Parker United Methodist Church

PARKER

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY MMVII

MAKING PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior. We trust that God’s grace and mercy are a vital part of your lives today and everyday. The month of January seems to be going by fast. As we start a New Year it is also time for us to make plans and to set goals to make 2007 a blessed year for us. So let us put on our thinking caps as we prepare for our church planning meeting and committee meetings in the near future. I am available to meet with any committee to assist or give guidance as you make plans to provide greater ministry to the community of faith. I met with Rev. Carol Goehring our District Superintendent last week and we discussed the results of the development plans made by the PPRC. She was impressed with our plans and offered her continuing prayers and support to our ministry. To refresh your memory about our development plans for 2007, the PPRC and I came up with two plans. They are (1)To improve our ministry in the mission field locally and abroad. We hope to accomplish this goal by continuing to reach out to poor, needy, hungry, and homeless, and (2)To providegreater pastoral care, by enhancing the relationship between the pastor, church members, and newcomers. We plan to do this by hospital visits, home visits, spiritual counseling, and other pastoral concerns.In retrospect we have come a long way in the Lord within a short time. God is blessing us to be the team that He can use to be a BLESSING to others. I encourage you to continue to pray for one another. May God’s peace, love, joy and mercy be with you as we work together in 2007 to enhance our plans and goals.

Your Pastor

Richard

Seavy & Lib Hales celebrat-ed their 50th Wedding Anniversary on January 19th by renewing their vows. Rev. Jackson performed the January 20th ceremony in the sanctuary and a reception was held in the fellowship hall. Joining Seavy and Lib were their children, grandchildren and the bridesmaid and best man from their first ceremony in 1957, Edna Wright and Monnie Sanders. Congratulations to Seavy and Lib on this milestone.

UNITED METHODIST YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

The youth fellowship started January 2007 in church. We had a lock-in New Years Eve that mixed Bible Study, movies, games, and fun. Oh yes, we also elected the Fellowship officers for the New Year. Heather is President, Cassie is vice-president, Cheyenne is treasurer, and Kalen is secretary. The youth fellowship had a terrific and rewarding year in 2006 under the leadership of Shannon, Cleo, Aaron and Robert and we thank them for serving while we look forward to an energetic, spirit-filled, meaningful and fun 2007.

The first Sunday of 2007 we hosted the Fayetteville District Youth Council for their monthly meeting. Upcoming events for the youth are the Souperbowl fundraiser for world hunger on the 4th of February and the Sweetheart Dinner on Valentines Day (proceeds this year will go to help pay for the youth to go to Greensboro in July for a national rally, Youth 2007 S.P.L.A.T.). Several of the UMYF members have registered to attend the Lay Speaker course offered by the NC Conference on February 24.

We have been keeping John and Ashley busy making them play rugby, bowling, hiking, and other sports about every Saturday and as long as they hold out we will keep going. Any teens or adults that want to join us should contact any of the fellowship for information.

More long-term plans are in the works for the Spring District Rally in March, the Conference Rally in April at Wesleyan College , the Greensboro Rally and Pilgrimage in July, and the Conference Pilgrimage at the Crown in November.

Thank you for your support of the Parker UMYF. Our goal is to glorify God in all that we do.

-Heather Benbow

UMYF President

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

The UMW will begin a Single Parent Day Out on the first Saturday of every month beginning February 3rd. Children will be cared for, entertained, and fed from 10AM until 2PM so that Mom (or Dad) can have some alone time to do whatever. We are still recycling bulletins as packing material, so don’t forget that when the service is over on Sundays, to bring your bulletin out of the Sanctuary and put in the recycling box. This will also help keep our Sanctuary looking clean and beautiful. The shredded material is perfect to ship or store so grab a bag and take it home with you.

Thank you for your support.

Kathy Smith

President UMW

UNITED METHODIST MEN

“Men are called to model the servant leadership of Jesus Christ”

It was decided and voted on that the Sunday morning Men’s Breakfast would now be an Open Breakfast for men, women and children. The men will still do the cooking.

New UMM officers were elected the January meeting, they are:

Steve Matis, President

Monte Lunsford, VP

Randy H. Smith, Secretary/treasurer

Don’t forget to submit photos of service members who have served our country past, or present. Turn photos into Steve, Monte, or Randy H. We ask your help in keeping up to date on events in the church and community. Submissions can be photos, poems, or articles of interest. To add items to the newsletter or website, E-mail UMMoffice@parkerunited.org or give your contribution to any of the UMM. Please submit items before the 20th of each month.

Steve Matis

President UMM

From the United Methodist Archives

This is the 8th of an 11 Part series about the history of the United Methodist Church

Although Methodists, Evangelicals, and United Brethren each had published strong statements condemning war and advocating peaceful reconciliation among the nations, the strength of their positions was largely lost with American involvement in the hostilities of World War II. Nevertheless, throughout the war many churches continued to express their disdain for violence and their support for conscientious objection.

