our faith and theology, Christian history, and our church. The class is absolutely free!

Join me at 4 p.m. on Sundays, August 18th, 25th, and September 8th as we Explore:

August 18 – Exploring Our Faith August 25 – Exploring Methodism September 8 – Exploring Our ChurchSign up in the church office during the week or at the Welcome

Table on Sunday mornings!Childcare will be provided.On the Journey with you,

Pastor Jim

Are you visiting our church or a new member of our church and want to know more about United Methodism? Have you been a member here for awhile but want to learn more about who we are? If so, I’m inviting you to be a part of our next “Explore” class.

In this three-week class we will learn more about

What’s Inside

YEAR 27 VOLUME 8 POTEAU, OKLAHOMA SERVing gOd 125 YEARS

The United Methodist News

The United Methodist News

REV. JIM PERKIN

Sunday School9:30 A.M.

Morning Worship10:30 A.M.

Church Calendar .................... 2Prayer List .............................. 2Children’s Ministry ................ 3News of Youth ........................ 3Preschool Report ................... 3Women of Faith ...................... 4Our Sympathy ........................ 4Special Music ......................... 4Missions Report ..................... 4Birthdays, Anniversaries ...... 4Family Pool Fun ..................... 4

FIRST

Office Hours:Monday – Thursday

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

AUGUST 2019

X

AUGUST 115 TO 7

Begins Sept. 4After School

PASTOR TO PEOPLE

Seeking Full-Time Director of Youth and Young Adults

A part of a vibrant, healthy church is an occasional shift in needs. The leadership of our church has identified that now is the time for us to add a ministry to the young adults in our church and to in-crease our outreach to the teenage students in our area.

In order to accomplish this vision we have decided to move to a Full-Time Director of Youth and Young Adults. This change is made possible because of the incredible gift of the Stivers Family.

We wish to thank Melanie Wheat for her service to our church and youth the past three years. She will remain on the staff with us through the transition.

Beginning immediately we will be seeking applicants and hope to have this staff person in place by January 1, 2020.

EXPLORE

Lots of Free Things!See Missions Report on page 4 for details.

ACOLYTES

WORSHIP GREETERS

WELCOME TABLE VOLUNTEERS

AUGUST CHURCH CALENDARPAGE 2 AUGUST 2019

THE UNITED METHODIST NEWSPublished by the Communications Committee

Carol Baker, EditorFIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

109 S. Harper, Poteau, OK 74953Telephone 918-647-2217

e-mail: adminassistant@poteaufumc.comwebsite: www.poteaufumc.com

Sunday School 9:30 a.m. • Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.Bishop Rev. Jimmy NunnDistrict Superintendent Rev. Larry BaumanSenior Pastor Rev. Jim PerkinDirector of Youth Ministries Melanie WheatDirector of Music Ministries Mary Lynn PerkinDirector of Children’s Ministries Suzanne KluttsAdministrative Assistant Melissa WardLead Nursery Attendant Jayla CraigOrganist Bill KingFacility Manager Phil Smith

District web page: www.gbgm-umc.org/mc-dist/

7 Choir rehearsals resume11 Back to School Bash, 5 to 7 p.m.14 Bell Choir practice resumes, 5:30 p.m.19 Finance Meeting, 5:30 p.m.21 Membership Cares, 12:30 p.m.22 Women of Faith Meeting, 10 a.m.26 Trustees Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

• SUNDAY •Sunday School, 9:30; Morning Worship, 10:30

UMYF (CHAOS), 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.• MONDAY •

Christian Preschool Monday – Thursday• TUESDAY •

Cub Scouts, 5 p.m., CFLCBoy Scouts, 7 p.m., CFLC

• WEDNESDAY • Bell Choir, 5:30 p.m.

