insideIntentional FaithDevelopment

2

Risk-taking Missionand Service

4

Pastor’s Message

1

Extravagant Generosity

5

Radical Hospitaliy

5

Compassionate Care

6

Passionate Worship

3

May 2015 Edition www.grandrapidsfumc.org

As I write this article for May it is mid-April. It is the last item on my “To-Do” list prior to a two-week vacation. The weather of

mid-April convinces us that all nature is in transition. Flowers are beginning to appear after a very long and hard winter. Buds on the trees are beginning to formulate and it won’t be long until flowering trees will be in full bloom. Because of the April showers, the grass is greening and Spring is spring-ing - and what a delight it is to watch new life appear.

May is also a transition month at First Church. The program year is wind-ing down, celebrations will occur for all that has been accomplished, and we move rather decisively toward the planning for the fall program year. Our programmatic drawing board is full with endless possibilities, so we are talking, debating, and refining our planning for what is in the best interest of our congregation. Even though the professional and volunteer staff plus our lay leadership are part of the con-gregation and we believe that we have a fairly good pulse on decision-making for the greater good, there are times that we need congregational feedback. May will be an important time for feedback from the congregation.

The Vision Team has been hard at work... attempting to translate ALL of what we heard from the 200-plus participants in our “visionary conver-sations” of January and February. We had 10 single-spaced, small-font “sug-gestions/observations” for us to con-sider. We have prayerfully and care-fully attempted to translate feedback

into goals and objectives to formulate a 3-year strategic plan. May is the time for the Vision Team to present what we think we heard from you.

My personal observations are: 1) We really do have the right Six Critical Success Factors (see right column) that will help us focus on six areas of sig-nificant ministry. The six factors will help us stay focused in how we invest our time, talents, and treasures as a congregation. It also helps us deter-mine how we deploy our staff resourc-es with measurable outcomes in per-formance. 2) The Six Critical Success Factors will stretch and expand the ho-rizons of our congregation. We might learn things that we have not known or thought about before. We might do some things differently than we have ever done before. Which is all good - even if it might be a bit uncomfort-able. 3) Embracing a strategic plan will test us as a congregation to see if “we” is more important than “me!” First Church is entering a season of impor-tant celebration: the 100th anniversary of the building of our sanctuary and the 180th anniversary of the birth of our congregation. We must honor the past... celebrate the present... and pre-pare for the future. It is my goal to pre-pare this congregation for a 3rd cen-tury of significance in ministry from our strategic urban placement in the heart of the city.

So - on May 17 during both worship services... we will share the “fruit” of our first round of listening. The state-ments in each of the six factors will give us a goal of what our congrega-tion’s ministry will be in 2018.

Between the 17th and the 31st... we will invite a second round of feedback to refine our strategic plan. Then, on

June 1, the Leadership Council will al-ter or affirm the plan - and away we go. Watch for details for conversation times and join us if you can. This will be important.

Spring IS springing... in our congrega-tion!

Pastor Bob Hundley

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENTEnhancing our church as a place where people encounter God, deepen their faith, and are

challenged to transform their lives

EVANGELISM & HOSPITALITYWelcoming all people in an active

manner and inviting them to discover God and to connect in

life-changing ways

WORSHIPOffering a variety of inspiring

worship services to appeal to all segments of the community

COMMUNITY OUTREACH/IMPACTExpanding the way we share the

love of Christ with people in Grand Rapids, the US, and around

the world through acts of justice, mercy, and service

CONGREGATIONAL CAREExpanding spiritual and emotional

support by training pastoral caregivers from the congregation

to provide visitation, prayer, education, and referrals/assistance

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENTDeveloping the funding, facilities, staff, and volunteers to support

the work of the church

SIX CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

2

Intentional Faith DevelopmentAppreciation Sunday May signifies many things: Memorial Day, summer’s arrival, the end of an-other school year, etc. For the life of the church, May is a time for us to rec-ognize all those who have had a part in teaching God’s word. Whether the stu-dents were adults, youth, or children, many volunteers and passionate indi-viduals shared their faith, time, gifts/talents, and their love this school year. Now it’s time for us to show our ap-preciation for their dedication: Thank you to our teachers and shepherds who lead by example! Please join us in celebrating our leaders on Sun-day, May 31 following the 10:00 am worship service.

