www.tfumc.orgTucker First will mark Ash Wednesday with four

worship experiences on Wednesday, February 18.

Rodrigo Rodriguez in Concert

Music Ministry

Tucker First is pleased to welcome Rodrigo Rodriguez in concert on Sunday, February 22, at 7 pm in our Sanctuary.

The anointed guitar playing of Rodrigo Rodriguez brings a special dimension to worship, much like the harp of David must have brought. It is a joy to see such talent dedicated and used for the glory of the Lord.

Pastor Chuck SmithCalvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, CA

Rodrigo Rodriguez is a superbly gifted musician who uses his talents to glorify God; he reaches the hearts of those who hear him. What a blessing Rodrigo is to the body of Christ!

Pastor Jim CymbalaThe Brooklyn Tabernacle, Brooklyn, NY

It is always a delight to have Rodrigo minister at our church. His gift of music reaches into the depths of your heart and draws you nearer to the throne. What a blessing he is to the Kingdom!

Pastor Wayne Cordeiro , New Hope Christian Fellowship, Honolulu, HI

Listen to his music at http://www.rodrigorodriguez.net.

Decoding the Bible MysteryRev. Adam Hamilton

Most Christians want to know and understand the Bible.

Preachers tell us we should not just read it but immerse ourselves in its beauty and truth. We are to make the Bible the "rule and guide for our faith." But do we really? Many start to read but often find that Scripture is mostly a foreign language, even in its most modern translation. It is filled with strange characters and happenings that are alien to our world and our lives. We prefer to focus on "devotional material" that uses select passages and interprets them for us. We may just choose a few of the Bible's books or passages that we love and not concern ourselves with the rest. Or we just leave it to pastors and theologians to worry over the whole book and tell us what we need to know. Still, somewhere in the back of our hearts, we feel we are missing something...the Bible's sense of mystery, wonder, awe, and challenge of God's living Word, the Word we need breaking through the words of Scripture to judge us, heal us, and draw us into a deeper intimacy with the Holy One. Adam Hamilton's book, Making Sense of the Bible, can be a great resource for giving Christians guidance in finding that deeper relationship to the Bible and thus to a deeper and richer faith that can be ours. Dr. Don Goodwin is offering a six-week study of that text beginning February 17 in the Wesley Center. For information call Don at 770-469-5882 or 512-639-9302 or email at zoebillee@aol.com.

Four Ash Wednesday ServicesFebruary 18

Chick-fil-A, Tucker Station7:30-8:30 am

The program will involve the application of ashes and a short prayer. You may come and go at any time.

Evening Worship Service7 pm - Tucker First Sanctuary

The evening service will be a full worship service in the Sanctuary. The program will involve the application of ashes and prayers.

Drive-Thru Ash Wednesday Experienceat Tucker First UMC

7:00-8:00 am11:30-1:00 pm

You may remain in your car and receive ashes and a prayer or you may park your car and walk to the church portico to receive ashes and a prayer. Coffee, hot chocolate, and small bites will also be offered. You can move quickly or remain as long as you like.

Renegade Gospel is a book by Mike Slaughter, Lead Pastor at the Ginghamsburg UMC. The goal of the book is to help us recognize the rebel Jesus of the gospels and to commit ourselves to his movement. It states on the back cover: “Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. The rebel Jesus came with a renegade gospel to start a revolution.” Shane Claiborne says, “This isn’t your grandma’s Sunday School curriculum….” Jimmy Moor and Owen Skinner will co-lead the class, and we believe it will be a wonderful Lenten experience. There’s a spot for you. We start February 22, at 9:45, in Room 112. Join us!

Come Learn About the Rebel Jesus

Rev. Mike Slaughter

Greeters and Volunteers Needed For Ash WednesdayHelp us put our best foot forward for the community on Ash Wednesday. Greeters are needed in the mornings and during the lunch hour. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/ashwednesday2015 .

The Rev. Jimmy Moor

Lent Ask Tucker First

What is the construction at the end of Church Street and how will it impact Tucker First?

In the cycle of the Christian year we come once more to the season of Lent. Lent is the forty days, not counting Sundays, from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday. Historically it is a season in which the church prepares for the wondrous news of Easter. We do this by self-examination and by reflecting on the call of God to us and the love of God for us. In the early

church, Lent was a time when candidates were prepared for baptism, a tradition reflected in the timing of our confirmation classes, and when the whole church reflected on its baptismal covenant. It can be one of the richest, most meaningful seasons of the year.

