Workers install new solar panels March 4th

Pastor Rex Kaney surveys a newly installed solar panel

Installation has begun!

Solar power demonstration project for DHUMC becomes a reality.

Installation of solar panels began at Druid Hills UMC the first week of March.

Thus far over 22 DHUMC members have contributed or pledged support for the installation of a 2.35 kW photo voltaic panel on our educational building roof.   With this project we will be generating green electric power that will be sold directly to Georgia Power.    We hope that the installation will begin in February.

The installation will cost $18,800 – We have received $4,153 in one-time pledges and $5,400 in monthly pledges ($45 per month) over 10 years.  We anticipate receiving $6000 over 10 years ($600 per year) from selling the power generated to Georgia Power.  So, an additional $3247 is needed to fully fund this project.

Although DHUMC is able to borrow funds from the Georgia Interfaith Power and Light organization (GIPL)with no interest charges, the loan must be repaid within 10  years.  You can participate by making a initial contribution (which reduces the loan amount) or pledge and contribute to the monthly loan payments.

With this project, DHUMC joins other faith communities that wish to make a witness and demonstrate an efficient way to reduce our impact on our environment.   The Holy Trinity Presbyterian Church in Decatur is on schedule to install a similar but  larger system, also using our selected vendor: One World Sustainable.

For additional information or to participate in this project, please e-mail Jim Wynn at jrwynn@bellsouth.net or Jean Hilyard at jean@druidhillsumc.org

Census Bureau and DHUMC
If you are looking for work, the U.S. Census Bureau is looking to fill full or part-time positions paying between $14.25 to $20.25 per hour. Call 404-239-2185/2186; reference code 020200, for more information. After you call the number above, they will ask you to take a test to work for them (we are a hosting test site).

DHUMC will assist the U.S. Census Bureau by providing space for the following:
–Census Testing Site on Tuesday March 16 in the Fellowship Hall from 10:30am – 1:00pm.
–Census Bureau Question Center from March 21 – April 19 on Sundays from 12 – 5pm and Mondays from 9am – 2pm in the Quillian Room. The question center exists to help people with any questions they might have about their census questionnaire. The center will be staffed and have information in 57 languages for those who don’t understand English.

Lenten Devotional Materials
The Discipling team encourages all of our church community to set aside some daily time for prayer and reflection this Lent. There are many wonderful Lenten study aids available. Walter Wangerin Jr.’s Reliving the Passion: Meditations on the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus as Recorded in Mark and Forty Days to a Closer Walk With God: The Practice of Centering Prayer, by J. David Muyskens are two wonderful options to guide you in your daily practice. There are many others, and if you have a favorite, we invite you to share it with us by emailing the title and author to Mary at mrlreilly@gmail.com so we can create a list to share with each other.

-The youth are having a lock-in tonight at 8pm to Sat. at 8am. The lock-in replaces youth group on Sunday.

-The UMW donated $125 from its bake sale proceeds for food for the Food Pantry. Thank you for your generosity!

Baby Shower for Aly Palmer on March 7
All the women of the church are invited to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Aly and Joe Palmer’s baby boy. We’ll shower Aly with gifts and advice after church on March 7th in the Quillian Room (lunch provided). Please contact Camille Vaughan (camille.vaughan@emory.edu or 678.362.5826) if you can attend.

DHUMP Bloomin’ Bash Fundraiser
Druid Hills Preschool will hold its 15th annual fundraiser on Friday, March 19, 2010 from 6:30 – 11pm at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Don’t miss this fun event and chance to support our preschool. Visit http://www.bloominbash.org for more details.

WANTED: FUN-LOVING, OPEN-MINDED, OPEN-HEARTED ADULT!
Do these characteristics apply to you? If so, you might be just the person
we are looking for! Adult sponsors are needed for our youth summer mission
trip, July 9 – 15. It’s a local “trip” called Metro Atlanta Project, and it is a
fun-filled week of roofing and living with hundreds of teenagers. Total FANTASTIC
AMAZINGNESS!!!! Responsibilities of the adult sponsors include: being present,
providing encouragement, looking out for youth safety, worship, and willingness to be in relationship with ten amazing young people. If you can handle such an amazing experience, contact Lila Bradley or Laura Cushing and let them know that YOU have what it takes!

