theconnection Diving In: Building to Serve Update During a recent Sunday worship service, Carl Sharing the heart of Christ from the heart of Cary.

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1 theconnection FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CARY Diving In: Building to Serve Update During a recent Sunday worship service, Carl encouraged us to remember our baptism by touching and reflecting on the water in the baptismal font as we progressed toward communion. From the beginning, baptism has been the door through which one enters the church and as the Body of Christ in the world, baptism commissions us to use our gifts to strengthen the church and to transform the world (Communication, 2013). During the building to serve campaign we collectively prayed that God would impact our church culture in a transformational way. We asked God to bless us so that our church would offer more opportunities to build relationships, people, and ministries. The results of our prayers, commitments, and desire to be in mission and ministry in the heart of Cary has encouraged our church to symbolically throw open its doors and live out our Baptismal covenant. Modernization is evident throughout downtown Cary. Improvements have been made to cause downtown to be more inviting and engaging. The fountain in downtown Cary that anchors the southern corner of Academy Street entices people young and old to visit. It offers a quiet place to renew oneself perhaps through meditation, or to relax by reading under the shade of an umbrella. If you are a child (or child-like), the fountain spray and sheer size and sound of the rumbling water might seem energizing. The fountain waters signify the entry to downtown Cary. It is the doorway to downtown. We are improving our entrance, too. Groundbreaking for our church building alterations has arrived! We are excited to celebrate the results that we will be a part in making happen, and the stories that God will write as a result of our faithfulness. We report to you that in this one campaign, we have almost $3 million in hand of $7.8 million in commitments. Additionally, at our present rate of giving, we will be able to retire the project debt in six years! The church conference overwhelmingly approved Phase I of the building plan and we also received approval from the District Board of Church Location and Building. We are almost there! We thank God for this opportunity and celebrate being a part of building to serve the vision, the present age, the next generation, and the community. Mostly, we celebrate building to serve the kingdom. You are part of an eternal legacy, and you have the privilege of making disciples for God s kingdom. Thank you for your partnership in this work! Have you noticed that the downtown fountain appears and even feels differently depending on the season? You might find one season of the fountain waters more interesting or beautiful than another. Was that you out there taking pictures of the frozen fountain to send to friends and family? Did you notice how many others have the same idea, and visit the fountain during the day and well into the evening hours? Our charming downtown area continues to grow and evolve. Our mission area is growing and our church, First Church, continues to keep pace with the growth. Baptism is the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith. It makes no difference whether you were baptized as an adult or as a child; we all start on that journey at baptism (Communication, 2013). What began perhaps as one way to live out our baptismal covenant will transform our congregation. We are committed stewards who are attempting to modernize our facilities to allow for more forms of Christian education, community service and outreach [and] helping us realize our vision of sharing the heart of Christ from the heart of Cary (Building, 2017). Thank you for your participation, and dive in! The water is fine! Susan Barrier, BRIDGE Co-Chair Sharing the heart of Christ from the heart of Cary. January 26, 2018 Worship: Sunday Sanctuary: 8:25, 9:45, & 11:05am Sunday Celebration: 11:11am 117 South Academy Street Cary, NC Sunday 1st on Chatham: 9:45 and 11:05am The Cary, 122 E. Chatham Street, Cary, NC office: (919) pastor on call: (919) firstcary.com Lori Barmer Communications Coordinator OUR MISSION To make disciples of Jesus Christ who grow in faith and love through worship, fellowship, service and witness to one another and the world.

