The Notes - March 8, 2018

Volume 48

Issue 10

March 8, 2018

Hiking to the Cross
Join the VHUMC clergy at McCallum Park (on Rosemary Lane) on Saturday, March 17, at 9:00 am as we take a leisurely hike together. We will stop periodically to remember each of the 14 stations of the cross (the events that happened to Jesus from the Last Supper until his Resurrection on Easter Sunday). Invite your friends as we enjoy a beautiful spring morning. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).

Freedom from Addiction Breakfast
Please join the Mayors of Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Homewood, and Mountain Brook on Tuesday, March 13, from 8:00-9:00 am, for a free breakfast in the VHUMC Fellowship Hall. We will hear from guest speakers who share their stories and discuss how to collectively address this growing opioid and addiction problem.

Sunday Evening Worship Lenten Preaching

We are excited to have Bill Bostick preaching this Sunday in Lenten worship at 5:00 pm in the Rutland-Memorial Chapel. Come join us as we sing the wonderful old hymns of the church and share together!

March 18 - Sherry Harris
March 25 - Bill Brunson

Easter Egg Hunt
Neighbors and friends, mark your calendars to come join us for the VHUMC Easter Egg Hunt! We will gather Saturday, March 31, at 10:00 am, in the Lighthouse gym. All toddlers thru 3rd grade are invited to bring a basket and camera to take pictures with the Easter Bunny and, of course, have fun with each other as we hunt eggs together!

Walk the Via Dolorosa at VHUMC

Join us in the Lighthouse for prayer and reflection, as you walk seven laps around the Lighthouse Track, approximately the same distance our Lord walked to Golgotha. You will be provided a booklet with scripture, reflection questions, and prayer to help guide you through each lap on this spiritual journey. The prayer walk will be available during regular Lighthouse hours. Key cards to access the track can be obtained from the 1st floor Lighthouse desk. Prayer booklets will be located on the track and at the front desk. For more information, contact Megan Drumm ([email protected] / 769-0139).

Thinking About Joining VHUMC

Please join Dr. Bill Brunson in the chapel this Sunday, March 11, at 9:45 am, to hear the history of VHUMC and what it means to join this vibrant community of faith. Contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136) for more information.

Emmaus Spotlight
Five VHUMC members (Jeanne Walls, Leslie Echols, Cindy Robicheaux, Marsha Yarbrough and Karen Webb) recently attended Alabama Emmaus Walk #473 at Camp Sumatanga. Jeanne was sponsored by Suzanne Trammell and Ruth Grissom. Leslie, Cindy, Marsha and Karen were sponsored by Kay Davis. Congratulations to all and welcome to the VHUMC Emmaus Community!

Sunday School Opportunity
Easter morning, Sunday, April 1, Nancy Hornsby will be presenting a beautiful time of song and scripture in the chapel from 10:00 to 10:40. All Sunday School classes as well as all others are invited to join us. Nancy will offer a lesson in song celebrating the joy and new life we experience during the Eastertide. Easter is a time of new beginnings; and so many of the songs will emphasize the assurance we have that Christ is ever with us as we continue to be transformed by Christ's love and presence.

Rise Against Hunger

The next time you head to the pantry for a chocolate chip cookie, think about the children in Haiti. In a country where malnutrition is the leading cause of death among children, girls and boys are eating mud cookies to stave off hunger pains. The cookies are a mixture of dirt, salt and oil or vegetable shortening and are baked on tarps by the hot sun.

We have the power to change that. Join us April 15-17 as we work together to package 300,000 meals during our Rise Against Hunger event. Each meal costs $0.29 and is a mixture of rice, barley and soy enriched with 23 vitamins and minerals. Our Lenten offering will support our efforts. Please give as generously as you can, using the Rise Against Hunger envelopes in the pews. Visit the link below to volunteer for a shift and let's work together to end hunger in our lifetime.

Prep Work for Rise Against Hunger
Want to get started to help with Rise Against Hunger? All of the bags that the meals are packed in have to be labeled. If you or your small group would be interested in helping to put labels on the meal bags, visit the chapel narthex to receive your 500 bags, labels, and instructions. Be sure to remember to sign the bags out and sign the bags back in when you return them. This will help us keep account of all the bags that are out. Thanks to Nancy Dunavant and her team for preparing the bags for us to get ready.

The Power of Forgiving
"The Power of Forgiving to Heal Everything That's Wrong and Wounded" is the title of Joe Elmore's new book. Topics include seventy times seven, true life, advances of love, and love is who we are. Copies are available in the front office, and from Margaret Flowers. A contribution to VHUMC's Grace Fund (serving the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned) is requested.

Fidget Mats
We are excited about a new ministry to supply fidget mats to Alzheimer's/Dementia patients. These are wonderful activity mats crafted from stimulating items (pockets, loops, textured fabrics, etc.) that are used by these patients for comfort and enjoyment! But we need your help to make this ministry possible! We need faded/used dishtowels and placemats. You can drop them off in any of the Food Pantry/Oak Mountain Mission containers.

If you, or your group, would like to help make these please contact either Peggy Patton ([email protected] / 335-5097) or Butch Williams ([email protected] / 769-0102).

March Madness 2018
VHUMC Men's Ministry will host our annual NCAA Guys Night Out on Friday, March 16, at 6:00 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. We will watch basketball on the big screens and enjoy all you can eat Pizza, hot wings, chips and salsa. The cost is $10. Please make your reservation by contacting Jim Frazier (769-0126 / [email protected]).

