Guilford College United Methodist Church Non-Profit Org. 1205 Fleming Road US POSTAGE PAID Greensboro, NC 27410 Permit #146 (336) 292-5833 Greensboro, NC Return Service Requested Upper Room Devotions If you would like to pick up a copy of the May/June issue of the Upper Room, drop by the church and pick one up from the white mailbox marked “Church Use” in the circular driveway near the bell tower. Also we have a new secure mailbox mounted on the wall outside the church office. You may drop any church mail in this secure box. RED CROSS EMERGENCY BLOOD DRIVE at GCUMC Monday, May 18, 2:00-6:30 pm – Appointments only – No walk-ins To sign up to donate, go to our website www.guilfordcollegeumc.org or Contact David Saunders at 336-644-1678 or [email protected]Please wear your mask! Guilford College United Methodist Church strives to be a vibrant Christian community that transforms lives, strengthens believers, and equips disciples to live beyond ourselves in the light of Jesus Christ. Guilford College UMC Living Beyond Ourselves
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Guilford College United Methodist Church Non-Profit Org.
1205 Fleming Road US POSTAGE PAID Greensboro, NC 27410 Permit #146 (336) 292-5833 Greensboro, NC Return Service Requested
Upper Room Devotions
If you would like to pick up a copy of the May/June issue of the Upper Room,
drop by the church and pick one up from the white mailbox marked “Church Use” in the circular driveway near the bell tower.
Also we have a new secure mailbox mounted on the wall outside the church office. You may drop any church mail in this secure box.
RED CROSS EMERGENCY BLOOD DRIVE
at GCUMC Monday, May 18, 2:00-6:30 pm – Appointments only – No walk-ins To sign up to donate, go to our website www.guilfordcollegeumc.org or Contact David Saunders at 336-644-1678 or [email protected]
CROW’S NEST Vol. XX, No. 8 www.guilfordcollegeumc.org May 13, 2020
Caring
Prayer Concerns: John Hodges, Terry Weatherford,
George Meister, Helen Blyshak, Betty Kirkman, Pat Gunn, Scott Allen, Jackie Firebaugh, Janet Green, Steve Carney, Su Frady, Russ Branch, Corey Marion, Logan Woodrum, Nick Lubchenko, doctors, nurses, health care workers, all fears & realities brought on by COVID 19; the United Methodist Church, our nation and world.
Sincere Sympathy is expressed to Ann Sykes and Janet
Green and family, in the death of their sister, Carol Teasley; and to Melanie Crump and family in the death of her grandmother, Rosie Austin; to Donna Bowman, in the death of her sister.. Blessed are they who die in Christ to live again.
Prayer Concerns – Extended Family: Ken Briggs, Carol Ingram’s brother; Chris Blyshak, son of Bill & Helen Blyshak; Michael Eagle; Bud Alligood, Brian Alligood’s father; Barbara Price’s sister, Lucille Furr; Wayne Leadbetter; Mary Lehman, Dave & Mary Lehman’s
daughter; Brenda Frazier’s cousin Christie Clayton; David Carney, Steve Carney’s brother; Helen Palmer, Jay Yow, Denisa LeHeup’s brother; ; Kristi Owens, friend of Vita Alligood; Mary Ann Stone, Annette Lasley’s mother; Sandra Pearman’s parents, Harold & Nancy Williams; Tommiann Hill, Lavonne James’ friend; Tripp Townsend, Carol & Mark Townsend’s grandson; Richard Krepps, Pat Gunn’s brother; Sammie Gann, Beverly Lotz’ daughter.
HELP AVAILABLE - If you need assistance
getting groceries, picking up prescriptions or getting to a doctor’s appointment, please contact Carol Ingram at 336-292-5833 x 12, or 336-294-3026. The church has volunteers willing to help.
