Holiday Hills Newslink

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1 Holiday Hills Newslink August, 2017 Pastor Dan s Notes As most of you know, I really like to think of the future rather than the past. God has demonstrated so many times in the scripture, and in my personal life, that he forgives/forgets the past and looks to the future. BUT as I sat here thinking about the future, my mind wandered back just a few years to consider what had really made a difference in my life. I think there were SIX things that had a significant impact. These were first prompted by my Ministerial Candidacy, and reinforced by Disciple Bible Study & the participation in the Walk to Emmaus. All six have to do with Spiritual Formation. Perhaps these may help in your personal faith journey: 1. Devotional Bible Study Praying the scripture means you sit before the text and listen for what God is saying to you, individually or corporately, through the text. Let your imagination bring you into the scene and fill your senses. 2. Journaling For those of you that participated in our study Companions in Christ, you will recall that Journaling was a big part of that study. I like to journal only the positive blessings that God has provided. When I review it is so rewarding to see how God has been working in my life. Journaling is similar to a diary, but a diary is like a map of know territory, while a journal moves you beyond the known to encounter the less explored terrain in your spirit. 3. Private Prayer Prayer is the essence of all the activities of spiritual formation because prayer is the act of being in touch with God. Sometimes prayer is simply being with God, without and beyond words, just being present to each other. When you listen to scripture or journal, you pray. When you speak to a friend about your spirit or theirs, you pray. When you are silent and alone before God, you pray. When you have become awake to God s presence to you, bask in it. Be still and listen to see if God has any word or direction for you at this time. 4. Spiritual Reading Spiritual reading puts you in touch with God It is another way to pray. This is one of the reasons I recommend, each month, books for your reading consideration. Many of the UMW read from a suggested UMW book list. Reading is a way to make yourself available to the spirit in order to put you in touch with God. 5. Spiritual Accountability partner Another way God can guide you along your spirit way is through a spiritual friend. A spiritual partner is a person whom you select and who covenants with you, to listen to you speak about your relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The role of your spiritual friend is to listen to the Holy Spirit and to you, to speak as led by God, to accept you where you are, to encourage you to look ever more closely for God s presence in everyday life and, at times, to suggest steps that might help you grow. 6. Meditation---This has probably been the most difficult for me personally---taking the time to be in silent retreat from this world. One of the best ways to be silent is to take a personal retreat longer period of time than your daily prayer time. Twenty-four hours may be a useful length of time. Radios, T.V. and 1

2 books are not needed. Your Bible, a prayer guide, and a journal are sufficient. Silence is stopping all the voices in your mind so you hear the still, small voice of God with greater clarity and depth. I say small voice of God, but oftentimes, I hear God shout loud and clear! If you don t have an opportunity to do this at home, try our nearby Christian retreat center at Mount Eagle. Overall, these spiritual disciplines have become a way of life, but they are only a start to the spiritual formation that God calls us to be. Think like a servant, be like a servant, then and only then, will you be Christ-like. Amen! God be with each of you in your faith journey! Pastor Dan Vicki Reissig 08/10 Marlene Williford 08/10 Roxie Bradley 08/14 Everett Padgett 08/22 Mark Bogard 08/23 Anne Bryant 08/26 Thelma Steele 08/28 Happy Anniversary Robert & Pat Duncan 08/24 We welcome new member, Stephanie Beene Disciples Making Disciples: Guide for Covenant Discipleship Groups and Class Leaders by Steven W. Manskar is for pastors, Covenant Discipleship group members, and class leaders. It provides information needed to organize the ministry, form groups, write a covenant, lead a meeting, support groups so they help the congregation live out its mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world. The book also describes the office of class leaders and how to introduce this powerful disciple-making office to the congregation. Food Bank work Schedule: Wednesday, August 9 th 9 am 11am Saturday, August 12 th- - 9 am 11 am Saturday, August 19 th 9 am 11 am 2

3 Carol Anne Rosteck Newslink, August 2017 I was born Kathy Sue DeBrinque on June 21, 1950, in Harrison, AR. God decided I needed some new parents, so he blessed me with two wonderful parents, Louis William and Anne Nita Rosteck. They named me Carol Anne because they were notified around Christmas they were to receive me, and Anne after my new mother. My new father was a motorcycle policeman in Little Rock. He went back to school and became an Attorney. I was Baptized and Confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Raised in Little Rock, I was further blessed with two younger sisters, Nancy and Jayne. I was very active in the Girl Scouts all through school, and graduated from Hall High in I went to college in Conway at what was then State College of Arkansas. I married and had one daughter, Katy. I became a nurse and started working in a new area of the Hospital, the Coronary Care Unit. I continued to work in the various Critical Care Units. I also became very interested in teaching and taught both CPR and Advanced Cardiac Life Support as well as the instructors courses. I have been very blessed with many friends, especially Stephanie Beene, and Mary Richards. I have two grandchildren, Melissa and Allison Hughey. They blessed me with four wonderful great grandchildren, Jacob, Abby, Jennifer and Gabriel. I moved from Little Rock to Greers Ferry October 19, 2016 and was again blessed to find this wonderful Church, a great Pastor Dan, and a truly loving congregation COMING EVENTS: SEPTEMBER 10 CHURCH HOMECOMING SEPTEMBER 16---GOLF TOURNAMENT The NE District of UMC is offering two great opportunities for Laity training during August. I encourage you to take advantage of them. (1) Lay Servant Ministries Courses on August 12 at Central UMC in Batesville. They are offering the same day; Basic Servant Ministries & Advanced (From your Heart to theirs: delivering an effective Sermon). Applications are on the Church information table in the Fellowship Hall. (2) Leadership Unleashed event for Laity 6:30 P.M. 1 st UMC Heber Springs. 3

4 NEWSLINK, AUGUST 2017 POTLUCK VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!! Who doesn t look forward to Potluck Sundays? Yummy foods, good fellowship & no messy clean-up! What could be better? BUT, this all doesn t magically happen. While most of us are enjoying worship, the kitchen volunteers are working hard to assure everything is warm and ready to go. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to those wonderful volunteers!!! No special skills are required to be a kitchen volunteer other than the willingness to serve. A sign-up sheet is posted on the wall next to the ovens. Four to five people are needed. Just pick your month. A list of responsibilities is posted to leave no doubt as to what is to be done. (Please note some changes and additions to that list). We have a new and improved kitchen to make it all simple and easy. All we need is YOU!!! Please consider volunteering. If you have any questions, please ask Keat Yeager or Kitty Weatherford. 4

5 Newslink, August 2017 July August 2017 September Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Laity training-6:30, Heber UMW Mtg. 10:30 am Springs Book Club 11:30 Quilters-1-4 Emmaus Training, Jonesboro. Lay Servant Training, Batesville POTLUCK Yacht Club 4 pm UMM church, 8 am Solar Eclipse Quilters-1-4 Emmaus training, Jonesboro Emmaus Reunion 6 pm DS/Pastor-2:30, Batesville The Spaghetti Supper scheduled for the month of August has been cancelled. The men will focus on smoking turkeys and boston butts for the Holidays which will be ready to be picked up at the Christmas Bazaar here at the church on November 18 th. Maybe a Cajun feast this year also---stay tuned. 5