May 2015 Newsletter
Transcription
May 2015 Newsletter
An Interdenominational Church May 2015 Newsletter Kelly’s Connection ~ During a recent trip to Alpine, Texas, Coletti and I chose to stay at the historic hotel in town. It was for one night only and the hotel was a quaint place with a beautiful lobby. The third floor guest room was small, but wellmaintained with all the amenities one would expect. There was one most unusual addition that caught my attention. On the night stand by the bed I noticed two pairs of ear plugs. I wondered, “what am I not supposed to hear?” I assumed the walls must be thin and earplugs would help us sleep through the noise next door. I hoped we would not have noisy neighbors and could get a good night’s sleep. Surely the hotel manager did not anticipate that one of us snored so loudly that we needed earplugs to sleep through the noise? Or did he? About 2:00 in the morning, my assumptions proved incorrect. The earplugs were for the train noise as it passed through town repeatedly blowing a very loud horn. I doubt the earplugs would have helped given the intensity of sound and the fact that the train was only 40 yards from my bed. Other than the unexpected wakeup horn, we had a good night’s sleep. Now the spiritual story—I’ve noticed over the past months that my spiritual hearing has improved. I hear God speaking to me more often and more clearly these days. Naturally, I’ve given thought to how this came to be and recognize there are things that enhanced my spiritual hearing ability. I discovered that there are things that, in life, are like spiritual earplugs; things that hinder our ability to hear God speaking to us such as the obvious ones—busyness, laziness, and apathy. To hear what God has to say, I find it helpful to get away from the busyness and put myself in a quiet place to listen and pray. For me, it means getting up early before the demands of the day draw me away. Sometimes God’s call to get up is like the train whistle—it can’t be ignored. I like to run at sunrise, so when I run, I make an effort to listen to the Lord. I find it helpful to confront my laziness by reading what God says in the Bible and listening to biblically-based inspiring audiobooks. Yes, I said laziness. I find it easy to plop down in front of the television, zone out and avoid doing my spiritual exercise. It helps me to hear what God is saying by observing what God is doing around me. This usually comes by listening to stories of what God is doing in the lives of my family at The Worship Place and watching how God is blessing our church family as a whole. God is busy! Sometimes God speaks in such a way that earplugs would not prevent me from hearing. But more often I hear his voice when I remove the earplugs and turn up my spiritual hearing aids. Please join me in practicing these spiritual disciplines. Together we can rejoice with one voice! Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28) Gladly serving, Kelly Women’s Ministry Brunch Monday, May 11th 10:00 a.m., $7 at the door Living Beyond Loss Luncheon Friday, May 15th 12:00 p.m. at TWP This group meets the third Friday of each month for lunch and is a fellowship time for anyone who is dealing with a loss. Please contact Jim and Martha Shepherd if you plan to attend, 903-245-5058. Speaker: Rene Petrowski, local Daughters of the American Revolution member will relate the many services that the DAR provides. Sign up in the Welcome Center or on the TWP website by Friday, May 8th. Christian Literature Book Club Monday, May 18th 9:30 a.m. in the Library Men’s Fellowship Breakfast Tuesday, May 12th 8:00 a.m., $7 at the door Speaker: Jack Phelps, Assoc. Pastor and Minister to Senior Adults at Crestview Baptist Church “The Scarlet Thread” by Premier Christian Fiction Writer, Francine Rivers Feel free to direct questions to Ann Hay at [email protected] or 512-869-1120. Our speaker in April, Mary Kuntz, made a tremendous presentation about getting started on our written testimonies. She shared with us a simple plan and encouraging charge to write down our personal experience with Jesus Christ for our children and loved ones. Sign up in the Welcome Center and plan to attend our breakfasts on the 2nd Tuesday each month. Book Club Tuesday, May 19th 1:30 p.m. in the Library “Blue Asylum” by Kathy Hepinstall. This month we are using the Public Library "Books In A Bag" program. Gary Allen, Men’s Ministry Trustee