Inside this issue... ~Pastor Gary

Transcription

1 Inside this issue... Whenever You Fast 2 Women s News 3 February Events 4 Did You Know? 5 Missions 6 & 7 Children 8 & 9 Our Church Family 10 Birthdays & Anniversaries 11 March 2019 Edition Volume 2019 Issue 3 Have you noticed? Even in the dreary days of February the days are getting a little longer with each rising and setting of the sun. In fact, daylight savings time begins on March 10th as we spring forward! The first day of spring is March 20th and Easter is a month later, April 21st. During this lengthening of the days we also observe the season of Lent. The word lent comes from the word lencten meaning lengthening, as in the lengthening of the days. The season of Lent is a six-week season of preparation and penitence beginning with Ash Wednesday. It is actually 46 days in length with 40 days being days of fasting days and the 6 Sundays being treated as mini Easter days. This year Ash Wednesday is March 6th. We will gather for a fellowship meal beginning at 5:30pm in Craven Hall, then transition to the sanctuary at 6:30pm for a time of worship and the imposition of ashes. The imposition of ashes is a tradition in the church that dates to the 6 th century. It is a reminder of our own mortality as well as a call to penance. We hear the words, Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return, and we are reminded of creation; God creating us from dust and breathing life into us, as well as returning to dust at the time of our death. Lent, by its very nature, is designed to be a somber, sobering time of penance, introspection, and contemplation. Often we hear of giving up something for Lent. This 40-day period of giving something up is representative of Jesus 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his earthly ministry. (Luke 4: 1-13) Fasting or abstaining from certain foods or activities is a form of giving up. I would like to challenge us, as a church, to be intentional about observing Lent this year. Rather than giving up something, perhaps you could take on something, like a spiritual discipline. Taking something on may in fact require that you give up something else. For example, give up trifling away time, as John Wesley put it, and use that time to read scripture. Why not commit to reading the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts during Lent? It will take 12 days to read Luke if you read two chapters per day. Then read one chapter of Acts per day for the following 28 days. That is 40 days of reading for the 40 days of Lent. Commit to being in worship every week during Lent. Commit to pray for the universal church, The United Methodist Church, Maple Springs, each other. We can also abstain from certain habits or lifestyle choices during this time. Consider giving up negative speech, cynicism, and complaining. Take on gratitude, thanksgiving, and a spirit of hope. Let us observe a Holy Lent this year as we journey to Holy Week and Easter. ~Pastor Gary

2 Whenever You Fast... Page 2 CHURCH STAFF Pastor: Rev. Jeff Coppley jeff@maplesprings.org x 403 Associate Pastor: Rev. Gary Mahathey gary@maplesprings.org x 404 Associate Chinese Pastor: Rev. Vicky Deng vicky@maplesprings.org x 413 Office Manager: Betsy Bechtel betsy@maplesprings.org x 402 Coordinator of Children & Family: Mary Taylor Setliff marytaylor@maplesprings.org x 405 Coordinator of Youth and Food Pantry Ministries: Scott Andree-Bowen scott@maplesprings.org x 434 Connecting Ministries: Erin Moses erin@maplesprings.org x 408 Director of Traditional Music: Jayson Snipes jayson@maplesprings.org x 410 Finance Director: Lisa Aldhizer lisa@maplesprings.org x439 Music Ministries: Beth Juran: beth@maplesprings.org x 417 Coordinator of Weekday School: Melicent Hammaker: preschool@maplesprings.org x 409 Director of Contemporary Music: Jerry Chapman jerry@maplesprings.org Organist & Director of Contemporary Program Director: Dennis Raley Audio Technician: Neal Goode Nursery Coordinator: Katherine Hinerman And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast put oil on your head and wash your face. Matthew 6: Have you ever considered fasting? Maybe you wonder why in the world anyone would do such a thing! It seems almost like a foreign concept for us in 21 st century America, but fasting has been part of most all major religions for centuries, and certainly a great part of our Christian tradition. In his classic book Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster states that in doing research on fasting he found no books on the subject of Christian fasting published from 1861 to It s no wonder that it is often seen as a foreign concept! But throughout scripture fasting is referred to numerous times. It refers to abstaining from food for spiritual purposes. Biblical fasting always centers on spiritual purposes, Foster writes. It is not a fad diet, nor is it a hunger strike; it is abstaining from physical nourishment in order to grow spiritually. John Wesley, our spiritual leader and founder of Methodism, fasted regularly. In fact, he required of the pastors who served under him to fast Wednesday and Friday. But fasting doesn t necessarily mean an absolute fast. Wesley typically fasted from sundown on Thursday until 3:00pm Friday afternoon. A fast might entail going without solid food and drinking only water. Other fasts might mean eliminating red meat from your diet or consuming only fruit or vegetables. Lent is an appropriate time to begin a regular fast. Perhaps you feel called to fast but aren t quite sure what to do or how to go about it. Perhaps you ve never even considered it but find the practice intriguing. Along with the challenge to read Luke/Acts during Lent, another challenge is to be intentional about fasting. Again, words from Richard Foster, Fasting reminds us that we are sustained by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God Food does not sustain us; God sustains us...therefore, in experiences of fasting we are not so much abstaining from food as we are feasting on the word of God. Be intentional. Do not take any unnecessary health risks by not being properly nourished, but during times of fasting, feast on God s goodness. Perhaps you can begin with a partial fast such as from lunchtime to lunchtime, or like Wesley from evening until midafternoon the following day. Break your fast with a light meal of fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay properly hydrated. Fasting helps us keep our balance in life, states Foster. If you have felt out of balance perhaps now is the time to practice a Holy Lent by fasting and by feasting on the Word of God. March Volume 2019, No Reynolda Road Winston Salem,

