January 2016 Volume 22, Issue 1

Transcription

1 The Beacon The official newsletter of Broadmoor United Methodist Church January 2016 Volume 22, Issue 1 The three great monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, each claim Abraham as father. There are clearly fundamental differences between these religions and yet some important things in common. In a day when extremists would hijack a religion for reasons of personal power, all children of Abraham must become even more intentional in seeking and working for peace. That search includes learning more about what differences we have and what we have in common. Surely God has a message for his children this day. January 10 Islam (Sanctuary services) Judaism (Casual Service) January 17 Judaism (Sanctuary services) Islam (Casual Service) January 24 Jesus and other religions You are invited to [the in-between] from 10:00 10:30 a.m. on Sundays for a special time of fellowship. [the in-between] will be held at various locations around our campus just look for the sign! Each Sunday there will be something new to enjoy, such as live music, Pastries with the Pastors, and opportunities to explore our church campus. Have ideas for future events? Want to bring refreshments? Please contact Christi Rangel at crangel@broadmoormethodist.org or The next few weeks of [the in-between] are as follows: January 10 Pastries with the Pastors (near Connection Café) January 17 Trivia Contest & Music (near Connection Café) January 24 Pies! You are invited to bring favorite pie to share in honor of National Pie Day (near Connection Café) Broadmoor United Methodist Church Mollylea Drive Baton Rouge, Louisiana (225)

2 ASK: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age Monday evenings, beginning January 25 6:00 7:00pm in Adult Building Room 203 In this 8-week study, we will explore faith-based questions that encourage us to think about where real-world morals intersect Christian values. Topics include: Can only one religion be true? How can I believe in a God I can t prove? Can I believe in science and creation? Why is there suffering and evil? Why do Christians disagree about so many things? To register, call the church office or Kyle Johnson (kjohnson@broadmoormethodist.org) Books cost $10.00 (can be paid at time of registration or on the first night of class) Take Them a Meal Being new parents for the first time was the most exciting but stressful time of our lives. All of our focus in the first couple weeks was placed on around the clock feedings, never ending laundry, bottle washing and soothing our colicky baby. We had very little time or energy to take care of simple things in the chaos of newborn life. We are forever grateful to the Broadmoor family for providing us home cooked meals during our time of need! There was no greater feeling than having a delicious meal delivered to our door it was one less thing we had to worry about. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Take Them a Meal program from our growing little family! Love, Gary, Jamie and Blaire Mooney Thanks to you and your generous donations, we collected over $40,700 for our Christmas Eve offering which helps three of our ministry partners: Southeast Ministries, HOPE Ministries, and Habitat for Humanity. Thank you for your continued support of Outreach & Missions at Broadmoor United Methodist Church and for making a difference in the lives of our neighbors! Honoring Our Receptionists Volunteer receptionists are an essential part of the day-to-day function of a church. We at Broadmoor are blessed to be able to rely on the generosity and faithfulness of those who regularly set aside time to serve in this way. Many times, these friendly faces are the first that guests to our church encounter. We are fortunate to have Broadmoor so well-represented. On Sunday, November 15, we were able to celebrate them with a staff-sponsored luncheon. The staff enjoyed serving them lunch, and spending time with them away from the busy office. To all of our receptionists: THANK YOU for your service! y back row: Toni Foster, Janis Weber, Beverly Hammond, Beth Fox, Debbie Sanders front row: Johnnie Dawson, Judy Williams, Rosemary Pillow, Eileen Mechana, B.J. McRae

