First
Connection
O C T O B E R 2014
Lord, what do you
want to do through
me?
First
Connection O C T O B E R 2014
Contents
Our Mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Our Vision: Meet Friends. Meet God. Discover Life.
A Word from Rev. Donnie.......................................1 Pumpkin Patch, Fall Fun Fest & Trunk-orTreat............................................................................2 Keyhole Garden.........................................................4 All Things New..........................................................7 Preschool Photos.......................................................8 Youth Spotlight..........................................................9 The Reflection of Christ.........................................10 Upcoming Sermon Series......................................13 New Counseling Service........................................15 News.........................................................................16 Birthdays..................................................................18 Kitchen Talk............................................................19
Our Journey:
Our Practices: On the Cover: Building the Keyhole Garden at Rugg Elementary, September 6, 2014 First Connection is a publication from: First United Methodist Church of Alexandria 2727 Jackson Street Alexandria, Louisiana 71301 (318) 443-5696 www.fumca.org We would love to hear from you! Please send us your Feedback, Questions, Comments, Story Contributions, Photos, News or Ideas. Senior Pastor: Rev. Donnie Wilkinson, Editor: Julie Bacon, jbacon@fumca.org. Contributor: Bill Sumrall, bsumrall@fumca.org
Rev. Donnie
A Word From Rev. Donnie Where is God Calling You?
E
very Sunday I invite you to do something radical. I invite you to ask God the following question, “Lord, what do you want to do through me?” The reason this is radical is because of the assumption the question is based on. My assumption is that God wants to do something through you. My assumption is that every man, woman, and child has a vocation. Everyone has a calling. You have a calling. The trick is discovering where God is calling you and I can think of no better way of discovering that answer than the one Frederick Buechner gives in his book Wishful Thinking: A Seekers ABC. VOCATION It comes from the Latin vocare, to call, and means the work a man is called to by God. There are all different kinds of voices calling you to all different kinds of work, and the problem is to find out which is the voice of God rather than of Society, say, or the Superego, or Self-Interest.
TV deodorant commercials, the chances are you’ve missed requirement (b). On the other hand, if your work is being a doctor in a leper colony, you have probably met requirement (b), but if most of the time you’re bored and depressed by it, the chances are you have not only bypassed (a) but probably aren’t helping your patients much either. Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. So where is God calling you? Where does the your deep gladness and the worlds deep hunger meet? My prayer for you is that you will be brave and courageous enough to pray daily, “Lord, what do you want to do through me?”
By and large a good rule for finding out is this. The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that Grace & Peace, the world most needs to have done. If you really get a kick out of your work, you’ve presumably Rev. Donnie Wilkinson met requirement (a), but if your work is writing Senior Pastor
First Church welcomes new members! David and Nikki Rhodes joined on Sunday, September 7. The Rhodes were members about twenty years ago and then moved around the country following David’s career in the Air Force. They moved back last summer and have been attending for just over a year.
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1
Fall Fun Fest Trunk-or-Treat
&
Pumpkin Patch
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October 12 S unday, Schedule of Events:
4:30p costume contest (on stage) 4:30 - 6p dinner 5 - 6:30p games and cake walk 6:30p silent auction ends 6:45p Trunk-or-Treat begins
Fall Fun Fest
The annual Fall Fun Fest will be Sunday, October 12th. This fundraiser is a collaborative effort between the First Church’s Children’s Ministry and the Weekday Children’s Ministry that will raise proceeds to purchase new classroom materials and gym equipment. The event will include dinner, a silent auction, carnival games, as well as Trunk-or-Treat. Each and every child, teacher and volunteer affiliated with First Church and the school has benefited from the gracious support from our church family and community. A donation of a service, merchandise or monetary gift would be greatly appreciated. We would like to have donations into the preschool office by Friday, October 3. All donations are tax deductible.
