FEBRUARY 2019 FUMC-Graham 303 North Main Street Graham, NC 27253 336/226-4343 Pastor G. Kevin Baker The First Methogram Making Disciples for Jesus Christ through Love and Service! My One Word is also My Prayer for FUMC GRAHAM On the first Sunday of this year, some of you may remember a challenge I issued to our community of faith: to consider asking God to help you discern one word that could guide and focus your life for 2019. Since then, I have truly enjoyed hearing how God is working in your lives through the My One Word Project, inspired by the Port City Community Church in Wilmington, NC. (For those who would like to know more, simply go to myoneword.org.) Many of you have already taken the time to come by my study (Rm. 107) and write down your one word on the wall in the hallway. If you haven t, please come by this month and do so! I find this sharing of God s work and word in our lives to be a wonderful way to inspire and encourage one another in our faith journeys this year. The word I believe God gave me for this year was inspired by the adjacent passage from Psalm 92. In Hebrew, the word is sagah, which literally means to grow or to increase. It is closely connected to another word that comes just before it: spring up (parach), which means to flourish, to bud, to sprout, or to bloom. This is both a word and a prayer. My prayer is that I will grow this year (and I don t just mean around my mid-section!) I desire to grow in my love for God and for neighbor. I truly desire to grow professionally, relationally, physically (in terms of health!), and spiritually. This is also my prayer for our community of faith in 2019. Let me ask you a serious question. Do you feel like you are flourishing? Before you attempt to answer that question in a quiet corner of your own mind, allow yourself to truly ponder the question s implications. Are you flourishing in your walk with God? In your relationships with others? How about financially, professionally, emotionally, and physically? My prayer for you and for our family of faith is that we may grow this year so that we might truly experience new life, new ministry, and new growth springing up all around us. Starting this month, our church will begin a process of discernment to consider what great big, God-sized dream the Lord has in store for us as we seek to make disciples committed to worshipping, connecting, serving, and giving. Would you join us in prayer as we lean forward into this season? This past year held many challenges for us and for our church s ministries, but I am convinced that God has great things in store for us if we are willing to pray, lean forward, and occasionally take some risks that require us to step out of our comfort zone. My prayer for all of us this year is that we might grow: Lord, help us to grow in commitment to worship and praise your Name and continue to find new ways to welcome others to join us. Lord, give us wisdom to create new spaces for grace, for connecting with others, especially those who have yet to experience your love or the friendship of a spiritual companion. Lord, empower us to serve others in Jesus name, finding new places of brokenness and pain that you are calling us to help heal in the world around us. Lord, inspire us to grow more generous like You, in the way we move closer toward the tithe and in the way we give of our time, talents, and energy. Worshipping, Connecting, Serving, and Giving with you, Pastor Kevin 12 The righteous will spring up like a palm tree. They will grow strong like a cedar of Lebanon. 13 Those who have been replanted in the Lord s house will spring up in the courtyards of our God. 14 They will bear fruit even when old and gray; they will remain lush and fresh 15 in order to proclaim: The Lord is righteous. He s my rock. There s nothing unrighteous in him. ~ Psalm 92:12-15 FEBRUARY 2019 Every member a Minister Page 1
Worship Evangelism Message Baby Recognition Sunday Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7 Connect Baby Recognition Sunday is February 17, 2019. The United Methodist Women will recognize babies born January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 with a Gift to Mission in the baby s name during both services. Parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, please complete the form in your bulletin January 27 and February 3 and place it in the offering plate or turn it in to the church office by February 10. CORRIDOR LAY SERVANT TRAINING TEAM Offers Advanced Courses Saturday, March 16, 2019 Hosted by First United Methodist Church, Elon 1630 Westbrook