MUMC Headlines
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Spirit Center Construction Progress - October 2008
Construction is finally underway on the Spirit Center. A large hole is being dug in the gravel parking lot at the rear of the property. The large black pipe being stored in the rear parking lot will be installed in this large hole that will be enlarged to about twice the size it is now to hold all of the large pipe. The purpose of this port of the construction is to store and retain storm water runoff from the entire church property to alleviate flooding. This system will store about 10,000 cubic feet or 74,800 gallons of water when completed. This will then be paved over as a new parking lot and is scheduled to be completed about the end of October.
The next part of the construction is rerouting the underground piping behind the gym. The 48 inch concrete pipe will be used for this and the rerouting will remove the existing pipe from underneath the new building. This may well also be completed by the time you read this report.
The next phase will be to dig and pour the concrete footings for the new building and removing the Duke Power transformer next to the gym and relocating it to the rear of the new building. This work is scheduled for early in November.
The project is currently projected to be completed in mid June 2009.


Fall Festival - Sunday, October 26 (3-5 PM)
The Fall Festival will be even bigger and better this year. We have activities planned to entertain our whole "church family" and "extended family"
(Mauldin community) in this mission focused event for Operation Christmas Child. This multigenerational event has something for everyone to enjoy. Invite your neighbors and friends to this big event. Let's see how many filled shoe boxes we can get for Operation Christmas Child this year.
- Outdoor concert by The Live Praise Band
- Trunk or Treat - back of cars decorated with people passing out candy
- Family Ministries is looking for 20 teams to decorate a car, SUV, or other type of motor vehicle for our first Trunk or Treat. A team could be one to three families working together. You are to turn your trunk into an exciting space. It can be decorated as a character, a foreign country, for Halloween, or fall, or even Christmas. Be as creative as you can. The only rule is it must be small child friendly (not scary). Alice Galloway has offered a free dinner for 6 for the team with the best-decorated car. We even encourage you to dress up in costume as you pass out candy from your car. You can provide your own candy or family ministries can provide it for you. We will have sign up sheets in the Son Room and gym and will accept the first 20 teams.
- Dunk tank sponsored by family ministries to raise money to fill more shoe boxes
- Carnival type games with prizes in the gym for children lead by youth
- Every child will receive 10 tickets to play the carnival type games in the gym. Ten additional tickets will be given for each filled shoe box for Operation Christmas Child. Additional tickets for games and bounce house can be purchased for only 50 cents each or 10 for $5.00. All proceeds will go to filling more Operation Christmas Child boxes. Our youth will be working in games.
- Costume parade for children of all ages
- Bounce house sponsored by children's ministry
- Hot dog dinner in the Fellowship Hall provided by United Methodist Women
- Bake Sale sponsored by 4th and 5th grade girls Bible study class "Beautiful in God's Eyes."
- Pumpkin contest- vote with your money for your favorite pumpkin
- Operation Christmas Child box drop off

Consecration Sunday, October 26
It has truly been an exciting time in the life of Mauldin United Methodist Church so far this year.
Many of you have graciously supported the work of our church through your service, your gifts and your financial
resources. Many church programs have continued to flourish through your support of the 2008 Operating
Budget. In July, we witnessed yet another blessing as we broke ground on our new Spirit Center. This
addition promises to greatly enhance the work of our church and to continue to Touch Lives for Christ.
We are now closing in on that time of year when we begin making preparations for the upcoming
year. Sunday, October 26 will mark Consecration Sunday at MUMC. We ask that you prayerfully consider
your support of the 2009 Operating Budget and the Building Fund. Your generous support continues to allow
MUMC to provide the church programs that impact our congregation including our children and youth as
well as the many community outreach programs that service our local area. With the construction start of the
Spirit Center, it is vital that we follow through with the commitment to provide the adequate facilities necessary
to effectively carry forward these many programs.
A copy of the 2009 Pledge card follows. Please note that you will again provide your pledge separately
for the Operating Budget and the Building Fund for 2009. Additionally, we have included pledge opportunities
for the Building Fund for both 2010 and 2011. Please note that these amounts confirm or revise
all previous pledges for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Building Fund. Also, please note that an automatic draft
option is offered for 2009. This electronic banking information can be completed on the back of the pledge
card.
The pledge cards will be distributed during all services on Consecration Sunday,
October 26. We ask that you complete and return these cards during the service either by
leaving them down front during the traditional services or in the collection baskets in the
LIVE service. Thank you for your continued support of our vision: "Touching Lives for
Christ."
Sept
23
"SMOKE SIGNALS"
From the Desk of the Pastor
"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose
recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature
instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances
complaining that the world will not devote itself to making
you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole
community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it
whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for
the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own
sake. Life is no "brief candle" for me. It is a sort of splendid
torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to
make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future
generations."
These beautiful words were written by the great playwright
George Bernard Shaw. Though Shaw can hardly be
counted an orthodox Christian, his words beautifully describe
what we Christians call "stewardship". The first chapter of the
Bible describes how God made human beings in God's own image
and calls us to "have dominion" over the earth. Three chapters
later, Cain asks God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" While
Cain says this intending to excuse himself from having murdered
his brother, you and I understand the true answer to this question
to be "yes"; and the rest of the Bible drives that point home on
page after page.
Those of you who recently turned in a Time and Talents
inventory have already begun to participate in our fall stewardship
emphasis. During the month of October, we will place a
special emphasis on our financial stewardship. Our sermons and
worship will focus on these themes, all coming to a climax with
Consecration Sunday on October 26. Please remember that the
purpose of Christian stewardship is not just to raise money so
that the church can pay its bills. The point of Christian stewardship
is that, to paraphrase
Shaw, "Our life belongs to
God, and as long as we
live it is our privilege to do
for God whatever we can."
Grace & Peace,
Smoke Kanipe
Minister