Also on May 31, all current and future teachers and shepherds are invited to stay for training from 12:00 - 2:00 pm. Lunch will be provided as well as a wealth of information designed to en-hance leadership skills for all teachers and shepherds.

Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. Titus 2:7-8 (NRSV)

3

You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. – Ephesians 4:4-6 (CEB)

In Christ there is no East or West,in him no South or North,but one great fellowship of lovethroughout the whole wide earth. – John Oxenham, 1913, Hymn 548

Though creeds and tongues may differ, they speak, O Christ, of thee; and in thy lov-ing spirit we shall one people be. May thy great prayer be answered that we may all be one, close bound, by love united in thee, God’s blessed Son: to bring a single witness, to make the pathway bright, that souls which grope in darkness may find the one true light. – Frederick Morley, 1953, Hymn 547

Christian Unity is an important top-ic for us as the church. Many of the themes and challenging questions that we have been asking comes down to our shared unity in the love of God. Christian Unity is about recognizing and celebrating the richness of diver-sity and otherness, while recognizing our unity and oneness in the love of God. The mission and ministry of Jesus is one of breaking down barri-ers that divide us, and finding purpose in common service with and to each other. Christian Unity is about open-ness to the varied forms of prayer and spirituality as expressed in the multi-tude of Christian practices. “Open hearts, open minds, open doors,” is a profound expression of Christian Unity, and a topic that we will contin-ue to explore in our worship themes.

Open Hearts: Our hearts are full of love for our local commu-nities and our world. Our service reflects that love. Open Minds: We all think in different

ways. But when we work together to serve others we share a common goal. Open Doors: Our doors swing wide, not just to let others in but so that we can all get out to serve our community. – From www.ReThinkChurch.org

Among various Christian denomina-tions, especially The United Meth-odist Church, there are encourag-ing signs of a move toward what is known as “Full Communion” with other denominations. In mainline Protestant churches, “Full Commu-nion” refers to agreements that allow for mutual recognition of members, shared celebration of Holy Com-munion, recognition of ordained clergy, mutual recognition of the sac-raments, and a shared commitment to mission and service. The United Methodist Church is in “Full Com-munion” with The African Method-ist Episcopal Church, The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, The African Union Methodist Prot-estant Church, The Christian Meth-odist Episcopal Church, The Evan-gelical Lutheran Church in America, and The Union American Methodist Episcopal Church. There is at present an interim agreement for sharing the Eucharist with The Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Re-

cently, and for the first time, a United Methodist pastor celebrated com-munion at The National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. One official with the Episcopal Church contended that Methodism and Anglicanism might not be separate traditions today, had the Church of England been a little broader in the time that the Wesleys were preaching and working as re-formers of the church. “There is a great yearning that we might become one again,” said Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. A similar agree-ment is being fashioned between The Methodist Church of Great Britain and The Church of England.

I pray they will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. I pray that they also will be in us, so that the world will be-lieve that you sent me. I’ve given them the glory that you gave me so that they can be one just as we are one. I’m in them and you are in me so that they will be made perfectly one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you have loved them just as you loved me. - John 17: 21-23

Eric StrandDirector of Music and the Arts

Passionate WorshipYou are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 (CEB)

Of Christian Denominations, and Full Communion

4

Risk-Taking Mission and Service

Why Take the Risk?My husband Gary and I had the privi-lege to travel with Nancy and Bob Gillette and a medical team, “Healing Hands” ministry, to Sahsa, Nicaragua in March. We traveled to the eastern coast of Nicaragua and then inland to the small village of Sahsa. The Miskito Indians formed Sahsa in approximate-ly 1979, when the Sandinistas deport-ed the farming community from their native area along the Rio Coco River during the Contra – Sandinista con-flict. These remarkably resilient people were left in this jungle location with

nothing and built a rural community. Currently, Dr. Alejandro Jose Urbina, whom we call Dr. Alexander, cares for these impoverished people.

