New Hope United Methodist Church 11600 N. Council Road, OKC, 73162 www.newhopeokc.org

2018

Confirmation

Class See JD’s article on page 5

More about each book

is in Cali’s article on

page 4.

Sunday evenings: 5:00 -7:00 p.m. beginning August 19 and led by Steve Clark

Tuesday Mornings 9:30 - 11:30 beginning August 21st and led by Rev. Cali Eck “Hebrews: The Nearness of King Jesus”

Wednesday Evenings: 6:30-8:00 p.m. beginning August 22nd and led by Rev. Cali Eck

“The Road to Amazing: Basics of Christian Practice”

Welcome to new members

Harold Tucker

Michael Porter

Elizabeth and Ledger Beardsley

August’s Communion offering will go to

Disaster Response

August Sermons continue the series

“Living for Jesus”: August 5 - “Lives Worthy of the Calling” Ephesians 4: 1 - 6

August 12 - “Imitators of God”

Ephesians 4: 25 - 5: 2

August 19 -“Understanding the Will of God” Ephesians 5: 15 - 20

August 26 - “Put on the Whole Armor of God”

Ephesians 6: 10 - 20

New Hope UMC August, 2018

view from Queen Wilhelmina walkway

“Hebrews: The Nearness of King Jesus”

by Lisa Harper

Bible Study Review

“The Road to Amazing: Basics of Christian Practice”

by Clayton Oliphint &

Mary Brook

Cascad

“Disciple

Fast Track:

“Becoming Disciples through Bible Study”

Bible study for

busy lives

Studies beginning this month:

CDO is hiring two

teachers for our Nursery

classroom. Please see

Kristy Goff or Christi

Wetzel to apply. A back-

ground check will be made

on all applicants. E-mail

Kristy@newhopeokc.org

Parents:

Acolyte training for those in third

grade or above will be August 4 at

10 a.m. Please tell Cali Eck if you would like your

child to attend.

Ministry Fair -

August 12

before and

between

services

Check all the

tables to

discover

what different

groups do,

what’s offered,

where you might

enjoy serving!

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If you’re interested in a short mission trip this fall, there’s still room for you on the trip to Delta Grace! They’ll leave the evening of October 4 and return on October 8th. Call Donette or Perry Johnson for more information!

In the summer of 2016, I had the opportunity to go to Israel for the first time. I helped lead a group as New Hope UMC and Church of the Servant combined to put together a great opportunity for those who wanted to experience the Holy Land. I can honestly say that this pilgrimage was a life- changing and faith-enhancing experience. Chris Porter went on this trip and he went back to Israel this summer. He came back and asked if we could join forces and work on a New Hope Holy Land Pilgrimage for the summer of 2020.

It is not too early to make a commitment to go on this trip. It takes some time to plan and save to go on this trip. Chris and I have already decided that we will work with a different tour company this time. We have chosen Educational Opportunities Tours, which is the company that the Oklahoma Annual Conference utilizes. “Since 1974, Educational Opportunities has been dedicated to providing quality Christian travel programs at an affordable price. Over the years, more than 400,000 Christians have traveled on the various faith-based tours. From its inception, EO incorporated elements of Christian learning whenever possible. Lectures, study books, and specialized guiding are the pioneering hallmarks of EO's development. Today, many companies have copied the EO educational approach to faith-based travel, but our biblical tours remain some of the highest quality Christian travel programs available.”

One of the concerns that many people have is the safety of travel in the Middle East. There is always a risk in travel, but I can assure you that Israel is one of the most security conscious countries in the world. There was never a moment when I felt any anxiety about the sites we visited or the people we met.

