Volume 11 Issue 8 Volume 13 Issue 4 August 2016 April 2017 Lent is almost over. By the time you are reading this, it will almost be Easter. This is a season of examining ourselves, admitting our mistakes and growing closer to God. I pray that you used this time well so that you can move closer to what God wants you to become. From Palm Sunday to Good Friday to Easter Sunday, they all give you a chance to rededicate yourself to a life filled with God s grace. These events also give you a chance to offer this to someone else that is not connected to Christ. If you do not offer it, who will? If you do not offer it to your friends now, then when? They may be waiting. They may be wanting to be connected. These events are natural events for invitation. People are more open to come to church with you during these special events than at any other time. Be bold and ASK! Blessings, Pastor Jim Curran P.S. God Sightings Wanted! Keep your eyes open for God Sightings. That is, times when you God is working, moving, inspiring, opening doors, motivating, forgiving, and encouraging us. When we share these things, we show others that God is here and now. So I will be asking and listening. Communion is served on the first Sunday of the month at both services.
2 Lent is the period of 40 days before Easter. During Lent, we enter into a season of preparation, self-reflection and repentance and realign our lives and focus toward God. It is a time to give up things as well as take on new life-giving practices. By doing so, we seek to live and love as more faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Sunday, April 9th 9 & 11:15am Palm Sunday-Special Music Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem Friday, April 14th 6:30pm Good Friday Service This service will focus upon prayer and reflection on the crucifixion and death of Christ. Sunday, April 16th 7:30, 9 & 11:15am Easter Sunday A service of celebration for our Risen Christ Schertz United Methodist 3460 Roy Richard Drive 210-658-3202 www.schertzumc.com
3 Children s Ministry News It s that time again! We are now collecting candy for both our Church wide Easter Egg Hunt and the Grace Place Hunt. Designated boxes are located around the building. The children thank you for your donations! Grace Place Learning Center Grace Place will have their 4th annual Easter celebration on April 19th, from 10-11:30 am. If you are able to lend a hand for this exciting event please call or email Jodi at 658-3202 or jgutierrez@schertzumc.com. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL will be here before you know it. We are looking for folks with a passion for children to be leaders for this year s VBS, Maker Fun Factory. It is guaranteed to be a fun, faith-filled week of planting seeds in the hearts of children. VBS is scheduled for June 26-30, 9am-12pm. Email Jodi to get involved. jgutierrez@schertzumc.com.
6 Faith In Action is Coming... Our annual Faith in Action Event is Sunday, April 30. This is an effort aimed at getting the congregation outside the church making a difference in the community. Projects will be gathered for all ability levels so that there will be something for every person to do in service to others. Service projects include home repairs, painting, mulching local parks, letter writing, visiting and singing to the homebound. Every person is who part of our church is strongly encouraged to take part. We are looking for Team Leaders to lead each individual project. If you know you can do this, please let Don Kumpost or one of the staff know. Don t Go to Church...BE THE CHURCH! Service to our brothers and sisters in Christ is a form of worship and will take the place of our regular Sunday morning services on April 30. We will gather for a short time of prayer at 8:00am, go out to serve the community, and gather again at 5:00pm for celebration and covered dish meal. Meat will be provided, so please bring a side or dessert to share! Our hope is to make a connection with people in our community, and invite them to celebrate with us at the evening meal and worship. This is a real chance to be the hands and feet of Christ. Signup sheets will be in the narthex (lobby) of the church all month. Faith in Action t- shirts will also be available.
7 In the coming months you will be hearing a lot about some strange sounding projects. You will be hearing terms like Healthy Church Initiative or Membership to Discipleship or Celebrate San Antonio. These terms probably do not mean much to you now. But as you learn about them, I pray that you will be excited about each. They are distinct, but fit together to bring this church closer to the future that God has for it. Trust your leadership for now. They will tell you all they know if you ask. But much of it is still being worked out. We are going to use to best techniques that have been proven at many, many churches. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, but need to tailor these efforts to our church, our talents, our character, our traditions. (If you look behind them all you will see John Wesley s hand all over them. But many look at them as the new things that are really old things we forgot.) Much work is going on in the background by many people to prepare these projects before they are presented to the various committees and teams that will be involved. Once the committees and teams have developed the plans further, you will know the details before they are implemented. If you want to know what we know now, ask me. I love to talk about them and have been in various groups for months. Set an appointment with me are catch me in a hallway (but not on Sunday). ~Pastor Jim Curran
