Wearing Your Pajamas to Church “But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in

the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering…” Jude 1:20-22

Recently a member of Ardmore reached out to me and said, “I really enjoy going to church in my pajamas.” Now I have to be fully honest, that is something I never-ever thought I would hear, nor did I ever even want to think about! Going to church in our pajamas may seem akin to being elementary school kids who, during Spirit Week, get to wear pajamas to school all day long. Or, maybe it seems a bit like some of those people we may have seen in the past at the grocery store or Wal Mart wearing, yes, their pajamas. We may say to ourselves, “Oh, I never.” but be careful, because for many that “never” has come in so many ways…ways like wearing pajamas in church even. Lord, have mercy!

There are a lot of “nevers” which have occurred over the past few months. I never thought I would be trapped at home with my family...for an extended period of time...with no respite in sight. I never thought people would look at me like I was an alien or carrying the bubonic plague as I ran by them on the sidewalk. I never thought I would preach to an empty sanctuary and chapel (Now I know my preaching can be sketchy at times but not enough to run everyone away). I never imagined I would not be able to greet someone with a smile, a handshake or a hug. There sure are a lot of “I nevers”, lately. Lord, have mercy!

I really like the words above from Jude. Jude is encouraging the church to be the community of faith that Jesus hoped for. Jude is assumed to be one of the brothers of Jesus but there is some question to that. It doesn’t really matter to me if he was or not because he

August 2020 | Volume 28, Issue 7

Connect to God, one another and the world.

CONNECTIONS

www.ardmoreumc.org

A PUBLICATION OF ARDMORE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

IN THIS ISSUE

• From the Outreach Pastor

• Traditional Music Ministries

• Christian Education, Zoomity

• At Home Summer Movie Night

• Worship Services, Live Streaming

• “Maker Boxes” for Moore Magnet Elementary School

• The Big Chill—THANK YOU!

• Giving Sunday, August 30

• August Birthdays

• August Calendar

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From the Outreach Pastor

Wearing Your Pajamas to Church (Continued from Page 1)

sure seems to understand discipleship quite well. Focus on these things: spiritual growth, prayer and the love of God….and (by the way) have mercy on those who are wavering. In other words, work on yourselves AND be forgiving for those who are struggling.

We all are struggling in the midst of these unsettling days and maybe this is the solution. I know I have struggled a lot with isolation, empty church spaces and just being able to spend time with friends without fear. Jude says, “Love God, forgive others.” I wish we could do better at it. Lord, have mercy!

Now I am not suggesting that when we gather back together that we have a pajama day...or maybe I am. It really doesn’t matter what we wear but what is in our hearts. These past few months have helped me to better understand that truth. Especially now we need to focus on

the big things rather than get caught up in the details of what someone is wearing or even what they are doing. Jude tells us that growing spiritually, praying and staying in love with God are what is important AND if someone is struggling, and I know many of us are, a hand up in faith can help pull us out of the mire and muck of life these days. I think he sounds a lot like Jesus. And, I believe that is what we need to do right now. Lord, have mercy!

So, wonderful Ardmore people, stand firm, keep the faith, pray often, focus on God’s love and wear your pajamas to church. No judgement here, just grace!

I can’t wait to see you all soon, but not quite yet!

Grace and peace in Christ,

Matt

Prayers for teachers, administrators, students, and parents! As we prepare for "back to school" it has never felt more different! All the uncertainties and all the concern for safety of students and teachers. We prepare for a season of more online learning, we think of families as they work from home and teachers as they navigate teaching from a screen. Blessed are the flexible, I guess. Parents, we see you! We see you working hard, navigating what it looks like to teach from home, to keep working, all while showing love and grace to your kiddos. Bless you! Teachers, we see you! Doing the thankless work as you have pivoted to a whole new way of teaching. Thank you! Students, we see you! Missing your in-person connections with friends, navigating assignments, and mourning

moments and experiences that just look different. You are loved! During this season, let's lift up these many concerns in our community. I can't help but think about the students that may be falling through the cracks. These are the kids I think about right here in our neighborhood who may need a little extra care, concern, and help from their neighborhood churches. Where is God leading us to care for these children? How is the Holy Spirit leading us towards creative ways to minister? My prayer is that we will have ears to listen and brave feet to put it into action.

