The Beacon Newsletter August 2024

Looking Ahead

Pie With Pastors - Saturday, August 10 9am- 11am

Guest Preacher - Rev. Steve Taylor, Sunday August 11

End of Summer Day Camp - August 19 - 23

Back to School Sunday - August 25

Professing Members to be received on Sunday, August 25

A Word from Rev. Snell

Dear Cedar Grove friends:

I’m ready for September. Well, not quite ready for the actual month of September to arrive. We’ve got the long month of August to savor before this summer comes to an end. I don’t want to rush through August.

I am, however, ready for September weather. Or, at least a break from this heat and humidity. The weather experts have recently been emphasizing the “feels-like” temperatures in their forecasts. Anything they report that is in the triple digits means that it will feel like miserable. There may be some who enjoy this type of weather, but I suspect cooler temperatures and lower humidity would be an answer to prayer for many of us.

There is an opportunity for prayer, however, that will turn the spiritual heat up, not down. The Prayer Committee of the Global Methodist Church is asking all the churches of the GMC to enter into a 40-day season of prayer and fasting prior to our very first General Conference in Costa Rica. This season of focused prayer will begin on August 7 and conclude on September 15. A link to the GMC’s Prayer Guide is available on our website (cgdeale.org) and at sotheworldwillknow.org. Paper copies of the Prayer Guide are also available in the Lobby.

As this new denomination takes shape, I am grateful the GMC keeps prayer as a central focus of all its major gatherings. We covered our Annual Conference in prayer 40 days in advance of last April’s meeting in Pennsylvania; we are now asked to do the same for this international gathering of the faithful in Costa Rica. I think it was D.L. Moody who said that “Every great movement of God can be traced back to people kneeling in prayer.” The success of this movement in the future may very well depend on our willingness to pray now.

Beginning August 7 I invite you to join me in committing just a few moments of your daily prayer time on your knees and focusing on the upcoming General Conference. The suggested prayers in the Prayer Guide are all very short, but there is power when God’s people pray even the simplest of prayers together and for a common purpose.  

Besides, 40 days after we begin, it will be mid-September and no doubt be cooler and far more pleasant to be outside. And, if we are faithful in prayer, things will be starting to really heat up in Costa Rica when the fire of the Holy Spirit begins to burn again among the people called Methodists.

Peace,

A.B. Snell

Announcements

Pie with the Pastors — All who are interested in exploring membership or making a renewed profession of faith at Cedar Grove are invited to join the pastors for pie and conversation on the second Saturday of each month. Sign up on the clipboard in the lobby. The next date will be August 10. See one of the pastors for details. 

Save the date — Rev. Steve Taylor, President Pro Tem of the Northeast Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church, will be in the area on August 10-11. Rev. Taylor will host an informational meeting for all our district churches on Saturday, August 10 from 1:00-3:00 pm at Cedar Grove in Fellowship Hall. Rev. Taylor will preach at Cedar Grove on Sunday, August 11.

Tuesday Bible Study — All are welcome to join us for Bible Study at 10:00 am on Tuesdays in Fellowship Hall. Tuesday Bible Study will not meet on August 6 or August 13.

40 Days of Prayer — To prepare for the upcoming Convening General Conference in Costa Rica, the Global Methodist Church has published a 40 Day Prayer Guide for use from August 7—September 15. Prayer Guides are available in the Lobby and on our website.

Homeless Mission Need — We are running low on some of the supplies we distribute to the homeless. Donations of regular tube socks will be gratefully accepted. (Thick, winter-weight socks are not needed at this time.) A box for donated supplies is located in the Lobby. Please see Pam Morton with questions. Thank you!

Sunday Worship Schedule

August 4- Preacher: Rev. Snell - Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, John 6:24-35

August 11 - Preacher: Rev. Steve Taylor, Global Methodist President Pro Tem - Scripture Mark 4:35-41

August 18 - Preacher: Rev. Wilkerson- Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-8, John 6:35-40

August 25 - Preacher: Rev. Snell - Scripture: 1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43, John 6:56-59

Missions Corner

July 28, 2024 News of Southern Congo with Louis Bishimba

Louis Bishimba has had a long challenging year in the Southern Congo area of Africa. God has used Louis in a mighty way to help lead the Christian people and churches through the controversy with the United Methodist Church, and standing secure on the Scriptural teachings set forth in God’s Word. Louis was formerly the superintendent in his region and continues to lead the churches and mentor other pastors as they seek his guidance.

