July 2023 Newsletter
Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!
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Stewardship Update
Expenses & Giving through May 2023
Budgeted Expenses: $2,029,500.00
YTD Expenses: $1,838,145.00
YTD Giving: $1,756,814.00
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Unexpected Guests
As you know, Susan and I took some time in June in both Austria and Italy. It was a great trip. We began in Salzburg. That town is known for many things, at least two of which are musical. It was the setting for “The Sound of Music” as well as being the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We enjoyed every minute. Then we took an overnight train from Salzburg to Florence, Italy. That is where our trip became interesting.
We were scheduled to depart after 10 PM. But there was a problem on the line somewhere in Germany, delaying several trains, including ours. It finally arrived after midnight and we boarded. We found our compartment, which was supposed to be a “private compartment.” We are getting settled in when a nice lady walks in, looks around and sits down. She seemed happy. We seemed confused. We looked at our tickets again and they clearly said “private.” It would have been a simple matter if we all spoke the same language. Unfortunately, we did not.
I showed the nice lady my ticket and said loudly, “Ticket!” She smiled and nodded. I pointed to myself and my phone and emphasized, “My ticket.” Then I pointed at her, as politely as I could and said, “You… ticket?” She smiled and nodded her head as if to say, “Of course I have a ticket.” I pointed at my eyes and my phone, then at her trying to say, “Can I see your ticket?” We were thinking she was simply in the wrong compartment. If we could see her ticket, we could help her find her proper seat. She smiled and nodded, but her hands didn’t move. She seemed perfectly happy not showing us a ticket. I walked up and down our car looking for someone who worked for the train, and found no one. Not only did they never look at her ticket, no one ever looked at ours! The short version of the story is we had an overnight guest in our compartment. (In case you are wondering, this never happened in any of our hotels!)
Our options were to physically remove her, or decide to show hospitality. We opted for the latter.Life doesn’t always go as we expect, and sometimes people invite themselves to our parties! I’m not sure of her story, but I am sure that in Hebrews 13 it says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality, for in so doing, some have entertained angels unaware.” I don’t know if she was an angel or not. But I do know we had the opportunity to show hospitality.
I hope and pray your summer is going well, and that you will be at Due West when you are in town. And along the way, take a minute and be nice. Show hospitality. You never know when an angel might be speaking German!
If it’s Sunday, you want to be at Due West,
David Campbell
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Time to Get Excited!
Homecoming Celebration - Sunday, Sept. 10th, 2023
All the details can be found here.
Please register here so we know how many to plan for.
Preorder a t-shirt by clicking here!
Donations to help cover the cost of this event are greatly appreciated and can be made by clicking this link.
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July 3 & 4 - Church Office Closed
July 7-10 - Youth Beach Trip
July 10-14 - Flag Football Camp
July 10-14 - Art From The Farm Camp
July 10-14 - CFA Musical Camp - Seussical Jr.
July 14 & 15 - CFA Presents: Seussical Jr.
July 13 - Ladies’ Game Night
July 13-21 - Guatemala Mission Trip
July 16 - UMM Scholarship Luncheon
July 17-21 - Science Camp
July 17-21 - Pottery Camp
July 20 - UMM Fellowship at Governor’s Gun Club
July 21 & 22 - Cue West Presents: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
July 22 - Estate Planning Workshop
July 23-28 - Ocoee Mission Trip
July 24-28 - Science Camp
July 24-28 - Simple Stitches Sewing/Costume Camp
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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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Nursery Staff Needed
The Church nursery is currently looking for someone to add to the nursery staff. If you are interested or know someone who is, please contact Ashley Brown at abrown@duewest.org.
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Due West United Methodist Church Preschool is now accepting registrations for the upcoming school year of 2023-2024. However, please note that we only have a limited number of openings available in the Ones, Twos, and Fours classes. If you are interested in enrolling your child in the other classes, we welcome you to add your child to our waiting list. To learn more about our preschool or to schedule a tour, please feel free to contact Shelly Kubek or Courtney Kunkel at 770-590-0982 or via email at skubek@duewest.org or ckunkel@duewest.org. It is worth noting that our preschool has received recognition as a "Program of Excellence" by the N. GA Conference Preschool Association since 2001!
