Feb '20 - March '20 | More to Life Magazine

MORE TO LIFE

WINTER PUBLICATION | FEB ‘20 - MARCH ‘20

JT Barger Dessert Auction Honoring the legacy of JT Barger by investing in the lives of our students

IF:Kingwood Connecting women and worship in the HKA area

Easter Services Information You don’t want to miss this!

STAFF

PASTORS

Administrative Assistant Sabina Pagano

Senior Pastor Dr. Burt Palmer

Administrative Assistant Emily Priesmeyer

Associate Pastor Rev. Chris Harrison

AP Clerk Betty Barton

Associate Pastor Rev. John Wayne McMann

Assistant Missions Director Gladden Lawrence

Associate Pastor Rev. Stacey Sweet

Associate Student Minister Blake de Llacer

Associate Pastor for Students Rev. Clint Wyllie

Associate Student Minister Megan Hallof

Pastor of Hispanic Ministries Rev. Sara Reyes

Communications and Media Specialist Sarah Morrison Contemporary Worship Leader Ryan Stueckemann Director of Caring Ministries Donna Smith Director of Children’s Ministries Karen Soliz Director of Finance Blanche Spurgeon Director of Music & Worship Arts Matt Robinson Director of Preschool Ministries/Early Elementary Whitney Parrish Executive Director Joe Carbonaro Facilities Director Fred Kreis IT Director Michael Snowden Maintenance Eric Castillo Maintenance Tech Billy Rowell Music Ministry Administrative Assistant Barbara Dickson Nursery Director Jane Bradley Organist Sheila Childers Receptionist & Senior Pastor Assistant Kelly Glowacky

Kingwood United Methodist 1799 Woodland Hills Dr, Kingwood TX Phone: 281.358.2137

School for Little Children Director Jackie Grant

KingwoodUMC

Young Families Ministry Coordinator Wrynn Homann

@kingwoodumc

KINGWOODUMC.ORG

February Events Calendar Visit kingwoodumc.org for additional information, to register for an event, or to donate.

FEB 10

GriefShare (First Class) / 10 AM OR 6:30 PM / Room E-204

FEB 12 & 19 Unite Worship & Technology Awareness Event / 6:15 / Woodridge Baptist FEB 15

Family Movie Night / 6 :30 PM / KUMC Parking Lot

FEB 16

KUMC Connect Luncheon / 12:15 PM / MU-127

FEB 16

JT Barger Dessert Auction / 6 PM / the Gym

FEB 21 - 23

Unite

FEB 22

Feb Handbell Fest / 3 PM / LakewoodUMC

FEB 25

1 Church Initiative

FEB 26

Ash Wednesday / 7 AM & 7 PM / the Sanctuary

FEB 28 - 29

IF:Kingwood / 6 - 9 PM & 9 AM - 12 / the Gym

March Events Calendar MAR 1

Foundations (First Class) / 8:30 - 9:45 AM / the Loft Conference Room

MAR 13 - 15

Kairos at the Walls / Huntsville Unit

MAR 13 - 15

Jubilee at the Plane State Jail in Dayton

MAR 17

Summer Camp Registration Opens

MAR 19 - 22

Epiphany at Giddings State School

MAR 26 - 29

Kairos / Hightower Unit

MAR 28

Caregiver’s Conference / 8 AM - 12 PM

MAR 29

“Schubert Mass in G” Choir Concert / 4 PM / the Sanctuary

KINGWOODUMC.ORG

NEW HERE? SUNDAYS Why do we gather?

M O R E TO L I F E .

Life is full of ups and downs, triumphs and struggles, and through it all Kingwood United Methodist Church wants to say there is More to Life than what you are experiencing. In Christ there is more than the difficulty you face and there is still more than the status quo. Come and join us as we continue to dream of more for our lives and for this community.

What should I expect?

