Being True to the Book

Most of you know I like to read. I like funny and serious. I like history and biographies. (Reading a book on Harry Truman at the moment!) And I love a good novel. All kinds of novels, including a good spy novel. That being said, I’m the same way on TV and movies. I like a lot of different things, including a good spy story.

I tell you all this because a month or so ago, someone suggested a limited TV series to me. It was a spy story on Hulu with eight episodes. I watched it. The language was atrocious and the violence was graphic. That is why I’m not mentioning the name. I don’t want you telling your neighbor, “You won’t believe the show my preacher recommended!” And for the record, this is not a recommendation! Somewhere along the way, I noticed that it was based on a novel. I am one of those people that believe the book is always better, so I decided to read the book. It is actually very unusual for me to watch something before I read it. I would much rather read first. But in this case, I didn’t know it was an option.

The further I got into the book, the less it looked like the series. The main character in the show was the main character in the book. And one other character survived the transition between book and screen, but that was it. Most times a book is made into a movie, liberties are taken. I know that. Often, many liberties are taken. But I have never seen anything change the story of a novel as much as this one did.

And that got me thinking. It actually raised a question that makes me uncomfortable. See, I’ve read another book recently. I actually read it daily, and we talk about it every week: The Bible. I hope you are reading it too. The question that unnerved me was this: How close is my life staying to the Book? Just like I’ve never seen a film exactly copy a book, I know my life will never perfectly reflect the Word of God. But I would hope it is recognizable. I read the novel referenced above and thought, “Those two versions of that story were so different!” What do people say when they see me? When they watch my behavior? When they listen to how I speak?

Do they see the Word shining through? Do they recognize some of it, but not all of it? Or do they say, “Those two versions of that story were so different!” I told you this was unnerving. So, as we move into the fall, my prayer is that my story more closely aligns with The Story. How about you? We try to help. We talk each week about how the Word should apply to our lives. It’s better than any novel! Come join us!

If it’s Sunday, you want to be at Due West,
David

The Future of United Methodism for Due West

Moving Forward in Faith and Grace

For many in our church this has been a challenging, if not frustrating, period in the life of Due West and the United Methodist Church. To keep you as informed as possible, your Administrative Board of church leaders met on August 22, 2022, and reviewed the results of surveys taken at the conclusion of six informational meetings amongst the congregation conducted during the month of June. The results of those surveys are shared below.

The Board assigned a small ad hoc committee the task of carefully reviewing those results and any other information pertinent to staying within or leaving the United Methodist Church. (The word being used for leaving is “disaffiliation”) This committee made its first report prior to the August 22 Board meeting. It will present its final findings and recommendations to the Administrative Board at its October meeting. We will be sending out an email giving the congregation the opportunity to answer questions soon. The Board has scheduled a 24-hour prayer vigil to support this committee’s period of discernment. The vigil will be conducted from 12:00 pm September 17 to 12:00 pm September 18th. In addition, the District Superintendent will be here October 3rd at 7 pm in the Bldg. A sanctuary to speak to the congregation. Please make plans to attend.

Click here to sign up for Prayer Vigil

If the ad hoc committee recommends giving the congregation the opportunity to vote for disaffiliation, the Board will take a vote at its October meeting to recommend a church conference vote be taken of all bona fide members of Due West to be held under the auspices of the North Georgia Conference and its guidelines. Such a call for a church conference cannot be formally submitted before January 1st, 2023. Our District Superintendent would then schedule a church conference for Due West after February 28th.

As we move forward in faith and grace, your Administrative Board will continue to keep you informed.

We received nearly 250 surveys.

Question #1 asked how well-informed people felt on a scale of 1 -10.

The congregation averaged out to a 7.22 rating.

Question #2 asked if people would prefer Due West remaining in the UMC or being in a more traditional congregation.

85% of the those from our congregation who responded said more traditional.

Question #3 asked how likely people were to remain at Due West if the church remained part of the UMC.

