The Notes - October 25, 2018

Volume 48

Issue 43

October 25, 2018

Hurricane Relief Efforts for Michael

Several of you have asked what VHUMC can do to get involved and help with the hurricane Michael relief efforts. We are taking our lead from UMCOR and have several ways that you and the church can help. Click the link for more information.

Clean Out Challenge
It is time to go from Holy Mess to Holiness this Saturday, October 27, from 9:00-11:00 am as we offer our Fall Clean Out Challenge in the big parking lot by Tyson Hall. Bring your clothes for the King's Home, papers for Shred-It, building supplies for Habitat Restore (except paint), coats for Mae Mae's Hugs and other items to drop off and start de-cluttering your life. This year we cannot take paint or computers/printers/electronics. Once you get rid of the external clutter, there will be no more room for internal chaos and more room for God.

Bring Your Office Team to Live2Lead

Don't miss this impactful leadership event being hosted by VHUMC on November 1 from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Enjoy breakfast and lunch with your team as you discover ways to enhance your leadership in shifting and changing times. The cost is $25 and includes breakfast and lunch. Click the link to register.

Pictures of Loved Ones
Next Sunday, November 4, is All Saints' Day. Please bring framed pictures of your loved ones whom you've lost in the past year, to the Fellowship Hall prior to the 9:15 Coffee Hour to be displayed on tables for all to honor and remember. Please bring them in a frame so they can be set out. We look forward to honoring these precious memories together as a church family.

We Need to Finish Strong
Lately we have been celebrating the Church's recent financial successes. Great member participation in the NEXT campaign and ending the church year in the positive on June 30 have been great accomplishments that should make us proud.

Unfortunately, I also need to call to your attention that we have gotten off to a very slow start to this year's General Fund giving and September was the second lowest giving month in the past five years. This currently puts us $165,990 under our budgeted giving at this point in the year - and most of this short-fall is from those that made a pledge for 2018. With this in mind I prayerfully ask that you review your 2018 pledge amounts and help us get back on budget.

Your Finance Committee takes their task to heart and it has been a pleasure to see this group work toward the best interest of our congregation. We have a diverse group of both lay members and clergy who work to ensure that we are being good stewards of your donations in a transparent environment. Thank you for your contribution of money, time, and talents to the church. Please know that you are helping make a difference.

In addition to Gary, Natalie, and John, you can contact me at any time if you have questions or concerns about our finances ([email protected]).

William Hocutt, Finance Committee Chairman

Halloween Candy for Our Troops
Our Armed Services Ministry is asking all VHUMC members to bring any leftover Halloween candy to the Church through November 12. The candy will be distributed to troops overseas and to Veterans in the local V.A. hospital. Bring any unopened candy and place it in the receptacles at various Church entrances. Let's give our troops a sweet surprise!

Extraordinary Generosity
One of the main objectives of our NEXT Campaign and related construction was to not incur any debt - to limit our spending to the amount of funds pledged. As a result, certain items on our "wish list" were deferred until funding could be obtained. For example, in our Sanctuary we raised funds to provide for the drop-down screen in the choir loft; but we did not have enough funds to immediately purchase the special projector required for that space.

Two Sundays ago, one congregation member inquired to one of our clergy about the progress on providing that technology in the Sanctuary. When learning that the $20,000 projector was not yet ordered due to lack of available funds, this donor responded by writing a check to fully fund this purchase the very next day! As a result of this extraordinary generosity, we ordered the projector and should enjoy video projection in the Sanctuary soon.

Sanctuary Hearing Loop Information

Through the generosity of over 100 donors, we are excited to announce that we have installed a hearing loop for the front sections of pews in the renovated sanctuary. Beginning in November, the hearing loop will deliver clear sound from our audio system wirelessly, electronically, and directly to hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive listening devices that have a telecoil (T-coil) input. Most, but not all, hearing aids and cochlear implants already have a T-coil. If you are not sure whether your hearing device has a T-coil, please ask your hearing aid provider the following questions:

Does my hearing aid or cochlear implant have a T-coil?
If so, will you please activate it and show me how to switch inputs from microphone to T-coil and back?

