a publication of : first united methodist...
TRANSCRIPT
As I type my first pastor’s article in the office of the new building, I can see open fields, some houses, some industry, traffic on Highway 70. I think of people all around who may come here, hear the gospel, and experience God in a new way.
I think of how the stress of moving and making major changes affects us. Tempers can become shorter. We can get focused on so many details that we forget the purpose of the move. We need to remember who we are, what the church is, and why we’re here. The church is the people of God, the body of Christ. We are the church. Our reason for being is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We’re called to do everything in Jesus’ name and to God’s glory.
Since we moved into the new building, we have already had several new people visit our worship services. In February, we are doing a direct mail piece that will go to 10,000 homes in the area inviting people to attend our consecration service on February 15. It also invites them to join us in our regular schedule after that. The return on this effort could be possibly 100 or more new visitors. Are we ready to welcome and receive them?
Bishop Robert Schnase, who did our Cunningham Lectures a couple of years ago, writes a lot about “five practices of fruitful congregations.” One of those practices is Radical Hospitality. Here’s how he defines it:
The Congregational Practice of Radical Hospitality Congregations that practice Radical Hospitality demonstrate an active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. Radical describes that which is drastically different from ordinary practices, outside the normal, that which exceeds expectations and goes the second mile.
The Personal Practice of Radical Hospitality Radical Hospitality in our personal walk with Christ begins with an extraordinary receptivity to the grace of God. In distinctive and personal ways, we invite God into our hearts and make space for God in our lives. We say Yes to God and open ourselves to the spiritual life. We accept God’s love and acceptance of us. We receive God’s love and offer it to others. (http://fivepractices.org/radical-hospitality/)
One practical example of radical hospitality I heard recently is this: Church members park as far away from the en-trance as they can and sit as close to the front of the sanctuary as they can. This allows guests to park close and to feel less exposed when they enter the worship area and look for a seat.
Another way First UMC practices radical hospitality is through offering people choices. We are one congregation with two campuses and three worshipping communities. People can come to Durant or Caddo. At Durant, they can come to traditional or contemporary worship. We offer a variety of classes and activities. How can you help new people find their way to a place they fit and can experience God?
On February 15, our regular greeters and ushers will need help welcoming people, showing them where they need to go, going with them and not just pointing the right direction. Will you be willing to arrive a little bit early that day and be on the lookout for guests so you can show radical hospitality to them?
Pastor John
Our Mission: To be the head , heart and hands of Christ!
A publication of :
First United Methodist Church
With Campuses at Caddo and Durant
5400 W. Main
Durant, Oklahoma 74701
(580-924-4670) (580-367-2415) Caddo
www.durantumc.org
Rev. John Breon—Senior Pastor Jeff Hiller—Associate Pastor Tim Ford— Director of Youth Ministries Kim Vincent — Director of Children’s Ministries Nancy Breon—Director of Traditional Music Christy Hamilton– Director of Worship Arts Ivan Matthews-Director of Contemporary Music Lindy Hanson– Administrative Assistant
Upcoming Sermons Feb 1 – 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1 “A New Creation”
Feb 8 – Revelation 21:1-7 “When Everything Will Be New”
Feb 15 – Consecration Sunday – Bishop Robert Hayes preaching -Matthew 7:24-29 "In the Name of God, Amen"
Feb 18 – Ash Wednesday service Durant & Caddo 6pm
Feb 22 – Beginning Lord’s Prayer Series Matthew 6:9 “Who Is God?”
Sermons can also be heard at durantumc.org
Consecration Luncheon There will be a luncheon celebrating the consecration of our new church after the 11:00 service on Feb. 15th, 2015. It will be a Mardi Gras celebration with gumbo and
red beans and rice. The Fellowship Committee is taking care of the food, but we ask that our Sunday School classes please bring the chairs from their rooms so that we will have enough folding chairs. We hope everyone will join us. Thanks! Jenny Sanchez Note: SS classes dismiss a little early to bring chairs.
February Birthdays!!