Fellowship Tuesday May 12th & 26th 1:00—5:00 p.m. For more information call Sandy Cherney at 512-863-9751. In May and June we will focus on making pillowcases for cancer patients. Anyone who is interested in donating fabric or making pillowcases should join us. We have patterns and fabrics to be used for the kids' pillowcases. This will be a great project! As always, we will continue to make knitted and crocheted items. Come and join the fun. For further information, contact Coletti Barnett, Elaine Cielo or Deanna Campbell. We invite you to wear your military uniform on Sunday, May 24th. Office Closed Memorial Day Monday, May 25th Items crocheted for Christ Child Society. 2 Sunday Bible Study Potluck Fellowship Saturday, May 16th 5:30pm, Room A The “Book of Acts” Sunday Bible Study group will host a Pot Luck Fellowship, and if you are not currently attending a Sunday morning Bible Study, you are invited to join them! Thursday, May 7th 9:30 a.m. Coffee & Cookies, Welcome Center 10:00 a.m. at TWP Sanctuary AND 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown High School Football Stadium WOW (Women of the Word) Monday presents “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp On Mondays through May18th 1:00—3:00 p.m. (Potluck lunch at 1:00 p.m.) Join them anytime! TWP COOKBOOKS FOR SALE, ONLY $15 (DELIVERY EXPECTED BY MOTHER’S DAY) Take home a treasured collection of recipes from many outstanding TWP cooks. This attractive keepsake makes an ideal gift or Mother’s Day present! Flyer in the Welcome Center Contact: Patti Garrett [email protected], 512-626-6816 (www. onethousandgifts.com) Orders taken beginning on Sunday, May 3rd, in the Welcome Center. Save the Date Women’s Faith Walk Day at TWP (formerly Women’s Retreat) Friday, October 9th Volunteers Needed! Organizational Meeting on Monday, May 18th Bar-B-Que to Benefit Special Friends Ministry (Respite for Dementia participants and Caregivers) Contact Sherrill Aston: 512-943-4189, [email protected] Saturday, May 23rd 5:00—7:00 p.m. at Legacy Pavilion Adults:$10 donation An offering for children under 12 Tickets sold between services in May. Are You on a Gluten-Free Diet? Beginning Sunday, May 3rd, gluten-free wafers for communion will be available at the sanctuary reception desk. 3 May 10th Opportunities to Serve 1) The 8:15 Praise and Worship service is in need of greeters and communion servers. Anyone wishing to serve, please contact Mary Anne Denison at 512 843-4684 or [email protected]. 2) DID YOU KNOW- that a TWP volunteer performs a brief security check of the church property every evening around 8:00 p.m? We have many dedicated Security Volunteers performing these checks and the more volunteers we have, the better. If you are interested, please contact Marvin McNeil, Trustee of Building and Grounds at [email protected] or 512-250-4944. Staying Connected to Our Congregation Effective and timely communication is a key concern for all churches. Whether we are sending out scheduling changes due to inclement weather, passing along prayer requests or reminding the congregation of a meeting, it's important to stay connected. In the days ahead you will receive a message via the phone from one of our pastors using the phone tree system. Be sure to give them feedback about this new communication tool. CAMP DISCOVERY” JR. CAMP 2015 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! PrayFAST (Pray for a Soldier Team) Mondays, June 15 & 22, 2:30—5:00 p.m. We need Shepherds, a Pianist, Registration & Craft assistants, Science Demonstration Volunteers A Ministry of Prayer in Support of Fort Hood Soldiers During their Deployment to a Combat Zone Pick up their ministry flyer in the Welcome Center. You can also sign up for the Manifest Team, which meets deploying soldiers and asks them, as they depart, if they would like someone to pray for them. God’s children of all ages will discover that “Jesus is at work through us.” Volunteers will live out this theme as we share the message and fun with kids! Every child will hear the Good News that Jesus, their Savior, gives us courage, wisdom, faith, and His love to share through His work in us. If you can help full or part time, there are many ways to be involved. Contact: Scott Dean, [email protected], 512-413-5921 To volunteer or register your grandchildren, contact Linda Holstien at [email protected]. 