Anyone needing hearing assistance may request a hearing loop receiver with headphones or earbuds from an usher.

Sunday Evening Worship
Come as you are and worship in the Rutland-Memorial Chapel this Sunday at 5:00 pm as Sherry Harris leads our service. Also, mark your calendars to come on November 4 when Ted Leach will be preaching.

Military Pictures for Veterans' Day
Please send any pictures of relatives in military uniform to be used in the "Vestavia Hills Salute to Veterans: Honoring Those Who Served" event at VHUMC on Thursday, November 8, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. These pictures will be inserted into a slideshow during the event. Send them to Cinnamon McCulley ([email protected]).

Magic City Nutcracker Tickets
Tickets for the Magic City Nutcracker are now on sale and can be purchased by clicking the link below. We are so excited about performing at the historic Virginia Samford Theatre. Performances will be on Friday, November 30, at 7:00 pm; Saturday, December 1, at 2:00 and 7:00 pm; and Sunday, December 2, at 2:00 pm.

Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party
Calling all parents and grandparents! The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party is an excellent event that supports the Magic City Nutcracker. Please join us on Sunday afternoon, November 18, from 2:30-4:30 pm in the Parlor for all kinds of goodies, crafts, and a meet-and-greet with the Sugar Plum Fairy herself. What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with your children and get into the holiday spirit! Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door.

Music Therapy Brings Smiles at Fairhaven
Recently, three of our members helped with a new ministry at the Fair Haven assisted living facility. Ann Clemmer, Roula Wolff, and Edwina Styes interviewed the residents about the music they liked best and their favorite songs and hymns. Then they compiled custom playlists for each resident with all their favorites. The residents loved the one-on-one time with the volunteers and were excited to hear their favorite music on headphones. Our members sang along with them and loved seeing them light up as they remembered their favorite songs. "It's so special to be with these precious people. Many could remember all the verses of the hymns they sang in church," Edwina said.

If you know of anyone who wants to volunteer in this capacity and has a heart for serving those with memory issues, please contact Edwina Styes ([email protected]).

Free Smoke Alarms
VHUMC has a team of volunteers that have been trained by the Vestavia Hills Fire Department to inspect houses for fire safety. Home fires increase this time of year as temperatures drop and residents start using heaters. Our team of volunteers will come by your house and do an inspection to see if there are any potential fire safety problems. Our team will also replace your old battery only smoke alarm with a new one for free. These smoke alarms are provided by the Vestavia Hills Fire Department. If you or someone you know would like a free inspection, please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).

High School Girls Retreat
We invite all high school girls to join us for a retreat to Weiss Lake in Cedar Bluff on November 16-18. We will leave on Friday afternoon and return around lunch on Sunday. The cost is $150 (50% sibling discount code is "siblingdiscount") and includes transportation, food, a shirt, and retreat events. Click the link to register online. Space is limited so be sure to register quickly! Friends are more than welcome to join us. For more questions about the retreat please contact Emily Boles ([email protected]).

Calling All Men
Our Men's Ministry has been around for several years and offers lots of opportunities for men to be in ministry together. Our Men's Team responsible for planning and promoting ministry activities and studies includes Hank Patterson, Will Grove, Eric Carlton, Bill Crotwell, Terry Fizer, Pat Mizerany, Clark Williamson, and Lamar Bagby.

