Lunenburg United Methodist Charge

Antioch UMC Williams UMC

On our walk. . . . .

September 26, 2007

Pastor’s Message –

Revelation 14:6-11

Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation and tribe and language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Then another angel, a second, followed saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornications.” Then another angel, a third, followed them, crying with a loud voice, “Those who worship the beast and its images, and receive a mark on their foreheads, or on their hands, they will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger, and they will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its images and for anyone who receives the mark of its name.

Have you ever wondered why people get so upset in church about worship? I do not think it is coincidence that more churches have probably seriously discussed, expended countless hours, and even have split over the issue of worship. That is because it is the essence of the battle. This is a war that is raging for worshipers. This war is between God and Satan. God is seeking for worshipers; true authentic, spirit filled worshipers. Worship defines which side you are on. It reveals our allegiance, our loyalty, our commitment. We read about the kings of Israel and Judah. They turned away from God and built temples to other gods. They wouldn’t destroy them. They angered God because of their badly focused worship and they suffered. They could be called temple builders and those that listened to God we could call Savior seekers. The temple builders look at the building and say, “What a great church!” and the Savior seekers would say, “What a great Christ!” Which do you see? Because you were created for a purpose, and that purpose is to worship God; to minister to God. That is why we worship. It is what we are wired to do.

God Bless

Upcoming Events – September 20 – September 26, 2007

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM

William’s Celebration Choir practice @ Williams @ 6:30 PM

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Ladies Tea @ Williams @ 3:00 PM

Monday October 1, 2007

Revival @ Antioch @ 7:00 PM

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Revival @ Antioch @ 7:00 PM

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Revival @ Antioch @ 7:00 PM

Acts 29 Prayer Encounter

On Saturday, October 20, 2007 the Rev. Terry Teykl, a United Methodist minister and nationally known author and leader in prayer ministry, will bring his message on prayer to VUMAC. Rev Teykl will be talking about establishing a prayer ministry in the local church. Rev. Teykl’s style of incorporating humor in the message makes him sought after across the nation. He is a “prayer warrior” who believes that everything is through prayer. The seminar will begin at 8:30 am and end at 3:00 pm. The cost is $25.00 for the day and includes all materials and lunch. Attached is a registration form for those who would like to enjoy hearing Rev. Teykl.

Ladies Tea

The Ladies Tea will celebrate their 150^th Anniversary this Saturday, September 29^th at 3:00 PM. Please plan on joining them for great food and fellowship. Come and relax and just enjoy a couple of leisurely hours.

Lunenburg Charge Revival

A Revival will be held for the Lunenburg Charge on October 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd at Antioch at 7:00 PM. Rev. Ken Thrasher will be our guest speaker. Please mark your calendars for this event. See attached poster for further details.

Cookbooks are still available.  If you would like to purchase one, please contact Susan Moseley at 676-2081, Gayle Grant at 676-3531, Trudy Wilkins at 676-4458, or anyone at Antioch.  Any church member can get a copy to you for $10 each.  Over 700 copies have been sold & there are less than 20 left.  Get your copy now -- or some to give as gifts -- while they're still available!

150^th Anniversary Throws Throws are still available. These beautiful throws will make a great present for a family member. 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

Brunswick Stew On Saturday, October 6 the UMW will be cooking a stew. It should be ready between 11 and 12 noon. If you would like to order please call Francis Bacon or Nannie Sue Dawson.

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. Evening Bible study will continue on September 24, at 7:00PM. We will be continuing to read and study Genesis with a particular look at the historical view of the writers. If you would like to join us come on over, Monday @ 7:00PM at Antioch. The reading assignment for this week is Genesis 33-40.

The Methodist Way

If God lives as community and we are created in God’s image, we are intended to live in community. God’s people model that community. Christians call the community “Church.” The Confession of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church (remember: one of the denominations that formed the United Methodist Church) says this about the Church:

We believe the Christian Church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. We believe it is one, holy, apostolic, and catholic. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by (persons) divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ’s own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

Let’s take a walk through that statement of belief:

Community: The Christian Church it is made up of relationships held in common. It is one community, not one of many communities.

All true believers: The presence of authentic faith is essential for the existence of the Church. Boundaries are not those of class, race, ethnic background, nationality or gender.

Lordship of Christ: The life and mission of the Church is an expression of the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Decisions of the Church are to be measured by Jesus Christ.

One: The unity of the Church is in Jesus Christ. Although human frailty has led to fragmentation of the Church, it is God’s will that it will be one.

Holy: The Church is called to be different, what the King James Version of the Bible called “a peculiar people.” The difference is a personal and a social holiness (standards set apart from the world).

Apostolic: The Church stands in solidarity with the witness of the apostles. The teaching of Church is to be the teaching of the apostles.

Catholic: Because of the wide presence of the Roman Catholic Church some persons believe that the term “catholic” applies only to that group of Christians. NOT SO! The word “catholic” simply means universal, embracing an invitation to all people and expressing the fullness of faithful teaching.

Redemptive Fellowship: The Church is the community ordinarily used by God to present the claim of the Gospel and ordinarily used by God to move people onto faith and holy living.

“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.

