The Grapevine New Covenant United Methodist Church

January 2014

Thoughts of the Pastor

Once the calendar is turned to January…the Christmas decorations are

packed away and taken down…and the Christmas gifts make their way from

under the tree into our drawers or closets, we stare at a new year that is as

fresh and unspoiled as a winter snow. The calendar tells us that this new

year is called 2014. There is an air of uncertainty as we enter this strange

new world of 2014 as we wonder what joys will unfold, what challenges we

will face, and what sadness will come our way. One thing we can truly know

in this new year is that God will be with us in 2014 even as he was with us in

the joys of Advent and Christmas.

In the late 1700’s, the people called Methodists began a tradition of doing

something at the beginning of a new year. They did not make a toast to

someone or something…or sing “Auld Lang Syne.” No, what they did was

share together in the Wesley covenant prayer. You will find this prayer

below. I invite you to make this prayer your own even as you see to make

Christ your own. I look forward to seeing the stirrings of God among the

people of New Covenant Church in 2014. -- Pastor Randy Wall

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

The 2014 Planning Ses-sion has been sched-uled for Saturday, Janu-ary 25th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Following a brief time of breakfast and fellow-ship, we will prayerfully spend some time plan-ning for our ministry together in 2014. While this planning ses-sion is for members of the Administrative Council, all persons who are a part of New Covenant Church are welcome to attend. (Please bring a break-fast item for all to en-joy.)

Acolytes for January

January 5—-Daniel Overbay January 12—Isabella Bradham January 19—Alexandra Ferens January 26—Morgan Canady

Greetings fellow followers of The Way and Happy New Year. Looking over the past year, I am so proud of all that our Youth have done and how much

they have grown in their faith in Christ. This coming year looks like the best year yet. We have some exciting new ministries that will be starting up in January and also we will soon begin hav-ing Youth meetings from 4pm to 7pm. Our Jr. High will meet from 4 to 5:30 and Sr. High from 5:30 to 7. We will have some overlap time so the Youth can play together, and also have volunteers to play or work with those who want to come for the whole time. On Jan. 24th, we are planning a Scavenger Hunt Lock Inn for the Youth where they will be put in teams with adults and have to do some crazy fun stuff for the hunt. For the year to come, I look most forward to Youth Sun-day, which the Youth do such an amazing job in letting Christ lead them, and also MSM & CCC. Lastly, God bless you and thank you all for your love and support of our Youth. Please continue to pray for them, encourage them and love them. They are such a loving, caring group of young peo-ple who know how to put others before themselves as Christ asks all of us to do each day. Love in Christ, Todd Guest

Congratulations to David & Marjorie Goodling On the birth of their son, David Preston Goodling November 22, 2013 8 pounds, 21 inches

Election of Officers—The Trustees will meet on Sunday, January 5th, at 10:45 a.m. in the parlor to elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary. The Parsonage Committee will meet on Sunday, January 5th, at 10:45 a.m. in the church office to elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary. The Children’s Council will meet on Sunday, January 12th, at 10:45 a.m. in the parlor to elect a chairperson. The Commit-tee on Lay Leadership will meet on Sunday, January 12th, at 10:45 a.m. in the church office to elect a vice chairperson and secretary and to discuss the nursery position.

Online Bible Study You can do this Bible study with friends and family, or all by yourself. Facebook users, ask to join the “New Covenant Church online Bible study” group. Once you are a member of the group, you can see the weekly videos, post comments, and share questions. Want to be apart but not on Facebook? Get with a friend or family member who is on facebook. Coming in January 2014: A weekly Bible study on the gospel of Luke.

Steve & Diane Hinson 2

Sam & Judy Price 3

Steve & Missy Michael 5

Gregg & Cindy Ganous 9

Jerry & Ernestine Carroll 9

Roger & Donna Jordan 9

John & Patty Park 16

Calvin & Mayoris Hart 28

Paul & Jean Henkel 30

Rickey & Anita Hallman 30

Happy Anniversary!

Hannah Carpenter 1

Isabella Bradham 8

Vic Beatty 9

Lisa Henkel 10

David Shirley 11

Rodney Henkel 12

Amy Jackson 12

Patty Park 12

Collin Sumner 12

Amelia Matzke 13

Tom Dougherty 15

Baron Smith 17

Ruth Allen 20

Allison Tench 20

Ray Reynolds 21

Easton Davenport 22

Barbara Jones 22

David Moore 22

Mayoris Hart 23

Bridget Matzke 24

Nancy Gasperson 25

Marvin Hinson 26

Seth Hutchison 27

Johnny Stewart 29

Bryan Abernathy 31

OOPS . . .

Did we miss your birthday or anniversary? Please let us know! Drop a note off by the office so that our records

can be updated.

Visitation Teams for January

January 5—–Marvin, Matt & Janet Hinson January 12—Sam Price January 19—Bob & Della Dionne January 26—Ron & Ann Ballard

9:00 a.m. Service 11:00 a.m. Service

Harvey Thomas John Carson

Bobby Riggins Dannette Carson

Steve Hinson

John Carpenter

Happy Birthday!

