On Sunday, May 20^th, 2012, Lauderdale United Methodist Church (LUMC) will be hosting a Public Servant Appreciation Service to show their respect and thanks for the work done in our communities by public servants who put their lives on the line every day. The special service will begin at 11:00am in the main sanctuary of the church located at 3632 Lauderdale Road in Lauderdale, Mississippi. Pastor Gary Howse and all the LUMC congregation want to invite all active police force members, EMT’s, Volunteer Fire Department Personnel, Ambulance drivers, Sheriff Departments, and service related men and women to come and let us show them our appreciation for the job they do.

A section of steel from the World Trade Center which was destroyed on 9-11-2001 will be on display at the church. The exhibit was donated to the Alabama Chapter of the Terry Farrell Fund by the National Chapter of the Terry Farrell Fund and is currently on tour Alabama before being officially dedicated in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at a special service on June 2, 2012. The Lauderdale UMC event will be a rare opportunity for the people of East Mississippi to see the exhibit before it reaches its final destination. Terry Farrell was one of the firefighters lost trying to save others on 9-11.

Cuba Alabama’s Fire Chief and Lauderdale UMC Choir Director, Reid Vaughn worked to have this display brought to LUMC for this Public Servant Appreciation Service. If you are a volunteer, we would like for you to join us for this tribute.

Lauderdale UMC will provide lunch after Sunday’s service and request those who plan to attend the special service on May 20^th contact 601-679-8806 or email office@lauderdaleumc.org to RSVP so enough food can be prepared.

There are also a couple of videos from that night posted in the video section of our web site that you just can’t miss. Be sure to play the “Children Getting Set” first to get the full affect.

Photo Gallery

The assignments for this week are as follows (they are on the 24 of the workbook pages you received Sunday night):

For MEN only – In The Resolution for Men, read:
- “Why We Need Men of Resolution” pages 11-23
- “Resolve to Be a Man of Responsibility” pages 55-69

For WOMEN only – In The Resolution for Women, read:

- “The Resolution Revolution” pages 1-7
- “The Secret” pages 17-22
- “Purposely Feminine” pages 31-48

From reading the Women’s book, the author states that the chapters are not numbered so you have to “remember where you were.” Note that the assignments are not in order; they skip around. So take a deep breath, grab your Resolution book and a pen or highlighter, and begin the journey!  As the author says on page 2 of the women’s book: “…since making resolutions is osmethin we all do anyway, the question for us to grapple with is not whether we’ll ever dare to make any more of them but whether we’re going to be intentional about hte ones we do make. We need to make sure the banner that flies over our lives and announces to the word who we genuinely are is one that says what we want it to say, one that changes things in us and around us for the better.

Jan

On Sunday, February 12, at 6 pm, we will begin an 8 week study based on the Movie Courageous. It is titled, “Honor Begins at Home.” There will be an insert in Sunday’s bulletin that will allow you to sign up for the movie and/or study. This study is for men as well as women. The materials required for participation in the study are a copy of the Member Book and The Resolution (For Men or For Women) per person ($20 per person). Please pray about joining the Bible Study and be ready to sign up Sunday morning.

Honor Begins at Home takes individuals and small groups deeper into biblical truths for a godly family, exploring topics such as redeeming your history, walking with integrity, winning and blessing the hearts of your children, and more.

You may sign up to come to the Dinner & Movie night without joining the study.

The adults are in Bible Study, now what do we do with the children? We are making arrangements for the children for the 8 week sessions. We have purchased material for the children to do a Bible Study series of their own during this time. What we don’t have, is a leader. We are praying for God to speak to someone to step up and fill this role.

Please be prepared to make a commitment Sunday for the movie and class so we can plan food and materials. Thank you!

If you missed Effective Parenting in a Defective World (a parenting study by Chip Ingram), it’s not too late to start. The group meets in the Couple’s Sunday School Class upstairs in the fellowship hall on Sunday mornings (during Sunday School) at 9:45. Raising children is a tough challenge in today’s world—especially when they face constant pressure from their peers and culture. Packed with practical advice and Chip Ingram’s own experiences, these group sessions will give you a vision for your children’s future, a new understanding of God’s principles for child-rearing, and life-changing help for today. Study guide is provided. Book is helpful, but optional. If you’d like to join us next Sunday, see Jan Wells Wednesday night for this week’s handouts.

You can also go to www.wmox.net to see and hear the live streaming show.

Merry Christmas
Pam

Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose (Mary) to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:19-20

Have you ever thought that you had a good plan and even made sense to you, but God had another plan for you? Have you ever heard the voice of an angel? Maybe not, but have you ever changed your mind because you knew God wanted you do to something else? when we open our hearts to God’s Word, we find ourselves making the choices based on what we think God would like rather then what we like. Becoming the person that would be pleasing to God is part of the Advent journey. So as we move full stream ahead toward Christmas, take time to listen to God, maybe even an angel will appear!

Peace & Joy,

Gary

A cartoon from a few years ago showed a woman saying to her husband, “Good grief, Henry. Here’s Christmas at our throats again!”

Amid the preparations for Christmas each year, there always seem to be a few voices like hers, proclaiming a “Bah, humbug!” on the whole business. And if the truth be known, some of us may feel less than excited about Christmas ourselves. The expense, the crowds, the overindulgence, the hurried schedules and all the other trappings of modern Christmas celebrations are enough to make all of us to have a Scrooge look at the season.

In the face of the humbug state of affairs, it is helpful to remember that God did not send Jesus to be “at our throats,” but to be “in our hearts.” The difference between those two concepts defines the gap between gloom and glory. There’s a reason we call the gospel good news. As John so aptly put it, “For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (3:17).

Jesus is God’s gift to our world — and to our hearts. When Jesus resides within, whether we enjoy or merely tolerate the flurry of seasonal preparations, Christmas itself is a grand opportunity to say thank you to God for the gift of the Son.

My Prayer for you is that you and your family have a Blessed Christmas and remember to let Christ be the center of your life.

In God’s peace & Merry Christmas,

Gary