Our March Newsletter - Concord UMC

The Concord Herald Volume 7 Issue 2 March, 2014

Concord United Methodist Church

70 Concord Church Rd., Roxboro, N C 27574

336.599.6262

www.concordumcroxboro.com Rev. Karl Neuschaefer, Senior Minister

Rev. Tom Holtsclaw, Pastor Emeritus

Nate Hester, Children and Youth Pastor

Mrs. Rena Morton, Music Director

Kimberly Stone, Deacon Candidate

Our Mission

To worship, witness, follow, and serve

Jesus Christ as Lord.

Our Vision

Christ in us; God’s glory manifested!

March Ushers: Bayard Crumpton

Kermit Mathis

Roland Heinrichs

Thomas Carver

Greeters: Thomas and Elizabeth Carver

Acolyte: Melissa Carver

April Ushers: Don Howard

Darrell Poole

Zeke Smith

Wendall Stone

Greeters: Jeanie Neuschaefer Acolyte: Riley Carver

During March of this year we will

experience a significant portion of what

we call a season of Lent. It begins on

March 5 of this year with a special Ash

Wednesday service and continues until

essentially Easter. Generally, we as

individuals spend little time intentionally looking inward

at the condition of our soul; a time of introspection. Lent

urges us to consider our mortality on Ash Wednesday, and

challenges us to take 40 days to move closer to Christ by

recognizing our sin and those habits and practices that

keep us from being all that God desires us to be. It is not

an attempt to earn our salvation; that work has already

been accomplished for us through Jesus’ work of the

cross, but rather, it is a time when we continue to grow

into the righteousness of Christ and address the sin and

unhealthy practices that remain in our lives. It is a season

where we are intentional about destroying our idols and

addictions, and moving on to perfection, as John Wesley

would have stated.

This year, we have chosen to use a very unique book,

“Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert” by Dr. Rosaria

Butterfield to help us in our journey. We will also utilize a

preaching series where the book will become the

illustration. Copies of the book have been made available

to everyone. The schedule for reading and preaching is

included in the announcements. Much prayer and

discernment has gone into the selection of this book and

many of you have already read it in its entirety, which is

as we suspected. It is a compelling read and hard to put

down once you begin reading. I have had significant

positive feedback so far which affirms that the topics are

impacting many of us within our circle of family, friends,

and relationships. There is much we can learn from the

scriptures and from the personal testimony of Dr.

Butterfield; but the broader issue is how can we use this

perspective to look inwardly at ourselves and recognize

the areas where God, through the power of His Spirit is

confronting us to individually address our own brokenness

and move us closer to Him?

That’s what Lent is all about; that’s what introspection

and self-reflection are about. And when taken seriously

and we engage with the Spirit to do its work, real heartfelt

transformation takes place and our lives embody a greater

richness, fullness, and a more profound witness; the power

of Easter is affirmed and we have even greater reason to

cry “Victory in Jesus!”

See you in worship! Karl


Prayer Shawl Ministry to meet March 3 Concord’s “Threads of

Prayers” prayer shawl

ministry team continues to meet the first Monday

of each month. They will meet on Monday,

March 3 at 7 p.m. at the church. If you or someone

you know needs a shawl, please let the church

know. This ministry not only blesses those in need

of prayers for restored health, but also those who

gather for fellowship. If you would like to learn to

knit or crochet, you are invited to join them.

UMM to host dinner meeting March 11

The United Methodist Men will hold its

monthly dinner meeting on

March 11 at 6:30 p.m. Bayard

Crumpton will provide the meal.

All men of the church are

encouraged and invited to attend.

Thomas Carver is president and would be happy to

answer any questions you may have. This group

meets the second Tuesday of each month in the

fellowship hall.

Backpack Pals continues to

care for Woodland students

Backpack Pals is

going strong and

our amazing team

of volunteers

continues to keep

the kids well-

provided for even with the past few weeks

of snow and scheduling changes. We

continue to encourage financial giving to

the program or food donations in the red

bin set up in the fellowship hall or Narthex

areas. We are so thankful for Concord's

continued efforts to feed the children.

March Calendar 2 – Nick & Lindsey Morton Baby Shower from 2-

4 p.m. at Rena Morton’s home

4 – P.U.M.P. Meeting at Trinity UMC at 7 p.m.

9 – Church-wide Lenten Study formally begins

10 – United Methodist Women’s meeting at 7 p.m.

11 – United Methodist Men’s supper meeting at

6:30 p.m.

