FIRSTUNITEDMETHODISTCHURCH

SALISBURY, NCest. 1783 fumcsalisbury.org

March2016

REMARKS

ECCLESIA: a Latin term, based on the Greek “ekklesia.” The original word in scripture would translate to, “assembly” or “congregation.” In Christian theology, ecclesia means a particular body of faithful people. We have titled our monthly newsletter ECCLESIA, to share stories of a faithful body of people: our church.

During the season of Lent, our ministry theme “RESToration” is taking on a different hue, as we dig deeply into the beauty of prayer. How does a life of prayer bring about restoration in our lives, our church, and our community?

Inasmuch as Lent sends us headlong into Holy Week – from Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem to Jesus’ gruesome death upon the cross – our spiritual practices find their fullness in the drama of those days. Considering the role of prayer, therefore, compels us to consider the moments when Jesus prays during Holy Week. Remember when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane; see Matthew 26:36-56.

Jesus invited his disciples to sit by themselves while he went alone to pray. Jesus expressed the anguish tearing him apart on the inside: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. (verse 38).” The Greek word for “very sorrowful” is perilypos. This same word is used to describe the depth of sadness riddling the rich man, when Jesus instructed him to sell his possessions and give it all to the poor (Luke 18:18-25). The rich man

struggled mightily with giving up his vast wealth, because it represented his entire life. In Gethsemane, Jesus faced giving up his entire life. And His sacrifice was worth far more than any storehouse of riches!

This place of authentic struggle led Jesus to pray to the Heavenly Father. In verse 39, Jesus prayed: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Then, after interacting with his sleeping disciples, in verse 42 Jesus prayed further: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Jesus’ prayer for God’s will is simple, selfless, and entirely faithful. May Jesus’ prayer also inspire our own prayers!

For us to pray for God’s will forces us to stare down the potential of sacrifice. To pray for God’s will to be done in your life and through your life means that you humbly relinquish something. Just WHAT is it for you? The Hasidic rabbi, Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740–1809), wrote a powerful prayer that demonstrates the same Hebrew heritage as Jesus. To pray this prayer in earnest, we hope for the love of God to dominate our every thought, that every action become an act of service to the Most High.

May this prayer captivate your heart, as we continue reflecting on the sorrow our Lord Jesus Christ suffered for our sake and the sake of the whole world.

Lenten Blessings, Pastor Mark

Lord of the world, I do not beg You to reveal to me the secret of Your ways – I could not bear it! But show me one thing; show it to me more clearly and more deeply; show me what this, which is happening at this very moment, means to me, what it demands of me, what You, Lord of the world, are telling me by way of it. It is not why I suffer that I wish to know, but only whether I suffer for

Your sake. Amen.

Lord of the world, I do not beg You to reveal to me the secret of Your ways – I could not bear it! But show me one thing; show it to me more clearly and more deeply; show me what this, which is happening at this very moment, means to me, what it demands of me, what You, Lord of the world, are telling me by way of it. It is not why I suffer that I wish to know, but only whether I suffer for Your sake. Amen. -Levi Yitzchok

2016

Backwards Easter Egg Hunt!!Easter Sunday, March 27 at 9:45amBring your basket! Find the empty eggs and then join the fun in filling them with Easter treasures in each of our children’s classrooms! We begin at the stage in the fellowship hall

Save the Dates!Camp Discovery: July 3-8 Vacation Bible School: July 31-August 4

Pat McKimDirector of Children’s Ministries

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

Easter Egg HuntBackwards

philippians 4:13

camp discoveryEst. 2003

“[Prayer is] a chance to lift your hopes up to God. I pray for three things: For other People, for safety, and for forgiveness. -Connor

What does PRAYER mean to you? How do you pray?

Our preschool program is now enrolling children two to four years old for the 2016-2017 school year. Our three-year-old class is full. There are several openings in our younger and older two’s classes and in the four’s class. Two-year-olds meet two mornings a week. The four-year-olds meet Monday through Friday mornings. For more information, check out the First United

Methodist Church website or call Director Lindsay Wineka.

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M.O.M.S MINISTRY

PRESCHOOL

AN OPPORTUNIY FOR MOMS OF INFANT-PRESCHOOL AGE CHILDREN TO COME TOGETHER TO LAUGH,PRAY, HAVE A TIME OUT, AND SEEK GOD’S DIRECTION FOR

OUR FAMILIES. WE ALSO HELP SUPPORT FAMILIES WHEN NEW BABIES ARRIVE!

ministryM.O.M.S.MOMS ON MISSION SEEKING

Our current study:BEAUTIFUL MESS: MOTHERHOOD FOR EVERY MOMENT

MARC

H 10,

APRI

L 14,

AND M

AY 12

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YOUTH MINISTRY

Check out @salisbury_youth on Instagram and Twitter!

