April 2023 Newsletter
Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!
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Stewardship Update
God is moving and doing great things here at Due West! You can read about many of them right here in the newsletter. There are also challenges to being the church, and these days one of them is financial. It is not unusual here at Due West for giving to not quite meet the budget. We have seen that before. But, our staff is very watchful of spending, and our giving has always outpaced our spending. Thus far in 2023, that has not been the case, which you can see outlined below. If you are excited about all that God is doing here at Due West, please prayerfully look at your giving. In order for us to continue all that we do for the kingdom, our giving needs to grow. We can scale back and do less, but God is at work here! If you can give a little more, that is great. Or you can invite a friend and get them excited and interested in what God is doing here! Thank you, in advance for your commitment to Christ and His Church!
Expenses & Giving through February 2023
Budgeted Expenses: $1,279,500.00
YTD Expenses: $1,352,860.43
YTD Giving: $1,267,687.29
Offering Envelopes
We are updating our list of individuals that currently receive offering envelopes.
If you are receiving the envelopes but are not using them, please email Nan Relf to be removed from the list.
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From Now On
For the last several weeks we have been looking at a passage from Luke 5 in a series called, “From now on”. As we approach Easter Sunday we see that Easter changes everything. Before the resurrection things were one way. From now on, everything is different. When Jesus conquered death, we were given the opportunity to become new creations! We will be talking about that on Easter Sunday!
The day will be filled with special services. We will begin with our Sunrise service at 7 AM. That will be followed by three traditional services in the sanctuary of Building A. 8:15, 9:45 and 11:15. As always, if you are used to coming at 11 and are willing to come to 9:45 (which will be an identical service in building A as the 11:00), please do so. That opens up more seats for visitors at 11:15. In building C at 9:45 we will have a our Modern Easter Service. Come and bring family and friends.
As we prepare for Easter, I’ve been thinking about a song called, “His heart beats.” It is written and sung by a man named Andrew Peterson. He is one of my all-time favorite Christian singer/songwriters. If you want to hear it, you can watch it here!
Here are some of the lyrics, to get you in the mood to celebrate the resurrection:
His heart beats, His blood begins to flow Waking up what was dead a moment ago
And His heart beats, now everything is changed;
Cause the blood that brought us peace with God
Is racing through His veins And His heart beats His heart beats
He breathes in, His living lungs expand
The heavy air surrounding death turns to breath again
He breathes out, He is word and flesh once more
The Lamb of God slain for us is a Lion ready to roar
And His heart beats So crown Him the Lord of Life
Crown Him the Lord of Love Crown Him the Lord of All
He took one breath And put death to death
Where is your sting, O grave? How grave is your defeat?
I know, I know His heart beats He rises, glorified in flesh
Clothed in immortality, the firstborn from the dead He rises, and His work’s already done
So He’s resting as He rises to reclaim the Bride He won
If it’s Easter Sunday, you want to be at Due West,
David Campbell
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Mark Your Calendars! Save the Date!
Sunday, September 10, 2023
In the 1960s, Byron Scott was the youth director at Maple Avenue UMC in downtown Marietta. On the way to a meeting at County Line UMC, his senior pastor pointed at a lot and said, “The Annual Conference has bought this property and will put a church here.” Byron laughed and thought the area was so sparsely populated that it made no sense. A few years later, Byron was ordained and began serving a different church. He got a call telling him he was going to start a new church - on the property he had laughed at! That is how he became the founding pastor at Due West UMC. The first service was held in 1973 at Due West Elementary School before there was even a church building. That means that THIS year, 2023, Due West United Methodist will be 50 years old!
We are planning a Homecoming celebration and need your help. Each month, we will be collecting church photos and memorabilia from a different decade. In March, we will be concentrating on events that occurred at our church in the 2000s. Please scan your photos and email them to the Homecoming Committee at homecoming@duewest.org. Your subject line needs to be: “Homecoming Photos: 2000s” Please include the Who, What, and When in the body of the email with the pictures. If you have memorabilia, simply email a description of it to the committee.
If you are able to help out with some of the costs of the celebration, you can donate online by going to the church website’s GIVE page and choosing “50th Homecoming” from the dropdown box.
We hope everyone will mark your calendar and save the date for our 50-Year Homecoming Celebration –
Sunday, September 10th, 2023!
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April 2nd: Palm Sunday
Services are occurring at the normal times and places.
April 6th: Maundy Thursday
7pm in Building A.
April 7th: Good Friday
7pm in Building A.
