NORTHEAST
N.E.
APRIL 2015
VOLUME 19 • NUMBER 4
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
NORTHEAST
s Following Christ
s Growing Disciples
s Changing Lives
Good Friday Hangover!
Many years ago Flagstaff, Maine was intentionally flooded when the Corps of Engineers built a sizable dam to form a large lake.
The most painful part for the residents, besides having to relocate, was to watch the spirit of the hometown die. Once the word
got out that the decision had been made, improvements and repairs stopped. “Why paint a house that will soon be covered
with water?” “Why repair a building when the whole village will soon be gone?” the town folk reasoned. Shortly afterwards
garbage began to pile up in the streets, as the process of deterioration began to set in. All hope had vanished when one of the
despairing home owners remarked, “When there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.”
To be sure he was right. Without hope, without a sense of something beyond our immediate problems, we become
overwhelmed and eventually defeated. Such were Jesus’ disciples immediately following His death. Their hearts were broken
and spirits crushed. At that point in time, life for them went from triumph to tragedy. Their hopes had been so high; now they
were dashed. They had lost their faith in the future, hence there was no power in their present.
Most of us, if not all, have been down that dreary road of despair, and we know what it’s like to have our dreams stolen away.
But what is worse than the event itself, is when we allow something even more destructive to set in, whereby distortions and
disorientation began to affect our capacity to see the truth. Such was the case with two men on their way to Emmaus following
Jesus’ crucifixion. They were experiencing what someone has described as a “Good Friday hangover.” They had been so
obsessed with the event that had taken place that they had lost all sense of perspective.
Without a doubt we are faced with the same temptation when our faith has been shaken by our circumstances at the moment.
And we, too, can experience a “Good Friday hangover” and lose our power in the present by losing our faith in the future,
unless, that is, we believe the message of Easter.
Because of the Resurrection we have been given an everlasting hope that not even death can take away from us. Yes, Christ
took the worst that the world could do to Him and turned it into the best that He could do for us. Brothers and sisters, Easter
had the final say, not Good Friday! Don’t ever despair! Don’t ever give up hope. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
In HIS Name and For HIS Glory,
Pastor David
David W. Day, Pastor
4000 Hard Scrabble Road | Columbia South Carolina 29223-8548
Pastor’s Cell Phone: 803.587.1682|Church Phone: 803.736.6386|Fax: 803.699.1334|Email: [email protected]|Web: www.neumc.com
Office Hours: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM | Monday through Friday
volume 19 • number 4
Business of the Church
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Long Range Planning Committee Meeting, Tuesdays, April 7 & 21, 7 PM in the library.
Finance Ministry Team Meeting, Monday, April 13, 6 PM in the library.
Nominations and Leadership Development Ministry Team Meeting, Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 PM in the library.
Outreach Ministry Team Meeting, Tuesday, April 14, 7 PM in Room 102.
Worship Design Team Meeting, Sunday, April 26, 12:30 PM in the Education Building, Room 208.
United Methodist Men News
The United Methodist Men will meet Monday, April 6 in room 102. Dinner begins at 6:30 PM and dinner
donation is $5. The meeting starts at 7 PM. All men are welcome as we focus on Following Christ, Growing
Disciples and Changing Lives.
United Methodist Women
The UMW will meet on Monday, April 13 at 7 PM in room 102. Please come and join us! Point of contact is Inez
McLaurin at 788-6167.
Wholly Oldies
The Wholly Oldies will meet on April 21, a week later than our usual meeting date as some of our members will
be traveling to Henderson Settlement on a mission trip. Our group will be visiting Carter and Holmes Orchids in
Newberry, SC on the 21st. For many years, Carter and Holmes Orchids has been the premier source for orchids
of every variety. Anyone is welcome to join us on our trip. Our trip will include a stop for lunch at the Cabana in
Newberry. RSVP if you would like to go to Jane DeCristofaro at 609-0233 or [email protected].
HOLY WEEK
SCHEDULE
* Maundy Thursday Service, April 2, 7:00 PM
* Good Friday Service, April 3, 7:00 PM
Easter Sunday, April 5
Sonrise Service, 7:00 AM
The service will be held in the amphitheater.
Breakfast Served, 8:00 AM
Join us here with your friends and neighbors for
breakfast after the Sonrise service.
