October 2022 – first methodist church

Dear First United Methodist Church Community,

What strange times we’re living through! So many tragic losses… so much fear and worry. And yet, we know ourselves to be blessed. As beloved children of God, we recognize our blessings no matter the current circumstance.

We see blessings in being part of this congregation, and we respond by inviting others into our worship and fellowship. We see blessings in being part of this community, and we respond by inviting our neighbors to share a meal on most Wednesday nights. We invite our neighbors to join us in our Fall Festival, and we look forward to returning to other invitational traditions.

We see blessings in being together, and we respond with fellowship and with mutual support. We know that First UMC is there for us: with a meal, with counseling and prayer. We’ve found an extended “family” with whom we can share our worries and our joys.

This is the way that First UMC responds to our many blessings: generosity. As Christians, we strive to be generous, improving the lives of our neighbors, local and global. Perhaps even more importantly, living generously improves us. It changes our relationship with our “stuff”, and, in doing so, changes our relationship with God. Generosity moves our perspective to trusting in God instead of only relying on ourselves, our hard work, our knowledge, and our resources. What a relief to understand that we can rely on more than ourselves!

This year’s Stewardship drive must be different in some ways because these past years have put all of us in different circumstances. Some of our community is suffering from the health impacts and the economic consequences of the pandemic. On the other hand, some find themselves with reduced expenses, because they are spending more time at home. The uncertainty of this time will make First UMC’s budgeting very difficult. Your pledge is the best way to let our congregational leadership know how much financial support First UMC is likely to see next year. If you can afford to increase your pledge, please consider that First UMC is poised to expand our engagement with the community, and that that fulfilling these plans will depend on our funding. As always, please be aware that a pledge is a statement for your planned giving, not an immutable contract.

We will celebrate the gathering of our planned offerings on Sunday, December 4th. You can bring your pledge to First UMC for that celebration or mail it to FUMC, PO Box 456, Bennettsville, SC 29512.

Please know you are welcome to contact Pastor Taylor, or any member of the Stewardship/Finance Committee to help determine your pledge. We thank you in advance for your commitment to First UMC and wish you many generous blessings!

November 6, 2022

On November 6, 2022, we will celebrate “All Saints Day” at First United Methodist Church in Bennettsville. It is the tradition of many churches throughout the world to commemorate this day each year. It is a day that we remember those who have entered The Church Triumphant. We will be remembering our members and constituents who have passed away since our last “All Saints Day.”

We want to invite you to join us on this day as we remember our members who have entered The Church Triumphant during our worship service and then join us in the Methodist Family Center for our All Saints Day Luncheon. Our menu will be fried chicken, roast beet, mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, broccoli salad green beans, bread, dessert and drink.

We hope to see you and your family on November 6th for this time of remembrance.