1 Tommy Goodgame Daniel Vaughan Bea Ball Jacob Fast 3 Cade Wallace 6 Celia Littrell Samantha Temple 13 David Kelly Tony Reasons Alan Scarborough Sharon Stockard 14 Austin Eddy 15 Jamie Scott 16 John William Perrett 1 Joyce Alexander Charlie Morris 18 Susan Smith Beth Wallace 0 Lauren Howell Marsha Preston 1 Richard Jefferson 6 Chuck Hawkins Charlotte Lillard 8 Tom Wesley 9 Rob Roten 30 George Rembert Newsletter Deadline: All articles for the next newsletter are due on the third Sunday of month. Bulletin Deadline: Information for the church bulletin is due by Friday morning at 8:00 a.m. Information for both publications may be emailed to janie.jefferson@epworth-umc.com Daylight Saving Time Begins on March 1th Reverend Donna Parramore, Pastor Jesse Fleck, Associate Pastor The GOOD NEWS Letter is a monthly newsletter of Epworth UMC. All visitors are welcome to worship with us each Sunday at 8:00 am and 10:30 a.m. at 4340 Arno Road. Sunday School begins at 9:15 a.m. with classes for all ages. Church office is 441 Arno Road, Franklin, TN Office: 615-90-1160 Website: Epworth-umc.com R e t u r n S e r v i c e R e q u e s t e d E p w o r t h U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h 4 4 1 A r n o R o a d F r a n k l i n, T N 3 0 6 4 Epworth s Good News Letter INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Child Care Help Needed Acolyte Training Youth Ensemble Spring Concert Mission News Update Insert for the Bldg Committee Room in the Inn Volunteers Children s Activities 3 Warmth in Winter 01 Prepare to Pursue I was blessed to attend Warmth in Winter 01 with youth from Epworth along with Andrea Berrett, Koty Berrett, Arlette Eddy, David Grisham, Chris Adair, Mike Thompson and Jay Bonson. We journeyed to Opryland Hotel the weekend of January 6-9. There we all learned about God s love and how God will always pursue us. The weekend was filled with wonderful worship experience with energized music, dancing, an illusionist, and we heard from the speaker Stephanie Caro. We were provided sacred spaces with prayer stations, various workshops, and opportunities to be together with 500 other Christians to worship and fellowship. Thank you to Lisa Mohnke who organized the weekend. Lisa had breakfast items, snacks, and drinks in each room when our youth arrived. Lisa drove back and forth bringing us excellent meals. Thank you to Mike Thompson for bringing us pizza. Thank you to Colleen Lowe and Jay Bonson who drove the buses to ensure everyone arrived safely. Thank you to Bea Ball and the Epworth Youth Ensemble who blessed us with their gift of music on Sunday morning. Thanks to Jay Bonson for leading a team of youth to a win during the scavenger hunt held throughout the hotel. Thank you to Brad Fiscus and many of the Epworth youth who served on the design team for making Warmth in Winter wonderful. The weekend was one we will all cherish. Thank you to all who made the weekend a wonderful time spent worshiping God. Blessings, Jesse Fleck
SPRC Staff Notes: Church Nursery Childcare As most of you are aware, we have a core group of dedicated nursery workers who are paid staff that are supplemented by volunteers from within our congregation. As we continue to grow we are looking to build our list of potential substitute nurserychildcare workers. Our goal is to have individuals who can be available to cover for vacations, illness, etc. These substitute workers could lead to a more permanent position as our needs change. We will continue to utilize volunteer members to ensure we have an adequate number workers in each of our classrooms. The hours for our part-time nursery/childcare workers for Sunday mornings is 8:00-1:00, with options for working other special events. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have experience caring for children 0-4, with reliable transportation. All applicants will be subject to a background screening and complete our Safe Sanctuary Training (provided). The position pays $16 per hour. Appli- Super Heros are coming to Epworth!!! Details to come!! Hint: VBS Acolyte Training - April Hello, Friends in grades -5. If you are interested in carrying the light during Sunday worship services and helping with the offering, please join us on April at 9:15 a.m. We will meet in the front of the sanctuary. We also happily welcome any current acolytes for a refresher course! Being an acolyte is an easy and fun way to serve your church body and to remind us all to be the light of Christ to each other and the to the world! We look forward to seeing you on April during the Sunday School hour. Melissa Rogers SUNDAY, APRIL, 01 :30 P.M. EPWORTH SANCTUARY EPWORTH YOUTH WIND ENSEMBLE SPRING CONCERT Our Youth Wind Ensemble will present a delightful concert of popular Broadway show songs