Worship Building Up Reaching Out NWH HAPPENINGS CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF SERVING!

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1 Volume 34 Issue 11 November 2015 Worship Building Up Reaching Out NWH HAPPENINGS SERMON SERIES: WE BELIEVE November 1 All Saints Day Presence and Power CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF SERVING! Caught the Act of serving this month is Bill Muldoon and Emma Brown. They were serving at Haven For Hope for group service with San Antonio Christian Schools teens. They had the joy of cleaning the sleeping mats for the homeless at the shelter. Thanks and Glory be to the Lord! November 8 Forgive? Really? Matthew 6:12; 18:15-35 November 15 Is Heaven for Real? November 22 Christ The King Sunday King Jesus November 29 First Sunday in Advent Northwest Hills United Methodist Church 7575 Tezel Road San Antonio TX

2 FROM PASTOR DAVID... David Trawick Senior Pastor The Pumpkin Patch has closed, no more movies in the Patch, no more school groups visiting, Trunk or Treat is done, and the stewardship/pledge campaign is over. Did you get your pledge in? If not, please call it in to Valerie. We re setting the budget and need a good estimate of projected income for Thanksgiving is coming, but we don t do much with it at church. So what now? For some of us, there s still a BIG special event under way: deer season! It is a religious holiday, you know. But what do we do with our church and Christian faith? DONATION FOCUS It s time for Operation Christmas Child and time to hand out shoe boxes! Each year, we partner with Samaritan's Purse to fill shoe boxes for children around the world. Each person that would like to participate should pick up a shoe box on Sunday morning, fill it with goodies and practical items for a child. You can pick the age and gender that you want to create a box for and there are instructions, guidelines, and suggestions provided. So, make sure to check in the foyer for the table coming soon. Boxes will be collected by Sunday, November 16. We worship God with all our hearts! We pray for those who are hurting. We serve in church and in the community. We give to fund ministry in the name of Jesus. We share his love and his name wherever we go. We invite those who do not have a church home and perhaps do not have a relationship with Christ. We read and study the Scriptures to know him better, draw closer to him, and become more like him. We live out our faith for our kids to see, for our neighbors to see, for the world to see. Special events are great fun and can give focus to our efforts. But walking with Christ is not reserved for special events. It s part of our everyday life. It s giving back the incorrect change at the register. It s holding the door open for the person coming in behind you. It is lending a listening ear to and offering a prayer for the co-worker whose mother is declining. It s telling the hairdresser about what you re learning in Sunday school. It s inviting your neighbor to come with you to serve others on the next Reach Out Day. It s investing time and energy in helping your child with their homework. It s pausing to thank God for giving you another day to live, to love, to serve others in his name. The Christian life is not just about special events. It s a thousand small moments that are there for the taking, if only we will. Now, excuse me. I ve got to go make plans for a big Thanksgiving and then clear some accumulated stuff out from in front of the boxed Christmas decorations at home. See you Sunday! POINSETTIA ORDERS START IN NOVEMBER Order forms will be available at the Connection Center. You may purchase a plant in memory or in honor of a loved one. Plants are $10 each and payment must be with the order. Cash or checks are accepted. Checks should be written to Northwest Hills and designated as Poinsettias. Deadline to order is Sunday, November 29. A special bulletin will be available December 6. NOVEMBER 2015 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 2

