​

Friday, April 2      – Good Friday Service available online at cokeschapel.org
Sunday, April 4    – 7:15 am Sunrise Easter Service – IN PERSON 
                             – 10:00 am Easter Sunday Worship IN PERSON                                                                                                                                             
Monday, April 5         – 11:00 am – Staff Meeting
Wednesday, April 7   – 5:00 Prayer Team – Fellowship Hall
Sunday, April 11        – 8:40 am Intergenerational Sunday School                                                             .                                         In -PERSON 
                                    – 10:00 am Worship in Sanctuary
Wednesday, April 14  – 5:00 Prayer Team
Thursday, April 15      – 10:00 am UMW Meeting Fellowship Hall
Sunday, April 18         – 8:40 am Intergenerational Sunday School  
                                    – 10:00 am Worship in Sanctuary
                                    –  TBD Butterfly Garden Construction
Monday, April 19        – 11:00 am – Staff Meeting
Wednesday, April 21  – 5:00 Prayer Team
                                    – 6:30 Childcare Board Meeting
Sunday, April 25.        – 8:40 am Intergenerational Sunday School  
                                    – 10:00 am Worship in Sanctuary
                                    –  TBD Butterfly Garden Construction
Monday, April 26        – 11:00 am – Staff Meeting
Wednesday, April 28  – 5:00 Prayer Team
                                    – 7:00 Church Council Meeting

Our church directory is now updated!  A current version will be sent by email, and distributed at church.

We want you to be aware of the provisions that your North Georgia Conference has made to ask all North Georgia UMC Churches to support the Newnan community as the community recovers from the tornado.   The North GA Conference has set up a fund – #3752, Newnan Area Tornado 2021, which will allow the Conference to receive UMCOR emergency grant funds, as well as funding from churches that may want to give specifically to these efforts. You may give by sending a donation as instructed below, or drop off a check at the Cokes Chapel office made out to Cokes Chapel UMC, MARKED: Fund 3752 Newnan Area Tornado 2021 and we will forward it to the North Georgia Conference. Praying with you, Pastor Lisa and your Outreach team

On behalf of the UMW, Vivian Snyder and Sherba Peek (with help from Paul and Bill) delivered ALL the food in the “little pantry” to the fair grounds yesterday…
It took us awhile to find out where to take it because the website did not mention food.  We stopped at the police station and they said, “take it to the fairgrounds, I promise they will take it.”

UMW planted half of the flowers in the front of church on Thursday and Saturday.  It looks very good so far.  We are trying to find vinca to plant behind the begonias then lay the pine straw.  Our plan is to have the beds ready for Easter Sunday!  We are excited to return to in-person worship Sunday!  

Our April meeting will be Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 10am in the Fellowship Hall.  

Growing Our Faith…

Financial Snapshot for March, 2021
Monthly projected operating funds needed: $21,783
Due to the absence of our Office Administrator, Brenda Minter, information will be updated next week.  See information under the Sympathy for further information.

Matthew 6:25-34  NIV
Do Not Worry
²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Thank you for supporting Cokes Chapel!  We are honored you would bless us with your generosity!   

Nancy Vermilyea, Finance Chair

 
Visit our website: cokeschapel.org to give regularly or make a one time gift.
                        

MINISTRY MESSAGE:  INTER-GENERATIONAL & YOUTH MINISTRY,   March 31, 2021:  

In Inter-generational Ministry, we completed our Lenten Study last Sunday. The class, which gathered via Zoom on Sunday mornings throughout Lent, engaged in several weeks of personal reflection and study with the practice of forgiveness. We focused onhow forgiving others and asking for forgiveness are central disciplines for all Christians.  Last Sunday, we studied Luke 7:36-47 and talked about concepts of reconciliation and restoration.  This Lenten journey with forgiveness has been a powerful experience of allowing God to work on our hearts as we prepare to receive the gift of Easter.

