THE MISSION
The Newsletter of
Saint Marys United Methodist Church
November 12, 2014
Why Are We Always Asking for Money?
A pastor tells of being in a grocery store one day and encountering a woman he hadn’t seen in a
long time. It was an awkward moment because the woman had suddenly stopped attending
church and the church had never learned exactly why. After the two exchanged pleasantries, the
pastor said, “We miss you. Is there anything our church can do for you?” The woman replied, “Yes,
there is. You could stop asking for money all the time.”
The woman’s response caught the pastor off-guard. But because of the experience he eventually
presented his reaction to the woman’s response in the form of a sermon. He started by acknowledging that the church is always asking for money, but he went on unapologetically to defend that
practice by talking about all the ministries and missions that were provided through the church.
He acknowledged that some people grow weary of being asked to give, but said that perhaps they
would prefer the sort of church where the members aren’t asked for money. Instead, they would
take turns doing everything in the church, including cleaning the building, providing the music,
preparing the bulletin, doing the preaching and teaching, and spending a year each on the mission
field (because they have no money to give to missions). In winter, they dress very warmly for
worship because they don’t run the furnace. They offer no child care, no children’s church and no
youth ministry. The pastor concluded his example by saying, “A church that needs no money
wouldn’t be much of a church at all. I’m glad to be part of a church that always needs money. It
means we’re doing something, going somewhere, making a difference.”
However, that it isn’t the whole response. The argument that the church should ask for money
because of all the good stuff it does has merit, but any worthy charity can make that case. The
church isn’t simply a charity with a religious sheen on it. Christians aren’t simply do-gooders who
also pray.
We are called to give not only to do good for others, but also because it’s necessary for our own
spiritual well-being. It is part of the way we show that we love God with all our heart, soul and
mind. A blessing of attending church is that it provides us with an opportunity to give generously for our own good.
This Sunday is Celebration - Commitment Sunday! This special day provides an opportunity for
our church family to raise the level of faithful stewardship and to help every member grow as
disciples of Jesus Christ.
I’m glad that I am a part of this great church! Yes, it’s a church that always needs money. But as
the pastor said in his sermon, it means we’re doing something, going somewhere, making a
difference - not only in the lives of others, but also in in our personal faith journeys.
Blessings on you,
106 East Conyers Street, St. Marys, GA 31558
(912) 882-5505
stmarysumc.org
facebook.com/SMMethodist
Opportunities for the Week
Sunday, November 16th
8:30 A.M. Traditional Worship
9:45 A.M. Sunday School
11:00 A.M. Praise & Worship
Covered Dish Luncheon (Bailey Hall)
4:00 P.M. Youth Choir Practice
5:30 P.M. Youth (5pm for dinner)
Tuesday, November 18th
7:00 A.M. High School Breakfast Club
(Chick-Fil-A)
6:30 P.M. Rock Bible Study (WECC)
Wednesday, November 19th
6:45 A.M. Middle School Breakfast Club
(Hardees)
5:00 P.M. Wednesday Supper
5:15 P.M. Hand Bell Choir Practice
5:30 P.M. Children’s Choir Practice
6:00 P.M. Youth Bible Study
6:15 P.M. Playhouse Kids & Clues Club
6:30 P.M. Prayer Time (Chapel)
6:30 P.M. Chancel Choir Practice
Thursday, November 20th
7:00 P.M. SPR Committee Meeting (Conf. Rm.)
A Church-Wide Clean-Up will be held on Saturday,
November 15th from 8:00am til 1:00pm. There are several
projects needing to be completed. If you are interested in
helping in any way, please contact Pat Winn at 674-5449
or Tim Fitzgerald at 904- 759-1513. The more people
that come out to help, the quicker things will get done!
Sunday, November 16th is Commitment Celebration
Sunday. A Covered Dish Luncheon will be held in
Bailey Hall immediately following the 11am service.
Shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse Children’s Christmas program:
Shoeboxes are still available in the narthex to pick up. Please return the
filled shoeboxes to the narthex or church office no later than Thursday,
November 20th.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THE SPR COMMITTEE WILL MEET on Thursday, November
20th at 7:00pm in the Conference Room. Contact Donna
O’Banion at [email protected] or 882-3922 for more information.