A sample itinerary from EO is the Journey through the Bible 11-day tour that costs about $3400. Days 1 & 2: USA to Holy Land; Day 3: Jericho and Qumran; Day 4: Herodion and Bethlehem; Day 5: Caesarea, Mount Carmel & Tel Megiddo; Day 6: The Galilee; Day 7: Cana, Nazareth, Samaria & Jacob’s Well; Day 8: Jerusalem; Day 9: The Old City; Day 10: Ein Karem, Nebi Samuel, Emmaus and the Valley of Elah; Day 11: Return Home. This particular trip includes three nights in Bethlehem! I encourage you to give prayerfully consider to going on a journey to Israel with us. It will be an experience that you will never forget. I still remember the day we went sailing on the Sea of Galilee after touring Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene. In Magdala we saw the ruins of a synagogue where it is almost certain that Jesus taught. We would be glad to meet with you and tell you more about this pilgrimage that will deepen your understanding of the Bible.

BUILDING HOPE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP TEAM by J.D. Ward

Please pray for the following church leaders as they help cast the vision for the future of this dynamic congregation. These folks will be working with our Horizons Stewardship Campaign Consultant, Dale McConnell.

Pastor - J.D. Ward Campaign Chairpersons - Bob and Margaret Mills; Royden and Deloris Freeland; Staceee Hoye Douglas Coordinator - Administrative Assistant - Greg Wells Lead Gifts Team Leaders - John Wakefield and Rick Ernest

Communication Team Leader - Jason Mills Prayer Team Leaders - Tim and Julie Gosdin Advance Commitments Team Leaders - Dave and Donna Reynolds; Luis and Amy Aita

Celebration Team Leaders - Kristy Goff and Keri Langert Gratitude and Ministry Team Leaders- Kevin and Emily Wilkinson; Tyler Stone; Katie Wonderly Affinity Team Leaders - Cali Eck and Steve Clark Connection Team Leader - Dillard Moore Youth and Children Team Leaders - Philip Younts and Peyton Wagner (Youth); Luisa and Lois Medina (Children)

Reflections

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Chance or arranged by angels? by Max Murrell

A chance meeting of an 11-year-old boy in Managua Nicaragua and a fellow there on a New Hope United Methodist Church mission trip may make a measurable change in the life of this lively kid we know as Iverson. A number of folks from New Hope were in Managua in August, 2017 to work on a church being built in his neighborhood. We painted walls, poured concrete, and generally made the place look like the church it was meant to be. Iverson was there to help with anything we would let him do. One of the fellows from New Hope also happened to be a Shriner, the organization that has 23 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico devoted exclusively to helping children with disabilities, more specifically, orthopedic, burn and soft tissue congenital defects. You see, Iverson was born without ears and no visible ear canal. In addition, he has some lower jaw deformities.

When the Shriner returned to the United States, he began working through his contact in Managua, a bilingual Interpreter whose company provided transportation services to the church while in country.

Finally, in May, 2018, after numerous medical papers and documents have been transmitted to the Shriners Hospital for Children, Galveston, the approval

for Iverson to be a patient is nearly complete. At its May 2018 Board of Directors meeting Iverson received preliminary approval for admission to the hospital for his treatment.

Soon, we anticipate the appointment will be made and the final hurdles of getting Iver-son to the United States will be all that remains for the Shriner to get Iverson in for his restorative care.

There are still some big hurdles ahead so keep Iverson and this process in your prayers!

The photo above was taken a few years ago when Iverson was small but willing to help.

School Supply Drive! The first two weeks of August

Hearts of Hope will collect school supplies for Will Rogers

Elementary on 122nd. If you would like to donate,

there are lists and containers in the Gathering Area. Some general items for all grades

are: Elmer’s Glue Sticks; 24 count crayons; washable Crayola markers;

#2 wooden pencils; wide-ruled notebook paper; pocket folders; boxes of tissues.

Second Saturday Outreach to the Homeless travels downtown again on August 14. If you’d like to help, come to church about 9:15. Thank you for all the plastic bags. They do not need any more at the moment.

They would love to have donations of flat sheets. These help keep insects away while the people are sleeping.

Even adults had Bible School this summer!