People often talk of giving something up for Lent as an act of discipline and a reminder of what Jesus gave up for us. This can be a very powerful practice, especially if we do as one of my mentors suggested, and give up something that really matters. You might give up holding a grudge or maybe you give up social media and use the time to connect with others in personal ways. You get the picture. In recent years there has been much talk of taking something up for Lent as another approach. Maybe you start a new spiritual discipline or you volunteer weekly at an agency that is working in the community or you commit to reconnecting weekly with a person who has been significant to you in the past. This can also be a powerful way to observe the season.

I want to lift up two options for you this Lent, both of which I believe can be transformative. One is to give up something weekly and to give that money to the church to go toward the Imagine No Malaria campaign. Imagine No Malaria is a denomination-wide effort to raise $75 million to eradicate malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have raised over $65 million to date and the goal is in sight. Our district has been asked to raise $100,000 as part of the push to finish this project, and each church is asked to participate. Many churches are doing just this kind of Lenten project. It has been suggested that we each set aside $10 per week during Lent to go toward Imagine No Malaria. I know this is more than some can afford and I know this sum will not challenge some in our congregation. You can decide what is challenging and right for you. But all of us can do something. And I believe that together we can raise $8,000 for this significant mission work during Lent. Every $10 we collect saves the life of one child. Look soon for a video from Bishop Watson on our website that will tell more of the story. Let’s do this.

Second, a challenge of a different sort. Sam Halverson, our conference staff person who works in the area of youth and young adult ministries, gave a wonderful presentation at our recent district preachers’ meeting. He noted that the youth ministries that connect youth to the faith after high school are those that involve youth in the larger life of the church and don’t just limit youth ministry to programs and activities the youth do by themselves. Youth who are deeply involved in worship, in church mission activities, and even in committees, tend to develop a faith that keeps them connected to the church after they graduate from high school. Sam challenged us to be sure our youth are connected to the larger life of the church. In my judgment, we do a good job of that here at Tucker First, but we can take it up a notch. My challenge to all of us adults, especially those of us who currently do not have youth in the program, is to let Lent be a season when we connect with at least one youth in our church. Chris can help you with names and some background information. Learn about your student. Pray for him or her daily. Startle the youth by speaking to them when you see them at church and tell them you are praying for them. What a gift you would be! And I can just about guarantee that you will be the one who is most blessed. The goal is to have five adults caring for each one of our students. How cool would that be?

What practices will you take on this Lent? Start the week of Ash Wednesday, and watch what God will do. I will be preaching this season under the theme The End of Forgetting. We will look at remembering what God intends for us and promises to us, and how God remembers God’s love for us. It will be a great season.

A four-story senior (age 62+) independent living facility called HearthSide is planned. The faciltity is being developed by NorSouth Developers. It will contain 111 units, sixty-six of which will be eligible for low income tax credits.

The entrance on Church Street will be a back entrance, but we expect an increase in vehicle traffic. This will impact our movmeent between our building and may impact our Sunday parking. The main entrance will be on Lynburn.

This facility gives us the opportunity to be in ministry with and for new neighbors! We want to be good neighbors to those who move in.

For an example of what the complex will look like, please see:

http://www.norsouthdevelopment.com/.../hearthside-johns.../

Ask Tucker FIrst is a new monthly column dedicated to answering your

questions about Tucker First. Submit a question to

communications@tfumc.org.

Emory Healthcare Community Health Partnership is offering a free six-week Osteoporosis program to the Tucker community. Signup will be on Tuesday, February 17 in the Wesley Center from 5:30 -7:00 pm.

The signup will be limited to the first twenty participants. The program includes access to Emory specialty nurses and educational sessions. Questions? Contact 404-778-7777 or email

ayibatari.owi@emoryhealthcare.org.

Heathly Congregations

Free Osteoporosis Program

Learn more about the Imagine No Malaria campaign by going to

www.ngumc.org/imaginenomalaria.

In Africa, a child dies from malaria every sixty seconds.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8, NRSV says, “If there is among you anyone in need . . . do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.”

"Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can.

As long as ever you can." John Wesley

Silent Auction Items Needed for Youth Choir Fundraiser

Men's Fellowship Pancake Breakfast BenefitsBikes and Bibles Ministry

Are you an artist and would like to showcase your work for a good cause?

