First Edition Newsletter – July 12 2017 by First United Methodist Church

FIRST EDITION

July 12, 2017 | Volume 16 Issue 7 jacksonfumc.org

A Newsletter Publication of First United Methodist Church, Jackson, Tennessee

This Issue...

Youth Sunday - July 23

AT A GLANCE • Youth News: Step Out of the Boat, For the Kingdom in Jackson page 2 • Reflections from Youth and Leaders on Summer Mission Trip pages 3-6 • Giving 2017-2018

page 4

• Memorials and Honoraria

page 5

• Women’s Ministries

page 7

• Calendar of Events

page 8

• Mission Corner

page 9

• Music Notes

page 10

• Parents’ Night Out - July 29 • Historic Walking Tour of Jackson page 11 • Sunday Morning Worship

page 12

Combined Worship Service 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary Christian Hesling, preaching, “Stepping Out of the Boat” with youth participation Come, as one body in Christ and worship together… Come and support our youth! 10:30 a.m. Sunday School

Promotion Sunday - July 30 9:30 a.m. Combined Worship Service - Sanctuary • • • • •

Sky McCracken, preaching “Blessing of the Backpacks” for all students & teachers Children will sing in worship Presentation of Bibles to Kindergartners Prayer for new Confirmation Class

10:30 a.m. Open House of Children’s and Youth Areas • Continental Breakfast on 2nd floor open to all!

Summer 2017 Youth Mission Trip

Water Day Saturday, July 15 5-7 p.m. • $10/family @ Andrews Chapel

“Step Out Of the Boat For the Kingdom in Jackson”

Kids vs. Parents • Water Games • Cookout • Outdoor Movie

Sharing God’s Love... Sharing their stories...

In case of rain, event will be canceled.

Read inside, pages 4-6

SEEKING GOD

KNOWING CHRIST

2017 Youth Mission Team

SHARING HIS LOVE

page 2 First Edition July 12, 2017

Youth News Open to 7th-12th graders

Christian Hesling, Youth Pastor (chesling@jacksonfumc.org) Search for “The Current UMY” on Facebook

Step Out Of the Boat, For the Kingdom in Jackson

2017 Youth Mission Team

Christian Hesling

“Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.” (Matthew 14:29-30 NRSV). Into the water. Into the uncomfortable. Into the unknown. That is where Jesus calls Peter and that is where Jesus is calling us all. Into The Waters Peter’s story soon became our story as we ventured to Kensington Philadelphia for a week in June. Thirteen of us, most of whom had never been to Philadelphia, were about to encounter God in a similar way. Notoriously known for its heroin trafficking, Kensington Philadelphia (or also locally known as the “badlands”) became our home, our ministry grounds, and perhaps best put, our “waters.” Our commission for the week was to “step out of the boat for the Kingdom in Kensington.” To step into the unfamiliar in order to sow into the Kingdom that God was building in Kensington. Upon arrival we found ourselves exposed to our “waters” that Jesus was calling us into. We pulled up to the curb under the “El” (the elevated railway that runs over Kensington Avenue and the street where we were staying). On the curb were a half dozen individuals pushing heroin, one of whom approached the vehicle and asked for one of our leaders’ shoes. (Gregg Adams apparently owns some nice kicks!) We quickly unpacked the vehicles and rushed into the building (our “boat” for the week). Nothing could have prepared us for the brokenness, the weightiness, and the burdens that we would encounter in Kensington; and perhaps we are never prepared to jump out of the boat, and that is ok. Jesus will call us anyway. We became oriented to our context for the week and shared our concerns, our fears, and our hesitancies all the while pushing, challenging and reminding each other

