The Notes - February 6, 2020

Volume 50

Issue 6

February 6, 2020

Children's Sunday
Please join us as our children lead worship in our 8:30 and 11:00 traditional services this Sunday, February 9, in the Sanctuary. We look forward to worshiping with you as we look at God's limitless grace!

Upward Soccer Registration

Upward Soccer Registration is open! This league is for K4-4th grade boys and girls looking to learn soccer basics, teamwork, and have fun through the fellowship in the community. 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.

Student Ministries Missions Fundraiser

We are excited to kick off our annual Student Ministries fundraiser on Sunday, February 23! We will be in Tyson Hall from 6:00-8:00 pm. The evening will include a seated meal, entertainment, silent auction and a live auction. You will want to be there! Tickets are $40 per person or $350 to reserve a table for eight. Please spread the word so we can make this an impactful event for our Student Ministries missions fund! For more information or to help by serving on the committee, please contact Alice Bell Baker ([email protected]).

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]).

An Evening with Ray
For the first time at VHUMC, Ray Buchanan, founder of Rise Against Hunger, will share how he equipped millions to feed the masses. A former Methodist minister, Ray envisioned a world without hunger and recognized that accomplishing a mission required "commitment to something larger than yourself." Over the past three decades, that principle has driven Ray's mission to eradicate world hunger.

Join us on Sunday, March 1, at 6:00 pm, for this free event in Tyson Hall to learn how the Vestavia community is making a difference around the globe. The idea that "ending hunger is more than just feeding people" is the driving force behind Ray's mission, and we are grateful for the opportunity to learn from this servant leader and master storyteller. The event is free, but we will accept a love offering for our annual Rise Against Hunger meal packing event in April.

Sounding the Financial Alarm
In our Church-Wide Assembly this past Sunday we talked about how this congregation is generous in supporting God's church. You are wonderful in your giving and we want you to know of our appreciation. We also covered the new trends we are seeing in donations to the church and how we are once again $255k behind our budget as we were at this time last year. We plan to budget differently next year to try and avoid this, but we are having to sound the financial alarm and let you know that we need your help to get back on budget. Similar to last year, if every giving family gave an additional $176 in February, we would be back on track. Please consider what you and your family can do to help.

Except for this budget shortfall, our finances are doing great! So far this fiscal year, we are $71k in the black. We have controlled our spending and have spent $100k less than our budget. For the first time in many, many years, we did not have to borrow from our bank line-of-credit at all in 2019. All of our 35 designated funds are fully funded. Additionally, we just completed a flawless financial audit by Borland Benefield. Contact Gary Wyatt if you want a copy of the audit ([email protected] / 769-0108).

NEXT Financial Update
We are happy to report that we have completed all the spending of our NEXT Capital Campaign and we fulfilled our commitment to not spend beyond what you have pledged and given. Not only were we able to complete our major construction items, but because some of the items ended with substantial savings, we were able to complete a few additional items within the original scope of the project. Click on the link to see a financial summary of the project so far.

Please note that we still need to receive $895,045 of what was pledged over the 39-month campaign - which ends on December 31, 2020. Our Finance Committee recently agreed to halt all spending on this project and decided that any surplus that we may have at the end of giving will be reserved as seed money for our next big capital project. Thank you for your giving to allow us to maintain and improve our church building.

Welcome New Member
Let's give a warm welcome to Robert Ginter, who officially joined VHUMC last Sunday. He and Abbey grew up at VHUMC and now attend the 11:00 am traditional worship service. Please look for them and give them a warm welcome.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Due to popular request, Party Art is back! Join us on 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 question, and even do some hands-on help if needed. You can register for the class on the church website. Registration will be available soon!

Summer Grand Camps
Grand Camps are unique adventures for grandparents and their grandchildren focused on leaving a faith-legacy for the next generations. 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 Jim and Rhonda 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!

Tanzania Missionary in the States
Our Tanzania UMC missionary, Eric Soard will be in the states the first part of the year. He will be visiting Vestavia Hills in February, and we are delighted to welcome him to come and be a part of our Wednesday night dinner and program. Eric has visited VHUMC in the past and most recently we had a team take a mission trip to Tanzania where they worked with Eric and his wife Liz to help build a church in the Geita District. Please join us in the Chapel on Wednesday, February 12, beginning with dinner at 5:00 pm and program at 6:00 pm.

Prayer 2020
As we continue with Prayer 2020, we'll spotlight specific areas each week for ministry within the church and for those with whom we partner in service. This week, please be in prayer for those traveling to Israel February 4-13, led by Bill Brunson and Jim Frazier and including several other VHUMC staff and more than 40 church members.

Also pray for Urban Ministry, which is working with the residents of West End to build a thriving community. VHUMC has partnered with Urban Ministry for more than 40 years, led by Charlie Hayes (who served on the board for 32 years) and Tony Ballard (who currently serves). Prayers are needed for guidance and endurance to continue to serve the community of West End.

