Heritage Connection Volume VI Issue 5 May 2016

Where Everybody is Somebody and Jesus is Lord!

HUMC STAFF: Pastor:

Matt Albritton Youth Pastor:

Jamie Farquhar Nursery Director:

Nikki Hagler Children’s Director:

Shannon Nelson Office Manager:

Charlotte Paul

Weekly

Opportunities

For

Fellowship &

Growth:

SUNDAY MORNING Sunday School……...............…9:30 a.m. Children’s Choir…………….….10:30 a.m. Worship Service…..……….....10:45 a.m.

SUNDAY EVENING

ABLAZE Youth……………..……..6:00 p.m. Evening Worship…………….….6:00 p.m.

TUESDAY MORNING

Men for the Master Breakfast 7:30 a.m. at Burger King

WEDNESDAY EVENING

Meal & Fellowship……..5:15-6:15 p.m. Kids For Christ …………..……….6:30 p.m. ABLAZE Youth…………….…..….6:30 p.m. Bible Study……………...…...……6:30 p.m.

*Nursery is provided for all services*

Whose Side Are You On?

Joshua and his army were nearing Jericho, when he looked up and saw a man

holding a sword. “Joshua stepped up to him and said, ‘Whose side are you on—

ours or our enemies?’ He said, ‘Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just

arrived.’ Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, ‘What orders

does my Master have for his servant?’ God’s army commander ordered Joshua,

‘Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua

did it.” (Joshua 5:13-15).

Abraham Lincoln was asked if he believed that God was on the Union Army’s

side. He responded by saying, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side;

my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” We are

reminded that God is sovereign over our lives and this world. He also honors those

who honor him and he judges those who dishonor him. People who do not live for

the Lord should not think that he will bless them. Blessings always follow

obedience. This does not mean that God is not involved in their lives. Sinners are

just as much under God’s ultimate control as the righteous. However, we don’t

usually think about sinners being in the hands of God when we sing, “He’s got the

whole world in his hands.”

Matthew Henry suggests that God “tantalizes” sinners by giving them wealth

only to take it away later and give it to the righteous. God does it by an “overruling

providence” so that the ungodly are compelled to yield their riches to the children

of God. He offers as an example how the Canaanites kept the good land until God

gave it to the children of Israel. We might also think of Mordecai receiving the

king’s signet ring after the death of Haman. Mordecai ends up receiving the estate

of wicked Haman, who plotted against the Lord’s people.

So why doesn’t this happen all the time? The truth is we really don’t know,

however, we may find comfort in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

“The arm of the universe is long but it bends toward justice.” While evil may do

well in the short run, in the end, good always wins. If life were a 100-yard dash,

you would bet on evil. But life is a marathon, and because it is, good will win out

in the end. It might not win out in the course of one lifetime, or in one generation,

but eventually, God does move to bring justice into the world. And if justice doesn’t

come in this life, it will definitely come in heaven. Evildoers will be punished.

And those who follow the way of Jesus will be rewarded. That’s the promise of

God.

God does honor those who honor Him. He judges sinners and rewards the

righteous. The reward often comes in this life, but if not God has an eternity to set

right what has gone wrong. In the end no one will ever regret serving the Lord.

Therefore our prayer should be, “Lord, I do not ask that you be on my side only that

I am on yours. Amen.”

May God continue to bless you and your family during the month of May, as we

endeavor to do His will and serve him faithfully. In Christ’s arms, Brother Matt

House of Prayer

Prayer Request

Submission Please remember to direct your prayer

request to Brother Matt and the Prayer Group in the following ways:

Monday-Thursday 9a.m.-3p.m.

Contact the church office: (334)347-1991 or

heritageumc@centurylink.net

Nights and Friday-Sunday Please call:

Marsha Routley (334) 464-7071 Jerry Rhine (334) 393-3565

Matt Albritton (334) 399-7091

Stained Glass Windows

ONLY 2 WINDOWS REMAIN! If you are interested in buying a

stained glass window for a loved one to be displayed here at

Heritage UMC Worship Center, please contact Brother Matt or

the church office @ 334-347-1991.

Service Members

& Their Families:

BasilKane-Evans Danny Verdin Ray Illman James Betsill Brian Stoops Zack Griffin

Please help us keep our prayer list updated.

*Andrea & John Harper *Bill & Jackie James

*Louis Mangiacapra *Bob Mathis

Lois Bauer Janice McIntosh

Marjorie Charles Rob McNamara

Robert Dunn Marilyn McNulty

Lindsey Fomby Bobby Meredith

Greg Fuller Robin Morse

Rick Franklin Krystal Mulholland

Pat Garrey Mary Nordstrom

Danielle Guiou Dianne Nunn

Laura Hysmith Natalie Preston

Bob Jordan Bob Smithson

Brad Langford Larry Tyson

Lopez Family Jerry Victor

Brandi Malloy Millie Walden

Lomax Martin Danny Ware

All military families Butch Wright

*Most recent requests

Prayer Concerns:

You’re Invited…

to the Wedding

of

Amy Free and Gary Weeks

on Saturday, May 21, 2016,

at 6 p.m.

