First United Methodist Church Woodbury
Newsletter
Feb 2013
A Word from our Pastor:
“The Season of Lent”
During the month of February, we begin the season of Lent. Lent is a season of forty days, not
counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes
from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time
Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his
ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of selfexamination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for
baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up
something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "miniEaster" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.
This year we will take a unique slant on “giving up” something by suggesting that we give up
some of our “carbon footprint”. See the list below for a few suggestions on how we might be
better stewards of our world.
I pray that each of us use this Lenten season to grow spiritually and deepen our relationship to
Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
John Wesley
Carbon Fast for Lent
Ideas that can help protect and preserve our natural resources and help us be good stewards of
our planet, by reducing our carbon footprint
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Bring reusable bags when you purchase groceries
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Regularly check the Tire pressure on your car (Improperly inflated tires account for
wasting about 1.2 Billion gallons of gas per year.)
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Reduce junk mail by contacting DMAChoice.org and opting out
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Turn the temperature knob on your washing machine to “cold/cold” and leave it there.
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Buy a refillable washable bottle to save your filtered water instead of buying bottled
water. (More than 150 billion liters of bottled water are sold every year; this contributes
significantly to landfill and transportation emissions.)
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Use solar powered lights in landscaping or other areas that are exposed to regular
sunlight.
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Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
If you have additional ideas for simple ways we can reduce carbon, please share them with the
church office and they will be passed along to others.
Please take advantage of these additional opportunities to deepen your faith during Lent at
First UMC Woodbury:
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Sunday Morning Worship – Bro. John will be preaching a special sermon series during
Lent. Join us each Sunday for: “Last Words”!
We have special Lenten Devotional booklets for each family.
Join us in a “carbon fast” (listen for special details)
Set aside a special Lent/Easter Offering for our Building fund.
Palm Sunday Service – March 24th
Special Holy Thursday Service featuring a fellowship meal and Lord’s Supper. March
28th at 6:30 pm
Good Friday Noon Service and Lunch- March 29th 12:05
Invite your family and friends to join us for our Easter Celebration. Don’t miss the
release of the Butterflies!– Sunday March 31st
Older Adult Monthly Lunch Outing
Join us on the fourth Wednesday of the month for a fun filled lunch outing! It’s a time of fun and
fellowship and we usually enjoy some interesting places to eat as a bonus! This month on Feb.
27th, we will be going to the historic Dutch Maid Bakery & Café in Tracy City, TN.
We will have a special lunch prepared just for us, and a tour of the bakery (don’t tell anyone, but
there will also be some FREE samples to take home)! We will car pool from the church at 9:45
and return around 1:30 or so. Cost for lunch and tour is $15.50. Call the church office today to
sign up!
Upcoming Youth Meetings:
Feb. 10th – Youth Meeting & Shrimp Boil
Feb. 24th – Youth Meeting at 4:30 pm
The youth will be working on a skit and some songs for their next Youth Sunday coming up on
April 21st. And they will also begin making plans for their summer camp trip to Lake Junaluska!
FCA Meetings
We host the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at our Church on the first and third Wednesday of
each month when school is in session. We provide a breakfast and devotion for them between
7:05 and 7:30. If you would like to help with hosting, cooking, or clean up, please contact the
church office.
Blessings in a Back Pack
Did you know we provide food assistance each week during school, for 100 kids at two different
schools in Cannon County? The Blessings in a Back Pack Team meets each Wednesday night to
pack the bags at 6:30, and they are delivered to the schools on Thursday for distribution when the
kids go home on Friday. Sponsorships are available for $15.00 per child per month. Contact the
church office if you are interested in helping.
Other Monthly Meetings: (you may not be aware of)
Parkinson Support Group – Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm in our Fellowship
Hall.
Prayer Shawl Ministry – Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm in the Upper Room.
Brownies – Meet the second and fourth Thursday of the month at 6:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall
S.A.V.E. Board – Meets the Fourth Thursday of each month at 4:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall
F.C.A. – First and third Wednesday mornings at 7:00 am
Mass Food Distribution
Our Next Mobile Pantry Food Distribution is Feb. 23rd at 10:00 am. Truck and volunteers should
arrive by 8:00 am.