Pastor s Corner Rev. Eric Lane

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1 Volume 8 Issue 4 Inside this issue: 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 Matthew 28:19 Pastor s Corner Rev. Eric Lane Meetings & Events 2, 6 Something to Pray About 2 Church Council, Mar Hid in My Heart 3 Story Time by D. Campbell 4 Something to Pray... con t 4 Pastor s Corner, con t 4 March Celebrations 5 Amendment Information 5 Military Lists 5 Acolyte & Nursery Lists 5 Relay for Life 5 Special Giving 6 April Fundraisers... 6 Annual BBQ Fundraiser 6 Upcoming Events... 6 Easter Egg Hunt & More 6 Calendar of Events 7 Sunday Services 8:30a Worship Service (Contemporary) Dear Friends, Where did winter go? This has probably been one of the mildest winters that I ever remember. And with the coming of spring, the trees budding and flowers blooming, everyone is wondering and watching for that other foot to drop. Or in other words, many are waiting for that last winter day, that cold snap, which will rob us of all the beauty of the spring. Well I can t say whether we will get one last snap of cold weather or not. I can t say for certain that your flowers are safe and you can plant your gardens without fear of a late frost or not. But what I have come to realize is that often we live our lives with Christ anticipating what is about to happen. At times we are always looking over our shoulder for the other foot to drop especially when it comes to sin in our lives. God s desire is for us to live as the children of light. This is not how God wants his people to live. God has given to us the promise that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17). God s desire is for us to live as children of the light. Through Christ, victory over sin and death has already been achieved; so, instead of living as those who are waiting for the other foot to fall, let us live as children of the living savior who promises that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Let us reach out to the world around us and share with others the message of the Good News Gospel. Let us live our lives so that those in the world may see the light (Continued on page 4) 9:50a Sunday School 11:00a Worship Service (Traditional) 6:00p Jr. UMYF & UMYF (Grades 6-12) 6:00p Adult Choir Practice 7:00p Every FOURTH SUNDAY United Methodist Women TUESDAY ACTIVITIES 9:00a Prayer Meeting 3:00p Every Fourth Tuesday. Alzheimer s Support Group at Brockford Inn WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES 6:00p. New Life Rehearsal 7:00p Bible Study Adult, Children s. 7:00p. Synago (grades 9 12) THURSDAY ACTIVITIES 7:00p Every First Thursday, Prayer Breakfast OFFICE HOURS: tel Tues.-Fri. 8:30a 1:00p plus Wed/Fri. 2:00 4:30p

2 Ebenezer United Methodist Church 2 Meetings Easter Sunrise Service Our Easter morning service begins at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast will be served afterwards. We will have the service and the breakfast in the new Christian Life Center Fellowship Hall. Men s Group Meeting The Men s Group will meet again on Sunday, April 15th at 3:30 p.m. All men of the church are encouraged to come. Church Council Ebenezer s Council will meet on Sunday, April 15th at 4:30 p.m. All members of the church are invited to attend. United Methodist Women The UMW will meet again on Sunday, April 22nd at 7:00 p.m. Dawn Yount is in charge of the program. Marsha McRary and Missy Mullinax will provide refreshments. All women of the church are invited to attend. Events Maundy Thursday/Good Friday Ebenezer will not be having any pre- Easter services, but you are invited to attend the Maundy Thursday service at Amazing Grace Lutheran at 7:00 p.m., and the Grace Chapel Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m. Alzheimer s Support Group Now meeting at Brockford Inn Resident Care Facility at 56 Highland Avenue in Granite Falls, NC. Anyone who is dealing with a relative with Alzheimer s is welcome to attend. The meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. The group usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Contact Bleaka Hollar for info. Something to Pray About And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 NKJV by Cindy Sears Grace Who Needs It? Grace (in Christian belief) unmerited favor of God (Oxford American Dictionary of Current English) From the Greek word charis, from the root word, chairō, which means to be cheerful or calmly happy. (Strong s Concordance; Vine s Concise Dictionary of the Bible) As Christians, we receive unmerited favor or regard from God. Because of what Christ did, we receive forgiveness freely no charge, no work involved. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV) To receive a gift, you do have to accept it but that is all. A gift freely given by someone we have no right to expect it from leads to joy. God bestows His favor, His regard upon us. We respond with joy and thankfulness. So, with a building full of grateful and joyful people, the Christian church or home should be the happiest place to be on earth right? No other religion or philosophy or belief in this world offers forgiveness for free. And we all need forgiveness, don t we? Everyone has done something that they regret a misspoken word, a rash or stupid act sin, against God and man from little white lies to malicious gossip; from a lustful thought to adultery; from taking a tiny piece of chalk at school to cheating on our taxes; from an angry retort to murder. But our joy is tainted by our failure to believe that God really does offer His regard for free. Even Christian churches fall into the trap of thinking that people must earn God s favor by attending church all the time, tithing, confessing to a priest, good works, or just being good in general. But who doesn t miss church once in a while? Who doesn t go through a rough financial time and withhold the tithe? Who doesn t fail to speak up when someone is belittling Christ or the Church? Who doesn t stumble in their walk with the Lord and sin? So, who needs grace? We all do, and most of us need it daily. And Christianity is where grace is to be found. And Christians are the ones who ought to be living it out loud to everyone else. No, we don t wink at sin; but we don t condemn the sinner with our words or works. We bring them in with love. We teach them from God s word. We pray for God to change them into the wonderful new creatures that only the Holy Spirit can make them become. I remember once that I spoke up during a Bible study here at Ebenezer that the parents of Zahra Baker, the little girl whose dismembered remains were found in our community, needed our prayers; because they were still alive and could, therefore, be led to Christ. The silence was almost deafening after that statement. Does Elisha Baker deserve grace? No. Do I deserve grace? No. Does Billy Graham deserve grace? No. Do you deserve grace? No. (Continued on page 4)

3 Ebenezer United Methodist Church 3 Church Council March 11th, 2012 Attended by: Linda Abernethy, Wade Austin, Ricky Baker (for Shawn), Warren Bumgarner, J. B. & Patty Coffey, Kim Ellis, Boyd Fairchild, Barbara Ferguson, Jo Nell Harrison, Dwight Kelley, Shane Kelley, Joanne Knepp, Eric Lane, Phyllis Minton, Bob Sears, Cindy Sears, Whitney Sims, Jeff Smith, Jimmy Stone, Lucas Teague, plus Margaret Fairchild, Wayne Ellis, David Crouse, Nelson Spencer. Warren called the meeting to order and read from scripture about the widow s mite. He reminded us that we are required to be good stewards with the money given to us by God s people. Then, he opened with prayer. Minutes were accepted as written. The steeple has been put up. The decoration committee is still working on window coverings and furnishings for the Christian Life Center. NEW BUSINESS Lucas Teague: brought forth request from Pairs and Spares class to remove a wall to expand the area for the class. The Trustees agreed to the change. The class is asking for $500 for miscellaneous expenses if needed. Bob made motion to do it, Wayne seconded. Motion carried. Warren brought up the Lay Speaker s training on behalf of Bleaka Hollar, who was not present. People are encouraged to consider this training. We are looking for volunteers for the Layman s Revival, too. Eric said that the regular fall revival attendance is not good. The Layman s Revival goes over better. Eric is considering Frank Gordon for the Homecoming Service. It was decided to try a revival that went through 4 successive Sunday nights instead of 4 nights during one week. The Layman s Revival will be the first week in May. Kim Ellis: re: outfitting the Christian Life Center. Quote on GDS on picking up our trash on Tuesdays. Can notify for extra pick up also at $76 every 3 months. Eric suggested a four yard dumpster instead, because it will be difficult to get the trash moved to a pickup area. Jo Nell suggested that we get a price for the dumpster. Matter was tabled for now. Kim discussed the purchase of plates, bowls, dessert plates, and plastic tumblers. Quantity: 240 plates, 144 or 96 bowls, 192 or 144 dessert plates, oz. tumblers. Estimated cost: $1738 or $1553, plus shipping; $500 for cart for the plates (plastic); total ballpark figure for all items, a little over $2,000. This would be to keep from using