Sheila’s Blog

"The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full gain in the head." Mark 4:26-28
During a recentstorm I looked out the window and saw that everything was covered in seed pods and casings from the surrounding trees. "What a mess," I thought, having just raked everything. But then it occurred to me that the trees were shedding their seed casings as they readied for the next naturalstage of their transition. WE often need to do the same in our lives as we make the transitions from one stage to another.

As people become more empowered over their lives, their bodies, and their relationships, many of them tend to shed unnecessary characteristics. Some of these include:
* needing to be a people pleaser
* being uncomfortable with conflict
* the perception that looking "older and ordinary" in the eyes of others means we are not special
* letting others get away with unfair behavior* not trusting God enough
On Monday, January 13 at 7pm Myers Park UMC invites us to join them and a very special person, Author and Pastor Peter Scazzero (The Emotionally Healthy Church) as we learn why it is that emotional and spiritual maturity are necessarily linked. Scazzero says this explicitly and continues by adding that "the link between emotional health and spiritual maturity is a large, unexplored area of discipleship." He goes on to say that the answer to the needs of our churches”is not to change the church but to change us -- or rather, to allow God to change us." He will tell us his story, and how it fits with our stories and God's story as together we explore what it means to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." Please... let's join him that night so that we may all share the joy of the journey.

Worship Sunday

January 12, 2014

Epiphany Sunday

Scripture:

Matthew 2:1-12

Sermon:

Going Home a Different Way

While each year, nativity scenes depict the wise men at the stable, their visit may have come as much as two years later. Who were these mysterious men? Where did they come from: Did they know their gifts would hold as much significance as the church places on them? We can still learn much from these men who came seeking and worshiping the king of the Jews.

Worship Sunday

January 19, 2014

Epiphany 3

Scripture:

Matthew 4:12-23

Sermon:

Dropping Our Nets

In a world that often does not take the church seriously, God calls us to be the church anyway. In responding to that call, we enable God to shine his light through us into the darkness of the world. Our response enables us to grow into spiritual maturity.

Worship Assistants

for January

Steward:John Beaver

Ushers: Sarah Rhodes

and Ruby Agnew

Acolyte: Jonathan Beaver

Bell Ringer: Jonathan Beaver

Thank You

Dear Commonwealth Family,

Thank you so much for the beautiful basket of plants and especially for your prayers during the illness and death of our brother Jim. We are truly grateful for your love and support.

Obie Oakley

Ronnie Oakley

and Kathy Buckley

Beginnings

The Beginnings Group will restart on Tuesday, January 14th at 10am in the Fellowship Hall.

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AA Meeting

Every Wednesday

8pm

Fellowship Hall

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International Outreach

Community Church

Every Sunday

1-5pm

Lands Class

Message about Michael Clark

Michael Clark has been admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Salisbury, NC to take part in a program to assist former military personnel suffering from PTSD. He is scheduled to be at the VA Hospital through January 30, 2014.

If you would like to drop him a card or note the address follows:

W. G. (Bill) Heffner Medical Center Ward 4-4B – SIPU,

Attn: Michael Clark

1601 Brenner Avenue

Salisbury, NC 28144

Or, you may feel moved to drop a note to Deb Clark at their home:

Deb & Mike Clark

712 Riverwood Road

Charlotte, NC 28270

Honorarium

In Honor of Peggy Bridgers

By: Bobbie Hagler

In Honor of Frances andRon

Lynch

By: Frances Pridgen

In Honor of Mable Davis

By: Katherine C. Pitts

In Honor of Frances Pridgen

By: Frances and Ron Lynch

Memorials

In Memory of Frances Bivins

By: The Stephenson Family

In Memory of Robert C. PridgenBy: John and Martha Widders

By: Frances and Ron Lynch

By: Frances Pridgen

Room-In-The-Inn

Mark your calendars for Room-In-The-Inn. It will be the 3rd Sunday in January (Jan. 19th) and the 1st Sunday in February (Feb. 2nd) at Kilgo UMC.

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Handbells

Anyone interested in being part of a handbell choir in the parish, please contactPastorSheila, Janice or Margie.

Change of Address

of Sarah Lever

Sarah Lever has been moved to a Nursing Assisted Living Center. Her address is:

Sarah Lever

Golden Living Center-Charlotte

2616 East 5th Street

Charlotte, NC 28204

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Administrative Board Meeting Minutes

If you want to read the Administrative Board Meeting minutes from the last meeting, they are located in the church office hallway, the Sunday School Office hallway, and the Library in the Fellowship Hall. If you take a copy to read, please return it so others may read it. There are copies of the Administrative Board Meeting Minutes in the Narthex, for those who want to read them before the next meeting scheduled for January 26th.

Committee Meetings and Administrative Council

Sunday, January 26

2:30-5:30pm

Fellowship Hall

Staff ParishMeeting2:30pm

Trustees Meeting3:00pm

Planning Meeting3:30pm

Finance Meeting4:00pm

Administrative Board4:30pm

THANK YOU

DearCommonwealth,

Thank you so much for the kind letter and generous Christmas staff gift. Also, thank you so much for the individual gifts, Christmas cards and warm greetings. Your friendship and kindness means so much to me. I love being your secretary here at Commonwealth.

Margie

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Thank You

Commonwealth Members,

I appreciate your generous Christmas gift and nice letter. It is so hard to believe I have served as your Treasurer for over Twenty-One Years. It has been an honor to do this for Commonwealth. I sincerely hope everyone has a healthy and happy new year.

Love,

Alice

Our Stewardship

December 22, 2013

Sunday school – 14

Church Attendance – 42

December 29, 2013

Sunday school – 12

Church Attendance – 25

January 5, 2014

Sunday School - 12

Church Attendance - 23

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December 22, 2013

Memorials, Honorariums

and Offering

$1,745.00

December 29, 2103

Memorial and Offering

$548.00

January 5, 2014

Memorials, Honorariums

and Offering

$1,227.00

Our Prayer List

Phyllis Baker, Dawn Beaver, Joyce Borchert, Helen Broome, Milton Burgess, Sheila Coppala, Lee Ann Fowler (daughter of Nan Thomas), Martha Lee, Iris Mattey, Donna Pruitt, Peggy Riddle (sister of Jackie Samuels) Carl and Frances Stinson, Margery and O.J. Weaver

Nursing/Assisted Living Care

Mable Davis, Maxine Kincaid, Hazel Lands, Sarah Lever, Judy Ledwell, Ann Pike, Ralph Stephenson, Jean Stoneman

Your staff needs your help!

If anyone listed in our prayer concerns and prayer list needs pastoral care, please let the office and our pastors know ASAP!

Commonwealth

United Methodist

Church

Pastor – Sheila Bishop

Pastor – Patience Brumley

January 7, 2014

Commonwealth United

Methodist Church

2434 Commonwealth Ave.

Charlotte, NC 28205-5132

(704) 376-4924

Office Hours

Mon. – Thurs. 9-1