Did you hear about the “Secret Santa of Kansas City”? I read about him in the Tuesday, December 15, edition of The Dallas Morning News. He anonymously distributed about $14,000 in one day to people in need around the city. His “elves” were handing out $100 bills to people at a thrift store. They gave $2000 to a cancer patient struggling to pay for medications. Altogether, the Secret Santa’s elves anticipate giving away between $250,000 and $300,000 this year. Actually, this is a new Secret Santa. The original was named Larry Stewart. His identity became known just before his death a few years ago. He handed out about $1.3 million dollars over twenty years. Like his predecessor, the new Secret Santa wants to remain anonymous.
Wouldn’t you love to have the money to share like that? Most of us want to be generous; the problem is our bank accounts often can’t back up those feelings of generosity. Well, I have got some good news for you. Did you know, every year our church gives away $75,000 in benevolence giving? We support everything from education to disaster relief, from fighting hunger and disease to sharing the love of God with those who have never heard of Jesus. We are able to do this because you join your giving with others in this congregation and then we join that with the giving of people in hundreds of other United Methodist Churches. Combining our gifts gives us the opportunity to make significant differences in the world in the name of the One who was born on Christmas morning.
So, here is your chance to be a Secret Santa. And the good news is, it is something everyone can do as they are able. You should have received in the mail your special Christmas Offering envelope. The money you give will help many in the name of the one who was born in Bethlehem. Bring your envelope to church with you Christmas Eve night or the Sunday after Christmas or put it in the mail and send to the church. It should be above and beyond your regular offering to the church. This is a great way to feel the joy of being a Secret Santa and to lend a helping hand to someone in need.
Don’t forget our Christmas Eve worship schedule...
3 p.m.- Family Service
5&7 p.m.- Candlelight Celebration Service
6 p.m.- The Bridge
9&11 p.m.- Candlelight and Communion Celebration Service
(childcare provided at the 5, 6 and 7 p.m. services)
I hope to see you Christmas Eve night and have a blessed Christmas.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Full Churches
The headline in Monday’s edition of The Dallas Morning News read, “Churches fill across town on first Sunday after attack.” The article went on to say, “Pastors, chaplains and priests echoed themes of forgiveness and healing in the first Sunday services since Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s rampage at Ft. Hood.” The article quoted several people expressing their emotions. Twenty-nine year old Tawni Lay said, “I’m really emotional, and I feel that this is a safe place.” Second Lt. Daniel Curtis said, “The church helps gather our thoughts and recompose ourselves. It helps us cope.” I am so glad the church has been the place of refuge for the people of the Ft. Hood/Killeen area. I am glad it is a place of sanctuary, a place of healing, a place of hope. But I do have to ask, isn’t that the case every Sunday? Don’t we need “forgiveness and healing” every week? Why are churches filled only after tragedies?
I am taken back to the days following 9/11. The church I served at the time provided a special service the night of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Even though there was little time to get the word out that we would be having a service, the sanctuary was packed. We started getting phone calls in the afternoon from people (members and people we had never heard of) asking if we were having a service. The Sunday following we had to set up chairs in two of our three services. By the next Sunday, attendance was back to normal. What is it that draws us to worship in difficult times and then, in just a few days, for many it becomes perfunctory?
Is it possible that our understanding of worship has become not worshipful at all? Is worship for us, there to supply our needs and frailties, or is it our faithful response to God? Isn’t worship our adoration and glorification of God? Isn’t it our time to sing God our praises and to thank God for His beneficence? Isn’t it how we are challenged to live a life that is pleasing to the one who created us and to whom we owe everything? Isn’t it our opportunity to take responsibility to make His kingdom become a reality in this world and at this time? And aren’t these an every week responsibility and expectation? Certainly, we receive much from our worship; a time to recognize our shortcomings and receive God’s forgiveness, a moment to reflect on what is truly important in life and what is not, to be reminded that we are one of God’s precious children and that God will never leave us alone, a time to recover from the week and receive reassurance. But it is crucial for us to remember that worship is all about God and what that might mean to us.
