Deep Waters

I love the story of Luke 5:1-11. Take some time to read it. Read it slowly. Close your eyes and imagine the scene, then read it again. There is more there than we can cover in one article. But let me point out just one part of the story. Jesus is teaching by the Sea of Galilee and the crowds coming to listen to Him continue to grow. Backed up to the water, He gets in a boat. Then He sits down and teaches from there. The boat belonged to a fisherman named Simon Peter.

There is no record of how long He taught. There is also no record of what He said. I wish there were. For all the recorded teachings of Jesus we have in the gospels, there is so much more that was not written down. Wouldn’t you love to know what He said as He sat in the boat?

We do know that when He finished speaking, Jesus looked at the owner of the boat and said, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” It seems odd, doesn’t it? A carpenter telling a fisherman when, where and how to fish! If you were the drummer of the band, would you think it appropriate to tell the guitar player how to play? If you are a defensive lineman on a football team, are you going to tell the center how to snap the ball? If you are a salesman at a car dealership, are you going to tell the mechanic how to replace a transmission? And yet here is a carpenter telling a fisherman how to fish!

But Jesus is more than a carpenter. He is God in the flesh. He created the sea and the fish. If He says, “Put out into deep water…”, it’s probably a pretty good idea. And that is what He says, “Put out into deep water...” He said it to Simon Peter. But it is still in the gospels, so I believe He is saying it to us as well.

This month is the beginning of Lent. Ash Wednesday is February 22nd. (Make plans to come join us for our Ash Wednesday service!) Lent is that season of the church year when we talk about things like “repentance” and “self-examination.” As we move towards Easter, we “put out into deep water…”

This year, we will spend some time looking at this story from Luke 5. It will be our scripture on the very first Sunday of Lent. And though we will hear many other scriptures in the season, we will keep this one before us right up to Easter Sunday.

Life is busy. We all know that. But as we get closer to Lent, take a moment and take a deep breath. Get ready to look deeply at the story of Jesus. Prepare to launch out into the deep.It is what Jesus said. And I don’t think it was a suggestion!

If it’s Sunday, you want to be at Due West!

David

ACTS 13:18 “Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness.”

So there you have it! God put up with the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness. I can only assume that many of you in the congregation must have felt this way as you patiently waited for the Building A roof to be completed! You so graciously “waited” and “put up with” an unforeseeably lengthy process. Although, the Trustees did appreciate the many suggestions about changing the blue tarps to match the colors of the seasons!

To recap this arduous journey, way back in the spring of 2022, the Trustees made the decision to move forward on the roof project. We were experiencing way too many leaks all around the buildings and the problem had reached a point where there really was no other decision. We needed to move forward on the roof project for Building A. At that time, the church leadership asked that we each prayerfully consider making a designated gift to help pay for this project, and you all responded in true Due West fashion. The price we were quoted was $95,000, and in a matter of weeks, we raised more than we needed. The total that was given was $110,000.

Then the fun started, Peachtree Roofing found gypsum (think drywall-type material) and a metal frame system under the shingles instead of a traditional OSB (plywood) and wood framing. This discovery stopped all work until we could formulate a new plan. It took time to determine the best course of action – which was to remove the gypsum and replace it with OSB decking. We then had to hire a structural engineer to ensure our plan was sound. This took some time. We then had to get our plan approved by both the Cobb County Fire Marshal's office as well as the Cobb Building Inspector’s office. This took months.

Due to the change in materials and installation process, we had to bring in another company to handle the tear off and re-decking. We were blessed to be able to hire S&K Roofing to handle this first phase, and Peachtree Roofing came back to handle the process of installing the shingles. At one point, there were 42 people up on the roof working! Both companies worked very well together and were able to complete the process in under 10 days. With the unexpected added expense, the entire cost of the project finalized at $173,250. Monies in the Building Fund were used to make up the shortfall.

We cannot thank you, the congregation, enough for your generosity, patience and prayers. This entire project took so long that we actually had two different heads of Trustees involved! We owe a huge thanks to both Adam Glass and Robert Mooney for their time, diligence and expertise, as well as to the entire Board of Trustees!

I firmly believe that not every congregation could or would have “weathered this storm” with the grace that you did. We are part of a very special church family. And when we stand together in faith, we continue to prove that nothing is impossible.

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 February, we will be concentrating on events that occurred at our church in the 1980s. Please scan your photos and email them to the Homecoming Committee at homecoming@duewest.org. Your subject line needs to be: “Homecoming Photos: 1980s” 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.