Members In Home and Senior Living Facilities: Brighton Gardens – Becky Patterson, George Holmes; Kay Rankin; Carolina Estates: John Hanner; Carriage House – Anne Mullis; Friends Home Guilford – Pat Kittrell, Florence Hardison, Blanche Rogers, Claudette Kayler; Friends Home West – Betty Kirkman, Barbara Jones; Walter & Esther Jones; Pennybyrn – Pat Francisco, Roland Sasseville; Guilford House – Mary Kelly; Abbottswood – Dot Brogan, Cletis Richard, Jim Wilson; Heritage Green – Gay Fischer; Brookdale, High Point – Jean Wilson; Well Spring – Barbara Ebert; Whitestone – Russ Hudson, Laura Tew; In Home – Terri Hastings, Barbara Leadbetter, Martha Stone
Ways Your Church is Here
to Meet Material Needs
As many of you know, our church maintains a generous Pastor’s Discretionary Fund that helps
meet the needs of our members and other neighbors. If you or someone you know has a bill for rent, utilities or medical expenses that you’re unable to pay, please reach out to Pastor Matt Smith at [email protected] or 336-292-5833. We are thankful to those who have recently made additional gifts to help the PDF respond to the great needs people are experiencing as a result of COVID-19. Our church leadership has allocated funds to provide for an additional Community Response Fund that could help with unmet needs of families referred to us through trusted partners at the GCUMC Preschool, Jefferson and Guilford Elementary Schools. While we cannot meet all the enormous needs of our community in this time of medical and economic crisis, we have been giving help where we have the greatest hope of strengthening our relationships with the younger and more diverse neighbors served by these schools.
Volunteer Callers: Many thanks to all the volunteers who
have made and are continuing to make calls to our members and constituents during this stressful time. This has been a valuable connection with our church and its people during this time, and we so appreciate your willingness to serve.
We will be celebrating our high school and college graduates during the recorded worship service on Sunday, May 17. We’re looking for 1-2 pictures of each graduate and a brief bio of four
sentences or less about their recent accomplishments and future plans. If we’ve missed someone, please contact Kathy Raper immediately at [email protected] or 336 362-1348.
High school grads: Melanie Bacon Isaac Mlo Y’Khuin Buonkrong Halee Myers Caleb DeBrew Blythe Palmer Dylan Francisco Ally Petty Grady Gonzalez Avery Pigue Annie Grove Katie Schaeffer Jordanne Hale-Arace Isabella Sutton Rob Kobrin Joel Sutton Josh McDonald Will Thomas
College grads: Sammie Bowen Grace Gibson Brantleigh Bradshaw Haley Gilliam Kayler DeBrew Nathan Kohn Blair Dixon Ali Lindsay Phillip Dixon Delaney Marion Lauren Drum Haley Symonds H’Driet Enuol
YOUTH NEWS
As most of you may already know, all mission trips have been cancelled for this summer. Refund checks will be processed and you should receive them soon. So glad many of you join us on the Zoom calls – it’s GREAT to see your faces!! Matt Smith is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting May 17. Join Zoom Meeting; https://zoom.us/i/91966345197?pwd=NTFPYjArV1hgY2FuNOMwbUhsa2xDQTO9 Password: 1205 Dial by your location: 253 215 8782 US
Thank You Notes I want to thank the church members for all the prayers, cards, telephone calls, food, and moral support during my surgery and on the path to recovery. The demonstration of caring and support truly made a difference as it gave me a sense of comfort and peace not only for the procedure but entering a hospital during these turbulent times. Terry Weatherford
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Dear church family, Thank you so much for the number of texts, emails, calls, cards, flowers and food delivered to my family during the time of my grandmother's passing. Your thoughtfulness has been immeasurable, and your notes of encouragement have been an outpouring of God's love through every written word. We are humbled by your love for us, and are so grateful to have you as a part of our family. Many blessings to you and your loved ones, The Melanie Crump family
------------------------------ Dear GCUMC, Wow, I am blown away by your kindness and generosity. This is my first year teaching at Jefferson Elementary and it has been so awesome to see the way you support our staff and encourage us by making us feel valued. You truly show the love of Jesus through your partnership with JES. Thank you for the thoughtful $10 gift cards to Home Slice for teacher appreciation week. But even more than that, thank you for your dedication to serving your community in the name of Jesus. My prayer is that those who do not know the Lord yet will be touched by your love and their curiosity of God will be sparked. Please share with your congregation! (Numbers 6:24-26) Sincerely, Kristen Mabe JES Staff Member
Need a Tutor?