As Tawni Lay was quoted as saying in the DMN article, “Sometimes it takes a wakeup call to realize what is important.” Thanksgiving is in two weeks. Come to worship ready to thank God for all the blessings in life and to take responsibility as one who is called His own.
I am taken back to the days following 9/11. The church I served at the time provided a special service the night of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Even though there was little time to get the word out that we would be having a service, the sanctuary was packed. We started getting phone calls in the afternoon from people (members and people we had never heard of) asking if we were having a service. The Sunday following we had to set up chairs in two of our three services. By the next Sunday, attendance was back to normal. What is it that draws us to worship in difficult times and then, in just a few days, for many it becomes perfunctory?
Is it possible that our understanding of worship has become not worshipful at all? Is worship for us, there to supply our needs and frailties, or is it our faithful response to God? Isn’t worship our adoration and glorification of God? Isn’t it our time to sing God our praises and to thank God for His beneficence? Isn’t it how we are challenged to live a life that is pleasing to the one who created us and to whom we owe everything? Isn’t it our opportunity to take responsibility to make His kingdom become a reality in this world and at this time? And aren’t these an every week responsibility and expectation? Certainly, we receive much from our worship; a time to recognize our shortcomings and receive God’s forgiveness, a moment to reflect on what is truly important in life and what is not, to be reminded that we are one of God’s precious children and that God will never leave us alone, a time to recover from the week and receive reassurance. But it is crucial for us to remember that worship is all about God and what that might mean to us.
As Tawni Lay was quoted as saying in the DMN article, “Sometimes it takes a wakeup call to realize what is important.” Thanksgiving is in two weeks. Come to worship ready to thank God for all the blessings in life and to take responsibility as one who is called His own.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
What's Going On in Celebration Hall
The answer to that question is easy… exciting things are going on in Celebration Hall. The first phase of our church campus was built in 1999. The carpet and flooring are showing the wear you would expect in a building that has experienced a decade of constant use like ours. Several areas in Celebration Hall, the hallways and classrooms are even getting dangerous to walk on. Also, over the past few years, we have had a growing number of problems with our sound system. As you know, we have had times when we have lost our sound and/or video on Sunday morning and you probably don’t know all the times we were in a panic moments before worship was to begin, praying that the gremlins in our system would leave.
In the capital fund drive for Phase III (the Robertson Activity Center), we designated monies to repair these issues. I am sure you have noticed the new flooring and carpet in some areas. Over the next week or so, carpet will be going into the church offices and Celebration Hall. At the same time, a new sound system is being installed. There will be a new screen in the back of the hall to guide those leading worship and a new sound booth will be constructed and located in a new spot. And it doesn’t even stop there! A new chancel/stage area is being built. It will give the feel we had in Celebration Hall when we had the Odes of Solomon services. It will create a “U” shaped seating arrangement for a more intimate worship experience. Don’t worry; you’ll still be able to find your chair.
A few things to note:
The church offices will be closed on October 1 and 2 to lay carpet in them.
Again, these funds are coming our of our capital funds account, not our operating funds. We will be having our annual “catch up on the operating budget” announcements as we come to the close of the year. I’m sure someone will ask, “Why did we spend that money on the flooring and the sound system if we didn’t have the money?” When that question comes up, please remember that this work was done through the capital funds, not operating funds.
Your pledges and continued giving to the capital funds account is still very important and appreciated. If you would like to contribute additional funds for any of the work I have described, please contact either me or Cindy Moreland. In 2010, we are planning a debt reduction campaign to relieve our indebtedness and help us plan for future projects.
Because of all the changes, there will be a few inconveniences. Please be flexible and understanding.
Yes, exciting things are happening in Celebration Hall. Get ready to enjoy them.
