Ministries. Miscellaneous: p. 4 Alcoholics Anonymous

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1 Page 2 Ministries: pg. 2, 3, 4 Second Grade Communion Class Pizza with the Pastor Bible Bucks Store Donations Needed Chancel Choir Resumes Calling All Bakers! Big Ideas in Sunday School Today Who Inspired Your Faith? Youth Kickoff Tonight Calling All Extraordinary Women! We Are Looking to Multiply Keeping all the balls in the air can be tough! Web Team Assistance Upcoming Preschool Bake Sale Bishop s Call to Prayer Our Mission... Miscellaneous: p. 4 Alcoholics Anonymous Missions: p. 5 Haiti - Scholarships for Children ESL The mission of LUMC is to make disciples who live transformed lives, and Vision... influencing their generation and the next with God s love! LUMC4Life-We re downtown and all around! Trail Guide & Message Map: p. 6, 7 Calendar: p. 8 What God Wants for LUMC: p (tear it our and turn it in!) Spiritual Gifts Course: p. 11 (tear it our and turn it in!) Ministries Second Grade Communion Class The United Methodist Church welcomes all children to partake in Communion. At LUMC, we take time to explain the meaning and symbolism of this sacrament with our second grade students in our Communion Class. This year, Communion Class will be held during the Sunday School hour on September 28th and will be led by Pam Bentley. The following Sunday, October 5th, the children will come into the Sanctuary during the 9:45 service to take Communion as part of World Communion Sunday. In subsequent months, our 2nd -5th grade classes will take time out of Sunday School to participate in the sacrament with the congregation. Parents, if you have any questions about Communion Class, contact Pam Bentley at pam@leesburgumc.org. Pizza with the Pastor Are you new to LUMC? Or have you been attending for awhile, wondering what should I do to join? I want to invite you to join me for Pizza with the Pastor, on Sunday, September 14, 12:20 PM to learn more about LUMC and membership. The lunch is free, and the conversation will be informative! Just visit the Information Station to sign up, or contact the church office by Friday, September 12. Kids welcome & childcare provided following the meal. Members of our staff will be joining us to share their stories and talk about our ministries. Bible Bucks Store Donations Needed Thank you very much for your support of the Bible Bucks program for our youth in Sunday School. With the congregation s help and generous donations, we have been able to treat the kids for their performance and attendance in Sunday School on a quarterly basis. The most exciting thing is watching the children donate many of their Bible Bucks to our designated mission program. They are always very generous to the mission projects! It s time again to restock the rewards for the Bible Bucks Store and we need your help. If you could please place these donations in the bin by the mailboxes outside the church office, that would be most helpful. As a side note, we would kindly request NO ADDITIONAL donations of fast food meal toys, we have an abundance of these items. The following is a list of desired items: Nail Polish; Craft Kits, Games, Sports Balls, Sunglasses, Small Lego Kits or Lego Mini Figures, Small denomination gift cards (5 Below, Target, Movie Tickets, etc.) Thank you for your consideration and continued support. If you have any questions, please Kari Murphy at Karimurphy@verizon.net. Chancel Choir Resumes Do you like to sing? The Chancel Choir is joyfully open for new voices, Wednesdays at 7pm. Join us! Calling All Bakers! We are starting up the Bread Ministry again and need new bakers. We are asking for mini-loaves to be provided for newcomers to our church. Please contact Becky Weber if you are interested at either or auntbecky@verizon.net. Big Ideas in Sunday School Today September Theme: I am part of God s creation. September Bible Verse: The earth is full of your creations! Psalm 104:24 Faith for Thought - a conversation starter for you and your child: God spoke, and everything was created. What did God create? Genesis 1:1-25 Who Inspired Your Faith? We are collecting your stories of who inspired your faith growing up, and how? For those who are rearing children today, you are invited to share what you are doing in your family to share Christ and grow in faith. The same goes for those who have grown children and even grandchildren. What did you do or are trying to Youth Kick-off TONIGHT! 4:30: 7th-12th & Parents Sanctuary for Movie 6th (Confirmation) Loudoun Therapeutic Riding 6:30: All Youth & Parents Potluck Dinner in Asbury 7:00-7:30: Annual Youth Parent Meeting in Sanctuary Youth Meet in Small Groups

Page 4 Ministries Continued from page 3 Page 3 do now to inspire and pass on your faith? More details on this project and a web-form for online submission are available on our website: go to www.

