The Point Monthly (July 2015) by The Woodlands Methodist Church

ISSUE 2 | JULY 2015 EDITION

THE WOODLANDS UMC

MONTHLY THIS MONTH’S

NEWS:

BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF CARE NEIGHBORS CARING FOR NEIGHBORS

Needless to say, The Woodlands and our congregation have grown a bit since then. But that small community ideal we started with all those years ago — neighbors caring for neighbors — that ideal remains. Community and caring have been at the center of our church from the very start. No matter how our church grows, we’ll never grow out of that way of thinking.

LIFE TOGETHER

PRAYER FOCUS

FADING MEMORY

ANGER MANAGEMENT

CHURCH NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Caring Ministry offers an opportunity to engage and impact our faith community.

A volunteer team is making sure TWUMC members are covered in prayer, even before it’s requested.

In this issue of The Point Monthly, we’ve highlighted some of the ways members of our congregation are caring for one another at The Woodlands UMC: • The Gathering Place provides friendship and support to those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

When we founded this church in 1978, we were just a small group of people in a new little residential development called “The Woodlands.” We were friends and neighbors, and we looked out for one another like friends and neighbors should.

• Anger Management helps us to cope with negative emotions in a supportive group environment. • Our prayer ministry takes on the huge task of praying for members of our congregation. Ours is an incredible church full of people who care deeply for one another. Every day I’m grateful to be a part of it. Your Pastor,

Ed Robb

The Gathering Place offers help and hope to those affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Learning about anger and its impact on our lives is a step toward intervention and better coping strategies.

See names of new members, births, deaths, and Foundation donors.

See selected ministry programs and events in June and July.

FOCUS ON CARING MINISTRY

CROSSING THE THRESHOLDS OF LIFE TOGETHER By Rev. Cliff Ritter, Pastor of Caring Ministry John Wesley described the process of coming to faith in Jesus Christ as a threshold we cross on our spiritual journey of salvation. From beginning to end, that’s what the business of living boils down to: a series of thresholds to be crossed. These threshold moments shape us into the people we are destined to become. They bring definition to our character and sharpen our resolve to live faithfully, mold us and fashion us into the image that God has in store for us. They come when we are confronted with change, welcomed or feared. Change is inevitable and comes into our lives no matter where we might find ourselves along our spiritual journey. We are born, and we grow. We go to school, and we come of age. We find success and fulfillment, discover a few imperfections along the way, and grow. We experience profound satisfaction,

endure deep disappointment, and face loss. We live and die, crossing the thresholds of life all along the way and growing in the process of becoming the person God desires us to be. The work of our church’s Caring Ministry is helping people step across the thresholds of life, endure those challenging moments that shape us, and embrace the change that will inevitably come into every life. It’s a labor of love. Caring Ministry offers an opportunity to engage our faith community in ways that make an impact. We not only reach out to draw people into a relationship with God, but we also reach out to meet people in the places they live and work. Through this ministry, our church reaches out to people in moments of crisis, in seasons of difficulty and in times of personal need. We extend an invitation to cross those challenging thresholds in a safe, accepting and affirming way.

Our pastoral care team makes hundreds of hospital visits, offers support to families enduring the loss of a loved one, and visits homes and nursing facilities to care for members of our church who are dying. We sponsor numerous recovery and support programs. We meet people in some difficult and challenging life circumstances. Our calling is to walk with our friends and neighbors in their journey of life and faith, to help them face change in healthy and spiritually productive ways, and to confront unrealistic fears and uncertainties with confidence. And with prayer, we hope to celebrate with people as they cross a few thresholds along the way. •

Visit thewoodlandsumc.org/caring for a complete list of Caring Ministry programs and events

“Through this ministry, our church reaches out to people in moments of crisis, in seasons of difficulty and in times of personal need. We extend an invitation to cross those challenging thresholds in a safe, accepting and affirming way.”

