The Eufaula Messenger

Transcription

1 The Eufaula Messenger January 2015 F i r s t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h From My Hear t to Your Hear t Pastor Michael Brannon Well God is apparently not through with us yet. We have a new year before us. There must be some work He wants to do in and through us. What a thought is not just another year that we have to get through but rather a whole new opportunity to get to know our Lord better and get closer to Him. As I reflect over the past year it seems to me that the times I have been aware of the Lord s presence the most is when I have been engaged with other people. When I was younger in the Lord it seemed that I had experiences with God while I was alone with Him. He has spoken to me while I was just with Him in the woods or at prayer with no one else. That still happens once in a while but more often it happens when I m interacting with someone. Last time I was in the prison I sat with a man who had been in prison for over 20 years and I became aware that we were not alone. I knew that Jesus was there as well. I also notice that when I m with a group of our church folk that there seems to be One more there than can be seen with the eye. It only goes to prove that when Jesus makes a promise He keeps it. He said that where two or more are gathered in His name He would be there. That promise refers to more than church meetings. That promise is fulfilled anytime that God s people get together for prayer, fellowship or service. My prayer for you for this new year of 2015 is that it be a year of seeking and finding God in your everyday living. I pray that you would become more aware of the presence of Christ in your neighbor and your church. I pray that your faith will be renewed and that you will not be satisfied with just knowing about Jesus but will seek to know Him better. What do you say to us doing it together? God Bless.

2 Note from Jesus Dear Friend, Can you remember your Christmas gifts from last year?... five years ago?... ten years ago? You probably don't remember most of your gifts over the years, unless you thought they were extravagant gifts or were gifts with some special connection to the giver. There were three gifts gold, frankincense, and myrrh that were given to Me at My birth by the magi. These gifts have been remembered throughout the centuries. They were extravagant gifts because of their value, because of the great effort required for the magi to bring them, and because they were presented with heartfelt worship. Toward the end of My earthly ministry, I was given another extravagant gift to prepare Me for My suffering a woman came into the house of Simon and anointed My head with expensive and precious ointment. She was criticized for the waste of her extravagance. Yet her gift was not wasted! Her gift is still precious to Me. The gifts of the magi and the woman are responses to God's most extravagant gift sending Me to redeem them! Verses to Live The magi's extravagant gifts were given at My birth: The wise men left Herod's chambers and went on their way. The star they had first seen in the East reappeared a miracle that, of course, overjoyed and enraptured the wise men. The star led them to the house where Jesus lay; and as soon as the wise men arrived, they saw Him with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They unpacked their satchels and gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:9-11) The woman's extravagant gift was given at the end of My ministry, preparing Me for My suffering and burial: The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away. The Jewish leaders the chief priests and the scribes gathered to discuss how they might secretly arrest Jesus and kill Him. Jewish Leaders: We can't do it during the festivals. It might create an uproar. While Jesus was eating dinner in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came into the house carrying an alabaster flask filled with a precious, sweet-smelling ointment made from spikenard. She came to Jesus, broke the jar, and gently poured out the perfume onto His head. Some of those around the table were troubled by this and grumbled to each other. Dinner Guests: Why did she waste this precious ointment? We could have sold this ointment for almost a year's wages, and the money could have gone to the poor! Their private concerns turned to public criticism against her. Jesus: Leave her alone. Why are you attacking her? She has done a good thing. The poor will always be with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you want. But I won't always be with you. She has done what she could for Me she has come to anoint My body and prepare it for burial. Believe Me when I tell you that this act of hers will be told in her honor as long as there are people who tell the good news. (Mark 14:1-9) All true giving should be in response to God's gracious gifts especially His greatest gift given to you! Praise God for this incredible, unbelievable, indescribable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15) Response in Prayer Thank You God for Your extravagant gift of Jesus. May my life reflect Your generosity in the way I treat others and share the gifts You have shared with me. In Jesus' name. Amen. The Thoughts and Prayers for 'A Year with Jesus' are written by Phil Ware. You can questions or comments to phil@heartlight.org

