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AUMC Newsletter – June/July 2014
Ayden United Methodist Church * P.O. Box 335, Ayden, NC 28513 * Office – 252-746-6524
Rev. Jim McConnell, Pastor
*
www.aydenumc.org
Loving God, Serving Others, Building Christian Community
From the Pastor: Taste and See
At our house there’s a little song that we sing around the table whenever something new or different is on the
menu, and it goes something like this: “You’ve got to try new foods ‘cause they might taste good.” I guess
you’ll have to imagine the tune, but the message is pretty clear; you’ll never know if you like a thing or not
until you’ve actually tried it.
The same is true of most vocations and especially of the call to ordained ministry. It’s hard to know whether or
not God is truly calling you to preach, teach, administer the sacraments and order the life of the church if
you’ve never had a chance to actually do any of those things. That’s why I’m excited to say that for the second
summer in a row Ayden UMC has been blessed with the opportunity to serve as a congregation of call by
participating in the Taste and See internship program of the North Carolina Annual Conference.
This summer our intern Parker Coppock will be helping with worship, teaching, leading and serving in our
congregation, and we will be walking alongside him, supporting him and helping him to discern his call.
Parker is a rising senior at the University of Mount Olive with a major in Religious Studies and a minor in
Music, and he has many gifts and graces to share with our congregation.
Parker has already begun his internship, and he will be with us through the summer until August 3. I hope you
will join me in welcoming him to the AUMC family and in giving thanks for this wonderful opportunity!
Rev. Jim McConnell
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Vacation Bible School Set for June
AUMC Partners with Meals on Wheels
Ayden UMC invites
kids ages 2 to 12 to
learn more about God
at our Vacation Bible
School, which will be
held from Sunday,
June 22, to Thursday,
June 26. Dinner will be
served at 5:30, and the program will begin at 6 p.m.
and end at 8 p.m.
In April, AUMC began hosting Meals on Wheels, a
food program that delivers nutritious meals daily to
elderly persons who are homebound. The AUMC
kitchen serves as a staging area and pick up point
for drivers who bring meals to approximately 40
households in Ayden.
Our theme is “Workshop of Wonders: Imagine and
Build with God.” Kids will explore God’s Word
through Bible stories, songs, crafts, games and
food.
Volunteers are needed to help will all aspects of
VBS. If you’re interested in helping, contact
Ashley Watkins.
If you have a child who would like to attend, please
register them by calling the church office at (252)
746-6524 or by registering online at:
2014.cokesburyvbs.com/aydenunitedmethodist.
We hope to see everyone at VBS as we learn more
about God’s wonderful world!
__________________________
Several AUMC members have volunteered their
time as delivery drivers, but Meals on Wheels is
always in need of people who are willing to drive a
route (usually a one day a week) or serve as a
substitute driver on an as needed basis. If you are
interested in becoming part of this program, contact
Pastor Jim.
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Bake Sale Serves Up Goodness
The Son Fun Festival Bake Sale co-chairs would
like to thank everyone that made our event a great
success by helping with your baked goods.
Our “cup runneth over” with beautiful cakes,
candy, cookies, brownies and breads. We give God
all the glory, and thank each of you again for your
graciousness.
__________________________
Youth Wrap Up Spring Activities, Look
Forward to Fall
After a full schedule of activities and outings
during the spring, the Methodist Youth Fellowship
(MYF) will take a break over the summer to gear
up for their fall season.
MYF recently traveled to Camp Don Lee to
participate in their annual open house. While at the
camp, MYF members had the opportunity to go
sailing on the Flying Scots, play Four Square and
enjoy a meal in the dining hall.
The youth are currently planning on holding a yard
sale prior to school starting in August to raise
money for camperships. They ask that church
members especially save up any gently used
uniforms, kids' shoes, backpacks and lunch bags to
sell at the yard sale.
__________________________
Congratulations Graduates
Compiled by Camilla Godwin
On Sunday, June 1, AUMC honored recent high
school and college graduates. We celebrate with
them and applaud the hard work and dedication that
mark these accomplishments.
Sarah Buck from Pitt Community College
with an associates degree in physical
therapy assistant, daughter of John &
Tammy Buck.
• Chelsea Curry from East Carolina
University with a B.S. in environmental
health, daughter of John & Dawn Curry.
Chelsea is currently pursuing a master’s
degree in environmental health at ECU.
• Dawn Devor from Greenville Tech (SC)
with a degree in nursing, daughter of Linda
Devor and the late Ralph Devor.
• Cameron Merricks from South Central High
School, will be attending East Carolina
University in the fall, son of Patrick and
Vesta Merricks.
• Cole Merricks from East Carolina
University as a NC Teaching Fellow,
attending Boston University in the fall to
begin work on his further education, son of
Patrick and Vesta Merricks.
• Anna Laughman from UNC-Charlotte,
daughter of Gary and Stacey Bawtinhimer.
• Melanie Nipple graduated from Southside
High School and is halfway through a
cosmetology program in Gastonia, NC.
• Jordan Smith from North Carolina State
University, son of Dale Pate Hines and
Kenneth Smith, grandson of Wilton and
Linda Pate.
• Maija Smith, J.H. Rose High School and
daughter of Alycia and Tyler Smith, will be
attending Appalachian State University in
the fall, majoring in English with a
concentration of Secondary Education.
