The Brady Beacon May 2017 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Once the Christmas Season comes to an end, there is still much left to do. The lights and decorations have to be taken down and put away. Visiting family and friends finally leave to go back home. It takes a while to drill down through the mountain of ham and turkey leftovers. We resolve for the new year therefore forthwith to get more exercise in an effort to lose weight. And there are, of course, all the after-christmas bargain sales. But what happens when the Easter Season comes to an end? There is not much in the way of decorations to be taken down and put away unless you happen to be a hard-core Martha Stewart type. Since Easter is not much more than a long weekend, it is not quite the F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H 401 South Blackburn PO Box 1030 Brady, TX 76825 Phone: 325-597-3436 fax: 325-597-7856 Web: fumcbrady.org N. P. Phil Steinbach, Pastor Jey Jones, Youth & Children s Director Graduation is a ceremony that marks the end of study and the beginning of education. same ordeal when family and friends overstay their visit. Even the leftovers go pretty quick. Unless you are a serious chocoholic, there is not enough time to put on much additional weight. Does anybody really shop the after-easter sales to stock up on stuff for next Easter? Seriously? I think you get my point. Easter just does not seem to have the same holiday oomphf that Christmas has. And yet the event of Easter gives full meaning to the event of Christmas. While it is true the birth and life of Jesus is an extraordinary revelation, the death and resurrection of Jesus transforms life itself. It was on Easter morning that the tomb of Jesus was found to be empty. It was in this discovery that the hollowness of death s victory gave way to the triumph of God s promise to eternal life. Just as Christ was raised up, so will we be raised up. Or as the Apostle Paul would put it, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And that, my fellow pilgrims, is a holiday event worth celebrating. Big time. Thanks be to God. I ll see you in Church! Phil The Brady Beacon 1
VBS 2017 Preregistration Monday June 12! Vacation Bible School (VBS) Will Begin June 13th-16th @ First United Methodist Church. The event will start at 6pm and end every night at 8:30pm. This year s theme is Maker Fun Factory! Ages K-Adult will be in classes and participating in various activities that will change them spiritually and have fun at the same time. Food, games, crafts, lessons and much more. Volunteers are always thought about and highly needed. So, for more questions and concerns call the Church office @ (325) 597-3436 or email Jey at jeyjones91@gmail.com Hope to see you! May 7th ( GradSunday) Time: 10:30am Where: First United Methodist Church Brady Purpose: Honoring our seniors who were actively involved in the youth group! Youth Ministries - FUMC Everything is updated! Follow Us! And check website! Follows on Twitter @ North point Youth or tweet us @NorthpointY FOLLOW US/LIKE US ON FACEBOOK @ Northpoint Youth Ministries Also Instagram: northpoint16 Or Website! http://northpointyouth.weebly.com Also, FREE FOOD! Covered Dish Lunch after Service to honor Grads and Parents. El'em! (Elementary) El em water party. See more pictures on other pages! Kicks back Aug. 22nd 2017 Jey, will stay in contact with parents on summer events! The Brady Beacon 2
GENERAL BUDGET ACCOUNT MARCH 31, 2017 2017 2017 YTD YEAR TO YTD BUDGET DATE BUDGET VARIANCE INCOME 69,291 77,293 (8,002) 4,000 TOTAL INCOME 73,291 77,293 (4,002) EXPENSES Program Expenses 2,362 3,106 (744) Administrative Exp 1,714 1,880 (166) Trustee Expense 10,643 12,246 (1,604) Human Resources 47,565 50,270 (2,705) Other Expenses 11,828 9,791 2,037 TOTAL EXPENESE 74,111 77,293 (3,182) - - - NET INCOME (820) (0) (820) As of March 31st the church's year-to-date offerings are under budget by $4,002. In order to meet our financial obligations a transfer of $4,000 was made from the budget reserve during March. Sunday May 14,2017 UMW Bake Sale In the Church Narthex If you have any questions regarding the Church's finances, you may contact me or any of the finance committee members. Sue Owens, Finance Committee Chairman Sunday May 21, 2017 Gospel Sing-Along One Service at 10:00AM Followed by Potluck Lunch in the Fellowship Hall May 8, 2017, all of the ladies of the church are invited to join the UMW at their annual mission study that will be led by Debbie Steinbach. The Topic: Climate Justice A Call to Hope & Action. Coffee at 10:30 and the study will start at 11:00. Each lady is asked to bring a sack lunch and drinks and desert will be furnished by the UMW. The study should be over by 2:00pm. Come enjoy the study and fellowship with us. The Brady Beacon 3