Food Pantry by Mickey Miller Our food pantry fed 34 people on July 10th and another 40 July 24! I again want to thank our church family for their generous support of this ministry. Without your support we could not

keep our food pantry open. The need for this min-istry to the public is increasing each month with more and more hungry people. We need brown paper grocery bags! (No plastic bags!) We can always use canned soups, Kraft macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, Jiffy cornbread mix and individually-packaged snacks. Thank you again for your support! The pantry is open from 1 until 3 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. We serve those in zip codes 73132, 73142 and 73162 and our congregation no matter where they live.

Exodus House by Mickey Miller

Exodus House is planning a barbecue on August 4 with all sorts of goodies that people are making. It is a reunion party for all of their gradu-ates. All are welcome, but you need to let them know you’re coming. We’re still making plans to remodel the kitchen all the way to studs, so it’s going to be quite a project. We have about $3800, but we need about another $3200. So if you want to donate to Exodus house for the kitchen remod-el, we would love to have whatever you feel like giving. Our last project was the bathroom, which turned out beautifully. We have to thank Men of Hope for all of their money and hard work on that project. Thanks again for supporting Exodus House.

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More groups where you might find your spot and grow! Men of Hope - August 19 at 8:15

Hearts of Hope - Thursday August 2 at 9:30 a.m. Ruth Circle - Tuesday, August 14 at 6:30 p. m. U M W does not meet in August but resumes September 20 at 6:30.

by Donna Reynolds New Hope's Mary Martha Circle met on Thursday, July 12. Earline Baker and Frances Murrell were the hostesses to a beautiful table of wonderful food. The meeting was opened with a devotional from Nellyne Hanlin on the subject of Alzheimer's Disease. She shared an arti-cle titled "God Being the Potter". She said that this title and subject was especially of help to her. June was Alzheimer's Month and is the 6th leading cause of death at this time. The article stated that "God's Pottery - his creations - are constantly being shaped. God takes his creations with their flaws and reshapes them to something new." If we all can think of diseases this way - as a continual reshaping - and think of it as being given to God so he can take a load off our shoulders - he will make it easier for us to get through these tough times. Thank you, Nellyne, for sharing this with us.

Praises and Concerns were addressed and prayer was led by Earline Baker.

Old Business was addressed: Nellyne reported that Undie Sunday was a big success with 181 pairs boy's underwear and 197 pairs girls plus 350-400 pairs of socks.

A Thank You Note was received from the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank for the $200 donation that Mary Martha made toward the summer food kits provided for children.

Nellyne reported that the fall "Warm Fuzzies" was coming and we would need the clear plastic "produce" bags from grocery stores to wrap each stuffed animal in to keep it clean.

Mickey Miller reported that the remodel of the apart-ment at Exodus House has been postponed until April next year - BUT she is asking for money donations toward this project to keep coming in. It will be a costly project. Au-gust 4 a Reunion of all Exodus House graduates will be held at Exodus House from 1:00 - 5:00 and all are invited to come help these proud graduates celebrate.

New Business was addressed: Nellyne Hanlin said Mary Martha's annual Afton's Memorial of $200 is coming which buys a children's wagon and filling it with toys for the Oklahoma Children's Hospital. Beth Brown volunteered to help Nellyne with the shopping.

July Birthdays were celebrated and the meeting closed with a group prayer.

All Ladies are invited to visit the second Thursday of every month at 9:30 and we would love to have some new members.

Cali’s Corner It is hard for me to believe that summer is almost over. As you read this we will be getting ready for a new set of classes and the start of a new school year! A Scripture passage that always comes to my mind during this time of year is a simple but powerful passage: John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have ever-lasting life.” I think about this verse this time of year because we are preparing lessons that help us focus more deliberately on the Word of God. I was blessed with a dad who loved the Bible and taught me to do the same. It is my prayer that when you choose to be a part of a study this year that you will cherish your Time in the Word. It is the story of the greatest love story ever! God loves you! Our Studies this Fall will help us get closer to and go deeper in our understanding and relationship with that God who loves us more than we could ever imagine. Thanks be to God! The August studies and beginning dates are listed below. Sign-up sheets will be out at the Ministry Fair, Sunday August 12th. Don’t forget that as we kick off our fall classes we will have a classic Car show here at the church on Wednesday, August 15th. If you have a car/bike/scooter you would like share with us please bring it up to show! We will grill hotdogs and hamburgers and have an evening of fun. If you have any questions, please let me know. Sunday evenings: 5:00 -7:00 pm

