Greetings!  Grace and peace to you!  My name is Erin Moses and I serve in Connecting Ministries at Maple Springs UMC.  I love meeting new people and discovering their God-given gifts and passions and connecting them to the ministries of the church.  I believe the church is the body of Christ to the world and I love to see this lived out at Maple Springs through oneness, diversity, love, and service.  

My family and I are thankful to belong to this church family for almost ten years now.  I have served in the church in various roles since graduating from college.  After earning my Master of Divinity from Duke, I worked as a chaplain in the hospital for several years and upon arrival at Maple Springs, resumed my work in the local church, serving in adult discipleship and connecting ministries.  My husband and I are blessed with two young children, who every day teach me something about the love and openness of God.  

If you are looking for a church home, there is always a place for you here! You will be welcomed as Jesus welcomes you.  We are passionate about building God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven and invite you to co-labor with us!  If you have any questions or are interested in visiting, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at erin@maplesprings.org.  I look forward to meeting you!

Hello there! Are you looking for a place to be rooted and grow in your Christian walk?  There are many opportunities to belong to an adult Sunday school class! The classes meet from 9:50-10:45am on Sunday mornings and range from topical studies to Bible studies to digital lessons.  Please contact erin@maplesprings.org if you have any questions!

ASBURY (C23) Craven Hall, Upper Level,
Leader-directed group discussion; all ages are welcome. 

FELLOWSHIP (Parlor) Main Building, Main Level, Follows Uniform Lesson Series with various teachers; senior adults. 

FOCUS (M4) Main Building, Basement Level, Scripture discussions and a variety of topics; mostly retirees, but all ages are welcome. 

FOUNDATIONS (M29) Main Building, Upper Level, Bible and topical studies, individuals and couples with school-aged (K-12) children. 

SISTERS IN CHRIST (Bride’s Room) Main Building, Basement Level, Bible and topical studies with special attention to the application of God’s word; all women. 

TRAVELERS (C27) Craven Hall, Upper Level,
Topical discussion/DVD curriculum with more intense Bible studies, depending on the season; all ages are welcome. 

UMAR (Women’s Bible Study Room) Craven Building, Upper Level,
Bible study, crafts, and fellowship for developmentally delayed adults. 

Read more on our website! Adult Sunday School Classes

By Rev. Sylvia Wilhelm

     Pentecost, in its Jewish context, was a feast event known as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks.  It was the celebration of the beginning of the early weeks of harvest, in particular the early wheat harvest, which meant that Pentecost would fall sometime during the month of May or early June.  People would travel from all over to Jerusalem to celebrate the goodness of God.

     In the Christian context, Pentecost takes on a different meaning.  Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come and they would receive power to be his witnesses.  This event happened ten days after Jesus’ ascension and 50 days after Easter.  We find this recorded in the second chapter of Acts.  The opening verses say, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly from heaven came a sound like the rush of a violent wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”

     At this point, the Apostle Peter delivered a powerful message quoting the prophet Joel and King David.  He spoke of the crucifixion of Jesus and how God raised him from the dead and made him Lord and Messiah.  The people were so convicted by Peter’s words that they repented and were baptized.  Scripture says that 3000 believers were added to the faith that day.  From that point on, the disciples boldly proclaimed the gospel and the church was born.  So, from the Christian perspective, Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ followers and it marks the birth of the church.  In the Christian church it is always celebrated 50 days after Easter.

    Two of the predominant Christian symbols for Pentecost are a flame---representing the tongues of fire in Acts 2:3---and the dove, which is reminiscent of the dove descending on Jesus at his baptism.  The liturgical color for Pentecost is red.

    At Maple Springs United Methodist Church, Pentecost is celebrated for its historical significance, but it is also a special day in which we celebrate the confirmation of young people who have gone through an extensive learning process regarding Christian faith and doctrine.  It is a day in which they make a public profession of faith.  This year we will celebrate with eight young people who make that profession.