He is risen indeed!! Our Easter Cantata, How Can It Be, was a huge success!! I cannot thank my faithful flock and our few faithful visitors for their time and commitment to our cantata projects. We are winding down our Music Ministry year. It has been an awesome year!! Two upcoming events are: Handbells will ring at the Damrosch Music Club Program on Tuesday, May 9 at 7:00. They have some great music performances on tap for that evening. On Sunday, May 21, we will finish off with our annual Gospel Singa-Long Sunday. We will sing some old faithfuls and have some great specials. There will be only one service at 10:00 a.m. with a covered dish lunch to follow. Please be sure and join us!! Don t forget you can enhance our music ministry by purchasing gifts of music. You may do this in honor or memory of loved ones. Please contact Kathleen Gray at 325-456-3691 or kfgray44@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to purchase a gift of music. The Brady Beacon 4
Man stuff from the UMM. Howdy and God Bless you all out there in United Methodist Land. The UMM have been busy planning the latest fish fry that we had Sunday the 23 rd, and we just wanted to share the great news of the turnout. We had around 150 plates of fish served and were able to raise $2000.00 after expenses to give to the capital campaign fund. We want to say thank you to all that attended and ate fish and blessed us with your donations and with your fellowship. I also want to take a moment and thank the UMW for always bringing the wonderful desserts that the always do. It is an added treat and blessing. You ladies are the bomb as they say. God Bless you all. To the UMM that show up early and cook and clean and serve, my hat is off to you. You men truly do serve with a giving heart. You make it fun, and you can cook some pretty darn good fish and trimmings. We are blessed as a church family to have Godly men that aren t afraid of serving and inspiring others to help do Gods work. I am blessed to have these men in my life as examples and workers for the Lord. The last thing I want to mention is that I have a vision that with these men and the UMW and our Youth and others out there doing God s work, we can only grow and expand Gods family with this new Life Center. We all need to grab on to a vison and make it grow and explode for the Glory of God. God Bless all the members of First UMC Brady. God s house can only get bigger! Reaffirming My Baptismal Covenant and Commitment Definitions: Covenant a personal, formal, solemn, serious and binding promise with God. Commitment a promise to do or give something; a promise to be loyal to someone or something. When I joined the Methodist Church, I was asked if I would commit to support this Body of Christ and its members through my prayers, my presence, my gifts, my service and my witness. I believe this commitment is a very personal decision which should be reviewed and renewed as often as necessary. Prayers Through prayer, I realize I can participate in the corporate life of the congregation. I am bound in my covenant with God to help shoulder the burdens, share the risks, and celebrate the joys and concerns of fellow members. All I need to do is to earnestly and sincerely lift each person up in prayer and then release them into the everlasting arms of a loving God. Presence Showing up on Sunday for worship is very important. This is a special time to hear the Word and the Message whether it is spoken or musically presented. However, upon entering the sanctuary, I sometimes just sit quietly to talk to God and to listen to what He has to say to me. I also take a moment to study the stained glass panels and the banners that hang on either side of the Cross. Each has a special message. Gifts Tithing is important. It helps to plan the budget, pay the bills and give to mission projects not only within our community but also around the world. I have often heard that tithing is the outward sign of a personal inward commitment to God. I have begun to think about what other gifts might I have that I can offer as an outward sign of my inward commitment to God. The Brady Beacon 5
