1. family and parenting
2. children

Bartlett United Methodist Church
January 2015
Volume 41 Issue 1
K EVIN F RYE
F INANCE C OMMITTEE C HAIR
January Sermons
Happy New Year Bartlett UMC,
January 4
Wesley’s Covenant Service
Jeremiah 31:31-34
January 11
“Contentment Or Comparisons”
(First in series, Choices Christians Make)
John 21:20-22
January 18
“Humility Or Pride”
(Second in series, Choices Christians Make)
Proverbs 16:18
January 25
“Pleasing God or Pleasing People
(Third in series, Choices Christians Make)
Proverbs 29:25
Let’s Worship Together
Sundays
8:30 & 10:50 Worship Services
Sunday School: 9:30am
Wednesdays
Wednesday Night Devotion
6:00-6:30pm—Sanctuary
Acolytes
January 4
8:30: Addison Bawcum, Paige Proseus
10:50: Skylar Sides, Sydney Sides
January 11
8:30: Carson Shapard, Luke Freeman
10:50: Daleigh Brandon, Brian Cassady
January 18
8:30: Adrian Harding, Callie Drum
10:50: Sydney Frye, Emma Fergie
January 25
8:30: Mallory Orman, Ava Lewter
10:50: Katie Isaachsen, Meagan Kelley
Wednesday Night Fellowship Dinner
and Activities
will resume on Wednesday,
January 7.
I want to take a minute to personally thank the good and faithful
servants of BUMC. Your continued prayers, gifts, and service
have provided unbelievable opportunities not only to me and my
family, but our congregation and the surrounding community.
One thing I strongly believe in is that God is in control of this
Church and our lives, BUT we must make ourselves open and available to Him.
For those of you who know me, I am not your “typical” Finance chair. I do not
have an accounting job, I dislike bureaucracy (voting on EVERYTHING) and I
REALLY dislike the response “because we have always done it that way”, but I
like being challenged. In my personal life I have seen the direct correlation to
giving and my walk with Christ.
The first 2 years on Finance has been another personal and spiritual growth
experience for me and my family (Jennifer, Sydney - 11, and Henry - 8). I have
attended BUMC for 35 years and have personally been touched by Outreach,
Youth Group, Scouting, Youth Choir, Preschool and KDO. It took being the
Finance Chair to remind me of these blessings and the importance that I
personally play in supporting these great programs.
When I took over as Finance Chair, I felt that our finances were another integral
aspect to the mission of our church. I wanted to be open and transparent with all
members of the congregation concerning the finances of our church. In response,
we opened all of our meetings up to the congregation (3rd Tuesday of every
month as a reminder). For those who have not attended, here is a quick summary
of 2014:

Operating Giving up 2014 vs 2013

Capital Improvement transfers up 2014 vs 2013

Capital Improvement needs are outpacing transfers

Apportionment payments up 2014 $95,000 vs 2013 $85,000

All major program areas and personnel expenses are within budget

Raised over $50,000 for the new sound system

Endowment Fund $776,000 on our way to $1MM

Building debt is down to $3.2 million

2015 Operation Budget is set at $1,579,393
“Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this
small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate
together!” Matthew 25:21.
Peace and Joy,
Kevin Frye
“A covenant community grounded in and passionate about scripture, prayer, and our love for Jesus Christ.”
Glad Tidings and Great Joy
P ASTOR A NDY T HOMPSON
A SSOCIATE P ASTOR
Christmas has come and gone and so has the Advent season. I
hope the holidays were enjoyable and meaningful for everyone.
I also hope that you had a chance during Advent to think about
preparing for the long expected Jesus to arrive on Christmas Day and into our
It is time to
restock the
freezer with HOMEMADE
bread loaves! If you would like
to help with this ministry for
visitors to our Sunday Morning
worship services, please bake up
some of your favorite bread,
double wrap, label with your
name and type of bread and put
in the freezer in the Oaks Hall
closet.
Thank you so much for your
help with this ministry of
Homemade Bread!
lives. And then, before you know it we will be entering into another time of preparation as we move toward Lent.
I have been thinking a lot about the excitement and anticipation that has built up
as Christmas Day approached and want to continue to live in that joy. I want to
try, to the best of my ability, to spend every day preparing for Jesus to come into
my life and I hope that I never lose the child like excitement I experience every
time I sense and feel God’s presence.
As a people of faith we experience Christ as “Emmanuel, God with Us” in so
many ways. From the cradle to the grave, through good times and bad times, God
is with us, loving us and drawing us closer to Him even when we don’t realize it.
