New beginnings are a time of refreshing. We get a second chance either with ourselves, others, God, or with life itself. New beginnings can be established every day or every so often, but they are necessary for our sanity, and for change.

With God, man has a chance for a new beginning. As we make God the ruler of our lives, we establish a foundation of new beginnings.

Each time we start the day in prayer, we are in a sense asking God to provide us a new beginning, and He does. Our sins and mistakes of the day before are forgiven and put away and we start over. Even if no one else gives you that extra chance or new beginning, God does.

We have a new beginning at SPUMC.  Our new pastors, Rev. Farmer and Rev. Christopher will lead us in our new adventure.  Their fresh new approach will shape us as together we Ignite Lives with Jesus Christ to make a difference.      Rev. Farmer told us in his first article written for the Octagon, "As we look forward to the new season of ministry, it is for us to be bold and faithful as we continue the work that God has entrusted to us."  He also said, "I foresee a ministry balanced by nurture for those who are now a part of the church, reaching out to the unchurched in the area and extending ourselves on behalf of the hurting persons in the world in which we live."

Please invite your friends to share our new beginning as we praise the Lord for the blessings He has poured down on us and the new beginning He has planned for us.  After the service bring your friends to Fellowship Hall to meet our members. 

In God All Things Are Possible

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Tell-a-FRAN?
(Friend, Relative, Associate, Neighbor)

In our 21st century world, there are, now, many ways to give someone information.  The Evangelism Committee is encouraging you to tell a Friend, Relative, Associate, or Neighbor about our church, its ministries, and worship services.  You can tell-a-FRAN by word of mouth, email, phone call, or any other mode of communication.  You are especially encouraged to tell-a-FRAN about our new Senior and Associate pastors, the Rev. James Farmer, and the Rev. Nicole Christopher.   Join us in our "New Beginnings".

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GRACE & PEACE,
I would like to express our thanks to the SPRC and the entire church family for their warm welcome extended to my wife Vickie and me. It is an honor to be your pastor and it is my pleasure to serve with you. I pledge to share this warm hospitality with everyone I meet. Your love and sincere spirit has made a stressful transition somewhat easier. We appreciate all that you have done.

 Shalom, Pastor Jim.

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The 2008 ASP Trip To Kentucky
Was a Huge Success

 Thanks so much to all of you for your prayers and other support that made this year's ASP trip to Kentucky a huge success. 90 high school youth, college young adults, and adult leaders formed crews that worked on 16 homes in Magoffin and Knott Counties.

Except for a few cuts and bruises, it was a safe and productive week of making homes safer, dryer and warmer. Projects included roof repair, construction of additions to homes, installing underpinning on house trailers, repair of floors and walls, repair of outside walls and structure of homes, and installing draining ditches.

 

Evening events included culture night where the groups got to experience talent from the local area, a picnic that included the families of the homes being worked on, evening gatherings of songs and discussion of the local culture, and, of course, trips to the local ice cream store for a little desert. At one center there was even an ice cream eating contest where you were not allowed to use your hands. You may see pictures of this at the ASP service on Sunday, August 3 (tentative date based on Pastor Farmer's review of the church calendar.

The ASP group wants to thank all of you who supported us with your prayers, your contributions, and your support of this project that has so much meaning to the UMYF youth.
 

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SUNDAY SCHOOL IN NEED OF TEACHERS
FOR AUGUST

The Sunday School needs teachers for the month of August, especially the Preschool class (Ages 2 through 5). We do not have any preschool teachers for August 3rd, 10th, and 24th. A complete list of dates and needs is posted in the Fellowship Hall. Please sign up or see Beth Frank to volunteer. We will provide all the plans and materials.

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DO YOU BELIEVE IN......
God....Country....Family....Church?

Could you give ONE HOUR a week for six months, beginning the end of September, to help strengthen these beliefs in our young people?

The God and Country Program is designed to help every child to grow as a person and a Christian. Over the last three years, our church has been blessed to offer this program to Boy & Girl Scouts, Camp Fire and 4H Members throughout the community. It would be nice to be able to continue this opportunity so that our students could complete the four levels of the program, but we need a few counselors.

If you are interested in helping with 4th & 5th graders for God and Family, or 6th - 8th graders for God & Church, please contact the church office or give Dawn Strumsky a call. You can go to www.praypub.org for more information about each level.

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This year's Vacation Bible School
was a true Beach Party!

