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TheVinehttp://www.IthacaUMC.org

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Love God. Love others. Serve the world.

Monthly Newsletter of Ithaca and Beebe United Methodist ChurchesAugust 2013 Edition

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. Proverbs 28:27

It is summer... and it is going by fast.

This summer we have been looking at the biblical mandate through the lens of DavePlatts book, RADICAL. We have been challenged biblically to: Prayfortheworld, ReadtheentireWord, Givesacriciallybiggerthanourselves,

In the next few Sundays we will be looking at: Gettingoutofourselves(andourcontext),and Becominganactivepartofamultiplyingcommunity.

This study and sermon series,presentedbyallfourofthebiblicalteachersMark,Keegan, Jerry and myself, has challenged us alla lot like Not A Fandid.Wendthatwehave ALL,attimesplayedchurchorhadintellectualunderstandingbutnotputtingthatintoactionveryoften.Ourchallengehasbeentoputthesebiblicaltruthsintoaction.

It is my hope and prayerthatwhilesomanyhavebeenvacationingandallowingGodtore-createyou,youhavealsobeenprayingaboutthepresentministriesandfutureministriesofourchurch.WearesoblessedherewithsuchamazingleadersandsomanyneedswithinourcommunitythatwehavethepotentialtomeetIhopeallwillcontinuetodiscernwhatGodsperfectplanforourchurchis.

Our Building Teamisstillworkingbehindthescenestogureoutwhatispossibleandhowmuchthingswillcostfromxingthingshere,redevelopingthisland,buildingsomeplaceelse.Thereisalotofworktobelookedat.Astheyndtheanswerstheywillbe

sharingwithus.Summerisnot a good timetosharecorporatelybecausesomanyofusaretraveling.EachSundaythereseemstobeadierentgroupofushere.ButasFallapproacheswewillhearfromtheBuildingTeamwithmoredetails.

I remind us that Labor Dayweekend(Sunday)isourThe Church Has Let the Buildingday.Wewillbegoingouttoprayforourcommunityaswellasourchurch.Wewillalsohave at least one work projectforthosewhowishtodothat.Iamlookingforwardtocontinuetoservetogether.

God bless you.Pastor Cindi

Your church members arebombarded with the temporary.Make money, Get stuf. Becomortable. Live well. Have un.In the middle of it all they getblinded to the eternal.

But its there. We stand on

the porch of eternity. We willall stand beore God to give anaccount or our stweardship othe time, resources, gits, and thegospel he has entrusted to us.

I am convinced that, when thatday comes, we will not wish wehad given more o ourselves toliving the American dream.

Instead we will wish we hadgiven more o ourselves to livingor the day when every nation,tribe, people, and language willbow around the throne and singthe praises o the Savior whodelights inradical obedienceand the God who deserveseternal worship.

Lets not waver any longer!

From David Platt, author,Radical: Taking Back YourFaith From the American Dream

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Building Team Update by Ron Davis, Trustee FacilitatorAt Leadership Team meeting,SundayJuly21,ScottaskedforapprovaltobringDanMachaontothisteamasafacilitatorandDansexperienceinprojectfundraisingability.Therewerenoobjectionstothisrequest.

Pastor Cindi presentedseveralofsketchesofachurchesthatlookmuchlikeabarnforanotherbuildingconcept.Thissparkedsomelivelyconversion,mostlypositive.

Ater batting aroundseveralotherpossibilitiesforalocation,wenarroweditdowntotwoproperties,basedprimarilyonloca-tion.

Existing property (currentchurchlocation)purchasethetwopropertiesonthenortheastendfor$80,000,continuetorentthemout(ineectthechurchwouldactaslandlords)untilneededforparkingorbuildingspace.

Free land -AcceptanoerfromachurchmemberwhowoulddonateuptotenacresoffarmlandonUnionRd.andthenorthsideofSt.CharlesRd.

There was much discussionabouttheendcostofbuildinganewchurchoneitheroneoftheseproperties.PastorCindisuggest-edthatwehireanarchitecturalrmthatwouldgiveusanestimateofallcostinvolved.Wecouldthenmakeaninformeddecision.

Mostwereinagreementtoinvestigatethispossibility.Threermsweresuggestedandthiswilltakesometimetosortoutthechoicesandthenbringitbacktotheleadershipteam.

As the Building Teammovesforward,wehopetobringyouamoredetailedreportinOctober.

