First United Methodist Church Volume 71, Issue 3 February 15, 2015 The Methodist Messenger A Taste of What's Inside 2,6 Church Facts 2 Box Tops for Education 2 Thanks for Caring from Mission Team 2 Canned Goods Collection 3 Music Notes 3 His and Hers Shower for Katie and Matthew 4 Youth News 4 Introduction to Lent 4 New Sunday School Class 5 Pictures from Scout Sunday 5 Pictures from Playground Workdays 6 Puppets for Jesus Mark Your Calendar 3 His and Hers Shower for Katie and Matthew - Feb. 22 3 Ash Wednesday Worship - Feb. 18 3 Youth Mid Winter Camp - Feb. 20-22 3 First Sunday in Lent - Feb. 22 Greetings Friends... I trust that by now you all have noted a significant change to the look of the corner of Buffalo and Montgomery. As I write this article a crew of capable volunteers, along with a representative from Heartland Parks and Recreation, are working faithfully in the final stages of completing our playground project. When the work is done we will have a playscape available for the enjoyment of the younger ones who are part of the church family or who receive our hospitality of welcome in some other way. The immediate opportunities are numerous: Sunday school, Learn at First, Wonderful Wednesday, younger Scouts, Vacation Bible School, and other times when a nursery is provided for a church or community event. Also in the plan is the vision of opening the playground on Saturday mornings during Clothes Closet hours. This will allow the parents of these young ones the chance to enjoy the Clothes Closet experience and at the same time free them to visit with our volunteers without worry about where their children are at a given moment. When the work is complete there will be a quality fence surrounding the playground. The plan is for a five foot wrought iron fence which will enhance the corner as well as provide security. Policy also includes commitment to providing an adult present any time the playground is open, including on Saturday morning. All who work or volunteer as such will be subject to background check. Suffice it to say we choose to make the experience not only a time of enjoyment but also of safety. This playground vision began nearly a year ago. Funds for the project began with a $4,000 grant from the United Methodist Foundation. Various individuals, Sunday school classes, and other groups within the church family supported the effort with donations. Our Easter offering last year was also dedicated to this project. All this to say after a year the playground is in place and even better there is no debt. There are so many folks to thank for this. I hesitate to even name a few but do have the calling to recognize Chandra Sorrells, our Children s coordinator, and Bill Taylor, Chair of the Trustees, who gathered the volunteer crew tasked with the project s installation. The list of willing supporters, contributors, and volunteers is relatively long. To all of you; you have my honest and sincere appreciation along with my prayers of thanks. It is our plan to consecrate the playground in the near future, after the completion of the fence. I look forward to seeing you Sunday, if not before. Regards and God Bless... Richard Vision Statement: First United Methodist Church is a loving, supportive family of faith working together to share God's love. Contact Us 105 N. Montgomery St Gilmer, TX 75644 903-843-2610 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... Courtney Allen, Anita Baker, Morgan Bobo, Elaine Carter, Alyssa Craddock, Montie Erwin, David and Sandra Johnson, Susan Lee, Sarah Monk, Ed Orms, Jerry Steger, Nelson Tyl, Lavetta Wallace 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. Remember to check our Web Site for up-to-the-minute prayer requests. 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: Or Call: Church Office 903-843-2610 Jane Wilson 903-841-1291 L i k e u s o n F a c eb o o k 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 of G il m e r Statistically Speaking Our Presence Date Sunday School Worship Visitors January 25 95 170 27 Box Tops for Education The Missions Committee is now collecting Box Tops for Education to give to area schools. Look for the pink Box Top on hundreds of participating products. Buy your favorite Box Tops products. Cut out the Box Top from each package. Bring the Box Top to church and place it in the collection bowl on the table by the office. 10 cents is earned for each Box Top collected. Robin Woodson Missions Ministry Thanks for Caring The Missions Team would like to thank those of you who donated your old eyeglasses for recycling. We collected and sent 122 pairs of glasses to the Gilmer Lions Club for distribution to those who cannot afford glasses. Special thanks to the UMYF youth group for helping sort and pack the glasses and to the Clothes Closet who provide all the glasses they receive as donations. We plan to continue this project again this year. The collection location is outside of the church office. Steve Nye February 1 90 140 10 Average Year to Date Average Last Year 88 145 18 87 171 23 Our Deepest Sympathy to... the family of Dorothy Mace Roy and Linda Helpenstill on the loss of Linda s Mother, Corine Williams The Wesleyan Sunday School Class asks for your help in providing food for the local Food Pantry. A box has been placed in the hallway near the office and it is our hope to be able to deliver a full box of canned goods monthly. Thank you for your help in meeting the needs of our neighbors.
