February 2020 Newsletter - WordPress.com.… · 2/1/2020  · February 2020 Newsletter Author: wweaver Created Date: 1/31/2020 11:23:09 AM ...

The Messenger First United Methodist Bennettsville, South Carolina February 2020

Beginning February 26, 2020 at 12 noon

With Rev. Dr. Mark Johnston

Lenten Lunch Services are provided by the ENERGETICS

FUMC BASKETBALL

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FUMC CHILDREN’S CENTER NEWS

The children and adults have been busy playing, learning and growing. Four of our staff members are continuing their training through Northeastern Technical College and are enrolled in Early Childhood classes. I commend these and each of our employees for working to learn all that they can to provide the best program for each child and family that we serve. A love for children, and this center, is evident through this and many other daily acts. In turn, we are working to instill a love of learning in each of our children through planned activities and experiences. The love of books and reading is instilled through activities such as those provided by Nicole from our public library. A love of learning is fostered through activities that make learning new things fun. Following are pictures of some of our activities during this past month. Many thanks for the love and support of the congregation of this church and for providing a place for us all to learn and grow.

Birthdays & Anniversaries 4 David Fowler Rebecca Talbert 5 Mr. & Mrs. Tim Seales 6 Joan McMillan 9 Terrie Sheets 12 Savannah Louise Edwards 13 Debbie Polston 17 Betty Newton Patrick Seales 17 Ricky Sheets Hailey Moody Carabo 23 Cameron Sheets 25 Kathy Culbertson 26 Beckham Jacobs

Anniversaries are indicated in italics

Blessings, Debbie

Bea Matthews, Haas Buddies, Jane Anne Feldner, Beverly

Hodges, Lib Thompson, Gray Bos-tick, Betty Newton, Kim Shultz, Ed Cottingham, Family of Ann Moody, Bill and Peggy Kinney,

Emily Kelly, Wanda Stanton, Pas-tor’s Family, Jean Quick, Sirill Salay, Mary Bullard, Carolyn

Odom, Consulla Hamilton

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Feb. 2 Worship Committee Meeting 3 pm

Feb. 5 The Crew 3 p,

Handbells 5 pm

Choir 6:30 pm

Feb. 6 Energetics 10 am

Feb. 9 Trustees Meeting 6 pm

Feb. 11 Day Care Meeting 4 pm

Feb. 12 Office Closed*

Handbells 5:00 pm

Choir 6:30 pm

The Crew Valentine Party 3 pm

Feb. 13 Office Closed*

Feb. 14 Office Closed*

Feb. 16 Finance Meeting 4 pm

Feb. 17 Basketball Banquet

Feb. 19 Staff Meeting 10 am

The Crew 3pm

Handbells 5 pm

CHARGE CONFERENCE 6 pm (Sanctuary)

Choir 6:30 pm

Feb. 23 Administrative Council Meeting 6 pm

Feb. 26 ASH WEDNESDAY

Staff Meeting 10 am

The Crew 3 pm

Handbells 5 pm

Choir 6:30 pm

****** The office will be closed Feb. 12th - Feb.14th. Wanda will be in Virginia for the birth of her granddaughter.

FLOWERS NEEDED If you would like to place flowers in the Sanctuary in honor or in memory of a

loved one, or “just because”, please call the church office to reserve a Sunday. If you have any questions, speak with

Wanda or Terri O’Tuel.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

March 6th at 10 am

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SCHEDULE OUR CHURCH

SUNDAYS

9:45 am. — Sunday School (all ages) 11:00 am — Worship Service

WEDNESDAYS

The Crew 3:00 pm Handbells 5 pm Choir 6:30 pm

MONDAY through FRIDAY

Church Office hours 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Friday 8:00 am - 12:30pm

CHURCH STAFF Rev. Dr. Mark Johnston ............................................. Pastor Rev. Margaret Vance .................................... Music Director Debbie Polston .... Director of Early Childhood Development Wanda Weaver .................... Administrative Office Manager Linda Adams ........................................................ Treasurer

CONTACT INFORMATION Pastor Email ........................ [email protected] Pastor Cell ...................................................... 843-456-3358

Office Telephone ............................................ 843.479.3231 Office FAX ...................................................... 843.479.6030 Early Childhood Telephone ............................ 843.479.8731 Church Website ................................ .fumcbennettsville.com Office Email ........................ [email protected] Pastor Address ....................................... 1105 Salem Road Bennettsville, SC 29512 Rev. Margaret Vance……………………………843-861-3283 Email……………………………[email protected]

A LOOK AT OUR FAITHFULNESS Our Presence (12/29/19) Sunday School........................................................ 22 Worship Service ..................................................... 48 By Our Gifts Received ...............................$8,437.00 Building Fund ...............................................$125.00 Our Presence (1/5/2020) Sunday School........................................................ 16 Worship Service ..................................................... 67 By Our Gifts Received ..................................$545.00 Building Fund ............................................$8,017.00 Our Presence (1/12/2020) Sunday School........................................................ 25 Worship Service ..................................................... 64 By Our Gifts Received ...............................$3,036.00 Building Fund ............................................$1,015.00 Our Presence (1/19/2020) Sunday School........................................................ 23 Worship Service ..................................................... 61 By Our Gifts Received ...............................$3,088.00 Building Fund .................................................$25.00 Our Presence (1/26/2020) Sunday School........................................................ 25 Worship Service ..................................................... 73 By Our Gifts Received ...............................$5,335.00 Building Fund .................................................$90.00

NOTE TO OUR NURSERY VOLUNTEERS: We regularly have small babies and small children in our nursery on Sundays. If you cannot serve on your assigned Sunday, please make arrangements to exchange a Sunday with someone else, or get someone else to serve in your

place.