We should have the joy of Christmas in our hearts every day, knowing that God
comes to us and offers us peace, healing, hope, salvation and love through the
greatest gift ever given… His Son, our Lord and Savior and light for the world,
Jesus the Christ.
We Support Our Church
 By Our Prayers:
for those who experience sorrow:
Sympathy is expressed to Tracie Easterwood and Family upon the death of her mom, Mary Clatworthy; to The Family of Harry
Clay, our church member, upon his death on Nov. 27; to The Family of Mildred Mayo, our church member, upon her death on
November 29; to Treva Jolley and Family upon the death of her cousin, Doreen Lee; to Tricia Darby and Family upon the death
of her aunt, Dean Stephens; to Susan Moeschle and Family upon the death of her brother, Steve Lane; to Winston Guthrie and
Family upon the death of his brother, James Guthrie; to Vernon Tabor and Family upon the death of his brother, John Tabor; to
The Family of Verna Haggenhoff, our church member, upon her death on December 7; to Rosey Landreth and Family upon the
death of her brother Mark Woody.
 By Our Presence:
Worship: December 7—598; December 14—587; December 21—607
Sunday School: December 7—388; December 14—518; December 21—386
 By Our Service:
January Greeters: Progressive, Followers, Journey, The Foundation, Genesis, The Way
January Ushers:
8:15 Ushers: Jim Lamb, Denis Elliott, Jim Hathcock, Bill Glasgow, Don Piper, Del Soles, Bo Horton, Dave Wing
10:50 Ushers: Jim McFarland, Bob Bowers, Gerald McKinney, Sam Pickard, Ken Williams
 By Our Gifts:
Operating Budget
Building Fund
Weekly Need: $30,687.00
Weekly Need: $5,751.00
November 30: $15,772.90
December 14: $20,033.35
November 30: $4,458.50
December 14: $6,582.50
December 7: $35,098.01
December 7: $9,674.00
Pledge cards are available in the church office,
Oaks Hall and online
bartlettumc.org/stewardship-commitment
Change or Acceptance?
Recently, in response to a life
crisis, a client was wrestling
with the meaning of the famous
Serenity Prayer (“God, grant me
the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change, courage to change the things I can,
& wisdom to know the difference.” ) “But
exactly how do I decide what to change &
what to accept?” they asked me. “Taking
responsibility for that feels overwhelming!”
Dr. Ron Johnson
As we reflect on the
Director of BUMC Counseling
past year & enter a
901-384-4035
new one, some of us
[email protected]
too will enter a period
of discernment. Whether life has handed us a new crisis or
a chronic dilemma, we too will be deciding whether acceptance or change or some combination of both is wise in
our situation. Significant change – in health, in relationships, in work, in spirit - is possible but likely requires a
creative “courage.”
Faith claims this truth - we are accepted AND we are
called to change. The goal of the Center is to be a support
system for that discernment within the church & out to the
wider community. As licensed health care professionals &
ordained clergy, our calling is to be available for discerning wisdom, serenity, change & acceptance.
Fun Club Upcoming Calendar
January 6
Lunch/Cheddars on Germantown Pkwy.
Join us for a trip out to Cheddars!
January 20
Meeting, Program, and Lunch in LEC beginning at 10am
Program: Cathy Brooks/Bartlett Library
Ron Jewell from BPAC will also speak briefly to us
about shows in 2015!
The very first Fun Club lunch prepared by Andy Thompson,
BUMC Associate Pastor, will be served after the meeting!
New Directories will be out handed out at the January meeting,
so be sure to check out all our Programs and Trips for 2015!
Exciting events are planned for the entire year and you won’t
want to miss a single thing!
United Methodist Men
Saturday, January 10 - 8:00am
Cook Fellowship Hall
Cost: $4.00 Please call the Church Office
(386-4563) by noon, Friday, January 9 to
make your reservations.
United Methodist Women
There will not be a UMW General Meeting in January and
most circles will not meet in January.
Tuesday, January 13
Vital Circle will meet January 13 at 7:00 in the LEC Parlor.
A Note from Lay Leader,
David Horne. .
Dear Church;
During the month of December,
leading up to Christmas day we are
all thinking about what we may give
to those we love and hold dear. I
would hope as believers of the faith,
that we really take time out and reflect on what gift God has so sacrificially given to us;
His Son and through Him the gift of salvation.
Throughout this New Year and the days ahead, it is
my prayer that you will make a commitment to give
sacrificially, all that you can to support and enhance
the ministries of this your Church.
