IN THIS ISSUE:“Contrast of Color” by Tim Steffen

“Multi-Generational Communication” by Anthony McPhailConstruction Update

Martha Bowman Goes to Antarctica!

MARTHA BOWMAN UMCAPRIL 2015 NEWSLETTER

Is it just me? March appeared unusually damp, foggy and overcast. While I do not have scienti�c data to make a case, my emotions support it. Without question, an occasional rainy day brings refreshment. But I must confess, consecutive days of

dreary weather make me melancholy. Yet, have you noticed such cloud cover has highlighted the majestic colors in the wooded plant life of Middle Georgia? Blooms of the Dogwood, Bradford Pear, Cherry Blossom, Redbuds, Forsythia, and Wisteria are appealing against a blue skyline, but they are pronounced with radiance when framed in the tones of gray!

It is impossible to elude the darkness of this world; disease, injustice, poverty, abuse, death, addiction and terrorism. In the midst of the despair, God’s Spirit has encouraged me to rediscover the “brightness of the bloom”; the laughter of a child, the encouragement of a friend, the achievement of a student, or the long sought answer to persistent prayer. It’s the hard work of claiming victories, when feeling behind on the scoreboard. While life can appear overcast with disappointments, God’s grace allows us to discover again the sweet even in the bitter, hope in despair, and life in death.

With the season of Eastertide, we are reminded that light can be found in the shrouded darkness of Friday’s Cross. �ere are blooms of hope that point us always to a Resurrection Sunday. �at’s what it means to be authentically Easter People. While forecasts indicate periodic inclement days, let us not miss the contrast of color in the reality, “He is Risen!”

From the Senior Pastor: “Contrast of Color”

Tim SteffenSenior Pastor

tsteffen@marthabowman.org

by Tim Steffen

MAUNDY THURSDAY | APRIL 2NDWe hope you will plan to be a part of this special service, as we commemorate this special day of the Holy Week. �e Chancel Choir will present �e Seven Last Days by Joel Raney at 7:00 p.m. in the Historic Sanctuary, and we will also celebrate Holy Communion. Nursery will be provided.

EASTER SUNDAY | APRIL 5THEaster Sunday is the pinnacle of the Christian year, as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the de�ning and distinguishing mark of our faith. �is Easter, April 5th, we will have a Sunrise Service on our front lawn at 7:00 a.m., as we take a year o� from going to Wesleyan, and then we will have our regular Sunday morning worship services (8:30 & 11:00 Traditional and 11:00 Contemporary). Be sure to bring some lawn or camping chairs for the Sunrise Service! ***Please be aware that we are not having Sunday School on Easter Sunday, to help with parking for our guests***

FOUR TRUTHS | SERIES LAUNCHES EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5THWe live in a world that is �lled with questions, confusion, almost truths, and lies. Fortunately for us God’s word o�ers us many opportunities to explore the truth, and Jesus himself de-clared that he was “the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life”. Plan to be a part of worship this April, as we celebrate the Easter Season by exploring four truths that are central to our faith.

Maundy Thursday Service

Age-Level Ministries

Ashley Griffin, Director of Youth Ministriesagriffin@marthabowman.org | 477-1901 ext. 116

April Foster, Director of Preschool & Nursery Ministriesafoster@marthabowman.org | 477-1901 ext. 121

iKIDS

Save the Date for KIDS CAMP! July 17th - 19th at Camp Kaleo in Forsyth for all kids completing 1st - 5th grade.

Happy Easter to all of our families! What a great start to spring we have had. �e Revision has made its way through our space! We have just a few �nishing touches and improvements that we will be working on over the course of next few months. During the second phase, will we be getting our buzzer system for the entry door, the Family Connection Corner check-in, and our new preschool playground. Our playground will close during April and May as they begin to clear the old equipment, level the space, and install the new equipment. �e entrance into the church by the playground will be closed starting Monday, April 6th, reopening once phase two ends. Parents will need to enter from the other side of the church through the double doors. �anks in advance for your �exibility as we have moved children around and changed entrances three times!

