THE EASTLAWN JOURNEY MAY NEWSLETTER. THE STEEPLE STORY Super-POWERED by Brother Andy Collette

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1 THE EASTLAWN JOURNEY MAY NEWSLETTER Volume 2 Issue 5 May 2018 A Publication of Eastlawn United Methodist Church THE STEEPLE STORY Super-POWERED by Brother Andy Collette In the latest DC Comic film, Justice League, the Flash asks Batman (out of costume) What is your super power? Batman responds softly without smile or any visible sign of emotion (his Batman persona ever-intact) I am rich. Bruce Wayne, Batman s trueidentity, is the wealthiest man in Gotham City and uses his wealth for the good of the city, to fight crime. It is his super power. Superman uses his otherworldly birth which grants him the ability to do supernatural things on planet Earth. On the streets of New York in the Marvel Universe, Spiderman uses the abilities granted him by an insect bite. Captain America was given tesseract fluid as a young man that gave him super human abilities including strength, endurance and the ability to delay aging. All of these characters are just that-characters. They are fun to watch in the movies or read about in comic books, but they are not real. They are the fictitious outflows of the imaginations of those who created them. You are not fictitious, you are not imagined, you are created in the Image of God and you are super- POWERED when you believe in Jesus Christ. The scriptures tell us that Jesus told the disciples, after his appearance following his resurrection, to go to Jerusalem. They were sent there to wait for power from on high. Prior to his death and resurrection, Jesus had been with them and done miraculous signs and wonders in their presence. When Jesus sent them out to do ministry, two by two, they had done miraculous things, but only when he said they could, and after he had empowered them for that specific ministry. Following this moment in the scripture, when Jesus says wait for the power, the transfer of power becomes complete for the disciples. We call that moment PENTECOST. This year it is celebrated on May 20 th. Now, some two thousand years later, we are the disciples, we are super-powered. Every Christian person upon believing and professing their faith receives the Holy Spirit. If we have confessed Christ as savior and believe in our heart that he is LORD, we are imbued with POWER from the Holy Spirit. We are super-powered! It may not always seem as obvious as this statement makes it, we may not sense this empowering, but it is ours to claim and to utilize in our Christian witness. It is this power that Christ promised all believers when he left the earth during his ascension. It is the same power he used to heal, and understand the world he was visiting when he was with us. It is the same power that judges, advocates, comforts and guides us as we go through life as the people called Christians. It is our super-power. It is hard to carry the mind and heart from a place of fictions, super powers and super heroes to a place of super-power; it is perhaps too much for us to bear. It is something we have to come to grips with. It is ours, promised by Christ, for the edification of the Kingdom. It is ours so that we can make it on the tough days and the not so tough days. It is ours so that we can be the resurrected people of Christ in a fallen world. It is ours to have and to hold, until we find ourselves in Glory. It is yours!

2 In summation: John 14:15-21 (NLT) 15 If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn t looking for him and doesn t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. We are super-powered when we love and believe. While we may not all be wearing superhero outfits, our true identities as Christians saved by grace through faith has given us a POWER to be more than conquerors and do abundantly more than even Jesus has done. (John 14:12 NLT) 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.) Now all that is left is for us to claim our super- POWERED status and get about the super work of the Kingdom. Preaching Series May 2018 A Month of Power May 06 (Communion Sunday) Scripture: Acts 2:37-42 Message: The Power of Fellowship Reading: Psalm 63:1-4 May 13 (Mother s Day) Scripture: Ruth 1:1-15 Message: The Power of Mother s Reading: Psalm 27:4-6 May 20 (Pentecost) Scripture: Acts 2:1-13 Message: The Power of Language Reading: Psalm 19:1-4 May 27 (Memorial Day Recognition) Scripture: Matthew 8:5-13 Message: The Power of Faith Reading: Psalm 27:1-6 Reading: Psalm

