COURIER AUGUST A P u b l i c a t i o n for Eastland United Methodist Ch u r c h. Pastor Craig s Corner. Eastland United

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CROSS COURIER ROADS AUGUST 2016 A P u b l i c a t i o n for Eastland United Methodist Ch u r c h Eastland United Methodist Church 10718 Courthouse Road Fredericksburg, VA 22407 540-898-6430 Pastor

Worship Service 8:30 am Sunday School - 9:45 am Worship Service - 11:00 am Holy Communion First Sunday and special occasions Pastor Craig s Corner Note: This article is an adaptation of the most

1 CROSS COURIER ROADS AUGUST 2016 A P u b l i c a t i o n for Eastland United Methodist Ch u r c h Eastland United Methodist Church Courthouse Road Fredericksburg, VA Pastor Rev: Craig Muffley Ministers The Congregation Lay Leader Bill Todd Accompanist Afton Duenow Administrative Assistant Laura Martinsen Youth Director Renee Garrett Sunday Schedule Early Worship Service 8:30 am Sunday School - 9:45 am Worship Service - 11:00 am Holy Communion First Sunday and special occasions Pastor Craig s Corner Note: This article is an adaptation of the most recent newsletter written by Rev. Paul Nickerson, who was a co-leader of the How to Reach New People training event about 8 of our church leaders and I attended several years ago. Rev. Paul also coached us for a year following the initial event. I am sharing this as a reminder to us to reach out to our community because the large housing development just down the road from Eastland, Abberly at Southpoint, is nearing completion. I share it hoping that we will be willing to make a concerted effort to reach out in Christ s name to welcome these new people in our community. What is Your Heart Index? During the summer, weather people measure the "heat index" - the temperature plus the humidity. In churches it is important to measure the "heart index". What do I mean by this? The heart index is the level of compassion and concern a church has for the community around it. When Jesus saw the crowds, he was filled with compassion because he saw the hopes, dreams, hurt and questions in the faces of the people. Many churches stay hunkered down in their buildings and often seem indifferent, and in some cases (particularly if the neighborhood has changed), downright hostile to the people around them. Growing churches however, embrace and fall in love with the communities they serve. Their hearts are filled with the energy and capacity to get out of the buildings and connect with people. In fact, the more churches love their neighborhoods, the more they find the energy to get out of their comfort zone and reconnect with people in their town. As a coach, I can't give you a bigger heart; that is the work of the Holy Spirit. But I can tell you some things growing churches do to reignite their hearts. These strategies include: *Fervent prayer for the community by a dedicated group in the church. These prayer teams will pray over lists of community needs, pray over a map of the area, organize prayer vigils etc. This is New Testament-type prayer that the church can re-engage the community *Leaders and members take prayer walks through the neighborhood. A lot of churches don't even know what a prayer walk means. A prayer walk is simply walking through a neighborhood (or driving in more rural places), and letting the Spirit work on our hearts and eyes. We pray for the people in the houses and pray that the church can reach the neighborhood. We see the community with "fresh eyes" - the eyes of Jesus. *Talk with community leaders, police and fire personnel, school principals, social service agencies, etc. and pick up again the "pulse" of the community. Growing churches will bring in speakers from various groups so that congregational members can once again see the real-life people in their neighborhood. The Apostle Paul said we are to be ambassadors of Christ to the world. Ambassadors don't wait at home for others to come to them. They travel and reach out to connect with new people. For many churches, reaching out into the neighborhood feels awkward and strange at first. But the more our "heart index" goes up, the more willing we will be to move stretch and connect people's hopes, dreams, hurts and concerns with the Good News of Jesus Christ. 1

Ways You Can Help YOUR Church... COME PRAY WITH US! Come on Thursdays, at 9 am, for a 30 minute prayer session held in the sanctuary.

2016 Annual Conference. The presentation focuses on Moses and the Israelites struggles in the wilderness. You ll enjoy it! CONSIDER JOINING OUR ADULT CHOIR CALLING ALL SINGERS!

