together: july / aug / sept 2014

together

Art of neighboringWhat happens when we love our

next-door neighbors? (p 10)

Weekend with John Bell Diverse worship with our special guest

from the Iona Community (p 17)

Family photo album See the faces of our church family (p 6)

JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2014WE S T B URY U NI T E D ME T HODI S T C H UR C H

2 together JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2014

Being a good neighbor doesn’t

mean adopting a

static role of giver

or receiver; rather

it means diving

joyfully into a

radical blurring of

the lines.

A recent article in the Westbury Crier encourages residents to “keep those home values up” by keeping “a clean and tidy home,” “a mowed and edged yard,” and “home and fences in good repair.” Certainly, taking care of the space in which we

live is part of being a good neighbor. But what does it mean to be a good neighbor when the reward for doing so isn’t obvious?

On a recent Wednesday evening, our family drove three miles down West Bellfort to serve with FAM (Fondren Apartment Ministry) at Los Arcos. Within the first minute, Max, our eleven-year-old, was playing a spirited game of prison ball with a group of boys from three continents in a sparse courtyard over a filled-in swimming pool. Théo, our three-

year-old, had just begun an enthusiastic game of chase with Freddy, a Congolese boy, when Théo fell and started crying inconsolably. When he was offered Band-Aids, he really got going: he has juvenile arthritis and associates Band-Aids with his periodic blood draws. Pastor Hannah suggested we visit a Congolese family whose door opens onto the courtyard. She had a hunch the family’s hospitality might be just what Théo needed.

When we knocked on the door, the mother of the family—Feza, one of the students at FAM English as a Second Language School—received us with open arms, offered us a seat in the family’s living room, and brought out an assortment of refreshments. Théo was soon happily sipping fresh pineapple juice and making new friends with Feza’s sons and daughters.

We were humbled to be reminded that being a good neighbor doesn’t mean adopting a static role of giver or receiver; rather, it means diving joyfully into a radical blurring of the lines. As newcomers to Westbury UMC, we are thrilled to have joined a community which derives so much of its richness from its members’ ability to reach across these lines. Within these pages, you’ll find more than enough opportunities to be a good neighbor within and beyond our community.

Brian and Christelle Beard New members, joined in April 2014

CONTRIBUTORS Brian and Christelle Beard, Amy Behrman, Brenda Coleman, Taylor Fuerst, Rachel Hodge, DeAndre Johnson, Russell LaGrone, Josh Lemons, Hillary Peete, Erin Randolph, Rebecca Smith, and Hannah Terry

EDITOR & DESIGNER

Kelsey Johnson

ASSISTANT EDITORCindy Parker

PHOTOSTommy Behrman, Molly Gilbert, Dan Grinstead, Kelsey Johnson, Josh Lemons, Hillary Peete, and Roslyn Vaughn. Stock images from www.freeimages.com, www.churchart.com, and www.creationswap.com.

WE’RE LISTENING.Send your suggestions, corrections and comments to Kelsey Johnson, Director of Communications, at [email protected] write to Westbury UMC at 5200 Willowbend Blvd. Houston, TX 77096.

WESTBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH5200 Willowbend BoulevardHouston, Texas 77096(713) 723-0175 www.westburyumc.org

J ULY | AU G U ST | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4

JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2014 together 3

BY REV. HANNAH TERRY

We often find ourselves gathered at tables—tables of learning, tables of prayer and tables of communion.

The Intentional Christian Community of FAM (Fondren Apartment Ministry) is centered around a Rule of Life.* We share meals and prayer together in each other’s apartments at Reserve at Bankside, and we discern together what it means to follow the way of Jesus Christ.

Anyone is welcome to join us at the Reserve at Bankside Apartments for Morning Prayer on Sundays through Thursdays (check with Hannah on time and location). Some young adults who live near the Medical Center recently began driving over for Monday Prayer. In April, one young adult voiced her desire for celebrating Communion weekly, and now Monday morning prayer includes a Service of Holy Communion at my kitchen table. I was tickled when, away at a conference in May, I received early morning photos via text message of the community celebrating elements consecrated the day before during worship at Westbury! I rejoice in how God is forming disciples who hunger for the Lord’s Supper and thirst for lives transformed by practicing spiritual disciplines in community.

