FUMC Newsletter

The scripture Lessons for this Sunday Are from II Timothy 2:8-15

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

12  if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he will also deny us;

13  if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

14 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

and

Luke 17:11-19

11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ 14 When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ 19 Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

 

What can you name that means so much to you that you would trade everything you own to possess it? That is a powerful thing to ponder. Answering that question reveals something about us, about what truly matters most in our lives.

I suppose there are many answers we could give that might seem acceptable. Many would say they would trade everything for their children. Others might say they would give everything for their spouse. Even others might say their parents or their siblings or their friends. I suppose we can understand being motivated to trade everything for the ones we love most.

Others might have a different sort of goal. They might trade everything for their career. Don’t we all want a doctor that is fully committed to his or her work? Or, it might be a more competitive goal. Haven’t we all admired the commitment and sacrifice of Olympic athletes or those chosen few among athletes who break into the pros? We also give out awards to those who make the best films, the best Broadway shows, or the best albums. Didn’t these performers make sacrifices in order to be the best? They have all traded so much to achieve greatness, some of them trading everything to reach their goals.

So again I ask, what means so much to you that you would trade everything to possess it? What is number one on your list? Of all your priorities, what stands above everything else?

Jesus once told a story about a merchant who, on finding a pearl of great value, went and sold all he had in order to buy it. Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like that. Not only that the Kingdom of Heaven is like the pearl of greatest value. It is! But also that the citizens of that Kingdom are like the man who gave away everything else to possess that pearl.

And so, I ask you again, what means so much to you that you would trade everything to possess it?

For too many of us, our life of faith is something we attend to for an hour on Sunday. And if we’re honest, many of us would skip that hour on Sunday when a “better offer” comes along! We may toss a few dollars we think we can spare into the collection plate. We zip into our pew in time for worship, and out again when the service is over, not to be seen at church again until next week. Or maybe the week after that. Maybe.

But how many of us would trade everything else to possess all that the church truly represents?

Think of what we have traded to chase the vacant dreams of this world. Too many folks have come to believe that dissatisfaction is the only thing that can define their lives today. We possess more things, chase after more trinkets, and seek more ways to fill the void in our lives. And yet, we make no lasting commitment to that single object which truly changes lives, the Kingdom of Heaven, which is available for us all to possess.

This is a big problem, but it is not a hard one to fix. All it takes is commitment to that which matters most, to that which fills the emptiness in our lives, to that which leads to real relationships within our families and beyond, relationships built upon the sure foundation of Jesus’ love. To help fix this problem, we at First UMC-Forest City are joining together in a shared study called Treasures of the Transformed Life: Satisfying Your Soul’s Thirst for More by Rev. John Ed Mathison. To guide this study, we have a very enjoyable yet very meaningful book for you and your family to share. A copy of that book will be made available in the coming weeks, one per household for our members while our supply lasts. I hope you will join us in the daily devotional readings found in the book, and I hope you will join us for our special combined Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., October 19 through November 23, meeting each week in the Fellowship Hall. Together, we will seek after the pearl of great value, learning what real commitment means for you and your family. Together we will find the treasures that only our God can give. We hope to see you there!

The Lord be with you!

Rev. Bill Roberts

 

