The Notes - September 26, 2019

Volume 49

Issue 39

September 26 , 2019

Welcome New Members
This past Sunday we welcomed nine new members into VHUMC at the Informal Joining Service. Please join us in welcoming: Emily Carlton, James Daniel, Jacob and Sally Garrison, Matt and Laura Lee Homan, Jim and Becky Schaaf, and Lee and Vicki Watkins. You can find their pictures on the tv slides across the church as well as the bulletin board outside the front office. Let's give them a warm welcome into our church family!

UMCOR Response to Hurricane Dorian

We have all watched the devastation in the Bahamas and our Eastern U.S. coastline by Hurricane Dorian. As always, UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is already responding with much needed supplies and assistance.

District Response Teams to both the Bahamas and the Carolinas are forming, so please contact either Rachael Hayes ([email protected] / 769-0143) or call the church office (822-9631) if you would like to serve in that way. If you would like to make donations, please make your check payable to VHUMC and include UMCOR in the memo line. Or, make your donation online by visiting the link below and choosing Missions-UMCOR in the account field. Thank you!

Stewardship Campaign Co-Chairs

We are thrilled to announce that Tom and Kiley Watson and Jeff and Katie LaMaster are the co-chairs of our VHUMC 2020 Stewardship Campaign. Tom and Kiley are, perhaps, familiar faces (and voices) to many at VHUMC. Kiley is often a featured soprano in the Chancel Choir (think O' Holy Night on Christmas Eve) and Tom is one of The Four Docs (along with Bill Brunson, Kipp McClurg, and Bob Dowda) who entertain us with their acapella barbershop-stylings. Both Tom and Kiley have found VHUMC to be the place they have wanted to raise their daughters, Gracie and Emily, and to share in the active life of the church. We are grateful for the tremendous impact the Watson family has made in the life of VHUMC, and for their willingness to lead our Fall stewardship campaign.

Jeff and Katie LaMaster, along with their children, Price and Lacey, are active members in our children's ministry and our contemporary worship service. Katie grew up at VHUMC (Katie Gillis) and is thrilled to be raising her family surrounded by those who helped raise her. Jeff grew up Roman Catholic, but has found exactly what he and Katie were looking for in a church home - faithfulness, friendships, and engaged programming for their children. We are grateful for Jeff and Katie's leadership of our Fall stewardship campaign.

Fall Grief Support Group
All of us experience grief differently. We have a dedicated ministry at VHUMC focused on providing loving care and support to those experiencing grief. We are excited to be offering the next installment of our Grief Support Group. Participants will learn valuable ways to cope with their grief, with the opportunity to share with the other group members who have experienced the loss of spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and siblings.

The group just started and is meeting each Wednesday evening through until October 30. Registered attendees will gather at the church at 5:30 to eat dinner together. Our sessions begin around 6:00 pm, and we conclude each evening around 7:15 pm. If you or a loved one need grief support and are interested in attending, please contact Peyton Chandler ([email protected]) or Butch Williams ([email protected]). The Grief Support Group is open to everyone, whether church members or not.

Upward Basketball and Cheerleading

Come join us for a great season of basketball and cheer in a family focused and friendly environment. Kids will learn to play the game as a team as well as developing skills to take their game to the next level! This league is for kids K4-8th grade. First practices are the week of November 4, and the first game on November 16. The season will go through early February with a break for Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays.

Early registration rates last until September 30 for $95 (normally $105). You can register online at the link below or in person at the VHUMC Lighthouse. We are looking forward to seeing your family participate with us this fall! For any questions about the league or season, please contact Miles Erbe ([email protected] / 769-0134).

Community Wide Fall Festival
Join us on Sunday, October 20, from 4:00-6:00 pm for another amazing evening filled with family entertainment, food, and fun with the entire community. There will be free popcorn, cotton candy, water, and cokes! The parking lot will be filled with games, inflatables, pony rides, face painting, and music! Admission is totally free, but we hope you will bring new socks that will be donated to families/individuals in need through a local non-profit organization! Please join this amazing event in the heart of this community and invite your friends and neighbors to join us as well!

