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 Fat Tuesday Pancake Cook-Off
Everyone is invited as we celebrate our 4th annual Fat Tuesday Pancake Cook-off on Tuesday, February 28, starting at 6:00 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. We'll have pancakes, bacon, King Cakes, and some really hot jazz by the Pizitz Middle School Jazz Band directed by Kim Bain. Sunday School classes and other small groups are invited to enter the pancake cook-off competition with our own clergy judging the entries. This will be fun for your whole family! Tickets are $5 at the door ($20 family max). For questions or more information email Quint Harris ([email protected]). |
#InstaLove - Relationships in the 21st Century
 Interested in reinvigorating your marriage or relationship? Tired of dull conversations and a life too busy to stay connected or concerned about your spouse? Do you wonder where, or if, God is anywhere in your relationship? Explore what a committed relationship looks like in our touchscreen, instant gratification world. Led by VHUMC member Ellery Berryhill, a marriage and family therapist and licensed professional counselor, these Sundays will allow you to reconnect with your partner, learn communication and behavioral patterns that create distance and disinterest, and identify how God can re-center your relationship. Join us on Sunday, February 19 and 26, in the Chapel at 9:45 am.
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 Boomer Spirituality Conference
VHUMC will be hosting our very first Boomer ministries conference on February 25. Join us as Craig Kennet Miller shares insights from his new book: "Boomer Spirituality, Seven Values for the Second Half of Life." We'll discuss how the values and beliefs we hold affect the whole of our lives - relationships, work, goals, faith, and most fundamentally, our self-understanding. We'll explore the values of brokenness, loneliness, rootlessness, and self-seeking which form the spiritual roots of boomers. We'll have breakout sessions in the afternoon and finish the day with a dinner and a dance featuring The Beatlads (a Beatles cover band). The cost for this event is only $25 and you can register at
www.vhumc.org
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 Sunday Evening Worship
Come as you are and join us in the Rutland-Memorial Chapel this Sunday at 5:00 pm for warm fellowship, joyful singing, and a message from Matthew 5:38-48 entitled "Might Makes Right...Right?" from Butch Williams. Also, join us on February 26 when Butch will also preach, and make plans for our Great Sunday Evenings of Lenten Preaching beginning March 5.
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 VHUMC Runners Run Mercedes
Congratulations to our VHUMC Runners for running great races during the Mercedes Marathon Race weekend! We had a total of 22 runners: 15 runners competed in the relay runs, two runners competed in the half marathon, and five runners competed in both! Our relay teams competed in the mixed open division and placed 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th out of 128 relay teams! Our half marathon participants ran strong races and finished in the top percentiles in each of their age groups. The group had a wonderful time training, running and building fellowship together. If you are interested in joining our running group, please contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]) for more details! |
 Ash Wednesday at VHUMC
Through the centuries, Christians have carefully prepared for Easter with spiritual practices and a recommitment to our faith. We call this forty-day season of preparation Lent - a time for growing in our faith through repentance, fellowship, prayer, fasting and giving. It is a time to search our souls by reflecting and taking stock. Some Christians mark the Lenten season by "giving up" a specific food or something they are particularly attached to. Others add a new spiritual discipline or practice to their lives. In whatever way you choose to observe Lent, the season is designed to help followers of Christ understand God's redemptive act through Jesus Christ.
Ash Wednesday (March 1) is the official beginning of Lent. On this day of penitence, ashes are placed on our forehead to represent our mortality. They are placed in the sign of the cross to remind us that as Christians we die in Christ and are saved by His amazing grace. We are providing two opportunities for you to embrace the sacred meaning of this holy day and receive the ashes on your forehead to begin your Lenten journey:
- 7:00-8:00 am - Come and Go Imposition of the Ashes * Rutland Memorial Chapel
- 6:00-7:00 pm - Traditional Ash Wednesday Service * Sanctuary
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Interacting with the Cross Throughout Lent
 Throughout the season of Lent, all of our worship services will look forward to interacting with the cross. We will be focusing each week on the seven last words of Christ from the cross. Each Sunday, we will give you the opportunity to respond to those words by actively answering Jesus as we go. A post-it note will be included in every bulletin to give you the opportunity to write a response to Jesus and leave it on the cross which will be located in the center of each worship space. Our focus for each week will be:
- March 5 - "Father, Forgive Them." We will respond with things for which we need forgiveness.
- March 12 - "Today, You Will Be With Me In Heaven." We will respond with the ways that we can reveal Heaven here on Earth.
- March 19 - "Behold Your Son, Behold Your Mother." We will respond by offering our relationships to God - those that need repairing and those we cherish.
- March 26 - "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?" We will respond by offering those people, places or times in our lives that have left us feeling alone and abandoned.
- April 2 - "I Thirst." We will respond by offering those things that we long for in our lives.
- April 9 - Palm Sunday. As we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we will leave worship with a Palm cross.
Each week after worship your responses will be taken off the cross and lifted up in prayer by our clergy. We look forward to our Lenten journey together and pray that each step we make toward the cross will bring you peace and hope so that our Easter Morning will allow you to celebrate the Risen Lord with great joy! |
 Explosive COA Growth
Our Conservatory of the Arts has grown by leaps and bounds since opening in 2012 with 76 students. Combining a great coordination of teacher selection and screening, room availability, session dates/times, and financial details, our COA staff have seen tremendous parental response. They grew to 135 students in 2014, 173 students in 2015, and 201 students in 2016! In addition to voice lessons, they can find a teacher for almost any musical instrument that a student wants to learn. Lessons are now offered year-round for most any age student. They also offer classes in art, theatre, photography, and musicianship. Musicianship classes range from teaching beginners to read music to advanced music theory for experienced students.
This summer they are adding Kindermusik - a premier music and movement program for children birth to seven years old. Watch the NOTES for more information about this exciting new program! If you would like more information about taking music lessons or joining any of our ongoing classes, please contact Ellen Bryant ([email protected] / 769-0123). |
 Daddy Daughter Dance
Our Daddy Daughter Dance is next Sunday, February 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, in the Lighthouse gym. Registration is available online by clicking the link below. The cost is $12 per person. This is an event for 4k through 5th grade girls and their fathers. If you have any questions contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]).
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Understanding World Religions
This four-week class will study the histories of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and several lesser known religions. Our teacher will be Mr. Ben Osborne, teacher of AP World History at Vestavia Hills High School. In 2010, he was granted a James Madison Fellowship to pursue advanced studies related to American Constitutional government. Mr. Osborne is known for bringing to life the subjects that he teaches, which include the history of the major religions of our world. Join us on Wednesday nights; March 8, 15, 22 and April 5; at 6:00 pm; in room 206. |
 24 Hours That Changed the World
This Lenten Study will focus on the last day of the life of Jesus, following the book and DVD by Adam Hamilton. Leaders will be the pastoral staff, including Dr. Bill Brunson and Dr. Kipp McClurg. Join us on Wednesday nights, at 6:00 pm, from March 8 to April 26 (excluding Spring Break and Holy Week). |
Children's Sunday
Our children will lead us in worship during the 8:30 and 11:00 traditional services on Sunday, February 26. This service is always such a blessing to all who attend. It is amazing to hear God's message from the mouths of His children. We hope you and your families will join us for this special day! |
New Online Bible Study
 This app-based study helps you read in any spare time you have, (carpool, waiting rooms, etc.). Then on Sundays at 9:45 in room 105, you'll hear and share insights with the group from your readings. Join Shannon Raley and Scott McEwen as they guide us through the plan "Bible In One Year 2017." Throughout the year, we'll pray for this study to give us 'wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere' - just as God intended us to have!
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 Give the Gift of Life
Be part of a lifesaving journey by donating blood! VHUMC and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers are hosting a blood drive on Sunday, March 19, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]). We look forward to seeing you there! |
Save the Date for Stop Hunger Now
 Mark your calendars for April 23-25 when VHUMC will again host a Rise Against Hunger (formerly known as Stop Hunger Now) communitywide meal packing event. The name has changed, but the mission remains the same. We will work together to provide life-sustaining food for hungry children around the world. Our goal this year is to pack 300,000 meals, but that will require raising $90,000 and 5,200 hours of volunteer service. Your Lenten offering and personal commitment to serve will support these efforts. Please be in prayer about how God can use you to make a difference. |
 Come Learn About VHUMC
Please join us in the chapel on Sunday, March 5, at 9:45 am as we discuss who and why we are here. We want to share the VHUMC mission of helping everyone live a Christ-centered life of purpose and to spread the knowledge of what we're doing to make disciples through our programs and services throughout our community and the world. |
Join in Welcoming New Members
Please join us in welcoming a new family into our VHUMC community: Aaron and Lacy Waters, and their children, Lillian, Bishop, and Ace. We are so much better as a community of faith because of these new faces in our midst! |
New Service Available on Podcast
We are excited to announce that the Sunday Evening Worship service is now available on the church podcast each week. Tune in to this past Sunday's sermon "Man in the Mirror" led by Mickey Morgan.