Rev. Joe Hout Outreach Pastor

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“Classrooms and labs! Loud boiling test tubes! Sing to the Lord a new song! Athlete and band! Loud cheering people! Sing to the Lord a new song! God has done marvelous things. I too, sing praises with a new song!”

One of my favorite hymns for the start of the academic year is “Earth and All Stars.” The hymn, which was penned by Lutheran Pastor and Poet Herbert Brokering in 1964, is rather untraditional. Instead of complete prose, the hymn lists over a dozen objects, living and inanimate, and then calls for them to “sing to the Lord a new song.” Some critics will mention that this is more of a grocery list rather than a hymn, but I believe there is some wisdom to thinking about hymns and music occasionally in more abstract terms.

I may also be drawn to this hymn because of its origins. It was written to honor the 90th anniversary of St. Olaf College, my alma mater. Herbert Brokering was on the faculty at St. Olaf as well as David N. Johnson, Organ Professor and Music Department Chair, who composed the hymn tune. Much of the imagery presented in this hymn reflects the campus and culture at St. Olaf; snowstorms, limestone, test tubes, athlete, band, loud cheering people, and much more. When Brokering was asked about his inspiration for the song, he replied, “I tried to gather into a hymn of praise the many facets of life which emerge in the life of community. So there are the references to building, nature, learning, family, festivity, seasons, emotions, death and resurrection, bread, wine, water, wind, sun, spirit… which have made great impressions on my imagination.”

From a biblical standpoint, there are some strong correlations to psalmody, particularly Psalm 98 where the direction of the psalm is to “Sing to the Lord a New Song”. What better directive to sing a new song than to have a contemporary hymn that is a modern paraphrase of this psalm, including objects that we encounter nearly every day.

In this season of Coronatide, where schools will use virtual learning and we are asked to keep our social distance, this hymn may seem counterintuitive. We definitely cannot have loud cheering people, athletes, or band. Maybe a more appropriate verse for this season might be:

Lysol and Bleach! Hand Sanitizer! Sing to the Lord a new song! Face mask and gloves! Keep Six Foot Distance! Sing to the Lord a new song!

Might this pandemic be a call for us to sing unto the Lord an even newer song? Perhaps a song that stretches the meaning of what a song is in a time where it is not completely safe to sing communally. Now, more than ever, we need to respond to all the marvelous things that God is sowing in our church, community, and world even in the midst of a pandemic. Let us all find new ways to sing our praises!

Traditional Music Ministries

things. marvelous

song a new

to the Sing Lord

He for has done

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Christian Education know fellow church members and find new ways to connect here at Ardmore UMC.

What time does ZOOMity Group start?

We will begin at 9:00 AM and end at 9:45 AM.

How do I get the Zoom link each week?

The Zoom link will be sent out via email the Saturday before, so make sure you check your inboxes!

Staying connected to our community is so important during this time. For me, it has been a comfort to see faces that I would normally see on Sunday mornings, as well as a joyful way to start the week. I invite you to join us!

Peace,

Meredith

Happy August! What a year it’s been so far. Not only adjusting to a different daily life, but also trying to keep up with the news that changes daily. In the midst of this, the common denominator of all of our conversations at Ardmore has been connection. How can we provide intentional opportunities for people to stay connected with one another while not being able to be in person for now? One way we created an intentional place to be connected with people is through our new Sunday morning ZOOMity Group! See below for more information:

What is Ardmore ZOOMity Group? This is a time for ALL people to meet on one, big Zoom call for fellowship and prayer prior to the 10:00 service. It will be an opportunity to get to

At-Home Summer Movie Night

August 21 at 6:00 PM

Selma, PG-13

Join us Friday, August 21 at 6:00 PM for Selma! You can

rent Selma on Amazon for $3.99 ($1.49 for Prime

members). Click this link to access the movie: SELMA

The Zoom conversation will start at 8:20 PM, and the link

will be sent out the morning of August 21.

Contact Meredith at meredith@ardmoreumc.org with

any questions!

PG-13

P.S. If you’re interested in starting your own ZOOMity Group for your class, group or committee, please contact me directly at meredith@ardmoreumc.org and I will do my best to help you set up the group!

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Join us each Sunday morning for online worship.

Traditional 10:00 am Contemporary 11:15 am

Click here to go directly to our Facebook page: FACEBOOK

Having trouble accessing our livestream?

