NWH HAPPENINGS. Volume 33 Issue 9 September SERMON SERIES: Eye Master

Transcription

1 Volume 33 Issue 9 September 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS SERMON SERIES: Eye Master September 7 Worship September 14 Building Up September 21 Reaching Out Phil Bland Speaking CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF SERVING! I would like to thank Chris, Josh, John & Sam for great mission work! Hats off to a job well done for helping my mother, Frances move. She really appreciated the NW Hills youth taking the time to help. Praises to God! (Thanks from Gerald Nickelsen.) PICTURES FROM THE KENTUCKY MISSION TRIP The youth spent five days doing construction, leading a Vacation Bible Camp & serving at The Lord s Café & helping people at a local laundromat that pays for people to do their laundry. September 28 Kelly Hart speaking Northwest Hills United Methodist Church 7575 Tezel Road San Antonio TX

2 FROM PASTOR DAVID... David Trawick Senior Pastor The summer winds down, the school year revs up, and life goes on as usual. Well, maybe not as usual. As so often happens, life has brought changes to Northwest Hills. Families that were regulars in serving and leading in ministry move away. Life circumstances change for others, reducing their ability to serve and lead. Still others find their former passion has cooled, and they consider serving in other possible ministry areas. I used to panic when this happened. (I panicked a lot in those days!) These days I know somewhere in the congregation God is whispering a call for many of you to take a new step into serving or leading. Have you been listening for his voice? Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, To each one a manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:7) Then he went into an extended discussion of spiritual gifts, God-given abilities to serve in ministry. Notice he said, To each one. That is, to every believer. To you. God has given to you one or more spiritual gifts that are intended for ministry of some sort. Spiritual gifts named by Paul include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:8-10), apostleship, teaching, administration (1 Cor. 12:28), serving (helps), encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy (Rom. 12:7-8), evangelism, and pastoring (Ep. 4:11). There may be other gifts than those listed. Have you identified the gifts God put in you? Paul describes the church as the body of Christ, each part with its particular function (defined in part by our spiritual gifts), and the body of Christ needing each part to fulfill that function (1 Cor. 12:14-20) in order that the church body might be healthy, strong, and growing. Are you employing your spiritual gifts for God s purposes? If you cannot answer that with a firm Yes, neither your God-given potential nor that of NWH is being achieved. Don t let that be the end of the story. Listen for God s calling (It will match up with your gifting.), and get involved in ministry! If you need some help discerning that call, attend Kelly Voorhies Sunday school class, S.H.A.P.E. It s all about discerning how God shaped you for ministry. Then you ll be ready to dive in! PARENT MEETING/ TAILGATE PARTY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 The Way Youth Ministry will be holding its annual parent meeting/ tailgate party Sunday, September 7, at 4 pm in the Fellowship Hall. The parent meeting will be from 4 to 5 pm. We will be handing out calendars that span from September through July. We will be going into detail on the major items, like fall, winter and summer trips. The meeting is open to youth (6th-12th grade) as well. We encourage youth to attend to learn everything that is going on in the youth ministry. We will follow the parent meeting with a tailgate party from 5 to 7 pm. All are welcome to bring a potluck dish or snacks. Senior high, bring sweet treats. Junior high, bring salty treats. I m not sure why I have been calling it a tailgate party all these years. Nobody is grilling next to their cars. But it sounds very football-ish and we will have NFL on the big screen in the Fellowship Hall and we ll be playing football in the back of the parking lot with anyone who wants to partake. We will also have the youth game room open with pool table, air hockey and X-Box, as well as other board games and activities. Youth, this is a good activity in which to bring a friend. Peace, Chris Baxter Sometimes life doesn t go on as usual. Sometimes it becomes better, more fulfilling for you, and more fruitful for the kingdom. This could be your opportunity! See you Sunday! SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 2

