WELCOME
WORSHIP
GROW
SERVE
THE VINE NEWSLETTER OF BELLAIRE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
SEPTEMBER 4 - OCTOBER 2
MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD SEPTEMBER 2016 VOLUME 52 ISSUE 11
MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE WORLD SOME OF YOU SAY THAT YOU FOLLOW ME, AND OTHERS CLAIM TO FOLLOW APOLLOS. ISN’T THAT HOW ORDINARY PEOPLE BEHAVE? APOLLOS AND I ARE MERELY SERVANTS WHO HELPED YOU TO HAVE FAITH. IT WAS THE LORD WHO MADE IT ALL HAPPEN. I PLANTED THE SEEDS, APOLLOS WATERED THEM, BUT GOD MADE THEM SPROUT AND GROW. WHAT MATTERS ISN’T THOSE WHO PLANTED OR WATERED, BUT GOD WHO MADE THE PLANTS GROW. THE ONE WHO PLANTS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE ONE WHO WATERS. AND EACH ONE WILL BE PAID FOR WHAT THEY DO. APOLLOS AND I WORK TOGETHER FOR GOD, AND YOU ARE GOD’S GARDEN AND GOD’S BUILDING. 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9 (CEV)
Dear Friends, As this issue of The Vine goes to print, our family is awaiting the arrival of our second child, a daughter. Over the past several weeks, we have been making all the necessary preparations, and at times I have found myself a bit wistful, uncertain just how this new addition will change our family—and how I will feel about it. At the same time, I am profoundly excited to embrace this change, for I know that she will bring even more joy and laughter into our home. I know that our son will be a tender, loving, helpful big brother. I know that God’s grace will abound (as it always does) as we make this transition. I will be out of the office on paternity leave for the month of September, and I am confident that our church staff will be able to handle the day-to-day work of the church as well as any issues that might arise. You will have the opportunity to hear new voices in the pulpit on Sunday mornings—some from Bellaire UMC and some distinguished guests from other places. You can read more about two of those guests on the next page. Throughout the month, our preachers will be preaching some of their favorite scriptures as part of a series called “Faves.” I subtly kicked this series off last week by preaching one of my favorites from 1 Corinthians 3. For the past several months, we have been hard at work planning for the remainder of the year, and I am excited about what’s ahead. We have new small groups beginning that provide opportunities to engage in Christian community by sharing meals, reading scripture, and praying. There is momentum building in many areas of the church—men’s ministry, women’s ministry, our music program, children’s and youth ministries, just to name a few. When I return in October, we will spend a number of weeks focusing on our mission as a church—making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world—and our strategy for fulfilling that mission—connecting people to God, connecting people to people, and connecting people to service. Thanks for your faithfulness in ministry here at BUMC! We covet your prayers in the weeks ahead, and we look forward to introducing our daughter to you, her new church family. Yours in Christ, Pastor Seann Once again, our hearts overflow with gratitude for you. Thank you for the beautiful baby shower you threw in August to celebrate our family and the birth of our daughter. It was truly an outpouring of God's grace, and we are humbled by your love and generosity. We so enjoyed the fellowship time with you all and extend a special thanks to everyone who helped make the event possible. And to whomever gave us the Texans tickets—thank you! James and I had a great time! In Christ, Seann, Elizabeth, and James Duffin
IN WORSHIP SEPTEMBER 4 Bishop Gary Lloyd Rivas of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa will be our guest preacher in all services. Bishop Rivas is in Houston as part of the World Methodist Conference, and we are honored to host him here at Bellaire UMC. Bishop Rivas has previously planted a church with his wife Jacqui, who is also a Methodist minister. He also served as the superintendent of the Fourways Circuit for the past 8 years and was elected as Bishop of the Central District in 2015. Bishop Rivas holds a Master's Degree in Theology from the University of Pretoria and is currently taking up his doctoral studies through the Wesley House at Cambridge University. He is also on the boards of Alpha South Africa and the Willow Creek Associa[on South Africa. He is the devoted father of two young adults, Rebekah and Daniel, both of whom are following in their parents' footsteps in pursuing the voca[on of ministry. Gary is a biking, motor-biking and golf enthusiast and is a bold and dynamic speaker and preacher, a visionary leader and a truly dedicated servant of God.
SEPTEMBER 25 Rev. Gaston Warner is an elder in the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church and currently serves as the CEO of ZOE Ministries. Gaston has led congrega[ons in inner-city, mul[-ethnic, and suburban se\ngs, from Chicago to Bristol, England. He has consulted with and served on a number of non-proďŹ t boards and as sta for Habitat for Humanity, Duke Divinity School, and Duke University Chapel. ZOE currently facilitates the empowerment of over twenty-eight thousand orphans and vulnerable children in seven countries and across three con[nents including: Africa, India, and Guatemala. Gaston earned a BA from Brown University; a MDiv from Duke Divinity School, and a MBA from The University of Durham in England. He lives outside of Abbot, TX (popula[on: 356) with his spouse, the Rev. Dr. Laceye Warner, who teaches at Duke University Divinity School, their daughter Clare, and various pets and livestock.
