The Disciple Newsletter
In This Issue
September Schedules
Online Giving
Ingles Cards
Addresses
Pastor John
Children's Ministry
Music Ministry
Women's Ministry
Summer Fellowships
Youth News
Missions Opportunities
Celebrate Recovery
Prayer
Celebrations
8 week study
BSF
Christmas In July
Blue Ridge District
Volunteer
Blue Ridge District Connect Conference on Sunday, September 8th at First UMC Brevard (More detail at bottom of newsletter)

October 6-Charge Conference at 2:00 at Higgins FLC
 
 
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September
 Schedule:

Sunday Snacks: 9/1-Donna Banks & Lynn Walker; 9/8-Sharon Helsher; 9/15-Sharon Honeycutt; 9/22-Renee Weeks; 9/29-Becca Leadbitter

Sunday Greeters: 9/1-Bob Drummond; 9/8-Cliff & Marshal Schoen; 9/15-Claudette Carroll; 9/22-Virginia Ray; 9/29-Glenda Cooper

Scripture Readers: 9/1-Mary Tom Aldridge; 9/8-Russ Darnall; 9/15-Erika Tyner; 9/22-Nancy Williams; 9/29-David Cort

Youth Dinners:  9/1-Peirce & Deena Bingham; 9/8- Sonya Vess & Judy Riddle; 9/15-Taube & Sheila Roy; 9/22-Ken & Lynn Walker; 9/29-Sharon  Honeycutt

Nursery Volunteers:
9/1-Nancy Smith & Kim Young; 9/8-Sonya Vess & Judy Riddle; 9/15-Sharon Honeycutt & Lynn Walker; 9/22-Barbara Bradley & Gwen Reynolds; 9/29-Ashton's

Altar Guild -Mary Ann Wampler & Becky Gillespie
Online Giving is
Now Available!
Higgins is offering online giving through EasyTithe!

Try it now, online or through the mobile app!
Please contact the office or send us an email if you have any questions.
NEW OFFICE HOURS AT HIGGINS

MONDAY - THURSDAY-8:30-4:00 
FRIDAY - 8:00 - 12 noon

Ingles Gift Cards!
Purchase Ingles Cards and 5% of the face value goes directly to Missions. It doesn't cost you anything extra! (If you purchase a $100 card, $5 will go directly to Missions and you still have $100 purchasing power). It can be used for anything at Ingles including GAS. See Stewart and Rebecca Leadbitter after Celebration service at the Welcome Desk. Sanctuary service participants please drop by the Welcome Desk before Sunday School. Thank you!  
Addresses
Some of the Higgins family may have moved, but they are still in our hearts. Send them well wishes!

College 
Gabriel Garland
101 Chestnut Street
CPO 697
Berea, KY 40404-0001

Raelin Reynolds
255 Eagle Rock Lane
Burnsville, NC 28714

Lizzie Bingham
458 Cow Branch Road
Green Mountain, NC 28740

Britney Stines
37 Summit Street
Burnsville, NC 28714

Matthew Bare
NCSSM Box #B357
1219 Broad Street
Durham, NC 27705
Att:  1st Hill, Room 120

Christopher Bare
1 Flycatcher Way - Apt 303
Arden, NC 28704

Mike & Mollie Lawrence
8713 SE Riverfront Terrace
Tequesta, FL 33469

Allen &  Bevo Peterson
491 Blackberry Drive
Mineral Bluff, GA 30559

New Address
Bev Hunsucker 
870 Oak Meadow Drive
Apt. 3332
Franklin, TN 37064
Cell: 828 230-1787
email:  bevbhuns@gmail.com

Sam & Ethel Nash
3066 Point Clear Drive
Tega Cay, SC 29708

J.P. Tabor
332 AEW/ESFS
Unit #61807
APO, AE 09321-1807

Low-impact Aerobics class on Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m. for older adults.  It is free!!!  Contact Teri Darnall at 208-1904 for more info
Men's Group 
The Thursday Morning Men's Group meets each Thursday morning at the coffee shop on Main Street from 6:30 am to 7:30 am - All men are invited to come and be part of the group. We always have a great time of  fellowship and Bible study. 

Boy Scout Troop 502
The Troop is sponsored by Higgins.  They meet each Monday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the white Annex Building behind the Family Life Center.  Open to all boys 11 and older. Scoutmaster, Brian Schwock.    