Congregation: 27% Likely or Very Likely to stay vs. 73% Unlikely or Very Unlikely to stay

Question #4 asked how likely people were to stay if Due West disaffiliated.

86% of the congregation said Likely or Very Likely to stay.

Question #5 asked what people thought the theological leaning of Due West was.

84% stated they thought Due West leans traditional.

If Due West were to vote to disaffiliate from the UMC, we would establish a process to determine the best home for our congregation in the future. Those would be two separate decisions. Please continue to keep the church in your prayers as we move forward in this important time of discernment.

Please join us in welcoming the following new members of our church staff!

Matt Boullain - Director of Media & Communications
Nicole Gray – Director of Center for the Arts
Millie Skinner – Administrative Assistant for Youth and Missions
Sam Gindlesberger - We welcome Sam Gindlesberger to our staff as the Director of Discipleship Ministries beginning September 6th. Sam comes to us from Selma, Alabama, with his wife, Taylor, and their children, Elijah and Ellie. We look forward to getting to know this family as they help us Gather, Grow and Go! Sam’s first sermon will be September 11th. Make plans to welcome the Gindlesbergers in the Narthex following the 11 am service! You can reach him at samg@duewest.org.

Thanks to all who donated time and money to our Habitat Home build with the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition. The home is almost complete and will be dedicated and turned over to the new homeowner, Leda Harvey, on September 11th. Leda is a single mom with 3 children (Jonathan, 25, is a Marine stationed in Japan; Jimmina, 18, graduated from high school in May; and Mike, 16, is a high school student). Leda has joined us to participate in building her new home every weekend this summer and is excited to move in soon.

Important Dates (see details below)

Sat., Sept. 24: Virtual Dementia Family Conference
Oct. 3 - 31: Pumpkin Patch
Sun., Oct. 23: Trunk-or-Treat

Details

Loving Through Dementia: Virtual Dementia Family Conference
The Dementia Ministry at Due West UMC invites you to this special virtual conference offering help, hope, inspiration, and dementia education for those who live with dementia and those who love them through it. Join us on Saturday, September 24th from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. Professional Care Partners are welcome, as well.

Click here to register

Featured Speakers:

Hal Cole - Dementia: A Journey with Grief
Ellen Potts - The Dementia-Supportive Home
Lynda Everman & Don Wendorf, Psy.D. - The Power of Empathy & Person-Centered Care
Dr. Daniel Potts - Bringing Art to Life: Lessons Learned from Persons Living with Dementia

Pumpkin Patch
Dates: Daily from October 3-31
Come buy all your fall gourds & pumpkins for Halloween at the primary fundraiser for our year-round Youth Group activities. The Pumpkin Patch is also a gathering place where our community and church are able to fellowship together in a different way!

Trunk-or-Treat
October 23 from 2:00-4:00 pm
This event is always made possible by having volunteers decorate their cars and through the generosity of our congregation’s candy donations. We greatly appreciate individually wrapped candy donations. Please drop candy off in the Admin 2 office. A link for trunk registration will be available closer to the event. For further information, contact Ashley Brown at abrown@duewest.org.

Support Groups

AA Open Meeting - Sundays @ 7:00 pm (Bldg A)
AA Women’s Group - Thursdays @ 7:00 pm (Bldg A)
GRASP Support Group - Second Tuesday @ 7:00 pm (Bldg C)
S.O.S. Support Group - Second Thursday @ 7:00 pm (Bldg C)
Parkinson’s Support Group - Second Sunday @ 3:00 pm

Dementia Ministry Meetings

Spouse Support Group meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 9:00 am.
Spouse Group meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm.
Family Support Group meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm.

Currently, all Dementia Ministry meetings are being held via Zoom. For more information, please email dementiaministry@duewest.org.

