FUMC Tower April 2017
March 31 , 2017
The Tower First United Methodist Church Alice, TX, 78332
111 N. Adams St.,
Worship at FUMC SUNDAY WORSHIP Sunday, April 2 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 9 (Palm Sunday) Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 16 (Easter Sunday) Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 23 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 5th Sunday Fellowship Meal at noon
Church Staff: Pastor - Dale White Custodian - Ernesto Flores Play Day Director - Irma Valadez
A Word from Our Pastor Dear Church Family, Spring has sprung! April is here, and Holy Week is right around the corner. As we end the season of Lent, I encourage each of you to take some time in prayer, study and spiritual discipline to prepare for Easter. There will be devotional services each day of Holy Week, beginning at noon, hosted by West Main Baptist Church, and we will be having a Maundy Thursday Communion service and Good Friday Tenebrae service at 6:00 pm on Thursday and Friday of Holy Week. Why do we do all this before Easter? Wouldn’t it be easier to just slide from Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, to Easter Sunday, celebrating his victory over death? Well, it would be easier, but… I was driving through back roads one day, and got lost. I saw an elderly man sitting on a tractor, taking time out from his labors to eat his lunch from a paper bag, and stopped to ask him for directions. When I told him where I was trying to go, his response was, “You can’t hardly get there from here.” Our faith is messy, and we need to experience the messiness of Holy Week. You can’t get from the pageantry of Palm Sunday to the glory of Easter except by way of the Passion of Christ and Golgotha. You can’t get to the
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March 31 , 2017
Why do Methodists use Wine at Communion? Many denominations serve wine at communion. That is not the Methodist tradition. In the 1800s, churches had a problem. Alcoholism was a big problem. The temperance movement advocated total abstinence, but that presented a problem for communion. You see, home refrigerators were not available until 1913 and raw grape juice stored at room temperature ferments into wine. Grapes could be squeezed during the week to serve the juice before fermentation, but grapes weren't available to all churches. Churches tried a few different things, but things really changed in 1869 when Dr. Thomas B. Welch became a communion steward at the Methodist Episcopal Church in New Jersey. Dr. Welch was determined to find a solution and eventually used a pasteurization process that worked. He began selling, “Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine” to churches. The United Methodist Book of Worship says, "Although the historic and ecumenical Christian practice has been to use wine, the use of unfermented grape juice by The United Methodist Church and its predecessors since the late nineteenth century expresses pastoral concern for recovering alcoholics, enables the participation of children and youth, and supports the church's witness of abstinence."
resurrection except by way of the cross. As messy, as painful, as these places are, they are an integral part of our faith, so take some time during Holy Week to experience them. I promise your Easter worship will be richer for it. I look forward to seeing each of you on Easter Sunday, as we worship the risen Savior, and speak together the words lifted by the followers of The Way for thousands of years…
HE IS RISEN INDEED! Shalom, y'all! Pastor Dale
PRAYERS & CONCERNS We pray for: Mike Fields, Jesse Richardson, Christy Royko, Fallyn Saenz, Pastor Dale, Lorie Orta, Lulu Ramirez, David Cornelius, Richmond Logan, Melinda Vasquez, David Scott, Mickey Myane, Anna Cady, the family of Alice O’Neill, the family of John L. Higdon, Our Nation, Our President and Leaders, Our City, Our Schools, First Responders and Military, Our church, All Methodist churches and pastors during the appointment season, The lonely, the grieving and the lost
Source: http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/ methodist-history-controversycommunion-and-welchs-grape-juice
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March 31 , 2017
Holy Club, Bible Moths, Enthusiasts, Methodists Did you know that John and Charles Wesley, the founders of Methodism were known as Methodists, the Holy Club, and Bible Moths? Methodism began as a movement. Charles was finishing his studies at Oxford University in 1728 and was becoming more focused on his studies and faith. He gathered a group of his friends and his brother, John, to help him. John had been helping in his father’s parish and returned to Oxford and assumed leadership of the group. Some called the group “Sacramentarians” because they followed the sacrament of communion frequently. Others called them “Enthusiasts”. The group engaged in regular prayer, fasting twice a week, giving alms and visiting folks in prison. Clearly, the group was focused on doing good. As Wesley later said, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” The term Methodist stuck. The Holy Club dissolved when the Wesleys and others took a mission trip to Georgia. The Wesleys and their friends stuck to their methods when they returned to England. The Methodist Movement spread throughout Great Britain and into the Americas. Today there are over 12 million United Methodists world-wide with the recent major growth in Africa and the Philippines. Rev. Taylor Burton Edwards, director of worship resources at the Board of Discipleship says, “John Wesley planted exactly zero congregations. The Methodist societies were not congregations, nor were class meetings, bands or field preaching. They were para-congregational groups that helped disciple people, send them in mission and connect them to congregations.” Those are strong roots and a good way to start. Source: http://goodnewsmag.org/2011/04/global-united-methodist-membership-tops-12-million/ and www.umc.org
Coming Soon! A Matter of Balance Learn how to manage falls and increase activity levels. This free program will be offered every Tuesday and Thursday May 2 - 25th from 10 a.m. to noon . Contact our Wesley Nurse, Amy Gunn for more information.
