Brandon Bates moving to Fort Smith
Brandon Bates, our Director of Ministries to Youth and Families, has accepted a new youth ministry position at First UMC, Fort Smith. He has served our church since 2017, and we pray that this next chapter will be good for Brandon and God will bear fruit from his ministry. We know he will bring his wisdom, humor, and deep faithfulness to the people Fort Smith.
They will be blessed.
With joy and gratitude, we announce that Adam Kirby will be serving as our Interim Director of Youth Ministries. As an ordained Deacon and long time teacher at Little Rock Central High, Adam is uniquely qualified for this role. As someone who was nurtured by our church’s youth group himself, and a parent of a youth, he has a strong desire to see FUMCLR continue to nurture and develop the young people of our church and beyond.
Adam has committed to this interim position for 1 year while the Staff Parish Relations Committee searches for the the next great and long term leader of our youth ministry.This Sunday, all youth are invited to meet at the Church at 5:00 pm before we leave for Big Rock Fun Park. Parents may pick up at the church at 8:00 pm.
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COMMUNITY LEVEL - HIGH, MASKS REQUIRED on Sun, July 17th |
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Lunch and Learn in July - Wednesday at noon in First Cup
On July 20th Helping Our Homeless Neighbors, myth vs reality and how covid has impacted this ministry. Rev. Paul Atkins from Canvas Community will be here to lead our conversation.
On July 27th In Pursuit of Spiritual Health, Rev Mary Jane Cole will share a bit about the art of listening and why paying attention to your spiritual health matters.
Join us for these interesting and informative gatherings.
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Special Called Charge Conference
We will hold a special called Charge Conference meeting as part of the July 19th Board of Stewards meeting at 6:00 pm in the Unity classroom. The agenda will be to set and adjust some of our clergy compensations. A Charge Conference is a special designation for a church board of stewards meetings to handle certain business items. They are open to the entire congregation.
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Our new Birthday Club is growing each month!
The Birthday Club is a way to celebrate your birthday, or the birthday of someone you love, by giving a dollar for every year of your age. All gifts go to our Perpetual Endowment Fund. This past month we’ve added two members with gifts totaling $144. Every dollar given is important as it grows helping us reach our goals of The Next 200 campaign. You can become a Birthday Club member by placing your gift in the envelopes in the pew racks and chair pockets of our worship spaces.Happy Birthday to our newest (and first) Birthday Club members:
Ginny McMurray
Larry Woodard
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Chamber Recital - July 31st
The music ministry of First United Methodist Church is proud to present our Chamber Recital Sunday, July 31st at 3:00 PM. Come see our fabulous singers doing what they do best. Selections will be performed by Kelley Ponder, Tim Bartlett, Clint Kesterson, Jaimee Jensen, and Ron Jensen. Help us celebrate the talent of First United Methodist Church with an afternoon of beautiful singing!
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Calling All Kid’s Sunday School Teachers
If you are interested in being a part of the spiritual journey of our youngest disciples, consider coming to our informational meeting on Sunday, July 24 at 10 a.m. in the First Cup Cafe. This is an important opportunity to fulfill your baptismal promise to love and teach the children of our church. The commitment is flexible and the lessons are preplanned. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Brittany. If you are ready to RSVP, here is the link: https://fumclr.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/45/responses/new
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Bring us your #5’s
Caring for our community by recycling
During one of our June Lunch and Learns, we discovered that #5s can be recycled in Little Rock, they just can’t be included in our curbside carts. We can help with this! First Church will collect your clean #5 containers and bring them to Natural State Recycling. #5 are things like yogurt tubs, sauce/dip tubs, or to go containers where the opening at the top is larger than the base. Recycling is one of many ways we can be good neighbors.
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2 Retreat Opportunities for Spiritual Renewal
R3 Retreat: Rest, Rejuvenation, and Resilience
Autumn in the Ozark Mountains
R3 is a retreat to experience rest and rejuvenation while building skills for resilience. While there are several opportunities in life for the first two R’s, rest and rejuvenation, building the third R, resilience, helps people avoid spiritual burnout and emotional exhaustion. This retreat led by David Freeman and Mary Jane Cole will provide an opportunity to experience all three R’s. There will be time each day for light hiking or walking in some of the most beautiful spots in the Ozark Mountains (White Rock Recreational Area and Devil’s Den State Park). The combination of rest, meaningful conversations, and exploring God’s creation will increase capacity for resilient and wholehearted living.
To sign up or get more information, contact David Freeman ([email protected], 501-372-2256 ext. 204)
Dates: September 19-21
Location: Mount Sequoyah Retreat Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Cost: Single occupancy room=$375 per person, Double occupancy room=$275 per person (Includes lodging, transportation, and most meals.)
Registration Deadline: July 24
Spiritual Renewal and Hiking Retreat in Sedona, AZ
We are pulling together a group for a week-long retreat in Sedona, Arizona in February 2023. The retreat will feature daily hikes among the beautiful red rocks and vistas of Sedona along with sessions of educational insights and meaningful conversations. The whole experience will inspire joy and meaning and lead you toward more authentic and wholehearted living. All hiking abilities and experiences are welcome. For more information, contact David Freeman ( [email protected], 501-372-2256 ext 204). |
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Welcome Shannon!
