The Notes - January 9, 2020

Volume 50

Issue 2

January 9, 2020

Livin' On A Prayer
The new year is here and 2020 will be A Year of Prayer for our church. It should come as no surprise that our first sermon series of 2020 is "Living on a Prayer." This four-week series will help us explore some of the most important questions about prayer. We'll discover together the why, the what, and the how of prayer. We will even tackle that problematic question of what to do when God says no to our prayers. Join us this Sunday, January 12, as we continue this new series and start living on a prayer together.

Soups and Stories
Join us for Soup and Stories with Dolores Hydock on Sunday, January 26 in the Fellowship Hall. The cost is $15 and the doors will open at 12:30 pm. Please bring cans of soup for our Food Pantry. Get your tickets to reserve your place by January 19 in the front office. Contact Barbara Porter ([email protected]) for questions.

Bible Pathfinders
We invite our 1st - 5th graders to join us on Wednesday nights starting January 15 from 6-7:00 pm in rooms 219/221 for our elementary Bible study. Our focus for this semester will be on prayer, using emojis to help us learn that prayer is simply talking to God. Each week, we will focus on something specific we can talk to God about in prayer using emojis as helpful reminders. We can't wait to see all of you!

Welcome New Members
Please join in welcoming a new family into VHUMC. Matt and Angie Anderegg, with Alana (8), and Regan (4). They have been attending the 9:45 worship service and look forward to joining a Sunday School class.

Join the VHUMC Family
We will hold an Informal Joining Service this Sunday, January 12, in the Chapel, after 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.

High School Ski Trip
We are returning to Lake Junaluska over the President's Day Weekend (February 14-17) for great skiing, times of worship, and messages from Rev. Andy Lambert. The trip is $485 and includes transportation, 3 nights lodging, 2 days of skiing, and all meals (except on travel days). Register through the link and use these codes if they apply: "deposit" if you would like to pay half now and the balance later. "siblingdiscount" in order to receive half off of the registration for your second student. All final balances must be paid by January 30.

We are excited about this fun and life-changing event for our students and adults! For information or questions please contact Alice Bell Baker ([email protected] / 769-0137).

New Women's Small Groups
Don't miss these exciting new small groups for women as we learn how God is working in and through our lives individually and collectively. Growing in community and love has always been the call for the church as we share our stories and live our lives together. Please register to let us know the day and time you can attend these weekly meetings. For further information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

Join the Wave
With the new year comes new commitments to get healthy. So why don't you catch the VHUMC wave? So many VHUMC clergy, staff, and members have been going through the CoreLife weight loss and management program that we'd like to share with others. Some of the team from this wonderful organization will be here on Sunday, January 19, at 9:45 am to discuss some of their success tactics and practices for you to succeed in your weight loss goals. Come learn about their multifaceted approach to make sustainably healthy life changes.

Serve and Skate
We invite all 4th and 5th graders to join us on Monday, January 20, for Serve and Skate! We will meet at 10:00 am in rooms 219/221 on the elementary floor to do various projects benefiting multiple organizations. We will go to the Lighthouse at 11:00 am for pizza, skating and games! Pick up is at 12:00 noon from the Lighthouse.

Mother and Son Date Night
Come be a part of our Mother and Son Date Night as we head down to Vestavia Bowl for an evening of fun on Sunday, January 26, at 4:00 pm. Tickets are $15 per person and includes bowling plus a snack supper. This is an event for 5k through 5th grade boys and their mothers. If you have any questions, contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]). Register online by visiting the link below. The deadline to register is January 19.

MLK Mission Day
Join us for our annual MLK Mission Day on Monday, January 20 from 10:00-12:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We will have several projects for all ages to be a part of this day to serve and give back to the community. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to Rachael Hayes ([email protected]). There is no registration required, but it would be great to know if you are coming.

Family Ministry Parent Class
If you have children in elementary school, middle school, or high school, we encourage you to come hear well-known child and adolescent psychologist Dr. Dale Wisely discuss the important issues facing our youth today. In this 2-part series, we will chat about current crises among our youth related to mental health, substance abuse, suicide, and troubled relationships with social media. Most importantly, Dr. Wisely will offer specific recommendations about how all of us who care about our youth can help them survive the risks that our youth confront. Join us on Wednesday, February 5 and 12, 6:00-7:00 pm, in room 202.

Disciple Fast Track 2
Don't miss the next step in the Disciple Bible Study series, starting in January and running for 12 weeks. Classes are forming now, so please let us know the day/time that works for your schedule, as together we study the books of Genesis and Exodus.

Disciple provides an excellent way to dig deeper into Bible study and be equipped with a greater knowledge of God's Word. If you have questions or need further information, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

New Leadership Course
Please join us for "How Successful People Think," offered on Monday nights, from 6:00-7:00 pm, beginning January 13 and running for 13 weeks. Don Simmons and Chad Mize will co-facilitate this course with video lessons by world-renowned speaker, coach, and best-selling author John Maxwell. We will discuss principles using interactive application notes. The course is open to the community. For questions, please contact Suzanne Scott-Trammell ([email protected] / 769-0136).

January Hilltoppers Meeting
Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 21, at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. The Gospel Jubilee Singers will perform for us. For information or to make a lunch reservation ($6.00) call Harriette Woodring (822-9318) or Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112) no later than 11:00 am on Friday, January 17.

