Fruitful Labor

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; For God gives sleep to God's beloved.  -- Psalm 127:1-2
Schools and colleges and universities fill again with students.  Labor Day appears on the horizon.  It is a good time for the reading of Psalm 127!
 
It is tempting to think that our efforts are the key to our productivity, effectiveness and fruitfulness.  Reading Outliers this summer, I was reminded of all the ways in which forces beyond ourselves shape our destinies.  For example, athletes born at certain times of the year have a better shot at greatness on the field or court.  From an early age, they have the advantage of maturity over athletes born later, are recognized as having greater potential, receive the best coaching and the most time engaged in the sport.  It is true: the time and place of our life space restricts or expands possibility. 
 
We who are Christians have an even more expansive view of reality.  We believe that God is the giver of life and that Jesus Christ is a turning point of history.  God is the beginning and the end, our source and our destiny.  We cooperate with God with grateful hearts, breathing in the breath God gives and engaging in the particular calling God appoints for us.
 
We need not "eat the bread of anxious toil."  We need not work "in vain."  Instead, we know that our share in faithful work is God's good gift.  In fruitful labor we can find joy.  We are co-laborers with God as a result of God's goodness and God's gracious invitation to us.
 
As we enter this time God is giving to us, let us rest in the goodness of God as we offer our best effort in ministry.  Let us be humbly confident, knowing that God gives fruitfulness and that God gives rest to God's beloved.  Thanks be to God!
 
With gratitude for your share in the ministry of Jesus Christ,
Hope Morgan Ward

:: Announcements

 
Pascagoula First UMC Announces Fall Workshops

Classes are as follows:

• Divorce Recovery Workshop   Beginning Thursday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. Planned for people who are separated or divorced, each of the 13 sessions  features a video seminar and support group discussion of the materials presented. Missed sessions may be attended in subsequent seasons. Pauline Curry serves as class coordinator.
  

• Parenting Workshop   Meeting on Wednesday nights from 5:45 to 7 p.m. in the church activity room. It is open to the public. Led by Pauline Curry using the video-based seminar titled, "Bringing Up Kids Without Tearing Them Down," led by Dr. Kevin Lemon, a Christian psychologist, author and television personality.
  
  
• Grief Recovery   Begins Thursday, Aug. 19, 6 p.m.GriefShare, an internationally recognized program aimed at supporting and assisting grieving people through the grief process, is a special seminar and support group for anyone grieving the loss of a loved one.  Sandra Sumrall serves as class coordinator.

The church is located on the corner of Dupont and Pascagoula streets. Nursery care is provided upon request. For more information, call the church office, 228-762-5222.

40 Days of Prayer -- Aug. 23 - Oct. 1, 2010
Praying For and With Our College Campuses

 
 
You have several options for joining in our prayer effort:

• Daily e-mails   Receive an e-mail morning, noon, and evening with the prayers for the day.
• Downloadable Prayer Guide   Download and share a book of prayer with the daily prayers that can be shared with your family, your church, your prayer group, or prayed alone.  Available August 18.
• Twitter prayers   Follow us @CollegeUnion and we'll send you a link to the prayers online.
• Text Messages   Sign up by texting "pray40" to 41411, standard text messaging rates apply.

To join 40 Days of Prayer, sign up at www.Pray40.com.  

Campolo to Highlight "Beyond These Walls" Mission Conference in Georgia

Looking for means to transform congregations and equip them for effective, life-transforming ministry? Moving people from self-centered to Christ-centered is often the result of an effective missions program and this is the purpose of the Beyond These Walls 2010 Mission Conference, Oct 7-9 at McEachern UMC in Powder Springs, GA.  "Best of the best" missions teaching and training will help you mobilize, revitalize, and equip congregations so they can fulfill their divine calling -- making disciples of all the nations.
 
Keynote speakers will be Dr. Tony Campolo, teacher and author who epitomizes serving beyond our walls, and Jorge Acevedo, the innovative pastor of Grace Church UMC that operates one of the largest and most effective recovery ministries in America. You will have the opportunity to tailor your learning time by selecting from multiple workshops. The growing list of offerings, along with other conference details, can be found at www.missionconference.org.

