A Most Extravagant Grace

Good morning Trinity Tribe,

I hope you are well this day! I have dropped the newsletters off at the Post Office, so I am in a great mood. We also had a wonderful and meaningful time at Bible study today. Trinity is a great place to talk about how we work on our faith and keep trying to live it out day by day.

I have been thinking about divine grace a lot this week with the beginning of Advent. If humanity hadn't sinned, we wouldn't need divine grace at all. However, we do have free will, therefore we choose to turn away from God. Sometimes that turning away isn't intentional in that we say to ourselves, "I will lie to my friend today so that I can turn away from God." For me, at least, it doesn't work like that. I choose to bite Mark's head off about something or skip doing my morning devotional or whatever the sin of the moment is for a different reason. I bite his head off because I am worried about something and didn't get enough sleep and didn't take a deep breath before I spoke, for example. I didn't think about God in the equation at all. And that is the problem. When we sin, it has eternal consequences. Whenever we sin, we turn away from God. We don't cheat on our taxes or drive too fast or drink too much to intentionally hurt our relationship with God, but that is the eternal consequence of those sinning ways.

Therefore, no matter how hard we try to be perfect and live according to God's teachings, we are going to sin. Therefore, God's extravagant grace is needed. No matter what we do, we can choose to receive grace. God always offers it, no matter how much we sin. We can turn away from God, but we can also turn toward God. God continually reaches out to us in love, we must merely choose to accept it. Becoming human and walking and talking and living was God's way to show us how much love God has for us. Jesus embodies love and grace.

Grace isn't a one time thing like a vaccine against sin. Grace is constant. Grace is extravagant. God is always working on us to give us a different life. We can do little or nothing on our own. But, through God, all things are possible. We don't just get "saved" once and then we are good…sin continues to haunt us. Receiving and responding to God's extravagant grace is a daily process. We continually awaken to God's work within us…we continually see God's work in the world…we continually feel God's hand guiding us…we continually turn towards God's love…we continually love God in response. Through grace we are transformed from what we were in sin to what we will be in Christ.

Verses 1 and 5 of "And Can It Be," a beautiful Wesley hymn help me understand this wonderful gift we receive in Jesus.

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

Happy New Year

Good morning Trinity Tribe!

Happy New Year! Yesterday was the first day of the new church year! We didn't celebrate with streamers, blow-horns, and confetti. We celebrated by decorating the church symbolically yesterday. We hung wreaths on the door of the church welcoming Christ into our midst. We strung pine garland on the kneeler rail to remind us of our need to repent and return to God's loving arms. We lit our Chrismon tree which has physical symbols to remind us of the doctrines of our faith. We lit the Advent wreath to remind us to have the splendid light of Jesus in our hearts.

How else are we preparing for Christ's birth? At our house, we have put up an advent wreath on the dining room table. As an adult, I have never celebrated this ritual at home. However, I look forward to lighting the candles and talking about preparing our hearts for Christ at home. We have advent calendars for the girls, which will be a fun way to mark the days until Christmas. We will be getting the Nativity scenes out this week as well.

One of my friends from Divinity School, Kathy, is of Polish extraction. Down the family tree they were Roman Catholic, but they are now United Methodist. However, one of their family traditions on Christmas Eve is to have a very large piece of communion wafer that has a nativity scene etched in it. Each person breaks off a piece of the bread while standing with a second family member who also breaks off a piece of the bread. They each wish one another the peace of Christ and say Merry Christmas and then move on to the next family member. It was a neat tradition when I spent a Christmas Eve with her family several years ago. We ate Christmas cookies and read the Christmas story about Santa. However, Christ's birth was a real part of the celebration.

On Christmas we remember that God has saved us from ourselves and our sin by walking and talking and living life as a human being. As the Bible says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” — John 1:14, NIV. That little bitty baby will grow up and teach us to live well.

How are you preparing your hearts and minds and homes for Christ to come in? What traditions do you have from your family? What decorations do you use to remind you that Christmas is about more than the shopping? Do you have a special food that you eat?

