Ministries
Celebrating God with us!
(Most recent dates on top of page - if you have a celebration - send it to mdevine@sugarloaf.org)
January, 2012
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SUGARLOAF KIDS!!
Each month the Sugarloaf UMC kids (preschool & elementary aged) earn extra money, empty piggy banks, search for coins under their couches... by any means. All for the sake of a little thing we call "CHANGE FOR CHANGE." The CHANGE FOR CHANGE is sent to various organizations that help those in need. This is our thank you to the kids for being the hands and feet of Christ.
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An anonymous person in the congregation paid for the materials for Discipleship Essentials after hearing the announcement this past Sunday!
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I finally....after 2 1/2 years....got a job!!! (Richard)
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I would like to celebrate the Women's Ministry Christmas
Ornament/Cookie Exchange held in December. We had 90+ ladies who came out
to enjoy yummy cookies, exchange an ornament and have wonderful fellowship with
each other in God's house. But they also came to share their love with
homeless families in our community by bringing personal toiletry items to build
Christmas gifts and to do some shopping by supporting different ministries led
by our church members! How awesome!
Bonnie Flanagan was able to share 33 complete gifts and many miscellaneous items from the donations made that evening. In total she gave 50 gift bags and many miscellaneous items to the Norcross Co-Op Extended Stay Ministries. She was also able to share many individual cookie bags with the seniors at Applewood Terraces (a low income housing for seniors) because the women donated their remaining cookies rather than take them home that night.
I know that the ministries represented in the Marketplace, (Women's Ministry, Good Shepherd School in Haiti, Young Life, Do Good/Drink Coffee, TEAR) did well with the products they sold to help support their needs.
It's always fun to watch God use us and the simplest things
for the good of His Kingdom!
(For more info - contact Peggy Tarkenton (pftarkenton@bellsouth.net)
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Jodi
Gill, her daughter and I are getting ready to go to Ukraine to six different
orphanages, 728 children. We leave Jan 20th-29th. Will let you know
how it goes when we return.. Prayers are appreciated..Jean Rector
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Maddie Hallmark and Josh Harkey – two “graduates” of our youth
program are off to serve God in Australia and India (respectively)!
AND FROM LISA HALLMARK (MADDI'S MOM):
We would like to
Celebrate that Maddi arrived safely In Perth@the YWAM base. Thanks for
everyones prayers. She is settling in and Celebrated her 19th Birthday
today (yesterday there). God is Good-we know he has lots in store for her
these next 6 months. Thanks, Lisa Hallmark
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We collected 40 pints of Blood at the
Blood Drive on Saturday.
Thank-you Gary Nelson for leading this effort and for all volunteers and donors for making this drive a
success.
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$50,000 has been raised for
our Hunger to Hope/Feed My Starving Food Pack.
208 meals costs $50
which equals what an individual will pack per shift. Go to our website
to learn more about the event.
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As many of you have heard, Gwinnett County now has a cold weather shelter for homeless women and children called the SaltLight Center. This facility is run through volunteers who stay at the center with the guests while they are visiting the facility. If you choose to be a dinner host, this is a wonderful opportunity for your entire family, even young children to get involved. This experience in volunteering for my family has bridged the barrier between “desiring to volunteer”, and actually doing it!! As a family, providing dinner, and sharing in fellowship with the guests at the center has been an honor and a privilege. I have met some extremely resilient and loving women, as well as the most affectionate children ever! Their humility has taught me much about trusting and always believing in our Lord. Only He knows the whys, so we must continue to believe with unwavering strength that He will always nestle us in His loving arms, and that He has plans for all of us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”
Jeremiah 29:11
I feel truly blessed that myself, and my family have been involved
with the SaltLight Center, and the feeling that you get when you extend a hug,
lend a listening ear, or by just simply being in the presence of these women
and children makes one realize just how precious we all are as God’s children.
