Latimer’s Voice
The Newsletter of Latimer Memorial United Methodist Church
Publisher: Witness Team
Editors Comments:
Please use my e-mail address
to submit stories, events,
happenings, or other information
that you would like in the
newsletter. If you do not have a
computer, please give it to me in
person. The deadline for all news
items needs to be to me by the
20th of each month. So it can be
compiled and printed for
distribution on the last Sunday of
the month.
Volume No. III
Issue No. 1
Date: January 2014
these were ordered, and Jeff Roper
covered the risers on which they were
placed.
Family night had a turnout of over 70
people. Pat Wilson produced and
directed the program in which not
only children but adults took part.
Sarah Blackwell and Harry Davis
provided the music. So we salute all
children and the young at heart who
enthusiastically participated in the
Christmas program.
Following the program everyone ate
from the loaded tables of food
prepared by all. Roy Mac Haggard got
the ice for the drinks (as he has done
on many occasions during the year).
Yvonne Shirley arranged the table
centerpieces and Dan and Doreen
Fortney, Glenda Conley and Susie
Howell did the rest of the set up. Susie
also took pictures which will be
displayed on the bulletin board.
During dinner Curtis Wallace
entertained us with a medley of
Christmas carols and songs which he
played on the piano. Jerry Manning
arranged to have Santa visit that night.
Mrs. Claus was busy repairing Santa’s
suit so Charles Campbell graciously
loaned him a suit. Megan Roper and
Aaron Miller acted as elves and
helped Santa give the children gift
bags which the Men’s Club, the
Women’s Circles, the Abundant Life,
Huffman and Hipp classes, the
Outreach and Nurture teams and
Bobbie Davis helped Santa stuff. I’m
certain I’ve forgotten to thank many
of you, but just think (as you
remember that night) if none of you
would have come there would not
have been a family night.
At this writing we still have Christmas
Eve Communion to celebrate.
Hopefully the later hour will allow
some people to participate who
weren’t able to in the past.
In closing, I want to really-really
thank the Nurture Team for all their
support and help this past year. We
are sorry to say good-by to Glenda
Conley as she leaves us to fulfill other
commitments in the church. Thank
you for all you did, Glenda.
--- Regina Bullions
Bob Emhof,
Chairperson-Witness Team
billye320@ aol.com
From The Nurture Team:
December has been a busy month in
the church as it should be. The entire
congregation has made the success of
the activities possible. If it weren’t for
all of you many things would not have
been possible. First of all, thank you
to everyone who helped decorate and
prepare the church for the Advent
Season. I was out of town and really
appreciated Angela Pinson
coordinating that undertaking. Many
of you purchased poinsettias making
the beautiful display in the sanctuary.
Yvonne Shirley made certain that
1
MARK YOUR
CLAENDARS:
January 26th, Latimer will be
having it’s version of their Chile
Cook-Off.
The winner will represent our
church in the “Taster’s Choice”
category of the SC National Chile
Cook-Off held here in Belton in
April. This is a fund raiser where
all the proceeds go toward
reaching our goal for “Relay For
Life”. So come on all you Cooks,
start thinking about your winning
chile.
--- Regina Bullions
From The Pastor:
All Hail the Beards! (or
“Reality Show Theology”)
A certain grizzled looking,
rugged bearded individual spoke out
against something and the “powers
that be” took public action against
that individual. There was some
social media outrage, but for the
most part, it was all just talk and not
much changed. The people did not
head the message the man had
brought. Not many took significant
personal actions. There is
subsequent evidence to that.
A couple of weeks ago this
happened with Phil Robertson of
Duck Dynasty and A&E. However,
that is only a microcosm of what I
am really taking about. Prior to
Christ’s public ministry beginning,
John the Baptist cried out against the
sins of the people. Herodias, who
had been the wife of Herod’s brother
before becoming his wife, was
offended because John the Baptizer
was speaking out against the
wickedness involved in her
becoming “Mrs. Herod.”
