THE FIRST WORD A publication of Ellijay First United Methodist Church August 2014 Wednesday Night Suppers will resume on September 3rd. The following dates are available for the remainder of 2014. If your group would be interested in providing a meal, please let the church office know. Back to School Bash on August 3 from 5:30 8:00 p.m. ~~IMPACT Fall Retreat, October 11-13 at Whitewater Express in Copperhill, TN. Cost is $150.00. $50.00 deposit due on August 27th, final payment due September 21st. Ladies, the Joy Circle invites you to attend brunch on Thursday, August 7th at 10 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Rachel Tarr will give an update on her recent trip to Kenya. Please RSVP by August 4th to Nancy Burkhalter at 706-276-2589 or dmr@ellijay.com.
SUNDAY Each Sunday 8:45 a.m. Early Worship 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11 a.m. Worship 6 p.m. Impact Youth ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS Each Monday 4:45 p.m. BODY AND SOUL exercise for ladies 1st Monday 5:30 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting September 8 6:00 p.m. Administrative Council Meeting September 8 2nd Monday 6:30 p.m. UMW Claddagh Night Circle - August 11 4th Monday 11:30 a.m. Prayer Shawl Workshop August 25 Each Tuesday 11 a. m. Adult Bible Study BYKOTA CLASSROOM 1st Tuesday 8 a.m. UMM Prayer Breakfast/Meeting at Annie s August 5 3rd Tuesday 6:30 p.m. UMM Dinner & meeting Shane s Rib Shack August 19 3rd Tuesday 12 noon UMW Noon Circle August 19 Each Wednesday 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Family & Friends Dinner (resumes in Sept.) 5:45 p.m. Grace Notes (resumes in fall) 6:00 p.m. Youth IMPACT (6th 12th grade) 6:00 p.m. Children s Wednesday Night program/choir (resume in Sept.) 6:30 p.m. Adult Choir Rehearsal 1st Wednesday 5 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting, BYKOTA CLASSROOM Each Thursday 4:45 p.m. BODY AND SOUL exercise for ladies 1st Thursday 11 a.m. Joy Circle August 7 2nd Thursday 11:30 a.m. Single Ladies Lunch August 14 Each Saturday 9:00 a.m. BODY AND SOUL exercise for ladies
ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES--9:45 a.m. HELPING HANDS CLASS We finished our study of This I Believe and are reviewing several suggestions for our next study. Next Sundays ( August 3) we will have a presentation by Rachel Tarr about her Kenya trip and on August 10th Jody Webb will be giving another Oswald Chambers lesson on prayer from Oswald Chambers book If You Will Ask. Our next study will start after that. We have social get-togethers during our church year. Our class continues to give a monthly donation to Gilmer Community Food Pantry, Murphy Harpst, Gilmer Christian Learning Center, and Kids Kottage. We also sponsor a young boy in Kenya. Other projects are supported on a onetime basis if funds are available. If you are not already in a Sunday morning class, we welcome you to join us in the Fellowship Hall at 9:45 Sunday morning. CORNERSTONE SS CLASS The Cornerstone SS class is finishing up a Max Lucado study, You ll Get Through This. On August 17, we will begin a study by Andy Stanley, Go Fish. People love to tell stories of their fishing adventures. When it comes to faith, however, most people clam up. Why is it we can t talk about what God has done in our lives as naturally as we can spin fishing tales? Andy Stanley explores the motivation behind sharing your faith and how it can become a natural part of your life. The Cornerstone class is an active class for adults of all ages. Members of the class are active in many areas including the Gilmer County Food Pantry, Stephen Ministries, and the Kenya Project. BYKOTA continues to study The Capacity for More, by Phil Schroeder. This book is based on Jesus parable of the talents from Matthew 25:14-30. BEN BARRETT SS Class is studying the book of Ephesians during August and will study Romans in September. The class maintains an emergency food freezer, makes monthly donations to Gilmer Food Pantry, provides Sunday night meals for youth, and supports GRASP and Vacation Bible School with monetary donations. CROSSWALK SS CLASS has been reorganized under the leadership of Al Summers. This class is open to all adults. The class meets in Marianne s Preschool Office. Please join us! The Claddagh (Night) Circle is sponsoring a conference entitled "Emerging Victoriously After Loss" on Saturday, September 20 from 9 am-2 pm. Nancy Chapman Monroe will be the conference leader. Nancy's writing has appeared in national publications such as Billy Graham's "Decision" magazine, "Good News" magazine, David Cook's "Sunday