Upward Soccer Registration

Upward Soccer Registration is open! This league is for K4-4th Grade Boys and Girls looking to learn the soccer basics, teamwork, and have fun through the fellowship of VHUMC and our neighbors. The season will start with Evaluations at the Lighthouse Gym on February 17/18 from 6:00-7:30 pm. Practices will start the week of February 24 and games will end on May 2.

You can register in person at the VHUMC Lighthouse or online by following the link. Contact Miles Erbe ( [email protected] / 769-0134) with any questions.

Matters of the Heart Book Club
Our next Matters of the Heart Book Club will be January 27 at 6:00 pm in the VHUMC library. We are kicking off the year by reading Tattoos on the Heart by Father Gregory Boyles. We will discuss other upcoming book club selections at this meeting. Come join us as we begin this inspiring story!

Daddy Daughter Dance
The Daddy Daughter Dance will be Sunday, February 23 from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Lighthouse gym. The cost is $15 per person (additional daughters are $10). This is an event for 4K-5th grade girls and their father, or grandfather, or favorite uncle! If you have any questions contact Anne Strozier ([email protected]).

Ballroom Dance Classes
Make ballroom dancing one of your New Year's resolutions. Add some exercise to your week, learn a new skill, and improve your social life with our new ballroom dance classes, every Tuesday night. Our 6:30 pm class is designed for new dancers and will concentrate on the basics of each dance style. The 7:30 pm class is for intermediate dancers, giving you a chance to learn more varied and stylized moves. Both couples and singles of all ages are welcome. Each class will focus on a different dance each month and the price is only $5 per person for each hour.

Curt and Wendy Johnson, who have been teaching together for over 40 years, will lead us with fun and light-hearted sessions to help you gain confidence on the dance floor. Janet Harden, a member of our congregation, will be assisting. There will also be opportunities for the class to go out dancing socially, to be able to really use what you have learned.

To register through the Mindbody app or stop by the Lighthouse desk. For questions, contact Alli McGill ([email protected]).

Vinyasa Yoga Class
We will begin a new round of Vinyasa Yoga classes tonight. This new class is called Vinyasa Flow, and will fire up your strength and core as you practice proper posture alignments, mindfully flow through sequences, and build heat from within by connecting breath with movement. Please join us each Thursday evening from 5:45-6:30 in the Lighthouse. Classes are only $10 with your Lighthouse membership. Register using the Mindbody app or at the Lighthouse desk.

Rise Against Hunger Event
Our annual community effort to end world hunger is coming up April 26-28! Our community-wide meal packing event, known as Rise Against Hunger, can make a tremendous difference in lives of children that go to bed hungry. Over the course of three days we will have 90-minute time-slots that you or a group can sign up for and help pack nutrient rich meals. There is something to do for every age! It will be our 6th year to host, so plan to be a part of this powerful event and help us cross the finish line to end world hunger. Registration will be available soon!

Wednesday Night Supper Reservations

You are always welcome to join us for Wednesday Night Suppers, whether you have a reservation or not. However, registrations really help us estimate how many meals to prepare. Please make your reservations with Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112) by Monday night of each week. You can also have a standing reservation for each Wednesday.

For those who can't get here by 6:00 pm, we now have a handy new tool to help you grab a meal! Simply just text "gobox" to 205-683-2631 and fill out the form so we can prepare a to-go box with your name on it that you can pickup as you enter the Fellowship Hall. Be sure to tell us how many go boxes you want when you fill out the form.

Confirmation 2020

Confirmation is right around the corner and each new year brings new opportunities, adventures, and challenges for our 6th graders! Confirmation begins this Sunday, January 12, in the Fellowship Hall. Each lesson will be on a Sunday night from 5:00-7:00 pm, includes dinner, and is facilitated by one of our clergy members.

Our Confirmation retreat is scheduled for February 7-8 at Shocco Springs. This is truly a transformational retreat where the students learn more about themselves, each other, and the United Methodist faith. The total cost for Confirmation is $165 and includes the retreat, meals, and a t-shirt.

If you were unable to make the Confirmation Parent meeting and would like to find out more about the Confirmation process, or have any questions at all, please contact Jeremiah Stone ([email protected] / 769-0131).

January 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. January's memory verse is: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23

Sunday Sound Volunteers Needed

Are you eager to get more involved in VHUMC while serving an important role in Sunday worship services? Currently, there is a strong need for volunteers to operate sound during traditional worship on Sundays. We are looking for sound volunteers to serve in the 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 am sanctuary services. Soundboard operation is very simple, flexible, and easy to learn. Trainings will be offered periodically. If interested, please contact Peyton Chandler ([email protected]) or Nash Osborne ([email protected]).

Ongoing Outreach

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs extra-large adult coats and jackets, blankets, winter wear and small heaters. No summer items, toys, or Christmas decorations at this time.

Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs starting at 6:00 pm

Prayer Experiences: January 8 | Chapel
Holy Land Study: January 8-29 | Room 203
Prayer Studio: January 15-29 | Chapel
Men's Bible Study: January 15 - May 6 | Room 204
Women's Small Groups: January 15 - May 6 | Room 206 & 208
Disciple Bible - Fast Track: January 15 - May 6 | Room 323 & 203A

Menus:

January 15 - Poppyseed Chicken or Baked Flounder, White Rice / Green Beans / Rolls, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Pizza
January 22 - BBQ Pork or BBQ Chicken, Baked Beans / Slaw, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Cheeseburger & Chips
January 29 - Scrambled Eggs or Boiled Eggs, Bacon / Cheese Grits / Biscuits, Fruit. Kids: French Toast Sticks