St. James United Methodist Church

Augusta, Georgia

March 2017

From the Pastor

A professor at a seminary offered a class of young wannabe preachers some wise advice.

The professor started by saying, “I am going to take a moment away from our study of God’s

plan of salvation for humankind to offer some practical wisdom for your first appointment.

When you have an idea for a sermon that is perfectly clear to you, it ought to be easy to make

it perfectly clear to your parish.”

“Right?” the professor asked.

The class nodded and some even said, “Amen.”

The professor said, “Wrong answer, my young grass hoppers! One of the most costly,

needless mistakes a preacher makes is to assume the flock understands the message when

they don’t. Yet, Sunday after Sunday it happens. The message gets lost in the translation.”

The professor challenged the class with a question. “Why does an idea or vision that’s crystal clear in your mind get mixed up by the parishioner you tell it to? The reason, the words you

The Rev. Thurman Norville

“Picture this,” said the professor.

“If you could color your thoughts

blue, and the parishioner you are

preaching to could color their

thoughts yellow, any artist could tell

you what will happen. As your blue

thoughts enter the other person’s

mind and mix with that parishion-

er’s yellow thoughts, what you get

is a green sermon.

“Make certain, my young ministerial

students, that what you say is clear

and understandable. Why do you

think Jesus used parables, so the

disciples and those who were

listening could understand his

message? Yet we know many

missed the true meaning. Jesus

met the cross!”

use mean one thing to you and something else to the person you are talking to. Even when you preach in terms your parishioners understand, you might still have trouble getting your message across. If your congregation has strong opinions or preconceived notions about what you are preaching, your message could easily be distorted.

“Oh, and make sure that when you are preaching they are listening. If they have something else on their minds, they may lis-ten to what you’re saying without hearing a word. Make certain your sermon isn’t going in one ear and out the other. “Truth be known, you can’t tell if your sermons are working or having an im-pact unless you are asking the question, ‘Do you un-derstand?’ The congrega-tion members who heard your message certainly understood something, but was it blue, yellow or green?

“Lots of churchgoers simply won’t admit when they don’t get your message. They think you’ll get mad if they ask you to explain again. So they take a chance that they got your idea and often end up doing or saying just what you didn’t mean. The one sure way of finding out if your congregation are tuned in to your messages is to ask them to play it back to you in their own words,” said the professor. “This the only way to prevent a mistake in interpretation.”

The professor went on for a few more minutes and ended his sage advice with these words. “Make sure all your sermons get through straight. When they greet you at the end and say, ‘Good Message’, ask the question, ‘What did you like about the sermon?’ If they say, ‘The End,’ you might have a communication problem.

“If we leave any chance for error, someday there will be one. God will ask the preacher, ‘Did you really say that?’ God will ask the flock, ‘What part of that message did you not understand?’

“Oh, and two other Bits and Pieces of wisdom:

Temper is what gets most us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there. Those who gossip to you about others will gossip to others about you.”

Adapted from a March 1989 issue of Bits and Pieces. The Economics Press, Inc.

March Events You Don’t Want to Miss

Positive Engagement Memory Care: The Church Reaches Out to Others

Topics to be addressed will be Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease, and Stages of Alzheimer’s. Special emphasis will be placed on confronting our fears and embarrassment when interacting with persons who have Alzheimer’s. We will discuss ways to support loving relationships with caregivers, friends, and church family, and we will celebrate the sacred moments that we might discover in people who live with Alzheimer’s. The workshop will feature video, role play, conversation aimed at new insight, and helpful materials to take home.

The workshop will be led by two pastors who have spent most of their ministry working with senior adults: Susan Pendleton LCSW, a retired United Methodist Pastor, Pastoral Counselor, North Georgia Conference; and Mary Lou Gilbert, United Methodist Pastor, semi-retired, and currently serving as Pastor to Senior Adults, Oak Grove United Methodist Church; Board Member for Senior Connections

DATE: Saturday, March 11, 2017 PLACE: Wesley Hall at Trinity On The Hill UMC TIME: 1-4 p.m. COST/REGISTRATION: No charge for this event, but donations will be accepted. You must register by MARCH 8 by calling 706-738-8822 or going online at http://www.trinityonthehill.net/memory-care-workshop.

