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First Church News & Updates - April 21, 2017
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We are in the Holy Week/Easter afterglow. We hope you were able to join us in the magnificent worship services on Easter Sunday. Remember...Easter is not just one day. The season continues.
Enjoy this First Church news!
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The Second Sunday of Easter
Sermon Title:
"Ghostbusting"
Dr. Will Cotton will preach at the 9:40 and 11 am worship services this Sunday. Dr. Beverly Jones will preach at the 8:30 am service.
The Source
, our weekly devotional guide, is available on the
church website
.
Jubilation and Council Oak Bells will be providing special handbell music at the 8:30 and 11 am services.
Please join us in worship this Sunday at 8:30 am (Sanctuary), 9:40 am (FLC), or 11 am (Sanctuary).
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Holy Week at First Church
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The Christian Way of Life in Living Color
With each major holiday, secular or sacred (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc), there is a buildup followed by some relief that it's finally over. But not so with the Christian Calendar. Advent (color blue or purple), the beginning of the Christian year, is not just a season, it is a dimension of our walk with Christ - in which the love of God is born and becomes flesh in Christ, and we as followers of God in Christ are reborn and have God's love made flesh in and through us.
There are two ordinary seasons (color green), the first Ordinary Time begins at Epiphany and concludes the Sunday before Lent. This one traces the life of Jesus from early childhood to temptations to ministry. As Christians, we live by the life and teachings of Jesus and follow his call into ministry.
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Dr. Will Cotton
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In Lent/Easter (color purple), we remember both the depth of human evil and the greater depth of God's love shown in the death of Jesus. We remember that following Jesus means self-sacrifice for us, too. Easter and the Sundays following (color white) remind us that in Christ victory over death and sorrow and hate and violence has already been accomplished. That victory shapes how we see the times of challenge and pain in our own lives both personally and in our world. We have victory in Jesus, our Savior forever!
Then it's on to Pentecost, my personal favorite season of the year (color red). Not only is Pentecost the Church's birthday, it is time we remember that we can't follow Jesus or be the church on our own, that we are nothing without the power of the Holy Spirit. We walk, talk and sing in the Spirit. Our gifts find their best expression and impact through the Holy Spirit. It is through the Spirit that we become more like Christ developing the fruits of his love, expressed in Galatians 5 (love, joy, peace, patience....).
We finish the year with the second Ordinary Time, sometimes called Kingdomtide (color green). The truth is our discipleship is lived out most often in the in-between times as we live out the principles of the kingdom and announce its presence in our daily world. The season finishes with Christ the King Sunday, right before the first Sunday of Advent. I like to celebrate Pentecost all summer long.
You will also notice that we tend to wear white and decorate with it on Christmas and Ephiphany, Easter and following, and during the Sundays we observe the Sacraments. Pastors also wear white stoles at weddings. White is to remind us of holiness and salvation in Christ, and that we are called to live holy lives and trust in God's saving grace in Christ.
As you can see, each season represents a dimension of our walk with Christ. In your life, which dimensions are strong and which ones need some work and grace? See you Sunday, as the great victory of Easter continues.
Sincerely in Christ,
Dr. Will Cotton
Senior Pastor
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Welcome Home is this Sunday
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Lay Servant Ministries training opportunity
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Lay Servant Ministries (LSM)
Two LSM courses will be offered on the first weekend in June at First UMC in Temple, TX.
The basic course, which is foundational for all LSM courses will be led by Bill Johnson, LSM co-director of the South District. It will meet from 9 am to 4:30 pm on June 3, 2017, and from 2 to 5 pm on Sunday, June 4, 2017.
The advanced Lay Servant course,
Leading Bible Study, will be moderated by Barbara Foster. This course will meet from 8:30 am to 5 pm on Saturday and from 2:30 to 4:30 pm on Sunday.
Anyone may attend an LSM course, regardless of church affiliation, but UMC members who seek certification must have had the basic course. For further information or to register for either course contact: Barbara Foster at bfoster2015@yahoo.com or 214-755-0749 or Bill Johnson at billjohnson@embarqmail.com or 254-290-6980.
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Spring Fling Craft Sale on May 7
First Church Crafters invite you to join them on Sunday, May 7, at the Gazebo for their annual Spring Fling Craft Show. Since January, they have been creating, crafting and embellishing items into beautiful and unique gifts just for you. From spring wreaths to gorgeous necklaces to adorable wall hangings...there is something for everyone! Best of all, the proceeds from our sales go to missions.
Don't miss this fun shopping opportunity!
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Kairos Prison Ministry
Rev. Katie Meek is away this weekend serving at a
Kairos Prison Ministry spiritual retreat for prisoners.
Some members of our congregation are involved through prayer. They signed up for 30 minute prayer shifts from Thursday at 4 pm through this Sunday at 8 pm. The prayers are given physical representation at the prison by creating a paper chain (each link representing a person who prayed) and surrounding the room with it. The prisoners will literally be able to see that they have been surrounded by prayer all weekend. It's maybe the only time these women will have ever heard that they are loved and valuable to the world and to God. And to see all these people--strangers they will never meet--who took time out to pray for them makes it very real. It's one of the most powerful parts of the weekend. Thank you to these prayer warriors.
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Other Mission & Outreach Info...
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VBS registration is open!
Our VBS theme is
Maker Fun Factory...Created by God, Build for a Purpose. We will host two weeks so you can choose the one that fits your schedule.The dates are
June 12 - 16 or June 19- 23.
We still need additional volunteers, but only parents of preschoolers are required to volunteer. The special mission program for our fifth graders is currently full for the
June 12-16 session until more adults can volunteer for that age group.
