may 2016 wellspring

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The Wellspring May 2016 Fuquay-Varina United Methodist Church The Building Committee is pleased to announce that we have entered into the conceptual design phase for the expansion of our current facilities. The committee has been busy compiling information on needs and issues that must be addressed by the expansion. In everything, our foremost question is, “Where is God leading us as a congregation?” The committee sought professional architectural services to assist in the conceptual design phase. To minimize travel costs, the decision was made to evaluate firms local to the Raleigh area and who came recommended by other area churches who recently expanded their facilities. The committee received interest from four architectural firms that were invited to present a proposal. Each firm outlined their staff qualifications, work experience, and concepts that they could bring to FVUMC. The committee ranked and evaluated each firm and selected Tise-Kiester Architects of Chapel Hill (TKA) for a second interview. In the second interview, TKA answered more questions about their proposal and what would be included in the deliverables at the end of the conceptual design phase. The committee also contacted references regarding TKA and their performance. The Building Committee voted to have Tise-Kiester Architects develop the conceptual design for the next building phase of our church. Examples of their work with faith communities is featured online at tisekiester. com/portfolio/faith. In the upcoming weeks, Tise-Kiester is collecting information about FVUMC in the form of building plans, a previous needs study, and interviews with staff and church leaders. With this information, they can develop conceptual plans for the new expansion space to address the church’s current and future needs. Our goal is to have all conceptual designs completed by Fall 2016 so plans can be presented to the congregation. As part of the conceptual plan, phases will be defined so that the church can choose to implement them based on available funding. An outline of the 8-step process our congregation must follow before construction begins is available online. These steps are defined by The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, our denomination’s book of law. All communications and resources from the Building Committee, including the steps document, are collected online at fvumc.org/building. Please feel free to email the Building Committee at [email protected] if you have questions or concerns. David Harris Building Committee Chair

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Fuquay-Varina UMC Newsletter

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Page 1: May 2016 Wellspring

The WellspringMay 2016

Fuquay-VarinaUnited Methodist Church

The Building Committee is pleased to announce that we have entered into the conceptual design phase for the expansion of our current facilities. The committee has been busy compiling information on needs and issues that must be addressed by the expansion. In everything, our foremost question is, “Where is God leading us as a congregation?”

The committee sought professional architectural services to assist in the conceptual design phase. To minimize travel costs, the decision was made to evaluate firms local to the Raleigh area and who came recommended by other area churches who recently expanded their facilities.

The committee received interest from four architectural firms that were invited to present a proposal. Each firm outlined their staff qualifications, work experience, and concepts that they could bring to FVUMC.

The committee ranked and evaluated each firm and selected Tise-Kiester Architects of Chapel Hill (TKA) for a second interview.

In the second interview, TKA answered more questions about their proposal and what would be included in the deliverables at the end of the conceptual design phase. The committee also contacted references regarding TKA and their performance.

The Building Committee voted to have Tise-Kiester Architects develop the conceptual design for the next

building phase of our church. Examples of their work with faith communities is featured online at tisekiester.com/portfolio/faith.

In the upcoming weeks, Tise-Kiester is collecting information about FVUMC in the form of building plans, a previous needs study, and interviews with staff and church leaders. With this information, they can develop conceptual plans for the new expansion space to address the church’s current and future needs.

Our goal is to have all conceptual designs completed by Fall 2016 so plans can be presented to the congregation.

As part of the conceptual plan, phases will be defined so that the church can choose to implement them based on available funding.

An outline of the 8-step process our congregation must follow before construction begins is available online. These steps are defined by The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, our denomination’s book of law. All communications and resources from the Building Committee, including the steps document, are collected online at fvumc.org/building.

Please feel free to email the Building Committee at [email protected] if you have questions or concerns.