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March 31 , 2017
Church Vital Signs as of 3/26/17 Weekly Budget Giving Required Year to Date Received Year to Date Budget Shortage
$ 3,818 $ 45,816 $ 37,628 ($ 8,188)
Remember that you can make your church contribution on line.nTo set up a recurring giving schedule, go to www.fumcalice.com, locate the Online Giving button and set up your recurring schedule.
Interested in being a lay reader during Sunday workship? Contact Pastor Dale or sign up on the bulletin board at the back of the sanctuary.
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March 31 , 2017
Don’t Forget United Methodist Men’s breakfast will be held at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 19th Our church is hosting the next Fifth Sunday Fellowship meal at noon on April 30th. Bring your favorite dish and fellowship with friends from FUMC and other churches.
Holy Week noontime services are being held at West Main Baptist Church March 10-14th. FUMC is providing the meal on Maundy Thursday. These services are always a great way to add something to your day.
Special Services at FUMC: Thurs., April 13 6 p.m. Communion Service Fri., April 14
6 p.m. Tenebrae Service Tuesday, April 25th 6 pm
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March 31 , 2017
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The Tower First United Methodist Church Alice, TX, 78332
111 N. Adams St.,
Worship at FUMC SUNDAY WORSHIP Sunday, April 2 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 9 (Palm Sunday) Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 16 (Easter Sunday) Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 23 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, April 30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 5th Sunday Fellowship Meal at noon
Church Staff: Pastor - Dale White Custodian - Ernesto Flores Play Day Director - Irma Valadez
A Word from Our Pastor Dear Church Family, Spring has sprung! April is here, and Holy Week is right around the corner. As we end the season of Lent, I encourage each of you to take some time in prayer, study and spiritual discipline to prepare for Easter. There will be devotional services each day of Holy Week, beginning at noon, hosted by West Main Baptist Church, and we will be having a Maundy Thursday Communion service and Good Friday Tenebrae service at 6:00 pm on Thursday and Friday of Holy Week. Why do we do all this before Easter? Wouldn’t it be easier to just slide from Palm Sunday, celebrating Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, to Easter Sunday, celebrating his victory over death? Well, it would be easier, but… I was driving through back roads one day, and got lost. I saw an elderly man sitting on a tractor, taking time out from his labors to eat his lunch from a paper bag, and stopped to ask him for directions. When I told him where I was trying to go, his response was, “You can’t hardly get there from here.” Our faith is messy, and we need to experience the messiness of Holy Week. You can’t get from the pageantry of Palm Sunday to the glory of Easter except by way of the Passion of Christ and Golgotha. You can’t get to the
1
March 31 , 2017
Why do Methodists use Wine at Communion? Many denominations serve wine at communion. That is not the Methodist tradition. In the 1800s, churches had a problem. Alcoholism was a big problem. The temperance movement advocated total abstinence, but that presented a problem for communion. You see, home refrigerators were not available until 1913 and raw grape juice stored at room temperature ferments into wine. Grapes could be squeezed during the week to serve the juice before fermentation, but grapes weren't available to all churches. Churches tried a few different things, but things really changed in 1869 when Dr. Thomas B. Welch became a communion steward at the Methodist Episcopal Church in New Jersey. Dr. Welch was determined to find a solution and eventually used a pasteurization process that worked. He began selling, “Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine” to churches. The United Methodist Book of Worship says, "Although the historic and ecumenical Christian practice has been to use wine, the use of unfermented grape juice by The United Methodist Church and its predecessors since the late nineteenth century expresses pastoral concern for recovering alcoholics, enables the participation of children and youth, and supports the church's witness of abstinence."
