the phoenix - Inglesideumc.org

THE PHOENIX
September 2014
Ingleside UMC Newsletter
REV-elations:
JESUS
STILLS THE
WATERS WE
FEAR
Several folks have been
interested in the story
behind the carving I
shared with the congregation several Sundays
ago. This very special
carving is from Haiti
and I purchased it directly from the artist while there on a mission to help in the rebuilding of the country
after the earthquakes. Our UMC has been very much a part of the rebuilding efforts
through the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
While I used it in an effort to illustrate the lectionary passage for that day, Matthew
14:22-33, where Jesus walks on the water, the artist really was depicting another passage, Mark 4:35-41:
2014 LOUISIANA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
"
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other
side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There
were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the
boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The
disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up,
rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and
it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still
have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind
and the waves obey him!”
I traveled to Haiti about three times through the work of Louisiana Volunteers in Mission while I was Director of that ministry. Each time the suffering and devastation was
a significant burden on my soul. But more importantly and much more overwhelming
was the hope that I saw and experienced in the Haitian people. The people of Haiti,
despite what they have encountered in death, damage and disease, are truly not
afraid. They have faith and they know who obeys the wind and waves! That makes the
carving that much more special. I caught the artist just as he was finishing the last carving details and purchased it from him unstained or sealed. I completed it myself after
returning home with several coats of tung oil. It normally sits atop my china cabinet in
the dining room, a commanding witness of faith and my mission friends and experiences
in Haiti.
Larry Norman
In This Issue

