First UMC | eRevelations

January 27, 2012

First United Methodist Church—Our Purpose: As believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Bible as the inspired word of God, we 1) glorify God through worship, 2) build strong relationships in the church family, 3) grow in the knowledge of the truth as revealed through Jesus Christ, 4) serve people as a reflection of the love of Jesus Christ, and 5) spread the Good News of the Gospel so that others may come to salvation through grace.

v  Thoughts From Your Pastor

v  Worship News

v  Fellowship News

v  Discipleship News

v  Ministry News

v  Outreach Ministry News

v  Church Meetings

v  Other Important Items

“Prayer Made Simple”

Have you ever wondered how many books there have been written on prayer, books that explain how to pray, why to pray, and what to pray? I don’t think there’s any way to get an exact number, but I think we could safely assume that we could fill a whole library with them all!

Prayer is a very deep subject because we’re dealing with our personal interactions with none other than the Lord God Almighty. But I think we can also overlook the fact that prayer is a very simple, quiet thing to do as well. Could it be that we can complicate something as basic to our existence as prayer? I think we do, yes. And Jesus would most likely agree. Consider what he taught his disciples about prayer:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

   “This, then, is how you should pray:

   “‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:5-13)

I love the simple, direct, to-the-point way that Jesus clarifies how we are to pray. Prayer is not pretentious, but humble. It’s not a showy thing, but largely a humble, simple thing. Prayer is not meant to manipulate God, but to open our hearts to him and his heart to us. And of course, prayer is meant to praise God, confess our sins, give our thanks to God, and to give him our concerns and needs. Those last four things we see in the Lord’s Prayer itself.

As you engage God in prayer every day, just be yourself. Don’t try to be “super holy” and use fancy words and techniques to pray. Just talk to God and make room for God to speak to you through the Bible, through those nudges God can give us, and how God might be speaking to us though other people or in the situations we find ourselves.

Bottom line: just pray, pray more, and don’t stop.

Yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Chris

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Our message this Sunday will be “The Will to Make Hard Choices” and the scripture is from Matthew 6:19-24

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Music Ministry

Regular Practice Schedule

Chancel Choir – Wednesday Rehearsals 7:30 pm

Praise Team – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:15 pm

Worship Players – 2^nd & 4^th Saturday 9:00 am

The King’s Kids – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:30 pm….next practices will be February 1^st and 8th

First United Methodist Church

Bowling Outing

Saturday, February 11, 2011

1:00 pm

(Details to follow)

NOTICE!!!  PRAYER MEETINGS

Our church holds prayer meetings every Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary.  We need supporters for this valuable mission so if at all possible, please join us.

Prayer concerns this week: Bell-Wilson Family, Jinna Boonchern, Maria Cook (Judy Sinkovitzs’ Mother), Tammy Palladino, Catherine Gruss, William Shrader (Dawn King’s Uncle), Sharon Bullie (Friend of Marlene Carr), Gene Hoffmaster (Bonnie Frazee’s Father)

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UMW

TOMORROW!!  General Meeting, Saturday, January 28^th at 10:00 am in Fellowship Hall

Kathryn Eye Circle Meeting, Monday, February 6^th at 1:00 pm

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UMYF

Meeting Schedule

TOMORROW!!  Saturday, January 28^th – MSP Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the Maryland Special Olympics, Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, MD

Sunday, January 29^th – Youth Sunday at both services; No Evening Meeting

Sunday, February 5^th – Meeting, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Sunday, February 12^th – Meeting, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

February 19, 2012

Red Dress Sunday

We all need to be aware of heart disease ~ how to recognize its symptoms, how to treat it, and how to prevent it in the first place.

Red Dress Sunday is an innovative faith-based health education and outreach program designed to raise awareness of the devastating effects of heart disease.

Statistics show that each year more African-American and Latina women die from heart disease than breast cancer, stroke and lung cancer combined, making it the number one killer of African-American and Latina women in this country.

We invite our congregation to wear red as a powerful visual and reminder to take care of their hearts on Sunday, February 19^th (snow date will be the following week, February 26^th)

Our Hearts are not only important spiritually, but physically as well!

                                          American Heart Association

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First UMC’s Special Needs Ministry

To help FUMCL Special Blessings meet our goals, you can visit our team website at http://plunge2012.kintera.org/fumclspecialblessings.  On our site, you can join the team or make a donation. Or you can write a check to “SOMD” and write FUMCL Special Blessings in the memo.  If you have any questions, please talk to Blairlee Owens.  Thanks in advance for all of your help!

