First United Methodist Church July 15, 2013 Volume 69, Issue 13 The Methodist Messenger A Taste of What s Inside 2, 6 Church facts 2 Watermelon & Praise Worship Service 3 Kids Corner, VBS Report, Youth News 4 Music Notes, Simply Steff, Llama Update 5 Reception for Leah Pinto 5 Camp Sonshine, Red Cross Training 6 PowerXpress, College Scholarships Mark Your Calendar 2 Watermelon & Praise Worship Service, July 28 5 Reception for Leah Pinto, July 14 5 Camp Sonshine Registration, July 10-12 & 15 5 Camp Sonshine, July 24 & 31, August 7 5 Red Cross Training, August 24 Friends... This coming Sunday, July 14th, I know you will choose to stay following worship in order to share your thanks and appreciation for the good work of one of our own. After serving as Directory of Children s Ministry Leah Pinto will be moving on to a new place in her life. Leah, a teacher in Gilmer ISD, has received a new and exciting position at Gilmer Middle School. As she moves forward it is fitting we send her with prayer and also with signs of our gratitude. Leah s gentle demeanor, her sweet smile, her positive outlook on life, has touched us all. She came to this ministry with new ideas, and the flexibility to see ministry with children in creative ways. During her time as part of the church staff Leah saw to the adjustments we needed to make when our Vacation Bible School became the largest we had seen in years. Leah gave of her time as a leader in Wonderful Wednesday, as a teacher and coordinator in our children s Sunday school, and through the offering of programs which touched the lives of all in the congregation. I remember particularly how much she enjoyed putting together the most recent Trunk or Treat. I have a particular memory of her interaction on that night, and of course at all times, not only with the children who were our guests but also with the adults who came as well. So... please remember following church this Sunday that there will be a reception in honor of Leah and her good work for the Lord through the church. Cards of support are welcome. There will be an opportunity to share a traditional United Methodist love offering as another way of sharing our love for our friend Leah. See you Sunday, if not before... Regards and God Bless... Richard Mission Statement: First United Methodist Church of Gilmer strives to minister to all in need of Christ through nurturing, education, evangelism, missions and recreation. Contact Us 105 N. Montgomery St Gilmer, TX 75644 903-843-2610 www.gilmer-fumc.com Pastor, Richard Laster pastorlaster@etex.net Secretary, Carol Craddock fumcsect@etex.net Financial Secretary, Lamon Geddie fumcacct@etex.net
P age 2 WE SHOW OUR LOVE By Our Prayers... Laura Allen, Dolly Barnhart, M.L. Boyd, Annette Breazeale, Phoebe Carmody, family of Louis Fennell, Sarah Greene, Pops Hold, David Houck, Connie Key, Daniel and Ledonna McGowan, Glena Reel, Don Shipman, Leon Shipman, Micheal Smith, Donna Thomas, Nell Tyl, family of JoAnne Vance, Tracy Williams Remember ongoing prayers for loved ones with serious illnesses, our shut-ins, family and friends in the military service and the leaders and staff of our church and our country. Our Presence Remember to check our Web Site for up-to-the-minute prayer requests. Date Sunday School Worship Visitors 6-30 103 186 18 7-7 91 180 29 Average Year to Date Average Last Year Our Presents Date Prayer Ministry Don t worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don t forget to thank Him for His answers. -- Philippians 4:6 Submit requests to Church s web page: www.gilmer-fumc.com Or Call: Church Office 903-843-2610 Jane Wilson 903-725-6848 Like us on Fac ebook First United M ethodist Church of Gilmer Total Income 85 167 23 85 174 21 Total Expenses Income Over/ (Under) June $29,425.09 $34,690.66 - $5,265.57 Year to Date $203,466.65 $210,255.72 -$6,787.07 Watermelon, Watermelon! Sunday Night Praise and Worship July 28, 2013 Come get your ice cold watermelon at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall and then join together with your church family for Sunday night Praise and Worship at 6:30. Special music and a special message for us all! Avery Lucas Quinn Born: May 8, 2013 Our Deepest Sympathy to Parents: Randale Quinn and Samantha Denney Grandparents: Mark Quinn and Kay Stracener, and Sherry Denney Great Grandparents: B.L. and Louise Stracener James Henry Woodson Born: July 9, 2013 Parents: Grant and Lauri Woodson Grandparents: Robin Woodson and the late Joe Woodson, Greg and Linda Johnson Fred Anderson on the loss of his mother, Dorothy Anderson Our Worship Service is broadcast on ETEX, Channel 999, Sunday, 6 p.m. and Monday, 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Page 3 The Methodist Messenger Page 3 Kids Corner Dear Friends, As many of you know, I will be beginning a new challenge in my education career this fall teaching junior high students. Although I am looking forward to this new adventure, I have come to realize that in order to fully dedicate myself to this calling, I must resign my position serving the children of our church. by Leah Pinto 1 Vacation Bible School Yee Haw! What a great week we had! The children spent the week learning about God s Ultimate Plan, Power, Trust, Rescue and Love for us through the stories of Moses and Jesus. We were honored to host children from all over our community. They laughed, they played, they sang, and they learned. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who made this week full of precious memories for these children. May we as a church body continue to pray that the seeds we planted this week in these little lives will bloom and flourish. Chandra Sorrells I have loved every minute of my time as children s director and thank each of you for your love, kindness and support during my tenure. Thank you for sharing your precious children with me. I look forward to being part of the children s program as a parent and volunteer and plan to stay active serving our kids. See you all Sunday! Prayerfully, Leah Pinto Hello everyone! Summer has been going great so far even though it is pretty much halfway over. This past Sunday we took the youth to Air U and they had a blast! by Matt Potter Make sure you keep on the lookout for pictures that will be posted from Air U. Youth News We've also had a good turnout for our Summer Escape program as well on Mondays. We are still in need of volunteers to help supervise for Summer Escape. Even if you can only help on one Monday that would be a big help. Next week we will be taking a group to Church Camp at Lakeview. We have a group of 10 people going which is a solid group but I would like to see that number grow each year. For those who are going this is just another reminder that we will be leaving around 8:15 from the church Monday morning, so be here around 7:45. We also have an issue with something on our youth summer calendar and a likely change in the date of the Common Ground coffee house opening that is supposed to happen the evening of July 26th. We are looking to move it to Friday, August 9th, but that is not set in stone just yet. I will keep everyone updated on this and let everyone know when we do get a definite date. I hope everyone is having a great summer so far and hopefully it continues to get better. God Bless. Matt www.gilmer-fumc.com