resurrection except by way of the cross. As messy, as painful, as these places are, they are an integral part of our faith, so take some time during Holy Week to experience them. I promise your Easter worship will be richer for it. I look forward to seeing each of you on Easter Sunday, as we worship the risen Savior, and speak together the words lifted by the followers of The Way for thousands of years…
HE IS RISEN INDEED! Shalom, y'all! Pastor Dale
PRAYERS & CONCERNS We pray for: Mike Fields, Jesse Richardson, Christy Royko, Fallyn Saenz, Pastor Dale, Lorie Orta, Lulu Ramirez, David Cornelius, Richmond Logan, Melinda Vasquez, David Scott, Mickey Myane, Anna Cady, the family of Alice O’Neill, the family of John L. Higdon, Our Nation, Our President and Leaders, Our City, Our Schools, First Responders and Military, Our church, All Methodist churches and pastors during the appointment season, The lonely, the grieving and the lost
Source: http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/ methodist-history-controversycommunion-and-welchs-grape-juice
2
March 31 , 2017
Holy Club, Bible Moths, Enthusiasts, Methodists Did you know that John and Charles Wesley, the founders of Methodism were known as Methodists, the Holy Club, and Bible Moths? Methodism began as a movement. Charles was finishing his studies at Oxford University in 1728 and was becoming more focused on his studies and faith. He gathered a group of his friends and his brother, John, to help him. John had been helping in his father’s parish and returned to Oxford and assumed leadership of the group. Some called the group “Sacramentarians” because they followed the sacrament of communion frequently. Others called them “Enthusiasts”. The group engaged in regular prayer, fasting twice a week, giving alms and visiting folks in prison. Clearly, the group was focused on doing good. As Wesley later said, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” The term Methodist stuck. The Holy Club dissolved when the Wesleys and others took a mission trip to Georgia. The Wesleys and their friends stuck to their methods when they returned to England. The Methodist Movement spread throughout Great Britain and into the Americas. Today there are over 12 million United Methodists world-wide with the recent major growth in Africa and the Philippines. Rev. Taylor Burton Edwards, director of worship resources at the Board of Discipleship says, “John Wesley planted exactly zero congregations. The Methodist societies were not congregations, nor were class meetings, bands or field preaching. They were para-congregational groups that helped disciple people, send them in mission and connect them to congregations.” Those are strong roots and a good way to start. Source: http://goodnewsmag.org/2011/04/global-united-methodist-membership-tops-12-million/ and www.umc.org
Coming Soon! A Matter of Balance Learn how to manage falls and increase activity levels. This free program will be offered every Tuesday and Thursday May 2 - 25th from 10 a.m. to noon . Contact our Wesley Nurse, Amy Gunn for more information.
3
March 31 , 2017
Church Vital Signs as of 3/26/17 Weekly Budget Giving Required Year to Date Received Year to Date Budget Shortage
$ 3,818 $ 45,816 $ 37,628 ($ 8,188)
Remember that you can make your church contribution on line.nTo set up a recurring giving schedule, go to www.fumcalice.com, locate the Online Giving button and set up your recurring schedule.
Interested in being a lay reader during Sunday workship? Contact Pastor Dale or sign up on the bulletin board at the back of the sanctuary.
4
March 31 , 2017
Don’t Forget United Methodist Men’s breakfast will be held at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 19th Our church is hosting the next Fifth Sunday Fellowship meal at noon on April 30th. Bring your favorite dish and fellowship with friends from FUMC and other churches.
Holy Week noontime services are being held at West Main Baptist Church March 10-14th. FUMC is providing the meal on Maundy Thursday. These services are always a great way to add something to your day.
Special Services at FUMC: Thurs., April 13 6 p.m. Communion Service Fri., April 14
6 p.m. Tenebrae Service Tuesday, April 25th 6 pm
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March 31 , 2017
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