On Sunday, April 11th, the Inter-generational Sunday School Class will resume meeting in-person on Sunday mornings.  We will gather before worship in the After-School Room of the Childcare Center from 8:40-9:40 AM.  Everyone is welcome! (The church’s COVID guidelines for in-person gatherings will be followed.  Please remember to wear a mask and practice social distancing.)

In Youth Ministry, the Youth Car Wash that was scheduled for Saturday, March 27th was postponed due to last week’s storm damage in our community.  Please watch for a new date for the event sometime in April.   

God is at work all around us!  May we hold each other by heart and lift each other by prayer as we journey together, and apart!  

With love, 

Kim 

(Kim Reindl, Director of Inter-generational, Youth & Children’s Discipleship; kim.reindl@gmail.com)

 
With love, 
Kim 
(Kim Reindl, Director of Inter-generational, Youth & Children’s Discipleship; kim.reindl@gmail.com)

The Prayer Team has returned to in-person gatherings.  We meet at 5:00 pm on Wednesday nights in the Fellowship Hall.  If the Fellowship Hall is in use we will meet in the Eubanks Classroom.  Please join us!  Questions?  Contact Debbie Carter at debbiecarter30263@charter.net

PRAYER TEAM

Cokes Chapel Prayer Team is praying for you. Your requests, concerns, and praises are important to us. Please let us know if you need anything or have a special prayer request. I am available and happy to pray with you by telephone or just be a listening ear. Please join us in daily praying for God to heal our world. Claim it in the powerful name of Jesus Christ and give thanks to God for all things. Contact Debbie at DebbieCarter30263@charter.net or 678-233-4980.  
 

IN OUR HEARTS & PRAYERS
*please help us keep our prayer list updated by contacting Pastor Lisa or Debbie Carter to add or remove names.  Current usually remains on the prayer list for 2 weeks unless you advise us. Ongoing Prayer list is for long term prayer needs.

CURRENT
Mick Moore
Walter Jones, brother of Howard Jones
Roger Harkins

ONGOING PRAYERS
Jane, sister of Tica Spake
Stephanie (friend of Floyd Collins)
Maggie Rivers, Floyd Collins extended family
Margie Jones Family – daughters Betsy & Nancy, grandson Eric & son-in-law
Kaye Beam
Elaine Lassiter
Richard Harkins (brother of Roger Harkins)
Jeff Kemmerer (Sherrie Kemmerer’s husband and Sandra Oliver’s son-in-law)
Stan Smith, Marcia Smith’s husband
Jerry Freeman
Pastor Wayne Ellis, Robin & Family 

Let us join in prayer together:  
Lord, as we follow your journey to the cross this Holy Week, we become mindful of your commitment to save us through your suffering, death, and obedience to bring humanity into a new life.  We come in humility, remembering your silence.  We remember your tears in the garden.  We approach Easter with fresh eyes as we slow down to honor each moment.  In moments of terrible suffering, we accept that you are with us in our sufferings.  Christ has bonded to all humanity with Divine love.  As Easter bursts upon the world, may we find deeper joy, more love that offers grace and spirits that that sing to Your Glory! Amen.

Our mailing address is:

                                                  

                                         Virtual Worship
 ** See special notice about In-Person worship below
 

Worship Service provided through G-Chat (register on website to receive this communication or visit our website cokeschapel.org

    

     Saturday, March 27th 9:00 AM-1:00 PM

              Cokes Chapel Parking Lot

                  Only $5 per vehicle!!!

Everyone is invited to come get your car

sparkling clean while supporting our youth.

