SUNDAY, MARCH 22 Children s Baskets of Hope Service Project 3:00 4:30pm in the FH Youth Baskets of Hope Service Project 6:00 7:45pm in the FH

Transcription

1 theconnection FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CARY SUNDAY, MARCH 22 Children s Baskets of Hope Service Project 3:00 4:30pm in the FH Youth Baskets of Hope Service Project 6:00 7:45pm in the FH SUNDAY, MARCH 29: PALM/PASSION SUNDAY Sanctuary Services, 1st on Chatham Service, and the Celebration Service I Am The Way, the Truth and the Life United Methodist Youth Fellowship Baskets of Hope Service Project 5:45pm in the FH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1: STUDY-WEEK 6 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross 6:30pm in the FH THURSDAY, APRIL 2: HOLY THURSDAY Service of Holy Communion 7:00pm in the Sanctuary FRIDAY, APRIL 3: GOOD FRIDAY Stations of the Cross Sanctuary and Templeton Building 10:00am to 5:00pm Labyrinth Prayer Walk Memorial Garden Columbarium, 5:30pm prior to Worship Good Friday Choral Tenebrae Harvest of Sorrows 7:00pm in the Sanctuary Prayer Vigil 8:00pm Friday to 6:30am Sunday, April 5 SUNDAY, APRIL 5: EASTER Sunrise Service 6:30am in the Templeton Courtyard, followed by Breakfast in the FH Connect with God, People and Service March 20, 2015 Worship: Sunday Sanctuary: 8:25, 9:45, & 11:05 a.m. Sunday Celebration: 11:11 a.m. 117 South Academy Street Cary, NC Sunday 1st on Chatham: 9:45 a.m. The Cary, 122 E. Chatham Street, Cary, NC office: (919) pastor on call: (919) firstcary.com Lori Barmer Communications Coordinator If you have a testimony to share, we would love to hear from you! Please lbarmer@fumc-cary.org or call the church office. O LORD, let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun. I Am The Resurrection and the Life Sanctuary Services, 1st on Chatham Service, and the Celebration Service Sharing the heart of Christ from the heart of Cary.

2 Sing for Joy! On Saturday February 28, 2015, 120-plus children from 11 churches across the state came together to present a concert of worship music. The children spent the morning with Dr. Fran Page from Meredith College who directed them in polishing four songs. Dr. Page teaches college-age students who are studying to be teachers, and leads the Capital City Chorus. After only two and a half hours of rehearsal, they were ready to present a concert. The sanctuary at Apex United Methodist was full of family and friends who were blessed by the beautiful sounds of children s voices. What a wonderful blessing to see all these future worship leaders singing praises to God. Patti Cook, Director of Children s Music Lenten Perspectives What is the purpose of giving something up for Lent? I was brought up in a denomination that did not practice giving up something for Lent. When I joined the Methodist church, I had to spend some time in study and meditation to understand this tradition. As I reflect, I realize that the call to change something is a call from God. The Spirit is nudging me in the right direction and will stay by my side. God is always present for me; Lenten sacrifice has brought into focus that I m just not always present for God. Giving something up puts the desire for that something in perspective. It allows me to make room for the peace that God lovingly offers all of us, all of the time. Buddy and Charlotte West shared how their observance of Lent has grown and morphed over the years, from Buddy s childhood memories, marrying and raising a family, to being empty-nesters. Charlotte, like me, grew up in the Southern Baptist church. Lent did not become a part of my life until I married my wonderful, devoted Methodist husband, she said. When I married Buddy, Lent was new to me. I embraced it as a meaningful way to grow closer to God. As a family, we would always make Lent and Holy Week a priority. Even to present day, Buddy and I take part in a Lenten Bible Study. Buddy would always fast by not having desserts during Lent except on Sundays, which are little Easters. Over the years, this has evolved into not giving up something but, instead, determining to start a new behavior or activity. This activity or behavior would typically be a way of service in the name of Jesus. With our children we practiced reading Lenten Devotions at the dinner table and read Easter related books from the library at bedtime. The children s parade on Palm Sunday, and ashes on Ash Wednesday, and the involvement in children s choirs allowed the children to be involved in a responsive way. We continued the tradition of the dying of hard boiled eggs and the preparation of the Easter Baskets. We also continued the tradition of new clothing and shoes for Easter Sunday, symbolic of a new, fresh, clean beginning. In a year when we could not buy new clothes, we would pay special attention to preparing our best clothing for Easter Sunday. Tenebrae, the service of darkness, did not become something we did until the children became teenagers. The flowering of the cross on Easter was always something that we enjoyed together as a family. As empty nesters, we became aware of the Good Friday to Easter Morning Prayer Vigil and have helped to make the Vigil happen for our church over the years. Praying in the Sanctuary in the middle of the night is one of the most meaningful encounters I have had with the Holy Spirit. In the last six years our Church has begun celebrating the Journey to the Cross. We would not miss being a part of this experience as it draws us closer to Jesus. It is like carrying the cross with Jesus as he makes this journey. It helps us understand once again, how much he loves us. Being a musician, Buddy sees all things in music metaphors. He said, Having sung in church choirs since I was eight years old, worship music of all styles has become more and more important to me as my faith has also grown more important. During Lent, there is a different tone and style to our worship music. The songs that we play, sing, and hear during that 46 days are often written in a minor key. Minor chords, by their very nature, have a particular sound which lends itself to feelings that are more contemplative, serious, and sometimes even sad. That sadness is very important to me during Lent. It s so easy for all of us to celebrate the uplifting highs, crescendos, major chords, and trumpet fanfares of Christmas and Easter. But I believe that celebrating only those high points is not what our full worship should be about. We miss much of the point of Christ s life if we don t also acknowledge the pain, agony, and sacrifice that he experienced in Jerusalem. This is what we can experience during the Lenten season. The minor chords of much of our Lenten music, which in musical terms are formed by depressing the third of a major chord downward by one-half step, are quite symbolic to me. Yes, worship during Lent can be a bit depressing, just like the third of those minor chords. But that is a critical part of the total Christian experience. I want to embrace it. Lori Barmer, Communications Coordinator

