The Notes - January 18, 2018

Volume 48

Issue 3

January 18, 2018

Church-Wide Assembly
Plan to join us on Sunday, January 21, at 9:45 am to hear details about our renovations and our plans as a church for 2018.

Soup and Stories is Coming
Join us for lunch with Dolores Hydock on Sunday, January 28, at 1:00 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. $15.00 includes Charlie's yummy soup and Dolores' wonderful stories. Please also bring cans of soup for our food pantry. Please make your reservations with Barbara Porter ([email protected]) or get tickets in the church office. The last day to purchase tickets is Monday, January 22.

Serve at VHUMC
In 2016, we clarified our purpose as "VHUMC exists so each person can experience a Christ-centered life of purpose." Yet individually our struggle remains how we identify our own unique purposes in life. We invite you to embark on this journey of service as a community of faith, learning and growing through our loving and prayer-filled service.

Visit the VHUMC Facebook page to hear from other members why they serve in various areas. Fill out the form found in your pews, in the church office or online. Please join us on this journey as we prayerfully seek our individual and collective purposes in our world. For more information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

3rd Annual Choral Iron Bowl
We are pleased to announce that The University Singers from the University of Alabama and the Auburn University Chamber Singers will once again face off in the great choral grid iron classic. You won't want to miss this! Last year's performance was fantastic and talked about well beyond the event. Come see who wins. The choirs will square off on Tuesday, January 30, at 6:30 pm, in the main sanctuary. Make sure to wear your team colors!

This year we also will be joined by the Mountain Brook High School Chamber Choir and the Unless U Choir. Money will be raised in support of Unless U and the VHUMC Music Ministry. The winning side will be whoever raises the most money for our cause.

For more information on this event, please visit www.vhumc.org. We look forward to seeing you here cheering on your side. Roll Tide and War Eagle!

Sunday Evening Worship
Come as you are and join us for warm fellowship, joyful singing, and a message entitled "Someone To Watch Over Me" preached by Rev. Bill Bostick at 5:00 pm in the Rutland-Memorial Chapel. Also, mark your calendars for an evening of music by Jim Frazier and Friends on January 28.

Give the Gift of Life
A small gift can move mountains! The gift of a blood donation can save three lives. Give this gift to others on Sunday, January 21, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Due to construction in Tyson Hall, the blood drive will take place in the LifeSouth Blood Mobile which will be located in the main church parking lot. You can schedule an appointment by following the link below or simply show up. Contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]) for more information or with questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Masquerade Missions Fundraiser
We are excited to kick off our annual Student Ministries fundraiser on Friday, February 9! We will be off-site at Park Crest from 7-10 pm. There will be live music by Month of Sundays, hors d'oeuvres and desserts, and a live and silent auction. You will want to be there! Tickets are $50 per person and are available by clicking the link below! Please spread the word so we can make this an impactful event for our Student Ministries missions fund! For more information or to help by serving on the committee, please contact Emily Boles ([email protected]).

Middle School Lock Out
It's that time again! We want to invite all middle school students to join us on Friday, January 26 as we get locked out and visit a few fun places around Birmingham! Eat before you arrive and bring money for concessions. The event is from 6:00 pm - 12:00 am. The cost is $35 and you can register online. See you there!

Thank You for Sharing a Bear
Thank you, preschool and elementary children, for bringing over 100 teddy bears for children at Children's Harbor, Safe House, and Pathways. These teddy bears were given not only to children suffering from illness but to children that are seeking safety in shelters with their families. Because of your generous giving spirit, these children received the blessing of God's abundant love!

Boomer Bible Study
In the fall of 1960, America was introduced to the town of Mayberry and in many ways, we've never left. When reflecting on The Andy Griffith Show most people say that the show represented a time to which they would like to return. However, even a casual look back at the decade in which the series originated reveals a very turbulent time in the history of our country. We will be watching one episode per week and looking at how it relates to the Bible and what lessons we can learn. The class will meet every Thursday at 6:30 pm, in room 322, from January 24 through February 8. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). Join us as we find our way back to Mayberry!

Craving a Healthy Lifestyle Change
A new year is upon us and with the beginning of the new year comes the desire to correct unhealthy habits and refocus on a healthy lifestyle. Join the Health, Wellness, and Recreation Ministry for a 7-week bible study that will help lead you closer to God and your weight loss goals. Together we will learn about craving God vs. food in Lysa Terkeurst's "Made to Crave." The study will run each Wednesday from January 24 through the end of February. Please contact Megan Drumm ([email protected] / 769-0139) for more information.

