ISSUE 10 | JUNE & JULY 2016 EDITION
THE WOODLANDS UMC
IN THIS
ISSUE:
REVEREND 2 MEET MICHELLE MANUEL
The new Loft Associate Pastor shares her journey to wellness.
FOCUS ON: PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL WELLNESS A SEASON OF SABBATH I hope you are having a relaxing summer so far. If you’re like me, you’re scheduling extra leisure time with family and friends. Not only am I suggesting you to take some time to relax, I’m urging you to do it! You and I are meant for seasons of work, but we are also meant for seasons of rest. This necessary rhythm of life was modeled by none other than Jesus himself. In Scripture we see a pattern where Jesus retreats for rest and time alone with God following intense moments in His ministry. (How often do we retreat and rest in the presence of God? Maybe not often enough.) The Hebrew word “Sabbath” translates to “rest.” The word “recreation” is of French origin that means “to make something new.” This issue of The Point focuses on our everyday journey towards physical and spiritual wellness.
While it may be possible to make this journey alone, the support of a community can lead to a truly transformative experience. The Woodlands UMC’s Recreation Ministry offers opportunities for all ages to enjoy God’s creation in community and to challenge ourselves physically. If, as the Bible tells us, Jesus lives in us and through us, shouldn’t we strive daily to keep His temple in good mental, physical and spiritual shape?
AT HEART 4 WILD A new recreation ministry helps men get connected with God and each other in the great outdoors.
LESSONS 7 CHARACTER FOR KIDS What children learn through Upward Sports stays with them on and off the playing field.
Of special note in this issue is an article featuring Michelle Manuel, our new associate pastor for The Loft worship community. She brings such a strong testimony of how God worked through a community to transform her life as she sought wellness. I know she will serve as a source of inspiration and friendship when she joins our pastoral staff on July 1. Your Pastor,
Ed Robb
STAY FIT 10 SENIORS Fitness classes help seniors stay physically active and connected to the church community.
NEWS 10 CHURCH Births, Deaths, New Members, Foundation Gifts
A JOURNEY TOWARDS WELLNESS THE POWER OF A TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY By Nathan Nix
2
When Michelle Manuel (pronounced like “manual,” as in the type you read) and her husband, Quentin, move to The Woodlands so she can start her new job as The Loft’s Associate Pastor on July 1, it will mark the next chapter in a life that is testimony to the patient, enduring and transformative power of Jesus Christ. A native of Midland, Texas, Michelle first received her ministerial calling in 2007 while she was on a retreat with the Wesley Foundation. At the time, though, the Texas Tech exercise and sport science student — and certified personal trainer — wasn’t in the sort of shape we’d typically think of as usable to the Lord. “I was struggling with self-destructive obsessions related to health and wellness that were threatening to derail my life,” she says, “I could not believe that the Lord had called me into ministry.” Like numerous college students across the world, Michelle struggled with insecurity related to her body image and substance abuse. This led to a destructive relationship to food, exercise and herself that took its toll on her physical, mental and spiritual well-being. While she initially refused her calling, she eventually chose to accept it and switched her major to psychology. All along, she continued to struggle with her life-sapping secrets. Even as she applied to Asbury Theological Seminary, her life was a mess. Still, God was there pushing her towards His abundant life. “He showed me how to get help,” Michelle says, “Literally the night before I drove to seminary in 2010, I found myself in a recovery meeting for the first time. God called me deeper into His love. It was miraculous. It’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me. But it’s amazing.” Though monumental, the moment was only the beginning of a journey towards physical and spiritual wellness that would continue to have peaks and valleys. While she’d left behind her academic pursuit of fitness, upon arrival at seminar y, Michelle convinced the school to let her start the first Zumba class in Wilmore, Kentucky and even to support her in pursuing licensure.