March for Jesus
September 21-
   Main Street Burnsville   9 am-2 pm
Contact Tim Autrey      284-5997 for more info

Jazz Concert with
 Brian Turner and
 Debbie Phillips
September 22
Town Center at 7:00 pm
Donations appreciated
Tom Alexander
Charity Golf
 Tournament
Mountain Air
 Country Club
October 6
19th Hole Celebration
 at 5 pm
Contact Joan Alexander
 at joanbatchelor1947
@gmail.com for more inf0
 
CALLING ALL READING BUDDIES!

Reading Buddy Description and Information - School Year 2019-2020
The Reading Buddy Program in Yancey County has been in existence since the Fall of 2013. The program operates with adult volunteers who read with struggling readers that are identified by their teachers at Blue Ridge Elementary, Burnsville Elementary and Micaville Elementary Schools.
Adults desiring to be a volunteer in the program must be able and willing to complete volunteer and background check paperwork required by Yancey County Schools. In order to complete this paperwork, contact info, social security number, driver's license number and three non-family references must be submitted on the required forms. Leigh Bennett, Coordinator of the Reading Buddy Program, has copies of the necessary paperwork and once the forms are completed by a prospective volunteer, Leigh will have the forms processed by Central Office. Once approved, Leigh will notify the volunteer and make a student assignment at the school site requested by the approved volunteer.
After a student assignment has been made, the adult volunteer will choose any two days per week to read with their assigned student for thirty minutes each visit during a time selected by the classroom teacher. Ideally, most assignments will be made by the end of September 2019; the program will conclude for the year on Friday, May 15, 2020.
Please contact Leigh Bennett at Leighb713@gmail.com or by calling 757-334-1379 with questions or for the required forms needed to be a reading buddy volunteer. Thank you for considering this ministry!
New Adult Sunday School Class

     We will be starting a young adult class on 9/15 during the Sunday school hour. The first class will be getting to know each other. Our plan is a study by Chip Ingram "Why I Believe". Come join us as we learn more about God & grow in our relationship with Him & each other.
     Sharon Honeycutt (208-9188) is working on people that will serve in the nursery & preschool classes.  

September 2019
 
Pastor John  
Do Not Worry About Your Life                                                         
Matthew 6:25 - Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat, or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?

I had the good fortune of being a youth minister at Oak Grove UMC in Decatur, Georgia while I was in seminary at Emory University in Atlanta. My office was in the old education building and I remember this scripture coming to life one morning as I looked out on the playground. That cool, fall morning the children had not gone out to play yet, but it was inhabited by a large group of birds. I am not sure what I was worrying about that day but I know I was troubled. But as I took a few quiet moments to pray, to reflect on the powerful words of Jesus I began to feel more hopeful, Jesus said it this way:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

My worries probably had something to do with money or the lack thereof! How would I come up with the tuition for the next semester? God was faithful, as He always is. But I had some lessons to learn about trusting God to supply what I needed to do His will. How about you?

Do you ever have a hard time trusting the Lord to supply what you need, or to answer a prayer, or to give you clear guidance about solving a difficult problem? I have learned that if I take my worries to the Lord in prayer it's amazing how time in his presence, can transform me from anxious to peaceful. It doesn't necessarily mean the problem is solved immediately but I am reminded that he who created the heavens and the earth, who gave me life, and gives me eternity through our risen savior is completely capable of taking care of any problem I encounter . Jesus said :

Matthew 6:27    Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

Well of course worrying will not prolong your life and there is certainly an argument to be made it can actually shorten your life by the misery it causes.  So in September take some time to prayerfully watch the birds. We have always had a bird feeder and enjoy our feathered friend's visits. Let them be a daily reminder to not worry about our lives but to let this be a day that I will grow in my trust in the Lord .
                                                                                                                                     Grace and Peace
                                                                                                                                       Pastor John                                                                                                                                                           
Children's Ministry
Kids Ministry - The Twelve




Well, twelve seemed to be the God-chosen number this summer.

We finished the Living Inside Out year with twelve kids. We saw a lot of growth in those twelve in areas of discipleship and service. On the last day, we held a fun carnival for the residents of the Yancey House Assisted Living, where the kids let the love of God shine through them.

