WELCOME TO FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WINNSBORO!
10:50 a.m.
7-3-21 FUMC Updates
Happy July 4th! I hope you’re enjoying this mid-summer reminder of how truly BLESSED we are to live in America! I am happy to be back from my 2-week vacation and I can tell you that with Covid vaccination rates increasing people ARE traveling again, hotel occupancies ARE increasing, and restaurants ARE getting busy again! What a difference a year makes!
I love the July 4th holiday because it reminds me of how proud I truly AM to be an American! I realize there is a small fraction of people who disagree, but oh how I wish they could understand that our country is great because GOD is our foundation … not a President, not a Supreme Court and not a Congress! Men and women are not perfect, so our country is not perfect, but our country was founded on Godly principles and so to me … July 4th IS a religious holiday!
I read a great story from TIME Magazine about John F. Kennedy that puts this into perspective …
“On July 4, 1946, Kennedy — then 29 years old, the Democratic nominee for a Massachusetts Congressional seat, and still a lieutenant in the Navy Reserve — was the featured speaker at the City of Boston’s Independence Day celebration. He spoke at Faneuil Hall, the red-brick building where long ago the colonists had gathered to protest taxes imposed by King George III and his Parliament.
Kennedy began by talking not about taxes, or about the British, or about the consent of the governed, but about religion. ‘The informing spirit of the American character has always been a deep religious sense. Throughout the years, down to the present, a devotion to fundamental religious principles has characterized American thought and action,’ he said.
For anyone wondering what this had to do with Independence Day, Kennedy made the connection explicit. ‘Our government was founded on the essential religious idea of integrity of the individual. It was this religious sense which inspired the authors of the Declaration of Independence: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.’”
Kennedy wasn’t the only politician who saw GOD in our foundational principles…
The Declaration of Independence issued from Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, included four separate references to God. In addition to the “endowed by their Creator” line mentioned by JFK in his July 4 speech, there is an opening acknowledgment to “the laws of nature’s God,” an appeal to “the Supreme Judge of the World,” and a closing expression of “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” George Washington, announcing the Declaration of Independence to the troops in a General Order dated July 9, wrote, “The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavor to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country….knowing that now the peace and safety of his Country depends (under God) solely on the success of our arms.”
I pray that the theology of our country’s founding will NOT be forgotten! Sure, the Declaration’s concept of God-given rights certainly is not without its flaws but without a belief in God that should be the foundation of a strong moral fiber, what do we have?
So, amid all the barbecues and fireworks this July 4, take just a moment and reflect on our Creator. As Kennedy realized, the American Revolution, which resulted in the free we live in today, started with God, and with the Founders’ belief in rights that are His gift to us!
WEDNESDAY, JULY 7th, 6 pm, FELLOWSHIP MEAL… I look forward to seeing you at our first Wednesday Fellowship meal in the Family Life Center … I’d love to meet your friends so bring a guest!
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT, Friday, July 9 … thanks to all of you who are MINISTRY SAFE trained and ready to roll! The sign-ups for the next 2 events are ready now so just CLICK HERE and pick the spots you want! Parents: let us know your kids will be coming … if you came last month, there’s no need to register again, but if your kids are coming for the 1st time or you have friends that want to save time and register online, CLICK HERE. And yes, everyone can register at the door!
REMINDER NO CHILDREN’S CHURCH on JULY 11th … we will have communion on July 11th so as always, there will not be children’s church.
IMPROVEMENTS AT THE CHURCH: the Trustees are working on the sidewalk in front of the sanctuary to renovate two parking spaces to help people getting from their vehicle to the front doors. While there have been some weather delays, we’re looking forward to the improvements being complete.
Hope to see you Wednesday night!
Pastor Debbie
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6-18-21 FUMC Updates
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6-7-21 FUMC Updates
As a child, my mother involved me in a competition to grow a plant. I remember how I felt when she bragged to friends and family in front of me how she couldn’t compete when it came to my growing petunias. I’m sure she was unaware of my secret food provided by my uncle’s cow with a bit of water. But now, I’m sure she intervened without my knowledge to make sure I would win. That’s what moms do. It is what happens when someone loves you.
We are like his plants. Include him in our thoughts daily, and thank him for what he has given us, and we grow and flourish. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they choke by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and produce a crop by persevering. Luke 8:14-15
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Our FIRST of THREE Parents’ Night Out was a great success thanks to so many of you who served together on Friday night. 18 kids had a GREAT time …click here to see a quick video of some of the pictures. Our next PNO is July 9th, then August 6th and we’re already thinking about crafts, science experiments, games, etc. Claim your volunteer spot now as we expect to have a lot more kids next time!
CRAFT DAY, Saturday, June 12th, 9 am … come for coffee and donuts and work on some of the projects already started, or bring your own and work in fellowship with others! If you are making crafts for Christmas in the Park at home, please bring your completed projects so we can get an idea of what else we might need to be working on. And as always, your CREATIVITY and IDEAS are welcome!
CHILDREN’S CHURCH starts back, SUNDAY, June 13th, 10:40 – NOON, Wesley Hall for kids who have finished grades 2 – 6 … as you know we are searching for a Children’s Leader and when we find someone, we HOPE to expand this age group to include the younger children. I’ve attached the job description again (CLICK HERE) so please share it with anyone you know who might be interested! In the meantime, you can drop your kids off in WESLEY HALL after 10:40 on non-communion Sundays and pick them up as soon as church is over!
NORTH TEXAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE June 13-15, watch LIVE … every year the churches of the North Texas Conference gather for worship, holy conversation, and time to do the business of the church. For details, CLICK HERE. You can also download the Conference workbook there also if you’re interested in reading the legislation that is being proposed.
ONGOING ACTIVITIES: CLICK HERE for Calendar.
Mondays, 1 – 3 pm … FLC, knitters, and stitchers
Tuesdays, 9 – 11ish … Asbury Hall, crafters
NEW SERMON SERIES STARTS THIS SUNDAY: Less Than Honorable Men & Women in the Bible (and What We Can Learn from Them!) We’ll kick off these stand-alone messages with a look at ALL the mistakes Eve made in the magnificent Garden of Eden, and she made PLENTY! If you’re traveling, check in with us on Facebook and let us know you’re “here”!
Have a great week!
Pastor Debbie
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