Grace & Peace
604-0097 or e-mail [email protected]
UMW President Loretta Galarno displays a Silver
Certificate awarded to our unit for completing eight criteria for
excellence for United
Methodist Women.
UMW meets the second Tuesday of each month at 10am in
Cook F. Hall for a program
and lunch. All
women are invited to come!
One of my very favorite Christmas songs is Faith Hill’s “A Baby Changes Everything.” Hearing this song
always takes my mind back to those precious moments of delivering my own children. The pain. The
crying. The miracle. The immense responsibility and worries over making mistakes. Mary went through all
the normal mama experiences: fretting over every noise Jesus made, changing tons of diapers, losing sleep,
and feeding Him constantly. I can only imagine how she felt about the additional honor of bearing
Angela Lewter
God’s only Son. This is one of the amazing miracles of Christmas- that God chose a humble, poor, Director of Children’s Ministry
Jewish teenage girl to bring the incredible gift of Jesus into the world. God so loved the world that
[email protected]
this gift was for ALL of us! I pray that this Christmas season, you were able to experience the joy
of how much God loves YOU. A baby truly did change everything.
In Christ, Angela
Thank you for the blessing of your continued support of Kids Beach Club! We
provide snacks and drinks for over 60
children each week, as well as providing two children with Bibles at each
club meeting. This vibrant ministry
would not be possible without your
help. Donations of cheap prizes for our
treasure box (collection box in Oaks
Hall) and funds for the purchase of
Bibles are always appreciated. If you
would like to be
on our substitute
helper list for
Beach Club for
the spring
semester
(beginning
January 15), we invite you to join us!
Please contact me or Andy Thompson
for more details.
Thank you for supporting
T’was the Night Just for
Christmas with your candy
donations! We had a great
turnout this year, and it was so
fun to see all the kids’ candycovered gingerbread houses.
Thank you also to the Youth
department and Children’s
Council for another
successful event.
Volunteer needs are currently posted outside
Fellowship Hall. Parents, please remember to sign up for
at least one Sunday for the January through March quarter
if your child attends Children’s Church. You are not
required to prepare any lesson- we simply need an extra adult to
assist the main teacher. I will be on maternity leave during most of this time
period. Please contact Andy Thompson or Jennifer Freeman with any questions
about Children’s Church during that time.
At the end of December, a Sunday will be assigned to parents who have not yet
chosen a day. In the fall, we were able to completely staff this program without
assigning anyone dates! Thank you for your help in making sure our children
have a safe, fun program to attend during the 10:50 service.
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More pics on the
Kid’s Page!!
As we move ahead into the new year, we
will begin the registration process for our
2015-16 school year. I know how important
the decision is for parents to find a quality
pre-school experience for their child’s early
childhood development. Our goal is to be a
bridge between parental guidance and a
well-rounded preparedness for Kindergarten. Our doors are always open to anyone
Jennifer Freeman
wanting to find out more about our program.
Director of BUMC Preschool
[email protected]
"The Confirmation Class" had a Christmas Party with their mentors on
December 6.
Want your child to learn and have fun?
If you're looking for a fun place where your
baby or toddler can learn, socialize, and get
ready for preschool, Bartlett United
Methodist can help!
Our Kid's Day Out is a quality, affordable
program that can provide positive early learning
experiences and foster your child's intellectual,
social, and emotional development. Our highly
qualified teachers will provide a warm, loving
place for your little ones to grow, create, and
explore.
Kids Day Out Registration
Our Kid’s Day Out Registration for the
Summer 2015 and Fall 2015 programs will
open on January 21, 2015.
Summer Program
The summer program is for ages 6 months Pre-school age. The program is open
Mondays and Thursdays during June and
July. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Fall Program
On December 7 the class presented a Christmas Play to
Children's Church."
"This month the Confirmation Class will collect food to help
restock our church's food pantry. Students will visit all the
adult classes on January 4 to ask for food and on January 11 to
collect the food. The class wishes to thank the church for
their support of this joint student-mentor project."
