INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

From the

Pastor

2

Missions

Information

3

Scout Sunday 3

Church

Calendar

4

Room in the

Inn Workers

5

Nursery Help

Needed

5

Children’s

Ministries

5

The “G

OOD NEWS” L

ette

r is a m

onthly newslette

r of

Epworth

UMC. Come worship with

us each Sunday at

8:00 am and 10:30 am at 4

340 Arno Road. Sunday

School begins at 9

:15 am with

classes fo

r all a

ges.

Church offic

e is 4241 Arno Road, 790-6695

Website

: Epworth

-umc.com

Se

nio

r Pa

sto

r: Dr. A

nge

la H

arris

Associate Pastor: M

ark Coursey

Children & Youth: Ja

ime Rochester

Music Dire

ctor: R

icardo King

Communictio

ns: Ju

dy Coursey

Newslette

r Deadline: All a

rticles fo

r the next

newslette

r are due on th

e th

ird Sunday of m

onth.

Bulletin

Deadline: In

form

atio

n fo

r the church

bulletin

is due by Frid

ay m

orning at 8

:00 a.m

.

Inform

atio

n fo

r both publicatio

ns m

ay be emailed to

janie.jeffe

rson@epworth

-umc.com

Epworth’s “Good News” Letter

3 Tommy Welch

6 Laurie Ross

10 Janice Barclay

Shelby Morris

11 Delisa Locke

Hollis Smith

12 Clifton Veach

15 Clark Heard

18 Cindy Kurzrock

19 Shannon Pogue

20 Nona Inglis

22 Betsy Losee

February 9, 3 p.m. - “Be Vital” Laity Leadership

Training – Columbia First UMC

The Administrative Chair, SPRC Chair, Finance and

Trustee Chair, Age-level leaders, Outreach leaders are

all invited to this event. A guest speaker from the

Department of Children Services will be there to teach

us how to connect with our community and support

children from a faith based perspective as well as

resource tables to help us connect with our commu-

nity. District Superintendent Allen Black and others

will teach on both administrative leadership as well

cover “vital church” indicators to encourage us to be

vital spiritual leaders, as well as other topics.

***If you would like to carpool, contact Kathy Heard

at 615-804-5369. We can go together and get back

in time for the Alabama State University Choir

Concert at 6 p.m. in Epworth’s Worship Site.

Alabama State University Choir

We will be celebrating Black History Month

with a special African American Spiritual

Concert presented by Alabama State

University on Sunday, February 9 at 6 p.m.

Epworth’s Music Director, Ricardo King, is

an alumni of ASU and will have a few of his

arrangements featured. Mark your calendar

now so that you will not miss this wonderful evening of music.

The Harpeth River District Office is

asking each church in the District to

lift up their sister churches in prayer

each Sunday. This month we lift up:

Feb. 2: Nunnelly; Oak Grove; Olivet

Feb. 9: Pisgah; Pleasant Grove;

Pleasant Hill

Feb. 16: Pleasant Ridge; Porter’s

Chapel; Prospect

Feb. 23: Pulaski 1st; Railroad;

Riverside

2 5

Altar Flowers If you would like to place

flowers in the sanctuary

or narthex in honor, in

memory, in celebration

or just “because”, please sign up on

the Flower Calendar located on the

bulletin board in the narthex at the

Worship site.

Room in the Inn Volunteers for February

February 13/14 February 27/28

Drivers: Mike Merkel, Jeff Lillard Drivers: Mike Thompson, Arlette Eddy

Innkeepers: John Perrett, N/A Innkeepers: Tommy Goodgame, Eric Ameriman

Dinner: Miriam Camargo Dinner: Mike, Charlotte, Sarah Lillard

Breakfast: Mark & Misty McGrady Breakfast: Pam Harmon

Lunch: Youth/ Jaime Rochester Lunch: Youth/Angela Thompson

Laundry: Vicki Campbell Laundry: Clair Vaughan

Love is something that binds us together each and every

day, but this month there is a little more focus on showing our love to

others. In case you forget, step into any retail outlet and the displays of

pinks, reds, chocolates and cupids will give you a bright and cheery

reminder.

Love your people well this month, and always. Take the

moments to tell the ones in your life that you lean on that you are

grateful for them. Paul teaches us in the letter to the church at Corinth

that love isn’t always easy. And it isn’t always sunshine and smiles.