                    AN INVITATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

O God, the Holy Spirit,

   come to us, and among us;

   come as the wind, and cleanse us;

   come as the fire, and refresh;

convict, convert, and consecrate

  many hearts and lives

   to our great good

   and to thy greater glory;

and this we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.  (United Methodist Hymnal 335)

“Creating Opportunities For Better Lives Through Christ Centered Service” 

•  Henderson Settlement Mission Statement

“Rooted in Christ, Growing In Christ, Bearing Fruit For Christ”

• Maple Springs UMC Mission Statement
  

During the week of September 25^th, the two organizations’ Mission Statements meet. A team of volunteers from Maple Springs will travel to Frakes, Kentucky, an isolated area of Appalachia, to bear fruit through Christ centered service. During the week our team will be sharing our faith through prayers, conversation, and work with four elderly families in need of necessary repairs to their homes.

After a three-year absence due to the pandemic, an energized team of volunteers returns to Henderson Settlement as representatives of Maple Springs thanks to the approval of our Mission Committee and the financial support of the congregation.

Our group will leave for Kentucky following Sunday services on September 25^th and will be housed in a house near the Henderson Settlement Campus. Our meals will be provided by the Settlement at their cafeteria. We will begin work on Monday and complete our week after lunch on Friday. We will be working on a variety of construction projects utilizing the varied skills of the group. Some potential volunteers have hesitated, fearing a lack of special construction skill or experience would render them useless. This is not the case! Each of our projects were selected so that some necessary work could be performed by those with limited or no construction experience. Do not let your concern about skill level or experience hold you back!

A special and significant extra benefit of this project is the camaraderie built among our group as we share the Henderson experience. A friendship and bond occur as we travel, work, eat, pray, and live together during the week.

We have committed to a team of 18 for this mission. The tuition cost per volunteer is $350 for the week. The Mission Committee has dedicated monies to be used specifically to subsidize this cost by $200 leaving each volunteer a tuition cost of $150. If you would like to donate help cover this subsidy, make your donation payable to Maple Springs UMC and earmark it for Henderson Settlement 2023.

It is both significant and telling that most of the past work teams are excited about the opportunity to return and have committed. It is exciting that several “rookies” have committed as well. There are still a few spaces left! 

We are asking for a firm commitment to the trip by receipt of your tuition by May 1, 2023. (If after committed, an emergency arises, the Mission Committee will return deposits if requested.) 

Our journey to Henderson Settlement offers much…. sharing Christ through service, sharing Christ through our presence, and sharing Christ in our fellowship! Please consider joining us!

If you have questions do not hesitate to ask. 

Hank Sigmon, Group Leader

hank.sigmon@gmail.com

by Pastor Dan Lyons

April 5, 2023

On the third day of His crucifixion, death, and burial,

Jesus Christ, the only Son of God the Father Almighty and our Lord,

rose from the dead!

~ paraphrase of The Apostles’ Creed

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the miraculous event of the first Easter morning, establishes the uniqueness of Christianity. Our God left the throne of heaven to take on humanness. Upon being executed on a Roman cross, under accusing placard of treason, our God conquered death and the grave to live again. 

The people called Methodist believe:

Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body,

with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature

~ Article III—Of the Resurrection of Christ

The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church

Jesus Christ rose from the dead in a physical body. His feet were grasped by Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. He walked and talked with disciples. He broke bread in an Emmaus home. His disciples were invited to touch his flesh and bone. He ate a piece of broiled tilapia. He built a fire upon which he cooked bread and more fish. Jesus is a walking, talking, fish eating, back from the dead testimony to the power of God.

Because of this miracle, believers gather with the community of faith to celebrate Easter. We tell (or read) the account again. We proclaim: The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed. We sing the songs of faith:

Christ the Lord is risen to today, Al-le-lu-ia!

You have overcome the grave – Glory fills the highest place . . . 

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

Forever, he is glorified – Forever, he is lifted high – Forever, He is risen . . . 

Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph o’er his foes . . . 

Christ is risen from the dead – Trampling over death by death . . . 

At Maple Springs, a visual focal point of our Easter celebration is the flower cross. Worshippers bring fresh cut flowers to the fill the ugly holes of the cross with beauty. As the songs of resurrection play, stem by stem, the colorful blooms are added to the old rugged cross. In a matter of minutes, the Roman instrument of torture and death, the symbol of suffering and shame, is transformed before our eyes into an icon of love, hope, and new life. The converted cross proclaims the love of God to all who gaze upon it.

