March 2024 Newsletter
Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!
-
Expenses & Giving through January 2024
Budgeted Expenses: $1,166,000
YTD Expenses: $1,130,948
YTD Giving: $1,131,989
-
Easter
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.” These are the first words of the Easter story from Matthew’s gospel. These women were close to Jesus. He was their rabbi. Their friend. They had placed all of their hopes in Him, and then they saw Him die. Maybe you’ve been at the bedside of a loved one as they left this life. That was not the Marys’ experience. They watched as He was humiliated. Tortured. Publicly crucified. None of us has ever had that experience.
Saturday was a day filled with grief. You try to keep yourself busy, but you hurt from the loss. They wanted to do something respectful for the body of Jesus, but it was the Sabbath. All they could do was grieve. But that changed Sunday morning. The Sabbath was over. Now they could go to the tomb. Now they could prepare the body for a proper burial. “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.”
Scripture goes on to tell us there was a violent earthquake. So not only is there grief, but the shock of a “violent earthquake.” They are probably asking themselves, “What else could happen?” And they got their answer. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled back the stone. The guards were so afraid of him that they “became like dead men.” The women were afraid as well. We know this because the first words the angel spoke were, “Do not be afraid.” But he doesn’t stop there. He tells them to come and see where Jesus had been. He is no longer there of course. And then the angel gives them the greatest news ever shared, “He has risen from the dead.” “He has risen from the dead.” He has defeated death. He has conquered the grave. Our life of faith rests on the truth of this story. The story of resurrection.
As always, we will celebrate not only Easter Sunday, but the events leading up to it. We will have special services for Palm Sunday, to remember Jesus entering to begin Holy Week. We will observe Maundy Thursday, to remember the Last Supper Jesus had with the disciples. We will observe Good Friday, to remember the crucifixion. And then we will celebrate Easter Sunday. We will have five services that day. You can find the details on the website or elsewhere in the newsletter. But we will celebrate the heart of the gospel: He has risen from the dead. The words bring life. The words bring joy. The words bring transformation. There is no greater celebration in our faith than the celebration of the resurrection. I hope you will come to all of our Holy Week Services, but we especially look forward to seeing you on Easter Sunday. He has risen from the dead!
If it’s Sunday, you want to be at Due West,
David
-
Holy Week is coming up! Palm Sunday is on March 24th at our normal service times, followed by Maundy Thursday on the 28th, then Good Friday on the 29th which are both happening at 7 pm. Our Easter Sunday services will be as follows: On the Large Activity Field we have a 7:15 am Sunrise Service; in Building C there is a 9:45 am Modern Service; and in Building A we have 8:15, 9:45, AND 11:15 am services. The Nursery will be available in Building A for the 9:45 and 11:15 am Services.
-
March 1 - VBS registration opens to the public
March 1 & 2 - CFA - Encore Performances
March 3 – Due West 101 Class - Part 2
March 3 & 17 - dwCrew meets
March 8 & 9 - Women’s Stay Retreat
March 8-10 - Youth SLR
March 9 - Men’s Retreat
March 17 - Church Work Day
March 22 & 23 - CFA - The Little Mermaid Jr. Performances
March 24 - Palm Sunday; Easter Eggstravaganza 2-4 pm
March 28 - Maundy Thursday Service @ 7 pm
March 29 - Good Friday Service @ 7 pm
March 31 - Easter Sunday: Children’s Sunday School available at 9:45 & 11:15 in Bldg. A. Services: 7:15, 8:15, 9:45 (x2), 11:15
-
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)
-
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!
Easter Eggstravaganza
This spring at the church we are doing an exciting pivot with our annual Easter egg hunt (a.k.a. Spring Fling). We are calling the event the Easter Eggstravangza! This year, in addition to the egg hunt, and Barnyard Friends, we are going to open up the Family Life Center to have what we're calling an Easter Walk. This walk will have 12 stations. The idea is for families to go through them together. Kids will start with an empty egg carton and will receive an egg at each station. Each egg will have a symbol in it that represents that station. Stations will have hosts and posters. The host will share a line or two about that station, share what is in the egg, and then hand out the eggs. The stations will share the events from Palm Sunday to the empty tomb.
The Eggstravaganza will be Palm Sunday, March 24th from 2-4 pm in and around the Family Life Center.