Weekly Exercise Classes

Monday

Tone & Tighten @ 9:30 am (Nursery)

Tuesday

• Pilates @ 9:30 am

Wednesday

Cardio-Sculpt @ 9:30 am (Nursery)
Slow Flow Yoga @ 10:30 am
Senior Fit @ 11:30 am

Thursday

Zumba @ 9:30 am

Friday

Boot Camp @ 8:30 am (Nursery)
Stretch & Tone @ 9:30 am (Nursery)

Important Dates (see details below)

Sat., Nov. 12 - Holiday Market

Details

The Weekday Preschool Ministry has started for the 2022-2023 school year. This is our 28th year of serving the children in our area with an excellent preschool program that provides loving care and a strong educational foundation. The school year started off with a bang! We have had fun getting to know one another. We are looking forward to another great year! Please mark your calendars now for November 12th from 9:00 am-2:00 pm. That’s when the 20th Annual Holiday Market will happen. We will have vendors, silent auction, bake sale, and entertainment. It’s a fun day! Please email skubek@duewest.org if you have any questions or are interested in being a vendor.

Important Dates (see details below)

Sun., Sept. 11: Back-to-School Splash
Sun., Sept. 18: dwCrew

Details

Preschool Sunday School

Memory Verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Proverbs 3:5, NIV

Our preschoolers are going to experience feeling sad, afraid, frustrated, and happy – sometimes all in one day (or hour!)! But here’s the good news: We are wonderfully made in God’s image, and God gave us all of these emotions!

We want preschoolers to know that they can trust God with all their hearts and talk to God about everything, including how they feel. And when they do, God will always listen and help them because God loves them no matter what.

Elementary Sunday School

Trust - Putting your confidence in someone you can depend on

Memory Verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5, NIRV

Throughout history, God has been faithful to us. God kept the promise to send Jesus to save us. When we remember that God will continue to be dependable, we can choose to trust God no matter what we face in life. The Bible shows examples of people who knew firsthand what it meant to trust God in many circumstances. This month, we focus on three of them who happen to be part of the same family: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Through their stories, we’ll discover how we can trust God no matter what we face.

dwCrew

dwCrew is a specialized time of fun, learning, and service for 3rd-5th graders. We will be meeting this month on September 18th from 12:00-1:30 pm. Lunch is $3 and check-in is just inside the blue dwKids doors.

Back-to-School Splash

All preschoolers - 5th graders are invited to join us on September 11th from 1:30-3:00 pm as we celebrate the start of the new school year. There will be games, water slides & Kona Ice for the whole family to enjoy.

Volunteers Needed

We are currently recruiting volunteers for the 2022-2023 elementary and preschool Sunday School classes. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, please contact Alicia Iles at ailes@duewest.org.

Important Dates (see details below)

Sun., Sept. 4: We start our new learning series
Wed., Sept. 7: Confirmation Interest Meeting
Sun., Sept. 11: Stars & Strikes Outing (register by Sept 9)
Sun., Sept. 18: Orange Ignite (preparing for pumpkin patch)
Wed., Sept 21: First Confirmation Class
Sept. 24 - Oct. 1: Costa Rica Mission Trip
Oct. 3 - 31: Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser open daily

Click here to register for all youth events!

Details

Small Groups
Small Groups will be launching after Labor Day! Keep an eye on the Groups page of Church Center to register!

Stars and Strikes Outing
We will be meeting at Stars and Strikes for a special Youth Outing September 11th! The price is $15 for each participant (Scholarship money is available if needed). Pre-registration is required and registration closes on Friday, September 9th at 5:00 pm.

Click here to register

Confirmation Interest Meeting
Confirmation is open for the fall term. The interest meeting is Wednesday, September 7th, at 7:00 pm in the youth center. We will meet weekly on Wednesdays starting September 21st, and our class will be confirmed on November 13th. Click here for more information and to register for the class.

Pumpkin Patch
Orange Ignite (planning session): September 18
Operating Dates: October 3-31

The Pumpkin Patch is the primary Youth Ministry Fundraiser that supports youth missions, youth missionaries, youth center upgrades, and programs throughout our year! But it is so much more than selling pumpkins….