15 – Concord Stew Sale from 7 a.m. - noon

18 – Concord Church Council Meeting at 7 p.m.

24 – Nurture & Membership Committee meeting at

6:30 p.m.

26 – Concord UMC serves lunch at the Christian

Help Center at 11 a.m.

Worship on Sunday’s at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Children’s choir practice each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Adult Choir practice each Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Emmaus Reunion Group each Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Youth Fellowship - Sunday evening’s - 5 - 6:30 p.m.

Weekly Bible Study – Wednesday’s 10 a.m. and

Thursdays at 7 p.m.

UMW recognizes Dan Lawrence

for his service to local missions UMW

president

Jeanie

Neuschaefer

presented an

award at the

11 a.m.

service on

Feb. 23, to

Dan Lawrence for his work at Concord. A

donation in his honor was given to the

Corridor District UMW headquarters in

recognition of his dedication and service to

Concord. “Dan is always behind the scenes

and we wanted to be sure he knows how

much we appreciate all he does for our

church,” Jeanie said in presenting the honor.


J.O.Y. Fellowship off to a roaring start J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Fellowship Club kicked off February with two well-attended events, each

with 20+ in attendance. On Sunday, Feb. 9th

, a group went to the Kirby Theater to

enjoy the classic “Casablanca” and then continued fellowshipping over dinner at Old

Country Club Steakhouse.

Unless announced otherwise, J.O.Y. will

meet monthly at the church, every third Thursday at 11 a.m., for

lunch, fun and fellowship. The first meeting, on Feb. 20th

, was

attended by 21 Concord members and 2 guests. Before lunch, a

projected calendar was rolled out for discussion, and after, we

learned to play Bunco (some better than others) under Paula

Royster’s tutelage. We are also grateful that after our meeting, in

fulfillment of Psalm 92:12-14, members were able to deliver over

25 fresh meals as an outreach of love to area shut-ins and people

in need, as well as a large box of canned goods to the Christian Help Center.

Although it is hosted by Concord, J.O.Y. is not limited to any

specific age group, church or denomination. If you or someone you

know would enjoy a day out with Christ-focused fellowship over

lunch, be sure to attend our next meeting. We’d love to have you

with us. If you would like to travel as part of the group, watch the

newsletter for details of upcoming opportunities. Please feel free to

call Dudley or Joni Dawson at 597-2063 or e-mail

[email protected] with any questions.

Upcoming events:

Friday, March 21th

– 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – J.O.Y. lunch, fellowship time, fun with “Name that Tune” and

hymn-sing led by Tom and Jan Holtsclaw. Menu to be announced at a later date. Donations appreciated

to offset cost of food, plus a canned food item for Christian Help Center. NOTE NEW DAY.

Tuesday, March 25th

– Leave Concord Church promptly at 9 a.m. for travel to Bedford, VA. There, we

will enjoy a gourmet box lunch as we view the video presentation “Women Spies of World War II” at the

Bedford Welcome Center. We then travel to the nearby D-Day Memorial for tour and history of D-Day.

Expected arrival home between 4 – 5 p.m. Please contact Joni Dawson by March 10th

to secure your

seating. No advance deposit is required, but a headcount is needed to secure transportation. Cost will be

based on number attending – Approximately $30 - $40 that will be all-inclusive.

Tuesday, April 15th

– Baseball at DBAP – NC State VS University of NC – Advance Deposit

Required We will leave Concord Church at 4 p.m. to travel to C&H Cafeteria on Guess Rd. for dinner at 5

p.m., then on to DBAP for the game starting at 7 p.m. Tickets for the game are $10.00 each (dinner Dutch

treat). Anyone wanting to attend should have their money to Joni Dawson on or before March 10 for

advanced group ticket purchase.

Saturday, May 31st – Billy Graham Library, Charlotte, NC - Advanced Deposit Required – We hope

you can join us to experience the life and history of Billy & Ruth Graham. Cost of trip, including

transportation, lunch, and tip, is $45.00. The Billy Graham Library charges no admission, but appreciates

donations. Full payment of $45.00 on or before April 1 is required to reserve your seat.