April 9th: Easter Sunday
Sunrise service at 7am on the large activity field.
Traditional services at 8:15, 9:45, and 11:15am in Building A
Modern service at 9:45 am in Building C.
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April 1 - VBS registration opens for volunteers and their kids
April 2 - Palm Sunday
April 6 - Maundy Thursday Service @ 7 pm
April 7 - Good Friday Service @ 7 pm
April 9 - Easter Sunday Services (7 am - Activity Field/FLC; 8:15, 9:45 & 11:15 Traditional service in Bldg. A; 9:45 Modern service in Bldg. C)
April 15 - Shred-It Event
April 15 - Parent’s Night Out
April 16 - Men’s Quarterly Breakfast
April 22 - Class of 2023 Senior Brunch
April 22 - Estate Planning Workshop
April 30 - Healing Service
Easter Flower Cross
April 7-9th
This year, we’re doing something different for the Easter Flower Cross. The cross will have a base layer of white flowers, and to add the color, we’d like for our Due West families to really make it theirs! On April 7th, the Cross will be in place in the Prayer Garden outside of Building C with the white flowers. That weekend, please come out and bring flowers with you to help decorate the cross. They can be flowers with a special significance or just your favorite kinds! This is a way to really involve everyone in the Easter celebrations, so come join us and make the cross even more beautiful!
SHRED-IT EVENT
April 15 at 10 am–12 pm
Do you have a stack of old personal documents at your house that you need to clean out?
Join us to securely destroy your unwanted personal documents in a Shred-it Mobile Shredding Truck! We will only accept paper documents! The truck will be onsite at Due West UMC near the Bldg. A Portico on Saturday, April 15, 2023 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. This is a first-come-first-served event, and there is no need to sign up in advance.
Please consider making a donation to the church to offset the cost of this service.
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Support Groups
AA Open Meeting - Sundays @ 7:00 pm (Bldg A)
AA Women’s Group - Thursdays @ 7:00 pm (Bldg A)
GriefShare - Sundays @ 6:00 pm (Bldg C)
GRASP Support Group - Second Tuesday @ 7:00 pm (Bldg C)
S.O.S. Support Group - Second Thursday @ 7:00 pm (Bldg C)
Parkinson’s Support Group - Second Sunday @ 3:00 pm
Dementia Ministry Meetings
Spouse Support Group meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 9:00 am.
Spouse Group meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm.
Family Support Group meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm.
Currently, all meetings are being held via Zoom. For more information, please email dementiaministry@duewest.org.
Weekly Exercise Classes (Bldg B)
Monday
Tone & Tighten @ 9:30 am (Nursery)
Tuesday
Pilates @ 9:30 am
Wednesday
Cardio-Sculpt @ 9:30 am (Nursery)
Pilates @ 9:30 am
Slow Flow Yoga @ 10:30 am
Thursday
Zumba @ 9:30 am
Friday
Boot Camp @ 8:30 am (Nursery)
Stretch & Tone @ 9:30 am (Nursery)
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If you would like your child to be a part of our preschool program, or if you have a neighbor or friend looking for a preschool, then you should know that the Due West UMC preschool is still accepting registrations for the 2023-2024 school year. We have limited openings in the following classes: Ones, Twos, Fours-Mon.-Fri., and Kindergarten. You are welcome to add your child to the waiting list for the other classes. If you are interested in more information or want to take a tour of our preschool, please contact Shelly Kubek or Courtney Kunkel or call the preschool office at 770-590-0982. Please pass the word to your friends and neighbors who are looking for a preschool. We have been recognized as a “Program of Excellence” by the N. GA Conference Preschool Association since 2001 and have been selected as the best Preschool in Marietta for the last 5 years in a row!
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Preschool Sunday School
Jesus is Alive
Memory Verse: “‘I am alive for ever and ever!” Revelation 1:18, NIV
1, 2, 3... it’s Easter! And we are SO excited to share with our youngest friends that Jesus is alive! We want our preschoolers to know that Jesus isn’t just a character in stories. Jesus is alive, and He wants to be their friend forever! This month, we are sharing the most important event in history with our preschoolers. Jesus changed the world, and He still has the power to change people’s lives today. Why? Because Jesus is alive!
Elementary Sunday School
Humility - putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve.
