The Eufaula Messenger

Transcription

1 September 2012 Pastor Michael B. Brannon The Eufaula Messenger Church Office Mon.-Thur. 9:00-2:00 First United Methodist Church of Eufaula My Heart to Your Heart By: Pastor Mike I saw a fellow church member burning out the core of a stump from an old tree that he had removed because of the ice storm a few years ago. That got me to thinking. I guess I ought to be more careful. Sometimes that gets me into trouble. Anyway it reminded me of a time when a storm had blown down a large tree. It was surprising that so large a tree had come down when there were so many smaller trees that were still standing. When I examined the one that fell I discovered that it was hollow in the middle. The heart of the tree was completely gone. I didn t know that a tree could live with out the heart. Apparently it can until a strong wind comes along and blows it over. But just looking at it, you can t tell or know that it doesn t have a heart. I think that is true about a lot of people as well. From the outside they look pretty strong. It s when the storms of life come that the condition of their core is revealed. Jesus told a parable about two house builders that illustrates this point. Remember, one built on rock and one on sand. When the storm came the house built on sand fell. Notice He didn t say if the storm comes but when the storm comes. Life is like the Oklahoma wind. It s not a matter of if the wind will blow, just when and how hard. I believe it s the same for Christians. The storms of life will blow. The real question is how s you heart, or your core? If Jesus is the core of your being then you can weather any storm. If you are hollow inside then look out, a fall is coming. Jesus promised to come and live in us and it s a good thing because He s able to weather any storm or wind. Make sure you keep Him at the center of your life. Find time to talk to Him everyday because you don t know when the storm will hit. Spend time in His Word often because it strengthens your core. Confess your sins daily so they don t rot you from the inside. Fellowship with other believers, so you can be encouraged and not give up in the face of the storm. And remember that God loves you and will sustain you through every storm life throws your way. God Bless.

2 Page 2 The Eufaula Messenger United Methodist Women presents Be The Church Sunday September 30, 2012 By: Kathleen Shannon I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me. Matthew 25: (The Message) Approximately 35 people from our congregation have volunteered to participate in Be the Church Sunday. Each week we receive calls from individuals and community organizations asking if our church can include their needs in our list of projects for Be the Church Sunday. This day of mission in our community is a wonderful opportunity to live our faith as Christians and as United Methodists. What if we, after hearing Jesus words, were to ask Him, Lord what are you talking about; when did we in Eufaula, Oklahoma see YOU in prison, hungry or thirsty, sick, unclothed, or homeless? He might answer us in this way I was a young mother who wanted to provide a safe and healthy home for my children and you replaced our bathroom floor; I was a lonely nursing home resident and you visited bringing music, smiles, and joy to my morning; I was a teenage boy, frightened and confused, and you repaired the youth shelter to make it safer for me; I was an elderly woman who couldn t easily walk and you built a rail to help me climb my steps; I was a veteran in the hospital and you sent small gifts I could use to take care of my daily needs. Then the King will say, I m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me you did it to me. Matthew 25:40 (The Message) If you have not yet signed up or have questions about Be the Church Sunday, please call Debbie or Dave Chambers (214) or Kathleen Shannon (918)

3 September 2012 What Does the Bible Say A Home Based Study of the Word! By: Linda Theis, Education Chair Have you ever listened to different Bible teachers and wondered if what they were saying was really correct? Have you ever wondered why so many people don t study the Bible? How can we profess to believe in what is contained in these books when we don t even know what they say? Why is it so hard to find theologically sound curriculum that isn t politically slanted in a flexible format that engages today s Christian? If you have ask these or similar questions you are not alone. Bible study is where we meet and grow in understanding of God who created us and longs to be in relationship with us. The Bible teaches us how we are to live and interact with each other. Yet far too many Christians don t read their Bibles A recent Gallup poll revealed startling information. We revere the Bible, Gallup said, but don t read it. Why, because the Bible is intimidating and often mystifying. Besides, our busy lives don t lend themselves to regular Bible study. Does that describe you? First United Methodist Church Eufaula is starting a new Bible study From Genesis to Revelation 13 sessions. In this study we will study the Bible by understanding the different genres (or types of literature) found in the Bible, as they are most helpful in understanding the development of the canon in light of the culture of the times. The genres include: The Histories, the Prophets, Wisdom literature, Apocalyptic Page 3 literature, New Testament letters and the Gospels. The study will be held on Tuesday from 7:00 p. m. until 8:30 p.m., beginning September 11 th, facilitated by Phil and Linda Theis in their home. The study will include video lectures from Dr. Mickey Efird, professor at Duke Divinity School, teacher for new pastors for over 40 years, and author of 14 books. Mickey, as he likes to be called, is best known for the warm, insightful, and humorous Bible studies he has conducted in churches of all denominations for thousands of Christian lay people. This master teacher will help you gain new insights, while also strengthening friendships among participants. Each session will include a lecture by Dr. Efird, followed by group discussion of that which was covered. Every participant will need a detailed workbook ($12.00). The workbook will help you follow the lecture, while allowing space to record your own impressions of the study. Dr. Efird s Bible studies have been a blessing to thousands and will bless you also. For more details, contact Phil or Linda at A signup sheet will be posted by the church office door; the study begins September 11 th and we will need to order workbooks no later than September 5 th!

