July 2014 newsletter New Creation United Methodist Church VISION: Moving Forward Together: To Know Christ and to Make Christ Known New Crea on United Methodist Church Travelers Every Tuesday thru Thursday in July, beginning on July 8! July 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 9:30 am 12:30 pm Come hang out with us at camp this summer! We will explore stories of the Bible! There will be games, food, art and more! JOIN THE FUN! July 19, 2014 The United Methodist Men will host its annual summer cookout at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 19 at the home of Charles and Emilie Scott, 108 Oakmont Avenue in Durham. Our ministries to those in need In May, New Creation distributed food for 81 people from our pantry and through the Good Samaritan Fund provided help to a neighbor struggling to pay his electric bill. Thank you to everyone who supports these ministries. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:35 36)
School Kits for around the world: Serving as a Congregation for Children During the months of May and June, the United Methodist Women and New Creation church family collected school kit supplies as a Congregation for Children and delivered 65 United Methodist Committee on Relief school kits to Annual Conference in Greenville. These school kits will be distributed in North Carolina, Liberia and El Salvador. In keeping with the UMW theme, our unit is proclaiming to be His servants by supporting missions helping women and children and putting love into action. Over 3,000 kits were delivered to Annual Conference! Congratulations to Keya Strudwick Keya was recently awarded the JB Cornelius Scholarship. She is a student at Greensboro College majoring in Business Administration. Greensboro College, founded by the Methodist Church in 1838, is the irst charted college for women in North Carolina,
United Methodist Women help stock the N.C. Diaper Bank s shelves New Creation United Methodist Women and friends packaged and sorted approximately 3600 diapers in an hour s time at the Diaper Bank of North Carolina on Saturday, June 21, 2014. The Diaper Bank of NC provides clean diapers and other supplies for mothers and their children in the Durham community. UMW of New Creation continues to help with this worthy cause regularly. Clockwise from top left: Melissa Shuler, Jacqueline McLeod McAuley, Keya Strudwick, Selena English, Jimmie Shuler, Taylor McAuley, Brianna Still, Pat McGhee, Gloria McAuley, Fran Lynch, Bernice Johnson, LaNella Smith and Lubertha Buie (seated); We invite you to participate in United Methodist Women. All women of any age or interest are welcome to join at any time. Participation in the New Creation United Methodist Women gives each of us an opportunity for growth in our individual spiritual experiences, as well as experiencing friendships that enhance each of our lives. It is an opportunity to give of our individual spiritual gifts while receiving invaluable insight and gifts from others of different ages and strengths. Mission is our program. We take seriously the command from Jesus to "Feed my sheep." United Methodist Women hear the cries of women, children and youth and constantly look for ways in which we can support them. Through the global ministries of the church, UMW programs help people become as great as they can be. We Make Mission Happen! Please join us it's an exciting relationship!
The United Methodist Women of New Creation recognized High School graduates on Sunday, June 22nd Jacqueline McAuley (pictured above left with Pat McGhee, president, and LaNella Smith, treasurer) graduated with honors from Durham School of the Arts and will be attending North Carolina Central University in the fall with a major in math and a minor in fashion design. Jacqueline was con irmed in the former Asbury Temple UMC and remains a member of New Creation. She is the daughter of Lamont McAuley and Charlotte Chat ield and grandparents of Tyrone & Gloria McAuley. She was active in the children s choir, New Genesis Youth Choir and the youth group, and served as scripture reader and communion server. She is also a recipient of the Harriet Strong Wright Scholarship Award. Also recognized was Terrence TJ Laster, Jr., a graduate of Panther Creek High School in Cary, who will be attending the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD in the fall with a full inancial scholarship and salary. He excels in football, wrestling and lacrosse, with achievements as the captain of the football team, leadership counselor, highest team GPA, Star Athlete Award, Academic All-Conference and completed numerous hours volunteering in community projects and mentoring children. TJ was con irmed in the former Asbury Temple UMC and was active in all youth activities at that church. He is a current member here at New Creation. His parents are Terrence & Carol Gibbs Laster. James & Betty Gibbs are his grandparents. Since he and his family were out of town, TJ s grandparents, accepted this acknowledgement on his behalf.
