For many, this time of year begins to bring forth some wonderful results of their efforts from just a few weeks ago. Every year (except this year), I have tried my hand on growing at least a few flowers and vegetables. Every year, I start out excited about watching my efforts grow into beautiful healthy plants that I can enjoy all summer. Whether it be smelling the soon to be beautiful flowers or eating a red-ripe tomato right off the vine, I look forward to enjoying “the fruit of my labor.”  But then something happens. Weeds begin to grow, hot summer days come when the plants need extra water. Life in general seems to get way too busy and some things just have to go. Usually, those things are my plants and I seldom if ever see any of their beauty or experience any of their fruit. My efforts seem to have been in vain as I don’t seem to be able to continue what I need to do in order to cultivate my makeshift garden. My good intentions really don’t get me anywhere!

I am reminded of this when it comes to growing something much more important than a few flowers and some tomatoes. Yet, sometimes I treat growing in the Fruit of the Spirit much as I do my veggies. I start out excited, put in some effort to helping them grow, and then it seems to get derailed. Maybe not by weeds and too much or not enough water, but by losing focus on doing my part to help them grow. Maybe the weeds of busyness or distractions or simply finding something that I would rather do take over. Maybe I get tired of watering the same efforts over and over again because they are not growing as quickly as I would like them to. Whatever the reason, sometimes my efforts at growing in the Fruit of the Spirit wane and I feel like I am starting all over again in helping them to grow into what God desires them to be.
 
Maybe this summer, we should spend time cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit more than we do our garden or flower bed. Perhaps we should focus on just one of the Fruit at a time and give it the attention it needs. Wouldn’t we all be better off if this summer we grew in our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

What will you try to grow this summer?

July’s 49er’s meeting will celebrate our patriotic heritage July 8 at 6:00 pm in the RUMC gym. You will want to join us for hot dogs and your favorite sides, then for patriotic singing, an old fashion cake walk and top off the evening with ice cream sundaes.

Hot dogs and ice cream will be provided. Please bring a side dish, a topping for the sundaes or a cake for the cake walk prize table.

RSVP to Kay Harrell at 423-504-2737 or through the church app.

Our Snacks with Sally (or Ladies game night) is returning on July 20th!  All ladies are invited to come and bring a friend for a great time of fellowship. Be sure to bring your favorite snack and card/board game. We will be meeting in the gym at 6:00 pm and end around 8:00 pm. Be sure to mark your calendar to join us for a fun night together!

I am so excited to share that we will be doing our second annual Music Camp July 23-26, 10 am-12 pm. We’ll have singing, dancing, boomwhackers, bucket drums, and fun! Taylor and I truly believe that if you are given a voice and a body, you were made to sing and dance! Music camp is for ages four through 7th grade. You can sign your child up on the app- they won’t want to miss out!

In order for this event to be successful, we need YOUR help! No musical expertise is necessary; we just need adults who can help guide the students through the different musical stations and love and care for them. You can sign up to serve on the app.

We will celebrate the end of music camp with a special musical offering from our kids at the celebration service on July 27 at 11 o’clock. We will also have a church picnic later that day at the Little General Park from 5 to 7 pm. Taylor and I can’t wait to share the joy of music with you!

With the new school year approaching comes a new class of Confirmation!

Confirmation is a small group designed for middle school students who are ready to learn what it means to be a member of the church. Together, we’ll review church history, examine United Methodist Doctrine, and learn what it looks like to live as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
 
This year, Confirmation will begin with a retreat the first weekend in September. After this, we’ll meet Sunday evenings—skipping school breaks—until Easter. Confirmation this year will include a parent “support group” which meets alongside our class to review what the students are learning and prepare to continue the conversations at home.

On Easter Sunday, these students will get the opportunity to stand before the congregation and become the newest members of Ringgold UMC.

If you are interested in Confirmation for your student, or have any questions, reach our to me at jamie@ringgoldumc.org. We’ll have a parent meeting preview in August, so be on the lookout for that information soon.

A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) allows individuals who are 70½ years old or older to donate up to $108,000 total to one or more charities directly from a taxable IRA instead of taking their required minimum distributions. As a result, donors may avoid being pushed into higher income tax brackets and prevent phaseouts of other tax deductions, though there are some other limitations. For more information click the link below.

