From Our Senior Pastor
 Dear Friends,
    What a wonderful way we have entered into this season of ministry together at Mountain Park UMC! My husband Hal and I want to thank you all for your beautiful expressions of welcome. I am grateful for the great help in moving boxes, hanging artwork, bringing flowers and food and for your kind words of introduction.
  
     Our joint worship service this past Sunday was meaningful and memorable. It was my delight to begin ministry in your midst with the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and the following week to share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I look forward to practicing what I teach, preach and pray alongside each of you. We indeed are what I like to call, the "clay-ity" (clergy and laity working together to be molded by God's grace).
 
     I ask for your prayers as we begin this journey together. I have enjoyed getting to know the wonderful staff of this church along with so many active lay people ministering within the congregation and those who reach out to share the love of Christ in the surrounding community and beyond.
 
     My door is open for you to come and share whatever you feel is important for me to know related to your story and your hopes for the life of Mountain Park UMC. We want to move forward as a congregation that listens carefully to one another as we make decisions that relate to good stewardship and faithful practices. In the coming days we will continue to consult with our District Superintendent and members of the congregation regarding the best way to move forward in the discussion of the use of the parsonage for our ongoing ministry needs.
    
     As we Gather, Grow and Go, may we also Give ourselves wholeheartedly to the work of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
          
Grace and Peace,    
Ellynda

Worship
Adult Ministries
Missions
Lunches of Love!
Serving Opportunities
  
Monday, June 5 - Friday, August 4
 
In the past 4 Summers, Lunches of Love has served over 65,000 lunches to children in the Stone Mountain area who receive free/reduced lunches during the school year. For some of these children, it is the only food they will eat that day. With your help, our Summer Program will meet this need!

The 2017 Program has already begun but it's not too late to look at your schedule and jump right in to serve! sign up to volunteer here.

Lunches of Love - Packing Prep 
  
Sunday, July 16 following Sunday services in the Family Life Center
 
We were able to kick-off Lunches of Love summer program by packing over 500 lunches! In addition, we packed another 500 lunches during VBS week with the help of our kind, generous kiddos!
 
We want to keep up the momentum and invite you to join us after our 11 a.m. worship services to help us pack another 500 lunches! 
 
We are always grateful for all the ways people serve and support this ministry. It's not too late to take part!

Family Promise - Become a
Volunteer Coordinator  
  
We believe in supporting families of all sorts including homeless families looking to improve their lives. Family Promise meets that need and our church helps by hosting these families (along with a network of other churches) periodically throughout the year. 
 
In order to make this happen, it takes coordination of volunteers to help get bed rooms set up, meals prepared, fellowship time scheduled, and more. We could really use your help in strengthening our commitment to and connection with these families each year. It doesn't have to be one person but a team of individuals who are passionate about serving in this way.
 
If you're interested in learning more, you can reach out to our current Volunteer Coordinator,   John Grovenstein, who will shepherd you throughout the process and answer any questions you might have. 
 
Additional details are provided below:
  • Attends a one time 6 hours training class conducted by Family Promise  
  • Attends a monthly 2 hour nightly meeting at the Family Promise campus in Lawrenceville.
  • Attends and assists with several special events such as a coordinator appreciator dinner and the bed race.  
  • Assists with Mountain Park volunteer recruitment, scheduling and support 
  • Serves as the primary liaison between between Mountain Park and Family Promise
  • In the late spring coordinates with family promise, the church staff and primary volunteers regarding potential Mountain Park host dates.
  • Coordinates  with the pastors , Ed and other staff as needed regarding publicity, volunteer recruitment, fund raising, space issues etc.
  • Welcomes guests, at a Sunday orientation meeting letting them know about our facilities and rules that are specific to our church
  • Oversees host week solving issues that may come up involving facilities, volunteers and guests.
  • Insures that Mountain Park hosts are aware of and follow family promise program guidelines
  • Keeps volunteer guides, postings and emergency contact lists up to date.
MealTrain Opportunities

One of the best ways to let people know we care is by providing a meal in the midst of transition. Whether it's recovery or new beginnings, we can offer these families our support! Click the link below to learn the family's needs and when you can schedule to bring a yummy dinner for them to enjoy. 

