Glad Tidings April 2016 - Isle of Hope United Methodist Church

NEWSLETTER
EVENTS*
April 2016
* A complete calendar of all Isle of Hope UMC events can be found online at www.iohumc.com.
Traditional Worship
8:45 & 11:15 AM
SUNDAY
27
MONDAY
TUESDAY
29
28
30
FRIDAY
31
1
Wednesday Night
Supper 6 p.m.
Non-Traditional Worship
11:15 AM
Sunday School
10:00 AM
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
Good Samaritan
Circle 10 a.m.
SATURDAY
2
Men of Hope
Home
Improvement
Projects 8:30 a.m.
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
21
22
23
28
29
30
Youth Group 5 p.m.
Celebration Night
Wednesday Night
Supper, 6 p.m.
Friends 'n
Needles
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Isle of Hope UMC
Monday-Thursday:
8am-5pm
Friday: 8am-3pm
tele: 912.355.8527
fax: 912.355.9113
Sign-up for our
weekly eNewsletters
at www.iohumc.com
Wednesday Night
Supper, 6 p.m.
Interfaith
Hospitality Week
through April 17
17
Youth Group 5 p.m.
24
18
19
20
Wednesday Night
Supper, 6 p.m.
25
26
27
Disciple Now
Retreat through
April 24
Men of Hope
Annual Gathering
5:00-6:30 p.m.
No KFC or UMYF
Gt
Vol. VI • April 2016
A M O N T H LY N E W S L E T T E R O F I S L E O F H O P E
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great
mercy her gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead." - 1 Peter 1:3
Glad Tidings
Proof of Life
I s l e o f H o p e
United Methodist Church
412 Parkersburg Road, Savannah, GA 31406
Office Hours
Youth Group 5 p.m.
GLAD TIDINGS (USPS-706-200) PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE ISLE OF HOPE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH, 412 PARKERSBURG ROAD, SAVANNAH, GA 31406. PERIODICAL
POSTAGE PAID IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO
GLAD TIDINGS, 412 PARKERSBURG ROAD, SAVANNAH, GA 31406.
412 Parkersburg Road
Savannah, GA 31406
www.iohumc.com
Did you know that in America, the
job of ultimately accounting for who
is dead or alive belongs to the Social
Security Administration? That’s
right! And for the federal government,
proof of life doesn’t necessarily rest
on whether a person is breathing,
talking or walking. A few weeks ago
I watched a 60 Minutes rerun titled
“Dead or Alive,” and learned that
the Social Security Office compiles
something called the Death Master
File. There are about 86 million names
on this national list of the deceased.
That sounds pretty straightforward,
and rather innocuous, right? Wrong!
Turns out, as Scott Pelley said on the
60 Minutes program, that having
your name on the Death Master File
is “deadly serious business because
when you're added to the file, that
means that banks, the IRS, Medicare,
law enforcement and the like, scratch
you out of existence.” Now it is one
thing to be scratched out of existence
by the “powers that be” once you are
deceased. However, to be scratched
Continued on page 2…
April Adult Ministries
Student Ministries
P1-2
Congregational Care
Stephen Ministries
Children's Ministries
P3-4
Men of Hope
Interfaith Hosp.
Bible Challenge
New Members
Baptisms
Core Connections
P5
P6
connect, equip
Proof of Life
Continued from page 1
out of existence while you are still
alive, well that is another story. It’s
called “agency error.”
Apparently, 9000 living, breathing
Americans are declared dead by the
federal government every year. Like
Pelley said, “For them, it can be a
long road to resurrection.” It took
Judy Rivers five years to convince the
government she was alive. Since she
was believed to be dead, she couldn’t
get access to her bank accounts;
she couldn’t use her credit cards;
she couldn’t use her debit card; she
couldn’t rent an apartment; she was
actually taken to jail and accused of
identity theft. She ended up living out
of her car. The living Judy Rivers was
accused of pretending to be the dead
Judy Rivers.