Do you have a vacation home that you would be willing to share with the highest bidder?

Do you have a particular crafted item you would like to donate?

Are you able to get tickets to a particular venue around town donated?

Would you like to bake a cake or cook a meal for some lucky person?

The youth choir is hosting a BBQ fundraiser and silent auction on March 22 from 12:30-2:00 pm. The choir will be traveling to Niagara Falls and Canada and we want their trip to be spectacular! Please consider donating an item or seeking out an item or two on our behalf from the community and nearby businesses. Great ideas include gift cards, event passes or tickets to social, cultural or athletic events, gift baskets, jewelry, vacation getaways, sports memorabilia, etc. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please visit our website at tfumcyouthchoir.org for more details. There you will find an event information sheet and donation form.

Tickets for the BBQ meal will be available for purchase closer to the event date. We gratefully thank you in advance for your support. Contact Vickie Huddleston at vhuddles1@yahoo.com if you have questions.

Tucker First is responsible the forth Sunday of each month to provide a meal for the twenty men at Trinity-Big Bethel. The men are involved in a recovery program from addiction (alcohol as well as substance). Elements of the program include counseling, financial management, GED tutoring, and group accountability in a family environment.

It is always a blessing to those who participate and is more like a family meal than a mission. Please consider having your class or group provide the meal for the twenty men plus the number in your group. Your group can also prepare the meal and we will have volunteers take the meal for you. If you would like to participate, need more information, or would like to carpool, please contact Becky Burnett at rsb1950@gmail.com.

You can sign up online at http://vols.pt/BKzt9g.

Our men’s ministry will be sponsoring the fourth annual pancake breakfast on Saturday, February 21 from 8:30–10:30 am in the Activities Center. Music will be provided by Ty Roberts and Art Wood. For more information contact Andrew Carlton at adcarlton81@gmail.com.

All donations will benefit the Bikes and Bibles Ministry. The ministry distributes utilitarianbicycles and local language bibles to the poorest pastors in the United Methodist connection, those in Africa’s poorest areas. Pastors in local African villages are often without compensation from their congregations. They serve as local pastors, but often earn almost total support as local farmers or tradespeople within the village. They rely on small farm plots or gardens to support their family while pastoring in a territory that spans several square miles. Transportation is often by foot. A bicycle is a vital tool for ministry, commerce, and access to family education. Learn more about the Bikes and Bibles Ministry in Africa at

http://www.bikesandbibles.org

The Children First Lunch Buddy ministry provides not only lunches during school holidays, but also helps meet the needs of food for children in our community by providing snack bags on non-holiday weekends. Donations for sacks are needed each weekend for about twenty children living at Northlake Inn. Please help support this ministry by donating individual snacks and canned goods with pop tops:

ravioli, SpaghettiOs, lasagnaBeanee Weenees

chili with meatVienna sausages, chicken only

chicken noodle soupvegetable beef soupfruit in individual cups

(peaches, pears, oranges, applesauce)peanut butter or cheese filled snack crackers

granola/fruit/cereal barsindividual boxes of cereal

single serving pretzels, goldfish, pudding cups, cookies

Buckets for collecting food donations for “Saturday Sacks” are in the Gathering Room, Activities Center, and the Community Room off Jenkins Hall. Thank you for your help!

Saturday Sacks Supplies Needed

Help Provide a Meal for Trinity Team Dinner

Saturday, February 21

The Article of Common Blessings: A Dad’s Mid-Life Counting

Special Contributor

To the right of this article is a picture of Banner Smith and Sadie Coleman rehearsing with Church Street Station (CSS), our bluegrass band. I believe this photo depicts one of the most beautiful things about Tucker First, to a larger extent, about the Tucker community and, to the bigger outer ripple, about Christianity: we are all God’s children no matter how old we are. How our Tucker First music ministry bridges the generations and/or how people from so many different age groups and ethnicities coalesce and actually have MORE commonalities than differences is a beautiful thing to ponder. Think about it. Seventy-six years separate the oldest and youngest of these band members! Banner Smith could be Sadie Coleman’s great-granddad! And yet there they are, along with the others from varying age groups, in the same musical band, working together toward the same goal on Sundays in the Sanctuary at rehearsal or, on those most wonderful of Sundays, praising and playing bluegrass during the worship service. Church Street Station came into existence as an offering and outreach to the community. Any musician from the community is invited to join the band and share their talents. This is quite a welcoming invitation and the symbolism of being invited to use one’s talents to do His work is overt.

