׉?ׁB!בCטHHu׉׉ 7cassandra://v-R96IaegE55NwGZb_ray8RQ7Ur8gncBK3IWOoG-F9Eg`$t׉ 7cassandra://5YUuwWrwmTQCYglE4RkbvDHqNmrHgPLdz77pcJB-9o4͑P`׉ 7cassandra://N66_pCKJC2tPmHR4idZkqdDs6Fq9TUrwJILalMDmNG804`׉ 7cassandra://PFx9SXpkTPXLYb9O1WJAPs8VXPe8a1wuF5Fw6aZrq3M v8͠^, kď|טHu׈b׈E^, kďr׉E4Wesley United Methodist Church July 2020 Newsletter ׉ 7cassandra://N66_pCKJC2tPmHR4idZkqdDs6Fq9TUrwJILalMDmNG804`^, kďs^, kďrבCטHu׉׉ 7cassandra://VKEVRa9ytCQivic1J-lcgtqqK2BtNCrptRhEKGxuJIQg`$t׉ 7cassandra://plhc3dyt3-4Ak4DDxWds3Is9PwyRaT_AhAfIXtodcE4͙`׉ 7cassandra://vpyV5txoC_jSGbwrm6shFbHjuo4zwYTFANOq8UiiEUc'`׉ 7cassandra://fRGC_XUTW0PpAunZaoUjoXfQS_1PM4llesr26uMubng4h͠^, kďטHHu׉׉ 7cassandra://EQQxTcwvu5ZgB7n2al90RT51FoVYFiQwqJpaeMNq9gI`$t׉ 7cassandra://85vMEVjuCNnlDUBlg8yh9oqtl31AJVGJTPrWPiF4Pqg\$`׉ 7cassandra://OPsgTzgfIa_x-o1PPlTjuGLlKiZZ9bFsQwLtDA2icro H`׉ 7cassandra://JLMwtVaCHK2QEClI9HIfPgl5WWqQA6bRR-3ouBgF0cQE̠͠^, kď׉E From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zeke “New” “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17 In this moment in our lives, things have become quite serious and frightening. The reality of Covid-19 as affecting people we know has come front and center. My prayer that “everyone is safe and well” is more fervent than ever. It is interesting to see the different reactions people have to a global pandemic. Some are doing their best to follow guidelines and be as safe as possible while others feel things should just go back to the way they were before the virus. I cannot presume to think that this virus does not affect me personally or we, as a church corporately. I mourn not being able to see everyone, interact with folks, and see the body connecting and interacting with one another. It as if part of who we are as a community of faith has been taken from us. To some extent, I think that very well may be true. As I reflect on our new “normal”, I wonder, with some significant anxiety, what church will look like in the future. I am certain it will be different and know that is not altogether a bad thing. So what are we to do, to think, to believe? First and foremost, we must remember that God is still God. In control, all-loving, and all-powerful. We must remember the power of God, through Christ, working within the presence of the Holy Spirit is in our lives. This affords us the opportunity to evaluate what is truly important in our lives and in the lives of those we love. It must remind us that we are loved and cherished by God. We must be creative about how we live out our faith. 2 Corinthians 5:17 has been on my heart and my mind in these past few weeks. It is filled with such hope. A hope that God is still creating newness in our lives. Of us, as people of faith, hope is not something fragile. We are in a place and time when we need a whole lot of hope. As Christians, regardless of the situation, there is always hope. So if and when you find yourself overwhelmed with our current reality, may you know with confidence, that we always have hope which is found in Jesus Christ. There is always the light of Christ that is shining in the dark places of our lives. I love each of you and pray for abundant hope and newness in your lives. -Keep the Faith Strong, Pastor Zeke Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://vpyV5txoC_jSGbwrm6shFbHjuo4zwYTFANOq8UiiEUc'`^, kďt׉EcDrive-In Church Page 2 In-person Worship Update: I’m sure by now you have all received either an email, a letter in the mail, or saw the update on Facebook but if you by some chance did not, after much prayer and careful consideration the Wesley relaunch team has decided to push back our reopening until the end of July. We are thankful for everyone’s input, prayers and of course patience as we wade through these uncharted waters. In the meantime we hope to see everyone at our Drive-In Church Service and of course join us on our Live Stream on the Wesley Facebook page. Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://OPsgTzgfIa_x-o1PPlTjuGLlKiZZ9bFsQwLtDA2icro H`^, kďu^, kďtבCטHu׉׉ 7cassandra://ack98xP-EmeGhQmmi7pVgStevwFcFoUg0qCju6B8KvgG`$t׉ 7cassandra://0qVTqB5o56hpLoM5LfEDE7lplKLMked2HiNYeaBTz1Ù`׉ 7cassandra://5L9OjDsw5hvX7GUs_fAJgtzIiI7ygEmCCtuzFlB6EY8#E`׉ 7cassandra://ERK4ioInc6qxFGgYSmtXsTAO9h7hAaNBnEYDfvLsjrU͠^, kďטHHu׉׉ 7cassandra://_DTvtUI4sEkTqFTURleMNDQUJrRI1NCPHgP-8aWDROY)`$t׉ 7cassandra://sX5U1LSRp8BQ9U0OSxVTBurw6p1sFROfw1d1Ls-mEjQ͒`׉ 7cassandra://7LdFOXZZSgCCDhZ3K5Q0vTc-Vy1MDT728gnI3z6uITM/`׉ 7cassandra://CC8PoUUwIQa6AJzhC6zns1i-E6a_NCtKGkZiUlA1JwE Da͠^, kď׉EMusic Ministry Page 3 Greetings!!! Greetings, Wesley UMC Family!!! I often wonder what he thought as he sat there. He had been told to do something profound, something that defied explanation and that no one else had ever had to do before. It was something that seemed so difficult and at times so ridiculous. More than that, he had been told that if he did not do this thing, he and his family would be in danger. So, there he sat. He had been shut in for weeks, seeing the same faces everyday with nowhere to go and nothing to do but the chores that were available to him. He had no doubt grown weary of the worry, the complaining, the arguing. There was truly no end in sight to his misery. It seemed like the world was ending. And then the dove returned. The story of Noah reminds me so much of our current situation. It is no doubt easy to look around at the misery and the suffering and a world that seems intent on imploding. But I think that it is times like this that narrow our focus and help us to spot those blessings that might otherwise go unnoticed. Never before have I gotten such pleasure out of something so simple as a vegetable garden. I find myself going out two or three times a day to commune with my plants, to visit them and see how they are getting along in their day. I hope that each of you, too, is finding some sort of small blessing that you had not realized was there before. If not, look around. I know you can find one!!! My pontificating done, I want to invite everyone to the drive-in service this Sunday. I think the last one went very well and was very enjoyable for everyone!!! Just make sure you get out of Rhonda's way at communion time! :-) Yours in Christ, Shane Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://5L9OjDsw5hvX7GUs_fAJgtzIiI7ygEmCCtuzFlB6EY8#E`^, kďv׉EQMissions Page 4 Sweet Potato planting - I want to say a HUGE “Thank you” to everyone who came out and helped plant sweet potato slips at Carnall Elementary in June. 16 people, ranging in ages from 6-77, planted a 1/2 acre of slips in an hour and a half. Our anticipated harvest date is mid-September. Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://7LdFOXZZSgCCDhZ3K5Q0vTc-Vy1MDT728gnI3z6uITM/`^, kďw^, kďvבCטHu׉׉ 7cassandra://nipvwCX1EiCOsem0s711y_5E5S2bNxzaaXaLJX2LEPA`$t׉ 7cassandra://stk-R_xuwKPs35vMpG9_H8_HCt5P7PGN0K5B1eU6Vgg͇`׉ 7cassandra://kjS6YtGBXY_8NhGvRVUrVyBh2bLl-N_E--VxC9CP-q8$~`׉ 7cassandra://lVjRTMFnUpzfgQSQVr6bbSA4oToOp63-GIHL5zQwZ0I d͠^, kďטHHu׉׉ 7cassandra://AP7Vc4G8cAC2uCCRkU2M5BJDHVH_mZ7USzsW6XDftUw`$t׉ 7cassandra://6drxOje1xsZtTVY019AXtT802qMfDF1CSVuEkvVQOtQ͇`׉ 7cassandra://rbzzRiz0OdFYAlhcBmcZslWQbq2Lk05vn_P39K86m6U%`׉ 7cassandra://a3_-z4C_la_uUIKkxxYThn2yHNdFLF-8nd_f9SZ-KCYh͠^, kďנ^, kď!=̭9ׁHhttp://UMC.org/EndRacismׁ ׁ Јנ^, kďL̮9ׁHhttp://UMC.org/EndRacismׁ ׁ Јנ^, kď(̲9ׁHhttp://UMC.org/EndRacism.ׁ ׁ Ј׉EfDismantling Racism Page 5 United Methodist Communications Office of Public Information FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2020 Nashville, Tennessee: United Methodist Church leaders will launch a plan of action to galvanize church members and others to actively stand against racism in the wake of the George Floyd and protests across the U.S. The “Dismantling Racism: Pressing on to Freedom” initiative is a multi-level effort throughout the church to initiate a sustained and coordinated effort to dismantle racism and promote collective action to work toward racial justice. The church-wide effort will kick