Wednesdays—5pm—LEC
Adults - $6
Children (4 -12 yrs.) - $3 Max
per immediate family - $20
(parents with children)
Soup & Salad ~ $3
Dessert & Drink Only - $2
The fall program is for ages 6 months to 3
years old. The program is open Mondays,
Thursdays, and Fridays (maximum two
days a week). Hours are 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Cheryl Phillips, Director of KDO
901/386-1698
[email protected]
Wednesday, January 7
Wednesday, January 14
Wednesday, January 21
Wednesday, January 28
Country Fried Steak w/gravy
Green Beans
Fried Okra
Au Gratin Potatoes
Rolls
Salad Bar
Cookies/Ice Cream
Peach Cobbler
Soup: Chicken Noodle
Kids: Pizza
BBQ Chicken
Turnip Greens
Seasonal Peas
Corn on the Cob
Cornbread
Salad Bar
Cookies/Ice Cream
Blackberry Cobbler
Soup: Cream of Tomato
Kids: Mac & Cheese
Philly Steak Sandwich
(Beef & Chicken) Cheese
Sauce, Peppers, Sautéed
Onions, Mushrooms
Coleslaw
Seasonal Broccoli
Steak Fries
Salad Bar
Cookies/Ice Cream
Strawberry Shortcake
Soup: French Onion
Kids: Chicken Tenders
Sesame Chicken
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Eggrolls
Stir Fried Vegetables
Fried Rice
Pork Potstickers
Salad Bar
Cookies/Ice Cream
Cherry Cobbler
Soup: Egg Drop
Kids: Corn Dogs
Mon
4
Crossroads Youth Choir
4:15pm
UMYF-5:15pm
6 @ 6 -6pm
5
Stretch Class-9am
Basketball Practice-5pm
Women’s Bible Study
5:30pm
Celebration Ringers5:45pm
Girls Scouts-6:30pm
Boy & Cub Scouts-7pm
NA Meeting-7pm
Tue
Wednesday
Fellowship
Dinner
Resumes!
Yum! Yum!!
6
Fun Club lunch at Cheddars
Basketball Practice-5pm
Moriah House –6pm
Girl Scouts-6:30pm
Troop Committee-6:30pm
Y ield your members to righteousness (Romans 6:11, 16)
E xercise yourself in godliness (1 Timothy 4:7)
A im for a perfect, mature faith (Hebrews 6:1)
N eglect not your talents and opportunities (Galatians
6:10)
E xamine yourself daily (2 Corinthians 13:5)
W ork diligently for the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58)
H old fast to your faith (Hebrews 4:14)
A ssemble with the saints (Hebrews 10:25)
P ray earnestly every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
P ray for great blessings (Malachi 3:10)
Y ield not to temptation (1 Thessalonians 5:22)
FOR THE NEW YEAR
Sun
1
Eternal God!
CHURCH OFFICE AND
LEC
CLOSED
Thu
7
Stretch Class-9am
Pastor’s Bible Study
10:30am
Fellowship Dinner-5pm
Campanella Ringers
5pm
Jacob’s Well-5pm
PIYO Class-6pm
Volleyball-6pm
Devotion-6pm
Graded Choirs-6pm
Men’s Bible Study-6pm
Youth Bible Study-6pm
Chancel Choir-7pm
Disciple I Study-6:30pm
8
Bartlett Bells-9am
Women’s Book Study
2pm
Beach Club-3pm
Basketball Practice-4pm
Yoga-5:45pm
Daisy Troop Meeting
6:30pm
Crew Band Rehearsal
7pm
NEXT Step—7pm
and be hopeful;
faith enough to look upward
Grant us gratitude enough to look
backward and be thankful;
courage enough to look forward
Wed
Volunteers are
needed to help
watch
children!
Give Perry a call if
9
Stretch Class-9am
LUCES-6:30pm
2
Stretch Class-9am
Fri
UMM Prayer
Breakfast-8am
Youth Basketball Games
Pistols & Petticoats-7pm
Youth Dinner Club at
McAlister’s—6:30pm
10
COME
AND
WATCH
US
PLAY!!!
3
Youth Basketball Games
Pistols & Petticoats-7pm
Sat
26
Stretch Class 9am
Preschool Chapel-9am
Basketball Practice-5pm
Women’s Bible Study
5:30pm
Boy & Cub Scouts-7pm
Girls Scouts-6:30pm
NA Meeting-7pm
25
Blood Pressure
Screening
Puppets-2:30pm
Crossroads Youth Choir4:15
UMYF-5:15pm
6 @ 6 -6pm
19
Church Office & LEC
Closed for
Martin Luther King Day
12
Stretch Class-9am
Basketball Practice-5pm
Women’s Bible Study
5:30pm
Celebration Ringers5:45pm
Chancel Bells-6pm
Boy & Cub Scouts-7pm
Girls Scouts-6:30pm
NA Meeting-7pm
18
Puppets-2:30pm
Crossroads Youth Choir4:15
UMYF-5:15pm
6 @ 6 -6pm
Blood Pressure
Screening
Puppets-2:30pm
Crossroads Youth Choir
4:15pm
UMYF-5:15pm
6 @ 6 -6pm
11
27
Preschool Chapel-9am
Basketball Practice-5pm
Girl Scouts-6:30pm
20
Youth Breakfast Club5:45am
Fun Club Meeting/Program
and Lunch-10am
Basketball Practice-5pm
Girl Scouts-6:30pm
Moriah House Birthday
Party
Music @ Noon
resumes with
the Bartlett
High School
Band
performing.
