LAMPLIGHTER      PINE GROVE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH                May 2008              
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Pine Grove United Methodist Church
1018 Piney Grove Road
Kernersville, NC 27284

Church            (336) 996-4834
Parsonage               (336) 993-4842

pinegroveumc@triadbiz.rr.com
www.pinegroveunitedmethodistchurch.com
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Confirmation refers to the decision a person makes to respond to God's grace with intentional commitment, publicly reaffirming his or her baptismal vows before the congregation. Most confirmands are youth in the sixth grade, or higher, who have been nurtured in the church since their baptism as an infant or young child. The church offers a deliberate time of preparation before this service. During confirmation class, confirmands learn about the meaning of Christian faith; the history and teachings and The United Methodist Church; and an explanation of the baptismal and membership vows they will be professing.
  Sometimes United Methodists use the word confirmation as reference to the class or preparatory time before the ritual of confirmation. This time or group experience should more accurately be called "confirmation preparation." What is the person preparing for? By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism describes it this way:
  When persons who were baptized as infants are ready to profess their Christian faith, they participate in the service, which United Methodism now calls Confirmation. This occasion is not an entrance into Church membership, for this was accomplished through baptism. It is the first public affirmation of the grace of God in one's baptism and the acknowledgment of one's acceptance of that grace by faith. This moment includes all the elements of conversion-repentance of sin, surrender and death of self, trust in the saving grace of God, new life in Christ, and becoming an instrument of God's purpose in the world. The profession of Christian faith, to be celebrated in the midst of the worshiping congregation, should include the voicing of baptismal vows as a witness to faith and the opportunity to give testimony to personal Christian experience.
  Two things should be noted here: One, confirmation is not becoming a member of the church. Baptism already celebrated that!    Two, confirmation is a person's first public affirmation of the faith of the church as being his or her own faith. In other words, the confirmand is taking responsibility for living as a member of the body of Christ and for fulfilling God's purposes. By Water and the Spirit illuminates this further:
  An infant who is baptized cannot make a personal profession of faith as a part of the sacrament. Therefore, as the young person is nurtured and matures so as to be able to respond to God's grace, conscious faith and intentional commitment are necessary. Such a person must come to claim the faith of the Church proclaimed in baptism as her or his own faith. Deliberate preparation for this event focuses on the young person's self-understanding and appropriation of Christian doctrines, spiritual disciplines, and life of discipleship. It is a special time for experiencing divine grace and for consciously embracing one's Christian vocation.
  So, confirmation preparation aims at leading youth and others to embrace their vocation-the calling of God to live and witness to the reign of God announced in Jesus Christ.
   On Sunday, May 11th, Pentecost, we will celebrate the confirmation of the class of 2008. The service will honor the birth of the Church, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit which fell during the Jewish festival of Pentecost (fifty days after Passover) and will exercise the sacrament of baptism and the rite of church membership for the members of this year’s confirmation class.  Music, color, dance, singing, prayers, odors, Word and Table, will all be experienced making this a high holy day in the life of our church.
  A potluck luncheon will follow the service to provide an opportunity for everyone to spend time in fellowship with our newest members.  We will also recognize Mother’s Day and honor all the mothers of the church who so faithfully tend to the needs of the congregation.  Mark May 11th, on your calendar and invite someone to come with you to commemorate this very special day.
 
POKING HOLES IN THE DARKNESS
May   4Acts 1:6-14
May 11Acts 2:1-21
May 18Matthew 28:16-20
May 25Matthew 5:43-48
June  1Psalm 46
UPCOMING
TEXTS
Word From
The Pastor

MAY BIRTHDAYS
2Andy Boggs
3Jacob Marshall
5Samantha Hurd
6Stephen Hall
  Savannah James
7Cody Williams
9Lance Sparrow
10      Beth James
  Vickie True
  Wyatt Joyner
11      Art Johnson
12      Jordan Spoon
13      Rebecca Welch
  Abby Sparrow
   Hannah Tuttle
15      Jessica Lankford
19      Payton Coley
21      Don Johnson
24      Grayson Poindexter
25      Ben James
26       Aubrie Boggs
27       Eva Barrow
   Christopher Hurd
28Sandy Lecthworth
29Scyndi McLean

