The Brady Beacon. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 401 S Blackburn PO Box 1030 Brady, TX 76825

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1 The Brady Beacon May 2018 Ecclesiastes 12:12 (NRSV) Of anything beyond these, my child, beware. Of making many books there is no end and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Study is a weariness of the flesh. Now there's a news flash for the graduating seniors. I'm thinking this proverb will not come as a surprise to anyone who has spent seemingly endless hours in the classroom. Unless you happen to be a bookworm, reading and studying is hard work. Gaining wisdom through many books without end is probably not the best way to gain wisdom. Too much of it just wears out the flesh. The brain can only absorb what the seat can endure. I think Mark Twain said it best, "Good judgment is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgment." Twain was trying to say that wisdom comes from experiencing life. Even though not everything we experience is necessarily beneficial, knowing what does not work often comes in handy. When all is said and done, experience really is the best teacher. In fact, some of the most important lessons of life come to us through difficult and challenging experiences. My pastoral counsel to the graduating seniors (and the rest of us, too) is to fully engage the all the experiences life has to offer. Because God is present in all the experiences life has to offer, wisdom is available to any of us who are willing to participate in the adventure of the coming Kingdom of God. It was true then and it is true now. While Graduation Day is a great day, it represents only one step along the way. The lifelong journey of learning outside of the classroom continues - and it will sustain and nurture all our days. I'll see you in Church! Pastor Phil... FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 401 S Blackburn PO Box 1030 Brady, TX Phone: Fax: Web: fumcbrady.org N. P. (Phil) Steinbach, Pastor Jey Jones, Youth Director Kristin Alonzo, Office Manager Office Hours Mon: 8:30 4:30 T-Th: 8:00 4:00 Fri: 8:00 3:30 The Brady Beacon 1

2 May 14 th at 10:30 in the Fellowship Hall: A special book review is open to all women of the church. Coffee from 10:30 to 11:00 Review starts at 11:00 : It is a true story originated in Arkansas and Mississippi of a pioneer woman. We will break for a sack lunch around noon, drink and desert will be furnished. The review should be complete around 2:00pm. Come and enjoy the fellowship with us. Shelly Perkins will do the book review. On May 2nd, 4:twelve Student Ministries will begin their last Full length Series for the semester entitled: Don't waste your summer. We all can look forward to a break from school. We may have trips planned, friends to hangout with, video games and Netflix to binge and all other sorts of things. But remember to Rest, Seek God and share your faith this summer. Let 's not waste our summer. Want to Volunteer? Want to become a Youth Worker? Get started with our child, youth and vulnerable adult saftey training. Once you are on the website click lets get started. There has been a major update to the youth group website. Check it out! The Brady Beacon 2

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5 Church Council A special called meeting of the Church Council was held last night. We have had requests to change the time of the combined worship service. Polls were put in the bulletin and every member received an to reply if they chose to. We received over 90 polls and the results were essentially a tie between the 9:30 and 10:30 service. After a long and very emotional discussion a motion was made to return to the 10:30 service with Sunday School before church. The motion was seconded and carried. But that is not the whole story. It was pointed out that we were not out spreading the gospel and making disciples of Jesus Christ as long as we are a divided church. And we are a divided church. The time of the service is not the most important thing. We are ONE church we need to be a family a UNIFIED family working to bring others to Christ. There are things that both services can bring to the service to make it better and stronger with more spirit and vitality. As Council Chair I personally want to thank everyone who was there for your honesty and your willingness to agree to work on accomplishing this. I know it wasn t easy and the road ahead will not be easy. Nobody ever promised us easy anything that is worthwhile requires total commitment. I truly believe God was present in that meeting and that He will show us the way if we just be still and listen. Grace and Peace, Mary King Thoughts from Gayle Last Sunday I stood up in church and said how thankful I am for our congregation; it takes every one of us to make the church work. I think the same pride and love for our church exists in all our hearts despite differing opinions. This past week I spent time calling different members and talking to them individually about their feelings on service time and the combined service. (I would have talked to more, but cell phones make it difficult to find numbers.) I quickly learned that when you ask a Methodist for an honest opinion, you are going to get it. That is a good thing, I learned about feelings on both sides of the spectrum. A very simple summary of the conversations is that there are those that are discontent from both previous service groups. The previous late service has been less impacted by the time change, but many from the previous early service are coming around. I also learned that the previous 8:30 group takes really good care of one another, they have a very special bond and that much of their hurt is a fear of losing that bond. I am not saying that the previous 10:30 group didn t have a bond and didn t care for one another, because we did, it just seems that where the previous 10:30 group was good at it this is an area the previous 8:30 group excelled! Now you may be noticing an over use of the word previous in the above paragraph. That is because we were previously two segregated congregations. That is no longer the case. We are now one congregation meeting at one time and have been for 5 months, going into a sixth. This morning I woke up at 5:00 am (it had to be God calling, I don t answer to just anyone at that time) with FUMC Brady on my mind and began to pray for us. Last night at the council meeting, there were some important feelings shared, some a little harsh. But at the end of the meeting, we were holding hands as a united body, and there was healing. Phil prayed over all of us and we hugged and left believing in our church. I am looking forward to becoming better acquainted with the previous early service people that I don t know well, and I am excited about them bringing their loving ways into a unified congregation. I have already been thinking how lax I am in that department and where I need to start. When we can all love one another, then we can go out into the community and the world to make disciples, and hopefully bring others into our family. Today, I am even more thankful and even more in love with our church. Thank you, God, YOU ARE IN CHARGE! Gayle Probst SPRC Chair The Brady Beacon 5

6 From the Health Desk of Charlotte Johnson, Wesley Nurse Stress Awareness Stress is in our lives every day. It s not the stress that causes the problem, it s the way we perceive and handle stress. Stress that continues without relief can lead to headaches, an upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pain, problems with sleeping, depression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and worry. The Serenity Prayer by: Reinhold Niebuhr, American Theologian ( ) God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Although we cannot completely eliminate stress, we can decrease or manage it. Tips for managing/treating stress: 1. Read your scriptures on worry and stress (i.e. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus). 2. breathing exercises 3. relaxation techniques including meditation, prayer, yoga, or tai chi. 4. Start a hobby (painting, book club, drawing, crochet, etc.) 5. Learn to say NO to things that cause you more stress 6. Spend time with positive, upbeat people 7. Talk with a counselor or take a stress management class 8. Don t rely on drugs, alcohol, food, or caffeine to handle stress 9. Eat healthy and avoid too much sugar 10. Get enough rest and sleep (your body needs time to recover from stressful events) 11. Learn to laugh. Laughter is the best medicine and a great stress reducer. Sources: Holy Bible, NRSV Thank you for the privilege and opportunity to be your Wesley Nurse. I feel very blessed to know this congregation and community. You have a special place in my heart. God bless you and your families. The Brady Beacon 6

7 Our choir year is winding down. Both the Chancel Choir and the Bell Choir have had a blessed and buy year. I cannot thank my faithful choir family enough for their love, time, commitment and talents. We are truly a family and blessed to have each other. We will have a few special things this summer stay tuned. I would like to give a shout out to Mary Sue and Karen. It has been great to have both the organ and the piano in our services. I have heard many compliments and comments that this is a real treat. Don t forget you can enhance our music ministry by purchasing gifts of music. You may do this in honor or memory of loved ones. Please contact Kathleen Gray at or kfgray44@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to purchase a gift of music. Psalm 5:3 (NIV) In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Begin your day in prayer and meditation, so that you can maintain a peaceful outlook and not start your day in a race. Ask the Lord for the desires of your heart and believe that he will answer. The Brady Beacon 7