At Kingwood United Methodist Church you will find a vibrant community of faith that is passionate about loving God and loving our neighbor. This plays out through discipleship in small groups and Bible studies, children and youth gatherings, Christ-centered worship, and intentional missional relationships both near and far. On Sunday mornings you can expect to find a diversity of communities that share the same passion and pursuits. We may gather in different places but we are headed in the same direction.

NEXTSTEP Come learn more about the ministries of the church and discover ways to take next steps in making King wood United Methodist Church your home. Enjoy lunch and conversation with members and leaders of the community.

Register at king woodumc.org /nextstep

M O R E TO L I F E G R O U P S Encouraging one another in faith and love.

Interested in connecting with a group?

Contact john.mcmann@kingwoodumc.org

WEBSITE Visit us at kingwoodumc.org to learn more about our ministries and upcoming events!

You can stream past sermons, donate to our monthly mission offering, and sign up for groups to get more involved at KUMC.

WORSHIP WITH US Traditional Sundays | 8:30, 9:40 & 11 AM Located in the Sanctuary Contemporary Vine Worship Sundays | 9:40 & 11 AM Located in the Gym Student Worship Wednesdays | Source 15 5:30 - 7:30 PM Located in the Loft El Refugio (Spanish Worship) Sundays | 11 AM Located in the Fellowship Hall

KINGWOODUMC.ORG

WELCOME Welcome to KingwoodUMC. A recent blog I follow said that “A Gallup poll reported that 70% of Americans remain disengaged at work (aka they’re phoning it in).”

I often find that reading blogs that do not directly relate to the church often agitate my thinking and disrupt my regular patterns and processes of how/what I am thinking.

But after reading blogs beyond the church, I find myself asking, “how does this apply to the church, the community of faith gathered

by Christ in His love?” Those probing questions lead me to ask not just about community, but what about me? What can I learn about where I am in my faith?

So, I naturally began thinking about how many of us are disengaged, disconnected from God, alienated from each other, and genuinely so detached from life that we find ourselves just going through the motions.

We essentially become functional atheists when we say that our lives depend upon God but then go through life as if God does not exist.

God created us for a relationship with Him and each other, and in this publication, you will find the places to connect, places to get involved, opportunities to get engaged. Our current sermon series, “Putting Down Roots,” is a series about staying engaged with God and each other.

Where might you find More to Life in Christ in this publication? What is God doing in your life? Where is God calling you to get connected to Him and His work through KUMC? Every Blessing,

B.Palmer

DR. BURT PALMER, SR. PASTOR A.K.A. “SHEEPDOG” (JOHN 10:10)

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” - Colossians 2:6-7

2

New Sermon Series: Becoming “Our wants and longings and desires are at the core of our identity...” as James K.A. Smith puts it, or in other words, we are not static, but we are always becoming. Who and what we are becoming has everything to do with the extent to which we are following Jesus. On several occasions, Jesus makes these personal declarations we know as the “I am” statements that have demands on our longings and desires. Lent is an opportunity for the followers of Jesus to be challenged with all that Jesus is and claims to be. Furthermore, Lent is a season to focus on becoming who God has created us to be.

Easter Egg Hunt April 11th | 10 AM KUMC Parking Lot Bounce Houses, Games, & Refreshments! Invite friends, neighbors, & relatives! Bring a basket for your child. *Please bring 12 filled Easter Eggs. Wrapped candy only. No peanut butter or chocolate.

Easter Flower Cross April 12th We will have a flower cross at the sunrise service and at the church

Ash Wednesday Feb 26th | 7 AM & 7 PM the Sanctuary Ash Wednesday, February 26, will be a community worship opportunity offered at two different times. The imposition of ashes and a time of prayer and reflection will take place at 7 AM in the Sanctuary. At 7 PM, we will have a combined worship service in the Sanctuary led by elements of contemporary and traditional teams.

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

April 9th | 7 PM

April 10th | 7 PM the Sanctuary & the Gym

the Sanctuary Maundy Thursday, April 9, will be a combined community worship event in the sanctuary at 7 PM. We will remember the last moments Jesus had with his disciples and the significance of the Passover meal.

