What Does Our Church Do with Your Financial Gifts?

While this writer has been encouraging you to consider whether you and your family are stewarding all the blessings that God has given you, you may be wondering what Due West Methodist does with your gifts. Well, I’ll try to give an overly simplified answer.

1. We operate and maintain three very large (and aging) buildings and around 23 acres of parking, walkways, athletic fields, green spaces, and a smattering of smaller buildings. The buildings require heating and air conditioning, lighting, maintenance of rest rooms, doors and locks, and regular cleaning and painting. The grounds require mowing and other services, and our parking lots are way past due for re-paving and striping. And even though we’re a great church and a pillar of our community, Cobb EMC, Cobb County Water, Georgia Natural Gas, and many other fine vendors all want to get paid for the services they provide. On top of our many vendors, we are blessed to have huge amounts of volunteer work on these needs by many of our wonderful members, saving us untold amounts of money. The Methodist Men and members of our Trustees Committee are a great source (but definitely not the only source) of assistance with our properties. Finally, we service a very substantial mortgage on the buildings and property. We’ve managed to pay down a big piece of the original amount, but we still must pay a significant amount to the bank each month. We’re looking forward to the day when it’s all paid off, and we can focus our resources on other things.

2. We are blessed with an incredible roster of employees, both full-time (11) and part-time (14, including Nursery). While I mentioned that we have a lot of great volunteers, our staff carries out the duties necessary in a large church. It’s not just the people that we all see on Sunday mornings, but the many that make sure that we are able to do all the behind-the-scenes things a large organization requires. Finance, Missions, Children’s, Youth, and Women’s Ministries, Nursery, Media Operations, Music, Maintenance, and Administration all require experienced professionals to provide excellent services in each of those areas.

3. Missions, missions, missions! Due West Methodist is a missions-driven church. We sponsor and support several foreign missions (a medical mission in Guatemala, a children’s mission in Guatemala, and a church construction mission in Costa Rica) and a domestic mission (light construction in Cleveland, TN). While these are great, we also have a very large focus on serving our local community. We coordinate and support several projects geared to provide food to families and individuals in need, including the Due West Food Pantry, the Backpack Ministry, and the MUST Summer Lunch program. We also support numerous other ministries in our community (by my unofficial count, at least a dozen). For more information on our many, many Mission activities, go to this link: Missions — Due West MC.

In summary, while your decision to support our church is very personal, when you do give, you can rest assured that Due West Methodist puts every dollar given towards furthering God’s Kingdom, in pursuit of our church’s Mission Statement, “Inviting the Community to join us as we Gather, Grow in Jesus Christ and Go Serve.”

Giving and Expenses, July-23 – April-24

Budgeted Giving through April -- $1,671,000

Actual Giving through April -- $1,635,002 ($35,998 negative; nice improvement from last month)

Budgeted Expenses through April -- $1,671,000

Actual Expenses through April -- $1,599,580 ($71,420 positive; excellent expense control)

If I Die Before I Wake…

Most Sundays in worship, we share prayer concerns of families who have suffered loss. It is a reminder to all of us that we are mortal. None of us know how much time we have. While this might sound depressing, I believe it offers a wonderful perspective. If I knew my time was short, what would I say? It might be harder than you think.

Having thought about it this week, here are my thoughts. I would want a memorial service. I have for years said I would want my friend Herb Flanders, who knows me better than any other preacher to preach at my funeral. I would want him to talk about the marvelous promise of the resurrection. Death does not have the final word! We are people of Hope, and we are people of Life! I would love for someone to sing, “It is Well With my Soul.” I want the congregation to sing, “Because He Lives.” I want all music to be upbeat and to celebrate the promises of faith. I want people to tell funny stories and laugh. More than anything, I want people to worship the Lord. Jesus said He came to give life in all its fullness. I want people to celebrate the full life God gave me during this life… and the eternal life I will have received. I want people to remember that flesh is temporary, only spirit is forever. My life will continue along, only my earthly body will stop. I have given my life to that message and I don’t want it forgotten, even for a moment, when I am gone.

I want my wife, children and grandchildren to know that every day I had with them was a gift. God, in His infinite wisdom, knew I would not always be the best husband and father, but He still blessed me with a wonderful wife and children. I want them to know that. I want my friends, who have been there for us over the years, to know how much I appreciate them. I want every church member who has ever allowed me to officiate a wedding, preside over a funeral, baptize, visit in the hospital, receive into membership in the church, pray with, cry with, laugh with, worship with, study with and serve God with you… I want you all to know that I always counted each and every one of those things as a high and holy privilege. Thank you. In nearly four decades as a Methodist preacher, I have never gotten over the fact that you invite me into the most special times of your life. While I never felt worthy of the honor, please know I did my best.