SEPTEMBER 11 Rev. Jim Love
9:00am & 11:11am Sanctuary
Jordan Payne
11:11am Chapel
SEPTEMBER 18
OCTOBER 2
Jordan Payne
Rev. Diane McGehee
9:00am & 11:11am Sanctuary
9:00am & 11:11am Sanctuary
Rev. Jim Love
World Communion Sunday
11:11am Chapel
Combined 11:11am services
MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST… Prayer Gathering The Bellaire UMC Men’s Ministry is hos[ng a prayer gathering for all men of the church (and any others you would like to invite). On Saturday, October 1 we will gather at 7:30am for breakfast at the church, followed by an inten[onal [me in the chapel in which we will pray for our world, our neighbors, our church, and our ministries. For informaIon on this or other opportuniIes to connect with men’s ministry at Bellaire UMC, please contact Kenneth Sco^ Peters at kspeters@bellaireumc.org or (713) 666-2167.
Small Groups Forming This fall, we are launching a set of small groups in which par[cipants gather on a regular basis (usually monthly) to share a meal together, read scripture together, and pray together. This is all part of learning to live life together and experiencing God’s grace in Chris[an community. There’s room for everyone, so sign up today! If you have quesIons, or want to connect with small groups at Bellaire UMC, please contact Kenneth Sco^ Peters at kspeters@bellaireumc.org or (713) 666-2167.
Fall Fun FesIval — Oct. 29 Would you like to volunteer with this year’s Fall Fun Fes[val? We need dedicated folks to work in front and behind the scenes leading up to the event and on the day of the fes[val.
Jingle Bell Express — Dec. 5-10 This December, Bellaire UMC will again be the host site for Chris[an Community Service Center’s Jingle Bell Express program, and it is a great way to put your faith in ac[on and make a difference in our community. Help is needed in every phase of the program from registering clients, organizing toys, se\ng up the ‘store’, and even helping parents select toys. For informaIon on these or other service opportuniIes at Bellaire UMC, please contact Pastor Jim Love at jlove@bellaireumc.org or (713) 666-2167.
W H AT ’ S A H E A D Children’s Choir Starts September 7th September 7—October 19: Singing the Bible Wednesdays 6:00-7:00pm All students in grades K-5 are invited to join this session of children’s choir. For seven weeks, we will be singing songs that focus on teaching Bible stories. Contact Jill Vaughan at jill.mgbellaire@gmail.com for more informa[on or to sign up.
Men’s Fellowship Gathering Meet new friends or reconnect with old ones at this funfilled, casual Men’s Ministry event. Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 17 from 11:00am-2:00pm and join other guys from BUMC for a bring-your-own-meat cookout at Steve Smith’s house. This event is great for invi[ng friends and neighbors. Contact Steve at steve@roveroaks.com for the address or with ques[ons.
Special Sunday School PresentaIon
www.zoehelps.org
Jesus calls us to serve others when they are in need. But how oqen do we provide only temporary “relief” when empowerment might more fully restore dignity and hope? Join us on Sunday, September 25 at 10:00am when Rev. Gaston Warner will speak with us about moving beyond relief to empowerment and how ZOE is helping tens of thousands of vulnerable children to never need charity again through a three-year empowerment program.
Choir Presents Haydn’s Organ Mass Join us for worship on Sunday, October 2 at 11:11am as our interna[onal and sanctuary choirs combine for a special presenta[on of Joseph Haydn's “Liple Organ Mass.” October 2 is also World Communion Sunday and we will welcome the Rev. Diane McGehee, Director of the Center for Missional Excellence, as our guest preacher that morning. Don’t miss it!
70TH ANNIVERSARY
Sunday, November 13 Mark your calendars for Bellaire UMC’s 70th Anniversary CelebraIon.
9:00am Contemporary Worship 10:00am Anniversary CelebraIon in Fellowship Hall 11:11am TradiIonal & InternaIonal Worship Here are a couple of ways you can help us prepare: (1) Contact friends or family who have moved but might like to “come home” for this celebra[on. This church has had an impact on thousands of people over the years, and we would love for any and all who are able to join us for this special day. (2) Share your stories. If you have a story or memory you would like to share from our church’s history, we would love to hear it. Please email your recollec[ons to Pastor Seann Duffin at sduffin@bellaireumc.org.
C E L E B R AT I O N As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Bellaire UMC over the next several months, we will be digging into the archives to highlight some significant moments from our past. Below is the first in a series of four arIcles wri^en by Pam Young for the Archives Commi^ee.