In June, July and August we had six Wet, Wild and Wonderful Wednesday field trips and we had twelve kids participate. We were able to have really meaningful impromptu conversations that pointed kids to Jesus while we played together.

We started a new Kids Ministry called Celebration Place on Wednesday evenings during Celebrate Recovery and we have had twelve elementary-aged kids attending that. Because we have wonderful young women as paid interns we have been able to separate the kids by age so we can teach them at their developmental levels and build good relationships. Many of these kids do not go to church anywhere, so Celebration Place is critical for their Christian growth and to help them learn strategies so they can break unhealthy family cycles and not fall into harmful habits.

Then we took twelve middle school-aged kids on the First Annual Middle School Retreat, with five amazing young people as Jr. Leaders helping Jake and Jordan and myself build relationships, disciple, play games, and help transition the kids into our Youth Group.

How appropriate that Jesus also focused on discipling only twelve.


This is my 30th year in Kids/Youth Ministry and in those 30 years I've learned that twelve is an ideal number for real discipleship.

I think for too long the Church has followed the public-school model of trying to manage the greatest number of kids with the fewest number of teachers and we have seen kids leaving the church in droves once they are old enough to decide for themselves.  

It's time to return to the Biblical model of discipleship - Older Christians mentoring younger ones with a very small mentor-to-student ratio, like Jesus did. If teaching in a large group was the most effective model, Jesus would have spent most of his time doing that. However, Jesus chose to spend only a small proportion of His time teaching in that way, and He was never stressed about not reaching enough people. He knew His (not perfect) disciples would make more disciples and those disciples would make more and so on.

The first century Church grew that way. Under intense persecution, without buildings or staff, Christianity grew from about 0.0017 percent of the population of the Roman Empire to 10 percent of the population in just 300 years. The Christians of the First Century took seriously Jesus' teaching to love God more than anything else and love your neighbor as you love yourself. They loved people into the Kingdom - very often young people. (Ramsey MacMullen, Christianizing the Roman Empire).
We are in need of volunteers to help our children's ministry keep growing and effectively making disciples. Please prayerfully consider volunteering in one of the following areas. Many of the positions can be shared with others or are only monthly. We will have two training sessions on Tuesday, September 3rd - one at 3:00 and one at 5:30.
Kids Ministry Volunteer Opportunities
  • Sunday Morning
    • Nursery (8:30 & 10:00)
    • Preschool Sunday School teacher (10:00)
    • Elementary Sunday School teacher (10:00)
    • Living Inside Out After-School (Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 3:00-5:00, during the school year)
      • Van Driver (Need two every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 2:30-3:00)
      • Van Monitor (Need two every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 2:30-3:00)
      • Snack Coordinators (Every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 2:30-3:00)
      • Tuesday Mentors (3:00-5:00)
      • Thursday Mentors (3:00-5:00)
      • Wednesday Craft Coordinator (3:00-5:00)
      • Wednesday Craft/Music Helper (3:00-5:00)
      • Wednesday Evening Celebration Place
        • Nursery (6:00 - 8:30)
        • Preschool Leader (6:00 - 8:30)
        • K-3 Leader (6:00 - 8:30)
        • MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) - Third Thursday of Each Month, 10:00 - noon
          • Mom's mentor
          • Childcare Helper
Remember that most decisions to follow Jesus are made by people between the ages of 4 and 14.
Please pray regularly and fervently for us and give generously to the work we are doing for the Kingdom of God - it's crucial!

Kim Garland at kgarland@higgins-umc.com or 682-2835

Music Ministry




 
Women's Ministry

The ABIDE Women's Ministry invites all ladies of Yancey County to their next event on Friday, September 27, 2019. Join us at 6:00 pm in the Family Life Center at Higgins UMC for a delicious meal, a fun, silent auction and information on a new ministry opportunity!   Mrs. Stephynia Limongello, Vice President of the CHARIS Children's Foundation, will share with us the purpose and goals of this Christ-centered, family focused, community driven children's foundation in our county.

Transportation to the event and child care are available upon request. Please RSVP to Kathy Williams at Kwilliams@higgins-umc.com or call the church office at 828-682-2835. We look forward to sharing this event with you!

