Back to School Worship Service

Transcription

1 Couts Countdown Go WEST - Welcome, Equip, Serve, Transform August 1, 2010 Volume 4 Issue 8 Back to School Worship Service August 22, 2010 Worship 8:30 a.m. - Classic 11:00 a.m. - Contemporary Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Summer Office Hours 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday Visit us on the Web North Elm Weatherford, Texas

2 Letters From Timothy Letters From Timothy One of my favorite areas of study in college was proxemics. It is the study of the nature, degree, and effect of the spatial separation individuals naturally maintain. In other words, how close or far do you get to others with whom you are interacting? How close does someone have to get to you before it s, too close for comfort? Family factors have a significant influence on proxemics as do social and cultural standards. There are also environmental factors that affect how close is too close. For instance, if a group of people have just finished 5K run and they are all hot and sweaty, it would affect how close they would want to be to each other. Proxemics are in a variety of settings and applications: classroom, cabs, subways, planes, elevators, restrooms, etc. I want to invite you to ponder a new area: Jesus-Proxemics. How close are you comfortable getting to Jesus? How close are you comfortable with Jesus getting to you? I ask because it is my observation that most people who claim the name Christian, settle for a distant relationship with the savior. A little closeness on Sundays and Wednesdays, but the other five days there is significant distance between us and the one we claim is our first love. A third question on Jesus-Proxemics: How close is Jesus supposed to be to us? The witness of scripture is that He is to be so close that He is IN us. What are the factors keeping Jesus from be- to you? It is the desire of our savior to dwell in us, that s how close He wants to be. Will you let Him in? Keep the SON in your eyes! In other words, how close or far do you get to others with whom you are interacting? Tim Jarrell Couts Christian Academy begins August 23rd Visit our Website: Help support C.C.A. by purchasing a Yard sign. Only $7.00 COUTS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Preschool * 2 years old Transitional Kindergarten Elementary * Kindergarten Fourth Grade NOW ENROLLING!!!! Meet the Teacher-August 19, :00PM-5:00PM Round Baby Cribs We are updating the nursery. If you would like to buy one of the round cribs, they are $ Please contact Sarah Jarrell Page 2

3 Couts UMC Finance Committee Update January thru June 2010 When the finance committee began work on the 2010 budget early this year, one of the first steps was to develop reasonable expectations for contributions and other sources of income in 2010 to pay the church s expenses through the end of the year. Even though our actual contributions diminished about $50,000 a year for each of the last three years (2007 thru 2009), we constructed a bold plan and prayerfully stepped-out in faith on news that the worst recession since the great depression had ended. Even though the economic news was encouraging, it also warned that the recovery would be slow in coming. Regardless, we projected (and budgeted) for more income in 2010 than we received in The good news is that thru June 30 our actual contributions and building use/wedding income have exceeded our budgeted expectations by $1,845 for the first six-months of the year. Now the economic news is telling us that the recovery is in fact happening but is going to be substantially slower than originally thought. Never the less, you recognize that your church is changing lives with the money given by you and have contributed with a joyful heart. To better illustrate, the giving profile provided below shows the number of individuals/families providing financial support for our church, and the amount of their contributions from $1 per week and up for the first six-months of We are grateful for your support and encourage you to give continuously (as you have been doing) and steadily increase your gifts in proportion to what you have received from God. The Couts UMC Finance Committee Rev. Tim Jarrell, Sue Thomas, David Wuerflein, Scott Vantine, John Vicknair, Bob Streck and Roger Moore Average Weekly Gift (Includes General Fund and Designated Giving) 2010 Giving Profile -- Couts UMC # Individuals / Families Giving at This Level (Period: January thru June) $ $250 - $400 3 $150 - $ $100 - $ $50 - $ $25 - $50 26 >$1 - $25 92 Page 3

