The Notes - August 15, 2019

Volume 49

Issue 33

August 15 , 2019

Wednesdays Made Easier
Each Wednesday during the school-year, Vestavia Methodist provides a family-oriented dinner. Starting at 5:00 pm each week, there will be two entrees and a children's option, along with fresh fruit, salads and vegetables. Meals are $6 for adults and $4 for children, with a maximum of $20 per family.

This meal is an easy way to eat as a family or with other families. It is at a time between our daytime childcare, dance, and music and arts programs, and before evening options at 6:00 pm which include:

Infant and Toddler care (begins at 5:00 pm)
Little Lambs for preschool children
Elementary Bible Study (Bible Pathfinders)
Thrive Student Ministry Activities
Adult Bible Study and Classes

Our first dinner is August 21 with full programming starting on August 28. Come join us and enjoy a night without dishes!

What's New in the Fall
There are so many new things happening right now at Vestavia Methodist; livestream, small group resources for every Sunday during a sermon series, a book published by one of our pastors, and a consulting firm to help us look to the future. Join the pastors on August 28, at 6:00 pm, in room 202 to learn more. Following the discussion (if there is time or interest), the pastors will lead a "behind the scenes" tour of our buildings and worship facilities.

Crazy Bible Facts You Never Knew
Would you like to dazzle your family, friends, and members of your small group or Sunday school class? If so, our Wednesday night class on September 4, at 6:00 pm, in room 202 is made for you! Three of your pastors, Bill Brunson, Kipp McClurg, and Sherry Harris, will be on hand to share obscure, startling, and enlightening crazy Bible facts that you never knew. Here are just a few hints. Do you know why we should say, "Jesus and his merry band of teenagers" instead of Jesus and his disciples? Has anyone ever told you that the story of David the underdog and Goliath the giant isn't true? Why is Balaam the Prophet best known as the "Donkey Guy?" Join your pastors for a night of fun Bible facts that might sound crazy but will still teach you more about God.

Bingo Bash
We invite all ages to join us next Wednesday, August 21, from 6:00-7:00 pm, in Tyson Hall as we have a fun night of Bingo and prizes benefiting Children's Harbor. We ask that each person please bring a bingo prize to donate to our Children's Harbor mission team.

New Fall Disciple Studies
Come join a group of fellow disciples who yearn to learn more about the Bible to find peace and stability in our busy and frenzied world. The New Testament will be discussed this fall, where we can learn Jesus' way of living a life of love, peace, and meaning. Come join in the joy of the truth bestowed on those of us with eyes to see and ears to hear. Register for the day and time that works best for your schedule. For more information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell (769-0136 / [email protected]). Classes will start around Labor Day and run for 12 weeks.

Party Art at VHUMC
Come kick off Wednesday nights on August 28 with a fun activity for women (and creative men) of all ages. Party Art will be coming to the Fellowship Hall, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, where we will create beautiful door hangings (choose one of the four designs). The cost is $35, and all materials are supplied. If you cannot stay the whole time, they'll finish it for you, and you can pick it up from the church office. Come paint, meet some new friends, laugh, and have fun together!

Bible Pathfinders
We invite 1st - 5th graders to join us for our Elementary Bible Study, Bible Pathfinders, starting Wednesday, August 28, from 6:00-7:00 pm, in rooms 219 and 221. We will meet each Wednesday night during the school year. Our path will take us closer to God as we learn through music, skits, games, crafts, and discussion! Please email Jamie Meeks ([email protected]) for more information.

New Sermon Series
Most of us live life pulled between the expectations of family, lifestyle standards, peer groups, and financial limitations. If one part of life gets out of sorts, we have to decide which other part gets shorted. Join us this Sunday as we continue our conversations about the demanding culture we live in, the strain it puts on our lives, and ways to move life away from the anxiety that seems to never end. We don't want you to miss this exciting new series!

Music and Arts Registration is Open

Now that school is back in session, so are we at the VHUMC Music and Arts program! Music and Arts is for all children K-5th grade and is active every Wednesday, 2:30pm-5:00pm, when Vestavia Schools are in session. Children will have the opportunity to be creative in sessions such as choir, drama, visual arts, and percussion. We offer transportation from Vestavia East, West, Dolly Ridge, and the Vestavia Day School to VHUMC every Wednesday for Music and Arts. We are also in great need of volunteers to drive vans, shepherd students between classes, and provide snacks each week. We hope to see your child with us when we kick off on August 28!