​

Thursday, March 18 – 10:00 am UMW Meeting followed by lunch out together
Sunday, March 21   – Virtual Worship
                                 – 9:30 am Inter-generational Sunday School via Zoom
                                 – 12:00 pm Trustee Meeting in Fellowship Hall
                                 – 5:00-6:30 pm Youth Group @ Youth House
Wednesday, March 24 – 5:00 pm Prayer Team  
                                                   – 7:00 pm Church Council Zoom Meeting
Saturday, March 27 – 9 am to 1 pm Youth Fundraiser Carwash
Sunday, March 28   – Virtual Worship
                                  – 9:30 am Inter-generational Sunday School via Zoom
Wednesday, March 31 – 5:00 pm Prayer Team
Friday, April 2 – 7:00 pm Good Friday Service via Zoom
Sunday, April 4 – 7:15 am Sunrise Easter Service – IN PERSON 
                           – 10:00 am Easter Sunday Worship IN PERSON in Sanctuary

The Hadden Journey in South Dakota

This week our Lenten service focus is on Amanda and Matt Hadden in South Dakota and their mission at the Chanku Waste Ranch. The Hadden’s serve the indigenous people of that area.  Amanda is the granddaughter of Sandy and Pete Cavendar. 

See your Lenten packet for ideas of things you can do for the Haddens and their three children.  Above all other – continue to pray for them and their work in South Dakota.

Our March meeting will be Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 10am in the Fellowship Hall.  
Please wear a mask to protect those who have not been vaccinated.  We plan to meet together for lunch after the meeting at Big Joes next to Captain D’s.  Everyone welcome!  We plan to eat outside if weather permits.  If members need tax forms, contact Betsy.
If you go forth in Love you will find your Peace.  Vivian Snyder, Secretary
   

Growing Our Faith…

Financial Snapshot for March, 2021
Monthly projected operating funds needed: $21,783
Actual operating funds collected as of March 17th: $8,832.28
Donations to the Ryan T. Giles Memorial were gifted to the Cokes Chapel General Fund.  Donations received in March were $500 as of March 17, 2021

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17 NIV

Thank you for supporting Cokes Chapel!  We are honored you would bless us with your generosity!   

Nancy Vermilyea, Finance Chair

 
Visit our website: cokeschapel.org to give regularly or make a one time gift.
                        

MINISTRY MESSAGE:  INTER-GENERATIONAL & YOUTH MINISTRY, March 17, 2021:  
 
In Inter-generational Ministry, we are continuing our church-wide Lenten Study. The class is gathering via Zoom on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30 am throughout the Lenten season.  Each week, we are exploring how forgiving others and asking for forgiveness are central disciplines for all Christians.  Last Sunday we studied Luke 23:32-43, while focusing on the need for repentance. We discussed what is required of a true apology which includes humble admission of wrong and avoids defense of oneself.  Such an apology often requires help from God to lead us to the place of a contrite heart. This week we will be discussing the concept of offering forgiveness while studying Matthew 18:23-35.
 
Coming up in Youth Ministry will be a Youth Fundraiser Car Wash on Saturday, March 27^th!  Everyone is invited to drop by the church Worship Center parking lot between 9:00 am-1:00 pm on the 27^th. For only $5, you can get your car sparkling clean just in time for spring!  The Car Wash is part of the Cokes Chapel “Lenten Service Journey.”  
 
Also in Youth Ministry, the youth will be meeting at the Youth House this Sunday, March 21st from 5:00-6:30 pm to prepare for the car wash. We will organize our plan and paint signs for the event!
 
God is at work all around us!  May we hold each other by heart and lift each other by prayer as we journey together, and apart!  
 
With love, 
Kim 
(Kim Reindl, Director of Inter-generational, Youth & Children’s Discipleship; kim.reindl@gmail.com)
 

PRAYER TEAM

Cokes Chapel Prayer Team is praying for you. Your requests, concerns, and praises are important to us. Please let us know if you need anything or have a special prayer request. I am available and happy to pray with you by telephone or just be a listening ear. Please join us in daily praying for God to heal our world. Claim it in the powerful name of Jesus Christ and give thanks to God for all things. Contact Debbie at DebbieCarter30263@charter.net or 678-233-4980.  
 

