Horizon
Lines
New Horizons United Methodist Church
Vol. 26 No. 2
February 2016
“Moving Forward”
Getting Out of the Boat,
Stepping out in Faith!
Keeping our eyes on
Jesus!
The mission of the Church
is to make disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world.
The vision of New Horizons
is to be a fruitful congregation energized by the power
of the Holy Spirit to live out
the mission of the Church
in the unique way God has
called us to nurture families and enable community
wellness.
Inside this issue:
From Pastor Gina
1,2
Passionate Worship,
Intentional Faith
Development
3
Radical Hospitality
4
Fruitful Congregation
5
Children & Youth
6,7
Risk Taking Mission &
Service
7-10
Extravagant Generosity 10
February Calendar
11
To God’s Awesome Community of Faith,
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!!! Were we not just saying
Merry Christmas last week??? Time flies when you are having fun and I
guess we must be having a lot of fun around here. Okay right out of the
gate I want us to continue to think about our ministry theme for 2016
which is “Our Divine Purpose”... What is God calling each of us to do individually for the collective Kingdom of God? Each of us has gifts and
graces bestowed upon us, but what do we do with those gifts for God and
the glory of God? We have begun the visioning process with the FCJ team
and our coach Mark Eutsler. And figuring out why we are here will help us
with our vision to upbuild God’s Kingdom and make disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world. We have been blessed with
many things and are we willing to share God’s gracious gifts bestowed upon each of us with God and God’s people. I hope you just quietly said
amen. (smile).
We will continue to work on equipping the saints of New Horizons. We
have been blessed with a case of REVIVE Bibles, bracelets and cards. We
are hosting the REVIVE Prayer Rally on Thursday February 4th at 7:00
pm. We will have our own Engage Day with training on February 13 th
from 8:30 am – to about 2:00 pm. There will be a couple of Revive churches joining us. I will need some donations of bottled water, hot dog buns
and chips for a quick lunch when we return from engaging in the city of
Anderson. I have already purchased the hot dogs.
Thank you for those who participated during our “monthly” 12 hour
prayer vigil January 29th. The one for this month will be February 26th. It
was wonderful having the prayer team duos praying at the same time here
in the sanctuary and at home simultaneously. I am praying that New Horizons is not only known as the church with the warm heart and arms wide
opened, but also as a “House of Prayer” who shares the Gospel and loves
everyone in the name of Jesus. When we can live into this way of life,
many of the things that have plagued us in the past will miraculously go
away. Financial issues will fade, attendance issues will fade, and authentic
worship issues will fade. When we live into the love of Jesus, when we are
Christ focused instead of program or event focused; we allow the Holy
Spirit to move us into our divine purpose. With God’s help and your help,
I want to equip this vineyard to understand and live into “our divine purpose” as we intentionally make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vol. 26 No. 2
Page 2
I want to also thank you to all who have been recertified and received your certificate for attending
and passing our Annual Safe Sanctuaries training. Please be on the lookout for persons who might be interested and search your own hearts to see if there is a ministry of the church you that you might be interested in participating during these very crucial years of Kingdom building. The worshippers of New Horizons need to be on the lookout for those who are within the congregation who can serve within the ministry of caring for and teaching children about Jesus. If it is the younger families we want to serve, we
must have the resources in place to serve the families exceptionally well and that will take people willing
to get out of their comfort zone and volunteer to serve in Christ’s ministry to families and children (even
if it is an inconvenience). My grandmother used to say “many hands make for lighter work,” and I mention this because it seems we have the same few persons doing most of the work for the Kingdom and we
are going to need to bring some people along to share the load. In Luke 10:2 Jesus said, "The harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few.” There is much work to do and we must focus on the harvest. This is
the reason we are here. In case a reason you may not have wanted to step up to some of our other ministries because you don’t want to miss worship, I want to let you know that most if not all of our worship
services are videographed and placed on the New Horizons website to experience or re-experience.
Please check www.newhorizonsanderson.org and click on the blue link at the top of the page that says
“To watch the worship service, Click Here!”. There are some who have sacrificed much worship time in
order to make sure this ministry is taken care of.
