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July 1, 2020
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Rev. Keith Dodson
A Rock and a Hard Place This past Sunday I preached on the story of Moses and the Israelites being backed up against the sea with Pharaoh's army bearing down on them. They were literally between a rock and hard place, as the old saying goes. I think we can relate to this story these days. The “army” for us is the threat of COVID-19 and the Sea is the way forward. And it would be nice if it was a clear beautiful body of water to cross, but instead it is murky at best. Moses was tired, the people of Israel were tired, and emotions were running high. This is obvious by what they said to Moses, “Did you bring us out here to die! We should have just stayed in Egypt!” With what we are facing these days our emotions are on edge. We make statements that are not based on our Christian values, but instead are out of our fear. So how do we navigate through this time? A few things we need to notice about this story. First Moses did not listen to the negativity, instead he put his trust in God, who had brought them there in the first place. Second, we see that Moses was not alone. Not only did he have God (which is the biggest part of this) he also had a team of individuals around him that worked with him. I want you to be aware of the team of leaders (staff and volunteers) who have been diligently working on providing ministry during this difficult time, and providing a way through the Sea before us. I am so thankful for their leadership and their efforts. So what is next? Of course, only God knows the future. But what I can tell you is that we will cautiously cross this sea before us. We will watch the cases in our county, and we will act within one of the core beliefs of our church, which is to “do no harm”. And this is why we can not compare ourselves to other churches, businesses or organizations when it comes to how we are operating. We must be true to who we are as Methodist, and how we take care of one another and our community! Grace & Peace Bro. Keith |
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ReStart Information
This has been one of the most interesting seasons of our lives. From mask wearing to social distancing, we have seen a time that was both unexpected and unprecedented. These past two Sundays of in-person worship have been a blessing to all of us involved. We have once again enjoyed fellowship with one another, even if it was from 6 feet away. As our journey of reopening continues, we, as trustees, staff, and the ReStart Taskforce, wanted to share with our Church family what has been done in preparations for your return, as well as some of the new cleaning polices that have been implemented to make sure that each and everyone of us feels safe and welcomed walking into this church that we call home. We owe many thanks to Dave Grimwood, Director of Building Operations who did much research to find the best and most cost effective ways to maintain clean spaces to the standard set forth by the CDC. A special fog sanitizer is used for large spaces after each use and a UVC light is being used in smaller spaces. Restrooms are getting a combination of the two methods. If you see a yellow caution banner over any door in the church, DO NOT enter that room as it is being sanitized with the UVC light which can be harmful to your eyes and skin while it is on. Our other maintenance staff, John Smith and Marilyn Kobialka have also deep cleaned every space in our buildings as well as helping Dave with cleaning and sanitizing all spaces as they are used. Thank you John and Marilyn for all of your hard work. For in-person worship services, we are following CDC guidelines, as well as following guidance from our District Superintendent and Bishop. This means that we are screening every person who enters. Sunday mornings, we have designated the southwest and southeast doors leading into the Narthex as the only entrances into the building and and we have designated other doors as exit only. You will also notice that we have certain areas in the church closed to help with the amount of space that needs to be cleaned and sanitized. We have arranged the chairs in the Crossroads space to accomodate 100 people while maintaining proper social distancing. In the Sanctuary, you will notice ropes that will help keep the recommended social distance, as well as designated rows in which you will be able to sit. We have rekeyed both the main building and the UMAC so that we can monitor all groups and individuals who enter the building (and when) so that all areas can be sanitized after use. This also enables us to track for the Health Department. During the week, we ask that you only come to the office entrance so that you can be screened upon entering. Simply ring the doorbell that Dave has installed and some one will come let you in and screen you. As of right now, we are allowing small groups of 50 or less, to meet in the church during office hours. However, most of our rooms can only accomodate 15 or less to maintain proper social distancing. All persons must maintain social distancing and wear a mask while meeting within the church walls. Because of this, you may not be meeting in your usual space. We have designated certain areas depending on the group size. We have also updated our Facility Use Agreement and key check-out policy. All meetings and events must go through the church office and be