“Disciple Fast Track: Becoming Disciples through Bible Study” A 24-week study for busy people seeking to gain a better understanding of the Bible and want to grow in faith. Begins August 19th Led by Steve Clark Books are $15

Tuesday Mornings 9:30 - 11:30 “Hebrews: The Nearness of King Jesus” By Lisa Harper A 7-week women’s Bible Study will help you engage and treasure the book of Hebrew as you deepen your relationship with Christ. Begins August 21st. Led by Rev. Cali Eck. Books are $15.

Wednesday Evenings: 6:30-8:00 pm “The Road to Amazing: Basics of Christian Practice” by Clayton Oliphint & Mary Brooke Casad A 4-week study for anyone desiring to know more about what it means to practice the Christian faith. We will talk about “Who IS Jesus?” and reflect on living fully in Christ daily. This class begins August 22nd. Led by Rev. Cali Eck Books are $10

I look forward to growing with you!

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Young at Heart Seniors meet the last Thursday of the month. In

July they enjoyed lunch in Edmond and visiting the Armstrong Auditorium to see the Seals of Hezekiah and Isaiah and other artifacts from Jerusalem. The August meeting is a potluck at 11:30 on the 30th. They will watch a video of the performance of

SAMSON from Sight and Sound Theater in Branson.

Mark Valentour

Don Brewer

Perry Johnson

Donna Lobdell

David Riggs

Dale Stanley

Margaret Graham

Carola Smith

Isabella Howell

Doris Korner

Jim Seignious

Florine Smarra

Julie Gosdin

Mickey Miller

Brooklyn Plender

Sharon Riggs

Conner Attebery

Barbara Mitchell

Bodey Edstedt

Jessica Eck

Greg Lacy

Emma Hutchins

Owen Attebery

Birthdays Donna Wakefield

Michael Porter

Kelly Barr

Kristy Goff

John March

Jenni Owen

Jim Finley

Alice Pattillo

J.C. Pierce

Carlos Rerat

Amy Aita

Geoffrey Lacy

Shirley Yates

Jean Curtis

Carolyn Collier

Don Wetekam

Gary Graham

Elizabeth Jackson

Larry Merriam

Darrell Todd

Janie Bond

Clarissa Renner

Michael Wakefield

Luisa Medina

August 12 Bring a dish to share and

stay for food and fellowship. Open Forum is

the hosting class.

Anniversaries Richard & Lori Foster

Greg & Chesney Whetstone

Keith & Kim Castner

Fred & Janelle Hillemeyer

Chris & Marcia Coffman

Buck & Carolyn Collier

Bob & Nellyne Hanlin #65

Gary & Diane Layton

Mark & Tammy Valentour

Jim & Nancy McClure

Congratulations to Dusty and Sarah Rowland who welcomed Daniel last month!

Thank you, Anonymous Good Samaritan!

“I would like to say “thank you” to the person who noticed the nail in the rear tire of my

vehicle when I was in church and left a note for me! That was not serious as it was a short nail and did not puncture the tire. But, in checking that, the employee at the shop noticed that both rear tires were badly-worn and front and rear brakes need replaced. These things could really have caused dangerous problems so I am very grateful to the person who took a moment to write a note and put on my car! “ Thank you and God Bless You! Pat Mize

We celebrate the recent Baptism of Ledger Michael Beardsley!

Confirmation 2018 to Begin in August! by J.D. Ward

Pastor JD Ward and Assistant Director of Youth Ministries Peyton Wagner will be leading a class for young people who are interested in professing their faith and join-ing the church. This class is open to those entering the sixth grade or above.

The book that we will use is The Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith by Phil Tallon.

We will learn about God, Creation, Jesus, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and our everlasting hope.