Louis presently has no salary, but supplements his income by planting corn crops or raising chickens. Louis’s ministry leaves little time to work other methods as his travels take him many miles to other cities and villages. There are around fifty churches in his region that he shepherds.

Another part of Louis’s ministry is regularly teaching other pastors to start and lead churches. Many of these pastors have no formal training but are called by God to start local churches with few resources. In many cases, the pastors must be taught how the Gospel is superior to other religions (especially in areas with a strong Muslim presence).

Louis leads by example by showing other Christian families how to take in and raise orphaned children in their homes. He and his wife, Pascaline, are raising an orphaned girl as their own daughter and they have helped many others in the past.

Life is challenging there in his city, but together the people work to care for each other in times of need. Louis has been able to help with some medical supplies through donations from American churches. One of our district churches, Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Calvert County, helped 20 local parishes with medical equipment, blood pressure cuffs, infrared thermometers, diabetes test kits, and a hand pedal cycle for a lame man. This generosity helped hundreds of people.

The people in the Congo depend on Louis to be their steadfast leader for furthering the Gospel and discipleship of churches and pastors.

Written by: Jeri Mead

Children & Youth Update by Pastor Faith Wilkerson

Sunday Mornings: Cedar Grove Kids

SUNDAY AUGUST 25

Back to School Blessing

As families prepare to begin a new school year, we will take moment in worship to offer prayers of blessing for the new school year.

You may remember the worry, excitement, hope or even dread of going back to school. No matter how you feel, we never face the future alone. God is with us. 

This act of blessing is a time to turn to God in worship, with our children (and teachers) to invite them to draw strength from the Lord and know that their church is praying for them.

CHRISTIAN PUPPETRY ON SUNDAY MORNINGS 

During the month of August, our group will enjoy puppetry as a way to encounter the gospel. Each week, we will build puppets to help us re-enact a scene from the Bible. 

Building puppets teaches creative problem solving (It can be difficult to figure out how to construct a puppet!). Using the puppet to tell the gospel message engages each of us with the scripture. We are all "in the scene" with Jesus.

You will get to see our creation as we will present our puppets on the last Sunday in August (back to School Sunday). It's a re-enactment of the feeding of the 5,000. If your child misses Sunday school, no worries. Every child will be able to take part on Sunday, August 25.

END OF SUMMER DAY CAMP August 19 - 23 from 8am-3pm with option for early drop off at 7:00 and extended care til 5pm. Cost $30 per day. Space is limited.

There’s so much fun yet to be had before we go back to school

Our days will include: a water balloon fight, making popsicles, building a solar hot dog cooker, gaga ball, kick ball, making music, arts & crafts, painting and more!

This is for elementary school ages, so your child must be at least a rising kindergartner to attend. Want to sign up? Please contact the office or call Pastor Faith directly at 410-474-4156.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLERS welcomed to sign up to assist with projects of their choice. Donations of snacks and arts supplies are always welcomed!

Update on Tender Years of Deale - an outreach ministry of Cedar Grove Methodist Church

In the last weeks, you may have seen several cars and trucks at 6006 Drum Point Road as we have been preparing for new outreach ministry to offer affordable Christian Daycare. Over the last month, so many have extended time and donations to get the center up and running. We have received new and used furniture, games, arts and crafts supplies and equipment. Below is a list of how you can support this new initiative

Time / Talent / Treasure

Time & Talent Donations - contact Pastor Faith for any of the following ways you can give

• indoor volunteers needed to set up classrooms, clean and assemble items
• construction volunteers to assemble shelves, furniture, toys, etc.
• indoor volunteers to clean 2 kitchens and stock new items in pantry
• outdoor volunteers to set up play equipment, flower bed boxes, weeding, light yard work
• creative construction of outdoor play area such as sandbox and repairing playsets
• landscaping lovers to assist with flowerbeds, play yard, planters
• lifting & moving furniture items from the Ministry Center
• office volunteers for filing, copying and phone calls

Financial Support - Giving of our "Treasure"

We invite you to purchase needed items from our Amazon Wish Lists

• Amazon Wish List for the Infant Room - items are shipped to the center
• Amazon Wish List for the PreK Room - items are shipped to the center
• Gift cards to Amazon will also help us make purchases for the rooms.
• Donate any amount to Cedar Grove toward the mission line item Tender Years, which will assist with the expenses associated with getting the center up and running.

The Beacon Newsletter is a monthly publication of Cedar Grove Methodist Church in Deale, Maryland.