Also, we celebrate God’s movement with two members of St. Peter’s UMC in Katy who have discerned God’s call to live in our Intentional Christian Community. These newlyweds, Erin Randolph and Russell LaGrone, are

relocating on July 21 to the Reserve at Bankside, where they will be next-door neighbors with Lindsey and Daniel Heathcock. Please pray for us in this transition as we wit-ness God’s work in the neighbor-hood with our refugee and immi-grant brothers and sisters and seek to love God and our neighbors.

* Contact Pastor Hannah for more explanation at (832) 910-2637 or [email protected].

HOW GOD IS SHAPING US INTO PEOPLE OF PRAYER, HOSPITALITY, AND JUSTICE AT THE FONDREN APARTMENT MINISTRY

A sharing at the table


Over the last few months we have come to love all that is Westbury United Methodist Church. Ben and I began coming to the church shortly after moving to Houston in January. When I describe our first impression of Westbury, my favorite part to include is turning to greet our neighbors during worship and finding that all of the pews were empty as the entire congregation spilled into the aisles to greet their brothers and sisters in Christ. From then on, we were hooked on the diverse-Methodist-Amen-Hallelujah-Westbury church community.

We continue to see love thriving in and through the people of Westbury. One of the ways we have seen that love is through the Fondren Apartment Ministry. At first we weren’t quite sure what it was. And to be honest, I’m still

not sure we can truly define it. But, whether picking up friends to join us in worship, or dancing and doing homework with the children during the adult English classes, we have truly experienced a new type of community.

Prior to coming to Houston and prior to FAM, Ben and I were fairly active in our church in College Station. We participated in Habitat for Humanity and Operation Christmas Child, among other service functions of the church, but none of them were quite like FAM. The difference is relational. The FAM community is a place of learning and listening, joining together in joy, but also during hardships. As Pastor Romonica quoted recently, “There isn’t anyone you wouldn’t love once you heard their story.” At FAM there are a lot of stories waiting to be heard.

Often in the U. S., we are asked to give money to one charity or another, but many times perhaps what is really needed is much harder to give than money. Perhaps what we need to give is more of ourselves. Over the last few months, FAM has taught us how to listen and to love and to give of ourselves. When you hear the stories at FAM—for example, children losing fathers in a war before being taken away from the only home they have ever known just to be brought to a country where they can’t speak the language and can’t afford food—the American dream appears closer to “every man for himself” than “better and richer and fuller for everyone” (American Dream by James Truslow Adams, 1931). Sometimes in the pursuit of happiness, we forget that all blessings come from God and that independence does not always bring us closer to happiness (or to God). The families at FAM are teaching this to us every week.

At FAM, the families act more like one large family unit than several small ones. When we trust and depend on one another, we all become more stable and our stories become intertwined. In a place where you would expect to find very little stability, the abundant love at the FAM community provides peace and infectious joy. Before they even know your name, the children at FAM run up to you, hug your legs and try to teach you what “shuzi” means in Swahili. (Look it up!) When we came to Westbury, we sought out FAM as a way to give back where we were needed most, but what we are finding out, is how much we need FAM. FAM is teaching us to love, to give of ourselves, to depend on others and especially to depend on God.

Rebecca Smith

My views of community, church and fellowship have been radical-ly changed through FAM. I am so thankful that I have been taught, (and still am being taught) what it means to wrap up my life with others; not simply spending time or praying with them, but giving away bits of my life in order to gain bits of theirs until we are all one people in praise of God, together.

erin randolph

I pray for the day that this kind of community becomes something everyone is willing to share with one another. Sharing in food and prayer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ is a profound experience, one where God’s pres-ence becomes palpable.

Russell lagrone


Rachel’s Bumbleberry PieIngredients

2 cups apples (cored, peeled, chopped into small sections)1 cup strawberries1 cup blueberries1 cup rhubarb1 cup raspberries1 tablespoon lemon juice1 cup sugar1/3 cup flour1 tablespoon tapioca1 egg yolk2 tablespoons water

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray glass pie plate and line with your piecrust. (You can either make your own piecrust or use ready-made dough.)

In a large bowl, combine apples, rhubarb, all berries, and lemon juice. Mix together sugar, flour, and tapioca; gently toss with fruit mixture. Cover with top crust; trim and crimp edges. Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water). Cut a few slits in the top or create a lattice design to allow steam to vent.