A parents’ meeting will be held Sunday, August 26 at 5 p.m.

Confirmation classes will meet on Wednes-day evenings at 6:15 p.m. beginning August 29. Classes will continue through October 24, with Confirmation Sunday on October 28 in second service at 11 a.m.

The Confirmands will attend the Shabbat Service at Temple B’nai Israel on Friday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. We will meet at the church at 5:45 and go to dinner together that evening.

Please contact Pastor Ward, Philip Younts, or Peyton Wagner for more details.

Ruth Circle Bazaar is November 3. Applications will be available in August so tell your friends who make and sell items at craft shows like this! More vendors = better shopping!

August

Building Committee Update by J.D. Ward

It is important to realize that New Hope United Methodist Church is following the Planning and

Financing Requirements as outlined in the Book of Discipline. The Building Committee is currently working

on step 2 in this process.

We are still in the early part of the building process, which is very deliberate and orderly. We are

working with the architect, Jim Davis, to develop plans to be approved by a future Charge Conference.

This will not take place until after we complete our Building Hope Capital Campaign.

The members of the Committee include: Stacee Douglas, Chair, John Wakefield, Max Murrell,

Margaret Mills, Royden Freeland, Cali Eck, and JD Ward. The next meeting of this committee will be

Monday, August 13 at 6:30 pm. We will be meeting with the architect. The next Church Council meeting

will take place on Sunday, September 23 at 6:30p.m. Jim Davis will present updated plans for discussion

and approval.

1. The building committee shall:

a) use the information and findings of the study committee and any other relevant information to

estimate carefully the building facilities needed, as the case may be, to house the church’s

program of worship, education;

b) ascertain the cost of any property to be purchased; and

c) develop preliminary architectural plans that:

(1) comply with local building, fire, and accessibility codes;

(2) clearly outline the location on the site of all proposed present and future construction; and

(3) provide adequate facilities for parking, entrance, seating, rest rooms, and accessibility for

persons with disabilities, but providing for such adequate facilities shall not apply in

the case of a minor remodeling project;

2. The building committee shall submit to the district board of church location and building for its consideration and preliminary approval:

a) a statement of the need for the proposed facilities;

b) the preliminary architectural plans, including accessibility plans;

c) the preliminary cost estimate; and

d) the preliminary financial plan.

3. After preliminary approval by the district board of church location and building, the pastor, with the written

consent of the district superintendent, shall call a church conference, giving not less than ten days’ notice

(except as local laws may otherwise provide) of the meeting and the proposed action from the pulpit or in the

weekly bulletin. At the church conference, the building committee shall present:

a) the preliminary architectural plans;

b) the preliminary cost estimate;

c) the preliminary financial plan; and

d) the building committee’s recommendation.

A majority vote of the membership present and voting at the church conference shall be required to approve the preliminary architectural plans, cost estimate, and financial plan and the building committee’s recommendation. (continued at bottom of next page)

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A note from Chris Porter from the New Hope Face Book page: “Periodically, I am going to share pictures from the Holy Land to keep the excitement going for the New Hope UMC Holy Land 2020 trip! This picture is of a wine jar in Cana, the same town where Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. Talk about a great anniversary trip for all you couples! Archaeologists have dated this jar to the time of Jesus. More details will come in the next few months. A sign up sheet for those interested is on the counter. Hope many of you can go on this trip of a lifetime!

From the Faith Community Nurse office . . . . . by Staceee Hoye Douglas

Fall is not only a time for students to head back to school but also a time for us – as Faith Community Nurses – to get back to sharing helpful information for your mind, body and spirit. This month’s topic is medication disposal. Many of us are faced with unwanted medications – expired medications, medications no longer needed, medications that belonged to a family member who has passed away, etc. and we simply do not know what to do with these items.

Not surprisingly, there many laws that regulate not only the distribution of medications but also their disposal. O.S. 63 Section 2-402 states that you must possess a prescription for controlled substances (i.e. prescription medications).