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Outreach Ministry News

SAVE THE DATE

SIDE BY SIDE FUNDRAISING BREAKFAST

Side by Side, a 501 © (3) organization, will hold its Fundraising Breakfast on March 3, 2012 from 8:30 to 10:30a.m. at Bethany Community Church, 15720 Riding Stable Road in Laurel. It will be a fun event with free food by IHOP and a silent auction! Please mark that date on your calendar. More details to follow next week.

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Side by Side Job Announcement

Side by Side, a faith-based nonprofit growing out of the Laurel Clergy Association and ministering to local schools, their students and parents, is seeking a part-time assistant director. The job entails developing a volunteer base from local churches and coordinating our Great Start and Family Academy programs. The programs provide events at seven Prince George’s elementary schools in Laurel that include a meal, parent workshops in English and Spanish, and activities for children. The position is half-time with a salary of $12,000. If interested in learning more, contact Executive Director Joe Murchison at 202-710-5555 or sidebyside@sidebysidelaurel.org. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2012.

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POSITION DESCRIPTION: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

General description

Part-time: minimum average of 20 hours/week

Hours: flexible (evening and Saturday duties included)

Salary: $12,000

Responsibilities 

• Lead Side by Side’s Family Academy and Great Start team. The team plans Side by Side’s monthly Family Academies and its fall series of Great Start workshops for kindergarten and pre-K families at seven elementary schools.
• Develop Great Start schedule with elementary school principals and identify workshop leaders from each school’s staff
• Coordinate compilation of handbooks for Great Start parent workshop presenters and children’s activity supervisors
• With team and executive director, develop and implement 42 Great Start sessions (six sessions in each of the seven elementary schools) in fall 2012
• Develop and implement follow-up Great Start surveys and seven spring “reunion” sessions
• With team and executive director, plan Family Academy dates, workshops, meals and children’s activities; and recruit and coordinate Family Academy workshop presenters, children’s activity leaders, and volunteers for serving meals and supervising children
• Increase Side by Side volunteer base to support Great Start and Family Academy programs through recruitment of a point of contact and a team of volunteers from local churches
• Attend monthly board of directors meetings (second Saturdays 9:00-10:30)
• Attend weekly meeting with executive director
• Attend monthly Laurel Clergy Association meetings

Qualifications

Committed follower of Christ

Proven leadership and administrative abilities

Passion for growing this mission of strengthening Laurel elementary schools and their families

Also desirable:

• Knowledge of early childhood development or experience in the education of young children
• Program management experience
• Experience in recruiting and coordinating volunteers
• Computer skills, including familiarity with websites and social networking
• Proficiency in Spanish

To apply

Send cover letter and resume to Executive Director Joe Murchison at

Joe Murchison

Executive Director

Side by Side, Inc.

15808 Kerr Rd.

Laurel, MD 20707

by Jan. 31, 2012.

Administrative Board Meeting – Thursday, February 2^nd at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary

Trustees Meeting – Thursday, February 9^th at 7:00 pm in the Parlor

Staff Parish Committee Meeting – Thursday, February 9^th at 7:30 pm in Christian Fellowship Classroom

Thank you notes:

Dear Members and Friends,

The family of Stanley Bice, Jr.  acknowledges with grateful appreciation your kind expression of sympathy… In His Love, Churalene Bice

First Church made the funeral for Stanley a service of celebration and ministry.  He treasured the seven years at Laurel.  Our family is grateful for all the prayers, cards and many acts of kindness.  Stanley always expressed he was blessed, even during his physical challenges.

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To the Church Family,

Thanks for all the care while I was convalescing from my broken ankle.  It has been a long haul and many people from the church made it a little easier by bringing meals, sending cards and visiting.  Thank you all so much.  I am able to walk more now and hope to see you in church soon.  Thanks again, Linda Turner

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Stained Glass Window Honoring Veterans

The organizing committee for the veteran’s stained glass window project will meet February 1, 2012 in Room 210 (Breakfast Club) at 7:00 p.m. We will start collecting donations for the window on February 8, 2012 with installation in late fall of this year. We prefer individual donations not exceed $50.00 so more members may participate. Make a check out to First United Methodist Church and indicate Veteran’s Stained Glass Window in the memo line. We currently plan to ask each donor to choose one person to be honored on a plaque to be located on the wall near the window.  We plan to offer three or four designs to the congregation so they may indicate their preference.  We also solicit volunteers to be part of the committee. If you are interested, contact Russ Geis or Richard Reynnells, Co-Chairs.

