THEFLAME$$$$ August$2016$ The Flame · 2016-08-18 · THEFLAME$$$$ August$2016$ $ Ashburn First United Methodist Church July August 2016 September Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2

THE FLAME August 2016

The Flame Ashburn First United Methodist Church

406 N Main Street PO Box 69

Ashburn, GA 31714 229-‐567-‐2627

[email protected]

Ashburn/Sycamore First UMC

Worship Times Sunday

9:00am –Sycamore 11:00am – Ashburn

Wednesday 6:00pm – Ashburn/ Social Hall

Pastor Carrie Myers

ASHBURN, GA AUGUST 2016 FOLLOW, LOVE, SERVE

It has become a tradition at Ashburn First UMC to observe “Camp Meeting Days” during the Sundays in August. When I first asked about the Sunday services during Camp Meeting days, I was told, “The preacher and choir don’t wear robes. It used to be that the men didn’t wear suits and ties either, but most of us don’t now anyway.” Interesting take on the reasons we observe camp meeting days!

I decided to find some information about the origin and history of Methodist camp meeting in the U.S. Did you know that at most early camp meetings, the focal point of the gathering was receiving Holy Communion? Many Camp Meetings lasted four days with Holy Communion being served every day. These large outdoor revival meetings were a central feature of the Great Awakening and ideally suited to a time when there were fewer established churches and fewer ministers.

Deeply emotional and evangelical, camp meetings are credited with moral reform and the rapid growth of church membership until, by the 1840’s, the established meeting-houses of Methodists and Baptists began to replace them. Often the preaching was shared by several preachers of different denominations and lasted more than an

hour per preacher and singing was inspired and joyful. The preaching and singing was emotional and led to responses like, “falling, jerking, rolling, barking, and laughing.” Preachers and congregations became “barnstormers for Christ, “ “born-again devil fighters” anxious to “get their cups filled.” There is a great history around camp meeting. There are wonderful stories of lives changed and Christians who became aware of their call to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world at camp meetings. I am praying, and ask you to join me in prayer, that our camp-meeting days will be Holy Spirit filled. While I do not plan to preach for an hour or to see folks “falling, jerking or barking,” I pray that we will hear God call us to become more faithful followers of Jesus Christ who love their neighbors and serve their community. I wouldn’t even mind a few disciples who become “barnstormers for Christ,” and “born-again devil fighters!" Come Holy Spirit; fill the hearts of your faithful!! Blessings,

