March 2017

THE CONNECTION Jefferson United Methodist Church

115 E. Main St.
Jefferson, NC 28640

The Connection
Thin Places
In the ancient Celtic tradition of England, Scotland and Ireland, there was a deep and
OUR SUNDAY abiding belief in the existence of thin places. Thin places are not named that be-
cause they are higher or the air is thinner. A thin place is where the veil between this
WORSHIP world and heaven is thin and heaven seems closer. The connection to that other
SCHEDULE world seems effortless. The distance between us and God is so thin that Gods pres-
ence shines through. Heaven and earth almost come together and one truly feels
the immediate presence of God. In these thin places we are able to catch an extra
10:00 A.M. glimpses of the divine. The sacred and the ordinary become one.
Sunday School There have been many ways I have experienced thin places at Jefferson United Meth-
odist Church. A congregation that sustains the members with love in difficult times
11:00 A.M. and wonderful times. The energy and life of children and youth as they bounce and
Traditional Service chime and play their way into the Christian faith. The wisdom of elders who guide us
with tremendous natural insight. Music that stirs our souls when words alone cannot
connect us to God. Graveside rites where we sustain each other in our remember-
ing and giving thanks for one we loved. Baptism that cradles each of us in Gods love
as we affirm Gods claim on the life of an infant.

Pastor The Christian year creates thin places. The seasons of Lent and Easter remind us
that God is triumphant over death and all that destroys the soul. Some days we
Karen Miller simply need the word of God to call us out of the tomb to live as resurrected people.
We need to live in the mysterious hope of a Savior who dies, only to be raised. We
need a Lord who weeps for our sadness; while offering provision of Gods own self
for our wholeness.

As members of the Communion of the Saints we are stewards of one another, and all
those we encounter:
ON THE INSIDE to care for and tend,
Our People 2 to build up and strengthen,
Responsibilities 5 to be life for one another, between the now and the not yet.
Children, Youth
and Families 6 I recently announced my retirement from ministry at the end of this conference year.
I assure you that all of these thin places we have walked through together have
Calendar 7 blessed me. Thank you for sharing our life in Christ together, something that makes
the ending of a ministry career another of Gods precious thin places.

Thank You and God Bless You.

Pastor Karen

Members
Betty Avery, Maxine Miller,
Family of Jean Barnette,
Willa Mae Campbell
Military
Anatoly Ray, Riley Watson,
John Wooten,
Dustin Seaman, Nicole
Seaman
Young Adults
Jason Baker, Shawn Baker,
Katie Girtman, Matthew
Hamilton, Elissa Harrington,
Jake Harrington, Carter
Kurtz, Anderson Moore,
Olivia Thore, Anna Wooten,
Dakota Little, Brandon
Jones, Glenn Bailey and
Stanton Moore, Savannah
Cary, Morgan Girtman,
Michael Harrington
Friends
Susan Little, Philip Santiago,
Kimberly Jackson, Kiersten
Sharpe, Ron Joyal, Bill
Weaver, Donald Marsh,
Robin Marlow & Family,
Family of Sue Blevins, Dean
Olive, Jessica Blevins, David
Woods, Family of Ronnie
Barker, Family of Don
Murray, Elizabeth Kelly,
Barbara Ann Hawkins, John
Greer, Neil Tugman, Ruth
Reed Family, Buddy Dotson,
Family of George Knight, Lib
Hudler, Rev. Keith Franklin
Bessie Cornett, Vickie
Absher, Billy Hurley
Our Staff
Karen Miller, Ashley Church,
Christina Wagoner, Zach
Fulbright, Michael Bell, Clay
Camp, Brenda Jones,
Andrea Gardner, Jimmy
Taylor, Heather Arreola,
Shea Cullifer
Please call the office to
remove Friends from the
list.
BUDGET REPORT AS OF 2/19/2017
Year-to-Date Budget Need $46,000.00
Year-to-Date Budget Receipts $39,171.60
PDF Fund Balance $343.67
MORPHEW SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Jefferson United Methodist Church invites students who have been active in
our church to apply for the Morphew scholarship. The deadline is Monday,
May 1, and no extensions will be given. To apply, submit an application with
your name, college to which you have been accepted, intended area of study,
and the address of the admissions office or wherever the scholarship should
be sent. Submit a paragraph about why you are applying for the grant, in-
cluding a statement of need and whether you received this grant before.
LENTEN STUDY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS 6:30 P.M.
During the Wednesday nights of Lent we will offer a seven-week Bible study based on
24 Hours That Changed the World, a book and DVD series written by United Method-
ist pastor Adam Hamilton. This study will help us experience and understand the sig-
nificance of Jesus suffering and death. We will retrace the events that changed hu-
man history, drawing on insights from history, archaeology, geography, and the Bible.
Each week, a short video will take us to the Holy Land and provide a deeper under-
standing of the settings of the most amazing day in history. We will visit the sites
where those earth-shaking events took place, and walk where Jesus walked along the
road that led to the pain and triumph of the cross. To participate, please sign up in
the narthex.
March 1 The Last Supper
March 8 The Garden of Gethsemane
March 15 Condemned by the Righteous
March 22 Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate
March 29 The Torture and Humiliation of the King
April 5 The Crucifixion
April 12 Christ the Victor
Dinner will be served for $5 per person prior to the class in the Fellowship Hall.
Peggy Philbrick is our chef throughout Lent. We will take reservation for the meals
through Monday each week.
CONDOLENCES
Jean Barnette, the mother of Beth Kurtz died on Friday, February 17. A graveside ser-
vice celebrating her life was held at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte at 1 PM on
February 20. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the
Jefferson United Methodist Food Pantry.
NO MEETINGS UNTIL APRIL
Active Adults
United Methodist Men
United Methodist Women
 MEMORIALS
In Memory of Jean Barnette In Memory of Ruth Reed
Food Pantry Food Pantry
David Jones Jimmy & Alice Thompson
Jimmy & Alice Thompson
In Honor of Robert & Trilby Wall
In Memory of Polly Kennedy Legacy Fund
Legacy Fund The Bernard & Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust
Mabel Chilton

