WEEKLY CALENDAR

SUNDAY MAY 17 ** Note Schedule Change **
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Homecoming Sunday
11:00 a.m. Live Homecoming Sunday Worship Online via Facebook and on WGOS AM 1070

MONDAY MAY 18 – FRIDAY MAY 22
10:00 a.m. 10 @ 10 Weekday Devotions Online via Facebook

SUNDAY MAY 24
Seventh Sunday of Easter
10:00 a.m. Live Worship Online via Facebook and on WGOS AM 1070
11:00 a.m. Past Memorial 11 a.m. Services air on WGOS AM 1070

UPCOMING DATES

UMW SCHOLARSHIP DUE MAY 30:  Attention MUMC High School Seniors! The United Methodist Women (UMW) Scholarship application deadline has been extended to May 30. Applications are due by email due Susan Frye at sfrye@mumctville.org by May 30. The application is available HERE.

WOMEN’S RETREAT, SEPT. 4-7:  The Women’s Retreat originally scheduled for this month has been rescheduled for September 4-7. Mark your calendars for this special opportunity, and contact Lynda Hepler to confirm your registration or with questions.

NO BARGAIN TREASURES & GIFTS GALORE IN 2020: Due to uncertainty and potential risks associated with Coronavirus, both the Bargain Treasures sale (usually held at the end of August) and Gifts Galore (usually held the first Saturday of November) have been canceled for 2020. We anticipate continuing these traditions in 2021.

PRAYER CONCERNS

If you or a loved one would like to be added to the prayer list, please contact Lorna McCullough at 336-259-5814. If you put a name on the list, please keep in touch to let us know how that person is doing, as names are removed after three weeks. During the coming week, please pray for:

The United Methodist Church
All Military Personnel
Our UM Missionaries
Tracy Brinkley
Chris Eddinger
Tim Priska
Tyler Oldaker
Dallas Hutchens
Dave Ogren
Evelyn Tew
Andrea Cain and Family
Kim Henderson
Robert Miller
Debbie Mayer-Mathews
All those affected by Coronavirus
Our First Responders, Medical Community, and Essential Workers
Skip Price and Family
Margaret Jones and Family
Finley Price Family
Peggy Lawrence
Josie Laumann
Rob James
Ed and Penny Biggers
Brandon Rorie

We extend our prayers and sympathy to the family of Fran Cook, who died Friday May 1, 2020. A memorial service for Fran will be held at a later date. Read Frances Cook’s obituary here.

HOMECOMING: MAY 17 @ 11 AM ONLINE

SUNDAY MAY 17
NOTE THE TIME: 11 AM ONLINE
MUMC’s FACEBOOK PAGE and on WGOS AM 1070

It is a long-held tradition at Memorial to honor members who have died since the previous year’s Homecoming gathering. This year, we will continue this tradition and will read the name of loved ones from the pulpit, light a candle, offer our prayers, and give thanks for their contributions to our church and community. Due to the current restrictions on gathering for worship, our service will be broadcast online on Facebook Live and aired on WGOS AM 1070 at 11:00 a.m.

DONATIONS FOR CCM

Your ongoing generosity to Cooperative Community during a period of unprecedented need is sustaining many. Thank you for continuing to give.

GIVE BY MAIL: Make checks payable to Memorial UMC, noting “CCM Food Drive” on the memo line. Send to the church at P.O. Box 428, Thomasville, NC 27361.

GIVE ONLINE:
1. CLICK HERE to access the Financial Giving online form at our website, www.mumctville.org.
2. Fill in the amount you want to contribute.
3. At the end of the Fund/Budget Fund line, click the DOWN ARROW/TRIANGLE ICON and select Cooperative Community Ministries. (Do NOT select the + ANOTHER FUND button.)
4. Select GIVE ONCE or GIVE MULTIPLE TIMES, depending on your preference.
5. Select GIFT DATE to select a specific day or use the default of Today.
6. Enter your email address and click CONTINUE.
7. A new page will open where you enter your financial information. Click GIVE and you’re all set. The site is safe and secure. Additionally, you can use this same website to do your tithing and church offerings.

