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         Weekly Update!

Welcome to our weekly update, which is planned to arrive weekly on Tuesdays. If anyone you know would like to receive the update, please direct them to http://grayumc.org/news
Starting January 5th
our Sunday morning schedule will be:

Sunday School @ 9am
Connection time @10am in the Family Life Center
Worship @ 10:30am in the Main Sanctuary

New Year’s Resolutions

         Do you know what the most popular new year’s resolution is for 2020?  Well, according to social media the leading trends are: learn martial arts, spend a day at an orphanage, master meditation, create your own art piece, stay off social media for a month, and eat healthy for 21 days (why 21 days I wonder?)  I suppose all those options create opportunities, but what about this option: do not say anything bad about anybody for a whole month.  In the Bible we find this verse in Ephesians 4:29 which says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

         Few of us would disagree with this Bible verse, but many of us will think the best way to build others up is to tear them down in conversation when we know they are wrong.  Let me suggest a better way.  Let others be wrong.  You don’t have to change the wrong world views of others.  It’s not your crusade. Learn to agree to disagree.  God is big enough to handle us all.  If we all made a New Years’ resolution to instruct others more lovingly, criticize others less harshly, and pray for each other more faithfully, we can only imagine what God can do with us.  Maybe God is waiting for a few good men, and women, to live the Word in love, not hate.  Are you willing to be one of them?

         This is a New Year’s resolution that is worthy of our time.  Let’s hope we can keep it, … for at least a month.


Happy New Year, Dennis  

 

Dear Church Members and Friends,

Just a reminder:  In appreciation of Amy Holmes’ and Judy Ellis’ tenure at Gray, the church will conduct a love offering over the next few weeks to give to Amy and Judy.  You may contribute by placing your designated monetary gift in the offering plate, by bringing your gift to the church office or by seeing one of the SPR members by January 19th. Please join me in thanking Amy and Judy for their service to Gray United Methodist Church and wishing them the best in the future.    

Sincerely,
 
Debra Sexton
Interim Chair
Staff Parish Relations

 

Our Prayer Requests for the Week.

These prayer requests were collected by our prayer team, and we ask that you include them in your prayers this week.  Prayer is very important in our lives, and we believe that praying together as the body of Christ is essential.

Please remember these people as often as you can this week.

The prayer requester is listed first, followed by the person they are requesting prayer for.

Jill Wireman - for Lindsay - future daughter-in-law - medical issues
Amy Blumberg - for Sharon Sims - friend (high school) - final stages of breast cancer
Jean Holt - for Mike Holt - son - prostate cancer surgery on 1/6/20
David Frost - for Bessie Frost - oldest son's death anniversary
Eric Barnes - for Walker Brooks & Erin Barnes - grandson(pneumonia) & daughter (back surgery recovery)
Alice Lucas - for Rachel Lucas - surgery recovery & strength to battle IIH
Melissa Powers - for Ryan Wagers (friend) and Christopher Powers(son) - URGENT
Brian Clohessy - for Randy Clohessy - cataract surgery on 1/9/20 -URGENT
Brian Clohessy - for family of Rick Bredeson on Rick's death
Brian Clohessy - for George Walker
Brian Clohessy - for military
Unknown - for Wayne Pickel (neighbor) - cancer
Unknown - for Vi Wilkey - condition diagnosis
Unknown - for River (ill 7 mo. old in NICU)

Added after Sunday-
David Shipley

Thank you for your prayers.

News and Events

What to expect
during our Worship time on
Sunday January 19.

 

Our first Sunday of the Year was the first of our new combined worship experience.  If you were not there, we hope you are able to experience worship with us this Sunday, and we hope everyone will be in the Family Life Center for the Connection time from 10-10:30 am.  Do not feel rushed to get to worship "on time."  If you are having a great conversation with your church family, take the time and finish it, then come to worship together.

This Sunday we will celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, and celebrate a time of Baptism renewal. Our wider spiritual family, called the United Methodist Church, has set aside this day as Baptism Sunday.  Across the world, United Methodists will be invited to experience the water from the font and remember.  And so, we invite you to remember this new life offered to you through the sacrificial life and the resurrection of Jesus.  Come feel the waters on your skin and pause to ask, "How am I to live this new life?  How are we, together, to express this hope to the world?  How is God calling our community, united by one faith and one baptism?
Come and remember.

Praise and Prayer

The worship guide for this week is Michael Bumgarner, and he will guide us through the service.

As a reminder, the first section of worship will focus on praise and prayer.  We will praise God through different types of music, and pray as a body for his presence to fill us as we worship. During the music, please sit or stand as you feel led.  Sometimes you may feel the need to sit and soak in the presence of God.  Other-times you may want to stand, raise your hands and loose yourself in worship. There is no right or wrong way.  We ask that you only do what you feel, and not worry what you think you should do. This section is less formal, so feel free to find the way you worship most freely.

