Pastoral Notes
Dear Friends and Family of Newnan First United Methodist Church,
Aswe continue to travel this Lenten journey, we approach the cross and the forgiveness that comes with it, and we walk with our sin toward the magnitude of sacrifi ce and the resolve of the resurrection.
Throughout Christianity’s existence, theologians have tried to come up with explanations for what occurs on the cross and in the empty tomb. We call these explanations, “Theories of Atonement.” These theories are our human way of trying to understand the mystery and magnitude of God’s actions through Jesus on Good Friday. An atonement theory is just a fancy way of asking, “Why did Jesus die and how does that aff ect me?”
You can trace the diff erent theories from Origen’s 3rd century Ransom Theory (Christ died as a ransom sacrifi ce paid to satisfy the debt inherited from Adam) to the Reformation’s Penal Substitution Theory (Christ died to satisfy the justice of God and the legal demand of God to punish sin) and beyond to Rene Girard’s Scapegoat Theory (God overcomes humanity’s violence by substituting himself and breaking the cycle of violence). There are even more than that.
New Testament writers dip into diff erent theories of atonement at diff erent times. John Wesley does the same thing, as if to suggest that each atonement theory has signifi cant merit, but no one explanation fully captures the mystery of God’s actions on that fateful day.
Thankfully, as theologian Stephen Morrison says, “we aren’t saved by theories, we are saved by Jesus!” And through God’s mighty work, Jesus takes hold of us and begins a new thing in us! It’s not always easy to explain, but it IS something to experience.
Charles Wesley put it better when he wrote these words:
Now, Jesus, let thy powerful death Into my being come, Slay the old Adam with thy breath, The man of sin consume. My old affections mortify, Nail to the cross my will, Daily and hourly bid me die, Or altogether kill. O let it now make haste to die, The mortal wound receive! So shall I live; and yet not I, But Christ in me shall live.
Friends, may our journey to the cross be much more than an understanding or assent of the mind. May this holy sacrifi ce take hold of our hearts and cause us to be crucifi ed with Christ and made new now! Lastly, I’m excited to welcome February’s new members to the church: Justin & Georgia Lynch, baby Winifred; Nanci Capponi; Wayne Sink; Will and Margaret Geeslin; Elizabeth and Michael Webber, kids Frank and Teddy.
Peace in Christ, Andrew Chappell
Lenten Service + Lunch
12pm Service | 12:30pm Lunch
$5
March 6
Newnan First United Methodist Rev. David Jones
March 13
St. George Catholic Church Rev. Canon John ThompsonQuartey
March Announcements
Guest Preacher in March
We welcomed Reverend Karen Kagiyama to Newnan First United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 3. She preached on the Gospel of John 2:13-22.
Rev. Kagiyama is the O. Wayne Rollins Director of Pastoral Care at Wesley Woods Senior Living. A graduate of Emory University and the Candler School of Theology at Emory, Karen is an ordained elder in the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church.
For more than thirty years, Karen has served churches in Colorado, North Carolina and Georgia and was also the Wesley Foundation Director at The University of West Georgia. She is married to David Newton, a professor of English at The University of West Georgia, and they have two children: Kelcy, a graduate of Georgia Tech, and Caroline, a graduate of The University of Georgia. Born in Japan, with roots in Hawaii, Karen enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, and music.
Give It Up For Lent!
Donate $1 for each day of Lent ($40) to support Bridging the Gap’s food pantry.
In The Life Of Our Church
Births
Wallace Rehner Bell | January 31, 2024 | Karolyne & Rev. Connor Bell
Carden James Sherer | February 23, 2024 | Joanna & Corey Sherer
Holy Week Services
Palm Sunday March 24
8:30 & 11:00am | Sanctuary
Easter Sunday March 31
Sunrise 7:00am | G.ville St. Park
8:30am & 11:00am | Sanctuary
Baptisms
Hayes Scott Nix | February 4, 2024 | Tyler & Ansley Nix
Memoriam We extend Christian sympathies to the following NFUMC member’s loved ones
Jack Thomas Jackson, Sr. April 13, 1927 - February 15, 2024
Sympathies We extend Christian sympathies to the following NFUMC members
Catherine Morenzi & Sammy Reeves on the death of Dr. R. Scott Reeves
Missions
Aileen Burnett, Missions & Senior Adult Coordinator aburnett@NewnanFUMC.org | 770.253.7400 (x206)
Upcoming Missions
TThank You!
hank you once again for your generous donations to One Roof. The donations will continue in April. NFUMC assisted with transportation and dinner for the NEST on 2/17 and 2/24. Thank you to our volunteers who helped to make this happen. Thank you to everyone who helped build a ramp for Palmetto UMC at the beginning of February. (pictured) Congratulations to Ted Burnett as he recently completed the training to become an UMCOR Chainsaw Trainer.