Leaving a forwarding address

Good morning everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the sunshine and kids being out of school! If you will be traveling this weekend, I pray that you will have traveling mercies and no wrecks on the highway! We are heading to Kentucky to have a brief visit with Mark's 80 year old mother and two brothers. We will get to see his daughter, Claire, briefly. All in all exciting, but a short visit compared to the long drive. Sigh…

I got, what I hope is the last, "unable to forward/no such address" returned November newsletter. I have a whole stack of people that I do not have forwarding addresses on. (If you are not getting our newsletter, please let me have your address. It is good reading!) Are we like that with God sometimes? I know I have been. When something bad has happened, I have shut down. I have quit praying. I have pouted. I have pretended that I have not left God a forwarding address so that God's love can get to me. Of course, that is ludicrous since God's love is never ending and always surrounding me, however I have certainly felt unlovable even to God.

It brings this scripture to mind: "God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them" (NLT, 1 John 4:16). God is love. We cannot escape God's love, even when we feel lower than dirt. We cannot escape God's love when we hate ourselves. We cannot escape God's love when we feel like no one loves us. God loves us. Period. No matter what.

I pray that you feel God's love today and everyday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember to sign up for Christmas at Camp which is 10am on Saturday, December 4th. Sign up also for our trip on December 6th to the Southern Supreme Fruitcake factory.

Being invitational

Good morning Trinity Tribe,

I hope you are well! I am trying to make the bulletin look like I want it to this morning. Hopefully, I am winning the battle! We will see when I hit print in a couple of minutes!

If you are making pies for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, please have them at the church by 10am tomorrow or drop them by the Mission Camp by 2pm. People that are helping tomorrow, thank you for your service! A special thanks goes out to Tommy Lewis who has coordinated our participation in that wonderful mission.

Poinsettias have gone up in price everywhere this year. The cost will be $18.50. You can dedicate one or many in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. Order forms will be in the bulletin this week, or you can email me directly.

Please sign up for Christmas at Camp on Saturday, December 4th from 10am to 2pm. We get to eat…play…talk and get ready for the season! Friends are welcome! There will be fun for all ages!
http://camprockfish.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=189:christmas-at-camp


Now on to my thought for the day…

The Columbia Partnership is a group of presenters, pastor-coaches, and leadership development professionals from whom I receive daily emails. I have taken a class with one of the presenters who was quite good and helpful. The email today captures perfectly something I have been thinking and praying about. So, I am going to print it below.

Having Trinity grow to have standing room only at worship is a goal…not so I, as the pastor, look good…but because God told us to go and make disciples. We need more disciples learning and growing alongside us at Trinity. There is plenty of room in the pews for more disciples. I, as the pastor, cannot make this happen. I am just one person. If I meet one person a week and invite them to church, we will only grow by 52 people in a best case scenario. But if everyone sitting in the pews does the same thing, we could grow exponentially.

So, I would ask you to do these things today:

1. Read the article (it's not full of pastor mumbo-jumbo or anything)
2. Pray…pray for the next 25 members of our church
3. Think…think about the people you run across on a daily basis…are there people in your life that are asking questions? In a time of transition? They would be people that might be open to an invitation.
4. Invite…invite someone to church…it could be someone you know or someone you barely know
(It doesn't have to be an invitation to worship. For example, if you are a Methodist Man, the Methodist Men's dinner might be a good place to invite someone.)
5. Prayerfully consider how we make visitors feel at Trinity and how we can get them plugged into our ministries and small groups quickly. That is how we make disciples.

A Travel Free Learning Article
By Gary Straub, Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership

Voice: 502.320.4336, E-mail: GStraub@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, Web Site: www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org

[This article builds on the theme of a previous one: Improving your Congregation’s I.Q. In case you wonder, I.Q. stands for Invitational Quotient.]

A congregation fully engaged in the process of revitalization can get so intense on institutional survival, constitutional change, and internal governance issues to the near neglect of its mission, heartbeat, reason d’être; welcoming folks to the heart of God through Jesus Christ. This conversation seeks to provide not only a snap-back, but a place to jump-start the action.

Who are the Next 25 Members of Your Congregation, and Where Will They Come From?