Grace and peace,
John Mollet
In the capital fund drive for Phase III (the Robertson Activity Center), we designated monies to repair these issues. I am sure you have noticed the new flooring and carpet in some areas. Over the next week or so, carpet will be going into the church offices and Celebration Hall. At the same time, a new sound system is being installed. There will be a new screen in the back of the hall to guide those leading worship and a new sound booth will be constructed and located in a new spot. And it doesn’t even stop there! A new chancel/stage area is being built. It will give the feel we had in Celebration Hall when we had the Odes of Solomon services. It will create a “U” shaped seating arrangement for a more intimate worship experience. Don’t worry; you’ll still be able to find your chair.
A few things to note:
The church offices will be closed on October 1 and 2 to lay carpet in them.
Again, these funds are coming our of our capital funds account, not our operating funds. We will be having our annual “catch up on the operating budget” announcements as we come to the close of the year. I’m sure someone will ask, “Why did we spend that money on the flooring and the sound system if we didn’t have the money?” When that question comes up, please remember that this work was done through the capital funds, not operating funds.
Your pledges and continued giving to the capital funds account is still very important and appreciated. If you would like to contribute additional funds for any of the work I have described, please contact either me or Cindy Moreland. In 2010, we are planning a debt reduction campaign to relieve our indebtedness and help us plan for future projects.
Because of all the changes, there will be a few inconveniences. Please be flexible and understanding.
Yes, exciting things are happening in Celebration Hall. Get ready to enjoy them.
Grace and peace,
John Mollet
Thursday, September 10, 2009
One Single Invitation
Pastor David told me a great story recently of one of our church family members welcoming a guest with such open arms that this guest now feels like he has found his church home. Talk about open doors! This is such a great story that I wanted Pastor David to tell it to you himself. Therefore, rather than a "Moment with Mollet" this week, how about a "Day with David?"
Grace and peace,
John Mollet
One Single Invitation
This week I had to hijack John's e-mail, because there is a story I feel you must hear. About 3 weeks ago I was finishing up our "God Must Be Crazy" sermon series in The Bridge and on the fourth and final week we were using Micah 6:8 as a reference to Jonah's needing to understand what God wanted from him. We went through Seeking Justice, Loving Kindness and Walking Humbly with God, and I'll have to tell you that I was pretty fired up after that sermon for the work of our Church. But nothing that I said gave me near as much excitement as the story you will read below. (The names have been left out, but this is a true story)
A young man moved to McKinney four weeks prior to this worship service and this was his fourth week in The Bridge. Apparently he enjoyed the worship style, the music, the preaching (and after all, who wouldn't...), but one key ingredient was missing. No one had really talked to him. No one, except I believe Ed, had enjoyed a conversation of any merit with this visitor and he was praying with God the week before the worship that if he did not make any meaningful connections the next Sunday, he would go find another church. God had another plan.
During this service, the young man was present and seemed engaged, but in the back of his mind was thinking "if no one really cares enough to talk to me, I'm going somewhere else next week." God has a funny way of acting, as when he thought this, he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve from a woman in the row behind him. For whatever reason this grandmother noticed the young man sitting by himself and invited him to go out to lunch with her family that afternoon. I was not there, but I will guess that surprisingly he accepted.
The woman and the young man met the rest of her family who had been in the Celebration Service and went out to eat. Apparently this young man is pursuing a life in the ministry, has served in all sorts of missions and ministry capacities and has a real heart for service in the world. What a shame it would have been if we missed out on the wonderful gifts that this young man could bring to the life of our church and all that we could do to foster his spiritual growth!!!
I suppose this made me wonder how many other people slip through the cracks. If you walk through the halls between or after worship time it really is mass chaos around here. Families are trying to stay together, Sunday school teachers are trying to get the right kids to the right parents, people are funneling out of one or two doors out of Celebration Hall or The Bridge and groups stand in the middle of all of this talking. I wonder how many visitors or even members feel as though no one talks to them? What a shame to have missed out on some great people, all because in the hustle and bustle, we forgot that being part of a church means inviting strangers to eat with us. I think Jesus might have done this too...I'll check.
