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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.
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Sunday Morning Schedule
Sunday School @ 9am
Connection time @10am in the Family Life Center
Worship @ 10:30am in the Main Sanctuary
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Connection
Join us each Sunday for Connection from 10:00 to 10:30 in the Family Life Center. Enjoy free breakfast while meeting others in the church and building Christian relationships. Come and go anytime during the 30 minutes. |
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Three Week Sermon Series
Feb 2 nd – Who is Blessed?
Matthew 5:1 – 12
Feb 9 th – Salt and Light
Matthew 5:13 – 15
Feb 16 th – You Heard What?
Matthew 5:21 – 22
Join Pastor Dennis as he embarks upon a three-week journey into the greatest sermon ever preached – “Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.” It is found in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5 – 7. Along our journey we will explore what it means to be truly blessed in the eyes of God, what Jesus meant when he called us to be both salt and light in the world, and how you can discern the difference between what others say about living a Godly life, and what Jesus actually says about it. Don’t miss a Sunday! I am looking forward to being with you on in worship Sunday at 10:30.
Blessings,
Pastor Dennis
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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.
Unknown - me, daughter and son-in-law
Debbie Sexton - self - successful thyroid surgery
TR - TR as lay director for Emmaus walk
TR - Tammy Vaughn family - death of Tammy's mother
Sandy Eagle - praise for healing friend, Don Jackman
Ruthie Mosser - daughter Abby (hurting)
Lynice Broyls - friend Chris Smith w/ only hrs. to live
Brian Clohessy - wife Randyn 5.5 hr. infusion on 1/27/20
Brian Clohessy - George Walker
Brian Clohessy - sister-in-law & family - grandmother at end of life
Connie Helton - Kenney Helton - at home!!
Wendy Fleenor - loss of spouse for Marynell Stout & Harry Fleenor - family members
Cards need for the following:
Should you like to send a card, please contact Dawn in the church office to get the addresses. Her email is dawn@grayumc.org
Jessica Denney - Gary Stafford battling cancer
Emilee Little - uncle Lynn Walker - still in hospital
Send card to house.
Eva Higginson - husband Edward - pain in back and legs
Debbie Russell - sister Robin struggling w/ chemo and radiation
Thank you for your prayers.
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What to expect
during our Worship time on
Sunday February 2nd
This Sunday we will focus on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount
We hope to see you in the Family Life Center for a light breakfast during 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.
The worship guide for this week is Wendy Fleenor, and she will guide us through the service.
Praise and Prayer
Want to be prepared to sing the music for Sunday? Click Here
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 lose 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. We ask that you bring your prayer cards to the altar at anytime during the opening 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. Member of the prayer team 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
Scripture: Matthew 5:1-11
We will celebrate communion this Sunday.
Ministry Servants for Sunday, February 02
Ushers: Darrell Tegtmeyer, Lynn Walker, Colin Wood, Randy Humphries
Greeters: At Kitchen Door: Serena Ripley
At Bottom Ramp Door: Connie Ripley
At Doors A & B: Dennis Zollinger, Jean Holt
Crossing Guard: Richard Dennison
Facility Monitor: Luke Wood, Junior Little
Nursery: Taylor Davenport
Meals on Wheels for 02/04: Susan McDonald, Lydia Davidson
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Vision Report Update
“I do not fear that the Methodists will cease to exist, but that they exist in the form of religion only, and not the power.”
John Wesley
Our AD BOARD and Church Conference approved a vision report that included three major items … Meaningful Worship, Children and Youth Ministries, and Local Outreach. Here is the latest update after my recent conversation with Vision Chair Eric Barnes and AD BOARD Chair Robert Denney.
There will be an AD BOARD meeting on Sunday, March 1st at 4 pm to review the eight weeks of having one worship service during the months of January and February. This will be an open meeting and the Board wants to hear your comments. Do you like it? Why? Do you not like it? Why? Do we continue as one service, or look at going back to two services?
There will also be updated reports at this AD BOARD meeting on how to create implementation teams for children and youth ministries, and local outreach, and their goals. The #1 priority for youth is to hire a youth director, but we also want to create a larger playground for the children in our church and preschool. There may be other recreational uses for children and youth we might explore on our grounds. This will require an implementation team once we define as a Board what the short term and long term goals are that get approved.
As to local outreach, we have a LifeGroup that is dedicated to service ministry. We hope they might help us identify areas of need in our community that our church can address, as well as work on what “next steps” might be in our partnership with the Gray Elementary School next door. There is also interest in how we might use our kitchen as outreach for the community. These, and other outreach ideas, will need to be explored and an implementation team appointed once we have specific short term and long-term goals approved by the AD BOARD.