Yours in Christ’s Love and Service,
Pastor Chris

Worship News
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Our message this Sunday will be “Be Still with God…. For Longer than 30 Seconds” and the scripture is from Ephesians 6:10-20
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Music Ministry
Regular Practice Schedule
Chancel Choir – Wednesday Rehearsals 7:30 pm
Praise Team – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:15 pm
Worship Players – 2nd & 4th Saturday 9:00 am
The King’s Kids – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:30 pm….next practices will be February 1st and 8th
Fellowship News

Discipleship News
NOTICE!!! PRAYER MEETINGS
Our church holds prayer meetings every Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary. We need supporters for this valuable mission so if at all possible, please join us.
Prayer concerns this week: Wilma Shober (Judy Law’s Mother), Lois Guthrie (Barb Miller’s Mother), Cathrine Gross, Tom Korth, Don Keatley (Peggy Sweitzer’s Father), Alicia Tello, Mrs. Banke Adeniyi, Wendall Headley & the Headley Family, Mabel Litchfield
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UMW
General Meeting, Saturday, January 28th at 10:00 am in Fellowship Hall
Kathryn Eye Circle Meeting, Monday, February 6th at 1:00 pm

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UMYF
Meeting Schedule
LEAVING CHURCH PARKING LOT AT 4:30 PM THIS EVENING!! January 20th-22nd – Trip to ROCK in Ocean City, MD

Saturday, January 28th – MSP Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the Maryland Special Olympics, Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, MD

Sunday, January 29th – Youth Sunday at both services; No Evening Meeting

Ministry News
NURSING HOME MINISTRY……The Evangelism Team is seeking a small group of people to bring a short worship service to two local nursing/rehab. homes this Sunday afternoon—at 2 PM at Patuxent Rehab Center (across from Laurel Regional Hospital) and at 3 PM at Morningside House (near Laurel High School). This is a great opportunity to share God’s love with those who aren’t able to attend church. Come share a smile, a greeting, and sing some hymns (singing voice not required). If you can participate, please email or call Dave Myers at myers2263@comcast.net or 301-490-0979.
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First UMC’s Special Needs Ministry
Join us for an evening of Tex-Mex spice at Tampico Grill on Tuesday, January 24th from 4pm-10pm to warm your church’s Polar Plungers before our upcoming Plunge into the Chesapeake Bay next Saturday, January 28th. 17% of all checks (eat-in and take-out) will go towards FUMCL’s Special Blessings Team. Just remember to tell your server you are there for the Polar Bear Plunge/Special Olympics fundraiser! Tampico Grill is located at 42 Washington Boulevard (Rt. 1 South), Laurel, MD 20707, (301) 490-5200, http://www.tampicogrill.org
To help FUMCL Special Blessings meet our goals, you can visit our team website at http://plunge2012.kintera.org/fumclspecialblessings. On our site, you can join the team or make a donation. Or you can write a check to “SOMD” and write FUMCL Special Blessings in the memo. If you have any questions, please talk to Blairlee Owens. Thanks in advance for all of your help!

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Outreach Ministry News
Side by Side Job Announcement

Side by Side, a faith-based nonprofit growing out of the Laurel Clergy Association and ministering to local schools, their students and parents, is seeking a part-time assistant director. The job entails developing a volunteer base from local churches and coordinating our Great Start and Family Academy programs. The programs provide events at seven Prince George’s elementary schools in Laurel that include a meal, parent workshops in English and Spanish, and activities for children. The position is half-time with a salary of $12,000. If interested in learning more, contact Executive Director Joe Murchison at 202-710-5555 or sidebyside@sidebysidelaurel.org. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2012.
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POSITION DESCRIPTION: ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
General description
Part-time: minimum average of 20 hours/week
Hours: flexible (evening and Saturday duties included)
Salary: $12,000
Responsibilities
• Lead Side by Side’s Family Academy and Great Start team. The team plans Side by Side’s monthly Family Academies and its fall series of Great Start workshops for kindergarten and pre-K families at seven elementary schools.
• Develop Great Start schedule with elementary school principals and identify workshop leaders from each school’s staff
• Coordinate compilation of handbooks for Great Start parent workshop presenters and children’s activity supervisors
• With team and executive director, develop and implement 42 Great Start sessions (six sessions in each of the seven elementary schools) in fall 2012
• Develop and implement follow-up Great Start surveys and seven spring “reunion” sessions
• With team and executive director, plan Family Academy dates, workshops, meals and children’s activities; and recruit and coordinate Family Academy workshop presenters, children’s activity leaders, and volunteers for serving meals and supervising children
• Increase Side by Side volunteer base to support Great Start and Family Academy programs through recruitment of a point of contact and a team of volunteers from local churches
• Attend monthly board of directors meetings (second Saturdays 9:00-10:30)
• Attend weekly meeting with executive director
• Attend monthly Laurel Clergy Association meetings

