1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Volume 1.4
April 2015
WELCOME
Dr. Robin L. Lindsey, Senior Pastor
Greetings in the name of Jesus
Christ our Lord!
M
ission and ministry continue
at Dalton First UMC. As
I listen to conversations around
the church and community, I am,
once again, humbled at the work
you do. Please know that you
remain in my prayers constantly.
T
he end of February saw me
traveling to Portugal for a
conference with the Methodist
Church there. I joined seven other
pastors and laity in that beautiful
excursion. The result is a heart for
Portugal and the understanding that
while there are many differences,
there are also many similarities.
As the pastors huddled together
during the sessions and especially
at break times, we found some
of our issues bore similar
themes. We felt a oneness with
our fellow pastors in Portugal.
T
hen Kathy and I, along with two
others couples from Dalton First
UMC and three other persons from
the community, traveled to Israel to
see the holy sites where our Lord
lived, died and was resurrected.
My sixth trip and Kathy’s fifth, we
once again felt the power of God’s
Spirit in this special part of the
world. In addition, we celebrated
our return to Dalton and you.
T
he design and renovation of
the church continues. With
kitchen and fellowship hall moving
along, we focus on the mid-June
work to begin in the sanctuary.
Sub-committees are continuing
work in the areas of the chapel,
children, youth and adult Sunday
School rooms as well as the offices.
We are appreciative of Doug Renz,
Chair of the Building Committee,
and those who are spending
countless hours in this work.
The faithfulness of giving to this
massive project overwhelms me.
God bless.
Let’s (Please) Stop
“Doing” Missions part 2
Rev. Kenny Ott, Outreach Pastor
I
n Part 1 of this series, I briefly
described the shortcomings of
western Christianity’s missions
programs and explained the lasted
theological developments that now
drive missions in the current age.
Authentic, God-honoring mission
work is aligned with the missio
Dei (God’s mission of redeeming
all of creation) and is the defining
characteristic of the life of a
Christ-follower. This month I
would like to dig deeper into the
theology and, nature of missions.
We are a Sent people
Missiologist David Bosch insists
that the Bible is “a record of God’s
sending for the sake of redeeming
His creation.” Darrell Guder, of
Princeton University, agrees, saying:
The word
‘mission’ means
‘sending,’ and it is the central
biblical theme describing the
purpose of God’s action in human
history.
God’s mission began
with the call of Israel to receive
God’s blessing in order to be a
blessing to the nations….and
reached its revelatory climax in
the incarnation of God’s work of
salvation in Jesus. God’s mission
continued then in the sending of
the Spirit to call forth and empower
the church as the worldwide
witness of God’s good news in
Jesus Christ. We have learned to
speak of God as a ‘missionary
God.’ Thus we have learned to
understand the church as a ‘sent
people’” (Missional Church, 4).
The Nature of Sentness
Scripture reveals that we are
a “sent people” in three ways.
1) It is a function of the image
of God inside each person (see
Gen 1.26-27); especially as the
followers of Christ align their
lives with God’s ongoing mission
in the cultures and societies in
which they find themselves. Alan
Hirsch, in The Forgotten Ways,
says, “the mission of God flows
directly through every believer
and every community of faith
that adheres to Jesus. To obstruct
this is to block God’s purposes
in and through his people.”
2) It is the vocation of every
Christian. The first Christians of
the New Testament understood it
to be part of their identity to share
the good news of salvation in Jesus
Christ and become peacemakers
in whatever context they found
themselves. Mission is not the
believers’ response to the Gospel;
it is the origin and ongoing
purpose of the church and its
members. Nor is missions a debt
to be repaid for God’s grace; it is
a natural and authentic response
of a grateful child of God who has
been saved by Christ’s sacrifice
and empowered by the Spirit.
3) The only authentic response is
in “going.” The Great Commission
to “go into all the world” is not a
call to a program of evangelism,
but a way of being and believing
that God is already at work in
the lives of the people in our
communities and is inviting us to
join Him. Jesus firmly expressed
the expectation that his followers
would never separate themselves
from the world to live in isolated
communities. Instead he sent them
into the world, though they “are
not of the world” (Jn 17.15-19).
This subtle, yet profound way of
living calls us to live alongside
others and so aligned with God’s
mission that unbelievers will
come to faith in God (1 Pet 2.12).
I
f we are honest, it seems that
somewhere along the way, the
church has forgotten that it does not
exist for the benefit of its members.
Have we as Christians forgotten
that our lives are not our own,
but that we have a new identity in
Christ? We have been saved and the
church exists because the Father,
in His manifold grace and infinite
wisdom, chose to use the followers
of His Son and empower them
with His Spirit to redeem creation.
Peace,
D
alton Area Project began in
2013 as a student led, adult
supported mission effort based out
of Dalton First United Methodist
Church. The vision is to help those
in need in our own community and
surrounding areas; as we are called
to love our neighbor. The first
annual DAP had about 50 students
take part and approximately 150
adults; as a group of trailblazers
they transformed 5 homes in the
greater Dalton area. “Where there
was darkness there is now light!”
DAP welcomed 3 churches to
form the Body of Christ to serve
our community; Rock Spring
UMC, Powers Ferry UMC and
Dalton FUMC. We also had
several students from the Atlanta
area come and be a part of DAP!
It was another huge success! We
helped transform 11 homes and
sites in the Dalton / Whitfield
area; the projects ranged from
building a community garden
near Roan St School, painting and
cleaning the housing authority
apartment complex, creating a
new playground and outdoor
space for Family Promise, helping
individual
homeowners
with
issues at their homes; ranging
from siding and underpinning to
window installation to hanging
doors to landscape issues to
rebuilding kitchens and bathrooms.
