A Way Forward for the United Methodist Church As I mentioned Sunday morning, last week was a long hard week for United Method-ists around the globe. Some would say there were winners and losers, but I believe that we have all lost. In the midst of our holy conferencing we failed to actually be holy or actually conference together. I will grant that Robert’s Rules of Order is partially to blame, because following a set of parliamentary procedures is not a good plan when you are talking about people. If you are dealing with property it is fine, but not so much with people. I firmly believe in the authority of scripture and that in the scripture we find everything we need to know about God and our salvation. In the scripture we learn how to live, love and serve the way God wants us to live out our faith. It is obvious that we do not all agree as United Methodists on how we interpret scripture and we haven’t ever really. So what do we do? How do we move forward and past this impasse? I do not have the answer and I hope that people smarter and wiser than me will pray and discern the heart of God on how we can move forward with integrity and love. Jesus is our only hope and my prayer is that we will follow Him. As for First United Methodist Church, we are going to keep Following, Loving and Going as we seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Nothing has changed and our mission is big enough to last us for years and years to come.

That is our way forward.

March 6, 2019 From the pastor

Our Staff

Pastor ............................... Rev. Tim Bracken

Administrative Assistant .............. Molly Near

Financial Secretary .................... Mae Wilkins

Director of Children’s Ministry ...... Jill Ingram

Director of Youth Ministry .......................TBA

Director of Senior Adults .......... Karen Wood

Director of Worship .............. Roberta Bishop

Pianist ...................................... Tausha Plate

Organist .................................... Terry Barger

Maintenance Director ................ Chris Offery

Maintenance ................................. Jeff Smith

Director of CDC ......................... Cathy Smith

Director of PDO ....................... Rachel David

Assist. Director of CDC/PDO ....Karon Steve Rev. Tim Bracken

Dinners wil l resume on April 20, 2019 Palm Sunday

April 14 8:30 AM & 10:45 AM

Our Children will sing & lead us in the Palm Parade at 10:45 AM.

Maundy Thursday April 18 6:30 PM

We will have our usual Wednesday night

dinner on Thursday before this service

at 5:30 PM.

Easter Egg Hunt Wednesday

April 17 6:00—7:30 PM

5:30 PM - Free Dinner

All are welcome to join us in this annual event.

Easter Sunday April 21

8:00 AM - Sonrise

Service 9:00 AM - Fellowship

Breakfast 10:00 AM - Worship

Join us Monday—Friday during Holy Week everyday at Noon beginning with a short service followed by a fellowship lunch.

Mission Trip Opportunity

Bereavement Lunch The Bereavement Support Group will meet for lunch on Wednesday, March 13 at 10:45 AM

to carpool to Polly Claire’s Tea Room. Reservations are required. Please contact

Evelyn Brunson at 423-473-8694.

Sacred Road in Washington State June 1-8, 2019

Deadline to sign up is March 15th! Contact Kellie Bracken for details.

UMW District Day Apart Hiwassee District Day Apart & Legacy Celebration

150th Anniversary of the United Methodist Women

Saturday, March 16th at Benton UMC Registration 9:30 AM

All women are welcome to come and join the celebration as we hear and share stories of all the ways we have made life better for

women, children and youth. We are collecting items for the Benton UMC local

food bank: CANNED - corn, fruit, green beans, green peas, pinto beans, pumpkin, ravioli orspa-

ghetti with meat, soup, sweet potatoes, and tuna. PLASTIC JARS of peanut butter. Cake mixes.

There will be a collection box in the church library.

Now Accepting Bids

Thank yous!

Dear Friends at First UMC, Thank you so very much for your kindness in thinking of us at Arnold Memorial Elemen-tary School. The gift card for Dos Bros is great-ly appreciated, as are the many kindnesses you bestow upon us throughout the year. You are such a blessing to me!

With much appreciation, Mary Van Benschoten

The Board of Trustees is now accepting bids for the following items:

Toro Z Master 52” deck—19HP Commercial Zero turn mower

Boy Scout 5’ x 8’ Box Trailer

Please submit bids to the Trustees through the church office.

Wedding Shower Join us in honoring

Austin Byerly & Ashlyn Williams on Sunday, March 10th

1:00-3:00 PM in the Commons Hosted by: the Elan Circle

Registered: Target and Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Updated Library Our FUMC library has been updated and

ready for you to check it out! By the door is a table that has a place for you to place the book's card (found in the inside

cover of every book) and a place to return books when you are finished.

We have the following sections: Young Adult, Children's, Religion, Christian Living, Devotions, Biographies, Fiction & History.

Thank you again to Mabel Greene, Teresa Webb, Jean Cochran, and Sharon Lederer

for all of your hard work!

