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Growing Deep Roots to Share God's Love
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News and Notes
April 20, 2017
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This Sunday, we begin a six-week sermon series entitled "World Religions," where we will explore the fundamentals, similarities, and differences between the most common faith traditions in order to know more about who we are, what our message is, and how we might move to a more peaceful world.
We'll start with "Atheism, Agnostics and Free Thinkers." They may deny the existence of any supernatural force or deity, but over time those who deny have recognized the need to satisfy that which religious traditions deliver. We'll explore Freethinking "religion" and explore how their rejection of God might help shed some light on our own beliefs.
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Launch of "Christianity and World Religions"
Atheism, Agnostics, and Free Thinkers
April 30
"Christianity and World Religions"
Hinduism
May 7
"Christianity and World Religions"
Buddhism
May 14
"Christianity and World Religions"
Islam
May 21
"Christianity and World Religions"
Judaism
May 28
"Christianity and World Religions"
Christianity
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In this Edition, You Won't Want to Miss These Stories!
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Men's and Women's Summer Bible Study - You won't want to miss this!
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Summer Youth Trips & Activities!
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April 23
Club 56 for all 5th and 6th graders, 12:45 p.m., Creekwood Children's Center Tile Room
April 30
May 7
Creekwood
Creekwood VBS Volunteer Training, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Creekwood Worship Center (Option 1)
May 8
Creekwood Church Council Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Worship Center, Open to All
May 14
Mother's Day
May 20
Change the World Weekend, Creekwood Mission Events, Additional Details to Follow
May 21
Creekwood VBS Volunteer Training, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Creekwood Worship Center (Option 2)
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Want to Be Inspired This Summer?
We're continuing the Creekwood tradition of the Men's and Women's Summer Bible Study, and we've got a good one lined up! How many of you, like us, read The Shack and were greatly moved by this modern-day parable? We bet more than a few of you went to see the movie when it was released last month. If you're familiar with the story, you know it is rich with content for discussion, deep reflection and personal growth. That is why we were crazy-excited when we learned there was a formal study developed to correspond with the story. The story of the The Shack applies to all of us, whether we have endured terrible tragedy and pain or the more common struggles of everyday faith. Whether you are looking for faith, have lost faith along the way, or are strong in your faith but desire to trust God more deeply – you’ll find what you need in this study.
The 6-week study will begin Tuesday, June 13, with the showing of the movie. At each session, to be held in the Worship Center, a light dinner will be served, beginning at 6:30 p.m., and the study will start at 7 p.m. As it has been in the past, men and women will meet separately for the study portion. Cost is $8 per person to cover the supplies. Childcare will be available, with reservation. This study is open to all in the community. Bring a friend or two. Come fellowship and grow together.
Sign up here. The class will not meet the week of July 4th. Don't miss out due to a schedule conflict. It is ok if you have to miss a class or two with summer travel.
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You Guys Made a Beautiful Cross
Did you get a chance to see the Easter cross in the Gathering Area on Sunday? If you attended the earlier services you saw more of the beginning than the end. It was beautiful! Thank you to everyone who placed a flower on the cross. And thank you to Nancy and Claude Whitehead for donating all the flowers.
We saw lots of families taking pictures. Want to share? Comment to
this Facebook post
with you family picture at the cross. We'd love to have one spot with all the pictures and the posts will serve as a great reminder that Easter is more than Easter Sunday.
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Well, that was fun!!!!
We had no official people counter, but we estimate over 2000 people joined us for the Spring Festival and Egg Hunt last Saturday. And, it would not have been possible without the commitment of time, energy and creativity that came from the volunteers. You blessed us, you blessed the community and we THANK YOU!!!
Special thanks goes to Wendy McConney and the Creekwood Children's Ministry Advisory Board for, as chair Jessica Tullos explained, "dedicating hours of their time to do the set up, festival, and clean up. They did the bulk of the work and were amazing!" Touche Jessica. Creekwood Director of Preschool Ministries, Melissa Fritzsche, might have said it best, "Jessica Tullos seriously rocked this." Maybe this was you guys' first time throwing a party for 1000, but we sure couldn't tell!!!!
We also want to thank the Creekwood Boy Scout troop for their set-up help, and the Creekwood men's group for cooking up all those hot diggity dogs, 750 to be exact. Did you get to have one? They were fantastic!
We can thank Paul Pace for donating his time and service creating the big barn banners that helped bring all the people in to the festival and in to Sunday worship.
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We also must say thank you to our wonderful Mr. Terry Alderson for driving ALL THOSE people through our hayride. New this year, the inclusion of the the telling of the Easter story along the hayride route was a big success. We had TWO trailers behind our big, green tractor, and we still had an ongoing waiting line.
We have Kristi Wilbur to thank for the beautifully written narration of the Easter story, and we'd be remiss if we didn't thank Gregg Blaylock for narrating THE ENTIRE THREE HOURS. We were blessed to have Natalie Rahberg share her artistic gifts with us by creating the banners you saw along the hayride.
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We have to thank Creekwood youth Trey Reiner for serving as our MC throughout the duration of the festival. And, Jay VanRijn for stepping up whenever wherever. Wendy said, "Jay went and got more condiments from the store when we ran out, then he went back and got more hot dogs. He refilled the water jugs I do not know how many times. Jay saw it needed to be done and did it many many times!!"
This truly was a group effort. We thank the small groups for stuffing Easter eggs and the office volunteers who stuffed eggs over the last six weeks (there were a lot of eggs). We must thank everyone who donated candy and stickers to fill the eggs. And, a huge thank you to all the volunteers who worked the games, crafts, egg hunts, concessions and bounce houses.
We also want to thank Stephanie Hunter and all the
volunteers who created a perfect festival experience for our Super Friends special needs group.
What a beautiful example of people coming together to fellowship, witness and extend hospitality to the community. THANK YOU Creekwood!
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And This Was Beautiful!
We had around 1300 people join us in worship Easter Sunday. It would not have been possible without each of you. And, we thank all of you who went above and beyond helping greet, set-up, usher and show other forms of hospitality. We also thank all those who gave of their time and talents to deliver such a wonderful worship service.
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Graduation is Near
We're about to enter the busy month of May and the season of graduations and we want to honor our graduates. We'll host a breakfast for all graduates and their families at 9:00 a.m. on May 7 in the Creekwood Student Center. Have a senior? We hope you will join us as we bless these young people. RSVP
here
.
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Happily Helped by our Helpers
You may have heard, we have a new mission: The Creekwood Community Helpers. Member Helen Huemiller recently shared some of her experience with this awesome group, including how she is letting her neighbors know of this special ministry.
Helen explained, "Deen [Oates] and Harrison [Broyles] came over and installed a modem/router for me and my neighbor. They also installed a printer for my neighbor. I also recently got a new light fixture and the guys came and installed that for me." She continued, "This is such a generous mission they have started through our church. I've been sharing the news with neighbors and friends that this is available, and everyone is so impressed and thankful that they will be able to call and get the help we all need from time to time, and not have to worry about having strangers into their homes."
She closed, "Deen and Harrison are such fine and giving men--a true example of Gods love helping others. People who can, are making donations to Creekwood to help pay it back and help this mission succeed so that the Helpers can continue to help those who maybe aren't as fortunate but have needs." Do you have a home maintenance need? Or, know a neighbor who does? The
Creekwood Community Helpers was formed to help the Creekwood UMC family and community with minor home maintenance and repairs. All services are free, and examples include:
- Installation of exterior handrails & grab bars
- Minor plumbing
- Minor general repair
- A/C and/or heater filter replacement
- Smoke alarm or CO2 battery replacement
- Caulking, repair of door locks and light bulb replacement
Learn more and request your needed assistance here.
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Want to Learn More About Creekwood?
On Sunday, April 30, we'll be hosting Lunch With the Pastors immediately following the 11:30 a.m. worship service. Intended to serve as an informal meet and greet with opportunities to ask questions, these lunches are great for anyone considering joining the church, or simply exploring the church.Plan to join us, or invite a friend. Childcare is provided. RSVP
here
.
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Mission Ministry Statement
Creekwood UMC is passionate about building the Kingdom of God by serving families and children in need. We strive to develop long-term relationships with the people and organizations we partner with, both locally and globally. Our goal is to make a high-impact, positive experience within the area and through the lives of all involved.
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Change the World Weekend 5/20 - 5/21
Mark your calendar now to participate in one or several mission oriented activities for the national Change the World Weekend. On Saturday, May 20, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., we will have a blood drive, home repair project, VBS preparation, card making for kids in hospitals, and packaging of summer food bags for ACO and Harper Elementary. Look for more information to come. Sign-ups will open May 1st. There will be a food drive April 30 through May 7 to collect items for the summer food bags. Let's change the world, together.
UPDATE: You can now sign up here to give blood on Saturday, May 20, through our partner, Carter Blood Care. Your blood can save lives.
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Calling all the Ladies!!!
Join us for Lowe's National Women's Habitat Build on May 6! Sound like fun? This is open to all women and teens 16 and up with a parent. Guys, feel free to let the woman in your life know about this awesome opportunity! Ladies, if you are interest in attending you can RSVP at Volunteer@ncc-habitat.com or contact Christina Shepard.
All first time Habiat volunteers (teens included) need to contact Christina for instructions for 1 time online training. Speaking of...
Habitat is also offering a Women's Tool Clinic on Wednesday, May 3 (information below). This class will help you feel more comfortable using the tools on site during build days. Open to all, including teens 16 and up with a parent. Learn with Lowe's Pros on how to use all sorts of new tools!
When: Wednesday May 3rd
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Where: 2060 Couch Drive,
McKinney, Tx 75069
What: Learn "How to Use" Hand & Power Tools
Light Dinner will be provided.
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Interested in seeing the Zoe
program in action?
We have 3 Zoe Trips of Hope that you can participate in. The dates and location of the trips are listed below.
Zimbabwe, Africa- August 2017
Rwanda, Africa- October 2017. Lyndsey Lessner is leading this trip.
Chennai, India- January 2018 Our first Zoe group, “Challenge,” will be graduating and Lyndsey will be leading this trip as well.
