February. Inside This Issue. Ash Wednesday FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FIRST WORD. Page 1: A word from our Pastor

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1 FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FIRST WORD February 2018 Ash Wednesday February 14, 6:30-7:30pm Rehab, short for rehabilitation, can mean different things. People who are struggling with addictions undergo rehabilitation. No segment of society (rich/poor, educated/uneducated, professional/ laborer) is immune. Patterns of thinking, as well as patterns of behavior, must change in order for persons to be freed. Another kind of rehab is physical. People injured through accidents, heart attacks, strokes, and a variety of natural occurrences (and sometimes self-caused events), go through rehabilitation in order to regain strength. Everyone is either getting into or out of trouble. The Christian faith recognizes that God s help is needed for anyone to get their lives back. The church word is regeneration and our Lenten series this year is titled, Spiritual Rehab. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14 (Valentine s Day). Ash Wednesday moves around on the calendar each year, falling on different dates, because it is always celebrated exactly 46 days before Easter. (That s why it falls on Valentine s Day this year.) At First United Methodist Church we ll have a half hour service that begins at 6:30pm in the sanctuary. Kids will have Children s Church at the same time. Adults and children will rejoin to receive the sign of the cross on their foreheads (in a paste made from the ashes of last year s Palm fronds and olive oil). We re reminded that through Christ, regeneration and renewed life, today, is possible. Since this is also St. Valentine s Day, there will be a little Valentines surprise for worshippers! As anyone who has ever gotten their life back will tell you, in order for real change to occur one not only needs God s help, but also support from friends. We hope you ll gather for a light supper with Christian friends after the worship service in the Overflow! At the conclusion of the evening s events, we ll sound a chime and all go our separate ways in silence. I hope to see you this Sunday at the church where we worship a God who wants to help you get YOUR LIFE back! Grace and Peace, Will Inside This Issue Page 1: A word from our Pastor Page 2: Building Committee Update & The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building Page 3: Cont. The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building Page 4: Missions Corner Page 5: News & Events Page 6: Worship Schedule Page 7: February Calendar Rise Up! God is speaking! Right now in worship, we re encouraging you to think about how God may be speaking to you. This series will continue until January 11 th. As mentioned in last month s First Word, this is the Christian time known as Epiphany. Epiphany can mean a lot of different things. One of the things it means is sudden awareness of God s presence. We hope you ll become aware of how God wants to work within you. Page 8: Church Information

2 Building Committee Update Since last Fall, when the Charge Conference was convened, the FUMC Building Committee was established and has been meeting to continue its planning work related to development of a new facility at the Apple Pie Ridge (APR) property. Two subcommittees were formed, with one focused on financial aspects of the project and the other aimed at preliminary conceptual planning work. The financial group is now reviewing FUMC's assets, including parsonage properties, the current church facility/property and securities and other financial gifts which are on deposit. The planning group recently issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to seven architectural firms soliciting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) for preliminary conceptual planning for the facility. We anticipate receiving SOQs from all those invited by Friday, January 19, From those submittals, we expect to short-list three or four firms and invite them to present their qualifications to the Building Committee in person and respond to questions posed by the committee. After that, we plan to select one firm and enter negotiations for an acceptable fee and contract by mid-march. That will kick off the planning process. We ask that you earnestly pray for God's guidance in these matters, especially in the architect selection process. There is an article titled The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building which is re-published in this newsletter. As I started to read this article, it occurred to me that it was strikingly similar to our situation here at FUMC. The over-arching message of "Decide for the people of God over the present building" resonated with me. Fortunately, we have started that process. I strongly encourage you to read this article and see if you come to the same conclusion. In Christ, Randy Moulton, Chair, FUMC Building Committee The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building By Lewis A. Parks on September 6, 2017 Leading Ideas Lewis A. Parks, author of Small on Purpose, describes how smaller congregations can easily squander their last resources for ministry attempting to keep up with the mounting demands of an aging facility. He says such churches must decide for the people of God rather than their present building, before it s too late. I came to Calvary United Methodist, Lemoyne, Pennsylvania, in my favorite pastoral role, as one who rescues. Calvary was once a vibrant 700-member church with two full-time ordained pastors, a staff of eight, and an average weekly worship attendance of 338 (1963). Calvary was big church and had the building to prove it a 20,500 square-foot Romanesque Revival fortress with a replacement value of $5,280,000. Through the decades of mainline decline, Calvary declined, too, but at a gentle rate. Leaders and members made necessary adjustments. They learned to live within their means. Yet at the same time the 110-year-old building continued to exert its claims at a rate that was becoming irritating and eventually alarming. Sometimes the elephant in the room is the room! We need to keep talking about the mounting and impossible demands of the building. In my first year at Calvary we had to address two critical risk recommendations from a recent insurance inspection: jersey barriers for a parking lot near the nursery school ($3,000) and a ventilation hood for the 20-burner gas oven ($21,000). Year two the air conditioning unit gave out ($20,000) and the dreary lighted sign in front demanded replacement ($5,000). Year three we filled and patched the sinkholes in the parking lot ($11,000) but held off on the resurfacing ($30,000) that would have completed the job. In year four we rescued the red cross on the State Street tower ($6,000) and replaced some of the very old gas pipes that were beginning to leak ($4,000) in the boiler room. One of the trustees reminded me the boiler pipes and cast-iron radiators have lasted much longer than we have a right to ask (estimated cost $42,000). The organist reminded me that the leaking expression shades need repair soon ($29,000) and a hole in the blower reservoir needs repair now ($4,000). Should I start playing hymns on the piano?