“Prayer is a time for me to talk to God.” -Max

What does PRAYER mean to you?

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE

Attention High School Seniors and College Students: it is time for you to prepare your applications for the Roy and Lula Goodman Scholarship awards for the next academic year. You should have already received a letter and an application from the committee with followup to come regarding the deadline date. It is not too soon to submit your material. The members of the scholarship committee look forward to hearing from you!

UMW

5k run/walk for missionsCITY PARK

APRIL 3, 20162:00pm

tinyurl.com/umw5k

DANNY’S DISH

Each month, check back for a new recipe from our Midweek Meal Coordinator, Danny Hunt. If you want to try these tasty creations, join us on Wednesday evenings at 5:30!

Aunt Grace’s Chocolate Pie

4 eggs beaten1 cup sugar1/2 stick butter1 bar German chocolate1/2 cup evaporated milk

Beat eggs and add one cup of sugar. In sauce pan, melt butter and chocolate over very low heat. Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Stir until smooth. Pour into sugar/egg mixture. Bake in a deep dish pie shell for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy!

LENTEN ADULT SEMINAR

24 Hours That Changed the WorldWednesdays, March 2, 9, 16, and 236:30 pm – 7:15 pmThe Seekers Classroom

No single event in human history has received more attention than the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. In this Lenten journey, Jeff Insley will guide you through the last twenty-four hours of Jesus' life. Each class will feature a video segment and lesson, following closely the book, 24 Hours That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton. To reserve your copy of the book ($15), contact the church office by Wednesday, February 3. You are still welcome to participate in the class even without a copy the book.

What does LOVE mean?

“Prayer is a deep and meditative reflection seeking God’s dwelling within us.” -Garry Cook, Pastoral Counselor

What does PRAYER mean to you?

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF NC

Carole Young, Secretary of the Epilepsy Foundation of North Carolina, will take part in the Spring Stroll on April 9, at UNC Charlotte. This event is an important way our organization raises money to buy medicines for people in need. Seizure medicines are very expensive and some people either don’t have insurance or can’t afford their copays. I need you to sponsor my walk. Please make a tax deductible donation in any amount to EFNC and mark your check for “Spring Stroll.” Mail it to me at 1225 Arden Drive, Salisbury, NC 28144, and I will turn it in at the offices in Winston-Salem. You will receive a receipt. Thank you for your support in this endeavor.

Greetings! I am Evelyn Eller, and I serve on the Church Relation Committee for Habitat for Humanity of Rowan County. I am a member of Providence United Methodist Church. As a member of the Church Relation Committee, I have been asked to reach out to the Methodist Churches in Rowan County and let you know about volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity. Some of your members may already volunteer and I appreciate them giving of their of time and talents.

Volunteer opportunities include working on Habitat builds, providing food for volunteers, and working in the Habitat ReStore located at 1707 S. Main St. in Salisbury. Coleman Emerson serves as the Executive Director of Habitat and is always looking for the opportunity to speak at churches to spread the story of Habitat for Humanity of Rowan County. Jane Hartness serves as the Volunteer Coordinator of Habitat, and would love to sign up members of your congregation as volunteers. Coleman can be reached by email at Habitat@HabitatRowan.org, and Jane can be reached at Volunteer@HabitatRowan.org. The phone number for the Habitat of Rowan is (704) 642-6292. Many people volunteer to work on houses each Saturday, but construction also goes on during the week. So if you’re free during the week, there are opportunities to help with construction also.

I hope to see you on a worksite in the future.

Peace,

Evelyn Eller

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firstARTS PRESENTS C O N C E R T F O R

C O M M U N I T Y C O L L A B O R A T I O N B E N E F I T I N G T H E M I S S I O N O F R O W A N C O U N T Y ’ S

ONE CHURCH ONE CHILD

CIOMPI QUARTET

RESIDENT QUARTET AT DUKE UNIVERSITY IN CONCERT ________________________________________________

FRIDAY, APRIL 8|7:30 P.M.

A GALA RECEPTION FOLLOWS

Laundered MoneyOne of my regular chores around the house is doing the laundry. Needless to say, it’s easier than when we had three children at home. Somewhere near my washer and dryer, I keep a dish to collect “pocket treasures” that were overlooked when clothes are dumped into the hamper. One of the most frequent goodies that fill my dish are coins. Often I find them in my dryer at the end of the cycle: those special ones are my “laundered money.” I allow them to accrue until I have few dollars. It’s sort of my secret stash.

