FirstNews
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF DALLAS
NOVEMBER 2014
Our Saints
This month, we gather for a celebration of All Saints Sunday. We’ll be naming aloud the members of our FirstChurch family who have died in the last year. And while the loss of these loved ones leaves a void in our lives, we know that All Saints is not a day of death; it is a celebration of the mystery of life in Jesus Christ. All Saints may, in part, feel like we’re dwelling on the past, but in Christ we not only look to the past, but also to the present, and most definitely to the future. By faith, we believe that those who have gone before us are still a part of us. We are held together in Christ. The dead we name are still bound to us in one communion – in one fellowship – in one family. We in the present have been given a great legacy of faith. But it’s important to remember that legacy is not a relic; it is alive. We commemorate the lives lived by faithful ones who were mindful of their past, but they were also hopeful for the future, as they lived in a very present state of grace. For you see, that is the Church. It is past, present and future – all held in a state of grace. And we are the church: past, present and future. We share a life in Christ with those who have died, those who are present now and those who will follow to carry on our legacy. Sociologist Robert Bellah sums it up beautifully, “It all comes together: with all the company of heaven, the communion of saints, and all of the souls, all enfolded in one time, time out of time, all equally present – past, present, and future, and to come… the eternal now.” And as we live in that present state of grace – as past, present and future collapse into one another – we remember the most comforting of truths: death has lost its power and hold over us. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55) —Rev. Wally Butts
Join us for Sunday Worship 8:45 & 11 a.m. Nov. 2: Start With Why, Rev. Blair Thompson All Saints Sunday
Nov. 30: Hanging of the Greens, 8:45 a.m. 11 a.m.: What Dreams May Come, Dr. Andy Stoker
Nov. 9: Now Is the Time, Rev. Blair Thompson
Missed a sermon? Click here for audio, video, and transcripts.
Nov. 16: Kingdom Economy, Dr. Andy Stoker Nov. 23: Kingdom Ecology, Dr. Andy Stoker First United Methodist Church of Dallas 1928 Ross Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75201
Dr. Andrew C. Stoker, Senior Minister
214-220-2727
www.firstchurchdallas.org
Welcome Our Newest Members
Robert Packer
Sadie Grace Brookshire with her parents Keith & Michelle
Joshua & Deanna Lee
Houston Locke Scripps with his parents Andy & Jennifer
Care & Concern DEATHS: Sincere sympathy to the families of Kay Morse, mother of Nathaniel Shell Father of John Kincade Chuck Cobbe
BIRTHS: Congratulations on the birth of Allison Catherine Shoemaker, daughter of Jeremy & Catherine Shoemaker Everett Streetman Stevenson, son of John & Tiffany Stevenson
Carroll Coleman Rickey Babers, brother of Gwen Lee
Save the Date for FirstGifts Sunday, Dec. 7 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Fiedler Atrium With plenty of offerings to choose from, FirstGifts provides something for everyone on your giving list. Fair trade goods, handmade merchandise by third world countries’ artisans, and merchandise donated by FirstChurch members make FirstGifts an event not to be missed. The missions supported include AIDS Interfaith, CCS, C.C. Young, CitySquare, Costa Rica Mission, Dallas Bethlehem Center, Family Gateway, FirstYouth Missions, Heifer International, Lydia Patterson Institute, Methodist Hospital, New Friends New Life, Project Transformation, Rise Fund, UMCOR and Wesley-Rankin. Come shop with us Dec. 7, learn about the missions that support our community and world, and consider giving alternative gifts to friends and family this year! 2
Join Us for Charge Conference All FirstChurch members invited. Sunday, November 23 5:00 p.m. in Crossroads Center.
2014 Advent Study Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14 & 21 Not a Silent Night, Mary Looks Back to Bethlehem by Adam Hamilton Imagine Jesus from Mary’s point of view—proud of her son, in awe of his gifts and mission, guided by love for him as a person and so much more. In this book, Adam Hamilton begins at the end, with Mary at the crucifixion and resurrection; travels back in time as she witnesses his life and ministry; and ends at the beginning, with the Christ child born in a stable. Nov. 30 – Beginning with the End Dec. 7 – The Piercing of Mary’s Soul Dec. 14 – Amazed, Astounded, and Astonished Dec. 21 – Mary, Full of Grace and It Was Not a Silent Night Rev. Blair Thompson will lead the video-based, 4-week study in the Dining Room. Participants will be seated in small groups to encourage discussion. Books can be ordered through FirstChurch Education. Deadline to order is Nov. 9. Books will be available for pick up on Nov. 23. Tap here for more info.