Here are six clues about these next 25:

They will come mostly because they are asked.
They will come back only if we learn what’s next after hello.
They will join for five top reasons.
They will likely start coming in certain seasons.
They will need to hear your clear answers on their crucial questions.
They will tell you what their spiritual needs are, if you listen closely.
Let’s Explore These Six Clues:

1. They come because they are asked. While general traffic in the building or general curiosity may account for a small percentage of first-timers, over 60 percent make their first visit because they were asked. Therefore, you already know the next 25. They are your Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances/Associates, or Neighbors. Thus the acronym for the next 25 is that they are already your F.R.A.Ns.

2. What’s next after hello? I have yet to meet a church that does not consider itself friendly. So after “hello”, what do you say? Do you have a path charted that invites folks to walk with you from first time visitor to first anniversary of membership? This path need not require elaborate strategizing or be highly formalized. Yet we do need to get much more intentional about offering pathways for folks to walk deeper into discipleship with Christ and fellowship with the body of Christ.

3. Five top reasons. a) There’s just a piece missing in my life and I think its God, so that brought me to the church door. b) I have been thinking about religious matters for some time and now the time has come to follow through. c) My kids, and the needs of my family, are bringing me through the church door. d) I have a relationship to God that I know I need to nurture. e) The classic life passages of birth, marriage, and death brings me to reevaluate my relationships.

4. Seasons of life. In addition to the perennial Christmas and Easter times when folks are most likely to consider church attendance, and family moments of funerals and baptisms, occasions of serious life transitions, seasons of sea-change, upheavals, and trauma may prompt a church visit.

5. Crucial questions. While these inquiries may seem elementary to veteran church goers, new folks bring their own elemental questions. What about sins forgiven? What’s the meaning and purpose of my life? Is a real relationship with God possible? Can I really have eternal life? The clarity and charity of our responses need to resonate with them.

6. The gift of listening. When a guest gets their initial questions answered with some measure of satisfaction, it opens the door for their larger and deeper questions. Respectful listening is the gift that opens this door and invites deeper spiritual connection. We honor people by listening.

Where do we begin work on this goal of the next 25 members of our church?

On a personal level, it often begins with a simple daily affirmation: “I want to live my life with such radiance and resilience that people ask the reason for such joy.” Practicing this affirmation may open us to a prayer that begins a process of simply noticing people who surround our daily life. We then ask, “Lord, who in my life needs a touch of your grace? Is there a conversation I need to offer and an invitation I need to make?” It may well be that this prayer opens the door to opening the door for an invitation, which is how 75% of church guests get there!

On a congregational level, there are at least three things your next 25 members will need almost immediately:

1. A path to walk. How does a person move from first time guest to first anniversary of membership? A flow experience needs to be identified and captured. We cannot rely on using the nominating committee to put new folks on the official board as the best plan for assimilation. Think about the sequencing of first time hospitality with a guest luncheon, a welcome class, spiritual gifts inventory, and small group connection. Let’s devote energy to a regular rhythm of invitational events and sustaining this pathway through the hospitality ministry.

2. Need-meeting ministries. People may come the first time on the strength of your invitation. They come back on the authentic warmth of the welcome and some sense of connection with the personality and preaching/teaching of the pastoral leader. Then, a relational bridge must be built to a ministry that meets their needs as they begin to identify them.

3. The tools to break-and-enter your church. The burglar analogy fits because we, as insiders, quickly forget how intimidating it is to attend a church for the first time and how much of a sub-culture each congregation creates with its traditions, local customs, and patterns of doing things. We need navigators to guide, advise, encourage and bless. In addition to the God connection, new folks need a sense of belonging born of authentic friendships.

If the core leadership of your congregation has prayed toward a significant level of consensual spiritual agreement around these insights and worked through a strategic conversation that creates a grace-filled accountability for actions you are taking, then you are well on your way to being ready for your next 25!

Important Things to Know

Gary Straub is a Ministry Colleague with The Columbia Partnership. He is part of the Transforming Congregations Team. The Columbia Partnership is a non-profit Christian ministry organization focused on transforming the capacity of the North American Church to pursue and sustain Christ-centered ministry. Travel Free Learning is a knowledge sharing emphasis. For more information about products and services check out the web site at www.TheColumbiaPartnership.org, send an e-mail toClient.Care@TheColumbiaPartnership.org, or call 803.622.0923

Advent

Hello Trinity Tribe,

I hope you are enjoying the sunshine today! We started out foggy but the sun broke through!

