1. education
2. school

Word
The
A publication of Dyersburg First United Methodist Church
Volume XLI
Pastoral Thoughts
April 29, 2015
Dr. David Russell, Senior Pastor
Rev. Dell King, Associate Pastor
The Congregation, Ministers
A Historic Change Has Taken Place
Beginning April 23, the Memphis Conference of The United
Methodist Church (West Tennessee and Western Kentucky) have new
district boundaries and names, according to an announcement by Bishop
William T. (Bill) McAlilly and the conference’s district superintendents.
The Memphis Conference is an area that includes 421 churches
(269 charges) in West Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
The new district configuration has reduced the number of districts
from seven to five and a further reduction down to four will take place by
June 2016. New district names also are part of the changes.
Here is a breakdown of the new districts:
●
Purchase District: 8 counties in Western Kentucky, 83 churches,
56 charges
●
Mississippi River District: 8 counties in Northwest Tennessee,
125 churches, 66 charges
●
Tennessee River District: 10 counties just west of the Tennessee
River in Western Tennessee, 138 churches, 79 charges
●
Metro-Asbury District AND Metro-McKendree District: 3
counties in Southwest Tennessee, 83 churches, 71 charges
This is particularly bittersweet
for pastors and church
members who have a long
proud affiliation with our
former district structure.
Personally, the majority of my
years of ministry have been
served in the Dyersburg
District, which is no more.
The purpose of this reduction
is to bring the structure of the
Memphis Conference more in
line with that of other
conferences in The United
Methodist Church.
This map indicates the new
district boundaries and names.
Peace,
Copy 16
Sunday Servants
SUNDAY, MAY 3
8:30 A.M.
10:50 A.M.
ACOLYTES
Jarrod Lowrance
Lane Pugh
CROSS BEARERS
Sam Andrews
Ches Davis
NO SMALL TALK
PRAYER WARRIORS
Jackie Gullett
Cindy Taylor
SOUNDBOARD
Steve Guttery
Joe Jennings
VIDEO DIRECTORS
Patti Lou Parker
Josie McLaurin
VIDEO RECORDER
John Tucker
COMMUNION STEWARDS
George and Sarah Goldsby
Ellen Moore, Tammy Jowers
Heather Kauffman
COMMUNION STEWARDS
HOMEBOUND
Steve and Louise Anderson,
Jack and Mary Todd, Jerry and
Charlotte Weaver and Polly White
GREETERS
8:30 A.M.
Clara Nell Bradshaw North Troy
Janie Putman
Chapel
10:50 A.M.
Carolyn Lanier
North Troy
Penny Switzer
Chapel
USHERS FOR MAY
8:30 A.M.
Jim Bane, Roy Campbell, John
Gardner, Jon Helton, Porter Ryland,
J.D. Stephens, David West, Mike
Workman, and John T. Yarbro
10:50 A.M.
J. Dan Gullett, Jamison Gullett,
Keith Guthrie, Billy Ozment,
David Peckenpaugh
May communion supports Golden
Cross Sunday, which supports the
ministries to the elderly—Wesley
Senior Ministries.
...Family and friends of Mrs. Betty
Sue Putman, who died April 23.
Mrs. Putman was a member of
First United Methodist Church
since 1952.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Sunday, May 31—Wednesday, June 3
6 – 8 p.m.
For three-year-olds thru 6th grade
RECORD OF LOYALTY
ATTENDANCE 4/26/15
8:30 A.M. Worship
10:50 A.M. Worship
Combined Morning Worship Total
Sunday Evening
Sunday School
Salt and Light Class Attendance
Salt and Light Meals Served
152
165
317
N/A
210
151
117
OFFERING
Annual budget 2015
$1,025.028.00
Needed to date
338,105.19
Received as of 4/26/15
279,183.19
Amount over/under Budget
-58,922.00
“Imagine No Malaria” This Week
6.15
Total to Date
15,019.64
DIRECTORY PICTURES
If you did not have your picture made for our new church
directory and would like to do so, there may be a make up
day if we have enough people. Please call Patti Lou
Parker at 285-6454, if you are interested.