As her passion for fitness resurfaced, so did her obsession with body image. She began to both work out and diet to extreme degrees. Unlike her undergraduate years, though, she was now in a community where that wasn’t the norm. “ I had a lot of people around me who were questioning my extreme behavior,” she says. “You are praised and exalted if you can get thin in college. At seminary that’s not the case. Women are not trying to physically disappear at seminary. And when I was doing that, I stuck out like a sore thumb.” Nine months into her Asbur y experience, Michelle knew that while she was technically beating some old addictions, something was still wrong. As a result, she sought professional help and was supported by loved ones and friends. “I was like, ‘I don’t know what sobriety is, but this is not it,’” she says. “Starving myself and being constantly obsessed with food and working out, all of that. That was not life-giving, and that was a deep conviction that I had. So I was able to reach out and ask for help.” Michelle came to understand that she was entering a deeper level of following Christ through leaning into the uphill battle of caring for her physical body. “It was just a daily choice,” she says. “It was sometimes a moment-by-moment choice. It was an orienting toward, ‘What is life? What is wellness? What is fitness?’ I was really questioning what those things were. Because starving, working out four hours a day, eating only 400 calories — that’s not wellness. Taking diet pills? That’s not wellness. All these different things that the fitness industry tells us — there are just so many lies.” Since that journey couldn’t mean completely giving up basic necessities like food and physical activity, it became about learning to pursue them in a healthy way and finding a life-giving balance. “I can abstain from different substances, but I can’t stay away from food and I can’t stay away from my body,” she says. “That ’s what I was trying to do all along.” Her commitment now, both in her own life and as a personal trainer, is “chasing after Life with a capital L.”
“Jesus talks about the abundant life, that we are fully aware of who we are, we are fully aware of what we are, and ultimately we’re fully aware of the image of God that is within us,” she says. “We all have this baggage and this stuff that comes with us, and if we can let the Lord heal that, and if we can come to terms with it, that’s where the abundant life is.” Michelle says she loves that part of her ministry at The Loft will involve being with people in “the mud of their life” and partnering with them as they walk into abundant life. “I’m not about doing ‘church as usual,’” she says. “I am not about walking into a church and going about like nothing’s wrong, business as usual. I’m not about playing that game. I’m ready to be real. I think this coming generation is ready to be real. The people inside the church are ready to connect with one another in the ‘mud’ of their life.” She’s also excited that Bert Snyder, T h e Lof t ’s Le a d P a s to r, s h a re s this commitment to honest y and transparency and is seeking to make that the culture at the church. “I’m a product of a transformative community,” she says. “I’m a product of first and foremost my college ministry, which was a transformative community, and then also what’s going on in the seminary here for me. So I believe that when we live amongst other believers, we cannot stay the same and we do not stay the same. We are changed. So I love that he is onboard and fully running after helping others get into a transformative community like that.” •
FOLLOW MICHELLE fb.com/michelle.matijevich @dreadedpastor
STAY CONNECTED TO THE LOFT COMMUNITY fb.com/loftchurch @loftchurch @loftchurch
Find pastoral care, counseling and recovery support at thewoodlandsumc.org/help 3
A PLACE WHERE MEN CAN BE MEN RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT CHALLENGE AND CONNECT By Nathan Nix
In our modern world, where the average person spends eight to ten hours a day sitting in a chair and staring at a computer screen, it can be easy to feel disconnected from God’s creation — both other people and nature. Despite growing up in a hunting and fishing family, The Woodlands UMC member Chisum Cooke recognized this separation and decided to be intentional about spending time with God in nature. In March of 2015, he began to prepare for an elk hunt. “I wanted to recharge and reconnect to Christ through the experience,” he says. “I knew the only way to have the strength and determination and discipline it was gonna take to be in shape for (the hunt), to be prepared for it and to make it through the mental and physical grind was to make sure that I had my spiritual house in order, which was something I had been really feeling I needed to do anyway.” Chisum says it was a transformational journey. Focusing daily on the Lord made him a better husband, father and 4
