First. in this issue. Greetings from David. Vol 43...Issue 13...October Dear Fellow Ministers,

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1 First Vol 43...Issue 13...October Greetings from David Dear Fellow Ministers, The mission of First United Methodist Church: To see Christ in every person we encounter and demonstrate to them the love of God and the teachings of Jesus. We are excited about the opportunities for ministry that will be happening in October. There will be new ways to plug into discipleship here at church, and we are grateful for your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness! We look forward to putting the finishing touches on our Stewardship Campaign. Thank you to all who have turned in commitments! You can see the current status of the campaign in this Newsletter. October promises to be an exciting month, highlighted by our worship opportunities: October 4 (World Communion Sunday) Mark 10:2-16. We also commission our Appalachian Service Project (ASP) team. October 11 THE MAIN EVENT. Downtown at Rotary Pavilion. Bring a chair for yourself and one for a guest! 10 a.m. Free lunch! October 18 Ashley Anne Lloyd preaching. Hebrews 5:1-10. October 25 Mark 10:46-52 We hope you will pray through these worship themes and come expecting God to be very present in our worship. As always, we hope you will invite a friend to come worship with you. THE MAIN EVENT is a great way to invite someone to be a part of our church. I look forward to being in mission and ministry with you this month! In Christ s Service, David in this issue TAKE NOTE WAYS TO CONNECT CALENDAR EVENTS AND NEWS THE MAIN EVENT

2 Take Note Sympathy to: Kenneth Jefferies (staff member) and family on the death of his mother. Patty, Will and Claire Neinast and family on the death of their mother and grandmother, respectively. Joy to: Jim Morris and Laurel Hicks who were married on August 23, Mary Massey and family on the birth of her granddaughter, Charley Ray Shelton, born September 18, Just the numbers: Sunday Attendance September 6: 367 September 13: 477 September 20: 497 September 27: 476 Minister on Call Schedule: (call or text) October 2-4: David Christy October 9-11: Jim Westmoreland October 16-18: Ashley Anne Lloyd October 23-25: David Christy October 30-November 1: Jim Westmoreland Pledge Update as of September 24, 2015: Total amount of pledges received= $899, people increased their pledge from people stayed the same 17 people decreased their pledge 18 new people pledged Reservations are requested for everyone and accepted until 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to the meal via The website, First Connection card, or by calling the office. Wednesday Menus October 7 October 14 October 21 October 28 Brunch sausage, bacon, salmon patties, egg casserole, chicken and waffles, grits, home fries, fruit, biscuits Roast beef, baked potato, carrots, creamed spinach, salad bar, roll, dessert Turkey, rice/ gravy, green bean casserole, yams, dressing, salad bar, dessert Fried/baked chicken, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, greens, salad bar, dessert

3 CONNECT... Mid Week Service Looking for prayer, praise and refuel? Then Wednesday evenings in the Chapel at 6:30 p.m. is the place for you. One of our oldest members said I love the children being in there. A new member shared It is so peaceful and I love the dialogue. Join us for music, prayer concerns, children s time (leave for their own program following), Bible study, an offering to be taken for an agency and a closing blessing. Guilt free worship if you can t attend Sunday, Mid Week Service might be for you. UMW News Our October General Meeting will be Monday October 5, 6:30 p.m. in the FLC. This will be our opportunity to be grateful for ALL that we have as we celebrate with the World Thank Offering. As we are "Women in Mission" you will want to be a part of this special opportunity to show our faith and love in action. UMW Bake /Frozen Food Sale It is time to mark your calendars. SAVE The Date Saturday, November 14 for the UMW annual Bake/Frozen Food Sale. Doors to the Bake Sale in the FLC will open at 8 a.m. Sales are fast paced Come early---do NOT BE LEFT OUT!!! Thanksgiving will be here soon, and this will be a good time to stock your freezer with delicious and delectable casseroles, cakes and baked goods be ready for Thanksgiving dinner and have time to enjoy your family. Did you know in 2014, our local unit of UMW distributed funds over $9,000 to programs within the church, locally and globally and to agencies within our community (i.e. Youth Ministry, Children s Ministry, Girl Scout, Parish Nurse Ministry, Backpack Lunch Program, Salvation Army Breakfast Team, UMAR, UMCOR, Crisis Assistance Ministry, As one Ministry)? Thank you for being IN MISSION with our United Methodist Women! Friendship Connections-Where Friends Connect and Reconnect Mark your calendar for Thursday, October 15, 2015 and make plans to connect with your friends and meet new friends. Your friendship begins at 10:45 a.m. in the FLC. A delicious lunch follows our time of friendship and fellowship. If you have not had the opportunity to be a part of our Friendship, make plans to make new friends and we ll see on October 15. Make new friends Keep the old...one is silver and the other is gold! Young Adult Supper Club Tailgate Sunday, October 18, 5-7 p.m. at the home of Brad and Madison Henry. Childcare provided upon request. Journey to Bethlehem Learn about the journey to Bethlehem as this group meets once a week to walk 95 miles by Christmas Eve. Pam Christy will lead us Sunday, October 22, October 29, November 5, November 12 and November 19. We will meet in the FLC at 7 p.m.