2 Ways You Can Help YOUR Church... COME PRAY WITH US! Come on Thursdays, at 9 am, for a 30 minute prayer session held in the sanctuary. Lift your friends, family, yourself, and all things on your heart to the Lord. Never underestimate the power of prayer! CONDSIDER SIGNING UP FOR A TURN AT PREPARNG THE FEL- LOWSHIP SNACK! WE NEED VOLUNTEERS PLEASE!! One-Night Bible Study Tuesday, August 23rd, 7:00 pm Join Pastor Craig on for a video presentation and discussion of Bishop Gregory Jones excellent Bible study presentation that he offered at our 2016 Annual Conference. The presentation focuses on Moses and the Israelites struggles in the wilderness. You ll enjoy it! CONSIDER JOINING OUR ADULT CHOIR CALLING ALL SINGERS! If you've been hesitant about singing in the choir, now is the time to join in! After taking a bit of a break during the summer, the adult choir will meet once again beginning Tuesday night, Sept 6, 7:00 p.m. The choir will then meet every Tuesday evening at 7 to work on the month's choral call to worship, the choral benediction, and monthly anthem. While the choir sings an anthem one Sunday a month, they sit in front and lead the congregation every Sunday. Watch for a future newsletter for information on what we have planned for Christmas! I hope to see you soon! ~Afton~ PLEASE FEED THE COOKIE MONSTER! There is a large. red plastic bin in the kitchen labeled COOKIE MONSTER The purpose of this container is to hold cookies that church members purchase and donate for use during fellowship time and other occasions. The next time you get JOIN THE ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS 9:45-10:30 4 week study through the month of August FORGIVENESS: Finding Peace Through Letting Go By Adam Hamilton Please feel free to drop in and give our class a try! GIVE OFFERING COUNTING A TRY!! If you are interested in serving, contact Karla Cook by at nowacook@verizon.net or in person after services Take a look at the church website at and Like us on Facebook. When you see a post, after you like it, share it! Don t see your events announced? Call or Eastlandumc@gmail.com. 2

3 Ways You Can Support YOUR Community... Hope House Wish List Items We have limited storage space. Therefore, we cannot always accept all items. Please call Jennifer at before bringing any donations. Thank you for understanding. LET S GO GLEANING!! Saturday, Sept 17th, 7 am sharp! Spend a day together harvesting vegetables at Parker Farms in Upper Westmoreland County to support under-served individuals through the Northern Neck Food Bank. Meet at Eastland UMC and we will carpool. We will glean from 9am to noon, returning to Eastland around 1:30pm. See the poster and sign-up sheet at the Mission Control desk for more information or call Frances Twin Bed in a Bag Toddler Bed in a Bag Pillows Toiletries Towels/Wash Clothes See website for canned and boxed food needs: Address: 902 Lafayette Boulevard, Fredericksburg, VA Phone: (540) FAX: info@hopehouseva.org Support our Troops and Military families! Go to and find out how to send a care package and a note of gratitude to a deployed troop member! THE THURMAN BRISBEN CENTER HAS AN URGENT NEED FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: A replacement washing machine for their laundry room (lightly used or new) Fitted twin sheets for their dor- Flip flops aren t just for the beach. The Brisben Center mitory beds. (new or gently helps new residents settle in by providing some small used) items for their comfort and safety. Among those items are flip flop sandals for the showers and we re running Bus passes for FRED Bus low!! Packages of underwear, socks, and pajamas (new) all sizes; men, women and children Bath towels (new) Sweat shirts, hoodies & sweat pants (new or gently used) all sizes; men, women and children Gym shorts (new or gently used) all sizes; men, women and children Flip Flops (new) all sizes; men, women and children The Brisben Center 471 Central Road Fredericksburg, Virginia (540)

4 A Spiritual Reflection by Laura Cole, Church member Gazing out the window many thoughts stir in my mind. The forecaster is promising the glorious sun will shine today. Many of us have complained of the duration of rainfall that seems to never end. We are all reading from the same script. Will the sun ever come out again? we ask in desperation. If only we took a moment in the quiet of the day, we will see the sun never stopped dancing brilliantly. Often we lose our way and the path that is intended for us cannot be found. We travel the rocky road with a storm cloud overhead that lingers. The desires of our heart take a turn that consumes us. Many of us travel the desolate road together - although alone. As we slip deeper into the great unknown, the darkness surrounds us until we can no longer see. We begin to live our lives by sound and not sight. The only thing we can hear are the ferocious sounds of the animals preparing to attack. A fear settles deep within that is debilitating. Upon desperation and with a small ounce of hope left, we begin to search for the path we will learn to call our divine home. As we begin to take baby steps we realize one could pounce at any moment. But there s an unknown force tugging at our hearts as we continue to focus on a tiny glimmer of light. The amazing warmth that is penetrating quickly turns to comfort. It s an indescribable feeling that overwhelms us with peace. We begin to see through a different set of eyes. It s amazing how crystal clear and vivid we see things. Walking in the radiance of the sun we see Jesus in pure form. We drink in the love surrounding us and realize that we choose to allow the Son to reside in our hearts. It s up to us. The 'Art' Of Forgiveness An interesting legend is associated with the painting The Last Supper. Some say Leonardo da Vinci used a rival s face for Judas. Then when the painter tried to create Jesus face, all he could see was that of his enemy. Supposedly, da Vinci was able to complete Jesus face and the entire masterpiece only after making peace with his enemy and repainting Judas. This tale shows the necessity of forgiving other people so we can accept Jesus forgiveness for ourselves. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV), For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Running The Race During three Olympic Games, American triathlete Hunter Kemper never placed higher than seventh. But his athletic performance never defined him. Whether I win a gold medal or not, I get my character as a person from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Kemper said. That s who I ll always be, and therefore I can never be let down. You can never be let down if your faith is in the Lord. Kemper, now 40, said, Trust in the Lord, and he ll give you the strength to be on top. And if you don t end up on top, that s okay too. Ultimately for me, I want to run my race and give [God] credit, whether in victory or defeat. 4