We hope everyone will mark your calendar and save the date for our 50 Year Homecoming Celebration – Sunday, September 10th, 2023!

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
Senior Fit @ 11:30 am

Thursday

Zumba @ 9:30 am

Friday

Boot Camp @ 8:30 am (Nursery)
Stretch & Tone @ 9:30 am (Nursery)

Preschool registration for the 2023-2024 school year continues in the preschool office. Please contact Shelly Kubek or Courtney Kunkel at 770-590-0982 or email skubek@duewest.org or ckunkel@duewest.org if you are interested in scheduling a tour or requesting more information. We offer classes for children ages 1 through Kindergarten. You can also access more information on our church website.

Preschool Sunday School

Memory Verse: “How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:18, NIV

Have you noticed any heart-shaped candy boxes or giant teddy bears in stores yet? It’s that time of year when we do extra special things to show people how much we love them. One sweet way to do that has always been with candy hearts. Candy hearts are such a fun way to show someone you love them, which goes perfectly with what we are teaching preschoolers this month. After all, everything Jesus did while He was on earth was to show us how much He loves us. And if there’s one thing we really want preschoolers to know, it’s that Jesus loves them!

Elementary Sunday School

Respect - Showing others they are important by what you say and do.

Memory Verse: “Do to others as you want them to do to you.” Luke 6:31, NIRV

We often think about respect in terms of vertical relationships we have with others—respect for parents, teachers, and people in authority. Those are important, but equally important are the more horizontal relationships we have with people, like siblings, friends, and even people we may not get along with. This idea of valuing others and having mutual respect is seen all throughout Scripture and is a necessary way to communicate with others and demonstrate God’s love to them.

We see throughout Scripture that all people have value because they were created in God’s image. God values us and wants a forever relationship with us. God sent Jesus to make that possible. We follow God’s example when we show others that they have value too.

dwCrew is a specialized time of fun, learning, and service for 3rd-5th graders. Please contact Joyia Buckelew at jbuckelew@duewest.org for further details.

February 5 (12:00-1:30) - Super Bowl Party

February 12 (12:30-2:00) - Central Gymnastics

February 26 (12:00-1:30) - Slime

Wonderfully Made: Loved by God

The preteen years are tough. Changes are happening to these youth physically, mentally, and emotionally which makes it hard to know exactly what’s going on. Wonderfully Made provides kids ages 10–12 the opportunity to not only ask questions about growing up, but to get faith-based answers as well. This program covers physical development and spiritual connection while helping preteens establish a foundation for their life in Christ.

Wonderfully Made is a 3-day course for 5th & 6th grade students and their parents: Thursday evening (parents), Friday evening (students), all day Saturday (students in the am, ALL in the afternoon for lunch)

Coming February 9 - 11; Registration is currently full but you can use the link below to join the waitlist.

**We are still in need of volunteers. If you are a parent of a child coming up, this would be a great opportunity to learn more about the program before your child attends. Please contact Alicia Iles at ailes@duewest.org for more information.

Wonderfully Made Waitlist

On the Flip Side

A 4-WEEK STUDY FROM THE PROPHETS & GOSPELS ON JUSTICE

When Jesus was on earth, he wasn’t exactly known for telling people what they wanted to hear. Jesus’ message was unlike any message people had ever heard before. He didn’t give shallow motivational speeches or feel-good sermons. He didn’t recycle the same messages other religious leaders were teaching. He flipped people’s ideas about God, the world, and themselves completely upside down — usually in uncomfortable ways. And that’s always how God’s words have worked! In this four-week series, we’ll compare Jesus’ words in the Gospels with the words of the Old Testament prophets to see how God’s words have always challenged our understanding of what’s wrong or right, good or bad, and just or unjust. We’ll talk about how, both then and now, God flips our assumptions about who God values, our definition of righteousness, our understanding of what’s good enough, and our definition of justice.

We will meet each Sunday morning at 9:45 and 11 am in the Youth Center in the basement of Building C! Open to 6th-12th grade students!

IGNITE FEBRUARY DATES

Join us on Sunday Nights for fellowship, food, and fun! Bring a friend (or two)! Requested dinner donation is $3! 5:30-7:30pm in the Youth Center

2/5 - Regular Ignite! 5:30-7:30 pm

2/12 - No Evening Youth due to Super Bowl

2/19 - No Evening Youth due to Cobb Winter Break and Youth Disney trip

2/26 - Regular Ignite! 5:30-7:30 pm

Spiritual Life Retreat open until Feb 25th!