We feel like this is a great opportunity to share the Easter story with families in our community and church. In order for this event to be all that it can be, we need your help! Please consider participating in one or more of the following ways!
Donate Candy for the egg hunt! Donations of individually wrapped candy can be dropped off in Admin 2.
Help stuff eggs! We need lots of help stuffing eggs for the egg hunt. Stop by Admin 2 before March 18th to sign out the materials for 100 eggs.
Pray for the event. We covet your prayers regarding this event. Please pray that this event would draw children and families closer to Christ and that God would use our efforts to further His Kingdom.
Thank you in advance for all your help and support! We appreciate it so much!
Easter Flower Cross
Due West Families, don't miss this wonderful family Easter opportunity! There will be a “flower cross” set up in the Building C Prayer Garden designed to have family pictures taken. While this beautiful cross will have a base of carnations on it, we’d love to have each of you help further decorate it on the 30th and 31st by bringing flowers of your choice and adding them to the cross. We hope all of you will take advantage of this special opportunity!
Please send copies of your family’s picture to missions@duewest.org. We’d love to share them through the church’s social media channels. Happy Easter!
Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser
For the 4th year, Due West Methodist Church will be working with the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition to provide volunteers and funds to help support Habitat For Humanity. We are looking for donations to support this mission effort. Our goal is to raise $7,100 to support the construction costs.
Please prayerfully consider donating by using this link or by submitting a check to Due West Methodist Church with Habitat For Humanity in the comment line.
Church Workday
Come one, come all to help beautify our church grounds! On Sunday, March 17th, we will be having a workday on the grounds here at Due West. Come to worship dressed to work and bring your tools!
The first work session starts at 10:45 am right after the 9:45 service. Lunch (hamburgers and hotdogs) will be served at 12:30 pm. The second session starts at noon, and we will finish up around 2 pm. Everyone can help! If you have tools and gloves, please bring them. For more information contact Mark Hellman.
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.
-
It's time to start thinking about preschool for the 2024 – 2025 school year! The Due West Preschool and Kindergarten has open registration for 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. If tours are completed by January 18th you can be placed on our preferred list. Please reach out to skubek@duewest.org for more information.
-
Preschool Sunday School
Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
Memory Verse: “I have called you friends." John 15:15, NIV
Waiting to be picked by a team in grade school can be agonizing. If you’re some of the last people chosen by a team, it means while everyone else is cheering, “Go team!” you’re probably thinking something like, “They don’t want me, and I don’t want to be here.”
The truth is, we don’t all have the skills to hit home runs or run really fast. And that’s okay. What’s not okay is being unwanted. Thankfully, for all of us, Jesus wants everyone on His team! Jesus wants everyone everywhere to follow Him and be His friend forever. No matter what we can or can’t do, what we have done, what we look like, or where we live, Jesus is alive and He wants to be our friend…forever! And that kind of Good News makes us all want to say, “GO TEAM!”
Elementary Sunday School
Peace - Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument.
Memory Verse: “If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can.” Romans 12:18, NIRV
Throughout Scripture, we can see how peace is something near to God’s heart. Even though people chose to break their relationship with God, God made a way to fix that relationship through Jesus. And because we reflect God’s image, making peace with others should be a priority for us as well. That’s why we’re taking the first three weeks of March to highlight some passages and stories about peace to help kids understand more about how they can be peacemakers in their world.
dwCrew is a specialized time of fun, learning, and service for 3rd-5th graders. We will be meeting this month on March 3rd & March 17th from 12:00-1:30 pm. Lunch is $3 and check-in is just inside the blue dwKids doors.
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
At Scuba VBS, kids will explore what it means to have a friendship with a real, loving, trustworthy God - a friendship that lasts forever! Register today to attend Scuba VBS Monday, June 3rd - Thursday, June 6th.
Be a Volunteer!
In order to provide this amazing experience to our community, we are in need of many volunteers. Register today to help at Scuba Vacation Bible School and help kids dive into friendship with God! 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.
dwKids Offerings Easter Sunday
We will not have traditional dwKids programming on Easter Sunday so that families can worship together. Childcare will be available downstairs in Building A during the 9:45 & 11:15 services for birth-Kindergarten. Please reach out to Alicia Iles with any questions.
-
Ignite meets from 5:30-7:30 pm each week and is open to 6-12th grade students. We offer a meal and ask for a donation of $3 to help offset the cost of food. Join us for dinner, worship, a lesson, and fellowship! Bring a friend!
