Text Box: Greater Things John 14:12 October 23, 2007 Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church 4809 Bell Hill Road, Bessemer, AL 35022 Fax: (205) 428-6135 Office: 428-4056 Parsonage: 936-9540 FLC: 428-4920 e-mail: Pleasant Hill4809@aol.com Alan Head, Pastor Monica Habarger, Student Minister e-mail: PHImpactyouth@aol.com Web Page Address: www.ph-umc.com


Text Box: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS NOV. 4 SET CLOCKS BACK



Text Box: TRUNK OR TREAT WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31 6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P. M. If you are furnishing a “trunk”, please be in place by 5:30 if possible. If you would like to participate but have not signed up, contact Tonya Koll. We still need help in many areas. If you cannot help, come for hot dogs, nachos, drinks and snacks in the FLC. Monetary donations are always Great! Come and have a good time!!


Text Box: HERITAGE SUNDAY Celebration of our 175 anniversary was completed with a wonderful day of remembrances and of looking ahead to future memories. Our morning worship service included honoring three special people; Mrs. Edna Parsons who at 102 is our oldest member; Mrs. Ruth Bailey, who has been a member longer than any one else, joining in 1924, and Mrs. Lucy Reeves who is our oldest active member. Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Bailey were not able to be with us, but Mrs. Reeves was present with her ever present smile. We had beautiful music, as always, from our choir and a special arrangement performed for the offertory by two former members, Carolyn Ethridge Baker on the piano and Scott Welch on the organ. Two former ministers, Rev. F. D.Turney and Rev. Bobby Scales, and a former District Superindentent, Rev. Jerry Sissoms were present and recognized. Rev. Pete West brought our message for the day. Rev. West is the son-in-law of a former minister, Rev. C.F. Hamby who served here in 1925-1926, and the son of a former minister, Rev. J.P.West, who served 1938-1941. Rev. West told of some of his childhood memories while living in the old church parsonage as a child. His son, Steve West, while a student at Birmingham Southern College, served as Youth Director and as Choir Director from 1983-1986. Steve is now a minister in the Huntsville District. Many of our congregation dressed in period clothing, representing the different fashions over the 175 years. The sanctuary was decorated with many items from the past. A special addition to the day was the baptism of a beautiful baby girl, Natalie Chelewski, representing our future. After the worship service, a delicious covered dish lunch was served in the fellowship hall. The tables were beautifully decrorated with our Terquasquicentennial plates or the church history book and old fashioned fans with pictures of the old and new church buildings. Pleasant Hill bookmarks were given out to those who attended. Also available were booklets made by Vickie Herring of stories, anecdotes and just memories that were submitted by present and past members. These were beautifully done and we thank Vickie for doing them. There were so many people involved in planning and carrying out the activities of this day that it would be impossible to thank everyone, but we especially wish to thank Mrs. Frances Howard, church historian and chairman of the Heritage Committee, for bringing this all together and her work during the year of all the anniversary activities. And of course we wish to thank all the people on the Family Life Committee who work so hard setting up and cleaning up at our fellowship meals. Jean Baswell


Text Box: Members of the Nellie Yingling Class honored Mrs. LucyReeves with a party on her 98th birthday at the Plantation Manor Assisted Living Dinning Room. We wish Lucy many more birthdays!


Text Box: The Chili Fall Festival is an annual event to benefit the United Methodist Center for Senior Citizens. This year's festival will be Friday November 2, 2007 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm. There will be arts and crafts by professional vendors. A great time to get lunch for $7.50 (chili, salad, dessert, tea/coffee). If you would like chili, but cannot attend, you can place an order by contacting either Houston Carter, Opal Shotts, or Delbra Rivers. Houston will have your chili at the church Friday afternoon on November 7 for you to pick up before 4:00 pm.



Text Box: CHANGE IN NEWSLETTER SCHEDULE Due to the upcoming holidays and the way the days fall in the calendar, the newsletter deadline for the next two months will be the first and third Mondays of each month and the mailing date will also be changed: Deadlines: Nov. 5th and 19th Dec. 3rd and 17th Mailing dates: Nov. 6th & 20th Dec. 4th & 28th We will resume in January with the second and fourth Monday deadlines.