2 Parent Ministry New Year New Happenings! At our Parent Ministry Kick off on September 30, 2017, Chris Sasser, an Associate of Ministry Architects and the Pastor of Family Ministries of Port City Church in Wilmington, NC, spoke with us, as parents, about how we can help our kids navigate a life in which our children and teenagers have packed bags, not all of which are Christ-like or healthy. (If you missed it, fear not! Chris presentation can be found at com/1stparent/). On February 25 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, we are thrilled to welcome Chris back to continue the conversation on how we help our kids navigate being a child in today s world. Join us in the Youth room that night no RSVP necessary, drop in, there will be light snacks and refreshments. We ll feed your body and your soul! In September, we covered: Relational, Performance, Identity, and Authority bags. And we touched on Anxiety and Depression. In February, we ll recap and then cover Rejection, Comparison, Shame, and Disappointment, touching on the link between anxiety and depression and their connection to all of these bags. Chris says, As parents, we re all hoping and praying that our kids can grow up to be healthy, faithful adults. If we can identify and actively fight against the common bags that kids pack as they grow up, we just might give them a better chance of living the life God has called them to live. We look forward to Chris returning to share and inspire conversation that continues to help equip and support us all on this parenting journey. Stay tuned for more information on a five-week parenting study starting February 21. Contact Stacy Harrell sharrell@firstcary.com, with any questions. See you on the25th! Stacy Harrell, Director of Family Ministry Thank You, First UMC Cary Methodist Home for Children I can t begin to thank you enough for your gift! We can use your donation today to help a child and a family who live in North Carolina. This year, we ve used gifts like your to buy school supplies, clothes, and shoes for some of our younger children. We ve provided deodorant, toothpaste, and haircuts (when needed) for our teens. We were able to send a few of our foster children to summer camp and we ve helped our older children prepare for living on their own by assisting with their college expenses. Everything we do is designed to provide the children in our care stability, love, and a chance at a normal life. And everything we do is possible because you give. Thank you! Blessings and peace to you, Polly Willis, Vice President of Advancement Habitat for Humanity Thank you for supporting Habitat for Humanity s vision to ensure that everyone has a decent place to live. Your gift of $15, received on 12/22/2017, in support of the Cary Coalition Build helps make that vision a reality in a world where affordable housing is in short supply. We invite you to join with us when we celebrate the wall raising or dedication of this home with our homeowner family. These events bring everyone together faith groups, homeowners, Habitat Wake staff and other community members to thank Our Creator for the blessings of this build and reflect on the hope and community that develops when we build together. You are now part of a movement that brings together people whose paths may never have otherwise crossed. Together we build a new community. This work of building community will not be complete when this house becomes a home. It will only have begun. We will not rest until everyone in Wake County and everyone in God s world has access to good, affordable housing. We are grateful that your congregation has chosen to put God s love into action and partner with us, and it is our hope that your relationship with God deepens through the experience of this build. With enormous gratitude, Rick Beech, Vice President, Faith Relations

3 Transformational Servant Opportunity: Appalachia Service Project Are you ready to make a difference? For over thirty years First Church Cary has sent teams of youth and adults to Central Appalachia Mountains to share the love of Christ through witnessing, and to provide the valuable services of repairing floors, repairing roofs, building porches and ramps in an effort to restore hope to those caught in long-term poverty cycles. More than 17,000 people from around the country served with Appalachia Service Project (ASP) in these rural communities last year, repairing homes for low-income families: and you can participate too! ASP offers a rewarding structured service opportunity nationwide for youth ages 15-18, along with their leaders. Servants are housed in one of ASP s several base camps, often a school or community center rented for the summer, to put you closer to Appalachia s remote communities. These camps are run by ASP s summer staff, which are typically college age young adults. Our church work teams spend a week fellowshipping with other volunteer churches, working at home sites and offering hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. The ASP staff provides guidance on the overall direction of projects, and all tools and construction materials are provided. This summer, First UMC Cary will be sending teams June 17 and July 22. Each work group will have seven work teams and our exact locations have yet to be