The GRUENE UMC NEWS
MARCH 2018
Preparing for Holy Week When we come to the end of the season of Lent and journey into Holy Week, I always think about the old song “Were you there”. It always puts a lump in my throat… Were you there when they crucified my Lord Oh were you there when they crucified my Lord Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble We tremble because there are no words to describe a love like that… We tremble when we remember Jesus on Maundy Thursday sharing a table with the people he loved the most, washing their feet, and showing that the mark of a true leader is whether they can serve others. Jesus loved those disciples even though he knew that they would abandon and betray him. We tremble when we think about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating blood in agony… alone, heart-broken,
We tremble when we think about how on Good Friday the tide of public opinion turned against him. The same people who shouted ‘hosanna!’ at his triumphant entry into Jerusalem shout “crucify him!” He suffers in horrific pain, and loss, and grief. He calls out to a God who does not seem to answer. We Tremble. In Holy Week we come into a deeper meaning of ‘Immanuel’… Jesus is ‘God with us’. He lived as one of us, loved as one of us, suffered as one of us... and died as one of us. ‘What wondrous love is this?’
Holy week prepares us for the mystery of the Christ who died and rose again, and overcame the worst that the world could throw at him, forever reminding us that the worst things are never the last thing… Death does not have the final say. Because of his love we have a resurrection hope! Rev. Dan Harrington
This Month • • •
Remix Groups Holy Week Steve’s Pantry
• New Safety Certification •
Easter Sunday
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GTLC Fundraiser
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Kite Festival
Palm Sunday
March 25th All Service
Holy Thursday March 29th @7p.m. at FUMC (572 W. San Antonio St.) Good Friday
March 30th @7 p.m.
at Gruene UMC Good Friday is an amazing service. Join us as remember the loving sacrifice Jesus gave us. His love never fails! We are glad to continue the tradition of sharing in Holy Week services with First UMC New Braunfels! There will be child care provided at both locations.
Missions & Muffins new group “Prime Time” M&Ms are now “Prime Time”! By popular request, an evening group of M&Ms has formed for those who would like to participate but are not available on Thursday morning. Prime time will meet on the THIRD Wednesday evening at 6:30pm. The next gathering will be on Wednesday, March 21st, 6:30pm, at the Gruene Haus in the Augusta Apartments. This group is being led by Kendel Marrou and Kate Gideon. The morning group will continue to meet on the SECOND Thursday morning at 9:30am at MoTown.
EASTER FEAST April 1st For Easter, The BBQ Ministry will be preparing meals for families in need in our community for delivery on Saturday, March 31st. Our church plays an important role in this Ministry. As part of this Mission Outreach, we would like to give our congregation multiple opportunities to participate in this meaningful cause. •
Order a ham in honor of or in memory of a loved one. Sign up at the table in the Gathering Space. Hams are $20 per ham. We purchase the hams.
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Sign up to make Corn Bread Dressing
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Sign up at the table to deliver meals Saturday, March 31st
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Help us prepare the meal Saturday, March 31st in the morning. This is an amazing outreach opportunity and we can't do it without you! These families will know the love of Jesus because of you! For more information, please see the BBQ Team at the table in the gathering space.
Easter Sunday Services Sunrise Service: 7:00 a.m. Celebration Services: 8:30, 9:40 & 11 a.m. main bldg. 9:50 a.m. at Motown
No Small Groups
Gruene Tree Learning Center Here at GTLC, February has come and gone with much love and laughter! In house registration has started with the current families, while waitlist has over 160 families waiting to get into the school! I have to give a “shout out” to Ms. Karmin who works so hard on this project every year…it is not an easy one and she does it with much grace! Having so many families wanting to come join our family is such a humbling feeling. I praise God for these wonderful teachers that have made this pre school what it is today! We are blessed! Ms. Rebecca GTLC Director
Gruene Tree Learning Center has begun their yearly Butter Braid Fundraiser. If you are interested in purchasing Butter Braids, please contact Karmin at GTLC at gruenetreelearningcenter@gmail.com no later than March 6th. The pastries will be delivered frozen on March 19th at 1:30 and we ask that you please arrange to pick them up at that time. All proceeds for this fundraiser will go towards increased security for GTLC and the GUMC building.
Thank you, GTLC Staff
REMIX GROUPS
REMIX groups are small groups of people (8-12 folks) who meet together weekly in someone's home to connect with others and grow deeper in faith. If you would like to get connected to a Remix group, please sign up in the gathering area on Sunday or email Pastor Dan at Dan@grueneumc.org.
Tuesday Morning Book Study Starts April 3rd!! The Tuesday Morning Book Study will begin another book on April 3, 2018. We will read and discuss "Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You," by Toni Reinke. The book is available on Amazon. The discussion will be for the month of April. For additional information, please contact Linda Sickles at lindasickles@me.com or Betsy Tucker at betsytucker197@gmail.com.
April 7th
8 a.m. - 2 p.m. ANNUAL RECYCLED TREASURE SALE We are recruiting “Honorary M&Ms and Stud-Muffins” to help us with Set up on Friday, April 6th from 9am-6pm and again with the sale on Saturday from 7am-4pm. All volunteers will be well fed. If you are able to help for even a couple hours, please contact laura.mcfall@att.net. **If you have items to donate, they may be brought to the church ONLY ON Friday, April 6th from 10am-6pm, NOT BEFORE. We do not have any storage space for donated items. Also – we are not able to accept any type of Furniture or Electronics. Please do not drop any items off at the church before the designated times. To join the Google Group email list, please send an email to laura.mcfall@att.net. You will then receive an invitation to the messaging group: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/missionsand-muffins.