I continue to thank you all so very much for your patience and prayers during this time transition with
the health issues of my family. My plate remains pretty full, however we know God is in complete control. I daily thank God Almighty for placing me here in this prepared vineyard with awesome folks who
love the Lord. I continue daily ask God for wisdom, patience and strength so I may be able to continue
to guide, serve you and work as hard as I humanly can to be the lead pastor you truly deserve as growing
Christians. I’m working extra hard to make sure you have the kind of pastor that will lead this church to
do the Kingdom building that Christ requires. The Kirkland family loves you all so very much! We are
so happy to be here with you in relationship, ministry, service and worship.
Moving Forward in Christ,
Pastor Gina Kirkland
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Vol. 26 No. 2
Page 3
PASSIONATE WORSHIP
The mission of the
Church is to make
disciples of Jesus
Christ for the
transformation of
the world.
Liturgist:
Princess Johnson
FEBRUARY SERMONS AND SCRIPTURES
Lectionary
Year C
Feb 7
Feb 14
Feb 21
Feb 28
Transfiguration Sunday
1st Sunday of Lent
2nd Sunday of Lent
3rd Sunday of Lent
Scripture
Exodus 34:29-35
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:28-36
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 13:31-35
Isaiah 55:1-9
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
Sermon
Experience The
Mountaintop
Temptation, Temptation,
Temptation,
Rejected Love
Do Something or
Get off the Pot
INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT
Ways to continue to develop your faith here at New Horizons. Please bring a friend!
The children leave the Sunday service to go to the EDGE. (Everyone Does Good Eternally)
This is Children’s Church, and they continue to praise the Lord and learn about His great Love for all.
Sunday School classes are available for the children at the same time the adults meet.
The youth class meets in Room 1.
The newest Sunday School class for young adults (ages 18-40) is meeting in the Chapel.
One adult Sunday School class meets in the Wesley Room (the Wesley Class). One meets in the Library
studying events of the time, and the Seekers Class meets in the classroom on the way to the gym (Room 11).
Please feel free to attend each one to get a “feel” for it and see which one fits you!



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On Mondays at 1pm, Sisters of the Spirit (SOS) meets in the resource center (library). Come as you are!
Word Searchers meets ever y Sunday evening at 6:00pm.
An adult small group meets every Wednesday evening at 6:00 for soul stirring Prayer Meeting.
Also on Wednesday evening, praise team, drama team, bells, and the choirs (chancel and gospel).
Each is a way to deepen your faith. Please feel welcome to join in!
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Vol. 26 No. 2
February
Birthdays
02/05
02/06
02/13
02/16
02/19
02/20
02/20
02/23
02/28
02/28
02/28
Susie Justice
Reginald Kirkland
Cheryl Green
Janet Lawson
Christin Dollar
Beulah Hall
Sam Parker
Dave Inlow
Doyne Branstetter
Linda Inlow
Khamiya Johnson
February
Anniversaries
02/13 Bob & Madonna Gillum
02/14 Ralph &Arlene
Ellingwood
Stuffed Animals Needed
Mama Bear says that the
supply of Caring Bears
and animals has dwindled! Please be on the
lookout for gently used
animals for our ministry! Also, a
HUGE thank you for everyone who
has donated stuffed animals for this
awesome ministry!
The deadline for
the March
newsletter is
Sunday, February
21st.
Caring Ministry
Reginald Kirkland
will be providing hospital and
rehabilitation visits this month.
Please call the office if you or
someone you know is in the
hospital and would like a visit.
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RADICAL HOSPITALITY
FEBRUARY GREETERS, MINGLERS, & ACOLYTES
Greeters
Minglers
02/07
02/14
02/21
02/28
Matt & Amanda Capes & family
Ralph & Arlene Ellingwood
Brandy Smith & family
Ann Stevenson & Marti Troyer
Dori Hale
Bruce Haynes
Edna May Young
Joan Witham
02/07
02/14
02/21
02/28
Acolytes
Khamiya Johnson & Oliver Motsinger
Brenna Gibbs & Chesney Gibbs
Ava Capes & Audry Capes
Gaven Combs & Ethan Gibbs
HAPPENINGS! At New Horizons—Don’t Miss Them!
