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This Sunday’s Worship Opportunities
Traditional Worship | 9:30 & 11:00 am | Sanctuary | Dr. Mike Marshall
DiscipleChurch | Community Breakfast | 7:20 am | Wesley Hall
Chapel | 8:30 am | Rev. Brooks Harrington
Discussion Groups | 9:30 am
Chapel Communion | 10:30 am | Chapel | Dr. Len Delony
Special Music: Laurie Simmons, piano
eleven:eleven celebration | 11:11 am | Wesley Hall | Rev. Tom McDermott
First 7th | Worship | 5:30 pm | Wesley Hall | Rev. Lance Marshall
Social Hangout at Oliver’s | 6:30 pm | 415 Throckmorton Street
Beyond Lip Service
Dr. Mike Marshall
It makes me feel proud to know that the sacrament of communion is offered to people at least four times every Sunday:
• During the 7:30 am Community Breakfast in Wesley Hall.
• During Disciple Church at 8:30 am in the Chapel.
• In the Chapel at 10:30 am.
• And during First 7th at 5:30 pm in Wesley Hall.
In addition to these weekly opportunities, communion is often served in the Sanctuary worship services and during the eleven:eleven celebration. In fact, we will enjoy the sacrament together at both 9:30 and 11:00 am this coming Sunday in the Sanctuary.
There is a timeless truth that is part of our human condition: We easily forget who we are. We easily forget what God has done, is doing, and will do. Too often we try to go through life alone. We neglect the Word of God, the Food of God, and the People of God.
Given all that, we need what Christ offers! We need the new covenant and the common meal of thanksgiving. “Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘this is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘this cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” (I Corinthians 11:23-25)
We eat a meal of grace. We come as we are, and God provides the food and all that it means. All we do is eat in faith . . . sorry for our sins, eager to be changed, and hopeful of God’s future.
Let’s fill our plates together!
Mike
Click here to see classes meeting on Sunday, August 30
Every Sunday morning, groups of adults meet in FUMCFW Sunday School Classes to enhance their spiritual growth and enjoy fellowship with other Christians. We have classes for a variety of demographic groups, with many different class personalities and styles. Visit the Adult Sunday School page to learn more!
Click here to see who’s blogging this week, posted each Friday!
Throughout each week, our FUMCFW bloggers (staff, lay leaders and others wanting to share thoughts and information related to First Church programs, events, and activities) write on a variety of topics. And, while you can always find the latest posts on our blogs link at the top of every page, we also send each week’s collection out each Friday under the Who’s Blogging This Week subject line.
Click here to see a list of upcoming programs and events
Faith In Action: Methodist Justice Ministry
Roger Partridge
Almost ten years ago, FUMCFW assisted in the formation of our Methodist Justice Ministry (MJM) led by Rev. Brooks Harrington to protect indigent women and children from domestic violence, neglect, and abuse. As we celebrate this special anniversary, I lift up not only this ministry, but all who support it. While court and legal work comprise a major part of what our hardworking MJM does to change the lives and futures of those it serves, it also provides other life-changing support for these women and children throughout the process. Safe housing, transportation, food, education, and job search assistance often accompanies the prayer and emotional support infusing this ministry. And, although the MJM staff raises its own funding to support its operations and salaries, our church operating budget provides office space, utilities, and administration to assist and support this vital work. With your gifts to our church, you are part of this life-transforming ministry with Fort Worth area families in need — and we celebrate you!
Roger Partridge, Director of Stewardship
I Believe God Puts People In Our Path For A Reason
Lisa Helm
Something I’ve been thinking about lately with regard to creating a comprehensive Welcoming Ministry is how everyone God brings before us offers us an opportunity beyond hospitality. If we pay attention, there are often unexpected gifts and joys tucked into these brief moments of connection with the people who cross our path.
