THIS SUNDAY AUGUST 4, 2019

“The Ones Where The Lost Are Found ” Luke 15:1-10

8:30 am Roebuck Chapel

Rev. Bud Reeves Offertory “The Ninety and Nine” Kent Blochberger, Soloist Nancy W. Vernon, Organist

11:00 am Sanctuary

Rev. Bud Reeves Offertory “The Ninety and Nine” Communion Anthem “A Communion Invitation” Chancel Choir Gaye Mings, Chancel Choir Director Nancy W. Vernon, Organist

11:00 am Connexion

Rev. Roy Beth Kelley “Reckless Love” “Your Great Name” “Come As You Are” “Your Love Never Fails” “Great Are You Lord”

SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE…

I hope everyone had (or is having) a great summer and that you have been able to get some rest and recreation along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation (as I always do). A little time away helps me to recharge my spirit and body and get ready for the next chapter. One of the experiences I often have at church begins with walking down the hall alone. There is not a great deal of traffic sometimes down by our offices. But usually I am running late for a meeting or just cruising in before a worship service starts, and I happen to be by myself. Then I hear it--the sound of people gathering. Maybe the staff or the committee has already gathered for a meeting, and they are just visiting. Or a group is gathering for worship and greeting one another. Often when I attend youth ministry on Sunday nights, there is NOBODY in the dark hallway on third floor. But as I get closer to the Loft, I begin to hear the excited voices of the teenagers as they play games, eat, or worship. This experience describes for me the state of mind in early August. It’s still summer; we won’t get our normal attendance back for a couple of weeks. It’s still like walking down the hall alone. But in the distance I can hear the sounds of fall--school starting, Wednesday night life, children’s and youth ministries starting back, bigger crowds on Sunday, all the activities that make FUMC such a great place to be. The anticipation makes me smile, because as much as I enjoy the summer, I am always ready for the busy time of fall.   So enjoy the last few days of walking down the hall alone; it won’t last! In this newsletter and in our communications in the coming weeks, you will see many opportunities to get involved. I hope you will make use of as many as you can. Especially Wednesday Night Life--we have some great classes lined up, starting off with Pack Shack on September 11. If you have any questions about any of our fall offerings, contact me or one of the staff members. We will be thrilled to get you connected.

Rev. Bud Reeves Senior Pastor breeves@fsfumc.org

Please use this number for emergencies only. Direct all other calls to the church office, 479-782-5068.

Sarah and Michael are registered at Dillard's, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond.

UPDATE Lunch and/or Dessert for Faculty and Staff of Partner Schools August 6 and August 8, 2019

In the last couple of years, our church has sponsored a meal or refreshments to our public schools in the area. We do this as a ministry of appreciation for all that they do for the children and youth. We also do this during Pre Planning Week before the students return the following week. Listed below are the schools and our scheduled days to provide lunch or refreshments. Please sign up by calling the Church Office at 479-782-5068 or emailing Rev. Don Thrasher at don.thrasher@arumc.org  NO LATER than Friday, August 2. Thank you for your help in this important ministry.     Tuesday, August 6 Northside High School   Needed: 6 salad dishes Please deliver dishes to the Narthex Refrigerator at the church by 10:15 AM on Tuesday, August 6. Stacy Stites will pick them up and deliver to Northside High School. Darby Junior High School  616 N 14th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone:479-783-4159 Needed: 3 salad dishes Two Desserts  Please food dishes to the Darby Jr High Office by 10:45 am. Thursday, August 8 Tilles Elementary School  815 N 16th St, Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: 479-785-5606 Needed:  2 Desserts Please bring desserts to the Tilles Elementary School Office by 10:45 am. Belle Point Alternative School  1501 Dodson Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72901 Phone: 479-783-7034 Needed: 3 doz rolls or a loaf of bread 2 salad dishes 2 desserts Please bring salad dishes; bread, and desserts to the Belle Point Alternative Center Office by 10:45 AM.