approved by Kathy Davis, our Church Administrator. If you need to meet outside of office hours you will need to make a request with Kathy and we will determine wether or not we can accomodate you. We have also decided to close the UMAC for the time being. We are trying to limit the amount of spaces in use for now. In order to clean the UMAC, we have to use at least 3 gallons of sanitizer, which comes to $111. Once we do open the UMAC, you can fill out a Request Form with Kathy. Keep in mind, we will be following CDC requirements for cleaning, meaning that with labor, each event/ use in the UMAC will cost $111 plus a custodial cost of $25/hour with a minimum of 2 hours. We know things are not ideal at this time, but please know that your health and safety is of utmost importance to us. We are doing everything necessary to ensure everyone’s safety. We appreciate all who are volunteering during this time so that we can keep our important ministries going. If you have any questions about the decisions we have made, feel free to contact me, Brother Keith, Kathy, or a member of the Taskforce. We want everyone to feel safe when they enter these walls. Mike Cannon, Chair of Trustees To see the full ReStart Task Force calendar click the button below. For more infomation visit: https://fumcmhorg.elvanto.net/file/0f12cc0b-6071-4ab4-9ef2-177ecce6251f/
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Children's Ministry
Children’s Corner As the month of July begins, I am still wondering what happened to Spring! I am shocked that we are still under the clutches of the virus. It seems like we have all put so many aspects of our life on hold and life is too short for that! So all that to say, that I think that we need to live our lives to the best of our ability, all the while doing all of the things of wearing the mask, social distancing, washing, etc.! For me, going to church has been one of those “normal” things. No, it’s not the same, but at the same time it’s good! I know that God is using all of this for good, because He is in control! I hope that everyone received the “Grow Like Jesus” mailing! If you didn’t please let me know, I have more! I didn’t send them to the Pre-K and Kdg., so if you are that age don’t worry that you didn’t get one. The suggested age was 7 and above. Coming soon, will be our first ever (and hopefully last) virtual VBS! I hope to have that out by the last week of July. I will most likely have a time when you can come and pick up the supplies and then deliver the rest. More details as they become available!! Finally, I would like to say, congratulations to the Seniors that were honored last Sunday! They were Grace Beckham, Mackenzie Dunavan, Billy Knox, Alayna Cloyd and Samuel Bryant. I have had the privilege of watching these young adults grow up from little bitties in the children’s dept. to the wonderful young men and women that they are. I even had one of those young ladies in kindergarten! Congratulations to you all and many prayers as you start this new adventure in your life! Blessings, Kellye |
Virtual VBSComing Soon! For more infomation visit:
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Youth Ministries
Happy July! I can’t believe we are halfway through summer! Our first Drive-in Movie was a success and I am super excited for the next one!
So Big news hit last week! The Bishop has approved youth group gatherings. This being said, I want your feedback. We have a form for parents to fill out, getting an idea about how soon we shall return. Know that we will be meeting outside, social distancing, and mask wearing.
If you don’t follow our social medias, please do so! Each Wednesday on Facebook and Youtube, we are posting a night of worship. There is a worship song, scripture, and a short message. Sunday mornings, I am posting on Instagram, a short devotional. These will be available after the post times, so feel free to watch them at your convenience.
If you are not receiving email or texts from me, please contact me at manderson@fumcmh.org. I will be updating all of us as soon as possible! Keep you eyes and ears opened for some new activities to do!
Have a great July!
Michelle
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Upcoming Events:
July 24th Drive in Movie 8:45 PM — Remember the Titans (more)
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Drive-in Movie NightFun for all ages! - Friday, July 24, 2020 • 8:45 pm The movie will begin at dark. For more infomation visit:
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June Drive-in Movie NightWe had a great time!
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Grad Sunday was a success!Congrats Class of 2020 graduates! We are so proud of you! What a wonderful job our youth did leading worship. Click the "read more" button to see the senior slideshow or to get addresses for our graduates. For more infomation visit:
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Thank You!
Our Monday morning money counters, Dorothy Spivey and Bev Thompson, are retiring from their duties and we would like to thank them for their dedication. Dorthy has been faithfully doing this weekly for 24 years! Wow! Bev has been her partner for the last few of those. Thanks to you both! You are appreciated and you will be missed. |
June Giving
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OFFICE CLOSED
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Memorials & Honorariums
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