Summer Beach Retreat! Save the date! Registration opens soon!

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Parent’s Night Out

February 11th

Anything’s Possible

May 30th - June 2nd

Registration opens March 1st

Seussical Jr. Auditions

July 10th - 14th

Registration opens March 1st

Women's Ministry Ladies Night Out

Come enjoy an evening of fellowship and dessert while we make Heart Thumbprint Ceramic ware.

Meet us in the classroom off the FLC from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm on February 9th.

Rooted - Growing - Blooming

Come join us for the weekend of March 10th - 12th at The Ridges Resort in Young Harris.

Bloom where you are planted. In God's hand, every situation prepares us for the next season of life. The love of God has been poured into our hearts by His spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted us and directed us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His providence.

We are excited to have our speaker this year, Dawn Mooring. She will be leading us on "Where are you going, do you know you are HIS" as we study scripture about being ROOTED in Christ - GROWING in Christ - BLOOMING in Christ.

Sign up now for our March Retreat!

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.

We at Due West UMC have a special relationship with four scouting-related youth organizations. We as a church agree to provide a safe place to meet and help select key adult leadership and our partner organizations provide training. Each unit is then responsible for being self-sustaining. You may not know it, but two of our four chartered organizations (Cub Scout Pack 540 and Boy Scout Troop 540) have been part of our church’s history since its inception in 1973, the year of our founding. These units will be celebrating their 60th year of service to youth in 2024. While the pandemic of the last couple of years negatively impacted many units throughout Cobb County to the point of actual closure, we at Due West encouraged our chartered units to work through the challenges. They not only survived the obstacles but became stronger in their ability to capitalize on new opportunities. Consequently, their programs have become a beacon of success in the community thanks to creative and determined adult volunteers.

Last fall, BSA Pack 540, which serves boys and girls from ages 5 through 10, grew to more than 100 Scouts concluding the year with their biggest family campout ever. Their annual Pinewood Derby, which just ended, registered more than 80 youth-built cars. With 17 adult leaders in place and more signing up monthly, Pack 540 is on course to provide an outstanding program in 2023, culminating with their annual Blue & Gold banquet.

Troop 540 continues to sustain one of the most respected programs for boys ages 11-18 in the Atlanta Area Council, producing another fine crop of seven Eagle Scouts in 2022 (189 to date). Nearly 70 Scouts all earned merit badges, made rank advancements, contributed hundreds of service hours, and enjoyed the fellowship of a Scouting unit that is youth led. A significant number of boys attend Woodruff Scout Camp every summer. Such a camp experience is often one of the fondest memories that a Scout carries with them for a lifetime. The Troop also offered older boys the opportunity to participate in two radically different High Adventure programs – Northern Tier in Minnesota, where the temperature upon landing was forecast to be -37 degrees but perfect for ice fishing, dog sledding and snowshoe trekking versus Sea Base in the Florida Keys and the Virgin Islands where trekkers could spend time learning to sail, fishing for lobster with a net and tickle sticks and snorkeling around multiple coves and coral reefs. Several of their Scouts achieved local and national recognition this year for their fundraising prowess. A Scout is THRIFTY and the troop always offers fundraising opportunities so that members can work to earn their way through these terrific trips. The outdoor classroom is an invaluable component of the Scouting program. All told – Troop 540 Scouts went places, saw things, and enjoyed experiences in and around our community that most never get to enjoy.

Our Scouts BSA Troop 5400 is just 3 years old but is growing by leaps and bounds both in youth members (140% year over year) and adult volunteers. This troop serves girls ages 11-18. They welcomed Arrow of Light Scouts from several nearby Packs including our very own Pack 540 and 95% attended summer camp, exceeding all expectations. The girls had a great time earning merit badges, learning skills, and making memories. The troop continues to participate and competes well in Council camporees and local Lake Allatoona campouts. Trained Scouts are better prepared, so Troop 5400 facilitated their first Introduction to Leadership Skills in the Fall. Additionally, they had 1 Scout selected to staff a course for National Youth Leadership Training and another Scout selected to participate. In April they held their first elections for induction into the Order of the Arrow and had 4 Scouts and 1 leader complete the process. Troop 5400 has built a great foundation for future success.