* Contemporary Service, 9:00 AM
* Traditional Service, 11:15 PM
* Nursery provided.
Don’t forget to bring flowers to decorate
the Lenten Cross on Easter Sunday.
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volume 19 • number 4
Church Office Closed
The Church Office will be closed Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7 in observance of Easter.
50 Days of Prayer for Our Pastor, Our Church
and Our Ministries
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near
Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went
up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and
Andrew; Phillip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of
Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether
the number of names was about a hundred and twenty). Acts 1:12-15, NKJV
As these one hundred and twenty prayed in the time between the
Resurrection and Pentecost our NEUMC Prayer Ministry Team is seeking
one hundred and twenty members of our congregation to commit to a
period of prayer for this season of 50 days.
We are asking for daily prayer for our Pastor David Day, our staff, our
congregation and all of our groups and ministries. The daily commitment
is to pray first of all for our pastor as he leads our church, for his spiritual
and physical health and for his family. In addition we ask that you follow
our calendar in our brochure to pray for two more parts of our church listed
each day. These include our staff members, our classes and small groups,
our administrative and program teams, and our ministries to our community
and mission emphases. We will provide “Prayer Prompts” daily which will
give you additional information about the listings for the day.
Graduate Sunday
Graduate Sunday will be observed on May 31 at both services. If you have someone graduating from high
school or college this year, please let the Church Office know before Wednesday, May 27 by sending an e-mail to
[email protected], placing a note in the offering plate or calling the church office at 736-6386.
God’s Storehouse
God’s Storehouse monthly food items for April are canned or powdered milk and baby food. God’s Storehouse is
a faith-based outreach program that assists the needy throughout the greater Columbia, SC, area. Staffed
primarily by volunteers from area churches, God's Storehouse provides food, clothing and household supplies to
our neighbors in crisis at no cost to them. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 AM - noon. God’s Storehouse
is located at 1731 Risley Road, Columbia, SC 29223 and can be contacted at (803) 691-1622.
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volume 19 • number 4
Welcome New Members
United with NEUMC on March 15, 2015
Fred Cousin
217 Westridge Road
Elgin 29045
Greg & Emily Loibl
Children Hailey & Hunter
109 Carolina Ridge Drive
Columbia 29206
George Eberhardt
413 Huntcliff Drive
Columbia 29229
Elizabeth Jensen
1137 Walden Place Drive
Elgin 29045
Larry & Nora Mullen
214 Windsorcrest Road
Columbia 29223
Bob & Nikki Shaffner
617 Winter Wren Lane
Blythewood 29016
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George Kim & Ka-Young Lee
124 Roper Pond Circle
Columbia 29206
Barry Sloop
100 Seven Springs Road
Columbia 29223
volume 19 • number 4
Mwangaza Children's Choir
Friday, April 17 at 7:30 PM right here at NEUMC.
Save the date and invite your friends, co-workers
and neighbors to this great event.
A BIG THANK YOU to all of our host families and back-up homes too.
A love offering will be taken to further the work of
Mwangaza ad Africa Renewal Ministries.
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volume 19 • number 4
Planning a Fundraiser?
Check Out the New Policy and Procedures
The Church Council approved a plan proposed by the Finance Committee in 2014 to be implemented in 2015 to
assure that all fundraisers held on NEUMC church property or for the benefit of the Church follow uniform,
established procedures.
Fundraisers should be designed to contribute to goals and objectives of the Church and the proceeds realized used
for preapproved ministries supporting those goals and objectives. Fundraisers will not be allowed except for
authorized church ministries.
The Finance Committee is responsible for overseeing and approving all fundraising efforts of authorized Church
ministries to include approving the dates, times, places and number of fundraisers. The Finance Committee is directed
to limit the number and frequency of fundraisers to avoid excessive and frequent demands on the Church members.
Every request for a fundraiser must be made in writing using the Church Fundraising Application; this document
along with a statement of the Policy and Procedures is available on the church website. The application should be
submitted to the Finance Committee Chair at least 3 weeks prior to the event. Solicitation for the event should
not normally exceed more than two Sundays. No programs or ministries are exempt from seeking approval for
fundraisers. There is no carryover of requests from event to event.
Groups wishing to conduct fundraisers must provide a report detailing the following information within two weeks
after the completion of the fundraiser:
• Total items sold and/or money collected.
