Thoughts from Pastor Angelo... |
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Dear Church Family,
The summer months have given us much to celebrate and be thankful for as a community. Throughout this newsletter, you will have the opportunity to hear these stories and see some pictures giving testimony to the work God is doing in our midst. I want to encourage you to take some time to read the celebrations offered by our ministry areas, as well as pay special attention to any announcements you might see about exciting things happening around the corner.
While the summer has been great, I can’t wait to share in these next few months with you. Throughout the rest of the year each month will have a special missional focus that we will invite you to participate in. In August we will host Priscilla Gileyenah, our missionary in Liberia, to talk about the work she is doing and how our efforts have helped her important work. In September we will pack shoe boxes to be sent to people in need in Armenia for Christmas. In October we will welcome the Rev. Dr. Bruce Stanley to our church. He serves as the director for the United Methodist Home for Children in North Carolina and also happens to be one of the best preachers I know. Then in November and December we will focus on our major annual missions such as the Thanksgiving bags and the Christmas Extravaganza.
Our missional impact will be great, but that’s not all we got going on! We will also celebrate a Homecoming Sunday in September with Pastor David Hallowell preaching, and our Wednesday night Bible Study will focus on the book of Revelation. You can sign up for Bible Study at this link: https://forms.gle/zJKZhGrutqkS6WVe7. I’ve already named so much, and that’s just a little taste of what is to come. I am so thankful for each of you and the way you support the ministry of this church.
Lastly, I want to invite you to be sure to look at the financial update included in this newsletter, along with the special message written by Leigh Parker, who serves as our finance chair. As always we are thankful for your faithfulness in giving. The summer months have put us a bit behind where we hoped to be at this time of year. We are the church we are because we are all in this together. So I just want to invite you to consider how you might be able to help us meet some of this financial gap.
I thank God for each of you and I am looking forward to all that is to come!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Angelo
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Greeting Church Family from the Finance Committee!
I would like to start off with a big THANK YOU to Jim Timmons for his faithful leadership
of the church finances for the past five plus years. We so appreciate your service Jim
and look forward to seeing where God is leading you in your next phase.
I would also like to thank you, the church body, for your faithfulness and generosity
toward Wrightsboro. Without your support we would not be able to operate at the
capacity in which we do, such as our wonderful worship services, the many missions and
outreach projects we support, as well as the general monthly expenses of the church.
However, we have been trending in the red for most months of 2022 meaning our
expenses have been more than our tithes and offerings. This does not come as a total
surprise as the church leadership voted to increase expenses in certain areas to allow
for the growth we hope to see – growth not only in numbers but more importantly in
our spiritual walks and closeness to our Lord. If you are not already doing so I invite you
to consider tithing to Wrightsboro as we endeavor as a church to make a positive impact
for God in our community, our country and around the world. Malachi 3:10 reminds us
that if we will but bring our tithes to the Lord He will bless us so abundantly we will not
be able to take it all in. Let us be faithful to God that we may in turn be a blessing to
others in His name.
As always, financial information is available in the church office or by request.
For the month of July 2022:
Total funds taken in: $25,927.68
Total funds spent paying bills: $26,531.58
Deficit for end of month ($603.90)
Our current mortgage payout is $319,600.51
Apportionments are paid at this time.
Thank you again for your faithfulness in supporting Wrightsboro as we strive to be the
hands and feet of Christ.
Leigh Parker
Finance Chair
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MISSIONS AND OUTREACH
MISSIONS
Things are really busy with our missions and outreach, We recently delivered five large boxes to the MERCI warehouse for our Liberian ministry. Boxes contained clothes, birthing kits and sewing kits. While there we helped pack the first Armenian Christmas shoe boxes.
Please put August 24 on your calendar for a big event at WUMC. We are hosting a missionary from Liberia. We will have dinner at 5:30, fellowship with each other, and then hear about the work going on at the Ganta Station in Liberia. Some of you might remember Priscilla; she visited us a few years ago. Bill Haddock will be bringing her and you will have an opportunity to visit with him. We promise you a delicious meal and a fun evening.
The free yard sale continues to be a big success. Those who come to the food pantry on Wednesday can shop for clothes, household items, books, etc. Thank you for your donations
WRIGHTSBORO COMMUNITY BLOCK PARTY
The annual block party will be held in the parking lot of Wrightsboro Elementary School on August 27 from 10:00am til 2:00 pm. This is a joint effort of several churches in our community and will feature free food, free school supplies and free back-to-school haircuts. There will also be face painting, a magician, snow cones , free yard sale, and much more. If you would like to be part of this fun event, come out to the school around 9:00.
EPICUREAN EVENT
The annual fundraiser for the Methodist Home for Children will be held at UNC Wilmington on Sept 8. We have purchased a table and still have a couple of seats available. This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for MHC. The best chefs in Wilmington will be preparing the food and there will be a silent auction of many different things. It is also a good chance to learn more about the incredible work done by the MHC for the children in our area and across the state.
