2269 Seven Mile Ferry Road Clarksville, TN 37040

Phone: 931-645-2544

Fax: 931-645-5263

E-mail salem@salemumc.us

Prayer Requests salemprayerchain@gmail.com

Website salemmethodistchurch.com

News and Events 2

Missions/Small Group 3

UMYF 4

Birthdays 5

March 2016

The monthly newsletter of Salem United Methodist Church — Clarksville, Tennessee

Greetings Salem UMC,

We’ve survived the winter months, and have already begun our journey into the Lenten season, those 40 days prior to Easter. The six week preparation for Lent has had increasing significance in my life, particularly Holy Week (begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter morning). This season is often meaningful to me because it invites me to make room in my life for the Holy Spirit to work. There are many who give up a favorite food or drink, others might reduce their electronic media, and so many other ideas. Of course, simply giving up something, then spending the next 40 days longing to get it back is not the goal! When we give up particular objects/practices, the goal is to create room for God to work.

Let me give you a concrete example from my life. I gave up sweets during Lent this year. I have been deeply influenced by the love of sugar in the South, yet have found it is quickly becoming detrimental to my health. So, I gave up sweets as well as excessively sugary foods and drinks. In turn, each time I think about some-thing sweet, I try to consciously pause and give thanks to God for the gift of food, then ask God to continue to bring greater awareness to my eating. The desire for sweet foods doesn’t go away, yet it has helped me to be more mindful of the many times I might grab something sweet for a snack. Of course, I have also sought to add exercise into my weekly routines, recognizing that much of my sweet tooth is fed by inactivity. While I want to be clear that there is no “one size fits all” model for Lent, I would like to invite you to create space for God to work in you.

What did you give up/take on for Lent? How is this practice encouraging your faith? Feel free to call, email, or text me, as I’d love to hear how the journey is going for you. Pastor Brian

Holy Week Activities

Palm/Passion Sunday—March 20 @ 10:30am Celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, yet also experience the series of events that lead to Good Friday. This service give recognition to Holy Week, inviting you back on Maundy Thursday & Good Friday

Maundy Thursday—March 24 @ 7pm Remember Jesus’ last meal with the disciples through communion and feet/ hand washing.

Good Friday—March 25 @ 7pm Walk with Jesus at his arrest, the questioning, and the crucifixion. We leave in silence and darkness, recognizing the pain of darkness.

Easter Sunday — March 27 Sunrise @ 7:30am—Service of First Light @ Salem Cemetery This service will be held at the Salem cemetery (3/4 mile from church), weather permitting. Otherwise, gather in hallway outside sanctuary. Breakfast Following Sunrise—Join us for a wonderful breakfast Sunday School @ 9:30am — We will have a wonderful butterfly workshop for children & youth, but the whole family is invited to attend! (Gym) Worship @ 10:30am — Easter Celebration Service We will break forth in joy and celebration as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus

Inside This Issue

Salem UMC is

called to authentic

relationships in

Christ that impact

our community.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!! SALEM VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

JULY 11-15, 2016 6:00-8:00 PM

Age 2 through 6th

Graders

Check out the new signs on Seven Mile

Ferry Road and Salem Ridge Road!

The next UMW meeting will be March 14 at 7:00. Linda Matthews is in charge of our program, Call to Prayer and Self Denial.

All women of the church are invited and encouraged to attend.

Reminder: We continually collect Campbell soup labels, small hotel toiletries (in the triangle room), and new/gently used luggage or bags (in the Narthex). Thank you for supporting us by donating these items.

Family Night

"Celebrate and Serve" Family Night

Saturday, March 12th at 5:00pm

Join us as we celebrate the gift of family

together with food, music, photo booth, and

other fun activities. We will also serve together

with a Kids Serving Kids video devotional and

a special "prayer picnic". Everyone is invited!

Page 2 The Newsletter

2016 BELIZE MISSION TRIP

On Friday, March 25 (Good Friday), a team of 30 led

by Salem UMC will arrive in Corozal, Belize, to work

and minister for one week. Please pray daily for the

team.

The team will be renovating a building to be used as a dorm for future mission teams. They will also be working with the children of Corozal UMC. Please pray for safe travel, health and safety while there, much work to be accomplished and changed lives. Thank you, God, for this opportunity!

DELANEY AUSTIN GARRETT AUSTIN

SUSAN AUSTIN ABBY BROWN

JENN & BRIAN BRYANT, Team Leaders SYLAS & LYLA RAE BRYANT MYRANEL & MIKE BRYANT

PAM & ALFRED BYARD SHARON & SCOTTIE DUNCAN

PEYTON ERWIN MARISSA FROST JOSIE GRIFFEY DANI HATTON NITA HEILMAN

MICHAEL JOHANSEN ALEX MORRIS

ABNEY PARCHMAN JARED PARCHMAN

KARA PETERS SANDRA SIMMS DANNY SMITH

BARB & STEVE STINNETT WILL TROTTER

BETTY VENCZEL

Our team still has three youths who are still in need of donations towards their registration fees. If you feel led to help them, please give your check to Myranel.

Page 3 The Newsletter

Mission Night - Sunday,

March 13 @ 5pm

Belize missionaries, LISA and JAMIE

WILLIAMS, will be visiting Salem to share

about their ministry in Belize as well as

share how Salem can continue to partner

with them.

Please join us for a Potluck dinner in the

gym at 5:00 PM

.

Have you signed up for a Small Group?

It’s not too late! Call or email the church

office for more information.