Qualifications
Committed follower of Christ
Proven leadership and administrative abilities
Passion for growing this mission of strengthening Laurel elementary schools and their families
Also desirable:
• Knowledge of early childhood development or experience in the education of young children
• Program management experience
• Experience in recruiting and coordinating volunteers
• Computer skills, including familiarity with websites and social networking
• Proficiency in Spanish

To apply
Send cover letter and resume to Executive Director Joe Murchison at
Joe Murchison
Executive Director
Side by Side, Inc.
15808 Kerr Rd.
Laurel, MD 20707

by Jan. 31, 2012.

Church Meetings
COM Meeting – Tuesday, January 24th at 7:30 pm
Lay Leadership Development – Thursday, January 26th at 7:00 pm
Administrative Board Meeting – Thursday, February 2nd at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Other Important Items
Stained Glass Window Honoring Veterans
The organizing committee for the veteran’s stained glass window project will meet February 1, 2012 in Room 210 (Breakfast Club) at 7:00 p.m. We will start collecting donations for the window on February 8, 2012 with installation in late fall of this year. We prefer individual donations not exceed $50.00 so more members may participate. Make a check out to First United Methodist Church and indicate Veteran’s Stained Glass Window in the memo line. We currently plan to ask each donor to choose one person to be honored on a plaque to be located on the wall near the window. We plan to offer three or four designs to the congregation so they may indicate their preference. We also solicit volunteers to be part of the committee. If you are interested, contact Russ Geis or Richard Reynnells, Co-Chairs.

About eRevelations
eRevelations, an informal e-mail communication of First United Methodist Church of Laurel, is published most Fridays. If you have announcements or other information you wish to include, contact the church office (301-725-3093 or office@fumcl.org).

 First UMC | eRevelations

January 13, 2012

First United Methodist Church—Our Purpose: As believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Bible as the inspired word of God, we 1) glorify God through worship, 2) build strong relationships in the church family, 3) grow in the knowledge of the truth as revealed through Jesus Christ, 4) serve people as a reflection of the love of Jesus Christ, and 5) spread the Good News of the Gospel so that others may come to salvation through grace.

v  Thoughts From Your Pastor

v  Worship News

v  Fellowship News

v  Discipleship News

v  Ministry News

v  Outreach Ministry News

v  Church Meetings

v  Other Important Items

“Immersed in God’s Word”

Turn my heart toward your statutes

and not towards selfish gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;

preserve my life according to your word.

(Psalm 119:36-37)

How much time and effort do you put in to reading, meditating on, and internalizing the Scriptures, which is God’s Word to us? Other than what you hear on a Sunday morning, how often do you allow God to speak to you throughout the week by reading your Bible, feeding on God’s Word? Where is this on your priority list?

Some of you might think that these questions, coming from a pastor, are intimidating. After all, I live in breathe within the pages of the Bible, right? Well, yes and no.

It’s true that I spend a lot of time in the Bible preparing for sermons, Bible studies, and writing I do. That keeps me in the Bible yes, but most of that effort is for you, not me. I’m reading and studying to teach and preach to others. But believe me, I can find myself having spent hours and hours preparing and then teaching and preaching the Scriptures only to find in the end that my mind, heart, and spirit have been tapped out, left bone dry and empty.

Like you, as fellow disciple of Jesus Christ, there needs to be time and space for God to speak to me for my sake. I need to allow myself to sit within the God the Potter’s hands (Jeremiah 18:6) to mold my life. And the Scriptures are one the primary modes of formation which God uses to shape us to be like Jesus.

