The Notes - April 11, 2019

Volume 49

Issue 15

April 11 , 2019

Easter Egg Hunt
Neighbors and friends, mark your calendars to join us for the VHUMC Easter Egg Hunt! We will gather this Saturday, April 13, at 10:00 am, in the Fellowship Hall. All toddlers thru 3rd grade are invited to bring a basket and camera to take pictures with the Easter Bunny and of course have fun with each other as we hunt eggs together!

Palm Sunday Children's Palm Parade

This Sunday is Palm Sunday and we invite all children to gather in the Narthex before our traditional worship services, as well as the lobby of Tyson Hall before the contemporary worship service, to participate in the palm parade. Children will each carry their own palm branch and process into the worship service. After we lay down our palms on the altar, the children can return to their seat to celebrate, praise, and worship with their families through the rest of the service.

New Look for Holy Week Lunches

We are kicking off Holy Week a little different this year. No more sermons from people you have never met. Instead we recruited some of the most influential women from our congregation to come speak before lunch. So, make sure to come hear from these wonderful women April 15-17, from 12:00-1:00 pm in Tyson Hall. Meals are $8, no reservation required.

Monday, April 15 - Kym Prewitt
Tuesday, April 16 - Jill Kimbrough
Wednesday, April 17 - Julie Harper

You don't want to miss these inspirational messages as we continue on our journey to the cross, leading into the celebration of Easter!

Holy Week Services
After Palm Sunday, we invite you to continue in the journey of Holy Week.

Lenten Lunches - Monday through Wednesday (April 15-17) we will be hosting lunch in Tyson Hall alongside guest speakers from our congregation.

Maundy Thursday - Maundy Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, known as the Last Supper, and we will do the same. Our service will be held in the Sanctuary at 6:00 pm and will focus on Holy Communion and end with the "New Command" that Jesus gave to his disciples and to each of us.

Good Friday - We call Friday of Holy Week "good," because we live on the Easter side of that day. We know the outcome and what Christ went through for us, so it is a "good" day. Our Good Friday service will be held at 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary. We will reflect on the suffering of Christ, building the contrast between Jesus' death and the resurrection. We cannot fully appreciate the resurrection until we have gone through the suffering. We hope you will join us!

Help the Hungry Feed Your Soul
Join us April 28-30 as we work together to package over 300,000 meals during our Rise Against Hunger event. Each meal costs only $0.29 and is a mixture of rice, barley, and soy enriched with 23 vitamins and minerals. Our Lenten offering will support our efforts, so please give as generously as you can to help us reach our $87,000 goal. You can give online or using the Rise Against Hunger envelopes in the pews. Visit the link below to volunteer for a shift and let's work together to end hunger in our lifetime.

Spirit Night at Chick-Fil-A
Mark your calendars and join other VHUMC members for a fun filled evening at the Vestavia Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, April 17. Chick-Fil-A is helping VHUMC by hosting a Spirit Night during which 15% of the proceeds will be donated to our upcoming Rise Against Hunger meal-packaging event through Planet Fundraiser. From 5:00-7:00 pm, buy dinner for your family as well as gift cards for birthday gifts, teacher appreciation gifts, or special occasions! The more you spend, the more impact you can make!

Here's how it works:

Download the Planet Fundraiser app
Select our group: VHUMC Community Wide Event - Rise Against Hunger
Take a picture of your receipt and upload it to Planet Fundraiser using the app
15% of your purchase will benefit Rise Against Hunger.

Don't have the app? Church volunteers will be on hand that night to submit your receipt or walk you through the process. It's an easy way to make a difference!

Easter Flowers
In celebration of Easter, the Flower and Altar Guilds will be adorning the worship services with both fresh cut and potted flowers. You can participate by donating flowers in memory or honor of a loved one for $20. There will be a few potted plants available to be picked up after the 11:00 am services. The Gardening Committee will place any unclaimed potted plants in the church gardens as a living tribute. If you wish to donate flowers in memory of or in honor of a loved one, you must contact Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112) before Monday, April 15, at 11:00 am. Order forms will also be available in binders in the church office.

Easter Cross Filled with Flowers
Every Easter at VHUMC a very special cross is placed on the front lawn facing Kentucky Avenue. It is special because it starts off barren and empty, but slowly as the day goes it is filled with flowers from family gardens. You are invited this Easter to help fill this cross! Please bring fresh flowers to place on the large outdoor wooden cross. Many families have an annual Easter picture in front of the beautiful, flowered cross. We invite your family to participate in this long-standing tradition that helps signify a promise made whole through life after death!

