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October , 2020
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Rev. Keith DodsonJoin in with the praise! Happy October! Can you believe it is here? If you are not aware, October is clergy appreciation month. BUT, I have never really been comfortable with the idea of singling out one ministry area of the church over another. You see the pastor rises and falls with his or her staff. It really is a team effort, especially in a church our size. Now, I don’t want you to think I am playing down the importance of the pastor’s role (or the church member), but I can honestly say that it has been the staff that have played a huge role in growing the churches I have served in. Our staff at FUMC are no different. Each one gives their time and energy to make sure that the church keeps doing ministry. I want to especially commend them on their hard work this past year. They have more than risen to the challenge on numerous occasions as we fight the unseen enemy of COVID-19. They have been able to turn programs on a dime, and readjust schedules in an instant. They have had to work extra hours just to make ministry happen and have had to work tirelessly to come up with new and creative ways to do ministry in this strange world we live in right now. I am so proud to serve alongside our wonderful staff, and I hope you take the opportunity to reach out to them during October to let them know how much you appreciate them!!! With gratitude, Bro. Keith
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Introducing the FUMCMH Church App!
Last month we rolled out our new church app through Tithe.ly. With the app you can easily stay up to date with events and ministries, easily give online and much more! There is one great new feature called the Prayer Wall. You can submit a prayer request by going to the Prayer Wall section of the app and tapping “Add” in the top right corner. From there you will be able to fill out the title of your request, your name (optional), and the details of your prayer request. Once filled in, tap “Send” in the top right corner to submit the rquest. Once a prayer request is approved, it will appear on the prayer wall so users can see and comment on the request if they choose. You will also have the ability to read the bible through the app and even watch the livestreams directly from the app. We are so excited about this and we hope you will make use of it. You should have recieved an email with instructions on how to download the app or you can use the button below on your smart phone. If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me. God Bless! For more infomation visit:
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In-person WorshipDon't forget to register! As you know, the church was temporarily closed but will reopen for in-person worship October 11th. If you know in advance that you will be attending, please register by Thursday mornings. You can register for up to 4 weeks in advance. Register using the button below or by visiting the website and clicking on the red news alert banner. Please know that if you have not registered for church but would like to attend in peron, you are absolutly welcomed to do so. We just won't have your name on the registration list so you will need to give your name to the volunteers upon entering. We do ask for your help in continuing to practicice proper social distancing. We also want to remind you that a face covering is required to attend worship (face shield or mask). Thank you for adhearing to these guidlines to help keep your fellow church members safe and healthy. For more infomation visit: https://fumcmhorg.elvanto.net/form/380c080f-068b-4bb8-986a-dc7de3e3a546
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In-gathering Food DriveYouth Competition During the month of October, bring nonperishable food items to the church starting October 11th. You can also make monetary donations. Write "Food drive" or "in-gathering" in the memo section of your check or the comment section if giving online. All food and money collected will go to local food agencies. We are competing with the rest of the Churches in NED (North East District). Winner gets an award. Help our youth win! For more infomation visit:
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Disaster 101 TrainingWednesday, October 7, 2020 Disaster 101October 7 8, 1 p.m.Disaster 101 is an overview of how disaster response works. The structure of the United Methodist Disaster Response, training, teams, etc. It covers how we work with partners, both government and non-government; the importance of church and community involvement in preparation, response, and recovery; and the role of the district, the conference, UMCOR, and much more. This course is for everyone. It is 4 hours and split into two hours on two consecutive days. Registration is mandatory. For more infomation visit: https://arumc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pOt_p3fLSeOzPm7ehF5xfg
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Confirmation Sunday
Confirmands will be recognized in both services but confirmed at the 11: Traditional service. |
Charge ConferenceSunday, October 11, 2020 This year's Charge Conference will be via Zoom with our District Superintendant at 2:00pm on October 11th. We will hold it in the contemporary worship center but will also stream the meeting on the website for those who choose not to attend in person. |
WNLWednesday Night Live Join us Wednesdays, at 5:30 PM for WNL (Wednesday Night Live)! We will have dinner, followed by a devo for adults as well as children's and youth activities. We will wear a mask and social distance while we fellowship and when in line for our food. Bring your lawn chairs and join us for our Wednesday evening church wide ministry! If you are able to volunteer for this event, please let us know. We hope to see you there! Please note that due to the temporary campus shutdown, the next WNL will be October 14th. |
Drive-in Movie NightA Halloween themed event! - Friday, October 23, 2020 Join us for out October Drive-in Movie Night! This will be the last on for the year. It will be a Halloween themed event. Knowing trick or treating and the opportunities the dress up might be limited this year, we are inviting eveyone to wear their Halloween costumes and we will have a little treat to give you! We can wait to see you all! |
3rd Grade Bible Presentation
During worship on Sunday, October 25 our 3rd graders will be presented with bibles during the worship service they attend. |
Drive Thru Trick or TrunkSunday, October 25, 2020 Please look for more details about this event to come later. We aren't quite sure yet what it will look like but we are so excited to still offer this even in a new and safe way duriing this season of COVID. |
Volunteers Needed
We are looking for volunteers to add to our rotation schedule of Temp Takers and Name Takers for Sunday Morning Services at both 9:00 & 11:00. If you are interested in serving in this manner, please contact the church office at 870-425-6036 or call Kathy Davis on her direct line at 870-701-0886. |
Drivers Needed!Backpack Food 4 Kids needs your help! Our Backpack Food 4 Kids Ministry is looking for drivers who own a truck that can pull the backpack trailer to deliver tubs of backpacks to the schools. If you can help in this capacity or for more information, please contact Linda DeMass at 870-404-8153 or call the church office. |
The Upper Room
