& articles MISSIONS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Did You Know?

SUMC Church Family, The Bread House needs your help. We are seeking Sunday School classes to take the lead on providing a specific need at the Bread House on a continual basis.

Items needed: Canned Vegatables, Canned Tuna and Canned Chicken, Dried Rice Of course, anyone is welcome to puchase and delivery directly to the Bread House

Please reach out to Pete Petersor Ron Garriga with your selection ppeters@invernesstechnologies.com Ron Garriga at r.garriga@cox.net

Hey Shalimar UMC church Family! Ben Savage here and officially writing my first beacon article! I thought writing each week will allow me to focus on certain areas of worship, tech, and connection here within our church and local community.

If you are on Facebook, browse over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/shalimarumc and ask to join. This is our Shalimar UMC online campus and is a private community group. A place which provides an opportunity for members to share updates, ask questions, and have conversations with one another.

Also, there is weekly content happening there to grow in your discipleship: This is the home of “So You’re in the Know…” weekly podcast with Rev. Matt Langford and myself as hosts. This is also available on our Shalimar website, app, Spotify, and soon to be Apple podcast.

You have ”Freedom After Dark” which is a simulated live broadcast version of what we are doing in Freedom each Sunday morning edited for online viewing. Our goal as an AVL team in 2023 is to have the best online experience for worship in the panhandle. This week we are launching a VR360 streaming experience of Freedom worship.

Children’s Director, Sarah Hicks launched the first mother’s small group online and I am working on several small group and Bible study concepts to launch in 2023 to mimic this model.

Illustrations of our own children’s ministry character is being conceptualized and we are planning a weekly augmented reality puppet show called “Shalimartian and Friends.” This will be an in-person concept we video for online children’s bible stories each week, that’s the augmented reality part.

Lots of exciting things happening on the social media front, but all of this is to reach those that are already engaging online to invite them to try our campus and find a home at Shalimar UMC in this community.

If you have any ideas on how to engage people to be a part of worship services and community each week, let me know!

Christe Eleison!

Ben Savage

A Message from Dr. Karl Stegall,

A SPECIAL INVITATION TO PEOPLE OF SHALIMAR

RANDY ATCHESON IN CONCERT AT SHALIMAR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023, AT 7 P.M.

A NATIVE OF RURAL CHILTON COUNTY, RANDY’S FATHER WAS A BI-VOCATIONAL MINISTER WHO SERVED SMALL MEMBERSHIP CHURCHES. RANDY GREW UP PLAYING THE PIANO FOR COUNTRY REVIVALS, BUT AFTER GRADUATION FROM SAMFORD UNIVERSITY AND THE JULLIARD SCHOOL OF MUSIC, HE HAS LITERALLY PERFORMED IN CONCERTS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

RANDY HAS PLAYED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE. HE HAS ALSO PLAYED SEVERAL TIMES AT CARNEGIE HALL, RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, AND THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN PARIS. HE WAS HONORED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO PLAY FOR THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR BILLY GRAHAM THAT WAS HELD IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

RANDY KNOWS HIS AUDIENCE! HE KNOWS WHAT YOU WILL WANT TO HEAR! IN LIGHT OF THIS, HE PLAYS A WIDE VARIETY OF MUSIC. HE PLAYS FAMILIAR GOSPEL SONGS AND HYMNS SUCH AS “I’LL FLY AWAY,” “WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN,” “WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER,” “REVIVE US AGAIN,” “MAJESTY,” “JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE,” AND “CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS.”

SINCE IT WILL BE VALENTINE’S DAY, RANDY WILL ALSO PLAY A SEGMENT OF LOVE SONGS FROM BROADWAY MUSICALS. THESE WILL INCLUDE “AUTUMN LEAVES,” “TRY TO REMEMBER,” AND “THINK OF ME” FROM “PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.”

HIS CLOSING SEGMENT OF SONGS WILL CONSIST OF A PATRIOTIC MEDLEY, “ANCHORS AWAY,” “THE CAISSONS GO ROLLING ALONG,” “MARINE HYMN,” “AIR FORCE HYMN,” AND “GOD BLESS AMERICA.”

FOLLOWING HIS CONCERT, RANDY WILL HAVE A SURPRISE ENCORE THAT EVERYONE WILL ENJOY!

I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.