The Messenger FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF DARDANELLE

PASTOR JIM BENFER

FEBRUARY 2019

The New Year is off to a fast start and it is hard to believe that we are already a month into it. We met January 20th for a Potluck Lunch-eon after church and a really great number of people stayed afterwards to do a little “brainstorming” at our Vision meeting. We did not finalize a lot of plans, but there were many good ideas and a cooperative spirit was at work. In fact, I don’t remember another meeting that we have had where

it involved so many in our Nueva Vida congregation. That is a praise.

Some of the ideas that flowed from the meeting involved increased cooperation in our children and youth ministry. In part with that, the church is pushing to develop a more integrated and planned approach to grow both of these groups, and attract younger families to the church. Truly, it is the future of the church, and I hope you will be a part in supporting furthered ministry to our young people, volunteer to be a part of it,

and give to support its increased growth.

Other ideas concerning our church campus that were put forward were repairs to the Sanctuary parking, and a proposal to investigate an

addition on the Family Life Center to provide a new space for youth ministry.

I do want to thank you for the splendid support you provided to the church in this past year. We paid off our Life Center Building, and we began a new capital campaign to further improvements in the future. You should have by now received a giving and contributions statement along with a letter of thanks for your faithful giving. Your generous giving enables a tremendous amount of ministry to take place in our community and

the world, and I want to thank each of your personally.

Speaking of upcoming opportunities for ministry, we have several opportunities in the month of February. We know that Valentine’s Day is coming up on the 14th, so we invite you to a special Wednesday Night Life meal on the 13th with a special menu you will not want to miss. I don’t want to leak the details, but we want to thank so many of you for your continued support and the growth of the fellowship and Bible study we have each Wednesday. If you haven’t been coming, then now is the time! Speaking of WNL, Todd Middleton is looking for a few good men to

join a new Bible study at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. If you have an interest I hope you will come and join in on Wednesdays.

Wednesday, February 20th we will have our XYZ potluck luncheon at 11:00 a.m. in our Life Center. I hope you can be present as our

guest speakers will be our new mayor and chief of police.

Sunday, February 24th we will have the first of our Rio Bravo Mission Fundraiser dinners after worship, and it will also be a time of fel-lowship for our New Member Sunday. If you have been thinking about joining the church by giving us your commitment to mission and service

with us, we invite you to fill out one of the forms being provided in the Sunday bulletin.

And, speaking of the Rio Bravo Mission, the dates for this year's mission to the Manos Juntas mission are May 19-25. Plans and teams will be forming, and I hope that perhaps you too might set aside time to go with us and see how lives can be enriched and the gospel move forward

to new disciples in the Rio Grande Valley.

Finally, let me say what a joy it is to serve with you at this church. Our enthusiasm is contagious, and I pray each of you will invite others

to see what a difference we can make in their lives as we seek to serve Jesus together.

Blessings, Bro. Jim

Janis George, Lilly Jo Grey, Betty Cowger,

Gail Goins, Chris Roberts, Cathy Gwin,

Ross Haley, Bill Pfeifer, Dean Birkhead,

Polly Merritt, Arlevia Scott, Jewel Boyce,

Hugh Conover

Larra Johnson 02/02

Eleanor Taylor 02/02

Doris Gray 02/08

Joshua McMillian 02/09

Bill Pfeifer 02/09

Barbara Goins 02/12

Janet Cheatham 02/14

Ann Callaway 02/16

Bruce McConnell 02/20

MaKenna Spears 02/20

Will McCormick 02/21

Sandy Van Horn 02/23

Charles Henry 02/24

Mamie Carter 02/26

Ernest Goins 02/28

The Back Pack Food Program

remains in constant need. This

ministry works with our schools in

Dardanelle to provide backpacks filled

with food for children who struggle with food insecurity. Any

monetary gift or food provided for the backpacks assists

families who may be food insecure, meaning that their

finances may force them to choose between food and other

expenses. Thank you for supporting our Back Pack Food

Program!

On the first Sunday of each month, our church collects food items for

the Sharing & Caring Food Pantry here in Dardanelle. All non per-

ishable food items are needed. You can drop off your items in the box

at the back of the Sanctuary or give a monetary donation marked

Sharing & Caring in the offering.

Pairs & Spares

The Pairs & Spares Sunday school class will

have a party on Saturday, February 16th. We

will meet at Western Sizzlin at 5:00 pm. Come

join the fun!

Dardanelle Methodist Women

Dardanelle Methodist Women met on Jan. 21 for the 2019 planning session. Nine ladies were present to discuss and decide mission projects for this year. We will continue our current Bible study on “Experiencing CONTAGIOUS Joy” in February and March and will then begin a new study in April. The title of this new study will be announced at a later date. After the busi-ness meeting, we all enjoyed refreshments and fellow-

ship before dismissing.

Come join us at our next meeting on Monday, February

18, at 1:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center.

XYZ News

XYZ will meet in the FLC on Wednesday, February 20th

at 11:00 am. We will welcome new Mayor Jimmy Witt

and Police Chief Wilson Short. We will have potluck

after the meeting.

February 2019 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3

9:45 am Sunday

School

10:55 am Worship

4 5 6

5:15 WNL Meal

6 pm Bible Studies

7 pm Choir

7 8 9

10

9:45 am Sunday

School

10:55 am Worship

11

1:00 pm Prayer

Card Ministry

12 13

5:15 WNL Meal

6 pm Bible Studies

7 pm Choir

14 15 16

17

9:45 am Sunday

School

10:55 am Worship

18

1:00 pm DMW

19 20

11:00 am XYZ

5:15 WNL Meal

6 pm Bible Studies

7 pm Choir

21 22 23

24

New Member Sunday

9:45 am Sunday

School

10:55 am Worship

12:00 pm Rio Bravo

Mission Fundraiser

25

1:00 pm Prayer

Card Ministry

26 27

5:15 WNL Meal

6 pm Bible Studies

7 pm Choir

28