Qualyn James

Congratulations to our very own Qualyn James!!
State AABA champs!!!

Women's Meeting

Ladies of Plummerville UMC (and friends!!),

Please join us at Jill's house WEDNESDAY NIGHT 6:30 to continue our study of The Open Table.

We will be having a simple dinner and then continuing our discussion of this exciting book. We are currently on Week 3. Please join us even if you did not go on the retreat or read the book. We are a group of women desiring to grow together and share in friendship.

I can't wait to see you all.

Love,
Jill

New Sunday School Series 9:45am Plummer Hall

Everyone! All people in the church are encouraged to attend our Sunday School class as we seek to better understand the Holy Scriptures, explore the traditions of our Faith, and share our own experiences. Sunday School is not for the Biblically or spiritually advanced; all are welcome and have something to offer.

Talk it out! Our class will not be lecture or teacher driven, but discussion based. Attendees will read lessons prior to Sunday mornings and bring observations or questions back to the group. We can all learn from one another. Discussions leaders will rotate depending on curriculum and schedule. Bro. Dane will lead the first few weeks of this new model.

What will we learn? For approximately 8 weeks, the class will work from the book, "This We Believe: The Core of Wesleyan Faith and Practice" by William H. Willimon. Rev. Willimon is Presiding Bishop of the North Alabama Conference. The text is designed for small-group study. The curriculum is a great reminder of our Wesleyan roots for those that have long been established in the Methodist tradition, but is also a great introduction of the Wesleyan faith.

On Sunday July 11th we kicked off the class with a discussion of John Wesley and "practical divinity." Fourteen people were in attendance. More books have been ordered and will be available at the church or from Bro. Dane. (book order should be here by 15th)

Next week, we will discuss chapter one with the intent of covering one chapter per week. If we find one chapter deserves more attention, we'll allow more than one week. There's no deadline! Or final exam!!

Keeping with our schedule, Sunday School will break around 10:30 for a time of fellowship before worship at 11:00. Coffee, Donuts, Fruit and Juice will be available. Please join us!!

Men's Prayer Breakfast: Sat. 10th 7:30am

The men of the church will gather this Saturday for a time of fellowship and prayer. Cooks will arrive around 6:30am. Food should be prepared to serve by 7:30am. The men will be doing all of the cooking and cleaning...make of this what you will!

Other than just enjoying the food and fellowship, there will be a time for Group Prayer. It is important that the Body of Christ (in part or in whole) is conscience of our time together. What about the Men's Breakfast at church is any different than a gathering at the local coffee shop? Saturday, we will set aside some time for prayer. Sharing prayer requests and praying in groups can be very powerful and transformational. Prayer does not come easy when we are by ourselves, left to our own devices. But, as a group we can encourage each other and experience new heights in our own spirituality.

We hope this Saturday that you leave breakfast both full in your stomach and in your spirit. Please join us!!

call Bro. Dane for additional info (870.613.2889)

Summer Scripture: Philippians

This summer, during Ordinary Time in our church calendar we are focused on Paul's epistle to the church in Philippi. The book of Philippians is full of great theology and teaching for any church. Though Paul finds himself in prison, he carefully encourages and offers advice to the young church. Let's see what we can learn! Join us!!

June 13, 1:1-11

June 20, 1:12-18a
June 27, 1:18b-30

Women's Retreat - Mount Eagle Retreat Center

On June 11-12, 2010 the women of Plummerville UMC headed to Mount Eagle Retreat Center for a women's retreat. We were blessed with 12 women including a guest speaker from Conway - Sue Higgs. We had such a wonderful time. We had a quiet time of prayer and group discussions. We started with a discussion of a great woman of faith in the book of Acts - Lydia. Mrs. Higgs shared her journey of faith and her heart for women/small group ministry as well as personal time in prayer. We also spent some time discussing the first two weeks of Donald Miller's book The Open Table. Sue then lead us to the outlook and through the labyrinth at the retreat facility.



It was a wonderful retreat. I am so blessed to be in a church with women who are so eager to spend time and grow together. Thank you to everyone who took time away from your family and friends to share a weekend together.

Here are a few pictures!

Top left to right: Patsy, Sue, Andrea, Valerie, Martha, Helen, Tracey

Bottom left to right: Nina, Janet, Jill, Becky, Halie

Thank you ladies for being such a blessing. We plan to continue through the last 3 chapters of book with meetings in July, August, and September. The tentative date for July is Wednesday the 21st. We would love for others to join us! It will be at our house. :)

-Jill

Upper Room and Mrs. Edwards

This year, The Upper Room, a daily devotional guide produced by the Global Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church celebrates its 75th anniversary. Wow! For 75 years The Upper Room has been guiding individuals in their devotional time with God, a very powerful and important ministry. The devotionals are written readers like you and me! Clergy and laity mail in their short devotion with a bible verse(s) and prayer focus. The devotions are collected and printed in two-month intervals. Copies of The Upper Room can be found in the foyer of many United Methodist churches free for the taking.

In a world where daily devotionals can be emailed to cell phones or laptops, it seems the paper booklet maybe past its prime. After all, The Upper Room itself is available online here, complete with tweets, retweets, and facebook sharing. Do we really need to keep printing the paper copy?

This afternoon, I had a chance to visit with Mrs. Edwards. She is an older member of our church who is now home bound. Because she cannot drive, she rarely leaves her house. Private care workers stay the night and part of the day with Mrs. Edwards. I always enjoy our visits; she is such a lovely woman. Today she shared with me how much she uses The Upper Room devotional book; she reads the paperback devotional everyday before breakfast. The ladies that stay with her also read the booklet, usually in the morning while Mrs. Edwards awakes. Later, they gather around the dining table to eat breakfast and discuss the day's devotion. Everyday. Everyday! Wow! These ladies use the devotions as discussion starters for their own small-group!

Perhaps, because Mrs. Edwards is so dependent on others, she fears she has little to offer God. She is wrong. She has much to offer. She has found an effective way to be engaged in ministry in her setting. And I am sure that she is more effective at her breakfast table using The Upper Room than many clergy could ever hope to be. We can learn a lot from Mrs. Edwards, even though she will not be twittering her latest thoughts.

We should probably keep printing those paper booklets of The Upper Room.

Happy 75th anniversary to The Upper Room!

And, thank you Mrs. Edwards for all you do. God bless you.