-Every Sunday at 5:30 PM Youth Group
-Every Sunday at 6 PM Word Searchers
-Every Monday at 1 PM Sister of the Spirit meet in the Library
-Every Tuesday 1:30 PM Knit Pickers meet at Bethany Pointe
-Every Wednesday 6 PM Prayer Meeting
-Every Thursday 1:30 PM Retired Old Men Eating Out @ Perkins
-02/04 7:00PM REVIVE Prayer Rally
-02/10 6:00PM Ash Wednesday Service
-02/13 9:30AM Walk A Mile in My Shoes for the Christian Center
-02/13 9:30AM REVIVE Encounter Day
-02/20 10:00AM North Central Leadership Training Event
-02/21 Noon Lunch n Movie
-02/26 9:00AM—9:00PM 12 Hours of Prayer
Lent Bible Study
The Gospel of John is the most deeply spiritual of the four
gospels. This writing is filled with rich images and profound
truths, but John notes that his aim in writing the gospel is
that readers will not only believe in Jesus Christ, but that they
“may have life in his name.” This Lent, join Adam Hamilton
and experience a season of spiritual growth and life-changing
renewal while reading the entire Gospel of John. You’ll follow the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus through
the Gospel of John and understand the context of some of the best-known verses
in the New Testament.
Topics Include: The Word Made Flesh; The Miraculous Signs of Jesus; The “I
Am” Sayings of Jesus; The Farewell Discourse; The Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion of the King; and Eternal Life.
Marti Troyer, Ann Stevenson, and Janet Lawson will lead the six sessions which
will begin Feb 14. The book will be available for $12 for those who would like
to have a copy.
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Vol. 26 No. 2
P.U.S.H. 2016
Pray Until Something Happens for New Horizons
(It’s not about us. It’s all about Jesus)
Spiritual
Patience, Peace, Strength and unconditional love (5)
Being disciples to make more disciples. (4)
More people willing to let God’s Spirit take control (4)
Knowledge, unity, guidance & understanding (3)
Revival of our hearts and minds to focus on Jesus and be filled with the Holy Spirit (3)
More people willing to seriously fast & pray (1)
We become spiritually aware of how important it is that we at least try to pay God’s tithe. (1)
The Holy Spirit moves us on options toward stewardship. (1)
More congregants feel the need to help us P.U.S.H. (1)
Financial
We become a giving church of our time, talents and treasures so our ministries can grow and prosper (4)
Better stewardship of God’s money in every person’s bank account. (1)
We need God’s wisdom of how to obtain and receive more money into the church. (1)
Local Ministries
Find ways to minister to youth and young adults with families. (4)
New visitors who want to stay and become members (2)
NHUMC to begin to show interest and get excited about Jesus (1)
More teachers or facilitators for Sunday School and small groups (1)
Ministries to attract and serve more families and children (1)
Ministry to seek those absent from church for more than 2 Sundays (1)
Ministry through music (1)
Community
Economic Growth in Anderson Community (3)
Reduce violence & drugs in our community (3)
Our police officers safety and integrity (2)
Open our hearts to everyone and ourselves (1)
Terrorism by terrorists to end (1)
Healing
People to be healed from cancer (1)
People to be healed form depression (1)
People to be healed from heart disease (1)
People to be healed from M.S. (1)
Young people to begin to trust the church again (1)
Government
Elections for moral Christian city, state and country leaders (1)
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Vol. 26 No. 2
CHILDREN’S NEWS
In the EDGE for February:
Teacher: Janet Lawson
Assistants: 02/07 Carol Seck
02/14 Patty Waddell
02/21 Jenny Hart
02/28 Gene McMahan
In the month of February the
children in the EDGE will be doing the
Gospel of John Bible Study during the
Lenten season.
We are looking for some curriculum for the EDGE and Sunday School.