Arlene VanSolkema was an elderly re-tired nurse who traveled on many trips with the Healing Hands ministry, led by Nancy and Bob. She had the steady task of administering anti-parasite medication to every eligible patient coming to our clinics over a number of years. Despite her age, she rode the school buses over remarkably rough and treacherous roads, slept in tents, bathed with a buck-et of cistern water and consistently signed up for the next trip. Arlene died at age 81 in April of 2013. She requested memorial funds be given to Heal-ing Hands Ministry and specified the work of Dr. Alexander, Dr. Mir, and Reagan’s school. Nancy Gillette has helped deliver her bequest.

It was inspiring to see Arlene’s legacy. Dr. Al-exander has built a Cli-nica Campesina in Sahsa. Currently it is a concrete block building with open windows and doors, with tremendous potential. We saw patients by the hundreds for medical care and dental care for 6 days. Many have aches and pains and infec-tions and no medications for relief.

One five-year old boy, Do-mingo, was gravely ill. Dr. Alexander ar-ranged for his transport to a Puerto Ca-beza hospital, where he ul-timately suc-

cumbed to meningitis. We experienced the parable of the Good Samaritan and the risks involved in a palpable way.

We then hiked and rode mules six miles into the jungle to a village known as Salpaka. Dr. Alexander has used “Mama Arlene’s” donation to rebuild a community school where 90 rural children and a number of their

parents receive edu-cation. Their school had been destroyed by a hurricane. Dr. Alexander assisted the village people to bring desks, by mule, via a very challenging trail. Gary and I ex-perienced humbling fatigue and met our limitations with de-hydration and heat

on the hike back to Sahsa. Three of our team members fell off mules, fortunate-ly to be left mud-dy and bruised, but not broken. The two teach-ers in Salpaka receive no pay. The people, with Dr. Alexander’s leadership have planted crops,

which support them. When the school children gathered in the small church and sang and clapped with unfettered enthusiasm, I whispered to Nancy, “If this was the only thing you did in Ni-caragua, you should feel fulfilled!” I would love to see our church commu-nity continue to support this school. One opportunity would be to support their teachers by offering a salary. If you are interested in helping, please talk with Nancy, Bob or myself!

Deanna Mitchell

These remarkably resilient people were left in this jungle location with nothing and built a rural community.

5

It’s hard to believe we are already one-quarter of the way through 2015! Alas…Spring is finally in the air, the Tigers are playing ball, and the warm bright days of summer are coming quickly.

The Finance Committee is happy to report that our 2015 finances are very healthy. Through March we have only a very slight deficit of $1,750. When you consider that our annual budget is nearly $1.5 million, this means for all intents and purposes, we are right on budget. This is great, and is actually a much better situation than in past years - when we would typically be showing a larger year-to-date deficit.

This good news is due to the combined effect of having our giving actually being ahead of budget, and our expenses being at only 94% of planned lev-els. Thank you to all for

allowing God to guide your giving in such generous ways, and thanks also to the great work of our church staff and leadership for the great way in which expenses are managed.

While we should be proud of our financial performance, it seems also important to re-member that God con-tinues to call our atten-tion to many great needs. There are still many peo-ple needing the comfort and love that our minis-tries can bring - but our work is limited by our resources.

Although First Church is a very gener-ous and faith-driven congregation, we are not yet a tithing church. Just think of the possibilities that still await us! Faith has inspired our good works, but just like the seedlings of Spring, our faith needs to be nurtured and grown so that it bears even greater fruit for God.

As we celebrate all the good our church does, let us continue to remind ourselves that more needs to be done. Is God inspiring you to do more? You don’t need to wait for the next giving campaign to increase your gifts back

to God here at First Church. Our work is amazing, but even greater possibilities exist as we all work together to become Extravagantly Gen-erous in the name of Jesus Christ!

Chris HawkinsFinance Committee

Extravagant GenerosityAs we celebrate all the good our church does, let us continue to remind ourselves that more needs to be done. Is God inspiring you to do more?

“…have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hop-ing for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did, too. They come to church to share God, not find God.”