The Pumpkin Patch is a Gathering Place where our community and church are able to fellowship together in a different way!

The Pumpkin Patch is an Outreach Opportunity where we are able to share the love of Christ with our neighbors and friends! People who may have never turned into our parking lot are excited to visit or buy pumpkins and have the opportunity to leave knowing more about Christ.

The Pumpkin Patch is also a Family Tradition where many families from West Cobb come for years to take family pictures in our patch!

Due West Church members and Youth and their families help run the patch for 2-hour shifts every day. Youth and their families are able to earn money towards church trips and retreats with each hour served in the patch! Come join the fun!

What We're Teaching
REAL: A 4-Week Series from The Old & New Testaments on Friendship

SERIES OVERVIEW:
It’s easy to spot a fake friend (and even easier to be a fake friend at times), but what’s not-so-easy is figuring out how to make and keep friendships that are real. Maybe it's just easier to keep our friendships on the surface. Or maybe we’ve never seen real friendship in real life before. Or maybe we don’t actually know anyone we trust enough to be real with. These days, when “friends” are just a click or a follow away, it’s more important than ever to figure out what true friendship really looks like. In this 4-week series, we’ll explore the words and stories of Jesus, the disciples, Paul, Timothy, David, and Jeremiah to help us understand what authentic friendship can look like. Together, we’ll discover that real friends choose each other wisely, show each other grace, comfort each other, and help each other grow.

We will begin this series September 4th.

FOLLOW US ON:
Facebook
Instagram

Important Dates (see details below)

Sat., Oct. 22: Free Estate Planning Workshop

Details

Free Estate Planning Workshop - October 22

The Legacy Ministry Committee is sponsoring another free Estate Planning Workshop taught by an experienced estate planning attorney on Saturday, October 22nd, from 2:00-5:00 pm, Bldg. C, room 242. So-called “Living documents”, specifically healthcare directives, living wills and legal powers of attorney for individuals in attendance will be drafted, witnessed, and notarized as appropriate at no cost. We strongly encourage individuals with or without wills or these living documents to attend this free session to learn more about these and other estate planning issues. The workshop is limited to 14 individuals.

Visit our webpage (www.duewest.org/legacy) devoted to legacy giving and the benefits for church members, stewardship, and of course, future generations. For more information, contact Bill Coffeen at billcoffeen@gmail.com.

Register Now!

Important Dates (see details below)

Sat., Sept. 17: Paint & Pour
Tue., Sept. 27: Small group starts back up

Details

WOMEN'S FALL KICKOFF - Paint and Pour

Saturday, September 17 from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm (Brunch Provided)

Welcome to Paint and Pour Encounters! Cost: $16.00

You do the painting & God does the pouring. Paint and Pour is a guided creative experience that gives an opportunity to make art with meaning and to be encouraged through artistic expression and the word of God. In a paint and pour experience, the art you make has a message that speaks to your soul.

It's a new way to encounter God. (No need to be artsy, this is meant to be a fun time!)

RSVP is required due to the purchasing of supplies and food. Click here to register now!

BEAUTY OF FELLOWSHIP SMALL GROUP

Mark your calendars, we start back Tuesday, September 27th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Meeting place information will be forthcoming closer to start up. We hope to see you there!

Important Dates (see details below)

Sun., Sept. 18: Fall Church Service Day
Sept. 24 - Oct. 1: Costa Rica Mission Trip
Sat., Oct. 1: Together Families Work Day

Details

School Supplies
Thank you to everybody that dropped off school supplies! We were able to get them in the hands of the counselors at Compton Elementary School in the South Cobb area.

Fall Church Service Day
Church Families: Make plans to stick around after church and help with the Fall Church Service Day! There will be projects going on Sunday, September 18th. Work will start at 10:00 am for those that attend the 8:30 am service and will continue through 2:00 pm. Lunch will be served under the pavilion. Come to church wearing comfortable clothes!

