January 29th 2:30 PM

Transcription

1 January 2017 Vol. 5 Issue 1 Connecting Generations to Grow Relationships with God, Others, and Creation Old Time Hymn Fest January 29th 2:30 PM

2 P a ge 2 Music Ministry Sam Cox, Minister of Music Thank you, We appreciate all who contributed to the United Methodist Children s Home. The gifts you gave help to change a child s life. Thank you for your gift. January marks the end of my first full year at Latham United Methodist Church. This has been a year of changes and challenges, achievement and anticipation, promise and potential. At the beginning of a new year, we always look forward with a renewed optimism. Here is a stanza of a hymn by New Zealand hymn writer appropriate for the new year: God bless the day of this bright new beginning, good things unfolding to love and surprise, leaving the past in the Spirit s safe-keeping, faith looking forward with confident eyes. This text reminds us that good things spring from a loving attitude and the blessing of God. Those things of the past that might tend to hold us back should be let go. The idea is similar to that expressed by Brian Wren in this hymn from the United Methodist Hymnal: This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that s gone. Bend & Stretch We are low key exercise group for all ages. Our goal is to help keep our body limber. Each person only does the exercises they are comfortable doing. We meet in Farley Hall every Monday & Thursday morning at 8:30 for about one hour. Please come join us and enjoy fellowship as we encourage each other. Interestingly, Wren s text was first published in a 1983 collection titled Faith Looking Forward; the final line of Murray s stanza seems to offer an homage to Wren s collection, and the hymn as a whole echoes many of Wren s sentiments. May our faith also move us forward in the coming year! In practical terms, this means that Chancel Choir and Wesley Singers will resume rehearsals on Wednesday, January 11. Wesley Singers will meet at 1:30 in Room 151, and Chancel Choir at 7:00 in the choir room.

3 P a ge 3 Lectionary Scriptures for January 2017 January 1, Epiphany Sunday Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 January 6, Epiphany Day (same as January 1) January 8, 2017 Isaiah 42: 1-9 Psalm 29 Acts 10: Matthew 3: January 15, 2017 Isaiah 49: 1-7 Psalm 40 I Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 January 22, 2017 Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27 I Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4: January 29, 2017 Micah 6:1-8 Psalm 15 I Corinthians 1: Matthew 5:1-12 Epiphany Observed on January 6 th, the Epiphany celebration remembers the three miracles that manifest the divinity of Christ. The name "Epiphany" comes from the Greek word Epiphania, and means "to show, make known, or reveal." The celebration originated in the Eastern Church in AD 361, beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meanings were added - the visit of the three Magi, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, and his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. These three events are central to the definition of Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences. We believe also that Epiphany commemorates God s presence with the Gentiles. While this season is often overlooked as we observe the seasons of the Christian year it is an important part of our journey of faith as we move from the celebration of Christmas to our participation in the events of Lent and Easter. This year there are 8 Sundays after the Epiphany. These include the Sundays in January and February. The Season of Lent will begin on Wednesday, March 1 with a Service of Ashes.

4 P a ge 4 An Interfaith Ministry of the Huntsville Association for Pastoral Care The mission of the Center for Loss, Grief, and Change is to support those hurting from unwanted change regardless of ability to pay and to equip others to do the same. Grief Consultations *For those grieving a death, divorce or other significant loss (job, health, estrangement, etc.); going through a major life transition (retirement, aging, moving); or dealing with chronic illness or disability. *Consultations include information about the usual grief process and discussion of how one s own grief experience relates to that process. *Home and institutional consultations available for those confined or who have difficulty getting out. *Fees assessed according to ones ability to pay. *Consultations held at Cornerstone Community Church, 8100 Whitesburg Drive. Huntsville, AL Educational Programs about Loss and Grief For Faith Communities, Civic Groups, Businesses, Schools. Includes Going through Grief: A Guild to Understanding, Surviving and Supporting the Grief Process Please phone or for a complete list of topics. Educational Programs about Spiritual Care For pastors, Stephen Ministers, elders, deacons, ministers of communion, parish nurses and all who provide spiritual care. The Rev. Carl Malm, M. Div malmcarl@hotmail.com United Methodist Men James Campbell Helof the Latham men, lo to all January 8th will be the next breakfast meeting of the United Methodist Men. I am the new incoming President for 2017 and will be the "guest" speaker for this meeting. I will talk about the upcoming year's focus and plan for meetings and activities following the breakfast time starting at 7 AM. The breakfast and meeting is just an hour long so I hope you can attend. This group is dedicated to providing enrichment, encouragement and help in growing the MEN of Latham in being better husbands, fathers, sons and Brothers in Christ through a better understanding of our role with God. In our homes, we are called to be the spiritual leaders and to love and honor our wives. So this is an invitation to all the Latham MEN to come and be a part of Latham United Methodist Men. We especially look to the men in their 20's, 30's and 40's to join and grow this group with new and fresh ideas on how we can better ourselves, our church and our community. Each December the UMM has a special event where we invite the ladies of the church to join us, and this past event was really great. Thank you to all that attended and to all of the men who did the preparation for it. However, as much as we have appreciated the ladies at that event and some other meetings in the past, UMM is for the men of the church to be together and grow together. When we have an event for the ladies to attend we will announce that all are invited and look forward to all being with us for those times. Peace, joy and grace in 2017 to all.

