Expenses & Giving in August 2023

Budgeted Expenses: $310,000

YTD Expenses: $321,121

YTD Giving: $294,320

Pumpkin Patch and John Wesley

You probably don’t often hear the words “Pumpkin Patch” and “John Wesley” in the same sentence. But they are both relevant in October. Let’s start with the Pumpkin Patch. If you have been around Due West for any length of time, you know that October is Pumpkin Season for us. It will begin October 1st as we unload the first truck. You can usually find me in the truck having a great time! And it will continue every day. We are always looking for people to help work a shift in the patch. So if you can do that, please sign up!

I recently wrote a letter to youth parents reminding them of how important this ministry is. Here is a little of that letter… Most of our youth ministry are funded from Pumpkin Patch income. Even if your child never takes a trip, most of what they enjoy on our campus in youth ministry is funded from the Patch. Also, the youth contribute to other ministries in the church, mostly from Pumpkin Patch proceeds. In addition, it is for many people their first connection with Due West is the patch. When you work the patch, you are ambassadors for Christ and His church! I trust that you will all come out and support the patch!

And why is October relevant to John Wesley? Let’s start with next year. In October of 2024, some of us will go on a Wesley Heritage Tour. We will fly in to Dublin, Ireland. We will spend a couple of days in Ireland and Northern Ireland. We will visit our friend Ronnie Dawson of Drop in Ministries in Northern Ireland where we have sent mission teams in the past. We will fly out of Belfast to London and spent most of our time in England.

We will see many of the sites that were important in the life of John Wesley, and consequently important in the lives of us as Methodists. We will also visit important sites around England such as Coventry, Stratford, Bath and sites around London. While the trip does not take place until October of ’24, you can register now! If you are interested, we have brochures in the church office. The cost is $4999 and that includes all air fare, lodging, two meals a day, bus, guide and entrance into most of the sites. The dates are Oct. 21-31, 2024.

We are going to cap the trip at 40 people. (Those of you who traveled to Israel in 2019 remember the challenges of traveling with more than 60!) If you are interested, I’d love for you to join us. If you know someone who might be, please feel free to send them a brochure. (We have digital copies as well.)

You might not often hear “Pumpkin Patch” and “John Wesley” in the same sentence. But they are both relevant to us in October. I hope you will want to be involved in both!

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

David

October 1-31 - Pumpkin Patch

October 1 – Pumpkin Unload

October 8 - 3rd Grade Bible dedication

October 8 and 15 - dwCrew meets

October 8 and 29 - Ignite meets

October 9 - Mental Health & Wholeness Support Group “Better Days” begins

October 13-15 - Women of Joy Conference

October 15 - Pumpkin Unload

October 16 - Tickets go on sale for Finding Nemo Jr.

October 21 - UMM Murphy Harpst Fundraising Dinner

October 22 - Trunk-or-Treat

October 24 - Women’s Beauty of Fellowship

October 26 - Single Mom’s Ministry

October 28 - Estate Planning Workshop

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)

History Page

A new page has been added to the website featuring the Homecoming Celebration service, the Narrated History, and an archive of all of the pictures collected for the celebration. Make sure to check it out!

Disaffiliation Process

As most of you know, Due West voted on August 27th to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church by a margin of 81-19%. One of the requirements of the Annual Conference is that we remove the words “United Methodist” as well as the cross and flame from all property and publications. To meet this goal, we need your help! If you notice something, please email trustees@duewest.org and let them know. Thanks for your help!

First Pumpkin Patch Unload

Get ready! The pumpkins are coming!

Our first pumpkin unload will be Sunday, October 1st, from 5:30-7:30 pm. We will unload pumpkins and enjoy a pizza supper for volunteers. This is a fun church-wide event! Bring your friends!

Trunk-or-Treat and Candy Donations

October 22nd from 2:00-4:00 pm

This event is always made possible by having volunteers decorate their cars and through the generosity of our congregation’s candy donations. We greatly appreciate individually wrapped candy donations. Please drop candy off in the Admin 2 office. Click here to register for a trunk!