-Prophets March 27
Plan to join us for a matinee performance of Prophets on Saturday, March 27, at 2:30p.m. at Georgia Shakespeare at Oglethorpe. Experience the prophetic texts of Isaiah, Jeremiah and others in an entirely new way, as actor Brad Sherrill brings to life the judgment and the hope that speak with striking relevancy for the world today just as they have for generations.

Group tickets are $22 each. To ensure a seat in the block, contact Katie Paden at katie.paden@gmail.com or leave her a message at (404) 895-0840 by Friday, March 12 at noon. Seats may still be available after that date, but the price may possibly change if you wish to sit with the DHUMC group.

“Prophets is marked by courage, imagination and a passion for truth-telling. Prophets will make a difference to many people who care about the Biblical tradition and who care about the moral, social crisis in which we find ourselves. Powerful.” — Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament scholar and author of The Prophetic Imagination

Wednesday Evening Lenten Series
(This is the second Wed. program for March – brown bag meal, not catered supper, this week.)

Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Dr. Rex Matthews will be leading two more weeks of exploration into the unique contributions of Wesleyan theology to the Christian faith. This is a great opportunity to discover more deeply why we understand ourselves to be “United Methodist Christians.” Dr. Matthews, a member of our church, is a professor in Methodist studies at Candler School of Theology and deeply committed to practicing a Wesleyan understanding of our faith. If you care to eat together, bring a brown bag meal at 6pm and we will provide drinks.

ING Marathon
The ING marathon will be run on Sunday, March 21st and might impact your travel route to church. It appears that both Ponce and Briarcliff will be open during the race, but the race will use one lane of traffic on Briarcliff between The By Way and Stillwood Drive NE and on Ponce between Lullwater Road and Oakdale Road NE. Time estimates for runners on these roads fall between 8am and noon. The full course map can be found at: http://www.inggeorgiamarathon.com Under the heading “Marathon” there is a link for “Course”, which has links to the course map and street closings. If you do not have internet access, or if you have questions, please contact Jean in the office at 404-377-6481.

Help Needed: DHUMC “Eat Local” Plant Sale, April 24
Spread the word! As part of our first annual Blues, Blooms and BBQ, folks will be able to purchase veggie plants grown from seeds nurtured by church members. All over town, the sunshine is pulling those little seeds right up into tender green sprouts; before long there will be blooms, and eventually – FOOD! Kids of all ages will enjoy the Blessing of the Animals service that Rex will lead, not to mention the BBQ lunch, and Bluesheart, the local blues band that Rex Matthews nabbed. April 24 is a Saturday, and the hours are 9:00am – 3:00pm.

Profits will go to missions. Laura Green, event co-chair, is looking for the following kinds of help. Let Laura or Pam Kinnaird know if you’d be willing to help as Gardeners willing to plant an extra row and donate the food to community organizations; more Seed sitters; as well as Transplant specialists, Flower lovers and contributors, a Marketing coordinator, a Music Tech for the band, a Crafts coordinator, a Herder of pets, more BBQers and folks to judge their efforts, Day of Sale smiling faces, and a mass of folks (and their coordinator) to donate things like Containers (flat cardboard trays, paper cups, small-to-medium plastic or Tupperware containers, cardboard or plastic egg cartons, old plastic plant cells); newspaper; color coded pricing stickers; paper bags.

Note: The Inman Park Festival is the same weekend, and nearby. Go there, then join us–or do it the other way around.

–The choir will sing Faure’s Requiem during service on Palm Sunday, March 28th.

North Georgia Advocate Subscriptions
Soon we will renew our subscriptions to the North Georgia Advocate (previously the Wesleyan Christian Advocate). If you care to subscribe or renew online, visit http://www.ngumc.org/pages/detail/925.

–We’re looking for a sturdy step stool for the pantry. If you have one to donate, please bring it by the office ASAP.

–Pantry most needed items (right now): Powdered Milk, Dry Beans, Crackers (saltines), Pasta Sauce, Canned meals (ravioli)

–Food Pantry Volunteers will train prior to public hours on March 20th and 27th.

One Great Hour of Sharing Special Offering on March 14, 2010
When the first tremors of the earthquake in Haiti rocked that island nation, UMCOR staff were already in country, strategizing how United Methodists could help improve the lives of the people there. Their work is a direct result of the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering, which supports the operating expenses of those who bring healing and help in our name. It makes it possible, when we respond to an emergency like Haiti, to know that 100% of our gift goes directly to where the suffering is happening.