4 August 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat M 4 Wednesday Mission Sunday 15 Sarah Jarrell Preaching 12:30 pm Trustees 22 Back to school Sunday Promotion Sunday 9Ministry Teams 10 Alzheimers Meeting 10:00 a.m. 5: am Aug 11th) Couts Christian Academy 1st Day of School Couts Care Corps 6:00 pm e n s B r e a k f a s t 6:30 R & K R e s t r a u n t Programs 4:00 Prayer Force Emmaus Reunion Group 5:30 Praise Band (beginning 6:30 Bible Study (through Aug. 11) 6:30 pm Frijoles & 42 CCA Meet the Teacher 3:00pm-5:00 pm 7:00 pm Finance 6:30 p.m. Frijoles & H Banquet in the gym Guitar Recital in the sanctuary. Kid Zone, Bible Studies and Snack Suppers begin Wednesday, September 8th Page 4

5 Spread the Word: Young Adults (18 26) are now meeting Sundays at 10 in the theater!! Youth News C O U T S U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H August 2010 " W E L O V E D Y O U S O M U C H T H A T W E S H A R E D W I T H Y O U N O T O N L Y G O D S G O O D N E W S B U T O U R O W N L I V E S, T O O. " I T H E S S A L O N I A N S 2 : 8 ( N L T ) Special points of interest: August 8th Mission Sunday August 21st - Forty Fest TMS August 22nd Promotion Sunday Musings Welcome new Junior High!! A lot of people probably wonder why they are encouraged to read the bible over and over again. I personally know several people who say they've read the Bible all the way through, so there's no point in reading it again. Well, the reason we read the Bible repeatedly is that the Book is alive. We've heard a lot of talk recently about the Constitution of the United States of America as being "a living, breathing document", but it's not. The Constitution, I believe, was Godinspired, but the Bible was God BREATHED. It is alive and moving in this world. It's not something that is read once and comprehended. Every time you read a verse, it will speak to you in a completely different way because the Word and Spirit are constantly moving in our lives. That is why, depending on the events in your life, your interpretations of each passage will invariably change over time. The Bible speaks to us directly whenever we open ourselves to it. That is the key; opening ourselves. The Bible will only speak to us whenever we let it. We have to devote ourselves to the Word rather than the world. So often, however, we flip it around. Trash television takes up hours, Facebooking, talking on the phone, name it; they are all priorities over getting ourselves immersed in God's Word. Repeatedly, our priorities are misplaced and THEN, when an event occurs that we don't want, we throw up our hands and say, "WHERE ARE YOU NOW, GOD?!!" Of course, the answer is right there at our Page 5 sides...where He's been the whole time. WE, however, have neglected to try to find Him. Our relationship with our Creator is usually at BEST given lip service rather than LIFE service. A life in Christ is truly consuming, but being consumed by Christ will only make us want more. If we are to grow as a people of faith, it is past time that we get serious about the faith to which we claim. Some of you may have recognized this letter. I have started a blog at where I post my thoughts on our faith journeys. Please visit and comment on any postings. I d also like to thank our new Facebook administrators, Miller Jarrell, Courtney Samson and Johsiey Litherland. You ve done a great job updating the page and keeping it active!! It s the time of year to start looking at the next school year. Beginning this year, the youth will welcome 6th graders back into the program. I am ecstatic to welcome our new Junior High class to the program!! The Junior High group will study the Grapple curriculum. This is a series that tackles the issues of Junior High life from a Biblical perspective. Using this study, they learn how the Bible tells us to grapple with our issues. The 5th/6th grade group has already started this curriculum and the current teachers will be following them to youth. I m very excited about the ability to maintain this consistency!! Teach and Learn with Us!! If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity, here it is. We are looking for people to help on Wednesday nights. Don t worry if you ve never taught before, we prefer those that are willing to learn right along with us!! me at bvantine1008@gmail.com if you are interested!!