My family has been so blessed this past year to have witnessed the good folks of Church Street Station "adopt" my daughter Sarah and mentor her in the language of music and praise. Sarah went to the first Sunday afternoon practice almost one year ago to the day (2/9/14). She went against her will, against her better judgment, and was concerned about the time commitment. My vow to her was that if she didn’t like it or feel right, she didn’t have to go back. Well, fast forward one year to today and as the song goes, “Wild horses couldn’t drag her away” from the band now. These talented, inspiring, encouraging and nurturing Tucker First people have literally been a Godsend. I do believe CSS to be a microcosm of Tucker First: a place where people of all ages and various backgrounds come together to work

toward a common goal. In every activity of the church, there are mentors, there are leaders, there are people holding it together (like the bass player), there are people filling in the gaps (like the various voices backing up the lead singer), basically there are all different “instruments” strumming their part of the overall composition…whatever that composition or task or mission might be.

I have been blessed to have been a part of Christmas at Tucker for the past four years. For the first two years I was on the traffic team and loved it. Yet, in 2013 and 2014, I got to witness the behind the scenes of Christmas at Tucker; to see what actually went into this annual production. I was blown away by so many aspects. One of the most unexpected awakenings for me was how involved the youth are in this production. Sure, many of the actors were from the Tucker First youth and they were all wonderful in their various roles but equally, if not more, impressive were the behind the scenes efforts (stage hands, makeup, food prep, anything that needed to be done) that grabbed me and my heart and showed me the commitment of our young people to be part of something: to help out. To take direction from the “mentors” and the “leaders” of Christmas at Tucker; to be the ones to help “hold it all together” and to “fill in the gaps”: to strum their “instrument” in this overall composition.

I have been blessed to attend Trinity Table on an annual basis. From the Saturday morning sandwich making and soup integration to the Sunday serving of our brothers and sisters in downtown Atlanta, I have been both blessed and humbled, repeatedly. This year, just two weeks ago, we had another amalgam of souls come together to serve the Sunday soup kitchen. My son, Sammy, and I travelled with Bennie Matthews, Mark Hubener, and Michael Dixon. Well, Sam is eleven, Bennie is a seventy+ year DeKalb county native, Mark, like Bennie, has been serving at Trinity table for over thirty years and Michael has only been in the USA for nine months. Oh yeah, me, I’m a forty-nine-year-old Connecticut Yankee. You talk about a diverse quintet! We had great conversations to and from Trinity Table. Now, of course, Becky Burnett, multiple Sanders family members, multiple Entrekins, and many other Tucker First people served and added to the faith, hope, love, and diversity of this event. This was Sam’s first time at Trinity Table and afterward he said to me that, “it was a great experience and we should do it every month…or more!” Thank you, Lord, for youthful energy, enthusiasm and desire to “do!” If only we could mentor and lead our youth even more (often), who knows what the limits to their works would be. We need to continually harness this vast energy source as a congregation, as a community, as Christians!

By Bill Penkava

Continued on next page

Second to no other blessing, through Tucker First, I have been so blessed to have been led to Trinity House. Moreover, here is where I see so many age groups and ethnicities actually having MORE commonalities than differences. If you were to walk into the dining room at Trinity House, first impression would not lend itself to seeing many similarities between the visiting Tucker First people and the men of Trinity House. My daughter and I go monthly and last month, my eleven-year-old- son joined us for the first time. Common grounds come to light very quickly in the many dinnertime discussions here and, within sixty minutes, ubiquitous and emotional hugs are exchanged. Trinity House is a transitional housing and rehabilitation program where we dine with the men recovering from drug/alcohol addiction, anger issues, or court-ordered stays. A vast majority of us have at least one “relatively” close personal experience with these illnesses. The stories that I have heard and shared over the past four years at these monthly dinners and the transformations that I have seen in so many men there align with my own faith walk. It is directional. It is a continuum and gets stronger as time passes. Faith, hope, and love lead these men. Now, we all may stray and take a step back now and then, but if we try to take two steps forward in response, we stay directional.