Celebration Choir Rehearsal, 6:15 p.m.• THURSDAY •

Senior Café, 10:00 to 1

Prayer List (As of July 28, 2019)

To add or remove a name call 918-647-2217.Nursing Home/Homebound: Maxine Nyberg. Health: Janet Allison, Astarte Baker, Barbie

Barnard, Silas Blanchard, Caren Bogart, Cindy Brody, John Carbrey, Sandy Carbrey, Jack Car-ey, Perry Carter, Alpha Chapa, Carol Coggins, Pam Cox, Allen Daniels, Debbie Drake, Mendy Emmerling, Chuck England, Pam DeCamp Ernst, Delana Luman Ester, Mary Folsom, Dolores Full-er, Brooke Gardezi, Don Goforth Jr., Lawrence Gresham, Christine Harris, Hank Harris, Peggy Holstead, Allen and Jane Ann Inge, Donna Jack-son, Lorene Johnson, Teri Johnson, Makali Kemp, Jane Kilgore, Colton Knight, Tim Lawrence, Vicki LaGrand, Arlene LeMaster, Don Lindemier, Keith Miller, Mason Mitchell, Jack Oehlschlager, Patri-cia Ogden, Janna Owens, Kevin Payne, Kelli Pitch-ford, Jean Potts, Jeremy Quarry, Joe Renfro, Lucy Richmond, John Scarbrough, Jim Shore, Marilyn Smith, Pat Smith, Earl Steimetz, Katie Strider, Doug Tang, Ed Toland, Darren Ward, Barbara Wheeler, Keith Wright, Lori Yarberry.

Bereavement: Military and Law Enforcement:Nathan Berlin, Tyler Berlin, Bailey Hahn, Zack

Hall, Kyle Kinman, Kaigan LeMaster, Kodee Le-Master, and all our military and law enforcement men and women.

Welcome!

Poteau F.U.M.C. Report for June 2019Average Attendance Figures for June: 1562019 Budget Requirements: $365,000.00

Needed through June: $188,175.00Year to Date Received: $158,829.72

June Received: $24,685,24June Expenditures: $36,109.87

Amount Owed on New Building Loan: $140,872.85

LITURGIST: Nathan Murray

4 Joni Griffith11 Pastor Jim Perkin18 Mary Lynn Perkin25 Suzanne Klutts

4 David and Kathy Robertson11 Robert and Tami Holt18 Janet Sockey and Judy Peerson25 Jamie and Tracey Gilliam

4 Mike and Karen Hahn11 Hank and Barbara Harris18 David and Lisa Barnes25 Dorothy Gail James and Jean Whigham

4 Farah Brem and Katlynn Figari11 Khia Brookfield and Avery Snipes18 Addison Sockey and Morgin Shockley25 Gehrig Snipes and Alissa Figari

CHILDREN’S MOMENTS

• LIVE WORSHIP •If you are unable to attend worship on Sun-

day morning, you can watch our morning wor-ship service live at 10:30. There is a place there where you may register your attendance.

Go to www.poteaufumc.com

AUGUST 2019 PAGE 3

• Children’s Ministry •By Suzanne Klutts

ByTracey Gilliam,

Preschool Director

Our love and sympathy is extended to the families of Bill Sockey (Jr. Sockey’s brother), and Charlene Beames (mother of Debby Puckett}.

Our Sympathy

Greetings from Children’s Ministry! Even though the kids are out of school, we have had a few activities. Last month Robert Martin and I went along with campers Khia Brookfield, Kat-lynn Figari and Sam Martin to Camp Egan. We all had a great time learning more about God’s love through Bible study, worship, crafts, swimming, hiking, and games.

On a hot summer night, our church family had fun cooling off and eating some great food at the Poteau city pool. It was a great time of fun and fellowship. Thank you David Robertson for grill-ing the hotdogs!

Upcoming Events:August 11 – Promotion Sunday. (Children en-

tering grades 3 and 6).August 21 – JAM volunteer meeting, 4 p.m.September 4 – JAM begins!

