As we continue our series on Serving From the Heart, this month

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1 Serving from the Heart Stewardship S.T.R.I.D.E.S. As we continue our series on Serving From the Heart, this month our focus will be on dreams, experiences, stewardship and putting it all together. In September, we examined how God has not only called us to be disciples of Jesus Christ but has also equipped us to be the Church. We have inventoried spiritual gifts, talents, resources, and claimed our individuality. By the end of October, small group participants will have an opportunity to name the place(s) where they feel God is calling them to serve. In addition, every member (and friend) of the congregation will be asked to prayerfully consider making a pledge to support the ministries of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church in The Stewardship/Finance Committee has been working over the past two months to compile a budget. The 2015 proposed budget of $1,615,733 is more than $21,000 less than the current budget. A copy of the proposed budget will be mailed to you, along with a pledge card, in mid-october. Pledges will be received during the worship services on October and Of course, they can be placed in the offering plate, mailed or dropped off to the Financial Secretary, Michelle Cooper, at any time. Following pledge weekends, the Stewardship/ Finance Committee will meet in early November to make any adjustments to the proposed budget, based on pledges received and to make a recommendation to the Church Council for adoption of the 2015 budget. While 2014 marks the end of the Harvest Campaign, we continue to have a monthly mortgage payment of nearly $23,000 ($275,217, annually). Why pledge? From an administrative point-of-view, pledging helps the Stewardship/Finance Committee and Church Council in the development of ministry plans. However, more importantly, pledging gives you an opportunity to make an intentional decision about using your resources to glorify God. Rather than waiting until the end of the pay period or month and offering a portion of left-overs, pledging affords you the opportunity to give of your first-fruits that which you determined in advance. All other financial decisions flow from your decision to honor God with your tithe/offering. (There are many life events that can change our financial circumstances, you can update your pledge at any time by contacting Michelle Cooper, Financial Secretary (michellecooper@fumcva.org). I am excited about the gifts and opportunities Fredericksburg United Methodist Church has to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and rejoice in your ministry. Remember, it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for God s good pleasure. [Philippians 2:13] Grace and peace,

2 Bring your folding chairs and blankets and come on out for an afternoon of fun and fellowship. The church will provide hot dogs and hamburgers; please provide a side dish for your family + two people. This way we are sure to have enough food! Rev. Edward Dromgoole, Circuit Rider, will make a stop at 1:00 p.m. to share about his preaching ministry. If you can help or have questions, contact Adam Sutton at hoosvshokies95@aol.com or (540) In this season of harvest, we count our blessings, and in joyful thanks strive to be a blessing to others. Our Food Pounding is a cherished FUMC tradition. Remembering Our Lord s charge to Feed my sheep we collect food for Thanksgiving Dinner. From now until the Food Pounding [Saturday, November 22, and Sunday, November 23], please collect each item at home. We bring the bagful of food to Church and bring them to the altar during the first hymn. When you sit down at your own Thanksgiving Dinner, you will be feeding another family as well. You may also participate by making a donation for turkey and/or ham. Make checks payable to FUMC and write Food Pounding in the memo line. by Robb Almy, Evangelism Team Chair Many of us have different appointments we must keep. We set appointments with the hairdresser, the doctor and dentist, the auto repair shop and a multitude of others with whom we do business. But, have you ever prayed for a divine appointment? A divine appointment is the person that God brings into your life for a minute, a day or a lifetime. In the course of our lives God brings many people across our path calling us to speak a word of encouragement, help them with a need, or share our faith. These are called divine appointments- God given opportunities to minister to others. We might begin to pray for such divine appointments, but let s not stop there. As you pray for God s divine appointments to happen, pray for your eyes to be opened to see who it is God is bringing before you. Pray for boldness and courage to help or speak to that person. Consider praying for these divine appointments on a daily basis and then watch how God wonderfully works to bring just the right people in your life. By praying for divine appointments and seeking to demonstrate Christian love to those God brings across your path, you will be sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Let s all start praying for some divine appointments. At the food offering during the worship service, we will dedicate our bags that include a Thanksgiving greeting from your family. 2