The first Sunday that I ever walked into Tucker First, my surprised (to see me) neighbor, Mike Sanders, suggested and led me to the Discovery Sunday school class. My first impression of this class: one demographic. Forty-something parents of young teenagers. Well, I have learned so much in and from this class the past five years and that initial uni-demographic impression was quite misleading. This class contains scores of differing (and healthy, vocal) opinions, viewpoints, and enlightening insights that continually allow me see things from varying angles and cause me to think. I look forward to this healthy discussion each Sunday morning. Additionally, the class has expanded the age demographic in each direction over the past few years and both the younger and “more experienced” classmates offer so, so much to the weekly discussion and to my own faith journey (thank you Liz, Ed and Claire!). I have been blessed to have been a part of that class the past five years.

I do believe it was divine intervention that led Jimmy Moor to Tucker First. I would say that Jimmy adamantly preaches the “inclusionary” aspect of Christianity. And, I will say, “Amen, Brother Jimmy!” We are all God’s children: good, evil, old, young, black, white, OTP, ITP, DeKalb residents, Gwinnett residents, and to the bigger ripple, all of the lands and people from which the thirty-one languages

that are spoken in Tucker High School originate and more. I’m going to miss you, Jimmy! There it is in English. That is the only language in which I can say it. Just think, thirty other versions (languages) of that phrase can be spoken right across the street in Tucker High School.

Speaking of languages, how about the ESOL initiative now taking place at Tucker First? A task force was assembled to find where faith, hope, and love were needed in our community. What outreach could be most impactful? These questions late in 2013 led to the ESOL classes that are now offered on Tuesday nights to the Tucker community. Free childcare is provided to ease the burden of those parents needing classes. I hear that there have been twenty-seven new students enrolled this past month from twelve countries after the fall classes brought in twenty-eight students from fourteen countries. In total, about 34-36 students are attending weekly. Several of the children have joined the choirs and/or signed up for piano/guitar lessons. There it is again, music bridging the gap. The largest class is the Level 1 which has proven that the need is great for Basic English instruction.

So, in this article, I have counted some of my blessings provided via Tucker First. I have looked at the similarities within us all and have kept on the sunny side. Is everything rosy? No. Yet, I have no major mid-life crisis. Counting blessings, accentuating the positive and highlighting commonalities over differences helps to keep me focused and directional…in an upward spiral of faith and works. And, by doing so, as eleven-year-old Sadie Coleman sings in “Keep on the Sunny Side,” it will help us every day, it will brighten all the way. If we are lucky enough, maybe, just maybe, we can get to the peaceful place where Banner Smith sings about in, “I Saw the Light.”

I saw the light, I saw the light, no more darkness no more night.Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight, praise the Lord, I saw the light.

So both Banner and Sadie—seventy-six years apart in age—are strumming their instruments, doing their part in the band and looking on the bright side, seeing The Light.

The Article of Common Blessings: A Dad’s Mid-Life Counting - Continued

Special Contributor

By Bill Penkava

Tucker First LIbrary

New Books!

We are starting out the New Year in the library with lots of new materials! Books for the 2015 UMW Reading Program are now available on top of the cupboard in the library. We also have the following movies on DVD:

FlywheelUnconditional

GracecardHeaven Is For RealFaith like Potatoes

CourageousGod’s Not Dead

Most of these movies are available on the rack near the fiction section in the library. We also have several new books:

Who's Who in the Bibleby Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Given in memory of Blanche Gossby the Wesley Fellowship Class

The Sweetest Thingby Elizabeth Musser

Zealot: The Life and Times

of Jesus of Nazarethby Reza Aslan

Three books by Anne Lamott

Help Thanks Wow:The Three Essential Prayers

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

Small Victories: SpottingImprobable Moments of Grace

Fearless Daughters of the Bibleby J. Lee Grady

The Long Awakeningby Lindsey O'Connor

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family,

and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon by Sophie Hudson

Lay Servant Ministries challenges participants to grow in their faith by exploring, learning, and developing skills to serve Christ in their local church and beyond. Ephesians 4:11-12 says “The gifts he (Christ) gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.” Through the Lay Servant Ministries, we seek to fulfill the divine call to build up the Body of Christ through teaching and equipping disciples to serve in their local church and beyond. We are growing disciples!

The Atlanta Emory District Lay Servant 2015 Spring Classes will be held at University Heights UMC on Saturdays, March 21 and 28 from 8:30 am - 2:30 pm.