5 P a ge 5 Youth Ministry Adam Miller, Minister to Youth An article for parents about teens and social media and how to deal with it from Focus on the Family: Why Social Media Shouldn't Define Your Teen By Dannah Gresh Our culture s obsession with self-esteem has a new vehicle, and it fits in your teen s pocket: That s right, their phone. Today s adolescents prefer to watch Vine videos and YouTube over their parents former obsession with MTV. On average, teens spend a mindboggling nine hours a day using technology, most of which is sharing every detail of their lives on apps like Instagram and SnapChat. Their quest is to be affirmed. Forget 15 minutes of fame. They re only looking for six seconds that s the maximum length of a video on Vine, the app that claims personalities get really big, really fast. And they have the stories to prove it. In 2013, two teens became famous for nerd-style vandalism, when they dressed the part and used a Sharpie to write =16 after the 4x4 on their family s SUV. They became overnight celebrities, canceled their college plans and parlayed their fame into a pop-rap act with sold-out tours nationwide. Although watching that creative video is fun and harmless, hanging out online isn t without risks. We already know that teens give away every detail of their lives which can lure stalkers, provide bullies with potential fodder and affect how future colleges and employers view them. But there s also a serious issue that is a growing problem with teens: technology and smartphone addiction. New research shows that half of American teens believe they are addicted to their smartphones. Researchers believe that as teens become hooked on social-media apps, they are less able to regulate emotions, manage impulses and make good decisions. Social-media addiction also creates lower self-esteem the direct opposite of what teens use social media for. This addiction has also resulted in the nation s first cellphone addiction rehab center for teens. The bottom line is that when our teens spend an excessive amount of time online, they are on a quest to find their identity by comparing themselves to others. The fame, beauty, wit, status and so-called identity of other online teens become the measuring stick by which they judge their value. And because they can never measure up, they are susceptible to anxiety and depression. A parent s greatest error could possibly be turning a blind eye to how much time teens spend online and what they re doing there and why. Fortunately, there are a few things we can do to help our teens appropriately navigate technology and avoid becoming addicted to its allure and promises of identity, fame and celebrity status. Set limits on what they can view The biggest problem with a teen s value being formed by media is that teens are often being lied to. (How many of those Instagram photos of your daughter s friends aren t perfected beyond reality? Is Kanye s newest music video really an expression of the art of love as he claims, or could it be mild porn?) One reason we set limits is so that our children can live in the real world with Continued on page 6