4 Couple’s Hideaway Friday, Nov. 6, 1:00 p.m. through Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1:00 p.m. Fredericksburg, Texas “The Five Love Languages” Special Guest Speakers Encouraging Biblical Messages Wonderful Fellowship Great Food Flyers in the Welcome Center. Registration begins Sunday, May 3rd. For more information, contact Brenda Kennedy at [email protected], 210-347-5141. Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.—Lunch & Fellowship 12:00 p.m.—Guest Speaker $5 at the door (Sign up in the Welcome Center or call the office to reserve lunch.) SPOTLIGHT ON STAFF Spotlight on a Benevolence Recipient Kathy Gallagher Receptionist COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA) Every day in this country, 1,900 children become victims of abuse or neglect, and four of them will die. Every day. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children is a network of 933 community-based programs that recruit, train and support citizenvolunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in courtrooms and communities. Volunteer-advocates, empowered directly by the courts, offer judges the critical information they need to ensure that each child’s rights and needs are being attended to while in foster care. Volunteers stay with children until they are placed in loving permanent homes. For many abused children, a CASA volunteer is the only constant adult presence in their lives. Kathy and her husband, Jim, have been Sun City residents for 9 1/2 years. They have three grown sons and a beautiful 5-year old granddaughter. She enjoys gardening, needlework, and reading. Kathy keeps the front office running smoothly and attends to a myriad of duties including greeting and assisting members and visitors, answering the phone and directing calls, maintaining the church calendar by scheduling rooms and documenting setup details, ordering supplies and assisting staff, trustees and lay leaders as needed. Gifts from April TWP received donations in honor of Marita McElvain, and in memory of Sing Gibson, Joan Griffin, Ron Houser, Charles Isoline, Charles Latta, Wanda Mueller, Bill Wagoner and Sue West. Condolences The Worship Place extends condolences to the families of Ron Houser and Sue West. 5 6 May Birthdays Name Date Name Date Beth Burt Sue Gabert Carlie Burdett Shirley Flowers Rick Graeb Margie Kurick Susan Snelson Tom Griffin Francois Koch Don Ballard Linda T. Keratsopoulos Kay Merritt Dorothy Morrow Marie Windham Kenny Buss Jo Ann Cannon Karin Hensley Gary Prevost Pat Hix Lee Safford Carl Vitera Gary Cluck Virginia Gaudette Jeanne Peterson William Saunders Phillip Matthews Mike Furman Cindy Lane Evelyn Rozeboom Barbara Sargent Jackie Woolley 05/01 05/01 05/02 05/02 05/02 05/02 05/02 05/03 05/03 05/04 05/04 05/05 05/05 05/05 05/06 05/06 05/06 05/06 05/07 05/07 05/07 05/08 05/08 05/08 05/08 05/09 05/10 05/10 05/11 05/11 05/11 Sue Bawcom Peter Evans Martha Hopper Eugene Purdy Don Traube Bo Wickstrom Jacqueline Brown Dottie Browner Joan Keppler Charles Kersch Carmen Lewis Pam Redus Thomas Jones Jackie Kennedy Carol Snapp Charles Walker Jim Williams Bob Coleman Carol Leeman Mike Simon Frances Fly Barbara Hagen Rene Jantzen Elizabeth Stoneback Harold Taylor Joyce Coleman Velma Fitzpatrick Mary Montgomery Elayne Timmons Patsy Tupper Shirley Griffin 05/13 05/13 05/13 05/13 05/13 05/13 05/14 05/14 05/14 05/14 05/14 05/14 05/15 05/15 05/15 05/15 05/15 05/16 05/16 05/16 05/17 05/17 05/17 05/17 05/18 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/19 05/20 Name Jil Tunks Jimmie Coleman D.J. Corbell Edward Corbett Thomas Sevier Richard Andersen Karen Pierce Chuck Dashiell Robert Bland Paul Fleming Bob Franklin Ron Jones Edmund Jasperson Carolyn Rowe Janelle Fears Ron Gaddy Barbara Stricklin Richard Roby Judy Buerkle Bruce Epstein Ron Robinson Sandy Roland Mary Watters Glenda Crandall Lee Hensley III Sheila Purdy Lois Roark Howard Fahmer Jr. Ann Lilly Martha Payne Aleda Sevier Date 05/20 05/21 05/21 05/21 05/21 05/22 05/22 05/23 05/24 05/24 05/24 05/24 05/25 05/25 05/27 05/27 05/27 05/28 05/29 05/29 05/29 05/29 05/29 05/30 05/30 05/30 05/30 05/31 05/31 05/31 05/31 Pastor’s Tea for New Members Tuesday, May 19th, 2:00 p.m., Welcome Center Please join Senior Pastor Kelly Barnett and his wife, Coletti, for a Pastor’s Tea and to “Meet & Greet” other new members. RSVP: Kathy Gallagher [email protected] 512-869-1310 7 TWP Travels to Israel April 6—14, 2016 Tour Presentation on Tuesday, June 2, 2:00 p.m. TWP members