CALENDAR

SUNDAY  JANUARY 17, 2021
Second Sunday after Epiphany
10     R.L. Pope Class by Harold Vannoy on Facebookand WGOS AM 1070
11     Live Worship In Person and Online on Facebook and WGOS AM 1070
(Please read below about protocols and how to enter the building.)
2-3:30  Youth: Scavenger Hunt Thomasville

MONDAY  JANUARY 18
10    10@10 Devotion on Facebook

TUESDAY  JANUARY 19
9-10   Men’s Prayer Group (Contact: Tim Lyons, tlyons00@gmail.com)
9-11  Sewing Ministry
10     10@10 Devotion on Facebook
5:30   Yoga

WEDNESDAY  JANUARY 20
The Weekly Update on Facebook
6      Youth Small Groups Online (contact Rodney Denton)

THURSDAY  JANUARY 21
10     10@10 Devotion on Facebook
1:30-6  Red Cross Blood Drive

FRIDAY  JANUARY 22
10    10@10 Devotion on Facebook

SUNDAY  JANUARY 24
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
10    R.L. Pope Class Online: Richard Herman
11    Live Worship In-Person & Online
2-3:30  Youth

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…

Lizzie Akins
Priscilla Everhart
Bill Stine
Zeb Hanner, Sr.
Andy and Joyce Royals
Ronnie Dancy
Dorann Edwards and family
The family of Florence Highsmith
Amos Fisher
Mike Lanning
Britt Martin Williams
Peggy Graham
Cyril Harrington
Brad Hulin
Jessie Collett
Roy Flanagan
Our country and healing for all
Jennifer Ruff
Margie Collins
Carol Kaiser
Josef Walker
Dean Sharpe-Austin
Finley Price family
Andrea Cain and family
Tim Priska
Chris Eddinger
Peace and justice in our nation, state, and city
Our first responders, medical community, and essential workers
All those affected by COVID-19
All military personnel
Our United Methodist missionaries
The United Methodist Church

We extend our prayers and sympathy to Tommy Poole and family on the death of Tommy’s father on January 7, 2021.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY

What to Expect at Indoor Worship

• Access to the Sanctuary is through the Randolph Street doors only.  The designated entrance for those needing the elevator will be the door under the walkway.
• You’ll be greeted upon entering the church and asked a few questions.
• Face masks will be required for everyone.
• Some pews will be blocked to maintain social distancing; an usher will help direct you.
• Out of respect for others, please refrain from shaking hands or hugging.
• Offering plates will be available at the entrance and exit of the sanctuary.
• When services end, attendees will be dismissed by section to avoid hallway congestion.
• No nursery staff will be present, but the nursery space will be available.
• Sunday school will not be offered at this time.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Aaron Prillaman to Memorial UMC as our Director of Contemporary Worship. Aaron comes to us from First United Methodist Church in Gastonia, where he served in a similar role for eight years.

Aaron started leading contemporary worship while a student at Appalachian State University, serving at the Wesley Foundation College Ministry. While attending the university he was a member of several ensembles, including Christian rock bands, classical guitar duos, classical guitar quartets, and a fusion ensemble. He was also an active member of Deerfield United Methodist Church.

After graduating from ASU, Aaron married Lisa and moved to Greenville, NC, to study guitar and act as a graduate assistant at East Carolina University. During these three years he took a break from leading worship, attending St. James United Methodist Church.

After Aaron completed a Master of Music degree in guitar performance, he and Lisa moved to Tempe, AZ, so that he could pursue a Doctorate of Musical Arts. During his Doctoral studies, he enjoyed several great musical opportunities in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Some of the highlights include playing guitar at First United Methodist Church of Phoenix while being mentored by the great bandleader Cliff Wright. He also served as the Worship Leader of Valley Wesley and the Journey Service at Tempe First United Methodist Church.

Aaron and Lisa moved to North Carolina in 2012, and Aaron teaches music at Davidson Davie Community College. They reside in Mocksville and have four children and one grandson.

The Staff Parish Relations Committee is pleased to announce that Norris Norwood has accepted the position of Director of Music.  In this new, full-time position, Norris will continue as our Organist and will provide leadership for the overall music program. We have been blessed by Norris’ work among us and look forward to his continued ministry.

We are grateful for the work of the Staff Parish Relations Committee as they have led us through recent staff transitions.

UMW ZOOM GATHERINGS 

All women of Memorial are invited to join the United Methodist Women (UMW) monthly Gatherings via Zoom. Gatherings usually are held on the second Saturday of the month, and the time is usually 12:00-12:30 p.m. The Zoom meeting links will be sent out a week prior by email. If you are interested, please contact Cheryl Herman for more information.