6th/7th Grade Mission Trip
Registration for our 6th and 7th Grade Mission Trip is open! We will be headed to the Upper Sand Mountain Parrish, in Sylvania, Alabama, on June 4-5 to serve families in need through various projects. The cost is $100. To register, click on the link below. There are a limited number of slots for this trip so register your student as soon as possible to guarantee a spot! Deadline for registration is April 10. If you are interested in chaperoning this event, please contact Jeremiah Stone ([email protected]).

March Memory Verse
Our 1st - 5th graders learn a different verse each month, and have the opportunity to recite the verse before or after Sunday School in the elementary office for a sweet treat! March's memory verse is: The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. -Galatians 5:22-23

At the end of the school year we will give a grand prize to one boy and one girl. We hope that these verses help to guide them throughout their lives.

Vacation Bible Camp
Calling all campers! Vacation Bible Camp is coming up on June 11-15 and this year our theme is Rolling River Rampage. We will be experiencing the ride of a lifetime with God! Children grade 4k (by September 1st) through 5th grade are invited to register for this fun filled week filled with music, exciting science, creative crafts, fun recreation, and memorable Bible stories. Join us as we discover that God is always with them as they ride the rapids of amazing grace!

We are also looking for leaders in our groups, crafts, snacks and other areas. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jamie Meeks ([email protected]) or Anne Strozier ([email protected]).

General Ministry Pledges
Every year, many people graciously support the church through a recurring payment. Often times these payments are made through bank draft or charged to a credit card. If you have previously preferred this method of financial support of VHUMC and would like to continue to do so, please contact John Sweeney ([email protected]) to confirm the continuation of your giving. We want to be sure our records accurately reflect your generosity.

Not Too Late to Pledge
As renovations begin to Tyson Hall, our HVAC, and the Sanctuary, it is not too late to make a pledge toward our NEXT campaign. We have currently raised close to $4.5 million in pledges and gifts. The building committee is working towards finalizing the scope of work we are able to accomplish with the amount of money pledged and gifted. If you would like to make a pledge toward this campaign, please contact John Sweeney ([email protected]). To make your pledge today simply click the link below.

Scientology: Fact or Science Fiction

Join Dr. Bill Brunson and Dr. Kipp McClurg as they lead a fascinating four-week study on Scientology. With the success of the Leah Remini series on TV, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. We will meet in room 206, at 6:00 pm, on March 14 and 21 and then again on April 4 and 11.

Tanzania Mission Trip Rescheduled
Our Tanzania mission trip with Trinity UMC has been rescheduled for 2019. If you are interested in this trip, we want you to help us plan and answer some key questions. On Sunday, March 11, at 4:00 pm, at VHUMC, in the small dining room, with other members from VHUMC and Trinity UMC, we will be discussing some key questions like, "What time of year is best? How many days to serve? What type of service should our team provide? What are ways we can continue to support our missionaries in Tanzania, Eric and Liz Soard?" We hope you will join us and help us plan for this exciting trip.

Grand Camps at Sumatanga
Jim Frazier will be leading two Grand Camps at Sumatanga this Summer. The dates are July 8-10 and July 11-13. This is a great opportunity for grandparents to spend quality time with their grandchildren. For more information, please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). Space is limited. To register please click on the link below.

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Explore, learn, and practice various styles of prayer as we gather with others across the UMC Conference on this day for Prayerful Living in a Broken World. Participate on Saturday, March 10, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at Clearbranch UMC with two prayer workshops or a self-guided prayer activity to deepen your prayer life. Please click the link to register online.

Growing Pains: Renovating for Our Future

New walls went up in Tyson Hall this week and our HVAC pipe replacements broke through to the second floor! Work has started in Room 206, the men's restroom next door, and the Small Dining Room. The fully insulated hot and cold water pipes are as big as 8" in diameter. It is a challenge getting them snaked through our building properly. We are making sure every thing is secured well but use a little caution in rooms where we have removed the ceiling tiles.

The Contemporary Service will continue worshiping in the Fellowship Hall or the Gym until Tyson Hall renovations are complete. The Sanctuary Services will also be moving to the Fellowship Hall or the Gym in May or June.

Ongoing Outreach

It's Time for Bunny Aid

VHUMC will once again team up with Peter Cottontail and his friends at Hands on Birmingham to collect goodies and Easter Baskets for community organizations around Birmingham. Bunny Aid is a project where Hands on Birmingham partners with community organizations to make Easter morning extra special for children. We will be collecting pre-made baskets at VHUMC from March 8-March 19. If you would rather make a financial contribution for the baskets, please make check to VHUMC earmarked Bunny Aid in the memo line. Financial donations will be accepted until Friday, March 23. Thank you for your continued efforts to make one child's Easter morning extra bright and special.

Food Pantry

Food pantry would love to have fresh items: apples, oranges, potatoes, carrots, etc. Our families appreciate those since we have no farmers market until spring. As always, we need spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and jelly.

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission thanks all the Whale of a Sale vendors who donated so much children's clothing last week! Our families are very grateful. We currently need full-size toiletry items (shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes). Please place them in the wooden bins around the church. We are also very low on furniture (sofas, chairs, table & chairs, chests, and end tables). Please call Brenda at 685-5757 for furniture pick-up. Thank you!

Wednesday Night Menu

March 14 - Salad, chili OR gumbo, baked potato, trifle. Kids: pizza
March 21 - Salad, swedish meatballs OR baked chicken, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, roll, assorted desserts. Kids: chicken nuggets, mac & cheese
March 28 - Salad, baked ham OR fried flounder, rice pilaf, sautéed veggies, bread, ice cream. Kids: pizza