Something new this year! FirstChurch’s annual Hanging
Next @ FirstChurch All Saints Sunday Sunday, Nov. 2 We celebrate the lives on those who have left our faith family this year. The Arts District Chorale, directed by Constantina Tsoulainou, provides music for 11 a.m. worship. Paul Benson Lecture Series Sundays, Nov. 2, 9 & 16 9:45 a.m. in the 3rd floor Gym Calvin’s Children: Seers, Saints, and Stemwinders - a series about the influence of John Calvin and Calvinism on American culture. Time-Out for All Ages Friday, Nov. 7 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Crossroads West Join us for our monthly meditation group as we learn and practice relaxation techniques that help even the busiest people stress less and laugh more. First Fridays of each month. UMW Unit Meeting on Social Action Sunday, Nov. 16 Noon in UrbanLife Speaker: Les Chandler from Grace UMC on “Reconciling Ministries”. Visitors welcome. RSVP to pcummins@fumcdallas.org by Nov. 12. Urban Engagement Book Review Thursday, Nov. 21 at Noon Fiedler Atrium “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead,” by Sheryl Sandberg
of the Greens service will be held during the 8:45 a.m. worship service.
Sunday, Nov. 30 at 8:45 a.m. in the Sanctuary
Christmas Poinsettias Order Poinsettias to honor or remember loved ones and friends. They will adorn the sanctuary on Sundays, Dec. 14 & 21 and Christmas Eve. Each plant is $12. Order forms will be available at Connection Points beginning Sunday, Nov. 16 or tap here to order online.
FirstChurch once again opens the door for Jesus Christ to become the focal point of the season with our Hanging of the Greens Worship Service. All ages are invited to join in the celebration as we worship, learn and decorate our historic Sanctuary for Advent through liturgy, scripture and song. Children’s Choirs and Orff will provide music for this special worship service that begins our Advent Season. We invite your family to join our faith family for this much anticipated service. Hot wassail and cookies follow in Fiedler Atrium. 3
A Celebration of Christmas Concert
Deck the Halls Sing We Joyous All Together!
featuring The Many Moods of Christmas arranged by Robert Shaw and Robert Russell Bennett
Arts District Chorale with the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas
Sunday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary 50-piece professional orchestra 100 voice choir Favorite Christmas carols (partial list) O Come All Ye Faithful Silent Night Joy to the World What Child Is This Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella Angels We Have Heard on High I Saw Three Ships Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly Reception to follow in Fiedler Atrium Childcare available for children 3 and under with reservation. Free valet parking.
Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary Audience Carols and Holiday favorites, with selections by Mathias, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Wilberg and more! Ticketed event. www.artsdistrictchorale.org
Tap here to RSVP.
The Goodrich Gallery 2014 Membership Show FUMC artists -- all ages and stages -- are invited to participate in the Goodrich Gallery’s Annual Membership Show! The exhibit will open with a reception on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 12 - 2 p.m. and will be on display through Dec. 28. Entries may be brought to the Reception Desk in the Fiedler Atrium from Sunday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Nov. 30. Guidelines include: • • • • •
Only two entries per member All work must be original Work cannot have been previously shown in the Goodrich Gallery. Work must be suitably framed and ready for hanging, 3D pieces must be ready to display
Please pick up a Membership Show Brochure with complete guidelines and official entry forms at the Reception Desk or in Goodrich Gallery. The entry form must be fully completed and attached to the artwork. All artwork will be stored in a safe and secure location prior to the hanging of the exhibit. All submissions will be juried by the Goodrich Gallery Committee. The Goodrich Gallery Committee appreciates all the members who share their artistic talents with our congregation and visitors during the Annual Membership Show!
For questions or concerns, please contact Phyllis Cummins at 214-220-2727, ext. 218 4
Susan Lecky, painter in Arts Nouveux in Verona and in 1997-’98 at the Villa The Goodrich Gallery exhibit for November showcases the Carlotti, Caprino Veronese and last year she was invited talent of Susan Lecky. Her exhibit, Remembrances of Secret to show in Procidamerica in Procida, Italy. She is currently Gardens, opens with a reception in the gallery on Sunday, president of the Friends of the Bath House Cultural Center November 2 from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. The gallery committee and also Chair of their Public Art Committee. hopes you will stop by to view the exhibit and meet the artist. The exhibit will remain on display through Sunday, “I am intrigued with the random and fixed patterning found in November 30. Susan Lecky was born in Los Angeles, California. She nature and how the intrusion of human-made forms interacts received her BFA Degree from the University of Southern with these patterns. I have personalized the natural forms in these California. She has exhibited extensively around the United paintings so that they hint at something real, but are not. Therefore States, including over 20 one-person exhibitions. She has the viewers, with their own background of visual experiences, will shown in 40 invitational exhibitions, 50 national competitive be sparked to associate memories and feelings with these shapes that exhibitions including the Air and Space Museum at the are meaningful to them.” Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and over 60 regional competitions and has received 12 awards for her work. She has also had work in eight international Goodrich Gallery exhibitions. She has paintings and works on paper in November Exhibit public and private collections throughout the United States. She has been a visiting artist at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and has given over 10 public lectures. Gallery Hours She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, Who’s Who 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday in American Women and Who’s Who in America. She 9 a.m. - Noon Saturday was one of ten American women artists asked to participate in Decumano Secondo/Veronamerica 1997 with her work 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 5
I WANT YOU FOR AUTO-DRAFT REGISTER AT THE ATRIUM RECEPTION DESK TODAY!
When FirstChurch recieves consistent income throughout the calendar year, it is able to provide engaging programming while being good stewards of your gifts. Enrolling in auto-draft is simple and can be completed at firstchurchdallas.org/give or by visiting the Atrium reception desk today. Thank you for your support.
