E-News FUMC Taylor, 9/23/2016

E-News, September 23, 2016

Dear First UMC,

It is likely, you have already received most of the contents of this email via pdf file yesterday. However, I am re-sending it in a new format as a test. Soon, we will go to this web look format with our weekly newsletter and print minimum copies for folks Sunday mornings who don't have email access. Not only will this option be more cost effective, it will also be more earth friendly.

You may click on the attached link to open the pdf file from 9/22/16 or scroll below to view the updated contents.

Thank you for your patience.
Sela

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e8a802ff4683305b474604c4a/files/Connexion_9_25_16.pdf

Sunday, September 25, 2016
8:30 Worship Traditional with Communion each Sunday
9:30 Sunday School (Children and Adult)
10:30 Worship UMW (United Methodist Women) Sunday
11:30 Fellowship Luncheon
12:30 Pumpkin Patch Setup

Happy Autumn!

Each year, September 21 is marked as International Peace Day. Many countries around the globe celebrate or acknowledge this day in some form or another. The idea behind International Day of Peace is to promote peace among nations and peoples. The goal of this day is for all of humanity to put aside our differences and commit to peace and continue building a culture of peace.

Each Sunday in worship, we pass the peace to one another which is a sign of love, reconciliation, and blessing. Although we often use this time to also greet one another and share the latest gossip and what awesome things we did over the weekend, we should always remember that it’s a time where we offer not just our peace but the Peace of Christ.

If you have been watching the news this week, there’s a developing story out of Charlotte, North Carolina. People are on the edge. A community in chaos. And leaders trying to find solutions. Before we pass judgment on what happened and on any particular group, perhaps we need to pause and try to understand through prayer. Before we engage in heated conversations whether in person or on social media, always be considerate of all people involve. Opinions are not factual; rather they’re our emotional expressions from deep within us. The more we identify with something or someone, the more emotional we become. We must try to remain objective.

May we always remember that peace in the world always begins with us. How we treat one another, how we love and forgive one another is where peace begins. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Or, as Francis of Assisi prayed, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

This last Sunday, we talked about the parable of the wheat and weed. It’s a story that Jesus told about harvest time (the end of time) where there will be separation of the wheat and weed (good and evil). Instead of trying to pluck up the weed in someone else’s yard, we need to attend to our own. Within each of us there’s wheat and weed (good and evil), we just need to make sure that the weed within us doesn’t take over the wheat because essentially, the one that we nourish is the one that grows. May we continue to feed the wheat within us and become a little less weedy.

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the ministries of women in the church through United Methodist Women (UMW). Our message will come from the gospel as written by Mark where Jesus encounters a woman of faith.

Peace!

Sela

September 18, 2016

Worship Attendance: 91 Sunday School: 36

Counters
9-25 Charlene/Jim 10-2 Shirley/Brian

Finance to Date
2016 Budget $166,818
Income: $107,372 2016
Expenses: $109,438

Prayer Requests

Paula Jackson,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Terry Dyer
Charlotte Underwood.............................Steven Lee
Trisha Copeland.........................................Florence Finn
Carolyn Briggs........................................Melissa Hill
Donna Saylor...................................................Charles Chenault
Harry Richardson.........................................Vera Schwartz
Jamie Avery..............................................Cal Robbins
Mary Pearl Sutton.........................................Jamison Family
Elissa Ray..................................................Daniel Family
Suzie Barber..................................................Jack Winterrowd

Assisted Living/Nursing Home/ Homebound/ Rehabilitation Center
Fred Switzer-home........................................Florence Finn - home
Edna Cowan-home................................Paula Douglass
Corene Dodson-SPJST..........................Millie Whittington
Vera Schwartz-home
Betty Ashworth - Falcon Ridge, Hutto
Sarah Schwartz-nursing home

Member Spotlight
Carmen Tucker

Carmen Tucker was born in Waco, but moved to Austin and grew up there. Her mom is from New Jersey, is an attorney and a vice president at a college, as well as running a catering business. Her father is from California and is a head hunter for executives and is semi-retired now. Her mother and father divorced when Carmen was a girl, and her mother remarried. Her stepdad is a retired police officer.