4000 & COUNTING

This week we give a shout out to the sewing ministries of Memorial and UMC and First UMC Lexington who together have made over 4000 (!) cloth face masks over the past 7 weeks. Thanks to the cutters, kit assemblers, sewers, and delivery personnel. What an impact on Davidson County! As Katie Conant said, “Our Sewing Ministries ROCK!!!!”

If YOU would like to help with this effort, please contact Katie Conant. Or just pick up a ready-to-sew mask kit from the Mission Racks shelving in the church breezeway.

CLERGY AND STAFF ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU

You may contact members of the staff directly or by calling the church office at 336-472-7718 and following the instructions on the recording. Here is a list of staff phone extensions and email addresses, for reference:

Danny Leonard, Senior Minister – Ext. 16; dleonard@mumctville.org
Peggy Finch, Associate Minister – Ext. 15; pfinch@mumctville.org
Rodney Denton, Minister of Youth and Young Adults – Ext. 18; rdenton@mumctville.org
Lynda Hepler, Minister of Children and Families – Ext. 11; lhepler@mumctville.org
Brian Russell, Director of Contemporary Worship – Ext. 20; brussell@mumctville.org
Danny Frye, Director of Music – Ext. 12; dfrye@mumctville.org
Susan Frye, Secretary – Ext. 14; sfrye@mumctville.org
Peggy May, Financial Secretary/Treasurer – Ext. 13; pmay@mumctville.org
Jarry Oldaker, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds – Ext. 17; joldaker@mumctville.org

MUMC’S ONLINE CHURCH DIRECTORY

Your church directory is available to you ONLINE. Please use the Instant Church Directory to stay in touch AND … please login to verify that your contact information is correct. (Birth dates are very helpful for our records!) 

• To view the directory online, go to members.InstantChurchDirectory.com to log in.
• To view the directory on your smart device, go to the App Store, search for Instant Church Directory, and download the FREE app to begin.

FIRST-TIME LOGIN:  Create a Login by entering your email address (as listed in the directory), setting up a password, and following instructions in a confirmation email message.

TROUBLESHOOTING: Contact Susan Frye at sfrye@mumctville.org if you are not listed, if you are unable to sign in, or you have other questions about the directory.

UPDATING YOUR DIRECTORY INFORMATION: Please check your information in the directory. You may update the information yourself. Please ALSO notify Susan Frye at sfrye@mumctville.org of updates, so she can update all church records. (If you like, Susan will be happy to make the updates in the online directory too. Just ask.)

MEMORIAL AND HONORARY GIFTS

We gratefully acknowledge the following gifts made to Memorial United Methodist Church over the past several months:

In honor of Chris Eddinger for her birthday by Tom and Janet Smith.
In honor of Kenneth and Martha Fulp by Charles Fulp.
In honor of Milton Humphreys by Bick and Bonnie Craig.
In honor of Milton Humphreys by Lummie Jo Huneycutt.
In honor of Milton Humphreys by Tom and Janet Smith.
In honor of Milton Humphreys for his birthday. by Roger and Bettie Bryant.
In memory of Norman Crews by Wayne and Christine Herrick.
In memory of Gladys Davis by Bick and Bonnie Craig.
In memory of Barbara Hepler by David Williams.
In memory of Nancy Hodgin by Noah and Barbara Manning.
In memory of Hoxie Jones by Carey and Kay Eanes.
In memory of Hoxie Jones by Joe and Barbara Greeson.
In memory of Hoxie Jones by Lummie Jo Huneycutt.
In memory of Hoxie Jones by Peggy May.
In memory of Hoxie Jones by Tom and Janet Smith.
In memory of Hoxie Jones by David Williams.
In memory of Barbara Price by Charles and Kathy Aites.
In memory of Barbara Price by Robert and Ann Batten.
In memory of Barbara Price by Carolyn Collett.
In memory of Barbara Price by Scott and Diane Craver.
In memory of Barbara Price by Carey and Kay Eanes.
In memory of Barbara Price by Harold and Sara Faulkner.
In memory of Barbara Price by Jamie and Cathy Hiatt.
In memory of Barbara Price by Lummie Jo Huneycutt.
In memory of Barbara Price by David and Wanda Hunt.
In memory of Barbara Price by Priscilla Joyce.
In memory of Barbara Price by Anne Overbeck.
In memory of Barbara Price by Blake Williams.
In memory of Barbara Price by David Williams.
In memory of Joe Wheliss by Noah and Barbara Manning.
In memory of Joe Wheliss by Hal Rollins.
In memory of Jane Burt Williams by Emily Abernathy.

