s we step into the new year, I am filled with such hope and anticipation for the exciting things God has in store for us. Who knows where God is going to call you this year? Perhaps God is laying it on your heart to serve with our youth ministry or children’s ministry. Maybe God is calling you to use your musical skills in ministry with one of our choirs. Perhaps there’s a Sunday school or small group you’ve been invited into but you just haven’t taken the first step yet. Or maybe there is an idea you’ve been wanting to share about a possible new ministry of our church. I’d love to hear it!
I don’t know where God is calling you. But I am praying that you’ll open your heart and mind to the Spirit and allow God to use you!
As we move forward, I challenge you to begin praying John Wesley’s Covenant Prayer each morning of every day of January. Consider it a small covenant. It wouldn’t take you longer than 60 seconds. But be sure to know what you’re getting yourself into. When you open yourself up to God, amazing and unexpected things tend to happen!
“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”
May these words inspire us to live out our faith with renewed purpose in 2025.
Blessings,
Andrew
GIVE ONLINE
Your gifts go to the ministries of Newnan First UMC and our local and global partners in mission.
Update Missions
Thank you for your amazing support of this year’s Joy Tree. Your overwhelmingly generosity enabled our church to provide clothing and toys for 100 Coweta County foster children. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped check in and bag all the gifts; you made the process easy!
Safe Sanctuary Training | January 26, 2025 from 12:15-2pm in the Annex Hall Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes [a] child ... welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). Children are our present and our future, our hope, our teachers, our inspiration. They are full participants in the life of the church and in the realm of God. God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from abuse. God calls us to create communities of faith where children and adults grow safe and strong. Safe Sanctuaries is our response to this church wide challenge. All volunteers who work with vulnerable populations in our church are required to complete safe sanctuaries training every two years. These populations include those under the age of 18, older adults, and those with intellectual disabilities. The training takes about 1.5 hours to complete, and communicates best practices for preventing potential abuse from taking place in our ministries.
There are 2 options to complete the training:
1. RSVP to join us in-person on January 26 to complete the training with Rev. Connor Bell as a facilitator. Those who RSVP by January 22, will receive free lunch!
2. Complete the training on your own time via our website here. Following completion of the training, email the certificate of completion to Connor.
This training is essential for our continued witness as Christ followers, and in order to uphold our church’s commitment to do no harm. Contact Rev. Connor at cbell@newnanfumc.org if you have any questions.
Mission Guatemala | August 16-23, 2025 We want YOU to join us for our 2025 Mission Trip to Guatemala! Here is the skinny: What is it? Mission Guatemala is an organization based in Panajachel, Guatemala that was founded by United Methodists. They exist to help meet the basic needs and improve the quality of life of under-served Guatemalan people through health, education, and nutrition initiatives and meaningful missionary service. Each year, to help meet these needs, they partner with church groups to assist with medical needs, facilities improvements, and education programs for the children.
Who can go? Anyone at the church age 18 and up can attend, and High schoolers can attend if they are accompanied by a responsible parent or guardian. We encourage older adults to attend! We have been assured that our project this year will not require heavy physical labor in order to accommodate those of diverse age and ability.
Where are we going? We will fly in to Guatemala City, but be shuttled across the country to Panajachel. This is in the area known as “the land of eternal spring” because the weather is great year-round, and this is an area very safe for mission groups and tourists alike. We will be staying at the secluded, private campus of Mission Guatemala near Panajachel. Accommodations are apartment-style, with hot showers and hot meals provided. The campus has security, and everyone who attended in 2023 felt very safe. We will fly out of the Atlanta airport round-trip, with a direct flight there and back.
How can I prepare and find out more? Make sure that your passport is up to date, and attend the Interest Meeting on March 10, at 7pm in the Gathering Room. This is when we will finalize details for the trip, answer any questions that folks may have, see who is committed to going, and meet the team! Visit the Mission Guatemala website at missionguatemala.com– their website is up to date with a wealth of information!
ONE ROOF DONATIONS
January 19
Single-Serve Microwaveable Soups Fruit Cups
Shelf-Stable Milk Hot Cocoa Coffee Tea Chicken Soup
Drop off in the Work Room
Conference Space or at the altar on Mission Sunday.
Discipleship Happy New Year!