For further information, contact Ashley Brown at abrown@duewest.org.

Teach Love Gift Card Donations

Would you like to Bless a Teacher?

The Teach / Love Ministry will be hosting their next Teacher Recess on Sunday, November 5th from 6:30 – 8:00.

We are collecting $10 gift cards to put in Good Bags for the teacher attendees.

Will you help by donating a $10 card to The Daily Grind, Starbucks, Panera, Chick-Fil-A or any other nearby restaurant that you like?

Collection baskets will be outside the Sanctuary in both Building A and Building C during the month of October.

Thank you for showing our area teachers that they are important to the community and to Due West!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Holiday Market on Saturday, November 4th from 9:00-2:00. The Family Life Center will be filled with booths of local crafters and businesses, an extensive silent auction, entertainment and we’ll have a raffle to purchase raffle tickets, please reach out to the preschool office. They are $5.00 . We hope to see you there! We are still taking vendor applications now! Please email Lindsay at Lindzme85@gmail.com.

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.

Preschool Sunday School

Memory Verse: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…for the Lord your God goes with you.” Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV

Now is the time for our preschoolers to begin learning that God can help me be brave because the need to be brave— God-brave—will only grow throughout their lives.

What is God-brave? God-brave is . . .

. . . the kind of brave that does the right thing even when others don’t,

. . . the kind of brave that stands up to seemingly impossible circumstances,

. . . the kind of brave that trusts God during the darkest of times,

. . . the kind of brave that looks to God to help us be strong and courageous,

. . . the kind of brave that makes us SUPER KIDS—not because of what WE can do but because of what GOD can do.

Elementary Sunday School

Integrity - Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.

Memory Verse: “Anyone who lives without blame walks safely. But anyone who takes a crooked path will get caught.” Proverbs 10:9, NIRV

God is always good. Since the very beginning, God has been faithful and true. If God makes a promise, God keeps that promise. We are created in God’s image . . . and when we live with integrity, we reflect God’s integrity. When Jesus lived on earth, He lived a perfect life and showed integrity in ways we can’t because of our sin. Jesus makes it possible for us to live as new creations. Through the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed into people of integrity. Who we are in private should match who we are in public. When we trust in God, we can make the wise choice and be truthful in whatever we say and do.

3rd Grade Bibles:

Each year we present Bibles to our 3rd graders as a gift from our church. This is a way we help mark a milestone in your child’s spiritual growth as they celebrate being old enough to begin to study God’s word for themselves. If you are a 4th grader who did not receive your Bible last year, we would love for you to join us for this event as well!

Bibles will be given on Sunday, October 8 during the 11:00 service. Kids and their parents are encouraged to sit in the reserved pews in front of the sanctuary at the start of the service.

dwCrew

dwCrew is a specialized time of fun, learning, and service for 3rd-5th graders. We will be meeting this month on October 8 & 15 from 12:00-1:30. Lunch is $3 and checkin is just inside the blue dwKids doors.

October 1st- Pumpkin Unload

October 8th- Ignite

October 15th- Pumpkin Unload

October 22nd- Trunk-or-Treat

October 29th- Halloween Ignite

Ignite Sunday Nights

Ignite is a great time of fun and fellowship for 6th - 12th graders on Sunday nights in the Youth Center in Building C.

Sign up for or see all our monthly Mailchimp emails by clicking here.

Youth Sunday School

MOST LIKELY TO . . . :

A 4-WEEK SERIES THE NEW AND OLD TESTAMENT ON LEADERSHIP

SERIES OVERVIEW:

When you hear the word "leader," you might think about an influential artist or celebrity, or a famous politician, or a coach on a soccer field, or that kid who just got elected class president. And, sure, those people are definitely leaders! But these aren’t the only ways to lead. Great leaders don't have to have official positions, titles, or people who report to them. With God, being a great leader is something anyone can achieve because leadership is simply about becoming the kind of person who's worth following. But how? In this four-week series, we'll look at the example of Jesus, plus ordinary people like Moses, Solomon, and the apostle Paul, who were all given opportunities to lead and make a difference in others' lives. Through their examples (both good and bad), we'll see how great leaders are the people most likely to follow through, choose to love, choose integrity, and follow God's lead.