3 A Story Meant to be Shared On the first day back at work in the church office after being out for a couple of snow days snow and ice still on the ground Alicia Shelton, MCC Director, brought a young woman by my office to share her experience. It is golden when someone experiences God in such a way that they are compelled to share it with the next person they see, reminding us of the early believers. This is a timely story of renewal as we embrace spring and anticipate the death and resurrection of our Lord. Lori Barmer, Communications Coordinator Life Lessons from the Labyrinth Bible study was canceled this morning. I was bummed... but what a blessing! Having always been curious about the prayer labyrinth in the columbarium, I thought this would be a good time explore it. I didn t know what to expect and was intimidated. How do I do this? As I approached the columbarium, I saw the wrought iron gate, and to my delight it opened easily. Then I saw the labyrinth well, most of it. The left half was covered in snow. The path was not clear. Now what? I walked directly to the middle, thinking that was what I should do. Then I looked around and saw that I crossed one of the black brick lines. Thankful for second chances here, and in life, I started over. As I journeyed, I journaled Wow, the labyrinth! Thank you God. This is harder than I thought. Awesome! Pushing aside three inches of snow in each step just to follow the path seems so arduous, but what an experience. If I were just over there, it would be easy. At times working hard, not knowing my way, my borders, my next step. At times skating. Just when I think I should turn left, my road goes right, the longer route. I question. But lo, isn t it the journey, not the destination? My path is clear, then clouded, then unseen. I take one step at a time, pressing on, forward. A place where I want to turn, I must keep walking straight. And now I made it to the place I first thought was my destination, yet I m only halfway there. First Baptist chimes 10:00am. I look up and see the cross on their steeple shining in the sunlight. I read Psalm 94:17-19, then chapters 95 and 96, aloud. I breathe. I pray. I hum a worship song from my childhood. And now I go back. The path is clear! But still I question the next step. Still I wobble and lose my balance. I follow the labyrinth back to the place I began, trying to take it all in, absorbing this moment my thoughts, my feelings. I take a picture. I hope to remember this experience when I trudge through the snow-covered paths in my life. The path is still icy but clear enough to skate and now so plainly obvious, I joyfully skip! If I seek Him, He will guide me. I have to sincerely seek. He who lived before me laid the path and defined the boundaries. I must keep moving forward, keep seeking. I feel so full: here, now, in this place. The sun is warmer now. It will soon melt the snow and make it easier for those who come later. Should I have come later? No. There is Holiness in this semi-snow-covered place. Mandy Baucom