Of course, I could outlive you all. Or, tomorrow might be my day. That is the point: we don’t know. One of the prayers we teach our children includes the line, “If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” I do pray for the Lord to take my soul. But, I also pray that the hope of the gospel of Jesus will be shared and will bring comfort and joy when He does! Thanks for listening to my thoughts. What are yours…?

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

David

May 31 – June 8 – Guatemala Mission Trip #1

June 1 - Tickets for Joseph go on sale

June 2 - Small Group Connection Time; Youth Summer Kickoff Pool Party

June 3-6 – Vacation Bible School

June 4 - July 16 - As For Me - Life Through the Lens of the Psalms

June 7 – Movie Night “Facing The Giants”

June 8 – Habitat for Humanity Build; Women’s Tea

June 9 - FLC Stage Dedication

June 9-14 – Ocoee Mission Trip

June 17 – Pickleball Intro Meeting

June 19 – Youth Car Wash & Movie

June 24-26 - Youth trip to Dollywood

June 30 - Freedom Sunday

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)
Slow Flow Yoga @ 10:35 am

Thursday

Zumba @ 9:30 am

Friday

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

New Stage Dedication

We are so grateful to all those who worked to rebuild and update the stage in the Family Life Center. We will have a dedication on June 9th, at 12:30 pm. We hope everyone can come out and join us!

Summer Camps Webpage

We have a page including info and registration links for all of our upcoming summer camps available now on the website. Click here to view them all!

Name Badges

As we are in a season of starting fresh here at Due West Methodist Church, it seems like a great time for us to learn the names of fellow members of DWMC while we gather together. We likely recognize one anothers’ faces at worship services or other church events, but wouldn’t it be great to put a name with that face? We can help do that by ordering, and wearing, name badges while on campus. If you are interested in ordering a name badge, please reach out directly to Denise Luders via email at dluders@duewest.org. Please do NOT order name badges individually through the newsletter or website at this time. Denise will collect names and place a bulk order which will allow us to enjoy a significant cost savings per badge (individual badges are $18.50). We will notify all who order what the revised price is prior to finalizing the order.

Family Movie Night

Come to Movie Night in the Family Life Center on Friday, June 7th. The film being shown is “Facing the Giants” (rated PG). Here’s a link to the official trailer. Admission is free and concessions will be available for purchase during the event. Donations will also be accepted if you would like to make one to the church.

Doors open at 6:30 pm and the movie starts at 7:00 pm.

Mental Health Support Group

Better Days is a small group program for mental health and wellness that offers support, encouragement, compassion, and respect for people and family members walking through mental health issues. This group is open to the community as well as Due West Methodist Church!

They meet every other Monday from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Building C, Youth Center. Contact Tony Casteel with any questions at tonycasteelservices@outlook.com.

This group will utilize material and resources from Mental Health Grace Alliance as well as Emotions Anonymous.

Pickleball Interest Meeting

Come and try out Pickleball! On June 17th, at 6:00 pm in the Family Life Center, we will have hands-on demonstrations and discuss the future of a pickleball program here at Due West.

Freedom of Religion 5K

Join us on July 4th, at 7:00 am to celebrate our Freedom of Religion! T-shirt sales will go towards our Guatemala 2 Mission Trip! Click here to register on Church Center.

Due West Preschool and Kindergarten has open registration for 1 year olds - Kindergarten children. Our registration form is available on our website. 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 or go to our website at https://duewest.org/preschool and click on schedule a tour.

Preschool Sunday School

Memory Verse: “A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22, ESV

Everyone loves a party because parties mean we have something to celebrate. Birthdays, Christmas, a winning season—each party brings so much joy!

This month, we are going to start a party that celebrates the Good News about God! And when God is at the center of our celebration, I can have joy all the time! It doesn’t sound possible, at first, but then when we think about God ... who God is ... what God has done ... how much God loves us ... well, that is worth celebrating! God is worth celebrating! All day, every day! So let’s Start The Party! It’s time to celebrate the Good News about God.

Elementary Sunday School

Joy - Choosing to celebrate what God is doing.

Memory Verse: “A cheerful heart makes you healthy, but a broken spirit dries you up.” Proverbs 17:22, NIRV

Choose joy! This may be a commonly used phrase you’ve heard, but what does it actually mean? Joy is more than being excited about the good things that happen to us. Joy is an attitude—a decision to trust God no matter what is going on in our lives. From the very beginning, God had a plan for the world. As we dive into the Bible, we’ll discover God’s plan for us and how God has been at work through it all. When we see and celebrate what God is doing, we can find true joy!