6 P a ge 6 Dear Latham Family, Liz Hall Zeman I was privileged to attend two outstanding Christmas musical services over the holiday season (mainly because my usual small, spiritual 8:30am service was cancelled!) I attended the youth/children s Christmas pageant and was charmed by the creative costumes, children s voices, staging, and music. The message (that all we really need to give to Jesus on his birthday is ourselves) was powerful in its simplicity. The next Sunday I attended the cantata musical service. Anyone who missed the Latham choir and about ten musicians from the Huntsville Symphony missed a powerful, spiritual experience. The purpose of this letter is really to make another point. It appeared that each service collected only its usual attendees for the most part. The cantata was not as well attended as it should have been, while the children s program seemed to be attended by a broader group of church members. When we have these separate congregations who don t stretch to participate in new experiences beyond their service, we reduce the church family its relationships, its programs, and its strength. Let s start 2017 with a church wide New Year s resolution. Let s each of us commit to wider participation in the various church programs more frequently (whatever that means for your family). Let s come together more frequently as a whole church family, supporting each other and strengthening Latham! Youth Ministry continued from page 5 real relationships friends who have zits and, gasp, pores and love relationships built on serving each other, not lusting after each other. What can you do? Limit the exposure and boycott the bad stuff. It s OK to say no. I m the parent. It s my job to discipline and correct them when their tastes and desires run counter to God s best for them. Set limits on how long they can view Almost a quarter of all teens admit to being online almost constantly. You ve seen it you go out to eat with your family and you notice teens at other tables who have no interaction with the people they re with because they re busily attending to their smartphones. It s OK in these situations, too, to say no to your kids. Limits on social media are a small cross to bear, but will feel like one nonetheless to a teen. Yet just as we set curfews because we love our teens and want to keep them safe, we can set time boundaries on how much our teens can use technology, and when they definitely should not, such as while eating or during other specified times of the day. Remind them of their identity in Christ Christ offers a real and lasting sense of worth. Instagram doesn t. Self-denial, not self-esteem, is actually the solution to our insecurity as we find our value in Christ. Despite what the culture tells your teen, that s the way to overcome their insecurity, not another follower on her Instagram profile. Dannah Gresh is author of The 20 Hardest Questions Every Mom Faces.

7 P a ge 7 Memorial Contributions Gifts were given in memory of Jan Bevis from Don & Ramona Bowden, Joyce McDaniel, Ernest & June Young Mark Kendall Clark to the Backpack Ministry from Fellowship SS Class David Gillespie from Mac & Annette Cooper Mike Gray from Pat Purushotham Don Hankey to the InStitches ministry from Bill & Joey Evans Donald Harper from Susan Harper Rockow Lee Hockenberry from Guild Circle to the Sanctuary Sound System Fund, Roy & Jill Christiansen, Donna Sorensen, Ray Holder from Howard Opp, to the Discretionary Fund from Mildred Stephenson Fred & Altheia Nicholson from James & Freddia Scott to the Sanctuary Sound System Fund Lou Rau from Carol & Dean Hedden, Sidney & Susan Middlebrooks, Ray Pearson, John & Allene Tucker, W.W. & Ann Williams Frank Trowbridge to the Children s Fund from Pat & Pat Sinopole, to the Buchanan Scholarship Fund from Wes & Regina Smith Gifts were given in honor of Mac & Annette Cooper from Shelley & Michael Cooper to the Lillie Latham Scholarship Fund Covenant SS Class to the Sanctuary Sound System from Mac & Annette Cooper Neal & Heather Porter from John & Laura Emerson Laura Rau from Sidney & Susan Middlebrooks Casserole Runners Needed Casserole Runners Needed The casserole ministry, staffed by a dedicated crew of runners continues to offer support and comfort with emergency food during health/illness difficulties. Each runner is on call one or two months of the year. Duties include following up with Marvene and the member of the congregation and delivery of a casserole if it is needed. Delivery times are established at the convenience of the church member and the runner. We currently need three more runners to complete the 2017 calendar year. If you feel called and have the time, please call Liz Hall Zeman ( ) or Marvene ( ) at the church office. With very little time investment, you can help bring comfort to a church member!

8 Latham United Methodist Church 109 Weatherly Road Huntsville, AL Phone: Fax: On the web: lathamumc.org Connect with the Staff Rev. Mike Ratliff, Senior Pastor Matt Jones, Associate Pastor Sam Cox, Minister of Music Susan Terry, Minister of Connect & Children s Ministries Adam Miller, Minister of Youth Jim Geisinger, Associate Music Director Marvene Borntrager, Staff Coordinator for Inreach Anita Banks, Business Administrator Traci Harris, Director of Child Development Center Cherry Keeton, Organist Eleanor Hollobaugh, Pianist Michael Bryant, Custodian mikeratliff@lathamumc.org mattjones@lathamumc.org samcox@lathamumc.org susanterry@lathamumc.org adammiller@lathamumc.org jim.geisinger@yahoo.com office@lathamumc.org admin@lathamumc.org lumcdc@lathamumc.org