The Eufaula Messenger May 2015 From My Hear t to Yours Pastor Michael Brannon SPRING! A time for growth and renewal. What have you planted this spring? I know many of you have gardens or if not that then at least a tomato plant or two. We certainly expect growth during spring. The weeds in my yard are certainly doing their best to outgrow everything else. I have noticed that every spring the trees I planted stand up a little taller. Spring also inspires some of us to participate in the annual spring cleaning of our houses. It becomes a time of eliminating the debris that has accumulated over the past year. Spring is also the time we begin to look forward to the rewards of maturing fruit. All in all spring is a great time! It is also a great time for the spiritual realm as well. What seeds have you or are you going to plant for your spiritual growth? Do you have any plans for the garden of your soul? How long has it been since you have read a book on Christian living? Whether you have a flower garden or not do you have a prayer garden? Both take time to reap a benefit. Flower gardening has ascetic and health benefits in this life but prayer gardening can have eternal consequences. Have you read as much about prayer as gardening? During spring many of us grow closer to nature. I wonder if many of us are as excited about growing closer to God? I m looking forward to harvesting some peaches from the OSU orchard this late spring & early summer. Will anyone be able to harvest any fruit of the Spirit from us this year? I ve spent a good deal of time cleaning out my vegetable beds this spring and am thinking about my computer room at home. I wonder what I need to clean out of my heart and mind this spring. How about you? Are there any habits, attitudes or thoughts that would be good for your soul if you cleaned them out? I hope we all can see growth in our relationship with God and each other this spring. Let s make the best of it while we can!
The Methodist Men met for their monthly breakfast and fellowship meeting on April 11 at 7:30. Gary Pruess prepared two delicious breakfast casseroles, Jerry McCormick prepared sausage gravy and biscuits and Hal Kirkpatrick (as always) provided orange juice. Thanks for all of those who help to provide this table of fine food. After getting caught up on business and a short, but pointed devotional by Pastor Mike, the crew hit the ground running! A major project was underway! Rock wall material was ordered and delivered and Jerry and Fred Cooke picked up sod from the sod farm in Indianola on Friday. Earlier in the week, after a hearty breakfast at a local breakfast serving place (Braums), six of us dug a trench and sprayed the weeds in anticipation of the major project! A big thank you to Todd Dalton and his masonry expertise we now have a beautiful wall in front of the church. The men busily leveled the ground and laid sod to complete the project. The next project was to complete the sidewalk from the driveway to the new deck at the parsonage. The forms were placed about two months ago and the weather finally cooperated and now that project is complete. We completed the chair project with the final count at 26. The last chair will be donated to Boys Ranch to be raffled off this October. We entered the EcoArt competition during Heritage Days with the chair project, since the chair was made primarily from recycled deck wood, and won honorable mention which netted us $75. Not only did we have an excuse to eat breakfast out, swap stories with our friends (and get in a dig now and then) but we received $2,000.00 in donations from members of the community that wanted their front porch adorned with one of these chairs. A big thank you to all who participated in this endeavor. Memories were definitely made! Remember the breakfast is the second Saturday of the month at 7:30 am.. and our FISH FRY will be Saturday June 20, at 5:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Jerry McCormick UMM President Eufaula United Methodist women met on Tuesday, April 7 for a potluck luncheon and regular meeting. 10 members were present. Dorothy Merrick told us of some missionaries listed in our UMW Prayer Calendar and some of their activities. Our unit sends birthday and Christmas cards to all the missionaries with ties to the Oklahoma Conference. Dena Sponsler presented the program entitled "Going Out To Welcome". All of our programs this year center on being a welcoming congregation and UMW unit. Hostesses were Carolyn Reid and Charlotte Robberson. On April 14, we met and made fried pies, approximately 170. On Sunday, May 3, UMW gave gifts and recognition to our seniors, Rachael Marlar who is class valedictorian this year and Luke Van Cleave, who is salutatorian. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 5 at 1 p.m. The program entitled "Women of Welcome" will be given by Kate Kuykendall. Twyla King UMW President
Sunday School News Have you checked out our Sunday School lately? If you haven t you are missing out. We are growing by leaps and bounds. Children s classes are filling up. We have two kids bible class groups now as well as three adult bible classes. Come join us to delve deeper into the bible, you won t be sorry and you will definitely be blessed. Join us each Sunday morning at 9:45 for Bible Class. Worship Committee Margaret Kramer Eastertide (or the Easter Season, Paschal Time, Paschal Tide or Paschaltide) is a festal season in the liturgical year of Christianity that begins on Easter Sunday. Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter, and, after the Sunday of the Resurrection, they are named Second Sunday of Easter, Third Sunday of Easter, etc. up to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, while the whole fifty-day period concludes with Pentecost Sunday. Churches refer to Pentecost as the birth of the church or the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church, which comes from Acts 2:1-4: Next Sunday we will celebrate Mother s Day as well as Circle of Care Sunday and will have a speaker from Pearl s Hope. PEARL S HOPE is in Tulsa and is a transitional housing facility that provides an array of support services for single mothers and their children. Just a reminder - be sure to sign up to have your photo taken for the Directory. https:// www.securedatatrans14.com/ap/firstunitedmethodistchurch1/index.php?page=10 If you are unable to schedule a photo session with the photographer on Tuesday May 12 or Wednesday May 13, please let Carrie know and we will arrange to have your photo taken on Sunday May 10 or May 17. It is our goal to have all of our Church Family represented in the Directory. Don t forget Summer Giving is important!
Brenda Gill, Director of Pearl s Hope programs at Francis Willard Ministry Center will be the guest speaker for our Sunday May 10th 10:50am worship Service. Brenda oversees both the Pearl s Hope program and provides administrative supervison to all program s located on the Francis Willard Campus. Brenda s visit will help all members become better informed about Circle of Care. Pastor Mike and myself send a special invitation to all members and guests to give Brenda a big Eufaula WELCOME. We have invited her to be our guest for dinner. As Pearl s Hope provides a home for Mother s and children we feel it will be a blessing to hear Brenda s message on Mother s Day. Don t miss out on a blessing. A special offering will be taken to share our support for Circle of Care Programs. Remember all children and youth in your prayers. Until nest month, God bless. Bee Bozarth, Circle of Care Ambassador. Editors Note: Mother s Day, May 10th will be Circle of Care Sunday. We will be taking up a special offering, our guest speaker will be a representative of Pearl s Hope. 2015 CAMP DATE Grades 7-12 Camp Egan June 22-26 Cost is $240/camper Online Registration is Available at http://www.okumcministries.org/camps/
WEO Worship Evangelism Outreach Friendship Kitchen Report Have you been to Friendship Kitchen lately? I think you would be amazed to see all that is happening to what was once just a vision of Kathleen and David Shannon. Dennis and Sally Maloney have answered the call to build on that vision and what started with three churches has grown to nine churches either contributing financially or providing and serving meals to an ever growing number of people. Friendship Kitchen is growing and one day it will out grow our church's Fellowship Hall. This is good, I think, no, I know God is pleased. Dennis has been working with God's Helping Hand and we have been approved to obtain food assistance from the food bank. This will be a huge help for our small churches as the attendance grows. It appears that when Under One Roof gets their new building, Friendship Kitchen will have a new home with a real commercial kitchen. Eufaula First United Methodist Church has been off the schedule for a few months while the new teams had the opportunity to become introduced and find what works best for them. Dennis is in the process of assigning dates of service for June and July. I have requested that UMC is scheduled for July 25, Whole Hawg Days weekend, just in case UMM decides to enter the BBQ Cook-Off. In the past we have taken this particular Saturday because we try to work with and around UMM and the UMW yard sale. Please support this ministry with your prayers, your presence and financial support. Remember, our church is a cornerstone of this ministry and yet, we have fewer members attend on the days we serve than most of the other churches. Almost everyone eats lunch, have lunch some Saturday at Friendship Kitchen and meet the wonderful volunteers from all the different churches and share a meal with a stranger, then they won't be a stranger. Everyone has a story and some would love to share their story with you. Don't ask how Friendship Kitchen is doing, come and see for yourself. Barbara McCormick-WEO Member Nurture Notes By: Anne Gilbert Chairwoman Remember our Fellowship Luncheon of Sunday May 10, Mother s Day. The men are welcome to provide lunch for the ladies.
Mark your calendar Church Directory Pictures will be taken on May 12 & 13 Sign up Online or by calling church office. Lake Eufaula Playhouse will be presenting Center Stage A Youth Theater Camp May18-22for ages 6-14. Registration deadline is May 11. The Camp will be held at the Eufaula Indian Community Center. For more information go to lakeeufaulaplayhouse.com or call 918-617-6230. 5/1 Carol Conatser 5/2 Mackenzie Dalton 5/7 Georgia Nichols 5/7 Cameryn Dalton 5/15 Preston Dalton 5/17 Liz Tipton 5/20 Michelle Dalton 5/20 JP Johnson 5/21 Bob King 5/25 John Marlar 5/27 Judy McCombs 5/28 Chelsea Burris Piano Recital The piano students of Carolyn Stauffer will have their spring piano recital on Monday evening May 4th at 7pm in the Sanctuary. May Anniversaries 5/12 Randy & Carrie Sullivan 5/23 Olen & Margaret Davis 5/25 Bob & Vicki Carder
First United Methodist Church 220 S. Main Eufaula, OK 74432 May 10, 2015 May 30, 2015