3 Continued: The Case of a Small Church in an Oversized Building At one point in year four I tried to take us on the offensive. I convinced the leadership to hire an architect and draw up plans for a welcome center. The renovated restrooms, infant care room, and coffee serving area would be near the entrance of the sanctuary. It would surely give us the $64,000 makeover we needed to hold the younger visitors. The congregation was cautiously positive. Some, but not enough, pledged financial support. In the end, I was the one to pull the plug. I could not in good conscience put them in a debt that would likely hasten death. So here we are: loving our tabernacle, temple, synagogue, house church, but not able to afford it. We cannot improve items of décor, comfort, or convenience. We are waiting for the next large ticket item that will empty our savings or drastically change our lifestyle, such as giving up the organ for the piano or closing off part of the building. It is an unfinished story with a probable finish. And the finish is that Calvary church will do what dozens of formerly large churches have done in the city where we are located and thousands have done across the country. They will gather on the deck of the Titanic to sing Nearer my God to Thee as it goes down. That is, they will exhaust their last spiritual gifts for ministry, their last impulses to form surrogate family, their last bit of confidence that they have a message the community needs, exhaust them for the lesser cause of keeping their building open as their numbers dwindle. Last one out, turn off the lights! As their pastoral leader, my strong desire is that Calvary would avoid that probable finish. They deserve better than the pall of fatalism that settles over a disappearing congregation in an oversized building. To that end, I have asked the leaders and congregation to join me in three actions: Accept that we are a healthy small church rather than a sick larger church. This is not easy for anyone who remembers the glory days nor for the pastor who wants to be the hero who brings them back; but it is the critical first step to survival. If we seek new constituents to breathe life into a larger church, our efforts will be desperate and will come across that way. Come fill our seats, our offering plate, our fading programs! On the other hand, if we rest in our strengths as a small church and there are many our invitations can be spontaneous. We are not recruiting; we have something good to give away to those who may be receptive. Face the reality of an oversized building. Sometimes the elephant in the room is the room! We need to keep talking about the mounting and impossible demands of the building. For nearly 50 years in ministry I have been waiting for the anonymous widow to surprise everyone by leaving the church a million dollars at her death. It hasn t happened yet! I count the rich widow s gift among the many fantasies that distract God s people from taking necessary action. Frank talk about limiting and even dangerous conditions in the building forces the congregation to ask after its core identity. Before it s too late, decide for the people of God over the present building. We re not there yet at Calvary. If we abandon 700 Market Street now, we lose precious worship ambience and the capacity for two vital ministries. But that day may be coming. I try to remember that any given congregation has outlived at least two buildings, sometime nearly a dozen. Every church knows what it is to pick up stakes and move on. Calvary was started as a prayer meeting in a lawyer s office across the street from its present location. It is not that buildings don t matter; they do for all the reasons specified above. But when it comes down to choosing between a vital congregation in dynamic equilibrium or squandering the resources of that congregation to maintain an oversized building, the God of Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) should win out every time. This article is excerpted from Small on Purpose: Life in a Significant Church (Abingdon Press, 2017) by Lewis A. Parks. Used by Permission. The book is available at Cokesbury and Amazon.