SAVE THE DATES:Mom’s Night Out - Friday May 1st from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.�ailand Trek Cross Cultural Vacation Bible School - June 14th - 18th. Registration opens April 13th.Preschool Summer Camp - July 13th - 16th, 3k - Kindergarten. �is year’s theme is Ocean Commotion!Mother’s Morning Out - Summer Session start date is June 1st.

PRESCHOOL & NURSERY

YOUTHOur new youth space opened Sunday evening, March 15th and all we can say is God is good! It was awesome watching the youth pour in and take in the new room. We are so excited to see how God changes lives and deepens faith in this new area. A huge THANK YOU to Warren and Associates, Jeremy Hammock, Anthony McPhail, Je� Hanson, Witt Gaither, Tim Ste�en, Mary Mullis, Adam Henley, Scott Schultz, Terry Mullis, Lee Oliver, Clint Morgan, Walt Miller, Connie Miller, David Gibson, Ian Kistler, Nancy Kistler, George Jackson (and ACE Hardware), Larry Burkhalter, Shauna Davis, Matt Brown, Wendy Brown, Elizabeth Hammock, and April Foster for giving their time and energy to make the new youth room a special place! And thank you to all who have prayed and sacri�cially given to make these renovations a reality! We are truly blessed. — Ashley and David

• No Underground or small groups Wednesday, April 1st. • No Sunday School, Pursuit or Choir on Sunday, April 5th.

Elizabeth Hammock, Director of iKids Ministriesehammock@marthabowman.org | 477-1901 ext. 115

Vacation Bible School: Registration opens April 13th. Dates are June 14th – June 18th!

Con�rmation Update: Many have been asking about this year’s Con�rmation class. A�er much prayer and researching other UMC church’s practices, we’ve made the decision to shi� Con�rmation from 5th grade up to 6th grade. We feel con�dent that this shi� will open up the experience to other middle school students who wish to participate and most importantly, make sure that the big decision and commitment is better understood as students will be older. With that, this year’s 5th graders will forgo Con�rmation and will experience it next year in the youth ministry.

iKids girls of Grace: What can I say – it’s a girl thing! Girls in 1st – 5th grade, join us for our �rst ever “girls of GRACE” event on Sunday, April 26th, directly a�er morning worship. You won’t want to miss our “Spring Tea”, so put this date on the calendar and watch for more details.

Bible Blurt is the Bible memory program of iKids and we want to recognize the kids who have gone the extra mile to memorize scripture and participate in Bible Blurt: (And thank you parents, who have been working with your kids!) Ella Britt, Trent Lemley, Hope Spohn, Luke Strickland, Ellie Adams, Caedmon Strickland, Gri�n Adams, Carter Henley, Todd McCall, Taylor Stickler.

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At the last Fishers of Men meeting, I had the privilege of moderating a panel of �ve younger guys from our church, as they shared about what it is like to be young guys these days. While I could easily write several articles based on what was shared, this month I am going to focus on one speci�c observation that inspired my angle for this month’s “Generations on the Move” segment: technology has changed the way people interact. �is observation was most evident when the young panelists began talking about using Google to �nd the answer to something rather than asking someone older and wiser, and when they talked about interacting over social media. �ere were a few chuckles amongst some of the older gentlemen about social media, and a few commented a�erwards that they barely knew the di�erence between the di�erent social media options.

So why is it important to talk about this in a segment within our monthly newsletter? A few reasons come to mind:

1) We are a church that values o�ering ministry to people of all ages from the nursery to the nursing home, and everything in between. �is means that we ought to seek to communicate in such a way that the message reaches everyone.2) Our church has an account with three di�erent social media services, and this is a great opportunity to explain why and how we interact through these platforms.3) �e world has changed and is changing, but (most importantly) we believe in a timeless message of salvation through Jesus Christ – and we want to proclaim this in whatever way the message can be heard/seen!

In regards to number one, we make a point as a church to communicate things across multiple platforms. A printed bulletin or newsletter carries more signi�cance to an older adult than it does to a teenager when most everything in the young person’s life is driven by technology. For the younger person we are going to try and communicate the same types of messages, but in a digital format with more graphics and less words (we are a�er all dealing with shorter attention spans!). Reaching people of all ages is very important to us, which is why we o�er a ministry for pretty much every age, and why we o�er multiple styles of worship. �is means engaging folks with print, digital, and social media.