3 Hank and Lauren Ball on the death of his mother, Marguerite, on September 3 family & friends of Ruth Luther who passed away on September 6 Joyce and Minor Armstrong on the death of her brother, Raymond Jett (CA) Greg and Janet Calvert on the death of his brother and her Uncle Joe Angela and Peter Kim and family on the death of her mother (Amherst, VA) Jennifer Cook & family on the death of her grandmother on September 6 in NJ Rev. Sam Dunning and family & friends of Holly Dunning on her death on September 24 (former members) Sandra Morris and family on the death of her husband, Don Morris, on September 20 family and friends of Patricia Blair who passed away September 17and her son, Thomas, who passed away March 23 If you have little ones, 3 year olds to Kindergarten, who love to sing, than have them join us! Rehearsals are Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Pre-School Music Room. 3 We inadvertantly missed the following Candleburing donation in last month s Open Door: Given by Alberta Hickman in honor of the Wayfarers and the Wesleyans

4 Starting in September, Reverend Hank McCaslin, Pastor of Congregational Care, will participate in worship services one Sunday each month. On other Sundays, Pastor Hank will be greeting persons in the Ministry Center, visiting Sunday School classes and care for the needs of the congregation. In this part-time position, this arrangement will permit Pastor Hank to devote more time to pastoral care needs of the congregation. On Sundays when Pastor Hank is providing worship leadership, you may find Pastor Lee or Dr. Biler in the hallways or classrooms around FUMC. Christine Schroth, FUMC s Financial Administrator has announced her intention to retire at the end of 2014 after 14 years of service. We wish Christine well in her retirement and give thanks for her dedicated service. If you are interested in the Financial Administrator position, please place your resume in the Staff Parish Committee box in the work room or send to the Chairman at prewitt5@cox. net. The position is hour per week and requires knowledge of General Ledger operation, payroll preparation, accounts payable and most general accounting requirements. From the FUMF Board In keeping with its purpose of providing an endowment and enhancing the mission of FUMC, the Board of the Fredericksburg United Methodist Foundation annually appropriates five percent of the value of the funds it administers. Each of the funds has a designated purpose. Based on June 30, 2014 financial statements, the appropriations for four of the 2015 funds will be as follows: The appropriations for three other funds--bequests made to the Virginia United Methodist Foundation with the proceeds designated for use by FUMC--are calculated at year s end based on the average ending values for the past three years. The estimated proceeds from these funds for use in 2015 are as follows: Thus, as a result of their love for their Church and wanting to assure its perpetuation, those who have passed on are making a continuing a significant and perpetual contribution to the FUMC mission an estimated total of nearly $46,000 for All FUMF funds are invested through the services of the Conference Foundation. The Spring Calendar for FUMC will include a Legacy Sunday sponsored by FUMF, to be followed by a seminar for members interested in establishing their legacy through gifts to the Foundation or Church. 4 During the month of October, our Preschool students will have a ton of Fall Fun! In addition to our arts and crafts, alphabet learning, math skills, and science experiments, we are also having our individual and class pictures taken, going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch, and inviting our moms to preschool for our annual Mother s Night! Two of our classes are participating in Dr. Yum s Preschool Food Adventure, a nutrition curriculum which helps our students learn the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and to use those foods to prepare simple snacks. We are also collecting Campbell s Labels for Education, which will allow us to earn credits towards new supplies for our program. Most importantly, our Bible story of the month is the story of Daniel in the Lion s Den, and we are learning that God hears our prayers. Thank you for your support and for your prayers for our Preschool students!