Livestream is Here
We are thrilled to announce our new livestream is up and running! Each Sunday, live footage of the 11:00 traditional service will now be accessible through various outlets for those who are unable to attend worship. Each service will be live on the Livestream page on VHUMC's smartphone app and on VHUMC's Facebook page where it can also be viewed in its entirety any time after the live broadcast. On Tuesday morning following each Sunday, the scripture/sermon portion of the Livestream video will be archived on our app and website. Livestream makes it easier than ever before to stay connected to the latest sermon series or special Sundays at VHUMC, so that you never miss a message, even when you are unable to physically attend worship. We are excited to offer this new way to stay even more connected with our congregation!

Student Choir Kick-Off
Calling all students in grades 6-12! The New Life Singers Student Choir will have its kick-off celebration for the 2019-2020 school year this Sunday, August 18, at 4:00 pm, in the choir room. We hope all youth will consider being a part this year. Bring a friend and hang out with us. Look for more reasons to join in the weekly student newsletter. For any questions or more information contact Quint Harris ([email protected]).

Financial Update
It was a great year in the life of our church! Our church financial year, which runs from July 1 to June 30, has recently ended and we finished $234,443 better that we had originally budgeted for all net church activity. One major reason for this was $3.9 million in General Fund giving, which was the highest on record over the last five years.

The other major factor was the church leadership and staff being good stewards of our funds. 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 $248,516 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%.

A big "Thank You" to everyone who donated and to all the church staff that worked to ensure we remained "in the black." Going forward please help us keep up the great momentum as we continue to grow and touch so many lives for God's purpose!

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

Kindermusik Classes at VHUMC
Did you know that our Conservatory of the Arts offers Kindermusik classes for the littlest ones? We are currently registering for Fall classes at a variety of times for babies and toddlers. Bring your infants, toddlers, and preschool age children to one of our classes for some good fun and enrichment. Pre-piano classes are also offered at another nearby location in the afternoon for children ages 5 and 6 years old to prepare them for private lessons. If you have any questions, please contact Michele Mulder (568-6702) or visit her website to see all the classes being offered and to register.

Boomers and Beyond Meetings and Trips
The Boomers and Beyond are planning two day-trips:

August 27 to Aldridge Gardens with lunch following at Formosa in Hoover. The cost is $5 and does not include lunch.
September 12 to the Jack Daniels Distillery with lunch at Miss Mary Bobo's. The cost is $54 and includes lunch.

We will be signing up for both at the next meeting. For more information or to sign up, please contact Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112).

Our first Hilltoppers meeting this year is Tuesday, August 20, at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. The program will be Alabama storyteller Kelly Kazac. For information or to make a lunch reservation ($6.00) call Harriette Woodring (822-9318) or Margaret Flowers (769-0112 / [email protected]) no later than 11 am on Friday, August 16. 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.

Travel to the Holy Land
Join Dr. Bill Brunson and Rev. Jeremiah Stone on a once-in-a lifetime trip to experience the Holy Land and see your faith come to life! We all know the importance of serving as the hands and feet of Christ in our world, but we want to invite you on another faith journey during spring break: March 21-29, 2020.

Walk where Jesus walked, sit and hear the stories from the Bible in the places where they actually happened, and experience a trip that will help you take a deeper step in your relationship with our Risen Lord.

There will be an informational meeting this Sunday, August 18, at 4:00 pm, in room 316. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected]). We have families, couples, friends, and individuals already signed up, but there is still room to join the group.

Men's Basketball League Deadline
Tomorrow is the registration deadline for our fall season of VHUMC Men's Basketball! This league is for men ages 18 years or older. Come as an individual player or sign up a whole team! Games will be on Monday nights at the VHUMC Lighthouse from August 26 to October 7 with additional playoffs dates.

Fill out the attached packet or come to the VHUMC Lighthouse to pick one up. If you have any questions about the league or season, please contact Miles Erbe ([email protected] / 769-0134).

Lighthouse Memberships
If you are not a member of the Lighthouse Health, Wellness and Recreation program, you should be! We have so much to offer including group exercise classes with certified instructors such as Yoga, Barre Sculpt, Fuel, and D1 Boot camp. We also offer personal training, pickleball, and fun adventures like Goat Yoga! Come walk the track, shoot some hoops, join a class, or come along on our next adventure.