Secondly, our church currently has accounts for three of the top �ve social media services: Facebook, Twitter, and InstaGram (for those that are curious the other two in the top �ve are LinkedIn and Pinterest). Facebook is by far the most used social media platform, and we use it in a variety of ways. It is a great way to share photos and videos, share articles, post announcements, and interact with people in the church. Because it is popular with a large range of ages (I estimate it is most popular with ages 25-55), we use this platform the most. It allows you to see the interactions of others very clearly, so we also use this platform to o�er up encouraging words and provide opportunities for people to share about signi�cant

things going on related to their faith journey and the church.

Twitter is more popular with younger adults (18-35), which is an age range where we are trying to grow. Twitter is unique in that posts are limited to 140 characters, so it is for communicating short bursts of information and graphics. InstaGram is a growing photo/video only platform that

is by far the most popular amongst teenagers, and we try to engage a younger demographic when we post on InstaGram. Also our Youth Ministry is very active on InstaGram, for the same reasons.

Finally, while we believe in communicating information about the church in a multitude of ways, we do so because of a clear mission: to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Every ministry of the church is geared towards engaging more people with the message of Jesus, and helping them grow in their discipleship. And communication is de�nitely a ministry of our church! I am grateful that we have a sta� that is committed to reaching people across multiple platforms. April, Liz, and Ashley do this well for our age-level ministries, and also we have Communications Coordinator Lindsay Spinks who works closely with our pastoral sta� to help keep everyone informed and engaged in the vision and mission.

Generations on the Move: “Multi-Generational Communication”by Anthony McPhail

Anthony McPhailAssociate Pastor

amcphail@marthabowman.org

Construction UpdateOn March 15th we completed “Phase One” of our Revisioning Project with the opening of our new Youth Area and completed modi�cations to the upper level of the Administration/Education Building. If you have not seen the new Youth Area yet, you need to go check it out! Phase One also saw some vibrant updates to our Preschool and Nursery, as well as the reopening of our Historic Sanctuary and the opening of Damascus Hall. A lot of great work has already gone into our church plant, and there are more exciting plans on the way!

Here’s what’s next:• iKids Area – �e lower level of the Christian Life Center building (formerly Youth and Sunday School space) is about to be transformed into an awesome space for our elementary aged kids! In fact the demolition work has already begun, and soon they will begin restructuring the space for optimal Kids Ministry functionality. �is area is already sealed o�, and work will continue there through most of the summer.• Back Entrance – Starting the day a�er Easter (April 6th), this area will be sealed o� as some modi�cations are made to create a more vibrant entryway and age-level check-in space. Due to the fact that a good portion of our parking is behind the building, we will have an alternative tra�c route

on Sundays through the Prayer Garden until this work is completed mid-summer.• �e Commons – Work in “�e Commons”, our new name for the multi-purpose room where we have Contemporary Worship and meals, will not o�cially be done until the new chairs arrive in a couple of months; however, most of the work will be done by Easter Sunday! By Easter we will have upgraded lighting, and new media in place. (As a side note, be sure to be on time for our Easter Contemporary Service – we have something fun planned for the beginning!)• Playground – We have good news and we have bad news. �e bad news is that the playground will be shutdown in early April. �e good news is that in just a couple of months we will have an awesome new playground setup!

As always we thank you for your patience as this work continues, and of course we thank everyone for the generosity that has made this project possible! Be on the lookout for signs directing tra�c, and we will keep you posted as the project moves forward.

Without Walls Photos

Palm Sunday was a beautiful day of worship and fellowship in the name of the Lord! What a joy it was to see visitors from our

community come sit down with us, break bread with us, and participate in our egg hunt! Thank you to all who came out to be a

part, and to those who volunteered to make Without Walls possible!

Construction Update

Announcements

WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASSESEaster from the Back Side: A Di�erent Look at the Story of Christ’s Resurrection | Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. | Room 213�is study continues through May 6th (with the exception of Second Wednesdays). Drop-ins are welcome!