6 Page 6

7 Dear Couts, I would like to thank everyone for making this Peach Festival the best. There are many to thank and all those that just brought a can of milk or gave money for the cause, or worked at one of the locations on that day, Thank you so much. It was very helpful. I also want to thank Jan & Roger Moore for running back and forth and picking up milk after having to wait those hours. Thanks goes to Larry Vanhoozer for forming the committee and getting all the refrigerators for the church, delivering to the shop, all the s, setting up and most of all getting the Ice Cream maker from Designs in Time without a charge - awesome job Larry. Thanks to Dennis Watters for getting with Hamilton meats to use their freezers once again, helping deliver all the tables and tents, and delivering spoons, ice cream and money to the stations during the day.. Thanks to John Vicknair for making the poles set in cement to hang banners and running the south end booth of the Square as well as finding peach puree to help with the making of ice cream. Thanks to Johnny McElroy and Karen for stepping in with their class to run the high school booth and setting everything up. Thanks to Fred Coonce for getting the generator to run the freezers at the high school which was so helpful for the location. Thank you to Janet Ragsdale for calling everyone to work, planning where they would be, making the recipe labels in the kitchen, and making sure of follow up on last minute things. Thanks to Ralph Ragsdale, always with a smile, to pick up spoons at the store when running out, driving the cart to deliver ice cream from location to location and for being the first one to speak out at 8:00 am "Peach Ice Cream". Thanks to Cindy Ross and her daughter Ember for making 40 Gallons of ice cream by them selves in one day. Thanks to Cindy Hott for ing everyone and getting all the money for all the locations.. Thanks to Cody Nager for doing a FAST run to Albertson s on foot to buy spoons when we ran out - so glad you were in good shape and young. And finally thanks to all that helped in all ways in making the ice cream, bringing the milk or donating supplies...god bless you all. A special thanks to the guys that set up at 7:00 pm Friday & 6:00 am on Saturday: Clint Collier, Curtis Nager, Ralph Ragsdale, Tim Jarrell, Brad Vantine, Dennis Watters, John Vicknair, Larry Vanhoozer and John McElroy..I'm sure there were others that I did not mention - bless you all giving your time for this instead of sleeping in. Couts Methodist Church had the best sales ever this year at the Peach Festival and without each and every one of you, we couldn't have done It. Love in Christ, Sherry O. Watters Coordinator Thank You Thanks so much for the prayers, visits, cards, and calls that I have received during my stay in the Hospital and the College Park Re-hab Center. I am doing fine and hope to be back in church soon. Arlene Ford Dear Couts friends, Thanks so much to all of you that donated food for the Youth Mission Trip to Oklahoma. Because of your generosity and help, we were able to offer a better variety of food and a great menu for our workers. You always come through to help and we thank you. Katrina Nager, Mary Ann Rooney and Stephanie Jester Page 7

8 Go Welcome, Equip, Serve, Transform Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Weatherford, Tx Permit No. 110 Address Correction Requested W E RE ON T HE WEB - V IS IT US WWW. COUTS METHOD ISTCHUR CH. C O M Prayer Concerns Our Military August Birthdays Sophie Cerbone Family Rod Corder J.T. Cox Arlene Ford Jeannie Hazleton Dora Jones Mary Frances Lane Danice Mainard Tom Mann - Brenda Coleman s dad Dot McIntire - Obie McKinney s sister Virginia Morgan Billie Murrell Arlene Padilla Janet Pevehouse Taylor Skelton-Roger and Jan Moore s grandson Warren Stockton Renerle Thompson Marion Tolin Tanner Walker Leah Western Ken Woody - Virginia Morgan s cousin Kelly Brown, Billy Burris, Marsalee Burris, Matt Couch, Warren Crouch, Michael Gillium, Jeff Johnson, Cory Jones Blake Hubbard, Mike Hebert, Joey Larance, Kali Yarnell Lucier Kelby Mays, Jason Nazarenko, Gary Neal, Matthew Ross, Robin Sheehan - home Eric Skinner, - Afghanistan Doug Yarnell, Thomas Welborn, Cody Williams, Craig Wolfenberger, August 2 Karen Fatout August 3 Damaris Kohlrust August 6 Janice McKinney August 8 Connie McNutt August 10 Polly Cave August 11 Karen Garrett Jacob Slimp Roger Moore Evan Curry August 15 Candy Salyer Wright August 19 August 20 Stella Moyer Julia Park August 21 Charlsta Smith Gavin Clark August 23 Georgia Orr August 26 Abby Fant August 28 John McElroy August 29 Sherry Couch Daniel Miller Kenny Garrett Ethan Worsham Page 8