Kayler DeBrew is available. She tutors writing, biology, chemistry, and math for all grade levels. Additionally, she can support your student in preparing college essays and studying for the ACT/SAT. Contact Kayler at 336-404-3241 or [email protected] for more information or to schedule a virtual tutoring session.
New Sunday Morning Group Study YOU’LL GET THROUGH THIS, by Max Lucado You fear you won’t make it through. We all do. We fear that the depression will never lift, the yelling will never stop, the pain will never leave. In the pits, surrounded by steep walls and aching reminders, we wonder. Will this gray sky ever brighten? This load ever lighten? In this study Max Lucado explores the story of Joseph. Max reminds participants God doesn’t promise that getting through trials will be quick or painless. It wasn’t quick or painless for Joseph – tossed in a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongfully imprisoned, forgotten and dismissed. But this Old Testament story is in the Bible for this reason: to teach us to trust God to trump evil. Sunday mornings at 9:45 am. To join the study via Zoom virtual meeting, please contact Dave Saunders, at 336-644-1678, [email protected].
HE SPEAKS TO ME - Preparing to Hear from God 7 sessions by author Priscilla Shirer A common question of many Christians is, "How can I know when God is speaking to me?" Priscilla uses the account of God speaking to Samuel in
1 Samuel 3 to show how God speaks to Christians and how we can discern His voice and position ourselves to respond. In this exciting adventure, participants will discover how God spoke to Samuel, Samuel's response, and how He speaks to believers today; they will be encouraged to listen and respond to God's voice; and by listening to God's voice and obeying Him, women will experience spiritual growth, Christian discipline, and the desire to serve. Women’s study. Facilitator: Donna Ford Tuesday evenings beginning May 5 – 6:00-7:45 p.m. via Zoom Wednesday mornings beginning May 6 – 9:30-11:15 a.m. via Zoom Study books $15 purchased by each individual Contact Donna Ford to register to be added to Zoom list and for information to acquire book, [email protected]
LIVING BEYOND YOURSELF – Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit 10 sessions by author Beth Moore This study provides an in-depth women's Bible study of the fruit of the Holy Spirit as presented in the book of Galatians. Beth walks participants through each trait listed in the fruit and encourages women to know the freedom of a Spirit-filled life.
Through this study participants will look at the supernatural aspects of the fruit and that you cannot grow, learn, or produce the fruit on your own. Beth challenges you to develop the fruit by maintaining an intimate relationship with the Spirit of God. A Spirit-filled life truly results in living beyond yourself. Women’s study. Facilitator: Monica Bush Thursday evenings beginning May 7 – 6:00-7:00 p.m. via Zoom Study books $16 purchased by each individual Contact Donna Ford, [email protected]
or Monica Bush, [email protected] to register to be added to Zoom list and for information to acquire a book.
Church Council meeting via Zoom, Tuesday, May 19, 6:30 pm. Contact Cathy Miller , Church Council Chairperson, if you have any questions. [email protected].
Total needed for 2020 Budget…………$ 1,025,517.42 Needed each week …………………….. 19,721.50 Amount needed through 4/30/2020…… 335,265.50 Amount received through 4/30/2020….. 333,289.29 Difference YTD………………………….. ($ 1,976.21)
REALM SYSTEM Our church is moving to a new kind of church record keeping solution called Realm®. It primarily serves the administrative needs of our staff, but it also offers some exciting opportunities to support the way you are involved in our church. Not only will this improve work life for our ministry staff, it will make it easier for our church family to connect with each other, keep up with what’s going on, and grow as a connected community of believers. We are just beginning this process, so please keep our church’s conversion to Realm in your prayers and keep an eye out for ways that you will be able to engage with our community of faith through Realm.