If you have any ideas, or interest in serving in any of these three areas, please contact Bob Denney or Eric Barnes and let them know your specific interests and time availability. We have good help from volunteers with our meaningful worship endeavors, and we are now seeking to identify people who can serve on implementation teams for children/youth facilities and local outreach ministries.
Our goal is that after the AD BOARD meets on March 1st, we might have goals clarified and implementation teams that are named and approved by the AD BOARD, as well as further direction on where we’re going with worship. And again, the AD BOARD meeting on March 1st is open to the public. Please come and let your voice be heard. And always, pleas undergird everything we do with prayer.
Blessings,
Pastor Dennis
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Children
Sunday, February 9 at 4:00 pm the Children’s Ministry team will meet to plan for this year’s Vacation Bible School. Anyone who would like to help with our church’s VBS this year is welcome to attend.
Children’s Sunday Evening Group meets each Sunday at 5:00 pm. Join us for a fun evening of play, snack, music, and lesson!
Ms. Alice will be having music time with the children each Sunday morning from 9:00 to 9:15. The children will be singing in church Sunday, February 16.
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Youth Sunday School
We are happy to announce that Joey Torres will begin teaching the Youth Sunday School classes beginning this upcoming Sunday, February 2. Many of the Church members that know Joey are thankful and happy to have him come on board to help grow our youth in their Christian education. We hope to see our youth at the Red Barn at 9:00 to welcome Joey and to learn.
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Connection
Join us each Sunday for Connection from 10:00 to 10:30 in the Family Life Center. Enjoy free breakfast while meeting others in the church and building Christian relationships. Come and go anytime during the 30 minutes.
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2019 Contribution Sheets
Anyone who would like their 2019 contribution sheet, please sign the sheet on the table in the narthex (where our bulletins are). You can also contact Connie Helton or the church office (dawn@grayumc.org, 477-3792). Thank you!
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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.
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4Gs
The 4 G's women's ministry will meet on Tuesday, February 11, at 6:30 in the FLC. Please bring a pot luck dish for our meal. Ladies who attended the December and January meetings, if you have your WORD for the year we will try to discuss at our tables if time allows. Our guest speaker this month is Kristin Trivett, the director of the Washington County Isaiah House 117. These "houses" are temporary homes for children who have been removed from their own residence to ensure their safety while they wait for foster parents. Through the work of dedicated people and wonderful benefactors, homes in several counties have already been beautifully restore, giving these children, of all ages, a safe, loving, and beautiful environment in which to stay for a short period. We look forward to getting a better understanding of what these homes are doing and learn ways we might be able to help. Plan to come and invite a friend to hear Kristin's own personal story.
We are asking everyone to bring some Valentine's Day cards so that we can all write a message of love and appreciation to the veterans at the VA in Johnson City. A simple way for us make that day a little more special for them.
A nursery will be provided for those with very young children.
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Volunteers Needed!
With the beginning of the new Sunday morning schedule, we need extra volunteers! If you would be interested in serving as a crossing guard or greeter, or would be available to help clean up after Connection, please call the church office at 423-477-3792 Thanks for volunteering!
Our Children’s Sunday School class needs a helper to assist with lessons each week. Regina Cline is the lead teacher and will be preparing the lessons. Anyone interested in volunteering, please email emily.wood@scottschools.com or call/text Emily Wood at 423-571-7481. There will be a rotation, so a helper would be needed only once every 6-8 weeks.
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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.
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The Church Pantry needs are: laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid.
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
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The Food Pantry Volunteer Schedule for January is:
Friday, January 31st – Bryan Orchard
The Food Pantry Volunteer Schedule for February is:
Monday, February 3rd – John/Joanna Baker
Friday, February 7th – Laura Weaver/Becky Olterman
Monday, February 10th – Alex Beverly/Wendy Brock
Friday, February 14th – Bob/Sandra Denney
Monday, February 17th – Connie Ripley/Connie Helton
Friday, February 21st – Dennis Zollinger/Jean Holt
Monday, February 24th – Randy/Cathy Humphries
Friday, February 28th – Bryan Orchard
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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.
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Apple Butter Gang Supplies for Sale!
The Apple Butter Gang still has some supplies who are no longer needed. If you would be interested in any of the following, please contact Don Hall at 341-3160.
Quart jars - $ 1 per box
Fans, window-size - $ 5 each
Apple peelers, used - free
Used banana boxes - free
New pint jar boxes - free
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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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