Th e M ethodi st Messe nger P age 4 We look forward to having our SENIORS (age 55 and above) filling the choir loft on Sunday, July 21. Our volunteer choirs for the month of July help to lead our song service. Our special music will be brought on July 21, by Cammy Burkhalter and on July 28, by Darren Richardson and his sister, Melanie. We always look forward to our guest musicians singing or playing for our services. Choir loft for July 28 will be any age group volunteers. A very special thank you to Buzzy Green for sharing his song with us on July 7. Buzzy has been a valued member of our music ministries team since he and Sue have joined us. We are so blessed having both of them as members of our congregation! Please note the following scheduled rehearsal times beginning July 31: Wednesday evening regular rehearsal schedule: 6:00 p.m. Jubilation Bells in handbell room 7:15 p.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal in choir room Music Notes by Lora Robison Saturday, August 17: Handbell Workshop with First Lutheran Church, Longview 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Fellowship Hall (includes lunch) Saturday, August 24: Chancel Choir Christmas Music Workshop: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Choir Room (includes lunch) Choir Room All children s and youth music activities will begin after Labor Day. See you in worship AND rehearsals! In Christ s love, Lora Simply Steff I am so proud to be a mother. This summer I know of nine babies that I personally feel responsible for. No, not children, but phoebes! Early this spring, I watched as mom and dad phoebe built a nest on my front porch. Then she sat and sat. and sat and just when I thought nothing was happening, there they were, four helpless babies with no fluff or feathers. Mom and Dad supplied lots of bugs and worms and I got to enjoy watching them grow and develop. Then suddenly, one morning they were not there. I felt kind of sad. But then, within two or three days there was mom again, sitting and sitting and sitting. Well, five more little ones were soon cheeping and squeaking for food. And now they too, have fledged and moved on. Our purpose here at the church is to grow disciples. We start in our nursery with tiny helpless little ones that we love and provide for. Then they become children who are taught and directed. As youth, we see them develop so fast into young men and women. Then, they are ready to fly on their own. Have we fed them properly? Have we done all we can to make sure they are ready? Parenting. growing disciples. The work is much the same. Get involved there are lots of ways to help grow disciples. The reward is great! Cheep! Joyfully, Steff Llama Update Six llamas walked into a church office... and seven walked out... no this isn t a joke but a sign of the generosity of the people of the church. As all may recall a couple of Sundays ago Pastor Laster shared the information that the Vacation Bible School mission offering was enough to supply three llamas to families in South America who can benefit from the fiber and packing / transport capability llamas supply. These three were generously matched by a family in the church, meaning there were six llamas. Since that time another donation has been received meaning seven!! Thank you all for your kindness. Your pastor can attest to how important these animals are to life in the Andes. What a blessing for a family in Bolivia or Peru. The llamas will be supplied through Heifer International.
P age 5 Reception Please join us in the Fellowship Hall this Sunday, July 14th, following Worship for a Reception in honor of Leah Pinto Enjoy the Convenience of Electronic Giving We want to remind you that we offer electronic giving as a way to automate your regular weekly offering. Electronic giving offers convenience for individual congregation members and provides much-needed donation consistency for our congregation. Direct Debit Giving is used to automatically transfer funds from your checking or savings account to the church s bank account. Credit & Debit Card Giving lets you make offerings automatically on a pre-determined schedule using a credit or debit card. Online Giving... lets you go to www.gilmer-fumc.com (click on online giving ) at any time to set up an automatic donation plan, change your donation plan, make a one-time donation or view your online donation history. As you contemplate future contributions, please consider electronic giving. Authorization forms and additional information are available from the church office.
Flowers for July 7 Mr. and Mrs. Larry Morse July 14 Mrs. Milta Baugh July 21 Mr. and Mrs. Milton Monk July 28 Sara Dumas Ushers for July... Matt Potter and Our Youth The Sanctuary Flowers for June 30 were given by Robert and Patricia Stracener in honor of all the Clothes Closet Volunteers. July 7 were given by Mr. and Mrs. Larry Morse and Mr. and Mrs. John Hunt and family, in memory of Charles and Marie Morse. Deadline for Newsletter Articles July 22, Noon P age 6 College Scholarship applications are now available on the table outside the church office. If you have graduated from high school, are continuing your college education, and are a member of FUMC, please stop by and pick up an application. The deadline for submission is Thursday, 5:00 p.m., August 1, 2013. If you have questions or need additional information, please call Carol in the church office at 903-843-2610. Sunday School is Awesome and our Kids are really "cookin"! PowerXpress Sunday School offers so many different ways for kids to experience the Bible. Our next set of lessons is just beginning and we are going to see what the Bible tells us about friendship. Hope all the kids will be here and bring a friend! Th e M ethodi st Messe nger L ike u s o n Faceboo k - Fir st Unit e d Methodi st Church o f Gi lm er