Zoom Gathering Schedule:
February 13
March 13
April 17 (Third Saturday due to Easter and school breaks)
May 8
June 12

R.L. POPE CLASS ONLINE LESSONS

SUNDAYS AT 10:00 A.M. on FACEBOOK and WGOS

The R. L. Pope Class is excited to offer weekly online lessons. Tune in to Facebook Live or  WGOS on your radio or computer.

Teaching Schedule:
January 17  Harold Vannoy
January 24  Richard Herman
January 31  Stan Styers

CLERGY AND STAFF ARE AVAILABLE

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
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
Norris Norwood, Director of Music – Ext. 12; nnorwood@mumctville.org
Aaron Prillaman, Director of Contemporary Worship – Ext. 20; aprillaman@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

FEATURED DEVOTION

We close this week’s eNews with a 10@10 devotion shared by Rodney Denton on October 30, 2020.

Ain’t Scared!

So, tomorrow is Halloween! This time of year, our focus tends to turn toward scary things, from haunted houses, haunted trails, and spooky amusement parks, to front yard decorations – I have a neighbor who has turned their entire front yard into a cemetery with skeletons coming up out of the ground. Something that you need to know is that my family and I typically really enjoy Halloween. I know for some people it has come to represent some sort of mysterious night when witches can gather for special activities and evil spirits can roam around in the world, and it is said that “the veil between the living and the dead is as thin as it will ever be.” Of course, I’m not sure if any of that is true or not, but I can share with you my family’s experience. For us, Halloween boils down to a few key activities: dressing up in ridiculous, family-themed costumes; going to as many “trunk-r-treats” and “fall festivals” as we can schedule; then binging on candy until we begin feeling sick… and then maybe a little more candy. There are no witches’ incantations or summoning the dead from their slumber or anything like that. In fact, the scariest costume we have had was probably the year we all dressed like characters from Star Wars and I got to be Darth Vader! We have done Star Wars, Wizard of Oz, the Avengers, Alice in Wonderland, and Scooby Doo, among others. Last year we were Toy Story. This year I believe we are doing Inside Out (it’s a Disney Movie). We try to make it fun and as non-Crypt-Keeper-esque as possible. However, I know for many people, Halloween represents a dark time of year that conjures a lot of fear and anxiety.

So, as we enter this Halloween weekend, it might be a good time to consider how much power FEAR actually wields in your life. What are some of the scariest things you can think of? Your fears may be as straightforward as spiders, flying, or heights, or they may be a little more difficult to put your finger on, like fear of failure or fear of change. With that in mind, one of the things that I have found makes me feel all of the emotions of fear—even regarding things that I never even thought of as scary—is MOVIES. Who knew that clowns and dolls could be so terrifying? I don’t know how many of you like horror movies, but Martha Jo loves them. I should say, she loves to say that she loves them. The reality is that usually she drags me into watching them with her (I absolutely NEVER choose to watch them – ever), then during the most intense, scary moments, she puts her head under a blanket and tells me, “Let me know when I can watch again.” Which leaves me, the one who would rather have watched a superhero movie, or even a Rom-Com to watch someone get completely eviscerated by a chainsaw or some freaky girl walk up a wall and across the ceiling. Now, I know that scary movies aren’t the same as some of the real fears that rule our lives, but I do feel that they can produce anxiety in our lives just the same.

I remember—I was probably 11 or 12—when one of my buddies (I think it was Neil Smith) and I were watching TV at his house when we found “Nightmare on Elm Street” was scheduled to come on HBO. I had never seen a horror movie before, and I knew my parents probably would never let me watch one, but I was so curious to see what the big deal was about horror movies that Neil and I talked each other into watching it. Our parents were playing cards upstairs and we were sort of on our own in their basement playroom, so we turned on the TV and we watched the entire movie, every last drop of blood and hair-raising scream—neither one of us wanting to admit we were scared, neither wanting to flinch for even a bathroom break, neither of us willing to suggest we turn the TV off. So, we just sat there filling our eyes and minds with all sorts of images of creepy death and gory destruction.

In case you are unfamiliar with the movie, as I remember  (I only watched it one time, which was plenty for me), it is about a man, Freddie Krueger, who had been burned alive. His ghost then haunted people through their dreams whenever someone would fall asleep in the house that he had been killed in. Freddie K. would show up as a part of a person’s dream and kill them in the most violent ways. The twist was that whatever was happening to the person in their dream was also happening to them in the real world. So, when a person was injured or killed in their dream, it would happen in real life as well.