4 Page 4 The Eufaula Messenger Circle of Care By: Twyla King The basic premise of the Circle of Care program is that we do not see our children as "at risk", but "at promise" and we believe that being loved and accepted heals hurts that can be healed by no other means. That means that children in our program are provided with a loving, nurturing environment to help them see that there is a better way to live. They are taught skills to help them deal with real life situations and provided with the counseling help they need to turn their lives around. This encourages them to break the cycles of abuse and dependence in their own families and to live more productive lives. Whether it is at Holsinger Home for Children in Enid, our Children's Home in Tahlequah, the Boy's Ranch at Gore, Pearl's Hope in Tulsa or the Independent Living Program in Tahlequah, children and youth learn how to function in the home, in their relationships, in school and in society. Our staff also provides the children with opportunities to discover and nurture their spirituality. They attend weekly church services, have devotions in their home and are encouraged to take part in church activities. The ultimate goal of the Circle of Care's program is to reunite the children with their families whenever possible. For more information, got to org/. Lake Eufaula United Ministry Annual Fish Fry Tuesday, September 18, :30 PM At the Dining Hall of the Group Camp site at Lake Eufaula State Park. Each Church is asked to donate Cookies for this special Fellowship

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6 Page 6 The Eufaula Messenger A special thanks to those that brought fruit and other dishes to the fellowship for the wonderful performance of Brick Fields on August 19th. I would also like to thank the committee workers for helping that evening! If you missed the performance you missed a great show and a group of great people. We will return to regular monthly fellowship and food on September 9th. Thanks for bringing cold foods for the last 3 months. The Fellowship Committee really appreciates your understanding. Since the microwave won t hold large containers, please bring your hot dishes in Nurture and Fellowship By: Anne Gilbert oven safe pots or dishes and if at all possible fully cooked. We would also like to request that you take your dishes, etc. home with you dirty so that we might get away from the kitchen sooner. Your help is greatly appreciated. We are sorry to be losing two of our great crew members before their next time to serve. Chuck and Carol Boyd will be moving to Norman. We will miss them and have really appreciated all of the hard work. Thank you both for serving your church by working with us! Notice: Two new volunteers needed to work one Sunday every other month from 10:30 am 1:30 pm with a crew of great people. Please see Anne Gilbert or call if you are interested. UMW Meeting Scheduled The next general meeting of the United Methodist Women is on Tuesday, September 4 at 1:00 p.m. The Program will be presented by Twyla King. Glenna Fisher and Anne Gilbert are hostesses. All Women of the church are invited to join us.

7 September 2012 Page 7 September Anniversaries 9/1 Tom & Carolyn Reid 9/3 Richard & Rosella Riley 9/4 Roy & Glenna Fisher 9/4 Bill & Anne Gilbert 9/18 John & Jeannie Marlar UMW Pies For Sale We are currently taking orders (regular and fried pies) for our next baking session which will be on Tuesday, September 11. To order please call Anne Gilbert at (918) or the church office at (918) September Birthdays 9/1 Kathie Brooks 9/1 Kelly Jordan 9/4 JT Stubbs 9/4 Glenna McBride 9/8 Ingrid Fells 9/9 Glenn Pittman 9/16 Jerry McCormick 9/19 Tom Reid 9/19 George Holuby 9/19 Tom Foresee 9/19 Kathy Hunn 9/20 Carolyn Stauffer 9/23 Coleta Christmas 9/24 Larry McCracken 9/28 Rachael Marlar 9/29 Randy Burris 9/30 Emily Burris