regularly, to “step out of the boat for the Kingdom in Kensington.” It quickly became our anthem and our hearts’ desire despite the waters. We all held our concerns; what about safety? What about the people on the streets; would they harm us? Will they welcome us? Will they take advantage of us? What if we hear gun shots? (Which we did mistake fireworks for gun shots… It was actually quite comical. Ask the students about that one!) Will we even make a difference? The waters were raging yet God was still doing something in our midst; preparing us and calling us to “come” despite our fears and ourselves. We quickly found that God was doing some beautiful and incredible things in Kensington and the more we stepped out of our comfort zones and out of the “boat”, the more we witnessed these moments. The stories are far too many to share in this limited space; however, here are a few: The Holy Love of Listening One especially hilarious thing (and perhaps a disclosure of God’s sense of humor) began on June 11, when we were commissioned by the church for our trip to Philadelphia. During the 11 a.m. service, I served as a reader. Immediately following worship, my voice started to fade and by the time we made it to Philadelphia I had absolutely no voice. The students laughed (rightfully so because of my ridiculous squeaky sounds). However, this was very challenging for me considering the fact that I love talking with others and consider that one of my strengths. With my voice gone, it became obvious there would be

page 3 First Edition July 12, 2017 more listening on my part than talking (which is always a good way to do ministry). Hearing first-hand about some amazing individuals in Kensington like Rodney, a young father of two who had gotten caught up in heroin (hating his physical and mental dependency on this horrible substance), and then shared his dreams to move to Savannah, GA with family and to work with animals. I also met a woman a few years older than myself who wanted to move to Colorado to snowboard but got caught up in heroin during a gap-year in her undergraduate career. Then there was Dustin. Dustin was my age and was suffering from a severely inflamed ankle as a result of walking around the streets a lot. He did not have the resources needed to properly care for his ankle making the chances of healing far slimmer. We did our best to provide new bandages and socks to help the inflammation go away (he was scheduled to see a doctor in a few days). With no voice I did a lot of listening, a lot of learning, and God did a lot of teaching. It was in my silence that God used these individuals to teach me more about myself, about the destructive and addictive qualities of a horrible drug, and also about the church. These individuals carried with them honesty and vulnerability in their conversations (qualities that ought to characterize the culture of the church). Space limits me from mentioning the stories of Michael, Robbie, Enrique, and the many others who graced us with their passions, their life-goals, and their incredible shared stories. I couldn’t speak for most of the week; I was walking on the waters, and in my walking encountered Jesus in addicts, homeless, and the marginalized. Stepping Out Of the Boat Throughout the week, I witnessed students stepping out of the boat for the Kingdom in Kensington (which I would consider a highlight for me as a youth pastor). At the beginning of the week I would compare our group to the Teletubbies; we were all were very closely huddled together as we went street-witnessing not departing from the immediate radius of the group. (I’ve told our group of this metaphor… they laughed and agreed). They stayed fairly close to each other finding comfort in the fact that we were all a bit nervous. This close proximity was our “boat”; where we felt comfortable and where we felt in control. However, this would

not characterize the students later on in the trip. As time went on the students began to step outside of their comfort zones; they “stepped out of the boat for the Kingdom in Kensington.” Our students took initiative in service projects. Students went searching for individuals who needed food or prayer (even if it meant leaving the immediate radius of our group… they went in pairs of course). They took initiative to start conversations and to listen to the stories of those in Kensington. If you were to ask the students about their experience (which I highly encourage you to do) they’d probably share some of their fears and anxieties, but I can bet that they’d also share with you how they encountered Jesus in new ways by stepping out of the boat. The week was riddled with moments like this…the women’s breakfast, the AA Bible Study, the Wednesday night prayer service, the street worship, the cleaning of the grass lot, the man at WAWA, Kelly, Mike, Gator, Jim, Omega, Lizzie, John, and more. We found a common theme though that when we step out of the boat in faith, despite our fears, worries, and concerns of the “waters”, we encounter God in ways that we’d never expect. Staying in the Boat is Too Risky Now, let me be honest. There is an inherent risk factor that is outside of our control when we go to the “badlands” and when we step onto the water (remember, Peter almost drowned (v. 30)). This simply reflects the reality that in no instance in life are we really ever totally in control (a hard truth to accept for a control-freak like me). However, you better believe me when I say we did everything in our power to limit and to prepare for risk. I do find it to be true, however, that as a Christian living in a finite world awaiting infinite life that the risk and reality of stifling the growth of the Kingdom of God and keeping the Gospel from those drowning in the water are far more weighty risks than any other risk that we may encounter in this life. There is a risk in the waters; however there is a bigger risk in staying within the boat. Would the disciples have been drawn to worship in that moment if Peter did not step out of the boat? (v. 33). It is not for his sake that Jesus calls us into the waters (into the unknown, and into the uncomfortable) but it is for our sake (and