Country Club Steak House dinner Feb. 9

Feb. 20 Bunco players

mailto:[email protected]


In the Spotlight: Featuring Kacie Crumpton Kacie Crumpton, daughter of Bayard and Jan Crumpton, was raised in the Olive Hill Community with

her two older brothers, Kyle and Rodney. Kacie has been a member of CUMC her entire life. Although

Kacie lived at home with her parents until she went to

college in Wilmington she says, “I was blessed to be raised

in three places; my parent’s home, Mama Elsie’s home, and

Concord Church.” Kacie was a Girl Scout under the

leadership of Betsy Wagstaff and Blossom Gardner and she

was also a member of the youth group at Concord. “I can’t

begin to explain how much these two groups molded my

life and what they meant to me. I looked forward to every

meeting, learned and grew in my faith, and friendships at

Concord,” she said.

Not only was she blessed enough to personally grow

within CUMC, she was lucky enough to be able to watch

the church grow. When Concord decided to expand and

add the Educational Building, she remembers going with

her dad, almost daily, to check on the progress. “Pop would

pick me up from Woodland and together we would go

around to the back of the church and see what had been

done

that

day. It was a very educational and neat experience

for me,” Kacie shared. “At age 10, I was learning

the steps it took to build a major construction. I love

that it wasn’t just the physical part of building that I

witnessed from the foundation up, but how I got to

see the congregation come together to make that

happen,” Kacie said. The chart set up with the

financial goal that was needed in order to start the

project stands out vividly in her mind. “It was pretty amazing to see the chart get higher and higher

towards the goal. In September of 1997, we took our church service outside and with shovels in hand, I

was part of the groundbreaking ceremony/celebration,” she fondly recalls. “I always loved going to

Sunday school downstairs with Mrs. Joy Winstead (especially when she brought her homemade bread),

but it sure was nice when we moved upstairs into the new addition in October of 1998,” she said.

Kacie works for her father and brother at NuWay Cleaners. “In 2001 when Pop bought the business, we

walked in together on the first day, and boy did we have a lot to learn. I still enjoy learning the ins and outs

of what it takes to run a successful small business, and doing it with my Pop?...well that’s just priceless,”

Kacie beamed. Business is a passion for her and she loves sharing this with him. “Family has always

been the most important of relationships to me and I absolutely love that I get to work with mine.”

“The most amazing thing that I’ve ever done was give birth to my son, Benjamin Abel Peed, on

December 5th

, 2010. I wish that everyone could have the amazing experience that I had. Heck, I was

watching Andy Griffith as he came into the world,” Kacie said. “At age 24, I really learned what life was

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(Spotlight: Continued from previous page)

about. It may sound cliché but Abel is truly my pride and joy,” she said. In the past year, she’s had a few

curveballs thrown her way, but when she looks at Abel, she’s reminded that she can hit every single one of

those balls out of the park. “I was blessed enough to stay at home with him until he was two and a half

years old. I’ll always cherish that time and be grateful for it,” she said. Abel now attends Mother Goose

Preschool during the day. They both love painting, playing the drums, reading, and doing anything that

involves being outdoors. In her personal time, Kacie enjoys going to the driving range and wakeboarding.

We hope Kacie and Abel continue their faith journey in such a loving place as Concord.

Final wood weekend a big success A big thank you goes to the overwhelming number of volunteers who gathered on Feb. 21 and 22 to

finish the woodcutting season for Concord. On Friday 16 were on hand and on Saturday more than 30

volunteers showed up! Five churches

were represented and even some of

those who will be eligible to receive

the wood were on hand to help.

Those helping were from Concord

UMC, The Church of Jesus Christ of

the Latter Day Saints, Leas Chapel

UMC, and Providence Baptist

Church. With so many helpings

hands, all the wood provided by

Randall Thompson and David Poole

was hauled, cut, split, and stacked in

the Christian Help Center shed by 11

a.m. The 16 loads done on Friday and the 20 loads on Saturday brought the total to 131 loads provided

this season. Volunteers were blessed by fellowship and, according to Lyman Johnson, "God was

smiling." They also received thanks for their efforts from many of the wood recipients.

This event shows what good can come when many join to do as each is able.

Deputy Sheriff’s felt the love of Concord on Valentine’s Day By Kimberly Stone

In an effort to continue reminding our local law enforcement that

they are being prayed for by our church, Chaplain Kimberly Stone

decorated their break room with red hearts with each

officer’s name on it. These hearts were prayed over during

the Crosswaves weekend Feb. 7-9, and were provided by

Susan Rhodes and the youth Sunday school classes.

We feel it is important to keep them in our thoughts and prayers

as they work holidays and weekends and need to know they are appreciated. Snacks also

help the shifts go by and there is a box in the kitchen where you may contribute.

