FirstNews
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF DALLAS
OCTOBER 2014
The Promise of Presence When our family is at FirstChurch, there is a transformation that happens for the five of us. We’re stronger when we leave the church, when we exit out into the world. I don’t know if until now I’ve taken a chance to think about what I’m doing when I leave through these doors. Am I really present with my coworkers, with the students I teach during the day? Today I’m making a promise to myself and to my family to be more present in my family life at home and also the people I work with and the students that I teach—to be present in the same way I am during worship. I’m making a promise to them to be engaged. To listen and to and think Where is God leading me in this decision I’m about to make? Where is God leading me as I prepare to teach? Where is God leading me in how I raise my kids? I make that promise. —Jason Schayot
promises kept
Sunday Worship 8:45 & 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5 Promises Kept: Response-ability Sunday, Oct. 12 Promises Kept: Whose is Whose? Sunday, Oct. 19 Promises Kept: Live to Serve Sunday, Oct. 26 Promises Kept: The Way Forward Commitment Sunday Missed a sermon? Click here.
Welcome Our Newest Members New Members (no photo available): Robert Packer (8/31) Scott and Josyah Morrison (9/7) Thomas Cuchera (9/21)
Care & Concern Grace Elizabeth Roberts
Ron and Carolyn Knight
parents Tom and Emily Roberts
DEATHS: Sincere sympathy to the families of Valta Trusty, mother of Philip Trusty Father of Jimmy Weddle Lester Norwood, father of Jillian Bunn Lois Hatterman, mother of Kay Hatterman BIRTHS: Congratulations on the births of Tristan Thorin Whitmire, son of Will and Elise Whitmire
Jim and Elizabeth Pease
Chris Standefer
Oliver Graham Black, son of Ben and Amanda Black
FirstChurch Staff Directory Operations & Finance Ext. # 239 Victoria Aguirre vaguirre@fumcdallas.org 200
Vicky Benish vbenish@fumcdallas.org
227
Brandi Manes bmanes@fumcdallas.org
243
Laura McGregor lmcgregor@fumcdallas.org
207
Rev. Blair Thompson bthompson@fumcdallas.org
Music & Arts 218
Phyllis Cummins pcummins@fumcdallas.org
Spiritual Formation
202
Lynn Campbell lcampbell@fumcdallas.org
155
Rev. Wally Butts wbutts@fumcdallas.org
219
Dana Effler deffler@fumcdallas.org
238
Jim Mabile jmabile@fumcdallas.org
225
Dr. Dale Hunt dhunt@fumcdallas.org
220
Tim Effler teffler@fumcdallas.org
200
Jimmi Ulloa julloa@fumcdallas.org
241
Reagan O’Brien robrien@fumcdallas.org
Missions & Outreach
203
Wendy Westberg wwestberg@fumcdallas.org
221
Jennifer Tolin jtolin@fumcdallas.org
210
Nancy Woolbright nwoolbright@fumcdallas.org
214
Rev. Linda Roby lroby@fumcdallas.org
Senior Minister’s Office Discipleship 222
Dorian Albert dalbert@fumcdallas.org
208
Sherrye Bass sbass@fumcdallas.org
211
Dr. Andy Stoker astoker@fumcdallas.org
Communications
224
Elise Daniel edaniel@fumcdallas.org
255
Noah Bunn nbunn@fumcdallas.org
226
Rev. Tom Downing tdowning@fumcdallas.org
201
Kat Kaden kkaden@fumcdallas.org
Developmental Learning Center
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231
Quenetta Cox qcox@fumcdallas.org
UPCOMING EVENTS Time-Out for All Ages Friday, Oct. 3 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.
EXPLORING THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR FAITH.
LET’S CONNECT OVER COFFEE! Join the Ministers of FirstChurch for FirstCoffee, a four-week series designed to help you answer some common questions about our faith. Light refreshments and coffee will be provided. Oct 5–26, 9:45–10:30 a.m. Fiedler Atrium firstchurchdallas.org/firstcoffee
FirstFitness: Yoga with Joseph Stingley Join us during the month of October for a special FirstFitness Yoga class with Joseph Stingley. You will sweat, be challenged and have lots of fun! Students will flow from pose to pose utilizing the principles of alignment, personal awareness, and the breath. The classes can be physically challenging and creatively designed to transform your total being. Don’t be afraid… this class is designed for ALL levels. Sundays
1:00-2:00 p.m. in the UrbanLife Center. (We will not meet Sunday, Oct. 26 due to the all-church lunch.)