perhaps the sake of the onlookers, in this case those in the boat). Perhaps God is calling us into the uncomfortable and the unknown to experience Jesus in a new way, to make strides for the kingdom of God, and to lead others (and ourselves) to proclaim, “truly, [Jesus is] the Son of God” (v. 33). Perhaps that is why He is calling us. Or perhaps, He is ultimately calling us to Himself: the safest place we could ever be… even if it is amidst the violent waters. “Come”

God is establishing his Kingdom here in Jackson, TN and He has appointed us as His [literal] hands and feet to step out of our boats to build it. As Teresa of Avila, a Roman Catholic Saint, acknowledges, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours” (from Christ Has No Body but Yours, a poem by Teresa of Avila). If Jesus’ hands and feet don’t respond to the call to establish His Kingdom, who will? (This is something we have all agreed to in our baptisms and it is non-negotiable). We have a responsibility to build His kingdom south of the bypass in the immediate radius of Jackson First UMC. It might be uncomfortable. There will be unknown factors, and it will require faith; however when we are living in eternity and look back at this time, we will realize that stepping out of the boat and walking amidst the unpredictable waters was well worth it. So I echo the words of Jesus to Peter and commend you to “come”. Come out of your boat. Come out of your comfort zones. Come into the uncomfortable. Come into the unknown. Come bring the Kingdom of heaven to your streets, and to the neighborhood. Your Savior awaits you amidst the raging waters.

page 4 First Edition July 12, 2017 up a women's clothing stand and a snack bar at "The Lost Coin". As the people came in, we all got to sit with them and listen to their stories on how they became in their particular positions and it really informed me on how much the "homeless" are stereotyped.” - Drake Adams “My favorite activity of the day was when we got to help out with the kids’ ministry.” - Sarah-Kate Ryan

Reflections from the Youth and Leaders on their Summer Mission Trip After your arrival to Philadelphia, describe one of your favorite day’s activities and mission work. “One of my favorite day's activities was when we all worked at the coffee house at The Lost Coin, an organization run by The Rock Ministries in Kensington. We served free snacks and ice cold powerades (it was really hot that day, so everyone was delighted to hear we had cold drinks-especially free ones.), and gave out donated clothes, also for free. Most of the clothes were ideal for cold weather, which was unfortunate since it was so warm. After about 2 hours of the people hopelessly sifting through the long sleeved shirts and pants, Kylie and I found a pair of scissors and were able to cut the sleeves off of some shirts, which gave us the opportunity to sit down and pray with a woman named Cynthia. She was addicted to drugs, wanted her kids back, and wanted to find Jesus. She was very open to my suggestion of praying for her; she was obviously moved and extremely thankful. This specific day touched my heart in such a powerful way in that doing such small things can make someone's day so much brighter.” - Caroline Vaughan “My favorite activity while in Kensington was our team debriefing! During this time, the members of the team would discuss our favorite parts of the day and where we witnessed God’s presence over the course of that day. This act really put into perspective how this place was impacting us daily! Also, my favorite mission work was on the Tuesday of our trip. That afternoon, we set

”One of my favorite mission work activities was when we worked at the Lost Coin. We gave out candy and Gatorades to the people on the streets of Kensington. I got to talk to several people throughout that day who told me their stories and I got to pray for them.” - Kylie Adams “Walking down the streets, checking on people we met throughout the week and seeing if they needed anything, wanted to pray, or just talk and seeing if they were ok.” - Gregg Adams “We did an outreach in the community at The Lost Coin where we were able to offer some prayer and street ministry as well as give out snacks and clothing. One of the kids on our team, Ethan, was absolutely blown away that Leta, the youth minister for Troy UMC, literally took the shirt off her back to give to someone in need. He was so excited to share with me about her selfless act. Talking with different people and just listening as they shared their struggles was powerful. It was awesome to be able to give them a small respite from the hot sun and provide them encouragement and assurance that if they put their faith in God, anything was possible. "God is light...in Him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5. That afternoon we spent time with the neighborhood kids in an after-school program at The Rock. There was time to help their physical needs with snacks, homework, and play, and to nurture them spiritually through music and devotion. Just like any child, they just needed to feel God's love and protection, and I needed the reminder that we are ALL His children. That evening we went to a women's coffee house ministry and had devotion and then played games with them. It was surreal that we coexisted in that moment and all differences and fears abated. We were just a bunch of women in true fellowship, and for a few minutes they could set their cares aside and enjoy the safety and good, clean fun. We closed each evening debriefing and

