UMW News – Foster Falls Trip, September 2016

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After taking the month of August off, the UMW is ready to get busy with our fall activities. We are looking forward to our annual trip to Foster Falls on September 13. The bus will leave the church parking lot at 10:00 am. Bring a sandwich. Everything else will be provided. All women are invited to attend our meeting. Please join us on the 13th. We will be leaving for Lake Junaluska for Houston Conference UMW Annual meeting on September 16th. It’s not too late to make plans to go with us. Mark your calendars for UMW Sunday scheduled for October 16. Rev. Kim Goddard, Wytheville District Superintendent, will be our guest speaker. We will have a covered dish meal following the 11:00 worship for our church family. The UMW will provide meat, bread and drinks. Please bring your favorite side or dessert and enjoy a time to meet our new District Superintendent and fellowship together.

Lifeline Screening – 09/23/2016

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Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, is pleased to offer a preventive health event at Galax First United Methodist Church on 9/23/2016. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/community-partners/.

Special Afternoon Bible Study – September 11th, 3:30 PM – 05:00 PM (Ages 5 – 11)

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(Ages 5-11)

Come for the fun and bring a friend!!!

  • Bible Story
  • Craft
  • Bells
  • Refreshments

For more info call Ms. Dianne (233-7841) or Ms. Ruth (236-6008).

Charge Conference

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We have a date of October 25th for our 2016 Charge Conference.  This is the yearly meeting of the church where church officers are elected and the pastor’s salary is set for the next year.  Our new District Superintendent, the Rev. Kimberly M. Goddard, will be continuing the tradition of having Cluster Charge Conferences where several different churches come together.  This is a good way to hear what other churches are doing as well as having a time of fellowship with other United Methodist believers.

However getting ready for Charge Conferences takes a lot of work; all Committee Chairs need to schedule a Committee meeting in September.  To plan your ministry for next year as well as submit your budget request for the Finance Committee.  If we do not hear from any committee their budget will remain the same as this year.

Also the instrument for you to volunteer to serve, or to nominate someone to serve, will be available soon.  Please prayerfully consider where God wants you to be in ministry next year.  If you are currently serving and do not wish to do so next year, fill out the form, and return it to the pastor.  If I do not hear from you, you will be elected again for the next year.

As we have fewer and fewer active members, please do consider how you can serve.

Richard

Chicken BBQ/Church Picnic

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Sunday – August 14th
BBQ Chicken – Macaroni Salad – Baked Beans Rolls – Homemade Ice Cream

Invite all your FAMILY & FRIENDS – will be held on the church LAWN (weather permitting) following the 11 o’clock service. Cost is by ‘donation’ – ALL proceeds go to:
JOY RANCH & GOD’S SOUP KITCHEN

(Being Hosted by the FUMC Missions Committee with help from the UMW & Programs Council)

Welcome Jolene Bilbrey

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The Staff-Parish Relations Committee would like to introduce the congregation to the new Administrative Assistant/Treasurer of our church – Her name is Jolene Bilbrey.

She says “I was raised in Minnesota and joined the Army after High School.  I served for almost ten years as human resource manager and electronics technician.  I am married with three daughters and a son.  My husband was raised in Galax and in April we moved from San Antonio, TX to Independence to be closer to family.  I will be graduating from Devry University in December with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.”

As we sadly see Sandy Vater-Grabman, who has served us well for almost 8 years leave the position, we welcome Jolene to our church.

Irene Turner, S-P Chair

They Call It Ordinary Time

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I have always thought it strange that the longest season of the Church Year, lasting from Pentecost until Advent, is called Ordinary Time.  It does come after Eastertide, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday which are all busy and exciting times and the following months do not have those special celebrations, but still to call it ordinary is to suggest that it’s just not that important.  And that is wrong.

God continues to work just as diligently and powerfully as God works in what is considered the busier times of the Liturgical Year.  Also, for many, this is vacation season and we often act as if we think God is on vacation.  However, God is always there, only a prayer away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all the time.  Therefore we must not consider Ordinary Time as a time to take a break from serving Christ and his church.

We have the challenge not to slow down.  The Apostle Paul writes:  “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.  For his sake I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” [Philippians 3:8 N.R.S.V.]  Does not sound like ordinary work to me.

Also we have been called by Jesus to be his witnesses.  What could be more extraordinary?  So while our Church celebrations have quieted a bit, by no means is it a license for God’s people to quiet down.  Now is the time to really step it up a notch and stroke the fire of the Holy Spirit for an ever increasingly broken world.  May we allow the work of God to be present in our lives this summer and beyond?  If Spring is time for new growth, then Summer is the time of discipleship and there is nothing ordinary about that!

Richard