4 CONNECT CONT... Coats For Our Partner Schools The cooler temperatures remind us to bring new or gently used coats to the FLC coat closet during the month of October. This enables us to give warm coats to our partner schools. Please make sure the coat is something your child or grandchild would wear. We need sizes to fit Kindergarten children thru Adult extra large for our middle school students. The Offering from our first mid-week service will also be used to purchase coats. We are blessed to be a blessing to others. 1st and 10 October 5, 12, 19 and 26, 8 p.m., FLC. Men s devotion and Monday Night Football with shared leadership. Ever Thought About Being a Foster Parent? My wife Lisa and I decided to become foster parents seven years ago, and it has been an incredible journey for us. While teaching in the inner city, Lisa would often see children in bad situations. While she felt that she was making a big difference in the public school system, she knew that she wanted do more. While living in Arizona, we were invited to an information session about foster care. Lisa felt like she was being called to do this, so we decided to attend the session and learn more about this opportunity. The information session was given by an agency called Arizona Adoption and Foster Care. They were an excellent agency and they were very informative and encouraging. They were honest about the difficulties that families face when becoming foster homes, but they were also inspiring about the difference that we could make in the lives of children. We decided to pursue this goal and it has been challenging, yet very rewarding. We decided to adopt both of the kids that we took into our home, and we are not currently able to take any more children, but we feel compelled to reach out to families who may be interested in taking this journey. An information session from Access Family Services will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2015, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. at Partners Behavioral Health on New Hope Road here in Gastonia. There will be a presentation and free lunch at the 11:30-1pm session and free dinner at the 6-8 p.m. session, however, you can come anytime during the day to speak with different agencies and get information. If this is something that you are interested in learning more about, please consider attending this information session. Feel free to call me if you have any questions. I would be happy to meet with you and share more about my experiences. There are children in Gastonia who need you, thank you for considering this invitation. -Aaron Prillaman Foster parents are needed, for children of all ages, to provide caring and supportive homes. The need is great and growing! Please call ACCESS Family Services now to RSVP or learn more about how you can change one child s life forever at ACCESS Family Services is a statewide therapeutic agency offering help and healing to children with emotional and behavioral needs. Financial compensation is provided to foster parents. For more information contact: Dee Banner, MSW, Foster Car Regional Director for ACCESS: dbanner@accessfamilyservices.com

5 M&M s, F.A.I.T.H. and F.I.S.H. kids will participate in Wednesday evening activities, 6:45-7:15 p.m. at the church, throughout the month of October. -Children s Ministry Harvest Halls, trick-or-treating for our kids, will take place Wednesday, October 28 from 6:30-7:15 p.m. We want all children to wear their costumes to dinner and trick or treat in the hallways at church. There will be games and snacks for kids to enjoy. On Wednesday, October 28 parents will receive a map of all the classrooms and offices to visit throughout the church. Kids will be divided by their age group: Infants-5 year olds, F.A.I.T.H. and F.I.S.H., and their parents will guide them around Harvest Halls. There will be 3 rotations among the first floor, second floor and third floor. You re invited to bring a friend to join us for a fun filled evening! **We need candy for our Harvest Halls event. Please consider donating individually wrapped pieces of candy. You can drop candy off at the church office or give it to Jennifer by Friday, October 23. Thanks in advance for supporting our Children s Ministry.** Ella leads us in prayer. Parents, please check out our Facebook page, First UMC Gastonia s Children s Ministry Department, for weekly information and updates. Lane is the usher. Annabelle is bringing in the light of Christ. Lilly gets ready to carry the light of Christ into the world. Armonie reads the Bible.

6 And We ll Sing Once More The First United Methodist Church s Drama Group and Chancel Choir joined forces on September 18-20, 2015 for a trip down memory lane. The historical musical revue, And We ll Sing Once More highlighted 33 songs from 16 musicals that were produced between 1979 and The songs were performed by original cast members with pictures projected behind them of the scenes when presented for the first time. Thank you, John Wixson for archiving all the photos and playbills! In all, 40 people were involved in producing the show. Thank you dramatists, choristers, technicians, and food servers! -Music and Worship Arts Ministry