NEW BIBLE STUDY FOR MEN & WOMEN AT THE GABLESChristian: It’s Not What You �ink | Begins Monday, April 2nd at 2:00 p.m. Join us for this 8-week study by Andy Stanley. Jimmie Powell will be facilitating.

ROMANS 8:38 SPRING LADIES RETREAT | APRIL 10TH - 12THCome for worship, study and fellowship led by Rev. Debbie Wallace at the Timberlake Retreat Center in Forsyth. �e cost is $78.00, which includes two nights lodging and four meals. Invite your friends or bring someone you know who is searching for Jesus! For more information email romans8.38ministries@gmail.com or call (478) 471-0140. Please register by April 5th.

EXPLORING MEMBERSHIP CLASS | APRIL 19THInterested in joining Martha Bowman Church? If the answer is “yes,” then we invite you to attend our next “Exploring Church Membership Class,” Sunday, April 19th during the Sunday School hour (9:45 a.m.) in the Parlor. Come and learn more about �e United Methodist Church and more about Martha Bowman Church, in particular. �e class is not required for church membership, but those who attend believe they will be better disciples of Jesus Christ for having participated. Reservations are not required, but it is helpful to us to know how many plan to attend, so that we can provide ample seating, handbooks, and a copy of the new church pictorial directory. For reservations, contact John Horton at the church: 477-1901 ext. 120.

OLDER ADULTS UPCOMING EVENTSRamblers Trip to Callaway Gardens & Lunch at the Bulloch House | �ursday, April 16thWe will depart at 9:30 a.m. �e cost is $15.00 (plus lunch).

Birthday Bash | Gathering Area | Tuesday, April 28thJoin us as we celebrate our April “Babies” at 11:45 a.m. �e cost is $6.00 per person.

Contact Kathy Gri�n | 477-1901, ext. 124 | kgri�n@marthabowman.orgAlene & Hinton HarrisMarch Birthday Bash

CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY�e Board of Ministry of the South Georgia Conference has approved Pastor Anthony McPhail for Ordination as Elder. �e Ordination Service will occur on Saturday, June 6th, in Ti�on, Georgia as part of the Annual Conference.

SECOND WEDNESDAYCome fellowship and worship with us on April 8th! We will have a meal at 5:45 p.m. in the Commons followed by worship and age-level programs at 6:30 p.m. �e menu for that evening will be brown sugar ham, potato salad, green beans and bread. Make your reservation by contacting Camille Wilson at 477-1901 or cwilson@marthabowman.org.

Announcements

SANCTUARY FLOWER ARRANGEMENTSFlower arrangements may be placed in the Sanctuary “In Honor Of ” or “In Memory Of ” a loved one. For more information, contact Camille Wilson at 477-1901 or cwilson@marthabowman.org.

THANK YOU NOTEDear Church Family, �ank you for the calls, cards, visits and acts of kindness shown during my recent illness. �ank you for loving on my daughter when I could not and for caring for my parents and husband during that time. Wes and I, now more than ever, know we made the right choice in making MB our church home. Your circle of love and prayers was felt and greatly appreciated. In Christian love - Maris Boudreau

Prayer ListCircle of Concern: Earle Barnette, Peg Buck, Ross Carroll, Judy DeLancey, Carolyn Gibbs, Betty Henderson, Sheila Hundley, Jackie McCann, Julie Melvin, Lydia Moss, Clyde Rogers, Guy Parrish, Robert Stewart, Gail Terry, Jim Wagner, John Woodford.

Christian Sympathy:Larry Burkhalter and family upon the passing of his mother.Betty Jennings upon the passing of her husband.John Rohde and family upon the passing of Margaret Gordon.