Saturday workers fill the shed Photo by Elizabeth Carver


Scout Sunday honors

Concord’s Scouts, Cubs February 2 was Scout Sunday at Concord and

Cub Pack #239 and Scout Troop #239 participated

in the worship service. Along with serving as

ushers, the Scouts gave the congregation an

opportunity to participate in “Scouting for Food” by

bringing in canned goods the following Sunday.

Through the generosity of our members, the Scouts

were able to help provide food to those less

fortunate.

We are proud of our Scouts and appreciate the

time the leaders provide to help lead these young

men in their formative years.

Annual Stew date set; help needed from everyone Concord will hold its annual Brunswick Stew sale to benefit missions, on Saturday, March 15, from 7

a.m. until noon. Pre-sold quarts will be available for pick-up by 11 a.m.

Sponsored by the UMW, UMM and Forever Young Sunday School class, this

is a church-wide event. Everyone is asked to select an item or two from the

“Stew Board” that is located at the back of the church several weeks before the

event. We do purchase several ingredients as opposed to the “cooked

donations” such as beef, chickens, potatoes and lima beans. We purchase salt,

pepper, sugar, butter, onions, corn, tomatoes, and Styrofoam containers. If you

would like to contribute to ingredients but don’t have the time or resources for

“cooked donations,” money for the purchased ingredients is graciously

accepted! Donate in the collection plate and mark as “STEW.” The morning

of the event all ingredients are mixed and cooked to perfection by the men. Mid-morning, the ladies are

asked to show up and put the stew in quart containers. For questions, please see Bayard Crumpton, Ernie

Carver or any member of the sponsoring groups. 650 quarts are sold each year at $6 per quart. Susan

Rhodes will be taking orders in person, by phone or email. She may be reached on her cell at (336) 504-

5938 or email: [email protected].

Anniversary Committee seeks help from members The 200th Anniversary Committee is seeking information anyone might have relating to the history of

Concord UMC. The information that we have is very limited and could be expanded upon from what

individuals may have tucked away at their homes. We are seeking this information immediately to be used

to reconstruct our historical past in time for our church’s 200th anniversary celebration. If you have any

historical information about our church please contact Mac Wagstaff at 599-6578 or by email at

[email protected].

Workers stir the stew at the

2013 sale.




Our Known Immediate Prayer Concerns Vicky Amidon

Judy Baker

Cindy Blanks

Sandy Boone and her son Griffin

Reba Bulla’s daughter-in-law, Pam

Brenda Callahan

Elliott Chandler

Glenn Cruise and family

Ashley Cruz

Joe Daniel and family

Reade Foushee

Jewel Hamlett’s parents

Jerry Hawkins

Jan and Tom Holtsclaw

Mark Holtsclaw

Debbie Kelly

Jerry Lawson

Don Legun

Kermit Mathis

Jeanie’s sister Jan

Elizabeth Pierson

Gary Rose

Angela Thompson and her mother

Sandy and Jerry Treacy

Dan Unkerfer and family

Sarah Vaughan and family

Chad Wagstaff

Jennie Wagstaff

Evelyn Mangum White

Dan and Kay Winstead

Prayers for those serving in Our Military Troie Barker, Zachary Bell, Daylon Brann, Donovan Heist, Christian

Kirby, Danny Lawrence, Marv Morris, James Nelson, Geoff Nowell,

Erik Peterson, Bryan Rogers, Jason Sabat, Eddie Schemper,

Donald C. Teague, Jon Treacy, Robert Wolak NOTE: The globed candle to the left of the chancel area in the sanctuary is lit in honor of all those who serve; police,

firefighters, and our military, a tradition which began on 9/11/01. We also proudly recognize those in active service who are

affiliated with Concord UMC. May we continue to uphold them with our prayers and our love.

In case you miss church and would like to hear Pastor Karl’s sermon, our website now has a link you may

use. Please log on to www.concordumcroxboro.com and check out all the wonderful, powerful

information concerning Concord Church. Thanks to Ken Walker for managing this site and keeping us all

up to date. You can even view the newsletter from previous months. Please contact

[email protected] to contribute to the newsletter or to be added to the distribution list.

Journey through the Bible You are invited to join Concord Church’s pilgrimage to Israel as we

retrace the steps of our Lord. While our church is celebrating its 200th

anniversary in 2015, we’ve decided to return to where it all began some

2,000 years ago. This will be a life-changing experience after which you

will never read the Gospels the same. Prayerfully consider joining Karl

and Jeanie as we retrace Jesus’ life and ministry in the land of both the

Old and New Testaments. Brochures for the trip will be made available

once we have received them.