7 -Parish Nurse Ministry 2015 Health Education Awareness Series Being Your Own Healthcare Advocate. Presented by Lisa Marisiddaiah, RN, BSN, FCN. Thursday, October 14, 2015, First Presbyterian Church- Fellowship Hall. Lunch $5, free program. RSVP: Youth Mental Health First Aid Workshop For parents, teachers, and church youth leaders. This workshop will help you learn how to identify signs of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, etc. The focus is to recognize and help youth ages facing mental health challenges. Two Sessions-Wednesdays, October 14 and 21, 5:30-9 p.m., FUMC-FLC. Dinner provided with RSVP, Training for Wellness Teams/FaithHealth If you have voiced interest in being more involved in the church wellness teams, please plan to attend one of the following Volunteer Training Sessions for FUMC & FPC Wellness Teams/FaithHealth- Gaston: Thursday, October 15, 6-8 p.m. at St Michael s Church, 703 St. Michael s Lane, Gastonia OR Wednesday, October 21, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 1621 East Garrison Blvd. National Memory Screening Event November 4, 2015, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., First Presbyterian Church. A memory screening is a simple and safe evaluation tool that checks memory and other thinking skills. It can indicate whether an additional check up by a qualified healthcare professional is needed. Register by calling More on next page...

8 Are you at risk of being scammed? Caregivers and Older Adults are the number ONE target for fraud. Please join us for this FREE community event and learn about: Identity Theft Fraud Local scams Scams that specifically target older adults Tips to avoid becoming a victim Presented by Kim Henderson, Director of Senior Programs Better Business Bureau, Charlotte NC Caregiver University is a free educational series for caregivers and a quarterly program of Gaston Hospice Tuesday, October 20, p.m. First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia Fellowship Hall 1621 E. Garrison Blvd.

9 To print this calendar, select print and choose page 9.

10 To print this calendar, select print and choose page 10.

11 Service -reconnect I honestly believe that SERVICE may be the greatest way First UMC shows blessing to others. I am constantly amazed by the willingness of our church to serve each other, this community, and God! You all put into practice what the great commandment (Love God and love others as you love yourself) teaches. Thank you! We are very blessed. And the beautiful thing is that you model what it means to bless others. Last Christmas, you raised over $30,000 for clean water in the Dominican Republic. Every year for over 30 years you have provided - and staffed - a week long day camp for at risk children called Camp Sunshine. Every Christmas you provide great gifts for those same children. Every single week, on Tuesday mornings, you have a team of people serve a full home-cooked breakfast at the Salvation Army. You serve meals once a month to the Boys and Girls Club. You work in a mission warehouse and even provide worship at Cornerstone. You volunteer at Crisis Assistance Ministry. You tutor and mentor in Pleasant Ridge Elementary, York Chester Middle, and Warlick Alternative Schools (among others). This list could go on and on. People in Gastonia look to First UMC for leadership, and you provide that through your service. Thank you for being a great example! It becomes contagious to be a part of a church that seeks to serve its community. What you provide for families through our Weekday Preschool and spaces for community help groups is astonishing. God truly has blessed this church. THANK YOU for understanding that with that blessing comes great responsibility. This is one of the vows we take when we join the church: To support it with our service. We are only limited in this endeavor by our ability to respond. You respond so very well that I don't know all of the ways God is using this church! An older minister told me one time that if I knew everything that the church I served was doing, we weren't doing enough. I am proud to say that I don't know! One of the "blind spots" we must fight is thinking that everyone knows what we do because we have been doing so many things for so long. We have over 150 new members just in the last 2 ½ years that we need to be intentional about inviting to serve with us. Would each of you who are serving in a specific way consider inviting one new member or a member you don't know well to serve with you? What a great example it can be to "teach" a new person a way to serve and then to trust God enough to allow that person to serve in their own way. God is moving in a big way! Thank you for blessing this community and world through your service! David

12 Youth Ministry Youth Happenings! Sunday School-Wesley Youth Center 9:45 a.m. Praise Music and Gathering 10:05 a.m. Morning Glow 10:10 a.m. Sunday School: Confirmation 6 th Grade, 7 th & 8 th Grades, 9 th 12 th Grades October 11 No Sunday School (Main Event) Morning Glow Schedule for October October 4 No Morning Glow (Sr. Hi s at Valle Crucis) October 11 No Morning Glow (Main Event) October 18 Holly, Chelsea, Emma Starting October 18 Can I Ask That 2...More Questions About God and Faith Bible Study, Wesley Youth Center 9 9:45 a.m. Session 1 (break) 10:10 10:50 a.m. Session 2 October 25 Drew, Phillips, Billy God & Faith Sr. Hi Prayer Breakfast October 6 South New Hope Rd., 7 a.m. Wednesday Night Bible Study October 7, 14, 21 and 28 Sr. Hi s Meet at Tequilas 6:15 7:30 p.m. Mid Hi s Meet outside Wesley Youth Center at 6 p.m. Site TBA UMYF Sunday Evenings 6:15 7:30 p.m. October 4 Sr. Hi Retreat Valle Crucis (No UMYF) Mid Hi Program (Living for Christ) October 11 No UMYF Sr. and Mid Hi Main Event (We will pray for schools) October 17 (Saturday) Sr. Hi s travel to Winston Salem to attend Carolina vs Wake Forest Soccer October 18 No Sr. Hi UMYF Mid Hi leave after 8:45 Worship Service for Amazing Maize Maze October 25 Sr. Hi Program (Diet Sundrop and Dinner with David) Penegar Farm Mid Hi Program (Thank You)