Carrie

Our Mission Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

From the Pastor........ By Carrie Myers


Bishop Robert Lawson Bryan has been assigned to the South Georgia Conference and will serve as the conference’s bishop for the next four years. The assignment begins Sept. 1. He will succeed Bishop James R. King, Jr., who is retiring. Bishop Bryan was elected bishop Wednesday, July 13 at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference’s quadrennial meeting at Lake Junaluska, N.C. On the tenth ballot, Bishop Bryan, 66, received 256 of 375 votes cast. He is currently serving as senior pastor of Montgomery First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Ala., in the Alabama West-Florida Conference. Following his election he stated, “It is an honor to be elected by colleagues in our jurisdiction and to see God at work. For the past year, I have referenced Ephesians 2:5, ‘Alive Together in Christ’ and ask for your prayers as I seek God’s will as a leader in our SEJ Conference.” Bishop Bryan will become one of 13 active bishops serving the episcopal areas of the 15 annual conferences that make up the Southeastern Jurisdiction. “The opportunity to participate in the episcopal election process over the past year has been a great blessing to me,” Bishop Bryan said. “This truly is a spiritual discernment process. I have grown spiritually as I have prayerfully reflected on the questions and discussions. I am grateful to the delegates who served Christ and the Church so diligently. The experience of being elected and consecrated is still amazing to me. I would echo the words of one delegate who said, ‘the presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable as the SEJ conference acted with a sense of unity and hope.’” It took only one day and 10 ballots to elect five bishops on what was an historic day in Stuart Auditorium on the campus of Lake Junaluska. Among the five new bishops is Bishop Sharma Lewis, the first African-American female bishop elected by the Southeastern Jurisdiction. In addition to Bishops Bryan and Lewis, the jurisdiction elected Bishops David Graves, Leonard Fairley, and Sue Haupert-Johnson. The conference’s work wasn’t over when the ballots were counted, though. The Committee on Episcopacy still had to convene and decide who would be assigned where and important matters – like the budget – were still before the conference. “Two words describe my response to Bishop Bryan’s assignment to South Georgia: ‘ecstatic’ and ‘grateful,’” said Rev. Robert Beckum, head of the conference’s episcopacy committee, a member of the jurisdictional conference delegation, and senior pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Columbus. “My overall takeaway from Jurisdiction Conference was the privilege Larry Price and I had to work through the week with the Committee on Episcopacy. Work in the committee was the most genuine experience of ‘holy conferencing.’ The committee’s work was in a profound sense of community, prayer, and seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The SEJ Committee on Episcopacy was the best of our Church at work.” Bishop Bryan will be “coming home,” in a sense, to South Georgia. Born just across the Georgia-Florida border in Quincy, Fla., Bishop Bryan spent his early years in Bainbridge before moving to Dothan, Ala. at 12. “I thank God for the opportunity to serve alongside the faithful laity and clergy of the South Georgia Conference,” he said. “My connections to the conference go all the way back to my childhood. And it is not lost on me that South Georgia includes the area where John and Charles Wesley landed in America and where they worked for several years. Sherrill and I thank the conference for the radical hospitality that has already been extended to us. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:5, we are ‘alive together in Christ.’ Thank you for your prayers as we make this exciting transition to the wonderful South Georgia Conference.”

Bishop R. Lawson Bryan

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DID YOU KNOW?

Last month Lydia Thompson, our summer youth intern, started a small group with some our youth girls. The purpose of small group is to connect people to Jesus Christ and one another in an authentic community that will promote transformation through living the truth of Jesus Christ in our relationships, study of God’s word together, prayer and outreach. To that end, small groups help us:

• To know God in a more personal way

• To understand what the bible teaches us about community

• To belong to a group with others who will support us in our spritiual growth

• To care for one another and reach out to others

• To have FUN! FINANCIAL

2016 Budget - $231,548.00 Needed to date: $129,108.00 Received to date: $120,890.98 Needed weekly: $4452 Average weekly: $3877

Top Reasons to Join the Church Choir: 1 You never have to worry about

what to wear. 2 You have excellent seats and a

reserved seat on all major holidays–including Christmas and Easter!

3 From your advantageous seat, you can gawk, smile, ignore, guess who’s sleeping, and otherwise enjoy the rest of the congregation.

4 And finally, the minister is nearly always looking the other way.

*Choir practice is on Wednesday nights @ 7:15

Music By Debbie Conner

As we prepare for August and camp meeting month our choir is excited about singing some of the “good ole songs.” Songs that will make you want to tap your toe, clap your hands or maybe even shout AMEN! One of the most frequently requested songs for this month is I’ll Fly Away written by Albert Brumley in 1931. This song has been recorded over 500 times by musicians from all genres. The idea for the song came to Mr. Brumley as he was singing If I Had The Wings Of An Angel while picking cotton. He was quoted as saying “actually I was thinking of flying away from that cotton field.” His song writing career began with this song and he went on to write more than 800 gospel songs based on his deep spiritual convictions. With only an 8th grade education he understood how to communicate with people of all ages through the simplicity of his words. What a glorious thought though “Some glad morning with this life is over I'll Fly Away”. Hallelujah!

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Youth and Children This Summer at Ashburn FUMC

By Dee Cunningham Y/C Director

Well summer has been in full swing this year with our kiddos and youth! We would like to take a moment to thank all our donors who have so generously given to our youth and children fund so that we were able to enjoy so many fun events.

