FUMC Tower January
Jan 15, 2017
The Tower First United Methodist Church
Worship at FUMC
January 2017
SUNDAY WORSHIP Sunday, Jan. 1 No Sunday School Worship 10:15 Sunday, Jan. 8 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, Jan. 15 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, Jan. 22 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15
111 N. Adams St., Alice, TX, 78332
A Word from Our Pastor Happy New Year! (I hope...) I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say recently that they're glad that 2016 is over. Zika, terrorist attacks, police shootings, celebrity deaths, Presidential elections...2017 can only be better...right? As people of the Way, followers of Christ, we are supposed to look forward with hope, not fear. But far too often, we allow the fear residing in the world to seep into our faith. What if we let the courage of our faith overcome the fear in the world?
Church Staff:
God told the prophet Isaiah, "Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand." Isaiah 41:10 (CEB) This command, to not be afraid, is spoken more in scripture than any other. It is the first words heard by many of God's prophets, and by Mary, mother of Jesus. Its is spoken by the angels to the shepherds, and by Christ to the apostles. We need to take these words to heart, because I'm certain that God would not have spoken them so often if there weren't important.
Pastor - Dale White Custodian - Ernesto Flores Play Day Director - Irma Valadez
So, as we make our way into 2017, let us do so prayerfully, reverently, and fearlessly. As Paul wrote to Timothy, "God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled." See you around the kingdom.
Sunday, Jan. 29 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15
Phone 361-664-3801 Counselor 361-442-3670 Email: [email protected] website: fumcalice.com
Grace and peace, Pastor Dale
1
Jan 15, 2017
Church Calendar While our yearly calendar has 4 seasons, the church calendar, or Liturgical Calendar has 6 different “seasons”. Each season uses different colors for stoles, altar cloths and other paraments. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas. Colors for Advent are commonly blue or purple.The Christmas season, which uses the color white, includes the 12 days from sunset Christmas Eve through Epiphany (January 6). The season after is commonly called Ordinary Time, this season uses green vestments. Lent, symbolized by the color purple, begins Ash Wednesday (March 1st this year) and lasts until Easter. The Easter season is fifty days long and goes through the Day of Pentecost. The color for this season is white. You will see red on Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost continues until the beginning of Advent and is also called Ordinary Time. Some Sundays in this season will use white but mostly you see green during Sundays of Ordinary Time.
Sunday School Pastor Dale’s Sunday School class beings a new study this month. They will be studying “The Grand Sweep” by J. Ellsworth Kalas. This Bible study enables the user to read and study the entire Bible in one year. (Though Pastor Dale says it may go a bit longer.) Each daily entry includes Scripture references, commentary, and prayer. Join us for breakfast each Sunday at 8:30 and stay for Sunday School after. The other adult class is taught by Jim Callaway and meets in the “green room”. Most folks know where that is, even though it hasn’t been “green” in a while. This class studies a variety of topics. The children’s class is taught by Anna Holmgreen. Children from Kinder - 6th grade meet upstairs. Currently using the Deep Blue curriculum by Cokesbury, they will be learning about Jesus as God’s Son and will also be studying the Parables of Jesus.
Source : http://www.umc.org/
WOW
WOW (Worship and Outreach Wednesday's) is a program for the youth from ages pre school and up to come together to learn about Christ, do community outreach, and a time to play in a safe
environment. We meet on Wednesday's from 5:30 to 6:30. We serve dinner which is donated by the Methodist Men the first Wednesday of the month and by other families throughout the rest of the month. We encourage parents to stay and enjoy the time with their children as well. Anyone is welcome to donate dinner or to stop by and see the youth growing through Christ at FUMC Alice. 2
Jan 15, 2017
Lenten Devotions We are compiling a Lenten devotional written by church members. We haven’t done this in quite a while and felt it would be a great way to reflect on the season of before Easter. Several church members have agreed to write short devotions for the Lenten season, which begins March 1 and will end on April 16th. Just a reminder that your devotion is Due to Anna Holmgreen ASAP so she can begin compiling these and getting them ready to print. If you have not taken
PRAYERS & CONCERNS We are in the process of updating our prayer concerns. Please be sure to note your prayer concerns on the cards during church services or email them to [email protected] for addition to the newsletter.
a day, but would like to, just give Anna a call at 701-2175 or
Always keep the following in your
email at [email protected]. There are 19 days not
prayers:
taken.
