“EQUIPPING THE SAINTS”

What good is the church?  

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13

Communion

All Saints’ Sunday

Time change: Daylight Savings Time ends. Set clocks back.

In Person

Rev. Bud Reeves

Offertory “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”

Organist: Benjamin Henderson  

11:00 am Connexion

In Person, 6pm Premier Monday on Facebook and YouTube

Rev. DeeDee Autry

“Who You Say I Am”

“Psalm 34” (Taste and See)

“Hymn Of Heaven”

“Holy Holy Holy” (We Bow Before Thee)

11:00 am Sanctuary

In Person,Facebook Live,

YouTube and FM 103.5

Rev. Bud Reeves

Anthem “Bring Us Together, Lord”

Offertory “O How Glorious Is the Kingdom”

Chancel Choir

Gaye Mings, Chancel Choir Director

Benjamin Henderson, Organist

‘GENERATION TO GENERATION”

TO OPEN MINISTRY TO ALL GENERATIONS!

Every year, we spend some time remembering, reflecting and emphasizing our call from God to be generous with our resources. And every year, we are amazed at the Spirit of God working in our church people to provide the support we need to do the ministry God calls us to do. Over four decades in ministry, I have seen people respond in wonderful generosity to a compelling vision of ministry.

FUMC of Fort Smith is over 180 years old. We have seen generations of faithful people support the ministry so that we have the church we have today. In our church today, we have 6 generations (as defined by sociologists) all worshiping and serving together. Those of us in the present generation are mindful of the responsibility we have to provide ministry that continues this legacy at FUMC Fort Smith. We want generations in the future to remember this time in the life of the church and to give thanks for our faithfulness.

The key Scripture verse for our generosity emphasis this year is Psalm 79:13: “We your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” We are God’s people, and our hearts are full of gratitude for all our blessings. Therefore we praise God when we are generous.

The way we approach generosity at our church is not from a standpoint of fund-raising. We are not just trying to fund a budget or pay our bills (although we do have to do that). We believe that the way we use our money, as Jesus taught, is a way of expressing our faith. We grow spiritually when we grow in generosity. Our spiritual approach to generosity is based on three foundations:

• Prayer. We encourage everyone to make your commitment to the church a matter of prayer, praying “Lord, where do you want me to be in my giving?” God will guide us to a great decision.
• Priority. Our commitment to God comes first. The Bible calls it “first fruits.” Making God our priority opens up our lives to receive the abundance of God’s providence.
• Proportion. Different families have different capacities to give. The Biblical idea of generosity is based on the principle of proportionality. What is a faithful proportion of your income to dedicate to God? The proportion, not the amount, witnesses to our faith. In the Bible, the tithe (10%) is the gold standard for proportional generosity.

In the next three weeks, the church family will receive a brochure, a commitment card, and daily devotionals by email to get us ready for a spiritual outpouring on Sunday, November 19. You will be able to make your commitments in person, by mail, or online at our website. 

The other Bible verse that bookends our generosity emphasis is Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.” Our God is abundant beyond our imagining, and I can’t wait to see what God is going to do with the responsive hearts of our generous people. I hope you will join us as we ensure a vital ministry for Jesus Christ at FUMC Fort Smith–for this and every generation!

BAPTISM CONGRATULATIONS

On October 15, we celebrated the Sacrament of Christian Baptism for Stratton Reis Hillard, the son of John and Megan Hillard. His brothers are Sebastian and Sullivan. His grandparents are Randy and Jane Bittle and Randy and Donna Hillard.  

A CREATIVE GIVING OPTION IF YOU HAVE AN IRA 

(From the Methodist Foundation of Arkansas)

A permanent tax law enacted late December of 2015 allows donors to revisit their IRAs and consider the possibility of donating “qualified charitable distributions” directly from their IRA to the church. 

The provision mandates the following:

• Eligibility Age. Taxpayers age 72½ and older are required to make annual distributions from their IRAs which are then included in the taxpayers’ adjusted gross income (AGI) and subject to taxes. The Qualified Charitable Distribution permits those taxpayers to make donations directly to charitable organizations from their IRAs without counting them as part of their AGI and, consequently, without paying taxes on them.
• Annual Cap. A donor’s total combined Qualified Charitable Distribution cannot exceed $100,000 in any one year. On a joint return, each spouse may contribute up to $100,000 from their respective IRAs.
• Eligible Charities. Distributions can only be made from traditional Individual Retirement Accounts or Roth IRAs. Charitable donations from other types of retirement plans are ineligible for the tax-free benefit.
• Directly to the Charity. Distributions must be made directly from the IRA trustee payable to the church or charity.
• No Gifts in Return. Donors cannot receive any goods or services in return for charitable Qualified Charitable Distribution in order to qualify for the tax-free benefit.
• Written Receipt. In order to receive the tax-free benefit, donors must obtain written substantiation of each Qualified Charitable Distribution from each recipient charity.