Trunk-or-Treat
Trunk-or-Treat will immediately follow Fall Fun Fest & it will be in the parking lot behind the gym this year. Church members are encouraged to participate by decorating your vehicle and passing out candy. There are limited spaces available for vehicles so please contact Elizabeth Garvin by email egarvin@fumca. org or at the church office 318-443-5696 no later than October 1 to claim your space.
Pumpkin Patch
The pumpkins arrive Friday, October 10. The patch is open daily October 11th - 31st, from 10am - 6pm. Various sizes and colors of pumpkins will be available Please help us reach our goal and allow us to remain on a first come basis, and they start at 50 cents each. a positive educational influence on our children by including your donation in our silent auction. The pumpkin patch is a fundraiser for the Stepping Stones Sunday School class who uses the funds to help Don’t forget to come join the fun Sunday, October 12th! support Buddy Camp, Laundry Love and other various ministries. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the preschool office 318-443-2858 or kheard@fumca.org The pumpkins are grown on a Navajo reservation in Farmington, New Mexico. We need volunteers to help work the patch. Contact Clara Woolf, cwoolf@fumca.org or 443-5696.
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Keyhole Garden
Constructing a
Keyhole
BY Bill Sumrall, Communications Assistant
Keyhole gardens can help unlock access to vegetables for urban “food deserts,” according to Wayne McConnell. On Saturday, Sept. 6, McConnell led members of First United Methodist Church Alexandria (First UMCA) in creating a keyhole garden at L.S. Rugg Elementary School as part of a Cornucopia Project to allow the students and congregation to participate in the process of growing their own vegetables. “We’re excited about our partnership in working with First United Methodist Church Alexandria in creating the garden and the students are looking forward to being a part of this community project and growing the vegetables,” said Vickie Smith, principal at Rugg, when contacted Friday, Aug. 29. A keyhole garden is a circular raised bed with a path to the center for access to a compost basket that allows water to flow into the soil to reach the roots of the plants -- from above, it looks like a keyhole or a pie with a slice cut out. McConnell, 63, a retired teacher for the Rapides Parish School System and First UMCA member, mentioned to the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson, First UMCA senior pastor, that the church needed to become involved in community gardening.
But McConnell rethought his original concept when he realized one large centralized community garden on church property would cost between $4,000 and $5,000 to build while multiple keyhole gardens created in community neighborhoods where they are needed only cost about $200 each to build. Among McConnell’s ideas he shared with
“I h a v e always had a passion for gardening,” McConnell explained. McConnell’s original concept was to build a cross-shaped community garden on the lot across from the church on 2727 Jackson Street “I want to be able to have our church next to the church’s take care of those people who fall parking area, with raised beds built out through the cracks,...” of red cedar with pergolas over them, plus a keyhole garden tucked into each Rev. Wilkinson was a DVD extolling the virtues of keyhole gardens built in corner of the cross.
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Keyhole Garden
care of those people who fall through the cracks, who don’t have a green card, who may not be a resident, who may be homeless, who may not have a place where they can cook a lot of food because they’re homeless but they can have some fresh fruit that they could eat,” he said. McConnell said there are all kinds of ways where “we can show the love of Jesus through what we do, and when you feed somebody, it’s a powerful thing.” “We hope that this garden is just the seed that will go to other people and say ‘I would like one at this school and I would like one at this organization; Clifton, Texas, by Dr. Deb Tolman, who a keyhole garden right there.’” has a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences/ Rev. Wilkinson proposed the project to we would like one over here and we have Resources and Geography from Portland Principal Smith, who agreed, McConnell an empty lot, can we put two of them State University. Images of keyhole said, adding that Smith put McConnell over here?’” McConnell said. gardens can be seen online. in touch with Rugg PE Coach Homer “The Food Bank has already started “She got so enthused, she put 17 of them Williams to coordinate the project. A building gardens out in the community on her property in central Texas, which spot was selected next to an earlier 4x6 and they like the idea, they want to as we all know is very hot and dry,” garden Williams had built and a Good partner with us, they’re going to help. McConnell said. Keyhole gardens require Food Project garden of the Food Bank of They have the plans, the transplants, they have knowledge and they have little moisture “and she had planted over Central Louisiana. 