A Living and Working Cluster
By Rev. Justin White, Starkville District Communicator
with special thanks to Rev. Allison Stacey Parvin
 
The Winston County Ministries (WCM) of the Starkville District is one of the most unique and collaborative clusters still active and doing ministry in our annual conference. The cluster consists of 14 active churches and 7 clergy persons that are spread out over Winston County. Every Monday, the pastors meet together in covenanted space to discuss professional, theological, and even personal concerns. Even though the pastors are all very different, they have developed relationships with each other that unite them across their differences.  "That is a true gift from God," says Rev. Allison Stacey Parvin, minister of Whitehall UMC.
 
One way the cluster lives out their unity is to worship and fellowship together several times a year. Every fall and spring, they come together in one of the churches for a Singing Rally! Every church brings their best singing and they worship God in song! They have "close to professional choirs" and "joyful noises choirs," great solos, and always Mr. J.P. Fulton plays the "french harp," as the harmonica is known in Winston County. After the churches have offered God their best, they enjoy finger foods and fellowship.
 
The WCM also worships together every Thanksgiving and Holy Week. For the Thanksgiving service, the churches come together at Louisville First UMC where all the pastors take part in leading the service. The offering goes to support a service mission. Last year, the cluster offering went to Rev. Ron Thomas who had served in Winston County and was recovering from a double transplant. This year, it will go to Cornerstone Clinic, a free clinic that WCM helped start with Dr. DeWitt Crawford and others after two main job sources either closed or reduced their staff.
 
During Holy Week, the cluster starts off with a cantata at Louisville First UMC on Sunday evening and then they rotate churches and preachers every other night of the week. "It is wonderful to see all the beautiful churches we have here, as we worship together as the Body of Christ," Rev. Parvin. "The worship is always powerful and creative, including Seder meals to experience the Last Supper with Jesus and plays that capture the gospel message." On Holy Saturday, they hold a Bake Sale that brings a lot of people out very early to get the goodies because everyone knows the Methodists are the best cooks! The proceeds from the Bake Sale are usually split between Cornerstone Clinic and the WCM.
 
WCM also has an office located at Louisville First. Frances Woodward is the county ministries' secretary. One of her duties is to print the bulletins for the several county churches. It is just another way that the cluster is connected and can better serve the community. To contact the Winston County Ministries office, you may email Frances Woodruff at frwoodruff@bellsouth.net.

Greer Chapel UMC Hosts
Back to School Bash
 
A Crowd with a Purpose -- that could have been the theme at Adams Street Park in Flowood on Saturday morning. Greer Chapel UMC and Sweetwater Baptist churches joined together for a community Back-to-School Bash. Saturday morning mixed families, children, space jumps and music together for a fun day of caring and sharing. The day began with a blessing and soared with laughter, fun and energy in spite of the day's rising heat index.

Over 150 people including 75 children attended the event. Children were able to play games, eat snowballs and enjoy great food. The men of the churches prepared grilled hotdogs, chicken and hamburgers along with an endless supply of snowballs. Youth workers from both churches staffed the supply tables, lining up supplies based on school lists. The back to school give-away included 30 backpacks to the lower grade children filled by school supply lists. Every child received a supply bag filled with basic school tools such as paper, pencils, pens, calculators and glue, depending on grade level.

Sheila Collier and Dale Shepherd, two of the event coordinators, were very pleased with the turn out. Both Maxine Bolden and Boyd Thompson, pastors of Greer Chapel and Sweetwater, respectively, were in attendance with Rev. Thompson even manning the grill at times.  "We need to get together like this more often.," urged Buck, one of the attendees. "Communities need to know each other and support each other, especially when it comes to our children. We need to be there."

Mrs. Carolyn McRaney, spouse of Rev. Sam McRaney, retired elder, received a pacemaker last week at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. Please remember Carolyn, Sam and the family in your prayers.

Quitman First UMC Trustees Offer For Sale:  Six 16" 225/75 R16 10 ply Michelin low mileage tires.  $20.00 per tire OBO.  Contact Ron Stanley at 601-776-2637 or Rosemary Hopkins at 601-776-2275.

Griffin UMC in Starkville has approximately 50 pews available for $100 each.  These pews are polished oak with cushions in very good condition and will seat approximately 20 people.   For more information, contact Rev. Eddie Lee Jones at 662-324-1060 or 662-617-4177.

Marvin United Methodist Church, in the heart of downtown Florence, is seeking to fill the position of music director (part-time). Please send resume to lynettemumc@windstream.net.