FOCUS ON CARING MINISTRY

A COMMUNITY OF PRAYER LIFTING UP EACH MEMBER OF THE CHURCH, ONE PERSON AT A TIME By Andrew Miller

We often turn to God in prayer for everyday things, and we pray regularly for our friends and family. But what does it take to ask others to pray for us? “Unfortunately, it takes a person a lot to get to that point,” says Jenny Cipolla, a volunteer with the Prayer Ministry here at The Woodlands UMC. Jenny was no exception. It wasn’t until she and her family were going through a troublesome time that she approached our Caring Ministry, and afterward God led her to get involved. “I guess I was just praying about how I could serve in the church. God had really served us through that ministry, and so He just laid it on my heart that I need to give it back.” She starting coming in for an hour each week to enter prayer requests into the computer so they could be sent out to approximately 150 people who volunteer to pray. “I walked in there thinking it was going to be data entry, which as an accountant is good for me,” she says. “It’s turned

into an amazing showing of God’s will in my life, and this is something I’m really passionate about, that I’m just excited to help grow in the church.” When she started, Jenny found that there were surprisingly few prayer requests to put into the computer. “We have 10,000 members in our church, and there were 10 prayer requests in one week,” Jenny says. “It’s just not by any means what I would think a church of this size would have in prayer requests.” So Jenny and a few others, including the women of Breakfree Bible Study, started praying for people before they make a prayer request. The group will continue until they’ve prayed for each and every member of our congregation. Some of you may have already received a postcard in the mail from the Prayer Ministry saying that you’ve been prayed for.

“It’s made it easier for me to pray for other people and bolder in asking for people’s prayer needs,” she says. “It’s given me a better understanding of how difficult it is for someone to express that need and how shy I was before about saying, ‘Is that something I can pray for you about?’” Ultimately, praying together and for one another will bring us closer to God and closer to one another as Christians. “We’re a community of prayer, and we should be praying,” she says. “The simple community of coming together in prayer, that’s where it all begins.” •

Submit prayer requests or volunteer to pray for others at thewoodlandsumc.org/caring

This undertaking has also helped Jenny be more open to asking people if they are in need of prayer. 3

FOCUS ON CARING MINISTRY

COVER STORY:

THE GATHERING PLACE MONTHLY SUPPORT GROUP OFFERS HELP TO THOSE WITH DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S AND THEIR CAREGIVERS By Andrew Miller In certain moments, you get glimpses of who people used to be — doctors, teachers and professionals, mothers and fathers. “Some of these guys, they’re funny,” says Connie Norton, Coordinator for The Gathering Place, our church’s outreach program for adults who have early to moderate Alzheimer’s or dementia. “They’ll tell you stories, play the piano.” But these care partners probably don’t remember that it’s the first Monday of the month, which is when they and their caregivers meet in Aldersgate Hall for The Gathering Place. They probably don’t even remember what year it is. “A lot of times, we don’t know how far their dementia is,” says The Gathering Place’s Director, Nancy Williams, “and so you forget. Sometimes you forget [what they were like] before because you see them now.” When The Point Monthly visited, there was a lot of chatter, laughter and clapping as things got underway. Nancy talked about some silly holidays — Flip A Coin Day, Hug Your Cat Day — before celebrating birthdays. After a devotional, bells were passed out to have some fun with music. When the pianist played “Beautiful Dreamer,” one woman sang along — she remembered all the words and came in right on cue. It was a fleeting moment of clarity, and when the song ended, the person who knew all the lyrics was gone again. “I never leave here that I haven’t laughed or I haven’t cried,” Connie says. “There’s a lot of music and there’s a lot of fun, but it can get pretty poignant.” While the care partners are enjoying their time doing crafts and having lunch, their caregivers can leave to relax or run 4

errands, or they can attend Common Ground, a support group for caregivers where they can share and learn information about services available in the community. It’s a much-needed break for the caregivers who don’t often get a moment to themselves. “Almost every time, [one caregiver] comes up and thanks me and cries,” says Connie. “It’s really been a help to her.” “Some of them … they’re taking care of their mother or father, but then they also may have grown children and they are taking care of their grandchildren,” Nancy adds. “They’re multi-generational caregivers, which is more burdensome.” On average, 20 to 25 care partners come to The Gathering Place each month. In addition to all the volunteers who help plan the day, facilitate the activities, and serve lunch, each care partner has a volunteer helping them for the day. A lot of volunteer effort is required, but it really makes a difference in the lives of the caregivers and care partners. “[One] man tells us every day about 20 times how good the day is,” Connie says. “You’ve got to be happy.” And caring for those in our community affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia makes a difference in the lives of the volunteers too. •

Volunteer with The Gathering Place First Monday of each month 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Aldersgate Hall Contact Nancy Williams 281.681.8207 or Connie Norton 281.292.3875

“WHEN THE PIANIST PLAYED “BEAUTIFUL DREAMER,” ONE WOMAN SANG ALONG — SHE REMEMBERED ALL THE WORDS AND CAME IN RIGHT ON CUE. IT WAS A FLEETING MOMENT OF CLARITY, AND WHEN THE SONG ENDED, THE PERSON WHO KNEW ALL THE LYRICS WAS GONE AGAIN.”