By Pastor Brock Hey Gruene “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same func-
That group will help drill a well and help educate a community about water hygiene and related health issues. Look for
tion, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and
a report and testimonies next month as to how lives were
each member belongs to all the others. We have different
transformed.
gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your
organization that does great work regarding clean water all
gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with
over the world. To learn more about Living Water Interna-
you faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching,
tional visit their website at https://www.water.cc.
then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.� Romans 12:4-8 I love this scripture where the Apostle Paul is talking about how it takes all our different gifts to make up the body, the body that is the church. One of my favorite things about this community of faith is the environment of encouragement and empowerment that exists. It is such a joy and a blessing to walk along side folks as they recognize God given gifts and then have the courage to live into those gifts. Thank you for your part in creating that environment and that joy. Living Water International For years Gruene has supported access to clean water by partnering with Living Water International to sponsor the drilling of water wells. Thanks to help from your Missions Team there is a group from Gruene going on a mission trip to El Salvador later this month with Living Water.
Living Water International is an amazing
Church By The River friends in need down by the river under the bridge at
2018. Or you can email Brock at brock@grueneumc.org with any ideas of projects for your Missions Team to support.
IH-35? Yep, and it is awesome. We worship with music
Love has it’s own power, a power that comes from
and a brief message, we share Communion, we share a
God and the only power ultimately capable of
meal, we share donated clothes, food and toiletries. Most
conquering the human heart. Watching you share
YouDid you know that Gruene puts on a service for our
important of all, we love on some amazing folks. The next Church By The River is Saturday, March 31 st. That Saturday is the day before Easter so we will be serving a
your heart with this community and our world is a beautiful thing, thank you for that. Pastor Brock
complete Easter ham meal at Church By The River. Come check it out. We meet at Gruene at 8:45 to load up supplies then we head down to the river. For more information or to help out with CBR please email Brock at brock@grueneumc.org.
Church Directory is Here! If you got your photo taken with Lifetouch this fall, please stop the church office this week and pick up your FREE Church Directory! Hours are Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm.
Your Missions Team In the month of February your Missions Team was able to support the following ministries:
For more info please contact our Administrative Assistant Nadia at nadia@grueneumc.org.
* Kairos Prison Ministry http:// www.kairosprisonministry.org * Youth Confirmation retreat at United Campus Ministry at Texas State University http://www.ucmtxstate.org
Office Volunteers Needed!
* Nine Line Foundation and construction of fully accessible home for a wounded warrior https:// ninelinefoundation.org/causes/sgt-eric-morante-usmcret/
The Office Angels need volunteers to help fold Sunday bulletins on Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m. If you have an hour to spare on Friday mornings, we would LOVE to have you.
Your Ideas Are Needed Your Missions Team wants to hear from you. The Team meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 in Steve’s Pantry here at Gruene. Come hear what your Missions Team is up to, come share your ideas and most important of all come help shape what LOVE looks like in
Join us. For more information, please contact Nadia at the church office at (830) 625-7200 or email at nadia@grueneumc.org.
GUMC Run Feed Love 5K Feb. 24th THANK YOU GUMC! Over 300 people registered and raised $9,500 to help Steve’s Pantry, Hurricane Harvey Relief, and Family Promise of New Braunfels.
Thursdays
Item of the Month This month Steve’s Pantry is collecting Canned Soup, Crackers & Diapers These donations will help benefit our friends who visit Steve’s Pantry. Please drop your donations off in the baskets in the gathering space at the church. Thank you in advance for your donations and support!
April 4th – May 23rd @6:30 p.m.
New 8 week Bible Study Series: Meeting Jesus in the Bible and in Your Heart Dates: April 4th – May 23rd Time: 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. Where: MoTown Easter is game changer on the Christian calendar because Jesus rose from the dead. None of us were there to see this awe-inspiring moment, but that doesn’t exclude us from experiencing a relationship with the risen Savior. Jesus the Christ is risen; He is alive, present, and active in your life! Join us for an 8-week study to learn who Jesus in the Bible and how it informs how we recognize Jesus in our hearts. Hope you will join us and bring a friend! For more info contact Pastor Aaron Carter at aaron@grueneumc.org.
Dear Gruene UMC, On behalf of Earind and myself, we would like to thank the Missions & Muffins ministry for organizing such a beautiful reception for our recent marriage. My goodness, what a wonderful time!! We are grateful and strengthened by your mindfulness, and displays of kindness. To every person in the Gruene family, thank you for being an awesome Church! From showing up to our reception on a Sunday afternoon, to smiling and shaking my hand on any given day of the week, you have been friendly. I am blessed to serve Gruene, and have been blessed by the love of Gruene. Please know I’m praying for you all (or y’all) both generally and specifically. Pastor Aaron
Rev. Dan Harrington - Senior Pastor Dan@grueneumc.org
Brandi Carnes - Nursery Director brandi@grueneumc.org
Rev. Brock Gillman - Associate Pastor brock@grueneumc.org
Amy Howell - Children and Family Ministry Director amy@grueneumc.org
Rev. Aaron Carter - Associate Pastor aaron@grueneumc.org
Alyssa Rowe - Director of Student Ministries alyssa@grueneumc.org
Nadia Hoffman – Administrative Assistant nadia@grueneumc.org
Rebecca Goossens - GTLC Director gruenetreelearningcenter@gmail.com
2629 E. Common St. New Braunfels TX 78130 (830) 625-7200 Fax: (830) 625-7208
www.grueneumc.org OFFICE HOURS M-F, 8:30 - 4:30
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES 8:30, 9:40 & 11:00 a.m. (Main Building) 9:50 a.m. (Motown) “Come…be you, be filled , be loved. Go…be joy, be hope, be love. Be His! ”
See What’s Happening There are so many fun and exciting groups here at Gruene! To find out what’s going on, check us out on the Gruene UMC facebook page or on our website, www.grueneumc.org.