From the Pastor
Hello and God’s blessings, We celebrated Pentecost on May 24th, the birthday of the church. In my message, I reminded all of us that WE are the church, not the building. After the disciples were given the Holy Spirit, they went out and spoke in languages that all those present could understand. It was a miracle for sure. And because the people could hear the words being spoken, over 3,000 people were baptized into the faith found in Jesus Christ. That day they became a member in the family of God.

You belong to the family of God. You are a member of a very special group. The people in this group care about you. They will support you when you’re down and help you when doing right seems hard. They love you and you love them. You’re family. Because you are family, you can reach out to us, your family, to share your joys and share your concerns. We are here for each other. Thanks be to God.

After church, two separate people came to me to share a story they had experienced. Both involved the Holy Spirit’s presence. I asked them if I could share them, and they agreed. Here are their stories…

Charlotte was eating lunch by herself. When she was leaving, a woman came to her and said that she felt the leading to pray for her and asked if she could. Of course, Charlotte responded yes. The woman prayed for her and then they talked. Charlotte beamed with joy as she shared this story with me. I told her she and the woman had been touched by the Holy Spirit.

Gregrory works as a driver for the toll road. He and many others drive around on the toll road looking for those who might be in need. As he was driving down the road, he noticed a man that looked very upset. He was bent over his steering wheel, and Gregory said he looked like he was praying! Gregory stopped to assist. The man told him that he had run out of gas and could he pay him to go get some. Gregory told him that he had gas and rendering aid is what his job is all about. The man was in total shock that help was here. He told him he had been praying and behold Gregory appeared. Yep, that’s the Holy Spirit in Action again!

The Holy Spirit is in us guiding us. Both stories are examples of this. I encourage you to listen when you hear that quiet voice prompting you to do something. It’s worth it to listen and be a vessel for someone in need or even to be a vessel allowing others to be there for you.  We are God’s children and we are supposed to be all about His business, which is to love on others. It is always a blessing to be a blessing to another. 

Family, we need your help. We want to sing songs that you know and that you like. I ask you to make a list of hymns that are precious to you. Then give the list to me. You can email it to me, send the song names by text, or just give me a piece of paper with your list on it at church. I’ll work on compiling the song lists together. We’ll start singing those hymns that are the top favorite and work ourselves down the list. Please make that list and share it with me. 

Reflections…
MARA (Manor Area Religious Alliance) met on May 21st. We spoke of upcoming events that the churches will do together. One of those is collecting school supplies for Manor ISD Student and Family Support Services. I have spoken with Hilda, and she will be compiling a list of 5 items that a very much needed. We are going to focus on collecting those specific items. I will have a list of the items for you by June 7th. You can purchase those items, or you can give monies to buy them. Either way, you will be a blessing.

Sonya stepped forward and volunteered to be the Pastor’s Partner. She has been coming early on Sunday morning to help me get things done. I so much appreciate her assistance. Thanks, Sonya.

The Adult Sunday School Class is up and running. We study the scripture that will be presented in the service. It has been a great experience for everyone that has attended. There is always room for one more. Stop by at 9 am on Sunday morning and we’re through by 10 am. Thanks goes out to Thom for volunteering to lead this class. 

I heard from those of you that attended the Round Rock Express Game on May 13th that everyone had a GREAT time! Jenise, who volunteered to steer this event, is already planning another outing. If you are interested, please reach out to Jenise.

Upcoming Events…
Father’s Day is June 21st. We will have something special in store for the Dads on that Sunday to make them feel extra loved. 

Vacation Bible School will be June 27-28, 2026. Saturday will be an all-day event and there will be a presentation during church on Sunday following with a meal with the families. Everyone is invited to participate, and if you know of any children that might be interested in attending, please let either Wendy or Anna know. 

July 11th – Game night in the fellowship hall. Bring a favorite game to play with your church family and a snack to share. More details will be available at the end of June.

Scripture…
The Scripture for June is: 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11 (CEV) Christ died for us, so we could live with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes. This is why you must encourage and help each other, just as you are already doing.

Here is the list of verses for June. The bolded verse will be the focus of the message for the week, but I do encourage you to read all the verses:
June 7 – Genesis 12:1-9, Psalm 33:1-12, Romans 4:13-35, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
June 14 – Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7), Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19,  Romans 5:1-8, Matthew 9:35-10:8 
June 21 – Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17, Romans 6:1-11, Matthew 10:24-39
June 28 – Genesis 22:1-14, Psalm 13, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42 

Birthdays…
Our June birthdays are: Ben – 13th   Naomi – 17th   Melanie – 27th    Rose M. – 28th 

Please make sure to share birthday greetings with each of them!

Closing…
Let us remember to keep those in our church family who are going through difficult times. Please lift in prayer: Eric, Sue, Charlotte, Linda C., Steve, Nick, Rose & Bill, Linda G., Fred, Brandi, Luna
Use your voice to lift them up to God. Prayers are powerful.

Blessings to all, Pastor Joyce Ann

Update your calendars for these important dates:
Sunday, June 7 - Potluck and Communion
Sunday, June 21- Father’s Day
Wednesday, June 24 - Meals with Manor
Saturday, June 27 - Vacation Bible School
Sunday, June 28 - Wrap up of Vacation Bible School with lunch (after the worship service)

Vacation Bible School is just around the corner Galaxy VBS is arriving at Manor UMC on Saturday, June 27, but we need your help in order to make it a success! On Saturday, we will have an all-day VBS then, on Sunday, we will have a VBS presentation during the worship service followed by a fun celebration afterwards. The celebration will include a hot dog cook-out, bouncy house, and other fun activities. Be on the lookout for a wish list coming out soon, but we will also need monetary donations to help make this a success. If you are interested in helping out in any way, please see Wendy Boatright ([email protected]) or Anna Corbett ([email protected]).

Communion Stewards If you have volunteered to be a communion steward, please provide the bread and grape juice used for the communion. (You can check the kitchen refrigerator ahead of time to see if there is still grape juice available to use.)  The bread should be placed on the communion plate and the juice poured into the cup. These are to be set on the alter table in the Sanctuary and covered with the white linens.   The current communion steward volunteers are as follows:
January – Denise L 
February – Wendy B
March – Pat A
April – (Volunteer needed)
May – Kathy E
June – (Volunteer needed)
July – Wendy B
August – Charlotte M
September – Denise L
October – Kathy E
November – Charlotte M
December – Pat A
​Thank you for providing this service for your Church.