Today, as proof of life, she carries a
few credit cards, and something else, a
letter from the Social Security Office.
Rivers explained. “And it says -- who I
am, what my Social Security number is,
that I have been mistakenly declared as
deceased in the past, and that it's not
correct. I'm alive and well...” Basically,
what is written provides the convincing
proof of life. The written words carry
the full revelation of truth, along with
the necessary authority to back it up.
“I am alive,” she explains! “It is written
right there.”
There’s a lesson in this for us followers
of the One who was declared dead,
but is in fact alive. If you are like me,
you may struggle at times with those
voices inside, and outside, your head
that cause you to question, to doubt,
not only the living Christ, but also
your identity as a child of God. Even
Jesus had to deal with that. In Luke 4,
the devil kept saying to Jesus, “If you
are the Son of God...” Those three little
words called into question his identity,
and ours. IF-YOU-ARE. In other words,
if Jesus really is the Son of God, and
if you really are a child of God, then
prove it.
The enemy of our soul works every
angle possible, tempting us to question
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who he is, and who we are in him. The
truth be told, sometimes we don’t
feel like, look like, or even act like,
children of God. Jesus teaches us that
the best method for dealing with
doubt, whether initiated by the devil
or our own self- condemnation, is to
remember what is written.” The proof
of Jesus Christ’s identity is in what is
written. It is not in a letter from the
Social Security Administration, it is
in the Word of God. He is the eternal
Christ. One of the great resurrection
stories is in Luke 24.
Two travelers on the Road to Emmaus
refused to believe the testimony of
those who saw Jesus alive after the
crucifixion. Even when the living,
breathing, walking, talking Jesus was
right in front of them, they didn’t
believe him. Luke 24:27 states that,
“beginning with Moses and all the
prophets, Jesus interpreted to them
the things written about himself in all
the scriptures.” Then later, “They said
to each other, ‘Didn’t our hearts burn
within us while he was speaking with
us on the road, while he was explaining
the scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32)
Basically Jesus told them, “I am alive! It
is written right there.”
God’s Word is proof. We too need
to claim what is written about us
as children of God. For example,
Ephesians 2:4-6, “But God, being rich
in mercy, because of his great love
with which he loved us, even though
we were dead in transgressions, made
us alive together with Christ—by grace
you are saved! - and he raised us up
with him and seated us with him in
the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus...”
I am alive in Christ. It is written right
there. Colossians 2:12, “Having been
buried with him in baptism, you also
have been raised with him through
your faith in the power of God who
raised him from the dead.” I am alive
in Christ. It is written right there! 1
Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his
great mercy he gave us new birth into a
living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead...” We have a
living hope.
We are living hope. In Acts 1:3, it states,
“To the same apostles also, after his
suffering, Jesus presented himself alive
with many convincing proofs. He was
seen by them over a forty-day period
and spoke about matters concerning
the kingdom of God.” We have a living
hope. He is alive and we are alive “in
him.” The proof is in what is written in
God’s Word. He is alive! I am alive in
him. It is written right there! As far as
I am concerned, His Word carries the
full revelation of Truth, along with the
necessary authority to back it up. He
is alive! We are alive in him, now and
forever.
Thanks be to God,
Mike
APRIL ADULT MINISTRIES
TOUR & LUNCH AT BETHESDA
April 5, 2016
10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
Come join the Adult Ministries group
for a wonderful tour of Bethesda. We will
enjoy a guided tour of the Museum, the
beautiful chapel, and the farm and garden
facilities. The garden will be in early
spring bloom! Following all this fun we
will have lunch prepared at the Academy.
Cost: $10.00 for the tour plus $15.00 for
Lunch if you choose to eat lunch. Lunch
options are: Choice of (1) Deli sandwich
(ham or turkey), (2) grilled chicken salad,
or (3) chicken salad on a bed of lettuce,
plus fruit, dessert, tea and water.