Carmen’s mom loves to say that Carmen is creatively inclined, and that she thinks outside the box. (Thanks, Mom!) Carmen’s creativity led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in art, which she uses in her hobby of finding broken antiques and restoring them into something beautiful. She is particularly proud of fixing chairs that came from her grandma, screwing them by hand since she doesn’t have a drill. She also restored a table top into a piece of art that she has hung on the wall. But her best friend has put the brakes on Carmen adding more furniture to her house, threatening to put tags on any new items and having a sale!

All that creativity, and restoration, as well as Carmen’s keen ability to show compassion plays right into Carmen’s profession and passion: teaching kids. She says it isn’t always about fixing something, but about getting it where it needs to be. Before starting in the classroom, Carmen earned her master’s degree in Human Services.

Carmen now is a special education teacher as well as a resource and inclusion teacher. This is her first year in the classroom, but she previously was engaged in college and career counseling as well as after-school programming at LBJ High School. Carmen loves her job, and she likes best to watch students’ faces light up when they come in her room. Students know her room is a safe place, and Carmen feels like she is doing God’s work with her students. She says, “Pay scales fade into the background when the students come in and we begin to work together.”

Carmen’s hidden talents are cooking, a talent she got from her mother. She loves crock pot cooking, and baking. Her specialty is strawberry cake. I sure hope she brings that to a fellowship luncheon one day!

Carmen joined Taylor FUMC in July, and she was welcomed most warmly by Mitch and Lisa Drummond. She loves the size of the congregation, and the casual and friendly approach of the church. She always dreamed of living in a small town where she can slow down and recharge. She finds the church to be her refuge.

Carmen’s favorite scripture is from Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” She says she hasn’t always been strong, and it reminds her to stay strong.

Be sure to give a hearty welcome to Carmen. What a blessing to have all that talent and dedication that Carmen brings!

Children's Ministry

We will be studying Fruit of the Spirit until Advent.

Children’s Sunday School classes include Nursery (ages 0-2), Preschool (ages 3-5), Elementary (ages K-5th), Middle School and High School.

Children’s Church is during the 10:30 a.m. service.

Mother’s Day Out

We had a wonderful time celebrating grandparent’s day. The children were excited to “show off” their families.

This upcoming week we will be discussing “My Family.” Our Bible story will be Adam & Eve, Genesis 2 & 3

On Thursday, the 29th, we will be having Water Day on the playground at 2:15pm

Youth Corner

We meet in the Youth Room each Sunday at
9:30 a.m.

FUMC’s October Pumpkin Patch is a Taylor community tradition that is loved by residents and schools in the area. Everyone’s help is needed to make this event successful.

There are multiple ways you can help, so plan ahead:

Sunday, September 25th, 12:30 p.m. Pumpkin Patch Setup & Decoration
Sunday, October 2 @ 12:30 p.m. Pumpkins are scheduled to arrive Sunday, Need help to unload and arrange pumpkins on display.

Volunteer as a children’s story time reader and/or patch worker. We have signup sheets located in the church office.

Provide homemade baked goods for the bake sale or crafts to be sold.

Please contact Maureen Gray or Shirley Ball for details.

Special Thanks to Everyone who makes it possible for us to continue with our mission as a church. May we always have a passion for serving!

Flood Buckets
The past week, Shirley Ball and the Missions team assembled 10 flood buckets to donate to our neighbors in Louisiana. Thank you church for your generous contributions.

Taylor High School Dinner
Special thanks to Pat Carpenter, Vada Rose, Heather & Grady Lair, Geneva & Terry Cochran, Blythe & Theodore Cavender, Debi Tucker, Shirley Ball, and friends for organizing and feeding our hungry high school football players last Thursday evening. It was such joy to see so many young faces on church property.

Trees Trimmed
Thank you Brian Gray and Clayton Cobb for sweating it out last Saturday in the heat and trimmed our trees. You guys did an awesome job!

Trustees
Of course, a very special thanks goes to Bobby Copeland and the trustees for their tireless work in maintaining our beautiful church.

Funeral Service
Thank you so much everyone for helping us with the service for Dr. Crawford Daniel. Debi & Glynn Tucker and Carol & FD Glenn did a wonderful job in organizing and setting up the sanctuary and fellowship hall. Special thanks also goes to our MDO staff for your understanding and accommodation. The Daniel family truly appreciates you!