This Sunday in our series called “A Life with God for Stressed Out, Overly Busy, Highly Distractible People on the Edge of Burnout” we’re going to look at spending time in the Scriptures as a way to shift the patterns of our thinking, our priorities, and our values to be more Christ-centered and Christ-shaped and less worldly-centered and worldly-shaped.

Reading the Bible is much more that just reading for information in order to know more “spiritual stuff.” It’s more than intellectual stimulation and fascination, which the Bible often is. Reading the Bible is more than reading for rules about what to do or not do as a Christian, although we find much of that.

Reading the Bible is a practice of immersion and even submersion into the mind, heart, and will of God as experienced and recorded by Israel and the Church. Let me offer an analogy. Let’s say you decide to go off and spend significant time in a South American country, say Peru. If you truly give yourself to that experience by opening your mind and heart, you’ll begin to see that Peruvians have ways of doing and looking at the world that are different from your own. Their values might differ from your own here and there. They have attitudes and outlooks on life, people, and God that are uniquely their own. If you really open yourself, over time, you would begin to think and act and look at things more like a Peruvian. Slowly but surely, as you made significant inroads with the people of Peru, the patterns of your life would alter. You would begin to resemble something more of them and less of what you used to be.

Friends, when we immerse and submerse ourselves into the Word of God, much of the same thing happens. The way we choose to think and react to things becomes more like Christ. What is important to us, the relationships we keep or throw away, how we use our time, how we treat God, other people and ourselves becomes more like Jesus’ ways. Before you know it, you’ll look back and see how this ongoing immersion experience has changed you in some small, moderate, or even fundamental ways.

Put all that together, and we can say that we read the Scriptures, not merely for information, but for transformation. Expect that transformation to be incremental and slow. And sometimes expect the Word to thunderbolt you to make a significant adjustment. We never can tell. But we can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us and lead us into all truth (John 16:13).

So… I hope you will join me on Sunday morning for worship so that we can explore even more how to be immersed in God’s Word. And I also hope you will join me on a daily journey of reading, taking in, and being transformed by the Word of God.

Yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Chris

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Our message this Sunday will be “Listening for God’s Truth in All the Chatter” and the scripture is from Psalm 119:25-40

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Music Ministry

Regular Practice Schedule

Chancel Choir – Wednesday Rehearsals 7:30 pm

Praise Team – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:15 pm

Worship Players – 2^nd & 4^th Saturday 9:00 am

The King’s Kids – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:30 pm….next practices will be February 1^st and 8th

NOTICE!!!  PRAYER MEETINGS

Our church holds prayer meetings every Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary.  We need supporters for this valuable mission so if at all possible, please join us.

Prayer concerns this week: Richard Hegg, Mark Straw (friend of Richard Reynnells), Sue Reynnells (sister-in-law of Richard Reynnells), Family of Steve Berstler, Gene Hoffmaster (Bonnie Frazee’s dad), Stuart & Darlene Weiss, Duke & Anne Clements, Family of Robert Norr, Gene Hoffmaster (Bonnie Frazee’s father), Bonnie Frazee & Family, Ligia Blanco (Becky Boeckman’s aunt), Lois Guthrie (Barb Miller’s mother)

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UMW

General Meeting, Saturday, January 28^th at 10:00 am in Fellowship Hall

Kathryn Eye Circle Meeting, Monday, February 6^th at 1:00 pm

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UMYF

Meeting Schedule

Sunday, January 15^th – No Meeting

January 20^th-22^nd – Trip to ROCK in Ocean City, MD

Saturday, January 28^th – MSP Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the Maryland Special Olympics, Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, MD

Sunday, January 29^th – Youth Sunday at both services; No Evening Meeting

First UMC’s Special Needs Ministry is once again participating in the Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Maryland. The plunge will take place in two weeks on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at Sandy Point State Park.  This year there will be a Pee Wee Plunge for those children up to the age of 10 years old who can take a dip in a special wading pool and still call themselves Plungers.  Our own Jacob Owens will be taking the Pee Wee Plunge.  Our team is called “FUMCL Special Blessings.” We are looking for two things:

• ·      team members – at least fifteen people who will “take the plunge” with FUMCL Special Blessings into the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay – we now have eleven team members, but could use a few more
• ·      funding – raising at least $5,000, all of which will benefit Special Olympics Maryland

To help FUMCL Special Blessings meet our goals, you can visit our team website at http://plunge2012.kintera.org/fumclspecialblessings.  On our site, you can join the team or make a donation. Or you can write a check to “SOMD” and write FUMCL Special Blessings in the memo.  If you have any questions, please talk to Blairlee Owens.  Thanks in advance for all of your help!