The label of homelessness is so not what we all think and picture. It is
astounding to imagine that many of these ladies are even in this situation to
begin with as you get to know them. They are you, and they are me. As I leave
the center to go “home,” it hits me like a ton of bricks each and every time as
to just how blessed I am to have a home with a warm cozy bed to lay my head on
each and every night. Please pray for the SaltLight Center that each and every
person that walks through its doors are blessed by our precious God, and that
they too will have a place to call home with a warm and cozy bed someday.
Marni Hyman~
December, 2011
Reale/Forlaw Grow Group:
I wanted to send you some pictures from our Grow Group Christmas Party and Service Project that we had this past weekend. We all got together to share a meal and fellowship, while also putting together 20 Blessing Bags to donate to the church or take in our cars to have ready to hand out to those in need. Thank you for sending on the idea for the Blessing Bags. It was a great thing to do together and the kids loved helping.
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This week over 120 Christmas shoe boxes were
shipped to children who live in dorms throughout the school year in Pueblo
Pintado, New Mexico. This effort was lead by members of the 2010 Pueblo Pintado
mission team and supported by members of Sugarloaf as well as businesses Laarhoven and e4 Design. Following is an
excerpt of an email from a school staff member in Pueblo Pintado regarding what
the shoeboxes mean to the students.
"Our school is a day/ residential K-8th grade
elementary school run by the Bureau of Indian Education. At the present
time we have over 120 students 1st -8th grade residing the dormitory
Sunday- Friday. Of the student population, 90% do not have running water and
over 60% still do not have electricity in the homes. Almost 100% of the
students are on the reduce school lunch program and over 80% come from a single
parent homes.
I would like to say, "Thank You" for your
support in sending out the "Christmas Shoe Boxes" to the
students who resident in the Residential Hall during the school year. The
students look forward to these boxes each year with great
anticipation! To many of these students this will be the only
"Christmas Gift " that they will receive and they know it! Also the
Holiday are not always looked upon with excitement, because of the
uncertainty of what will happen. Alcohol is often associated with the
Holidays and when people are drinking, almost anything can or might
happen. So many of our students worry about what the holidays might
bring. So the "SHOE BOXES" are one bright spot in their
lives during this time."
Week of November 28, 2011
God moving through Grow Groups - from Kevin McQuilken of Dillard Grow Group...
The concept of the grow group is excellent and my experience with them has been nothing short of wonderful. I have always felt a bit inhibited and possibly intimated in the tradional church based Bible study class. Meeting in a more relaxed atmosphere with a smaller group of people has enabled me to be more willing to share more about my life experiences and my relationship with God. My wife and I have formed a much closer relationships through the grow group experience then we ever have in the past. Through it all we have a wonderful feeling of commitment and devotion to the folks in the group. Our group shares a refreshing attitude of constantly seeking ways to serve in and outside of the church. We would welcome anyone to come as a guest and get a glimpse of God's amazing work within this group!
My experience with the Thanksgiving event at SUMC was all about faith. Just put your faith in Him and He will do great things. During the entire planning stages our group constantly relied on our faith in Him to accomplish what He wanted in His time. Questions would come up such as , What if we don't have enough food or volunteers and what if no one showed up? The answer was always ...............Let Go, Let God, His will be done. Thanksgiving was about helping others but make no mistake, we were all blessed to have benefitted from God's work in all of us that day.
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
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Walking Forward Educational Ministry Video:
To learn more about WFEM, visit their website wfemlearn.com
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FOOD FOR HAITI!!!
Giving thanks
today.....
Just got this photo from Jeff Cartwright, Chuck's Vanderbilt team mate, who so
kindly agreed to transport the food packets to Grand Rapids today for shipment
to Haiti! He is at the Feed My Starving Children loading site in Aurora,
IL picking up 20 pallets -- 142,560 meals for The Good Shepherd School!
This extra food will supplement the food we currently provide and allow ALL
children to eat a healthy meal each day. WOOHOO! The sea container
leaves this Friday for Port-Au-Prince.
And if you haven't looked lately, there are some great new photos of the
construction: http://openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/pele
Lots of laborers working on the site . . . earning a living for their work . .
. feeding their families . . .with dignity!
Thanks for all your support!
