August 17, 2020
MESSAGE FROM RICKY

​Dear Friends,

It was wonderful to see people inside the building for worship once again this past Sunday. While worship still looks different (with masks and social distancing) its a tangible reminder of the presence of Christ in the gathered community. 

Thank you to our staff and volunteers who helped to make everything on our first day back run so smoothly. We of course learned a lot and will undoubtedly make some small tweaks each week as we open back up. If you weren't able to join us, be sure to sign up using the link below or call the church office to reserve your spot!

Of course, 9 a.m. isn't the only option, as we continue to worship at 10:00 a.m. with our online service as well. And, if you missed that, our online worship is available at your convenience all week long through our facebook page and website. 

As you may recall, we will hold this new in-person worship for four weeks and then begin to expand capacity and add more worship times. But no worries if you're not ready to return, we will continue to broadcast online!

Whatever form you choose, I hope you make it a priority to begin your week in worship with us as we praise God together!

Grace and Peace,
Ricky
SUNDAY CHAPEL REGISTRATION
We are now entering into a re-opening phase which will be a 45 minute Sunday Chapel Service. This service will have limited attendance with social distance seating arrangements. A maximum of 100 people may attend. During check-in distancing will be observed.

To be able to operate under the current COVID guidelines / restrictions we need to know in advance who will be attending our services. This registration process enables us to:
  • Ensure we remain within the building’s capacity restraints.
  • Comply with record keeping so that we can undertake contact tracing if required.

Please CLICK on the registration button to attend on August 23.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this phase of re-opening in-person services.
Sunday School via Zoom
The following adult Sunday School classes are meeting on Sunday mornings:

The Beginnings 
Leader: Pam Stuart
Primarily ages 50 and older, married or single, working or retired, but ALL ages are welcome. 

The Differents
Leader: David Langston and Sandra Rushing 
Ages range from 35 to 85.

Faith and Fellowship
Leader: Anna Prestwood 
Ages range from mid 30s- mid 50s 

​The Redwoods
​Leader: Jonathan Pennington
All ages and stages. 

The Upper Room
Leader: Tim Waltman
Ages 20-retirement; couples and singles. 

If you would like to connect with a class, want more information,
or if you need a tutorial on using Zoom, contact Sharonda at Sharonda@firstmethodistclinton.org
MUSIC NOTES
Sunday Chapel Service
As we ease back into live worship we will still not be able to do any congregational singing just yet. But there will be plenty of music in the services. Yesterday was a test run as we attempt to figure out where we need to tweak the service in order to better serve our congregation. I know that we all long for the day when we can resume choirs and orchestra along with congregational singing, but we must first take these baby steps to insure the safety of all of our church family. We ask for your patience and I also welcome your comments and suggestions as we venture back into in person worship again. 

Have a wonderful week and I'll see you all in live worship and/or virtual worship next Sunday!

In His Service,
Tommy
ANNOUNCEMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
WEEKDAY MINISTRIES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Submitted by Jamie Steadman

HOURLY CHILD CARE POSITION / JOB OPENING
Individuals will work with K through 5th grade children on a daily basis Monday through Friday 2-6pm. Applications are available at the church office M-Friday during regular office hours.

SCHOOL SUPPLY DONATIONS
Submitted by Jamie Steadman

We are so excited to welcome our K-5 students back on campus. Our Weekday Ministries Program for grades K-5 will be providing care for our students for longer periods of time each day this school year. The students will be separated into small “classes”. With the smaller class group size, we are needing to add to our supply and activity cabinets. To address this, we have created an Amazon Wish List to share our needs with both our students' families as well as our church family. Please click the link below and view our list. You can simply purchase what you would like and the list will automatically update for us. Your purchases will ship directly to us. Thank you in advance for helping us through this difficult time!
YOUTH MINISTRY
YOUTH WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Youth large group and small groups are on meeting via Zoom! In our first series of the semester, Explained, we are taking a closer look at the documents that make up the Bible, why we trust them, how we use them and why we believe they can be trusted. This study is designed for students to build a strong foundation for personal Bible study.

Below is the youth weekly schedule and small group leaders! If your student needs to be connected to a group please email Hunter Lacefield for information on how to join in this week!

