Author: Veronica B

The Messenger

Groce UMC’s

Volume 38; Issue 9 September 1, 2025

Question

What makes a house sturdy, and what do we do if our house stands on sandy ground?

Inside
September 2025

Cover Story
Page 2
Birthdays/Anniversaries
Page 5

Upcoming Events
Pages 3-4 + 11
Financial Reports
Pages 6-9
Calendar
Page 12

Cover Photo
Adobe stock photo: Houses on sand and rock

Question

What makes a house sturdy, and what do we do if our house stands on sandy ground?

Contemplations by Kelley Woehl

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herefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” — Matthew 7: 24-27
’ve been thinking about Matthew 7. The parable following the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells us about two men, a wise man and a foolish man. The wise man builds his house on stone, and the foolish man builds his house on sand. This is one of Jesus’s more obvious parables, telling us to build on solid ground. But, as we all know, Jesus loved a riddle.
Upon further reflection, I realized I’m unsure which part of the metaphor is meant to symbolize “faith.” Initially, I understood faith as the ground, rocky or sandy, strong or eroding. Faith holds up our “house,” our domestic and social lives. It is the foundation on which we build everything else. When we are secure in our faith, the rest of our lives can be safely built up.
But another interpretation is that faith could be represented by the house. Faith, too, needs to be held up by good soil. Sand, in this understanding, would be the unhealthy habits or beliefs or people that, when given enough power, can swallow us up. But a solid support system, good friends, a church community, maybe a therapist (talking to myself there), can be the rock which grounds someone’s faith.
There’s incredible meaning behind both images. Faith as the ground that supports us, and faith as the house which holds us. Our lives can be visualized both as the rock which supports our faith, or the house that sits safely upon our support systems.
Seeing both of these images reminded me that they can both be “right.” They can both be ways that we see our lives and our faith. And, in fact, it can serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness of religion and life. The way we see the world will shape the foundation of our lives, and it will also be the house in which we hold our treasures.
Sometimes I need my faith to be my house, a safe space I can go to find comfort and security. Other times, my faith can lie underneath as the foundation on which I live my life. This seems to be the case with other people too, they balance the relationship between faith as a foundation in some moments, and at other times my faith is a purposeful shelter.
What did Jesus mean when he ended his most famous sermon with this parable? Perhaps it was to explain the reason for following his teachings. Perhaps it was a message on the dire consequences of fragile or performative faith. Perhaps it was a commentary on the trials that come with building a firm foundation for faith, after all, rock is one of the most difficult surfaces to build a house on. And perhaps the message lies in the unsaid truth that most of us aren’t building our houses on sand or rock, but soil that holds both. Our homes, literally and spiritually, are built on rocky and sandy ground. That does not make them unbreakable, nor does it immediately doom them.
When Jesus tells us about the wise man and the foolish man, he reinforces the messages in his Sermon on the Mount. He’s demonstrating the versatility of faith, and the need for good support wherever our homes are built. We can’t always decide whether our homes are built on rock or sand. But with the right foundation and good support, the house will stand. And our Groce family will certainly make sure of that.
ave I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. ~ Joshua 1: 9

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Pumpkin Updates
SUBMITTED BY JANE WILLIAMS
The pumpkins are coming! We are all ready for cool weather and looking forward to seeing pumpkins in the front yard of the church this fall. Darnell Farms will deliver our pumpkins on Sunday, October 12, following the church service. United Methodist men will provide pizza for all the hard workers!
Volunteers to sell pumpkins can sign up beginning September 16. Pumpkin patch hours will be: M-F, 2:00-6:30, Sat & Sun, 12:30-6:30.
Each shift will be 1 1/2 hours. Please consider volunteering. All proceeds benefit local nonprofit agencies and our Groce Youth Missions work.
Kelley will be hosting a Pumpkin Painting evening for local youth groups and community members on October 19 from 5-6:30
If you have any questions, call Jane Davis at
828-777-1611 or Jane Williams at
828-400-3928.