Digest", as well as various newspapers, poetry magazines and anthologies. She has served as guest speaker to women's conferences and retreats throughout the southeast. Tickets are $20 and available from any Claddagh Circle member. Profits from the conference will go to New Beginnings for Gilmer County which is in the process of developing Transitional Housing in Gilmer County. The group is modeling the housing after the United Methodist's Action Ministry. Noon Circle will go back to the regular meeting schedule in August. Claddagh Night Circle meets 2nd SAVE THE DATE Monday at 6:30 p.m. Noon Circle meets the 3rd Tuesday at 12 noon. Joy Circle meets the 1st Thursday at 11 a.m. A trip is being planned for Thursday, August 14.
Thank you to all who have donated fabric and time in making summer sundresses for the little girls in Gilmer County. This silent ministry was a huge success! We gave a total of 101 summer dresses at various Seamless Summer locations during the target month of July. I wish you all could have seen the smiling faces of the children (and the parents) as we spoke to them about the love of Jesus. With your continued prayers for this project, we plan to sew dresses throughout the winter and be able to give even more dresses next summer as an extension of Christ's love. If you are interested in attending a workshop to learn how to make the dresses, please contact Grace Ketcham 770-331-1677. Thank you again! In His Amazing Love, Grace Ketcham Sunday, August 17 9:15 10 a.m. If you have difficulty hearing, please see an usher before church for a hearing impaired device. NOTES FROM THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMMITTEE If you know of anyone who is homebound or in the hospital, please call the church office so one of our team members can make a visit. There is a first aid kit now located in the kitchen. An AED is on the back hallway wall close to the fellowship hall. HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMMITTEE PRESENTS SANDRA WILLIAMS, LSW SUNDAY, AUGUST 24 3pm IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL "COPING WITH THE BLUES" EVERYONE IS WELCOME FREE WITH NIBBLES AND COLD DRINKS Online Giving is now available! Please visit our website (www.fumcellijay.org) Click on the DONATE button
Bringing Christ s healing love to hurting people The mission of our Stephen Ministry is To share the love of Jesus Christ by providing one-toone, distinctively Christian care to individuals who are experiencing life s challenges and difficulties. What do Stephen Ministers do? Stephen Ministers bring distinctively Christian care to those in need by working alongside our pastors to care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness. Ever thought about becoming a Stephen Minister? Applications are being accepted for a new Stephen Minister training class to begin in August 2014. Paul wrote, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (1 Corinthians 3:6). God has plans for you to grow. Is it time to water the seeds of faith that God has planted in you? If you have a desire to share God s love with those that are hurting, consider becoming a Stephen Minister. You will join the more than 600,000 laypeople worldwide that share the love of Jesus Christ by providing one-to-one, distinctively Christian care to individuals who are experiencing life s challenges and difficulties. If you would like to be part of this ministry or would like more information about it, visit our web page at http://fumcellijay.org/?page_id=1098 or contact one of our Stephen Leaders: Steve Ketcham at 770-757-5232 or steve.ketcham00@gmail.com ; Debbie Halligan at 706-636 -5024 or dhalligan@etcmail.com; or Sandy Williams at 706-502-5127 or sandraw460@yahoo.com. The United Methodist Men continue to meet at Annie's Restaurant at 8:00 AM on Maddox Dr. on the first Tuesday of each month for our Prayer Breakfast and devotional. Our evening meetings will be held on the third Tuesday at Shane's Rib Shack at 6:30 PM. We welcome ALL men of the church to come and participate in these exciting fellowship opportunities. Our next meeting will be August 5 at Annie s. A Stop Hunger Now packaging event is planned for November 1 starting at 8 AM in cooperation with Cartecay United Methodist Men. This is a church wide activity and we encourage you to place this date on your calendar. Last year this combined effort packaged over 20,000 meals. We hope to exceed that this year. Your help in packaging on November 1 will be appreciated but we are also in need of financial support. Each meal costs $0.25 so in order to package 20,000; we need to raise $5,000.00.