Three years ago, completely by chance, after not seeing each other for more than 10 years, I ran into Melinda Smoot outside DSW Shoes. “I’ve been meaning to call you,” were the first words we said simultaneously the minute we saw one another. She had just joined FUMCFW as Director of Communications charged with building a team. “I’ve told everyone at church I need to find a Lisa Helm,” she said.
“And I’ve told everyone in my family I need to call you,” I said, “to see if there’s anything we could work on together!”
That was three years ago, and Melinda and I often joke that though neither of us ever imagined we would be here, working together again, we know this is exactly where we are supposed to be.
Remembering that everyone God brings before us is an opportunity for something, I invite you this week to greet everyone who crosses your path with anticipation of the unexpected gift waiting for you there.
Lisa
Lisa Helm is the Director of Welcoming Ministries, a new ministry devoted to making sure all who enter our campus feel welcome, safe, and cared for by our Church — on Sundays and beyond!
9.6 Outdoor Retreat Ministry 5th Street Celebration
8:30 am – 12:30 pm | 5th Street
Please join us on 5th Street in front of the sanctuary on Sunday, September 6 (Labor Day Weekend) as we celebrate our fifth year offering our Outdoor Retreat Ministry here at FUMC Fort Worth. You will have the opportunity to learn more about our future outdoor retreats, visit with actual campers and hear their stories, and view some of the special RV’s and our new cargo trailer that we will be using on our retreats. You may even receive a sample of some good tasting camping cuisine!
9.12 Blessing Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth Families
4:00 – 7:00 pm | Ronald McDonald House
1004 7th Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104
On Saturday, September 12, our Lay Ministry Committee invites everyone 15 years of age and older to come with us to the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, to provide a hot meal for families to help them rest and recharge, and to support them through the “Meals from the Heart” program. We will begin cooking supper for the families at 4:00 pm, and serve the families from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. What a blessing it will be for you to serve and meet these wonderful families! Please contact Allison McMahon (allison.mcmahon@hotmail.com) or Sammye Dunn (sammyelou9@gmail.com) for more details.
New Members
In Memoriam
Al Stephens
Mary Burdette
Have some exciting news about an FUMCFW member that you would like to share? This section of the E-news is the perfect place to do just that! Please send your information to Caroline Petty (cpetty@myfumc.org) and we will include your story!
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9.1 UMW September General Meeting
11:30 am | Wesley Hall | $15 | RSVP by Noon 8.28
“Jim’s Spin on Presidential Candidates”
Jim Riddlesperger, PhD, Political Science Professor at TCU
Cue the confetti! UMW Is back in session! For more information, email umw@myfumc.org. We look forward to seeing you there! Contact Paula Wagstaff (pwagstaff@myfumc.org) by August 28 for childcare reservations. Click here to RSVP now!
Register for Fall Adult Studies
Classes begin September 13
Click here to register online OR Register in the Main Office
Weekdays | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm OR Sundays | Between Services
Welcome fall by joining our new slate of studies and learning opportunities with something for everyone!
9.13 – 10.14 Living Through Grief Support Group
Sundays | 9:30 am
Foundation Building, 2nd Floor
Led by Charme Robarts, certified Grief Recovery Specialist and Community Advocate, this group is focused on providing participants with tools and basic understanding of ways to handle grief that are healthy and lead to healing. Opportunity is given for sharing personal concerns. Participation is free and you do not need to be a church member to participate. Optional guidebook is $5. For more information or to register, contact Marianne Wilson (mwilson@myfumc.org) at 817/339-5071.
New Sunday School Class: Parents of Teenagers
Starting 9.13 | 9:45 – 10:45 am | Justin Youth Building | Room 306
We’re launching a brand new Sunday school class JUST for parents of teenagers (more accurately: 6th – 12th graders). As people of faith, it is important that we model the same disciplines of faith that we hope for our children. So together, we will be nurtured as disciples while journeying with others who share the same joys and challenges of raising a teenager. Class Leaders Chris and Tami Vardy, parents of two teenagers themselves, are both also small group leaders for the youth with extensive experience as youth ministries volunteers. Chris also serves as chair of the Youth Ministries Council, and Tami has completed doctoral studies in Educational Administration and Leadership. The ongoing discussions will span both youth and confirmation content to help equip parents for faith conversations with their teens, guided topical book studies, and opportunities to share experience, wisdom, and inspiration while raising teens in our current cultural climate. Please contact Rev. Casey Orr (corr@myfumc.org) with questions or to receive more information.