The Rutherford Family
Kenya Mission Team -
FINAL UPDATE 

We believe in sharing Christ's love around the corner and around the world! We are grateful for the safe return of our Kenya Mission Team and the work they've done for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom of God!
 
View the following PDF  to see the final digest of all that they've accomplished so far in Christ's name!

Garden Ministry - UPDATE

The garden has already produced it's first yield of potatoes - 70 lbs to be exact!! Half were donated to our local Lilburn Co-op and the other half were donated for the Lunches of Love program.

Interested to help this ministry grow? Reach out to  Dorothy Kopp to join the team!

United Methodist Men
United Methodist Men Breakfast at IHOP

We encourage men of all ages to join us for breakfast at  IHOP located at 4205 Stone Mountain Highway every  Monday morning at 8:00 am. If you have questions or need further information contact Mr. Robert Kopp.
United Methodist Women
Family Ministries
Stephen's Ministry 

 
Stephen's Ministry is Here for You!

This is the time of year for celebrating with fireworks, family, and friends along with good food. Everyone is excited and making plans.   What if you suffered a recent loss or a divorce and have no one to celebrate with.  The past memories are to painful to want to celebrate and you just want to be alone.
 
A Stephen Minister would be honored to walk beside you, to pray with you and listen to you. This Ministry is confidential so everything that is shared is never repeated. Please feel free to contact the Stephen Ministry referrals coordinator Sallie Schroeder at salliels7@bellsouth.net or one of our Ministers.   
Preschool Ministry 

 
July Preschool News!

Pre-school Registration going on now!  Ages 12 months through 4 years of age. Call 770-921-6263 for more information or Register now for the 2017 school year. You don't want to miss the boat. 

Children's Ministry
 
Vacation Bible School Recap:
 
Thank you all for your prayers, support, time, and donations for our Vacation Bible School! We had a blast serving 176 children as we learned how to "catch the wave of God's amazing love!" A BIG THANK YOU to our 75 amazing volunteers who helped make VBS possible! We are a blessed church full of loving servants of Christ.
 
VBS MISSIONS:
During our week, we participated in three different mission projects: 
 
1. We packed over 500 lunches for the Lunches of Love Ministry, and decorated the brown bags that they are delivered in! 
 
2. We raised $245 in change and small bills throughout the week for the United Methodist Children's Home
 
3. We also collected a large amount of school supplies! These supplies will be used in our book-bag drive in association with the Lilburn Co-op and DFACS.

SEE PICTURES FROM OUR WEEK:
CLICK HERE to view our video slideshow from the week.
 
Visit our Facebook page to see more great pictures from our week.
 
 
Gather, Grow and Go Together!
Lunches of Love Back-to-School Clothing Drive
Collecting now until Sunday, July 23

During July, our Family Ministries Department is partnering with Lunches of Love to host a Back-to-School Clothing Drive! We are collecting gently-used clothing and shoes for the children and families in our community who receive lunches through our Lunches of Love program.  Donations, which will be sorted by gender and size, can be dropped off in the designated bins located in the Family Life Center from now until July 23. On Sunday, July 16, immediately following the 11:00 worship services, we welcome all who are able to stay and help until 1:00 pm with these two special projects in the Family Life Center: sorting clothing into bins to be taken into the neighborhoods and  packing lunches. We are also asking for donations of sports balls for the kids! Questions? Email Rachel.Hockman@mountainparkumc.org.

Family Movie Night Here on Campus



Join us on Friday, July 7 at 7 PM in the Park! We will be having our first family movie night of the summer. Our featured film is Moana! Popcorn and lemonade will be available.

Friday, August 4th is our last movie night of the summer.
Meet in the Park at 7:00 to watch Trolls! Popcorn and lemonade will be provided.

Worship in the Park


We will be finishing our unit on Candy Bars during the month of July! This has been so much fun! Please be aware of the candies this month and let Courtney or the Park Rangers know of any food allergies.
July 2 - Crunch
July 9 - Three Musketeers
July 16 - Butterfinger
July 23 - Hershey's bar
July 30 - Almond Joy

Thank you to everyone who participated in VBS this year! We had 176 children and 75 teachers who were absolutely fabulous!

