St. Andrew UMC 3455 Canton Road Marietta, Georgia 30066 770-926-3488 www.thepumpkinchurch.org Preschool office: 770-592-7250 Church Fax line: 770-516-3827 Our Mission Statement St. Andrew United Methodist Church strives to be a family of caring, nurturing followers of Jesus Christ welcoming all those seeking to know and grow in God s service. January 2019 God s Grace for the New Year By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (I Corinthians 15:10). Grace is not only God s disposition to do good for us when we don t deserve it. It is an actual power from God that acts and makes good things happen in us and for us. God s grace was God s acting in Paul to make Paul work hard: For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13). Grace is power from God to do good things in us and for us. This grace is past and it is future. It is ever-cascading over the waterfall of the present, from the river of grace coming to us from the future, into the ever-increasing reservoir of grace in the past. The proper response to the grace we have experienced in the past is thankfulness, and the proper response to grace promised to us in the present and the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of last year, and we are confident in the future grace for the new year! Happy and Healthy New Year! Mack
From the Sr. Associate Pastor s Desk Say Goodbye There was an old man on the isle of Crete and during his lifetime he loved many things. He loved his wife, his children, and his job, but most of all he loved the land. He loved the very ground he walked on, worked, and fought for. When it was time for him to die he had his sons bring him outside his stone cottage and lay him on the hard earth. He reached down, grabbed a handful of Crete's soil and was gone. He arrived at the gates of heaven and the Lord came out dressed in the long robes of a judge and said to him, "Old man, come in." As the old man moved towards the gates the Lord noticed something in his hand and said, "What are you clutching in your hand?" He said, "It is Crete. I go nowhere without it." The Lord said, "Leave it, or you will not be allowed in." The old man held his clenched hand up and said, "Never!" and he went and sat beside the outside wall of the heavenly city. After a week had passed, the gates opened again and the Lord appeared a second time, in the guise of a man wearing a hat, looking like some of the old man's buddies down in Crete. He sat down next to the old man, threw his arm around his shoulder and said, "My friend, dust belongs in the wind. Drop that piece of earth and come inside." But the old man was still adamant. He said, "Never!" During the third week the old man looked down at the earth he was clutching and saw that it had begun to cake and crumble. All of the moisture of the earth had gone out of it. Also, his fingers were arthritic and could not handle it. The earth began to trickle through his fingers. Out came the Lord, this time as a small child. He came up to the old man and sat next to him and said, "Grandfather, the gates only open for those with open hands." The old man thought about this, finally stood up, and did not even look as his hand opened and the crumbled dirt of Crete fell through the sky. The child took his hand and led him toward the glorious gates, and as the gates swung open he walked in. Inside was all of Crete. Now don't build a theology on this story for that is what it is --a story that illustrates a point that many of us must be reminded of now and then. There is nothing here that is worth missing heaven in order to keep. Happy New Year, Terry and Mary Welcome New Member Louise Knight (Associate Member)
From the Associate Pastor s Desk New Year blessings to you! I love the month of January. I prefer the cold weather and there is a stillness and a calm in the air for me at the first of the year. In the stillness of the first month of the year, we also celebrate Epiphany, and in the Western Christian tradition, the arrival of the wise men to come and worship Jesus. This is a holy reminder that Christmas does not end with the celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25. It can be easy for us to rush through the Advent season, celebrate on Christmas day and mentally say that Christmas has come and gone. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical (worship) calendar! As we usher in a new year we are invited to usher in the birth of Christ and celebrate long after December 25. Celebration is enacted through keeping joy, love, and compassion alive in our hearts throughout the year. And in attending upon the ordinances of God as John Wesley instructed the early Methodists. Attending upon the ordinances prayer, worship, studying the scriptures both personally and in community, intentionally staying connected to God. In the stillness of January my hope is that we keep the joy of God incarnate in our hearts, and minds, and intentionally seek to live into Christmas all year long. In Christ, Beth