Shut-In/Homebound Ministry Team: A ministry team of caring individuals is being organized to help reach out to those in our
congregation who are shut-in or homebound. Each team member will be assigned one person to care for over the next
year. Bea Crouse will be the team leader. A training session is scheduled for November 12th at 10am in the Pilgrim’s SS Classroom. If you are interested in participating in this ministry or have any questions please contact Bea or call the Church office.
Please continue to pray for …
Dale Hoylman, Charlie & Linda Simpson, Helen DeVries, Dottie West, Betty Hart, Tommy Bean, Lynn Goff, Carolyn
Long, Eloise Thompson, George Turner, Pat Williams, Faye Howard, Bob Manley, Richard Pippin, Ivan Stratton
Extended Family and Friends
Gene Simpson (Amos & Dottie Simpson’s son); Lois Mary Carrig (Mary Sue Michael’s mother); Vickie Bielling (Nancy Boone’s
friend); Lois Hall (Barbara Hall’s mother); Ann & Jim Buskirk (former member); Winifred Boykin, Yolanda Mirarchi, Keith Smith,
Myra Howard (relatives & friends of Dale & Karen Hoylman)
Coastal Assisted Living Residents
Bettye Howard
Senior Care Center Residents (St. Marys)
Betty Hart
Magnolia Manor Residents
Margaret Eddinger (SM), Wylidean Wynne (SSI)
Deployed & Injured Military Family & Friends
Joanna Bailey, Kyle Carpenter, Justin Tomlinson, Brandi Bryant
Bold indicates a new addition**
Names will be removed after two weeks unless otherwise requested.
Please call the Church Office at 882-5505 ext. 0 for any Pastoral concerns or needs. We also have a Pastoral concern line for after hours &
weekend emergencies. Call 882-5505 ext. 8, leave a message & your call will be returned as quickly as possible
Christian Sympathy to Charlie & Linda Simpson & Family on
the passing of Charlie’s mother, Laverne Simpson.
Youth Corner
Upcoming events:
 Tuesday morning High School Breakfast Club at Chick-Fil-A, 7:00am

Tuesday night Rock Bible Study at WECC, 6:30pm

Wednesday morning Middle School Breakfast Club at Hardees at 6:45am

Please join us as we continue to explore the Gospel of John on Wednesday nights, 6:30pm following
Wednesday night supper.

Family Movie Night - Sunday, November 23rd. Come watch Elf during the regular Youth time.

We look forward to a night of Christmas Caroling on December 7th (during regular Youth time)
If you haven't already, please follow us on Instagram@stmarysgayouth
Contact me any time with questions, comments, prayer concerns, etc. at [email protected] or
912-227-0976.
In His Peace - Jeremy
Grateful Living/Generous Giving
When I think back over my life and all the people who have had the most positive impact on how I
grew and matured, the one thing that all these people had in common were that they were all generous
givers. Whether they were teachers, coaches, family members, or the older and wiser “leaders and
saints” of the church, they all freely gave up a great deal of their time, their energies, and their own
personal resources to help me stay focused on the positive aspects of living and working. These generous individuals also seemed to have the best outlooks on life, and each seemed to exhibit a “joy of
living” that most of us long for today. As I matured, I also came to realize that every one of these “life
mentors” were not immune to the very real and serious problems that living in an imperfect world
throws at each of us everyday. They just chose to not let their own realities of life affect their attitude
towards their giving, ministering, and counseling to others. They had learned first-hand that the generous giving of themselves led to a better and more fruitful personal life in general. I think of them
constantly today, and I try to model my own life and attitude after their personal giving example. I’ve
come to realize that the positive aspects of my own life today are an example of how generous giving
leads to generous living.
--Robert Bennett
A new Missions Planning Team is being organized to help plan and coordinate the mission ministries of our church. Jesus’
last words to his apostles in Acts 1:8 were, “…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.” We want to expand our already outstanding mission ministries to include service beyond our local community. Our goal is to plan at least one or two domestic mission trips for 2015 and by 2016 to have at least one international mission
trip planned. If you have a passion for missions and want to be a part of the group that helps organize new opportunities for our
church to serve, then please contact Dave Peterson at [email protected] or Tom Jones at [email protected].
