1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

L EE ’ S C HAPEL U NITED M ETHODIST C HURCH
L EE ’ S C HAPEL U NITED M ETHODIST C HURCH
T HE M ESSENGER
V OLUME 15, I SSUE 4
A PRIL 2015
T HE P ASTOR ’ S P EN
One of our members
gave me a book to read
by the best-selling author
Anne Lamott entitled
“Three Essential Prayers.” Ms. Lamott has written 4 books on prayer
life for a Christian, and this book is thin but powerful in her concepts. She states three transforming truths about prayer, which are: 1) Help! 2)
Thanks! and 3) Wow! She keeps her ideas very
simple and talks about how these three truths can
help us pray. God help me/us, God thank you, and
God you wow me daily. The first type of prayer is
to ask for assistance and guidance, then we can
appreciate the goodness of our Creator God, and
finally we can feel the awe and hope for the future.
These three words help us to get through tough
times in life, everyday struggles and the hard work
of living everyday life. Think on this concept and
use it to pray. I have grown to count on three simple words to strengthen my personal prayer life
and devotion time since reading this book. Ms.
Lamott writes in a fun and perceptive way about
faith and prayer, and I recommend this simple, yet
profound book to all of you who are journeying to
the cross during these final days of this Lenten
season. I hope to see all of you rejoicing in the
hope we receive from our prayers of Help, being
in awe that God loved us enough to send his
precious, only Son for our salvation, and may we
worship on Resurrection Day with the words of
Wow, when we view the empty tomb on Easter
morning! Thanks be to God! We pray for a resurrection/re-birth in our lives as spring begins at
Lee’s Chapel. The calendar is full with opportunities for mission, Bible study, and new life.
—In His name and service, Pastor Carol
MAUNDY THURSDAY
COMMUNION will be
held on Thursday, April
2nd from 6:30-7:30pm in
our sanctuary to observe
Holy Week and commemorate the events leading
to our Lord’s death and resurrection. Prepare your
hearts and minds as a community of faith that is
preparing for the blessed Resurrection. The
method used will be intinction and all are welcome
to this service.
EASTER SUNDAY
APRIL 5th
Day of the Resurrection
of Jesus Christ
The most celebrated day of the Christian year will
be a celebration of our hope and the promises of
Jesus the Christ. We will begin the celebration at
6:30am that Sunday morning with a Sunrise
Service in the cemetery (in case of rain we will be
in the stew hut).
After a brief service of worship we will have a
light breakfast served in the fellowship hall at
7:15am. Then we can go home and change in to
your Easter finery and come for Sunday school at
10:00-10:45 am. Bring your fresh flowers to
decorate the flower cross in the sanctuary
beginning at 10:45 am with hymns of praise. The
service will begin after the cross is decorated with
a processional by the Chancel Choir. The text for
that glorious morning is from Mark’s gospel,
chapter 16, verses 1-8! Write these times and
dates on your calendars and let us celebrate as
believers in this special day!
.
T HE M ESSENGER
P AGE 2
Golden Treasures
“Oh, what a beautiful morning, Oh, what a
beautiful day” – this old favorite song describes our
day March 17th exactly. Nine of us plus Neil
Thompson, our tour guide, set out Tuesday afternoon for a two-hour tour. Greensboro Parks and
Recreation was offering pontoon boat rides to
watch for migrating waterfowl on Lake Townsend.
We saw a pair of mallard ducks, an unusual
Bonaparte’s gull, turtles sunning on a log, a red tail
hawk, and a blue heron taking flight. Neil was very
informative about the birds and wildlife in this area.
He also rescued Linda Brandon’s pretty visor from
the water. All in a day’s work
A note concerning Reeves Edens one of our
members who is at Friends Home Guilford who is
92 years old and has been in the hospital several
times this winter and has been moved from
Assisted Living Unit to Skilled Care as of this
week. If you send cards or go see him he is in
Room #52 on the Maple Hall (near Ruth Latham).
