A Way Forward for the United Methodist Church As I mentioned Sunday morning, last week was a long hard week for United Method-ists around the globe. Some would say there were winners and losers, but I believe that we have all lost. In the midst of our holy conferencing we failed to actually be holy or actually conference together. I will grant that Robert’s Rules of Order is partially to blame, because following a set of parliamentary procedures is not a good plan when you are talking about people. If you are dealing with property it is fine, but not so much with people. I firmly believe in the authority of scripture and that in the scripture we find everything we need to know about God and our salvation. In the scripture we learn how to live, love and serve the way God wants us to live out our faith. It is obvious that we do not all agree as United Methodists on how we interpret scripture and we haven’t ever really. So what do we do? How do we move forward and past this impasse? I do not have the answer and I hope that people smarter and wiser than me will pray and discern the heart of God on how we can move forward with integrity and love. Jesus is our only hope and my prayer is that we will follow Him. As for First United Methodist Church, we are going to keep Following, Loving and Going as we seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Nothing has changed and our mission is big enough to last us for years and years to come.
That is our way forward.
March 6, 2019 From the pastor
Our Staff
Pastor ............................... Rev. Tim Bracken
Administrative Assistant .............. Molly Near
Financial Secretary .................... Mae Wilkins
Director of Children’s Ministry ...... Jill Ingram
Director of Youth Ministry .......................TBA
Director of Senior Adults .......... Karen Wood
Director of Worship .............. Roberta Bishop
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 Rev. Tim Bracken
Dinners wil l resume on April 20, 2019 Palm Sunday
April 14 8:30 AM & 10:45 AM
Our Children will sing & lead us in the Palm Parade at 10:45 AM.
Maundy Thursday April 18 6:30 PM
We will have our usual Wednesday night
dinner on Thursday before this service
at 5:30 PM.
Easter Egg Hunt Wednesday
April 17 6:00—7:30 PM
5:30 PM - Free Dinner
All are welcome to join us in this annual event.
Easter Sunday April 21
8:00 AM - Sonrise
Service 9:00 AM - Fellowship
Breakfast 10:00 AM - Worship
Join us Monday—Friday during Holy Week everyday at Noon beginning with a short service followed by a fellowship lunch.
Mission Trip Opportunity
Bereavement Lunch The Bereavement Support Group will meet for lunch on Wednesday, March 13 at 10:45 AM
to carpool to Polly Claire’s Tea Room. Reservations are required. Please contact
Evelyn Brunson at 423-473-8694.
Sacred Road in Washington State June 1-8, 2019
Deadline to sign up is March 15th! Contact Kellie Bracken for details.
UMW District Day Apart Hiwassee District Day Apart & Legacy Celebration
150th Anniversary of the United Methodist Women
Saturday, March 16th at Benton UMC Registration 9:30 AM
All women are welcome to come and join the celebration as we hear and share stories of all the ways we have made life better for
women, children and youth. We are collecting items for the Benton UMC local
food bank: CANNED - corn, fruit, green beans, green peas, pinto beans, pumpkin, ravioli orspa-
ghetti with meat, soup, sweet potatoes, and tuna. PLASTIC JARS of peanut butter. Cake mixes.
There will be a collection box in the church library.
Now Accepting Bids
Thank yous!
Dear Friends at First UMC, Thank you so very much for your kindness in thinking of us at Arnold Memorial Elemen-tary School. The gift card for Dos Bros is great-ly appreciated, as are the many kindnesses you bestow upon us throughout the year. You are such a blessing to me!
With much appreciation, Mary Van Benschoten
The Board of Trustees is now accepting bids for the following items:
Toro Z Master 52” deck—19HP Commercial Zero turn mower
Boy Scout 5’ x 8’ Box Trailer
Please submit bids to the Trustees through the church office.
Wedding Shower Join us in honoring
Austin Byerly & Ashlyn Williams on Sunday, March 10th
1:00-3:00 PM in the Commons Hosted by: the Elan Circle
Registered: Target and Bed, Bath, & Beyond
Updated Library Our FUMC library has been updated and
ready for you to check it out! By the door is a table that has a place for you to place the book's card (found in the inside
cover of every book) and a place to return books when you are finished.
We have the following sections: Young Adult, Children's, Religion, Christian Living, Devotions, Biographies, Fiction & History.