Check out our NEW Newsletter HERE for all the fun things in March for Ignite Youth!
Youth Choir
Leading worship March 17th for 9:45 Service
Weekly rehearsals on Wednesdays from 6 to 6:45 pm in Sanctuary A.
Come support our singers! And better yet…come sing with us!
-
Mar. 3 – dwKids Choir @ 8:30 and Handbells @ 11:00
Mar. 17 – Youth Choir @ 9:45
Mar. 24 – dwKids Choir @ 11:00
-
There are lots of exciting things coming up for the Center for the Arts that you do not want to miss! Be sure to put these dates on your calendar!
March 1st & 2nd @ 7pm
Performances of “ENCORE, a musical revue” by our Storybook Playhouse performers. Tickets are available online or at the door!
March 22nd @ 7pm & 23rd @ 2pm & 7pm
Performances of The Little Mermaid Jr. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
April 12th & 13th
Auditions for our Cue West Players summer musical - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Open to ages 8 & up! Watch for a signup genius to book your audition time!
SUMMER CAMPS!
Registration is open for all our summer camps! We have theatre camps, art camps, dance camps, an adventure camp, and even a sewing camp! There are opportunities from preschool age through rising college freshman. Check out the list on Church Center and see all 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 - March
Check out our missions newsletter to learn more about all the churchwide mission projects we have going on here at Due West!
Current Mission Projects
Mission Activities Survey
Mission Connections
Ministry at the Oaks of Acworth Assisted Living Facility
Teach Love Ministry
Missions Facebook Page is LIVE again!
Click HERE to read the Missions Newsletter for March.
Register here to have the monthly email newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox!
Mission Trip Dates for 2024
Guatemala Trip #1 - May 31 - June 8
Trip Leader: Dale Hajost
Registration Deadline: Trip Registration Status: Closed.
Contact Mark Hellman for possible late registration opportunities.
Adventures in Missions: Cranton, WI (Chippewa Native American Tribe) - June 8-15
Ocoee Mission Project, Cleveland, TN - June 9-14
Costa Rica, Guapiles Area - June 29 - July 6
Guatemala Trip # 2, Hearts for the Children - July 13-19
Volunteer Coordinator(s) Needed for MUST Summer Lunch
We are looking for a few volunteers! We need a team of people who are interested in coordinating MUST Summer Lunch this year. In early April, this team would work with Mark Hellman to communicate with MUST about routes and number of kids to feed per route. There are 10 weeks of summer lunch, from May 27-30 to July 22-26, 2024.
MUST makes this process very easy through the support they provide. They assist us in food ordering and planning. Our team packs and delivers food on a weekly basis.
Being part of this mission does not commit you to being available each week of the summer.
If you are interested in serving on this important team, please contact Millie Skinner or Mark Hellman as soon as possible. Thank you!
Fourth of July First Amendment 5K Race Coordinators
We are looking for 2-3 individuals to serve as this year’s race coordinators.
This will be the eighth year that Due West Methodist will be serving as a co-host for the 4th of July First Amendment 5K road race. The race begins on our campus and ends at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Hadaway Road.
The coordinators will work with Mark Hellman prior to race day on physical set up and planning race day activities. The coordinators will need to be present the morning of the 4th to ensure that registration goes smoothly and the racers get started. The estimated time commitment is from 6:30until 8:00 am on July 4th. There are no responsibilities after the race has begun except for “break down.”
Race day responsibilities include: setting up registration tables, running the check-in process, passing out race numbers, lining up the racers, and conducting the coordinated start.
Please contact Mark for more information.
-
Annual Men’s Retreat
March 9th, 2024
This will be an exciting event amidst the trees at the Hunt House near Kennesaw Mountain. The retreat is a great time to get away from the everyday busyness of life and focus on Christian fellowship and bonding. This event is open to all men who attend Due West Methodist Church and any friends or family that you would like to invite. Our speaker will be Dr. Joe Howell with his topic The Future is Now: Jesus and the Kingdom.
The cost of this event will be $100.00 and will include a continental breakfast and a catered lunch. If you would like to learn more about the Hunt House, please follow this link and then click on The Hunt House event space. If you have any questions, please email Larry Sago at larry.sago@gmail.com.
