DGrace and peace to you as we turn the calendar toward August! This is a month full of renewal, connection, and excitement in the life of our congregation. There are three things in particular that I would like to call your attention to for this month:
1. We’re thrilled to be kicking off our Revival worship series throughout the month of August. This will be a spirit-filled season of renewal and reflection, re-centering ourselves and our calling as disciples of Christ. We are excited to welcome guest preachers this month: Dr. Joel Richardson (who served for decades as the pastor at Central Baptist Church in Newnan) and Rev. Laurie Moeller, the Director of Connectional ministries in our North Georgia conference. Whether you’re a longtime member or just beginning to explore our community, this is a powerful time to engage in worship together.
2. And what better way to embody revival than through fellowship? Mark your calendars for our free church-wide picnic on Sunday, August 10th from 4–6pm! This will be an afternoon of laughter and breaking bread together, and we want folks from all ages to be there. We will enjoy BBQ, Wow Sno snowcones, and there will be games, an inflatable slide, and a bounce-house for the young ones.
3. We’re also beginning a new rhythm with Wednesday Night Fellowship (WNF) every week, coupling weekly supper with meaningful programming for all ages. These midweek gatherings are more than meals; they’re moments to nourish body and soul, deepen relationships, and grow in faith together. Our first WNF will be August 20th at 5:15pm– more details below.
August is an exciting time of ministry and connection here at Newnan First. Let’s be inspired together as we grow in our love of God, our neighbors, and one another.
In Christ, Rev. Connor Bell
Associate Pastor
Wednesdays 5:15-6:30
Lisa Dempsey
Interim Associate Pastor
ldempsey@NewnanFUMC.org
770.598.5066
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank you and express my heartfelt appreciation for your kindness these last weeks. As so many of you may have found, the passing of my mother, while expected, is still such a loss. I had 70 wonderful years to be her daughter and companion. I know I was blessed. Your kind words, hugs, and so many thoughtful cards have lightened my sadness. I appreciate your compassion and understanding as I adjust to this space in life. You have filled it in meaningful ways, and prayed me forward. Jack and I are so thankful you are our family, our church.
On another note, I am looking forward to this fall, as so many opportunities open up at Newnan First. I am delighted to begin teaching the morning Women’s Bible Study on Wednesdays at 9:30am. Both the morning (9:30am) and evening (6:30pm) Women’s Bible Study will kick off their weekly studies on September 3. We are fortunate to have Kelly Stephens leading the Wednesday night study. Kelly has shown her passion for study and growth and has been a tremendous support to me as I step into this role of teaching. We are so blessed with her leadership!
Finally, there is a church-wide Women’s Meetup on Wednesday, August 13, at 10:00am in the Annex. Bring a light snack or sweet to share for this social time as we ease back into our routine of fall. The Wednesday evening group will forgo a final summer meeting, but all are welcome to join us at the daytime event. Due to some changes with this event, we are asking anyone needing childcare to email Jodi (nursery@newnanfumc.org) directly by THIS SUNDAY, August 10. Please do this even if you’ve previously registered!
I invite you to come, bring a friend, and get to know one another in August. I will be sharing about another passion of mine - quilting as a spiritual place and have a special guest coming to share her experience of faith as it ties to her gift of quilting.
In love and peace, Pastor Lisa
NEW MEMBERS CLASSES
Susan Mitchell
Preschool Director
smitchell@NewnanFUMC.org
770.253.1237
This summer, Andrea, Jodi, a few amazing volunteers, and I had the joy of passing out school supplies to 100 families at the Cougar Community cookout hosted at Newnan High School! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our church members, each child received the tools they need to start the year with confidence and excitement. From crayons and glue sticks to notebooks and pencils, every item was a blessing made possible by your kindness. We are so grateful for your continued support and love—Thank you for being such an important part of our preschool family!
We have had a fantastic summer filled with fun camps and rest and now we are gearing up for back to school! A brand new school year is just around the corner at NFUMC and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome our little ones back! The classrooms are being filled with new technology, books, toys, and hands-on learning activities all ready for discovery, creativity, and faith-filled fun. We can’t wait to see familiar faces and meet new friends as we come together to learn, play, and grow in God’s love. With our wonderful teachers, nurturing environment, and a year full of exciting activities ahead, it’s going to be a wonderful start to an unforgettable journey!
The next several weeks are going to be filled with wrapping up the summer and moving towards the next school year. We hope your families have had a wonderful summer. We know that school time can feel overwhelming and sometimes scary. When we trust God, he will get us through all the hard things that we may encounter.