5 Since 1997 when Christine Kuty felt God prompting her to send out cards and notes each week to let those on our church prayer list know that they were being lifted to God in prayer, we at FUMC have been involved in this important ministry. Christine had to give up her part in this ministry in 2003, because of poor health, but a small group continues to send out the prayer cards every week. We remember those who are ill, including those who are living with long-term health challenges; we send out sympathy cards to those who are in mourning; we seek to remind those who are dealing with life crises that God is with them and we are supporting them. This ministry depends on donations to cover the cost of stamps; it is not a part of our church budget. Currently, the fund has been exhausted. Anyone who wishes to make a donation to replenish this fund can do so by writing a check to FUMC and writing Prayer Card Stamps on the memo line. Thank you. Over the past two years, the Heritage Committee has been fortunate to have several interns from the University of Mary Washington to assist with major archives projects. In the spring of 2013 two students, Patty McCloy and Demi Naylor, stabilized hundreds of architectural drawings dating back to the 1950s. The plans were then digitized to provide a permanent record. In addition, they created a database for all the plans, making them easily accessible to anyone who needs them. In spring 2014 another historic preservation intern, Tasha Horton, transcribed oral history interviews conducted by Jack Johnson in the 1980s. The interviews include Harold Abmyer, longtime organist at the church, Annie Cunningham, and others. The transcriptions are available to anyone who wishes to read them. This fall two historic preservation interns have begun the long process of scanning and entering data into a database called PastPerfect, a professional software package designed for small museums and archives such as FUMC. Kaleigh Beverly and Grace May will be working a total of 18 hours a week and will earn 3 credits each toward their degrees. Eventually documents that have been digitized will be available to church members and others who want to search the records. We are very fortunate to have student assistance, which complements the efforts of our church volunteers who work on Tuesday afternoons to sort and organize documents, photographs and other artifacts. If you would like to know more about the ongoing work in the church archives, or read or listen to oral history interviews, contact Margaret or Bill Mock at The Merry Makers will be travelling to Richmond on Tuesday, Oct 28 to take a private guided Trolley Tour of Historic Richmond with stops to tour St. John s Church on Libby Hill, the Maggie Lane Walker House and possibly one other if time permits. We will then have lunch at The Tobacco Co. Restaurant. The cost is $40 and includes the Trolley Tour, lunch including beverage, tax and gratuities plus transportation to and from Richmond. We will leave the church at 8:15 and return around 3:30pm. To register send your check made out to FUMC to Julie Tubbs, 6301 W. Dranesville Dr., Fredericksburg, Va Questions? Our annual charge conference will take place on Tuesday, November 10th, 7 p.m., in Kobler Hall. This will be a cluster charge conference. Wright s Chapel, Regester Chapel, Ebenezer will also be in attendance. The purpose of the called charge conference will be to receive required annual reports, including lay servants, candidates for ministry, report from the FUMC Foundation, set clergy salaries and compensation packages and elect officers. Voting members of the charge conference are members of the Church Council and all clergy with a charge conference relationship with FUMC. Dr. Ted Smith, District Superintendent will preside. 5

6 DISTRICT DELEGATES TO 2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO BE ELECTED We are in the process of selecting nominees to be elected as lay members-at-large to the 2015 Annual Conference, to be held June 19-21, 2015 in Roanoke. We will be electing both delegates and alternates at the District Conference on November 15th. Pastors and laity are urged to submit names for nomination to the District Office no later than October 30, If you are nominating someone else, please be sure to obtain your nominee s permission prior to filing out this form. Then complete the form below and please include a brief biography of the nominee. (Try to limit the biography to 50 words.) Please note that to be elected as a Delegate-at-Large, a person must have been a member of the United Methodist Church for the 2 years preceding their election and shall have been an active participant in the United Methodist Church for at least 4 years preceding their election. This requirement may be waived for nominees under 30 years of age. ********************************************************************* Nomination for Lay Member-At-Large to 2015 Annual Conference Nominee Phone Number Address Church For tracking purposes, if 35 years of age or younger, please indicate: AGE GENDER IF YOU ARE UNDER 18, please include contact information for your parent(s) or guardian: Name: Cell: Brief Bio. (Church & Community Involvement, etc.) Please return this form by October 30, 2014 to: Fredericksburg District Office, Post Office Box 100, Ladysmith, VA or to fredericksburgdistrict@vaumc.org or fax to (call to confirm receipt). If you have any questions, please call

7 Name Lay Nomination Form General and Jurisdictional Conferences 2016 This form must be received in the Virginia Conference Office of Connectional Ministries by March 1, 2015 Picture not to exceed 1-1/2 x 2-1/2 Address City, State Zip Phone: Home ( ) Work ( ) Cell ( ) Church District Agency (if applicable) A personal statement not to exceed 150 words should be included on this form, in which you may indicate your experience, qualifications and reasons for wanting to serve. (If word limit is exceeded, only the first 150 words will be printed. Please do not write outside box.) Standing Rules III.D.4. Church Membership. All nominees shall have been professing members of The United Methodist Church for at least two years preceding their nomination and must be members of churches in the Virginia Annual Conference and shall have been active participants in The United Methodist Church for at least four years preceding their election. They also must be active members within The United Methodist Church at the time of holding General Conference and jurisdictional conference. The four year participation and two year membership requirements may be waived for young persons under twenty-five years of age. Such persons must be members of The United Methodist Church and active participants at the time of election. 8/14/14 7

8 Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 Do you have the heart and passion for children and youth who have special educational and developmental needs? FUMC is seeking persons who are able to teach and assist with the Special Needs Sunday School classes. For more information, please contact Rev. Henry (Hank) McCaslin, Pastor of Congregational Care at , ext 22; ; , or henrymccaslin@ fumcva.org. 8