ANGER MANAGEMENT By Rev. Cliff Ritter, Pastor of Caring Ministry The demands of modern society have left many people struggling to cope with increased stress and conflict in their relationships. While many are able to communicate their needs effectively and live in harmony with others, some wrestle with emotions that are on-edge, feelings that are unchecked, and misdirected anger that can lead to increasing problems with important relationships. Caring Ministry offers an Anger Management seminar that aims to pull together the best resources and research to address this silent epidemic that has surfaced in many of our communities. Anger is not always wrong, but it can quickly devolve into contempt, violence, or destructive actions. Intervention is best accomplished before there is an outburst of anger. Learning about anger and its impact on our lives is a step toward intervention and better coping strategies. Seminar participants report they feel better equipped to understand the root of their anger responses. They develop more effective strategies for coping with life stresses and ways to intervene in their own cycle of escalating emotions, as well as learning techniques to break the destructive patterns and restore relationships. Join us to discover how to manage your anger so you can focus on healthy and helpful responses. â&#x20AC;˘ Get details for the anger management support group at thewoodlandsumc.org/caring 6

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FOUNDATION GIFTS MAY 13 – JUNE 11, 2015

In Honor of Aaron & Lisa Carlson, Confirmation Leaders Greg and Melinda Holt In Honor of Mike & Heather Carson, Confirmation Leaders Greg and Melinda Holt In Memory of Jim Clark, husband of Pat Clark David and Margery Koogler In Honor of Joshua Taft Frank’s Confirmation, son of Jay Frank Kim and Sally Bacon In Honor of Donna Freeman, Confirmation Leader Steven and Cathy Bleakley Dennis and Jeanine Kinzie In Honor of Jennifer Graff, Confirmation Leader Steven and Cathy Bleakley Dennis and Jeanine Kinzie In Honor of Natalie Hardman, Confirmation Leader Jim and Kristi Nickel In Memory of Martha Ann Kappel, wife of Fred Kappel Dale and Marilyn Clinton In Honor of Robert Kent, Confirmation Leader Dave and Tish Raymond

In Memory of Roberta Kintigh James Davis In Honor of Elizabeth May Kniffen’s Baptism, daughter of Tony and Jillian Kniffen Tony and Jillian Kniffen In Honor of Dave and Dee Megee Pete and Marjorie Peterson In Memory of Jo Beth Miller, mother of Donna Neumann Emptying Nest Sunday School Class In Honor of Grant Nickel’s Confirmation, son of Jim and Kristi Nickel Jim and Kristi Nickel In Honor of Blake & Brody Palmer’s Baptism, sons of Travis and Vanessa Palmer Steve and Rita Thysell In Honor of Cheryl Simcox, Confirmation Leader Dave and Tish Raymond

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Foundation Unrestricted Amazon Smile Foundation Kim and Sally Bacon Make a lasting gift to The Woodlands UMC Foundation. thewoodlandsumc.org/foundation

THE POINT MONTHLY

The Point Monthly Is published once a month by The Woodlands UMC. Dr. Ed Robb Senior Pastor Mike Sims Editor Creative Director Scott Brinkmeyer Publication Design Art Director Michelle “Micki” Mensio Traffic Manager

Contributing Writers Dr. Ed Robb Cliff Ritter Nathan Nix Andrew Miller Copy Editors Nathan Nix Sally Bacon Our Mission Win People to Jesus Christ Disciple Them In Faith Help Those In Need 7

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

N. HOUSTON, TX PERMIT #280

2200 Lake Woodlands Drive The Woodlands, TX 77380

SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS

For details and event registrations, visit thewoodlandsumc.org/register

FACEBOOK

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AUGUST

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Breakfast in the Park The Gathering Place T-Bar-M Discover252 Camp Emerge College Ministry 45 and Hope Family Promise Senior Adult Ministry Lunch Bunch Willis Community Breakfast Kenya Mission Trip Single Dad Small Group

TWITTER

@thewoodlandsumc | @harvesttwumc | @loftchurch