leader of his family of five, but it also taught him to follow God’s will. When he returned from the hunt, Chisum felt the Lord calling him into some form of ministry, although he wasn’t sure if it would be in a formal role or as a layperson. He reached out to Rev. Jason J. Nelson, The Woodlands UMC’s Pastor of Connecting Ministry, who, in addition to encouraging Chisum to be obedient to the Lord, pointed him towards John Eldridge’s book Wild at Heart. In it, Eldridge explores how modern society has suppressed men’s Godgiven natural instincts to get outdoors, explore nature and seek adventure. Fittingly, it opens with the author chasing an elk through the mountains. Chisum knew that not only was he onto something, but that surely he wasn’t the only man feeling disconnected from God, nature and the men in his own church community. Jason agreed. “He said that was something our church was missing. While Quest has been a huge success and really challenges men intellectually and spiritually in a very masculine way, Jason felt the church
could really build upon that by offering some sort of opportunity for men to come together and challenge ourselves more physically by really engaging all of our senses,” Chisum says. “We talked about how some of the best bonding experiences men can have are a fishing trip or anything that involves physical activity or the outdoors.” Jason, who oversees the church’s Recreation Ministry, put him in touch with Garrett Ritter, The Woodlands UMC’s Athletic Director. Garrett and Jason had recently met to revisit the vision of Recreation Ministry — “Fostering Christcentered relationships through sports and fitness” — and to analyze whether the department was moving towards that goal. They discussed ways it could be more outreach-minded across the board with the variety of programs it offers for men, women and children. “The potential for outreach and bringing people in the doors is so great there,” Jason says. “Worship is great outreach, because it draws people in, but they’re kind of already looking for a church, right? That’s why they come to worship;
whereas in recreation, they’re just looking for a sport. They might not even consider Christianity at all. So it’s even more evangelistic.” Jason and Garrett, along with Recreation Ministry staff like Sandra Huskey and Tyler Little, had already been hard at work creating fitness programs that could double as outreach opportunities. For men, specifically, this included PickUp with the Pastor (basketball) and Flag Football. “When it comes to men … we like doing things that encourage bringing out competition, but in a Christ-centered way,” Jason says. “Things where we can have fun together, build relationships, focus on physical activity, but also then being able to tame our soul by placing ourselves in positive environments where we can make sure that we don’t lose our temper.” With all this in mind, Chisum and Garrett met and hatched a plan to get men outdoors together more often. They decided to start small with a simple outing. In late April, about 15 men headed to Huntsville State Park for what they jokingly refer to as a “glamping” (glamorous camping) trip. Ken Logsdon, a former Army Airborne Ranger and Vietnam Vet, was one of those guys seeking a deeper connection with God and his fellow men. “There was nothing intimidating about the weekend at all,” Ken says, praising the event. “There wasn’t even a roll call in the morning.” Given that they didn’t know what to expect, experience-wise, from this first group, Chisum and Garrett intentionally designed the weekend to balance being outdoors without being too physically challenging. “Part of the reason we ‘glamped’ just up the road at Huntsville for our first event was because we didn’t want to limit the folks that would have interest to just the hardcore outdoorsmen,” Chisum says. Going forward, they hope to alternate between events that are fairly easy and opportunities that are more challenging. “We want to make sure that it always has that inviting feeling,” Chisum says. “I hope that at every event we have at least one guy, if not a half a dozen guys, that have never done whatever
we’re doing that day, whether it be a clay pigeon shoot or a trail hike or a flyfishing trip or whatever. And I think that ties into our calling as Christians to be fishers of men. We’re not supposed to take 20 guys from this church that are really experienced in the outdoors and leave 20 guys who have never done that before and might not have a church.” Shortly after he and Garrett started planning the campout, Chisum met Brandon Smith, a kindred spirit who was also seeking community within the church and an opportunity to be a servant leader. Brandon gladly joined the campout’s “planning committee.” In addition to opportunities to hike, fish and play games like bocce ball and spike ball, Brandon created a few team challenges that engaged the men’s innate competitive nature. For example, after completing several mini challenges that required skills like strength, stamina and focus, the teams were awarded cardboard, a knife, and duct tape. At the end, each team was instructed to work together to create a cardboard boat that would actually float in the nearby water. “The guys had everything organized,” Ken says, “and each event got tied in with the Gospel.” At night, the guys gathered around the campfire and shared stories, struggles and advice. Chisum and Ken agree that those are the moments that really separate this type of experience from something that is open to both genders or even just to guys of all ages. “Part of the philosophy is that it’s a place where men can really be men, where they can be dudes,” Chisum says. “But there’s still gonna be a Godly focus on what we’re doing. There are a million things out there for families. We have to have some things that are about
growing an adult male community. There are conversations we’ll have among adult males — guys who are husbands, fathers, grandfathers, people employed in the workplace, etc. — that are really challenging and that you maybe can’t have in front of a 14-year-old.” That said, everyone involved agreed that they’d like at least one of the quarterly events to be family-friendly so that the guys can introduce their new circle of friends to their significant others and families and share God’s gift of the outdoors. In fact, one of the most rewarding things from the weekend is that the guys were able to lay the foundation for friendships that will extend beyond the trip itself. Many, including some church staff and leaders who are heavily involved at the The Woodlands UMC on a daily basis, agreed that in a church the size of The Woodlands UMC, it’s hard for anyone — but especially men — to break out of their comfort zone and connect with others. “I’d been coming to this church since 2012 and hadn’t really made any friends at the church,” Chisum says. “This was the first time I could think of where I bumped into somebody in the hall that I knew. As soon as I saw him, I beelined across a sea of people and said, ‘David, hey!’ We spent two days together, doing some of these activities together, some of these challenges we put together, and it really helped imprint that person on my mind and get to know him a little bit. All the guys on the trip agreed that making connections beyond a casual acquaintance is a big part of why everybody wants to go.” • Find more information on the next men’s trip at thewoodlandsumc.org/recreation 5
6
PLAYING WITH PURPOSE CULTIVATING GODLY CHARACTER IN CHILDREN THROUGH SPORTS
By Nathan Nix
Nine-year-old Aaron Willet’s first time playing basketball and soccer through The Woodlands UMC ’s Upward Sports around age five didn’t involve angry parents, win-at-all-cost tactics or sitting on the bench watching better athletes or coaches’ favorites play. Instead, his coaches gathered everyone for a pre-game prayer, made sure each child got equal playing time and even led the teams in devotionals at half-time. While many youth sports programs take what should be a fun period of exploring a new game and turn it into an ultracompetitive situation that can leave a child deflated and turned-off to athletics completely, the church’s Upward Sports ministry aims to introduce players to sports in a lowpressure environment and teach them how to play in a way that honors God. Garrett Ritter, the church’s Athletic Direc tor, says that this Christcentered philosophy is what separates Upward — franchised from a national organization — from other youth programs throughout the area. “This is a great place to introduce the child to a lot of different opportunities and just see what sports they like … and then do it in a way that’s wholesome and virtuous,” he says. On a recent Saturday morning, over 60 children — ranging in age from 4
years old through 6th grade — and their parents spread out across The Woodlands UMC’s Family Life Center and athletic fields to play tee-ball and soccer (indoor for the younger and outdoor for the older). According to Garrett, who makes the rounds to check on each game, that was a walk in the park compared to the massive number of participants that show up during basketball and flag football season. “We get about 500 families in and out of our church a year through Upward Sports,” he says. “Fifty percent of those are not members, and about 15-17%, depending on the sport, are typically unchurched. So we have a great opportunity for outreach to families through these sports outlets.” In fact, Upward is the single largest outreach program in The Woodlands UMC’s Recreation Ministry and one of the largest, most effective at the church in general. Tyler Little, the church’s Sports Director, runs Upward on a day-to-day basis and is passionate about using athletics as a way to introduce children both to the idea of competition and to the person of Jesus Christ. “I’ve always said it’s the coolest thing being able to bring people closer to church and then to Christ by using 7
8 6
any mistakes instead of criticizing them , something Aaron has said he appreciates. “I think at the younger levels, it really doesn’t matter how much (the coaches) know about the sport — it’s really about herding cats at the end of the day,” Kent says with a laugh. “But then as you get older, and what we’ve seen with Aaron, is that the types of parents that are volunteering are more knowledgeable about the sport, and the kids are learning a lot about the strategy and tactics.”