Try these options:

✤ If you are having trouble finding the livestream on the main page of Ardmore UMC’s Facebook page, click the “video” tab on the left to go to the videos. You can also click this link to go directly to Ardmore UMC’s Facebook video page: https://www.facebook.com/ArdmoreUnitedMethodistChurch/videos/

✤ If neither of these work, open your web browser that you use (example: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, etc.) and go to www.google.com. In the Search bar, search “ardmore united methodist church facebook videos” then click the first (non-advertisement) search result.

kindergarten at Thanksgiving time. We would go around the circle and let each child tell something that he/she was thankful for. It was special to hear those 5 year olds share their “thankfulnesses.” Pastor Joe did this one day during his prayer time and that was special too. Let’s start our days thinking about the things for which we are thankful. Maybe that will make for a happier day. If you are with others, share with each other what you are thankful for. Think good thoughts, not negative ones that cause worry and stress. It sort of reminds me of a Charles Schulz (maybe Charlie Brown) quote: “Worry won’t stop the bad stuff from happening, it just stops you from enjoying the good.” Stay positive and be thankful!

Love and Peace to All,

Mary Jo Maryjo@ardmoreumc.org or 336.723.5566

It seems like I was just writing an article for our newsletter, but it looks like August is here, and here I sit writing again. We all have been, and still are, getting used to spending more time at home and doing fewer activities with others. I am thankful that some of us can go online to keep in touch with each other. I can’t wait to get out and visit everyone again. It is great to make phone calls but I miss the in-person visits.

There isn’t much news. I’m wondering how we can have Young at Heart in the near future. Maybe we can Zoom that. I need to talk to some of our technical experts about zooming or livestreaming in the future. Any ideas??? Let me know if you have some creative ideas.

We have a lot for which to be thankful, despite sad and negative things all around us. We worry about many things, some beyond our control. I was thinking about things that I am thankful for last week and I thought of my days of teaching

Senior Moments

Facebook Live Streaming Each Sunday

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For those who need healing. Peggy Andrews, Lois Brown, Sylvia Caldwell, Jan Carter, Ruth Carter, Jane Click, Bobbi Cobb, Alice Dalton, Fran Denison, Lucy Doud, Patrick Edenfield, Betty Frazier, Bethany Goodman, Carolyn Hankins, Peggy Hall, Jim Hamilton, Jr., Nell Hamilton, Joanne Hamlet, Cliff and Nancy Harvel, Hattie Hauser, Charles Hedrick, Ruby Houlden, Treva Jackson, Virginia Kennedy, Elizabeth Martin, Roy Nifong, Joanna Page, Sarah Penry, Sylvia Powell, Jane Reade, Genie Reynolds, Betty Richardson, Carolina Simmons, Bob Stahl, Chris Steele, Harry Steele, Carolyn Stuart, Livia Timmons, Bert and Janice Weeks, Evelyn Williams, Donna Bryson Wilt, Jim Wooten

For those who grieve. For the family and friends of Nancy Smith,. For the family and friends of James King.

For those who serve our country.

For those who come to Our Father’s Table Food Pantry/Clothing Closet.

Congregational Concerns

Ardmore UMW Greetings to and from the Ardmore United Methodist Women!

Just yesterday the UMW Executive Board met...in person, masked and keeping safe distance...for the first time since February. It was so very good to see each other!

An important item on our agenda was the UMW Sunday service scheduled for August 9. I hope you will ALL join us online for that. We also tossed around some ideas for fundraisers. We are not able to have our annual yard sale (our main fundraiser), but we still want to support our local missions. We will keep everyone posted as our plans take shape.

You are well aware, no doubt, that virtual/online/ZOOM/etc. meetings and events have replaced on-site and in-person gatherings. We all miss being in each others' company (in reality), but the internet does offer an acceptable second choice. Which leads me to the announcement that our Yadkin Valley District Annual Celebration will take place as a free "ZOOM WEBINAR" at 7:00 pm on Thursday, August 27. One of the stars is our own Mary Jo Brewer. You will not want to miss this. Registration will be required; that may be done, at no cost, after August 1. Attending by phone is an option, but only those online may vote.