With your help, we successfully fed breakfast to the staff of our three sponsored schools on May 27th. I know they enjoyed ending the year with delicious Hardee’s biscuits, pastries, and fruit! Thank you to all who helped make this opportunity happen.

On July 24th, PIE (along with Faithworks) will be setting up a table at the Catoosa Kids Day event and distributing spiral notebooks to the students of Catoosa County. This event is hosted by the Catoosa Family Collaborative and will be held at the Catoosa College and Career Academy from 1:30-5:30 pm. Parents and students visit over 50 booths for FREE school supplies, backpacks, haircuts, vision/hearing/ dental screenings and more!

Watch for school supply sales and drop off your One Subject  spiral notebooks to either church lobby. We would also love for you to sign up to volunteer for this outreach ministry.

Marty McGee

Your RUMC delegates to the 159th session of the North Georgia Annual Conference met June 12-14 at The Classic Center in Athens with over 1,000 others, including a strong contingent of youth, from all over North Georgia. Meeting with the theme “Come Follow Me,” we focused on listening to God’s call on our lives, celebrating our United Methodist colleges Wesley Foundations and Wesley Fellowships, and giving thanks for 100 years of camp ministry at Glisson!

Thursday afternoon opened as Bishop Robin Dease preached on Psalm 78:1-4, reflecting on the importance of passing faith to the next generation. She reminded us that our Christian identity is communal, not individualistic, and that the world is watching how we live out our call. God calls us to be humble shepherds and faithful sojourners.

She continued by saying The United Methodist Church is a place of welcome, justice, and action—where lay and clergy alike are transformed and empowered to lead. In other words, “The United Methodist Church is the place to be!”  She shared ways our United Methodist-related colleges and seminaries are shaping future leaders to navigate a changing world. “With joy, love, and obedience, may we all boldly answer God’s call,” said Bishop Dease. “The time is now—let’s do this!”

• The One Georgia Task Force presented a thorough report, following months of prayerful conversation and collaboration, on the potential for unification of the North and South Georgia Annual Conferences. The members of the annual conference affirmed the continued exploration of a possible unification in the future. The South Georgia conference lost 379 churches to disaffiliation. Much higher than the 261 of the North Georgia conference. For more information on the task force and more than 20 working groups visit the information site www.georgiaumc.org.

During the Friday morning session, we acted on several key reports.

• The Council on Finance and Administration presented their report. CFA’s role is to steward conference finances responsibly while prioritizing support for local churches and the mission of The United Methodist Church.
• The conference adopted a 2026 budget of $10,493.931. 
• In 2024, North Georgia Conference churches paid 92.8% of apportionments—the highest collection rate in recent years. RUMC paid 100%

In the Friday afternoon business session:

• Rev. Dr. Carolyn Stephens, chair of the North Georgia Conference Board of Trustees (and the incoming Northwest District Superintendent) shared the successful relocation of the Conference office. 
• A new Church Closures & Ministry Covenant has been established to create a consistent and equitable process for all churches in the conference, prioritizing stewardship and potential for continued ministry. 
• The Annual Conference adopted two resolutions, the Joint Resolution on Immigration and the Resolution on Full Inclusion and Justice for People with Disabilities. The final text of the resolutions will be posted at www.ngumc.org/ac2025 and included in the 2025 Journal of the North Georgia Annual Conference.
• Conference Lay Leader Kim Powell celebrated the faithful, passionate witness of laity across North Georgia and emphasized the urgency of using our time well to do all the good we can. She also highlighted collaborative efforts with the South Georgia Conference including Lent and Advent devotionals, and lifted up church lay leaders who embody Christ’s love. With deep joy and hope, she called the Conference to keep seizing opportunities to make disciples of Jesus Christ, bound together in peace and love as one body. 