Ministry spotlight The harvest is plentiful in jail ministry Every other Tuesday, Fred Stoppelkamp visits the Durham County jail to pray and talk with a group of inmates. Fred Stoppelkamp leads New Creation s Jail Ministry, serving at the Durham County jail As the leader of New Creation s jail ministry, he can relate to the men and women because he spent time in jail and on a work farm as a young man. But it is a misconception that you cannot relate to them if you ve never been incarcerated, he said. Our shared human experience means that we all face issues such as anger and guilt. Or perhaps a person hasn t dealt with a drug or alcohol addiction, but they have been addicted to food, he said. They need to understand, whatever struggles they went through, sharing these with the inmates is huge, he said. Stoppelkamp wants other New Creation congregants to take part. For him, the situation at the jail brings to mind Luke 10:2, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Fear and preconceived notions can make people hesitant to try the jail ministry, he said. They don t know what to expect. Unfortunately our society puts a prejudgment on anyone who s incarcerated. But if you take the time to talk with the inmates, then you actually see Christ in these guys, he said. And people would be surprised at how open and appreciative the inmates are, he said. Stoppelkamp would train anyone who is interested in helping to lead the ministry until he or she is comfortable enough to lead a group alone. The gathering, every other Tuesday evening, includes the singing of a praise song and prayer. For the devotion, Stoppelkamp will talk for about ive minutes about a topic such as anger, resentment, lying or forgiveness, backing it up with a few scripture verses. Then the inmates will join in an open discussion. The groups typically are between ive and 20 people. People from other jail ministries lead other groups of inmates simultaneously. Most people at the Durham County Detention Facility are incarcerated between three and six months, although some stay for more than a year waiting on a court date, Stoppelkamp said. Often their sentence is time served. Stoppelkamp sometimes is able to connect with inmates outside of jail, too, as a distribution manager for Durham Economic Resource Center (DERC). DERC helps people with criminal backgrounds to develop work skills and get jobs. The jail ministry takes place from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. every other Tuesday. The next session is on July 22. For information contact Fred Stoppelkamp at fredderc@gmail.com.
Date of Training classes: Sept 6, 2014, 8 AM to 5 PM Location: First UMC, Graham, NC 2 hour pre-assignment required for all registrants Lunch will be included with the enrollment fee Participants will need to purchase and read participant book in advance (Search bookstore.upperroom.org or call 800-972-0433. Direct links for online ordering will be provided at registration as well.) Classes: (1) Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course (Adults), Class Instructors: Curtis Gay and John Ayers, Participant book: Lay Servant Ministries Participant s Book, DR626 (2) Lay Servant Ministries Basic Course (Youth), Class Instructor: Ray Pearce, Material provided by Ray Pearce (3) Leading In Prayer, Class Instructors: Grace Hackney and Brock Meyer, Participant s Book, DR492 (4) Life Together in the United Methodist Connection, Class Instructors: Anne Sims and Cheryl Lawrence, Participant s Book, DR701 Also: Certi ied Lay Minister interviews/discussions will be scheduled throughout the day. Rev. Karl Neuschaefer and John Hall will facilitate these discussions. You can honor a loved one, a member of the church, a staff member or whomever with loral arrangements for the sanctuary. Beginning in August you will have the opportunity to express this through altar lower donations. Flowers will irst and foremost glorify God and secondly be in remembrance or thanksgiving of people or events in the life of our congregation. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board near the pastor s of ice. Or call the church of ice to sign-up. Can you lend a hand? We are in need of volunteers for Children's Church and the nursery, as well as fall Sunday School teachers for middle and high schools. Contact Patti Owen or another teacher for information. (patti.q.owen@gsk.com)
Upcoming special meetings and events for our congregation * July July 1 Mature Years, 1 p.m. Trustees meeting, 7 p.m. July 6 Young adults, 12:30 p.m. Building Committee, 12:30 p.m. July 8 Jail ministry, 6 p.m. July 13 Pauli Murray group, 12:30 p.m. Ushers meeting, 12:30 p.m. July 15 NOW Committee, 7 p.m. July 19 United Methodist Men annual cookout, 4 p.m. July 20 Church Conference 12:30 p.m. July 22 Jail ministry, 6 p.m. Finance Committee 6:30 p.m. July 26 Mature Years at the Brian Center, July 28 Administrative Council, 6 p.m. Weekly at New Creation: Sunday School, 9:30 a.m. Worship, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Bible Study: Tuesday, 6 p.m.; Wednesday, noon Young Adult Bible Study, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Recovery Ministries Alcoholics Anonymous, Monday and Friday, 7:30 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. 10:30 a.m. The Pauli Murray reading group is mee ng a er church this Sunday (July 13) for their regular gathering with lunch and to begin a discussion of Solomon Northup's book, Twelve Years a Slave. You are welcome to join us, even if you haven't par cipated yet. Mary M. Fulkerson & Leoneda Inge Do you have any news, announcements or photos to share with the New Creation community? If so, please contact our interim administrative assistant, LaNella Smith, at 919 688 4578 or secretary@newcreationumcdurham.org. The deadline for submission is the 24th of the month. Reverend Albert Shuler, Pastor New Creation United Methodist Church 201 South Alston Avenue, Durham, NC 27701 www.newcreationumcdurham.org 919 688 4578 secretary@newcreationumcdurham.org Moving Forward Together: To Know Christ and Make Christ Known