Easter at KUMC April 12th | 8:30, 9:40 & 11 AM the Sanctuary

Good Friday, April 10, will have two worship opportunities at 7 PM; Traditional in the Sanctuary and Vine worship in the Gym. Both of these services will be unique in approach and, at the same time, very similar in inviting participants to worship and reflect at the foot of the cross.

Easter in Town Center April 12th | Town Center Park 7 AM: Sunrise Service 10 AM: Service followed by food trucks and lawn games

KUMC’s Connect Luncheon Feb 16th | 12:15 PM Room MU-127 Join us for lunch and learn about connecting and living out your faith as part of the community of KUMC. Created to provide an opportunity for people who are new to KUMC and those who would like to deepen their commitment. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore and learn more about the ministries here, and if you are interested, in membership. If you have questions please email Stacey Sweet at stacey. sweet@kingwoodumc.org or call the church office at 281-258-2137.

Save the Date: SOSS Annual Back to School Fundraiser / Tennis Tournament May 12th Kingwood Country Club The Twelfth Annual Society of St. Stephen Back To School Fundraiser/ Charity Tennis Tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12th, 2020, at Kingwood Country Club.

With your support, we can all make this year’s event a resounding success. Our efforts will help local families and children with much-needed school supplies to start the school year on the right foot, as well as assist with the Margaret S. White Scholarship Fund for area graduating seniors. Even if you don’t play tennis, you can help! Updated sponsorship and donation forms will soon be available on the SOSS tennis website at http://soss-tennis.kingwoodgolf.online/.

MISSIONS kingwoodumc.org/missions MONTHLY MISSION OPPORTUNITY Give online by visiting https://www.kingwoodumc.org/monthly-mission-offering/ or by check.

Please make checks payable to Kingwood United Methodist with Monthly Mission Offering in the memo line.

FEBRUARY The UMARMY is enlisting our help! February’s Monthly Mission Opportunity will be in support of UMARMY, a long-standing youth mission experience that occurs each summer. UMARMY continues the rich tradition of life-changing work for youth and adults who spend a week in a community in Texas, helping those in need. Much of the work is construction, painting, repair type work, but the real focus of UMARMY is Christ and sharing His good news. Clients and small workgroups and times of devotion and worship are some of the most focused sources of encountering Christ during the year. Another strength of the program is the connections we make with Methodist Children’s Home in Waco and Youth for Christ in Houston, organizations that join us with youth and adults. We are expecting students from A Fresh Start as well this summer. Much of the money you donate will go to help pay for student scholarships to attend.

Forgiveness Training This spring, KUMC has scheduled in-depth forgiveness training events. These are times when forgiveness is received and offered.

Profound moments where forgiveness and the love of Christ lead to renewed freedom and hope. And it happens in the walls of Texas prisons. Through the work of Kairos, Epiphany, Jubilee, Bridges to Life, and more, men, women, and boys who have made mistakes are allowed the opportunity to receive life-altering forgiveness. Join a team or join us in prayer on some of the following dates:

March 13-15: Kairos at the Walls/ Huntsville Unit March 13-15: Jubilee at the Plane State Jail in Dayton March 19-22: Epiphany at Giddings State School March 26-29: Kairos at the Hightower Unit April 2-5: Kairos at the Polunsky Unit And if you would like to get a glimpse of the change that occurs, consider coming to a closing worship service. Contact Rev. Chris Harrison for more insight at chris.harrison@kingwoodumc.org.

ADULT MINISTRIES kingwoodumc.org/adults

IF:Kingwood Feb 28th | 6 - 9 PM Feb 29th | 9 AM - 12 PM At IF:Gathering 2020, we are going to focus completely, entirely on the person of Jesus. That is it. This is our hope and we need hope.

Across the earth, across every different country and nation, let’s come together for two days and ignore our feeds, all the noise and the chaos inside of us and listen to the word of God taught.