I thank God that the woman listened to God's call to invite the young man to lunch and I hope this will inspire everyone who reads this to take a radical step of hospitality in the coming weeks and look for those sitting by themselves or who look lost. One of these people might be the next Sunday school teacher, missions leader, youth volunteer, lay speaker, chair guy or who knows...maybe that one invitation is all they need to realize hope in the world.
Pastor David
Grace and peace,
John Mollet
One Single Invitation
This week I had to hijack John's e-mail, because there is a story I feel you must hear. About 3 weeks ago I was finishing up our "God Must Be Crazy" sermon series in The Bridge and on the fourth and final week we were using Micah 6:8 as a reference to Jonah's needing to understand what God wanted from him. We went through Seeking Justice, Loving Kindness and Walking Humbly with God, and I'll have to tell you that I was pretty fired up after that sermon for the work of our Church. But nothing that I said gave me near as much excitement as the story you will read below. (The names have been left out, but this is a true story)
A young man moved to McKinney four weeks prior to this worship service and this was his fourth week in The Bridge. Apparently he enjoyed the worship style, the music, the preaching (and after all, who wouldn't...), but one key ingredient was missing. No one had really talked to him. No one, except I believe Ed, had enjoyed a conversation of any merit with this visitor and he was praying with God the week before the worship that if he did not make any meaningful connections the next Sunday, he would go find another church. God had another plan.
During this service, the young man was present and seemed engaged, but in the back of his mind was thinking "if no one really cares enough to talk to me, I'm going somewhere else next week." God has a funny way of acting, as when he thought this, he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve from a woman in the row behind him. For whatever reason this grandmother noticed the young man sitting by himself and invited him to go out to lunch with her family that afternoon. I was not there, but I will guess that surprisingly he accepted.
The woman and the young man met the rest of her family who had been in the Celebration Service and went out to eat. Apparently this young man is pursuing a life in the ministry, has served in all sorts of missions and ministry capacities and has a real heart for service in the world. What a shame it would have been if we missed out on the wonderful gifts that this young man could bring to the life of our church and all that we could do to foster his spiritual growth!!!
I suppose this made me wonder how many other people slip through the cracks. If you walk through the halls between or after worship time it really is mass chaos around here. Families are trying to stay together, Sunday school teachers are trying to get the right kids to the right parents, people are funneling out of one or two doors out of Celebration Hall or The Bridge and groups stand in the middle of all of this talking. I wonder how many visitors or even members feel as though no one talks to them? What a shame to have missed out on some great people, all because in the hustle and bustle, we forgot that being part of a church means inviting strangers to eat with us. I think Jesus might have done this too...I'll check.
I thank God that the woman listened to God's call to invite the young man to lunch and I hope this will inspire everyone who reads this to take a radical step of hospitality in the coming weeks and look for those sitting by themselves or who look lost. One of these people might be the next Sunday school teacher, missions leader, youth volunteer, lay speaker, chair guy or who knows...maybe that one invitation is all they need to realize hope in the world.
Pastor David
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Enjoying the Church
I love it when staff members of our church go to meetings with staff members of other churches. They talk with one another about the churches they serve, the challenges and joys of those churches and the pastors with whom they work. Without fail, they come back proclaiming, “I am so glad I work at this church!”
This past week I spent three days with a group of seven pastors I have known for several years. We are working on a project together, so most of our time was spent working on that, but, of course, there was plenty of time to talk about our churches. After hearing their stories of woe, let me say, “I am so glad I am a part of this church.” Let me give just a few reasons for my thankfulness.
