Confidence and Contrition

We will have only one Sunday worship service at 10:00 a.m. through Dec. 31, 2017. Sunday School will be at 9:00 a.m. Spread the word! The Newsletter of the First United Methodist Church of Decatur, Alabama August 30, 2017 Confidence and Contrition Affirmation from others motivates me to do more. I was at the gym crab walking, which is walking backwards face up on my hands and feet. My trainer was telling me that someone had been in the gym bragging about their preacher, telling her how awesome he was. She asked, Who s your preacher? When she heard, Hughey Reynolds, she said, I m his trainer. I was listening to this story when another trainee said, Why are you crab walking down and back? We re only crab walking one way. I said, I d crab walk all day long listening to flattery. I was feeling good about myself when I left the gym that morning. My morning was busy. I had a district meeting to conduct in Florence followed by interviews with two candidates taking next steps toward ordination as United Methodist pastors. I told Sandy my meeting was at 10:00 so I planned to leave at 9:00. I cooked and ate breakfast and washed both of our vehicles before I showered and dressed. On my way to Florence, the district secretary called and asked if I was coming to the meeting. I thanked her for reminding me but told her I was already on the way. Well, she said, the meeting was supposed to start at 9:00. It was 9:20 and I was in Courtland. I asked that someone lead the meeting until I arrived and I would be there for the interviews at 10:00. During the first interview I looked down at my white shirt and saw a big coffee stain between my tie and shirt pocket. Dote, I whispered in Homer Simpson fashion. I went to the restroom, washed out the spot as best I could, and tried to cover it with my tie. Following the interviews, I was to have my annual consultation with Kelly Clem, our district superintendent. I had paperwork in files that the SPRC and I had completed and was feeling pretty good about it. Kelly asked for my consultation form. I handed her the paperwork I had and she said, This will go in your file, but I need your consultation form. I looked in my file and there it was, uncompleted. I had neglected to fill out the form for my consultation. We walked through the questions and she completed it as we talked. By this time, I was feeling very inadequate. On the way home I kept thinking of Luke 6:26 where Jesus says, Woe to you when all speak well of you This may seem strange coming from Jesus who certainly knew the proverb Ma Reynolds would often quote to me, A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold (Proverbs 22:1). I had been riding a huge wave of confidence early that day based on my good name in the community only to hit bottom three times before 2:00 p.m. Why does life work this way more often than not? A scripture verse that holds the tension between having a good name and having everyone speak well of us is Romans 12:3, For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. It is dangerous for me to say, like the fiddler in the Charlie Daniels song, I m the best that s ever been. I am human. I make mistakes and I sin and fall short of the glory of God. I am also to acknowledge my God given gifts and use them for building up the Body of Christ, the church, rather than promoting myself because of them. Be confident in claiming and using the gifts God has given you and contrite in acknowledging they are gifts from God and not your own doing. To God be the glory. Yours in Christ, Hughey

