This Sunday SENIOR SUNDAY May 5, 2019

8:30 am Roebuck Chapel

Rev. Dane Womack Offertory “At the Table of the Lord” Eric Krigbaum, Soloist Nancy W. Vernon, Organist

11:00 am Sanctuary

Rev. Dane Womack Offertory “Open My Eyes” Communion Anthem “At the Table of the Lord” Chancel Choir Gaye Mings, Chancel Choir Director Nancy W. Vernon, Organist

11:00 am Connexion

Rev. Bud Reeves “All the Poor and Powerless”   “Remembrance” “All the People Said Amen” “O Praise the Name” “Forever”

HAPPY GRADUATION!

It’s the time of year for graduations: high school, college, confirmation class, even our Weekday School has a preschool graduation for the little ones going off to Kindergarten or first grade next year. Our daughter Abby is graduating from high school and heading off to college at the end of the summer. It’s a bittersweet time as I become an empty nester for the second time! Graduation at any level is something to celebrate, and we usually think of it as a completion. A student completes pre-school, high school, college or some course of academic work. But a less-often used definition of graduation has to do with growth. Graduation comes from the same root word as gradual. From my far-distant work in chemistry, I remember “graduated cylinders” which were used to measure the growth in volume of a substance. In that sense, graduation refers to moving from one level to another. Preschoolers graduate to kindergarten, high schoolers to college, college students to a career or a graduate degree. You get it. The Christian life--rightly practiced--is also a process of graduation, as we grow from one level to another in the grace of God. To graduate from school, there are certain requirements that must be passed, a certain number of credits or hours in certain types of courses. These are often called “core courses.” In the process of Christian growth, there are core practices that allow, enable, and empower our spiritual growth:

·  Prayer ·  Reading Scripture ·  Worship with the community of faith ·  Participating in the Sacraments of the church ·  Christian conversation with other people of faith ·  Acts of mercy or service

You might recognize these practices as John Wesley’s “means of grace.” But they are more than just requirements to be checked off as completed. They are practices that allow God’s grace to flow freely in our lives and help us make progress along the journey. The means of grace help us grow, and growth leads to graduation. And in the Christian sense, graduation is never completed. If we pursue our education as far as it can go, we say we have a “terminal degree.” We are at the end of the line academically. When I received my doctoral degree, I was “terminal.” (Oddly enough, it felt really good!) Christians, like all people, are terminal, in the sense that one day we will be at the end of the line. Our earthly lives will end. We will cease the process of biological growth, and we will die. But for people of faith, even death is a graduation, a moving on to another level as we experience resurrection into the Kingdom of God. That’s what we celebrate during this Easter season--that Jesus experienced resurrection, and so will we! I often share a quote at funerals from Bishop Herbert Welch (of the Methodist grape juice family), which says in part: “death is an escape not merely from something but to something—from school to home, from our imperfect world to a higher realm, clearer vision, larger freedom, purer joy. For fullness and completeness of life we must escape the limitations of the physical. If we are to go on living fully, vigorously, joyfully, we must have a fresh start. And death is the portal by which we make our entry into the realm of the eternal.” That’s a graduation I want to attend! If you have an educational graduate this year, congratulations! It’s a big day for everyone. But for everyone, I wish a happy and continual Christian graduation, growing in grace and peace and courage and love now and eternally.

Rev. Bud Reeves Senior Pastor breeves@fsfumc.org

CELEBRATING EASTER

I continue to celebrate with great joy our Lenten worship, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday services. What a wonderful and sweet season it has been. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have had Scott Erickson a.k.a. “Scott the Painter” join us for the opening weekend of Lent including providing his Stations of the Cross images and book, Prayer: 40 Days of Practice. I have been following Scott and his work for a while and am thrilled for his contributions to our worship life at FSFUMC. I hope you enjoyed his work as well. Our Maundy Thursday service was a beautiful reflection on Christ’s final meal and teaching with his disciples. Good Friday services are some of my favorite as we contemplate the events that led to Christ’s death through visual, scriptural, and musical elements. And what a beautiful Easter Sunday. We had perfect weather for the Sunrise Service and excellent crowds in worship. And the bright skies made for a great children’s egg hunt! Almost everything went smoothly. Almost. We had intentions of sharing our Stations of the Cross images at the downtown Pocket Park on Garrison Avenue on Good Friday. And we had a decent plan. We tried to attach the foam board Stations to sawhorses which were weighed down by sand bags. But it wasn’t enough! That wind tunnel that is the Pocket Park made our set up a comedy routine! Those foam boards folded up like a wet blanket. And so it goes. “Best laid plans…” Another pastor mentioned this week and I shared with our Wednesday communion service that the season of Lent lasts 40 days while the season of Easter last 50 days. This is the liturgical calendar’s way of reminding us that joy outweighs grief. Celebration is more determinative than loss. 50 > 40. Resurrection defeats death. We have far more to celebrate than we have to mourn. So let us continue to make merry, not because everything is perfect, but because in Jesus everything has already been made whole. Our sin can be forgiven. We will know healing. Even death has been defeated. The wind is strong, but the tomb is empty. Christ is risen indeed!