Suicide Awareness and Prevention

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will sponsor a day of practical ways to determine, approach, engage and help those who may be considering suicide. As a safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper, you will be better able to

Move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss, or avoid suicide; Identify people who have thoughts of suicide; and Apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen, and KeepSafe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first

aid, and intervention caregivers.

DATE: Saturday, March 25, 2017 PLACE: Room A-153 (1st floor, adult wing), Trinity On The Hill UMC TIME: Check-in 8:30 a.m. Class 9 a.m. - Noon

DUE TO THE INTEGRITY OF THIS TRAINING AND THE SPECIFICS OF THE MATERIAL PRESENTED, NO ONE WILL BE ADMITTED AFTER THE PROGRAM STARTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.

COST/REGISTRATION: There is a $15 fee for the event to cover the cost of materials and refreshments. Participation is limited, and you must register online at https://afsp.wufoo.com/forms/augusta-ga-safetalk- training-32517/ or www.trinityonthehill.net. All who complete the day will receive a certificate as a “SAFE- TALK” alert helper.

Basic Lay Servant Course Training

Specific training to increase skills in witnessing to the Christian faith through leading worship, teaching, written communications, church & community leadership, and caregiving.

DATE: Saturdays, March 18 (1st session) and March 25 (2nd session), 2017 PLACE: Liberty UMC (Hephzibah) TIME: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Bring a sack lunch. Drinks will be provided.) COST/REGISTRATION: $40 covers book and refreshments. Mail a check and registration form (available in the St. James office) no later than Wednesday, March 15. Questions? Call Tina Lancaster in the Augusta District Office, 706-651-8621.

1104 Fairwood Avenue North Augusta, SC 39841

Home 803-279-1818 Cell 803-645-5223 Email: ajss14892@aol.coom

Birthday: June 24

Brother, foreground; Sister behind

Arbor

BACKGROUND/CAREER:

*Grew up as an air force brat; made it hard to connect *Came to St. James in 1991, my first home church ever *Taught public school in Aiken County for 35 years

FAMILY:

*Dawson, my brother *My 4-legged children: Brother and Sister (dogs) and Arbor, the cat

Below: With baby Dawson

L-R: Andrea, Dawson, and friend Marty

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES: *Archivist at the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta *Member, North Augusta Artist Guild *Worked with dioramas at the Beech Island Agriculture Museum *As needed at St. James. Currently updating membership book, serving as a Trustee, and active on the Historic Committee

THINGS I ENJOY:

*Taking classes to refine my skills in painting and drawing *Photography, weaving, and ceramics *Gardening, cooking

Gardening & Photography

My Weaving & Ceramics

Diorama at Beech Island Agriculture Museum

Gifts were received by the church in February

in loving memory of:

Cheryl Pearson, 3-4 Hobson Chavous, Jr., 3-11

Chip Melton, 3-16 Anne Barton, 3-26

Michael & Laura Rivers Cranston Engineering Group

Kay S. Ferrell Laverne & Gary Dorn

Mr. & Mrs. H.W. Bedingfield, Jr. Claude & Martha Johnson

Bo & Lynn Salters Eldridge & Deanna Gibbs

Jane Edmunds Michael Layman Teresa Layman

Frank & Martha Toole Lynda W. Fry

William McKettrick John & Barbara Drew

Morris & Pauletta Nimmons

Billy & Suzanne Baxter, 3-11

Harold Mock by

John Barksdale and Samantha Taylor were

married at St. James on February 18.

Griffin Circle Invites Your Help

Yet Avery is one of those kids who leaves a mark on you in more ways than one. Seven years later, she loves make-up and giving makeovers. This child, who defies the odds just by being alive, isn’t just living. She’s creating and inspiring others to create and to maybe color outside the lines from time to time. There’s no telling how many more surgeries Avery will need as she gets older, so they’re doing what they’ve always done: taking things one day at a time.

The Griffin Circle is launching its March mission this year with a new toy drive for children like Avery at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia (MCG Pediatrics). On any given day, there are 154 children registered at the hospital. And like Avery, they need more than just medical attention to grow and develop. That’s why the Griffin Circle needs your help in providing toys to brighten their days during this very scary time in their lives.

Toys need to be in their original wrapping and be age appropriate for children ages 12 and under, both boys and girls. The Griffin Circle will have a box in the narthex of the church for your gifts, and will deliver these toys the end of March.