At Newnan First UMC, we want to help you grow in your faith this year. There are several studies and small groups available if you are not already connected. And we’d love to hear from you if there is something in particular that you are interested in. Contact Melody Webb, Director of Discipleship, if you have any questions.
Women’s Bible Studies resume on Wednesday, January 8th in the Annex Hall
Morning Session: 9:30am, facilitated by Melody Webb. Join us over the next 8 weeks as we delve into the gospel of Luke. Bring yourself and your bible (a study bible is recommended). Evening Session: 6:30pm, facilitated by Kelly Stephens. Join us for a 6-week study of Max Lucado’s “Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World”. Please purchase the book and study guide by the same title from your favorite bookseller.
Discipleship Director
mwebb@NewnanFUMC.org
770.253.7400 (x215) Melody Webb
New Contemplative Study begins Sunday, January 12 at 9:45am in the Annex Hall
On Christmas Eve, Pastor Andrew encouraged us to spend more time “pondering” the mysteries of God, spending more time reading scripture, thinking and reflecting, praying and listening. If this sounds like something you want to learn more about, join us! Bring yourself and your bible.
Not involved in a small group? Join an adult Sunday School class!
Sunday mornings are a great time to join with other adults for study, reflection, encouragement and spiritual growth. When you join a Sunday School class, you are not merely making new friends, you are becoming part of a family who loves and cares for each other, plans fun events together, and supports each other through life’s ups and downs. Check out our different groups online or contact Melody Webb to get connected.
On Thursday, December 5th, we enjoyed a catered lunch with the NFUMC staff. We sang Christmas carols, played a trivia game, and packed cookie tins for our friends at Wesley Woods. Thank you to Caitie for leading our carols and for everyone who joined us.
aburnett@NewnanFUMC.org
770.253.7400 (x206)
In February we will be going to the Columbus Museum with lunch in the Columbus area. Cost will be $5 for transportation and lunch will be on your own. We will leave the church at 9am and plan to return around 3pm. Keep an eye out from Aileen confirming the exact date of the outing.
Contact Aileen with any suggestions for Fun ‘n Frolic trips.
AWednesday Night Fellowship
5:00-6:15pm | Parish Hall
While supper is served 5:00-6:15pm, those enjoying fellowship are welcome to stay later even if Patty and helpers are packing up! Remember to RSVP by noon the Tuesday before supper. This helps give us an accurate count when making food!
s we step into a new year, we often find ourselves filled with a mix of anticipation and reflection. The blank pages of a new calendar bring with them a sense of fresh beginnings and endless possibilities. Amid the excitement of setting new goals and embarking on new adventures, it’s equally important to remember the quiet joys that sustain us.
This January, let us commit to seeking out and cherishing those moments of stillness and simplicity. Whether it’s a peaceful morning prayer, a contemplative walk in nature, or the comforting melodies of worship that echo in our hearts, these quiet joys are the gentle reminders of God’s presence in our everyday lives.
As a church community, let us encourage one another to slow down and find gratitude in the little things. The new year is a perfect time to renew our focus on the blessings that surround us, often found in the most unassuming places. May we take time to listen, to breathe, and to be present, finding solace and inspiration in the peaceful moments gifted to us.
I look forward to another year of beautiful music making in this worshipful space with each and every one of you. It is the hope of the music program that the performances you hear over the coming year will help to uplift your spirit and enable you to focus on the blessings we are surrounded with everyday. Let our shared worship and fellowship continue to be a source of joy and connection, as we navigate the year ahead. Together, let’s embrace the quiet joys and allow them to illuminate our path, guiding us with grace and hope.
Wishing you all a blessed and joyful New Year! Soli Deo Gloria, Caitie
Caitlyn Dixon Director of
Paul Mosley Youth Director
pmosley@NewnanFUMC.org
770.253.7400 (x219)
WHappy New Year!
e have had a busy and exciting fall semester in UTH at Newnan First UMC. Our confirmation course is going strong! We have 8 students working through their faith and Methodism together, with our Confirmation Retreat upcoming.
Our Wednesday morning devotional time, Biscuits & Bibles, continues to meet before school to work through the bible and our faith together. This semester we worked through the first half of the gospel of Matthew. Sunday Nights were great as well. We talked about changing the way we viewed change in our series called Roundabout, discussed what it means to be a city on a hill shining for all to see in the series The Hills, and dove into the concept of authority and how we can handle it in our series Like a Boss. We got a ton out of our time together. While we learned a lot, we also had a lot of fun; we hosted a bunch of fellowship oriented events as well: Bite Nite, UTH vs Adults Game night, Elevate bags & Holy Ghost Marshmallow Roast Night, and the UTH Christmas Party. We have an even more exciting Spring planned, and we are so excited to be in ministry here at Newnan First UMC, sharing the love of Christ with each and every student we come across!