Our Rich Church History Did you know the Methodist Church is the oldest organized Christian denomination in Alice? It’s true! Methodist worshippers first gathered near the San Fernando Creek in the community of Collins (before we were known as Alice). Then in 1888 church services were held in a railway coach. By 1895 there was a membership of 90 and in just two years that number jumped to 124!
Our nation and its leaders, our city and schools, those who are ill or suffering in some way, those who are grieving, the lonely and the lost.
Newsletter Changes
Our chapel was built at the corner of First and Reynolds streets and was dedicated in 1935. This funding of this chapel was largely through “selling bricks”. Our current sanctuary was dedicated in 1958.
Anna Holmgreen is now compiling the Tower for the next few months. If you would like a copy emailed to you rather than coming via US Postal Service, please email her with that info: [email protected]
A common theme here….changes made to meet the needs of the town and congregation. Early church members were also early leaders of the town.
If you have info for the newsletter, please submit for the February newsletter by January 27th.
The first written record of Sunday School dates to 1894. The average attendance in Sunday School — 44!
More church history to come in future newsletters. 3
Jan 15, 2017
2017 Church Council Lay Leader: Kirk Baxter Secretary: Sue Wiley Staff Parish Relations: Jim Callaway Committee: Jennifer Starns, Dee Dee Sisson, Kevin Fontenette, Jim Scoggins, Charlie Ragland, Jackie Tilley Trustees: Rick Sisson Committee: Seana Towler, Martha Holmgreen, Charlie Wiley, Dick Shimer, Bill Acker, Sue Wiley, Travis Tiller, Trey Bingham
Young Adult Representative: Brooke Fontenette Youth Representative: Cord Baxter Nominations Committee: Dale White, Kirk Baxter, Lynda Scoggins, Glynda Baxter, Sue Wiley, Brooke Fontenette Worship Committee: Dale White, Judy Holmgreen, Seana Towler Community Relations: Michelle Baxter
Finance: Seana Towler
Endowment Committee: Gray Scoggins,
Committee: Dale White, Kirk Baxter, Jim Callaway, Carol Acker, John Burris, Becky
Judy Tiller, Glynda Baxter, Lynda Scoggins, Fern Johnson
Ragland, Molly Bingham Lay Members of Annual Conference: Seana
Wesley Nurse: Amy Fields Gunn
Towler, Jennifer Starns (alt)
Health Committee: Amy Gunn, Dale White, Seana Towler, Dr. Jason Boland, Sue Wiley,
Membership Secretary: Anita White
Michelle Baxter
United Methodist Men: Dick Shimer United Methodist Women: Gerri Wright
Mary Dinn Reynolds Foundation: Kirk Baxter, John Burris, Kevin Downes, Dale White, Dee Dee Sisson, Bill Acker, Clyde Wright
Stewardship Update Pledge cards are still being collected. To date we have pledges which will support 60% of our expenses. If you have not turned in your pledge, please prayerfully consider how you will support the church and its ministries.
4
Jan 15, 2017
January 2017 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
2 •9am -walking class
3
4 •9am -walking class
5 •9am -walking class
6 •9am -walking class
7
8 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
9 •9am -walking class
10 •9am -walking class
11 •9am -walking class 5:30 WOW
12 •9am -walking class
13 •9am -walking class
14
15 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
16 •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga class
17 •9am -walking class
18 Men’s Breakfast •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga 5:30 WOW
19 •9am -walking class
20
21
22 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
23 •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga class
24 •9am -walking class •6pm - Church Council Meeting
25 •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga class 5:30 WOW
26 •9am -walking class
27
28
29 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
30 •9am -walking class
31 •9am -walking class
Sunday
Upcoming Dates: Jan. 31 - Lenten Devotions due to Anna Holmgreen Feb. 8th - SPRC meeting Feb. 15-16 - Clergy Convocation @ Mt. Wesley June 7-10 Rio Texas Annual Conference June 22-25 - Women’s Walk to Emmaus June 27-30 - Men’s Walk to Emmaus
5
The Tower First United Methodist Church
Worship at FUMC
January 2017
SUNDAY WORSHIP Sunday, Jan. 1 No Sunday School Worship 10:15 Sunday, Jan. 8 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, Jan. 15 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15 Sunday, Jan. 22 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15
111 N. Adams St., Alice, TX, 78332
A Word from Our Pastor Happy New Year! (I hope...) I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say recently that they're glad that 2016 is over. Zika, terrorist attacks, police shootings, celebrity deaths, Presidential elections...2017 can only be better...right? As people of the Way, followers of Christ, we are supposed to look forward with hope, not fear. But far too often, we allow the fear residing in the world to seep into our faith. What if we let the courage of our faith overcome the fear in the world?
