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 Confirmation Service
Over the past several months, our 6th graders have been going through Confirmation, learning what it means to be a follower of Christ, and being a part of a community of believers. It has been a great semester as our Confirmands have laughed, asked questions, and learned a lot.
As the Confirmation semester comes to a close we would like to invite you to join us on Sunday, April 9, at 5:00 pm, in the sanctuary. We are excited to welcome Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, who will bring our message. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the call God has placed on the lives of these 63 Confirmands and continue to surround them with love and support as a church family! |
Vestavia Dance Performance Company
 We just finished our competition season on a high note! At our final competition, we took home one gold award, six high gold awards, and four lightning gold awards - three of which one first place in their division. Our junior team won first place across their entire age category. Proud is an understatement!
We are already planning to grow our competition team by 20 members next season, and there is still time to sign up. We will showcase all of our pieces from this season on Thursday, May 4, at 7:00 pm, in the Lighthouse gym. Come out and see what we are about! |
Congratulations to Rev. Tyler Hopkins
 Tyler Hopkins recently went before the North Alabama Conference's Board of Ordained Ministry. In his interviews he was examined on his understanding of Theology and Doctrine, his Practice of Ministry, and his Called and Disciplined Life. We rejoice in reporting that Tyler passed his interviews and will be Ordained an Elder of The United Methodist Church on June 5!
Now that Tyler has passed the Ordination requirements he is able to move forward in answering his call to serve God as an Active Duty Military Chaplain. He will not learn of the location of his assignment until the first week of June, so please be in prayer for he and Ashley as they prepare for this next wonderful step in their journey. |
 Easter Flowers
In celebration of Easter, the Flower and Altar Guilds will be adorning the worship services with both fresh cut and potted flowers. You can participate by donating flowers in memory or honor of a loved one for $20. There will be a few potted plants available to be picked up after the 11:00 am services. The Gardening Committee will place any unclaimed potted plants in the church gardens as a living tribute. If you wish to donate flowers in memory of or in honor of a loved one, you must contact Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112) or Gail Ashe ([email protected] / 769-0109) before Monday, April 10, at 11:00 am. Order forms will also be available in binders in the church office. |
 Change the Life of a Hungry Child
In the time it takes you to read this sentence, about 16 people will die of hunger. The majority will be children. It's a heartbreaking statistic, but it's one that each of us has the power to change. Join us in our efforts to pack 300,000 life-saving meals during our Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now) event April 23-25. The food will be sent to orphanages and schools in developing countries and could mean the difference between life and death for so many. Our Lenten offering will be used to support this worthy mission project, so please give as generously and as early as you can. Donations will be accepted through Easter and beyond, but we must commit to the number of meals we can provide by April 10. Volunteer to work a shift by clicking the link below or visiting www.vhumc.org.
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Easy Fundraising for Rise Against Hunger
 Many of our local merchants are willing to contribute 3-15% of your purchases to help us pay for the food we pack at Rise Against Hunger. It's easy: Download the free app from Planet Fundraiser, select the group you would like to join (VHUMC-Community Wide event Rise Against Hunger) and get a list of participating merchants. Save your receipt(s) from one of those merchants and follow directions on the app to capture a picture of the receipt. A portion of your purchase will be donated back to our Rise Against Hunger event. Remember that one meal is only $.29, so any amount of donation we receive will help to feed a child. Much thanks to Diane Sausen for discovering this great fundraiser for us! If you should have any questions, email Rachael Hayes ([email protected]).
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 Sunday Evening Worship
As we continue our Sunday Evenings of Great Lenten Preaching, we welcome Dedric Cowser this week who will preach and share his great musical talents with us. Come worship with us as we sing old hymns and share warm fellowship in the Chapel, starting at 5:00 pm.
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 Easter Egg Hunt
Neighbors and friends, come join us for the VHUMC Easter Egg Hunt! We will gather on Saturday, April 8, at 10:00 am, in Tyson Hall. All toddlers thru 2nd 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! |
 Calling All Knitters
Our Prayer Shawl Ministry is in need of those with knitting skills who want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need of our care and support. If you would like to join this wonderful ministry or find out more about it, please contact Harriette Woodring ([email protected] / 706-2943). |
 Forty Days-Forty Items
During this time of Lent, how would you like to unburden your life so that you can concentrate on what God has planned for you this Lenten season? One way to do that is to de-clutter your life and get rid of the "stuff" that is constantly weighing you down. Our challenge to you this spring is forty items or more during Lent to clean out and donate to someone in need.