Prayer is vital to the life of the church, and we have expanded the role of prayer in worship.  We ask that you bring your prayer cards to the altar at anytime during this opening section. This will take some getting used to, but feel free to move about the sanctuary as needed during this section.  While at the altar, members of our prayer team are available to pray with you, or you may take time to pray at the altar on your own.  After the time of Praise and Prayer, members of the prayer team will collect the cards from the altar.  They will send the concerns that are shareable to you by email, so that you may pray over the concerns of your church family during the week.  If a concern is an urgent need, they will let our worship guides know so that we may pray over them immediately during the service.

Offering will be taken up during the third song this Sunday.

Scripture and Message

 Our Scripture for the week is Acts 8:14-17.


Want to get a jump on the music for Sunday?   Click here.

 

Children

 
Children’s Sunday Evening Group meets each Sunday at 5:00 pm. Join us for a fun evening of play, snack, music, and lesson.  

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Pastor Dennis'
Bible Study

 
Tuesday Morning Bible Study with Pastor Dennis is “12 Faith Journeys of the Minor Prophets”.  Classes meet at 10:00 am on Tuesdays in the Gathering room behind the church kitchen.  (Door G will be unlocked.)  Class will resume from our holiday break on January 7, 2020.
 

Jubilation 2020 


April 20 – 22, 2020!  This is the 20th anniversary for Jubilation, and this year the event will be held at the Ramsey Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, TN.  Jubilation is for our older adults, and offers workshops, Bible Study, music, and more!  Registration fee includes room, program, Monday dinner, and Tuesday lunch.  If you are interested in registering, please contact the church office and we will provide you with the information and forms needed.  The deadline to register is March 20, 2020.

Food Pantry

The Church Pantry needs are: cooking oil, canned meats, macaroni and cheese, spices (salt, pepper, etc), and toothpaste/toothbrushes.  
 
Our food pantry is open from 10 am to noon Mondays and Fridays.  If you can volunteer to help distribute food and talk with our neighbors, we would love to have your help!  To volunteer please contact Pastor Bryan at pastorbryan@grayumc.org
 
 

 

The Food Pantry Volunteer Schedule for January is:
 
Friday, January 10th – Laura Weaver/Becky Olterman
Monday, January 13th – Alex Beverly/Wendy Brock
Friday, January 17th – Bob/Sandra Denney
Monday, January 20th – Connie Ripley/Connie Helton
Friday, January 24th – Dennis Zollinger/Jean Holt
Monday, January 27th – Randy/Cathy Humphries
Friday, January 31st – Bryan Orchard
 


4Gs


Meet Tuesday, January 14 @ 6:30.  Come and join us!

            With the new year comes a new beginning for our 4Gs women’s ministry.  We hope you will join us on Tuesday, January 14, at 6:30.  This year we will be doing a pot luck meal each month, so you can bring whatever you would like or make a donation if that works better for you. Debbie Russell will have our devotion and we are asking that you be in prayer for our group.  Also, come with some fresh, new ideas of ways you feel we can grow our ministry, connect more with those in attendance, and have a more meaningful time together as a group.  Mark your calendars and invite a friend to come as we explore how we can all grow more Godly together.  If you have some suggestions or any questions before the meeting, contact Becky Olterman.   Remember, if Washington County Schools are closed or close early, we will not meet. 

Financial Peace


Financial Peace University (FPU) is a nine-lesson course designed to help you build a budget, dump debt, give generously, and leave money stress behind. Each lesson, taught by Dave Ramsey and his team of financial experts, is based on biblical wisdom and common sense. In your FPU small group, you’ll be motivated and encouraged by others just like you.
 
Imagine the impact the people of God could have if all were debt-free! Marriages and families would be strengthened. People would be freed up to be outrageously generous. This kind of hope will ignite change in our entire community.
 
Classes will meet Sundays from 4:00-6:00 at Gray UMC, from January 5 through March 8. Nursery care and children’s activities will be provided. Older kids are welcome (and encouraged!) to attend with parents. And remember, if you’ve taken FPU in the past, you are always welcome to attend for a refresher or to offer encouragement to others. 
 
Questions? Contact Tracy Cassell at 423-276-0492 or tscassell@gmail.com for more info. Class signup link: fpu.com/1105725
 
 
United Methodist Women

The United Methodist Women have RADA cutlery and other items for you to purchase.  There is a poster and a catalog in the ramp area that will have descriptions and information about all their items.  

If you have any questions, please ask Sandra Denney, Debbie Russell, Sue Hall, Jill Flaugher or Lynice Broyles or email dawn@grayumc.org.

Our hope is that we can help make some improvements to the projector so the sanctuary screen can be easier to read.

Want to see the catalogue click here.
 
Upcoming Events

Sunday Morning Schedule 
            9:00 – 10:00: Sunday School Classes
            10:00 – 10:30: Connection Time
            10:30 – 11:30: Worship Service

 
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