First United Methodist Church Winnsboro

Last Sunday we had the joy of recognizing our graduating seniors and reflecting on where their life journeys will take them in the future. Can YOU remember being 18 and having your whole life ahead of you? The excitement of goals, dreams, and opportunities … the world at your fingertips?

A few years have passed since I was 18 but I’ll admit … I still get excited about the journey ahead!  And I’ve been inspired, recently, by the passion that the leaders of the Winnsboro Senior Center have had to never give up finding a place to keep their journey moving ahead!  Many setbacks could have stopped them: several years ago, a fire at their location at the WISD Admin building led to them shutting down temporarily, then COVID hit, then they were finally offered space in a building on Main Street but just a few months later they were “homeless” again when that building was no longer available.  But Michael Edwards and Dale Woodard never gave up!

Next Thursday, June 1^st, the Senior Center will be coming to our Wesley Hall to keep their services going for the senior adults of our area. I believe that seniors are vital to a healthy community and we are blessed to be able to use our normally EMPTY space for joyful GOOD! 

“We don’t stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

Many studies show us that social engagement and connection improve a person’s health and sense of well-being. People that are engaged and connected have greater mobility, are more likely to stay current on health screenings, have better cognitive health, and are more likely to live longer.  What better way to have all these things than to come and be part of this new ministry at YOUR church!  Here’s the BASIC schedule:

10 am BINGO (Joyzelle is a regular!)

1 pm Exercise Class

2 pm Chair Yoga

3 pm JOY Bible Study (Heather is leading, see below)

5 pm Karaoke

THURSDAYS, 3 PM, Wesley Hall, starting June 1^st … Heather is very excited to lead a WONDERFUL new Bible study for “just older youth” and all those young at heart! If you’re interested in learning more about the KINGDOM OF GOD and how to be blessed and live a happy life, please come and support this NEW addition to the Senior Center activities!  Check out the VIDEO on our website for JOY (Just Older Youth)!

June, 8^th, 11:30, 2^nd THURSDAY LADIES LUNCH at TACO DIVE … come hang out with the ladies and have a great lunch at Taco Dive!

STARTING FRIDAYS, JUNE 9^th, 10 AM at Back Stage Coffee … I’m excited to be going beyond the walls of our church and doing 3 things I love … drinking coffee, talking about current events, and sharing the love of Christ! News is inevitable—but whether it’s good or bad, the Bible is ALIVE in every single thing that happens Come, let’s talk and answer the question: where is GOD in the headlines this week? We’ll meet at BACKSTAGE COFFEE on Market Street to not only talk about events in the previous 7 days, but look for God’s hope and joy in the good, the bad, AND the ugly current events in our world. (And the coffee at Backstage is REALLY good!)

 ALWAYS FIND DETAILS ON THE CALENDARS HERE

MONDAY MEN’S BREAKFAST, 8 am, LaConchita

MONDAY KNITTERS & STITCHERS, 1-3 PM, Family Life Center

1^st and 3^rd WEDNESDAYS,CRAFTERS, 3-5 PM, Asbury Hall

Many of you have heard me refer to CHANGES in our lives as “rights of passage”,  what we normally think of as specific life transitions like births, marriages, deaths, new professions, and yes, graduations. These events have important psychological and social functions, as do any life changes that force us to embrace changes that should be seen as BLESSINGS! (I, for example, embrace the joy of not standing on ladders to change air filters, and carrying in 8 bags of groceries at a time as delightful rights of passage!)

We have three incredible seniors getting ready to experience the first major right of passage in their lives … graduating from high school:

Emma Allen

Hayden Deaton

Lane Lewis

A significant journey is ending for these seniors and, no doubt, they are eager to get going on their next leg of the trip down the winding road of life! But in these waning weeks of high school, I pray they can truly relish the experiences they’ve had and the friends they have made.  I also pray they embrace the nostalgia, the celebrations, and yes, even the tears in these last few weeks.

This Sunday we’ll be awarding these 3 outstanding students well-deserved scholarships.  Over the years, the United Methodist Men raised money for students to use for continuing education … this year, we’ve had an anonymous family come forward to ADD to the amount being awarded! What a blessing it is to recognize these kids!