CHILDREN S MINISTRY HAPPY NEW YEAR PARTY & PLANNING! UP COMING CHILDREN S EVENTS 2019 WINTER BREAK MINI CAMP! February 20th-22md - 9:30am-12:30pm. Cost $25.00 per child- ages Pre-K-5th grade. 2nd ANNUAL ST. ANDREW SPRING FESTIVIAL Sunday, April 28th 11:30am-1:30pm. Cost: $10.00 per child. This is also Pre-School Sunday and we will have one church service at 10:30am VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL! June 3rd-6th - 9:30am-12:30pm Cost $25.00 per child ages 3 years-rising 5th grade. January, 27th 1:30pm-3:30pm. This is a party to celebrate all you do for children s ministry. All Sunday School teachers, VBS teachers and CAT Team members please join us! We will meet in the Community Room. To have a little after the holidays fun we will have a re-gift exchange. Please bring something wrapped that you may have received as a gift that you would like to re-gift at our planning party! If you do not have anything to bring I will have extra gifts available. This is just for fun! We will play the white elephant game to exchange gifts! (Rising 6th-12th graders please sign up with Ms. Lisa if you would like to help!) January is a great time to join our Children s Choir! I wanted to thank everyone who has given of their time, talent and treasures to support our Children s Ministry programs at St. Andrew. 2018 has been a great year thanks to everyone who has taught, helped or donated items for Sunday School, VBS, Mini Camps, KIDS Club and Children s Church Also, thank you for helping with all of our special events like, Trunk or Treat, Candy Cane Lane, Easter Egg Scramble, Spring Festival, Super Hero Family Fun Day, Children s Choir and Winter, Fall and Spring Mini Camps. Wishing you blessings in the New Year! Regina The Children s Choir meets Sunday morning during our Sunday School opening in the Community Room at 9:25am. After we sing, pray and celebrate birthdays the children go to their Sunday School class. Sunday School Choir is for all children 4 years old 5th grade! If you have questions about any of our activities please contact: Regia@thepumpkinchurch.org or the church office at 770-926-3488.
CHURCH NEWS Wednesday Night Adult Bible January 9 February 13 6:45-7:45pm R 125 in Kehele Leader Mike Mer ick Many of us go through our days with ear buds place, listening to our favorite songs or podcasts the exclusion of everything going on around What if we did the same thing when living lives, choosing to listen to Jesus playlist tuning out the anxiety, disruptions, and overloads of the world? Jacob Armstrong s book, A New Playlist, examines this very You ll discover how to cut through the of life to hear God more clearly. You ll learn saying no to the demands of the world is the best Plan to start the New Year studying A Playlist. Please contact the church office to register for this class, carol@thepumpkinchurch.org Adult Praise Team News The Two or More Adult Praise Band is looking for new talent. If you have a heart for worship, can play an instrument and/or sing, the praise band is currently in need of a guitarist, drummer, male vocalists, and keyboardist. Practice is every Tuesday night from 7:30 8:45 and we meet at 8:15 every Sunday morning prior to the 9:30 service. Please contact Carol Haisten at chaisten1@hotmail.com or Michelle Webber atchellew128@gmail.com to find out more information.
St. Andrew Walk to Emmaus Gathering Friday, February 8, 2019 7-9pm Fellowship Hall Keheley Center Pot Luck Dinner Our Church Walk to Emmaus Community will be hosting a Gathering the second Friday evening in February! Help us kick off the still New Year with prayer, worship, praise and joyful fellowship. It is a great time to renew and grow our North Georgia Chrysalis, Face to Face and Walk to Emmaus participation. Folks who have not yet engaged in a Flight, Walk or Encounter are welcome and encouraged to attend this Gathering! If you are curious and eager for more information contact Sue Wallace: sawallace54@gmail.com, 404-661-0648 or Brad Bosworth: bradfordbosworth@gmail.com or 404 274-8070. ***