determined. As with many mission opportunities, our goal is to serve. Somewhere along the way our service toward others turn into transformation for us. Don t miss this opportunity. We especially need our youth. If you have completed the ninth grade come join us for a time of service, inner reflection and growth in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. We hope you will come with us, and we hope to return home with servants who are stronger, wiser, and closer to God. ( ADQ7SMuJuqw) Registration is available on-line through the First United Methodist Church website. ( com/serve/asp/) Also, if you would like more information about this ministry, please come to room 200 in the Templeton Building on February 4 immediately following the 11:05am services. We will have adult servants there to give a brief overview and answer any questions you may have. Don t miss out on this life changing opportunity. Tim Woody, ASP Coordinator UMM February Breakfast and Program After World War II, members of the Marine Corps League discussed the possibility of establishing a Marine Corps League Youth program as a civic project for detachments and to create interest in the League. For historical purposes, the birth of the Young Marines was in Waterbury, Connecticut in The official charter was issued on October 17, 1965 and thereafter the program spread throughout the country. Although chartered as a League Sponsored Organization, the Young Marines began to function as a subsidiary organization independently in In 1975 membership was extended to include girls to participate so that all youth could benefit. By 1978, the Young Marine bylaws was approved and adopted. In 1980 the Young Marine program was granted the status as a Youth Educational Organization with an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classification of 501(C)3. In July of 1993 the United States Marine Corps designated the Young Marine Program as The focal organization for fulfilling its participation in the Department of Defense s Drug Demand Reduction Activities. Marine Corps Order officially recognized the Young Marines and published policy to support the program. Today, the organization has grown to over 300 units in nearly every state in the U.S., the District of Columbia, Japan and Germany. The local chapter meets at Cary Church of Christ every Monday. Join us to hear about this wonderful program for our young people on Saturday, February 10. Breakfast begins at 8:00am and the program will begin around 8:45am. R.S.V.P. for the best breakfast in town for $5 at firstcary.com click the registration button in the middle of the homepage.

4 Favorite Scripture Matthew 11:28-30 (nrsv) Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Pastors On-Call Your pastors continue to seek ways to provide you with quality pastoral care while balancing the other demands of ministry. In an effort to be available, we have an oncall system. If you need to reach a pastor in an emergency situation, you may call (919) to reach the on-call pastor for that week. There is also an option to dial this line directly when calling the church office. When you call this number, the pastor on call for the week will respond as soon as possible. Please be mindful when calling this number, as it is for true emergencies only. This includes a death, sudden critical hospitalization of a member, or other such situations. Pastoral care for non-emergencies, such as scheduled hospitalizations, can be arranged through the front office. Staff Profile: Kollin Absher-Baer In this issue of the Connection, we d like to highlight Kollin Absher-Baer, Director of Young Adult Ministry. Where did you go to school? I attended Houston Baptist University in Texas where I majored in Music and Business. After answering a call to ministry, I worked as a young adults minister and enrolled in the local seminary. I consulted trusted professors and pastors about which theological institutions welcomed tough questions. That summer I moved to Durham to attend the Divinity School at Duke. I graduated with a Masters of Divinity three years later. Tell us about your family. I m a newlywed! I met my wife Brittany at Duke and we married in May She s a bilingual pastor at Fiesta Christiana, a faith family of Apex United Methodist Church. January 31: Boy Scouts Pancakes, sausage and applesauce February 7: Agape Circle Chicken and dumplings, mixed vegetables, salad, roll What do you do for fun? Hanging with Brittany. Listening to our vinyl collection. Trail hiking. Eating good food. Watching movies. Listening to comedians. Riding my motorcycle. Eating good food. Golfing. Disc golfing. Reading. Playing guitar. Did I mention eating good food? What is your role, and how long have you been on our team? I have the privilege of ministering to our young adults! I started part-time in 2013 as a Worship Leader when First UMC Cary was beginning 1st on Chatham. Eventually, I started a weekly discussion over coffee for our young adults, which grew into what Foundry, our young adults ministry, is today: a safe place for college students, young professionals, young parents and everyone in between to navigate the rhythms and demands of young living as followers of Christ. After graduation, I joined the staff full-time, and a few months ago transitioned to the Director of Young Adult Ministry in a full-time capacity to meet the growing needs of Foundry. If you are or know a young adult in the area, we have a place for you to belong in Foundry. Dinner begins at 5:30pm Cost: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 65+, $4 for children 12 and under, $22 max Small Groups begin at 6:30pm for adults, youth and children RSVP by noon the Tuesday before at firstcary.com or call