First, we are in a dynamic, fast-growing church. Many of my colleagues struggle in churches that are not only declining, their congregations are fighting growth everyway possible. One of my friends told us that it takes him at least a year and a half to make any change at his church. His congregation wants to keep the things at their church exactly like they have been for many years. That really means they want to keep the church for themselves. Any mention of changing something so that they might be more inviting to newcomers is met with a “this is the way we have always done it and we like it that way.” Any wonder why that church has not grown in many years. In contrast, you are always ready to find new ways to meet the needs of those entering our doors. Even if it takes changing something, you are willing to try it out. The thing I love about this church is you think more about others’ experience of the church than you do your own. That sounds pretty much like the Golden Rule, doesn’t it?
Second, this is a church where people are invited to think and ask questions. Too many churches today are telling their congregations what and how to think. If anyone has an opinion that might color a little out of the lines of their doctrine they are reprimanded. The church should be a place where it is safe to ask our questions, no matter how unholy they might sound. It is through our dialogue and debate we begin to discover what we believe; and that initiates a closer relationship with God. Just the other day, a man in our congregation told me, " If it wasn’t for this church, I would not have grown in my faith like I have." We can receive no better complement.
Third, this church really is “the most joyful place on earth.” You want to know why? It is because you are nice people. One of the ministers in my group described a church we were discussing as “a bunch of mean Christians.” I am afraid there are a lot of churches that fight, grumble, gossip and complain. That is not our church. For the most part, we are pretty much a happy family. We certainly have our disagreements, but you handle them in stride and with maturity. You are also "the most joyful place on earth" because you take care of each other. I have said many times this church cares for its members and those outside our walls better than any church I know. Life is not always happy, but when someone helps you walk with Christ during those unhappy times you can be filled with joy.
I could go on, but I really just wanted you to know how thankful I am to be your pastor and how much I appreciate your work in making this church become the vision God has for it. Too often we take that for granted, but we shouldn’t because it is one of God’s blessings. I hope you join me when I say, “I am so glad I am a part of this church.”
This past week I spent three days with a group of seven pastors I have known for several years. We are working on a project together, so most of our time was spent working on that, but, of course, there was plenty of time to talk about our churches. After hearing their stories of woe, let me say, “I am so glad I am a part of this church.” Let me give just a few reasons for my thankfulness.
First, we are in a dynamic, fast-growing church. Many of my colleagues struggle in churches that are not only declining, their congregations are fighting growth everyway possible. One of my friends told us that it takes him at least a year and a half to make any change at his church. His congregation wants to keep the things at their church exactly like they have been for many years. That really means they want to keep the church for themselves. Any mention of changing something so that they might be more inviting to newcomers is met with a “this is the way we have always done it and we like it that way.” Any wonder why that church has not grown in many years. In contrast, you are always ready to find new ways to meet the needs of those entering our doors. Even if it takes changing something, you are willing to try it out. The thing I love about this church is you think more about others’ experience of the church than you do your own. That sounds pretty much like the Golden Rule, doesn’t it?
Second, this is a church where people are invited to think and ask questions. Too many churches today are telling their congregations what and how to think. If anyone has an opinion that might color a little out of the lines of their doctrine they are reprimanded. The church should be a place where it is safe to ask our questions, no matter how unholy they might sound. It is through our dialogue and debate we begin to discover what we believe; and that initiates a closer relationship with God. Just the other day, a man in our congregation told me, " If it wasn’t for this church, I would not have grown in my faith like I have." We can receive no better complement.
Third, this church really is “the most joyful place on earth.” You want to know why? It is because you are nice people. One of the ministers in my group described a church we were discussing as “a bunch of mean Christians.” I am afraid there are a lot of churches that fight, grumble, gossip and complain. That is not our church. For the most part, we are pretty much a happy family. We certainly have our disagreements, but you handle them in stride and with maturity. You are also "the most joyful place on earth" because you take care of each other. I have said many times this church cares for its members and those outside our walls better than any church I know. Life is not always happy, but when someone helps you walk with Christ during those unhappy times you can be filled with joy.
I could go on, but I really just wanted you to know how thankful I am to be your pastor and how much I appreciate your work in making this church become the vision God has for it. Too often we take that for granted, but we shouldn’t because it is one of God’s blessings. I hope you join me when I say, “I am so glad I am a part of this church.”
