Worship

Sundays at 8:30am & 11am

• In-person in the Sanctuary

• Livestream Worship at 11AM on YouTube

http://bit.ly/3k7Z3Eu

Join us on Sunday, when we will

welcome our newest members!

Dear Church Family, This Saturday is our Annual Church Conference at Brighton UMC at 1:00 pm. All are welcome. We cover all the business items that we are required to vote on each year. There are over 25 forms that staff and team members must complete for this meeting each year. I was asked to create a statement about the state of our church. The following is what I submitted. Faithfully, your pastor.

Being asked to write a report about the ministry of our church this year has given me an opportunity to pause, reflect, and give thanks for all the ways that the Holy Spirit has moved among the people of South Lyon First UMC. All that we do is to be based on our mission statement to be Christ Focused - Spirit Filled - Mission Driven. We started this year out after experiencing a wonderful Advent and Christmas season. It created a Holy momentum as we entered 2022. It is refreshing to see God’s people coming into the building, reconnecting with worship, study, mission, and fellowship as we moved through the last two years of living in a pandemic. 

We started out the year offering one service in person as well as streaming on our YouTube channel. During the summer we continued with one service but offered one service outdoors each month. Our congregation especially enjoyed a special Blessing of the Animals service. Our music department offers wonderful music in both traditional and modern genres. Drama’s were offered as well as dramatized scripture readings.

This fall we were finally offered two services again. They are identical services offered at 8:30 am and 11:00 am. We are building up and training new hospitality teams to support two services and refreshments. We will continue to elevate our live streaming ministry during the 11:00 am service. The Worship Design Team crafts meaningful worship themes for worship to help us stay focused on Christ, connect with God, to give thanks for our blessings, and to allow scripture to be shared in ways that touch our lives. 

Sunday School for all ages continues to be a priority. In-person Sunday school options are offered for children and youth. This fall we are offering 4 different adult classes on Sunday mornings and one is offered hybrid. During the week there are different prayer groups, Bible studies, and book study options offered during the day and night times.

Ministry Shares are important for South Lyon First UMC. There is a long history of 100% giving, but that dipped a few years ago. Our Finance Team and Church Council have worked hard to increase our giving by 10% each year as a goal to getting back to 100%. Our mission team continues to lead us well. They create hands-on opportunities throughout the year. Each month there is a learning and giving focus on different missions local or abroad. We continue a strong relationship with John Dean Towne in Liberia with our sponsorship of education opportunities for children and a few High School students.

Our local partnerships in South Lyon are strong with Capernaum Health Clinic and Active Faith. Our relationship with Cass Community Social Services continues to expand with the sending of our youth on a Mission Experience there this year as well as listening to nudges from the Holy Spirit to start thinking about being part of a Tiny House. South Lyon First sent three mission teams to the UP to work alongside God’s Community Cooperative Parrish; we have sent teams for over 20 years. We just announced that in 2023 we will be offering a long weekend Family/Intergenerational Mission Trip to GCCP!!!! Every other year we have a Mission Auction to help raise money for our second mile mission support that has been part of our ministries for years. This year they created an EPIC event, and our congregation generously donated just over $25,000. This church truly is Mission Driven.

Our Generosity Team, Finance Team and Church Council took a huge leap of faith by naming that we need to evaluate and work on our patterns of giving. We entered into a relationship with Horizons Stewardship and were assigned a consultant. She identified key areas for us to take to the next level so that we can begin to elevate our Generosity culture. The Generosity Team is growing, learning, and leading us through this process. 

South Lyon First UMC continues to re-engage with membership post pandemic while welcoming our guests. We are living out our Welcoming Statement "We welcome, embrace, and celebrate that all persons are created in God’s image. As a church we honor and worship God, while ministering to and cherishing all ages, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic situations, marital statuses, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, and religious backgrounds or any other label placed upon people. We are united through Jesus Christ. We aspire to be a place where all people, through the transforming power of God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, come together - to care, to pray, and to love God and each other unconditionally." This Sunday we will welcome 8 new members into our church family.

The Holy Spirit continues to move, nudge, and encourage us towards the future. This is a United Methodist Church, even though we do not fully understand what that will look like in the years to come as our denomination grows and changes. I believe this church has in the past and will in the future be a place for people to worship, serve, and grow together even if we think differently from our brothers and sisters in the pew. South Lyon First UMC continues to navigate through the joys and difficult moments that life sends our way. This takes hard work and can be uncomfortable at times, but we are trusting in God all along the way.

Love and Peace in Christ, Rev. Mary 

(Honored and humbled to be the pastor of South Lyon First UMC) 

Fall Worship Theme

The popularity of television programs in which people renovate homes has skyrocketed in the last decade. In this series we explore several narratives from the Old Testament with an eye on discerning what provides a sound foundation and structure for “God’s house” — which stands not only for God’s sanctuary, but for the people called by God’s name. What kind of foundation will we lay and what kind of cornerstones will we choose to build our spiritual home? Can we renovate “for God’s sake?”

        “When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near. We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit. So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:17-22

September 25 2 Kings 5:1-14  Cornerstone of Humility 

October 2 Micah 5: 2-4; 6:6-8 Cornerstone of Patience

October 9 Isaiah 36:1-3, 13-20; 37:1-7  Cornerstone of Trust

                                 Being at home with God

FALL SERVICE SCHEDULE

8:30 & 11:00AM Worship in Sanctuary

11:00AM Worship on YouTube

9:45 Sunday School Hour

COME HOME TO WORSHIP!