Put Out Your Yard Signs
VHUMC yard signs will be distributed after worship in Tyson lobby and in the Sanctuary narthex and parlor. Be sure to display yours in your yard, inviting all who see it to join us in worship and fellowship as we learn and grow at VHUMC. Let's keep these up until after Easter, so everyone knows of our warm and welcome place to worship.

Help Get Ready for Rise Against Hunger

Bags and labels for Rise Against Hunger are here and ready to be prepped for our upcoming event! A special thank you to Nancy Dunavant and her team for getting those ready for us to pick up. We have to label all the bags that the meals go in. There are a total of 50,000 bags and we need your help. This is a great opportunity for individuals, small groups, families, etc. to help make a difference. If you want to help, here is how to do it.

The bags and labels are behind the wall in the Chapel Narthex. Pick up a bag, sign it out, and take the items with you. The instructions and materials are in the bags. Once completed, return the finished products to the return box and sign them back in so we know they are completed. All items need to be returned by Wednesday, April 24. That is it! Thank you in advance for your help!

To Mars and Beyond
We invite 4k (by September 1, 2018) through 5th graders to join us on a voyage to Mars and beyond on June 10-14! Vacation Bible Camp goes from 9:00 am to noon each day as we go on a journey through space using music, crafts, games, skits, Bible study, science, and more to explore where God's power can take us.

It takes so many volunteers to make this great week happen! If you are interested in volunteering please contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]) or Jamie Meeks ([email protected]).

Please let the church know if you are not able to pay for VBC. We do not want for any child to miss this great experience because of money.

Student Volunteers Needed for VBC
We invite students 6th - 12th grades to volunteer during the week of Vacation Bible Camp. We will be blasting off to Mars and Beyond! It takes so many people to make this exciting week happen, and our students are a huge part of that. VBC will be June 10-14 from 9:00 am to noon each day. If your student is interested in volunteering, please fill out the attached form and email it to Kathryn Groat ([email protected]), or drop it off in the student ministries office. Forms are due by May 24.

Send Us Your Drawings
Vestavia Hills UMC will be experimenting with its first "made in-house" sermon series based on a book written by one of its pastors. The series will run four Sundays, beginning September 8. Dr. Kipp McClurg has finished writing the book, "The Mysterious Pathways of Joy" and it is now in the editing stage. It will be available through Kindle, and possibly in print form. There will also be a 10-minute video for each week hosted by our pastors and church staff as a roundtable discussion, all to be used by Bible Study groups and Sunday School Classes.

There are two ways to help. First, we would love to have artwork by our children or youth for each chapter, following the theme "Mysterious Pathways," with four total selected. It will ultimately be printed in black and white, but it can be drawn in color. Send any drawings to Kipp McClurg ([email protected]) or drop by the church office. All submissions with be displayed in September as part of the series. Second, save the dates for your Sunday School Class or small group. This will be another opportunity for our church to grow together. The pastoral staff is preparing energetically for this exciting new chapter in our church ministry.

Spiritual Growth Through the Enneagram

Do you know that you are not your personality? Beneath your outer layers of self is an authentic, beautiful being exactly as it came from heaven. Join us in this Basic Introduction to discover this wonderful, real you and draw from the wisdom of the Enneagram, an ancient tool for spiritual growth. Led by Rev. John Adams, Ordained Minister and Professional Coach and member of the Serendipity Sunday School Class at VHUMC, we will meet on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, April 24 - May 15, in room 202.

RightNow Kid's Easter Experience

This powerful, animated production contains two 45 minute videos outlining The Easter Promise and The Witness. It confirms that those who seek often find more than they were searching for. They discover the power of the truth.

Be sure to register for this free resource! Text rightnow vhumc to 41411 to get your link to create a profile. Then watch 2,000+ Bible studies, talks, kids shows, youth studies, and movies. You can also contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected]) if you have questions.

Calling All Sunday School Classes
Please join us for a very special lesson on Easter Sunday, April 21, at 9:45 in the Chapel. Rev. Nancy Hornsby, accompanied by Becky Padgett on the piano, will be presenting "The Message in Song - Jesus Wondrous Name." As Mary recognizes the Risen Lord when He calls her by name. Through song we will reflect on the various names we call Jesus. All are welcome.