Also note that Dave Clymer has been
moved from the hospital to Room #310 at the
Blumenthal Rehab Center on Wireless Drive off
Pisgah Church Rd. The actual physical address is:
3724 Wireless Dr. 27455. His room needs cards!
Dave is recovering from pneumonia. Continue to
pray for Lera and Dave who celebrated their 64th
wedding anniversary on March 9th this year!
— Linda Gordon
Bonaparte’s Gull
The group decided that we definitely want
to return for the fall foliage tour. The price $7.00,
great fellowship, beautiful weather (72 degrees), a
knowledgeable guide—can’t beat the deal.
Our April meeting will be on Tuesday,
April 7th. We served communion at Friends Home
at Guilford last year, and our shut-in’s loved this so
much, we will be going to the Home to serve Holy
Communion to several of our members and pray
with them. We will go to Chick-Fil-A at New
Garden for lunch and go visit and enjoy the
sacrament together. We will meet at the church
parking lot at 11:30 am and travel from there.
The 2014 Helen Riddle State Award from the
Council on Development and Disabilities went to a
daughter, Joan Johnson, of one of our members
(Opal W. Smith), for her work with Beyond
Academics at UNC-G. Joan is the Executive
Director at BA, which is a mission we supported at
LCUMC. This is a very high award and we are so
proud of all of Joan’s accomplishments in the field
of disabilities and adult education!
V OLUM E 15, I SSUE 4
P AGE 3
find new ways to reach out to fellow members of
our congregation and build relationships with one
another. Let’s think outside the box and try some
new ways to also strengthen relationships within
our families in the church. There’s so much we
can do to strengthen within but we need to remember to reach out to our younger generation. We
need them and they need us. They could be a vital
part of our congregation. We can’t sit still and let
the world go on around us. If we do, we’ll die.
We need to be the bridge for these young people as
well as each other that Jesus can cross from our
own hearts to theirs and to one another’s. We
would love any suggestions you may have. Help
us help you.
Worship is not just something we do on
Sunday mornings but worship is how we live every
day! I share with you an article by Max Lucado:
“Our biblical act of worship is not what we do on
Sunday mornings in coats and ties, but our act of
worship is a lifelong, seven-days-a-week process of
placing ourselves upon an altar of sacrifice. Worship is living the principles of Christ in everything
we do. You’re worshipping God by what you do
all week long. What’s the difference between a
Christian who’s reaching out to people, trying to
help people, and a Christian who sits like a fat cat
on a pew? Well, maybe the Christian who’s reaching out realizes the urgency and remembers what it
was like before he knew about Jesus. Maybe he
realizes that when people need help, they need Jesus above all else. When you take food to the poor,
that’s an act of worship. When you give a word of
kindness to someone who needs it, that’s an act of
worship. When you write someone a letter to encourage them or sit down and open your Bible with
someone to teach them, that’s an act of worship.
We’re in a fast-moving, fast-paced society. We
need to build bridges between our hearts and those
of people we see who need a friend and allow Jesus
to cross that bridge of friendship and walk into
their hearts.”
The Worship Committee has been working
on some small changes to enhance our worship experience. But I would also like to challenge us to
There are a couple of events coming soon
to Lee’s Chapel. The LeBeaus are coming to sing
during our morning worship on May 24th. Please
mark your calendars. I think you’ll enjoy them.
They are a father and son who are more southern
gospel than contemporary. I believe they will sing
some of our favorite hymns. I’m looking forward
to hearing them so please make plans to be there
and enjoy God’s word through music. We are also
planning a revival in the fall. More details on this
event coming soon.
Feel the joy and spread the joy of Jesus. Invite
people to come and worship with us. Let’s make
each other feel welcome, loved and needed. There
is room for everyone.