3 Women Join the Tuesday morning ladies' Bible group on March 5th as we begin Dr. Albert Mohler's study, "The Lord's Prayer". Little did the disciples know that they would be given a model for prayer that would be used for generations. This 12 week DVD series will show us that this prayer may be few in words but massive in meaning. We meet at 9:30am in the Liquid classroom and welcome all ages. For more information about this study, please contact SueEllen Thomas at sthomasrn@hotmail.com The Circle of Friends showed our appreciation to the teachers of Maple Springs pre school with goodies, balloons and a special gift. These ladies work so hard to provide the youngsters with fun, wisdom and Christian love. We also thanked the receptionists with a special gift. These ladies are the first person to greet visitors to Maple Springs and do so with a warm smile. If you are ever at church weekdays around 9:00am, watch the pre school children come in and give these ladies a big wave and often a hug. Next time you see a pre school teacher or receptionist thank them for their dedication. Circle of Friends is open to all women and meet on the first Thursday of each month at 1:00pm in the Cokesbury Room. For more information, please contact SueEllen Thomas at sthomasrn@hotmail.com Page 3

4 March Events Daddy-Daughter Date Night Saturday, March 2nd 5:30pm 7:30pm Craven Hall See page 9 for more information. Ladies Lunch Bunch Tuesday, March 5th 11:30am HakkaChow Hanes Mall Blvd. This month we will eat at HakkaChow. This ALL women are invited to come for food and fellowship on the first Tuesday of each month. Please call the church office ( ) to make your reservation or for more information. First Wednesday Dinner Ash Wednesday, March 6th 5:30pm 6:30pm $5.00 adults/$4.00 children 5th grade & under Chicken crumb casserole, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls and dessert. Make your reservations before noon on Sunday, March 3rd by using the tear-off part of the Sunday bulletin and place it in the collection plate, or call the church office ( ). M.E.A.T. Men Eating And Talking Saturday, March 23rd 8:00am Cokesbury Room Men Eating and Talking (M.E.A.T.) will come together to share testimony on TRANSFORMED 7 Pillars of a Legacy Minded Man Chapter 3. We will focus on Pillar 2 Our Persona. Do you know what your default person a is? What happens in a crisis? How do you act? When everything is falling apart and you have to keep it together who are? The discussion will be on building our character as God would want our character to be. Come Join us for a continental breakfast cuisine and share your story of how you managed through a crisis. For more information, please conta ct Mike Ca mpb ell a t Mcampbell3107@gmail.com. Maple Springs Luncheon Thursday, March 28th 11:45am 1:00pm Craven Hall $5.00 Pastor Jeff will be our speaker this month. All adults are invited to our Maple Springs Luncheon. Call the church office at by Monday, March 25th to make your reservation. M.O.M. (Moms on Mission) Thursday, March 28th 7:00pm Cokesbury Room See page 9 for more information. Ash Wednesday Service Imposition of Ashes March 6th 6:30pm Sanctuary Page 4

