June 2015 - Rackcdn.com

by Pastor Hank McCaslin
I
n 1977 a young couple, with two small children and one on the way, moved
to Fredericksburg and began attending FUMC. When the expectant baby
decided to be born a month early, the couple rushed to the hospital. Fourteen hours later, the baby arrived. George Young, one of the elder servants of
FUMC saw the new father and asked why he was at the hospital. Hearing of the
new baby, George told the pastor, Max Wicker, who came to offer a prayer and
concern. Thirty-eight years have passed and this couple, now among the “elder
servants” are still at the church—seeking to have purpose, worship and love God,
and love to others.
What is it that causes people to choose a church and stick with it? I believe
that people have to sense that they “belong.” They must sense that they have a
place, that people care, and that there is a need for them. They want and need
to have purpose for their life
This young couple above went to a Sunday school class which was having a
spaghetti dinner for some special event. They were asked to help serve and clean
up. They did, and from that point were hooked. What is it that will “hook you?”
If you are floundering in finding your place and purpose, what will it take to feel
at home? The Apostle Peter says “God has given each of you a gift from his great
variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” 1st Peter 4:10
(NLT) You may feel you have no gifts (or talents)—but you do—everyone has
them. Here is what you can do to get hooked and find your purpose: (1) Seek to
discover your gifts. (2)
Look for a need in the
church. (3) Offer your
gifts to meet the need.
Realize that you are
strong in some areas
and weak in others.
There will be someone
who will take care of
your weakness. Working
together you will work
in harmony and great
things will be achieved
for God. Remember
too, God will provide
what you need when
you serve His purpose.
Life Application
Study Bible, NLT
CHURCH YARD SALE
June 6, 2015
I
f you need an incentive to
get rid of clutter – this is
your OPPORTUNITY.
We will be collecting
items the week of June 1-6
in the Fellowship Hall of the
church and things will go on
sale 8:00 a.m., Saturday, June 6, on the
FUMC METHODIST GREENS
(corner of Princess Anne and Hanover Streets). NO
CLOTHES OR SHOES, PLEASE.
The proceeds will go to worthy causes for our church
and the BAZAAR Committee will be supervising the
distribution of the profits. Each year we have requests
sent to the committee and the proceeds are given at
the end of the year.
The BAZAAR is November 7, 2015, and we are
busy meeting and working the 2nd and 4th Mondays
of each month. Everyone is welcome to come and we
appreciate “all hands.” If you have a desire to make
Raggedy Anne and Raggedy Andy, we have the patterns and material.
Call Sharon Bradshaw (373-8245) if you want to use
your talent there or with other projects. As always, we
appreciate those who are working on items at home.
L
ay and clergy from nearly 1,200 churches in the
Virginia Conference will be gathering in a few
weeks to worship, pray, study and celebrate the
ministry of the Church. This year, the theme is
“From Members to Disciples”. We will be challenged
to more fully understand what it means to follow Jesus.
How does someone walking in to the church discover
the path to discipleship? Are there ways that FUMC can
be more intentional in making disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of the world?
On Saturday, June 20, 7:30 P.M., clergy will be licensed, commissioned and ordained at the Service
for the Ordering of Ministry. Chris Watson will be
licensed as a local pastor and Caitlin Proctor will be
commissioned a deacon. You can participate in this
worship service (and the conference sessions) through
live-streaming from the conference web-site: www.
vaumc.org.
If you are interested in learning more about annual
conference, feel free to talk to any of the delegates from
FUMC: Bob Pickett; Carole DuBois; Mary Jordan; Pastor Hank McCaslin; Pastor Won Lee; Dr. Brenda Biler.
The following FUMC members are district delegates:
Brandon Bolick; Julia Tubbs, Larry Tubbs, Josh Berry,
and Bud Orcutt.