Love and blessings,
Pam Ellis
The LeBeaus
P AGE 4
Supporting and Celebrating our Neighbors
Please come and join Anita and Joe and Larry and
Betsy at the Malachi House II Annual Banquet on
April 10. The festivities start at 6:30 at the Khalif
Event Center on Wendover Avenue. There will be
a guest speaker, testimonies from the men who
have recovered their lives through the programs of
Malachi House II, a silent auction with lots of neat
things to bid on, delicious food and excellent
entertainment. Tickets are $15 a person. Make
your check payable to Lee's Chapel UMC with the
notation for "Malachi Banquet". We've got room
for 4 more folks at the table. Help us support
these men in their service to each other and God.
Serving our Fellow Creatures
Thank you for your donations to the SPCA. I
delivered around 300 pounds of pet food, over 25
pet beds, a great stack of towels, food bowls, toys
and more and we collected about $80 in cash.
You are an amazingly generous church!
Supporting Those Who Serve in the World
The next Little Red Wagon mission will collect
money to send to Nick and Katie Riddle, Betty
Durham's niece and her husband, to use in their
service in Nigeria. Since the first Sunday in April
is Easter, we will roll the wagon the second
Sunday, April 12th. And please remember to keep
Katie and Nick and Nigeria in your prayers.
T HE M ESS ENGER
Supporting the Body of Christ
Yum! Mark your calendars for the Community
Pancake Breakfast on April 25th from 7:3011:30AM. This will be to help out Mt. Carmel
UMC in Reidsville after their church was destroyed in a fire this winter. Rev. Glenda and the
members of the church have requested prayers at
this time as the church waits for the insurance
settlement, but she and some of the congregation
want to be at every fund raiser done by the neighboring UM Churches, so we need a large showing
of support for that morning. The menu will be
pancakes, sausage, OJ, coffee, and eggs. Joe
Vigorito will be our head cook and the UM Men
will help cook. We'll also be celebrating the new
kitchen!
Serving our God!
Anita Vigorito
Missions Chair
Pastor’s Notes
Pastor Carol will be in an all-day meeting for the
District Committee of Ordained Ministry on
Tuesday, April 7th from 9-5pm at Muir’s Chapel
UMC and cannot be reach by calls, but can receive
text messages in case of an emergency. This
committee interviews candidates for the ordained
ministry of the United Methodist Church.
Pastor Carol will be having Carpel Tunnel Surgery
on her left hand on Tuesday, April 14th at the surgical center and will be out of commission until
April 21st for her recovery. She requests your
prayers. Dr. Ridenour will be preaching for Carol
on April 19th.
V OLUM E 15, I SSUE 4
The Kitchen is almost re-furbished thanks
to the Kitchen Committee chaired by Patsy
Patton, some of the Trustees and some very
creative members! The two brand new electric
stoves are in place. A new large freezer replaced
the small freezer and ice maker (broken) and bags
of ice can be kept for major church wide events.
A new microwave will be bolted down in the new
kitchen. This project was made possible by the
Craft Day and Yard Sale monies from last fall.
On Sunday, April 12, after worship we
will pray and dedicate the new kitchen. Please
bring a covered dish to share and visit with each
other! The committee asked that everyone bring
a new kitchen utensil, kitchen towels, or pot holders as a house-warming gift for the new kitchen.
Special thanks to all who served on this committee. Thanks to Fred Curl, who secured all the
electrical workers, to Linda Gordon, who went to
Lowe’s and purchased the items, to Katherine
Willett, who cleaned shelves, to Patsy Patton and
everyone who helped with this project. We are
showing improvement every day! Remember
your items and your dish for Sunday, April 12th!
P AGE 5
Cemetery Fund
We have a cemetery fund! How many of
you knew that? Many years ago, some very wise
Trustees and leaders of this church met to establish a perpetual fund to continue to maintain the
property of our historical church and this was excellent fore-thought!