Extended Family: Donya Abel (Emma McPhail’s mother), Mary Amerson (Miriam Bell & Hazel Tyson’s sister-in-law), David Black (Evelyn Steele’s son-in-law), Danielle Broussard (submitted by Maureen King), Lee Bowan (submitted by Patrice Hancock), Tommy Canady (Cecil Canady’s son), Rebekah Chamers (Kim Tyson’s friend), Ralph Champion (Kathy Gri�n’s father), Steven Colley, John DeLancett (Bruce Childers’s brother-in-law), Barbara Fahey (Jeannie Campbell’s friend), Russell Fellows (Kathy Baugh’s uncle), Libby Harvey (Nancy Harvey’s grandchild), Emory Heald (�omas Heald’s grandfather), Margie Josey and family (Allen Zebell’s family), Jeni Kenny (Jim Hundley’s niece), Elizabeth Lindsey (Alan McDougal’s mother-in-law), Hilda Lister (Kathy Reeves’ mother), Meredith Loyd Malone (Ann and Russell Loyd’s neice), David Moore, Jackie Mullis (Terry Mullis’s brother), Tripp Poole (Rod and Cristy Holmes’s Nephew), Nathan Proctor, Gail She�eld (Tommie Woody’s daughter), Anita Sandifer (Liddy Foss’s aunt), Mary Pioli (B.J. Survant’s co-worker), John Teague (friend of Je� Hanson), Cheryl Walker (Cay Kite’s sister), Bob Williams (Shauna Davis’s uncle), Julian Zebell (Allen and Margie Zebell’s son). Active Military:Christopher Alston, Joshua Bynum, Stan Fossett, Matthew Fossette, Richard Goodale, Je� James, Cecil Lawrence, Jake Newberry, Jacoby Riley, John Rogers, Ronnie Simons, Tim Smith.

FISHERS OF MENWe’re planning a men’s retreat for May 1st – 2nd at Camp Kaleo, a Baptist camp outside of Forsyth (463 Old Zebulon Rd, Forsyth, GA 31029). �is will be an overnight event with check in time at 5:00 p.m. on Friday night. �e retreat will end, and members can plan to be on the road home, by 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. �e cost for the weekend will be $40.00 per person, including lodging, three meals, and a meeting room for discussions Saturday morning.

�e program agenda will feature discussion groups directed at helping us develop our program agenda for the our 2015 – 2016 ministry.

�e retreat leader will be Mike Darnell. Mike was our September speaker this year and is acquainted with the background of our ministry. Mike’s message was well received by members in attendance last September.

�ere is a web site at kaleo.com that you can search for more details on the camp.

Please RSVP by contacting Camille Wilson at 477-1901 or by e-mail to cwilson@marthabowman.org.

We hope you will mark you calendars and plan to attend!

MARTHA BOWMAN GOES TO ANTARCTICA! Cecil and Elsie Daniels, and their daughter, Betty Woods, traveled to Antarctica this year for a scienti�c expedition. Here they are holding up their Martha Bowman bulletin. Elsie is wearing the lovely, blue prayer shawl knitted by Brenda Gri�n and presented by Jane Canady a�er a church prayer service. Elsie had several surgeries and spent thirty days in “rehab”. �e prayers were both thanking God for improvements and petition for complete healing. God is so good!

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Server ScheduleA

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Worship Leader J.C. Daniel Worship Leader John Mitchell

Ushers

Steve Alford, Ed Burns, Shirley Burns, Donnie Davidson Ushers

Maureen & Mike King, Dave Seagle, Wesley Alford Ushers

Kevin Adams, Kent Elliott, Lynn Faulkner, Mark Friar, Camille Wilson

Connect Team (8:30)Cathie Resseau, Ken & Kim Tyson, Mary Dell Gardner

Connect Team (11:00)

Carolyn & Harold Lemley, Sally Morgan, Anna Jones, Sue & Frank Westover, Patricia Wilson

Connect Team (11:00) Robin Dixon, Betsy Gri�n

Connect Team (9:40) Steve Capista, Hank O’Neal

Worship Leader Laurie Gerwig Worship Leader Je� Hanson

Ushers

David Becker, Bob Delancey, Bruce Gerwig, Richard Mines

UshersBarbara Brennan, Paul Firth, Bernard & Wende Meyer Von Bremen

Ushers

Lee III, Becky & Lee IV Oliver, Je� Surles, Stephanie Surles, Joshua Surles

Connect Team (8:30) Elois Bothe, John Rohde Connect Team (11:00)Lynne Mitchell, Stephanie & Gary Bohannon