We’re not in this to grow IF:Gathering, we are in this to grow the kingdom of God. We don’t want you to miss it as we study Romans 8 this year! Let’s stand back and watch what God is going to do.

Our IF:Local this year will be Friday night from 6 - 9:30 PM and Saturday morning from 9 AM - 12 PM. Invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers for this rich time of fellowship and teaching. We will be in the Gym this year (G-building). Register online by visiting kingwoodumc.org/adults

CARE MINISTRIES kingwoodumc.org/care Caregiver’s Conference March 28th | 8 AM - 12 PM Join us for a free Caregiver’s Conference sponsored by CarePartners on Saturday, March 28th, from 8 AM – 12 PM. here at KUMC. You will get connected with local resources and gain valuable information on how to better care for yourself and your loved one. Breakfast will be provided. More details to come on registration and a list of classes that will be offered that day. Respite care will also be available by registration.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about this conference, please feel free to contact Donna Smith at donna.smith@kingwoodumc.org.

GriefShare Classes Mondays starting Feb 10th, 2020 | 10 AM - 12 PM OR 6:30 - 8:30 PM Room E-204 One way KUMC ministers to those who have experienced the death of a loved one is to offer a support group with an emphasis on growing from mourning to joy. This group is called GriefShare, and is a 13-week journey for hope and healing amid grief. We have been doing this program at KUMC for years and have found it to be beneficial to those grieving the loss of their loved one(s).

Classes will be held on Mondays starting February 10th – May 4th. There will be a morning class 10 AM -12 PM and an evening class from 6:30 -8:30 PM. Both classes will be held in Building C, Room E-204. If you plan to attend one of these classes or would like more information about this program, please contact Donna Smith at 281-358-2137 or donna.smith@kingwoodumc.org.

PRAYER MINISTRIES kingwoodumc.org/prayer There are many opportunities to serve in the prayer ministry. If you are interested in joining any of these mentioned, please contact Genie Pearce at eugeniapearce52@msn.com.

1 Church Initiative Feb 25th & March 24th KUMC is committed to a day of prayer the fourth Tuesday of each month as part of the 1 Church Initiative. You can sign up for a 30 - minute slot individually, as a family, a small group, or a Sunday School class. You may pray from home, the workplace, or at the church. A prayer guide will be available for those who participate. Please join other churches in the area as we create a canopy of united, strategic prayer in the community as well as strengthening the “culture of prayer” in each church. Please visit kingwoodumc.org/prayer to sign up.

Prayer Chapel The Prayer Chapel is a quiet place located outside the Sanctuary to pray and reflect during operating hours. Intercessors are available to pray with you on Sunday mornings during each service and offer communion.

Tuesday Morning Prayers Tuesday Mornings | 9:30 - 11:30 AM Every Tuesday morning prayers are lifted up for the Church and our nation.

Join us from 9:30-10:30 AM to pray for KUMC and the worldwide Church. From 10:30-11:30 AM, prayers for the nation, its leaders, and its place in world leadership are offered.

Prayer Garden Memorial or honorary bricks are available to purchase for $50. Forms to purchase can be found in the church office.

Lawn crosses will soon be available for purchase to help support the prayer garden’s upkeep and maintenance.

Prayer Shawls Prayer Shawl ministry exists to provide comforting and prayed-over reminders of God’s love. These shawls are available through our office anytime and the third Sunday of every other month.

STUDENT MINISTRIES kingwoodumc.org/students February Gear Up Theme

Unite

9:40 AM the Loft

Unite is a weekend event where we get to learn about Christ and help our community!

During Unite, our students stay in host homes with groups according to their age and gender.

During the day we do a service project, play games, worship, and grow deeper in our relationship with Christ.

LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS: THE WAY GOD DESIGNED FRIENDSHIPS AND DATING The messages that Scripture and the world tell us about relationships and dating couldn’t be more different. This month we will be diving into how Scripture leads and guides us in this journey.

