WARREN WELCOMES REV. LAWRENCE l. YOUNG By Jacqueline Rose

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1 3rd QUARTER 2017 WARREN WELCOMES REV. LAWRENCE l. YOUNG By Jacqueline Rose September On Sunday, June 26, 2017, the Warren family welcomed Lawrence L. Young as its new senior pastor. Rev. Young inspired and challenged us with his first sermon entitled Let s Go Fishing. He spoke from Matthew 4: In an inspiring and spirit-filled message he expounded on three rules of fishing for Rev. Young and his God s people: (1) There are no lovely wife, Karen. throwbacks, we are to love all of God s people, (2) We must let people see the bait; let them see Jesus in your life. (3) Every good fisherman has a tackle box; our tackle box is the Bible and everything you need is in the word of God, he said. An air of hopefulness and promise filled the sanctuary as Warren ushers in a new era in the life of the church. Rev. Young, a native of Varnado, Louisiana was ordained as a Deacon of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1990 and as an Elder in He is a graduate of Dillard University where he achieved a Bachelor s degree in English and Political Science. He attended Gammon Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, where he earned a Masters of Divinity degree. Pastor Young has also completed extensive study and practice of Pastoral Care and Counseling through the Doctoral Program at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. continued on pg. 8 NORTH GEORGIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE report By Madelyn Nix Let me begin by saying thank you for the honor and privilege to serve as your Laity representative to the 2017 Annual Conference of the North Georgia United Methodist Conference ( Annual Conference ). This is the fourth year that I have attended an Annual Conference and the second year serving as the Laity representative from Warren UMC. The Annual Conference was held June at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. Warren was well represented. Ken Fowler, Barbara Hayes, Celestine Jones, Pat Kenly, Rev. & Mrs. Vincent Miller, Addie Shopshire-Rolle, Jackie Rose, and Eloise Sykes attended some or all of the Annual Conference. This year s Annual Conference was phenomenal. First, there was a new Bishop in charge, Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, whom people refer to affectionately as Bishop Sue. Second, the focus of the Conference was on worship preparation and innovation. The theme of the Annual Conference was Show Your Work: Worship That Inspires Action. continued on pg.7

2 2 Congratulations!! Rev. Lawrence Young Senior Pastor FOR YOUR INFORMATION Sunday School 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Sunday Service 10:30 a.m. Church Office Hours 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (M-F) Location 181 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd., SW Atlanta, GA Contact Number (404) Website Our Mission Making Disciples of Jesus Christ Through Fellowship, Worship and Service Our Vision A Beacon of Hope and Enlightenment Through Spiritual Growth and Christian Values 2017 Theme Envisioning Our Future Chandler Love was the winner of the 2017 Ann Owens Gordon Oratorical Contest for Jack and Jill of America, Inc, for the State of Georgia. Chandler, who represented the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter, wowed the judges with her presentation of "Because Of Our Past, Our Heritage Will Last". Chandler went on to compete in the 61st Annual Southeastern Region Teen Leadership Conference on June 29th in Orlando, Fl. As a special birthday gift for her grandmother, Eloise Sykes, Chandler brought the house down and won the regional competition as well!!! Chandler is the daughter of Borris and Alethia Love and sister of Channon. Gabrielle Simmons was recently awarded 1 st place in the Association of Christian Schools International Math Olympics competition. Gabrielle qualified among her 4th grade classmates to compete in the district event held earlier this year. There were 175 students participating in the event from grades 3-8. For 4th grade Gabrielle placed 1st for computation. She will enter the 5 th grade at the SAE school this school term. Gabrielle s ambition is to become a cardiac surgeon or pediatrician. Gabrielle is the daughter of Rawland and Dani Simmons and the sister of Kendall. Her proud grandparents are Richard and Jackie Rose. Dr. Avery D. Kenly graduated in May '17 from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College - Nashville, TN, earning a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy. His thesis topic was "A Study of Differential Pre-Kindergarten Readiness Across Racial/Socioeconomic Lines in Evanston/Skokie School District 65". Avery is a Development Specialist for the Clayton County School System and the recipient of the 2017 Clayton County School System Professional of the Year Award. Avery is the son of Patricia Kenly. He and his lovely wife, Lizzette have one daughter, Morgan. 2

