Newsletter

Below is information from the September 2009 SPUMC newsletter:

HONORARIUMS
In honor of Paige Hartsell by Joe and Geri Walker
 
MEMORIALS
In memory of Betty Aubrey, Tom Aubrey’s mother, by Dan and Sara Jane Pate, Decatur and  Betty Richardson, Hal and Ann Leak, and Frank and Lynne Thigpen
In memory of Dee Meadows by Jim and Sally Thomas
In memory of Clarence Harris, brother of Betty Richardson, by Frank & Lynne Thigpen
In memory of Virginia Sloan by Lynda and Larry Newsome

“One Life to Live”
 I recently was in the grocery store and ahead of me in the checkout line was an older couple.  As they pulled their items from the cart, the wife looked at her husband and said, “You got ice cream!? I thought you were trying to lose weight." To which the husband replied, "Oh well, you only live once."
 And at that very moment the cashier chimed in. When the husband said, "Oh well, you only live once," the woman at the cash register replied, "Don't you think once is enough?"   It was a mild jest and the couple both laughed at the cashier’s comment.  I even found myself laughing along with them.  But as the laughter faded, I wondered just what did the cashier really mean?
 Was she saying, “Life is hard and I wouldn’t want to repeat it?”  Perhaps was she saying, “I'll live my life out to the last, and I expect to have good days as well as bad days. But when the end comes, I won't complain. One life will do me just fine, thank you very much.”  I left not knowing what she actually meant, but she did get me to thinking.  “Don’t you think once is enough?” 
 You may have used the cliché “You only live once” yourself to justify your own self indulgences, but shouldn’t it motivate us to do more than eat ice cream?  I heard Tony Campolo, author and Eastern College Sociology professor, speak once.  He quoted a study that was conducted of those in a nursing care facility. The residents were asked, “If you had it all to do over again, what would you do differently?”  The top three responses were: To have taken better care of their teeth, to have taken more risks, and to have done something that would live on after they are gone.  Are you surprised by their answers?  Not exactly the “bucket list,” but meaningful answers.
 Knowing that we do “only live once,” we should make the most of the gift God has given us.  The Apostle Paul wrote: “Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time….” (Ephesians 5:15 NRSV)
 This month our church celebrates its 55th anniversary.  Reflecting over our church’s history, I am thankful for those who lived their lives for God and have left us their legacy.  The next time you say “you only live once,” ask yourself if you are living a life that really matters?
 