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Outreach Ministry News

The Mayor & City Council of Laurel & The Laurel Clergy Association present

Sing for King

A concert featuring ‘Trilogy of Dreams’, and excerpts from ‘The Cantata, Whence We Came and Where We are’.

DEDICATED TO THE LIFE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

JANUARY 15, 2012

7:00 PM

First Baptist Church of Laurel

15000 First Baptist Lane

(off Cherry Lane west of Van Dusen Road)

No admission fee

Donations accepted

‘Trilogy of Dreams’ and ‘Whence We Came’ composed by

Dr. Mack Statham

Organist, First United Methodist Church, Laurel

Directed by, Ned Lewis

With

Detra Battle, Soprano Soloist

Carlos Petersen, Tenor/Baritone Soloist

Sharon A. Lomax, Alto Soloist

Lolethia Lomax-Frazier, Alto Soloist

Lay Leadership Development Meeting – Thursday, January 26^th at 7:00 pm

Church Office will be closed on Monday, January 16^th

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Lovely Ladies of Laurel – Open House

(A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST BE PRESENT!!!)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 7:00 pm

Laurel High School, New Building

L’3

The Lovely Ladies of Laurel is an all-girl mentoring organization for young ladies between the ages of 12 – 17.  The principle purpose is to promote RESPECT for SELF and others at all times.  We engage in community service activities to encourage intellectual performance along with high moral and respectful standards.  We support academic achievement and personal and social development.  RESPECT is the foundation for this organization RESPECT for SELF, others, and human diversity.

Please RSVP at celestehillr@yahoo.com if you are planning on attending.

Website:  www.divaladiesoflaurel.com/home

 First UMC | eRevelations

December 31, 2011

First United Methodist Church—Our Purpose: As believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Bible as the inspired word of God, we 1) glorify God through worship, 2) build strong relationships in the church family, 3) grow in the knowledge of the truth as revealed through Jesus Christ, 4) serve people as a reflection of the love of Jesus Christ, and 5) spread the Good News of the Gospel so that others may come to salvation through grace.

v  Thoughts From Your Pastor

v  Worship News

v  Fellowship News

v  Discipleship News

v  Ministry News

v  Outreach Ministry News

v  Church Meetings

v  Other Important Items

“A Legacy of Faithful Partnerships”

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-6)

On Christmas Day we learned that our beloved Pastor Emeritus, Rev. Stanley R. Bice had died after a long, painful ordeal with a medical condition that kept Stanley crippled for years. Four days later we had a funeral for Pastor Bice that was one of the most uplifting, powerful send-offs for a saint of God I had ever been a part of. The Holy Spirit just filled our sanctuary and empowered us to sing classic hymns of faith with so much faith and vigor, just like Stanley would have wanted. The sharing and testimonies given by people, many of whom had known Pastor Bice for years, testified to the character, love, faith, and long ministry of Jesus Christ in and through Stanley Bice.

But let me also say that as admirable and commendable as Pastor Bice’s life and ministry had been, he and Churalene could not accomplished what they did without some equally faithful, committed congregations. Before, during, and after Stanley’s funeral, I also saw a hard-working, loving, dedicated church family. (I remember smiling from ear to ear when I saw the Fellowship Hall fully set-up and decorated for the fellowship meal two days in advance of the funeral!) Stanley often reflected with me on how wonderful First UMC is and how grateful he had been for your love, support, and partnership.

And that was the beauty of this week, as hard as it was—the partnerships we have with one another, our pastors, and especially Christ our Lord. I believe that kind of gratefulness is what inspired Paul’s message to the church in Philippi. In the passage I quoted above, we see a man who recognizes that his life, endurance, and any degree of success was due to the partnership he and the church forged together. In those words we can sense a mutual respect, trust and adoration for one another. This partnership is what brings our lives and ministry to a good completion.

As your pastor, who has been very humbled this past week in light of the shared legacy of Pastor Bice and First UMC, I want to join in giving my deepest, heartfelt thanks to God and to you for the partnership we have forged in these last five years together. We’ve grown a lot together. We’ve been through inspiring, uplifting times, and we’ve weathered adversity together. All that is the nature of an enduring partnership in the Lord.

