With you on your journey Volume 41 Issue 20 September 14, 2017 REFLECTIONS OF PROGRESS It is obvious that 1957-58 was a defining time for our city. Integrating Little Rock Central High was seen as a progressive victory for that day, especially in the south. Yet, those who stood as obstructionists and acted with violence also made it a time of tragedy and pain. In the midst of it all, stood 9 brave students who bore the greatest burden and should be credited with the greatest victory. What they did that year and who they have been ever since stands as a beacon of courage and hope for the entire world. This year marks 60 years since that defining moment, and Little Rock is marking this anniversary in many ways. We are holding several events to acknowledge the pain of the past, honor those who fought for what is right, and celebrate the progress we ve made since. There will be a gala, a symposium, and a commemoration ceremony, among other events. However, I would like to encourage you to attend one event in particular. On Sunday, September 24th at 5:00, there will be a community wide Interfaith Worship Service held at Robinson Center Performance Hall. It s open to the general public, and you don t have to have tickets or reservations to attend simply show up. The guest preacher will be Rev. Raphael F. Warnock, Senior Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the church where Dr. King served. Two of the Little Rock Nine will share personal reflections as well. Music will be provided by the Gloryland Singers children s choir as well as a Community Interfaith Choir co-directed by our own Kyle Linson (many of our church members are singing in this group). I have had the honor of working on the planning committee for this service, and I m excited about the day. I hope you ll make a special effort to attend the Interfaith Worship Service to give thanks to God for those who have brought us to this moment and ask for guidance over the next 60 years. IN THIS ISSUE: NEWS & EVENTS New adult Sunday School class! Check out the Bible Studies & Small Groups for the fall! KIDS @FIRST Wednesday Chapel is back! FIRST YOUTH YOUth Council forming! OUTREACH Transportation assistance volunteers needed! OUR VISION As a community and individuals, we seek to be good neighbors to make Little Rock a place where children THRIVE. We will use all facets of our everyday lives to work for the things children need: Trust, Health, Relationships, Imagination, Value, and Education. 723 Center Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 501.372.2256 www.fumclr.org firstunited methodistchurch DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK
NEW & EVENTS New Adult Sunday School Class Are you interested in a Sunday School class that will challenge you, prepare you and guide you through our shared Christian journey? In this newly formed class led by Rev. Adam Kirby, we will use reason and experience to enhance our confidence in the Scriptures and theology. By sharing in outreach, fellowship and education, we seek to THRIVE in downtown Little Rock. Join us Sundays at 10:00 am in the Faulker classroom (rm 204) for a time of fellowship and to learn more about this class. For additional information, e-mail Jennie Kirby at jtkirby@hotmail.com or Kelly Simon at simonzook@sbcglobal.net. United Methodist Women s Faulkner Circle Monday, September 25th at noon in the Fellowship Hall at FUMC We will have a sack lunch, and our speaker is Juanita Woodard. She will talk about Missionary Conferences in the United Methodist Church. Please join us- all are invited! United Methodist Women s Sarah Circle Tuesday, September 26th at 6 pm at the home of Pat Lile, 1305 Cove View Lane We will have dinner, and our speaker is Brandon Bates, our new youth director at First United Methodist Church. He will tell us about himself and his calling. He will also talk about his vision and his plans for youth ministry. Please email Carol Sherer at clsherer@hotmail.com if you are able to come so enough food will be prepared. All women are invited! Donations Needed for Booker Arts Magnet Garage Sale Booker Elementary is accepting donations for a garage sale supporting safe and drug free school counseling programs. Bring donations to the counselor s office or gym September 13th thru October 10th. Sale dates are October 11th & 12th 7:30-3:00 and October 13th 7:30-12:00. The counselor is accepting the following items: baby items, toys, children s clothes, adult clothes, books, shoes, kitchen items, gym equipment, furniture, tools, pictures, linens, yard equipment, appliances, what knots, and more. Call Mrs. Ringler 447-3833 to volunteer to help set up or donate large items! Large items such as furniture can be donated the week of October 9th. Please no broken, unusable, or dirty items. We do not accept computers or computer components. Quilts and Kneelers Arkansas Methodist Museum September 24th, 3 pm On September 24 at 3:00 p.m., a reception will be held for the opening of this exhibit, QUILTS AND KNEELERS, at the Arkansas Methodist Museum located in First United Methodist Church, 723 Center Street, Little Rock. The exhibit will continue until November 22. Remember Friendship Quilts? These were popular in the 1940 s,50 s and 60 s as gifts for the beloved departing minister to express the love and appreciation of the congregation. Four of these special quilts have been donated to the Museum. WEEKLY BIBLE READINGS September 17, 2017-15th Sunday after Pentecost Exodus 14:19-31; Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35 September 24, 2017-16th Sunday after Pentecost Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16 And on loan from 4 Arkansas churches and Green Chapel at Hendrix College are needlepoint kneelers designed specifically for each location and stitched by talented Methodists from all over Arkansas. The four churches are: Lakeside in Pine Bluff, First UM in Little Rock, St. James UM in Little Rock and Trinity UM in Little Rock. Most of these kneelers were made in the early 80 s or 90 s. The Museum is open every Wednesday 9:00-4:30 for drop in tours of the exhibit. Groups or individuals may call 501-412- 3294 or email ummaccc.lr@gmail.com to schedule a visit or for further information.
