May 2015
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McFarlin UMC PO Box 6390 Norman, OK 73070 www.mcfarlinumc.org 22
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end." (NLT)
This sense of eternal as immediate is especially powerful when we see it in encounters with the children and youth of McFarlin. But surely our young people and our investment in them are not valuable solely in some distant or future possibilities. No, what God does in and through our children is happening now, in McFarlin classrooms, hallways, pews and prayer circles, in mission work and in gifts of song and music.
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shuse@mcfarlinumc.org 405-321-3484 ext. 116
We read it, we write it, we say it: Changing Lives that Change the World. But sometimes I wonder if we fully realize the magnitude of our mission and the eternal nature of our calling. I wonder if we grasp the fact that God is using us right in this minute, and in each moment, to make this world more closely resemble His Kingdom.
We cannot see or understand all that God has done, is doing or, certainly, will do, but the author of Ecclesiastes tells us that God has placed eternity in our very hearts. Eternity! We act as if it means "far-reaching," but it actually refers to the duration of something, the ongoing nature of something, its always-existing quality. Eternity is here now, in today's encounters, in this moment's choices and in the love present in this very second.
Let us know!
Sandy Huse, Communications Director
Dear Church,
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PLUS... DON’T MISS ALL THIS
Changing Lives that Change the World
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10 VBS 2015
14 Exploring Wesley’s Way 15 Teach Us to Pray
Jesus himself told us we should actively seek the coming of God's Kingdom when he taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done." God's Kingdom is coming. It is coming through our spring children's choir programs and multi-state summer choir tour. It is coming through the learning and questioning of the eighth-grade confirmation class that will culminate with dozens of teens claiming their faith as their own. God's Kingdom is coming in the calling and plans being identified in our church-wide Vision 2020 process, and in the hours of volunteer work that transform McFarlin into Vacation Bible School central for more than 300 children each June. God's Kingdom is coming in the cross-country youth mission trips that will take our teens to serve forgotten families and challenged children. God's eternity stretches out in love to encourage families through our Children's Day Out and Summer Spectrum programs. It's understandable that we often think of children and youth as our future -- they hold such promise and potential. But if we understand God's sense of eternity, then our children and youth are also our present, a very immediate and powerful (and sometimes noisy!) reminder that God's Kingdom comes, indeed! I hope you enjoy this month's issue of ALIVE; it is our story, and it is the beautiful, vibrant story of the kingdom of earth becoming like the Kingdom of Heaven. All Blessings, Linda Harker
www.mcfarlinumc.org
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Three Key Areas Identified
Vision 2020 Draft Plan Begins to Take Shape
Taking into account all of the responses, considering our unique strengths as a church and factoring in potential opportunities, the Vision Team believes that there are three core goal areas to which McFarlin is being strategically led: WORSHIP, FAITH DEVELOPMENT, and MISSIONS. Worship is at the very heart of both who we are as a church and why we gather together each week. The purpose of focusing on WORSHIP as a goal is to reach more people for Christ, increasing our overall worship attendance. Our focus on FAITH DEVELOPMENT as a core goal is multi-purposed: to recruit, train and send out lay leaders for ministry; to expand and develop a multi-faceted approach to Senior Adult ministries; and to increase the number of opportunities for faith development.
An Update from the Vision 2020 Team It’s been six weeks since our last Vision 2020 update, and our Vision Team has been hard at work, having met five different times to pray, research, discern and develop a draft of a five-year strategic plan for our church. We have taken all of the responses from our January All-Church Conversation along with the online feedback you have provided, categorized it by ministry type and area, grouped and weighted similar responses, and have seen some specific and exciting patterns emerge. From all of your responses, we were able to identify 18 main categories: Accessibility, Diversity and Special Needs; Care Ministries, Support Services, and Health & Wellness; Children and Youth; College; Communications; Connection; Discipleship; Facilities; Fellowship; Generosity; Hospitality & Welcoming; Leadership; Local Outreach; Missions; Music; Senior Adults; Church Planting, Satellite Campuses, and Additional Worship Services; and Worship. Once responses were grouped, there were a few notes of significance: • Children and Youth, Missions, and Discipleship were the three categories most often mentioned by respondents.
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The single most mentioned response was related to the need for more facilities to serve our Children and Youth areas.