P age 3 Music Notes by Lora Robison As I left choir rehearsals Wednesday evening after spending the afternoon with the children s choir (The Joy Singers), the youth bells (Festive Ringers), youth choir, the adult bells (Jubilation), and the Chancel Choir I was once again reminded how many lives are involved in Music Ministries. Music Ministries provides an avenue for many people to serve the Lord by preparing and participating in meaningful worship services each week. Those serving in Music Ministries are not coming every week to prepare an entertainment for the congregation but to offer themselves as true worshippers to our Lord. It is for God s OWN PRAISE AND ADORA- TION that hours of preparation are given as personal sacrifices to the Lord Jesus Christ from those involved in preparing music for services. Because of this we ask for your prayers as these talented and gifted laborers continue to give of their best to the Master! Transfiguration Sunday is February 15. With our eyes toward our beautiful stained-glass window at the front of the sanctuary we are reminded of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ every week, but even more so on this special day of worship. Festive Ringers will ring Raindrop Prelude by Chopin arranged by Rogers for the Prelude and Lighting of Candles. Our hymns for the day will include I Stand Amazed in the Presence and Shine Jesus, Shine with a second-hymn CONGREGATION S CHOICE. The anthem will be a powerful arrangement of the hymn Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken by Haydn, arranged by Bolks. We will gather in the Sanctuary for a special ASH WEDNESDAY service on February 18, at 6:00 p.m. Jubilation Bells will not meet on this evening but the Chancel Choir will meet after the service. Wonderful Wednesdays activities will continue as usual as well as youth music rehearsals. The first Sunday of Lent is February 22, with our scripture reference from Mark 1: 9-15. Reverend Laster s sermon topics throughout Lent will focus on the Steps to the Cross. Our first sermon will be Every Journey Begins with a Single Step and then Another. This Sunday denotes the Baptism of Christ. Our opening hymn will be Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days. The second hymn focusing on the baptism of Christ will be Shall We Gather at the River. Our final hymn will be Down to the River to Pray. The Chancel Choir will be singing the beautiful praise anthem No Other Name but Jesus arranged by Kirkland. Thank you for your continued prayers for your worship leaders including our Pastor, worship planners and leaders, altar and visual decorators, readers, ushers, musicians, communion stewards, office personnel, custodial and maintenance personnel, teachers, staff, and worshippers as we each contribute our own gifts to the beauty of worship each week. In Christ s love, Lora
Pag e 4 Youth News by Matthew Potter Hello everyone! This month began with a bang for the youth of our church. We had close to 60 people, mostly youth, show up for our annual Super Bowl party here at the church. Pittsburg FUMC brought some of their youth crew and we all had a fantastic time together watching a very interesting game! Big thanks to everyone who helped make this fantastic fellowship possible! Some of our youth will be going to Mid-winter camp at Lakeview coming up on February 20th-22nd. We will meet at the church at 5:15 that Friday evening the 20th. We will need to leave the church at 5:30 to make our way to Palestine. We will be stopping to eat on the way down and on the way back home on Sunday so I am asking everyone to bring $20 to cover both meals. If you would like to send more money with your camper then feel free to. This is so they will have money for the gift shop and/or snack shack. If you have any questions regarding what you need to bring to camp then please message me on facebook. I will respond as soon as possible. The main essentials are: enough clothes for the weekend, bedding (sleeping bag, blanket, pillow), toiletries (toothbrush & toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo & soap, towels, etc.), Bible, tennis shoes, flashlight, etc. We will be returning on Sunday the 22nd and are aiming to be back around 2:15 that afternoon. Have Thine Own Way, Lord Lent, 2015 Through these next weeks, beginning with Ash Wednesday, we spend 40 days (not counting Sundays, which are little Easters ) preparing our hearts to travel with Christ through his life and ministry and the journey from Jerusalem to the Cross. The hymn, Have Thine Own Way, Lord could be a good point of reflection during this time. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou are the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still. Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Hold o er my being absolute sway! Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me. Adelaide A. Pollard, 1902 At the Ash Wednesday service we receive the ashes that remind us who we are and Whose we are so that Christ can work within us and through us. Annette Breazeale Matthew Children s Sunday School Class in progress
P age 5 Happening at FUMC... Scout Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 Volunteers work on our new playground
P age 6 Flowers for February 1 February 8 February 15 February 22 Imogene Harrison Scout Sunday Greg and Frances Kendall Mr. and Mrs. Gary Patterson Lay Reader... Ray Sorrells Ushers... George and Angie Heath, Steve and Lynn Williams The Sanctuary Flowers for January 25 were given by Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Steger in memory of loved ones. February 1 were given by Imogene Harrison and family in loving memory of Bill Harrison. February 8 were given by Troop 314 in honor of the members of FUMC for their enduring support of Scouting in Gilmer. Deadline for Newsletter Articles February 23rd, Noon Puppets for Jesus by Babs Crombie Love is a many splendored thing...love is patient...love is kind...what the world needs now is Love, sweet Love...GOD LOVES YOU! This is a very nice time of the year to remember the ones we love. We give sweets, flowers, cards, and other items to show how much we love and care about someone special in our lives. The team celebrated Valentine's Day early this week by exchanging Valentines they had made or they had creatively put together for each other. "The one who gives is the one who receives the most. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Myth or Magic? That depends on the why - the when - and the how of our giving - and these depend on only one thing: the Heart. It's easy to lose sight of the meaning behind the moments. It's easy to forget the truth that giving is the creative activity of the heart. Giving is the highest expression of yourself. I asked the team to think about the ways we have an effect on others when we give to the church, our team, our family and friends. It's not just what you give but how you give that counts. Not the size of the gift, but the size of our hearts... This Sunday the Children's Church puppet performance will be Valentine's Day; God's Love. Its theme is that God loves You. It isn't all about the lacy, cute Valentines that we all see today and enjoy getting. The story explains that Saint Valentine lived a long time ago when it was dangerous to be a Christian. He had been thrown in prison, where he continued to tell people about Jesus, sending out notes that God loved them, and signing the notes, "Your Valentine." The jailer and his blind daughter became friends of St. Valentine. The day he was to be killed for being Christian, he gave a note to the jailer's daughter. She was blind of course and could not read it, but as soon as she opened that note, God opened her eyes and she could read the message, "God loves you. From your Valentine." The characters in the script will be: Val Valentino and Elsa the story teller, a small kitten, a big wrinkled old dog, and two other dogs. Special "Thanks" to Lisa, Jeff, Ray, Ben, Joseph, Mimi & Tessa for their performance. The more you give of yourself, the more you find of yourself, and the gift of Joy will come to you when you give yourself to others. That's what life is all about. Practice and commit our lives to giving. Try it! It works! "You give little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." Kahlil Gibran Blessings, Babs Li k e u s o n F acebook - Fir st Unit e d M ethodi st Ch urch o f Gi lmer