July/August 2014

University City United Methodist Church

3835 W WT Harris Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28269

phone: 704-369-8000 fax: 704-369-0481

www.ucumc.org facebook.com/ucumc1 Twitter: @UC_UMC

Instagram: @UC_UMC

Worship Times: 9:45am - Traditional

11:00am - Contemporary

Quarterly Celebration Sunday: one service at 10am

Sept. 7th, Nov. 23rd

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm

OUR VISION:To become a disciple making church

OUR MISSION:To make disciples by Loving God, Growing in

Christ, and Reaching Out to Others

OUR CORE VALUES:

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

—Hebrews 4:15-16 (NASB)

Ron Smith, Senior Pastorrsmith@ucumc.org, 704-369-8005

“What’s the Purpose of the Cross?”

I often hear people say that the purpose of the Cross was to “save us from hell.” My response to them is to say, “That is not the purpose of the Cross. Being saved from hell” is a consequence of the Cross.

The purpose of the Cross was and is about one thing: restoring us into full relationship and fellowship with God.

I believe there are only two kinds of people: Those in Adam and those in Christ

The Scriptures tell us that in the beginning God created mankind to be in unfettered relationship with Him. Adam and Eve enjoyed just such a relationship! That is, until sin broke that relationship and they lost the ability to “commune and fellowship with God directly.” By sin, Adam fell from grace and thereby everyone born after him defaulted to that state or level. That became “the factory setting” for everyone. We refer to that event as “The Fall (of mankind from grace).” From that day forward, everyone (by default) was and is born into “Adam.” That is what it means to be “in Adam.” And until Jesus Christ came along that was the only option we had available to us.

But God sent His son to give us another option. God sent Jesus to restore the relationship that had been broken. He made all things new and reversed what the first Adam had done. No longer was being in the first Adam our only choice. After the Cross we could be born again “in Christ.” Paul and the New Testament writers refer to being “in” Christ 164 times. Today everyone on earth is either “in Adam” or “in Christ.” In Christ we once again can have an unfettered relationship with God. Paul summed it up perfectly when he said in Hebrews 4:16:

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Our ministry goal here at UCUMC is to help as many people as possible “to draw near to the throne of grace made possible in Christ.” We want everyone to have the “fullness of life” that Jesus said He came to give us.

This “fullness of life” is a gift. Sometimes I think people are under the impression that we can get the gift apart from the Gift-Giver. That is not how it works. The gift cannot be separated from the Gift-Giver. They are to be received together. In fact, they can only be received together. Therefore, we are either in Adam or we are in Christ.

So, Don’t just enjoy the gift, Enjoy the Gift-Giver!

Not so much because we must, but because (thanks to Jesus and the Cross) we can!

A message from Pastor Ron...

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Table of ContentsTo explore the Celebration Newsletter, click on any of the categories below to go to that page. On each page of the newsletter there is a link on the bottom left corner that says “Back to top”; click that link to return to this page.

A Message From Pastor Ron iWorking Together 1Serving Outside our Community 2Serving In our Community 5Opportunities to Grow in Christ 6Celebrations in our Congregation 7 Meet our Newest Members 8For Your Calendar 9

The next publication of the UCUMC Celebration Newsletter will be Wednesday, October 8, 2014.

Do you have information you would like to include in the next Celebration Newsletter? We’d love to hear from you! Please contact the head of the ministry area the corresponds with the information you would like to share

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Working Together

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Administration and Unlimited Hospitality: Unlimited Hospitality, along with Administration, had the privilege

of sharing snow cones with the children of WinShape and VBS. Moms and Dads were able to get a cold bottle of water during WinShape while waiting on their

kids in the hot sun.

Unlimited Hospitality and FUSION: Unlimited Hospitality teamed up with UC Fusion and at their end of the year cookout showed 140 people My Hope’s The Cross. After the video we had parents and youth sitting around tables sharing how Christ had changed them. It was an awesome night!