Rev. Dane Womack Executive Associate Pastor dwomack@fsfumc.org

IN OUR PRAYERS

In the Hospital: Nancy Bradt (Mercy) Ruth Anne Price (Mercy) Suzanne Stephens (Baptist Health)   We mourn with Lady Jane Cohen in the loss of her father Paul Pate.

WEEKLY CALENDAR

Sunday, May 5- Senior Sunday 8:30 am Roebuck Chapel Worship 8:45 am Holy Grounds, Narthex 9:30 am Prayer Ministry, Prayer Room 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Sanctuary Worship 11:00 am Connexion Worship, Great Hall 2:00 pm Northside High School Baccalaureate 5:00 pm First Youth, Loft   Monday, May 6 2:00 pm Staff Meeting, Conference Room 6:30 pm Scouts, Room 300   Wednesday, May 8 9:15 am Women’s Bible Study 10:00 am Prayer Group, Prayer Room, 2nd Floor 10:00 am Ladybells Practice 3:30 pm Children’s Choir 5:30 pm Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel 6:00 pm Pastor’s Bible Study, Aldersgate Room 6:30 pm Connexion Band Practice, Great Hall 7:00 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal   Thursday, May 9 7:00 am Youth Breakfast Club, Chick Fil-A 10:00 am Knitters & Knotters, Fireside Room

Save the Date! Annual Church Picnic Sunday, June 30, 2019 4 - 6:30 PM Family Life Center Rain or Shine

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The Autry family joined FSFUMC by transfer of membership Easter Sunday, April 21, in the Connexion service. John is an outside sales rep for Plunkett Distributing while Rev. Deedee is a UMC Elder serving in an extension ministry through her Coaching and Wellness business. Emily will graduate from the University of the Ozarks this Spring and Mary is an undergraduate at the University of Central Arkansas. Please help to welcome the Autry family to Fort Smith and FUMC!

Sally Heinrichs joined FSFUMC by transfer of membership, April 14.

Dannen, Deanne, Kyla, & Lauren Oler joined FSFUMC by transfer of membership, April 28, in the Connexion Service. Dannen works for OK Foods and Deanne teaches school in Greenwood. Kyla is in 10th grade and Lauren is in 7th grade.

FIRST KIDS HAPPENINGS VBS ROAR is June 10-14, 2019

Vacation Bible School is fast approaching and we want everyone to be ready for our African adventure. When you join the United Methodist Church, you take a pledge to support it with your prayers, presence, gifts and service, faithfully participating in the ministries of the church. When a baby is baptized, we promise to nurture these children in Christ’s Holy Church. VBS is the perfect time to act on these words and take part in a meaningful and powerful week for children of our own church as well as children in our community. It’s time to step up, sign up and serve. The fact is that it takes many volunteers to make a successful VBS. We need shepherds, teachers, and people to help decorate, people to bring food, people to help pay for t-shirts and art supplies to defer the costs for VBS. (Something everyone can do) We need your prayers for the children to hear and receive God’s Holy Word, VBS may be the only time some children hear the word of God and learn about Jesus’ love for each of them.

“Then I heard the Lord’s voice saying, ‘Whom should I send, and who will go for us?’ I said, ‘I am hear, send me.’” Isaiah 6:8

Many wonderful things happen at VBS. Children 3 years old through 4 th grade learn Bible lessons through drama, art, music, science, snacks and fellowship. The 5 th and 6 th graders will be participating in a variety of service projects throughout the week. Everyone at VBS will learn that when life is UNFAIR, SCARY, SAD or CHANGES, God is GOOD! VBS is going to be a week full of “Life is Wild - God is Good!”. It requires ALL Savanna Guides and Trek Leaders (that means you!) to report to Safari Central!

Confirmation Class 2019

Rev. Don Thrasher, Rev. Janice Sudbrink, Lauren Oler, Olivia Elwonger, Kate Bunnell, Joseph Swaim, Rev. Bud Reeves, Rev. Dane Womack

FIRST YOUTH

We are gearing up for a GREAT summer at FIRST YOUTH! This month our students will be finishing school and preparing to serve in a number of different ways. Please offer up your prayers for us to share the gospel every day and in every way! Our Senior High students will be heading to Memphis, TN to partner with Service Over Self. SOS is a faith-based organization that specializes in home repair ministry. During this trip, our students will learn about the power of service, poverty (our poverty and the poverty of others), and social justice. We still have a few spots left for 8-12th graders! Our Junior High students will be serving locally for a week at our church. We plan to partner with nonprofit organizations and church members to serve our beloved community the best we can. Our theme this summer is Love the Fort. We’ll be talking about ways we can show our love to one another, to our church, to the community, and to the world. This trip is for 6th & 7th graders. All are welcome to join! The Pilgrimage Bible study group is going on a surprise trip as well! I’d say more about that, but you don’t want me to ruin the surprise, do you?  The Youth 2019 trip is a worship conference in Kansas City that brings together youth ministries from all over the nation. For four days there will be passionate worship, great guest speakers, and workshops to teach & engage. You can contact me for any information on these upcoming trips. I’m looking forward to sharing more about these events as they unfold. God is always with us as we seek to serve others and model his love to the world. May we continually offer ourselves to God in joyful obedience and service.