Memorials
In Memory of Rosie Austin
(Melanie Crump’s grandmother)
Randy and Lynne Beck
Mike and Donna Garcia
Carol Ingram
Hank and Marizell Thompson
In Memory of Donna Bowman’s sister
Richard and Nancy Blackwelder
Hank and Marizell Thompson
In Memory of Jack Corcoran
(Mike Corcoran’s father)
Terry and Joe Ann Weatherford
In Memory of Carol Teasley
(Ann Sykes and Janet Green’s sister)
Richard and Nancy Blackwelder
Mike and Donna Garcia
Lewis and Pam Wilson
Excerpts From the United Methodist Church “History
real estate along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, he lost everything
overnight. In a saga reminiscent of Job, his son died a short time
before his financial disaster. But the worst was yet to come.
Hymnologist Kenneth Osbeck tells the story: “Desiring a rest for
his wife and four daughters as well as wishing to join and assist
Moody and [his musician Ira] Sankey in one of their campaigns in
Great Britain, Spafford planned a European trip for his family in
1873. In November of that year, due to unexpected last-minute
business developments, he had to remain in Chicago, but sent his
wife and four daughters on ahead as scheduled on the S.S. Ville
du Havre. He expected to follow in a few days.
“On November 22 the ship was struck by the Lochearn, an
English vessel, and sank in twelve minutes. Several days later the
survivors were finally landed at Cardiff, Wales, and Mrs. Spafford
cabled her husband, ‘Saved alone.’”
Spafford left immediately to join his wife. This hymn is said to
have been penned as he approached the area of the ocean thought
to be where the ship carrying his daughters had sunk.
Another daughter, Bertha, was born in 1878 as well as a son,
Horatio, in 1880, though he later died of scarlet fever. After the
birth of daughter Grace in 1881, Spafford and his wife moved to
Jerusalem out of a deep interest in the Holy Land. There they
established the American Colony, a Christian utopian society
engaged in philanthropic activities among Jews, Muslims and
Christians.
After decades of benevolent activities, the Colony ceased to be a
communal society in the 1950s, though it continued in a second
life as the American Colony Hotel, the first home of the talks
between Palestine and Israel that eventually led to the 1983 Oslo
Peace Accords.
Dr. Hawn is professor of sacred music at Perkins School of
Theology, SMU.
Horatio Spafford
Pastor’s Note… Dear Church, Most of you will have heard by now about Pastor Matt Smith's impending transition this summer: about how he is being re-appointed as the Pastor of Faith United Methodist Church in Indian Trail, NC beginning in July. For our newsletter this week, I wanted to take a moment to thank God for Matt's service among us, and also to share with you a little more information about our next Associate Pastor, Rev. Susan Suarez Webster. If you have been around our church for any time at all, you know how much of a gift Matt Smith has been to our congregation in his years among us. Matt has been a driving force behind our efforts to serve our community, helping to establish our partnership with Jefferson Elementary School, guiding us to amp up our service projects such as Stop Hunger Now and the Potato Drop, and challenging us to find ways to serve and be in relationship with all of our neighbors. Matt's thoughtful pastoral care visits and cards and emails have been regular blessings to us when we have been sick or grieving. His skilled and gracious leadership of worship and his thoughtful, humorous, and relevant sermon messages have helped us connect more deeply with God through Christ. Matt has served our church in almost every way a person can serve a church. In baseball there are some players who are called "utility players" because they are versatile enough with the glove that they can play any position on the field, and take up a position wherever their team needs them and wherever they can be of use. Matt has been that kind of utility player for our congregation. In a true servant spirit, he has been willing to do whatever has been called for, and then worked hard at and been good at whatever he does. From week to week Matt would interrupt his day to help the desperate folks who came to our church seeking financial assistance or a tank of gas. He would attend meetings of our Missional Network and of our community partners to keep us connected with our neighbors. He would use his graphic design skills to help us prepare bulletins or mailings or special features of worship. When there was a change of lead pastors last summer, Matt helped ease the transition, helming the boat from one shore to the other with a steady hand. When we underwent our recent Youth Director transition, Matt stepped in to shepherd the group. In so many ways, Matt has been like the "glue" of our church and staff. If the church is the "body" of Christ, Matt has been one of the connecting ligaments that hold everything together. On a more personal level, Matt has been a friend and a dear brother in Christ to many of us. If we are relatively new to the church, there is a good chance Matt was one of the people who first greeted or reached out to us and learned our name. We all learned to appreciate how easy he is to talk to, his hard work and dedication, his patient strength and compassionate heart, and the honesty and integrity of his faith. Matt's trust in God inspired us to deepen our own trust in God, and also to trust in him.