Doin' the happy dance,
Julie
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A Follow-up from Thanksgiving meal serving:
Now that we've all rested a little and put our feet up for a while - we just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work, your compassion and your commitment to Thanksgiving serving. We couldn't have done it without every single person who volunteered - whether you served, donated food, donated clothing, played music :) or were prayer warriors prior to the event. With God and you, we were able to touch the lives of over 150 people and hopefully make a difference. While it is so important to reach out to those in need on days like Thanksgiving-there are opportunities to reach out everyday of our lives. If you have never served the needy before or if you have served occassionally - we hope this Thanksgiving has catapulted your heart and desire to serve and that you seek out opportunities throughout the year to help others. Believe me, the need is out there and you don't have to look very far to find it. Below is a list of places that are always in need of volunteers/donations/etc. Thank you again for your all help and compassion this Thanksgiving. And just an FYI - the left over food that we had was taken to Clarkston, GA to the Treasures of Hope Ministry where it was much needed and much appreciated and we were able to reach outside of the walls of SUMC and into other areas that needed our help.
The
Dillard Grow Group (Discovering God's Glory)
http://www.norcrossco-op.org/ioppor_oppor.htm
http://northgwinnettcoop.org/how-you-can-help.html
7bridgestorecovery.org
http://sugarloaf.org/566886.ihtml
In HIS Grip & Loving It,
Tami
Week of November 21, 2011
Group of SUMC'ers assisted the Fortier family in getting moved into a new home over the holiday!
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The Together We Can Dream Team is going to donate $1000 for the rebuilding of Antonio Macilau's church in Mozambique, Africa after damage from earlier in the month.
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As part of the choir’s performance in NY, ticket and CD sales of $16K were raised to contribute to Children of the Bronx program which feeds 600 after school children each week. There was another program that benefited related to rescuing children from prostitution!!
These are the ministries supported by the Carnegie Hall Concert - Praise God!!
Church of the Revelation- A Safe house in India they are building to house former child prostitutes to help them get their lives back in order.
Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene- After-School enrichment program that ministers to and feeds up to 600 children a week.
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Sugarloaf UMC feeds those in need on Thanksgiving
Staff Photo: John Bohn Volunteers at Sugarloaf United Methodist Church, including Zach Julian, 8, the self-proclaimed "King of Gravy," right, and his brother Joshua Julian, 11, center, serve Thanksgiving meals to needy people, or those with no other place to go on Thanksgiving day. The Julian family, including mom Stacey Julian and youngest son Elijah Julian, 5, reside in Suwanee.
Staff Photo: John Bohn Izabel Nolan, 3, sits on the lap of her uncle, Stephen O'Kelley of Buford , while eating a meal served by volunteers at Sugarloaf United Methodist Church on Thanksgiving Day. The volunteers served meals to needy people, or those with no other place to go. At left is Chuck Nolan, father of Izabel, and at center is Lynsey O'Kelley.
DULUTH -- If just one person had come, it would have all been worthwhile.
Sugarloaf United Methodist Church served a hearty Thanksgiving meal to hundreds of needy people from around the Duluth area Thursday, volunteers dishing out turkey, ham, green beans and potatoes. Volunteer drivers bused in those in need from around the city for the meal that ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
They had food for about 300, though Tami Dillard, one of the event's organizers, said early on that nothing would have stopped them from serving more.
"If we have more than that, that would just be a blessing," Dillard said. "We'll find the food somewhere."
Dillard's small group at the church dreamed up the idea in October, posting fliers across the community. By Oct. 15, it was "a monster." They got so many volunteers they had to begin turning them away.
"This area needed it," Dillard said. "There's just nothing. We just really felt like we wanted to do something in our own backyard."
The day's festivities were more than just a meal, too. Children were invited to play on the playground and do arts and crafts. Plenty of children's clothes and shoes -- mostly unclaimed items from several local schools, Dillard said -- were available for those in need to sort through.
Stephanie Lynn O'Kelley brought her entire extended family from Buford to share in the meal.