Please send celebratory messages which reflect our members talents and contributions to our church
and our community to jeffersonumc@skybest.com or drop your items in the office mailbox.

LENTEN WORSHIP: "ROLL DOWN, JUSTICE"

Lent is a time of remembering who God calls us to be in this world.
Our Lenten worship series is inspired by the prophet Amos, whose
message is that God calls us to "let justice roll down like waters." Amos
reminds us that our worship must move us to action on behalf of oth-
ers, especially those who are oppressed. Through music, poems, pray-
ers, sermons, silence, and the words of our baptism ritual, worship dur-
ing Lent will renew our call to justice and challenge us to put God's love
in action. Lenten worship begins with the Ash Wednesday service on
March 1. You can prepare yourself by asking if you are going to "give
up something for Lent", like sugar or caffeine or technology. If you
want to go deeper, ask yourself the following questions:
What prejudices am I challenged to "give up" for Lent as a practice of abstinence?
How am I willing to "give" of myself for the sake of the world?

ASH WEDNESDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

March 1, 6:00 p.m.

Fellowship Hall
Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes:
Our sinfulness before God
Our human mortality.

The Ash Wednesday Worship Service helps us realize that both have
been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The sign of the cross will be rubbed with ashes onto the foreheads of
worshipers. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a
long history in Jewish and Christian worship. Historically, ashes signified
purification and sorrow for sins. The ash cross on the forehead is an
outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. Many Christians start prepar-
ing for Easter on Ash Wednesday and observe the season of Lent with a period of fasting, repent-
ance, moderation and spiritual disciplines.
AED TRAINING - SATURDAY, MARCH 4
Our church has an Automated External Defibrillator,
which is designed to be used in an emergency in
which someones hearth stops beating. The device
is located across from the Pastors Study. We will be
offering a course on how to use the AED on Satur-
day, March 4th, 9 a.m. to 12. It will be new infor-
mation for those who taking the class the first time
and a refresher for others. Please sign up in the
narthex.
WEDDING SHOWER, SUNDAY, MARCH 26
A wedding shower will be held on Sunday, March
26, 4:00-5:30 PM, in honor of Anthony Benson and
Courtney Camp. The couple will wed in June 2017.
The shower is sponsored by the members of the
adult bell choir. Everyone in the church is invited!
They are registered for items from Amazon, Belk,
Kohls, and Walmart online a
WWW.THEKNOT.COM/US/COURTNEY-CAMP-AND-
ANTHONY-BENSON-JUN-2017.