WUMC has always been a supporter of MHC. Recently we furnished 30 backpacks filled with school supplies for the children in foster care. We also support the half-way house in Lumberton with gifts for the kids and treats for the "treat closet". These are teenagers who have been taken off the street or from abusive home situations and given a chance to succeed in life.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Our toy drive in July was a huge success. Thank you for the many wonderful toys you donated for the Christmas Extravaganza to be held Dec. 4. We will continue to accept toy donations until Dec. 1. This is one of our biggest ministries of the year and helps struggling families have a Merry Christmas.
ARMENIAN AGAPE SHOE BOXES
We will soon be filling Christmas shoe boxes for the children of Armenia. The NCCUMC is the only supporter of Armenia. It is the oldest Christian country in the world and is constantly having to defend itself. There will be a list of needed items in the office.. They were recently at war and suffered a great damage in lives and property. None of the charitable organizations venture into Armenia because they feel it is a disputed country. Please help us to fill boxes for these children who have so little.
MEALS ON WHEELS
Meals on Wheels continue on the first Saturday of each month. They are picked up and delivered to shut-ins in our community by volunteers from churches and other organizations. There is always a need for drivers
ERT TRAINING
We are trying to set a date for ERT training. The instructor has been out of town and we have had several dates conflict with personal schedules. There will be more info soon. This is a very important issue because our area is vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding and the need for first responders is great.
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CROCHET AND KNITTING FELLOWSHIP
The Crochet and Knitting Fellowship group meets every other Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall from 9:30 am until 11:30 am. Our next meeting is Tuesday, August 30. We are having fun working on our individual WIP's (works in progress), showing what we have completed, and sometimes sharing patterns. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, crochet, knit with needles or loom knit, we have a chair waiting just for you. Please bring your project and join us! Bring a friend! We look forward to seeing you.
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YOUTH GROUP
The Youth will begin meeting on Wednesdays at 5:30pm in the Education Building. Youth in 6th grade through 12th grade are invited to attend. We will begin planning for Pilgrimage in November. If you have any questions, email Pastor Angelo at angelo@wrightsboroumc.org and we will set up a time to chat!
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WRIGHTSBORO UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH
United Women in Faith meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Our next meeting will be September 8th. In conjunction with Crafty Friday, we have created a candy cake for the silent auction at the Methodist Home for Children Epicurean Dinner. We also contributed to the back packs for the Methodiest Home for Children. We are planning events for the rest of 2022 and into 2023. For questions and further information contact Eva Czepiel lefty1210@atmc.net
The Wrightsboro UMW participates in the national UMW Reading Program. To complete the Reading Program you must read one title from each of 5 categories. We have purchased 15 titles to add to our collection and several are children’s books. The books are located in the Welcome Center and a list of titles in our collection is available, including titles that can be borrowed from the NC Digital Library.
Eyeglasses: The UMW is collecting eyeglasses to take to the Merci Center in Goldsboro. If you have old eyeglasses that you never wear, consider donating them and place them in the basket provided in the Welcome Center.
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UNITED METHODIST MEN
The UM Men will be meeting on Sunday, September 11th at 8:00am in the Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited to join them for breakfast.
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WRIGHTSBORO CHILDREN'S MINISTRY UPDATES
VBS- MAKE WAVES
This year's VBS was a huge success. We had over 30 kids come through our doors to learn about and experience God’s love. The Wrightsboro Kids Ministry would like to say thank you to all those who gave to our cause and/or volunteered their time to make this annual event happen. God’s love certainly rippled through this special week. Kids made waves by buying 3 cows for our mission, learning and memorizing scriptures, and making friendships with one another! It's been a great week and we are so thankful for our church family who made it happen.Join us as we continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to work in these children’s hearts and to grow their faith in Jesus. We look forward to next year’s VBS.
BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY
We would like to extend an invitation to the entire church family to join us for a very special service on Sunday August 28 during our 10am service when we will have a back to school prayer for all the students and teachers that will be returning to school in the Fall. We invite the kids and school support staff to bring their book (or work) bags to service with them so that we may lay hands on them and offer up a special prayer to send them into this new school year. Each participant will receive a keychain to put on their bag to remind them of God’s and Wrightsboro UMC’s love for them.
In addition a few of our children will be receiving Bibles. If you have a rising kindergarten or 3rd grader please contact Hannah to speak about getting your child a Bible.
WRIGHTSBORO KIDS PARK PARTY
Wrightsboro Kids Ministry team is happy to announce that we will be having a PARK PARTY on Saturday September 17 from 10am-12p at Northern Regional Park. The park party is a lot of fun and kids should plan to bring their parents, friends, and neighbors to enjoy the festivities. A few snacks, drinks, and activities will be provided. All are invited to come hang out with our church family, for some outdoor fun and fellowship. Please feel free to reach out to Hannah if you have any questions about this event.
