20150517 Prodigal Son Sessions at Shepherd's Center

Click  below for picture and comments

20120304 Lou and the Prodigal Son, Helping Hands Discussion

. Please help edit your area of responsibility. Thanks.don 20120304  Blog   Audio   Pictures

>President Jim Hatfield welcomed the Class. His prayer asked for help with those living in fear. >Clipboard: Contained several items previously mentioned including the CPR Classes Adults Plus Fall  Retreat at Junaluska, Library Dedication

>Notice above  links to the Blog, Audio and Smugmug Pictures of today’s class. Let me know if anything on line needs removal or editing or if you need you need password to the various links  such as the roster. We have  pictures and video there of the morning street preacher. He is upset we do not believe the Bible at MPUMC. I tried to talk to him briefly and that is on the Video. ps, it is hard to talk to someone when they respond with an amplified bull horn microphone.

• Cal Chesson reported on Helping Hands $$$ and procedures
• Cal reported a balance of $2,531.48 in the Fund at year end plus an additional $275 in recent collections.
• Cal summarized that our procedures are in the Handbook and  call for a cap of $500 and worthy purposes  involving class members, needs of the church, church charities, or Charlotte community - but does not reach International .(See Handbook for details and forms)
• Forms are available for both contributions and gifts which help in proper notifications and approval. Forms may be obtained from Cal, Mary Katherine, or on line at the Blog links further down this page. Forms left on table in back disappear with all the use the room gets.
• Checks TO Helping Hands should be made to MPUMC with "Helping Hands Fund-Person Name" on memo line.
• The Helping Hands Committee is responsible for reviewing applications for Gifts from Helping Hands and deciding whether to recommend to the class for approval.
• A request was made  for funds for a trip a group is taking to Haiti for building a parsonage and supplies and sports equipment for children. After he left, Willard Gourley recommended we give $200, and the Class approved after Jim agreed to be the sponsor.
• Jim added:Our petitioner for Helping Hand funds was Robert Lutz.  He's from the Journeys SS Class and will lead a mission team to Costa Rica next week.  The Ownbey link is that both Jack Copeland and I have gone on this same trip several times.  The check will be made out to MPUMC and the memo line will be:  Costa Rica Mission Trip
• Here are links related to Helping Hands
  • Helping Hands page 26 Procedures in Handbook. http://www.donredding.com/ownbey/ownbeyhandbook.pdf#page=26
  • Helping Hands Blog Pages - http://ownbeyss.blogspot.com/p/helping-hands.html
  • Make check to MPUMC, etc - http://ownbeyss.blogspot.com/2012/02/normal-0-st1behaviorurlieooui-style.html
• Forms for Gift TO Helping Hands in Honor or Memorial
  • http://donredding.com/honor.pdf
  • if you need word file let don know
• Forms for Gift FROM Helping Hands 
• there is a pdf document on line at
  • http://www.donredding.com/applicationownbeyhelpinghands2.pdf
• there is a word document on line at
  • http://www.donredding.com/applicationownbeyhelpinghands2.doc
• the 2003 Helping Hands policy statement is at
  • http://www.donredding.com/helpinghandspolicy.htm
• the Handbook is as Follows: http://www.donredding.com/ownbey/ownbeyhandbook.pdf

• 3/4/2012 Lou lead the discussion on

  •  "The Return of The Prodigal Son" by Henri J.M. Nouwen.From Review on Amazon: What an incredible book. 
    What a simple message, deeply explored and wonderfully exposited. 

    By 

    F. Stewart
    This review is from: The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (Paperback)
    Fr. Nouwen's book was recommended to me by a counselor whom I was seeing about inability/unwillingness to break free of bitterness and forgive past and present hurts. I believe that Fr. Nouwen's tale of his spiritual progression, from seeing himself only as the "prodigal son;" to recognizing himself as the "elder brother;" and finally to recognizing God's desire that he become "the father" describes the "journey home" to which God's calls all His children: to come to the "place" of being forgiven and reconciled to God; to move on to the "place" of forgiving others based on our security in being loved by God; and finally to provide the "place" in our own hearts into which others may come to experience God's forgiveness and reconciliation.
    Had I not read the convincing "portrayal" of this truth by Fr. Nouwen, I would not have believed it. This truth puts a whole new meaning to "being a member of God's household" - to be fully in the Father's house is to be a living extension of the Father's home, which is always welcoming! This is indeed a "high calling," and one that inspires me to strive even harder to cease allowing self-centeredness to hold me back.

• Health and Happiness update
  • Tom Stinson was with us today. Martha Sadri thanked the class and Reatha for kindnesses with her son-in-law. Betty Campbell planned to be with us today but been to hospital with back problems.

  • 03/01	Gage	Jane
    03/08	Elkins		Syd
    03/10	Grogan		Gary
    03/10	Schrum	Margaret Ann
    03/11	Campbell	Betty
    03/13	Needy	Carol
    03/13	Witherington	Laura
    03/15	Culbreth	Winnie
    03/20	Gourley		Willard
    03/27	Thompson	Harriette
    03/28	Culbreth	Pat
    03/30	Culbreth		Frank
    03/30	Sadri	Martha

     
• Spaghetti Lunch in Jubilee Hall
  • We had about 35 people at our noon Spaghetti Luncheon in Jubilee Hall including guests from the Wesley Class (Phyllis and Bill Spier). Also visitors included Rob and Shirley Byrd, Tom and Alice Rothrock,  Rick Bronwyn, and Joan Gaskins from various classes.
• Adults Plus! Upcoming Trips include the October Retreat at Lake Junaluska led by Mark Edwards
• Social Chair Durward and Connie Reported:
  • Click Here for Socials  http://ownbeyss.blogspot.com/2012/02/20120228-socials.html
  • Reatha said she is getting an email out about Socials soon.
• 03/4/2012  Lou lead the discussion on

  •  "The Return of The Prodigal Son" by Henri J.M. Nouwen.From Review on Amazon: What an incredible book. 
    What a simple message, deeply explored and wonderfully exposited. Henri Nouwen is a master of reflection, study, self-knowledge, 
    and of writing beautiful, profound books. This book is amazing, 
    perhaps life-changing. It has spoken to me in profound and deep 
    ways, and I am deeply thankful for it. Nouwen's main message,
    I think, is the unconditional, unfailing, all-surpassing 
    love of the Father, this love that meets all needs easily. 
    He puts himself in the place of  the younger son, the older son, 
    and the father, and considers this love - and the things that
     keep us from fully experiencing it - in all of these places, 
    places that ring universal. The media of realization here is Read More .

Lessons 

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  him. It also paints a grim picture of the onset of World War II and the mentality of Germany
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  Apr 15 -- Letter To A Man In The Fire: Does God Exist And Does He Care by Reynolds Price, led by Gaston. 5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Guide. As one who watched his own father, a retired minister, die a horrible, lingering death this past year after 15-year battles with cancer, heart disease and diabetes, I found Mr. Price's "Letter" to be both thought-provoking and helpful in my own search for answers to the questions posed in the book's title -- more helpful than my re-readings of Ecclesiastes and... Read the full review › 
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