Several membership options are available. Check out our website or Facebook page for more information.

Last Chance for Christmas Shoeboxes
If you have not received your Christmas shoeboxes yet and you want to participate, come by the missions office and grab some. We only have about 25 left so first come, first served. We would love for you to participate if you can. Every shoebox needs a pair of flip flops, a coloring book (we provide) and we can give you a copy of suggested gift ideas to fill the box. The deadline to have them returned to the missions office is no later than Tuesday, September 3.

Livestream Volunteers Needed
Do you have a desire to serve VHUMC and help bring the message of Jesus Christ to those outside of the church walls? We are excited to announce that VHUMC has begun livestreaming our traditional worship services! We are beginning by streaming the 11:00 traditional service, with the 8:30 and 9:45 am services soon to follow. In order for this effort to be made possible, we are very much in need of volunteers to operate the livestream equipment during Sunday morning worship services. Volunteers will be trained in advance with plenty of learning time before operating the equipment. We hope you will consider volunteering to help VHUMC in this exciting new endeavor to help bring Christ's message to the Vestavia community and beyond! Contact Peyton Chandler ([email protected]) to sign up or ask questions.

Upward Flag Football and Cheer Registration

Upward Flag Football and Cheer registration has begun! This league is for boys and girls K4-4th Grade that want to play flag football or cheer and learn the basics of the sports experienced in a Christ-centered atmosphere. Practices will be once a week on either a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday evening starting the week of September 2. Games will be on Saturday mornings starting on September 14. The cost is $105 per participant and includes uniforms. The league also offers multi-child family discounts.

You can register online at the link below or in person at the VHUMC Lighthouse. We are looking forward to seeing your family participate with us this fall! For any questions about the league or season, please contact Miles Erbe ([email protected] / 769-0134).

A Study on Friendship
We were created for community. And because our Father is generous, he's given us one of the most essential and life-changing relationships for community: friendship. In this six-week study Not Alone, join Jennie Allen, Lauren Chandler, and Amena Brown as they talk all about friendship. Find out why we need friendship, discover biblical examples of friendship, and identify the pitfalls, challenges, and joys of friendship.

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.

Ongoing Outreach

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry needs tote bags for vegetables and cloth bags for groceries. We especially need monetary donations for our monthly Community Food Bank purchases (payable to VHUMC marked for Food Pantry). Thank you!

Oak Mountain Mission

Please join us for the annual Harvest of Hope luncheon at The Club on Tuesday, September 10, at 11:30 am with a silent auction at 10:00 am. This is the only fundraiser for the mission each year, so let's help with our donations. The keynote speaker this year is our own Ashley Curry, so we want VHUMC to be well represented. Call Barbara Porter (444-9793) to reserve a seat. Thank you!

Kids Stand for the Homeless

The 2nd annual Kids Stand for the Homeless is going on now through August 31 to benefit Church of the Reconciler, one of our mission partners. Plan your stands now and sell whatever you want: lemonade, cookies, or even garage sale items. Pair up with friends at church or in your neighborhood, just limit your teams to 10 people each. All money collected needs to be turned in to Church of the Reconciler by check, Paypal, or credit card through their website. Make sure to note "Kids Stand" in the memo or description. The winning family or team will receive an ice cream party at Big Spoon Creamery. Last year our Agape Sunday School class won!

Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs

August 21 - First Wednesday Night Dinner
August 21 - Bingo Bash (benefiting Children's Harbor)
August 28 - Music and Arts Kickoff (K-5th Grade)
August 28 - Party Art
August 28 - Little Lambs Kickoff (3K, 4K, and 5K)
August 28 - Bible Pathfinders Kickoff (K-5th Grade)

Menus

August 21 - Beef or Chicken Taco (Hard or Soft Shell), Black Beans/Rice, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Tacos
August 28 - Poppyseed Chicken or Chicken Salad with Fruit, White Rice, Green Beans, Rolls, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Pizza
September 4 - BBQ Pork or BBQ Chicken, Baked Beans, Slaw, Salad, Fruit, Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Cheeseburger and Chips
September 11 - Scrambled Eggs or Boiled Eggs, Bacon, Cheese Grits, Biscuits, Fruit. Kids: French Toast Sticks