The teachers really liked the SENT Advent Study curriculum and would like
something like that. If you have any
suggestions where I could find some,
please contact me
If you know of anyone who is
interested in working with the children,
please let me know!
~ Brandy Smith
The Children’s Message
for February:
02/07
02/14
02/21
02/28
Sarah Howell
Kim Kerr
Tim Fowler
Kim Kerr
In the Nursery for February:
02/07 Worship: Karen Fowler & Carol Strough
Sunday School: Iris Barnes & Jenny Hart
02/14 Worship: Tim Fowler & Doris McCampbell
Sunday School: Nila Townsend & Amanda Capes
02/21 Worship: Kelly Pidcock & Kathy Dunn
Sunday School: Kathy Dunn & Phyllis Howard
02/28 Worship: Iris Barnes & Karen Fowler
Sunday School: Jenny Hart & Kelly Pidcock
In the Toddler Room for February:
02/07 Worship: Betty Miller & Jenny Hart
Sunday School: Princess Johnson & Carol Strough
02/14 Worship: Richla Grayson & Paula Bivens
Sunday School: Princess Johnson & Paula Bivens
02/21 Worship: Richla Grayson & Betty Miller
Sunday School: Princess Johnson & Nila Townsend
02/28 Worship: Amanda Capes & Margaret Sobel
Sunday School: Princess Johnson & Ruth Anna Helm
ALL CHURCH LUNCH & A MOVIE
Sunday, February 21st
Lunch immediately following
Sunday School
Movie @ 1:00PM
Bring a covered dish and join us for good fellowship and a
movie. After lunch we will watch “Little Boy.”
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Vol. 26 No. 2
Page 7
YOUTH NEWS
SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! That seemed to be the January theme, cancelling church and youth activities.
Hopefully, February weather will be better. Our February schedule will be:
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Care packages for servicemen
14
Valentine’s Day Party
21
Family Movie Afternoon—Immediately after Sunday School
28
REVIVE Open Gym
All youth activities will be from 5:30-7:30 (except the Family Movie Afternoon). As always, friends and visitors are welcome at any of our youth activities!
Opportunities for Adult Involvement:
*Join us for an evening to share your faith journey at one of our Faith in Life nights
*Hang out and assist Kim at one of the Sunday evening youth nights (Annual Safe Sanctuaries is required)
*Youth Council—This is an opportunity to support the youth (and myself) by bringing your ideas for the
youth to help plan. Our next meeting will be Sunday, March 6, immediately following Sunday School.
Lunch will be provided (and possibly childcare if there is the need for it).
*Progressive Dinner—We need 3-4 individuals or families who would be willing to prepare a portion
(appetizer or salad, meal, and dessert) and invite us (5-10 youth/adults) into their homes for a Sunday evening
in March (exact date TBD once we have the volunteers). This is an opportunity to fellowship and get to know
the youth. We will travel from house-to-house, eating part of our meal at each place (not necessarily in a normal order).
*Donate snacks for Sunday evenings –sign-up sheet and a suggested list of ideas of what the youth like are on
the bulletin board outside of the library/conference room.
Contact Kim Kerr for details about any of the above ideas: [email protected] or text or call (765) 623-1766.
Missions
Our missions moment for February will be Operation Love. Andrea Baker will be sharing with us
about the work. I volunteer on Wednesday afternoons. There are many needy people who come through
each week. I think it would be nice if you could bring some kind of canned good, cereal, or anything that you
think they could use. Keep them in your prayers. They also help with meds if you need them. Also, by now
you know that Pastor Saeed Abedini, who was in prison in Iran and we prayed much for him, was released
with 4 other men. They need a lot of prayer as they come home and readjust to our way of life. Jason Helm
and his family have gone back to South Africa on the eastern cape. His health still needs a lot of prayer. Also, they do not have insurance right now, and you know how much all this treatments and medicines cost.
Continue to pray for the Lord’s will to be done.