BELOW ARE FIVE NEIGHBORING OPPORTUNITIES THIS FALL! Brown Bag Study, September-October This fall we are partnering with Canvas Community Church, a United Methodist Church on 7th Street that serves many of the homeless people in Little Rock. Most of the people who attend Canvas are homeless or near homeless. Studying the Bible together and bringing various perspectives of life will offer a rich experience for people. A brown bag lunch will be provided for everyone, and each session will last an hour at noon on Thursdays. Rev. Paul Atkins will be the study leader, and this class promises to be a powerful experience as we study and share from different places in life so we can discover a new depth of Christian community. Financial Peace University, Starts Sept. 12th Find peace in your life by taking control of your finances. Learn the basics of budgeting. Get out of debt. Plan for your future. Do it all as a matter of your faith in God. Financial Peace University is a 9 week class for anyone wanting better control of their financial and spiritual life no matter how much money or debt you have. Starting September 12th, from 6:30 to 8:00, these classes will be every Tuesday evening through November 7th. Class materials cost $100 per family. The first 12 registrations will receive 10% off course materials. In order to receive materials before the class starts, registration will close Thursday, September 5th. Childcare is available on request. To sign up or for more information contact Christi Harper (charper@fumclr. org) or register online at fumclr.org/registrations. neighboring opportunity Moses: In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet THRIVEing Monday Nights, Starts Sept. 18, 6 pm Retrace the life of Moses from his modest birth and rescue as a baby to the courts of Pharaoh, from herding flocks in Midian to leading his people out of Egypt. Join Adam Hamilton as he travels from Egypt to Mt. Sinai, the Nile, the Red Sea and the wilderness exploring the sites of Moses life. Using historical information, archaeological data, and biblical text, Hamilton guides us in the footsteps of this reluctant prophet who grew in his relationship with God and by the end of his life had successfully fulfilled the role he was given. Turn your own reluctance into boldness as you examine the significant challenges facing Moses and how God shaped his character and life in powerful ways. To register, contact leader Linda Baker by email sorryvasari@att.net or by telephone 501-372-4685, cell 501-680-1089. You may also register online at fumclr.org/ registrations. Discipleship Fast Track, Starts September 24th Disciple Fast Track, an adaptation of the original, bestselling Disciple Bible Study, provides a viable option for busy people seeking comprehensive engagement over time with the entire biblical text. Fast Track groups meet for a total of 24 weeks, devoting 12 weeks each to the Old Testament and the New Testament. Participants read a manageable 3-5 chapters of the Bible daily in preparation for the weekly meetings, which last approximately 75 minutes. For more information, contact Brad Cazort (bzort@sbcglobal.net). Register online at fumclr.org/ registrations. The Enneagram Journey - Growth, Exploration, and Transformation Starts Tuesday, September 26th, 6 pm Ignorance is bliss-except in self-awareness. What you don t know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships-and even keep you in the shallows with God. Do you want help figuring out who you are and why you re stuck in the same ruts? The Enneagram is an ancient personality type system with an uncanny accuracy in describing how human beings are wired, both positively and negatively. It is extraordinarily useful because it works. Each of us has life experience that has given us a degree of selfknowledge; however there is always a deepening clarity we discover through our Enneagram type. Please join me for this 10-12 week curriculum in which participants will learn about the Enneagram. For more information and to register, please contact Rev. Mary Jane Cole mjcole@arumc.org or 501-960-7731. You may also register online at fumclr.org/registrations.