IN OUR HEARTS & PRAYERS
*please help us keep our prayer list updated by contacting Pastor Lisa or Debbie Carter to add or remove names.  Current usually remains on the prayer list for 2 weeks unless you advise us. Ongoing Prayer list is for long term prayer needs.

CURRENT
Maggie Rivers, Floyd Collins cousins granddaughter
Dena Butler, Jackie Simpson, work associate’s wife

ONGOING PRAYERS
Jane, sister of Tica Spake
Stephanie (friend of Floyd Collins)
Margie Jones Family – daughters Betsy & Nancy, grandson Eric & son-in-law
The Prince Family (friends of the Cox Family)
Hugh & Jeanine Giles
Kaye Beam
Paul Snyder
Elaine Lassiter
JoAnn (Sandy Cavender’s sister)
Richard Harkins (brother of Roger Harkins)
Nancy Lenard
Jeff Kemmerer (Sherrie Kemmerer’s husband and Sandra Oliver’s son-in-law)
Stan Smith, Marcia Smith’s husband
Jerry Freeman
Roger Harkins
Mick Moore
Pastor Wayne Ellis, Robin & Family 

Let us join in prayer together:  
Lord, in these recent warm, golden days, we are reminded that change comes. Change in seasons, change in life.  We are thankful for Your unchanging presence.  During this season of preparation for celebrating Your resurrection, we seek change with boldness. We pray that each day we will seek after You and your wisdom.  May we come humbly before you, remembering Your great sacrifice made in love, turning towards you in heart and mind, allowing the Holy Spirit to shape us anew.
As we entrust ourselves to You, we also pray Your Holy presence be with all those in need of comfort, healing, reconciliation for Your glory and the building of the Kingdom of God.
 Lord, we love and worship You alone.  Amen

Our mailing address is:

                                                                    

                                                  Virtual Worship
      ** See special notice about In-Person worship below

​

Sunday, March 14   – Daylight Saving Time Begins – Time to Spring Forward
                                  – Virtual Worship
                                  – 9:30 am Inter-generational Sunday School via Zoom
Wednesday, March 17 – 5:30 pm Prayer Team
                                       – 6:30 pm Childcare Board Meeting
                                       – 7:00 pm Outreach Meeting
Thursday, March 18 – 10:00 am UMW Meeting followed by lunch out together
Sunday, March 21   – Virtual Worship
                                 – 9:30 am Inter-generational Sunday School via Zoom
                                 – 12:00 pm Trustee Meeting in Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, March 24 – 5:30 pm Prayer Team
                                                   – 7:00 pm Church Council Zoom Meeting
Saturday, March 27 – 9 am to 1 pm Youth Fundraiser Carwash
Sunday, March 28   – Virtual Worship
                                  – 9:30 am Inter-generational Sunday School via Zoom
Wednesday, March 31 – 5:30 pm Prayer Team

From Worship and Pastor Lisa:     Video Camera needs operators ….

The camera is in hand – God just needs a few willing hands to operate it!  We are on a learning curve in using this gift to the best of its ability and ours!  
If you would like to become part of the team that provides a vital growing ministry to our church and community, please reach out to Pastor Lisa right away. Text me at 770-598-5066 or email me at ldempsey@cokeschapel.org.

We are having an Outreach meeting Wednesday, March 17th, 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.  We have a lot of planning to do!  We have a great team of folks who love to serve, and we would just love to have you join us. Please plan to be there on the 17th – we will spread out and wear masks!
 
 
This week’s focus in service is the Houles, our missionaries in Thailand.  David and Allie are amazing and are really making a difference with their ministry.  Get to know them better as you read the attached blog and then subscribe to receive it regularly.  (Please do not forward or publish the photos below. Thank you!)
 

Planning for the Future

One of the biggest projects we started last year was doing a special training that we call “Planning for the Future.” We have now taught it to all of the older kids at every Blessing Center. Since many of our Blessing Center kids are now entering high school, Allie, Ploy and I wanted to focus on creating resources to help prepare them for the real world.