sharing our individual thoughts and places where we saw God that day. This was my favorite part of each day as we grew closer to each other and to God.” - Tracy Adams Do you feel this mission experience has impacted your life? If so, in what ways? Definitely… “You never know how other people live until you experience and see it for yourself. The people in Kensington don't know anything better beyond their living conditions. They are hungry, lonely, dirty, sleep on the street, and many get their happiness from a needle. This trip made me beyond thankful for what I have- running water, food on the table, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, a loving family and full knowledge that I have an amazing God that loves me.” - Caroline Vaughan “Our mission trip to Philadelphia definitely impacted my life in all positive ways! This trip has opened my eyes to a new perspective and that every person has a story and you never know how well you have it until you've gotten the chance like we have had to serve in a broken place such as Kensington Philadelphia.” - Drake Adams “I feel like this experience has impacted my life. It has taught me to "step out of the boat" and do things that we normally wouldn't do.” - Sarah-Kate Ryan “It has reminded me how extremely blessed I am and that I should be grateful for everything I have. I also want to always continue to step out of the boat here in Jackson and share my faith.” - Kylie Adams

page 5 First Edition July 12, 2017 “Yes, absolutely! Made me stop, look at my wonderful wife and two great children and truly appreciate what I have.” - Gregg Adams “Absolutely, in multiple ways! First of all, it was the first time for us to go on a mission trip as a family. I have been on mission trips without them and have attended and helped with many church trips/activities like VBS, Mini Fest, Confirmation, Youth Week, and more and so has my husband, but never have the four of us done anything like this together. It is so difficult to put into words what we experienced, so I am truly grateful to have seen and felt and embraced this alongside them. Secondly, I went there fully expecting us to be the ones doing the blessing. I never anticipated to be so richly blessed by the people we encountered. Granted many of their stories and situations were heart wrenching, but their authenticity and receptiveness were heartwarming. They were so thirsty for God's love and were so appreciative for our help. It was so humbling to witness.” - Tracy Adams Was there a particular time when you especially felt God’s presence? “I definitely felt God’s presence through our "prayer walks"! During this time, we would walk down Kensington Ave. and we would ask the broken how they were doing. We would ask what they needed praying for and then we'd do so in helping lift them up. Also, I found the family set relationships that the people at The Rock Ministries made with us even though they would only know us for but a few days.” - Drake Adams “I definitely felt God's presence when we went to the worship service with the people of Kensington at the Rock.” - Sarah-Kate Ryan “On Friday morning, we did our morning devotional a little bit differently. Everything was the same except that we walked up and down the streets of Kensington. A man by the name of Michael walked up to us with a brown-bagged-beer can and asked us if we could sing “Amazing Grace” for/with him. He sat on the ground and we surrounded him in a circle and sang. He raised his hands up to the air and also pretended to play an air guitar. You could tell that he longed for a strong relationship with Christ but was