Timely Giving
Our clergy share an "Offering Moment" as a part of each worship service to give you a quick glimpse into one of the countless ministries that make up this vital church. As we prepare to present our tithes and offerings, we hear how those gifts serve all of our missions and ministries. This September, as we begin to settle back into our routines of life, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your faithful giving. We also want to encourage you to consider establishing a monthly electronic gift to allow all of our ministries to receive adequate funding on a regular basis.

Monthly online giving allows us to more accurately budget and distribute funds, allowing for consistent, effective ministry to occur. To schedule your giving, simply visit the link below, log into your church account, and click the green "Schedule Giving" button on the right side of the page. If you have any questions about online giving, or setting up your login, please contact John Sweeney ([email protected] / 769-0101).

Tanzania 2021
Join us for a different 5-Minute Mission on Sunday, October 6, during the Fellowship Hall coffee hour (9:45 am). Our own Beth Rose and Timmy Collins will be highlighting their mission trip this past summer and giving more information about the upcoming trip being planned for 2021. Join us in the small dining room on Wednesday, October 16, at 6:00 pm for an informational meeting and more details about Tanzania and ways that our church is partnering with the UMC church there.

Learning To Tell Your Story
We all have a different story, but we also have a part in a larger story: the story of God's love for each one of us. Learning to tell your story allows you to see the many ways God has moved or is moving in your life. Knowing and telling your story is a way to go deeper into your faith in a more genuine way. But your story should not be told in isolation because hearing it will allow other women to experience God in fresh new ways.

If you are a woman looking for a small group where you can be vulnerable and authentic, join us on Wednesday night, October 9 at 6:00 pm, in room 202 as we all learn together what it means to tell our story and also discover how someone else's story can speak into your life and your heart. This class is for women of all ages and stages of life as we experience God's love through the power of a story.

October Sermon Series
Artificial Intelligence, social media cues, and our human need for acceptance are a combination that is impacting all of our lives - often in a negative way. Software developers often push the same psychological buttons used by magicians and the gambling industry to keep us connected so they can increase their advertising income. Join us on Sunday morning, October 13 and 20, as we discuss these tactics and consider choices grounded in the values of God, and not "big data." Video and small group discussions are available on our website by searching "small groups" and on the "small groups" section of our app.

Upward Football/Cheerleading Recognition

We want to congratulate and recognize our Upward Football/Cheerleading participants in the 11:00 am Contemporary Worship Service, in Tyson Hall, on Sunday, October 6. If you have a child who participated, please make sure you're there. These budding athletes are fun to watch, as they develop the skills they've been given. We want them to know we support and love them all along life's journey.

Movie for the Hearing Impaired
The Boomers and Beyond ministry will be presenting the original Mary Poppins movie on Sunday, October 13, at 2:00 pm, in the Chapel. The pews on the left side have a T-Coil hearing loop. Many (but not all) hearing aids support T-Coil technology. Ask your audiologist or doctor if your hearing aids can tune to the T-Coil. If not, the church has a limited number of "listeners" that you can use during the movie. We will provide popcorn and drinks for free. If you plan on attending, or need a "listener" unit, please contact Jim Frazier (mailto:[email protected] / 769-0126).

Tablescapes Tickets
Join us on Tuesday, November 5, for Tablescapes! We have lots of fun to look forward to at this event as hosts decorate each table with brilliant themes. The doors will open at 10:30 am to view the tables, with lunch beginning at 11:30 am. Our wonderful guest speaker is women's interest and lifestyle publisher, Phyllis Hoffman DePiano. Tickets will be available for purchase using the link below, or from the main office!

You can also sign up to decorate a table of your own. Tables can be really simple, and our committee is happy to help you decorate. For more information about decorating a table, please contact Cheree Carlton ([email protected] / 979-1837).

Grandmothers In Prayer
All grandmothers are invited to come join us in prayer for your grandchildren. It is truly a gift from God to pray over our children. We meet to pray on Mondays, at 2:00 pm, in room 318. Please come when you can.

