BRIGHT HOPE LAUREL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
DEDICATED TO SHARING GOD’S LOVE AND FORGIVENESS WITH THE WORLD
Volume 2, Issue 10
From the Pastor’s Desk - Attendance is Up
As we come to that time of
year again when we crunch
numbers, elect officers, write
reports about what we have
done and what we hope to do,
I remind you of the “real rea-
son” we are here.
For the past few weeks we
have been looking at one
question: “Why church?”
Why are we here? Why do
we come? What is the point?
As a pastor for over ten
years now, I have heard a
great many answers to those
questions; yet when it comes
time to do budgets and talk
about stewardship, almost all
churches return to “The Bot-
Alas; the truth is that we are
in this world and are treated
as a business in this world.
Yet I urge you to hold fast
to a greater truth: That we
are God’s children and
God’s alone.
As Christians we are here at
church to worship our Risen
Savior. We come to worship
and to serve our Risen Lord.
The cartoon at the beginning
of this article is one of my
favorites from the “Reverend
Fun” series. It makes light of
the reason why people are in
church. The lay man tells the
pastor the truth, attendance is
up! … Yet they are asleep!
This past weekend we once
more came together as a body
and stirred apple butter till
we were blue in the face. All
for money which we don’t
really receive or use (as it is
dispersed).
Yet we stir and we stir not
for our benefit, but for the
benefit of others hoping that
through our help many more
people we come to know the
Lord as there Savior and
God.
I know that the “quiet
times” are almost back upon
us we make that annual move
urge you to never find your-
selves “a sleep” no matter if
you are here at BHL or at
your “winter church.”
I pray that you serve the
Lord each day as you did last
week with the fervor and zeal
to spread God’s love.
Then will you be able to
look around in your churches
and see people in the pews as
attendance is up … not be-
cause they need a bed, but
because they desire to be in
the presence of God and feel
God’s love and mercy.
For those that are leaving
us, I pray that God gives you
a safe journey and a blessed
winter season. Know that you
will be missed this winter and
that we look forward to shar-
ing as a family once more
next Spring/Summer.
For those of us “left behind”
in the snow again, I pray that
you never forget that this
place we call Bright Hope
Laurel is not just a pretty
church on the creek side, but
is just what it’s name implies:
a church that is in the Upper
Laurel Community that even
in the coldest and darkest of
nights, shines forth that bea-
con of “Bright Hope” to a
October, 2010
Special points of
Interest
 The United Methodist Men will
be meeting on Sunday, October
3rd at 7:46 am.
 Our second concert this year
featuring the Southern Appala-
chian Chamber Singers will be
on Saturday, October 9th at 7
PM.
 Charge Conference will be on
Sunday, October 10th at 6 PM at
Christ UMC, Weaverville.
 The United Methodist Women
will meet on Tuesday, October
19th at 6:00 PM.
 Family Meal and Fun Time …
Sunday October 24th after
worship.
Inside this issue:
SEPTEMBER SERMONS 2
2
FINANCIAL REPORT
3
THOSE SERVING IN
WORSHIP (OCTOBER)
A MEMORIAL TO WILLAIM 4-5
WARD
CHRISTIAN FUN 6
SPEICAL ARTICLE 6
 Scripture and Sermons
Oct. 3 HOLY COMMUNION - “Hunger Pot” Offering
Scripture Lesson: 2 Timothy 1:1-14
Sermon: “Why Church? - Learning From One Another”

Oct. 10 Scripture Lesson: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Sermon: “From Death to Life”

Oct. 17 Scripture Lesson: TBA

Sermon: TBA (Rev. John Gatewood will be speaking)

Oct. 24 Scripture Lesson: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Sermon: “The Airport Scanner”

Oct. 31 Scripture Lesson: Joel 2:23-32

Sermon: “Our Only Hope”

ATTENDANCE AND FINANCIAL GIVING

October 2010

Average Attendance: 95

Regular Giving : $ 8654.58

Average Regular Giving: $ 2163.65 (per week)

