The Shepherd - September 2026

SEPTEMBER 2026

THE

SHEPHERD

Details

CHURCH LIFE

Ministry

pg 8-9

UPDATES pg 4-7

Get Involved

MISSIONS pg 3

Upcoming

EVENTS

pg 10-11

Newnan First United Methodist Church

33 Greenville Street | 770.253.7400 | hello@newnanfumc.org

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t always humbles me how quickly summer ends and fall begins. I want to start putting out my pumpkins and fall decor, but the daily forecast says otherwise. While the heat continues, the laid-back vibes of summer do not. Sports start, whether that means watching the big game on TV or driving around town to practice and games. Activities resume both around town and in our church. I feel this first hand as I go back to school to pursue a Masters of Divinity at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. I am also in the process of ordination within the UMC and have the amazing opportunity to work at our church as your new pastoral resident. That said, I know how easy it can be to get swept up in this new busy routine that the temptation to put our spiritual life on the back burner grows.

Church, I urge you to fight against that notion. The notion that being a part of your church community is not as important as the rest of your weekly activities. The rhythm Newnan Pastoral Resident First creates invites us to serve, fellowship, and grow together. Our choirs are growing both in children and new volunteers. The weekly commitment of both parents and children to this ryorgey@NewnanFUMC.org ministry is a wonderful addition to family’s schedules. Dinner is right after rehearsals, making 770.253.7400 it one less meal to envision and create during the week! Small groups and Sunday schools just had their open houses and were able to showcase all the opportunities our congregation has to get involved. I think we could agree that “church” does not just happen on Sundays.

Rachel Yorgey

Speaking of Sunday, I also really enjoyed being back in the Sanctuary and viewing the almost complete renovations to make our choir loft more accessible last month. Having services in the Parrish Hall reminded me of many churches I have been to in the past, transforming the space for various events, people joining in to move chairs and tables and “kids only “ tables in the back during service.

The joy of the church is with its people, and I am glad you chose to be a part of it. I look forward to getting to know many of you better and share my call to ministry. I am excited to see how our church will continue to come together in our weekly rhythms this fall.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25

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GENERAL NEWS ITEMS Church T-shirt orders are IN! Stirling Promotions is working hard to process and print, and we hope to have them here to give to you the week of September 14.

Thank you for your patience!

There will be a lunch after worship on Commitment Sunday, October 25, to celebrate stewardship month and thank you for your pledges.

The Women’s Gala will be on Thursday, December 3. More information and tickets will be available in October.

Rev. Andrew Chappell Senior Pastor

achappell@NewnanFUMC.org 770.253.7400 (x202) PLEASE NOTE DID YOU KNOW? We have a Lost & Found at the church! If you’ve ever gotten home from worship, Wednesday Night Supper, or any other church activity and thought to yourself, “where is that [umbrella, water bottle, pair of sunglasses, etc.]?” You’re in luck. It’s probably in the work room next to the Church Office lobby.

There is no Wednesday evening programming (Children’s Choirs, Prayer, Supper) on September 30, 2026.

Chancel Choir will still rehearse.

Patty Hall

Kitchen Hostess phall@NewnanFUMC.org 770.253.7400

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Mission & Outreach Committee CONTACT MISSIONS CHAIRS ABOUT VOLUNTEERING Tom Evans - evans.tme@gmail.com | Eneida Evans - eneida.evans@gmail.com Peter Sheren - peterandivonne@gmail.com | Lee Berry - lee@leeberry.com Please contact Mission Partners directly if you’d like to volunteer.

More information about Bridging the Gap can be found HERE, and more information about Samaritan’s Clinic can be found HERE.

Rev. Connor Bell Associate Pastor

cbell@NewnanFUMC.org 770.253.7400 (x208)

One Roof Monthly Donations | September 20, 2026 – In August we delivered 150 pounds of food to One Roof. We usually average 275 – 350 pounds of food donations per month. Food supplies are running critically low in all items they use frequently. Please help make September’s donations come in above average to make up the shortfall.

We also encourage you to volunteer with One Roof. The Thrift Store, open 10:00am to 5:00 pm MondaysSaturdays, needs volunteers to help organize and process donations and clean. The Food Pantry has food items to be sorted and boxed and prepared for distribution. The Office needs help occasionally and for special events. Helping hands always welcome!

Mission Trip | October 4-9, 2026 - Cost: $425/person (2 adults/room) or $450 (single).

