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I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

Real Life Groups

2

Discipleship 3

CDO 5

Children’s Ministry

6-7

In Memory 8

Music 10

F i r s t U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h

First Connections

A u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

M a r k Y o u r C a l e n d a r s August 10 -

Youth Shareholder”s Luncheon

September 1 - Office closed for Labor Day

September 3 - CDO begins

September 7 - Fall Launch

September 10 - Real Life begins

September 14 - Bishop Earl Bledsoe visit

Bishop Earl Bledsoe will be our guest preacher at both services on Sunday, September 14.

A meal will follow the 10:50 a.m. worship service in Garrett Hall.

The son of a Methodist preacher, Bishop Bledsoe received his call to preach at Christ United Methodist Church in Levelland.

He went on to graduate from West Texas A&M University in Canyon and the Perkins School of Theology at SMU.

Bishop Bledsoe also holds a doctoral degree from Drew

University in New Jersey. His first appointment was to

Wyatt Memorial United Methodist Church in Amarillo. He later transferred to the Texas Conference, serving churches in and around Houston. After being elected Bishop in 2008, Bledsoe first served the North Texas Conference (Dallas Area) before being assigned to our area in 2012. He and his wife

Leslie have six adult children and several grandchildren.

Bishop Earl Bledsoe to Preach

Sunday, September 14

Becky Woodall accepts

a Sadie Ray Graff

Award from Keep

Texas Beautiful on

behalf of Kids With

Purpose. This award

recognized KWP for

working to improve

and beautify their

community.

P a g e 2

Sign up for a

Real Life

Group today.

Don’t miss

these exciting

opportunities.

Real Life Groups Begin Wednesday, September 10

Real Life activities begin again on September 3. Real Life is every Wednesday evening, beginning with a meal at 5:30 p.m. and group studies for adults beginning at 6:00 p.m. Special activities for children also begin at 6:00 p.m., and a nursery is provided. The group studies on the schedule for this fall include exciting opportunities for everyone. Five Love Languages -

September 10- October 8 - Maintaining healthy relationships is a daily, lifelong pursuit. Joan Pearce will facilitate this group study to help you effectively nurture romantic relationships as well as casual, business, and familial relationships .

Discipleship Pathway 101 - September 10 - October 15- Jim Anderson will co-facilitate this group study that equips members to be better disciples and help others become disciples.

Financial Peace University - October 15 - December 17 - Wayland Pearce and Linda Conway will facilitate this group study to show God’s way of handling money, including how to get rid of debt, manage money, and spend and save wisely.

Sharing Faith in Non-Intimidating Ways - October 15 - December 3 - Using the information presented by Bob Farr at a workshop last fall as a beginning point, Walt Shipman will lead this group in finding ways to share their faith.

Midweek Missions continue - Brad Mikeska will lead this group in mission assignments in our community.

How do I sign up?

Sign-ups for these groups will begin in August. We need to have an idea of how many are interested in each one so that we can order the necessary materials. We will have forms to fill out during church services. If you cannot attend church but want to sign up, go to www.fumcbs.com or call 432-267-6394. Have an idea?

If you have an idea for a future group study, contact Linda Conway or Karen Carmen and share your idea.

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

First Connections is a publication of First United Methodist Church. First Connections is

published quarterly (August, November, February, May). If you have information that needs to be

included in this publication, contact Sheryl Preslar at the church office. Deadlines for the

publication are July 15, October 15, January 15, and April 15. If you have information that needs to

go out in a more timely manner, contact Sheryl Preslar to find the appropriate media venue for

your information.(i.e., website , Facebook, church bulletin).

It was the end of May. I had been meeting with them for the past 34 weeks. They didn’t want it to end. They kept asking what was next, but it was time. It was time for them to ask, seek, and knock for opportunities for God to use them.

You see, we had just spent the last nine months going over the basics of the faith, memo-rizing key scrip-tures to use in our everyday lives, learning about Biblical leader-ship, and discov-ering the Master’s plan of evangelism and how God wants us to go about fulfilling the great commission.