Piney Grove Farmhouse

793 Holley Mill Road

Samson, Alabama 36477

Casual Dress

Reception to follow

HUMC Current

Goals:

To purchase video

equipment so Brother

Matt’s sermons can be

broadcast with audio and

visual elements. Estimated

costs: $1,400-1,700.

Donations to date: $340.

To purchase a digital

church sign. Estimated

costs: around $9,650.

Donated to date: $520

(Pledged $4,700).

Congratulations

Seniors!!!

Senior Sunday—May 15

Bring your covered dishes and

take a moment to celebrate our

seniors, Hannah Stidley and

Ryan Thomas. Also, be sure to

check out their tables showcasing

their many high school

accomplishments.

EHS Baccalaureate—May 22

4 pm—Hillcrest Baptist Church

EHS Graduation—May 26

7 pm Wildcat Stadium

Ablaze Student Ministry

ABLAZE Youth- Sunday School Youth Worship Center 9:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings

ABLAZE Meeting Youth Worship Center 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Sunday nights

ABLAZE Meeting Youth Worship Center 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Wednesday nights

What Where When

As school draws to a close, lots of changes are on the horizon. Some chapters of life are closing, like the past school year; but others are just beginning!

It's strange. There always seems to be something safe and comfortable about the past. Despite containing all our failures, what has been often still seems preferable to what is to come simply because of familiarity. As humans we cannot see the future, or know what it has in store. The coming moments and years could hold blistering, terrible storms and all types of calamity, which is terrifying, and who would want to venture into those?! In the midst of those powerful fears, though, it is easy to forget a simple truth; the future could also hold incredible joys never imagined possible!

M. S. Lowndes based a great quote off of Isaiah 43:18-19, and it sums up, as the Bible passage does, how we as Christians should approach both the times to come and any emotions that result from thinking about them. It reads, "Don't be afraid to keep moving on, for what was before, now is gone, God wants to accomplish so much more, But we need to move forward in the Lord."

How awesome is it that God has such bright and marvelous things waiting in each of our futures?!We must keep in constant communication and trust His timing while moving forward into each uncharted moment, though; because, unlike us, only He knows what lies ahead. Trusting in His unfathomable love for us, combined with His foresight and supernatural aid, is the only truly peaceful and confident way to flip through the unwritten chapters ahead and experience His unfathomable blessings!

A few of our youth are venturing into their own, new chapters of life right now and are definitely in need of both God's loving guidance and our support and prayers: our graduating seniors! They are Hannah Stidley and Ryan Thomas. If you see either of them, make sure to congratulate them on this milestone achievement, and let them know you are, and will be, praying for them in this very important season of life! Our love and support as a church family, whether they move away or not, is so crucial now, because lots of discernment will be needed to navigate the increasingly loud voice of the world in their ears as they journey forward.

We are so blessed to have such incredible seniors, and Andrea and I are personally heartbroken, but excited, to see them move forward with both their lives and walk with God. If you would like to celebrate them even more amidst the rest of the church family, Senior Sunday is May 15th! I know they would love to see you there! Do not forget to bring a dish for after the service to share, fellowship over, and to continue celebrate the graduating seniors' achievement with!

Events:

Singing at the Nursing Home May 2nd

Double Dog Dare-a-thon Awards May 4th

Landscaping at church May 7th

Senior Sunday & Luncheon May 15th

Wednesday Night Dinner Fundraiser May 18th

EHS Baccalaureate May 22nd

The Bellows (Dinner & Devo) May 24th

EHS Graduation May 26th

May Birthdays: 1 Sara Slawson 2 Sandra Tate 5 Dennis Roberts 18 Nikki Hagler 21 David Hataway 26 Lisa Crumpler 26 Suzette Jones 27 Jimmy Roebuck 28 Sara Wright 29 Jerry Wright

May Anniversaries: 9 David & Katherine Rowe 17 Lance & Ashley Meredith

26 Steve & Angie Parker

If we are missing any birthdays or anniversaries,

please call the office at 347-1991 and let us know so

Nursery

Volunteers

May 1—Jan Hataway (Youth –Peyton)

May 8—Marsha Routley (Youth—Carson)

May 15—Sara Slawson (Youth-Alexis)

May 22—Nikole McDonald (Youth-Stefaney)

May 29—Suzette Jones (Youth –Shelby)

Children’s Church

Volunteers

May 1—No C. Church

May 8—Alison Marler

May 15—Mila Goodson

May 22—Susan Franklin

May 29—Wendy Thomas

MAY OPERATION

CHRISTMAS CHILD

Donate stuffed animals during the

month of May and receive a FREE

Wednesday night meal. Different

items will be posted each month

through November. (See the bulletin

board for a complete listing)

Miss a service or just

want to listen to it again or

share it with a friend?

iTunes Podcasts can help you

do that! Here is the link:

http:heritageunitedmethodist.org/

blog/feed/podcast. Please be sure

to subscribe to our podcast in

iTunes in order to see all sermons.