REQUEST PRAYER We are happy to pray for you or your loved ones. You may write the names of those you want lifted up in prayer on the back of the Communication Card in your worship bulletin.

My purpose 1 David Ganoe 4 KaileeFranvois 22 Laura Garrett 31 Renee Garrett 3 David Vaughn Jack Partain 5 Kok Tsang 14 Jimmy Dillard 21 Barb Radebaugh 25 Charles Barnett 27 Tessa Conley 31 Dorothy

I shall do good; I shall do his work I will trust him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve him.

Fellowship Luncheon Our monthly fellowship luncheon is served on the second Sunday of each month, after the 11:00 service. It s potluck, so bring a favorite dish!

5 REQUEST PRAYER We are happy to pray for you or your loved ones. You may write the names of those you want lifted up in prayer on the back of the Communication Card in your worship bulletin. These persons will remain on the prayer list in the bulletin for two weeks, unless their names are resubmitted. My purpose 1 David Ganoe 4 KaileeFranvois 22 Laura Garrett 31 Renee Garrett 3 David Vaughn Jack Partain 5 Kok Tsang 14 Jimmy Dillard 21 Barb Radebaugh 25 Charles Barnett 27 Tessa Conley 31 Dorothy Dillard God has created me to do him some definite service... I have my mission he has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do his work I will trust him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve him. He does nothing in vain We are still collecting! Keep Eastland s Legacy Going Strong! Fellowship Luncheon Our monthly fellowship luncheon is served on the second Sunday of each month, after the 11:00 service. It s potluck, so bring a favorite dish! If you forget, join us anyway, there is always enough food to go around! FOOD FOR LIFE PROGRAM Eastland UMC is a distribution site for the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank s Food for Life program. FFL is an income-qualified program based on USDA Income Guidelines. Persons age 60 and over may apply; no income documentation is required. Individuals age 59 and under who are on disability (SSI or SSDI) may also apply but must provide supporting documentation with their application. Individuals receive a box of dry, non-perishable groceries packed by the food bank. They may also receive produce or perishable food items when available. Individuals do not need to be members of, or attend Eastland UMC. The program is managed by Eastland s UMM group. Contact Bill Todd at or btodd1941@gmail.com or David Vaughn at or dfvaughn@verizon.net for more information and an application. 5

6 Fun and Games... Bible Quiz X 2 Who said to the prophet Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD? A. Reuben, for selling Joseph into slavery B. Jacob, for deceiving Isaac and stealing his brother s birthright C. Rahab, a prostitute D. David, considered Israel s greatest king Answer: See 2 Samuel 12:13. Under what circumstances did strongman Samson become weak? A. When a curse was spoken against him B. When he slacked off on his weight-lifting exercises C. When his hair was cut D. When he was bound with ropes that had never been used Answer: See Judges 16:

7 ***United Methodist News*** UMCOR cleaning buckets to be collected Aug. 27 With the recent flooding in Texas and West Virginia and now, more recently, in Maryland, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) warehouses need to replenish supplies of cleaning buckets (formerly known as flood buckets). Go to to learn what supplies are needed and how to assemble a cleaning bucket. Used buckets are acceptable as long as they are cleaned out. District United Methodist Men (UMM) coordinators will be designating staging locations in each district where buckets will be picked up on Saturday, Aug 27, then transported to central locations around Virginia before final transfer to UMCOR warehouses. Conference United Methodist Women Annual Meeting to be Oct in Richmond Virginia Conference United Methodist Women (UMW) will hold its Annual Meeting Oct at Good Shepherd UMC in Richmond. Theme is Growing in Blessedness. Keynote speaker is Elizabeth (Lisa) Lamb Nichols, a deaconess serving as executive director of Henry Fork Service Center, a facility in Rocky Mount, Va., that provides Christian education, educational enrichment, recreation and experiences in the arts to more than 100 students throughout the year. 5 Talent Academy Training Event - Oct. 4 Registration is now open for the 5 Talent Academy Equipping People for Ministry Outside the Walls of the Church event to be held 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at Ebenezer UMC in Stafford. The event will be live streamed to 10 additional locations across the conference (Danville, Eastern Shore, Farmville, Lynchburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Shenandoah Valley, Tidewater, Winchester and York River). Featured speaker is Andy Crouch, executive editor of Christianity Today and author of several books, including Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling. Cost is $35 per person, which includes lunch. Those who register prior to Aug. 31 will receive an early-bird discount and pay only $25. Group pricing is available for teams. Registration closes on Sept. 19. Visit vaumc.org/5talent to register. A Methodist Minute Q - Why was fasting important to our United Methodist founder, John Wesley? A- Wesley was convinced that regular, short-term fasting was a spiritual discipline that enhanced the holy life. He felt that abstaining from food or drink was a practice that was firmly grounded in the Bible (Ezra 8:23, Matt. 4:2, Acts 13:3). His plan of fasting sometimes allowed for limited eating and drinking. Wesley also advised against extreme fasting for those in poor health. He hastened to add that the spiritual benefit of fasting would be enhanced when combined with ministering and giving to the poor. 7

