From the Pastor's Desk -

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1 Volume 6 Issue 8 August 2016 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church. Matthew 16:13-18a From the Pastor's Desk - When we finish VBS I feel like summer is really just beginning! But the reality is that we only have about a month before school starts again. It was a great week learning from Joseph and his life in Egypt! The songs were lots of fun as well as food, crafts, games and skits. A hugh thanks goes to Ruth Pickett for coordinating this major event! And my gratitude goes to all the workers and the parents for making sure you got your children to VBS! I will conclude my summer sermon series Let s start at the very beginning - a walk through Genesis on August 14. The last 3 sermons will be on Abraham, Sarah s Laughter and Jacob. I have enjoyed preaching these and I hope they have been meaningful to you. I will be away for a few Sundays in August. While I am gone, please support the special worship services being planned. On August 21, the youth will lead a joint service performing all the various parts. On August 27, the UMW will lead both services and Vicki Sigmon from the Open Arms Community in Winston Salem will preach. Finally on September 4, Lisa O Hal and the music ministries of Center will lead allmusic worship services. Each of these will lift you up and fill you with praise! So make plans to be present at each one! I am still considering what series I will preach on this fall. But please be reminded that we celebrate Homecoming, Sunday, September 18. The Rev. Hank Thompson will preach and we will have that traditional covered dish meal that we look forward to after the worship. I have been your minister for just over 2 1/2 years now. I feel we as a church have made lots of progress in stabilizing our ministry by focusing on what Christ teaches in the Scriptures. We have participated in 90 Day Challenges in Tithing, Prayers and Scripture Reading, Presence and Service, and Fasting and Witness. As we continue to take these aspects of Christian living seriously, we are ready to review and update Center s Missional statement and the goals that will help us live out our missional statement. In an effort to work on this process, I plan to visit most folks in the church during the fall. I will do this by setting up small groups of 8 to 12 folks in homes to have conversation about Center, its ministry and its outreach to the world. I hope to have volunteers to offer their homes as a place to meet for an hour or so and that church members that live in those areas can attend. It will be a great time spent together and I hope will ferment our hearts and minds to clarify the next 5 to 7 years of Center s ministry. As of now I hope to make most of these gatherings on Monday and Thursday evenings. But I know we will need some other options as we see who can t participate on these days of the week. Please keep these gatherings in your prayers. If you would like to host one of these gatherings, please Martha with your offer. We will try to accommodated your dates. May God bless Center as we move into the autumn and seek God s vision for the ministry of Center UMC. Cecil Donahue. Pastor

2 Missions Missions by Sherri Scalcione Can you believe summer s almost over?!? Soon we ll be heading back to school. Don t miss this year s Block Party! The mission s committee is gearing up, getting ready. This year s hands-on-project are school kits. Below is a list of supplies needed to pack the bags: School Kit Materials 1 pair blunt scissors Rounded tip only; No plastic scissors, please 3 pads of paper Spiral- or topbound pads; 150 sheets or less of loose-leaf paper can be substituted for 1 pad; Combination of spiral, top-bound, side-bound, or loose-leaf paper is acceptable; No composition books, please. 1 hand-held pencil sharpener Must be at least 1 inch long; Remove from packaging centimeter ruler Hard or flexible; Cartoon characters are acceptable; No advertisements please. 6 unsharpened pencils No advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols, please; Cartoon characters are acceptable. 1 2-inch or larger-size eraser No advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols, please; Cartoon characters are acceptable count box of crayons Only 24-count boxes, please. 1 14x16 inch cloth bag Homemade or purchased bags are both acceptable; Heavy-duty fabric only, such as denim, corduroy, drapery fabric, etc.; No advertisements, religious, patriotic, military, or camouflage symbols, please; Closures are optional but must be buttons, snaps, or Velcro sewn in middle of opening, if used. Please note you can purchase a bag, keep in mind they are very particular about the bag. It must be 14X16 inches, heavy duty fabric, without any logos or ads (patterns not camouflage are ok). Directions for making the bag are located here: UMCOR/Relief-Supplies/Relief- Supply-Kits/School You can see Sherri Scalcione or Caroline Raper if you have questions or need additional information. United Methodist Women by Becky Saunders August 28th is United Methodist Women Sunday. Our guest speaker will be the missionary, Vickie Sigmon, whom Center helps support at Open Arms Community in Winston-Salem. She will share with us the improvements that have been made at the facility and also the many ways Open Arms serves the community. Throughout the month of August we will collect full size shampoo, deodorant, body wash and toothpaste to send back with Vickie for Open Arms. A big part of the program at Open Arms is tutoring for 44 children. Each student is given a special notebook that has extra work tailored to his/her specific academic needs. When they do the extra work, they get points which can be redeemed in a special "store" periodically. Those items Page 2 can include fancy school supplies like mechanical pencils (and refills), hand held individual pencil sharpeners, extra fancy erasers, extra fancy pencils. Open Arms supplies many kids with regular school supplies and usually has plenty of the regular supplies for them. The fancy things are only for tutoring rewards. So, we will also be collecting "fancy" school supplies for their rewards program. Boxes will be outside the sanctuary for these collections. The UMW will be making school kits to be filled with school supplies at the block party on August 27th. These are shipped to UMCOR. Also, our first meeting for the fall will be Monday, August 15 at 7:00 in the Fellowship Hall. All women of the church are welcome to attend. Mark your calendar for Pathways on Tuesday, August 30. We will leave the church with all the food about 5:20 p.m. and begin at Pathways 6:00 p.m. Wouldn t you like to be a part of helping feed these families by either preparing some of the food and/or helping serve? This is truly a blessing for all who participate!.