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." The old liturgical church year is passing away and this Sunday the new church year begins with Advent. I am thinking about how we change from the old calendar year into the new one. We have parties. We throw streamers. We make a huge mess in Times Square. We write New Year's Resolutions. The feeling at the beginning of the church year is quite different. It will sneak in while we are still fat and happy from the turkey on Thursday. I haven't ordered any streamers or balloons.

However, it is an important time for the church and for our personal piety. We spend the four weeks prior to Christmas Day preparing our hearts for the birth of Jesus as well as preparing our hearts and our lives for Jesus' coming in glory and final victory. Advent is a time of self-reflection…of fasting…of good works…of prayer…of making our hearts soft and ready to house the baby Jesus.

We will light Advent candles. We will dream of stars. We will listen for the rumble and jumble of the shepherds.

How will you prepare you heart this Advent for Christ?

At Bible study this evening, we will contemplate this very thing. Please join us at 6:45 in the Education Building.

Students

Good morning Trinity Tribe,

I have been up early again, though it was by choice and not by nightmare! I have worked some more on my assessment as well as doing sermon research.

I got an unexpected letter in the mail yesterday. I was notified by Duke Divinity School that my Perkins loan had been paid off! Hip, hip hooray! I still carry debt from my seminary education. However, at least one of those loans is paid in full! I was excited to read those words yesterday. If it hadn't been for loans and scholarships, I would not have been able to answer God's call to ministry.

SInce the days of John Wesley, Methodists have valued education. United Methodists around the globe invest in higher education. However, the economy has hit the scholarship fund as hard as anything else in church. In fact, nearly 1,000 United Methodists who qualified for a scholarship this year walked away empty handed, and even more students are expected to be disappointed in 2011 unless giving to scholarship funds increases dramatically.The last Sunday of November is designated on the United Methodist calendar as United Methodist Student Day. United Methodist Student Day is one of the six churchwide Special Sundays of The United Methodist Church. United Methodist Student Day furnishes scholarships and loans for students attending United Methodist-related and other accredited colleges and universities.

United Methodist Student Day offerings have declined from $602,309 in 2007 to $484,188 last year. In 2010, 2,411 students received scholarships totaling $3.3 million. Ninety percent of Student Day collections go to the United Methodist scholarship programs, while 10 percent is for student loans. Each United Methodist-related college gets money from the offering for scholarships, and each participating annual conference gets 10 percent of Student Day receipts to award to their own merit scholars.

Prov. 4:7 - "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding."
Prov. 2:3-5 - "Call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God."

I invite you to prayerfully consider participating in United Methodist Student Day with extra giving above your tithe to the Church. The money you give will go directly to help an undergraduate or graduate school student better themselves and enable them to live into whatever God has called them to do. I also invite you to tell other people how the United Methodists invest in higher education. Don't forget to tell your children and grandchildren that they can apply for scholarships through the UMC when they head off to college as well.

Looking at ourselves

Good Morning Trinity Tribe!

I woke up with a nightmare this morning at 4, so I have already been hard at work on my sermon and my pastoral assessment this morning. The North Carolina Conference asks each pastor to assess his/her gifts for ministry and growing edges in ministry every year. The Pastor Parish Relations Committee also prayerfully considers each pastor's gifts and growing edges. We both create documents outlining gifts and growing edges. In this way, your ministers are always pushing themselves and receiving important feedback. This assessment is due in December, but your Pastor Parish Relations Committee is crackerjack and is already at work on this document!

Now, I will tell you that I like receiving feedback. However, I need to hear it in a context of love and helpfulness. Screaming at me or being sharply critical or deeply personal in critique is not easy for me to receive. You are probably the same way. Unfortunately in most realms of the world today, you only receive negative feedback. Few people stop to compliment the clerk when he/she makes the check-out experience at Food Lion enjoyable. However, many people will scream at the same employee if s/he messes up your order. Few people stop and thank the janitor. We have to have "holidays" like Teacher Appreciation for many teachers to be noticed or appreciated. And how many times do you hear people on ESPN or in the stands compliment the referees for a game that was well called?

I invite you this week to be mindful about positive feedback. Who can you give a real compliment to? Who can you notice to thank them for their service?