Hearing Loop Receivers
Through the generosity of over 100 donors, we now have installed the hearing loop t-coil technology in both the Sanctuary and the Rutland-Memorial Chapel. Everything that runs through our sound system in those two spaces can now be heard through hearing aids and cochlear implants outfitted with this technology. We also have individual receivers (with ear buds or headphones) that can be used in these locations to connect to our sound system. These can be individually purchased (if you desire to have your own receiver) for $100 each. To order, please notify the church office or contact Butch Williams ([email protected] / 769-0102) for more information.

Kairos Cookies
Each spring and fall, teams of volunteers conduct a Kairos Prison Ministry weekend at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility. Similar to the Walk to Emmaus, our next weekend will be April 25-28 and we need homemade cookies! The fact that somebody cares enough for them to actually bake them cookies touches the hearts of these men in ways that you cannot believe. We ask that you minimize the use of fruit in the cookies and not bring any "store bought" cookies. Place the cookies in a one-gallon, clear zip-lock bag. No other containers are allowed through the prison security check. Please bring cookies to the church office no later than Wednesday, April 24. For more information, contact Mike Harris ([email protected] / 256-606-0940).

5th Grade Parent Meeting
It is hard to believe that our 5th graders will soon be moving to Thrive Student Ministries! In order to help their transition go smoothly, we have two important dates for parents of 5th graders to be aware of:

Sunday, April 28 - 5th grade parent meeting from 9:45-10:45 in the Fellowship Hall
Sunday, May 5 - Jeremiah Stone, Pastor of Thrive Student Ministries, will visit 5th grade Sunday School and will take the children on a tour of the Student Ministries floor. 5th graders will meet in room 221 (Simon classroom) at 9:45 on elementary floor.

We look forward to watching how these children continue to use the gifts God has given them as they grow.

Disciple Bible Study
We're planning to continue the strong momentum that was begun this spring with the next phase of Disciple classes in the fall. If you want to continue or if you want to start, please click on the link below to register. It's been a great study and we look forward to growing the number of participants from the initial group of 105!

April 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 an electric scooter at the end of the school year. We hope that these verses help to guide them throughout their lives. April's memory verse is: "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life." ~John 5:24

Ongoing Outreach

Bunny Aid is Back

VHUMC will once again partner with Peter Cottontail and his friends at Hands On Birmingham to help with Easter baskets for children in the Birmingham area. We will be collecting pre-made baskets in the main office until Tuesday, April 16. If you would rather make a financial contribution, we will also accept cash donations for needed supplies through April 16 (no checks please). Thank you for making one child's Easter morning extra bright and special.

Chainsaw Training for Disaster Relief

Our Baptist colleagues in disaster response have announced three chainsaw training courses that they are offering. Many have asked how they might become certified in chainsaw operation and safety. Your attendance at and successful completion of one of these courses would certainly earn you that certification.

The 2-day training opportunities are scheduled as follows:

April 12-13 * North Jefferson Baptist Association, Morris, AL
April 26-27 * DeKalb Baptist Association, Rainsville, AL
May 16-17 * Colbert-Lauderdale Baptist Association, Florence, ALFor more information on these programs, and to register for one of them, visit the link below and click on "Course Offerings."

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry is still distributing food every Wednesday to 150 families. If you have never seen this in action, come down to the Student Ministries floor and check it out between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. If you need an idea for Lent, take one item from your pantry every day and you will have a bag of food to donate after Easter. Our families thank you!

Oak Mountain Missions

Oak Mountain Missions needs working appliances. Please call Brenda (685-5757) for a pick-up. Cookware and linens are always needed. Please put them in the bins around the church, marked for OMM. Thank you.

Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs

Soul Keeping: Most Wednesdays until April 24 * 6:00 pm * Room 203
Holy Week: April 17 * No dinner or programming
Music and Arts Concert: May 1 * Tyson Hall
Enneagram: April 24 - May 15 * Room 202

Menus

April 24 - Sesame Glazed Pork, Rice or Mac & Cheese, Steamed Vegetable Medley, Salad or Fruit (Healthy Option: Ginger Chicken or Chef's Salad)
May 8 - Orecchiette with Bolognese, Marinara, or Alfredo Sauce, French Bread, Salad or Fruit (Healthy Option: Baked Chicken or Chef's Salad)