Please keep the following families in your prayers:

Marjorie Thompson	Dorothy Shields	Bertha Arthur
Wanda & Jimmy Chumney	Sarah Agnes Callis	Jeffrey Hendricks
Earl "Chuckie” Barnes	Rev. Al Green	Paul & Argy Turner
Edna & Wilson Bagley	Christian Sutton	Maria Kay
“B” & Teewah Hayes	Lillian Parks	Frances Hawthorne
Elizabeth Biggerstaff	Sheila Cage	J.B. Morris
Harry & Margaret Smith	Sara Sutton	Tommy Cage
Ellen & John Gentry	Bernard Bottoms	Our Military
Walter B. Moseley	Donna Clary	Martha G. White
Becky Eades & family	Neil Barnes	Joe N. Coleman
Family of Ronald Martin	Eddie Slagle	Gayle Grant
Phyllis Goin

If you have anyone who is in need of prayer, please place their names on the Prayer List and lift up their names in prayer during worship service and throughout the week.

Welcome:

On Sunday September 2, 2007 we welcomed a new member at each church. At Antioch we welcomed Brenda Barnes as an affiliate member and at Williams we welcomed Betty Yerby as a professing member. Let us all remember our own vows of membership: “As members of this congregation we will faithfully participate in its ministries by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

In the Library

Out To Canaan
The Fourth Novel in the beloved Mitford Series

Millions of readers have found a home in Mitford, the little town with the big heart. Now, change is coming to the village. Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his wife are pondering the murky uncertainties of retirement; a brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development; a shady realtor with plans for a health spa is eyeing the beloved house on the hill; and, worst of all, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing. Meanwhile, ordinary people engage in the extraordinary struggle of keeping body and soul together.
Featuring a lovable cast of new and familiar characters, Out to Canaan is filled to the brim with the wonders that make everyday life worth living, and that make Mitford one of the most memorable small towns in recent literature.

The Walk to Emmaus

This week we continue our new series about “The Walk to Emmaus”. Please welcome Betsey Hendricks and Betty Yerby back from their “Walk”. The following information comes from “What Is Emmaus?” We hope you find it informative and we hope it clears up any misconception there may be about the Walk to Emmaus.

Rev Ed

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and walked with them.

-Luke 24:15

_T

he Walk to Emmaus gets its name from the story in Luke 24:13-35, which provides the central image for the three-day experience and follow-up. Luke tells the story of that first Easter afternoon when the risen Christ appeared to the two disciples who were walking together along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Like Christians and churches who are blinded by preoccupation with their own immediate difficulties, these two disciples' sadness and hopelessness seemed to prevent them from seeing God's redemptive purpose in things that had happened.

And yet, the risen Christ" came near and went with them," opening the disciples' eyes to his presence and lighting the fire of God's love in their hearts. As they walked to Emmaus, Jesus explained to them the meaning of all the scriptures concerning himself. When they arrived in Emmaus, Jesus "took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them;' and their eyes were opened. They recognized him as Jesus, the risen Lord, and they remembered how their hearts had burned within them as they talked with him on the road. Within the hour, the two disciples left Emmaus and returned immediately to their friends in Jerusalem. As they told the stories about their encounters with the risen Lord, Jesus visited them again with a fresh awareness of his living presence

However, the story of Jesus' resurrection does not conclude with the disciples' personal spiritual experiences. Jesus ascended to the Father, and the disciples became the body of the risen Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The disciples were sent forth by the Spirit to bear witness to the good news of God in Jesus Christ. They learned to walk in the spirit of Jesus, to proclaim the gospel to a disbelieving world. And to persevere in grace through spiritual companionship with one another.

The Walk to Emmaus offers today's disciples a parallel opportunity to rediscover Christ's presence in their lives, to gain fresh understanding of God's transforming grace, and to form friendships that foster faith and support spiritual maturity. While Emmaus provides a pathway to the mountaintop of God's love, it also supports the pilgrims' return to the world in the power of the Spirit to share the love they have received with a hurtful and hurting world.

Remember: The most important things in your home are the people.

Have a Blessed Week

Attachments: Acts 29 Prayer Encounter

Revival Poster

MARK THIS DATE October 20, 2007

ACTS 29 PRAYER ENCOUNTER Terry Teykl

Renewal Ministries Blueprint for the House of Prayer Building Prayer Ministry in the Local Church

A United Methodist pastor and nationally-known author and leader in prayer ministry, Terry Teykl's warm humorous style makes him one of the most sought after speakers and seminar leaders in the country.

"Sometimes as Christians we wind things up so tight that we break them. But prayer is God's idea. Our responsibility is to participate, not produce ... God makes it work" - Terry Teykl

Location: Virginia United Methodist Assembly Center, Blackstone, Virginia Date and Times: Saturday, October 20 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 per person (includes $15 for book and materials, and $10 for lunch, snacks, and facilities)

Accommodations: overnight accommodations and meals are available at VUMAC for those who wish to arrive

on Friday. Rates are as follows: Lodging - $32.55 Supper - $7.75 Breakfast - $5.25

REGISTRATION

Please make check payable to: VUMAC

Mail to: VUMAC, 707 Fourth Street, Blackstone, VA 23824

For more information call: 434-292-5308

Name ____________________________

Address __________________________

__________________________

Phone # ____________________

_____ I plan to be here for the Prayer Conference. I am requesting Friday supper at 6:00 p.m. I plan to lodge on Friday

_____ I am requesting Sat. breakfast at 8:00 a.m.

REVIVAL

Antioch UMC

3489 South Hill Rd Kenbridge

Speaker: Rev. Ken Thrasher

Mon. Oct 1 7:00 pm

Tues. Oct 2 7:00 pm

Wed. Oct 3 7:00 pm

Special Music: Oct. 1 Ariel Thomas

Oct. 2 Gloryland Quartet

Oct. 3 Brenda Susi

Refreshments will be served