United Methodist Women
Welcome to a new year. It is hard to believe it is 2016. Thursday, February the 4th we will
be having our first meeting of the year. It is about “The Call to Prayer & Self Denial.” I will
be presenting the lesson. The hostess are Dot Malone, Laura Smith and Phyllis Howard. If you have some
change, bring it along. I will be sharing where the money is being used. Looking forward to seeing you.
Princess
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Vol. 26 No. 2
RISK TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE
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During the month of January, we spent two weeks focusing on winter. The final week
of this unit brought us some winter weather to explore. It even got warm enough that some of
our children really enjoyed climbing on the huge snow mountains at the far end of the parking
lot. Several of our classes brought snow inside to paint and explore on especially cold days.
We also took time to learn about changes for animals in the winter. Despite the bitterly cold
temperatures that come with the winter season, we thoroughly enjoyed learning about and exploring winter! We will be closing out the month of January with two weeks focused on outer space. During our outer space unit some of our children will be creating their own planets, exploring and creating moon dough, creating our
own space bottles, organizing planets into our solar system, and much more. We are really excited for our trip out of
this world during these two weeks!
The entire team here at Learning Tree would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have stepped up to
the plate and agreed to host a chapel for our students! Our children truly look forward to chapel on Tuesdays and are
now so excited to see who the new guest will be. This is such a great way for New Horizons to build relationships
with the staff and students in our program! Recently I heard several of the children and staff alike talking about how
involved the students got in one of the chapels. One child piped up after the lesson saying, “God made us and God
loves us” other comments have included some of the fun songs that have been introduced at chapel with our new
guests. One chapel guest even sent home reminders of things to pray for. This is such a great way to introduce God
into this next generation and even get them excited about church. Thank you so much to all who have helped us with
this ministry!
As we move into this New Year and we all struggle to keep our New Year’s resolution, we at Learning Tree
would love to invite you to be involved! If you are looking for a way to give back to the ministries of New Horizons
or a way to build that relationship, NOW is the time! Maybe 2016 is your year to be present in the lives of the children here at Learning Tree. As New Horizons works on moving forward with stage three of the fruitful congregations, we invite you to be a part of one of your biggest (and still growing) ministries. If you are looking for a way to
get involved, please consider some of the following ideas which make a very short list of ways to be a part of our
awesome ministry.
 Volunteer to host a children’s chapel service on Tuesdays at 9:45 where we listen, we sing, and we pray.
 Volunteer to be a prayer partner. If you would like to be a prayer partner for a specific family or team member in
the childcare, please see Karoline Sheets or Marianne Dollar; and they can give you a specific family or team member
to pray for. We believe in the power of prayer, and I hear families and staff alike tell me each day, “Please just pray
for me.” How simple is this?
 Volunteer to cut out items for teachers. Our teachers have started a file of things that need to be cut out for art
projects, games, or upcoming activities. If you have a little extra time and can help out with this, it would be greatly
appreciated and free up some time for teachers to spend with their students. This is an easy task that can be done at
home and dropped off when you are finished.
 Lend a helping hand. It seems each day that the transition between lunchtime and naptime is the busiest. Each of
our teachers at some point or another during this time wish that they had an extra pair of hands. Be that pair of hands.
You can help children wash hands after they eat their lunch or even help teachers gather up their plates to return to the
kitchen. If you are available around noon during the week this may seem like a small thing, but it is a huge thing to
our team members.
 If you would like to spend some time holding a baby in the infant classroom or reading a story to a group of children in their classroom, you can see Karoline Sheets or Marianne Dollar for a time that would work with our class
schedules.
 If you have the gift of being a seamstress, please see Karoline Sheets. Some of our teachers have some items on
their wish list that you could help with. Or perhaps you’re a great carpenter and would like a project. We can always
help with that.
There are also several projects that we would love to have the resources to complete, but as often is true, daily
needs take precedence over some dreams. If you would like to sponsor a dream for one of our classrooms, please
contact Karoline Sheets or Marianne Dollar.
There are so many ways to be a part of this ever growing ministry. We truly appreciate all that our church
family does to support us on a daily basis. We are truly shaping the future of our community and nation.
