Hospitality

Donna Haley, Hospitality Committee Chair | dmhaley_99@yahoo.com | 901-487-8205

What is Christian Hospitality?

If you're like most people, you may think practicing Christian hospitality is equivalent to what you've seen in magazines. But take heart: practicing Christian hospitality isn't about glamorous table settings or platters of picture-perfect food; it's about practicing servanthood. More importantly, it's about loving others through Christ and making people feel special.

While not everyone feels comfortable leading a social event, some people have a natural talent for making guests feel special. You might think those hospitality genes are inherited, but that's a myth. Hospitality takes on added dimensions and new definitions when seen through the lens of Christianity.

Some Christians possess hospitality as a spiritual gift. The Bible tells us that every believer is given at least one spiritual gift for the purpose of building up God's church and serving the body of Christ. In other words, our gifts are given not for our own benefit, but for the enrichment of others. However, we are all called to show hospitality.

Romans 12:10-13 encourages us as Christians to:

Be devoted to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Take time to consider how you practice hospitality. Prayerfully consider incorporating the following practices when you come to worship on Sunday morning.

 Pray for our church and for all who come to worship, specifically those who are our guests. They are sent by God.

 Speak to someone you don’t know and introduce yourself.

 Welcome and speak to those sitting within 10 feet of you in the sanctuary.

 Volunteer to provide cookies in the narthex on a Sunday morning.

 Wear your name tag. If you’ve lost yours, you may order a new one at the Welcome Center.

Yolanda Toney | ytoney@germantownumc.org | 901-754-7216

The Power of the Small Group

Are you in a Sunday School class or a Bible study? Are you in a United Women in Faith Circle or in United Methodist Men? Do you play pickle ball? Are you a member of the choir?

Small groups are powerful.

Small groups set the stage for friendships and community. People talk more in a small group; therefore, they are more likely to share joys and sorrows and others will hear them and respond.

An invitation to a small group is an excellent way to share your faith with those who may be new to the church and looking for a way to grow their faith. Acclimating to a new church can be difficult but leaning into a small group and getting to know a few people will provide a comfortable beginning.

Small groups help to live out your faith. In small groups people hear the emotional, financial, spiritual, and social needs of others. People will respond to those needs because these are the needs of friends.

Prayer is focused in small groups because people share specific challenges and concerns with one another. Prayer cannot be overrated, but it is often under practiced.

The minister can’t do it all on Sunday morning. God gives all Christians spiritual gifts, so it’s up to the congregation to minister to one another. Small groups are perfect for mutual edification.

People in small groups challenge each other. It’s easy to make goals for yourself, but if no one knows what they are it’s easy to shirk on those goals. There is accountability in small groups where goals and dreams are often shared. In the small group, support is available, and people are more likely to reach goals.

Finally, small groups cultivate leaders. Someone has to lead a small group, and the opportunity cultivates leadership development.

Interested in a small group? Contact me, and I’ll help you find your perfect fit. ~

Yolanda Toney

Congregational Care

Yolanda Toney | ytoney@germantownumc.org | 901-754-7216

Are you being called from the pews into the mission field?

Contact Rev. Tom Davis, 901-754-7216, or tdavis@germantownumc.org.

• Flower Ministry - After worship, altar flowers are separated into small vases and delivered to homebound. Your time commitment is up to you.

• Visits to Homebound - Occasionally you may be asked to visit those who are homebound or persons who may be ill.

• Home Communion Ministry- On Communion Sunday, you will take Communion to assigned homebound.

Contact Ruth King, 901-233-7495 or ruthmking@bellsouth.net.

• Prayer Ministry - Join a team of volunteers who arrive 30-45 minutes before worship to pray throughout the church for all who enter the sanctuary before worship begins. The team also prays with the pastors. New members are welcome.

Contact Sue Myers, 901-756-7919 or joelmyers1@comcast.net.

• Monday Night Visits to First Time Visitors - Armed with fresh cookies, you will visit first time visitors. You may bake cookies, go on visits, or both.

Contact Yolanda Toney, 901-754-216, ytoney@germantownumc.org.

• Grief Ministry - Commit to stay in touch with a person who has suffered a close familial loss for a year. Regularity of contact would be determined by the person affected by the loss and you. Contact might include calls, notes, or visits.

• Note/Card Writing Ministry - Once a month or less you will write notes to assigned persons. Adults, youth, and children may contribute to this ministry.

• Calling Ministry -Monthly or bi-monthly (determined by you) you will call assigned persons to check in with them. These people may be ill, shut-ins, or may be absent from church for several Sundays.

• Meal Ministry - Occasionally persons or families may appreciate a meal during a difficult time. You would make the meal or purchase a meal and deliver it.

• Career Transition Team - An established group who aids those seeking employment or those who are underemployed. https://sites.google.com/a/ thectgroups.org/the-ct-groups/home/Groups/Memphis-CT.

Missions

Anne Fritz, Chairperson | clarissafritz@att.net

WHO and What is the Reelfoot Rural Ministries

Reelfoot Rural Ministries is a mission program of the Memphis Conference of The United Methodist Church located in rural Northwest Tennessee. RRM is located in rural Obion County, serving Northwest Tennessee and Southwest Kentucky.

This rural area surrounding Reelfoot Lake is an area of extreme poverty. Lake County, for instance, has the lowest “per capita” income of any county in Tennessee. The unemployment rate in Lake County is 8.9% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Lake County jobs have decreased by 1.3%. The county is thirty-second from the bottom of family income levels in our nation. The combined lasting effects of farm mechanization, no available factory employment, and a seasonal lake culture have left economic marks on the people of this area that are difficult to change.

Primary services offered by Reelfoot Rural Ministries are:

1. Children’s Services

School Needs - Reelfoot Rural Ministries partners with The Lake County School District to provide Back Pack Buddies for 75 students. They receive meals, snacks, fruit, and drinks for each weekend when school is in session. RRM provides parents with necessary supplies for their children during the back=to-school season. In 2018, RRM served 550 students.

Currently, over 200 children participate in Imagination Library in Lake County. RRM serves as the nonprofit sponsor in partnership with The Dolly Parton Foundation and the state of Tennessee. Children through five years of age receive books each month.

The Christmas Store - The Christmas Store provides four new toys to each child through a parent application process. Donated new toys are arranged in a store-like setting for parents to select toys for their children. Parents “purchase” the four toys for only $3.00 (in 2018) per child. The $3.00 charged for 4 toys helps maintain the dignity of providing for one’s own family. And most importantly, children are not made to feel like “charity cases”.

2. Volunteer Services AND VISION CLINICS:

Dental and Vision Clinics - The Dental and Vision Clinics provide low-cost care for persons without insurance who could not otherwise afford care. Local Dentists, Optometrists and Assistants donate their professional services to staff the clinics. Additional dentists licensed to practice in the State of Tennessee are needed.

Work Camps - Work Camps provide no cost home repairs for the elderly and for other income-eligible area residents. Repairs include painting, roofing, repairing porches and floors, building steps, and ramps, and a host of other projects. Work camps are available in the summer for youth and year-round for adults.

Other Volunteer Opportunities - Sizing and sorting clothing at the Thrift Store; Stocking the food shelves; Grounds maintenance; Helping during the School Supplies Drive.