3 Education Education by Ruth Pickett Young Believers A new year for the Young Believers will begin on Wednesday, September 14. We meet the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Children ages 4 fifth graders are invited to become Young Believers. Vacation Bible School This year s VBS was a huge success thanks to the efforts of the Education committee and a variety of volunteers. Each night began with a celebration of music followed by delicious snack suppers. During the rest of the evening children rotate between Joseph s Journey, Marketplace Crafts and Pyramid Playground. We would like to thank everyone who made this event possible. It takes an entire church family to make an event such as this a success. Thank you!! Thank you Pastor Cecil for portraying the part of Joseph!!! Confirmation Confirmation by Rev. Cecil Donahue The Confirmation Experience begins September! Calling all youth at Center and Summerfield UMCs who are in the 6th grade or above and have not been through confirmation and/or have not joined the church. Center and Summerfield leaders are offering a Confirmation experience to help you make the decision about joining the church and committing yourself fully to serve Christ as your Lord and Savior. The Confirmation Experience is spread over several months and includes fellowship, learning about faith and the history of the church, an offcampus retreat, visits to other churches and time to reflect upon your relationship with God in the context of others who are exploring the same issues. So, if you are ready to delve into the wonderful, challenging world of walking with God in an intentional way, then the Centerfield Confirmation experience is for you! Here are the details you need to know: Begins: Meets Wednesdays, beginning September 21, from 7:00-8:00 pm, going thru November 16. After the Christmas holiday break Confirmation will continue on Wednesdays from January 11 to March 1. Retreat at Lake Junaluska - March 3-5. Visiting other churches - At least once in the Fall and once in the Spring. This will mean the confirmands will be out of our churches on those Sundays. Cost: $50.00 each to help cover instruction materials, plus $65.00 toward the retreat cost. The sessions will be held at Center and Summerfield Churches on a schedule that will be published in September. To register: Call Center or Summerfield Churches or Rev. David Lee (dlee1@wnccumc.net), Rev. Cecil Donahue (cdonahue@wnccumc.net) or Keith Bradley (kbradley1972@gmail.com) C o n f i r m a t i o n Page 3

4 Worship by Tracy Stanford As Christians, Christ teaches us the Great Commission! In the Great Commission, we are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world! Special Services: Sunday Aug 21 st - A Combined Worship Service at 10:45am Youth Sunday - Communion Dates August 7 This month, join Pastor Cecil as he continues his summer sermon series called Let s Start at the Very Beginning as we study the book of Genesis. Learn how to apply these biblical teachings in today s world.. As a church, come let us gather together as we worship our Lord! Keith Bradley will deliver the message as the youth lead the other parts of this service Sunday Aug 28 th Special Worship Services sponsored by the UMW Meet Bishop Paul Leeland District News Release On Thursday evening at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center in Lake Junaluska, N.C., Bishop Paul Leeland, currently serving in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, has been assigned to the Western North Carolina Conference by the Southeastern Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy. A native of Washington, D.C., Leeland received four degrees from schools in North Caro- lina. He received his bachelor s degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College, and a M.Div. and Th.M. from Duke Divinity School, and a Doctorate of Education from North Carolina State University. Before being elected a bishop in 2008, he served churches in the North Carolina Conference (Raleigh area) for 33 years following a stint as Director of Family Counseling in Atlanta after completing seminary. Just prior to his election to the episcopacy, Leeland was the superintendent for the Goldsboro District in the North Carolina Conference. After his election in 2008, he was assigned to the Alabama-West Florida Conference, which encompasses the southern half of Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. It includes more than 141,000 members, including about 900 active and retired pastors serving over 600 churches. Leeland will replace Bishop Larry Goodpaster who has served the Charlotte area since 2008, after eight years as the bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference. Following his retirement, he will become the Bishop-in Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Mathew 28: Residence at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, GA. Janet Elaine Dowell, also from Washington, D.C. and Paul Lee Leeland were married in They have three married children: Rebekah, Nora and Paul Andrew. They have six grandchildren. Bishop Leeland will begin his work in Western North Carolina on September 1. He and Janet will reside in Charlotte, N.C.1. Page 4