need to book early! Trip opens to others after August 1st if space is available. Contact Nancy Snyder if you are interested: [email protected], 512-966-2230. APRIL NEW MEMBERS Photos from last month’s Living Last Supper Bob & Lu Berteau, 806 Rio Grande Loop Richard & Lois Osgood, 115 Sandy Creek Trail Jeanne Hamilton, 237 Monument Trail John Meyler & Kathy Zatopek, 204 Star Mountain Bruce & Ann Shove, 118 Northcross Road Frank & Rebecca Beam, 824 Salado Creek Lane Randy & Janine Ramseur, 105 Copperas Creek Bob & Elsie Bohrer, 107 Hill Country Dr. Connie & Kathy Cochran, 105 Bluebell Dr. * If you are a recent member, and have not had your photo taken, we invite you to visit the sound booth at the back of the sanctuary or the reception desk between worship services on any Sunday. SUMMER ADDRESSES If you will be out of town for the summer, but would like to continue receiving the monthly newsletters, please contact Diane in the church office. 8 Decisions from April 16, 2015 Trustee Meeting * Investments at Chisholm Trail made $4,100 interest in the first quarter of 2015. Expenses this first quarter are less than last year. We have changed from a cash basis to capitalization this year. * The balance of the note on the building will be a little over $400,000 after our payment this month. * Alternate Service Offerings Team has found available space at Cowan Creek on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. It is possible to move the Praise and Worship service to that location and possibly also provide a Bible study. The 8:15 service would continue and be a traditional worship. Kelly would preach for all four services but a music leader and an AV team will be needed at Cowan Creek. * The Growth Forum last week was sparsely attended, but there were many good questions. A new FAQ sheet will be created and on the website. More communication is planned. * Approval of Growth Study Team recommendations made last summer to not expand the sanctuary or the parking lot due to the cost of over $1,000,000 for parking; it would be disruptive for use of the sanctuary; and it would only handle growth for a few years. * The Policies & Procedures manual is under revision. * Kerry Kennedy announced that Nancy Snyder is the point person for information regarding the Israel trip. On June 2nd a one hour presentation will be given by a representative of Collette Travel. The deadline for a deposit is October 7th. The cost will be $4,099 per person and includes round trip air fare. * Special Friends will have a fund raiser on May 23rd from 5-7 pm. Tickets for the BBQ dinner are $10 per person. * A committee was formed to research buying a bus for offsite parking or renting golf cars to carry attendees from the parking lot to the Sanctuary. Full minutes will be posted on the bulletin board and on the website. All are invited to attend the next trustee meeting on May 21, 2015 in the Board Room. THE WORSHIP PLACE TRUSTEES If you have questions, please contact a trustee below. All Worship Place members are welcome to attend the Trustee Meeting that is held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 2:00 pm at the church. Elaine Carpenter Tom Dodds Marvin McNeil Karen Reynolds Deane Burks Gary Allen Mary Anne Denison Retta Gaddy Patti Garrett Lou Gibson June Isgitt Steve Lycan David Mobley Cheryl White Chair, 815-342-0862, [email protected] 1st Vice Chair of Ministries, Outreach, Evangelism, Communications , 512-639-0763, [email protected] 2nd Vice Chair of Support Services, Building & Grounds, 512-240-4944, [email protected] Treasurer, 512-966-9872, [email protected] Corporate & Recording Secretary, Caring Ministry, 512-240-5975, [email protected] Men’s Ministry & Ambassador Ministry, 214-763-1835, [email protected] Worship Ministry, 512-843-4684, [email protected] Fellowship/Newcomers Ministry, 512-826-0760, [email protected] Discipleship/Christian Education, 512-626-6816, [email protected] The Trustee meeting agenda is posted on the Caring Ministry, 512-864-1542, [email protected] bulletin board the Women’s Ministry, 512-763-1097, [email protected] Sunday before each Missions/Benevolence, 512-639-1341, [email protected] Trustee meeting. Personnel, 512-943-0285, [email protected] Caring Ministry, 512-864-1380, [email protected] 9 A Word from Pastor Kelly on the Growth of TWP God is faithful as He continues to draw new people to worship Him each week at The Worship Place. We are