What an awesome God we serve! Today I was blessed to see people of all races and ages working hand in hand to bring about change at Brown Elementary.
ShareFest 2012 began on Sunday evening in the Family Life Center when 20 young people gathered to share ideas on how they could work together to improve the Mid-town area. Monday began with the Dr. Martin Luther King prayer breakfast at New Hope Baptist Church. The message was brought by Rev. Marcus Cheeks, Pastor of True Light Baptist Church, Jackson. Our own Pastor, Rev. Stephen Cook, led us in the grace and closing prayer. After a delicious breakfast, we were off to Brown Elementary to complete our day of service.
Our group had now grown to 32 youth and 10 adults and we were eager to tackle today's projects. Thanks to the generosity of the members of Central United Methodist Church, Leadership Jackson and A1 Pallet Company we were able to purchase all of the materials needed to build 3 compost bins, 12 garden beds, and an outdoor classroom. The total number of volunteers for ShareFest 2012 was close to 100, hailing from Leadership Jackson, Central UMC, Americorps Read Across America and Foodcorps. We were even fortunate to have several political candidates roll up their sleeves and get a little dirty on behalf of Brown Elementary. Our own Joyce Jackson, candidate for City Council Ward 3, led the way.
The generosity did not stop with supplies and manpower, but also included delicious coffee and warm cookies from Hilton Garden Inn (King Edward Hotel) and lunch from the Mid-Town partners.
Thank you to all who donated money and shared your time with us today. Our young people learned valuable lessons in community, teamwork and friendship.
Michelle Henry,
Family Life Center Director
Central United Methodist Church
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thursday, December 1, 2011
ShareFest 2012
Central United Methodist Church is partnering with Leadership Jackson to beautify the grounds of Brown Elementary. Our focus will be on the playground area, the sidewalk and the area between Brown and Rowan. Join us January 16 for ShareFest 2012. ShareFest 2012 - "A Day On, Not A Day Off." For more information, please contact the church office at 601.355.7858.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
August Agape Gathering
On yesterday, members of Central United Methodist Church were blessed by our youth sharing their summer experiences. Below is a video shown last night highlighting their experiences.
Michelle
Friday, July 22, 2011
Agape Fellowship - Wednesday, August 17
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:5-7
Sometimes I get text messages from friends that I have no idea what they are talking about so I ask them "What does IMHO mean?" They will quickly reply "In My Honest/Humble Opinion." I didn't get that feeling when I read this scripture. God is clearly telling me that it is my J-O-B as a Christian parent to impress His commandments on my children. I'm supposed to live the example of a Christian life as well as talk to them about God's commandments. It seems to me that God has covered every aspect of the day with, "when I lie down and when I get up."
To often as our children approach adolescence we tend to see them as that thing that has taken over our baby. Didn't we know that they were going to go through this part of their life? So God tells us in Deuteronomy that we are supposed to prepare our children for this time by talking to them. We aren't supposed to run from them or shake our heads at them, but we should talk to them, when we sit at home, when we're at church, when we're riding down the street, before we go to bed and when we get up in the morning. I don't think that God meant just our biological children. I believe that He wants us to impress His commandments on all of our children.
The youth of Central have been very fortunate this summer. They have traveled the United States learning about themselves and how they can be leaders in mission, the United Methodist Church and the community. On Wednesday, August 17, we will have Agape fellowship which will have a Youth Sharing portion. Come out for a delicious meal and an opportunity to impress the commandments of your hearts on our children.
I wish you peace and blessings.
Michelle
Sometimes I get text messages from friends that I have no idea what they are talking about so I ask them "What does IMHO mean?" They will quickly reply "In My Honest/Humble Opinion." I didn't get that feeling when I read this scripture. God is clearly telling me that it is my J-O-B as a Christian parent to impress His commandments on my children. I'm supposed to live the example of a Christian life as well as talk to them about God's commandments. It seems to me that God has covered every aspect of the day with, "when I lie down and when I get up."