Its in our naturetowanttobecomfortable.Weliketoadjustour thermostats so that the inside of our homes remain at astable75degrees.

We ll our bedswithpillowstoguaranteeagoodnightssleep.

Keeping comyistiedtooursurvivalinmanyways,afterallifwedidntgetuncomfortablein110degreeweather,wecouldendupdehydratedandheat-stroked.

But there are timesthatoursurvivalinstinctswillleadusastrayifwedontcheckthem.Theycanmakeuslazyandjustatoutcomplacent.

We want to dosomethingaboutthepeoplewhoaresueringinthirdworldcountries,butthatwouldrequireustogetupoofcushysofasandgetoutintheheat.

We want to helpotherswhoneedus,butwhenitwillcauseustosacriceourcomfort,wealwaysndconvenientexcusestogetoutofit.

We want to make necessary changes in our lives, but if it re-quiresustodothingsoutofthenormthatchallengeusbeyondwhatwereusedtodoing,wefreezeup.Wethinkofallthethingswedontwanttogiveup.Manytimes,thenumberonethingwedontwanttogiveupisourcomfort.

I can rememberwhenIhadtomakeadecisionaboutmyjob.ItwasntwhatIwantedtodofortherestofmylife.ItdidntpaywhatIwantedtomake,butitpaidjustenough.Ihadaroutinethatworkedforme.Thehourswereconvenientandinthesum-merstheworkloadwaslow.Iwascomfortable.

That comort kept mefrombiddingonotherbetterpayingjobs.Ididntwanttoleavemycomfortzone.Thatcomfortmademedelaythestartofmycollegeeducation.I didnt wantanythingtoupsetthebalanceinmylife.Allforwhat?Comfort?

Ive learnedthehardwaythatifweallowourcomforttokeepusfromdoingwhatwevebeencalledtodo,eventuallythatcomfortgetsrippedawayfromus.

For most o us,itsadversityanddiscomfortthatcompelsustodosomethingandmakeachange.Ifitwasntforare,someofuswouldneverleavethehouse.

But it doesnthavetobethatway.Wehavethementalcapac-itytocheckourcomforttomakesureitisnotkeepingusfromdoingwhatweknowweshould.

At any momentwecanaskourselves,WhyhaventIdonesomethingaboutthis?HaveIgottentocomfortable?

At any momentwecandecidethatwewillnotletalittlediscomfortkeepusfromourdestiny.Wecandecidetosweatitoutforalittlewhileifitmeanswewillmakeadierenceinsomeoneelseslife.

When we startdoingthingsthisway,attheendoftheday,wefeelbetteraboutourselves.Thatswhenwecantrulyrestknow-ingthatwevedonesomething.

You are capable of more than you know.

Are you too comortable?

From the website Highly Favoredhttp://highlyfavored.com

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Ithaca/Beebe Newsletter The Vine - August 20133

God is intimately involvedwithbringinglifeandbreathtous.WhatdowedowiththelifeandbreathHebringstouseachday?DowehonorHim,praiseHimandthankHim?Everyday?DowehonorHimwiththeloveHebringstousbylov-ingHimthroughouteachday?DowehonorHimbylovingothers,ALLothers?

Luke 6:35 & 36 says, Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them and dont expect to get anything back. Then your re-ward will be great, and you will be sons/daughters of the Most High because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful,just as your Father is merciful.

Do we encourage goodnessinothersandhelpthemseepasttheirownweaknesses?Orarewemorelikelytoseparateourselves,bepassiveanduninvolvedorbecriticalofthem?JesussaidinLuke6:37&38,Do not judge; do not condemn instead forgive, and give. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Do we put others rstordoweputourselvesrst?Ireadthatifwehavearefrigeratorwithfoodinitandjustamattresstosleeponwe have MORE than 75 percent o the people around the world!We,inAmerica,havesomuchmore,yetdowegiveGodhis10percenttithetothechurch,andbringmanyoeringstoHim,tousetobringahelpinghandandtheGospeltothemillionsofpeopleinneed?OrdowekeepmostofwhatGodhasprovidedusinordertotrytosatisfyourAmericanlifestylesandappetites?

God calls us to domuchmorewithHisprovisionsthanjustkeepingthemforourselvesandourimmediatefamilyandfriends.IknowthatifIwasstarvingandpeoplehadtheresourcestohaveahome,car,tools,clothes,recreation/vacation,eatingout,etc.,IwouldhopetheywouldhelpmeandmyfamilytosurviveandknowJesus,tohelpushavelifenowandeternally!

