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First United Methodist Church of Longview
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The Voice
September 19, 2018
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Responding to Challenges
No blessing is truly evident without challenge to allow the blessing to be more fully appreciated and understood. The blessing of new life is more fully appreciated and understood through the labor of childbirth and the reality of death that also exist. Our faith is understood through salvation that has been offered through a sacrificial death that is overcome in resurrection.
We are experiencing blessing at FUMC! We are changing lives and transforming our community through the power of God’s grace at work in and through each of us united together. FUMC is indeed
A Beacon of Hope for All! We have experienced countless blessings, including new families joining our congregation, ministries that are faithfully extending God’s love into our community, and new vitality in the communal witness we emanate.
As we appreciate those blessings, we also face challenges. This has been a season of significant loss in our congregation. We have also encountered numerous financial challenges recently. In addition to faithfully supporting the ongoing ministry of Christ at FUMC, we have been dealing with nearly a million dollars of mortar restoration work, the flooding of Nicholson Chapel and a significant portion of our basement floor this past winter, as well as overdue support system upgrades. These challenges help us more fully appreciate our blessings and remind us that we are called to faithfulness in the face of these challenges.
We have been blessed to receive donations and grants to cover approximately two thirds of our expected mortar restoration costs. However, we are now at a point in that restoration where we will either need more financial help or have to indebt ourselves for the remainder of the costs, estimated at $350,000. We are also once again finding ourselves about $150,000 behind in giving versus our operating expenditures through August despite tight controls of expenses below our budget estimates.
I believe that we are fully capable of responding to these challenges of operating support and mortar restoration without negatively impacting our witness through the ministry of FUMC. I ask each of our faithful family members to pray and appropriately respond to these challenges as God leads you. We are blessed to be part of this amazing time in ministry. Let’s turn these challenges into new blessings for the ministry of FUMC and the greater work of Jesus Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Jay
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We are so excited to be gearing up for another great fall at Longview FUMC! Your continued commitment and extravagant generosity make things like Sunday school, mission projects, and Bible study happen! Thanks for being a beacon of hope!
To see our August financial statements
click here
.
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Join us for dinner tonight!
We start serving in the Faith Center at 5 p.m. and the line will be open until 6:30 p.m. Cost is $6/person. We will also have a short communion service at 6:15 p.m. in the Heritage Room.
Please call the church office at 903-753-4463 for reservations!
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Come enjoy tasty pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn bread, mixed greens salad, and pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream!
Kiddos:
Chicken strips, mashed potatoes, oranges, and juice!
Kid's supper is served at 6 p.m.
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Wednesday Night Studies
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. (weekly)
September 12, -November 7
Gospel of Luke
/led by Rev. Jay Jackson
Heritage Room
Gospel of John
/led by Jerrod Allen
New Beginnings classroom/room 302
Epic of Eden
/led by Rev. Becca Newcomb
Genesis classroom /room 313
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Daytime Studies
Tuesday
Men Under Construction
6:30 to 7:30 am (weekly)
Heritage Room
Wednesday
Mom 2 Mom
9:30-11:30 a.m. (every other Wednesday)
Begins September 5, 2018
Genesis classroom/room 313
Men’s Noon Bible Study
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (weekly)
Heritage Room
Thursday
Fearless
by
Max Lucado (Women’s study)
9:30-11:00 a.m. (weekly)
September 20, 2018 – November 8, 2018
Parlor
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To register online for one of these great studies
click here
. You can also register on Sunday morning or by calling the church office!
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Excited for our first Kidz Blitz of the 2018-2019 school year! This month we will be taking a closer look at one of the best examples of someone who showed initiative even when he didn’t have to in the book of Nehemiah. Meet in the Faith Center for dinner at 6 p.m. Following dinner, we will have a worship session, whole group lesson and activity, and end by breaking up into small groups by ages. We are excited to see each of you! Parents, please pick your children up by the church office at 7:30.
This month’s memory verse:
“Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord.” Colossians 3:23
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Calling all 3rd graders:
In preparation for the presentation of their Bibles in October, Children's Ministry will be holding a Bible Bonanza for the 3rd graders. This three week event will be held during the first 15 minutes of the Sunday School hour.
For each of these three weeks, our kids will learn stories and people of the Bible as well as learn how to look up specific books, chapters, or verses on their own.
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STUDENT PRAYER BREAKFASTS HAVE STARTED BACK!!
Janice and Jake will be meeting students for breakfasts on Tuesdays and Fridays for fellowship, prayer, and breakfast.
All are invited to join us and get a good start to the morning. We will be at the following locations from 7 – 8 a.m.
ON Tuesdays
Chick-fil-a located at the corner of Gilmer Rd and Loop 281
ON Fridays
Chick-fil-a located at Fourth St. and Loop 281
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SAVE THE DATES:
Sept. 23
– High School Lake Day after late worship services. High schoolers will worship together and then head to Lake Cherokee for lunch and fun.
Sept. 29
– September Service Project – Yard work at Asbury House Child Enrichment Center located at 320 S. Center St. beginning at 8:30 a.m. We will mow, edge and rake the yards. This counts as mission and community service points.
Oct. 7-8
- Save the Dates for Fall Retreat. More information soon.
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MEN’S MINISTRY DAY RETREAT
OCTOBER 20, 2018
11AM-6PM
Double E Ranch, Gilmer, TX
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Lunch and Dinner courtesy of FUMC Longview Men’s Ministry, prepared by local guest grill experts.
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Activities:
Fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, skeet shooting, bragging about fishing or skeet skills, devotion time.
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Stuff to bring:
Mandatory-A good lawn chair. Optional-We will have gear set up for folks, but if you like, you can bring your own fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, or skeet gear. That way you can’t blame results on equipment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SIGN UP, CONTACT:
BRETT WALKER 903-987-3090, STEPHEN SCOTT 903-235-3363,
or JOHN TURNER 903-261-4673
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Can you help?
Newgate Mission is in desperate need of men’s clothing (jeans, t-shirts, underwear, shoes, socks). Donations can be dropped off at the Newgate Office (207 S Mobberly) Tuesday-Friday, from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
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Donations for Asbury House
Each month Asbury House is collecting one type of item to help stock their shelves! In
September they are collecting
facial tissues! You can bring your donation items to the church office during the week or drop them off at the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings in the Asbury House boxes!
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Upcoming Music & Fine Arts Event...
The Annie Moses Christmas Tour 2018
Monday, December 17 | 6:30 p.m. | Fellowship Hall
Annie Moses Band has been spreading their Christmas cheer across America for over a decade. Christmas With Annie Moses Band is a perennial holiday favorite and stands on the PBS charts as one of the most played specials of the season.
Featuring awesome arrangements of carols old and new, the Annie Moses Band - infused with that unmistakable instrumental sparkle - presents an exciting evening of Christmas music for the whole family. Join us for this spectacular concert in our Fellowship Hall (off Whaley Street between Fredonia and Green) on Monday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m.
This concert is a ticketed event. Tickets are currently on sale to the general public for $15 through our website, but a special reduced price of $10 per ticket will be made available exclusively to members of First United Methodist Church, Longview from Monday, October 1 to November 30 in the Church Office. Please note that these tickets will be sold on a strictly
‘first come, first served’
basis.
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Life Together at FUMC Longview
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The Texas Annual Conference Core Leadership Team invites you to attend Heart & Mind Listening Sessions. These Listening Sessions, approved by the body of the 2018 Annual Conference, are presented to help you to discern the issues before our February 2019 General Conference.
These sessions are different from the information sessions with Bishop Jones
. Here you will be invited to engage in a “Holy Conferencing” atmosphere with guided discussions. Recommended pre-session reading will be listed on the Conference website to help each of us be fully informed and inquire how best to lead our churches during this time.
The General Conference Delegation has been invited to participate in the discussion regarding the issues and voting that will take place in our United Methodist Church.First United Methodist Church Longview will be hosting a session on
Sunday, October 7 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm
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Refreshments will be served. Childcare will be available by RSVP directly to 903-753-4463. Please provide the age of your child so that age appropriate childcare can be arranged.
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To submit an article for the Voice please email Pastor Becca at
bnewcomb@longviewfumc.org. Info must be submitted by Thursday at 5pm in order to be in next week's edition of the Voice.
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First United Methodist Church of Longview
400 N. Fredonia St. Longview, Texas 75601
Tel-(903) 753.4463
Fax-(903) 236.7608
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