Post on 24-May-2020
Out of My Way! The longer I live and seek to follow Christ the more I am reminded again and again of the simple fact that the greatest hindrance to my following Jesus faithfully is ME. I just cannot seem to get out of my own way. We live in a society that blames everyone else for everything (it has probably always been that way, after all we are humans) and what's more, today we have a hundred different ways to communicate our blame and disdain through social media. The steady diet of news, social media, and society in general keeps telling us all the bad news; who’s to blame and who can fix it. We can always find an excuse for who we are and what we do, but when we boil it all down the big I/ME/MINE is the one most responsible. Paul says that, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” That is to be the normal walk of faith, but I find that I have a hard time staying crucified. I get in my own way with wanting things MY way. Isaiah says that we are all like sheep and we have turned - every one of us - to our own way. I think each of us wants to be faithful, to walk the walk and talk the talk, but we get in our own way. So, how do we get out of our own way? I am not going to tell you something simple, because if it was simple we would already be there, right? How we get out of our own way is to intentionally walk toward Jesus every day, be in church, be involved in a Sunday school class or small group, and remember it takes always asking, seeking, and knocking. We are all in this together and we might as well walk together. Eugene Peterson reminds us that "Discipleship is a long obedience in the same direction" - that clocks it pretty well. How do you get out of your own way? It's tough, but through the grace of God He will lead us past ourselves.
Thanks be to God! Rev. Tim Bracken
July 27, 2016 From the pastor
Our Staff
Pastor ............................... Rev. Tim Bracken
Administrative Assistant .............. Molly Near
Financial Secretary .................... Mae Wilkins
Director of Children’s Ministry ...... Jill Ingram
Interim Youth Director ........... Kellie Bracken
Director of Senior Adults .......... Karen Wood
Chancel Choir Director ............Dr. Jim Burns
Pianist ...................................... Tausha Plate
Organist .................................... Terry Barger
Maintenance Director ................ Chris Offery
Maintenance ................................. Jeff Smith
Director of CDC ......................... Cathy Smith
Director of PDO ....................... Rachel David
Assist. Director of CDC/PDO ....Karon Steve
Turn in information for the next
newsletter by NOON on
Tuesday, August 9.
Fill out an Announcement Request online OR in the office!
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Wednesday Night
Dinners &
Activities
will tentatively
resume on
August 24th
Join us for Dinners—5:30 PM, Adult Bible Study—6:00 PM,
Chancel Choir—6:15 PM, and First Youth—6:15 PM
All Children’s Activities will resume on September 7th.
Sunday Night Mystery Destination This Sunday, July 31 5:00-8:00 PM
Come at 5:00 so we can leave for our destination immediately. We will swim, eat, and have Bible Study.
Wild Wednesdays August 3 — 6:00—8:00 PM — Knocker Ball
Our LAST Sr. High Bible Study will be August 1st and the Middle School Bible Study will be August 2nd! Come finish out the summer with good fellowship!
Back to School Bash - August 14 - 3:00-7:00 PM There’ll be a slip-n-slide you won’t forget, pool games,
great food and just plain fun! Sign up today so we will have a count for food
Youth News
Our monthly Potluck will be on Thursday, August 4th at noon in the Commons. There
will also be a special guest, Stephanie Knowles (Joe and Kaye Coutlry’s daughter). Stephanie will be offering chair massages! The cost will be $1.00 per minute. Join us for good food,
fellowship, and a relaxing massage!
Bread of Life
We are collecting school supplies to hand out at:
Arnold Mem. Elem. School’s Back-to-School Bash on Tuesday, August 2 from 5:00-7:00 PM.
Please contact Brian Byerly at briantb@charter.net if you are interested in handing out supplies!
We are collecting: Disinfecting Wipes, Bottles of Hand Sanitizer, Jumbo
Glue Sticks, Kleenex, as well as Backpacks and Pencils.
Bring them to the church and place them in the red school-house located in the Narthex between now and Aug 2nd.
Help us keep our pantry stocked for this special community outreach!
Items Needed: Green Beans Canned Milk Tomato Sauce & Paste
Canned Peaches Chocolate Syrup Yellow Butter Cake Mix
1st Kidz...Mark your calendars!!! Saturday, July 30th
This is our Saturday to cook and serve at Bread of Life! Please contact Jill Ingram if your family
is available to serve in this special ministry.
Back-to-school
Gad-A-Bout Potluck
Baby Shower Invites You’re invited to a Baby Shower honoring
Emily (Lay) Petcu on Sunday, July 31st
1:00-3:00 PM at the home of Bev Johnson
1110 Steed Avenue Hosted by: The Elan Circle
Please RSVP to 423-284-3773 or beveywevey@aol.com Check out her registery:
http://babylistregistry.com/baby-petcu
You’re invited to a Baby Shower honoring
Bailey David Rogers on Sunday, August 7th
1:00-3:00 PM at FUMC
Hosted by: Elan Circle Registered at: BuyBuyBaby & Southern Traditions
Bereavement Lunch The Bereavement Support Group will be
going to Pulen’s for lunch on Wednesday, August 17th. We will meet at 11:00 AM at the church to carpool. Please call Evelyn Brunson
at 473-8694 for a reservation.