Uplifting Passionate Worship and Missions Focused: On June 1 we commissioned our Summer mission Trip Teams. As a church, we prayed over the teams that were serving this summer, that they would have safe travels, would be able to touch the lives of many, and would be blessed themselves. Visit the “Serving Outside our Community” section on page 2 to read more about the experience of the mission teams this summer. We had four mission teams and one individual serving God in the mission field: • The HIS HANDS Puppet Team traveled to Virginia and Tennessee to

share this unique ministry of UCUMC. • The Renovation Youth Choir traveled around Ohio and Michigan to share

the love of Christ with local churches and retirement centers. • The West Virginia Mission Trip Team traveled to Oceana, WV to lead a VBS at Harbor Light Baptist church. • The Youth Mexico Mission Trip Team traveled to Mazatlan, MX to work with Back2Back Ministries. • Bert Giles traveled to Mazatlan, MX for one month to work with Back2Back Ministries.

VBS and Backpack Ministry: This year, VBS collected non-perishable food donations for the UCUMC Backpack Ministry. Thank you to VBS families who donated about $1,000 worth of food for our backpack pantries! That’s at least 3 weeks worth of packing. This puts us in great shape to begin the school year at David Cox Elementary & Morehead Academy. Thank you for all the gently used backpacks as well! Remember that we still accept donations throughout the summer to help build our inventory when we launch in the fall! Items always needed are peanut butter, canned meats, crackers, mac & Cheese!

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Serving Outside our Community

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Answering the Call to Serve - Nancy Kauffman: In September 2013 I had my first experience as a member of an adult mission trip. Having retired in June of 2013, I was finally free to pursue something I felt God had been calling me to do for some time. I joined the group going to Monterrey, Mexico under the leadership of Kip and Andrea Reed. Through UCUMC’s partnership with Back2Back ministries, we were assigned to serve in an impoverished neighborhood that our youth and adult mission teams have been developing and maintaining a relationship with for many years. In that community I experienced first-hand what it means to be the “hands and feet of Christ” to the world and how His love transforms lives. The people of this particular community changed from wanting to kill one another, literally, to cooking and sharing meals together in the church building constructed in a large part by the youth and adults from UCUMC.The team also worked at a children’s home that has been served by many UCUMC mission teams. We were assigned a variety of tasks from assisting the caregivers of the home with caring for the youngest children to cleaning bathrooms, painting bedrooms and mowing the lawn that was nearly a foot high, just to name a few. You may think that these are strange projects for a team to travel so far to complete, but, there was no one else to do these things for the children. I can still hear the squeals of delight when the girls returned from school to find the cobwebs gone from the corners of their bedroom and the walls painted a cheerful pink or

purple instead of the “institutional” green and beige. Watching the children play on swings and slides and eating at picnic tables in freshly mowed grass was a true delight. Gone was the concern of what creature might be lurking in the tall grasses. Parts of the “home” were transformed into more of a “real home” for the children to enjoy.A few weeks ago Pastor Chad’s sermon was about changing someone’s life. That’s what Christ did when He lived on earth and what He continues to do. When I went to Monterrey last fall, I was sure I was going to change a child’s life for Christ. Isn’t that the purpose for serving in missions? That’s what I thought. What I learned, however, is that I may never know how or if a child’s life was changed, but I do know that serving changed my life and my heart in a dramatic way. And so, I’m going back to Monterrey with the adult team this October. I’m going with an open mind, open spirit and open heart to serve in His name. I know the Lord has work for me to do and work to do in me. I can hardly wait to get started!

Renovation Youth Choir - A team of middle and high school youth (plus chaperones) left for its yearly mission trip on June 24 and returned July 2. On this trip, the youth choir used its talents in singing, acting, puppetry, and testimony to share the love of Christ and encourage people across Ohio and Michigan.The team consisted of 22 middle and high school youth and 8 adult chaperones. The youth choir presented concerts at churches and a retirement center. Each concert consisted of songs with encouraging messages of faith, skits with challenging faith messages, and testimonies of how God has worked in the lives of the youth.