Mondays
6:00-7:15 p.m. in the UrbanLife Center.
Wednesdays
Noon-12:55 p.m. in the Gym.
Communion at C.C. Young Tuesday, Oct. 14 4:00 p.m. Dr. Dale Hunt serves communion. Wesley-Rankin GREAT Garage Sale October 17, 18 & 19 2900 West Bataan, Dallas - Donate items - Volunteer to work - Shop FCU Fall Mid-Term Classes Begin Wednesday, Oct. 22 Additional FirstChurch University courses begin soon! Offerings include Consistent Prayer and The Question of God (Oct. 22), Book Review Series and Family Tool Kit (Oct. 29) and Encountering Jesus Through John (Nov. 5). Register online. Urban Engagement Book Review Thursday, Oct. 16 at Noon Fiedler Atrium “The DREAMers: How the Undocumented Youth Movement Transformed the Immigrant Rights Debate,” by Walter Nicholls All Saints Sunday Sunday, November 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. Costa Rica “Family Friendly” Mission March 7 – 14, 2015 Contact Rev. Linda Roby
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Save the Date and join us for the annual FirstChurch Fall Festival! Wear a costume, and enjoy carnival games, bounce houses, dinner and treats. Proceeds benefit FirstKids! October 19, 5–7 p.m Tickets at firstchurchdallas.org/fallfestival
10th Annual FirstKids Blessing of the Bears Children’s Sabbath, October 12 It’s time to shake those Teddy Bears out of hibernation and bring them to FirstChurch’s 10th Annual Blessing of the Bears on Sunday, October 12 during 11 a.m. worship. ALL members are asked to donate new or very gently loved Teddy Bears. The bears are invited to share the front pew with our FirstChurch family, receive our children’s blessings during the worship service, and then pass those blessings on to their new friends at Family Gateway. FirstChurch has joined hands, once again, with Family Gateway to help soften some of children’s scariest times
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by sharing our blessings through Teddy Bears. All donated Teddy Bears will be blessed and delivered to Family Gateway to be shared with children — children who need an extra hug and a soft, furry hand to hold. Worship with us Sunday, October 12 and celebrate Children’s Sabbath, a reminder for all of us that every child is a child of God, and every child needs and deserves to be nurtured, protected and treated justly. The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jeff L. Good, Watercolor artist The Goodrich Gallery exhibit for October showcases the talent of Jeff L. Good. His exhibit opens with the gallery’s traditional Artist’s Reception on Sunday, October 5, from 12:00 - 2 p.m. in the gallery. You can enjoy the exhibit daily through Sunday, October 26. The gallery committee hopes you will stop by to meet the artist on October 5 and revisit many times during the month. “I began painting with watercolor during my education in Architecture at the University of Kansas over thirty years ago. A studio professor invited us to go outside after class and paint on location, known as “plein air”. I was hooked immediately! The watercolor medium has taken me many years to develop and yet you really never completely control it. That is the beauty and appeal of a process that creates spontaneous results. I love the process of distilling down a scene to the important essence you wish to capture and then quickly working to keep the painting fresh and alive. My goal is to capture the light and mood of the place. I prefer to either sketch or paint on location rather than paint from photographs. I carry a sketchbook with me everywhere, always looking for a few moments to draw from observation. This approach allows me to emphasize the feeling of the moment rather than getting bogged
down with the details and accuracy of a photograph. I have noticed that I have much stronger memories of the place once I have drawn it compared to taking a photograph. During the last ten years I have put more effort into sharing my art and my watercolors and have been juried into regional and national exhibitions with award winning paintings. This fall, in addition to the Goodrich Gallery exhibit, I will have paintings on display at the University of Kansas, Lawrence Ks. , Richardson Texas(Southwestern Watercolor Society 2014 Show), Gig Harbor, Washington (Peninsula Art League) and Seoul South Korea.” Check out more of Jeff Good’s artwork at www.jefflgoodart.com or
Goodrich Gallery October Exhibit Gallery Hours 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - Noon Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday
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FirstYouth is off to a great start this year! Our Sunday school classes, led by an amazing group of teachers, are a safe space for learning, discussion and
Upcoming FirstYouth Events
questions. Higher Ground kicked off with a big crowd and a fun night of games, dinner and community
Sunday, Oct. 5 State Fair of Texas Sunday, Oct. 19 Fall Festival
building. We served at CCS, preparing food pantry deliveries and packing 144 emergency food boxes. And the rest of the fall has a lot to offer – retreats, service projects, fun events, a youth-centered worship service and much more. Exciting things are
Friday, Nov. 7 – Sunday, Nov. 9 Disciple Now Retreat Sunday, November 16 Higher Ground in the Rotunda
happening with the students of FirstChurch!