• Total expenses, if any, for the fundraiser.
• A specific listing of how much and where the profits were used.
If your ministry area, small group, or other organization within NEUMC plans a fundraiser, read the document online,
download and print the application and forward to Tammie Sloop, Chair, Finance Committee, at [email protected].
Spring Small Group Studies
GETTING RADICAL
Begins Tuesday, April 7
9:45 - 11:30 PM
Education Building, Room 208
Led by Alston Lippert
Sign up deadline is April 2.
If you've been enjoying the sermon series on Giving Up and want to delve deeper into
how Jesus wants us to live, please join us for Radical, a small group DVD based study by
David Platt. For six weeks we will discover what Jesus actually said about being His
disciple, and then look at how we can obey what we have heard. Platt will challenge us
to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated a God-centered gospel to fit
our human-centered preferences and how we can reshape our priorities around a
God-centered vision. We will meet Tuesdays from 9:45-11:30 AM in the Education
Building, Room 208. If you would like to do this study, but are unable to attend Tuesday
mornings, please contact Alston at [email protected].
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volume 19 • number 4
FINDING YOUR PLACE
April 12, 19 & 26
May 3 & 10
5:30 - 6:30 PM
Education Building, Room 207
Led by Gerald Watford
Today more than any other time in history, people are bombarded
with multiple choices as to how to give their time. They find
themselves asking, "Where do I fit in?", "Why am I here?" and
"What can I do to make a lasting difference in my life and the lives
of others?"
God created each of us for a purpose. "For we are God's
workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10. Part of his
purpose for us is to edify the church and to serve in its ministries. "...to prepare God's people for the works of service,
so that the body of Christ may be built up." Ephesians 4:12.
The PLACE process can help you discover how God has uniquely designed you, and it will help you realize His purpose
for your life. You find your life as you give it away ... but first you have to know what you have to give.
MAKING SENSE OF THE BIBLE
A Study by Adam Hamilton
Beginning Wednesday, April 22
6:30 PM
Room 102
Led by Sandy Sirhal
In this six week video study, Adam Hamilton will focus on the most
important questions we ask about the Bible, its origins and
meaning. These questions include "Were Adam and Eve real
people? Is the book of Revelation really about the end times?
Who decided which books made it into the scriptures and why?
Is the Bible ever wrong?" In approachable and inviting language,
Hamilton addresses these often misunderstood biblical themes
leading readers to a deeper appreciation of the Bible so that we
might hear God speak through it and find its words to be lifechanging and life-giving.
May the love of God surround you; may the grace of God astound you; may
the hope of God ground you.
Sign up sheets are located in the narthex.
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volume 19 • number 4
A Tribute to Sisters
Sisters, like most things, are a gift from God. I have nothing against brothers, they can be amazing, as well, but
this is a tribute to sisters.
I have three and all have been blessings to me in very different ways. Each has her own unique personality and
talents that she brings to our family, her friends, workplace and community.
I believe that there is a reason that God blessed us with sisters (or not) and a plan for the way that our lives
intertwine, perhaps separate and then come back together.
Sisters can be an inspiration, when you most need it. One of my sisters has a lovely and (mostly) gentle soul. She
is kind-hearted, patient and enduring, someone you would want by your side in your darkest hour. Unfortunately,
life has not always been gentle or kind to her, yet you might never know that since she never seems to complain,
but continues to smile at life and those around her, lifting them up as well.
Another of my sisters is more like me; she has our father’s strength of character and strong will. She is funny,
opinionated and knows what she wants from life. Unfortunately life has not turned out exactly as she planned,
but although it slowed her down for a while, she dusted herself off, reset her compass and continued with her
life’s journey with head held high (most of the time). I can let down my guard with her and sometimes show the
weaknesses that I try hard to hide from others.
Finally, my strong-spirited third sister, who has experienced challenges and
trials that I don’t even like to imagine. These are things that have broken the
spirit of those who are not as strong. Each time there is light at the end of the
tunnel, it seems to be another oncoming train. Yet she moves steadily
forward. I don’t think she knows how much we all admire her strength, her
sense of duty and her sense of humor. She is also like our father; somewhat
stubborn and faithful to her beliefs. She helps others, but puts a wall around
herself that does not easily allow others to support her.