9 Every woman of the church is invited to become a member of United Methodist Women because when women come together for missions, amazing things can happen. The theme for 2014 is A Calling for this Time. Won t you join us to find your place in United Methodist Women? Please call Carol Kuty at or Pat Blosser at if you have questions about our supportive community of women. The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of Mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. Another way for you to support missions is to purchase and use FUMC note cards. Packages of 10 note cards with envelopes, featuring a pen and ink drawing of our church by Jack Burnette, are on sale for $5.00 each by United Methodist Women. The cards are located in a basket at the Charlotte Street entrance. Please place cash or a check in the provided envelope (also located in basket). Money from the sale of FUMC note cards is used for?. If you completed the blank with the word missions, you already have the heart of a United Methodist Woman! To provide transportation for UMW students to attend 9:45 Services on Sundays and to Open Door Services every Saturday using the FUMC van or small bus. If you are interested, you will need to complete some paperwork so that you can be an approved driver. If you can help in this effort, please call Fanya Morton ( ), morton_family@cox.net OR drop this off at the information desk following service. 9

10 The Monday Morning Bible Study meets from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Room 210 on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of the month (unless the church is closed). Women of the Bible 52 Bible Studies for Individuals & Groups by Jean Syswerda is our current study. We are discovering much about Biblical women we know and those we hadn t heard of. In the process, we find they weren t so very different than we are. God uses each of us in special ways. Every week is a fresh lesson, so join in whenever you can! To order a book, arrange for babysitting or if you have further questions, call Ann Braz at On October 6th we will visit ESTHER. On October 20th we will encounter THE WOMAN OF PROVERBS 31. Join in the lessons and find out God s message for us. Looking for a way to make connections with a small group? Consider joining the Contemporaries Sunday School Class! We meet in room 210 at 11:00. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Fanya Morton at morton_family@cox.net Hope you can join us! We are continuing the Every Man a Warrior Bible Study series designed to help men succeed in life. Check out the display in the Gathering Space of Kobler Hall or contact Bill Hammen at bghammen@verizon.net or (H) or (Cell). If you are new to Fredericksburg UMC, interested in joining the church or simply want to learn more about who we are, check out Pizza with the Pastors. This gathering is a great place for you to start getting connected, to find out more about FUMC and to get to know our pastors on a personal level. Every third Sunday of the month from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., we will gather in Room 202 for a pizza lunch and casual conversation with our pastors. Come hear the stories of our pastors and ask any questions you may have about our church and its ministries. Pre-registration is not required but appreciated and can be made on our church website at A sign-up sheet is also placed in Gathering Space. Childcare is available upon request. If you have any questions or would like to help with this ministry, please contact Pastor Won Lee at (540) , x15 or wonlee@ fumcva.org. Pizza with the Pastors upcoming schedule: October 19, November 16 and December 21 12:15-1:15 p.m., Room 202 Used Adult Sunday School study books have been organized for your use. A sample copy of each book and a list stating the number of copies available is in the Church Library. You may borrow the sample copy to preview by signing the form available in the Library. Please return the sample copy to the box for returns. The books are available: To borrow for class use and then return To preview before ordering new or used books 10 You may request use of these books by notifying the Church Office. Donate your used Sunday School Study books to the collection. Just bring them to the library.

11 In response to Bishop Young Jin Cho s request that the Virginia Conference Common Table for Church Vitality facilitate conversation around the conference on the subject of human sexuality, the Common Table announced that it will hold A Day of Holy Conversation on Sexuality and The United Methodist Church on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Woodlake UMC, Hampton Park Drive, Chesterfield. The day of conversation will also be live streamed to a number of regional sites across the conference. All Virginia Conference clergy and laity are invited to participate at one of the sites. The Day of Holy Conversation will include a message from Bishop Cho, remarks by a convener, morning and afternoon presentations and designated times for conversations among participants that will be guided by the convener or a selected facilitator. The guiding question for the Day of Holy Conversation will be: In light of concerns being expressed in different areas of the connection of The United Methodist Church and in society as a whole regarding human sexuality, how can we move forward in mission and ministry together? A guidebook will be developed for use by districts, congregations, and other groups following the Nov. 22 Day of Holy Conversation, and facilitators will be trained to lead district conversations using information that is prepared for the Nov. 22 conference Day of Holy Conversation. Currently, regional live stream locations are being confirmed. An announcement will be posted on the conference website and through other conference communications after the live stream locations are confirmed. Registration and luncheon reservations for the various locations will be received through the conference website. For more information, visit the Virginia Annual Conference website: vaumc.org. Are you ready for the return of Wednesday Night Fellowship Dinners? Mark your calendars for September 10 and join your friends for yummy food and a chance to meet new friends in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. When you decide that you don t want the evening to end, stay and help clean up! The first step is to sign up each week BY MONDAY on the bulletin board outside the church work room, in the Gathering Space or by contacting Lisa Earnesty at earnesty@verizon.net. Standing reservations will be accepted. If your plans change, please call the office and cancel your reservation so that we can maintain an accurate count for food shopping and preparation. 11