Week 1 – Small Group Sunday Week 2 - 6-12th together in Loft (God’s Design) Week 3 – Boys and Girls Split (How to view and treat the other) Week 4 – 4 way split MS/HS/Boys/Girls (Biblical Practice of Dating)

Feb 21st - 23rd

Ash Wednesday Feb 26th | 5:30 PM the Loft We will be attending Ash Wednesday service with our church, but we will have games in the Loft before service! Join us at 5:30 PM for games and then we will join the church for service at 7:00 PM.

March Gear Up Theme 9:40 AM the Loft

JT Barger Dessert Auction Feb 16th | 6 PM the Gym Our annual JT Barger dessert auction raises money for scholarships for our KUMC students!

These scholarships go towards college tuition and for student ministry events. All of our desserts are homemade and delicious! Come buy your favorite desserts or try something new!

TOUGH QUESTIONS We all have lingering questions about God and how he relates to us. God welcomes questions, so instead of letting those questions turn into doubts, let them turn into conversations that can lead to a greater faith. During this month we will field 6 different crowd sourced tough questions and process them together in our Gear Up Classes.

Our Newest Student Ministry Associate Youth Pastors Blake de Llacer

Megan Hallof

Blake de Llacer comes to Kingwood from Mobile, Alabama, where he was born and raised.

He graduated from the University of South Alabama this past December with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a Cardiopulmonary focus. As a young man, Blake felt God’s call into ministry, and it was during a summer working at SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology) that he was lead into youth ministry.

Megan is from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2018 with a degree in Human Development and Family Science with a Youth & Family Ministry specialty and a minor in Religious Studies. Megan married her husband, Wesley, in May 2019 and then moved to Atascocita in June. Megan started working in the Student Ministry at KUMC in July 2019.

Blake has served as a summer intern here at KUMC for the past two summers. Our students are happy to have Blake here in a full-time role serving as Associate Youth Pastor. Blake enjoys all things football, so be sure to say “Go Auburn” when you see him!

Megan felt called into ministry in high school during her time in youth group. Because of the impact that her student ministry had on her life, she wants to give that opportunity to others.

Megan has done three summer internships in children’s and youth ministry, a summer of camp ministry, and now works in the student ministry department at KUMC.

STUDENTS

STUDENTS

Keeping Kids Safe in a Digital Age Feb 12th & 19th | 6:15 - 7:45 Woodridge Baptist Church (G Entrance) We are excited to announce a 2-week community-wide worship and awareness event at Woodridge Baptist Church. Our awareness seminar is based on the “safe use of technology.” Technology is not going anywhere and screen time is only increasing in students’ lives. It is a very isolating place for students, and in isolation, students are left vulnerable. We are partnering with an incredible anti-human trafficking organization called Street Grace to bring awareness and training to parents and students in this rapidly evolving area of our world.

February 12 - Pizza Available - Adults | 6:15-7:45 | Street Grace Seminar @ Woodridge Gym (G Entrance) - Students | 6:15-7:45 | UNITE student worship night with WBC, CTK, KUMC @

Woodridge Student Center (G Entrance)

February 19 - Pizza Available - Students | 6:15-7:45 | UNITE Students Street Grace Seminar @ Woodridge

Student Center (G Entrance) - Adults | no program At KUMCstudents we are dedicated to partnering with families to disciple students in holiness, the pursuit of loving God and loving others and sometimes that means seeking justice for others. Join us even if you don’t have kids in the program. This should be fun and informative!

STUDENTS

Foundations Sundays, starting March 1st | 8:30 -9:45 AM | the Loft

Foundations is a 10-week Confirmation class for students in 9th – 12th grades that have not had the opportunity to experience confirmation previously. It will begin on Sunday, March 1st. The class will take place every Sunday (except March 8th and April 12th) from 8:30-9:45 AM in the Loft Conference Room (upstairs in the K Building). Students will be confirmed on Sunday, May 24th. Please register online for this class by Feb. 27th. For more details or answers to any questions in regard to Confirmation please email Sarah Carter at sarah.carter@kingwoodumc.org.

