1 From the pastor You may remember this hymn, “Showers of Blessing” by Daniel W. Whittle: There shall be showers of blessing, this is the promise of love; There shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Savior above. Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need: Mercy-drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead. There shall be showers of blessing, if we but trust and obey; There shall be seasons refreshing, if we let God have His way. Some might think that this is an appeal to what is being called the “Prosperity Gospel.” According to the prosperity gospel, the trick to becoming rich beyond your wildest dreams, or maybe just getting out of a temporary fix, is to give a donation to a TV preacher who promises that your gift will come back to you 10, 100, even a 1,000-fold. That’s a bit self-serving and a twist on Jesus’ teaching. We are not encouraged to store up treasures on earth, where they rust and spoil (Matthew 6:19-20). We release the blessings we receive. We give because we are grateful. We are blessed to be a blessing. We’ve been considering our covenant vows to each other as the church together over the last few weeks, both in worship and through the reading of the book Treasures of the Transformed Life, by Rev. John Ed Mathison. Those vows include prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness. John Ed reminds us of the cycle of life-giving water on the earth: showers followed by collecting of water in streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, followed by evaporation or the release of water back into the atmosphere, to be poured out once again in rain. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the way the cycle works. It is a joy to be able to release our collected resources for the ongoing ministry of Jesus in the world, for the blessing of others, who in turn are blessed to be a blessing. Blessing, collection, release. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the way our blessed life works. In the first weeks of October, we will all have the chance to renew our covenant vows and to make commitments in faith to our church’s mission and ministry in 2017. On October 23, we will celebrate our capacity to be a blessing to others and our capacity to share the gospel of Jesus through generous and grateful giving. I’m looking forward to that celebration and what it means for our future together in ministry. With you I’m blessed to be a blessing, Pastor Chris The Grapevine October 2016 Yadkinville United Methodist Church
Transcript
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From the pastor
You may remember this hymn, “Showers of Blessing” by Daniel W. Whittle:
There shall be showers of blessing, this is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Savior above.
Showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.
There shall be showers of blessing, if we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing, if we let God have His way.
Some might think that this is an appeal to what is being called the “Prosperity Gospel.”
According to the prosperity gospel, the trick to becoming rich beyond your wildest
dreams, or maybe just getting out of a temporary fix, is to give a donation to a TV
preacher who promises that your gift will come back to you 10, 100, even a 1,000-fold.
That’s a bit self-serving and a twist on Jesus’ teaching. We are not encouraged to store
up treasures on earth, where they rust and spoil (Matthew 6:19-20). We release the
blessings we receive. We give because we are grateful. We are blessed to be a blessing.
We’ve been considering our covenant vows to each other as the church together over
the last few weeks, both in worship and through the reading of the book Treasures of the Transformed Life, by
Rev. John Ed Mathison. Those vows include prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness. John Ed reminds us of
the cycle of life-giving water on the earth: showers followed by collecting of water in streams, rivers, lakes, and
oceans, followed by evaporation or the release of water back into the atmosphere, to be poured out once again
in rain. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the way the cycle works.
It is a joy to be able to release our collected resources for the ongoing ministry of Jesus in the world, for the
blessing of others, who in turn are blessed to be a blessing. Blessing, collection, release. It’s not a gimmick. It’s
the way our blessed life works.
In the first weeks of October, we will all have the chance to renew our covenant vows and to make
commitments in faith to our church’s mission and ministry in 2017. On October 23, we will celebrate our
capacity to be a blessing to others and our capacity to share the gospel of Jesus through generous and grateful
giving. I’m looking forward to that celebration and what it means for our future together in ministry.
With you I’m blessed to be a blessing,
Pastor Chris
The Grapevine October 2016 Yadkinville United Methodist Church
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Prayer Concerns
Care Facility
Paul Sikes (Yadkin Nursing Center)
Church Family
Mildred Hartzog, Linda Kinley, George Reavis, James Roseberry, Denny & Patty
percent of terminally-ill patients use hospice services. Without a hospice home, many of those patients must
turn to hospitals or nursing homes for end-of-life care. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to this
worthy cause that will be able to serve the people you know and love right here in our community.
