Messenger Volume 19, Issue 1 January 2018 the Conversations are the informal exchange of ideas by spoken words. Over the next year, we are going to engage in conversations about our faith and our United Methodist membership vows. We will begin to explore this theme in worship during January. I hope you will join in the conversation. On the first Sunday of 2017, if you were in worship, you were given a strip of paper with a bible verse on it. Do you remember that? Have you reflected on that verse through out the year? I’d love to know your reflections if you’re willing to share. Please email [email protected]to share your reflections. Then be sure to be in worship again on the first Sunday of the year to receive a verse for 2018. On Wednesday, January 3rd, we’ll celebrate Epiphany during the Connect|Worship service at 6:15p in the Sanctuary. Epiphany is the day we celebrate the wise men's arrival in Bethlehem. Scholars estimate it was two years after the birth of Christ yet they were persistent in following the star that led them to the King of Kings. On Sunday, January 7, we will remember the Baptism of our Lord by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. If you have been asked to serve on a church committee, please mark your calendars for the 2018 Leadership Summit on Sunday, January 14 from 2p to 5p. All members of teams or committees are invited and encouraged to attend. This gathering will give us the chance to reflect on the theme of conversations. We will do this in the large group and then break into our ministry teams/committees. We will be setting dates for our annual events and each committee will be designing goals to guide our work in 2018. It will be a full afternoon. The program staff and I look forward to hosting this event and your presence is very important to us. Our church is better and more vibrant because of you. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend on Sunday, January 14 from 2p to 5p. Please RSVP to Heather Steffey in the Church office. You can call the church office at 704- 864-3222 or email Heather at [email protected]. Childcare will be provided upon request, so let Heather know if this is needed when you tell us you’re coming. God’ s Blessings, Pastor Sally
Transcript
Messenger Volume 19, Issue 1 January 2018 th
e Conversations are the informal exchange of ideas
by spoken words. Over the next year, we are going to
engage in conversations about our faith and our United
Methodist membership vows. We will begin to explore
this theme in worship during January. I hope you will join
in the conversation.
On the first Sunday of 2017, if you were in worship, you
were given a strip of paper with a bible verse on it. Do
you remember that? Have you reflected on that verse
through out the year? I’d love to know your reflections if
Thursday, January 18 at 12 noon we’ll meet in the CFC
for soup & sandwich fellowship and make plans for our
2018 adventures! Bring a friend and some ideas for fun &
fellowship.
Support Group Information
Divorce Care & Divorce Care for Kids will resume on
Tuesday, January 9th. If you or someone you know could
benefit in this support group, please let it be known that
the invitation to join is always open. Divorce Care and
DC4Kids meets on Tuesday nights at 6:30p.
Grief Share will resume on January 9 at 10a. Grief Share
regularly meets on Tuesday mornings at 10am in the
Parlor and supports those working through the grief of
losing a loved one.
Table For One? No More! Join others singles for lunch on the 4th Sunday of each month. Meet in the CFC after church and those going will decide where they would like to eat that day. January 28th will be our first lunch date!
Adult Ministries Connie Elzey, Director of Christian Education [email protected], 704-864-3222 ext. 105
CONNECT: Young Adults will be starting the year learning to fail. The Wednesday night small group for young adults will be using Matt Miofsky’s book Fail: What To Do When Things Go Wrong. No need to read the book but if you want to you can order it from Amazon in digital or print. Join the conversation on Wednesdays at 5:45pm beginning January 10.
Tresca McSwain, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries ~ [email protected] 704-477-7447
Congregational Thanks
Weekday Preschool
Barry Cauble wishes to thank Pastor Sally Queen and Connie
Elzey for visiting Julia at Morningside. He appreciates their
visit with Julia and bringing cards from others.
Dear Myers Memorial,
Your kind expression of sympathy is deeply appreciated and
gratefully acknowledged by the family of Juanita Cox. Walter
& I want to thank everyone at Myers Memorial; especially the
ladies who prepared the meal for our family on Saturday.
Everything was delicious. Janet Cox
Thank you from the Myers Staff for all the
Christmas goodies that were shared with us
during December! They were delicious and
we appreciate your generosity!
Thank you to everyone who
shopped the Scholastic Book
Fair! We raised over
$500 to spend on our
preschool classrooms!
Janet Lagos, Weekday Preschool Director [email protected] 704-864-3222
Wednesday Connect will resume with Dinner & Worship on January 3. On the menu is Spaghetti and a delicious cake for every month of the year! The serving line opens at 5:15p followed by Epiphany worship at 6:15p. Small groups will begin on January 10 at 5:45p.