Love the Lordwith ALL your heart, with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind.Jesussaidthisistherstandgreatestcom-mandment, and the second is, Love your neighbor as yourself.(Matt.22:37-39)

Praise God! He has blessed us so we can do this in a mighty way!

Growing in Grace, Sue Silverthorn, Evangelism Facilitator

by Sandra Reeves, Beebe UM

(If you have any news for Beebe Corner, please contact Sandra a t 875-368

Beebe services beginat9:00a.m.andwewelcome

guestsatanytime.Ourchurchislocatedatthe

cornerofNorthBaldwinandEastTylerRoads.

August Greetings rom Beebe UMC

Beebe Corner

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Adult Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. in the Wesley Room

K-5 Sunday School - 10:30 am. Downstairs in the Asbury Room

Youth Group (6 - 12 Grades) - new schedule to be announced

Womens Workout Ministry - Tuesdays and Thursdays,6:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the church basement.

August 15 - BINS UMW, 1:30 p.m. at Ithaca UMC

August 18 - Leadership Team 1:30, Ad Board follows.All members are highly encouraged to attend.

August 24 - BINS UMW will have a booth at the Fun Fest. Donationsare needed or baked goods and crat items to sell. Money raised will goto the Beebe and Ithaca Churches.

Womens Workout Ministry

Tuesdays and Thursdayat 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.in the church basement.

JoinKaitlynandEvaindevotion,prayerandexercise.Womenfromteenstograndmaswelcome!Comeandbringafriend.

Missions Barb Swanson, FacilitatorSchool Supply Collection

During the month o August,MissionswillbetakingacollectionofschoolsuppliestogivetotheschoolchildrenwhousetheservicesoftheIthacaFoodPantry.Aboxwillbeintheentrywayforpaper,notebooks,pencils,crayonsandetc.thatchildrenneedinschool.Thankyouforyourdonationstohelpwiththisproject.

Elma Jocson, missionary in Liberia,willbehereThursday,September12.CheckourMissionaryShowcaseinthelobbybormoreinformationonElma.Markyourcalendar,moreinformationcomingsoon.

A girafe can kissthecloudsbecauseitislong,andGodislong,saysTori,age6.Well,thePsalmistwrotethatwithanoutstretchedarmGodsmercyenduresforever.Isupposeout -stretchedqualiesaslong.

God created thehorsesopeoplecouldrideonit,saysJacob,7.ThehorsetakescareofitsbabieslikeGodtakescareofus.Yes,Godnurturesusasamareweansitsnewbornfoal.

Scotty, 6, likes cheetahs:Godcreatedcheetahsbecausetheyarefast.Godiseverywhere,andheisfast.Thenexttimeyouretemptedtopullafastoneonsomeone,thinkofGodasachee-tah.Youmaythinkyoureslickandfast,butat70milesperhour,thecheetahcanrunbyyoulikeyourestandingstill.YoucanneveroutrunGodbecauseasScottysaid,Godiseverywhere.

God createdthezebrafortheirstripes,saysCade,8.Theblackstripesshowsin,butthewhitestripesshowwashed-awaysin.Courtney,6,alsochosethezebrabutadds,TheywhippedJesus,andithurtGod.AftertheprophetIsaiahwrotethattheMessiah

wouldbewoundedforourtransgressionsandbruisedforouriniquities,hewrote,andbyHisstripeswearehealed(Isaiah53:5).

Beore Jesuswassentencedtodeathbycrucixion,hiscaptorsbeatandmockedhim.Asforthecolorofsin,Isaiahalsowrote,Thoughyoursinsarelikescarlet,theyshallbeaswhiteassnow(Isaiah1:18).

Jeremy, 9, saysthetigerremindshimofGodbecauseheisahunter,andGodhuntsussowecanbecomeChristians.Notonlyistherenonerighteous,butThereisnonewhoseeksafterGod,wrotetheApostlePaulinhislettertotheRomans.Likeastalkingtigerinpursuitofitsprey,Godhuntsusdown.

Kids think about this: God wants you to soar like an eagle.ButthosewhowaitontheLordshallrenewtheirstrength;Theyshallmountupwithwingslikeeagles(Isaiah40:31a).

How Does Your Favorite Animal Remind You o God? 6 - 8 year olds answer this question.

From www.creators.com website

Hey Kids!