Hillcrest Transitional Housing will be hosting a wine tasting and dinner at Atlanta Bread Company on Sunday, August 10, in the Summit Woods Crossing Shopping Center from 4:00 – 6:00pm. The cost is $20 per person with half of the proceeds to benefit Hillcrest Transitional Housing.
Hillcrest is a 90-day transitional housing program that helps a homeless family achieve self-sufficiency through a high accountability budgeting and life skills educational curriculum while living in a fully furnished, rent-free apartment. Families that enter the program have over a 95-percent chance of being self-sufficient upon graduating the program, and over an 80-percent chance of remaining self-sufficient after 5 years. First Church has sponsored an apartment at the Eastern Jackson County location since it opened several years ago.
Monday, August 04, 2008
College Age "Back-to-School" Send-Off
Join us the morning of Sunday, August 10 between services in the Office Conference Room for a get together before you head off to school for the fall. We plan to have a coffee bar and give you an opportunity to share your college address with us. Please make sure your friends know. You can e-mail the church office at office@firstumcbs.org with any questions or check out the Facebook group "FUMC College Age Group."
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
News from the Pastor
Dear Friends,
A generous member of the congregation recently gave me a copy of a book entitled The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning. It was a generous gift. In one section of the book the author is writing about the significance of Jesus enjoying table fellowship with all kinds of people. He says, “Sadly the meaning of meal sharing is largely lost in the Christian community today. In the Near East, to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity, and forgiveness-the shared table symbolizes a shared life.” These words come in the midst of a powerful statement of the radical nature of God’s grace shown to us in Jesus Christ. Christ ate with, shared fellowship, and showed love to all kinds of people.
This weekend we will celebrate Holy Communion in all four of our Worship Services. Sometimes we act as if this is simply a ritual act, important because it helps to keep a memory of Jesus alive. However, being invited to the Lord’s Table is not simply symbolic. Nor is it simply a ritual. Communion is more than a reminder of the Last Supper when Jesus invited the Disciples to share with him at the table. And, it is more than a foreshadowing of our invitation to the Heavenly Banquet at some future time. You and I are invited to his table here, now, in this time. Christ is here. Christ both invites and receives you at the Table. You are invited to begin, or to renew, your relationship with him. By inviting you, Christ is offering to share life with you.
As we gather for worship the Scripture reading will be Luke 24:13-35. It is the Resurrection appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They walked and talked with him for several miles, but in the breaking of bread their eyes were opened. Then they knew it was Jesus.
Manning also comments, “In modern times it is scarcely possible to appreciate the scandal Jesus caused by his table fellowship with sinners.” The Good News of the Gospel has not changed! God knows us and loves us. We are invited to the Lord’s Table! Christ will share his life with us! Some invitations you receive ask for an R.S.V.P. This time there is no need. Just come.
Grace and Peace,
Steve Campbell
A generous member of the congregation recently gave me a copy of a book entitled The Ragamuffin Gospel, by Brennan Manning. It was a generous gift. In one section of the book the author is writing about the significance of Jesus enjoying table fellowship with all kinds of people. He says, “Sadly the meaning of meal sharing is largely lost in the Christian community today. In the Near East, to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity, and forgiveness-the shared table symbolizes a shared life.” These words come in the midst of a powerful statement of the radical nature of God’s grace shown to us in Jesus Christ. Christ ate with, shared fellowship, and showed love to all kinds of people.
This weekend we will celebrate Holy Communion in all four of our Worship Services. Sometimes we act as if this is simply a ritual act, important because it helps to keep a memory of Jesus alive. However, being invited to the Lord’s Table is not simply symbolic. Nor is it simply a ritual. Communion is more than a reminder of the Last Supper when Jesus invited the Disciples to share with him at the table. And, it is more than a foreshadowing of our invitation to the Heavenly Banquet at some future time. You and I are invited to his table here, now, in this time. Christ is here. Christ both invites and receives you at the Table. You are invited to begin, or to renew, your relationship with him. By inviting you, Christ is offering to share life with you.
As we gather for worship the Scripture reading will be Luke 24:13-35. It is the Resurrection appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. They walked and talked with him for several miles, but in the breaking of bread their eyes were opened. Then they knew it was Jesus.
Manning also comments, “In modern times it is scarcely possible to appreciate the scandal Jesus caused by his table fellowship with sinners.” The Good News of the Gospel has not changed! God knows us and loves us. We are invited to the Lord’s Table! Christ will share his life with us! Some invitations you receive ask for an R.S.V.P. This time there is no need. Just come.
Grace and Peace,
Steve Campbell
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