Herodias pressured then
even tricked Herod through the
sexual temptation of a “dance”
(euphemism) to trap him into
executing the already arrested
prophet, John. Herod caved in to
the temptation, offering Herodias’
daughter up to half his kingdom for
her favor. Ironically, this was his
wife’s share! He had to deliver John
the Baptist’s head on a platter in
exchange for the dance. My further
evidence is that the same people
who heard John’s message to repent
cried out to crucify Jesus, choosing
to let a murderer be set free instead.
I have always been sort of
mixed in my fan hood of Duck
Dynasty. I see the show as funny,
but only tongue-in-cheek, as it is so
obviously heavily scripted. I laugh
at it while at the same time taking
offense at the fact they are spoofing
the way of life of southern (and
perhaps all) outdoorsmen. What
they portray as real events for
comical purposes jab at the reality of
our daily lives.
What the audience needs to
do is view the DD family as
entertainers, for that is the role they
are playing. Their wealth increases
because we have made them famous
by becoming fans of their TV series.
We, as fans, have spent millions of
dollars we spend supporting them by
buying the DD products with which
the markets have been flooded.
Research proves the Robertson
family made numerous attempts to
script and sell a TV show for some
time before A&E picked them up.
This is all just pretend, people. Our
spiritual wellbeing is real!
2
What frustrates the situation
is that popular opinion is to view
Phil Robertson as a martyr and we
are encouraged to boycott A&E in
protest. Social media and even the
national news have been filled with
the topic. It is a free country, unless
of course your message rubs against
the current of liberality. People can
expend all the time and energy they
wish on this ridiculous argument.
As I see it, the real issues
are as follows:
1. We need to get our
priorities straight. It is just
a TV show people! A&E
and the History and
Discovery channels have all
eroded from learning
programming to reality
trash anyway. Why do we
need them?
2. If we stopped watching
TV so much, we could get
into the Bible and come to
understand better the God
who loves us will judge us
all one day. We will be
encouraged in our love for
others as well seek His will
for our lives daily. We will
be challenged to examine
our own sinfulness, not that
of others.
3. As in the days of John
the Baptist, we need to
accept the message to
repent as a personal
message, not direct it
toward some one who does
not live the way we deem
proper. Christian love and
nurture will certainly help
others come to a saving
knowledge of Christ and
that is what we are called to
be about as His Church.
We are not the judges, even
of Phil Robertson or A&E!
May God bless us all as we
strive to represent Him to the
world!
--Jeff
The Jolly Mixers:
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife,
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweet manners, purer laws.
The Jolly Mixers will meet at the
church for a covered dish meal at 12
noon on Monday, January 20th. We
will be deciding what to do for our
meetings this coming year.
Everybody's invited to join us for fun
and fellowship each third Monday of
the month.
--- Bobbie Davis
Sue Coward/Elizabeth Smith
Circle:
Circles will meet on Monday, January
6 at 4:00pm.
--- Bobbie Davis
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
our church. And the other one is to
revitalize Sunday School and stress
attendance. We hope to help to
achieve both of these goals.
Dan Fortney is the leader with Kent
Millwood being the assistant leader.
Please come and join us.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
(Words by Alfred Lord Tennyson,
Tune sung to Mendelssohn’s
“Hark the Herald Angels Sing”)
January Anniversaries:
No Anniversaries
“Abundant Life”
Group:
Did You Know?
Ring Out The Old, Ring In The
New
Hymn Lyrics:
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out false pride in place and
blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
The
“Abundant
Life”
Group has had a few weeks of
during the Thanksgiving and
Christmas Season BUT, is planning
on starting up again beginning
January 9th, and continue to meet
weekly on Thursday evenings at
7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall.
The group’s main focus is
based on the idea of living life wide
awake and fully alive as Jesus
intended for us to live it. It is the
endeavor to disciple group members
by instruction, modeling/mentoring,
and going/doing. The concept is to
target young adults but ANYONE is
free to also attend and be part of
this exciting group.