Within our staff, Matt's steady presence and calming demeanor have been a rock for us in difficult moments, when he seemed to know just what to say to sensitively navigate a tender spot, or to lighten a heavy mood with a quick joke and a wry laugh. One of the other many things I have come to deeply appreciate about Matt is his wisdom: I can't tell you how many times his counsel has guided me as I have become more familiar with the ministries and people of our congregation. It is hard for me, and for us, to prepare to say goodbye to such a cherished part of the body of Christ: such partings can feel more like amputations. And yet at the same time we recognize God's calling upon Matt's life, and we send him forward with not only our tears, but our blessing - we are excited to see what God is going to do with and through and in Matt at Faith UMC. You will probably be receiving a communication sometime in the next few weeks about some of the ways that we plan to honor and to say farewell to Matt and his family. There will be much more that we will say and do between now and June 28th, but Matt, we love you, we thank God for both your ministry and your friendship, and we are going to miss you deeply. Our grief at letting go of the gift that Matt has been to us is eased at least somewhat by the knowledge that we are receiving another wonderful gift of God in the person of Susan Suarez Webster, who will become our next Associate Pastor this summer.
As part of the United Methodist appointments process, several of us who compose our church's Staff Parish Relations Committee had the chance to meet with potential candidates for our Associate position. Through that interview process, Susan's friendliness, her wisdom and intelligence, her compassion, her humility, her deep and sincere and contagious faith, and the wonderful fruit of her ministry all had a profound impact on us. Our visit with Susan confirmed the wonderful impression that Matt and I had formed of her from previous experiences of working with Susan in our Annual Conference and in a course at
Duke Divinity School. We have been so grateful since we learned that Susan would be appointed to us. Susan was raised in the United Methodist Church in Syracuse, NY. It was during summer camp there that she first made a commitment to follow Christ. Soon thereafter, Susan felt called to serve God as a missionary. She studied Spanish at Syracuse University, and completed graduate studies in Bible and Missions at Columbia International University. She then served for 15 years as a missionary in Mexico, teaching Scripture and discipleship, leading outreach efforts, and planting new churches.
After returning to the United States, Susan eventually received her Masters in Library Science from the University of South Carolina, became a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church, and completed the Course of Study at Duke Divinity School. Since 2011 Susan has served as an Associate Minister at Central United Methodist Church in Charlotte. During that time she worked extensively to help the church to create community partnerships, to bridge gaps of culture and language among neighbors, and to serve the spiritual and material needs of the diverse East Charlotte community, particularly its immigrant population. Susan is married to Tim Webster, and they have two grown sons. Tim, like Susan, is also a United Methodist minister: they are a clergy couple. Tim will be appointed this summer as the Director of the United Methodist Parish in Trinity, just south of High Point, where he will offer leadership to a team of ministers serving three United Methodist Churches. Susan and Tim anticipate that they will find housing mid-way between our Church and Trinity, perhaps in the Jamestown area. We are excited to introduce Susan to you this July. Please join with me in praying for Matt, and for Susan, and for their families in this tender time of transition. One beautiful gift is departing from us, and yet another beautiful gift is about to be received. Praise be to God, who is our constant Giver, and the ultimate source of every good and perfect gift: including those good gifts whose names are "Matt" and "Susan." Grace and Peace, Jeremy
