PASTORS Figure 2. Pastoral Identity and Expectations

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1 The Newsletter of the First United Methodist Church of Decatur, Alabama October 31, 2018 Figure 1 PASTORS Figure 2 Pastoral Identity and Expectations Some friends convinced me I have been taking myself too seriously, so I visited a couple of websites dedicated to the lighter side of ministry. You see some of the results on the left panel of this article. Figure 1: DFUMC has had all these Pastor Types in recent years. I ve attempted to be some of all three. I m the guy with the lawnmower more than any other type. I tend to take Jesus words, I am among you as one who serves, as motivation and mandate to engage in physical labor, especially in a garden. What society thinks I do What my parents think I do What my friends think I do Figure 2: Perception of what a pastor does varies widely inside and outside the church. Except for golf (substitute farming for me), I do some of what each photo depicts. Some of what I do church members could do as well or better than I. They would if I had asked the right person and needed it done at a time convenient to that person. That can be harder than doing it myself, so the picture on the bottom right could be me. What my church thinks I do What I should do What I actually do Figure 3 Figure 3: Surely there is no truth to this meme for DFUMC. Or is there? I expect our church to want to grow and that we will grow. That is a laughable expectation if this meme is even partially true. Let s each evaluate our expectations and see if any of them contradict each other. Let s laugh at ourselves, repent, embrace what really matters, and get on with being and growing the church together. Yours in Christ, Hughey

2 All Saints Sunday is November 4 Join us on Sunday, Nov. 4 at our 10:00 a.m. worship service as we read the names of our members who have died since this same time last year and illuminate a candle in their memory: Mary Ann Faulkner, Clyde Sasser, Barbara Agee, Betty Harris, Dr. Sage Copeland, Jene Goodger, Judith Mixon, Katherine Johnson, Bud Carrell, Amanda Bentley, Arthur Faulkner, Mary Archibald. Ignite Youth and the WinGS group Ignite Youth and the WinGS group are partnering for an upcoming fundraiser! For the youth, we will be selling tickets for smoked turkey breasts to be picked up on Sunday, Nov. 18th! Find Jonathan or any youth for tickets or information. Sweet and Savory Sale November 18 - Church members and First Grace staff will bring items to sell to the Fellowship Hall on Nov. 17 anytime between 9:00 and noon. Doors will open on Nov. 18 at 8:30 a.m. and we will sell items until 12:30. There will be no pre-sales. Mark your calendars for a Casserole Cook A Thon on November 12. Meet in the church kitchen at 8:30 a.m. and we will assemble casseroles to be sold on Nov. 18. Recipes and ingredients will be provided. Please find forms in the Welcome Center where you can fill out what you are bringing to the sale. If you have questions, please contact Barbara Ashwander at or bna3@aol.com Church Prayer List October 31 Death of Mary Todhunter, Nita Tutwiler s sister Death of Kay Phillips Gary White Tree of Life Congregation Garry Johnson Emmy Whatley Pete Graham Libby Sims Patrick, daughter of Bill and Betty Sims Jeff Crosswhite Kerry Hawkins, cancer Tom Roddeffer, heart surgery Jean Elliott Martha & Robert Long Bob & Mary Alice Johnson (friends & neighbors of Mary Jane Sasser. Bob has Lymphoma.) Amanda Gentry & Family Juanita Dukes Sandra Cummings (Larry Archer s sister) Yvonne Michaels (Margaret Denton s mother) Stacy Adams, pneumonia (Jen Winkler s cousin) Brantley Motes, Lymphoma & Treatment Bill & Bettye Dennis Eston & Peggy Lovingood Jeanne Smith Eric and Laverne Armstrong Joanne Wheat Alice Ackley Maryanne Robbin, cancer Unspoken LaVerne Dollahite Dick Williams Judy Coon Dot and Burl Oliver Ronald Matthews Deborah Stewart Poinsettias will be in the sanctuary to help decorate for the Christmas Season. Please specify to whom you wish to dedicate your 10 white poinsettia (in honor or in memory). Place this form with your payment of $20 for each poinsettia (mark checks poinsettia ) in the offering plate, or turn it in to the church office. Proceeds will go to the FUMC Flower Guild. Deadline is Monday, November 19th! The poinsettias will be placed in the sanctuary on December 2nd and you may take them after the Christmas Eve service. First Friends (formerly Memory Café) First Friends meets on Thursday, November 8 from 1:00-2:30 in room 250 of the New Wing. We hope you will join us for fellowship, fun, and food! Name Phone # of Poinsettias In Honor of: In Memory of:

3 Alexia Claborn, Director of Children s Ministry Sunday Morning Volunteers Volunteers for Sunday, Nov. 4 Sunday School 9:00am Keepsake Christmas Be sure to look on page five of this newsletter for details about our Keepsake Christmas! Preschool Room #215 Dell Ward K-5th Room #209 Calley Ondocsin & Barbara Ashwander Children s Church 10:00 Service Teachers Mary Ila Ward & Jen Winkler Volunteers for Sunday, Nov. 11 Sunday School 9:00am Preschool Room #215 Leigh Ann Blankenship K-5th Room #209 Katie Caldwell & Betty Ann Mitchum Children s Church 10:00 Service Teachers Ashley Ashwander & Katie Caldwell Wed. Night First Fellowship Children s Schedule All ages will go to Choir at 6:00 Lessons will be from 6:25-7:00 Acolyte Schedule Nov. 4 - Lydia & Miriam Matthews Nov Miller & Davis Roberts Trunk or Treat We had a great time at our Trunk or Treat. Enjoy these photos!

4 FINISH STRONG! November 4 is All Saints Sunday. We pause to remember those in our fellowship who passed during the last year. As we plan for moving forward at First Church, we look back at those who graced our congregation and have moved on to their reward. In reflecting on stewardship, we hold up three souls who touched our church in years past and whose legacy continues blessing us today. John L. Brock hailed from Lawrence County. Moving to Decatur he built flourishing businesses including the Brock & Speight Company on lower Bank Street. His family joined and liberally supported what is now FUMC. In the second decade of the last century he went west and excelled in real estate, purchasing numerous properties with valuable petroleum rights. He died in Colorado in the late 1930s. His body was returned to Decatur for a funeral at our church. He left a vast estate. When early provisions of his will were complete, final instructions carried out in the 1960s included a percentage of those petroleum rights being assigned to our church. The Brock legacy has provided many thousands of dollars to assist our Board of Trustees in maintaining and enhancing First Church. The Brock legacy is a sterling example of Christian stewardship. Homer Christopher hailed from Ohio. With wife JoAnn, he joined our church a half century ago. He quickly became a pillar at First Church, using his workmanship skills for innumerable handyman chores, going on countless missionary trips to South America, helping with the UMM, our youth program, serving as a bus driver, serving as a Trustee, faithfully attending Sunday School and worship, being a consummate volunteer for any church need, and liberally supporting his church financially. He graced our congregation with his prayers, his presence, his service, his sacrificial gifts, and his witness to the Christian faith. JoAnn continues that legacy, and the UMM honor Homer each summer with their Homer Christopher Memorial Fish Fry. He left us in 2011 but ask anyone around here for a while to name a Christian role model and Homer s name comes up. Jerry Reed grew up on a Kansas farm during the Great Depression. He learned lessons of thrift and hard work early in his life. With a chemical engineering degree, he gained employment with Amoco and moved up. He and wife Winnie also came here a half century ago, left for an assignment in Illinois, then returned to Decatur and FUMC in retirement. Jerry served faithfully at his beloved church. He attended Sunday School, worship, and First Fellowship regularly. He held leadership posts throughout his time here. He shepherded his church through the 1991 building program and the Centennial Projects in He supported seminary scholarships for aspiring UMC pastors. He projected a favorable opinion of our church through his numerous leadership positions in the community. He gave to his church faithfully and, along with Winnie, left a major bequest to our FUMC Permanent Endowment Fund. Jerry took seriously his Methodist vows. As we look backwards on All Saints Sunday, we also look forward with our Finish Strong! campaign. Debbie Heard will share observations on our Discipleship emphasis going forward: becoming better disciples and bringing new disciples to our fellowship. You will soon receive pledge cards for our 2019 Ministry Budget and, if you have not already done so, be given the opportunity to pledge to our Building Believers Campaign to help our church become debt free. As we prayerfully consider our stewardship intentions for next year, we look to Saint Paul for inspiration: I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6. LET S FINISH STRONG! Respectfully, Your Finance Committee and 2018 Stewardship Team