3 May 1 May 2 May 6 May 8 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 7:30a Men s Bible Study 5:00p Dinner 6:00p Bible Study 6:00p Youth & Children s Activities 8:30a UM Men s Breakfast & Meeting in Ministry Center with CASA speaker for program 9:45a Sunday School 11:00a Morning Worship 4:00p Church-Wide Picnic at City Park in Gautier. (See article in journey for directions) 7:30a Men s Bible Study May 9 5:00p Dinner 6:00p Bible Study 6:00p Youth & Children s Activities May 10 9:15a Mamie Kimbrough Circle Outing to Riverchase Asst. Living Lunch at Country Gentleman May 13 MOTHER S DAY!! 8:30a Early Service-Communion 9:45a Sunday School 11:00a Morning Worship 6:00p Youth Worship May 14 6:00p-NOW Committee Meeting 7:00P Administrative Council Mtg May 15 7:30a Men s Bible Study at May 16 5:00p Dinner 6:00p Bible Study 6:00p Youth & Children s Activities May 17 6:30p 2 Yr Old Daycare Graduation 7:00p County-Wide Men s Meeting at First UMC, Pascagoula May 20 PENTECOST SUNDAY 8:30a Early Service-Communion 9:45a Sunday School 3 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 11:00a Morning Worship 5:00p Bible Study 6:00p Worship 6:00p Daycare 3 & 4 yr old Grad Program 7:30a Men s Bible Study NO ACTIVITIES 8:00a Early Worship Service 9:45a Sunday School 11:00a Morning Worship MEMORIAL DAY-church offices closed 7:30a Men s Bible Study NO ACTIVITIES May 3... Reta Hysell May 6... Harvey Felts. Zach Hardy May 8... Rachel Lightsey May Diane Hilsabeck May Tori Daniels Norma Thornton May Alannah Collette May Charlotte Clement May Cindy Haygood May Susan McCormick May Frances Grimes May Barbara Moss May 4 May 18 May 20 Mike & Sandy Overby Bootsie & Lesa Larsen Bobby & Carla Neely Jr.

4 Sessions include: Agent in the Shadows Power Source The Best Bible Teacher Water, Wind, and Fire Who s in Control? Help When We Need it Most SUNDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY 5-6 P.M. IN CONFERENCE ROOM Genesis to Revelations The Books of 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians This new study is led by Brother Andy. Everyone is welcomed to be part of this study. MEN S BIBLE STUDY Tuesday Mornings 7:30-8:30 a.m. THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY The THURSDAY morning Bible study group is changing to the WEDNESDAY morning Bible study group. The Epic of Eden Isaiah by Sandra Richter will be the new study beginning Wednesday, August 29, The Bible study group will be taking a summer break from after the April 5 meeting until August 29. The time will be the same from 9-11 a.m. If interested in joining, please contact Opal Currie at WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY Adult Bible Study April 11 May WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES In this six-session small group Bible study, pastor and bestselling author Jim Cymbala explores the person and work of the Holy Spirit to bring a fresh sense of God s power to your church and your life. What happens when the Holy Spirit moves powerfully within a church? Through this six-session study you will learn how: To make room for the Spirit s action in your life and in your church God wants to work through your gifts and talents to enable you to do what only he can do To listen for the voice of the Spirit in prayer and how to apply God s Word to your life The Spirit can bring healing to your body, your emotions, and your relationships; how a life lived in the presence of the Spirit can transform the church and the world Your church can become a place where people regularly experience God s presence and his power. 4 G.I.F.T.E.D. YOUNG ADULT CLASS We will be studying a Max Lucado book called Anxious for Nothing. We meet from 9:45 until about 10:35 each Sunday morning. So, please, feel welcome to come join us. Robin and Carl Weihing FRIENDSHIP SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS The Friendship Sunday School Class meets in the conference room by 9:45. New members, old members and visitors are welcomed each Sunday. JOYCE GARRETT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS The Joyce Garrett Class meets at 9:45 a.m. Beginning the month of April, we will be studying the Creeds and Councils by Justin Holcomb. It will address the creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions that are the emphasis of Christian belief and why it matters in our lives today. Please come join us!