David Harris Building Committee Chair

Page 2: May 2016 Wellspring

Dear Fuquay-Varina UMC family,

I love the church, and I love The United Methodist Church, and here is one of the reasons why I do:

As United Methodist Christians, we are a church united with every other United Methodist congregation throughout the world. Whenever you pass a UM church anywhere, be reminded they are our sisters and brothers in ministry together in making disciples for the transformation of the world. We are not doing this alone but with over 12 million others around the globe. We are connected through the Fairway District, the North Carolina Conference, and the Southeast Jurisdiction.

We are all connected through the General Conference which meets every four years and represents the entire denomination. From May 10-20, delegates are gathering in Portland, Oregon for General Conference 2016.

At GC, elected lay and clergy delegates from 130 annual conferences come together to form the denomination’s top legislative body. Each U.S. annual conference elects equal numbers of lay and clergy delegates.

The GC delegation from the NC Conference (representing the eastern half of the state) includes 8 clergy delegates, 8 laity delegates, and laity and clergy each have two reserve delegates. These representatives were elected last summer at our Annual Conference meeting in Wilmington. In addition, a number of lay and clergy volunteers, staff, and observers from the NCC are attending.

The General Conference is the only entity able to revise church law (contained in the Book of Discipline) for the entire denomination. It also adopts resolutions addressing current moral, social, public policy and economic issues (the Book of Resolutions) and approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs.

Legislation considered at General Conference comes from individuals, churches, agencies, and organizations, and approximately 1,000 petitions were submitted for 2016.

Each delegate is assigned to one of 12 legislative committees which meet to review, sort and refine

proposals voted on by the GC in plenary session. Our own Bishop Hope Morgan Ward shares these words;

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. “Therefore Go.” This is the theme of the 2016 General Conference, and the first couple of words of the mission statement of The United Methodist Church from Matthew 28, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations.” Together, we are in mission, and at General Conference, we will have the opportunity to affirm again the focus areas of our life together: the developing of leaders for every place of mission and ministry, planting new communities of faith – new churches/new groups of people, ministry with the poor and global health. We are God’s flock. We serve the Good Shepherd and we give thanks for all our life together. Thank you for your prayers and your anticipation as we move toward General Conference, through General Conference, and beyond General Conference, to serving in the places where we find ourselves with renewed energy and commitment, full of the Holy Spirit.

Please be in prayer during these most important days as our church works through holy conferencing on many issues and opportunities for ministry that are facing the church today.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Gene Tyson [email protected]

General Conference

Connect with General Conference• Intro to GC: nccumc.org/gc2016/introduction-resources

• GC Guide (pdf): fvumc.org/gc2016

• Online articles and live streaming: GC2016.umc.org

• Android/ iPhone App: Search on “UMC General Conference”

• Twitter: #UMCGC

• Facebook: Search on “The United Methodist Church” or “2016 General Conference Worship UMC”

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Page 3: May 2016 Wellspring

Healing Service on Sunday, May 15

This month, I am excited to let you know we are offering a Healing Service on Sunday, May 15 at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel. Let me share some thoughts about Healing Services from the United Methodist Book of Worship.

Healing Services, in recent years, have become more prevalent in the Church. They are not intended to replace God’s gift of medicine, psychotherapy, or the intentional care of one’s own health. They are opportunities to be open to God to receive restoration, reconciliation, and wholeness.

During a Service of Healing, prayers are prayed and hymns of the faith are sung. In addition, anointing with oil and laying on of hands are offered to those who so desire. These sign acts are comforting and can be channels of healing.

In Scripture, the compassion of Jesus is often revealed as He ministered to those who were struggling with brokenness in their lives. He offered healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, comfort and love.

Brokenness is part of our world. Healing Services are opportunities to address the brokenness and turn to God, offering ourselves for reconciliation, healing, and wholeness.

We invite you to join us on May 15 at 6pm in the Chapel.

Blessings, Pastor Valerie Tyson [email protected]

Safety, Logistics, and CalendarsSince FVUMC is a busy place on Sundays and throughout the week, we’re updating some of our building use guidelines and making a few requests to help improve safety and traffic flow:

• If you do not have children, on Sunday mornings please park on the adult wing side or in the back parking lot and enter and exit through the adult

wing. This helps reduce foot traffic through the busy children’s wing.

• Parents picking up children after the 9:30 service are asked to wait in the hallway outside the kitchen & restrooms until all Sunday School classes have completed their rotations and returned to their pickup classrooms. The Sunday School Superintendents will signal when all is clear.

• The Trustees have approved an updated Facilities Usage Guidelines document and process for scheduling at the church. There’s also a new facilities usage request form. Our calendaring is now accomplished in four stages (which begin next week), and planning runs from August to July. Details about all of these changes are available online at fvumc.org/forms in the Facilities Usage section.

A Small Group for Women: UMW Circle of Faith

Meets Tuesday, May 3UMW Circle of Faith meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 10am. All women are encouraged to attend! This is a community of women whose purpose is to know God, to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ, to develop a creative supportive fellowship, and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. Our next meeting is Tuesday, May 3 at 10:00am. Following our meeting, we will enjoy lunch together at Cooley’s. Circle of Faith takes the summer off and resumes meeting in September.

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Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!You may recall that your Finance Committee and Church Council took a leap of faith with the 2015 budget by committing to spend up to $115,000 in general reserves in order to do the work to which God was calling us. Although we ended the year with revenues approximately $34,000 less than projected, our expenses were approximately $122,000 less than anticipated, and we only spent $27,000 in general reserves. Praise God!

Based on our end-of-year standing, the Finance Committee voted to add $60,000 of the general reserves to existing capital reserves to help fund replacement of our heat/air-conditioning equipment and designated $5,000 for technology infrastructure. The $114,105 payment for the first quarter 2016 installment on the HVAC replacement project depleted the designated capital reserves. We celebrate that having and using those reserves means that the church hasn’t yet had to draw on the $250,000 line of credit established in December 2015 for the project.

Please take a moment to review the graph on this page showing the allocation of expenditures for the first quarter of 2016. Our Christ-centered community has been actively loving, learning, serving, and sharing God! Your faithful gifts have enabled us to:

• Grow discipleship among our youth as 40 high school students discipled 60 middle school students at our DISCOVERY retreat focusing on God’s gifts of prayer, baptism and communion

• Experience vibrant worship in our community, especially at Easter, through the musical resources and leadership provided by the collaborative efforts of over 75 musicians

• Designate almost 20% of our overall budget of $1,539,629 to mission and outreach projects

In the first quarter of 2016, a total of 633 households faithfully made contributions supporting our work, and we are experiencing growth in online giving. For more information about online giving, please contact

our Director of Finance, Joan Thomas, at 919-552-4331, ext.

107, email her at [email protected] or go to fvumc.org/online-giving to create an account.

On behalf of your Finance Committee, THANK YOU! It’s a joy and privilege to be part of a congregation which uses the blessings God has given us to bless others. Should you have questions about our church’s finances, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Gene Tyson, Lead Pastor Susan Smith, Finance Chair919-552-4331 919-805-1714

2016 Budget SummaryDetailed monthly financial reports are always available

in the church office for your review.

Total Annual Budget $ 1,552,922.00Budget needed YTD - 4/30/16 $ 527,414.09Received YTD - 4/30/16 $ 485,006.46 Difference - $ 42,407.63

Building Fund Restricted Account $ 81,375.56Building (Brick & Mortar Expenses Only) Restricted Account $ 20,000.00 Total $ 101,375.56

Preliminary YTD Budget Expenditures as of 4/26/2016 $ 443,923.99

Sunday Worship AttendanceApr

3Apr 10

Apr 17

Apr 24

Monthly Average

Year-to-Date Average

8:00am 81 76 74 89 80 989:30am 395 431 336 436 400 38311:00am 277 268 241 292 270 284Total 753 775 651 817 749 765

Spent through March 31, 2016

8%

3%

4%

2%

5%

Love God

Learn God

Serve God

Share God

Christ-Centered Community

$ 53,107 3%

$ 54,299 4%

$ 31,487 2%

$ 75,665 5%

$ 126,231 8%

$ 340,789 22%

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Page 5: May 2016 Wellspring

Fuquay-Varina Food PantryMay Requests: Cereal, tuna, crackers, bath soap.

Donations of other food and household items are

always welcome. Bring donations to the baskets around the corner from the Welcome Center.

Our Spiritual Spinners community cycling ministry is hosting the 7th annual Ride for Life the morning of Saturday, June 11 at the church.

The registration fees for the ride raises money to help the homeless, the sick, the hungry and those in need through: Habitat for Humanity of Wake County, Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Diabetes Association, Southern Wake Faith Community in Action, and the Fuquay-Varina Emergency Food Pantry.

Ready to Ride? Route Options:

• In-town Family - Ride the Quay ($20 for the entire family, registration at https://www.bethemomentum.com/event/2016-ride-for-life-family-ride)

• Out-of-town Routes of 30km, 50km, 100km, 100mi, and 112mi ($30 per rider, registration at https://www.bethemomentum.com/event/2016-ride-for-life ).

All riders can enjoy fellowship after the ride with a complimentary lunch and dessert.

Not Riding? Other Ways to Help

You can help us help others by volunteering at rest stops, at the church, helping us set up before the ride, and cleaning up after the ride.

You can help us help others by making cash donations — personally or through business sponsorships — to defray the expenses of hosting the ride. We donate every dollar of registration fees to the charities, and over the first six years of the Ride for Life, that has totaled over $30,000! Your donations offsetting costs allow us to do that. Make your gift at the church website at fvumc.org/pay-online.

To volunteer or if you have questions, contact Jim Casper at [email protected] and he will put you in touch with the right TSS team member.

Grassmowing MinistryIf you like to work the good earth, the Grassmowing Ministry needs you! Join us in this season of cutting grass, trimming bushes and maintaining the grounds. We provide training and equipment. Team members serve once every 8 weeks from April to October (usually Saturday morning). Contact Joe Jackson at [email protected] or 919-434-6971 for more information.

We Need Your Help:

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Page 6: May 2016 Wellspring

Gustavo’s Dream: One Boy’s Journey through the ZOE Empowerment ProgramAfter a year in ZOE’s empowerment program, the children of the working group FVUMC sponsors, The Winners, are beginning to learn what they are capable of achieving. They are realizing that with hard

work and perseverance they can make long-lasting improvements to their lives. They are developing self confidence, pride in what they have accomplished, and hope for the future. This is possible because Fuquay-Varina UMC has partnered with them to provide initial resources, training, and prayerful support.

This story highlights the activities and achievements of one family from the working group FVUMC sponsors. Although each child is unique, most of the children in The Winners Working Group have faced similar challenges and are making comparable progress through the ZOE empowerment model.

Head of Household: Gustavo, age 14 Siblings: Marvin (15), Mayeli (12), Daniel (10), Sulmi (7) Challenges: Losing a parent to death is traumatic, but abandonment by a mother is a whole other level of emotional anguish. It is a challenge Gustavo has found difficult to overcome.

Gustavo’s father has done his best to provide and care for the family, but polio left him partially disabled, and it is difficult for him to find work in his trade as a carpenter. He is proud of his children. Gustavo’s older brother dropped out of school and took on a job as a construction helper in order to contribute to the family. Nonetheless, the family struggles to obtain even basic necessities. They live in a small house owned by an aunt and sometimes rely on assistance from the neighbors.

Before ZOE, Gustavo and his siblings suffered from malnutrition due to a lack of protein and important vitamins. Already the quality of the family’s meals has improved because of the training on nutrition Gustavo

received from ZOE and because of his business which enables him to earn money to buy food.

Although they regularly attended church, and said the pastor was very kind, they did not feel welcome or accepted by the other members of the congregation. Again, Gustavo felt rejected. When ZOE invited Gustavo to join The Winners Working Group, he and his family began their journey out of extreme poverty and stigmatization.

Focus On: The DreamMost orphans and vulnerable children entering the ZOE empowerment program face a daily struggle to survive. With their energy consumed by the need to find food for themselves and their siblings, there is neither time to

think about the future nor reason to hope for something better. But, through ZOE and FVUMC’s partnership, the children learn to imagine a new life and prepare to make it a reality.

During one of the early working group meetings, the ZOE program facilitator leads members through an exercise called the Dream process where they explore their current situation and then consider what they want and how to get it. After discussing hopes and goals with their siblings, the family leader creates a poster with their responses to a standard set of questions from the ZOE program facilitator. To the left is

an example of a Dream document.

The head of each family presents their Dream to the rest of the working group members who express support and give feedback. These Dream documents help program facilitators better understand the conditions of the children’s lives so they can address specific needs or traumas suffered. The family keeps a copy of their Dream, often displaying it in their home to provide daily motivation as they strive to create their new life. As they progress through ZOE’s empowerment program they often update their Dream. The following are Gustavo’s most recent responses to the Dream questions:

Continued on page 76

Page 7: May 2016 Wellspring

CAVE QUEST…This VBS Rocks!This year’s VBS theme is CAVE QUEST where we will be “Following Jesus the Light of the World.” Registration is now open to everyone – community and church members – and the deadline for registering is June 13. This year, our registration is online only and is available at fvumc.org/vbs2016. Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait to register! The VBS directors have been diligently working and planning since January to make this year a huge success, but we need YOU!! Here are some ways you can help:

• Sign up to volunteer during VBS: Our volunteer sign-up (at fvumc.org/vbs2016) is open for daytime and evening VBS sessions. Even our volunteer spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait to sign up!

• Donations and Scholarships: Donations are a huge part of what makes our VBS a success. Help us out by taking a bat cutout from our cave in the lobby or by making a donation to VBS online at fvumc.org/pay-online. This year, we are only asking for gift card donations because it allows us to buy in bulk and purchase items on sale.

• Decorations, Decorations, Decorations: We are always looking for volunteers to be a part of our decorating team. The church is decorated the week prior to VBS, so let us know if you’re available! Contact Amanda Rackley ([email protected]) or Angela Hinton ([email protected]) if you are interested.

Seeds of Faith PreschoolWe are happily busy, busy, busy. It’s almost time for graduation, then on to summer camp for 3, 4 and kindergarten ages. We still have a few openings for 2016 - 2017 preschool next year. Week-long camps are held in June and July. If you are interested in camp or preschool next year, let us know. Blessings to all.

Lynne Sorrels, Director (919) 557-1568

• What makes you feel sad? Not having my mom by my side.

• What makes you happy? It makes me happy to have the carpentry shop and to work with my dad.

• What happens in the community that you do not like? I don’t like when people are not responsible with their time or tasks.

• What is your dream for the future? My dream was to open the carpentry shop. I’m happy because it’s a reality now, and my new dream is for it to grow.

• What will be your guiding principles to achieve your dream? To be responsible with my tasks, help others, communicate better with people, and to work hard.

Through the 3-year ZOE program, Gustavo and his Working Group receive training and resources to help them live their dreams.

Focus areas are Food Security (usually the most urgent need), Income Generation, Health and Hygiene, Faith and Community, and skills such as farming and animal husbandry.

All ZOE working groups know the opportunities they receive are from God, through the love and concern coming from far away partners like FVUMC. They are amazed that you care about them without ever

having met them. This powerful connection is further strengthened when a Hope Companion visits the children to witness what they have achieved.

In many ways, you stand in place of their parents, and to hear that you are proud of what they have accomplished is transformative for these children. Thank you for being a part of building God’s Kingdom!

When asked if he had any prayer requests for his Hope Companion, Gustavo responded:

Please pray for my family that we can stay together and support each other. Pray for my carpentry business so we can grow a lot more. Pray for our group business, and our crops, and my friends from the group.

