The Notes - March 5, 2020

Volume 50

Issue 10

March 5, 2020

Lenten Sermon Series
We all know the drill for Lent; it is a time to confront our sins, maybe give up chocolate or social media for forty days and pray for Easter to arrive so we can get back to business as usual. In pursuit of a Christ-centered life, we tend to maintain our focus on the eternal life that awaits us at the end of our spiritual journey. But what if we stopped thinking about eternal life as something we can only experience after we die? What if, instead, we lived life with the faith that eternity is, in fact, upon us in the here and now?

This year's Lenten sermon series will navigate that very question as we explore the book "Eternity Is Now In Session" by John Ortberg in the weeks leading up to Easter. Join us every Sunday through Lent as we explore eternity together - here and now.

Daylight Savings Time
Yes, the biannual changing of the clocks is upon us! Don't forget to set your clocks forward an hour before going to bed Saturday evening.

Lenten Offering
Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. Many miles from Vestavia, our neighbors are counting on us to do just that. Our Lenten offering this year will support our efforts to pack 300,000 meals during our Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event in April. Please use the Lenten envelopes in the pews for your offering. Nourish your soul by providing nourishment for those who need it the most.

Party Art Paint Party
Party Art is back! Join us next Wednesday, March 11, at 6:00 pm, for another fun evening! The cost is still only $35, but this time we will be painting a gorgeous spring picture to add to your home décor. Our instructors will be there to give us step by step instructions, answer questions, and even do some hands-on help if needed. You can register for the class on the church website. The deadline for registration is March 9.

An Evening with Ray
Thank you to everyone who joined us this past Sunday, March 1, to hear the founder of Rise Against Hunger, Ray Buchanan, speak about the importance of feeding the children. It was a true honor to host him at VHUMC. As we heard from his message on Sunday, nutrition from the meals we pack allows children to play outside at school, focus on learning, braid each other's hair, and much more. Our church continues to answer the call when asked to support this very important ministry. Because of your generosity we will be able to provide more children with hot and nutritious meals.

The meals we pack at our April event will be delivered to South Africa (Johannesburg). The posters around the church have the faces of these precious children who will receive our meals. Thank you VHUMC for continuing to see the vision of ending hunger in our lifetime.

Sozo Children at VHUMC
The Sozo Children's Choir will be with us again on Wednesday, March 18, at 6:00 pm, in Tyson Hall. This group of children travel from Uganda to America and tour the US leading worship at churches, schools, and events. VHUMC last hosted the Sozo Choir 2016, so we are excited to have them back. Experience cultural Ugandan singing and dancing with African instruments, powerful corporate worship, and brief testimonies.

The Sozo Children's Choir provides spiritual, personal, and cultural development opportunities for those served by Sozo Children in Uganda. They refer to their US choir tour as a "mission trip" for each child, who are often the recipients of short-term mission service from friends and sponsors from the States. Through the tour, our children are able to share Christ's love, grow in their faith, and continue learning to serve others as part of Sozo Children's mission to empower vulnerable children to become thriving leaders for Jesus Christ.

Informal Joining Service
We will hold an Informal Joining Service on Sunday, March 15, in the chapel at the conclusion of the 11:00 worship services. If you're interested in joining the church in a more intimate setting, with a small group of people, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136). This service is brief and will conclude with lunch together.

Hiking to the Cross
Join the VHUMC clergy at McCallum Park (on Rosemary Lane) on Saturday, March 14, at 9:00 am, as we take a leisurely hike together. We will stop periodically to remember each of the 14 stations of the cross (the events that happened to Jesus from the Last Supper until his resurrection on Easter Sunday). Invite your friends as we enjoy a beautiful spring morning. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126).

Summer Grand Camps
Grand Camps are unique adventures for grandparents and their grandchildren focused on leaving a faith-legacy for the next generation. These camps are filled with activities that grandparents and grandchildren experience together to discover God's Word through life-changing memories.

The first camp is July 5-7, followed by the second on July 8-10. Both camps are identical. Camps will be led by Rhonda and Jim Frazier and hosted at Camp McDowell. Grandchildren must be between 4-9 years old at the time of the camp. The cost is $190/person for the first two in the room. The cost is $90/person for the third and fourth persons in the room. We begin camp at 5:00 pm on the first day and end at 1:00 pm on the third day. For more information please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126). Space is limited, so make sure you register online today!

Fun with Food
What is a small savory dish typically served as an appetizer at the beginning of a meal? You guessed it: hors d'oeuvres - also known as our favorite food or how to spoil your dinner in only ten minutes. Do you ever feel intimidated trying to create great hors d'oeuvres? We have the solution for you! Join us on Wednesday, April 1, 6:00 pm, in Tyson Hall and learn how to create beautiful and tasty hors d'oeuvres with convenience items from the grocery store. The cost is $35.00, and our own Melinda Burnett is wowing us once again. You can register on the church website, but the deadline to register is March 27 and the class size is limited to 35 so don't delay. Don't miss out on this fun event!

Student Ministries Mission Fundraiser
Weren't able to attend the fundraiser and still want to give? It's not too late to donate to our Student Ministries Mission Fund. There are 2 ways you can donate:

Send in a check made out to VHUMC with "Student Missions" noted in the memo line.
Use the fundraiser ticket link, click "The Student Ministries Missions Fundraiser", click "view details", then "details" and it will give the option for a donation.

This fund helps offset the costs of mission trips for all our students and chaperones and help scholarship students to various events. All gifts are greatly appreciated. Our Fund-A-Team donations levels include:

$1,000 Lodging for Friday Night ASP/Team Building
$750 Van Rentals
$500 Discovery Missions
$250 Veterans Day Mission
$100 Gas
$50 Medical Kits
$25 Christmas Toys

The Holy Spirit at VHUMC
Come get a basis of scripture, teaching us about who the Holy Spirit is and how He works. Also, hear stories from some of your peers about how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives individually and collectively as a church. Please join Andy Byrd, Julie Harper, Jill Kimbrough, Jim Sturdivant, Alan Legg, Sharon Lovell, and Suzanne Scott-Trammell in room 202, on Wednesday nights through April 29.