the paper plates so much, if at all. She did not price coffee mugs yet. With more bowls, etc. would run about $2500. Bob motioned to spend the money; Wade made the second. Motion carried. Nelson Spencer works for a janitorial service and he proceeded to show us the products that are available. The paper towel dispensers are free and can be mounted anywhere. We would need to use his company s towels for one year. Soap dispensers are also available. We would need 8 dispensers. Nelson will get us some exact costs on the initial supplies. Wade made a motion to go ahead with this; Lucas seconded. Motion carried. Eric took the floor to talk about the upkeep of the new CLC floor. The floor will have to be buffed once a month to keep the shoe marks from building up. There is a used buffer for sale at around $ A new one would cost over $1100. Warren suggested that we get quotes on having the buffing done by contract from a professional cleaner. Jo Nell made a motion to check on prices for professional cleaning; Wade seconded. Motion carried. Kim Ellis brought up the question of whether or not to get new tables and chairs for the CLC. They have looked at round tables and oblong a combination of both. Kim said that we need to do a little more research to determine prices and styles. She also talked about chairs. Consensus was to let the decoration committee decide what to buy and how many to start with. VBS will begin on July 8 th with commencement on the 13 th. Wade wanted some blinds put in the new classrooms as soon as possible. Phyllis seconded. Motion carried. Jimmy Stone: MS office licenses. It will cost us $436 to get 6 licenses for the church 4 standard and 2 professional. This is a one-time charge. Wayne seconded. Motion carried. We have been donated an LED TV for the sanctuary. We will need to purchase another laptop to run it to support the audio/video display. With cables, etc., the total cost will be about $1,050. We will also need a stronger mount for the TV, which will cost about $250. The projector will work out better in the CLC. Jo Nell made a motion to purchase whatever is needed, and Wade seconded. Motion carried. Jo Nell: treasurer s report. $960 left from Steeple Fund. We decided to put that back in the general fund. We have spent over $31,000 less than projected on the CLC. Jo Nell wants to close-out the loan now, and not use the mortgage to pay for the other furnishings, etc. We have until June to close out the building loan. It was decided to wait to close it out. Warren reminded us to pray over any items that we wanted to bring before the board make sure it was a need and not just a want. Wayne Ellis closed the meeting with prayer. Minutes by Cindy Sears. How do I hide God s word in my heart? Memorize it! But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14 KJV

4 Ebenezer United Methodist Church 4 The Rapture Billy Wayne Campbell came in a little late for Sunday school the last Sunday in February. He went into the sanctuary, but no one was there; so he walked outside at the front of the church. In a few minutes, Larry Shook came walking up. Billy Wayne told him that he went into our class, and no one was there. He asked Larry if it could be that all the others had been raptured up and they were the two left behind. Larry said it was a possibility. But Larry said, Let me check around and see if our class has moved from the sanctuary into the new classroom in the Christian Life Center. The Run Home Rooster Our neighbor, Allen, had three chickens that got into his garden and were eating his plants as fast as they were coming up. This made him very angry, so he asked Penny s brother, Eric Wood, if he wanted them, because he was going to kill them. Eric took the chickens up to Billy Wayne s trailer and wrung two of their necks. He spent over an hour getting them cleaned up, so they would be ready to cook. Then he wrung the third chicken s neck, and put it down like he had done the other two. But a crazy thing happened it got up and ran back home! Eric went back to Allen s to get it. He said he couldn t believe how that chicken ran straight home. Allen lives down a hill below Penny and Billy Wayne s garden and the woods. Penny had planted some greens and strawberries in her garden, and she asked, Whose big Contributed by Delores Campbell feet have been running all over my garden? Eric told her it was his big feet chasing the run home rooster. Something to Pray About, con t (Continued from page 2) But we all need grace, don t we? Maybe our sins are not as great as those of Elisha Baker. Maybe our good works are not as wonderful as those of Billy Graham. Yet, in