Newsletter

THE HENDERSON HERALD

JUNE, 2010

Henderson United Methodist Church
72 Henderson Road
Callao, VA 22435

PASTOR’S CORNER – June 2010

Dear Friends and Members of Henderson UMC,

You have touched my life in many different ways over the last seven years. I will never forget the times that I have spent with many of your families during times of joy as well as times of fear, sickness and sorrow. Thank you for allowing me to be present with you in those 'holy' moments...all the holy moments and there have been many over the seven years.

I especially appreciate your kindness, prayers and concern during my husband's heart and hip surgery. Thanks for encouraging me to take the time to be with my family during their health crises and during my mother's death. So very important to me was you’re allowing me the time to study and grow spiritually during the two-year 'Academy for Spiritual Formation.'

I will miss you, but I encourage you to open your hearts to Pastor Lou Ann Frederick and her husband, Dallas. I know that she is going to be a great pastor for you here at Henderson.

God be with you till we meet again,

Pastor Sue Ann

 

CHURCH PHONE (804) 529-6769

PARSONAGE OFFICE PHONE (804) 529-6676

CHURCH WEBSITE:
HTTP://HENDERSONUNITEDMETHODIST.ORG/

HOMECOMING – OCTOBER 10, 2010

Our theme for Homecoming is “Celebrating 180 Years”. Our speaker for the morning service will be Rev. Randy Newsome. There will be special music and also music by the children. We will have a guest Col. William Henderson. Come and hear his story. Join us for lunch and fellowship and stay for the afternoon musical at 1:30 PM. We would like to see people dress in the style of days gone by. This will be a time to remember our past and the people that have worked in the church and made it what it is today. Please come and join us on October 10th for good food, good music and good fellowship.

Homecoming Committee:
Linda Crabbe
Bonnie Headley
Carolyn Neale
Anne Crowder

Scholarships

On June 13th the Henderson Scholarships Committee presented four checks for higher education. Funds for this endeavor come from fundraisers and contributions. This is the third year these Scholarships have been dispersed. Not just for new graduates; anyone who is a member of Henderson or child or grandchild who is continuing his or her education is eligible. If you have an idea for a fundraiser or want to make a contribution, please contact Ron Jewell, Michael Newsome, Ernie Thrift or Lynn Gill.

Ron Jewell
 The Wesleyan Fellowship News

The Wesleyan Fellowship was happy to present six scholarships this year to: Caitlin Thomas, Haley Dawson, Chris Neale, Michael Dawson, Angie Headley and Frances Dodson. The two high school graduates are Caitlin Thomas and Haley Dawson.

In April we met with Peggy Newsome and had nine members present. In May we met with Donna Shortell and had eleven present. Sue Ann has been the Vice-President of our circle and since she is leaving we have elected Ruby Albrite as our new Vice-President.

We Gave $75.00 for kits for Conference. On June 9th we met at “For The Occasion Restaurant” for our meeting and dinner. There were twelve present. Since April we have made 53 sick visits. Sue Ann has been a member of our Circle since she has been here. We will miss her and will present her with a gift on June 27th.

On August 1rst, we will meet with Lynn Gill and her family for a picnic.

Anne Crowder

A Note from Pastor Lou Ann Frederick

Greetings to each and all of you at Henderson UMC from my husband Dallas and me, and from Charlie, our three-legged Jack Russell terrier. All of us are excited about our new assignment and are busy making arrangements to arrive on July 2nd and share the service with you on July 4th.

As we make our preparations a passage from Psalm 16 keeps coming to mind:
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a godly heritage ... Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices...
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
In your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I have recently learned that many persons refer to the Northern Neck as “the Land of Pleasant Living.” Certainly, each person we have met at Henderson – Sue Ann, Vonnie, Hank, Gail, Gwen and the other members of the Pastor Parish Committee - have only confirmed that image of the people and the life at Henderson.

Dallas and I (and Charlie) are looking forward to meeting you, and sharing with you in the work of living out the love of Jesus Christ in such a lovely piece of the Virginia Commonwealth.

Peace, Love and Joy
Pastor Lou Ann

Henderson United Methodist Women

How many years does it take glass or plastic or paper to disintegrate in a landfill?

Sylvia Massie, president of the Rappahannock District UMW, presented an eye-opening program on Saving God’s green earth. She gave out flyers on Understanding Plastic Recycling Codes. In our day, with the vast amount of trash that we have, we need to learn to recycle paper, newspaper, telephone books, magazines, catalogs, cardboard; plastics; metal cans and foil; batteries, glass, etc.

Junk Mail Removal: To add your name to the do-not-mail list, register online at www.dmachoice.org/dma/member/regist.action or download a mail-in form. Be sure to list each name receiving mail at your address, including mis-spellings. You can also send a letter, along with $1.00 with your name and address to the DMA asking to be removed from their mailing list.
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
P. O. Box 282
Carmel, NY 10512

Ask some of the UMW women for further information. We’re no experts, but we are trying to learn all we can to take care of God’s Green Earth.

Our UMW members are genuinely concerned about the Task Force’s recommendation to decrease the number of Districts in the Virginia Conference from 18 to 16. A vote will be taken at Annual Conference in June, and if the vote passes, new district lines will be drawn. The lines, as proposed, would definitely affect our Rappahannock District as we have known it for the last 40-50 years.