struggling to reach that goal. On Wednesday morning, we had a women's coffee and worship breakfast/lunch. At first, there were about 30 women there for the coffee breakfast and devotional. Once lunch time started to roll around, more and more women started to file through the doors. We only had 4 trays of frozen pasta to cook and feed the women. We were so worried that we wouldn't have enough food, especially to feed nearly 85 hungry women coming in off the streets. All of a sudden, 4 women came through the kitchen with potluck items for the lunch. It was almost as if Jesus was feeding the 5,000 in modern-day time... we had too much food to put on the table!” - Caroline Vaughan “I specifically felt God's presence during the women's bible study. So many women game to sing worship songs and learn about god. It was such a joy to watch them worship and to experience it with them!” - Kylie Adams “During devotion and debriefing every night when everyone talked about their highs and lows and where they saw God that day. Seeing the kids uplifted and excited about what they had done that day was amazing.” - Gregg Adams “Yes! The women and girls in our group were helping to host a women's breakfast for the community. On average they typically have approximately 30 women to come. This was the last one before their summer break and close to 90 women showed up! There was such excitement for so many to come but the eagerness waned when we began to question whether there would be enough food. Erin, our director from Forerunner Ministries, asked me to help encourage them through the line but to ask them to only fix one plate to ensure everyone would have something. (We noticed the first few in line were fixing multiple plates, planning ahead for their next meal.) She also asked me to let those in our group know we were concerned about running short, so to please not eat yet. She then went to the kitchen to begin to figure out what to make to feed all these extra people. What happened next was nothing short of a modern day loaves and fishes story. Women from various places and agencies began appearing unannounced with food in hand, more food than individuals typically bring. In a matter of minutes there was more than enough. In fact the women ate until they were full, many took extras with them, we ate, and

Giving 2017-18 “For all that has been, Thanks. For all that is to come, Yes!”

-Dag Hammarskjold

Budget for 2017-2018: . . $1,600,000 Current: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,175,000 Remaining: . . . . . . . . . . . . $425,000

100%

73%

July 12, 2017

“For in Christ, every one of God’s promises is a “Yes”. For this reason, it is through him that we say the “Amen” to the glory of God.” II Corinthians 1:20

First Edition July 12, 2017

made with both the team and the people I encountered back in Kensington! I continue to think about them and hope that they are still safe out there under the "El" - Drake Adams

Memorials & Honoraria IN LOVING MEMORY OF BILL ENNIS May Scott (Pastor’s Fund)

“I will always remember the people I met while serving there. The people we served with from the Rock ministries and from Forerunner missions along with the kids and adults we served while there were so amazing!” - Kylie Adams

JANICE LOWE (Liz McCracken’s Mom) Hunter and Suzanne Welles BARBARA LIFSEY J.T. and Kathryn Swindle Carl and Alice Kirkland ELEANOR BAXTER (Bill Baxter’s mother) Charles and Betsy Cox The Upper Room Sunday School Class JOYCE NOVKOV (Lorie White’s Mother) Betsy and Alan Dement May Scott (Pastor’s Fund) NORMAN GIBSON (Doug and Greg Gibson’s father) The Followers Sunday School Class MARTHA JEAN BOUCHER (Connie Krone’s sister-on-law) Hunter and Suzanne Welles JILL ANN HOVESKELAND GUNSHEFSKI (Jacki Hoveskeland’s sister) Hunter and Suzanne Welles Alice Eblen JACK LAWRENCE SR. Betsy and Alan Dement DALTON GUY “JACK” PIERCEY (William Piercey’s father) The Abundant Disciples Sunday School Class ELAINE WARD Hunter and Suzanne Welles May Scott (Pastor’s Fund) Color Masters Carl and Alice Kirkland Dottie & Bruce Dorris IN HONOR OF SKY AND LIZ McCRACKEN Rev. Dan and Lane Camp

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there was STILL food leftover!! The surprise surplus was such a "Godwink"...a message of certainty from above,that we ALWAYS have enough when God is our supply. Ephesians 3:20. - Tracy Adams What one thing will always remain with you about this trip? “One thing that will always remain with me about this trip is what a man said at the service at The Lost Coin. He said that one day, a guy came up to him and told him that a group of soldiers will come here from another place. At first, he didn't believe him, but he told us that when he saw us walk in, it became real to him. That group of soldiers was us! I thought that was so cool.” - Sarah-Kate Ryan “Our trip-wide scripture was Matthew 14:22-33. This was the story of Peter and the disciples seeing Jesus walking on water and being terrified. Jesus told Peter to step out of the boat and come to him. Peter at first doubted Jesus, and began to sink, but when he put his faith in Jesus, he was saved. This week, we used the meaning behind this scripture to step out of our boats (comfort zones) and serve the people in Kensington. My challenge for myself was to be bold in everything I did, whether it was reaching out to pray to a stranger or volunteering to clean after dinner. The thing that will stick with me the most as a result of this trip is that going out of your comfort zone may not be comfortable to you, but it sure can comfort others.” - Caroline Vaughan “The one thing that will always remain with me from the trip is all the memories I