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

This summer we have been spending time during the Sunday morning sermons learning about the parables--that is the stories Jesus told his disciples to teach an important lesson about the kingdom of God and to help them grow in their faith. It has been surprising how parts of my own faith story have come out through my preaching about the parables. But, now I’ve started wondering what your stories are and how the stories of Jesus have changed you.   In the books of Luke (Luke 8:26-39) and Mark (Mark 5:1-20), we find the strange story of the demon-possessed man named Legion who is living in the cemetery naked and homeless. Jesus cast the demons out of Legion and into a herd of pigs which promptly jumped off a cliff, into the lake, and drowned. Here is what happened next:   “ The man from whom the demons had gone begged to come along with Jesus as one of his disciples. Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell the story of what God has done for you.’ So he went throughout the city proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:38-39. Although Legion wanted to follow after Jesus, Jesus told him to return home instead and to tell the story of what God had done for him. Part of our job as disciples is to tell the story of what God has done for us! And every single believer has a story just waiting to be told. If you can’t remember a day in your life that you didn’t know the love of Jesus, what an amazing story that is! If you came to know Jesus today when you were healed of addiction, what an amazing story that is! So won’t you think about what your story is?   So, here is a little challenge with an incentive. Would you write out your story? Just a quick two-minute “God story” that you could share with a friend or family member if the opportunity ever comes up. You might want to use this prompt to get you started:  Jesus is my ______________. There was a time that I __________, but then __________. And since then ____________. Then, would you be really bold and share it with me in person or by email at rbkelley@fsfumc.org ? I promise I will never use your story without your permission, but I would appreciate getting to know you and being an audience for your story. Also, for every story received, I will donate a school supply for our local schools! My prayer for this project is that you would be overwhelmed by your experience of God’s grace in thinking about your story. I pray, too, that God would open up an opportunity to tell someone what God has done in your life.

Rev. Roy Beth Kelley Executive Associate Pastor rbkelley@fsfumc.org

Join Pastor Roy Beth for a study of the Book of Ruth, Wednesdays at 6 p.m. beginning August 7 . We will be studying The Book of Ruth: Gleaning Meaning for Today.  We will look at one chapter of the book per week and consider how the book might inspire us to live as faithful disciples today. Topics include recognizing the valuable role of immigrants in our community and considering how we might help families experiencing hard times. No pre-work is involved, and everyone is invited.

IN OUR PRAYERS

In the Hospital: ·  Albert Newton (Mercy)   We mourn with:   ·  Mrs. Mary Lee Kulin in the loss of her niece, Cindy Sweeney. ·  Dalton (Claire) Person in the loss of their uncle, Bobby Person. ·  Friends in the loss of Brenda Swink Mendenhall.

WEEKLY CALENDAR

Sunday, August 4 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 Wedding Shower for Sarah Kinder & Michael Mings, Narthex   Monday, August 5 2:00 pm Staff Meeting, Conference Room 6:30 pm Scouts, Room 300   Wednesday, August 7 10:00 am Prayer Group, Prayer Room, 2nd Floor 5:30 pm Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel 6:00 pm Pastor’s Summer Bible Study, Friends Class 6:30 pm Connexion Band Practice, Great Hall 7:00 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal   Thursday, August 8 10:00 am Knitters and Knotters, Fireside Room   Saturday, August 10 6:00 pm Sarah Kinder & Michael Mings Wedding, Sanctuary

GUATEMALA MISSIONS

There will be a combined medical/dental/construction mission meeting  Sunday, August 18th at 5:00  in the Narthex . This will be an information meeting about the trips along with planning for fund raisers. Mark your calendars for this important meeting!