Welcome New Staff Members The Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) is happy and excited to announce after thorough and long searches, the hiring of both a new Director of Community Engagement and a Director of Children s Ministry. Rev. Haley Jones Director of Community Engagement Haley is a native of Mississippi, attended Birmingham-Southern College before going to Boston University for seminary. She has spent the past two years in Coventry, England, doing work in community reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral. This summer she was commissioned as a provisional deacon in the Mississippi United Methodist Conference working towards being ordained in a couple of years. Haley has a deep desire to help people connect acts of service and mercy with their own spiritual growth. Both the SPRC and the chairs of the SERVE committee are excited about the new possibilities our church has through Haley s leadership. Tammy Felder Director of Children s Ministry Tammy comes to us from Highland Valley United Methodist Church here in Little Rock, where she has served as the Director of Children s Ministry for the past 5 years. She is currently working on her certification in Christian Education and Children s Ministry at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Before entering professional ministry, she worked in property association management in Houston, TX. Tammy brings a deep passion for teaching and empowering families as they nurture the spiritual lives of their children. She seeks to build ministries that go beyond the walls of the church to transform the community. The Age Level Ministry Task Force and the SPRC are confident that Tammy is the absolute right fit for our church s vision and needs in Children s Ministry. Tammy s first day will be September 17th. FUMC has a NEW mobile app! The FUMCLR App allows you to register for upcoming events, volunteer for a service opportunity, catch up on the latest sermons, view recent newsletters, receive push notifications, give an offering on your mobile phone, and more! It s a wonderful way to stay connected wherever you are! To download, visit your apple or android app store and search for First United Methodist LR. Community Assistance Volunteers Needed Do you have a gift for hospitality and welcome? Do you have a couple of hours of free time each week to utilize those gifts and serve Little Rock? We are looking to energize the community assistance program with the faces of FUMC. We receive friends and neighbors Monday/Thursday from 1:00-3:00 and Tuesday/ Wednesday from 9:00-11:00 to give bus passes. If you are interested in joining us, have questions, or have joined in the past and would like to start again, please contact Haley at the church. There are training conversations available for any interested first timers. KIDS@FIRST Wednesday Chapel for Preschool Just a reminder that our weekly chapel for preschoolers happens every Wednesday morning at 9:00 am in our second floor chapel. This program serves the children of our Child Development Center, but families from the community are invited to attend. We have had several visitors as of late, so help the church spread the word to stay-at-home parents or home school families, that we are here for their preschoolers (ages 3-5) weekly! Children s Music has started! For parents interested in music for their children ages 1st - 5th grade, our music classes will be offered weekly each Sunday at 9:42 am in our Theater on the first floor. Contact Kyle Linson klinson@fumclr.org for further music information. YOUTH Mark Your Calendars! Sun. Sept. 24 *Special Time* Mission Afternoon. Meet at 3:25. We are going to Methodist Family Health Hospital in Maumelle to have a youth program with the youth there. Join us. Dress in comfortable clothes. Return and pickup by 5:45 Wed. Sept. 27 Open to all. We will have a Fellowship meal at Chipotle in Midtown (on Cantrell). Bring money for food. Meet at church at 6 or Chipotle at 6:15. Refuge is Nov. 10-12 and open to youth in grades 6-9. This is a statewide youth event that provides a time and a place for middle-schoolers to get away from the blahs of school season & go with their youth groups to Shepherd of the Ozarks. Refuge introduces conference youth events to Middle School youth while providing a place for youth to develop relationships with youth from around the state. Youth bring their energy, make lots of new friends, and are spiritually encouraged Registration will open next week. Earlybird Cost is $80 Confirmation for 6th & 7th Graders If your youth is in grades 6 & 7 and you have not RSVP ed to Brandon, please do so by 1pm on Monday, Sept. 18. Email bbates@fumclr.org.