Holiday Market

SUBMITTED BY LINDA GEER
Holiday Market Nov. 22
The Outreach Committee is planning a Groce Holiday Market to raise funds to support the continued Youth Director position. It will be held Nov. 22 in Asbury Hall. This the first time in a long while we’ve done this and we’re open to ALL possibilities.
I hope every committee and group will plan to participate by brainstorming ideas for one or more tables. You can sell crafts, baked goods, or services. You may also choose to sell better flea market items, but NOT CLOTHES. Groce member tables will be free.
We will also solicit outside individuals who would like to rent a table ($25-$30) to sell crafts.
Guidelines and details will be available in the church office, or you can text Linda Geer (828-273-1502) or Pam Rogalsky (828-215-2685) for more information.

Nurture Update
SUBMITTED BY PAM ROGALSKI
The Nurture committee will not meet in September

Building a Multi-Generational Church
SUBMITTED BY KELLEY WOEHL
In the spirit of community and serving our neighbors, the United Methodist Men and the Youth will be joining together to volunteer at ABCCM Veteran’s Quarters on September 21st.

Youth Group
SUBMITTED BY KELLEY WOEHL
Youth Group will be starting on September 7 at 5:00!
Meals for the youth group will be provided on the following schedule:
1st Sunday: Youth leaders
2nd Sunday: UMM
3rd Sunday: Sarah’s Circle
4th Sunday: Agape Class
5th Sunday: Miriam’s Circle

CPR Training
Become CPR Certified in one day! We will be hosting a certification class on September 18 from 9-5. The cost is $30 per person. There is only space for 7 more people in the class, and sign-up is first-come-first-serve. Email Kelley at kelleyw@gumc.org to secure your spot!

Table of Sixteen

SUBMITTED BY LINDA LANKTON
The monthly Table of Sixteen lunch will be on Wednesday, September 24, at 11:30am at the Longhorn Steak House off of Tunnel Road. Anyone wanting to join us is welcome to!come!

Family to Family
SUBMITTED BY Jane Morse, Groce Bell School Family to Family representative

Family to Family Charles C. Bell Elementary Annual school Supply Drive

Birthdays & Anniversaries

Jerry Kirschner 09/01
Chris Morris 09/03
Leslie Morris 09/03
Dixie Quinlan 09/03
Susan Smith 09/05
Tayte Justus 09/07
Rebecca Wilburn 09/09
Lilian Degobbi 09/10
Ashton Huntley 09/13

Joel Matthews 09/18
Natalie Gabriel 09/20
Terri Kilmer 09/21
Richard Gabriel 09/23
Nick Taylor 09/23
Brody Justus 09/28

09/03 MORSE, True & Jane (42)
09/04 DAVIS, Gerald & Kathy Quick (42)
09/07 LITTLE, Jenny & Jonathan (14)
09/07 MOODY, Jack & Christine (29)
09/12 KUHN, Peter & Cecile (10)
09/12 REDD, Rocky & Michael (55)
09/15 GARWOOD, Steve & Susan (35)

Financial Reports:
SUBMITTED BY GAYLE DECKER AND TRUE MORSE
The Finance Committee is pleased to share the second 2025 financial report to Groce's Church Family. Typically these are sent after each quarter of the year (Jan-Mar, Apr-June) plus information for the annual stewardship campaign and then a year end report at the beginning of the new year. As a result of the need for some additional accounting work, the accompanying "2nd quarter" report is year-to-date through August 12th instead of the end of June. If you have any questions or want to see more detail please do not hesitate to contact any of us.
Gary Brockway, Finance Chair, 270-556-8414, gbrockway@murraystate.edu
True Morse, TL3 Leadership Team Chair, 743-999-1769, truemorse@gmail.com
Jim Ariail, Financial Secretary, 828-778-8355, jimariail@yahool.com