I wanted to say thank you for the beautiful shawl and tell you what a wonderful ministry you have. I will enjoy it for years to come, and I will think of
you when I do. God will surely bless each and every one of you. Please keep me in your prayer
as I will do the same for all of you. Mildred Gouger
Backpack Blessing All children, youth, & college students are invited to bring their backpacks to
the 10:45 AM worship service for a special blessing for the coming year.
Prayer Walk EVERYONE is invited to join us as we pray over the school campuses. If you live near or have a child attending at certain school, we invite you to walk that campus in prayer. Our goal is to
pray over each school in our area. There are prayer guides in the Narthex.
Thank you
Sunday, august 7
Cleveland circuit ride We need your help to make this year’s ride a success! Sign up in the Narthex today for
volunteer spots OR sign up to ride! Talk to Kellie Bracken or Bob Donaghy
for more information.
NOTIFY THE CHURCH OFFICE TO ADD OR REMOVE NAMES
FROM THE PRAYER LIST.
HAPPENING THIS WEEK
Sunday, July 31 7:30 AM Sanctuary open for Prayer 8:30 AM Early Worship 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship Service 1:00 PM Emily (Lay) Petcu Baby Shower 5:00 PM First Youth Monday, August 1 7:00 AM Prayer for Revival 6:00 PM Senior High Bible Study 6:30 PM Scouts Tuesday, August 2 9:00 AM Prayer for Revival 11:00 AM Staff Meeting 3:00 PM Middle School Bible Study 5:00 PM Arnold Elem. Back-to-School Bash 8:00 PM Prayer for Revival Wednesday, August 3 12:00 PM Prayer for Revival 2:00 PM Prayer for Revival 6:00 PM Wild Wednesday Thursday, August 4 10:00 AM Prayer for Revival 12:00 PM Gad-A-Bouts Potluck Lunch 12:00 PM Prayer for Revival Friday, August 5 7:00 AM Prayer for Revival Saturday, August 6 8:00 AM UMM Breakfast Monday—Friday 7:00 AM CDC Tues/Wed/Thurs 9:00 AM PDO
“I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church and do all in
my power to strengthen its ministry by my prayers,
my presence, my gifts, my service, and my witness.”
Our Prayers
Our Presence
Our Gifts
Our Service—July 31
Our country, our leaders, and our troops
Florann Young & Family
David Neely LONG TERM PRAYER
Don Alley
Debbie Ambert
Judy Barger
J. T. Brooks
Ryan Burns
Randall Butler
Debbie Trentham Case
LeeAnn Childress
Bill Cooke
Rusty Cooke
Kaye Coultry
Emma Cummings
Bill Creech
Alan David
Bob David
Jordann Dempsey
Sunday School Worship 7/17/16 40 192 7/24/16 55 240
Budget Receipts 7/17/16 5,608.00 Receipts to Date: 336,174.87 Expenditures to Date: 348,893.35 Receipts/Expenditures + or [-] [12,718.48] Budget to Date: 410,237.42
Budget Receipts 7/24/16 16,748.00 Receipts to Date: 352,933.87 Expenditures to Date: 352,695.75 Receipts/Expenditures + or [-] 227.12 Budget to Date: 424,382.40
Prayer Team: Lee Stewart Monthly Prayer Focus: Mary Diana Samuel Home Ushers: John Wilkins, Head; Kirk Gobble, Jerry Clevenger, and Mark Lay First Kidz Church: Jill Ingram Altar Flowers—sign up outside the church office.
Open hearts, open minds, open doors...the people of the United Methodist
Lorrie Duke
Lois Ellis
Sharon Everson
Kim Faulkner
Karen Fisher
Toye Gibson
Britton Gobble
Jamie Hargis
Renee Henderson
Mike Hodnett
Joe Hogan
Clint Hutto
Elaine Larson
Teresa Lee
Chloe Littrell
Colton Malone
Charlie McDonald
Betty McLain
Ron Merz
Larry and Barb Miller
Carmen Orr
Carolyn Owens
Tilley Phillips
Darci Pittman
Lois Pywell
Wayne Reynolds
Marcella Rogers
Nalini Samuel
Nicholas Stark
Kylene Stump
Stuart Switzer
Janice Tate
Addison Thompson
Emily Varnell
Rosemary Warren
Joan Wheeler
Jennifer Wilhite
UPCOMING EVENTS
● August 7—Backpack Blessing,
Prayer Walk
● August 9—May Dooley Circle
● August 10—Wild Wednesday
● August 11—UMW Unit Meeting
● August 13—Bread of Life
● August 14—Youth Back-to-
School Bash
● August 16—Rose Circle,
Seekers Circle
● August 17—Wild Wednesday
● August 18—Gad-A-Bout Outing
● August 20—Youth to Braves
Game, UMW Social Action
● August 24—Wild Wednesday
● August 25—Friendship Circle
● August 27—Bread of Life
● August 28—Ministry Team Meeting
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3425 Ocoee Street North Cleveland, TN 37312
423-476-4504 www.clevelandumc.com
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Child Development Center Phone: 423-478-1426
To the Landscaping Fund In memory of Evelyn Truelson:
Bob and Nancy Boyd
Gifts to the Church