March 16: Basic ERT Training in the Annex Hall, 8:30-4:30pm. $20, includes materials & lunch. RSVP by March 12th.
June 3, 5, & 7: Bridging the Gap Summer Lunch Program. More info to come.
July 13-18: Domestic Mission Trip to Epworth by the Sea, St. Simon’s Island. More info to come for this trip and the International Mission Trip.
August 4-10: International Mission Trip.
Fun n’ Frolic
Lots
Agroup of 10 met at Carrabba’s in Peachtree City for lunch and fellowship. What a wonderful time! We also took a trip to the Auburn Buc-ee’s.
March 7 - Quilt and Textile Museum with lunch in Carrollton. We will leave at 9:30am and plan to return around 3pm. Cost is $7 and lunch is on your own. RSVP by March 4th.
March 19 - Lunch and Learn with the Newnan Police Department. They will discuss safety and fraud. We will enjoy sandwiches, chips, dessert and drinks. Lunch will begin at 11am with the presentation following. Cost is $5. RSVP by March 14th.
April 11 - Hills and Dales in LaGrange. We will leave at 9:15am and plan to return around 3:30pm. Cost is $23 and we will enjoy lunch in LaGrange ($). We will tour the house and the gardens to view the beautiful spring blooms. RSVP by March 27th.
#ServeCoweta - April 6 8:00am | Greenville St. Park Register HERE
Lenten Concert Series
March 7
Nicholas Joslin, Organ
March 14
Creighton Holder, Piano
March 28
“It Is Finished”
Newnan Chancel Choir & Chamber Orchestra
*No tickets required. Love offering will be received March 7 & 14.
Illuminare
March 10 | 2:30pm The Nixon Centre For The Arts
Masterworks Chorale presents the Newnan preview of their April Carnegie Hall performance of Illuminare and other works by composer Elaine Hagenberg
TMusic
Caitlyn Dixon, Minister of Music cdixon@NewnanFUMC.org | 770.253.7400 (x205)
he word “beloved” has popped up in so many places for me in the last few weeks. We have refl ected on it in our Women’s Bible Study, and then Rev. Dr. Hal Brady referred to it again in his sermon on February 18th. As I continue my journey through the Lenten season, I fi nd that this is the term on which I’ll be refl ecting and meditating. The poem featured below by Jan Richardson, provides a beautiful framework for this.
If you would enter into the wilderness, Do not begin without a blessing.
Do not leave without hearing who you are: Beloved,
Named by the One who has traveled this path before you. Do not go without letting it echo in your ears, And if you fi nd it is hard to let it into your heart, Do no despair. That is what the journey is for. I cannot promise this blessing will free you from danger, From fear, from hunger or thirst, From the scorching of the sun or the fall of the night. But I can tell you that on this path there will be help. I can tell you that on this way there will be rest. I can tell you that you will know strange graces That come to our aid only on a road such as this, That fl y to meet us bearing comfort and strength, That come alongside us for no other cause Than to lean themselves toward our ear And with their curious insistence whisper our name: Beloved. Beloved. Beloved.
As we walk through this Lenten season together, I encourage you to refl ect on this idea of being God’s beloved. I hope that it fi lls you and reminds you how precious each of you are. I invite all to attend the Lenten Concert Series performances in the coming weeks. We will host Nicholas Joslin, organist and choirmaster at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Creighton Holder, Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church Oxford in Mississippi. Closing the series will be your very own Chancel Choir and guest chamber orchestra presenting, “It is Finished,” a Maundy Thursday and Tenebrae refl ection on March 28th.
Caitie
Soli Deo Gloria,
Parents Night Out
March 23 | 4-8pm SIGN UP HERE
Crock-Pot Cookoff
And the winners are...
Chili - Audrey Tomlinson
Runner-up McCurdys
Soup - Elizabeth Terrell
Runner-up Jami North
Stew - Carol Tamplin
Runner-up John Thrasher
Tongue Burner Award Ed Tigchelaar
We raised $3,262.50 for the Youth Choir!
The fi rst three cakes went for $75-$100, and we even got to see a “bidding war.” Special thank you to Mike Jackson, the dessert auction wouldn’t have been the same without you!