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Serving Outside our Community, (cont.)

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No Matter the Age, There is a Mission: During Celebration Sunday on June 22, prayer shawls were blessed by the entire congregation before being sent to Kenya, Africa. The prayer shawls were sent as a gift of love and a blessing from UCUMC to the Pokot people in Kenya.The inspiration behind this gift of prayer shawls came from UCUMC’s Bonnie Matthews. She visited the Pokot people in Kapanguria, Kenya in 2010 at the age of 72 on a mission trip lead by her son Steve Matthews,

a Baptist minister in Raleigh. Steve graduated from Columbia International University in Columbia, SC with Chumum, who leads a church with his wife Alice in Kapanguria.While in Kenya, Bonnie stayed with Alice and Chumum participating in their way of life helping to chop vegetables, cooking over an open fire, gathering water at the river, walking to the market and worshipping, sometimes under a tree. She helped with Bible School that started with 25 children in the morning and ended with over 100 by lunch. She brought Christian books to share with the children. Even though they speak Swahili, she read to them, sharing the pictures.“One Sunday I went to the praise and worship service,” Bonnie remembered. “Of course, I didn’t know what they were singing or praying, but you could feel the spirit. I’m telling you it was awesome.”

When Bonnie learned at the Women’s Night Out event that prayer shawls were being sent to other countries, she asked about sending them to Chumum and Alice for their congregation. “They are people who have so little, but they are very happy people,” Bonnie said. “I just wish I could be there when they open the box.”Bonnie’s work in the mission field is not over. She is part of the team going to Mexico this fall. While there, she’ll turn 76.

West Virginia Mission Team - The team of 20 left for its mission on July 19 and returned July 26. The team consisted of 20 people ranging from age 9 to 71 years old. They led a VBS at Harbor Light Baptist Church in Oceana, WV, and worked on service projects in the church and in the community. This church is predominately made up of children.There were 30 children from the community who attended VBS. This year was the first time the church offered a VBS class for adults. 10 adults signed up for the class and six attended everyday. The team also made certain that the children had food everyday when they attended VBS.

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Serving Outside our Community, (cont.)

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HIS HANDS Puppet Ministry - On June 12th, 8 middle & high school students, 2 college students, and 2 adults left for the HIS HANDS Puppet Ministry Mission Trip. The Puppets traveled throughout Virginia and Tennessee performing at a low income housing apartment building, three nursing homes, and four churches.

FUSION Mexico Mission Trip - On July 12th, 8 youth and 4 adults left for Mazatlan, MX to serve with Back2Back Ministries to care for orphans. While there the team worked with three children’s homes that Back2Back Mazatlan supports. Our team worked hard to make repairs at the children’s homes,

including painting and finishing a roof, and to love on the kids with games and outings. The team was there for 7 days, returning to Charlotte on July 18th.

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Serving In our Community

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Charlotte Rescue Mission - A group from UCUMC procured, prepared, and served breakfast to about 130 participants in the Rebound substance abuse recovery program on July 13, 2014. We have 2 more scheduled in 2014: Sept 14 & Oct 12. If you would like to help serve at an upcoming CRM breakfast, please contact Steve Maynard - smaynard@bellsouth.net.

Fall 2014 Consignment Sale - The UCUMC Children and Teens’ consignment sale was again a big success. We had over 1100 shoppers come through on Thursday, Friday and Saturday! But this mission would not be possible without the help of hundreds of volunteers. Many groups within the church, church staff

members, as well as volunteers from the community gave their time to make this sale a huge success. We are fortunate to have a church that supports this ministry that touches peoples lives here in our community as well as worldwide. Thank you for your continued support!