Wednesday Night First Fellowship On Sept. 6, our meal will be a Baked Potato Bar with Pulled Pork, Shredded Chicken and all the trimmings, Salad Bar, PB&J Sandwiches, and Homemade Dessert (TBA) No reservations required! The meal will start at 5:00 p.m. Here are the Adult Wednesday night class offerings available to you. Please sign up for these on the bulletin board outside the Fellowship Hall. Classes start at 6:00 p.m. Mayberry Bible Study by Stephen Shelton, Led by Rev. Charles Boling, Seekers Room A note from Rev. Boling: "I have had a 'love affair' with "The Andy Griffith Show" since the 1960s. This Fall my class will be using the Mayberry Bible Study for nine weeks. Showing an episode each night, we will be using one word to highlight the Biblical principle such as trust, pride, etc. found in the show. The Wired Word, Led by Various Adults, Minister s Conf. Room Science and Religion, Led by Ken House, Upper Room Young Women s Bible Study, Led by Weety Vickery and Sandy Reynolds, Courtyard Conf. Room FUMC 101: Our History, Led by Wylheme H. Ragland, New Community Room Women s Bible Study, Led by Marilyn Sykes, New Dimensions Room Children s First Fellowship Elementary 5:30 -Elementary Choir 6:00-7:00- Bible Story and Lesson Pre- School 6:00- Pre-School Choir 6:20-7:00 -Bible Story and Lesson Youth Sr. High and Jr. High Bible Study - Youth 3rd Fl. at 6:00 p.m. Chancel Choir is held at 6:30 on Wednesdays Appreciation Lunch for Beth Green On Sunday, September 17th following the 10:00 worship service, First Church will have an appreciation lunch for Beth Green. Beth led our youth with love and dedication for fourteen years. She is now teaching at Walter Jackson, where she is a blessing to others, too! We want to celebrate Beth and thank her for her selfless service. Please bring a covered dish of meat, vegetables, fruit, or dessert by the kitchen on your way to Sunday school or worship service, and we will keep it cool or warm it up for lunch at 11:00. If you would like to write a note to Beth or give a love gift, we will place a basket at the door to the Fellowship hall for you to use. United Methodist Women Bernice Tidwell Circle will meet at 10:00 on Monday, Sep. 11 in the home of Jane Boozer at 4313 Indian Hills Road SE. Lydia Circle will meet at 10:00 on Tuesday, Sept. 12 in the home of Elizabeth Chandler at 2307 Fairway Circle SE. We look forward to a time of fellowship and fun as we show our love to Beth and each other. Put this on your calendars and bring on those yummy Methodist dishes! Thank you, Staff Parish Relations Committee Sunday Flower Dedications We have several dates available for Sunday Flower Dedications. Please contact the church office or send an email to aquinn@decaturfumc.org for more information. 21st Century Evangelism Strategies A free workshop for church teams in the NW District! Tuesday, September 5 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Wesley Memorial UMC, 1211 Westmeade Street, SW, Decatur Led by Ron Martoia (This is your chance to hear and interact with the leadership coach who is working with our staff in developing our five year ministry plan.) Ron Martoia is a top-rated church consultant who is coming to teach us some strategies to help local churches and pastors develop wildly important goals. He will be teaching the 8 P s of Strategic Development (Presence, Points of Contact, Pathways, Partnership, Processes, People Development, Places & Spaces of connection and care, and Portability). The teaching session will last from 6-7, followed by an hour in which church teams will work together to map out a strategy for your unique setting.

Shannon Booth, Director of Outreach and Evangelism 256-221-0348 Hurricane Harvey As I sit down to write this, I can look out the window and see that the rain is about to set in. The biggest concern this brings me is whether or not my daughter's softball practice will be cancelled tonight. Just a few miles southwest of us the word rain brings fear and destruction. We certainly can not sit idly by as our neighbors face unprecedented flooding and hurricane damage in their area. So, how shall we respond? First, we pray. Pray for those who have lost their homes or whose homes have been damaged. Pray for the first responders, for ordinary citizens towing their boats to rescue complete strangers. Pray for linemen and for volunteers who go to help clean up and rebuild. We can also give. One of the great things about the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is that it is funded enough through apportionments and other funds that 100% of your donation goes straight to those who need it. Our church is sending a donation through our Faith Promise Campaign. You can add your donation to this by writing a check to the church and putting "UMCOR Harvey" in the memo line. You can also bring items needed for cleaning buckets to the church. Finally, you can volunteer. The Disaster Relief Warehouse is working full-speed right now. You can call them at (256)341-9961 to make sure they are working when you plan to come. We will also pack flood buckets at church Wednesday evening after First Fellowship. Anyone who is not involved in a class is welcome to come help. Items Needed for Cleaning Buckets: 5 gallon bucket with re-sealable lid 5 scouring pads 7 sponges 1 scrub brush 18 cleaning towels (reusable wipes) Liquid laundry detergent (two 25 oz. or one 50 oz. bottle) 1 household cleaner, 12-16 oz. Bottle Disinfectant dish soap, 16-28 oz. Bottle 50 clothes pins Clothes line (two 50 ft. or one 100 ft.) 5 dust masks 2 pair latex gloves 1 pair leather palms and cloth back of hands work gloves 24 bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gallon (remove roll from box before placing in bucket) 1 Insect repellant spray, 6-14 oz. can - If aerosol, cans must have protective caps. 1 Air freshener, 8 or 9 oz. can - If aerosol, cans must have protective caps Church Prayer List August 30th Edition Dick Walker died on August 31, prayers for family Houston Flooding Sherrill Altice Vicki Dukes, broken ankle, compound fracture recovery LaVerne Dollahite Dot Oliver Alice Ackley James Graham, grandson of Deb and Pete Graham Cathren Bonds (Mom of Sherrill Altice) Glenda Pentecost, recovery from hip replacement Clyde Sasser Terry Johnson (Sandy Reynolds first cousin) Prostate cancer Jerry Daniels, cancer (Alexia Claborn s father) Don McClure, grandfather to Daryenne Eads Judy Coon Jean Elliott Joanne Wheat Deborah Stewart Katherine Johnson Yvonne Michaels, kidney cancer Barbara Agee, year 12 of Alzheimer's disease Please fill out a prayer card found in the pew pockets or email your prayer requests to aquinn@decaturfumc.org for publication in the next newsletter.

Alexia Claborn, Director of Children s Ministry Pre-school Sunday School Exploring God's Creations! Sunday Morning Volunteers Volunteers for Sunday, Sept. 3 rd Sunday School 9:00am Pre-school Room #215 Leigh Ann Blankenship K 2 nd grade Room #207 Barbara Ashwander 3 rd -5 th Grade- - Room #306 Betty Ann Mitchum Assistant Viva Teal Children s Church 10:00 Service Teacher- Shannon Booth Assistant- Davia Newman Volunteers for Sunday, Sept. 10 th Sunday School 9:00am Pre-school Room #215 Carrie Hart K 2 nd grade Room #207 Diane Summerland 3 rd -5 th Grade- - Room #306 Betty Ann Mitchum Assistant Viva Teal Children s Church 10:00 Service Teacher- Alexia Claborn Thank you for sharing God s word and his love with our children! Children s Wednesday Night First Fellowship Elementary 5:30 -Elementary Choir 6:00-7:00- Bible Story and Lesson Pre- School 6:00- Pre-School Choir 6:20-7:00 -Bible Story and Lesson Children s Ministry Office Hours Sunday 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Monday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Wednesday Nights 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Alexia s Cell 256-606-8646 ACOLYTE SCHEDULE Sept. 3, 10:00 a.m., Bristol Rayne Teal & Mary Elizabeth Booth Sept. 10, 10:00 a.m., John Benton Claborn, Hunter Claborn, Beau Claborn

Church Picnic at the Greene s Farm Rescheduled Join us on Sept. 10 from 5:00-7:00 for a church wide picnic at Jim and Lise Greene s farm (4516 County Road 400 Hillsboro, AL 35643). Each family is asked to bring a picnic dinner to feed their own family along with a blanket and or chairs. This is not a potluck picnic. We will have Ed Nichols as our guest to play guitar and lead us in songs. This will be a great time for our church family to celebrate the end of summer and start of school. In case of rain on that day, check Facebook for plans www.facebook.com/decaturfirstumc Worship will be at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday through December 31, 2017. Please refer to the brochure in the church office for details. DHS Football Breakfasts These take place in the Fellowship Hall. Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 a.m. Staff Work and Office Hours We are in a period of staff transition. Two of our former full-time ministry staff members have resigned to take teaching positions. Currently, only our administrative staff, maintenance, and pastor are full time. The following is the regular schedule and office hours for our staff: Administrative Staff (Cindy & Alyson): M-F 8:00-4:00 p.m. (hour for lunch) Maintenance (Charlie): S 7:00-11:30; M-T 7:30-4:00, W 7:30-12:00, 4:00-8:00, TH 7:30-4:00, hour for lunch Pastor (Hughey): S 8:00-11:30; M-Th. 8:00-5:00 plus evening meetings, offsite visitation & Children s Director (Alexia): meetings, sermon work, and community ministries S 8-11:30; M 9:00-2:30; T 9:00-2:30; W 9:00-2:30 & 4:30-7:30 plus one hour offsite communication *Minister of Outreach (Shannon): S 8:30-11:30; M 9:30-2:30; T 9:00-2:30; W 8:00-10:30, 1:00-2:30; TH 9:00-2:00 plus offsite work gathering supplies and communications *Shannon is serving as staff point of contact for youth ministry until an interim youth minister is hired. The Urban Acre Community Garden Progress Report If you would like to help with The Urban Acre either by physically working in the garden or through donations to defray expenses, contact our pastor Hughey Reynolds at hreynolds@decaturfumc.org or minister of outreach Shannon Booth at shannon@decaturfumc.org. We will include you on the email list to receive notifications of workdays and garden updates. You can also find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ TheUrbanAcre/ 256-355-5555

Upcoming Events DHS Football Breakfast Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall U.S. Postage Paid Non-Profit Org. Decatur, AL 35601 Happy Labor Day, Church Office Closed Monday, Sept. 4 Tuesday, Sept. 5, 10:00 a.m., Women's Bible Study, Courtyard Conf. Room Tuesday, Sept. 5, 5:30 p.m., Finance Meeting, Room 351 805 CANAL STREET N.E. DECATUR ECATUR,, AL 35601 PHONE (256) 355-0277 FAX (256) 355-2241 www.decaturfumc.org Permit No. 226 Wednesday, Sept. 6, 5:00 p.m., First Fellowship Resumes Wednesday, Sept. 6, 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice Thursday, Sept. 7, 6:30 a.m. UMM Bible Study Resumes Minister s Conf. Room Thursday, Sept. 7, 7:30 a.m. UMM Breakfast at City Cafe DHS Football Breakfast Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 a.m., Fellowship Hall Please place label here Hughey Reynolds, Senior Minister, hreynolds@decaturfumc.org Charlie Elliott, Maintenance Tommy Davis, Interim Music Director Melissa Wiley, Housekeeper Cindy McCulloch, Finance Secretary, cmcculloch@decaturfumc.org Wayne Keller, Accompanist Alyson Quinn, Church Secretary, aquinn@decaturfumc.org Cindy Brigman, First Grace Director, firstgrace@decaturfumc.org Alexia Claborn, Director of Children s Ministry, aclaborn@decaturfumc.org Ruth Moyers, Organist Shannon Booth, Director of Outreach, shannon@decaturfumc.org Upcoming Worship Services PURPOSE STATEMENT: Discipling our church to cultivate a legacy of Gospel-inspired servant leadership MISSION STATEMENT: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ who become servant leaders for the transformation of our church, our homes, our city, state, nation, and world. Sunday, Sept. 3 Only one service at 10:00 a.m. Sermon: Where Are You Stuck and Why Does It Matter? Exodus 3: 1-12, Rev. Hughey Reynolds Sunday, Sept. 10 Only one service at 10:00 a.m. Sermon: How You Are Finally Set Free Exodus 12: 1-14, Rev. Hughey Reynolds Find Us On Social Media Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/decaturfirstumc Scheduled To Serve Sept. 3 Acolyte: 10:00 AM-Bristol Rayne Teal & Mary Elizabeth Booth Ushers: 10:00 AM- Steve Haddock, Ken Chandler, Charles Adams, Phil Corazzari, Jolly McKenzie First Fellowship Wednesday Night First Fellowship is our Wednesday night ministry. Dinner is served from 5:00-6:00 in the Fellowship Hall. Children s ministries start at 5:30 and youth ministries start at 6:00. We have several Adult Small Group options for this semester! Please consider signing up for one of the following classes being offered. On Sept. 6, our meal will be a Baked Potato Bar with Pulled Pork, Shredded Chicken and all the trimmings, Salad Bar, PB&J Sandwiches, and Homemade Dessert (TBA) No reservations required!