Volume 30 Issue 4

New Salem Family,

What strange times we are living in! As I type this note we are entering our second week of “Social Distancing”, mandated by our governmental leaders. I realize the hard-ship this is creating for all of us, but I am so proud that the members of our New Salem family have taken seriously the guidance of our leaders and the medical professionals. Our willingness to be apart from each other for a time is truly a sign of Christian love for all the citizens of the Randleman community, our state and our country. We must remain diligent in our efforts to create an environment that will help alleviate the expo-sure of so many and to give God time to eradicate this virus. Our job is to follow the directions of our leaders and to continually flood the “Throne of God” with our prayers for His intercession. The only way we will overcome this time is if we walk together, guided by the almighty power and love of our omnipotent and omniscient God!

By the time you receive this newsletter we will have spent three weeks worshiping from a distance. Some of you have been able to go on the internet and watch the worship services that I have recorded for us. Others of you have not had this oppor-tunity, as you either don’t own a computer nor have internet services available for your use. For those who have not been able to see the worship services, we would like to get the sermons to you on a CD. What we need from you is to contact the church office and let us know that you want us to send the sermons on a CD. We will do our best to make this happen for you, just let us know what you need please.

Jeanette and I are doing our best to create other systems and avenues to keep you informed and up-to-date. You have probably noticed that we have increased our use of the One Call Phone System, emails, church website and Facebook pages. This is our way of attempting to maintain our connection with you and let you know your church family is here for you. But we need you to do your part as well. What we are asking from you are the following:

Call at least two church members a week that you have not spoken to in the past two weeks. Pick two random people you don’t normally speak with, to check on them, pray with them and let them know you are thinking about them.

Keep the office updated with your prayer concerns, the concerns you have for others, and any changes to your contact information.

Read your God’s Word: First & Last daily scripture readings (April’s readings can be found in this newsletter.)

Pray daily for your church, your pastor, and for all our church leaders.

“Let Your Light Shine Before Others.”

Matthew 5:16

Worship weekly by way of the Services we have placed on our church website and/or worship with a televised worship service of another church. Don’t allow yourself to get out of the practice of weekly worship. It is even more important now, than ever before!

Regularly check your email, phone messages, and the church Facebook page for information and updates.

Remember to bring to the church office, or mail to the church PO Box, your tithes and offerings that you would normally give each week/month. Our costs for ministry continue and in fact, they have increased because of additional mailing costs and needed technology tools to reach our members in various ways. Your financial com-mitment to the ministry of New Salem UMC is as vital as ever, so please make your stewardship commitments to God’s church as important as your utility bills.

All that I have listed here are examples of the membership vows we took when we be-came members of New Salem UMC. Each one of us made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ as Lord, through membership in God’s Holy Church, by way of the United Method-ist Church, with the members of New Salem Church, with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. At present, our avenues for “presence, service, and witness” might have changed , but the commitment has not disappeared. It is my pray-er that we will all continue to honor God, through the fulfillment of our vows, and in the process the world around us will see Christ in you and me! This is truly needed now, more than ever.

I look forward to the day when we will meet once again in our sanctuary for worship! Until then, may you be filled with the enduring presence, peace and love of Jesus’ Holy Spirit!

All for Him,

A prayer for my New Salem Family, words from the Apostle Paul that are found in

2 Timothy 1:3-7 —

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank

God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I

constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that

I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith. For this reason I remind

you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you. For the Spirit God gave us does

not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Amen.

Pastor Johnny

Check out the pastor’s new blog at

https://jlpreacherman.wordpress.com

Those Who Serve

Trustee

Brian Dodd

Sanctuary Care

Dan & Dawn Nelson

Education Building Cleaning

Ann McDonald & Rose Inman

Backpack Ministry

Tim & Janet Routh

“Look to our church website,

umcnewsalem.org each Sunday morning

and click on the link for the worship service.”

4/1/2020 John 8:31-42

4/2/2020 Amos 8:11-12

4/3/2020 Psalm 78:1-8

4/4/2020 Psalm 145

4/5/2020 Romans 5:12-15

4/6/2020 Isaiah 42:1-4

4/7/2020 John 13:21-25

4/8/2020 Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22

4/9/2020 Deuteronomy 16:1-3

4/10/2020 Lamentations 5:15-17, 19-21

4/11/2020 Romans 8:18-21

4/12/2020 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

4/13/2020 Daniel 12:2-3

4/14/2020 John 20:11-18

4/15/2020 Acts 3:1-10

4/16/2020 2 Timothy 1:5-8

4/17/2020 Isaiah 25:7-9

4/18/2020 Deuteronomy 18:18-20

4/19/2020 Acts 2:42-47

4/20/2020 John 20:19-22

4/21/2020 Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10-11

4/22/2020 1 John 2:7-10

4/23/2020 Acts 5:27-33

4/24/2020 2 Kings 4:42-44

4/25/2020 1 Peter 5:5b-14

4/26/2020 Psalm 100

4/27/2020 Deuteronomy 8:2-3

4/28/2020 John 6:30-35

4/29/2020 John 6:35-40

4/30/2020 Exodus 33:18-23

BIRTHDAYS

1st—Rhonda Apple

2nd—Pastor Johnny Lord

4th—Aaron Garner

4th—Miranda Holder

5th—Kai Strickland

6th—Connie Barker

9th—Ava Apple

10th—Lacey Nelson

11th—Brian Dodd

14th—Naomi Ingold

19th—Betty Barker

21st—Shirley Taylor

22nd—Alec Poupore

25th—Betty Whitaker

25th—Laura Beth Nelson

26th—Connor Apple

29th—Mike Whitehead

30th—Tommy McDonald

Deadline for information for the May 2020 edition of

“The Lamplighter” is Wednesday, April 22nd.

New Salem United Methodist Church

P. O. Box 303

623 New Salem Road

Randleman, NC 27317

Pastor Johnny Lord

Cell phone: 336-409-3997

Email: jlord@wnccumc.net

Phone: 336-498-3936

E-mail: newsalemumc@northstate.net

On the web: umcnewsalem.org

ANNIVERSARIES

1st—Gene & Terri Henderson