january 2020 “being the church”...
TRANSCRIPT
WESLEY CHAPEL NEWS JANUARY 2020
Bob Bryan Mike Birchfield Dot Danforth Sara Dean Mary Ann DeMaria Christi Ross Ann Franz Terri Dover Carole Carreker Sue Peters Mary Roper Steve Bowman Paula Burtch David Wold Mary Anderson Lynda Wester Gregory Separk Debbie Kirk (sister of Diana Overdorff) Pat Booth (Mindy Lee’s mother) Darcie Hartford (granddaughter of Ray & Shirley Kalb) Don & Peggy Lantz (parents of Linda Brock) Bill & Phyllis McArthur in the loss of their son (friends of Terry & Terri Dover) Charlotte Christopher (Vera Burrell’s sister) David & Lisa Mangus (Pat Reed) Steve Reed (Pat Reed’s son) Donna Stacy (Joe Stacy’s mother) Jim & Dott Stroud (Marcie Millholland’s parents)
I n his book Revolution, George Barna notes, “We are not called to go to church. We are
called to be the church.” (p. 39) America is full of Christians who are really good at
going to church and doing church. In fact, you don’t have to attend a church for very
long to discover what behaviors are expected when you attend. You can quickly learn how
to “do church” – what time to arrive, what to bring with you, when to stand, when to sing,
when to listen, when to take notes and when to leave. Week after week, month after
month, year after year, Christians everywhere are “doing church” for an hour or so on Sun-
day. Many Christians would tell you that this church experience is one of the most mean-
ingful times in their week. To create mean-
ingful church experiences for an hour or so
on Sunday, pastors and church staff mem-
bers devote an enormous amount of time
and energy so they can be prepared to “do
church” each weekend. Time is spent to
study and prepare sermons, to select and
rehearse music, to print bulletins, to sched-
ule ushers and greeters, to recruit and train
children’s workers, to prepare lessons from
Sunday School curriculum, to provide coffee
and refreshments, to pray for spiritual im-
pact, to invite friends and neighbors and to
clean restrooms.
The focus of all of these activities is to be prepared to “do church” together with other be-
lievers. Every week Christians are authentically worshipping God and being taught His
Word and learning what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus. This is happening
around the world.
However, for some Christians, “doing church” has little impact on the rest of their week.
In Lost in America, the authors state, “Sometimes behavior by those who profess Christ is
actually worse than those who don’t.”
Church is not something to “do.” The church is something to “be.” Missional Transfor-
mation requires a shift from “doing church” to “being church.” While what happens on
Sunday is important, it is not the primary expression of the church. Being the church daily
for the sake of the world is what matters most.
Continued on page 2
“Being The Church”
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY Please join us for Sunday School
10 a.m. | 3rd floor classroom Nursery for children 4 and younger
during Sunday School and the 11 a.m. service
THIS MONTH AT WESLEY CHAPEL
1/6 Basketball practices and games resume 1/9 Girl Scouts, 6:30 p.m. 1/10 Girl Scouts, 3 p.m. 1/12 Men’s breakfast, 7:30 a.m. 1/13 Girl Scouts service unit, 7 p.m. 1/21 Trustees, 7 p.m. 1/23 Girl Scouts, 6:30 p.m.
HERITAGE CLUB LUNCHEON
Thursday, Jan. 16 | noon Gospel/country singer Marc Cave
will be the entertainer.
We are so grateful for the generous love offering given to our families. It is a joy and a privilege to serve you as we work together to answer God’s call in our lives, do His will and spread His love throughout our community. We wish you a happy and healthy 2020, and look forward to what God has in store for us.
- Your Wesley Chapel staff
Parents & confirmands: We will have our first meeting this month. All WC kids: Watch for opportunities to help with our puppet ministry!
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The best way to start being the church
is to first understand what the church is
– and what the church is for. As N.T.
Wright describes, “The church is first
and foremost a community, a collec-
tion of people who belong to one an-
other because they belong to God, the
God we know in and through Je-
sus.” (Simply Christian, p. 210) He
then describes what the church is for –
“The church exists for two closely cor-
related purposes: to worship God and
to work for his kingdom in the world.
You can and must worship, and work
for God’s kingdom, in private and in
ways unique to yourself, but if the
kingdom is to go forward, rather than
around and around in circles, we must
work together as well as apart.” (p.
211)
The church gathered is powerful! Yet
doing church on Sundays is not why
the church exists. Being the church
together in community requires a life-
style of worship and witness that ex-
tends beyond “doing church” corpo-
rately on Sundays. Being the church is
daily! It includes worshipping together,
serving together, loving together,
learning and growing together, praying
together, engaging culture together,
being salt and light together, and so
much more.
Being the church doesn’t stop when
you drive away from the church build-
ing or meeting place. Being the church
doesn’t stop when you walk into your
home or get to work. Being the church
doesn’t stop ever. Once you belong to
God through faith in His Son, you al-
ways belong to His church.
(from Dave DeVries blog, February 2007)
In Christ,
Jimmy
New Year, new you! Our theme for 2020 is Being the Church.
“Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.” — Ephesians 2:22
Pastor Jimmy will kick off the new year with his Bible study “The Story Behind the Story,” a look at the background, history, politics and other factors at work before, during and after Jesus. Groups will meet at 6 p.m. Sundays Jan. 12, 19, 26 and Feb. 2, 9 and 16 as well as at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays Jan. 15, 22, 29 and
Feb. 5, 12 and 19. All are welcome!
5 p.m. Sundays WCGym
Invite your friends and neighbors to come with you, and watch for updates
about special activities and events.
LOOKING AHEAD
Get ready for destination UMYFs this month!
There will be a Belize mission trip meeting later
this month — watch for dates.
Souper Bowl Sunday is Feb. 2, 2020.
Start watching those YouTube decorating videos now! We’ll have our annual Cupcake Wars com-
petition in mid-February.
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. — Isaiah 43:2
SUNDAY SCHOOL @ 10 in the WCGym | WORSHIP ON THE FRONT ROW @ 11 for 6th through 12th grades. Please do not be late — be considerate of your SS teachers and fellow youth
DRIVE-THRU NATIVITY More than 600 people came out over two nights to hear the story of Jesus’
birth. We couldn't have pulled off this ministry without your prayers, dona-
tions, time and effort. THANK YOU!!!
WC Youth had fun with
the kids at a Happy
Birthday Jesus celebra-
tion and at their party
and gingerbread house
decorating contest.
Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church
4495 Sandy Plains Road
Marie�a, GA 30066
770-993-4919
www.wcumc.info
January 3 Erin Smith
January 7 Kathy Rodenroth
January 8 Shawn Lambousis
January 14 Larry Posey
January 16 Marcella Butler
January 17 Josh McLaurin
January 18 Debbie Hood Sheila Pollina
January 23 Robert Brock
January 24 Meredith Barney Logan Barney Seth Phillips Nash Wright
January 25 Ray & Shirley Kalb
January 29 Tom Fitzpatrick
January 30 Chloe Reed
Contact Us 4495 Sandy Plains Road Marietta, GA 3006 (770) 993-4919 [email protected] For more information and the daily activity calen-dar, please visit us at www.wcumc.info
Rev. James W. Hood Senior Pastor [email protected]
Marcie Millholland Children & Youth Ministry, Recreation and Outreach Coordinator [email protected]
Kevin Sanders Music Director
Rosalyn Dunn Church Secretary [email protected]
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES