The Flame Newsletter November 2017

Transcription

1 The Flame Newsletter November

2 November is all about giving and giving thanks. Frankly Speaking What a month of October we have shared together! It was a month in which we demonstrated profound generosity. We gathered shoes for One Man s Treasure, we built another wheelchair ramp, we offered generous hospitality to our special guest on Laity Sunday (Raelynn Scroggin, principal at Caldwell Elementary School,) our children were generous in their leadership on Children s Sabbath. We raised $4,000 toward our playground project at the United Methodist Men s BBQ! The list is good and long. We emphasized good stewardship of God s gifts and graces and have begun submitting our pledge commitment materials to the church office. We are a giving church, recognizing that we give much because we have received much. For November, we will emphasize gratitude. Makes sense, considering we will gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving on or about the 23 rd. At that time, and throughout the month of November, we will give God thanks for the many blessings we have received from God. We will carry that attitude of gratitude with us all through the month, and all through our lives. With that sort of thanksgiving in our hearts lifting our spirits, we will be unable to resist the temptation to be generous to somebody else. That s just the way it works. We can t help it. When we are intentional about saying, Thank you to God, we are filled with joy, and joy has a way of overflowing. We have to do something with that overflow, and that often becomes even more generosity. As your pastor, I am thankful to you for your faithful generosity. Love, Frank 2

3 Help us welcome our guest preacher, Rev. Carol Montgomery Sunday morning, November 5. Carol is an ordained Methodist pastor currently appointed to The Texas Methodist Foundation. She previously served in several churches in our North Texas Conference, most recently at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Garland. Carol will preach about our culture of generosity at both the 8:30 and 10:45 worship services on Sunday, November 5. NOVEMBER MISSIONS Holiday Box of Love This holiday season, the Missions Committee invites you to participate in our Holiday Box of Love initiative. We have collected information from surrounding mobile home neighborhoods about households that are struggling to make ends meet and would benefit from the delivery of groceries in time for Thanksgiving. (We ll do this again in December in time for Christmas cooking.) We have identified approximately twelve households (three with infants), totaling over seventy persons. In the same way that we shopped for items for flood buckets after the hurricanes, the missions committee has compiled a list of groceries for these households. We are all asked to contribute what we can according to this grocery list. The Holiday Boxes of Love will not be delivered to each individual home. Instead, they will be delivered to the manager s office at each community, which is a public place. Therefore, the Holiday Boxes need to be uniform in size and content. In order that the Holiday Boxes of Love are uniform, please pay careful attention to this grocery list, and do not add or embellish any ingredients. Missions Committee has the necessary funds to provide the meat for each box. If you are so moved, financial donations to the meat fund are welcome. Please bring your contribution to the church by Sunday, November 12. We plan to deliver on the 17 th & 18 th. If you would like to provide formula for the households with infants, please see Amanda DuCharme. 3

4 Items Needed to fill one Holiday Box of Love 2 cans of corn 2 cans of green beans 2 cans of sweet potatoes 2 cans of cranberry sauce 2 boxes of stuffing 1 box of Ritz crackers 1 jar of peanut butter 1 package of Oreos 1 can opener 1 two-pack of disposable Tupperware-type containers 2 packages of Kool-Aid (pre-sweetened) Caldwell Elementary School There will be a volunteer/tutoring workshop for all interested persons at Caldwell Elementary School, which is our partner school, on Wednesday, November 15, at 8:30 a.m. and again at 3:30 p.m. The school is located at 3400 Saturn Rd (close to Kingsley Blvd), in Garland. It s a great way to learn how to get involved and how to be involved with Caldwell Elementary School. Seven Loaves East Food Pantry The food pantry, housed at Community United Methodist Church in Copeville, (Rev. Katie Shockley, Pastor) needs 6-8 volunteers on Friday afternoon November 17, and for the day on Saturday, November 18. Wheelchair Ramp Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, our wheelchair ramp build is one week earlier than usual. You are invited to be a part of this. Meet in the church parking lot at 8 am on Saturday November 18. Estimated completion of the ramp that day is 1:00 p.m. Starting in late November, be on the lookout for our Angel Tree. 4

5 Our Relationship with Caldwell Elementary School As you remember, we have partnered with Caldwell Elementary School in the Garland Independent School District. Caldwell E.S. is located only minutes from our church near the intersection of Kingsley and Saturn Rds. We have already conducted one drive to collect school supplies, and the school will need a continuous flow of supplies. The school also needs us to act as after-school tutors. You are invited to prayerfully consider this opportunity to serve and share. To apply to be a tutor at a Garland ISD campus, one must follow the process outlined below: How to apply to volunteer at Caldwell Elementary School 1. Provide an official government photo ID to the front office of any campus in the Garland ISD. Information from your ID will be entered into the Raptor Visitor Management System. 2. The office staff will provide instructions to complete an online application, which can be done at home or in the main office of any campus. Note that online applications with incomplete records or those with insufficient information will be deleted. 3. A criminal background check will be completed and an sent to notify you of your acceptance to begin volunteering. For those who may not have an , a District administrator will inform you of this information by telephone. UPWARD Returns to FUMC Sachse!! Spread the word! Upward Basketball and Cheer is returning to our church and we need your help. Help by spreading the word that registration is now open through our website, Also, we will need volunteers to serve as coaches, referees, administrators, scorekeepers, refreshments, the works. Usher Teams Growing To serve as an usher is a very important role. It s more than simply handing out bulletins. The usher is often the first person one of our guests sees when they visit our church, so the ushers set the tone for hospitality. We have a great team of ushers, and we are ready to invite more people to serve in this way. Look for a sign-up sheet at Sign-Up Central. 5

6 Adult Sunday School Classes All classes meet at 9:45 a.m. every Sunday morning If you have been wondering which Sunday school class to visit, here is a list and short description of our present Sunday school classes for persons age 18 and up. All persons are invited to each class. Open Door A wonderful mix of fellowship and Bible study. The class s attitude is reflected in its name, Open Door. The class works to apply Bible lessons to life. Wired Word An intentional look at current events and life events and how our view of those events is shaped by our faith. Also, a look at how our faith shapes our response to world events. Outlanders A combination of Bible study and current events, with personal reflections and insights shared in class discussion. Disciple Fast Track Begin a lifelong love for your Bible in a fun 24 Sunday course. Led by Kathleen Israel and Angela Carmichael and will include reading or listening to the Bible, videos to go with the lessons and discussion. Jump in and get your feet wet. The participant workbook is also available on line at smile.amazon.com in Kindle form for only $10. The Kindle edition is downloadable to your android smart phone or iphone, or Ipad. Participants will need a total of two workbooks, one for each Testament, old and new. A Word from Kelly Ross, Our Music and Worship Director! Christmas is in the air! If you have been to a retail store lately or seen a few TV commercials you will know what I mean. So, let me encourage you to plan to be with us on December 17 for our annual Christmas musical. There is something for everybody. We will be presenting Carols and Classics. Our musical is packed with carols and portions of your favorite Christmas classics too. We will be sharing this musical offering in both services that day. I always like to share with you things that I am grateful for. I am so thankful for the members of the Chancel Choir. Week after week these committed folk come to rehearsal after a long day at work and practice with me for an hour. They are very special people, and I encourage you to thank them for their hard work and commitment to the Lord and the music ministry of FUMC Sachse. Meal Teams Forming Sometimes, a family or neighbor needs help with meals. It might be because of a family illness or at a reception before or after a funeral for a family member. Our Member Care Committee invites you to become a part of our Meal Team, which will eventually have a catchy name, like the Casserole Corps or Dinner at your Door, but for now, it just needs people. Look for the sign-up sheet in the welcome center. You are invited to say yes to this opportunity to prepare and serve. You will see that the sign-up sheet will be divided by month, and you may sign up for one or two specific months, or every month, or any number in between. 6

7 Pickleball With the new school year, we're looking to change the schedule of our Pickleball sessions to meet more people's schedules. If you've been wanting to play but Wednesday isn't your best day, or 12-2 pm and 7-9 pm aren't available times for you, please let Melissa Trammell-Hayes know what would work better for you. We'll continue with the Wednesday schedule through September. To sign up, you can contact Melissa on or or sign up at this link: Stained Glass Window Fund As many of us remember, we established a Designated Fund for our stained-glass windows in our sanctuary. The latest estimate for the big window above the chancel (faces East) is approximately $25,000 (plus installation). Currently, our Stained-Glass Windows Designated Fund stands at just over $9,000. If you would like to re-direct some of your Second- Mile giving (that's the giving that is above and beyond your normal tithe), either in honor of a loved one or in memory of a loved one, or simply because this is an effort that is dear to you, your gifts are most welcomed. College Secret Prayer Partners The College Secret Prayer Partners ministry needs You! This year we will be praying and encouraging for over 30 students. If you are interested in participating in this Ministry or if you are a student wishes to be added to the list please contact Wendy Pounds at breezypounds@gmail.com that 7