January 2018 will be filled with lots of fun in the classrooms, including celebrating National Opposite Day on January 25th! Just a reminder, the Preschool follows the Gaston County School Schedule and Inclement Weather Policy. And while the weather might be cold, we still go outside to play if it’s sunny and dry! Please bring a warm jacket to school each day!
Congregational Care Nancy Westbrook ~ Abernathy Laurels
Jan. 7 Linsy Aul, Carrie Allen, Jennifer Gross, Katie Carpenter
Jan. 14 Allison Buchanan, Elizabeth Lanier, Angelica Brown, Chris McCullen, Matthew McCullen
Jan. 21 Jaclyn Tant, Paige Falls, Lauren Snyder, Angie Flake, Victoria Flake
Jan. 28 Tresca McSwain, Jennifer Stroupe, Carrie Allen, Karen Carrick, Sydney Shugart
Youth & Children Leading in Worship
Coffee Fellowship Hosts Head Ushers
Jan. 7 UMM & UMW Jan. 7 Ken Avery
Jan. 14 Contemporary Jan. 14 Debbie Brown
Jan. 21 Contemporary Jan. 21 John Crain
Jan. 28 Contemporary Jan. 28 Richard Lindner
Sunday Morning Volunteers Living out & Living into our Faith
Gifts Given in Memory of Nita Cox
Gifts Given in Honor of Max & Nancy Huntley
Worship Offerings & Attendance
Sunday Worship
Live Views FB
Streaming
Sunday School
Offering Received
Nov. 26 206 12 114 $19,565
Dec. 3 270 9 145 $24,030
Dec. 10 241 10 132 $15,939
Dec 17 226 4 118 Not available at time of printing
2018 Coffee Hosts Every Sunday we enjoy tasty treats with our morning cup of coffee (or juice). We thank the various Sunday School classes for providing these treats each week and more importantly ~ turning on the coffee pot and cleaning up when the rest of us run to Sunday School!
Sunday School classes may notice a much different schedule this year for our coffee time rotation. UMMen & UMWomen gather the first Sunday of each month and often have extra foods we enjoy during coffee time. So we’re making it official and UMM & UMW will be our hosts for the first Sunday of each month.
And then one Sunday School Class will be responsible for the remaining weeks of that month. When a Fifth Sunday occurs, anyone is invited to bring a treat and volunteers are welcomed to cover coffee pot responsibilities.
Congratulations to Andrew & Sarah Day Hendricks on the birth of
Emerson Hendricks on November 24, 2017.
Congratulations also to big brother Walter and proud grandparents Michael & Martha Dickson
Welcome, New Members Paul Outlaw Jim & Ally Cagle
Paige & Kenny Falls, Evan & Kinslee
Nursery
Ch
urc
h O
ffic
e
(M-T
h) 9p
to 4
p
(Fri) 9p
to 1
2p
Weekd
ay
P
resc
ho
ol
(M-F
) 9a
to 1
2p
Meals
on
Wh
eels
(M
-F) 8
:30a
- 1
2:3
0p
Su
nda
ys
9a
Focu
s Pra
yer
Gro
up
9:3
0a
Coff
ee
9:3
0a
Trinity B
ells
9
:45
a S
unda
y S
chool
10
:50
a W
ors
hip
5
p O
pen G
ym
5
:30
p D
isci
ple
I
5:3
0p
Sun. N
ight Li
ve
7p
Soulfire
Mo
nda
ys
6:3
0p
Boy S
couts
6:3
0p
Disci
ple
II
Tuesd
ays
10
a G
riefS
hare
1
1a
Al-a
non
6p
Girl Sco
uts
6p
Men’s B
ask
etb
all
6p
Cha
nce
l Bells
6
p D
ivorc
e
Ca
re/D
C4
K
6:3
0p
Disci
ple
IV
Wedn
esd
ays
9:3
0a
Wom
en’s S
tudy
Gro
up
5:1
5p
Ea
t 5
:45
p G
ath
er
6p
Knit f
or
Christ
6
:15
p W
ors
hip
7p
Cha
nce
l C
hoir
Thurs
da
y
6p
Ald
ers
ga
te B
ells
8p
NA
Fri
da
y
7:1
5a
Devotion
Sunday
M
onday
Tuesd
ay
W
ednesd
ay
Thurs
day
Fri
day
Satu
rday
Join
the
Conv
ersa
tion
This Y
ear
1
Churc
h O
ffic
e
Clo
sed
2
3
9:1
5a
Wom
en’
s Bib
le S
tudy
10
a S
taff
C
ON
NEC
T
5:1
5p E
at
6:1
5p W
ors
