The Notes - October 19, 2017

Volume 47

Issue 42

October 19, 2017

Balanced Parenting in a Wobbly World

Join us this Sunday, October 22, at 9:45, in Tyson Hall as Dr. Dale Wisely speaks to parents on "Overscheduled: How Too Many Activities CAN Be a Bad Thing." Dale serves as the Director of Student Services for Mountain Brook Schools, and is also a Licensed Psychologist. He is a resident of Vestavia and understands our community and its children and parents well. This is his third year of encouragement to VHUMC parents, with new, updated information each year.

Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Worship Service

For those with loved ones suffering Alzheimer's, dementia, and memory loss, we have a very special monthly worship service called Sacred Connections. This is an energetic service focusing on familiar hymns, songs, and scripture - delivered in a safe and loving setting and overseen by wonderful volunteers and staff. Come join us in Tyson Hall, at 10:30 am, on Thursday, October 26. Also, mark your calendars for services on November 9 and December 21 at the same location and time. For more information, contact Butch Williams ([email protected] / 769-0102).

Clean Out Challenge
It is that time of year again to go from Holy Mess to Holiness! It is time to de-clutter our lives and make room for what God wants for us in our lives. Please join us on Saturday, October 28, from 9-11 am, in the lower back parking lot of the church for our 3rd Annual Clean Out Challenge. Please visit www.vhumc.org for a list of all items not accepted. The following organizations will be with us to take your stuff:

Shred-It will have the truck that shreds on site here for us.
ATR Recycling will haul away your electronics.
Mae Mae's Hugs will be accepting gently used or new coats for children.
Habitat will take any of your home remodeling project items (except paint).
The Foundry will take your household items and clothes.

All Saints' Sunday
All Saints' Sunday, on November 5, is an occasion to remember our heritage, those who have gone before us, and recognize our responsibility to carry Christianity forward as the living saints of today. If you would like to honor someone in your life who has been, or is a saint in your faith journey, we invite you to include them in our Bell Banner. Prior to worship on All Saints' Sunday, we will have a banner in the narthex and outside of Tyson Hall. There will be a table beside the banners which will have baskets of small bells. To remember your loved one, please take a bell from the basket and pin it onto one of the banner streamers. During the processional, the banners will be brought into worship and placed near the front pews. If you don't have the opportunity to place a bell on one of the banners, you may do so after you take holy communion.

At the end of our worship services, our gathering of saints will also go forward to symbolize the witness of those who have gone before us and those living today who remind us to follow Christ in the World.

Bring Loved Ones Photo for Our Table of Saints
November 5 is All Saints' Sunday and while our loved ones are gone from this earth, we know they are not forgotten. If you would like to bring in a picture of a loved one to share with the congregation, we will have a table set up in the Fellowship Hall so we can all remember the wonderful people who have made a difference in your walk with Christ as well as those who have led our church throughout the years. We know that so many of your family members played a significant role in your life and also in the lives of our church, community and world.

If you would like to participate in our Table of Saints, we ask that you please bring a framed photo to the main church office the week of October 29 through November 3 and pick up your loved one's photo after the 11:00 worship services.

Flood Buckets Delivered
200 completed cleaning buckets were delivered to the Disaster Warehouse in Decatur. As more funds are received, we will be able to prepare more at a later date. Thank you for your help!

Sunday Evening Worship
Come as you are and join Kipp McClurg as he leads us this Sunday at 5:00 pm in the Rutland-Memorial Chapel. Also, mark your calendars for October 29 as Bill Brunson preaches and November 5 when Mike Harper will lead us.

Gospel Jubilee Singers

This Sunday our Gospel Jubilee Singers will gather in the Chapel at 4:00 pm, before Sunday Evening Worship, to sing some of the great songs of our faith. We hope to see you there!

Mae Mae's Hugs Coat Drive
Mae Mae's Hugs is collecting coats for children and adults during the month of October. Would you help? If you are cleaning out your closet and have gently worn coats to donate, please wash them and bring them to the church. Or, if you are purchasing new coats, would you consider purchasing an extra coat for this effort? Bright purple boxes are placed at the Chapel, Preschool and Tyson Hall doors. Coats of all sizes are needed for young children and youth. You can also make a donation online and new coats will be purchased with these funds. It's our hope that through this ministry, the children across the state can receive winter coats to keep them warm, as if receiving a warm, loving hug from Mae Mae and VHUMC. Email any questions to Anne Strozier ([email protected]).

Save the Date
There is growing excitement within our congregation about our upcoming facility improvements. Please mark your calendar for these Sundays where we will present our plans both for the NEXT Capital Campaign and our annual budget.

NEXT Capital Campaign Kick-Off - October 29 from 9:30 - 11:00. We hope that everyone and every Sunday School class will plan to attend.
Property Improvement Sunday - November 5
Annual Budget Sunday - November 12
Commitment Sunday - November 19

Coping with Loss at the Holidays
The holiday season can be a very challenging time for all of us, especially when we have experienced the loss of a loved one. We struggle to find the "new normal," and holiday dynamics with families and friends can be overwhelming at times.

