2016 Away 6:30pm Grief Sharing Group Rm 219 Wednesday, July 6, :00pm Chapel Communion Service Parlor 5:45pm Creation Stewardship Meetings Rm 215a Thursday, July 7, :30am Turban Ladies Rm 114 1:00pm Mobile Soup Kitchen Prep Kitchen 8:00pm 9.35 Band Rehearsal Fellowship Hall Friday, July 8, :00pm Mobile Soup Kitchen Delivery Away Saturday, July 9, :00am Roatan Mission Team to the Airport Away 8:00am Caring for Clarkston (C4C) Away 10:00am Needles and Prayers Rm 114 ************************************* Record of Our Faithfulness Our Presence June 22, 2016 Communion Chapel 19 Our Presence June 26, 2016 Church School 341 8:30 Service 93 9:35 Service :00 Service 365 Total Worship this Week 644 6/26/16 Our Offerings Received to date Needed to date $1,164, $1,219, Over/Under ($55,546.16) DEEP ROOTS BUILDING CAMPAIGN RESULTS Pledged to date: $6,339, Given to date: $4,572,651.22

7 OAK GROVE NEWS July 3, 2016 EXTRA Collecting School Supplies for Kids Close to Home In addition to gently used bookbags and school uniforms, Oak Grove will collect school supplies for Montclair Elementary School during the month of July. Collection bins will be available in the Portico and in Fellowship Hall from Sunday, July 10 until Sunday, July 31. Review the list below to see what is required for Montclair, make your purchases, and place the supplies in the collection bins. Supplies to be collected: (must be new unless otherwise indicated), School uniforms (freshly washed, outgrown uniforms - white and navy, khakis), Bookbags (new or gently used and freshly washed), Composition books, Binders (1.5 inch white), Colored pencils, Pencils (#2), Crayons, Glue sticks, Scissors, Construction paper, Sticky notes, Erasers, Hand soap, Wipes, Kleenex, Copy paper, Band aids. For more information, contact Mark or Sharon Spears (maspears@bellsouth.net). You can make sandwiches to feed hungry kids this summer! Smart Lunch, Smart Kid, through the dedication of thousands of volunteers and donors, ensures that children are fed in the summer and on school breaks. We are still looking for volunteers to sign up for July. On the 6 days in July listed below, we will meet in Fellowship Hall at 10:30 a.m. to enjoy fellowship, coffee, and pastries, then we will assemble 600 sack lunches. Assembly Dates in July July July July (Wed. and Thurs. this week only.) To help make sandwiches and assemble lunches, choose from the dates above, and sign up via the church website ( You may also sign up by calling Sandee Edmondson in the church office ( ) M-F between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Smart Lunch, Smart Kid is a great service opportunity for individuals, families with children, and other groups. If you would like to make a monetary contribution toward food supplies, please make your check payable to Oak Grove with Smart Lunch in the memo line, give online ( or through text-to-give. This year s summer mission emphasis will focus on partnering with our newest United Methodist Church, The Nett. Taken from the second half of the word Gwinnett, The Nett Church seeks to cast a wide nett in the Lilburn area to form a multi-ethnic, mission-centered congregation. Check out the opportunities below to get involved. Volunteer Carnival Event (in a local trailer park) Goal: Build relationships and give children a memorable summer experience Sunday, July 31 9:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. (Meet at Oak Grove at 8:30 a.m.) 20 adult volunteers, plus their families who are welcome to join in the fun!) Register to volunteer on the Oak Grove website ( Give: Our fundraising goal for Nett Church is $5000. This amount will fund their two summer mission outreach events. You may give by check with Nett in the memo line, online (www. ogumc.org) or by text-to-give using the key word Nett. Pray: Pray for these mission events and for the Nett Church in their mission to the community. The July/August Upper Room Daily Devotional Guides are now available for pick up in the Sanctuary Narthex or the Hallway leading from the Portico to Fellowship Hall (blocked entrance). Pick up yours today!