Vol. 26 No. 2
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RISK TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE
STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
It’s official. It was announced on January 14, 2016 in the North Central District Newsletter that I am
one of our district’s Co-Lay Leaders. I will join forces with Chris Hancock and David Johns. I am very excited about this new path God has put before me. I will do my best to fulfill what He wants me to do. I also
will continue as one of New Horizons Co-Lay Servants.
As I shared with you several times, it is heavy upon my heart for all of us to step outside of our comfort
zones. Our church cannot continue to run on a select few doing the many things to keep our campus going
in the various ways that are required. Remember that we are here to support each other and do what God has
for all of us to do. Just because you may not be on a committee does not mean that you cannot assist with
something. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.
With that being said, I am looking for 44 individuals who would be Communion servers. Communion is
the first Sunday of every month. There is no training you have to attend to do this. My intention is to have a
yearly schedule. Please shoot me an email or give me a call. I would like to have all of these spots filled by
January 30th. My contact info is:
Marianne Dollar
Cell: (765) 425-5353
Email: [email protected]
In God’s Love,
Marianne Dollar
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Vol. 26 No. 2
HOW YOU CAN SERVE:
Sign up to pray for 20 minutes on Fridays. You can pray anywhere.
Pray for New Horizons, Anderson and the World.
Offer a children’s message for Learning Tree or Help in Sunday School /the nursery/ the EDGE
Pick someone up for Sunday Service or Provide refreshments one Sunday
Serve as a greeter or valet for parking on Sunday morning or Be an usher
Go to Sunday School/ host or join a small group or Come to the women’s small group on Monday at 1:00
or Join Hand Bells, Choir, or Drama Team
Visit with the Knit-pickers at Bethany Pointe on Tuesdays at 1:30 or knit or crochet from home for the
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Join the servants of the Handy Helpers and the Caring Company (see Mickey Lawson)
Donate to Alternatives Meals
If you can serve in any of these ways, please contact the church office.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Help support The Christian Center in Anderson by helping bring awareness to the plight of our homeless and
hurting neighbors in Madison County. Join the one mile walk on Sat., February 13th. The walk begins at Anderson University Reardon Auditorium and
ends at the Christian Center. Registration is 8:30-9:30 with the walk beginning at 9:30. We plan to pre-register so we will not need to arrive early. Participants will receive a shirt and are asked to seek pledges and sponsors to
support the vital ministries of the Christian Center. You may sign up on the sheet in the lobby. Contact
Mickey or Janet Lawson for more information on joining the walk or making a pledge. The money collected in the Red Cans in February will also be added to NHUMC team pledge.
EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY
What we have given to be used for God’s work through December 31, 2015
Income for expenses (including Mortgage) in Dec.
$26,778.00
Expenses
(including Mortgage)
19,048.00
Difference
7,730.00
Year to date Income for expenses (including mortgage)
Through Dec. 31, 2015
$231,802.00
Year to date Expenses (including mortgage)
$257,120.00
Difference
<25,318.00>
BALANCE ON MORTGAGE AS OF Dec. 31, 2015
Principal paid on mortgage through Dec. 31
Income to Missions through Dec. 31
Paid out thru Dec. 31
$243,694.60
$38,415.33
$9,710.72
$ 9,197.61
The money donated to the
red JOY Jars for the
month of FEBRUARY
will go towards “Walk A
Mile In My Shoes.” This
is an annual walk that The
Christian Center hosts. The event will
be held on February 13th.
Complete treasurer’s reports are available from the church office or contact Brandy Smith, Treasurer. Giving reports are available
from Nila Townsend.
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NEW HORIZONS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
611 E 53rd St
Anderson, IN 46013
Phone 765-644-0949
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Sunday Morning
9:30 am Worship
10:45 am Fellowship
11:00 am Sunday School
(Nursery & Children’s Worship available)
STAFF
Lead Pastor
Minister of Music
Organist
Administrative Assistant
Gina Kirkland
Stephen Fleck
Marilyn Birt
Brandy Smith
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.newhorizonsanderson.org
Find us on Facebook
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