On our walk. . . . . August 8, 2007

Pastor’s Message –

Psalm 82: 1-5

“God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the “gods”. How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. They know nothing, they understand. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

As we have spoken on this page before, let us remember that we are our brother’s keeper. It is our responsibility to protect the weakest of us and to help rescue them from the evils of this world. We need to be agile in our ability to respond to the needs of our community. In order to do this we, both churches, need to establish a Mission Fund that would be readily available to those less fortunate among us. This fund should be controlled by a committee established for mission work and they should decide how to disburse the funds and activate the church community to do mission work. The fund should be a perpetual fund that will be funded by an ongoing showing of generosity of our churches once a month in a special offering. As Methodists we are told by our doctrine, and the scriptures, that if we are to truly reach holiness then we need to be socially responsible. John Wesley said, “Christianity is essentiality a social religion, and … to turn it into a solitary religion is indeed to destroy it. The Gospel of Christ knows no religion but social, no holiness but social holiness.” Let us take up the cross and become known as the churches that truly care for ALL in their community

God Bless.

Upcoming Events – August 8 – August 15, 2007

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM

Choir Practice @ Williams @ 6:30 PM

Friday August 10, 2007

Closing Ceremonies “Lift Off”@ 7:00 PM @ Williams

Weenie Roast @ Williams @ 7:00 PM

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Men’s Breakfast @ Williams @ 8:00 AM

Monday August 13, 2007

Bible Study@ Antioch @ 7:00PM

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Bible Study@ Audrey Smith’s @ 10:00am

Antioch – Notes from the Council Meeting

The Council of Antioch UMC met on Tuesday, August 7^th. The highlights of the meeting were:

A vote is to be taken to set up a Mission Fund by receiving a special offering each month. A ballot

will be in each bulletin and the congregation will be asked to vote on the question and place the

ballot in the offering plate.

The question of turning the picnic shed into a fellowship hall was brought up. Wayne Hendricks has agreed to investigate the costs of such a venture and report back.

The workings of the Administrative Council are not only for the members of the council but for all members of the church. Attend these meetings and find out what is going on in YOUR church. Be a part of the activities within your church.

Cookbooks are still available. If you would like to purchase one, please contact Susan Moseley at 676-2081, Gayle Grant at 676-3531, or Trudy Wilkins at 676-4458. The committee has received 300 more copies so we will have many to sell.

150^th Anniversary Throws We still have several throws to sell. The cost is $45.00 each. Please call Jane DiStefano if you would like to order a throw or have any questions. 434-676-2314

Sunday School is available each Sunday morning. The importance of Sunday School is that, though you may think hearing the word will suffice for you, you really need to be in attendance at Sunday School to gather all the information that you can in an open discussion classroom. Jesus’ word cannot be totally understood just by listening to a sermon. You have to interact with it and with other Christians to learn what He was saying to us. This is a life long study and you should take part. There is a class for every age so please plan on joining us to learn more about our Lord, Jesus Christ. Sunday School at Williams begins at 10:45 AM and at Antioch at 10:00 AM.

Evening Bible Study. We will be starting our Evening Bible study on August 13, at 7:00PM. All those who wish to attend and take part in this journey are asked to bring a notebook and a bible with them. If you have a study bible bring that. Please read Gen 1 and Gen 2 so we can begin our study.

Remembrance

To the Families of Lona Parham and Florence Callis go our deepest regards. These two wonderful people and icons of Antioch made the final journey to be with the Lord during the month of July. They will not only be missed by their families but by their church family as well. Though they will be missed let’s all remember that they are with the Father and let us rejoice not only in their lives but the fact they are with the Lord.

The Methodist Way

Methodists believe that being saved is not just a matter of getting into heaven. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is a full gift from God that is even more than heaven! John Wesley writes, “The salvation which is spoken of is not what is frequently understood by that word, the going to heaven, eternal happiness…. It is not a blessing which lies on the other side of death, or (as we usually speak) - in the other world. The very words of the text itself put this beyond all question. “Ye are saved.” It is not something at a distance; it is the present thing, a blessing which, through the free mercy of God, ye are now in possession of. Nay, the words may be rendered, and that with equal propriety, “Ye have been saved”. So that the salvation which is here spoken of might be extended to the entire work of God, from the first dawning of grace in the soul till it is consummated in glory

“Being Methodist in the Bible Belt” F.Belton Joyner, Jr.

If you cannot reach Rev. Ed at the parsonage, you may call him on his cell phone: 252-532-0952. He can also be reached via e-mail at revedumc@yahoo.com If you would like to receive e-mail messages from the pastor send an e-mail to him at revedumc@yahoo.com and we will add you to our list.

LIFT OFF!

Vacation Bible School. Vacation Bible School Lifted Off Monday morning and at this time there are 21 children involved. The children are becoming “Sky Scouts.” Every day they take off from 9:00 AM and land at 1:00 PM knowing more about God’s love. Watch for more news from the lift off pad.

Please keep the following families in your prayers:

Marjorie Thompson	Eddie Slagle	Bertha Arthur
Frances Hawthorne	Sarah Agnes Callis	Jeffrey Hendricks
Earl "Chuckie” Barnes	Jack Heater	Paul & Argy Turner
Edna & Wilson Bagley	Gayle Grant	Bible School
“B” & Teewah Hayes	Christian Sutton	Grace DiStefano
Elizabeth Biggerstaff	Garland Parham	Jean Parham
Robert & Virginia Overby	Sheila Cage	Tommy Cage
Edward Parham & family	Sara Sutton	Shepherd’s Inn
Marvin L. Crutchfield	Allen Green	Our Military
Ellen & John Gentry	Sue Barnes	Peggy Stone
Frank Callis and Family	Maria Kay	Kitty Springer
Rev. & Mrs. Robert Day	Shawn Umpstead	Al Green
James Tunicliff & Family	Gertrude Hite	Becky Edes
Jack & Sandra Griffith	Neil Barnes	C.V. Thompson
Elsie Pennington	Alice Wright	Dora May
Family of Lona Parham	Haynie Hite	Trudy Wilkins
Virgie & Pete Gillispie	Jeannette McGuire	Marjorie Coleman
	James Woods	Alexis Hatzopoulas

Remember:

As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

Have a Blessed Week