Your brother in Christ,
Tommy

Grow in Grace and Knowledge
The Apostle Peter ends his second letter to the churches with the admonition: Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). There are several suggestive elements of that verse. First, the very fact that Peter exhorts us to grow suggests that we play a vital part in our development as followers of Jesus, both in faith and in practice. My two girls are growing like weeds – it’s really freaking me out – and it’s not because they are concentrating on growing; they just grow by default. Our life with God is not like this. Rather, if we are to develop a deeper, stronger, more robust faith, if we are to come to know God more intimately and powerfully, we must choose to grow. This is a matter of intentionality.
  Second, I think it fair to assume that the last thing an apostle writes in a letter to the churches is probably a matter of first importance. The admonition to grow is not a “throw-in” or an inconsequential “add-on.” This command is the essence of the Apostle’s message. WE MUST GROW! I’ve heard it said, and I agree completely, that there is no neutral stance in relationship to God. We are either growing toward God, or we are falling away from God. As I try to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, I constantly find that there is nothing more important than intentionality, than discipline, than the stubborn choice to grow.  
  Third, I find it very significant that this letter is written to a group of people, and not to individuals. The command to grow is written in the plural. If Peter was from the Sandhills, he would have written, “Y’all grow in the grace and knowledge of out Lord Jesus Christ.” This insistence on group growth suggests to me that we must pursue this deeper faith, this more intimate relationship with God, together. This is, I believe, at the heart of what it means for us to be the church. We’re not called as lone rangers, but as a body of believers, bound to one another in the adventure of faith.
  With all of this in mind, I hope you will prayerfully consider which of our church’s Learning Life opportunities you will take advantage of this fall (please notice, I did not ask you to consider if you will engage). All of our Sunday evening studies are excellent. There is also a women’s study that will meet on Thursday mornings, and a Men’s Fraternity that meets early on Wednesday mornings. You’ll find descriptions of each of these opportunities below.
   So in closing, I will adopt the Apostle’s great words to exhort you: My friends, may you grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Peace,
Cleve May
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Prayer Closet
 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
 Several weeks ago, I was reading through my devotional guide looking for inspiration for this article and I ran across this prayer "Stir my imagination, God, to see the world as you would have me see it.  Unsettle me. Amen." What would it mean for God to "unsettle" me for a new vision of the world?
 When I was a little girl, my family moved from our first house to a house several blocks away.  It was an ordinary, white-washed brick house in the Cape Cod style with black shutters, but to me it was a castle.  My father finished off the basement and under the stairs I had my playhouse.  I had a set of small appliances like a fridge, sink, and stove to cook plastic food dinners for my teddy bears.  In one section, I had a doll house with tiny detailed furniture, including a baby grand piano.  There was also a toy box my father made and covered with pink contact paper. This playhouse was a haven for me to let my imagination run wild.
 Wikipedia defines imagination as "the ability to form mental images, sensations and concepts, in a moment when they are not perceived through sight, hearing or other senses."  Imagination is the bridge between the actual and the ideal. As children, using playful imagination is the way we make sense of our world. As we grow older, we lose the ability to be playful and to arrange the world according to our imagination. We rely more on our logic and intellect to see us through. I have witnessed imagination up close by seeing my grandson spend hours whizzing his toy cars on "roads" along the top of the coffee table or devising pulleys from bits of string over a doorknob to hoist his superheroes to safety.  But I fear over-scheduling, competiveness, and the drone of the television might rob him of his imagination.
 I loved reading stories as a child especially the Grimm's fairy tales in the two volume set given to me by my uncle. They transported me to worlds beyond this one where dragons and trolls lived and where all things were possible.   As I matured in my faith, it was a natural progression for me to enjoy reading the Bible as it contains stories rich with images of God and helps me "see" the character and love of God. The Bible is meant to stir our imaginations not just be a book of rules. God created us and gave us the ability to imagine. What better way to understand God who is without boundaries than to use our imaginations which are limitless.  Jesus spoke in the figurative language of parables to enlighten us so we might have "eyes of faith" to see the world differently.  Seeing rightly and deeply means asking God in prayer for insight and believing the Holy Spirit will call us to an alternative way of life grounded in love, justice, righteousness, and peace.
 Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." Anyone who reads the creation story in Genesis can't help but marvel at God's imagination to visualize it and bring it to fruition by speaking his Word. We believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior even though we have never seen the nails in his hands or touched his side.  How is that possible if we first can't imagine his life, death and resurrection?  As Christians, our hope is in Christ so we walk by faith not sight. 
 Every day as I go through the doors of the Moore Free Care Clinic to work, I am grateful to its founders for the vision they had.  It took imagination to see beyond the reality of what it is like for those who are ill and have no health insurance.  It may not have seemed logical to tackle this issue with few resources but they banished doubt and let their imaginations take them to new levels of communicating and funding the need. The lives of our patients hold more hope for a brighter tomorrow.
 Imagination transforms our world through action and with it the lives of the people God calls us to serve.  How will you let God "unsettle" you and use your imagination to change the world? 
                                                                                   Debbie Whitley

Sunday School Class Updates:
The Faith and Fellowship Class started a new study on Sunday, August 30th entitled "Enough:  Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity" presented by Reverend Adam Hamilton.  This five session video study leads participants to examine their own values and habits around wealth, spending, discipline, giving and contentment.  All are welcome!

Fall Studies:

Song of Solomon Study
Beginning on Sunday, Sept. 13, Tommy and Susan Sweeley will lead a Bible study on the Song of Solomon.  Used and loved throughout the world, the Song of Solomon series, by Tommy Nelson, teaches the Biblical design for relationships. For both singles and married couples, this exegetical study follows Solomon's relationship from attraction to dating and courtship, marriage and intimacy to resolving conflict, keeping romance alive, and committing to the end.  This is an excellent and fun study for all adults. 
 
The study will be one of four adult studies offered on Sunday evenings as part of our Koinonia Program for the whole family.  Dinner is provided at 5:00 pm and classes begin at 5:40 pm.  Participants in the Song of Solomon will need to pre-register by Sept. 2 to receive the Song of Solomon Study Guide.  Call the church office to register, 692-3518.  The cost of the book is $10.

Peru Mission Trip Organizational Meeting
On Sunday, September 20, immediately following the 11:00 worship service, there will be a meeting in the ABCD Sunday School classroom (the Ezra Room) for those interested in going on the next Peru Mission trip.   Lunch will be provided.  Our tentative plan is to leave for Peru the last week of February, 2010.  We hope to work 5 days on the United Methodist seminary dorm project in Lima and one day at Jose Olaya.  On Sunday we will lead a special Sunday School experience for the children at the church.  Some team members may depart for home on Tuesday or Wednesday, while others may wish to visit Machu Picchu or other parts of Peru.  Our mission trips have been life changing experiences for those who have gone before.  We invite you to take a step out in faith and consider being part of next year’s team.
If you are interested in information about the trip, but cannot attend the meeting, please contact Sherry Driscoll (528-6758), Debbie Whitley (215-9411), or Gail Scott (315-3055).