Avenue, Elon, NC 27244 Check-in begins at 7:30am, and the day will end at 5pm. Registration is $25 and includes lunch and snacks but NOT the required texts, which must be purchased and read prior to class time. Courses offered: Life Together in the United Methodist Connection (Polity) led by Rev. Carol Goehring, Rev. Crystal DesVignes and Anggie Thompson Leading Bible Study led by Rev. Darcy Knight and Bonnie Francis Registration closes Monday, March 4, 2019. (Deadline allows time to order and pre-read books.) You must register online (https://corridordistrictnc.org/corridor-lay-servant-ministries-team-offer-2- advanced-courses/) and by the deadline. Contact Denise Baker for more information. Page 2 Every member a Minister FEBRUARY 2019
February Birthdays FEBRUARY EVENTS LOOKING AHEAD: Sun. 2. 3 Sun. 2. 10 Sun. 2. 17 Sun. 2. 24 12pm 5-5- 5-3. 10 Canned Food Drive 3. 31 Youth Sunday! Chili Cook-off Fundraiser (See article on p. 5) REFUGE Regular Meeting REFUGE Regular Meeting REFUGE Regular Meeting A NEW WOMEN S LIFE GROUP/BIBLE STUDY focusing on the movie converted into a book: War Room: Prayer Is a Powerful Weapon will meet for a 5-week study on Thursdays from 7-8:30pm at a local parishioner s home. This study begins February 7. You don t have to attend for all 5 weeks or even to read the book; just join us at least once and see if it s a fit for you! Contact Cathy Silver Key at cathjeff@bellsouth.net or 336/221-0897 (home) to express interest. groups Interested in joining a LIFE group? A complete listing of available groups can be found on our website: http:// fumcgraham-nc.org/connect/ life-groups. 2.1 Jennifer Campbell 2.2 Donna Peterson 2.4 John Harrod 2.5 Barbara Lowe 2.5 Kim Stacey 2.6 Andy Barnhill 2.7 Brian Gant 2.7 Penny Hardie 2.7 Kaitlyn Wood 2.7 Nelson Young 2.9 Stan Briggs 2.9 Janet Hardie 2.9 Elijah Blake 2.10 Hannah Cummings 2.11 Julia Howard 2.11 Doris Steele 2.11 Angelica Taylor 2.12 Marie Hagerman 2.12 Susan Brink 2.12 Haley Edmonds 2.14 Elan Woody 2.15 Linda Barnhill 2.15 Lynn Lloyd 2.15 Frances Price 2.15 Khalil King 2.15 Grace Woodmansee 2.16 Kathy Woodmansee 2.16 Lindy Halverson 2.17 Mildred Clapp 2.18 Crystal Peyton 2.18 Steven Huffines 2.20 Carter Garrison 2.21 David Quigley 2.22 Elizabeth Barbee 2.22 Jewell Brackett 2.22 Drew Perkey 2.22 Ava Crissman 2.22 Laurel Ann Whitney 2.23 Leah Cameron 2.23 John Greeson 2.23 Sherrie Moore 2.23 Christine Quigley 2.24 Noel Peyton 2.25 Janet Woody 2.25 Paul Abbott 2.26 Hannah Thornton 2.27 Elijah Albright 2.27 Tammy Campbell 2.28 Nicole Woody 2.28 Seth Tysor Contact church office 336/226-4343 with additions and corrections. Meeting Tuesday, February 5 10:30am T. J. Whitehead classroom (Rm. 132) Adult Game Day Wednesday, February 13 1-4pm Stafford Hall (Rm. 125) All senior adults are welcome to these times of fellowship! FEBRUARY 2019 Every member a Minister Page 3
Doug and Clara Bayliff Diane Turner Barnes Gretchen Briggs Myra Brown Jane Bryan James Church Nancy Clark Jackie England Alma Euliss Michael Few Nancy Fisher Gay Euliss Foley Gwen Hall Betty Hardt Velma Hauser Julia Howard Brenda Hudson Elizabeth King Susan King Carolyn Lapham Lynn Lloyd Barbara Lowe Betty May Michael Melanson Pam McDonald Worth McPherson Revonda Barnwell Mosher Heidi Newberry Loby Phillips Frances Price Mary Evelyn Rich James Ryan Mimi Saunders Mike Smith Susan Stapleton Janice Stutts Linda and Wayne Triesche Clyde and Marie Ward Max Way Vivian Williamson Sue Willson JoAnn Witherow Children s Ministry Family Roller Skating Children up through 5th grade and their families are invited to a fun afternoon of FREE skating at Roll-A-Bout Skating Center (605 Chapel Hill Road) on Sunday, February 17 from 2-5pm. (Meet at Roll-A-Bout.) Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please let Jennifer Easter (jls814@yahoo.com) know how many from your family will be attending. Concessions are available at the skating facility. Celebrating all year! Happy 150th Birthday to United Methodist Women! Membership 1869 8 Membership 2019 800,000 United Methodist Women officially began in 1869. Its 150- year legacy started when the Woman s Foreign Missionary Society organized in Boston in response to a lack of health care for women in India. Women and children in India were legally classified as chattel, legally dead, non-persons. There was little service to women because of prejudice and limitations of cultural attitudes in the church and in society. Women in the Methodist and United Brethren churches responded to this need by organizing a missionary society which ultimately became the