Text Box: FROM OUR PASTOR Hospitality It is not often that I am afforded the opportunity to visit other churches. During September, while in San Francisco, I had a chance to visit The Fellowship of All God’s Children whose founder was Howard Thurman. The church was small and perhaps had seen it’s better days. It had everything working against it: lack of available street parking, lack of funds, declining facilities and neighborhood. Yet, it had one thing in great abundance: HOSPITALITY While my friends and I were checking out the sign and schedule on the street we were greeted by an older gentleman with a bulletin in his hand. The gentleman greeted us with these words; “I sure hope you will come in and worship with us”. We introduced ourselves and he took us inside and showed us where the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and restrooms were. All along the way the few people in attendance greeted us with warm and sincere welcomes. The older gentleman did not stop with this, he took us and proudly introduced us to the pastor. As the service began we were welcomed, and our guide made sure we had hymnals and anything else we might need. The hospitality never stopped. I found myself feeling comfortable in this simple place. After the service was over we were invited to stay and share in their monthly fellowship meal (or let me say urged to stay). My group found ourselves split up at lunch, yet, the people continued to make us feel at ease and welcomed. It is amazing that I have studied the topic of hospitality time and time again from the view of large, contemporary congregations only to find the most authentic and Biblical approach from a small congregation that few have ever heard of. Pleasant Hill certainly knows a thing or two about hospitality and yet maybe we could pick up a couple of pointers from my experience. Hospitality is everyone’s job. It begins in the parking lot, take a moment and greet those you see walking in. If they are not familiar to you, ask them how long they have been coming to PHUMC. If they have not been coming long, ask them if they are familiar with the facilities. You might ask them if they need assistance finding restrooms, nursery, etc.. Help them find a place in the sanctuary, invite them to sit with you and your family. Offer them a hymnal, bible, REGISTRATION PAD or anything else they need. Take a moment and introduce them to the pastor. And finally, invite them to other services and gathering times. All of us long to feel wanted and welcomed. What a great church family we have to be a part of. So why not invite someone to come and shower them with hospitality when they get here. Just a thought, Alan



Text Box: I am invoking the help of everyone at Pleasant Hill to make our auction experience a success. Our church is blessed to have the talent of so many individuals as well as resources available. What I am asking is that you think about what you have available within your means and if you are willing to donate this to the youth. Examples of donations may include: places to stay on the river, beach, etc., tickets to sporting events, homemade desserts, a will, tax service, pressure washing, painting, crafts, car washes, baby sitting, hunting trips, etc....Anything and everything is a possibility. I really believe that this will be a wonderful night of fun and fellowship as we all bid on various items with the ultimate goal being to support our youth and their desire to serve the community. Please contact Monica at phimpactyouth@aol.com for more information


Text Box: Mission Trip to the Mississippi Coast The next Hurricane Katrina Relief trip is scheduled to leave the church at approximately 4:30 PM on November 1st. We will again be staying in Ocean Springs, MS. We will work Friday and Saturday on someone’s home that will truly bless them as well as yourself. We will not know our project(s) that we will be assigned until a few days before we go and sometimes we do not know until Friday morning. Being flexible is always a benefit when we go on one of these trips. So if you can be flexible with your schedule, see if you can be one of those people that come back and know that they have been touched by the hand of God. God always puts us with the right people that are in need of our help. For more information contact John Fillebaum jfillebaum@jwrinc.com


Text Box: STORIES Did you see the beautiful booklet of memories given out at the Heritage Sunday Service? After seeing it, did you think of a story or two that you could have contributed but just never got around to it? Well, we will give you another chance. We can not get your story in this booklet, but if you will write it and send it to Jean in the church office, we will try to put it in the newsetter when we have the space. We will also start a file folder to keep these stories in for future use. There is no deadline and no format. But don't keep putting it off or it will never get done and your story will be lost forever! If you do not wish to write the story yourself, call Jean and make an appointment to tell her the story and she will write it for you. Happy Memories! .


Text Box: NEW MEMBERS NOT INCLUDED IN LAST CHURCH DIRECTORY Mr. & Mrs. Sean Kelley (Patti) and children: Elise and Graeme Mr. & Mrs. Mike Chelewski (Jaclyn) and daughter, Natalie Please add these families to your church directory


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 


 


 












 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 














 

 

 

PICTORIAL  DIRECTORY

 

If you failed to sign up to have your picture made for our upcoming pictorial directory, it is not too late. You may call Olan Mills at  1-800-866-2263  between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1, to make or change an appointment. You will need to give them the church name and phone number (428-4056). We need everyone in our directory.