3 Welcome Our Newest Members Relationships need nurture and care in order to grow. Too often the marriage relationship gets left behind many other demanding responsibilities and does not receive the attention it deserves. This weekend may be just right for the two of you, a time to invest in your most important human relationship. You will come away with a better understanding of your spouse and more effective ways of expressing your love. You will come away with a plan containing one or two important objectives to work on over the next six months. And you will have someone available to hold you accountable on the objectives you set should you desire. Enjoy the precious time together in the beautiful surroundings of Nottoway Plantation. Mitch Hamilton Dates: Friday, February 26 Saturday, February 27 Location: Nottoway Plantation Cost: $150 per couple Registration Deadline: Wednesday, January 27 The Battle Plan for Prayer What is your greatest struggle with prayer? Finding time to pray? Knowing what to pray? What amazes you about prayer? How do you define prayer? Come learn how prayer empowers us! On Monday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 in Room 202 of the Adult Building starting February 1 through April 4, we will be offering a Bible study based on the movie, War Room, called The Battle Plan for Prayer. This study includes a viewing of the movie and 8 video sessions on topics including: what prayer is and is not, why God wants us to pray, specific areas of prayer, and specific strategies for prayer. There is a study guide involved which will be handed out on February 1 and costs about $12. Please contact Patti Brouillette for further information: Shirley Foreman Thomas Reeves & Brenda Barefield

4 We Need Your Help! We have completed Phase 1 of work to the Children s Building with new flooring and lighting on 1st and 2nd floors and new ceilings on the 2nd floor. To stretch the contributions that you made, we have designated three Saturday mornings over the next few months for painting the classrooms and doing miscellaneous repairs. Please join us where you can from 8:00 a.m. till noon on the following Saturdays: January 15 February 20 March 5 If you have any questions, please call or Lynn Bradley ( ; lbradley@bradley-blewster.com) or Cheri Coats ( ; ccoats@broadmoormethodist.org). The first Blood Donation Sunday of 2016 is scheduled for January 31. The total number of blood units donated last year to the blood bank at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital was 185, just short of our goal of 200 blood units. Let s start the new year with enthusiasm and keep the blood technicians busy throughout the year so we can achieve or even surpass our 200 unit goal for 2016! When donating blood you can feel good knowing you are giving the Gift of Life. So eat a healthy breakfast on January 31 and stop by Room 101 in the Adult Building between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. (notice the new times). A huge thank you to all donors who support this ministry! Young Adult Mission Trip News 15 young adults from Broadmoor United Methodist Church are signed up for the mission trip to Belize July If you are years old and would like to participate, contact Gabby May at mayg505@gmail.com. Thank you to everyone who supported our young adults at the Mooyah fund raiser! By simply eating a meal you helped them raise $ Be sure to stop by Panera Bread at 7877 Jefferson Highway on Wednesday, February 3 between 4:00 8:00 p.m. Eat some bread to help them raise some dough for their trip. You must have a flyer with you upon arrival for a percentage of the proceeds to go to the mission trip. (Flyers will be available at the church closer to the fund raiser date.) Donate 1 MORE 4 MISSIONS in 2016 Beginning Sunday, January 10 and lasting all year, all $1 bills put in the offering plate will be used toward Mission and Outreach ministry areas. Broadmoor supports ministry areas that touch lives from our neighborhood to the other side of the world, and this is a way to give one more dollar to insure that those lives are shown the love of Christ. This is also a great and fun way to teach kids and grandkids about giving!