CHILDREN S MINISTRY WONDERFUL WEDNESDAYS AUGUST: 13th, 20th and 27th 6:00-7:00pm Come have a BLAST with your church family. GAMES, OUTSIDE FUN, CRAFTS, FUN, VIDEOS, FUN, MUSIC, FUN, SERVICE, FUN More Than a Movie Admit one Free (or two or three... Bring friends!) Now Showing: vote for your pick! (Brother Bear, The Rescuers Down Under or Chicken Run) Date: August 8th Time: 7-9 Location: Fellowship Hall Come enjoy a great movie, delicious snacks, games and find out how this movie relates to the Bible. REGULAR WEDNESDAY NIGHT PROGRAMING TO BEGIN SEPTEMBER 3RD! 5:30 DINNER 6:00 CHOIR 6:30 BLAST WHERE KIDS CAN HAVE A BLAST LEARNING GOD S WORD, A GREAT PLACE TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BRING FRIENDS, PLAY, LAUGH AND ALL THE WHILE LEARN ABOUT GOD! We will have acolyte training for 3rd-5th graders on Wednesday evenings at 6:30. (September 3rd and 10th) Come learn how to serve for the church in a meaningful way. Preschool News First day of school is August 21st. Still have openings! Be on the look-out for 3 year olds. Help hook them up with your church preschool. Registration form on Church Website. Keep saving Box Tops! Worth 10 cents each! Children s Church Ages 3 years thru 2nd Grade. Join us after the children s sermon in church. We will sing some songs. The lesson and craft will go along with the children s sermon. We will also have a snack. We will join back up with the parents in church. Children s Church Volunteer Schedule August 3 August 10 August 17 August 24 August 31 Deb West./Barb.Dohl Youth/Gina/Liz Jenny Easley Jacqueline Poole Barb K. Nursery Joy Barton Bliss Cole Leyla Leon Diane V. Barb Dohl
Why does the church exist? According to Matthew s Gospel, the risen Christ made it clear: 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 (28:19-20) Based on this Great Commission, our United Methodist Church has stated its purpose: WE HAVE A MISSION Welcoming-Worshiping-Nurturing-Sending The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs. So the mission of our congregation is to make disciples. This is a fourfold task.... We could abbreviate our mission as one of welcomingworshiping-nurturing-sending. From The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2008, pp. 87-88. For more information on Our Faith, please visit the UMC Web Site. Ellijay First United Methodist Church 75 McCutchen Street P.O. Box 472 Ellijay, GA 30540 Church: 706-635-2555 Fax: 706-273-2555 Pastor s Residence: 706-636-4991 Email: office@fumcellijay.org danny@fumcellijay.org youth@fumcellijay.org children@fumcellijay.org Website: www.fumcellijay.org Church Office Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday Tamra Acree, Parish Nurse Pam Corbin, Custodian CHURCH STAFF The Reverend Dr. Danny Barton, Pastor The Reverend Alan Tarr, Assistant Pastor Charlie Bryant, Director of Music Gabrielle Cornett, Pianist Marianne Evans, Director of Children s Ministries & Preschool Rhonda Hilliard, Administrative Assistant Kerri Anne Sanford, Youth Minister Angel Hughes, Nursery Coordinator Cheryl Smith, Organist