The Resurrection of Christ enables you and me to look forward to our own resurrection as Jesus is the first fruit of what is yet to come. Our hope does not end with this life, this body, and this world. While speaking of his earthly departure, Jesus tells us, “Because I live, you also shall live” (John 14:19). These words of hope expand our imaginations beyond flesh and blood to the heavens and glory. Jesus’ resurrection enables our own resurrection. We look forward to the day when we will be in the Heavenly realm with the fellowship of believers.

Celebrating Easter—the resurrection day of Jesus Christ our Lord—is what sets us apart from other religions. No other god came to earth to sacrifice himself for our benefit. And because of His divinity He rose from the dead to live again. This is Good News to celebrate!

Jesus said, 

“I am the resurrection and the life.

The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

(John 11:25-26)

by Sandra Kupsky - Church Historian

When people gathered to worship outside at the farm of Henry Livengood in 1848, there were two babbling springs on the property between the rocks and under the roots of a large maple tree.  This water furnished an ample supply for all church occasions that included camp meetings and they were a place of respite.  Thus, the founding of Maple Springs United Methodist Church.  Our church name reminds us that Jesus is truly the living water for all who follow him. 

You can still see the springs – there is path at the southwest corner of the parking lot, near Craven Hall.  There is an outdoor worship area with benches, a podium and a cross beside the springs.

Maple Springs first land title was a five acre property dated May 7, 1850.  The first structure on the property was a modest log structure, built very close to the current church location.  A new frame church was built in 1892, a few feet from the log church.  Members of the building committee performed much of the carpentry on the building.  

As the church grew and needs of the congregation changed, it was decided to move the existing church building to a new location on the property in 1927.  Many upgrades were made to the building and a basement was added. The decorative glass windows from that building are in the current sanctuary lobby.  The cornerstone was laid October 16, 1927.  A list with 114 members was placed in the cornerstone.

By 1948, there were 239 members and additional space for meetings and education were needed.  An education building was constructed – having 18 classrooms, a kitchen and 8 auxiliary rooms.  This building is still in use today for Sunday School, the traditional music choir, a library and staff offices.  

By 1954, the church’s continued growth created the need for a new sanctuary.  Ground breaking was September 18, 1955 and the cornerstone was laid September 16, 1956.  The new building had a large sanctuary, Pastor’s study, Parlor, large fellowship hall and kitchen, the church office and additional classrooms.  All of these facilities are still in use today.

In the early 1990s, the church determined that it needed new facilities to attract young families.   After much dedicated work by the building committee and a commitment to financing the project by the church, Craven Hall was completed in 1996. This facility serves as a contemporary worship space and a recreation space and includes a stage, a basketball court and professional kitchen.  The Cokesbury room is used for many church functions and meetings and on Sundays is home to our Chinese congregation. 

Another important part of the Craven Hall project was to add classroom space.  On the first floor, the Maple Springs Preschool operates during the week and on Sundays there are Sunday School classes and Nursery care.  There are beautiful classrooms and two playgrounds.  The second-floor houses Sunday School classes, a space for our Youth Group and several offices. 

Upgrades were made to the sanctuary and Craven Hall in 2012.  New flooring was installed, the paint refreshed, better lighting was added, the sanctuary pulpit and altar area were redesigned and a new organ and grand piano were purchased.  The sound systems were also enhanced.    

In 2022, the Craven Lobby was upgraded with a fresh new look.  The Craven Lobby is the heart of the church during the week and is where you will find a wonderful group of volunteers that greet guests and answer the phones.   

Maple Springs is blessed to have wonderful facilities that have a long history (since 1850!) of being a platform for our ministries.  Maple Springs Life is alive and well in our mission to become Rooted in Christ, Grow in Christ and Bear Fruit for Christ.  

The Maple Springs UMC Food Pantry has been open for over 20 years and continues to provide food to our neighbors in need.  So, what makes this pantry so special?  In my opinion, there are three things we do well.  We are a client choice pantry, we have great volunteers, and our church congregation supports us when the need is there.