12 The Outreach Pantry is open Monday through Friday, 1:00-3:00 p.m. We always need hot and cold cereals, pasta and pasta sauces, peanut butter, jelly (grape/strawberry), powdered milk, rice, soups, bread, canned fruits, canned meats and meat, baby formula and diapers. Monetary donations may also be made by writing Food Pantry in the memo section of your check. Please check expiration dates. We cannot give out expired items, nor can we give out medicines. Contact Ed Sielski at with questions. Every Wednesday at 11:00 the Chapel Prayer Group meets to pray for FUMC members/ families/friends with health or other concerns (or praises!). We always include prayers for our military members. Through time, we have lost contact with some of our military and would very much like to have an update on them. If you have any information on any of our military members, please contact Pastor Hank McCaslin at or fumcva.org. Join us for prayer on Wednesdays in the second floor chapel! Now you can send an E-Card Invitation to your families and friends. E-Cards include information on our church s worship services and other church events and you can add your personal message. To send an E-Card, visit our church website at and click Connect in the upper course menu. You will see an Evite button on the left side menu. Click and follow the instructions. by Bob Bos, FUMC Micah Representative Micah Ministries often hears from individuals or groups who want to help with the great things that are happening in work with our homeless neighbors in need. Here are just a few suggestions for things you can do to get involved in our ministry to people experiencing homelessness. To sign up or get more information, contact Lori Yelverton atlori@dolovewalk.net or540/ x11 12

13 Meals On Wheels Warm bodies needed! Have you noticed the same faces in the kitchen for coffee hour week after week, month after month, year after year? It is time for some new energy and enthusiasm. Training will be provided along with a blessing! Call Mary Jordan at or sign up on the plea for volunteers on the table. Weeks with no volunteers will result in a closed window. Meals on Wheels (MOW) is a program that provides a cold noontime meal and a hot evening meal for individuals who are incapacitated and cannot obtain or prepare food for themselves, and do not live with someone who can provide these services for them. The delivery area is within a four-mile radius of the hospital. The MOW Program needs volunteers to serve as drivers! Drivers are part of a dynamic team that delivers meals to elderly or incapacitated members of the community. MOW is looking for a commitment of at least once a month but interested individuals may drive more often, if they so desire. Each driving run will take approximately two hours and is done using the volunteer s personal vehicle. Please join Team MOW in providing this invaluable service to the community! Chick-fil-A owner Truett Cathy set time aside to teach Sunday School to 13-year-old boys for years. Won t you answer the call to teach our 7th & 8th grade Sunday School class? Your time with our youth will change your heart and open your eyes to how God works through our middle school youth. Do you hear it? Call Shirley or me at shirley.patrick@comcast.net. Our 7th & 8th grade Sunday School will meet with the senior high Sunday School class in the basement until further notice. After a great afternoon at Old Mill Park for the COMMUNITY DINNERS have been served in church picnic there is no UMYF on October 5! the Fellowship Hall for seven years now! Each How He Loves (us) -- it s our song, guys! Bring your second Saturday, FUMC has hosted a dinner friends! Families welcome! FUMC youth are heading prepared in the downstairs, newly renovated to Winchester, VA on Sunday, October 12, to attend Kitchen - free for the community. The fourth Saturday, Ebenezer UMChurch from Stafford has hosted the the Crowder concert. There is no UMYF October 12. dinner and now, since April, there are dinners EVERY Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. at our church. Due to extensive renovations at Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church, area Presbyterians are hosting their dinners at FUMC. We are delighted with this arrangement. Preparation for dinner begins from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. with set-up to follow and then dinner served at 4. What a great mission this is!!! Libby Wasem is now the organizer for FUMC and can be reached at lawasem@cox.net if you would like to help with this effort. 13

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