MULBERRY STREET

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Sharing the Heart of God from the Heart of Downtown Macon

Weekly Newsletter

June 8, 2023

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Working Together to Bring Peace

VBS • June 19-23, 2023

Our theme is Hero Hotline which is based on Romans 14: 19: “So Let’s strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up.” This verse reminds us that God calls us to be a part of a community; working to bring peace to the world is something that we are all called to do together. 


Our sessions each day during the week will highlight the ways we can work together as a team to strive for peace and build each other up: 

  • By recognizing that we are all a part of the family of God by our faith in Jesus. 
  • By recognizing that our faith in God calls us to help others in need and stand up for what is right. 
  • By learning that Heroes can’t go at it alone! 
  • By discovering that God speaks to and directs us in many ways. 
  • By finding ways to show grace to others. 


Every day our Heroes will travel between our Assembly Time, Bible Story, Music Time, Recreation Time, Craft Time, and Snack Time. On the final day of our VBS, our families will join in our celebration. We will eat pizza together, watch a fantastic performance from the kids, and have Pinky’s Shaved Ice for dessert. Also, whichever group (the girls or the boys) collects the most money for our Mulberry Missions will get to “Slime” Ms. Elisa!  You won’t want to miss it!

Report From Annual Conference

On my first Sunday with you, I quoted the hymn, “This is a Day of New Beginnings” for our benediction. The last two verses say this:


“Then let us, with the Spirit’s daring, step from our past and leave behind our disappointment, guilt, and grieving, seeking new paths and sure to find Christ is alive and goes before us, to show and share what love can do. This is a day of new beginnings. Our God is making all things new.” 


To close our time at Annual Conference, we sang this hymn. It was a fitting and appropriate ending to a hope-filled, encouraging, and even joyous Annual Conference. 


To be sure, we had to leave behind disappointment and grieving from just a few weeks ago when we said good-bye to 193 churches who disaffiliated at the called session of conference on May 21. That meant, when we gathered in Tifton this past Sunday, many old friends and familiar faces were gone. At times, there was grieving and sorrow at the splintering of what was our shared ministry. 


But, as it says in scripture, God turned our mourning into dancing. We celebrated the good things happening across our Annual Conference, marked the accomplishments of our ordinands who said yes to a life in ministry despite this season of disaffiliation, gave awards to churches who are doing incredible work, heard about the plans the conference has for moving forward in ministry by planting churches and taking care of our clergy’s mental health, and gave thanks to God for the leadership of our bishop who has provided a steady hand and peaceful presence. As the hymn says, we found that “Christ is alive and goes before us to show and share what love can do.” 


We also conducted the business of the annual conference and did so without acrimony but, rather, in a spirit of collaboration. That business was marked by effective leadership from many Mulberrians! Gail Springstead and Russ Barber represented us well as our lay delegates. Payton Stone served as a teller, helping especially with the delegate elections. Cater Thompson continued in her role as Conference Chancellor, where she does exemplary, often behind-the-scenes, work. I went from never having spoken before the annual conference to giving nine different presentations, while also serving as Assistant Conference Secretary. 


And, we celebrated Dana Goshorn’s election as a lay delegate to Jurisdictional Conference! She will represent the annual conference when the Southeastern Jurisdiction convenes in July, 2024. She is one of only eight laity from across the Annual Conference to have this honor. 


We were also blessed to have several friends and fellow Mulberrians come to visit us! The picture included here captured as many as we could gather!


Finally, and most importantly, we spent much time in prayer. The bishop set the theme for this year’s conference as, “When They Prayed.” We heard preaching on the importance of prayer, we had several prayer moments spread out across the business of the conference, and spent time praying together. 


I invite you to learn more about conference by visiting sgaumc.org/annualconference. There, you can read daily recaps and watch a video sharing highlights of our time together. Should you have any questions, please reach out to myself, Payton, Russ, or Gail. 


This session of conference indeed marks a day of new beginnings. We experienced together how God is making all things new.


Ted


Together we are sharing the heart of God...

Sunday Worship

June 11, 2023

Third Sunday of Pentecost

  

Rev. Payton Stone, preaching

Genesis 18:1-15


Assisting with Worship

Ushers

J. B. Easterlin, Wesley Rauls, Tim Anderson, Eric Hefner, Bill Henderson, Bill Jarrard


Flowers

The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God and in honor and memory of Louise Kennington by Charlotte and John Kennington.


11 a.m. Worship Service will be Live-Streamed and available on Facebook and the Website

Ainsworth (Adult) Choir Rehearsal

Wednesdays at 7:15 pm in the Choir Room!



We welcome all who like to sing and want to be part of music ministry in worship. Come join us! Please contact Terre Johnson, Director of Music, at tjohnson@mulberrymethodist.org for questions.


**Nursery is provided during Choir Rehearsal for any parents wanting to join! **

Prayer List

Scott and Wanda Fitzgerald 

Nancy Belk 

Jared Heggins 

Greg Elliott

Harry Linkous 

Jimmy Roach

Freeda Chapman

Bob Ogden

Robert Gerson

Cater Starling

Sam Lamback 

Allie Frances Dunn

Thomas Marlow

Latashia Willis

Linda Sankey

Edyth Snow

Ashley and Mary Hurt

The family of Elizabeth Owens

Lisa Cawthon (friend of Elisa Reece)

Onna Pollard

Victoria Guy (daughter of Onna’s neighbor)

Tommy Perkins and the family of Margaret Perkins

The United Methodist Church

Bishop David and Nancy Graves

District Superintendent Craig and Mary Louise Hutto

Our church, its clergy, and its members

Attendance

Sun, June 4

Sanctuary - 152

Online - 16

Coming Up at Mulberry

June 11

Second Sunday Serve


June 19

Vacation Bible School Begins!

