Wesley United Methodist Church 2200 Phoenix, Fort Smith, AR 72901 www.Wesleyumcfs.org March 2020 Newsletter
From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zek “And the Crowd Goes Wild” “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us” -Hebrews 12:1 What if each of us had our own cheering section in life- a crowd that gathered daily to cheer us on and encourage us? I know there are plenty of days I could benefit from something like that. Hebrews 12:1-2 lays out the image of a runner who is inside a crowded stadium with masses cheering them on. The race is the race of faith and the crowds are all those saints who have gone before us and already finished the race. They are shrouded in glory and cheer us on in our race of faith. I love this image. I love the idea that we are never alone in our walk of faith. I believe we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. We are all, in one way or another, a product of saints who invested in our lives and in our faith. The thought that those saints now cheer us on in our own faith journey is humbling and energizing. The race set before us is more like a marathon than a sprint. It is one of endurance and pilgrimage. The word for perseverance here in verse one means literally “steadfast endurance”. It is the Greek word huponomē. It means one who patiently endures something until they eventually master it. This is contrasted to an endurance that just takes things as they are and tries to survive. It is mastering faith and life that we are called to. None of these things are possible without Jesus- the perfect example of faith who has run the race and finished with excellence. In this month of March, I pray you might feel the saints cheering you one in life. I pray that you might have steadfast endurance in all matters of faith. And I pray that you might feel the presence of Jesus in all things. - Keep the Faith Strong, Zeke Wesley UMC Newsletter March 2020
UMW News, Facility Information Page 2 United Methodist Women FAITH · HOPE · LOVE IN ACTION NEWS & ACTIVITIES The Morning Glories will meet on Tuesday, March 17 in the Rock House at 10:00 a.m. Etta Jensen will give the Devotional, Wanda Clark will present the Program and Rosie Turnquist and Doris Cruce will be hostesses for the Pot-luck Salad Lunch that will follow the Program and Business Meeting. We welcome you to join us in our "meeting and eating". God Bless you! Evening Stars will meet March 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the Rock House. Please join us for an evening food and fellowship. UMW Sunday was wonderful. Thank you to each woman that helped lead the service in some way and a special thank you to Rev. Louise Finney for being our guest speaker. Congratulations to Carol Tuck and Carrie Miller for receiving UMW Mission Recognition pins! Facility Information We are excited to say that we sold the Rogers Organ that was donated to the church a couple of years ago. Thank you to Justin Cates and Blanche West for installing new doors on the paper goods storage closet in the kitchen. If you took any wash cloths or towels home to wash, please remember to bring those back. We are halfway to our new AC Unit fund goal. Thank you to everyone who has donated, cooked/brought food for our COOL Lunch fundraisers and helped in any way possible to get us to where we are. Wesley UMC Newsletter March 2020
Music Ministry Page 3 Greetings!!! So many have asked for this recipe, so I wanted to share it with you all... Chicken Gnocchi Soup 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery 1 carrot, diced or grated three or four cloves of garlic, minced family size rotisserie chicken 4 cups chicken stock bundle of thyme (I use fresh) or 1 tsp dried thyme 1 cup heavy cream 1. Heat 1 Tsbp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a saucepan. Add onions, celery, and carrots and saute on medium heat until beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes. I usually add a bit of salt to help season and soften the vegetables. 2. Add the garlic and continue to saute for 1 minute. 3. Remove chicken meat from the bones and either dice or shred. 4. Add the chicken stock and thyme to the pot and cook for about 20 minutes or so on a simmer. 5. Remove the thyme stems (if you use fresh) and add the gnocchi. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes. 6. Add the cream and half and half and simmer for two or three minutes more. 7. Stir in the parmesan and spinach. Turn off heat and allow the parmesan to melt while stirring and the spinach to wilt. Salt and pepper to taste. Please make and enjoy!!! Shane Wesley UMC Newsletter March 2020 1/2 cup half and half 1 package baby spinach 1 package gnocchi (I get the one at Walmart near the pasta section) 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp butter salt & pepper to taste