Vacation Bible School

Monday, June 3rd - Thursday, June 6th

At Scuba VBS, kids will explore what It means to have a friendship with a real, loving, trustworthy God - a friendship that lasts forever! We will experience crafts, games, Bible adventures, snacks and unforgettable music. Plus, you’ll meet lots of new friends! VBS packets will be available for pickup from May 28th - May 30th in the Admin 2 office from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm and June 2nd in the dwKids check-in area from 9:00 am - 12 pm.

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.

June Youth Newsletter

Check out our June Newsletter for all the fun things happening this summer! Ignite will meet June 2nd for the Pool Party at the Franklin’s, June 9th, 23rd, and 30th! We will also wash cars, watch movies, and go on an adventure together! We will not meet on June 16th. Happy Father’s Day!

Come join us and bring a friend or two!

Due West Adults

You can make a difference in the lives of our youth! Sign up below to help serve and clean up after youth dinners on Sunday nights! Time commitment is only about an hour and a half. No cooking required, we feed you, and it’s fun! CLICK HERE to sign up!

Youth Choir

No Youth Choir until August 7th! Have a great summer!

Save the Date! Ignite Pool Party at the Franklins, June 2nd

Freedom Sunday

We are redoing our slide show! So please read below thoroughly.

As we prepare to honor our veterans and celebrate God’s foundation in our country this coming Freedom Sunday, June 30th, we want to engage the congregation in two very meaningful ways.

First, if you have served, or would like to recognize immediate family that have served or are currently serving in the armed forces, we would like to include your photo in a slideshow. Submissions are due by June 10th. Here is how to submit:

1. If your photo has never before been in the slideshow, please submit a clear photo with full name, branch, and rank. Email photo submissions with details to csalazar@duewest.org.

2. If your photo was in last year’s slideshow, you may send the name of the person(s) to be included by June 10th and I will re-use last year’s photo. If I do not hear from someone, their photo will not be included in the 2024 slideshow. Email names to csalazar@duewest.org.

Second, we are asking representatives—either active or veteran—from each branch of the military to carry that branch’s flag. We need a representative at each traditional service, 8:30 and 11:00 am. You may volunteer for one or both. Time commitment is only the morning of June 30th, for about an hour per service. Email csalazar@duewest.org to secure your position. Act quickly as some branches fill up fast!

There are lots of exciting things coming up for the Center for the Arts that you do not want to miss!

TICKETS are on sale as of June 1st for our production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT! Please visit this site for more information and to purchase tickets.

There is still limited space in several of our summer camps. If you’re still looking for something for your kids to do this summer, check out what we have to offer!

Kindermusik Classes

We are now offering mommy and me (or caregiver and me) classes for babies and toddlers. These classes are offered in partnership with Kindermusik of West Cobb. Please see their site to register https://regalperformingarts.com/

Watercolor Classes for Adults

Join us every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 10:30-12 for a fun watercolor class with Annette Lewis. Commit just one class at a time, and no experience is necessary - Annette will guide you step by step. Just bring yourself and your supplies, or if you don’t have supplies just let her know and Annette will provide those for you. Cost is $13 if you bring your own supplies, $17 if you’d like Annette to provide them. Simply send Annette a text at (404) 664-9906 if you’d like to join the class.

Instrumental lessons

We are thrilled to offer you lessons in piano, voice, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele and harmonica. If you are interested in private lessons in any of those things please send an email to Nicole at cfa@duewest.org for more information.

Missions Newsletter - June

Check out our missions newsletter to learn more about all the church wide mission projects we have going on here at Due West!

Click here to read the Missions Newsletter for June.

Check out the Missions Facebook Page!

Check out our recently Updated Missions Website HERE!

Register here to have the monthly email newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox!

Drivers Needed for MUST Summer Lunch

We need drivers and ride-along volunteers for MUST Summer lunch! MUST has new insurance and new rules for drivers this year. All drivers must be at least 21 years old, submit to a background check, take our online Due West Safe Sanctuary training, and attend a training session. If you are interested in helping drive for Summer Lunch, please contact Millie Skinner to be added to the list. Thanks so much!

MUST Summer Lunch Donations

MUST Summer Lunch Program will end July 25th, and we still need your food donations! Single serve breakfast, lunch, and snack items are requested. CLICK HERE for a list of food to donate. This year, you can choose to either bring food donations (preferred) to the white donation bins on campus or donate funds. Checks can be made out to Due West MC with ‘MUST Summer Lunch’ in the memo line.

Thank you for helping kids in need this summer!

Time to Build!

