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 300,024 Meals Packed
We did it! Our Rise Against Hunger event finished up Tuesday afternoon as we packed the final meal putting us at 300,024 total meals packed. Thank you to everyone that participated, donated, and to the wonderful team of volunteers running in the background. Our meals have already been loaded up and are headed to the children in El Salvador!
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Recognition Sunday in Contemporary Worship
Please join us in Contemporary Worship this Sunday, May 5, as we recognize all of our Upward Soccer, Vestavia Dance, and Music & Arts children and families, thanking them for developing their God-given talents in these ministries. If you are a part of these groups and want to participate, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136) and she'll reserve a spot for you to sit up front with all your team members. We are blessed to have so many wonderful ministries for our children to grow in their gifts and talents.
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 Provide Life-Changing Scholarships
Since December of 2018 the VHUMC Foundation has provided 25 education scholarships from their appropriately designated funds totaling over $50,000 to deserving students within our congregation and conference. This is possible through the generosity of donors who have seen the need to assist students in colleges and seminaries. In many cases, these funds become life-changing to the students and those whom they impact. If you are interested in helping provide scholarships, please contact John Sweeney ([email protected]).
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Register for Vacation Bible Camp
 We invite 4k (by September 1st, 2018) through 5th graders to join us on a voyage to Mars and beyond! During Vacation Bible Camp we will 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. VBC will be June 10-14 from 9:00-12:00 each day.
Please let the church know if you are not able to pay for VBC. We do not want any child to miss this great experience because of money.
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 Volunteers Needed for VBC
Vacation Bible Camp is headed all the way to Mars this year, so we need some help! It takes so many people to make this exciting week happen, and we want you to be a huge part of that. VBC will be June 10-14 from 9:00 am to noon each day. We would love for you to join us for this fun week!
- Adults: We still need people to lead elementary small groups from one activity to the next, and we still need some help in the elementary craft room. For any questions, please email Jamie Meeks ([email protected]).
- Students: If your student is interested in volunteering, please click on the link and fill out the registration. For any questions, please contact Kathryn Groat ([email protected]). Registration is due by May 24.
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 VBC Break Room
We can use your help for the VBC break room. Each year during VBC we provide drinks and snacks for the 250+ volunteers and teen helpers. This year we are in need of 2-liter drinks (Diet Coke, Coke, Sprite, Sunkist, Root beer, etc.), chips, cookies, crackers and candy. We will have a box designated for this in the church office and on the preschool floor. If you would like to donate perishable items (fruit, dips, breakfast casseroles, brownies, muffins, donuts, veggie trays, etc.) we will take those the week of VBC in the Lighthouse kitchen area located on the 2nd floor. Thanks in advance for your help! If you have questions, please contact Kim Harper (615-525-6622).
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 5th Grade Splash Adventure
5th graders who attend Vacation Bible Camp have the opportunity to finish out their week at Splash Adventure! After VBC ends on Friday, June 14, they will meet in the Student Ministries Cafe, have pizza for lunch, and then go to Splash Adventure. 5th graders must be registered before June 1 and there are limited spots available. Please contact Jeremiah Stone ([email protected]) with questions.
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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, Jeremiah Stone, Pastor of Thrive Student Ministries, will visit our 5th grade Sunday School this Sunday, May 5, and take the children on a tour of the Student Ministries floor. 5th graders will meet in room 221 (Simon classroom) at 9:45 on the elementary floor. We look forward to watching how these children continue to use the gifts God has given them as they grow.
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 Pickleball Essentials Workshop
Would you like to learn how to play Pickleball or improve your game? VHUMC Health, Wellness & Recreation is hosting a Pickleball Essentials Workshop on Monday, May 6, from 1:00-4:00 pm, in the Lighthouse Gym. Nicole Hobson, PPR Certified Professional, and Alli McGill, USAPA Ambassador and PPR Certified Coach, will host a 3-hour workshop to introduce attendees to the game of Pickleball, by teaching skills and drills as well as technique and strategy. Please contact Alli McGill ([email protected]) if you are interested in attending. Space is limited.
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 VHUMC Prayer Breakfast
Our next prayer breakfast is next Wednesday, May 8, at 6:45 am, in the Fellowship Hall. Our speaker will be Mark Gualano. Mark is a Real Estate Closing Attorney and Title Insurance Agent in Vestavia. He grew up in Mississippi and has lived in the Birmingham area since 1994. After several years in his career, Mark decided to quit his job, put his belongings in storage, and set out to hike the Appalachian Trail.
