WELCOME
WORSHIP
GROW
SERVE
THE VINE NEWSLETTER OF BELLAIRE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD JULY 2017 VOLUME 53 ISSUE 7
F R O M T H E PA S TO R Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. —Gala@ans 1:3-5 This month, we’re beginning a new type of series in worship as we explore the New Testament book of Gala:ans together. By that, I mean that I will approach the task of preaching in a slightly different way than usual. Each week, I will focus the sermon on one chapter from Gala:ans, which is a leCer wriCen by the Apostle Paul to a group of churches he founded in what is the country of Turkey on today’s maps. I will walk through each chapter more or less verse by verse to explore the deep theological and pastoral content of the leCer. The goal is to teach the content, of course, but also to illustrate some prac:cal skills for reading scripture and studying the Bible that you will be able to take with you beyond Sunday mornings. I’m excited about this opportunity, and I believe it will bear some good fruit in our worship life and in our study of the Bible. I know that many of you have travel plans this summer and won’t be able to be in worship at Bellaire UMC every Sunday. When you're in town, I’ll look forward to seeing you. And when you travel over a Sunday, I encourage you to seek out a local Methodist church in the place you’re visi:ng and par:cipate in worship there. I would love for you to bring back a bulle:n from the church or some other informa:on and share with me what you loved (or didn’t) about your :me there. And you can always catch up on the Gala:ans sermons you’ve missed online at www.bellaireumc.org/worship. In Christ, Pastor Seann sduffin@bellaireumc.org (713) 666-2167
STAY CONNECTED
FAITH + MONEY SERIES
Traveling this summer? Stay connected to your Bellaire UMC family online. Like us on Facebook to keep up-to-date on news and events.
Check out Pastor Seann’s latest e-series about the intersec:on between faith and money online in the Pastor’s Blog sec:on of our website. All year long, you will be able to find the contents of e-series and other updates from Pastor Seann on the website.
www.facebook.com/bellaireunitedmethodist Miss a sermon? Catch up online. www.bellaireumc.org/worship
www.bellaireumc.org/blog
AHEAD IN WORSHIP JULY 9 - AUGUST 13 For six weeks this summer, Pastor Seann will lead a teaching series through the epistle to the Gala:ans. Each week in worship, we will explore one chapter of this leCer in which the Apostle Paul outlines a theology of jus:fica:on by grace through faith, explores Chris:an freedom, and highlights the fruit of the spirit. Make sure to be in worship or catch up on sermons online at bellaireumc.org.
JULY WORSHIP NOTES We will celebrate the confirma:on of several students on July 9 at the 9:00am contemporary service. Come witness as these students publicly profess their faith, and welcome them as they join the church. You will love the Summer Music Series in the 11:11am tradi:onal service! With the choir off for six weeks, we will enjoy the musical talents of the Lonestar Bluegrass Band (July 9), Jubilee (July 16), George & Kathy Jolly (July 23), and The Circuit Rider Band (July 30). Come and enjoy!
THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS
Gala:ans is an angry, passionate leCer wriCen by the Apostle Paul to a collec:on of churches in Gala:a (modern Turkey). Paul had planted these churches during his missionary travels in Asia Minor, and this leCer indicates that the Gala:an converts were formerly Gen:le pagans. Paul preached to them the message of “Jesus Christ crucified” as God’s work of delivering humans from “the present evil age.” The Gala:ans accepted the message joyfully, were bap:zed, and experienced drama:c manifesta:ons of the Holy Spirit. When Paul leb these new churches, he was confident hat they were running well and on solid theological ground. However, Paul learned later that rival missionaries had been insis:ng that the Gala:ans adopt the prac:ces of the Jewish law in order to be saved—or as Paul puts it, “preaching a different gospel.” The leCer, then, is Paul’s pastoral aCempt to encourage them toward freedom in Christ.