“The not knowing who got more out of the trip; the people of Kensington or us. The rock Ministries does great things!” - Gregg Adams “I think the biggest take away for me is to continue "stepping out of the boat". I don't want to revert back to being passive about sharing our faith with others. I want to boldly proclaim that Jesus is my Lord and Savior and that we don't have to travel across the country to do that. I want to be a better wife, mother, and friend to those who are special in my life, and I want to be a vessel where others can see Him in me. I want to continue to be enthusiastic about my faith! That is the best word I can come up with to describe our group. We were enthusiastic about sharing God's love and then sharing our stories with one another. Enthusiasm is derived from two Greek words, en and theos, theos being the Greek word for God. SO enthusiasm literally means, in its root concept, "full of God”. I want to continue the relationships we've made with our team members and our brothers and sisters in Christ in Kensington. Enthusiasm can be just as contagious as negativity. I hope we can all practice enthusiasm!” - Tracy Adams

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Women’s Ministries Susan Crocker, Director of Women’s Ministry, scrocker@jacksonfumc.org

Chef at the Farmer’s Market

We had a great day with Andrew Boks! Looking forward to upcoming chef events.

Flip Flops and Friends Tuesday, August 8 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Jan Teer’s home, 100 Windwood

DOG DAYS of SUMMER Come sit in the shade! No homework, just show up! It’s a good time to get together and relax in each other’s company and hear God’s word.

* More pictures on the Soul Sisters Facebook page.

Between Friends Book Club 11 a.m. at the Baker’s Rack

July 19 “In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom” by Yeonmi Park August 16 “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel

Upcoming Women’s Events August 8 - Flip Flops & Friends at Jan Teer's House August 16 - Bookclub at the Baker's Rack August 29 - The Dresses of Downton Abbey at Cheekwood Day Trip Sept 13 - Munch & Lunch at the Dixon Gardens: Saints and Symbolism

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Calendar of Events Calendar subject to change. Please call the church office, 422-4002 or check the calendar at jacksonfumc.org

Monday, July 17 Tuesday, July 25 4:00 PM Youth Week 9:00 AM Parents Day Out 10:00 AM District Operational Team Meeting 5:30 PM Finance Committee 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball

Tuesday, July 18 4:00 PM Youth Week 7:00 AM Men’s Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Planning 3:00 PM Open Gym 5:00 PM FUMC Youth Week 5:30 PM Leadership Meeting Wednesday, July 19 4:00 PM Youth Week 5:00 PM FUMC Youth Week Overnight 9:00 AM Parents Day Out 11:00 AM “Soul Sisters” Book Club 11:30 AM Rotary Club Lunch Meeting 5:00 PM Youth Week Overnight Stay 7:00 PM First Awakening Rehearsal Thursday, July 20 9:00 AM Coffee and Conversation 3:00 PM Open Gym 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball 6:00 PM Dream Center Dinner 7:00 PM Pickleball Friday, July 21 2:00 PM Youth Week Overnight at Nashville Climb Saturday, July 22 2:00 PM Youth Week Overnight at Nashville Climb Youth Sunday, July 23 9:30 AM Combined Service 10:30 AM Sunday School 5:00 PM Youth Small Groups Monday, July 24 9:00 AM Parents Day Out 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball

7:00 AM Men’s Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Planning 3:00 PM Open Gym Wednesday, July 26 11:00 AM Prayer Shawl Ministry Group 11:30 AM Rotary Club Lunch Meeting 7:00 PM First Awakening Rehearsal Thursday, July 27 9:00 AM Coffee and Conversation 3:00 PM Open Gym 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball 6:00 PM Mission U Setup 7:00 PM Pickleball Friday, July 28 7:00 AM Mission U Saturday, July 29 8:00 AM Mission U 5:30 PM Parents Night Out Promotion Sunday, July 30 9:30 AM Combined Service 10:30 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Promotion Sunday Open House 5:00 PM Youth Small Groups Monday, July 31 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball Tuesday, August 1 7:00 AM Men’s Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Planning Wednesday, August 2 11:30 AM Rotary Club Lunch Meeting 5:30 PM Mission Team Meeting 6:00 PM Handbells 7:00 PM Sanctuary Choir 7:00 PM First Awakening Rehearsal Thursday, August 3 9:00 AM Coffee and Conversation 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball 7:00 PM Pickleball

Friday, August 4 & Saturday, August 5 No church events scheduled Sunday, August 6 8:55 AM First Awakening Service 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 4:00 PM Jubilate 5:00 PM Youth Small Groups Monday, August 7 9:00 AM Parents Day Out 4:00 PM Foundation Officers Meeting 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball 6:00 PM Church Council Tuesday, August 8 7:00 AM Men’s Bible Study 10:00 AM Worship Planning 5:30 PM Flip Flops and Friends Wednesday, August 9 9:00 AM Parents Day Out 11:00 AM Prayer Shawl Ministry Group 11:30 AM Rotary Club Lunch Meeting 7:00 PM Sanctuary Choir 7:00 PM First Awakening Rehearsal Thursday, August 10 9:00 AM Coffee and Conversation 5:30 PM Senior Olympic Basketball 7:00 PM Pickleball Friday, August 11 10:00 AM Conference Administrative Assistants Retreat Saturday, August 12 No church events scheduled Sunday, August 13 8:55 AM First Awakening Service 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 4:00 PM Jubilate 5:00 PM Youth Small Groups

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Mission Corner

July Mission Focus: School Supplies Reelfoot Rural Ministries is collecting school supplies for distribution July 12-August 11 Reelfoot Rural Ministries (RRM) is collecting school supplies for low-income families it serves in Northwest Tennessee and Southwestern Kentucky. School supplies needed are listed below or RRM is happy to receive funds to purchase supplies. Click here for ways to donate.

July Monthly Mission Moment Dr. Tyson B. Raper, Mission Team

Lake County, TN lies 55 miles northwest of downtown Jackson. Although the County contains one of the premier waterfowl and bald eagle watching destinations in the nation, the rural area surrounding Reelfoot Lake is an area of extreme poverty. Lake County has the lowest “per capita” income of any county in Tennessee; According to the American Community Survey, the poverty rate of Lake Co is 27%; one out of four people living within Lake Co. lives below the poverty level. Reelfoot Rural Ministries was formed to serve this community. The ministry is a mission program of the Memphis Conference and their service area extends through four counties: Lake, Obion and Dyer Counties of Tennessee and Fulton County Kentucky. Many of you are familiar with their ‘Christmas Store’ program and several of you likely participated in our recent food drive. Reelfoot Rural Ministries is currently conducting a school supply drive. I recently had an opportunity to tour their facility and I was initially impressed with the quantity

of supplies on-hand. There were several hundred spiral notepads, several containers of crayons and 23 binders, just to mention a few. Reelfoot Rural Ministries expects to serve 500 students within the next month. The supplies captured in the below image represent less than 1/100th of the supplies required to meet this need. In each of your Sunday school classes over the next few weeks, you will find a small backpack with a list of requested supplies attached to the front. Please place donations for Reelfoot Rural Ministries in these backpacks or in the crib across from the nursery. Nelson Mendella said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I do not believe you can exaggerate the potential impacts of properly preparing a child for school. Eliminating the potential embarrassment of not having the necessary supplies and the subsequent stereotypes the child would have to fight could alter a generation. Thank you!

