Monthly Newslet ter of Kei th Memor ia l UMC » January 2017

The mission of Keith Memorial United Methodist Church is to be a nurturing congregation, growing in faith and discipleship,

witnessing to God’s work in our lives and our world and reaching out to others in service and love for Jesus Christ.

Stewardship “I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church and uphold it with

my prayers, my presence, my gifts, my service and my witness.”

Stay up to date on all Keith News & Events by finding us here ...

423 -745 -2612 www.ke i thumc.org Ke i thUMC A B V

With our Prayers: With our Presence: Sunday School: 134 106

Sanctuary Worship: 400 192

The Gathering: Combined 152

Total Worship: 400 344

December 11 December 18

Please remember members of our community who

are homeless or may not be able to afford to heat their

homes as we experience extreme cold temperatures.

January 8 January 15 January 22 January 29 February 5

Acolytes

8:30 a.m.

Mandy Jones

10:35 a.m.

Preston

Armstrong

Tony Hulslander

8:30 a.m.

Michael Pledge

10:35 a.m.

McCall Willis

Parker Willis

8:30 a.m.

Preston Armstrong

10:35 a.m.

Sarah Thomas

Reagan Warner

8:30 a.m.

Wesley Graybeal

10:35 a.m.

Jaylin Coffie

Mandy Jones

8:30 a.m.

Noah Graybeal

10:35 a.m.

Julianna Peglow

Rachel Willhite

Crucifer

Cooper Willhite

2s, 3s & 4s

Nursery

Dawne & Jordan

Lay Ashlie Coffie Stephanie Miller Lisa Whitlock Barbara Brazer

Children’s Church Melissa Rhodes Michelle Crafton Kelley Zemer Shane & Lisa Pledge LeAnn Liner

Greeters

The Gathering Rymer Family Hulslander Family Lingerfelt Family Boyd Family Faunt Family

Ushers

Tom Hamilton

Ben Riden

Cary Davis

Rob Davis

Ronnie Vinson

Hal Buttram

George Cinci

David Ray

Trey Sullins

Curtis Crafton

Darrell Dumont

Carter Runyan

Bob Whaley

Doug Jones

Camm Garrett

Tom Hughes

Johnnie Carter

Paul Ketron

Bryan Jackson

David Miller

Bob Roseberry

Donut Church

January:

Young Adults

with Experience

December:

Open Door Class

February:

Horizons

March:

Parlor Class

April:

Harrod Memorial

Class

UMW Gift Card

Sales

November:

Catherine Keith

December:

The Sisterhood

January:

Jewell

February:

Dana Higgins

March:

Susanna Wesley

With our Service:

With our Gifts: 2013 - 2015 YTD Average

(November) 2016 YTD (November)

Receipts $554,898 $593,625

Expenses $558,473 $599,243

2 0 1 6

The Year In Rev iew As we begin a new year, we are taking time to reflect on the many exciting events and activities that took place at

Keith Memorial UMC during 2016. Throughout the year we continued many traditions and began a few others,

found new ways to serve our community and opened our doors for worship and in service to many.

*Welcomed 33 new members through transfer or

profession of faith.