Read more about Gustavo and his journey to food security, entrepreneurship, health, and faith online at fvumc.org/gustavos-journey. Learn more about the ZOE program at zoehelps.org.

Gustavo’s Dream continued from page 6

Gustavo with his father and one of his brothers

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May Book Club Happiness, Health, & Beauty:

The Christian Life in Everyday Terms by Debra Dean Murphy

What are human beings created for? How can we experience the well-being made possible in Christ? What does it mean to love God and our neighbor wholly? These questions go to the heart of what it means to live the Christian life.

Happiness, Health, and Beauty explores these questions by putting Wesleyan doctrine in conversation with voices from the wider Christian tradition: theologians, philosophers, social critics, scientists, and poets.

The guiding themes for this inquiry into the nature of the Christian life are happiness--how we flourish together in the goodness of God; health--the intrinsic connection between bread and bodies in the Eucharist; and beauty--the disposition to benevolence that is the hallmark of our being fully human.

To join the dinner and discussion on Friday, May 20 at 6:30pm, contact Suzanne Jones at [email protected] or Matilda Storm at [email protected].

In Our Thoughts and Prayers

We offer our prayers and sympathy to:

• Beverly Hanmann on the death of her husband, Howard• Emily Cox & Allison Poteat on the death of their father• Carter Williams on the death of his sister• Mary Siachames on the death of her mother• Jenna Ramsey on the death of her grandfather

Newton & Gus Prince, Kay DeBrun, Mark Johnson, Eric DeSimone, Guenter & Hilde Franke, Lynn Brantley, Fran Applegarth, Nancy Patrone, Christopher Mims, Lois & David Stuart, Rob Matney, John Cotten, Christy Carver, Becky Estep, the family of Robert Kinton, John Chambers, Diane James, Jim & Becky Alexander, the Tompkins family, Kurt Johnson, Tim Moff, Carole Drake, Nathan Ter Meer, Derrell Sapp, Maxine Senter, Betty Palmer, Glenna Eargle, Anderson Ward, Doug Bennett, Mike Tucker, Joan Lesher, Bob Pavone, Ron Richardson, Dan Sass, Mary-Anne Hatch, Koyla Knox, Judy Dolan, Cornelia Coble, Vicky Croft, Bruce Wynne, PJ Ramsey, Tom Myatt, Jakob Kish, Mario Marchese, Iris Brown, Logan Thomas, Dee Chisenhall, Jeff Fox, Emily Ashworth, Clay King, Jill Zatyko, Sue Simkiss, Bill Young, Craig Judd

Meeting Neighbors, Celebrating Cultures

Magetsi 4-H Dancers Mariachi Band Games & Activities For Kids Bouncy House Food Vendors Door Prizes

Information Tables: Mexican Consulate Lee County Schools HAVEN CCCC COLTS Health information & MORE!

www.El RefugioLeeCo.org facebook/elrefugioleeco

Jonesboro

United Methodist Church Sanford, NC

407 W. Main Street

Upcoming Music Highlights

Spring Cantata: “Let Praises Fill the Sky” featuring our traditional choirs and Instruments of Praise. Presented at 8:00 and 11:00 worship on Sunday, May 22.

Handbell Choirs On Tour: FVUMC Handbell Choirs are hitting the road and offering two concerts in May. On Sunday, May 15 at 3pm, they ring at Windsor Point Retirement Community. On Sunday, May 22 at 2pm, they ring at Universal Healthcare. All are invited to join them for music and fellowship with our neighbors.

WIHN Benefit Concert: The St. Francis UMC Brass Band is performing a concert to benefit Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network, a program for families in Wake County. The concert is on Sunday, June 12, at 4:00pm at White Plains United Methodist Church, 313 SE Maynard Road in Cary. Admission is free, and tax-deductible donations will be accepted to benefit WIHN. Thank you for your support of this organization that is vital to homeless families. Learn more at wihn.org.

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