To often as our children approach adolescence we tend to see them as that thing that has taken over our baby. Didn't we know that they were going to go through this part of their life? So God tells us in Deuteronomy that we are supposed to prepare our children for this time by talking to them. We aren't supposed to run from them or shake our heads at them, but we should talk to them, when we sit at home, when we're at church, when we're riding down the street, before we go to bed and when we get up in the morning. I don't think that God meant just our biological children. I believe that He wants us to impress His commandments on all of our children.
The youth of Central have been very fortunate this summer. They have traveled the United States learning about themselves and how they can be leaders in mission, the United Methodist Church and the community. On Wednesday, August 17, we will have Agape fellowship which will have a Youth Sharing portion. Come out for a delicious meal and an opportunity to impress the commandments of your hearts on our children.
I wish you peace and blessings.
Michelle
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Independence Day
"For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another." Galatians 5:13
Paige and I spend some Saturday afternoons in mother-daughter time at Koinonia cafe. not just because they serve the best turkey sandwich with cranberry relish, but because the place epitomizes all that its name represents. It is truly a community place. The type of community that Jesus talked about, one that is open to all and accepting of all.
Today we celebrate freedom. The day the United States won its independence from the English monarchy. As you celebrate in whatever manner you choose, please remember that as Christians we are free as well. God bought our freedom from damnation for our past mistakes and our future missteps, but please don't use that freedom to do wrong, or focus on yourself. Instead use the freedom of Jesus Christ to love one another and to bring about a community that is open to all and accepting of all as we strive to make disciples for Jesus Christ.
How do we do that? Galatians 5:14 gives us the way, "Love others as you love yourself." When we operate in a spirit of love, we no longer focus on the faults of others, but rather on their strengths. The unity among believers is strengthened and the world sees God's people as the shining example. As an example, we can change what society sees as normal, reinstate morals and values and make love and acceptance of all the everyday thing.
Paige and I spend some Saturday afternoons in mother-daughter time at Koinonia cafe. not just because they serve the best turkey sandwich with cranberry relish, but because the place epitomizes all that its name represents. It is truly a community place. The type of community that Jesus talked about, one that is open to all and accepting of all.
Today we celebrate freedom. The day the United States won its independence from the English monarchy. As you celebrate in whatever manner you choose, please remember that as Christians we are free as well. God bought our freedom from damnation for our past mistakes and our future missteps, but please don't use that freedom to do wrong, or focus on yourself. Instead use the freedom of Jesus Christ to love one another and to bring about a community that is open to all and accepting of all as we strive to make disciples for Jesus Christ.
How do we do that? Galatians 5:14 gives us the way, "Love others as you love yourself." When we operate in a spirit of love, we no longer focus on the faults of others, but rather on their strengths. The unity among believers is strengthened and the world sees God's people as the shining example. As an example, we can change what society sees as normal, reinstate morals and values and make love and acceptance of all the everyday thing.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
What's your stake in the future?
As parents of six children Philemon and I have based a lot of our decisions on what will provide the best future for our children. From our political affiliation to our city/neighborhood of residence to our community service, we work hard at trying to provide a bright future for our children. We also believe that everyone, even children, should have a personal relationship with God, love for family and friends and a sense of giving to others, not just financially, but of our most valuable asset, our time. This helps to ensue a successful future for yourself as well as those you come in contact with.
As a community of believers, we should look at our young people, youth and children, as OUR children. We should work tirelessly to help them to secure a successful future. How do we do that you ask? By making sure that our decisions will enhance their relationship with God, teach them how to love their family and friends and make sure that they learn by our example how to give to others their talent and treasure, but most importantly their time.
The Office of the Family Life Center along with the Nurture, Outreach and Witness committees are planning a program entitled M@C, Mobilization at Central. M@C will focus on all members of Central, but first and foremost our young people. You see, our young people are not the church of tomorrow if we don't start preparing them and involving them today! As Rev. Cook has been known to say, "If you don't stand for children, you don't stand for much."