As I think about each of my sisters, I think about the Bible verse from 1
Corinthians 10:13 that reminds us that God will never ask more of us
than we are able to bear; “and God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will
also provide a way out, so that you can stand up under it”. It sometimes
seems unfair that God asks so much more of those who have such
incredible strength. Then I remind myself that God equipped them with
that strength knowing what life would bring. I remember one of my
favorite verses from Jeremiah 1:5; “before I formed you in the womb I
knew you, before you were born I set you apart”. God placed us all here
for His unique purpose.
For anyone reading this, who has a sister, think about how she has blessed your life and made it richer. If you
haven’t done so lately (or even if you have) reach out and tell her how much she means to you and has enriched
your life. Sometimes life gets in the way; most sisters aren’t perfect. My sisters and I had a magical childhood, but
all fairy tales also feature a difficult journey or a dark period. Relationships are what sustain us during those times.
Sisters (and brothers) are a gift from God. If you can’t hug your sister today, hug someone else’s sister and thank
God for His many blessings!
Rita Orr
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volume 19 • number 4
The Moments Are Adding Up!
The moments are adding up. You know the ones where someone says a kind word or gives a quick smile; the ones where
someone goes out of their way to lend a helping hand…maybe they go way out of their way to a place like Ecuador or Spain;
or the moments like when you are on the side of a cold mountain and have to work together as a team. The moments are
adding up when a critical word is replaced by a kind word; where frustration over not getting what I want is replaced by
humility that I get to be a part of what God wants. The moments are adding up when couples invite the refreshing power of
Christ into the midst of their marriage and find deeper levels of love even after many years. The moments are adding up where
those who looked forward to a well-deserved rest after long years of work are finding a new purpose in work done for the glory
of God. The moments are adding up where people who had a comfortable place on the sidelines are finding life better in the
middle of the action even with all its challenges. The moments are adding up where young people realize that church is as
much about them as it is their parents. Are you seeing the moments? Sure in this church as in every church there are things
which are not perfect and maybe that makes those special moments all the more special. We are imperfect people serving a
perfect God and He keeps causing flowers to bloom in unexpected places and the moments are adding up. As spring unfolds
all around us once again and as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it seems to me that this is a
perfect time to have our attention drawn to the new life that is beginning to spring up right here at NEUMC.
Shamgar is someone you might not have ever heard of but his life is very instructive. His story is told in Judges 3:31 (yes that
is all he gets, one verse in the Bible, besides a mention in Judges 5:6). Judges 3:31 says this, “After him was Shamgar the son
of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox-goad; and he also delivered Israel.” Here was a leader who
accomplished so much with so little (or so it seems) - so little to work with; so little fan-fare; so little thanks; so little
recognition. There is much about this man which can help us be better leaders and servants of God and each other. He is
the kind of man one wants to have around as part of a family, part of a team or part of a church. He is the kind who gets up
and goes about his business with little fuss and little drama. His example is much more within the reach of a greater number
of Christians. Yes I know we celebrate the Abraham’s, Moses’ and King David’s of history but there is something about them
that seems a little beyond our grasp. Shamgar lives a little closer to home.
The God-given provision for Shamgar was a stick. An ox-goad is a stick used by farmers to herd oxen. It is not a weapon of
war. He used a thin stick to kill 600 Philistines. Now I ask you, if you were given the job of killing 600 Philistines, would an ox
goad be your weapon of choice? Most of us not only want to serve God but we want to look good doing it. In fact the fear
that we might not look good serving God, we might even look foolish, causes many people to make themselves unavailable
to God. You ask God for help and He gives you a stick, now what will you do? Will you trust in God’s provision even though
the resource seems limited and might make you look foolish to the world? God blesses His plan. His plan always includes
His provision.
Does it often seem to you like no matter how much you would like to change things, your hands are tied by a lack of available
resources? Here is the thing, do what you can do. What you can do may seem like a small thing, after all who really cares if
I smile at them or speak to them or say a kind word about them? God cares and we all care. It makes such a huge difference
when people who used to say little or nothing or perhaps only spoke when they had something negative to say, now are
speaking words building someone up, out of the blue! God has given you an ox goad. It might not seem like much but it is
just what you need for changing the environment you live in. The enemy requires darkness for his deeds to breed. We can
do something about that with our ox goads- our words, our attitudes and our actions. Do not fall for the deception that as
one person I can do little to change all that is wrong in this world or in my church or in my family. Your God-given provision
is just right for this time.