This morning as I was collecting and sorting things on my daily trail to the kitchen, I noticed that my laundered money had filled its container. It was mostly pennies, but I counted them and donated them to our STOP HUNGER NOW bank on the dining table. It amounted to $.44 cents. As I added this small donation, I thought that this little handful of pennies can feed four people one nourishing meal. It is mind stretching to realize that a bit of change can feed a hungry person or family.

My challenge for you today is: Look in hidden places for treasures that can make a difference. What have you hidden in your house? How about your life? What can you find today that could contribute to making change for even one child of God you don’t even know?

THANK YOU: WE WON!This year’s Super Bowl of Caring/Scouting for Food Sunday was a resounding success. BSA troop 442 delivered 774 pounds of food to Rowan Helping Ministries on behalf of First UM Church. Not only did they deliver the food, but they also restocked the shelves in the community pantry-a true labor of love.

The challenge from our UM brothers & sisters in Denver, CO, resulted in a collection of 636,891 food items plus 177,000 pounds of potatoes from gleaning projects of the Society of St. Andrew. The Denver area churches collected 360,664 items from over 140 sites in Colorado and several western states. Congratulations to PANTHER fans for winning the challenge and to the Broncos in their win in the football game. To the Panthers: Thanks for an exciting season, we’re very proud to have you as our home team!

MARCH DATES-Mark March 8, 2015, for a special BBQ meal at First Presbyterian Church benefiting Meals on Wheels, Rowan. This is their yearly fundraiser. Tickets/Meals are $8.00 per plate, including BBQ, Baked Beans, Slaw, bread and homemade cake slice. Food will be served from 11:00 am until 6:30 pm. See Beverly Gobble: beverlypg@aol.com.

How about purchasing a few tickets and gifting them to a friend, office pal or even a stranger on the street? “Pay it forward.”

APRIL DATES -Begin getting your legs warmed up for the annual UMW 5K Run/Walk for Missions. This year’s event will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 3, at 2:00 pm.

-Plans for our Day of Serving, Saturday April 16 are coming together. Along with the STOP HUNGER NOW food packaging event in the fellowship hall, there will be other opportunities for hands on mission projects that will make a difference here in Salisbury.

Taffy JordanMission Team 2016

MISSIONS MOMENT

MARCH CALENDAR

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

2PM Bulletin Deadline5:00PM Choristers5:30PM Midweek Meal6:30PM Go Fish!6:30PM Midweek Meditation7:30PM Chancel Choir

7:00 PM AA8:00 PM Alanon

7:00 PM AA7:00 PM AA8:30 AM Worship Service9:45 AM Sunday School11:00 AM Worship 5:30 PM Youth5:30 PM Club 456:00 PM Unity Service at First Presbyterian

10:00 AM With These Hands10:30 AM UMW Board Meeting5:30 PM Beginners Running Class6:00 PM Cub Scouts6:00 PM Girl Scouts

10:00 AM Staff Meeting6:00 PM SPRC

8:30 AM Worship 9:45 AM Sunday School11:00 AM Worship 12:00 PM Salisbury Youth

10:00 AM Naomi Circle6:00 PM Girl Scouts 7:00 PM Eve Circle

10:00 AM Staff Meeting11:00 AM Methodist Connection6:00 PM Trustees Meeting

2PM Bulletin Deadline5:00PM Choristers5:30PM Midweek Meal6:30PM Go Fish!6:30PM Midweek Meditation/Ash Wednesday7:30PM Chancel Choir

7:00 AM Men's Prayer Breakfast6:30 PM MOMS Meeting6:30 PM RHM Supper7:00 PM AA8:00 PM Alanon

7:00 AM RHM Breakfast7:00 PM AA

7:00 PM AA

8:30 AM Worship 9:45 AM Sunday School11:00 AM Worship 5:30 PM Club 455:30 PM Youth

10:00 AM With These Hands6:00 PM Girl Scouts

10:00 AM Staff Meeting6:00 PM Church Council Meeting

2PM Bulletin Deadline4:30PM Novice Choir5:30PM Midweek Meal6:30PM Go Fish!6:30PM Midweek Meditation7:30PM Chancel Choir

7:00 PM AA8:00 PM Alanon

7:00 PM AA7:00 PM Mission Bridge Club

8:30 AM Girl Scout Training7:00 PM AA

12:00 PM Good Friday Service7:00 PM AA

10:00 AM Music Rehearsal7:00 PM AA

Easter Sunday7:00 AM Sunrise Service8:30 AM Worship 9:45 AM Sunday School--Backwards Easter Egg Hunt11:00 AM Worship

7:00 AM Men's Prayer Breakfast7:00 PM Maundy Thursday Service7:00 PM AA8:00 PM Alanon

