Southport UMC Newsletter

First, do you know what a disciple is and how you can tell if a person is a disciple of Jesus? If you think you know, do you really know or is it a guess? One way we can answer this question is to evaluate where we are in our discipleship based on what a disciple should be and would do. Coming in the spring, everyone will be invited to complete a Discipleship Assessment,   evaluating where each of us is in terms of becoming a fully mature disciple of Jesus.   John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, would say we will never reach full maturity; but we should keep “going on to perfection.” The results of the assessments will be used in two ways.   One – to determine how we as a church should emphasize growing in our discipleship.   Two – it will also help us individually so that we can understand how each person should focus their own discipleship. In the meantime, please pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit to help us understand where   Jesus wants us

Dear Friends, I want to thank you for the many expressions of sympathy that you extended to me and my wife Susan on the death of my mother.   The many cards and kind words that you offered      during this time were a great source of peace and comfort for Susan and me. Additionally, I want to thank you for your concern for me during and after my recent surgery.   For those who might not know, I had surgery on my left arm.   I have experienced some nerve damage in my wrist and in my elbow.   Surgery in both of those areas was performed to,     hopefully, correct the problem. Presently, I haven’t had my follow-up visit with the surgeon so I’m not quite sure what the prognosis is regarding the success of the surgery.   I am prayerfully hopeful because prior to the surgery I was losing the feeling and strength in my left hand and arm.   Again, the cards and kind words, as well as prayers were comforting.   It is a great thing to be a part of a loving and caring church family. I

JOURNEY GROUP As   disciples of Jesus, we are called to “go on” in our discipleship, meaning continue to go on toward Christlikeness for all of our life.   And to accomplish what Jesus calls each one of us to do, we need to understand God’s story and how our story is part of God’s story.   We are offering a Journey Group starting January 15, 2017, that will help us move along in our “journey” toward Christlikeness.   The Bible study is called “Seamless” and will meet for 14 weeks during the 10:00 a.m. hour each Sunday morning.   (Participants can attend either the 8:30 or 11:15 worship services.) Whether you’ve grown up hearing Bible stories or you’re exploring Scripture for the first time, the full story of the Bible can be overwhelming.   The 66 books may seem disconnected at first glance.   This study by Angie Smith shows us how the whole Bible – from Genesis to             Revelation – connects as one beautiful, seamless thread.   (Resources for the study will

SUPPORT HUNGER INC. - January 12 to 15 We begin 2017 by blessing Perry Township families through our Food Drive Ministry.    January’s requested items are Peanut Butter and Jelly. Bring your donations from Thursday to Friday, January 12-15, and the ministry team will deliver them to Hunger Inc. the next week. UNITING WITH THE CHURCH – February 2017 Would you like to make Southport your church home? Join Pastor Mark as he shares the mission and vision of Southport United Methodist Church and the importance of not just following Jesus but living your life as He lived His. Please plan to attend the next “UNITING WITH THE CHURCH” session in February. Date will be announced soon.    LOOKING AHEAD January 15, Sunday – Communion and Community Meal March 4 through 12 – Spring Clothing Drive for Interfaith Hospitality Network

On January 5 and 8 members of our Prison Ministry Teams will be at a Next Steps table to share how you can be part of Kairos Prison Ministry. As well as choosing to serve inside the prison walls, there are many additional ways to make this spiritual retreat a success.    The first is prayer.   It is an extremely emotional moment when the participants see a long     prayer chain with thousands of names of people who are praying for them.   You can sign up for a time to pray. Another way to help is to bake cookies.   If this is your talent, be sure to pick up the specific chocolate chip cookie recipe at the table.   The cookies make a statement in ways hard to imagine.   They show love from those who bake them, and they are a powerful instrument for forgiveness within the walls of the correctional facility. A third way is to give financially.   A single gift of $10 for a meal ticket can provide two   separate meals during the weekend and is a charitable contribution for y

Dear Friends, As we approach the end of the year I want to thank you for who you are as a congregation.   You provide countless hours of ministry in the name of Jesus Christ and you impact thousands of lives throughout the course of the year.   The good news of Jesus Christ is being offered to many people as you make his love real to people on a daily basis.   Again, thanks so much for your ministry and I look forward to continuing to do ministry with you in the year 2017. I also want to draw your attention to the special Christmas Eve and Christmas services that are scheduled in the next few weeks. Thursday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. – Pre-Christmas Eve candlelight service. Saturday, December 24 5:30 p.m. – Children and family service (no candlelight) 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. – Contemporary candlelight service 11:00 p.m. – Traditional candlelight service Sunday, December 25 – Open candlelight communion from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.   You may come anytime during the 90 minute

We are starting a Bible Club at Homecroft!   The Bible Club is supported by Christ Youth Bible Club (CYBC, www.cybcweb.com).   Christ Youth Bible Club is deeply passionate about connecting the heart of a child to the heart of God through the truth of His Word and the love and compassion of Jesus followers.   CYBC desires that every child “…grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Southport UMC is becoming a supporting church and we are very excited about this new opportunity to show the love and grace of Jesus to Homecroft children, families and staff. The Bible Club will start meeting on Tuesday morning (7:45 – 8:30 a.m.) at Homecroft   Elementary in January. If you are interested in more information and possibly serving in this ministry, you can contact the church office.   There will also be an informational meeting for parents as well as those interested in serving Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gathering Place here in t