Our children and youth will be on Spring Break the week of

March 10—16...that means that we will NOT have regularly

scheduled Wednesday night activities on March 13th.

These activities will resume on March 20th.

NOTIFY THE CHURCH OFFICE TO ADD OR REMOVE NAMES

FROM THE PRAYER LIST.

Sunday, March 10 7:30 AM Sanctuary open for Prayer 8:30 AM Early Worship Service 9:30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Worship Service 1:00 PM Byerly Williams Wedding Shower 5:00 PM First Youth Monday, March 11 6:00 PM Seekers Circle 6:30 PM Cub Scouts Tuesday, March 12 10:00 AM May Dooley Circle 10:00 AM Friendship Circle Wednesday, March 13 10:45 AM Bereavement Support Group Lunch 6:00 PM Trustees Meeting 6:15 PM Chancel Choir Thursday, March 14 10:30 AM UMW Executive Meeting

CDC - 7:00 AM–6:00 PM PDO - 9:00 AM–2:00 PM

HAPPENING THIS WEEK “I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church and do all in

my power to strengthen its ministry by my prayers,

my presence, my gifts, my service, and my witness.”

Our Prayers

Our Presence Sunday School Worship 02/24/2018 30 221 03/03/2018 26 169

Our Gifts

Our Service - March 10

Peggy McLain

Gary Farner

Van Swearingen

Betty Watt

LONG TERM PRAYER

Connie Bancroft

Sarah Bandy

Clifford and Patsy Barger

Judy Barger

Kathy Buckingham

Charlotte Caraway

Debbie Trentham Case

Buddy Chance

Bill Cooke

Emma Cummings

Kara Davidson

Lorrie Duke

Sharon Everson

Melinda Flowers

Budget Receipts 02/24/2018 6,350.54 Receipts to Date: 66,028.44 Expenditures to Date: 98,480.75 Receipts/Expenditures + or [-} n/a Budget to Date: n/a

Budget Receipts 03/03/2019 9,482.00 Receipts to Date: 75,510.44 Expenditures to Date: 118,429.42 Receipts/Expenditures + or [-] n/a Budget to Date: n/a

Prayer Team: Buddy Simpkins Monthly Prayer Focus: Bread of Life and Family Promise Ministries Ushers: Jerry Clevenger, Head; Ernest Adams, Bob George, Mark Johnson, Jim Rufener, Lonnie Jones Altar Flowers—sign up outside the church office.

First Kidz Church begins at 10:30 AM every Sunday in the Christian Life Center. (It does not meet the first Sunday of the month.) Sonshine Kidz is for preschoolers ages 3,4, & 5 Nursery is available for children 3 yrs old and younger. Located in the CLC.

Sean Hale

Bonnie Headrick

Gary Holden

Brenda Holder

Russell & Patty Johnson

Janna Jordan

Shannon Knowles

Teresa Lee

Janet Lynch

Gloria Martin

Betty McLain

Chris Offrey

Carolyn Owens

Kym Phillips

Tilley Phillips

Tom Phillips

Wendy Pistrang

Sharon Racek

Don Ritzhaupt

Nalini Samuel

Judy Stack

Nicholas Stark

Kylene Stump

Rachel Suderland

Lila Switzer

Stuart Switzer

Janice Tate

Addison Thompson

Terri Twyford

Kim Van Dusen

Jim and Sarah Wagner

Jennifer Wilhite

Open hearts, open minds, open doors...the people of the United Methodist Church.

UPCOMING EVENTS ● March 17—Youth Mystery Trip

● March 19—Rose Circle, Youth

Council Meeting

● March 21—Gadabout Outing

● March 24—Confirmation Class

● March 26—Finance Meeting

● March 27—Confirmation Class

● March 30—Bread of Life

● April 4—Gadabout Potluck Lunch

● April 6—UMM Breakfast

● April 7—Confirmation Class

● April 8—Seekers Circle

● April 9—May Dooley & Friendship

Circles

● April 11—UMW Unit Meeting

● April 12-14—Youth Spring Retreat

● April 13—Bread of Life

● April 14—Palm Sunday

● April 14-20—Holy Week Devotions

● April 16—Youth Council Meeting

● April 17—Easter Egg Hunt

● April 18—Maundy Thursday Service

● April 19—Office Closed

● April 21—Easter Sunday

To the Choir Fund In honor of Nancy Boyd:

Her Prayer Partner

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Cleveland, TN

Permit No. 321

Return Service Requested

3425 Ocoee Street North Cleveland, TN 37312

423-476-4504 www.clevelandumc.com

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Child Development Center Phone: 423-478-1426

Gifts to the Church