YOUNG ADULT CLASS
Class members include persons in college through
persons in their mid 30’s. The class meets in the Boy
Scout room across from Rawles Hall. If you are
interested in joining this class please come Sunday
morning, or if you know someone who would be
interested invite him/her. For more information call Patti
Lou Parker at 285-6454.
MISSION BLITZ UPDATE
Dear FUMC members,
Thank you to all who donated and/or participated in this
year’s Mission Blitz. We had over 600 people from 17
different churches completing over 50 projects in and
around the Dyersburg community. Whether helping
organizations or individuals, we truly were working
together through Christ to spread and show his love in our
community. Not only were we helping those in need, we
were also making Dyersburg a better, more beautiful
place to live by working with our friends and
neighbors. If you have any experiences or pictures you
would like to share, please send them to Mark Gadlage by
phone at (812) 639-0724 or by email at
[email protected]. Again, thank you for all of
your hard work and time.
SENIOR SUNDAY
Sunday, May 17, is Senior Sunday. On that
day, we will honor our 2015 Graduating
Seniors. Please come and support our
Seniors at the 10:30 a.m. combined service.
Graduating from high school is a huge step
for these young adults, and they are to be
congratulated.
FOOD PANTRY
Suggestions:
Crackers
Jelly
Stew
Tuna
PLACE IN PLASTIC TUBS
Salt and Light News
5:00 P.M. —Wednesdays
Menu — Grilled Hamburgers and Hot Dogs, Baked
Beans, Chips, Cookies, Soft Drinks
Servers – Various and Sundry People
Y C O R N E R Heather Kauffman
O With Senior Sunday coming up in a few weeks,
like to take a moment to share something
U Ithatwould
makes me proud of the class of 2015. The last
T few months of high school are some of the busiest
months of a high school student’s career. There are
H countless award nights, senior nights for athletics,
prom, final exams, final moments with friends and
so much more. There are so many decisions to be
made about colleges, jobs and scholarship
applications. In the midst of all of this, however, I
am thankful that they choose to still show up for
church and youth events. Their commitment to this
church and youth program amazes me.
It amazes me because it is common for many
seniors to stop coming in the midst of their busy
schedules. It happened in my youth group in high school,
and I hear about it happening in many of the youth
groups of my classmates in CYMT. The commitment of
our seniors is something I think we can all learn from. I
see their commitment in two main ways, though I could
probably list off many more.
1. Their commitment to learn. The class of
2015 never ceases to show up prepared to learn about
what God has in store for them that day. Their
attentiveness to the lessons reveals this to me. They come
to learn about God and have committed to this learning
process throughout their time in high school. They work
hard in all that they do, not just in school and in their
activities, but also during their time at Dayspring, Sunday
School and UMYF. While they seem to come partially
for the community of believers, it is obvious that they
come because of their passion to learn. This is an
incredible trait that will take them far in their life and
especially their faith. We can definitely follow their
example and commit to constantly learning more about
God and God’s world.
2. Their commitment to serve. The class of
2015 is full of servant leaders. The faith of these students
seems to prompt them to action and service. Ask them to
serve in anyway and they gladly do it. This is such a
blessing to our youth group and our church. They serve
those who are younger than them by their presence and
their example. They reach out to those around them and
help when someone is in need. This has been one of the
ways I have been most inspired by this graduating class.
The class of 2015 has so much to teach us about service
and what it looks like to put our learning to action. I pray
that we follow this example and think of how we might
serve those around us, both younger and older.
Our youth ministry is extremely proud of our
seniors. We are thankful for the many ways they have
inspired and influenced our youth group and our church. I
hope that you think about them and pray for them in the
Please call the church with updates for the prayer list when
someone becomes sick or their health improves.