Please contact Lyndsey Lessner (Lyndsey@zoehelps.org) if you are interested or want more information.
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Family Promise Hosting May 29 - June 4
Creekwood will next host Family Promise families in our Student Center May 29 through June 4. If you haven't yet had the chance to serve with Family Promise., we highly recommend it because it will be a truly rewarding experience for you and your family. We have many volunteer roles -- something for everyone. Learn more and sign up
here
to join us.
We wanted to share a couple of thank you notes we received from our most recent guests.
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Author Visit May 7
The Creekwood Celebration Sunday school class is hosting a special guest at their 10:30 class on May 7. Author Jim Moore will be discussing
"Yes, I Have Sinned, but I Have Several Excellent Excuses!" Entertaining and relate-able, there is sure to be something covered each of us can learn from.
James W. Moore is a best-selling author of more than 40 books and an acclaimed pastor and ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. He has led congregations in Jackson, Tennessee; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Houston, Texas. In 2006, after 50 years of active ministry, he retired from full-time ministry and moved to the Dallas area, where he currently serves as Minister-in-Residence at Highland Park United Methodist Church. He and his wife, June, live at Heritage Ranch in Fairview, Texas.
All Creekwood Sunday school classes, and any/all Creekwood members and guests are welcome to join in. Please RSVP here so seating can be adequate.
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Find Local Grief Support Events Here
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VBS JUNE 5-9, 2017
Registration is now full, except for the cohort of those entering 5th and 6th grade in the fall of 2017. Click here to request to be added to our waiting list, or to request a spot for your 5th or 6th grader.
We do have spots for the children of all volunteers, and we still need volunteers. Click here to sign up to volunteer and then receive a registration link for your child(ren).
Click here to simply volunteer. All volunteers will be subject to a background check and required to complete brief online training. (Youth volunteers must have completed 6th grade.)
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Another Summer Opportunity!
Cross Cheer is coming to Creekwood two times this summer: June 12-16 and July 17-21. This national program will take place on our campus. Designed for those 4 - 10 years of age, the Cross Cheer camps teach young girls the fundamentals of of cheerleading in a Christ-centered atmosphere. Learn more and register
here
. Early bird pricing through June 1st.
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Join Our Children's eNewsletter Distribution List
Have an infant through 4th grader and not currently receiving our weekly Children's Ministries' newsletter, Explorers' Times? Please
email us
to be added to our distribution list.
Student Ministries
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Sunday school is held each Sunday from 10:15 - 11:15 a.m.
5th - 6th graders will meet in the tile room of the Children's Center. 7th - 8th graders meet in the garage of the Student Center and 9th -12th graders meet in the Student Center.
The Rise
is held in the Student Center on Sundays, from 5 - 7 p.m. All 7th through 12th graders (and beyond) are welcome to these evenings of worship, fellowship and fun. Meals are provided; a $5 donation is encouraged.
If you are looking to help our awesome Student Ministry by providing a meal, or part of a meal, for The Rise, click here to pick a date and sign up. We promise you'll have fun feeding and visiting with our students.
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Summer Fun With CSM
We've got some cool activities planned for this summer. Join us as we serve, fellowship and grow in our faith.
High School Mission Trip
Students finishing 9th-12th grades are heading to Cajun Country June 25 - July 1 to help restore the area around Baton Rouge that has been hit hard by flooding and tornados in recent years. Students completing 8th grade who will have turned 14 by the trip are welcome to attend as well. Click here to sign up.
Middle School Mission Trip
Students finishing 6th-8th grades are invited to join us in Fort Worth July 26-30 for a fabulous weekend of service and fun. Click here to sign up.
CIY Move
High school students, it’s time to Move! Experience intense, interactive worship, dynamic preaching, small group study and community building. At Move we will not only learn and worship together – we’ll spend focused time discovering ways that God will use Creekwood youth to impact the world. This is a 5 day camp held at LeTourneau University in Longview. The cost is $395 per person with a discounted rate for adult participants. We will find a way to pay for anyone who wants to go! Click here to sign up. Contact Jared with questions.
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Club 56
Designed for our 5th and 6th graders, Club 56 meets once a month for fellowship and mission. Here's what's coming up.
- This Sunday, April 23, Club 56 is going ice skating at the Allen Event Center from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. (Groupon currently has a coupon--check it out!) Families are welcome.
Please RSVP to
Donna Bartholomew
if your child will be attending this event. This is a great activity to invite a friend to Creekwood!
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Confirmation 2017-18
Registration for the 2017-18 school year will open April 18. Confirmation is available to students grades 7th and older. Classes will be held in the Student Center at 10:15 August 20-May 20. Retreats, missions, social activities, and faith visits are also an integral part of the course. Click here to sign up.
Junior High Small Group meets on Wednesdays, 7 - 8:00 p.m. Contact Donna Bartholomew for more information.
Sr. High Small Group meets at the Edwards house on Wednesday nights from 7 - 8:30. Contact Jared Phares for more information.
Let's stay in touch.
Students and parents
wanting to stay up to date with current activities, events and services, please text @elevatecu to 81010.
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