Youth Choir

Come join us and sing!

Youth Choir is a fun group of 6-12th grade students that practice on Wednesdays and sing several times throughout the year on Sundays. Come practice with us every Wednesday at 6:00 pm in the Building A Sanctuary.

PUMPKINS ARRIVE SUNDAY!

Our Pumpkins arrive this Sunday from their long journey from New Mexico! For those who are unfamiliar with the Pumpkin Patch, it is the youth ministry's ONLY fundraiser of the year and it is only possible because of volunteers like YOU! Youth and their families can earn money for trips and retreats by serving at the patch- at unloads and/or by working any of the two-hour shifts at the Pumpkin desk! Students can also earn community service hours, if they prefer. You can sign up for unloads and shifts here:

Pumpkin Patch Volunteer Signup

Our first load arrives Sunday at 5pm and we will unload on the front lawn.

ALL YOUTH FAMILIES ARE ASKED TO ATTEND OUR UNLOAD and to sign up for at least one Pumpkin Patch shift a week!

Oct. 2 - 31: Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser open daily

Sunday-Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 10am-8pm

Orchestra Scholarship Fund

Music ministries is starting an “Orchestra Scholarship Fund” for High School seniors who serve in our orchestra. Click HERE to give and support our young musicians.

Finding Nemo

Rehearsals are underway and we are so excited to be bringing this musical to the stage! Look for tickets to go on sale in October! Shows will be November 17th and 18th at 7pm.

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 www.westcobb.Kindermusik.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, $18 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 now be able 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 -October

There’s so much going on for Missions this month! Check out our missions newsletter to learn more about all the churchwide mission projects we have going on here at Due West! Highlights this month include:

Click HERE to read the Missions Newsletter for October.

Click HERE to have the monthly email newsletter delivered directly to your email inbox!

The Small Group Launchpad

Back-to-School season is a great time to consider joining a small group! This fall, we have several new groups launching. We've created a group on Church Center to be a hub for people who are interested in joining a small group. The group is called "The Small Group Launchpad". The Launchpad is the place where you can find out about groups that are currently meeting, groups that are launching soon, and express interest in groups that you'd like to see happen. You can join the Small Group Launchpad by following this link! As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact Sam Gindlesberger at samg@duewest.org.

The United Methodist Men are hosting the annual Murphy-Harpst Fundraising Dinner on Saturday, October 21st. Dinner is provided at no cost to you, but we ask that you prayerfully consider making a donation to support Murphy-Harpst (www.murphyharpst.org).

Make Way for Wine!

Saturday, November 18th, 2-4 pm @ The Marietta Wine Market, 18 Powder Springs Street, Marietta, GA (off the square – just down a bit from the Marietta Pizza Co)

$10 wine tasting – if you choose to taste

Silent Auction items to bid on!

Raffle tickets to purchase and vote with!

Donations happily accepted

Cash and Credit accepted

Learn more about Way Maker!

They’ll have information available and our founder, Kerri Casteel will be there to answer any questions!

All proceeds go to the Way Maker Women’s Center

We are also accepting donations for Silent Auction and Raffle items.

Please contact Jane Swanson if you have anything to donate or if you have a friend with a business who would like to donate. You will be provided with a donation request letter that has the Way Maker Women’s Center information and 501c3 number as they are a non-profit organization.

Thank you for your help and prayers for this event for mamas and babies!

Single Moms Ministry

Are you a single mom? Would you like a few hours one night a month with childcare provided to sit back and enjoy time with other single moms?

Women's Ministry is kicking off a Single Mom's Ministry on Thursday, October 26th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Come join us for dinner, a devotion, time to relax and chat and leave with a little something for just you to enjoy later in the month.

Registration is open on ChurchCenter or email Kerri Casteel at Kcasteel@duewest.org

Cookies with Santa

This year's event for the State Court appointed children's afternoon with their families will be held on Saturday, December 2nd.