Camp Aldersgate s 34th Annual Fish Fry Sun., Oct. 8 2017, Noon - 3pm A mission recognized statewide by the United Methodist Church, Camp Aldersgate is Arkansas s only non-profit uniquely dedicated to serving children with special needs and senior adults in a camp environment. Camp Aldersgate is thankful for the continuous support provided by the United Methodist Church through service days, supplies donations, and financial contributions. Camp Aldersgate invites you to grab your friends and load up the family because it s almost time for the 34th Annual Fish Fry to help raise money for its mission ~ to create life-changing experiences for individuals with special needs, enabling them to expand their worlds and express their unique voices. On Sunday, October 8 from noon to 3pm, join us for fried catfish and all the fixin s, as well as activities for the whole family including live music from Jubilation Jazz, the UMW Bake Sale, the Arkansas Game and Fish Mobile Aquarium, a merchants pop-up shop, fishing derbies, and much more! The Fish Fry is held on the grounds of Camp Aldersgate, 2000 Aldersgate Road in Little Rock. Parking is available at Pediatrics Plus and OrthoArkansas, both located on Aldersgate Road. Drive-thru is available at OrthoArkansas. Contact Camp at 501.225.1444 or visit our website at campaldersgate.net/fishfry for tickets. Tickets will also be available to purchase at the event. Ticket price: $15, kids 6 and under are free. TALKING ABOUT FAITH, SUPPORTING HOMELESS YOUTH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 9:30AM - 2:00PM FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 723 Center St. Little Rock, AR 72201 SAVE THE DATE The Inaugural Sam and Martha Sowell Lecture Series for Church Leadership Development Sunday, October 22. Our guest preacher will be Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, former Bishop of the Arkansas and Texas Conferences. FRIENDS & FAMILY Sympathy To the family of Freddie Graves following her death on August 29, 2017. To Brenda Rodgers and family following the death of her husband, Kenny Rodgers, on September 6, 2017. Memorials & Honorariums In Memory of Rev. James E. Major by Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools, Irene Regnier, Charlott Randel In Memory of Rob Sherer by Ross & Barbara Wright, Mari Ferguson, David & Laura Elrod, Unity Sunday School Class, Bob & Carolyn Nelson, Cathy Whayne, Ralph & Mary Cotham, Dee Ann Holt, Dick & Sue Blake, Carol Roddy, William, Jane, Grace, Cynthia & James Hood, Mary Kay Vickers (Missions & Outreach), Bill & Harriet Robinson, Elizabeth Kim Hough, Jane Brookshire, Victor & Frances Nixon, Mary Ann Lee, Vida Day & Joley Mayfield, Barbara Polite, Irma Jewell, Mary Lee & Mary Katherine Marcom, Lillian Lee, Martha Faulkner, Elizabeth & Tom Small, Paul & Dorothy Young, Helen Johnston, Sherry Smyth, Etta Carter, Cynthia & Russell Horton In Memory of Bequita Gray by Bob & Carolyn Nelson (Chancel Choir), Lillian Lee, Martha Faulkner, Mary Ann Lee, HS Smith Funeral Home In Honor of Dr. Orval Riggs by Bowen Cabe Sunday School Class (Betty Ann Bullard Library) On October 7, 2017, HRC, in partnership with Lucie s Place, will be hosting a half-day conference entitled Talking About Faith, Supporting Homeless Youth. The focus is examining the role religion plays in contributing to youth homelessness and a call to action to support inclusive facilities. LGBTQ youth represent 3-5% of the general population, but 40% of homeless youth. Often times they are turned away from shelters because of the sexual orientation or gender identity. There is no cost to attend.
firstunited methodistchurch LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS The First United Methodist In the First Place (USPS692-190) is published every other week for a total of 26 issues by the First United Methodist Church, 723 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-4317. Editor, David Freeman ; Managing Editor, Lesley Andrews; Periodicals postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas. www. fumclr.org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FUMC In The First Place, 723 Center Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-4317 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID LITTLE ROCK, AR Follow us! facebook.com/fumclr The next issue of In the First Place will be published on September 28, 2017. Submission deadline is September 24. Does it ever feel like your life is dictated by whichever way the wind blows? More than just fashion trends, popular culture, and technology, do you feel like all your life choices are made by the cultural norms and patterns?