May 2017
Shepherd's Voice
A Monthly Newsletter
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Worship with us each Sunday,
8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary and
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship in the Family Life Center.
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Alrighty, then...I do understand that this is a CHURCH newsletter article. And I also comprehend the concept of Polite Company. But, at the moment, I am feeling compelled to write about the "C" word. So, here goes. Is there anyone under 18 years of age looking over your shoulder? It pays to be careful, don't you know? And the "C" word is...CHANGE! No, it's not a 4-letter word, but it can be just as offensive.
When I started thinking about Change and Church, my warped sense of humor went immediately to lightbulb jokes. And thanks to the "all-knowing" internet I found boo-coodles of them (boo-coodles is somewhere between 100 and 1,000). Indulge me as I share a few of them...
Q; How many Pentecostals does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: 10, one to change it and 9 others to pray against the spirit of darkness.
Q: How many Episcopalians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: 10. One to actually change the bulb and 9 to say how much they like the old one.
Q: How many Presbyterians does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: None. God has predestined when the lights will be on or off.
Q: How many Amish does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: What's a lightbulb?
Q: How many United Methodists does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: CHANGE!?!?!?!?
On February 23rd of this year, in the afternoon, I was walking back to my truck after visiting in a Senior Living Center not far from Mtn. Park UMC. My phone rang and caller i.d. informed me that my District Superintendent, Dr. Coy Hinton, was on the line. Realizing what United Methodist season of the year it was my heart "seized-up." And then he dropped the "C" bomb on me...CHANGE! The Bishop and the Cabinet were "projecting" me to be the new Pastor at the Newnan 1st UMC in the LaGrange District of our North Georgia Conference.
Shock and Awe and Surprise were my initial reactions. The Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) at MPUMC had requested that I return for year #9. I had asked to be returned to the Church that I have grown to love. But we are United Methodists, and these things happen. After nearly 41 years in our system and a lifetime of being nothing but a Methodist/United Methodist I should understand that things don't always play out according to our plans. But understanding doesn't erase the difficulty of changing.
When our SPRC Chair, David Will, announced this change on Sunday April 2nd, the most common response I heard was, "We don't like change." Truth-be-told, most people don't like change. In a recent Ministry Matters article, Ron Edmondson (a Baptist Pastor), wrote about the number one reason that folks resist change. He says that resistance to change is an emotion and that the most common emotion that causes resistance to change is, "A sense of loss." Three of the losses he mentions are loss of comfort, familiarity, and stability.
The "C" word is a reality that many of us are wrestling with right now. So, like Jacob wrestling with the angel, let's not turn it loose until it blesses us. One of those blessings will come to you in the form of your new Senior Pastor, the Rev. Ellynda Lipsey. More about her & a few good-byes are coming in the June Shepherd's Voice...
Pastor Charles
Grace and Peace!
Charles
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"The Church And The Communion of Saints"
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"The Forgiveness Of Sins"
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"The Resurrection Of The Body"
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Worship Volunteers Needed
WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP - To continue providing
the slides of hymns, scriptures and readings in Traditional Worship, we must ha
ve a few helpers to run them! We can totally train you. We really need folks in our
8:30 a.m. a
nd/or 11:00 a.m. worship service. Could you help one service per month? If
s
o please call or email Susan at susan.farris@mountainparkumc.org.
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THANK YOU!
We wanted to say thank you to everyone who donated money, participated in the race, showed up to cheer, and ultimately helped raise awareness for this important mission of ending homelessness one family at a time!
We were able to raise almost double the amount we raised last year, so, again, thank you!
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Now accepting donations (signups coming soon)
We believe in tangibly showing the love of Christ to the communities around us. As we prepare for our upcoming Lunches of Love program (where we provide lunches for children who rely on "free lunch programs" through their schools for their meals), we will be accepting the following donation:
Please bring your donations to the Community Room in the Family Life Center here at Mountain Park UMC. Continue to be in prayer for this mission, the families, and for the volunteers that share the light of Christ.
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Kenya Mission Team
We believe in sharing Christ's love around the corner and around the world! Please continue to lift up our Kenya Mission team as they make preparations for Kenya at the end of May.
We will be commissioning the Christian service that God has called them to on Sunday, May 21 in all three worship services.
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Garden Ministry
If you are interested in working on the garden ministry throughout the summer, please email Dorothy Kopp at
dorothykopp2@yahoo.com.
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UMW News
Join us for a UMW General Meeting on May 6th at 9:30am in the Family Life Center.
Our Program will be presented by Kimberly Kennedy. Kimberly is a CBS news anchor and is host of "Atlanta Plugged In." She is also the author of "Left at the Altar." Her topic will be trusting God. following her program we will have a short business meeting and also honor or Torchbearers.
If you are not a member of our UMW we invite you to join us and enjoy our program and see what we are about. We would love to get to know you and welcome you into our sisterhood.
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to seeing you on May 6th!
Love and Blessings,
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Class Pictures, Mother Goose, Mother's Day, Water Days and Preschool Graduation!
Fun days to end a fantastic year.
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Save the Date - Summer's VBS
June 12-16, 9:00 am 12:00 pm.
VBS is right around the corner! Our dates are June 12 - 16, and we need YOU to make it a success! If you know where you would like to plug in, or have questions about where you would like to serve, you can contact Rachel Hockman, David Brock, or Courtney Wallace for more information.
There are two meetings you can plug into if you're a VBS volunteer:
Wednesday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Park and
Sunday, May 21 at 10 a.m. in the Youth Room!
Please make arrangements to attend one of these meetings so we can give out materials, answer questions, and better equip you for a week of fun while learning about Jesus!
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Over the summer, we will be learning all about the Bible through our sense of taste, specifically through candy bars! If your child has any allergies to these candies, please let me know or notify their Park Ranger upon dismissal from service. Below are the candies we will use during the month of May.
5/7- M&M's
5/21-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
5/28-Kit Kat
There will be no Worship in the Park on Mother's Day! Enjoy your time worshiping as a family!
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Crossroad's Youth News
Weekly Bible Studies
We still have our weekly Bible studies going: middle school on Wednesdays from 6:15pm - 7:00pm and high school on Thursdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm.
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Other Ministry Opportunities
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National Day of Prayer
May 4, 2017 (In the Sanctuary from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm)
Be sure to bring back your water bottles filled with coins to help support Relay for Life! Stations will be set up around the church for your convenience! Thank you in advance for all your hard work intentionally filling up and returning these bottles.
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LilburnUNITED Night of Prayer
Sunday, May 21 at 6:00 p.m. at Lilburn City Park
We are excited about joining other churches in Lilburn to come together and pray for our community with the unity of Christ.
Start spreading the word using #LILBURNUNITED on social media and learn more about our previous gatherings here: https://lilburnunited.com
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Wall of Honor
As we prepare to remember our military service veterans, this is a good time to update our Wall of Honor located on the upper hall in the education wing of the church.
If you are a veteran or on active duty and a member of MPUMC, or a regular attendee, we would love to have your photo on our Wall of Honor. Please submit a black and white 8x10 photo, preferably in uniform, to the church office by May 16, 2017. Include the branch of service, rank and dates of service and we will frame it.
Armed Forces Day is May 20 and Memorial Day is May 29
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