 
MAY  ANNIVERSARIES

3James & Sue Macy
5Jeremy & Kristen Brown
9 Travis & Traci Broughton
12Lance & Alicia Sparrow
15Levi & Barbara Corbett
18Scott & Marci Smith
30Phillip & Anita Berrier



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Please join us as we gather in the sanctuary for a mid-week prayer service on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm.  It only lasts 30 minutes, but affords us the opportunity to intentionally pray for each other, the church, our nation and our world.
We have a prayer cloth ministry, where we pray for a particular person by laying hands on a small swatch of cloth.  Then we send the cloth to the person as a tangible reminder of our caring, concern and prayer.

MONDAY THRU THURSDAY
     9 AM UNTIL 3 PM
To reach Dr Harris on Fridays,
please call the parsonage.
UM WOMEN NEWS
Circle of Helping Hands   May 5, 10 am
                                         Ministry Center
Circle of Faith      May 12, 7 pm
Circle of Grace           May 22, 7 pm
                                                   Ministry Center
Sisters In Christ BanquetSunday, May 4
The Circle of Grace (a lovely group of grac-ious, grace-ful, grace-inspired ladies) will meet on Thursday, May 22nd at 7:00 pm in the Ministry Center to begin discussions on the book "Captivating:  Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John and Stasi Eldredge.   If you are interested in joining our book discussions, please call/email Janine Girard at 993-3255 or j9hawley@embarqmail.com.
TThere is a specific item that we are asked to bring each month.  This is done in an effort to balance the pantry stock; however, if you see a great deal on any food item and want to contribute something not on this month’s list—go for it!  It will be appreciated and used!!!T
May needs:Peanut Butter
YOUTH

April 13    Ministry Center  5:00 pm
April 27     Ministry Center  5:00 pm
Update for World Vision
Over $3,600 so far!!!

Junior Youth
April 13Social Hall   5:00 pm
April 275:00 pm

Honoring Graduates
We will honor our 2008 graduates on June 1st.  If you know of someone in our church who will graduate this year, please call the church office by May 20th, and give us their name, school and date of graduation.
Save the Date for Pine Grove United Methodist Church's BEACH PARTY - July 20-24!  Vacation Bible School kicks off on Sunday July 20th with the annual Water slide and Ice Cream Social.  More information to come later in May.
There will be a potluck luncheon following the morning service on May 11th, to honor the Confirmation Class of 2008.  This is also Mother’s Day, so don’t stand in line at a restaurant, bring your mother and honor her by being in worship and sitting at the table with her.  The “mothers of the church” will be honored during the service and at the luncheon, too.
Plans for our 2008 Graduation recognition will be finalized and posted via e-mail and in the church bulletin.  The date is June 1st and we need your help in making sure we have the names of all 2008 graduates.Plans are also underway for a Father’s Day celebration on June 15th.  We’re thinking picnic! 
If you have any suggestions for nurturing the congregation of Pine Grove UMC, please notify Marion Tuttle.
Pine Grove UMC’s Outreach Ministry takes many forms.  We have several projects that we participate in as a group and then we occasionally have opportunities where members of our congregation are involved individually in the mission field.  However, even though we may not go with them physically, we can still support their efforts with our prayers and financial backing.  Scott and Lisa Grogan are taking part in a project to provide medical clinics in Nicaragua.  Here is an overview of their undertaking:
Our trip is scheduled from June 19-27.  We are doing this in conjunction with the Ada, Oklahoma United Methodist Church and are traveling out with a small group of people to a town called Waslala which is about 8 hours (as I understand it) from Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua.  We will arrive in Managua and take a bus ride to a destination point and will be dropped off and will hike maybe 1-2 miles to where we will be setting up one of the clinics.  The other part of our group will be going further into the jungle via horseback to set up the sister clinic. 
We will be there to help the town basically with medical needs, but could be doing any/all of the following: rebuilding fallen down structures, counting pills, helping in the eye clinic, washing and sterilizing dental instruments, or wherever we’re needed.  We will be there for 7 days.
Your financial contributions will provide medicines and other materials to help establish these much needed facilities.  You can make your donation directly to Scott or Lisa.
On the evening of May 2nd, and all day May 3rd, Pine Grove UMC will join the Kernersville community at Spring Folly.  In that short period of time, we have the opportunity to be visible to some 20,000 people.  We will be available to visit with passersby; highlight our VBS and accept registrations; sell choir CDs; and more.  Hopefully you’ve signed up to be a part of this ministry, but, if not, be sure to stop by as you walk through the displays.  We will be at booths 26 & 28 on E. Mountain St.
JOANNE CLIFTON
March 13, 1928 – April 16, 2008