Linda Chappell serves as the Chairperson
of this fund and the committee (which is a subcommittee to the Board of Trustees). Linda reported at our meeting that the Annual Audit of
this fund is done yearly. The balance of that fund
is $3,768.76. Out of this fund, we pay for the
mowing and maintenance of the lawn
($2,300.00). The fund has 2 CD’s at the bank in
the amounts of $21,257.15 and $1,769.96. The
balance of the CD’s and the checking account is
$26,793.87 as of December 31st, 2014. Thank
you, Linda. There are maps in the attic that show
the plots. We voted to keep this money in trust
like your ancestors established it long ago.
Please know that we will accept checks
anytime for this fund! Just mark the line for
Cemetery Fund and make the check to LCUMC.
The
Trustees are looking into five bids to
clean up the cemetery and trim all the trees
(never been done professionally) and hope to
begin this project very soon (before the sap
comes in the trees in early April). Watch for developments of this project.
T HE M ESS ENGER
P AGE 6
UM News in Brief
New practice can re-energize your
prayer life
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) —
Proficiency in prayer comes through
practice. Spending a season like Lent
invigorating your prayer life is time well spent.
Experiment with some new-to-you ways of praying.
You might be surprised to find what works best for
you, writes Joe Iovino.
Be still
You don’t necessarily need words to pray. In Psalm
46 God tells his people who were busy trying to
please him, “That’s enough! Now know that I am
God!” (Psalm 46:10 CEB). Sometimes we need to
stop performing for God and simply “be still.”
Breath Prayer
Breath prayers are another way to become more
aware of God. The Holy Spirit is as near as the air
we breathe. A common way to practice breath
prayer is silently repeating a single-line prayer with
each breath.
Multi-sensory Prayer
Engaging other senses in prayer proves effective for
many. Through the centuries, Christians have looked
at candles, smelled incense, and held onto beads,
crosses, and more as they prayed.
A creative way to do something similar is to pray
while working a piece of clay in your hands.
Labyrinth Prayer
A labyrinth is another helpful tool for focusing
prayers. A labyrinth is a path marked out in a field,
painted in a parking lot, or dyed into a carpet that
you walk while you pray.
While a labyrinth may look like a maze, it is not. It
is a single path leading participants into the center,
and back out.
Praying scripture
Another great source of prayer is the Bible. Praying
the scriptures has a long tradition among the faithful. Prayerfully read a passage by stopping every
line or so, and praying what comes to mind. This
can stretch us to bring before God petitions we
might not think of on our own.
Pray by checking in with God
You may also pray by simply checking in with God at the end of the
day. As you might call a friend or
family member just to chat about
what is going on in your life, you can have the same
conversation with God. Read story
Are churches really welcoming?
BALTIMORE (UMNS) — The pastor and parishioners might consider themselves open and welcoming, but there are ways — both subtle and unsubtle
— that church members can signal to newcomers
they aren’t welcome. As congregations prepare to
welcome Easter visitors, the Lewis Center for
Church Leadership shares a column by two Catholic
priests on the sort of behavior church regulars
should avoid if they want to reach the lost.
Read commentary
‘Flat Wesleys’ help children practice intentional
discipleship
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) — Children throughout the United Methodist connection are learning
about the history of the Methodist movement and
practicing intentional discipleship with the help of
drawings of John and Charles Wesley called “Flat
Wesleys.” Churches in each conference are receiving laminated copies of the Flat Wesleys to begin
the project. The ministry takes inspiration from the
children’s literature character Flat Stanley©.
Read story
Heroin’s tragic story touches United Methodists
BALTIMORE (UMNS) — Heroin killed Hannah
McLaughlin, a pastor’s 19-year-old daughter. But
her parents know God saved her heart. According to
the Centers for Disease Control, nearly half a million Americans are thought to be addicted to heroin.
Melissa Lauber of the Baltimore-Washington Conference writes about the McLaughlin family’s struggle and how the church can help fight addiction.
