Acorn News. Mark Your Calendar. First United Methodist Church. Contact Information. March 5 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry March 8 12:00 pm Finance

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1 Acorn News March 2015 First United Methodist Church 600 Daubitz Dr. PO Box 25 Red Oak, TX WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Sundays 8:30 am Traditional Worship 9:40 am Sunday School For All Ages 10:50 am Blended Worship 6:00 pm Youth Activities Wednesdays 10:30 am Morning Bible Study 6:00 pm Dinner 6:30 pm Bible Study, Youth Activities & Children s Choirs 7:30 pm Chancel Choir Laugh & Learn Day School 9:15 am- 2:15 pm Mon/Wed/Fri Mark Your Calendar March 5 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry March 8 12:00 pm Finance March 9-13 Spring Break March 14 8:30 am Confirmation Retreat 8:00 am UMM Breakfast 9:00 am Men s Work Day 10:00 am Prayer Shawl Circle 7:00 pm Men s Wild Game Dinner March 15 12:00 pm Coffee with the Pastor March 18 6:00 pm Fellowship Dinner (Worship Committee) March 19 6:30 pm Stephen Ministry March 21 10:00 am Easter Egg Hunt & Party 6:00 pm Laugh & Learn Date Night Fundraiser March 22 12:00 pm Chili & Dessert Cook-off March 24 10:00 am UMW Circle of Love March 25 6:00 pm Fellowship Dinner (Lord s Acre Committee) March 26 7:00 pm UMW Friendship Circle March 28 10:00 am Prayer Shawl Circle Contact Information Allen Grant, Senior Pastor agrant1812@gmail.com Larry McCord, Minister of Music fumcromusic@gmail.com Heather Gottas, Youth Director fumcro@gmail.com Monique Ballard, Administrative Assistant firstumcredoak@gmail.com Becky Wilbanks, Bookkeeper fumcoffice@gmail.com Teri Pearson, Laugh & Learn Director laughandlearn14@yahoo.com Judy Cox, Building Manager/Nursery jujuc@att.net Phone Web facebook.com/fumcro facebook.com/fumcroyouth Please scan the QR code for immediate Electronic Fund Transfer or Debit Card donations.

2 From the Pastor s Desk By Allen Grant Senior Pastor I hope you are warm and safe on this cold and wet day. Last week was hard on a lot of people, yet I have only heard of a couple of minor accidents involving our church family. On our trip last week there were a lot of folks off the road and help was out there really quickly. I spent some time in prayer this week, thanking God for the road crews keeping as much of that icky stuff off the roads as possible. I am thankful for those who made it to work at the restaurants where we ate. I am thankful for the police and fire-fighters who kept all of us safe no matter where we were. And I am thankful for you. We received calls of concern and prayer for our journey. We felt the peace of Christ all around us as we made this trip. I am also confident that God is moving in our congregation getting you ready for a wonderful future. God is preparing the next leader for you right now and I know that this person will lead you where you need to go as a church. SALUTE TO MR. ANTHONY McKNIGHT On August 25, 2014, Anthony McKnight received the highest rank in Boy Scouts, his Eagle Scout Rank! Through hard work, dedication, and faith, he was able to accomplish this goal. We are so grateful that on February 21st of 2015 we were able to celebrate this accomplishment with family, friends, fellow Boy Scouts, and church family during his Eagle Court of Honor! As his parents, we are proud and amazed at the man he has grown into. We know that there are amazing Godly opportunities in his future! Thank you to all our family, church and biological, and to our friends who helped him along this path. He couldn't have done it without you! God bless you, God love you and God keep you, Jennifer, Dale and Anthony McKnight