3 Pray Without Ceasing Lynda Byrd Stewardship Chair I Thessalonians 5:17 The commitments that each person makes to membership in The United Methodist Church include: prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. Each is a form of stewardship. In recent weeks, the stewardship of gifts has been a priority, as individual pledges of financial support for the coming year have been made. There is no question about the importance of our stewardship of gifts, critical to the advancing of God s kingdom through worship, mission and ministry. And we know that every gift matters! Perhaps, we don t think as much about prayer as a stewardship act. The scripture reference above, pray without ceasing suggests that prayer is a needed, on-going effort that we all should engage in. Without ceasing is always! While Jesus disciples observed and participated in ministry with Him in countless ways, Luke 11:1 records the disciples making a specific request of Jesus: Lord, teach us to pray. Of all that the disciples might have asked, such as: teach us to turn water into wine; to multiple fish and loaves; to walk on water (though Peter did ask to experience this); to restore life to the dead and the list goes on. The one request was that Jesus would teach them to pray. Having seen Jesus go away to be alone to pray, the disciples determined that this was important, something that they probably needed to do as well. Likewise, prayer is important for each of us. Prayer emphasis can have different focus: prayer of praise, thanksgiving, intercession, petition, confession and offering. Now that our financial stewardship commitment has been made, how spiritually rewarding might it be if as a church we would pray without ceasing, offering intercessory prayers for how others will be reached through our financial stewardship? Intercessory prayers are those made on behalf of others. We hear intercessory prayers on Sundays; we offer intercessory prayers for our family members, friends and others whose conditions touch our hearts; we offer intercessory prayers for world conditions, victims of natural disasters and other occurrences that we and others experience. Entering 2016, might we participate in individual and corporate intercessory prayer for the ministry and mission of Northwest Hills? Praying without ceasing for clergy and lay leadership, Sunday school classes, mission teams, confirmation class participants, persons listed on weekly prayer list, recipients of flowers from the sanctuary, visitors and for all who might experience the love of Jesus Christ prayer can and will make a difference beyond our imagining. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective James 5:17 EMMAUS CORNER Men s Walk #1813 is over and we have 8 new Pilgrims within the Emmaus Community. God did his part by providing a beautiful weekend and open hearts to receive his Word and many blessings. What a wonderful way of getting away from our daily life and not only enjoy all the things God has give us, but help others see what a daily life is like with our Savior in it. The quarterly Emmaus Gathering will be held on Sunday, November 8, at University UMC, 5084 DeZavala Road. Fellowship will begin at 5 pm, followed by the service at 6 pm. The Gathering will be in the Loft, on the 3 rd floor of the main building. Please bring a dish to share. This event is open to everyone. There will be a Women s Walk #1829 on March 17-20, 2016 at Mt Wesley (This is during spring break). Right now, they are looking for team members to work the Walk and will start accepting applications for Pilgrims next month. Ladies, mark you calendars and plan on being a part of the best Walk ever. Have a Blessed Day! DeColores, Tom Bader, Emmaus Coordinator For more information or questions, please contact me either by , tbader@ satx.rr.com or call me at The Walk to Emmaus is a 3-1/2-day retreat for people involved in the local church to be inspired, challenged and equipped for Christian action in their homes, churches, places of work and the world community through The Walk to Emmaus experience. NOVEMBER 2015 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 3

4 FROM CHILDREN S MINISTRY Natalie Long Children s Minister NATURAL BRIDGE CANOPY CHALLENGE AND EXOTIC ANIMALS TOUR Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 am-12:00 pm (for canopy challenge only) 10:00 am -2:00 pm (for canopy challenge and exotic animal tour) This fun fellowship event will be a crowd pleaser for sure! The ropes course is a perfect place for a gathering of children of various ages. There s a rope course designed especially for pre-school children and a more challenging course for the older kids. After we attempt the ropes course together, we can all bring sack lunches, picnic together and then drive through the exotic animals tour. This event will be great fun! Please visit the website for more information. KID S NIGHT OUT Friday, Nov. 20, 6:00-10:00 pm Are you ready for a night out without the kids? Your children will love the night we have designed just for them and you will love the inexpensive child care! We have scheduled it just in time to get your Christmas shopping done. Your children will be treated to pizza, a movie and some fun, VBC style games and activities. We will only be charging $20 a child and $10 for each additional child, age infant through 5 th grade. There will be a sign up at the Connection Center closer to the event date. SAVE THE DATE! December 6, 4:30 pm The Kid s Choir will present their Christmas Musical, Jesus is Christmas. Everyone is invited to attend. Following the performance, the kids will enjoy their Christmas Party at the church from 5-7 pm. SAVE THE DATE FOR BREAK- FAST WITH SANTA Saturday, December 5 8:30-11:00 am We will be hosting Santa that morning & serving breakfast to him and everyone who shows up to see him! Tell your friends and neighbors (churched & unchurched), that breakfast and a picture is still $5 and breakfast alone is $3. Proceeds will benefit Kairos Prison Ministry. The mission of the Kairos Prison Ministry is to bring Christ's love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen. We welcome your participation in this ministry. There are varied ways to participate. Adults can serve on Kairos teams that go into the prison or serve on a Kairos Outside Team outside of the prison, families can bake cookies for the prisoners, children can make placemats and write letters and everyone can sign the prayer chain and pray from their homes. Point of contact: Chuck & Susan Roach was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:36 Sunday, December 13, 5 pm The Youth Choir will present their Christmas Musical, The Christmas Pageant That Got Away With It. Everyone is invited to attend. NOVEMBER 2015 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 3