13
Preschool Chapel-9am
Basketball Practice-5pm
Girl Scouts-6:30pm
Vital Circle—7pm
28
Stretch Class-9am
Preschool Chapel-9am
Pastor’s Bible Study
10:30am
Music @ Noon-12:10pm
Fellowship Dinner-5pm
Campanella Ringers
5pm
Volleyball-6pm
Devotion-6pm
Graded Choirs-6pm
Men’s Bible Study-6pm
Youth Bible Study-6pm
Chancel Choir-7pm
Disciple I Study-6:30pm
21
Kid’s Day Out Registration
Stretch Class-9am
Preschool Chapel-9am
Pastor’s Bible Study
10:30am
Music @ Noon-12:10pm
Fellowship Dinner-5pm
Campanella Ringers
5pm
Volleyball-6pm
Devotion-6pm
Graded Choirs-6pm
Men’s Bible Study-6pm
Youth Bible Study-6pm
Chancel Choir-7pm
Disciple I Study-6:30pm
14
Stretch Class-9am
Preschool Chapel-9am
Pastor’s Bible Study
10:30am
Music @ Noon-12:10pm
Fellowship Dinner-5pm
Campanella Ringers
5pm
Volleyball-6pm
Devotion-6pm
Graded Choirs-6pm
Men’s Bible Study-6pm
Youth Bible Study-6pm
Chancel Choir-7pm
Disciple I Study-6:30pm
16
Stretch Class 9am
Cub Scout Pine Wood
Derby-6:30pm
23
Stretch Class 9am
25
Youth Basketball Games
St. John’s Soup
Kitchen-3:30pm
Pistols & Petticoats-7pm
St. Johns Soup Kitchen3pm
Pistols & Petticoats-7pm
17
Youth Basketball Games
Scout Pancake Breakfast
8:00am
29
Bartlett Bells-9am
Women’s Book Study
2pm
Basketball Practice-4pm
Beach Club-3pm
Yoga-5:45pm
Daisy Troop Meeting
6:30pm
Disciple’s Path Study
7pm
Crew Band Rehearsal
7pm
31
Youth Basketball Games
Pistols & Petticoats-7pm
Please turn in your pledge
card to the church office as
soon as possible. Thanks!!
Just a friendly reminder. . . .
30
Stretch Class 9am
J A N U A R Y 2 1 — S u m me r a n d F a l l S e s s i o n s
22
Bartlett Bells-9am
Women’s Book Study
2pm
Basketball Practice-5pm
Beach Club-3pm
Preschool Parent Mtg5:30pm
Yoga-5:45pm
Daisy Troop Meeting
6:30pm
Crew Band Rehearsal
7pm
Volunteers are needed to
help with St. Johns Soup
Kitchen! Call Perry if you
can help. (386-4563)
15
Bartlett Bells-9am
Women’s Book Study
2pm
Basketball Practice-5pm
Beach Club-3pm
Yoga-5:45pm
Daisy Troop Meeting
6:30pm
Crew Band Rehearsal
7pm
Here are a Upcoming Music
activities from the Music area.
JANUARY
4
Crossroads Youth Choir
resumes rehearsal
5
Celebration Ringers resumes
rehearsal
7
All Wednesday Night
programming resumes
8
Bartlett Bells resumes
The beginning of a New Year is typically exciting. We take time to
reflect on the year past, and we create goals for the year ahead. As a
church musician I use this time of reflection to measure the
Todd Wilson
work of the recent past. Have I done my part to glorify God
Director of Music Ministries
[email protected]
and not the needs of man? Have I inspired my ensembles to
go beyond what they are capable of? Have I challenged the
congregation to reach higher, to learn, and to be more accepting of tunes they are just learning? This morning, as I’ve been preparing to write this, all I can think of is December 2015.
I’ve actually had thoughts of next December’s musical offerings several times this fall. I
encourage you in this rollover time to reflect and plan ahead as well. What are you doing to
be a stronger, more involved member of BUMC?
