Cross & Flame. For the Hope of Glory. The Monthly Newsletter of First United Methodist Church

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1 Cross & Flame The Monthly Newsletter of First United Methodist Church 715 U.S. Highway 287 North P.O. Box 457 Grapeland Texas (936) October 2018 For the Hope of Glory GLORY! It is not really a word that many people think about a lot. Even as a preacher I am not sure that the word glory comes to mind much and is sure not a word that is used on a consist basis. But Jesus uses it (or the verb form glorify) five times in John 17:1-5, which make us pause and ponder this word. GLORY. Glory is beyond us, beyond our sense, beyond our comprehension. Even the keenest, clearest human eyes are dim, and we can only behold so much glory. We humans do not understand it, and most of the times it frightens us. This is why every angel, every messenger of the Most High, had to say, Do not be afraid. This is why Jesus came in the flesh. He cloaked his eternal glory that we might know him without fear; and in knowing him, know God the Father. Still Jesus glory leaked through his fleshly frame. How could that be? He was very God of very God. All that he said and did whispered God s name, accomplished God s purposes heightened God s glory. And now, just before his final accomplishment, Jesus voices his longing to return to the Father: Glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. The Father will answer yes to this prayer but it will be many weeks before Jesus experiences the glory he knew from before time and he will first endure the cross and the grave. I wonder if our lives follow a similar pattern. We long to experience the glory of God. We long to manifest that glory. But we must first pick up our cross (a cross Jesus bears with us) and walk under it, one foot in front of the other, until darkness falls at the end of the day, the end of our lives. THEN we WILL know God and finally see the Holy One in all of God s divine glory. Lord Jesus, you know what it is like to long for the Father s presence, to see the Father s will, to yearn for the Father s glory. May we be faithful as you were, folling in your steps. AMEN.

2 Thank you for being a faithful servant of our church! Please let Susan know if you are unable to fulfill your obligation for this month. Greeters October 7th - Linda Bear October 14th - Teresa Bennett October 21st - Linda Blair October 28th - Youth Readers October 7th - Jacque Scott October 14th - Vicki Braun October 21st - Emilie Cunningham October 28th - Taryn Curless October Counters Wanda Musik Annette Thompson Pray for One Another Carry each others burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 If a person needs to be placed on the list or taken off the prayer list please contact the church office. Glenn Barrett Ken Carlton Albert Trip Chapman Terry Cheatham Mike Childs William Chiles Darrell Commander Jerry Cook Mary Craiker Roger Craiker Leigh Cunningham T.P. Cutler Donna Deal Ryan Dykes Regina Flewellen Betty Flowers Willford Flowers Diane Foshee Hannah Gates Danny Gilson Erin Harper Porter Herod Carol Holley Mary Lou Huff Ruby & Buddy Kennermer Shirley & J.W. Kirkland Lori Lawson Gene Leonhardt Ann Lindquist Lexi Lyles Jennifer Mixon Nancy Owens Tim Owens David Payne Tyler Peterson Irene Powell Charles Ridges Maridelle Shirley Kristi Rich Cheryl Richter Jan Smith Chris Stephens Diane Sumrall Margaret Thornsbury Ben Viccellio Glenda Wilderson House of Prayer Church of the Month Deadline for November Newsletter Memorials for August If you would like articles or information in the Monthly Newsletter please have information into Susan at the church office by October 20th by noon. Average Worship Attendance July August YTD IMO Mike Cochran Jim and Jan Chambers Darel & Martha Brown Betty Shanks IMO Derek Langham Darel & Martha Brown Dan & Elaine Walling Harry & Mary Pridgen Betty Shanks Eldon & Diane Sumrall IMO Thomas Edward Keep Wanda Musick Nancy Langham IMO Tag Youngblood Buzzy & Betty Hoch Tom & Vickie Gates Drue Cochran Darek & Martha Brown Wanda Musick Coffee Class Nancy Langham Eldon & Diane Sumrall IMO Mary Shaver Betty Shanks

GRAPELAND FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Board of Stewards 2019-2021 Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Francis Herod Jan Chambers Bob Reeves Stanley Skidmore Amy Cutshaw Kathy Bridges Freida

Jon Thornsbury Lay Leadership and Nominations Team 2019-2021 Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Jan Chambers Kelli Hackler Beverly Palms Judy Mask Nancy Langham Lesa Dykes Walter Scotty Scott

3 GRAPELAND FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Board of Stewards Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Francis Herod Jan Chambers Bob Reeves Stanley Skidmore Amy Cutshaw Kathy Bridges Freida Scarborough Jack Kraisen Betty Hoch Lay Leader: Linda Blair (one year) Adult: Krystal Frank (one year) Youth: Taryn Curless (one year) Pastor: Rev. Jon Thornsbury Lay Leadership and Nominations Team Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Jan Chambers Kelli Hackler Beverly Palms Judy Mask Nancy Langham Lesa Dykes Walter Scotty Scott TBD TBD FUMC Pie Booth Fundraiser Saturday 13th at the Annual Peanut Festival Everyone is asked to assist with the church wide fundraiser by making pies, cakes, cobbles cookies, cupcakes or other wonderful treats. We are being asked to do the following: Put cookies 3-6 to a bag & candies in plastic bags. Price your own items with the exception of pies. Bring your goodies to the Grapeland City Park by 8 am on Saturday. Sign up to work the booth. Please contact Beverly Palms if you have any questions.