ASSISTING IN WORSHIP

Altar Guild ......................... Libby Shutt, Cathy Culbertson Head Usher ...................................................... Van Edwards

February 2 Crucifer ............................................................ Denise Jones Acolyte ............................................................. Terrie Sheets Ushers ....................................... Earl Bullard, Van Edwards, …………………………………Ricky Sheets, Chuck Black Nursery SS & W ................. Jessica Smith, Carolyn Wallace

February 9

Crucifer ........................................................ Virginia Fowler Acolyte .................................................................. Josh King Ushers .......................... Tommy Bostick, Sr., Brandon King .................................................. John H. Moody, Ken Stuart Nursery SS & W ..................... Jessica Smith, Lawren Black

February 16 Crucifer ........................................................... Scott Johnson Acolyte ..................................................... Damianna Heffner Ushers ......................................... Gene Baker, Jimmy Usher ....................................................... Bob Hines, Phil Thomas Nursery SS & W .......................... Jessica Smith, Orlah King

February 23 Crucifer ................................................................ Joey Jones Acolyte ............................................................ Thomas Jones Ushers ................................... Robert Fowler, George Brown ................................................. Hubert Meggs. Dean Moore Nursery SS & W ....... Jessica Smith, Becca /Hartley Talbert

COMMMUNION STEWARDS Hubert Meggs, Jennie Meggs

Reverend Margaret Vance, Reverend Dr. Mark Johnston.

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The Messenger Page 5

"THE CREW"…

Blessing Boxes The Crew will continue to collect canned goods and personal hygiene items for the community Blessing Boxes. Our delivery dates will be Feb. 5, March 4, and April 1. Items may be placed in collection boxes at the church. The Crew appreciates the support from our congregation with this on-going project! Then maybe just a little plug reminding folks that we are back up and running on our regular schedule.

We will have a Valentine’s party on Wed., Feb. 12.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Worship Committee…….....Feb. 2nd at 3 pm

Trustees…………………...… Feb. 9th at 6 pm

Finance Committee………...Feb.16th at 3 pm

Administrative Council…...Feb 23rd at 5 pm

FEBRUARY 21st

WE ARE ON THE WEB!!!

Keep up with FUMC news and events by stopping by the

Church’s website:

fumcbennettsville.com.

Or check us out on Facebook:

The Messenger Page 6

A great big thank you to Dr. Windham and Gypsy for coming to visit us today. Dr. Wind-ham is our local veterinarian she came and talked about what a vet does and how to care for our pet. Then Gypsy showed us some tricks and let the kids pet her. We had a blast!

The Crismon Tree Committee would like to thank all volunteers for their time in decorat-ing the sanctuary before Christmas, and for their help in disassembling the decorations after Christmas. A special thank you to Les-lie Hines for providing pizza to all those who helped decorate the sanctuary.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Angel Tree Ministry. Fifteen children were given a wonderful Christmas by provid-ing these gifts. A big thank you goes to the Energetics for stepping up to help us fulfill this ministry.

The Family of Ann Moody

The CREW is collecting canned goods to fill three Blessing Boxes in the County. Boxes are placed around the church. Please sup-

port our CREW and others by bringing some canned goods.

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

As the plane began to move and pick up speed, she ran alongside holding her baby, and beat upon the fuselage. Finally, the plane took flight. On the ground, still crying, was the woman, holding the child aloft – “Take my baby with you so that he might be well!”

There was utter silence in the cockpit. Finally, after a considerable time, he turned to the pilot and said, “I know who that baby was that we left back there.” The pilot said, “Who?” He said, “The name of the child was Jesus of Nazareth.”

At least one billion persons on Earth live in a state of absolute poverty. Five billion souls live in ur-ban ghettos, most without adequate food or housing or health care. In Latin America alone, as many as sixty million children have been abandoned and are living on the streets struggling to survive!

Have we noticed? Often our sin is not that we do anything wrong, but that so many of us do noth-ing at all. The sins of omission are just as deadly as sins of commission.

When we think of such overwhelming problems, we may be tempted to ask, “Can I really make a difference?” The answer to this question is a definite ‘Yes!’

When we offer a kind word, a helping hand, a welcoming smile or some of our precious time, we offer a gift that translates as compassion, care and love. Every single person you touch in this manner con-tributes to the betterment of our world.

When the great Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church, he penned what has be-come known as the ‘love chapter.’ This thirteenth chapter is instructional concerning real love. I quote it in part;

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowl-edge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love…”

The point of this incredible scripture is that many good things can be done in life, but when love is the basis of our actions, no matter how great or small those actions may seem, then something wonderful results.

Love never fails.

Let’s remember that the gift of love carries each of us through the most difficult trials, and with God’s help, we can change the world!

Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.

The Messenger

We’re on the Web!!!

bennettsvillefumc.com

First United Methodist Church 311 East Main St.

P O Box 456 Bennettsville SC 29512

Return Service Requested

From the Pastor’s Desk —

Love Never Fails

Rev. Dr. Mark R. Johnston

Love is often expressed through giving. This is emphasized in John’s Gospel, chapter 3, verse16, where we read that;

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be-lieveth on him should not perish, but have eternal life…”

A pastor tells the story of an American who visited an impoverished country. While waiting for a little puddle jumper of a plane to depart the remote region, he was suddenly ap-proached by a woman carrying a malnourished baby.

The child’s swollen stomach and lethargy testified to the battle with hunger that kills nearly twenty million people a year.

She desperately cried, “Take my baby back with you to America and feed him and make him well!”

Trying to avoid her, he rushed toward the awaiting plane, but the poor woman followed plead-ing, “Take my baby back with you!”

Continued on Page 7