170 tomato plants at one time in one The call then went out for First UMCA connections out in the community,” he garden,” he said. congregation members and others to said. McConnell started thinking about “food start saving materials for compost in the “The (Rugg Elementary) teachers will be able to use it to do deserts” or areas that lack grocery all kinds of projects -stores selling fresh produce, such science and health, social “... this will be the first keyhole garden as Swiss chard, lettuce, tomatoes or zucchini, which offers better I know of in central Louisiana. There’re studies and economics,” he added. nutrition than canned or processed all over the United States, all over the “Whether they can eat foods. all the food, I don’t know McConnell realized keyhole world.” -- maybe they can sell it, gardens like those also built by maybe the Food Bank African humanitarian groups could can bring over their be created in community neighborhoods keyhole garden, such as cardboard, phone truck, Nutrition on Wheels, and show where they are needed. McConnell added books, newspapers, grass clippings, leaves them how to cook the food that they’ve Rev. Wilkinson agreed “that probably and coffee grounds. McConnell talked to harvested, ” McConnell said. “It’s a seed -would be a good idea.” Good Food Project officials who he said we’ll see where it goes ... this will be the “So I left him with that thought, and next also liked the keyhole garden idea and first keyhole garden I know of in central thing I knew it, he’d been to visit L.S. plan to send a representative on Sept. Rugg Elementary School,” McConnell 6, which is when McConnell said that Louisiana. There’re all over the United States, all over the world.” said, where Wilkinson talked with “we’re going to begin construction.” Principal Smith about possible classroom and landscape projects that First Church members could help with at the school “and as Donnie was walking the grounds, in his mind’s eye, he said, ‘I could just see
McConnell said he was inspired by the 2007 book “Take This Bread” by Sara Miles as well as a visit to St. John’s UMC food pantry in Baton Rouge. “I want to be able to have our church take
You may contact Wayne McConnell at dwmac1@ suddenlink.net
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Keyhole Garden
Keyhole Garden at Rugg Elementary on September 6 (photos go in order, left to right top to bottom) from start to finish.
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All Things New
First United Methodist Church has begun a capital campaign to raise funds to restore and renew the gift of our church building. The All Things New campaign is raising funds so that we can:
• Repair/ replace the roof; • Improve our Gallery Hall by replacing the flooring and improving the lighting so that we can better highlight our incredible art collection; • Renovate and make our restrooms handicap accessible so that we can better accommodate the needs of members and guests; • Expand our welcoming and hospitality areas so that we can better All Things New Timeline greet guests and encourage the building of relationships; September 11 - September 25 • Upgrade all Sunday School rooms with fresh paint, flooring, lighting Prayer Calls to the Congregation and window coverings so that rooms are conducive to fellowship and learning; October 12 – Gratitude Sunday • Create outdoor sacred space such as columbarium, prayer garden Sermon – Grounded in Gratitude or labyrinth so that we can better help our congregation and the October 19 community connect with God through nature; Sermon – Revealed in Prayer, Lived in Faith • Invest in proven technology and advancements in facility management for our campus so that we can better maximize cost October 26 – Ministry Sunday savings on utilities and minimize impact on environment. Sermon – The Impact of Ministry This is our church, and this is our time to partner with God to restore and renew this beautiful place of prayer and spiritual growth so that a new generation can experience the transforming power of God’s love.
Lord, what do you
want to do through
me?
November 2 – Celebration Sunday During a fellowship dinner, we will celebrate the life of First United Methodist Church. The Celebration is open to the entire church family. November 15 – Church-Wide Prayer Vigil November 16 – Commitment Sunday We will formally present our personal threeyear commitment pledges for the campaign. December 7 – Announcement Sunday We will celebrate the successful completion of the campaign and thank God for speaking to each member of our congregation.