J
uly 2014 brought the 2nd annual
DAP, we had just fewer than
100 students and about 250 adults
take part in the weeklong mission
effort. One of the most amazing
aspects of DAP – was the age range
of volunteers – from the youngest
being 3 years old to the oldest
being well into their 80’s. DAP is
truly an intergenerational ministry!
Matthew 25:35-40
July
D
AP stayed at the church
during the week; eating
all of their meals, experiencing
amazing worship, fellowship,
and small groups. DAP focused
on Matthew 25:34-40 as the
theme scripture for the week .
with first time churches, Dalton
Trinity UMC, St. John UMC from
Atlanta, Ebenezer UMC, Conyers,
GA, and First UMC Greensboro
from Greensboro, GA. Several
his summer, Dalton Area Project other churches are also praying
2015 will be July 16-22, 2015 about joining us this summer and
and we are expecting another large being a part of the community
hank you for all of the group of students, parents, adults of #DAP15! So stayed tuned!
support for DAP – we and people of all ages taking part.
We are excited to announce that
n order to achieve this major
Rock Spring UMC will be joining
mission event – WE NEED
us again for a 2nd year, along YOUR HELP! There are MANY,
MANY ways to help and volunteer!
YOU DO NOT need to be a parent
of a current youth to help out!
It takes “an army” of volunteers
to invest in DAP to make it
happen! Please consider being a
part of us this summer – register
online at www.daltonfumc.com
Some of the major categories to help :
T
16-22
were
blessed to have over 30
corporate sponsors and countless
individual sponsors! We could
not have done it without YOU!
T
I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Work Site team
Overnight chaperone
Food Prep team
Worship development
Transportation
Administration support
Financial Support
Get Ready For The Coolest Week Of Summer!
Vacation Bible School
At Everest VBS, kids will set out on the coolest adventure of the summer! Everest VBS is filled with
incredible Bible-learning experiences you can see, hear, touch, and even taste! Team-building
games, learn cool Bible songs and tasty treats are just a few of the awesome activities that help faith
flow into real life. Plus, you’ll discover how to see evidence of God in everyday life. We call that
“God Sightings.”
Mark your calendar for June 8-12.
The adventure begins each day at 9:00 a.m. until noon for kids ages 3
(birthday before September 1, 2014) through rising 6th grade.
You may register online or pick up a registration form at church. Can’t be there every day?
Register anyway and be here on the days you can. Know someone else who would like to join us on this
incredible adventure? Bring them!!
Think VBS is just for kids? Parents, grandparents, friends and youth are welcome to join us. We
need lots of help and we guarantee you’ll have an amazing experience and make new friends!!
For more information contact Jan Byrum at [email protected] or Ansley Harrison.
A Message from our BUILDING COMMITTEE
Doug Renz, Building Committee Chair
T
he demolition that was required as
part of the Famber Hall renovation
has been completed and construction
on the new platform, storage room,
sound booth, and lighting has
progressed ahead of schedule! After
the crack in the floor was determined
to be caused by normal settling, the
area has been patched in preparation
for the installation of new flooring.
The Building Committee has approved
the Famber Hall subcommittee’s
recommendations for flooring, colors
and décor, and new chairs have
been discussed and tested. RISE
Anne Walker, Building Communications
Dalton should be resuming worship
in Famber Hall ahead of schedule.
T
he General Contractor has been
selected
so
the Sanctuary
renovation is still on target to begin
on Monday, June 15.
Parkey
Organ Builders has been chosen
as
the
subcontractor
charged
with
dismantling,
removing,
reconfiguring, installing and voicing
the organ, and Requests for Proposals
have been submitted to several
asbestos
abatement
companies.
S
ince the Building Committee
chose to initially focus on the
renovation of worship spaces some
subcommittees have not been
meeting on a regular basis, but the
subcommittee appointed to address
the reconfiguration of the first floor
administrative office and child care
space is now beginning their process.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY in each of
our projects.
Our Kitchen Staff
Stacy Womac
I am the Kitchen Director. I have been here for a
year and 6 months and I love it here. My job is to plan, prepare and serve
all of the meals for the church. I have been married for 17 years and we
have 4 children. I have a daughter that is 17 she is a junior at Northwest
High School, twin boys that are 16, sophomores at Northwest High
School and a 12 year old son who is a 6th grader at New Hope Middle. I
enjoy watching my boys play sports and spending time with my family. Gertrudis Andujar
I am the kitchen assistant. My job is to
prepare and serve daycare meals and assist Stacy with church meals.
I am from the Dominican Republic. I have been in America for 9
years. I have lived in New Jersey for 9 years and I moved to Dalton
GA in November of last year. I have 2 children, both boys. They are
4 and 2. I enjoy spending time with my family and I enjoy cooking.
IMPACT (second Class Postage
Paid/USPS 196760)
Is published monthly by
500 S. Thornton Ave
Dalton, GA 30720
706-278-8494
www.daltonfumc.com
DALTON FIRST UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
DALTON, GA
Periodicals postage paid at
Dalton, GA 30720
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to: IMPACT,
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Come Worship With Us
Sunday Worship
April 5
EASTER Sunday “The Resurrection”
April 12 “Curiosity”
April 19 “Excitement”
April 26 “Honesty”
May 3 Confirmation Sunday “Believers”
8:45 & 11:00am
Sanctuary Worship
Dr. Robin L. Lindsey
Senior Pastor
[email protected]
11:00am RISE Dalton
Modern Style Worship
Fellowship Hall
Rev. Kenny Ott
Outreach Pastor
[email protected]