Supplies may be placed in the backpacks scattered through the Sunday School Classrooms or placed in the crib by the back entrance. For more information about school supply collections, contact Tyson at (731) 694-1387 or RRM at (731) 538-9970. For more information about RRM, visit www. reelfootruralministries.org

SCHOOL SUPPLIES NEEDED

• Composition notebooks • 3-ring binders (1.5-inch, 2-inch & 3-inch) • Loose-leaf paper (wide-ruled & college-ruled) • Notebooks (3-subject & 5-subject) • Clip boards • Sheet protectors • Dividers ( 5 and 8 tabs with pockets) • Index cards (4x6 and 3x5) • Compasses • Highlighters • Washable markers • Pencil top erasers • Big pink erasers • Number 2 pencils • Mechanical pencils • Ticonderoga pencils • Crayons (boxes of 8, 12, 16 and 24) • Fiskar scissors • Multi-purpose scissors • Head phones • Flash drives (2 GB or larger) • Hand sanitizer • Glue sticks • Red ink pens • Multi-colored pens • Scientific calculators (TI 84 Plus & Texas N-spire) • Coloring pencils • Pencil boxes • Expo Dry-erase erasers • Backpacks • 3-hole pencil pouches • Plastic folders with pockets and brads • Plastic folders with pockets Leave items in the Monthly Mission Collections crib in the lobby.

Reelfoot Rural Ministries supply room

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Check out the Jackson FUMC app! Download from the App Store or Google Play. • Church calendar • Watch sermons • Read the pastor’s blog • Bible at your fingertips • Conveniently tithe or give offerings via secure debit/credit card or bank draft • Register and pay for events All from the convenience of your mobile device.

Note of Appreciation Members of FUMC, Thank you so much. Your kindness makes such a difference in my life! Love and blessings, Alberta Herron

If you know of a church member in the hospital, please contact Jan Kelley, 422-4002 or jkelley@jacksonfumc.org to help us with congregational care.

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Music Notes Margaret Harrison, Interim Director of Music and Worship Arts (mharrison@jacksonfumc.org)

Are you or someone you know interested in singing? Do you like popular contemporary and old fashioned hymns with a little flare? The First Awakening service is looking for a group of dedicated singers for a mini choir to participate in worship on Sunday mornings at 8:55 a.m. This group will consist of 4 parts, both male and female and would like at least 4-6 singers for a "praise choir". Additional musical talents would Beau Sage, First Awakening be most welcome as they will greatly enhance the Worship Leader service. If this interests you, please contact Beau Sage our First Awakening worship leader by phone or email: 731-571-3448, bsage@jacksonfumc.org

page 11 First Edition July 12, 2017

Parents’ Night Out Saturday, July 29 • 5:30-9:00 p.m. $6/child, $20 family max.

jacksonfumc.org Space is limited!

You are invited to attend the "Historic Walking Tour" in Downtown Jackson

Friday, July 14, 11:15 AM

presented by the International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame Jackson’s historical places are magnificent. Beginning in the shadow of “Carl Perkins and Sir Paul McCartney's” mural, moving to our Historic Grey Hound Bus Station, the oldest in the USA, and then to six additional historic facilities is designed to bring pride, respect and honor to our city! You are cordially invited to participate in the opening ceremonies beginning at Rockabilly Park, 11 North Church Street, Jackson, Tennessee. Sponsor: International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame, 105 North Church Street, Jackson.

Men’s Ministry Tuesday Morning Bible Study Grow and learn… Come when you can…

Dave Bratcher, leader 7-7:50 a.m.

Clayton Hall Conference Room

For Men Only

Coffee & Conversation

Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. Room 117

All men welcome!

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

JACKSON, TENN. PERMIT NO. 116

First United Methodist Church 200 South Church Street Jackson, Tennessee 38301 (731) 422-4002

A Safe Sanctuaries Congregation A United Methodist Welcoming Congregation OR CURRENT RESIDENT

jacksonfumc.org

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Sunday Worship FUMC Downtown Services:

8:55 a.m. First Awakening • Clayton Hall 10:00 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship • Sanctuary

Sunday, July 16 Youth Sunday, July 23

Sky McCracken, preaching • Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Combined Worship 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary • 10:30 a.m. Sunday School Christian Hesling, preaching

Promotion Sunday, July 30

Combined Worship 9:30 a.m. Sanctuary • 10:30 a.m. Sunday School

Sunday, August 6

Sky McCracken, preaching

Communion

The next publication of the First Edition Newsletter will be Wednesday, August 9, 2017