After going through the Discipleship Pathway, they were ready.

Perhaps that’s the reason when the Adult Discipleship Team was looking for someone to lead a particular class this Fall, one of the members of the Discipleship Pathway class spoke up and said, “I’d like to teach that. ”

Maybe that’s why another member of the Discipleship Pathway class stepped up to fa-cilitate Financial Peace University this Fall. Yet another offered to help me teach the next Discipleship Pathway class this Fall.

It seems clear to me. The Discipleship Pathway course at FUMC Big Spring equips, enables, and in-spires people to do what God has called them to do. They want to make a difference in the life of their church. The status quo of church is no longer accepta-ble. It’s no longer boring. They’ve caught on to what the church could

and should be. So what about you?

“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity,

but its sending capacity.”

by Jim Anderson

P a g e 4

Painting Shows Jesus Leading the Flock in The Good Shepherd by Sheryl Preslar

The Good Shepherd is by the German painter, Bernhard Plockhorst (1825-1907).

It is a stunning picture of Jesus reflecting the well known lines from John 10:11-16.

In this beloved picture, Plockhorst shows Jesus, our gentle loving shepherd, holding a young lamb in the crook of his right arm.

Likely so tired and weary during the journey to the safe place, Jesus is leading the rest of the flock as the last rays of the setting sun behind his shoulder changes the sky to a warm evening gold.

Weary, as we all are at times during our journey through life, needing to be tenderly carried, He carries the lamb, who could be any one of us, through the rock strewn path with threatening brambles reaching to snag the carless from both sides.

All the while, Jesus gazes lovingly down at the lamb resting in his arm who is returning its gaze to our Lord and shepherd.

How tenderly Jesus is looking at his wooly burden, which calls the Twenty-third Psalm to mind.

I like to think the big sheep to his left might be the little one’s mother pressing close but not alarmed at all. There is nothing to fear when walking with The Good Shepherd.

Like many artists from that period of time, Jesus is portrayed

with light hair and fair complexion. In the original painting, there is a brightening of the sky behind Jesus’ head, giving the effect of a halo just above and behind his head. Also in Plockhorst’s painting, there is one black sheep off to Jesus’ right and behind, mixed in with the herd, symbolizing one who had wandered from faith and has returned, a type of prodigal.

Though the black sheep is not in the stained glass window of our beautiful church, the rest of the artwork is a wonderful rendition of Bernhard Plockhorst’s famous work.

Take time to look at our stained glass window. The colors are breathtaking but not near as breathtaking as the Shepherd’s love for us.

Pause to admire the window and think on John’s line 10:14: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me.”

Take time to

look at our

stained glass

window to see

The Good

Shepherd.


Children’s Day Out Minis-try had a wonderful 2013-2014 school year and is eager to start the 2014-2015 year.

Six of the teachers and I attended weekday education training in Austin, July 10-12.

This training is valuable to our ministry and offers our teachers an opportunity to learn the latest research based and age appropriate techniques for teaching in-fants through preschool age.

It also helps to also reig-nite our passion for our job and get excited about what the future holds.

We at CDO greatly appreci-ate our family at FUMC for supporting and believing in continued education and life-long learning.

CDO wrapped up the Sum-mer Session July 30 and will be closed all of August. The 2014-2015 school year will kick off September 2 with a

Meet the Teacher from 6:00-7:00p.m., and the first full day of CDO will be September 3.

The theme this year comes from Psalm 93:4: Mightier than the waves of the sea is His love for you. We have chosen this verse to continue our biblical foundation that God loves us at all times.

This fall we look to add several new elements to our day here at CDO. Weekly I lead Praise Party with the children. This is a time of singing, dancing and wor-shiping together.

Ms. Mary comes to us as a retired school teacher/librarian and does a fabulous interactive story time with the children.

Two staff members, Ashley Marquez and Roxy Valenzue-la, are going to be teaching the children Yoga. That’s rights – Yoga and preschool-

ers can go together! Yoga ac-tually helps develop and strengthen muscles; enhance flexibility; develop and strengthen balance and pos-ture; build self-confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem; and finally sharpen a child’s ability to focus.

