If you are looking for a loving, caring church home, First United Methodist Church is open! For information about becoming a part of this congregation, please contact Rob or the church office.

UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
The deadline for information for the weekly newsletter is Tuesday before noon of each week.

Two Opportunities for Better Health!

From Leslie Snow:

• Saturday, March 6, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. – IGA Hometown Healthy Challenge. Participants will include Leslie, Dr. Brian Dial, diabetes educators, the SPCC Career Cruiser with information on health and fitness, Donna Burr, and more. Stop by IGA and take advantage of this great opportunity
• Monday, March 8, Hampton B. Allen Library, 10:30 a.m.- 50+ Club Event. Leslie will be speaking on Fitness for Longevity, with refreshments following.
  
  There will be “Prayers on the Square” from 5:15 until 5:45 p.m. on the first Monday of every month. This is a community effort for all people of Anson County to come together in a time of prayer and meditation. Come join your friends from across the county the first Monday of every month to pray for our community, state, nation and world.
  
  Bishop Larry Goodpastor will be visiting the District on Tuesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m., at Central UMC, Albemarle. The lay leader, annual conference delegate, PPRC chair, and administrative council chair are asked to attend. It is open to all laity, and you are invited to attend. We will take a bus if there are at least 10 people attending. A sign-up sheet is on the table in the education hall.
  
  

  United Methodist Women News

  The UMW monthly meeting will be held on the first Monday of each month at 4:00 p.m. Note the time change, due to the “Prayer on the Square” event on each first Monday at 5:15 p.m.
  
  The Annual UMW Prayer Breakfast will be on Saturday, March 20, at Central UMC, Monroe. See Sue Burr for more information.
  
  The entire church family is asked to join with the United Methodist Women to be in prayer for Chelsea Dill, who will be on a mission trip to Nicaragua March 7-15. Please lift Chelsea up in prayer each evening at 7:00 p.m. while she is on the mission trip.
  

  Albemarle District Lay Speaker Training will be held at First UMC on three Sundays, March 7, 14, and 21 from 2-5 p.m. Call the church office for more information if you are interested in becoming a lay speaker.
  
  

  The Relay for Life Quilt is completed, and tickets are available from any New Beginnings member. The pattern is “Sunburst,” made in a red batik fabric. Relay for Life is May 21-22.

  
  

  Our Response to Haiti Disaster Relief ... Updated

  

  • Last week over 300 health kits for Haiti were delivered to the District Office in Albemarle. We will not be actively collecting items for these unless there is another need.
  • A total of $2,020.00 has been raised to be sent to UMCOR. You may still contribute money to be sent to Haiti. Remember that 100% of your donations go to help the earthquake victims.
  • Thank you for your great response to this entire effort!
  
  Several have asked for the Taco Soup recipe that was served after church on February 21. We have the recipe on the table outside the church office – stop by and get a copy!
  
  From the Kitchen Crew ...
  The church kitchen is missing some dish towels and dish cloths, and also some various dishes and utensils. Please check to see if you might have some of these at home. Also, there are several dishes in the kitchen that belong to individuals – these may be picked up at anytime. Thanks for your help!!
  
  

  In the event of freezing precipitation on Sunday morning, we will make a decision about services as early as possible. An announcement will be made on WSOC-TV (Channel 9), WBTV (Channel 3) and Time –Warner News (Channel 14). Use good judgment in making the decision to attend services if the conditions are unsafe for travel. We do not want anyone to come out and put themselves into a dangerous situation.

  
  The Flower Calendar for 2010 is posted on the bulletin board in the education hall. You may reserve as many Sundays throughout the year as you wish. Please write your bulletin information on the paper below the list and place in the folder.
  