Rise Fund Update In March, 2014, FirstChurch announced a new way for members to make a greater impact on the missions that we support – the Rise Fund. While our congregation has always been generous through individual and class gifts, the Rise Fund was created to give us the ability to collectively make larger, more transformational gifts to the nonprofits who have a proven track record of making the greatest impact. In addition, by giving through the Rise Fund, our congregation is better able to support the strategic mission and outreach goals of our church – ending harmful hunger and providing holistic education to children. The Rise Fund is overseen by a dedicated committee of FirstChurch members who are committed to missions. Over this past summer, they vetted selected agencies, made site visits, interviewed management and evaluated budgets – all towards the goal of ensuring that the funds collected will go to the agencies that will make the biggest difference in our communities, both near and far. 6
On September 13, the Rise Fund Committee met to allocate over $139,000 that had been donated by generous members of our congregation over the previous six months. During the meeting, the committee weighed the proposals from the nonprofits against their research and ultimately made the allocations they determined would be the most impactful. The 2014 Rise Fund is pleased to announce the following grants: $50,000 $12,000 $10,000 $4,500 $10,000 $12,500 $5,000 $20,000 $15,000
Crossroads Community Services Dallas Bethlehem Center Family Gateway Lydia Patterson Institute Methodist Children’s Home of Costa Rica MissionNOW New Friends New Life Project Transformation Wesley-Rankin Community Center
To all who have supported the Rise Fund, thank you for your financial support and time. You are helping to expand FirstChurch’s impact and respond to God’s call to serve our neighbors in need.
Meet the FirstChurch Care & Connect Team For prayer, counseling concerns, information about Living Your Strengths or FirstFoundation: Rev. Wally Butts wbutts@fumcdallas.org For prayer, counseling concerns, or information about FirstFoundation: Dr. Dale Hunt dhunt@fumcdallas.org For evangelism and visitor information or input: Jennifer Tolin jtolin@fumcdallas.org For prayer concerns and administrative needs: Nancy Woolbright nwoolbright@fumcdallas.org
The FirstChurch staffing structure is built around pods— work groups designed to meet the unique needs of our historic facility and diverse congregation. Over the coming months, FirstNews will introduce you to each pod and its capabilities to serve the congregation. The Care & Connect Pod encompasses our Congregational Care and Connectional Ministries. We focus on building, nurturing and sustaining our relationships in Christ and one another. Whether it be enabling a first-time visitor to feel welcome, helping a new member connect with meaningful ministries, or praying and uplifting ones who are ill, we seek to not only be present as staff but also to equip everyone in our community to deepen our presence and care for one another. We share in ministry with our Congregational Care Committee, who coordinate prayer and note-writing volunteers, homebound visits and prayer shawl ministries. If you have interest in being a part of this ministry, please let Wally know. Our Connectional Ministries lay team coordinates greeters, hospitality and worship support opportunities. Please contact Jennifer if you have an interest in being a part of these ministries. In the year ahead, we intend to implement more intentional ways to invite our downtown neighbors to experience the grace of God alongside us. Regular opportunities to share in support and discussion groups (such as grief and divorce recovery) are also on the horizon, and we will be offering more opportunities for each of us to explore our God-given gifts and talents trough the meaningful resource, Living Our Strengths.
Rev. Wally Butts (pictured far right), Associate Minister of Spiritual Life, oversees our Care & Connect Pod. He keeps the pastoral staff informed and attentive to congregational needs (such as hospital visitations, prayers concerns, etc.); he assists individuals in receiving personal care and support, whether in a group setting or in personal pastoral counseling with him or our other FirstChurch clergy; and he helps new members connect and engage in ministry opportunities. Dr. Dale Hunt (pictured far left), Pastor Emeritus, extends love and pastoral care to our legacy and homebound members, while also attentive to additional needs and visits as they arise. Dale and Wally also partner in building awareness of our FirstFoundation legacy fund. Jennifer Tolin (pictured second from left), Director of Connectional Ministries, creates and nurtures connections both beyond and within our church community. This entails building relationships with our surrounding community (including our Arts District partnerships). Jennifer also leads a team of volunteers who meet, greet and connect our firsttime and continuing visitors with our numerous ministry opportunities, and nurture them into church membership. Nancy Woolbright (pictured second from right), Administrative Assistant, collects and distributes prayer concerns and visitation information to our staff, volunteers and our Congregational Care committee. In addition, she coordinates our memorial services and verifies that our membership records are accurate and up to date.
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COSTA RICA FAMILY-FRIENDLY MISSION
Join the Costa Rica mission team as they do construction work, VBS, and a medical fair, March 8 - 15, 2015. Make a difference in the lives of others and in your own life. Reflect, Renew, and Reconnect. Contact Rev. Linda Roby at lroby@fumcdallas.org for more information. Registration and information meeting: Nov. 16 at noon in Fiedler Atrium.
Save the Date for a Women’s Retreat S at Springhill Retreat Center Saturday, Feb. 7 8 a.m – 6 p.m.
Retreat Leader: Rev. Blair Thompson 8