8 Page 8 The Eufaula Messenger United Methodist Men By: Dave Chambers In our August meeting, the UMM awarded plaques to our great Barbecue Chefs: Wayne McKnight and Dan Huddle. With their skill and leadership, we won the Eufaula Wholy Hawg Barbecue contest! Thanks for all of your support. A great and fun effort by all. This fall will be a very busy time for the UMM. We are planning to reinstall the memorial windows in the Bell Tower in late September. We have the annual Eufaula Ironhead Football Dinner to schedule and support. Also, for the 5th Sunday, the UMM will be supporting the work efforts. All this and more with the Trunk-or-Treat for Halloween. A fun and action packed fall. Please plan to attend our next meeting on September 8th. Breakfast starts at 7:30 a.m. and the meeting starts at 8:00 a.m. We need everybody s support, ideas and fellowship. See you there. Staff Parish Presents Aaron Morgan Youth Director The Staff-Parish Relations Committee would like to announce Aaron Morgan as the new Youth Director. After meeting with Aaron several times, the committee has hired Aaron to Direct, Grow and Nurture the youth of our church. The committee has hired Aaron for a 3 month trial basis with an hourly wage. We are hoping that at the end of the 3 months, Aaron will decide to stay with us. At that time the committee will discuss a set salary for the Youth Director as well as other requirements. Since this is a new position at our church, we are hoping to use the trial period to develop an idea of direction for our youth. Brother Mike and the Staff-Parish Committee are developing a Youth Council Committee. This committee will derive from parents of the youth. Mike Brannon will be a part of this committee as well since Aaron will need his guidance and mentoring. Also, Linda Johnson has been asked to Chair this committee. Since Linda has organized and ran a very successful youth group at this church before, she will have a lot of experience and insight for the Youth Director. We would like for everyone to be able to express their thoughts and ideas for our youth, but we are asking that all thoughts and ideas be brought before the Youth Council rather than each individual going directly to the Youth Director. As you can imagine this would be very overwhelming for anyone. Let s come together and embrace Aaron with our prayers, love and support!

9 September 2012 Page 9 Join us on Sunday, September 16 at 6:00 Pm For a special night of music and praise with Olen Davis and the Travelers They will be playing Gospel and Bluegrass music for all to enjoy! The concert will be followed by an Ice Cream Social Bring your favorite ice cream and toppings and enjoy a night of Fellowship with great music and fun. Brother Mike will be beginning the Bible Study Learning From Jesus On Sunday, September 23rd From 6:00 7:30 pm There is a workbook for this study and it will cost $ Anyone wishing to participate should contact Jessica at Youth Meeting every Sunday afternoon at 4:30 PM. We are going to start planning activities and fund raisers (to help pay for the activities) so bring your ideas and a friend. See ya There!!!

10 First United Methodist Church 220 S. Main Eufaula, OK Phone: Open Hearts Open Minds Open Doors Label Here September /2 4:30 PM Youth Meeting 9/4 1:00 PM UMW Monthly Meeting 9/8 7:30 AM UMM Monthly Meeting 9/8 4:30 PM Indian Taco Dinner at FUMC Girl Scouts Fundraiser 9/9 Fellowship Dinner 9/9 4:30 PM Youth Meeting 9/10 6:30 PM Building Committee Meeting 9/11 9:30 AM UMW Workshop 9/11 7:00 PM Bible Study at the home of Phil and Linda Theis 9/13 TBA UMM Fishing Trip 9/16 4:30 PM Youth Meeting 9/16 6:00 PM Olen Davis and the Travelers Concert w/ Ice Cream Social 9/18 9:30 AM UMW Workshop 9/20 6:30 PM Church Council Meeting 9/23 6:00 PM Learning from Jesus Bible Study at FUMC 9/25 9:30 AM UMW Workshop 9/30 9:30 AM 5th Sunday Event Be the Church - gather in Fellowship Hall 9/30 12:00 PM Lunch in Fellowship Hall *Choir Practice every Wednesday Night at 6:30 pm. *The boy scouts will meet each Monday evening in Fellowship Hall at 7 pm. *The girl scouts will meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month in Fellowship Hall from 3:30 pm to 5 pm. *The Investment Club meets in Fellowship Hall on the 3rd Monday of each month. *Save Our Water meets in Fellowship Hall on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 8 am.