FUMC First United Methodist Church Alvin, Texas Our Mission: To help people KNOW Christ, GROW in Christ, and GO to serve Christ.

Transcription

1 FUMC First United Methodist Church Alvin, Texas Our Mission: To help people KNOW Christ, GROW in Christ, and GO to serve Christ. NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER2016 LIFE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED YOU CAN FIND IN CHRIST. How do we live in union with Christ? Are there specific characteristics that define being a Christian? What are the timeless theological truths and what heresies are twisting this truth? In his letter to the Colossian church, Paul the Apostle, did more than just address these questions, he set a foundation for understanding what it means to be a Christian and what it means to live life in light of the supremacy of Jesus Christ. In four short chapters Paul proclaims that Christ is God, Christ is Head of the Church, we are in union with Christ, and we are to stay true to the Gospel despite what the false teachers are proclaiming. Paul wrote to combat the errors in the church and to show believers that they already have everything they need in Christ. 9/4 Life: It is about the Gospel Colossians 1: 1-14 While the letter of Paul to the Colossians is only 4 chapters and can be read in minutes, it s filled with theological truth and practical instruction. Paul lovingly invites the members of the church at Colosse to worship Jesus, grow into mature Christians, and to live life serving God and each other. 9/11 Life: Is about Christ - Colossians 1:15-23 Questions about God, divinity, and spirituality abound in our day. It seems as though everyone has their own reimagined truth. Jesus is Supreme over all creation, the church, and salvation. It s these reasons Paul directs the Colossian Christians to worship Jesus as God! Jesus isn t just a great teacher, a religious prophet, or merely a shoulder to cry on...he s God! 9/18 Life: Has Purpose - Colossians 1:24-2:5 We were created to minister and work. God made us in his image and as a result of that, we work. Work and ministry is painful now because of the fall, but it hasn t always been the case. Our first parents didn t always use words like toil and struggling to define work and ministry, but such is the case now. Paul shares his motivation for working, his hope for work, and his purpose in it. 9/25 Life: is Found in Christ- Colossians 2:6-15 Intermingling biblical truth with worldly philosophies, wisdom, and traditions isn t just a modern day trend it s been going on for centuries and had evidently started to creep into the church at Colosse. Paul gives firm counsel and a direct warning to his hearers to be careful what they listen to and embrace as truth. Embracing false truth isn t just a bad idea it s a deadly mistake. Continued on next page

2 CONTINUED 10/2 Life is Freedom - Colossians 2:16-23 Christ bought our freedom with his blood. He paid our debt so we could be free from punishment from God. Efforts to satisfy God s wrath, no matter how righteous, will always fall short. Submitting to people s plan and the world s way is a surefire way to bring about stress, guilt, shame, and condemnation. Jesus came to take those away and replace them with peace, freedom, joy, and hope! 10/9 Life is new with Christ - Colossians 3:1-17 Paul teaches us that everything in life rises and falls on our motivations toward or away from Jesus. Through a series of lists that can appear to be do s and don ts Paul develops a picture of the new life of a faithful Christian. What we do in life really matters. With language like set your mind and put to death Paul tells us to fight to live a faithful life. 10/16 Life: is relationships- Colossians 3:18-4:7 Relationships are an essential part of life. Understanding relationships has eluded the greatest of counselors, psychologists, armchair theologians, spouses, parents, kids, and just about everyone. Paul s instruction regarding relationships is not only countercultural it is transcendent. Without the work of Christ, relationships, even the best of them, are hanging by a thread and in need of transformation. 10/23 Life is living for others- Colossians 4:7-18 The world we live in demands self love, self esteem, and all out pursuit of personal happiness, even at the expense of others. Paul concludes his letter to the Colossians with a hearty exhortation to live life for other people! Essentially, Christians are to live for others because Jesus has lived and died for them. Blessings, Pastor Mike Do you love Christmas music? One of the fun things about singing in the Chancel choir is getting to sing Christmas music from August through December! This year, our chancel choir will present "An Appalachian Winter" by Joseph Martin on Sunday, December 11. We would love for you to be a part of it! Chancel choir rehearses every Thursday night at 6pm. We sing every Sunday at the 8:30am service. Child care is provided. Come! Sing with us! Matt Hogan Music and Fine Arts matthogan@alvinmethodist.org

3 Come hear the Master s Storyteller as he presents a unique blend of story and song. If Elijah, a prophet from the Old Testament, appeared today, what would he look and sound like? Through the imagination of Wesley Putnam, the Master s storyteller, you might meet Elijah as a Bronx cop, or see Daniel from the lions den as a West Texas cowboy. These and other stories bring ancient characters to life and convey truth in a fresh, relevant way for our generation. There will be refreshing times of praise and worship, as Wesley and his wife Felicia bring an exciting blend of old and new songs to help people express their love for God. This time of renewal is for kids too. BibleQuest is a fast-paced program designed to make learning Bible facts and truths exciting for elementary students. You will be amazed at how much they learn in a short time. You won t want to miss a single night! August Sunday, 8:30 & 11am Nightly 6:00pm Dinner and BibleQuest for Kids 7:00pm Worship & Drama