Basic Lay Servant ClassNote: participant must have Pastor’s recommendation.

Instructor: Rev. Jim Landis, Associate, Harmony Grove UMC

In this introductory course you will be encouraged to discover and employ personal spiritual gifts as God intended. We’ll consider the importance of exercising servant leadership, developing future leaders, remaining rooted in consistent spiritual practices, and being part of a group that holds members accountable in their discipleship. This class offers guidelines for best practices as a church leader and in mission and ministry in the community and in daily life. (The United Methodist Book of Discipline recommends that all church Lay Leaders take this class.)

Advanced Class - Accountable DiscipleshipNote: participant must have completed Basic to take this class.

Instructor: Lance Sligar

This course focuses on the concept of the household of God, the importance of scripture as divine revelation, Wesleyan understandings of grace, and the importance of the office of class leader in the development of the Methodist Movement. You are encourage to look at your own faith community and see how it is (or is not) a reflection of genuine Christian community.

Advanced Class - Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts.Note: Participant must have completed Basic to take this class.

Instructor: Marjorie Thomason

An ideal resource for those seeking to identify and use their gifts in meaningful ways, this course explores ways in which God’s gifts are practical as well as spiritual and how such gifts are connected to the congregational primary tasks of receiving, relating, equipping, and sending.

For more information, contact the Atlanta Emory District Director of Lay Servant Ministries, Phylissis Ransom at 404-247-3309 or Associate District Director of Lay Servant Ministries, Elaine Robbins at 770-316-2365 or reach both by email to amry.layservantmin@gmail.com.

Spring Lay Servant Ministry Classes OfferedAMRY District

See more Trinity Table and sandwich photos and stories on the back page.

Baptisms

Tucker First Members inNursing Homes/Assisted Living

Sympathy is Extended To

Merle HolstunBilly Mulkey Atria TuckerGrace Beck A G RhodesJill Triemer Fountainview

What's Praying on My Mind

I Sing Because I'm Happyby Nick Frutiger

Tucker First in the Community

There’s a lot of talk about depression right now in the news and the community. People are trying to figure out what to do, and many of us are out of our depth. You can see Facebook posts asking any virtual friends to let others know if they’re having problems.

I have a wonderful group of friends, and I’m proud of what great people they are and how much they care for me and each other, but I confess we are bad at sharing our woes. We often seem committed to solving our problems on our own and to not showing that we’re struggling.

Many of us have faced difficult times, something we aren’t sure we want to share, and we don’t really reach out to anybody, at least until the worst of it is over. That’s a mistake. I’ve struggled terribly with work (as many teachers do in the first five years) and have been really low. I had one friend who kept following up with me, asking how I was, seeming to see past my flippant responses that I was feeling alone and a little scared. At those really difficult times I didn’t see God clearly. I lost track of my son and what a miracle he was. My problems seemed so vast that praying felt like whispering down an empty tunnel.

Saying you’re happy is a funny thing. We don’t do it naturally. We only say we’re happy when we’re not and someone is worried about us. And the more insistent we are, the less happy we sound. Try it out loud. You’ll realize you never sounded so sad. I think a lot of us struggle more than we let on.

Civilla Martin and her husband Walter wrote several wonderful hymns. God Will Take Care of You is a great one. Every chorus makes you say it three times. That’s twelve or fifteen times to get through the whole song. That’s a mantra. You don’t sing it when you know God will take care of you. You sing it when you feel like no one will ever take care of you. It’s an affirmation. Like looking in the mirror and saying “I am valuable. I am strong. I am a child of God. I can do this.” Possibly her best hymn is His Eye is On the Sparrow. Every chorus starts, “I sing (pause) because (pause) I’m happy.” You have to come back to it after the subsequent verses. If you listen to the words as you sing, nothing will make you realize how sad and sullen you’ve been until you sing loudly “I sing because I’m happy” as a hollow empty lie in God’s house next to your friends. I love this song. I adore it. If I’m sad, by the end of the last verse I’ve usually decided to stop lying and mean it, or quit singing altogether. And I belt it out.