-
Women's March Stay-Retreat - Abide and Grow
Have you always wanted to come to our Women's Retreat? This is your year. We are having a Stay-Retreat right here at the church on March 8th and 9th. It's going to look different, but what's wrong with mixing it up a little?!
Abide and Grow is this year’s theme. Our guest speaker is comedian and speaker Debbie Childers. You've all been asking for a deep dive into the Word and that's right up Debbie's expertise alley. Comedy is just her side gig!
We will start Friday evening with dinner and comedy then return Saturday morning for a deep dive into the Bible to discuss how we abide in Him and in our faith. Lunch will be provided on Saturday as well. Don't worry, there will still be some of those icebreakers!
The entire event is just $125.00 for the weekend. Click here to register!
-
Methodist Men Host Firearms and Fellowship
Thursday, March 21st, 6:00 pm
Make plans to fellowship with us at Governor's Gun Club of Kennesaw on Thursday, March 21st, for the next Firearms and Fellowship event. We’ll gather at 6:00 pm for range time, and those that are interested are welcome to stay for dinner at the club at 7:00 pm. This is a "dutch treat" style event. Please RSVP to Mark Hellman by Tuesday, March 19th.
-
That the impact of your annual giving can be multiplied by making a planned gift to the endowment of Due West Methodist Church? By placing a provision in your Will (or in a codicil to your Will), you can provide income to Due West each year – in perpetuity – to help fund a new project or help sustain an ongoing program.
Here is how it can work. You make a gift in your estate plans – designated to be added to our church’s endowment. When your gift is invested as part of the endowment, it generates a total return (income plus growth) – along with the rest of the endowment. If a portion of the return is paid out to our church annually, you will be providing income to support Due West each and every year – forever.
Since the spending policy established by your Administrative Board and Trustees allows us to spend roughly 4% of the endowment each year, your gift of 25 times your desired annual gift would produce sufficient income to continue your annual gift indefinitely. For example,
Give… If you want to perpetuate an annual gift of…
$2,500 $100
$6,500 $250
$12,500 $500
$18,750 $750
$25,000 $1,000
$62,500 $2,500
$125,000 $5,000
$250,000 $10,000
$375,000 $15,000
$500,000 $20,000
By putting a gift in your Will or designating the church as beneficiary of your retirement account or giving other assets of at least 25 times your annual gift amount, you will be able to provide income to Due West Methodist Church – in perpetuity – a way to make a lasting difference for generations to come.
Note: Using the provisions of a will is not the only way one can remember the church and multiply your annual giving. For more information about other planned giving options contact your Legacy Ministry committee at endowment@duewest.org or visit our website www.duewest.org/legacy.
-
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)
The next 13-week cycle starts February 11, 2024. 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.
-
Loving the Caregiver
In their book, No Act of Love is Ever Wasted, Jane Marie Thibault, PhD and Richard Morgan, PhD help us know how to love, support, and encourage both the person living with dementia and the caregiver. They offer the following about caregivers:
CAREGIVERS NEED TO KNOW:
1. That no act of love is ever a waste of time for them or for the person they are caring for. They need reassurance that caring is important spiritual work… (Matthew 25:34-36,40)
2. That their loved one’s spirit has not disappeared or become diseased.
3. That their caregiving does not have to be (and could never be) perfect (Caregivers have taught me that forgiving ourselves when we do not love perfectly is a most common human response)
4. That they are forgiven when they cannot love.
5. That even if their loved one does not remember them, their soul/spirit is delighted by a visit or by the time the caregiver spends with them. (I know that it may not feel this is true at times. Join us in our support group to talk about it)
6. That they can be the presence of God to their loved one, and that their presence is as important as any task they actually do for the person.
7. Caregivers need to know that they may experience Anticipatory Grief---grieving in advance of the person’s death. This is Normal. (I will add what Kenneth Carder calls Perpetual Grief also often occurs from the moment of diagnosis through the end of the journey and beyond. It is the grief that comes in response to constant, relentless losses occurring in real time.)
8. Caregivers need to know that they, too, are God’s beloved and that God wants them to rest and have joy, and care for themselves. Understanding the needs of the caregiver, cheering them on, and lifting them up will make all the difference.
Blessings,
Sheila Welch
lovingthroughdementia.org; sheilawelch@gmail.com; 404-642-6027
-
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.
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!