Don't miss out on Maker Fun Factory!
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Other Children's Ministry Info...
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Middle School Welcome Party - May 12 - 13
Our
Middle School Welcome Party is an annual event to welcome the 5th grade students into the Student Ministries Program. It is an all night event that includes games, worship and Main Event. The cost is $30 until Monday, May 8, $40 May 9-10. Deadline to register is Wednesday, May 10.
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Other Student Ministry Info...
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JOY Field Trip to LBJ Ranch - May 1
The JOY Senior Adult Fellowship group is traveling to Stonewall, TX to visit the LBJ Ranch on May 1. Visitors are now able to tour the Ranch at their own pace stopping at sites along the way such as the President's birthplace, Johnson family cemetery, and the Johnson's ranch house known as the Texas White House. They will be leaving the First Church parking lot at 8:30 am and returning at 5:30 pm. Cost is $10 for the bus and $3 admittance to the ranch. Bring a sack lunch. Click here to register...
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UMM Spring Retreat is next week -
April 26 - 30
All men (and their sons, nephews, etc.) are invited to the UMM Spring Retreat at Willow Point Resort on Lake Buchanan. In addition to great fellowship and food, there will be fishing, dominoes, and lots of rest and relaxation. Come for all or part of the retreat. More details are on the church website. For more information, contact: Steve Oltmanns, soltmanns42@gmail.com or 512.636.6299.
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New 6 week study begins this Sunday
In his book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?, Philip Yancey
probes the very heartbeat of our relationship with God...Prayer. Yancey explores the idea that prayer can be confusing, frustrating, and even mysterious through tackling such questions as Is God listening? Why do answers to my prayers seem inconsistent? How can I make prayer more meaningful? Join us to rediscover PRAYER as a privilege and as the priceless point of contact between humans and the God of the universe! Location and Time: Sundays at
9:40
in Bldg. 5, Rm. 136. For more information, contact Rev. Dr. Beverly Jones (
beverly@fumc-rr.org
) or
Debby
Utley (
debbyfaeu@gmail.com
). All are welcome. No pre-registration is needed. Just come!
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Other Adult Ministry Info...
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Shopping at Amazon? First Church is on Amazon Smiles!
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If you are like many of us, you shop at
Amazon or
Amazon Prime. If so, you could help First Church by going through
Amazon Smiles.
Click here and you will select First Church as your non-profit to receive a donation. It is a small percentage (.5%) of the purchase, but if we all remember to do this with each purchase, it could add up. Many of us already support a non-profit through Amazon Smiles. You can choose the non-profit of your choice for each purchase.
Give it a try!
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This week at First Church
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- 7:00 pm - Bridge Club, Bldg. 5-127
- 8:30, 9:40 and 11 am - Worship Services
- 11:00 am - God and Family, Bldg. 5-208
- 11:00 am - God and Me, Bldg. 5-218
- 11:40 am - Alleluia Chorus rehearsal, Bldg. 5-234
- 12:15 pm -Welcome Home, Bldg. 3/FLC
- 6:00 pm - Disciple Leadership Team, Bldg. 5-127
- 6:00 pm - FUSION, Bldgs. 3 & 5
Monday, April 24
- 3:45 pm - Kids of the Kingdom Chimes, East Cry Room Bldg. 3/FLC
- 4:45 pm - Kids of the Kingdom Bells, East Cry Room Bldg. 3/FLC
- 6:00 pm - Venture Crew, Bldg. 4/Payne Cottage
- 7:00 pm - Boy Scout Troop #157, Bldg. 3/FLC
- 7:00 pm - Adult Christian Education meeting, Bldg. 5-122
- 9:30 am - First Church Crafters, 115 Winsted
- 9:30 am - Tuesday Women's Bible Study, Bldg. 5-124
- 12:30 pm - Brown Bag Theologians, Bldg. 5-136
- 6:30 pm - Community Bible Study, Bldg. 5-220, 223, 224, 225
- 7:00 pm - Nar-Anon, Bldg. 4-6
- 7:00 pm - Church Council, Bldg. 4-6
Wednesday, April 26
- 6:15 am - UMM Breakfast, fellowship, devotional - FLC/Bldg. 3
- 5:00 pm - Revelation Ringers, North Suite and East Cry Rm/FLC
- 5:45 pm - Heartsong Choir rehearsal, South Suite
- 6:00 pm - Life Groups Leadership, Bldg. 5-122
- 6:30 pm - Wednesday Women's Bible Study, Bldg. 5-232/234
- 7:00 pm - Jubilation Bell rehearsal, North Suite
- 7:15 pm - Chancel Choir rehearsal, South Suite
Thursday, April 27
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9:30 am - Heart to Heart Quilters, 115 Winsted
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12 noon - Mom Life group, Bldg. 5-122
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7:00 pm - Council Oak Bells rehearsal, North Suite
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7:00 pm - Orchestra rehearsal, South Suite
Friday, April 28
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8:30 am - Round Rock Helpers, Bldg. 4-2
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9:30 am - Ministry of Motherhood (MOM), Bldg. 5-232/234
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8:00 pm - Narcotics Anonymous-Right Stuff, Bldg. 4
Saturday, April 29
There is always a lot going on at First Church. Visit the website, find us on Facebook or Twitter, and check the Church Calendar so you don't miss out!
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Blessings,
Betty Robertson
Communications
First United Methodist Church Round Rock
First Church exists to share the love
of God in Jesus Christ.
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First United Methodist Church | Round Rock
512.255.3336 |
newsletter@fumc-rr.org | http://
fumc-rr.org
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