5 Keepsake Christmas: A Christmas Event for Families At Keepsake Christmas, families create their very own Keepsake nativity scenes and watch as the nativity comes to life on stage. Come capture memories from the first Christmas and celebrate the best Keepsake of all. Jesus! Wednesday, November 28 th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5:00 p.m. You may register your family online by using this link: Registration forms are also in the Welcome Center and below. It is very important to register your family by Nov. 14 th so that we will have adequate supplies for our activity! 5

6 Upcoming Events Saturday, Nov. 3 at 9:30 a.m. Safe Sanctuary Certification Meeting, Minister s Conf. Room Saturday, Nov. 3 at 10:00 a.m. Kay Phillips Funeral, Sanctuary U.S. Postage Paid Non-Profit Org. Decatur, AL Permit No. 226 Sunday, Nov. 4, 8:45 a.m. Called Administrative Bd Meeting, Fellowship Hall Sunday, Nov. 4, 11:15 a.m. Grace United Contemporary Service Sunday, Nov. 4, 4:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal Monday, Nov. 5, 10:00 a.m. UMW WinGS Luncheon, Fellowship Hall 805 CANAL STREET N.E. DECATUR ECATUR,, AL PHONE (256) FAX (256) Monday, Nov. 5, 5:00 p.m. Worship Planning Team Meeting, Courtyard Conf. Room Tuesday, Nov. 6, 10:00 a.m., Women's Bible Study, Courtyard Conf. Room Tuesday, Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m. Finance Meeting, Room 351 Wednesday, Nov. 7, 5:00 p.m. First Fellowship Meal and Classes Wednesday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice Thursday, Nov. 8, 6:30 a.m. UMM Bible Study, Minister s Conf. Room Thursday, Nov. 8, 7:30 a.m. UMM Breakfast at City Cafe Thursday, Nov. 8, 1:00 p.m., First Friends, Room 250 Hughey Reynolds, Sr. Minister, hreynolds@decaturfumc.org Patrick Finley, Minister of Discipleship & Youth, Jonathan Creekmore, Youth Minister, youth@decaturfumc.org pfinley@decaturfumc.org Tommy Davis, Music Director Daryenne Eads, First Grace Director, firstgrace@decaturfumc.org Cindy McCulloch, Finance Secretary, cmcculloch@decaturfumc.org Wayne Keller, Accompanist Alyson Quinn, Church Secretary, aquinn@decaturfumc.org Ruth Moyers, Organist Alexia Claborn, Director of Children s Ministry, aclaborn@decaturfumc.org Melissa Wiley, Housekeeper Upcoming Sunday Worship Services PURPOSE STATEMENT: Discipling our church to cultivate a legacy of Gospel-inspired servant leadership MISSION STATEMENT: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ who become servant leaders for the transformation of our church, our homes, our city, state, nation, and world. Sunday, Nov. 4, Rev. Hughey Reynolds 10:00 a.m. - Traditional Service, Sanctuary The Promise to Give 1 Timothy 6: :15 a.m. - Contemporary Service, Fellowship Hall You Are Surrounded Hebrews 11 and Hebrews 12 Sunday, Nov. 11, Rev. Hughey Reynolds 10:00 a.m. - Traditional Service, Sanctuary Waste No Grace 1 Corinthians 15: :15 a.m. - Contemporary Service, Fellowship Hall They Stepped in Before the Waters Parted Joshua 3: 7-17 Scheduled To Serve Nov. 4 Acolytes: 10:00 - Lydia and Miriam Matthews Ushers: 10:00 a.m. - Steve Armstrong, Jim Ridgeway, Jolly McKenzie,, Mike Boozer, Steve Haddock First Fellowship Wednesday Night, Nov. 7 On Nov. 7, we will enjoy Burger Bar, Homemade Chips, Baked beans and slaw, Salad Bar, Strawberry Poke Cake. No reservations required! The meal will start at 5:00 p.m. Meal Price: $7.00 for ages 11 and up, $2.00 for ages 3-10, Kids 2 & under eat free, $18.00 Family max, $6.00 salad bar, $7.00 takeout