13 Youth Ministry Continued... Thanks to Bruce Tindall, our youth now have a mascot. Also, a special thank you Susan Lisle for dressing him. This was an idea the youth borrowed from their mission trip to Cincinnati, Ohio. The youth group at Cornerstone in Cincinnati had a mannequin named Stan. Bruce and the youth loved it so much, that we now have our own, yet to be named? The Youth, Youth Counselors and Staff would like to thank John Land, Mike Moyer, Anne Schenk and Frank Larrazabal for their hard work on the new Youth Center. The new space has a Theatre, 4 classrooms, Prayer Room, Café, Prayer Board and lots more. The Youth LOVE it and really enjoy the space! If you have not been up to see the new center, please come and visit on Sunday mornings and afternoons. A dedication is set for October 25.

14 Events and News... Fall Flowers Work Day Friday, October 9, 2015, 9 AM. Come help with summer clean-up and fall flower planting. Special thanks to Jan Jackson, Carol Mabee and Susanne Whitesides for keeping our flower planters watered all summer. Desserts and Design with local artist Anastasia Boswell. Have you been itching for a way to express some of that built up creativity, but not sure where to look? Look no further than Desserts and Design! Anastasia will help you spark your imagination. The October project will be a comfort cross and the November project will be a prayer bowl. Cost is $15 per class and includes your supplies and a wonderful dessert. Classes are open to all with an RSVP to, or carol@fumcgastonia.org Tuesdays, October 6 and November 3, 6 p.m., FUMC. Older Adult Trips BMW Tour anyone interested in touring the BMW plant? The Church is sponsoring a trip to SC to visit the plant. The tour is set for October 14. The cost is $20. If you are interested or want more details contact Tripp. You Can Be Confident!! Special Order Casseroles The following are available: Chicken Tetrazzini Chicken Spectacular Chicken and Dressing Chicken Provolone Spaghetti Broccoli Sweet Potato Hashbrown Apple Cranberry Pineapple Please order your 9x13 special order casseroles by October 18, Contact Amy Plowden, or narp1@aol.com. Welcome New Members Fielding and Joshua Yelverton Newsletter articles must be submitted via by 9 a.m. on the last Wednesday of the month prior to publication for the following month. your submission to Amanda, amanda@fumcgastonia.org. Please note that articles are at the Editor s discretion due to limited space, run time, etc. Thank you for your cooperation.

15 Main Event Sunday, October 11, 2015 at the beautiful Gastonia Rotary Pavilion. Gathering/music time will begin at 10 a.m. followed with what is sure to be an amazing worship service at 10:30 a.m. This will take the place of all three of our normal worship services held on the church campus. The theme is Blessed to Be a Blessing, so after a wonderful morning of fellowship, music, worship and of course a barbecue lunch, we will gather and pray for our community, country and world at various locations around our community. Don t let this opportunity pass by to be a part of this day of ministry in our congregation. See You on Sunday October 11. Invite a friend, invite a family, invite the neighborhood! T-shirts ($10), hats ($10) and a limited number of bag chairs ($15) with The Main Event Logo on them are for sale. Stop by the church and get yours today! The Main Event Committee

16 STAY CONNECTED... Phone: Web: Give First United Methodist Church PO Box 218 Gastonia, North Carolina Published monthly at 190 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC (USPS ). Periodicals postage paid at Gastonia, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Newsletter of First United Methodist Church, PO Box 218 Gastonia, NC First United Methodist Church PO Box 218 Gastonia, NC Program Staff David Christy, Senior Minister Saxon Scarborough, Minister of Music Jennifer Cabaniss, Director of Children s Ministries Susan Lisle, Music Associate Larry Brannock, Interim Business Manager Ashley Anne Lloyd, Associate Minister Rebecca Greene, Director of Spiritual Formation Tripp Hord, Director of Student Ministries/FLC Timothy Scruggs, Organist Bruce Tindall, Director of Food Services James Westmoreland, Minister of Congregational Care Kristi McClellan, Director of Weekday Preschool Aaron Prillaman, 162 East Worship Leader Lisa Marisiddaiah, Parish Nurse Eddie Ingram, Pastoral Psychotherapist: , x411