This will be our 4th year of participating with the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition to build a habitat home. The location of our build this year is at 136 Hedges Street in Marietta, and the build starts on June 8th. For more information, contact Larry Sago at 770 366-5521.

Sign up for the build here!

Ladies June Tea: Keep Your Eyes on the Sparrow - June 8th, 2024

Jesus encourages us to consider sparrows when we think of God's loving care. During this tea, we will learn how these little birds can teach us big spiritual lessons.

Women's Ministry invites you to this annual event to hear God's word and to enjoy tea and lunch while we fellowship.

The cost is $25.00 and will be held in the Sanctuary of Building C. We will start at 11:00 am and conclude by 1:30 pm.

Sign up here!

July Ladies’ Game Night

This is a great night to come out and enjoy fellowship and meet women you might not know yet. Come enjoy heavy hors d' oeuvres and games that range from board games, card games and maybe one or two from your teen years too! Sign up today!

Single Mom’s Ministry

If you're a single mom and need a little TLC, this is your night! Come enjoy dinner at 6:30 pm and a devotion. Our next meeting is Thursday, June 27th. We'll be making prayer boards. Sign up on Church Center.

Teacher Recess

Tuesday, June 18th, from 6:30 – 8:00 pm in the Youth Center, Building C Basement

The Teach Love Ministry at Due West invites you to Teacher Recess! Prizes, Raffles, Dessert and Fellowship! Please register so we know how to plan for the right number of people. We hope you can join us for the fun!

Teacher Recognition

The Teach/Love Ministry exists to show God’s Love to our area teachers. Starting this September, the Teach/Love Ministry will be recognizing 3 teachers each month from September – May. Each recognized educator will receive a gift basket from the church and we need YOUR help with this!

Business Owners! We would love to have nice promotional products that would be good for teachers but also advertise your business. We’re looking for things like:

-Nice Stainless Steel drinking cups

-Office Supplies – pens, pencils, post-it notes, rulers, staplers, etc.

-Personal self-care items – hand lotion, shower steamers, nice ChapStick, etc.

-Gift Cards to your business, restaurants, etc.

Non-Business owners – We’ll gladly receive any of the above items as well!

EVERYONE! You can also make a monetary contribution to the church via Church Center (choose “Missions” in the dropdown) or write a check.

If it’s easier to order from Amazon – here is our wishlist!

Blessings and thank you for helping Due West show the love of Jesus to our area educators.

Due West MC 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.

Congregational Care Ministry

Our Ministry is ready and waiting to be there for you and assures complete confidentiality. We are committed to sharing the love of Christ and the love and support of your church family with you. To be assigned a CCM, please contact Pastor David Campbell or Lay Leader, Brenda Wyatt at bwyatt66chs@gmail.com, cell 770-605-3709.

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.”

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 feel alone. Often friends and family want to help, but don't know how. That's the reason for GriefShare. Our group is led by caring people who have experienced grief and have successfully rebuilt their lives. We understand how you feel because we have been in the same place. We will walk with you on the long path through grief toward healing and hope for the future.

GriefShare is a nationwide network committed to biblical concepts for healing from your grief. To learn more visit the GriefShare website at www.griefshare.org.

What to Expect:

GriefShare is a group that meets weekly for 13 weeks. There are three key parts to the group.

· Video Seminar

· Support Group

· Workbook (Provided)

We will offer a new session in the fall. Click here to join the group!

If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please contact Connie at cmm10500@gmail.com or 904-651-2732.

Click here to learn more about GriefShare

Sunday Media Team Needs Volunteers!

Sunday mornings couldn’t happen without the hard work from our Sunday media volunteers! Song lyrics, sermon slides, livestream video, lights, offering photos, and more are only possible with your help. We have positions for all skill levels with technology and offer hands-on learning and shadowing opportunities to help get you comfortable with your position! Please email Matt or find him at the sound booth after the 8:30am or 11am Services to help keep our Sundays running smoothly!

9:45 am Service Ushers

We are in need of more ushers for the 9:45 am church service in Building C. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Sandra Imundo at Sandra.Imundo@fmc-na.com

Sunday School Volunteers

dwKids Sunday School Volunteers - Contact Alicia Iles at ailes@duewest.org for details.

June 2024 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times

June 2024 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Stewardship

Pastoral Update

Seasonal Events

Ongoing Events

General Announcements

dwPreschool

dwKids

Youth

Music

Center for the Arts

Missions

Men's Ministry

Women's Ministry

Teach/Love

Recreation Ministry

Congregational Care Ministry

Volunteer Opportunities

July 2024 Newsletter

May 2024 Newsletter

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times