Visit the Adult Ministries page for more information on programs and activities.
Fall Academy Registration Now Open
Academy begins September 13
Register online at fumcfw.org/academy
Third Grade Bible Retreat & Presentation
Overnight Retreat | September 18 – 19 | Lyle Lodge | $25 per child
Presentation of Bibles | September 20 | 11:00 am | Sanctuary Worship Service
Third grade is a special year in Children’s Ministry as we celebrate the milestone of gifting children with their very own Bible! This three-day experience begins with an overnight retreat where children learn the importance of using the Bible as a tool in their everyday lives, and will culminate with the special presentation of Bibles that Sunday in the sanctuary. Click here to learn more and register your third grader!
Visit the Children’s Ministry page for more information on programs and activities.
Visit the FUMC Day School page for more information on programs and activities.
August Mission Sundays: Bottled Water
During the month of July, please bring bottled water to the First Street Methodist Mission, Monday – Thursday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm or to the Welcome Center on Sunday Morning. For more information, contact Elizabeth Becker (ebecker@firststreetmission.org) at 817/339-5068. Small Gifts. Big Difference.
August School Supply Drive
August 2015
It’s time to start thinking about back to school and how to help children get the best start possible by stocking supply closets at three local elementary schools, supported by various outreach ministries of FUMCFW.
Recommended Items:
24 Count Box of Crayons
Glue Sticks
8 oz. Bottle of School Glue
Blunt Tip Scissors
Plastic Supply Box
8 Count Washable Markers
#2 Pencils
Pink Erasers
12 Count Colored Pencils
Pocket Folders, Assorted Colors with Brads
70 Page, Wide-Ruled Spiral Notebooks
100 Page Composition Notebooks
Donations can be brought each Sunday and placed in the bin near the Welcome Center or in the boxes located in each Sunday School classroom. Donations can also be dropped off at First Street Methodist Mission, Monday – Thursday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm and on Fridays from 9:00 am – Noon.
9.17 North Texas Giving Day 2015
6:00 am – Midnight
Online at NorthTexasGivingDay.org
This year, First Street Methodist Mission and Methodist Justice Ministry are taking part in North Texas Giving Day, Thursday, September 17, when every donation of $25 and above you make will be multiplied with bonus funds and prizes!
In addition, this year a special opportunity offered by generous donors will match your donation up to $5,000 for each organization!
First Street Methodist Mission and Methodist Justice Ministry are two vital ministries of the FUMCFW faith community, often working together to share and maximize resources for the benefit of those we serve. Because these are also two distinctly separate entities, your North Texas Giving Day gifts must be designated individually to each ministry. Thank you for all you do to support these vital ministries of our church!
9.20 Stop Hunger Now
9:30 am – 12:30 pm | Wesley Hall
Click here to sign up!
Join this collaborative effort of FUMCFW Youth, Children, and Compassion & Justice Ministries as they partner with Stop Hunger Now, a national meal-packaging program whose goal is to end hunger by providing food and lifesaving aid to those people who are most vulnerable. Our goal is to package 20,000 meals! For more information, contact Elizabeth Becker (ebecker@firststreetmission.org) at 817/339-5068.
Food 4 Kids
September – May
Sundays | Pack backpacks for 1 hour between 9:00 am – Noon First Street Methodist Mission
Food 4 Kids is a ministry of First Street Methodist Mission that will send food home for the weekend for 100 students at I.M. Terrell Elementary and 50 students at T.A. Sims Elementary during the school year. Groups of 10 are encouraged to come to First Street Methodist Mission for one hour between 9:00 am and Noon, September through May.