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 February's Memory Verse
Our 1st-5th graders' February Memory Verse is: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself" Luke 10:27. 1st - 5th graders can recite their verse in the elementary office or the sensory room before or after Sunday School. After they successfully recite their verse they will receive a sweet treat, and their name will be put in a basket to have a chance to win a bike at the end of the school year! When they learn this month's verse they can work on the Apostle's Creed or books of the Old and/or New Testament. If they learn any of these they get to put their name in the basket 5 times! |
 Veterans Care Kits
The Armed Services Ministry Committee of VHUMC is pleased to announce that it is coordinating the creation and distribution of Veterans Care Kits. These kits will contain basic items that will greatly help our Birmingham homeless and needy veterans. We are asking for item donations to help us fill these kits. Drop-off locations will be clearly marked throughout the church building. It is our goal to create 100 of these kits. If you would prefer to make a monetary donation for the committee to purchase items, please make your check payable to VHUMC and indicate "Veterans' Care Kits" on the memo line. Donations of items and your checks will be received through March 1. Items needed for the kits include:
- Travel-sized toiletries available for purchase in many drug stores, dollar stores, etc., or that you may already have on hand from your own travels (e.g. shampoo, soap, deodorant, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm/chap stick)
- First aid items (e.g., band aids, bandages/gauze, first aid ointment).
For more information, please contact Jarry Taylor (613-3875) or Butch Williams ([email protected] / 769-0102). |
 ASP Registration Now Open
Summer is approaching and we are excited to serve another year with our long-term ministry partners, Appalachia Service Project. This is an amazing experience for High School Students to travel to a poverty-stricken area of Appalachia and spend the week making homes warmer, safer, and drier for families who need a helping hand. This year's trip will be July 15-22. In order for you to go this summer, you must return all required forms to the Student Ministries Office with a copy of the front and back of your insurance card and a $200 non-refundable deposit. All forms and a paperwork check-list are on the VHUMC website or by clicking the link below. All paperwork and the deposit must be turned in by March 1 to reserve a spot. The remaining balance will be due at the parent meeting, Sunday, May 7, at 9:45 am, in Tyson Hall. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jeremy Robuck ([email protected]). We are looking forward to another year of serving with our High School Students!
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Sunday Morning Optional Class
Next Sunday, February 26 Craig Kennet Miller will share Biblical insights on the importance of developing the spiritual life, and share a spiritual life template that he has developed. Craig is the Director of Congregational Development at Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church. Join us at 9:45 am in Tyson Hall.
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Golf Cart Ministry
VHUMC has a golf cart transportation team taking congregants to and from their cars on Sunday mornings. This is an extension of our hospitality team, so if you want a ride, please flag down one of our drivers before any of the Sunday morning services. For more information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected]). It is our honor to transport and assist anyone who wants help!
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Wednesday Night Dinner Servers
We are looking for Wednesday night dinner servers. The commitment would be for the fourth Wednesday night of each month. We serve January through the middle of May and the middle of August through the second week in December. If you are interested, please contact Melinda Burnett ([email protected] / 769-0115).
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 Youth Silent Auction Donations
The New Life Singers will hold a silent auction in conjunction with the upcoming youth department dinner theatre on March 12. We are now collecting donated items to be sold silently at this event. If you have an item you would like to donate please drop it off in the main office of the church. Examples of items to donate would be signed sports memorabilia, electronic items, gift certificates, quality art, Sunday School baskets, etc. If you have any questions please contact Susan Sturdivant ([email protected]).
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Steeple 2 Steeple 10K, 5K, and Fun Run
 Support the United Methodist Children's Home by lacing up your running shoes and participating in the Steeple 2 Steeple race on Saturday, April 22. The race takes place in Homewood and Mountain Brook and is run between Trinity United Methodist and Canterbury United Methodist. Run or walk the 10K, 5K, or Fun Run course and represent VHUMC! Grab a few friends and compete in the 5K team competition. For more information about the race or the team competition contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]). We look forward to seeing you there!
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 Elementary Bible Study
We invite all 1st - 5th graders to join us on Wednesday nights from 6-7 in rooms 219/221 for Bible Pathfinders. Using music, crafts, hand motions, skits, games and lessons we are learning the books of the Bible. We would love for your child to join us on this adventure! Contact Jamie Meeks ([email protected]) for more information. |
 Stay in Shape with Every Girl Fitness
Feel great and stay in shape with Every Girl Fitness! Join us on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6-7 pm as we get fit or stay in shape. The next session of classes begins on Wednesday, February 22. The cost is $81/person for the eight-week session. Want to train for free? Bring two friends and when they sign up your session is free! To sign up click the link below. Have additional questions? Contact Megan Drumm ([email protected]). We look forward to seeing you there for fitness, fun, and fellowship!
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Men's Hiking Group September Trip
 The VHUMC Men's Hiking Group will be heading to Rocky Mountain National Park September 9-16 to hike through a wide variety of wildlife within various climates and environments from wooded forests to alpine lakes and mountain tundra. The plan is to stay in a local motel at night and take a hike each day. As the days go by the hikes will become more ambitious. Features along the hikes will include lakes, waterfalls, and mountain summits. For those interested in backpacking and overnight camping, part of the group may go out for a two-day wilderness trek. Estimated expenses including airfare, motel, car or van rental, food, and miscellaneous items is $1,500. To register please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). |
Ongoing Outreach
Trips for Kids Bike Donations
Our 2nd bike drive at VHUMC benefiting Trips for Kids was another success. Over 20 bikes were collected here to fill the recyclery for the Trips for Kids program. If you would like to know more about how to get involved with Trips for Kids, please contact Rachael Hayes or Megan Drumm. Thank you again, VHUMC, for your continued generosity and support.
Emergency Response Teams Needed
We are ready to send ERT teams to the Hattiesburg and Petal, Mississippi areas impacted by recent tornados. ERTs should be self-sustainable. Teams will be housed at the R3SM building located at 301 Buschman Street in Hattiesburg. Available ERTs that are interested should contact our VHUMC representative, Ginny Slay ( [email protected]).
Please pray for those who suffered loss and/or damage due to the recent severe weather.
UMCOR Kits Needed
UMCOR has been able to replenish their inventory of disaster relief supplies and place themselves in a better position to respond to disasters. Although the inventory has increased, they are still in need of health and bedding kits. As you are aware, crisis can occur anywhere, at any time, just as with the recent tornadoes that hit Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Let's help to keep them prepared as best we can to answer the call should our brothers and sisters need us. Click on the link below to see what all a kit contains. If you and your Sunday School class are able to assist with this request, please contact Rachael Hayes ( [email protected]).
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Wednesday Night Menu
- Feb 22 - Salad, Swedish Meatballs OR Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots, Roll, Cupcake
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Mar 1 - Salad, Beef Tips OR Shrimp Creole, Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Bread, Ice Cream
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Mar 8 - Salad, Orecchiette w/ Bolognese Sauce OR Chicken Alfredo, Sautéed Veggies, Cobbler
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Worship & Music Focus
8:30 am Traditional Service
2 Timothy 4:1-7
"The Compassionate and Persistent Decisions"
Bill Brunson
9:45 am Service of Word and Table
Matthew 5:35-48
"Forgive Them?!"
Butch Williams
11:00 am Traditional Service
2 Timothy 4:1-7
"The Compassionate and Persistent Decisions"
Bill Brunson
11:00 am Contemporary Service
Genesis 45:1-8
"The Choice of Forgiveness"
Kipp McClurg
5:00 pm Sunday Evening Worship
Matthew 5:38-48
"Might Makes Right...Right?"
Butch Williams
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Our Time and Resources
Donations this past week
December YTD Summary
Donations
Other Income
Auxilary Ministries Net*
Total Income
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Actual
$57,537
$3,663,516
$189,072
($31,180)
$3,821,408
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Targeted
-$
6,437
-$229,484
-$13,877
-$81,256
-$324,617
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(+) Better or (-) worse for the church than our target
* Includes COA, Summer Days, VDS, and Vestavia Dance
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Care and Support
Congratulations, hospitalizations, and sympathies |
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Prayer Requests
Careline: 205-822-9336
Weekend or After-Hour Health Emergencies: 205-914-3121
Please be in prayer for the following persons:
Pat Bendall
Jim Bendall
Faith Bener
Ginger Peete Bramlett
Margean Brasher
Lynn Brasher
Jami DeMarco
Chris Dibble
David Dixon
Adam Draney
Julie Duffe
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Tim Eddins
Margaret Flowers
Kendra Haddock
Fay Harbin
Fred Hatfield
Pug Kaufman
Sam McDavid
Tricia McKinnon
Gary Merrell
Mary Morgan
Paul Noto
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Patsy Orso
Norma Owen
Mary Owens
Norman Ponder
Guice Potter, III
Jim Sanders
Claude Small
Tom Webb
Eva Wilson
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Requested prayers for service members in combat areas:
- 1st Lt. Spencer Carroll, US Army, (Kuwait)
- Darkhorse Unit, USMC, (Afghanistan)
In an effort to keep the prayer request list current, names will be listed for two weeks unless we are otherwise notified. VHUMC will not publish the names and/or concerns of persons known to be minors (18 years of age or younger) without the permission of said minor's legal guardian. Thank you.
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