4 Thanksgiving and Christmas Offering Outcome Thanksgiving $ Christmas $2, Total offering $2, As previously stated in our weekly bulletin, the Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings will be divided among the United Methodist Commission on Relief, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission and The Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter. At the February Church Council meeting, the proportion given to each group will be determined. UMCOR and UMVIM are national United Methodist organizations. These funds will go directly toward hurricane relief for the storms of is a local mission. Each year, our church takes care of homeless persons a week, providing food and shelter. Funds directed toward will help with our church s effort. Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter Update! Here are our known volunteer needs as of (1/21): overnight volunteers (2/8), intake and registration volunteers (2/9), and hot breakfast makers (four days). Please call Jill Johnson (540) to help with these items or to volunteer for as yet undiscovered needs. You may also her at gojilljohnsongo@comcast.com. Thanks for your participation in this mercy ministry! Acolyte Training On Sunday, February 4 and 18, after the 11am worship service, bring interested kids who are about 3rd grade age to the sanctuary for acolyte training. Acolytes have an important job. They bring the light of Christ into the sanctuary. They assist Rev. White with baptisms. They help with special services. Sandy Jones wants to help your child learn about being an acolyte. We have a robe that will fit and we would love to see your child at acolyte training! Depending on the group, pizza and drinks will be provided. Kid Wranglers (Parents and Kids) Help With Feeding Ministry Our church provides a monthly feeding ministry for the residents of the Budget Motel. Kids and parents will make the meal this month in the church s kitchen on Sunday, February 11 th, at 11am. Donna White and Allegra Enoch are providing the leadership. Extra adults/ youth may be needed to help serve the meal. Contact Donna (540) or Allegra (304)

5 Discovery Preschool registration for the school year will begin February 1, Discovery Preschool is a place where children can discover the joy of learning in a loving Christian Environment. We have classes for two through five-years. Discovery Preschool offers a program filled with fun and learning in a developmentally appropriate atmosphere. The children participate in weekly programs including, music, Spanish, Physical education, Bible, and chapel services. We attend field trips and have special events during the school year. We perform an annual Christmas pageant and hold a special graduation celebration for the kids that are entering Kindergarten. Preschool Director: Allyson Allison Our hours are 9:00 AM 1:00 PM each day. First UMC Church members receive a 5% discount. COFFEE/LUNCH/DINNER WITH THE PASTOR Phone Number: aallison@fumcwinchester.org Please note that Dinner with the Pastor traditionally will be the last Thursday of the month at TGIF. We will also continue to do Lunch with the Pastor traditionally on the last Monday of each month at Mission BBQ at noon. In addition, Coffee with the Pastor will take place at 1:00pm at the Espresso Bar and Café located in the Loudon Street walking mall. If you have not had a chance to take part in these events yet, we encourage you to do so. Not only is this a great fellowship opportunity, but you would also be helping the church with its Reaching New People goals. February s lunch/dinner dates are as follows: Monday, February 26th, Mission BBQ at noon and Thursday, February 22nd at TGI Friday at 6:30pm. Please use your Tear Sheet to sign up! Chancel Choir rehearsals are held on Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30pm. If you desire to be an 'active' participant in worship, please don't hesitate to join us! No experience required, just the desire! Contact Melody Harmon ( ) if you wish to sing. Private instruction available. We are small in number, but great in spirit! COUNTERS NEEDED! We are in need of volunteers to help count the weekly offerings. Those interested should contact Lew Costello at or Becky Starliper at bstarliper@brielpc.com RENAMING THE OVERFLOW ROOM As we have re-purposed the Overflow into a welcoming communal area for guests and members of our church to meet for fellowship, we felt we should rename the area to better describe its new purpose. The contest went on through January and this month the Church Council will select a winner! A $25 gift certificate has been donated by a FUMC member to award to the author of the winning name. MOVIE NIGHT IS BACK! We will be relaunching our family movie nights beginning in March. Our first night will be held on Saturday, March 2nd at 6:00pm in the overflow room. Mark your calendars and keep an eye out in the bulletin for more information!