hip
4
5
6
7
Com
munio
n S
unday
8a U
MM
en &
UM
Wom
en
9a H
ea
lth S
creenin
gs
Distr
ict Le
ad
ers
hip
Confe
rence
, H
ickory
5:3
0-7
p S
und
ay N
ight Li
ve
5:3
0p D
isci
ple
I
8
6p U
MW
Koin
onia
C
ircl
e
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
II
9
10a G
rief
Sha
re
6:3
0p D
ivorc
e
Ca
re/D
C4
Kid
s
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
IV
10
9:1
5a
Wom
en’
s Bib
le S
tudy
11a W
arl
ick M
ent
oring
C
ON
NEC
T
5:1
5p E
at
5:4
5p G
ath
er
6:1
5p W
ors
hip
11
Joy U
MW
Circl
e
12
13 7a B
oy S
cout
Panc
ake
Bre
akf
ast
6:3
0p C
hoir
Soci
al
14
2p-5
p L
ea
ders
hip
Sum
mit
5:3
0-7
p S
und
ay N
ight Li
ve
5:3
0p D
isci
ple
I
15 M
LK, Jr
Day
Wee
kday P
resc
hool
Clo
sed
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
II
16
10a G
rief
Sha
re
6:3
0p D
ivorc
e
Ca
re/D
C4
Kid
s
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
IV
17
9:1
5a
Wom
en’
s Bib
le S
tudy
10
a S
taff
C
ON
NEC
T
5:1
5p E
at
5:4
5p G
ath
er
6:1
5p W
ors
hip
18
12p M
yers
60
+
Fello
wsh
ip, C
FC
19
Wee
kday
Pre
scho
ol C
lose
d
Teach
er
Work
day
20
21
5:3
0-7
p S
und
ay N
ight Li
ve
5:3
0p D
isci
ple
I
22
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
II
23
10a G
rief
Sha
re
6:3
0p D
ivorc
e
Ca
re/D
C4
Kid
s
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
IV
24
9:1
5a
Wom
en’
s Bib
le S
tudy
11a W
arl
ick M
ent
oring
C
ON
NEC
T
5:1
5p E
at
5:4
5p G
ath
er
6:1
5p W
ors
hip
25
26
27
28
12p S
ing
les
Lunc
h
5:3
0-7
p S
und
ay N
ight Li
ve
5:3
0p D
isci
ple
I
29
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
II
30
10a G
rief
Sha
re
6:3
0p D
ivorc
e
Ca
re/D
C4
Kid
s
6:3
0p D
isci
ple
IV
31
9:1
5a
Wom
en’
s Bib
le S
tudy
CO
NN
EC
T
5:1
5p E
at
5:4
5p G
ath
er
6:1
5p W
ors
hip
ww
w.M
yers
Mem
ori
alU
MC
.org
/ca
lend
ar
7
04
-86
4-3
22
2
Myers M
emorial U
nited M
ethodis
t C
hurch Calendar
January 2018
Yout
h W
inte
r Retr
ea
t
Yout
h W
inte
r Retr
ea
t
Tresca McSwain, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries ~ [email protected] 704-477-7447
5:30p to 7p ~ The Main Event: dinner & program 7p ~ Soulfire Youth Choir
The Main Event on Sundays is sure to be fun no matter when we meet! Be sure to check the times for dinner, games, fun, learning, service & more! Don't miss it and bring a friend! Jan. 7: New Year, New You! Celebrate the New Year
with fun, games & devotion (5:30-7p) Jan. 14: Service Project Night (5:30-7p) Jan. 21: Charlotte Checkers Game we’ll leave
immediately following worship! Tickets are $15 and you’ll need to bring additional money for lunch at the game.
Jan. 26-28: Winter Retreat @ Lake Junaluska Embrace Winter. Embrace the Word ~ It’s an opportunity for adventure, spiritual growth & worship! Skiing, Shopping & Serving Others compliment the great bands and speakers during the weekend.
IDK’18 IDK is a youth conference for middle and high school students who feel God may be calling them into some sort of ministry. IDK is a place for youth to start the journey of discovering and living into God's calling for their lives. The goal of IDK is to be engaging, inviting, open and merely the beginning of your journey to live out God’s calling in your life. This event is not intended for full youth groups. Instead it is designed for individual youth who are wrestling with God's calling. If you feel a calling in your life, please speak with Tresca about this opportunity.
