May Newsletter

Arab First United Methodist Church

May 2013 Letter

Challenge for 2013:

To grow disciples of Jesus Christ

by taking risks and changing lives.

Happy Mother’s Day

The mother's love is like God’s love: He loves us not because we are lovable, but because it is His nature to love and because we are His children. (Earl Riney)

Even He that died for us upon the cross, in the last hour, in the unutterable agony of death, was mindful of His mother, as if to teach us that this holy love should be our last worldly thought – the last point of earth from which the soul should take its flight for heaven. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

God pardons like a mother who kisses the offense into everlasting forgetfulness.

(Henry Ward Beecher)

No man is poor who has had a Godly mother. (Abraham Lincoln)

Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise. (Ephesians 6:2)

I’ll call Mother tomorrow.

I’ve things to do today.

People to see, places to go—

Anyway, what is there to say?

Can’t call Mother tomorrow.

God called Mother today.

Now I’ve regret and sorrow,

Mother—I had so much to say!

(Patricia Chapman)

This tendency to put things off sometimes costs us a great deal. We put off patching up broken relationships until they become irreconcilable differences. We put off looking up old friends until it is no longer possible. We put off spending time with our families until we don’t have families to spend time with. We put off searching for God until we can’t find Him. Let us not put off things in our lives until it’s too late.

We also have a responsibility to help others to not put off looking for God until it’s too late. Invite someone to share in the worship of God with you this month at Arab First United Methodist Church.

Agape, Kenny

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Confirmation Class of 2013 consisted of:

Madison Anderson, Riley Belrose, Taigen Black, Alie Blackburn, Ben Brazelton,

Kevin Robert Brown, Anna Katherine Griggs, Harrison Hall, Abigail Hetherington,

Zack Malone, Hamil Miller, Anna Quillin, Alli Scarbrough, Samuel Alan Tankersley,

Jack Yarbrough, and John York.

Also welcome new members:

Wayne, Lisa, Anna Grace & Jackson Martin

Mark, Laura, & Parker Upton

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Youth Ministry

One of the favorite videos made each year for Discovery is the backwards video in which a message of faith is portrayed various ways by the youth. (The scenes sometimes are shown backwards and sometimes shown forwards in the video.) This year’s backwards video was entitled “Love is a medicine” and promoted John 3:16. The video ended with a paper airplane being flown from our church doors to the world with the caption “Now go into the world and share God’s love with His people.” On April 14, fourteen senior high youth did just that when they shared they shared their Discovery talks (six talks were given) as well as music during their leading of a youth Sunday worship service at New Brashiers Chapel Methodist Church. We of the AFUMC church family should be proud of our young people and their willingness to take God’s Word out to the world.

Thank you to all those who gave donations and helped support the youth annual Relay For Life yard sale and car wash on April 27. Hope to see all of at Relay for Life at the Arab Soccer Fields starting at 6pm May 10 and ending at 6am May 11. This is the ninth year for the Relay and the ninth year that the youth will be participating. Check out the youth and their Bible booth. (Books are the theme for this year’s Relay.)

Upcoming Events

May 19= Graduation Recognition Sunday. Recognition in church at the 1055am service as well as a special luncheon for our senior graduates and their loved ones.

A community-wide baccalaureate service will be held at 6pm at AFUMC as well that day.

July 15-19 = Summer Mission Trip to Nashville for all present 7^th through 12^th graders.

Sumatangana Summer Camp dates are:

Junior High: June 9-14, June 23-28, June 30-July 5, July 14-19

Senior High: June 16-21, July 7-12

Youth may attend on an individual basis. Go to www.sumatanga.org to register and for more information.

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Children's Ministry

Kingdom Rock-Where Kids Stand Strong For God--VBS 2013

June 9th -13th from 5:45-8:30 PM.

Supper will be served beginning at 5:00 pm with the last plate served at 5:30 pm so that everyone has time to finish eating before 5:45 pm. All meals will be kid friendly since kids are our focus for VBS. Go to www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/AFUMC13 to sign your child up or to sign yourself up as a volunteer. We need ALL kinds of helpers, from teachers to observers. All children will need a plain white T-shirt. We will be collecting foods for Blessings in a Backpack again this year. Watch the bulletins and weekly emails for opportunities to help prepare VBS materials prior to VBS.

Mother's Day Booklet

For $1 you can honor or remember the special women in your life this Mother's Day. Please fill out the forms found in the bulletins or on the tables at each entrance and return it to Jennifer or the church office with your $1. All funds collected from these booklets will be used to purchase new cd players for the children's department as the ones we have are worn out.

Mother's Day

All children who attend Wednesday night classes will be playing bells on Mother's Day at the 9:30 and 10:55 am services. Please have your children at church by 9:15 am on May 12th.

End of Year Program “5K for the Way”

The end of the year program will be on May 22nd at 6:00 pm. Please make sure that your child is in attendance on Wednesday nights to learn his/her speaking parts, solos, dances, movements, and songs. Also, keep a lookout on weekly church emails for the new date for the last extra practice. There WILL NOT be a practice on Friday, May 10th due to Relay for Life. Remind your children to memorize their scriptures for a prize from Mrs. Debby.

Fun in the Son

Fun in the Son will be different this year. We will have one week long Fun in the Son, similar to Arts Camp for which children must pre-register. This week long event will be July 22nd-26th. The cost for this week must be pre-paid as well, which will only be enough to cover the cost of activities that we will do. We will do art activities such as basket weaving, camping skills, taekwondo, painting, etc..... each day. We will feed your child lunch and snacks as well as go on an outing most days. Specific details will be available in June's newsletter. Anyone who has a specific art skill that they would be willing to share with children, please let me know. We will also need a couple of volunteers to be the "extra adults" for the activities.

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Kid’s Own Worship

May 5th Pam Donahue

May 12th Andrea Elrod

May 19th Shannon Griggs

May 26th Maggie Hall

Children’s Moment

May 5th Kenny Baskins

May 12th Jennifer Arrington

May 19th Tawanna Vickers

May 26th Jimmy Reeves

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