Our new sermon series, Life Brings You Unexpected Places, Love Brings You Home, began with the addition of a second worship service on Sunday mornings in addition to the service streamed on YouTube. In order to support the addition of a second in-person service, we need additional volunteers for scripture readings, soundboard, projection, ushers, and coffee hour hospitality.

Please contact Rev. Mary if you are willing to help in any way.

YOUTH GROUP IS BACK!

4nd & 5th graders: Sunday evenings 6PM-7:15PM  

6^th – 12^th graders: Sunday evenings 6PM – 7:15PM

A portion of the time everyone will be together for games and collaborative projects and a portion of the evening we'll split for age level conversation and Bible study. 

We are looking for an additional roster of volunteers to help on Sunday nights. Regular commitment & preparation is not required - just your occasional presence and a willingness to engage. Please consider signing up at least one Sunday night to help here. Contact Kendi if you have questions. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

PUB THEOLOGY

We are gathering at Third Monk Brewing this Wednesday, Sept 21, at 7:30PM to discuss Unexpected Windfall, Exporting and Welcoming Immigrants, and Falling Upward. Please come and join us for a cold beer (…or pop) and a lively conversation. 

FROM OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR

We are excited to be using Doxologies again in our worship as we offer our gifts and prayers to God. For over 15 years, I led the Doxology from the organ following the traditional Offertory and passing of the plates.  The Doxology we sang for all those years was “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” to a tune called LASST UNS ERFREUEN (Hymn #94).  This is the Doxology we sang together this past Sunday for the first time since March 2020.  This coming Sunday, you will notice that our Doxology will be different.  We will be singing basically the same words, but this time to the tune,

OLD 100TH (Hymn #95).

We have decided to use different Doxologies and rotate them.  According to the dictionary, a Doxology is “a liturgical expression of praise to God”.  We will be exploring new songs which will allow us to express our praise to God.  I decided to start with the two most traditional Doxologies, but the text and styles will also vary.  

As we learn new Doxologies, I will be introducing them in the “South Lyon FUMC Music” Facebook Group during the week before they are to be sung.  Like and follow our Music Page so you can watch these videos to learn some of the Doxologies ahead of time.  Videos of some music selections from worship are also shared to this page.

I hope you enjoy exploring new ways of expressing our praise with the use of new and old Doxologies during worship. 

CONFIRMATION CLASS REGISTRATION

We are pleased to offer in-person Confirmation Class again this year. It is open to current 7th and 8th Graders, as well as any High School age folks who have not yet been Confirmed.  David Ascher & Mike Job are returning as co-leaders and along with Kendi will host an informational lunch Sunday, September 25 @ 12:15PM in the Fellowship Hall.  We ask that all confirmands and at least one parent make it a priority to attend. In addition to eating and some get-to-know-you fun, we'll cover curriculum, expectations, mentors, schedule & important dates. 

Please rsvp for the Informational lunch to Kendi.

Please follow this link to register for Confirmation.

We are looking forward to walking with you on this new adventure in your faith journey! Feel free to contact Kendi

if you have concerns or questions.

Grace & Peace,

Your Confirmation Team: Mike, David, Rev Mary & Kendi

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY

On Wednesday mornings from 9:30AM-11AM, all women are invited to join Kendi for a Women's Bible Study. Hope to see you there!

MEN'S TUESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY

The men’s Tuesday night Bible study resumes on Sept. 13^th with “Ecclesiastes: Life in the Light of Eternity” by David Gibson. Join us from 7:00 – 8:00PM in the Friendship Room or via Zoom as we explore the wisdom of Ecclesiastes in 10 lessons. Gibson is minister of a vibrant Presbyterian church in Aberdeen Scotland. He will lead us through an examination that will help us look ahead to a hope-filled eternity and equip us today to live generously, wisely, and happily. Contact Dave Smith for more info.

FAMILY FUN EVENT DEC 3

Christmas is still months away, but we are beginning to plan a family fun event on December 3rd and we need your help! If you are available and willing to help at any time on that day, please email Jen Denny at jendenny@southlyonfirstumc.org with your availability.

MEN'S TUESDAY MORNING GATHERING

Looking for an opportunity to kick-start your week? Our Tuesday morning group meets in the parlor weekly to share devotions, discussion, and prayer. Our new timing is 7:30 – 8:30AM at the church followed by fellowship over breakfast at Lucas from 8:30 – 9:30AM. Contact Stu Baker for more info.

SEPTEMBER MISSION OF THE MONTH

This mission is to give hope and support to new mothers in need. Our Layettes of Love will contain a receiving blanket, onesie, sleeper, bib, wash cloth, burb cloth and a prayer book all inside a reusable tote. We are collecting new items of onesies, bibs, wash cloths, sleepers and burb cloths along with any monetary donations you would like to give! Please consider supporting the Layettes of Love so we can help these new mothers and lift them up through our prayers, support and actions.

NURSERY DIRECTOR POSITION

Do you enjoy children? You can make a difference at SLFUMC. We need your help to provide a fun and safe environment for our Church Nursery! We are hiring for a Nursery Director position. In just 4-5 hours each week, you can help our church family with our most precious asset-The Children! Interested in more information? We would love to hear from you!