Thank you again to Mabel Greene, Teresa Webb, Jean Cochran, and Sharon Lederer
for all of your hard work!
Our children and youth will be on Spring Break the week of
March 10—16...that means that we will NOT have regularly
scheduled Wednesday night activities on March 13th.
These activities will resume on March 20th.
NOTIFY THE CHURCH OFFICE TO ADD OR REMOVE NAMES
FROM THE PRAYER LIST.
Sunday, March 10 7:30 AM Sanctuary open for Prayer 8:30 AM Early Worship Service 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship Service 1:00 PM Byerly Williams Wedding Shower 5:00 PM First Youth Monday, March 11 6:00 PM Seekers Circle 6:30 PM Cub Scouts Tuesday, March 12 10:00 AM May Dooley Circle 10:00 AM Friendship Circle Wednesday, March 13 10:45 AM Bereavement Support Group Lunch 6:00 PM Trustees Meeting 6:15 PM Chancel Choir Thursday, March 14 10:30 AM UMW Executive Meeting
CDC - 7:00 AM–6:00 PM PDO - 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
HAPPENING THIS WEEK “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 Sunday School Worship 02/24/2018 30 221 03/03/2018 26 169
Our Gifts
Our Service - March 10
Peggy McLain
Gary Farner
Van Swearingen
Betty Watt
LONG TERM PRAYER
Connie Bancroft
Sarah Bandy
Clifford and Patsy Barger
Judy Barger
Kathy Buckingham
Charlotte Caraway
Debbie Trentham Case
Buddy Chance
Bill Cooke
Emma Cummings
Kara Davidson
Lorrie Duke
Sharon Everson
Melinda Flowers
Budget Receipts 02/24/2018 6,350.54 Receipts to Date: 66,028.44 Expenditures to Date: 98,480.75 Receipts/Expenditures + or [-} n/a Budget to Date: n/a
Budget Receipts 03/03/2019 9,482.00 Receipts to Date: 75,510.44 Expenditures to Date: 118,429.42 Receipts/Expenditures + or [-] n/a Budget to Date: n/a
Prayer Team: Buddy Simpkins Monthly Prayer Focus: Bread of Life and Family Promise Ministries Ushers: Jerry Clevenger, Head; Ernest Adams, Bob George, Mark Johnson, Jim Rufener, Lonnie Jones Altar Flowers—sign up outside the church office.
First Kidz Church begins at 10:30 AM every Sunday in the Christian Life Center. (It does not meet the first Sunday of the month.) Sonshine Kidz is for preschoolers ages 3,4, & 5 Nursery is available for children 3 yrs old and younger. Located in the CLC.
Sean Hale
Bonnie Headrick
Gary Holden
Brenda Holder
Russell & Patty Johnson
Janna Jordan
Shannon Knowles
Teresa Lee
Janet Lynch
Gloria Martin
Betty McLain
Chris Offrey
Carolyn Owens
Kym Phillips
Tilley Phillips
Tom Phillips
Wendy Pistrang
Sharon Racek
Don Ritzhaupt
Nalini Samuel
Judy Stack
Nicholas Stark
Kylene Stump
Rachel Suderland
Lila Switzer
Stuart Switzer
Janice Tate
Addison Thompson
Terri Twyford
Kim Van Dusen
Jim and Sarah Wagner
Jennifer Wilhite
Open hearts, open minds, open doors...the people of the United Methodist Church.
UPCOMING EVENTS ● March 17—Youth Mystery Trip
● March 19—Rose Circle, Youth
Council Meeting
● March 21—Gadabout Outing
● March 24—Confirmation Class
● March 26—Finance Meeting
● March 27—Confirmation Class
● March 30—Bread of Life
● April 4—Gadabout Potluck Lunch
● April 6—UMM Breakfast
● April 7—Confirmation Class
● April 8—Seekers Circle
● April 9—May Dooley & Friendship
Circles
● April 11—UMW Unit Meeting
● April 12-14—Youth Spring Retreat
● April 13—Bread of Life
● April 14—Palm Sunday
● April 14-20—Holy Week Devotions
● April 16—Youth Council Meeting
● April 17—Easter Egg Hunt
● April 18—Maundy Thursday Service
● April 19—Office Closed
● April 21—Easter Sunday
To the Choir Fund In honor of Nancy Boyd:
Her Prayer Partner
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
Gifts to the Church
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