REV-elations

Blessing of the Animals

Church News

Pastor’s Biography

Upcoming Dates
Halloween
Festival
OctOBER 31
Be a part of the 3rd
annual Halloween
Night at Ingleside
on Friday, October
31. Grace Baptist and Ingleside will jointly
host the fun, food and games. The event
will be held in our parking lot unless it rains;
if raining, we will be inside the Fellowship
Hall. Event will begin at 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Grilled burgers and hot dogs will be happening from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Grace will be
providing the meat. Ingleside is responsible
for the following: candy, games, 100 hamburger & 75 hotdog buns, condiments
(mustard, mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato,
cheese, relish, chili), paper products (200
small plates & cups), and drinks. Help by
signing up in the narthex and start dropping
off items (buns can be dropped off mid October). If you can help with set-up, let us
know. Hope everyone can be there!
Upcoming Dates at Ingleside
September, 2014
7th - General UMW Meeting, 12:00 p.m.
10th – CHNA Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
11th - Worship Meeting, 12:15 p.m.
11th - Finance Meeting, 5:30 p.m.
14th - Back to Church Sunday 9:30 a.m.
18th - Food Truck 5:00 p.m.
23rd - General Council, 6:00 p.m.
24th - UMM Breakfast 6:00 a.m.
October 4th - Blessing of the Animals
Note: Crochet meets every Wednesday
at 5:30 p.m.
Choir rehearsal is every Wednesday at
6:30 p.m.
Bell Choir rehearsal is every Sunday at
6:30 p.m.
October 4
blessing of the animals
UMW
The General Meeting of the
UMW will be Sunday, September
7, 2014 after the morning worship
service. All ladies are invited to
lunch which will be cooked by
Matt Glatt and Pat Green. We
would like to have a good turnout
for this meeting. If you would
like to have more information,
please contact Alice Irving at 9270998.
Please plan to join Wicket the
morning of October 4, from 9:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for a Blessing of
the Animals Event. There will be
representatives from YELP, Feral
Cat Coalition,
Tiger H.A.T.S., several pet therapy
persons, and other
animal related
sponsors.
Greetings and peace in the strong name of our Lord!
So you might have some idea of the “who, what, how” of your
new pastor, Van Stinson has asked me to supply you with
some information about my life and ministry. I look forward to
meeting with you in person but for now, here are a few
thoughts that might help you to get to know me.
I am a native of Vivian, Louisiana, born on February 18, sixtythree years ago. I’ve been an ordained Elder in the United
Methodist Church for the past thirty-seven years. I began my
ministry in the Mississippi Conference and after serving two
churches came back to my home state and Conference and
served in the Alexandria FUMC for five years, first as Minister
with Youth and Singles and then overseeing that area and
many others as Executive Pastor. I hold Bachelor’s Degrees
from Louisiana Tech and a Master of Divinity from Emory University, Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve served five previous churches and one
Wesley Foundation. I also served for fifteen years in the Conference Office as Director of Louisiana
Volunteers in Mission. I have an extensive background in mission, domestic and foreign and serve
as Chair of the UMVIM Committee on the South Eastern Jurisdiction Mission Council. One of my
great loves and ministry is that of Mount Sequoyah, SEJ Conference and Assembly Center in
Fayetteville, Arkansas and serve on its Board of Trustees. I am Chair of Buildings and Grounds on
the Executive Committee of that organization.
I entered the work force at the young age of nine when I became a “carhop” and dishwasher and later
cook at my grandfather’s restaurant, Sam’s Famous Hamburgers, in Vivian. At the age of sixteen, I
became the stocking staff and janitor of the local Ben Franklin Store and later joined Campbell Air
Service and worked as a ground crew chief for this aerial straying service traveling each summer all
of the U.S. During my seminary years I worked as the Assistant Director of the Personnel Division of
the largest Sears store in the nation, although summers were spent as a youth director in Mississippi
and Georgia and at Glenn Memorial UMC on the Emory Campus throughout my seminary experience.
Mission work and interest began for me at the age of twelve with a youth mission to Arkansas. This
experience was heightened and solidified when my youth director gave me a copy of a book by Rev.
George MacLeod whose words influenced me greatly and continue to speak to me today. George
MacLeod wrote:
“I simply argue simply that the cross be raised again at the center of the marketplace as well
as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified on an
altar between two candles but on a cross between two thieves, on the town garbage heap; at
a crossroad so cosmopolitan that they had to write his title in Hebrew and in Latin and in
Greek...at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where he died. And that is what he died about. And that is where churchmen
ought to be, and what churchmen should be about.”
In my career I have led over nine missions to India and on six continents. I have lost track of the
number of countries! Perhaps my favorite mission is to India, and it is there, at the Warne Baby Fold
on the site of the historic Methodist Clara Swain Hospital, that I became the sponsor and “father” of
Opportunities For Study
Sunday Morning:
9:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. We love
to laugh, listen, and linger over the language of the scriptures. Each session is
independent of the others so don’t worry
about missing one. All ages are invited, so
come and join us.
9:30 a.m. in Capital Heights Classroom, lead by
Alice Irving. In September, we will be continuing our study of Paul through his writings in
2 Corinthians. Paul is concerned with
“Bearing One Another’s Burdens.” In our
class, we study the scripture by asking
questions, discussing what we believe it
means and then try to apply it to our lives.
Bring your Bible and an open mind for a
very beneficial hour. .
9:30 a.m. in Ingleside Classroom.
************************************************
“Back to Church” Sunday is Sept. 14
Join the fellowship and scripture study as
we celebrate our annual “Back to Church”
Sunday on September 14th at 9:30am. This
will also be our kick-off for our Children’s
Sunday School and Youth class. We will
start the morning with a breakfast of juice,
milk, coffee, and finger foods. Then jump
right into some lively music and singing lead
by our choir folks. Next we will learn how to
listen for God as we read, meditate, pray,
and contemplate our scripture reading. By
using the technique, Lectio Divina, we will
educate ourselves about and learn another
way to embrace God’s word. Together we
will end by making a remembrance of our
gathering. Hope you will come and listen
for God’s voice.
Come learn more about the Bible and don’t
forget to bring the kids. If you would like to
help by bringing a breakfast item please let
us know. See you in the Fellowship Hall
Sunday, Sept. 14th at 9:30 a.m.
Upcoming Church Events:
*********************************
A Gigantic Thank You
A special thanks to all who attended
or contributed to the Garage Sale.
Our sales totaled a little over $3000
and we want to thank all of you who
helped prepare the week before the
sale, after the sale, and especially
the day of the sale. Blessings to all.
Pancake Breakfast
Saturday - October 4
A church wide sponsored Pancake
Breakfast will be held on the same
day as the Blessing of the Animals.
The Fellowship Hall will be open on
Saturday from 7-11 a.m. for a sit
down or carryout breakfast. All proceeds will go to help fund our
church budget. This is a wonderful
time to invite your neighbors, family,
and all your friends to this fun day.
The neighborhood asks repeatedly
“when are ya’ll going to have the
Pancake Breakfast”. It’s a great fellowship time and the
pancakes are fantastic!
We need help with donations of lg. syrup-4,
butter-5, juice-5 gal.,
milk-5 gal., sugar-5lb.,
creamer, coffee-2 lg., bacon or sausage, & 4 of the large bags of
Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
from Sam’s.
Do you know where your Parishioners are?
It is Sunday morning. You are drinking your morning beverage and getting ready to go to Sunday School and
Church. Your thoughts take you to your family at Ingleside. While you are sitting in the sanctuary preparing to
hear this Sunday’s sermon, you greet others and look
around to see who is there and who is not there this Sunday.
Two ladies have been missing for quite some time, and
some of you may have wondered where have Suellen
Stafford and Cathy Wells been this last year?
Every Sunday, Sullen and Cathy can be found in one or more neighborhoods of Baton Rouge attempting to trap feral cats for sterilization the next day. Suellen and Cathy operate the Feral Cat Coalition
which administers a PetSmart Charities grant for cats residing in six zip codes in East Baton Rouge Parish.
The Feral Cat Coalition has processed over 1,300 cats for spay/neuter this year alone. The Feral Cat
Coalition also assists pet owners living in poverty areas with pet food and other pet supplies.
We hope you will join us on Saturday, October 4th for the Blessing of the Animals and visit the Feral Cat
Coalition’s table.
FLICKS AND FOOD TRUCKS MONTHLY AT INGLESIDE UMC
After the great success of last
months Baton Rouge Food Truck
Roundup at Ingleside UMC the
trucks will be returning every
month! AND, we are adding a Family Night Movie to the fun and food
and now, entertainment! Movie and
food nights will be:

