August 2016 Changing Lives Through Jesus Christ Volume 18, Issue 4

T he Rev. André Jean recently retired as pastor of Jerusalem

Baptist Church (JBC) in Ft. Liberté, Haiti after 47 years. Dasnis Pierre has now replaced him as lead pastor.

Dasnis was born in Port-au-Prince in 1980 and was brought to Ft. Liberté when he was 7 months old to be raised by his grandmother. Since his grandmother attended JBC, Dasnis did as well. He attended the Catholic school for his elementary education and then public schools for his middle and high school years. During that time Dasnis regularly attended JBC and helped lead the church’s youth program After high school he was chosen to attend the Northern Christian University of Haiti in Limbé where he graduated in 2006. Unfortunately, his mother died the year before and was unable to witness his graduation.

After graduating, he returned to Ft. Liberté as the youth and co-pastor at JBC. He was also involved with the Friends of Ft. Liberté and the child sponsorship program. During this time, he worked in the United Nations’ communications department in Ft. Liberté.

In 2007 he moved to Maryland where he earned a Master of Arts from Capital Bible Seminary. Three years later he married his wife, Shirlee, who currently lives in Maryland where she is studying to become a nurse. Dasnis is still a student himself, pursuing a doctoral degree at Faith Theological Seminary in Baltimore.

Speaking of his work in Haiti, Dasnis said, “I love my people, and it is a blessing and a privilege to come back and serve in the church where I grew up.” His doctoral thesis is “Holistic Ministry,” seeing the whole person as body, mind, and soul. He has great passion for improving the life of the people in Ft. Liberté, especially through

Luncheon to follow 10am worship

New Haiti Pastor Dasnis Pierre to preach August 28

education, and will continue to work with the Friends of Ft. Liberté with the goal of helping alleviate poverty in the Ft. Liberté area.

Pastors in Haiti often require outside financial support for their ministry. Efforts are being made to develop local funding resources, but until then Pastor Dasnis will need to find support from individuals and churches outside of Haiti. In order to help Dasnis succeed, our First UMC contributes $2,500 through our budget. It’s money well spent.

Dasnis will preach during a combined worship service at First UMC on Sunday, August 28 at 10am. The church’s Haiti Mission Team will provide a luncheon for the congregation following the service. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet Dasnis and learn more about his work in Haiti.

Pastor Dasnis Pierre (left) is new lead pastor of Jerusalem Baptist Church in Ft. Liberté, Haiti, pictured in painting above.

Combined Worship Service: August 28, 10am

Followed by luncheon in Fellowship Hall

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Youth Fall Kick Off:

August 28, 5pm

W hat a fun summer it's been, but Fall is almost here! All 6th through 12th graders

are invited for our first official youth group gathering of the school year. Youth should be dropped off at 5pm for pizza and fun! Parents are asked to join us at 6:30pm to learn about all the fun we have planned for this year and fill out some forms. See you then!

Can you teach Sunday school?

Our middle and high school youth need teachers for this year! Please contact Meredith Rose at meredithrose.fumc@gmail if you'd like to know more.

Youth Retreat: Sept. 9-11

T he youth will be attending Watermarks Camp Sept. 9-11. It will be a fantastic way to jump

into the school year with lots of fun and fellowship. Sign up by Sunday, August 28. (Adult volunteers are needed to go, too!) Contact Meredith Rose at meredithrose.fumc@gmail.com for more information.

Meredith

’s

Corner

News for Youth…

Children journeyed to Egypt

during recent VBS

T his past July, children of all ages journeyed back in time to ancient Egypt for a week

full of adventure and learning during Vacation Bible School (VBS)! The children were able to experience an Egyptian marketplace each day where they created crafts such as bread baskets and cartouches, have an Egypt themed snack and see the Pyramids of Giza for themselves!

They were also able to get their faces painted each day, where having “Egyptian Eyes” was the big hit. Children also rotated to play games outside and visit Joseph, both in prison and in his palace! On Friday, children were able to see, touch, and smell animals like they would have seen in a Marketplace! Be sure to visit the church’s website where a slideshow has been compiled of the amazing week: www.CvilleFirstUMC.org/connect/children

Teachers needed for fall

F all Sunday School classes will begin September 11 during all services. Before

children are dismissed to their new classes, all rising third graders will receive their Bibles and all children and teachers will be recognized for their service with this amazing ministry! Teachers are still needed for every age group. Without volunteers willing to give at least two Sundays a month, the children may not have the same Sunday School opportunities in years past! If at all interested, please contact Cayla Camunas, caylacamunas.fumc@gmail.com.