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•
AUMC Plants Garden to Support ACCC
Recently AUMC broke ground on a community
garden with the goal of producing enough fresh
vegetables to supplement the food the Ayden
Christian Care Center (ACCC) gives out to people
and families in need.
The garden has been planted with squash, tomatoes,
peppers, herbs and brussel sprouts. Volunteers are
needed to maintain the garden, especially with
watering and weeding.
Members who currently have or are planning on
planting a garden are encouraged to plant an extra
row to donate the produce to the ACCC.The church
will collect the vegetables and drop them off to the
ACCC.
For more information or to volunteer to be a part of
this important ministry, contact Allyson Meyer or
Stacey Bawtinheimer.
__________________________
Son Fun Festival Shines
By Bill Norris
At the beginning of the year, Church Council Head,
Wayne Harris, asked that the council see a way to
increase our membership. Several members were
polled and they gave all kinds of good ways, but
one really stood out -- a corn hole tournament as
recommended by Sandra Jones. From that idea, the
council voted to include a silent auction, food, arts
and crafts vendors, and children’s games. We
would make a day of it.
On Saturday, May 17, it all came about with
excellent weather from heaven above. The hype
was in the newspaper, on television and the radio,
and our signs were everywhere. The vendors were
in place, the food was ready, everything was set up
and the people were there. The corn hole
tournament was in the afternoon with good
participation also.
Finally, the end of the day came and the time to
“fold up shop.” We found that we made good
money from our efforts and there still is some to
come in. All in all, our Son Fun Festival was a
success, but the greatest thing about it was our
members working together to enhance our church
and to glorify the Lord.
A follow up meeting was held on the next Tuesday,
May 20, and the group resolved to have another
Son Fun event next year on May 2 and to do some
modifications on our event.
There are times when a person can go home tired,
disgusted or angry about the day. This was a day
when we all went home tired -- and happy to be
that way.
__________________________
Missions Committee Continues Outreach
By Madelaine White, Missions Committee Chair
Many blessings to those who continue to help us
with our Backpack Buddies program. We have
served our students approximately 4,680 meals this
school year.
With the end of school comes vacation for many,
our Missions Team members included, and we will
not have dinners in July or August. Our next 2nd
Tuesday dinner, June 10th, will celebrate the start
of summer so bring your beach hat and come on
out for a fish fry, slaw, choice of Key Lime or
lemon meringue pie and some nostalgic vacation
music.
The church will have plenty of summer mission
work ahead with the Good Soil Garden, Vacation
Bible School, plans for future fundraisers, etc.
Please feel free to contribute your support wherever
you can and share God's love! Together, we are
making a difference in our community!
__________________________
Pastor Jim Accepted into Leadership Program
Pastor Jim McConnell has been accepted into the
Royce and Jane Reynolds Program in Church
Leadership for the 2014 - 2015 year.
This leadership development program is offered to
United Methodist clergy in the Western North
Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina
and Florida conferences upon recommendation
from bishops, district superintendents and previous
years' graduates. Pastor Jim was recommended by
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and the district
superintendents of the North Carolina Annual
Conference.
The program takes place during four different
sessions over a 10-month period beginning in
August and ending in May. The goal of the
program is to assist strong pastors in becoming
congregational leaders who develop a clear vision
for the church.
AUMC congratulates Pastor Jim on this wonderful
opportunity to further grow and develop his
spiritual gifts and his role as a leader in the United
Methodist church.
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Annual Conference to be Held in Greenville
The 2014 North Carolina Annual Conference will
be held at the Greenville Convention Center in
Greenville, N.C., from Wednesday, June 11 to
Saturday, June 14. The theme for the conference
will focus on “Strength to Strength: Thrive.”
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward will preside over the
conference with the assistance of Conference
Secretary Rev. Jerry Bryan and Conference Lay
Leader Gary Locklear. Speakers include Gary
Gunderson, Teresa Cutts, Matthew and Nancy
Sleeth, Christine Pohl and Willona Stallings.
Along with Pastor Jim and intern Parker Coppock,
Sandra Jones will attend as AUMC’s lay member
of annual conference. Please be in prayer for all
who will gather at this year’s conference as they
discern God’s will for the church.
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Youth Participate in Easter Egg Hunt
April showers couldn’t dampen the spirits of the
approximately 20 youth who attended AUMC’s
annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 19.
The event began with craft time where kids had the
choice of making stained “glass” crosses from
tissue and contact paper or painting eggs, which
had had the insides carefully removed to leave a
hollow shell.
After crafts, it was time to hunt! Rainy weather
moved the main event inside but the kids had a
great time hunting all over the Stroud Building for
those colorful plastic eggs! Once all the eggs had
been found, everyone enjoyed a hot dog lunch.
Thank you to all who donated eggs, candy or food
for the lunch. Special thanks goes to the organizers
of the Egg Hunt, who continue to make it a special
event year after year.
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AUMC Church Calendar
June 10 – Missions Dinner, 6 p.m.
June 22 to 26 - VBS, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
For more information, see the weekly church
bulletin or view the calendar at
www.aydenumc.org.
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__________________________
Items for the August/September newsletter should
be given to Emily McConnell or Andrea Norris no
later than Sunday, July 20.
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