"I just wanted to come out among strangers and have fellowship," she said, picking through clothes and watching her granddaughter play. "It's just been great and inspiring to see something like this. It's just really humbling."
The church used buses and vans to bring needy families to their campus on Old Peachtree Road from five separate locations across the greater Duluth area -- the Norcross co-op, Discover Mills, a Kroger store on Sugarloaf Parkway, Gwinnett Place Mall and a Big Lots on Buford Highway in Suwanee.
Wherever they came from, they were enjoying the meal. And the church was enjoying helping them out on a day about giving thanks.
"I like meeting new people," 8-year-old church member Zach Julian said while dishing out gravy. "I think (helping people) is basically what I was made to do."
Week of November 14, 2011
The children and families at BLASt collected 129 Operation
Christmas child Shoe Boxes (and they are still coming in)! Praise God!
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Saturday November 12, 2011-- 11
people from Sugarloaf UMC went to Clarkston for the day to learn about Bible
Missions then, experienced ethnic foods and spent time and prayed for
Refugees.
Week of November 7, 2011
Thanks to the generosity of our church family we were able to raise over $4000 for Thanksgiving. We will use these funds to buy Wal Mart gift cards. $2000 will go to our own SUMC families and the remaining $2000 will go to families at BB Harris elementary school.
To God be the glory!
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Hi Maureen,
Thanks for your time this morning. Attached are the photos we took while we were at North Gwinnett Coop. Here's how this deal was pulled together:
The donation of 300 boxes of Post Great Grains Cereal was presented to Maureen Kornowa, Director of North Gwinnett Coop. This donation was the result of a true collaborative effort. Laura Darr of Sugarloaf UMC utilized coupons to purchase the cereal at an 83% discount from Publix (I-85 & Old Peachtree Rd) - at a sale price of $183 versus the retail price of $1,104. The funds to purchase the cereal were provided by a private donation to SUMC to benefit the NGC food pantry. The 300 coupons utilized were provided by Heather Bonner of "Clipping for a Cause" at Lawrenceville UMC. Thanks to all involved for working together to feed the hungry in Gwinnett County!
I'm already tracking down deals on the foods you said you needed for your holiday dinners!
Thanks! Laura Darr
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·
Student Life raised 4,307.44 from the Pumpkin Patch to go toward
their 9 mission trips this summer.
· 26 men and woman went to Chavies, KY with the organization call ASP to make homes warmer, safer, dryer for the people who live there. 9 members of the team were new missionaries.
Week of October 31, 2011
A little bit from Sugarloaf KIDS in October
Week of October 24, 2011
SUMC raised $1039.15 for Amigo’s for Christ at their festival on October 1st. Cooking and selling BBQ.
When I first got this email, nothing came to mind particularly worthy of celebrating. But last night, Monday night, we were blessed with an exceptional event at our last servant's meeting for Emmaus walk 151. After a clumsy and somewhat rambling, but emotion filled devotional by an elder servant, our own Mike Devine led a very significant service that culminated in communion like none other. He used a visual from the devotional and tied it to communion, very powerful. A room full of men spontaneously locked arms in an arching circle singing at the top of their lungs to our Lord.
I also spent the afternoon with my mother in Hiawassee. Prior to our Encounter service her prognosis was declining as her Alzheimers has rapidly progressed. In fact that Saturday my sister called to tell me her situation was degrading. I felt called to the alter on her behalf at Encounter and prayed my heart out. Literally the next day this same sister called to say my mother was "doing much better", even knowing what day it was. My sister is not a believer so I could not coach her on what transpired the day before. How faithful is our Lord to tell us He will honor our prayers and then follow through. Who am I that you are mindful of me? Thank you Lord! -- Mark
Week of October 17, 2011
Our Segue Banquet last Tuesday was amazing. Leigh and I have been running Wyldlife, the middle school version of Younglife, in Duluth for five years.
The impact it has had in our community is tangible. Who would have ever thought that introducing middle school kids to Jesus would affect the community in such a powerful way?
The banquet was part fundraiser, but mostly it was to spread awareness of our ministry. Our first banquet three years ago had six people attend. You cannot imagine how discouraging it was to pour out your life for something and have it not be appreciated.
