ASAP June News

My blog today is actually the front page of our June newsletter.  Not everyone reads the newsletter, or the bulletin, or receives the weekly updates.  People prefer different modes of communication.  It makes communication seem repetitive but is necessary to keep everyone informed.  Here are the top 7 highlights happening in June.      

#1        June 3^rd is graduation Sunday.  Can you believe we have 19 high school graduates?  The youth have grown up so fast, and are now moving into the next level of education – called College.  We are so proud of them.  We will be honoring them at the 10:30 am service.

#2        On that night, June 3^rd, the youth families will gather at the Arbor where we will have a cook-out and get to know Carl Schoenholz, our new Youth Pastor.  The youth are thrilled he is coming on staff.  All youth families this week were mailed an invitation to come join us and support his first night.  Read the invitation carefully, as we are seeking to have “Pounding” for him as well.

#3        Family Faith Fest is coming on Saturday, June 9^th, from 5 to 8 pm.  Todd Pierce will be present to break a horse on our athletic fields.  A full page explanation is located inside the newsletter, for this special event, at the arbor.  He will be preaching, and his wife singing, at the 9:30am and 10:30am services on June 10^th.  Benson McGlone will be preaching at the 8:15am service on June 10^th.  Mike and Debbie Chapman have spearheaded this event to bless you.  Please come out and be blessed!

#4        On July 11^th -22^nd, we have 14 that are planning on going on the Costa Rica mission trip.  Greg Clarke is leading this trip for another summer.  Please be in prayer for the team.

#5        On June 18^th -22^nd, 45 youth and adults will be going on the Student Mission Trip to Winston-Salem.  The youth will have a blast with Benson McGlone and Carl Schoenholz.  Every summer several kids have felt a call into ministry because of these summer mission trips.

#6        The church will celebrate Stephen Knopp’s six years of service, with us, on June 24^th.  He will preach all three services that day.  I will also have the privilege of baptizing William Thomas Knopp.  After the service, we will have church cook-out in the Family Life Center with a good ole “Roasting” of Stephen.  You will not want to miss it!  An opportunity to bless him with a “Gift Table” will be placed in the Family Life Center.   Any checks make them payable to the church, marked “Knopp.”

#7        Our second annual Youth Lock-In will be held on June 29^th -30^th.  Last year 100 youth were present and it was EPIC.  Did you know that a couple of youth accepted the Lord that night?

JEFF

New Staff Hires

The Staff Parish Relations Committee announced Monday night that we have hired a Youth Minister and a Business Minister.  Carl Schoenholz and William Clay are going to be a blessing, looking after our Youth and Business affairs.  Please pray for them.  Carl’s first day is June 1^st, and his position is full-time.  William, our Business Manager, will hold office hours from 8:30am-12:30pm, Monday-Thursday; his starting date is June 4^th.  I asked each of them to send me a paragraph about themselves.   

                                                    Carl

I graduated last year from Auburn University and have worked for a year doing college ministry at the Auburn Wesley Foundation.  For years, I have known I wanted to go into ministry, and I am very excited about the opportunity, at Denver UMC, to meet, disciple, love, and encourage the youth.  In my free time I enjoy Ultimate Frisbee, rock climbing, and researching nerdy interest in technology.  My parents reside in Spring, Texas.  I have an older brother, and a sister, who graduates from High School next year.  My favorite vacation spot is where we have a week-long family reunion every July, in Blairsville, Georgia.  I once met Miss South Carolina. 

                                                    William

My name is William Clay and I grew up in the rural Alabama, town of Grant. Most of my family, including my mom and step-father, still live in that area.  While a student at Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, Alabama), I had the pleasure of meeting Randy Owens, of the group Alabama, and Andi Taylor, who I married in June of 1993. In 1998, we followed Andi’s calling, neonatal intensive care, to Virginia.  We lived in Virginia until 2005, and then moved to Denver, NC.  After visiting several churches, we found a home at DUMC in 2006.  Andi and I have been active not only in church activities, but also and with the Scout unit that meets at DUMC.  I enjoy playing sports, watching and coaching my children, hiking, camping, and playing on the lake. My favorite vacation was family camp at Camp Tekoa. My biggest leap of faith began last year when Andi, Emily, Parker, and I felt a calling to help children and expand our family through foster care and adoption. In less than a year, we went from a family of four, to a family of eight!  We are finalizing adoption of three wonderful children (Ariel, D. J., and Ian) and have a sweet two year old foster daughter.  God has blessed our family as we continue to ride the wave of His will.

Please welcome and pray for them on staff.

JEFF

Laity Awards

This past Sunday two very deserving people in our congregation received Laity Awards.  The Church gives these awards annually to a deserving man and woman.  One problem that we are always faced with is who should receive the awards, with so many deserving potential recipients.  The growth of this church has been a result of all those who are so willing to volunteer their efforts.  Satan loves for us to think that nobody appreciates you, or nobody recognizes you, or what you do does not make difference.  Those who volunteer are blessed!

For 2012, Tim Strickland received the Laity Award at the 8:15 a.m. service, which he attends.  Often he is found ushering or talking to someone about a mission project.  He and Jeannie, his wife, have faithfully attended and a supported the church since 1999, when they transferred their membership from Messiah UMC in Chesapeake, Virginia.  Tim attends the New Horizon Sunday School.  He has been heavily involved in the UMM here at the church, and the last 4 years, Tim has served as the Lake Norman District UMM President.  He has ventured on several mission trips, and is active in the Helping Hands ministry.  This last year Tim has been responsible for coordinating the building of 12 wheelchair ramps.

