A Newsletter Published by First United Methodist Church – Emporia, KS

July 3, 2008                                                                                                   Volume LIV – Issue 12

Youth Mission Trip

   The youth mission trip to Indianapolis was a great success!  Serving in older, run-down and poverty stricken neighborhoods, our youth painted, hung drywall, repaired fences and built steps.  After a day of service, they enjoyed free time and evening worship programs.  Check out the display in the hallway for more pictures and information.  Twenty-two FUMC youth (and five parent sponsors) attended the week-long mission trip.  The theme for this year’s mission trip was “Love Out Loud.”  Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support of our youth.

A note from the Finance Committee

Pledge Income Budgeted for June 2008     $48,537.50

Pledge Income Received for June 2008      $34,967.45

Please bring your pledge up to date.  Thank you!

Thank You to all congregation members for your support of my ministry and for the generous love offering given at my recent ordination reception.  I truly appreciate your support.

                                                                      —Kurt Cooper

For your health

   Hooray!  It’s summertime!  We spend summer months busy with vacations, outdoor activities and get-togethers.  Here are a few tips for keeping summer safe and fun.

   Let’s eat!  Outdoor celebrations usually involve food.  Just remember to keep cool foods cool.  Food poisoning puts a quick end to summer fun.  And remember to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Don’t get bugged.  Avoiding insects, including ticks, begins with bug repellent.  A combination of deet and permethrin products has been sited as most effective.  Insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and flies not only cause painful bites and stings, but spread many diseases.  It takes about 36 hours for a tick to transfer Lyme disease so check your skin frequently when spending time outside.  Unfortunately, there are no repellants for bees and wasps.  Some of us have allergic reactions to any of these bites and stings so keep alert and keep the hydrocortisone cream handy to calm the itch.

   Be sun-savvy.  Protect you skin with sunscreen, sun blocking clothing and wide brimmed hats to help prevent sunburns which can be a link to skin cancer and premature skin aging.  Sunscreens should be at least SPF 15.  To prevent UVA rays they need to contain zinc oxide or avobenzone or ecamsule or titanium dioxide (not quite as effective as the others).  Also, be aware that some medications such as antibiotics and ibuprophen and makeup with alpha hydroxyl acids can increase skin sensitivity to the sun.

  Keep cool in air-conditioned areas.  Remember to check on family and neighbors who are older, sick, or those who may be in need of assistance.

   Have a great summer, and get out and enjoy God’s great world.

                                          from your Health Ministries Team

Youth news

Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun 

The annual conference trip to WOF/OOF is scheduled for Monday, July 28.  If you are not yet signed up, but would like to be, contact Barb immediately and we will try to get you in.  Details will be mailed to those who are signed up.  We will NOT meet on the evening before this event (Sunday, July 27).

Summer Schedules  Please check bulletins, newsletter and the web page for summer activities.  We frequently meet at different locations and different times during the summer.

Swim Party  On Sunday, July 20, we will meet at the Aquatics Center for Crossroads  We will be joining others from FUMC.  Watch for more details, but it probably will be from 5-8pm.

Youth Week  Youth Week is that time when we welcome new 7th graders to our group and celebrate who we are as a group.  This year, Youth Week is scheduled for Aug. 4-10.  Watch for details regarding specific events.

Children’s corner

God’s Big Backyard

Sundays, June 1 – August 10, 9:15 a.m.

   Hey, kids – age 3 through sixth grade!  Join us at Sunday school this summer as we explore God’s Big Backyard.  Our outdoor adventure begins right here in our classrooms and gets bigger each week as you take the love of Jesus into our neighborhood and community.  Each week we will begin our adventures with Nick (a feisty squirrel) and Cooper (a friendly dog), who will help us discover how much fun service can be and challenge us to serve our families, friends, neighbors, community, and Jesus.  You won’t want to miss our adventures in God’s Big Backyard – beginning at 9:15 a.m. on June 1st through August 10th.

Everyone is invited to join us for a special family swim night at the Aquatic Center on Sunday, July 20.  Watch for more details coming soon!

Beach Party: Surfin’ Through the Scriptures

July 27 – 31, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

   You won’t want to miss the most amazing, fun-filled week this summer at our Beach Party!  We are teaming up with Grace United Methodist Church to meet new friends, grow in our faith together, and make this a memorable Vacation Bible School.  You will discover the importance of being all you can be for Jesus and work on developing five “Be Attitudes” to practice for a lifetime:

• Be obedient
• Be kind
• Be forgiving
• Be bold in your faith
• Believe in Jesus

   Each session has a Bible story, recreation time, a science lab, tasty treats at the Snack Shack, and art projects.  Get ready to catch the wave of God’s love—surf’s up at FUMC!

Worship & Arts Camp at Grace UM Church

August 4-7, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

  The week after VBS we are once again teaming up with Grace UMC for a week-long worship camp for children in grades 2-6.  Participants will explore the essential elements of a worship service, perform music and dance and write prayers to fit the chosen theme.  The children will then lead the worship service on Aug. 10.

Read your newsletter online

   Now that our Web site is updated, the current edition of The Heartbeat is posted on our web site as soon as it is completed.  You can view it at your convenience by going to www.fumchurch.org and clicking on the “News & Calendar” menu button.  If you would like to “Opt Out” of having a paper copy of newsletter mailed to you, please tell us so by sending an email to frontoffice@fumchurch.org.  This is a great way to help the church save on paper and mailing costs.