We are hosting a special evening devoted specifically to helping you with those challenges on November 2. Preparing for the Holidays will start at 6:00 pm in room 202. We'll have some light snacks and beverages, and members of our Grief Support Ministry Team - all of whom are grief survivors of spouses, children, parents, siblings, and other loved ones - will be there to greet you and share in this evening with you. We'll have a brief presentation on preparing for the approaching holidays, and we'll also provide you with a helpful handout of useful suggestions. After the presentation, we'll spend some time in small groups with others who have suffered losses similar to yours, and then we'll complete the evening with a message from our Senior Pastor (and fellow grief survivor) Bill Brunson.

To register for this free event simply click on the link below. For more information, please contact either Cathie Amos (908-2731 / [email protected]) or Butch Williams (769-0102 / [email protected]). We greatly look forward to sharing this time with you.

5 Minute Missions
Our next 5-Minute Missions will be Sunday, November 5, during the coffee hour. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Fall Festival and brought school supplies. We will be packing those school supplies for other children. This is a great hands-on mission opportunity for any age. You are never too young to learn to serve and give back to others.

Human Trafficking Education and Awareness

Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal activity in the US and second only to drug trafficking. Forty percent of U.S. human trafficking happens here in the Southeast. I-20 is a major trafficking corridor where victims are sold at various stops along the interstate. This topic is hard to understand and it is hard to believe it is happening here, but it is. Join us next Wednesday night, October 25, at 6:00 pm, when Maryhelen Kirkpatrick from The Wellhouse will be sharing about their rescue and recovery mission for women who are victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Room 204.

High School Girls Day Retreat
We invite all high school girls to join us for an "Unfinished" Day retreat at Pursell Farms on Saturday, October 28. The cost is $75 and includes transportation, food, t-shirt, and retreat events. Click the link below to register online. The deadline to sign up is October 22, so be sure to secure your spot. For more questions about the retreat please contact Emily Boles ([email protected]). If you would like to chaperone, please check the box when registering your student, or email Juli Hansen ([email protected]).

Immunization Clinic at VHUMC
We are offering immunizations at the church on Sunday, October 22, from 9 am to 12:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Walgreens Pharmacist, Macie Sobers, will be here providing flu and pneumonia vaccinations. No appointments are needed and insurance is accepted. Please bring your completed insurance form with you along with your insurance card. The form can be found by clicking the link. For more information or questions contact Megan Drumm ([email protected] / 769-0139). We look forward to seeing you there!

Upward Basketball and Cheerleading

Join us for Upward Basketball and Cheerleading! Grades K5-4th can participate. The season will run from November 13 - February 3 with a break for the holidays. The cost is $105 ($115 for late registration). The deadline for registration is October 24.

Lighthouse Girls Basketball League
Registration is open for Lighthouse Girls Basketball League on the VHUMC website! This league is for 6th-8th Graders, and will be running from December 4 through February 2, with a break for the holidays. The cost is $105 and the deadline to register is November 14. Please contact Miles Erbe ([email protected] / 769-0134) for any questions.

October Memory Verse
We have a new memory verse for October. Our 1st - 5th graders learn a different verse each month, and have the opportunity to recite the verse before or after Sunday School in the elementary office for a sweet treat! October's memory verse is: "...The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." -1 Samuel 16:7 At the end of the school year we will give a grand prize to one boy and one girl. We hope that these verses help to guide them throughout their lives.

Live2Lead Leadership Event
Don't miss this half-day, leadership development simulcast held at VHUMC on November 2. The event will be filled with perspectives and tools from such world-class experts as: John Maxwell, Dave Ramsey, Warrick Dunn, and Cheryl Bachelder. Registration is available online by clicking the link below. Cost is $25 with snacks and lunch provided. Contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136) for more details.

Emmaus Walk
The VHUMC Emmaus Community recognizes and welcomes Jamie Meeks, Rachael Hayes, Nancy Remke and Shannon Raley who recently completed the Walk to Emmaus. These ladies are members and/or on staff at our church. If you are interested in finding out more about the Walk to Emmaus, contact Harry Dinken ([email protected]).

Panama Mission Trip Informational Meeting

VHUMC's 2018 Panama Mission Team is looking for a few good men and women for a work trip to Camp Cielito, El Espino, Panama. This will be the fourth year in a row VHUMC has sent a mission team to this camp. The team leaves May 19 and returns on May 27. The camp is under development by the Panamanian Methodist Church which, when complete, will be able to house, feed and support large groups of youth and adults for a true summer camp experience. The VHUMC team will be working on the dining hall/kitchen combination building which it started during the 2016 work trip. The team will also continue its great relationship with area families and their children with recreational and other fun activities each afternoon during the team's time in camp. If you are interested in being a team member, we are having an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 25, at 6:00 pm, in room 316. Please contact either Jim Frazier ([email protected]) or Jarry and Janet Taylor ([email protected]).