October was an enjoyable month for Pacesetters. We were excited Oct.12 to see hand held oil lamps from the Holy Land on stage during “Queen Esther” at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson because Tracy Culp had introduced us to the history and use of these lamps during her visit on Oct. 6. Of course no trip to Branson is complete without a stop at Tanger Outlet Mall for shopping. Vera Bradley and Chico’s seemed to have been favorites. Oct. 20 seemed like homecoming, as Elizabeth Thames returned with news of her new interior design business and all ingredients for each of us to make and take home a fall box of crunchy, chewy Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix.   

We invite everyone to join us in the Fireside Room of the Family Life Center at 10:00 am Friday, November 3, when FSFUMC Outreach Director, Tiffany Pierce, comes with fall crafts for us to make and take home. Tiffany’s spirit of fun and support always brighten our day.

Friday, November 17, Pacesetters travel to the DaySpring Outlet Store in Siloam Springs for the annual Warehouse Sale. The van leaves at 9:30 am from the church and will return before dark.

PLEASE NOTE: WE WILL NOT HAVE OUR REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 17.

FUMC KIDS

There are lots of fun ways for your kids to get involved at FSFUMC this Advent Season.  

We also have our annual Angel Tree! For those who may not know, Angel Tree is an awesome way to provide gifts for foster children in our community. In partnership with Family Alliance, each year we are able to provide 50+ foster children with a full Christmas! Gift Tags will be posted soon, so be on the lookout in the Narthex for those. 

If you’d like to volunteer in Children’s Ministry, please let us know. We would love to get you plugged in!

OUTREACH

Ingathering looks a little different this year. Our church will be hosting an Ingathering service on Saturday, November 18th. Be looking for those details. Ingathering items are being collected now until Saturday, November 18th. During the March 2023 tornados and the wildfires of West Texas and New Mexico, hygiene kits went to those in need. The church will be collecting items to replenish the hygiene kits. Containers for hygiene items are in the Narthex, office, by the Sanctuary doors, and the Family Life Center. A list of items we are collecting is listed below.

The need for food in our community continues to rise. The feeding ministry wants to help families have food for the holidays. Neighborhood Eats holiday dates are Thursday, November 16th and Thursday, December 14th. We will also be participating in the River Valley Food Bank Turkey Drive. Our church will be at the Kelley Highway Wal-Mart on Friday, November 17th, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. If you would like to donate a turkey or help us work the table, please give me a call.

FIRST YOUth 

The last month or so has been great at YOUth! Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to:

• Making care bags (thanks to everyone who has taken some to distribute. You can find them outside of the sanctuary, Great Hall, and breezeway entrance).
• Filling blessing boxes throughout town with 200 food items.
• Fun, group building games.
• Discussions about Life & Death with Calvary Cemetery as our backdrop.
• A worship night at St. Scholastica to experience their labyrinth with some discussion afterward, it’s been a lot of good stuff. 

November is shaping up to be great too as we head into Advent!

Veritas Registration will open at the end of October. Early bird cost- $75 (meals and t-shirt included in cost)

Our group last year loved it and hopefully we can have even more go to the next one!

Veritas is a statewide United Methodist youth event for both Middle School and High School students. It is a big atmosphere event that brings together all youth in grades 6-12 together for a weekend to celebrate, worship, learn, experience, and be energized by the presence of one another to serve God. 

Register here: https://bit.ly/firstyouthveritas24

If any classes, couples, or individuals are willing to provide a meal for Sunday Night YOUth, you can sign-up here (it will send you an email reminder beforehand): https://bit.ly/fsyouthsupper2324 or email Brandon at bbates@fsfumc.org.

Young Adult

 Happy Hours

6PM

NOV 7- Neumeier’s Rib Room

NOV 21- Zapata’s

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

In the past the phrase was ,”Sing for your supper!” Now, we play, sing, ring, dance, speak, act, etc. for donations to mission projects! This process works really well in our church because of the generosity of our members and their love of music. Our 24 2023 Music Campers, 8 teenage helpers and 12 adult helpers and their generous audience generated a love offering of $3,200 for our local Antioch food ministry.