Marie I. Bratton endowment gift

   The First United Methodist Church Endowment Committee and Planned Giving Committee acknowledges receipt of $54, 562.97 from the Marie I Bratton Trust.  Marie died July 22, 2007 at the age of 92.

   Marie grew up on the family farm in Lyon and Morris counties.  She married Loren E. Bratton on August 23, 1937.  They owned and managed the “Bratton Home and Auto Supply” store in Emporia at 420 Commercial for a number of years.  The store opened December 1, 1945.  Loren died in 1988.

   Mrs. Bratton was a long time member of First United Methodist Church of Emporia.   Marie’s donation to the First United Methodist Church Endowment Fund will be permanently endowed.  The gift was unrestricted.  The income earned will be available to the Church’s Trustees to spend, unrestricted, for church purposes.

   Marie supported First United Methodist Church of Emporia during her life and because of her Endowed gift, she will be supporting the church for the future.  We thank Marie for her vision and gift.

   Planned gifts of this nature are always welcome.  Please give some consideration to the First United Methodist Church Foundation of Emporia in your will or estate plan.

UMW News

We had a very successful Guest Day Brunch on June 11th.  Thanks to many who worked and brought food items.  Special thanks go to Liz, Beverly and Bonnie with her daughter and her friend--through their efforts, we got everything set up the day before.  The tables were decorated with table covers in black and gold hornets.  Myrna gave the Devotions.  Claudia gave the Prayer and introduced Kurt Cooper, our speaker who is Campus Minister at ESU.  Thanks to Ruth for showing Frank Voorhees, Richard Mayes, Harold Gibbens and Harold Buckbee how to run the dishwasher—and a “Big Thank You” to the men for all their work.  Thanks also to Gary for his help in setting up Fellowship Hall.  We had several District Officers in attendance.

   Upcoming UMW events include School of Mission, July 10-12 at Washburn University.  Beverly, Kathryn and Mary are attending.  Also upcoming is a Mission Study on Israel-Palestine on July 19 from 9am-2pm at Council Grove.  An RSVP is needed for this event.  Please call Mary Buckbee at 342-6715 before July 10 if you plan to attend.  The Garage Sale is scheduled for August 15 and 16.  The September General Meeting will be September 10 at 1:30pm in the Presbyterian Manor Atrium.

  The Thursday Morning Circle recently donated the book Leap of Faith by Queen Noor to the church library.  The book was given in honor or Maggie Greenlee Hoover and is on the UMW Reading List.

   Also, any women interested in starting a new afternoon UMW Circle (beginning this fall) should call Mary Buckbee.

                            Marianna & Mary, UMW Co-Presidents

New books

   Experiencing God, by Blackaby and King, given to our church library by Bob Edwards, who highly recommends the book, identifies and explores seven aspects of relating to God in a richer, more personal way: knowing, loving, hearing, joining, believing, obeying and experiencing.  This book encourages each of us to seek God’s guiding hand as He reveals His loving relationship to us.  Spend some time today with your heavenly Father.  Begin by asking the Holy Spirit to direct your praying according to the will of the father, and pay special attention to where the Lord is preparing to move you in His service.

   Praying the Names of Jesus, by Ann Spangler, is a recent addition to our church library.  The author says that by understanding the Biblical content in which these names and titles were revealed, you will gain a more intimate knowledge of Jesus and of his plan for your life.  You will begin to see how each of his names holds within it a promise: to be our Teacher, Healer, Friend, and Lord—to be with us no matter what the circumstances.  The many titles for Jesus, including such rich descriptions as “Good Shepherd,” “Bread of Life,” “Light of the World,” and “Prince of Peace” among the twenty-six names discussed, reveal who Jesus was and why he came into this world.

   Also new to our shelves is a large-print book titled Front Porch Tales, by Philip Gulley.  These are short stories, usually 2-3 pages long, of family, faith, laughter and love, perfect for personal enjoyment or family reading, with such intriguing titles as “Ruby and the Rain Crow,” “My Friend Jim and Why I Don’t Like Him,” “Family Life and Other Reasons Jesus Never Married,” and “Hardware Heaven.”

A very enjoyable book.                   --Jean Brown, Librarian

Building bridges to the future

   Bridges take us from where we are to where we want to go.  The "Bridges to the Future" Capital Campaign is for the entire KS East Conference.  The goal is to raise $5.35 million for facility improvements for campus ministry, camping ministries, and church growth & development.

   During the remainder of 2008, churches and individuals will be asked to prayerfully consider how they can participate in the future of the United Methodist Church in Kansas through "Bridges to the Future." The funds will be used to fulfill the capital improvements dreams for Camp Chippewa and six of the seven state universities' campus ministry programs. They will help revitalize existing congregations and start new ministries in growing areas and with ethnic populations across the conference.

   The capital campaign resolution was adopted during the 2007 session of the Kansas East Annual Conference June 6-8 and is estimated to close in November 2008.

   Our church, like all churches in the conference, was asked to consider a suggested tithe pledge as part of our support to these ministries.  Our church has pledged $64,000 over a 3-year period.  Please consider how you might contribute and watch for upcoming articles and information!