Matters of the Heart Book Club
Everyone is invited to join us as we discuss books that ignite our hearts and inspire us to help others. Each month will discuss a different book that will encourage us to do more, so come when you can! If you would like more information or to be added to our list, please feel free to call or email Rachael Hayes ([email protected] / 769-0143).

November 25 - 7 Days of Christmas by Jen Hatmaker
December 16 - Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis Majors
January 27 - Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors
February 17 - Religion in Shoes by Hunter Blakely or The Hundred Story Home by Kathy Izard
March 16 - Get off your Buts by Ray Buchannan (Founder of Rise Against Hunger)
April 20 - Life is Like That by Glenn "Tex" Evans (Founder of ASP) or Tattoos On the Heart by Gregory Boyles
Summer - The Sensible Shoes Series by Sharon Garlough Brown

Mae Mae's Hugs
Over the past four years, VHUMC has partnered with the family and friends of Maegan Moore to create a warm coat ministry in her memory. We are thankful that over 3,500 coats have been distributed to children and adults that have received a warm, loving hug from Mae Mae and VHUMC! This year, Mae Mae's Hugs has set a goal to provide all new warm coats. We will be accepting any size new coat during the month of October dropped off at Anne Strozier's office. Another way you can help is by providing monetary donations that are needed to purchase the new coats. Donations can be made online. Follow the link, select missions, then Mae Mae's Hugs in the drop downs. Thank you so much for supporting this ministry!

September Memory Verse
Our Elementary Bible Verse memorization program is back! Our 1st-5th graders will be taught a different verse each month, and have the opportunity to recite the verse before or after Sunday School in the elementary office for a sweet treat, and a chance to win a grand prize at the end of the school year! September's memory verse is, "We love because He first loved us." ~1 John 4:19

We hope that these verses help to guide children throughout their lives. Parents, you should have received an email with more information. If you have any questions please contact Jamie Meeks ([email protected]).

Ongoing Outreach

Tutoring at Urban Ministry

We are looking for additional tutors for the VHUMC tutoring team at Urban Ministry. If you have an interest in tutoring a first, second, or third grader one-on-one once a week during the school year, we would love to have you join the team. Anyone who enjoys being with children is qualified!

Tutors currently come on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday afternoon for a one-hour session from 3:30-4:30 pm. Each tutor will work with the same student each week when at all possible and materials are provided. Tutors generally carpool, meeting at VHUMC or Shades Mountain Baptist Church, leaving round 3:00 pm and returning about 5:00 pm. If you have to miss a week for travel or family commitments, that is not a problem! We need tutors for Tuesdays and Wednesdays in particular. The tutoring program runs until the beginning of December and then January through the end of April. For more information please contact Joan Rein ([email protected]).

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry needs Ziplock sandwich bags and jelly (we cannot accept homemade jelly though). Thank you for all of the recent donations made to our food pantry account. We are spending about $2,000 a month for 15,000 pounds of food. We are currently feeding about 800 people a month!

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs furniture (chests, sofas, chairs, tables, etc.). Please call Roddy (685-5757) for pick-up. They can always use linens, dishes, and small kitchen appliances which can be put into one of the wooden bins around the church. If you have any clothes you wish to donate, we are asking for fall and winter clothing only at this time.

Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs starting at 6:00 pm

Men's Bible Study: Through November 20 - Room 204
Disciple Bible Study: Through November 20 - Various locations
Mysterious Pathways of Joy: Through October 2 - Room 202
Learning to Tell Your Story: October 9 - Room 202

Menus

October 2 - Pot Roast or Greek Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Green Beans, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Chicken Nuggets
October 9 - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce or Chicken Alfredo, Green Beans, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Spaghetti
October 16 - Beef Tips or Chicken Pot Pie, Rice or Carrot Soufflé, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Corn Dogs with Chips
October 23 - Meatloaf or Baked Ham, Mashed Potatoes, English Peas, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Pizza