We have several Bible studies that meet at 6:30 am on Wednesday mornings:

United Methodist Men study - led by Hal Wilson in room 320
John Rutland study - led by Rob Moxley in room 203
Men's Lectionary study - led by Butch Williams in room 316
Men's Bible study - led by Brad Kimbrough in room 322
Young Men's Bible study - led by Dan Lovell in room 202

We have several sports and recreation groups:

Men's Basketball league - contact Miles Erbe (769-0134)
Monday and Thursday Golfing groups - contact Charlie Hayes (478-3493)
Men's Hiking group - contact Jim Frazier (769-0126)

We also host a Prayer Breakfast twice a year, Guy's Night Out to a Birmingham Barons game and a March Madness game, a Thursday Habitat for Humanity team led by John Moss, and a Men's Chorus led by Quint Harris.

We would love to have you join any of these activities. For more information, contact Jim Frazier (769-0126 / [email protected]).

Passion Conference
The Passion Conference will be here soon and we cannot be more excited for our High School Seniors and our College Students to gather in Atlanta for three amazing days of worship. The conference will be held at the All State Arena and we will be staying in a hotel within walking distance. The Passion speakers are amazing and it will be an unforgettable experience.

We have limited space, so register as soon as possible! If your college student will be using their own transportation, please use promo code "mytransportation" and receive $50 off the regular price! Enter "siblingdiscount" to receive half off of your second student

Early Bird Registration = $275 by October 31
Regular Registration = $325 November 1 to December 1
Late Registration = $358 after December 1

Oberammergau Informational Meeting

VHUMC will be offering two chances to see the best Passion Play in the world. This event only happens once every 10 years. Bill Brunson and Jim Frazier will have an informational meeting this Sunday, October 28, at 4:00 pm, in room 316.

The trip dates are:

June 17 - 26, 2020 : The Passion Play and the Best of Switzerland
July 30 - Aug. 10, 2020: The Passion Play and the Romantic Danube River Cruise

We have a limited number of seats and they are filling up fast. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).

Come Share A Bear
All children are invited to bring a new Teddy Bear on "Share A Bear Sunday" for our Fall Mission Project. Please bring the new Teddy Bear to the 8:30 or 11:00 Worship Service on November 18. Our Bears will be blessed during the Children's Moment and then given to the children at The Children's Harbor, Jessie's Place, and Safehouse. Please Email Anne Strozier ([email protected]) with any questions.

October Memory Verse
This is the final Sunday to recite our October memory verse! Our 1st - 5th graders are taught 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 and chance to win a grand prize at the end of the school year. We hope that these verses help to guide them throughout their lives. October's memory verse is: "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken." ~Psalm 62:2

Growing Pains: Renovating for Our Future

Ok, we will get out on a limb here and say that our new sound system should be operational this Sunday in the Sanctuary! It is a little scary since the slightest glitch could delay us another week, but our installation team is making great progress and feels confident that we will be ready for Sunday. Please make plans to come and listen to the new system.

Other wood trim items are also being installed and next week our new hardwood floors should be complete. The new induction loop for the hearing impaired will also be operational soon. Our new front Narthex doors will be the last improvement item - probably ready in mid-November.

Please continue to pray as we complete our construction. We are looking forward to having everything completed and cleaned up soon.

Ongoing Outreach

Food Pantry

Thanks so much to the high school students for the almost 15,000 items donated for our food pantry! We now have plenty of green beans and ramen noodles. We still need spaghetti sauce and Ziploc sandwich bags. Thanksgiving is almost here! Donations to help purchase 500 turkeys would be appreciated. Thank you!

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Missions needs fall and winter clothing only. No summer items for now. Kitchen items and linens are always needed. For furniture pick-up, please call Brenda (685-5757).

Wednesday Night Menus

October 31 - No Meal
November 7 - Swedish Meatballs OR Baked Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans, Ice Cream. Kids: Chicken Nuggets
November 14 - Salad, Turkey, Dressing, Sweet Potato Casserole, German Chocolate Cake. Kids: Pizza
November 21 - No Meal
November 28 - Biscuit OR Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Cheese Grits, Orange Slices. Kids: Chicken Nuggets, Mac & Cheese