Grace United Methodist Church

This year, to celebrate Graduate Recognition Day, Grace will honor five UCHS graduates: Will Balkum, son of Bill and Kim Balkum, nephew of Susan Balkum, and grandson of Frank and Ann Alexander; Grant Berry, son of Jeff and Donna Berry and Shane and Libby Sailors, and grandson of Tommy and Kathie Sinclair; and Will, Patrick, and Bailey Long, triplets of James and Donna Long. Grace also has one college graduate: Blake Berry, son of Jeff and Donna Berry and Shane and Libby Sailors, and grandson of Tommy and Kathie Sinclair, who will graduate from Presbyterian College with a BS Degree in Bio-Chemistry. These proud graduates will receive Bibles or devotional books during our worship service on May 19. Afterwards, they will enjoy lunch with their families. Grace is proud of each one of them and their accomplishments.

Our 2019 Vacation Bible School at Grace is Yee Haw, Celebrating God’s Greatest Gift which will be held June 9 - 11. Saddle up for a trailblazing 3 days of fun! Kids will kick up their heels at Yee-Haw VBS as they stampede through the wild frontier and celebrate God’s greatest gift of all—Jesus! Please be in prayer for many children in attendance, abundant volunteers, and the celebration of Jesus. Thank you to those who have already said “YES” to helping with VBS!! *There is a form included for signing up your children, family members, and friends. 

Once again, GUMC will be the host for the Community Lenten Service and lunch each Wednesday at noon from Ash Wednesday, March 6th, through Holy Week, Wednesday, April 17th. Pastors from different denominations and churches will deliver the message each week. Tommy Bishop, GUMC organist/choir director, has planned special Lenten Season music.

Each Lenten Service begins at 12 noon. Lunch will be served after the service at a cost of $7.00.

March 6      Pastor David Bauknight  Grace United Methodist Church 

Lunch: BBQ w/bun, baked beans, coleslaw, chips, dessert, tea and coffee
 

March 13      Rev. Lee Moseley Union Presbyterian Church    

  Lunch: Chicken casserole, green beans, fruit salad,  rolls, dessert, tea and coffee 
 

 March 20      Rev. Miriam Mick Buffalo United Methodist Church 

Lunch:  Pork Loin, sweet potatoes, Asian slaw, rolls, dessert, tea and coffee
 

March 27      Rev. Rebecca Wilkins Grace United Methodist Church (retired) 

Lunch: Baked ham, green beans, potato salad, sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, rolls, dessert, tea and coffee
 

April 3      Rev. Merritt Wentz Duncan Acres and Bethel United Methodist Churches 

Lunch: Marinated chicken breast, potato casserole, broccoli salad, rolls, dessert, tea and  coffee
 

April 10     Rev. Robbie Stolger First Baptist Church 

Lunch:  Meatballs with sauce, copper pennies, brown rice, rolls, dessert, tea and coffee  
 

April 17      Rev. Dr. A. L. Brackett St. Paul Baptist Church 

Lunch:  Fried chicken, green beans, macaroni & cheese, tea biscuits, dessert, tea and cof

Please join fellow church and community members in attending these meaningful services in preparation for Easter.

BASED ON A TRUE FAMILY STORY...
Set in 1926, this fast-paced musical dinner show takes you to East Tennessee where the fun never ends. Sing along with fabulous old Southern classics and watch the gospel truths unfold through the eyes and imagination of Tennessee!
     Reservations have been made for the Narroway dinner show, “The Gospel According to Tennessee,” on June 23, 2018.  We plan to leave about 10:00 a.m. as the dinner begins at 12 noon. The tickets are $32.00 per person. If you signed up to attend, please give your money to Karen, Pat or Sheryl at the church office on or by June 6th. If you did not sign up, but wish to attend, we reserved extra tickets. Please call the church office if you would like to attend. We must confirm reservations by June 6th. We look forward to this fun day of good food, wonderful fellowship, and lots of entertainment!

 Join us on June 13th for our next YAH meeting with good food, fellowship, and delicious desserts baked by Brenda Childers!

NHN will have a workday on Saturday, June 23rd. Meet at Grace UMC at 8:00 am. Help is always needed. This month we are building a ramp for a blind lady. Thanks for your support of this ministry. David Turner

 Recently the Back Pack Ministry, begun and led by Jeannette  Galloway, was presented a check for $1,500 to help in preparing the back packs that the Circle of Hope provides for children who may go hungry over the weekend. The members of the Ministry program were very appreciative of this help. During the year 2018, the national Elk Organization is celebrating 150 years of service and            assistance to Veterans, scholarships for college, and many other worthy organizations which need help in providing various items to make life a little easier for those in need. Since this is the 150th Anniversary, the Elks National Foundation made an Anniversary Grant available to every Lodge in the United States. The announcement of the available Anniversary Grant was made at the South Carolina State Elks Convention in Myrtle Beach in February. Union Elks Lodge #1321 took advantage of this special grant to help some children of Union County have food over the weekend. This service is provided by the Circle of Hope through the Back Pack Ministry. Jim Cunningham, a member of Grace and the Secretary of the local Lodge, jumped on the chance to help out with this very special ministry that is providing food for hungry children. He and Mary Jane completed the application for the Grant while on vacation in Myrtle Beach after the Convention. He submitted the Grant application on Wednesday and received confirmation that his application had been approved on Thursday. The check came a couple of weeks later. The Back Pack Ministry is very grateful for this assistance and has already begun to use the money to purchase packaged food to send home in the back pack for these children to have nutritious food over each week end during the school year.

Sun., June 10 - Tues., June 12 from 5:30 – 8:00 pm.  At Polar Blast VBS, kids will go on a three-day icy cool adventure where they will discover that Jesus will always love them! This VBS is filled with incredible Biblelearning experiences kids see, hear, and touch. Teambuilding games, cool Bible songs, multisensory Bible adventures, and delicious snacks are just a few of the activities that help faith flow into real life. Please pray for this important children’s ministry, say “YES” when asked to help and invite children, grandchildren, and their friends to attend. Have a (SNOW) ball at VBS this summer! We need everyone’s help encouraging children to attend. A registration form is included in the newsletter.
 

Take a step toward staying healthy and active. BE SMART: Do more for your cardiovascular health. On Friday, May 18, 2018, Life Line Screening will be here at Grace to perform carotid artery, heart rhythm (AFIB), abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, and  osteoporosis screenings. The heart rhythm package #1 includes the first four screenings for $139. The  osteoporosis package #2 includes all five screenings for $149. If you are interested in these screenings, forms are available on the Information Desk in the educational building. Pre-registration is required by calling 1-888-653-6450.

 Did you know that in the last year Epworth Children’s Home gave 184 children a safe and loving place to call home?  Each of these children had this opportunity because people and churches like us embrace and provide for this wonderful ministry for the children and families in South Carolina. We will participate in the annual Mother’s Day Offering on Sunday, May 13th, 2018, to benefit the children who call Epworth home. Please be in prayerful consideration of what God is calling you to give to this valuable and life changing ministry. For more information about Epworth Children’s Home, you can visit them on the web at: www.epworthchildrenshome.org.