VIENNA UMC SUNDAY SERVICES

Courtyard Praise & Worship Services : every 2nd and 4th Sunday Mornings @ 9 am

SUNDAY SCHOOL …………….9:45AM

WORSHIP SERVICE…………...11:00 AM

WORSHIP with US

SHILOH UMC SUNDAY SERVICES

WORSHIP SERVICE…………...10:00 AM

SUNDAY SCHOOL…………….11:00 AM

The Beacon “Shining Forth the Glory of God”

April 2013

Rev. Chris Ramsey, Pastor

NON PROFIT ORG.

POSTAGE PAID

VIENNA, GA 31092

PERMIT NO. 20

VIENNA— SHILOH

UNITED METHODIST CHARGE

313 CHURCH STREET

VIENNA, GA 31092

Return Service Requested

James R. King, Jr.

Resident Bishop, South GA Conference

Connectional Ministry Team

Dr. Wayne Moseley District Superintendent

Church Ministry Team

Rev. R. Christopher Ramsey Senior Pastor

Cathy Thompson Administrative Assistant

Dr. Jim Sides Minister of Music

Lisa Ramsey Youth Ministry

Stacey Peavy Financial Secretary

Barbara Woods Church Organist

Jane Mason/ Janice Turner Church Pianists

A Publication of the Vienna United Methodist Church

313 Church Street Vienna, GA 31092 Phone# 229-268-4207

Email: viennaumc@sowega.net Web Site: www.viennaumc.org

Rev. Chris Ramsey, Pastor Vienna UMC & Shiloh UMC

Editor: Cathy A. Thompson

Pastor’s Article…………………....page 2 Vienna Calendar …………………page 5

Opportunities to Serve ………….page 3 Music Minister …………………..page 6

Celebrations & Lord’s Pantry …… page 4 Shiloh Calendar………………….. page 7

The

April 2013

The Joy of a Spring Cleaning

I remember as a child growing up, each spring my mother did what she referred to as, “Spring cleaning.” As it usually coincided perfectly with my spring break from school, and I must admit that this phrase was not one of my favorite things to hear her say. It meant that much of my week long vacation time from school was going to be consumed in this yearly ritual of organization and sterilization. This was the time of the year that, not only did we dust the blinds, we took them down from the window seals and washed them with hot, soapy, water. (My mother never underestimated the cleaning power of hot, soapy, water.) Not only did we wash the plastic runner in front of the kitchen sink, we took up the runner and shampooed the carpet underneath. Eve-rything had to be removed from the kitchen cabinets, and then each cabinet was wiped out, again with that hot, soapy, water. No nook, cranny, or dust bunny was to be left undisturbed during the yearly roundup known as the spring cleaning.

Always included in the yearly tasks of spring cleaning were two additional responsibilities. One of those re-sponsibilities was to go through my closet and remove any clothes that were no longer wearable. The clothes that were ill-fitting, but still in good shape, were donated to someone who needed them. Those that were ready for the rag-bag... well, that’s where they went. The other responsibility was to go through my toy box and re-move any unwanted or unusable items. Let’s elaborate on this a little more. My father had made me a toy box out of plywood. This box was four feet wide, by four feet tall, by eight feet long, and large enough to store not only my toys, but also, everything I owned in my young life. The intent was to maintain a specific area to retain my belongings, other than in the middle of the floor, as many children today demonstrate. The box also had a somewhat mysterious property in that from one spring to the next, somehow junk just appeared in it from out of nowhere. I don’t know how it got in there, but it did. What made the condition worse was the more stuff the box accumulated, the more I failed to notice the good stuff in the box. The final result of this anomaly was that the things I really treasured got lost, just by being in the big toy box.

Sometimes life seems a lot like a big toy box or closet. We continue to accumulate stuff that is no longer relevant to our lives, until finally, something we really cherish or treasure gets lost, just by being added in along with all the rest of life’s stuff. Just like getting rid of old clothes that no longer fit, or toys we outgrow, we must do some spring cleaning every now and then, so that we can recover the things that are really worth hang-ing on to. Although I found it difficult to begin, once I committed to my mother’s spring cleaning ritual, I found that I liked the treasure hunting expedition that was a part of sorting out my closet and toy box. I al-ways recovered something important that I had either forgotten about, or thought I had lost.