Fall Festival of Faith
Wednesdays September 4-October 23

Make plans to join in a blessed time of Fellowship. Meals will be served with help of volunteers.  Pastor John will be leading a Bible study on the book of Daniel.  Youth and children's  programs will be led by Jake and Jordan Honeycutt  and Kim Garland.

MEALS ARE FREE WITH DONATIONS APPRECIATED. The Family Life Committee is requesting volunteers to help plan a menu and prepare or purchase meals (you will be reimbursed), help with serving and clean-up. If you'd be willing to help please signup at Welcome Wagon or call/text Donna Woodie at 828 442-2232 
Thank you all for being in service to Christ.
Bus Fund
We are enjoying our new bus, but would love some help with our bus fund!  We still owe $34,331 on the bus and the monthly payment is $781.35.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could possibly pay one payment or any donation would be appreciated.  This has been a huge blessing for our church and we are very grateful to use this with the youth, children, etc.  
 

Mission Opportunities
A missions service opportunity for you
   at Higgins UMC...     
 
Community Love Local Mission Project
Reconciliation House Expansion
 
In May we had a pledge drive to sign up volunteers for this "local mission" project to help construct a much needed addition to Reconciliation House. We had a great response to filling out pledge cards and now is the time for you to follow through!
Higgins will be using our "Community Love" ministry to organize volunteers of all ages to help when appropriate in September and beyond. Skills used in typical mission trip construction projects are needed. Feeding volunteers are needed as well as construction skills, so anyone can be involved.
If you have not already done so, please complete the "Community Love Signup" survey form; that way we will know what skills you have, what days of the week work best for you to volunteer, and how you would like for us to contact you when jobs are ready for volunteer labor. Community Love Signup sheets are  available at the FLC Welcome Wagon, in the church office and online. Please return the completed forms to the office, Jim Swaim, Ray Strickland    or Paul Bradley.
Construction work for the foundation has begun! Don't miss your opportunity to 
serve Christ right across the street. Thanks!


Celebrate Recovery

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Prayer Ministry
Your prayers are greatly appreciated
You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 
- 2 Corinthians 1:11
  • SHUT-IN'S: Doyce McClure, Deena Bingham, Faye Skiff, Pete Hensley, Estelle Sheldon, hospice and Jerry Helsher
  • Karen Trimble, hip replacement
  • Mary Anne Deaton, broken foot
  • Donna Kay - chest pains
  • Dennis Webster - passing out
  • Emmy Wells, cancer (cousin of Pat Terrell - 6 years old)
  • Tonya Mease, breast cancer
  • Brooke Payne, health issues (niece of Marcia Schoen)
  • Jackie Laferia, health issues (friend of Barbara Blankenship)
  • Bob Proffitt, home- health issues
  • Ada Lee Hipps, health issues
  • Bill Riddle, health issues
  • Miranda Renfro, health issues
  • Leslie Wisch, cancer (friends of the Trimble's)
  • Marcia Schoen, facial spasms and trigeminal neuralgia
  • Jack and Betsy Myers - health issues
  • Shelly Headen (daughter of Ron & Lucy Kates) health issues
  • William Barnwell, colon cancer (Donna Bank's step-dad) 
  • Bobby Jack & Shirley McAllister, health issues
  • Rhonda McCall, missionary to Ukraine
  • The Kohman Family, CRU missionaries
  • Your church staff
  • Dr. John Fowler and his wife, Liz
  • Jonathan Taylor, U.S. Army (grandson of Charles & Nancy Williams)
  • J. P. Tabor, U.S. Air Force 
  • Captain John T. Bennett, U.S. Army  
  • Michael Bingham, U.S. Marine 
  • Ellis Jackson, U.S. Navy
  • Logan Eckert, U.S. Navy
  • FOR OUR NATION/LEADERS
  • Our students in college and grad school
  • For children in foster care and foster parents
  • Pray for those who don't know Jesus.
  • Pray for those looking for a job/employment.
  • Pray for caregivers: Those caring for the elderly, parents, children, etc.
Prayer on the Square
September 8, 2019- Sunday from 4-5 pm across from the Nu Wray Inn. --If the weather is bad, the prayer time will be held in the Family Life Center at Higgins in the classroom next to the kitchen.
Celebrations
September Birthdays
9/01   Vic Hewitt                                                           9/16  Mason Honeycutt
9/01   Daniel Pinho                                                       9/16  Forrest McCall
9/03   David Bush                                                         9/17  Jonah Creech
9/03   Rebecca Hollady                                                9/17  Melissa Wahlers
9/04   Barbara Blankenship                                          9/19  Emily Boone
9/04   Patti Crain                                                           9/19  Dorothy Ley
9/04   Sandi Hogan                                                       9/20  Lily Henkel
9/04   Louise McClure - 90th birthday                       9/20  Ada Lee Hipps
9/06   Shane Fadden                                                    9/21  Andy Bare
9/07   Ashley Aldridge                                                   9/21  Christopher Bare
9/07   Nancy Soffe                                                         9/21  Linda Dahl
9/08   Barry Munyan                                                      9/23  Raelin Reynolds
9/12   Ricky Bingham                                                     9/24  Elizabeth Westall
9/13   Janet Hepburn                                                     9/25  Nancy Williams
9/13   Pat Hepburn                                                        9/26  Bob Proffitt
9/13   Drew Weeks                                                        9/28  Tyler Dunn
             