United Methodist Men Need You Join us in fellowship and be involved in the church activities. Each spring we re cooking up a Valentine s Dinner for our loving church couples.

As we become more and more involved, we are in need of more men to help us provide support to the church in God s service. We meet at 8:30am on the first Sunday of each month.

UPCOMING WALK TO EMMAUS The walk to Emmaus is an experience of Christian spiritual renewal and formation that begins with a three-day short course in Christianity.

There are two upcoming walks: February 14th - 17th Men s Walk & Women s Walk February 21st - 24th. If interested in learning more talk with Kathy & Chuck Curless or Pastor Jon.

4 United Methodist Men Need You Join us in fellowship and be involved in the church activities. Each spring we re cooking up a Valentine s Dinner for our loving church couples. April 1 st, Easter Sunday, we will serve a pancake breakfast after the Sunrise Service. These are just a couple things we do during the year. As we become more and more involved, we are in need of more men to help us provide support to the church in God s service. We meet at 8:30am on the first Sunday of each month. We look forward to seeing you there! UPCOMING WALK TO EMMAUS The walk to Emmaus is an experience of Christian spiritual renewal and formation that begins with a three-day short course in Christianity. It is an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ in a new way as God s grace and love is revealed to you through other believers. There are two upcoming walks: February 14th - 17th Men s Walk & Women s Walk February 21st - 24th. If interested in learning more talk with Kathy & Chuck Curless or Pastor Jon. Mothers of Preschoolers Monthly Gathering The MOPS Monthly meeting will be Thursday evening 6:30-8:00 pm starting in the Family Life Center. This wonderful ministry is for local mothers of children in preschool or younger. It is an evening of fellowship and food as well as biblical teaching. Please invite mothers that you might know in your neighborhood to this wonderful event. Please contact Krisann Watson or Annette Thompson if you would like to assist.

5 Please join us from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Family Life Center on Sat. Oct. 20th.

Once again, the student ministries are as busy as ever. Sometimes I feel like I forget to breathe in the middle of it all, but somewhere in the chaos, Jesus continues to remind me of his faithfulness.

6 Once again, the student ministries are as busy as ever. Sometimes I feel like I forget to breathe in the middle of it all, but somewhere in the chaos, Jesus continues to remind me of his faithfulness. Each Wednesday we've been ministering to over 15 students! While that may not sound like very many, it's a giant leap from where we were a year ago. And what's most beautiful is that the growth has been organic: students are inviting their friends without the need for any big promo or programming. The Spirit is doing some beautiful things amongst our community's middle and high school students in spite of my lack. We haven't made a lot of physical progress going forward with the youth room due to general early school year busyness. However, we're getting closer and closer to outfitting a small stage and flatscreen TV in there. Both are of course tools that will help us minister to Jesus' students. On the radar: 25 of us are going to a Hillsong worship night in Houston on October 20. Pray for that to be a night of encounters with Jesus. And on that note, one of the roadblocks we've been running into lately has been transportation. As the student ministry grows, shuttling kids to and from events can become tedious and quite involved. If you'd like to be someone on standby to help in that regard, let us know! Will As our church gets ready to enter our busiest season, the Outreach Team is already fast at work. In addition to collecting new socks and underwear for use at Grapeland Elementary School, we filled the supply list for all students entering Kindergarten in August. In October, we will begin a backpack food ministry in conjunction with Oak Grove Baptist Church. Each Friday, identified needy students will be provided with food to eat over the week-end when there is no breakfast or lunch provided. We will take care of 9 students of the 18 identified. As you have read in the bulletin, we are keeping a stocked pantry for people in need. Committee members will be shopping this week to supplement the donations we have received. In November and December, we will again provide boxes of food for Thanksgiving and Christmas to between 35 and 40 families in our community. This ministry has grown, both in number of families served and in the amount of food we are able to provide them. To round out the year, we are again adopting the children of three families in our community to ensure a Merry Christmas. For five kids, we will buy and wrap 2 outfits, a coat, underwear, pajamas, a blanket, a toy, a book and a stuffed stocking. We are also in the process of identifying some families with older children to take cookies and fruit at Christmas. Your generous donations are a blessing to many people in our community,

Rev. Jon Thornsbury (pastorjont@yahoo.com) Choir Director.Teresa Bennett Administrative Assistant...Susan Sanders (fumcgrapeland@yahoo.

7 First United Methodist Church Postage Paid Bulk Rate P.O. Box 457 Non Profit Permit #12 Grapeland, Texas Grapeland, Texas Address Service Requested Grapeland First Untied Methodist Church Contact Information Pastor Rev. Jon Thornsbury Choir Director.Teresa Bennett Administrative Assistant...Susan Sanders Pianist Laura Walling Children s & Student Ministry Director...Will Watson Organist.Sandra Kirby Nursery Director.Nadine Roberts Office Hours & Contact Numbers Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Church Office East District Superintendent Dr. Dick White Texas Annual Conference Bishop Scott J. Jones

Cross & Flame. Thanksgiving - A Day of Giving Thanks. The Monthly Newsletter of First United Methodist Church

Cross & Flame. Thanksgiving - A Day of Giving Thanks. The Monthly Newsletter of First United Methodist Church Cross & Flame The Monthly Newsletter of First United Methodist Church 715 U.S. Highway 287 North P.O. Box 457 Grapeland Texas 75844 In Joel 2:21-27 we find a text that interrupts our focus on past and