There used to be a time when everybody went to church. Sunday services were always packed with people, and there was plenty of church stuff to do throughout the week. Then, there came a day when everything changed. Things aren’t what they used to be, and like Dorothy Gale, we’re painfully learning that “we’re not in Kansas anymore.” The culture has changed, and many don’t know how to be the church in this new time. On the surface, all these changes can be overwhelming. And if we’re not careful, it can become tempting to repeat Eeyore’s phrase, “Why Bother?” under our breath. 

Eeyore is the gray donkey filled with sawdust from the Winnie the Pooh stories. Eeyore has a gloomy outlook and is forever losing his tail. And like many of us, Eeyore resists change. His stance is, why bother going to the effort of finding my tail if it’s only going to come off and get lost again before lunch? Why bother putting energy and effort into becoming a better donkey when everyone knows I’m filled with sawdust? Why bother?

But what if we shifted our energies from “why bother” about all the changes happening to an attitude of Thanks and Giving? What if we focus on being transformed people who attend a transformed church for the transformation of Snellville? This is a spiritual shift—from striving to fix things to surrendering to things beyond our control while trusting that God is still in control. This is easier said than done, and shifting our thinking and actions takes time. 

During November, we invite you to shift your attention from Eeyore's mentality to Thanks and Giving. We begin with All Saints Sunday, where we recognize the people of faith who passed away since last year. During our worship experiences, we will remember our Saints (listed below) on Sunday, November 5, including Karen Mobley. 

Like all our “Saints,” Karen embodied Thanks and Giving throughout her life. She was incredibly generous, even if it meant paying for a person’s lunch without them knowing. She did this for me several times while unassumingly walking out of the restaurant, saying, “Hello, Preacher!” Karen was known for her loyalty and was generous to a fault. And it’s appropriate to recognize hers and our church's generous members and friends as saints. 

November is also our ALL-IN Thanks and Giving Stewardship campaign month. Our focus is on our ALL-IN journey of generosity! Whether you have participated in our church once or as a lifelong member, we thank you for your ALL-IN investment in giving to Snellville UMC through your gifts to serve a need in the congregation and community. 

We will provide an ALL-IN estimated giving card and invite you to consider a financial pledge for 2024 prayerfully. Your pledges and contributions are investments in our church and community so that we can Honor God by Doing Life Together for the transformation of Snellville for 2024 and beyond. Thank you for continuing our Saints legacy of being ALL-IN with your Thanks and Giving demonstrated through your attendance, support, participation, and service. 

Our Saints Members

Louise Weed

Gladys Sheets

Jim Kelly

Cathy McCafferty

Len Arthur

Joanna Herring

Joan Waters

Paige Choate

John Berger

Dick Moyer

Jerry Bird

William Folsom

Joyce Sillah

Nettie Rice

James Lilly

Karen Mobley

Cathryn Creasy

John Whiting

Jean Coward

Norma Jean Blum

Beverly Colter

Helen Love

Fran Leakey

Robert McCue

Nancy Spruell

Wayne Odum

Jeanne Brown

Duane Foutz

Our Saints Non-Members

Rick Russell, Father-in-law of Leigh Anne Russell

Robert Powell, Son of Betty Powell 

Joe Nichols, Son of Phyllis Blosfeld

Margaret Cornell, Mother of Bonnie Cameron

Kay Argo, Mother of Eddie Argo

Nadine Smallwood, Grandmother of Justin Farmer

Edger Bottorf, Brother of Ileen Meggison

Adalyn Johnson, Mother of Sarah Gray

Virginia Andrisan

Ted Watts

At the Intersection,

Dr. Quincy D. Brown

Senior Pastor