Look for winning recipes in the next Shepherd newsletter!
Preschool + Kindergarten
Nancy Martin nmartin@NewnanFUMC.org | 770.253.7400
Dates To Remember In March
March 1 & 2: Spring Consignment Sale. Friday, 9am-5pm | Saturday (Half-Price Day), 8am-Noon
March 5: NFUMC Spirit Night at Chick Fil A Truett’s
March 11: Preschool/Kindergarten Registration goes LIVE on our website at 9am. -Ages 3 months-Kindergarten -Two, Three, & Five Day Classes -Math, Science, Music, Movement, Chapel, Computer, & Social Studies -Lunch & Learn Program
March 14-15 & 29 (Good Friday): NO SCHOOL!
Wed. Night Fellowship
Patty Hall, Hostess phall@NewnanFUMC.org | 770.253.7400
WNF Menus For March
March 13
Mushroom Pork Chop Mashed Potatoes
Salad
Desserts
March 27 - Holy Week Meal
Braised Brisket
Potatoes
Carrots
Salad
Desserts
Wednesday Night Fellowship is $8 per person. Families of four with children under 12 are $25.
First Kids!
Andrea Stuart, Director of Children’s Ministries astuart@NewnanFUMC.org | 770.253.7400 (x209)
TI have hidden your word in my heart. Psalm 119:11
his past month we have had fun growing in the love of Jesus! This month we are continuing to learn about Jesus’s love and how we can keep His love in our hearts! In Sunday School, we will be having fun learning about how Jesus shared love by washing feet. We will explore His Passover, and his journey to Jerusalem. Please join us if you have a 4 year old to 5th grader on each Sunday 9:45 to 10:45 in the Children’s Wing (upstairs in the main building).
This next ROOT345 series focuses on salvation, prayer, and how to be a good Christian. If you are a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader, please consider joining us on Sunday evenings at 6pm until 7:45pm in the Children’s Wing. We will eat dinners, $5 and then fellowship, play games, and discuss our life with Jesus.
We have so much fun celebrating Jesus each Sunday in Children’s Worship. If you have a 4 year old through 2nd grader, they can join Ms. Andrea this month during the 11am service each Sunday (except the 1st Sunday of the month) in the Children’s Wing. This month we are going to wiggle and create fun things while we learn about all the good things Jesus has done for us.
We Need Egg Hunt Volunteers!
-Set Up Games -Hide Eggs -Hand Out Prizes -Cook or Serve Food -Clean Up -And More!
Click HERE or visit our website to sign up.
Paul Mosley
Director of Youth Ministries
pmosley@NewnanFUMC.org | 770.253.7400 (x219)
The spring semester has two big celebrations, our fi rst is coming up this month: Confi rmation Sunday! We have an awesome group of confi rmands who have been working hard through this year to prepare for Confi rmation Sunday. Join us on March 10 at the 11:00 am service to celebrate these wonderful young people of the church!
Alongside Confi rmation Sunday, March is an action packed month at UTH! We have our UTH Series (Everything Everywhere) on Sunday Nights. Biscuits and Bible happens every Wednesday morning before school, and we are closing in on the end of Proverbs. The Seniors are doing a Sticky Faith study at my house on Wednesday night where we are talking about faith, future, and food.
The second big celebration of the semester is Senior Sunday. Please look at the information below to sign your senior up today! Lots of great stuff is in the works so keep your calendars up to date with all the awesome stuff we have planned.
Everything Everywhere:
Do you know what it feels like to feel like everything is everywhere? Overwhelming, stressful, just a lot. Well, today’s teenagers may know that feeling more than any generation that’s gone before them. In this series about stress, students will be reminded that God cares for them, God uses other people to help them, and that joy is always a choice. By the end, students will have a healthy, helpful, and encouraging view of what to do when life just feels like a lot.
Senior Sunday Registration:
The end of the School year is fast approaching and for our oldest UTH that means graduation. We want to collect some information from you so we can honor your seniors this Senior Sunday (May 19). Please follow THIS LINK and answer as much of it as you can. We understand that their future plans and details may change leading up to Senior Sunday, and we will update them as necessary.