Sunday School for 4-year-olds to 2nd grade will spend the next weeks continuing to talk about all the good things Elisha did. You do not want to miss the stories about how God encouraged Joshua. We will become spies to help out in Canaan and we will be crossing the Jordan River! This month will be so exciting and we will be doing exciting things in Sunday School! We spend our time working on activities, reading stories, and doing cute and fun crafts!
In our older Sunday school class they are continuing to travel down Route 66, and diving into the fun and exciting lessons in the Bible. They are touching on all 66 books! So don’t miss the fun!
During the 11am service, Wiggle and Worship (2 & 3-year-olds) and Children’s Worship (4yrs-2nd Grade) are having a blast exploring the scripture. We play games and have activities, interactive lessons, and super cute crafts! This month we are going to focus on the love of God! We will talk about how to show love and kindness, and explore the word “forgiveness.” We will learn all the ways God has made plans for us and how to follow God! Wiggle and Worship is in the nursery in the lower level of the Parish Hall in the Preschool. Children’s Worship is after they are dismissed from Big Church. You can pick them up after the service upstairs on the Children’s Floor! We play, pray, wiggle, and praise, and have the best time ever!
ROOT345 starts back August 17 and we will dive into being “Overwhelmed.” The beginning of the school year can be a time of excitement but also a time of fear. We are going to talk about stressing less and explore ways of handling times when we feel we are over it. We will be running to God, literally and in scripture. We are so excited to talk about all the ways we can put our trust in God and overcoming the fears that we have in life. ROOT345 meets on the Children’s Floor on Sunday evenings, from 6 to 7:45pm. We have dinner together and then go into our lessons. Our lessons are packed full of games and activities. If you have a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade child, we would love to have them join the fun!
Paul Mosley Youth Director
pmosley@NewnanFUMC.org
770.253.7400 (x219)
Looking back on the Summer: This summer we had a blast in times of fellowship, study, and service. Over the summer, we went on choir tour, volunteered at VBS, and met on Wednesdays to dive into the Spiritual Discipline of Service and grab lunch together at local restaurants and served in our community at local mission partners. The summer was also filled with good, old fashion fun. The UTH played on Aqua Island at Callaway Gardens, had a blast at the Fun Spot driving GoKarts and riding roller coasters, and went on a roadtrip to Buc-ee’s. This summer has been amazing, and we are so looking forward to the upcoming school year!
The Start of School and Beyond: We are kicking off the school year with some of the best fun and discipleship. Our Churchwide picnic and Back to School Event is on August 10 at 4pm. The UTH will both get to work and play at this event. Come have an awesome time and be blessed!
The next Sunday, August 17, is our Bite Nite: a photo scavenger hunt where teams of six accomplish tasks around Downtown Newnan. Sign up today!
Then on Sunday, August 24, our first UTH on Sundays kicks off. We will have dinner, worship, a lesson, and small group time. We are so excited for the upcoming year. To find out more about the upcoming year, come to our UTH Parents Meeting on August 24 from 4:00pm in the UTH Lounge.
We are preparing for the 2025-2026 Confirmation Class to get started this September. We are so excited for this milestone in each of these student’s lives. We want to collect information about who all will be participating this year, so follow THIS LINK Once you fill out the information, I will follow up with each of you then. Confirmation starts September 7. Mark your calendars for this awesome journey into faith!
Upcoming UTH Events
August 10: Church Picnic and Back to School Event
August 17: Bite Nite, 6-8:30pm
August 20: Bible & Biscuits @ Chick-fil-A August 24: UTH Parents Meeting, 4-5pm
August 24: UTH on Sundays Starts, 6-8pm September 7: Confirmation Kicks off
As summer winds down and the familiar rhythm of fall begins to return, we in the music ministry are excited to welcome everyone back! Whether you’ve been traveling, resting, or simply enjoying a slower season, we hope your summer was filled with renewal and joy. Now, we look forward to gathering again—raising our voices in praise, reconnecting with one another, and stepping into a new season of worship and music-making together.
Chancel Choir got back into their rehearsal routine the last Wednesday in July. It was such a joy to be back in the rehearsal space with them. We have so many ensembles resuming this month, largely centered around our youth and children’s choirs. Those return schedules are as follows.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH REHEARSAL START DATES
Youth Ensemble: Sunday, August 17th, 4:30-5:00 p.m.
Youth Choir: Sunday, August 17th, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
(Heads up, this is also Bite Nite 2025 - an epic scavenger hunt around downtown Newnan ensues after rehearsal! See the UTH page for more information.)
Bellissimo: Wednesday, August 20th, 4:30-5:00 p.m.
Cherub Choir: Wednesday, August 20th, 5:00-5:30 p.m.
