“If you are living for yourself, you’ll miss out on so many amazing experiences that God has for you.” 8
Vol. 24 No. 7
News & Events GREAT DAY OF SERVICE APRIL 21- Frazer’s fourth Great Day of Service is a transformational opportunity to demonstrate God’s love to our whole community by focusing the efforts of as many people as possible into one day of meeting the needs of others. Saturday, April 21, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m.,Frazer will join with several other UMC churches to send thousands of volunteers out to dozens of projects across our city, ranging from painting and light construction to cooking to block parties and games with children. Classes and Bible Study groups are encouraged to sign up for a project together or individuals may sign up by contacting Butch McPherson in the Evangelism Office, at 495-6325 or butch@frazerumc.org or sign up online at greatdayofservice.net. SPRING 2012 CONNECTIONS AVAILABLELooking for a Bible study, Sunday School class or other activities? Check out Connections, your guide to Frazer’s small group and Bible study oppor tunities and fellowship activities for all ages. The Spring 2012 issue is now available. Pick up your copy in the Atrium and other locations around the church so you can prayerfully consider where you want to connect and grow this season. You can also view it online at frazerumc.org/groups.
www.frazerumc.org March-April
Families heed the call to help through foster care By Alexia Scott News Staff Writer
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 In a May 2011 blog, Senior Minister Dr. Tim Thompson challenged church members to prayerfully consider how to give hope and a future to orphaned children. He said, “It’s biblical; it’s right; it’s our calling as the body of Christ to care for orphans . . . as a Frazer family, we are going to respond to the children of this world. We are all one family.” That was how Frazer’s ONEfamily Ministry was born. It was created to assist the Frazer family in heeding God’s directive to care for the orphan and keep him out of harm’s way. Although finding reliable statistics is difficult, it’s safe to say that, every year, millions of orphans worldwide grow up in orphanages and “age out” of the system. As church members who are familiar with Stella’s House and Simon’s House know, without outside intervention, their future prospects are bleak. According to Hope for Orphans of the World: • About 10 percent of orphans in Ukraine will commit suicide after leaving the orphanage before their 18th birthday. • Though promised good jobs, 60 percent of the girls will end up in prostitution. • 70 percent of the boys will enter a life of crime. Leslie Harris Word coordinates the ONEfamily ministry. She says that God calls for believers to care for the widow and the
orphan. “Now the ways the we do it can look different, but it is something that everyone, whether you’re 14 years old or 74 years old, is called to do,” she said. Continued page 5
Prayer Ministry uses letters, e-mails to lift up needs By Brandy Freeman News Staff Writer
DOWNLOAD DAILY BIBLE STUDY GUIDES AND DEVOTIONS- As we focus on being a Word-Centered, World-Changing church in 2012, our teaching pastors will be providing a daily Bible study guide which will lead you through the section of the Bible they will preach on each week. Pastor Tim uses a “devotional thought” format, while Patrick will provide a “self-directed” study format. Pick up your copy inside your bulletin on Sunday or download from the links found at frazerumc.org/ bible_study_guides. You can also sign up online to receive a daily devotion e-mail. M or e e v e n t s & announc e m e n t s pag e 3
2012
Photo by AMY PRESLEY
Prayer Request boxes, like this one located in the hallway outside of the Sanctuary, are just one way that individuals can submit needs for Prayer Ministry volunteers to pray over. Boxes are located throughout the church.
God answers our prayers in many different ways. He works through words, pens and paper, and even e-mail! The Prayer Ministry is alive and moving in Frazer and around the world. Two areas of Prayer Ministry are Heart Notes and E-mail Intercessors. The volunteers serve by praying over requests and responding to messages received in either the prayer request boxes or e-mail. Heart Notes are notes of encouragement and scripture sent out by the volunteers that pray over those requests. “Writing cards and notes is almost not done anymore. We wanted to keep alive the art of hand written notes.” Said Jan Niel, Prayer Ministry Director. Valree Chambers coordinates Heart Notes and she has been working with the ministry since 2007. The ministry maintains a high number of volunteers, averaging around 80 every year. These volunteers respond to many different kinds of requests but mostly minister to people experiencing a crisis, such as catastrophic illness, marital problems and addiction. Continued page 7