McKENDREE MINISTRIES!

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES  are regularly at 9am and 11am.  (On Fifth Sundays we have one combined worship service at 10am.)  Our May sermon series is “Grace is Enough!”  Often we think what we need is out there to be acquired and purchased.  We don’t normally think about grace as something we see, but rather something that just is.  Paul writes to explain grace in this way, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect (enough) in weakness.  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9  We will explore the dimensions of grace through the Wesleyan lens of prevenient, justifying and sanctifying grace.  Let’s walk through grace as an experience of God’s gift to us daily and extend it to others on our discipleship path.

BAPTISM  If you are interested in being baptized, please contact Ruth in the church office at mckendreeinfo@gmail.com.

ENCOUNTER MINISTRY  We invite you to join us Sunday afternoons at 12:30pm at the offices of the United Methodist Publishing House at 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd, for our Encounter service.  The Encounter is an alternative service for those who feel “church” is not for them.  We are disrupting the passive model of Christian gathering and building bridges of hope around tables where we encounter God in and with our neighbor and engage the neighborhood.  For more information on our Encounter Ministry, you may contact Rick Quinn at mckendreerick@gmail.com.

REFRESH! is our mid-week gathering.  We meet in the first floor chapel each Wednesday, 12:00-12:30pm.  Our worship includes prayers, music, a message and Holy Communion.  Everyone is invited to attend.

CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADERS  If you want to know more about McKendree Church – our history, and our ministries, or want to be more connected, join us Sunday, June 10 at 10am in the Archives Room (#209, just across from the church office) following the 9am service. You’ll have an opportunity to learn more about the ministry and vision of McKendree Church, meet our leaders and take a tour of the church, and find a place to connect!  If you’d like to join us, please RSVP to Ruth Baggett at 615-271-2600 or mckendreeinfo@gmail.com.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER  Remember that we as a church are praying the Lord’s Prayer every day at Noon.  Wherever you are at noon, we invite you to join us in prayer.

2018 McKENDREE UMC VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL   Our VBS theme this year is “Hay Day: Growing in Friendship with Jesus.”  We’ll have a one-day fun-filled event on Saturday, June 2 from 9am-4pm.  How can you help?

First, bring your kids!  All children ages 3 years-5th grade are welcome.  Second, we need volunteers!  If you are willing to help in anyway please contact Daphne Coomer or Alison Weakley ASAP.  Nursery will be provided for volunteers.

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McKENDREE UMC to HOST EVENT
ON POPULAR MUSIC AND EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 3 pm

For close to 40 years now the Irish rock band U2 have been creating music infused with Christian and religious imagery and political commentary and protest.  Their music has often carried the tones of prophetic protest, expressions of joy and praise, and cries of lament and doubt.  While not a self-proclaimed Christian band, biblical themes, phrases, and psalms are widespread throughout their musical catalogue.  Given their status as arguably one of the biggest acts in popular music over the last 4 decades, it is worth exploring the connections.

McKendree UMC is hosting a special afternoon and evening event on Friday, May 25 to foster discussion around the interaction of popular culture and Christian faith in downtown Nashville, the day before U2 plays at the Bridgestone Arena on the Nashville stop of their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE TOUR 2018.  The event will begin Friday afternoon at 3:00pm in the sanctuary and will extend until about 8:00pm and will feature times of communal sharing and worship, open conversations and dialogues around faith and popular culture, music and singing, and a special guest message.  The event is free flowing and while everyone is welcome to be part of the entire afternoon and evening, participants are welcome to come and go as their schedule allows.

The event will include a message by Christian author and podcaster, Jonathan Martin (http://www.jonathanmartinwords.com).  Jonathan is the author of Prototype and How to Survive a Shipwreck and has served as a pastor, church planter, and activist.  His popular podcast Son of a Preacher Man is about finding “beauty in brokenness, grace in grit, and God in the ambiguity of the in-between.”  For more information on the event, feel free to visit the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/2031106580479569/ or contact Rick Quinn at mckendreerick@gmail.com.

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McKENDREE GROUP MINISTRIES!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT BIBLE STUDY  We are in a study of the book The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  This is a classic work of religious satire, written from the perspective of Screwtape, one of Satan’s highly placed assistants, as he mentors his nephew Wormwood in the ways of demonhood.  We are finding this book to be humorous and enlightening and it pushes us to think from a different perspective.  On May 30, we will discuss Letters 21-22, on Entitlement and The Christian Life.  We welcome everyone to join with us for this study series.  We meet each Wednesday at 6pm in Pastor Stephen’s office.

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OPPORTUNITY FOR SERVICE!

CLOTHING CLOSET ORGANIZATION  We need one-time help!  We are in great need of persons to help organize clothing in our church clothes closet.  We have been gifted with a large donation of clothes!  Most of it has been sorted, but still needs to be folded and organized before we can re-open the closet to the public.

If you can assist one time for a morning, an afternoon, an evening, a couple of hours, whatever fits your schedule – we truly need help!   Please contact Ruth Baggett in the church office if you can donate some time (mckendreeinfo@gmail.com or 615-271-2600).

We also need volunteers for the closet when it is open to the public – to greet our guests, help them find clothing, and give information about McKendree Church.  Volunteers are needed for 2-hour times, either morning or afternoon, any day Monday-Friday, once a week, twice a month – whatever fits your schedule.  Please let Ruth know if you can volunteer.

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CHURCH FAMILY NEWS

PRAYER WALL  Our prayer wall is located on the table at the back of the church.  You may take a tag (in a box on the table), write out your prayer need, and place it on a nail in the wall.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays the Lead Team and Prayer Team pray over all the concerns submitted.  We welcome people from our congregation to submit concerns and to read and pray over the concerns of our church body.  You may also share your concerns with the church staff by phone (615-271-2600) or email (mckendreeinfo@gmail.com).

HAVE YOU MOVED?  Do you have a new address, phone number or email address?  Have you taken out your home phone and now just use your cell number?  Please keep the church office informed with your latest information so we can keep you up to date on all the church events!  Thanks for your help!

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McKENDREE GIVING  Your financial gifts and donations are always appreciated.  Consider adding McKendree UMC to your bill pay account.  Our address is: 523 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219.  Online giving s available at www.McKendreeNashville.com/give/financialgifts/.   You may also text your giving!  Just text the amount you would like to give to 615-375-4049.

PASTOR’S SERMON  You may hear Pastor Handy’s latest sermon by going to https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mckendree-united-methodist/id962978531?mt=2

As always, remember God’s will for us is good, we must do the rest!
Pastor Stephen