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:22-24 - You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Spring is now upon us. Maybe it’s time for us to consider the spring cleaning ritual for that no longer relevant stuff we’ve accumulated. What treasure in your life has become lost because of all the other stuff that is clutter-ing up your life. Do some spiritual spring cleaning, and recover the treasure of eternal life.

Blessings,

Bro. Chris

Page 7 The Beacon

Sunday Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 April Fool’s Day

2 3 4 Nancy Cox

5 6 Misty Neal

7 Communion

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Courtyard VUMC 9am Flowers: Ruth & Ralph Cason

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16 Lord’s Pantry Foodbank ViennaUMC

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Flowers: Jackie & Ray Cason

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23 Danielle Parham

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28 Heather Johnson

Courtyard VUMC 9 A.M.

Flowers: Nancy Cox Mary Parham

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30 Angie Busby

2013

Bible Verse of the Month

Matthew 28:1-10 (NIV) After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Mag-dalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heav-en and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with

joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them.

"Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and wor-

shiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell

my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

“When you talk, choose the very same words that you would

use if Jesus were looking over your shoulder. Because he is.”

—Marie T. Freeman

A prayer

Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart,

Which no unworthy affection may drag downwards;

Give us an unconquered heart,

Which no tribulation can wear out;

Give us an upright heart,

Which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.

Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God,

Understanding to know you,

Diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you,

And a faithfulness that may finally embrace you;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

—Thomas Aquinas

The Lord’s Pantry – April 2013

The Lord’s Pantry served 50 households/90 family members in March. Thanks to the team of Debra Wilkes, June Johnston, Nancy

Leedy, Pat Newby and Luanne Sewell. We also had a nursing student from GA Southwestern who helped us.

The April 16 team includes Cathy Jones, Janice and Gary Turner, Marion Bowen and Stacey Peavy. The Goody Basket sponsor is the

Joy Sunday School Class.

March was a busy month for the food bank. Thanks to Gary and Janice Turner, Debra Wilkes, and Cathy Jones for helping unload

the delivery truck from Second Harvest. Thanks to Raymond King, Wayne Wilkin, Michael Shurley, Luanne Sewell and Lisa Ramsey

for assisting with Misdemeanor Probation Services’ donation. MPS moved to a new location so we had 3 vehicles of free food!

Rooney Bowen, thank you for your work with this project!

Brant and Brody Everidge celebrated their birthdays again this year with a large donation of cereals, snack foods, hygiene and clean-

ing products and monetary donations to The Lord’s Pantry. These 2 young boys have big hearts and opted to forgo presents for

themselves and asked their guests to donate to our food bank – what a generous family!

The success of the Lord’s Pantry is due to the dedication of our volunteers, prayers and support. Thank YOU!!!

Sharon Wilkin

A Note from Jim

The choir presented their Easter musical Sunday morning March 24th, and the Lord blessed. One

of the most loved numbers in the musical is one titled "He Grew the Tree." It goes, "He grew the

tree that He knew would be used to make the old rugged cross," and then goes into a stanza of "The

Old Rugged Cross." After I got home that evening, my wife Vickey and I talked about how the

Lord loves nature and did indeed make that tree that probably never realized it would be used for

that horrible purpose. If it could have thought, I wonder what would have gone through its mind?

The song still impacts me, even though we've sung it more than once! Thank God for the joy and

the opportunity to tell once again that precious story!

Wouldn’t you like to join forces with us in choir, as we sing for Him and because of Him?’

Or wouldn’t you like to join our Handbell team? We happen to be shorthanded right now, and you

won’t find a finer group of women to become a team player with! Just contact me and let me know

of your interest! The Lord is going to provide, and you could be a part of that!

I am in the process now of planning for the upcoming Summer and Fall season in our music minis-

try. Nothing would make me happier than to see you experience the joy I see so frequently in the

eyes of our singers and ringers! Pray about it!