News of YouthBy Melanie Wheat

UMYF meets Sunday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. and is for all youth 6th – 12th grades.

AUGUST CALENDAR: 4 We will be welcoming our sixth graders to

youth. We are going to Parrot Island right after church. Bring all your swimming things with you to church. The youth ac-count will pay for your admission into the park and pizza and a drink. If you want anything extra, you will need to bring extra money.

10 St. Yootz Day at Frontier City. We will leave at 9 a.m. and return around 2 a.m. The youth account will be paying for your

Summer Break is over and a new school year is about to begin. The Preschool Orientation will be on the night of August 8th. The Monday and Wednesday class is at 5; the Tuesday and Thurs-day class is at 6; and the Monday through Thurs-day class is at 7.

Preschool classes will begin on Monday, Au-gust 12th at 8:20 a.m.

Campers at Camp Egan

YOUTH FORCE2019

admission ticket. Youth will need money for lunch and dinner.

11 Back to School Bash - youth will help out

18 Regular Youth25 Youth / Parent Game

Night. It will be potluck.

1 Madison Rose Slusser, Mackenzie Kate Slusser, Allison Stone

2 Bryce Holt 4 Josie Garrett, Michael Hahn 5 Tanya Brown, Terry Hall 8 Gary Brown, Sr.10 Keith Wright12 Patty Wright, William Slater14 Lloyd Lee15 Clint Lawrence16 Shirley James17 Frances Thompson, Joan Lee, Christie

Williams. Emery Kay McDaniel18 Nancy Shore, Derby Whitefield, Waylon

Murray19 Jake Thompson20 Matt Stoughton, Kyle Hardaway, Wendy Kelly,

Michael Culwell21 Mallory Mixon Robertson, Haven Perry, Robert

Holt25 Lexe Pickle26 Gary Blackshare, Taylor Darneal27 Ryan Clayburn, Virginia Kidd, Janet DeSpain28 Kimberly Hardaway29 Lillian Green, Carter Denton30 Tami Holt31 Luke Wheat

PAGE 4 AUGUST 2019

August Anniversaries

August Bir thdays

Help make our birthday and anniversary lists complete. If we do not have your family members’ birthdays and anniversaries, please give the of-fice that information by calling 918-647-2217.

1 Steve and Kristen Slusser 4 Steve and Nancy Clark 5 Orville and Linda McDonald12 David and Patty Redhage19 Shannon and Amy Stubbs30 Blake and Tori White

• Missions Report •By JoLynn Dixon

The Missions Committee hopes everyone had a safe, fun and restful summer. We feel so blessed to be a part of such a generous congregation. We were able to collect several pairs of shoes dur-ing our VBS week and throughout the month of June, which will be delivered this week.

We have an update on our Paper drive from May. After discovering our local schools had an overabundance of paper, our committee has de-cided to split the amount donated in the form of WalMart gift cards to each Poteau school campus to use for various student needs.

The Back to School Bash is scheduled for Au-gust 11 from 5-7p.m. We will have available free haircuts, eye and dental screenings, and person-al care goodie bags to all students who attend. We will also have inflatables, food, and a great at-mosphere to celebrate returning to school. Please plan to join us to help our community--as always helping hands are needed!

Our next meeting is scheduled for September 9th at 5:30. As always, please consider joining us, everyone is welcome.

Special Music in July

Fun at the Pool

Women of FaithOur next meeting is August 22nd at 10 a.m. in

the Family Room off the Narthex. We are starting the meeting with the following officers:

President, Mary FordVice President, Cary Jo WhitmanSecretary/Treasurer, Terry Hall with Jane

Kilgore assisting.We will start planning for the Fall Festival

which will be on November 1st.

While the choir was on vacation during July, we were fortu-nate to have special solos by Mark Tillot-son, Kylanna Hard-away and Jennifer Phillips

The church family had an enjoyable evening of water fun, fellowship, and food at the city pool.