For eight weeks beginning May 31st, worship will center on 2 Corinthians 5:17:
And if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
What does it mean to be a “new creation?” While we yearn for renewal, are we willing to pursue it? How is
our renewal connected to the “new creation” in others, our community, the world? “Tending” means to “lean in
the direction of something.” How do we nurture, care for, pay “attention” to the “new creation” Christ in-tends
for us?
May 31
Romans 8:12-17
God’s Heirs
Confirmation Sunday
June 7
Mark 3:20-35
Expanding Kinship
Graduate Recognition
June 14
Mark 4:26-34
Planting with Care
Dedication of Annual
Conference Kits
June 21*
II Corinthians 6:1-13
Living out Loud
Commissioning of VBS
Volunteers
Meghann Cotter speaks
June 28
Mark 5:21-43
Healing Old Wounds
VBS Celebration
Commissioning of FRED Camp
*All worship will be in the Sanctuary on June 21, as Kobler Hall will be Nazareth for Vacation Bible School (VBS),
June 22-26.
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V
isit the United
Methodist
Women Reading
program in the
church library to find the
following books.
Praying for Strangers by
River Jordan who made a
resolution to pray for a complete
stranger every day for a year.
Outcast United by Warren St. John. A real life story
of an inspiring group of refugees and a woman who with
tough love and fiery determination changed a community for the better.
One Simple Act by Debbie Macomber. How a simple
act of generosity can yield unforeseen miracles.
Up by Patricia Ellis Herr. A mother and daughter
climb 48 of New Hampshire’s mountains teaching independence, fearlessness, and that girls can be strong.
“
The Promised Land,” a collector plate series by artist Yiannis Koutis, is currently on display in the glass
case in the Gathering Space. Stop by to see this
awe-inspiring artist’s rendering of Old Testament
stories, such as the Burning Bush, the Ten Commandments, the Parting of the Red Sea, and others. Twelve
plates comprise the series, which was given to our church
by an anonymous donor.
The Heritage Committee is
interested in identifying the
donor. If you have any information about the collection,
please contact Margaret Mock,
[email protected] or
540-371-3740.
Please note: As part of its
mission, the Heritage Committee mounts history-related displays in the glass case, which was donated two
years ago by the Bazaar. The committee is willing to
share the space. If your organization would like to use
the display case, please contact Margaret.
Thank you very much for the Cokesbury gift card.
I added to my library in worship planning with some of
the funds. It really has helped in planning for Sunday
services and getting into a routine.
FUMC is an important part of my Christian development, faith walk and answering my call to the
ministry. I thank God for the time both my family and
myself were blessed at FUMC.
I pray with eager anticipation to hear all of the
wonderful things God has planned for FUMC.
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STUDY OPPORTUNITIES at FUMC
The Monday Morning Bible Study meets from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Room 210 on the first and third Mondays of the month. Our lessons are taken from Women of the Bible – 52 Bible Studies for Individuals & Groups by
Jean Syswerda. We have been visiting interesting, often little-known women of the New Testament and in the process, have found they were not much different than we are. God uses each of us in special ways. Every week is a
fresh lesson, so join in whenever you can! To order a book, arrange for babysitting or if you have further questions,
call Ann Braz at 710-6588. On Monday, June 1st let us
see how MARY MAGDALENE and DORCAS speak
to us. On Monday, June 15th let us see what LYDIA
and PRISCILLA have to say.
Newcomers’ Class is a three-week class where you will
discover answers about our denomination and our
church in a friendly and fun environment. You can
sign-up online at www.fumcva.org, or on the tear off
sheet. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor
Won Lee at (540-373-9021-x15), or wonlee@fumcva.
org.
June 3rd
“What Does It Mean to Become United Methodist?” I
June 10th
“What Does It Mean to Become United Methodist?” II
June 17th
“Becoming FUMC Family”
H
Information will include what’s happening in the
mission field from Heart Havens, Virginia Interfaith
Public Policy, updated news from recent teams to Cambodia and Mozambique. Learning through study:
1.
2.
3.
Registration forms are available at www.vaumw.org.