Your Friend and Minister of Music,

Jim

Lay Leader for April: Phillip Warren

Lead Usher for April: Ricky Chadwick

Greeters for April: Kay Chadwick & Kathie Peavy

Sunday School Assembly April 7th: FRIENDS Class

Family Night Supper: FRIENDS Class

Homebound Communion April 7: Sherry Evans, Linda West, & Jane Ramsey

Dooly Disciples (Jr. High) Sundays @ 4:30 VUMC

(Sr. High) Sundays @ 5:30 VUMC

April Flower List

April. 7: Janis & Lex Pennington

April 14: Monty Penn

April 21: Benning McGraw

April 28: Monica & Phillip Warren

Page 3

Wonderful Wednesdays

Sunshine Gang Choir 10:00 AM

Hand Bell Choir 5:30 PM

Family Night Supper 6:30 PM

Bible Study 7:00 PM

Sanctuary Choir 7:30 PM

The “Courtyard” Praise and Worship Service

Sunday Morning April 14 - 28

Circles

Joy Circle, Monday, April 8 , 7 p.m. @

Annex with Kathie Peavy

Morning Glories, Monday, April 15 @

11:00 a.m. at the home of Betty Farmer

Squares , April 22 @ 7:00 p.m.. @ the home

of Marian Bowen

Acolyte

April 7 - Katie Hayes Scout Weesner

April 14 - Dylan Bloss Nicolas Warren

April 21 - Aaron Shurley Keegan Shurley

April 28 - Katie & Hope Hayes

@ 9:00 A.M.

Vienna United Methodist Church

Come and be filled!

Page 4

April BirthdaysApril BirthdaysApril Birthdays

02: Virginia Rose Cannon02: Virginia Rose Cannon02: Virginia Rose Cannon

03 : Jim Maxey & David Lee Shurley03 : Jim Maxey & David Lee Shurley03 : Jim Maxey & David Lee Shurley

04: Ginger Woodward 04: Ginger Woodward 04: Ginger Woodward

05: Rosella Jarvis and Sam Evans05: Rosella Jarvis and Sam Evans05: Rosella Jarvis and Sam Evans

07: Nicolas Warren07: Nicolas Warren07: Nicolas Warren

08: Raymond King & Davis Pullen08: Raymond King & Davis Pullen08: Raymond King & Davis Pullen

09: Catherine Renfroe & 09: Catherine Renfroe & 09: Catherine Renfroe &

Savannah CranfordSavannah CranfordSavannah Cranford

10: Hailey Harris10: Hailey Harris10: Hailey Harris

12: James Woodward12: James Woodward12: James Woodward

13: Carolyn Cromer & Keith Evans13: Carolyn Cromer & Keith Evans13: Carolyn Cromer & Keith Evans

14: Beth Jones, Karen Jones14: Beth Jones, Karen Jones14: Beth Jones, Karen Jones

16: Gracie Chadwick16: Gracie Chadwick16: Gracie Chadwick

17: Bobby Carr17: Bobby Carr17: Bobby Carr

19: Charlie Gregory19: Charlie Gregory19: Charlie Gregory

23: Stephen Morgan23: Stephen Morgan23: Stephen Morgan

24: Henry Ingram24: Henry Ingram24: Henry Ingram

25: Rachel Dominy25: Rachel Dominy25: Rachel Dominy

26: Verlin Jones26: Verlin Jones26: Verlin Jones

27: Donna Davis & Trevor Chappell27: Donna Davis & Trevor Chappell27: Donna Davis & Trevor Chappell

Sunday April 7th

9:00 a.m.-

Sunday School Assembly,

Social Hall (sponsor, Friends)

Attendance Awards Presentation

10:15 a.m.

Sunday School

11:00 a.m.