Look for children’s bulletins

C hildren’s Bulletins are available by all places of worship for children. They follow along with the

Scripture and worship theme for each Sunday. As well as a lesson, there are coloring sheets, mazes, word searches, and various other activities that can be included! Be sure to pick up a pack of crayons to maximize your child’s involvement during the service. The bulletins may be kept, but the crayons should be returned for use the next week. Any questions, please contact Cayla Camunas.

Children’s Ministry Children’s Ministry

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For the month of September (Sept 4 to be exact) we will be hosting a huge barbecue event in Lee Park. We’re calling it “Party in the Park.” We'll have food, music, and yard games. Everyone is invited to bring their pop-up tents, croquet sets, bocce balls, and Frisbees as we kick off the fall season and fellowship together under the setting sun!

I am looking for help with the setup and clean up portions of this event and will be sending out an email in the later half of August looking for volunteers. Please let me know if you would like to be included in that volunteer pool and receive volunteering emails!

Grace and Peace!

Phil Woodson

FIRST@5 has been a unique and inspiring

ride since we started last October. I simply do not have the words to adequately convey how awesome God has been in using that time to build and develop our relationships within the church and also with a number of people from outside the church! I also cannot speak highly enough of everyone who has volunteered to help with ministry experiment. There were some nights when almost 20 volunteers were needed to help with cooking, cleaning, and facilitating the activities - and an even greater number of people came out to take part in the evening’s event. I am just so thankful for the high level of commitment and dedication that can be found at First UMC!

Pray for God to use our efforts

As we look forward to September and the fall season I would ask each of you to prayerfully consider how God could use this ministry, this church, and your presence in furthering the Kingdom. Since we have an invitational event every month – what could we do that would provide opportunities for worship, fellowship, and engagement with our Loving Father? If you have ideas – let’s talk!

Women’s News...

find your place. The group is open and welcoming, and you will meet women you might not know but who will become well known to you by study’s end.

We meet on Thursday mornings, 9:30am–11:00am. Look for a notice of start date in the bulletin and in the weekly newsletter because we are still working on setting that date. There is a book associated with this study, so if you want to participate let me know as soon as you decide and I will reserve you a book.

If you will be joining us for the first time, I will look forward to meeting you, and will enjoy seeing those who are returning. Please get in touch with me if you have any questions or if you want to reserve a book.

Martha Murray (mmurray757@yahoo.com)

A new study for women will begin in September based on a book titled Good to Great in God’s Eyes

by Chip Ingram. Chip writes that most of his Christian life he has wrestled with a question, “Is it really wrong to want to be great?” The truth he found over the years is that we are designed to be great in God’s eyes, and his book offers a look at various practices to help us grow in greatness. Don’t let that word intimidate you, we are each a work in progress, but our common goal should be to keep growing toward greatness in God’s eyes.

All women are welcome to this study, regardless of your experience with group study. If this is the first time you participate in a group study, you are welcome and you will find your place. If you are a veteran of group study, you are welcome, as well, and you too will

New book study to explore being ‘great’

September 4, 5pm, Lee Park

Time to Party!

Insert A

Gifts made a ‘big difference’

Our congregation at First UMC generously gave educational supplies - in addition to $1,860 - for the schools. This contribution added to what other mission team members raised, and we were able to take ten large suitcases of educational supplies and a total of over $15,000! Those gifts made a big difference.

I wish I could share the gratitude and excitement that our visits and these gifts caused. The students were very touched that Americans care about them. I sensed God’s love in action; my own faith grew stronger through this trip.

And that mysterious hands-over-head Kenyan sign? I asked a team member who had been to Kenya many times before and he explained that in Kenyan Sign Language it means “very much.” On behalf of all the students who benefited, thank you very much for your prayers, gifts, and help in sharing God’s love!

“Thank you!” the deaf child student in Kenya

signed. Smiling, she clasped her hands and held them over her head. Other deaf students signed thanks and did the hands-over-head sign to me too. In American Sign Language that sign means “congratulations,” but that didn’t make sense here. What did it mean in Kenya?

Signing brings Bible alive

I was on a United Methodist Church-led mission trip to three deaf schools in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Our ten team members came from churches in Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Oklahoma, and other states. We had just led about 160 students in a type of Vacation Bible School activity, where various groups came forward and performed the days of the Creation story in Genesis.

Then the leader of our group, Carol Stevens, announced our gifts to the school through an interpreter. She stressed that our contributions were from congregations in America. She told the assembled students that we were giving educational supplies and funds for new school uniforms, new furniture in the dining hall, repairing the broken machines in the vocational classroom, a much-needed water harvesting station, and a chicken house with 300 layers and training. (The last would provide food for the students and perhaps some ongoing funds for the school).