8 LUNCH & A MOVIE for rising 4th, 5th & 6th graders Who: When: Cost: Where: Rising 4th, 5th, and 6th graders Tuesday, July 19, 11 a.m. 3:30 p.m. $10 (for ticket) Pay when you register. Bring extra money for lunch and movie refreshments. Pick-up and Drop off in the Church back parking lot. Join us for a fun day at the Mall of Georgia! We will have lunch in the food court, then go see The Secret Life of Pets. Please register on the website ( by July 15. Questions? Contact Stephanie Mitchell (smitchell@ogumc.org). Consignment SALE September 23 and 24, 2016 Mark your calendars for the Fall Oak Grove Young Children s School Consignment Sale. Need extra cash? Need more space in your closets? Be a consignor to clear your clutter, recycle, make some cash, and benefit Oak Grove YCS. Consignor Registration for the Fall Consignment Sale opens at 10 a.m., Friday, July 1, which will give consignors all summer to gather and tag their items. Go to for more details and to register. All proceeds from the sale go to Oak Grove YCS and fund playground maintenance and improvement, curriculum and classroom improvements, teacher appreciation, community events, and facility improvement projects. Oak Grove YCS and consignors also donate unsold items to New American Pathways, Caring 4 Clarkston, St. Vincent DePaul, American Kidney Fund, and other non-profits. Be a part of this GREEN and GIVING event. Special thanks to Mary Cook and Kristen Picano Pohan for taking leadership as Consignment Sale co-chairs. Thank you for your support of the Oak Grove YCS which has served young families of the community since 1959! Toddler Openings for If your toddler is 12 months old by September 1, 2016, you can enroll them in the Oak Grove YCS preschool program one, two, or three mornings a week. Our socialization-based program engages young children to learn though discovery play. OGYCS is staffed by caring and qualified teachers whose goal is to nurture each child and support parenting. Christian principles are the foundation of everything we do at OGYCS. We currently have openings in the Monday/Friday and the Wednesday only toddler classes. Contact Sue Balcom for more information or to schedule a tour ( or sbalcom@ogumc.org). Visit our website and consider joining our great community which has been supporting young families since 1959!

9 Text To Give You can text to give at anytime from anywhere you have service. It is very easy! 1. Enter in the TO line. Remember this is a text, not an In the message line, enter a dollar amount of at least $3.00 using this format $ After the last digit insert one and only one space then enter designation, e.g. Blessing. 4. FIRST TIME ONLY You will receive a link to Vanco where you will securely enter your information and confirm your transaction. Once you successfully register, you will receive a text and confirmation of your gift as well as an option to refund. 5. In the future, you need only to text the dollar amount and the designation. Unless you designate a fund, then the money will go to Operating. Designation options will change. Currently you may choose from the following case sensitive choices. Building (for the building fund), Blessing (for our ongoing mission offering). 6. If you have questions, please contact Church Administrator, Dale Smith (dsmith@ogumc.org). Troubleshooting 1. Make sure you enter the dollar amount in the proper format using the $ and a decimal. 2. In registering your name and in the initial registration remove any extra spaces. If you have a space at the beginning or the end, the system will not accept your donation. 3. Check the spelling on designated accounts. The words are case sensitive. Today s Worship Servants Sound: (8:30) Billie Williams Ushers: Louis Barksdale, David Bell, Bill Berg, Mike Brooks, Barry Cox, Saxon Dasher, Judd Davis, Jack Ginn, Sonny McCoy, John McMillen, Hugh Means, Jonathan Merrill, Bob Pratt, Tim Ramsey, Bill Rembert, Michael Smith, Clayton Webster, Barbara Woolard, Hank Woolard Altar Guild: Ann Benton, Nancy Harte, Regina Haynes, Carol Wright, Diane Young Children s Church: Stephanie and David Mitchell OUR WORSHIP TIMES 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Sanctuary 9:35 a.m. Sunday School Various 9:35 a.m. Contemporary Worship Fellowship Hall 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Sanctuary OUR CHURCH INFORMATION Church Office Office Hours 9 a.m. 5 p.m. M F Emergency Contact After Hours ext. 9 Dr. Glenn Ethridge Senior Pastor ext. 211 Rev. Susan Allen Grady Associate Pastor ext. 212 Director of Administration Dale Smith ext. 225 Children s Ministry Kim Cody ext. 218 Oak Grove Christian School YCS (Young Children s School) Dr. Amy Morgan Pastor of Nurture and Service ext. 210 Rev. Mary Lou Gilbert Pastor to Senior Adults Music Ministry Ed Scruggs ext. 226 Organist Leanne Herrmann Youth Ministry Andy Webb awebb@ogumc.org Dir. of Contemporary Worship Atticus Hicks ext. 208