3 IT S THAT TIME AGAIN! The Pumpkin Patch Opens September 27 Northwest Hills slogan found on our website is Building Up Reaching Out, which means building up each other in our faith so we can reach out into the community. Conveniently through the Pumpkin Patch, one month out of the year, we can reach out by staying put. NW Hills will open its pumpkin patch for the 24 th year this September 27 and there are a lot of dates to take note of this year. Patch Set-Up/Supper/Training Saturday, September 20, 4 pm. We will begin by setting up the pumpkin patch (install fence, place hay bails, booths, displays, etc.), followed by supper provided in the Fellowship Hall. While we eat, we will have a short training session to pass along important information regarding working the patch. This part will be especially important for first-time volunteers. Important Dates Pumpkin Unloads: Saturday, Sept. 27, 9 am; Saturday, Oct. 11, 9 am; Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 pm; Pumpkin patch clean up Saturday, Nov. 1, 9 am The patch will be open 9 am to 9 pm with 3 hour shifts (9-12, 12-3, 3-6 & 6-9) every day between Sept. 27 and October 31. That requires a lot of volunteers for shifts and a lot of hard work from our congregation. What is the payoff? Again, thousands of people from our communities and across the city will be coming to our church to buy pumpkins. Many children will come from local elementary schools, day cares and play groups for story time to sing songs, laugh and get a pumpkin story that points us to a Creator. We get the opportunity to share the love and hope of Jesus with all of them. Many current church members joined NWH because of their positive experiences in the patch. We have the opportunity to touch so many lives without leaving the church grounds. Another benefit of the patch, it is THE fundraiser for our youth group. Money raised from each pumpkin patch has been enough to fund the youth ministry for the entire year. So, you are encouraged to love your neighbors as yourselves and to only in the context of working the patch reach out by staying put to share Jesus with our community. Thanks and peace, Chris Baxter Youth Minister SEPTEMBER DONATION DIAPER WIPES Sept is National Diaper Need Awareness Week. Texas Diaper Bank is collecting diaper wipes this month. The goal is to raise a total of 100,000 wipes. This will assure that 500 families receive enough wipes to last them 3 months. We will be collecting wipes all month. The shopping cart will be in the foyer on Sunday morning. Every week at Texas Diaper Bank, they serve hundreds of families in need of diapers and other baby essentials to keep their babies healthy. With 1 in 3 families facing diaper and baby item insufficiency in Bexar County, it is devastating to see the desperation of these families. Thanks to the generosity of businesses, corporations, churches and other organizations, families are able to leave with enough diapers, wipes, formula and baby food to keep their babies healthy. The Texas Diaper Bank offers the following programs: Healthy Babies Promotes the wellbeing, healthy growth, and development of babies through the provision of diapers, nutritional items, other baby items and education. Healthy Seniors Promotes the wellbeing and healthy living of senior adults through the provision of adult incontinence items such as adult depends, wipes, and bed liners. Hunger Relief Assures that families are able to meet their nutritional needs through emergency food assistance. Direct services assist families through: Emergency Food Assistance, Traditional Food Pantries, Mobile Food Pantries, Special Outreach Events, and other Supplemental Services. SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 3