God s eyes we are all precious enough for His only begotten Son to die for us. Should we, who have received the gift of grace, refuse to show grace to others? How else are we to let them know how much God loves them? How else do we tell them the Good News? Freely, freely you have received, freely, freely give. (Carol Owens, Hymn #389) Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. (Luke 15:10 NKJV) Let us joy in the Lord s grace, and help the Holy Spirit by joyfully being gracious to those who need to know Jesus. As Robert Mullinax asked in our Sunday school class, How many of you were saved before you came to church? Let s bring them in; let s let them in and turn them over to God to save and to change. Suggested reading: What s So Amazing About Grace? By Philip Yancey, c1997 (in the Lenoir Library collection at 234 YA) Pastor s Corner, con t (Continued from page 1) of Christ living in us, and come to know Christ as Lord of their lives. Jesus says Come to me all who are weary and carry a heavy burden and I will give you rest. There are many around us who are weary, and many who have great burdens; so let us share with them the light of Christ, so that they may find rest. With the coming of spring, we witness the newness of life; so let us share this life with those whom we meet as we walk through our journey of life. Let us share the message that in spring new life begins, and in Christ, we too are promised new life. However, the life in Christ is a promise that will last throughout eternity. Yes, we have a story to tell to the nations the story of how Christ came into our lives and made a difference. The story of how Christ is waiting to make that difference in the lives of others. As we prepare to celebrate Easter, let us take time to invite others to join us in this celebration; and let us not forget to stop and give thanks to God for the many blessings that he has bestowed upon us. Amen. God s love is stronger than our greatest weakness; His hope is brighter than our deepest darkness; His promise of life is more reliable than the fact of death! Darren McCrary

5 Ebenezer United Methodist Church 5 A p r i l C e l e b r a t i o n s 1st Brian Sears 5th Mariah Miller 7th Andrew Miller 12th Tammy Adams, Sonya Crouse, Samantha Stone 19th Nancy Sears, Angela Sue Vetter 21st Emily Haas 22nd Amber Moore 23rd Lana Beard, Annette Burson, Dakota Helton 25th Alex Behmer, Terri Miller 27th Wyll Baker 28th Cinda McRary 29th Seth McCrary 30th Jeff Smith, Rex Teague Happy Anniversary! 12th Jerry & Loretta Helton 12th Russ & Joanne Knepp 17th Steve & Samantha Kohnle 23rd Buck & Margaret Spencer Protection of Marriage Constitutional Amendment Our state will be voting on a constitutional amendment (not Amendment One ) on May 8th. This amendment will effectively ban marriage between two people of the same sex, and define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. If approved, this would amend Article 14 of the NC Constitution by adding a new section 6: Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. This section does not prohibit a private party from entering into contracts with another private party; nor does this section prohibit courts from adjudicating the rights of private parties pursuant to such contracts. Please pray about this issue, study the Word of God, and cast your vote during the primary on May 8th. 1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th 1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th Acolyte Schedule - APRIL Austin Teague Devon Lyda Kevin Miller Clair Gilbert P. A. Buson IV Nursery Schedule - APRIL 8:30 Teresa Simmons & Dawn Yount 11:00 Beth Lane Our Military 7:00 Cheryl Vosdingh & Tammy Adams ONE SERVICE 8:30 Sonya Crouse & Becky Yount 11:00 Wayne Ellis 8:30 Keith & Susan Keener 11:00 Nancy Sears 8:30 Missy Mullinax & Casey Mullinax 11:00 Natasha Haas Kyle Blair Anthony Coffey Ricky Garland Jason Gibson Trey Hefner Chris Kaisenski Shane McRary Eric Maynard Joey Moore Jason Nichol Christopher Satterwhite James Starbuck Please pray for the men and women who protect our freedoms. Relay for Life Volunteers are needed for Relay for Life on Friday, May 4th, anytime after 3:30 p.m. Please see Missy Mullinax. We will need help with cooking and serving of hamburgers and hotdogs at the Ebenezer sponsored booth. Luminaries are available for donations of $10 each or for gold ones at $20 each in honor of or in memory of anyone affected by cancer. This is an American Cancer Society fundraiser. Don t forget that you can give money to this charity through your Sunday school class. Missy has left a can in each room for donations.