Bake in oven for 50–60 minutes, or until filling is bubbly in center and top is golden brown.

Meet Rachel Hodge, the first-place winner of our pie contest at the Summer Kickoff Party in June. She submitted this delicious recipe for Bumbleberry Pie. Ready to try it out in your own kitchen? It would make a nice, patriotic addition to your Independence Day celebration or any summer picnic!


NFamily Photo

AlbumMP H O T O S B Y

J O S H L E M O N S T O M M Y B E H R MA N D A N G R I N S T E A D

At UM ARMY, we partnered with local United Methodist churches in Baytown, Texas, to work on a number of projects for families in need. My team completed a 32-ft wheelchair ramp for a woman who had just returned from the hospital and was unable to make it out of her home. Afterwards, we spent the last two days of UM ARMY patching a roof for an elderly couple. The week was spent doing hard work, praying and praising God, and serving the local community in many ways!

–Josh Lemons, Director of Youth Ministries


The Pies & Pirates Party turned out to be a very enjoyable afternoon. I thought this activity was for families with children, but I was mistaken. It was a multi-generational gathering with ALL age groups in the church represented. It was a delightful afternoon, and I will attend again.

– Brenda Coleman, 3rd place winner for her homemade apple pie


Over 150 people came together for our Change the World Beatles Lunch! This fundraiser raised nearly $4,400 to be distributed locally to Braes Interfaith Ministries and globally to Haitian Artisans for Peace International (HAPI). Thank you to all who attended, rocked out and participated in this fun event that reminded us that we can change the world through missions near and far.

–Amy Behrman, Chair of Community Ministries


BY REV. TAYLOR FUERST

A man approached Jesus and asked him a pointed, loaded question: “Which command-ment is the greatest of all?” Jesus answered directly: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your

strength.” But then—unprompted—he added: “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Love your neighbor. Those three words form the basis of so much ministry. We love our neigh-bors by caring for friends when they are sick or grieving, by collecting food or clothing for those who are in need, by volunteering in any number of ways.

Neighbors can be nearby or halfway around the world. They are friends and they are enemies. As the parable of the good Samaritan indicates, “neighbors” could be anybody, and as a pastor, I work hard to expand that notion. But what if we simply took Jesus’ words at face value—what if we gathered up the time and the courage to love the people who live closest to us?

“A COMMUNITY OF GREAT NEIGHBORS”A group of pastors in Arvada, Colorado, were distressed over the state of their city. Homeless-ness was on the rise, the aging population lacked essential resources and services—the chal-lenges every city experiences were closing in on them. Concluding that they needed to do more to help, they called a meeting with the mayor of the town of 100,000, and these pastors asked one simple question: “What can we do to help?”

They were sure the mayor would answer with dreams of community programs and services, food pantries and after-school programs. He didn’t. He answered with relationships.

WHEN JESUS ASKED US TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS, HE MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY MEANT

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE CLOSEST TO US—OUR NEAREST, MOST OBVIOUS NEIGHBORS.

ARE WE PREPARED TO DO JUST THAT?


and privacy our fences seemingly afford us.

Then we moved inside, as the tele-vision became the central focus in many households. Now, TVs and computers draw our family mem-bers to their own bedrooms, and we spend our time in isolation, or in “virtual community” online.

QUIZ YOURSELFOur neighboring focus this fall will be centered around The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon. The authors illus-trate the breakdown of neighborly relationships in America through this simple challenge:

Draw a grid of your closest neigh-bors—like a tic-tac-toe board—with your house, apartment, or

“The majority of our issues,” he told them, “would be drastically reduced if we could just figure out a way to become a community of great neighbors.”

CHANGING PATTERNSNeighborhoods sure have changed. Back in the ’50s, when the neigh-borhoods of southwest Houston were built, families moved in by the dozens. Children rode their bikes and spent summer days ruling the neighborhood. My neighbor’s son, Bill, grew up here. “I had reign over a two-block radius. As long as I could hear my mother calling from the front door, I wasn’t too far. It didn’t matter anyway, because my friends and I knew everyone around here, and they knew us. If we were in trouble—or getting into trouble—they knew who to call.”