3 PRAYER CORNER FROM THE WRITINGS OF WATCHMAN NEE Prayer is the most wonderful act in the spiritual realm as well as a most mysterious affair. prayer is none other than an act of the believer working together with God. Prayer is the union of the believer s thought with the will of God. The prayer which a believer utters on earth is but the voicing of the Lord s will in heaven. Prayer is not the expressing of our wish for God to yield to our petition and fill up our selfish desire. It is not forcing of the Lord to change His will and perform what He is unwilling to do. No, prayer is simply speaking out the will of God through the mouth of the believer. Before God, the believer asks in prayer for the Lord s will to be done. God exalts His people by asking them to work with Him. The true meaning of prayer is for the one who prays to pray for the fulfillment of the will of the One to whom he prays. Prayer is the occasion wherein to express our desire for God s will. Prayer means that our will is standing on God s side Aside from this, there is no such thing as prayer. PRAYER FOR OUR CHURCH Lord as we come into a new year may we grow and prosper in the fields of the Lord. Help us to so live our lives that others will see the blessing of serving you and want to join us as we journey together to the Promised Land. Help us to be faithful servants and children of our Heavenly Father. Let your Word go forth and bring a great harvest to your glory! Amen The WORD Zechariah 12:10-Then I will pour out the Spirit of grace and prayer Pray without ceasing The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we pray, the more we can pray. The more we pray, the more we shall pray. He who prays little will pray less, but he who prays much will pray more. And he who prays more will desire to pray more abundantly. C.H. Spurgeon

4 There were lots of promising signs in the Men's group this year. We started off a little slow with some organization problems and not much interest in our monthly meetings or in scheduled projects. But did we catch on fire!! All good things are worth waiting for, right? Our pastor has asked us on many occasions to pray for unity in the church and I'm sure many of those prayers were directed to this ministry from the members of the congregation of our wonderful church. When we were struggling, our members stepped up, created an atmosphere of kindness and friendship that spread thru the ranks like the plague. Today, we all know each other by our first names, know what we like and don't like, and sometimes are the brunt of a joke or two. This is what it is all about. Sounds like those prayers were answered. We have stayed up all night, smelling hickory smoke and barbeque sauce, bleary-eyed at sun up, just so we could say this pig was prepared by Methodist Men. We have gone home tired and covered in white paint, just so we could say, see, we painted that garage. The parsonage deck has been the most rewarding project of the year. Many of us would meet for breakfast, and a stiff cup of coffee, at a local fast food joint before heading to the parsonage in a caravan of pickups. Some neighbors stopped by, concerned that the residents of the parsonage had met with some ill-fated circumstance, since the house was surrounded by vehicles. These are just some of the activities we have been working on this year. It is not work! It is sharing a part of our lives with our friends, figuring out what makes us tick, and having more compassion for situations we are each dealing with in our lives. I would be remiss if I didn't mention our monthly breakfasts and devotionals being the centerpiece of our group. If we never do another project, just getting together for these breakfasts and devotionals will be memories to cherish. Thanks to you all for making it happen. I can hardly wait for 2015! Jerry McCormick-UMM President *************************************************************************** What s New with Youth! Aaron Morgan-Youth Director The youth are currently preparing for the all youth service on the 25th of January, we would like to send out a special thanks to our church family for all the volunteers who have and will be donating their time to be at youth with us and provide us with a meal so that we may dine each week and spend time in fellowship. We are currently still waiting to announce our quilt fundraiser, and will be pursuing other possible fundraisers as the New year comes! There will be a duet between two of our members this coming Sunday ( Riley Marlar and Mackenzie Dalton) so we would like to encourage everyone to come and support and too see some of our youths talent on display!

