September 2010
We returned this past week from a two week vacation in Florida. It is good to see Lee's parents. We enjoy being away to rest and relax. Our dogs Christopher, 14, Yorkshire terrier and Shakespeare,2, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, love having us to themselves and love grandma and grandpa spoiling them. Lee's parents are great dog lovers and have a Bishon, Gigi .
One of the things I enjoy very much is visiting our church there, New Covenant UMC. It is always full, summer or winter, snow birds (northerners who come in October-April to escape the cold or no. Maybe it's because the people who have retired and live in The Villages are church goers. While we were there, the Associate Pastor Dan preached a wonderful sermon. In it he spoke about how God calls each of us to share the gospel. Amazing in a church that is thinking about expanding their facilities after 6 years, there would be a call to make disciples. Not really.
Because it doesn't matter if you have 3000 on Sunday morning or 30, that doesn't negate the fact that Jesus said "go into the world and make disciples." Pastor Dan reminded the congregation that the percentage of "un-churched" in the area is 61%!!! If you haven't heard the term "un-churched" before, these are the people who do not go to church, understand very little about it, and may never have attended a service or a Sunday school class. How many "Un-churched" do you suppose are in our town?
Pastor Dan reminded all of us that making disciples isn't about preaching to people, it's about inviting. A simple "Do you go to church?" and if the answer is "no," a reply of "would you like to go with me next Sunday?" , may be all that is needed.
Sharing what we have received, a novel idea. Bishop Fulton Sheen once said, "The church is at her best when she is making saints." Have we forgotten that we are the Church and that we may be the only Christian many people will know? Shouldn't we be overflowing with the love of Christ and in that love share with others?"
As we come back together after the summer, let us think about what we are willing to do for the One who loves us so much. After all, this is not a part time occupation, this is our life!!!
See you in church,
Pastor Vickie
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Pastor Vickie is forming a craft group to make gifts for the children at Christmas.
Contact her if you are interested in this project.
IT WILL BE FUN
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Prayer List:
Justin Kirk
The Carter Wiley Family
John Sodolski
Brad Rock
Ed Vesperille
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September Birthdays:
Sarah Brissing
Aimee Chase
Justin Kirk
Cindy Pearson
Mike Riley
Ed Wright
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September Meetings:
Tuesday, September 14
Finance Committee 6:45 pm
Administrative Council 7:30 pm
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HAVE YOU MET
Dorothy Mc Peak
Who lives in Macsville and is new to this area.
Please take the time to introduce yourself and make her feel welcome.
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Charge Conference
Saturday, October 2, 2010
09:30 am
Come and celebrate our church and meet the new
District Superintendent, Larry Thompson
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Chrsitmas in Middleburg
Help is need for the Christmas in Middleburg church luncheon. The date is Saturday, December 4. Please call the church office if you can volunteer to help.
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Adult Sunday School Class:
“Yes, Lord, I Have Sinned
But I have several Excellent Excuses”
Is the name of the study book for this class.
Stop by the church
office to pick up your copy
This class starts on
Sunday
Sept. 5 at 10 am
In the church parlor
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UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
The Middleburg United Methodist Women
Will meet on Sunday, September 19 after the worship service, in the Women’s Room downstairs.
Any woman in the church who is interested in the UMW is invited to attend. This will be a business meeting to plan for the coming year. If you have any ideas for programs, trips, activities, mission or just for fun please attend the meeting or call the church office.
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Bridge Club
Wednesdays
3:45 –6 pm
Fellowship hall
For more information call
Karen Casey
540-687-5093
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Fellowship Meal
Please sign up for fellowship meals, so that we can continue to share the wonderful camaraderie of our church family. This is a great time to catch up with the happenings in the lives of our friends, and a time to welcome newcomers and visitors.
The meals should be a lunch type meal but SMALL, nothing extravagant.
There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall or contact Gail May at
540-554-3004
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Why Go To Church?
A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday…”I’ve gone for 30 years now,” He wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 203,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”
This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
“I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu of a single one of those meals. But I do know this...they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” When you are down to nothing… God us up to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible.! Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment.
_____________Year 5,Volume 5