and movie movie theme arrangements to bring back happy memories. As a special treat, we will ask our audience to bring their instruments and come play along on a Sousa march and another easy arrangement from the local high school music library!! Get those instruments out now and start practicing your scales. This may be the start of something BIG!! Refreshments will be served following the concert. Room in the Inn Volunteers For March March 9/10 Driver: Jeff Lillard (PM & AM) Inn Keepers: Randy Eddy, Jeff Lillard Dinner: Boy Scouts Troop #16 Breakfast: Shelby Morris Laundry: Arlette Eddy Lunch: Youth (Jeff Lillard family) March 3/4 Driver: PM Jay Bonson; AM Darryl McGhan Inn Keepers: George Rembert, Ken Graves Dinner: J.O.Y. Class Breakfast: Cathy Parker Laundry: Vicki Campbell Lunch: Youth (Groth family) Upcoming Children s Activities March 11 will be Pretzel Saturday Held in Vaden Hall for children ages 3 4th grade. Stations will include pretzel making, the pretzel story, resurrection eggs, egg dying, crafts and snacks! March 1 & 19: The children will be making palm leaf crosses for Palm Sunday. April 9 : Easter Eggstravaganza! Egg Hunt, Bounce House, Easter Activity Stations and more!
Dear Brothers in Christ, On behalf of the Board of Director at Franktown, Open Hearts, thank you for your generous donation to the boys and girls of Franktown. Your gift will impact our mission to be Jesus in the lives of these Children. God Bless, Brian Dear Epworth Family, Thanks to all for your prayers, concern, and cards during the months of my mother's illness and her subsequent passing. I know she felt the prayers. I certainly did! Thank you, as well, for the prayers, well wishes, and FOOD during my recovery from my surgery! I am doing very well and am anxious to get back in the piano bench at Epworth!! What a blessing to have such an awesome church family! Love, Susan Smith 6 This year you will see an exciting new approach to our Mission Impact Celebration! Instead of putting everything into one big weekend, we are spreading it out over 3 Sundays during the year. Our first Mission Sunday will be on April 30. Two of our current ministry partners, Project Transformation and Room in the Inn, will have representatives here. They will share the powerful ways God is working and using us to make Christ known to the people served by these organizations. You will be able to hear their stories in both worship services, learn more details about their ministries during the Sunday School hour and have the opportunity to ask them questions during the fabulous lunch following the second service. The children will have a special collection of books and supplies for Project Transformation. During the lunch in Vaden Hall you will have an opportunity to ask questions of our guest missionaries, as well as get acquainted with Epworth members you may not know well. Seating will be according to your birth month. We need 1 volunteers to host each table by decorating the table and making a dessert. Contact Kathy Heard (615-804-5369) if you would like to host a birthday month table. As in previous Mission Impact Celebrations, you will have the opportunity to make commitments to pray for these missionaries, support them financially through your Faith Promise pledge and make a life commitment to become more personally involved in God's mission. On Friday, April 8, from 6-6:30 p.m. there will be an opportunity to participate in Prayers of Preparation in the Historic sanctuary. ================================================================= We received a thank-you letter from Vision for Children, which said, in part, "We rejoice that we were able to continue providing a safe and wholesome Christian environment for the young women in Santiago, Chile, whom God has entrusted into our care at the Casa Esperanza--House of Hope in La Pintana. During this year, we were able to significantly expand our outreach there to the community via programs in education, sports, and music. This allows the young women an opportunity to "give back" as we show the love of Christ to the people who live around us. That in turn opens doors for us to reach out to others who need to know the Good News of our Lord and Savior." Your generous Faith Promise donations help support this and many other outreach ministries of Epworth. Thank you! 3