Higher Ground is FirstYouth’s monthly get together. Each month, 7-12th graders meet for dinner, games, conversation, and a chance to put their faith into
Sunday, December 7 Progressive Dinner Christmas Party
action via service projects, worship services, community builders and much more! It’s a great
Sunday, December 21 Holiday in the Park
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opportunity to take a break and share life together.
Meet the FirstChurch Operations Team Wendy Westberg (left), FirstChurch Business Administrator, oversees daily administration, human resources, and property management of the church as well as finance and building functions. Wendy has been at FirstChurch since 1999. Jimmi Ulloa (center), FirstChurch Maintenance Supervisor, manages facility needs and coordinates the facilities staff. In addition to ensuring each Sunday school class’s needs are met each week, Jimmi supervises building maintenance projects and oversees setups for Sunday-morning programming, facility needs, and cleaning. Jimmi began with FirstChurch in 2009. 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.
Victoria Aguirre (right), FirstChurch Facilities Manager, coordinates building usage and outside rentals, handles vendor relations and assists with accounts payable and payroll. Victoria has been at FirstChurch since 2008.
Sunday Faces Need to book a special room or media equipment for your Sunday school class? Contact Victoria at vaguirre@fumcdallas.org.
Does something need immediate attention on Sunday? Adrianna Rodriguez
Alex Ulloa
Ana Tovar Stop by the Reception Desk.
Would your Sunday school class like to volunteer for service opportunities within the church? Contact Wendy at wwestberg@fumcdallas.org.
Jackie Hernandez
Louis Malone
Lucia Lopez
Jarrod Woodson, not pictured.
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TAKE THE FIRST STEP. Lunch. Learn. Connect. Explore membership at FirstChurch during brunch with Senior Minister Dr. Andy Stoker. This interactive forum offers a brief history of FirstChurch along with opportunities to connect with us in ministry. Sunday, October 26. firstchurchdallas.org/firststep
“TRANSFORMING THE WORLD Francis, Wesley, MLK and YOU!” Friday, Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Springhill Retreat Center
UrbanLife’s Sunday school class meets at 9:45 a.m.! The class is also organizing small groups and service opportunities this fall. If you know a young adult (under 35) seeking an authentic community to grow in faith with, invite them to come and be a part of UrbanLife!
Contact Rev. Blair Thompson
The mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Transform the world? How do we do that? FirstSeniors wants to help you figure that out. At this year’s Fall Daytime Retreat we will look at the beliefs, lives and tactics of three Christians who did transform their worlds – Francis of Assisi, John Wesley and Martin Luther King, Jr. We will explore exactly how each of these transformed their world and the methods that they used to do it. Facilitators will then lead us in practical exercises suggested by the lives of these important pioneers of our faith, so that we can discover how to use what we have learned from them to transform the worlds to which we will return. Those who do not wish to drive may catch the church bus which will leave from the parking lot across Peak St. from East Dallas Christian Church at 8:15 a.m. and return there by 4 p.m.
bthompson@fumcdallas.org. Price of the retreat is $15. (For scholarship help contact Rev. Tom Downing.) Register at the church or online.
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