Count Tithes & Offerings in May

May 1—Carolyn Peterson, Jim Goodson

May 8—Sue Fuller, Terri Hurst

May 15—Amy Free, Mila Goodson

May 22—Angie Parker, Lisa Crumpler

May 29—Sue Fuller, Mila Goodson

(Note: Sunday counters please be present to

count the following Wednesday Night)

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Sing at

Nursing Home

6:30 pm

3 Men’s

Breakfast-

Burger King

7:30am

4 Wed. Meal

5-15-6:15 pm

Activities & Bible

Study 6:30 pm

5 6 7

8 9 10 Men’s

Breakfast-

Burger King

7:30am

11 Wed. Meal

5-15-6:15 pm

Activities & Bible

Study 6:30 pm

12 13 Annual City-

Wide Prayer

6 pm

14

15 Senior

Day

16 17 Men’s

Breakfast- 7:30am

50 Forward

11:30 am

18 Wed. Meal

5-15-6:15 pm

Activities & Bible

Study 6:30 pm

19 20 21

Amy and Gary’s

Wedding

22 EHS

Bacc. 4 pm

Finance Comm

Meets 5 pm

23 24 Men’s

Breakfast-

Burger King

7:30am

25 Wed. Meal

5-15-6:15 pm

Activities & Bible

Study 6:30 pm

26 EHS Graduation

7 pm

27 28

29 30 31 Men’s

Breakfast-

Burger King

7:30am

Join us each Sunday for:

Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Children’s Choir 10:30 a.m.

Worship 10:45 a.m.

Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.

Heritage United Methodist Church

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to

prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Be sure to join us each Wednesday Night!

There’s something for the whole family!

Light meal: 5:15—6:15 pm

Activities begin at 6:30 pm

Sunday School, or Sunday morning Bible study, provides Bible lessons beginning with our little ones in the nursery through our

senior adults. Each class is designed to help us grow in our understanding of the Bible and how to apply it to our everyday lives.

Classes meet each Sunday from 9:30 am to 10:30 am and it is open to everyone.

WINGS of FAITH (All ages) Class for Bible Study, and special focus on daily stress we face in everyday life. Emphasis is

to bring us together as a church family so that we not only react to problems but anticipate one another's needs. Anticipate bringing

in guest speakers/programs which will assist in enhancing our quality of life. All conversation shared in this group will be considered

confidential! No age restriction. Join us upstairs, last room on the right, in the Education Building. Leader, Tammy Albritton.

BROTHER MATT'S ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS: (All adults) Relevant and timely Bible lessons that

speak to the concerns and issues facing Christians in these days. Open discussion format where participation is encouraged. Join us

upstairs in the Education Building. Leader, Brother Matt Albritton.

LAMPLIGHTERS: (All adults) We are currently studying "The Gift of Faith", studies from the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

Jesus teaches His disciples about faith, and we see examples of those who put their faith in him. Join us in the Choir Room/

Lamplighters. Leader, Roy Eason.

WOMEN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS: (All women) We are currently studying "The Early Church", and learning

many interesting things about God, Paul and the early church. We have studied the Life and Death of Jesus Christ. We welcome all

women, married, single and of any age. We really enjoy our fellowship and study time with our Sisters in Christ. Join us down

stairs in the Education Building. Leader, Anita Jones.

COLLEGE AND CAREER BIBLE STUDY: Based on the War Room movie. Through this 5-session Bible study,

believers will be called to evaluate their spiritual life and growth, to uncover their true character, to trust in the God of grace, declare

victory over their true Enemy, and discover that prayer really is a powerful weapon. Join us upstairs in the Education Building.

Leader, Terri Hurst.

YOUNG MARRIED COUPLES: (Open to all couples) Currently studying "He Chose The Nail" by Max Lucado.

When Jesus took his last breath, did he secure salvation for humanity or perpetrate history's biggest hoax? Travel to Golgotha with

Lucado and decide for yourself. With his characteristic insight, Lucado examines the extraordinary circumstances surrounding

Christ's crucifixion and explains why the cross is central to our own search for significance. Join us upstairs in the Education Build-

ing. Leaders, Stephen & Angie Parker.

ABLAZE STUDENT MINISTRY SUNDAY SCHOOL: (7th thru 12th graders) We focus on the many

awesome attributes of our holy, loving, Trinitarian God revealed in scripture, and discuss, through scouring the Bible and practical

application, how insanely life changing letting Him be your heart's main desire each and every day can be! We also discuss liturgi-

cal (the church calendar), global, local, and personal events as they occur and are laid on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Talking about

their significance for us as followers of God, and the church as a whole, in light of the Bible is truly an enlightening and humbling

experience! We would love for you to come join us in the Chapel. Leader, Jamie Farquhar.

CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL: (Kindergarten thru 6th graders) We are using the DEEP BLUE Sunday School

Series where kids dive deep into the Bible. Through Bible stories, games, puzzles, and Bible Study, kids will learn how to live as

disciples of Jesus. Join us downstairs in the Education Building. Leader, Shannon Nelson.

CHILDREN'S CHURCH (11:15 am): (4 years thru 3rd graders) Children join us for Children's Church for an inter-

esting Bible Study each Sunday and some fun and exciting follow-on activities. Children will go to Children's Church after Praise

and Worship.

Volunteers

are always

needed.