Trusting God's Goodness | 2020

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. -Psalm 23:5, NLT

Dear Friends,

We are quickly approaching the year 2020 – our 69th year of building God's Kingdom. Shalimar UMC is preparing for a new decade. God has been faithful through the years, therefore we trust His continued faithfulness. Our theme this year is Trusting God's Goodness.

Trusting God is significant in Psalm 23. David's words teach us to trust that God provides for our every need. God helps us in times of trouble and leads us on a journey where blessings will overflow.

We give to God because of our trust in Him. The Biblical standard of tithing is giving the first 10% of our income to the Lord. Malachi 3:10 promises "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!" (NLT)

If you have never tithed, I invite you to try it for 90 days beginning in 2020 and see the difference it can make in your life!

Thank you for giving to the Lord and all you do for Shalimar UMC! Let us move into 2020 Trusting God's Goodness!

Shalom,

Dr. Philip E. McVay, Lead Pastor

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Your Spiritual Growth There is nothing more important to our church than your spiritual growth. Scripture teaches three areas to be active in your faith. God asks that we give Him control of our: • Heart (through discipleship - Eph 4:13-16) • Time (through service and volunteering - 1 Pet 4:10) • Money (through financial giving - 1 Cor 16:2) “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” -Luke 10:27, NLT

Our goal is that you will grow in all three of these areas so that you can experience God's goodness in your life. This document provides an overview for reaching people for Christ in 2020.

We encourage you to spend time praying and speaking with those close to you about how and where you can commit for the coming year.

The Bible teaches that tithing (giving the first tenth) to God helps us keep God on the forefront of our lives. We encourage you to pray about tithing this next year. Choose a percentage that you can give, and try each year to increase that percentage until you have reached the full tithe.

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Children's Ministry This Year’s Celebrations

We have seen God's work through our bus ministry, children’s choir, summer camp, after school care, and preschool. His blessings have filled summer camp, after school care, and preschool to capacity.

Our new Bridge Ministry for 4th and 5th graders was designed to help older children prepare for the transition into the youth ministry. In children’s church, kids have been responding to God’s Spirit and participating in authentic worship on a weekly basis. Learn more at sumc.io/children.

Goals for 2020

• For parents to grow alongside their children spiritually • Reach out with parenting and financial coaching to help improve the home life • Develop stronger relationships with schools

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Youth Ministry This Year’s Celebrations

Our youth group has seen an increase of participation and spiritual growth. The students have served in several church-wide functions. The youth band members are learning what it means to lead their peers in worship.

With a growing youth group, the students have almost outgrown their space. Our youth choir is learning how to serve others outside the walls of our church. Check out the youth program at sumc.io/youth.

Goals for 2020

• Monthly on-campus events to increase youth outreach • Refresh youth rooms to keep them modern and relevant • New group-study resources for enhanced student-led ministries

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Young Adult Ministry This Year’s Celebrations

This group is developing new leaders and helping strengthen students as they transition from high school to college. See their events at sumc.io/youngadults

Goals for 2020

• New class to teach graduating high school students and college students how to assess competing religious views and how they effect world events • Seek new opportunities to connect with the growing percentage of de-churched young adults in their 20s and 30s • Increase young adults involvement in Sunday services

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Adult Ministries This Year’s Celebrations

We also had some wonderful discipleship opportunities, such as the 21 Days of Worship, Eyes of Mark, and the study of Esther to help deepen our adults spiritually. The new JOY (Just Older Youth) ministry started this year. This ministry gives additional opportunities to meet the needs of our older adults. Learn more about our ongoing groups at sumc.io/adultgroups.

Goals for 2020

• Expand the 21 Days of Worship to be a community outreach • Establish new groups for adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s • Create more church-developed Bible studies to foster church wide discipleship (i.e. Esther) • Launch of PLACE, a new training program to help adults find their place of service in our church

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Military Ministry This Year’s Celebrations

Our REBOOT program has just completed it’s second year.

During 2019, we had two REBOOT classes with eighteen military men and women graduate the program. Through the program, families have been healed, marriages have been saved, and lives have been changed. Military Ministry continues to partner with Blue Star Moms, sending care packages for deployed troops. Learn more at sumc.io/military.

Goals for 2020

• Foster a deeper relationship with the military bases • Offer financial counseling through Financial Peace University – to meet the needs of military families • Actively support local families and displaced military during deployments, including spiritual needs • Grow our military family support group • Find new ways to integrate military families into our congregation

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Outreach This Year’s Celebrations

Easter Fest and Trunk or Treat were community events on campus with around 1,000 children and adults attending each. We have a new motorcycle ministry offering a unique opportunity for prayer and service outside the church walls with the hope of helping connect them to a faith community. Our first Faith in Action was a day full of multi-generational service. The second annual Blessings of the First Responders served over 200 first responders and their families. See all our outreach opportunities at sumc.io/missions.

Goals for 2020

• Do more on-campus outreach events like Trunk or Treat, Easter Fest, and Blessings of the First Responders • Educate and empower our congregation on reaching out in the community and inviting people to experience God's grace with us

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Missions This Year’s Celebrations

We had wonderful opportunities to partner with Lynn Haven UMC (Panama City) this year to build the Kingdom outside our community. Shalimar UMC volunteers served thousands of meals at Lynn Haven and gave financially.

We continued to help our mission partners here in the United States and overseas. See all our mission activities at sumc.io/missions.

Goals for 2020

• More teams for Disaster Relief in Bay County – a multi-year need • Develop new mission opportunities both in the United States and overseas

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Get Involved Heart – Be a Disciple

The Discipleship Roadmap was developed by a team of lay persons and staff with the purpose of helping people discover where they are in their spiritual lives and take the next step in growth. Check it out and see how you can grow: sumc.io/roadmap.

Time – Use Your Gifts

Time is one of the most valuable things we posses today.

We can always learn more information and make more money, but once time has past, it’s gone. Yet, when we use our time to serve others, we receive blessings beyond compare because we’re transformed. That’s why Jesus modeled it. Join us as we serve others as Jesus did: sumc.io/serves.

Money – Give your Treasures

Giving to God first reminds us that he provides for everyday. Sometimes, our money starts to manage us, instead of us managing our money. If you need help managing your finances so that you can create margin in your financial life, we would like to help. Join our Financial Peace class in January: sumc.io/fpu.

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

-Prov 3:9-10, NLT

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Commitment Sunday We will celebrate God’s Goodness together on November 24. Please join us in worship at 8:00, 9:30, 11:00, or 11:07 am as we look toward 2020, trusting what God will do.

Visit sumc.io/20193rd to view the Financial Report.

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