so blessed that we are quickly running out of space at 811 Sun City Boulevard, while Sun City is set to continue adding new homes on both the Hwy 195 and Ronald Reagan ends of the community. We need a plan to accommodate growth for the next five to ten years to provide and care for the families who come looking for church home where they can continue to worship and grow in their relationship with God. In 2010, we had an average of 532 attending on Sunday. In 2015, we currently have an average of 772 attending each Sunday - a 45% growth in attendance in just over four years. To have such an opportunity and no plan is a missed opportunity. A God-honoring plan will make the most effective use of our current facilities and establish an additional facility to provide ample space for new family members. In May 2013, TWP Board of Trustees enlisted a growth study team to consider the feasibility of expanding the current sanctuary. The team concluded that expansion of the sanctuary should not be considered without also simultaneously expanding the parking lot. To knock out the sanctuary back walls, as the building was designed, would add approximately 140 seats but that would mean losing the library, prayer room, and Jim Clayman’s office. The estimated cost to expand the sanctuary, parking lot, and make other code enhancements to the sanctuary would exceed $1.5 million. The Trustees agreed that this is not the best way forward. We will add one or two more worship services this year. The day and time of these services are under discussion. We are considering 10:30 Sunday morning services at Cowan Creek and Sunday afternoon services in the sanctuary at 5:00. We will soon ask you via a survey to provide us your feedback so we can determine best options and understand the associated implications. The Board and your pastors will bring to the congregation a proposal for growth as soon as possible. We want to include a strategic plan to help us continue doing what we have done for fifteen years—demonstrating our love for God, reaching others for Christ, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are currently gathering information for us to make a well-informed decision, including possibilities of land availability, about the life and future of our church family for the next five years and beyond; the decision to be made (approved) by the congregation. If the church family chooses to add another worship facility, we will remain one church with one Board of Trustees. We will continue worshipping and studying together as we do now here at The Worship Place. Additional pastoral and administrative staff will soon be needed regardless of the decision about an additional worship facility. The focus of another facility is to address the future growth of Sun City and to minister to those who live in the current growth area. Will you join me in praying for these most important strategic decisions? Included below and on the following page is an abbreviated list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding our growth vision. Please review them prayerfully. The latest complete list of FAQs can be found on TWP website (www.theworshipplace.org). Blessings and grace to you all, Pastor Kelly TWP Growth Vision Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. Can we expand our sanctuary by taking down the back walls, even if we leave Jim Clayman's office and the Sanctuary reception area as is? How much will this cost? The back walls of the sanctuary were originally built to be removed for expanding the sanctuary. A committee assigned by the Trustees to consider such expansion has recommended that any expansion of the current facility should not be done without adding requisite parking to accommodate the growth. The committee recommended that because this option was extremely expensive per seat added and does not provide sufficient long-term growth opportunities, TWP should not consider expanding the current sanctuary and adding parking at this time. The Board of Trustees concurred with these recommendations. In addition, even if financially feasible, only expanding the current facility does not place TWP in a position of accommodating the Sun City growth and ministering in the Sun City growth areas. 