NORFOLK UMC eNewsletter online
January 18, 2015
Change is in the air! The purpose of this eNewsletter is to provide specialized information to active members and frequent visitors. Times are changing the use of technology has evolved in terms of how we communicate. Many of you are using your desktops, laptops, mobile devices and phones to access information each day. So, we at Norfolk UMC want to keep you up-to-date on worship, ministries, service opportunities and online giving. We are excited that God has blessed our ministry to be a “mighty” church and ministry presence where we serve. Someone said that nobody likes change except a baby. Well, this may be true because many of us don’t like it at all—but change is a part of our daily reality. We are learning to be more productive and really working hard to communicate better with our congregation. Here are some of the changes that we are making— we will utilize our technology on Sunday morning before and after the worship service to share our announcements for the week, we have upgraded our office equipment, so if you have a need for copies—please the Office Coordinator for assistance, we will print the announcement insert on a very limited basis on Sunday mornings and they will be available in the back of the church, we will email the entire church a link weekly to view the announcements and upcoming ministry event from their desktops, laptops or mobile devices. These changes will result in operational savings for the overall budget of our church. We appreciate your faithful stewardship each week and the Finance Team is working in partnership with the Pastor to ensure that we as a church are faithful stewards.
In This Issue
Change is in the Air
God’s Provision & Passion for Ministry
Music Ministry Schedule
Stewardship
God’s Trustees— Progress Report
And much more! Changing the Way We Communicate Worship, Mission & Ministry!
A WORD FROM PASTOR DANIELS Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Matthew 6:31-32
God’s Provision and Passion for Ministry! Have you ever doubted the Lord could supply your needs? Maybe your circumstances seemed so desperate that you lose hope. That’s what happened to the Israelites after escaping Egyptian slavery. They were free but stranded in the desert. As their food ran out, they started to worry and complain. But they failed to recognize that the Lord had not led them out of Egypt to perish in the wilderness. A principle to live by is God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him. I believe that this is where our personal ministry passion comes in. The matter of obedience and our willing to follow God’s Plan and Purpose with complete faith. We have to trust God to work mightily in our lives and the full life of the church. Look around our church and think about all of the blessings that we have experienced personally and collectively. There should be no doubt that God is a Provider!
We’re on the Web www.numcva.com
BIBLE STUDY Faithful members and guest meet each week on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. All of us have the need to grow deeper in our faith and understanding of God’s Word. The fact of the matter is that by mid-week we all need a little more to make it.
“Making a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord”
Schedule for the Week . . . Psalm 33:3 tells us to sing a new song to the Lord and to play skillfully.
Don’t miss this exciting experience.
If we are not careful, we can abandon this calling; yes, it is indeed a calling, particularly for worship leaders. All of our choirs work hard weekly to lead us in music ministry. If you have gift for music ministry and want to join one of the choirs—feel free! Mrs. Hamlin and Mr. Brown are Master Musicians and among the best in the Tidewater Region. CHANCEL
CHOIR
- Thursday, January 29th, 7 p.m. GOSPEL
CHOIR
- Thursday, January 22nd, 7 p.m. PRAISE
DANCERS
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- Will practice on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Our Top Ministry Goals for 2015
Increase our Average Worship Attendance Weekly
Increase # of children weekly in Children’s Church
Increase Faithful Stewardship
Increase Ministry, Mission & Service
United Methodist Women@ Norfolk UMC Mission Initiatives The entire program and organization of United Methodist Women focuses on mission. Our mission initiatives include:
Providing opportunities to grow spiritually Equipping women & girls to be leaders Providing transformative educational experiences Organizing for growth & flexibility Working for justice through service and advocacy . Mission is presence, relationship, witness and sharing. Mission is refusing to turn away when the tears of God are being shed over the violence and injustice and suffering of God’s wayward creation. -- United Methodist Women-supported mission intern David Hosey
On the Local Scene: On sale now! $5.00 donation—please see Diane Mewborn
Reporting our progress . . . Effective Trustees are Christian stewards of the property God has entrusted to the congregation. Effective trustees supervise and maintain the property of the congregation to ensure that disciple-making ministries of the congregation are effective and that local legal requirements related to the property are satisfied. Who is qualified for this job? Spiritual gifts: servanthood, helping/assistance, administration, giving, and evangelism. Experience, Skills: Trustees should be people with knowledge and skills for property and asset management; they should have the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, and work well with other ministry leaders. Trustees should show genuine interest in responding to the hopes and concerns of people in the community and a willingness to partner with community interests. The Trustees chairperson should show evidence of prior effective ministry leadership, especially in the area of stewardship of assets, and show evidence of active and growing discipleship, the ability to preside over meetings, the ability to delegate responsibility and follow up in getting the job done. So Far: The B oa r d of Tr u stees is w or king to co m plete the renovation of our kitchen. We anticipate that we will be working in ministry from our new kitchen in the next few weeks!
Couples’ Ministry @ Norfolk UMC Will meet Saturday, January 31st at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The Couples Ministry is starting its 3rd year and we’re still thriving! Our next meeting we will start the “Fireproof Your Marriage” series. Our 2015 calendar is enclosed. Please note that all dates and times are tentative! There is only one community event listed on the calendar. The others will be planned throughout the year so your suggestions will be greatly appreciated. This is going to be an exciting year for our ministry! So to all the couples who wanted to remain on the email list, we look forward to seeing you this year! See Janice Graves for more information.
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Faithful Stewardship is More than Dollars & Cents . . . Our personal commitment and covenant with God concerning Faithful Stewardship is not just about the dollars and cents—it’s about our hearts and our willingness to trust God with the things that we hold near and dear. Churches get a bad wrap from time to time because people think that Spiritual Leaders only think about money. While we do think about money because we have to do this for effective and impactful ministry presence, we also have to think about the whole person—mind, body and soul. First, our heart’s desire daily is for our members and frequent visitors to encounter an Awesome and Powerful God that is working in our lives. Second, we desire that the collective gathered community of faith will impact our community with Shalom—Peace that results in better living and a deeper spiritual walk with the Lord. And Lastly, we want each person to experience the joy of walking fully into the Vision that God has for our church and community. Experience has taught us that giving is not just about the “receiver,” but it is really about the faith level of the “giver.” There really is an unspeakable joy that comes with our ability to give above and beyond even what we think we can do. And trust—God has never failed any of us, when we are faithful—God is more faithful. So, the matter of dollars and cents is a part of our reality everyday. Seeing God give the increase however is the miracle that we experience at levels we never dreamed.
Tips & Tidbits . . .
Contact Us
Call
Give us a call for more information about our services and ministries
or email the office by Wednesday with your information.
The office number is 628-6543
Fax— 628-8181
Norfolk United Methodist Church
or you can email announcements to: officenorfolk@gmail.com.
1520 Halstead Ave. Norfolk, VA 23502-1709
RESTORATION OF RIGHTS - Wednesdays 4-6 p.m. or call for an appointment 628-6543 Register to vote, hold public office, serve on a jury, serve as a notary public
Office hours: Tuesday and Friday 10 - 4 p.m. Wednesday, and Thursday noon - 6 p.m.
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Never ending! Ministry Continues to Grow & Thrive
Reaching for Every Heart. . . With the Heart of Christ. . .Where We Serve