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Respondents voiced a passion for growing our worship services and providing more discipleship opportunities like Sunday school classes, growth groups, and other Bible studies.
MISSIONS has historically been a key part of McFarlin’s identity, and so our purpose in concentrating on this goal is to: enhance the lives of at-risk, underserved, and special needs children and youth; expand the scope of the McFarlin Food Pantry and Utilities Assistance program; and to increase our focus on changing lives in and through our mission partnerships.
Next Steps for Vision 2020 Draft Plan In coming weeks, our Vision Team will meet with you to share a draft five-year plan and discuss potential strategies for how we as a church can accomplish these goals. But more important, once again we will seek your crucial feedback, your collective wisdom and your inspired creativity. Through Town Hall meetings; gathering with Sunday school classes, circles and small groups; and meeting with our ministry teams and leadership groups this summer, Vision Team members will further evaluate and refine the draft plan. It continues to be an exciting time in the life of our church, and we hope that you would join us in prayer for how and where God is leading us in Changing Lives that Change the World over these next five years. Blessings,
Linda Harker, Senior Pastor 44
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Karen Hill, Vision Team Chair
Michael Andres, Executive Minister www.mcfarlinumc.org
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From Taylor Concialdi, Elementary Children’s Director, and Amy Watson, Children’s Day Out Director:
When school is out for the summer, Norman area families seek opportunities for children to continue learning and growing, and McFarlin offers rich programs to answer these needs. The Summer Children’s Day Out program welcomes children from six months to six years old for a part-time schedule, and our Summer Spectrum program is a full-time opportunity for children leaving kindergarten through fifth grade. Both programs take advantage of great summer weather to let children discover, explore and create outside. Kids form new relationships and foster old ones, all while learning about the love of Christ! Throughout summer last year, the teachers of Summer Spectrum witnessed children growing and living into their identities. Children of all ages developed beautiful, lasting relationships over the course of just a couple of months. One of the most precious bonds was between the older children (fourth and fifth graders) and the younger children (kindergarteners and first graders). The older children quickly took initiative to become mentors of the group of 40 “little” kids. As Chris, a Summer Spectrum teacher and mother who enrolled her two children in the program, said, “They created the kind of community you want to belong in.” One day, one of the older girls even went
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up to Evie, Chris’ daughter, with a bag of clothes and said, “I was cleaning out my closet this weekend and thought of you!” Evie still wears those gifts from the older girl and talks about the friendship that formed between them. The selflessness, kindness and gentleness of those older children made a lasting impression on not only the younger children but the parents and staff of Summer Spectrum as well. Summer Children’s Day Out, our part-time program for younger children, introduces little ones to their peers and to Jesus and the Bible, but it also explores numbers, shapes and colors through sensory activities. Summer Spectrum, the full-time elementary program, lets children discover Jesus, the Bible and Christ-like leadership, while they create games, go on field trips and take ownership of fun activities such as mini-golf tournaments and Olympics. Weaving together learning, playing and friendships all in a loving Christian environment, McFarlin’s summer programs offer an ideal way for children to make special summer memories. If you know a family that could benefit from summer programs at McFarlin, please encourage them to call. For information about Summer Children’s Day Out, contact Amy Watson, Children’s Day Out Director, at awatson@mcfarlinumc.org. For more information about Summer Spectrum, contact Taylor Concialdi, Elementary Children’s Director, at tconcialdi@mcfarlinumc.org.
www.mcfarlinumc.org
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Students to Declare Faith After Months of Study... From Scott Meier, Director of Student Ministries:
For most of us who grew up in the United Methodist Church, confirmation was a key building block in our spiritual development and in our relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. I am blessed to be part of a church that places great importance on confirmation and the many opportunities it offers eighth grade students in their walk with Christ. McFarlin’s confirmation experience is a 14-week series that couples small groups of students with a mentor to explore topics ranging from “Who is Jesus?” to “Do you have to go to church to be a Christian?” Each week students and mentors hear a speaker, and then together they explore and discuss further the speaker’s topic and related issues of faith and life. This year’s speakers have included Senior Pastor Linda Harker, Associate Pastors Tino Herrera and Shyloe O’Neal, Michael Andres and me.