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Preschool Sunday School
Memory Verse: “Jesus said, ‘Come follow me.’ “ Matthew 4:19, NCV
This summer, we’re talking about the best friend ever with our preschoolers. We want every preschooler to know that not only is Jesus the best friend ever, but Jesus wants to be THEIR friend... forever!
We want our preschoolers to hear over and over that Jesus wants to be their friend forever. And not only does Jesus want to be their friend, but Jesus is a friend worth following. That way, when the time comes, our preschoolers will be ready to follow Jesus here, there, and everywhere!
Elementary Sunday School
Faith - Trusting in what you can’t see because of what you can see.
Memory Verse: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1, NIRV
Since the beginning, God has always been deeply involved in the world. We see God’s handiwork on display in creation. We see God’s love on display through Jesus, Who came to rescue us. We respond to God in faith, believing in what we can’t see because of what we can see. When we focus on what we know to be true about God and the world God created, we can have faith in what we can’t see or fully understand. We put that faith into action as we follow Jesus and show His love to the world.
We will not have dwKids Sunday School on July 2 & July 9, however, we will have child care available in room N137.
Volunteers Needed
We are currently recruiting volunteers for the 2023-2024 elementary and preschool Sunday School classes. If you would like to be a part of the ministry, please contact Alicia Iles at ailes@duewest.org.
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Youth Sunday School Series
PLEASE EXPLAIN: A 4-WEEK STUDY FROM THE GOSPELS ON JESUS
Some things are hard to understand — like chemistry, verb conjugations, the blockchain, or why your friend is mad at you. When we face a problem, situation, or idea we’re struggling to understand, it always helps to know someone we trust can explain it to us. When Jesus was here on earth, He spent a lot of time helping His followers understand some pretty hard-to-understand ideas about God. One of the ways Jesus often made complicated ideas simpler was by explaining them through stories and metaphors, which we call parables. In this four-week series from the Gospels, we’ll explore four of the parables Jesus told His followers to explain four important truths about God. These parables help us see that God's words are a firm foundation, in God’s kingdom, everyone belongs, God’s words invite a response, and that God’s kingdom is always growing.
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Mark your calendars!
August 9th –
Rehearsals Resume for Wednesday evening music groups. Come make a joyful noise!
No audition necessary. All levels of ability are needed and all are welcome to give music groups a try!
10:30am: Chancel Choir in Building A Choir Room
6pm: Kids Choir in Building A Choir Room
6pm: Youth Choir in Building A Sanctuary
7pm: Adult Choir in Building A Choir Room
7pm: Orchestra in Building A Sanctuary
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See the PDF version of the Newsletter for visuals!
Donations Needed
If you have a working sewing machine that you no longer use or need and would like to donate (or even sell to us for a reasonable amount), the CFA is in need of a few sewing machines for classes & camps!
Summer Camps
The Center for the Arts invites you to join us for one of our fun camps in June! We offer sibling discounts and a multi-camp discount. Email cfa@duewest.org with any questions or for more information.
Seussical Jr. Camp
July 10th - 14th
CFA Presents: Seussical Jr.
July 14 and 15
Art From The Farm Camp
July 10-14
Pottery Camp
July 17-21
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
July 21-23
Tickets for: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Simple Stitches Sewing/Costume Camp
July 24-28
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July 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 invite everyone to utilize our new format for sharing missions information.
Click here to read the Missions Newsletter for July.
To subscribe to our Missions Monthly Newsletter click here.
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.”
Teach Love Ministry - Pre-Planning Teacher Lunch and Snack Signup
The Teach Love Ministry is organizing Back-to-School pre-planning goodies for the staff at Due West Elementary School and the staff at Due West UMC Preschool. We will be doing a Grab-and-Go Lunch for the staff at Due West ES on Friday, July 28th, and we will be doing much-loved snacks for the staff of our Due West UMC Preschool.