5 USHERS The USHERS FOR MAY are Brice Wiggins, Doug Ros, Ronnie Crocker, & Jim McKeel. If you are willing to be an Usher, please contact me. (Carl Weihing) COUNTERS FOR MAY Forrest Hardy & Doug Ros FLOWERS FOR SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP Would you like to put flowers in the church for Sunday Morning Worship in memory or honor of someone? If you are interested: 1. Please sign your name and phone number with the date on the flower calendar located in the ministry center hall. 2. Contact the flower committee person for May, Jeannie Faucett, to coordinate the details of your flowers. church family members that reside there and usually make that trek across the bridge to be with us at Eastlawn. (Directions below) There is a nice, large playground for children at the park. It is also on a bayou so please plan to supervise children closely. We have rented a pavilion for shade and there are restrooms available. Brian will be graciously grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone, so we are asking you to bring a side dish or dessert to share. There are picnic tables, but we also ask if you can bring a folding chair, please do so. We will begin eating around 5:00 with singing and then a homily by Brother Andy For anyone needing a ride to the park, the bus and other vehicles will be leaving the church parking lot at 3:40 pm. Call Robert for more info at DIRECTIONS: Go west on Hwy 90 to Gautier. After crossing the second bridge over Singing River, take a right off of hwy 90 just past Singing River Power Association on De La Pointe Drive. After that, look for the right turn off of De La Pointe Dr. called City Park Street(also known as Pointe Bayou Road). Drive into the Park. Once there, be prepared for a Wonderful Afternoon!!! Wednesday Night Dinner On Sunday, May 6, Eastlawn UMC will have a CHURCH-WIDE PICNIC to celebrate the 75 th anniversary of our church s beginning in We will gather at Gautier City Park at 4:00 pm for food, fun, games and music as well as some major Relaxation. Our picnic will be held at the shady and beautiful Gautier City Park which is just a short drive across the bridge to Gautier for those of us in Pascagoula. It gives us a chance to visit the neighborhood of many of our May 2 Chicken & Dumplings, green peas, salad, rolls, tea & dessert May 9 Baked potatoes, salad, rolls, tea & dessert May 16 Hamburger Steak, rice/gravy, green beans, salad, rolls, tea & dessert 5

6 MEMORIAL GARDEN Work continues on our Prayer/Memorial Garden. Our engraved bricks should be shipped in mid-april and put down soon afterwards. Thanks again for your help. Memorial bricks are available in 3 sizes. You can choose the inscription of your choice and as many as you like to memorialize someone or thing that has been a great memory at Eastlawn UMC. There are order forms at the church or if you have any questions, please call CHURCH SECURITY As part of our overall church security during worship, please note that the ministry center and the education buildings will be locked during Sunday worship times. In order to access these locations during worship, please see the ushers in the narthex. DELORES ENGEL CIRCLE The Delores Engel Circle met on Monday, April 23 rd. The Business meeting was held followed by a program discussing volunteering at the Singing River Hospital. It was quite informative and piqued much interest. This was followed by a delectable dessert. The Delores Engel Circle will not meet again until August. THE TRUTH OF EASTER By Barbara Moss Our sins had separated us from our God, our holy, perfect God; But He loved His tarnished, sinful people so much That He made a way for us to be reconciled. It was not enough that our evil would be forgiven. We needed righteousness, a right standing with God, And He knew that we would never accomplish that; So He took on human flesh. He sent His only begotten Son To be born of a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem. He sent angels to tell lowly shepherds, And they were the first to visit the One who is the Good Shepherd. He lived a perfect life. On a cross at Calvary He died a painful death in our place. He rose again so that we could be born again, Forgiven, clothed in His righteousness, reunited with our God, Destined for eternity. The truth of Easter is that our God, Our holy, perfect God, loves us that much! MAMIE KIMBROUGH CIRCLE Members and guests of the Mamie Kimbrough Circle enjoyed food and fellowship at Sassy's Restaurant in Hurley on April 12 th. Following the meal, Robert Weathersby, on his guitar, led the group in several songs. Then Brother Andy delivered an inspirational homily. The next meeting on May 10 th will be at River Chase Village in Gautier. Circle members will sing for the residents and then enjoy a time of fellowship with them. The meeting with conclude with a meal at Country Gentlemen. 6

7 PALM SUNDAY ON THE SCENE WITH THE TWEENS The Tweens enjoyed a day of learning, service, and fun on Saturday, April 21. They delivered all the donated dog and cat food. While there, Cari Hayes (animal shelter volunteer) gave them a tour of the facility and talked to the tweens about how they can help, what to do if a dog is chasing you, and how the shelter works. The tweens were able to give treats to the dogs and played with a wonderful lab mix in the play yard. After leaving the shelter, they enjoyed a quick lunch at Whataburger and then went to Big Play. Everyone enjoyed playing in the arcade, riding go-carts and trading tickets for trinkets. It was a great day, spent together. A big thank you to Brian Chapuis for driving the van and handling all the go-cart rides. The children lead our Palm Sunday with the traditional processional and waving of the Palms. After the service, a wonderful lunch was had by all and followed by an Easter egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny. We would like to thank the ladies of the Tina Roberts Circle for hosting such a fun and exciting day. The children were thrilled and a great day was had by all. VBS IS COMING!!! Our theme this year for VBS is Rolling River Rampage. We are looking forward to a great week. The dates are being finalized now so be on the lookout. You will not want to miss this exciting week as the children learn about God and God s mission for their lives. 7