3 From The Pastor s Pen Greetings My Warren Memorial Family and Friends, This is my first opportunity to share with you in our quarterly newsletter, The Beacon. I am very appreciative of the opportunity to do so. And there are several things that I would like to share with you. First, I want you all to know how very happy Karen and I are to be serving with you in ministry at Warren Memorial. We feel really blessed to have already met so many of you who have welcomed us in to your church and your hearts. Please know that we do not take lightly, the warmth and genuine outpouring of love. Our commitment to you is to Love You All with the love of God that is in us. Second, Karen and I both send our sincere thanks to all who made our first worship experience wonderful. For those who planned and took part in the worship, we say THANKS. The Spirit of the Lord filled the place and us, from the start to finish! There are no words to fully express how rich and exciting it was to share with you in food and fellowship after worship. We can t decide which we enjoyed most, the food or all the warm hugs and smiles, as you introduced yourselves. Both were a true blessing to us. I can t wait to see the pictures Tommie took! Finally, we sense an excitement and anticipation for ministry to increase at Warren Memorial. Nothing could make us happier, than to be in service where Kingdom Building and Disciple Making is the priority. We truly sense that such is the case here. Karen and I have always and continue to see ourselves as Servant Leaders. We commit to leading by example, and to serving right alongside of you. We know that God shows up in great ways, when we work hand in hand, side by side. We are excited about taking this journey with you. Enough for now. We look forward to getting to know you, as you continue to get to know us. Blessings To You All.. Pastor Lawrence L. Young Welcome New members Mr. Christopher King Mrs. Karen Young Ms. Michelle Courtney Ms. Sonya Latimore And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 10:12 We remember Mrs. Hazel S. Howard Mrs. Brenda W. Moss 3

4 PHOTO GALLERY 4 4

5 PHOTO GALLERY Vacation Bible School 5

6 6 Still Making Dreams Possible After 35 Years Former scholarship recipients were in attendance at the banquet. On Sunday, June 11, 2017, approximately 120 persons joined the Scholarship Committee of the Warren Scholarship Fund, Inc. in celebrating their 35 th Anniversary at the H.J.C. Bowden Senior Center on Church Street in East Point. The program was dedicated to the 110 former scholarship recipients from 1982 through Several of these young Warrenites provided leadership and talent in various parts of the program. All of those in attendance had words of encouragement to share during the dedication. Scholarships in the amount of $3,300 each were awarded to Zoe Hollinshead (the Julliard School), Avery Knox (Georgia Southern University), Anthony Shopshire VBS coordinator, Ken Fowler with Ray McClendon, Mission Coordinator and co-chairs, Evelyn Forniss and Patricia Kenly. What a Super Week! The curriculum selected for our June 26 th through June 30 th Vacation Bible School utilized African American culture, history and contemporary events to challenge Warren Memorial family, friends and guests to know that the Christ within is greater than any other power in the world. Approximately 40 Volunteers contributed to a successful VBS week. Each day started with a delicious and healthy meal that reflected biblical and cultural connections followed by a spirit-filled and high energy Worship. Daily classes offered Bible Lessons empowering all in attendance to always Be Ready! Use Our Wits! Know That We Have What It Takes! Keep Learning! and Love Like God Loves! In addition, children and youth participated in music, dance, By Dr. Addie Shopshire-Rolle (Georgia Southern University), and India Sykes (Alabama State University). We are immensely proud of these sons and daughters of Warren Memorial. Some have pursued college and graduate degrees, some are in public service positions, some are educators, and all are contributing members of our society. They have represented themselves, their parents/families, their church, and their schools very well. At the time of the banquet, these young people had contributed more than $3,000 to be invested in this fund. We continue to pay homage to the visionaries who had the foresight to undertake this project 35 years ago. Their work and sacrifice remind us of the words of Nelson Henderson who wrote that the true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. We salute our founders! As the committee continues to carry on this ministry under the leadership of our president, Mr. Huley Barry Dodson, Jr., we solicit the prayers and support of the members of Warren. We ask you to help us so that in years to come, we will be able to continue to make dreams possible so that others may sit in the shade of trees that WE ALL helped to plant. Super God! Super Me! Super-Possibility! By Patricia A. Kenly arts & crafts, physical education and face painting (for our little ones). The closing program gave all classes an opportunity to shine demonstrating what everyone learned throughout the week through music, dance, drama, and arts & crafts. Volunteer of the Year awards were presented postmortem on behalf of Dr. Eliza Marcus and Mrs. Joan Seals in Worship Leaders, Rosalyn and Charles Camp. recognition of their many years of dedicated service in Vacation Bible School. Missions projects are supported annually through VBS giving. This year, generous funds donated by VBS attendees enabled us to support the following two initiatives: a financial contribution to Carrie Steel-Pitts Home, Inc. and funds to address air-condition issues in Sunday School classrooms. In Christian fellowship guided by our overall VBS scripture,...the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4b, our VBS 2017 experience was a wonderful celebration of our Super God; guiding each of us to recognize our Super-Possibility! 6