Traditional Worship Service

with Communion

Grand Camp

“These are a Few of My Favorite Things”

An intergenerational camp for grandparents and their

elementary age grandchildren @ Epworth By The Sea

St. Simons Island, Georgia June 28 – July 1, 2013

4:00 Registration begins

5:30-6:30 Pizza Party

6:30 Welcome and Getting to Know You

7:00 Fun Time at the Popcorn Buffet

Saturday, June 29

7:00-9:00 Breakfast is served

9:00-10:00 “Amazing Adaptations”, learn about GA’s Sea Turtles

10:30-11:30 The Avenger Scavenger Hunt at the Moore Museum

11:30-12:30 Make a new Favorite Thing: Paint on Canvas with

“Color Me Happy”

12:30 Cars caravan to Fort Frederica

12:45-1:15 Box lunches at the Fort

1:30-2:30 Tour of Fort Frederica National Monument

2:30-5:30 Free time to explore your own interests

5:30 Dinner

6:30 Swing Your Grand Partner Square Dance

7:30 Cupcakes and Lemonade Social

Sunday, June 30

7:00-9:00 Breakfast is served

8:45-9:15 Chapel Service in Lovely Lane Chapel

9:30-10:15 Grandparent Sharing Time and Grandchildren Game Time

10 :30-11:30 “These are a Few of My Favorite Things”

*ALL GRANDS: Bring a few of your “favorite things” to share with the group.

11:45-1:00 Picnic under the Oaks and by the River

1:15 Cars caravan to the historic Coast Guard Station

1:30-2:30 Tour of the Maritime Center

2:30-5:30 Leisure time for some of your own “Favorite Things”

Suggestions: the beach or Lighthouse

5:30 Dinner

6:30 Bingo Games with prizes

7:00 A Special Movie Event

8:00 Ice Cream Sandwich treats

Monday, July 1

8:00 Breakfast and Farewell Sharing Time Fun-Filled Agenda

What a Great Event !!!

For Registration Forms and all info visit:

www.epworthbythesea.org

The Beacon

2013

Homebound Communion Sunday, January 2:

Linda West, Jane Ramsey, & Sherry Evans

Page 5

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 April Fool’s

Day

2 12:00 Noon Men’s Bible Study

3 Sunshine Gang 10am Handbell Choir 5:30 Family Night Supper 6:30 Bible Study 7:00 pm Sanctuary Choir 7:30pm

4 5

6

7 Communion

Flowers: Janis & Lex Pennington Acolyte: Scout W & Katie Hayes

8 JOY Circle 7:00 p.m. Annex

with Kathie Peavy

9 12:00 Noon Men’s Bible Study

10 Sunshine Gang 10am Handbell Choir 5:30 Family Night Supper 6:30 Bible Study 7:00 pm Sanctuary Choir 7:30pm

11

12

13

14

Courtyard 9:00 am Flowers: Monty Penn

Acolyte: Dylan Bloss & Nicolas Warren

15 Morning Glories 10:00 a.m.

16 Food Bank 12:00 Noon Men’s Bible Study

17 Sunshine Gang 10am Handbell Choir 5:30 pm Family Night Supper 6:30 Bible Study 7:00 pm Sanctuary Choir 7:30pm

18

19 20

21 Flowers: Benning & Cecil McGraw

Acolyte: Aaron & Keegan Shurley .

22

23 12:00 Noon Men’s Bible Study

24 Administrative

Professionals Day Sunshine Gang 10am Handbell Choir 5:30 Family Night Supper 6:30 Bible Study 7:00 pm Sanctuary Choir 7:30pm

25

26

27

28 Courtyard 9:00 am

Flowers: Monica & Phillip Warren

Acolyte: Katie & Hope Hayes

29

30 12:00 Noon Men’s Bible Study

.

Flower: Sweet Pea & Daisy Birthstone: Diamond

Sunday, April 7: Homebound Com-

munion Volunteers: Sherry Evans, Linda

West & Jane Ramsey.

Lay Leader: Phillip Warren

Lead Usher: Ricky Chadwick

Greeters: Kay Chadwick & Kathie Peavy

Clara Dunbar Buddy Hughes

Allen Bagwell Dana Gambrell

Trella Etheridge Donny Taunton

Dottie Forehand Magalene Baggett

Wesley Poole Brandon McIntyre

Prayer List

Remember our Shut-ins

Dot Morgan, , Virginia Rose Cannon, Rhona Smith,

Lillian Harris, Catheryn Green and J.R. Evans

“Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection,

not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”

—Martin Luther