September 18

October 16

November 20
The trucks will serve from 5:00-8:00 PM and the movie will begin about 7:00 PM or when it
gets dark. The food trucks will be in the Capital Heights side parking lot and the movie will be
in Jubilee Park, behind the Fellowship Hall. Bring your blankets, or ground covers and relax
with the children and enjoy the show! Movie titles will be announced very soon but all showings will be child friendly. Now if the parents will just behave....
David Eric and Moses Swain. Moses attends boarding school and is being prepared for a medical vocation. David and his wife Anjali are the administrator of the Clara Swain Medical Clinic in Fairpur, India
about an hour from Bereilly and David’s adopted home, Warne Baby Fold. There are no grandchildren as
yet, but David and Anjali are scheduled to receive the very next baby that arrives at the Baby Fold!
My sister Janine Stanfield, lives in Bossier City, LA and is married to Steven. She has three children by
an earlier marriage and Matthew, Brett and Kaitlyn all live in the Shreveport area or at home. Kaitlyn
graduates from high school in May. Matthew is currently undergoing a stay in a rehabilitation unit for alcoholism and Brett works and lives in Shreveport just across the
Red River from his mother.
Coming to Baton Rouge with me will be my live-in son, Wicket. Wicket is the third cocker spaniel that has graced my life
and he is a proven CD--Church Dog. He loves to come to
“work” when allowed. His only complaint is that regardless of
where we are I am on the
wrong side of the door, but
insists that I am very good
at opening doors for him.
I am an avid fan of the high
holy days of Jazz Fest in
New Orleans and will always hope that you grant me vacation days on those Sundays! I don’t
think I’ve missed one in almost twenty years! In May of this year I will
join eight other ministers from here in Louisiana and from around the
world to hike the El Camino de Santiago, The Way of St. James, in
Spain, a holy pilgrimage that dates back for hundreds of years. I like to
refinish furniture, am interested in Celtic spirituality and culture, and
have traveled to Ireland and Scotland many times. The Iona Community
on the Isle of Iona in Scotland is a particularly high and holy place for
me and I will be leading a UM Primetimer’s group there in 2015 which I hope that many members of St.
Luke’s and Ingleside will plan to be a part of! I will also be returning to Palestine on a mission in October
2015 in association with the Methodist Liaison in Bethlehem. This will be my third mission to the Holy
Land and again I will be inviting church members to be a part of this mission. I’m trained as a Spiritual Director. I’m a part of several organizations including the Organization of Spiritual Directors, the SCJ
UMVIM Directors, Mount Sequoyah Board of Directors and the SCJ Mission Council. I work with several
ministries that work with justice and equality issues for positive change in our communities and places of
worship.
You will find my theology progressive and thoroughly Wesleyan. My colleagues in ministry often tell me
that my approaches to ministry are not those of our fellow ministers who are my age. I try to keep up
with new trends and emerging ways of doing ministry that can appeal to younger members and the unchurched. My ministry emphasis will always be determining what the next step should be and moving my
congregations from point A to point B. Christianity does not stand still, nor should the church, Our work
is outside the walls of our meeting point. We meet to equip ourselves for the mission field outside the
door!
Our singing and listening inside does no good until someone outside joins in the song and hears the
Word. United Methodism has always been known for its work in the social gospel and this is very much
my area of expertise and mission.
I’m excited to return to my beloved city of Baton Rouge. I’m appreciative of the Cabinet hearing this request and the appointment to two congregations in my favorite city! There is also a possible opportunity
to continue my work with mission on the Jurisdictional level in the making. I’m sure that Van will explain
this arrangement with you in your meeting and although we must wait to hear in May if I am chosen for
this work, I hope you will agree to this arrangement. It will take me out of your pulpit on the occasional
Sunday but I will work to make sure that you have adequate coverage and a great preacher in my stead.
Larry D. Norman
Cell: 225-933-1881
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: Larry Norman
Note From Newsletter Editor:
If you would like to write an
article for the Phoenix, or
have an idea or topic you
would like to see included,
please email me at [email protected].
The Baton Rouge Skeeter Run will be co-hosted by University UMC
and now, St. Andrew’s UMC! Because of a change needed to accommodate Baton Rouge police, the actual run will begin and end at St.
Andrew’s UMC, 17510 Monitor Ave. on October 11, 2014, Details:
7:30 a.m. Registration, 8:00 a.m. 1 mile Fun Run, and 8:30 a.m. 5K
Cost: $20 Adult, $10 Child. University UMC, 3350 Dalrymple Dr.,
will coordinate packet assembly and pickup, scheduled for Oct. 10,
2014, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Ingleside UMC
4264 Capital Heights
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Publication Date: 1st Sunday
of Month
Articles Deadline: The last
Monday of the month.
These things we write,
so that our joy may be
complete.
1 John 1:4
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