On October 15, our guest organist, Joshua Ehlebracht presented a wonderful concert and generated a $2,600 love offering for our Guatemala Mission Trip. Thank you so much for those who work so hard in our music department and to those who generously support our efforts! NOW would be a great time to join Chancel Choir, Ladybells, Children’s Choir or the 8:30 solo roster!  

November 19th at 3pm, Benjamin Henderson will be presenting an Organ concert at First Presbyterian Church as part of the Mary McDonald Music Series. Hope to see you there for a wonderful afternoon of great music!

CHARGE CONFERENCE

Everyone is welcome, and members of the Administrative Board are expected to be at our CHARGE CONFERENCE on Thursday, November 16, at 6:30 p.m. in Roebuck Chapel. The Charge Conference is the annual connectional meeting of our church, but it is also a celebration of our relationship to the larger denomination and a worship time to hear a good word from our District Superintendent, Dr. Blake Bradford. This is the first in-person Charge Conference we have had at our church since COVID, so let’s have a good crowd and celebrate our United Methodist connection! (Blake also takes a picture and posts it, so we want to look good for Facebook, too! )

Funeral booklet revised and re-published

It is a good idea to make plans ahead of time for your funeral. It is something everyone goes through at some point, and it is so much easier on the grieving family to have all the information together in one place as they plan for your service and gather all the legal things needed. To help with this project, we have revised and re-published a funeral planning document for our members to use. You may pick one up at the church office, call and request one by mail, or download it from our website.  

All Widows are Invited!!

Next Gathering

November Gathering will be 

Thursday, November 9, 2023 

@ 12:00 Noon

Our program will be 

4 the Love of Dustin Giveaway for the Homeless 

in memory of Dustin Seth Hattabaugh.

To honor Dustin’s memory his mother, Debbie Hicks, started this program. 

Debbie will be our speaker for our November Gathering. I hope you can come and hear Debbie’s story of how she turned Dustin’s tragic death into something positive for others.

We will be serving

Turkey and dressing, green bean casserole, yams, 

cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin and pecan pie.

Feel free to bring a widow friend. 

For more information email Gail Oakes at rvwidowsgroup@gmail.com

Or call 479-459-0479

Ron Yates by

Doug & Patricia Rogers

Marlin & Janet Fretheim

Kelly & Marilyn Newton

Randy & Jane Bittle

Steve & Mary Williamson

Robert & Lee Anne Parker

Harbor House of Fort Smith

Jill Cutting

Byron & Linda Ware

John & Harriett Beasley

Christina Cline

Hoyle & Priscilla Hightower

Paul Pair

Harry & Nancy Robinson Jr

Austin & Alice Rowe

Kenneth & Debra Wintory

David Meeks by

Marlin & Janet Fretheim

Jim Cheyne (for Music Fund) by

Marlin & Janet Fretheim

Nadine Hardin Miller by

Cathy Williams

Dennis Stricklin by

Cathy Williams

Jerry Pruitt by

Randy & Jane Bittle

David & Leanne McClanahan

Osceola H.S. Class of 1962

Mary Kay Aclin

Alison Hardgrave Underwood by

Tom & Debbie Hardgrave

Brandon Underwood

Wendy Hardgrave Robbins

Frankie Brown by

Henry & Melissa Udouj

David & Connie Adrion

Jay Hartfield by

Mary Kay Aclin

Nelson Kimes (for Mission Trip) by

Marlin & Janet Fretheim

David & Leanne McClanahan

Helen Lanier

Mitchell & Jill Wells

Dennis & Nanette Barnett

Fred O. Williams

Walter & Lynette Woodie

Gary & Tracy Keifer

Jerry & Jan Walrod

Linda Mumme

Randy & Jane Bittle

David & Joanne Phillips

Jim & Patricia Bolin

Sherry Karber/Norman Wilkinson

Joel & Sandy Parker

Robert & Judy Dawson

Jim & Dixie Spears

Richard & Ann Appleton

Sandra Clark

Margaret Malloy

Clay & Lynn Gilliland

Martin Adams

Sandra Adams

Dan Davis

Anne Hall

Heather Paulus

Norma Shults

John & Jane Stauffer

Gerald & Pat Akins

Mary Kay Aclin

Henry & Melissa Udouj

David & Connie Adrion

Jennifer Lewis

David Staggs

Sherry Bell Staggs

Ruth Davis