Important Dates/Activities

Ray Reynolds, Ginger Owens Denise Brotherton, Seth Tinsley Clark/Martin Families Lauren Kaylor, Nellie Dyson Steve Blackley, Janice Taylor LouAnn Simmons, AJ Davis Morgan Baucom, Cody Snyder Angela Johnson Tom & Cynthia Stickel Edith Cranfield, Anderson Family Joanne Bradshaw Family Unspoken, Scronce Family Ruth Allen, Ann Burris Charlie & Vertie Cox, Missy Bolin Alwrans, Betty Stone All Shut-ins, Homeless, Unemployed Poor, Widowed, Orphaned, Sick Troops, Leaders, Country Tom & Aloma Dougherty Amy & Kaitlyn Pacitto Dot Stroupe, Boyce Hunt Family Wanda Vandyke, Tabatha Daughtery Midwest Tornado Victims Randy Poole Marissa Jarvis Family Relationships Frank & Heather Chris Stinett Our Church Marriages, The Lost

Mr. Weaver Firefighters, Police, Teachers Pat Brown, Sandy Cox, Natalie Baldwin Sherrill Beatty, Sawyer Baldwin Carolyn Lazevnick, Danielle Poteat Jean Carter, Jamie Harrison Family Carol Dickinson, Ruth Holder Ashley Hannum, Alannah Chaney Children, Lorene & Oland Macemore Melissa Jenkins Brittany Hutchison & Madelyn Ann Allison McClure’s Father Bobby Brown, Barbara Garver Shirley Childers, Robin Largent Charlotte Beach Joyce Stevens Gary Ganous Billy, Lydia, William, Hannah & Samuel Smith Stonie Holcomb Evelyn Giles Bob Barker Tamara Pam Reynolds Diane, Todd, Frank, David & Harvey T.J. Hannah Martin Ann Ballard Deanna Humphries McAuley Family Paul Warren Family Amber & Bradley Tuttle Price Family, Dot Price Sandy Welch Newtown School Families Tim Pyrant Ashley Margetich

Remember those who cannot be a

part of our fellowship on a regular basis:

Ruth Allen Terrace Ridge Assisted Living 1251 East Hudson Blvd. Gastonia, NC 28054 (704) 864-8948 Gerald Carroll 321 Winding Trl. Stanley, NC 28164 (704) 263-9021 Jane Waldroop Woodlawn Haven Rest Home

301 Craig St., Room B4 Mt. Holly, NC 28120

If there is someone you would like to put on this list, please call the church office.

Finance Committee The Finance Committee will meet on Monday, January 6th, at 6:30 p.m.

Lay Leaders There will be a gathering of the Lay Leaders on Monday, January 6th, at 7:00 p.m.

Fellowship Meal Join us for our Fellowship Meal on Wednesday, January 8th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The Praise Band will be sponsoring this meal. Menu will be announced. Proceeds will go to the Building Fund.

UMM Breakfast The UMM breakfast has been scheduled for Sunday, January 12th, at

7:00 a.m., in the FLC.

January Nursery Schedule

9:00 11:00

January 5 John and Kelly Carpenter Dustin & Danielle Hutchison

January 12 Curt and Courtney Deskus Bryan & Crystal Abernathy

January 19 Eddy and Sandy Cox Bridget Matzke & Christy McInnis

January 26 Tara Moore & Carol Hamilton Luann Elliott & Polly Miller

Thank you for helping with our nurseries! If you can’t make your assigned Sunday, please contact Amy Jackson & Luann Elliott for 9:00 a.m. and Marjorie Goodling & Dannette Carson for 11:00 a.m..

T Sgt William Hamilton 386 ELRS/LGRA APO AE 09855

Isn’t It Exciting Being A Christian?

As we leave the Advent season, celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I wonder

if we can know just when Jesus was actually born. We celebrate December 25th as the birthday of

our King, yet it seems certain that His birth occurred on a different day. According to Luke 2:8,

“There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.” We know

that shepherds did not stay with their flocks in the fields in December, because it was winter and it

would have been too cold.

We also know, according to Luke 2:1-3, that “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a de-

cree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world…and everyone went to his own town

to register.” The Romans enacted many tax decrees in this era, but because winter travel was haz-

ardous, these never occurred during cold weather. So, Jesus must have been born in spring, summer

or fall. But, can we determine more precisely the time of Jesus’ birth? We just might!

A look at some Biblical and historical evidence may shed some light on this question. We know

that Jesus’ ministry lasted three and a half years. We also know Jesus died exactly on the Feast of

Passover, the 14th day of Nisan according to the Hebrew calendar (our March-April season). Fur-

ther, we understand that Jesus was in the tomb the next day, which is the first day of the Jewish

Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15).

We know, too, that Jesus was a Jewish rabbi and that rabbis began their public ministry at

the age of 30. What if Jesus began His ministry at exactly 30 years, on His birthday? What if He

ministered exactly 3 ½ years? Then we could count forward ½ year to Jesus’ birthday. What if

that date happened to fall on another Jewish feast day?