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
New Sermon Series
I wanted you to be the first to know. Evidently there is something special about being the first to know something. When I was growing up, the barker on the TV commercial that broke in on my Saturday morning cartoons would say, “Be the first on your block to get…” then he would go on to name the product he was advertising. To be first had the power to make you feel special. You had something on everyone else in the neighborhood. You had bragging rights. You might not have wanted the product they were selling at all, but you certainly wanted to be first. So, I want you to be the first to know the upcoming sermon series for the Celebration Service, because I want you to feel special. (You Bridgers stay tuned; I’ll also share some upcoming sermon series for The Bridge.)
Every four to six months, I sequester myself for a week and work on sermon ideas. Contrary to popular belief, these series do not come to me by osmosis or from Googling “sermon series ideas” on the internet or from a bolt of lightening sent from above. They come from a discipline of prayerful study. First, I have to get away from the church. There are way too many distractions in a busy church like ours. There is constantly an important question or someone that really needs to see me for “just a minute.” Truth be told, I can’t sit in my office with the door closed without becoming curious as to what is happening just on the other side of my office door. I am way too much an extravert for that. As the church staff would say, I am quite the social butterfly. So, I get away with a stack of twenty books or so and get to work.
My goal is to have several sermon series sketched out for an extended period of time. I want to have a series title, the primary scripture text for each of the sermons in the series, and a title and thesis sentence for each of those sermons. Then I schedule those for specific Sundays and give the schedule to the church worship staff. This gives us the opportunity to look thematically at each week. Buddy and Marla can plan ahead and fit the music with each sermon theme. Every once in awhile someone will come to me following worship and say, “Wow, the words of that song really fit what you said in the sermon." Again, that does not happen by magic. They put a lot of hours and effort into fitting the music with the sermon, so that you can have a meaningful, thought-provoking and spiritually uplifting worship experience. Having the sermons ahead of time gives the worship team time to creatively think of how we can best get the message of the morning across to the congregation. We are always working at least a month ahead.
So, here are some of the fruits of my work. First, David and I will share the first sermon series of the new school year in both The Bridge and Celebration services. We will be preaching on “Open As A Verb”, looking at how we can live out the new United Methodist Church motto of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”. After that in the Celebration Service we will have, “Finding the Good News When the Headlines Are Bad”, looking at our faithful responses to terrorism, violence in schools, hunger and natural disasters. We will “Go Beneath the Surface” examining our understandings of God, Jesus, the Bible and ourselves. I also have a series planned in which I will confess to you the things Christians do that drive me crazy. (That one was difficult to keep to just four weeks.) In a series I am calling “BBFF, Biblical Best Friends Forever”, we will discover some of the biblical friendships that can help us through life. At Christmas, we will travel with Mary through her pregnancy. The series will search for the meaning we can find in the anticipation of having a child, Lamaze classes, labor, the euphoria and realities of birth and ending with showing pictures. During Lent and Easter, the sermons will look at Jesus as a defendant in a trial, examining the religious establishment’s investigation of his unorthodox way of teaching the faith. After Easter you are invited to get your popcorn ready to see how the movies can help us understand and feel the power of the resurrection.
In The Bridge, David has sermons scheduled up to Christmas. After “Open as a Verb”, David (and Ed and I on occasion) will preach on “Cross –Training”, how the cross trains us up to be Christian disciples. And “The Holiness Code”; few times will you hear sermons based on the book of Leviticus, but the moral and ethical codes for living presented in the book are ones on which our society has been based.
I really did want you to be the first to know. Not only so you would feel special, but also to help you make worship a holy habit in your life. I do hope it will motivate you to invite others to come worship with you. Because, as you will remember, Jesus said “the first will be last” and that we are called “to be a servant to all”. Helping others find their special place in worship will make you feel special and it will certainly make you a servant of the Lord.