Church Staff:
God told the prophet Isaiah, "Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand." Isaiah 41:10 (CEB) This command, to not be afraid, is spoken more in scripture than any other. It is the first words heard by many of God's prophets, and by Mary, mother of Jesus. Its is spoken by the angels to the shepherds, and by Christ to the apostles. We need to take these words to heart, because I'm certain that God would not have spoken them so often if there weren't important.
Pastor - Dale White Custodian - Ernesto Flores Play Day Director - Irma Valadez
So, as we make our way into 2017, let us do so prayerfully, reverently, and fearlessly. As Paul wrote to Timothy, "God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled." See you around the kingdom.
Sunday, Jan. 29 Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School 9:00 Worship 10:15
Phone 361-664-3801 Counselor 361-442-3670 Email: [email protected] website: fumcalice.com
Grace and peace, Pastor Dale
1
Jan 15, 2017
Church Calendar While our yearly calendar has 4 seasons, the church calendar, or Liturgical Calendar has 6 different “seasons”. Each season uses different colors for stoles, altar cloths and other paraments. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas. Colors for Advent are commonly blue or purple.The Christmas season, which uses the color white, includes the 12 days from sunset Christmas Eve through Epiphany (January 6). The season after is commonly called Ordinary Time, this season uses green vestments. Lent, symbolized by the color purple, begins Ash Wednesday (March 1st this year) and lasts until Easter. The Easter season is fifty days long and goes through the Day of Pentecost. The color for this season is white. You will see red on Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost continues until the beginning of Advent and is also called Ordinary Time. Some Sundays in this season will use white but mostly you see green during Sundays of Ordinary Time.
Sunday School Pastor Dale’s Sunday School class beings a new study this month. They will be studying “The Grand Sweep” by J. Ellsworth Kalas. This Bible study enables the user to read and study the entire Bible in one year. (Though Pastor Dale says it may go a bit longer.) Each daily entry includes Scripture references, commentary, and prayer. Join us for breakfast each Sunday at 8:30 and stay for Sunday School after. The other adult class is taught by Jim Callaway and meets in the “green room”. Most folks know where that is, even though it hasn’t been “green” in a while. This class studies a variety of topics. The children’s class is taught by Anna Holmgreen. Children from Kinder - 6th grade meet upstairs. Currently using the Deep Blue curriculum by Cokesbury, they will be learning about Jesus as God’s Son and will also be studying the Parables of Jesus.
Source : http://www.umc.org/
WOW
WOW (Worship and Outreach Wednesday's) is a program for the youth from ages pre school and up to come together to learn about Christ, do community outreach, and a time to play in a safe
environment. We meet on Wednesday's from 5:30 to 6:30. We serve dinner which is donated by the Methodist Men the first Wednesday of the month and by other families throughout the rest of the month. We encourage parents to stay and enjoy the time with their children as well. Anyone is welcome to donate dinner or to stop by and see the youth growing through Christ at FUMC Alice. 2
Jan 15, 2017
Lenten Devotions We are compiling a Lenten devotional written by church members. We haven’t done this in quite a while and felt it would be a great way to reflect on the season of before Easter. Several church members have agreed to write short devotions for the Lenten season, which begins March 1 and will end on April 16th. Just a reminder that your devotion is Due to Anna Holmgreen ASAP so she can begin compiling these and getting them ready to print. If you have not taken
PRAYERS & CONCERNS We are in the process of updating our prayer concerns. Please be sure to note your prayer concerns on the cards during church services or email them to [email protected] for addition to the newsletter.
a day, but would like to, just give Anna a call at 701-2175 or
Always keep the following in your
email at [email protected]. There are 19 days not
prayers:
taken.
