The appointment of our new pastor has been announced and while we will miss Pastor Martha a great deal, this is an exciting time for us.

Our new pastor's name is John Grimm and he is coming to us from the Morgan's Chapel/Rockford Charge.  He is married and his wife's name is Maria.  She is a pastor as well and will be taking the Thornspring/Wesley Memorial Charge.  They have a 5 year old son, his name is Benjamin.

Pastor Grimm's first Sunday in the pulpit will be on June 26th and we are very excited to welcome him and his family to Jordan's Chapel.  We plan to welcome Pastor Grim and his family with a dinner on Saturday, July 2nd at our Family Fun and Fellowship day on the church property.

The  next meeting of the Pulaski County Lord's Acre Association will be on July 19 at 7:30 PM at the Thornspring United Methodist Church.  Each church should have their committee chairpersons present at this meeting. 

The Church Council has decided to discontinue the Food Pantry.  Funds will be kept on hand to help people in case of an emergency, but all food items have been donated to the Fairview Home.

After Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples in that upper room (this was on the very night that he was betrayed, arrested, and led off to a mock trial), he resumed his place at the table and said simply that the disciples should not let their hearts be troubled.

Troubled hearts!  If the disciples had troubled hearts, people of our time have troubled hearts, perhaps many times over.  Anxiety, despair, disappointment, loneliness, unfocused fears, concerns about health, fretfulness over finances, worry about family members, instability in the world, uncertainty about retirement income - the list is endless and indeed depressing.  Even as you read this message your heart is troubled.  You are anxious, uncertain, worried about something.  It may seem insignificant or it may be major, but you are likely troubled today.  It is the sign of our times; it is the characteristic of life in this twenty-first century.

But Jesus had a message for troubled hearts.  His message is remarkable simple and direct; it is crystal clear and patently obvious.  Jesus reminded his disciples that night and reminds you and me today that God is still in charge; this this is still (and always will be)  God's universe, God's creation; and that God loves each of us with such an infinite love that Christ Jesus came to share our lives with us.  So Jesus' instruction is clear: Believe in God and believe in Christ Jesus.  That means not putting our entire confidence in ourselves to solve the problems that beset us but putting all our trust in the promise of God to be with us, to care for us, to sustain us, and to give us tomorrow just as God cares for the flowers of the field.  Thanks be to God!

John P. Gilbert

The June Faith Promise Offering  will be taken up on June 26.   The money received will be given to UMCOR World Hunger/Poverty.  

The May Faith Promise Offering of $87.00 was given to the 2005 Holston Annual Conference Mission Offering to benefit "Helping Hands for Latvia."  The money will be used in three areas of mission in Latvia:

Building Camp Wesley to serve children and youth
Hope Center for women in crisis
Evangelism and Leadership Training

Continue to trust God for what you promised in faith, to give each month to the Faith Promise Offering.

05/15/05
Worship                       45
Sunday School             22
Regular Offering       $380.00
Sunday School             $13.00
Building Fund            $25.00
Birthday Offering         $6.00
Peace with Justice       $1.00
Change for Children    $26.50

05/22/05
Worship                       38
Sunday School             19
Regular Offering       $416.00
Sunday School             $16.00
Building Fund            $40.00
Faith Promise            $87.00
Camp Fund                  $1.00

5/29/05
Worship                39
Sunday School       17
Regular Offering    $942.00
Sunday School            $9.00
Holston Home          $13.00