Fall Festival Turnout
What a beautiful day for our annual Fall Festival. Thanks to everyone who volunteered and attended. These events are never possible without all of us working together! We had 457 register their attendance. 214 were guests (47%) and 243 were members (53%). What a great way to invite our neighbors into our VHUMC family - providing a community where everyone can experience their Christ-centered lives of purpose.

Thank You from Kairos
Thank you to all who brought those wonderful homemade cookies for the Kairos 66 at Donaldson Correctional Facility! Through your generosity, lives were positively impacted in many ways. On behalf of the Kairos 66 team, we are truly grateful!

Wednesday Sessions About Children and Students

Don't Worry About a Thing: Anxiety in Children and Students and What to Do. Anxiety is a common topic of discussion among preschool, elementary, and student ministries and families. Learn more information and coping strategies from Psychiatrist, Karen Callahan, MD and Licensed Counselor, John Douglass, MA, LPC. November 1; 6:00 pm; Room 206.
"Screenagers:" Raising Kids in the Digital Age - Screen time is a hot topic in our society. Join us for this extended class as we watch the movie, "Screenagers," and leave feeling confident to empower your children to best navigate the digital world and find balance. For parents of all ages. November 8; 5:30-7:00 pm. Reservations are required for reserving your spot for viewing, childcare, and boxed dinners in case you won't make it in time to enjoy dinner in Fellowship Hall.

Two New Sunday School Options

Bible Project Sunday School Class:This class will help you learn more about the Bible, including its rich and complicated history, its wisdom for the modern world, and how it points us to Jesus. We will use cutting edge tools, such as the Read Scripture app and The Bible Project videos, to discuss and learn. Whether you've read through the Bible numerous times or simply thought about reading it, we invite you to join us for some great discussions! Come to our open house this Sunday, October 22, in room 105, to hear all the details!
A New Young Couples Class: We are excited to be starting a new class for couples in their early 30's with small children! If you are not currently in a class and are interested in joining one, come to our meet and greet on Sunday, November 5, in the Small Dining room. We will have refreshments and discuss future plans to grow in our faith together! Questions? Contact Lane de Kozan ([email protected]) or Kimberly Robbins ([email protected]). We look forward to our time together!

Men's Hiking Ministry 15th Anniversary Dinner

On Monday, November 13, we will be celebrating 15 years of 'The Wesley Wanderers" men's hiking ministry with a potluck dinner at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. If you have ever hiked with us or are interested in learning more about the ministry, then you are invited to join us. Just contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).

Journeys of Paul Cruise Meeting Rescheduled

The Journeys of Paul information meeting originally scheduled for October 8 has been rescheduled for Sunday October 22, at 4:00 pm, in room 316. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).

Questions About Baptism and Communion
Please join us in the Chapel on Sunday, November 5, at 9:45 am, to discuss the significance of the sacraments of baptism and communion, what the Bible says, and what Methodists believe. Dr. Bill Brunson will lead us in this discussion and answer any questions you have. Contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected]) for more information.

What's Happening in the Day School

September marked the 50th anniversary of Vestavia Day School. The program has grown and changed many times over the years, the current teachers and administration are very proud to be continuing such an important area of ministry for VHUMC. We are so thankful that Harriett Woodring followed her vision to start the program all those years ago! The 2017-18 school year marks our largest enrollment at 319 students. We are looking forward to many more years of ministering to our students and their families.

VDS currently has one part-time job opening in the Duck classroom (ages 6 weeks-6 months). The hours are 12:00 - 6:00 pm daily. If you are interested or know anyone who might be, please contact TaraKy Eason ([email protected] / 769-0138).

Ongoing Outreach

Food Pantry

Food Pantry needs more help with our monthly Food Bank pick-up. Do you have a pick-up truck and/or two hours free on the second Monday of each month? We could use your help. It takes seven trucks for our order. More details, contact Barbara Porter ([email protected] / 444-9793). Thank you!

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs boys jeans. No other clothing please. They desperately need furniture (sofas, chairs, dressers, chests). Please call Brenda (685-5757) for pick-up.

Wednesday Night Menu

October 25 - Salad, Chicken Parmesan OR Country Fried Steak, Egg Noodles, Broccoli Amandine, Bread, Cherry Trifle. Kids: Nuggets, Mac & Cheese.
November 1 - Hamburger OR Hot Dogs, French Fries, Toppings. Kids: Pizza
November 8 - Salad, Roast Beef OR Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, English Peas, Biscuit, Cobbler. Kids: Chicken Nuggets, Mac & Cheese
November 15 - Salad, Turkey & Dressing, Green Bean Casserole, Roll, Chocolate Cake. Kids: Pizza