And, we will continue our chapel time with Ms. Becky bi- weekly. I would love to add a Spanish teacher for our three- and four-year-old classroom, but God hasn’t made that clear to me yet.

ALL this on top of the great things happening in the class-room is exciting for our min-istry.

With God’s guidance CDO continues to grow and flour-ish in all the right areas. I am excited about all that is hap-pening and is to come. As al-ways, your prayers and sup-port are greatly appreciated.

CDO Prepares for New School Year by Brenna Hoff

CDO Staff attends training in Austin in July to prepare for upcoming year.

P a g e 6

A “Weird Animal” Thank You

from Becky Woodall

Another VBS has come and gone… and it was sure a great, great week! Weeks and weeks of planning and preparation took place before the event.

One “Weird” week! And it wouldn’t have gone over at all without the many people who stepped up and gave of their time to make it all possible.

Many thanks for all the decoration making, grocery shopping, cutting, painting, pasting, hanging, cooking and cleaning, group leading, mission and craft organizing, bible adventure planning, game directing, moving of furniture for

various reasons, and then staying in it for the long haul and helping clean up after the whole thing was over when we all just wanted to go home!

All of this wouldn’t have happened without your help! THANK YOU!

AND A HUGE THANK YOU to Jamie Walker! I can’t imagine doing VBS without you! You have brought so much to the table. Your strengths are my weaknesses and We make a great team!

You are amazing and watching you lead VBS Worship is so much fun! It’s a gift and I can’t thank you enough for sharing it with all of us!


You’ve got to have your eyes closed, be on a really long summer vacation, or just be plain blind if you haven’t seen God at work through the lives of our children this summer.

From Vacation Bible School to Ceta Camp to Kids With Purpose…the love of Jesus and God’s work in the

lives of others is overflowing. It’s your own fault if have missed it.

Our lives have been touched through all of these things. And we have touched the lives of others.

We’ve witnessed, learned, worshipped, and reached out in service locally AND globally, both inside our

walls and out in our own community.

Jesus is among us… just open your heart… and your eyes. The opportunities are everywhere.

Ask what YOU can do for the CHURCH… NOT what the CHURCH can do for YOU.

We are called to serve.