Includes 5 nights lodging (each room has its own bathroom), 13 meals, 3.5 days for projects (you will choose what project(s) in advance). A variety of projects for various interests and skill levels will be available, including non-manual labor opportunities.

Scholarships available by contacting Pastor Connor. We are taking the church bus on this trip if you’d rather not drive.

Sign up HERE, the deadline to sign up is THIS FRIDAY, September 4.

Art Ministry Outreach (AMO) Summer Exhibit - The AMO Gallery is looking forward to collaborating with Religions in the Arts (RitA) to host the reception on October 11th. We are currently working with a representative from one of our mission partners, Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center, to have some of their creative artwork featured as part of our Fall/Winter exhibit, “Journey through Faith.” This exhibit will run from October 1st through January 11th. Last submission date is September 10th. For more information about registration and guidelines, please refer to the following link.

Rise Against Hunger | November 15, 2026 – Save the date for this important church-wide mission event. Plan to join us as we worship with our hands by packing meal kits together as a congregation in an effort to fulfill the Biblical call to feed the hungry (Matthew 25).

Coweta Samaritan Clinic | October 25, 2026 - Support one of our mission partners at their 2026 Bluegrass & BBQ event. Spend a beautiful autumn evening enjoying delicious barbecue, live music, refreshing beverages, and the company of friends, neighbors, and community leaders, all while supporting the life-changing work of Coweta Samaritan Clinic! Use this LINK for more information.

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W

e are so excited to welcome our NFUMC Preschool families back for a brand new school year! The halls are filled with excitement, the classrooms are almost ready, and our teachers are looking forward to welcoming each of your children. There is something so special about the beginning of a new school year that I get so excited about each year! The opportunity to make new friends, learn new things, build confidence, and create wonderful memories together! We are grateful that you have chosen NFUMC Preschool to be a part of your child’s early years, and we cannot wait to see all that this year has in store!

Consignment Sale – September 25-26 Our Fall Consignment Sale is just around the corner! The sale will be held on Susan Mitchell September 25th and 26th and is a wonderful Preschool Director opportunity for our preschool families, smitchell@NewnanFUMC.org church members, and community to buy 770.253.1237 and sell gently used children’s clothing, toys, baby equipment, and more. We are so thankful for the many parent volunteers who help make this event possible. The proceeds from our consignment sale are an important source of support for our preschool and help provide wonderful opportunities and resources for our students. We hope you will participate to consign, shop, and help make this another successful sale!

Fall Festival – October 14th Mark your calendars for our Fall Festival on October 14th! We are so excited to gather our preschool families for an evening of fun, fellowship, and fall festivities. This is always a special time for our school and church community to come together and enjoy time with friends and family. We are so incredibly thankful to Martin Pate who created our Fall Festival games and was willing to update them for us this summer!

His creativity, talent, and generosity have helped make these games such a special part of our Fall Festival year after year and now they will continue to last for future generations! We are so grateful that Martin took the time to refresh and update them, and we can’t wait for our students and families to enjoy them again this fall! We hope all of our NFUMC families will join us for this special evening.

Andrea Stuart

Director of Children’s Ministry astuart@NewnanFUMC.org 770.253.7400 (x209) 4

Paul Mosley Youth Director

pmosley@NewnanFUMC.org 770.253.7400 (x219)

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e had a great start to the school year here at UTH. We kicked off the school year with Bite Nite on August 13 with 70+ students scattered around downtown hunting clues and challenges to see who could take the biggest bite out of Newnan.

Congratulations to the Bible Seekers for winning Bite Nite this year!

We then launched our first series of the school year on August 23: Now & Later. In this series, students will learn the secret behind good decision-making: wisdom. Through the wisdom found in Proverbs, we hope students learn what it looks like to apply wisdom to their everyday decisions NOW, which can lead them to a better life and a better future LATER. This will continue through September.

We have a lot of fun and excitement coming down the pipe as well. Confirmation class will begin Sunday after Labor Day (September 13), with a brand new curriculum: Seedbeds “Absolute Basics of the Christian Faith.” It is wonderfully engaging and really helps students understand the big concepts of faith. We also have our Small Group Scatter happening on October 4, and our UTH fall retreat to Great Wolf Lodge happening October 16-18. UTH will also have a service opportunity on October 14 helping with the Preschool Fall Festival.