There will be baskets at the front and side entrances of the church if you’d like to leave the kids a note of congratulations … I know they’ll appreciate it.

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Thanks to Julie Lewis and Elaina Ragsdale, our amazing altarscapes designers!  If you missed church last Sunday for Mother’s Day and Ascension they made the chancel look beautiful! (CLICK HERE to watch it on Facebook) They are hard at work today to transition to PENTECOST and SENIOR Sunday so please be sure to thank them!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP MEAL, 6 PM, Family Life Center … as the school year comes to a close, our Wednesday meals will move to the THIRD Wednesday in June, July & August.  We’ll have dinner together this week and next week, 5/17 and 5/24, but then the next meal will be 6/24.

UMW ANNUAL QUIET DAY, Saturday, May 20^th, 10 AM… UMW will meet at Joanna Horton’s house 211 W. Coke Rd. Please be sure to bring your Bibles and a sack lunch. Sandra Patrick will have a short program, then everyone will move to individual locations for quiet time with our Lord. Following this, you will have lunch; drinks and dessert will be provided. Contact Joan Morris for details. momofjjj@suddenlink.net

EAST DISTRICT pre-Annual Conference, Sunday, May 21, 3-5 PM… the east district business & information meeting will be held at FUMC Paris this year and everyone is welcome. We will meet in the Youth & Ministries Building [aka Connections Worship Area and no registration is required.

SENIOR THURSDAYS ARE COMING!! Starting Thursdays, June 1^st!!   Since the Senior Center has had to look for new space since Dr. Petty made different plans for the building they were meeting, the Winnsboro Seniors will be coming to FUMC on Thursdays this summer!  Bingo, games, Bible Study, lunch, and even … KARAOKE in the evening which will be open to everyone in the community! We will all be co-hosts with the volunteer Director who will be coordinating the plans for the day, but we will also be GUESTS so please mark Thursdays on YOUR calendars to be a part of this important community service “beyond” the walls of our church!

This Sunday, May 21st, is another special day at FUMC … as we recognize our graduating seniors on Sunday, how appropriate that it’s also PENTECOST, the day the Holy Spirit arrived to lead us, guide us, and accompany us on our journey!  The Holy Spirit doesn’t let us just say, “Oh, God is on the move, that’s nice, we’ll just sit here and watch!” No, the Holy Spirit calls us (and sometimes shoves us) beyond our thoughts and prayers into action.  SUNDAY 10/21. 10:50 AM

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Debbie

I don’t know if I understood the depth of my mother’s unconditional love for me until I became a mom myself. From the moment I knew my daughters were conceived I had unconditional love for them … and then I understood! Even when they hurt me, or disappointed me, or made stupid mistakes, nothing could have kept me from loving them! It’s hard to imagine that my love for my children is NOTHING compared to the love that God has for HIS children – God LOVES us, every single one of us!

As there are no perfect children, there are also no perfect mothers … all relationships need good “forgivers”, ready to give grace to each other at any time!  Thankfully, in God’s grace, He knows we are not perfect so HE is the ULTIMATE Forgiver!

If, like me, your mother has gone to heaven, I hope you’ll make Mother’s Day a special day to remember her and keep her memories alive in your heart! If you still have your mother, give thanks for her presence in your life and make Mother’s Day a grace-filled day of letting go of life’s little issues to focus on the main thing, LOVE!

To all mothers … hug your kids and tell them you love them as often as you can!

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PARENTS of 6^th-9^th GRADERS … summer CONFIRMATION class will be starting in June:  Heather will be reaching out to ask you what day of the week is best for your children to attend this important part of their faith journey so please respond. This 6-8 week study will help give kids an overview of our faith heritage and our practices as a Christian community, as well as our basic beliefs and commitments. Heather and I are excited to be teaching this group together! 

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This Sunday our worship series, ALIVE!, will end when we celebrate the ASCENSION of Jesus back into heaven.  In the 40 days Jesus remained on earth after He rose from the dead, He had much to share with His disciples, but His very LAST words, were some of His most famous!  

Blessings,

Pastor Debbie