Read Through the Bible in a Year - I want to invite you to join with me in 2015 as we read through the Bible in a year. The
Bible we will read together is a Chronological Bible in the New International Version. Scholars have worked to organize this
version of the Bible based on the order the events actually happened providing a unique approach to reading and understanding
the scriptures. The daily readings can be completed in 15 minutes. The Bibles will be available in the church office the first
week in December. The cost will be $12 per Bible. Unfortunately we have found that a large print version is not available. My
prayer is that every adult and youth in our church will accept this invitation and make it our priority as a church family to spend
time daily in God’s Word. Watch the bulletin, newsletter, and website for further updates and details about getting your Bible.
Tom
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I want to thank the wonderful ladies who so meticulously cared for the SMUMC Family Resource
Center while we were in Ohio. Thank you to Kim Bennett, Nancy Boone, Audrey Cosper, and Linda Grooms. It was very much
appreciated. John and I are glad to be back with our church family.
For your reading pleasure there are several selections on the book case in front of the desk. Please follow the instructions for
checking them out and also please return in a timely manner. My Little Brother is a wonderful story of big brother having to
deal with a younger sibling. When Pete’s Dad Got Sick - How a relationship can change between a father and son when illness
strikes. Dear God, Thank You For Friends - a good book to read to preschool children. And for adults, Graham Crackers and
Milk. The first short story has to deal with a mother who really would love a picture window so she could see her flowers. Dad,
the contractor, cannot see the need for this window and why he should free up a crew to do this for his wife. Enjoy!!
Questions: Contact Kathryn Wyler by e-mail [email protected] or call 330-546-6955.
Many prayers have gone out for people who have had immediate critical prayer needs, as well as people with illnesses, families who
have lost loved ones, people who have faced surgeries, and people who are struggling. Below is a list of Prayer Partners who are
committed to pray for your prayer needs. If you have a special prayer request please contact one of the ladies & all of these ladies
will be praying for you. You do not have to be specific & all information will be kept confidential. All it takes is a single phone call
to anyone on the list and the prayer chain will be set in motion.
Kathryn Wyler, Chair
[email protected] cell 330-546-6955
Bea Crouse
[email protected]
882-6260
Wanda Bennett
[email protected]
882-4688
Audrey Clark
[email protected]
882-2125
Donna Franklin
[email protected] 882-6802
Adell Hamilton
[email protected]
882-4867
Karen Hoylman
[email protected] 673-6546
Toni Hoylman
[email protected] or
[email protected]
882-2440 or cell 912-227-8664
Joan Seal
[email protected] 576-1247 or cell 814-360-5685
Linda Victory
[email protected]
882-8655
Looking Ahead
The 2014 Charge Conference will be held on Sunday, November 23rd at 10am in Bailey Hall led by District
Superintendent, Wayne Moseley. 8:30 Worship - Rev. Tom Jones, Preaching; 11:00 Worship - Dr. Wayne Moseley,
Preaching. All members of the church are invited to attend.
Women’s Retreat: February 6-8, 2015 at Epworth by the Sea, St. Simons Island
Women of all ages are invited to join us for a special weekend retreat. This will be an awesome opportunity to grow in your own faith and
to fellowship with our sisters in Christ. The cost is only $85 and will include all meals and accommodations, and financial aid is available
for those in need. Contact Stacy Kiernan at [email protected] or 882-7508 if you are interested in attending so we can work on a
preliminary head count. We will start collecting money and reservations in December, so please make a note on your calendars now!
Stewardship of Presence
November 2
8:30 am
138
11:00 am
142
Worship Total
280
Sunday School
106
Money Matters
As of 10/31/2014
November 9
109
166
275
68 ( Foundation Presentation )
YTD Budget Income $360,080.80
YTD Budget Expenses $363,394.19
( $3,313.39 )
Wednesday Night Suppers
The serving line will be open from 5:00pm to 6:15pm. The cost of the meals will be $5 per person with a
$20 maximum per family. This Wednesday’s menu (Nov. 12th) is: Chicken Cordon Blue Pasta, Salad,
Rolls, Salad, Dessert. Tea & Lemonade will also be available.