Most of the older kids had never made goals before. They had no experience in creating goals or developing any sort of a plan to reach them. Coming from America, we were taught very early how to plan and I think everyone had to use a planner in high school. I remember how adults would constantly ask us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We even had advisors in our schools that would help us to make goals and pick the right learning track to reach those goals. We were also blessed to have wonderful parents who had experience with this and could help guide us.

Here, children have never even seen a planner a before! It is just not a planning culture, so much so that the kids don’t even know when they will have school breaks. They usually find out just a couple days before the summer break starts. Some of our Blessing Center kids told us that they have never had anyone ask them what they wanted to be when they grew up and so they had never even thought about it before. This is unfortunate because the way the education system is set up, children don’t have much time before they must make important decisions about their future.

By 9th grade children must find a school and choose a specific track to learn, and if they don’t choose wisely, they will seriously limit their future job opportunities. Because Blessing Center Pattaya is located in a slum district, the local school does not go past 9th grade. If our students want to continue high school or go to a vocational school, they must apply to a school in another part of the city, be accepted, and then pay for tuition, books, uniforms, as well as find their own transportation to this school which may be far away from their home. These sorts of things are exactly what Blessing Center scholarships help with to make sure that these kids can stay in school and out of the sex and drug trade.

The issue of not knowing what track to learn is worsened by the fact that the schools don’t have anyone that can take the time to sit down with the kids to recommend what classes they should take to become whatever they are interested in. This means that the responsibility falls on the child and their family. However, because most of the children in our program come from poor families where the parent or guardian has only finished somewhere between 4th to 9th grade, these children don’t have a family member who can help guide them.

So, to help make sure these kids would not fall through the cracks, we worked with Ploy to create a series of lessons to help them. In the training, Ploy used this scripture to show why they need to plan for the future and not just react to the next step in front of them: Luke 14:28-30 (NIV) 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

During the training, we taught the teenagers the importance of planning and how God gives us wisdom in how we should live our lives. We taught them the difference between a job and a hobby. We taught them about the different learning track options and how it affects the career they can get. We taught them about how education is an investment and shared with them about our experiences doing these same things when we were teenagers. They were particularly excited to hear Ploy share about how she chose a learning track, took out student loans, and went on to university. Ploy has taken on the role as an Advisor to these kids and she serves as a wonderful role model for them to look up to. Ploy has helped them to choose the right schools to apply to and the appropriate track to learn. She has also helped our teens who want to go to university by finding which exams they need to prepare for and by finding scholarships for them to apply for. And so, by the end of the 3-day course, all of our students had created a plan with the career they wanted and listed out the steps they needed to take in order to get that career.

We believe that this training has been a blessing to all of the kids. It has helped them to see the importance of planning, to feel empowered to work towards the career they want, and to see that God loves them and wants good things for them. We talk a lot about how Blessing Center keeps these kids out of trafficking, but I don’t want you to forget that it also helps them to take a step out of poverty. All of our kids get more education and better job prospects than their parents or guardians had.

God blessed us with the opportunities for our education, and I am so thankful that now we get to use this knowledge and experience to bless kids in Thailand. The work that we do here would not be possible without your prayers and support. Thank you so much for being a part of this ministry.

David and Allie Houle   To Donate: Paypal or Qgiv

Copyright (C) 2021 Thailand Now. All rights reserved.

Our March meeting will be Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 10am in the Fellowship Hall.  Please wear a mask to protect those who have not been vaccinated.  We plan to meet together for lunch after the meeting at Big Joes next to Captain D’s.  Everyone welcome!  We plan to eat outside if weather permits.  If members need tax forms, contact Betsy.
If you go forth in Love you will find your Peace.  Vivian Snyder, Secretary
   

Growing Our Faith…

Financial Snapshot for March, 2021
Monthly projected operating funds needed: $21,783
Actual operating funds collected as of March 3rd: $3,137.28
(Financial Update not available this week.  Will update next week.)
Donations to the Ryan T. Giles Memorial were gifted to the Cokes Chapel General Fund.  Donations received in March were $500 as of March 3, 2021

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17 NIV

Thank you for supporting Cokes Chapel!  We are honored you would bless us with your generosity!   