During this time of anxiety and isolation it is more important than ever to keep up with our spiritual health. Like the last issue, The Upper Room Daily devotional guide for September/October are available for pick up at the front door by the office. If the tub is not sitting outside, simply ring the door bell (during office hours) and someone will get you a copy. The Upper Room is once again making available newest issue at no cost to our standing order partners and subscribers like First United Methodist Church Mountain Home. You can read and/or download The September/October edition using the link below |
Children's MinistryA Farewell From Kellye It’s hard for me to believe that this is the last “Children’s Corner” that I will write! The last 13 years have flown by and they have been awesome! I can’t think of better people to work with or a better place to work. There are so many people to thank for helping make our children’s ministry a wonderful ministry of our church. I don’t believe that anyone on staff has ever looked at me and said, “No”, you can’t do that! They just took my crazy ideas and went with it!Through the years, I have had some wonderful volunteers! You know, I can’t do this by myself! It’s takes a team and I have had a great one! Just think about all of the volunteers that it takes! Not just Sunday School, or Wednesday afternoons, but also Easter, and VBS and Christmas, and Trick or Trunk and all of the things in between! It takes a lot of cheerful givers of their time and talent, and we have had cheerful givers! Another source of encouragement to me has been the congregation! I have been given so many encouraging words through the years, but especially during this past year.Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank all of the children that have been a part of the Children’s Ministry here and their parents, grandparents and guardians that know that a Christian education and developing a love for Jesus is vital! After I retired from teaching, I told everyone that working at the church was my “kid fix”! I needed to see kiddos! I will admit that my friends and family thought that I was crazy taking this job while I was still teaching, but God knew just what I needed and what the church needed! I started out with a great friend and an even better person to work with when Terre agreed to do half of the job while I was still teaching! I will certainly miss working with the staff on a daily basis, but something tells me there will always be something that I can do! As I told the staff last week, I don’t know how to retire from this job! When I retired from teaching, I cleaned my room and got my stuff and left! I didn’t go back to the school at least once a week! This will be very different because I won’t be going anywhere! In fact, I will be volunteering right along side some of you! But there is a season for everything and I believe that we are at a point where we need someone new to lead this vital ministry! My prayer for us all is that we come back from Covid maybe not the same, but even better! I pray that you all stay safe and well during this time of uncertainty! Blessings and much love, Kellye Cannon |
Youth Ministries
Hello All! Michelle If you are not receiving email or texts from me, please contact me at manderson@fumcmh.org.
Join 605 Student Ministries on Social Media!
Facebook: FUMC Mountain Home Youth
Youtube: 605students_fumcmh
Instagram: 605students_fumcmh
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From Kathy
Well it’s been around seven months now and here we are still facing Covid19. Many of us find ourselves isolated and sometimes constrained. That doesn’t mean we are surrounded by ice, but thanks to this pandemic, we are for the most part, stuck at home. I called my parents to check on them the other day. Besides the hurricane that came nearly to their front door, mom said she goes to work in the morning and my father goes in the afternoon after she comes home (they run their own business). She also told me that she only goes to the grocery store once a month and that they have been absolutely no where since March. They don’t have internet, e-mail or cell phones. They are “old-school”, so they only have the phone that plugs into the wall with a cord and the television. She did say they watch church on TV on Sunday mornings and a few other times during the week. All of the grand and great-grandchildren live out of state, so she hasn’t had any visitors either. I thought about this scenario and felt somewhat sad. Not just for them, but for others that are probably living this same exact way. I’m sure in some sense they enjoy the quiet. I know that I enjoy working on my farm, as we have so much to do every day. However, our situation is so much different. Our numbers here have been much different than where they live and I’m grateful that we have been following the guidelines to the best of our ability. It does give me a sense of peace. It doesn’t take away the fact that when my friends and family, or anyone for that matter comes down with this ‘unknown disease’ I become a little concerned for their welfare. Anyone would! The real question I have for you today is what do you do when you are confined? Do you find yourself lonely? Are you bored out of your mind? I’ve read that boredom makes us feel trapped and that the longing to participate in some meaningful activity stems from another human drive — the drive to be effective. I know that I enjoy being effective whether I am at work or at home, that is why I find something to keep myself busy. My husband laughs at me, I can’t keep still. I try to sit down for a few minutes and I get right back up and find something to do. Did you know that the number one reason for people breaking quarantine is boredom? It’s not that we don’t understand the seriousness of Covid19, it is that our need to be and have purpose is much stronger. The ‘feeling’ of boredom is uncomfortable and it causes us to ‘break rules’. Boredom in some way causes us to do things that passes time like binge watching Netflix or playing Solitaire on our phones. Activities that captivate our attention passively will rob us of finding out what our real talent and skills are! Since this pandemic, I have found out that one of my hidden talents besides cooking and canning, is painting. I used to paint as a young child; however I set it aside for many years. With a little bit of extra time on my hands I’ve found that I really enjoy painting and my art is turning out fairly good. It is even getting better with practice. I’ve also found out what I am not good at. I planted a flower garden thinking that it would make me happy. On the contraire, I do not enjoy it at all! Next year, I think I will have one or two plants in a pot instead. Ha! I guess what I would like to challenge you with today is during this season when we find ourselves with much more time than we would another time on our hands, go ahead and get our that old sewing machine, or bow and arrow, or paintbrush. When you find yourself facing loneliness or boredom, just try something different. Boredom will cause you to ask yourself what truly matters to you. It won’t provide the answer, only you can do that! I hope you find something new to do.
Hugs & Blessings, Kathy Davis, Church Administrator |
SEPTEMBER GIVING
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Due to the church shut down, September memorials & honorariums will appear in the next newsletter.
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