Last Tuesday we had four hundred people at our banquet. It almost brought me to tears to enter the room with that many people that cared about what God was doing through us.
What hope do we have for a society whose children don't know the Creator of the universe, that He has a plan for them, a plan for them to prosper full of hope and a future? Duluth's youth do know of that hope! - Mark Adams
ScreamFree Parenting has been selected to reach 5,000 US Army families in the next 12 months. Trainings will be held on 25 different installations across the US and 600 professionals will be certified to help our military families find a little more of HIS peace in their lives. What a blessing to be able to give back to the families who are working so hard to allow us to have peace-filled homes! Praise to God!
Week of October 10, 2011!
Haiti Team safely returned
From Aaron Young - Thanks for all of your prayers for this past weekend’s high school Fall Break Road Trip! We had a great weekend and our 3 main objectives were all achieved. The group really bonded together as a family. It was encouraging to see our older students investing in the younger students. During each meeting Stuart would have a couple of students share their story. By the last meeting Sunday night we were planning on having a few share about their struggles and how God has gotten them through it similar to what we had done the previous 3 meetings. It was like the floodgates opened up and we had students sharing their heart-felt struggles with one another for close to an hour. They were vulnerable with one another and were comfortable enough that this was a safe environment to share some of their deepest struggles. At the end of the night some of the junior leaders offered to stay and pray for anyone who needed prayer and there must have been close to 30 students who stayed and prayed for one another for another hour or so. God’s Spirit was at work!!
Be praying that the fruit of this weekend continues to blossom at ALTÆR. Pray that the relationships are deepened. Pray for older students as they continue getting to know, invest in, and lead the younger students. Pray that they will be worthy role models. Pray for ALTÆR to be a safe place, a family in the midst of the often turbulent storms these students find themselves in. Thanks for teaming up with us!!
Week of October 3, 2011!
I sit at a table of men on North Georgia Men's Walk To Emmaus #151. These eight men are from eight different churches. During prayer and share time one guy, our assistant table leader, said he wants his church to be as powerful beyond the walls as SUMC. He goes to a large local Methodist church and he is the lay leader for their mission program, and he looks to us for the example.
SUMC organized a Thanksgiving dinner for local immigrants a few years ago.
The project became too large for us to handle on our own so we enlisted a large local church to help. One of their staff members told me this project "set their church on fire" for missions. Up to that point they had NO mission events scheduled even though they had a sizeable budget for them.
They have since hired a full time mission staff person and are doing a lot outside their walls.
There has been a considerable effort to start Younglife at Peachtree Ridge High School. The committee expressed one of their challenges to this getting started is that SUMC does such a great job with our youth program it is hard to compete with it. Of course Younglife is primarily for the un-churched, so I am hoping to help them get the proper focus, but think about the implications of that statement. They could use some help with our stronger students as mentors to bring friends to Younglife and Wyldlife!
Our youth programs are so vibrant we are drawing entire families from the community to the church through their children. How often does that happen in other churches?
SUMC has an amazing opportunity with the connection to the Good Shepherd School in Haiti. We have been instrumental in the school being able to re-start classes after the earthquake of January 2009. Our church helped fund and build every classroom now in use, over 1,000 children now attend.
We have a team there right now.
SUMC does a remarkable job in the community and the world. God uses us in amazing ways. From our relationship to Amigos for Christ in Nicaragua, to the remarkable mission Feed My Starving Children has become, the Appalachian Service Project told us we are the only church to ever fund and build an entire house; SUMC is not only making an impact in the world for Christ, it is encouraging others to do the same. It is contagious.
We need to celebrate all the wonderful things God is doing in and through us for His Kingdom.
Great Job everyone!
Haiti Team will be returning Sunday.
High School student leave for
Fall Break Road Trip Friday and return Monday
Pumpkin Patch starts Monday
10-11
Wellspring raised over $1100 in
pizza sales last weekend.
Sugarloaf Kids raised $218.12
for Habitat for Humanity.