Church bus provided for first 14 who sign
up. Be at church by 9:45. Return time is
about 1:30. Those driving themselves
should be at Bethesda by 10:15. Please put
your money in the envelope provided and
indicate Paid on the Sign-up sheet along
with your lunch choice number (1, 2 or
3) and indicate YES or No if you want to
go on the bus. Checks should be made out
to IOHUMC. If you have any questions,
please contact Fran Johnson at 925-9664.
pray, serve
MEN OF HOPE: First Annual Gathering
The leaders of Men of Hope have been busy planning for what we
envision to be a yearly gathering of the men of Isle of Hope UMC.
Our first Men of Hope Annual Gathering will be on Sunday. April
4th from 5:00-6:30 p.m. All the men of our church are welcome. The
purpose of our first meeting is to get the men of our church together
for a great meal (and we mean great!), time to visit with other men as
they share the great meal, and to hear about the exciting vision we
have been developing for the men of our church. A vision that will
bless men, their families, their church and our community.
At the meeting we will share our vision and plans for developing
various men’s activity groups such as Joe Thigpen’s ministry that
helps those in need with minor home repairs, and Jacob Brown's sports
group. Mac Newell will share about men’s small groups and what they
have meant to him and those in his men’s small group. We will also
hear from Patrick Morley of Man in the Mirror and their ministry to
men called No Man Left Behind which encourages and teaches men
how to pass down a Biblical heritage to their
children. Through our new ministry focus
we hope to accomplish the following Vision
and Mission:
Our vision is to equip all the men of Isle of
Hope United Methodist Church to be passionate followers of Jesus
Christ in fulfillment of Christ’s call to make disciples of all nations
(Matthew 28:18-20). We will seek to fulfill this vision through: the
creation of Men’s Small Groups that partner with men on their faith
journey, Activity Groups, the Monthly Men’s Breakfast, and the Men
of Hope Annual Gathering. Through this ministry we will, by the
grace of God, build strong leaders who bless their marriages, their
children, their church and their community.
To register for this free event, or if you have questions, please contact
the church office.
MEN OF HOPE: Home
Improvement Projects
The Men of Hope need your help so that we can help others. On Saturday, April 2nd we
will serve two members of our church who need our help. We need two teams of men
who will go to two homes and help with some small projects that include: putting up
light fixtures, repairing a dryer vent, soffit repair, and the building of a small well house.
We will gather at 8:30 a.m. at the church in Greenhouse Room 101 for some coffee and
donuts and for instructions. We will leave the church at 9:00 and hope to complete the
projects by noon. If you would like to help with one of these projects please contact Joe
Thigpen at 770-639-4157 or [email protected].
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Isle of Hope UMC will host the families enrolled in
Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN, also known as
Family Promise) during the week of April 10-17. IHN
of Coastal Georgia exists to eradicate homelessness
in the greater Savannah area.
Annually, 5000 individuals experience homelessness in Savannah/Chatham County
with more than 13%of those being children. It has been our privilege to partner with
Interfaith Hospitality Network since its inception. As the families experience the many
challenges that come with homelessness, it is our hope that during their time with us, we
can offer them God’s grace and love.
We need volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, as dinner hosts or overnight hosts,
to prepare meals or wash linens. If you and your family would like to serve during the
Interfaith week, please contact Joan Connelly at [email protected] or 398-3807
or Nancy Skinner at 354-8946.