6 Ebenezer United Methodist Church 6 Special Giving Ebenezer UMC and its members, gratefully acknowledge the following special gifts received in March: In Memory of Wilbur Martin by: Heavenly Sonlighters Class In Memory of Albert Miller by: Ebenezer s UMW In Memory of Hayner (Pete) & Plezzie Spencer, Luther Tolbert, K. V. (June) Starnes, Jr., & Floyd Starnes by: Freida Spencer Matthews In Honor of Bill Campbell s 75th Birthday on May 5th & Delores Campbell s 75th Birthday on June 26th by: Bill Wayne & Gary Paul Campbell In Honor of Beth Lane to Eric s Bolivia Trip Fund by: Ginella Hurley In Honor of Kevin Simmons by: Hoke & Cleo Clark Upcoming Events Easter Egg Hunt Ebenezer s annual Easter Egg Hunt and party will be on Saturday, April 7th, starting at 10:30 a.m. Children up to 5th grade level are invited to come hunt for eggs, make crafts, and enjoy hotdogs for lunch not to mention lots of Easter candy. CLC Grand Opening There will be a covered-dish supper on Saturday, April 14th Starting at 4:00 p.m. for our whole community and the subcontractors who helped build the new Christian Life Center. Please bring a Boston Butts for Easter We are selling precooked Boston Butts (ham) ($20 each) for Easter to help raise money for the annual Costa Rica Mission Trip. Please call: Barbara Frye at or the Church Office at to place you order on or before Sunday, April 1st. Pick up date and time is: Good Friday, April 6th, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. favorite dish of food or dessert to share. Invite your friends to come see our new facility. Drinks will be provided by the church. Visit us on the web to see the slide shows of the construction process that began in May of 2011, and was completed in March An Invitation Amazing Grace Lutheran Church invites all senior citizens of our community to a covered-dish supper on Thursday, April 19th At 12:00 p.m. Bring a dish to share as Amazing Grace celebrates and honors our senior adults. Fundraisers in April Ham Biscuits! Yum! Yum! We will be selling ham biscuits, along with sausage and egg ones again on Thursday, April 19th. We start at 6:00 a.m. and stop when they are all gone. It doesn t take long! So call early or pre-order on Wednesday by calling: (church office; 8:30-1:00 pm) We deliver orders of 10 or more. Proceeds support our yearly mission trip to and work in Costa Rica. Fundraisers, con t Annual BBQ Fundraiser Friday & Saturday April 27th & 28th Place Friday lunch delivery orders by Thursday AM. Plates are $7 each and include BBQ & sauce, beans, slaw, & a roll. Dine-in or take-out will be available on Friday 4-7:00 PM & Saturday 11-7:00 p.m. Drinks and dessert are included. The price is $8 per plate. Funds raised will benefit a member of our community.

7 Ebenezer UMC Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Last day to order, see p. 6 8 Easter Sunrise Service 7 AM, p Men s Group 3:30 PM, see p. 2 Church Council 4:30 PM, see p UMW 7 PM, see p Every Sunday: 8:30 a.m. Worship 9:50 a.m. Sunday school 11:00 a.m. Worship April Maundy Thursday, see p. 2 6 Pick up Boston Butt orders 4:30-5:30 PM Good Friday, see p. 2 7 Easter Egg Hunt & Party 10:30 AM, see p CLC Grand Opening Covered-dish Supper 4 PM, see p Ham Biscuits, see p. 6 Senior Citizens at Amazing Grace, see p Annual BBQ Fundraiser, see p. 6 Every Wed.: 6 pm: Praise Band 7 pm: Adult, Children s, Young Adult Bible studies See p. 5 for Nursery and Acolyte Lists Jamie Smith Wedding 28 Annual BBQ Fundraiser, see p. 6 Ebenezer United Methodist Church 7