Please click here to get the  October 2009 Newsletter

What a beautiful Autumn God has prepared for us! Come join us this Sunday, Sept. 27 at 11:00 am  as we conduct our morning Worship service outdoors at the Shelter and enjoy God’s beautiful scenery.

Dress comfortably, bring a light jacket OR a small pew fan and we will see you there.

Our church website is an amazing tool.  A wonderful thing happened as a result of our website.  The new Young Adult Sunday School Class is studying 10 Things I Hate About Christianity, and the author of the book, Jason Berggren sent us a very encouraging comment.  Go to hickorybendumc.com and read Jason’s reaction to our book study.

Once again, we will join Andrew Price UMC hosting six homeless women on Friday nights.  Please consider spending a Friday night making beds, serving supper, visiting, or playing a musical instrument.  Maybe you would rather rise early on a Saturday to make breakfast or do laundry. You will be surprised at the blessing you will receive.

We are assigned the fourth Friday of the month, so our dates are:

November 27, 2009
December 25, 2009
January 22, 2010
February 26, 2010
March 26, 2010

We have an Undie Sunday planned for November 22nd.  Please begin collecting  new or gently used undies.  We need lots of underwear in the size 5-8 range.  We also needs other items of foundation garments like pajamas, robes, sweatsuits, slippers, and socks.  Pantyhose are very popular.  “They add a lot of warmth, and they keep your pants from freezing to your legs,” said one of our favorite guests.

If you would like to come visit one night, just to check us out, please come.  Call Judy, Ron, or Emalie.

Don’t sleep in on Saturdays!  Some of us are supporting each other by preparing for the ACT on most Saturday mornings.  If you are interested in joining us, set your alarm and grab your calculator.  If you know other high school students who are interested in improving their ACT scores, wake them up and give them two sharpened #2 pencils.  Then, call Emalie.  403-8455

Jason Berggren, the author of 10 Things I Hate About Christianity, has written a brutally honest book about this faith journey.  His stint as a punk rocker, his ordination as a Christian minister, and his life as a handyman all contribute to this complex bare bones look at Christianity.  What is the first thing he hates about Christianity?  Number One is Faith!

What is #10?

Drumroll, please . . . #10 . . .

Christians.  That’s right.  How could anyone find Christians annoying?  Right?  Well, #10 is weeks away.

Meanwhile, check out this website:

http://10thingsihate.com/

See if you can find a kindred soul, searching for a closer walk with the God of Abraham and Thomas.  You’ll be surprised that this witty and ironic look at faith just might strengthen your own walk with the Great I Am.

Join us at 10:00 on Sunday mornings.  We are close to the coffee pot.

Emalie

October 9-11

Come on up the mountain!  The leaves should be beautiful, and there should be a nip in the air.

We still have a few rooms open for friends to join us at Beersheba Springs Assembly.

Come stay in the old hotel and spend a weekend relaxing, reading, hiking, praying, rocking on the porch, and listening to ridiculous stories.

Rooms $35.00 per night
Meals for adults, $7. 50 – $9.50

Call Emalie if you would like more information.  403-8455

Have you ever missed communion due to an illness or injury?  Everyone who wishes to receive communion, should be able to come to the table.  This is one of the most wonderful things about being United Methodist.  Everyone is welcome at our open table.  It is particularly important to be able to receive communion when an illness or an injury has struck your family.

In order to open the table even more, we can take the table to those who are unable to come to the church building on communion Sunday.  On Sunday, September 13, Brother Gary trained our youth to deliver communion. We learned how to serve communion, but even beyond that extraordinary privilege, we learned how to be of service to someone in a crisis.  Brother Gary’s many years as a chaplain have given him wonderful insight into the needs of people in pain.

If you know someone who would like to receive communion or who would like a visit from our youth, please ask them about having communion brought to their home or hospital room.  Notify Brother Gary or Emalie.  Our youth are very happy to come and serve communion. It is the Lord’s table, and all are certainly welcome.

One Sunday after worship, our youth piled in mini vans, ate a mini meal, and took off on a mini road trip.  We traveled to the next county, and launched a mini mission!  Through Miss Gabby, we learned of  a friend who needed love, support, and help.  We cleaned a pond, buried a beloved pet, and cleaned out the room where the pet had lived for many happy years. As Meagan played the guitar and we sang, “It is Well With My Soul”, our friend sang along with us.  We could see the pain and loss in her face at the beginning of the song, and the comfort and relief toward the end.

We visited, we sang, we cleaned, we worked, we rejoiced, and we prayed.  We used all the skills we had learned at Mountain T.O.P.. We know from our mission training, that people have physical needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and practical needs.  We were so glad to have the opportunity to provide services for someone close to home with real needs. Miss Gabby suggested that we leave on an happy note, so we sang the Mountain T.O.P. Song.  Our friend laughed and cried at the same time.  What a grand day of learning and serving.

The next LRPC meeting is scheduled for Tuesday (Sept. 22, 2009) starting at 5:00 PM.  Discussion items to include, Lighting of the Word for the World and Christmas float workdays, Hospilitality training and summary of ideas from the administrative council retreat.