5 Broadmoor Scouts Attended Louisiana Renaissance Festival Members of Cub Scout Pack 478, Boy Scout Troop 478, Venture Crew 478, and Girl Scout Troop 10995, all sponsored by Broadmoor United Methodist Church, had the opportunity to visit the Louisiana Renaissance Festival during one of our beautiful fall weekends in November. Boy Scouts and Venturing Scouts camped overnight both Friday and Saturday and Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts joined them on Saturday night. The Renaissance Festival is held every year in the specially constructed Village of Allbright, near Hammond, LA. Festival activities include living history presentations, jousting, falconry, music, games and other activities. All four Broadmoor Scouting Units participated in a community service project by providing a trash sweep of the extensive festival parking lots. The sweep discovered a lost cell phone and wallet that were returned to the owner. A Scout always tries to leave his campsite in better shape than that before he came. On Saturday evening Troop and Crew 478 hosted a campfire songfest. Other festival campers, including Pack and Troop 158, from Livingston Parish joined the fun. Since the Scouts were still camping on Sunday morning, the Chaplain s Aide led Scout worship services in the field. The Scouts have made the Renaissance Festival an annual event for several years and have provided other service projects to the festival in the past, including helping to clean the site after the flooding that resulted from Hurricane Isaac in In you are interested in more information about the Scouts, contact scoutmaster@bellsouth.net Church Council Members Grady Crawford Chair Allen Posey Vice Chair Patti Brouillette Secretary Charlotte Fitzsimons Treasurer Annette Mire Lay Leader Norm Bacon Board of Trustees Chair Francine Boyd Communications Chair Vallan Corbett Endowment Committee Chair Bert Faulk Finance Chair Sherry Turner Hospitality Chair Jenola Duke Missions Chair Cheri Lee Outreach/Servant Evangelism Chair George Carpenter Pastor-Parish Relations Chair Shirley Lloyd Prayer Ministry Chair Freda Montgomery Strategic Planning Co-Chair Tom Cook Strategic Planning Co-Chair Greg Beck United Methodist Men President Beverly Hammond United Methodist Women President Ashley Jones-Bodie Weekday Ministries Chair Linda Varnedoe Worship Chair Wesley Harris Youth Group President Doyle Fillastre At-Large Member Angelina Shadoin At-Large Member How Would You Like to Be DEBT FREE? Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University returns to Broadmoor United Methodist Church on January 17. Classes will be held on Sunday evenings, January 17 March 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 101 of the Adult Building. A nursery will be provided. Cost: $93/family. Contact Tom Goeke for more details (tgoekejr01@yahoo.com or ). Register online by going to and clicking on Broadmoor United Methodist.

6 Ernest Blanchard Joanne Cowgill Rob Eichelberger Peggy Grant Our Life Together Recent Hospitalizations & Surgeries Bev Jones Pamela Lappin Margaret Morgan Raymond Pillow Jim Smith Merlin Thorne Hank van Deutekom Wedding Congratulations to Wes Theriot and Julie Pizzalato who were married on Saturday, December 5. Open Air Ministries Winter Clothing Collection The cold weather is here, and we are collecting gently used jackets, hats, gloves, and new packs of socks for Open Air Ministries. Please donate items in the Connection Café on Sundays or in the church office during the week. We have a large homeless community in Baton Rouge that spends a lot of time outside. Thank you for your support. Infant Arrival Congratulations to Greg and Miriam Busch on the birth of their daughter, Abigail Leah Busch, born November 29, Our Deepest Sympathy Artie Fillastre in the death of his mother; Doyle and Michele Fillastre in the death of his mother; Andre and Emily Fillastre in the death of his mother; Chance, Kaelin, and Alannah Fillastre in the death of their grandmother, Nancy Fillastre The family and friends of Hilton Bates Chuck and Martha Anderson in the death of her mother, Alma Singleton Emily Lyon in the death of her husband, Billy Lyon Sharilyn Livingston in the death of her mother, Kathleen Livingston Bill and Pam English in the death of her brother; and Bucky and Colleen Thomas in the death of her uncle, Bob Munson Family and friends of Ona Mae McClellan Marilee Rheams in the death of her brother, Dale Williams Eric Jacobson in the death of his father, Col. Robert R. Jacobson Family and friends of Rev. Phil Woodland save the date! saturday, april 16 Spring Tea sponsored by the Broadmoor United Methodist Women Broadmoor Elementary Students Need YOU There are lots of ways you can help: Serve as a Reading or Math Friend or both You will be matched with a student to help master reading or math skills. Reading Friends work minutes weekly and Math Friends work 1 hour weekly. Training is provided. These are essential skills for life long learning and you will make a new friend as well. Serve as a Library Helper Help keep the books in circulation by re-shelving library books. You can sign up for a time that is convenient to you. Training is provided. To volunteer or for more information, contact Jenola Duke at or jenoladuke@cox.net.