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Opportunities to Grow in Christ

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Playdate and Devotional: This summer, Mom’s T.I.M.E. Out hosted a play date and devotional group at Mallard Creek Park every other Wednesday. We had a great time with our kids and each other. There were about 6 moms and 12 kiddos that joined in each time! One of those moms, Megan Gallin said, “I loved the park devotionals! They were a needed moment of inspiration during the crazy days of summer. And it was wonderful that my children could watch mom pray and even join in the fellowship! An added perk was meeting moms in other MTO groups and new friends that joined us in worship. I am actually a little sad that school is starting back!”

VBS 2014: SHINE! - We had 272 registered campers take part in VBS “SHINE” and the awesome support of 77 Adult and 84 Youth volunteers! We had another wonderful week and we know that 52 children came to Christ that week! Praise the Lord!

The children also raised $643.65 in the week, brought in dozens of backpacks, dropped off a mound of non-perishable food items, and a mountain of stuffed animals! The backpacks and food will be going to the UCUMC Backpack Ministry! The stuffed animals will be going to villages in Honduras! The offering was matched by a parent and then it was matched again for a total of $2,574.60! That money will be earmarked to purchase needed animals in people in Malaysia to provide: 2 Cows, 5 Goats, 25 Chickens & 5 Chicken Coops where villages can be helped in such a tangible way!

Weekday School Summer Camp: This summer our Weekday School children enjoyed 3 weeks of summer camp. Children went to outer space, learned about community helpers, and took a trip to the wild west. During outer space week we built a space ship and had a blast learning about our planets and aliens. During community helpers week the fire truck and police officers came by for us to explore their vehicles and the tools they use to keep us and our community safe. During Wild West week ponies came to school! We learned how to take care of them, brush them and feed them, then we took a pony ride around the church yard.

WinShape 2014: We had another record-breaking attendance this summer with 243 campers! We had 45 Adults and 17 Youth volunteer their time of service during the week, MANY of them serving here all day, each day! We have 2 awesome Chick-fil-A stores as our support system to help that week be “The Best Week Ever!” And to top it off, we know that we had at least 5 children receive Christ into their hearts! The Gold Team from Atlanta that came for WinShape, did a superb job and all-in-all, it was a fantastic week!

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Celebrations in our Congregation

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On June 8 we recognized our High School and college graduates at Cap and Gown Sunday at the 11:00 service (pictured top right).

On June 22 we enjoyed a combined 10:00 Celebration Sunday worship service (pictured bottom right).

In July, the 9:45 worship celebrations had special themes for each week: • On July 6 we had Red, White, and Blue Sunday where people wore the

colors of America and sang patriotic hymns and songs. • On July 13 we experienced Country/Plaid Sunday where people wore

country western attire and enjoyed southern gospel and country western music presented by the King’s Herald Quartet and Brooke Bible.

• On July 20 we celebrated VBS Sunday in a combined 10:00 worship service. People wore their VBS or UCUMC ministry t-shirts and the children and adult leaders of VBS led worship that day, sharing songs and drama scenes from VBS.

• July 27 was Bluegrass Sunday, with special music provided by the Carolina Bluegrass Company.

We have had a total of 254 first time guest since the beginning of the year!

On Sunday, June 22, we blessed 20 prayer shawls bound for Kapanguria, Kenya. After visiting the Pokot people in Kenya on a 2010 mission trip, UCUMC member Bonnie Matthews wanted to send prayer shawls to the village.To read more about Bonnie’s mission trip to Kenya, visit page 3.

I, Kristen Hickling, would like to celebrate Tammy Cline and all the work she has done here at UCUMC for the past 9 years. I pray that God will bless her and her family on the next chapter for them.

Dear UCUMC Family, I want to thank you for the support and many kind words you have shared with me, as I move on to the next “chapter” in my life. I will truly miss so many things about serving on the staff here at UCUMC and will

always cherish the opportunity I have had to serve the Lord and this church in my staff roles here. I know God led me to this place and to this staff 9 years ago. I also know that God is leading me to serve Him in other ways going forward. I make this change obediently & humbly, following His lead.