We had children from all over who came dressed for summer and ready to have fun and learn about the word of God. The theme this year was Beach Party, and the underlying lessons were the Beatitudes. Beatitudes, from the Latin word, beatus, means blessed. We were truly blessed this year with over 100 children for the day session and 30 for the evening session as well as over 70 “staff members” to help foster this message. The children came eagerly to listen, sing, play, do crafts, do science experiments, dance, watch, and plant in order to learn the following lessons: Be Kind, Be Obedient, Be Forgiving, Be Bold and Believe.  I felt those lessons being practiced daily. I also felt the last lesson, Believe, deeply. As with any major event, there were bumps in the road. However, when I asked God for guidance and help, he was always there, giving the answers. I Believe!!! Everyone who came and asked what they could do, or helped out when I asked, was really a blessing. I sincerely want to thank each and every one of you. And if you weren’t lucky enough to be involved this year, I hope that next year will be your year to come experience this wonderful time in our church and in the lives of our young people!

Alison Cherowitzo

 

 

 

 

 

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SPUMC SHIRTS

Do you participate in Carpenter’s Kitchen?  How about Habitat for Humanity?  Maybe you are one of the many church members who faithfully visit family or friends at nursing homes or hospitals. So many of our wonderful, dedicated and active church family members are out and about in the community, sharing God’s love through serving food, building homes, sharing in prayer and comforting those in need.

               

One way to allow the community around us to see our faith in action is to wear a SPUMC shirt while serving in His name. Wearing a SPUMC shirt is a way to let others identify you as a member of a community of faith and invites questions about our faith practices.

 

Missions Committee representatives will be selling t-shirts and golf shirts, decorated with a logo and mission statement, between services all summer. The light blue shirts are reasonably priced and come in all sizes. Please take this opportunity to proudly represent your faith in Jesus as you continue to serve in His name.

 

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VIM TRIP REPORT
By: Katherine Nutile

Blessings abounded for our intrepid group of eleven who traveled to Benton, Tennessee to participate in the building of a Fellowship Hall for Benton UMC from May 24 - 30. Many SPUMC members may remember Mat Merker, a long time church member and one of the founders of Volunteers in Mission (VIM). Mat is now Reverend Merker and has been the pastor at a small church in rural Tennessee for five years. Mat and her congregation have extended their hospitality to several VIM groups as we traveled to and from the Gulf Coast for missions work over the past few years and recently asked if we could offer them some help.

The folks at Benton UMC, boasting a membership of about fifty, have long had a dream to have a new, larger fellowship hall to be used for church and community functions. After fund raising and permit gathering, their dream finally came to fruition late last year. Mat asked if we could send a team to Benton to start the build after the foundation was poured.  Gary Winch put a team together and Mel Merritt agreed to be the construction leader. Larry Hughes joined us from Delaware to assist and get ready for bringing his own team down, in the weeks following our time there. The rest of us, at various levels of skill or lack thereof, got to work following Mel’s expert direction and managed to frame the entire 70’ x 30’ foot structure in four days. We were blessed by the assistance of a number of church members who came to work beside us, several of whom had great skills and enabled us to finish the job in record time. In addition, the ladies (and a few gentlemen) from the church fed us. And they fed us in abundance: chicken casseroles, fresh hot fruit cobblers, potato salads and more. Several of Mat’s parishioners are Bed and Breakfast proprietors and agreed to house us for the duration. Not your typical VIM accommodations - trust me!

Although we worked hard in some very hot and humid weather, we also had the opportunity to become a part of the small town life in Benton. We were welcomed into family homes, shared in worship together and were invited to a graduation party that turned out to be an authentic Samoan luau, replete with a South Pacific feast and traditional Samoan dancers. A very unexpected treat in the middle of the Tennessee hills. While we are pleased to have accomplished the work we set out to do, our team was especially blessed to have made new friends who held us up in love and caring as we worked to help them see their dream happen.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. Please uphold Larry and Peggy Hughes and their team from Avenue UMC in prayer as they travel to Benton to raise the roof in the coming week.  

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UMW Summer Reading Program

It’s time again for the UMW Summer Reading Program.  This is our third year of reading a book over the summer and getting together in the fall to discuss it in small groups.  The book we have selected is Grace Matters:  A Memoir of Faith, Friendship and Hope in the Heart of the South.  We will discuss the book on Tuesday, September 2 at 7:30 PM.  Contact Suzanne Steiner, slsteiner@comcast.net, to order your book.  Cost is $7.00, with $3.17 subsidized by UMW.

Publisher’s description:  In Grace Matters, we follow the remarkable journey of Chris Rice, a naive white college student from Vermont, who was transformed into an insightful man of faith who helped form a thriving interracial community in Jackson, Mississippi. Chris Rice's compelling story uncovers the wounds that divide the races and reveals what it takes to bring blacks and whites together, honestly, compassionately, and transcendently.

Grace Matters was named a Publishers Weekly Notable Book of 2002 and won a Christianity Today Award of Merit.

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