5 THANK YOU ELECTRONIC GIVING: FAST, EASY & SECURE Support the work of Northwest Hills through Electronic Giving. Have your weekly or monthly contribution debited from your checking or savings account and transferred directly into the church account safely and electronically - you ll never have to remember your checkbook again. Even when travel, illness or other circumstances prevent you from attending services, your electronic contributions will continue to be received on an uninterrupted basis. There are 3 ways to get started: You may pick up an authorization form at the Connection Center or the church office. Go to our website at and click on giving. Scan the QR code on this page or in the weekly bulletin. We have been coming to Northwest Hills since May Along with John and myself, my dad (Leon Irwin) really loves to come to the church. He loves the people and loves to hear David's sermons what bits and pieces he was able to hear, sometimes none. When we heard about the hearing assist system that was put in the floor under the new carpet, we took him to where he goes for his hearing aids and had the T Coil activated. Today, he heard all of David's sermon for the first time. He went on and on about what a wonderful sermon it was and how good David is. It almost made me cry. Church and the Lord have always been an important part of my Dad's life. I have the Bible he took with him when he went to WWII to read. He reads the Bible every day and always has, but now it is so hard since his vision is so bad but he doesn't let it stop him. All this time at our church, and now he can finally hear David. God Bless you. Becky Smith Dear Northwest Hills UMC Family, We were so blessed by your generous gift of all the diapers and wipes. They filled the walls of our training room! Thank you so very much for allowing God to give you a heart for this ministry and the work God is doing here. Our clients truly appreciate this gift of God s love. We pray God s blessing for you as you continue to serve Him. Sincerely, The staff & volunteers at Life Choices Medical Clinic NOVEMBER 2015 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 4

6 Monthly Events CLASS 101, Sunday, November 15 3:00 to 6:00 pm What it means to be a Christian What it means to be a United Methodist What it means to be a member of Northwest Hills UMC This class is for anyone wanting to find out more about becoming a Christian, about the United Methodist Church and about being a member of Northwest Hills Church. Class 101 is required before becoming a member of Northwest Hills. Class is led by Pastor David Trawick. There is a sign up sheet at the Connection Center, if you wish to attend the next class or call the church office at to reserve a place. AGING PARENT GROUP Sunday, November 8, 3 pm, Library If you are taking care of an aging parent, this is a great support group. For more information, contact Roberta Crickmore at or berta292002@yahoo.com. LADIES OF LEISURE Meets Every Friday, 11:30 am The ladies meet each week at a different restaurant just for fun! If you would like to be included in the fun or would like more information, contact May Lang at (210) or maylang@sbcglobal.net. UNITED METHODIST MEN S BREAKFAST Saturday, November 14, 8:00 am UMM will be meeting at Golden Corral, located on the access road of 1604 & Bandera Rd. Any questions contact George Hampton at FROM HARM TO GOOD Squanto, the Native American who helped the Pilgrims, has a background remarkably similar to that of Joseph in Genesis. Years before the Pilgrims arrived in America, English traders kidnapped Squanto and other Native Americans and sold them as slaves in Spain. Incredibly, Squanto was bought by monks, who set him free and taught him about Jesus. Later Squanto sailed to England, hoping for passage to America. But he had to wait years, so he worked as a stable hand and learned English. Finally able to travel home, he was devastated to find his tribe wiped out by smallpox. A couple of years later, the Pilgrims came ashore, tired, sick and having lost many shipmates on the way. Implausibly, they encountered an Englishspeaking Native American, who shared his friendship and knowledge. Like Joseph going from his homeland to Egypt and from slave to expert leader, Squanto experienced God s leading even when the path was littered with misfortune. Using Squanto, God saved a whole community. What some intended for harm, God turned into good (see Genesis 50:20). TEXAS RAMP PROJECT Building Freedom for the Homebound Saturday, November 7 & 21, 8:00 am. We build accessibility ramps for the homebound. So, if you like working with power tools and get satisfaction in doing a job that betters another person s life, this is for you! Sign up at the Connection Center. For more information contact Ron Gloyd at (210) PRIME TIME POTLUCK LUNCH Monday, November 23, 11:30 am Anyone age 60 and older is invited to attend. Bring a yummy dish to share and stay for a fun activity! Have you liked us on Facebook? Go to Northwest Hills UMC and join us! After you click like, press the drop down menu and click get notifications and we will show up on your newsfeed. NOVEMBER 2015 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 5