12 Chancel Bells resumes
FEBRUARY
Many, many
The Crossroads
6&7
thanks to
Madrigal Dinner
Crossroads Madrigal
Dinner Theater
17 Shrove Tuesday Pancake
Supper and Variety Show
18 Ash Wednesday Service
20 Chancel Bells CD release
Party
MUSIC @ Noon
Concert Series 2015
January 14
Bartlett High School Band
Dwight Dodd, Director
January 21
Brazilian Organist—
Cristiano Rizzotto
Doctoral Student, University of
Oklahoma
January 28
Priscilla Tsai
Memphis Repertory Orchestra
Concertmaster—Solo Violin
everyone . . . .
who participated in the
children’s Christmas
program! It was a
wonderful
Karen Strawhecker
morning!
Assoc. Director of Music
The children did
Ministry/Organist
a great job of
[email protected]
presenting the
story of Christ’s birth through global music.
The next two projects for the Children’s
Music Program are coming up quickly in the
new year. The first is music for the Ash
Wednesday Service on Wednesday,
February 18th at 6:00 p.m. All of the
children’s choirs will participate in the
service. The second project is the Kingdom
Chorale choir tour to Birmingham, AL.
This year the children will participate in a
choir festival, something we have never
done before. We will also visit the Alabama
Wildlife Center in Pelham, AL.
Dates for the tour are March 6-8.
February 4
Dr. Judith Pfeiffer—Solo Piano
February 11
Mary Wilson—Voice Students
Valentine's Day with Rudi E.
Scheidt School of Music Singers
February 25
Scott Anderson—
Trombone Students
University of Memphis
Instrumentalists
You are invited to join us
for 30 minutes of some of the
Memphis area’s finest musical talent. All concerts begin
at 12:10pm and end at
12:40pm. A light lunch will
be available for purchase
following each performance.
Theater is
coming up!
Performances
will be
Trenton Teegarden
February 6th
Director of Youth Music
and 7th in the
W: 901-386-4563
LEC. Tickets
C: 615-339-4962
[email protected] for this year’s
performance
will be available for everyone in Oaks
Hall starting Sunday January 18th. Tickets
will be $15.00 for adults and $5.00 for
children. All proceeds go to support the
Youth Music Fund at Bartlett UMC. You
can also purchase tickets in the front office during business hours or by
contacting me at 901-356-4563 or email
me at [email protected].
This year’s performance is going to be
extra exciting! If you have not attended a
Madrigal dinner in some time then I encourage you to come back, you won’t be
disappointed!
Our knitting and crocheting ministry
has grown!
We meet on Wednesday nights at 6pm in the
LEC Parlor and all are invited to join us, from
beginners to accomplished stitchers.
We are working on a variety of projects: preemie hats, prayer shawls, afghans for the homeless and area shelters, and more.
We have shawls available for use on Sunday mornings during worship. They are meant to be
used and then put back after services. Come and join us!
Outreach in 2014
Outreach Calendar
January 7
Jacob’s Well, 5pm
702 Looney, OPEN!!
Volunteers Needed!!
January 9
LUCES
Volunteers need to watch kids
January 17
St. John’s Soup Kitchen,
3:30-6pm, OPEN!!!
Volunteers Needed!!
January 20
Moriah House B’Day Party
Throw a party for women in Moriah
House with a January Birthday.
Crackers
Breakfast items
Pasta
Pasta Sauce
Rice
Mac & Cheese
Canned meats
Peanut butter
We cannot possibly name all of the volunteers that made
2014 a great year, but these are some of the missions we
accomplished this year.
 Over 400 families and 1300 people came through our
pantry. This is a 30% increase from last year.
 Fed over 2000 people through Jacob’s Well, Church
Without Doors, and St. John’s
 Held our first Health Fair
 Made and sent out over 120 goodie bags
Perry Martini
 Made and sent out over 500 hygiene bags
Director of Outreach Ministries
[email protected]
 Over 80 volunteers at SOS for a week
 Delivered over 80 preemie caps to the Med
 Served at Moriah House 20 times for dinners, graduations, & birthday parties
 Served 40 families and their children at LUCES every month
 Provided home improvement for a family in Raleigh
 Provided 96 Thanksgiving baskets to schools, churches, and individuals
 Adopted 6 families for Christmas
 Collected over 200 toys and bikes for Perea, Reelfoot, and the local community
 Provided Chapel services, teacher breakfasts, and a Christmas party at Perea
preschool
 Collected 434 operation Christmas Child shoeboxes
 Found homes for washers, dryers, clothes, televisions, and various assorted
items that were donated
 Provided more than 100 blankets and numerous hats, scarves, and gloves to
the homeless
These things are not possible without the donation of time and resources from this
congregation and those groups from outside this church that chose to come to us
for service hours. We thank all of you. We thank God for always making things
work out even when we thought we were short of food or people. Blessings to you
Happy New Year everyone!