8 Children s Ministry I want to thank all the sweet children and parents for coming to our Children's Sabbath. It was such an honor to have Pastor Amira bring us the Word of God on that Sunday. Our children are a blessing and I am grateful to get to work with them on their spiritual journey. I invite you to join us for Fall Feat on October 29 in the Family Life Center from 5-7pm. Please bring a your donated bag of candy on Sunday as we open our church to the community. Our confirmation class will begin in January so please pray for our confirmands as they began strengthen their relationship with God and learn about being a Methodist. Please note the future dates to your calendars. October 29 Fall Fest December 3 Advent workshop 2-4 pm FLC January 7 Confirmation Class 9:30am Blessings, Jennifer Fornero Youth We have had a fun October in youth! We had a great discussion about how science and religion can coexist. A special thanks go out to Jill Buettner, Cristi Gomez, and Bob Stroud for being our resident experts on science! We are looking forward to hosting the FUMC Sachse Fall Festival for the children of our church on Sunday October 29 th from 5-7 in the FLC. We wrapped up our study on Moses in Sunday school and have started studying David. We are enjoying spending time in the Old Testament. November will be another fun month- kicking off with a cookout and hayride! 5-9:45 Sunday school, 5-7 Cookout and Hayride November Schedule: 12-9:45 Sunday school, 3:30 TBT band, 5:01 youth- Guest Speakers Eric & Kathleen Israel and Ali & Melinda Azeez (Embracing people with different faith traditions) 19-9:45 Sunday school only (No youth due to Thanksgiving break.) 26-9:45 Sunday school, 3:30 TBT band, 5:01 Movie night Save the Date: January th Winter Retreat at Camp Hoblitzelle Blessings, Jenny Waters 8

9 United Methodist Men Events Be sure to sign up for the Men s Retreat, November 3-5 at Prothro Retreat Center on Lake Texoma! It will be a time of intentional spiritual growth, spirited fellowship, good food and fun. UM Men offers two opportunities for fellowship each week on Monday mornings and Wednesday mornings and all are invited. Mondays, 10:00 a.m., Country Club Café, 2260 Country Club Rd, Wylie Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m., Starbucks in Firewheel, faces Hwy 78. Wheelchair ramp for September is Saturday, November 18. (Always the 4 th Saturday of the month, but moved up a week in November due to Thanksgiving weekend.) Meet at the church at 8:00 a.m. All people (women and men) are welcome (age 16+). United Methodist Women Events Please contact Shirley Clark squirley1028@verizon.net Dining out: Thursday, November 2, at 6:30 pm, Meet at La Bella Italian Bistro, 4125 Broadway, Garland , remember to sign up! All women invited!! 9

10 Advent Worship Schedule: Dec 3: Advent 1, Flutes of the Spirit, both services Dec 10: Advent 2, both services Dec 17: Advent 3, Christmas Cantata, both services Sunday, Dec 24: Festival of Lessons and Carols, 10:45, one service that morning 4 pm: Family Christmas Eve, Candles, Carols, Communion 7 pm: Contemporary Christmas Eve, Candles, Carols, Communion 10 pm: Traditional Christmas Eve, Candles, Carols, Communion Sunday, Dec 31: Fifth Sunday, One Service at 10:45 a.m. Potluck luncheon to follow. 10

11 Attendance and offering Date 8:30 10:45 Total Offering October $ October $ October $ October $ QUALIFIED CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS If you are required to make a Required Minimum Distribution from your 401K and/or Traditional IRA accounts, it may be possible for you to make a Qualified Charitable Contribution direct to your church and/or other 501(C) Corporation from these funds. If so, those dollars would not be taxable as income. This benefit is especially valuable if you take the standard deduction when filing your federal income tax return. You should talk with your fund administrator and tax consultant before deciding if this option is available and makes sense for you. Two Additional Ways for you to contribute to your church: Givelify and Smile.Amazon.com Givelify: This is an app you can download to your smartphone. Once you have downloaded the app, you can give to the church even when you are out of town on vacation. You can choose to give to the general budget, or to a specific area of ministry or ministry/mission event. Also, many of us are already shopping at Amazon.com, and with the holidays coming, even moreso. Now, login to smile.amazon.com, (with all of your usual Amazon login info), select First United Methodist Church Sachse as the organization you are supporting, and a portion of your purchase is given to the church! 11

12 November7th 7pm Worship Committee November 14th 7pm Trustee Meeting November 21st 7pm Admin Council Meeting November 16th 7pm Finance Committee Meeting 12