Our American Heritage Girls (AHG) Troop 4224 offers a Christ-centered program of character development serving girls ages 5-18 dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country. Founded in 2013, Troop 4224 will celebrate 10 years this year with 39 girl members and 32 adult members. This year’s theme is SHINE based on Matthew 5:14-16. This faith event reinforced in their members the importance of being the light of Christ in their world. God created the stars to SHINE in the sky. He also created His light to SHINE within each of His followers; a reflection of the salvation He brings! He reminds us through scripture that even in the darkest night, we can reflect His light. The light we share through Christ reminds us of His love. We are encouraged to share His light by shining brightly for others so that they might experience His love too. September 17th was AHG’s National Day of Service. The girls put handmade items in Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes, created gift packages to bless our Noah’s Ark Sunday School class, and sewed quilted covers for NICU beds at Kennestone Hospital. Then the troop raised sponsorships for over 340 wreaths in December that they and others placed on veteran graves in Marietta’s National Cemetery. Sarah Joy Sasser was asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at the Wreaths Across America ceremony, and recently completed her requirements for the prestigious Stars & Stripes award (equivalent to Scouting’s Eagle award), the first in the Troop’s history.

Due West’s chartered units continue to earn the highest ranking amongst their peers nationally. These outreach ministries are alive and well here at Due West. To learn more about these various programs go to www.duewest.org/Scouting.

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. We 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.

We 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. We send encouraging cards and notes and pray for you daily. We are present with our Pastors as they offer services of healing.

Our 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

Aristotle is generally credited with giving us the saying “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

As I’ve prayed for our church, for your families, for my family, for the untold individuals and families that our Missions Ministry has helped and will hopefully continue to help, this concept has become more and more clear to me as to how it describes our calling as Christians in the mission field.

Our Missions Ministry has always tried to be one based on diversity of service and being responsive to the hearts and concerns of the congregation as a whole. In other words, the mission opportunities should be reflective of what’s on all of our hearts.

I hope that you and your family will take time to read the Weekly Insight and the monthly newsletter email, and learn about all your church has to offer. Pray that God will provide you the opportunity to “be part of the whole”… part of His plan.

-Mark Hellman

2023 Mission Trips

Keep checking back for more, but these are currently on the books!

Youth Sports Camp in Sweetwater, Tennessee:

Do you enjoy coaching and leading youth activities? Join us for our second year with the International Sports Federation, where we will help lead a community wide “all sports” camp in this great community. We are looking for teenagers and adults with a heart for spreading the gospel through sports and coaching! June 3rd-7th. Contact Mark Hellman for more information.

Family Mission Day:

All ages are welcome! Join us on Sunday afternoon, February 26th, here at the church from 1:30-3:00 pm. We will meet in the Family Life Center (Building B) immediately following dwCrew at 1:30 pm. We will be making placements and lunch sacks to support our mission partner, Table on Delk. The decorated placemats are used when they feed their guests, and the lunch sacks are taken out to the hotels in that area. Contact Millie Skinner for questions.

Together for Families Work Day:

Parents and kids 1st through 8th grade. Join us on Saturday, March 5th, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm at Together for Families facility as we help pack kits, sort clothes, and make food boxes. Together for Families is located at 1301 Shiloh Rd. NW Unit 850, Kennesaw, GA 30144.

Community Adopt-a-Block with Front Line Response:

March 11th, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Mark your calendars now! More info to come! Join us as we work with our partner Front Line Response as we help host a block party for kids! This is a great event for teens or middle school kids and a parent. Once Front Line has picked a place, we will let you know!

Cold Weather Shelter

Due West Cold Weather Shelter - We’re looking for a few good men! Due West is now an official overflow shelter for MUST Ministries when the weather gets bitterly cold. We are looking for MALE volunteers to spend the night in Building B when there is very cold weather predicted. Training will be provided. If you are interested in serving in this way, please contact Mark Hellman.

CALLING ALL MUSICIANS!

Are you an instrumentalist or singer who would enjoy getting together with others for fellowship and playing music? We will gather on March 5th at 4:00 PM in Sanctuary C to informally play through some songs together and get to know each other. This is not a formal performance. We are simply enjoying sharing our music together. Professional training is not required!

Youth Choir

February 1st and 8th - Regular rehearsals

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.

February 2023 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times

February 2023 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Pastoral Update

Roof Update

Homecoming Committee

Ongoing Events

dwPreschool

dwKids

Youth

Center for the Arts

Women's Ministry

Recreation Ministry

Due West’s Chartered Organizations are Thriving []

Congregational Care Ministry

Missions

Music

Volunteer Opportunities

March 2023 Newsletter

January 2023 Newsletter

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times