4 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES Looking for a place to study Gods word? Here is a brief description of our Sunday school classes: Agape Room 107 A class for adults of all ages, married or single. Lecture format using biblical texts for study. Worship, singing and special projects are also parts of this class. Faith/Messengers Room 110 Bible study discussion led by class members who take volunteer turns in leadership. Primarily men and women over 60, this class also participates in meeting special church needs as they arise. Friendship Room 106 A diverse class of both married and widowed women. Studies the quarterly Adult Bible Study series through both lecture and discussion. Supports church activities with funds and service. Hallelujah Room 105 For mentally challenged adults. Reading and discussing Bible stories, snacks, fellowship and singing are all parts of this class. Love Out Loud (LOL)/Nomads Room 108 A discussion class for adults that look at how one s behaviors and expectations are shaped by God s word from a practical perspective. An emphasis on supporting service to one s community in various ways is a natural extension of this group s core beliefs. Keeping Holy Time Room 128 A discussion Bible study that takes a systematic approach to Scripture either by studying the weekly passages of the Revised Common Lectionary, or various DVD driven short term studies. Men s Bible Class Room 109 Men s lecture and discussion utilizing DVD s. Primarily seniors, but welcome men of any age. Each week s class opens with gospel hymn singing accompanied on the piano. Questers Room 102 Most class members are boomer adults in middle age with grown children. Teachers rotate in leading Bible study discussions in which all are encouraged to participate. The class has a number of service projects and social gatherings through the year. Seekers Room 127 A discussion class for contemporary couples and singles, primarily ages Bible study and life application come together as the class seeks to grow in faith and to develop and nurture relationships. Service and fellowship are also parts of the Seekers community. New Hope Room 101 Primarily single women, but all are welcome/. An investigative study of biblical books and topics in discussion format.

5 VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO TEACH K-1ST, 2ND-3RD AND 4TH-5TH This will be for a 4-week rotation. Please contact Lisa Mayhugh at lisamayhugh@alvinmethodist.org or sign up online at alvinmethodist.org/teach. Women's Fall Retreat Tentative Date: November 4-6, 2016 IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A FALL RETREAT FOR WOMEN, contact Lisa Mayhugh at lisamayhugh@alvinmethodist.org to serve on this committee. Lisa will be in touch with you. UMW will meet Tuesday September 13 at 9AM (note the earlier time) at the church for a short business and planning meeting. We will then car pool to Anchor Point in League City for a tour of their facilities and introduction to their programs. Anchor Point provides professional services for unplanned pregnancies including three advocates, a medical professional, a client advocate, and a spiritual mentor. Earlier this year we had all brought toiletry items for the clients. We plan to stop for lunch before returning to Alvin. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Summer Reading Program and Book Club. Don't forget to bring your coin filled Baby Bottles for the Brazoria County Women's Shelter.

6 ADULT FALL TRIP TO GLEN ROSE, TEXAS OCT , 2016 $ VISIT CREATION MUSEUM See "The Promise" Outdoor Musical of Jesus' life Cost includes: lodging, 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, lecture with Dr. Carl Baugh, head scientist at the Creation Museum and a ticket to "The Promise". We will be staying at Inn On The River, a beautiful and affordable Inn with 22 rooms and can hold 44 people and the owners are Christian and are going to work at getting us a discounted ticket to the performance of "The Promise" and a private tour and lecture with Dr. Carl Baugh the head scientist at the Creation Museum. Transportation will be done as individuals. We will car-pool together for those that are not able to drive. Right now we have 28 people signed up to go. If you haven't signed up yet and want to enjoy this trip with us, please go to alvinmethodist.org and signup on the front page of the website. Tired of those automated phone calls at dinner time? Relief is just a website away! You can stop those automated phone calls by logging in to nomorobo.com and follow the instructions. $4.99/mo charge. For landlines (conventional phone lines), the service is free, but for your mobile and landline, there is a Check it out. We tried it on our landline and now we only get a single ring and the message on the phone display is "Incoming Call" What a relief!

7 Your Savings! By Roxann Corona In December 2015, we signed up with a company by the name of Ideal Impact to help on our energy savings for the next 4 years. They claim to be able to save us 7,640 a year in energy costs. Here are your savings on electricity and gas from December July: December $ January $ February $ March $ April $ May $ June $1, July $1, This total amounts to $4, to date! With your continued support by scheduling your activities, turning lights out when not in use, closing exterior doors instead of leaving them open, we will be able to eventually use this amazing amount of savings on other ministries besides the electric and gas bill. Our goal is to continue to be good stewards of the church! Thank you to those who have willingly done their part to save energy! LOL Item of the month is Ramen Noodles All these donations go to support our local food pantry.

8 YOU ARE WELCOME HERE! Alvin First UMC Ministers: The Congregation Alvin First UMC Staff: Pastor: Mike Mayhugh - mikemayhugh@alvinmethodist.org Pastor Emeritus: Linda Snow - lindasnow@alvinmethodist.org Assistant to the Pastor/ Youth Director: Travis White - traviswhite@alvinmethodist.org Assistant Youth Director: Sam Jackson - samjackson@alvinmethodist.org Lay Leader: N. A. Keithley Parish Council Chairman: Mark Scales Director of Church Operations: Roxann Corona - roxanncorona@alvinmethodist.org Director of Music Ministries: Matt Hogan - matthogan@alvinmethodist.org Director of Christian Education: Lisa Mayhugh - lisamayhugh@alvinmethodist.org Director of Finance: Wanda Johnson - wandajohnson@alvinmethodist.org Pianist: Sheila Hernandez Organist: Sean Vaughn Pre-School/Mother s Day Out: Terry Oliver Audio-Visual: Julie Heiman, Shelby Hannagin First United Methodist Church 611 West South St., Alvin, Texas, Our Mission: To help people KNOW Christ, GROW in Christ, and GO to serve Christ.