2 Page 4 Ministries Continued from page 3 Page 3 do now to inspire and pass on your faith? More details on this project and a web-form for online submission are available on our website: go to and use the link near the lower-right of the page, titled SHARE: Who Inspired Your Faith? Your stories are due by September 8, and can be submitted online using the webform, or written and submitted to the church office. Calling All Extraordinary Women! Please come join us in a study of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians through Beth Moore's "Children of the Day" Bible Study. We will meet on Thursdays at 10:00 AM in the front room of Alders Gate, starting on September 18. It is a 9 week study so our last session will be Thursday, November 13. Sign up is available online through the church website under the Adults tab in the Fall Bible Studies section. Cost of the optional work book is $ For more information contact Sue Bourke at or by at SBourke1@aol.com. Looking forward to learning all about Thessalonians with you this fall! We Are Looking to Multiply So, you have this voice urging you to join a Bible study, but then this other voice reminds you that you barely know the Bible and you don't want to embarrass yourself due to your lack of knowledge. Relax. Most United Methodists know exactly how you feel! In September, we're going to help you find the courage to listen to your higher urging and participate in a Bible study. More importantly, by participating in "Multiply", you will grow your knowledge and your understanding of how to live more faithfully and consistently as a 21st Century disciple of Jesus Christ, right alongside others who are seeking to do the same. Some basic info: "Multiply" is also the title of a book that we will read, right alongside of our Bibles. It will serve as our guide with explanatory information and relevant questions that get to the heart of what scripture means, and what it means for us today. You can download the book for free yourself from the website, and either keep it on your tablet, phone or laptop. Or you can print it in stages according to the section we are dealing with together. We'll also be making print copies available via our church copier for a donation to cover the cost of print-ing all 338 pages... "Multiply" is for those who want to learn more about what it means to live as a disciple - and gain a better understanding of the Bible. We'll start Sunday, September 14, and meet in Wesley Hall as a large group at 4:30 PM. Then we'll divide into smaller groups for discussion, sharing and prayer for the majority of our time (4:30-6:00 pm). "Multiply" is designed to last 24 weeks, and it is divided into five sections. The plan is to cover the first three sections (nine lessons) this Fall, take a break with an Advent series, and then pick it up again for the final two sections (15 lessons - Old Testament & New Testament) in January. Sign up at the Information Station, online, or by contacting Pastor Jim who will serve as lead facilitator. Come and multiply your faith, your understanding, and your friendships! Keeping all the balls in the air can be tough! As followers of Jesus Christ, I imagine many of us would say that our faith is at the foundation of who we are, what we stand for, what we dream of accomplishing, and what we desire to become. Most Christfollowers want to believe that life matters that my life matters. Translating what we believe into real life, however, can be challenging! If God is to be my God, does that mean that God has to be Number 1? If so, what does that look like in practice? Also, where does your family fit in to this picture whether yours is the traditional nuclear family of husband, wife, one or more kids; or your family consists of you and one other, even if that other is your cat or dog? Another big question: how does my faith impact my work whether I work outside the home or MINISTRIES continue on page 4 inside the home; whether I work for a living or work at living; whether I work for pay or offer my time to serve without pay? Life for most of us truly is a balancing act an exercise in juggling multiple priorities and demands for time, energy, attention, etc. If you, like me, long to do life well, and live faithful to your high calling as a Christ-follower, you will find help, encouragement, perspective and practical guidance in this sermon series for September. See you Sunday! Pastor Jim September 7: Learning to Juggle - The Main Thing (Matthew 12:28-30), How to maintain balance and keep God #1 September 14: Learning to Juggle Value Your Family (Deuteronomy 6.5-9), Making time for the VIPs in your life. September 21: Learning to Juggle Balancing Work (Colossians ), There s more to life September 28: Learning to Juggle Class Act (assorted scriptures), Living a life of integrity Web Team Assistance The Web Team is looking for someone to take on the task of uploading the weekly Sermon audio file to the website. All of the work can be done at home and includes downloading the audio files from the internet, some minor adjustments to ensure quality and then posting the final files to the LUMC website. Training is available, you merely need a computer and the desire to learn. If you are interested, please contact Laura van Leliveld at laura@leesburgumc.org or Upcoming Preschool Bake Sale On Preschool Sunday, the parents of the children at Great Beginnings Preschool will be hosting a Bake Sale Fundraiser. Come to Wesley Hall on September 21 from 9:15 am- 11 am to pick up some delicious treats and to support this outreach of LUMC! Bishop s Call to Prayer Bishop Young Jin Cho of the Virginia Conference has called upon all United Methodists to make/renew a commitment to spend time each day with God in prayer, Bible reading, and reflection. As United Methodist followers of Christ, I urge you to prayerfully respond by expressing your commitment. Prayer commitment cards are available at the Information Station in Wesley Hall. Miscellaneous Alcoholics Anonymous If you have a problem with alcohol, there is help or ww.aaloudoundistrict10.org The Upper Room Sept-Oct February: Get yours today! The latest issues of The Upper Room daily devotional guide, and Alive Now devotional magazine, are now available in the Narthex. These books are purchased for YOU, for devotional use - Please take and use them!

