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Planned Giving: A joyful response to what God has done in our lives

By The Endowment Committee

If you are 70 ½ years of age or older, you must make a required minimum distribution (RMD) each year based on your life expectancy from your 401k or IRA plan.  Did you know if you direct the plan administrator to make your RMD directly to FCUMC, you pay no taxes on the distribution and the Church pays none as well?  100% of your gift can go to work for the Church without any taxes being deducted.  This can be a significant savings to you depending on your marginal income tax bracket and can help you meet your giving goals.

Also, if you name FCUMC to receive a portion or all of your 401k or IRA plan at death by a beneficiary designation on file with your plan administrator, your family pays no income tax or estate tax on that distribution and the Church receives the gift tax free as well. This is an easy and efficient legacy giving opportunity to the operating fund  or any one or more of 15 endowment funds established by the Church.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP MEALS

It's that time of year again. Kids are back in school and that means it's time for our Wednesday Night Fellowship Meals! Dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. in the Gym each Wednesday beginning on August 14 . Make your reservation  online, on worship attendance cards, or call the church office at (865) 689-5175 by noon each Tuesday. Please note: Everyone will be required to register for the fellowship meal each week. 

Adults $7 / Seniors (65+) $6

Child (5-12) $3 / Child (4 and under) Free

Household Families of up to 5 people $18 (+$1 per person thereafter)

FOUNTAIN KIDS WEDNESDAY EVENING PROGRAMMING

Mark your calendars! The Fountain Kids regular Wednesday evening programming will resume this Wednesday, August 21 for Sprouts (Pre-K), Cross-Trainers (grades K-2nd) and Kids Klub (grades 3-5) from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.  Check in at 6:20 p.m. (Cross-Trainers and Kids Club leaders are not available before 6:20 p.m. so please wait until then to drop your child off.)  Fountain Kids follows the Safe Sanctuaries policy of FCUMC. Please contact  Miss Donna with any questions. 

FOUNTAIN KIDS REQUEST

If you are upgrading your smart TV for football season, please consider donating your old smart TV to Fountain Kids. We are looking for at least 42 inches, but larger would be great. Please contact  Donna Lewis if you would like to make a donation.

YOUTH GROUP UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday Night Youth meets 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in Old Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Night Youth begins on September 8 at 6:30 p.m.

For information and sign ups for youth events, click here. See you there!

ADULT STUDIES

The following are the adult discipleship options for Wednesday nights this fall.  W e will begin our studies on Wednesday, August 28. Please join us for a class!

• Rev. Tom Ballard - Scripture & the Wesleyan Way: A Bible Study on Real Christianity by Scott Jones & Arthur Jones. Click here to sign up for the class. The cost of the book is $15 and may be added on when you register for the class. The book is also available in a Kindle version on  Amazon. Class will meet weekly August 28-November 13, except for October 9.
• Kathleen Bloom - The Realm Connection: A look at the new phone app and Church connection system with training. Apple/ iPhone classes are scheduled for August 28 and September 11, and Android classes are scheduled for September 4 and 18. Please contact the church office to register for a class.
• Melissa Coram - The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ by Kelly Minter 
• David Danford - The Bible and the Holy Land: A study about locations and biblical application of scripture

MEETING TO DISCERN INTEREST IN A TRIP TO THE HOLY LAND

On Wednesday evening,  August 21, at 6:30 p.m., following our Fellowship Meal, we will have an interest/information meeting in Wesley Hall regarding a possible fall 2020 or spring 2021 trip to the Holy Land.  Check out the Society for Biblical Studies website and then plan to attend the meeting.  Your attendance doesn't commit you to anything but is simply an opportunity to learn and to ask questions. We hope to see you there.

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LEROY HATCHER, DIRECTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL CARE IS RETIRING

We will have a retirement reception for LeRoy Hatcher on September 8 during the Sunday School hour in Wesley Hall. LeRoy is a long-time member of Fountain City UMC and as Director of Congregational Care, he has provided leadership for ministry to and with our homebound members. Please join us to celebrate LeRoy!

CELEBRATE RECOVERY - NORTH SPOTLIGHT:

HOW CR HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE

My name is Felicia.  I am the mother of three beautiful children and our family has been a part of Celebrate Recovery since May of 2018. CR has become a second home to us, and this community of faith has become our family. Celebrate Recovery has brought so much healing, restoration, love, peace, and joy into our lives. Most of all, it has renewed our minds and opened our hearts to the love, light, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. The ministry at this church has taken us from pain and drowning in chaos into freedom anchored in hope. We have learned how to trust again and build new relationships with others. I have been changed through Celebrate Recovery and my children are building steppingstones for their own futures to be able to grow up with Jesus. Knowing that no matter what they face, He is there with them. 

I am so very grateful for this ministry and we are so blessed to be a part of it. To be in a Christ-centered community and to have a safe place to come when the world falls short, which it does way too often. Celebrate Recovery North is a perman e nt part of my life now and I cannot imagine life without it!