Again I need to remind all AUMW members that pledges may be sent or taken to circle treasurers or directly to Patty Pate, unit treasurer, or just sent to the church office, designated for UMW pledge. We hate to beg, but there is a great need to keep up our giving, as we are able, during this time. Love offerings go to the District treasury. These may be sent to Patty as well, or to Jamie Smith, District Treasurer, with the notation "Love Offering to YVDUMW." Thank you in advance!

Here are contact addresses:

Patty Pate Jamie Smith 1437 Capri Rd. 738 Key Rd. Winston-Salem, NC 27103 Ararat, NC 27007

Finally I want to remember our sister, Nancy Smith who has recently gone home. We will think of her with affection, as we think of each other, till we can be together again.

Till September then...

Blessings!

Nancy Norton President AUMW Faith • Hope • Love in action

United Methodist Women

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HELP FILL 100 “MAKER BOXES” BY AUGUST 17

In collaboration with Ardmore neighborhood churches, we are helping to fill plastic “Maker Boxes” for children at Moore Magnet Elementary School. Due to COVID-19, students will experience the first 9 weeks of school in a distance (virtual) learning environment. Moore Elementary administrators and instructional leaders have tailored this plan to guarantee that each child has their own set of “hands on” materials no matter their circumstance.

What is a Maker Box?

A plastic box of various materials (see the list below) that will open a world of possibilities for teachers to provide experiential, hands-on learning for students to think in creative, fun, and innovative ways.

Ways to Participate:

1) Complete an entire Maker Box (a list of the supply items will be inside the box).

2) Donate Maker Box items from the specific supply list (i.e. bag of Cotton Balls)

3) Make a monetary donation to cover items needed to fill a box which equated to about $15.

Ready to make the “Maker Box”? Contact Leslie Mullinix (brettburey@yahoo.com) or Joe Hout (joe@ardmoreumc.org) to coordinate picking up a box or having one delivered to you. A supply list will be included in each plastic box. There will be collection bins located at the covered drive-thru entrance to the church building beginning Sunday, August 9 through Monday, August 17.

Ready to drop off your finished Box or items for the Box? Completed boxes may be placed in the plastic bin at the drive thru covered entrance to the church building beginning Sunday, August 9 through Monday, August 17. (Any items you are unable to include from the list will be added by the Missions Engagement Team.) The bin will be checked daily.

Montetary Donations: The Mission Engagement Team will use the funds donated to purchase items to fill the boxes. Visit www.ardmoreumc.org and click on the GIVE page for online contributions, and specify that your donation is for the “Maker Box” program.

Donations can be dropped off in the drop slot of the church office back door. Checks should be made out

to AUMC and note “Maker Box” on the memo line. Cash donations must be in an envelope to include a note indicating “Maker Box”.

NOTE: Ardmore Baptist Church has generously supplied the plastic boxes for each child.

ITEMS REQUESTED FOR EACH BOX QTY

Popsicle Sticks 20

Chenille Stems (assorted colors) 20

Pom Poms 20

Googly Eyes (assorted sizes) 20

Play-Doh (any color) 1

Large Glass Gems (Dollar store, floral section)

20

Ping Pong Balls 2

Velcro Dots (sheet) 1

Sticker Dots (sheet) 2

Clothespins 10

Toothpicks 50

Feathers (assosrted) 10

Paper Plates 20

Coffee Filters 20

Mini Red Solo Cups 20

Battery Tea Lights 2

Cotton Balls 20

Q-Tips 20

Dry Beans 20

Yarn (assorted lengths and colors) 20

Fabric Scraps (small squares, Assorted patterns and colors)

10

Support a Neighborhood Elementary School

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to benefit The Shalom Project

Join us Sunday, August 30 from 12:00 until 2:00 pm for drive-thru fellowship! We’ll be collecting offerings and contributions to support the church budget.

This month we will be enjoying “dippin’ dots”! Drive thru and drop off your pledge and enjoy a delectable cold treat. How knows, you may even see a few friends to wave to.

We look forward to seeing you…

What an unbelievable response from our Ardmore United Methodist Church family and friends! No ice sitting or tasting ice cream in Bailey Park, but with the combined efforts of Matt Farabow and Carolyn Coram, along with the support of many Ardmore UMC individuals, families and friends, we blessed the ministries of The Shalom Project with $9,000! To date The Big Chill has raised $48,000, with AUMC contributing over 15% of the funds raised!! There are many spokes in the wheel of community support at work 24/7 in Winston Salem and Forsyth County. You will find The Shalom Project ever present and within the constant motion of them all.