Paul writes in the NRSV version of 1 Corinthians 13:4 that – “Love is patient;

love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its

own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in

the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love

never ends…faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

It is good to occasionally buy tokens and trinkets of our affection for one

another. It is good to care for our neighbors, friends, family, and loved ones – but our

shared faith teaches us to learn to love even strangers, and to go so far as to love our

enemies. Hatred can not be overcome with hatred, only love overcomes hatred.

This month while I help the little ones in my house make valentines boxes, and

sign their name on dozens of cards to their school friends, I will be thinking about who

God would like me to gift more patience in this season. And where I can grow in my

practice of kindness. I will pray for God to help me lean into God’s love to bear all things,

and to allow hope to grow in my heart, and to help me endure when I feel weak. I invite

you to do the same.

May the decorations around us this month be an invitation to think about what

decorates our thoughts and feelings, and how with the grace of God, we might be able

to yield a little more into the beautiful legacy of grace in our own journey of life and of

faith.

As your pastor, I love you dearly and regularly pray for the church, and our

church family and friends. Remember that I am here to walk with you, pray for you, and

listen when you want to talk. You are loved beyond measure by the God who is your

Creator, Redeemer & Sustainer. If you remember nothing else in the faith, keep these

words safe in your heart. Speak words of life, of connection, of hope and of grace today

and always. You are loved!

Grace & peace,

Dr. Angela Harris

Help wanted!

The nursery is looking for volunteers

to help in the nursery during the

10:30 worship service and when the

nursery workers are on vacation or ill.

You need to be 18 or older and have

a background check. If you are inter-

ested or need more

information, please

contact Becky

Daugherty at 615-

642-3548.

Children's Team Meeting - Sunday, February 9 at 11:45 a.m.

The children's team will be meeting after the 10:30 service on

February 9 for a brief discussion about upcoming children's

ministry events. We will decide on the date and theme for VBS,

Pretzel Sunday, Easter activities, and more. Please join us to find

out how you can help serve our kids!

6

3

The United Methodist Church and especially Epworth

have been long supporters of Scouting and see these

groups as ministries. On February 9th, Scout Sunday,

we will recognize the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts that

meet at Epworth. Please be sure to greet them and

welcome them to worship!

Many people served by the

ministries we partner with get

help from food stamps, but

food stamps don't cover other

non-food items. During the

month of February we will be

collecting paper goods and

cleaning supplies--paper

towels, toilet paper, tissues,

dish soap, laundry soap, diapers, feminine

hygiene products, etc. These donations may be

placed in the collection bench at the new site

entrance or at the collection display in the

narthex. Items will be divided between Fresh

Start Recovery Church and GraceWorks. Thank

you for sharing with your neighbors in need.

If you would like to witness supernatural trans-

formation, come with us to the Mothers Over

Murder meeting in Nashville on the first and

third Thursdays. This support group for families

who have lost members to gun violence brings

healing in difficult situations. This month the

meetings will be on February 6 and 20 at 6:30

p.m. Contact Kathy Heard (615-804-5369) if you

would like to go.

ARC Blood Drive

Sunday, February 23

Epworth UMC

Vaden Hall

7:45 - Noon

Sign up to give blood now!

Sign up with the Red Cross or

call or text Gayle at 615-218-

2142. Be sure to leave your

name and time you prefer.

Valentine Breakfast Brunch

The Reachers are hosting this

event on Saturday, February 22,

10 a.m. in Vaden Hall

at the Historic Site.

All are invited to

come enjoy a meal

and fellowship.

Tim and Susan Underwood will

provide the entertainment. There

is no need to bring anything and

no cost. For questions, or if you

need a ride, please RSVP to:

Sarah Lillard 615-417-8613

Julie Mowery 612-812-2892

Archie Gentry 225- 921-8786

Ash Wed.

Please join us for worship on Sunday

mornings at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m.

Sunday School for all ages at 9:15 a.m. at

Historic and Worship Site

Ushers for the Month of FEBRUARY:

8:00 a.m.

Donnie Reed and Richard Jefferson

10:30 a.m.

Charlotte & Mike Lillard and

Jim Wilson

10:00 a.m.

Valentine Brunch

6:30 pm Worship

Committee