On Saturday, April 8, VHUMC will once again host the Clean Out Challenge in the large parking lot from 9:00 am to noon. Our first clean out challenge in October was very successful, and many of you have requested that we do it again. We will have the following vendors to collect your stuff: Shred It, ATR Recycling, Oak Mountain Missions and Salvation Army. We will also have an area for you to donate luggage to our mission partner, Family Promise. Bellhops will help you unload your car so all you have to do is just pull up and donate! In the upcoming weeks, we will give you some suggestions of items to donate to help some of our mission partners. Any goods not used by our mission partners will be sold in the upcoming New Life Singers rummage sale.
Forty days, forty items - are you willing to accept the challenge? For questions and information about this challenge contact Rachael Hayes ([email protected]). |
Rockin' Rummage Sale
Plan to support our New Life Singers Youth Choir by checking out our "Rockin' Rummage Sale" happening on Saturday, April 29, from 7:00 am to noon in the church parking lot. For more details or questions contact Quint Harris ([email protected]). |
 Habitat for Humanity Dedication
Thank you to all the volunteers who worked on the Habitat for Humanity house that was dedicated on Sunday, March 19. Many volunteer hours were put into this house by the VHHS Habitat Club and VHUMC volunteers. The house was finished in record time and a wonderful family will move in this week. What a great partnership between VHHS Habitat Club and VHUMC. We look forward to partnering again in the future to build more homes. |
5-Minute Missions to Pack Veteran's Kits
 Please join us on Sunday, April 9, at 9:30 am, for a 5 Minute Missions to pack Veteran's Kits during the coffee hour in the Fellowship Hall. We will pack all the kits that were collected over the last month to be sent to Veterans. Five minutes of your time will help many, so please join us. For more information, please contact Steve Williams ([email protected] / 334-596-0484). |
Join Our Usher Team
I feel very strongly as a Christian that we are each given a gift from God to do God's work and to give back that gift in any way we can. Being an usher has given me the opportunity to use my gift of "charisma" in God's worship services over the last 30 years. I see my role as the "doorkeeper in the house of the Lord." I have ushered in three different Methodist churches over the years, and take great pleasure in greeting the membership of the church and the new people who are coming to see who we are. We try our best to help prepare the way for God and the fellowship of other believers to change the lives of those who attend our services. As an usher, we are sometimes the first people that visitors meet and in some cases the last people they talk with as they go on their way. A bright smile, a firm hand shake, and a hardy good morning can go a long way in how an individual or family sees our church. If you would like to become a part of one of the Sunday morning worship services, I invite you to join us in ministry as an usher. All men and women are welcome to join! -Dan Peace (Co-Head Usher - 11:00 am Traditional Service)
If you would like to join this incredible team or learn more then please contact Ruth Grissom ([email protected]). |
 Come Join Us
If you have been visiting for a while and either have questions about joining or are ready to make this your church home, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected]) to talk about ways to join. We will be hosting an informal joining service on Sunday, April 2, at 12:15, in the chapel and we would love to have you join our family at that time. |
 Men's Basketball League
VHUMC's Health, Wellness, and Recreation ministry is excited to offer our Men's Basketball League this spring. Games will begin on Monday, April 3 and run through Monday, May 22. The season will include 6 games and an end-of-season tournament. Games will begin at 6:00 pm each Monday. The cost per team is $400. Contact Megan Drumm ([email protected] / 769-0139), to register your team. |
 March Memory Verse
Our 1st-5th graders have a new memory verse for March. It is: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." - John 13:34
Kids can recite their verse in the elementary office or sensory room before or after Sunday School for a sweet treat and a chance to win a bike! |
 The Shack Movie Discussion
Jim Frazier will be leading a discussion on the new movie, The Shack, at 6:00 pm, on Wednesday, March 29, in the small dining room. Participants are encouraged to bring their own dinner since the kitchen will be closed for spring break. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). |
 Men's Prayer Breakfast
VHUMC Men's Ministry will be hosting a Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday, April 12, at 6:45 am, in the Fellowship Hall. Our guest speaker will be Richard Simmons, lll. Richard is the Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership, where he teaches men's bible studies, counsels individuals, and oversees a talented group of professional and personal counselors. He is a frequent public speaker and published author. The cost is $5 for breakfast. To make reservations please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). |
 Thank You Blood Drive Donors
Thank you to everyone who helped make our March 19th Blood Drive a success! Because of your donations we were able to collect 29 pints of blood. Each pint of blood donated helps three people in need of blood or platelets. It is so wonderful to think that 87 people will be impacted because of our blood drive. If you missed the opportunity to participate or would like to donate again, our next blood drive will take place on Saturday, September 19. We look forward to another successful drive. Be sure to bring a friend to donate as well! |
 Lighthouse Spring Break Hours
The Lighthouse will be running a modified schedule next week during Spring Break. Please contact the Lighthouse desk for gym availability during this time, (205)769-0100.