* Confirmed 9 members of the 2016 Confirmation Class

*Celebrated in the baptism of 7 new members

*Supported more than 30 local and global charities

and tornado and fire relief efforts through donations from members and guests

*More than 50 youth and college students worshiped

at Resurrection and Divine Rhythm

*Celebrated our partnership with local Boy Scouts

and Girl Scouts in our worship services

*Keith Church staff prepared and served pancakes to

more than 75 members and guests for Fat Tuesday

*Hosted more than 100 members and guests for

lunch as a part of Holy Week services

*Ministered to more than 65 children through Keith

Children’s Academy’s preschool and Parent’s Day Out programs

*Offered our prayers for the United Methodist Church

and 2016 General Conference as part of a global prayer chain

*Honored Keith Church’s 15 high school graduates

*Caught the wave of God’s amazing love at VBS

2016 with more than 105 children

*Enjoyed summer adventures and missions with

more than 35 Keith Kids and Youth

*Closed the building doors and blessed our

community through service for our first ever #LaborOfLove Sunday

*Collected 50 food buckets and flood buckets and

health kits to support the efforts of UMCOR

*Celebrated our blessings and service as we kicked

off our fall Wednesday night activities with a food truck and ice cream

*Served pregame meals to 200 McMinn County High

School athletes and coaches

*Blessed 17 dogs and 1 bunny rabbit at the second

annual Keith Church Blessing of the Animals service

*Hosted members of our community for the annual

Fall Festival’s chili cook-off and Trunk-or-Treat

*Ran with more than 100 people in the inaugural

Turkey Trot 5K hosted by Jewell Circle

*Fed more than 450 members of our church and

community for Thanksgiving

*Served as a Red Cross Emergency Shelter for local

tornado victims

*Provided 125 children with Christmas gifts through

the Angel Tree ministry

*Enjoyed lunch and visit from Santa with more than

110 clients and guests of the Tri-County Center

*Served hot chocolate to more than 250 Jimmy Liner

Memorial Christmas parade attendees

*Enjoyed fun Friday nights with more than 100

children at Parents’ Night Out events hosted by the Children’s Council

*Worshiped through music, with more than 400 in

attendance, at this year’s Choir Cantata — Season of Wonders: Celebrating the Miracle of Christmas

*Hosted the inaugural Community Christmas Eve

Dinner with 100 guests in attendance

*Celebrated Holy Communion with shut-in members

of Keith Church by taking communion to their homes

Keith Youth

Make plans to take part in these upcoming events ...

» UMW Executive Meeting, January 10, 1 p.m.,

Conference Room

» UMW General Meeting, February 14, 11 a.m.,

Ensminger Hall

» Keith Church Talent Show, February 25, 6 p.m.

» District Day-Apart/Mission Event, April 1, Keith Church

Join us at the monthly meeting of any of our five Circles:

Catherine Keith/BSW ............... Second Monday, 10:30 a.m.

Dana Higgins ............................ Second Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Jewell .................................................. Second Friday, Noon

Susanna Wesley .......................... Second Tuesday, 10 a.m.

The Sisterhood ............................ Fourth Monday, 6:30 p.m.

News

) ( _____ THANK YOU Upcoming Youth Events

For more information, or to get on a text-out or email list,

please call or text Harrison at 507-7492.

ministry Childrens

’

✶ The Keith Puppeteers practice each Sunday at 3 p.m. in

The Gathering. If you or your child are interested joining the

Puppeteers, join them for a Sunday rehearsal!

✶ The Children’s Council will meet Thursday, January 19

at 6:30 p.m. in Ensminger Hall. Child care is provided.

✶ Be sure to attend Wednesday Night Bible Studies and

Children’s Choir each Wednesday at 6 p.m. These

activities will resume January 11. We are looking forward to

seeing of our Keith children every week!

In Memory of ...

Jack Brewer

Larry & Sarah Kerr

Ben & Cynthia Wilson

H.L. & Lucile Davis

Anne & Charles Fleenor

Ted Pless

Winona Pless

Mildred Ray

Tom & Teresa Hughes

Bob Zimmer

Tom & Teresa Hughes

In Honor of ...

Anne Catron

Catherine Keith Circle

Dave Graybeal &

Will Shelton

Carolyn Brewer

Keith Church UMW

Carolyn Brewer

The names of members and friends listed made

contributions to the fund specified in memory or in honor of

those whose names are listed in bold.

Memorials & Honorariums

► Wednesdays at 6 p.m. for Bible Study in Youth room

► Sundays at 6 p.m. for snack supper & Youth fellowship

in the Activity Center

► January 15, 7 p.m.: Parent/Youth Resurrection

Meeting, Sanctuary

► January 20 - 22: Resurrection

Meet at the church at 3:30 p.m. Friday and pick up

Sunday at 4 p.m. at the church

Visit YOUTH.KEITHUMC.ORG for a complete schedule!

Dear Keith Memorial UMC,

Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and prayers.

God Bless,

The Residents of the Samaritan House

Keith Church,

Thank you so much for your help this Christmas season. We

appreciate all that your church provides to help meet the

needs of our students and families. We are so grateful that

you allow Athens City Schools to use your facility to hand out

gifts to families each year.

Thanks so much!