Dragons, Beasts, and Lambs, Oh My

The last book of the Bible is known for its frightening, other-worldly images that often scare people away from its study. "Dragons, Beasts, and Lambs, Oh My!! - What the Book of the Revelation Says About God" will avoid the "end-time" speculative approach, but thrive on the incredible truths in the Revelation: hope against all odds, the prevail of God's Kingdom, the meaning of history, the nature of evil, the fragrant role of prayer, numbers as symbols, and Old Testament images in a new setting. Many of the vibrant images of the book also have a deeper meaning which adds a richness to its study.

Join us for this four-week study, by Rev. Kipp McClurg, starting January 24, on Wednesday evenings, at 6:00 pm.

Mother and Son Dinner
Come be a part of our Mother and Son Dinner on Thursday, February 8, at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $15 per person. This is an event for 5k through 5th grade boys and their mothers. If you have any questions, contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]). The deadline to register is February 1.

Upward Soccer Registration
Upward Soccer is open! The season begins with practices the week of February 26 and games begin Saturday, March 10. Games and practices will take place at Southminster Presbyterian Church. Children in grades K5-4th grade are invited to join in the fun! Registration is $105 through February 13, and $115 after February 13 if space is available. You can register at The Lighthouse or online by clicking the link below. Contact the Miles Erbe (769-0134 / [email protected]) with questions or for additional information.

Mission Trip to Tanzania
In the summer of 2018, VHUMC will partner with Trinity UMC to visit our missionary friends in Tanzania. Last summer we had the privilege of hearing Eric and Liz Soard speak about their efforts and the ways that God has called them to be missionaries in Africa. We will be offering a new mission trip to Tanzania in 2018 to see their work first hand and to work with them in the Geita district. If you are interested in hearing more about this trip, led by Paulette West, please mark your calendars and join us at VHUMC, on Sunday, January 21, at 4:00 pm, in the Small Dining Room, for an introductory meeting.

We Are All Kids at Heart
Even as adults we would love to play on an age-appropriate playground. We have two great playgrounds at VHUMC, but the structures and motion rides are often damaged by older children who are too big for the equipment. Parents, please help us by keeping your children off of the small playground if they are over three years old and off the larger playground if they are over 4th grade. And please, never leave your children playing without adult supervision.

January 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! January's memory verse is: If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; everything has become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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.

Designated Giving Policy
Because of our Designated Funds, we publish the following statement twice a year and print it on your donation statements to comply with IRS guidelines:

VHUMC welcomes designated donations for pre-approved items such as benevolence, building, missions, and mission trips. In approving such causes, VHUMC is committed to using the collected funds for the intended cause. In the unusual event of the closure of a designated fund or project for which donations have been accepted, any remaining funds may be transferred to the General Fund or used for a similar purpose. Checks should be made payable to VHUMC, with the suggested designation listed on the memo line or on attached correspondence. Thank you for giving to VHUMC.

Let's Be Good Neighbors
It is exciting to see our parking lots fill up on Sunday mornings and people parking on the streets to attend our worship and Sunday School meetings. If you find it necessary to park on the street, please be careful not to park on our neighbors' grass. We appreciate their patience with all the cars and do not want to damage their yards in the process.

A Women's Evening of Fun
Don't miss an evening of love, laughter, and inspiration with Rachel Macy Stafford on Friday, February 2, at 6:30 pm, at Trinity UMC Sanctuary. The New York Times best-selling author will share her message of overcoming distraction and perfection to embrace a more purposeful life. She is the author of Hands Free Mama, Hands Free Life, and Only Love Today. Read more about her at handsfreemama.com. Tickets are $25 and you can register online or in the church office. Proceeds from this event will benefit The Bell Center, Overflow Foundation, Firehouse Shelter, Community Furniture Bank, United Methodist Children's Home, and Family Promise.

Ongoing Outreach

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry needs peanut butter, jelly, and spaghetti sauce as well as sandwich size and quart size Ziploc bags for our Panera snacks. We need a volunteer to help to pick up bread at Panera on Monday Night. Contact Barbara Porter if you can help ([email protected] / 444-9793). Thank you for your continued support of our pantry.

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs kitchen items and linens. No Christmas decorations, toys, or summer clothing please. Blankets and coats are needed, as well as hats and gloves. Clothing can also be taken to the new Salvation Army women's shelter in the old Lewis School downtown to be distributed to those in need.

Wednesday Night Menu

January 24 - Biscuit OR Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Smoked Sausage OR Bacon, Cheese Grits, Orange Slices. Kids: Pizza
January 31 - Salad, Meat Loaf OR Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, English Peas, Biscuit, Cake. Kids: Chicken Nuggets, Mac & Cheese