Finding Strength in Our Connectionalism Page 4 Finding Strength in Our Connectionalism By: Caleb Hennington, The Arkansas United Methodist Digital Content Editor If you don’t know what connectionalism is -I’m not being snarky, I didn’t know either until I started working in the conference office -- it is a significant piece of Methodist theology that ties every part of the United Methodist Church together. Connectionalism manifests itself in some of our most common practices, including the appointment of pastors by bishops; our church, district, annual, jurisdictional and general conference meetings; the shared funding for our mission work across the globe; the shared ordination ceremony of our elders and deacons; the list goes on and on. But on a much smaller scale, our connectionalism reveals itself through the work of the people serving our local churches. The story of an eye clinic at Oaklawn UMC is one example of a pastor who has brought an idea from one church to another, carrying on the mission of providing health care services to people who cannot afford it on their own. Another is the therapy dog ministry, which started at Quapaw Quarter UMC and was carried over to Pulaski Heights UMC thanks to passionate leaders who saw the program as a way to minister to their community through the power of paws and fur. The sharing of ideas and ministries is a wonderful strength of our denomination, and more church leaders should be carrying these ideas over into the churches in which they are appointed. There’s no reason that a backpack ministry that worked at your last church in the big city can’t be brought over to your new church in rural Arkansas as well. Even though our denomination seems to be at an impasse, and plans have been made to divide us up, I believe that the ministries we have crafted and the people we have served through shared ideas can still carry on into whatever future lies before the United Methodist Church. Our connectionalism is our strength. We should always remember that. Wesley UMC Newsletter March 2020
Veritas 2020 Page 5 Our 3 confirmands, a long with Zeke and Carrie attended the 2020 Veritas Youth Conference in Rogers. They worshipped, prayed, played, and heard some incredible messages. If you would like to watch all the full worship services from the weekend you can visit the Arkansas CCYM Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/arkansasccym Wesley UMC Newsletter March 2020
Cub Scouts Page 6 Greetings from Pack 19. We began the month with our annual Scouting for Food drive. Scouts collected about 1500 pounds of food from surrounding neighborhoods. The food was donated to the Rye Hill Baptist Church food mission. We held our Blue and Gold Banquet on February 4th. This annual event is a celebration of the birthday of Scouting. February 9th was Scout Sunday. Pack members helped to lead the service at Wesley as they attended with their families. Several other scouts attended their home churches. Scouts have been working hard on advancements in their den meetings. Scouts are beginning to work on their Pinewood Derby cars, the most competitive time of the year. We always invite any interested family to check us out and see what Scouting can offer them. Yours in Scoutings Best, Justin Cates Wesley UMC Newsletter March 2020
UPCOMING EVENTS March Birthdays Mar 4 Wed. Bible Study @ Wesley 6:00pm, Wesley Hand Bells 6:15pm, Chancel Choir 7:00pm Mar 5 Thurs. One Council 6:30pm Mar 9 Mon. Evening Stars 6:30pm, Rock House Mar 11 Wed. Bible Study @ Wesley 6:00pm, Wesley Hand Bells 6:15pm, Chancel Choir 7:00pm Mar 17 Tues. Morning Glories, 10:00am, Rock House Mar 18 Wed. Bible Study @ Wesley 6:00pm, Wesley Hand Bells 6:15pm, Chancel Choir 7:00pm Mar 19 Thurs. Young @ Heart 6:00pm Fellowship Hall Mar 25 Wed. Bible Study @ Wesley 6:00pm, Wesley Hand Bells 6:15pm, Chancel Choir 7:00pm 12 - Rachel Arnold 13 - Gloria Groves 13 - Billy Strang 18 - Norma Robison Anniversaries 10 - Ben & Misty Cates 23 - Dennis & Patrice Hulsey Lenten Service Schedule All services start at 6:00pm March 8 - Cavanaugh UMC, Steve Poarch March 15 - Midland Heights UMC, James Harris March 22 - St. Paul UMC, Dr. Bobby Bell March 29 - Wesley UMC, Dazzle Burns April 5 - Mission UMC, Dan Williams Fellowship meal to follow each service Wesley UMC Newsletter If you would like to submit any info to be published in the next newsletter please send info to Carrie Miller at carrielynn12983@gmail.com March 2020
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