We are really looking forward to a wonderful year here at UTH, and we ask that you be in prayer over our students, their families, and the wonderful volunteers that make this ministry possible as we walk alongside one another in faith and fellowship!

Update on College Outreach Ministry: On Graduate Sunday, I shared with you about my Eagle Scout Project to build a ministry that serves those students who have graduated and gone off to college.

We want to build a way to support them, reminding them that they are loved and cared for by their church home. This will be through care packages, seasonal events, and mentorship. On an awesome note: we now have 22 students signed up for the College Outreach Ministry!

To keep supporting them all year with gift cards, care packages, and encouragement through finals and beyond we still need your support. If you’d like to support this project, please reach out to the Porras Family.

Thank you for helping us walk alongside our students this year!

-Connor Porras, College Outreach Ministry 5

Hello Church Family!

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here is something especially meaningful about the story of Moses as we journey through our “Drawn Out” sermon series. Moses was drawn out of the water, drawn out of a life he thought he understood, and eventually drawn out of his comfort zone and into God’s calling. Again and again, God met Moses along the way and invited him to step forward.

This September, we are excited to step back into the rhythms of music ministry together.

Children’s and youth choirs are officially back in action, and there is nothing quite like the sound of young voices filling our halls again, or the sight of those joyful faces showing up ready to sing, laugh, learn, and make music together. We are so happy to be making music with them again!

Dr. Caitlyn Dixon

Director of Music And if you’ve been thinking about joining a choir or becoming more involved in music ministry, it’s not too late! There is always room for another voice, another helping hand, and another cdixon@NewnanFUMC.org person willing to share their gifts. Handbells and Inspirations (our adult soprano/alto choir) 770.253.7400 (x205) resume September 14, and Celebration Singers returns September 15. Celebration Singers is our daytime choir, offering a wonderful opportunity for anyone with a daytime schedule that allows for singing, whether you are retired, have a flexible work schedule, or simply want to make music in the middle of the week.

Moses didn’t always know exactly where God was leading him. He simply had to take the next step. Maybe joining a choir, picking up a set of handbells, or saying yes to a new opportunity in music ministry could be your next step, too.

Our Youth Choir “Sponsor-a-Day” fundraiser begins in September! This fundraiser helps offset the cost of the choir’s first tour payment.

The concept is simple: choose a day and sponsor the corresponding dollar amount. For example, sponsoring the 17th means contributing $17 toward Youth Choir Tour. We are grateful for every person who supports our young musicians, not only through financial gifts, but through encouragement, prayer, and a willingness to help them discover the joy of making music together.

Be well, and as always, Soli Deo Gloria!

Caitie

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In The Life of Our Church

Births

Lucille “Lucy” Clark Ligon | July 28, 2026 Sarah & Connor Ligon

Extending our Christian Sympathies Regina Holbrook Burrell August 28, 2026

Baptisms

Robert Macon Geeslin | August 16, 2026 Margaret and Will Geeslin

See the full 2026-2027 Photo Album here!

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September Calendar SEPTEMBER 1 Men’s Prayer Breakfast 8:30am | Gathering Room 2 UTH Biscuits & Bibles 7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A Breaking Bread Noon | Gathering Room Bellissimo 4:30pm | Bell Room Cherub Choir 5:00pm | Main 202 Carol Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room Evening Prayer Service 5:05pm | Chapel Wednesday Night Supper 5:30-6:30pm | Parish Hall

13 Worship 11:00am | Sanctuary

Women’s Bible Study 9:30am | Annex Hall

Youth Ensemble 4:30pm | Choir Room

Breaking Bread Noon | Gathering Room

Youth Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room

AMO Art Pickup Noon-3:00pm | Annex Hall

UTH 6:00pm | Youth Lounge

Bellissimo 4:30pm | Bell Room

14 Joybells 4:30pm | Bell Room

Cherub Choir 5:00pm | Main 202 Carol Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room Evening Prayer Service 5:05pm | Chapel Wednesday Night Supper 5:30-6:30pm | Parish Hall

Inspirations 5:45pm | Choir Room 15 Men’s Prayer Breakfast 8:30am | Gathering Room Celebration Singers 9:30am | Choir Room