Tony Deere
Louise Hendrix
Carole O. Whitnel—home
Becky Park—Cristy Evan’s mother
Susan Motley—Nancy Hardin’s sister
Linda Holt
Brenda North
Bob & Peggy Mayfield
Bonnie Holt
Destiny Kennedy—Brian and Sandi Stahl’s
granddaughter
Naomi Rushing
Melissa Langston
Carol Hendren Disney
Please remember our homebound members. A list of
homebound members will be included in the newsletter
YOUTH CORNER continued...
coming weeks and months as they approach the next step
that God has called them to!
Blessings!
Heather
Sunday, May 3rd
9:45 A.M.—Senior Appreciation Breakfast
5:30-7:30 PM— UMYF
Wednesday, May 6th
5:00 PM- VBS Registration Night (No Dayspring)
Our weekly worship service on
cable television, airs on
Thursdays at 1 p.m. on
Channel 12.
VISITOR BAGS
We have bags containing information about our church
and small tokens available to give visitors to our worship
services. They are no longer in gift bags, but are in plastic
bags inscribed with the church name and are located in
the doors of the chest in the parlor area to your left when
you come in the door off the Troy parking lot.
MEMORIALS/HONORARIUMS
PASTOR’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
In memory of:
Given by:
Betty Sue Putman
Sellers Class
Betty Sue Putman
Dr. & Mrs. Fred Moore
Betty Sue Putman
Mr. & Mrs. James Cooper
GENERAL FUND
In memory of:
Betty Sue Putman
Betty Sue Putman
Given by:
Mr. & Mrs. George Robertson
Vera Harness
In honor of:
Betty Rickert
Given by:
Vera Harness
PANTRY FUND
In memory of:
Grant Guthrie
Betty Sue Putman
Given by:
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Jones
Elizabeth Fowlkes
SACRISTY FUND
In memory of:
Betty Sue Putman
Given by:
Mr. & Mrs. Roy Campbell
FAMILY LIFE CENTER
In memory of:
Given by:
Betty Sue Putman
Joan Gilliland
Memorials not listed this week will be in next week’s
issue.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Fifth Sunday of Easter (white)
Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 22:25-31; 1
John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8
SUNDAY SERVICES
9:45 A.M. Sunday School
8:30 & 10:50 A.M. Worship
John 15:1-8
“Cut Off or Caught Up?”
Dr. David Russell, preaching
5:00 P.M.
Acts 8:26-40
“What’s Stopping YOU?”
The Rev. Dell King, preaching
FAMILY LIFE CENTER NEWS
From Andy Fisher
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT
Parents’ Night Out will be Saturday, May 9 from 6—10
p.m. at the Family Life Center. Bring the kids and let
them enjoy a night without you. Make your plans now
and leave the kids to us. They should be ready for a fun
night out. Send pizza bucks to offset supper expenses.
Nursery will be provided for the small ones.
MEN’S SOFTBALL
At this time, we have seven people that have signed up
for softball. This is a ‘wood bat’ league for ages 14 and
older. We are trying to determine if there is enough
interest this year to have one team or even two teams.
Don’t worry about your skill level. We need players that
want to have fun and fellowship, while playing slow pitch
softball. Some Methodists are known for waiting to the
last minute to sign up. The season begins June 23.
Everyone must sign a waiver which is located a the
Family Life Center or in the print room, in Andy’s
mailbox.
NO PARKING
The lower parking lot by the Family
Life Center will be blocked off from
8—11 a.m. for the Preschool’s Field
Days on Thursday, April 30 and
Friday, May 1.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Annual Church Golf Tournament
Saturday, May 2
1 p.m.
Contact Barbara Stephens if interested,
731-676-7194.
Send form #3579 to The Word, P.O. Box 452, Dyersburg, TN 38025, FUMC
Weekly published by
First United Methodist Church
100 McGaughey, P.O. Box 452, Dyersburg, TN 38024
Church: 731-285-6454, Family Life Center: 731-285-4794
Web Page—www.fumcdyersburg.com
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