Looking for helpers and trainees in the Tech Booth; Sound, Projection, and Video Recording: If you would like learn and help
with the technical aspect of our services, please contact Pastor Jeff. Thanks
4th– Margo Coverstone Aaron McKinney
5th– Dolphus Haddock Mona Campbell Ryker Marcy
8th – Dub Manahan
11th– Trevan Nelson Olivia Barrow
13th-Ryan Mendez Linda Spencer Sydney Sumner
15th– Johnnye McBee 17th– Laura Beth Barrow 19th-Nancy Breon
24th– Chelse Coverstone
UMW will meet for their first General
meeting of the year on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 1:00 p.m. in the Dining Room. If you have ever wondered what UMW does, this is the day to come and find out!
This year’s theme F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely on God) will be examined and how we at FUMC plan to implement it. Yearbooks will be distributed and important dates of the year discussed, including our hosting the last UMW District meeting in our new church in September! The Officer team will provide refreshments and Tours of the new building will be given. All women of the church are invited!
20th Annual Bean Luncheon for Missions
Friday, February 27, 2015 11– 1pm We need your help. We need
cornbread, desserts, and workers. If you have any ham bones saved from the holidays, please bring some to
the church and put them in the freezer. We need people to sell tickets. See Diane Dixon or other Mission Committee members for tickets. Sign up on the bulletin
board in the Café (dining room)
From the Financial Secretary: Thank you for your faithful giving to God’s family and mission here at FUMC, Durant. Just a remind-er that our loan payments (mortgage) are now a line item in our General Budget. If you combined your two pledges as requested there is no need to write separate checks or split checks designating Building, as the payments are coming from the General Budget.
We will have a Work/Cleaning Day at the Church on Friday, Feb. 13th at 10am.
United Way will have their 2nd Annual 5k run on Sat., March 7, 2015. There is a lot of interest this year! Come join us! RSVP to Pam Robinson 580-931-7147
Meals on Wheels went very well this week. Thank you everyone! Pat Mauldin
2015 February
Look what can be accomplished if we work toward one goal. The new building in Durant is a beautiful, warm, and wonderful place to invite people to come grow in their relationship with God. From those hesitant to those who charged on with great enthusiasm, from those with extensive experience to those who barely comprehend what the move is, and all those who fit somewhere in between; you joined forces, sacrificed, and boldly adven-tured where most had not gone before. Is the new building and new location something God needed to advance His Kingdom? Only He really knows.
What I do know is that God can and will use this to His glory, if we continue to work towards one charge; love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and love others likewise. How many different types of people do you know? Yes, a lot. We are all greatly different in mannerisms, experiences, likes, dislikes, what touches our hearts, what disturbs our hearts, and so much more. Yet, we were all made in the image of God and we were all created good. We were also all created with the same void in our heart that longs to be filled with Jesus.
How do we help people discover that Jesus is what they are missing? How do we help people nurture that discovery into a wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ? In many different ways. There is not one single recipe that makes disciples for Christ. Just like with food, there are some recipes each of us think are excellent, some just okay, and others we do not enjoy at all but, someone still likes it. Yes, there is only one Jesus but he reaches out to people in a variety of ways. Just as we embraced the variety of ways that the craftsmen used to construct the new facility, we need to embrace the variety of ways there are to reach people for Christ.
Be in prayer that we use the resources we have been blessed with to nurture our own and reach out to as many others as we can reach. Lift up your fellow disciples and embrace their ways to share and worship God. Replace thoughts of we’ve never done that (or we shouldn’t do that) with let us give it a chance. It only needs to pass one test; does it honor God and show love to his people? Showing love always honors God.
Retailers know there are three key elements to profits; stock a good product, bring as many people into the store as possible, and provide good service. Christians have the product. So, where will we stand with getting them in the door (or exposing them to the grace of Jesus) and treating them with love and compassion when they come? We may have to clean up “on aisle three” and we may need to “serve it their way”. By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us serve the best we can and demonstrate that we are truly glad to have each and every one in the presence of the Lord.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Praise the Lord!