If you have announcements for Sunday morning, please let the pastor know ahead of time if possible. If the announcement is relevant to the majority of the congregation and pertinent to visitors, by all means share your exciting news or mission highlight. Otherwise, it may be best to share the information via other platforms such as this newsletter. If you'd like your news shared here, please send them to the office: office@fumctaylor.org.

Thank you for your consideration.

September

Sep. 24 UMCOR Volunteer Day
Sep. 25 United Methodist Women’s Sunday
Fellowship Luncheon
Pumpkin Patch Set-up
Sep. 27 Circle 6 Meeting- making poppers @ 3pm in Fellowship Hall

October

Oct. 2 World Communion Sunday
Pumpkin Delivery 12:30pm
Oct. 4 National Night Out 5:30-8:30pm
Financial Peace University starts Tues. for 9 wks. 6:30pm
Oct. 8 Harvest Blessing 9am-3pm
Oct. 9 Family Game Night 5-7pm
Oct. 10 Committee Meetings (Finance, Ad Council & Trustees)
Oct. 19 Men’s Fellowship Breakfast 7:00am
Oct. 20 FUMC Serve Meal to Taylor HS Football Team
Oct. 23 Fellowship Luncheon following 10:30 service
Oct. 30 FUMC Pumpkin Patch Carnival 4-6pm

November

Nov. 7 Charge Conference at FUMC 6pm
Nov. 12 Christmas Bazaar
Nov. 13 Fellowship Luncheon & Silent Auction
Family Game Night 5-7pm
Nov. 14 Committee Meetings (Finance, Ad Council & Trustees) Nov. 16 Men’s Fellowship Breakfast 7:00am
Nov. 19 FUMC 140th Anniversary Lunch
~
More Information
~
Financial Peace University
Do you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck? Do you wonder if you have enough savings for retirement? Starting this October FUMC would like to help our community get "gazelle intense" and become debt free. Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class will be Tuesday evenings at 6:30 to 8:00 starting on October 4th and will run for 9 weeks. The price is $93 + shipping per family and they will need to purchase through the web site www.daveramsey.com/fpu/classes/1027407 otherwise it will be more expensive. If you have any questions, please contact Mitch Drummond.
~

UMCOR Volunteer Day September 24th
Glynn Tucker will be heading up a group of volunteers to work with UMCOR here in Taylor this Saturday, September 24th. The team will work part of the day, mainly in the morning. We will meet in the FUMC parking lot at 7:30am.
~

Lights, A/C, Doors, Oh My!
To keep our church safe, please make sure that all exterior doors are locked and shut properly, as well as thermostats used and lights are turned off when leaving the building.
~

Keep Our Earth Clean
We need volunteers to take our recycling to the Recycling Center here in Taylor. It will only require being taken one or two times each month. Please call or email the church office to sign up for your month.
~

Charge Conference
FUMC will be having an individual Charge Conference on Monday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Any church member that would like to attend is welcome to do so.
~

Taylor Christmas Parade
Christmas is fast approaching. Every year FUMC
participates in our community Taylor Christmas
Parade the first Saturday in December. If you would
like to help with planning the churches float for the
parade or participate in the parade, please contact Frieda Isbell 512-352- 6042.
~

Sunday School Class Lessons
The Mighty Mini Methodists (3-4yr.) – Fruit of the Spirit
Elementary & Youth Groups – Fruit of the Spirit
The Builders (Adults with Rev. Bob Walker) – Making Sense of the Bible The New Horizons (Adults with Lisa & Mitch Drummond) - The Wired Word
New Adult Class (Rev. Sela Finau, substitute) – When Christians Get It Wrong
~

Bible Study
Goal: 100% of Members Involved in Bible Study!

Monday morning: 9:15 am
Book of Acts for the next several weeks

Tuesday evening: 6:30 pm
Glory Bound Bible Study Jim Curik 512-352-6782

~ For pastoral emergencies after hours, contact Rev. Sela Finau 817-874-3533 | sela@fumctaylor.org.

~
For pastoral emergencies after hours,
contact Rev. Sela Finau
817-874-3533 | sela@fumctaylor.org.