We are in need of volunteers (adults only) to help make this a special day for the families. The event is from 1:30 - 3:30 and we need volunteers to help with sign in, table/family hosts, Santa elves and the hot cocoa booth just to name a few!

We are also in need of individuals, small groups and Sunday school classes who would donate gifts for the children. Santa will be giving one gift per child when they visit with him. Ages and gender of the children will be provided. Gift donations should be kept at $30.00.

Please sign up on ChurchCenter. Email Kcasteel@duewest.org with questions.

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.

College Care Ministry Signup

Parents, help us stay in touch with your college students! We would like to send them periodic mailings to remind them how much they are loved and supported by our Due West family!

Complete the online form through the link below to be sure your student is included. This form must be filled out each year to ensure we have the most current address.

If you have any questions, contact Michelle Zerkle 678-230-7313 or send an email to collegecare@duewest.org.

Click this link to fill out the form.

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.

This support group meets weekly on Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Bldg. C, Room 242. The next 13-week cycle starts September 17, 2023.

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

Did You Know?

That there are at least 11 different ways you can contribute to our church’s ministries and avoid paying income or capital gains taxes?

Our upcoming Estate and Tax Planning workshop on Saturday, October 28th from 2 to 4 pm in room C242 will address these and other ways to make smart decisions in favor of the kingdom. The class is limited to 14 people. Please check Church Center when the registrations open, so you can reserve your place in this important program sponsored by your Legacy Ministry committee.

Note:

The speaker is not a tax accountant but will be addressing these issues generically. It is always appropriate to consult your own accountant to determine the applicability of any tax strategy.

Dementia Talk-October

Did you know …when one person in the family is living with dementia, the whole family is “living with dementia?” By that, I mean that all relationships with that loved one are changed, forever. Interactions will be different. Our relationship can still be meaningful and loving if we learn how to communicate with … and respond to … our loved one …in ways that they can best understand.

For instance, did you know one out of every four spoken words is lost to the person living with dementia? How might a person living with dementia hear that question? Did you know out of every spoken words is to the person with dementia?

Comprehending is so very hard. As the stages progress, it becomes even harder. Broken brains require those who love them to learn new ways of communicating.

We can do that.

Basic tips for how we can better communicate:

1. Speak slowly and clearly. Look at the person, and smile while you are talking. Repeat calmly, patiently, and with a smile. Never raise your voice.

2. Never argue or correct.

3. Do not interrupt.

4. Tone and facial expressions matter. Keep a sweet tone and a pleasant expression. Both will go a long way in successful communicating.

5. Give your loved one 9-11 seconds to respond to your question or statement before repeating. Your life and theirs will be more peaceful and far richer.

It is also helpful if we truly understand these truths about dementia: At least two parts of the brain are broken …failing. Dementia is a progressive, irreversible, and terminal illness. People who live with it are doing the very best they can every day! If we can remember that fact, our patience in communicating, and in loving them is much greater.

Loving Through Dementia and I are here to help any family facing dementia.

Blessings,

Sheila Welch

Altar Flowers/LifeCare

We are looking for 1-2 volunteers to help with our Altar Flower/LifeCare ministry. When someone purchases flowers for the altar, they have the option to take the arrangement home or donate it to LifeCare. The arrangements that are donated to LifeCare are split into multiple smaller bouquets and delivered to church members that are on the prayer list. The time commitment involves coming to the church on a Monday morning, if altar flowers were purchased that week, to assemble the bouquets and then deliver them to the recipients. Ideally, you would assist not more than once a month. If you love flowers and enjoy putting a smile on someone’s face, please consider volunteering for this opportunity! If you have any questions, please contact Denise Luders at dluders@duewest.org.

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.

October 2023 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times

October 2023 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

Discipleship

Men's Ministry

Women's Ministry

Recreation Ministry

College Care Ministry

Congregational Care Ministry

Legacy Ministry

Dementia Talk

Volunteer Opportunities

November 2023 Newsletter

September 2023 Newsletter

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times