  We need your help in up-dating the newsletter! If there are additions or deletions to the prayer list, please let the church office know either by a phone call, or give a note to Charles or Betty Ann. Throughout the year, you may request additions or deletions to the list at any time. Also, please let us know of any changes in email addresses for the newsletter, or of anyone who you would like to add to email. Anyone who is now receiving the newsletter by regular mail may convert to email, and help the church save some money on printing and postage costs. Email is free – all it costs us it about 30 seconds to add a name to the list.
  
  

  Thursday’s Child, our Community Children’s Choir for all children in Anson County from first through sixth grades, meets every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Invite someone you know to come be a part!
  
  

  

  • “Dance for Fitness”, led by Leslie Snow, is the last Saturday of each month at 9:00 ...
  • If we don’t have your email address, please share it with the church for the newsletter and other quick communication...
  • We can copy old LP records to CD, and can now also transfer VHS tapes to DVD. Talk to Rick Beam or Jim Bruney for details.
  
  

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  NO BOUNDARIES
  Upcoming trips

  
  No Boundaries trips are always open to all church members until spaces are filled. Signup sheets are located in the hall next to the Education Parlor.
  (Health and insurance forms are available for past, present and future travelers that must be filled out and returned to the church office. This is a requirement of our Safe Sanctuaries policy.)
  
  

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  CALENDAR

  See the Calendar page for Opportunities for the Week

  
  UMW Reading List 2009

  The following books from the United Methodist Women’s reading list are available in the church library:

  • Who Stole my Church? What to Do When the Church You Love Tries to Enter the 21st Century – Gordon MacDonald
  • The 51% Majority – How Women are “Still” Not Equal and What You Can Do About It -Lis Wiehl
  • Lifting Up Hope, Living Out Justice – Alice Knotts
  • Sharing Food – Christian Practices for Enjoyment – I. Shannon Jung
  • We Are All Suspects Now –Tram Nguyen
  • The hands-on project for the UMW is thick-page books for children. These will be taken to the meeting to be given and distributed wherever needed in the conference. For further details, call Sue Burr or Betsy Haskell.
  
  

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  Convert your old LP records to compact disc! The radio station has some new equipment which is able to copy your old phonograph records to CD. The cost of each album transferred to CD is $10.00. See Jim Bruney for more information, or call the church office. This is a great way to preserve your favorite “golden oldies” so that you can hear them anytime!

  The Flower Calendar for 2010 is posted on the bulletin board in the education hall. You may reserve as many Sundays throughout the year as you wish. Please write your bulletin information on the paper below the list and place in the folder.

  
  
  
  

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  Organ Renovation Project      Several months ago, the Administrative Council authorized the creation of an Organ Renovation Fund for the future renovation of the pipe organ in the sanctuary. The organ was installed in 1965, and has served faithfully over the past 43 years. It is, however, becoming evident that there are some major repairs that will have to be made fairly soon. The "mechanical" parts of the organ are deteriorating to the point of not functioning correctly, resulting in some unexpected and unwelcome surprises on Sunday morning and other times! Also, there are great advances in pipe organ electronics over the last four decades which we hope to incorporate into the organ.      As part of the project, we also hope to add a few digital voices to blend with the traditional pipe voices; this is a common practice in organ renovation, allowing some additions at a fraction of the expense of traditional pipework. We are in conversation with several experts in the field of organ renovation at the present time.      Our Moller organ is an exceptionally fine instrument, worthy of our stewardship to preserve it for many future generations. Contributions to the fund are welcome at any time.

  OPPORTUNITIES

  • The recycling project for used inkjet printer cartridges continues. Any cartridge about the size of the palm of your hand or smaller, may be recycled. The company no longer accepts the individual mail-in envelopes; please bring your empty cartridges to the church to be sent for recycling.
    
    
  • The United Methodist Women continue to collect Boxtops for Education, Campbell Soup Labels, and aluminum cans. See Barbara Tarlton for information on each of these mission outreach projects.
    