“Confirmands were challenged to consider in whom and in what they put their trust.” In early April, confirmands headed to Bridgeport Camp and Retreat Center, a beautiful location just outside of Denton, TX, for a two-night retreat designed to help the kids explore the role trust plays in their faith. We challenged confirmands to consider in whom and in what they put their trust. Confirmation is a time for students to ultimately consider putting their trust in Jesus Christ, and with that decision come implications for their lives that they need to weigh thoughtfully. A key part of the retreat involved the high elements of a ropes course, a fun and hands-on activity that helped students think about and experience trust. Walking the confirmation path can be intense and challenging, and we are blessed that 12 dedicated, loving small group leaders have walked every step of the way with the confirmands. Blessing McFarlin with their confirmation leadership this year are: Ed Cook, Jason Dixon, Daphne Fix, Christina Forshee, Oliver Franklin, Brock Gibbins, Chris Huckabay, Grace Karber, Ann Melton, Sarah Sanger, Caryn Short and Collin Short. As we near Confirmation Sunday, May 10, we would really appreciate your prayers for the following students who are set to be confirmed in all three worship services:
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Allison Austin, Slaten Ballard, Abby Belusko, Dominic Bonocore, Chase Bowman, Kaylee Boyer, David Bruce, Quinn Caldwell, Katie Coggins, Anna Denison, Kelci Eley, Avery Ernsberger, Andrew Gafford, Averie Gibbins, Isabel Allen-Gough, Sam Horning, Caitlin Hubbard, Jase Jarlsberg, Haley Johnson, Valerie Joplin, Bo Kemmet, Jared Kepner, Makila Laird, Claire LaReau, Connor Leeviraphan, Karsten Maack, Miguel Mazzarri, Bayleigh Miller, Quin Mumford, Drew Murray, Owen Myers, Preston Nelson, Spencer Palk, Reese Phillips, Gray Ringer, Amelia Saliba, Ashlea Stewart, Tate Tettleton, Addy Thornton, Brian Varva, Peyton Vinyard, Luke Webb, Daphne West and Rob Wolfinbarger. www.mcfarlinumc.org
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Hundreds to encounter Jesus at Vacation Bible School!
From Taylor Concialdi, Elementary Children’s Director, and Kristy Varva, Early Childhood Director:
What do you get when you combine a couple hundred creative teen and adult volunteers with a few hundred energetic young children on a summer evening? You get passionate prayers, silly songs, heaps of love and life-changing memories. You get McFarlin Vacation Bible School (VBS)! This summer's theme, “Everest: Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power,” promises to offer four nights of worship, stories, music, outdoor antics and themed snacks, all in the name of learning about the love of Jesus. We'll gather in Fenn Hall from June 21 through June 24, starting at 6:00 PM and ending at 8:30 PM. Each child will spend the evening with the same small group shepherded by caring volunteers, so they will get to build friendships and feel settled as they learn and play together. In recent years, hundreds of children from all over Norman and surrounding towns have flocked to McFarlin for this event, each taking away a more personal and vivid understanding of how God made and cares for them. But don’t take our word for it, read for yourself what others had to say about their favorite VBS memories: “Bradley, my son, came home after VBS and emptied his piggy bank to buy shoes for children that didn’t have any.” - Patty Banks “I loved watching the kids at each prayer station taking it so seriously. The children were shredding their sins, writing prayers for loved ones on the prayer wall, and writing words of faith on the dry erase board.” - Kendal Stegmann “A couple of years ago we let the kids make their own Oobleck. After five rotations coming through, the Marketplace classroom was a corn starch disaster area - so many faith lessons in one activity making a substance that acts like a solid and a liquid.” - Chris Oehrlein “I love watching the kids sing and dance and praise Jesus!!! They get so into it and I love they are starting young!” - Casey Abshure
To register a child from your family or to volunteer, visit www.mcfarlinumc.org. We hope to see you there! 10 10
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Gear Up for VBS New Friends Amazing Experiments Glacier Games Lip-smacking Snacks Surprising Adventures Incredible Music Dates: June 21-24 6 to 8:30 p.m. McFarlin United Methodist Church
www.mcfarlinumc.org www.mcfarlinumc.org
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u sic can lead children to Jesus for a lifetime From Libby Waldenville, Director of Children’s Music and Handbells:
Recently a parent called me to sign up her daughter for Children’s Choir. Of course we always are grateful to have new children, and as I began talking to this caller, I realized she had visited our church only once or twice. She told me how her daughter’s classmate at school had invited her to come to this “awesome church” with a children’s choir program! That my friends is how you spread the gospel! McFarlin’s Children’s Choirs have long shared their musical talents to enhance our worship services. A song will stay in a child’s mind long after a memorized quote or Bible verse fades. If they sing Bible stories, I promise you, children will never forget them! This spring and summer, we have many ways to invite and engage Norman children in learning about God through music. Since the fall, our Children’s Choir program, serving kindergarten through fifth grade students, has met on Wednesday afternoons. Volunteers drive church vans to pick up most of our 100 singers from elementary schools each week. After a short snack time, children attend choir rehearsals and Discovery Time, a dynamic program of Christian education.