Contact JoAnn Liskey at (540) 434-2997 for registration questions and Nancy Yarborough at (757) 8772155 for scholarship information.
1Corinthians 12:20-26
eritage Park Apartments, Micah Ministries and local churches and organizations are partnering this
summer to provide nine weeks of educational and fun-filled activities for children and youth at Heritage
Park Apartments, a low income housing facility.
As an outreach mission project, FUMC has committed to partner with St. Mary’s Catholic Church
to provide activities AT FUMC Monday- Wednesday, July 6-8, 2015. Each day we need 5+ volunteers to help
with the activities at FUMC for children ages 5-12. Volunteers may work one day, or all 3 days at FUMC 1:00-3:30
pm; all volunteers must complete a Volunteer form.
Please consider committing to volunteer—this is an opportunity to serve in our own back yard! Contact Fanya
Morton (FUMC point of contact) at 371.0208 or [email protected].
1Corinthians 12:4: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit is given for the common good. There are
different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of
them in all men.
4
Every woman of the church is invited to become a
member of United Methodist Women because when
women come together for missions, amazing things can
happen. The theme for 2015 is “Welcomed by God, Welcoming All.”
5
S
ummer is approaching and the
Fredericksburg MOPS chapter
(Mothers of Preschoolers) is
preparing for another semester
of ministering to mothers & children
within our community. In order to
make this happen, we need caring
and energetic Moppets (childcare)
volunteers. We meet on the first and
third Fridays of the month at FUMC
from 9:30 until 11:30, beginning in
October.
Please consider supporting this
fun and meaningful ministry! Contact Allison Xanthopoulous at either
[email protected] or Jillian
Murray at [email protected] if
interested.
E
veryone is invited to the
workshops on the 2nd and
4th Mondays in Fellowship
Hall from 9:30 a.m. until
12:00 noon.
Items still needed: Altoid tins
and old or broken jewelry or beads,
tin coffee cans (5lbs), mismatched knives, forks and spoons with
fancy handles, assorted greeting cards, paper napkins, scraps of
wrapping paper and scrapbook paper, printed or colored tissue
paper (all seasons), old maps, left over 4” x 4” ceramic tiles,
metal book ends, old sleds, and old ice skates – put them in the
Bazaar Bin in Mission Control.
Contact Sharon Bradshaw 373-8245 if you have any questions or ideas. Help make this BAZAAR a great success – all
proceeds go to projects to help FUMC’s missions.
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“Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” —Proverbs 22:6
R
REGISTER NOW FOR VBS! You can register on our church website or by filling
out a paper registration form found around the church. VBS 2015 will happen here
at FUMC from June 22 through June 26. Mark your calendars now! We will travel
back in time and see what life was like when Jesus was a little boy. In doing so, we will see so many ways
that He was JUST LIKE US. Every day we will meet with his mother Mary to learn about his life, explore the
bustling marketplace, and join one of the 12 tribes of Israel for games, music, craft, fun, and Bible study. The cost
this year is $10 per child. We need you to prayerfully consider HOW you will participate this year. We cannot do
this without adult volunteers and leadership.
Positions needed include:
• preschool helpers
• wool shop helpers
• rising kindergarten
• dye shop helpers
helpers
• have a tarp style
• kindergarten
canopy to lend
helpers
• first grade helpers
• fishing boat helpers
• barnyard animals
• farmer’s field
helpers
K
atie Dawson is an 11 year old who is homeschooled by her parents Amber and Aaron
Dawson. She has one brother named Gus who
is four years old. Her parents also teach our
four year old Sunday School class. Katie has enjoyed
participating in Rotation Station Sunday School, the
FUMC Running Club, our Wednesday night dinners, the Grade Level
Studies classes, and the musical
“100% Chance Of Rain.”
Katie hasn’t decided what
she wants to be when she grows
up, but right now she really
enjoys Girl Scouts, swim team,
lacrosse, drama club, knitting,
sewing, and reading. She can’t
pick a favorite book. She loves
all of them! Her favorite memory
from her time at FUMC was sharing her own testimony
in the sermon this year at Children’s Sabbath.