As the war ended, the churches actively worked to secure world peace and order. Many laypeople, pastors, bishops, and church agencies supported the establishment of a world organization to serve as a forum for the resolution of international social, economic, and political problems. In April 1945, their labors contributed to the founding of the United Nations.

During this era, 1940–1967, there were at least three other important matters that occupied the attention of the churches that now compose United Methodism. First, they maintained their concern for ecumenicity and church union. On November 16, 1946, in Johnstown , Pennsylvania , The Evangelical Church and The United Brethren Church were united into The Evangelical United Brethren Church, after twenty years of negotiation. At the time of union, the new church included about 700,000 members. The Methodist Church was also interested in closer ties with other Methodist and Wesleyan bodies. In 1951 it participated in the formation of the World Methodist Council, successor to the Ecumenical Methodist Conferences that were begun in 1881. As expressions of their wider ecumenical commitment, Methodists and the Evangelical United Brethren became active members of the World Council of Churches, founded in 1948, and the National Council of Churches, founded in 1950. These assemblies provided a means for their members to engage in cooperative mission and other ministries. The two churches also cooperated with seven other Protestant denominations in forming the Consultation on Church Union in 1960.

Second, the churches demonstrated growing uneasiness with the problem of racism in both the nation and the church. Many Methodists were especially disturbed by the manner in which racial segregation was built into the fabric of their denominational structure. The Central Jurisdiction was a constant reminder of racial discrimination. Proposals to eliminate the Central Jurisdiction were introduced at the General Conferences from 1956 to 1966. Finally, plans to abolish the Central Jurisdiction were agreed upon with the contemplated union with the Evangelical United Brethren in 1968, although a few African American annual conferences continued for a short time thereafter.

Birthdays

For January

4-Melissa 1-John

12-Jason 18-Gloria

29-Heather

For February

6-Eric B. 2-Branda Nicole

7-James G.

For March

3-Dave Bradley 7-Hally

8-Shelby 10-Charleen

13-Randy W. 18-Jeremiah

22-Keni

EVENTS

January

29- Bishop Qwinn will be at Haymount UMC on Ft Bragg road to meet with clergy at 1:30 and Laity at 7PM the topic is: Building Healthy Congregations. Lay Leaders, PPRC Chairpersons and anyone else interested are invited and encouraged to come.

February

4-UMM meeting & breakfast

10-Lay Speaker training at Campground UMC, 8AM – 6PM.

18-UMW meeting

24-Youth Lay Speaker Training At the Methodist Building in Raleigh .

April

22-Conference Youth Rally at Wesleyan College . The theme is “Get a life, follow Jesus”.

May

United Methodist Days at King’s Dominion.

July

11-15 Youth 2007 S.P.L.A.T. in Greensboro

November

9-11 2007 Youth Pilgrimage the theme is “If we are the body”.

Rev. Andy Lambert is the featured speaker.

Visitation Committee

Please consider joining the visitation committee on the first Wednesday of each month to minister to the members of our church and community and serve God as commanded by the “Great Commission” Matthew 28:19. Shirley Gleason is the chairperson of the visitation committee if you have any questions.

Remember our friends and family in Iraq , Kuwait , Afghanistan , and undisclosed locations around the globe in support of our freedom. Say a prayer and give a thanksgiving for their commitment and dedication.

Clinton Dawkins

Emil Walsh

Jesse Runfola

Mike Strub

Eric Bechard

Scott Haymaker

Dave Bradley

ADDRESSES

Bob & Christine Juranek with

Stephany, Jake and Lily

201 Blessing Street

Ft. Benning , GA 31905

Clinton Dawkins

659th Maintenance Company

APO AE 09381

Jesse Runfola

AFSBn-KU

ATTN:AMC-ITT(FWD)

APO AE 09366

After you find all the hidden words, the leftover letters spell out a Bible verse reading from top left to bottom right.

Jacob becomes Israel

Above Across All

Alone Answered Asked

Attached Because Blessed

Called Crossed Daybreak

Eleven Face Ford

God Got Hip

Israel Jabbok Jacob

Left Let Life

Limping Longer Man

Name Near Night

Overcome Passed Peniel

Place Please Replied

Rose Saw Saying

Sent Socket Spared

Stream Struggled Sun

Tell Tendon Till

Touched Two Unless

Wrenched Wrestled

The Dead Church

A new Pastor in a small Oklahoma town spent the first four days making personal visits to each of the members, inviting them to come to his first services.

The following Sunday the church was all but empty. Accordingly, the Pastor placed a notice in the local newspapers, stating that, because the church was dead, it was everyone's duty to give it a decent Christian burial. The funeral would be held the following Sunday afternoon, the notice said.

Morbidly curious, a large crowd turned out for the "funeral." In front of the pulpit, they saw a closed
coffin, smothered in flowers. After the Pastor delivered the eulogy, he opened the coffin and invited his congregation to come forward and pay their final respects to their dead church.

Filled with curiosity as to what would represent the corpse of a "dead church," all the people eagerly lined up to look in the coffin. Each "mourner" peeped into the coffin then quickly turned away with a guilty, sheepish look.

In the coffin, tilted at the correct angle, was a large mirror.