As we begin to think more about getting back into our normal schedules next month, please be reminded of all of the ministries children and families have available! Our bulletin board in the hallway leading to the preschool and nursery area has a bit of information about all of the things we have to offer.
                                           Gather for Family Night at Stone Mountain


Family Ministry is hosting a night at Stone Mountain Park!
Let's all gather on the lawn at 7:30 for an evening of fellowship and the laser show. Bring your picnic dinners, blankets, chairs, yard toys and other necessities. 
 
Youth Ministry
Crossroad's Youth News

Summer Activities on Tuesdays

We will meet up for lunch at MPUMC Youth Room (bring your own lunch) 11:30 am and then go from there to our activity for the day.
  • July 11th, 18th and 25th
  • August 1st

Watch for emails detailing the activity and its cost!  

Volunteer Opportunities

We are in need of volunteers to serve in Youth Ministries during Sunday School and Sunday Nights. If you have free time and enjoy interacting with and mentoring youth, then contact Josh Henley at 770.921.8512 ext 217.

Other Ministry Opportunities 
An Update on Reece from John Lamb  

This is a picture of my grandson, Reece Blankenship, using a letter board to communicate.  Any of you who have ever talked with my wife, Shirley, or me have probably heard the wonderful story of how God answered our prayers for our grandson who is a non-verbal autistic.  Reece is the son of Jeffrey and Lou Blankenship whom many of you know as they have been members of Mountain Park UMC for over 20 years.
 
Reece cannot speak and does not have full control of his fine motor muscles.  As he puts it "God gave me this wonderful mind and this devilish body".  As a result, early in his life, the doctors told us Reece would only achieve the intelligence level of a three-year-old.  We knew that was not right.  We felt he was intelligent and aware but we had no way to know this was true because he had no way to communicate with us. This caused us to "pray without ceasing" for the ability to gain an insight into the thoughts and feelings of this young boy we loved so much. 
 
In November 2014, one month before Reece's 20 th  birthday, our prayers were answered.  Reece along with several other non-verbal autistic young people were introduced to RPM, a communication method using gross motor skills to touch one letter at a time on a letter board containing the alphabet and some punctuation marks. As a result of Reece doing months of preparation work for this workshop he was able to immediately begin communicating full sentences and paragraphs in age appropriate vocabulary and with correct spelling, one letter at a time.  I thank God profusely, every day for this miracle. 
 
Reece is very intelligent and compassionate.  He tells us he wants to help other people just as he has been helped by many other people in our community.  In addition to professional therapists, many kids from our community and church have worked with Reece to help him learn life skills, helping him to exercise and keeping him engaged in social activities, including how to play.    
 
Reece's dream of helping others is to create ReClif Academy, an education and wellness center designed to empower individuals with autism and their loved ones who support them.  We realize this is a huge undertaking but there is no stopping him.  He (acting through the tireless efforts of his parents) has employed a commercial real estate leasing agent to find a proper building, an interior designer to come up with a layout, a business consultant to help with contracts, a business plan and budgets.  He has helped some of his therapists become certified in specialized techniques designed specifically for people with special needs so they might work at ReClif Academy.  This is not just a nice idea; it is a serious endeavor.  Over 150 people have contributed to Reece's Go Fund Me campaign to establish ReClif Academy. 
 
Reece's concept is outlined on his web site www.ReClif.com.  We encourage you to visit this site and learn more about his plan to help others.  If you feel so inclined, contributions of any amount will be greatly appreciated as is your support and encouragement.  If you know of others who may be interested in or need the services of ReClif Academy, please direct them to the web site. 
 
                                                                                                       
"If God be with us, who can be against us?"
Loving supporters of Reece Blankenship
Food Truck Tuesdays

Tuesday, July 11 from 6 - 9 p.m. at Lilburn City Park

Food Truck Tuesdays has already officially kicked off for the summer! Get excited to see old and new faces alike!
 
Enjoy a variety of food trucks, live music, and fabulous people! Food Trucks Tuesdays will happen on the second Tuesday of every month. 
 
Follow up with the list of trucks and more on their  Facebook Page.
Mountain Park United Methodist Church | 770-921-8512 | Email | mountainparkumc.org