5 More Events March Monthly Meetings 7th Circle of Friends 1:00pm 11th Trustees 7:00pm 12th Finance 7:00pm 19th Pat Rothrock Circle 9:30am 19th SPRC 7:00pm 23rd M.E.A.T. 8:00am 26th Reading Circle 12:00pm 26th Council 7:00pm Did you know that when you drink a cup of coffee at the 8:45am service on Sunday morning that you are participating in the UMCOR Coffee Project? When you make a donation for your coffee you are helping ensure that we are able to continue serving fair trade coffee. March 6th MARCH MINISTRY COLLECTIONS All items may be placed in the donation drop off areas in the Craven Hall Lobby and Sanctuary Narthex. Food Pantry: Condiments are needed. Salt, pepper, flavorings, ketchup, mustard etc. Prison Ministry: The Prison Ministry will be collecting bath size soap. Started in 2002, the UMCOR CoffeeProject is a collaboration between Equal Exchange and the United Methodist Committee on Relief to involve more Methodist communities and individuals in supporting small farmers around the world. Because these farmers are paid above market prices for their crops, through fair trade, they are able to make investments in community projects, educational programs, and technical trainings. These cooperative organizations also help keep rural communities healthy and strong, and keep local cultures vibrant. Equal Exchange is also committed to supporting sustainable farming methods that help green the earth through reforestation, natural resource conservation and organic practices. Does making the decision to drink a cup of coffee provided through the UMCOR Coffee Project really make a difference? To the coffee farmer who is able to make a living wage and provide for their family it does. This is just one small way we can make a difference. Page 5

6 2018 Missions Update If you ve been involved in any of the various mission activities this last year, you know how much has been going on. There were at least 15 different missions-related groups, ministries, or activities in 2018 and it s rather amazing to hear all that was done in the local community and beyond. While the Missions and Outreach Committee has some funds to support these activities, it is the involvement of our church membership that makes it all happen. Without each person s work and support (financial and physical), these missions could not be happening. So, thank you for a great 2018! And if you re not involved in one of these activities and would like to be, share your interest with any Missions team member or staff and we d love to have you. For a quick overview of what happened in 2018, here s a quick snapshot: Old Town School Ministry we helped with books for summer reading, Fall school supplies, winter coats, and financial support for a weekend meals program. Burn Unit Ministry ministers to nurses, doctors, and staff at the WFBMC burn unit. Volunteers have provided food, snacks, and a moment of calm for those attending each month. H.O.P.E. we continue to pack 100 bag lunches during the Sunday School hour 40 weeks per year. H.O.P.E. provides over 1200 children each week with one of these bag lunches. Food Pantry we served over 1600 households which represented over 4200 individuals. Prison Ministry we provided financial support for new hymnals and new bibles, and for Christmas gifts for the children of inmates. UMAR we made a financial donation to UMAR and had various missions opportunities throughout the year. International Children Sponsorship we provide monthly support for two children through World Vision. Mission trip to Henderson Settlement a mission trip was made in the fall and it was a great success. The team replaced windows and installed vinyl siding on a home for a lady who had recently lost her husband. Habitat for Humanity we provided financial support for the Interfaith Build house and it is now under construction. Rise Against Hunger we packed 10,000 meals in about an hour and a half with about 75 volunteers helping. Operation Christmas Child church members packed 76 shoe boxes in this annual Christmas season activity. Building Team the team built one handicap ramp for a veteran and replaced a porch and substructure for a church attendee. Creation Care Ministry this was a new ministry in 2018 and its primary purpose is to help us learn how to better care for God s earthly creation. Annual Chicken Pies Fundraiser those great chicken pies continue to come out of the Maple Springs ovens so thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who put in their time and energy! BBQ Fundraiser great BBQ was had again last spring and once again, thanks to all who helped with this fundraiser. Pumpkin Patch a very successful fall event where we made over $15,000 profit for Missions and Outreach. There was certainly more that happened in 2018 but you get the picture. There s a lot going on in missions work within our church. Thanks to all! Page 6