Ruby Albrite
 Reading Program at Henderson

Our Reading Program is continually being updated with new books. Check out our bookcase in the social hall. The purpose of the Reading Program is to encourage UMW members:

. To expand understanding of and participation in God’s mission;
. To increase sensitivity to all human beings—their needs, interests, concerns;
. To grow in understanding of Scripture as it relates to Christian faith;
. To enhance self-knowledge and to act from that knowledge; and
. To strengthen involvement in local and global Christian mission.

A little boy was telling his Grandma how “everything” is going wrong. School, family problems, severe health problems, etc. Meanwhile Grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack, which of course he does. “Here, have some cooking oil, a couple of eggs, or some flour” “Grandma, all those things are yucky” “Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves, but put together, they make a great cake.” God works the same way! We often wonder why we go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when he puts things in His Order, they all work together for good. We just have to trust him. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen.

Ruby Albrite

Announcements:

Sharon Mann will be our new Treasurer, and
Ruby Albrite will be the Pastor’s Secretary. Both will be serving the church as volunteers. We thank them for their willingness to give of themselves in this way.

Worship Service for July 4th will be at 10:00 AM. July 4th is the first Sunday for Pastor Lou Ann Frederick. There will be no Sunday school this day. After the 10AM worship service, there will be a Welcoming Reception for Pastor Lou Ann and her husband Dallas. Please plan to come and meet your new pastor.

Teller Volunteers Needed: We are in need of volunteers to count the offering on Sundays after the 11:00 AM service. Please contact McKinley Thomas at 333-0527.

Flowers for Church: If you would like to provide flowers for Sunday worship, please call Bonnie Headley at 529-7759.

Refreshments: If you can provide refreshments after the 9:00 AM service, or be a greeter on Sunday morning, please let Faye Hall or Ellen Douglas know. There is a sign up sheet on the refrigerator door in the kitchen.
 From Walls to Bridges

By Rev. Bass Mitchell, United Methodist Pastor in Northern Virginia

Paul says (Galatians 3:23-29) that because of the grace of God offered to us through Christ and our acceptance of it by faith that now we are all children of God, one in Christ. But there are still many walls between us and new ones coming up. As I thought of this, I had a dream one night…

I look on helplessly as the boards go up, the hammers pound nail after nail, creating walls - tall, wide, thick walls...

And I see them growing alienated, estranged, separate from one another, not being able or willing to see or hear one another, and wondering why...

Son and father, daughter and mother, friend and friend, husband and wife, neighbor and neighbor, country and country, separated, pouring all of themselves into walls...

And the anger grows, the misunderstanding festers like a wound, and they stay behind their walls, aching deep inside but not sure why or what to do about it...

Such walls, hated things, monstrous creations that we make with our own hands of malice, hearts callous, minds prejudiced, eyes judging, ears sealed...

Who can deliver us from these walls? What could possibly break through them? Trapped. Imprisoned. Lonely. Aching. Afraid. Broken. Alone. Are these walls eternal?

And then, suddenly, there is a new sound. Not hammering. Not of another board, or brick. No, a steady tapping against the walls...

And it will not stop. It will not cease, this tapping, this chipping away at the walls. For this tapping is someone's confession, of taking responsibility for being a wall builder...

From Walls to Bridges continued

And suddenly there is another tapping that begins to shake the walls...it is an apology...little words, tiny whispers cast against the massive walls... "I'm sorry...It's my fault...I was wrong...I love you..."

And then the walls tremble, another force, more powerful than the other two, slams against them - “I forgive you...” forgiveness joins the fray, tumbling the walls to pieces, smashing through them as mere paper...

And wonder of wonders, these three, this holy trinity - confession, apology, forgiveness - pick up shattered walls - bricks, cement, steel and wood, and transform them into bridges...

And tentatively at first they take a step on those bridges, a step toward one another, and suddenly they see one another again, feel their own hearts yearning, needing the other...

Son and father, daughter and mother, friend and friend, husband and wife, neighbor and neighbor, country and country, pouring all they are into bridges...

And the pace quickens, eyes embrace, smiles radiate, arms encircle, hearts mingle, hands held, memories of the walls fade away in the joy of standing on the bridges of reconciliation...

Prayer: Dear God, sometimes we build such thick walls around us, shutting out others, even maybe You. And we have reinforced them for so long that we wonder if they can ever be brought down. Lord, give us the tools of confession, apology and forgiveness. Teach us how to use them so that the walls begin to quake and crumble, and help us in their ruins to construct bridges. Amen.

 

Reports Thru June 12, 2010

MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT

Balance as of 4/29/2010 $6,457.32
Deposit 4/30 to 6/12 $933.00
Interest April/May $ .54

Disbursements $1,114.02

James Hall, Grass Cutting Mar – May $675.00
Tri-State Service calls $130.00
Callao Supply $309.02

Balance as of 6/12/2010 $6,276.84

 

BUILDING ACCOUNT

Balance as of 4/29/2010 $8,855.28
Deposit 4/30 to 6/12 $129.58
Interest April/May $ .74

Disbursements $ 0.00

Balance as of 6/12/2010 $8,985.60

 

MOVING ACCOUNT

Balance as of 4/29/2010 $1,300.96
Deposit 4/30 to 6/12 $0.00
Interest April/May $ .33

Balance as of 6/12/2010 $1,301.29