September Anniversaries
9/18  Jim & Keitha Swaim
9/20  David & Britney Stines
9/30  Stewart & Becca Leadbitter
8 week study
Parents in our community are crying out for some help. Parenting is the hardest job and we need each other and God to help us do it.

We have purchased all of the materials to start a new 8-week small group to help us along this parenting journey, but we need a facilitator. We would like to offer this study on an evening other than Wednesday, so that parents who are involved in Celebrate Recovery could be a part of this small group.  

Don't feel like a parenting expert? That's okay. This small-group series includes everything you need to build a community of parents who can share the journey. As a group leader, you will be equipped with all the tools you need to guide parents in making faith core to their parenting with intentional, biblical instruction and Christ-centered plans that "aim children's hearts toward God." Parents will finish the study with renewed confidence in parenting, fresh insights on parenting children of different ages, and a parenting plan unique to each child's personality and gifts.

This 8-session, video-based study is designed to not only help parents find new ways to integrate faith into everyday parenting moments, but also to create an environment where moms and dads can shoulder burdens together, celebrate breakthroughs, and relate to one another's day to day parenting journey.

Please, prayerfully consider facilitating this 8-week study. You could do it in your own home or at the church and we can offer childcare at the church. Contact Kim Garland for the materials and more information.

Bible Study Fellowship
Men's Evening Class in Burnsville begins
Tuesday, September 10th at 6:55
Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church.
 
"Acts and Letters of the Apostles"
September 2019 through May 2020
 
Overview
"Acts and Letters of the Apostles" captures the joys and sorrows of first generation Christians for 30 years after Jesus ascended to heaven. It describes the Holy Spirit's empowering of their mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the world.
 
Books:   Acts, 1 Peter, Hebrews, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians and James.
 
What is Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)?
BSF Men's classes offer straight talk and biblical truth built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Every week, men 18 years of age and older come together to study the Bible, learn from one another and be challenged and encouraged to live for something larger than themselves.

You are Welcome to Attend!   Whether you are discovering God's Word for the first time or have studied the Bible over a lifetime, come join us for an in-depth study of the Bible. If you would like more information, contact John Bennett at (828) 678-1805 or Rich Eten at (828) 284-5260 or go to the website  www.bsfinternational.org. 
Christmas in July
Thank you to everyone that participated in and/or donated to Higgins' Christmas In July 2019.  This year we set a goal to purchase 60 duffle  bags for the Foster children of Yancey County.  As a church we wanted to end the necessity of someone handing a child, specifically, a trashbag to pack their belongings when they must be removed from their family's home or when they must be moved from one Foster facility to another.  This can be further damaging to children who have already suffered neglect or abuse. 
 
On Sunday, July 28th our Higgins family came together for our annual Christmas In July breakfast and also donated toward this worthy goal.  In fact, those in attendance were so generous that the Missions team was able to purchase 79 duffel  bags and 51 blankets specifically for the foster children of Yancey County!  The proceeds for this fundraiser was $3013.72!  
 
The duffle bags and blankets were delivered to Yancey County Department of Social Services on Monday, 8/26/19 and will now be used as needed. 
 
Thank you again for the love and generosity that you continue to show these children.
 
Blue Ridge District

    








   
Volunteer Programs


 
Women's Retreat at High Pastures