from
Rachel
By the time you receive this newsletter, Christmas will have passed and
we will be on our way into 2015—
seems like time flies! As I write this
article, however, we are still very
much in 2014 and all of the busy
end-of-year activities and Christmas
events. It’s difficult for me to look
ahead to that calmer time, caught
in the flurry of closing out 2014,
but there are some things I want to
share with you:
2014 Contribution Statements will be mailed out around the
middle of January for those who contributed at least $250 to
the church throughout the year. If you have not received yours
by the end of January or there is a discrepancy between your
records and ours, please give me a call in the church office.
Personalized offering envelopes will be ordered by the first of
February. You must let me know by the end of January (either
by marking the box on your pledge card or by phone call or
email) if you want them. Once the order is placed, I cannot
add names.
As of December 16, out of 545 pledge cards mailed, we have
had 224 returned. Please remember how important your
pledge is to the programs and ministries of this church. There
is no pledge too small. Every dollar you commit helps us
know better where we stand in our budget for the upcoming
year. If you have lost yours (which is completely understandable this time of year) extras are available in Oaks Hall, or, if
you prefer, you can fill out your pledge card electronically on
our church website—it gets emailed directly to me!
Our Thanksgiving offering brought in over $9000! Thanks to
your generosity, we are able to go ahead with some much
needed upgrades to systems that have been struggling since our
computer crash in the spring.
On a personal note, I always find it impressive how diligently
the staff works this time of year to get all the things done that
they manage to get done. It is CRAZY busy around here this
time of year! But, everyone does it with a smile on his/her
face, a lightness of step, and the occasional whistle or hum of
holiday cheer (especially Todd!) I even had a secret elf deliver
an early Christmas present this year (my eyes thank you, whoever you are, sweet elf!) I definitely count working with this
staff and for this congregation among my many blessings!
As the New Year comes around, many of us become reflective and consider the parts of our lives that we
would like to “ transform”. Often these revolve around kicking bad habits (such as eating junk food) or
developing new disciplines (like working out three times a week). So, what is the place of resolutions in the
Christian life?
On a basic level, resolutions are part of everyday Christian life.
We are resolved to seek God and glorify Him each and every day: Romans 12:2 calls us to
daily transformation of our minds so we can know and live out God’s will for us.
‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.’
We are encouraged to be self disciplined in life. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul uses the
imagery of an athlete in training being disciplined and striving towards the goal. “Do you not
know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get
the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a
crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
SOOOOO…What are your resolutions this year?
New Year’s could be the perfect time (though any day is great) to commit yourself to pursuing
disciplines and habits that will help you run the race and win the prize. These could include:
Lynn Thompson
Director of Youth Ministries
[email protected]
January 8
Next Step -7:00pm
January 10
Dinner Club-6:30pm
McAllister’s Deli
Plan to get into God’s word
It could be a devotional, reading the Bible in a year, listening to a sermon, dwelling on a
January 20
verse. Be creative! (Colossians 3:16)
Breakfast Club –5:45am
Pray daily
Set time aside for prayer, be structured in praying for people and issues in the world by using
prayer lists, start a prayer journal, find a place to go each day to pray. (Philippians 4:6)
Work on your problem areas
Pray that God will reveal the sin in your life to work on this year. Acknowledge, confess and repent of this sin. Find someone to be
accountable to and meet and pray with them this year!
Positive Habit
There may be other areas in your life that you may feel you should be working on. These may include eating better, sleeping better,
exercising more, getting more organized etc. Remember we are physical beings as well as spiritual. We need to be working on both
to be functional!
Don't rely Just on Willpower!!!
The world is pretty cynical about New Year’s resolutions. According to research you are most likely to revert to old behaviors between 5-7 times before changing your ways and it takes at least 66 days to develop a new habit. It is little wonder than that most
resolutions don’t see it past January. But thankfully, as Christians we have a greater power at work in us that can enable us to see
things through. The Spirit of God works within us conforming us to the image of Christ. If he is for us – who can be against us?
And what is better – we know there is forgiveness and grace when we do slip up.
So why not take the time this coming new
year to consider the aspects of your life that
need working on while resolving each and
every day to choose to
In Christ,
live for
Lynn Thompson
Christ.
COME AND WATCH!!!
BUMC Basketball games
have now started!