He started at Springer Mountain in Georgia on March 8, 2008 and finished at Mount Katahdin in Maine 25 weeks later covering a distance of 2,176.2 miles. Mark will be sharing pictures and stories about how this adventure changed his life.
The cost is $5 for breakfast. To make reservations, please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).
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 Ready to Join VHUMC
Please join us on Sunday, May 19, at 12:15 in the chapel (after the worship services) for a brief joining service. If you are interested in this, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136) for more information and to order lunch.
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 May Hilltoppers Meeting
Our next meeting is Tuesday, May 14, at 10:30 am, in the Fellowship Hall. The Vestavia Day School Singers will be our program. For information or to make a lunch reservation ($6.00) contact Harriette Woodring (822-9318) or Margaret Flowers (769-0112 / [email protected]) no later than 11:00 am on Friday, May 10. Please note the price and, if possible, have correct change or an extra dollar bill.
Vestavia Hilltoppers is a VHUMC-sponsored organization for persons of retirement age, which meets each month for lunch and a program. They also sponsor trips and other activities that are publicized at meetings. Guests and new members are welcome.
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 Trailmixers Hiking Group
The Trailmixers is a group of women who enjoy fun and fellowship while hiking outdoors. They have been an active group for several years at VHUMC. This fun group is looking for a new leader, someone who would like to coordinate and plan hikes around the area. If you are interested in leading this group, please contact Cynthia McGough ([email protected] / 901-0956).
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 Work as Worship
We spend most of our lives at work. And what better way to use that time than to worship God through our work? Our work is an opportunity for ministry and a place to influence others for Christ because worshipping God is not just for Sunday mornings. It should be evident in our everyday lives. Whether you work in a church, in a C-suite, or on a construction site, you are a minister.
Work as Worship retreat video is a featured resource on rightnow media - and it is free! 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.
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Financial Update
We have had some good momentum over the last quarter. Let's keep it up! In January, we reported that our giving from July 1 to December 31, 2018 was the lowest in the past eight years and we were $248k behind what we had budgeted for giving at that point. Because of this and not wanting to use long-term debt for daily church activities, we re-budgeted throughout the church reducing most of the ministry spending amounts by 30%.
For the first quarter of this year we have had some of our best giving months and we are now (only) $93k behind our original giving budget amount (that's $155k to the better from last quarter). The bottom line is we are doing better, but still have some ground to make up. Please continue to give so that we may continue to do God's work throughout all our church activities.
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 Church and congregation as a whole. We strive to ensure that our funds are used to the best of our ability in a transparent environment to be good stewards of your donations.
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
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 May Memory Verse
Our 1st - 5th graders are taught a different Bible 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. May's memory verse is: "Know that the Lord is God. It is He that made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture." - Psalm 100:3
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 Elementary Awards Assembly
The end of the year awards assembly for our 1st-5th graders will be Sunday, June 2, from 9:45-10:45 in the Fellowship Hall. We will be recognizing our Sunday School high attendance winners and we will be choosing our memory verse winners. Our memory verse winners will receive an electric scooter (must be present)! We will also have games, activities and more prizes. We hope you can join us for the fun!
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Front Office Volunteers
VHUMC needs additional volunteers to work in the front office when Nancy is off or on vacation. The only requirements are a helpful attitude and a smiling face. If you would be willing to help, contact Nancy (769-0107 / [email protected]).
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The Food Pantry needs Ziploc sandwich bags for our Panera Bread treats. We are looking forward to the Farmers Market opening in May, but we appreciate any produce that you would like to donate. Our funds are the lowest they have been in several years, so if you would like to help, please make checks to VHUMC, marked for Food Pantry.
We also need bread helpers! We pick up bread items at Panera Bread every Friday, Sunday, and Monday nights and we need helpers for Friday night. Pick up is at 9:00 pm once every six weeks. From there you take them home, bag it all, and freeze it until you can deliver it to the church. Please call Barbara Porter (444-9793) and let us know if you could help out. We appreciate your support and thank you very much!
Oak Mountain Missions
Oak Mountain Mission needs microwaves and working appliances. Please call for pick up (685-5757). Linens and cookware are always needed, which can be put in the bins around the church. They also need square clear vases for their centerpieces for the annual fundraiser luncheon. Thank you.
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