January 2023 Newsletter
Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!
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A Reminder of Our Mission
I read an interesting quote recently. It said, “While the Bible might not specifically use the word ‘mission,’ the concept is rooted in biblical truth. Mission signifies purposeful movement—being sent from one place to another for a purpose. The apostles of Jesus were among the first to be sent out on a mission to share what Jesus was proclaiming.” I like that. “Mission signifies purposeful movement – being sent from one place to another for a purpose.” Jesus gave the Great Commission to the church in Matthew 28. It says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” That is the overarching mission of the church of Jesus. But every church lives that out in unique ways. As many of you know, a few years ago, we had a group that met to work on a mission statement unique to Due West. It says, “Inviting our community to join us as we gather together, grow in Jesus Christ and go serve.” That is what we strive to do as a congregation. So when you hear us speak of our call to “gather, grow and go,” we are talking about our mission!
You can see that graphically in our logo. Since we haven’t talked about that in a while, I thought it would be good information to share with people that are new and a good reminder for the rest of us.
The yellow element represents “gather.” It is the higher of the three elements circling the center (generally the starting point for anyone coming to Due West). Yellow promotes the light and life of Christ as we worship and celebrate in our gatherings.
The green element points down and is for “grow.” It’s symbolic of a planting, or establishing a foundation. Green is used as a general notation of new growth. We grow in the love of Christ through our gatherings and the study of God’s Word.
The blue element points upward and out. This illustrates the idea of going out and serving. The blue represents the oceans of the world that we may cross to serve.
The red circle in the center of all elements represents Jesus. He is the reason for everything we do at Due West. The red represents the blood He shed for us and binds us together in our efforts to gather, grow and go.
Starting on January 8th, we will once again be talking about our mission in a sermon series. Just a reminder about who we are called to be as a church. I look forward to seeing you!
If it’s Sunday, you want to be at Due West,
David
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Please be sure to visit the “Season of Discernment” page of our website for information about the upcoming decision of whether or not Due West remains a part of the UMC.
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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. This 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 January, we are concentrating on events that occurred at our church in the 1970s. Please scan your photos and email them to Matt Boullain, Director of Media and Communications, at mboullain@duewest.org. Your subject line needs to be: “Homecoming Photos: 1970s”. 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 Matt.
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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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) Next session begins March 26, 2023.
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 Dementia Ministry 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)
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)
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It’s time to start thinking about preschool for the 2023 – 2024 school year! The Due West Preschool Ministry will have registration for children who will be new to the school next year beginning on January 31st. We will have registration forms available on our website January 23rd. You can schedule a tour so you can come to see our rooms, meet the staff, get answers to your questions about our program, and see why we’re certified as a “Preschool of Excellence”! You can schedule a tour by calling the preschool office at (770)590-0982. If tours are completed by January 27th, you can be placed on our preferred list. Please reach out to skubek@duewest.org for more information.
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Preschool Sunday School
Memory Verse: “Everyone who heard Him was amazed.” Luke 2:47, NIV
This month, our preschoolers are going to step into their own wonderful workshop as we discover some of the amazing things Jesus did. Everything Jesus did – and the way He did them – showed everyone around Him that He was God’s son, and that means that Jesus is amazing!
We are going to have a lot of fun with preschoolers as we tinker and create together. So, get your workshops ready! It’s time for our preschoolers to discover how Jesus is amazing!
Elementary Sunday School
Knowledge - Learning something new so you can be better at whatever you do.
Memory Verse: “The Lord gives wisdom. Knowledge and understanding come from His mouth.” Proverbs 2:6, NIRV
God is the author of knowledge. Everything we know to be true about the world is because of God. And while we may never know all there is to know ABOUT God, there are still lots of ways we can get to KNOW God. We can know God best through Jesus, who showed us how much God loves us and showed why knowledge is so important. The more we know God, the better we can live God’s way each day!
dwCrew is a specialized time of fun, learning, and service for 3rd-5th graders. We will be meeting this month on January 8 and January 22 from 12:00-1:30 pm. Lunch is $3 and check-in is just inside the blue dwKids doors.
Wonderfully Made: Loved by God
The preteen years are tough. Changes are happening to them 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, students and parents in the afternoon for lunch)
Coming February 9 - 11, 2023; Registration is open - click the link below to register.
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Ignite January Dates
Join us on Sunday Nights in the Youth Center for fellowship, food, and fun! Bring a friend (or two)! The requested dinner donation is $3! 5:30-7:30pm.
1/8 Game Night in the Youth Center! Board games, group games, and stage games! Come welcome the new year with some fun!
1/15 No Evening Youth due to Holiday weekend
1/22 Regular Ignite!
1/29 Regular Ignite!Details
Youth Sunday School
We are starting a new series called "Not Yet"A 4-WEEK STUDY FROM THE OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS ON IDENTITY
Does life ever feel like a never-ending waiting game? Like you’re always waiting to get a little older, to gain a little more freedom, or to find a little more clarity about your future? When you think about the person you’re becoming and what your future holds, do you ever just want to skip ahead in your story to see how it all turns out, who you’ll become, what you’ll do, or what kind of difference you’ll make? In this four-week series, we’ll talk about all the questions, fear, frustration, and excitement that thinking about our futures can bring. As we explore passages from Ecclesiastes, Revelation, and more, we’ll discover four truths about what God has in store for us: we’re all a work in progress, your purpose is to be like Jesus, God’s plans for you are good, and your next step is to get closer to God.
Youth Sunday School will meet each Sunday starting January 8th at 9:45 and 11 am!
Disney Trip : February 20-24, 2023
Our Cobb winter break Disney trip is open for registration for 6th-12th grade students. Join us for our annual magical trip to the happiest place on earth! Students will be placed in small groups with an adult chaperone who will take them though a park each day! We'll also have a group for those who are not interested in roller coasters so don't let a fear of heights keep you from attending this great trip!
Tickets are $325 for students. Registration closes January 5th.
Spiritual Life Retreat: March 17-19, 2023
Spiritual Life Retreat (SLR) is also open for registration for 6th-12th graders but this event fills up fast so be sure to register early and invite a friend! We will be attending the North Georgia Conference event at Camp Glisson from March 17-19th!
Registration will increase in price from $160 to $175 on January 13th at noon. Registration for this trip closes on February 25th.
Summer Kentucky Mission Trip: June 17-23, 2023 Interest Meeting
After checking airfare prices and mapping our initial plan of Alaska, the Youth team has decided this trip would be too prohibitive for many of our families due to the price of the trip. The youth team has chosen a new location: KENTUCKY! Please join us on January 8th at 4:00 pm in the youth center for an interest meeting and to hear more about this great youth mission trip through the Praying Pelican Mission company!
Save the Date for our July Beach Trip!
July 7-10th at Laguna Beach Christian Center! More information and registration coming soon!
FOLLOW US ON:
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IMPORTANT: Princess and Pirate Party
This event is canceled.
Donations Needed
We are also in need of some donations of the following:
freestanding garage-type shelving (new or used)
plastic storage bins with lids (all sizes)
gently used dance shoes
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Due West UMM Quarterly Breakfast Sunday, January 15th at 7:00 am in the Family Life Center. All Due West Men are invited to join us for great food and fellowship.
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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. 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
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Wednesday music rehearsals resume January 11th for Youth, Adult, and Orchestra.
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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!