Nursery Angel Volunteers Needed
On Sunday mornings, during the 9:45 Sunday School hour, our nurseries on the preschool floor get very busy! Please consider being an Angel in our sweet Lambs Toddler class. The commitment is one Sunday a month from 9:45-10:45. You can choose which Sunday will work best for you. Please contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]) for more information. Thank you!

March Hilltoppers Meeting
Our next meeting is Tuesday, March 17, at 10:30 am, in the Fellowship Hall. Rachael Hayes and Timmy Collins will present a program on the ongoing missions of the church. For information or to make a lunch reservation ($6.00) call Harriette Woodring at 822-9318 or Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112 ) no later than 11:00 am on Friday, March 13. 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.

Take A Walk with Jesus
2020 is the year of prayer at our church, and we have a fresh new way to experience prayer during Lent. You will have the opportunity to pray and walk the Stations of the Cross inside our sanctuary. We have hung fourteen beautiful pictures depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross. You may pick up the prayer devotional guide at the back of the sanctuary on the pulpit side. Then simply follow the pictures around our sanctuary. Your prayer guide has a photo and the story of each station with a prayer and meditation to use.

Lent is a time of reflection and renewal, so we invite you to take this walk, stopping at each station to reflect, read the scriptures, pray the prayers, and contemplate the situation before moving to the next stations. As you walk from one station to the next, your walking becomes an act of devotion because you are walking with Jesus as he walks to Calvary. This can be a moving experience for individuals or families. The sanctuary is open whenever the church is open so come when you can to take this personal walk with Jesus

Walk the Via Dolorosa at VHUMC

On the morning that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to die, a cross beam was placed on his shoulders and he began the walk through the city, out of the gate, to Golgotha. The route he would follow is now called the Via Dolorosa, and was about 700 yards long.

During the Lenten season, the Lighthouse track will be open for a time of prayer and reflection as we invite you to walk seven laps around the Lighthouse track (approximately the same distance our Lord walked to Golgotha). You will be provided a booklet with scripture, reflection questions, and prayer to help guide you through each lap on this spiritual journey. The prayer walk will be available during regular Lighthouse hours. Prayer booklets will be located on the track and at the front desk. For more information, contact Miles Erbe ([email protected] / 769-0134).

Pickleball and Pizza
The Boomers and Beyond will be offering a fun evening of pickleball and pizza for anyone 50+ years old on Friday, March 20. We will play in the Lighthouse gym from 6:00-8:00 pm with pizza and drinks in the lobby. Please contact Jim Frazier ([email protected] / 769-0126) so we will know how much pizza to order. We are asking for a $5 donation to help with the cost of the pizzas and drinks.

March 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 sensory room next door to the elementary office for a sweet treat and chance to win a grand prize at the end of the school year. We hope that these verses help to guide them throughout their lives. The March memory verse is: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." - Matthew 19:14

Ongoing Outreach

Bunny Aid Is Hopping Around the Corner
VHUMC will once again team up with Peter Cottontail and his friends to collect goodies and make Easter Baskets for community organizations around Birmingham. We will be collecting pre-made baskets, financial donations or fillers for baskets such as plastic eggs, small new toys, or stuffed animals at VHUMC from March 5-April 5. If you would rather make a financial contribution for the baskets, please make checks to VHUMC earmarked Bunny Aid in the memo line. Donations and baskets will be accepted until Sunday, April 5. Thank you for your continued efforts to make one child's Easter morning extra bright and special.

Request for Help in the Bahamas

People in the Bahamas are still trying to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian this past September. We have been asked to help in the relief effort by Oak Ridge Methodist Church in Hartselle, AL. Oak Ridge has partnered with local Bahamian churches to build twenty houses for homeowners who were under-insured or had no insurance in an area that was flooded by thirty feet of water. Oak Ridge has partnered with Home Depot in Ft. Lauderdale to help get the supplies transported and delivered securely to Freeport. The approximate cost is $6,000 per house. Please prayerfully consider if you, your Sunday school class or small group can help with Pay It Forward-Bahamas. VHUMC will partner in this relief effort as God calling you to help. For more information, contact Ginny Slay ([email protected]).

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs sofas and chairs, dressers, chests, and working small appliances. Call 685-5757 for furniture pick-ups. Small items can be put into the three bins around the church. Thank you!

Food Pantry

The Food Pantry needs jelly, cereal, and Ziploc sandwich baggies for our treats. Instead of giving up something for Lent, think about giving to something, like putting a food item into a bag every day for our pantry and bringing it to church the week after Easter. All items are appreciated. Thank you!

Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs starting at 6:00 pm

Men's Bible Study: Through May 6 | Room 204
Women's Small Groups: Through May 6 | Room 206 & 208
Disciple Bible - Fast Track: Through May 6 | Room 323 & 203A
Holy Spirit at Work: Through May 6 | Room 202
Spring Party Art: March 11 | Fellowship Hall
SOZO Choir: March 18 | Tyson

Menus:

March 11 - Meatloaf or Baked Ham, Mashed Potatoes / English Peas, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Pizza
March 18 - Baked Turkey or Pork Loin, Mac & Cheese / Crowder Peas with Snaps / Onions, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Chicken Nuggets & Mac and Cheese
March 25 - No Dinner
April 1 - Shepherd's Pie or Chicken Spaghetti, Broccoli, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Chicken Nuggets & Mashed Potatoes