Read story
T HE M ESS ENGER
P AGE 7
F OR A L AUGH . . .
Grandpa’s Manners
"Grandpa, I'm really proud of you," said the
modish young lady.
"What's to be proud of?" asked the old man.
The young lady replied, "I noticed that when you
sneeze, you've learned to put your hand in front of
your mouth."
"Of course," explained Grandpa.
"How else can I catch my teeth?"
Beauty Cosmetics
Todd's wife bought a new line of expensive
cosmetics guaranteed to make her look years
younger.
After a lengthy sitting before the mirror applying
the "miracle" products, she asked, "Darling,
honestly, what age would you say I am?"
Looking over her carefully, Todd replied, "Judging
from your skin, twenty; your hair, eighteen; and
your figure, twenty five."
"Oh, you flatterer!" she gushed.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Todd interrupted.
"I haven't added them up yet."
Do It Yourself
When a guy's printer type began to grow faint, he
called a local repair shop where a friendly man
informed him that the printer probably needed only
to be cleaned.
Because the store charged $50 for such cleanings,
he told him he might be better off reading the
printer's manual and trying the job himself.
Pleasantly surprised by his candor, he asked, "Does
your boss know that you discourage business?"
"Actually, it's my boss's idea," the employee
replied sheepishly.
"We usually make more money on repairs if we let
people try to fix things themselves first."
Genetically Modified Signs
Signs that scientists have gone too far with
genetically modified food:
*Your hot dog just fetched its own ketchup and
relish.
*You spot the tell-tale signs of a primitive central
nervous system in you Jell-O.
*Chocchini: looks like zucchini, tastes like a Ding
Dong.
*The black-eyed peas on your fork just winked at
you.
*Every time you pour a glass of orange juice, your
garage door goes up.
Foreign Pizza
An American businessman goes to Japan on a
business trip, but he hates Japanese food, so he
asks the concierge at his hotel if there's any place
around where he can get American food.
The concierge tells him he's in luck, there's a pizza
place that just opened, and they deliver. The
concierge gives the businessman the phone
number, and he goes back to his room and orders a
pizza.
Thirty minutes later, the delivery guy shows up to
the door with the pizza.
The businessman takes the pizza, and starts sneezing uncontrollably. He asks the delivery man,
"What on earth did you put on this pizza?"
The delivery man bows deeply and says, "We put
on the pizza what you ordered, pepper only."
V OLUM E 15, I SSUE 4
P AGE 8
APRIL
1
2
5
8
10
13
Danielle Botts
Ralph Hall
Steven Clymer
Nancy Allen
Caroline Gilbert
Bill Anderson
Michael Hughey
14 Karen Short
Annette Wood
15 Betty Gregory
Nathalie Agbo
16 Leah Smith
18 Lynda Stumpf
23 Phyllis Gillespie
Kathy DuBree
24 Jessie Gibson
25 Florine McNew
26 Lacey Barnes
27 Kevin Bolin
28 Judy Shreve
29 Herbert Chappell
3 Ralph & Cindy Swink
8 James & Elaine Mabe
23 Barry & Jane Deaton
27 Martin & Misti Byler
April
5th
12th
19th
26th
Patsy Patton & Nancy Lawrence
Betty Gregory & Patricia Scott
Bootsie Vaughn & Karen Mabe
Karen Martin & Judy Shreve
May
Use the QR Code
for Online Giving
3rd
10th
17th
24th
31st
Phyllis Brinkley & Betsy Bopp
Judy Henline & Katherine Willett
Pam Ellis & Linda Brandon
Misti Byler & Elaine Mabe