To sign up to help click here.
Thank you for your help in spreading the love of Jesus to those who are educating the children in our community!
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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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Have You Ever Heard That Wills are for Rich People?
That’s right! But they are also for poor people and everyone in between. Your will relates to everything God has entrusted to you, and it can be a powerful statement of your Christian generosity. Any person who has a bank account or owns a home, real estate, car, or other personal property has an estate. Such a person should have a will.
Your last will and testament are important for the purposes of passing property on after you are gone, but there are other things that are equally important for you to know so that you can develop the most effective plan for your circumstances. The next free Estate Planning seminar conducted by an attorney and sponsored by the Legacy Ministry Committee will discuss:
-Wills and the probate process.
-What happens if one passes without a will?
-Other ways to pass property outside your will and why passing assets outside of your will is important.
-Revocable living trusts and how they can contribute to your planning goals.
Please register here so we can prepare for your attendance. The workshop is limited to 14 individuals. For questions, please contact Bill Coffeen. We look forward to seeing you July 22nd in Room 242 in Building C from 2-5 pm.
Did You Know…?
…that you can eliminate income taxes on your IRA contributions to Due West? If you are 70 1/2 or older, any contribution up to $100,000 annually from your IRA will be income tax-free if given to Due West UMC or any non-profit entity. There is only one additional stipulation. The check covering your contribution must be issued by the institution holding your IRA and made out specifically to Due West UMC, not you as an individual. Documentation supporting that redemption is sufficient when filing your income taxes. This process is referred to as Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD).
Many people who do not need additional income from their Required Minimum Distributions (RMD), and certainly prefer not to pay additional income taxes, choose to employ QCDs for church contributions and other charitable donations.
For those who focus on both the present and future needs of our church, you should consider contributing to our church’s endowment. Immediate cash contributions or legacy gifts may be made through QCDs or through other means. Go to this link to discover the many ways you can help the ministries of your church in perpetuity.
“The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won’t let you out give Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens.” - Randy Alcorn
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Congregational Care Ministry
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.”
In His ministry on earth, Jesus 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. 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.
Grief Share classes are offered twice a year. CCMs are available to serve Holy Communion in your home when you are unable to come to services as well as administer healing oils that remind us of God’s presence supporting us in body, mind, and spirit. We pray for you daily and send encouraging cards and notes as we walk alongside you during difficult times.
Our ministry is ready and waiting to be there for you when you need us. To be assigned a CCM, please contact Pastor David Campbell or lay leader, Brenda Wyatt at brendahwyatt@hotmail.com, 770-605-3709.
In His Service by Your Side,
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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Dementia Talk
The question I am most often asked: What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?
Dementia, often referred to today as Neurocognitive Disorder, is NOT a disease. It is the term used for a group of symptoms which include difficulty in thinking and saying and doing things as we once did… a loss of cognitive abilities that interferes with everyday life and daily activities.
Alzheimer’s IS a disease and the most common cause of dementia. Lewy Body Dementia is the second most common cause, and Vascular Dementia is the third. There are 114 known causes for the symptoms referred to as dementia.
So, how do I know if my loved one or I may need an evaluation? If you or your loved one has difficulty doing the things that have come easily for all of your life, seek an evaluation. Among those might be: driving, getting lost, missing payments or appointments, choosing from a menu. Difficulty in thinking and reasoning.
If you have questions or concerns about you or a loved one, your Loving Through Dementia ministry is here to help.
Blessings,
Sheila Welch
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Ladies’ Game Night - July 13th
Hey Ladies! To sign up please click here!
Come join us on Thursday, July 13th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm for Ladies’ Game Night. We will meet in Building C, Room 219.
There will be board games, card games, all sorts of games!
Heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks will be provided.
Come get to know some new friends, have fun with old friends... just fellowship and laugh!
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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!