Also make plans now to join us for Wednesday Night Supper on November 19th! Please let us know by
Friday, November 14th if you plan to attend on the 19th. See the form below for the info we need & either call
Tricia in the church office at 882-5505 ext. 0, or send an email to [email protected].
SMUMC STAFF
Tom Jones
Senior Pastor
[email protected]
912-882-6194
Tina Bense
Director of Children’s Ministries
[email protected]
Jeremy Cole
Director of Youth Ministries
[email protected]
Tricia Perrine
Church Secretary
[email protected]
Sandra Nihiser
Financial Secretary
[email protected]
Dara Davis
Director of Music Ministries
[email protected]
Ginna E. Stein
Director Happy Apple Academy
[email protected]
Church Office Hours:
Mon., Wed., & Thur. = 8:00am-3:00pm
Tue. = 8:00am-2:30pm
Fri. = 8:00am-Noon
Helping Hands Ministry/Food Pantry Hours:
Mon. thru Thurs. = 9:00am - Noon
Fri. = Closed
Wednesday Supper Sign-up Form
November 19th
Menu: Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, Salad, French Bread, Chocolate Cake, Tea & Lemonade
Name:
Total number of Adults & Children ($5.00 each)
Family Maximum (Immediate Family Members) is $20.00
Please give us your information by Noon on Friday, November 14th.
The office gives a “head count” to our cook on Friday in order to purchase enough food for the dinner.
United Methodist Church History
… Silva further described the structure, “The pews were plain wooden benches
with slatted backs. The entrance was by two doors at the south end. The one
on the right was for females and the other was for males, as the opposite sexes
were not allowed to sit together, so the young man and his best girl going to
church parted company there until the service was over.
“The gallery extending over the doors at the front was where the choir held
forth. I don’t think that there was any line drawn between the sexes
there…” (Other information says that the blacks sat in the balcony.)
History information excerpts are from the book, “St. Marys United Methodist
Church 1799-1999” written by Eloise Bailey Thompson. (Available in the
Church Office & at the UMW Bake/Craft sales.)
Did you know …
… you can donate to our Youth by eating at Ops Pizza Kitchen & Café?
Simply tell the cashier when you pay your bill that you would like them
to give credit to St. Marys UMC & a portion of your bill will be sent to
our Youth!
If you have information that you would like in the next newsletter, please send it to [email protected]
no later than Noon on Monday, November 24th.
St. Marys United Methodist Church
106 East Conyers Street
St. Marys, Georgia 31558
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
St. Marys, GA
PERMIT NO. 8
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Don’t think to yourself, My own strength and abilities have produced all this prosperity for me. Remember the Lord
your God! He’s the one who gives you the strength to be prosperous in order to establish the covenant he made with
your ancestors - and that’s how things stand right now.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Those Who Serve in Special Ways
November 16 , 2014
Altar Flowers:
Waldene & Dever Lassiter
Children’s Church:
Tina Bense
8:30 Acolytes:
To Be Announced
11:00 Acolytes:
Mikayla Boyd
8:30 Greeters:
Joyce Smith & Kelly Alexander
11:00 Greeters:
Amos & Dottie Simpson
Head Offering Counter: Lesley Young
Offering Counter:
Joyce Bason
Sound System:
Roy Bauers
8:30 Head Usher:
Dave Peterson
8:30 Usher:
David Franklin
11:00 Head Usher:
Diane Isernhagen
11:00 Usher:
Mike Rickenberg
November 23, 2014
Altar Flowers:
Thanksgiving
Children’s Church:
Tina Bense
8:30 Acolytes:
Ayden Wills
11:00 Acolytes:
Wills Chapman
8:30 Greeters:
Jack & Audrey Cosper
11:00 Greeters: Peggy Hollis & Carolyn Kacedon
Head Offering Counter: Lesley Young
Offering Counter:
Gloria Hurley
Sound System:
Roy Bauers
8:30 Head Usher:
Dave Peterson
8:30 Usher:
Tom Headlee
11:00 Head Usher:
Diane Isernhagen
11:00 Usher:
Carol Willis