This means you cannot give prescription medication to anyone else be-cause the medicines are prescribed for you. In addition, “a pharmacy may not accept re-turned medications from patients after the medications have left the pharmacy. There are exceptions for the pharmacy to take the medication back if there is a recall or a dispens-ing error. Once it has left the pharmacy, medication may never be dispensed to another patient. [O.S. Title 59 Sec 353.24(A)(2)]” (www.ok.gov/pharmacy/Resources

/FAQ/Consumers/index.html).

So, if you can’t give away medicine and the pharmacy won’t take it back, what can you do?

You can take any medication to an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) drop-off box. These are locked boxes (they look like mailboxes) housed in law enforcement facilities. You can find the location of a drop-off near you by using the OBNDD Pharmaceutical Take-Back Location Finder at portal.obn.ok.gov/takeback/default.aspx.

You can only use these drop-off boxes for tablets or capsules. They do not allow for the disposal of liquid or inhaled medication. For those types of medications, simply put them in the trash.

Sources: www.ok.gov/pharmacy/Resources/FAQ/Consumers/index.html

www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=479470

Special thanks to Alicia Martinez at the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Building Committee Update (continued from previous page)

4. After approval by the church conference, the building committee shall develop detailed plans and

specifications and secure a reliable and detailed estimate of cost, which shall be presented for

approval to the charge conference and to the district board of church location and building.

5. After approval by the charge conference and district board of church location and building, the building

committee may begin the building project or remodeling project. Written documentation

substantiating the approvals of the charge conference and the district board of church location and

building shall be lodged with the district superintendent and the secretary of the charge conference.

6. In metropolitan areas, the building committee shall ensure that adequate steps are taken to obtain the

services of minority (nonwhite) and female skilled persons in the construction in proportion to the

racial and ethnic balance in the area. In non-metropolitan areas, the building committee shall ensure

that racial and ethnic persons are employed in the construction where available and in relation to the

available workforce.

Attendance:

June 24 - 282

July 1 - 264

July 8 - 298

July 15 - 312

July 22 - 300

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Notes by Kevin Wilkinson

I cannot tell you how happy I am that this four-week break for the Chancel Choir is coming to an end! I have missed the time we set aside each week to spend time together as minister-musicians. As the fall semester approaches, I would extend an invitation to each of you to join us in singing God’s praises and preparing to lead our congregation in worship!

While I initially planned on extending this series on Wesley’s directions for singing over six months, I will again address two directions this month:

Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

Sing all! There is nothing so beautiful to me as a group of believers who have gathered together to sing God’s prais-es – and sing you do! The most common response I get when I suggest someone consider joining the choir is some-thing like this: “You don’t want my voice.” I began with an invitation to each of you to join the Chancel Choir, but I un-derstand that singing in front of others can be daunting – even as part of a group. It can be daunting even to sing as part of the congregation. As much as you may tell me “You don’t want my voice,” I can promise you that God does. God tells us as much in scripture:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. (Psalm 100:1-2)

Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works. (Psalm 105:2)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with grati-tude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. (Colossians 3: 16

Scripture moves beyond singing in times of great joy. After Jesus reveals the coming betrayal, he and the disciples continue to sing the liturgy of the Passover meal:

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:30)

So, I encourage you all not only to continue singing, but to reinvigorate your worship with Wesley’s fifth, and most humorous, direction to “sing lustily.” As odd as the verbiage is to my contemporary ears, the final sentence of this rule hits home for me (“Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.”). I would offer a more contemporary rendering: “Sing songs of faith with even greater passion and conviction than you sing your very favorite secular music.”

Very few of you have experienced me at a Garth Brooks concert. There are few things that bring me as much excitement as listening to and singing with my favorite artist and my fellow fans. Last summer, after the Garth Brooks concerts here in Oklahoma City, I shared with the 11:00 am service the idea that had come to me that I should sing in worship with even greater conviction than I have in those arenas filled with thousands of people. Perhaps you don’t share my love for Garth Brooks (I have been to 35 concerts), but how many of you sing secular music with abandon in the shower or in your car? I don’t think of secular music as “the songs of Satan,” as Wesley put it, nor do I think we should sing secular songs with any less joy than we do now. But, what if we found an even deeper place from which to sing for our God?