3 Sunday, April 5, :30 am EASTER CANTATA PREPARATIONS BEGIN The choir is beginning their preparations for the Easter Cantata, The Cross Changes Everything. We have music and CDs with your part emphasized for those who wish to join us. Even if you don t normally sing with the choir, please consider joining us during the first part of rehearsal at 7:30pm each Wednesday evening. If you aren t interested in singing but have a friend, family member or co -worker who is not involved in a local church and likes to sing, consider inviting them to join us. You never know when this might be the event that opens the door for someone you know. HANDBELL REHEARSALS FOR EASTER BEGIN Egg Hunt And Party! Fun Food Games Our rehearsals for Easter music with the Handbell Choir begin March 8 after the second worship service (@12:30). Even if you re not a music reader or haven t previously played an instrument, talk to Larry if you d like to try this out. Many in our ensemble did not have that much previous experience, and we have a great time ringing together!! Donations of plastic eggs & non-chocolate candy are needed to help make this event a success. Please contact Darlene Grant for more information.

4 Music Ministry Matters by Larry McCord FUMCRO Minister of Music As we enter the month of March, we are in the season of Lent, preparing for the services of Holy Week and Easter to come. Special music is, as always, a significant part of this preparation. Please note the announcements regarding handbell and choir music for Easter and consider whether you might participate in this special season of worship. March is also Women s History Month in our country, and I always enjoy focusing on the wonderful contribution so many women have made to the music of the church. The General Board of Discipleship has a page dedicated to the contributions of women to our song literature and liturgy: In the UMC Hymnal which we currently use, 153; in The Faith We Sing, 100; in the new Worship and Song supplement, 96. These contributions include women who wrote words, composed or arranged music, provided new harmonic settings or translated. Just a few who were major contributors bear mentioning. Fanny J. Crosby, who was blind from childhood, wrote 8000 hymns, seven of which are in our UMC Hymnal and are all well known. Catherine Winkworth who, though she lived and worked in England, spent a year in Dresden, Germany, resulting in her decision to begin translating many of the great hymns of the German chorale tradition into English. Thanks to her diligent work, we have twelve of these songs in our UMC Hymnal that would not have been there otherwise. Though only a few of her songs are in our hymnal, Jane M. Marshall, who worships at a UMC in North Dallas and taught for many years at Southern Methodist University, wrote many anthems for church choir, including one which has been continuously published for over 60 years! And, of course, most of us know Sweet, Sweet Spirit, composed by Doris Akers, by heart. In The Faith We Sing, many of the most familiar praise choruses were penned by women, including He is Exalted and Lamb of God by Arkansas native Twila Paris; The Trees of the Field by Steffi Ruben; Glorify Thy Name by Donna Adkins; I Love You, Lord by Laura Klein; and Shout to the Lord by Darlene Zschech. Come and Find the Quiet Center, which our choir sang for the Ash Wednesday service, was composed by Shirley Erena Murray, a New Zealander who grew up in the UMC. A woman I teach about every semester in my music appreciation courses, Hildegard of Bingen, an incredible individual who broke all of the glass ceilings of her time, is even listed as a contributor for the song O Holy Spirit, Root of Life (Hildegard ran a seminary for women, wrote plays and music for her women to perform, was a mystic who was consulted often by the pope in Rome, served as a diplomat who negotiated with foreign dignitaries and was a much sought-after physician.all in the 12th century!!). These are just a few of the many women who have enriched our weekly worship through their contributions to our worship song literature. Many more have contributed as songwriters, performers and in other ways to gospel, contemporary Christian and other genres of praise music from which we all benefit. I ll be including some of these songs in our services as we go through the month and hope you ll join me in giving thanks for these special women of faith!!