BIBLE READING
CHALLENGE: April
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Matthew 25:1-30, Numbers 30-31, Job 1
Matthew 25:31-46, Numbers 32-34, Job 2
Matthew 26:1-25, Numbers 35-36, Job 3
Matthew 26:26-46, Deuteronomy 1-2, Job 4
Matthew 26:47-75, Deuteronomy 3-4, Job 5
Matthew 27:1-31, Deuteronomy 5-6, Job 6
Matthew 27:32-66, Deuteronomy 7-8, Job 7
Matthew 28, Deuteronomy 9-10, Job 8
Acts 1, Deuteronomy 11-12, Job 9
Acts 2:1-13, Deuteronomy 13-14, Job 10
Acts 2:14-47, Deuteronomy 15-16, Job 11
Acts 3, Deuteronomy 17-18, Job 12
Acts 4:1-22, Deuteronomy 19-20, Job 13
Acts 4:23-37, Deuteronomy 21-22, Job 14
Acts 5:1-16, Deuteronomy 23-24, Job 15
Acts 5:17-42, Deuteronomy 25-27, Job 16
Acts 6, Deuteronomy 28, Job 17
Acts 7:1-22, Deuteronomy 29-30, Job 18
Acts 7:23-8:1, Deuteronomy 31-32, Job 19
Acts 8:1-25, Deuteronomy 33-34, Job 20
Acts 8:26-40, Joshua 1-2, Job 21
Acts 9:1-25, Joshua 3:1-5:1, Job 22
Acts 9:26-43, Joshua 5:2-6:27, Job 23
Acts 10:1-33, Joshua 7-8, Job 24
Acts 10:34-48, Joshua 9-10, Job 25
Acts 11:1-18, Joshua 11-12, Job 26
Acts 11:19-30, Joshua 13-14, Job 27
Acts 12, Joshua 15-17, Job 28
Acts 13:1-25, Joshua 18-19, Job 29
Acts 13:26-52, Joshua 20-21, Job 30
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connect, equip
pray, serve
NEW MEMBERS & BAPTISMS
pray, serve
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
CELEBRATION NIGHT
April 3rd will be our SECOND Celebration Night! So what is a
Celebration Night? It’s a night where our students take ownership of
youth group. It’s a time for them to encourage their friends to come.
Middle and high school will be hosting a guest speaker, Samuel
Robinowich from Bluffton, SC (also our Lake Junaluska speaker).
Our theme will be "RANDOM". He will be speaking on random acts of
kindness.
DISCIPLE NOW WEEKEND
"Child of blessing, child of promise,
baptized with the Spirit's sign."
New Member Class
Core Connections
May 15, 2016
GOOD
SAMARITAN
CIRCLE
The Good Samaritan
Circle will meet Friday,
April 1, at 10 a.m. in
the Greenhouse. Rev.
Meg Procopio will
present the program,
"Caring Together." Please call Brenda Cook
or Julie Dimond with questions. Visitors
are always welcome.
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Ready for the next step with Isle of Hope United Methodist? Core Connections is your
answer! Core Connections is a relaxed, 3 hour session, led by our pastors, in which you will
learn about our church and your role as a member. At the end of the session you will have an
opportunity to commit to church membership. Our next Core Connections Class will be held
on May 15, 2016. You can register online at www.iohumc.com (click on Core Connections
Class) or by calling the church office at (912) 355-8527. Parents: Childcare is provided for
children birth- 5 years old. Please make sure that you request childcare.
FRIENDS 'N NEEDLES
Friends ’n Needles
Prayer
Shawl
Group will meet on
Thursday, April 7
from 11 a.m. until
about 2 p.m. with
our usual potluck
lunch, etc. We’re
stocking up on baby items!
ENDOWMENT
FUND
Remember the Endowment
Fund in your Wills, Trusts,
Honorariums & Memorials
This month we will have our fourth annual Disciple Now Retreat. We
will be teaming up with several other churches in the area and meeting
at White Bluff UMC for a weekend
of worship and fellowship. This year
we will have speaker Brian Loper
and Jason Lovins Band, a worship
band from North Carolina. This is
an incredible and spiritually rich
experience for our middle and high
schoolers and here’s why:
1. A Chance to Connect
DNow is a great retreat because it helps connect our students through
host homes and small groups. Our students are divided into homes
for the weekend by grade and gender. Spending two nights with your
friends as well as people you “kind of know” can help us add some
depth to our friendships. We are able to create memories and inside
jokes from the time we invest during the weekend. Also, there are
churches from all over Savannah attending. This helps us to connect
and broaden our network within our area.
