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First Church News & Updates - June 30, 2017
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O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Happy Independence Day weekend and enjoy this First Church news!
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Sunday, July 2 - Independence Sunday
Sermon Title: "
The Champions of Liberty"
Rev. Katie Meek will preach at the 8:30 am worship service and Dr. Will Cotton will preach at the 9:40 and 11 am worship services this Sunday.
The Source
, our weekly devotional guide, is available on the
church website
.
Please join us in worship this Sunday at 8:30 am (Sanctuary), 9:40 am (FLC), or 11 am (Sanctuary).
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Summer Slump at First Church...Cancelled
Summer is a time to decompress and get away. Certainly, Tina and I have just returned from doing that. I commend it to you. So some say, because attendance is lower, then the church goes into a slump or semi-dormant state. Not so at First Church. We change gears: sponsoring four mission trips (nearby, regionally and internationally) with 200 participants, having a double session of Vacation Bible School with more than 600 participants, a double session of youth camps (100 participants), short and varied opportunities for learning, fresh and even a little zany experiences of worship, and the early stages of planning for great ministries to come in the remainder of 2017.
So when you're in town, please do the following:
- attend worship regularly here and, while you're away, attend somewhere else and bring back the bulletins so we can steal some good ideas.
- pray daily for those in ministry outside the walls where summertime is our highest impact season for mission.
- give regularly of your tithes and offerings (send your support of First Church before you leave town and the money disappears) for summer is often the most expensive time for utilities, transportation and missionary ventures.
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Dr. Will Cotton
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God is doing amazing things in and through the people of First Church. Soon we will begin a visioning season for First Church, taking nine months to set our sights on what our next steps will be as a congregation in making disciples in Greater Round Rock and the surrounding communities. Everyone will be invited to be part of that effort. Speaking of being invited, "Have you gone on the website and signed up for your directory picture?" Every person is important at First Church and your ministry is important, not just when you are here at 1004 N Mays, but wherever else you are all week long.
This Sunday, is a patriotic blowout that you won't want to miss...
"Stars and Stripes Forever" by our brass,
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" with choir and congregation, the singing of other favorites, a time of thankful and heartfelt prayer in which we declare on Independence Day our dependence on the grace of God. The sermon entitled
"Champions of Liberty" will be inspiring and hopefully a bit provocative See you there along with the friend, relative or neighbor you care enough about to invite them to be here with you.
Sincerely in Christ,
Dr. Will Cotton
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It's time to update your family portrait!
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We are producing a new pictorial directory this year and we want you to be in it!
Time flies! It has been three years since we published our last church pictorial directory. During that time 540 individuals and families have joined First Church. It is time for a new directory!
Each family or individual is invited to come and have a professional portrait made here at church. You will receive a complimentary 8" x 10" color portrait and a free copy of the directory. You will have an opportunity to purchase additional portraits but there is absolutely no obligation to do so. You can plan your photo to reflect your family's interests. Choose your colors, bring the family dog, musical instrument...anything that you think best represents your family.
August and September Photography sessions are open
Photographers will be here on the following dates:
August 2 - 6 and
September 13 - 17.
New this year: We will have Sunday photo sessions available. We expect those to go quickly so don't wait to sign up online.
Sign up is easy.
Click here to learn more and sign up online. We will also have people available before and after worship services this Sunday, to assist you with the online sign up. Look for us in the Sanctuary foyer and both entrances to the Family Life Center.
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Stephen Ministry will be hosting Q & A sessions on Sundays, July 9 and 23 in Payne Cottage, Bldg. 4-3. It is a great opportunity to find our more about what Stephen Ministry is, how you can get involved or how you can benefit from Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministers will also be hosting the Twin Oaks Cafe during July and invite you to stop by for your Sunday morning coffee, donuts and tacos.
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Have you ever been interested in singing from the loft with the choir during worship service? Summer Choir is an opportunity for people to experience leading worship in a relaxed environment.
During the summer, the choir does not wear robes, and does not have Wednesday night rehearsals. All you have to do is show up in the South Suite at 10:30 am, rehearse the service music for the day, and then lead worship together at the 11 am service.
The dates for Summer Choir are
July 9, 16, 23, and 30.
The choir is full of wonderful people, who share a passion for sharing God's love through music. We hope you will join us!
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Take a break from the heat at church. Join us from 9:30 - 11 am for some cool, wet fun! Children's Ministries is hosting a water day!
We will be outside, but will have lots of WATER to cool us off! Wear your swimsuits and bring a towel and a friend. We may get dirty too!
Parents of preschool age please plan to stay at the event.
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Other Children's Ministry Info...
- Family Movie Night - Thursday, August 10, 7 pm
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On
Tuesday, July 18,
from
4-7 pm,
we are going to have a pool party for all students, grades 6-12. This will be a fun night to come hang out, swim and enjoy some fellowship time. There is no charge and we will be serving dinner.
We will be swimming at the Oaklands Pool in Round Rock. The address for the pool is 700 Oak Park Dr. Round Rock, TX. Meet us there at
4 pm
and you will pick up your student at the same place at
7 pm
.
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Other Student Ministry Info...
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What makes United Methodists unique? How are we both like other Christians, and yet unlike them since we see some things differently?
You are invited to a 3-week class to explore these questions: our history, our theology, our way of living, and our place in God's work and in our world today. Led by Dr. John Clifford,
Methodism 101
begins on Sunday, July 9, and will meet at 9:40 am on Sunday mornings in Bldg. 5. For more information or if you have questions, please contact
Dr. John Clifford
,
jayefsee@gmail.com
.
Click here to register.
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Time to register for Disciple Bible Study
Are you ready to dive into Disciple Bible Studies? The following long term (fall & spring) classes are being offered this year:
- Disciple 1 - Becoming Disciples through Bible Study
- Disciple 2 - Into the Word, Into the World
- Jesus in the Gospels
- Christian Believer
We will also offer two short term classes (8 week) this fall:
- Invitation to the Old Testament
- Invitation to Romans
Click here for details, course descriptions and registration links.
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Grandmothers and granddaughters working together
First Church Crafters were able to recruit their grandddaughters this week to assist in completion of the Malawi Pad Project.The girls finished each pad, placed them in carrying pouches, and readied them for travel to Malawi in July with drops of grace.
Girls (left to right) Noelle Ulry, Madison Ulry, Ellie MacLean, Adeline Blust, and Lily Blust.
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Don't forget to bring Cookies for Kairos
this Sunday, July 2
Can you help support our own Tanja LaNoue (Student Ministry admin) as she participates in a Kairos weekend at Ferguson Unit in Midland, Texas July 5-9? We need 100 dozen cookies to be distributed to the inmates! Please bring 1 dozen homebaked cookies in a ziplock bag
on Sunday, July 2.
For more information, contact Tanja at the church office,
512-255-3336
or
tanja@fumc-rr.org
.
Click here to learn more about Kairos.
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Other Mission & Outreach Info...
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This week at First Church
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- 8:30, 9:40 and 11 am - Worship Services
Monday, July 3 - Church campus will be closed
Tuesday, July 4 - Happy Independence Day! Church campus will be closed
- 6:15 am - UMM Breakfast, fellowship, devotional - FLC/Bldg. 3
- 6:30 pm - Women's Bible Study, Bldg. 5-127
Thursday, July 6
- 9:30 am - Heart to Heart Quilters, 115 Winsted
Friday, July 7
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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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You're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in First United Methodist Church. Don't forget to add newsletter@fumc-rr.org to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
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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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