7 Sunday: WEEKLY EVENTS 12:30 pm AA 3:00 pm Youth Choir 5:00 pm The Way Youth Game Night 6:30 pm Church Prayer Group 7:00 pm AA Women Sunday, November 1 5:00 pm Board of Trustees 5:30 pm Adult SS Teacher Potluck Friday, November 6 8:30 am CBS Prayer Group 6:30 pm Young Adult Potluck/Game Night Saturday, November 7 8:00 am Texas Ramp Project 10:00 am Kids Natural Bridge Canopy Challenge Sunday, November 8 3:00 pm Aging Parent Support Group 6:30 pm Troop 228 Committee Meeting Thursday, November 12 6:30 pm Eagle Board of Review Friday, November 13 8:30 am CBS Prayer Group Saturday, November 14 8:00 am United Methodist Men s Breakfast 9:00 am NW Hills Charge Conference 3:00 pm Class 101 Sunday, November 15 Monday, November 16 9:00 am Mother s Day Out Staff Meeting 11:00 am Mother s Day Out Board Meeting 7:00 pm Finance Committee Meeting Friday, November 20 6:00 pm Kids Night Out 7:30 pm Young Adult Movie Night Monday, November 23 11:30 am Prime Time Potluck Lunch Thursday, November 26, THANKSGIVING DAY Monday: Tuesday: 12:00 pm AA 1:00 pm Needlecrafters 5:30 pm AA 6:30 pm Boy Scout Troop 228 7:00 pm AA 9:00 am Mother s Day Out 5:15 pm Worship Band Practice 7:00 pm Crew 228 Meeting 7:00 pm AA 7:30 pm Adult Choir Practice 8:15 pm AA Spanish Wednesday: 9:00 am Mother s Day Out 5:30 pm Snack Supper 6:30 pm Wednesday Night Activities 7:00 pm Handbells 8:00 pm NA 12-Step Program Thursday: 9:00 am Mother s Day Out 7:00 pm AA 8:15 pm AA Spanish Friday: 11:30 am Ladies of Leisure Lunch 12:00 pm AA 7:00 pm AA Saturday: 9:00 am AA 10:00 am TOPS Weight Loss 7:00 pm AA Spanish THANKSGIVING WEEK Because of the holiday week, Wednesday night activities will be cancelled for Nov. 25. Check with leaders of other evening events at the church to see if they will still be meeting. Since staff takes time off to spend time with family, please call the church office ( ) before visiting. The office will officially be closed Thursday and Friday. Sunday, November 29 - First Sunday in Advent 6:30 pm Troop 228 Patrol Leader Council NOVEMBER 2015 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 6

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