Katie’s favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 12:22-23.
“You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Living God. You have come to
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written
in heaven. You have come into the presence of God.”
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M
iss a service for any reason? Our pastors’
sermons available online!! Just go to
our website at www.fumcva.org, click on
“Worship” and “Listen to Sermons” on the
dropdown menu.
T
he FUMC Outreach Food Pantry is presently
focusing on food products only. Our present
inventory is in need of, cereals, canned peas,
canned fruit, canned soups, canned meat,
pancake syrup and bread. Please place these items in
the appropriate container in Mission Control. Since we
now have an adequate supply, we do not need peanut
butter, jelly, mashed potatoes and pasta. Monetary donations may also be made by writing “Food Pantry” in the
memo section of your check. Contact Ed Sielski with
questions. (540-786-8515)
T
T
he mission trip to build stoves for the Mayan
women in the Guatemala highlands is July 25th
through August 2nd. FUMC has been sending
teams and changing lives for these families
since 1998. Contact Trish Vaughan for more information, 540-656-0905.
D
id you miss a newsletter and realize you need
information from a past issue? Did you want
to sign up for one of the Disciple classes but
can’t remember where you made a note about
how to do that? Are you thinking about online giving
but misplaced the information about it?
All of this is available to you at the touch of a mouse
on the church website. You can sign up for a class, consult the church calendar, listen to a sermon you missed
and much, much more. Visit www.fumcva.org soon
and find out what’s going on in the church and how
you can get involved!!!
here will be a called charge conference on
Monday, June 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in room
209. The purpose of this charge conference
is to direct the Trustees to sell the 303/305
Charlotte Street rental property. Voting members of the
charge conference are the Church Council. Everyone
is welcome to attend.
E
very Wednesday at 11:00 the Chapel Prayer
Group meets to pray for FUMC members/
families/friends with health or other concerns
(or praises!). We always include prayers for our
military members. Through time, we have lost contact
with some of our military and would very
much like to have an update on them. If
you have any information on any of our
military members, please contact Pastor Hank McCaslin at 540-373-9021 or
[email protected]. Join us for
prayer on Wednesdays in the second
floor chapel!
P
lanning a hospital stay? Are you headed to surgery? Want to have prayer and someone from
the clergy staff to visit? Tell us when you are
in the hospital. If surgery is scheduled, tell us
the day, time and place where a Pastor can locate you.
Our Pastors can serve you best when they know your
schedule. They can meet you at the health facility prior
to surgery. They can have prayer and support you and
your loved ones. Hospitals no longer notify churches
when members are hospitalized. If you wish to have a
Pastor visit, you or a family member will need to notify
the church.
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H
S
oly Communion is a sacrament of the United
Methodist Church. It is a means of grace
and a vital part of the worship experience for
believers in Jesus as the Christ. The Membership, Care, and Nurture Ministry wants to provide Holy
Communion to those who are not able to attend worship
on a regular basis due to life and health concerns.
If you have previously received lay-communionserver training and have been serving the shut-ins, we
want to provide a refresher orientation and new communion sets. Or, if you sense a strong desire to be a new
lay-communion servant, taking communion to those
confined to their home, nursing/retirement home, or
hospital room, contact the Pastor of Congregational
Care, Rev. Henry “Hank” McCaslin, 540-373-9021,
ext. 22, or email at [email protected].
ign up to have flowers placed
on the altar in honor or
memory of someone special.
We have open dates on
July 26th and September 6th. We
order from Thompson’s Florist at
a cost of $60.00 for both arrangements (Thompson’s bills you direct
afterwards). A Flower Committee
member contacts you to determine the
message to be printed in the bulletin. You may take the
arrangements home or leave one or both to be used to
make floral bouquets for our homebound and hospitalized. This wonderful ministry brings God’s love to so
many. When signing up to donate flowers, there is the
traditional sign-up calendar in the Music hall near the
sacristry. Forms and envelopes are also available on
the sign-up bulletin board for the flower calendar information. Contact the church office if you need more
information.
