The United Methodist Women of South Shore First UMC will be hosting a Holiday Vendors Showcase on Saturday, November 3  from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  At least 16 different vendors and crafters will be displaying and selling items, including: Simply Said Wall Words, MK Cosmetics, 31 Bags, Big Family Tree Ornaments, African Crafts from Gulu, Uganda, Scentsy, Stampin' up, Lia Sophia Jewelry, Vicars Kennels, Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, Wreaths by Amber, Wingo Creek Original's Rugs, Kate K Knits, Frieda's Crafts, Debbie Adkin's Face Painting, and more...
     There will also be delicious food available for purchase -soups, hotdogs, baked goods,etc. for dine-in or carry-out. Hope to see you there! For more information you can call (606) 932-3525.

Slammin' September!!

          Well, September is almost passed -and it has been quite a busy month. All of our regular activities have been rolling along nicely and we have seen the re-introduction of JoyZone on Sunday afternoons as well as our Free Tutoring program on Monday nights. A new Women's study started up on Monday nights at 7pm last week and we have had a slate of special activities for the community including Plates of Appreciation to the local Nursing Home, a Community Songfest and BBQ; as well as last weekend's Quilt Festival 5K Run. It is amazing the number of volunteers who have offered their talents to plan and carry out these programs. I have been blessed and impressed by your talents, dedication, and willingness to serve each other and our community.
          October is going to offer us a little bit of a sabbath before the holiday season catches us up in a whirlpool of activity, programs, and deadlines. I would like to encourage us all to make good use of this time to catch our breath; but also, to spend a little extra time in God's presence -individually and together. Fall has always been a good time of year for me to slow down and listen more deeply to God. It is almost as though creation begins to cuddle up in its own fallen leaves to rest through the cold, grey winter season. For some people this is a depressing time. But for me -I welcome the more meditative/reflective season when apart from the holiday rush the days are generally less filled with breathless activity. Activity and accomplishment is a blessing from God; but sometimes we need to reflect on our path and make sure we aren't missing out on God's best for us.

          The holiday season will be upon us soon and it often seems like we begin to prepare for Thanksgiving only moments later to wake up to the beginning of a new year. It all rushes by so fast. And unfortunately God often gets lost in the hustle and bustle. Feasting, football, and fairytales...parties, pageantry and preparations... even good things like spending time with family and giving gifts to others can all absorb our time and efforts while pushing God into a back seat. That's why I think now is the perfect time to begin to turn our hearts and passions more deeply toward a deserving, faithful, and amazing God. Now before the other distractions begin to arise. Now before our calendars are too peppered with events to lavishly pour ourselves out at Jesus' feet like Mary did. Let us seize this calm, twilight time to spend in His presence now, so that we will faithfully abide with and not lose sight of Him then.
           Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
           Blessings!  ---Sean

South Shore First UMC is hosting the Quilt Festival 5K Run on September 22 (One week before the actual Quilt Festival to kick off the events that take place during that week and culminate on September 29th). This post is simply an attempt to provide you with access to the registration letter. You should be able to cut and paste this photo into Word in order to have a registration form you can fill out. If this doesn't work or you don't want the cut and paste hassle, simply send me a request for a 5K registration form to ssfirstumc@windstream.net. Blessings!

     Hello All! The basic construction of this website is finished; though it would be great to add some pictures from past group activities to the specific ministry's page. The truth is the site will always be under construction because it is a communication tool about the life of the Body of Christ at South Shore First UMC. This "under-construction" reality mirrors our Christian lives. Each day we wake up with an opportunity to allow God to build on His foundation in our lives...and with the opportunity to build into other people's lives as well. Also, like overseeing a website, growth often comes erratically -a sudden spurt of great growth here followed by a lull of plodding along seeming to make little headway. In those slow growth times, take heart in the fact that God will continue to move us forward if we let Him.
                                                                                           In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we are reminded that:
             " ^...we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (NASB) 
             If you are surrendering yourself and walking with Him daily, then God is doing a work in and through you. He will continue to chisel away the hard parts of your life that get in the way of your relationship with Him, with others, and with the person He truly created you to be. And He will also continue to expand your heart and conform you to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Maybe this is a growth spurt time for you, or maybe you feel like you are barely seeing any transformation at all. The main thing is to keep following. Fast or slow, you are gaining ground. And if you look at yourself today and say, "Honestly, I'm not only failing to grow, I'm withering on the vine;" then, there's no better time to turn things around than the present. Just reach out to God and allow Him to welcome you back into a vital walk with Him. Need help? Give me a call and we will push through together.

    Remember our upcoming activities over the next week or two: The men's dinner and fun night tomorrow (Saturday, August 18th) at 6pm at the church, the opportunity to volunteer for the New Hope Festival bringing faith and fun and relief to Menifee county on Saturday, August 25th. I need to hear from you by this Sunday if you intend to participate in this event. And don't forget our Plates of Appreciation which will go to the nursing home here in South Shore this month on August 23rd. You can sign up to volunteer this Sunday! Blessings on a great finish to the week and I hope to see you Sunday!  --Sean

Please be patient as we construct this site. There will be more added frequently in the coming weeks! Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you will return and visit again soon.