May God Bless You, The Griffin Circle Avery’s photo and story were taken from the Children’s Hospital of Georgia website, ocmsites.org/patientstories/category/childrens-stories/

Doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia said Avery would never speak; yet this little girl who would never hear loves music. After twenty-four surgeries, she’s only getting better. It all started before Avery was even born. At twenty weeks, her par-ents learned the ventricles in her brain were enlarged, and their baby girl had a hole in her heart. Her kidneys were enlarged and it appeared that she had no cerebel-lum. At 35 weeks, Avery’s parents got another diagnosis: spina bifida, a birth defect where the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. She was also born with a cleft pallet, club feet, problems with her hips and has a catheter.

Men’s Club:

March 28,

Fellowship Hall

Griffin Circle

1 p.m. March 28 Fellowship Hall

Whenever you do it to the

least of these . .

In February, Raymond’s Kitchen fed 38 persons and provided clothing for

eight. The church also helped two people with electric bills and provided

transportation assistance for two more. From St. James, we also distributed four boxes of non-

perishable food left from Saint Paul’s Manna Pantry distribution in January.

Be sure to call or email the office to place a name on the Sunday prayer list for March.

March 1

ASH WEDNESDAY

Holy Communion with Imposition

of Ashes - 5:30 p.m. SUNDAY - MARCH 5

EVENSONG A special invitation from Marilyn to her

St. James family to this beautiful service of

choral evening prayer. 5:30 p.m. at Saint

Paul’s, 6th & Reynolds. The service is about 45 minutes long, followed by a reception to which

you are cordially invited. Please come; evensong is a special blessing to Marilyn,

and you are a special blessing to Marilyn!

March 19

APPORTIONMENT

MEAL

Sponsored by the

Men’s Club

St. Parick’s Day Parade 2 p.m. March 17 - Leaves the James Brown Arena parking lot on 7th Street and will con-tinue up Telfair St. to 11th St., right onto Broad Street then back down to 6th, and returns to the James Brown Arena.

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS. Be sure to set your clock forward Saturday night before going to bed!

Dear Sister Methodist Church,

Thank you so much for including

St. Luke in your Souper Bowl

offering! Donations like yours not

only enable the rebuilding of our

lovely place of worship, but most

importantly, the continuation of

our ministries in Harrisburg.

Progress is being made, and all

our programs are functioning.

Gratefully, Members of St. Luke

The Garden Bros. Circus will be at the James Brown Arena March 3-4. We have tickets that will allow a child age 2-13 in free with a paying adult. Call the church office if you’d like to take a grandchild.

Pick up Word for You Today &

Upper Room from the narthex

DON’T FOGET TOY FOR GRIFFIN CIRCLE TOY DRIVE

THIS MONTH

St. James United Methodist Church

The Fellowship of the Friendly

439 Greene Street Augusta, GA 30901 The Rev. Thurman Norville, Jr. Pastor Marilyn Grau Administrative Assistant Walter Harwood III Organist Raymond Hookfin Sexton 706-722-8373 stjamesunitedmethodist50@gmail.com www:stjamesaugusta.com

When March rolls around, we think not only of Lent, but of the first day of spring, kite-flying, and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day.

Everybody knows about the parades, green fountains, Leprechauns, and luck ‘o the Irish, but what do we know about St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland? The following bits of information gleaned from multiple online sources lends an interesting perspective:

St. Patrick wasn’t Irish! He was a Roman-British citizen by the name of Magonius Sucatus Patricius who was kidnapped by Irish pirates at age 16, and spent six years in slavery. He eventually escaped, but had a dream in which an angel told him to go back to the Emerald Isle as a missionary. He studied for 15 years before returning.

Patrick was a priest and then a bishop, but was actually never canonized as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church. However, he is considered a saint by both Roman Catholics and Protestants for his role in con-verting Ireland to Christianity.

St. Patrick was initially associated with the color blue, but because he often used the shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity, green replaced blue when we think of St. Patrick.

Legend says that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland; however today we understand that Ireland has no snakes because of its climate and the fact that the water surrounding it is too cold for British snakes to migrate over. Instead, the snakes are believed to be symbolic, meaning the pagan religions that were driven out of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death on March 17, 460 AD. Since that time, it has evolved into not only a religious feast day, but a cultural celebration of Ireland.