Upcoming Events
MAR 10: Confi rmation Sunday & Everything Everywhere Series Starts
MAR 17: Record Breaker Night at UTH
MAR 24: Happy Easter Message
MAR 31: No UTH (Happy Easter)
ICommunications Director JMGunnels@NewnanFUMC.org
f you recognize my last name, you may have attended a Richard Gunnels Memorial Pancake Breakfast. My parents moved us to Newnan and joined the church in 1990, so I grew up here (that top photo the the left is lil ‘ol me at NFUMC preschool!). I sang in the choir, was part of the 2002 confi rmation class, and knocked my two front teeth out running around the old lodge c. Halloween ‘92 (a messy event I thought only I and Mom remembered, but Craig Bryan recalled on my fi rst day. Memories!).
In the years since, I earned a BA in Public Relations from Auburn University and a MS in Tourism Management & Special Events from Clemson University. I was Serenbe Development’s Managing Editor of Marketing for 9 years and living in Atlanta before making what was supposed to be a temporary move home. More and more I found myself wanting to stay and build my adult life here. I bought a house downtown in 2020, and left Serenbe last September to start my freelance communications fi rm, JM PR. My parents, Melinda & Mitch Sherwood, even convinced me to host the Agape SS Class at my house for one of their famous (infamous?) Christmas parties (It didn’t take much convincing. That class is like extended family!). Joining the staff at NFUMC makes it offi cial...my roots are planted in Newnan.
We had a clipping on our fridge throughout my adolescence from the church newsletter, which I have continued to keep on my own fridge to this day. On it, Rev. Gary Parish listed “Ten Rules To Live By,” by John Wooden. It was a fi xture for so long I’d forgotten any signifi cance of it beyond liking the rules, so I wanted to show it to Rev. Andrew as a little blast from the past. When I did, I realized the date on it was August 27, 1998 - one year and two days after my Dad died. I’m not sure if that’s why Mom had originally saved the page, but I imagine it had something to do with it. I’ll leave you with them.
1. I Corinthians 13
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Drink deeply from good books.
4. Freedom from desire leads to inner peace.
5. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. I will get ready and then, perhaps, my chance will come.
6. Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
7. Help others.
8. It is better to trust & be disappointed occasionally than to distrust & be miserable all the time.
9. Almost anyone can stand adversity, but to test a person’s character, give them power.
10. Be more interested in your character, which is what you really are, than in your reputation, which is what others perceive you to be.
Thank you for welcoming me home, Janet Marie
SUNDAYS*
8:30am Worship (S)
9:45am Sunday School (Varying Locations)
11:00am Worship (S)
4:30pm *UTH Ensemble (CR)
5:00pm *UTH Choir (CR)
6:00pm *Root345 (CW)
6:00pm *UTH Dinner/Activities (UL)
MONDAYS
4:30pm JoyBells (BR)
5:45pm Inspirations (CR)
TUESDAYS
9:30am Celebration Singers (CR)
WEDNESDAYS
7:00am UTH Biscuits & Bibles (OS)
9:30am *Women’s Bible Study (AH) 4:30pm Bellissimo Handbell Choir (BR)
5:15pm Carol Choir (CR)
5:15pm Cherub Choir (HK SS)
6:30pm Women’s Bible Study (Shep SS)
6:45pm Chancel Choir
MORE EVENTS IN MARCH
5th 8:30am Men’s Prayer Breakfast (GR) 6th 2:00pm Lenten Service & Lunch (S)
7th 9:30am FnF Quilt & Textile Museum
7th 6:30pm Lenten Concert (S)
9th 6:30pm Confirmation Vows Dinner (PH) 10th 11:00am Confirmation Sunday (S)
11th 9:00am PS Registration Opens (OL)
12th 10:00am Angel’s House Mtg (PC SS)
12th 2:30pm Parkinson’s Support (HK SS) 13th 12:00pm Lenten Service & Lunch (OS)
13th 5:00pm WNF (PH)
14th 6:30pm Lenten Concert (S)
15th 3:00pm HK SS St. Paddy’s Party (AH)
16th 10:00am ERT Training (AH)
18th 9:45am Martha’s Circle (GR)
19th 8:30am Men’s Prayer Breakfast (GR)
19th 11:00am NPD Lunch & Learn (PH)
21st 10:00am Prayer Shawl Mtg (GR)
23rd 4:00pm Parents Night Out (PH)
24th 12:15pm Easter Egg Hunt (OS)
27th 5:00pm WNF (PH)
28th 12:15pm ARC Blood Drive (PH)
28th 6:30pm Lenten Concert (S)
*Daylight Saving Time is March 10th, Palm Sunday is March 24th and Easter Sunday is March 31st. Children and Youth Activities are not meeting on Easter Sunday. The Women’s AM Bible Study will not meet on March 6th.