5 PSALM 59:16 August 2016 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble Every Act Of Love By Lisa O Hal I recently heard a Contemporary Christian song on the radio that I believe could be our theme song at Center Church. The song talks about the concept of establishing God s kingdom here on earth through the acts of love we share with those around us. I have personally witnessed the life-changing power of love alive at Center Church through countless acts of love. My family and I have often been the recipients of these acts of love. I have witnessed many people and groups in the church reaching out with love to help and minister to those around them. It is unmistakable that God s love is shining through them. The Light of God s Love shining through us is what draws others to us and brings a little piece of heaven - the kingdom come - to us, here on earth. I pray that this Love continues to shine through everything we do at Center Church - our music, our ministries, and all the acts of love that we share with each other and the world around us. SPECIAL MUSIC SUNDAY September 4 We will fill the services with all our favorite music and praise the Lord for His bountiful goodness. You will not want to miss this special day! We bring the kingdom come With every act of love Jesus, help us carry You Alive in us, Your light shines through With every act of love We bring the kingdom come God put a million, million doors in the world For His love to walk through One of those doors is you... CCLI # ECCLESIASTES 3: He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. Page 5

6 August 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Communion :00 Contemp. Worship 10:00 Sunday School 11:00 Traditional Worship 3:00 Witness/Evangelism 5:00 SPRC 5:00 Youth at SUMC 7:00 Trustees Youth leave for SPIRITUS :00 Contemp. Worship 10:00 Sunday School 11:00 Traditional Worship 4:00 Finance Budget Mtg 7:00 United Methodist Women 21 Youth Sunday :00 Contemp. Worship 10:00 Sunday School 11:00 Traditional Worship 5:00 Youth at SUMC 7:00 Church Council Burritos Prep 5:30 p.m. Burritos Delivery 8:00 a.m. 28 UMW Sunday :00 Contemp. Worship 10:00 Sunday School 11:00 Traditional Worship 5:00 Youth at Center Back to School!! Pathways Page 6

7 CENTER Notes New Address Bob and Loraine LeBaube 524 College Road, Apt. 202, Greensboro, NC Telephones and remain the same. Thank you, my friends for all you have done for me after my emergency surgery on July 4. No one was more surprised about it than me! I have appreciated all the cards, visits, food, flowers, prayers, calls and hugs. I have felt God's presence in everything you have done. Please continue to pray for my full recovery over the next few months. Love in Christ, Anne Wagner Breakfast Burritos It seems like I continually owe the people of Center Church an overwhelming Thank You! This year has been a roller coaster for my family and you have been there to support us with your prayers and your true acts of kindness! My eye is healing but it will take some time to fully restore my vision. Please pray for that healing and that I will have the patience to let the healing come. Preparation Friday August 26 5:30 p.m. Distribution Saturday August 27 8:00 a.m. Thank you and may God bless you richly! Martha Sloan Page 7

8 Center United Methodist Church 6142 Lake Brandt Rd Greensboro, NC Phone: Fax: Website: Return Service Requested Affix label here Center Church is God Centered Making followers of Jesus Christ by loving, teaching, and serving in the community and the world. Financial Report Worship Schedule Contemporary Worship 9:00 a.m. Sunday School: 10:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service: 11:00 a.m. For inclement weather information please visit our website, call our church number for a recording or visit Contributions Contributions by Cecil Donahue (5,286)Center United Methodist Church as of July 28, 2016 Table Of Contents Pastor s Article 1 Missions 2 United Methodist 2 Education 3 Financial Update 8 Worship Commit- 4 District News 4 Music Notes 5 August Calendar 6 Center Notes 7 YTD Totals July Actual Budget Tithes and Offerings 15, , ,253 Expenses 20, , ,122 Overage/ (Shortage) (5,286) (21,899) (7,869) Loan Balance 29,809 Counters for August: Misty Byrd Katherine Bennett Thank You! I just want to express my appreciation for all those who continue to support Center with their prayers, presences, service and gifts. I'm especially thankful for your continuous gifts during these long summer weeks especially since the cash flow drops during this time. Also, I am thankful for those gifts toward the worship technology items and the freezer. These items are important but not so much that one should divert one's regular offering toward these special appeals. As God blesses you with additional or unexpected income then consider these special appeals from those funds. It is important that your regular giving continues at its present rate so that we meet our monthly commitments. Finally, when giving to multiple designations, please try to use a separate check for each designation. This makes the accounting and management of our giving so much easier! Thank you for your continued support! - Cecil