Memory Verse: “Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be humble. Value others more than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3, NIRV
We live in a “me-centered” world, where people act as if the world revolves around them. It can be hard to figure out how to be humble throughout the different circumstances we face. Thankfully, we don’t have to figure this out on our own. When Jesus was on earth, He gave us the ultimate example of humility. Jesus is God, and He put that aside for us. Through His life and death, Jesus also showed us how to serve others and put them first.
Summer Camps
From science to sports, we are excited for all of the amazing camps we have available this summer. Be sure to check out the church website and Church Center for details on how to register.
Vacation Bible School
Mark your calendars to attend Stellar VBS Monday, June 5 - Thursday, June 8. Online registration for volunteers and their children begins on April 1.
Be a Volunteer!
Volunteer to help at Stellar Vacation Bible School and help kids discover to Shine Jesus’ Light! If you have not volunteered in the past, you'll find it to be life-changing for you as well as the kids! We are searching for both adult and youth leaders. Volunteers must have finished the 6th grade, love the Lord, love children, and like to have fun. Register today!
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April Ignite Dates
April 2 - No Ignite due to Spring Break
April 9 - No Sunday School or Ignite - Happy Easter
April 16 - Summer Preview Ignite
April 23 - Ignite Youth Take Over - Disney Shower for Baby Gayler
April 30 - S'mores and Outdoor Ignite
Senior Registration
We look forward to celebrating our seniors each year in a variety of ways! Through Legacy Night where they place their handprints on the Youth Stairwell to Senior Brunch to our annual "Church Brag Book"- we love celebrating all that our seniors have accomplished! Please be sure to register your senior online for all the excitement!
Senior Brunch - Saturday, April 22
The High School Senior Graduate Brunch will take place in Sanctuary C on April 22nd from 10:30-11:30 am. This brunch is open to High School Seniors and their families, accompanied by our regular Youth Volunteers.
Kentucky Mission Trip - June 18-23
Register Here. Deadline is April 15th!
Summer Beach Camp - July 7-10
Register Here. Deadline is April 7th!
Youth Bibles
One of our favorite things to give to our students as a gift is a new Bible! We love marking big milestones with these! Some of these moments are at their infant/child baptism, in third grade, and in their youth years, a teen study Bible at the beginning of Confirmation, and at graduation, we are excited to give them a study bible!
We can only do that through faith-filled gifts from their church congregation! If you would like to make a special gift towards Bibles, you can give a check with the memo “Youth Bible Fund”.
Baby Shower for Lora
Gift cards are the easiest way to let the new mom and dad buy what they need, but you’re welcome to buy something off their registry which can be found here. There will be baskets in each narthex Sunday morning, April 23, for those who want to drop off their gifts after worship.
Youth Sunday School Series
Plot Twist
Whether it’s your favorite movie, book, or reality show, you know there's nothing like a good plot twist! Those storytelling surprises can keep us entertained, but they can do a lot more than that too. A good plot twist can make us rethink everything we thought we knew, see things in a brand new light, and get excited about what might happen next. That’s never more true than in the most surprising and significant plot twist in history — Jesus’ death and resurrection. In this six-week series, we’ll look at six surprising stories from Jesus’ death, resurrection, and last days on earth. These stories will show us that, when life takes unexpected turns, God gives us help. And even when we’ve messed up or are ready to give up, Jesus never turns away from us, but gives us life, gives us hope, is with us, and gives us another chance.
We will cover this six-week series between now and April 16th! We will meet each Sunday in March at 9:45 and 11 am in the Youth Center in the lower level of Building C. Open for all 6-12th grade students!
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Services
Apr. 2 – dwKids Choir @ 11
Apr. 16 – youth Choir @ 11
Apr. 23 – Handbells @ 8:30
Apr. 30 – Handbells @ 11
Freedom Singers
Freedom singers is a low-commitment way to join choir. Only 8 rehearsals and you can join choir to sing on Freedom Sunday, June 25. Choir Rehearsals are Wednesdays 10:30 am and/or 7:30 pm.
Youth Choir
Youth Choir is an awesome group of 6th through 12th graders who meet on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm to sing! The Youth Choir meets in the Choir Room in Building A.
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See the PDF version of the Newsletter for visuals!
April 1 - Tickets on sale for Legally Blonde Jr
April 15 - Parents’ Night Out
May 4 and 5 - Legally Blonde Jr shows
CFA is also looking for donations of sewing machines, please contact Nicole Gray if you are able to help.
Anything’s Possible
May 30th - June 2nd
Seussical Jr. Auditions
July 10th - 14th
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April Missions Newsletter
Here at Due West, we want every person to be engaged in our missions’ ministry. From the youngest to the oldest, we want to get everyone involved in serving God! We are so excited to announce that we have a new format for mission’s information.