11 Days (Beginning January 26, 2015) All Inclusive Price Starts at $2,698*

See the February newsletter for the daily itinerary. Make your plans now to join us.

http://www.concordumcroxboro.com/



Birthdays

March

1 – Tim Crews

14 – Doug Bowman

2 – Barbara Currier 14 – Riley Carver

4 – Mary Jane Bowman 14 – Hunter Vaughan

4 – Bobbie Holeman 15 – Alice Satterfield

5 – Mac Wagstaff 16 – Jennie Wagstaff

10 – Alex Leonard 16 – Lacy Winstead

10 – Maleah Leonard 21 – Bentley Sherow

10 – Kimberly Stone 21 – Griffin Winn

11 – Josh Kirby 24 – Angela Thompson

11 – Pat Morris 31 – Preston Barker

April

1 – Anne Grabbs

18 – Carrie Howard

1 – Bobby Sugg 18 – Andrea Sherow

1 – Dave Zook 19 – Sandy Hatch

2 – Barbara Lawson 20 – Dick Hatch

5 – Kelly Duncan 20 – Brian Zappia

6 – David Bell 21 – Cameron Kyker

6 – Ronald Whitt 21 – Donald Wilson

7 – Andelyn Briggs 22 – Marv Morris

7 – Della Raines 25 – Richard Kinn

7 – Leigh Anne Wrenn 25 – Kyle Pool

9 – Diane Wade 25 – Janie Wagstaff

10 – Thomas Carver 25 – Kay Wagstaff

14 – AJ Carver 26 – Tim Chandler

15 – Lisa Elliott 26 – Peyton Crews

15 – Don Legun 26 – Hugh Whitt

17 – Jennifer Currier 28 – Laurie Rose

17 – Donald Teague 28 – Alexandria Winstead

29 – Hayden Howard

Pastor Karl has pared down our list of Prayer

Concerns. If you or a loved one has been

removed from that list and needs to be put back

on, please let him know.

Anniversaries March

15 – Ronald and Bess Whitt

19 – Kenzie and Andrea Sherow

30 – Marvin and Pat Morris

April

6 – Cameron and Jackie Murray

11 – Cecil and Renee Barker

13 – Robin and Susie Britt

14 – Don and Faye Howard

24 – Dan and Kay Winstead

30 – Darrell and Amy Poole

March

2 – David and Joy Winstead

9 – Zeke and Pam Smith

16 – Jerry and Sandy Treacy

23 – Bayard and Jan Crumpton

30 – Thomas and Elizabeth Carver

April

6 – Neal and Jewel Hamlett

13 – Jim and Susan Rhodes (Palm Sunday)

20 – Darrell and Amy Poole (Easter Lily)

27 – Wendall and Kimberly Stone

Daylight

Savings Time

Begins March

9. Be sure to

Spring

Forward


Concord is blessed with four more CONGRATULATIONS TO Randall and Melba

Thompson on the birth of a granddaughter.

Sarah Jane

Thompson,

daughter of

Andrew and

Shelby

Thompson of

Raleigh was

born Monday,

Feb. 17, 2014,

and weighed 7

lbs. 9 oz. and she was 19 inches long.

CONGRATULATIONS TO Wendall and

Kimberly Stone on the birth of a grandson. Dallas

Lee Perry was born to

Caressa and Russell

Perry of Roxboro.

Dallas was born Feb.

19, 2014, weighing 8

pounds 14 ounces and

20 inches long. Big

brother Logan loves

his new brother.

We all know

that day of the year

where if you don’t

wear bright green

you get a pinch.

Well, there are fun

things about the

day, too! Remember this Saint on March 17.

Born in 387 A.D., St. Patrick was known as

the “Apostle of Ireland” for his missionary

work there. Therefore, on St. Patrick’s Day,

Irish families would attend church in the

morning and celebrate later – including eating a

traditional meal of cabbage and Irish bacon.

Here, however, most just celebrate by wearing

green (for Ireland) and pinching if you don’t.

Grandchildren during February CONGRATULATIONS TO David and Pam

Whitt on the birth of a granddaughter. Jan Whitt

Parker and her

husband Jordan are

the proud parents of

Isabella (Bella) Blair

Parker born Feb. 20,

2014 at 10:54 p.m.

She weighed 6 lbs. 4

oz. and was 19 inches

long. Bella is being

held by her cousin, 2-

year-old Avery

Morgan.

CONGRATULATIONS TO Karl and Jeanie

Neuschaefer on the birth

of another grandson.