Pastor Jeff
(Bible quotes are from the King James Version)
Contact me: 580-606-7193, [email protected], fb/Twitter – you, me, & Jesus …let’s go build “it” together. +++
caddo corner
FUMC FIRST KIDS NEWS
GPS:
GPS has started back up on Wednesday nights from 6-7. There are programs for nursery to 6th grade. Baby bells meet and practice from 6:45-7. All classes meet in the kids hallway.
--No GPS on Ash Wednesday
Parent Letters:
Parents please take a few minutes to fill our and return the new registrations letters that were mailed out a few weeks ago. We need to update all of the information we have on file for all children nursery thru 5th grade. If you did not get a letter and registration form please see Kim or contact her at the information below. If you need an-
other copy of registration forms for either the children's programs or the nursery please let me know and I will get those to you. *note forms were not mailed out to current 6th graders
Contact Kimberly Vincent at 580-380-5458 or [email protected]
Creation Stations Rotational Sunday School:
Be on the look out for our new signage to go with our rotational Sunday school setup. The kids hallway will be called Creation Stations for Sunday school. Each of the 8 classrooms will represent a part of the creation story. We are so blessed with our new classrooms and space. If you have not toured the kid’s area please take a few minutes to walk around and check things out. We will gradually be adding art work and paintings so check back with us often. There have been so many who have helped in so many ways to make this chil-dren's area possible. Thank you for your unending support to the kids programs and to the future of this church. We have a wonderful space to teach and witness to young hearts because of all of your support!!
Recent Event: United 15: We had 11 students join us from Caddo, Calera, Silo, and Durant for a weekend designed to break away from busyness and focus on the word of God. Teaming up with 12 area churches for the weekend, 370 students and leaders were united as we dug deep into our understanding of repentance. Students enjoyed worship music, a message, small group and late night fun. Patty and Dan Wells hosted our students for the weekend and were a huge blessing to all of us. Saturday was filled
with many activities, including a time where over 120 students participated in missions work within the community. It was an amazing weekend for everyone! I NEED HELP / Power House After-school Ministry (Durant): With huge success in Caddo
and Calera, it’s now time to begin starting Power House After-school Ministry in Durant each
Wednesday from 3 to 6p. Two weeks ago we started the program and had over 7 kids involved on our first day. The program is designed to offer students a safe place to go after school, to get help with homework, enjoy snacks, have some free time and my favorite, Bible study. As we begin to put things in place, our kids need your help. I need adults leaders to step up and help lead this ministry. I need adults to help with snacks, games, homework, bus
riders, and leaders to hang out with the kids. If you’re interested, please contact me ASAP.
This ministry is dependent on leaders willing to step up and help serve, so please don’t
hesitate to call. Power House After-school Ministry (Caddo and Calera): Both of these ministries have
grown because of leaders willing to step up and serve. I want to thank all the leaders and churches that have stepped up to make these ministries a huge success. Many students from both of these ministries join us for Sunday night youth, our large group youth worship service. Sunday Night Youth: Our youth group has been growing on Sunday nights because of our huge involvement in the after-school programs. I also want to thank Darrell Mendez, Jim Nichols, Tara Hull, Jen Kellogg, DD Nichols-Williams, Shelly Ford, Jeff Hiller and Lorri Compton for their continued support as small group leaders for our Sunday Night Youth. Our students have been challenged throughout this year and are growing because of these leaders pouring into our students. We have grown to over 30 + students and leaders, and I believe we will continue to grow because of great leaders who love and care for our kids. Super Bowl Sunday: This past week we had our yearly Super Bowl party where we challenged students to invite friends and family to join us for the big game. Students played basketball, volleyball, 4-square, hide and seek, ate lots of snacks and watched the Super Bowl. It was lots of fun for everyone, and each year this event seems to get bigger and bigger. This was a huge opportunity to meet lots of new students and invite them back the following week to Sunday Night Youth from 5 to 7pm. Tim Ford– 252-756-3126 or [email protected]