Prayer List Psalm 17:1
Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea;
listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer.
Virginia Austin
Billie Crenshaw
Richard Ezell, Dana Ezell Rabon’s father
Wesley Fulton
Tom Giles, Josh Giles’ father
Molly Griffin
Amanda Hogg
David Jones
April Meade
Jim Parrish, Joan Cain’s nephew
Mildred Parrish, Joan Cain’s mother
Frank Smith
Emmett, Wendy, and Quinn Stalling
Jennafer Thompson, Pam Kinnaird’s sister
Eugenia Tucker
Wayne Williams

Worship Leaders:
Sermon – Rex Kaney
Liturgist – Melinda Holloway
Minister of Music – Mark Lamback
Organist – Mary Lou Rahn

Assisting in Worship Sunday
Ushers: Team 3, Alexander
Next Sunday, March 14
Ushers: Team 3, Alexander

Offering 02/28/10: $10,519
Homeless Offering: $604
Capital Fund Balance: $48,925

This Week at Druid Hills UMC

Sunday, March 7
Aly Palmer Baby Shower 12:15pm (Q)
Violin Wksp 12:30 – 6pm (C, Rm 4 & 5, W)
Cello Recital 2pm (S)
NO YOUTH TODAY
Lectionary Study 6:30pm

Monday
Cello lessons 2pm (Q)

Tuesday
Agape Circle Mtg. 11am (Q)
Agape Circle Lunch 12pm (FH)
Cello lessons 2pm (Q)
Finance Team 6:30pm (MTS)

Wednesday
Const. Progress Mtg 10am (MTS)
Violin lessons 2pm (W)
Weight Watchers 6pm (Q)
Brown Bag Supper 6pm (FH)
Lenten Series 6:30pm (FH)
Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm
Women’s AA 8pm (Q)

Thursday
DHUMP Mtg. 9:30am (Q)
Violin lessons 3pm (Q)

Friday
Retired Educators Meeting 10am (FH)
Alanon 7:30pm (Q)

Saturday
Food Pantry 11am (Hall, MTS, Pantry)

The sale is a great way to promote healthy living and eating in our local community – as well producing food for our area friends in need.  This is a fun way to help others eat well and get great plant starts for your own garden. When harvest comes – we encourage a donation of a portion of the produce to area community organizations.

We could also use donations of flat cardboard trays, paper cups, small-to-medium plastic or Tupperware containers, cardboard egg cartons and plastic planting trays.

Peace,
Dan

Dr. Matthews is a professor in Methodist Studies at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He has spent much of his professional career delving and researching the Wesleyan understanding and concepts – and how that has translated to the molding of  our faith.  His most recent publication is Timetables of History for Students of Methodism. We are delighted to have Dr. Matthews and to bring this lecture series to the church during the Lenten season of 2010!

Have you noticed the activity around the DHUMC gymnasium?

Once the lease was signed with the Atlanta School System, the Barton Malow construction company has been hard at work making major renovations to our gym.  Currently,  two new HVAC units have been placed on the east side of the gym, and a new gym roof is being installed.

It is anticipated that by April the gym will be ready for week-day use by the students at Springdale Park Elementary School.   DHUMC will have use of the facility in the evenings and weekends.

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Also, the main church is currently getting both a face lift and becoming more energy efficient with the installation of new storm windows. Beginning the first week of March, the new storm windows are being installed, including single pane windows on the main floor and installation of triple track windows.

New single pane storm windows on first floor of main church building

Peace,
Dan

Send an email to the Office Manager at info@druidhillsumc.org.

Contact our Pastor: Dr. Rex Kaney at rex[at]druidhillsumc.org.

You may make a gift to UMCOR at  http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/work/emergencies/, or by calling 1-800-554-8583, or by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068 (write the name Haiti in the memo line) – 100 percent of all funds go directly to immediate Haiti Emergency Aid.

UMCOR Response to Earthquake

UMCOR is mobilizing staff to go to the Dominican Republic this weekend. Working with partners, Action by Churches Together, Church World Service, Global Medic, Muslim Aid, and the Methodist Church, UMCOR is channeling its resources to respond effectively to the people most in need. UMCOR is providing material resources and funding to Haiti, including a contingency grant to the Methodist Church of Haiti. Once non-governmental organizations are allowed and the situation is safe, UMCOR staff will move quickly to begin offering direct support in cooperation with the church.

[This excerpt from the UMCOR site used by permission]