Confirmation in the UMC is a time of intentional preparation. It gives students the opportunity to reflect on the basic tenants of our faith and gives them a safe environment to ask questions and wrestle with their faith.

Confirmation helps youth to investigate and understand what it means to become a fully devoted follow of Jesus Christ, and to make their first public profession of faith. During this time students “make firm” what has gone before: God’s prevenient grace, baptism, the teaching and witness of parents and other persons of faith, the teachings and life together in the church and the student’s own growing faith.

“Foundations was an incredible program that I got to experience with my sister, as we both got confirmed together through the program. It was awesome getting to learn more about the church that I am a part of and what we believe here at KUMC. I am so thankful for this program because I was able to learn more about God, and grow closer to Him through my foundations class.”

- Louise Plowman

“What I have learned in confirmation is God is my Lord and Savior. It is important to me because it means I am confirmed through the Lord himself for all eternity. He is my path and future through my life.”

- Travis Lipp

MUSIC MINISTRIES kingwoodumc.org/music Feb Handbell Fest Feb 22nd | 3 PM Lakewood United Methodist Church Imagine one hundred handbell ringers working on handbell music, learning new techniques, connecting with other church and school handbell choirs, and led by a nationally recognized composer of handbell music. This scenario exists in Houston at the Greater Houston Handbell Association’s annual Feb Fest handbell event.

This year Feb Fest will be held at Lakewood United Methodist Church (on Louetta) on February 22, 2020. The workshop continues all day for the ringers. The public is invited to attend an afternoon concert at 3 PM. It will be like nothing you’ve ever heard before!

The King’s Ringers handbell choir from Kingwood United Methodist Church will be a part of this amazing event. Our handbell ringers are diligently rehearsing the music, which includes “Ah, Holy Jesus,” “The First Noel,” “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” “Majestic Alleluia,” and “There’s Something About That Name.” There will also be featured music by other local handbell choirs. We invite you to join us at this unique musical celebration.

MUSIC

“Schubert Mass in G” Choir Concert March 29 | 4 PM the Sanctuary It goes without saying that choirs are meant to sing. Since that is the case, then certainly church choirs are expected to sing the appropriate works of the church. One such example is the Schubert Mass in G. It is a famous work among church and community groups since it is enjoyable to sing and delightful to hear. The combined forces of Sola Gratia and the Chancel Choir will perform this work, along with other music selections, on Sunday, March 29, at 4 PM in the Sanctuary. The podium will be shared between Sola Gratia Director, Meredith Koerner, and Director of Music and Worship Arts, Matthew Robinson. Organist Sheila Childers and pianist Sergei Kuznetsoff will be featured in the concert, as well as a string ensemble.

Schubert has been compared in talent to Mozart, having demonstrated musical gifts at an early age. He composed this work at the age of eighteen. Like Mozart, he died too young—at the age of thirty-one of typhoid fever. Today Schubert is

considered one of the outstanding composers of Western classical music.

Schubert’s Mass is one of the most popular settings of the liturgy of the mass. Author David Forrest writes: “The G major Mass D 167 was written in six days in March 1815 but not published until 1846—eighteen years after his death. He returned to the work later in his life when he made some revisions. It was originally scored for soprano, tenor, bass, mixed chorus (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), strings and organ.

Harmonically the work is organized by each movement, alternating between G major and D major. The contribution of the vocal solos is modest as the overall character of the work is devotional and contemplative. The work is shaped by the composer’s interpretation of the text. Accordingly, this setting of the Mass is a personal affirmation of the prayers and written to be performed as part of the liturgy.”

We hope that you will invite friends and family to attend this excellent performance of choral music at KUMC.

YOUNG FAMILY MINISTRIES kingwoodumc.org/yfm

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