The first activity for M@C will be a Youth Retreat held in the fall. Each member of Central will be asked to participate in some capacity. Please help us to set a good example for our young people by giving of your treasure, your talent, but most importantly your time. For Rev. Cook has told us many times that "God loves a cheerful giver." So join with us and help us to stand for children.
M@C's future activities are up to you. If you are a ministry chairperson or committee member or you believe that the Family Life Center could assist a ministry with programming, please contact your NOW chairperson and the Family Life Center Director on how we can team up and work together to provide a successful future for ALL.
Michelle
As a community of believers, we should look at our young people, youth and children, as OUR children. We should work tirelessly to help them to secure a successful future. How do we do that you ask? By making sure that our decisions will enhance their relationship with God, teach them how to love their family and friends and make sure that they learn by our example how to give to others their talent and treasure, but most importantly their time.
The Office of the Family Life Center along with the Nurture, Outreach and Witness committees are planning a program entitled M@C, Mobilization at Central. M@C will focus on all members of Central, but first and foremost our young people. You see, our young people are not the church of tomorrow if we don't start preparing them and involving them today! As Rev. Cook has been known to say, "If you don't stand for children, you don't stand for much."
The first activity for M@C will be a Youth Retreat held in the fall. Each member of Central will be asked to participate in some capacity. Please help us to set a good example for our young people by giving of your treasure, your talent, but most importantly your time. For Rev. Cook has told us many times that "God loves a cheerful giver." So join with us and help us to stand for children.
M@C's future activities are up to you. If you are a ministry chairperson or committee member or you believe that the Family Life Center could assist a ministry with programming, please contact your NOW chairperson and the Family Life Center Director on how we can team up and work together to provide a successful future for ALL.
Michelle
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Train Up A Child
Proverbs 22:6 says "Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray." Sometimes I find myself reading Proverbs and thinking I've gotten a hold to a bunch of fortune cookies, but this is one scripture that I have seen come true. As a child I watched my parents, in their zeal and love for their church, work hard to make sure that every person who entered the church or heard the name of the church always thought positively about the church from their interaction with them. Not only did they tell us what we should do, but they exhibited that exact type of behavior. When I got married, I noticed that my husband's family, especially my father-in-law, exhibited the type of behavior that spoke "do as I do AND as I say" because they were mostly the same action.
Central United Methodist Church is fortunate to have young people who affiliate themselves with us, not because of parental involvement and persuasion, but because of the actions of quite a few of our members. The church as a whole should rally around these young people and train them in the proper way, so that when they are older, they will remember those teachings and continue them on into the next generation, and so on.
This summer eight young people from Central will participate in MissionFest 2011 at Galloway United Methodist Church and Millsaps College, a 250+% increase over the number of students who participated in MissionFest 2010. We will also have two young people who will travel to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana to participate in Youth 2011. Youth 2011 is the national youth gathering for United Methodists. Held every four years, it is the opportunity for youth leaders and youth from all over the nation to come together and spend four days in powerful worship, bible study, workshops, training and fun. Convo 2011 is scheduled for July 8 - 10 and hopefully we will have young people attending it as well.
Please continue to pray for our young people and become actively involved in their Christian training. If we want them to have great values and morals we must first "train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray."
Central United Methodist Church is fortunate to have young people who affiliate themselves with us, not because of parental involvement and persuasion, but because of the actions of quite a few of our members. The church as a whole should rally around these young people and train them in the proper way, so that when they are older, they will remember those teachings and continue them on into the next generation, and so on.
This summer eight young people from Central will participate in MissionFest 2011 at Galloway United Methodist Church and Millsaps College, a 250+% increase over the number of students who participated in MissionFest 2010. We will also have two young people who will travel to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana to participate in Youth 2011. Youth 2011 is the national youth gathering for United Methodists. Held every four years, it is the opportunity for youth leaders and youth from all over the nation to come together and spend four days in powerful worship, bible study, workshops, training and fun. Convo 2011 is scheduled for July 8 - 10 and hopefully we will have young people attending it as well.
Please continue to pray for our young people and become actively involved in their Christian training. If we want them to have great values and morals we must first "train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray."
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