6 Our community Easter Egg Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, March 24 at 1pm at Clearbrook Park. Last year, even though the weather was cold and wet, we had around 100 people (children and parents). Let s all pray and hope for better weather and more people! Please bring your children, grandchildren, and friends. Our Reaching New People team is providing leadership. Easter Egg Donations If you would like to donate small candies (nothing with peanut butter please) or plastic Easter eggs for stuffing, please bring them to the church as soon as you can. There will be a collection box located in the Narthex for your convenience. Thanks! Easter Egg Making Since we predict a large crowd for the Easter Egg Hunt, we need to make a lot of eggs, 400 or more. Please join us on Feb 25th in the Overflow between the services for Easter Egg stuffing. February 4 {Green} Isaiah 40:21-31 {Focus) February 11 {White} 2 Kings 2:1-12 and Mark 9:2-9 (God is speaking) REHAB Ash Wednesday (Purple), February 14, 6:30-7:30pm, Mortality Sunday, February 18 (Purple), Wilderness Sunday, February 25 (Purple), Intervention Sunday, March 4 (Purple), Program Sunday, March 11 (Purple), Recovery Sunday, March 18 (Purple), Promise Thursday, March 29 (Purple), The Upstairs, 6:30pm Holy Thursday Dramatic Worship Service and Soup Dinner The

7 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30pm - Choir 1 2 7:00pm Apple Valley Square Dancers - 3 8:00am - Set-Up :30am Worship Service 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship Service 12:00pm Acolyte Training 6:15pm Finance Meeting - Donato s Touch of Italy 7:00pm Valley Voices - 7:15pm Church Council Meeting - Donato s Touch of Italy 6:30pm - Choir 1:00pm - Coffee with the Pastor - Espresso Bar and Café 7:00am - Breakdown :30am Worship Service 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship Service 11:00am Kid Wranglers TOPS Feeding Ministry 6:00pm Trustees Meeting - FUMC Parlor 7:00pm Valley Voices - 6:00pm - Choir 6:30pm - Ash Wednesday Service with Soup Dinner 1:00pm - Coffee with the Pastor - Espresso Bar and Cafe 7:00pm Apple Valley Square Dancers :30am Worship Service 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship Service 12:00pm Acolyte Training 7:00pm Worship Committee Meeting - FUMC Parlor 7:00pm Valley Voices - 6:30pm - Choir 1:00pm - Coffee with the Pastor - Espresso Bar and Café 6:30pm - Dinner with the Pastor - TGI Friday s :30am Worship Service 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship Service 12:00pm - Lunch with the Pastor - Mission BBQ 7:00pm Valley Voices - 6:30pm - Choir 1:00pm - Coffee with the Pastor - Espresso Bar and Cafe

8 First United Methodist church Downtown Campus 308 North Braddock Street Winchester, VA APR Campus Non-Profit Org U. S. POSTAGE P A I D Permit No. 136 Winchester, VA Located on Apple Pie Ridge Road across from the elementary school Phone: Fax: fumcoffice@fumcwinchester.org Web: Making disciples of Jesus Christ OUR STAFF Rev. William M. White Lead Pastor Lauren Clark Interim Office Manager Allyson Allison Preschool Director Melody Harmon Music Director Peter Uhlir Organist & Pianist Office Hours OUR LEADERSHIP Cheryl Dyksen Church Council Chair JoEllen Smith PPRC Chair Stacey Stickley Lay Leader Lew Costello Finance Chair Craig Stulz Trustee Chair Lauren Clark Worship Committee Chair Becky Starliper Treasurer The hours of operation for the office are currently 9:00am to 1:00pm, Monday-Thursday. If you have any questions, concerns, or requests you may them to fumcoffice@fumcwinchester.org or call the Office Manager at