Every four to six months, I sequester myself for a week and work on sermon ideas. Contrary to popular belief, these series do not come to me by osmosis or from Googling “sermon series ideas” on the internet or from a bolt of lightening sent from above. They come from a discipline of prayerful study. First, I have to get away from the church. There are way too many distractions in a busy church like ours. There is constantly an important question or someone that really needs to see me for “just a minute.” Truth be told, I can’t sit in my office with the door closed without becoming curious as to what is happening just on the other side of my office door. I am way too much an extravert for that. As the church staff would say, I am quite the social butterfly. So, I get away with a stack of twenty books or so and get to work.
My goal is to have several sermon series sketched out for an extended period of time. I want to have a series title, the primary scripture text for each of the sermons in the series, and a title and thesis sentence for each of those sermons. Then I schedule those for specific Sundays and give the schedule to the church worship staff. This gives us the opportunity to look thematically at each week. Buddy and Marla can plan ahead and fit the music with each sermon theme. Every once in awhile someone will come to me following worship and say, “Wow, the words of that song really fit what you said in the sermon." Again, that does not happen by magic. They put a lot of hours and effort into fitting the music with the sermon, so that you can have a meaningful, thought-provoking and spiritually uplifting worship experience. Having the sermons ahead of time gives the worship team time to creatively think of how we can best get the message of the morning across to the congregation. We are always working at least a month ahead.
So, here are some of the fruits of my work. First, David and I will share the first sermon series of the new school year in both The Bridge and Celebration services. We will be preaching on “Open As A Verb”, looking at how we can live out the new United Methodist Church motto of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”. After that in the Celebration Service we will have, “Finding the Good News When the Headlines Are Bad”, looking at our faithful responses to terrorism, violence in schools, hunger and natural disasters. We will “Go Beneath the Surface” examining our understandings of God, Jesus, the Bible and ourselves. I also have a series planned in which I will confess to you the things Christians do that drive me crazy. (That one was difficult to keep to just four weeks.) In a series I am calling “BBFF, Biblical Best Friends Forever”, we will discover some of the biblical friendships that can help us through life. At Christmas, we will travel with Mary through her pregnancy. The series will search for the meaning we can find in the anticipation of having a child, Lamaze classes, labor, the euphoria and realities of birth and ending with showing pictures. During Lent and Easter, the sermons will look at Jesus as a defendant in a trial, examining the religious establishment’s investigation of his unorthodox way of teaching the faith. After Easter you are invited to get your popcorn ready to see how the movies can help us understand and feel the power of the resurrection.
In The Bridge, David has sermons scheduled up to Christmas. After “Open as a Verb”, David (and Ed and I on occasion) will preach on “Cross –Training”, how the cross trains us up to be Christian disciples. And “The Holiness Code”; few times will you hear sermons based on the book of Leviticus, but the moral and ethical codes for living presented in the book are ones on which our society has been based.
I really did want you to be the first to know. Not only so you would feel special, but also to help you make worship a holy habit in your life. I do hope it will motivate you to invite others to come worship with you. Because, as you will remember, Jesus said “the first will be last” and that we are called “to be a servant to all”. Helping others find their special place in worship will make you feel special and it will certainly make you a servant of the Lord.
Friday, July 31, 2009
We Are Becoming Adoptive Parents
Over my ministry, I have enjoyed going through the process of adoption with a number of couples. When I was the pastor of Chapel Hill UMC in Farmers Branch, we were one of the designated locations for the Methodist Mission Home to meet with adoptive parents as the case worker placed their new baby in their loving arms. I participated in several worship services that celebrated the event and, I can tell you, there is no feeling like the one that enters your heart when you see the joy in the faces as the eyes of the new parents and their child meet for the first time. It is the personification of love.