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First Kids Preschool
T
he first days of school have been quite a success! We’re learning about our teachers and our new friends. We’ve already started going to music with Mrs. Kelly and we’re excited to start Spanish, Godly Play and Chapel next week! Everyone loves arts and crafts and playing with friends. Kasey Heard, Director of Preschool and Childcare
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Youth Spotlight
My
Church Family My name is Anna Goodwin. I have grown up of my church family and especially the youth group, I in First United Methodist Church – Alexandria, and it has made me a better person. FUMC–A has taught me to better appreciate all the blessings God has given to me personally. It is a wonderful feeling to have people surround you who love and support you. The church is like a second family to me. An example of someone from my church family is David Mire*. It has been extremely hard to let David go. However with the help
have learned to accept it and realize that he continues a journey of doing what God has called him to do. That’s really all that matters. Even though I don’t know who it will be yet, I am certain that we will find a new youth leader who will be as great. I’m pretty sure that I speak for all the youth when I say David will always have a place in our hearts. I am just happy that, even when the road gets bumpy, I have a church family to help me through the rough spots. -Anna Goodwin
First UMC-Alexandria Youth at Camp URC (Uskichitto Retreat Center) in Leblanc, Louisiana, Summer 2014. Left photo (left to right): Hailey, Aaron, Brick, Maddie, Anna, David Mire, Emma, Tyler, Rylee, Chloe *David Mire was our Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, he moved to Lake Charles this past July.
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The Reflecting Well
Being the
Reflectionof Christ
BY DC Sills, The Well Worship Leader
Meet Friends. Meet God. Discover Life.
R
ecently, I have started taking a Worship Arts course online and one of our class discussions centered around whether or not everyone, regardless of age, race, sex, denomination, baptized or unbaptized, should be allowed to partake in the Communion Table. My stance and responses were that EVERYONE is welcome at the Table, not just those who fit into the box built by someone else. Christ died for all of us. And this is one thing that I truly LOVE being part of First Church Alexandria, because we as a church believe that too. We believe in reaching out, pulling up and embracing all…that is what family is all about, embracing differences, balancing people’s weaknesses with other’s strengths. But the class discussion made me start thinking about how we work to be the reflection of Christ to the world. Everyone brings his/her own diverse personality to the table and blends it with the theology of the Methodist faith, which creates quite a bit of diversity. Don’t think we have diversity in our halls and walls? For starters, we have three worship services each Sunday morning. Two traditional services (8:30 am & 11 am) and one contemporary service (11 am). We have a multitude of Sunday school classes for all ages. And talk about diverse; each class has its own rituals, beliefs about how things should be done and how they choose to convey a lesson each week. Everyone who walks through the doors of First Church has the opportunity to find out where and how they fit in, there is room at the Table for everyone! We’re building bridges to Christ within the walls of OUR church.
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We are also building those bridges in our community that will bring people closer to Christ. We have STARS, Buddy Camp, Laundry Love, H2O & Pub Theology, to name a few (and I know I am leaving out many great ministries), which are all ways that we are the hands and feet of Christ in our community. And those bridges that we are building not only bring the people we are ministering to closer to God, but us as well. Another plank in the bridge will be laid on September 14th at Tamp & Grind Coffeehouse downtown. This new “ministry” is Psalm Sunday. On the second Sunday of each month, starting
The Reflecting Well
at 6 pm, an alternative worship service with communion will be held. Consisting of mostly music, the goal is to invite people to the Table and invite them into communion with Christ. Many people may never enter a church building due to scars left from past hurts, but they will sit and listen to music on a Sunday evening in a coffeehouse. And while there on the 2nd Sunday of each month they just might Meet Friends. Meet God. Discover Life. During the early days of the Western Church, Augustine wrote to Pope Gregory I inquiring which religious rite should he use on the newly converted Angels? Pope Gregory’s response was, “You should carefully select for the English church whatever is most able to please almighty God, whether it comes from the Roman, Gallican or whatever church you may because they are good in themselves.”