Click here to read the NEW Missions Newsletter for April.
Click here to subscribe to our NEW Missions Monthly Newsletter.
We pray that you find a place to serve and join us as we live out our Mission Statement, “Inviting the community to join us as we Gather Together, Grow in Jesus Christ, and Go Serve.”
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Due West UMC has its very own fitness program offering classes for all levels and open to anyone age 12 and up. Classes are $4.00 (includes childcare on Monday, Wednesday & Friday) and you can find our class schedule on Facebook at Due West Adult Fitness Classes. Punch Cards are also available and cover 11 classes for $40.00. These cards are available from the class instructors.
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James 5:14, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.”
Jesus in His ministry on earth showed that He cared about the needs of the people. We are all given individual gifts to serve, help and teach. Jesus saw people as individuals and addressed their needs in spiritual and physical ways. As we follow His example, we are reminded in Matthew 25:40, “Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Just a few years ago, we trained our first class of Congregational Care Ministers to meet our congregation’s physical and spiritual needs. Today, we are blessed with nineteen CCMs who have felt the call to minister to the needs of our congregation alongside our Pastors. Our CCMs will visit when you are ill and walk alongside you as you grieve the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, or any life crisis.
CCMs are available to serve Holy Communion in your home when you are unable to come to services as well as administer healing oils which remind us of God’s presence supporting us in body, mind, and spirit. They will also send encouraging cards and notes and pray for you daily. They are present with our Pastors as they offer services of healing.
This ministry is ready and waiting to be there for you when you need us. For CCM support, please contact Pastor David Campbell or Brenda Wyatt at brendahwyatt@hotmail.com or (770) 605-3709.
Brenda Wyatt
Congregational Care Minister
GriefShare - Comforting Others
After the funeral, when the cards and flowers have stopped coming, most of the people around you return to their normal lives, but your grief continues and you may feel alone. Often, friends and family want to help you, but don't know how. That's the reason for GriefShare. GriefShare is a network of over 15,000 churches and grief support groups. Our group is led by caring people who have experienced grief due to the loss of a loved one and have successfully rebuilt their lives. We will walk with you on the long path through grief toward healing and hope for the future. The program is nondenominational and features biblical concepts for healing from your grief.
The support group meets weekly on Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Bldg. C, Room 240. The current 13-week cycle started March 26, 2023.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please contact Connie at cmm10500@gmail.com or 904-651-2732.
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Estate Planning Workshop
April 22, 2023
With the success of our first three estate planning seminars behind us, your Legacy Ministry committee is again sponsoring a “free” workshop for all who are interested in knowing more about the basics of estate planning and how to prepare the “living documents” that are associated. Whether you have a will in place or not, it is essential that as a member of Christ’s Church, you understand the laws governing wills, trusts and other estate planning devices in Georgia.
An experienced estate planning attorney will discuss some of those basics during a three-hour workshop on Saturday, April 22 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm in room 242 in Building C. All participants will have a chance to prepare and complete important “living” documents such as health care directives, living wills, and durable powers of attorney. These will be witnessed and notarized as appropriate at no expense to you.
Please sign up by clicking this link as soon as possible since we must limit the class to 14 individuals.
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Ladies’ June Tea: The 5 Senses
June 10th at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm in the Building C Sanctuary
Join us for a lovely time enjoying the 5 Senses that God provided to us.
Kim Arrowood Brady and her pastor husband are lifelong residents of West Cobb. Kim wasn't always blind, but has always put her faith in God and His blessings. She will be giving her testimony and sharing her faith journey.
Lunch will be provided.
Cost of this event is $30.00. Please register here early to ensure your spot!
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Sunday School Volunteers
dwKids Sunday School Volunteers - Contact Alicia Iles at ailes@duewest.org for details.
Join Our Usher Team
We are in need of ushers for the 11:00 am church service in Building A. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Dianne Harrison at cdharrison830@gmail.com or 678-522-4909.
Online Giving
You can give online using your smartphone, tablet or computer. Click here to begin giving through our system. Contact Amber Wilson at awilson@duewest.org if you have any questions.
Due West Market
Click here to shop! We are taking orders for congregational name tags!
Altar Flowers
Honor a loved one with altar flowers displayed in front of the pulpit on Sunday mornings. Learn More & Purchase
Prayer Requests
Need prayer? Click here to submit a prayer request!