― Alice Walker, The Color Purple

I’ve been pondering the above quote for a couple of weeks now. I don’t entirely agree that we don’t find God in church; we do through hymns, scriptures, sermons, the greetings from another parishioner. But I have been intrigued by, “Any God I ever

felt in church, I brought with me.” Maybe we bring the God within us to be nurtured by

hymns, scriptures, and sermons, but then also to share with others around us. Maybe those who come to church looking for God aren’t aware that they already have God within them. So maybe, by being open and welcoming, we ignite that spark within them.

As I was surfing the web for some-thing new, I ran into a small group study guide that had been prepared by Myers Park UMC for their fall study on a book called “Radical Hospital-ity.” It included the following prayer:

“Almighty God, as You created us to be whole, balanced people, develop in us the abil-ity to move between solitude, relationships with those near to us, and those strangers that You bring into our lives. God, transform our view of work from being something we do for ourselves to being something we under-take for you and for others you bring into our lives. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”

Maybe by asking God to transform our view of being hospitable as some-thing we do for God and a means of building God’s kingdom rather than just another task that we do for the church… maybe, just maybe, RADI-CAL HOSPITALITY will come alive in us and in our community of faith.

Patsy McGillivrayDirector of Invitational Ministy

Maybe we bring the God within us to be nurtured by hymns, scriptures, and sermons, but then also to share with others around us.

Radical Hospitality

6

Compassionate Care Is Love! Love is easy to show during the good times. When someone gives you an amazing gift. When your spouse is par-ticularly thoughtful. When your mom buys you your favorite cookie. But when it sticks through both the good times and bad - that’s real love.

Pete and I both loved growing up in this church, and have enjoyed gradu-ally finding our spots as adults and spouses. We have always felt loved and accepted by our congregation. Church members have celebrated birthdays, graduations and weddings with us. But I don’t think we realized how support-ed we were until we really hit some rough times.

In the Spring of 2013, our son Ash-er was stillborn five days before his due date. This was dev-astating for us. We had been looking forward to meet-ing our child in so many different ways, but particu-larly looking for-ward to having him

baptized, raised in the church, teaching him to know that he was loved by God, and meeting all these wonderful people. There was so much that was dark and wrong about this time in our lives. But a truly amazing thing was that we were utterly sur-rounded by love from so many people. The church rallied for us. We received many lovingly made meals, beautiful notes, thoughtful visits and kind words from so many. And prayers, so many prayers. Just having people around to be present and sit with us was a gift. We still talk about how we felt very cared for. We also thought at the time, and still believe, that this support was very important to us, and that we want to be more alert and helpful to those who might need support in the future.

Now, after working through grief and health issues, we are entering what we hope will be a lighter time of life. We are going through the adoption pro-cess, and when we shared this with the church family we once again felt that immediate rush of love and sup-port. Many words of excitement and encouragement have been shared with us. The Adoption Ministry Team was immediately welcoming, and very

helpful. Then, to have the Adoption Hoedown as a means of raising funds was just one more true blessing. A wonderful group of people attended, and I think the group as a whole had a great time. The music was lively, the cupcakes delicious, and the dancing was enthusiastic. When we have shared with others the many ways our church has supported us throughout the years, they are truly amazed.

As we move toward growing our fam-ily, we continue to look forward to the love and support of our church. We hope that we can return that love and support to others. We look forward to bringing our child to a place where they can be accepted, not just toler-ated. A place where they can be noisy and naughty and still loved. A place

where they feel they belong.

So, thank you. Thank you First United Methodist Church for hanging in there with Team Muszkiewicz. We have never had to doubt the love and sup-port from our church family.

Love,Bethany and Pete Muszkiewicz

Compassionate Care

...and these three remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

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Permit #354Grand Rapids, MI

P A I DFirst United Methodist Church227 Fulton St EGrand Rapids, MI 49503-3236

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

firstchurch@grandrapidsfumc.org facebook.com/grandrapidsfumc twitter.com/FUMC_GR

Also on May 31, all current and future teachers and shepherds are invited to stay for training from 12:00 - 2:00 pm. Lunch

will be provided as well as a wealth of information designed to enhance leadership skills for all teachers and shepherds.

Celebrate Our Teachers!Sunday, May 31 at 11:15 am