After a national search, the Music Ministry Search Committee and the Staff Parish Relations Committee are pleased to announce Shannon Rooky as the new Associate Director of Music and Worship Arts. Shannon was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, and she is thrilled to join the FUMCLR staff.
Shannon has held positions in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Colorado conducting choirs, musically leading worship services, serving as a section leader, and teaching children's music and handbells. She has also performed with several professional opera companies such as Opera Theater of the Rockies, Opera Fort Collins, and Opera in the Rock. She is passionate about music education and disability accessibility. Shannon has a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma City University and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Colorado State University. She enjoys hiking, board games, and sewing in her spare time.
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New Text Messaging List- Do we have your cell phone number?
In today’s busy world, we know everyone has their preferred method of communication. To make getting news, updates and other goodies easier—First Church is creating a Text Communication List. Please provide your cell phone number below so that we can make sure you are on our list. No worries, you will be able to unsubscribe at any time. Texting is an easy and quick tool to stay informed! Click to send your cell phone number!
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One of the best events I attended at the National American Guild of Organists convention was a theater organ recital at the historic Paramount Theater. The performer, Tedde Gibson, played splendidly; but, perhaps more importantly, he treated the concert as an opportunity to educate the audience about some of the basic differences between theater organs and church organs. I had assumed that a theater organ, with all of its specialized sounds, would require a vast assortment of pipes. I suppose this assumption derived from the huge number of stops at the theater organ console-- far more than you'd expect in a church.
As it turns out, however, the flexibility of the theater organ's sound does not come from a large assortment of pipes but rather from making a small number of pipes available in many, many different ways. In a church organ, if we have a clarinet it belongs to one keyboard and one keyboard alone. However, at a theater organ, that same clarinet would be made available to each keyboard and the pedals. Furthermore, one could have it sound higher or lower than would be expected. This practice of making a sound available to all keyboards at assorted octaves is known as unification, and it drastically increases an instrument's flexibility.
It seems to me that we, in the church, could learn a lesson from the theater organ. Of course, there's the obvious-- sometimes it's good to cut loose and have a little fun. But more than that, the theater organ plays a vast repertory with a meager selection of sounds. However, the judicious use of those sounds opens the playing field to a dynamic and diverse palette of orchestration. The church is the same way. We've all seen churches with near infinite resources whose ministry is almost nonexistent. Likewise, we've known churches with barely two nickels in their weekly offering who play a robust and life-changing role in the lives of their congregation. We must, as First United Methodist Church, make the most of the resources we've been given to do the work we've undertaken.
James Stanley
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Children's Church!
During the 9 am and 11 am services kids, ages three through grade 5 will be invited to come to Children's Church. After the Children's Moment, kids will head to the children's area to continue worship and learn in ways that are more accessible to them. Children will head back to the worship space during the final song of the worship service.
Family Movie Night, Friday, July 15 at 6 pm
Come to the gym for a movie on the big screen. WE ARE WATCHING SING 2! We will provide some favorite movie snacks. Feel free to bring blankets, pillows, chairs to be most comfortable!
Family Meal: Pettaway Edition
Sunday, July 24 at 5 pm at The Sanctuary
If you haven't had a chance to join Rev. Brittany for a family meal, this will be a fun one! Family meals invite the whole family to gather as we talk about what our hopes and needs are for the Children's Ministry.
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Sympathy
To Kathleen and Sam House, following the death of Kathleen’s mother, Pam Foster, on July 12th.
Congratulations:
To Jennifer, Joey, & Nolan Fleming on the birth of Caroline Rose on July 8th.
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Praying for YOU!
Months of separation and isolation have left us all feeling disconnected. To overcome that, we’re searching for all kinds of ways to enhance people’s sense of connection to one another and the church as a whole. That process begins with prayer. Each week, we’ll be listing about 20 names in the newsletter for you to pray for during the week. Over the next several months, we’ll be working our way through the church roll (backward alphabetically) so that everyone is lifted in prayer. You may not know these people personally, but that doesn’t matter. Praying for someone by name is a powerful way to experience a connection beyond physical distance. We’ll be connected by the Spirit and the power of praying for one another.
July 11-17: Judith, Kristin, Linda, Bob, Lesley, Justin, Beau & Tag, Yvonne, Greg, Susan, Kyla, Luke, Keron, Lori, Lucy, Harper, Reese, Donna, Linda
July 18-24: Lindsey, Rosina, Mariyln, Gene, Katharine, Kate, Olivia, Marcia, Karen, Joyce, Estella
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5 WAYS TO GIVE
Following are ways you can give your tithes and offerings:
■ Mail: You may still mail to the church office.
723 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.
■ Bank Draft: Contact our Finance Director, Sonja Taylor Larkowski by phone at 501-372-2256 Ex. 209 or email [email protected].
■ Church App: Click Give in the church app. To download text FUMCLR App to 77977. Or search for FUMCLR in your App Store.
■ Text: Text FUMCLR to 77977. Follow instructions in reply.
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Being good neighbors to make Little Rock a place where children THRIVE. |
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