FEATURED DEVOTION

We close this week’s eNews with an excerpt from the 10@10 devotion shared by Rodney Denton on April 3, 2020, which was early in the stay at home phase, looking at a long road ahead.

… As we continue to venture into these uncharted waters of social isolation, perhaps we have slipped from the relative safety of a 2-week “sprint” to the end of the Coronavirus to a possible 3-month “marathon” until we get back to any kind of normalcy.  With this in mind, perhaps there are some pointers that we can gain from the world of marathon running.  I believe that there are life lessons that might be able to help us out during this pretty difficult time.

Now, I know, in the corner of your mind you are thinking, how does Rodney know ANYTHING about running, much less running a marathon?  Well, let me just introduce you to the 1988 version of Rodney Denton, elite cross-country runner for Ledford Senior High School!  [Show picture.]  In addition to that little blast from the past, one of the many proud moments of my married life happened in March 2012 when my wife ran the Virginia Beach Marathon! And I must say that even though I was only “watching” her run, I was still blessed with some valuable insight into the art of being a marathoner in a race as well as in life.

So, without any further fuss, here are the top 4 lessons we can learn from marathoners as we try to survive Coronavirus 2020:

LESSON #1 – RUN WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. When Martha Jo began her race she was placed in a corral, or group of people who felt like they knew how long it would take for them to finish the race. They tried to put similar runners together, so the really fast runners all started the race in the front, and the slower runners all had to wait closer to the back. Martha Jo felt like she could finish in just around 5 hours, so she surrounded herself with other runners who could complement her pace. An interesting phenomenon happens during a race like this. Runners end up matching the pace of the people around them; so, if they are running with slow runners, then they end up running slower, and vice versa.  She ended up finishing in just under 5 hours (4 hours, 50 minutes), just as expected.  But not only did she run with the right people, my sister-in-law, father-in-law, and I got a map of the race course the night before, and figured out where we could park and cheer her on from different points in the race. She says that knowing we would be there gave her confidence and inspired her to keep going when she got tired and wanted to drop out. My point is that the people whom you choose to expose yourself to, both physically and emotionally during this pandemic, make a difference. Just like you are probably avoiding people you know have been exposed to the virus because you don’t want to get sick, you may want to be careful about surrounding yourself with toxic negative people. Be selective with who you choose to run with during this time. Those negative people can sometimes make you feel worse about the situation and bring your spirits down. However, the positive people in your life may be helpful and can build you up and strengthen you during this difficult time.

LESSON #2 – BEWARE OF THE WALL.  During Martha Jo’s marathon, at around mile 18, there was a section of the race affectionately known as Heartbreak Hill. It was a steadily inclining hill that lasted for about a full mile. After that hill it was downhill the rest of the way, but so many people couldn’t bring themselves to finish the race because of that hill. It was one of the places that we made sure to cheer on Martha Jo, because it was a “make it or break it” moment in the race. I sort of hit a moment like that this week. I had turned on the news because I had sort of avoided watching it for a while but wanted to see what was going on in the world. And I’ll admit—I was sort of overwhelmed by the virus facts and stats that were being shared. The projected number of American deaths, the worldwide impact, the lack of medical supplies, the desperation that people are having for social interaction. Not only was there nothing but Coronavirus on the news, but it all seemed so grim. I ultimately had to leave the room and find a distraction. My Life lesson here is just to understand that we need to be aware that there are going to be tough times through this, and we need to take care of ourselves so that we can find positive ways to overcome them.  It might come from having sandwiches ONE MORE TIME for dinner. It might come from having to do ONE MORE school assignment. It might be a result of a whole host of factors that end up making you lose your patience and feel the full gravity of what’s happening in the world. But the wall is coming, and if you listen to Lesson #1, you will have the right people around you to get you through it!