Sunday School – 10:00-10:50am
Sunday Night Youth – 5:00-7:00pm
Wednesday Night Youth– 6pm
Consecration Service We will hold a special combined worship service at 11:00 on Sunday, February 15. There will be one service only that day. Bishop Robert Hayes of the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church will preach and lead the service of consecration of the new building. Bishop Robert E. Hayes, Jr. is the episcopal leader for the Oklahoma Area of The United Methodist Church. As bishop, he presides over 530 churches in the Oklahoma Conference and almost 90 churches of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference (OIMC). He is the first African-American bishop to serve the two Oklahoma conferences. Oklahoma Conference consists of 12 districts within the state’s borders. OIMC includes churches in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. The headquarters for each conference is in Oklahoma City. Bishop Hayes says he felt called to preach at an early age. “When I was about 4 years old, I would pull up a chair to my father’s pulpit after church on Sundays and bang my hands on the pulpit, imitating my father. By the time I was 8, I was conducting elaborate funerals for deceased cats, birds, and other pets of friends. I preached my first sermon when I was 14. I’ve always felt like God wanted me to be a minister. It’s part of my life,” he said. A United Methodist bishop is assigned to a geographic region for a term of four years (a quadrennium) and then becomes eligible for reappointment. Bishop Hayes’ third term in Oklahoma will end in 2016. Once elected, a bishop retains that title for life; the official retirement age for bishops is 70. There are 69 episcopal areas, where United Methodist bishops provide spiritual leadership to more than 11 million people, on four continents. Before coming to Oklahoma, Hayes was treasurer of the Texas Annual Conference for nearly three years. Previously, he was superintendent of the Houston Southwest District of Texas Conference for seven-and-a-half years; senior pastor of Riverside and Blueridge United Methodist churches, both in Houston; student pastor of McCabe UMC in Longview, Texas; and chaplain and instructor of religion and philosophy at Wiley College, Marshall, Texas, for three years. He served as a local church pastor for 25 years. After graduating from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas, Hayes earned a Master of Theology degree at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, and a Doctor of Ministry degree at Drew University, Madison, N.J. In 2005, he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Oklahoma City University. An endowment fund honoring him has been established with the Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation. Gifts to the fund support scholarships for clergy. Hayes is the author of “Strength for the Journey,” a devotional collection published in 2007. He is a contributing writer in the Fall 2008 issue of Cokesbury’s Adult Bible Studies series. He also regularly writes an inspirational column for the bimonthly Oklahoma Conference Contact newspaper and for the Advocate, published by OIMC. Bishop Hayes also has been a civic leader in the communities where he has lived. His wife is Delilah (“Dee”). His adult children are Joya, Robert III, and Ryan. (information from http://www.okumc.org/bishop)
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First United Methodist Church
PO Box 518
Durant, Oklahoma 74702
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Permit No. 151
February 2015 Volume 19 No. 1
Remember In Prayer Nursing Care
Helen Eggleton
Home Recovery
Don Schmidt
Annette Carlton
Military Personnel
Nathan Wright
Ryan Ball
Tim Hanson
Micah Hanson
Arthur Thomas
Special Needs
Susan Gentry
Emma Burkhalter
Sue Morris
Pat Currence
Ann Nugent
Virginia Hamilton
Jim & JoEllen Jones
Jeannine Haddock
Kathryn Shelley
Farrell Hatch
Special Needs
Bud & Anne Endebrock
Dub & Marty Manahan
Luke Willman’s family
Grandmother-Betty Kowske
Great Uncle-Evie Willman
Tim Ford
Edwin, Beth Boothe & family
Agnes Easterling
Elsie & Ron Menzel
Margo’s sisters– Vicky and also Trish Isles
Assisted Living
Beth Harper
Rachel Bowles
Lyn Fene
Odessa McKinney Rm. 105 Sterling House
Dee Ferguson Rm. 122 Sterling House
Home Bound
Lee Ballard
Christine Tillett
Myra Lester
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