Davis Brandt

Neuschaefer was born at

9:14 p.m. on Feb. 23,

2014 to Kevin and Erin

Neuschaefer of Holly

Springs, NC. He weighed

7 lbs. 13 oz. and both

mom and baby are doing very well. They have two

other children, Leighton and Cohen.

Stephen Ministers always

ready to serve Concord has 14

trained Stephen

Ministers and

while some have been assigned, there

are more ready, willing and able to

help. Please contact Pastor Karl if you

would like someone to be there for you.

This service is offered to the

community, not just our church.


Church wide Lenten Study and Preaching Series announced Pastor Karl and a small group of our church’s leadership have selected the

book “Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert” by Dr. Rosaria Butterfield as the

resource for our church to use this spring as a Lenten Study. Copies of this book

have been made available for distribution to the congregation and the preaching

during the Season of Lent will utilize this resource to explore the Gospel’s

ability to create real and significant transformation. This book addresses some of

the complex issues of our day and offers us a challenge to love one another as

Jesus loves us, so that the Holy Spirit has the environment to do its work. Dr.

Butterfield shares her heart with openness and real sincerity which makes this

book a captivating account of how the Holy Spirit radically transformed her life.

The hope is that the Holy Spirit will continue the work of transforming each of

us into the image of Christ through this study. The following schedule will be

used to cover the majority of the book, but there is no doubt you will want to read it in its entirety. Please

allow your reading to coincide with the weekly use of the book and should you read it in one sitting, please

make notes so the weekly preaching series entitled “Moving to a Heart like His” will be more fruitful.

March 5 Ash Wednesday Books should already have been received

March 9 1st Sunday of Lent Will cover 1

st half of Chapter 1

March 16 2nd

Sunday of Lent Will cover 2nd

half of Chapter 1

March 23 3rd

Sunday of Lent Will cover 1st half of Chapter 2

March 30 4th

Sunday of Lent Will cover 2nd

half of Chapter 2

April 6 5th

Sunday of Lent Will cover all of Chapter 3

April 13 Passion Sunday Book/Study Wrap-up

April 20 Easter

Methodist women to pack care packages at March meeting The United Methodist Women will meet on Monday, March 10

at 7 p.m. ALL women of the church are invited to join us.

Hostesses for the evening will be Pam Whitt

and Becky Wilson who will give a

devotional to begin the meeting. This is the

time of year we will be sending Care Packages to our college students

and military personnel. We want them to know that we care and that

we’re praying for them. If you have a loved one that fits this

description, please let Jeanie Neuschaefer or Barbara Currier know their name and address.

We need your input by March 7 so we have plenty of goodies to send. All members of

UMW are reminded to bring their donations to help fill these boxes. We will conduct a

brief business meeting, lift up our praises and prayer concerns, put together our college and

military care packages, and then, of course, have some delicious snacks before leaving.

Please make a note to join us as we put “love in action!”


By: Nate Hester The United Methodist Youth Group (UMYF) reached its 6 month

milestone with flying colors this past month. Despite the snow and

wintry weather, we met each Sunday night for our fellowship meal,

games, singing and

study of God’s Word.

The pictures at right of

the “Shark Attack Face Lift” game, where kids used peanut

butter on each other’s faces to serve as an adhesive on which

to stick gold fish crackers, demonstrate some of the silliness

and fun that we enjoy together.

And, on a serious note, perhaps the most impactful week

was on the night that we looked at the portion of Jesus’

Sermon on the Mount that deals with fasting (Matthew 6: 16-

18). After our discussion, our children covenanted to go

without some pretty important things in the following week

(no drinks but water, no Nintendo Wii, no lunches, etc.). The

fast seemed to have quite an impact. Please consider joining

us some Sunday evening; we also would love to ask you to

offer a gift of your love by providing a meal for one of our

Sunday nights. Also, we had a covered dish family meal

where the parents were able to chime in on what is working

best about the program and where improvements can be made to make us even more fruitful for the Lord.

Out of the meeting came a commitment to go on a half-week mission and spiritual formation retreat to

Lake Junalaska in the summer. You will be hearing more about our fundraisers (car wash, potato bar,

pancake breakfast, etc.) in the months ahead. Lastly, as we approach Ash Wednesday, we would like to

remind the congregation to be praying for our five confirmands in the last two months before Easter as

they prepare to commit their lives to Jesus: Cole Masten, William Leonard, Hunter Vaughan, Preston

Barker, and Ethan Bowman. May Christ be truly in us, and God’s glory manifested! Alleluia!