Sign up online now to help fill backpacks!
To learn more, please contact Elizabeth Becker (ebecker@firststreetmission.org).
Visit the Compassion & Justice Ministries page for more information on programs and activities.
MorningSong
Every Sunday in August
9:00 & 10:30 am | 2nd Floor Choir Room
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sing in the choir?
Do you enjoy singing, even if it’s only in the shower or along with the radio or your favorite CD?
We invite you to join us for MorningSong, a unique summertime choir experience that extends the entire month of August.
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!
We will meet each Sunday morning in August, 30 minutes before each service to learn a piece of music and then lead worship in song. It’s really that simple and it’s family friendly — kids and grandkids welcome!
Come and enjoy the view and experience only available from the choir loft. Join us for MorningSong!
For more information, contact Taylor Davis (tdavis@myfumc.org) at 817/339-5074.
8.30 Compline Service
7:00 pm | Chapel
Enjoy peace and tranquility as you join us for a Compline Service — a time of ending the working day with prayer before sleep. For centuries, the close of the monastic day has been marked with this meditative practice using music as a backdrop for quiet and prayerful reflection. Featuring Adoramus and cellist Barrett Sills, and the works of Morton Lauridsen, Karl Jenkins, Craig Hella Johnson, and more, this beautiful service is the perfect way to transition from a long, hot summer day to the stillness and quiet of the night.
Visit the Music & Worship Arts page for more information on programs and activities.
8.30 Confirmation Orientation
9:30 – 10:30 am | Wesley Hall
All sixth graders and parents of sixth graders (and siblings of sixth graders if they want to come!) are encouraged to join us for an orientation to Confirmation. The gathering will be mostly informative — so you can learn more about the purpose and components of the program as well as ways you and your child can be involved. We will also give you time to ask questions, turn in registration forms (copies will be available), and connect with other families starting this exciting journey! For more information contact Rev. Casey Orr (corr@myfumc.org) at 817/339-5067.
9.13 Sixth Grade Confirmation Begins
Sundays | 9:15 – 10:45 am | Room 203 | Justin Building
Sixth grade is a really important year at FUMC Fort Worth because sixth grade means CONFIRMATION. It’s a special year set aside to learn about who God is, what United Methodist Christians believe, and what it means to be not only a member of a church, but also a disciple of Jesus in our world. Registration materials have been sent via email and snail mail to all addresses we have for parents of rising sixth graders. If you have not received this information and would like to, please contact Rev. Casey Orr at (corr@myfumc.org). We hope to see all parents and sixth graders at our orientation and information meeting on Sunday, August 30 at 9:30 am in Wesley Hall.
8.30 Youth Back to School Bash
5:30 – 7:30 pm | Justin Building
School is back! As crazy as a new school year can be, we want to be a place of rest, play, and community. So come to the Justin on Sunday, August 30 for our Back to School Bash! There will be food, games, and laser tag in the Justin! Bring a friend and yourself and come find rest and play with us in the Justin.
9.2 Youth First Wednesday Dinner
6:30 – 7:30 pm | Fort Worth and Keller
Our First Wednesday youth dinners are back now that the school year has begun! Join us Wednesday, September 2, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm for some good food and friends. You can meet Andrew at Chipotle Mexican Grill at 3050 South Hulen St. Martin will be at Bottlecap Alley Icehouse Grill at 148 S Main St in Keller. We can’t wait to see everyone!
Visit the Youth page for more information on programs and activities.
MEMORIAL GIFTS
Foundation Memorial Fund in Memory Of:
Frances Jeane Stuart by the Law Offices of Paup, Shutt and Associates
Judith Lokey by the Law Offices of Paup, Shutt and Associates
Daphne Motheral Jose by Nancy & Marc B. Smith, Jr.