3 Page 6 Page 5 Missions Haiti - Scholarships for Children In the village of Source Philippe (SAP), where mission teams from the Winchester District have been going the past two years and will go for at least two more, it costs just $50 a year to send a child to school in the village. Even this small amount can be a challenge to some families who struggle simply to survive. As part of our Winchester District covenant to be in mission with the Methodist Church in the village and surrounding area, we have set a goal to provide every child in the village the opportunity to receive an education. This summer, the Winchester District Steering Committee was able to set up a funding mechanism to ensure that our contributions are used as intended for educating children. In addition, we were able to arrange for each child who is enrolled in the school to receive a free medical/vision exam at the clinic at the start of the school year. For this we are extremely grateful to God! We are continuing to work with the head of the school, Principal Enock Presume, and members of the community (a newly formed women s sewing cooperative) to provide a school uniform for each child, regular lunches during the school year (many children and sometimes teachers come to school on an empty stomach), and the building of a boys and a girls bathroom. As God provides, and as you prayerfully seek God's guidance, please consider making a contribution to this scholarship fund. Whether contributing cash or check, please direct it to Leesburg UMC, and clearly note on the check, giving envelope or separate paper that it is for SAP, Haiti Scholarship Fund. Heads-up/Prayers-up: Three Winchester District teams scheduled for SAP, Haiti in 2015: early January (TBD); March 9-14; and May Pastor Jim will be helping to organize and lead the May team, and is hoping that several from LUMC will prayerfully consider coming. Needed on each of the teams: Medical and dental professionals; persons with ESL experience; those with VBS experience and love working with children; a heart for serving Christ and sharing in God's amazing work of reconciliation! We will be conducting Bible study with adults, health/hygiene workshops, evening worship, home visitation, and of course making time to cool off in the beautiful Bay of Haiti. With each team, we schedule a full day in Port- Au-Prince at the end to do some sight-seeing and shopping to provide an educational and cultural component visiting the National Museum and historical sights; the long-time Baptist Mission up in the mountains; and more. Estimated cost for the mission trip, including airfare: $1,550 per person. Contact Pastor Jim for more details. ESL: English as a Second Language Would you like to assist people from other countries learn to speak and write English? The ESL program at LUMC began in the fall of 2006 and since that time has served more than 300 students. The program rests on the shoulders of more than 35 volunteers from the LUMC congregation, Leesburg Presbyterian, and other community members. The Leesburg UMC instructional program is delivered in fall and spring sessions that are 10 weeks long. Classes during each session are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm in the church at 107 W. Market Street in Leesburg. If you would you like to assist people from other countries learn to speak and write English, please contact Wayne Reynolds or Kristyn Camacho This may be a very rewarding experience for you and students. No prior teaching experience is needed and training is available. Registration: Registration will be on Thursday, September 11 from 7-8pm Classes: Classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00pm - 9:00pm, running from September 16 - November 18. An end of session dinner will be held on Thursday, November 20 from 7:00-8:30pm Trail Guide -- Week of September 8, 2014 What do we mean when we say God is God? That God is my God, your God? How do we honor God as God? This week, take some time to let the Holy Spirit search your soul then your thoughts, your priorities, your motivations. Invite the Spirit of God to also examine your behavior, your attitudes, and your conversation. Even long-time followers of Christ can easily fall prey to the temptation to treat God as the one who serves us and our needs/wants/desires, instead of the other way around. Consider, how often we engage our minds and our conversation around what worship has meant for us the music, the preaching, the praying, etc.; instead of pausing to ponder the deeper and serious question: Is God pleased with my worship of him today? Was my singing music to God s ears (if no one else s)? Were my prayers a fragrant offering of thanksgiving and praise, or primarily a litany of requests? Have my thoughts, dreams, aspirations been lifted to God and my desire to serve and please God been strengthened? How and when do I think of God the rest of the week only in times of need? I pray these readings speak to you and me, enabling us to honor God as God each day more consistently and devotedly. Mon, 9/8 Romans 7:15-18 Paul wrestles with himself over what he knows is right and wrong. Where, in particular, do you find yourself wrestling with yourself? Most likely, it is at this point that you are most challenged to let God be God and honor God as God. For some it is time. For others it is finances. For still others it is sexuality. For not a few it is attitude toward others. Name it. Tues, 9/9 Romans 12:1-2 After a series of insights, reflections, assurances and applications, Paul comes back to the issue of self. Where he had been wrestling with self, he now realizes he needs to offer, or present, his self to God living, holy (that is, offered for God s use), and pleasing (God likes it when we obey) to God. On Sunday, we looked at a few ways we can offer ourselves to God and for the rest of the week we ll revisit some. As for you, where and in what ways do you hear God s call to offer your self as an act of worship? Wed, 9/10 Psalm 1 Do you delight in reading, hearing, and obeying God s Word? Be honest. It s hard to delight in what we do not know, and many of us are unfamiliar with large portions of scripture. What are you doing to show you delight in God s Word? What can you do? How much time do you spend reading from God s Word each day? Are you memorizing any scripture? Consider memorizing, if you have not, the list of scripture passages from the Message Map on Sunday. Thurs, 9/11 Matthew 6:9-15 Read over the Lord s Prayer. Is this how you memorized it? What is different? You may want to compare Luke 11:2-4. Look at how this prayer forms a pattern for praying (Jesus said This is how you should pray not necessarily what we should pray). Acknowledgement of who God is. Confession. Petition. Forgiveness of others. What is not included here, Paul adds in Philippians 4:6, thanksgiving. Try letting this pattern guide your daily prayers. Fri, 9/12 Hebrews 10:25 One way we honor God is by coming together each week for corporate worship. Is regular worship part of your spiritual routine? Sat, 9/13 Mark 12:28-30 Honoring God ultimately comes down to making God number 1 in our hearts and in every area of our lives. As you reflect on God s love for you, look for ways to demonstrate your love for God today, and every day.