5 Discovery Prayer Vigil Discovery is a weekend experience for our Middle School Youth. The theme for Discovery 2018 is Rooted: Discover God s Love Through Scripture. Throughout the weekend middleschool youth will discover that God s love and Spirit will guide us all as we experience God s love together in our community of faith. The youth will also discover that their church family is always there to support and love them in their faith journey. Each year, we hold a prayer vigil for our youth. We want them to feel loved and supported throughout their entire journey! Time slots are in 30 minute increments and you do not have to be an FUMCC member to pray! Please consider signing up for one (or more!) time to pray for these middle schoolers. Visit firstcary.com. Thank you! Music & Memory Music & Memory is part of a national program focused on learning how those with Alzheimer s, brain trauma, ALS, MS, Parkinson s and those experiencing end of life can benefit from listening to personalized music. It is grounded in extensive neuroscience research about how our brains respond to music. The music provided can be extremely helpful with agitation, anxiety and sundowning with Alzheimer s. If you have a loved one who could benefit from a personalized music player at no charge, please contact Anne Huffman at ahuffman.mandm@gmail.com, or Church Council The Church Council will meet on Thursday, February 1 in room 200 at 7:00pm. Reverend Frazier will be delivering our annual State of the Church. All are welcome to attend. Kairos Prison Ministry: Need Cookies February 4 Kairos Prison Ministry Inside team will be going into Central Prison for the 47th time in February from the 7th through the 10th. There will be prayer chain sheets in the Sunday school folders, in the foyer and First Cup, and we need your help with baking and bagging cookies. Please look for the prayer chain sheets and sign a line on the sheet. They will remain in the Sunday school folders until Sunday, February 4. I m beginning to get interest from some men in the church about serving on a team. We need men each six months to serve with us inside and outside the prison. Cookies do not go to the correctional officers any more, but each of us who goes inside needs 40 dozen. We take only chocolate chip, so those of you who would like to bake a dozen or two, I will have boxes in the kitchen on Sunday, February 4 to collect them. If I get more than 40 dozen, OK! Some of our team members can t get all 40 dozen. The cookies must be 21/2 inches in diameter and in quart squeeze and seal bags (not the zipper bags). God blesses this ministry each time we go in and I think a lot of this is because we bathe the ministry in prayer. If anyone is interested in hearing more in a small group of the church or individually about Kairos Prison Ministry, contact me at warthog.sh@gmail.com or call me. I m in the church directory. Scott Hansen GriefShare GriefShare is a 13-week program designed to encourage healing by walking with others who are also grieving. They share how they were able to find a new normal in their lives, filled with joy and hope for the future. If you have lost a loved one and are struggling with your grief, we encourage you attend GriefShare. There is a fee of $15 for the GriefShare workbook. If you are repeating the series and already have your workbook, there is no fee. We meet Thursdays, beginning January 25 from 6:30 to 8:30pm in room 125. Register at firstcary.com and click registration. Lenten Study Join T4! Thursday, Teaching, Talking and Tasting for a Lenten Study: The Five Means of Grace, 10:30 to Noon, February 15 through March 22. Co-Facilitators are Lisa Banks and Doug Richmond. The group will meet in room 231. The Five Means of Grace is based on those practices that Wesley considered indispensible channels for experiencing God s Grace. The material was prepared by Dr. Elaine Heath, Dean of the Duke Divinity School. She is also Professor of Missional and Pastoral Theology at Duke. The six sessions are: 1) The Means of Grace are Spiritual Practices; 2) Prayer; 3) Searching the Scriptures; 4) The Lord s Supper; 5) Fasting; 6) Christian Conferencing There is a DVD to assist us featuring, the author Dr. Heath, and Dr. Joerg Reieger, Professor of Theology and Methodist Studies at Duke. There is also a book that the church will provide for the study. If you want to keep a copy of the book, it is available for $5.00. Register at firstcary.com, click registration button. Children s Spring Consignment Sale Friday, February 16, 6:00pm 9:00pm Shop for $5 donation 6:00pm 7:00pm Power consigners shop for Free! Free to public 7:00pm 9:00pm Saturday, February 17, 8:00am - 11:00am Free admission 1/2 price only on those items marked with discount YES on the tag WORSHIP ATTENDANCE January 14 January 21 SANCTUARY: CELEBRATION: st ON CHATHAM TOTAL: 1,053 1,242