I have felt that same feeling these past few days as our church was presented with the opportunity to adopt one of the elementary schools in McKinney. Six churches in town have been asked if they would join with another school to adopt one of our MISD Title One schools. Title One schools are those with at least 40% of their students on the free breakfast and lunch program. We have been invited to join forces with Bennett Elementary and Wolford Elementary to adopt Malvern Elementary School. Malvern has about 87% of their students on the free meal program. I knew you would want to beadoptive parents, so I committed our church to this new ministry. Then the church staff started to find some people willing to direct our part of the mission. As is always the case when God guides you into a new ministry, the people were there just waiting for someone to ask them. We now have a team of 10 people who have agreed to be a part of the liaison team with Bennett, Wolford and Malvern.
Let me tell you a little about Malvern Elementary School. It is located at 1100 Eldorado Parkway; about a quarter mile east of highway 75. It is a vibrant and innovative community school of about 600 students. It opened in 2001 as one of the McKinney ISD sustainable schools that are environmentally sensitive in architecture and engineering. It is a “recognized” school. Sandra Barber is the principal.
There are a lot of areas in which we will be able to assist in this new ministry in the years to come. There will be opportunities for people to be mentors, reading partners and tutors. We can support and appreciate the teachers and administrators. We can assist in the workroom, the library, the clothing/food closet and with technology. They need people to join the chess club and the PTA. Some will want to be involved at the school at night; like leading parent seminars and developing a parent center. I hope some of our small groups will decide to adopt one of their individual classes. They even have a garden in which our green thumbs can play.
The reason you are receiving this email a little earlier than usual is that we have an immediate need to which we can respond. The students need school supplies. A list of the supplies needed is below:
Crayons
Pencils
Gluesticks
Notebook paper
Pocket folers
Spirals
Pencil pouches
We will be collecting these supplies so that they can be delivered to the families before school starts. Our deadline for the supplies to be brought to the church is Thursday, August 6. If you would prefer, you can make a cash donation for the purchase of the supplies.
Adoption can be the personification of love. Let us begin to share the love of God with the families of Malvern Elementary.
I have felt that same feeling these past few days as our church was presented with the opportunity to adopt one of the elementary schools in McKinney. Six churches in town have been asked if they would join with another school to adopt one of our MISD Title One schools. Title One schools are those with at least 40% of their students on the free breakfast and lunch program. We have been invited to join forces with Bennett Elementary and Wolford Elementary to adopt Malvern Elementary School. Malvern has about 87% of their students on the free meal program. I knew you would want to beadoptive parents, so I committed our church to this new ministry. Then the church staff started to find some people willing to direct our part of the mission. As is always the case when God guides you into a new ministry, the people were there just waiting for someone to ask them. We now have a team of 10 people who have agreed to be a part of the liaison team with Bennett, Wolford and Malvern.
Let me tell you a little about Malvern Elementary School. It is located at 1100 Eldorado Parkway; about a quarter mile east of highway 75. It is a vibrant and innovative community school of about 600 students. It opened in 2001 as one of the McKinney ISD sustainable schools that are environmentally sensitive in architecture and engineering. It is a “recognized” school. Sandra Barber is the principal.
There are a lot of areas in which we will be able to assist in this new ministry in the years to come. There will be opportunities for people to be mentors, reading partners and tutors. We can support and appreciate the teachers and administrators. We can assist in the workroom, the library, the clothing/food closet and with technology. They need people to join the chess club and the PTA. Some will want to be involved at the school at night; like leading parent seminars and developing a parent center. I hope some of our small groups will decide to adopt one of their individual classes. They even have a garden in which our green thumbs can play.
The reason you are receiving this email a little earlier than usual is that we have an immediate need to which we can respond. The students need school supplies. A list of the supplies needed is below:
Crayons
Pencils
Gluesticks
Notebook paper
Pocket folers
Spirals
Pencil pouches
We will be collecting these supplies so that they can be delivered to the families before school starts. Our deadline for the supplies to be brought to the church is Thursday, August 6. If you would prefer, you can make a cash donation for the purchase of the supplies.
Adoption can be the personification of love. Let us begin to share the love of God with the families of Malvern Elementary.
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