Sally Herr received the Laity Award at the 10:30 a.m. service, which she attends.  Sally and her late husband, Bill, have been strong workers in the life of the church for 25 years.  They joined the church in 1987, where they transferred their membership from Pilgrim Church of Christ, in Charlotte.  Mother Teresa was asked once, “How do you know who to help?”  She responded by saying, “Help those that are closest to you.”  Sally has always been helping those close to her, whether in the community or abroad.  She was integral in starting the Helping Hands ministry, and their numerous “done in day” projects.  Sally has supported the UWW by being active in the Joy Marie Circle, and is a faithful member of the Upper Room Sunday School Class.  She has traveled on mission trips to Bolivia and Costa Rica.  Sally and Patrick leave on June 11^th with our mission team to Costa Rica.  God has used her to reach out, to the younger generation, to help mentor those in the next generation, on how to be the hands and feet of Christ.

JEFF

Transitions in Staff

It was announced Sunday, from Marvin Melton, Lay leader, that Tim Killian and I will be appointed for another year.  It will mark my 11^th year and Tim his 3^rd consecutive year serving.  Stephen Knopp will be appointed to Christ UMC in Drexel.  The church is a progressive church located just a few miles off I-40 in Burke County, near Morganton, about an hour from Denver.  Stephen had his first meeting with their leaders Sunday night and was thrilled.  They are extremely excited about the potential in leadership that he brings coming from Denver UMC.  Already, by Tuesday afternoon, he has spoken to their key leaders 6 times.  I am so happy for Stephen and Emily as well as blessed for their friendship these last 8 years.  Mark your calendars because on June 24^th, after the last service, we will be having a cookout and “Roasting of Stephen.”

Wendi Brooks, Office Assistant, as of May 20^th will mark her third month on staff.  I know that those of you who have called the church, or come by, have been blessed by her professionalism.  Wendi does the weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter, along with scheduling the church facilities for groups inside the church and in the community.  I appreciate how she has jumped in and done a great job her first three months on staff.

Molly Boyce, Director of Ministries, began on May 5^th, and has been employed for over two months.  This past Sunday she had her first meeting with the Council on Ministry.  She has meet with her ministry leaders, and is impressed by their commitment.   I appreciate her ability to constantly be thinking of how we can be structured more efficiently, but at the same time, not delaying the pace of ministry. 

The Staff Parish Relations Committee has been sent two strong candidates for the Youth Minister position.  Please be in prayer for Chris Amann and Carl Scholenholz, one of these new candidates will be named our Youth Minister by May 22^nd. 

Even in the midst of transitions in staff, the worship attendance and church membership is at the highest ever in our 128 year history.

JEFF

Denver UMC Business Directory

This Sunday the United Methodist Men are launching a Business Directory entitled “Methodist Helping Methodist.”  Many larger churches have done this type of ministry for years.  Our members often ask, “Do you know of people in the church that provide _____ service?”  Whether it is plumbing, electrical, construction, consulting, automotive or a myriad of other services, members often desire to use someone that others recommend or someone within their own church.   I have become pretty knowledgeable over the last ten years in the services people offer, but we need a better system.

There are very specific guidelines which have been adopted the UMM sub group.  Every inquiry they receive will have to be approved before it appears on the web site.  Ideally, we are planning to launch the web page by July 1st.  So, over the next two months if you would like to participate we are asking the following:

• Enroll your business here:  MHM Form.  This form also includes the guidelines which are contained within the Terms and Conditions section.

This ministry will be overseen by a United Methodist Men sub group and not the staff.  “Methodist Helping Methodist” will allow our church members to be better connected by having options when they need a service.  In my utopian world, it is my prayer that anyone who uses our “Methodist Helping Methodist” directory will have a positive experience and a great service.  If this happens, then this ministry will have filled a need in our church and community.

JEFF

Brad Dobson Ministry News

Brad is a committed family man with 3 children.  He and wife, Angel, have been married for ten years.  He has served as our Director of Music since October 2004. Both of them are very talented musically.  The Belize trip was Brad’s first mission trip of which he stayed for any length of time.  He was really touched.   He and his family are also planning on going to the Cherokee mission trip in late July.  Missions are now in his blood!

Brad will be going through the Candidacy program in the United Methodist Church beginning in late June.  He has been assigned a mentor out of Gastonia.  At the end of the mentor process, he will appear in front of the Staff Parish Relations Committee and they will vote whether to approve him as a minister.  If so, Brad will come before the church for approval.  It is an exciting time in the life of the church.  This process means he is seeking Ordination and will have to attend seminary classes.  At this point, he is planning on being an Ordained Deacon.  A Deacon serves as a Minister in the Annual Conference.  They do not have to intenerate, but find their own places of employment.  Every Sunday he serves two different Chancel Choirs at the 8:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services,  along with the Praise Band at 9:30 a.m.  He has been working with the youth praise Band as well.

On May 6, he will be away at the Aaron Keyes worship school in Atlanta, Georgia.  The school runs Wednesday –Sunday.  He is much honored to have been chosen as he seeks to lead our Praise Service to greater heights.  May we celebrate with him!

JEFF

Stephen is Preaching Sunday

The time has flown by.  It seems like yesterday that a young Duke Intern was announced, now 8 years ago, to serve the summer at Denver.  Stephen came back a second summer as well.  I have been blessed by these years with friendship and collegiality.  Our time serving together on staff is coming to a close.  I feel the church is sending him out to grow a church.  Denver United Methodist has molded him into what he is today. 

He is looking forward to preaching all three worship services this Sunday.  William Thomas, their newborn son, is doing well along with Emily and Caleb.  Their family has grown and is getting ready for lots of transition.  Stephen has desired, for the last year, to get his opportunity to be a Senior Pastor.  The leadership of our conference has honored his request, and an announcement is coming soon naming which church he will lead.  Please be in prayer for him, and his family, during this time.  

JEFF