The structure we have chosen for this month has meant we sing only a couple of verses of each of the hymns we have shared together at the beginning of worship. While this has allowed us to touch a greater number of these songs, it has also kept us from the greater part of these songs. I know it is easy when singing hymns, old and new, to think “Why should we sing more than a verse or two?” I would encourage all of us to look a second time at Psalm 105:2, “Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works.” God has gifted many hymnwriters through history to offer us prayers we can use to express ourselves and texts we can use to share a new understanding of God’s Word. They have offered deep texts that offer a picture of God that can only be seen when we share the whole story they have written for us.

I have enjoyed setting aside time specifically at the beginning of our services this July to sing some of the songs that are Important to your faith journeys. It has been wonderful to hear God’s people sing with such vigor. And we should always find time to sing songs that have connected us to faith in the past. Scripture goes further than instructing us to sing, however. We are called to sing a new song in Psalm 149, “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful” (Psalm 149:1). Even in the images of Heaven depicted in Revelation, the heavenly host is singing a new song: “They sing a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ran-somed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation’ (Revelation 5:9). So, as we learn new songs together I would encourage you to bring both passion and curiosity to the melodies and words we share together. I also invite you to drop me an e-mail or a note in my box to let me know how we can make it easier for you to sing the new songs God has called us to sing.

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August Acolytes

August 5 -

9:45 11:00

Cole Wigley Christian Plender

Emily Brown Logan McLaren

August 12 -

9:45 11:00

Kamden Goff Brady McLaren

Jacob Williams Brooklyn Eck

August 19 -

9:45 11:00

Carly Smarra Lauren Hawkins

Landon Aita Owen Attebery

August 26 -

9:45 11:00

Caleb Leonard Laura Langert

Jacob Williams Jacob Miller

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Greetings from Children’s Ministry! by Luisa Medina August means it is time to head back to school! We have had the best summer together. We have had so much fun at camps, going to the movies, competing in our Swinter Games, VBS and learning all about Moses.

On Wednesday, August 8th we will have our Blessing of the Backpacks. All children are encouraged to bring their back-packs to be blessed by Pastor JD! Each child will receive a special

tag to put on their backpack to carry with them all year as a reminder that God is always with them, especially at school! Sunday, August 12th is the Ministry Fair! The Children’s Ministry will have a table with all of the information for our fall lineup of classes and activities. You are all encouraged to stop by and see what we are up to!

Also Sunday, August 12th the children will have an end of summer pool par-ty! We will meet at the church at 4:00pm. Our pool party will be at the Eck House in Piedmont. We will

take the church van and bus, but if you would like to just meet us out there that is fine too! Be sure to send a swim suit, towel and change of clothes. On Friday, August 17th we will have a Parent and Volun-teer Supper! This will be a time for all parents and children to come together for a meal and to also talk about the Children’s Ministry. This will be our fall parent meeting, but it will be an opportunity for parents to meet our volunteers and to just fellowship with each other and for us to dream together! The meal will be served at the church at 6:00pm. and childcare is provided! Saturday, August 4th at 10:00 a.m. there will be a training for all 3rd graders or those past third grade who wish to become Acolytes. This is a great way for our children to serve in the church!

Anchor Point : The People Jesus Met! August 5- The Man in the Synagogue August 12- Mary and Martha August 19- The Woman at the Well

August 26- The Man by the Pool Look for more information regarding special clas-ses and fun fall opportunities coming soon! f you have any questions, please let me know! Blessings, Luisa Medina

by Kristy Goff

CDO ended an amazing summer full of fellowship and a whole lot of fun on July 26th. We had an End-of Summer

celebration with hot dogs, snow cones, popcorn, and water inflatables. Throughout summer, we served 85 children and their families. We also had a staff of 15 and a lot of great substitute teachers. Thank you to everyone who provided snacks, their time, or your prayers during “The Greatest Summer on Earth.”