In those days, people spent time drinking iced tea and visiting on the front porch. Children played in the front yard. But at some point, we shifted our activities to the backyard, opting for the safety

Who is my Neighbor?


other living place in the center square (you may need to modi-fy this based on the shape of your particular neighborhood or build-ing). Use this visual guide to imag-ine your eight nearest neighbors. In each box, fill in three things about each neighbor:

a. Your neighbor’s name: first name, last name, whatever you know.

b. A piece of information about your neighbors that you couldn’t know by standing at your front door. You could probably identify their car or their pets by observ-ing them from your front door, but you’d have to have a conver-sation or two to know that they are from Oklahoma, or that she is a Physical Therapist.

c. Something you would only know from connecting with your neighbor at a deeper level of re-lationship: What motivates them to do what they do? What dreams do they have for work or family? What do they fear most?

The statistics reveal a striking lack of connection with our neighbors. About 10 percent of people can fill out “line a” for all eight neighbors. Only 3 percent can fill out “line b,” and less than 1 percent can fill out “line c” for all eight neighbors!

RELATIONSHIP BARRIERSWhy is it so hard to be in rela-tionship with our neighbors? Two answers stand out: time and fear. It takes lots of incremental investments of time to stop and talk, to host, to intentionally build a relationship.

And it takes overcoming a barrier of fear. Sometimes that fear is war-ranted—you may have observed unsafe and unsettling behavior in your neighbors. Sometimes the barrier is simply the discomfort and awkwardness that often comes with “putting yourself out there.”

Rachel Hodge, Westbury member and student at the University of Houston, tells the story of how she was blessed by her neighbor’s ges-ture of love and support.

I have lived in the same house with my dad since I was 5. For the

entire time we have lived there, my next door neighbor has been a nice elderly lady named Ms. Barron. Every morning as we got in the car to go to school, I would see her watering her garden. Every morning we exchanged a wave and I would say, “Good morning, Ms. Barron!” Although this daily exchange did not have a big impact on my life, Ms. Barron showed me its importance to her through a high school graduation gift. On my graduation day, she came out of her house with a beautiful teal and brown afghan that she had knit herself. It was obvious that she had spent a lot of time on it and it really made me rethink how this woman, whom I didn’t know well, had lived next door for 13 years and had seen me grow up. I was touched that she would have spent so much time making a gift for someone who wasn’t even a part of her family.

Neighboring is about relationships… it is about

being open to the possibility that your neighbors

are not your neighbors by accident—that God

means to use you in someone else’s life.

This map shows the density of Westbury UMC members who live within a few blocks of the church.


BECOMING LIKE FAMILYThe truth is, some neighbors do become like family. They are there for us when we need them, providing love and care.

Following the recent passing of Patsy Burton, her family shared the incredible ways that she loved her neighbors. She was known to be regularly “on call” for those who needed a ride to a doctor’s appoint-ment or the grocery store. Patsy was even known to rake and gather leaves from the street in front of her neighbor’s house.

Her relationship with one neighbor changed significantly after a tragedy. Patsy knew that the woman across the street was suffering from illness. Going places was a struggle for her, but her husband would faithfully take her each week to the hairdresser as a gesture of love and encouragement. When the woman’s husband died unexpectedly, Patsy stepped in to fill the void. Each week, Patsy walked across the street, and she washed, dried, and curled her neighbor’s hair. The routine continued for years, until Patsy’s neighbor passed away.

In the end, neighboring is about relationships. Being a good neighbor is about being open to the possibility that your neighbors are not your neighbors by accident—that God means to use you in someone else’s life—to quell the loneliness, fear, and isolation that most of us experience at one point or another.

That mayor from Colorado was onto something important: relationships change people’s lives, and when lives are transformed, communities are transformed, too. The result is witnessing glimpses of the abundant life Jesus promises.

I look forward to worshipping with you in September as we consider Jesus’ call to love our neighbors! n

Vacation Bible School 2014Monday, August 4–Friday, August 8

9 am–noon | $35/child

Nearly 100 kids have signed up for this year’s VBS, and we still have room for more! We are grateful so many of you have volunteered to lead our exciting stations, but we are still in need of more VBS adult and youth leaders.