6 APRIL 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednes 2 12:30pm - Worship Committee 3 7:30pm - Recovery Group 4 3:00pm - Flying Colors 6:00pm - SonRise Emmaus 5 10:00am - KNOTS 6:00pm Drama Team 6:30pm - Confirmatio 6:30pm - UMW 9 10 6:30pm - Community Connections 7:30pm - Recovery Group 11 9:00am - MOPs 3:00pm - Flying Colors 6:30pm - Finance Team 12 10:00am - KNOTS 6:00pm - Drama Team 6:30pm - Confirmatio 6:30pm - SPRC 7:00pm - Praise Band 16 17 7:30pm - Recovery Group 18 3:00pm - Flying Colors 19 10:00am - Wuest Circ 6:00pm - Drama Team 6:30pm - Church Cou 6:30pm Confirmatio 7:00pm - Praise Band 23 8am - 1pm - Blood Drive 24 12:00pm - Diamond Club 6:30pm - Mission Team 7:30pm - Recovery Group 25 9:00am- MOPs 3:00pm - Flying Colors 26 10:00am - KNOTS 6:00pm - Drama Team 6:30pm Confirmatio 6:30pm - GPLC Board 7::00pm - UMM 7:00pm - Praise Band 30
7 Regular Sunday Schedule 9:00 AM - Family Praise Service 10:15 AM - Sunday School 11:15 AM - Traditional Family Service 1:00 PM - PYG (5th-6th grade) 1:00 PM - UMYF (7th12th grade) day Thursday Friday Saturday n 6 9:00am - Ladies Bible Study 10:00am - Thursday Bible Study 11:00am - Mesquite Magnolias 3:00pm - Flying Colors 7:00pm - Chancel Choir 7 10:00am - Round Tuits 11:00am - Coffee Break Bible Study 8 7:00am - Men s Bible Study n 13 9:00am - Ladies Bible Study 10:00am - Thursday Bible Study 3:00pm - Flying Colors 7:00pm - Chancel Choir 14 Good Friday 10:00am - Round Tuits 11:00am - Coffee Break Bible Study 6:30pm - Good Friday Service 15 7:00am - Men s Bible Study le ncil n 20 9:00am - Ladies Bible Study 10:00am - Thursday Bible Study 11:00am - Mesquite Magnolias 7:00pm - Chancel Choir 21 10:00am - Round Tuits 11:00am - Coffee Break Bible Study 22 7:00am - Men s Bible Study 12:00pm - UMW Tea Party n 27 9:00am - Ladies Bible Study 10:00am - Thursday Bible Study 11:00am - Mesquite Magnolias 3:00pm Flying Colors 7:00pm - Chancel Choir 28 10:00am - Round Tuits 11:00am - Coffee Break Bible Study 29 7:00am - Men s Bible Study
8 The Schertz UMW Invite you to join them for Tea Wear something pretty! Prizes given for fancy hats! April 22, 2017 2-4pm Fellowship Hall $12 Donation for Adults Children under 12 free Contact Beverly at 1 (347) 463-7481 or oneta123@ yahoo.com Do you have a concern or praise that you would like lifted up to our congregation? Prayers may be submitted to secretary@schertzumc.com. You may also email the same address to be added to the prayer chain. This email is monitored by several faithful servants, who will pray for your praise or concern and share it with others.
9 Counselor On Site at SUMC The new Counselor is ready to receive clients! If you need to see a Christian Based Counselor, this is your ticket. Contact the Ecumenical Center at 210-616-0885 and let them know that you are interested in seeing the counselor at the Schertz UMC location. Scheduling will be arranged. Income based fees are available as well as insurance accepted. Divorce Support at Bracken UMC Bracken UMC is beginning a DivorceCare Support Group Ministry on Monday evenings at 6:30 pm for anyone who has recently been divorced or separated. The ministry is designed to help people find help, discover hope, and experience healing from the pain of divorce or marriage separation. The cost is $35 per person, and will run for fourteen weeks at Bracken UMC, 20377 FM 2252, San Antonio, 78266. For more info about when the next session begins please contact Brad DeHaven by phone or text at 210-854-5869, or by email at bdehaven13@gmail.com.
4 Have you been looking for different ways to give to God s work? Here are some opportunities to give this month. On Communion Sundays, you have the opportunity to give a special donation to a dedicated area of ministry. Your Communion Sunday altar rail offerings in April help replenish the Pastor s Discretionary Fund. This fund allows the church to give to people in crisis when they come to us for aid. Each month, Schertz UMC collects and donates a single specific item to stock RACAP s pantry. In April, we are collecting CANNED SOUP. Need a gift for Easter? Give a Prayer Cross! Make a $10 donation to receive a hand-made oak cross made from reclaimed wood from the former SUMC sanctuary. April 2 and 9 in Fellowship Hall.
5 Bryan Stone 4/2 Viola Dries 4/3 James Miller 4/5 Asher Volante 4/5 Troy Bull 4/8 Korinne Taylor 4/9 Sarah Downey 4/9 Meloney Funk 4/10 Kaden Stone 4/11 Greg Doty 4/12 Sharon Bramer 4/12 Diane Sutton 4/12 Randy Geiger 4/12 Scarlett Barron 4/13 Ethel Seiler 4/15 Steve Greer 4/16 Sophia Abbott 4/16 Isaac Gutierrez 4/17 Roy Howell, Jr. 4/18 Brenda Griffin 4/18 Misun Caldwell 4/18 Kathleen Reasor 4/19 Karen Caples 4/19 Trinity Preetorius 4/22 In Memory of Dot Bolin Chuck Bolin Royce Stockton Barry & Barbra Blackman Billy & Anna Timberlake In Honor of Trudy Lonsberry Billy & Anna Timberlake Edd & Vi Dries Billy & Anna Timberlake
Schertz United Methodist Church 3460 Roy Richard Drive Schertz, Texas 78154 This monthly newsletter is a publication by Schertz United Methodist Church in Schertz, TX. Its purpose is to inform congregation members of news and events within the church community. All SUMC members are welcome to contribute items for publication subject to minimal editing and space limitations. Contributions may be sent to news@schertzumc.com. Senior Pastor Rev. Jim Curran pastorjim@schertzumc.com Mobile 361-652-8360 Associate Pastor Mike Vlk pastormike@schertzumc.com Director of Music & Worship Arts Leah Krenek lkrenek@schertzumc.com