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

July 31, 2008                                                                                                 Volume LIV – Issue 13

VBS: Surfin’ Through the Scriptures

   “Pow, Wham, Jesus Loves Me, Shazaam” is just one of the great Vacation Bible School songs we have been surfin’ to this week.  As I write this note, we are in the middle of our Beach Party and “Oh, what fun we are having!”  All three Methodist churches in Emporia have children participating in VBS.  We are learning a new “Be” attitude each day, and the energy of the kids and adults is amazing.  We are having a grand time doing cool crafts, super science projects, rockin’ recreation, and smashing story times.  Our mission project for VBS was to collect clothing to donate for the “Back-to-School” Clothing Drive at Grace United Methodist Church on August 2.                      --Cindy Kienholz

I want to express a HUGE thank you to ALL of the dedicated volunteers.  I pray that you were all blessed, as you were surely a blessing to the children who joined us for VBS.  A big thank you also goes out to the members of the congregation who graciously donated snacks for our evenings.  You are always very supportive of the children’s program, and I feel very blessed!

Visioning process to begin soon

   Now that our building is almost completed and the capital campaign is nearing an end, it’s time to think about where we want the ministry of this church to go next.  We are excited about how much the building is being used, not only by our congregation, but by the community as well.  We have accomplished much of what we started out to do when the building campaign began.  Much of that success is due to the visioning process that happened prior to the building ever being renovated.

   Now it’s time to look again at who we want to be.  Last Sunday the Administrative Board of our church approved a new visioning process, so beginning in September we will have a group of people whose purpose is to explore that.  They will be using a popular resource entitled Five Practices of  Fruitful Congregations, written by Bishop Robert Schnase of the Missouri Conference.  The five practices include Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk Taking Mission & Service, and Extravagant Generosity.

   After the committee explores these areas for a period of 5 to 6 weeks, we will hold 5 sessions during the Sunday School hour in Fellowship Hall for anyone interested in discussing with us these very important aspects of the church, giving some more feedback to the committee about what you think is important for this church to consider as it moves into the future.  At the same time, Nancy will be preaching about each of these areas from the pulpit, which will likely coincide with our annual stewardship campaign as well.  How we use the resources we have as the people of God involves our money, true, but also our time, talents, energy, prayers and certainly a committed faith stance.

   In the next few weeks, some of you will be asked to serve on this visioning committee, which will be based on a verse from the scriptures, Proverbs 29: 18, “Without a vision, people perish.” We will call this committee, therefore, the “Proverbial Committee.”  If you don’t get the pun, talk to Nancy!  It will not be a large committee, but hopefully a comprehensive one. Committee members will be asked to give five Sunday afternoons for a couple of hours in order to complete the initial process, and then later one Sunday afternoon for a “retreat” process where ideas will be brought together and recommendations made for the direction to go in the next few years.  Recommendations will then be brought to our annual church conference, probably in December, and voted on there by the congregation. In turn the committees elected in December for 2009 will be asked to consider those priorities as they plan ahead for that year and the years to come.

   A committee like this should happen every three to five years, and now is the time to move forward, armed with the knowledge that Christ, in his infinite wisdom and grace, sits at the table with us, and moves with us as we take our church into its future.  Please keep us in your prayers.          Nancy Gammill, Senior Pastor

                Ann Coulson & Kevin Kienholz, Comm. Chairs

Youth news

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 August 4-10.  All youth entering grades 7-12 are encouraged to join us for as many activities as they can.

MONDAY 8/4

12:00 Lunch at church—middle school only

6:30-8:30 Wacky Olympics—middle school only

TUESDAY 8/5

1:00-3:00 Service Project

7:00 Parent meeting

7:30-10:30 Guitar Hero and Rec Room Tournaments

WEDNESDAY 8/6

2:00-5:00 Swimming

THURSDAY 8/7

9:00-5:00 Mystery Trip—MUST be signed up

FRIDAY 8/8

8:00-10:00pm Night Games

SUNDAY 8/10 9:15 AM Crossroads

6:00 Crossroads—Back to School Happening

Back To School:  We would like everyone heading back to school this month to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.  We hope and pray you are blessed with a great year and know God’s presence with you in all you do.

Open House and Carnival:  On Sunday, August 17, FUMC will be having an Open House and Carnival to celebrate all the changes to our building.  The fun begins at 12:00 and goes until 2:00.  Lunch will be served.  We need help running the carnival games and showing people our new rooms.  Please sign up if you are available to help.  Also, this is a great time to invite friends to come see our church and what the youth program here has to offer.

Fall Kick-Off:  Our Fall Kick-Off will be on Sunday, August 24 at Melvern Lake.  Watch for details.

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 read the newsletter on our web site and “Opt Out” of having a paper copy 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.