Designated Giving: $ 92.54 (Hunger Pot)

$576.00 (Music)

$30.00 (Youth)

$40.00 (Pasta Dinner)

$100.00 (Betty Martin Fund)

$ 7586.57 (Fall Festival)

$ 8425.11 (Total Designated Giving)

($ 2,078.15 per week is needed to meet our church budget.)
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Rich Ashley, Lay Leader

GREETERS: USHERS:

3 Al and June Tapio 3 Frank and Angela Fox

10 Danny Burnette and Judy Womble 10 Bruce Harrison and Dot Cody
17 Sue and Larry Smith 17 Sylvia and Ed Brantley
24 Mike and Jenny Miller 24 Liz Benjamin and Scott Crandall
31 Liz Benjamin and Scott Crandall 31 Ed Ponder and Sherry Lesley

OFFERTORY PRAYER: Rich Ashley, Lay Leader

SCRIPTURE READERS: NURSERY/PRE-SCHOOL:

3 Nicole Johnson 3 Jenny Miller

10 Scott Crandall 10 Angela Fox
17 Rich Ashley 17 Liz Benjamin
24 Don Mathis 24 Judy Womble
31 Tom Wrenn 31 Marsha Boyd

CHILDREN’S TIME: Jenny Miller, Dixie Tipton, Rev. Johnson, and Cammie Monroe
CHILDREN’S CHURCH: Carolyn Ponder; Lisa Anderson

“TWEENS CLASS”: Kathy Wrenn, Lois Lynn Bellemare, & Cammie Monroe

COMMUNION STEWARDS: Dr. Ernie and Frances Powell

COUNTERS:

3 Rich Ashley and Assistant

10 Dick Moeller and Solon O’Neal
17 John Hamrick and Don Mathis
24 Don Mathis and Assistant
31 Sherry Lesley and Judy Womble

AUDIO VISUAL: Danny Burnette and Brian Dodge

If you are unable to serve when indicated, please ask someone to take your place .
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SERVE IN ANY CAPACITY, please tell the Pastor.
THANK YOU for your service and dedication to Bright Hope Laurel United Methodist Church!
the real genius of the movement occurred when the people who responded to the preaching of Wesley were formed into small
bands or classes that met each week for the purpose of holding each other accountable for their life as a Christian disciple.
These meetings focused on making sure that the people were being faithful to their mutual covenant. In this way people were
firmly, but gently, guided in their growth as Christians.

For historic Methodism, accountability was the heart of discipleship. It recognized that we are weak and sinful people,
unable to redeem ourselves. It also recognized that we need each other if we are to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
Much like Twelve Step groups today provide support and accountability to those who recognize their need, so did these classes
serve as the foundation for growth in faithfulness.

Over the past twenty years, we have seen a resurgence of these accountability groups in the United Methodist Church.
Called Covenant Discipleship groups, these small groups provide the newest expression of the early Methodist classes. These
Covenant groups focus on a mutual covenant of accountability that is agreed upon by all of the members of the group. This
small group, usually between five and seven people, builds a covenant by finding disciplines that they are willing to let others
hold them accountable to following. The clauses in the covenant include the two main areas of discipleship, what John Wesley
called "works of piety" and "works of mercy." Works of piety are the inner disciplines of prayer, worship, sacrament, and
study. Works of mercy include all outward acts of kindness and justice. The leadership of the meeting rotates each week with
the purpose of the gathering being to make sure that all are being faithful to their shared covenant

At the heart of Covenant groups is John Wesley’s admonition to "watch over one another in love." These groups are not
about power or control. They are about giving ourselves to one another, trusting that together we can become the people,
clergy and laity, that God wants us to be. Information concerning Covenant Discipleship groups can be found at
www.gbod.org/smallgroup.

The Reverend Kent Ingram is the Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs and Guest Columnist to RJ&L’s
First Freedom newsletter (http://www.rothgerber.com/showarticle.aspx?Show=969 ).

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