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On Wednesday, May 6, at 7:00 PM in Fenn Hall, we will present our spring musical, “The Sailors’ Bible” by Tom Long
and Allen Pote. Elementary students will depict three stories from the Bible: Noah and the Great Flood, Jonah and the Great Fish, and Paul’s Shipwreck. The writers of the Bible frequently used the ocean as a symbol for the chaos of life that is beyond our control. Only the presence of God can bring peace in the “storms” of life. Each of the three stories in this work embodies this theme with a childlike playfulness and generous measure of humor.
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.” Psalm 100: 1-2 In late summer, our Children’s Choir Camp (C3) will welcome all children entering kindergarten through fifth grade for singing, Bible stories, arts and crafts, recorders, drumming, dancing, crocheting, bell ringing and lots of fun and fellowship. We will gather each morning, from July 27 through July 31, and we will give our final concert at noon on Friday to show family and friends all we have done during the week. Applications can be found online at www.mcfarlinumc.org. We still need enthusiastic volunteers for C3, so if you are interested in leading or shepherding, please contact Libby Waldenville, lwaldenville@mcfarlinumc.org. There is nothing more heartwarming than listening to children sing God’s praises! Whether they are waving palm branches on Palm Sunday, holding banners of loved ones that have gone before us on All Saints' Day, holding their candle for the Candlelight Carol Service, or singing the stories of Jesus, they are God’s children, and we can’t help but feel the love of Jesus when we hear them raise their voices in praise. www.mcfarlinumc.org
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The Wesleyan Way: A Faith That Matters
An eight-week sermon series & group study Sundays, June 7 – July 26 The Christian life has been described as a journey, a race, a pilgrimage and, originally, as The Way. If you’ve ever wondered where your path is headed, how long will it take, or if you have what the journey requires, then join fellow seekers as we support, encourage and challenge each other to view the Bible through John Wesley’s lens. Make plans now for your Sunday school class, home group or other small group to join this study as our pastors guide us with related sermons. In addition, Michael Andres, Executive Minister, will lead a Wesleyan Way growth group during the Sunday school hour. For information or group study materials, please contact Michael Andres at mandres@mcfarlinumc.org or 321-3484.
“ When I first started learning the Wesleyan Way, it gave me a framework to resolve some of the biggest and most important questions of my life.” - Bishop Scott J. Jones, Great Plains Annual Conference Author, The Wesleyan Way
May 17-31 "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." These are some of the best known words of our faith. We say them in worship, and they are so ingrained that often we recite them without thinking. Yet Jesus taught his followers to pray in this way, at the center of the Sermon of the Mount, creating a foundation for a life of discipleship. Over three weeks of worship, we’ll return to these powerful words to reflect, share, and embody them anew. If you or your small group would like to take the next step and study The Lord's Prayer or ways for strengthening your prayer life, here are some recommended books and studies that will be available in The Library during this sermon series.
Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Philip Yancey
Praying with John Wesley Daniel deSilva 14 14
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Lord, Teach Us: The Lord’s Prayer & the Christian Life William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas
Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home Richard J. Foster
Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God Timothy Keller www.mcfarlinumc.org
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McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church 419 S University at Apache, PO Box 6390 Norman, OK 73070 405.321.3484 www.mcfarlinumc.org
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SUNDAY WORSHIP Sanctuary Worship 8:30 & 10:55 AM Lifeline Worship in Fenn Hall 10:55 AM Sunday School for All Ages 9:40 AM