SUMMER BOOK CLUB Join Pastor Seann in reading a couple of great books this summer: The Good and Beau,ful God, by James Bryan Smith and Epic of Eden, by Sandra Richter. You can find the books from Cokesbury, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your favorite bookseller. Get a copy today and start reading. Pastor Seann will send emails along the way as we read, and all are invited to aCend a Sunday abernoon discussion on each book. RSVP online at hCps://goo.gl/forms/paTMewkmH1IL0A512 or email Pastor Seann to sign up. Dates for book discussions: Sunday, July 16 — 3:00pm — The Good and Beau@ful God. Sunday, August 20 — 3:00pm — The Epic of Eden
CCSC BACK TO SCHOOL VISITING MISSIONARY The Rev. George Miller, a missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, will be our guest at Bellaire UMC on Sunday, July 23. Rev. Miller and his wife, Rev. Heike Miller, will lead a special Sunday school lesson in the Fellowship Hall at 10:00am to share about his work serving as coordinator of interna:onal and migrant ministries for the United Methodist Church in Germany. He will share briefly and will also be our guest preacher at the 11:11am interna:onal worship service. Please plan to join us for this unique opportunity to welcome a visi:ng missionary!
POWER CAMP
We have four weeks of exci:ng summer camp for kids beginning this month, and you’ll certainly see signs of these kids throughout our hallways. Camp begins on July 10, and there is s:ll space available for session four which runs July 31-August 4. Visit www.bellaireumc.org/connect/children/power-camp for more informa:on or to register.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH GROUP The BUMC Community Outreach Group will meet from 5:30-7:00pm on Wednesday, July 19. Contact Barbara Nowotny at barbara@nowotnycpa.com for more informa:on on how you can be part of this group that helps lead our church’s efforts with CCSC, foster care ministry, SEARCH, school partnerships, and more.
SUMMER STUDENT MINISTRY Sundays 4:30-5:30pm Junior High Bible Study 5:30-6:15pm Youth Praise & Worship 6:15-7:00pm Dinner 7:00-8:00pm Senior High Bible Study Tuesdays 6:00-9:00pm Open Gym FLC 6:00-8:00pm Holy Yoga at St Luke's
Chris:an Community Service Center, one of our community mission partners, plans to help 6,500 needy students this year through its Back to School program. In May, our church hosted the registra:on process for this program, and a dedicated team of CCSC staff and volunteers got all the details lined up. We now have two addi:onal opportuni:es to help. Sponsor a Student CCSC’s greatest need for the Back to School program is financial backing. It costs $45 to provide each child with a comprehensive packet of academic supplies and new clothing and shoes. You can sponsor a student in the Connec:on Center on July 23 or 30, or give in the church office. Volunteer. It takes 700 volunteers to make Back to School a success! You can contribute your :me and energy to this worthy cause on Saturday, July 29 from 8:00-10:00am. Learn more by contac:ng Sue Zinni at s_zinni@hotmail.com. Learn more about CCSC at www.ccschouston.org
YMCA OPERATION BACKPACK
More than half the kids in our communi:es will start the school year without the supplies that they need to succeed. YMCA Opera:on Backpack provides school supplies for children, filling them with hope for a brighter future, joy and excitement as they start the school year. We have partnered with the YMCA all summer long for their day camp program, and BUMC will be a collec:on site for this important project. Here’s how you can help: Purchase a new backpack or school supplies and drop off in the collec:on box near the church office. Here’s a school supply list: 1 package of pens, 1 package of #2 pencils, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 eraser, 1 24-pack of crayons, 1 12-inch ruler, 1 pair of child safety scissors, 2 pocket folders, 2 spiral notebooks, 1 one-inch wide binder, 1 glue s:ck, 1 roll of tape, 1 package ruled loose-leaf paper, 1 new backpack. Through this program, 120,000 Houston-area students will receive what they need to start the school year right!