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Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Follow what’s happening on social media at @ardmoreumc

Imagine how much we could earn if everyone in our congregation who shops Amazon would just use smile.amazon.com. Just start your order with a smile and Amazon will automatically donate a portion of your order to the non-profit that you choose. It doesn't cost the buyer anything and the funds come directly from Amazon. Ardmore UMC has registered as a non-profit. Just log in to your Amazon account, search for Ardmore United Methodist Church and select the Winston Salem NC option. Then, each time you shop start at smile.amazon.com. Sign into your cart and shop away. You get your product for the same price and Amazon donates money directly to the church!

The Upper Room Daily Devotional

The Upper Room Daily Devotional Guides are currently available from the church office for your daily devotional use. Please leave a message at 336.723.3695 x 1100 and one can be mailed to you.

To help offset the expense of the guides, we ask for a donation of $1 for each devotional.

Remember Our “In Crowd”

Do you know of a church member who would like to receive a copy of the weekly sermons?

If you know of someone that would like to receive the sermon, please contact the church office and we will add them to our mailing list.

8/1 Lee Foster Jeff Crawford 8/3 Joe White Jamie Ward 8/6 Brandon Holgersen Ian O’Toole 8/7 Stan Troyer Curt Batten Precious Mudiwa 8/9 Nell Hamilton Pat Weaver Alice Dalton 8/10 Mitzie Kepley 8/11 Margaret Foster Addie Murray 8/12 Lucy Doud Dylan Myers Laura Rogers 8/13 Susan Jones 8/14 J.R. Snider Luke Brown 8/15 Treva Jackson 8/17 Ben Ward 8/18 Ken Blackburn Cynthia Kern Chanin Bennett 8/19 Chris Reynolds 8/21 Jeff Brinker 8/23 Heather Vye 8/24 Peggy Haigler Jere Carter 8/25 Pat Stuart 8/26 Frances McDonald 8/27 Beaver Gary Ann Combs Douglas Dyer Will Brinker 8/30 Matt Robinson 8/31 Sue Wilkinson Marilyn Parker Nicole Stevens Jonathan Amos

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Although we are not holding face to face meetings at this time, it is important to maintain the church calendar with meetings that are being held via Zoom, Google Meet, etc. Please contact Deb Jandes in

the church office at admin@ardmoreumc.org or 336.723.3695 ext. 1100 to update.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2 Join us for

Virtual Worship 10:00 AM

Traditional 11:15 AM

Contemporary

3 6:00 PM

High School Psalms

4 6:30 PM

Children's Council Meeting

5 12:30 PM

Staff Meeting 4:00 PM

Middle School Youth

6 3:30 PM

Food Pantry Drive-Thru

7 8

9 Join us for

Virtual Worship UMW Sunday

10:00 AM Traditional 11:15 AM

Contemporary

10 6:00 PM

High School Psalms 6:30 PM

Trustees Meeting

11 12:00 PM

Core Leadership 6:00 PM

Marketing Team 6:30 PM

SPRC

12 4:00 PM

Middle School Youth

13 14 15 NEWSLETTER

NFO DUE

16 Join us for

Virtual Worship 10:00 AM

Traditional 11:15 AM

Contemporary

17 6:00 PM

High School Psalms 7:30 PM

Mission Engagement

18 19 12:30 PM

Staff Meeting 4:00 PM

Middle School Youth

20 3:30 PM

Food Pantry Drive-Thru

21 6:00 PM At Home Summer

Movie Night Selma, PG-13

22

23 Join us for

Virtual Worship 10:00 AM Traditional 11:15 AM

Contemporary

24 6:00 PM

High School Psalms 6:30 PM

Events Team

25 6:00 PM Finance

Committee Meeting

26 4:00 PM

Middle School Youth

27 6:00 PM

Joel Team

28 29

30 Join us for

Virtual Worship 10:00 AM Traditional 11:15 AM

Contemporary 12:00 PM

GIVING SUNDAY

31 6:00 PM

High School Psalms

1 6:30 PM

Church Council Meeting

2 12:30 PM

Staff Meeting 4:00 PM

Middle School Youth

3 3:30 PM

Food Pantry Drive-Thru

4