Ready to volunteer during VBS week? Maybe there’s a spot waiting just for you! Preschool Bible Adventures Leader

Help bring the daily Bible story to life through storytelling and crafts.

Preschool Craft and Play Leader Choose from a variety of craft options to have fun teaching kids about Jesus’ love.

Crew Leader Be a friend, encourager and helper to a small

group of kids, guiding them to stations.

On Sunday, July 13, from noon–1 pm, we will have a mandatory VBS Training. Unless you attended the June 22nd training, all volunteers (youth and adults) must attend this training to receive notebooks, go over leader guides and review Safe Sanctuary expectations.

If you can’t serve the week of VBS, here are ways to help out behind the scenes: VBS Decorating | Saturday, August 2, 9 am–2 pm,

and/or Sunday, August 3, noon–4 pm. Help us transform the church into a wild habitat for all our weird animals!

VBS Clean Up | Friday, August 8, noon–3 pm. We have to get our space back in shape for Sun-day school. Lunch will be provided.

VBS Check-In | Saturday, August 2, 10 am–noon, and/or Sunday, August 3, noon–1 pm. Families will be invited to check in early to make for an easier, quicker start on Monday morning. Help check kids in, let parents know where to drop off kids on Monday, and provide other helpful information.

United Methodist ChurchWestbury




Summer splash

Come for Splash Day, a fun time just for

parents and little ones (babies–Kindergarten) on

Saturday, July 12, from 10 am–noon. We’ll have

lots of water activities set up out in the Memorial

Garden and popsicles to help us keep cool!

Take me out to the ballgameAnyone a baseball fan out there? Let’s root for the Sugar Land Skeeters on Friday, July 18. The first pitch is thrown at 7:05 pm and there will be a fireworks show at the end. Bring your glove! Tickets are available for $12, which includes a meal voucher for hot dog, drink and chips.

Back to school During worship on Sunday, August 24, at 10:45 am, we will hold a “Blessing of the Backpacks” to pray for our students, teachers, school staff

and everyone who has a part in our children’s education. Children are welcome to bring

their backpacks as they come forward for a special blessing. Each student will

receive a key chain to remind them of God’s love throughout the year.

Students who are entering 6th grade and their families are welcome to join the youth group during their regular Sunday night activities on

Sunday, August 24, from 5:00–7:00 pm. Parents will have a chance to

learn more about the youth program and what to expect during this transition.

Your one-stop

family ministries calendar“Eating Our Way Through the Bible”Gathering around the table was an integral part of Jesus’ ministry and the focus of many Bible stories. During the month of July, parents and children (ages 3–5th grade) will explore Bible stories that involve food on Sundays from 9:30–10:30 am in the Parlor. Join us for this interactive Sunday school experience. We will discuss scripture, create, cook and eat! Encountering these familiar stories in new ways, using all our senses, will be fun and memorable for everyone.


Movin’ on up As we begin a new year of Sunday school, our 4-year-olds and 3rd graders will be promoted up to new classrooms on Sunday, September 7, at 9:30 am in classrooms throughout the Children’s Wing. Whether you’re a Sunday school regular or a newcomer, this is a great time to get involved in a class!

5-4-3-2-1... blast off! Our Blast Off! Fall Kick-Off Party will follow worship on Sunday, September 7, from noon–1:30 pm. All children, youth and their families are invited to Humphrey Hall as we launch into new classes and programs. You can build a rocket ship, play games and join in a sample Children’s and Youth Choir practice. Lunch is provided!

A little weird?Join us for a week at Weird Animals VBS, where we’ll learn about God’s diverse creation and Jesus’ one-of-a-kind, unconditional love. Mark your calendar for Monday, August 4–Friday, August 8, from 9 am–noon. Register online today; $35 per child, ages 3–5th grade. Don’t miss the VBS Celebration in worship on Sunday, August 10, at 10:45 am, when we will recognize our adult volunteers, plus hear the VBS theme song performed by all our kids!

Back to Basics: Children’s SpiritualityFaith is a gift from God—it is God’s presence within us! Even before speaking their first words, our children are learning faith-fulness. But what does it mean to be faithful at age 2 or at age 12? Join us for a four-week Sunday school class, September 7–28, from 9:30–10:30 am in Room 102. We’ll explore what spiritu-al development and formation looks like for our children and how families can support that development in practical ways.