Carol Choir: Wednesday, August 20th, 5:00-5:30 p.m.
Please note that due to some scheduling conflicts on our end, rehearsal start dates are a little later than last year. We hope this will help with settling back into school routines before we get going again with rehearsals. If you have any questions or concerns about choirs, please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or Bonnie. We are so excited to have Joanna Sherer and Kerry Moore joining our directors team to work with Cherub Choir this year. I know that’s going to be a fun place to make music this year. If you have a little one age 4 –1st grade, you won’t want to miss it!
Joybells, Inspirations, and Celebration Singers, be on the lookout for the September start date - we plan to resume the week after Labor Day (September 8th and 9th). If there are any changes here, we will communicate with you ASAP.
We have been so blessed to have so many new members and baptisms in the last year. If you’re among our new membership, we hope you’ll consider joining us in the music ministry. Whether you feel called to perform weekly with Chancel Choir, want to ring as part of our handbell ensemble, or are just wanting to try out a children’s or adult choir to see if it’s the right fit, we have a seat for you. Please contact me for more information.
Soli Deo Gloria, Caitie
WYOU ARE a Mission Team Member!
Where Will You Serve?
e anticipate continuing our Mission and Outreach activities. In order to be successful, we are counting on YOU to volunteer or to lead activities that you have a passion for. Below are the upcoming activities that will need YOU! Please prayerfully consider volunteering.
One Roof Donations | August 17 - In June we delivered 5 shopping carts of food, and in July they told us our donation weighed nearly 350 lbs. Thank you to everyone who donated!
This month’s requested items are: tuna, canned chicken, Vienna sausages, SPAM, grits, oatmeal, rice, soups, mixed veggies, corn, Ramen noodles, spaghetti, canned fruit, mac & cheese, & cereal. There are also perishable item requests, contact Ivonne Sheren if you’d like to donate cash for that cause - ivonne.sheren@gmail.com.
ERT Leader Training | September 14 | 12:30-5pm - The ERT is looking for people ready to lead when we head out for disaster response missions. Those interested must have completed Basic ERT training already.
#ServeCoweta | September 20 - We need a team lead to coordinate with RiverLife who will track the number of NFUMC member sign-ups, make arrangements for and serving a light breakfast, and provide church staff with information to communicate with the congregation. This is a one day event. Teams are assigned in Coweta county to help various homeowners in need with minor home repairs and lawn care.
Munchkin Masquerade | October 31 - We need a team lead to coordinate with volunteers to pack 600-1,000 bags of candy. The bags include a small flyer with information about our upcoming Advent activities, Children’s Sunday School, etc. The bags are taken to the Square to hand out from 10am to Noon…if they last that long! This is a free event for children to show off their costumes and visit the downtown businesses and non-profits to get their candy in a safe environment.
Rise Against Hunger | November 16 - There are volunteer opportunities for ALL members, all ages, all abilities! This church-wide event is a great way to lead us into Thanksgiving and the Advent season. More details will be in the October Shepherd.
Thank You to the Youth for their support of church missions over their summer vacation. They dedicated time during Choir Tour and on July Wednesdays to serving others. Another thank you to the VBS Children (and Andrea!) who collected for our mission partners: Backpack Buddies, Bridging the Gap, Wesley Woods of Newnan, and the Newnan Police and Newnan Fire Departments. Our preschool also collected school supplies for the Coweta Community Cookout at Newnan High School in July. And of course, a BIG THANK YOU to Aileen Burnett for her service to the Mission Team.
Finally, Please be in prayer for the group heading to Mission Guatemala August 16-23. They will spend time painting and doing minor repairs and two afternoons will be spent with local children doing crafts and other activities.
SIX new people were certified on the chain saw in June!
MUSEUM MUSEUM MUSEUM
August 14 | 9am-4pm August 14 | 9am-4pm August 14 | 9am-4pm
*Bring A Sweater
*Bring A Sweater
*Bring A Sweater
*No Bags Bigger than 11x15
*No Bags Bigger than
*No Bags Bigger than 11x15
*Bring extra money for LUNCH!
*Bring extra money for LUNCH!
*Bring extra money for LUNCH!
Bereavement Committee
The Bereavement Committee wants to thank everyone who has participated in this vital ministry of the church. Many of you have assisted by providing food, serving at the receptions, and praying for us as we serve our church families in their time of need.
Would you like to help when you are available? For receptions, we usually ask for finger foods such as small sandwiches, cookies, or other food that can be handled without silverware, and provide help at the reception.
Please let us know if you can assist and we will add you to our list.
Please contact either Lee Berry at lee@leeberry.com or Sandra Johnson at sandyj1227@att.net.