Wednesday Class About the Holy Spirit

Starting on February 19, this new series provides a framework of scripture that teaches us about who the Holy Spirit is and how He works. Come 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 us in room 202 as we hear from Sharon Lovell, Alan Legg, Jill Kimbrough, Julie Harper, Suzanne Scott-Trammell, and more.

Pancake Dinner
Lenten Season is right around the corner. This year, Ash Wednesday is February 26. In VHUMC tradition, we will host our annual Pancake Dinner on Tuesday, February 25, at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your family, friends, Sunday School classes, and small groups to eat pancakes and enjoy jazz music performed by the Vestavia Hills High School Jazz Band and a few more surprises. Dinner is $5 a person and donations will be accepted for our Lenten offering.

Devoted to Writing
Do you have a favorite devotional book that accompanies your daily prayer time with God? Have you ever considered putting your own experiences on paper so that you, too, could share the Word of God with others? If so, this may be the class for you! Join us for a six-week, fun, light-hearted course designed to help you share your stories of devotion through the gift of writing. Each student is encouraged to bring a notebook, pencils, pens, and a desire to put your creative brain to work. Through brainstorming, language arts skills, understanding the process, and other tools of the trade, we can all discover the joy of devotional writing.

Classes are on Thursdays from 1-2:00 pm starting on February 27 in room 320. Cost for the course is $110. For more information, contact Zoe Wirt (769-0141 / [email protected]) or click the link.

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 the 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!

Upcoming Grief Support Group
All of us experience grief differently. That's why we have a ministry focused on providing loving care and support to those who have are suffering the loss of a loved one. Our next seven-week Grief Support Group will meet beginning on Wednesday, March 4 in room 203. The group will dine together at 5:30 pm, with the sessions beginning around 6:00 pm. Each session lasts about one hour, and meetings typically conclude around 7:00 pm. There is no cost for our Grief Support Group, and part of the joy of our ministry is also in furnishing dinner for all participants.

Although you are not required to attend every meeting, you are encouraged to make as many sessions as possible for the benefit of you and for others in the group who are helped by your attendance and participation. Our goal is to provide a loving environment for participants to learn valuable ways to cope with their grief.
To learn more about this upcoming Grief Support Group, or to register to participate, please contact either Peyton Chandler ([email protected] / 306-3591) or Cathie Amos ([email protected] / 908-2731).

February Hilltoppers Meeting
Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 18, at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. The Greater Birmingham Humane Society will be the program. We will be collecting pets supplies for our 4-legged friends (foods, bowls, toys, treats, etc.). For information or to make a lunch reservation ($6.00) contact Margaret Flowers ([email protected] / 769-0112) or Harriette Woodring (822-9318) no later than 11:00 am on Friday, February 14. Guests and new members are welcome.

Fun with Food
Here is a pop quiz. 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. The problem with hors d'oeuvres is we get intimidated by them. Have we got a 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 from 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. You would be a "fool" to miss out on this fun event.

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!

Daily Devotions for 2020
We hope and pray that all our VHUMC family will continue in daily devotional reading and scripture reflection. After going through our January prayer guide together, we hope you will follow Jesus Calling every day starting in February. This daily devotion book that helps draw us closer to God is filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year. You can order a copy online and pick it up in the church office, or download the Jesus Calling app on your phone from the app store.

Ongoing Outreach

Oak Mountain Mission

Oak Mountain Mission needs tables, chairs, sofas, and end tables. Pots and pans are always needed as well. No summer clothes, toys, or knick-knacks please.

Food Pantry

Thanks so much to Cahaba Heights Elementary for the really great food drive that we picked up this week. Our families appreciate your help. Items needed right now are jelly and cereal. Please pick up something when you go to the store. Three bins are around the church for donations. Thank you!

Wednesday Nights at VHUMC

Classes/Programs starting at 6:00 pm

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
Family Ministry Parent Class: February 5 - 12 | Room 202
Tanzania Missionary: February 12
Sharon Lovell Bible Study: February 19 - May 6 | Room 202
Spring Party Art: March 11 | Fellowship Hall
SOZO Choir: March 18 | Tyson

Menus:

February 12 - Bowtie Shrimp & Pasta / Turkey Tetrazzini, Broccoli, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Hot Dogs & Chips
February 19 - Pot Roast or Greek Chicken with Artichoke Cream Sauce, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy / Green Beans, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Chicken Nuggets
February 26 - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce or Chicken Alfredo, Green Beans, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Spaghetti
March 4 - Beef Tips or Chicken Pot Pie, Rice or Carrot Souffle, Salad / Fruit / Cut Veggies with Dressing. Kids: Corn Dogs with Chips