Youth Lock-InOur 6th–12th graders will have a Youth Lock-In on Friday, August 1, from 9:00 pm to Saturday, August 2, at 7:45 am in the Youth Wing. Stu-dents, bring a friend! It’s all free! We’ll have a movie theater, board games and card games, volleyball and basket-ball, and a few surprises! Snacks will be provided. For more details, contact Josh Lemons, Director of Youth Ministries, at (713) 723-0175 or [email protected].


Westbury Cares

In Memory Of Cleo Bonner from Leo Bonner

Louis Carr from the Voyagers Class

Sevie Sue Dean from the Women’s Missionary Society and Sarah Winkel

Jane Doerr from the Women’s Missionary Society, Loretta Barrett, Jo and Fred King, Julia Treadway, and Sarah Winkel

Naomi Doss from Jay and Elena Walrath

In Honor Of Harmony Class, Westbury UMC Staff, Eric Brown and the Men’s Breakfast Fellowship,

Yvonne Canida and the Living Water Caring Ministries, Jim Swearingen and the PrimeTimers, Hannah Terry and FAM, Holly Welty and the ESL Ministry, Nancy Strait and the Flower Ministry from Roy House

Roy House from Mr. and Mrs. John Sewell

DeathsNorman Beveridge (04/05/14)

Betty Jo Yates (04/09/14)

Miriam Serrette (04/14/14)

Inge Mosshart (04/15/14)

Marjorie Smith (06/06/14)

Elsie Townsend (06/16/14)

Patsy Burton (06/21/14)

New MembersBen and Rebecca Smith (04/13/14)

Brian and Christelle Beard (04/20/14)

Cindy Bergman (04/20/14)

Lewis Craft (04/20/14)

Thony and Faida Ngumbu (04/20/14)

Morgan Wiggins (06/01/14)

Sylverline Ojukwu (06/22/14)

Chris and Petra Claflin (06/22/14)

Confirmed in the FaithLauren Dotson (04/20/14)

Katy Farr (04/20/14)

Anaya Bonds (04/20/14)

Elena Reid (04/20/14)

Amanda Reid (04/20/14)

BaptismFarah Catherine Patterson (05/04/14)

S a v e t h e D at e f o r Fa l l 2 0 1 4

S AT U R DAY, O CTO B E R 1 1

Are you new? Meet and greet at Coffee With the Pastors in the Café following worship on second Sundays. This time is for anyone who is new to Westbury UMC and would like to find out more about the ministries and mission of the church. Coffee, pastries and other refreshments will be served as you have casual conversation with our pastors and church members. Everyone is welcome! Choose from any of these upcoming Sundays: July 13, August 10, and September 14.

Would you like to know more about what it means to become a member of Westbury UMC? Are you curious to know how Westbury UMC lives out its mission, vision and values? To answer these questions and more, the pastors will be offering a membership class called “The Westbury Way” on Sunday, September 7, from noon to 2 pm, in the Parlor.

If you are thinking of becoming a member, if you’re a new follower of Christ, or if you’re a new church member who has not taken the class, then join us! A complimentary lunch will be served and childcare is available. RSVP to the church office.


The Divine Option

for DiversitySpecial Guest

JOHN BELL composer, song enlivenerIona Community

Saturday, September 20 Seminar | 2–4:30 pmBanquet | 7–9 pmFree seminar w/ RSVP; $10 for banquet

Sunday, September 21 Worship | 10:45 am Big Sing | 4–6 pmFree and open





Pre-Register atWestburyUMC.org

5200 WILLOWBENDHOUSTON, TX 77096

(713) 723-0175

T H I S FA L L, W E S T B U RY U M C W I L L H O S T J O H N B E L L, the well-known composer and song enlivener of the Iona Community in Scotland. Mr. Bell will facilitate several events during the weekend of September 20 and 21, around the theme, The Divine Option for Diversity.

“We’re so pleased to have John Bell with us,” says Rev. DeAndre Johnson, pastor of music and worship. “It’s our hope that many church leaders will participate. We will be exploring how music in worship helps shape a congregation’s missional identity.”