7 More From Missions Food Pantry: 3 boxes already full, about 150 boxes of Mac and Cheese, and still a ton food on the table. Thank you to the Boy Scouts from Troop 954! Creation Care Ministry On January 29 th we had an excellent speaker in the Yadkin Riverkeeper, Dr. Brian Fannon. There was a lively group of attendees which made for great discussion and learning on the topic of the fresh water here in our local river basin, the challenges it faces, and the work being done to keep it as healthy as possible. Thanks to all who took the time to come, listen, and contribute to this great experience! Watch for news of our next speaker planned for late April, which also will serve as our celebration of Earth Day Rise Against Hunger On January 21 st, we held our second annual packing event for Rise Against Hunger. Over 100 people joined together in Craven Hall to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day through this collective act of service, and we had a great time packing 15,120 meals that will go to feed the hungry somewhere around the world. We re already looking forward to packing again in 2020!! Page 7

8 Children God Sighting! One of the perks of my job as the Coordinator of Children and Family Ministries here at Maple Springs is taking pride in our kids - especially when it comes to serving in our church. I love seeing our church kids here at Maple Springs in action! I love seeing their excitement when they come through doors on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings. Some of my favorite moments over the past few weeks have been when I ve witnessed some of our young children step into some roles previously filled by some of our older children. During our 8:45am service, Laheri Foster has consistently served as an usher and always brings the offering forward to the altar - similar to what an acolyte would do at the 11:00am service. Over the past few weeks, she has shared this role with one of our first graders, Eva Venegas. Witnessing these two serve together was one of those God moments for me - a moment I m sure both of their parents take pride in and one I know God smiled down on. I also love watching our kids at the 11:00am service help serve as ushers. If you were to ask any of the boys who usher (Tanner and Ashton Hardman, Luke Kelly, Milo, Max and Noah Quarless, as well as others), their favorite memory of Maple Springs - most of them would say helping to usher at the traditional service. I love their smiles on their faces when they serve alongside their parents and grandparents. I m thankful to serve in a church where children are encouraged to serve in these roles. These are moments that are forming our children and will continue to form them in the years to come. Donations needed! We are excited to host our Easter Eggstravaganza on Sunday, April 14th. This has become a sweet afternoon for our church family, Preschool families and community. We hide eggs, make a craft, share a snack and meet the Easter Bunny. We are collecting donations of prepackaged cookies for our snack - we are looking for Little Debbie cookies. Collection boxes will be in the Craven lobby and narthex during the month of March. Thanks for your help in providing this! Mary Taylor Setliff marytaylor@maplesprings.org Page 8 March Volume 2019, No Reynolda Road Winston Salem, NC maplesprings.org

9 More Children Daddy-Daughter Date Night Saturday, March 2nd 5:30pm 7:30pm Craven Hall Calling all dads and daughters to our Daddy- Daughter Date Night! The evening will include dinner from Chick-Fil-a, dancing, and a photo booth with Marci Bruno taking pictures. The cost is $10 per dad. You can Mary Taylor or contact the church office to sign up by Monday, February 26th. M.O.M. (Moms on Mission) Thursday, March 28th 7:00pm Cokesbury Room Calling all moms! Are you needing a place to connect with other Moms? Desiring a place to serve and have a devotion? Join us for Moms on Mission! In March we ll gather in the Cokesbury room and fill our Easter Eggs for our church s Easter Eggstravaganza. Eat dinner before you come - dessert will be provided. Let Stacy Crockett (stacy.crockett@hotmail.com) know if you can join. Palm Sunday Processional Sunday, April 14th 8:40am Children s Assembly Room Children of all ages are encouraged to take part in the processing of the palms on Palm Sunday. Children will meet at 8:40am in the Children's Assembly room for the 8:45am service. Children will meet at 10:55am in the narthex before the 11:00am service. Nursery age children are also encouraged to take part. See Mary Taylor if you have questions! Easter Eggstravaganza Sunday, April 14th 2:00pm Front Lawn All are invited to join us for our Easter Eggstravaganza! We will have Easter Egg Hunts for all ages, games, and even a visit from the Easter Bunny. The event is free but we are asking folks to bring a canned food item to bless our Food Pantry. VBS 2019 Sunday, August 4th Wednesday, August 7th 5:30pm-8:00pm This year s VBS is ROAR! Life is Wild- God is good! All 3 year olds through rising 6 th graders are invited to participate. Registration will open June 1st. If you re interested in serving, please contact Marci Bruno (marcibrunophoto@gmail.com) or Mary Taylor (marytaylor@maplesprings.org). March Volume 2019, No Reynolda Road Winston Salem, NC maplesprings.org Page 9