A client choice pantry is one that allows the family needing the food to select the items they need and want versus being handed bags of pre-selected food.  When one of our neighbors enters our pantry, they are greeted with shelves holding cans of fruit or vegetables, canned meat, pasta, desserts, crackers, soup, and much more.  They can choose what they like and even sometimes the brand they prefer.  Imagine for a moment how you would feel if you went to the grocery store to get your food for the week and you were given 4 bags of food without being able to select what is in the bags.  Your first action when leaving the store would be to look in the bag to see what is in there and then taking out what you don’t want.  While pre-bagging the food allows a pantry to serve more folks in a certain amount of time, there is the potential of much wasted food.  If you give me a can of chickpeas and I don’t eat them, what happens to that can of food?  By choosing to be a client choice pantry, we provide our neighbors the opportunity to choose those items they need or want and, in the process, they are able to maintain some dignity.

Our amazing volunteers…what can I say!  There have been many volunteers over the years that have touched our pantry and each one of them has left their mark on what we do today.  Whether a person has volunteered once per month or numerous times each month, they have done so primarily to help others.  What is really cool is that it’s not just 4-5 people doing it week after week but over 50 different volunteers have assisted the pantry in some manner over the last year.  Each volunteer has been important in their own way but there are a few that have been extra special over the years.  Walt Moore has been helping to unload the trucks every month if not every week for at least 10 years.  Stephanie Norman works on the computer every Tuesday afternoon and since she has done it for so long, she is our “unofficial trainer” for all new persons wanting to learn the computer software.  Peter Venable has been helping us for years in many different capacities and today helps take the cardboard out to the van every Tuesday morning.  Mike Young is in a race with Stephanie Norman to see who has logged the most volunteer hours over the years and today he helps to restock our shelves each week.  And of course, SueEllen Thomas has been involved for years and today works at the counter on Wednesdays, sends out reminder emails, and chairs our Food Pantry Committee.    If the space allowed, I could mention so many more wonderful volunteers but it’s important that each of them knows the impact they have on our neighbors when they visit.  Our neighbors constantly speak of how welcome they feel here and how kind we are in their time of need.

And last of all, our church congregation.  When we need soup and crackers, we ask, and you deliver.  When we have a condiment food drive, the condiments come in by the hundreds.  When we needed to purchase a new van a couple of years ago, the financial donations allowed us to make the purchase.  We’ve asked for food bags, we’ve had Sunday School class contests, we’ve asked for volunteer help, and it seems that no matter what we ask for, our church and the community are always there to help.  When one of our neighbors needs food, what you do to support the pantry ultimately helps to feed our neighbors.  

In closing, there are dozens of food pantries in Forsyth County and each one of them is special in their own way.  I believe ours is extra special though because of who we are.  We care about our neighbors, we show respect for them when they visit, and we love each other while we are serving.  In the end, our neighbors in need will visit us one time to get food but they will visit us multiple times if we show we care.  Thanks to everyone for all you do to make our pantry so special.  May God bless each person reading this!

by Rev. Sylvia Wilhelm

The core of our belief in the United Methodist Church is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of all.  Our Wesleyan emphasis on grace enables us to live into that belief.  Through prevenient grace we are drawn by the Holy Spirit to seek God; through justifying grace we come to repentance and the forgiveness of sin and brought into a right relationship with God; and through sanctifying grace we move on to Christian perfection, which John Wesley (founder of Methodism) describes as “a heart habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor.”

In response to the Lordship of Christ, the mission of the United Methodist Church is “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”  We believe that personal salvation is lived out in mission and service to the world----to be a passionate voice against injustice in whatever form it takes and to work toward the fulfillment of God’s kingdom on earth.

Through Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience (the Wesleyan Quadrilateral) we come to know more fully how to live out our faith in our daily lives.  Scripture is the primary source for all Christian doctrine.  Tradition draws on the story of the church through the ages, and as such, we hold to and profess the ancient creeds (Nicene & Apostles’ Creed).  Our experience, both individual and corporate, bears out and authenticates the truth revealed in Scripture and brought to light in tradition.  By reason we ask questions and seek to understand God’s will for our lives and our world.

The United Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments, the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, as means of grace whereby people are brought into the faith and nurtured in their faith journey.

The full scope of what we believe can be found in the Articles of Religion and the Social Principles of our Book of Discipline or at https://www.umc.org.