At my darkest moments, I’ve never really doubted God was there. I just haven’t thought of Him. I’ve forgotten His constant presence, love, and support. My kid does an odd thing. He doesn’t know how to blow his nose well yet, and when he wakes up congested in the morning and he can’t breathe through his nose he gets so frustrated trying that he forgets he can breathe through his mouth. He actually starts choking himself and coughing for air because he can’t breathe…because he’s forgotten his mouth works fine. I think we can become so upset that we forget to breathe. It seems obvious to someone not panicking, but in the moment we don’t realize all the support we have. Some people need to talk to others. Some people need to talk to doctors. Some people legitimately have a chemical imbalance that talking to God and friends can’t help without a medication. Praise God for the study of neurochemistry.

All we can do is nag our friends and family. And reach out to them when we are struggling. The solution may be as simple as breathing, but we might need someone else to point it out to us. And if they can’t help, maybe they can point out the simple fact that we need further help. I do believe His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He’s watching me, and He’s sent me a huge community of family and friends and neighbors to help Him take care of me. But I have to keep talking to them, and Him. I have to keep them in the loop, and nag them about keeping me in the loop. We must let ourselves be vulnerable, and hold others accountable to do the same. We must ask follow-up questions and get a bit into others’ business. A sharing community will still have tragedies, but we shouldn’t have to say “I had no idea” about the people we love.

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s to Lynn Urda for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award f r o m A r t W o r k s Gwinnett at their F u s i o n A w a r d s Ceremony in January. She received this award for her work as founder, conductor, and music director o f t h e g r a m m y winning Gwinnett Yo u n g S i n g e r s , now ce leb ra t i ng i t s t w e n t y - f i f t h anniversary!

Starting in February, Tucker First will only mail the monthly newsletter to homebound members. The church presently mails a large number of church newsletters on a monthly basis, which consumes valuable time, resources, and funds that can eventually be applied to other needy services that your church provides. After a lot of discussion, the staff and the communications team decided that the monthly newsletter will be sent by email, be available online, posted on Facebook, and distributed in the gathering areas of the church (Gathering Room, Table 153, Wednesday Night Supper, etc.). Many churches have gone this same route and have been very successful with the change. This change will make us better stewards of our money, time, and our earth’s resources. Questions, please contact Katherine Griffith at kbgriffith@bellsouth.net or any staff member.

Newsletter Now Online

Katherine Eleanor Kuebler and Harrison Parker Kuebler were baptized on January 25. Parents are Chris and Lisa Kuebler.

Juanita McKinley on the death of her sister Cora Bond, January 5.

The family of Cynthia Smith who died on February 1.

The family of Bill Hawes who died on February 3.

First United Methodist Church of Tucker5095 LaVista RoadTucker, GA 30084-3502(ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED)

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAID

TUCKER, GAPERMIT NO 9

February 2015 issue

The Rev. Jimmy Moor, Senior Pastor

The Rev. Owen Skinner, Associate Pastor

Church Office HoursMonday-Thursday: 8:30 am–4:30 pmClosed for lunch: 12:00 pm–1:30 pm

Closed on Friday770-938-3030

Sunday Worship Services8:30 & 11:00 am

Traditional Worship, Sanctuary

11:00 am - Table 153Contemporary Worship, Activities Center

This newsletter is a publication of the communications ministry of Tucker First.

Editors - Leigh Andersen, Sarah Cann, Lisa Kuebler, Leigh Lowman, and Paul White.

Designer - Katherine Griffith

Submit your ideas and information to communications@tfumc.org.

Find us on the web at www.tfumc.org.

Trinity Table Volunteers Serve Over 200 Persons

Tucker First in Mission

15Number of persons from Tucker First volunteering at Trinity Table

178Number of persons served at

tables

60Number of “to go” orders

Thanks to all the hands and hearts that made the day a success. Special thanks to TJ Jarrett for shopping for supplies for the sandwiches and to Mimi and Mike Sanders for shopping for supplies, slicing all the baloney, mixing the peanut butter and honey, and hauling soup downtown.

Please share our gratitude with all who participated in putting together the nourishing hot meal and lunches. Thank you also to those who contributed to the goody-bags, to Joann Cooper for her talented hand in providing the scarves and hats, and especially to those who gave of their time on Sunday to serve. What a blessing you all are! Bonnie Selleck, Trinity Table Manager

50 Number of gallons of soup

15Number of gallons of soup left

and frozen for future

1,200Number of sandwiches served

2 years to 89 yearsAge range of sandwich makers

Tucker First By The Numbers