John Wesley Adult Ministries

Greetings from Montreat Music and Worship Conference! Amidst the mountains of North Carolina, 52 children, youth, and adults from John Wesley UMC are spending their days singing, playing music, and preparing for worship, all while enjoying ice cream from The Huckleberry and creek hiking in Flat Creek. We have cheered on the children's choir as they sang "Down by the Creekbank" and Ella Grace Aikman played her French horn at the annual talent show. Our youth choirs have participated in worship, and we look forward to hearing six high school youth who will participate in the Senior High Chamber Choir. Tomorrow night the children, youth, and adult choirs will participate in the final service where we will ring bells, play instruments, and sing together before heading home on Saturday morning.

Join us for a morning of song and worship as part of the 5th Sunday Singers. All are welcome for a quick rehearsal at 7:45. No robes and no experience is necessary. Let’s worship God in song!

Hope Murphy, Director of Children's Ministry, has put together a Sign Up Genius for VBS Food Donations to help with daily snacks for the 200+ children and the adult and youth volunteers who will attend VBS in July. Additionally, she is requesting food items for the the families and friends who will attend the VBS program and reception on Friday, July 25. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION USING THE BUTTON BELOW.

Our church also still needs at least 10 more ADULT volunteers to make the VBS week a success. Adults are needed for any time you can give -- one day, two days, or even five days -- Hope will work with you. Hope has closed registration until she is confident that she has enough adult volunteers to be able to accommodate more children during the week of VBS, so please consider offering your time during the week. PLEASE VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME USING THE BUTTON BELOW.

On Sunday, Charlotte and I will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary and as part of that, we will speak to the congregation on “why we tithe”? I started to give you 81 reasons to reflect the campaign but decided against it. So, I decided to just give you 7 reasons for the 7 days it took God to create the world.

1. The Bible asks us to. Doesn’t require us to because God gives us free will. He merely asks us to give 10% of our time, talent, prayers, and money to Him. Oh, by the way, we get to keep the other 90%.
2. Our parents did. We honor them by doing what they did.
3. To teach our children. So, the legacy of tithing will continue in the next generation.
4. To show we are “all in” and not just bystanders.
5. Because we love watching the results of our giving.
6. Because Rick served as the stewardship committee chair in 5 different churches and doesn’t want to be hypocrite.
7. Because we’re really bad at math and 10% is so simple.

If you have committed to the campaign – thank you. If you haven’t, what’s preventing you from doing so?

--Rick Jones