4 Lynda Byrd Chair CHOICES Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 Have you ever had the feeling that you have no control over your choices? Perhaps in a moment of anger, you express a thought that seemed impossible to withhold; you decide to hurry through a task and skip some steps to get finished earlier; you opt to not make a contribution to a mission project because there s something you want to purchase for yourself; you don t make a phone call to a friend who s having some problems because the call might take too long On any given day, we make countless choices and they each have consequences. A recent devotion triggered a closer consideration of choices and the realization that we have the ability to make amazing examples of Christ s love.., everyday! The setting is Christmas Eve in Chicago in the 1920s, before the stock market crash. Two businessmen are rushing to catch the 6:00 pm commuter train home. On the train platform a young handicapped man is selling papers and other goods he can pick up and resell for a bargain at a small stand. The first man emerges on the platform. He runs into the boy, knocking him and his stand over. Hurling a few curse words at the boy, the man continues on to catch his train. A few seconds later the second man emerges on the platform. He immediately helps the boy up and tries to gather up some of his goods. The man reaches in his billfold and pulls out a five dollar bill. He gives it to the boy, saying he hopes it will help cover some of the boy s losses. Wishing the boy a Merry Christmas, he turns to catch his train. The boy yells after him, Say, Mister, are you Jesus Christ? Red-faced and embarrassed, the man answers, No, but I try to be like him. Both men are made in the image of God, but only one man is living in the likeness of Jesus Christ. It is not enough as a Christian to claim being made in the Creator s image; we are called to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. * Choices, they belong to each of us. Consequences are almost always shared, for better or worse; depending solely on our choices. Perhaps we too can make some choices that cause us to be red-faced and embarrassed at the thought of being seen in the likeness of Christ! *From A Guide to Prayer for All God s People, Climbing the Sycamore Tree, by Ann Hagmann, p. 289 SOAR Team Serving Opportunities Have you ever thought about serving in Children s Ministry? It is such a valuable experience and you have the opportunity to rise up the NOW and next generation of leaders in the church. There are many different ways for you to serve our kids and this is a great time to come onboard our growing team! We will be having a SOAR Team retreat and training on Saturday, October 11, that would be a great introduction to what we do. Please contact Natalie Long to discuss options. Here are a few ways you could serve: Photography Subbing Bible Buck Store attendant Education Wing Greeters Teaching Assistant Behind the scenes administrative and creative help Family Evangelism Day- Saturday, September 27, 10:00-12:00 Children and families are invited to the Fellowship Hall to stuff welcome bags for our neighbors. We will then divide up in groups and deliver the bags to surrounding neighborhoods. The bags will have fresh fruit, cookies, church information and a personal invitation to our first upcoming Neighborhood Lunch in the Pumpkin Patch! Please sign up at the Connection Center. SOAR Children s Ministry Activities for the Fall Family Evangelism Day- Saturday, Sept. 27, 10:00-12:00 SOAR Team Retreat and Training- Saturday, Oct. 11, 10:00-1:00 Neighborhood Lunch and Pumpkin Decorating in the Patch- Saturday, Oct. 25, 11:30-1:00 We will provide hamburgers and hotdogs for our neighbors in the Pumpkin Patch. Please come meet our neighbors by serving them and share how Jesus and NW Hills can help meet needs in their lives. There will also be pumpkin decorating for kids during this time. Bowling at Bandera Bowl- Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:00-4:00 (Details to come) Canvas Art Painting Class- Monday, Dec. 22, 1:00-3:00 (Details to come) SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 4

5 WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACTIVITIES Kickoff is September 10 and will end December 10. The evening starts with pizza snack supper from 5:30-6:30 pm. For $2 you get 2 slices of pizza, salad and a drink (and sometimes dessert!) You must sign up in advance at The Connection Center or call the church office. We need a head count so we can order enough pizza. Of course, good fellowship is always free. There are children and youth activities as well as Bible studies for adults starting at 6:30 and ending at 8:00 pm. Islam: It's History, Theology, and Today will be taught David Trawick. From the 9-11 attacks to the chaos of today's Middle East, fundamentalist Islam will be a force to reckon with for the rest of our lives. Learn about Mohammad's life, the history of Islam from its beginning through our day, what the Quran teaches about women, Jesus, Jews and Christians, jihad, teachings about sharia law, and more. Plenty of handouts and no required homework. The Kingdom Man by Tony Evans is a men s class that will be taught by Steve Smith. This 6-week study is designed to empower men to exercise the God-given dominion they were created for by giving them a Kingdom understanding, vision, and perspective on their identity and responsibilities along with practical steps on how to become a man who rules his world well. iparent SA offered by The Children s Shelter, utilizes the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) curriculum. Participants will learn how to understand their child s behavior, how to listen and talk to their children, discipline that makes sense and much more. We will also discuss today s parenting and how to be an involved parent in the 21 st century. The class will be taught by Rachelle Kight. He Speaks to Me: Preparing to Hear From God by Priscilla Shirer will be taught by Gerry Kimsey. God wants us to hear His voice, understand and obey. The cost of the book is $ This class will also be taught on Thursday morning starting September 11, from 9:30 11:00 am Romans will be taught by Joe Baumgartner. We will study what some consider a foundational description of the Christian faith. Paul s letter to the Roman Christian church is in preparation for his mission to Spain. Paul is seeking help from the Roman Christians whom he greatly admires but has never met. We will study this new testament book with an understanding of how it applies to us today. This book has had dramatic impact on people like Augustine and Martin Luther. It can have that kind of impact on you, too. NW HILLS WRITER S GROUP Please feel free to join us at the NW Hills Writer's Group to share our work and learn to write creatively through teacher led exercises. No prior experience needed, so you may just want to join, listen, and share thoughts. We are open to any age writer from teen to senior. This is a great way to try something new in a nonjudgmental small group of creative thinkers. While our group is small, our enjoyment of books and learning more about writing are common. Please feel free to drop in to one or more classes as your time permits. You are not required to attend every meeting to take part. We meet the second Wednesday of each month and following are the upcoming meetings. Wednesday, September 10, 6:30 pm Wednesday, October 8, 6:30 pm Wednesday, November 12, 6:30 pm Wednesday, December 10, 6:30 pm We meet at the doors at 6:30 and then proceed upstairs to an education room. Feel free to join us any time! If you are interested, please contact: Sherry Traylor at sgaletraylor@ gmail.com. SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 5