Connect Team (11:00) Bobbi Googe, Shauna Davis, Beth Burnsed

Connect Team (9:40) Emma McPhail, Melba Wilkinson

Communion Servers

Joyce Lasater, Bobbi Googe, Lynn Faulkner, Peggy Knight, Ken & Rachel Fortuna

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Worship Leader Charles Lewis Worship Leader Emmanuel Wilson

UshersMerrilyn Farmen, Jimmy Melvin, Cathie Resseau

Ushers Cheryl Smith, David Smith Ushers Betsy & Randy Gri�n,

Smokey Sutherland

Connect Team (8:30)Beth Mines, Sunnee Glenn, Dona Reid, Diane Melvin

Connect Team (11:00) O’Teria Seagle Connect Team (11:00) Niall & Darcy Berry, Clint Morgan

Connect Team (9:40) Shay & Clint Morgan, Carol Alford

Communion Servers

Keith & Denna Ochs, Matt & Wendy Brown, Lynn Faulkner, Becky Harrison

8:30 Traditional 11:00 Traditional 11:00 Contemporary

Worship Leader Carolyn Bradley Worship Leader Andrew Strickland

Ushers

Larry Defore, Jimmie Powell, Diane Prewett, John Rohde

Ushers John Higgison, Richard Norton, Ellen Phillips Ushers

Kathy Geeslin, Andy Greenway, Dendy McCuen, Kent & Pat Moorehouse

Connect Team (8:30)

Rita Hale, Jim & Rhonda Lidstone, Elois Bothe, Gretta Duncum, Peggy Defore

Connect Team (11:00)Rachel & Shannon Britt, Sara Forehand, Sandy Stubble�eld

Connect Team (11:00) Joyce Lasater, Smokey Sutherland

Connect Team (9:40)

Brenda Gri�n, Merrilyn Farmen, Sherry Scruggs, Smokey Sutherland

Financial Information

Financial Information as of 3/29/2015

Sources of Funds 238,482

Uses of Funds (242,162)

Sources Over (Under) Uses 3,680

Revisioning

Total Pledged 1,248,880

Pledges paid through 3/22/2015 578,703

Expenditures through 3/22/2015 679,142

Bank line of credit balance 3/22/15 102,378

Interest paid to date 143.18

Received Gifts During March

In Memory ofFrances Stater, Mike Prewett, Margaret Gordon, Jack Jennings,

Rev. Charles E. Clark (Becky Wells’s brother)

Calendar of Events

Martha Bowman United Methodist Church500 Bass Road Macon, GA 31210P: (478) 477-1901 F: (478) 471-6378www.marthabowman.org

Sunday ServicesTraditional | 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. | Historic SanctuaryContemporary | 11:00 a.m. | The Commons

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

For a complete list of weekly calendar events, please go to www.marthabowman.org/newsevents/calendar.

APRIL 2015

sermon archives marthabowman.org/media

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Birthday Bash11:45 am/Gathering Area

Alzheimer Caregiver’s Support Group

10:00 am/The Parlor

MBU6:30 pm

Meal5:45 pm/The Commons

Worship6:30 pm/The Commons

Joy Circle Mtg10:00 am/Rm 210

Trustees Mtg6:00 pm/Rm 213

Friendship Circle Mtg7:00 pm/The Gables

Roberta Gardiner Circle Mtg 10:00 am/

Off SiteSPRC Mtg

6:00 pm/Rm 210

MARTHA BOWMAN

Ramblers Trip to Callaway Gardens

second wednesday

MBU6:30 pm

MARTHA BOWMAN

MBU6:30 pm

MBU6:30 pm

MARTHA BOWMAN

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HUB Mtg5:30 pm/Library

Maundy Thursday Service

EASTER SUNDAY

Exploring Membership Class

9:45 am/The Parlor

MERGE6:00 pm/Youth Area

Girls of Grace12:00 pm/Kids Area

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Finance Committee Mtg6:30 pm/Rm 210

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