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

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."

Becoming the Change We Want To See

On Saturday, May 14, the Outreach committee of Central United Methodist Church in a collaborative effort with the Children's Defense Fund, Farish Street Missionary Baptist Church and New Hope Missionary Baptist Church held a Parents Luncheon in the Family Life Center.

To paraphrase Ghandi, we must become the change we want to see. The purpose of the luncheon was to have an open dialogue about how the churches of the Farish Street community could support the youth and parents on becoming the change that we want to see. After a delicious meal, the parents and members present actively engaged in conversation to bring about change in our community through education, support, preventative measures and intervention.

A followup activity is being planned and we hope to see more members and parents present as we become the change we want to see!

Mother Daughter Brunch 2011

There is a special relationship between a mother and a daughter. On Saturday, April 30, the Family Life Center of Central United Methodist Church celebrated that relationship with a mother-daughter brunch. All women are currently either a mother or a daughter and so the brunch was opened to all.

Here is a short video of all the fun! If you missed it, I hope to see you next year.






Michelle

Prayer

"Everyone prays in their own language, and there is no language that God does not understand."

Duke Ellington

As we began to teach our children about prayer, we first felt it important to set the example, so we pray in their presence each night. Then we taught them what I term the lullaby prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep,...". Next there was the Lord's prayer, which was greatly helped by them going to a private Christain school where the Lord's prayer was said daily. The older they get, the more we talk about prayer. We explain to them that your prayer is your conversation with God. Tell him whatever it is that you want him to know. He is your best friend and will keep your secrets and give you comfort in trying times. There is nothing that you can't say to him and no sin so great that he won't forgive. His love is unconditional and eternal.

In Stormie Omartian's book The Power of a Praying Parent, yesterday's thought for the day was "If you're aware of a child who doesn't have a praying parent, you can step into the gap right now and answer that need. You can effect a change in the life of any child you care about." That moved me, because I truly feel that we as a race of people are standing at the crossroads with a decision to make. It is imperative that the churches in the African-American communities step up their efforts to support the children within in our congregation and outside of our walls. There are children who may not have the privilege of parents who can teach them about the love of God and how to communicate with Him. As we make our decision on which path to take, I hope that we prayerfully consider those who need us the most, our children, and what is best for them.

I wish you peace and blessings.

Punxsutawney Phil

February 2 has long been known as Groundhog's Day. Folklore says that if it is cloudy Punxsutawney Phil will come out of his hole, indicating the end of winter. But if it is sunny he will see his shadow and will retreat into his hole, indicating we will have six more weeks of winter.

Today is also the first Wednesday of the month, which indicates for Central members our monthly Prayer Gathering. Let's make a decision today to become one with God and one with our fellow man. Let the Holy Spirit guide us to come out of our hole and dedicate ourselves to promoting oneness as a congregation, indicating the end of individualism and the beginning of cooperative ministry.

I wish you peace and blessings.

Black History Month

February 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements and contributions of African-Americans. It is also a time to recognize the impact that African-Americans had in the development of social, political and economic structures of America and other countries.

Black History Month grew from the Negro History Week founded by Carter G. Woodson and his Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. His organization was dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by black Americans and other people of African descent. The first Negro History week was held the 2nd week in February, 1926. This week was significant in the fact that it coincided with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford officially recognized the month of February as Black History Month calling for all to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history." Since then, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

Take the next 27 days to teach our children about the many accomplishments of African-Americans in the United States and the world. Let them know that as they stand on the backs of those who have gone before them, it is imperative that they leave a legacy for the generation to come build on. To whom much is given, much is required.