What a wonderful Lent and Easter season we had! If you decided to participate in a Lenten discipline I hope it was rewarding and special for you. If you added something I hope you keep doing it. Just because Easter Sunday has come and gone don't let that be a reason to stop doing something that's wonderful and beneficial to you. Keep doing it!

With that in mind, I want to share with you another wonderful and beneficial thing we have added to our worship here at NFUMC that we are going to keep doing. We have been enjoying one worship service in the Sanctuary over the past few months during the Upward Basketball season for both spiritual togetherness and to be good stewards financially. After assessing the benefits of worshiping together, plus the financial savings and much prayer, we will continue to worship as the body of Christ together every Sunday morning at 11am in the Sanctuary. The proposed savings over a year is close to $30,000 and with our giving declining yearly this is substantial. We are close to hiring a new Director of Music Ministry and that person will help us as we go forward with offering God the best worship we can. The author of Hebrews reminds us that we are not to stop worshiping together and the Psalmist reminds us how we are to worship in word and song and with instruments of all kinds. This will be our goal each and every Sunday with our wonderful choir singing each week and our talented praise team leading in music each week as well. Some Sundays will be more traditionally led depending on specific, yearly special Sundays. Our youth will continue singing throughout the year and we hope to have our children's choir sing more often in the near future. In addition, we are working on having a special, monthly contemporary worship style service on a Sunday evening that will be led by our praise team. There will be more information on that later in April.

I heard this past week that some people said they will leave the church if we continue to worship together like this. That breaks my heart and deeply saddens me. Our purpose on this earth includes worshiping God and praising Him in every way possible and that is what we are doing.

I am excited about what God is doing here at NFUMC, uniting us for one purpose. I hope you will join me in praying for the worship of God here and all of the wonderful ministries we offer. May God continue to bless us as we strive to continue to be a blessing to others both inside and outside the church.

Remember, God loves you and so do I.

 

-Pastor Eddie

Stephen Ministry

Sometimes we just need someone to listen. Stephen Ministers are lay members of the congregation who have received over 50 hours of training in how to listen empathetically, non-judgmentally, and
most important, lovingly with the heart of Christ. We all go through so many changes and situations in our lifetime: retirement, involuntary job loss, death of a family member, diagnosis of a serious illness, depression. And often during those times we don't need or want someone telling us what to do, but to
hear us as we talk about how these situations have affected us, wounded us, changed us, or even provided new opportunities. If you feel that you could use a friend to care and to listen, to encourage, and pray with you and for you (at your request), please know that we are available for you. For more information, contact  Rev. Brenda Westmoreland -  bwestmoreland2583@att.net  or Murlene Dubay at  770-449-1478 .

Tuesday April 10 | 9:30am

All women of the church are welcome to join -we meet at the church to

carpool to Gibbs Gardens. Cost is $20 to tour the garden, or $16 if we get a group of more than 10. Contact Diane Walker at 

770-361-1024 or dianemariewalker@msn.com if you are interested! 

 

Open to anyone who has graduated High School through 28 years. The group meets Sundays in Room 202 at 12:30 pm. Please contact Sandra Hunter for more details.

Weekly Bible Study: Monday nights at 7:15pm in room 202.