5 Eufaula United Methodist Women will have their first meeting of 2015 on Tues., January 6 at 1:00 p.m. The program entitled "Welcoming through Giving" will be given by the treasurer, Barbara McCormick. This will be the pledge to mission service. Giving to UMW is not mandatory, all women are welcomed whether they pledge to give or not. New officers for 2015 are: President - Twyla King; Vicepresident - Anne Gilbert; Secretary - Dorothy Merrick; Treasurer - Barbara McCormick; Nominations - Dena Sponsler; Reading Program - Rosella Riley; Pies - Glenna Fisher; Hostess Coordinator - Dena Sponsler; Membership Nurture - Georgia Nichols; Care of Shut-ins - Carolyn Reid; Outreach - Kate Kuykendall; and Prayer Calendar - Dorothy Merrick. The UMW purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ. All women will receive a warm welcome at our meetings. Twyla King-President UMW ************************************************************************************** During Christmas over 400 children celebrated the season with their Circle of Care family. Through our apportionment giving we shared in their joys. There are a few specific things I want to share with you about what s going on with the agency. First, Circle of Care s website has undergone major reconstruction. I encourage you to visit the new that will help us share what we do through current news and helps. Second, You are encouraged to visit our Facebook timeline at Go to this page and click on like it and share with family, friends, UMM, UMW. News will be posted at least once a week with information of current happenings, announcements and information on new staff members. Third, Circle of Care is growing across the state. Members of the COC Board of Directors recently shared a vision to help more foster children in Ardmore, Enid, Shawnee and Stillwater. Last August the Board issued a special appeal to raise funds to recruit and train foster parents in these four areas. COC received a promise of $69,900 if funds are raised to match that amount. The board challenged the four areas to raise $17,250 for a total of $69,900. A rapid response by generous supporters has doubled the $69,900 challenge for COC to recruit train foster parents in the four cities of Oklahoma. With approximately 12,000 children in the state foster care system the need for more foster families are crucial. In the month of August alone, COC recruited and help certify eleven new foster homes. Next month more good news to continue on foster care. Remember our children and youth in your prayers, till next month, God Bless. Bee Bozarth- Circle of Care Ambassador

6 WEO Committee by Kate Kuykendall It is hard to believe 2014 is over. I feel the WEO committee has make a lot of progress. There is still so much that needs to be done. We have a great committee. We are always looking for new members and new ways to spread the Good News of God s Love. Luke 3:11 Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise. January 4, 2014, we will start serving breakfast to the children (and their parents). We will serve at 9:15 a.m. We plan to serve breakfast every Sunday Morning. You are all welcome to join us. We will be serving pancakes this Sunday. We ask for you support and prayers in the coming year. *************************************************************************** Friendship Kitchen Once again God has proven that He knows what we need even before we know it ourselves. Everyone involved with Friendship Kitchen felt almost helpless when Kathleen and David drove off to Pagosa Springs, CO. Some of us doubters thought our ministry would just fall apart. However, we were doing God's work and He already has a plan. Doesn't He always? Enter Dennis and Sally Maloney. When Sally and Dennis moved to Eufaula they were surprised to find that God was already at work ministering to those in need of food; spiritually, socially or physically, because they felt they had been sent here just for that purpose. They were excited to step in immediately and co-chair Friendship Kitchen. I am happy to report that the Friendship Kitchen is alive and well. Chaplain Maloney has met with Lake Eufaula Ministerial Alliance and personally with pastors of other Eufaula churches to offer the blessings of serving the community with the current participating churches. We will be welcoming and helping the Christian Church as they serve their first meal on January 10. We still miss Kathleen and David, what an understatement, but know they are happy that the hard work and prayers they put into this wonderful ministry is going to continue to fulfill their vision. At times we have as few as thirty-four attend but we always cook for at least sixty patrons, plus seconds and thirds. We have at times come very close to running out of food. Those of us who have put so much of ourselves into this ministry have made a huge committment and we not only request your prayers and support, we require them. The need for this ministry is great in our town and we want the Kitchen to continue to grow but it will take more volunteers and yes, financial support. Barbara McCormick

7 Upcoming Events January 6 UMW January 8 Church Council January 17 UMM Meeting District Meetings in McAlester January 27 6pm Worship Committee Meeting February 18 Ash Wednesday Lent begins on Ash Wednesday February 18, If you would like to participate in a 40 day Lenten devotional reading, A booklet is available for $1.55. It is called A Wondrous Love, it is made up of daily selections written by C.S. Lewis and Henri Nouwen. Please let the office know if you would like to order one. Choir meets each Wednesday at 6:30pm. Friendship Kitchen each Saturday from 11-1 Bible Study each Sunday evening 6:30pm

8 Do you remember your 2014 Memory Verses? I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sign against you. Psalms 119:11 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. John 15:7 The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6b Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 And this is His Commandment: We must believe in the name of His son, Jesus Christ and love one another; just as He commanded us.