Spirit not dampened by scarce resources

We had seen many challenges and joys on the trip. The schools collectively teach over 300 deaf students. All the schools were facing scarce resources; at the last school the bathroom consisted of a hole in the floor. But people seemed happy and were friendly. While at one school none of the hearing teachers seemed to know sign language and students were noticeably behind, we had been impressed by the engagement of teachers and students at the other two schools.

Signs of Gratitude: Deaf Ministry in Africa by Christopher Krentz

Left: Chris Krentz poses with African deaf student .

Team member leads deaf students in signing Creation story.

I don’t know about you but I am a lunch guy. I never cared too much for breakfast, and dinner always

seemed complicated to prepare. Dinner had rules, such as “Eat your vegetables” and “Taste at least one tablespoon.” Lunch always had the foods I really like – grilled cheese sandwich with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cookies, and always chips.

Of course my tastes and dietary requirements changed as I matured, and lunch for most of my working years was usually a salad and sugar-free jello. But I still have memories of lunch being a meal that was fun. So you can imagine my concern when I learned that some people can’t afford to have lunch. I was thrilled when I heard that our church was going to do something about that. We were going to start a lunchtime “soup kitchen.” That was over 26 years ago.

Downtown churches quietly offer help

First UMC joined a very loose confederation of downtown churches (Christ Episcopal, Holy Comforter, First Presbyterian and First Baptist-Park Street) and committed to providing a free lunch every Monday, 52 weeks a year. The loose confederation is just that. There are no rules about who is fed or what is fed. There are no meetings of this soup kitchen quintet. Each church just prepares the meals as they agreed to do without any further discussion.

First UMC serves 80-100 guests each week. That’s nearly 5,000 meals each year. And this is done with a budget of only $5,000 a year!!! To date, our church has served over 100,000 lunches, and I guess the group of five churches has served over a half million meals!!!

Volunteer teams make it happen

There are five different teams of cooks and servers from our church, one for each Monday of the month. Christina Rizzo and her family (Vince Rizzo, Tommy and Virginia Gibson) coordinate the ministry and see that a full complement of volunteers is always present. The teams have become “small groups” and some gather for refreshment and fellowship before they cook. Some of the volunteers have been participating in this ministry since it began over 26 years ago! Except for one day this year when we had 20 inches of snow, our soup kitchen has never failed to be open. On the

Monday after this past Christmas the church’s youth provided the meal. Soup is served only on the coldest days, so most meals are more nutritious than my lunches used to be. Each meal includes a meat, vegetable, starch, salad, bread and dessert.

Several years ago the name of our soup kitchen was changed to “Bread and Blessings.” Although there are no formal blessings during the meal, the diners do feel that they have been blessed. I volunteer as a greeter and hall monitor each week (along with Tricia Garnett), and many of the diners leave with a “Thank You” and “God Bless you for what you are doing here.” Some ask that we pray for them, and some ask that we pray with them before they leave. Many seek out the “Upper Room” devotionals in the rack outside the fellowship hall and ask if they might take one for themselves.

Everyone is welcome!

Our luncheon guests include all ethnic groups, religious affiliations and ages. Some are too young to walk and some are so old that they have difficulty negotiating the steps. For some this is their main meal of the day. No questions are asked regarding income, employment, or whether or not they are homeless. Jesus told us to feed the hungry not to determine their eligibility for food first. If someone is hungry, they are welcome to “Bread and Blessings.” Volunteers are blessed to serve and witness to those in need. If you would like to volunteer, contact Christina Rizzo at Shooting_star_82@hotmail.com.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for the opportunity you have given us to

feed the hungry in our downtown community. Thank you also

for the commitment of the volunteers who witness through this

ministry each and every week. And thank you for the blessings

received by our guests and volunteers. Amen.

by Bill Clarke

I was hungry and you gave me food. - Matthew 25:35

Insert B

What’s for Lunch?

Haiti mission is focus of combined worship, Aug. 28 p.1

Youth Retreat set for Sept. 9-11 p.2

Sunday school teachers needed for children & youth p.2

Recent VBS helped children journey to Egypt p.2

Party in the Park to kick off FIRST@5 season, Sept. 4 p.3

‘Greatness’ to be explored in women’s book study p.3

Deaf ministry in Africa offers ‘signs’ of gratitude Insert A

Soup kitchen provides lunch year-round Insert B

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Jerusalem Baptist Church, Haiti

Combined Worship August 28, 10am