 Church Calendar

  • Wonderful Wednesday – The wonderfulness returns this Wednesday, October 8, in the Fellowship Hall. Food will be served at 5:30 p.m.  Please call the office to RSVP at 828-245-6446. Cost is still $5/person, $15/family. This week’s menu: salad, baked pasta, garlic bread.
  • Youth Chicken Pie Fundraiser – This Sunday, October 12, immediately after the morning worship service. We are accepting donations with a goal of $1,000 to support our Christmas Outreach Program. Thank you for supporting this ministry that means so much each year.
  • Administrative Council – This coming Monday, October 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Men’s Bible Study Classroom.
  • The More or Less Circle will meet this coming Tuesday, October 14, at 10:45 a.m. in the Parlor. Please bring nail kits and/or deodorant for Abounding Grace. Hope to see you there!
  • The Grace Circle will meet this coming Tuesday, October 14, at 1:00 p.m. in the Men’s Bible Study Classroom.
  • The WoW Factor adventure for October will be next Wednesday, October 15. We will leave the church at 9:30 a.m. for a trip to the Justus Apple Orchard in Hendersonville, NC. We will stop for lunch afterwards at Dairi-O. Please RSVP to the church office by this coming Monday, October 13.
  • The Finance Committee will meet next Wednesday, October 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the upstairs conference room.
  • The Worship Committee will meet next Thursday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Men’s Bible Study Classroom.
  • Combined Sunday School Classes – All Sunday School classes will meet together from Sunday, October 19, through Sunday, November 23, at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Bill will be leading this church wide study. A letter from Bill regarding the class is on page 3 of this newsletter. Books will be available soon.
  • Wonderful Wednesday will return on October 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Please call the office to RSVP at 828-245-6446. Cost is still $5/person, $15/family. Menu: roasted pork loin with sides.
  • Fall Festival/Trunk-or-Treat will be Sunday, October 26 from 5-6:30 p.m. Decorate your trunks.  Prepare your treats.  Dress up in your finest costume.  We will be awarding prizes for the best dressed trunks.  This event is open to our community, and every year we are blessed with lots of little trick-or-treaters.  Come join the fun, and thank you for your support!
  • FUMC Community Meal will take place on Monday, October 27, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. If you would like to provide individually wrapped desserts, please bring them anytime to place in the freezer.
  • FUMC-ERHS Baking Ministry – happens every other Tuesday from 8:45-10:45 a.m. in the kitchen.
  • The Mountain Dulcimer Group – taught by Gene and Anna Feagin, meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Choir Room. If you are interested in joining, please contact the church office.
  • Choir Practice is now on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the choir room. If you would like to join this group and sing with the choir on Sundays, please see Jane. 
  • The Brookdale Visitation Team meets at Brookdale at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. This is a special interactive time of fun and worship for the residents. Call the church office for more information.
  • Handbells rehearse on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. If you would like to join this group, please see Jane.
  • He-Brews Coffee and Conversation meets on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. at Hope House Coffee Co. 1066 S. Broadway in Forest City. Our current study is called How to Live Purposefully in Uncertain Times. Joseph is one of the most inspiring figures in the Old Testament. Everything he endured was for a purpose, his success came from the Lord, and even the most devastating events in his past were used to accomplish God’s purposes. The exciting news is that God works in our lives the same way he worked in Joseph’s. In this six-session series, Pastor Bryan Carter will trace the themes of purpose and faithfulness through the life of Joseph, teaching us how to identify and live in our God-given purpose. God will do far more than we could hope or imagine. Today, he is calling us to be people of purpose.

 

FUMC Youth

  • This Sunday, October 12 – Chicken Pie Fundraiser immediately after the morning worship service. No evening UMYF.
  • Next Sunday, October 19 – Regular UMYF at 5:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, October 26 – Fall Festival beginning at 5:00 p.m. Bonfire afterwards at the Danner’s.

 

Income and Expenses 

Weekly Budget Needs: $8,479.33

Tithes and Offerings Sept. 29-Oct .5 – $4,981.25

Expenses Sept. 29-Oct. 5 – $30,796.80

Received YTD – $298,462.07

Budget needs YTD – $330.693.87

 

Worship Helpers

This Sunday, October 12

Lector – Allison Tate

Finance – Chris Cross, Tim Ridenhour

Greeters – Pam Blice, TBD

Ushers – Baxter Carpenter, TBD

Head Usher – Cooper Flack

 

Next Sunday, October 19

Lector – Carlene Adair

Finance – Matt Brown, Denise Gavin

Greeters – Russ & Cherry Garmon

Ushers – Marc Duncan, Tim Ridenhour

Head Usher – Cooper Flack

 

The food item for Yokefellow Sept.-Dec. is any variety of canned beans. Please bring items to the office.

 

October Birthdays

Aubrie Okpych           10/02

Harper Bennett           10/04

Lynn Flack                 10/05

Russell Spicer            10/07

Leah Gooch               10/09

Nicholas Keever         10/09

Jimmy Okpych           10/09

Marsha Goodwin        10/10

Leah Sims                  10/12

Lea Danner                10/14

Neil Danner                10/19

Marc Duncan              10/20

Becky Heath              10/20

Robin Street               10/20

Kerrie Earley             10/21

Kyle Holmstrom         10/22

Hayden Blice              10/23

Maddie Meador          10/23

Betty Webber             10/24

Katie Bass                  10/26

Julia Abercrombie       10/27

Merritt Jones               10/27

Judy Toney                 10/28

Christy Jackson           10/29

 

The FUMC Newsletter

This page on the church website is the permanent home of the newsletter. Text-to-speech apps will work on this page. Older newsletters are archived, and the current newsletter will always be at this address. This mobile-friendly format is much more accessible and allows for immediate updates to information. Feel free to check by as often as you like. The goal is for major updates to happen on schedule by Wednesday, and a print edition will still be sent via US Mail to those who have requested it. Please let the church office know if you no longer wish to receive the printed copy.

May the Peace of the Lord, and His Blessings be with you all, and we hope to see you on Sunday!

Services are livestreamed on our YouTube Channel.