Epworth Vision Sunday Have you seen the architectural drawing for the new site in the narthex on Sunday mornings? This captured our dreams several years ago. What dreams has that drawing stirred in you to expand our new site? Do you dream of a multipurpose room, a Fellowship Hall with a kitchen, church offices, a gathering place for our youth, Sunday School classes, walking trails? Your dreams may differ but imagine the excitement if we were to make our dreams a reality. In 1909, North Chapel and Thomas Church made the courageous decision to build a new church (Epworth) together in Millview. In the 1999 and following in the steps of her original congregations, Epworth also made the courageous decision to build a new worship site on Arno Road. With Christ as our cornerstone and following the legacy of those who have gone before us, what shall Epworth now dream of for the good of the community and the Kingdom? On March 5 th we will remember the past and dream of our future. We would like to hear your thoughts, dreams and any questions that you might have about Epworth s creating additional space at the new site. The Building Committee, chaired by Chuck Hawkins and Mike Ketchum, will have cottage meetings to hear your thoughts and provide information for church members and visitors in members homes on the following dates: Myna Sowell - March 6 at 6:30 Kathy Heard March at 6:30 Pastor Donna March 13 at 6:30 Mandy Hastings March 14 at 6:30 Angie Ketchum March 16 at 6:30 Youth - March 1 at 4:00 historic site Tweens - March 1 at 4:30 historic site Parents of Tweens and Youth - March 1 at 5:00 - historic site Reachers TBA In order for us to move forward with any building we must base it on our relationship to Christ. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11) The Building Committee Thank you Thank you- Thank you for the wonderful celebration made possible by your hands and hearts for my 90 th Birthday. Over twenty years ago, I came to the realization I needed to live near one of my family as my husband was not well. My mother had told me when I was young-very young- that I was RICH because I had things that money could not buy. At times that was a burden, at times it made me resentful, but with maturity it made me none of those only thankful. I came to that place in Franklin called Epworth and made it my home. Here I have really known what God is love means as I have been a part of that caring family. I am so blessed! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. --Betsy Losee Lent? Why are we Methodist so hung up on Lent? What is Lent, for that matter? The United Methodist Book of Worship tells us that the name Lent comes from an Anglo-Saxon word lencten which means spring. The reason the Anglo-Saxons termed this season Spring is because of the early church s practice of baptizing new converts on Easter. Before these new Christians, however, could be baptized, the early church asked them to examine their lives for 40 days. The early church wasn t being punitive. They really wanted new converts to understand that making the choice to follow Christ could cost them their families, their livelihood and possibly their lives. So for 40 days, the new converts were to ask themselves, Is there anything in my life that is resisting the Lordship of Christ? Am I willing to live and die for Christ? The interesting thing is that Christians soon began to recognize what a powerful spiritual exercise it is to examine whether you are letting Christ be your Lord or not. As a result, the season of Lent became a part of the early church life and is practiced by many Christians throughout the world. So how can you and I practice Lent? Some people take 40 days to add a spiritual practice into their lives. For example, people have made a commitment to read the Bible, when they have not been doing so before. Others seek to improve their prayer life. Still others take these 40 days to examine if they need to add more service ministries into their life (for example, helping with the homeless, visiting the prisons or contacting shut-ins). Lent isn t a legalistic exercise. You don t have to keep it if you don t want. Lent, rather is an opportunity to see how you can grow closer to this Lord who though you were worth giving all for.
Please join us for worship on Sunday! 8 am and 10:30 am Sunday School at 9:15 am Everyone is invited to a Bridal Shower for Jenny Ketchum, bride elect of Brian Chalmers on Sunday afternoon -4 p.m. in Vaden Hall at the Historic Site on March 19. They are registered at Macys, Bed, Bath and Beyond. The next Feeding Under The Bridge will be Friday, March 1. To carpool, meet beside Steak n Shake on Murfreesboro Road at 5:15 p.m. or meet under the Jefferson Street Bridge in Nashville at 6:00 p.m. If you have questions, call Teresa Gary at 615-18-888. This is a rewarding experience that only takes a couple hours of your time. Come join us! Liturgist for March: 8:00 Tony Wesley 10:30 Rini Rembert The Reachers Group will meet on Tuesday, March 8th at 11 p.m. in Vaden Hall at the Historic Site. Come join us for lunch, then the movie, Miracles From Heaven. Contact Mike or Kathy Courtelis at 615-93-0618 for more information. 4 5