As a matter of fact, six months from Nisan 15 is Tishrei 15 (our September-October sea-

son) which is the exact date of the Feast of Tabernacles, which celebrated God’s “tabernacling” or

living with the Jewish people. Is it possible that God pre-ordained this plan so that Jesus, who is

called “Immanuel” (God with us), would be born on the exact day of a feast celebrating God coming

to live among us?

When God commanded Moses and the Israelites to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, He

proclaimed that they must “Live in booths (or huts) for seven days…so your descendants will know

that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your

God.” (Lev 23:42-43) The Hebrew word for a booth is sukkah – the plural is sukkot. What is fasci-

nating is that we find the same word in the New Testament in the story of Jesus’ birth. Luke 2:6-7

says “While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave

birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there

was no room for them in the inn.”

In Hebrew, the word for manger is “sukkah,” so Jesus was born in a booth, and God said

that the Jews should celebrate God’s coming to them by living in sukkot (booths). Could it be that

God is giving us one more piece of evidence that He set the appointed time for Jesus’ birth exactly

on the feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of Sukkot? Sounds just like God to me! “She

wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a sukkah…” Isn’t God remarkable? Isn’t it exciting be-

ing a Christian? Marvin Hinson

Blood Pressure Screenings

will be taken on Sunday,

January 5th at 10:00 a.m. in the

parlor. Questions, see Robin Lanham or Judy Price!

The Worship Committee will

meet on Monday, January 20th, at 7:00 p.m. at the

church.

UMW Morning Circle Please join the UMW Morning Circle on Thursday, January 9th, at 10:00 a.m., at the church. All ladies are invited to attend.

UMW Morning Circle

Volunteer at Mt. Holly Adult Day Care On the second Tuesday of every month, the UMW Morning Circle will volunteer at the Mt. Holly Adult Day Care. They will be leaving the church at 9:30 a.m. to go to the day care center. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please see Carol Thomas.

UMW Hart Circle Due to the beach trip, the UMW Hart Circle will not meet for the month of January. Our regular meet-ings will resume in February.

UMW Unit Meeting There will be a UMW Unit meeting on Tuesday, January 7th, at 6:30 p.m., at the church. All ladies are invited to attend.

January’s Special Mission Offering will go to the American Cancer Society. Every dollar you provide to the American Cancer Soci-ety goes toward eliminating cancer as a major health concern. Your donation is essential to supporting their

mission, which fights cancer on four fronts: re-search, education, advocacy, and service. The American Cancer Society is the largest source of private, nonprofit cancer research funds in the United States, second only to the federal government. The Society has had a hand in virtu-ally every major cancer breakthrough of the past half-century. With your help, they can continue on this path. Our Special Mission Offering will be re-ceived on Sunday, January 5th, during both wor-ship services. Contributions to this Special Mis-sion offering can be made at any time during the month of January.

The Finance Committee would like to invite

everyone for a covered dish luncheon on Sun-

day, January 12th, at 12:00 p.m. We will have

Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. and a combined

worship service at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

Immediately following the worship service,

there will be a covered dish luncheon and pres-

entation from the Finance Committee with re-

gards to information on the Family Life Center

debt retirement and other financial projects.

Questions, see Vallette Rudisill, Finance Com-

mittee Chairperson.

If you are a young person who is 6th grade or above who has not made a profession of their faith in Christ and joined the church or the parent/guardian of the same, this is FOR YOU. Young people in the class will work with a mentor of their choosing and will engage in a

service project, visit another faith community, help in worship, and have fun as they learn about the Christian faith. Here are some important dates for Confirmation 2014 to go ahead and mark on your calendar: Wednesday, January 29 at 6 pm or Sunday, Feb-ruary 2 at 10 am—Confirmation 2014 orientation for parents, mentors, and confirmands. Wednesday, February 5 at 6 pm—First confirma-tion class session. Wednesday, March 5—Ash Wednesday Service. Confirmation class to help. Saturday, February 22—Confirmation class service project and field trip. Saturday, March 29—Confirmation 2014 banquet for confirmands and family members, 5 pm. Sunday, March 30—Confirmation class joins church.

Rev. Randy Wall Pastor

At New Covenant Sunday through Thursday

Linda Stroup Church Secretary

At New Covenant Monday through Thursday

Todd Guest Director of Youth Ministry

Janet Hinson Director of Music

At New Covenant Wednesday and Sunday

Church Office Hours

Monday — Thursday

8:00 AM—3:00 PM

704-827-4468

newcovenantumc@bellsouth.net

Church Staff Ministry Team

The Body o f Chr i s t :

Go ing in Fa i th, Growing in Lov e , and S e rv ing Othe r s

14514 Lucia-Riverbend Hwy. Mt. Holly, NC 28120 Phone: 704-827-4468 Fax: 704-827-9083

NEW COVENANT UNITED

METHODIST CHURCH