4 Page 8 Page 7 Leesburg United Methodist Church Message Map September 7, 2014 Learning to Juggle the Main Thing Mark 12:28-30 My Notes: I want to remember to pray for Sunday 9/7 Fall Kick-off 8:30 AM Traditional Worship 9:45 AM Praise Worship 9:45 AM Sunday School 9:45 AM Gallery (AG2) 9:45 AM Adult Sun. School (AG1) 11:00 AM Traditional Worship 1:00 PM Bella Nova chorus (Asb) 4:30 PM Visioning task force orientation (Wes) 4:30 PM Youth Group movie kickoff (Sanc) 6:30 PM Youth dinner (Asb) 7:00 PM Yth small groups (whole church) Monday 9/8 10:00 AM funeral (Sanc) 10:00 AM GBP PE (Asb) 6:30 PM Preschool Committee (AG1) 7:00 PM Troop 998 (Asb, 3 clsrms) Tuesday 9/9 10:00 AM GBP PE (Asb) 7:00 PM AA Literature meeting (Parl) Wednesday 9/10 6:30 AM Morning Prayer (Sanc) 10:00 AM GBP Chapel/music (Asb) 12:30 PM Staff meeting (Lib) 7:00 PM Adult discipleship (Parl) 7:00 PM Spiritual Gifts (AG1) 7:00 PM Chancel Choir (Choir, Sanc) 7:00 PM Boy Scout Roundtable (Asb, Wes, grn & red rms) 7:00 PM Pace team (Lib) Thursday 9/11 10:00 AM GBP Chapel/music (Asb) 12:00 PM Prayer group (Sanc) 1:00 PM Missions Team (Lib) 6:30 PM ESL Registration (Wes, 3rd Floor) 7:00 PM Nominations/Leadership (Lib) 7:00 PM Finance (Wes) 7:30 PM Raising Praise (Sanc) 7:30 PM Chorus Old Dominion (Asb) Friday 9/12 10:00 AM Overeaters Anon (Parl) Saturday 9/13 Trustees Asbury Shelves/Projector (Asb) 7:00 AM Emmaus Teaming (AG1) 8:00 AM Visioning task force (TBD) 9:00 AM OA (Parl) 9:00 AM LLO Rehearsal (Choir,and classrooms) Healing: Prayers for LUMC Members John Davis, Condolences: to the family and friends of LUMC member Marilyn Landefeld, who died on August 31. A memorial will be held by here on Sunday Sept. 21st at about noon. to the family and friends of LUMC member Helen Coffey, who died last week. When Life Gets Interesting... When you have family circumstances which you would like the church to know about, such as serious illness/surgery, hospital stays, a death in your family, or a joy such as the birth of a child/grandchild, please contact the church office with the information. Then we can share with our prayer team to lift prayers for you, include you in the Prayers for LUMC Members in the bulletin, and ensure the pastor knows of your circumstances. Sharing with a church member or on social media (like Facebook) doesn t guarantee that the information will make it to the church office and staff. You can send to office@leesburgumc.org, or phone the office at Thanks! Sunday 9/14 8:30 AM Traditional Worship 9:45 AM Praise Worship w/kindergarten Bible presentation 9:45 AM Adult Sun. School (AG1) 9:45 AM Gallery (AG2) 9:45 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Worship 12:15 PM Pizza with the Pastor (Wes) 4:30 PM Multiply (Wes) 4:30 PM JAM music (Sanc, Choir) 4:30 PM King's Kids (Clubhouse, prsch Red) 4:30 PM Club 45 (Asb) 4:30 PM Youth Group & Confirmation (AG) 6:00 PM Church Supper (Asb)