Children’s Ministry Children’s Sunday School Each Sunday all children are invited to meet with Pastor Sally in the Gathering at 9:45a in Room 110 before heading to classrooms with their teachers at 10am. You won’t want to miss a bit of this amazing kid named Jesus and how he used kids like us in his miracles! There are classes for children of all ages to learn and grow as a disciple of Jesus!
January 7: The Visitors from the East January 14: A Voice in the Wilderness January 21: Jesus & the Children January 28: A Boy’s Lunch
Wednesday Connect starts on January 3 at 5:15p with a church wide birthday party - that means 12 cakes! Come enjoy a birthday party for everyone in our church before worship at 6:15p to celebrate the wise men’s arrival. Children are always welcome in worship yet a nursery is available at 5:30p each Wednesday.
On January 10, the Kids’ Connect group will gather from 5:45p to 6:15p on the third floor. Leaders will take children to worship in the Sanctuary at 6:15p unless otherwise directed by the parents.
Sunday Night Live Resumes The Children & Youth Music Ministry program resumes January 7! The Children’s Choirs, Musik Makers, Spirit Singers, and Cantate Singers will meet from 5:30 to 6:30p on the third floor of the education wing. Each group will also include a segment of Liturgical Arts ~ exploring the Bible through various mediums, activities and movements that will complement their choir’s focus.
Now is the time to join! When families arrive on Sunday nights, please enter the building from the rear parking lot and walk your children to the third floor. Unless otherwise directed by the parents, the children will head to the gym at 6:30p for 30 minutes of free play and a snack. Parents are invited to pack a snack supper for their child.
Youth Music Ministry resumes on January 7 with Trinity Bells at 9a and Soulfire Youth Choir at 7p.
Adult Handbell Rehearsals resume on January 4th for Aldersgate Bells and January 9th for Chancel Bells.
Music Ministry Tony Sane, Director of Music Ministry [email protected] 704-864-3222 ext. 107
Spotlight on a Hymn: It is Well With My Soul Horatio G. Spafford was a successful lawyer and businessman in Chicago with a lovely family — a wife, Anna, and five children. However, they were not strangers to tears and tragedy. Their young son died with pneumonia in 1871, and in that same year, much of their business was lost in the great Chicago fire. Yet, God in His mercy and kindness allowed the business to flourish once more.
On Nov. 21, 1873, the French ocean liner, Ville du Havre was crossing the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe with 313 passengers on board. Among the passengers were Mrs. Spafford and their four daughters. Although Mr. Spafford had planned to go with his family, he found it necessary to stay in Chicago to help solve an unexpected business problem. He told his wife he would join her and their children in Europe a few days later. His plan was to take another ship.
About four days into the crossing of the Atlantic, the Ville du Harve collided with a powerful, iron-hulled Scottish ship, the Loch Earn. Within approximately 12 minutes, the Ville du Harve slipped beneath the dark waters of the Atlantic, carrying with it 226 of the passengers including the four Spafford children. Mr. Spafford booked passage on the next available ship and left to join his grieving wife. With the ship about four days out, the captain called Spafford to his cabin and told him they were over the place where his children went down. Spafford wrote “It Is Well With My Soul” while on this journey.
When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.
Doors Open at 7am for serving until... Donations Accepted at the Door
Myers Memorial UMC Christian Fellowship Center
Special Pancakes & Hot Chocolate for the Kids
Troop 21 & Pack 21, sponsored by MMUMC, uses donations for camping gear, group activities, summer camp scholarships and
service to our community. We will host this breakfast on the 2nd Saturdays of January & February too! See you soon!
Communion Stewards Anyone interested in helping to serve communion in 2018 is invited to join Pastor Sally for a training on Sunday, January 7 at 10am in the Sanctuary. We will talk about the sacrament of communion and will learn the how-to’s of Communion at Myers (setting-up before worship, assisting during worship, and cleaning-up once communion is over). We welcome anyone who would like to serve in this way to attend. Those who attend will be added to a 2018 Communion Steward schedule. Please let Sally know if you have any questions, 704-864-3222 or
Flower Calendar Multiple dates are available for 2018. You may reserve your date(s) by signing up on the flower calendar outside the work room in the office area. Please print clearly and make note if you wish the flowers to be in honor or in memory and who is reserving the flowers - you'll have to write small! If you have any special wording, please contact the church office at 704-864-3221 or [email protected] at least one week in advance. By reserving your date, you are committing to a cost of $40. We will take care of ensuring the flowers are present on that Sunday and you are welcome to take the flowers home to enjoy or share with others.
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage
Paid Gastonia, NC Permit #185
Eat - gather - worship Wednesdays January 3 to March 28
Make your dinner reservations by calling 704-864-3222 or on Sunday’s Connection Card