5 March Lenten Season by Joan Pomeroy Writing for Enjoyment Psalms 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. As you give to life you receive from life was a hard concept for me to apply to more than minding my manners and being polite when in public. I learned that meant life and what I do each and every day. How much time you devote to prayer and meditation and giving up something for Lent, is directly related to what you will get from this season of atonement and preparation for Easter. Without Good Friday how could there have been an Easter Morning? Would our Savior never be recognized as the Good Lord? Oh these are not my concepts; I have heard these concepts in many services at the beginning of Lent or on Easter Morning. I believe that the life and death of Jesus was planned by the Lord God Almighty, for he sent His only son to be our savior. This same Lord God Almighty also has a plan for you. He knew you before you were born, and watches over you. If you ask the Lord God Almighty in prayer he will answer; sometimes not in a way you would expect but in a way that is better for you. The problem I have in asking the Good Lord for anything is first I have to admit that I am not in control, that I am helpless and need guidance. This at first was so hard for me, but as the years have passed by, I have learned that asking in prayer is as if I opened the door of my soul to a warm, beautiful spring day. My problem now is getting lost, and forgetting what I was going to ask. I start with thanking the Lord God Almighty for all the wonderful irreplaceable gifts He has given me, as well as the answered prayers and guidance. Next I find my mind thinking about the miracles Jesus did that were written down. Do you think all of those miracles were recorded? Many of the important events in my life were never written down. There are no records and thus they are now forgotten. It is hard for me to take time in my daily life to record major things that have happened not that I don t force myself to take the time to record the outstanding things. The time spent in prayer is never a waste of time, for it nurtures my soul and brings peace to my mind, body and spirit.

6 Prayer List Jeremy & Sherisha Tipping Buddy Hays (father of Suzanne Barry) Russ & Eric Schupmann Rita Dugger Barbara McKelvey-Hudson Christi Dostal Peter The Family of Lisa McKenzie March Memory Verse I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. -Romans 12:1 Scripture Readings March 1 Genesis 17: 1-7, Psalm 22: Romans 4: Mark 8: March 8 Exodus 20: 1-17 Psalm 19 I Corinthians 1: John 2: March 15 Numbers 21: 4-9 Psalm 107: 1-3, Ephesians 2: 1-10 John 3: March 22 Jeremiah 31: Psalm 51: 1-12 Hebrews 5: 5-10 John 12: March 29 Mark 11: 1-11 Psalm 118: 1-2, Isaiah 50: 4-9a Psalm 31: 9-16 Philippians 2: 5-11 Mark 14: 1-15:47 World Day of Prayer: March 6th March 6th is designated on the calendar as the World Day of Prayer. Because prayer is a very significant and vital part of our Christian spiritual life, the church sanctuary and altar will be open for prayer from 12:00 Noon to 7:00 PM on Friday, March 6th. A notebook in which to record prayer requests will be available as well as candles to light as intercessory prayers are made for specific persons. If the weather is nice, the Prayer Garden at the entrance of the church may also be used. Everyone is invited to come for a time of quiet reflection and prayer. Bridal Shower for Rachel Raskin All are invited to a bridal shower for Rachel Raskin, bride-to-be of Robert Grandstaff. When: Sunday, March 8th, 2:30 PM Where: Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church, Red Oak Rachel and Robert are registered online at Please come and help us celebrate with Rachel at this very special time in her life! Friendship Circle Meeting: March 26th The UMW Friendship Circle will have its monthly meeting Thursday, March 26th, at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. We will discuss Lessons Seven and Eight: Economy of Grace and Power, Authority, and Honor Are Not Always What We Might Expect from our Bible study, Reconciling Paul: A Contemporary Study of 2 Corinthians. Lynne Grandstaff will present the devotional, and Joanna Johnson will provide refreshments. All women are invited to become a part of this UMW circle of friends. We always have good fellowship, delicious refreshments, and lively discussions (most of the time on the topic!)...come join us! If childcare is needed, please call the church office. Call Jo Wilsford ( ) if more information is needed. Holy Week Services: March 29th April 5th Holy Week services will begin with both worship services on Palm Sunday, March 29th; members of the congregation will be given palm branches to bring toward the altar at the beginning of the service. The Holy Thursday Service, April 2nd at 7:00 PM will include communion and a re-enactment of the Last Supper. A Tenebrae service of light and darkness is scheduled for Good Friday, April 3rd at 7:00 PM. A joyous Easter service of celebration will culminate the week s services on Easter Sunday, April 5th. There will be only one service on Easter Sunday at 10:30 during which the Chancel Choir will present the Easter Cantata, The Cross Changes Everything. Music from the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir will be included in the Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday services. Fellowship Dinners March 18 Worship Committee: Breakfast March 25 Lord s Acre Committee: Tacos & Nachos Spring Schedule for Wednesday Night Activities March 18 and 25 (No meeting, except Chancel Choir, on March 11th because of Red Oak ISD Spring Break.) April 8, 15, 22, and 29 (No meeting, except Chancel Choir, on April 1st because of Holy Week services preparations.) May 6 May 6th is the last date for Wednesday night activities until September.