FOOD PANTRY TIN CAN OFFERING NAMESAKE, WOMENS BIBLE STUDY

SUNDAY, MARCH 12TH Every name tells a story. Names in Scripture were
Our children will pass the tin cans to collect money often given to tell the story of a persons identity,
for Jefferson's Food Pantry during the worship ser- upbringing, or character. When God transforms
vice on Sunday, March 12th. Any donation you wish lives, He often brings more than we bargained for:
to make will be helpful. new identities, new journeys, even new names.
Namesake is a six-week Bible study that explores
the transformational power of God through the sto-
ries of biblical characters who met God and whose
lives and names were changed forever. As you meet
Remember to change Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Naomi, Daniel, Peter,
your clock and the unnamed woman, you will discover that
God wants to be just as intimately involved in your
Sunday, March 12 story, offering an identity that shines with the pur-
at 2 a.m. pose for which you were created.
Loyce Horan will lead the Jessica LaGrone study be-
ginning Wednesday, March 15 at 10:30 a.m. in the
Morphew House. Please sign up in the narthex by
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE AT JUMC Sunday, March 5. The cost will be $12 per person.
The Community Red Cross Blood Drive will be held
in our Fellowship Hall on March 16th, 11 AM3 PM. DEAR FRIENDS AT JUMC
I want to thank you for the love and kindness you
CHURCH CLEAN UP have shown my family and me during the recent pe-
On Saturday, March 18, 8 a.m. to 12 we will have a riod of declining health and death of my mother,
clean up day for the church interiors. We will serve Jean Carter Barnette. You have been so supportive
pizza as a reward for all who serve! Please sign up and encouraging with cards, messages, visits, flow-
in the narthex! ers, food and prayers. Pastor Karen Miller couldnt
have been more attentive and compassionate with
2017 HERRING FOUNDATION GRANT her frequent visits with mom and me and her sup-
Our food pantry has received a grant from the Her- portive correspondence with our daughter, Carter,
ring Foundation for $5,000. We are very grateful for while she has been away at college in London this
this generous gift to meet the needs of our neigh- year. Karen gracefully led a touching graveside ser-
bors. vice in Charlotte on February 20th. It also meant so
much to me that my religious mentor at JUMC, Don-
LEAVING A LEGACY na Weaver, sang beautifully at Moms memorial ser-
Leaving the church a bequest in your will is a vital vice. I feel very blessed to be a part of this church.
way to fund ministry for years to come. Our church Kevin, Carter, Kenan and I thank you for the love
has benefitted greatly the last three years due to and comfort you have provided to us.
bequests. Please see Wade Sanders, our Finance
chairperson, if you would like to make a gift to the In love and peace,
church in your will. Beth Kurtz and Family
JEFFERSON UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH March 2017
B 3 Glenn Crawley
SERVICE
I 7 Robin Henson Goss FLOWERS
10 Diane Johnston
R 11 Dottie Waechter
The pastor and worship committee will be providing
imagery for our altar during Lent.
T 12 Mike Bingham
ACOLYTE
13 Clarence Hardison
H Leona Farrington 5 John Fields Perkins
12 Grace Zelesky
D 14 Morgan Girtman
19 Jackson Keith
15 Wil Hurley
A Annie Clare Perkins
26 Aly Rose Horton

Y 18 Matthew Hamilton CHILDRENS TIME

24 Nita Lewis 5 Jessica Roland
S 26 Gale Hurley 12 Donna Weaver
Debbie Jones 19 Colleen Dixon
27 Jessica Segraves 26 Shea Cullifer
29 Bill Henson NURSERY
Jennifer Despain Heather Arreola is our interim nursery worker. We
need volunteers 20 or older to assist in caring for our
youngest children once a month during Sunday
ANNIVERSARIES school or worship. If you are interested in serving,
please contact Shea Cullifer.
9 Dan & Barbara Aycock 11:00 USHERS TRANSPORTATION
18 Gerhard & Karin Kalmus Charles Jones Jim Wooten and
Brandon, Conner, Volunteers
and Hunter Jones

UPCOMING EVENTS FOOD LION WEEKEND PICKUP

March 4th Bill & Janice Henson
April 9 Palm Sunday Worship
April 13 Holy Week Service March 5th Jimmy & Alice Thompson
April 16 Easter Sunrise Service March 11th & 12th Perkins/Jones Families
Brunch March 18th & 19th Terry & Peggy Philbrick
Service of Resurrection March 25th & 26th Jim & Susan Powers
May 7 Return to having
services at 9:00 & 11:00
We need one or two more families to volunteer to
May 21 Honor Confirmands at pick up food on Sundays. Please
11:00 Worship and Contact Alice Thompson at 336-877-0700.
Covered Dish Lunch

**PLEASE CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS.**
WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS
Peggy Philbrick will be preparing March meals.
Children are to be attended by an adult, but it
does not have to be the parent. Weekly clean-
up will be shared by the participants. This is
intended to be a fellowship meal at the church,
not carry-out meals.
You do not have to be involved in other
Wednesday night activities to attend. The form
and money are to be submitted by the Monday
prior to the meal. The cost is $5.00 per person
or a maximum of $20 per family.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT MINISTRIES
5:15 Fellowship Meal
5:45 Jefferson Youth Ringers
6:00 Childrens Choir
6:30 Joyful Ringers
6:30 Youth Group
6:30 Lenten Study
7:00 Childrens Fellowship
7:30 Adult Hand Bells
BELLAMY ROOP TO BE BAPTISED
The daughter of Chelsea and Heath Roop will be
baptized on Sunday, March 26 at the 11:00 ser-
vice. Bellamy is the granddaughter of Dana Col-
vard and great granddaughter of Mary Gordan
Tugman. Please join us in welcoming Bellamy to
the Family of God at Jefferson United Methodist
Church.
GRADUATION SUNDAY
We will be honoring all of our high school and col-
lege graduates this spring. Please contact Shea
Cullifer or Karen Miller if you are graduating or
you have a student in your family who is graduat-
ing! Thanks!
EASTER LILIES
You may order Easter lilies to be placed in the
sanctuary for Easter in memory of honor of
someone. Please fill our an order form or call the
church office.