Our Rich Church History Did you know the Methodist Church is the oldest organized Christian denomination in Alice? It’s true! Methodist worshippers first gathered near the San Fernando Creek in the community of Collins (before we were known as Alice). Then in 1888 church services were held in a railway coach. By 1895 there was a membership of 90 and in just two years that number jumped to 124!
Our nation and its leaders, our city and schools, those who are ill or suffering in some way, those who are grieving, the lonely and the lost.
Newsletter Changes
Our chapel was built at the corner of First and Reynolds streets and was dedicated in 1935. This funding of this chapel was largely through “selling bricks”. Our current sanctuary was dedicated in 1958.
Anna Holmgreen is now compiling the Tower for the next few months. If you would like a copy emailed to you rather than coming via US Postal Service, please email her with that info: [email protected]
A common theme here….changes made to meet the needs of the town and congregation. Early church members were also early leaders of the town.
If you have info for the newsletter, please submit for the February newsletter by January 27th.
The first written record of Sunday School dates to 1894. The average attendance in Sunday School — 44!
More church history to come in future newsletters. 3
Jan 15, 2017
2017 Church Council Lay Leader: Kirk Baxter Secretary: Sue Wiley Staff Parish Relations: Jim Callaway Committee: Jennifer Starns, Dee Dee Sisson, Kevin Fontenette, Jim Scoggins, Charlie Ragland, Jackie Tilley Trustees: Rick Sisson Committee: Seana Towler, Martha Holmgreen, Charlie Wiley, Dick Shimer, Bill Acker, Sue Wiley, Travis Tiller, Trey Bingham
Young Adult Representative: Brooke Fontenette Youth Representative: Cord Baxter Nominations Committee: Dale White, Kirk Baxter, Lynda Scoggins, Glynda Baxter, Sue Wiley, Brooke Fontenette Worship Committee: Dale White, Judy Holmgreen, Seana Towler Community Relations: Michelle Baxter
Finance: Seana Towler
Endowment Committee: Gray Scoggins,
Committee: Dale White, Kirk Baxter, Jim Callaway, Carol Acker, John Burris, Becky
Judy Tiller, Glynda Baxter, Lynda Scoggins, Fern Johnson
Ragland, Molly Bingham Lay Members of Annual Conference: Seana
Wesley Nurse: Amy Fields Gunn
Towler, Jennifer Starns (alt)
Health Committee: Amy Gunn, Dale White, Seana Towler, Dr. Jason Boland, Sue Wiley,
Membership Secretary: Anita White
Michelle Baxter
United Methodist Men: Dick Shimer United Methodist Women: Gerri Wright
Mary Dinn Reynolds Foundation: Kirk Baxter, John Burris, Kevin Downes, Dale White, Dee Dee Sisson, Bill Acker, Clyde Wright
Stewardship Update Pledge cards are still being collected. To date we have pledges which will support 60% of our expenses. If you have not turned in your pledge, please prayerfully consider how you will support the church and its ministries.
4
Jan 15, 2017
January 2017 Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
2 •9am -walking class
3
4 •9am -walking class
5 •9am -walking class
6 •9am -walking class
7
8 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
9 •9am -walking class
10 •9am -walking class
11 •9am -walking class 5:30 WOW
12 •9am -walking class
13 •9am -walking class
14
15 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
16 •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga class
17 •9am -walking class
18 Men’s Breakfast •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga 5:30 WOW
19 •9am -walking class
20
21
22 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
23 •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga class
24 •9am -walking class •6pm - Church Council Meeting
25 •9am -walking class •10am - Yoga class 5:30 WOW
26 •9am -walking class
27
28
29 •8:30 am Breakfast •9am Sunday School •10:15 Worship •5:30pm Youth Coffee House
30 •9am -walking class
31 •9am -walking class
Sunday
Upcoming Dates: Jan. 31 - Lenten Devotions due to Anna Holmgreen Feb. 8th - SPRC meeting Feb. 15-16 - Clergy Convocation @ Mt. Wesley June 7-10 Rio Texas Annual Conference June 22-25 - Women’s Walk to Emmaus June 27-30 - Men’s Walk to Emmaus
5