So, Neil and I watched every second of this terrifying movie. Then, when it was over, I barely had time to try to watch anything else to erase the soul-scarring images it had left when my parents called to us from upstairs to let me know that it was time for us to go home. It was late, meaning it was past my bedtime, so as soon as we got home I was taken right off to bed. And as I lay there in the darkness, all I could think about was that I should not fall asleep, because if I did I might fall prey to Freddie Kreuger. I didn’t even want to move in my bed, and I made sure that every part of my body was covered by a blanket (as if a blanket would stop the Kreuger carnage from happening to me). I honestly don’t remember if I fell asleep at all that night, but I do remember that the movie messed me up for about a week trying to NOT go to sleep, because I was really scared but too embarrassed and ashamed to tell my parents what had happened in order to talk about it.

At this point in my life, I have sort of gotten over my fear of Freddie Kreuger (although, like I said, I still don’t like to watch horror movies), but there are still plenty of things that I find myself being scared of. I fear making mistakes and failing, because I don’t want anyone to see me as not having my crap together (even though I don’t). I fear change, because I don’t like feeling out of control and I typically like a routine. I fear the unknown, because the anxiety that diseases, other people, and places create in me is tough to overcome. The bottom line is that fear has a way of having power over us. I read a quote recently by an author named Shantel Slaten that says: “…fear steals your joy and kills your dreams…” That has really stuck with me. We may be able to put on a happy face and appear to be OK on the outside, but fear often eats away at us from the inside out. The inner peace and joy that come with a relationship with God can too easily be snuffed out when we are busy trying to battle our feelings of fear. In addition, it is hard to make plans for the future and look ahead to fulfilling our dreams if all we can see is doom and gloom. “Fear steals our joy and kills our dreams.” Just like Freddie Kreuger kept me from sleeping and filled my mind with negative images of death and evil, often images that we are exposed to on the news and on social media can summon feelings of fear as well, stealing our joy and killing our dreams.

The good news is that God does not want us to live that way! God wants to restore our courage and fill our lives with hope and positive thoughts. The scripture passage that I want us to focus on this morning comes from 2 Timothy 1:7:

“For God has NOT given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”

We are living through a time right now that may conjure quite a bit of fear for you and your family. Fear of COVID, fear of race relations and violence, fear of friendships coming to an end over political differences, FEAR is everywhere and often it is difficult to have the courage to talk with someone about your fears. Perhaps you think the people in your life that you trust might be too busy. Perhaps you are embarrassed. Perhaps you think someone will not take you seriously or will make fun of your fears if you share them. Whatever your fears are, however they affect you, I want you to know that those feelings are real. Regardless of how irrational they may appear to others, the anxiety and the stolen joy and lost dreams are real and only serve to take your focus off of God.

So, I want to leave you with this story that happened to a former youth of mine from my previous church. Her name was Ashley, and she was a worrier. She worried about everything. She was certainly one of those kids who put on a brave and strong face, but underneath she dealt with quite a bit of fear and anxiety. During her senior year she revealed that she kept a “worry box” under her bed. Prompted by her parents, she took a shoe box and completely sealed it up with duct tape, save for a small opening in the top. Ever since middle school, she had written things that she worried about but had no control over down on a piece of paper and put them in her worry box. She would pray about them and ask God to release her from the power that they held over her. At first, there were a lot of worries. Then, as she grew, she found that she didn’t need the worry box quite as often. She shared that, at the end of her senior year, she thought it would be fun to open it and see what sorts of things she used to worry about when she was younger. As she opened the box, she was surprised by the fact that her box was completely EMPTY. She immediately went to her parents to ask them if they had somehow gotten them out of the box, and they swore that they didn’t even know where she kept it and had certainly respected her privacy and not messed with her worry box. Now, I don’t really know what happened to those pieces of paper, but for her, it was a sign that God had heard her prayers and had taken those worries and fears and anxieties and dealt with them for her and given her a spirit of “…power and love and a sound mind.” She needed no other explanation. It was a gift. It was a blessing. It was God’s grace that restored her and gave her the courage that she needed to face her fears. God makes the same offer to you today. Fear does not have to steal your joy or kill your dreams. You can make your own worry box if you want, but we also have the power of prayer; and we can ask God to help us, or we can reach out to a trusted friend to share our fears. Often just talking about the fear and releasing its name from our inner thoughts can release us from the tyranny of those fears that hold us back. May you find the courage that you need today! Just remember: when God is for us, who can be against us?

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, AMEN!

Have a great day, take care of one another, and stay healthy people!!!

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