T
he Contemplative practice of Centering Prayer
is being held each Sunday evening in the Parlor.
We begin at 6:45 p.m., starting promptly, and
ending at 7:45 p.m. (lasting one hour). If you
have ever considered a “closer walk with God” this form
of prayer is a golden opportunity. The goal of Centering
Prayer is simple - closeness to God. This prayer time is
open to all Christians of any denomination. Any questions, please call Janet Davis at 371-0145.
parents, Midge and Sam Vittori, and brothers, Tony and Mike,
on the death of Daniel, on April 25.
Maxine and Robert Moore on the death of her brother, Charlie Tucker (Lynchburg)
Gregg and Mona Lamb and family on the death of his mother, Louise Lamb (Iowa)
Becky Patrick and family on the death of her grandmother-in-law,
Betty Bowersox (Baltimore)
David and Allison Kreisman on the death of wife and mother, Michele Kreisman
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A
s part of a special arrangement with the Virginia Conference, Kings Dominion amusement park is offering United
Methodists discounted prices on tickets during United
Methodist Days at the park. The cost is $34 per person for
ages 3 and older for discount tickets valid June 25-29, July 1-6, and
July 18-20. Children ages 2 and under will be admitted free.
During the discount days, two Christian music events will be held
on the park grounds. KingsFest (three full days of Christian music
featuring speakers and singers of praise and worship including Skillett, LeCrae, Tenth Avenue North, Jeremy Camp and more) will be
June 25-27. JoyFest (one of the country’s largest gospel festivals
featuring Fred Hammond, Tamela and David Mann and Tye Tribbett) will be Saturday, July 18. KingsFest and JoyFest tickets are sold
separately in advance through the call center at (804) 876-5000.
The cost is $40 for Good Any Day tickets, which are valid April
11-Oct. 31.
S
F
UMC is committed to this District
initiative in which children who
would otherwise have no means
of obtaining regular summertime
meals, will be fed by churches like ours.
We have committed to packaging and
distributing meals to the children on July
11 at Mary Walker Elementary.
More information
will be made available
about the contents
of the two-day
breakfast and
lunch packs
that will be
distributed.
Contact Tony
Schroth at
[email protected].
chool Dressing Days is an event that has helped children who need some assistance getting ready for
school for over 40 years; last year nearly 1,400 children were served. Each child, Kindergarten through
high school, is given new jeans and shirts, underwear and socks, backpacks, school supplies, and toiletries.
Gently used outerwear and shoes are also collected and made available. Children approved for Head Start
are also given some appropriate items. This year, the event will be held on Friday and Saturday, August 14 and 15
at the LDS Church on Bragg Road. Please think about volunteering; more details on signing up later. Members
of the congregation can help by donating items or funds. For
financial donations, write checks to FUMC with SDD on the
memo line and the money will be forwarded to the Interfaith
Community Council which sponsors the event. A partial list
of donations requested:
•
•
•
•
New girls jeans sizes 6X, 7 and 8 (no flares)
Girls underwear sizes 6 and 8 (colorful, no briefs)
Girls large size and womens colorful, low-cut socks
Backpacks (Five Below will have them for $5.00
sometime soon)
• Toiletries (especially deodorant, toothpaste and
bar soap)
• Gently-used coats, jackets and hoodies, laundered
please
The complete list can be found in Mission
Control where there is a marked bin waiting
to be filled.
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that we can use as an emergency prayer circle. Praise
Him for giving us victory.
Arjay is still recovering but
has started eating a regular
diet. His 3’rd stage surgery
will be when we have made
sure the new anus is adequate for its intended purpose.
Vanessa, 12-y/o, was in school
playing with a friend during a
break. At some unexpected turn
she was pushed and during her
fall she hit her back side on a hard
table. She started peeing blood.