4 Favorite Scripture 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Pastors On-Call Your pastors continue to seek ways to provide you with quality pastoral care while balancing the other demands of ministry. In an effort to be available, we have an oncall system. If you need to reach a pastor in an emergency situation, you may call (919) to reach the on-call pastor for that week. There is also an option to dial this line directly when calling the church office. When you call this number, the pastor on call for the week will respond as soon as possible. Please be mindful when calling this number, as it is for true emergencies only. This includes a death, sudden critical hospitalization of a member, or other such situations. Pastoral care for non-emergencies, such as scheduled hospitalizations, can be arranged through the front office. With Gratitude, from Glenaire As a gesture of thanks to the FUMCC Transportation Team, the regular riders of the bus have shown appreciation for several years with an honorarium to the church general fund. A few years ago, residents of Glenaire who are members and friends of FUMCC established the Glenaire FUMCC Members and Friends Scholarship to be awarded annually. The award is presented on Graduate Sunday to a graduating senior who has been active in church youth programs, is involved in some way in the general senior community, and who plans to further his/her education in the area of Social Sciences. In 2014 upon becoming aware of this scholarship, the FUMCC bus riders directed their honorarium to the Glenaire scholarship fund and have repeated their generosity this spring with a $700 donation. The Glenaire residents express thanks to their drivers, who assure the riders of safe round-trip transportation to church each Sunday, enabling them to attend regularly. Building Study Committee The task of the Building Study Committee is to analyze the needs of the church and the community; project the potential membership with average attendance and recommend building needs based on the church s program of ministry (The Book of Discipline, 2012, para. 2544) and recommend a next step in the development of the FUMCC campus. To facilitate that process, subcommittees have been organized and will begin meeting to identify facilities needs for areas of ministry. The subcommittees include worship and music, youth, children, Sunday School, staff and administrative, fellowship hall and kitchen, chapel, and a general over all group. These subcommittees will be meeting over the next six to eight weeks, reporting to the full Building Study Committee in May. Stay tuned. If you have questions, please contact either Curtis Westbrook, BSC chair, or Carl Frazier, Lead Pastor. Dinner begins at 5:30pm March 25: Bridge the Gap Chicken Tortilla Casserole, Yellow Corn, Tossed Salad and Tortilla Chips April 1: Discovery Class Chicken Dumplings, Peas, Fresh Baked Roll, Salad Cost: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 65+, $4 for children 12 and under, $22 max per family. RSVP no later than Tuesday the day before at noon by registering online in the events registration. Please stay and join us for one of our Wednesday Night Connections at 6:30 after dinner!

5 Time to Order Easter Lilies Easter lilies may be ordered in memory of or in honor of someone and will decorate the church on Easter Sunday. The church office must receive orders no later than noon on March 31, accompanied by your payment of $15 each. Please take your lily home by 12:30 on Easter Sunday. Unclaimed lilies will be offered to anyone who would like one. Feel free to take one for yourself, a friend or insider. You may place your order by visiting firstcary.com and clicking the registration button in the middle of the home page. Prayer Vigil: Good Friday to Easter Morning Please plan to join our church family as we keep an intercessory Prayer Vigil beginning at 8:00pm Friday, April 3 following the Good Friday Service and ending at 6:00am on Easter Sunday, April 5. Sign up for 30-minute long periods of time when you will pray. You can pray at home during your designated time, or you may come to the Sanctuary to pray. The Narthex doors will be open and the church will be staffed for your security for the duration of the Prayer Vigil. You may sign up for as many 30 minute periods as you would like. Also, we are glad to have more than one person praying during each session. Remember that you are blessed to be a blessing. Bless God and others as you share the gift of prayer. Sign up at firstcary.com. 5k Purple Cloth Run for Dorcas Ministries The Genesis UMC 5k Purple Cloth Run will be held Saturday, May 2 at Bond Park at 8:00am. In addition to the adult 5k run there is a Kiddie run, a bounce house, snacks and even raffle prizes. For more information visit dorcas-cary.org. Registration is now open! Centering Prayer Workshop FUMCC will host a One Day Introductory Workshop on Centering Prayer, led by instructors from Contemplative Outreach of Central and Eastern North Carolina, on Saturday, April 11, in room 200 from 9:45am to 3:00pm. Centering Prayer is a Christian prayer practice dating back to the Desert Fathers and Mothers of the third century. From this historic origin, it has been continuously practiced across the centuries to the present day. By stilling our active minds and spirits, the Centering Prayer method creates space for us to present ourselves before God, and for the Holy Spirit to speak God s truth into our lives. The Workshop will explain the method of Centering Prayer and explore prayer as relationship with God, the importance of intention and consent, and how the fruits of the prayer are manifest in daily life. We will also experience two periods of Centering Prayer. Please sign up online by visiting firstcary.com and clicking the registration button in the middle of the home page. For more information, contact Lin Osbourne at lindley.osborne@gmail. com or call Silencio (Silent Retreat) Date/Time: Saturday, May 30, 1:00pm (leave FUMCC at 10:00am) to Sunday, May 31, 1:00pm (returning to FUMCC by 4:00pm) Retreat Cost: $125 (includes single room, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch) $95 (includes double occupancy room, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast and lunch) Location: St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, NC (near Greensboro). Please register by April 17 at firstcary.com. (Click on the Registration button in the middle of the home page). Led by Laura Osborne, Becky Stafford, Judith Stephens and Charlotte West. Happy Birthday, FUMCC! There s a very important birthday coming up April 19: the 144th birthday of First United Methodist Church Cary. The Endowment Committee is planning a party with cake. We re encouraging Sunday school classes, small groups and circles, youth groups and individuals to give birthday gifts of multiples of 144. Every bit will go into our endowment fund so we can continue celebrating for another 144 years and beyond. On Sunday, April 19, please visit First Cup between 9:00 and 11:00am. Bring your birthday gift, have a slice of cake, and enjoy a time of fellowship with your church family as we celebrate FUMCC. It Is Well District Mission Study Join Wilson Temple and FUMCC s UMW on the April 25 for It is Well With My Soul Mission Study in our Fellowship Hall from 9:00am 1:00pm. Pastor Chris Brady from Wilson Temple will lead the study that day, and ZOE soup will be provided for lunch. All are welcome to attend! Please register by Friday, April 17 at firstcary.com. (Click on the Registration button in the middle of the home page). His Way to Start the Week Women s Study Join us for our next Study...starting on March 30: One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer, Mondays, 9:30 11:30am in room 210. We are a group of women in all seasons of life, who come together to grow and support each other in our faith journey. WORSHIP ATTENDANCE MARCH 8 MARCH 15 SANCTUARY: CELEBRATION: st ON CHATHAM TOTAL: 978 1,214