LESSON #3 – PACE YOURSELF!  I watched Martha Jo train for a full year building up her endurance and finding ways to train even when it was raining. She started the marathon at a pace that she knew could maintain so that she would have enough energy to finish strong! Compare that strategy to Gracen, my 12-year-old son, who plays soccer at the YMCA.  Last Spring, before every practice, the coach would have them run around the field to get them warmed up. It was interesting watching Gracen’s running style. First of all, running is not Gracen’s favorite thing (he probably gets that from his dad), so during this warm-up, he would be all full of energy at the beginning and just attack the run as fast as he could hit it for about 50 yards. Then, of course, he would be out of breath and he would stop and walk for a while, then run another 50 yards FULL OUT, then walk. This went on until he made it the whole way around the field, usually near the back of the pack. It was interesting to watch, but I’m not sure how it benefited his soccer game. My point is that we seem to be in this Coronavirus situation for the long haul, and we have to be careful how we approach it.  On Sunday, my family and I sat down a made a list of all of the “projects” that we wanted to get done around the house during the quarantine. After everybody added to the 20+ item list, I was overwhelmed. So, I folded up the piece of paper and went to take a nap. Maybe a better approach for all this time at home is to stay busy but pace ourselves. Learn some new skills, like figuring out how to use that crazy Instant Pot. Or go old school and take a break from the online games to teach the kids or your friends a new board game. There are all sorts of videos online that can teach us new skills and projects. The deal is that binge-watching Netflix shows has already lost some of its luster. I just hope I can find a way to use this time to make myself a better person instead of wasting it on Fortnite and Minecraft.

LESSON #4 – FUEL YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT FUEL.  One very important lesson that Martha Jo learned about marathons happened about mid-way through her training. She had signed up for a half-marathon in Winston-Salem during the month of December. She had trained properly for it and was ready when the big day arrived. She completed the race with a  good time, and, although she was tired when she was done, she felt great about her effort. Then, later that afternoon, she began to feel light-headed. She lay down for a nap, and when she woke up, her head was pounding and she was really tired. She took her blood pressure and it was dangerously low. We found out later that she was severely dehydrated. She went to the urgent care, got some fluids, and began to feel better. But she learned that the things that we put in our bodies (or in her case what we fail to put in) matter. That is one of the reasons why the staff at Memorial decided to do these 10@10 devotions. After a steady diet of negative news and crazy TV, it’s important to feed our souls something that fills us up and gives us the fuel to keep us going in a positive way.

OK, so in case you are sitting there thinking, I thought this was a church devotion, not a “Rodney’s Life Lessons from the World of Running,” I want you to know that the inspiration for this devotion did come from a source much deeper than me. The book of Hebrews actually talks about running a race.

Check out these words from Hebrews 12: 1-4:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, [RUN WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE] let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. [BEWARE OF THE WALL] And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [PACE YOURSELF]  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. [FUEL YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT FUEL] Because of the joy awaiting him, [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”

From this vantage point, looking at how long we may be in our current situation we may feel like we are at the beginning of an insurmountable marathon. But, just like with all marathons, with the right strategies, we can remain strong and hopeful and we will make it, TOGETHER.  So, as we get ready to enter Holy Week (this Sunday is Palm Sunday), make sure you are running with the right people, fueling your body and soul, and pacing yourself, so that when that wall, that moment of anxiety and fear, comes, you are prepared. So that we do not lose hope. We stay safe, and we stay healthy, and allow God to walk, or run, with us through this season of our lives.

YOU CAN WATCH AND READ ALL 10 @ 10 DEVOTIONS HERE.