PROJECT ZOE In the June issue of The Vine, we first showed you this photo of 31 of the 107 orphans in Rwanda that Bellaire UMC is sponsoring through the ZOE program. Did you know that Rwanda is home to nearly 700,000 orphans and has one of the world’s largest propor:ons of households that are headed up by children? Nearly half of Rwanda’s popula:on is under 18 and living in poverty. That’s why ZOE is reaching out to tens of thousands of those children. With the help of people and congrega:ons like Bellaire UMC, ZOE is helping children make the transforma:on from a life of poverty to a sustainable future. At the end of 2016, dona:ons from members of our church allowed us to sponsor the children of Twisungane (the name they gave their working group) for one year. We need to raise another $8,000 by the end of this year to con:nue our commitment to those children in 2018, and another $8,000 before 2019. But, by the end of 2019, the local ZOE team—along with our financial support and prayers—will have helped the Twisungane children become self-sustaining. How can you help these orphans? 1. 2. 3. 4.
Pray for them. Thank God for them, and believe in them. Make a dona:on that will help us con:nue suppor:ng them in 2017. Par:cipate in “Gibs that Help.” (See copies of the catalog in the Connec:on Center.) Go on an upcoming trip to visit our young friends in Rwanda.
A trip to Rwanda? Yes! There are several trips planned and organized by ZOE each year, and all of us are invited to go. ZOE tell us that the children love seeing some of their “hope companions” (which they call their sponsors) and showing the progress they’ve made. Pax and I have already signed up for the July 2018 trip, and we encourage you to consider a trip that could be life-changing for you….as well as for the children you will meet. Here are the dates of upcoming trips: 2017: 2018: 2018: 2018:
October 4 - 12 January 31 - February 8 June 20-28 July 11-19
For more informa:on about ZOE, go to www.zoehelps.org. Please contact me at (713) 703-1093 or steve@roveroaks.com if you have ques:ons, want to make a dona:on, or would like to consider making a future trip to Rwanda. With our help and the help of the ZOE team in Rwanda, these children can make an incredible journey of transforma:on. Thank you!
Steve Smith, Lay Leader
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL At this year’s Vaca:on Bible School, students age 4 through 5th grade experienced God’s love and learned about the Bible through worship, drama, art, and film. Along with their adult and youth leaders, they learned that they were created by God and built with a purpose.
FYSH CAMP
FYSH Camp is a three-day, hands-on mission trip for junior high school students in Richmond, Texas. In midJune, students from BUMC and their adult leaders joined with those from several other churches to connect to God through service. Here are several scenes from their renewal work on a church playground here in Houston.
Financial Stewardship Update Year-to-Date Financial Snapshot Income through June 30: Expenses through June 30: Difference:
$562,274 $549,764 $12,510
Thank you for your faithfulness in suppor:ng the ministry of Bellaire UMC! Summer is a historically low giving season because many people have travel plans or other ac:vi:es that prevent them from being present in worship. You can make a difference this summer by ensuring that your generosity con:nues. Each gib makes a difference and helps us fulfill our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transforma:on of the world. Thanks to your generosity and our Finance Team and ministry leaders being careful with expenses, we are current on all commitments, including connec:onal appor:onments. If you have ques:ons, please feel free to contact Elizabeth Lloyd, the BUMC Business Administrator, or Pastor Seann at (713) 666-2167. Thank you! Have you considered giving online? It’s an easy, convenient, and secure way to make a one-Pme giQ or to set up recurring contribuPons. Learn more at www.bellaireumc.org/give.
4417 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, Texas 77401 www.bellaireumc.org 713-666-2167 Bellaire United Methodist Church
THE BELLAIRE UNITED METHODIST NEWSLETTER USPS 048-820 is published semi-monthly by Bellaire United Methodist Church. Periodical postage paid at Bellaire, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address change to, The Bellaire United Methodist Newsletter, 4417 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, TX 77401, 713-666-2167; FAX 713-663-6397. Second Class Postage Paid at Bellaire, TX 77401