Ash Wednesday service slated for March 5 By: Rena Morton

This Wednesday, March 5th, at 7 p.m., we will have a worship service that I’m sure you don’t want to

miss. This service marks the beginning of a 40 day period of prayer and fasting. Please be in prayer for

our upcoming Ash Wednesday Service. Nate Hester and Kimberly Stone will be leading the service. Ash

Wednesday is the first day of Lent in our Christian calendar. It derives its name from the practice of

placing ashes in the form of a cross upon our forehead. According to the gospels, Jesus spent 40 days

fasting in the desert. He was tempted by Satan throughout His fast. This service marks the beginning of a

period of prayer and fasting.

This also marks the start of the Lenten season. There are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

Sunday’s are not included in the “fasting period” and are considered to be “feast days” during Lent. Is

there something in your life that you need to be in prayer for that will bring you closer to our Lord? Is

there something in your life that is holding you back from being closer to our Lord?

What can you “give up” for Lent that will make you stronger in your faith? Be in prayer and join us

this Wednesday night.


District Lenten Focus On Prayer Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always

persevere in supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

In the wake of Valentine’s Day and the American Heart month, prayer is the universal love language

for the church. While prayer has often been described as communication with God, prayer is about our

relationship with God, with one another, and with the world God has called us to serve. In the words of

Bishop Mack Stokes, “Prayer is the bridge that builds that relationship.”

As we all know prayer is central to our faith and the one thing the disciples asked of Jesus, “teach us to

pray.” They did not ask Jesus to teach them to preach or perform miracles. Perhaps they came to know that

all of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and healing came from one source—His life of prayer. We are privy to

Jesus’ prayer life throughout the Gospels. In Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, we get to see

Jesus in all of His humanity begging for this cup to pass away of Him. However, in the words “not My

will, but Your will,” we recognize Jesus’ absolute trust in God in the midst of the most desperate

circumstances.

In the shadow of Lent, the Corridor District will kick off its Year of Prayer. The plan is twofold—

praying for the church and each other, as well as praying for our government and its officials, and our

communities. In praying for our churches and each other, we are asking each person to set their clocks,

watches, or Smartphone’s to 6:18 a.m. or p.m. as a reminder. Below you will the find the list of churches

and congregations we will be praying for over the next two weeks.

Date Church/Pastor Date Church/Pastor 3/3 Warren’s Grove/Anne Sims 3/10 Trinity/Taylor Mills

3/4 Walnut Grove/Gayla Collins 3/11 The City Well/Cleve May

3/5 University/Carl King, Delores Langley

and Brian Belting 3/12 Swepsonville/Jerry Martin

3/6 Union Grove/Rich Greenway and Laura

Johnson 3/13 Stem-Bullocks/Brock Meyer

3/7 Union Grove (Bahama)/Cheryl

Lawrence 3/14 St. Pauls/Lee Pittard

Secondly, the Prayer Tour will begin March 4 at the Graham Courthouse. We will meet on the steps of

the courthouse at noon to pray for our communities. This time of prayer is not limited to United Methodist

and we encourage you all to invite your neighbors and other churches in the area. You can expect the

additional details next week. The schedule is as follows:

3/4 Graham Courthouse 3/31 Durham Courthouse 4/9 Yanceyville Courthouse

3/27 Hillsborough Courthouse 4/8 Roxboro Courthouse 4/10 Oxford Courthouse

Let Us Pray . . .,

Donna Banks, Corridor District Superintendent


CrossWave shares its ministry with

Concord and Youth for Christ in Roxboro We were once again blessed to have CrossWave ministries come to Concord and bless us by their

songs, dramas, testimonies and prayers. The Youth for Christ Warehouse was also blessed as they

embraced fellowship with the children and youth there, and also led two Saturday evening worship

sessions. Many of you have asked about questions

about CrossWave and the following information will

hopefully help you appreciate their ministry even

more.

CrossWave is a ministry of Gateway Christian Fellowship

in Raleigh NC. In is a small church of only about 45

members and currently meets in individual homes. The

youth of CrossWave are not generally members, but come

from all around the area and internationally to grow in

discipleship. Again their ages vary from 10-20 and they

engage in worship and in service projects. The group that

came to Concord focuses specifically on

worship. The adults and college aged

individuals are committed to help these youth

grow in their love of Christ and in their ability

to witness and minister to others. There is only

one CrossWave group…period! The group you

experienced is it. They do approximately 10

weekends like ours per year and there is also a

two week mission opportunity for them in Peru

during the summer. With only one group

spending only 10 weekends per year across NC, you can see why we are so fortunate to have them come to

Concord almost annually. They have expressed their love for our church and congregation and also the

opportunity to minister with other youth at the Youth for Christ Warehouse.

