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!

Post An Announcement

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

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Cleveland, TN

Permit No. 321

Return Service Requested

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