5 Page 10 Page 9 What does God want for the future of LUMC? Many thanks to the over 30 persons who participated in at least three of our four bible studies this spring on the mission of the church. As announced, this was the first stage of our visioning process this year. We are about to enter Stage 2 as a working task force is being formed in order to meet this Fall to: discuss, pray, discern, listen, facilitate group conversations, clarify and articulate group/god consensus for our congregation with regard to what God wants for our future. This group is being asked to leave all pre-conceived notions, ideas, past plans, etc. behind and so are you as you respond to this opportunity. You are being asked to prayerfully discern and then respond to the question: What do you believe God wants for the future of LUMC? For those who have been through past visioning processes at LUMC, please do your best to begin with a fresh slate and begin with God. To guide your discerning, begin with these scriptures to read: Psalm 143:10; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 21:1-10 Second, ask God to lead us together as a congregation; that we would be one. Third, reflect on all that is good and all that you enjoy of LUMC and give thanks. Fourth, ask God what God wants to do with us, for us, through us in the future in terms of our ministries and mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who live transformed lives, and influence their generation and the next with God s love. Then, please record your name (printed) and use the lines on the reverse side to write what you believe God wants for the future of LUMC. This is first of several opportunities for structured feedback including group conversations, so please use just the space provided. This reminds us that God is speaking to and through others also. You, and all responding are being prayed for. I have prayerfully read the scripture passages assigned (along with ), and I have prayerfully asked God what God wants for the future of Leesburg United Methodist Church. Here is what I believe God would have me share in response: My Name: Return by Sept. 14 to: Information Station in Wesley Hall, or Church Office

Page 11 Discovering God s Vision for Your Life: You and Your Spiritual Gifts Wednesday s beginning Sept.

6 Page 12 Have you ever asked yourself any of these age-old questions? Who am I? Why am I here? What does God want me to do with my life? If you have we have the course for you! Page 11 Discovering God s Vision for Your Life: You and Your Spiritual Gifts Wednesday s beginning Sept. 10 7:00-8:30pm Lead by Wayne Reynolds $15.00 registration fee Sign Up Here! Put in offering plate or drop off at Information Desk in Wesley Hall Name: Phone OR

Commissioning of Sunday Discipleship Leaders for

Page 2 Page 1 Commissioning of Sunday Discipleship Leaders for 2014-2015 (Discipleship Leaders please come forward) Leader: Sisters and brothers, these persons have responded to God s call to serve as