6 Baskets of Hope Packing Party! This Sunday, March 22 Good Morning! Baskets of Hope is just around the corner, here s some ways you can help, and we DEFINITELY need your help: We ve got LOTS of baskets to fill this year. The demand for infant baskets paired with our partnership with Bridge the Gap ministry in Southeast Raleigh (where members of the community there will be packing 100 baskets with supplies we ve provided), has left our supplies and budget stretched more than usual. This means we could use the following assistance: 1. Manpower and KIDpower at the Packing Party on this Sunday, at 3:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. 2. CANDY! We need donated bags of candy. 3. Donations: We can use the additional money to support the extended efforts this year. 4. Prayer: Especially for the children, both those receiving baskets and serving Sunday. Here s the schedule for Sunday: Please bring your baskets to the church office no later than noon on Sunday, March 22. Children Basket Packing Hosted by the Children s Council~3:00-4:30pm in the Fellowship Hall Youth Basket Packing 6:00-7:45pm in the Fellowship Hall Thank you on behalf of the BOH mission team! GriefShare Offers Hope and Healing GriefShare is a 13-week support group study that offers hope and healing during times of loss. Our new session will run Thursdays, March 19 - June 18 in room 125 from 7:00 to 9:00pm. You may register at firstcary.com. (Click on the Registration button in the middle of the home page). J.O.Y. Trip to Durham The JOY group will head to Durham April 16. This trip includes lunch at The Weather Vane, shopping at Southern Seasons, and a tour of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The FUMCC bus will leave our parking lot at 10:45am. The cost is $35 which includes lunch, the gardens, transportation, tips, taxes, etc. Your lunch options are: Fried Green Tomato BLT Almond Tarragon Chicken Salad Quiche Du Jour Latta s Farm Egg Salad & Bacon Sandwich Dessert choices: Chocolate Creme Brulee Banana Pudding Cheesecake You may sign up at firstcary.com (click the registration button in the middle of the page) or call the church office at Bolivia Mission Chickin Pickin SAVE THE DATE: April 24 for the Bolivia Chickin Pickin. Tickets go on sale April 6! Members Linda Fuller, Pat Grainger, Dawn Westbrook, Jackie Parham, Bob Warner, the Lippard family, Michael May, Nan Daniels, Jim Lineberger, Ed Kleitz, Pat Bishop, Bill Garmon, Wesley Dukes, Megan Cannady Family Gene Wilson (father of David P. Wilson), Doris Crittenden (mother of David Crittenden), Jim Hubbell (father of Brent Hubbell), Charles Chambers, Jr. (brother of John Chambers), Anne Lloyd (mother of Kristan Lloyd), Scott Thorn (brother of Kathy Taylor), Kathryn Aaron (sister of Carol French), David White (son of Melba White), Ruth Harwood (mother of Sheron Megredy), Arthur John Corey (father of Stacy Dalness), Nancy Mercer (mother of Betsy Mercer), Donovan Wells (grandson of Anne Wells), Helen Collins (sister of Carolyn Dewar), Camille McCann (mother of Sean Harrison), Edwin Schmidt (brother of Joyce Moxley), Debra Patterson (daughter of Pat Dixon), Chris Malcom (brother-in-law of Renee Westich), Pam Wylie (mother of Emily Harter), Larry and Joan Hamilton (parents of Nancy Briggs), Maggie Moore (granddaughter of Charlie Hatch) Condolence Pamela Jones (mother of Kristin Sutton) Gerald Massey (father-in-law of Chuck Cobb)