    From Barbara Tarlton and the United Methodist Women:
    Our church turned in 162 Box Tops for Education to Wadesboro Primary School. These will be cashed in for $16.20, which goes toward school projects. This is an easy way to help our schools, so let’s try to collect more – the box tops, which are found on many General Mills products such as cereals, cake mixes, yogurt, and many more, may be deposited in the box in the education hall. Thanks for your help!
    
    
  • The Administrative Council has authorized the creation of two new memorial funds. The first is the Sanctuary Painting Fund, to prepare for the future painting and upkeep of the sanctuary. The second is the Organ Renovation Fund, to have money available for the rebuilding of the organ within the next few years. These funds are now open for gifts as memorials or honorariums.
    REMINDER: When you give a memorial or honor gift to the church, please indicate on the check or note which fund you want your gift to go to. If not designated in writing, it will go to where the family has indicated or to the Beautification and Improvement fund, in accordance with the memorial gift policy.
    
    
  • We need volunteers to assist in keeping the church nursery on Sunday. According to our policy, two adults are needed in the nursery at all time. Marissa Hardison is the regular attendant; if you can help please let the office know.
    
    
  • Please check the list you were mailed to see if you are scheduled to be an usher or a greeter during the month. If you cannot serve, please call someone else on the list to arrange for a substitute. Ushers should call Elwood Green if you cannot serve; all others use the list.
  
  

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  ONGOING

  Ongoing funds -- the Life Line fund, Food Collection program and the TV ministry -- are still in operation. These are active ministries totally funded outside of the church budget. Please continue your support of these extensions of our ministry into the community.
  
  We are still recycling used printer cartridges to support the TV ministry. Any cartridge about the size of the palm of your hand or smaller may be recycled. You may also send the ink cartridges individually using the postage paid mailers on the table in the hall. The church will be credited automatically for any that you send.

  
  

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  PRAYER LIST
  Be joyful always, pray continually ...
               I Thessalonians 5:16
  
  

  NURSING HOMES
  MEADOWVIEW Sally Maner Becky Godwin Preston Burns HERITAGE HILLS Bernice Murray RAEFORD GROUP HOME Quay Burns	LILLIE BENNETT Peggy Mitchell Marie Burns Jerry Northcutt ALDERSGATE Marion Clarke THE PALMS John Crawford
  SICK
  Corrie Odom - Anson Foye Ray - returned to Wadesboro Mary Gaddy Ratliffe Becky Puryear Daisy Chandler Vannesa Hough Aiden Beam Bill Hardison Violet Lee Jennifer Sikes Ann Chandler Linda Tarlton Elaine Lee - Diane Timmons' mother Ruth Evans - Wilma Dunbar's sister Dalton Rhinehardt – Eddie and Alice’s grandson	James Misenheimer – Julia Winfree’s brother Keith Boughman - Bill Hardison's friend Becky Sikes Wilson – Margaret Bowers’ niece Arnold Greene – Selene Hardison’s friend Elaine Mackey – Selene Hardison’s friend John Tuck - June Rollins' uncle Donna Cottle - Becky Dill's friend Janet Kirkley – Mary Alice VonCannon’s daughter Sabra Plymale – June Rollins’ mother Gilbert Evans -- friend of Dot Huntley family Donna Pierce Wilkins – friend of Judy Bye Margaret Feehley – Betsy Watts’ sister Helen Madaras -- Joe Madaras' mother Tsuneo Tamura -- Richard Tamura's father Stewart and Ursula Pope – Carol Beam’s parents
  HOME-BOUND
  Colleen Schwerk Cornelia Tucker	Corrie Odom Juanita Williams Louise Hill

  All whom we name in our hearts, inside and outside our church family
  The men and women serving in the military at home and overseas
  Johathan Shue (returned to Okinawa), Chip Constantian (Iraq)
  
  Our country, county and community
  Our church
  
  In order to keep our prayer list up to date, please let the church office know if anyone should be added to or removed from the list.
  
  Addresses posted on bulletin board in Education Hall.

  Programs
  
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