Legacy Building Sunday
September 13 is United Methodist Legacy Building Sunday in which we celebrate the lives of our members who have made Endowment Gifts or other Legacy Gifts for
Missions, Ministry, and Capital Projects.  We honor them for embracing John Wesley’s teaching: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”
 
Ways You Can Help to Establish Your Legacy:
Remember Our Church in Your Will or Trust. 
Establish an Income-Producing Gift.
Receive Income for Life, And Continue the Work of Christ Through Your Gift After Life.
Fund Your Gift or Bequest With Cash, Securities, IRA’s, Real Estate, Insurance or Other Resources.
Share Your Gift With Other Church Agencies and Community Charities.
 
For more information, contact Dan Pate at 692-2885 or dandsjpate@nc.rr.com; Rev. Sweeley at 692-3518 or tsweeley@charter.net; or United Methodist Legacy Partners
of the NC Conference c/o United Methodist Foundation P. O. Box 10955 Raleigh, NC 27605 Telephone 800-555-4718 www.umlegacypartners.org

Outreach Ministries
 According to The 2008 Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, Para. 252.2b, “The Outreach ministries of the church shall give attention to local and larger community ministries of compassion, justice, and advocacy.”  Therefore, the purpose of the Outreach Ministries Committee of SPUMC is to make this a better world for our brothers and sisters in need.  We strive to carry out this mission through soliciting donations and by recruiting volunteers for service opportunities both locally and globally. Many persons, both those in need and those who help them, have come to know our church as a positive force against oppression, disease, hunger, ignorance, injustice, and nakedness.  Our work is done in the name of the Lord, and because of our commitment, we try to remember each other in prayer and offer encouragement to one another. 
For your information and because we have some new committee members, the following is a list of our ministries with the appropriate contact person:
 
Alternative Christmas Gift Fair                            Cleve May
Angel Tree                                                          Lin Heimrick
ARC                                                                   Lin Heimrick
Book Bag Drive                                                  Marguerite Hussey
Book Collection                                                  Sandy Bryant
Cookie Boxes for the Military                              Pam Reed
Coalition for Human Care                                    Marguerite Hussey
Family Promise                                                    Ellen & Bill Stewart
Friday Back Packs                                               Becky Kennedy
Habitat for Humanity                                             Ron Sutton
MANNA                                                             Sandy Bryant & Gail Scott
Moore Free Care Clinic                                       Debbie Whitley
Mission Team(s)                                                  Rev. Sherry Driscoll, Debbie Whitley
&Gail Scott
Special Friends                                                    Libby Staples
SPUMC Winter Coat Drive                                  Samantha Alexander
SPUMC Food Pantry                                          Chick & Helen Yolman
Summer Camping Scholarships                            Sandra Smith
             
For this coming church year, we ask for your ongoing support through donations, prayers, and volunteering. There is no doubt concerning what Jesus wants; if we love Him, we will tend his sheep. For further information, feel free to contact any of the persons above which include Sandy Bryant and Sherry Driscoll, co-chairs, and Cleve May, pastoral committee member.

Finding Jesus on Facebook
The Conference Safe Sanctuaries Committee is sponsoring a series of workshops for adults in ministry among children and youth entitled “Finding Jesus on Facebook.” The workshop will address issues of cyber-safety as well as ministry among the Internet generation. Participants will receive materials to use in working with other leaders and parents in their local churches. There is no cost to attend the workshop although anyone planning to attend should notify Robin Harry (rharry@nccumc.org) about the attendance date and location. The workshop will be held on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 noon as follows: Nov. 7 at Haymount UMC in Fayetteville; or Nov. 21 at Soapstone UMC in Raleigh. More information about the workshop and how to register plans to attend can be found at www.nccumc.org/children/safe-sanctuaries/.

NAMI-MC Offers 11-Week Course to Help Family Members
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Moore County is offering the 11-week “Family to Family” course free to family members of close relatives with mental illness. It begins Tuesday, September 8 and ends November 17 and goes from 7 to 9:30 p.m.  This FREE, educational course is held at the FirstHealth Moore Regional Specialty Clinic (formerly Pinehurst Surgical Clinic building) with limited seating. Call 910-235-0292 to register and/or for more information.