Rita Ridenour & Mary Ellen Curl
April 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
Thursday
2
6:00 PM AA Bistro
7:00 PM Choir
Practice 6:30 PM Maundy
7:00 PM Girl
Thursday ComScouts munion Service
5
6
7
8
9
6:30 PM UMW
Budget Meeting
(Sp. Pioneers
Class Room)
7:00 PM Boy
Scouts
6:00 PM AA Bistro
7:00 PM Choir
Practice
7:00 PM Girl
6:30 PM Disciple
Scouts
2 Class
Friday
3
Saturday
4
Good
Friday
10
11
11:30 AM
Golden Treasures
to Friends Home
6:30 AM Sunrise Service
7:15 AM Breakfast
9:45 AM Fellowship Time
10:00 AM Sunday School
11:00 AM Worship
12
13
14
9:45 AM Fellowship Time
10:00 AM Sunday School 2:00 PM Circle
11:00 AM Worship
#1 - FH
12:15 PM Kitchen
6:30 PM Circle
Dedication &
#2
Covered Dish Luncheon
7:00 PM Boy
Scouts
15
19
20
9:45 AM Fellowship Time
10:00 AM Sunday School
11:00 AM Worship
22
Newsletter
Deadline
26
27
9:45 AM Fellowship Time
10:00 AM Sunday School
11:00 AM Worship
21
16
17
18
24
25
6:00 PM AA Bistro
7:00 PM Choir
Practice
7:00 PM Girl
6:30 PM Disciple
Scouts
2 Class
23
6:00 PM AA Bistro
7:00 PM Choir
Practice
7:00 PM Boy
7:00 PM Girl
6:30 PM Disciple
Scouts
Scouts
2 Class
28
F/H - Betty
Durham
29
30
6:00 PM AA Bistro
7:00 PM Choir
Practice
7:00 PM Boy
7:00 PM Girl
6:30 PM Disciple
Scouts
Scouts
2 Class
7:30-11:30
AM, Pancake
Breakfast
Dear Church Family, Words cannot
express how much you mean to me and my
family. We are so blessed to be a part of
this church family. We love each and every
one of you. Hope to get back soon. Much
love, Bless you! -- Lera & family
Thank you for remembering Bill. His
time at Lee’s Chapel was filled with love
and progress and recalled often. His 10
years of suffering with Parkinson’s disease
have now been rewarded with a place in
Heaven.
A friend,
Charlotte Clodfelter
The deepest sympathy of the pastor and
people of Lee’s Chapel UMC is extended to
the family (2 sisters – Dot and Ethel) of
Ruby Roberts Yelverton who died on
February 8th at Friends Home Guilford.
Ruby’s service of death and resurrection
was held here on February 11th with our
pastor officiating.
Our prayers to Linda Chapel in the loss of
her aunt May Lou, who passed away on
February, 2014.
L EE ’ S C HAPEL U NITED
M ETHODIST C HURCH
2303 Lee’s Chapel Road
Greensboro, NC 27405
Phone: 336-375-3003
Carol Williams-Gilbert, Pastor
carol@leeschapelumc.com
Allen C. Ridenour, Assisting Elder
allen@leeschapelumc.com
Peggy Gardner, Secretary
peggy@leeschapelumc.com
Rebecca Locke, Director of Music
rebecca@leeschapelumc.com
June Costello, Organist/Pianist
june@leeschapelumc.com
WE’RE ON THE WEB!
LEESCHAPELUMC.COM
Lee's Chapel is a mid-size, progressive, traditional United
Methodist congregation in Northeast Greensboro. We
worship at 11:00 AM each Sunday morning with Sunday
School Classes for all age groups beginning at 10:00 AM.
Nursery care is provided.
Programs for Youth and Children include United Methodist Youth Fellowship, and strong Cub Scout, Boy Scout,
and Girl Scout units. Adult Fellowships for both women
and men and an extensive Disciple® Bible Study ministry provide activities and learning opportunities for everyone.
You are invited to visit us at Lee's Chapel. We hope you
will come and worship with us.
Our Mission: To proclaim the forgiving love
of God; make disciples of Jesus Christ; live
gratefully as God's people in this place serving
God and others in all we do.