The moments are adding up when we live together so that God can show up bigger than ever in our midst. The moments
are adding up where more of us are participating in being disciples…being a family –Dinners of 8, church picnic, small
groups, VBS- are just some of the upcoming times when the moments will continue to add up and cause more of us to say,
surely the Lord our God is good. There is a Scottish proverb which describes a good mindset when all you have is an ox
goad...
"I am sore wounded but not slain
I will lay me down and bleed a while
And then rise up to fight again"
Gerald Watford, Director of Family Ministries
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volume 19 • number 4
CHILDREN
AND YOUTH
MINISTRIES
Bonnie Riley
Director of Children and Youth Ministries
[email protected] • [email protected] • 736-6386
WHY Youth? WHY UP!?
I spend a lot of time on the Internet, Twitter and Facebook. And as much as I love the memes, quizzes and pictures
of my friends' kids, what I spend the most time on are articles on how to do church better. Most of them are for
youth group and some for children programs and some for whole congregations, but over and over again, the same
theme comes up. That people, Baby Boomers to teens and people of all ages, inside the church and complete
outsiders are looking for predominately one thing: relationship. Deep, honest, open relationships with real,
Jesus-chasing, imperfect, but grace covered people. People that have messed up, but have found mercy and are
willing to share about their lives with this guy they follow, named Jesus.
So where is this going? When you hear about the youth doing a Lock-In or see pictures of us throwing cheese balls
at each other with shaving cream on our face (which totally happened), it may seem like just crazy stunts or silly
games to draw youth in. Maybe UP! seems like a huge undertaking of time and resources for 3-11 year olds. These
games, events and silly looking things are very important.
Here is why. These games, programs and trips, build relationships. Dancing to Mr. Sean singing about "Surfing God's
Heavenly Waters" and racing to eat a plate of whipped cream, build relationships. Having that common ground built
by riding in a car with seven other sleep deprived, laughing kids builds the kind of relationships that people are
craving. Adult volunteers are able to show kids that they are cared for and interested in their lives. They hear about
how people in the Bible and people now mess up and God still loves them and does amazing things in their lives.
Those crazy times are where ministry is done. You can't build relationships sitting behind someone on a Sunday
morning. You can't hear testimonies and share life in one hour where we mostly sit and listen or sing. That's why our
church has a heart and a mission for small groups. Youth and UP! are small groups for our youth and kids. We want to
start young so that our kids have a connection and relationship with people that will guide and teach them. So that
they won't be one of the people interviewed about craving a deep relationship with people that will help them through
life. They will already have them. The older the person, the harder it often is to connect with a church. We want our
kids to know how it works, so whether its here with us or when they are in college, far away, they will know that church
can be a place where people will share life and help you find your way. That's why be silly, dancing and moving cookies
down your face without your hands is so important (this, too, has also happened). Encourage any one in your life to
get in a small group, but especially the younger ones. Join us anytime for UP! or Youth.
His and yoursBonnie Riley
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volume 19 • number 4
FIRST FRIDAY MOVIE NIGHT
First Friday Movie night is April 10, 6-8 PM due to Good Friday
and Spring break. This is the last movie night for
the school year so drop off the kids at 6 PM and enjoy
your evening. Pick up time is 8 PM. Cost is $2 per
child with a $5 family cap. Come comfy and hang out with us!!
Vacation bible school
Watch for the online sign up for volunteers this month.
The faster you sign up the more likely to get
the role you want. This year’s theme is
VBS is July 5 -11, 6 - 8:15 PM.
Lock-in
We had a great weekend! Thanks to all who prayed for
us. There were 22 youth and 6 adults who spent the
weekend praising God and hearing the word. It was a time for
me to hang out with everyone as the
Youth Director.
There was a lot of fun and only one noise complaint!
I consider that a success!
Salkehatchie summer service
Salkehatchie Summer Service sign up is online this year and registration
is now open. The first 50 to register for the Walterboro Camp,
June 27-July 4 will get to attend. Contact Alston Lippert at
[email protected] for details or the Church Office
at 736-6386.
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APRIL 2015