One of our goals is to help fulfill two
areas of focus for Latimer. One area
of focus is to develop and implement a
plan to attract young adults (18-35) to
3
January Birthdays:
1
9
14
16
16
24
25
29
30
Jeff Roper
Gloria Eaves
Joe Frank Pinson
Ann Gaston
Jim Lane
Joe Owings
Billie Jo Campbell
Sherry Powers
Christy Simmons
From The Witness Team:
Treasurers Report:
Needed
YTD---$ 91,296.00
Received YTD---$ 86,922.00
Over / (Under) ---- ($ 4374 .00 )
[After week 51 of 2013]
-----Linda Millwood
From the Outreach Team:
The Witness Team has been
working very diligently on
updating the “prayer chain” list
this fall and it came to completion
in early December. So, if a prayer
chain need arises, please contact
either Pastor Jeff, or Bob Emhof,
if they are unavailable, contact Pat
Wilson. We would like to extend
our thankfulness to Billie Jo
Campbell for her loyal and faithful
contributions to the witness team
over the last three years. It is time
we say good by to her and to say
welcome to Glenda Conley who
will be taking her place.
Our Prayer List:
Peggie Bromeling, Charles
Campbell, Bo Cooke, Sandy
DeGlau, Debbie Forbes, Willie
Hester, Johnny Kelly, Aaron King,
Jean Long, Jean McCall, Robert
Murphy, Dot Peck, Charles
Rogers, Jimmy Shuler, Albert
Darby family, Gaynelle Harris
family
Shut-Ins:
Ernie Emhof, Aaron King, Martha
Manry, Susan Pruitt, Almetta
Smith,
--- Bob Emhof
Ushers for 2014:
Thank you to all the people who
participated in our Christmas
projects. The Angel Tree was a big
success, and the folks at Epworth were
so appreciative as were those involved
in the other projects. Although
Outreach goes on all through the year,
our next big projects will come in the
spring. I especially want to thank
those on our Outreach Committee who
give of their time and efforts for the
betterment of our church family and
our community. Something new for
2014: we now have large print Upper
Rooms available?
The United Methodist Men:
The Men’s Club has been faithful
in our every 3rd Sunday morning
Meeting breakfasts here at the
church. Please come and join us
for it is filled with good
fellowship and blessings.
--- Neil Simmons
--- Jane Burnett
4
January---------Kent Millwood
February-------Charles Campbell
March----------David Campbell
April------------Bill Woodson
May------------Jerry Manning
June------------Frank Clark
July-------------Jim DuBose
August---------Harry Davis
September-----Bill Eaves
October--------Kent Millwood
November-----Charles Campbell
December-----David Campbell
3-year-old Reese:
“ Our Father, Who does art in
heaven, Harold is His name.
Amen."
Nursery List:
January 2014:
Offering Counters:
January 2014:
5th
12th
Judith DuBose/Gay
Walfield
Bill Woodson/Bob Emhof
19th
Regina Bullions/Jane
Woodson
26 Andy Bullions/Barb Emhof
___________________________
th
February:
2
9th
16th
23rd
Jerry Manning/Roy Mac
Haggard
Yvonne Shirley/Glenda
Conley
John Pinson/Kent Millwood
Harry Davis/ Bill Eaves
March:
2nd
Jane Anderson/Gloria Eaves
9th Jim DuBose/Ron Walfield
16th Judith DuBose/ Gay
Walfield
23rd Bill Woodson/Bob Emhof
30th Regina Bullions/Jane
Woodson
5th Bobbie Davis / Jennie Roper
12th Pat Wilson/ Carolyn
Haggard
th
19
Regina Bullions/ Jackie
Manning
26th Gloria Eaves/Judith DuBose
Substitutes :
– 314-9175
-- 338-5192
Hanna Brooks
Gay Walfield
Please arrive in the nursery by
10:50 a.m. when you are scheduled.
If you are not able to be in the nursery
you may switch with someone else,
get one of the substitutes, or call
Regina as soon as you are aware of a
conflict. Regina Bullions
864-243-3594
As the New Year begins, let it
start with a laugh:
A Sunday school teacher asked her
class, “What was Jesus’ mother’s
name?” One child answered, “Mary”
The teacher then asked, “Who knows
what Jesus’ father’s name was?”