7 If you are called to serve as a member of the CTC Emergency Response Team, your next chance to attend an ERT training or Recertification class is Saturday, March. 7 at Ovilla UMC. To register, visit (There must be at least seven persons registered by Monday, March 2 for the class to make). The next Early Response training opportunity will be: 9am-5pm, March 7, 2015 at Ovilla UMC 1403 Red Oak Creek Rd., Ovilla, TX Trainer: Laraine Waughtal Material & Training Fee: $30 (includes lunch) Recertification is necessary every 3 years to stay current. The next training will be: 9am-1pm, March 7, 2015 at Ovilla UMC 1403 Red Oak Creek Rd., Ovilla, TX Trainer: Allen Grant Material & Training Fee: $20

8 Laugh & Learn Update Laugh and Learn will have their second Fellowship Dinner on Wednesday, March 4, Please come out and fellowship with the staff and board members!!! A HUGE thank you goes out to the United Methodist Men! They have agreed to purchase the mulch that is needed for the playground AND they are planning to lay it on March 14!! Thank you so much!!! We appreciate ALL you do!! Our Date Night has been growing!! We hope to have more children on our next night which will be March 21 from 6pm to 9pm. $25 per child and I can guarantee you have tired children when they leave the building for the night! Tentatively, the April Date Night will be April 16. Spread the word!! The staff enjoys it as much as the children!! Again, mark your calendars for: March 4: Fellowship Dinner March 21: Date Night -Teri Pearson, Director

9 BOWLING FOR BADGES TO BENEFIT: RED OAK POLICE OFFICERS & FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATIONS HOSTED BY: The Red Oak Service League Date: May 2, 2015 Team Check In: 2:30 pm - Bowling Begins At: 3:00 pm Location: Hilltop Super Bowl in Waxahachie RO Police Officers & Firefighters Teams Sponsored By: Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP HOW IT WORKS: Each team may have 4-5 bowlers. Registration fee of $10 per bowler due by: April 24 Prior to the event EACH BOWLER solicits donations from family, friends, co-workers, etc. Each Bowler is required to collect (and turn in at event) a minimum of $50 to participate *The individual who collects the highest dollar amount prior to the event will receive recognition* SPECTATORS WELCOME: Come To Cheer On and Support Your Favorite Team! Your Spectator Fee of $5 includes a King Pin Square for a chance to win prizes! RECOGNITION WILL BE AWARDED TO: Individual with Highest Score Team with Highest Score Individual with Highest Dollar Amount Collected and Turned In at the Event Battle of the Badges Plaque Winner Plaque will be awarded to Fire or Police Association Team with Highest Team Score To Register a Team or For More Information Contact: Melanie Petersen or Melanie.petersen75154@gmail.com