FOUNDING
On September 22, 1946, the Reverend Fred Marsh conducted the first service for the then-named Bellaire Methodist Church at Condit Elementary on South Rice. Seventy years later Condit Elementary is about to open its third new building on that site as Bellaire United Methodist Church is celebra[ng its Seven[eth Anniversary. In honor of that occasion, the Archives Commipee is beginning a series of four ar[cles to highlight our history. Please also visit our church history in pictures on the wall across from the library.
In the late 1940’s, Bellaire’s commercial center was on Cedar Street with the Bellaire Café, Kelly’s Hardware, the Post Office and a grocery store. As veterans of World War II bought homes in the rapidly growing City of Bellaire, the young Bellaire Methodist Church thrived. In 1947, several churchwomen organized the Women’s Society of Chris[an Service, later renamed United Methodist Women, and Melba Waps organized an Adult Choir. In 1948, members traveled to Victoria, Texas to dismantle, haul, and re-construct an Army surplus chapel on the corner of Bellaire Boulevard and Avenue A (now Newcastle) across from the 10 acre Teas Nursery tract, the oldest business in Bellaire. By 1950, church ac[vi[es included the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF), Methodist Men, Mother’s Club and several adult and children Sunday school classes with the School for Liple Children to follow one year later. In September 1951, Bellaire Methodist secured Ar[cles of Incorpora[on for the purpose of issuing “Broadway Bonds” worth $60,000 to construct a new building that would house a nursery, kindergarten and Fellowship Hall with a kitchen. Forward thinking church leaders began purchasing adjoining proper[es as they became available to facilitate future growth. In 1955, Mrs. Laura Meynardie giqed her adjacent home to the church for the site of the current sanctuary. Bellaire Methodist provided Mrs. Meynardie with a small home on Ione Street un[l her death. In 1952, Bellaire Methodist built a brick Scout House for Troop 222 at the back of the parking lot (not the current Scout House) and launched the first church newspaper, Church News. The Shepherd’s Club visited shut-ins while the Fisherman’s Club called upon poten[al new members. In 1953, Earle and Norma Lowder joined the staff to lead the Music Ministry. Over five decades the Lowders built a School of Choirs second to none and provided the congrega[on with magnificent music performed by professional-sounding church members. By 1952, the growing congrega[on required two services each Sunday, and on Easter Sunday, 1954, Bellaire Methodist held four services to accommodate everyone. By 1956, only ten years aqer its founding, Bellaire Methodist reported an average worship apendance of one to two thousand people with 900 enrolled in Sunday school classes. In that same year the church borrowed $150,000 to construct a new Sanctuary.
N E W S FROM AD COUNCIL Hal Sharp, Chair of AdministraIve Council Gree[ngs BUMC Church Family! So far in 2016 your Administra[ve Council has met three [mes, and we want to keep you up to date with topics on which we have focused during the year. In our February mee[ng we broke into small groups and held invigora[ng group discussions about “what success would look like for BUMC in 2016”. We believe that success will include: 1. Improving BUMC’s financial posi[on to a point that would allow more investment in ministries along with improving condi[on of the BUMC campus facili[es; 2. Growing BUMC’s social media presence and outward communica[on to the community; 3. Improving internal communica[ons to the BUMC family membership; We believe that success in these three items, will result in an improvement of our witness to the community and more smiling faces in BUMC worship services. In our April mee[ng we again broke into small groups to envision how we might enhance the BUMC worship service experience and how we might improve BUMC’s financial health. With regard to worship experience, we discussed how our congrega[on might: (1) focus on improving personal contact with everyone present, especially our visitors; (2) improve our tracking of and follow up communica[ons to visitors; (3) grow our door greeter team and add a parking lot welcome team; (4) create a “We’ve missed you” communica[ons team who would call, send email or cards to members who have not been present mul[ple Sundays in a row. Establishing solid financial health in the congrega[on will include (1) Stewardship educa[on; (2) planned giving seminars; (3) communica[on on use of online giving op[ons. In our August mee[ng we reviewed the Policies and Procedures manuals that have been prepared by the Board of Trustees, Finance and SPRC commipees. These valuable documents are now on file and provide specific direc[on on how these commipees are intended to func[on. From year to year, as commipee membership rotates in and out we can rely on consistent governance for the BUMC func[ons that they serve. Addi[onally, we con[nued an ongoing conversa[on about transi[oning to a Unified Board model of church governance. Aqer much discussion, the council unanimously agreed to postpone further discussion un[l 2017, believing that we can best invest our energies in other areas for the remainder of 2016. The Administra[ve Council mee[ngs are open to all BUMC members, and as we discuss topics like these, we would love your input on how we might craq our ministry to best live out our God-given mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transforma[on of the world. Our next mee[ng is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11 at 7:00pm. Feel free to join us.