A little kid said, "Verge."
Confused, the teacher asked, "Where
did you get that?"
The kid said, "Well, you know, they
are always talking about Verge n'
Mary.''
5
I had been teaching my three-year old
daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's
Prayer for several evenings at
bedtime.
She would repeat after me the lines
from the prayer.
Finally, she decided to go solo.
I listened with pride as she carefully
enunciated each word, right up to
the end of the prayer:
"Lead us not into temptation," she
prayed, "but deliver us from E-mail.
One particular four-year-old prayed,
“And forgive us our trash baskets as
we forgive those who put trash in our
baskets.”
Six-year-old Angie and her four-yearold brother, Joel, were sitting together
in church. Joel giggled, sang, and
laughed out loud. Finally, his big
sister had had enough. “You’re not
supposed to talk out loud in church.”
“Why? Who’s going to stop me?”
Joel asked.
Angie pointed to the back of the
church and said, “See those two men
standing by the door? They’re
hushers!”
A wife invited some people for dinner.
At the table, she asked her six-yearold daughter to say the blessing. The
little girl replied, “I wouldn’t know
what to say,” The wife answered,
“Just say what you hear mommy say.”
The daughter bowed her head, “Lord,
why on earth did I invite all these
people to dinner?”
From the Bishop’s
Corner:
Monday, 23 December 2013
By Bishop Jonathan Holston
“Put me to the test, says The
Lord of hosts; see if I will not
open up the window of heaven
for you and pour down for you
an overflowing blessing.” —
Malachi 3:10
It’s that time of year again. That
special time when we make
resolutions to consider in the
new year.
So let’s recite some of them
together: We’re going to lose
weight, exercise more, get out
of debt, stick to a budget, save
for the future and spend more
time with family. Many of these
resolutions are specific
promises that revolve around
the things that pull our strings;
namely, money, health and
family. Because we make our
own decisions, do our own
thing and nobody tells us what
we will do or not do, we would
like to think that we are
completely free of all the stuff
that pulls our strings. In fact,
we make these resolutions
because we want a clean slate
to bring change to bear on our
own circumstances and improve
ourselves as well as our quality
of life.
Friends, it’s that time of year
where the phrase “this year will
be different” will be said more
than we can count.
For me, the new year is an
appropriate time to take an
inventory of our lives and think
about how we want to live and
act in a more excellent way. As
we celebrate, we have
opportunities to reaffirm our
faith. Many of us will take time
to share in a Wesley Covenant
Renewal Service. Our
participation in such a service
reaffirms our willingness and
intention to again say we are
ready to live in a covenant
relationship of faith in the Body
of Christ.
This is powerful good news to
share with one another at the
beginning of the year.
It was in 1755 that John Wesley
came to believe that gathering a
congregation together to make
or renew their “covenant” with
God was in his words “a means
of increasing serious religion. ...
To serve God with all our heart
and with all our soul.”
The heart of the service requires
us to commit ourselves anew to
God as we share in the
following Prayer of Invitation:
“Commit yourselves to Christ
as his servants. Give yourselves
to him, that you may belong to
him. Christ has many services
to be done. Some are more easy
6
and honorable, others are more
difficult and disgraceful. Some
are suitable to our inclinations
and interests, others are
contrary to both. In some we
may please Christ and please
ourselves. But then there are
other works where we cannot
please Christ except by denying
ourselves. It is necessary,
therefore, that we consider what
it means to be a servant of
Christ.”
In order for this year to be
different, we pray this prayer of
covenant:
“I am no longer my own, but
thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank
me with whom thou wilt
Put me to doing, put me to
suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or
brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let be empty.
Let me have all things, let me
have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all
things
To thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and
blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am thine,
So be it.
And the covenant which I have
made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
Yes, it is that time of year
again. That special time when
resolutions are made. Yet this
year can be different if we
move into a deeper relationship
with Christ and discover a more
excellent way.