7 Annual Conference continued from pg. 1 This beautiful font was an inspiring focal point for the worship services. Attendees were given a symbolic rock from the font at the end of the closing session.. From the opening Worship Service (the Gathering ) to the Service of Remembrance (the Proclaim ) to the Service of Ordination (the Respond ) to the Sending Forth ( Service of Sending Forth ) Worship was the focus. A panel discussion followed each Worship service at which time the participants discussed the thoughts, discussions, and decisions that went into the preparation of each Worship Service. Bishop Sue encouraged Pastors to allow their Laity to actively participate in the Worship process. Bishop Sue challenged congregations to have difficult conversations and called for an end to church gatherings that don t feature the fruit of the Spirit. Bishop Sue spoke about diversity within the North Georgia Conference and put her commitment into action. At the service of licensing, commissioning and ordination a Hallelujah good time was had by everyone. In a new tradition, over 300 robed clergy processed into the auditorium and sat behind the new clergy. The choir from Central UMC brought the congregation to its feet with songs from the Africana hymnal. Bishop Sue, in speaking to the new clergy, shared with them that the pressure is off. She told them that they just had to show up. God is already there. We are sending you in the name of Jesus to meet him. At the service of Remembrance our own Norman Johnson was recognized. Over $95,000 was collected in support of the North Georgia Ministerial Education Fund. The United Methodist Kid s Corner Women contributed a total of $64,467 worth of UMCOR Kits. The Sending Forth service on Thursday was led in Worship by Rev. Olu Brown of Impact Church, along with his Praise and Worship Team and their Praise Dancers. Bishop Sue reminded us that the Spirit always sends us forth to serve. One thing that I have observed following each of the Annual Conferences that I have attended is that I leave feeling spiritually renewed and recommitted to be a better servant. The 2018 Annual Conference will be held June 12 14, 2018 at the Classic Center in Athens. I encourage each of you to mark your calendars now and plan to attend. 1. How many books are in the Bible? (Old Testament?) (New Testament?) 2. What was the name of the shepherd boy who became the second king in Israel? 3. How many brothers did Joseph have? 4. Who were the parents of Cain and Abel? 5. Noah sent out 2 different kinds of birds from the Ark. What were they? 6. After the flood, what sign did God give that He would not destroy the earth with a flood again? 7. What did King Solomon ask God to give him? 8. What river was Jesus baptized in? 9. What was the name of the mountain where Moses was given the 10 Commandments? 10. What was the first miracle of Jesus recorded in the Bible? Members, Rev. Miller, Eloise Sykes and Madelyn Nix in The Grand Hall at the Classic Center. 7

8 1. 66 (39) (27) 2. David 3. He also had 1 sister. 4. Adam and Eve 5. Raven and Dove 6. Rainbow 7. Wisdom 8. Jordan 9. Mt. Sinai 10. Turning the water into wine 8 Welcome Rev. Young continued from pg.1 Pastor Young was the founding pastor of Abundant Life United Methodist Church in Lufkin, Texas, where he served for 12 years. While serving in Lufkin, he established a community-wide Summer Camp which provided daily supervision and activities for children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. In June 2003, Pastor Young was appointed to Jones Memorial United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, where he served as senior pastor for 5 years. While at Jones Memorial UMC, Pastor Young and his congregation successfully completed the first phase of their new building project, the Jones Memorial Higher Way Church Multi-Purpose Center. He also established Jones Memorial s 501C(3) for The Sunnyside Community Development Corporation. He was featured in The Book of Alzheimer s for African-American Churches as one of the first pastors to help address issues and create awareness on Alzheimer s in the African-American Church. An Alzheimer s support group was established at Jones Memorial under his leadership. Pastor Young was appointed to serve the Central South District of the Texas Conference as District Superintendent in September Out of his own experiences growing up in rural Louisiana, Pastor Young began to emphasize The Open Refrigerator policy throughout the Central South District. Under his leadership, this spirit of open sharing led to many partnerships and collaborations among the churches in the Central South District. It also yielded positive growth and significant changes throughout the district and conference in the development of Legacy Churches. Two successful new church starts were also established, one of which specialized in ministry to families who have been affected by incarceration. Pastor Young became known as a Pastor s Pastor as he mentored, listened, encouraged and advocated on their behalf. In June 2014, Pastor Young was appointed as the Senior Pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta. He is a humble servant of God s people. His vision is to impact the entire community through effective ministry. He truly has a pastor s heart as he teaches and models to all with his giving, loving spirit and Christian life style that draws others to Christ. Pastor Young is happily married to his devoted wife, Karen L. Young. They are the parents of two sons, Blair and Jeremy. Beacon Staff Co-Editors Jacqueline Rose, Eloise Sykes, Patricia Kenly Layout Jacqueline Rose Communications Committee Jacqueline Rose, Chairperson Deborah Anderson Patricia Kenly Bettye Boyd Eloise Sykes Sandra Harrell Diana Walker Betty Johnson Karen Young Celestine Jones Photographers: Karen Young and Tommie Mack Upcoming Events... AUGUST 11 Movie Night 12 Community Dinner Revival SEPTEMBER 9 Community Dinner 30 UMW Book Review 11 OCTOBER 7 Jazz Fest 14 Community Dinner Be Connected... AUGUST 19 ACPK UMW Ubuntu Event Ben Hill UMC OCTOBER 16 ACPK Lay Servant Training 23 ACPK Lay Servant Training Kids Corner Quiz Answers The Beacon is a newsletter of Warren Memorial United Methodist Church, published quarterly through the Communications Ministry. We welcome your ideas and news items for the BEACON newsletter. You may contact Jacqueline Rose at jwrose@netonestop.com or Patricia Kenly at pakenly@bellsouth.net. The Communications Ministry reserves the right to edit news briefs for spacing, clarity, style, and format. 8