6 Monthly Events CLASS 101 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 The class will not be offered in September. The next class will be October 12. 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. 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, September 13, 8:00 am Meet at the church and then drive to Denny s on 410 off Ingram Road. Contact George Hampton at TEXAS RAMP PROJECT Building Freedom for the Homebound Saturday, September 20, 7:00 am. Meet at the church. 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, September 22, 11:30 am Anyone age 60 and older is invited to attend. Bring a yummy dish to share and stay for a fun activity. JOURNEY GROUP TAILGATE KICKOFF PARTY SUNDAY, SEPT. 21 4:30 PM New Journey Groups will be forming and we are having a Tailgate party to get started. Everyone who is interested in joining a small group is invited. Facilitators will be there to give specific information about each group. Everyone will be able to find a group that fits their schedule. Journey Groups are a great way to meet people and form meaningful relationships. Please join us for a rocking Fall Tailgate Party! VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Brookdale Hospice is looking for volunteers. They need individuals who are interested in helping with patients but also with light housekeeping, clerical work, errands, letter writing and help with computer projects. If you are interested contact Cassie Anderson, Assistant Director of Hospice at or canderson3@brookdale.com. STAFF OFFICE HOURS Now that summer is winding down and the mission trips are finished, we just wanted to remind you of the office hours. As always though, please call before coming by the office to make sure someone is going to be there. Debi Duke (Administrative Assistant) is available Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm. Valerie Martin (Financial Secretary) is available Monday-Thursday, 10 am - 5 pm. David Trawick, Natalie Long, Kelly Voorhies and Mike Turner are in the office Monday-Thursday (Friday is their day off). Chris Baxter is in the office Tuesday- Friday (Monday is his day off). Justin Spencer (IT/Audio Specialist) is in the office Monday & Wednesday. SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 6