Brent, Kayla, Reid, and I will see you around UCUMC often as we continue on as members and servants in ministry in other ways. UCUMC is a healthy, thriving place of worship, spiritual growth, outreach, and serving. We have much more to do together to impact our community and I look forward to what the future holds for us! With much gratitude and love, Tammy Cline

There were 3 Youth and 57 children that accepted Christ as their Savior this Summer! Please be praying for them.

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Meet our Newest Members! During June’s Celebration Sunday we Welcomed 9 New Members to UCUMC. Make sure you introduce yourself to our New Members and get to know them!

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Helen Allen

John Hulla

Patrick Fagin (pictured with his family)

Eric BarnettAlexandra Gautraud

Dan, Val and Jordan Hardesty (pictured with son, Cameron, a

2014 confirmand)

UCUMC Endowment — A Dream Is Realized: Our church is making history! After many prayers, much research, and hours of organizational planning, an Endowment Fund was established and approved by the UCUMC Charge Conference on June 2, 2014. Many thanks to Cornerstone Sunday School Class for spearheading this large and important project for our church.The UCUMC Endowment Fund has been created to provide church members and friends a way to make charitable gifts that will accumulate and provide an ongoing income stream to further Christian Missions, Education and Outreach. Although financial gifts may come from a variety of sources (cash, insurance policies, stocks, real estate, etc.), the Endowment Fund is primarily aimed at legacy giving from accumulated assets when a donor passes on. Importantly, it also provides an opportunity for friends, family, and loved ones to make a memorial gift in honor of an individual, providing ongoing benefits for God’s kingdom. What better way to honor a loved one than an everlasting memorial gift in their name. The Endowment will be professionally managed by the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina. The Foundation will also help our church with member education and excellent resources on estate planning, wills, and planned giving (www.umfwnclegacy.org). Look for more information on the Endowment and Legacy Giving as this exciting new opportunity is introduced this fall. What will your legacy be? Contact the church office or any member of the Endowment Committee for assistance. Also, visit the Endowment page on our website: www.ucumc.org/endowment.

Celebrations in our Congregation, (cont.)

Dee Pollock

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For Your Calendar

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Aug 13 - Adult Small Group Registration opens online Aug 17 - FUSION 101, 5:30pm-7:30pm in the Fellowship Center: For rising 6th graders & their parents to check out what FUSION is all about! Click Here to register.Aug 18 - GriefShare Fall session begins, 1-3pm: Special weekly seminar and support group for people who are grieving the death of someone close to them. Click Here for more information.Aug 18 - DivorceCare & DC4K begins, 6-8pm: Find help and healing for the hurt of separation and divorce for children (ages 5-12) and adults. Click Here for more information. Aug 19 - David Cox Teacher Appreciation Breakfast & Lunch: We are providing a light breakfast and lunch for the staff of David Cox Elementary to help them kick off the school year. Click Here to find a list of items needed and times available to volunteer. Aug 19 - Life Line Screening: Community-based, non-invasive, and painless health screenings. Click Here for more information and to register.Aug 20 - Grow Leaders Workshop, 5:30-8:30pm: Important meeting for leaders in Children, Youth, and Adult Ministry! Click Here to register. Aug 20 - Heavenly Readers, Women’s Book Club, 5:30pm in the Guest Cafe: Join us this month to discuss How Coffee Saved My Life by Ellie Roscher.Aug 24 - Promotion Sunday: Students will “move up” to their 2013-2014 Sunday school class.Aug 24 - Getting to Know You, directly after each worship serviceAug 24 - FUSION End of Summer Splash at Carrigan Farms, 12-5:30pm: Spend the afternoon swimming and diving in the rock quarry! Click Here to register. Aug 28 - WDS Parent Orientation, 7pm in the Worship CenterSept 1 - Church Office Closed in observance of Labor DaySept 2 - WDS First Day of SchoolSept 5-6 - Beginnings Class - weekend session: Click Here for more info and links to registerSept 7 - Celebration Sunday, combined service at 10am: This service will feature our Mission Team and give updates from our many summer mission trips.Sept 7 - All Church Picnic, University YMCA, 3-7pm: Everyone invited to enjoy a picnic and the wonderful facilities of the University Y including the pool! Activities for all ages! Click Here to register. Sept 10 - Goodtimes, 10:30am, Hospitality Suite: featuring guest speaker Rev. Gay SliversSept 10 - Patriotic Musical, 6:30pm: Presented by UCUMC Worship and Arts EnsemblesSept 15 - Church Council, 6pm in the ChapelSept 17 - Wonderful Wednesdays begin: meal from 5:15-6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall; speaker series starting at 6:30pm in the ChapelSept 21 - Back to Church Sunday: This will be an exciting Sunday where we intentionally invite those who have not been to church in a while or those who have never been in church.Sept 27 - Sew and Sews Craft Boutique, 9am-2:30pmOct 4 - MX14: Under Construction - Tools for Success and Significance: Click Here for more info and links to registration. Oct 5 - Getting to Know You, directly after each worship service