Apparently, in the history of “the church” and worship, people have always searched for ways to engage and grow congregations. Pope Gregory I understood that not everyone can be reached through the same methods, and that as Christians we should reach out in every way possible to bring more people to Christ. From our three worship services, to our diverse Sunday school classes, to our community outreach, we appear to know and understand that we need to use the most appropriate ways to reach people and bring them to Christ.
Contact DC Sills at itsmedc@dcsills.com
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Worship
First Kidz - Children’s Choir Children’s Choir Sings @ 11am service the following Sunday’s: October 12 November 16 December 7 Children’s Choir practice Wednesday evenings @ The Gathering, 6-7pm email Elizabeth, egarvin@fumca.org for more details
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Worship
a sermon series on:
Gratitude October 12 - November 16
Sermon Calendar: Grounded in Gratitude (Gratitude Sunday)
OCT 12
Revealed in Prayer, Lived in Faith
OCT 19
The Impact of Ministry (Ministry Sunday)
OCT 26
Sacrificial Giving (Celebration Sunday)
NOV 2
Let Your Light Shine
NOV 9
Commitment Sunday
NOV 16
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End Malaria!
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Counseling Services
Counseling Services
now available
Please be advised that new counseling services are now available here in Alexandria at the First United Methodist Church. Family Plus is a service provided by the Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family Services, Inc. David Durbin, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker is available Monday through Friday (evening hours available as needed) and all individuals living in Alexandria/Pineville and its surrounding communities are welcome to access these services. “Active Parenting Classes� are also provided both for voluntary and court-ordered individuals. Insurance is accepted and for those clients without insurance, Family Plus offers counseling on a sliding fee scale basis. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Mr. Durbin has over 25 years of experience working with adults, children and families. Services are conveniently located at the Alexandria church located at 2727 Jackson Street. You may contact Mr. Durbin at (318) 541-9064 (cell) should you or someone you know needs services. David Durbin is a licensed clinical social worker in the State of Louisiana. He has worked in the field of Addictions for over 30 years, but has also treated individuals suffering from developmental disabilities and/mental illness. He has also worked in private practice for over 24 years where he has provided therapy to individuals and families.
After retiring from The State of Louisiana in 2007, Mr. Durbin developed and opened a 27 bed state-operated unit in Pineville, Louisiana. This facility treats individuals who suffer from co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. This facility was the only co-occurring unit operated in the State of Louisiana as a public facility. During the past 7 years, Mr. Durbin has also been providing counseling services for Family Plus in Pineville, Louisiana, Leesville, Louisiana, and more recently in Natchitoches, Louisiana. These are services provided by In 1986, Mr. Durbin opened Red River Treatment Center, the Methodist Children and Family Services, Inc. Mr. an inpatient residential facility for adults suffering from Durbin specializes in treating adolescents, families and chemical dependency. He served as the first Inpatient individuals. Facility Manager for that facility until 1996 when he was promoted to the position of Regional Manager for the Current Credentials include LCSW (licensed clinical social worker), and BACS (board approved clinical Region VI Office for Addictive Disorders. supervisor).
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News
Sept. 11-25 Oct. 5 Oct. 10 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Dec. 7
Prayer Calls start to the Congregation UMW Food Sale & Charge Conference Pumpkins Arrive Gratitude Sunday & Fall Fun Fest/ Trunk-or-Treat Ministry Sunday All Saints Sunday & Celebration Sunday & Daylight Savings Time Ends Skeeter Run/Walk in Woodworth Church-Wide Prayer Vigil Commitment Sunday Create a Family Advent Wreath Announcement Sunday & Live Nativity
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The 2014 Charge Conference for First Church will be held at 3:00 pm, Sunday, October 5 at Horseshoe UMC.