CHILDREN'S CHURCH
Children’s Church is currently being offered for ages 3 years through 5th grade during 10:00am worship. Children will begin worship with their family. After the Children’s Moment, a leader will take the children out of service to the yellow room for a Bible lesson. For the safety of our children, parents are asked to come retrieve their child(ren) after the service from the green room in the children’s wing, promptly following the service.
Last spring the Children's Ministry announced that we have started a new curriculum during our Children’s Church time. During this time the Children will have fun singing songs, hearing a Bible lesson, doing age-appropriate games, crafts, and playing in different stations. For our families who worship from home, GO! Provides us with a Parent Portal which you can access here. The Parent Portal provides access to the weekly video we use with our lesson. This GO+ video platform features the “Journey Today Show.” Join the JTS crew in this fun-filled show uniquely designed to be an interactive experience that leads kids towards faith in Jesus. With built in Bible reading and discussion, each episode has as much learning as laughter. It’s a hilarious way to help kids learn and grow whether at church, at home, or on the go, the kids in children’s church have truly enjoyed it so far. Again we are so excited to be expanding our children’s ministry and we pray that these new resources will help our families connect deeper to each other and their faith.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Here at Wrightsboro we have a wonderful Sunday school class. Sunday School runs from 9:00-9:45 am and is held in the yellow room in the main building. This class is geared towards 4 year olds through 5th grade. During this time the kids get to enjoy a multimedia experience, readings from the Bible and application activities. We are very excited about our Sunday School time with Ms Mary and hope you will come to check it out. For the safety of our children, parents are asked to come retrieve their child(ren) before the 10am service from their children’s perspective classrooms.
If you have any questions regarding our Sunday School hour or would like to volunteer in any way please reach out to Hannah.
UPCOMING EVENTS
8/24- Liberian Missionary Dinner- Childcare will be available
8/28- Back to School Sunday-
9/17- Park Party- 10am-12p at Northern Regional Park
10/30- Annual Trunk-or-Treat- more information to come
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FOOD PANTRY
With our partnerships and your generous donations, we provided food for 400-600 people each month. If you know of anyone in need, please let them know we are open on Wednesday from 8:30-10:00am and Thursday from 4:30-5:30pm. If you are interested in helping, please see Alfred Jarvis or Claudia Campese.
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CRAFTY FRIDAY
Crafty Friday meets on Friday at 9:30AM. We invite you to join us you don’t have to be crafty and you bring your own project as it is as much about the fellowship as it is about the project.
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A word about our “lending “ Library….
You can find it just inside the Welcome Center, on the right. The white shelves are filled with interesting reads. Nothing to fill out. Take a book or two, read, enjoy, then return, and chose another. It’s that easy! The top two shelves have some new books. So if you’re a regular check out those shelves first. Finish out the summer with a leisurely read!
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CHURCH HISTORY
Reading about the history of our church is interesting and educational. Below is a small article taken from the Celebrating 50 Years 1958-2008 booklet.
The Rose Window
The round stained glass window over the front of the church is a tribute to a man and his hard work. For over a year, Mr. Bill Goodrum collected, crushed and sold aluminum cans, to pay for the window.
Bill and a neighbor, Mrs. Ginny Drake and members of the church came up with the idea "cans for a rose window." Bill crushed the 66,600 aluminum cans brought to him by neighbors and friends. He often said this job was therapy for him between weekly chemo treatment and he found enjoyment in his work for the Lord. The amount collected for the cans ($600) paid for the “rose window”. Bill continued to crush cans and hauled them to Reynolds Aluminum Recycle Trailer. The money was used for other church needs.
When the light shines through the “rose window” at the Sunday worship hour, it’s as if the Lord looks down on Bill and says “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”
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Prayer Chain
Have a prayer concern?
Who do you contact?
Email the church office and we will email it out to the Prayer Chain. Note that the Prayer Chain is a different list from those receiving this Newsletter. If you would like to be on the Prayer Chain email list, contact the church office. Just remember that you are committing to pray for the members of our church and their family and friends.
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APP & Website
Wrightsboro UMC has an APP! it can be found in the app store of our phone or tablet. We also have a new website.
www.wrightsboroumc.org
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Like us on FACEBOOK
or
Follow us on INSTAGRAM
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August Birthdays & Anniversaries
23 Becky Marshburn
26 Sharon Brewington
28 Austin Sanchez
30 Betsy Casey
30 Emma Eastmond
17 Jim & Suzanne Timmons
20 Brandon & Laura Clark
24 Charles & Kim Harrell
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The 2022 Flower Chart, found on bulletin board in hallway, is now available. If you would like to have an arrangement grace our altar area in honor or memory of someone just go and sign up on the chart. You can also contact Suzanne at 762-2583. The cost is $49.00.
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