Julie Lofland, ACS Family Engagement Coordinator

Crystal Miller, ACS Family Resource Director

Thanks so much for the Thanksgiving Dinner. It was

wonderful. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to every one of you all are so great; the food was

so good; you all are so good.

Emma Odom

Dear Members of Keith Memorial UMC,

On behalf of the Good Faith Clinic, thank you for your

donation of $250 made on Nov. 16, 2016. your gift is

appreciated by the patients, volunteers and board members.

Your donation will help our patients obtain needed

medication, lab tests and other diagnostic tests that would not

be possible without contributions like yours.

I invite you to come to a clinic on Tuesday afternoons and

meet the people that we serve. Please continue to keep the

GFC, our mission and our patients in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Michelle Crafton, Good Faith Clinic Board of Directors

Welcome New Members Vanessa Metzmeier joined Keith Church on Sunday,

December 4 during the 8:30 a.m. service. Vanessa joined

by transfer of membership from Smyrna First UMC in

Smyrna, Georgia.

Sunday, January 1, during the 8:30 a.m. worship service,

we received new members Doug & Melody Armstrong.

Doug & Melody transferred to Keith Church from Trinity

UMC in Athens.

Please join us in welcoming our new members to Keith!

This spring Pastor Dave is excited to lead the New Testament component of the DISCIPLE Fast Track Bible study. This is a 12-week study that will immerse us in the writings and worldviews of the first followers of

Jesus and the early Church. We will read a manageable 3-5 chapters of the Bible daily in preparation for the weekly meetings, which last approximately 75 minutes. A brief review video in each session will enable us to recall important facts and ideas and offer insights into the current week’s session. We will also have the opportunity to take a spiritual gifts assessment and determine meaningful ways we can serve and live out our discipleship commitment.

You can choose between two weekly class sessions: Thursdays at noon OR Sundays at 6 p.m. The classes will start Thursday, February 2 or Sunday, February 5 and will conclude by the end of April. This schedule will align beautifully with the spring season of Lent leading up to Easter and then unfolding toward Pentecost.

All are welcome to register for this class; you need not have participated in the Old Testament study in order to participate in the New Testament study. The cost of the study book is $15, which you can order yourself online or let us know in the church office and we will order a copy for you. Please let us know by Sunday, January 22 if you are interested in participating in the study and if you need us to order a book for you. hope you will consider participating in this study of the New Testament. I believe it will strengthen your faith in Christ, brighten your hope for the future, and broaden your love for God and for one another.

Beginning Sunday, January 22, Tracy Graybeal will

lead the Horizons Sunday School class in a study

titled “The Call: The Life and Message of the Apos-

tle Paul.”

Join Tracy and the Horizons Class as they com-

plete the study each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the

classroom across the hallway from the library.

Please Note: There are many, various items in the Keith Church

Lost & Found, including clothing, Bibles, beverage

containers, children’s bags and toys, jewelry, glasses,

car keys and more.

If you are missing an item, please stop by the church office

and look through the Lost & Found box or email Brandi

Armstrong (barmstrong@keithumc.org) about items you

may have lost.

I would like for you all to know how much you blessed my

family on Thanksgiving Day. My grandchildren and great

grandchildren enjoyed the delicious food. It really was

delicious. Thank you for blessing my family.

Much love,

Mary Smith and Family

Keith Church Family,

I can’t thank you enough for all of your prayers, cards and

concern during and following my knee surgery. I truly felt your

love and prayers during my recovery.

Sincerely,

Holly Enten

Be a part of these UMM activities and events ...

Join the UMM for their Monthly Meeting & Breakfast at

8 a.m. Saturday, January 14 in the Activity Center.

Pastor Dave Graybeal will serve as the guest speaker.

For more information, call Terry Ulm at 744-8120

If Jesus is the Messiah, why did he allow himself to be crucified? Why come as a priest instead of a king? What connects Christ to the Old Testament? And how does all of this connect you and I to God? The Epistle to the

Hebrews attempts to answer these and many other questions First Century Jewish Christians would have asked. It is a letter of encouragement to them that has an incredible way of doing the same for us, showing who Christ really is and in turn who we really are. We’ll walk verse-by-verse through each of its 13 chapters starting this Wednesday night. We always have a great and diverse group for these studies with lively conversation - all are welcome to join us!