FIRST KIDS HAPPENINGS

Hope everyone had a Great Summer! And now it is time for Back to School! The most wonderful time of the year! Blessings of the Backpacks will be on August 11th in all three services. Your children will be invited to bring their school bag or backpacks to the altar for a special blessing and gift to start the new school year.  Back to School Sunday Funday will be on August 18 for kids in 1st-6th grades. We will be playing games and earning points for the Trolley Gift Shop! Books for Moffett – We are still collecting new or gently used, age appropriate books for the Moffett elementary school through August 25th. These books will be used in their library and classrooms. Kids can earn tons of points for bringing books to help out the flood relief effort for our neighbors. Wednesday Night Life Coming Soon – Pack Shack will kick off our WNL Fall semester on September 11th. We are excited to continue the faith journey with Kids 1st – 6th grades. There will be lots of games, mission projects, fun, food and fellowship!

This Sunday there will be someone in the Family Life Center lobby across from the coffee and someone outside of the sanctuary to take name tag orders (plastic name tags with a magnetic back). Payment of $8.23 is due with order. FREE lanyard with clip-on name tags are also still available. Call the church office for more info. 782-5068

2019 United Methodist Lawyers Conference

The 2019 United Methodist Lawyers Conference will be held on Thursday, September 19, at Pulaski Heights UMC, Little Rock. Seven hours of free continuing legal education is available on various topics of interest. For more information or to register please see:   http://www.umfa.org/2019-lawyers-conference

FAITH MOMENTS

During my first month on staff here, I was invited to join a group that met monthly to discuss the ministry needs around our community. That group is called “Neighbors on the Block” or “NOB” which meets the second Thursday morning of every month for about an hour at St John’s Episcopal Church.    The group is a combination of an information and support network for those (Laity and Clergy alike) who serve ministries and agencies in the downtown area. Among those that are part of the group are Directors and Representatives from Community Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, Hope Campus, Next Step Day Room, Sack Lunch Program, Good Samaritan Clinic, West ARK RSVP, and Antioch Ministries. Churches represented are First United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian, St. John’s Episcopal, and Immaculate Conception.  We have a guest speaker each month usually from the downtown area that keeps us up to date on what is happening. We have had representatives from the Fort Smith Police Department, the Fort Smith Sanitation Department, as well as our Mayor, speak to us. It is a blessing to be a part of this great group. We are definitely Neighbors on the Block. We learn something new each time and know that we have the support of one another. If anyone from our church would like to go with me to one of our meetings, please feel free to contact me. I would love for you to join us. It definitely shows that we are all in this together in our ministries to the folks of downtown Fort Smith. Isn’t that what the Body of Christ is all about?

PACESETTERS

Pacesetters is a group of retirees who meet in the Fireside Room here at FUMC on the first and third Friday mornings from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. We have fellowship, singing, games, and interesting speakers from the community followed by lunch. Our trips take us to fun places like Branson and Mama’s Place In Parks. You are all invited and encouraged to join us. I am involved in leadership, along with other members of our group of eager volunteers and staff member, Rev. Don Thrasher. Our meetings are open to everyone throughout the community. This coming Friday, August 2, Dr.Taylor Prewitt will present his research on the Flu Epidemic of 1918 in Fort Smith, including photos. His programs are always well researched and eagerly received. Hope to see you Friday morning in the Fireside Room at 10:00 for Pacesetters. Louise Finney

RECENT MEMORIALS

In Memory of:   ·  Larry Oakes by Steve & Connie Thomas, Myrna Sue Lough ·  Myra Ward by Myrna Sue Lough ·  Dorothy Doville by Tony Leraris

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIFE KICK-OFF

When: September 11 at 6:00 pm Where: FUMC Great Hall Join us for a light meal followed by the Pack Shack event from 6:30-7:30 pm. We will come together to pack 20,000 meals to be used in local hunger relief for the children and youth of our neighborhood partner schools. This is part of the Arkansas United Methodist Conferences 200,000 Reason Initiative. There will be information about all the studies being offered for WNL. Watch the September monthly newsletter for more details.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 200 N. 15TH ST.  FORT SMITH, AR 72901 (479)782-5068 | FSFUMC.ORG * Pastor on Call (479)308-8655 ( *new number ) 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 Nursery is provided during worship services for birth thru Kindergarten age.   WEDNESDAY SERVICE 5:30 PM Holy Communion, Roebuck Chapel

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.

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