ABOVE: Amy and Aaron Willet pose for a post game picture. LEFT: Aaron recieves a little encouragment from his dad, Kent, during half-time.
sports,” he says. “It’s very faith-based. We’re not trying to send your kids to the pros or anything like that. We’re using this as a tool to bring people in — not only to get them familiar with our ministry and recreation, but to get them familiar with each other to build community, and then with our church, which then gets them familiar with Christ.” Aaron Willett’s parents, Kent and Amy, sought out the church’s Recreation M in is tr y fo r exa c tly th at re a so n when they moved to The Woodlands from Chicago. “ We got him signed up … to make sure that he was meeting kids in the community,” Kent says. “And we wanted to meet parents as well. It was a great opportunity. It’s just one more thing that brings people together in a faithbased environment. The more things we do like that, whether it’s Upward or social functions or whatever, it’s more than just sitting in a sanctuary and going to church every Sunday.” Kent and Amy had high praise for the work of the directors, the high school interns, and, in particular, the volunteer coaches, many of whom are parents of players and stick with the same team over many years. “They really build you up when you’re playing, and it’s fun to play with people like that,” Amy says. Kent concurs and says that the coaches are quick to help the players correct
Garrett believes the laid-back, familyfriendly Upward approach is the perfect way to ease children into competitive sports. “Coming here and having a wholesome, semi-competitive and fun family environment, and then waiting until middle school to really push harder towards that competitive atmosphere — I think that’s a great model that families are seeing that works,” he says. “They really understand the importance of the character aspects we teach like teamwork, integrity, compassion and accountability. Each week, we do devotionals based on those, so they get this wholesome environment built around Christ-like virtues.” While a guest speaker like Tyler, Garrett or Woodforest Church pastor Brent Parker will occasionally come and deliver the halftime devotional, most of the spiritual component is handled by the coaches. “I think they give them a guide, but it’s the delivery of how it comes across (that matters), and the parent volunteers do a great job in conveying that message,” Amy says. Tyler has received positive feedback f ro m b oth p laye r s a n d p a re nt s regarding the devotionals. “I’ve just heard so many good things and just how it uplifted people, and it just kind of gave that extra step,” he says. “People are appreciative of the fact that yes, we are offering a sports program, but again, it’s not about sports. It’s for a higher purpose.” Along those lines, each season features a missions-related component to encourage the players and parents to become more aware of how they fit into the Kingdom of God both nearby and across the world. In the past, Upward
has partnered with the Montgomery County Women’s Center and with Mark Wittig, who runs a soccer ministry in his native country of Colombia. This summer, Recreation Ministry sports camps will team up with 45 & Hope as well as Compassion United to provide homeless people in Houston with two important staples: socks and bug spray. This strategic thinking stems from the Recreation Ministry staff intentionally trying to find ways to live out the church’s mission statement: “ Win people to Jesus Christ, disciple them in faith, and help those in need.” If the missional component fulfills the admonition to help those in need, and if the devotionals and teams sticking together season after season fulfills the part about discipling people in faith, Garrett believes fostering community is the key to winning families to Christ. “Through that community, we’re starting to bring people to the faith, because we know there are probably two families on each team that are unchurched,” he says. “If you’re coming (to church) with a family that you know, that you’ve met through soccer, tee-ball or basketball, it’s a little more comforting. They can guide you to where you drop your kids off and how you get them registered, and then they can show you the different services. It’s a great way to just get your feet wet in what can be a kind of intimidating environment on a Sunday, with all the hustle and bustle.” While this philosophy drives the program and gives it a higher purpose, on the most basic level, Garrett, Tyler and the staff just want the kids to have fun. “I’ve seen players that have never touched a soccer ball come out here and score a goal in their second game of the season, and just the elation of that, and the excitement — that can last with a child,” Garrett says. “That can carry them and really start to build a love for sports. It’s about creating positive and successful experiences for the kid. I think that’s really what Upward is all about.” •
Find information on fall Upward Sports opportunities and register at thewoodlandsumc.org/recreation 9
SENIOR FITNESS
In recent years, the senior population in The Woodlands has surged as many retirees move to the area to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Recognizing this growth, our Senior Adult Ministry has done a great job creating opportunities for these newcomers and those already living in The Woodlands to stay active and connect with other seniors. One key program that has flourished recently is Senior Fitness, a low-impact recreation class designed with the specific physical challenges of advanced age in mind. A partnership with the church’s Recreation Ministry, Senior Fitness is more than just an exercise class, according to Sandra Huskey, the department’s Fitness Director. “It really has become a community and a ministry,” she says. “I love the name of Caring Ministry, because they really are a caring group.” Jackie Martini, the class instructor, leads seniors through seated, light exercises all while welcoming newcomers, wishing people happy birthday, giving updates on members who might be in the hospital, and mentioning prayer requests. A variation on Jazzercise, Senior Fitness is a muscle-toning workout featuring strength training and some stretching using hand weights, tubes and chairs. Though a good workout, participants find the class to be an unintimidating, less-strenuous experience with modifications for any fitness level. Segments include warm-up, strength, stretching and cool-down. Senior Fitness meets Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. in Aldersgate Hall. No registration is required. The class is ongoing and free, so seniors can simply show up and participate. They are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes. •
Find more information about Senior Fitness at thewoodlandsumc.org/senior-fitness 10
This information removed for online viewing.