Full Calendar

Staff On Call

6/8-6/14


Hunter Godsey

Cell: 478-954-7255

Check out what's going on in Realm!

Be sure to check out the News feature on Realm!

If you need help getting connected, contact the church office at

478-745-8601.

We extend Christian love and sympathy to the family of Elizabeth Owens, friend and member of Mulberry, who passed away Sunday, May 28, 2023.

Elizabeth's obituary can be found here.

June Second Sunday Serve

June 11 | 12:00 pm Fellowship Hall

It’s time for our next Sunday Sunday serve! After the 11:00 service on June 11, we will enjoy a catered meal from Zaxby’s in the Fellowship Hall, and then we will participate in two excellent service opportunities - helping prepare for VBS, and working in the Children's Center.

Sign Up Here!

Youth Overnight Trip to Little Grand Canyon

June 28 - June 29 - LaGrange, GA

The youth will travel to LaGrange, Georgia for an overnight trip to visit the Little Grand Canyon. We will hike the canyon, kayak on the lake, and cook by campfire. We will have a great time exploring God's creation, growing deeper in relationship with Him and each other. 

Great Day of Service

June 26 - June 28 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

The children & youth will be working on service projects around the church on June 26-28! They will be working with Macon Outreach and doing projects around the building. All are invited to join in - there will be activities for all ages! Contact Elisa Reece with questions.

Send some mail to our campers!

It’s been a great tradition at Mulberry for church members to send cards and letters to our youth at Epworth during summer camp, and my kids always tell me how blessed they feel to receive so much mail while there. I hope you’ll consider sending notes, jokes, and letters of encouragement again this year to these students who are registered for Camp Connect:

 

Ella Magda – High School Camp – week of June 12-16

Emerson Toles – High School Camp – week of June 12-16

Will Magda – Middle School Camp #1 – week of June 19-23

Jackson Goshorn – Middle School Camp #2 – week of June 26-30

 

Sadly, this will be Ella and Emerson’s last year as campers before they graduate from high school next year. 

 

The address is below; bear in mind the SSI mail goes to Jacksonville first, so please build in extra time for your letter to get there: 

PO Box 20408, St. Simons Island, GA 31522

Summer of Psalms with the Rosser II Class

Sunday Mornings at 10

Anyone is welcome to join the class. We’ll take a different psalm each week; no advance reading is required.

Children's Center at Mulberry Fundraiser

The Children's Center at Mulberry has begun a fundraising campaign to advance the mission of the Center. The $50,000 campaign will run through Father's Day. Your gifts will help enable the Center to provide educational programs, resources, and the highest quality learning environment for students and families, as well as support staff development and capital improvements.

You can give online through our online giving portal or by check, marked for the Children's Center at Mulberry fund.

We still need VBS Volunteers! We are still looking for passionate, excited volunteers for our Hero Hotline VBS this June! There are still spots available to be a crew leader, a decorator, and more!


Youth Summer Mission Trip! July 17-21 - Savannah, GA - 6th-12th grade - $225

For our mission work, we will work with a local non-profit organization that contracts through the City of Savannah. We will be staying on Tybee Island! Our schedule will also include mission work, beach time and devotions, River street shopping, downtown Savannah squares scavenger hunt, and growing spiritually through our relationships with each other.


Contact Elisa Reece with questions!

Sign up for our Family Ministries newsletter for more news and updates from our team!

VBS Volunteer Sign Up!
Sign up for the Youth Summer Mission Trip
2023 Kidz Spring/ Summer Calendar 2023
2023 Youth Spring/ Summer Calendar 2023

Music Fund

In memory of Marianne Dunn by Frances H. Inzer

...from the Heart of Downtown Macon

VBS Registration is now open!

June 19-23 | 9 AM - 12 PM | PreK - 5th Grade

Each day at the Hero Hotline Headquarters, we'll join Super Meer the Meercat to provide assistance and solutions to Hero Teams everywhere! Registration is open for students PreK - 5th grade! Contact Elisa Reece with questions.

Click here to sign up!

Donation Needs

Macon Outreach Needs

Boxes of oatmeal and grit packets

Cereal

Snack bars

Hamburger helper

Cornbread mix

Condiments

Cake/cookie/muffin mix

Snack items

Daybreak Needs

Volunteers

Canned and/or Fresh Fruit

Snack Food (individual wrapped items)

Gatorade (bottles or powder)

Water

Instant 1 min. Grits

Coffee Creamer

Peanute Butter

Jelly

33 gal. Lawn Bags

Men's t-shirts (white)

Men's & Women's underwear (new, large sizes - L, XL)

Claritin

Eye Drops

Insect Repellant

Hydrocortisone Cream

Reader Glasses (2.00 or higher)

Benadryl (tablet/liquid)

Lotion

Bleach

Vinegar

Resources & Links

South Georgia Advocate

The South Georgia Advocate, a twice monthly online news publication, is the official news source of the South Georgia Annual Conference and a ministry of the Office of Connectional Ministries.

Click here for the Georgia Advocate

Have an addition to the newsletter?

Email Millie Johnson at mjohnson@mulberrymethodist.org

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