- Sunday, March 26: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Monday, March 27: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
- Tuesday, March 28: 6:30 am - 7:00 pm
- Wednesday, March 29: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
- Thursday, March 30: 6:30 am - 7:00 pm
- Friday, March 31: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
- Saturday, April 1: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
The Lighthouse will resume normal hours on Monday, April 3. Have a safe and fun spring break! |
Friends of Latvia
There is a lot of excitement this week in Alabama about the 2017 annual Friends of Latvia meeting. Friends of Latvia is a group of United Methodists around the world helping to support the Latvian UMC and bring Christianity back to this region. When Patrick Friday was first assigned as a missionary to Latvia he determined that, "In order to bring Christianity back to this area, we must start with the youth and children." That began an adventure to create a camp primarily for youth and children for retreat, teaching, and equipping believers to go out into their world to live and witness for God. This camp was modeled in some ways after Camp Sumatanga, which is often referred to as "Holy Ground", where many have been called to ministry and continue to find peace and renewal.
Friends of Latvia and twelve pastors from Latvia will be in the U.S. this coming week to visit Camp Sumatanga and experience the Emmaus Walk, so that they can bring these resources to their country to help bring others to Christ. Please keep them in your prayers this week. |
Registration Open for Kindermusik Classes
 The Conservatory of the Arts is proud to announce that Kindermusik classes will begin this summer at VHUMC. Kindermusik is one of the very best ways to share the wonderful gift of music with young children from infants through age six. These classes are considered pre-instrumental and will have your child ready to start private music lessons by age six. Register now to save your spot for summer classes. There is a June session and a July session. Classes are available both in the morning and late afternoons to accommodate busy schedules of the parents. Click on the link below for more information or to register for these classes!
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 COA Summer Music Lessons
Summer is a great time to begin music lessons! Don't let your child grow up without being exposed to music in their life! And our instructors love adult students as well! Registration for our summer session begins April 1. Lesson times are flexible during the summer. So why not use this time to learn a new instrument, take voice lessons or continue your current lessons?
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Seeking A Full-Time Database Coordinator
VHUMC is seeking a full-time Database Coordinator to fill the position left by Zoe Hubbard. This person will oversee the databases we use as a church and help our staff and volunteers use them. They will also have a number of administrative tasks and will assist our staff in performing the work of the church. This is a 40-hour job with flexible hours. Compensation will be appropriate and include benefits. Interested parties should contact Gary Wyatt ([email protected]). |
Church Office Closed
The church office will be closed on Friday, March 31, while we strip and wax the floors. |
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 12-April 2. 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 31. Thank you for your continued efforts to make one child's Easter morning extra bright and special.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry needs:
- Spaghetti sauce
- Jelly
- Ziplock bags (sandwich size)
- Brown plastic grocery bags (preferably doubled)
If you would like to pick up bread at Panera on Monday nights for a month, please email Barbara Porter ([email protected]). Thank you!
Oak Mountain Mission
Oak Mountain Mission needs kitchen items (cookware, dishes, glasses, etc.). They are in desperate need of sofas, chairs, chests, tables and chairs. They are closed next week, but there will be a truck at the church for our April 8 event, so please use this opportunity to help families in need. If you need a furniture pick-up, please call 685-5757. No clothing is needed at this time. Thank you!
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Worship & Music Focus
8:30 am Traditional Service
Matthew 27: 32-46
"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"
Bill Brunson
9:45 am Service of Word and Table
Matthew 27: 32-46
"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"
Butch Williams
11:00 am Traditional Service
Matthew 27: 32-46
"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"
Bill Brunson
11:00 am Contemporary Service
Matthew 27: 32-46
"My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?"
Butch Williams
5:00 pm Sunday Evening Worship
John 15: 1-5
"Don't Let Go of the Vine"
Dedric Cowser
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Our Time and Resources
Donations this past week
January - February 2017
Donations
Other Income
Auxilary Ministries Net*
Total Income
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Actual
$60,105
$4,383,266
$212,759
$125,654
$4,721,679
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Targeted
+$
1,285
-$118,797
-$12,641
-$17,454
-$148,892
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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
Ginger Peete Bramlett
Margean Brasher
Lynn Brasher
June Carlisle
Jami DeMarco
Chris Dibble
David Dixon
Adam Draney
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Tim Eddins
Denson Franklin
Kendra Haddock
Fay Harbin
Fred Hatfield
Pug Kaufman
Hazel McClurg
Jane McCrary
Mary Morgan
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Amanda Murphy
Will Nailen
Paul Noto
Norma Owen
Mary Owens
Norman Ponder
Carlos Rodriguez
Jim Sanders
Bob Wilson
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Requested prayers for service members in combat areas:
- 1st Lt. Spencer Carroll, US Army, (Kuwait)
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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