7 6:30 pm Troop 228 Patrol Leader Council Monday, September 29 9:00 am Mother s Day Out Staff Meeting 11:00 am Mother s Day Out Board Meeting Monday, September 1 - LABOR DAY Church Office Closed Tuesday, September 2 9:00 am Mother s Day Out Room Prep Wednesday, September 3 9:00 am Mother s Day Out Room Prep Thursday, September 4 9:00 am Mother s Day Out Room Prep 10:00 am Mother s Day Out Open House Sunday, September 7 5:00 pm The Way Youth Kickoff Tuesday, September 9 9:00 am First Day of Mother s Day Out Wednesday, September 10 5:30 pm First Night of Snack Supper 6:30 pm First Night of Wednesday Night Activities Thursday, September 11 7:00 pm Eagle Board of Review Saturday, September 13 8:00 am United Methodist Men s Breakfast 2:00 pm Eagle Court of Honor 5:00 pm Board of Trustees Sunday, September 14 Monday, September 15 7:00 pm Finance Committee Meeting Saturday, September 20 7:00 am Texas Ramp Project 8:00 am Reach Out Day 4:00 pm Pumpkin Patch Set Up Sunday, September 21 3:00 pm Class 101 4:00 pm Journey Group Kick-Off Monday, September 22 11:30 am Prime Time Potluck Lunch 7:00 pm Administrative Council Meeting Saturday, September 27 9:00 AM PUMPKINS ARRIVE! Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: WEEKLY EVENTS 12:00 pm AA 3:00 pm Youth Choir 5:00 pm The Way Youth Worship 6:30 pm Church Prayer Group 7:00 pm AA Women 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 Wed. Snack Supper 6:30 pm Wed. 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 SPECIAL DATES Labor Day, September 1 National Grandparents Day, September 7 Patriot Day, September 11 Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 October 15 First Day of Autumn, September 23 SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 7

8 GOD S FISHING HOLE Tom Bader Emmaus Coordinator The other day a member of the Emmaus Community ask me why a Rooster is a symbolic part of the Walk to Emmaus. The Rooster s rainbow colors of the tail feathers have a special and significant meaning to the Christian. Green denotes new life, growth, and God s beauty of nature that surrounds us. It symbolizes the ordinary times of the Church year. Blue denotes loyalty, our commitment to God and His people. It also denotes truth, justice and the waters of our baptism. Purple denotes our dying and rising again along with the suffering of Jesus Christ. Yellow and Orange hues denote warmth, light, promise. They remind us of the love of God s Son in our lives, the light of a candle, the rays of the sun and the changing seasons. Red denotes celebration, joy and confirmation. It is symbolic of our feast days within, the Church, Christmas Day and Pentecost. The Rooster is one of the most colorful domestic creatures on earth. A celebration of color is the natural response of the person whose eyes have been freshly opened to the richness of God's Grace. The world without Christ sits in darkness and gloom, enslaved in sin. But, those whose eyes have opened, behold the sparkling wonder of God's grace. At night stained glass windows are without color, but when the sun shines through, what beauty they show and what a story they tell. When the Son of God shines through, we're all cast in living color and splendid as any Rooster. With many Roosters, when the light of the sun shines on the feathers at a particular angle, the feathers become iridescent, glowing with every color of the rainbow! And rainbows are another symbol of the way of Christ. Because rainbows are full of color, every color in the spectrum, indicating the full range of God's Amazing Grace! The rainbow is God's gift to humanity, an eternal promise that He'll never again flood the whole earth. It's a divine promise of patience and deliverance. THERE S AN APP FOR THAT! These days, there s a smartphone app for just about everything. But what about spiritual concerns? Where can you turn? Depressed? Try the joy app. Read Isaiah 51:11. Tired? Try the renewal app. Read Isaiah 40: Unsettled? Try the peace app. Read Philippians 4:7. Unloved? Try the love app. Read Romans 8: Worried? Try the refuge app. Read Psalm 46:1. Fearful? Try the power app. Read 2 Timothy 1:7. Guilty? Try the forgiveness app. Read Colossians 1: Praying? Try the prayer app. Read 1 John 5: The Scriptures are God s storehouse of meaningful applications for what we face every day. Think of the Bible as the itunes Store of spiritual apps. Best of all, everything s free! Timothy Merrill We will continue more about the significance of the rooster next month. The "Walk to Emmaus" is a 3-day spiritual retreat. The weekend begins on Thursday evening and ends Sunday evening. At Emmaus, you will spend three busy but very enjoyable days, usually at a retreat center. You will live and study together in singing, prayer, worship and discussion. Discussions center around fifteen talks given by laity and clergy. These talks present the theme of God's grace and how that grace comes alive in the Christian Community and expresses itself in the world. If you would like to know more about The Walk to Emmaus, please contact Tom Bader at tbader@satx.rr.com. SEPTEMBER 2014 NWH HAPPENINGS Page 8