NEWS
FROM THE BUMS Interested in joining up with the Bellaire United Methodist Seniors (BUMS)? Contact Tom & Sandra Williams at tandswms@ap.net or (713) 703-1153. Saturday, September 17, 2016: We are going to take you out to the ball game at Constella[on Field in Sugar Land to watch the Sugar Land Skeeters play the South Maryland Blue Crabs. Game [me is 6:05pm, so we will leave the church at 5:00pm to allow for traffic. We have 25 seats reserved under cover, on the top two rows between home plate and third base (like last year). We will have to walk maybe 60 feet on a flat concrete surface to get to our seats once we get off the bus. Super convenient! As of this wri[ng, we have 24 signed up. If you are thinking about joining us, you need to let Tom know prepy quickly because we have only one ,cket le0, but we can order more. We plan on ea[ng at the ball park (on your own) or you may eat before you come. Those ballpark hot dogs sure are good! The game [ckets are $15 each. Call Tom and Sandra Williams at 713-703-1153, or email us at tandswms@ap.net. Bible Trivia Answer: Amazing! Buddha really was a contemporary of Isaiah. Texas Trivia Answer: Be proud! The oldest state law enforcement agency in North America is our own Texas Rangers. Bible Trivia: (True or False) The Book of Numbers contains events that happened in the course of 1 year. Texas Trivia: What Texas university was founded in 1914 as the Texas State School of Mining and Metallurgy? Sage Advice: If you s[ck your head in the sand, you can expect a kick in the tail.
Make sure you get all the latest informa[on about what’s happening at Bellaire UMC! If you don’t currently receive our weekly email updates, please contact Pastor Seann Duffin at sduffin@bellaireumc.org to be added to the list.
NEW MEMBERS We are pleased to welcome these newest members of the Bellaire UMC family!
Jeremy and Grace Brown
Jennifer and Jason Robinson
REGISTER NOW Musikgarten Bellaire oers classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers through age 5, as well as two pre-piano classes for older preschoolers and kindergarteners. This year, Musikgarten will be oering new keyboard classes for early elementary age children. Learn more or register for classes at www.mgbellaire.com.
MEMORIAL GIFTS In Memory of Nancy Spencer General Fund: Virginia Thompson, Loren Goens, Technip USA, Elaine McCarty, Jan and Charles Broadhead Property Endowment: Leon and Dot Ullrich
Pastors Discre,onary Fund: June Otell
In Memory of Sally Stone General Fund: Pam Young
In Memory of Johanna Tysor
School for Li?le Children: Jill Almaguer
Property Endowment: Henry Fisher
In Memory of Linda Hogan
In Memory of Johanna and Chan Tysor
General Fund: Seekers Sunday School Class
Property Endowment: Heritage Sunday School Class
In Memory of Be6y McClenney
In Memory of Eloise Frederick
In Memory of Gloria Palmer
General Budget: Dot McGee
Property Endowment: Leon and Dot Ullrich
Music Ministry: Jim and Mary Faye Snell
Flower Ministry: Sunny and Kirby Sternfels
In Memory of Be6y Bussinger
General Fund: Kathy Carter, Carol Corbin, Jo Corbin, Seekers Sunday School Class
General Fund: Grant Cook, Peter and Mary Cole Gryska, Hazel Godhelp, Dr. and Mrs. Bo Marsalis, Loren Goens, Mildred Schmidt, CliAon and Barrie Van Cleave, Laurene Eakin, Jacquelyne Rocan, Jim and Chris Lauderdale, Randy and Penny Long, Laura Walton, Sco[ and Helen Marshall, Maurice Hall, David and Amy Kapiloff, David and Joann Palmer, Mr. and Mrs. William Harge[, Paula Koehn, Sara Emma Hall
Property Endowment: Heritage Sunday School Class
Property Endowment: Heritage Sunday School Class
In Memory of Virginia Forbes Property Endowment: Heritage Sunday School Class
In Memory of Andy Williams Property Endowment: Loren Goens, Henry Fisher, Jim and Mary Faye Snell
Financial Update Income through August 31: Expenses through August 31: Difference:
$773,762.52 $752,313.75 $ 21,448.77
As we close out the summer months, our financial posi[on is good due to strong and consistent giving throughout the summer. This is a great way to start the fall! Thank you for your faithfulness in your financial stewardship. We are current on all connec[onal commitments/appor[onments. In the month of October, we will begin our annual stewardship emphasis. Stay tuned to next month’s Vine for more informa[on on how you can help empower this church’s mission and ministry in 2017. Have you considered giving online? You can make a one-?me giA or set up recurring dona?ons. 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