United Methodist Women still active today. This year, we celebrate 150 years of changing the lives of women, children, and youth around the world! First United Methodist Church has four active UMW circles, all of which meet on the first Monday of every month. We are one of the most active groups in this church! This month, our UMW will pack Care Packages for our college students on February 11 and sponsor Baby Recognition Sunday on February 17. Contact the church office (336/226-4343) or visit our website http://fumcgraham-nc.org/connect/prayer-interest-groups for more information about UMW or if you would like to join one of our circles. You will be glad that you did! Information for this article can be found at https://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/about/history. Page 4 Every member a Minister FEBRUARY 2019
REFUGE YOUTH CHILI COOK-OFF Our annual Chili Cook-Off is right around the corner! On Sunday, February 3 at 12pm, join us in Stafford Hall for tasty chili and some additional items. We will once again be offering Summer Camp experiences for children who have completed kindergarten-eighth grade. Day camp will be June 17-21. Residential camp is also offered. Contact Brian Yoder (brian@fumcgrahamnc.org) for more information. We want this year to be the best, so make sure that you e-mail Paul (paul@fumcgraham-nc.org) with your chili s name, and enter the competition to win the first-place prize! Confirmation 2019 Beginning January 30 th, Confirmation will a time of reflection and introspection. Confirmation serves as the stamp for our love letter to God, penned with our baptism. During our 17-week program, participating Youth (Confirmands) will be learning about the roots of their faith, how to understand their faith, and how to apply their faith in their lives and to their relationships with others. At the conclusion of the program, Confirmands will have the opportunity to stand in front of the congregation and publicly affirm their faith. The series will be led by Kevin Baker and Paul Abbott, and will follow the Confirm curriculum, officially endorsed by the UMC. Be in prayer for our Confirmands, Mentors, and Teachers as we continue our journey of faith together. Serve HELP WANTED: Needed Immediately: An individual or a couple to administer communion to and to provide connection to their church for a small group of our shut-in/homebound members. Please contact Marsha Jones (msugirl1971@gmail.com) right away if you are willing to help in this vital ministry. FEBRUARY 2019 Every member a Minister Page 5
FEBRUARY Library Lowdown United Methodist Women Reading Program 2019 New books have been added to our library that are a part of the UMW Reading Program. Each year, the UMW sponsor a reading program that promotes missions, prayers, study, and action. If you are interested in reading for plan participation, see Carol Steele, or check in the library in the special section marked for UMW. You do not have to be a member of the UMW to join the reading program. The program runs until August 1, 2019, so you have plenty of time to read. Books from 2014-2019 (marked on spine with blue tape) qualify for the program. We encourage YOU to be a part of this educational study. New books added this year with their categories and qualifying year follow: Escape from the Green Mansion: Church Women and Their Rescue of Brothel Slaves, by Christine Taylor Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman s Journey from Pakistani Muslim to American, by Sabeeha Rehman Eleanor, A Spiritual Biography: The Faith of the 20th Century s Most Influential Woman, by Harold Ivan Smith Weird! A Story About Bullying in Schools, by Erin Frankel CHILDREN S BOOK Red: A Book for Young Readers, by Jan De Kinder CHILDREN S BOOK Step Up to the Plate: Young Girls Dream to Play Softball YOUTH BOOK Hope for the Future: Answering God s Call to Justice for Our Children, by Shannon Daley-Harris The Hidden Life Awakened: A Woman s Life of Clinical Depression, by Kitty Crenshaw and Cathy Snapp, PhD. The Same Sky, a Novel: A Girl s Perilous Trek Across Mexico to America, by Amanda Eyre Ward No One Else Like You: Billions of People in the World and None Alike, by Siska Goeminne CHILDREN S BOOK Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood, by Patrick B. Reyes BONUS BOOK We Are All Fast-Food Workers Now: The Global Uprising Against Poverty Wages, by Annelise Orleck BONUS BOOK Spoken Into Being: Divine Encounters Through Story, by Michael W. Williams The Soul-Making Room: Discover How Life s Best and Worst Times Can Shape You, by Dee Dee Risher All Around Us, by Xelena Gonzalez YOUTH BOOK Give South Graham Elementary School is in need of donations of children s black, navy, or gray sweatpants in sizes 6, 8, 10, or 12. You may bring them to the church and put them in one of the designated totes labeled South Graham Elementary in the coffeeshop (Rm. 135) or in the sanctuary breezeway. Page 6 Every member a Minister FEBRUARY 2019
UMW Mission Focuses for FEBRUARY Women s Shelter Needs: 1. Wash cloths, 2. Hand towels, 3. Cereal Veterans Needs: 1. Thermal underwear, 2. Hand warmers, 3. Chapstick Memorials and Honor gifts In Memory Of By W. H. Brumble Lou Harris Frye W. H. Brumble Mr. and Mrs. David Murphy W. H. Brumble Machelle Kimrey W. H. Brumble Teresa Lanier Jim Perry Jim Perry Jim Perry James Oliver Perry New Horizons Sunday School Class Gretchen Briggs United Methodist Men New Horizons Sunday School Class Thanks from the Simonses for all of the expressions of caring when Evelyn s brother George Rudd passed away and at Frank s recent strokes. You are an awesome church family, and we love you. Frank and Evelyn Phil Richards George Rudd, Jr. George Rudd, Jr. George Rudd, Jr. George Rudd, Jr. Marcelle Bulla Ralph Pike Ralph Pike Matthew and Brenda Flynn T. J. Whitehead Sunday School Class Ed and Carolyn Barnes Peggy Jenks Julia Howard Don Bulla Gretchen Briggs Bill and Fran Bryant The Board of Directors would like to thank George McGonagle for his many hours of service this year. He did a great job painting the upstairs hallway. He also painted the handrails outside and built shelving in the attic behind the stage. We appreciate all that he does for our church. Chris Fulkerson Nell Mooney Stewart Hartford Bill Wolfe Jeanne Fernandez All Members Who Died in 2018 In Honor Of Tommy and Judy Hayes Doris Sugg Susan Brink Gretchen Briggs Peggy Jenks Jane Ferrell Peggy Jenks David and Carol Steele Donald and Penny Hardie Ed and Carolyn Barnes Charles and Camille Staton Donald and Penny Hardie Steve and Mary Ann Van Pelt By Donald and Penny Hardie Marlene Cole Ed and Carolyn Barnes Thank you for your gift of $700 to Hampstead United Methodist Church from the Wesley Wares Children s Mission Project for use in the HUMC: Preschool Fund due to damage from Hurricane Florence. We are touched by your generosity at this difficult time in the life of our church. To know that our church family is in your thoughts and prayers at this time is very encouraging.... We are excited to report that the Preschool is scheduled to reopen January 8, 2019, thanks to contributions of folks like the children of First UMC: Graham! Your friend in Christ, Betsy Williams Financial Secretary Hampstead United Methodist Church FEBRUARY 2019 Every member a Minister Page 7
The First Methogram (USPS 715-740) Periodicals Postage Paid at Published Monthly by Graham, North Carolina 27253 First United Methodist Church 303 N. Main Street Postmaster: Send Address Changes to: Graham, North Carolina 27253 The First Methogram 303 N. Main Street Graham, North Carolina 27253 WE THANK GOD FOR: SUNDAY SCHEDULE: The Well Service 9am, Sunday School: 10am, Traditional Worship Service: 11am Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 7am Men s Breakfast 10am Youth Chili Cookoff 5pm First Place 6pm Girl Scouts 10 Meet and Greet 5pm First Place 5pm Youth 17 Baby Recognition Sunday 3pm Family Skating 5pm First Place 5pm Youth 6pm Girl Scouts 4 10am Circle 2 2pm Circle 1 2pm Circle 3 7pm Friendship Circle 11 6pm Care Package Packing 18 Presidents Day 6:30 Discover the Journey 5 10:30am Young In Heart 5:30pm Exchange Club 7pm Book Club 7pm Cub Scouts 7pm Boy Scouts 7pm Crochet 12 7pm Book Club 7pm Board of Directors 7pm Cub Scouts 7pm Boy Scouts 7pm Crochet 19 7pm Book Club 7pm Finance 7pm Cub Scouts 7pm Boy Scouts 7pm Crochet 6 5:30 Confirmation class Handbells 7:30pm Choir 13 9:30am Library Ministry Team 1pm Young In Heart Fun Day 5:30pm Confirmation Class Handbells 7:30pm Choir 20 5:30 Confirmation class Handbells 7:30pm Choir 27 5:30 Confirmation class Handbells 7:30pm Choir 7 8:15am Thursday Prayer Breakfast Girl Scouts 7pm Praise Team 14 Valentine s Day 8:15am Thursday Prayer Breakfast 7pm Praise Team 21 8:15am Thursday Prayer Breakfast 6:30 Administrative Council Girl Scouts 7pm Praise Team 8 9 15 Deadline for March Methogram 16 22 23 4pm Peak Worship 24 25 26 28 6:30 7pm Stewarship 8:15am 5pm First Discover the Thursday 7pm Book Club Place Prayer Breakfast Journey 7pm Cub Scouts 7pm Praise Team 5pm Youth 7pm Boy Scouts Missions 7pm Crochet Committee Page 8 Every member a Minister FEBRUARY 2019