Come up to the gym any
Saturday in January or February
and catch some of our awesome
players taking the court!
Games start at 9am and end around 4pm.
NEW CLASS STARTING
IN JANUARY!!
PIYO Class (instructed by Shana
Blankenship): Class will be Wednesday
nights at 6pm in the racquetball room.
Sunday,
November 16
Sam Thompson
Director of Recreation Ministries
[email protected]
PiYo Description:
PiYo LIVE combines the musclesculpting, core-firming benefits of
Pilates with the strength and flexibility
• Running Group: Meets every Wednesday after
Fellowship Dinner. Meet in the LEC Lobby around
6pm to run or walk!
 BUMC GOLF MINISTRY
Taking a break for the winter! We will kick back up
in spring! Please contact Sam Thompson to be added to the mailing list
 Bootcamp: Tuesday and Thursday at 5am in LEC
Gym. Class limit to 20 participants. No charge but
donations for instructors greatly appreciated.
Contact Sam Thompson to get on the list!!!
 Stretch Class: 9am, Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday
 Freeplay Basketball: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
2-4pm WE ARE STARTING BACK UP! COME
OUT AND PLAY.
 Open Gym Volleyball: 6pm,Wednesdays
 Yoga: Every Thursday night at 5:45pm
Contact Pat Gresham at 371-6972 (reg. required)
ACROSSTOWN 5K
Mark your calendars for the 2015 aCrosstown 5k
on April 4!! This year’s race will benefit Latinos
United for
Children’s
Education and
Support,
Moriah House,
and Jacobs Well
(three local missions that the
church holds dear to its heart)! Registration is now
available! Register online at
www.bartlettumc.org/registrations or fill out a
paper form and turn it into the main office!
Do you have any ideas for the Recreation
Department? Shoot an email to Sam Thompson at
[email protected]
of flowing yoga movements. You’ll use
your body weight to perform a series
of continuous, targeted moves to define
every single muscle—big and small.
Men’s Retreat will be in early
May 2015. Mark your calendars
with the tentative date of May
2nd, 2015! Planning a trip to
Pickwick Lake!
Hey Congregation,
I hope you are all doing well and had an excellent holiday season! I came
across a Tim Tebow article the other day that has been stuck in my mind
and something that I am trying to live out every day since I read it. Tim
Tebow more often than not is criticized for his love for God and how he
displays those feelings in sports or broadcasting. A large number of people consider him “over the top” or “pushy” when it comes to his opinion
on religion or his thoughts on God and Jesus. I have even heard Christians
themselves say that he is “putting on a show.” He released a statement
that talks about why he proclaims God’s great news in the manner he does
and it really hit home for me. GOD IS GOOD! So why do we try and
hide it sometimes or feel embarrassed to proclaim his good news? I challenge you all to take a leap of faith this New Year and celebrate God’s
wonderful work that he is doing in each of our lives!
BARTLETT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NEWS
USPS#087-010 published semi-monthly by
Bartlett United Methodist Church, 5676 Stage Road, Bartlett, TN
Periodicals postage is paid at Memphis, TN
POSTMASTER, send address changes to Bartlett United
Methodist Church News, 5676 Stage Road, Bartlett, TN 38134
Bartlett United Methodist Church
5676 Stage Road
Bartlett, TN 38134
Phone: 901/386-4563
Fax: 901/386-9927
Counseling Center:
901/384-4035
www.bartlettumc.org
www.bartlettumcyouth.org
If you know
of a member
who is in the
hospital or
in rehab,
please call
the church office with that
information so we can update
our hospital list and visit our
members. Thank You!
It is time to restock the freezer with
HOMEMADE bread loaves!
If you would
like to help
with this
ministry for
visitors to our
Sunday Morning worship services,
please bake up some of your favorite
bread, double wrap, label with your
name and type of bread and put in the
freezer in the Oaks Hall closet.
Thank you so much for your help with
this ministry of Homemade Bread!
Chancel Flower Openings:
January 4, 11, 18, 25
If you would like to place flowers
in celebration of someone, as an
honorarium or a memorial please
call the church office at 386-4563.
What if we took our lengthy lists of changes
we want to make in the new year and
narrowed them down — way down? Rather
than making a half dozen or more commitments that we’re unlikely to keep, how about
zeroing in on a single word that captures the
essence of what we want to achieve or
become?
North Carolina pastor Mike Ashcraft encouraged church members to each find one
word that points to or describes a characteristic or vision they wanted to achieve in the
year ahead. The experiment turned into a
movement, with ideas and testimonials
available at myoneword.org.
What would your one-word resolution be?