I don’t worry about how long we will be together. As you know, our appointive system of ministry doesn’t guarantee these kinds of things. Yet God’s timing and the seasons he appoints are always perfect. For every year we are together, I am fully confident that the Holy Spirit will empower and bless our partnership to do more than any of us could ever dream of accomplishing on our own. Let’s dream big and not be afraid to take on the challenges and the God-sized visions that God gives us. We can do all of that and more because Christ is with us and will never forsaken us. He has promised that indeed we will do what he had done and even more (John 14:12). Just imagine that… That is reality if we dare to trust Jesus at his word.

So as we say goodbye to a beloved pastor, brother in Christ, and friend, we have a legacy to remember that will keep us encouraged to keep the faith today and every day after that. Pastor Bice would expect no less from us. Our Lord Jesus Christ expects no less from us. And he will bring our lives and work to its completion on the day of his glory! Thanks be to God for that.

Yours in Christ’s Love and Service,

Pastor Chris

Holiday Schedule

TONIGHT!! December 31^st, 7:30 pm – New Year’s Eve Game Night

January 1^st, 9:00 am – Worship, 10:00 am – Fellowship

January 7^th, 5:30 pm – Pot luck, 6:45 pm – “Music in Four Parts”

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2012 OFFERTORY ENVELOPES!

Your 2012 Offertory Envelopes are ready for you to pick up on the table in the Narthex.  Please do not use them until the New Year.  If you don’t see yours, please call the office at 301-725-3093.

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Music Ministry

Chancel Choir – Wednesday Rehearsals 7:30 pm

Praise Team – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:15 pm

Worship Players – 2^nd & 4^th Saturday 9:00 am

The King’s Kids – Wednesday Rehearsals 6:30 pm (except 4^th Wednesday of every month)

Celebrate

New Year’s Eve

at our annual

GAME NIGHT

Bring your favorite

games and snacks.

Fellowship Hall

7:30 pm

until

Midnight

Communion at Midnight

NOTICE!!!  PRAYER MEETINGS

Our church holds prayer meetings every Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary.  We need supporters for this valuable mission so if at all possible, please join us.

Prayer concerns this week: Jeff McBride’s parents, Karen Storm, Sheilia Biggs (friend of Tom & Essie Jarrell, Pat Staten (Becky Ahlquist’s Mother), Mary Ellen May, Lois Guthrie

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UMW

Kathryn Eye Circle Meeting,  Monday, January 2^nd at 1:00 pm

Martha Circle Meeting, Monday, January 9^th at 7:00 pm

Edith Miles Circle Meeting, Monday, January 9^th at 7:00 pm

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UMYF

Meeting Schedule

Friday, January 6^th – 6:00 pm meet in Fellowship Hall to set up for Rummage Sale

Saturday, January 7^th – 8:00 am – 1:00 pm Rummage Sale

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First UMC Youth Group

Saturday, January 7^th, 2012.

If you have any items to donate please bring them to the church and place them on the stage by Friday, January 6^th.  Thanks!!!!

First UMC’s Special Needs Ministry is once again participating in the Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Maryland. The plunge will take place on January 28, 2012 at Sandy Point State Park.  This year there will be a Pee Wee Plunge for those children up to the age of 10 years old who can take a dip in a wading pool and still call themselves Plungers.  Our own Jacob Owens will be taking the Pee Wee Plunge.  Our team is called “FUMCL Special Blessings.” We are looking for two things:

• team members – at least fifteen people who will “take the plunge” with FUMCL Special Blessings into the icy waters of the Chesapeake Bay
• funding – raising at least $5,000, all of which will benefit Special Olympics Maryland

To help FUMCL Special Blessings meet our goals, you can visit our team website at http://plunge2012.kintera.org/fumclspecialblessings.  On our site, you can join the team or make a donation. Or you can write a check to “SOMD” and write FUMCL Special Blessings in the memo.  If you have any questions, please talk to Blairlee Owens or Jeremy Newkirk, our team co-captains.  Thanks in advance for all of your help!

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Outreach Ministry News

Worship Team Meeting  – Thursday, January 5^th, 7:00 pm

Trustees Team Meeting – Thursday, January 12^th, 7:00 pm

Staff Parish Committee Meeting – Thursday, January 12^th, 7:30 pm