A Children’s Ministry Moment …

by Becky Woodall

In Memory -

Jack Abendshan

Joan Beil Food 2 Kids

Glenda Arnold Food 2 Kids

Lee & Fran Emerson Church Fund

Dean Forrest

Jeanne Cole Food 2 Kids

Marcie Lykken

Doug Lykken Teddy Bear Fund

Jeanne Cole Teddy Bear Fund

Jane Jones Radio Ministry

Walt & Namiqa Shipman Teddy Bear Fund

Joan Beil Teddy Bear Fund

Sara H. Warren Church Fund

Glenda Arnold Teddy Bear Fund

Ray & Norma Alexander Music Ministry

Pathmakerw Sunday School Music Ministry

Beth Spence Teddy Bear Fund

Van & Kristy Hayes Church Fund

Lena Marquez

JoAnne Forrest Food 2 Kids

Nila Allen Children’s Ministry

Mamie Lee Dodds Youth Ministry

Evangeline Sturm


Nila Allen CDO Special

Ray & Norma Alexander Church Fund

Hayes Stripling

Steve & Gay Herren Relay For Life


Larry Bob Conway


Jerry Foresyth



Russ McEwen


Mary Jennings


Steve & Sandra Waggoner Church Fund


Joan Beil Mission & Outreach


Nila Allen Children’s Ministry


Rev. Sharon Wiese Church Fund


Ruth Salisbury

Frank & Nikki Broyles Church Fund

Mr. & Mrs. E. L. Hamby Church Fund


Carl Bradley

Joyce Howard Bradley Church Fund

Jimmy Ivins

Rev. Bill Ivins Radio Ministry

Gil Rouille


Thomas & Jobeth Corwin Church Fund

Jean Range

Murray & Diane Murphy Radio Ministry

Jane Jones Radio Ministry

Walt & Namiqa Shipman Food 2 Kids

Ladd & Betty Smith Church Fund



Steve & Gay Herren Mission & Outreach

Joan Beil Mission & Outreach


Nila Allen Nicaragua Mission

Glenda Arnold Food 2 Kids


Mary Ellen Pope


Gladys Kruse

Glenda Arnold CDO Special

P a g e 8

V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3 P a g e 9

Nadine Hodnett

Steve & Sandra Waggoner Church Fund

Patty Hinson Philathea Class

Tom McCann Philathea Class

Jane Jones Philathea Class

Robert & Holly Moore Philathea Class

Thomas & Jobeth Corwin Philathea Class

Delbert & Barbara Donelson Philathea Class

Donations in honor or in memory of a person,

group, or ministry can be made to the church’s

general fund or a special account. Donations to

special accounts are noted in the preceding list.

If you need information about special accounts,

contact the church secretary for information.

How Do You Get Your Information? Wondering what is going on at First United

Methodist Church? There are several ways to get

information. First, come to Sunday worship.

Announcements as well as the church bulletin

publicize activities and events. Join the FUMC

group on Facebook—First United Methodist

Church of Big Spring. If you don’t know how to

get on Facebook or join a group, call Jim

Anderson at the church and he will walk you

through it. Go to the website at

www.fumcbs.com. Watch for the quarterly

publication of First Connections.

STAFFSTAFFSTAFF Pastor Bill Ivins

Discipleship/Evangelism Jim Anderson

Music Gershom Garcia

Children and Families Becky Woodall

Youth Beau Niewoehner

CDO Brenna Hoff

Secretary Sheryl Preslar

Building Steward Simona Mendez

CDO Children finish

off 2014 year.

P a g e 1 0

Choir

rehearsals

Wednesday

evening at

7:30 p.m.

The Staff/Parish Relations Committee is pleased to welcome Gershom Garcia to our church staff as our part-time Minister of Music.

Gershom and his family come to us from the Houston area where he previously taught choir in Cypress.

His school choirs are among the top ranked groups in the state of Texas. Gershom will be the new choir teacher at Big Spring High School.

In addition, he served as the Director of Worship and Fine Arts at a United Methodist Church in Magnolia, Texas.

He held that position on a full-time basis before entering into public school teaching. He then held the position on a part-time basis.

Garcia brings a strong background in traditional and contemporary church music.

Gershom received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Houston and a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Baylor University.

He and his wife, Emma, have two children. Marissa will be a Freshman Music Education major at Texas Tech this Fall. Josiah will be a Freshman at Big Spring High School.

FUMC Welcomes New

Minister of Music

Celebration Choir bids farewell to Anna Gann and Chandler.

P a g e 1 1 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 3

SAM enjoys entertainment by Jack-

ie Henry at April event.

JAM performs on Palm

Sunday.

Get out your phones/computers/calendars and WRITE THIS DATE

DOWN

Fall Launch Sunday,

September 7

We’re kicking things back into gear this fall with many discipleship

opportunities that would be PERFECT to invite someone new to

attend OR it may be the first time you get involved somewhere!

See all the pictures from the camps

on the FUMC Facebook page.

First United Methodist Church

P.O. Box 1229

400 Scurry Street

Big Spring, TX 79721

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Big Spring, TX 79720

Permit No. 36

First Connections First United Methodist Church

400 Scurry St. Big Spring,, Texas Phone: 432-267-6394 Get the most up-to-date information on Facebook by

joining our Group - First United Methodist Church of Big Spring.

Visit our website at www.fumcbs.com

Compassion, Hope, Community

Worship Services

Sunday, 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, 10:50 a.m.

Sunday School

Sunday, 9:45 a.m.

Noon Bible Study

Wednesdays, 12 noon

Real Life

Wednesdays - Dinner at 5:30

Study Groups and Children’s Choir/Bible Drill 6:00 p.m.

EPIC Youth

Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m.

Adult Music

Celebration Choir rehearsal - Wednesdays, 7:30

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