Service Being a member of the United Methodist Church, I have made a commitment to being a servant of Christ in my family life as well as my daily work, recreation and social activities. It also includes my attitudes toward other people and how I interact with them. I try to always look for ways to be of help to others. Witness As a member of the Body of Christ, I accept my call to be a witness for Christ in today s world of conflict and misunderstanding. I always pray for world peace, but it seems this world is becoming more and more violent and crazy. However, I will continue to seek ways to share my faith that Jesus is my Rock, Redeemer and Savior. He is my only hope for salvation, forgiveness, resurrection and eternal life. I am reaffirming my baptismal covenant and commitment. Will you consider reaffirming your baptismal covenant and commitment? May God grant you His Peace each and every day. (Information for this article is based upon material contained in The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church - 2016, page 158 and The United Methodist Hymnal, page 38, pp 16. Copyright 1976, 1980, 1985, 1989 and 2016 by The United Methodist Publishing House. ( Used by permission.) From the Desk of your Wesley Nurse: Skin Cancer Awareness It s that time of the year when we need to focus on keeping our skin healthy. Did you know that using sunscreen of SPF of 15 reduces skin cancer by 40-50%? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, this is a fact so they advise using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher. However, using sunscreen is not enough. Below are some skin cancer prevention recommendations in addition to using sunscreen: Get in the shade between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM. Do not let your skin burn Avoid tanning and UV tanning beds Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating. Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months. Ask your doctor for his recommendations for sunscreen for babies and children. Examine your skin head-to-toe every month and see your doctor for any suspicious skin lesions, moles, raised areas, or abnormalities. See your physician yearly for a professional skin exam. Source: http://www.skincancer.org The Brady Beacon 6
SPRC Committee If you were in church this last Sunday, you heard the announcement that Donna has decided to resign. This is sad news for many of us. She has been a work horse and the spine of our church for 20 years! Yes 20! The SPRC met on Monday,April 24 and laid out a plan for advertising, interviewing, etc. for the position. If you know of someone who would like to apply, please send them by the church office to pick up an application, or an applicant can go the church website, fumcbrady.org, and get the information and application there. The SPRC committee has had a busy spring! We had our first meeting in February and hired Katie Weaver to be assistant babysitter to Dana Walker. Katie is a senior at Rochelle High School and the daughter of Daniel and Sara Weaver. Our second meeting was held the end of February and we met with Teresa Kingsbury of Bethany United Methodist Church, Austin. Teresa also works with CYMT (Center of Youth Ministry Training.) Teresa presented a program that enables us to help Jey Jones to enter their training program and at the end of 3 years obtain his master s in youth ministry. SPRC voted to do this. All has been approved and Jey is accepted. Jey will start this program in July. I am very excited about the CYMT program. Not only is it a benefit to Jey, but it will be beneficial to our church and youth. It means that Jey will be with us for at least 3 years. Jey s tuition will be paid for using the interest from the Andy Allen endowment. Jey will receive guidance in his youth ministry, and must come up with a 3 year plan for a youth program. This is allowing us to take a great youth minister and make him even better. It also gives us a means for having interns in the future that will be part of this program. Jey will be attending classes for the program on Thursday-Saturday about every 5 weeks. He will also have some homework between classes. Jey will need more support from us; he would love to have more volunteers to go to the youth meetings at North Point. You may be surprised at the blessing that you receive from this ministry! Be sure to congratulate Jey. Also we need to all show our appreciation to Donna and let her know how much we appreciate her. Her final day is May 31. SPRC would appreciate your prayers in our search for finding the right person to take over the office manager position, and prayers for Jey as he prepares to undertake his new program. Gayle Probst SPRC Chair Sunday, April 30, 2017 from 11:00AM to 2:00PM Heart Of Texas Hope House Annual Spaghetti Lunch Fundraiser All of the Community is invited to attend. $8 tickets are being sold by Local Volunteers or you may purchase your tickets at the door. Dine in or take-out lunch includes: Homemade spaghetti 1303 North Walnut Green Salad Brady, Texas Garlic bread 325-597-3725 Dessert Iced tea The Brady Beacon 7