FOUNDATION GIFTS
MARCH 30, 2016 — MAY 23, 2016 FOUNDATION UNRESTRICTED Barbara Dunlap
In Memory of Rex Alman, Jr., Father of Rex Alman, III Jeff and Susan Hollier In Honor of Geneva Carroll Dave and Dee Megee
FOUNDATION RESTRICTED TWUMC Missions Endowment Fund
In Memory of Jeanine Early, Wife of Thomas Early Rhonda Koether In Honor of Betty Gibson and Harvey Schraeder’s Marriage Lynda and Cecil Gilbreath In Memory of Carolyn S. Fisher Barbara Dunlap Clarann McCoy
In Memory of William ‘Bill’ Jensen The Perspectives Sunday School Class In Memory of Irene Mayfield, Mother of Ken Mayfield The Perspectives Sunday School Class In Memory of George Pollard, Husband of Pam Pollard The Perspectives Sunday School Class
In Memory of William “Bill” Jensen Sally Greaver Ann Tannehill
In Memory of Lillian Roberts, Mother of Elizabeth Berry The Perspectives Sunday School Class
In Honor of Rev. Don Meador’s 50th Year of Ministry Kim and Sally Bacon Steve and Becky Hamrick Ann Tannehill Clarence Thompson
In Memory of William “Bill” Stanford, Husband of Deborah Stanford Deborah Stanford
This information removed for online viewing.
In Memory of Ernest Gordon Ratcliff, Father of Stephen Ratcliff Bill and Alexis McClain
THE POINT
Is published by The Woodlands UMC. Dr. Ed Robb Senior Pastor Mike Sims Editor/Creative Director Scott Brinkmeyer Publication Design/Art Director Michelle “Micki” Mensio Project Manager
Photographers Callen Hearne Corey Robinson Ryan Perkins Scott Brinkmeyer Contributing Writers Dr. Ed Robb Nathan Nix Copy Editors Nathan Nix Sally Bacon 11
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
N. HOUSTON, TX PERMIT #280
2200 Lake Woodlands Drive The Woodlands, TX 77380
SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS
Find details and event registrations at thewoodlandsumc.org/register
JUNE
1 4 6 6 6-9 8 10-19 12 12 13-16 13-16 13 20-24 24
JULY | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Prime Timers Fresh Vibe (Incoming 9th graders) Children’s Summer Splash Begins Grief Recovery Begins Launch Week (Incoming 7th graders) High School Summer Bible Study Begins Guatemala Men’s and Women’s Mission Trips Junior High Pool Party Special Needs Family Worship VBS Olympics — The Heart of a Champion 56 Day Camp Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance Camp Buckaroo Seniors’ Afternoon at the Movies
6 7-8 9 9-16 11 11 11-15 11-12 16 17-22 17-23 17-23 25 25 25-29 27 28-31 31 31
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
7th Grade Launch Event High School Galveston Road Trip 247 Summer Camp #Selfie Begins Honduras Mission Trip MAD Camp Begins WOW! Science Camp Begins Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance Junior High Mystery Trip Foundations for Marriage Junior High Mission San Antonio UM Army Haiti Mission Trip Special Blessings SMILE VBS Begins T Bar M Discover252 Day Camp Begins Dave Ramsey’s Foundations in Personal Finance 56 Summer Hangout Day Walk to Emmaus Women’s Walk #89 Junior High Eagle Adventure Week High School Mission Alaska
fb.com/twumc | fb.com/harvesttwumc | fb.com/loftchurch | fb.com/churchatwoodforest