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For Your Calendar, (cont.)

Weekday School is gearing up for the 2014-2015 school year and still have spaces available! The Weekday School offers an engaging, nurturing and developmentally appropriate early childhood education experience for children 1 – 5. The registration form is located on the church website (www.ucumc.org/wds). Contact us to for more information or to check for availability: bluther@ucumc.org or 704-598-3577.

School hours 9:00 – 1:00 Monday through Friday; Office Hours 8:30 – 1:30

Sermon Series: Pastors Ron and Chad will continue the sermon series “Prepositions of Faith” on Sundays August 17- September 21. You won’t want to miss any of these messages as we learn how our faith grows Under, With, Unto, For, and Like Jesus.

Patriotic Musical: There is Freedom Here - Wednesday, September 10, 6:30pm in the UCUMC Sanctuary: This Patriotic Musical is a musical celebration of God’s Blessing on America. It will be presented by the UCUMC Worship Ensembles and guest performers. This is a free concert.

CrossTraining: CrossTraining (Children’s Music and Arts Ministry) will begin our 2014-15 season on Wednesday, September 17. We have groups for children 3 yrs old-5th Grade including chimes, choir, dance, guitar, percussion, and drama.

Adult Small Groups for this Fall! Registration opens online August 13th! We have an awesome lineup for women, for men, for everyone! We have a group for WWII History buffs! For those wanting to get into the Bible, we have several groups to chose from including a new Friday morning women’s group studying the whole Bible in 90 Days! We have groups based on current best selling books and popular movies! We offer Sunday morning groups at 8:30, 9:45 & 11AM. And so much more! Watch the UCUMC NEWS and Sunday worship Announcements for more information! Click Here to find full descriptions of each group and links to registration.

Wonderful Wednesday Speaker Series Returns! September 17th – Nov 19th! Join us in the Chapel 6:30-7:30PM for a great lineup of speakers with topics such as “Hooked on Video Games” as well as speakers from Charlotte Rescue Mission & Urban Ministries! The last Wednesday of each month, Pastor Ray will lead celebration worship and messages on HOPE! Come for a meal, stay for information and inspiration! Click Here for more information.

Special speaker at Goodtimes on Wed. Sept. 10th at 10:30AM in the Hospitality Suite. Rev. Gay Silvers, a retired Episcopal priest now residing in Charlotte, will share her personal reflections on the morning of Sept 11, 2001. She was walking to work at Trinity Church on Wall St., and was in front of the first World Trade Center building as it was hit by a plane! Bring a dish to share & stay for lunch afterwards! Contact Hazel White hwhite1926@yahoo.com.

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