Nancy Vermilyea, Finance Chair

 
Visit our website: cokeschapel.org to give regularly or make a one time gift.
                        

MINISTRY MESSAGE:  INTER-GENERATIONAL & YOUTH MINISTRY, March 10, 2021: 
 
In Inter-generational Ministry, we are continuing our church-wide Lenten Study. The class is gathering via Zoom on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30 am throughout the Lenten season.  Each week, we are exploring how forgiving others and asking for forgiveness are central disciplines for all Christians.  Last Sunday we studied passages from Matthew 5 and 7, while focusing on the need for honesty within ourselves. We discussed the struggle of engaging our own inner thoughts and emotions, and recognized that with God’s help and personal honesty, we can stretch our hearts toward forgiveness.  This week we will be discussing the concept of repentance while studying Luke 23:32-43.
 
Coming up in Youth Ministry will be a Youth Fundraiser Car Wash on Saturday, March 27^th!  Everyone is invited to drop by the church Worship Center parking lot between 9:00 am-1:00 pm on the 27^th to get your car sparkling clean just in time for spring!  The Car Wash is part of the Cokes Chapel “Lenten Service Journey.” 
 
God is at work all around us!  May we hold each other by heart and lift each other by prayer as we journey together, and apart! 
 
With love,
Kim
(Kim Reindl, Director of Inter-generational, Youth & Children’s Discipleship; kim.reindl@gmail.com)
 

PRAYER TEAM

Cokes Chapel Prayer Team is praying for you. Your requests, concerns, and praises are important to us. Please let us know if you need anything or have a special prayer request. I am available and happy to pray with you by telephone or just be a listening ear. Please join us in daily praying for God to heal our world. Claim it in the powerful name of Jesus Christ and give thanks to God for all things. Contact Debbie at DebbieCarter30263@charter.net or 678-233-4980.  
 

IN OUR HEARTS & PRAYERS
*please help us keep our prayer list updated by contacting Pastor Lisa or Debbie Carter to add or remove names.  Current usually remains on the prayer list for 2 weeks unless you advise us. Ongoing Prayer list is for long term prayer needs.

CURRENT
Maggie Rivers, Floyd Collins cousins granddaughter
Dena Butler, Jackie Simpson, work associate’s wife

ONGOING PRAYERS
Jane, sister of Tica Spake
Stephanie (friend of Floyd Collins)
Margie Jones Family – daughters Betsy & Nancy, grandson Eric & son-in-law
The Prince Family (friends of the Cox Family)
Hugh & Jeanine Giles
Kaye Beam
Paul Snyder
Elaine Lassiter
Julie (friend of Pat Harkins)
JoAnn (Sandy Cavender’s sister)
Richard Harkins (brother of Roger Harkins)
Nancy Lenard
Jeff Kemmerer (Sherrie Kemmerer’s husband and Sandra Oliver’s son-in-law)
Stan Smith, Marcia Smith’s husband
Jerry Freeman
Roger Harkins
Mick Moore
Pastor Wayne Ellis, Robin & Family 

Let us join in prayer together:  
Lord, in these recent warm, golden days, we are reminded that change comes. Change in seasons, change in life.  We are thankful for Your unchanging presence.  During this season of preparation for celebrating Your resurrection, we seek change with boldness. We pray that each day we will seek after You and your wisdom.  May we come humbly before you, remembering Your great sacrifice made in love, turning towards you in heart and mind, allowing the Holy Spirit to shape us anew.
As we entrust ourselves to You, we also pray Your Holy presence be with all those in need of comfort, healing, reconciliation for Your glory and the building of the Kingdom of God.
 Lord, we love and worship You alone.  Amen

Our mailing address is: