Cokesbury United Methodist Church 6701 Idlewild Road, Charlotte, NC 28212! 704 537-5818 Reverend Dr. In-Yong Lee, Pastor! ilee@wnccumc.net! www.cokesburyumc.net Mission Statement 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19- Vol. CDLXXXIX 489 Through Cokesbury Windows March 14, 2016 Jesus, Our Lord and Our Friend We are moving closer and closer to Holy Week, when we commemorate Jesus journey towards his cross and when we ponder our weaknesses and sinfulness and our need for God s salvation through Jesus Christ. I know during Lent some of you have been fasting, some of you have been renouncing certain habits, and some of you have been practicing something new or different. I commend you for engaging in these efforts, living out our faith in Lenten season. Also, I m thankful to those of you who have been attending the community Lenten services that the six churches in this area are sharing at Amity Presbyterian Church every Wednesday at noon. Our journey will lead us to Easter and we will celebrate God s overwhelming love that day and onward. Jesus tells us in John 15:13-15, No one has greater love than this, to lay down one s life for one s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. Wow! Our Lord calls us his friends! What a friend we have, indeed! I went to Greensboro Korean UMC last Sunday, March 13, to participate in their 35 th anniversary and their new pastor s installation service. It was a beautiful service and dinner that followed was wonderful. Hmmm, yummy Korean food! Probably the best thing that evening was to see many of my old friends. They were members of the Korean church that I served as a student associate in High Point for six and a half years a long time ago. We were excited to see each other again. Even though it has been a while since I had seen them, it was as if I had seen them just the day before. The gap in time didn t make us feel any differently. We were good friends still. The following day, one of them texted me a beautiful quote about friendship in Korean, which I translated for you. I don t think the Korean who wrote it is a Christian, but we can still enjoy it and learn from it. (Continued on page 2)
A day comes when you pass by the one, whom you once loved to death, as if you didn t know him; A day comes when you stop communicating with the one who used to be your closest friend and with whom you shared your deepest secrets; A day comes when you can look in the eyes and smile at the one who once was your archenemy; Yes, time passes and this too will pass. Do not blame the one who estranged herself; Do not try to keep the one who is leaving you; Let it go, as spring goes and summer comes, just like that. The one who will leave you will go away anyway, whether you try to distance yourself from him or not; The one who will stay will stay, whether you cling to her desperately or not; You don t need to spend your time which is like precious flowers for the one who doesn t love you or honor you, pouring your time and love, and hurting like crazy. If it is covered with muddy water in a storm, it doesn t stop being a flower; The next bout of rain will wash it clean. Everybody makes a mistake. A baby falls 3,000 times, before he masters how to walk. I myself have fallen 3,000 times and stood up again, and why would I despair on this? Thinking about killing oneself too early is the saddest thing in the world. And the most unfortunate thing is to understand love too late. However much you boast your beauty and power, we are all the same under the sun. We are all petty creatures, when seen from high up there. The tallest person is not as tall as a meager tree. The fastest person is not as fast as some animal. Do not try to trample on those who are less fortunate than you. Do not envy and be jealous of the one who is doing better than you. I wish I can live, loving myself just as I am, for we are all alike under the sun. I wish we all can love one another and help one another. Well, we can surely relate to what it says, can t we? It would be nice, if we can live loving and helping one another. Even when we fail to do it, we know that we have a friend who never fails to be there for us, Jesus. Thanks be to God! In-Yong
Bill & Gwen Coulter gave a gift to the Missions Fund in honor of Jim & th Pat Fosbrink s 70 wedding anniversary. Floyd & Irma Fike gave a gift to the Memorial Fund in memory of Gennie Watkins, sister of Tom Helms. Margie Forrest gave a gift to the Budget Fund in honor of Bonnie th Springer s 80 birthday and in memory of Thomas Forrest, brother of Al Forrest. Theresa Hall gave a gift to the Budget Fund in honor of the UMAR Teachers. Ken & Jan Penland gave a gift to the Budget Fund in memory of James Philips, brother of Teresa Gerringer. Deanna Reed gave a gift to the Budget Fund in memory of Gennie Watkins. Flo Sowell gave a gift to the Budget Fund in honor of UMAR Sunday. th Jim & Pat Fosbrink celebrated their 70 wedding anniversary on March 2. To Jo Walters as she mourns the death of her mother, Rebecca Dillard, who passed away March 12. By Deanna Long January Monthly General Budget February Monthly General Budget Income $54,879.44 Income $21,020.66 Expenses 27,124.65 Expenses 26,937.40 Net Income $27,754.79 Deficit ($5,916.74) Procedure to receive reimbursement, advance, or make a withdrawal from a restricted fund: The Payment-Expense Request Form is to be completed before a check will be issued. If this is a reimbursement for prepaid expense or use of the church credit card, the receipts must be attached to the form. A supply of these forms are on the door in the Work Room, as well as the Finance Committee box. Please use these in order to receive a check and don t forget the receipts. Please feel free to contact me at 704 535-3790, if there are any questions.
Our UMYF had a very successful work retreat at Camp Tekoa. We built a wheelchair ramp onto Redbud, landscaped around Little Lodge, smoothed and spread out new sand on the lakefront, and painted the outside of Cedar. Fun was had by all. Thanks go to Zach Fowler, Phil Cox, Wayne Chappell, LeAnne Craig, Karen Lemmert, and Ann Lake for spending their weekend with a great group of kids and to Bruce Fowler for organizing the trip. The UMYF Lock-In will be Friday, March 18 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. Saturday. We will not meet on March 30. On March 26 we will hold our annual Easter Egg Hunt from 2:00-4:00 p.m. We are collecting candy for the Easter Egg Hunt. Please place your donations in the box in the narthex by Sunday, March 20. By Kay Dumas Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 9 for our UMW Annual Attic Sale. What Can You Do Now? Clean out your attic, basement, garage and closets. Pick up a flyer from the table in the narthex and share with friends and family or post on a bulletin board where you work. Tell your friends, neighbors, and family about our GIGANTIC attic sale! Prime Timers By Jane Parks The March Prime Timer meeting is coming up March 24. Bring yourself! Bring a friend! A yummy lunch is always provided for $6. Our program this month is a speaker from Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. Jane Parks is a House Operations volunteer there and she is excited for everyone to hear about what the House provides for families of children in the hospital. We look forward to seeing you! Cokesbury Walkers Since the weather is getting warmer, maybe you would like to take a walk, but don t want to be alone. Come to the church on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and we can all stroll around the parking lot and get exercise and fresh air.
United Methodist Women Reading Program By Kay Dumas Each year, Cokesbury s United Methodist Women support their reading program by purchasing a number of outstanding books for participants in the program. In this process, these books are placed in our library for everyone to enjoy. The 2016 books added to our library are: Dreamers: An Immigrant Generation s Fight for Their American Dream Our Rights: How Kids are Changing the World (children s book) Key United Methodist Beliefs I Am Malala Twenty-two Cents (children s book) Blue Gold (youth book) (Children and youth can receive certificates for reading.) We remind you that we have a great library which includes these books, plus many others for all of us to enjoy. Check it out! UMCOR Six Groups We Support with Special Collections By Bill Coulter January Human Relations March One Great Hour of Sharing April Native Americans May Peace and Justice October World Communion Sunday November United Methodist Student Day We are still going strong. If you don t know how to knit or crochet, we can teach you! We meet on Mondays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. By Randy Pitcock The Cokesbury Men s Softball Team is starting spring training. All men (18 and older) interested in playing should contact Randy Pitcock at 704 283-3074. We will be playing in the Pleasant Plains Softball League this spring. Idlewild Elementary School By LeAnne Craig Cokesbury has a long history of supporting Idlewild Elementary School through prayers, donations of time, and supplies. At this time of year, supplies and energy are running out, and uniforms are outgrown. Please pray for the staff and students and if you are able, consider helping with these supplies: copy paper, #2 pencils, glue sticks, underwear (all sizes), socks, feminine hygiene products, and uniforms.
Tekoa Family Weekend 2016 According to evaluations, you liked having the Camp Tekoa Staff handle the evening meals on Saturday and Sunday. Many of you asked for a reduced two-night option. This year you will be able to register for either three or two nights. With these changes and the rising cost of programming, new rates will apply. For all campers over the age of three: Register prior to May 1 Register after May 31 Three nights $105.00 $110.00 Two nights $85.00 $90.00 Day camper $20.00 $20.00 There will not be a family maximum for families with more than four members. Scholarships will be available on a first come basis. Plan ahead! Early bird payment plans are available with the final payment due by August 14. More information is available in the narthex and in the office. Looking forward to seeing you at Camp Tekoa.