off on June 19, 2020, to coincide with Juneteenth, the commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. An announcement from members of the United Methodist Council of Bishops will be broadcast at 11:00 am CT on UMC.org/EndRacism and Facebook. Participating in the event will be Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of the Louisiana Episcopal Area, president of the Council of Bishops and the first Hispanic woman to hold that post, Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi of the Pittsburgh Episcopal Area, Bishop Bruce Ough of the Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area, Bishop Gregory Palmer of the Ohio West Episcopal Area, and Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the New York Episcopal Area. “Words are great, words are important – but action is really important,” said Bishop Harvey. “Pick up your pen, pick up your voice, pick up your feet, and do something.” A day of prayer and worship will follow on June 24, 2020, with an online service to be broadcast at noon CT on UMC.org/EndRacism and Facebook. There will also be a denominational virtual town hall event on July 1. Regional and local worship events and town hall meetings involving community partners will subsequently take place, either online or in keeping with social distancing protocols. Wesley UMC Newsletter Continued on page 6 July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://kjS6YtGBXY_8NhGvRVUrVyBh2bLl-N_E--VxC9CP-q8$~`^, kďx׉EDismantling Racism Continued, Devotional & SS Materials , Shoal Creek Page 6 Continued from page 5 Advocacy and worship resources will seek to equip leaders, members, and the public to join in this important racial relations work. To encourage wide participation, a variety of materials will be made available in English, Korean, Spanish, French, and Portuguese translations. The denomination has a long-standing history of advocating for justice. The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church recognize racism as a sin and commit to challenging unjust systems of power and access. Additional information and resources are available online at UMC.org/EndRacism. Hey Campers! We regret to inform you that the District Day Camp, and the Great Adventure camp have been cancelled for this year. We thought by now the virus would be slowing, but to err on the side of caution, we are needing to cancel. We will try to plan something for the fall, if this virus slow by then. Please continue to support the camp with your prayers and gifts as summer camps create most of our income for the entire year, so with the cancellation of most camps, our income will be down considerably. Hope to see you soon! Devotional & Sunday School Materials Upper Room Devotional materials for July and August as well as Quarterly Adult Bible Study materials are both available at the office. Either one can be delivered to your front porch by calling the church office or you can pick them up Monday-Thursday 9:00am-12:00pm. Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://rbzzRiz0OdFYAlhcBmcZslWQbq2Lk05vn_P39K86m6U%`^, kďy^, kďxבCטHu׉׉ 7cassandra://90pTF_ISfsGMtMMgP7fAnT0FdaipNxd63ZkZd-DsLYEW`$t׉ 7cassandra://Xi53Dda3dAQGo7aS3QgJfGBJuHXK9GdE4mTDByqa2F8x`׉ 7cassandra://jha3f3btbkFK4hcEPDCGA0iONExlJ6AqzJPb6_aH7Nw*`׉ 7cassandra://k6hnVxsfWSWVIyLKWfI2xv6cBRHuflP2q15YqQS5rBs t͠^, kďנ^, kď 9ׁHmailto:Wesleyumcfs@yahoo.comׁ ׁ Јנ^, kď5 9ׁH mailto:carrielynn12983@gmail.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EWe hope your Holiday is safe and full of The Wesley UMC Newsletter goes out at the first of each month. If there is anything you would like submitted in the newsletter, please send the information to Carrie Miller (carrielynn12983@gmail.com) or the church office at Wesleyumcfs@yahoo.com. Wesley United Methodist Church 2200 Phoenix Ave., Fort Smith, AR 72901 479-646-9702 Wesley UMC Newsletter July 2020 ׉ 7cassandra://jha3f3btbkFK4hcEPDCGA0iONExlJ6AqzJPb6_aH7Nw*`^, kďz׈E^, kď{^, kďz,July 2020 Newsletter^ۙbb>