British actress Cathy Morling will lead a workshop on Christian Storytelling on Thursday, May 8th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the District Office. Anyone involved with teaching in any form from church pre-school or Sunday School teachers of all ages, as well as readers of scripture for worship or of Bible stories for children’s worship could benefit from her hints. Her lilting English accent will delight you, as it has listeners to the BBC. Cathy brings the scriptures to life for parishioners in Loughton Church, just north of London, where her husband Tony is pastor. They have two sons, Columba and Ronan. Cathy is engaging and unassuming. You will be blessed to have met her. Register with Donna Cooke at (336) 727-1222 or dcatumc@bellsouth.net by Monday, May 5th. The Winston-Salem District is sponsoring this workshop. There is no charge.
Sisters In Christ Banquet
Sunday, May 4
Immediately following the worship service, we will meet in the Social Hall for a light salad and sandwich luncheon.  Desserts and drinks will be provided.  After lunch, Dana Golden, District UMW Social Action Coordinator will present a program on the public education initiative that the Conference and District are supporting.  Sign up in the narthex to bring salads and sandwiches.  All ladies of the church are invited.
The Children's Choir is back in demand!  We will begin rehearsals on Sunday, May 4th at 4:00 for Cherubs (ages 4-8) and 4:30 for Children (ages 9-12).  Follow-up rehearsals in May will be at 4:00/4:30 on May 11 and 25.  There may be some weekday practices for certain individuals for solos/speaking and the Rainbow Ringers as well - so please stay tuned!  Please call/email Ms. Janine if you have questions.  Thank you!
The Winston-Salem Warthogs
A Christian concert featuring BarlowGirl will follow the game at Ernie Shore Field on Saturday, July 19th.  If we go as a group, with
at least 20 people, the tickets are $10 and we will have our Church name “in lights” on the video board and be welcomed by the PA announcer.  What a wonderful way to celebrate a summer evening.  If you are interested there will be a sign-up in early June, or e-mail the church office with the number of tickets needed.
Change Our Debt
We’ve already seen evidence that our loose change adds up to significant debt reduction. Now we are making it even easier for you.  Instead of having to collect your change for three months, you can deposit it every time you come to church.  A Change Our Debt bank will be in the narthex during each regularly scheduled service and in the office at other times.  This is about more than reducing debt, it is about praising God with our everyday actions..
If you are interested in what is happening at 2008 General Conference, go to www.wnccumc.org and you can read transcripts, headlines and even see live web-casts of the Conference.  There is a scheduled of the daily events, too.  Be in the know about your Church.
The Winston-Salem District cordially invites you to a retirement celebration for our District Superintendent, Dr J Hurley Thomas, III, on Friday, May 30, at 6:00 pm at Maple Springs UMC in Winston-Salem.  Our own Pine Grove Gospel Choir will be providing music during the program.  Dinner will be $15/person.  Call the church office by Wednesday, May 14, for RSVP information.