First KIDS
Andrea Stuart Director of Children’s Ministry
astuart@NewnanFUMC.org
770.253.7400 (x209)
View & Download All First KIDS pictures
View & Download All 2024 Uth pictures
UPCOMING UTH & ROOT345 EVENTS
January 5: First UTH of Spring Semester BINGO night with Prizes!
January 5: First ROOT345 of Spring Semester
January 8: Biscuits & Bibles Returns 7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A
January 12: UTH Parents Meeting 4:00pm | Youth Lounge
January 17-20: UTH Ski Trip
January 19: No UTH
February 5: Sticky Faith Senior Study Starts 7:00pm | Mosley Home
February 23: Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon 12:15pm | Parish Hall
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you for the many kind wishes, gifts, and remembrances you bestowed to me this Christmas! During the Christmas season our preschool families gave generously to our Advent bags, participated in the can-a-thon, and provided surplus toothbrushes and toothpaste to students in need at Newnan High School.
Consignment Sale News: Mark your calendars our next sale is February 28th and March 1st. This sale is our Spring/Summer Sale! Our Fall Sale was an amazing success and I am excited about another successful sale this Spring. Registration to consign is open! Just like last sale, consignors will sign up for a time to drop off their items. For more information, go to our website www. nfumcpreschool.org . Don’t wait until the last minute to register and tag your items! This is a great way to clean out and make room for new items from Christmas!
Preschool registration for the 2025-2026 school year will be on Sunday, March 9th for church members. Currently enrolled families may register on March 10th and registration will open to the public on March 11th. I am so excited about the prospects for next year’s registration. Please tell your friends and family about our preschool and Kindergarten! All the registration information will be updated on our website soon, and all registration and payment will be online.
Call me or email if you have questions or have friends interested in touring.
Susan
2
ARC Blood Drive
12:15-4:15pm | Parish Hall
5
Worship Service
8:30am & 11:00 | Sanctuary
Sunday School
9:45am
Confirmation Class
9:45am | Annex Conference
ROOT345
6:00pm | Children’s Wing
UTH BINGO Night
6:00pm | Youth Lounge
7 Masterworks
6:45pm | Choir Room
8
UTH Biscuits & Bibles
7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A
Chancel Choir
6:45pm | Choir Room
9
Lifeline Health Screening
8:15am-5:30pm | Parish Hall 11
Leadership Summit
8:30-11:30am | Annex Hall
12 Worship Service
8:30am & 11:00 | Sanctuary
Sunday School
9:45am
January Calendar
12
Youth Choir
5:00pm | Choir Room
ROOT345 & UTH
6:00pm | CW & YL
13 Joybells
4:30pm | Bell Room
Inspirations
5:45pm | Choir Room
14
Celebration Singers
9:30am | Choir Room
Angel House Mtg 11:30am | Main 200
Parkinson’s Support Mtg 2:30pm | Main 203
Preschool Spirit Night
5:00-9:00pm | Truett’s CfA
Masterworks
6:45pm | Choir Room
15
UTH Biscuits & Bibles
7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A
Dementia Support Mtg
10:00am | Annex Conference
Bellissimo 4:30pm | Bell Room
Wednesday Night Fellowship
5:00-6:15pm | Parish Hall
Cherub Choir
5:15pm | Main 203
16
Prayer Shawl Meeting 10:00am | Gathering Room
17-20
UTH Ski Trip Camp Junaluska
19
Worship Service 8:30am & 11:00 | Sanctuary
Sunday School 9:45am
20
Martha Circle
9:45am | Main 201
21
Men’s Prayer Breakfast 8:30am | Gathering Room
Celebration Singers
9:30am | Choir Room
Masterworks 6:45pm | Choir Room
22
UTH Biscuits & Bibles
7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A
Bellissimo 4:30pm | Bell Room
Cherub Choir 5:15pm | Main 203 Carol Choir 5:15pm | Choir Room Chancel Choir 6:45pm | Choir Room