10:00 AM Staff Meeting6:00 PM Autusm Society Meeting

Palm Sunday8:30 AM Worship9:30 AM Palm Sunday Breakfast9:45 AM Sunday School11:00 AM Worship 5:30 PM Youth

2PM Bulletin Deadline4:30PM Novice Choir5:30PM Midweek Meal6:30PM Go Fish!6:30PM Midweek Meditation7:30PM Chancel Choir

28 29 1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31 1 210:00 AM Staff Meeting 2PM Bulletin Deadline 7:00 PM AA

8:00 PM Alanon7:00 PM AA 7:00 PM AA

10:00 AM With These Hands6:00 PM Girl Scouts

10:30 AM UMW Board Meeting6:00 PM Girl Scouts

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1st Reid Leonard Nancy Rudd Robert Meyers Isabelle Goodwin Kelsie Crider

2nd Janet Parker Frances Johnson Virginia Wilber Judy Doby Joseph Clark David Austin

3rd Jill Duggan Bob Johnsen Faith Hager

4th Barbara Safley Walter Maxwell 5th Steven Martin Mark Beymer Kelly Callahan Fisher Thomas Allen Jacob Hinson Colby Daniel Rocco 6th Leland Moore Jeff Schoch Jennifer Newman Casey Gouge

17th Jamie Webb Norman Clark, III. Troy Dibley

18th Van Kelly

19th Gwen Pendleton Robbie Ladd Ann Morris Jessica Watson 20th John Hanford Linda Brown

21st Harriet Murphy Brenda Newman James Maxwell Parker Katie Bosch Dudley Johnsen

22nd Martha Miller Benjamin McCubbins Phillip Maness Robert Egloff Jacob Goodnight

23rd Cherathee Hager

24th Carolyn Peck William Barber Alex Grenoble

24th Polly Smith Sonja Summers

25th Gerry Spencer Shully Storey Lacey Mastro 26th Bill Ragsdale Deborah Carter Katie Menees

27th Glenn Moore Allison Robinson Elizabeth Shafer Brooke Busby Meredith Smith

28th Midji Bost Nancy Kirkman Boyd Watts Kay McCartney Howard Douglas

29th Richard Smith Sarah Ashley Morris Adrienne Howe

30th Barbara Senter

31st Katherine Goodman

7th Hilda Pyatt William Douglas

8th Kerry Kribbs Katherine Miller Sarah Hensley Jeffrey Todd Lineberry 9th Donald Carter, Jr. James G. Hudson, III. Linda Bowman Shelley Cross

10th George Ragsdale Jarrett Steven Bradshaw Alexandra Warren11th

12th Taffy Jordan

13th Ed Lutz Julia Baker Robin Safrit Katherine Zimmerman

14th Dortha Chuber Nettie Noble15th Jo Ann Smith Susan Whitaker

16th Annie Joe Ragsdale

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MARCH BIRTHDAYS

HOLY WEEK

Palm Sunday Breakfast at 9:15am on Sunday, March 20th.

Midweek Meal and Meditation begins at 5:30 on Wednesday, March 23rd.

Maundy Thursday Service at 7:00pm on Thursday, March 24th.

Good Friday Service at 12:00pm on Friday, March 25th.

Easter Sunrise Service at 7:00am on Easter Sunday, March 27th.

Backwards Easter Egg Hunt at 9:15am on Easter Sunday.

Easter Worship at 8:30 and 11:00am on Easter Sunday.

CHURCH STAFFThe Reverend Doctor Mark Conforti Senior PastorMrs. Becca Blackmon Business AdministratorMr. Matthew Brown Director of MusicMr. Murl Leazer Building SuperintendentMrs. Christine Maloney Administrative AssistantMrs. Pat McKim Director of Children’s MinistriesMs. Briana McLeod Director of Youth and MediaMrs. Betty Slife Lead Teacher of After School ProgramMrs. Lindsay Wineka Director of PreschoolMrs. Vicki Wood Director of Child Development CenterMs. Beth Yelvington Lead Teacher of Summer Camp Program

Phone Number: (704) 636-3121Fax: (704) 637-2933

Email: (firstname)@fumcsalisbury.org

A THANK YOU!

CONTACT US

“Prayer is the one type of communication that is the life line to God giving us assurance of hope and peace. This line is never too busy to list to my prayers for others and me. -Carmen

What does PRAYER mean to you?

Dear FUMC, Thank you for all the love you showed me during my hospital stay, surgery, and recovery. The cards, flowers, food, and prayers were sincerely appreciated. I am so proud to be a part of this Church. I love all of you!

Your sister in Christ,

Ann Morris

ECCLESIAPublished by:

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH2 1 7 S O U T H C H U R C H S T R E E TSALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA 28144