She was brought to us and on an
abdominal CT scan we saw her
right kidney to be affected. The left kidney was normal.
We took her to the theater and saw that the right kidney was actually shattered beyond salvageable. With a
normal functioning left kidney, we removed the right
kidney. Very unfortunate, but still compatible to life!
This is her on follow up, requesting for a picture with
my very personable resident Dr. Ian Letargo.
I haven’t told you, I think, that I train younger doctors here to operate on pediatric surgical patients. Of
the 5 yrs of Surgical Residency training, each 2nd year
resident rotates to my section for 6 months. Dr Ian is
my current trainee.
Whew! I am tired. I believe I deserve to put my feet
up and enjoy a can of Cherry Coke. Please pray for me
that I will not be slack in being a competent and safe
surgeon. Pray that I will not only transfer technical skills
but also the better side of being a servant-doctor. Pray
for my patients, that they will cooperate with post-operative management and that these children will grow
up to be the pride of their parents and our country.
I cannot close without news about my mother. She
has recovered from several small illnesses one after
another. Somehow she hasn’t regained her usual self.
What does a daughter do? I took her to Atimonan
United Methodist Church, 177 km (110 miles) away
from where we live. It was a weekend when I said,
‘”Come on let’s catch a bus to Atimonan so you can
visit with your friends”. She was a deaconess serving in
that church from 1958- 1959. What do you know? Her
heart was glad and she regained her strength. I should
have taken their picture but I was trying to have some
rest as well and completely forgot. Bottom line: mother
is back teaching Bible studies.
Thank you for your loving support to the missions
and for praying for me and my concerns. God bless us.
G
reetings praying friends! Are you already
enjoying Spring, or does it feel like Summer?
Here in the Philippines, March is graduation
season. Our educational system mandates 10
full academic months beginning June. And so for this
month, I would like for you to rejoice with us as we have
two patients who graduate.
Ian is 9-yr old boy with Hirschsprung’s disease. He
has had a diverting colostomy since he was 2-yrs old.
The 2’nd stage of the operation, removal of the diseased
colon segment without normal nerves, was deferred until September 2014 because there was no Pediatric surgeon in the province. The last stage of the operation,
closing of the colostomy, was performed March 3.
Another Hirschsprung patient is Gaupo, a 11-moold boy. He had a diverting colostomy on his 8’th day
of life, bowel pull through at 9 mo. and closure of the
colostomy at 11 mo. Their graduation meant no colostomy and that they will move their bowels the conventional way. Notice the ages at graduation. Rejoice with
us and thank God that these two children will have a
better chance to a normal life.
But just like in school, we have patients who graduate and those that have just been enrolled. Baby boy
Q was transferred to us on his 20th hour of life, from
another government hospital 23 km (14.3 miles) away.
They have no Pediatric surgeon. He was born with high
type of imperforate anus. He too will have three stages
of operations. We begin by doing emergency colostomy
to divert the flow of feces. This we have done on his
2’nd day of life. We can do the 2’nd stage after 2 mos.
Why 2 mos? We need him to gain weight while we perform tests to diagnose other congenital anomalies that
may complicate the more complicated 2’nd stage and/
or affect later. Imperforate anus is usually associated
with other birth defects having more morbid, sometimes life threatening, consequences.
Another transferred patient is Arjay, a 9-y/o boy,
who was also born with imperforate anus. His colostomy was done in the northern province. They had
tried a government hospital in Manila but was never
cleared for surgery due to a persistent urinary infection.
It was expected because his kind of defect is associated
with an abnormal connection between the rectum and
the urinary bladder (recto-vesicular fistula). For Arjay,
I felt very challenged because his was a complicated,
more meticulous operation. On the day of his surgery,
two more babies needed to have emergency operation.
Because of this, I felt inadequate and needing urgent
prayer support. Praise God for Facebook Messenger
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JUNE • Vol. 31, No. 6