~Shaving Cream fun with Lydia~

~Messy & Marvelous~

Thank you Ashburn First family for all that you’ve given in service and giving to enable us to grow seeds of faith in our youngest members! Take a look at some pictures of our fun! For even more pictures, check us out on Facebook and our website. The fun’s not over! If you missed anything, no worries…fall will have fun events too!

~ Finding Dorie ~

~ Youth Room~

~ Making a Splash for Jesus~

~ Pool time Fun! ~

~ Wild Adventures Concert ~

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Annie Ruth Hopkins Cary Wood Bill Stone Aubrey Brock Steven Young George Brown Vera Hobby Jack Greene Dolores Gamaras Bonnie Brown Bill Gilbrid Hazel Hennings Willie Joyner Beverly North Ronnie Phillips Laura Holt Josephine Rogers Kirsten Lyerly Christine Brown Bill Ivie Patsy Brown Nancy Ponder Ruth Tanner Jerry Spike Larry Dalrymple Tim Farmer Cliff Gibbs Sybil Hill Stephanie Hortman

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Jesus

Christ. Phillipans 4:19

Stewardship Corner Your faithful giving has made it possible to pay 100% of our missional giving called “apportionments” over the last two years. Thank you for your generosity as we United Methodists at Ashburn First UMC are able to join other UMCs in supporting – retirement homes, children’s homes, colleges, campus ministry, ministerial education, and evangelism. Let us stand in awe at how God has used our denomination. Your faithful and generous giving continues to inspire and empower our United Methodist Church at home and abroad as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Mindy Preston Farrell Brown Sherry Whiddon Sylvia Rogers Darlene Connell Barbara Wood Raymond Adams Helen Williford Kitty Risher Carlene Penney Joann Shivers Preston Wells Phyllis Landis Mary Blackwell Donna Duke Randy Kendrick Bill McCann

Here is the QR code for our online giving, if you are a tech savy person.

Cliff and I would like to thank all the VBS children, teachers, volunteers, parents and director, Dawn Starling for honoring Cliff this year with the monetary donations. We were both so humbled by this recognition. Our church family means so much to us, and we appreciate all your prayers and support sent our way. Cliff is improving daily, and we hope to be able to return home in about six weeks. God is so good, and we praise him for all his blessings!

With Love, Cliff and Sheila Gibbs

Give Online. It’s easy!

• Set up and manage recurring donations

• Make one-time contributions • View your online giving history

Get started today! Visit

www.ashburnmethodist.com


Ashburn First United Methodist Church

◄ July August 2016 September ►

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

2

3 5:30 Dinner 6:00 Bible Study 6:00 Fun in the Son -Splash Pad- 7:15 Choir Practice

4

5

6

Jake Black Allison Coley Austin Rowan

7 Sunday School – 10 Worship -11 Thrive -4:00 The Vine – 4:00 Youth Back to School Bash

8

Mike Walker

9

10 5:30 Dinner 6:00 Bible Study 6:00 Fun in the Son 7:15 Choir Practice

11

Mary Denham Susan Gandy Suzanne Brown Ansley Starling

12

13

Bill Stone

14 Sunday School – 10 Worship -11 Thrive -4:00 The Vine – 4:00

Sandra Blue

15

16


Edd Cunningham

18

19

20

Jimmy Ponder


Kayla Gandy Hughes

22

23

Jessica Parker


Jim Curington

25

26

27


William Brown

29

30

31 5:30 Dinner 6:00 Bible Study 6:00 Fun in the Son

Notes: Ushers – Aug 7- Aug 14 – Aug 21 – Aug 28 -

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Documents

THEFLAME$$$$ August$2016$ The Flame · 2016-08-18 · THEFLAME$$$$ August$2016$ $ Ashburn First United Methodist Church July August 2016 September Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2