SUMMARIZED AND SUBMITTED BY TRUE MORSE
August 19, 2025
Attendees: Fred Bailey, Tracey Briggs, Gary Brockway, Phil Crouch, Diane McEntire, True Morse, Rocky Redd, Pam Rogalski, Jill Rhinehart, Will Troxell
2. Absent: Loring McIntyre
LOVING
Jill opened the meeting in prayer
LEARNING
Financial – Gary presented both summary and detailed financial information through 8/13/25 of this year.
A. Overall Operations Fund Budget status. The summary operations fund budget report shows that we are $18,737 over budget year to date
B. Income status. We are ahead of budget for Pledged Contributions by $12,374 but behind on budget for Non-Pledged Contributions by $24,561. The non-pledged contributions budget is based on historical giving patterns by people who routinely give but do not make an annual pledge.
2. Trustees, Technology & Communications
A. Facility use policy review. The policy has been sent out to the Trustees for review and comment so it can be finalized for approval by the Trustees.
LEADING
Shaping Our Future “Top 3 Priorities” – True, Jill, Diane, Tracey
#1 - Becoming a more multi-generational Family of God
i. Team: Tracey & Bob Briggs, Diane McEntire, True (lead), Lauren Rhein, Jill Rhinehart, Angela Woehl
ii. At the 7/15 meeting each team member presented what they learned from reviewing their assigned webinar from the 8 Characteristics of Vital and Sustainable Congregations webinars series by Rev. Rob Hutchinson. These findings are being aggregated into a single matrix to better understand how we apply the knowledge to Groce. The team anticipates meeting again in early September.
#2 - Sanctuary multimedia enhancements
i. Due to the current church finances and the significant amount of prep and training the enhancements would not occur until 2026.
#3 - Updated street sign with electronic message capabilities
i. The primary sign vendor, FASTSIGNS, has provided an updated design and a proposal of $21,500 based on the design. Meetings are occurring with other sign vendors.
Rocky ended the meeting in prayer

TL3 Meeting Notes

September 2025

The Lord will vindicate me; Your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of Your hands Psalm 138:8

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Warrior Canine Connection Mon. - Fri. from 8am to 5pm	1 / Labor Day / Office Closed	2 / Parkin.Group—10am / Knitters—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / SMBB—7pm	3 / Choir—6pm / AA Meeting—6pm	4 / Isaac Group—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / Welcome Table—5pm	Tailgate Market— 3—6pm	6 / Haw Creek Yard Sale— 8am—2pm
7 / AGAPE—9am / Worship—10:30am / Youth—5pm	8 / Prayer Group—11am / Handbells—3pm / Guitar League—6pm / Brownies—6pm	9 / Knitters—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / Bev. Hills—7pm / SMBB—7pm / SMBB—7pm	10 / BLT—10am / UMM@VRQ—5:15pm / Choir—6pm / AA Meeting—6pm	11 / Isaac Group—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / Welcome Table—5pm	12 / Tailgate Market— 3—6pm	13
14 / AGAPE—9am / Worship—10:30am / Youth—5pm	15 / Prayer Group—11am / Handbells—3pm / Outreach—3pm / Labyrinth—6pm	16 / Knitters—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / Miriam Circle—3pm / Leadership—6pm / SMBB—7pm	17 / Sarah Circle—10am / Choir—6pm / AA Meeting—6pm	18 / CPR Class—9am / Isaac Group—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / Welcome Table—5pm	19 / Tailgate Market— 3—6pm	20 / Reynolds Reunion— 1pm—4pm
21 / AGAPE—9am / Worship—10:30am / Youth—5pm	22 / Prayer Group—11am / Handbells—3pm / Brownies—6pm	23 / Knitters—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / BasketGuild—5:30pm / SMBB—7pm	24 / Table of 16 —11:30am / BCAE—4pm / Choir—6pm / AA Meeting—6pm	25 / Isaac Group—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / Welcome Table—5pm	26 / Tailgate Market— 3—6pm	27 / Guitar League—10am
28 / AGAPE—9am / Worship—10:30am Church Picnic— 11:30am / HawCreekPotluck—5pm / Youth—5pm / SMBB—7pm	29 / Prayer Group—11am / Handbells—3pm	30 / Knitters—10:30am / Tai Chi—1:30pm / SMBB—7pm

Hispanic Heritage Month - is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements for the United States. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period.

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Dr. Danny Fusco, Principal at Bell Elementary, was overwhelmed with the amount of school supplies Groce delivered. Thanks to everyone who contributed to help students at Bell have a successful year. In addition to the school supplies 15 $25 Ingles gift cards were donated for food insecurity.

Compiled and Edited by Kelley Woehl