FAITH MOMENTS

Shortly after I joined the staff here at our church, I visited the Knitters and Knotters Group. This particular group of women and men do such a special ministry for our church and for our community. The Knitters (started around 2009) making Prayer Shawls to share with our folks who have been ill or have been injured that usually requires hospitalization. Prayer Shawls can also be utilized for folks in nursing homes, in rehab, or for others that may need one. These prayer shawls are prayed for weekly by the group and are to let the recipients know that they are being prayed for by our church. It is like getting a hug from our church. Thursdays are usually my hospital visitation days. Since January on those days when I visit the local hospitals, I usually pick out and take a prayer shawl to our folks who may not have one. It is an honor to take one. When I bring a prayer shawl to one of our hospitalized folks, his or her eyes just light up. I tell them that they are loved, appreciated, and prayed for by our church. The Knitters also make potholders and caps for the children for our Guatemala Mission Trip each year. They also make bags for the children at several children’s shelters. The Knotters (started in 2012) make sleeping mats for younger children at Tilles Elementary School, Interfaith Community School, and Morrison Elementary School. The group also makes adult sleeping mats for folks at Next Step Day Room. Get this. These mats are actually made from plastic bags from grocery stores, department stores, newspapers, drugstores, and discount stores. The finished products are beautiful. This past September, I had the opportunity to go with the group to deliver the sleeping mats to the younger children at Tilles. The kid’s faces just lit up as they each picked out the mat for their nap and rest times. At the end of the school year, the children have another surprise. They each get to keep his/her mat. One little boy said upon receiving his mat, “This is the happiest day of my life! ”. What a treat to hear! The Knitters and Knotters group meets every Thursday from 10 AM to 12 Noon (except for Thanksgiving and for two weeks during Christmas) in the Fireside Room. Men and women are invited to come join and participate in either group. It is such a wonderful ministry from our church to our folks and to the Fort Smith area.

SHOAL CREEK CAMP

H20 Day Camp: July 11 from 10am-2pm $25 - Register by July 1 (Entering kindergarten thru 6th grade) Call Mandy Murray, 479-461-2893   Exploring God’s Creation Camp: July 14-16  $75 - Register by July 6 (3rd grade to 6th grade) Directed by Kelly Jacimore, Elizabeth Thames, and Mardell McClurkin. Call 479-461-5209   The Great Adventure Camp: July 21-23 $75 - Register by July 13 (Completing kindergarten thru 6th grade) Call Renee Henson, 479-208-1380   For more information email Renee Henson at mkhenson@cox.net.

RECENT MEMORIALS

In Memory of:   Dorothy Doville by John & Harriet Beasley, Deborah Desrochers, Charles & Patricia Werner, Jack & Louanna Green, Susan Chaney, Mary Lee Kulin Linda Cravens by Fern Taylor & Cheryl Humble, Taylor & Mary Prewitt, Tommy & Blanche Donoho Dr. A.D. Jenkins, III by David & Teresa Hunton, Gene & Teija Nelson, Gene Nelson IV, Tom Nelson, William & Lori Hines, Bill & Jeanie Maddox, Richard & Jan Beauchamp, Kyle & Renee Parker Don Jones by Myrna Sue Lough, Christopher & Cynthia Kenna Ruth Wolfe by David & Teresa Hunton Margaret Hawkins by Tommy & Blanche Donoho Therona (Miss T) Romine by Taylor & Mary Prewitt Larry Oakes by Glenda Brown, Friends Sunday School Class, Margaret Graham, Bob & Janice Powell, Susan Chaney, Don & Kelly Desoto, Sally Ware, Jack & Louanna Green

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 200 N. 15TH ST.  FORT SMITH, AR 72901 (479)782-5068 | FSFUMC.ORG Pastor on Call (479)459-5060 Email: fsfumc@fsfumc.org Office Hours: Monday-Friday  8:30AM-12:30PM & 1:30PM-4:30PM   SUNDAY SERVICES 8:30 AM Roebuck Chapel 9:45 AM Sunday School for all ages 11:00 AM Sanctuary (Radio broadcast on 96.7 FM) 11:00 AM Connexion, Family Life Center-Great Hall   WEDNESDAY SERVICE 5:30 PM Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel   Nursery is provided during worship services for birth thru Kindergarten age.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST NEWS published weekly except the last week of the year by First United Methodist Church 200 North 15th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901.  Contact Diane Wing about newsletter information and submissions: dwing@fsfumc.org

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