August brings the beginning of our 2018-19 School Year. Monday, August 20th we will host “Meet the Teachers Night” from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. This will give an opportunity for current program families to meet students’ new teachers, and, also for new families to come meet other families and our staff.

Our first day of classes is Tuesday, August 21st. During the first two weeks we will cover the themes of “All About Me” and “Airplanes” while learning the letter A.

We currently still have spots available in our three-year-old classroom and in our newly expanded Pre-K classes.

We are also hiring two teachers for our Nursery classroom. Please see Kristy Goff or Christi Wetzel to apply.

Nursery/Preschool ministry

We would like to welcome the newest member to Nursery/Preschool Ministry, Daniel Rowland, son of Sarah and Dusty.

If you would like to volunteer in the Nursery or Preschool classrooms on Sunday morning, or if you’d just like to see what we’ve been up to, come by our table at the Ministry Fair on Sunday, August 12th. We will have background check forms and a tasty treat for you!

Acolyte Training - August 4th 10 a.m.

If you are in third grade or above and would like to be an Acolyte, talk to Cali Eck and plan to come to the training.

Nursery Volunteers

August 5 - 9:45 - Anna Langert 11:00 - Amy Aita

August 12 - 9:45 - Carly Smarra 11:00 - Peggy Morgan

August 19 - 9:45 - Jon Eck 11:00 - Payton Coats

August 26 - 9:45 - Paige Jones 11:00 - Julie Gosdin

Little

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 6:30 - Choir

resumes

6:30 - youth,

children

2

9:30 - Hearts

of Hope

3

6:00 - Youth

Lock-in until

8:00 a.m. Sat.

4

10:00 a. m. -

Acolyte training

5

Collection of

school supplies for

Will Rogers Ele-

mentary 5:00 -

Youth, Children

6

10:00 Prayer

Team

7 8 6:30 - choir,

youth, children

(Blessing of the

Backpacks

9

9:30 a. m. -

Mary Martha

Circle

10

5:30 - Leave for

Night at the ball

park

11 9:15 -

Second Saturday

Outreach

12

morning -

Ministry Fair

noon - Potluck

noon - Finance

Committee

Collection of

school supplies for

Will Rogers Ele-

mentary ends

5:00 - Youth,

Children

13

10:00 Prayer

Team

6:30 -

Building

Committee

14

1 - 3 Pantry

Open

6:30 p.m. -

Ruth Circle

15 6:30 -

Car /Vehicle

Show

6:30 - youth,

children

6:30 - Choir

16 17

6:00 -Children’s

department

dinner meeting

for parents and

volunteers

18

Youth - leave

at 11:00 for

St. Yootz Day

19

8:15 Men of Hope

2:30 - Youth go to

Colorfest

5:00 - Children

5:00 - Disciple

class begins

20

10:00 Prayer

Team

6:;00 - 7:30 -

CDO Meet

the

Teachers

night

21

9 - 2 CDO

resumes

9:30 -

Hebrews

class begins

22 9 - 2 -CDO

6:30 - Road to

Amazing class

begins

6:30 - choir,

youth, children

23

9 - 2 CDO

24

6:00 - 8:00 -

Date Night

25

26

5:00 - Youth,

Children

5:00 - Parents of

Confirmands meet

with JD

27

10:00 Prayer

Team

28

9 - 2 CDO

1 - 3 Pantry

Open

29 9 - 2 -CDO

6:15 -

Confirmation

Classes begin

6:30 - youth,

choir, children

30

9 - 2 CDO

11:30 - Young

at Heart movie

and potluck

6:00 -

Strengthening

Families

graduation

31

5:45

Confirmands

meet to go to

dinner and

Temple B’nai

Israel with JD

New Hope in

2018

10

September 3rd- Office closed for Labor Day; 9th - Potluck; 10th - Stitchers resume

Sunday Refreshments

5 - New Beginnings and/or AIM 12 - Open Forum and/or Friends & Believers 19 - Lamplighters and/or JOY 26 - Wesleyan