I also invite you to give me feedback. Did you find a sermon meaningful? Was something I did helpful or hurtful? Is there something that I missed? Do you have an idea on something I can improve on in preaching or teaching or some other area of ministry? Where do you see my gifts for ministry playing out? I need to know where I need to grow as a pastor and a person. I also need to hear that I have done something well.

I will be prayerfully considering these items as well. I will be taking a long look in the mirror this week as well as the next several months as I work towards writing my final papers for ordination. I invite you to participate in this journey with me.

Roadkill

Good Morning Trinity Tribe,

We had a lovely trip to the Billy Graham Library yesterday. If you haven't been, it is quite interesting and well done.

On my way to Durham and back over the weekend, I listened to a lecture I had taped last year. It was Bishop Ken Carder who was one of my professors at Duke Divinity School. In his talk, he wanted us to consider what the metaphor for our church would be.

Looking at Dictionary.com, a metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.” Or a metaphor is something used, or regarded as being used, to representsomething else; emblem; symbol.

Is it a tree or a lion or something else entirely? And then we are to explain it, of course.

The provocative example that a young pastor in a previous class had shared is that his church was like roadkill. The church was like that animal that has just been hit by an automobile…somewhere between life and death… The church he was referring to had 16-17 members in attendance…didn't want to have any new members unless they were just like the current ones…doing no outreach…etc. As horrible as that metaphor was, it has certainly stuck with me the last couple of days.

In Matthew 28, Jesus says this: 18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I do not believe that roadkill churches was what Jesus was talking about. We must go out and make disciples which requires going out not just sitting in our safe sanctuary.

I have been thinking and praying about what metaphor we could use for Trinity UMC today and the Trinity UMC we want to see in the future. I want your input! What metaphor describes Trinity for you? What symbol would represent how you feel about Trinity? Please email me back or post your idea on our Facebook page.

By the way…some of our apportionment money to the Annual Conference goes to support people who support us as church leaders, church members, and as learners. One of those is our Conference Media Center. Here you can check out Bible study materials, personal study materials, and the like. Here is a brochure describing the services they provide.

http://nccumc.org/mediacenter/files/Media-Center-Brochure.pdf


If your Sunday School class needs some new material, here is just one of the many items they have in the Media Center:

The Media Center has a brand new bible study ready for your small group. Stephen Skelton of the Entertainment Ministry brings us a new series of modern parables featuring TV episodes of “The Lucy Show.” Skelton relates each episode to a biblical principle using scripture references and discussion questions. The Media Center has obtained a Certificate of License so that you can make copies of the provided study guide for everyone in your group.

A girl named treasure

Good morning Trinity Tribe,

The girls and I had a nice experience at Peterson Elementary today at Awards Assembly. Kayla got an award for good grades! I was amazed to learn there are seven Kindergarten classes at Peterson. That is a lot of little ones in school! So, if you ever have time to volunteer, I bet there is something a Kindergarten teacher would love for you to do!

I noticed some neat names as the kids were called to receive awards. There was a Moses…several young men with the name Jesus…a Mary… There was a Shania and a LeBron. But there were two young ladies named "Treasure" that caught my attention. What a name to be called! From your very first day on earth, your parents want you to know that you are a beloved treasure to them. I don't know these young ladies, but I would imagine they have great self-esteem. Their parents consider them a treasure.

Our heavenly parent, God, considers each one of us a treasure as well. In Ephesians 2, we find this passage: 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We are each God's treasure. God loves us so much that God doesn't leave us to sin. God came to earth, suffered, died, and rose again so that we could be set right with God. So, perhaps we all need to amend our birth certificates to read "Treasure" as our middle name.

Have a great day!

Like the white rabbit

Good morning Trinity Tribe!

I hope you are well! It is UMW Circle meeting day! I am excited to see what is happening in the UMW World today!

Today, I was a whole day early for something. Kayla (who is a little girl who is living with us at the moment) will be recieving an award at the awards assembly at Peterson Elementary for Kindergarten. I wanted to make sure that I was there to support her. So, the girls and I ran around after yoga this morning getting out the door to be on time at Peterson at 9am. However, the awards assembly is actually tomorrow. So, we were 24 hours early. That is good for me! I am sometimes a few minutes early. And sometimes a few minutes late. But never quite THAT early! However, it is better to be early than late! It is better to be ready!