10 Our Church Family Baptisms February 10th Brandon & Aiden Croom New Members February 10th Amy & Brandon Croom Mary Jo & Bob Plemmons Katherine & Kirby Robinson Gifts and Memorials Given to the Pastor s Discretionary Fund in honor of Pete Driver, John Koerner, Rick & Betsy Bechtel by: Stephanie Norman Pastor Jeff is out of the office for a Spiritual Formation Leave time. He will return on March 14th. A from Jerry. Hi, friends. I'm walking along a beach in sunny southern Florida right now. No, I'm not carrying a laptop. I'm talking into my phone. I'll have my secretary transcribe it when I get home. Spoiler alert: I am my own secretary. One of my New Year's resolutions is to write a regular newsletter article, even if it's just a short blurb or a song-of-the-month thing. It is now February. This is my first article of the year. Do the math. Anyway... I want to tell you about something exciting happening this month, even though it's not Maple Springs-related. You might notice that I'm absent from church on February 24th. Of course, it's also possible that you won't notice at all. In any case, I'll be leading worship for a whole bunch of youth at Youth Summit It's all going down in Gatlinburg, TN. Maybe I should visit Dollywood while I'm there? I would ask for your prayers that I would play at least a small part in bringing the kids closer to Jesus, or at least that I would not be a hindrance. Leading music at conferences is still a relatively new thing for me, but I sure am enjoying it. Should you choose, you can find out more about the conference right here... youth-summit-2019/. Yours, Jerry Page 10

11 March Birthdays and Anniversaries 1 Mark Close 1 Grant Spencer 2 Carol Ashley 3 Dianna Hardman 3 Richard Sieg 3 Jenny Venable 3 Cullen Whitt 4 Ed Campbell 4 Beverly Lyons 4 Rosalyn Tart 4 Carolyn Tillotson 5 Ellen Young 7 Bob Henning Jr. 8 Ann Hall 8 Susan Hicks 8 Don Wheaton 9 Wiles Farr 9 Dick Hedrick Jr. 9 Pat Hughes 9 David Whitt 10 Katherine Blaylock 10 Jessica Branch 11 Chris Pfaff 12 Aleta Schroeder 13 Jack Douglas 13 Sarah Jackson 13 Chris Sapp 13 Bryan Triebert 14 Kelsey Jackson 15 Jenny Blackburn 15 Paul Guy 15 Gwen Huffman 17 Trish Anthony 18 Rebecca Holder 18 Betty Holley 18 Chris Venable 19 Kim Cartwright 20 Larry Gordon 20 Lisa Huffman 21 Harriet Clark 21 Meredith Mock 22 Lee Cartwright 22 Sarah Loftis 22 Jasper Noble 22 Lauren Rybak 24 Hannah Campbell 24 Thomas Coppley 24 Barbara Mabe 24 Claire Wagoner 24 Corey Washburn 25 Laura Campbell 25 Kathy Sigmon 26 Tamara O'Brien 27 Cheryl Oliver 27 Joey Robertson 27 Chris Smith 27 Casie Venable 28 Chris Fox 28 Lee Huffman 28 Larsen Osborne 29 Jessica Lewis 30 Marjorie Waser 31 Daniel Honeycutt 2 Joshua & Caroline Long 4 Phillip & Amy Samuda 9 Todd & Angie Grace 19 James & Toya Gilbert 24 Rick & Chris Douglas 24 Monte & Emily Ruebel 25 Mark & Sherry Close 28 Steve & Rhonda Vaught 29 Scott & Cindy Andree Bowen Did we miss your birthday or anniversary? Please call Betsy in the church office at or her at betsy@maplesprings.org and let her know! Page 11 March Volume 2019, No Reynolda Road Winston Salem, NC maplesprings.org

12 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT Winston Salem, North Carolina Published Monthly by Maple Springs United Methodist Church 2569 Reynolda Road Winston Salem, NC Postmaster; Send Address Changes to: 2569 Reynolda Road Winston Salem, NC Reynolda Road Winston-Salem, NC Phone: web: maplesprings.org Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm Worship Times: Sundays 8:45am, 10:30am, 11am & 5pm Sunday School 9:55am Rooted, Growing, and Bearing Fruit for Christ F IND US ONLI NE: MAPLE SPRI NGS. ORG