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Sunday
88 116 95 119
School
News
Tid Bits around the church Archived Baptism Videos. The Television Ministry has archived copies of almost every baptism celebrated at FUMC since 1983. If you would like to receive a DVD copy of your child’s, grandchild’s or friend’s baptism, please contact Owen Brown. You may send an e-mail to obrown@suddenlink.net or call 318-715-9035. There is no charge for this service of the FUMC media ministry. Two Baptisms. Olivia Reese Adams, daughter of Rhett Adams and Lauren Higginbotham, was baptized on August 24, 2014. Henry Brian Clerc, son of Brian and Laura Clerc, was baptized on August 31, 2014. Parent-Youth Email List. Interested in receiving youth news?! Sign up online: www.fumca.org/youth CORRECTION! In our August/ September 2014 issue, it was erroneously announced that Chad and Rochelle Perry have 3 kids, when in fact, they have four children! Taylor Perry was not announced with the family as new church members. Please accept our apology.
Trunk-or-Treat Help Needed! We need participants willing to decorate your vehicle and pass out candy to kids on Sunday, October 12. Contact Elizabeth Garvin at the church office, egarvin@fumca.org or 443-5696.
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s y
Birthdays
October 1
h rt
Margaret Campbell Jonathan Dubois Ross Foote
i B 2
Olivia Adams Adrienne Dole
4
Rachel Engelsman Matthew Norman
5
a d
Mason Gremillion
Grayson Ruggles Frances Webb Leigh Anne White
6
Hope O’Quin Grace Winstead
7 8
Stephen Norman
Vallery Munsterman Nancy C. Owens
9
Nelson Lee Susan Roy
10
Patrick O’Quin Janet Rand Whittle
11 12
Gail Roach Ellen LaCroix Scott Seeling Vivian Seeling
15
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Luther Douzart Mitchell Roy
16
Daisy Brame Michael Hislop Daisy McCabe-Henry Frank Pearce Marth Powell Fred Ruggles Peggy Wainwright
21
Frank Brame Matthew Fillette Nannette Walton
17
23 24 25
18
27
Steve Berry Carol Netherland Vicki Owen Joann Blount Janet Watson
19
Davelyn Watson K.K. White Frank Willis
20
Grant Dole Anne Hunter Joe Marrazzo Graham Maxwell
Carol Kelly Jerry Mercer Casey Cooper Gary Fillette Susan Clinton Michael Dole
28
Jamie Ball Lilly Neal
29 30 31
Virginia Martin Emilye Netherland Robin Sams
Kitchen Talk
Kitchen Talk Laundry Love. Laundry Love is washing away, 485 ello everyone, I’ll try and – 500 loads of laundry; great job get you caught up with all everyone (buy a t-shirt). that has happened since we last communicated. The Gathering. The “Gathering” menu will include Keyhole Garden. one meatless meal for the month. Our congregation came together to The menu for October will be construct a “keyhole” garden for L.S. posted in the next Epistle. I am open Rugg Elementary School; it began to suggestions and requests. with everyone contributing items that would be used in the filling of The folks from Inglewood Farms the garden with natural materials will be at our “Gathering” dinner that make compost. on September 17 to see if members of our congregation would like The physical construction of the to purchase a CSA (Community garden was September 6, a Saturday Supported Agriculture), for 12 morning beginning at 7:30. By 11:30 weeks beginning September 27 – it was a done deal; what an awesome ending December 18. group of caring individuals. The students of L.S. Rugg now have Every week you receive a ½ bushel another garden that they can use in box of fresh, locally grown, organic learning about health and healthy produce that is in season, cost $27 food choices. a week. Inglewood has agreed that BY Wayne McConnell
H
if we purchase 10+ CSA boxes that FUMCA will be a pick up point, saving everyone from having to drive out to the farm. I feel that this is worth everyone trying at least once if you can afford it, two people could split a box. Please consider this, and support our local organic farm. Food for Thought. Now for a couple of witty sayings: health is about choices, for good health makes good choices, and instead of paying doctors to keep us healthy, we should pay our local farmers to keep us healthy, let food be your medicine. Until next time let God’s love shine through you, break bread with a friend or make a friend to share with. May God bless you and yours. Amen!
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Keyhole Garden at Rugg Elementary