Eastland UMC family. They joined our church in July.

sang a favorite gospel song I ll Fly Away It was beautifully

EARLY SERVICE PRAISE BAND It has been a year now since we have

8 Eastland News... Ralph and Robin DePaulo are the newest members of our Eastland UMC family. They joined our church in July. Please extend to them a warm welcome when you see them! A SPLENDID SOLO! Summer Wilson shared her lovely voice with our congregation and sang a favorite gospel song I ll Fly Away It was beautifully done! Thanks Summer for sharing your God given talent with us! EARLY SERVICE PRAISE BAND It has been a year now since we have had a praise band singing at our 8:30 Church service. The band is now officially called the EAST LAND PRAISE BAND! Be sure to pick up your very own ELPB bumper sticker and help spread the word! 8

beautiful pieces of artwork. This is what she drew!

and making the flowers feel like they belong!

9 More Eastland News... Emily Miller has been a member of our church for almost a year now. I asked her to draw a picture representing what Eastland means to her and her family. I knew she could draw because I have seen some of her beautiful pieces of artwork. This is what she drew! She said the tree represents Eastland, like a tree with deep roots. She, Justin and Maci are represented by the portable flowers (military family) in the pots. The tree is protecting the flowers, sharing it s roots, and making the flowers feel like they belong! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL SUMMER POOL PARTY A big thank you to Tom and Kim Sobkowicz for opening their lovely home, pool and back yard for the Adult Sunday School Summer party! The weather was hot, but the fun and fellowship were unstoppable! 9

t ea dr m ae d A rn m i eg dh t N Youth News Westview on the James My Reflections on our Youth Mission Trip to

Photo collage submitted by Sarah By Sarah Cole Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to hang out with

I was never able to because it was either boat loads of money or the date wasn't quite right.

grown up with and today consider my sisters.

I had such a blast getting to know the girls better and experiencing things I had never done before.

devotionals but there were more activities planned.

10 n l i n e. P N C B a n k _ u n r e a d, d o n o t r e ps le yc,u r Si et cy u rs iy ts yt e sm y sr te ep m o r rt ee pd o ra t ea dr m ae d A rn m i eg dh t N Youth News Westview on the James My Reflections on our Youth Mission Trip to Westview On the James. Photo collage submitted by Sarah By Sarah Cole Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted to hang out with my friends and get closer to them at a summer camp. I was never able to because it was either boat loads of money or the date wasn't quite right. Fast forward from a decade ago and I was given the opportunity to go on a four day long trip with the girls I have grown up with and today consider my sisters. This year we went to Westview on the James, and stayed in a cabin for three nights. I had such a blast getting to know the girls better and experiencing things I had never done before. This year the trip was full of excitement because not only were there more ladies attending and youth leading devotionals but there were more activities planned. We all tried our hand at climbing the aquatic rock wall including my mom and Miss Judy (well done), and we got launched off of the so called blob from the water trampoline. The great part about the trip was that not only were we getting closer to each other but also getting closer to God, by doing mission work and through prayer. From intense board games to emotional movies like Miracles from Heaven (everyone balled) I'm lucky to say I experienced it all with the group of people I did, and a special thanks to Renee for making it all possible! I JUST CANT WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR!!! 10

COURIER. June A P u b l i c a t i o n for Eastland United Methodist Ch u r c h. Pastor Craig s Corner. Eastland United

COURIER. June A P u b l i c a t i o n for Eastland United Methodist Ch u r c h. Pastor Craig s Corner. Eastland United CROSS COURIER ROADS June 2016 A P u b l i c a t i o n for Eastland United Methodist Ch u r c h Eastland United Methodist Church 10718 Courthouse Road Fredericksburg, VA 22407 540-898-6430 Pastor Rev: Craig