Saturday session work included:

• Committee on the Status and Role of Women: Information gathered by our Conference COSROW on clergy salaries by gender and ethnicity. A task force will be formed to address discrepancies.
• Barnes Evaluation and Administration Team: Co-chairs Rev. Orlando Evans and Kim Powell shared that this year BEAT celebrates its 5th year of ministry! Since its inception, BEAT has awarded more than $5 million toward innovative missions and ministry in our Conference. Boards, agencies, churches, and districts are eligible to apply for a BEAT Grant. The amount of available funding to be awarded each year is determined by calculating 5% of the fund’s average end-of-year balance (based on 3 years). In 2024, the spending policy allowed $1,527,474 which funded 32 BEAT grants. For 2025, the funding allocation is $1,493,000 and over $400,000 is still available. Learn more about the Barnes Fund and review the BEAT Dashboard at www.ngumc.org/beatdashboard.
• Georgia United Methodist Foundation: Rev. Elizabeth Coppedge-Henley shared about the Dollars for Scholars program for United Methodist students and extended an invitation to congregations to partner with the Foundation. 
• Nominations: The Conference adopted the Nominations Report which includes Rev. David Cott now serving on the Conference Committee on Episcopacy. The 24-page document includes more than 750 names. These volunteers now become our 2025-2026 Conference Boards, Committees, and Commissions.

The Conference set June 18-20, 2026, at The Classic Center for next year’s annual conference.

The 159th session of the North Georgia Annual Conference closed with worship.

Russell Davis, director of our North Georgia Camp and Retreat Ministries, was our preacher.
In his sermon, he reflected on research on Holocaust rescuers who courageously acted to save others. A common thread among the rescuers was-he said-compassion. Respondents to the researcher had things to say such as: “When you see a need, you have to help,” and “It was simple. I was only doing what should be done.” When people act from empathy and servant-hearted love, they aren’t just following Christ but embodying the character of Christ. Our work as the church isn’t only to teach about following Jesus, but to equip one another with the character of Jesus. “It has to be built into everything that we do,” he said. “Especially in our ministry with children and youth.” The service concluded with a blessing sung every week of camp at Glisson for more than 50 years entitled, “My Friend.”

And I’ll be praying for you every morning,
As I start off the day with the Lord.
And I’ll be praying that you’re walking with Jesus,
And abiding in his word.

General Budget
Full Year Budget: $584,083
Budgeted in May: $48,673
Received in May: $32,310
Spent in May: $44,031
Budgeted Expense May: $48,673    
Received May YTD: $204,521
Spent May YTD: $241,636

In Person :
9 AM: 79
11 AM: 47
 
Online:
9AM: 17
11 AM: 11

General Fund
In Memory of Betty Kidd
by Ringgold Methodist Quilters

In Memory of Betty Kidd, Sandra Chalmers, Aileen Tucker & Jackie Anderson
by Carolyn Turner

In Memory of Aileen Tucker
by Creed & Denese Crowder

In Memory of Dick Clark
by Jan Hendrix

In Memory of Roger Ensley
by Jan Henrix

Partners In Education
In Memory of Roger Ensley
by Ringgold Methodist Quilters

Faithworks
In Memory of Roger Ensley
by Carroll & Janet Cumbee

Benevolence
In Memory of Roger Ensley
by Con & Beth Kellerhals

In Memory of Roger Ensley
by Barbara Barger

In Memory of Lucille Young
by Helen Young

In Memory of Marge Cooper
by Aubrey & Donna Greeson

In Memory of Aileen Tucker
by Aubrey & Donna Greeson

In Memory of Aileen Tucker
by Barbara Barger

In Memory of Aileen Tucker
by Virginia Akers

In Memory of Betty Kidd
by Barbara Barger

In Memory of Pat Shaddon
by Virginia Akers

Ringgold United Methodist Church
706-935-4777 | www.ringgoldumc.org
7484 Nashville St
Ringgold, GA 30736

David Cott, Senior Pastor
Sally Ensley, Assistant Pastor
Kirsten Lankford, Director of Children’s Ministry
Kodi Lowry, Director of Preschool
Taylor Lankford, Executive Director of Worship and the Arts
Marty McGee, Coordinator of Senior Adult Ministries
Liza Hailey, Office Administrator
Drew Sherrill, Communications and Technical Director
Jamie Smith, Director of Youth Ministry
Carolyn Turner, Organist