2. SO. MUCH. FUN.
It really is. The sessions are lively and entertaining with games and
great music and Saturday afternoon is full of free time for you to hang
with your host home groups. Each group receives some money for
activities for the afternoon and they get to pick what they want to do!
3. Spiritual Depth
We are challenged by the messages we hear and the discussions we
have in our small groups. Our students have a chance to discuss what
their struggles are and how they are growing in their faith within their
group discussions. It’s a chance for our students to lean on one another
and be invested in by leaders as they go deeper in their faith.
4. It's in Town!
We get it. Your life is crazy. You guys are out of town for sports and
school and vacations. It’s hard to add another weekend of traveling in,
especially if there are events that take place over the weekend. DNow
is great because it’s here. If you really want to attend, but have a soccer
game on Saturday, you just need to let a leader know (Katie or Isaac)
and you can still be a part of the rest of the weekend.
We are so excited to be able to work with our youth worker friends
on this incredible weekend and hope you will be able to be a part of it.
Registration is open. Please submit a permission form and payment to
the front office by April 11th.
DISCIPLE NOW "D-NOW" WEEKEND
Date: April 22nd – 24th
Cost: $55
Who: Wesley Monumental UMC, Wilmington Island UMC,
Skidaway Island UMC, White Bluff UMC
Where: White Bluff UMC
APRIL "Throwback"
WORSHIP MUSIC PLAYLIST
Love Song For A Savior // Jars of Clay
Dare You To Move // Switchfoot
I've Always Loved You // Third Day
Holy Is Your Name // Bebo Norman
Hands Of The Potter // Caedmon's Call
Ocean Floor // Audio Adrenaline
Shine // Newsboys
Meet With Me // Ten Shekel Shirt
Famous One // Chris Tomlin
Martyrs & Thieves // Jennifer Knapp
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connect, equip
Congregational Care at Isle of Hope United Methodist Church
Join us for the Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop with speaker Galen Dalrymple!
Galen, a former pastor and Stephen Leader, worked in various levels of management in the business world for
25 years before changing careers to full-time ministry as a senior pastor. Eventually, Galen and his wife planted
and served as pastor of a small church in a small town northern California’s wine country. About 90 miles north
of San Francisco, Sonoma County is the second least-churched county in the United States (98%of people there
don’t go to church). Stephen Ministry worked great in his congregation of fewer than 75 members. In addition,
Galen found the tools and skills he learned from Stephen Ministry to be of great benefit while he served with a
relief team in Haiti after the earthquake of April 2010, again in India during June of 2012, in Africa in 2013 and
in Peru in March of 2015.
Galen is presently the Education and Field Curriculum Coordinator for Medical Ambassadors International, an
organization that helps communities in over 90 countries around the world learn how to grow their own food,
care for their own basic medical and health needs, develop microbusinesses and many other skills as a practical means of demonstrating the
love of Christ and introducing people to Him. In addition, he is the business manager for Polymath Innovations, a digital creative firm that
largely serves Christian organizations and worthy causes in developing web sites, videos, animations and social media strategies.
On Saturday, May 7th, Galen will be at Isle of Hope UMC to speak at our Stephen Ministry Introductory Workshop. The workshop will be
from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The half-day workshop is designed both to enhance participants’ caregiving skills and to help congregations
explore ways to expand their caring ministry. Registration
begins at 8:00 a.m., and refreshments will be served.
One reason we’re so excited about helping other congregations
learn about Stephen Ministry is that it is making a significant
difference in the life of our own congregation. Since we began
Stephen Ministry in 2013, 16 laypeople have gone through 50
hours of training in order to provide quality one-to-one Christian care to hurting people. If you think you might be interested in being a
Stephen Minister, attending the workshop is a great way to learn more.