We had the added blessing this year to have been given an original painting by one of the CrossWave

youth as her act of worship with us. Thank you for your continued love and support for this ministry. The

covered dish luncheon was a huge blessing to them and you also contributed a total of $1,605 as a love

offering which will go a long way to support their ministry.


Rena Morton has finalized the 2014 calendar. Please check out when you are needed and if changes need to be made, please let

her know immediately. It appears we have an opening for flowers on June 29. Concord UMC Flowers, Ushers, Greeters and Acolytes - 2014

Flowers Ushers Greeters Acolyte

Jan. 05 Poinsettias from Christmas Sidney Thompson Tommy and Amy Winstead Alexandria Winstead 12 Tommy & Amy Winstead Tommy Winstead

19 Bryan & Bobbie Holeman Darrell Poole

26 David & Elizabeth Belle Colin Winstead

Feb. 02 Jessica Munday Rodney Crumpton Marvin & Pat Morris William Leonard

09 Willie & Heather Leonard Willie Leonard 16 Don & Melissa Nowell David Whitt

23 Donald & Becky Wilson Marvin Morris

March 02 David &Joy Winstead Bayard Crumpton Thomas and Elizabeth Carver Melissa Carver

09 Zeke & Pam Smith Kermit Mathis

16 Jerry & Sandy Treacy Roland Heinrich 23 Bayard & Janice Crumpton Thomas Carver

30 Thomas & Elizabeth Carver

April 06 Neal & Jewel Hamlett Don Howard Jeanie Neuschaefer Riley Carver

13 Jim & Susan Rhodes (Palms) Darrell Poole

20 Darrell & Amy Poole(Easter Lilies) Zeke Smith 27 Wendell & Kimberly Stone Wendell Stone

May 04 John & Janie Wagstaff Carroll Royster Carroll and Paula Royster Natalie Hall &

11 Barbara and Mac Wagstaff Mac Wagstaff Allie Barker

18 Kevin and Loraine Pool Ken Walker

25 Tom and Jan Holtsclaw Don Legun

June 01 Lyman and Carolyn Johnson Dick Hatch Marvin and Pat Morris Alexandria Winstead

08 Karl and Jeanie Neuschaefer Elliott Chandler 15 Marvin and Pat Morris Tommy Wagstaff

22 Tommy and Kay Wagstaff Preston Barker

29

July 06 Richard and Pam Kinn Richard Kinn Bryan and Bobbie Holeman Melissa Carver

13 Louis & Diane Wade Louis Wade 20 Cleve and Nancy Wagstaff Jeff Bulla

27 Jeff and Reba Bulla Ken Walker

Aug. 03 Ernie and AJ Carver Kermit Mathis Bo and Elizabeth Carver Avery &

10 Tim and June Taylor Marvin Morris Andelyn Briggs

17 Karen & Kermit Mathis Kendall Briggs 24 Kevin and Loraine Pool Bo Carver

31 Danny & Joan Crumpton

Sept. 07 Carroll and Paula Royster Danny Crumpton Joel & Laurie Rose Riley Carver

14 Rena Morton Keith Hall 21 Joel and Laurie Rose Ronald Whitt

28 Ronald and Bess Whitt Joel Rose

Oct. 05 Lisa & Andy Elliott Bayard Crumpton Sidney and Angela Thompson Allie Barker

12 Charles and Judy Baker Charles Baker

19 Don & Faye Howard Andy Elliott 26 Sidney and Angela Thompson Sidney Thompson

Nov. 02 David and Pam Whitt Tommy Winstead Bayard and Janice Crumpton Alexandria Winstead

09 Kevin and Loraine Pool Lyman Johnson

16 Rodney & Melanie Crumpton Colin Winstead

23 Kyle and Virginia Crumpton Kyle Crumpton 30 Advent

Dec. 07 Advent Wreath each Sunday Mac Wagstaff Dick and Sandy Hatch Allie Barker &

14 Poinsettias given by: Kyle Barker Melissa Carver 21 (Mac & Barbara, Kevin & Zeke Smith

28 Loraine Pool Dan Lawrence/Nick Morton

Our March Newsletter - Concord UMC

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Transcript of Our March Newsletter - Concord UMC