United Night via Zoom Sundays @ 4:00pm
SCHEDULE
4:00-4:10 // Log-on/hangout time
4:10-4:15 // Prayer and announcements
4:15-4:30 // Message
4:30-5:30 // Small Groups in break out rooms

Small Group Leaders
HS Boys // Jake Craft and Hunter Lacefield
JH Boys // Christian Sutherland and Jake Clarke
HS Girls // Amanda Pennington, Jenna Miller, Olivia Roberts, Rachel Rogers
JH Girls // Rachel Townsend, Shreve Bland, Shelby Dean, Anna Prestwood
HANGOUT WITH HUNTER
I will be "in the office" at Cups Espresso Cafe located at 101 West Main Street from 4p-7p every Monday and Tuesday for the month of August.

Students or parents are free to call or text and schedule a time to come meet with me during these times! Be sure to bring a mask!

Also, as always, I am available to set up zoom or FaceTime meetings as well!

- Hunter
BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS 2020
PRAYERS FOR A SAFE & BLESSED SCHOOL YEAR!
CONGREGATIONAL CARE
SHARE YOUR REQUEST
Our church continues to serve our congregation and community during this season. If you have a prayer request or if you, or someone you know, has a need complete a short request form (click on button). These requests will be reviewed by our Pastoral team.

Please review the prayer list download. If you would like to add to the prayer list please continue to use our digital form for submission which can be accessed by clicking on the link in this email or on our website.

Pastoral Care Line 601-460-0570
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
August 2020
August 2: $23,611
August 9: $24,409
August 16: $20,158
Total Giving: $68,178


July 2020
July Giving: $73,144
Other Income: $6,399
Total Income: $79,543
July Expenses: $102,240
July Deficit: ($22,697)


2020 Year to Date
Through July
​​YTD Giving: $602,754
Other Income: $65,428
YTD Total Income: $668,182
YTD Expenses: $733,479
YTD Deficit: ($65,297)
Thank You For Your Continued Generosity!
Missed last week? You can catch up online!
August Sermon Series: The Waiting
Waiting is the hardest part life- even when we know what’s coming, and especially when we don’t. We’ve been doing a lot of waiting this year, and may have to wait a bit more, so what do we do? One thing is to look to scripture and draw strengths from the stories of God’s people who waited in hope, through prayer, and for the dawn of a new day.

August 9- Psalm 130, “Waiting for the Morning”
The Psalmist declares, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits.” The psalmist goes on to describe this waiting like a watchman looking for the dawn. In the meantime, he commits himself to studying God’s word, showing us that the strength to wait is grounded in the promises of God.

August 16- Genesis 15:2-6, “Waiting for a Sign”
When he was 75, Abraham is told by God that he will have a son. As the years (Decades) go by, he begins to doubt that God will come through on that promise. He begins to make other plans, assuming that God hasn’t forgotten, until one night God gives him a sign he’ll never forget.

August 23- John 11:1-44, “Waiting in our Grief”
When Lazarus gets sick, his sisters Mary and Martha leap into action. Faced with illness and death they do all they can, even calling out to Jesus for help. None of it work and Lazarus dies. As they wait in their grief, Jesus comes and weeps with them. But that is not where the story ends.

August 30- Acts 1:6-14, “Waiting for What’s Next”
At the Ascension of Jesus, he tells the disciples to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to give them power and direction. They return home and commit themselves to prayer. But as they tarry, someone gets antsy, and decides it’s time to act (and form a committee!)
NEED TO KNOW MORE?
The Voice is our weekly update for the latest announcements, ministry activities and event information at First United Methodist Church.
Want to know more about us? Head on over to our website, Facebook page or follow us on Instagram. If you missed last week's sermon, you can catch up by visiting our sermon archives. See You on Sunday!

We are so glad that you are interested in the ministry of First Methodist Clinton!
PASTORAL CARE INFORMATION
If you have an emergency need or need to speak
with a pastor please feel free to call.

Pastoral Care Number: 601-460-0570
Submitting information for The Voice:
Please email your submission by noon on Thursday to debb@firstmethodistclinton.org
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