Costa Rica Mission Team
Please be in prayer for the Costa Rica mission team. They leave on Saturday, September 24th, and return on Saturday, October 1st.

Together Families Work Day
We still have a few openings left for Saturday, October 1st, when we will be sorting clothes. You can still drop off kids’ socks and underwear at the church office to support this project as well. Contact Mark Hellman at mhellman@duewest.org to sign up.

Lost-N-Found Youth
This mission partner is in need of meals donated on a daily basis. They support 30-40 homeless teens at their night/day shelter. Please visit their website and use their Sign-Up Genius! Contact Mark Hellman at mhellman@duewest.org for more information on this partner. We will be doing a more coordinated work day with them in November. Be on the lookout for more information.

Registration Now Open

Help us stay in touch with your college student so that we can send them periodic mailings to remind them how much they are loved and supported by the Due West family. Complete the online registration to be sure your student is included, this form needs to be filled out each year to ensure we have their most current address. If you have any questions, contact Tracie Cantrell 770-891-5073 or Patti Pass 404-542-8676 or send an email to collegecare@duewest.org.

Click here to register now.

GriefShare - Comforting Others

After the funeral, when the cards and flowers have stopped coming, most of the people around you return to their normal lives, but your grief continues and you may feel alone. Often, friends and family want to help you, but don't know how. That's the reason for GriefShare. GriefShare is a network of over 15,000 churches and grief support groups. Our group is led by caring people who have experienced grief due to the loss of a loved one and have successfully rebuilt their lives. We will walk with you on the long path through grief toward healing and hope for the future. The program is nondenominational and features biblical concepts for healing from your grief.

The support group meets weekly on Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Bldg. C, Room 219. The next 13-week cycle starts October 2, 2022.

If you have any questions or are interested in participating, please contact Connie at cmm10500@gmail.com or 904-651-273.

Click here for more information.

Our Congregational Care Ministry

“Answer us when we call to you, O my righteous God, Give us relief from our distress; be merciful to us and hear our prayers.” Psalm 4:1

As Care Ministers, we have felt called to provide support and comfort to those who are going through tough times that life brings to each of us. Times of discouragement, job loss, illness, surgery, loss of loved ones, to name a few.

You do NOT have to lack comfort, connection or prayer. Pastor David and the Congregational Care Ministers are the only people who know who is receiving care. Privacy is critical and respected.

A Care Minister can send notes, emails, connect by phone, pray with you, offer Communion and visit with you, if desired.

To begin receiving care, please call Denise Luders (church office) at dluders@duewest.org, Brenda and Dan Wyatt at danwyatt1966@gmail.com or Pastor David Campbell at dcampbell@duewest.org.

Please reach out, so together we can Be the Church.

Important Dates (see details below)

Sun., Sept. 18 - Morning of Worship Through Song

Details

Please join us during our morning services on Sept. 18th for our annual Morning of Worship Through Song. This year’s theme is “O Worship The King.”

The morning schedule:

8:30 am — Chancel Choir and Children’s Choir
9:45 am — Modern Worship Band and Youth Choir
11:00 am — Adult Choir and Orchestra

Sunday School Volunteers

dwKids Sunday School Volunteers - Contact Alicia Iles at ailes@duewest.org for details.

Join Our Usher Team

We are in need of more ushers for the 11:00 am church service in Building A. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Dianne Harrison at cdharrison830@gmail.com or 678-522-4909.

September 2022 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times

September 2022 Newsletter

Keeping you updated as we gather, grow and go!

Pastoral Update

Church Survey Results

Welcome New Church Staff

Due West 2022 Habitat for Humanity Build

Upcoming/Seasonal Events

Ongoing Events

dwPreschool

dwKids

Ignite Youth

Adults

Women's Ministry

Missions

College Care Ministry

Congregational Care Ministry

Music

Volunteer Opportunities

October 2022 Newsletter

August 2022 Newsletter

Due West Methodist Church

Sunday Service Times