9 We would like to thank the church members for the Christmas gift. We feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a talented group and a receptive congregation. Norman & Carolyn Stauffer ********************************************************************* Nancy and I want to thank you for your incredible generosity. We appreciate the monetary gift, but even more the love and friendship we receive from you all year. It is a joy to pastor this church. To quote Tiny Tim for one last time, God Bless us, everyone.! Mike & Nancy Brannon ********************************************************************* I would like to extend a special Thank you to our entire church family for the gifts they bestowed upon myself and the rest of the clergy at the church this holiday season. It is great to know you are appreciated. And I would like to let all of you know that you are as well :). -Aaron ********************************************************************* Thank you so very much for the Christmas gift as well as the kindness you have shown in welcoming me aboard as your secretary. I truly love my job and the people for whom I work. Carrie Sullivan ********************************************************************* Many thanks to all of you for your generosity for the Christmas bonuses. May this new year bring you lots of happiness. Penny Pratt Tammy Green Geri Estrada

10 As we begin a New Year let us review three important guidelines for our church. They are: Our Mission; Our Vision; Our Objectives. Our Mission To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Our Vision Belong Finding a place where I belong is so important in life! People need love to be whole. A church home can provide acceptance and support for us in deep and meaningful ways. This means that we all must open our hearts to love and accept each person who is a member of our church. Remember the United Methodist Church s motto is: OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS! Believe when one can state I Believe in Christ, it is the greatest joy of life. The discovery of Christ s love and forgiveness gives us peace in this life and hope for the life to come. When was the last time you declared your belief to someone? Become A servant of Christ will say I Become involved in the world among us. Christ gives us the power to be His people and to do His work. Ephesians 2:10 says we were created to do good works. Our Objectives In order to live out our Mission Statement and to accomplish the Three Bs we identified eight objectives which represent the very core of what we desire for every member. 1. Every member confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. 2. Every member living to love, seek and save the lost through Christ. 3. Every member worshiping God, corporately and privately. 4. Every member participating in a small group community. 5. Every member developing a Biblical worldview by learning and applying God s Word. 6. Every member bringing the tithe (one tenth) in loving obedience to God s gracious provision. 7. Every member devoted to prayer. 8. Every member discovering and using spiritual gifts for ministry and mission. These are listed in the front of the hymnals in the pews. How do you measure up? Is there room for growth this new year of 2015? With God s help may we all grow! *Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.. Hebrews 6:1

11 SMALL GROUPS IN OUR CHURCH Since one of our objectives for our church is every member participating in a small group community (number 4), I thought it well to list the small groups in our church that a person can get involved in. As of now these are the groups: United Methodist Women (UMW) United Methodist Men (UMM) United Methodist Youth (UMY) Four Sunday School classes (3 adult & 1 children s) Choir Sunday night Bible Study Friendship Kitchen Crew Worship Committee Witness, Evangelism, Outreach Committee (WEO) It is also possible that someone could start a new group. If you have an idea let the office know! If you want information about any of these groups contact the office.

12 1/1 Olen Davis 1/6 Maurice Arnold 1/9 Elizabeth Dew 1/16 Carolyn Reid 1/17 Oksana Worley 1/17 Todd Dalton 1/21 josh hunn 1/24 lou ella hayes 1/1 Mark & Margaret Dobbs 1/1 John & Robin VanCleave 1/1 Norman & Carolyn Stauffer 1/20 Mike & Nancy Brannon 1/24 George & Paige Holuby Sunday January 4, 2014

13 First United Methodist Church 220 S. Main Eufaula, OK