10 Laughter, the Best Medicine A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. -Proverbs 17:22 Six Things About Life I Learned from the Easter Bunny: Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. There's no such thing as too much candy. Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits. Some body parts should be floppy. Say Cheese! Senior Pastor Allen Grant & Danny Byars, UMW Hearts & Flowers Tea Party Crashers Fifteen years ago, this very young, beautiful and quiet, but extraordinary talented SMU music major came to us as our pianist. Year after year, you have gifted us with beautiful music. We want to say thank you for honoring God with your immense talents and for consistently inspiring us in worship. We are so thankful that you are a part of our church family! Kayden Young & Melody Durazo Shrove King & Queen -Sherry Doty (SPRC), honoring Sunmi Goodwin-Wu

11 March 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat HOLY COMMUNION ALA-NON 8:30AM TRADITIONAL ALA-TEEN 10:30AM BIBLE STUDY 4:30PM YU-GI-OH CLUB 9:40AM SUNDAY SCHOOL JR. 10:50AM 12:00PM 12:30PM BLENDED FUNDRAISER LUNCH ALL MINISTRY TEAM MEETINGS 7:00 PM CUB SCOUT DEN EMMAUS BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS STEPHEN MINISTRY WORKSHOP 4:00PM CONIRMATION YOUTH FELLOWSHIP :30AM TRADITIONAL 9:40AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:50AM BLENDED ALA-NON ALA-TEEN FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY 7:30PM CHANCEL CHOIR JR. 8:00AM 8:30AM UMM BREAKFAST CONFIRMATION RETREAT 12:00PM FINANCE 2:00PM RACHEL RASKIN BRIDAL SHOWER 4:00PM BOY SCOUTS YOUTH FELLOWSHIP BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS COMMINUTY MEN S WORK DAY 10:00AM PRAYER SHAWL CIRCLE MEN S WILD GAME DINNER :30AM TRADITIONAL 9:30AM SCRAPBOOKING 8:00AM EAST DISTRICT UMW 9:40AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:50AM BLENDED ALA-NON ALA-TEEN 10:30AM BIBLE STUDY DINNER JR. 4:30PM YU-GI-OH CLUB 10:00AM EASTER EGG HUNT & PARTY 12:00PM COFFEE WITH THE PASTOR 2:30PM 4:00PM BOY SCOUTS CONFIRMATION YOUTH FELLOWSHIP CUB SCOUT DEN BIBLE STUDY, CHILDREN S CHOIRS & YOUTH ACTIVITIES FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY 7:30PM CHANCEL CHOIR BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS STEPHEN MINISTRY 5:00PM CUB SCOUT BLUE AND GOLD BANQUET DATE NIGHT PRAYER SHAWL BLESSING 8:30AM TRADITIONAL 9:40AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00PM UMW CIRCLE OF LOVE 12:30PM WRITING FOR ENJOYMENT 10:30AM BIBLE STUDY DINNER JR. 4:30PM YU-GI-OH CLUB 8:00AM EMMAUS WALK MEETING 10:00AM PRAYER SHAWL CIRCLE 10:50AM BLENDED 12:00PM CHILI & DESSERT COOK-OFF 4:00PM BOY SCOUTS CONFIRMATION YOUTH FELLOWSHIP CUB SCOUT DEN 7:45PM PACK MEETING AMATEUR RADIO ALA-NON ALA-TEEN CUB PACK COMMITTEE BIBLE STUDY, CHILDREN S CHOIRS & YOUTH ACTIVITIES FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY 7:30PM CHANCEL CHOIR BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS UMW FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 5:00PM CUB PACK ARROW OF LIGHT CEREMONY 29 PALM SUNDAY 8:30AM TRADITIONAL 9:40AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:50AM BLENDED 12:00PM BUILDER AWARD: DANI MUCKLEROY 4:00PM BOY SCOUTS 30 7:00 PM CUB SCOUT DEN LAST SUPPER REHEARSAL 31 12:30PM WRITING FOR ENJOYMENT ALA-NON ALA-TEEN LAST SUPPER REHEARSAL CONFIRMATION YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

12 Scripture Reference Scripture Text 600 Daubitz Dr. PO Box 25 Red Oak, TX 75154