Grounds update

Rhonda and Jeff Schmidt donated the red petunias in the planter on the northeast corner of the grounds.  They sure are pretty!  Bob Edwards did the watering for us when we were on vacation. Thank you Rhonda,

                     Jeff and Bob!                          --Liz Voorhees

Children’s corner

Promotion/Education Sunday is August 17:  Please plan to join us as we celebrate Christian Education and its vital role in our lives.  Our children will be promoted to their new grade level and meet their new classmates and teachers.  Our fall curriculum is called Faithweaver, a wonderful curriculum designed to “weave faith through the family.”  The adult class, Pathfinders, will use this same curriculum in hopes of opening up family discussions at home about the Bible stories covered in class.  If you feel called to teach and share God’s love with our FUMC children, please talk with Cindy Kienholz.  As a teacher, you will receive training, curriculum, and lots of support.  Also, there are always two teachers needed in each classroom.

Half-Time:  Mark your calendars for our next Wednesday evening Half-Time session:  September 3 – October 22.  We are very fortunate that Paula Sauder has agreed to once again coordinate the dinner crew, and a family dinner will be served at 5:30 followed by classes for all ages from 6:00-7:30.  Children, ages 3 through sixth grade, will explore FRIENDSHIP.  The traits we need to be a good friend, the many ways friendships enhance our lives, and how Jesus is our forever friend.  Come join in the fun and bring a pal!  If you would be interested in teaching or helping with one of the children’s classes, please contact Cindy Kienholz.

Celebration Choir:  What a joy it is to sing for the Lord!  Our children’s choir, grades 1-6, will begin practice during the Half-Time program beginning on September 3.  We will then be singing on the third Sunday of each month.  Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

Sister Wendy and prayer

Our church library has quite a few books on prayer, but we’ve been given an intriguing new book, Sister Wendy on Prayer, written by Sister Wendy Beckett.  Hopefully, you’ve seen Sister Wendy on TV giving her interpretations of different paintings.  This book gives her thoughtful examination of the nature of prayer, and of her deeply held beliefs about her religion and her intimate understanding of God.  She answers such questions as: Can prayer really be as simple as conversation?  What should I do during prayer?  How do I let God enter my being?  This book has a short biographical introduction which tells us that Sister Wendy entered a Carmelite Order of nuns at the age of 16, and then spent 30 years as a teacher.  Ill health forced her to leave teaching and she requested her Order to designate her as a “hermit nun” meaning she could live alone and spend more time in prayer, so she lives alone today, in a trailer, on the grounds of her Order in England—no radio, TV, phone, fax or computer.  She gets up at 1:30 a.m., followed by seven, yes 7, hours of prayer.  During her illness she became interested in art and wanting to do something to “earn her keep” she wrote a book entitled Contemporary Women Artists which caught the attention of scouts from the TV industry, and BBC persuaded Sister Wendy to take part in a documentary about the National Gallery of Art.  It was so popular the director said “give the nun a series.”

   This book has pictures of thirteen paintings and Sister Wendy’s thoughts on each.  The first is a painting of a sailboat, nothing else, no people, just a sailboat.  But what does Sister Wendy see? She sees a boat, seemingly sailing by itself which to her speaks of prayer because prayer is a power we cannot direct, and we should stay at rest in our boat, out of sight, while the wind that is the Holy Spirit bears us over the water to where the Father waits for us.

                                                        --Jean Brown, Librarian

Where are your kids going to church?

   As long as there are parents and children—of any age—parents will be encouraging kids to go to church.  This encouraging takes various forms over the years, but once your children leave home, it changes once again.  There are more things that influence them and shifts the way you influence their lives.

   There is a way you might want to consider how you can influence where your kids and grandkids go to church.  While our church may or may not benefit directly from the Bridges to the Future campaign, other churches and programs will across the state.  Here are a few examples:

   For college students, United Methodist Campus Ministries is on six of the seven state college campuses.  This ministry is designed to meet kids where they are at with social gatherings, late night worship and Bible studies, trained campus ministers, and an understanding of the growth and experience that college brings to a student.  Wouldn’t it be great knowing there is a church home waiting for your child on their college campus?

   For young families moving to rapidly growing areas of Kansas or settling into an established community, is there a strong United Methodist presence in their community?  A church that offers programs and worship for couples, children and families can offer spiritual strength that might not have been possible without a church family.

   The Bridges to the Future capital campaign is an endeavor throughout the entire Kansas East Conference to raise funds for camping ministries, campus ministries, and church growth and development.  Our church’s pledge to this campaign will help provide campus ministry buildings on college campuses as well as funding to begin new church starts and revitalize existing congregations.  The plans for these ministries have been thought out and prepared and are just waiting for the financial backing to begin.  Please join our congregation in prayerfully reading and thinking about the following:  Read 2 Corinthians 5:1

Prayer Thought: The House of God is eternal.

Do you enjoy watching movies?  The next Reel to Real Class meets in Cornerstone Café on Tuesday, August 12, at 7:00pm.  Join us as we watch a movie and discuss it in terms of our faith and culture.