That is what these young women found out in Matthew 25
Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

We always have to be ready for Jesus. We don' t know if he is coming back today or tomorrow or sometime in 2012 or even some time in 3012. So, we must always be confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness…loving our neighbor…caring for one another… We cannot wait until the last minute to get ready for Jesus!

Have a blessed day! And be on the lookout for Jesus!

Spirited Life

Good Morning Trinity Tribe,

I hope you are all well on this chilly morning! I am off to Fayetteville this morning. The North Carolina Conference has started a new initiative with Duke Divinity School, the Western North Carolina Conference, and the Duke Endowment to help pastors be more healthy. They are encouraging us to loose weight, eat healthily, get all our medical tests, and the like. I am fasting and will have my blood sugar and cholesterol tested and what not this morning. They might even pay for my health center membership if I get selected for that particular group!

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 that "19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
I hope this initiative will help me better honor my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. I certainly try. However, I can always do better.

How will you take care of your temple today?


If you want to read more about the initiative, check it out here: http://spiritedlife.org/

Christmas Gifts

Good Morning Trinity Tribe,

I missed Wednesday's email because I was working like a madman trying to get the newsletter out into your mailboxes. So, here is a bonus Friday thought for the day! We will be remembering our Saints and recognizing and remembering our Veterans on Sunday. So you will want to be here at Trinity for this special service.

I don't know about you, but I have noticed the Christmas advertising poster on the windows at Peebles as I drive down Main Street. It is barely Fall but, according to the retailers, we must prepare for Christmas! There are gifts to buy! Presents to purchase!

I don't know about you and your family, but my parents and other relatives have enough stuff! You don't need clothes. Your coffee pot is brand new. There just isn't anything other than a book or two you might want to give. So, why don't you give a gift that keeps on giving? I have two opportunities for you to consider as you plan your Christmas gift giving.

One, is the United Methodist Advance Alternative Christmas Gift program. The Advance is an accountable, designated giving arm of The United Methodist Church that ensures 100% of each gift is used for its intended mission or ministry. Their work fulfills both physical and spiritual needs through a variety of partnerships worldwide, to reach mutual goals that make a life-changing and long-lasting impact. As we grow into becoming wise givers, we understand the process is not about filling a box with more “stuff.” Mission is about giving, a gift to be treasured long after the special occasion passes.
The Advance offers perfect opportunities to give beyond the ordinary with alternative gifts – the practice of giving a donation in someone’s honor rather than a physical gift. Alternative giving works for all occasions, from Christmas and birthdays to anniversaries and retirements.

It is really two gifts in one – a gift through The Advance to the people it helps and a gift to the person you honor. 100 % of your gift reaches its intended mission and ministry. Here are some different ministries that are funded by gifts from people like you and me through the Advance….

#00545A – Community-BAsed RehABilitAtion in FARyAB PRovinCe, AFghAnistAn: $11 can help train a woman to become a midwife, thereby reducing the high rate of childbirth-related disability and death.
#15021B – BAltiC methodist theologiCAl seminARy, estoniA: $12 can provide a library book to educate young church leaders from Russia and Eastern Europe.
#11580A – shAde And FResh WAteR, BRAzil: $20 can offer tutoring and Christian education to at-risk children.
#13738o – RenovAtion oF Betty CAReW Women’s tRAining CenteR, sieRRA leone: $45 can purchase a bed for a woman living in extreme poverty.
#171282 – Feed my stARving ChildRen: 15 cents can provide a meal to a child in Haiti, Ethiopia, India and around the world. $55 can give a child a meal every day for a year.
#581540 – Amigos del vAlle, neW mexiCo, united stAtes: $60 can give an older adult home-assistance care for a year.
#12017A – Bethlehem BiBle College, the shePheRd soCiety, isRAel And PAlestine: $75 can pay a week’s salary for a worker to buy medicine, food and shelter for his or her family.
#14578A – Amity FoundAtion Blindness PRevention PRojeCt, ChinA: $85 can give sight to a blind person suffering from cataracts.
#14932A – vietnAm mission initiAtive: $100 can help start a new church in a country recovering from war and where less than 1 percent of the population is Protestant.
#07629A – give ye them to eAt, mexiCo: $120 can buy a female goat for a village to provide milk, food and baby goats.
#15057A – neW liFe, zAmBiA: $250 can buy a PET (Personal Energy Transportation) hand bike for a person unable to walk.
#14846A – ACCion mediCA ChRistiAnA, mAtAgAlPA, niCARAguA: $300 can buy a cow for a village woman, enabling her to earn money and give calves to other women in the community, who will repeat the cycle.
How to give:

• Online: www.advancinghope.org • By credit card: call (888) 252-6174 • By check: Write your check payable to your local church. Include The Advance # and give your gift to your local church treasurer. OR • Write your check payable to “Advance GCFA.” Mail check to: Advance, GCFA, P.O.Box 9068, GPO, New York 10087-9068.
Then tell the honoree about your gift by using The Advance Alternative Giving card. Call (888) 346-3862 to order the Alternative Generic Giving Card #87403008 or the Alternative Giving Christmas Card #87403708 or order online at umcgiving.org. I have ordered some of these for Trinity. They should be here in a week or two.

Secondly, ZOE Ministry (Zimbabwe Orphan's Initiative) is a wonderful mission started by a pastor in our NC Conference who's heart was broken by all the orphans in southern Africa. Greg Jenks' ministry has grown into multiple countries and now has multiple foci. They continue to feed orphans meals. However, they have begun a micro-business project in the last several years that I LOVE. They form orphans who are heads of household into groups. These groups become entrepreneurial enterprises. They work to prepare every one's land and receive training and then receive seed or animals. They are then expected to pay back what they have borrowed and to mentor other orphans to become self sufficient. Most orphans are completely self sufficient and earning a good living and supporting their brothers and sisters by the end of the three year program. For a Christmas gift, you could purchase an animal for their animal projects. A cow, pig, even a goat can be a first step toward transforming the life of an orphan who is left to care for younger brothers and sisters because the AIDS pandemic claimed the lives of their parents.
The ZOE Orphan Empowerment Project equips these children with essential life skills such as farming, animal husbandry and small business training while sharing the good news of Christ’s love.
An animal provides income, fertilizer for fields, and nourishment as orphans journey through ZOE’s Empowerment Project. Read more at the website below and watch the moving video.


http://www.zoeministry.org/you-can-give-hope/seasonal-zoe-resources/advent-christmas-resources/hope-for-christmas-animal-project

Jesus didn't tell us to collect more stuff. Jesus told us to love one another. Let's take Christmas back from the retailers and use it for what it was intended: spreading God's love around the world!

Have a great weekend! See you on Sunday!!!

Restoration

Good Morning Trinity Tribe,

It is chilly this morning! Now I can believe it is fall! If you are near the church at all today, you will see there is a lift here with our friend, Rob, on top of it. He is scraping and cleaning and then painting all the trim around the church. The Trustees have done a huge amount of work on the building in the last several months. Thank you to everyone who has been working to restore the building. Just like buildings, our souls need restoring. We cannot be complacent as Christians. We must be constantly learning and growing about our faith. You might be a reader like me and read books like Girl Meets God or Blue Like Jazz or you might listen to your favorite preacher on iTunes through a podcast or you might listen to Christian music on your radio as you drive around town. Prayerfully consider how you can restore your soul today and everyday.

Psalm 23

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Homecoming

Good morning everyone!

I am safely back from my class in the mountains, which was wonderful and very helpful. I will write more about that later in the week.

Yesterday's homecoming was wonderful! Thank you so much to all the people who did things behind the scenes to make the service and lunch afterwards so wonderful!

In Acts 2, Luke writes, "42 [The believers] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Breaking bread together is important as believers. There are conversations that take place around a dinner table that wouldn't be able to happen in worship…or at a baseball game…or even in a restaurant. There is something special that happens when you gather together and share food that has been lovingly prepared for a specific group of people. For example, I thought that it was brilliant that someone cared enough about my picky-eating children to have hot dogs available. There were some items that a vegetarian could have eaten yesterday. I am not sure that the diabetics did so well, but the dessert table was beautiful! ;-)

The internet was down at Hinton Rural Life Center last week. So, I am attaching last weekend's sermon and bulletin as well as this week's.