Women’s Bible Study 6:30pm | Annex Hall

16 UTH Biscuits & Bibles 7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A

Chancel Choir 6:45pm | Choir Room

Women’s Bible Study 9:30am | Annex Hall

6 Worship 8:30am | Parish Hall

10 LEAP Group Gathering 5:30pm | Parish Hall

Dementia Support Meeting 10:00am | Annex Conference

Sunday School | 9:45am

11-13 Faith-ology Children’s Retreat Camp Glisson

Chancel Choir 6:45pm | Choir Room 3 ARC Blood Drive 11:00am-3:00pm | Parish Hall

Worship 11:00am | Parish Hall

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9 UTH Biscuits & Bibles 7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A

Breaking Bread Noon | Gathering Room Bellissimo 4:30pm | Bell Room

7 Church Office Closed

12 Parents Night Out 4:00-8:00pm | Preschool

8 Preschool Cheers or Tears 8:00am | Parish Hall

13 Worship 8:30am | Sanctuary

Parkinson’s Support Meeting 2:30pm | Main 203

Sunday School | 9:45am

Evening Prayer Service 5:05pm | Chapel

Confirmation Class 9:45am | Youth Lounge

Wednesday Night Supper 5:30-6:30pm | Parish Hall

Cherub Choir 5:00pm | Main 202 Carol Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room

September Calendar 16 Women’s Bible Study 6:30pm | Annex Hall

22 Celebration Singers 9:30am | Choir Room

Chancel Choir 6:45pm | Choir Room

23 UTH Biscuits & Bibles 7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A

18 John S. Dixon Organ Recital 7:00pm | Sanctuary 20 Worship 8:30am | Sanctuary

Women’s Bible Study 9:30am | Annex Hall Breaking Bread Noon | Gathering Room

Sunday School | 9:45am

Bellissimo 4:30pm | Bell Room

Confirmation Class 9:45am | Annex Conference

Cherub Choir 5:00pm | Main 202

Worship 11:00am | Sanctuary

Carol Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room

New Members Class: Pizza with Pastors 12:15pm | Annex Hall

Evening Prayer Service 5:05pm | Chapel

Youth Ensemble 4:30pm | Choir Room

Wednesday Night Supper 5:30-6:30pm | Parish Hall

Youth Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room

Women’s Bible Study 6:30pm | Annex Hall

UTH 6:00pm | Youth Lounge

Chancel Choir 6:45pm | Choir Room

ROOT345 6:00pm | Children’s Wing

24 Preschool Consignment Sale Preview 5:00-9:00pm | Parish Hall

21 Martha Circle 9:45am | Main 200 Joybells 4:30pm | Bell Room Inspirations 5:45pm | Choir Room 21 Finance Committee Meeting 6:00pm | Annex Hall

25 Preschool Consignment Sale 9:00am-5:00pm | Parish Hall 26 Preschool Consignment Sale Half Off Day 8:00am-Noon | Parish Hall 27 Worship 8:30am | Sanctuary Flu Shot Clinic 9:00am-12:15pm | Parish Hall

27 Sunday School | 9:45am Confirmation Class 9:45am | Annex Conference Worship 11:00am | Sanctuary Youth Ensemble 4:30pm | Choir Room Youth Choir 5:00pm | Choir Room UTH 6:00pm | Youth Lounge ROOT345 6:00pm | Children’s Wing 28 Joybells 4:30pm | Bell Room Inspirations 5:45pm | Choir Room 29 Celebration Singers 9:30am | Choir Room 30 UTH Biscuits & Bibles 7:00am | Truett’s Chick-fil-A Women’s Bible Study 9:30am | Annex Hall Breaking Bread Noon | Gathering Room Women’s Bible Study 6:30pm | Annex Hall Chancel Choir 6:45pm | Choir Room

Visit the website (QR code to the left) for the most up-to-date schedule and sign-up links.

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CHURCH STAFF Rev. Andrew Chappell, Senior Pastor

Rev. Connor Bell, Associate Pastor

Bonnie Chahalis, Asst. Director of Music Seth Crile, Building Manager Dr. Caitlyn Dixon, Minister of Music Janet Marie Gunnels, Communications Director Patty Hall, Kitchen Hostess Jodi Horne, Nursery Coordinator Tiffany Hanson, Church Sexton Carol Hartenbower, Administrative Assistant

Owen Lambert, Finance & Business Director Dr. Dawn McCord, Organist Susan Mitchell, Preschool Director Paul Mosley, Youth Minister Julie Perkins, Accompanist Kim Stokes, Finance Secretary Andrea Stuart, Director of Children’s Ministries Rachel Yorgey, Pastoral Resident