STOCK CAMPAIGN CONTINUES Thank you, Salem, for always supporting our youth ministry and all their projects. The Stock Campaign, our primary annual fund raiser, will continue through the month of June. Stock helps finance our annual budget of $20,000. Please help us by purchasing $25 shares of stock in the General UMYF Fund and SAINTS ALIVE! Youth will be distributing stock envelopes, so please place your check/cash in these envelopes, then in the offering plate. Thanks, again! EASTER SUNDAY Sonday Night Live will NOT meet on Easter Sunday. We typically have very low attendance on Easter due to family gatherings. Several counselors and youth will also be in Belize on Easter. Sonday Night Live will resume the following Sun-day, April 3, at Rye’s Chapel UMC for “Raise the Praise.” YOUTH GOING TO BELIZE We are very proud of Salem’s youth who are giving up their Spring Break to serve on Salem’s mission team to Belize. Youth participants are: DELANEY AUSTIN, GARRETT AUSTIN, DANI HATTON, JARED PARCHMAN, ABNEY PARCHMAN, KARA PETERS, and WILL TROTTER. Please pray for them to experience God in new ways as they work, serve, and love the people in Corozal. REGISTER FOR SAINTS ALIVE! March is registration month for SAINTS ALIVE! This summer we will be working right here in Montgomery County. SAINTS ALIVE! is set for the week of June 19-24. We have invited a few sister youth groups to join us this year. As in years past, we will need your help in various ways. Please be thinking and praying about how you can be involved. Here are a few possibilities:

Provide a scholarship ($200) Help prepare meals Deliver lunches Be a work site supervisor/team leader Clean bathrooms daily Help make the SAINTS ALIVE! banner Run sound/screens for evening worship Make a video of the week’s work and activities Be an evening chaperone

All youth who are presently in the 8

th grade through graduating

seniors are eligible to participate in this year’s SAINTS ALIVE! Registration forms are due no later than Sunday, April 10, along with a $25 deposit.

Page 4 The Newsletter

RAISE THE PRAISE Salem’s youth will host “Raise the Praise,” Sunday, March 6, from 5:00-7:00 PM. Neighboring youth groups have been invited to join us for our monthly praise and worship service. We begin with recreation in the gym, a pizza supper, then move to the sanctuary. Salem’s young people will provide a devotional and testimonies between singing songs with the praise band. All are invited and welcome. MISSION NIGHT Sonday Night Live will join the church on Sunday, March 13, for our “Mission Night.” Youth are asked to bring a dish for the pot-luck supper at 5:00. We will gather in the sanctuary at 6:00 to hear the program presented by Lisa and Jamie Williams, mis-sionaries to Belize. It will be a great night to learn about foreign ministries and mission work. Don’t miss it! YOUTH COUNCIL The monthly meetings of Salem’s Youth Council have been moved from the first Sunday to the fourth Sunday of the month. This decision was made in order to avoid the conflicts associated with “Raise the Praise” each first Sunday. Since the fourth Sunday in March is Easter, we will meet a week early, March 20. UMYF Counselors and SALTeam mem-bers are reminded to mark your calendars, and be present as we continue planning special Senior activities for May and SAINTS ALIVE! in June. BASIC PARTY BASIC is an acronym for “Brothers And Sisters In Christ,” a fairly new program which pairs younger youth with older youth. The brainchild of KARA PETERS, BASIC gives our middle schoolers a mentor/advisor/confidante/friend while developing leadership skills in our high school students. We are trying to set aside a Sunday night each quarter to devote to the BASIC ministry. The next BASIC party will be Sunday, March 20, during Sonday Night Live. Special games, Bible study, service projects and supper are all conducted as family units.

.

March Birthdays

Pastor: Rev. Brian Marcoulier

Youth Minister: Myranel Bryant

Administrative Assistant: Misty Reed

Custodian: Mike Bryant

Nursery Coordinator: Deborah Morris

Musicians: Richard Hayes, Myranel Bryant, Abney

Parchman, Olivia Allison, Kara Peters, Stephanie

Carson, Kirsten Meaker, Joel Erb

Sa lem Uni t ed

Method i s t Chur ch

We’re on the Web!

salemmethodistchurch.com

Salem UMC is a Safe Sanctuary congregation. All of our childcare workers are screened and accountable to

Safe Sanctuary guidelines to promote the safest possible environment for our children.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF EVERY MONTH

Shellie Parchman Mar 1

Caroline Howell Mar 1

Dani Hatton Mar 3

Kara Zahn Mar 3

Levi Grayer Mar 4

Griffin Buck Mar 5

Morgan Reese Mar 5

Susan Cornell Mar 5

Paris Terrell Mar 5

Martha Hughes Mar 6

Gage Moler Mar 8

Bessie Seale Mar 8

Vernon Greene Mar 9

Samuel Collin Redman

Mar 10

Norma Tinsley Mar 12

Gregory Lee Mar 12

Sylas Bryant Mar 14

Lukas Butts Mar 14

Liv Mobley Mar 14

Britton Clark Mar 15

Portia Worth Mar 15

Carolyne Roberts Mar 15

Bond Welch Mar 15

Robert Hullett Mar 16

Becky Hullett Mar 16

Barry Bumpus Mar 18

Tyler Schmid Mar 18

Nicole Fordham Mar 19

Sheron York Mar 19

Marianne Davidson Mar 19

Rochelle Koenes Mar 19

Myranel Bryant Mar 20

Delaney Austin Mar 20

Jordan Burrow Mar 22

Parker Soll Mar 22

Jonna Yarbrough Mar 22

Jordan Joiner Mar 23

Brittany Lang Mar 23

Justina Terrell Mar 24

Dayton Barker Mar 27

Jacob Hite Mar 28

Isaiah Dowlen Mar 29

Joshua Cordell Mar 29

Cole Northrup Mar 29

Merri Scott Eckel Mar 29

Glenda Bumpus Mar 29

Eric Watson Mar 30

Jacob Delano Mar 30

Natalie Kela Mar 31

Page 5 The Newsletter

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