INCLEMENT WEATHER CLOSINGS

Church meetings will be cancelled if the entire
school day is cancelled or if school is released
early. If there is a delay and not a cancellation,
the event will most likely be held. Please call the
church to confirm. In the case of inclement
weather on a Sunday, we hope to put out a
phone tree message early enough that everyone
is notified of cancellations. We will also put a
message on the church phone to announce clos-
ings. We will have the parking lots scraped if we
have events at the church following inclement
weather.
The only exception is the Hospitality Committee.
Please call Mitch Phillips at 336-846-8000 if you
have questions about whether the Hospitality
Committee will meet.

CHILDRENS BELLS
Both Childrens Bell Choirs will be cancelled on
Wednesday, March 1.

COAT DRIVE
Thank you to everyone who contributed a coat!
We distributed them to our neighbors who we
meet through the Food Pantry and they were
very grateful to have a warm coat!
Sunday Worship Schedule Church Office Schedule
10:00 AM Sunday School 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
11:00 AM Traditional Worship Monday through Thursday
The office is closed on Fridays!

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE 1 2 3 4
5:15 Fellowship Meal 6:00 PM 9 AM-
5:45 Jefferson Youth Ringers Ash Wednesday Service 12 PM
6:00 Childrens Choir 6:30 PM AED
6:30 Joyful Ringers , Youth Group , & Adult Lenten Study Training
Choir 7:30 PM 7:30 PM
7:00 Childrens Fellowship NA Meeting NA
7:30 Adult Hand Bells Meeting
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Holy 5:157:30 PM
9:00 to 12:00 Wednesday Night Activities 7:30 PM
Communion NA
Food Pantry
6:30 PM Meeting
New Member Lenten Study
Sunday 6:00 PM
Trustees 7:30 PM
NA Meeting

12 13 14 15 16 17 18
9:00 to 12:00 5:157:30 PM 11:003:30 8:00 AM -
Daylight Savings 12:00 PM Youth
Food Pantry Wednesday Night Activities PM 12:00 PM
Time Begins Worship Retreat
Blood Drive Church
Cmte 6:30 PM Clean Up
Tin Can Offering Lenten Study
6:00 PM 6:00 to 7:00
12:00 PM PM 7:30 PM
Church 7:30 PM NA
Confirmation Class Council NA Meeting Food Pantry
Meeting
Night
19 20 21 22 23 24 25

12:00 PM 9:00 to 12:00 5:157:30 PM 7:30 PM

Confirmation Class Food Pantry Wednesday Night Activities NA
6:30 PM Meeting
Lenten Study
7:30 PM
NA Meeting

26 27 28 29 30 31
12:00 PM
9:00 to 12:00 5:157:30 PM
Confirmation Class
Food Pantry Wednesday Night Activities
4:00-5:30 PM 6:30 PM
Shower for Anthony Lenten Study
Benson & Courtney
7:30 PM
Camp
NA Meeting
 USA
Welcome!
Jefferson United Methodist Church FOREVER
P.O. Box 236
115 East Main Street
Jefferson, NC 28640

Were on the web!

www.jefferson-umc.org

OPEN HEARTS, OPEN MINDS, OPEN DOORS

WELCOME TO SHEA CULLIFER, NEW STAFF MEMBER!

We are pleased to welcome Shea Taylor Cullifer as our Director of Children, Youth and Families.
Shea has worked over 15 years as a social worker and teacher. She earned a Bachelor of Social
Work degree from East Carolina and is licensed in teaching Exceptional
Children, teaching Grades 6-9 math, and Special Education.
Shea taught Special Education in a number of schools, where she
worked with parents, teachers, and service providers, trained teachers,
generated reports and evaluations, and made presentations on suc-
cessful behavior management and other strategies. She also worked
with youth and adolescents as a Psychiatric Social Worker, and with the
Department of Social Services in Ashe County, specializing in Child Pro-
tective Services. As a Case Manager, she worked with parents and
children to make and implement treatment plans, and worked with
other community organizations that addressed family needs. Shea has
counseled families in identifying emotional conflicts, role confusion,
patterns of interaction, developmental deficits and problems in self-perception. Shea has su-
pervised social workers in investigating and treatment.
Shea is a native of Ashe County and attended Beaver Creek High School. She has two children.
Luke is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill and Zoe is a freshman at Ashe High School. Shea will be
working 25 hours per week with our church.