On Saturday, September 20, from 2:00–4:30 pm, Mr. Bell will lead a seminar to trace how the psalms of the Old Testament provide a biblical springboard for diversity of text, sentiment and musical setting. The seminar is free of charge, although participants are encouraged to register online as space is limited.

Also on Saturday, from 7:00–9:00 pm, there will be a banquet at which Mr. Bell will speak on the different

ways music can be used in worship. The cost of the catered banquet is $10 per person. Participants can register online or send a check and RSVP to Westbury UMC’s office by Monday, September 15. Childcare will be provided for infants and toddlers upon request.

On Sunday, Mr. Bell will be our guest songleader and preacher in worship at 10:45 am. Later that afternoon, from 4–6 pm, he will lead a community-wide song festival called “Sing the World Upside Down,” featuring music from the global church. Sunday’s events are free and open to the public.

The weekend’s activities are made possible by the Homer and Charlice Finck Music Lectureship, an endowment established in 2005 by the children of Homer and Charlice in memory of their father. The purpose of the lectureship is to support music-related special events, including lectures, performances and commissions, at Westbury UMC.

For more information, contact Rev. Johnson at (713) 723-0175 or [email protected].


Welcome, Pastor Homer!

With great joy, Westbury UMC welcomes our new associate pastor, Rev. Homer Williams!

Pastor Homer is one of the most highly respected pastors in the Texas Annual Conference, from his first appointment in ministry to Adkins UMC in 1970 through his retirement in 2004 from Blueridge UMC.

Following these years of fruitful, full-time ministry, Pastor Homer has had an active retirement, serving as a trained Interim Pastor and a member of both Conference and District Boards of Ordained Ministry.

Now he is pleased to offer his wisdom and experience, along with a deep and abiding love for God’s people, to Westbury UMC.

Worship Series Sundays @ 10:45 am(through August 3)


WHAT IS IT? | Westbury Without Walls is a weekend for our church family to gather in the piney woods to talk, eat, play, pray and be in nature. It is an intergenerational event—everyone is welcome!

WHEN IS IT? | October 3– 5 (Friday night through Sunday afternon). You can come up Friday night or Saturday morning, as is convenient for you.

WHERE IS IT? | The retreat will be held at Camp Allen in Navasota, about an hour northwest of Houston.

WHAT WILL WE DO? | As much or as little as you like! Our purpose in gathering is to get to know one another—whether you’ve been a member at Westbury for 20 years or recently joined, if you’re an empty nester or have young children—this is a time to stop, relax, and get to know the people sitting in the pews. You can sign up for horseback riding, go fishing, hiking, canoeing, or just hang out on the porch with friends!

WHAT WILL WE EAT? | We will prepare and eat community meals. The menu is planned, food purchased and brought to the kitchen. Everyone is encouraged to

volunteer to help prepare, set up, serve or clean up after each meal.

WHAT ARE THE ACCOMMODATIONS LIKE? | There are dorm-style rooms with bunk beds in each room. The rooms have air conditioning and heat. The bathrooms are a short walk from the dorms. In the main building, there is a commerical kitchen, dining room, and an outdoor covered area with seating. Camp Allen is as barrier-free a facility as possible. There are paved walkways between buildings, but there are also large portions of land with grass, tree roots and pine needles (lots of pine nee-dles!). There is adequate comfortable space no matter your ability.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? | The cost is $60 per person. This covers lodging and meals. There are additional costs for recreation-al activities such as canoeing, horseback riding, etc.

I WANT TO GO! HOW DO I SIGN UP? | There is a link to the Westbury Without Walls retreat online at WestburyUMC.org where you can reserve your spot! Contact Hillary Peete, Director of Children and Family Ministries, with any questions and for more details.





5200 Willowbend Blvd.Houston, Texas 77096-5298

Main Office: 713-723-0175WestburyUMC.org

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 7821Houston, Texas

Address service requested

Almighty God, we know that you are here at this school long before the lights are turned on and before the first student walks through the door, and long after the last hardworking teacher goes home. Be with us here now, as we prayerfully walk through this place, with the great hope that everyone here might know you and experience your love and grace through us.

— Written for the Prayer Walk at Anderson Elementary by Rediate Sanders, Mwungura Mukanya, Ellery Strength, Warren Bonds and Erin Stewart, as a part of Family Mission Day in May 2014

together: july / aug / sept 2014

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