Marty Driver, Coordinator
Thanks for the generosity of all of you for providing, during October, Christmas Boxes
and clothing for the Agape Project. Financial gifts are especially appreciated. The
Christmas boxes will put a smile on the face of children at Christmas!
THANK YOU for making such a difference in the lives of children in Armenia.
Linda Baity, Coordinator
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Red Cross Blood Drive at YUMC
If you donate blood on a regular basis or if you want to give blood for the first time,
please put this date on your calendar. We will call you to set up a time to donate.
Volunteers will also be needed for greeters, snacks (cookies & sandwiches).
Contact Gingi Parker ([email protected] or 336-961-4171 to schedule an appointment time.
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Trustees: Special thanks to all who helped clean and sanitize the kitchen. Everything has been cleaned and
put in place. Every food item is now in plastic containers. Please make sure that all leftover food products are
left in plastic containers and no corrugated boxes. All of this should eliminate and prevent our “bug” problems.
If you see any insect or bug in our Church, please let one of the Trustees or Bobbi Reavis know.
The porches at the Parsonage have been stained.
Harry Steelman and Steve Brown are working on coverage for the front and back of the electronic yard
sign.
We are working on the Trustee budget for 2017, so if you know of something that needs to be added, let one of
your Trustees know so we can discuss your request.
Virgil Dodson, Chairperson
Celebration Sunday: The Finance Committee has started the Stewardship Campaign for 2017. This is the
time of year when we offer our commitments to our God and our church. It is a time to celebrate the bounty that
we share in as Christians.
Starting on Sunday, October 2, 2016 Stewardship packets will be available for pick up before or after
worship. Simply thumb through the envelopes and find your family’s envelope. Packets will be available until
Sunday, October 9, 2016. Packets that remain after that date will be mailed.
Both Pledge and Vows Commitments should be turned in on Commitment Sunday, October 16, 2016. If
you are unable to pledge a commitment at this time, please remember to complete the pledge form and check
the box that beside the words “No pledge at this time.” All information contained on commitment forms is kept
confidential by the Church Administrator.
Next, we celebrate! On October 23, 2016 we will celebrate our commitments with a meal, either brunch
or lunch; you can choose.
Contemporary Worship: There will be a brunch immediately following
worship at 10:00 a.m. in the Family Life Center. Those planning to attend are
being asked to bring juice or breakfast pastries.
Traditional Worship: There will be a lunch immediately following worship in
the Family Life Center. Those planning to attend are asked to bring drinks and
desserts.
If you have questions about the meals on Celebration Sunday, please contact Dale Dodson (336-679-
2651) or Helen Roseberry (336-679-2473).
Please continue to be in prayer for our Finance Committee as they continue their work in being good
stewards of the treasures of our church.
Welcome Bishop Paul and Janet Leeland: You are invited to welcome Bishop Paul Leeland and his
wife, Janet, to the Western North Carolina Conference with a Service of Celebration. The
service will begin at 3:00 p.m. and will be followed by a reception.
Sunday, October 9 at St. Paul UMC, 2400 Dellabrook Drive, Winston-Salem, NC
On September 1, Bishop Leeland began his ministry in the Western North Carolina
Conference as our new bishop. He is originally from North Carolina and a graduate of North
Carolina Wesleyan, Duke Divinity School, and North Carolina State University. He was
elected to the episcopacy in 2008, and served for 8 years as the Bishop of the Alabama-West
Florida Conference.
He and Janet have three married children and six grandchildren.
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Yadkin Valley District Day Apart for the Young at Heart: Thursday, October 20, 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Cost is $10 (includes continental breakfast and lunch)
Join us for fellowship, singing, and study with Rev. Dr. Ivan Peden who will speak on
"Apartheid in Africa: Being Christian in an Ever-Changing Church."