Members of Isle of Hope UMC are invited to attend the workshop free of charge. However, it is still important to pre-register so that we will
have plenty of materials on the day of the workshop. Please contact Brooke Chambers at 355-8527 or e-mail her at [email protected]
if you would like to be added to our congregation’s list of participants. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity for personal growth and
to learn more about Stephen Ministry!
Amelia McCorvey
Kari McDonald
George, Dawn, Alex & Lauren
Quattlebaum
Ellie Smith
Chris Trice
Molly & Sophie Ziblut
Thank you to our awesome Pretzel Saturday Leadership Team for making Pretzel Saturday EGG-cellent! And what would Pretzel
Saturday be would without pretzels? Thank you to all our fabulous dough makers. A special thank you to Cindy Ricker for telling
our children "The Legend of the Donkey" and Julia Davis for bring Lula the donkey to make our day complete. God bless the many
hands that make this day so special!
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CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Embark on a VBS Adventure That Will Light The Way!
Vacation Bible School
June 13th - 17th
Epworth by the Sea
Upper Elementary Camp - 3rd through 5th Grade
July 11th - 15th
Rise & Shine Preschool Camp
2 year olds through PreK
Age or grade as of September 1, 2015
July 18th - 22nd 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Gear up for an over-the-top underground adventure! Ground kids in the
rock-solid foundation of God's love, a love that takes us through life's dark
times. Join us to provide a guiding light with God's word.
Each day, leaders reinforce one simple Bible truth—which makes it easy
for kids to remember and apply to real life! God has given us the awesome
privilege to invest in an outreach that is one of the most effective in our
children's lives. At Cave Quest vacation bible school, kids experience God's
Word in surprising and unforgettable ways! Join us for an adventure filled
week, as together we make an impact that can last a lifetime.
Be part of the crew at this colossal cave without having to mine for gold!
Leadership sign ups are happening now! Come by the church and speak with
one of our recruitment leaders to learn more about how you can serve this
year at VBS. Our leader orientations will be Wednesdays, April 6th & 13th
5:00 p.m. and Sundays April 3rd & 10th 9:45 a.m. If you sign up to help, you
may register your child(ren) now.
Giddy Up & Go Nursery Camp
Nursery Age Children 6 Months - Under 2
Age as of September 1, 2015
July 19th - 21st 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
A Stitch In Time Summer Sewing Group
Open to sewers of all ages (10 years & up) this includes adults.
July 25th - 28th & August 1st - 4nd 5:00 - 7:00PM Located in
the Seekers Room.
REGISTER NOW
Summer camp registration information is located in the
front hallway on the Keeping Current board, in the
Children's Ministry Education office at the Green House, or
online at www.iohumc.com.
Vacation Bible School 2016 - Cave Quest
June 13th - 17th
3 Year Olds through 5th Grade
2's & Nursery Age (Children of VBS Leadership Only)
Age or grade as of September 1, 2015
PRETZEL SATURDAY THANK YOU
Anna Bolch
Brooke & Ben Chambers
Sarah Floyd
Paige Fox
Madison Herndon
Matthew Hosey
Katie Kavanaugh
Emily Kraft
pray, serve
Important VBS dates:
Church member registration begins April 29th
Community registration begins May 25th
VBS Orientation Thursday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m.
Makeup Orientation Sunday, May 17th 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 25th Community Registration
Sunday, May 31st Registration Closes
Tuesday, June 9th VBS Workday (childcare provided upon request)
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY WORSHIP
EDUCATION
Date: May 15, Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
1st, 2nd & 3rd Graders
Worship is not an event, it’s an attitude, a mind set,
a lifestyle! We learn to worship by worshipping.
Look for complete details and registration
information coming soon.
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