8 EASTLAWN DRAMA SEMINAR Something fun for Summer and Beyond: Since my arrival at Eastlawn UMC I have discovered that we are a church filled with people who love the arts. We have painters, musicians and plenty of drama that just needs to be tapped into in order to harness for the Lord. I am not a musician or a painter of note, but I have starred in several dramatic performances and have even written two Christian Dramas with more than three acts. I am no pro, but I am willing to help us learn. Have you ever wondered why I never need a microphone? All my skills of voice projection were first learned as a player in Antigone where I played the Third Guard. So I will be presenting a series this summer in which I will help others learn to perform and project themselves dramatically. On Wednesdays, June 6, 13 and 20 and in July on the 11, 18 and 25 from 9 am until 12 noon, anyone who has completed the fourth grade and beyond is welcomed to join me for Eastlawn Drama Seminar. During class we will focus on the difference between live drama and screen drama. We will practice expressing emotion and other forms of drama in silence. We will learn blocking and set design. We will learn to bring the scripture to life through dramatic biblical presentations. We will have an opportunity to write our own interpretations, with full blocking and staging, of biblical texts. We may even produce a dramatic presentation to present towards the end of the summer depending on how well we do as a troupe. participants of all ages who have completed fourth grade. It does not matter how skilled or unskilled you are. After all a rank amateur is the teacher. Who knows--you could be the next Charlton Heston or Julie Andrews or you might just enjoy being with others at the church on a weekday. Whatever your reason, if you want to come, we want you here, so let me know. Brother Andy On April 1, Easter Day, we were happy to welcome eight new members into our church. Through Confirmation: Avery Chapuis, Payton Hardy, & Maya Ryder. Through Confirmation and Baptism: Chris Comello, Kaylee Walker, Alyssa Vendeiro, Haleiana Jones, & Hayden Randle. Mid April we welcomed Graham Moore through Baptism: It has been a great year so far and the year is still young. Are you a person who regularly visits, who wonders what's next in your Christian walk? Perhaps the example of these nine and their families is helpful to you to help you make a decision for Christ. There are a number of ways for this to happen; if you would like to know more, contact Brother Andy Collette, and we can help you find your way more formerly into our congregation and into the Kingdom of Christ Sound interesting? Is this a place you might find a new way to encounter the living Christ? Want to come play (pun intended)? Let me know your interest by ing your desire to participate.to pastorandyumc@gmail.com Additional information will be released as we draw nearer. For now, know that we are interested in willing 8

9 FINANCIALLY FAITHFUL BUDGET FOR 2018 $363, TITHES 2018 (YTD) $118, OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS $ BENEVOLENCE FUND $3, If you are interested in having your tithes or building fund commitment automatically withdrawn from your checking account, you will find forms in the church foyer to aid in this. If you need assistance, please call the church office or Beth Chapuis ( ) A SONNET OF THANKS AND PRAISE By Barbara Moss How can I thank you for your grace to me? I lift my voice in worship and praise. My debt is paid and from sin I m set free. With grateful heart I ll serve you all my days. You bore all my guilt on Calvary s cross. Because of your amazing love and grace In Heaven s light I ll stand, no more a loss. I shall see glory from your lovely face. At your nail scarred feet I ll bow my head down. Around your throne my praise and thanks I ll bring, And at your feet I ll humbly place my crown. As the glorious angel voices ring Holy, holy to the Lord I will sing With a heart of love for my Lord and King. If you are interested in joining the Eastlawn Family or just have questions about the church, please talk with Brother Andy. Call him at His is pastorandyumc@gmail.com. The Eastlawn Journey is a monthly publication of Eastlawn United Methodist Church. Send inquiries, pictures, and info to Eastlawnjourney@gmail.com. EASTLAWN UMC STAFF 2502 Ingalls Ave. Pascagoula, MS Rev. Andy Collette Pastor Robert Weathersby Lay Pastor Lashunda Taulbee Administrative Assistant Doug Wall Choir/Handbell Director Susie Riley Children s/family Minister Rachel Goff Children s Music Director David Westfaul Organist Brenda McCormick Day Care Director Charlene Gibson Nursery Amy Davis Nursery 9