10 TWP Growth Vision Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 2. How long will it take to implement this growth plan? If adopted by the congregation, the implementation will occur in stages. We anticipate full implementation will likely take approximately five years, but this is merely an estimate at this time. 3. What is our current outstanding building debt? Who is our lender; what is term of the loan, the interest rate, and is the rate fixed or floating? As of April 2015, our current outstanding debt is approximately $400,000. We are far ahead on our scheduled payments and at the current rate, may pay off the debt in 2015. Our 20 year loan of approximately $1.5 million in 2011 is with Prosperity Bank. The interest rate is an annual floating rate, with a floor of 3.75% and a ceiling of 9.99%. The current interest rate is 3.75% and it has never varied more than a few tenths of a percent since origination. The loan was for the addition of the Welcome Center, church office suite, chapel/choir room, and fellowship hall. 4. Will the location of the new worship facility be in Sun City? While this is our preference, the new facility will likely be located adjacent to Sun City in one of the growth areas. We prefer the location be golf cart accessible. Possible locations are currently under review. 5. Will TWP members have the opportunity to vote on implementing the growth vision, and if so, when? Yes. TWP members will have the opportunity to vote on the implementation of the growth vision. The TWP Constitution requires the membership to vote on decisions pertaining to the development of real property or incurring any indebtedness thereon. The Trustees are gathering information necessary for the congregation to make this decision and will present it to the church as soon as possible. 6. Why do we need to add another worship facility location? TWP is experiencing significant growth. Attendance at our worship services has increased 45% in just over four years to an average of 772 attendees per Sunday this year. There are now very few comfortable seating options, significant traffic and parking issues, and at this capacity and rate of growth, new attendees will be reluctant to stay or return to TWP. It’s now time to make a decision on growth. Either we’ll become stagnant, not growing to meet the ever increasing long-term growth needs in Sun City and surrounding areas, or we’ll respond to what we believe is God’s calling to expand beyond our current location to love our neighbors, seek the lost, and be a sanctuary for those in need. 7. Will we remain ONE church under one Board of Trustees? Yes. While we will be The Worship Place under the leadership of one Board of Trustees, we will have two locations. Our Constitution, By-laws, and Statement of Beliefs will be the same for both locations. 8. Will separating the Church in two locations split the Church and be harmful to those in the current congregation? We will not ask anyone to attend a particular facility. We do anticipate that there will be a natural attraction to the new facility by those living nearby. We do not see any harm to the current members, only the benefits of reaching more people with the opportunity to worship in the great environment we have at The Worship Place. See TWP Website for Additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 11 The Worship Place 811 Sun City Boulevard Georgetown, TX 78633 Non Profit Organization Permit No. 417 US Postage Paid Georgetown, TX 78626 Address Correction Requested May 2015 SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:15 AM (Praise & Worship) 9:15 & 11:00 AM (Traditional) Dr. Kelly Barnett, Senior Pastor David Cobb, Associate Pastor Jim Clayman, Minister of Music Office Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday, 512-869-1310 [email protected] www.theworshipplace.org Numbers By The Month April Sunday Attendance Average Sunrise 8:15 a.m. 63 Svc. 172 9:15 a.m. 403 11 a.m. 364 Retirement of the Debt We are working toward the reduction of debt on the Fellowship Hall building. We will keep you informed of our progress through the monthly newsletters. New Members Guests Full members Associate members Non-resident members Total membership Regular Participants -0- Debt March Offerings: General Operating Fund: Benevolence: Building Fund: Memorial Fund: Missions: Other Total $400, 126 4/21/15 $739,199 Balance, 8/31/14 17 22 1,069 57 __ 68 1,194 207 $77,295 19,326 39,721 520 90 0 $136,951 Finance Reports are available upon request from Janie Peak, Church Accountant. 12
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